Scott Murray's Blog, page 106

Southampton 1-2 Burnley: Premier League – as it happened

Matej Vydra came off the bench to win it for Burnley on a stormy afternoon by the Solent

2.43pm GMT

No sign of his opposite number, so that, my good friends, is your lot. Ben Fisher was our man braving the weather down on the south coast. His report has landed, so you know what to do. Click click! Thanks for reading this MBM.

Related: Matej Vydra’s magic moment gives Burnley victory over Southampton

2.41pm GMT

Sean Dyche is very happy. “It was a tough one for sure. They’re in good form and have a lot of energy. They were the better side in the first half. I gave them a reminder at half time of what it takes, and in the second half we had more control. A fantastic finish by Vydra. It’s a squad mentality. He hasn’t had a lot of football, but he’s worked hard, come in today, and got his reward for keeping himself right. A lot of credit goes to these players.”

2.29pm GMT

On this stormy afternoon, a magnificent Matej Vydra thunderbolt knocked the wind out of Southampton’s sail. The home side did nothing after going behind for a second time, and despite Danny Ings’ excellent first-half strike, were beaten fair and square. In-form Burnley move into the top half of the Premier League table; they’re on 34 points, one behind ninth-placed Manchester United. Southampton stay in 13th on 31.

2.25pm GMT

It’s ten points out of the last 12 for Burnley. Saints are booed off.

2.24pm GMT

90 min +3: Vydra takes the ball towards the flag out on the left, and tries to trick Vestrgaard into fouling him. He doesn’t win a free kick, but the clock ticks on.

2.23pm GMT

90 min +2: Four added minutes. The first two whistle by without Saints threatening.

2.22pm GMT

90 min: Saints are leaving all sorts of gaps at the back now, as they chase the equaliser. Hendrick creams a pass towards Vydra, who is free down the middle, but McCarthy comes out of his box to clear. Then the home side go up the other end, Hojbjerg bringing down a left-wing cross, just to the right of the six-yard box. He slaps a shot straight at Pope, though take nothing away from the keeper’s work. He made himself big, and looks to have secured the three points for Burnley.

2.19pm GMT

89 min: Rodriguez rasps a rising shot towards the top right. McCarthy tips it over. Corner. It’s swung towards the back post, but Vydra can’t connect and the pressure’s off the home side.

2.18pm GMT

88 min: Obafemi goes up for a high ball with Bardsley, and leaves an elbow on the Burnley man’s temple. He’s extremely fortunate to get away with just a yellow card. He should be walking.

2.18pm GMT

86 min: Long is replaced by Adams. Saints win a corner and do nothing with it.

2.17pm GMT

85 min: Ralph Hasenhuttl is livid with the no-penalty decision, and he’s got a point. On the one hand, Mee didn’t move his arm towards the ball, in fact he was pulling it away. However, that arm was hanging well wide of the defender’s body. Not a completely natural position. File under: You’ve Seen Them Given. Burnley have got away with one there.

2.14pm GMT

83 min: Stephens channels his inner Beckenbauer and dribbles down the inside-right channel. He reaches the byline and crosses. The ball clatters into Mee’s arm. Saints demand a penalty kick, but there’s a VAR check, and they’re not getting it.

2.12pm GMT

81 min: Djnepo drops a shoulder to make space down the left, but his cross is aimless. Cleared.

2.11pm GMT

79 min: Ings gifts the ball to Vydra in the centre circle. Burnley flood forward. Eventually Taylor is released into acres down the left. He enters the box and fizzes a fine pass along the corridor of uncertainty. But neither Hendrick nor Rodriguez is on the front foot, and a ball that was begging to be poked home flies harmlessly out for a throw. Burnley really should have put Saints out of their misery, but the home side are still in this.

2.09pm GMT

78 min: Armstrong cuts in from the right and has a dig. The shot’s deflected over for a corner, from which the same player shoots, 25 yards out. The effort is as wild as the weather.

2.08pm GMT

77 min: Obafemi makes off down the right and is barged over from behind by Tarkowski. Not for the first time this afternoon, the referee does nowt when he should be whistling like billy-o. He’s been poor today.

2.07pm GMT

75 min: McNeil sprints off down the left. He’s got options in the box, where there are more green shirts than red. But his pullback for Hendrick is dismal, behind the man, and Hendrick can only drag a weak effort goalwards. Rodriguez intercepts and slots home, but he’s clearly miles offside, and the flag goes up. Burnley should have put this game to bed.

2.05pm GMT

74 min: Ings crosses deep from the left. It’s a decent cross, but nobody’s there at the back post. Nobody gambling. Nobody taking a chance. Ings gesticulates at his team-mates accordingly.

2.04pm GMT

73 min: Saints throw on another attacker. Obafemi comes on for Walker-Peters.

2.04pm GMT

72 min: Taylor burns down the left and wins a corner, from which McCarthy flaps thin air. More displeasure in the stands. Then Bardsley has a crack from the best part of 40 yards. Even in these conditions, that was at the very limit of realistic ambition.

2.02pm GMT

70 min: Bardsley nearly feeds Rodriguez down the right. McCarthy comes to the edge of his box to gather, then shanks a clearance straight out of play. The home crowd groan, hoot and holler. They’re not happy with the way Southampton are going about their business right now. They’ve been dismal since conceding the second goal.

1.59pm GMT

68 min: Djenpo concedes possession cheaply in the centre circle. Had Vydra been a little livelier, a break was on, but he dawdles and Saints swarm him to rescue the situation. The home crowd are getting a little antsy.

1.57pm GMT

66 min: Ward-Prowse and Walker-Peters combine down the right again, the latter whipping a low cross into the mixer. Ings is sniffing around, but it’s Tarkowski who is brightest and snuffs out the attack.

