Manchester City will face Chelsea in the pick of the FA Cup third-round ties, while Manchester United meet fellow Premier League side Everton.

Pep Guardiola's top-flight champions visit Graham Potter's side in the league on January 5, just a matter of days before hosting the Blues at Etihad Stadium in the prestigious cup competition.

Everton will be another side travelling to Manchester as Frank Lampard's side face Erik ten Hag's United, with current holders Liverpool drawn at home to Wolves in another all-Premier League tie.

Arsenal make the trip to League One's Oxford United, while the in-form Newcastle United visit another third-tier side in Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

Tottenham will also face League One opposition when they host Portsmouth, with Brighton and Hove Albion going up to Middlesbrough and Bournemouth facing a home tie against Championship leaders Burnley.

Two more all-Premier League clashes see Brentford at home to London rivals West Ham and new Southampton manager Nathan Jones will have to get past an away game against top-flight rivals Crystal Palace.

Aston Villa will welcome Stevenage, who are second in League Two chasing promotion, with Fulham and Leeds United visiting Championship sides Hull City and Cardiff City respectively.

Dagenham and Redbridge will invite Leicester City to Victoria Road if the National League side can defeat Gillingham in a December 6 replay.

All ties are scheduled to be played between January 6 and January 9.

FA Cup third-round draw in full:

Preston v Huddersfield Town
Middlesbrough v Brighton and Hove Albion
Chesterfield v West Brom
Manchester City v Chelsea
Charlton or Stockport County v Walsall
Boreham Wood v Accrington Stanley
Tottenham v Portsmouth
Derby County v Barnsley
Cardiff City v Leeds United
Brentford v West Ham
Bournemouth v Burnley
Coventry City v Wrexham
Norwich City v Blackburn Rovers
Aston Villa v Stevenage
Luton Town v Wigan Athletic
Oxford United v Arsenal
Fleetwood Town v Queens Park Rangers
Liverpool v Wolves
Grimsby Town v Burton Albion
Blackpool v Nottingham Forest
Dagenham and Redbridge or Gillingham v Leicester City
Forest Green Rovers v Birmingham City
Bristol City v Swansea City
Hartlepool United v Stoke City
Hull City v Fulham
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Millwall v Sheffield United
Shrewsbury Town v Sunderland
Sheffield Wednesday v Newcastle United
Manchester United v Everton
Reading v Watford
Ipswich Town v Rotherham United

New Wolves head coach Julen Lopetegui is "worried" after Raul Jimenez was named in Mexico's World Cup squad despite not playing since August.

Former Sevilla and Real Madrid coach Lopetegui officially took charge at Wolves on Monday but will have to wait until after the World Cup break for his first game.

Jimenez has only made three Premier League appearances this season, totalling 211 minutes, after battling with a groin injury but was still included in Mexico's 26-man list to travel to Qatar.

With Wolves four points adrift of safety at the bottom of the top-flight table, Lopetegui says his primary concern is having his key forward to call upon after the break.

"The most important thing is not the World Cup, it's Wolves," Lopetegui said during his first press conference in England.

"I have spoken with Raul, I am worried about him because he doesn't play a minute with his team, Wolves.

"We need all of them but we need Raul fit and the best version. I hope he will come back here in this way. I respect the decision of the player and the coach but above all for me it's Wolves."

Mexico and Wolves have already endured a fractured relationship, with Gerardo Martino's team apologising after naming an unfit Jimenez on their bench for Wednesday's 4-0 friendly victory over Iraq.

The 31-year-old was in attendance at Molineux for the 2-0 home defeat to Arsenal on Saturday before being announced in a Mexico squad that includes Napoli's Hirving Lozano and Ajax defender Edson Alvarez.

But there was no room for former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez, who scored 18 goals in 34 MLS appearances for Los Angeles Galaxy in 2022.

Gerardo Martino's men start their World Cup campaign against Poland on November 22 before facing Argentina and Saudi Arabia in Group C.

