Neil Warnock described his January transfer window setbacks as "like climbing a mountain with butter on your hands," but this might make better reading for Bluebirds fans.

Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman has told BBC Radio Wales Sport that he "does not expect to disappoint fans," this month and that Cardiff have "quite a lot on the boil."

More here

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Oops. Freedom of speech?

Liverpool weren't the only Premier League team to be dumped out of the FA Cup in the third round. Newport County pulled off one of the shocks of the competition at Rodney Parade to defeat Leicester thanks to Padraig Amond's late penalty.

Claude Puel's team were uninspiring and struggled to break down a resilient League Two defence. Can they do better today against a struggling Saints' side?

Fulham

Image source, Reuters

Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri: "Burnley think, 'if we kill Fulham, Fulham stay there and we move up.'

"For this reason I think it is a very, very crucial match.

"I'm not worried about any matches, but I respect all my opponents. We have to be ready. I always am optimistic but I don't know when we'll turn the corner, I hope very soon."

Alistair Mann
MOTD commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley may well be hitting their best form at just the right time. Having earned only nine points from their first 15 games, a fourth victory in seven this weekend could really begin to propel them away from the relegation quicksand.

They would open up a seven-point advantage over Fulham in the process and, with all the bottom three playing away, it could prove a pivotal day.

These factors won't be lost on the visitors. By securing their first win on the road this campaign, they would not only galvanise their own cause but seriously derail Burnley's.

If only there was a cliché which captured the significant value of the points on offer at Turf Moor…

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "Statistics from the past have no relevance in the present because it is always different. We don't think about the season before or 20 years ago.

"Two weeks ago I think everyone was so excited about the distance between [the teams at the top].

"We have now two games which we lost, which is not nice, but it is not a real problem because these games have gone as well.

"We only talk here [in the press conference] about the points and the distance, we never do that during the week [in training] because it is just not relevant."

Fabinho at centre-half remember today for Liverpool...

Brighton & Hove Albion

The Seagulls have scored a Premier League-high 62.5% of their goals from set-pieces (including penalties) this term.

Image source, BBC Sport

Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend says he didn't have time to consider whether his wonder goal against Manchester City had gone in because it hit the back of the net so quickly.

You can watch the full interview on Football Focus - go back and find it.

Crystal Palace

Image source, Reuters

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has backed Wayne Hennessey after the Wales goalkeeper denied making a Nazi salute.

"I believe him totally. I have no reason to disbelieve him," Hodgson said of the matter the FA are investigating.

"The other players had no awareness of anything inappropriate, so much so that they had no idea before the photo was posted that it had happened," Hodgson continued.

"Wayne has explained himself very satisfactorily to both me and the club.

"I know Wayne, I know the type of man he is and I have no hesitation whatsoever in backing him and his version of the story."

Hennessey is on the bench today.

Simon Brotherton
Commentator on BBC TV

Image source, Reuters

While it's unlikely to lead Match of the Day on Saturday night, this is a game of massive importance to both teams.

Even in mid-January it has the familiar phrase 'six-pointer' written all over it.

Cardiff and Huddersfield were the bookies' favourites for the drop at the start of the season, but the Bluebirds have given themselves a chance of staying up - and a win here would be a major boost.

In contrast, bottom-of-the-table Huddersfield are eight points from safety and need to engineer a major change of fortune very quickly. A wretched run of nine straight defeats in all competitions doesn't bode well.

It's all over in the early game and West Ham have won it!

Declan Rice with the only goal.

We'll have all the reaction for you here.

Jonathan Pearce
BBC Match of the Day commentator

Image source, Getty Images

A third Liverpool defeat on the spin wouldn't be destructive to their campaign but it would be corrosive.

Their December aura of invincibility would evaporate. Doubts would creep in if they lose a first top-flight away game at Brighton.

It's certainly possible given their defensive headache. The wily Glenn Murray will relish meeting any young pup or defender playing out of position.

Brighton have shown against Manchester United and Arsenal this season that they can live with top-six sides at home.

It'll take a mighty effort. I can't see them keeping a clean sheet and they must start well. But a draw to end Chris Hughton's miserable run against Liverpool wouldn't be surprising. The leaders must win their next three at home though.

Leicester make three changes to the side that won at Everton in their last Premier League encounter on New Year's Day.

Wes Morgan comes in for the injured Jonny Evans while James Maddison and Marc Albrighton start ahead of Danny Simpson and Rachid Ghezzal.