1.55pm GMT

64 min: Walker-Peters and Ward-Prowse probe down the right, but can’t find a chink in the Burnley armour. Saints have dominated possession this afternoon, but once again they’re not getting any reward for it. Same old story.

1.54pm GMT

62 min: Saints try to strike back immediately, Bertrand having a dig from 25 yards. It looks as though the shot is deflected behind by Tarkowski, but Saints aren’t getting the corner. On the touchline, with the rain flattening his Conan O’Brien quiff, Ralph Hasenhuttl openly seethes.

1.52pm GMT

What a goal this is! With the rain swirling like mad, Hendrick launches long from the right, finding Vydra on the edge of the Saints box, with his back to goal. He takes two touches to nudge the ball to the left, turns and larrups a stunner into the top left past a sprawling McCarthy. That’s some finish, and out of nothing, Burnley regain the lead.

1.50pm GMT

59 min: McCarthy blooters long. Ings gets the better of Tarkowski down the inside-right channel, but there’s no angle for a shot and his cross is way too high for his partner Long in the centre.

1.48pm GMT

58 min: Latest score: Match 0-1 Storm Dennis. More when we have it.

1.47pm GMT

56 min: Bardsley goes clattering into Djnepo, becoming the latest player to get away with one. The referee’s decisions are becoming positively psychedelic.

1.46pm GMT

54 min: Taylor goes sliding in on Armstrong, out on the right touchline, catching both ball and man. It’s a clear foul, but not given by either lino or ref. The referee is beginning to flirt with Shocker territory.

1.43pm GMT

52 min: Vestergaard, quarterbacking from deep, sprays a stunning diagonal ball towards Ings on the right. Ings can’t bring it down. He’d have been clear. What a pass, though.

1.41pm GMT

50 min: Vydra turns cutely on the byline, just to the left of the Saints box. Stephens trips him clumsily, but gets away with the foul. Vydra is furious, and he’s got every right. He’d have been away.

1.39pm GMT

48 min: Saints establish a modicum of control. They stroke it around the midfield for a while, then Djnepo dribbles down the left and slips a pass inside for Bertrand, who slaps an instant shot into the side netting. He had more time than he thought, and should have done better.

1.38pm GMT

47 min: Hectic nonsense in the early stages of this half, as the teams try to come to terms with the wind again.

1.35pm GMT

Burnley get the second half underway. No changes.

1.24pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. Nick Ames has been poking around Ralph Hasenhuttl’s old gaff. Here’s his report.

Related: RB Leipzig's Emil Forsberg: 'We’re not here to buy Mbappé and Messi. We're here to develop players'

1.20pm GMT

Saints have been the better team, and Danny Ings scored a marvellous goal. But he was also at fault for Burnley’s preposterous opener, so here we are.

1.19pm GMT

45 min +4: The wind is swirling around St Mary’s, and the players are beginning to struggle. Passing sequences at a premium right now. Half time can’t come soon enough.

1.18pm GMT

45 min +2: Ings nearly closes down Pope as the keeper dallies over a launch upfield. Not quite, but full marks for the press.

1.15pm GMT

45 min: There will be five added minutes.

1.14pm GMT

43 min: Mee is booked for his agricultural obstruction of Ings in midfield. No complaints about that one.

1.13pm GMT

42 min: Hojberg sends a diagonal ball into the Burnley box from a deep position on the left. Walker-Peters zips in from the other flank and isn’t far away from getting on the end of the cross, but Pope reads the danger well to claim.

1.11pm GMT

41 min: The rain continues to fall. The wind still blows. The players are trying their best.

1.08pm GMT

39 min: Boufal can’t continue. He limps off and disappears down the tunnel, to be replaced by Djnepo.

1.07pm GMT

37 min: Boufal is down, having tweaked something while sending in that second cross. A shake of the head as he gets some treatment. In the dugout, Ralph Hasenhuttl curses his luck. Boufal has looked very dangerous.

1.06pm GMT

36 min: Boufal dribbles with great purpose down the left, but there’s nobody in the middle to convert his pullback. Boufal tries again with another run, and loops long, but Long’s header at the far stick is soft and easy meat for Pope.

1.04pm GMT

34 min: Westwood slips a cute pass down the middle for Vydra, who should do better with his attempt to poke the ball towards the bottom left. McCarthy gathers with ease.

1.03pm GMT

33 min: So having mentioned how entertaining the match has been, it’s now gone a bit scrappy. Pulitzer, please!

1.02pm GMT

31 min: Now it’s Vydra’s turn to attempt a homage to Bergkamp’s aforementioned goal against Newcastle! There must be something in the air. But Vestergaard stands firm as Vydra traps and spins, and puts an end to the Burnley striker’s ambition.

1.00pm GMT

29 min: Cork comes straight through the back of Ward-Prowse, wrapping his leg around his opponents. That looked painful, though the Saints man isn’t hurt badly. For some reason, the referee doesn’t book Cork; it wouldn’t have been a completely absurd decision to send him off. But it’s just a firm word. Very strange.

12.59pm GMT

28 min: Armstrong chips a pass down the inside-left channel for Boufal, who nearly executes a Bergkampesque trap and spin to free himself in the box. Not quite. The ball runs out of play. But nearly. Boufal was clearly of a mind to replicate this:

12.57pm GMT

26 min: Hendrick is booked for a cynical clip on Boufal’s heel. From the resulting free kick, Ward-Prowse slips Boufal into space down the left. Boufal curls a cross onto the head of Stephens, who rattles the crossbar with a fine header. Burnley escape. This is great to-and-fro entertainment, despite, or perhaps because of, the conditions.

