It's been a busy Tuesday as we heard from a number of Premier League managers as league action returns after more than two weeks.

But two talking points stood out during the day as:

• Arne Slot shrugged off transfer talks surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold and instead said his focus is on having the Liverpool star back to full fitness.
• Pep Guardiola also dropped the news that star striker Erling Haaland will be out injured for up to seven weeks, which could see him miss the FA Cup final if Manchester City make it.

You can browse through our summary points to catch up on all the other big stories from throughout the day, including team news and build-up tonight's three Premier League matches.

We also have live coverage of those games - Arsenal v Fulham, Wolves v West Ham and Nottingham Forest v Manchester United - coming up on the BBC Sports website that you can follow here.

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Wolves have got a nine-point cushion above the bottom three but they still have a bit of work to do to make sure they are completely safe.

Their best player Matheus Cunha is still suspended, and he is such a big miss. His recent comments about wanting to leave to win trophies are hardly much help to them either.

West Ham are only one place above Wolves, but are another eight points clear.

Their results have not been spectacular under Graham Potter but when I look at them, I do think they are improving - they came very close to beating Everton last time out, and actually deserved the three points there.

I'd like to pick a winner but I am not sure that will get me anywhere - this game smells of a draw.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

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West Ham manager Graham Potter confirmed that German striker Niclas Fullkrug will be part of the Hammers travelling squad after almost three months out with a hamstring injury.

For Wolves, Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has scored nine league goals this campaign, is available despite missing Norway's matches in the international break due to a fracture in his hand.

Matheus Cunha will be absent again as the Brazilian serves the third match of his four-game suspension.

Meanwhile, Cunha's compatriot Joao Gomes will hope to celebrate the signing of a new five-year deal with a win.

Gomes' new contract, announced by Wolves today, also includes the option of a further year. The midfielder joined from Flamengo in 2023 and has made 80 appearances for Wolves.

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West Ham travel to Wolves with the sides sitting 16th and 17th respectively but separated by eight points with nine games to go.

Graham Potter's side have lost only once in their past four games, winning two of them and are aiming for a fourth successive win over Wolves.

Wolves have collected 10 points from their last six league games - as many as they had accrued from their 12 previous matches.

However, they have won just two of their past eight games at Molineux.

Their league games this season have produced 98 goals (40 scored and 58 conceded, the joint most of any side along with Tottenham.

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Arsenal's title hopes may only be faint but they have still got to try to exert a bit of pressure on Liverpool.

Win this, and they are nine points behind the leaders before Arne Slot's side play again. I want to see Liverpool pushed, and no other result will do.

It won't be easy for Arsenal, though - I was at the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage in December, which finished 1-1, and that was a typical Fulham performance in that they were dangerous on the counter-attack.

They showed that day what a capable side they are, and they have several former Arsenal players in their squad who will want to prove a point again too.

Marco Silva's side had a disappointing defeat at home to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup on Saturday, but they actually played really well in the first half of that game.

It's hard to know where some teams are at form wise, coming out of the international break, and if Arsenal are not at the races then Fulham are going to to cause them more problems this time.

I actually think the Gunners will find a way to win this one, though.

Bukayo Saka's return after more than three months out will lift Emirates Stadium even if he starts the game on the bench and, if they need it, he will supply a spark whenever he gets on the pitch.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

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Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is all set to return after three months out with a torn hamstring, and could even start as Fulham make the short trip to Emirates Stadium.

Jurrien Timber has also recovered from illness but fellow defender Riccardo Calafiori faces a few weeks out with a knee injury he sustained on international duty with Italy.

Fulham boss Marco Silva, however, has little to worry about in terms of injuries as they continue to fight for a place in Europe next season.

Former Gunners player Reiss Nelson is among the long-term absentees for the Cottagers with a hamstring injury.

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Arsenal edged Chelsea 1-0 before the international break to move 12 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and they will now hope to reduce that gap to a single digit as neighbours Fulham visit.

