Alan Shearer
Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

It is not ideal to have to wait for Ruben Amorim, but they have a very capable guy in Ruud van Nistelrooy who knows the score, knows the club and can handle the situation.

He knows the players and what they are about. He has perhaps been backing Erik ten Hag and rightly so as one of his assistants, but this is his chance to put his stamp on things. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a much better performance and a few goals from United.

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Manchester City's injury list is currently pretty extensive with Pep Guardiola naming just five outfield players on the bench in their last two matches.

The City boss has already said he won't be prioritising the Carabao Cup this season thanks to their depleted squad.

In the build-up to this one, he has simply asked for a good performance with "no injuries, please".

Arsenal have not lost a League Cup game to a lower-league side since October 2015 when they lost 3-0 Sheffield Wednesday.

They have won their last 11 such games by an aggregate score of 38-5.

"It is important because it keeps everyone alive," said boss Mikel Arteta of the Carabao Cup.

"It can help you maintain the winning habit which is really, really important. You show that you care about every competition regardless of what you play.

"You have to compete for every match you are in or you are out. The margins are so small and we face a tough opponent."

Preston could end an unwanted record today - the team to play the most League Cup games without ever reaching the quarter-final.

This will be North End's 185th game in the competition but they have never gone beyond this round - exiting at round four on seven different occasions.

They beat Fulham 16-15 on penalties in the previous round.

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Ruud van Nistelrooy takes charge of Manchester United for the first time tonight.

The former United striker is in interim charge following the sacking of fellow Dutchman Erik ten Hag.

United have made an approach for Sporting manager Ruben Amorim.

Former PSV boss Van Nistelrooy said in today's programme notes: "Even on an interim basis, it is a great honour to manage the club I love for however long I am asked to do so.

"When I returned in the summer as Erik’s assistant, it was because I believe that Manchester United can climb back to the levels that I knew here as a player.

"I still have that belief, but it will take time and a lot of hard work."

Ange Postecoglou makes five changes to his side which lost 1-0 at Crystal Palace at the weekend.

One of the main changes up-front is 17-year-old Mikey Moore is dropped to the bench as Timo Werner starts.

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Gray, Romero, Dragusen; Van de Ven, Sarr, Bentancur; Kuluveski, Johnson, Solanke, Werner.

Subs:Forster, Pedro Porro, Davies, Udogie, Bissouma, Bergvall, Maddison, Moore, Richarlison.

Manchester City make seven changes to their squad with only Rico Lewis, Manuel Akanji, Savinho and Nunes keeping their starting shirt after the 1-0 victory against Southampton at the weekend.

Manchester City XI: Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Ake; Gundogan, McAtee, O'Reilly; Savinho, Nunes, Foden.

Subs: Ederson, Dias, Kovacic, Haaland, Bernardo, Gvardiol, Wright, Simpson-Pusey, Alfa-Ruprecht.

Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom: "It’s a good occasion because it’s one of the best teams in the country and it’ll be a full house.

"It’ll be a great atmosphere, testing yourself against the best of opposition. It’s one that I think everyone’s looking forward to as a club. It’s sort of a reward for past performances.

"If you deliver, and we know we’d have to give a great performance and be really strong, be clinical at one end and be really strong at the other end – similar to Fulham – then who knows what could happen."

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has delivered some bleak news around playmaker Kevin de Bruyne.

De Bruyne has been out of action since suffering a thigh injury in the Champions League draw with Inter Milan on 18 September.

Guardiola initially thought De Bruyne would be back after the October international break but has now extended that until the middle of November after admitting the recovery has been more complicated than City thought.

Asked when the Belgian star would be back, Guardiola said: "I would like to tell you, I especially would like to know, but I don't know.

"He feels better to train but to go to the level we need for competition he still has pain.

"If he doesn't come back as quick as possible we will struggle. Hopefully that can happen after the international break."

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said last month he "always" wins a trophy in his second season in charge.

After a successful first campaign in north London in which the Australian guided Spurs to a fifth-place finish in the Premier League, fans' expectations of winning a first trophy in 17 years has increased - expectation which Postecoglou fuelled.

Spurs' last piece of silverware came in the 2008 EFL Cup under Juande Ramos - the only competition they have won in the 21st Century.

Tottenham also remain one of the favourites to win the Europa League with three wins from three so far.

But is second-season success really a given for Postecoglou's Spurs? How often does a manager go without a trophy in their first campaign, then win silverware in their second? And how have previous Spurs managers fared during their second season?

Click here to read more on Ange Postecoglou's prospects of bringing silverware home in his second season at Spurs.

Alex Howell
BBC football news reporter

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Crystal Palace's 1-0 win against Tottenham was a huge moment in their season.

Going into the game without a win in eight Premier League matches, the pressure was starting to build on manager Oliver Glasner and around the club.

