Premier League Pre-Match Buzz and Latest Football News

That remark feels a bit too relatable for my liking. Christmas time is always focused on soccer initially, family gatherings after.

This can be a difficult time for football supporters. Can we manage to maintain the required focus on our team while showing appropriate enthusiasm for gift choices, wrapping, food shopping and preparation, table decorations, joining in family get-togethers....? We'll give it a damned good try! Apologies, could you repeat that...?

Man Utd Eye Rúben Neves and Conor Gallagher

Erik ten Hag's side is looking for a midfielder. This can’t be good news for Kobbie Mainoo… with two ex-English top-flight players are targeted by Ruben Amorim’s side.

Chelsea's Trip to Newcastle Pre-Match Preview

The clash at St. James' Park in the early Saturday slot provides a fantastic start to start the day’s action. Eddie Howe’s side are down in 12th and Enzo Maresca’s men sit fourth. A mere six-point gap separate them, given Newcastle's strong home form set to provide a stern test for Chelsea.

The home side could be hindered, however, by their sheer number of current defensive absentees. Tino Livramento has joined Sven Botman, Dan Burn, Emil Krafth, Jamaal Lascelles, Kieran Trippier and goalkeeper Nick Pope on the treatment table, and Lewis Hall is questionable.

Even so, and despite Maresca claiming his growing admiration for the squad earlier this week, you wouldn’t bank on Chelsea strolling to victory at St James’ Park. Can Maresca settle on a consistent attacking trio? The wingers came off the bench in the Carabao Cup against Cardiff to score appearing as candidates for a starting spot.

Predicting games like Newcastle v Chelsea in the current campaign has proven exceptionally tough.

Debate Over Elite Footballers

I notice there’s lots of discussion among fans about the Guardian’s Top 100 players… such lists are inherently opinion-based, naturally. An indisputable fact is Ousmane Dembélé’s place at the very summit.

Key Weekend Storylines

10 things to look out for: The scrutiny on Burnley's manager, to Wolves’ long search for a win, to calls for Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the national team setup, everything is covered.

Weekend Football Recap

In case you missed it late drama unfolded in the all-Welsh Friday night Championship clash. Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo presented Swansea with the win with a last-minute error fumbling a cross right into the path of Adam Idah. The Swans substitute had the simplest of task to score to make it 2-1.

A gift from Okonkwo – who is one of Bukayo Saka’s best friends in football, incidentally, and local supremacy for Swansea.

Steve Evans steered Bristol Rovers to their first point in 10 league matches, but stated the 1-1 draw at Crewe was “frustrating” as they faced ten men for most of the game. In the fourth tier, Cambridge moved into the top seven thanks to a victory over Accrington and Cheltenham picked up a 2-1 win at struggling Barrow.

Northampton cruised beyond AFC Wimbledon 3-1 in League One.

Over in Germany, the derby was won 2-0 by Dortmund, with a late Beier goal to see off Mönchengladbach following an early Brandt strike.

Preamble

Good morning all to our latest live football coverage. It’s Saturday morning so that can only mean one thing – buildup! And we can safely call it a bumper day of action with no less than eight Premier League games, starting with the early kick-off, heading into the four 3pm kick-offs, the evening fixture, and concluding with two late matches: Everton v Arsenal and Leeds v Crystal Palace (UK time).

Additionally, there's a full schedule across the UK leagues, and further down the divisions and in Spain, Germany and beyond too. See – bumper.

Following our usual format, we encourage your comments and emails, so let me know your forecasts, reflections on the year as it concludes, or your plans for a football-filled day. Should be fun!