Premier League clubs will lose key players to international duty over the next few weeks.

The Asia Cup in Qatar runs from January 12 to February 10, while the Africa Cup of Nations will be held in Ivory Coast from January 13 to February 11.

Here the PA news agency looks at how those tournaments could impact domestic football during a busy time of Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup action, and discover who are the big winners and losers.

Oh Mo, Salah’s away

Study the stats and it is easy to see why Liverpool fans have every right to be concerned. Mohamed Salah tops the list for Premier League goal involvements with 22 – 14 goals and eight assists. Salah registered a 150th Premier League goal for Liverpool with a brace in the New Year’s Day win over Newcastle, and his absence comes with the Reds top of the pile, in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup and ready to get their FA Cup campaign underway. Just for good measure, Liverpool will be without Japan midfielder Wataru Endo over the next few weeks.

Spurs without Son

Tottenham have maintained their unexpected title bid despite a lengthy injury list, but can they cope without talismanic skipper Son Heung-min? The South Korea captain heads to the Asia Cup with Spurs fifth in the Premier League, a point behind neighbours Arsenal and Manchester City and six adrift of Liverpool. Son’s importance is underlined by his 12 league goals – only Salah and Erling Haaland have scored more – while Spurs will also be weakened by AFCON-bound midfielders Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma.

Premier League losers

If Liverpool and Tottenham are missing headline acts, there are plenty of other losers. Manchester United will be without their first-choice goalkeeper, Cameroon’s Andre Onana, and Turkey international Altay Bayindir is set to make his debut in his absence. Wolves will also feel the loss of South Korea’s Hwang Hee-chan, their 10-goal top scorer, while Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth), Yoane Wissa (Brentford), Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Alex Iwobi (Fulham) and Mohammed Kudus (West Ham) are among high-profile AFCON players, while Nottingham Forest have no less than six players at the tournament.

Burnley boost

South Africa striker Lyle Foster will miss AFCON as he focuses on his well being. Foster has received specialist care for his mental health this season and did not play for eight weeks before returning last month. Burnley boss Vincent Kompany said Foster was not ready to travel to represent his country. But he will be available for the Clarets, and that spells good news as the 23-year-old scored his first goal since his return to action at Aston Villa on Saturday.

Champions City and Newcastle unaffected

As well as Burnley in their battle against relegation, champions Manchester City and Newcastle do not have any players away on international duty. Pep Guardiola’s City will hope to take advantage of a Salah-less Liverpool, as Arsenal cope without Egypt midfielder Mohamed Elneny and Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu. Aston Villa have only lost Burkina Faso’s Bertrand Traore. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will be relieved his squad has not been weakened further as he seeks to engineer a New Year revival on Tyneside amid worrying injury issues.

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany has expressed his “immense joy” at seeing Lyle Foster back in action and enjoying the game.

The Clarets released a statement in November that said forward Foster was receiving specialist care for his mental health.

After an absence of eight matches in all competitions, the 23-year-old South Africa international made a comeback appearance on December 16 against Everton, and Saturday saw him score for the first time since that return, in the 3-2 loss at Aston Villa.

Kompany told a press conference: “(My feeling is) immense joy very specifically for Lyle Foster’s situation.

“We were dealing with a human tragedy really…such a good lad as well.

“To see him get back up, and just enjoying the game, not even the goal, just enjoying the game, being out there on the pitch with his team-mates, smiling after the game – for me I can go away from being a manager, just as a human being, I’m really happy to be part of this moment.”

He added: “We were in a really dark space. It’s mental health…severe, severe depression.

“We did everything we could to help him, support him. We put his case first and all the other interests last, just worried about him.

“So when you go through this at a club as human beings and you see him come the other end of it, all I hope is he is going to stay like this. That’s all I want. I can take a lot of joy out of witnessing it.”

The finish by Foster – who had earlier had an effort disallowed for offside – that made it 2-2 in the 71st minute at Villa Park took him to four Premier League goals for the season.

Douglas Luiz says Aston Villa’s happy camp must keep going after the “important” win over Burnley that rounded off their impressive 2023.

The Brazilian midfielder secured the three points with an 89th-minute penalty as Unai Emery’s side beat the Clarets 3-2 in Saturday’s Premier League contest at Villa Park.

A return to winning ways after a draw against Sheffield United on December 22 and Boxing Day loss at Manchester United, it saw them move up to second, level on points with leaders Liverpool.

