It's a good question, and we'll come to it in a second, but let's begin with an even bigger one: is the prime minister continuing to mislead the public over the budget? The details are a bit complex but ultimately this all comes back to a rather simple question: why did the government raise taxes in last week's budget? To judge from the prime minister's responses at a news conference just this morning, you might have judged that the answer is: "because we had to". "There was an OBR productivity review," he explained to one journalist. "The result of that was there was £16bn less than we might otherwise have had. That's a difficult starting point for any budget." Politics latest: OBR boss resigns over budget leak Time and time again throughout the news conference, he repeated the same point: the Office for Budget Responsibility had revised its forecasts for the UK economy and the upshot of that was that the government had a £16bn hole in its accounts. Keep that figure in your head for a bit, because it's not without significance. But for the time being, let's take a step back and recall that budgets are mostly about the difference between two numbers: revenues and expenditure; tax and spending. This government has set itself a fiscal rule - that it needs, within a few years, to ensure that, after netting out investment, the tax bar needs to be higher than the spending bar. At the time of the last budget, taxes were indeed higher than current spending, once the economic cycle is taken account of or, to put it in economists' language, there was a surplus in the cyclically adjusted current budget. The chancellor had met her fiscal rule, by £9.9bn. This, it's worth saying, is not a very large margin by which to meet your fiscal rule. A typical budget can see revisions and changes that would swamp that in one fell swoop. And part of the explanation for why there has been so much speculation about tax rises over the summer is that the chancellor left herself so little "headroom" against the rule. And since everyone could see debt interest costs were going up, it seemed quite plausible that the government would have to raise taxes. Then, over the summer, the OBR, whose job it is to make the official government forecasts, and to mark its fiscal homework, told the government it was also doing something else: reviewing the state of Britain's productivity. This set alarm bells ringing in Downing Street - and understandably. The weaker productivity growth is, the less income we're all earning, and the less income we're earning, the less tax revenues there are going into the exchequer. The early signs were that the productivity review would knock tens of billions of pounds off the chancellor's "headroom" - that it could, in one fell swoop, wipe off that £9.9bn and send it into the red. Read more:Main budget announcements - at a glanceEnter your salary to see how the budget affects you That is why stories began to brew through the summer that the chancellor was considering raising taxes. The Treasury was preparing itself for some grisly news. But here's the interesting thing: when the bad news (that productivity review) did eventually arrive, it was far less grisly than expected. True: the one-off productivity "hit" to the public finances was £16bn. But - and this is crucial - that was offset by a lot of other, much better news (at least from the exchequer's perspective). Higher wage inflation meant higher expected tax revenues, not to mention a host of other impacts. All told, when everything was totted up, the hit to the public finances wasn't £16bn but somewhere between £5bn and £6bn. Why is that number significant? Because it's short of the chancellor's existing £9.9bn headroom. Or, to put it another way, the OBR's forecasting exercise was not enough to force her to raise taxes. The decision to raise taxes, in other words, came down to something else. It came down to the fact that the government U-turned on a number of its welfare reforms over the summer. It came down to the fact that they wanted to axe the two-child benefits cap. And, on top of this, it came down to the fact that they wanted to raise their "headroom" against the fiscal rules from £9.9bn to over £20bn. These are all perfectly logical reasons to raise tax - though some will disagree on their wisdom. But here's the key thing: they are the chancellor and prime minister's decisions. They are not knee-jerk responses to someone else's bad news. Yet when the prime minister explained his budget decisions, he focused mostly on that OBR report. In fact, worse, he selectively quoted the £16bn number from the productivity review without acknowledging that it was only one part of the story. That seems pretty misleading to me.

