Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Dean in Dronfield: Hi Phil, given how many managers of promoted sides get sacked after just a few months in the Premier League, might we start to see them resigning after earning promotion, and looking for a more secure job elsewhere?

Hi, Dean. An interesting theory but I don’t see it. Any manager with the slightest ambition will want a crack at the Premier League after winning a place there via promotion.

Russell Martin, who took Southampton up and is the latest example of what you are discussing, would have relished managing in the Premier League but unfortunately it has not worked out.

And it is not just managers who have won promotion who are at risk of the sack.

Look at Gary O’Neil at Wolves. It’s an occupational hazard.

The Premier League is where managers want to be I don’t see any walking away from that opportunity.

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Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Wolves went into this season having failed to plug the gaping holes left by the departures of Pedro Neto and Max Kilman.

O'Neil had hoped the financial tide was turning and he would have greater ability to spend, saying in August: "Everyone knows the financial restrictions we have and have been there since I arrived. We have raised good funds in this window and the squad will need help.

"Then there's an understanding the Premier League is tough and if you sell good players it makes you weaker."

Gary O'Neil wanted to strengthen and, on penning his new deal, was under the impression that there was scope to bring in signings capable of making an immediate impact.

Instead, Wolves were priced out of a move for goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who joined Southampton from Arsenal, while moves for Burnley duo Luca Koleosho and Dara O'Shea failed, with defender O'Shea joining Ipswich.

A centre-back to replace Kilman was needed and Aston Villa's Diego Carlos was considered.

Instead, valid questions were raised when £10m went on goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and a £17m deal to bring Brazil midfielder Andre to the club from Fluminense. Andre offered excellent value but added to an area where Wolves were already well stocked.

Harry Redknapp
Former manager on BBC 5 Live

You can see the problems at Wolves with the lack of discipline, players on the pitch getting sent off, arguing and fighting at the end of games.

Gary O'Neil is another one who has so much to offer, such a good, bright, young manager.

I managed Gary on three different occasions and he was a fantastic professional and player, with terrific knowledge of the game.

He will get back in somewhere.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Rob, Purley: Hi Phil. I thought the referee had a poor game yesterday which benefitted neither team (luckily). But I was shocked by Mike Dean saying that the clear foul on Hojlund was not a penalty in games like this....what are your thoughts on that? Should refs be lenient in derby games or enforce the rules consistently?

Hello, Rob. I thought that could easily have been a penalty yesterday.

Ruben Dias got more of Rasmus Hojlund than the ball and was lucky to get away with it.

The Premier League Match Centre’s “X” account said: “The referee’s call of no penalty for the challenge between Hojlund and Dias was checked and confirmed by VAR, deeming it was normal contact.”

Not sure I totally agree with that.

The rules should always be applied consistently. You can’t apply different rules, or interpretations of the rules, for different games.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

The chaos at the final whistle at Molineux on Saturday was only the start of Wolves' problems.

Just 18 hours after their players clashed with Ipswich staff and security, Gary O'Neil was sacked as head coach, the last-gasp 2-1 defeat at home to the Tractor Boys ending his 15-month reign with the club second-bottom of the Premier League.

They are now in talks to replace him with Al-Shabab manager Vitor Pereira.

Chairman Jeff Shi only gave O'Neil his public vote of confidence for O'Neil on Thursday and Wolves had been prepared to stick by their manager, willing to provide funds for players in January, but the damage done by Saturday's defeat was too much.

It spilled over as emotions took control and Rayan Ait-Nouri was sent off in the tunnel after clashing with Liam Delap, while Matheus Cunha could be the subject of a Football Association investigation having fought with Ipswich's security staff.

The indiscipline followed Mario Lemina's outburst when he grappled with Jarrod Bowen following the 2-1 defeat at West Ham last week - losing the captaincy because of it - and Jose Sa's row with fans during the loss to Bournemouth last month.

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Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Ben, Northumberland: Hi Phil, for all the talk of Pep Guardiola getting sacked, do you think he's likely to resign if matters don't improve? I hope he doesn't, but strikes me as someone who would.

I don’t, Ben. I do not think he would have signed the new two-year contract a couple of weeks ago unless he was fully motivated.