It was their 26th league win of 2023 and a club-record 32nd victory in all competitions across the calendar year, and Luiz said in quotes on Villa’s official website: “Everyone is so happy.

“We believe in the group, we believe in Unai and we know he has so much experience. Everyone is happy and we need to keep going and continue.”

Villa were ahead at half-time after Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby scored either side Zeki Amdouni’s equaliser.

Burnley were then reduced to 10 men by Sander Berge’s 52nd-minute dismissal, but it looked as if it might end up a frustrating afternoon for the hosts as they failed to make the most of a series of chances and Lyle Foster then made it 2-2 on 71 minutes.

Luiz subsequently had the final say via the late spot-kick awarded after a challenge on Jhon Duran by fellow substitute Aaron Ramsey, the former Villa player whose brother Jacob was in the home starting line-up.

Luiz added: “It was so important for us because we didn’t play so well in the last two games. If we can win at home it’s so important for the fans.

“The group is very tired and now we have a few days off to enjoy. There are so many important players who have injuries and it’s hard but you need to keep going.”

Villa are unbeaten in their last 17 home league games, which includes a club-record sequence of winning 15 in a row before the Sheffield United match.

Regarding the efforts of Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, who remained second-bottom, five points adrift of safety, midfielder Josh Brownhill told the club’s official website: “To put on a performance like that here, where they’re excellent and have been doing very well in the league is something that we can be proud about.

“It’s a little bit unlucky that we didn’t come away with anything. There are things we can improve on still, there’s goals that you look back on and there’s things that you could have done to stop them. But we took our chances, to come here and score two is not easy.”

Foster’s goal was his first since returning to action this month after an eight-game absence in which he had been receiving care for his mental health.

And Brownhill said: “Everything that he’s been through recently, I can tell that goal meant a lot to him and for us as players. Hopefully that form can continue for him because he put out a really good shift.”

Aston Villa scored a late penalty to beat strugglers Burnley 3-2 and move second in the Premier League before Manchester United slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest.

Villa – who lost 3-2 at Manchester United on Boxing Day after leading 2-0 – went ahead in the 28th minute through Leon Bailey.

The Clarets were back on level terms just three minutes later when Zeki Amdouni fired home from close range following a free-kick.

Burnley had the ball in the net again, but Lyle Foster’s effort was ruled out for offside before Moussa Diaby then added a second for Villa in the 42nd minute.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 56th minute when midfielder Sander Berge was given a second caution for tugging back Douglas Luiz.

Foster, though, hauled Burnley level with 20 minutes left – this time his goal allowed to stand following a VAR review.

Just when it looked like Vincent Kompany’s men would hold out for a welcome point, Aaron Ramsey fouled Jhon Duran to concede an 89th-minute penalty. Luiz sent his spot-kick on to the underside of the crossbar and into the roof of the net to secure another home win for Villa.

In Saturday’s late kick-off, Manchester United were beaten 2-1 at Nottingham Forest, who secured a second straight win for new boss Nuno Espirito Santo. After a low-key first half, Forest went ahead just after the hour when Nicolas Dominguez swept in a low cross from Gonzalo Montiel.

United were level in the 78th minute after a poor clearance from Forest keeper Matt Turner was punished as Alejandro Garnacho squared for Marcus Rashford to equalise.

Forest, though, were back in front again just four minutes later when Morgan Gibbs-White curled a fine strike into the far corner to leave United in seventh place – nine points off the top four.

Manchester City beat Sheffield United 2-0 at the Ethiad Stadium to move third, above Arsenal on goal difference.

Rodri gave City the lead in the 14th minute with a low finish into the bottom corner after good hold-up play by Phil Foden.

Midfielder Jack Grealish – whose Cheshire home had been burgled while he was away playing at Everton on Wednesday night – was taken off early in the second half and replaced by Oscar Bobb.

Julian Alvarez doubled City’s lead just after the hour from close range after Bobb had played in Foden.

Earlier, Chelsea survived a spirited late fightback by Luton to win 3-2 at Kenilworth Road.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team had looked to be cruising to a first away victory since early November following a brace from Cole Palmer – his second goal showing fine close control – either side of Noni Madueke’s strike just before half-time.