Mexico squad in full:

Guillermo Ochoa (Club America), Alfredo Talavera (Juarez), Rodolfo Cota (Leon); Jorge Sanchez (Ajax), Kevin Alvarez (Pachuca), Nestor Araujo (Club America), Johan Vasquez (Cremonese), Hector Moreno (Monterrey), Cesar Montes (Monterrey), Gerardo Arteaga (Genk), Jesus Gallardo (Monterrey); Andres Guardado (Real Betis), Hector Herrera (Houston Dynamo), Charly Rodriguez (Cruz Azul), Erick Gutierrez (PSV), Luis Chavez (Pachuca), Edson Alvarez (Ajax), Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens), Luis Romo (Monterrey); Alexis Vega (Guadalajara), Hirving Lozano (Napoli), Raul Jimenez (Wolves), Roberto Alvarado (Guadalajara), Uriel Antuna (Cruz Azul), Henry Martin (Club America), Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey).

The final round of Premier League fixtures before the World Cup break produced a huge shock at the Etihad Stadium.

After missing out on England's World Cup squad, Ivan Toney struck twice to give Brentford a sensational 2-1 victory over Manchester City.

That result confirmed Arsenal would be top heading into the World Cup interval, and they increased their lead to five points by cruising past Wolves at Molineux as Martin Odegaard scored both goals in a 2-0 triumph.

Tottenham and Leeds United played out a seven-goal thriller at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the hosts eventually running out 4-3 winners.

Elsewhere, Chelsea fell to a third straight league defeat as they were beaten 1-0 by in-form Newcastle United.

Here, Stats Perform looks through the best facts of the day.

Manchester City 1-2 Brentford: Toney double stuns Citizens

City had previously been unbeaten for 20 home matches in all competitions since a 3-2 defeat against Spurs in February, winning their last 16 at the Etihad.

But Toney, fresh from his England disappointment, scored his 21st and 22nd Premier League goals to end City's streak in dramatic fashion.

His winner came after 97 minutes and 16 seconds, the latest winning goal scored against City in the Premier League since exact goal times started being recorded in the 2006-07 campaign.

The Bees were made to do a lot of defending to earn the three points, with City's 29 shots their most in a Premier League home game they failed to win since a 2-1 defeat to Leeds United in April 2021.

Phil Foden's equaliser in first-half injury time was his sixth home goal in all competitions, his joint-best return in a Premier League season. Six of his eight goals (75 per cent) this season have come at the Etihad, compared to 43 per cent last term (six of 14).

Wolves 0-2 Arsenal: Odegaard fires Gunners to five-point lead

Odegaard's double puts him up to six Premier League goals this season, the most of any Arsenal player, while only Kevin de Bruyne, James Maddison and Leandro Trossard have been involved in more away goals than the Norway international (five, four goals and one assist).

The three points, combined with City slipping up, gives Arsenal their biggest lead at the top of the Premier League since December 2013.

Mikel Arteta's men are the only team to have scored in every Premier League game this season and they will be top of the league on Christmas day for the first time since the 2007-08 campaign.

Another defeat for Wolves means new boss Julen Lopetegui has much work to do, with the Molineux club bottom at Christmas for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

They are seriously out of form, only winning one of their last 22 Premier League games, failing to score in 11 matches over that run.

Tottenham 4-3 Leeds United: Bentancur strikes twice as Spurs come from behind

Antonio Conte's side completed yet another turnaround to beat Leeds and have now rescued 13 points from losing positions, more than any other team.

Rodrigo Bentancur's late double was the first time he has scored twice in the same game within the main five European leagues, on what was his 164th such appearance.

Spurs were made to do it the hard way, as Rodrigo and Crysencio Summerville became the first pair of team-mates to both score in four straight Premier League games.

But Leeds ultimately succumbed to defeat, their fifth straight league loss against London sides since thumping Chelsea 3-0 in August.

Spurs meanwhile have now scored 31 goals in 15 Premier League games this season, only bettering that tally at this stage of the competition in one season, when they netted 35 in 15 to kick off the 2009-10 campaign.

Newcastle United 1-0 Chelsea: Willock wonder strike downs Blues

Joe Willock scored a superb winner to earn Newcastle a fifth straight Premier League victory for the first time since 2014.

On the flip side, Graham Potter becomes the first Chelsea boss to lose three consecutive league matches since Jose Mourinho in 2015 as his side's poor form continues.

A key reason for the defeat was a dismal attacking display, registering just seven touches in the opposition box, their lowest since January against Manchester City.

