Mark Lawrenson
Ex-Liverpool defender

Image source, Getty Images

"Everyone will be wondering whether Leicester's bubble has burst after picking up one point and scoring no goals in their last two games. While Jamie Vardy has scored one goal in his last five games, it is far too early to be worried about his form after his early-season form. 

"Bournemouth were unbeaten in six matches before losing to Arsenal on Monday - a run that included wins over Chelsea and Manchester United and took them to the heights of 14th. They will have had an extra day off as well and that could be crucial in the busy festive period."

Read the match preview.

Football Focus

Football Focus is now underway with pundits Mark Lawrenson and Kevin Kilbane in place to take a look at today's fixtures. You can watch it by clicking 'live coverage' at the top of this page.

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Liverpool's kits hand among a wall decorated with Hammers at Upton Park.

A win here for the Reds will see them up to fifth, just a two points off the Champions League places. 

Complete the sentence: "In 2016, football will..."

Image source, Simple Minds

The last time Watford beat Manchester City Scottish band Simple Minds were number one in the UK charts with their hit 'Belfast Child'.

The date of Watford's success? 4 March 1989.

It's been a long wait.

West Ham co-chairman David Gold tells BT Sport there is "no panic" to sign players in the January transfer window.

"There's always the possibility," he says. "We've got a good squad, players coming back. If you asked me a couple of months ago with six or seven players out it would have been a different story. But we have players coming back now so it's exciting. So there's no panic to go out there and buy more players."

Image source, Getty Images

From Match of the Day's Steve Wilson at Upton Park...

Andy Carroll starts for West Ham against his former club after coming off the bench to score the winner against Southampton on 28 December. The striker is one of three changes to the Hammers’ starting line-up, with Aaron Cresswell and Manuel Lanzini the other fresh faces.

Image source, Opta

Jurgen Klopp has shuffled his line-up for the trip to West Ham with Jordan Ibe and Lucas starting instead of Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana.

Image source, Opta

Complete the following sentence: "In 2016, football will..."

West Ham have arrived at Upton Park and I can tell you team news is imminent...

A Midlands derby will bring Stoke City face to face with a loved one later today.

Tony Pulis, who of course took the Potters into the Premier League and kept them there will host his former club at West Brom.

Stoke were superb in winning 4-3 at Everton last time out and it is looking more and more like manager Mark Hughes is ushering in how own era at the Britannia.

A win could move Stoke as high as fifth while the Baggies are looking to extend their six-point buffer to the relegation zone.

The last time Aston Villa were in the second tier of English football...

Image source, Getty Images

Adele was born.

That's right, back in 1988 the UK saw one of its most recent pop sensations enter the world and the Villa playing in the old Division Two.

Defeat away at Sunderland today would surely see Villa as good as relegated again would it? They are already 11 points short of 17th place.

Mark Lawrenson
Ex-Liverpool defender

Image source, Getty Images

"Southampton can pull out some superb performances and some pretty poor ones. Their mentality is not as strong as it was last season and the players have been a bit inconsistent, particularly away from home where they have won just two from nine in the league."

Complete the following sentence: "In 2016, football will..."

Liverpool's players are on the pitch at Upton Park. Emre Can, Dejan Lovren and Jordon Ibe are deep in conversation on the turf.

The Reds take on West Ham at 12:45 GMT and this live text will take the game in. In his programme notes, Hammers captain Mark Noble says: "We have proved we can beat Liverpool once this season and we will attack this game from the start."

West Ham won 3-0 at Anfield earlier in the season of course.

Football Focus

Image source, Getty Images

Watch out for a fascinating interview coming up on Football Focus later as former England keeper David James sits down to talk with Arsenal's drum-loving stopper Petr Cech.

Cech broke break James' record of 169 clean sheets in the Premier League when the Gunners overcame Bournemouth earlier in the week.

Football Focus, with ex-Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson and former Republic of Ireland winger Kevin Kilbane in the studio, starts at 12:10 GMT on BBC One.

You may have noticed from our last entry that #bbcricket is trending too.

Why is that? Because we have a live-text commentary of South Africa v England. You can follow it here.

I'm sad to say the terms "MATCH OFF" and "GAME OFF" are trending on Twitter in the United Kingdom. Not the start to the year we were looking for.

Image source, Twitter

The National League match between Braintree and Boreham Wood has been called off, as has the Scottish League One match between Brechin and Forfar.

So this is the updated list of games off:

League One: Port Vale v Swindon

League Two: Newport v Hartlepool

National League: Braintree v Boreham Wood, Cheltenham v Kidderminster, Eastleigh v Bromley

Scottish League One: Brechin v Forfar

Chris Sutton
Former Chelsea & Norwich striker

Image source, Getty Images

"Swansea have got problems because, unless things change soon, they don't look any nearer to appointing a new manager. It surprises me that a new manager wasn't ready in place. 

"With Charlie Austin's goals record, we might see someone like Swansea gamble on him.

"But first and foremost Swansea need to appoint a manager - it is only fair to have a new manager in place with the players which he wants."

Match of the Day pundits have their say on what each Premier League club needs to do in the January transfer window.

Complete the following sentence: "In 2016, football will..."