Luton, though, set up a tense final 10 minutes after Ross Barkley scored against his former club before Elijah Adebayo pulled another back late on, but the Blues held out.

Michael Olise scored twice as Crystal Palace returned to winning ways after coming from behind to beat Brentford 3-1 at Selhurst Park.

Keane Lewis-Potter fired the Bees into an early lead after just two minutes, the goal given following a lengthy VAR check for a possible offside.

Palace were soon back on level terms in the 14th minute when Olise volleyed in at the back post before Eberechi Eze completed the turnaround shortly before half-time.

Olise fired in a well-taken second from the edge of the penalty area in the 58th minute as Palace ended an eight-match winless run.

Wolves maintained their good form with a 3-0 win over relegation-battlers Everton at Molineux.

Captain Max Kilman put Wolves in front in the 25th minute following a scramble in the penalty area, which was only his second goal for the club. The players celebrated by holding up a shirt in support of Mario Lemina following the death of his father.

Wolves doubled their lead early in the second half through a close-range finish from Matheus Cunha and Craig Dawson added a third on the hour.

Hwang Hee-chan and Pedro Neto both saw goals disallowed for offside as Gary O’Neil’s well-drilled went on to close out a third straight win.

Unai Emery stressed his aim heading into the new year is to get better after Aston Villa concluded their “really fantastic” 2023 with a 3-2 home victory over Burnley.

Douglas Luiz notched the winner against the 10-man Clarets with an 89th-minute penalty as Villa moved level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool, ahead of the Reds hosting Newcastle on New Year’s Day.

It was the midland outfit’s 26th top-flight win of 2023 and a club-record 32nd victory in all competitions across the calendar year.

And boss Emery, when asked if he thought 2024 could be even better, said: “Always the idea is to improve and get better.

“It was really fantastic, the year we did – but I’m very excited for the next match.

“We have 42 points and we can feel comfortable and happy, but…my expectation for the next year is try to progress. I am going to manage how we can progress.”

He added: “When I arrived here (in late 2022) the message always was get better, try to play Europe, try to be a contender to be in the top 10, in the top seven, now we are top four.

“We are not contented to be in the top seven, top four in the Premier League, but we are in at the moment and if on (match)day 30, 32 we are in, maybe we can think it is our opportunity to get it.”

Villa led at the break thanks to a 42nd-minute Moussa Diaby finish after Leon Bailey’s opener for the hosts had been cancelled out by Zeki Amdouni.

Burnley suffered a further setback with Sander Berge being sent off early in the second half, but it looked as if it could prove a frustrating afternoon for Villa after Lyle Foster drew things level again in the 71st minute.

Luiz then netted from the spot late on following a foul by former Villa man Aaron Ramsey on fellow substitute John Duran, and Emery declared that the “satisfaction is high” with his team having “reacted very well in the first half and the second”.

Aston Villa scored a late penalty to beat strugglers Burnley 3-2 and move second in the Premier League.

Villa – who lost 3-2 at Manchester United on Boxing Day after leading 2-0 – went ahead in the 28th minute through Leon Bailey.

The Clarets were back on level terms just three minutes later when Zeki Amdouni fired home from close range following a free-kick.

Burnley had the ball in the net again, but Lyle Foster’s effort was ruled out for offside before Moussa Diaby then added a second for Villa in the 42nd minute.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 56th minute when midfielder Sander Berge was given a second caution for tugging back Douglas Luiz.

Foster, though, hauled Burnley level with 20 minutes left – this time his goal allowed to stand following a VAR review.

Just when it looked like Vincent Kompany’s men would hold out for a welcome point, Aaron Ramsey fouled Jhon Duran to concede an 89th-minute penalty. Luiz sent his spot-kick on to the underside of the crossbar and into the roof of the net to secure another home win for Villa.

Manchester City beat Sheffield United 2-0 at the Ethiad Stadium to move third, above Arsenal on goal difference.

Rodri gave City the lead in the 14th minute with a low finish into the bottom corner after good hold-up play by Phil Foden.

Midfielder Jack Grealish – whose Cheshire home had been burgled while he was away playing at Everton on Wednesday night – was taken off early in the second half and replaced by Oscar Bobb.

Julian Alvarez doubled City’s lead just after the hour from close range after Bobb had played in Foden.