In an interview with Sky News lead presenter Wilfred Frost, Sir Salman said he thought the assassination of Mr Kirk, a conservative US activist, was an "appalling act of violence". "But it seems to me to be a characteristic or a consequence of America's terrifying gun culture," said the Booker-prize-winning author, who survived an attempt on his life at the Chautauqua Institution in New York in 2022. "When you have a situation where there are more guns in private ownership than there are people in the country, I mean, guns are everywhere. "When children are brought up being taught by their parents how to use guns, and guns are being left in the home in unlocked cabinets, it's a country in which violent gun-related crime happens almost every day. And this is one of the most brutal examples of it." The Indian-British author also addressed the attempted assassination of US President Donald Trump, saying: "Well, I guess I'm happy that it failed. Beyond that, I don't have a lot to say about it." Sir Salman was attacked by Hadi Matar, who stabbed him in the head, neck, torso and left hand, leaving him with damage to his liver and intestines as well as blind in one eye. Matar was jailed for 25 years in May. He wrote about the attack and his recovery in his 2024 memoir Knife. His new book, Eleventh Hour, is a return to fiction. Discussing the book and writing in general, he suggested that he doesn't think AI would be able to capture emotion, humour and creativity like humans can. Read more from Sky News:Hong Kong residents stunned by tower tragedyTrump's targeting of 'third world' immigrants is spreading fear "The couple of little experiments that I've carried out with AI suggest to me that at least this far, it doesn't have a sense of humour. And it's not original," he said. "What it can do is to duplicate things that have been fed into it. But good art is original, and I don't think that AI has an original bone in its body." Watch the full interview, including Sir Salman's comments on book bans and freedom of speech in the US, during Mornings with Ridge and Frost on Sky News.

It's a good question, and we'll come to it in a second, but let's begin with an even bigger one: is the prime minister continuing to mislead the public over the budget? The details are a bit complex but ultimately this all comes back to a rather simple question: why did the government raise taxes in last week's budget? To judge from the prime minister's responses at a news conference just this morning, you might have judged that the answer is: "because we had to". "There was an OBR productivity review," he explained to one journalist. "The result of that was there was £16bn less than we might otherwise have had. That's a difficult starting point for any budget." Politics latest: OBR boss resigns over budget leak Time and time again throughout the news conference, he repeated the same point: the Office for Budget Responsibility had revised its forecasts for the UK economy and the upshot of that was that the government had a £16bn hole in its accounts. Keep that figure in your head for a bit, because it's not without significance. But for the time being, let's take a step back and recall that budgets are mostly about the difference between two numbers: revenues and expenditure; tax and spending. This government has set itself a fiscal rule - that it needs, within a few years, to ensure that, after netting out investment, the tax bar needs to be higher than the spending bar. At the time of the last budget, taxes were indeed higher than current spending, once the economic cycle is taken account of or, to put it in economists' language, there was a surplus in the cyclically adjusted current budget. The chancellor had met her fiscal rule, by £9.9bn. This, it's worth saying, is not a very large margin by which to meet your fiscal rule. A typical budget can see revisions and changes that would swamp that in one fell swoop. And part of the explanation for why there has been so much speculation about tax rises over the summer is that the chancellor left herself so little "headroom" against the rule. And since everyone could see debt interest costs were going up, it seemed quite plausible that the government would have to raise taxes. Then, over the summer, the OBR, whose job it is to make the official government forecasts, and to mark its fiscal homework, told the government it was also doing something else: reviewing the state of Britain's productivity. This set alarm bells ringing in Downing Street - and understandably. The weaker productivity growth is, the less income we're all earning, and the less income we're earning, the less tax revenues there are going into the exchequer. The early signs were that the productivity review would knock tens of billions of pounds off the chancellor's "headroom" - that it could, in one fell swoop, wipe off that £9.9bn and send it into the red. Read more:Main budget announcements - at a glanceEnter your salary to see how the budget affects you That is why stories began to brew through the summer that the chancellor was considering raising taxes. The Treasury was preparing itself for some grisly news. But here's the interesting thing: when the bad news (that productivity review) did eventually arrive, it was far less grisly than expected. True: the one-off productivity "hit" to the public finances was £16bn. But - and this is crucial - that was offset by a lot of other, much better news (at least from the exchequer's perspective). Higher wage inflation meant higher expected tax revenues, not to mention a host of other impacts. All told, when everything was totted up, the hit to the public finances wasn't £16bn but somewhere between £5bn and £6bn. Why is that number significant? Because it's short of the chancellor's existing £9.9bn headroom. Or, to put it another way, the OBR's forecasting exercise was not enough to force her to raise taxes. The decision to raise taxes, in other words, came down to something else. It came down to the fact that the government U-turned on a number of its welfare reforms over the summer. It came down to the fact that they wanted to axe the two-child benefits cap. And, on top of this, it came down to the fact that they wanted to raise their "headroom" against the fiscal rules from £9.9bn to over £20bn. These are all perfectly logical reasons to raise tax - though some will disagree on their wisdom. But here's the key thing: they are the chancellor and prime minister's decisions. They are not knee-jerk responses to someone else's bad news. Yet when the prime minister explained his budget decisions, he focused mostly on that OBR report. In fact, worse, he selectively quoted the £16bn number from the productivity review without acknowledging that it was only one part of the story. That seems pretty misleading to me.

