Eddie Howe will not put a target on Newcastle’s back as they attempt to continue their progress.

In the space of seven days this month, the club has gone out of the Champions League and the Carabao Cup to leave themselves fighting on just two fronts as the turn of the year approaches.

That has led to suggestions from outside the city that the Magpies are in serious danger of under-achieving this season and, in some quarters, that head coach Howe’s job could be under threat.

Howe said: “My discussions with everyone connected with the football club here and the running of the football club, there’s never been that pressure of this season or next season in terms of positions in the league and expectations to win competitions. That’s all come from us internally.

“Of course, there’s an ambition, but there’s a difference, I think, between an ambition and a target that’s on your back.

“Everyone here wants to see growth. They want to see growth in the team, they want to see improvement and of course then longer term, those thoughts, I’m sure, will change to tangible targets and to set things that we have to do.

“But at this moment in time, we started from such a low base that we’re just trying to build and we’ve built really quickly.

“For my mind, we want to increase that speed, everything has to come tomorrow, but there needs to be a realisation of where we’re at also.”

Howe has been in post on Tyneside since November 2021 having been handed the reins by the club’s Saudi-backed owners just weeks after they completed their takeover.

He first steered Newcastle to top-flight safety and then last season into the top four, in the process cementing his standing with the new regime and endearing himself to supporters who crave success.

In doing so, he freely acknowledged that they had accomplished one of their targets significantly earlier than planned and, while the last thing he wants to do is limit expectation, is aware of the need for perspective.

Howe added ahead of Saturday’s trip to Luton: “I believe that we can achieve great things. I believe in the squad, I believe in the characters within the squad, so I’ve got a delicate balance.

“But then externally, I don’t want to put pressure on the players.

“I want them to play in a really good environment, I want them to be able to express themselves and then internally at the club, we then need a realisation that we’re still building, we’re still very early in the journey.”

Howe will make late decisions on Sven Botman, Fabian Schar, Emil Krafth, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak ahead of a game which will be played against the backdrop of an outpouring of emotion for Hatters skipper Tom Lockyer, who is recovering after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch at Bournemouth last weekend.

Howe said: “Tom himself is the most important thing, his family. It really puts football into perspective.

“His health is paramount. Of course it’s the second time it’s happened and we want to send him our best wishes from everyone connected with Newcastle.”

Mikel Arteta has challenged his Arsenal side to end another hoodoo and win at Anfield for the first time in 11 years.

The Gunners head to face Liverpool on Saturday knowing victory would leave them top of the Premier League table on Christmas Day.

But the visitors would have to end a run of results stretching back to September 2012 if they are to achieve that – winning 2-0 when Arteta was in the Arsenal midfield.

The Spaniard toasted four years as Arsenal manager earlier in the week and during that time he has overseen wins at Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham, while this season they beat Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.

Next up, for Arteta, is to leave Anfield with three points: “We have done it at Old Trafford, we have done it at Stamford Bridge and many other places where we haven’t done it for years,” he said.

“This is the next challenge. Go there and win. If you want to be at the top you have to go to those places and be dominant. That’s what we’re going to try to do.”

Arsenal led 2-0 at Anfield last year before they were pinned back and had to settle for a draw.

Ahead of that trip, Arteta had called Anfield a “jungle”, while in the Amazon ‘All or Nothing’ documentary he was shown piping in ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ while his players trained – although that led to a 4-0 thrashing to Jurgen Klopp’s side.

“It’s going to be a great atmosphere,” added Arteta.

“The two teams are in a really good moment, really good position, really strong position. They are going to be well placed to win it and to go for it. It’s going to be an intense match.

“You have to play better than them. You will silence the crowd if you are dominant and better than them.

“There are certain things that we didn’t manage very well (last season), the way we allowed them to run especially, that we need to correct and be much better at because when they have that momentum and space they are a really dangerous team, but we had some the big, big situations in after those moments when we could have killed the game and we didn’t – when you have the opportunity to do that, you have to do it.