Earlier, Chelsea survived a spirited late fightback by Luton to win 3-2 at Kenilworth Road.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team had looked to be cruising to a first away victory since early November following a brace from Cole Palmer – his second goal showing fine close control – either side of Noni Madueke’s strike just before half-time.

Luton, though, set up a tense final 10 minutes after Ross Barkley scored against his former club before Elijah Adebayo pulled another back late on, but the Blues held out.

Michael Olise scored twice as Crystal Palace returned to winning ways after coming from behind to beat Brentford 3-1 at Selhurst Park.

Keane Lewis-Potter fired the Bees into an early lead after just two minutes, the goal given following a lengthy VAR check for a possible offside.

Palace were soon back on level terms in the 14th minute when Olise volleyed in at the back post before Eberechi Eze completed the turnaround shortly before half-time.

Olise fired in a well-taken second from the edge of the penalty area in the 58th minute as Palace ended an eight-match winless run.

Wolves maintained their good form with a 3-0 win over relegation-battlers Everton at Molineux.

Captain Max Kilman put Wolves in front in the 25th minute following a scramble in the penalty area, which was only his second goal for the club. The players celebrated by holding up a shirt in support of Mario Lemina following the death of his father.

Wolves doubled their lead early in the second half through a close-range finish from Matheus Cunha and Craig Dawson added a third on the hour.

Hwang Hee-chan and Pedro Neto both saw goals disallowed for offside as Gary O’Neil’s well-drilled went on to close out a third straight win.

Aston Villa moved level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool as Douglas Luiz’s late penalty secured a 3-2 home win over 10-man Burnley.

Villa led at the break thanks to a Moussa Diaby finish after Leon Bailey’s 28th-minute opener for the hosts had been cancelled out three minutes later by Zeki Amdouni.

Burnley suffered a further setback with Sander Berge sent off early in the second half, but it looked as if it could prove a frustrating afternoon for Villa after Lyle Foster drew things level again in the 71st minute.

Luiz then had the final say, converting from the spot with a minute of normal time remaining, as Unai Emery’s side moved up a place to second in the table, joining Liverpool on 42 points ahead of the Reds hosting Newcastle on New Year’s Day.

The 26th league win of their superb 2023 under Emery saw the midlands outfit bounce back from the 3-2 Boxing Day loss at Manchester United, with normal service resumed at Villa Park after the 1-1 draw with Sheffield United on December 22 had ended a club-record run of 15 consecutive home league wins.

Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, meanwhile, remain second-bottom, five points adrift of safety.

Villa had a couple of opportunities in the opening quarter-hour, with Diaby sending a volley wide and another from Ollie Watkins saved by James Trafford.

Burnley were then forced into an early change as Jordan Beyer was replaced by Hannes Delcroix, before starting to show some threat as Josh Brownhill struck wide and quickly brought a save out of Emiliano Martinez.

Within moments Villa were ahead, Watkins cutting into the box from the left and laying the ball to Bailey who took a touch and fired past Trafford via a deflection.

The lead proved short-lived, with Burnley hitting back almost immediately through Amdouni’s hooked effort after Dara O’Shea had headed a free-kick across goal.

The visitors then had the ball in the net again in the 37th minute, but Foster’s finish was ruled out for offside.

Villa regained the advantage five minutes later with Watkins again the creator, the England striker fashioning the cut-back from which Diaby turned the ball home.

Following Foster and Amdouni efforts saved by Martinez either side of the interval, Burnley were reduced to 10 men in the 56th minute when Berge collected a second yellow card having tugged at the shirt of Luiz.

Diaby curled over soon after before Foster prodded wide following a possible handball by Diego Carlos just outside the box that brought no action from referee Stuart Attwell.

Villa cranked up the pressure as Trafford denied John McGinn and Diaby before Luiz, Jacob Ramsey and Diaby, twice, shot off target.

The hosts were then left ruing that as Foster held off Alex Moreno and fired in for his first goal since returning to action after an eight-match absence in which he had been receiving care for his mental health.

It appeared as if Villa’s wastefulness might cost them, but as stoppage time drew near a challenge by former Villa man Aaron Ramsey on fellow substitute Jhon Duran prompted Attwell to point to the spot and Luiz converted the penalty with a shot that bounced down off the bar to ensure a fine calendar year ended on a high for Emery’s team.

Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo is confident the forward line will step up to cover for the pending absence of Mohamed Salah.