The closest Chelsea went to scoring was Conor Gallagher forcing an acrobatic save from Nick Pope. No other goalkeeper has kept more clean sheets in the Premier League this season than Pope, with five of his seven coming at St James' Park.

The three points ensure Newcastle will be in the top three at Christmas for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign, when they were top.

Martin Odegaard says Arsenal "have to stay calm" after moving five-points clear at the top of the Premier League by beating Wolves 2-0 on Saturday.

The Gunners captain scored both goals in the second half at Molineux, with Arsenal capitalising after Brentford's surprise 2-1 win against Manchester City earlier in the day.

It leaves Mikel Arteta's side top of the table at Christmas for the first time since the 2007-08 season, with no Premier League football to be played until Boxing Day due to the World Cup in Qatar.

Arsenal will return after the tournament with a target on their backs and Odegaard urged his side to remain level headed.

"We had to dig deep today. The first half was difficult, they defended well. We were a bit slow but we know the quality we have and we always create chances. We stayed patient and it paid off," he told Sky Sports.

"We talked about some tactical things at half-time and did better in the second half. We played the ball out wide and created some overload and got the goal which helps.

"We have to stay calm, it's a long way to the end of the season, we play every game as a final and that's all."

Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale said there is little significance to Arsenal's advantage at this stage of the campaign, identifying that plenty could change during the mid-season break.

"It's a massive win going into break and a bit of a bumper but that means nothing really," he said. "Things will change over the break and we have to come back how we finished it."

Arsenal lock horns with West Ham at the Emirates Stadium on Boxing Day, their first game after the World Cup.

Martin Odegaard scored twice as Arsenal beat Wolves 2-0 at Molineux to move five points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The Gunners headed into the game looking to take advantage after Brentford's surprise victory against Manchester City earlier on Saturday but did not have it all their own way in the Midlands.

Gabriel Jesus saw an early effort chalked off for offside and struck the frame of the goal in the first half, while Wolves presented a threat on the counter.

Arsenal's patience paid off in the second half though, with captain Odegaard striking twice to seal all three points and leave the hosts rooted to the bottom of the table.

Jesus smashed home after six minutes only to be denied by the offside flag, while Granit Xhaka was replaced by Fabio Vieira due to illness.

Wolves went close to breaking the deadlock on the counter-attack but Goncalo Guedes fired his attempt over, while Jesus struck the crossbar at the other end.

The visitors finally found a breakthrough nine minutes after the restart, Jesus poking a pass through to Vieira who cut back across the face of goal for Odegaard to tap home from close range.

Gabriel Martinelli forced a fine save from Jose Sa soon after as the Gunners looked to double their advantage, with Toti then making a fine tackle to prevent Odegaard from tucking home again.

Odegaard was on hand again 15 minutes before the final whistle, though, picking up the ball in the middle of the box after Sa denied Martinelli to coolly slot home his second of the game.

What does it mean? Gunners top for Christmas

With the season halting for the World Cup in Qatar and no Premier League football to be played until Boxing Day, Mikel Arteta's side will sit top of the table at Christmas for the first time since the 2007-08 season but Arsenal must exorcise some demons to stay at the summit.

The last five times the Gunners have been in that position (1951-52, 1986-87, 1989-90, 2002-03 and 2007-08), they have not managed to go on to lift the title at the end of the campaign and Arteta will know there is plenty of work to be done.

Odegaard top billing

A brace against Wolves took Odegaard's tally for the season in the Premier League to six goals in 13 appearances, only two shy of his career total in England's top flight prior to the start of the campaign (eight).

With Jesus, Martinelli (both five) and Bukayo Saka (four) leading the line, Arsenal continue to share scoring responsibility.

Lopetegui's challenge

Defeat to Arsenal leaves Wolves with just one win in their previous nine Premier League matches, drawing one and losing seven.

Nottingham Forest's win against Crystal Palace earlier in the day saw Wolves drop to bottom of the standings, with new boss Julen Lopetegui facing a tough ask when his role begins on Monday.

What's next?

Arsenal host West Ham in a London derby on Boxing Day, while Lopetegui's first game in charge is on the same day against fellow strugglers Everton.

EFL Cup holders Liverpool will go up against fellow Premier League giants Manchester City in the fourth round of the competition.

