Manchester City

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: "I don't think he [Aymeric Laporte] is ready for 90 minutes but it's good for him to play.

"This is a team with incredible success over the last few years, I am really impressed with the manager and what he is doing, his concepts. They were aggressive at the Etihad so I imagine it will be the same."

Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton boss Graham Potter: "The focus should be on the next match and trying to win the game. You can feel under pressure. We just have to focus on the game and what we need to do to play well. It's always been an intense period.

On Bournemouth: "Every team in the Premier League pose a threat, regardless of their position. They will want to win the game. I have a lot of respect for Bournemouth and especially Eddie Howe."

Bournemouth

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe: "We have to focus on ourselves. We need the crowd with us. Hopefully we can deliver.

"You live and breathe every second of it. It has been a frustrating period, we are looking forward to getting out of it. We need our home form to be good and we need the atmosphere to be red hot.

"Brighton are a good team, have a good style and have a good manager. We know we will have to be at our very best."

Ben Heys: As a Bournemouth fan, I don't think I could be more nervous. I seriously hope that all of these fixtures takes Brighton out of the rhythm and we can finally find ours. In Eddie we trust!

Veteran striker Billy Sharp starts for Sheffield United against Manchester City. He is one of two changes, with Muhamed Besic also coming in. Striker Lys Mousset is on the bench.

Image source, .

Manchester City make seven changes for the trip to South Yorkshire. Aymeric Laporte is in for the injured John Stones. Gabriel Jesus replaces Segio Aguero in attack with Aguero dropping to the bench.

Kyle Walker, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Rodri, Riyad Mahrez and Nicolás Otamendi also come in.

Image source, .

Just give Everton three points for their team news graphic!

Magnificent.

Image source, BBC Sport

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson names the same side drew with Manchester City on Saturday, with January arrival Cenk Tosun leading the line. There is a new face on the bench, however, as Max Meyer returns from injury to be named among the substitutes.

Crystal Palace XI: Guaita; Kelly, Tomkins (C), Cahill, Riedewald; J Ayew, Kouyate, McArthur, McCarthy, Zaha; Tosun.

Subs: Hennessey, Ward, Dann, McGregor, Meyer, Wickham, Pierrick.

Image source, BBC Sport

Southampton boss Ralph Hassenhuttl makes two changes to the side which were beaten 3-2 by Wolves on Saturday, as Jannik Vestergaard and Michael Obafemi come in.

They replace Jan Bednarek, who's injured, and in-form striker Danny Ings, who is left on the bench.

Southampton XI: McCarthy; Cedric, Vestergaard, Stephens, Bertrand; Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Redmond; Long, Obafemi.

Subs: Gunn, Yoshida, Romeu, Boufal, Djenepo, Ings, Adams.

Sheffield United

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Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder: "At home, our supporters will be willing us on but it will be a difficult night. We won't be that team who sits on the edge of our box for 90 minutes.

"Billy Sharp's record for the football club speaks for itself. I will only know at the end of the game if I have picked the right team but they are fired up for it.

"As I'm driving in you hear on the radio, it's seventh in the Premier League v second. It's an incredible achievement and sometimes you have to enjoy nights like this."

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Dean Smith names the same 11 that started the 1-1 draw at Brighton on Saturday, meaning Aston Villa are without a recognised striker for their fourth successive match.

Forward Mbwana Samatta, who joined on Monday in a £10m deal from Belgian side Genk, is not eligible to play as the transfer was not completed in time.

Aston Villa: Reina, Konsa, Mings, Hause, Guilbert, Drinkwater, Nakamba, Targett, Trezeguet, El Ghazi, Grealish.

Substitutes: Chester, Douglas Luiz, Lansbury, Hourihane, Nyland, Elmohamady, Vassilev.

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Just one forced change for Watford as Ismaila Sarr picked up a muscle injury late on against Tottenham at the weekend and is replaced by Roberto Pereyra.

Eighteen-year-old striker Joao Pedro, who has only made one substitute appearance in the FA Cup and never featured in the Premier League, is on the bench for the Hornets.

Watford: Foster, Mariappa, Dawson, Cathcart, Masina, Chalobah, Capoue, Pereyra, Doucoure, Deulofeu, Deeney.

Substitutes: Gomes, Joao Pedro, Gray, Quina, Holebas, Kabasele, Pussetto.

Guy Mowbray
Match of the Day commentator

It's clearly a season that's mostly about Europe now.

Just to clarify, I do mean for City, but as the Blades sit just one point off fifth place in the table there is a very real chance of a Europa League place being won.

Never mind the squad depth, feel the consistency. Chris Wilder only 'rotates' his team very gently, with eight of his most regular line-up having started 22 or more of 23 league games.