Darwin Nunez ended a run of 12 matches without a goal, while Diogo Jota came off the bench to score after a month out injured in Tuesday’s 2-0 Premier League win over Burnley which took Jurgen Klopp’s side top of the table.

Salah has one more game – at home to Newcastle on Sunday – before he departs for the African Nations Cup with Egypt and the 16-goal winger is likely to be away for a month.

Therefore, Jota’s timely return boosts the numbers up top, while Nunez’s confidence has been lifted by his first Premier League goal since October.

Gakpo himself has seven for the season, the latest coming in last week’s Carabao Cup romp against West Ham after he was denied a goal at Turf Moor when referee Paul Tierney adjudged Nunez to have committed a foul in the build-up, and he believes they have enough firepower to see them through in Salah’s absence.

“For every attacking player who didn’t score for a few games, it’s always nice to get back on the scoresheet and Darwin did it with a very good goal,” said Gakpo.

“For Diogo as well. When you are injured and you come back and score that’s always nice and good for the confidence. So really happy.

“Mo is gone after the Newcastle game so we need the goals. Of course, I think I can contribute even more.”

Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk is also of the opinion they can handle Salah’s expected lengthy absence despite the Egypt international being their main threat for so many seasons.

“It’s always important for the guys up front to score goals. I am delighted for Darwin. Diogo, it’s the same story. It’s good to see the boys back on the scoresheet,” said the Netherlands defender.

“I also want to say that Cody was outstanding, in the first half especially. It’s good to see. Everyone has to keep pushing each other. That’s the only way we can get better.

“Others have to step up anyway. We have to deal with losing Mo and we have the players up front who can make the difference. Let’s see how we deal with it.”

Liverpool’s return to the Premier League summit probably has more significance to the outside world than it does within the squad, who are refusing to look beyond their next game.

“The table is not looking in a bad place but we have to take it one game at a time, don’t let our heads go everywhere all over the place, just stay focused and keep doing what we are doing now and even improve more,” added Gakpo, who is enjoying his first taste of the English festive programme.

“It’s the first time I played with this intensity – a lot of games in a few days – and it’s nice as if you play a good game you can play again and if you play a not-so-good game, you can make it good in the next game as it’s coming nice and quick,” he added.

“Everybody wants the three points – also the opponents – so you have to work really hard every game and you have to be able to win games different ways.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was delighted to see both Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota score – for different reasons – in the 2-0 win at Burnley.

Nunez ended a run of 12 games without a goal with the first-half opener and Jota came off the bench after a month out to kill the game off in the 90th minute – his 50th goal for the Reds.

“(Nunez) is an incredible finisher but if a striker doesn’t score, the whole system is not the same,” said Klopp.

“You question everything. It’s not just the outside world, but you question everything. But it was just in the moment and he has it so it’s all good.”

Jota’s return could not be more timely with top scorer Mohamed Salah set to depart to the African Nations Cup after the weekend’s visit of Newcastle.

“Diogo is an incredibly important player for us. Having him changed the whole dynamic, that’s true. The goal he scored today is the goal of a boy full of conviction,” Klopp added.

Victory returned Liverpool to the top of the table, with Arsenal not due to play until Thursday.

“So, 42 points, that’s really pleasing, to be honest. That’s really cool because the first part of the season (is) done and it was absolutely alright what we did. Not perfect but it was alright,” Klopp said.

“And if I’m right, we cannot be more than a point away from the top of the table, if Arsenal win (against West Ham on Thursday). That’s obviously in punching distance, let me say it like that.”

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany said deficiencies up front cost his side the chance of getting something from the game and admits the chance of him adding a proven quality striker in January are slim.

“We had our moments, we can’t prevent them from having their moments as they are a top side, but we had our moments as well,” he said.

“The team fights, the team is alive, the team is entertaining – it just lacks the little bit of final touch to reward ourselves.

“The problem is that final touch in the Premier League, what is that? Down the bottom it is (Dominic) Solanke, (Raul) Jimenez – that’s the level you need and it’s difficult to go out in the market and find that level of player for us.

“We have to see a progression in the players we have but if there is something smart we can do we will see.”

Striker Darwin Nunez ended a 12-match goal drought to help fire Liverpool back to the top of the table with a 2-0 victory at Burnley.

