Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Ian Westbrook, Beesotted podcast, external

Thomas Frank had backed Kevin Schade in recent weeks, and must have seen something in training to decide to play him.

And what inspired management it was, as the 23-year-old looked a different player from the start against Leicester.

Even before his sparkling hat-trick, Schade had seen an on-target header tipped away by Mads Hermansen and then laid on Brentford’s equaliser for Yoane Wissa. Aside from those moments and his three goals, he also tracked back to help in defence at times too.

You could see how delighted Schade’s team-mates were for him, both in the goal celebrations and on the pitch at full-time, with plenty of hugs and congratulations heading his way.

With Schade’s performance, another accomplished cameo by Igor Thiago on his home debut as a substitute, and the goals of Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo, Frank has riches of talent up front and plenty of interesting selection decisions to make.

Read the full column

The team news is just dropping from the four early games. We'll have the line-ups for you soon.

Shay Given
Former Man City goalkeeper on the Monday Night Club

Image source, Getty Images

Caoimhin Kelleher deserves a mention for Liverpool. I know Alisson Becker is still regarded as their number one, but I would like to see Kelleher to stay and put up that fight. He's been brilliant.

Conor Bradley was great against Kylian Mbappe and Ryan Gravenberch has transformed his career and gone from being on the fringes to being the first name of the team sheet.

Listen to the Monday Night Club here.

Wolves

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves need to cut out "crazy errors" if they are to move away from the bottom of the Premier League, says boss Gary O'Neil.

The Black Country side were unbeaten in four going into Saturday's game with Bournemouth, but conceded three penalties in a 4-2 defeat that saw them drop back into the relegation zone.

"They're crazy, crazy errors at really key stages in the football match," said O'Neil. "To be able to bounce back from it, and then to give away two penalties by passing one to their centre-forward and passing one to the goalkeeper, who gets tackled by their centre-forward, can't happen in Premier League games.

"We're making too many in key areas at the moment. We are costing ourselves a lot of goals with errors and it has to improve."

Wolves travel to 15th-placed Everton today, then face three other struggling teams - West Ham, Ipswich and Leicester - which O'Neil says is a chance to jump up the table.

"Where we are in the league is, of course, not where we want to be, but we're still in touching distance of a lot of teams just above us," he said. "We've come off the back of a four-game unbeaten run, two wins on the bounce that change the outlook for us, and there's no reason we can't start another one of those runs."

Arsenal

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Second-placed Arsenal host Manchester United, with the Gunners currently nine points behind leaders Liverpool.

United are ninth but unbeaten in three games in all competitions under new manager Ruben Amorim, who replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag in November.

On Amorim's impact, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: "You can see his fingerprints in what he wants to do straight away. He's been very clear with what he wants to do.

"What he did with Sporting was remarkable after so many years. Especially the way he did it and the way his teams are playing. It brings energy to a new club and the players, which is always positive. But we have to focus on what we're doing."

Arsenal were also drawn against Manchester United in the FA Cup third round on Monday.

Chris Sutton
Former Premier League striker

Manchester City's form has to turn around at some point, but there is little sign of that happening at the moment.

Nottingham Forest are going to be awkward opponents for them and, as the only team to have beaten Liverpool so far, they will fancy their chances at Etihad Stadium too.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side love defending and they will make it very hard for City to break them down.

City still have the talent but it has not been clicking and, physically, Forest will probably have the edge. The defending champions' confidence is shot to pieces and teams must feel they can get at them.

So, I think there will be goals and this could turn out to be a battle between two big number nines - 'The Wood Chopper’ Chris Wood for Forest and City's Erling Haaland. I fancy both of them to score.

Sutton's prediction: 2-2

Shay Given
Former Newcastle goalkeeper on the Monday Night Club

Image source, Getty Images

There's a frustration at Newcastle United because we say they've got the wealthiest owners in the world, but whenever they open a door, they are told you can't do this or that.

When the takeover happened, there were celebrations on the streets in Newcastle and they thought they can once again compete at the top of the table. They did dip their toes in the Champions League last season, but have they plateaued a bit now? They are now mid-table.

I still think Eddie Howe is the right man but they can't bring in all these players that they feel they need to in order compete at the very top of the Premier League and also the Champions League, if they get there.

Listen to the Monday Night Club here.

Image source, Getty Images

Ray Hunt, In that Number podcast, external

Unfortunately, the negatives are still outweighing the positives. The injuries are piling up, and suspensions are moving to the forefront. We are five points from safety before the game with Chelsea on Wednesday and are already without Aaron Ramsdale and Jan Bednarek through injury. On top of that, our England hero, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Flynn Downes and Tyler Dibling all miss out through a culmination of five yellow cards. All three have been among our best players this season.

It leaves Russell Martin with a selection headache as Lesley Ugochukwu is unable to fill in against his parent club, and Alex McCarthy and Paul Onuachu remain doubts. It will mean a very unfamiliar line-up.

You could argue that even with a full-strength XI, it may not be enough against a strong Chelsea team who have lost just twice this season and have seven wins from their past 10 trips to St. Mary's.

Getting these suspensions out of the way before the busier December schedule could prove a blessing in disguise. It will mean a chance for the fringe players to show their worth in this hectic run of games between now and New Year. We may also get to see Ronnie Edwards.

We have shown fight against these bigger clubs - so let's do the same again.

Read the full column

When does a gap become a chasm?

Should Liverpool win at Newcastle tonight they could end up with a 12-point cushion. All very much hypothetical at this stage of course but Arne Slot's side are firmly in the driving seat.

That five-point window between second and eighth is a lot of fun eh?

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist

Villa have not taken three points in the league since winning away at Fulham on 19 October. They have just managed to secure two points from home draws against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth as well as suffer away defeats at Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea.

But before we all get carried away we should perhaps add a little perspective.

Battling on the two major fronts was always going to be a huge learning curve for a club like Villa that would never pretend to have those resources enjoyed by so many of their bigger and wealthier rivals. Villa tried to get Joao Felix and Pedro Neto. But both ended up at Chelsea. Joao even came from the bench against Villa at the weekend

The slight drop in form of some players who last season were very important, particularly in the final third and in those actions that often ended in a goal, has also had consequences.

Crisis, what crisis? Context is everything

Manchester City are experiencing the biggest crisis of the Pep Guardiola era.

They have failed to win in seven games - losing six and drawing the other (having led that game 3-0).

Their last win was against Southampton in October.

Here are some stats...

• This is the first time that City have gone seven games without winning under Pep Guardiola.
• It is the first time Guardiola has lost four leagues matches in a row in his managerial career.
• Four league defeats already surpasses City's total number of losses last season.
• They can remain winless in eight games for the first time since November 2003 to January 2004.
• City are the first defending champions to suffer four successive Premier League defeats.

BBC Radio 5 Live

BBC Radio 5 Live has full commentary of all of tonight's six games - which you can listen to online/via this page.

Just click the watch & listen tab and pick your game. There are some local radio commentaries in there too.

There is also a 5 Live Final Score you can watch.

19:30 GMT...

Everton v Wolves

Manchester City v Nottingham Forest

Newcastle v Liverpool

Southampton v Chelsea

20:15 GMT...

Arsenal v Manchester United

Aston Villa v Brentford

Six games.

Five of the top six in action.

Three of the bottom four playing.

Welcome to live text and radio commentary of a potentially big night at both ends of the table.