12.55pm GMT

24 min: Saints have done very well to work their way back into this match after that ridiculous start. Especially when you consider what happened to them the last time they played at St Mary’s in a tempest. That Leicester City game must have crossed their minds, albeit briefly. Top marks for mental fortitude.

12.52pm GMT

22 min: Vydra comes on for the stricken Wood.

12.52pm GMT

21 min: Burnley get the game going again, and nearly regain the lead immediately. Bardsley pearls a low diagonal shot from distance on the right. The lurking Rodriguez sticks out a boot, but can’t guide it into the bottom left. The ball flies inches wide.

12.50pm GMT

20 min: The game hasn’t restarted yet, because Wood is down clutching his hamstring. Up he gets, and off he goes, shaking his head. He won’t take any further part in this.

12.49pm GMT

Danny Ings makes up for his role in Burnley’s goal! And how. He snatches onto a loose ball, on the edge of the Burnley D. He shifts it right, taking three Burnley defenders out of the game, and curls a stunning shot into the bottom corner. That’s a delightful finish, the shot set outside the post and curled back in, leaving Pope with no chance.

12.47pm GMT

16 min: Vestergaard is caught faffing around 25 yards from his own goal by Hendrick. Rodriguez nearly makes off with the ball, but loses control. Vestergaard is booked for following through while being robbed by Hendrick.

12.45pm GMT

14 min: The wind is picking up. That’s quite the state of affairs, given that Hojbjerg took a shot earlier that basically took a u-turn in mid-air. This could get interesting.

12.43pm GMT

12 min: A free kick for Burnley out on the right. Hendrick sends a big diagonal towards Tarkowski, who brings the ball down with a deft touch. He’s in space, but slams his cross into the first man. A waste, because Saints’ high line had been busted open and the home defence was all over the shop.

12.41pm GMT

11 min: Burnley’s goal was timed at one minute and 35 seconds. According to BT Sport, it’s their fastest start in an away match in the Premier League. The statistician earning their corn with that one.

12.39pm GMT

9 min: The set piece comes to nothing. But Long’s soon skedaddling down the inside-left channel to win another corner for Saints. That’s a bit of a non-event as well, but this is a decent response to falling behind in farcical circumstances from the home side.

12.37pm GMT

7 min: Armstrong has a dig from 25 yards, just to the right of centre. Tarkowski sticks out a leg to divert away for a corner, Southampton’s first of the match.

12.37pm GMT

5 min: Saints try to hit back quickly, Boufal looping a cross from the right towards Long at the far post. Long heads back across goal, but with Pope out of position, there’s nobody there to poke home.

12.35pm GMT

4 min: What a bizarre cock-up. I have no idea what Ings was doing. A deliberate decision to let the ball past. Did McCarthy give him a shout to leave it. A bum steer? It’s one explanation.

12.33pm GMT

It won’t be easy for Saints, that is. Wood powers his way down the left and wins the first corner of the game. Westwood takes, and curls it towards the near post. Ings is guarding, but decides the ball is hitting the side netting. It’s not, though. Ings opts to let the ball through. In it curls, direct from the corner. Ings puts his head in his hands, as well he might. What a fiasco, and he can’t blame the wind. A huge misjudgement.

12.31pm GMT

And we’re off! Saints get the party started. The conditions are appalling, it’s tipping down, and the wind’s up. The ball is immediately hoicked into the stand. That may or may not be a sign of things to come. It won’t be easy.

12.29pm GMT

The teams are out! Saints are in their famous red and white stripes, while Burnley sport their third-choice evergreen. We’ll be off in a minute. Meanwhile, speaking of jazz-fusion bassist Alphonso Johnson, as we were, sort of, at 12.08pm: “OMG! That is so weird!” begins

Derek Smalls
Colin Young. “I have had that image of Weather Report’s Mysterious Traveller LP cover as my computer desktop image for as long as I have had a computer. Never seen it anywhere else. Nobody I know knows what it is ... so obviously it has to turn up on the Guardian’s football blog for a Saints vs Burnley game. Clearly. But I do agree, ‘Cucumber Slumber’ I mean that bassline, it, erm, blows away (sorry) most other basslines in the world. So obviously this game is going to be a breeze.”

12.20pm GMT

The managers have their say. First up, Ralph Hasenhuttl: “Nathan Redmond has a muscle injury. It’s hard to say how long he will be out. But this is a chance for other players to show up. This is an important game. We lost the first game 3-0 so we want to show we’re better now.”

And then Sean Dyche: “We will find out a bit more about Matt Lowton’s knee injury later this week. But the good news is Charlie Taylor is back from a niggling hamstring. It’s not easy to knock out wins all the time, you’re going to have spells, and it’s about how you come out of them. And we have come out with an edge to our performances, with a little x-factor.”

12.08pm GMT

Weather report:

11.37am GMT

Saints make four changes to the side that went down bravely at Spurs a couple of weeks ago. Alex McCarthy replaces Angus Gunn in goal. Kyle Walker-Peters makes his debut at right back. Jannik Vestergaard and Stuart Armstrong return. Missing out: Jan Bednarek, Oriol Romeu and Nathan Redmond.

Burnley make just the one change to the XI named for the goalless draw with Arsenal. Matt Lowton is replaced by Phil Bardsley.

11.31am GMT

Southampton: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Stephens, Vestergaard, Bertrand, Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Boufal, Long, Ings.
Subs: Adams, Djenepo, Romeu, Obafemi, Smallbone, Gunn, Bednarek.

Burnley: Pope, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Hendrick, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Rodriguez, Wood.
Subs: Brownhill, Brady, Hart, Pieters, Lennon, Vydra, Long.