Liverpool needed penalties to get past League One side Derby County on Wednesday, while City have already seen off top-flight rivals in Chelsea thanks to a 2-0 win.

But the two were paired together in Thursday's draw, meaning there will be at least one major casualty in the fourth round, with games due to take place just a few days after the World Cup final.

Manchester United booked their place in the draw with a thrilling 4-2 win over Aston Villa on Thursday, and they will be confident of a more straightforward route through the next round after drawing Championship side Burnley, now managed by City great Vincent Kompany.

Wolves have confirmed the appointment of Julen Lopetegui as their new head coach, bringing an end to their search for Bruno Lage's replacement.

Lage was axed at the start of October following Wolves' defeat to West Ham, but they have picked up just four points from five matches since then and sit second-bottom of the Premier League heading into the weekend's fixtures.

Lopetegui was dismissed by Sevilla last month after spending over three years with the Andalusian side, who he guided to Europa League success in 2020, and was long-reported as a priority target for Wolves.

While it was reported the former Real Madrid and Spain coach initially rejected Wolves' advances, on Saturday it was announced he had taken up their offer.

Lopetegui will not take charge at Wolves until Monday, November 14, though, meaning he will have to wait until after the World Cup for his first game in charge, which will come against Everton on Boxing Day.

In a statement, Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said: "Julen is a top coach, with excellent experience at an elite level of the game, and we are very pleased to have agreed a deal to bring him to Wolves.

"Since the very beginning, Julen has been our number one choice to manage Wolves, and we look forward to welcoming him and his team when they join us in the coming weeks."

Wolves host Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday before taking on Leeds United in the EFL Cup in midweek, with a home match against Arsenal rounding off their league fixtures before the World Cup.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is known to be desperate for Lionel Messi to finish his career at his long-time club.

The 35-year-old Argentine forward departed Camp Nou hastily in August last year due to Barcelona's financial issues.

Messi joined the Blaugrana in 2000 and had an association with the club for more than two decades, scoring 672 goals across 778 first-team appearances.


TOP STORY – LAPORTA PLOTTING JANUARY MOVE FOR MESSI

Laporta is planning a move for Barcelona club legend Lionel Messi in the January transfer window, according to Sport.

The report states that Barcelona want to take advantage of the Fair Play situation in January, rather than wait for the off-season where the 1/4 rule will make any move more difficult.

However, Laporta's plan is full of obstacles for the Blaugrana to overcome, not least LaLiga's financial restraints, along with convincing Messi and his current club Paris Saint-Germain to part midway through the season.

Messi has publicly said he has deferred any decisions on his club or international future until after the World Cup.


ROUND-UP

– Sporting CP head coach Ruben Amorim may have distanced the club from links with Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo in midweek but The Mirror reports that the Portuguese club will make a bid for him in January.

– Brighton and Hove Albion are open to selling Moises Caicedo amid interest from Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United but have slapped a £85m price tag on the 20-year-old Ecuadorian midfielder, reports the Sunday Mirror.

– The Express claims that Arsenal are leading the race ahead of Manchester United to sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans. The Belgian could move to the Gunners for free, as he is out of contract at the end of the season and unlikely to pen a new deal.

– Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante - whose contract is also up at the end of June 2023 - is a major target for Barcelona who are looking at replacements for veteran Sergio Busquets, reports Relevo.

– Sport claims Barcelona are looking to offload Memphis Depay in January, with Juventus interested in signing the Dutch attacker.

Wolves are set to approach ex-Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui again, having failed to convince him previously to become their new manager, claims The Sun.

Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly preparing to rival Chelsea in the pursuit of RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku, with this expected to be the forward's last season in the Bundesliga.

Nkunku, 24, burst onto the world stage this past season when he raised his goal tally in all competitions to 35 in 52 games, after previously never having scored more than seven goals in a season.

This season he has shown it was no fluke, with eight goals from Leipzig's first 11 Bundesliga fixtures, while adding another two in the Champions League, including one in Tuesday's home win against Real Madrid.

His form warranted his senior international debut for France in March, and as he is preparing to play a role for the defending champions at the World Cup, his old club have reportedly decided they want him back.

 

TOP STORY – PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN LOOK TO RECLAIM LEIPZIG'S NKUNKU

Nkunku spent nine years with PSG after arriving as a 13-year-old in 2010, earning 55 Ligue 1 appearances before being sold to Leipzig for a fee of €13million in 2019.