The Uruguay international, who had not scored a Premier League goal since the end of October, made the crucial breakthrough in the first half before substitute Diogo Jota marked his first appearance in a month with the clincher in the 90th minute – his 50th goal for the Reds.

While it was in most respects a comfortable victory – they had two goals disallowed and also hit the woodwork – for a team registering five changes from the exhausting draw with Arsenal, Jurgen Klopp’s team made things more difficult than they had to be against opponents who have now lost nine of 10 home games.

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany famously put a spanner in the Liverpool works when his long-range strike against Leicester tipped the 2018-19 title race in Manchester City’s favour, but there were no such heroics from his struggling team, whose cause was not helped by wins for Luton and Nottingham Forest.

Their best hope was to take chances when they came and hope the visitors had an off day but they were their own worst enemy in the final third, making poor decisions, giving the ball away and being robbed of possession too easily.

In only the fifth minute, Zeki Amdouni launched a four-on-three but then sliced wide from 25 yards to waste their numerical advantage.

That was symptomatic of their shortcomings and they were punished immediately as from Liverpool’s next attack Cody Gakpo’s cutback picked out Nunez whose first-time finish curled the ball inside the far post from 25 yards.

It was just reward for his endeavour as he had sparked the move down the left and picked himself up off the turn after beating Dara O’Shea to rejoin the attack.

The procession began with Mohamed Salah failing with three attempts – one clipping the crossbar – and Gakpo and Wataru Endo also not able to add to the score.

Gakpo, one of the better performers out on the left, thought he had doubled the lead when he fired home a rebound from one of James Trafford’s eight first-half saves but referee Paul Tierney ruled Nunez had fouled Charlie Taylor.

Liverpool continued to plug away but when a simple one-two between Harvey Elliott and Ryan Gravenberch saw the latter side-foot home early in the second half, the offside Salah was in Trafford’s eye-line and Tierney ruled it out after a VAR referral.

That was Burnley’s cue to fight back, with a Jordan Beyer shot deflected over and Sander Berge effort bundled well wide.

Burnley’s worst miss saw Johan Gudmundsson plant a far-post free header over a half-empty goal, although fellow substitute Jacob Bruun Larsen should have done better when Endo passed straight to him 30 yards out.

The improvement of Liverpool’s midfield by the arrival of Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones saw the former unable to turn in the latter’s header at the far post.

Liverpool’s attempts to manage the game with Newcastle at home on New Year’s Day offered Burnley some encouragement and Trent Alexander-Arnold whistled a left-footed shot just wide to remind them of the threat the visitors still carried.

That was underlined by Jota firing home an angled shot in the 90th minute and Klopp’s fist pumps in front of a travelling support singing “Liverpool top of the league” showed how important that goal was.

Liverpool moved top of the Premier League after Darwin Nunez ended his goal drought in a 2-0 success at second-bottom Burnley.

Nunez fired Jurgen Klopp’s men into a sixth-minute lead at Turf Moor with his first strike in 13 matches in all competitions before substitute Diogo Jota sealed victory late on with his 50th goal for the club.

Mohamed Salah hit the crossbar and Harvey Elliott saw his second-half strike ruled out for offside with the score still 1-0, while Jacob Bruun Larsen almost snatched an equaliser for the Clarets.

Victory for the Reds lifted them two points above Arsenal, who host West Ham on Thursday, while lowly Burnley are five points from safety following a 14th defeat of the season.

Chris Wood retuned to haunt Newcastle with a stunning hat-trick as Nottingham Forest handed new boss Nuno Espirito Santo the first Premier League victory of his reign.

Wood, who joined Forest from the Magpies in January, produced two fine second-half finishes to secure a 3-1 comeback success at St James’ Park.

Newcastle went ahead through Alexander Isak’s 23rd-minute penalty but slipped to a sixth defeat in seven games in all competitions after Wood tapped home Anthony Elanga’s cross just before the break and went on to complete his treble in style.

Forest remain two points above the relegation zone after 18th-placed Luton pulled off a 3-2 success at bottom club Sheffield United thanks to two late own goals.

Blades pair Jack Robinson and Anis Ben Slimane each turned the ball into their own goal during the final 14 minutes of a chaotic clash at Bramall Lane.

Chris Wilder’s hosts had looked set for a vital three points after second-half strikes from Oli McBurnie and Anel Ahmedhodzic overturned Alfie Doughty’s 17th-minute opener.