11.13am GMT

Saints and Burnley don’t put on a show when they get together that often. Their last six meetings have produced a grand total of nine goals, and three of those came in a lopsided 3-0 win for Burnley on the opening day of this season. Needless to say, the goalscorers in that one, Ashley Barnes and Johann Berg Gudmundsson, are missing today.

There’s not a whole load riding on this game, either. It’s true that neither side is totally safe from relegation worry. But it’s also surely the case that, relatively comfy in mid-table and seven clear of the drop zone, both sides are far too good to be seriously concerned about their fate. Saints deserved far more than the square root of eff all they got from recent visits to Anfield and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while Burnley have recently won at Old Trafford. So there’s little jeopardy in this.

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The Fiver | Dan Gosling, Jon Moss and breath-freshening hard candy

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Dan Gosling made his signature contribution to the grand tapestry of football history one evening in 2009, playing for Everton against Liverpool in the FA Cup. As he sent three red shirts the wrong way and curled the ball towards the top corner, ITV infamously cut to an advertisement for Tic Tacs. The nation’s postprandial constitution thus settled by the breath-freshening and indigestion-relieving properties of the popular hard candy, live pictures from Goodison Park were restored and everyone in blue was cavorting about as though something important had happened. Which it had. Oh, and before we forget, other brands of pocket peppermint are available.

Related: Bournemouth contact Premier League over referee Jon Moss's 'sarky' remarks

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The Fiver | Channelling Generation Game era Brucie instead of Michelangelo

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As declines go, Jan Vertonghen’s fall has been swift and vertiginous. Pretty much exactly one year ago, give or take a few days, the big Belgian was single-handedly destroying Borussia Dortmund with a drive and determination that would have made the early-80s Jan Ceulemans look like Kevin Mirallas. Fast forward a few months and he was making half-ar$ed jumps on the edge of his own box as Divock Origi set about bagging up Big Cup. And finally this week we were forced to witness his glum trudging through the slough of despond upon being hooked just after half-time against Southampton in the cup. Oh Jan. Be careful underfoot. Aieee!

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Football transfer rumours: Juventus to join scramble for Lionel Messi?

Today’s talk finds that essence rare

Barcelona want Adama Traoré back. The borderline-unplayable Wolves winger started his career at Camp Nou back in 2013, but the Catalan giants showed no patience whatsoever and now here we all are. Wolves will be reluctant to let him go, but the price tag will be a pretty penny, and at least you can be sure they’ll reinvest the money wisely.

On that subject, Manchester United may soon have £150m burning a hole in their pocket. That’s what they’re asking for Paul Pogba, a price that includes a £30m discount. Neither Real Madrid nor Juventus are biting yet.

Related: Barcelona crisis grows as Athletic Bilbao knock them out of Copa del Rey

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Tottenham 3-2 Southampton: FA Cup fourth-round replay – as it happened

Saints were the better team for 75 minutes, but Spurs came on strong late to book a fifth-round tie with Norwich City

10.08pm GMT

David Hytner was in N17 to see Spurs sneak past Southampton, and keep their dream of a first FA Cup since 1991 alive. Here’s his verdict. Enjoy, enjoy ... and thanks so much for reading this MBM. Congratulations to Tottenham; commiserations to the Saints. Nighty night!

Related: Son steps up to cut down Southampton and fire Tottenham through in FA Cup

10.05pm GMT

A disappointed Ralph Hasenhüttl responds. “The worst thing to happen is to be out of the FA Cup with James Ward-Prowse injured, but it’s good that he has only a cut. That is what I was worried the most about, because that would have had a massive impact. But I can hope that he is not long injured. It is not enough to dominate, we have to use our changes. We stuck to our gameplan, but in the last 15 minutes gave it away too easy. We didn’t defend well. Against such an opponent this is not possible. They showed their quality and we lost the game. It is only about winning and losing, it’s not about getting warm words. We must quickly turn the behaviour of getting the results back, this is what we are playing for. I am not happy.”

10.01pm GMT

Jose, with many perfectly timed pauses, delivers a bravura post-match soliloquy. “I have to be honest. I think the best team lost. The best team on the pitch lost. But the team with more heart ... the team with the players who went to their limits ... the team who had so many difficulties, even to build a team ... the team who, on the bench, had options that were not options to change the game ... even Dele was in so difficult condition ... so my team deserved to win! The best team lost, but my team deserved to win. From the beginning I could feel immediately that the intensity level, conditions and freshness, they were much stronger than us. We tried to organise the team with the players we had available. We tried to build the puzzle, but some pieces were missing. We fought to our limit.” [applause, bouquets]

9.54pm GMT

Here’s the revised fifth-round draw. Ties will be played the week commencing March 2.

9.51pm GMT

As for Saints, who were less than a quarter-of-an-hour away from the fifth round? It’ll hurt for a while, of course. But tonight’s performance was more proof that Ralph Hasenhüttl has Southampton moving in the right direction. They dominated possession for the most part, at the home of last year’s Champions League runners-up, and on another night would be celebrating victory. Spurs needed to dig deep to see them off. Once the pain subsides, they’ll begin to feel good about themselves going forward. Even if their wait for a second FA Cup will stretch to at least 45 years.

9.47pm GMT

Spurs celebrate more in relief than joy. For long stretches tonight, they weren’t very good at all. But they kept battling, and the introduction of Dele Alli brought a little class to their play. He was involved in Lucas Moura’s fine equaliser, then set up Son Heung-min for the winning penalty with a stunning pass. “It says a lot about the character we have in this team,” a content but determined Dele tells BT Sport. “It was such a big game at the weekend [against Manchester City] that you can lose the momentum, and we didn’t play our best. But it takes one little switch, and our second goal did that. I think we deserve a trophy but nobody is going to give it to us. We have to keep this momentum in all competitions, and we need to win something.”

