Matthew Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Newcastle are focusing a bit more on the foundations.

It allows for the players who arrive later to thrive because the team has a good structure, it’s got good solid players, they have experience in there which is crucial.

I have been really impressed about the manner they have used their funds to assemble their team and I think it’s got real potential to grow.

Nick: Thinking Southampton should forfeit now and take the 3-0 loss. Good result most likely.

Matthew Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Manuel Akanji has had the opportunity because there has been injuries. When you sign for Manchester City with the position they are in, he probably didn’t expect to come into that starting line-up.

It’s imperative that you take that opportunity because things can change very quickly.

Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias are the best partnership, you’ve got John Stones and now Akanji is pushing to be in the conversation for the starting XI.

Mentally, he is well enough equipped to start those big-pressure games.

John Bennett
BBC Final Score at St James' Park

The Newcastle fans behind me are worried about what Ivan Toney could do today against his old club. There’s even more added motivation for him this afternoon because he’s wearing the captain’s armband. Plus with another England striker, Callum Wilson, upfront at the other end it’s a perfect day to impress England boss Gareth Southgate.

Leicester come into this game on the back of their first league win of the season - a 4-0 victory over neighbours Nottingham Forest on Monday.

That took them off bottom spot, above Forest on goal difference.

They have lost all four away league fixtures this season, conceding 17 goals. Their longest away losing streak from the beginning of a Premier League season is five, set in 2003-04.

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Etihad Stadium

Image source, BBC Sport

Kevin de Bruyne was laughing away with Erling Haaland when they emerged to start their warm-up, and they are usually smiling a lot when games start too.

Haaland is chasing the 20th goal of his remarkable season today but De Bruyne’s creative stats are not too shabby either.

Last season, the Belgian did not get his first Premier League assist until his 14th appearance – against Brighton on 29 December. He ended up with eight in total for 2021-22, but he has matched that tally already this time, in his first eight games of this campaign.

The Premier League assists record for a single season, which De Bruyne already jointly holds with Thierry Henry, is 20. Can Southampton stop him getting nearer to that target today?

Martin Keown
Former England defender on Football Focus

With the money that has been spent, more in the last two transfer windows than the previous nine, Eddie Howe has done an amazing job in that time. They only have two wins this season though and there have been some difficult moments at home but you can see the quality now, there is confidence oozing through the team. Miguel Almiron is a different animal, he's a completely different player and that's down to Eddie Howe's good management.

Image source, .

Bournemouth have never lost a Premier League home game to Leicester City (W3 D2) – their best such record in the top flight.

Matthew Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think the ship has sailed for James Maddison with England.

Had he been included in those previous squads and been around the group because I think one of the big question marks over him – does he fit into the mould of how the players interact?

Maddison looks like he has got that swagger back, that hunger and confidence to want to do well. You are seeing it in his performances.

He certainly is playing well enough. But where do you play him? He’s a central player and does he fit in that sense? That’s another potential hurdle for him.

I would be surprised if Gareth Southgate picks him.

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Chris Wise
BBC commentator at Stamford Bridge

Just watching Diego Costa going through his warm-up in Wolves colours. It’s an odd sight with a backdrop of pure, Chelsea blue.

But he’s certainly looking leaner than when he first signed. Costa’s inclusion has added a really interesting dynamic to this game.

Rob: Bizarre line up, no Sterling or Auba, attacking talent of Chilwell and James benched, and an under performing Havertz, Jorginho and RLC starting. Very odd selection.

Celtic ended up beating St Johnstone 2-1. The hosts equalised in injury time but then Georgios Giakoumakis popped up with a 95th-minute winner.

Follow reaction and the build-up to the Scottish 3pms here.

Martin Keown
Former England defender on Football Focus

Haaland is in goal heaven at the moment. He's ruthless, he's clinical and can you stop him? I'd almost be embarrassed if I was a central defender playing right now. I would be the one that would want to be his worst nightmare and get in there and disrupt him.

But he's got everything, he's almost the complete player, even at his age.

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This week, in a rare twist, Chris Sutton's opponent in the predictions is a current professional footballer - Hibernian and Scotland defender Ryan Porteous.

The 23-year-old also talked about Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland.

"I played against Haaland for Scotland under-19s in 2018," Porteous explained. "We watched a few clips of him in previous games he'd played for Norway and he looked all right, but he missed a good few chances.

"I'd been on loan from Hibs at Edinburgh City in the Scottish League Two and I remember the Scotland coach at the time kind of just saying 'Ryan, you dealt with these kind of strikers every week then, so you can deal with him now.

"The exact words I was told were 'he will miss more than he will score' but it is safe to say he did not do that - he scored a hat-trick in that game, although two of them were penalties, and we lost 5-4.

"He was a handful then, aged 17, and it was the same when I faced him for Hibs when we played Molde in the Europa League a few months later. He scored two.

"I suppose it makes me feel a little bit better that he kept on doing the same against everyone else too, even the very best in the world."

Chris Sutton
BBC football expert

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It was a bit harsh for Wolves to sack Bruno Lage so early in the season. They had issues scoring goals, of course, but it is not his fault that their strikers got injured.

They are managerless at the moment and I can't see them winning here, either.

Chelsea are finding their feet under Graham Potter and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has started scoring, so they should take the points pretty comfortably.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Drama in the Scottish Prem.

St Johnstone have equalised in injury time at home to Celtic.

Follow the final seconds here.

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Etihad Stadium

Image source, BBC Sport

“We’re not scared” says Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl about his side’s task at a sunny Etihad Stadium today… but should they be?

All six visiting teams who have come here so far in 2022-23 have been beaten, and four of them have ended up shipping more goals than in any other match they have played this season.

Saints did get a draw at Etihad last season but that was CBH (City before Haaland) of course. They are a different beast now…

Pat Nevin
Former Scotland winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

Diego Costa against Kalidou Koulibaly will be very interesting.

Koulibaly got booked the other night, he’s already been sent off this season. He is rash and if you’re rash and you react to being bullied – Diego Costa knows that, he will smell that a mile away.

Costa will bully Trevoh Chalobah but if he’s got any sense, he will play on Koulibaly and wind him up.

Chris Sutton
BBC football expert

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I watched Newcastle beat Fulham last weekend and I was very impressed with them going forward.

Callum Wilson did well on his return from injury and Miguel Almiron looks a completely different player compared to last season.

Almiron only got one goal during the whole of that campaign but has three already this time, and his first against Fulham was one of the goals of the season.

Analysis: Almiron's 'goal of the season contender'

Brentford are quite a stubborn team but Newcastle will take the game to them, and I can see them creating enough chances to win it.

Bees striker Ivan Toney will have a point to prove going back to St James' Park - he is in my fantasy team, but he needs to pull his finger out if he is going to make a difference on Saturday.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1