The Ukrainian has broken his silence about his next career move, confirming that he wants to put his WBC, WBA and IBF belts on the line against Wilder. Usyk has been absent from the ring since his stoppage of Daniel Dubois in their July rematch, but the two-time undisputed world heavyweight champion is now targeting the American, who had a lengthy reign as the WBC champion. Whittaker obliterates Gavazi with first-round stoppageTKV claims British heavyweight title with brutal points win over ClarkeNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW Speaking at the WBC convention in Thailand, Usyk told Boxing King Media: "I want to fight Deontay Wilder. I think it's interesting. "This is a world champion guy, this is a very famous guy, this is a strong guy. "He is one of the great heavyweights of the last 10 years." Wilder, who returned to the ring with a seventh-round stoppage of Tyrrell Anthony Herndon in June, would be open to a fight against Usyk. "Usyk is a great champion," Wilder's co-manager Shelly Finkel told Sky Sports. "We have plans for next year and we'd like Oleksandr Usyk to be part of them. "If we receive the right offer, we would be open to that fight." The Alabama fighter could receive the chance to become a world champion again, a decade after he dethroned Bermane Stiverne to become WBC champion in January 2015. Usyk became the undisputed world heavyweight champion for a second time after he halted Dubois in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium. The unbeaten 38-year-old vacated the WBO belt last week and Britain's Fabio Wardley was elevated as the new WBO champion. But Usyk has vowed to unify all four major titles again in the future, telling the WBC convention: "Some people are saying I'm not undisputed champion anymore. Well, that is only temporary."

Resident doctors, formerly junior doctors, will walk out from 7am on 17 December until 7am on 22 December. The latest strike has been blamed on the "continuing failure of the government to make a credible offer on jobs or pay" by the BMA. Health Secretary Wes Streeting condemned the move as "cynical", and accused the union of trying to turn medics "into the Grinch who stole Christmas". Experts expect pressure on services to be "intense" amid rising flu cases and staff sickness, but medics say they have been left with "no choice". Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA's resident doctors committee, said: "With the government failing to put forward a credible plan to fix the jobs crisis for resident doctors at the same time as pushing a real terms pay cut for them, we have no choice but to announce more strike dates. "However, these do not need to go ahead. Gradually raising pay over a few years, and some common-sense fixes to the job security of our doctors, are well within the reach of this government." Mr Streeting said the BMA had "clearly chosen to strike when it will cause maximum disruption, causing untold anxiety". "Patients and NHS staff deserve better than this cynical attempt to wreck Christmas," he said. "After a 28.9% pay rise, the government offered to create more jobs and put money back in resident doctors' pockets. The BMA rejected it out of hand, refused to put the offer to its members, blocking a better deal for doctors. "Now, without a single conversation with the government, they're threatening more strikes at the busiest time of the year." Mr Streeting added that it was "time for resident doctors to stand up to the BMA and say that enough is enough". "These strikes are in no one's interest and there is no moral justification for them," he said. "Resident doctors should ignore the BMA's attempts to turn them into the Grinch who stole Christmas." Previous resident doctor strikes took place from 25 to 30 July and 14 to 19 November. The cost of strike action November's industrial action was the 13th strike since March 2023. The summer walkout was estimated to have cost the health service £300m. "Everyone knows in the run-up to Christmas we need all hands on deck," said Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of NHS Providers. "It's really important to be able to discharge as many patients as possible, so that where appropriate, they can be at home with their loved ones. "We need to ensure there's the hospital capacity too to deal with the additional demand that always comes at this time of year. That's going to be even more challenging now." Read more from Sky News:US and UK agree zero tariffs on pharmaceuticalsWeight loss jabs backed to tackle obesity by WHO Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said: "With winter now upon us, flu levels surging, and staff sickness expected to rise, pressure on services will be intense." Mr Deighton added that the walkout could lead to "thousands of cancelled appointments and operations".