“They have experienced that for many years now. For this group of players now this is the third, fourth time that they have been there (Anfield).

“A few years ago, it was the first time for most of them and maybe you have to clarify and explain certain things. I don’t think that is necessary now.”

Aston Villa signed Colombia international Juan Pablo Angel from River Plate for a then club-record £9.5million transfer fee on this day in 2000.

The striker arrived at Villa Park from Argentinian outfit River Plate, eclipsing the £7m paid for Stan Collymore in 1997.

Angel was signed having scored 17 goals in 17 games for River Plate, but he initially struggled to adapt to life in England and only scored once before the end of the 2000-01 season.

Writing on The Coaches’ Voice website, Angel said: “Things weren’t easy. There is always a normal adaptation process that every player must face, but I went through a difficult personal situation away from the game.

“My wife became ill when we came to England and she spent almost six months in hospital when we had our first child.

“But the league itself had its own difficulties. The language, the weather, the physicality and speed of the competition.

“And, in terms of organisation, the club wasn’t really prepared when it came to bringing in overseas players from our region.”

Angel eventually settled in Birmingham, going on to score 62 goals over six and a half years and the highlight of his time at the club came under David O’Leary in the 2003-04 campaign, when Villa finished sixth in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of the League Cup.

Angel added: “That season, I scored 23 goals in all competitions. The truth is that I didn’t really understand the scale of what that meant in a league like the Premier League.

“It was probably one of the best things that happened to me.”

After leaving Villa in 2007, Angel moved to the United States and represented New York Red Bulls, Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA before returning to his first club, Atletico Nacional, where he retired in 2014.

Roy Hodgson revealed he feels “more than satisfied” with what his injury-plagued Crystal Palace side have achieved despite conceding a late equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Brighton.

Substitute Danny Welbeck nodded past home debutant Dean Henderson in the 82nd minute to cancel out Jordan Ayew’s opener and ensure the rivals’ fifth consecutive Premier League meeting at Selhurst Park ended in exactly the same scoreline.

Palace, in 15th and nine points clear of the bottom three, are now winless in seven and now the unfortunate holders of the longest winless streak in the top flight after surpassing Nottingham Forest’s six, and next travel to Stamford Bridge after Christmas.

When asked if he was feeling any extra pressure due to the Eagles’ recent run of results and subsequent slide down the table, Hodgson said: “Well, I suppose that’s football.

“If I suggest that every time a team slides down the table the manager should feel under pressure, then I suppose I should feel under pressure, but I don’t believe that the players can be doing much more than they are doing at the moment, so if that is pressure, I don’t feel it. No, not at all.

“Don’t forget the next game is Chelsea. I mean, the bottom line is we have to accept that we know what we’re capable of. We also know that even if we bring the absolute maximum of what we’re capable of, if you play a Liverpool, Man City and Brighton it’s going to be a tough ask.

“If after those three performances you can sit here as I am doing tonight and be more than satisfied with what the team has achieved, maybe that counts more than just saying ‘well, you need the three points’ because who doesn’t need the three points? That’s the bottom line.”

It was a mistake by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, giving the ball away to Michael Olise, that ultimately allowed the hosts to work the ball to Ayew for the opener on the stroke of half-time.

Palace were without the Ghana international for Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City after picking up a pair of bookings against Liverpool and sitting on four yellows, and was swapped in the second half for Eberechi Eze, returning from injury but, Hodgson admitted, “not really as ready as we would like.”

Roberto de Zerbi also played Welbeck longer than he expected, breaking with the original plan for him to play closer to 23 minutes rather than a full half.

He said: “I can say we lost two points. Yes, if you watched the game we lost two points but to win the game we can’t make these mistakes. In the first half we played well, but without the right energy to score and we shouldn’t have conceded the goal.

“Because we considered it another bad goal, and we didn’t score, we didn’t have too many chances, just two big chances, but we are playing with many young players and the young players need time to improve, to progress.