Harvey Barnes is on the bench after returning from his loan spell at West Brom.

Image source, BBC Sport

Southampton make four changes to the side that drew 0-0 at Chelsea in their last Premier League game. Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy returns in place of Angus Gunn while Jack Stephens, Shane Long and Matt Targett also return. Maya Yoshida, Cedric Soares, Nathan Redmond and Danny Ings are the ones to miss out.

Image source, BBC Sport

Simon Gleave
Head of sports analysis, Gracenote

In almost any other year, Liverpool would be nailed on to win the Premier League.

Only three top-flight teams in the last 113 years have recorded a better points total after 21 matches than Liverpool (re-calculating all seasons to three points for a win).

But the Reds find themselves doing this in a season in which the points totals for the teams in second and third are unprecedented.

Image source, BBC Sport

A team with a points total as big as Liverpool's could usually expect to have a lead in double figures at this point.

But with a gap of only four points to second-placed Manchester City, Liverpool do not have that luxury.

The Euro Club Index , external- a ranking of all European teams - estimates Liverpool's chance of winning the league at 56.6%, ahead of Manchester City's 33.5% and Tottenham Hotspur's 8.6%.

Even fourth-placed Chelsea, 10 points behind Liverpool, cannot be written off yet as the Blues have a 1% chance of a shock title win.

Image source, .

There are seven changes to the Brighton side that defeated Bournemouth in the FA Cup third round.

David Button comes back in goal for just his third Premier League start, while Glenn Murray, Lewis Dunk and Pascal Gross are among the outfield players to return.

Brighton XI: Button, Bong, Duffy, Dunk, Stephens, Locadia, Gross, Murray, March, Montoya, Propper

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Liverpool made wholesale changes for their FA Cup defeat to Wolves but have made just two changes from the side who narrowly lost 2-1 to Manchester City in the league.

Fabinho comes into defence, replacing the injured Dejan Lovren, while James Milner is replaced in midfield by Xherdan Shaqiri.

Joel Matip is back on the bench.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Van Dijk, Robertson, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Shaqiri, Salah, Mane, Firmino

Burnley

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Burnley manager Sean Dyche on whether any of his goalkeepers could leave in January: "No - only if they wanted me to listen to a request.

"If they said 'look, gaffer' [and gave] whatever reason, I'd listen to them. I trust them all. They are all old enough and wise enough now.

"As a manager, trust me, I want three top, top keepers in the building. Why wouldn't I want that?"

Image source, BBC Sport

Roy Hodgson keeps faith with the Palace side that beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 at Molineux nine days ago.

Christian Benteke is named among the Eagles’ substitutes for the first time since suffering a knee injury at the beginning of September.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita, Wan-Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, van Aanholt, McArthur, Milivojevic, Kouyate, Townsend, Ayew, Zaha

Subs: Hennessey, Ward, Meyer, Schlupp, Wickham, Kelly, Benteke

Image source, BBC Sport

Watford make just one change to the team that drew 3-3 at Bournemouth in their last league game.

Will Hughes, who scored in the 2-0 FA Cup victory at Woking last weekend, comes into the side in place of Ken Sema, who drops to the bench.

Watford XI: Foster, Femenia, Mariappa, Cathcart, Holebas, Hughes, Doucoure, Capoue, Pereyra, Deulofeu, Deeney

Subs: Gomes, Britos, Cleverley, Success, Masina, Sema, Quina

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Cardiff make three changes from their last league game. Joe Bennett replaces Greg Cunningham in defence, with forwards Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Junior Hoilett in for Josh Murphy and Bobby Reid.

Cardiff: Etheridge, Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett, Gunnarsson, Mendez-Laing, Arter, Victor Camarasa, Hoilett, Paterson.

Substitutes: Peltier, Ralls, Josh Murphy, Smithies, Reid, Cunningham, Healey.

Image source, .

Huddersfield hand a full league debut to loan signing Jason Puncheon, who played in their FA Cup defeat last weekend and replaces Isaac Mbenza from their last league match.

Erik Durm is their only other change from the 2-1 loss to Burnley, replacing Terence Kongolo, who drops to the bench.

Huddersfield: Lossl, Hadergjonaj, Schindler, Jorgensen, Durm, Billing, Hogg, Kachunga, Pritchard, Puncheon, Mounie.

Substitutes: Smith, Kongolo, Hamer, Lowe, Mbenza, Depoitre, Stankovic.