The film's first-time feature writer and director Harry Lighton was also named best debut screenwriter at the ceremony, held at the Roundhouse in Camden, London, on Sunday evening. Starring Harry Melling as sweet and timid Colin, and Alexander Skarsgard as rugged biker Ray, the film picked up four prizes in total - including craft wins for best costume design and make-up and hair. Tom Basden and Tim Key took home the BIFA awards for best joint lead performance and best screenplay, for their debut feature The Ballad Of Wallis Island. Also starring Carey Mulligan, the film tells the story of a faded folk musician and his former partner who reluctantly reunite for an eccentric fan. Elsewhere in the acting categories, Robert Aramayo was honoured with the best lead performance award for his portrayal of Tourette's campaigner John Davison in I Swear, with the supporting performance award going to Jay Lycurgo for his role in pressure-cooker school drama Steve, also starring Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy. Newcomer Posy Sterling's portrayal of a mother fighting for custody of her children in Lollipop earned her the breakthrough performance award, while the best ensemble performance prize went to the cast of Warfare - including Will Poulter, Kit Connor, Joseph Quinn and Charles Melton. This year's ceremony also celebrated cinema itself, with the inaugural cinema of the year award going to The Magic Lantern Cinema in the Welsh coastal town of Tywyn. The BIFA for best international independent film was awarded to Sentimental Value, Joachim Trier's intimate exploration of family, memories and the reconciliatory power of art. Behind the camera, Akinola Davies Jr was named best director for his debut feature My Father's Shadow, a story of two brothers who first come to understand their father at a pivotal moment in both his life and Nigerian history, while The Douglas Hickox Award for best debut director went to Cal McMau for prison drama Wasteman. And in the documentary categories, Myrid Carten's exploration of mental health and addiction within her family, A Want In Her, picked up three BIFAs - best feature documentary, The Raindance Maverick Award, and best debut director for a feature documentary. Elsewhere, Emily Watson, star of films including Gosford Park, Punch-Drunk Love and War Horse, and TV series including Chernobyl and Dune: Prophecy, was awarded the outstanding contribution to British film prize. Production company Warp Films - behind films such as Dead Man's Shoes and This Is England, as well as the recent critically acclaimed series Adolescence - was honoured with the BIFA special jury prize for its "unflinching and uncompromising" commitment to telling "raw and relevant stories". Read more from Sky News entertainment:King pays tribute following death of Tom StoppardAI actress creator insists she's not out to steal jobs Founded in 1998, the BIFAs aim to celebrate, promote and support talent and creativity in British independent film. Previous winners of the best independent film award include Kneecap, the semi-autobiographical story of Irish-language rappers Kneecap, and Oscar winner The Favourite. This year's ceremony was hosted by comedians Lou Sanders and Harriet Kemsley, with Carey Mulligan, Stephen Merchant, Ruth Wilson, Billy Crudup and Celia Imrie among the star presenters.

The announcement was made following months of uncertainty over whether exports from the UK, and elsewhere across Europe, would be subject to steep charges. Via the policy update, the UK has become the only country in the world to secure a zero per cent tariff on pharmaceuticals exported to the US. Tariffs are taxes imposed on imports into a country. In return, the UK has agreed to increase the baseline threshold used to assess if medicines can be used by the NHS. Money latest: The earners most affected by £2k salary sacrifice cap The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will increase the base threshold by 25%: from £20,000-£30,000 to £25,000-£35,000. It means NICE will be able to approve medicines that deliver significant health improvements but might have been declined purely on cost-effectiveness grounds, the government said. This ​​​​could include breakthrough cancer treatments, therapies for rare diseases, and innovative approaches to conditions that have long been difficult to treat, it added. This will give NICE the opportunity to approve more new medicines and allow a greater number of patients to benefit from them, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said. It pointed out that NICE's baseline cost-effectiveness threshold has not been increased for over 20 years. Read more:Virgin Media fined £24m for disconnecting vulnerable customersStarmer denies misleading public and cabinet ahead of budget A US government statement said the UK will "reverse the decade-long trend of declining National Health Service (NHS) expenditures on innovative, life-saving medicines, and increase the net price it pays for new medicines by 25%". US trade representative Jamieson Greer said the US "will work to ensure that UK citizens have access to latest pharmaceutical breakthroughs". The background US President Donald Trump has long complained that Europe does not pay enough for US drugs. America and the UK agreed in May to seek a deal on the proviso that firms secured a better operating environment in Britain. Criticism includes the concern that firms lose out on revenue due to a pricing regime which prioritises low costs for the NHS over incentives to invest. In October, the science minister Patrick Vallance told MPs, as talks with the US continued, that many drugs available in the UK would see an "inevitable" price increase.