“The policy of Brighton is to play with many young players and we have to accept and we have to be happy, to be ready to play, to work with these young players.”

Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma left Selhurst Park on crutches after injuring his ankle.

Danny Welbeck headed home late in the second half to earn Brighton a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

A lapse by Seagulls goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen led to Jordan Ayew’s nodded opener just before the whistle blew to end an uneventful first half.

Eberechi Eze returned from injury as a second-half substitute and had a few chances to double his side’s advantage, but it was the visitors who dominated late on.

The result, which sees Palace still in search of a second league victory at home, also marked the fifth consecutive Premier League meeting the rivals have drawn 1-1 at Selhurst Park.

There was little excitement to boast in the opening stages, just a Pascal Gross effort dragged wide and a cross from Ayew – back in the starting XI for the first time since his controversial and costly sending-off against Liverpool – was easily plucked out of the air by Verbruggen as the clock ticked past 10 minutes.

Dean Henderson, making his home debut and second start for Palace in place of the injured Sam Johnstone, kept out Simon Adingra, Carlos Baleba’s attempt from the rebound sailing wide before the action largely returned to midfield, save a few runs into the rivals’ respective penalty areas calmly managed by both sides.

Kaoru Mitoma occasionally flashed down the left flank and Jean-Philippe Mateta fired straight at Verbruggen from Tyrick Mitchell’s cross and the hosts had a pair of set pieces, coming closest with the second when Michael Olise’s corner deflected off Ayew inside the six-yard box and into Verbruggen’s arms.

Billy Gilmour and Baleba did well to defend another scramble inside the 18-yard box where Chris Richards, Mateta and Olise all threatened, Jefferson Lerma trying next but unable to put a finishing touch on Olise’s feed, while Gross saw a shot saved.

Just as a goalless first half had begun to feel an inescapable act, Verbruggen, under pressure from Richards, gave the ball away as he tried to loft a pass but instead gifted an opportunity to Olise, who nodded across to Will Hughes, making his 100th Premier League start.

Hughes sent the ball back in the direction of Olise, who finely directed a cross towards the far post for Ayew to head home moments before the half-time whistle blew.

There was an uptick in pace and two second-half substitutions for Roberto De Zerbi, including Welbeck, after the restart, when Joao Pedro skied an effort and Lewis Dunk had a good chance to level soon after, rising highest to connect with Gross’ free-kick, but only able to direct his header inches wide of the far post.

A diving Henderson was able to push Gilmour’s attempt at squaring things up through a crowd, while Jack Hinshelwood was left disappointed after connecting with Gross’ cross but sending it well over the crossbar.

Hodgson introduced Eze who should have doubled his side’s lead but was hesitant and instead denied by Jan Paul van Hecke’s sliding tackle before sending another effort wide.

The Eagles desperately wanted three points but Brighton were in the driver’s seat in the closing stages, and their composure finally paid off when Welbeck beat Richards in an aerial battle and nodded into the top right corner, just evading Henderson’s fingertips.

There were chances for the Seagulls to walk away with all three points, but the hosts – including Henderson, literally, in one instance – clung on for the draw.

Chelsea captain Reece James has undergone surgery and hit out against negative comments regarding his latest setback.

The 24-year-old limped off in the first half of Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat at Everton last week with a recurring hamstring injury and underwent an operation to try and solve the issue.

It is James’ third longer-term hamstring problem within the last 12 months which prompted negative and abusive messages from fans towards the England full-back.

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James took to social media to give an update following the operation.

He posted on Instagram: “The footballing world knew I got injured but the procedure I would go down this time took slightly longer to figure out the best solution.

“I had surgery today to try fix my reoccurring hamstring issue, the recovery has started, both physically and mentally.

“Since this injury I’ve had a good amount of support but significantly more hate and negativity. Believe me I don’t wanna be injured, I’m happiest when I’m playing football.