In-form Bournemouth continued their remarkable resurgence by moving into the top half of the table thanks to a thumping 3-0 victory over Fulham.

Justin Kluivert put the Cherries ahead just before half-time at Vitality Stadium before Dominic Solanke’s eighth goal in seven games – a penalty after Joao Palhinha brought down Antoine Semenyo – doubled the lead.

Substitute Luis Sinisterra sealed an emphatic success late on as Andoni Iraola’s hosts made it 19 points from the last 21 available.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has played down fears of a left-back crisis after Kostas Tsimikas joined Andy Robertson on the injured list.

The Greece international broke his collarbone in the 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal after a challenge from Bukayo Saka saw him collide with his manager in the technical area before falling heavily.

With Robertson, who has been out since October with a dislocated shoulder which required surgery, still a few weeks away from returning, it leaves utility man Joe Gomez, the central defender who has been filling in at right-back to give Trent Alexander-Arnold a break, as the only realistic option.

Even left winger Luis Diaz, who has occupied the role this season as more of an attacking option when Liverpool were chasing the game, is an injury doubt after sustaining a knee problem against the Gunners.

The 18-year-old Luke Chambers has made Europa League and Carabao Cup appearances this season, but is unlikely to be given the responsibility at Burnley on Boxing Day, at home to Newcastle or in the FA Cup away to Arsenal, but may have to provide some support.

“Can Joe play all the games now until I don’t know when? I don’t know, we’ll have to see,” said Klopp.

“Robbo will be back (next month) and Kostas will be definitely out for a long while. I didn’t have time to think it through yet, but it is really tough for us now.

“You have injuries sometimes and you have to accept all of them, but a broken collarbone is really bad because it takes so long to heal.

“Robbo had a different injury, but it takes a long time to recover as well. We all know we need luck in these moments and now we have to just make sure we put Joey in cotton wool and make sure he is ready for the game.”

The injuries to Tsimikas and Diaz adds to an already lengthy list which includes Robertson, Joel Matip (ACL), Thiago Alcantara (hip), Diogo Jota (hamstring), Alexis Mac Allister (knee) and Stefan Bajcetic (calf).

Even with the January Premier League break, Liverpool still have at least seven matches – eight if they progress in the FA Cup – in the next month with a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Fulham adding to the congestion at an already busy period.

But Klopp has increasingly fewer options to rotate and with Burnley buoyed by their win at Fulham, he knows he cannot afford to take their trip to Turf Moor lightly.

“I don’t need the Burnley result to understand their quality,” he added.

“Burnley could have easily had much more points because they had so many good spells in the games where they never saw the situation off, because of young players and some decisions.

“If they could finish these situations off they would definitely win more games. I respect Vinny (Vincent Kompany) a lot because he keeps pushing his idea through.

“I’m impressed with what they are doing and we know if you win once and are coming back to your home stadium you want to win again, and that is what we expect from them.”

Vincent Kompany believes Rebecca Welch’s performance during Burnley’s 2-0 win over Fulham was a “milestone moment” after she became the first woman to take charge of a Premier League match on Saturday.

Wilson Odobert’s curled strike and Sander Berge’s magnificent solo effort confirmed Burnley’s first win since their 5-0 victory over Sheffield United on December 2.

Welch made history having previously refereed an FA Cup fixture in 2022 and an EFL match in 2021.

Kompany, who spoke to Welch at full-time, said: “I wanted to congratulate her because it’s a big moment.

“After the game it’s fair to say that it’s a milestone moment and may there be more, and the best thing will always be when someone is judged on merit.

“But you have to have a first and this is it, so well done (to her) and I’m happy to be part of this moment.”

Victory ended a run of three games without a win for Burnley, and Kompany credited his side’s decisions in key moments while also talking up Berge and Odobert’s quality for both of their goals.

He said: “It was a really good performance. In the key moments the team did well and we were able to remain dangerous in most phases of play whether we had the ball, defending, the loose balls.

“It helped us have a performance and gave us a chance.

“We shifted our feet quicker, we had the intent to go forward and be dangerous. When the ball gets to the final third, it’s the individual quality of the players and they did really well.”

The towering Berge received the ball on halfway and was not challenged by any Fulham player before he drove forward to add Burnley’s second.

