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⚽ Latest news and previews as Premier League resumes
⚽ Fixtures | Tables | Check out the talk | Mail matchday live Wolves fans: can Rob Edwards keep your side in the Premier League? Sound off below the line and let me know your thoughts. The saga since Vítor Pereira’s sacking has been long, with Edwards doing everything in his power to snap up his dream job despite being employed at Middlesbrough but the new Wolves manager says he is ready to get to work. You know when you go somewhere on holiday and then don’t go for a few years, but go back a few years later and it is almost like you’ve not been away? It’s like that, it feels natural and normal and very special. This opportunity and this job is something I’ve always wanted and dreamed of. I’m well aware I was at a really good club and I want to be really respectful to Middlesbrough and I know I would have let them down. I get it and I understand that. But this is something I’ve always wanted to do. I didn’t want to live with regret. I didn’t want to look back and think: ‘Maybe I should have given that a go. ’ I know it’s going to be a big challenge, but I’m well up for it. Here is Ben Fisher on Edwards’ journey to the job and the mountainous task at hand. Barney Ronay on Cristiano Ronaldo’s visit to the White House to meet Donald Trump ahead of next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is worth being totally clear on what was happening here. This was, first of all, a state visit and a significant refresh of US-Saudi relations. But it was also a kind of executive benediction. First for Ronaldo, who hadn’t been photographed in the US since the leaking in 2017 of allegations of sexual assault, which he denies and have never been proven. Not being in the US has cost the Ronaldo brand millions. A final pension-pot World Cup is looming. With Trump in the White House and MBS at his back, it seems this is now a safe space. The quid pro quo is obvious. CR7 is huge among young men on the internet. He’s the most winningest World Cup mascot. He’s a tall handsome guy. This is where we are, why Trump is up at his dais saying the word “Roonnnallldoo” in those sensuous cooing tones, like he’s whispering into the ear of his favourite doughnut. The second returnee is MBS, overlord of the next World Cup-but-two. The crown prince was on his first visit to the US since being accused by its intelligence service of complicity in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Here he was casually exonerated by Trump (“He knew nothing about it”) in an aside to journalists. Read his full column here. Fantasy Football Corner! How are you doing in your fantasy league/s? I am 35th in our Guardian sports desk one (out of 38) and third (out of three) in my family one … I would blame it on the face that I haven’t changed my team in more than three gameweeks but I think I am just an incompetent football manager … something I did not need an app to tell me, but I digress. Don’t make the same mistakes as me and get your teams in before the deadline. Here is our handy Premier League team news preview for the weekend. Many thanks to Enzo Maresca, whose quote on Cole Palmer stubbing his toe (8. 09am GMT) has made the comments under the line very entertaining for myself and others. A few of my favourites: I got up twice last night & didn’t break anything- this football malarkey is easy. Enzo, I can be in Burnley in … checks Google… in time for the second half. tedthetopcat to score the winner after coming on in the 80th minute? Cole Palmer's least favourite player must be Samuel Etoe'oh The replies under this one are equally as amusing. I got up a few times Thursday night and once last night. Don’t think I will need to tonight. Thats my Ashes coverage report. Right, shut down the Ashes liveblog. This is all we need. I'd like to thank Enzo for supplying the quote used in the first several comments. Also, that most of us who get up alot and don't hit most things on most nights finally have something to feel superior about. .. Footballers … they’re just like us we’re better than they are. Celtic head to St Mirren tonight on a bitter day for the club in more ways than one after the club’s annual general meeting yesterday was abandoned after only 25 minutes as a result of heckling from supporters towards board members. Celtic shareholders, who are unhappy with the way the club are being managed, held up red cards, booed and chanted “sack the board” as directors arrived. A half-hour adjournment was called, after which pre-recorded interviews were shown. The club said in a statement: The club regrets to note that its annual general meeting required to be called to an early close. The meeting was attended by 907 people, and following the opening remarks, approximately 40, organised by the Celtic Trust and the Green Brigade, caused substantial disruption. The meeting was initially adjourned to allow order to be restored so it could continue, with chairman Peter Lawwell explaining the need for order and respect to fellow shareholders. Once the meeting reconvened, the chairman gave several warnings that the meeting would be called to a close if there was continued disruption. Unfortunately, the disruption continued and, as a result, Peter Lawwell was forced to call a poll on the resolutions so that the formal business could be dealt with, and the meeting was brought to a close. The disturbance at the end of the meeting meant that a number of those attending may not have heard the poll being called. The Club wishes to emphasise that it is aware there are issues which many shareholders wished to raise and on which we hoped to have a real engagement today. We share the frustration of the great majority of shareholders in the room, that the action of a small minority at the meeting prevented shareholders from having the opportunity to participate in a question and answer session. Coventry are top of the Championship and host West Brom in today’s early kick-off. The hosts started their campaign this season with an impressive 12-game unbeaten run before their first defeat at Wrexham last month. They have since returned to form with consecutive wins against Sheffield United and Stoke City, having now won eight of their last nine matches. Frank Lampard has Coventry positioned comfortably atop the table after 15 