Fenerbahce

Galatasaray accused Jose Mourinho of making "racist statements" following their 0-0 draw against Mourinho's Fenerbahce on Monday.

Mourinho's club have now released a statement in response which reads: "A statement made by our Technical Director Jose Mourinho after the match was completely taken out of context and an attempt was made to deliberately distort it.

"As every sensible person can see and understand;these statements used by Jose Mourinho to describe the excessive reaction of the opposing team's technical staff to the referee decisions during the match can in no way be associated with racism.

"Trying to portray this statement as racist is a completely malicious approach. We would like to inform the public that we will use our legal rights regarding this pathetic slander that was made in order to take the competition off the field, change the agenda and manipulate it."

You can read more on that story here.

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Paul Robinson
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club

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On Chelsea's drop in form, with four losses in their last five games across all competitions: "I think there's a lot being made in the drop in form of Cole Palmer. His lack of goals and assists. But then you actually look at the team and you need more from them.

"I look at Chelsea and I look at Enzo Maresca. Last season he was 17 points clear at the top of the Championship. I may be proved wrong but you look at the demands he puts on his side. That Leicester team that were the top of the Championship, they surrendered a 17 point lead. By the end of April they were third.

"Whether that's a trait with his team, with a drop off after Christmas, the same thing is happening at the moment with Chelsea."

Paul Robinson
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club

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It was only in November that Manchester City were sat top of the Premier League and the only team in the top five leagues in Europe unbeaten. The decline has been that fast and that alarming.

Is KDB moving on, is Bernardo Silva moving on, is Ederson moving on? [Ilkay] Gundogan is obviously playing a lot more than what he thought he was going to play. But actually when you look at the nucleus of the squad there and where they were four months ago. Yes the drop off has been alarming, but the quality of the players you've got there.

And the manager. He's taken the bull by the horns and signed a new two-year deal when he could have easily walked away.

Chris Sutton
BBC Sport football expert on 5 Live's Monday Night Club

On Manchester City: This season the wheels have completely come off. If Manchester City win all their remaining games they'll have 80 points, the last time they had 80 points was 2016-17.

I think it's really simple. Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan, we would have described them as world-class players in the past and they're not any more. They're ageing, they don't have the legs.

You look at what City have left and you compare with Livrerpool who might not have Mo Salah or Virgil van Dijk [next season], I think there is hope for City. Savinho's coming back into the side and he clearly has talent, [Jeremy] Doku isn't the finished article, Phil Foden has been off form but we expect him to come back eventually. It's not impossible for Manchester City to come back and win the title next season.

On whether he would sell De Bruyne in the summer: "Yeah. He can't run in the way he used to and that's been a huge issue. Pep blinked in the summer and maybe there was a complacency at Manchester City. Pep's strong suit is improving players and developing players."

Paul Robinson
Former England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club

On Chelsea's goalkeeper situation: We all know the money they've spent, so why has it been such a gross oversight that they've failed to invest in two key positions. They've got two decent goalkeepers but neither one is at the top level, and Chelsea want to be at the top level. They've both cost them points this season. As has a lack of a number nine.

I'm not so sure Kepa is at the level either. You look at when Liverpool had Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius. They had two OK goalkeepers. But to go to the next level they went and got Alisson.

You look at Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. He started with Claudio Bravo. He wasn't happy, he went again because the position is so important.

It's been so glaringly obvious for Chelsea this season that neither Robert Sanchez or Filip Jorgensen (pictured) have been good enough. The two at Chelsea aren't good enough to do what the manager wants them to do.

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BBC Radio 5 Live

Last night, BBC 5 Live's Monday Night Club examined the fortunes of two Premier League giants struggling on the pitch.

That phrase could apply to several teams this season, but last night it was Manchester City and Chelsea under the microscope. Here's what Chris Sutton and Paul Robinson had to say...

How do you silence rival fans when they are giving you grief?

Well, bending one in to the back of the net straight from a corner certainly helps.

That's exactly what Neymar did for Brazilian side Santos in their 3-0 win at Internacional de Limeira on Sunday.