Will Haaland join the 100 Club on Tuesday? Fulham vs Man City - Tuesday, kick-off 7.30pm When Erling Haaland hit his 99th Premier League goal in Manchester City's 3-0 win over Liverpool on November 9, it seemed only a matter of time before he would join the '100 Club', where only 34 players in the competition's history have scored a century or more. But despite playing the entirety of the games against Newcastle and Leeds that followed, that milestone goal has so far eluded him. This two-game barren spell is rare - but looks likely to end on Tuesday night if history is anything to go by. The Norwegian has scored six goals in six Premier League appearances against Fulham, the most of any player since the Cottagers returned to the top flight in 2022/23. The last was a penalty on the final day of 2024/25. Standing in the way is a Fulham team that has thrived on home soil so far, though. Last term, they picked up 26 points at Craven Cottage, averaging 1.36 points per game. They already have 13 this season, which equates to a hugely improved average of 2.17. Only Arsenal (2) have conceded less than the three they have shipped at home so far. Fulham's fortress will either deny Haaland history again, or be the stage on which he finally writes it.Dan Long Leaky defence forces Cherries' fast start to falter Bournemouth vs Everton - Tuesday, kick-off 7.30pm The Premier League comes at you fast - and no one knows that better than Bournemouth. At the end of October, Bournemouth were sitting pretty in fifth place in the Premier League, unbeaten in seven, with their only loss coming to champions Liverpool on the opening day of the season. But, in just a month, their fortunes have completely changed. For Iraola's side, November was - to put it politely - dismal. The Cherries picked up one point out of a possible 12 - a point salvaged from two down at home to strugglers West Ham - and conceded a whopping 12 goals in their four outings to boot. Their sudden loss of form has seen them drop to 11th in the table, only two points ahead of Fulham in 15th. To keep up early-season hopes of European football, something needs to change - and fast. The south coast side face perhaps the perfect opponents in Everton. They are still unbeaten at home and have more Premier League wins, goals and points against the Toffees than any other side in their history. The visitors' striker, Thierno Barry, is not exactly in the kind of form that strikes fear into defenders' hearts. The Frenchman has yet to register a shot on target in 551 league minutes and looked limp in his side's 4-1 home drubbing to Newcastle on Saturday. Bournemouth might have an easier night's sleep ahead of Tuesday's game. It's exactly the sort of fixture they need to revive their form; but a first loss at the Vitality will see serious questions start to be asked heading into the busiest period of the season.Noah Langford Is Frank going down the same road as Nuno? Newcastle vs Spurs - Tuesday, kick-off 8.15pm It's toxic at Tottenham - and not for the first time. Go back to the 2021/22 season and Spurs had beaten Manchester City, but early momentum was quashed by damning home defeats to Chelsea and Arsenal. In a game against Manchester Utd, a Spurs substitution was booed by their own fans, who were not impressed with their new head coach's style of play. Sound familiar? Thomas Frank's start to life at Spurs bares a very similar resemblance to Nuno Espirito Santo's short, ill-fated reign in north London. And given Nuno was sacked after 10 games, with the supporters' trust saying he was "not the right manager" for the club, it's not a good sign for the Dane. With the shadow of the trophy-winning Ange Postecoglou still looming over Spurs' situation, there is deep unrest. There are issues involving the players - with Guglielmo Vicario and Pedro Porro's supporter drama in Saturday's loss to Fulham following the Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence spat of frustration after the loss to Chelsea. But will Frank become the one mainly in the fire soon? Spurs are in the bottom three in the Premier League this season for shots and chances created, while only one Premeir League team has given the ball away more times. They have also made a league-high 12 errors leading to a shot. Frank will point to the fact he is at the start of a rebuilding project - and his desire to "add layers" to this team. But with Spurs going to Newcastle - a team they've already lost to this season in the Carbaao Cup - how much are their restless fans willing to take?Sam Blitz Should Arteta rotate his Arsenal squad? Arsenal vs Brentford - Wednesday, kick-off 7.30pm Arsenal were not themselves at Chelsea. They were off the pace at Stamford Bridge. Several misplaced passes in the build-up