His previous contract was up at the end of the season, so if he was lacking motivation or felt he needed a change he could have walked away.

It is not as if Manchester City’s problems have only surfaced since he renewed his contract. He knew they were there and still signed the deal – in fact this may even have played a part in his decision.

No-one can predict the future but I actually think Guardiola is motivated to put matters right after all the success he has brought to the club.

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Chelsea

As well as Manchester City away from home on 25 January, Chelsea also have games to come at Arsenal (15 March) and at home to Liverpool (3 May).

That match against Liverpool starts a tricky run in the final month of the campaign, at Newcastle (10 May), home to Manchester United (18 May) and away to Nottingham Forest on the final day (25 May).

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Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

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Ben: A frustrated and angry Manchester City fan here. Surely, with the January transfer window around the corner, the club should sack Pep Guardiola and bring in someone (Zinedine Zidane) with fresh ideas who can bring in his own players? The rebuild needs to start now...I hate the phrase but I really think the current crop have downed tools under the current regime.

Afternoon, Ben. I can feel your frustration and anger and I know you will hate these words as well but surely it is time for patience and faith in Pep Guardiola.

Sacking him (and it won’t happen anyway) would be an act of madness.

He has proved his greatness over many years so why not believe he can put this right over coming months?

I am not sure players have “downed tools” as you say, but I do think this is a Manchester City squad that has been allowed to grow too old together and others, such as Phil Foden, are suffering a rare dip in form.

Lots of those legs have got many miles on the clock.

They are only human, and maybe they are simply finding it difficult to summon up the insatiable hunger for success that they have had for so long.

Guardiola will know better than anyone what is required – although I do think Manchester City’s work in the transfer market needs to be an upgrade on recent seasons, where it has been a very mixed bag.

Chelsea

Chelsea have a run of games coming up in the Premier League against teams outside the current top six - with Everton, Fulham, Ipswich, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Wolves before they travel to Manchester City at the end of January.

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Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Anon: Question for Phil. How much of the issues at Manchester City can be pointed to poor recruitment in the last couple of seasons? Savio, bringing back Gundogan, Nunes, Phillips, etc... there seems to be more failures than successes.

I think a lot of issues can be pointed to poor recruitment – and sales.

Kalvin Phillips was total failure. Matheus Nunes has not delivered, while it is starting to look like a season too far for Ilkay Gundogan after his return from Barcelona.

Let’s not forget, though, what a magnificent player he has been for Manchester City. I’ve actually liked the look of Savinho but he has had a lot of injuries.

Manchester City got great money for Julian Alvarez, £81.5m from Atletico Madrid, but he has not been replaced and been sorely missed.

He was a gifted, hard-working foil for Erling Haaland and got his share of goals.

Obviously Cole Palmer’s sale to Chelsea is a very big talking point now, although Pep Guardiola wanted him to stay but the player insisted on leaving to get more game time.

City definitely needed to step up their work in the markets after a mixed couple of seasons.

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Chelsea

Cole Palmer has been a key player for Chelsea since moving from Manchester City in September 2023.

The 22-year-old's form has helped to establish him in the England squad and is now propelling the Blues to within touching distance of top spot.

Palmer has 11 goals and six assists from 16 Premier League games this season - only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland have scored more. He also has provided the fifth most assists in the division.

Striker Nicolas Jackson also has a healthy return of eight goals from 14 appearances, with his goal ratio per 90 minutes improving significantly from 0.35 in 2023-24 to 0.65 in the current campaign.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

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Ross, Sunderland: Good morning Phil, away from the Premier League and into the Championship. Who do you think will be promoted automatically this season? I can't recall it being this tight before especially at Christmas time.

Tough question, Ross. I would go for Leeds United to go up as champions and be joined in the Premier League by Sheffield United. And I think Sunderland will make a real fist of going up as well. As you say, though, the Championship is incredibly tight and notoriously difficult to get out of. Ask me again at the end of April!

Chelsea

Enzo Maresca's Chelsea can lay claim to being the Premier League's entertainers.

They are the league's top scorers with 37 goals, one more than nearest rivals Tottenham.