According to Fichajes, they now view that move as a mistake, and will look to reclaim France's new star as soon as January.

The report states both Liverpool and Chelsea are prepared to activate his €60m release clause in January, with Chelsea already said to have completed a preliminary physical in the previous transfer window, having been engaged with Leipzig in the sale of Timo Werner and an enquiry about Josko Gvardiol.

It is not known if PSG will have the funds to complete the move in January, especially while in contract renegotiations with superstar Lionel Messi.

 

ROUND-UP

– According to 90min, Bayern Munich are considering a move for 32-year-old German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan from Manchester City at the end of the season.

– Sport reports that Barcelona are in talks with Wolves about securing 25-year-old midfielder Ruben Neves, with a deal believed to be possible in January. 

– The Los Angeles Times claims Cristiano Ronaldo could come to Major League Soccer to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy, Los Angeles FC or Inter Miami if he can not find a European club.

– Calciomercato is reporting Manchester United have joined Chelsea and Barcelona with their interest in 25-year-old Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez.

Paris Saint-Germain are prepared to pay €30m for 16-year-old Brazilian Endrick, per UOL Esporte. Endrick is playing in the Brazilian league with Palmeiras, and will not be allowed to make the jump to Europe before turning 18.

North London giants Tottenham and Arsenal endured frustrating outings as the Premier League saw more twists and turns on an action-packed Sunday.

Spurs' Champions League hopes suffered a blow as they were edged out by Newcastle United in the day's headline clash, with goals from Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron helping the visitors to a 2-1 win.

That result saw Eddie Howe's side climb into the top four, and there was another surprise at the summit as leaders Arsenal were pegged back by Southampton in a 1-1 draw.

At the bottom of the table, meanwhile, Fulham increased the pressure on Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch and Leicester City leapfrogged Wolves by trouncing them 4-0 at Molineux.

Here, Stats Perform picks through the most interesting facts to emerge from Sunday's action.  

Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle United: Magnificent Magpies go fourth

Tottenham approached Sunday's match having won eight consecutive league games on home soil, but Newcastle seized the initiative with an outstanding first-half display to end that run and move within two points of Antonio Conte's team.

Hugo Lloris' bizarre error allowed Wilson to put Newcastle ahead, with the France captain hitting the deck as the striker lobbed into an unguarded net from range.

Wilson's goal was his first in the Premier League from outside the penalty area since January 2019 (for Bournemouth v West Ham), and just the second of his 65 goals in the competition to come from more than 18 yards out.

Newcastle were two goals ahead within 10 minutes of that strike, with Almiron scoring his fifth goal in his last five Premier League outings – as many as he had netted in his previous 61. 

While Harry Kane pulled one back after the break, Newcastle held on to ensure they went fourth after 12 games of the season – this is the latest point at which they have occupied such a lofty position since April 2012, when they sat fourth after 35 matches of the campaign.

Southampton 1-1 Arsenal: Armstrong denies Gunners four-point lead

Arsenal went to St Mary's looking to re-establish a four-point lead over Manchester City at the summit, but saw their run of 27 Premier League games without a draw halted as they slipped up.

Granit Xhaka converted Ben White's cross to put Arsenal ahead – with four goals this season in all competitions, Xhaka is enjoying his joint-best goalscoring campaign with the Gunners, and he has scored in back-to-back games for the club for just the second time (also in September 2016).

However, Stuart Armstrong replied with his first goal in 21 league games as the Saints fought back – each of his last seven Premier League goals have now come at St Mary's.

Arsenal were unable to find a late winner, meaning they dropped points after opening the scoring in a Premier League game for the first time since New Year's Day (1-2 v City), ending their run of 18 straight wins when scoring first.

Wolves 0-4 Leicester City: Lethal Foxes leapfrog sorry hosts

At Molineux, Wolves' nightmare campaign continued as a clinical Leicester side ran out 4-0 winners despite recording just five shots to their hosts' 21.

Wolves have now lost five of their last six Premier League games, failing to score four times during that run, and are enduring their worst ever goalscoring start to a season in the competition with just five goals in 12 games. 

