Chris Wise
BBC Radio 5 Live commentator

A forward in fine form, and a Bournemouth team playing with supreme confidence.

But Luton have rattled the cages of the very best recently.

Image source, PA Media

Summer signing Christopher Nkunku hasn't played for Chelsea yet after suffering an injury during pre-season.

Can the French forward be the answer to the Blues' woes in front of goal?

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at St James’ Park

Image source, Michael Emons

This is a crucial part of Newcastle's season, which is threatening to unravel.

They have lost five of their past eight in all competitions, exited Europe and dropped out of the top six of the Premier League.

Eddie Howe's side are in the middle of a gruelling run that sees them play 11 times between 25 November and 1 January - with a Carabao Cup quarter-final at Chelsea coming on Tuesday, in a competition Newcastle reached the final of last season.

And, until the transfer window opens, Howe's injury-ravaged squad continues to look stretched. Forward Alexander Isak is the latest to miss out, with Howe saying it is a tight groin injury keeping him out today, although the injury is said to not be a serious one.

That leaves the hosts short of attacking options on the bench, with two goalkeepers, four defenders and three midfielders among the substitutes, although centre-half Sven Botman's return to the squad for the first time since September following a knee injury is a much-needed boost.

Newcastle fans though will rightly point to a superb home record, with six league wins in a row, including successes over Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United in the past six weeks.

Jaap Stam
Former Manchester United defender on Football Focus

You can be disappointed [at being knocked out of the Champions League] but it takes time as well. By investing and by bringing players in you can construct a team and make decisions on who did well, who do you keep, who brings you to the next level. Eventually, maybe next year or the year after you can go to the next round in the Champions League. It takes time and nowadays in football, people want to have things quickly.

The Athletic's George Caulkin speaking on Football Focus: "[The schedule has] played a huge role. It has to. But when you talk about what has gone wrong, you have to remember that quite a lot has gone right. They have got a formidable record at St. James' Park. It's not all doom and gloom.

"They have formidable record here. It has been the bedrock of what has happened at Newcastle since the Newcastle. They do need a win because they have had two bad results from home."

Jaap Stam
Former Manchester United defender on Football Focus

They can play some very good football and they have some very interesting players in that squad as well. It is down to the manager too. Being able to bring that level week in, week out and you can see in their play they are very inconsistent. They have one of the youngest squads in the league as well and they need to be consistent. If Pochettino has this season, and continues to work with the players, he is going to do very well. They are a very interesting team to watch.

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle defender Dan Burn says he’s come back from injury earlier than expected because of the pressure on the squad.

Eddie Howe’s side have been ravaged by injuries all season, and Burn was out since early November after fracturing his back in three places in the win over Arsenal.

He had been expected to miss around 10 weeks, but made a quick recovery to ease the strain on his team-mates and returned for their Champions League defeat this week.

"It was always pain-led. Every time I felt good, it was about pushing it a little bit more," said Burn.

"Ideally I could have done with another few weeks, but the way it is at the minute, I had to push through it.

"I had no pain when I was out there. I hadn’t kicked a ball for five weeks, so it was about getting up to speed and trying to help the lads."

James McFadden
Former Scotland forward on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

I think [Eze is on the bench] because it may be more of a defensive display. It might be down to the game plan to have an impact in the game if they can keep City at bay for long enough.

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Etihad Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

It sounded like Roy Hodgson was falling out of love with football a little when he spoke with such sadness about the decisions that went against his side during last week’s defeat by Liverpool, but his mood has been a lot brighter in the build-up to this game.

If he needed to cheer himself up, he only had to think back to the day when, sparked by an Andros Townsend wonder-goal (pictured above), his Palace side clinched a stunning win here in December 2018, which Hodgson described afterwards as “one of those bonanza days”.

Palace have actually had more of those at Etihad Stadium than most teams, with another shock victory following under Patrick Vieira in 2021, but they have not had much to smile about anywhere recently, with just one success in their past nine outings.

They have already won in Manchester once this season – when they beat United in September – but victory today would be a much bigger surprise.