Marco Silva's Fulham, meanwhile, are in eighth place and only three points behind fifth-placed Manchester City and four points behind Chelsea, in fourth.

The Gunners have never lost in 31 home league fixtures against Fulham (W24, D7).

It's the most home games one side has played against another without ever losing in English league history.

However, Fulham have not won in any of their past three meetings (W1, D2).

With all three points tonight, they can equal their club record of five London derby league wins in a season, set in 1931-32 and matched in 1947-48 and 2000-01.

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I am concerned how Nottingham Forest will cope without Chris Wood up front if he is out injured. At the moment it is not clear how serious his problem is.

Forest made quite a few changes against Brighton in the FA Cup over the weekend, and still got through without 'the Wood-chopper', but they really need him back as soon as possible.

Speaking as a Forest fan, it's especially annoying that he has picked up this injury while on international duty.

New Zealand have got an excellent cricket and rugby union team and I wish them every success at football, but do they really need Wood to get through their World Cup qualification campaign against the likes of Fiji and New Caledonia?

I'd argue they don't need him, and that Wood is better than that. If I was from New Zealand, I'd probably have won about 700 caps, and there are greater priorities for Wood, which are to win the FA Cup and get Forest into next season's Champions League.

It will be harder for Forest without him, but I still think they can repeat their win at Old Trafford in December.

Saturday's FA Cup win over Brighton was not exactly a thriller, but as we have seen plenty of times from Forest already this season, they are not here to entertain - they are here to get the job done.

As for Manchester United, it is a big end to the season for their boss Ruben Amorim.

Bruno Fernandes has carried them a bit recently in the league, and he is their best hope of getting a positive result here.

I am not sure either side will be too bothered about having the ball, but Forest fans are happy for them to sit deep and play on the counter, even when they are at home, and they are really good at it.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

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Nottingham Forest are looking to complete their first league double over Manchester United since the 1991-92 campaign under Brian Clough, as Ruben Amorim's side make the trip to the City Ground tonight.

Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White and Nikola Milenkovic scored as Nuno Espirito Santo's side edged United 3-2 at Old Trafford on 7 December.

Third-placed Forest, who are unbeaten in five matches in all competitions and in eight games at home, are also looking to win consecutive home league games against the Red Devils for the first time since 1989-90.

United, 13th, are looking for back-to-back wins in the Premier League for the first time this season.

Amorim's side are on a four-match unbeaten run but are just one of the three sides yet to win back-to-back games in the league, along with strugglers Ipswich Town and Southampton.

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Nottingham Forest could be without influential duo Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White for their Premier League match against Manchester United at the City Ground tonight.

Wood, who has 18 goals this season, missed Forest's shootout win over Brighton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday after sustaining a hip problem while playing for New Zealand in World Cup qualifying.

Gibbs-White, meanwhile, picked up an injury during extra-time against the Seagulls.

On the other hand, Ruben Amorim will be boosted by the return of defenders Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro while Patrick Dorgu is back for the visitors after suspension.

Amad Diallo, Jonny Evans, Ayden Heaven, Kobbie Mainoo, Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw remain on the sidelines for the Red Devils.

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With the managers' news conferences done and dusted, it's now time to turn our focus to tonight's Premier League action.

The English top flight returns after a 16-day hiatus, with three games to savour this Tuesday night.

Arsenal and Fulham get us under way at Emirates Stadium from 19:45 BST with Wolves v West Ham kicking off at the same time.

However, the pick of tonight's games is arguably Nottingham Forest v Manchester United (20:00 BST).

Aston Villa

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More from Aston Villa manager Unai Emery as they look to extend their winning run to five games in all competitions: “A lot of different circumstances we had this season - sometimes injuries, sometimes not getting our performances individually is the reality [behind inconsistency]. At the beginning of the season, we had some players, important players for us, who weren’t fit.

“We are recovering some injured players, and I think the players are physically well. I don’t want to waste time with my decisions, with the players - everybody is ready and focused.

