Van de Ven may be key for Spurs, Wissa could make Newcastle debut and Dyche deserves warm Everton welcome

Arsenal’s recent memories of Aston Villa are of awkward opponents. Mikel Arteta’s side squandered a two-goal lead at the Emirates Stadium when the teams last met, in January, Arsenal dropping two points, their title charge dented. With such little margin for error, it was the kind of day that boosted Liverpool and crystallised the sense that the Gunners would come up short. Villa also defeated Arsenal in 2023-24, abruptly halting a six-game winning streak. Now Arsenal are in a different position, at the summit with a five-point lead – and six clear of Unai Emery’s team. Victory at Villa Park on Saturday, against a side that have lost only once in the league since August, would offer another significant indication that this could be the season Arsenal take the crown. Ben Fisher

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

Bournemouth v Chelsea, Saturday 3pm

Everton v Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm

Manchester City v Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

• Cochran-Siegle second to Odermatt in season opener

• Norway’s Sejersted takes third; Kilde back from injury

Marco Odermatt of Switzerland won the downhill season-opener Thursday, beating American Ryan Cochran-Siegle in a World Cup race on a tricky but shorter Birds of Prey course.

Odermatt finished in 1min 29.84sec to surpass Cochran-Siegle by .30sec. Norway’s Adrian Smiseth Sejersted finished third. The finish line was moved up the hill – and just barely visible by fans in the stands – due to a lack of snow to properly place the safety netting.

• Coates ‘ready and excited’ to replace Albertin Montoya

• U23 assistant Gemma Davies to join Coates in San Jose

Emma Coates has left her position as the leader of England Women’s Under-23 national team to become the new head coach of the NWSL side Bay FC.

Coates replaces Albertin Montoya, who was the coach of the expansion team when it entered the National Women’s Soccer League two years ago. Montoya announced in September that he would resign at the end of the 2025 season, with the San Jose side finishing 13th in the 14-team table.

• Injury expected to keep him out for up to a month

• Preliminary scans ruled out achilles damage

• Comes amid ESPN report on his future with Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to miss around two to four weeks with a right calf strain, according to an ESPN report.

The injury occurred less than three minutes into Wednesday night’s win over the Detroit Pistons. Antetokounmpo collapsed without contact as he tried to get back on defense and immediately reached for his lower right leg.

• O’Neill has been in interim charge since Rodgers’ exit

• Celtic two points behind Hearts with a game in hand

Celtic have appointed Wilfried Nancy, coach of Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer, as their new permanent manager to replace Brendan Rodgers, who was dismissed in October. He has signed a two-and-a-half year contract.

The Glasgow club are two points behind the Scottish Premiership leaders, Hearts, with a game in hand after winning all four of their league matches under Martin O’Neill. The interim manager also beat Rangers in a League Cup semi-final to set up a match at Hampden Park against St Mirren scheduled for 14 December and takes charge of the side for the final time tonight in the league encounter with Dundee at Celtic Park.

• Name favoured by the Ambani family co-owners

• Surrey retain 51% share in franchise after auction

Oval Invincibles, the Hundred’s most successful franchise, will be competing as MI London next year, the name favoured by their new Indian co-owners.

The change of name brings the men’s and women’s teams, who between them have won Hundred titles in each of the past five years, in line with the rest of the Ambani family’s Mumbai Indians holdings which, in addition to its Indian Premier League team, includes MI Cape Town in the SA20, MI Emirates in the ILT20 and MI New York in Major League Cricket.