James McFadden
Former Scotland forward on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

I think for Everton, the defensive stats are great but the key is having Dominic Calvert-Lewin back. He is the one that is leading he line and taking the pressure off. He looks as fit as he ever has and I think the credit has to go to the manager for that. I think Everton are getting the reward for that and it helps the balance of the side.

Demarai Gray was leading the line last year and he isn't physical. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has helped them.

Image source, Getty Images

Odsonne Edouard is responsible for 40% of Palace's league goals this term, scoring six of their 15 in the division.

It's the highest percentage of any Premier League player this season.

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle are aiming for a fourth consecutive win over Fulham.

But they are in danger of losing three league matches in a row for the second time this season.

Luckily, the Magpies have won their past six home league games, conceding just one goal. It's their longest top-flight winning run at St James' Park since 2002-03.

Fulham are aiming to win three consecutive league games for the first time this season.

Marco Silva's side have scored 10 goals without conceding in their past two fixtures, both at home.

But Fulham are winless in their past seven away league games and are in danger of losing three in a row for the first time since 2019.

Dion Dublin
Former England striker on Football Focus

Image source, Reuters

I actually think Rodri is possibly the most important player for Man City.

Even if Kevin De Bruyne is fit and playing as well, I still think Rodri is the most important.

We always say about the backbone - but Rodri has got to be the first name on the team sheet every week.

Bournemouth duo Ryan Christie and Lewis Cook speak about their football connection on the pitch and how 'dad talk' has helped them bond off the field too.

Dion Dublin
Former England striker on Football Focus

I think it is more of a difficult game for Chelsea because Sheffield United will go there without a hope, to everyone else. They will get there and Chris [Wilder] will just say 'go on, squeeze, get in their faces'. I haven't seen that team from Chelsea yet but I have seen that from Sheffield United. That togetherness.

There are three ways to share your thoughts on today's action with us:

Use #bbcfootball on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Send us a WhatsApp message on 03301231826.

Text us on 81111 (UK only - standard rates apply).

Please leave your name and where you're from at the end of the message so we know who's on the other end!

Michael Emons
BBC Sport at St James’ Park

Image source, Michael Emons

Both Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and central defender Dan Burn have reflected on the club's exit from the Champions League - with a strong desire to have more European nights in the near future.

Howe, writing in the matchday programme, says: "We would have loved to have progressed into the latter stages of the Champions League and we know our hard work and previous results had given us a genuine chance to do so.

"We can take plenty of positives from our first taste of the competition for 20 years. Every disappointment becomes the motivation to push on and we are all hungry to experience the Champions League again and we will work hard to earn the right to compete in it once more.

"Had our squad been less stretched, we believe we had the quality to go further and compete in the latter stages."

Lifelong Newcastle fan Burn, who plays against his former club Fulham today, added: "We were gutted to go out. From the position we were in to not have any European football really hurts.

"It was an experience I never thought I'd have so to say I've played Champions League football for the team I support is something I'm very proud of.

"It makes us determined to do it again - and the group we've got are more than capable of doing that. Our focus has to be to replicate what we did last season - and we want to hopefully go one better in the League Cup. It's still really exciting times."

Dion Dublin
Former England striker on Football Focus

Image source, Getty Images

His team-mates have said they just like his work rate and, as a centre-forward, if you are working harder for the side, you tend to get more chances. Dom seems to be more - now he's in a purple patch - he seems to be finishing easily and naturally, without thinking.

Image source, Getty Images

Djordje Petrovic is playing a home game for Chelsea for the first time, after making his debut off the bench last week away at Everton when Robert Sanchez suffered a knee injury.

The 24-year-old Serb joined the Blues from MLS side New England Revolution over the summer, where he was nominated for the league's Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2022.

Manchester City are unbeaten in 28 home games in all competitions since a 2-1 defeat by Brentford in November 2022.

However, City have drawn back-to-back Premier League home matches and could go three consecutive league fixtures without victory at the Etihad for the first time since 2016.

Pep Guardiola's side have gone seven games in all competitions without a clean sheet, conceding 14 goals during that run.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have lost six of their past eight Premier League games, earning just four points.

They could lose three consecutive top-flight matches for the first time since a run of four in March 2023.

But they have won a league-high 69% of their points in away games this season, with 11 of their 16 coming on the road.