Eddie Howe admits he is unsure if Nathan Ake will remain at Bournemouth beyond next month with parent club Chelsea reportedly keen on ending his loan spell early.

The 21-year-old joined the Cherries in the summer and, after initially finding it difficult to force his way into the side, has featured in their last six matches.

Ake has scored three goals in that stretch – against Stoke, Liverpool and in Sunday’s 3-1 home defeat to South Coast rivals Southampton, and his form has supposedly caught the eye of Blues boss Antonio Conte.

Chelsea have the Premier League’s best defence – conceding just 11 goals in 17 games – but with John Terry and Kurt Zouma still recovering from injury, Conte could seek reinforcements.

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And Bournemouth boss Howe admits he would be powerless to stop the Blues from recalling the Dutchman.

“I thought he was excellent. He scored a great goal and I thought he defended really well,” Howe said following the Southampton defeat.

“I thought his positioning was excellent. He used the ball well. So I think he can be very pleased with his day’s work.

“There is a clause where they (Chelsea) can recall him. I hope the fact he’s playing and playing very well for us will mean that he will stay, but we will see.”

Watford midfielder Valon Behrami believes his side have no choice but to front up to their lack of clinical edge, and admits it’s going to be a hard week on the training ground.

The Hornets dominated in defeat in Saturday’s Premier League clash at Sunderland, with Patrick van Aanholt scoring the only goal of the game at the Stadium of Light.

That was despite a plethora of chances for the visitors, with Troy Deeney missing a header while Daryl Janmaat and Odion Ighalo spurned late opportunities.

It proved a bitter pill to swallow for Behrami, a fourth defeat in five for a side who had been flying high in the Premier League table.

And the 31-year-old Swiss international admitted the players need to look at themselves closely ahead of Boxing Day’s visit of Crystal Palace, another team fighting against relegation in the vital festive period.

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“We’ve had this moment against Sunderland so we need to go away, work harder and be more clinical in ourselves,” he said.

“That’s what we missed and it’s something that we’ve paid for before. It’s normal in the Premier League that when you don’t take your chances you get punished.

“You can’t create so many chances and then not score – one mistake and you lose the game and that’s what has happened.

“Now we have a few more days to work, to think about ourselves and mistakes and every player has to think about it. We have to be mature, and I expect that from everyone.

“It’s not going to be a nice week for us but we have to feel bad for that result.”

Hull have to improve their composure in front of goal if they are to get out of relegation trouble according to manager Mike Phelan.

After a strong start to the season, the Tigers have fallen off the pace, and were beaten 1-0 by West Ham on Saturday.

That loss left them at the foot of the table, three points from safety, and the lack of goals is clearly the issue according to Phelan.

Hull have managed just 14 goals from 17 games so far this season, the worst record in the league and a large reason they have struggled so badly for wins.

They are still creating chances however, and according to Phelan the big issue is simply execution when those opportunities come along.

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He said: “We have to find that ingredient that earns us wins and points. It’s all about quality and composure at this level.

“At the moment, we seem excited when we’re in front of goal and when you’re like that you’re probably not composed and in control.

“Our finishing needs to be brighter, it needs to be sharper. It’s not for the want of trying.

“We didn’t score (against West Ham) – that is the bottom line.

“I was really pleased with every other aspect of our game. We were solid, our shape was good, our determination and character for the fight was good but it all came down to those small margins.

“When you get the opportunities we had and don’t take them at this level, you’re always one mistake away from losing the game.

“We’ve come away from home, played exceptionally well and deserved more from the game, but we’ve gone away with no points to show.”

Claudio Ranieri may have been named coach of the year at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards, but Daniel Amartey admitted it was goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel who gave the side a dressing down at the weekend.

The Premier League champions found themselves two goals down after Jamie Vardy was sent off early on against Stoke City.

But a different Foxes side came out after the interval, and after Leonardo Ulloa nodded in with 16 minutes to play, Amartey’s 88th-minute header – his first goal for the club – sealed an unlikely point.

And the midfielder insists some honest words during half-time and the impact of replacements Ulloa and Demarai Gray were the key catalyst behind the comeback.

“When we went in at half-time, Claudio [Ranieri] talked to us, but Kasper [Schmeichel] talked to us too and we all talked to each other,” he said.

“We said we have to come back and fight together to get two goals.

“It’s hard to play with 11 men and when you are short one player it’s very difficult, but we came back and we were disciplined.

“I’m very happy to score and the team needed it. I went straight to the fans because at 2-0 down they were still singing. It was good to go and celebrate with them.

“I’m very happy for Demarai [Gray] and the others that came on. They changed the game for us. You have to be ready for every game on the pitch because you don’t know what will happen.”

Tony Pulis has praised the work rate and dedication of his West Brom charges despite suffering their sixth Premier League defeat of the season to Manchester United.

The Baggies have boasted a strong start to the season, sitting in the top half of the table even with the expectation of relegation once again on their shoulders.

Team spirit and togetherness has been the key at the Hawthorns, with Pulis inspiring belief in his side with six wins from the campaign to date.

But defeat at home to Manchester United has threatened to derail Christmas momentum, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the double as Jose Mourinho’s men maintained their own charge.

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But despite the loss, Pulis was keen to praise to work ethic of his side, now looking to make sure their early season form doesn’t count for nothing heading into the festive period.

“We’ve got some old warriors in our side and to play three games in six days,” he said.

“They’ve been fantastic, I appreciate so much what they do and how hard they work.