“Thanks to the understanding people that support me despite the highs or the lows, it goes a long way. Stay well, Reece.”

Pep Guardiola will draw on his childhood memories of watching Brazil as he aims to secure Club World Cup glory for Manchester City.

City face the Brazilian winners of the Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent of the Champions League, in Saudi Arabia on Friday for the global title.

Manager Guardiola admits City have not faced the like of Fluminense before but is familiar with their style having grown up watching and admiring some of the great Brazil sides.

The Spaniard told reporters at a press conference: “We have to be resilient because of the way they play – they will demand a lot of effort – and try to be aware and precise with the ball.

“The way they play, we’ve never faced, never. We will have to impose our rhythm and our positional game as best as possible and do a good performance, because we know without a good performance and being resilient in the bad moments it will be so difficult to win the final.

“They play a typical Brazil style from the 70s, 80s, early 90s – until 1994, when they won the World Cup in the United States.

“I love it. I love the build-up. I love how they associate between each other, the respect (they have) all of the time for the ball.

“I know perfectly the team we are going to play and I have huge respect for the essence of Brazilian football.

“When I was a little boy, not even a teenager, I listened to my dad or my people (talk about) the way that Brazil had success with all previous generations. I saw it for many, many years.”

Champions League winners City secured their place in this week’s showpiece at Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City with a comfortable 3-0 win over Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday.

Erling Haaland will again be missing and has now officially been pulled out of City’s squad for the tournament after missing their last four competitive games with a foot injury.

Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku, who were both training with the squad as they step up their returns to fitness, will also not feature but City remain firm favourites.

Guardiola said: “The players, of course, are ready. They know how important it is and what a pleasure it is to be here.”

Boss Unai Emery has urged Aston Villa to avoid complacency as they eye the Premier League’s summit.

Victory over struggling Sheffield United on Friday will send Villa top and add weight to any title claims.

They would remain top at Christmas if Arsenal and Liverpool draw on Saturday after Emery took over when Villa were 14th in October last year.

They have won 15 straight home league games – including beating Arsenal and Manchester City – but Emery remains wary of the rock-bottom Blades.

“I have to try to keep the same motivation and the same preparation for the matches as we have been doing. I can remind them and myself of some matches we played before we started winning,” he said, with Villa third, a point behind leaders Arsenal.

“When we are not playing in our structure and organising our structure with and without the ball, even against the best team or bottom team in the table, we are closer to losing.

“My concern with the players is being consistent, to be consistent preparing the match, to be consistent during the match and focusing on our game plan.

“When we were winning against, more or less, the best teams in the Premier League like Arsenal and Manchester City in the last two matches at home we are now facing the same difficulty against Sheffield as against Arsenal and City.”

Boubacar Kamara is banned after his red card in the 2-1 win at Brentford and starts a three-game suspension.

Pau Torres, Bertrand Traore and Youri Tielemans are injured but Douglas Luiz and Lucas Digne will return.

Emery added: “Youri, we are thinking maybe not more than two weeks, but he is now working alone and recovering his injury in his calf. Pau Torres, it is his ankle. It’s a small injury.

“Every day coming is important to how he is improving, I don’t know if he will be available for Manchester United, but he could be.”

Vincent Kompany has welcomed referee Rebecca Welch’s “milestone” appointment and insists his Burnley players will not modify their behaviour when she takes charge of their game with Fulham.

Welch will break new ground once again at Craven Cottage on Saturday, the 40-year-old from Tyne and Wear having in November become the first female to act as fourth official in a Premier League match.

“It’s certainly a benchmark and milestone,” Burnley boss Kompany said of Welch’s top-flight bow in the middle.

“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.”

Kompany insists the attitude of his players will be the same at Fulham as if a male referee was in the middle.

He said: “I wouldn’t allow it (be different) anyway, but in general it shouldn’t. Whether that’s a good thing or not, I don’t know.