9.42pm GMT

Southampton were the best team for 75 minutes, but Spurs floored the accelerator at the business end of the match and somehow prevailed. A sign that it could be their year? It could be their year, you know. They host Norwich City in the fifth round.

9.40pm GMT

90 min +4: Spurs take their own sweet time over a throw deep in Southampton territory. On the touchline, Mourinho throws frantic semaphore shapes, ordering his charges to keep concentrating. A place in the fifth round, which looked so far away 20 minutes ago, is so close now!

9.38pm GMT

90 min +3: Ings sends a shot screaming over the Spurs bar, but it’s an act of frustration, the offside flag having pinged up seconds before, putting a stop to Southampton’s gallop.

9.37pm GMT

90 min +1: Oh When The Spurs Go Marching In rings around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. For the first time this evening, the home fans are winning the spiritual-off.

9.36pm GMT

90 min: Alli glides down the inside left, thinks about shooting, then tees up Moura, who can’t quite get a shot away. Spurs are suddenly swarming all over Saints. Can the visitors force extra time? They’ve got five extra minutes to find something.

9.35pm GMT

89 min: Breaking clock-management news: Sessegnon is replaced by Sanchez.

9.34pm GMT

Son whip-cracks the penalty into the bottom left, and Spurs get their reward for finally waking up in the last 15 minutes of this match! Saints must wonder what’s happened to them.

9.33pm GMT

86 min: PENALTY FOR SPURS! Fine work by Alli, who slips a diagonal pass in from the right. Son is free, and tries to round Gunn on the penalty spot. He goes left. Gunn sticks out an arm, and down Son goes. There wasn’t much contact, but enough for the referee to point to the spot!

9.32pm GMT

85 min: Adams is booked for a crude bodycheck on Aurier. Saints are rocking. Spurs have enjoyed 68% during the last five minutes.

9.31pm GMT

84 min: Moura’s bustle down the right wins a corner for Spurs. Alderweireld heads it harmlessly over the bar. Spurs have stepped it up in these closing stages, the first time in the evening they’ve looked in control.

9.30pm GMT

83 min: Romeu bumbles into Moura, and is booked for a second foul in 30 seconds. The first, on Son, saw the Spurs striker gesticulating for a card, which was a bit saucy of him. But this is the heat of battle, to be fair, so anything goes.

9.28pm GMT

82 min: This match has descended into high-octane nonsense. Marvellous. Both teams seem hell bent on finding a late winner. The atmosphere crackles accordingly.

9.27pm GMT

81 min: Long has picked up a minor knock and is replaced by Che Adams.

9.25pm GMT

79 min: What a great cup tie this has been. Not entirely sure how Spurs have managed to keep up with Saints, but they’ve stuck at it, despite being second best in midfield all evening.

9.24pm GMT

Out of nowhere, Spurs equalise! Moura and Alli one-two down the middle. Moura takes a touch to the right, sending Vestergaard the wrong way, and whipping a wonderful shot into the bottom left, past the outstretched arm of Gunn. The home fans explode in relief. Hopes of a first FA Cup since 1991 are still alive!

9.22pm GMT

75 min: Redmond skitters down the inside left channel and nearly gets to the ball ahead of Lloris. Redmond goes over, Lloris draws his arm back. No contact, they say, though it wasn’t 100 percent clear. Still, the officials are convinced that it wasn’t a penalty, and in VAR we trust, right kids?

9.20pm GMT

74 min: Saints deserve their lead. They’ve been marvellous. Spurs have been all over the shop, mind, but take nothing away.

9.19pm GMT

A length-of-the-pitch move gives Saints the lead. Redmond races up the right from deep. He cuts inside adroitly, passing Winks with ease, and raking a sensational pass wide left for Ings, who drifts infield past Tanganga and plants a curler into the bottom right! Lloris had no chance. Ings is such a fine striker, though that goal was as much about Redmond.

9.17pm GMT

71 min: Dier takes a speculative whack from distance. It’s deflected out for a corner. Easily cleared. But Spurs come again through Son, who earns another and takes it himself from the left. Gunn comes off his line to punch clear semi-confidently.

9.16pm GMT

70 min: A sore one for Son, as Stephens tries to kick the ball from under the prone striker but catches his arm. Neither referee nor VAR see any foul play, and Son’s quickly up and running again, so all’s well.

9.14pm GMT

68 min: Long whips a cross in from the right. Lloris claims well with Ings lurking. Spurs go up the other end, Aurier sending a ball in from the right. His cross hits Vestergaard’s arm, but the pair were standing right next to each other, and he’ll not be getting the penalty he claims.

9.13pm GMT

67 min: Yep, here comes Armstrong. He replaces Boufal, who has put in a shift, and receives a warm ovation from the travelling Saints fans for his efforts.

9.12pm GMT

66 min: Spurs are struggling to get out of their own half. They’ll not be pleased to see Stuart Armstrong pulling on his boots, a sign that Saints intend to go for this in the final stages. They’ve been well on top pretty much from the get-go.

9.10pm GMT

64 min: Now it’s Alderweireld’s turn to explode in anger, as Redmond wins a corner off him down the right. The defender’s claiming no touch. From the set piece, Vestergaard is found free, six yards out, but heads straight at Lloris, who tips over. Goodness knows what Alderweireld’s mood would be like had Lloris not made that save. The second corner comes to nothing.

