Callum Matthews
BBC Sport

Leicester City, however, are on a run of six consecutive defeats, their latest coming at home to Crystal Palace.

A clinical display from Oliver Glasner's Palace side increased the pressure on Foxes manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.

In a game short of quality, Jean-Philippe Mateta's opener - seven minutes into the second half - was Palace's first effort on target.

He latched on to a through ball after a driving run from Ismaila Sarr and took a touch round the advancing goalkeeper, before tapping into the empty net for his sixth Premier League goal of the season.

England centre-back March Guehi then sealed the win for Palace as he superbly volleyed home a free-kick after drifting in from the left channel.

Leicester were the better team in the first period but aside from Jamie Vardy missing a one-on-one, they struggled to create any clear-cut chances.

There are no such concerns for Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, whose side made it back-to-back wins in the Premier League as they continue to eke out the points needed to stay in the race for European qualification.

"We have broken the bad spell," he told BBC's Match of the Day.

"I am very happy. It was a tough match. We played 90 minutes and competed very well.

"We had some clear chances in the first half and we tried to push and take even more control in the second but we couldn't, but we scored.

"This victory is very important. We have started the year winning at home, in the Premier League and in the FA Cup. Away, we were in a bad spell and had to break it."

The latest stats provided by Opta's Supercomputer give Everton a 19.8% chance of being relegated this season.

That is significantly lower than their rivals, if that helps at all Nipper.

Here is a full rundown of the relegation chances of those teams in the lower reaches of the table:

• Southampton 99.7%(!)
• Leicester 86.9%
• Wolves 35.7%
• Ipswich 56.7%
• Everton 19.8%
• Man Utd 0.3%
• Palace 0.4%
• Spurs 0.1%

Alan Stubbs
Former Everton defender on 5 Live Breakfast

I think this Everton squad is slightly better than last season and I just look at the teams below, even though they have picked up points - I still do think there's three teams worse than Everton.

I don't think it's going to be a drastic improvement from David. I think he's going to slowly but surely just guide Everton away from the bottom three. Obviously a lot of Everton fans will just be happy to stay up this season to get into the new ground and then we start a slow rebuild.

You don't have to be a scientist to know that the squad needs a lift. I've been there myself. I remember when Joseph Yobo signed - it was more or less a replacement for me and it gave me a kick up the backside because it gave me competition. These players need that right now because they need to up their levels a little bit.

Matt, Manchester: In my view, Everton need four things in order to stay up:

1. Dwight McNeil back to fitness
2. A right winger capable of beating a man and getting crosses into the box
3. ⁠A creative midfielder capable of controlling possession
4. ⁠A genuine goalscorer.

Given the club’s ongoing financial challenges, achieving all four in January feels impossible. They may well be relying on three teams faring even worse come the end of May.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter at Goodison Park

Image source, Getty Images

Some 4,266 days since last taking charge of an Everton home match - a 2-0 victory over a side he would later go on to manage in West Ham - David Moyes was back in the dugout at Goodison Park and witnessed the monumental job he has walked in to.

Moyes, 61, is the oldest manager currently in the top flight and he will need to use all those years of experience as he attempts to keep the Blues afloat come May.

Dyche managed to salvage survival on two occasions, but having won only three times this season Moyes faces a colossal task to ensure the club maintains its proud record of being ever-present in the Premier League.

Goals win games, and Everton have not claimed enough victories because of their struggles in putting the ball in the back of the net - they have scored just 15 times in 20 games this term, with only bottom side Southampton faring worse with 12.

Moyes said on Monday that Dominic Calvert-Lewin needs to get his scoring boots back on, but the striker has now gone 16 games without a goal, a run stretching back to September, and missed plenty of chances to give his boss a winning return.

Everton manager David Moyes, speaking to Match of the Day: "There was very little in the game, they had a couple of chances which we were fortunate with. We needed a better control of the game, a better level of possession.

"We didn't deliver at set pieces and we had six or seven corners and a good chance at the end. The game was really tight, just a slight lax allowed them to score."

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter at Goodison Park

Image source, Getty Images

David Moyes' return to Everton was ruined by Ollie Watkins' second-half winning goal for Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Manager Moyes was taking charge of the Toffees after replacing Sean Dyche, who was sacked last week, but there was little joy for the Scot almost 12 years after leaving the club for Manchester United.

Everton were architects of their own downfall as Morgan Rogers picked off Jarrad Branthwaite's loose pass on 51 minutes before feeding Watkins and the Villa striker slid home a clinical finish past England team-mate Jordan Pickford.

The result leaves Moyes' side teetering one point and two places above the relegation zone, while Villa are seventh, three points outside the top four.

We will delve deeper into the title race and all of the other sub-plots - who will qualify for Europe? which sides will go down? - a little later on.

But we still have two other games from Wednesday night to consider.

Let's switch focus now to David Moyes' return to Everton, which did not quite follow the script...

Image source, Getty Images

"The title race is well and truly on."

That's what one of your messages sent in this morning said, but are Newcastle in said race?

The Magpies are in the hottest form in the Premier League right now and sit nine points behind leaders Liverpool, albeit having played a game more.

Do you think they have enough to force their way into the reckoning?

Click thumbs up for yes, down for no...

Image source, Getty Images

Can't quite believe that last post from Nick. As if Spurs fans didn't have enough to put up with this morning...

We have had a lot of messages from Tottenham supporters, giving their thoughts on what is going wrong for Ange Postecoglou and his side.

We will get to those soon.

But let's first focus on this morning's positive vibes, which are all coming from Newcastle...

Image source, Getty Images

How very triggering, Nick!

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport

The Magpies are on a club record-equalling nine-match winning run in all competitions, they have one of the hottest strikers in world football at their disposal in Alexander Isak, and they are back in the top four of the Premier League for the first time since September.

In-form Isak became the first Newcastle player to score in eight successive Premier League games in Wednesday's comfortable win over Wolves, netting either side of half-time before teeing up Anthony Gordon for the Magpies' third of the night.

Their latest triumph lifts Eddie Howe's side three points above champions Manchester City and nine behind Premier League leaders Liverpool - albeit having played a game more.

No one is in better form than Howe’s side and history shows it can be done.

Arsenal have overcome the biggest points gap to win the Premier League title, in 1997-98. At the end of December they were 13 points behind Manchester United, albeit with a game in hand.

Having said that, it would take a dramatic slip up in form from Liverpool for Newcastle to overhaul them, with data experts Opta giving the Magpies just a 0.1% chance of winning the league.

Image source, Getty Images

While the Newcastle midfield is providing a strong base for Anthony Gordon to provide the ammunition, Alexander Isak is the man getting all the headlines, firing Eddie Howe's side up to fourth in the Premier League table...

Last season's injury problems definitely have left their mark on Newcastle fans, like Chris, who won't forget that campaign in a hurry.

But THAT midfield is looking strong.

Is there any better central-midfield three than Guimaraes, Tonali and Joelinton in the Premier League at the moment?

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves manager Vitor Pereira, speaking to Match of the Day: "First of all I am proud of my players because we tried to get another result. The difference between one team and the other team is that when we got the chance to score, we missed, and they scored. Against this type of team, one mistake is one goal.

"I think we created maybe six clear chances to score. We tried everything. I am proud of them. The next game is another chance for three points and this is the mentality I want to see in my team."