Leicester took the lead through an incredible effort from Youri Tielemans, who picked out the top-left corner to score the Foxes' seventh goal from outside the penalty area this season – the most of any side in the Premier League.

Harvey Barnes, Jamie Vardy and James Maddison then added some gloss to the scoreline, with the latter doing his hopes of an England call-up no harm with another fine display.

Maddison has amassed 28 goal contributions in the Premier League since the start of last season, a tally only bettered by Kane (37) among English players.

Leeds United 2-3 Fulham: Pressure builds on Marsch as Willian shines

Leeds joined Wolves in the bottom three after Fulham dealt them a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat at Elland Road, piling more pressure on beleaguered boss Marsch. 

Leeds have collected nine points from their 11 games this season, their fewest at this stage of a campaign since 2003-04 (eight), when they went on to be relegated from the Premier League. 

Meanwhile, Fulham have posted back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since April 2019 under Scott Parker (a run of three), having failed to win consecutive matches at any point in their last top-flight season (in 2020-21).

Willian's 84th-minute strike ultimately proved decisive for Marco Silva's men, on the day the former Chelsea and Arsenal winger made his 264th Premier League appearance.

Among Brazilian players, only Manchester City great Fernandinho has appeared as often in the competition. 

Wolves captain Ruben Neves said it is a "privilege" to be linked with Barcelona as any player in the world would want to join the Catalan giants.

Neves is reportedly a target for Barca after catching the eye with some outstanding displays for Wolves and Portugal.

The midfielder has been a revelation since arriving at Molineux from Porto in 2017, helping the club win promotion and establish themselves in the Premier League.

Neves, who is under contract until 2024, expressed his pride that the Blaugrana could be keen to lure him to Camp Nou.

He told Portuguese broadcaster Canal 11: "Who wouldn't want to try Barcelona? I think it's a common question for all players.

"It's one of the biggest clubs in the world. Of course, it's always a privilege for me to be associated with clubs of this calibre."

However, the 25-year-old says he is focused on turning Wolves' fortunes around after a poor start to the season resulted in head coach Bruno Lage being sacked this month. 

He added: "I'm going to do my job here and I'm sure I have people working with me. I trust these people a lot for these situations.

"I have to focus as much as I can on Wolves. Having a good time here, things will come naturally."

Manchester United have reached the end of their tether with Cristiano Ronaldo and want the superstar out of the club as soon as January, reports say.

The apparent refusal by Ronaldo to come on as a substitute against Tottenham on Wednesday, before flouncing off before the final whistle, has led to the striker being barred from playing any part in this weekend's Premier League clash with Chelsea.

Now Ronaldo may have played his last game for the club, unless bridges can be rebuilt.

TOP STORY – RONALDO'S UNITED FUTURE IN DOUBT

Ronaldo's last visible matchday act as a Manchester United player could turn out to be the moment he walked down the tunnel before the final whistle blew in the Spurs game.

That act looks to have been one of rebellion, with widespread reports now stating Ronaldo had declined to come off the bench late in the game.

According to the i newspaper and The Sun, among others, United boss Erik ten Hag has decided enough is enough and the time has come to part ways with the 37-year-old five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Ronaldo's performances in his second United stint have been mixed, and amid diminishing returns Ten Hag is said to want Ronaldo moved on to another club in January, or for his contract to be terminated. Ronaldo's deal runs to the end of this season.

There appeared to be a dearth of suitors during the last transfer window when Ronaldo looked keen on a move, so arranging a transfer for the former Real Madrid star may not be straightforward, unless of course he excels with Portugal at the World Cup.

ROUND-UP

- Ruben Neves has unfinished business at Porto and the 25-year-old Wolves midfielder has revealed he wants to return to the Primeira Liga giants while still in his prime years. He left at the age of 20 to join his current club. Portugal international Neves told Canal 11: "Returning to FC Porto is something I really want to happen, but it's impossible to say when. I hope I'm in the best conditions and that they still want me. I don't know how I'll be in a few years, but my goal is not to go to FC Porto to finish my career, but to win titles. I was there for three years and I didn't win."

- Andriy Lunin has shown himself to be a handy deputy for Thibaut Courtois in the Real Madrid goal, but will he stay at Santiago Bernabeu? Mundo Deportivo says the Ukrainian goalkeeper could leave before the end of his contract, which runs to 2024, if he becomes frustrated with life on the bench, with the newspaper suggesting Madrid would not stand in his way.

