Niall McVeigh 

Brighton v Arsenal, Manchester City v Nottingham Forest, and more: Premier League – live

Join Niall McVeigh for updates from four games in the Premier League, with Arsenal and Manchester City among those in action
  
  

Carlos Baleba of Brighton
Carlos Baleba of Brighton arrives for their home game with Arsenal. Photograph: Simon Dack/TPI/Shutterstock

On the ball! Guess the footballer

The Guardian has kicked off a new chapter in puzzles with the launch of its first daily football game, On the ball. It’s available on our app for both iOS and Android … so why not give it a go while we wait for kick-off?

You can follow Newcastle v Manchester United in depth with the esteemed Scott Murray, over here …

Some key takeaways from all that piping hot team news:

  • Baleba back in Brighton’s starting line-up

  • Mosquera in for injured Saliba at centre-back

  • Haaland and Foden return to City’s starting XI

  • Domínguez in, Hudson-Odoi dropped by Forest

  • Jorgensen replaces Sánchez as Chelsea keeper

  • Emery brings in Maatsen, Mings and Bailey

  • Wilson latest: Harry out, Callum starts

Fulham v West Ham: team news

Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Iwobi, Chukwueze, Cairney (c), King; Jiménez.
Subs: Lecomte, Andersen, Reed, Rodrigo Muniz, Bobb, Lukic, Castagne, Sessegnon, Smith Rowe.

West Ham (4-4-2): Hermansen; Wan-Bissaka, Disasi, Todibo, Diouf; Bowen (c), Fernandes, Soucek, Summerville; Wilson, Castellanos.
Subs: Areola, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Mavropanos, Traoré, Lamadrid, Magassa, Scarles, Kanté.

Referee: Matthew Donohue. VAR: John Brooks.

Aston Villa v Chelsea: team news

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martínez; Cash, Konsa (c), Mings, Maatsen; Douglas Luíz, Onana, Bailey, Rogers, Buendía, Watkins.
Subs: Edward, Bogarde, Sancho, Abraham, Torres, Digne, Bizot, Lindelof, Barkley.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Hato; James (c), Caicedo; Palmer, Fernández, Garnacho; João Pedro.
Subs: Sánchez, Cucurella, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Delap, Santos, Sarr, Guiu, Lavia.

Referee: Jarred Gillett. VAR: James Bell.

Brighton v Arsenal: team news

Brighton (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Wieffer, van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu; Baleba, Gross (c); Gómez, Hinshelwood, Mitoma; Rutter.
Subs: Steele, Minteh, Welbeck, Milner, Ayari, De Cuyper, O’Riley, Veltman, Howell.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Raya; Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel Magalhães, Hincapié; Zubimendi, Rice; Saka (c), Eze, Gabriel Martinelli; Gyökeres.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Gabriel Jesus, Norgaard, Trossard, Madueke, Havertz, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman.

Referee: Christopher Kavanagh. VAR: Michael Salisbury.

Manchester City v Nottingham Forest: team news

Manchester City (4-1-3-2): Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Días, Guéhi, Aït Nouri; Rodri; Cherki, Bernardo Silva (c), Foden; Semenyo, Haaland.
Subs: Trafford, Reijnders, Stones, Aké, Marmoush, Doku, González, Savinho, Khusanov.

Nottingham Forest (3-4-2-1): Sels; Milenkovic, Jair Cunha, Murillo; Aina, Sangaré, Anderson, Williams; Dominguez, Gibbs-White (c); Igor Jesus.
Subs: Gunn, Morato, Hudson-Odoi, Awoniyi, Ndoye, Hutchinson, Yates, McAtee, Netz.

Referee: Darren England. VAR: Tony Harrington.

Updated

Wednesday's fixtures

Kick-off 7.30pm unless stated; all times GMT.

Premier League
Aston Villa v Chelsea
Brighton v Arsenal
Fulham v West Ham
Manchester City v Nottingham Forest
Newcastle v Manchester United (8.15pm)

Scottish Premiership
Aberdeen v Celtic (8pm)

Preamble

This season’s title battle reminds me of the famous fight scene from dystopian 80s classic “They Live”. It’s been long, attritional and hard to watch at times, with neither party looking truly convincing. Arsenal and Manchester City were both fortunate to collect three points from bruising encounters with Chelsea and Leeds; now they have to get back in the ring tonight.

Arsenal go to Brighton, where they haven’t lost in their previous five trips. City host Nottingham Forest, who are battling relegation and have lost on their last three visits to the Etihad by an aggregate score of 11-0. Later, Manchester United visit Newcastle, hoping to make a dramatic late entry into a two-horse title race.

Aston Villa and Chelsea have both been overtaken by a surging United side, but earned a reprieve in the top-five chase with Liverpool’s shock defeat at Wolves. They meet at Villa Park tonight with both teams in stuttering form, and both eager to get back on track before European campaigns resume next week.

Finally, West Ham head to Fulham looking to revive their survival push and turn up the heat on Forest, Spurs and Leeds above them. The bad news for Nuno and co: Fulham have won seven out of their last 10 night matches at home, while West Ham have won one of their eight London derbies this season.

 

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