“But in the end we want to win our games, the opposition want to win their games, and it’s about the players on the pitch.

“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.”

There is another landmark refereeing appointment on Boxing Day as Sam Allison will become the first black man to officiate a top-flight game in 15 years.

Allison will take charge of Sheffield United’s home game against Luton, following in the footsteps of Uriah Rennie who was the last black referee to take charge of a Premier League game in 2008.

Asked if it was a sign of changing times in football, Kompany said: “I think so. They are little milestones, but what you have to look at is not necessarily the person itself.

“Behind it there is a lot of people who don’t think it’s possible and that they can’t achieve it. By seeing those examples they will say ‘I could be the next one or do something positive’.

“To give access to opportunities with dreams is important at every level of society.

“What I would love to see is multi-coloured and multi-ethnic boardrooms that make decisions about what we’re going to discuss during the week.”

Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott admitted he was his own worst critic and would not be happy until he was providing regular goals and assists for the team.

The 20-year-old was one of the better players – particularly in the first half – of the 5-1 Carabao Cup win at home to West Ham which booked a two-legged semi-final against Fulham.

But despite having a couple of shots and taking up good positions in between the lines, he was not one of the four goalscorers on the night as that honour went to Curtis Jones (two), Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah.

Elliott said only a week ago he did not want to earn a reputation as a super-sub after just nine starts in 23 appearances this season but after what he felt was a less-than productive evening against the woeful Hammers, he vowed to improve.

“I’m disappointed with myself. I feel I should have scored a few goals but I am just happy the team won,” he said after helping the club secure a record 19th League Cup semi-final.

“It is all well and good doing what I did but at the end of the day my job is to score and create and I didn’t do it so it is something I need to reflect on going into the next game.

“I’m happy with myself but I’m annoyed with myself at the same time. But it’s not about who scores the goals, it is about making sure we get the job done and getting into the next round.”

On his harsh self-critique, Elliott added: “It’s just the way I’ve been brought up with my family, especially my dad who has always been critical of my performances and it is something I’ve brought along with me.

“It’s not for me to go home and beat myself up over it but something to reflect on in the next couple of days and make sure when I get these opportunities again, I take them. It is about making myself a better player.”

With a two-legged semi-final to come in January, the focus returns to the Premier League this weekend.

The visit or Arsenal on Saturday provides Jurgen Klopp’s side with the opportunity to be top of the table at Christmas.

Despite his good showing, Elliott is likely to find himself on the bench again for that game with Salah set to return.

“You can’t be upset if you don’t start. You know if you do start, you need to put in a performance to keep you in the team,” he added.

“That’s football and the joys of this team. You look at the squad depth and see the lads who didn’t play, who were out but maybe will feature at the weekend. We have massive quality.

“We need to take it game by game and can’t be thinking ahead or getting too worked up about tonight’s performances. We need to make sure we are right at the weekend.”

It may be top versus second but Elliott insisted at this stage, it was unlikely to have much bearing on the title race.

“It’s a long way to go, many games left to the end of the season,” he said.

“It’s the Premier League and you never know what’s going to happen and it could be a massive game.

“We are going in to win it and nothing else is good enough for us. We just need to make sure we get the three points.”

Last weekend’s abandoned fixture between Bournemouth and Luton will be replayed in full, the Premier League has announced.

Hatters skipper Tom Lockyer collapsed in the 59th minute of Saturday’s match after he suffered a cardiac arrest, which resulted in the game being abandoned.

The Premier League board has decided to replay the match in full, but no date for the fixture has been agreed yet.

“Following the on-field medical emergency involving Luton Town FC player Tom Lockyer, the Premier League Board has decided last Saturday’s AFC Bournemouth v Luton Town FC fixture will be replayed in full,” a Premier League statement read.

“The game will be rescheduled for later in the season, with a date to be confirmed following consultation with relevant parties.

“The decision to abandon the match in the 59th minute was made collectively between the match officials, players, managers from both clubs and the Premier League.

