Guy Mowbray
Match of the Day commentator

Image source, Getty Images

A quick line on Palace first: not great last week but otherwise doing just fine. Only one defeat in six games, top half, thank you very much.

Now to Leicester, for whom the famous phrase 'lies, damned lies, and statistics' might apply.

Sure, the Premier League numbers aren't great and they're not where they'd want to be, but their Champions League exploits show that there isn't too much tinkering to be done to get things right again.

Keep reading and you'll see the line about this being the worst start by defending champions since Leeds in 1974. That side soon picked up though, AND went on to reach the European Cup final.

Just saying…

Image source, Getty Images

Ben - High Wycombe: I was a mascot for Bolton at Spurs about 10 years. Highlights included meeting the legend Gary Speed, handing Jaaskelainen a picture I'd drawn of him, and asking Stelios Giannakopoulos how you pronounce his surname!

Image source, Getty Images

We like to think Jussi Jaaskelainen has that picture on his wall at home...

The Danny Baker Show are discussing when "I was a childhood mascot" on 5 live this morning and we want to hear your best stories. 

Send them on Twitter at #bbcfootball, external, to the Match of the Day Facebook page, external or text 81111.

Martin Fisher
Match of the Day commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Hull City's season is quickly plunging into the one many of their fans feared after winning promotion.

Early surprise victories in August have been followed by a rotten run of one point from six games, and last week's 6-1 thrashing at Bournemouth will have the alarm bells ringing.

Stoke's trajectory is heading in the opposite direction. Joe Allen's amazing goalscoring spree means they've gone three games unbeaten, finally picking up their first win over Sunderland last week.

Another win here will see them move out of the relegation zone and above Hull.

Martin from Reading: I was a mascot for the first England game at the new Wembley, against Brazil. Walked out with Alan Smith, either side of him were Beckham and Owen. No offence to Smith, but I was slightly gutted!

Image source, Getty Images

If this is you Martin, you've definitely got a jealous look on your face!

Simon Brotherton
Match of the Day commentator

Burnley's seven points have all come at home, but they face a difficult task in adding to that total this weekend with Everton visiting Turf Moor.

The Toffees have been quietly impressive under their new manager Ronald Koeman, losing only one of their opening eight matches.

They have won at both West Brom and Sunderland, as well as securing a draw at Manchester City last weekend.

Burnley are the joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League and are facing the division's second-meanest defence. Everton's total of six conceded is only bettered by Tottenham.

Image source, Rex Features

Jonathan Pearce
Match of the Day commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Seven wins in a row have Arsenal as the best team in England right now. They're defensively more secure, more industrious and more potent from all areas of the pitch.

But they can't let Arsene Wenger's 67th birthday be spoiled by Boro party poopers.

That isn't likely to happen. The Teesiders look poor. Eight away shots on target so far is feeble. Manchester City, Chelsea and Leicester are coming up!

I can't see them reaching 10 points by December - relegation form.

Arsenal's season? I've a sneaky feeling.

Steve Wilson
Match of the Day commentator

Both sides have earned seven points from their last three league games, suggesting it should be a closer game than Spurs' 5-1 win at Bournemouth last October.

That and Tottenham's 3-0 return win at the Lane is almost as far as the history between them goes.

Almost, but not quite. It was 1957 when, in the fifth round of the FA Cup, a mighty Spurs team including Danny Blanchflower were humbled by the Third Division South club then known as Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic.

It's a great old story, made all the greater by the name of the goalscoring hero who put the game beyond Tottenham's reach. Nelson Stiffle, take a bow!

Image source, Rex Features

Let's get the views of our Match of the Day commentators on today's Premier League games...

BBC Radio 5 live

Mark Chapman will be on air on BBC Radio 5 live from 12:00 BST today to build up to today's matches with two live Premier League commentaries for you this afternoon.

First, from 12:30, we head to the Vitality Stadium for Bournemouth against Tottenham, with commentary from Alistair Bruce-Ball and former Premier League striker John Hartson.

Then at 15:00, Conor McNamara and ex-Tottenham manager David Pleat bring you commentary from the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal host Middlesbrough.

Don't forget you will be able to listen at the top of this page.

Mark Lawrenson's opponent for this week's Premier League fixture predictions is Joe Clarke, who won kayak gold for Great Britain at the Rio Olympics.

Clarke is a Stoke City fan and he and Lawro are tipping the Potters for a 2-0 win at Hull this weekend.

Take a look at all of their predictions, including Jose Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge tomorrow, here.

