Owen Coyle
Former Bolton manager on BBC Radio 5 live

When you play for Manchester United you are not allowed a bad game, you have to have an unbelievable temperament to play at the top teams.

The problem you've got when you are playing catch-up is any dropped points really sets you back so they need to go on a great run.

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Simon Brotherton
MOTD commentator

Defeat in the Manchester derby before the international break leaves Jose Mourinho's team a whopping 12 points behind leaders Manchester City after only a dozen games.

Perhaps more to the point, they're also seven adrift of the Champions League places so clearly have ground to make up.

This is a fixture they've fared well in for a long time, with Crystal Palace last getting the better of them in a league match some 27 years ago.

Palace could really do with a first league victory in 21 attempts over United, with only goal difference currently keeping them out of the relegation zone after a tricky run of fixtures.

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Mark Lawrenson
Ex-Liverpool defender on BBC Football Focus

Mourinho is right talking about these young players. How do you get them to play? In the old days they would have been taken in the office and told straight but the problem with young players nowadays is they come across with this attitude that they have made it.

But in terms of getting them to play for the team it’s an anti-statement.

Spanish La Liga

Real Madrid handed the manager's job to Santiago Solari on a permanent basis but it's not going to plan in his first game in-charge as full-time boss...

The La Liga giants find themselves 3-0 behind at Eibar on the hour mark.

Head here to follow the live text

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Crystal Palace fans may want to look away now.

• Manchester United are on a six-match winning streak against Palace.

• United have never lost in 18 Premier League matches against the Eagles, which is a competition record for a team against a single opponent.
• Roy Hodgson's side have lost 11 successive league matches at Old Trafford, with their last win coming in December 1989.

Stephen Warnock
Ex-Liverpool defender on BBC Radio 5 live

On reports Jose Mourinho has criticised Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard's "maturity"...

I just find it baffling why he has come out at this time, maybe because of the position Manchester United are in at the moment.

You look at social media, the likes of Pogba and Lingard are all over it. I do agree with what Mourinho says, there is a spoiltness, not just in football but in life in general.

Everything involved in football is publicity, everyone wants to see what you are doing and players go on social media and show them. Jose does not seem to like that.

But if you're going to speak about your players, then do it to the senior ones, the ones with broad shoulders.

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Looks like Manchester United have finally got their heads round the horrific traffic in the city and how long it takes to travel around.

Why is there only one lane open on Mancunian Way and whose genius idea was it doing that to Stretford Road??

Anyway, the team have already arrived at Old Trafford, a good two hours before kick-off.

Steve Bower
Match of the Day commentator

Unbeaten and seemingly unflappable, Liverpool resume their quest to maintain the pace with the champions.

I remember being at Vicarage Road for this fixture on the opening day of last season. Liverpool conceded three, and threw away three points in the 93rd minute as further defensive questions were asked.

What a difference a year makes. Amid the suggestions that Jürgen Klopp's team are not quite as flamboyant, there's no escaping the difference at the other end of the pitch.

They will be aware that Watford have won five of their last seven at home, including against Spurs, and pushed Manchester United all the way. However, the Hornets will hope Liverpool don't resume normal service straight after the international break.

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Martin Keown
Former England defender on BBC Football Focus

One by one these pieces have been put into that jigsaw puzzle. Alisson coming in, secure at the back, he just looks unflappable. The two central defenders they almost play to music.

Van Dijk was pivotal recently for his national team and Gomez just goes from strength to strength.

That could go down as one of the best ever Premier League partnerships we will see.

Owen Coyle
Former Bolton manager on BBC Radio 5 live

On whether Liverpool will rest players before their vital Champions League tie away at Paris St-Germain on Wednesday...

Jurgen Klopp does have the flexibility where he can change two or three players, maybe not as many changes as Manchester City could make.

The Champions League is a huge game, that last result away from home and if they had done the business and we would've expected then they would be in a good position in Europe but now they are under pressure.

I think he will play a strong team as to keep pace with Manchester City they are going to have to keep winning games in the league.

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Watford's tally of 20 points is their highest after 12 games of a top-flight season, while Liverpool's total of 30 points from 12 games is their joint-highest in the Premier League.

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Steve Wilson
Match of the Day commentator

To say that West Ham have struggled recently against Manchester City is an understatement: it's an aggregate score of 13-1 to City in three meetings at the London Stadium!

Manuel Pellegrini's contribution in three years at Manchester City should not be forgotten. He became the only non-European manager to win the Premier League, and only the second City boss ever to win two major trophies in one season.

All this while working under constant - and well-informed - speculation that he would be dispensed with as soon as Pep Guardiola could be persuaded to move to England.

The Hammers have done well to drag themselves up the table in recent weeks, having been bottom at the start of September. Nevertheless, Guardiola will expect three points and another healthy boost to City's goal difference.

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Aleksander: Nations League wasn't bad, but the only thing I want to see on a Saturday is the Premier League. Welcome back

Owen Coyle
Former Bolton manager on BBC Radio 5 live

I don't think Manchester City will go unbeaten, there are just too many good teams where they can go unbeaten over 38 games. If someone was to do it now then that would surpass when Arsenal did it.

I think this City team is evolving and the time and I think they have a better squad than what they did have.

They're getting better because the players are believing in everything. The level of competition - the boys that are not even in the squad are incredible.

It has taken a lot of hours on the training ground. They're getting better and their recruitment is also a large part of it.

Image source, PA

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From the bottom to the top...

Champions Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 34 Premier League matches which have kicked off at 3pm on a Saturday (W30, D4), a record in the competition.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola's side can become only the second non-London club to win six consecutive top-flight games in the capital after Portsmouth in the 50s.

Alistair Mann
MOTD commentator

This weekend one of the game's managerial characters makes his first appearance in the Premier League since February 2017 - "dilly ding, dilly dong"- and, for the record, you can get odds of 5,000-1 on Claudio Ranieri guiding Fulham to the title!

More realistically, the Cottagers are odds-on to be relegated and it will be games like this which determine their fate. Will the 'new manager effect' materialise against another side struggling for form?

Like Fulham, Southampton have won only once this campaign - their three extra draws separate the two teams.

As snow hits the UK this week, it's a sobering thought that you needed sunblock the last time either of these teams earned a league victory.

Stephen Warnock
Ex-Liverpool defender on BBC Radio 5 live

At Southampton, if you look at the players they've lost or sold, they're a selling club. When you have a culture of losing and do not do well it's very difficult to get out of that and get that mindset into the players.

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Tom Heaton
Burnley and England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 live

Fulham beat us 4-2 at Craven Cottage and on the day they were excellent going forward but they are so expansive and been punished at the back.

Claudio Ranieri might just galvanise them.

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