Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Villa Park

Image source, BBC Sport

Villa boss Dean Smith says in his programme notes that his side have shown their ability to mix it with top-six sides after trips to Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge this week, although he called the defeat at Chelsea a “patchy performance”.

John McGinn, meanwhile, jokes that Jack Grealish is stealing the wonder goals away from him - that one against Manchester United was pretty special.

**15-MINUTE WARNING**

The players have finished their warm-ups at Villa Park, St James' Park and Carrow Road, heading back inside for an extra lump of Deep Heat and some final words of wisdom from the gaffer.

Unfortunately it wasn't only the football which attracted headlines from the Manchester derby.

A man has been arrested after objects and racist abuse appeared to be targeted at Manchester United players during Saturday's derby.

Police said they received a report of a fan making alleged racist gestures in the game against Manchester City.

It happened as United midfielder Fred went to take a corner in the second half at Etihad Stadium.

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BBC Football Daily

Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was brave, he could have put an extra midfielder but instead he went with a 4-2-3-1.

I think Pep Gurdola thought if we can control possession we can take the gae to them but it did not go that way.

Solskjaer deserved his reward: we went to attack this City side, not many teams do that at the Ethiad.

Listen to the Football Daily Podcast

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

BBC Football Daily

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown: Last year Man City, when they were chasing Liverpool, they were slick, they they were brilliant, they were griding out results.

This year even in the games they are winning they don’t look as convincing as last season.

Liverpool are steady away:they are confident, they have got a very busy December but Manchester City need to keep that tempo and Liverpool have now put the pressure on.

We have been spoiled with this City side, you are just expecting them to be winning and winning. But if they can't win the Premier League, can they deliver the Champions League?

That would be equally important in the development of the football club.

Listen to the Football Daily Podcast

To be fair David, I've not heard too much criticism of Liverpool. If cheap Danish lagers (who used to sponsor Liverpool) did football teams...

Bob Moss: I get Liverpool are a good team, had plenty of VAR luck, but being so far ahead of everyone else is embarrassing for the rest of the league.

It ain't over 'til it's over, as Lenny Kravitz once sang. And as Rocky Balboa uttered before his 2006 comeback fight/film.

Liverpool know that all too well.

In eight of the past 11 seasons, the leaders on 25 December have gone on to win the Premier League title.

The three times they haven't? All Liverpool sides.

Manchester City

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says it is "not realistic" to think of catching Liverpool in the Premier League title race, but says his side have a "duty to continue".

Saturday's loss to Manchester United, coupled with Liverpool's win at Bournemouth, leaves the champions 14 points behind Jurgen Klopp's side.

"It is not time to think about that," Guardiola said.

"We have to try to continue. There are many things to play for."

As the punters layer up and flock towards Villa Park, St James' Park and Carrow Road, let's have a quick recap of what happened yesterday...

Saunders also led Norwich City - another side playing today - to the League Cup final on his way to the distinction of reaching three in a row as manager of three different clubs - Norwich in 1973, Manchester City in 1974 and Villa in 1975.

The Canaries will also pay tribute to Saunders before today's match against Sheffield United.

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The flags on top of the Villa Park main stand have been lowered to half mast today following the death of title-winning manager Ron Saunders.

Saunders, who died aged 87 yesterday, guided Villa to the First Division title in 1981, before departing during their European Cup-winning campaign the following season.

RIP.

Is the title race over? Will Leicester keep up the pressure? Warming to Steve Bruce? Furious Todd 'One of Our Own' Cantwell isn't playing?

Whatever you want to get off your chest, we're happy to listen. Tweet #bbcfootball.

Andrew Neil: I think most of St James Park love our current number 7 more than our number 9. Plenty of opportunity for that to change though. Just needs goals!

Norwich have made three changes from the side who lost at Southampton last time out.

Skipper Alexander Tettey returns to the starting line-up in place of Tom Trybull, while Mario Vrancic and Emiliano Buendía also return, in place of Todd Cantwell and Ibrahim Amadou.

Norwich XI: Krul, Aarons, Byram, Godfrey, Zimmermann, Vrancic, Hernandez, Buendía, Pukki, McLean, Tettey

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Sheffield United have made two changes from their surprise defeat at home to Newcastle on Thursday, with boss Chris Wilder freshening up his attack.

Lys Mousset and David McGoldrick return to the forward line, with Billy Sharp and Oliver McBurnie dropping to the substitutes bench.

Sheffield United XI: Henderson, Baldock, Stevens, Fleck, O'Connell, Basham, Lundstram, Egan, Norwood, McGoldrick, Mousset

Image source, BBC Sport

Clinton Morrison
Former Crystal Palace striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

It is still a quite attacking line-up for Villa, but Dean Smith has changed something, bringing on Douglas Luiz.

Smith has made it more solid in midfield, but you can understand why.

Leicester are so strong there. But Villa always go out to attack they don't know any other way.

Two changes for Aston Villa boss Dean Smith from Wednesday's defeat at Chelsea.

Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi is fit again after a knee injury, coming back in for Trezeguet. Douglas Luiz also starts after replacing Conor Hourihane.

Trezeguet and Hourihane both drop to the bench, where full-back Frederic Guilbert also is after serving a one-match ban in midweek.

As well as Ben Chilwell's return, Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers also brings back Kelechi Iheanacho and Dennis Praet.

Iheanacho - rewarded for his lively cameo and winner against Everton - replaces Ayoze Perez, while Belgium international Praet comes in for Harvey Barnes.

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James Beattie. Now there's a ghost of the Premier League past!

There is just one change to the Newcastle side who beat Sheffield United 2-0 last-time out in the Premier League.

Record signing Joelinton replaces Andy Carroll, who drops to the bench. Allan Saint-Maximin also starts despite having a niggling ankle injury.

Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Manquillo, Fernandez, Clark, Dummett, Willems, Almiron, Hayden, Shelvey, Saint-Maximin, Joelinton

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Southampton are unchanged from the team who recorded a 2-1 win over Norwich.

Danny Ings, who starts, can become the first Saints player to score in five consecutive Premier League matches since James Beattie did so in 2003.

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Soares, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand, Djanepo, Ward-Prowse, Hojberg, Redmond, Ings, Long

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