9.08pm GMT

62 min: Saints have enjoyed 63% possession since the restart. The home fans don’t sound particularly enamoured with the fare on display, though a goal would of course change everything, if only for a night. “If Messi’s looking for a new challenge may I humbly suggest he gives the Scottish Premiership a go, which is where Dundee United will be playing next season?” Yes, folks, it’s Simon McMahon. “A swap deal with Lawrence Shankland (plus, say, 50 million euros to United) should see a deal completed.”

9.07pm GMT

61 min: Alli replaces Ndombele. Spurs, having made two quickfire changes in midfield, are momentarily all over the shop, allowing Redmond to skitter down the left into a lot of space. He’s got options in the middle, but his cross is too close to Lloris, who gathers.

9.06pm GMT

59 min: Spurs’ new boy Fernandes is booked for a late clip on Boufal, who has diddled him out on the right flank. No complaints. In the dugout, Vertonghen continues to seethe and smoulder like a 1940s movie star.

9.04pm GMT

58 min: ... but Saints aren’t awarded it. Long descends into a wild fury. Spurs tear up the other end, Son seeing a shot deflected wide right for a corner that is given. Happily for the karmic order, nothing comes of the Spurs set piece.

9.03pm GMT

57 min: Stephens finds some space down the right and whips low towards the near post. Long tries to turn the ball goalwards. Alderweireld blocks out for a corner ...

9.02pm GMT

55 min: Moura spins in the midfield, away from Bednarek, who pulls him back. That’s a deserved booking. Meanwhile Vertonghen reaches the dugout, and pointedly looks away as Mourinho gives him a consoling tap on the shoulder. He sits on the bench, chin balanced on fist. A deep funk.

9.00pm GMT

54 min: Spurs make the first tactical change of the evening. Vertonghen is replaced by the new boy Gelson Fernandes. The big defender trudges around the perimeter with head bowed, deep in thought. He’s not happy.

8.58pm GMT

52 min: And now it’s Spurs who pass up a great opportunity to take the lead. Sessegnon rolls a pass down the left, the ball rolling along the white line and somehow staying in play. Son crosses gorgeously towards the far post. Moura has to score, but plants a header wide right from six yards. How on earth is this game still only 1-1?

8.57pm GMT

50 min: Saints should be leading. Ings and Redmond combine crisply down the left. Ings again can’t quite get a shot away, so rolls a pass wide right for Boufal, free in the area! Boufal opens his body and tries to pop a sidefoot into the bottom left, but sends it well wide. Boufal holds his head in his hands, a fine chance spurned.

8.55pm GMT

49 min: The early signs: it’s as-you-were. Saints continue to stroke it around in the midfield, with Spurs often chasing shadows. Redmond rakes a ball down the left for Ings, who can’t quite find the space to shoot. Then Romeu hoicks a cross in from the left, Hojbjerg heading harmlessly over from six yards.

8.53pm GMT

47 min: An update on James Ward-Prowse: he may have suffered knee ligament damage, though it’ll be hard to say for sure until some swelling goes down. Here’s hoping for a positive outcome and a swift recovery; he’s been excellent for Saints this season, and will be sorely missed.

8.51pm GMT

And we’re off again. Spurs get the ball rolling for the second half. You’d expect them to have had the riot act read to them during the break; they had one shot on target during that first half, and that wasn’t even their goal. Let’s see if it’s had any effect.

8.44pm GMT

Half-time paranormal activity. “I was just scanning back through today’s MBM, when your line for the first goal (‘Saints have been the better side, so of course it’s the home side who take the lead’) gave me a sense of deja vu,” writes Sarah Rothwell, and not just because I clumsily used the word ‘side’ twice in the same sentence. “I quickly brought up last Saturday’s Clockwatch and found the following line for Liverpool’s second goal: ‘Southampton have been much the better team, so they probably knew this was coming.’ I’d feel sorry for the Saints if I weren’t such a dyed-in-the-wool Liverpool supporter.”

8.36pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. Some news that may cheer Jose up: Barcelona are in disarray. Sid Lowe has the latest!

Related: The blame game: how Lionel Messi’s patience finally snapped at Barcelona

8.34pm GMT

Saints have been by far the better team. Spurs will be much happier with the scoreline. Mourinho stomps off with not too many cheers ringing in his ears. We could be in for quite the second half ... and perhaps extra-time and penalties to come.

8.33pm GMT

45 min +3: Son and Aurier one-two crisply down the inside-right channel. Both have chances to shoot, but both hesitate, and Bednarek slides in to block and clear. Great defending, ponderous attacking.

8.31pm GMT

45 min +1: In the first of four added minutes, Redmond spins Winks with great ease, 20 yards out, and blazes over the bar.

8.31pm GMT

45 min: And now Son bustles down the middle, but with options at either side and Saints extremely light at the back, the striker loses control and there goes the chance to set someone clear. So much for waiting for the half-time whistle, eh. Pulitzer, please!

8.30pm GMT

44 min: Actually, scrub that. First Bertrand powers down the left to win a Saints corner. Then from the set piece, Spurs break upfield, Moura nearly wriggling his way clear on the left.

8.28pm GMT

42 min: That unpleasant accident has understandably taken the wind out of Southampton’s sail, and most of the energy from what had been a very entertaining, if slightly lop-sided, game. Both sides could probably do with hearing the half-time whistle.

8.26pm GMT

40 min: Poor Ward-Prowse is taken off on a stretcher. It might be an injury to his right knee, his leg planted upon taking a kick. Sessegnon looks concerned and not a little shaken; the incident certainly looked accidental. Vestergaard comes on to replace the stricken Saint. God speed, James Ward-Prowse.

8.24pm GMT

38 min: Uh-oh, this doesn’t look good. Sessegnon and Ward-Prowse come together out on the Saints right. It’s a 50-50 ball. At first glance, it looked like a kick on the shin, no more, but it might be worse than that, sadly. Ward-Prowse holds his head and he’s in some distress. The oxygen mask comes out as his team-mates comfort him. Fingers crossed this looks worse than it is.

