Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at St Mary's

"Sadio Mane's pace has already proved a nuisance for Chelsea's defence and he was quick enough to get away from John Terry then show composure to beat Thibaut Courtois. Southampton clearly feel they can get joy in behind Chelsea's defence and that was exactly what manager Ronald Koeman would have been looking for."

I wonder if the Manchester City players know the score from St Mary's as they warm up for their game against Burnley? There's always one fella with a wireless attached to the side of his face in every football ground isn't there? Or even better, somebody with the BBC live text glued to their thumb!

Andreas Weimann replaces the suspended Gabriel Agbonlahor while Charles N'Zogbia comes in for Jores Okore as Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert selects an attacking line-up.

Connor Wickham returns for Sunderland after serving his suspension and is one of three changes to the Black Cats team which lost to Hull. Wes Brown and Liam Bridcutt are called upon in an attempt to add some steel to the defence.

Aston Villa XI: Guzan, Hutton, Vlaar, Clark, Cissokho, Cleverley, Sanchez, Delph, Weimann, Benteke, N'Zogbia.

Sunderland XI: Pantilimon, Vergini, O'Shea, Brown, Jones, Bridcutt, Johnson, Larsson, Gomez, Wickham, Fletcher.

Former Southampton manager Dave Merrington on BBC Radio Solent

"Saints are a different side when they get in behind people with their pace. Mane has finished one on one with the goalkeeper and taken it very coolly."

Southampton have not dropped a single point when they've taken the lead this season, which is bad news for Chelsea who go behind when Dusan Tadic flicks the ball through for Sadio Mane to race clear of John Terry - who had stepped up hoping to play the offside trap - and the Saints striker clinically finishes past Thibaut Courtois. Game on.

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace caretaker manager Keith Millen: "It's been a busy 24 hours. I went into the training ground on Saturday morning and got a phone call from the chairman who said he'd spoken with Neil Warnock that morning and had asked if I would take the team for today's game. It was that quick, really.

"I spoke to the players before training and said the main thing is we focus on today. In a way, it's a good thing we've only had one day to prepare for the game, as it means we've had no time to dwell on the past.

"It's not nice the situation that we're in - it's happened too many times but we've been in it before and we know what we're about. We know what we're good at."

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at St Mary's

"Chelsea starting to ramp up the pressure here. The presence of Jon Obi Mikel and Nemanja Matic is giving Cesc Fabregas the platform to play further forward and he is already proving to be a threat, particularly with one slalom run into the penalty area.

"Southampton are showing composure on the ball - when they get it - but at the moment Chelsea are looking the more dangerous side."

Nice from Southampton. Very nice. They win a corner which is re-directed at the far post by Sadio Mane and it takes a fine tackle from John Terry to stop Jose Fonte from bundling in from close range.

BBC Radio 5 live

West Ham co-owner David Gold speaking to BBC Radio 5 live: "It's fantastic, we have been here for five years in January and this is the first time we have been in this lofty altitude of fifth and it's great. We have spent all our time fighting relegation so it is great and it is a reward for all our hard work.

"The gap does seem to be lessening and I think, maybe not this year, but I think one of the so-called lesser teams will break into the top four and that will be great for the Premier League."

Image source, Reuters

Nothing like a good old celebrity spot and that is very much the case at Upton Park these days. Russell Brand, James Corden, Jack Whitehall and Dominic Cooper are all wandering around the VIP areas at West Ham.

Infostrada Sports:, external Man Utd remain unbeaten in all 6 PL matches in Dec. Last 3 seasons they remained unbeaten in Dec, they won title: 2008/09, 2010/11 & 2012/13

Rabin:, external As a Gunner, I want Southampton to lose, but as a neutral I want Chelsea to lose for the drama it would give to the title chase.

Alistair Elias:, external The best defensive midfielders in the Premier League go head to head: Mugumbi Wanyama vs Nemanja Matic.

Frank K Mponda:, external Hopefully this Southampton team can stop this well oiled Chelsea team.

Former Southampton manager Dave Merrington on BBC Radio Solent

"You can see the calmness in the Chelsea players. When players are in fine form and full of confidence that is what you get."

West Ham make five changes from the side who lost to Chelsea last time out. Diafra Sakho, Alex Song, James Tomkins, Joey O'Brien and Morgan Amalfitano all return.

Arsenal make three changes from their win over QPR. Laurent Koscielny, making his first start since 3 December, Francis Coquelin and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain come in for Kieran Gibbs, Tomas Rosicky and Olivier Giroud.

West Ham XI: Adrian, Reid, Cresswell, Tomkins, Kouyate, Carroll, Downing, Sakho, O'Brien, Amalfitano, Song

Arsenal XI: Szczesny, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Flamini, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Alexis, Welbeck

Chelsea are having plenty of the ball early on and playing with a high line as they try to press Southampton back into their own half. The template is clear - go ahead, then squeeze the life out of their opponents in which time they try to nick a second. They are the Premier League's anaconda, the big predators.

Brilliant skills by Cesc Fabregas sees the Spanish midfielder jink to the byeline but the final ball doesn't match up and Saints clear the danger.

The big change for Crystal Palace this weekend has been in the dugout, with Keith Millen placed in temporary charge after Neil Warnock's sacking. Millen makes one change, bringing Wilfried Zaha into the attack for Fraizer Campbell, who has a knock. Fellow striker Dwight Gayle is out because of illness.

There are six changes for QPR as boss Harry Redknapp tries to keep his squad fresh over the Christmas programme. Richard Dunne, Clint Hill, Joey Barton, Junior Hoilett, Leroy Fer and Bobby Zamora are all recalled after being left out of the starting line-up for the defeat at Arsenal on Boxing Day.

QPR XI: Green; Isla, Caulker, Dunne, Hill; Hoilett, Barton, Henry, Fer; Austin, Zamora.

Crystal Palace XI: Speroni; Mariappa, Dann, Delaney, Ward; McArthur, Ledley, Jedinak; Bolasie, Puncheon; Zaha.

It's been a pretty sedate start to the game at St Mary's. It needs Diego Costa to flatten a Saints defender to liven things up...

Image source, @AVFCofficial

Aston Villa on Twitter:, external Great to see Italian goalkeeping legend Gianluca Pagliuca here to watch his beloved Villa.

It's true. Pagliuca, Italy's goalkeeper in their 1994 World Cup final defeat by Brazil, has been a Villa fan since watching them on television at the age of 14., external