Jonathan Pearce
BBC Match of the Day commentator

Tammy Abraham scored a terrific Chelsea winner at Arsenal last month but incredibly he's getting stick by too many chatroom critics. What do they want?

Aged just 22, he's scored 13 league goals this term and all from open play. Only Danny Ings and Jamie Vardy have bagged more and their clubs play to their strengths. Abraham has to feed off scraps. Chelsea need a goal threat from the supporting midfield and wide players. Ross Barkley deserves a start. Others look jaded.

Arsenal were very average against Sheffield United. Without Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang and with Alexandre Lacazette nearly a year without an away league goal, I can't see them carrying enough threat to win this.

I can see Abraham silencing those critics though.

Everton

Everton manager Carlo Ancellotti speaking to Sky Sports: "The fans can help us to be motivated every game. The last game we were good and that's what we hope for in the game tonight.

"Every game has it’s own story, so I'm not sure what will happen on the pitch. We need spirit and motivation."

On Newcastle: "They are a really well organised defensively; they will probably play more defence compared to the last game. Maybe they might use the counter-attack. We just need to pay attention."

Ian Dennis
Radio 5 live senior football reporter

Steve Bruce deserves a lot of credit. He's currently dealing with one of the longest injury lists in the top flight, yet Newcastle are eight points better off than this stage last season.

The smash-and-grab victory against Chelsea also underlined the fighting spirit in the squad, as they gained their first league win since before Christmas to provide a seven-point buffer from the bottom three.

I commentated on the reverse fixture 25 days ago and I thought Newcastle were unlucky to lose.

I also watched Everton on Saturday and thought they laboured at West Ham. The injured Richarlison was missed. But they've been strong at Goodison Park, where they have a good record against Newcastle - with just one defeat in 15 league games.

Manchester City have scored 33 away Premier League goals in 11 games on the road this season at an average of three per game – in English top-flight history, only one team have averaged more goals per game away from home in a season, with Preston North End scoring 35 in 11 games in 1888-89 (3.2 on average).

That was the year North End went unbeaten, of course...

Alistair Magowan
BBC Sport at Goodison Park

Goodison’s floodlights dominate a gloomy sky but it’s no time for Everton to show any fear, according to Carlo Ancelotti.

The Everton boss said he wants his side to be “brave” and stop being “shy” as he tries to carve a team his own mould. Can striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin be the man to show Everton the light against a Newcastle team which likes to sit deep?

It will another test for the 22-year-old, who Ancelotti says can be a great striker for his club and England.

Image source, BBC Sport

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has made two changes to the side who drew with West Ham on the weekend.

Seamus Coleman and Tom Davies drop to the bench, while Morgan Schneiderlin and Djibril Sidibe come into the starting XI.

Everton XI: Pickford, Holgate, Delph, Calvert-Lewin, Walcott, Digne, Mina, Schneiderlin, Sidibe, Bernard, Kean.

Image source, BBC Sport

Newcastle manager Steve Bruce has rotated his squad due to injuries from the one that won 1-0 against Chelsea at St James' Park.

Matt Ritchie, Christian Atsu, Sean Longstaff and Matthew Longstaff all come back into side, with Jonjo Shelvey and Emil Krafth dropping to the bench.

Newcastle XI: Dubravka, Clark, Lascelles, Joelinton, Ritchie, Hayden, Fernandez, Almiron, Sean Longstaff, Matthew Longstaff.

Image source, BBC Sport

Alistair Mann
MOTD commentator

If Aston Villa had beaten Watford at Vicarage Road less than a month ago, they'd have moved eight points clear of their relegation rivals and would simultaneously had inflicted significant psychological damage too.

Despite the hosts going down to 10 men for more than an half an hour, Villa succumbed limply and even conceded twice after Adrian Mariappa had been sent off.

Watford's momentum has been steadily building since, and just 24 days later they could open up a four-point gap over Villa. It seems a pivotal moment therefore and, with so much at stake, the loser will surely be feeling that little bit more precarious.

Image source, Getty Images

City have left Sergio Aguero on the bench tonight but their stand-in is not too shabby.

Gabriel Jesus has had a hand in 71 goals in 76 previous starts for Man City in all competitions (54 goals and 17 assists).