“Now it’s 100% football. It’s the last two months and our target is clear. We have a lot of motivation for it but the players have to be very focused in the same way we are trying to set.”

Aston Villa

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery on the race for Champions League qualification: "Thirty-eight matches is when you are finishing and the table is fair for everybody. We are in the last part of the season and every point we achieved and lost before, now is the moment we have to identify how we are, focus on every match and the reality that Brighton have two points [more than us] in a European position.

“To get Conference League, Europa League or Champions League is the consequences of how we are doing in the season. Brighton are there now and tomorrow is three points for them, three points for us or one point for each team.

“We’re going to try and prepare to face the match, thinking to achieve the three points. We’re respecting them and being very demanding with how we can achieve it.”

Aston Villa

Ninth in the table, three points behind Manchester City in fifth, with matches to come against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-finals and Paris St-Germain in the Champions League last eight.

April is going to be quite the month...

How are you feeling Aston Villa fans?

Would you have taken this at the start of the season?

Click thumbs up for yes, down for no.

Aston Villa

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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery on approaching the final months of the season: “We are excited and demanding ourselves to be focused for the last two months in three competitions. We’re motivated to get our best performances collectively and try to reduce a lot of goals that we conceded.

“In the last matches, we are getting better. Tomorrow is a very good test again for how we can be more consistent, playing at the level we want to achieve and in the level we are getting at the end of the season to play in the Premier League and achieve top seven, top six or top five.

“There are a lot of teams there fighting for these positions. In the FA Cup we’re playing a semi-final and in the Champions League a quarter-final.

"It's amazing how we are approaching the last part of the season. But we are aware how difficult it is going to be and how much we have to get better."

Aston Villa

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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery gives updates on injuries ahead of facing Brighton: “Leon Bailey, still, with a hard kick, and I think he is not going to train this afternoon, and for tomorrow, difficult to play the match.

"We are having our training session this afternoon, trying to take time after the last match [FA Cup quarter-final against Preston] we played on Sunday.

“At the beginning, [Ross] Barkley, he was training with the group yesterday.

“Other players, progressively, they were coming back and hopefully - after the match we played and the training we will do this afternoon - will be available, everybody.”

At the weekend, Unai Emery guided Aston Villa to the FA Cup semi-finals while they also have a Champions League quarter-final to look forward to.

Before all that, Villa travel to Brighton tomorrow - and Emery has been speaking to the media...

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

Yes, the present season still has quite a long way to go - but it won't be long before the league campaign is over and we are looking forward to 2025-26.

The Premier League has confirmed the new fixtures will be released at 09.00 BST on Wednesday 18 June 2025.

Everton

Everton are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League games under David Moyes as they head towards a second Merseyside derby in as many months.

They have won four times under Moyes, but have drawn their last four games and only managed to score three in their last three games:

• Everton 3-2 Tottenham
• Brighton 0-1 Everton
• Everton 4-0 Leicester
• Everton 2-2 Liverpool
• Crystal Palace 1-2 Everton
• Everton 2-2 Man Utd
• Brentford 1-1 Everton
• Wolves 1-1 Everton
• Everton 1-1 West Ham

Brentford

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been providing an injury update before travelling to face Newcastle on Wednesday: "The squad looks quite positive.

"Michael Kayode is back in, but Mathi [Jensen] is not ready yet. There was some illness there, which means he has missed some training.

"[Aaron] Hickey, Rico [Henry] and [Gustavo] Nunes all came through well [in under-21s match], but it’s just too short for them to be involved in the Newcastle game. All three looked good and ticked the physical boxes.

“Rico is the one who is furthest ahead of the three - I think he is close to returning to the squad. It could be for Chelsea [on Sunday 6 April], but let’s see.

"[Igor] Thiago is progressing, going a little bit slower, but progressing. Josh Dasilva is a little bit further off it than Igor."

Frank also added that midfielder Fabio Carvalho is unlikely to feature again this season.

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