games, five points clear of second-placed Middlesbrough and seven points ahead of Stoke. Alongside Boro, the Sky Blues are one of only two sides yet to be defeated at home this season and are now on a four-game winning run at Coventry Arena, scoring 11 goals in those contests. West Brom ended their four-game winless streak before the break with a crucial three points at home against Oxford. Boos turned to cheers at the Hawthorns after an own goal from Gregory Leigh and a match-winning header from the substitute Aune Heggebø, who secured his second goal of the term. Winning just two of their last seven second-tier battles, West Brom are 14th in the table – the West Midlands side has not finished outside the top half of this division since the 1999-00 season. The highlight match in today’s 3pm kick-offs is Liverpool v Nottingham Forest, with most keen to see if Arne Slot’s side have … well, improved. Arne Slot has said he may start Alexander Isak today ahead of fitter Liverpool strikers to give the £125m signing the game time needed to recapture his Newcastle form. The 26-year-old played only 28 minutes of Sweden’s defeat by Switzerland during the international break before sitting out their game against Slovenia to avoid the risk of being suspended for next year’s World Cup playoff. Getting Isak up to speed after an underwhelming start remains a priority and Slot admits he may have no alternative but to select the club-record signing over fitter options such as Hugo Ekitiké. I had a conversation with the performance staff about what is the best way for Alex – not for Liverpool – to get him as fast as we can to 100%. I always have to find the balance between what is the best for him as an individual and for us as a team. I do know that a 100% fit Alexander Isak is a big, big, big plus for this team. But for him to get there he might need to have minutes where you could argue that another player might be further ahead of him in terms of match fitness. Forest’s Sean Dyche will hope to pile the pressure on Arne Slot and Liverpool at Anfield and believes his side must be on their “A game”. Forest entered the November international break on the back of a 3-1 victory against Leeds United, which was Sean Dyche’s first league win since taking over from Ange Postecoglou. I think you want the team and yourself to be confident wherever you are going. You can’t guarantee these things. We have got a team that can compete, and that’s a big thing. Every game means something and we are beginning to build that mentality. [Liverpool] are still a good outfit. You have got to defend well and you have got to play well whatever style that is. Whether you’re playing that style or more open, you have got to be on you’re A game to beat these teams, particularly at their place. We know that, and the players are aware of that. So today then. As mentioned earlier, the Premier League lunchtime kick-off will be at Turf Moor, where Scott Parker’s side will hope to create a gap between themselves and the other relegation candidates. Armando Broja was carried off in Albania’s loss to England, but there is hope that his ankle problem is not as serious as first feared. The visitors won’t have Cole Palmer in their ranks but Alejandro Garnacho could make history as the youngest South American player to make 100 appearances in the Premier League at 21 years old, overtaking a 22-year-old Gabriel Martinelli. Last night Blackburn continued their climb up the Championship table as they earned a fourth win in five with a 2-1 derby victory at Preston. The hosts would have climbed to second if they had won, but Andri Gudjohnsen’s winner ended those hopes. Although Alfie Devine cancelled out Lewis Miller’s opener within seconds in a frantic finish to the first half, Blackburn were the better side after the break and Gudjohnsen’s 62nd-minute header extended Rovers’ unbeaten run at Deepdale which dates back to 2019. Their fifth win in eight away from home moved Blackburn up to 16th as they continue to recover from a poor start while Preston rued a missed opportunity after losing at home in the league for only the second time this term. Valérien Ismaël hailed the complete performance from his side, saying: “we showed all the faces you need in the Championship. You have to stay strong, you have to suffer, you have to play football and you need set-pieces. The game was the Championship clearly defined. “We were able in all phases of the game to show the quality and what we’ve learned from all the games. Now the next step is the home games. We struggle to win at home. The performance is right but we are not winning. “This is what is missing this season. If we can combine it now this will be good for our confidence and momentum. ” The talk at Chelsea’s pre-match Premier League press conferences was Cole Palmer’s freak accident at home, resulting in a broken toe and further delaying his much-anticipated comeback from his recent groin injury. Chelsea visit Burnley in today’s lunchtime kick-off, and Enzo Maresca hoped the 23-year-old would be available for Tuesday’s Champions League tie against Barcelona or next weekend’s home game against Arsenal. The head coach confirmed that would no longer be the case but confirmed the unusual incident would not keep the forward out for too long. It can happen. I wake up many times during the night to go to the toilet. I hit my head, my legs, my everything, so it can happen. The last time I saw him was yesterday morning, and he was without socks, without flip-flops, he was without nothing. He was working OK. The problem is that it’s a small toe, so the contact with boots can be painful. Below’s roundup of the Premier League press conferences include Andoni Iraola on speculation surrounding Antoine Semenyo’s future, Eddie Howe’s hopes for Nick Woltemade and Marco Silva’s future at Fulham. Hello, football. Welcome to the Guardian’s matchday live, where we will be building up to today’s matches and running through any breaking news and big stories. Readers, any plans for the day? Favourite moment of the international break? Game you’re most looking forward to this weekend? Let me know in the comments. Whether you’re heading off to the ground later today or not, feel free to get stuck in with all of today’s fixtures right here, along with the latest tables. And to get you set for the Premier League’s return …