Lazio are said to be looking for back-up for Ciro Immobile, their experienced Italy striker, and have reportedly got their eye on two Spain-based forwards. According to Corriere dello Sport, the players being eyed by Maurizio Sarri are Elche's Argentine frontman Lucas Boye and Sevilla's Spaniard Rafa Mir.

Wolves have confirmed Steve Davis will remain as caretaker head coach until 2023 as their search for a permanent boss goes on.

Davis assumed caretaker duties after Bruno Lage was sacked earlier this month with the club in the relegation zone, before former Sevilla head coach Julen Lopetegui reportedly rejected the job.

Since taking over as caretaker, Wolves have lost two of their three matches, though they did claim victory over fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest between those two defeats.

The announcement comes after earlier reports that Queens Park Rangers' Michael Beale had turned down Wolves' approach to take over at Molineux.

In a statement on the club's official website, chairman Jeff Shi: "In the short time Steve and his team have been in interim charge of the first-team, we have already seen improvements to the group.

"We have no plans to rush our search for a new permanent head coach and will not compromise in any way our approach to appointing the person we believe to be the perfect fit for our club, our squad and the role of head coach at Wolves."

Harry Kane was on target again as Tottenham's fine start to the Premier League season continued with a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday.

Kane's penalty just before the hour mark at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium means he has scored in each of his last five Premier League appearances for Antonio Conte's side – his longest ever scoring run in the competition.

Wolves edged past Nottingham Forest 1-0, while Fulham and Bournemouth drew 2-2 at Craven Cottage. Leicester City and Crystal Palace, meanwhile, drew 0-0 at the King Power Stadium.

Here, Stats Perform picks out the best facts from the day's Premier League action.

Tottenham 2-0 Everton: Lampard's men punished by Kane again

Tottenham got over the line against a dogged Everton side in the day's late game, meaning Conte's team have now taken 23 points from 10 league games. It is their highest points tally at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 1963-64 (24 points – considering three points for a win).

Kane's opener from the spot was his 14th Premier League goal against Everton, with Leicester the only team he has scored against more often (18).

The England captain has now scored 30 of the 34 penalties he has taken for Tottenham in the Premier League, becoming just the fourth player to score 30+ penalties for a single side in the competition after Frank Lampard (41 for Chelsea), Alan Shearer (37 for Newcastle) and Steven Gerrard (32 for Liverpool).

Everton, who conceded a late second to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, have won just two of their 14 away Premier League games under Lampard (D3 L9), with two defeats at Tottenham (also 5-0 in March).

Wolves 1-0 Nottingham Forest: Hosts come out on top in penalty battle

It was a tale of two penalties at Molineux as Wolves edged out fellow strugglers Forest.

The hosts ended a run of 370 minutes without a Premier League goal thanks to Ruben Neves' second-half penalty kick – only Raul Jimenez (seven) has scored more goals from the penalty spot in English top-flight history than the Portuguese (six).

Brennan Johnson then squandered the chance to level from the spot, becoming the first Forest player to fail to score a penalty in the Premier League since Stuart Pearce against Coventry City in December 1994.

His attempt was saved by Jose Sa, who has now kept out each of the last two penalties he has faced in the Premier League, after conceding nine of the 10 previous spot-kicks he faced in the competition (one hit the post).

Fulham 2-2 Bournemouth: Mitrovic seals point for Cottagers

Fulham ended a run of 18 consecutive Premier League home defeats when conceding the first goal as they played out an entertaining draw against Bournemouth.

Dominic Solanke gave the visitors an early lead, taking his goal involvement to five goals (two goals, three assists) in his last five Premier League games. That already his best such tally for goal involvements in a single campaign in the competition.

Issa Diop pulled the hosts level, before Jefferson Lerma restored Bournemouth's advantage with a cool finish. However, Aleksandar Mitrovic the sealed a point for his side from the penalty spot.

The Serbia international has scored five of his seven Premier League goals this season in his five appearances at Craven Cottage – as many goals as he had scored in his previous 30 home games in the competition combined.