Decent.

Mark Mitchener
BBC Sport at Vitality Stadium

BBC South Today has just previewed this game with the aid of two club stalwarts who are now local radio summarisers - ex-Brighton midfielder Warren Aspinall and ex-Bournemouth defender John Williams, who you can hear on BBC Sussex and BBC Radio Solent tonight.

Williams' co-commentator Kris Temple tweeted this picture, likening them to the Peaky Blinders. But it's one of those chilly nights when you'll definitely need a hat of some sort...

Image source, Kris Temple/BBC South

Adam Oldroyd: Guardiola drops Aguero after scoring 5 goals in 2 games. Overprotective or canny management? Ref Kane/Rashford.

Newcastle United

Newcastle manager Steve Bruce speaking to Sky Sports: "We're just juggling balls at the moment [with injuries]; hopefully we’ll get everyone back soon.

"This group of players have been together a long time, since the Championship days. There’s a good spirit among them, it would be easy for them to sulk at the situation but they have been positive throughout.

On Everton: Since Duncan Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti came together, they're a lot better than they seemed to be before.

"They have got good team and players, and it's always a good atmosphere at Goodison Park, so it’’l be a tough game."

Sheffield United

Sheffield United's ex-owner has been refused the chance to appeal against a decision forcing him to sell his 50% stake in the club.

Mr McCabe and Prince Abdullah Bin Mosaad Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud have been locked in a two-year legal battle over their ownership of the Blades.

In September, the High Court ruled Mr McCabe must sell his share to the prince, but he appealed against it.

But now, he must sell his share and the club's Bramall Lane stadium.

What a mess.

Simon Jeavons: Of course if Watford beat Tranmere in the cup replay on Thursday, they will then also play Man United on Sunday 26th Jan!

Ouch!

Veteran.

Anwar El Ghazi is the man taking up the centre-forward role for Aston Villa in the absence of any recognised striker.

He's scored two goals in their last four games so he's been a pretty decent understudy.

Sheffield United

Image source, epa

It's only four years ago that Chris Wilder was watching his Northampton side beat Morecambe in the middle of a 10-match winning streak en route to the League Two title. Now he's got Pep Guardiola telling the world how impressive he is. And deservedly so.

What a run for him and number two Alan Knill.

Aston Villa

It's such an important game for Aston Villa and yet they will be playing without a recognised striker for the fourth game in a row as new signing Mbwana Samatta wasn't completed in time.

Remember when Spain won Euro 2012 while playing most of the tournament without a striker? David Villa was injured, Fernando Torres was out of form so they went with David Silva and Cesc Fabregas as a 'false nine'. Beautiful.

"The lads have got used to it over the last three or four games," said Villa boss Dean Smith, who let Jonathan Kodjia leave early this month.

"Jonathan's had a tough season. He came back from the Africa Cup of Nations very, very tired after playing a summer series. He then got injured at Tottenham and has struggled for fitness since due to game time.

"With his contract being up at the end of the season, we hadn't offered him a new one, and so he wanted to look at other avenues and we've allowed that to happen."

Mark Mitchener
BBC Sport at Vitality Stadium

He's not been out for as long as Aymeric Laporte - but injury-hit Bournemouth welcome Lloyd Kelly back to the substitutes' bench tonight. The England Under-21 defender, a £13m summer capture from Bristol City, has only one Carabao Cup appearance to show for his Cherries career so far, which has been disrupted by ankle and thigh injuries.

Kelly was last named in a matchday squad 11 weeks ago on 2 November, when Bournemouth beat Manchester United 1-0 to move seventh in the table. But they've not won at home in the Premier League since then, and are now 19th.

It's a busy week for Watford, who play again in 48 hours. Their FA Cup third-round replay against Tranmere Rovers takes place on Thursday so they will have to travel twice in the space of two days.

They then have a few days to recover before preparing for their Premier League match at home to Everton a week on Saturday.

Just the one change to their team tonight but you'd expect them to rotate heavily for the cup game on Thursday?

Image source, BBC Sport

Aymeric Laporte makes his first start for Man City since the end of August tonight – 143 days ago. How they've missed him.