Glasner put Jean-Philippe Mateta back into the starting line-up and that decision paid off with the Frenchman scoring the only goal of the game.

The Palace boss looks to finally have found a starting XI that gives him a platform to work from.

Glasner said himself that his team's build-up had not been ideal with "late signings" who had "no pre-season together".

That is true of two members of Palace's back three in Trevoh Chalobah and Maxence Lacroix.

Chalobah and Lacroix have been named alongside Marc Guehi in Palace's back three for the past three matches and they seem to be forming a formidable partnership.

Lacroix in particular got many plaudits after the win against Spurs and it will be a big boost for the centre-back, who had a tricky start to life at Selhurst Park.

Palace have what can be billed as "winnable games" against Wolves and Fulham and the outlook on their season could be very different by the time the next international break comes around in a couple of weeks.

Alan Shearer
Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

A good cup run would just calm everything down at Newcastle. Things haven't been great this season, it seems as if it has been one problem after another and it has been very difficult.

Tonight is an opportunity for the team to settle everything down and the fans would really appreciate that ahead of Arsenal at the weekend.

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Aston Villa's number one Emiliano Martinez was crowned best goalkeeper in the world for a consecutive year at the Ballon d'Or awards on Monday.

The 32-year-old has been rewarded for another fantastic year for club and country and becomes the first goalkeeper to win the Yashin Trophy twice.

Martinez recorded five clean sheets in six games for Argentina as they defended their Copa America title in July, winning the Golden Glove in the process.

That followed a successful campaign for Villa in which he also kept 15 clean sheets in all competitions as they qualified for the Champions League.

"Back-to-back is something I never expected," said Martinez. "I'm just proud to be here.

"All thanks to my family and friends."

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca says he "still feels the same" about not being good enough to challenge for the title.

The Blues have won seven and drawn two of their last 10 games in all competitions.

"I think we can improve many things. We can attack better, defend better and manage the games better. This is a learning process and we need to learn how to play different kinds of games," he said.

"The club have never mentioned top four to me. They always said that the target is to build something important for the next four or five years. It could be a pressure for the players, but I don't think so."

Shay Given
Former Newcastle goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast

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Every Premier League manager is under pressure after a couple of bad results.

But, I don't think Eddie comes under that bracket, I really don't - I think he is Newcastle for the long-term.

I think the owners have a lot of time and respect for Eddie. It was a frustrating summer and Eddie maybe didn't get the players that he wanted in the transfer window and that's been a frustration for fans and anyone connected to the club.

He hasn't had the supply, Marc Guehi was probably the big one in the summer - he really wanted him in, but couldn't get the deal done. I thought they should have a plan B in place, but they didn't.

It's just frustrating this season because you roll back 12 months and there was Champions League football in Paris, Dortmund and Milan and now they're mid-table.

I don't think it's time for panic, with Eddie at the helm we've got the right person, he just needs to get back to winning ways and the club will be fine.

Preston North End

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom, speaking to Sky Sports: "They've shown over the last few years how good of a team they are. We know we are playing one of the top teams, it's a great opportunity for our players to play against who I consider one of the best teams.

"Majority of our fans are coming for a good occasion to see Arsenal. Arsenal are coming to progress and it is up to us to put the spanner in the works."

Jon Evans: Mings, Buendia and Kamara, what a sight to see after so long out for the three of them

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, speaking to Sky Sports: "In the end only the players who deserve to play, they will be on the pitch. All the players on the pitch have trained good and they've suffered.

"Hopefully, we will be successful. I think cup games are always 50-50 games. It's a cup we want to win and we want to go to the next challenge.

"Cup games are there to be won."

Pat Nevin
Former Everton winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

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The game at Emirates Stadium [for Liverpool] was billed as the acid test after an initially kind set of early season fixtures. Far from being imperious again, Slot's team found a way not to lose.

This was about as far away as you can get from the old heavy metal football of early Jurgen Klopp, they did not look like a side that could produce that sort of constant energy.

Just one loss so far tells a positive story. They are a solid, organised group that sparkles now and again, which could be enough for the top four.

They do need Mohamed Salah to have yet another great goalscoring season and although he got the all-important equaliser, the Egyptian genius was quiet.

You can stay competitive playing like this, but you do not win leagues. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are the real reason for their success, shipping the fewest goals in the league so far by a distance.

Slot and the fans know there needs to be improvement from middle to front if they are going to challenge Manchester City, but finishing in the top four seems well within their grasp.

Jamie Redknapp
Former Tottenham midfielder on Sky Sports

On Manchester United's performances...

This group has been poor and quite toxic, they're not performing, not doing enough and getting managers sacked regularly.

That culture has to change, whoever comes in they have to give the guy time.