phase and they lost the duel battle to Chelsea. They lost two-thirds of their first 24 duels in the opening quarter of the game, while they only won one of the first 10 aerial duels. There were several factors behind it. Chelsea played well - having had an extra day to prepare after their midweek European action - while the absences of William Saliba and Gabriel filtered throughout the team to create an unconvincing display. It has also been a busy schedule. "It's been a big week," said Mikel Arteta after overcoming the triple header of Spurs, Bayern Munich and the Blues last week. So is it time for the Arsenal manager to rotate? Wednesday night's visit of Brentford may be a good opportunity to give minutes to those who need it, but more crucially rest those who have been called upon a lot. For example, Ben White could come in for Jurrien Timber. The likes of Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres are aiming for first starts after injury. Even Christian Norgaard, against his former club, and Ethan Nwaneri could be called upon. Brentford's record against the bigger sides makes them a decent test so there cannot be wholesale changes. But one thing the Bees are good at is winning duels via first and second balls. Arsenal will need fresh legs more than on-pitch quality.Sam Blitz Undervalued Gomez finally gives Reds an air of defensive stability Liverpool vs Sunderland - Wednesday, kick-off 8.15pm It cannot just be a coincidence that Liverpool kept their first Premier League clean sheet since they beat Aston Villa a month ago - and only their third all season in the top flight - in their much-needed win at West Ham United on Sunday in a game that also saw Joe Gomez make his first league start in almost a year, incidentally also in a victory at the London Stadium. Despite a series of calamitous recent defensive displays, including a 3-0 loss to struggling Nottingham Forest, followed by a 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven - both at Anfield - in the lead-up to the game, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot had been stubbornly resisting calls to start Gomez, who has been carrying a slight knee niggle of late. But the versatile 28-year-old returned on the right-hand side of the champions' defence in east London, with the Reds immediately looking more assured at the back, with no visiting player making more interceptions, while he also created their second goal for Coady Gakpo. Fitness permitting, expect Liverpool's long-serving player to still be in the hosts' starting line-up when high-flying Sunderland visit Anfield. Richard Morgan Palace's big chance problem shackling them more than squad depth issues Burnley vs Crystal Palace - Wednesday, kick-off 7.30pm Only two Premier League teams have missed more than 25 big chances this season - Crystal Palace are one of them. With 26, Palace have a major problem with converting the big opportunities they are managing to create. Oliver Glasner bemoaned his side's lack of business, calling for some level of sympathy as his side tired in their defeat to Manchester United. However, in their ascendancy, Palace failed to capitalise on a rampant first half, which could be costing them more than their squad depth. Jean-Philippe Mateta, who took his tally of big chances missed up to 12 against United, is only behind Erling Haaland for big chances spurned. Creativity was the main concern for Palace when Eberechi Eze moved on to pastures new in the summer. However, creating isn't what's holding Palace back; it's their inability to score. Burnley will provide the sternest test of Palace's ability to find the back of the net. Scott Parker's Clarets have the league's highest expected goals against with 28.79, meaning - on paper - there will be ample opportunity to exorcise their big-chance demons.William Bitibiri Can Wolves avoid unwanted records against Forest? Wolves vs Nottingham Forest - Wednesday, kick-off 7.30pm Wolves are in trouble. As we enter the final month of the year, they remain winless. It's a dismal start that has seen their foreheads pressed against the barrel of a relegation to the Championship. Defeat at Forest would mean that they have lost seven straight matches in the top flight. The last time the club fell to that many defeats was during the 2011/12 season, during Terry Connor's infamous reign, which was an all-time low in a relegation season. The records are likely to compound if fortunes fail to turn at Molineux. Wolves are on target to lose 32 matches this season. Derby County in 2007/08, statistically the Premier League's worst team, had six points recorded by this point while Wolves have two. They are on track to take Derby's crown. Only once has a team recorded lass than two points at this stage in