8.22pm GMT

36 min: On the touchline, Mourinho frowns and pouts, harrumphs and emotes. And no wonder. Saints have made 209 passes to the home side’s 102. His side have been very much second best.

8.20pm GMT

This is no more than Saints deserve. Boufal slips Redmond into space down the inside right. Redmond looks to have made the wrong choice, spinning to his right, away from goal, seemingly the wrong way. But he turns and threads a shot towards the bottom left. Lloris parries weakly, into the path of Long, who makes no mistake from six yards.

8.18pm GMT

32 min: Moura romps down the left, checks, then u-turns and nearly breaks clear into the Saints box. He’s crowded out by three Saints players, but it’s a fine run that almost bears fruit.

8.16pm GMT

30 min: Aurier creams a lovely pass down the right for Son, who can’t turn Bertrand as he enters the box. Saints clear, but for a split second there it looked as though Spurs had opened them up. A better period for the home side.

8.14pm GMT

29 min: Boufal and Bertrand combine nicely down the left, the latter whipping a low ball towards the near post. Ings attempts to trap and turn past Tanganga by the near post, but the full-back is wise to the grift and holds his ground before shepherding both ball and Ings out of play.

8.13pm GMT

28 min: Even so, Spurs look dangerous when they do piece an attack together. Moura zips down the left, twisting, turning and nearly earning space to shoot. He settles for a corner, from which very little occurs.

8.12pm GMT

26 min: Corner for Saints down the right, Ward-Prowse swinging a low cross in that Vertonghen is forced to slice clear. Ward-Prowse gets two goes at delivering the corner, but neither effort is all that. But Spurs continue to look second best, and Ward-Prowse is usually the thorn in their side.

8.10pm GMT

24 min: Spurs are struggling to string more than a couple of passes together. The home support has been pretty quiet from the get-go, one obvious moment apart. The travelling fans currently in better voice, winning the battle of the US spiritual both claim as their own.

8.08pm GMT

22 min: Saints are stroking the ball around delightfully. A PlayStation move involving Ward-Prowse, Boufal and Ings nearly comes off down the right. Not quite. The admittedly important matter of the scoreline apart, they’ll be very pleased with their performance so far. They’ve been the better team.

8.06pm GMT

20 min: Redmond sends a low drive towards the bottom right from 20 yards. Lloris parries, and is pretty fortunate not to tee up the lurking Ings. Spurs get away with it again. Not entirely sure how they’re leading, but here we are.

8.05pm GMT

19 min: Southampton hit the crossbar! Ward-Prowse exchanges passes with Hojbjerg out on the right, and curls a glorious defence-splitting pass down the line. Ings is clear, and enters the box. Lloris hesitates, and Ings must surely score. He gets the ball past the keeper, but with far too much force, leaning back and blootering it off the bar. The ball twangs miles back upfield. Ings will consider that a bad miss.

8.03pm GMT

17 min: Another cute Ndombele spin. His dragback foxes Romeu, who might have gone in the book for his clumsy clatter had there been a few more minutes on the clock. But it’s still early enough, and we all play on.

8.01pm GMT

16 min: Saints continue to enjoy the lion’s share of possession. Spurs seem quite happy to sit back and see what they can do on the break. And it’s working so far. Textbook Joseball.

8.00pm GMT

14 min: A bit of space for Long down the inside-left channel. He cushions a pass back to Ings, who has plenty of space and time to size up a shot from distance. But the flag goes up for offside, Long the transgressor, and there goes a chance for Saints to hit back immediately.

7.58pm GMT

Saints have been the better side, so of course it’s the home side who take the lead. Winks hooks a ball down the inside-left channel for Sessegnon, who can’t get a shot away. The ball breaks back to Ndombele, who whacks a first-time shot goalwards. It’s heading wide left, but cannons off Stephens and into the bottom right, an outrageous deflection that wrong-foots Gunn.

7.55pm GMT

10 min: Redmond skitters down the inside left and enters the Spurs box, using Vertonghen as a shield and sending a shot towards the bottom left. Lloris, partially unsighted, does very well to hack clear with his legs. Spurs are living dangerously.

7.55pm GMT

9 min: Saints continue to stroke it around. Spurs eventually break up their pretty midfield patterns, Moura tearing down the middle and slipping the ball wide right for Aurier, but the Spurs wing-back is forced to turn tail. Saints held their shape very nicely.

7.53pm GMT

7 min: Boufal turns on the burners and blazes down the left. He eases past Tanganga, as if the young full-back wasn’t there, and fizzes a stunning low cross through the six-yard box. Long hopes to toe-poke home, but Lloris diverts it out for a corner with a crucial fingertip. The resulting set piece comes to nothing, but Saints could easily have had a couple of goals already. The home fans have fallen a little quiet as a result.

7.50pm GMT

5 min: And now it’s Southampton’s turn to have a whack on goal. Romeu drifts down the inside left and rakes a diagonal pass towards the in-form Ings, who takes a touch inside, bypassing Alderweireld, but sending a weak volley down the throat of Lloris. Somewhere, in a parallel universe with better finishing, it’s 1-1.

7.49pm GMT

3 min: Saints ping it around in a confident style, befitting a team with such a good record on the road. But then the play’s broken up, and Son chases after a long pass down the Spurs left. He cuts into the area but can’t work space for a shot. He pulls back for Sessegnon, who sidefoots lamely towards Gunn. A nice open start to the match.

7.47pm GMT

2 min: Sessegnon passes in from the left for Ndombele, who spins away from trouble and into acres of space. A lovely pirouette. But he can’t find Son with a pass down the inside-right channel. Saints clear their lines.