Also, you can make your own predictions, compare them with those of Lawro and other fans, and try to take your team to the top of the leaderboard by playing the new BBC Sport Predictor game.

If you're in any doubt about Jurgen Klopp's continued popularity with Liverpool fans after a year as the Reds boss, these special 'Klopp eclairs' were being sold at a Merseyside bakery last week.

Not sure there would have been massive take-up amongst Evertonians...

If you're in need of your gossip fix, this is where you need to go.

Top line: Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed a new contract worth £18.5m a year after tax but it has not been finalised as the 31-year-old wants it to run until 2021. 

Jack: Was a mascot at FA Cup fourth round game, met the MOTD team at the time, Des Lynam, Jimmy Hill and Trevor Brooking.

Anonymous: Been a Spurs mascot twice, once back in 2006 v Bolton walked onto pitch with Michael Dawson, Lennon scored the only goal. Second time in 2010 away v Birmingham, walked out with captain Ledley King, got to meet Modric and high-fived Peter Crouch just before kick off, drew 1-1 and they scored last minute.

Alex Goodwin: I was mascot at a Lincoln City v Bournemouth game... today they host Tottenham and we host Eastleigh. How the mighty have fallen.

The Danny Baker Show are discussing when "I was a childhood mascot" on 5 live this morning and we want to hear your best stories. 

Send them on Twitter at #bbcfootball, external, to the Match of the Day Facebook page, external or text 81111.

Please remember to put your names on texts!

Do you think you know more about football than the experts? Or your friends, family and work colleagues for that matter?

Our new Predictor game - available for both the Premier League and Scottish Premiership - gives you the chance to compete in personalised leagues, scoring points for predicting the results of top-flight games.

Head in this direction to have a go.

England women stretched their unbeaten run to eight matches with a goalless draw against France in Doncaster last night

The visitors dominated the first half, but England defender Lucy Bronze went closest, heading wide from a free-kick.

France's Sandie Toletti forced Karen Bardsley into a save with a long-range strike, while Toni Duggan had a late goal ruled out for handball

England's next match is a friendly against Spain in Guadalajara on Tuesday.

Whatever happens in this weekend's football, will see a more bizarre sight than Chris Kamara as one of the panellists on Have I Got News For You?

If you didn't see last night's episode, you can watch all the fun via the iPlayer here.

Football Focus

From 12:00 BST join Dan Walker on BBC One as he once again kicks off your weekend of football with Football Focus.

Alongside Dan this week are former Liverpool defender and BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson and ex-Wales striker Dean Saunders.

This week's show includes interviews with West Brom's Nacer Chadli, who has impressed since his summer move to The Hawthorns from Tottenham, Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew, as Gary Lineker goes behind the scenes at the club, and Celtic winger Scott Sinclair before tomorrow's Old Firm Scottish League Cup semi-final.

The panel will of course also look ahead to all of this weekend's action.

Don't miss it.

Ste McKeown: Going to my first non-league game today so will miss the Arsenal steam train roll over Middlesbrough FC later. COYG

Joshua Huntley: Giggs says Fellaini was a #panicbuy, external....yeah, I think we kinda knew that already!

Send us your thoughts on today's matches, and your tales of being a childhood mascot. Tweet #bbcfootball, external, head to the Match of the Day Facebook page, external or text 81111.

Before that Chelsea-Manchester United game, current leaders Manchester City host Southampton at 13:30 BST on Sunday.

City boss Pep Guardiola says striker Sergio Aguero and defender Vincent Kompany both "have a future" at the Premier League club despite neither starting in the Champions League defeat at Barcelona on Wednesday.

"Vincent was not perfectly fit. Sergio, I said after the game, was a tactical decision. If Sergio decides to leave it will be his decision," said Guardiola.

Guardiola confirmed Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna will both miss the game with injury, while Shane Long will be absent for Southampton after suffering a hamstring injury against Inter Milan in the Europa League on Thursday.

Before we focus on Saturday's games, a word on two on what's happening tomorrow...

As he prepares to return to Stamford Bridge, Jose Mourinho says he will not if Manchester United score against Chelsea.

Sunday's Premier League fixture is only Mourinho's second trip to Stamford Bridge as an opposition boss.

He won there with Inter Milan in 2010, before his second spell with the Blues in which he added a third league title to his trophy haul in west London prior to his sacking last December.

"I have the maturity to control the emotion," said Mourinho.

"If my team score a goal am I going to celebrate like a crazy kid? No. Am I going to have a negative reaction if the crowd has something negative with me? No."