Chelsea have scored 66 times in 25 games across all competitions this season, already 16 more goals than they managed in their entire 50-match campaign of 2022-23.

Prior to Sunday, Maresca's side were averaging 2.66 goals per game - the highest in the club's history.

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Red Bull Salzburg say former Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders has been "released from his duties" as manager, just seven months after being appointed.

Lijnders took up the role in May after leaving Anfield, where he spent nine years during two stints as Jurgen Klopp's assistant.

Salzburg are fifth in the Austrian Bundesliga - 10 points adrift of leaders Sturm Graz - and 32nd in the Champions League table, with just three points from their six matches.

The club posted on X, external: "FC Red Bull Salzburg and Pepijn Lijnders are parting ways, the 41-year-old Dutchman was released from his duties today. Thank you for your commitment and all the best for the future, Pep!"

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Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Sam: Hi Phil. Do you think this year's Premier League is particularly competitive? Three points currently separating sixth and 13th, with the likes of fine sides like Brentford and Newcastle in the bottom half.

Hello, Sam. Definitely. Manchester City’s collapse and Arsenal’s sudden lack of potency has opened the door for Liverpool at the top and Chelsea in second.

There is so much unpredictability about that area you mention, which is definitely making for a more exciting league table.

As for Brentford and Newcastle United, they will still feel they have shown enough this season to make them believe they can move right back up to the top six. Long may it continue.

Chelsea

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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has said previously that his side lacks the experience of Liverpool, Arsenal and champions Manchester City and so should not be considered genuine title challengers.

Yet they moved to within two points of Liverpool with Sunday's win at home to Brentford, albeit having played a game more than the league leaders.

Despite now being within touching distance, Maresca maintains that the Blues are not ready: "It's not about how many games we win. It's about being realistic.

"There are things we have to do better. That's why I said, for me, we are not ready. The fans, they can dream and think. But us inside as a club, as a squad, as players, as coaching staff, we need to be realistic."

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

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Luke, London: Phil, with all the talk being around Liverpool this week and Arsenal last week, smaller teams will always go under the radar. But for the Liverpool game, Fulham missed our two first-choice centre-backs. With a little more squad depth, what chance would you give Fulham of a surprise top-eight finish?

First things first, Luke. Marco Silva has done an outstanding job at Fulham, getting results while playing attractive football.

Their last two results, taking fully merited points off Arsenal then Liverpool, suggests they have a real chance of finishing in the top seven or eight if they can keep their squad together and maintain current form.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

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@Chrisgill95 on X: I’m still celebrating Everton's goalless draw at Arsenal. Do I need to give my head a wobble? New owners looming but is it short-sighted to think change won’t come quickly?

No need for head wobbling, Chris. A really good result when I suspect even Everton’s most fervent fans thought they would lose at Arsenal.

Depends what you mean by quickly, I think. I do not think the Friedkins will come in and start hiring and firing instantly.

I am sure they have been assessing the situation from afar and will want to make considered, steady change.

I think the summer will be when the real action starts, with my money on a change of manager, but I do think they need to put a new board and executive team in place fairly rapidly to get a decision-making process moving after the months of inertia. I suspect they have already been working on that in readiness for getting full approval.

Interestingly, Ruben Amorim hinted in his post-match comments that Harry Maguire was brought into the Manchester United defence to cope with the specific threat posed by Erling Haaland.

"Maguire is perfect when we play with three defenders in the middle and the striker they have, with the long balls, it is perfect," said the United boss.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

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Manchester United central defender Harry Maguire had an excellent game in the win against Manchester City yesterday.

After rejecting the chance to leave Old Trafford at the start of last season, when United accepted a bid from West Ham, Maguire got his place back under Erik ten Hag.

When Ruben Amorim replaced the Dutchman last month, it didn't seem as though Maguire would be a natural fit in a three-man defence that also contained a similar style of player in Matthijs de Ligt.

But the pair both started against City and when Amorim decided to introduce Leny Yoro with 11 minutes left, De Ligt was the man replaced.

Maguire's current contract expires in the summer, although United do have the option to extend by an additional season.

"My contract is not something I had thought too much about but all the signs are positive at the moment and the chat that I’m having is really positive," he said.