Author: Guardian sport

Antonee Robinson is running rampant while Eberechi Eze and Erling Haaland hope to build on goals from last time out

The contrast is significant. Newcastle arrive on the back of four league wins and four clean sheets. Tottenham have one victory in their last seven league games, four goals conceded against Chelsea before being hit for six by a rampaging Liverpool side. Spurs have had little trouble going forward but there remains a concern with the returns from their captain, Son Heung-min. The South Korean has had a quiet season by his excellent standards, seven goals in all competitions thus far, an eighth denied by a miss from the penalty spot against Wolves. Hamstring troubles hampered him earlier in the season and, amid Spurs’ wider difficulties, there is the subplot of a change in status within their attack. Dejan Kulusevski has become the central figure; Brennan Johnson, out on the right, is Spurs’ leading goalscorer across all competitions; Dominic Solanke is steadily finding his way. With Son approaching a decade in north London, the future is taking shape. Taha Hashim

Tottenham v Newcastle, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Aston Villa v Leicester, Saturday 3pm

Bournemouth v Everton, Saturday 3pm

Crystal Palace v Chelsea, Saturday 3pm

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The flags signal the nationality of each club’s manager on the final day of the season in the order the teams finished

In some places you may see two flags together. The first represents where the manager was born, the second is the nation the manager represented in their playing days.

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• Brazilian pushed Ipswich security guard in the face
• Wolves forward to miss Forest and Bristol City games

The Wolves forward Matheus Cunha has been suspended for two games and fined £80,000 following a melee after the Premier League game against Ipswich this month.

The hugely influential Cunha will now miss games against Nottingham Forest in the league and the FA Cup tie against Bristol City.

The forward was charged with misconduct and it was alleged that he acted in an improper manner after the final whistle. He admitted the charge and the sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent regulatory commission.

Full written reasons for this case will be published in due course.

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Liverpool make a statement, Pep Guardiola tries to see the funny side and Sandro Tonali fires on all cylinders

Midway through Ruben Amorim’s post-defeat media conference the roof in the press room, located in the bowels of Old Trafford, did what some of the outside sections of the stadium do: leak. Spots of water hit a scribe perched in the front row, merriment ensued, and Manchester United’s head coach offered a wry smile, a fitting end to an afternoon on which Bournemouth had rained on his side’s pre-Christmas Day parade. Nine games into his tenure, the Portuguese’s coach record is poor – four wins, four losses and a draw – and the next four matches look tough: Wolves (away), Newcastle (home), Liverpool (away) and a trip to Arsenal in the FA Cup. Amorim, who continually repeats the need for victory, knows things have to improve. Jamie Jackson

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Aston Villa take on Manchester City on Saturday while Liverpool visit Tottenham in Sunday’s standout fixture

Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue Villa Park

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Bournemouth look to repeat Old Trafford heroics, Saints must get ugly and it’s Füllkrug time for West Ham

Approaching the halfway point, it is hard to gauge where Aston Villa are at. Regardless of Manchester City’s extended wobble, a result at home to Pep Guardiola’s side will go a long way to providing an indication. It was always going to be a big ask for Villa to better or even equal last season’s achievements but, with automatic qualification to the Champions League last 16 a distinct possibility and a top-four finish within reach, it has been another solid, if imperfect, start. Only once this season have Villa recorded victory after a European night, in September after winning at Young Boys. This time last season Villa were third in the division, two points off the summit, on 35 points. They may be 10 points worse off now but, despite defeat at Nottingham Forest last time out, they remain in a good spot. Ben Fisher

Aston Villa v Manchester City, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Brentford v Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm

Ipswich v Newcastle, Saturday 3pm

West Ham v Brighton, Saturday 3pm

Crystal Palace v Arsenal, Saturday 5.30pm

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Nottingham Forest are dreaming of Europe while Ismaïla Sarr is a reason for Crystal Palace fans to be cheerful

Manchester United’s selection was something of a surprise, with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho left out of the squad completely and Ruben Amorim further raising eyebrows by saying the decision had been made after analysing “everything – training, performance, engagement with teammates”. It was only something of a surprise, however, because the XI was posted on Facebook by Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News at 10.23pm on Saturday night, a little over 18 hours before kick-off. “Interesting an XI has already leaked this evening,” he wrote. “Teams have leaked out of United for years but the current regularity, brazen manner of it and apparently public identity of the source make it more of an issue.” Amorim’s twin tasks are to create a successful team and a disciplined club where nobody threatening the collective to promote their individual agendas. Despite this welcome result, he has a lot to do on both fronts. Simon Burnton

Match report: Manchester City 1-2 Manchester United

Guardiola feels he is ‘not good enough’ after City’s late defeat by United

Match report: Liverpool 2-2 Fulham

Match report: Arsenal 0-0 Everton

Match report: Wolves 1-2 Ipswich

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