“The league would like to thank the medical staff and all those involved for their swift actions in responding to what was an extremely upsetting situation for everyone. We wish Tom a continued recovery and our thoughts are with him, his family and all those at Luton Town FC.”

Luton revealed on Sunday that Lockyer remained in hospital undergoing tests and scans, but said they would not provide a “running commentary” on the health of their defender.

Paramedics and staff, including Luton manager Rob Edwards, immediately sprinted to Lockyer’s aid when he collapsed in the second half of a game that was level at 1-1.

Players left the pitch as the 29-year-old was being treated but returned to applaud the crowd after the Premier League announced the match had been abandoned.

Lockyer had surgery to correct an atrial fibrillation in June after collapsing during Luton’s Championship play-off final win against Coventry.

He returned to action for the start of the new season and had made 15 appearances in all competitions before Saturday’s match.

New Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo wants to build on Steve Cooper’s legacy at the City Ground.

The Portuguese has returned to English football after two years away following Cooper’s sacking on Tuesday, which came after a run of one win in 13 Premier League games.

Cooper was the man to end Forest’s 23-year exile from the top flight, taking them from the bottom of the Championship to promotion in nine months, while also delivering generation-defining runs in the FA Cup and League Cup.

And Nuno, who says that owner Evangelos Marinakis has not put any expectations on him, wants to be the man to take the club to the next level.

“We didn’t mark ourselves to expectations. That’s a day-to-day process,” he said of his conversation with Marinakis.

“What he told me was that what Steve did here is huge. Getting Forest back in the Premier League is fantastic work. We are trying to improve his legacy, which is amazing.

“What Steve did here at Forest is amazing – getting Forest back in the Premier League and keeping Forest in the Premier League.

“It’s normal (to have that popularity) and it shows how good Forest fans are with the respect they showed Steve even when things weren’t going well. That says a lot about our fans.”

Nuno returns to work after leaving Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad in November and takes over at Forest with the club five points above the relegation zone.

His last job in English football was at Tottenham, where he lasted just 10 games before being sacked.

He says he has no regrets about his time in north London and has learned from his time there and a more successful spell at Wolves.

“No, no regrets, it happened,” he said. “It was a pleasure to be at Spurs. Things didn’t go well so we move forwards. But no regrets.

“We learn everything, ourselves everything, you learn everything every day. Different situations.

“What we did in Wolves is totally different to what happened at Tottenham. In Saudi Arabia it was a new experience for me, new learning process for me, new culture, so we are always learning.

“I think we have to prove ourselves every day, as players, as coaches, everybody, it is a constant pressure to prove.

“What I expect is to help, try to transmit my knowledge and work ethic.”

Brentford and Aston Villa have been charged by the Football Association over the scenes late in their Premier League clash on Sunday.

Tensions boiled over after Ollie Watkins put Villa ahead in the 85th minute and celebrated in front of his former club’s fans, while Boubacar Kamara was sent off in injury time following a scuffle involving several players.

Both teams have been charged with failing to ensure their players and staff did not behave in an improper and/or provocative way at those two points during Villa’s 2-1 win and have until Friday to respond.

Explaining his celebration, Watkins told Sky Sports: “It was a feisty game and it spurred from my celebrations after I scored.

“That’s not down to the lack of respect to the Brentford fans but there was one individual who was abusing me all game so I felt like it was only right to celebrate in front of him. It was directed to him and that caused a reaction in the last 15 minutes.”

Villa backed Watkins, saying on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter: “Aston Villa FC wants to express its support for Ollie Watkins and, with the utmost respect for the big majority of Brentford fans and for the club, we ask the authorities to investigate this incident to find this individual.

“Zero tolerance to abuse in football.”

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said on Monday that officers would make contact with both clubs.

Referee David Coote showed 10 yellow cards to players in total, with Brentford manager Thomas Frank and Villa boss Unai Emery also cautioned, while Ben Mee was sent off for a rash challenge in a separate incident.