Leicester City 0-0 Crystal Palace: Bore draw keeps Foxes in trouble

A dismal goalless draw at the King Power Stadium means Leicester have only won five points from 10 games in the Premier League this season.

Accounting for three points per win all-time, only in 1983-84 have they had fewer points at this stage of a league campaign (two).

It was Palace's sixth goalless draw in the Premier League under Patrick Vieira. Indeed, they have played out more goalless draws than any other team in the competition since the start of last season.

It is too early to declare the Premier League a two-horse race for the title, but the blows Manchester City and Arsenal continue to trade are making for increasingly compelling viewing.

Arsenal will have to respond on Sunday after City's latest majestic showing against sorry Southampton.

Chelsea look re-energised under Graham Potter, while Eddie Howe continues to weave his magic at Newcastle United, who scored more goals than even City on Saturday.

Antonio Conte's Tottenham only needed one goal to round off the day by maintaining their impressive start to the campaign at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Before attention turns to events at Emirates Stadium, Stats Perform picks out the best data from Saturday's matches.

Chelsea 3-0 Wolves: Manager-less visitors far from cloud nine

The sacking of Bruno Lage did nothing to improve Wolves' fortunes, as their run of winless away Premier League games was stretched to nine (D2 L7).

That is their longest such run since going 10 games (D4 L6) without a win on the road in January 2012.

On top of that, Wolves remain winless in nine league away games with Chelsea (D3 L6)

Kai Havertz opened the scoring for the Blues and has now found the net twice in his last three league games, more than in his previous 12 matches in the competition. The German has netted in consecutive home league games for the Blues for the first time.

Mason Mount laid on two of the goals for Potter's men, marking the first time he has recorded two assists in a single Premier League games since a meeting Leicester City in February 2020.

Manchester City 4-0 Southampton: KDB the assist king for rampant champions

Pep Guardiola's men will be in the rare position of hoping Liverpool deliver a result against Arsenal on Sunday, after the champions leapfrogged the Gunners back to the top of the table.

Erling Haaland was on the scoresheet again, to the surprise of absolutely nobody, though he did only register one goal in this one-sided affair.

The Norway star is just the second player to score in seven consecutive Premier League games for Manchester City, after Sergio Aguero (May-September 2019).

Kevin De Bruyne provided the assist for Phil Foden to double City's lead after Joao Cancelo opened the scoring. De Bruyne's 94 assists mean he now has the outright most for City in the Premier League, overtaking David Silva (93).

City's incredible prowess in front of goal saw them become the first team to score at least four goals in five consecutive top-flight home games since Tottenham in September 1963 (a run of six).

Newcastle United 5-1 Brentford: Bruno the talk of the Toon

The Magpies are fifth after a dominant performance at St James' Park, and their fans can perhaps afford to hope of challenging at the top consistently for the first time since the days of Bobby Robson.

Newcastle's five-goal effort followed a 4-1 win at Fulham, making it the first time they have scored four-plus goals in successive Premier League games since September 2001, when Robson was in charge and oversaw wins over Middlesbrough and Manchester United. This was also the first time Newcastle have scored five in a Premier League game since May 2016 (5-1 vs Tottenham), a game that came after their relegation to the Championship was already confirmed.

Worries about the second tier look to be a distant memory now. Newcastle have lost just one of their last 11 Premier League games (W5 D5), while only City (66), Liverpool (61), Tottenham (61) and Arsenal (55) have won more points than the Magpies (52) in the competition this calendar year.

Newcastle's remarkable form under Howe is down in no small part to Bruno Guimaraes. The Brazil midfielder scored a fine double in this one and now has more goals (7) than any other Newcastle player since making his Premier League debut in February.

Brighton and Hove Albion 0-1 Tottenham: Conte defeats another compatriot

Conte is one of four Italian managers to lift the Premier League trophy and enjoyed success against another trying to make his way in England as Spurs saw off Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton side.

Conte is now unbeaten in all seven of his Premier League matches against fellow Italian managers (W6 D1) and has seen his sides keep clean sheets in four of their last five such games.

Son Heung-min teed up Harry Kane for the game's only goal, making it the 43rd time they have combined for a Premier League goal, extending their own record.

Kane has scored 12 goals in his last 12 league games, and has found the net in each of his last four, his joint-longest scoring streak in the competition and the seventh time he has achieved that feat.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.