They're a throwback to times past whilst simultaneously being one of the most progressive sides around, drawing fulsome praise from Pep Guardiola , externalafter December's meeting at the Etihad.

Sheffield United diehards aside, who looked at this game when the fixtures came out and thought anything other than away win? You just might now.

Image source, BBC Sport

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe makes two changes from the side that started their narrow defeat at Norwich on Saturday.

Simon Francis and Dominic Solanke come in with defender Steve Cook out suspended and Dan Gosling dropping to the bench

Bournemouth XI: Ramsdale, Smith, Francis, Ake, Rico, Fraser, Lerma, H Wilson, Billing, Solanke, C Wilson

Subs: Boruc, Gosling, Surman, L Cook, Simpson, Kelly, Surridge

Image source, BBC Sport

Brighton manager Graham Potter makes two tweaks from the side that drew with Aston Villa on Saturday. Leandro Trossard and Aaron Connolly start on the bench with Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Pascal Gross both starting.

Brighton XI: Ryan, Alzate, Dunk, Webster, Bernardo, Stephens, Gross, Propper, Mooy, Jahanbakhsh, Maupay

Subs: Button, Duffy, Trossard, Murray, March, Schelotto, Connolly

Manchester City

Aymeric Laporte is back from injury as Manchester City make a sweeping seven changes to their side. Kyle Walker starts against his old club while Sergio Aguero is among those to miss out.

Billy Sharp captains the Blades - he's one of two changes for the hosts.

Sheffield United

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder: "We'll need to produce one of our best performances of the season to get a result, and our performance at their place last month was excellent - in and out of possession, we had a really good shape and we limited them to very little, which was pleasing.

"We know they will have the ball a lot but I like to think we can cause them a few problems going the other way, like we did at their place."

Manchester City

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says football is letting its elite players down and a "year of 400 days" is needed to cram in all the matches they are being asked to play.

Guardiola was one of several top-flight bosses to express their concern about the demanding festive schedule.

England forwards Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford have since suffered injuries.

Guardiola said: "I am so sorry for Kane and Rashford because they are good for the league but I am not surprised."

Wolves, whose season began in July with Europa League qualifying ties, will play their 40th game of the season when they host leaders Liverpool on Thursday.

Mark Mitchener
BBC Sport at Vitality Stadium

There's something of a 1980s vibe tonight, with games kicking off at 19:30 GMT rather than the now-traditional 19:45 - and the retro theme continues in tonight's programme. All season, Bournemouth's cover stars have been decked out in shirts from the past - today, defender Adam Smith dons the Cherries' red top from 1987-88.

Manager Eddie Howe, though, is firmly focused on the here and now. His programme notes begin: "There is no getting away from what a big match tonight is for us" - and later he states that "we know we are in a difficult moment, and we are very aware that the time to turn this around is now."

Image source, BBC Sport

BBC Radio 5 Live

Conor McNamara and Dion Dublin are on duty for BBC Radio 5 Live to bring you full commentary from Bramall Lane.

There will also be updates on that late Chelsea v Arsenal game.

John Roder
Match of the Day commentator

When these teams met at St Mary's at the end of last month it finished in a 1-1 draw, a result that has become a pattern for Palace, who have now drawn their last four league fixtures, including at Manchester City at the weekend.

Southampton's renaissance has continued, with four wins in six league matches - and six in their past 10. They suffered a blip with defeat against Wolves on Saturday but they have certainly turned their season around and would move above Palace with a victory at Selhurst Park.

However, another draw between two evenly-matched teams is perhaps the strongest possibility.

Feeling edgy down at the bottom?

Share your grief/concerns with the group. You know where we are.

If you don't, it's 81111 on text or #bbcfootball on twitter. Pop your names and affiliations down...

Six games including a monstrously late kick-off at Stamford Bridge...

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Aston Villa v Watford (19:30 GMT)

Bournemouth v Brighton (19:30 GMT)

Crystal Palace v Southampton (19:30 GMT)

Everton v Newcastle (19:30 GMT)

Sheffield United v Manchester City (19:30 GMT)

Chelsea v Arsenal (20:15 GMT)

Evening all - ready for some more Premier League football? Course you are.

It's all coming to a head with some huge games down at the bottom.

Image source, BBC Sport

It's 18th v 17th at Villa Park - the hosts needing a win over Watford to move out of the relegation zone.

Watford have gone seven successive games unbeaten in all competitions (six in the league - which is one short of their top-flight record) and won 3-0 when the two teams met on 28 December.

Second-bottom Bournemouth are feeling the heat too and need at least a win to move out of the drop zone.

Brighton's last victory was actually against Bournemouth on 28 December - Alireza Jahanbakhsh scoring an early opener in the 2-0 win, which was his first goal for the club.

Massive.