Raheem Sterling joined Arsenal from Chelsea on loan on the final day of the summer's transfer window.

When he signed, Arsenal said "the best is yet to come" from the forward. So, has the best been seen?

The 29-year-old has since played nine times for Arsenal, having made his debut in a 1-0 win at Tottenham.

He scored his first goal in a 5-1 EFL Cup win over Bolton, but hasn't registered a goal since. He has provided two assists; one in the Premier League.

He's played a total of 340 minutes across the nine matches - an average of 38 minutes per match.

So, maybe the best hasn't come just yet, but if Mikel Arteta is promising more minutes, will we see him make an impact?

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And where are Manchester City heading in search of a first win in seven games? Well, Anfield of course.

Plenty more to come on Sunday's huge game, as second-placed City prepare to take on Premier League leaders Liverpool with something of a point to prove.

City trail Arne Slot's side by eight points, having lost their last three Premier League games.

Arsenal

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Mikel Arteta on Manchester City's "bump" - the defending Premier League champions have gone six games without a win in all competitions: "What I have made of it is what they have done for nine years - that's what people have to talk about - how difficult it is for them to do what they've done for nine years consistently.

"A bump, everybody has a bump. For them it is very strange because for nine years they have never had it. It tells you the level and the environment that we are in, everything has to be almost perfect - performance and ability has to be perfect and things have to go your way. It is so hard to win."

We expect to hear from Leicester caretaker boss Ben Dawson shortly, as well as Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou.

But first, a bonus line from Mikel Arteta's news conference. The Arsenal boss has been talking about Manchester City's recent struggles...

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That news linking Ruud van Nistelrooy with the vacant manager's job at Leicester broke on Wednesday.

The 48-year-old Dutchman is being lined up to replace Steve Cooper, who was sacked after just 157 days in charge following Saturday's 2-1 Premier League defeat by Chelsea.

Van Nistelrooy's appointment comes two weeks after he left his role as interim head coach at Manchester United, following Erik ten Hag's dismissal.

He oversaw three wins and one draw during his stint in charge at United, but departed after being told he would not be given a role in new manager Ruben Amorim's backroom staff.

Two of Van Nistelrooy's victories were against Leicester - a 5-2 win in the Carabao Cup last 16 and a 3-0 triumph in the Premier League earlier this month.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Leicester caretaker boss Ben Dawson is due to take charge when the Foxes go to Brentford on Saturday, ahead of Ruud Van Nistelrooy's expected arrival.

Dawson, who joined from Newcastle in the summer to work under the now sacked Steve Cooper, will speak to the media this morning.

Van Nistelrooy's appointment is yet to be confirmed but the former Manchester United striker is edging closer to becoming Leicester's fourth manager in the last 19 months.

The Foxes axed Cooper on Sunday, following a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, with the club 16th in the Premier League and a point above the relegation zone.

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Newcastle United

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe on Saturday's opponents Crystal Palace, who are 19th in the Premier League table: "I don't think it [their table position] is a reflection of the strength that they have and how they play. Certainly Selhurst Park is always a difficult place to go to.

"I look back to their win against Tottenham, I thought they played really well and I think their recent results have seen an upturn in performances and results. I think they have been more competitive in the last few games."

Arsenal

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A final word from Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on how Raheem Sterling reacted to not being brought on against Sporting: "He had a smile on his face, fortunately for me. These things happen in football and unfortunately it happened to him, but he reacted in the best possible way, which is understanding. He has been in the game a long time and he knows it is something I cannot control."

On how he feels the Sterling move has gone so far: "I would like to see him more and this is down to me. He is trying his best. His application and his commitment around the team has been exceptional and now it is time for me to get him more minutes. That's the intention [to get him more minutes] and that's why I put him in against Forest and I wanted to put him in against Sporting and now getting him in that rhythm because he can really impact the team."

Newcastle United

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe started with some team news: "[Bruno Guimaraes and Joe Willock] have a chance to play. Not serious injuries, so we will make a decision today."

And on selection dilemmas now the squad is stronger: "I think it is a position we weren't in at all last season, maybe at the start of the season we were but that soon ebbed away with the huge amount of injuries we had. Certainly you want that squad depth, especially in this month."

Let's bring in Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, who has been speaking with the media before Saturday's game at Crystal Palace...

Arsenal

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on captain Martin Odegaard's return to fitness: "With the way he prepares himself and how much work he put in with the physios and medical department to get in the best possible condition to face the period and importance of the season that we are in and to hit the ground running - he has been exceptional since the Chelsea game and he has been very consistent the last three games.

"Good players that are so consistent and so reliable that can take the game to a different level and make the players better around them, that's a huge quality of Martin's and he has been missed."

Arsenal

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on how confident the team are right now, following back-to-back wins against Sporting and Nottingham Forest: "Winning lifts the energy and the confidence up. They were two big wins for us and now it's about consistency and getting that momentum and taking it even further against a really good opponent tomorrow.

"It doesn't matter what you did yesterday, it's about the next day and the next performance and how you are able to sustain high levels of performance because of how competitive every opponent is and that is what we will try and do tomorrow."

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on 12 of his side's next 13 games being in London and whether it is an advantage: "Less travelling is always better. It is crazy that we have that many games so close to us and I think it helps because the amount of games we have to play in that period is very high as well."

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta might have expected to face questions on his side's match at West Ham, but the Spaniard did not shy away when asked if he would be watching title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City play at Anfield on Sunday: "Yes, 100%. It's a big match, a beautiful match to watch. Two of the best teams in Europe facing each other and they are competition for us, so it's a big one."

On if he has a preference on who he wants to win: "Yes, Arsenal tomorrow."

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Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on team news: "A few of them weren't able to train yesterday but hopefully they will be able to today."

On Gabriel's fitness: "We will wait and see."

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Right, time for some Arsenal team news...

Bournemouth

A final word from Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola on Saturday's opponents Wolves: "I think it is going to be a good game because they are in their best moment of the season. They come with the last four with no losses.

"They had a difficult start but they faced only top teams.

"We have to be ready for a very good team. This week we are facing three opponents - Wolves, Spurs, Ipswich. The three of them are now probably in a very good moment and a good run, so we will have to be also at that level."

Bournemouth

More from Andoni Iraola on whether Bournemouth have a yellow card problem, with several players wracking up bookings: "No, I think there are some clubs with more yellow cards than us. But it is true, the way we play sometimes, when you press aggressively you risk arriving a little bit late and sometimes you have to accept the yellows.

"When those are the cases I have no issues, sometimes you have to take a yellow because it is a very dangerous situation.

"Dissent or touching the ball when you shouldn't, these types of yellows we should avoid."

Bournemouth

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Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola's first question was on team news: "It will basically be the same players. We will have Antoine [Semenyo] out [he is suspended for picking up five yellow cards].

"The ones who were injured, they are long-term injuries...we have one or two players with very small things, but I hope they are available for tomorrow."

On Semenyo: "He was doing very good things and we are using this week for him [to unload] a bit. The break he had with the international break we focused it in a positive way and he can have a small break and then be ready again for a very demanding month of December."

OK, we are due to hear from Mikel Arteta around 09:30 GMT.

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has already been talking to the media this morning, let's see what he has had to say in the build-up to Saturday's game at Wolves...