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Dougie Freedman takes charge of his first home game as Nottingham Forest manager tonight (19:45 GMT) when they face Wigan Athletic.

The ex-Forest striker said: "To walk out in front of the fans at the City Ground will be such an honour. I have to pinch myself when I think that I'm the manager of Nottingham Forest but it is a moment that I've worked very hard for over the years."

Forest have slipped from top of the table to mid-table (and seven points above the relegation zone), causing Stuart Pearce to be sacked and Freedman hired.

"Oh for a problem like Forest's," Wigan fans will be thinking. Less than two years after winning the FA Cup, the Latics are eight points adrift of safety in the Championship.

Boss Malky Mackay could hand a debut to on-loan Hull defender Harry Maguire, while Liam Ridgewell returns to Portland Timbers after the match.

We could all do with a boss like Ronald Koeman. The Saints gaffer prescribed some time off to Dusan Tadic this week, because he thinks the Serb playmaker is working too hard.

"I appreciate that quality, that personality, but on the other side you need sometimes a rest to be really 100 per cent and that's something difficult for Dusan," said Koeman., external

Get your feet up in front of the TV, Dusan. Break out the box sets.

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Move over the Special One, we need to make room for the 'Sophisticated One'. Seriously have you seen Big Sam's claims?

"I don't think there is any coach more sophisticated than me any more," said Allardyce. "That's not trying to criticise any other coaches.

"But there is only Arsene Wenger who has done it longer than me. I'm just as good as everybody at this stage."

Allardyce then retired to the reading room where he quaffed champagne and ate truffles.

All eyes will be on Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew tonight as he comes up against his former club.

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Pards says he is proud of his work at Newcastle. He accused Newcastle fans of "mass hysteria" in September after they criticised a poor start to the season.

"I thought I did a good job and walked out with my head held high, and so I'm looking forward to the game," he said.

"I'm not expecting or hoping for any reaction from the Newcastle fans.

"We had some great times together. It was not so great the last year, but on the whole my experience there was great."

We've all had relationships like that...

A bit of news from today sees car drivers in England banned from smoking if they are carrying children as passengers.

But what would you ban from football if you could? Anything accepted, both on and off the pitch.

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I'll get you started. I would ban short corners. Rubbish.

Get in touch at #bbcfootball, external, pop on to the BBC Sport Facebook page, external or BBC Sport's Google+ area., external

You can also text us on 81111 in the UK only - don't forget to say who you are and where you are texting from.

The last thing Manchester City probably need right now is a trip to the Brit. Stoke are unbeaten in six Premier League home matches against Manchester City (W1, D5). Bogey side.

And Potters manager Mark Hughes is looking forward to taking on his former club:, external "We are looking forward to the game with City.

"You want to be going into a game against one of the top teams with good confidence and that's where we are.

"We are very excited by what's ahead of us. We are not going to get to the 40-point mark then just ease off. That's not what we are about. We didn't do it last year and we don't intend doing it this year.

"We are playing really well at the moment and it's a good run (one defeat in nine) we are on."

Copa del Rey

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"We want 10," Barcelona fans might chant - albeit in Catalan - tonight as they take on Villarreal in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg (19:00 GMT).

Luis Enrique's side have won nine games in a row - including beating tonight's opponents in the league - since losing to David Moyes's Real Sociedad on 4 January.

Villarreal coach Marcelino Garcia Toral admits even "if we were to win 2-0 tonight, the tie would still be open. They are clear favourites because we are up against the best Barca of the season".

Barcelona's city rivals Espanyol play Athletic Bilbao in the other semi-final first leg at 21:00 GMT.

The second legs are on Wednesday, 4 March.

We will have team news for all of our Premier League games arriving in the next 15 minutes or so. Stand by.

Big games at both ends of the Premier League table, a home debut for a new manager in the Championship and Messi in Spain. Here's all of tonight's key games:

Chelsea v Everton (19:45 GMT)

Man Utd v Burnley (19:45 GMT)

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Southampton v West Ham (19:45 GMT)

Stoke v Man City (19:45 GMT)

Crystal Palace v Newcastle (20:00 GMT)

West Brom v Swansea (20:00 GMT)

Nottm Forest v Wigan (19:45 GMT)

Barcelona v Villarreal (19:00 GMT)

After last night's developments in the relegation zone, tonight we are focusing on the picture at the top of the table.

Four of the top five are all in action, with Chelsea hoping to open up a 10-point gap at the top. Would that be an unassailable lead?

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Title won by Valentine's Day?

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Whisper it quietly, but there are just 102 days left of the Premier League season.

In a touch under 2450 hours we will know exactly who has won the league, who is in the Champions League, who will be playing every Thursday night for the foreseeable and who has dropped into the second tier.

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Last night was an evening of movement at the foot of the table as Hull and QPR took potentially significant steps forwards, while Aston Villa's woeful form continued as they slid into the drop zone.

Tonight, it's all about the men at the business end. If the results seesaw was to tip one way, Chelsea could practically book the open-top bus tour and Southampton could seriously begin to countenance a berth in the Champions League.

But should the night's action take us the other way, Manchester City may be thinking of retaining the title after all and Manchester United could be as high as third in the league.

Which way will it go? Let's find out...