The 33-year-old had been on the receiving end of boos from the home crowd and responded in the best way a footballer can - by notching an assist and a goal.

Speaking after the game, Neymar claimed that his goal was entirely deliberate: "I went to take the corner, they provoked me.

"I asked them to sing louder, I struck the ball and got an assist. Then, the second time I went there [to the corner], they did it again, so I thought to myself: 'Now I'm the one who's going to score the goal'."

Tom is referring to the 2022-23 Premier League season, when Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Fulham all stayed up. Leeds, Leicester and Southampton were the relegated clubs in that campaign.

Premier League

And breathe...

That's all for Premier League media conferences for now. We'll back at lunchtime to hear from several more managers, including Pep Guardiola and Ruben Amorim.

Let's turn to some other matters from the world of football - including your answers to our question about Leeds United, and how they might fare in the English top flight.

Newcastle United

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe on dealing with the threat of Mohamed Salah: "That's going to be a challenge for us. It's always not down to any one individual in the team, although he will naturally come up against one opponent, it's about the team supporting that area of the pitch.

"I think against Arsenal at home in the Carabao Cup is a great game to reflect on. We defended in twos, threes, fours. We had a mentality that we wanted to defend our goal to the highest level.

"I don't think we've consistently had that in recent weeks but we're going to need that in this game."

Newcastle United

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe confirmed Sandro Tonali (pictured) "came through fine" in his substitute appearance against Forest and he "anticipates he will now be fully fit".

Sven Botman is "improving quickly" and will be "very close" for the Liverpool game.

On Joelinton: "With Joe, it's similar to Sven he is really improving and doing really well and pushing. He is another player who could be quite close."

"He has those key aspects that we have missed when he's not there, his physicality and strength there is an obvious presence missing in our midfield. Joey is a massive player for us."

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Newcastle United

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe on the 'emotional' challenge of playing at Anfield: "We need to be close to a perfect game from our perspective.

"Learning from the recent game against Manchester City would be a good starting point for us where we didn't execute the agressive gameplan that we wanted and we dodn't attack the game well enough.

"We need to learn from that at Anfield which is a great environment to play football in but not good if you're not totally there.

"We have to acknowledge that and make sure we turn up. Psychologically it's huge. It's an emotional stadium, we're going to need to start well, and we need to have a threat in the game."

Newcastle United

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe on his side's inconsistency this season: "It's been there all season to a degree. There's been games we've been frustrated at ourselves. But, when you hear the statistic of 13 wins out of 16 that's not an inconsistent team. I'd certainly take that again in the next 16 games.

"I try to be very honest and acknowledge we have been inconsistent at times and Sunday [the 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest] reflected that."

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Newcastle United

And from Mikel Arteta, we go straight up north to hear from Eddie Howe...

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on Ben White: "He is a player that has given us something very special, especially in that right unit. We haven't played the right unit at all this season with him, Bukayo [Saka] and Martin [Odegaard]. It is great to have him back, more options, his energy, the way he is around the team. He certainly has been missed."

And if he thinks England have missed White: "That is for Thomas [Tuchel] to decide, not me."

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Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says "over my dead body" to giving up on the title but is asked if he thinks it is still possible: "If not I will go home. Mathematically it is possible. You are there, you have to play every game, suddenly three days ago we could close a gap and you are like 'you are one-and-a-half games away'. It doesn't matter, we have to continue to go.

"The difficulty is higher than three days about but if you are going to win the Premier League you have to do something special. If you are going to win the Premier League with the circumstances we have you will probably have to do something that nobody else has done in the history of the Premier League."

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was asked if the West Ham loss was his most frustrating day as boss: "I don't know, it's not a frustration. It's a feeling of knowing how much we had put into it, to be where we are, that when you have a chance to take another step and then on Wednesday will have to be another one and then on Sunday another one - especially with the form Liverpool are in. It was a tough one to take, especially at home where we have been so consistent."

On Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo: "Unbelievable. Not only with [Nottingham Forest] but what he did at Wolves, it was incredible. Huge pride for him, the coaching staff, the club as well. What they have generated after coming into the Premier League is a remarkable story so well done to them."