Premier League history and that was Sheffield Wednesday, who had one and were ultimately relegated. While the chances of a Wolves survival remain slim, fans will hope to retain some semblance of respectability starting with Forest on Wednesday.William Bitibiri Will the red mist come down for Chelsea again at Leeds? Leeds vs Chelsea - Wednesday, kick-off 8.15pm This is a fixture packed with history - and plenty of thumping tackles and intensity. The 1970 FA Cup final replay was the most fearsome of all but expect another boiling hot atmosphere at Elland Road when the sides meet again on Wednesday. Can Enzo Maresca's side keep their heads in the pressure cooker? Moises Caicedo's red card against Arsenal on Sunday was just the latest in a series of sendings off for the Blues. "He was really pumped up", said Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher, suggesting the occasion had got to Caicedo. The midfielder will be suspended for the Leeds trip but ill-discipline is becoming a theme for this Chelsea team. There have been six red cards shown to Chelsea players this season. Their four in the Premier League is twice as many as any other side. Even Maresca has served a suspension after being sent to the stands for his jubilant celebrations of Estevao's last-gasp winner against Liverpool. It's a concern which really came into focus at the back end of last season, when Nicolas Jackson saw red at Newcastle, Chelsea were beaten, and the race for a Champions League place was went right down to the wire. Against Arsenal, Chelsea battled valiantly with 10 players. A point gained? Or was it two dropped, given how they had started the derby with 11? There's a lot to like about the team Maresca has built at Chelsea - but they can be their own worst enemy and must keep the focus to maintain their positive start to the season at Leeds.Peter Smith Villa to test Brighton's unbeaten record Brighton vs Aston Villa - Wednesday, kick-off 7.30pm Brighton's unbeaten home record faces its toughest test yet with the visit of in-form Aston Villa. Both sides started the campaign slowly, earning just one win between them from their opening five games, but now they're firmly in the race for European football. Villa recorded their fifth clean sheet of the season on Sunday and have the second-best defensive record in the division, although at the other end of the pitch, they're not having so much joy. They're second bottom for xG while Ollie Watkins has scored just once and was dropped for the victory at Wolves, with Donyell Malen preferred. The quick turnaround may see Watkins reintroduced from the start. There's been no such issues for Brighton striker Danny Welbeck, who has only been getting better at 35. His seven goals, combined with the efforts of Yankuba Minteh, have powered Fabian Hurzeler's side up the table. The winger has the second-most assists and touches in the opposition box in the league, with only Jeremy Doku and Mohammed Kudus having completed more dribbles. Villa's defence will have to be at its best.David Richardson Time for Amorim to roll the dice on Mainoo? Man Utd vs West Ham - Thursday, kick-off 8pm Manchester United may have picked up a crucial away win at Selhurst Park on Sunday, but Old Trafford will be expecting far more come Thursday night. The embarrassment that was the defeat to 10-man Everton will still be at the forefront of the minds of the fans and Ruben Amorim. The performance and the way Everton kept out a limp Red Devils provides Nuno Espirito Santo with the blueprint for how to get a result. That means there has to be a marked change from the hosts, perhaps even in personnel. United are expected to dominate the ball against the team who have had less possession in all but two of their away Premier League games this term. The anomalies being against promoted sides. Amorim will need players on the pitch who can break down the Hammers. That may present an opportunity to Kobbie Mainoo. The 20-year-old has only been afforded 171 minutes in the Premier League this season. It is a far cry from the role he had at the time of scoring the winning goal in the 2024 FA Cup final. However, United have consistently struggled with breaking down low blocks and Amorim won't change his system. If his stubbornness on the front is going to persist, the dice needs to be rolled one way or another. There is a question as to whether the defensive presence of Casemiro is as vital for this game compared to against the likes of Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Newcastle later this month. Keeping the Brazilian fresh for those must be a priority, so the door may open for Mainoo to make his first league start of the season and show once and for all he is deserving of more from Amorim heading into 2026.