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A penny for Marco Silva's thoughts?

The new Hull City boss gets his first taste of life in the Premier League this afternoon.

Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender on Football Focus

Does Olivier Giroud get in their best XI this season? No. Does he come off the bench and change the game in a completely different way? Yes.  

Martin Keown
Former Arsenal defender on Football Focus

Olivier Giroud has battled back really well. He is a different tool in the box, he scores late goals. You look at Europe and ask how many better players there are. There are now a collection of players who have signed new contracts at Arsenal, Giroud is an important player for them.

Will Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez sign? I think one will, not both. Sanchez gets the support he didn’t get at Barcelona. What happens with Ozil I am not sure.

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Just a place on the bench for Joseph Barton today - he'll be looking to make his first Premier League appearance for Burnley since returning to Turf Moor.

Guy Mowbray
Match of the Day commentator

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With home points key to Sunderland's survival hopes, it's another high pressure day on Wearside, even with the season only just into its second half.

To be fair, they've been earning them as best they can, despite almost constantly having effectively a full team unavailable.

This is winnable too, with Stoke also missing a few players and soundly beaten in their last three away games - albeit at Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

They'll rightly start as favourites here though, with Potters fans hoping to celebrate three points at the Stadium of Light for the first time.

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Doncaster look well set for promotion from League Two and can continue their impressive season against Barnet, who themselves are going strong in seventh place.

Crawley host Hartlepool, relegation-threatened Cheltenham play fellow strugglers Accrington and Crewe come up against Luton.

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Crystal Palace boss Sam Allardyce: "I don't reflect on the past very often, but I did have four very enjoyable years at West Ham. I really enjoyed living in London.

"I look forward to the game, it is my first time back in the new stadium. It will be interesting to see behind the scenes and the result is the most important thing.

"[My reception] was all right when I went back with Sunderland. It wasn't a problem - I expect the reception if we start winning won't be too clever."

Jermaine Jenas
Former England midfielder on Football Focus

When Dimitri Payet arrived at West Ham, I kept hearing people ask 'where has this guy been?' It was like this guy is an unreal talent. It's probably part of his make-up…he's one of these guys who will downs tools when it’s time to collect his money or move on.

Loyalty has gone out of the window in the game. When clubs have finished with players they treat them like rubbish. Dimitri Payet is not going to turn down a five-year contract on £100,000-a-week.

From West Ham's perspective, let him go. I sympathise with West Ham, but move on. There is a bigger picture here. 

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West Ham joint-chairman David Sullivan has vowed not to let Dimitri Payet leave this month, despite the forward refusing to play for the club.

The 29-year-old is understood to want a move back to former club Marseille.

Sullivan, writing in his programme notes for this afternoon's game, said: "The board's position is that we do not want to sell Dimitri, we do not need to sell Dimitri for financial or any other reasons, and we will NOT sell Dimitri in the January transfer window."

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Top side Sheffield United are at Walsall in League One, with Scunthorpe hoping to close the four-point gap when they face Northampton. The Cobblers appointed Justin Edinburgh as the new boss after sacking Robert Page in midweek.

At the wrong end, bottom side Oldham can leapfrog out of the relegation with victory over Gillingham and providing other results go their way.

Port Vale v MK Dons is off because of snow.

Click view more on the app to see the tweet.

Alistair Mann
MOTD commentator

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After three losses in a row without scoring, the last thing Slaven Bilic needed was Dimitri Payet's refusal to play for West Ham.

A run of 10 points from four games prior to the current losing streak had demonstrated signs of improvement. Bilic will now be attempting to convince his squad that they can again recapture that form despite this latest disruption.

Bilic's predecessor, Sam Allardyce, brings his Crystal Palace side to the London Stadium for a match with genuine significance.

A home win would put nine points between the two teams; a defeat would see Big Sam's Palace move just three points behind. It could be quite an afternoon!

Simon Brotherton
Match of the Day commentator

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Officially, this is Paul Clement's first league game in charge, with Arsenal providing the opposition - just as they did at the start of predecessor Bob Bradley's short reign.

Clement will hope the similarities end there because the last encounter with the Gunners in October resulted in a 3-2 defeat.

Swansea were in the bottom three then and remain there now. They should be fired up by the presence of a new man with new ideas, but for now he will have to work with the same players.

Arsenal have claimed just one point from their last three Premier League away games and could hardly have left it later against Bournemouth in salvaging a 3-3 draw, but they have won on three of their last four visits to the Liberty Stadium.

Martin Fisher
Match of the Day commentator

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Marco Silva has already taken charge of two Hull City matches but this is where the serious stuff starts.

The Portuguese has already drafted in two new attacking players in Oumar Niasse and Evandro, while the recent return of Abel Hernandez, external after a lengthy injury is another much-needed boost.

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe received much criticism, external after making 11 changes for the FA Cup tie at League One Millwall. The 3-0 defeat will have hurt him more. Expect another 11 changes for this one as the Cherries look to bounce back in style.

They hammered Hull 6-1 on the south coast in October - a more modest victory this time will provide just as much satisfaction.

Have you ever dreamt of walking out onto the pitch at Wembley or lifting a cup in front of 90,000 fans?

The 2017 FA People's Cup - the UK's biggest free five-a-side football competition - is offering the chance to do just that.

Find out about the 16 different categories and dates of the competition here - then find out where your nearest venue is and how to sign up here., external

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Build-up to the 15:00 GMT kick-offs is under way now on Final Score. Join Jason Mohammad, Martin Keown and Chris Sutton on the BBC Red Button and online now.

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In the Championship, leaders Brighton will be looking to extend their advantage when they travel to Preston, while second-placed Newcastle make the long journey to Brentford.

A tasty Yorkshire derby sees Sheffield Wednesday - in sixth - host Huddersfield, who are one place above them.

At the bottom, Blackburn can get out of the relegation zone if they beat Ipswich, while bottom side Rotherham desperately need the three points against Norwich.

Mark Lawrenson
Former Liverpool defender on Football Focus

If you have a player like that in the dressing room, you just don’t want to know him. The club have to win, otherwise, what’s the point?

Kenny Doughty: Feeling rather pleased and smug with myself after making Harry Kane my captain in #fantasyfootball, external

Hull boss Marco Silva has resisted the urge to start with new signings Evandro and Oumar Niasse for his first Premier League match. Both start on the bench along with goalkeeper David Marshall, who sees Eldin Jakupovic replace him for league duty after impressive recent outings in both cups.

Hull XI: Jakupovic, Maguire, Dawson, Davies, Clucas, Mason, Huddlestone, Robertson, Snodgrass, Hernandez, Diomande. Subs: Evandro, Niasse, Livermore, Weir, Marshall, Tymon, Bowen.

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Visitors Bournemouth are without suspended captain Simon Francis and loanee Nathan Ake, who has returned to Chelsea. Tyrone Mings continues in defence after starting the FA Cup loss to Millwall. Ryan Fraser starts following a calf injury, as does Benik Afobe, who has withdrawn from DR Congo's Africa Cup of Nations squad.

Bournemouth XI: Boruc, Adam Smith, Steve Cook, Mings, Daniels, Arter, Surman, Stanislas, Wilshere, Fraser, Afobe. Subs: Gosling, Pugh, Callum Wilson, Brad Smith, King, Federici, Ibe

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