It was a source of frustration for Fulham boss Marco Silva, who called on his Fulham to be more ruthless, admitting that the defending for Berge’s goal was not good enough.

He said: “It’s a disappointing result for us. We are not ruthless enough at this level and we were punished by that.

“We were dominant in the first half and we created chances and we should score.

“The second goal, it can not happen. We let the midfielder run with the ball without opposition. We were completely out of balance in that moment.”

Burnley scored two superb goals to give Vincent Kompany’s side a deserved victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage in the Premier League.

Two long-range strikes from Wilson Odobert and Sander Berge gave Burnley their first win since December 2.

The 2-0 score-line meant a second straight league defeat for Marco Silva’s Fulham following last week’s 3-0 setback at Newcastle.

Burnley were camped in Fulham’s half in the early stages and created a chance in the sixth minute.

Brazil international Vitinho tucked inside and played a whipped cross to the head of Lyle Foster whose effort sailed over the crossbar.

Fulham went close themselves in the 13th minute after a moment of brilliance from Harry Wilson.

The tricky Welshman picked up the ball on the edge of Burnley’s box, sliced through the defence before his outside of the boot shot was saved by James Trafford.

Two more quickfire chances through Timothy Castagne and Alex Iwobi showed the Cottagers’ intent but Fulham missed the quality of the suspended Raul Jimenez.

Referee Rebecca Welch became the first woman to take charge of a Premier League match and she brandished a yellow card to Calvin Bassey after the defender struck Josh Brownhill with his hand.

And the chance of the match came in first half added time. Andreas Pereira put a wide free-kick into the danger zone and after a scramble in the box, Iwobi’s strike was cleared off the line to keep it level.

Burnley came out the blocks fast in the second half and took a 1-0 lead after 47 minutes.

A neat piece of play deep into Fulham’s half saw the ball at the feet of Odobert who produced a wonderful, curved strike into the right-hand corner of Bernd Leno’s goal.

And after 66 minutes the Clarets stunned Fulham and took a 2-0 lead.

The towering Berge retrieved the ball on half-way and drove into space. He entered the edge of Fulham’s box where he rifled his strike past Leno to double his team’s lead.

Actor Hugh Grant, a Fulham fan, was in attendance to witness the two festive blockbusters which gave the Clarets all three points.

And his team failed to produce a positive reaction late on and looked off the pace during six added minutes.

Rebecca Welch will create history on Saturday by becoming the first female to referee a Premier League match.

Welch will complete her remarkable journey from the playing fields of north east England to the top flight when she takes charge of Fulham against Burnley at Craven Cottage.

The 40-year-old from Washington in Tyne and Wear was still working in an administrative capacity for the NHS when she began her refereeing career in 2010.

Welch gained her badges through the Durham County Football Association and climbed through the ranks after taking charge of university and Sunday league games.

Just over a decade later – and two-and-a-half years after becoming the first woman to referee an English Football League match – Welch’s decisions will be scrutinised by millions of fans around the world.

It is no place for the faint-hearted, but Welch, who became the first female to act as fourth official in a Premier League game in November, breaks new ground with the backing of Burnley boss Vincent Kompany and Fulham counterpart Marco Silva.

“It’s certainly a benchmark and milestone,” Kompany said ahead of his side’s trip to London.

“I think she’ll take great pride in having done it herself. There’s a lot of women – in general, but in the game as well specifically – who will see this as a way to achieve at the highest level.

“I am always pro any kind of extension anyway because what it does is widen the pool of talent.

“We need access to all the available talent, the best referees in the best league in the world.”

Both Kompany and Silva are adamant that their players will behave no differently with Welch in the middle rather than a male colleague.

Kompany said: “It shouldn’t be really about the official or the manager. It should be about the players and, in that sense, I can’t see why we wouldn’t have that normality.

“Of course the story is bigger and deserves to be bigger, but once the whistle blows every actor on the day will want the players to be highlighted.”

Silva said: “For us it will be a normal situation. Of course it will be the first time so everyone has to talk about it, but when the game starts it is going to be another Premier League game, with people with good ability to be a manager, a player or to be a referee.

“We will not even talk about it before the match because for us she is the ref, like she was the fourth official some weeks ago in our game against Manchester United, and for us it was a normal situation.

“We have to always respect all the officials and she’s going to be welcomed. She got this chance because she deserves it for sure and she has the ability to be at the level she is going to be.”