“Our focus is getting enough points as quick as we can to get Premier League football next year, then we’ll push on from there.

“We’ll try to keep ticking over during Christmas and keep moving forward.”

Sunderland striker Victor Anichebe admits he is not being allowed to get away with his physical approach to forward play as much in the Premier League.

David Moyes piled the praise on the 28-year-old hitman after Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Watford, with the Black Cats boss believing Anichebe turned the game in his side’s favour before Patrick Van Aanholt’s winner.

Anichebe, who has scored three league goals this term after signing at the Stadium of Light in preseason, concedes he is not being allowed to dominate opposition centre-backs as much as he was in the autumn months.

But the former West Brom and Everton man is relishing the thought of doing battle with the men trying to beat him at his own game.

“I was saying to some of my friends and to other people, it’s becoming a lot more difficult,” he said. “When I first came into the side after doing pre-season, teams didn’t really expect (it).

“But now teams are trying to stop our left-hand side of attack. Teams are really ready for us, they are a lot more aggressive with me, they are a lot more aggressive on our side.

“But I’m used to it. I just have to be ready. Every game now, it’s really tough. Sometimes they are doubling up on me, they’ve got a guy in front, a guy behind, but that’s just part and parcel of the game.

“I suppose it’s a compliment as well, but I’m ready for it. Whenever there’s a battle, I’ll be ready for it.”

After banging in three goals in a game for the first time since their return to the Premier League, Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka believes the net will keep on bulging with confidence at a new high at the Riverside.

Boro downed the out-of-sorts Swansea City 3-0 on Saturday afternoon, with striker Alvaro Negredo scoring twice early on before Marten de Roon added a third.

It was Middlesbrough’s biggest win of the season so far, and the side many tipped to go straight back down to the Championship this term are now four points clear of the relegation zone.

And Karanka is positive his side are only going to continue to head up the standings.

“Everyone in this group is really confident and we are adding experience in every game,” he said.

“But I always said that the main thing is we are always creating chances. Against Swansea we created and we scored them as well.

“We’ve improved our goal difference and we have three more points. Now, we need to keep going and keep believing in these players.

“I am really pleased because it’s our biggest victory and this group of players needed this win.

“These kinds of games against direct opponents are always hard, and we have played better in other games and left with nothing.

“But three points and three goals is massive for us.”

Stoke’s Jack Butland has confirmed he has had more surgery on the ankle injury that has kept him out of action since March.

The 23-year-old international suffered the injury on England duty in a friendly against Germany, and after having the first round of surgery within a month, had another setback over the summer ahead of the current campaign.

And in a bid to sort out the issue once and for all, Butland has just spent another week with a specialist and had a second spell under the knife.

But Butland – who has had to watch deputy Lee Grant impress in goal for Mark Hughes’ side in his absence – is confident his medical team have now discovered the root of the problem.

“Happy to be home after spending a week away seeing another specialist, but grateful we were able to get to the bottom of my setbacks,” he said on his Instagram.

“Although wanting to avoid surgery it was necessary to do so to get me back playing the game I love.

“It’s been a tough and frustrating year but I can’t thank everyone enough for their constant support.

“Wishing all of you and your families an amazing Christmas and a healthy 2017. I’m as positive as ever and I can’t wait to be back.”

Christmas came early for Angelo Ogbonna off the pitch, but the West Ham defender was left delighted that football could bring its own bundle of joy on Saturday afternoon.

The Italian has celebrated a memorable few days, with back-to-back Hammers victories the cherry on top of his fiancé giving birth to a baby boy, Samuel.

But despite his side heading into Christmas with victory over Hull City, the scratchy performance has left many at the London Stadium wondering if the expected resurgence will be forthcoming.

However with character shown, Slaven Bilic’s side are at least heading in the right direction, with Ogbonna hopeful that can carry forward into the Boxing Day trip to Swansea and the Liberty Stadium.

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“It has been a very lucky week for me and my family. I am so proud to have become a father and I want to say a big thank you to my fiancé and it is very important,” he said.

“We are so happy to get seven points and we should not forget the point we got at Anfield last week which was really important.

“We have to keep going and stay concentrated. We didn’t play well against Hull but the most important thing is the three points and hopefully we will play better in the next game.

“We are staying positive because we got three points and it is so important for everyone. The fans stayed behind us and this is football.

“I don’t know how much this will turn our season around. I want to stay focused on the present because sometimes our mistake was sometimes setting our expectations too high and we have to stay focused on the next game.”

Leroy Fer believes attack will be the best form of defence for Swansea if they are to get themselves out of relegation danger following an 11^th Premier League defeat of the season.

The Swans were humbled 3-0 at Middlesbrough on Saturday, a disappointing loss against a side considered to be rivals to avoid the drop.

And after punching above their weight in previous Premier League campaigns, Bob Bradley’s side now sit in 19^th place, with only goal difference keeping them off the bottom.

(Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images)

But with fellow strugglers West Ham United and Bournemouth visiting the Liberty Stadium on Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve respectively, there’s no time like the present for an upturn in fortunes.

And Fer, who has six goals for the Welsh club this season, believes a return to their natural game is exactly what’s needed, conceding 12 goals in their last three games while failing to find the net in their last two.

“We have done well at home recently, winning against Crystal Palace and then Sunderland,” he said.

“The two games we have next are going to be vital, and now we have to try to win those.

“If we are going to do it, we have to play our football. That’s what we are good at – playing good football with lots of possession. That’s what we have to try to do again now.”