Emery was unhappy with his players’ conduct, saying: “Our behaviour is usually fantastic but today it was not good and I need to explain to the players how we should react when under pressure and in circumstances.

“We don’t want this behaviour. There were two red cards in a very tight result and I think we were under pressure and were trying to control our minds.”

Crystal Palace captain Joel Ward is set for a spell on the sidelines but the defender’s absence has been offset by the imminent return of Ebere Eze.

Ward was forced off after little more than half-an-hour of the Eagles’ 2-2 draw against Manchester City and must be replaced for Thursday’s home Premier League clash against Brighton.

Boss Roy Hodgson did not offer details but told a press conference: “Joel Ward, as I think everyone knows, picked up an injury, unfortunately, last weekend. He’s had a scan, so we will be missing him for a while. So that is a new injury concern.”

Eighteen-year-old David Ozoh impressed off the bench and could get the chance to continue in the side, while Eze, who ended a three-week lay off with an 89th-minute cameo against City, is pushing to reclaim his place in the starting XI.

“The ones who have been injured are making good progress. Ebere Eze is coming on very well. He is on the cusp, really, and it’s a decision we will have to make over the course of the next few hours (on Wednesday).

“We have had a real (fitness) boost over the last couple of weeks with the emergence of a couple of younger players.

“When given the chance to get on the field, which has happened with the amount of injuries, they have also given us great hope and belief that the future is going to be bright for the club and the team.

“But of course, the immediate future is most concerning and tomorrow night we want to get back to winning ways if we can.”

Palace have not won since November 4, taking just two points from the last 18 on offer, but goalkeeper Dean Henderson was thrilled to help bank a point against City, playing his part with a series of important saves.

Now the 26-year-old is eager to deliver three points when he lines up in front of the home fans at Selhurst Park for the first time.

“It’s been a long year for me, so I’m just delighted to put on the Palace colours. Thanks to all the fans for supporting me,” he told the club’s official website.

“There’s one place to get sharp and that’s in the Etihad goalmouth! It’s nice to get a few saves in there. Now we’re at home. We’ve got to attack the game and have a right go at them (Brighton).

“Obviously, we know they’re a good team, but it’s a derby and the lads will be right up for it. Hopefully the atmosphere can pull us through. We’ve had some tough results, but we’ve just got to keep going and keep fighting for each other.”

Armando Broja believes Chelsea dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup shows the strong bond the new-look team are building.

Broja revealed he was set to be Chelsea’s fifth penalty taker, but he was not called upon as Djordje Petrovic’s save from Matt Ritchie’s spot-kick sent Mauricio Pochettino’s men into the semi-finals.

Mykhailo Mudryk capitalised on Kieran Trippier’s mistake to equalise for the Blues in added time, cancelling out Callum Wilson’s opener, before the hosts held their nerve in the shoot-out.

Striker Broja said: “I was (going to take the fifth penalty) and I was quite excited actually.

“But Petrovic put on an unbelievable display, so it didn’t quite get to me.”

Tenth-placed Chelsea head to Wolves in the Premier League on Christmas Eve, with Tuesday night’s win offering a welcome boost after a difficult first half of the season under Pochettino.

And Albanian international Broja feels the manner of the victory is evidence of the character of the side.

“Games like this show our spirit and the bond where we dug deep,” he said.

“We got the equaliser even though it was in the 92nd minute and we got to penalties.

“We’re a new team, with a new manager and everyone’s trying to gel together.

“It’s not going to be easy straightaway because we have a whole bunch of new players, so we need to get that rhythm and get that bond together. It’s not going to happen overnight and people need to understand that.

“We keep playing for the badge.”

Victory in the Carabao Cup would give Chelsea their first piece of silverware since they lifted the Club World Cup in February last year.

Broja added: “This is a chance for us to win and trophy and we want to win a trophy, that’s what this trophy is all about.”

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