7.45pm GMT

And we’re off! Saints, who have won four of their last five away matches, get the party started. Spurs have won their last seven home FA Cup ties. Within nine seconds, Stephens has launched the ball long and out of play for a goal kick.

7.43pm GMT

The teams are out! A rare old atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the players take to the pitch. Spurs fans are looking to scratch a 29-year itch in this competition; Saints supporters have been waiting 44 years for the soothing balm of Wembley victory. Both sets giving it plenty accordingly. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.29pm GMT

And now a word from Mourinho’s opposite number, Ralph Hasenhüttl: “We play against a very, very strong side. The Liverpool game was an important experience for us, and in the end the result was not a surprise. But it was an important experience. We have won the FA Cup once, so we are focused on this competition. It is an important signal to show how far we are in our development, because to win here, and go to the next round, will not be so easy. So it will be a massive signal and we want to win.”

7.26pm GMT

Here’s Jose! “We have the happiness of the victory over Manchester City, but also the consequences. We have injured players, we are very short of attacking options. I look forward to the game. It is a good opportunity for Eric Dier, who is working so hard to get back to the team, but has not had many opportunities to play. And Tanguy Ndombele, let’s see him finally start after his difficult period. Ryan Sessegnon is a kid who I am always happy to give an opportunity to.”

7.19pm GMT

EXCLUSIVE BREAKING NEWS: Spurs will be playing in white shirts tonight. Yes, it’s a fairly transparent excuse to whack up some pictures of classic kit of yore. Here are Tottenham in their double-winning glory, glory days.

6.58pm GMT

A bonus sprinkling of team news, because the FA Cup is special, isn’t it. Giovani Lo Celso misses out through injury, as does Erik Lamela. Dele Alli was only fit enough for the bench after picking up a knock at the weekend. Stuart Armstrong wasn’t expected to make it at all, thanks to a hip problem, but like Dele he’s in the dugouts tonight.

6.55pm GMT

Tottenham make four changes to the team selected for the original tie at St Mary’s. Jan Vertonghen, Eric Dier, Tanguy Ndombele and Ryan Sessegnon are in; Dele Alli, Davison Sanchez and Gedson Fernandes drop to the bench, while Giovani Lo Celso misses out altogether.

Saints make three changes to the side named for that match. Oriol Romeu, Sofiane Boufal and Shane Long step up; Stuart Armstrong and Michael Obafemi drop to the bench, while Kevin Danso is left out altogether.

6.47pm GMT

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Aurier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Tanganga, Dier, Winks, Ndombele, Sessegnon, Lucas, Son.
Subs: Gazzaniga, Sanchez, Cirkin, Skipp, Gedson, Dele, Parrott.

Southampton: Gunn, Ward-Prowse, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand, Hojbjerg, Romeu, Boufal, Redmond, Ings, Long.
Subs: Lewis, Vokins, Vestergaard, Smallbone, Armstrong, Obafemi, Adams.

3.07pm GMT

Since Southampton returned to the Premier League in 2012, they haven’t enjoyed travelling to Tottenham Hotspur very much. There have been eight matches between the clubs in N17, and Spurs have won seven of them. If this recent history is any guide, then tonight’s FA Cup fourth-round replay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a shoo-in for the eponymous hosts.

But not all recent history is against the Saints. Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side may have depended on a late Sofiane Boufal equaliser at St Mary’s to force this replay, but they beat Jose Mourinho’s men down by the Solent in the league on New Year’s Day. They asked Spurs a few questions in defeat here back in September. And they’ve scored in each of their last ten matches against Spurs. The top-line stats may not make for great reading for today’s visitors, but all is not yet lost.

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The Fiver | Jets of steam parping from ears already warmed by Andy Robertson

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What left is there to say about Lionel Messi? Commonly regarded as the second-best player in the Spanish league between 2009 and 2018, the popular 2019 Big Cup semi-finalist has also forged a half-decent international career, albeit a demonstrably less successful one than the likes of, say, two-time Copa América winner Gary Medel, for example, or the members of Portugal’s Euro 2016 squad. But we digress. This guy’s good!

Related: Barcelona in meltdown after Lionel Messi hits back at Eric Abidal

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Manchester United 0-0 Wolves: Premier League – as it happened

Bruno Fernandes and Daniel Podence made their debuts for their respective clubs, on an otherwise uneventful evening at Old Trafford

7.49pm GMT

Jamie Jackson was our man at Old Trafford. Here’s his take on a frustrating night for the hosts. Thanks for reading this MBM!

Related: Bruno Fernandes’ debut for Manchester United ends in frustration against Wolves

7.37pm GMT

Ruben Neves has been named man of the match. “To be honest we wanted to win. But when you come to Old Trafford and you get a draw, it’s always good. We are now looking forward to the next one. We have a week to prepare ourselves, and then we go again. We did well. They had some chances at the end of the game but that is normal, they were at home. But we controlled it, and it’s a fair result, a good game. I know Bruno Fernandes really well, he’s at a great club in a fantastic league, and now he can show what he can do. He is a great player and I’m really happy for him.”

7.31pm GMT

The big plus point for United: Bruno Fernandes performed well, even if he faded a little in the second half. Some crisp passing, a couple of shots in anger, and a little promise of some much-needed penetration, even if things didn’t quite come off tonight. Wolves will be happy with their new signing, too. Daniel Podence was a busy nuisance upon his late introduction. He looks a handful. A good evening for Portugal.

7.27pm GMT

At The End Of The Day dept. Sheffield United, who won 1-0 at Crystal Palace earlier, are in fifth spot on 36 points, five shy of fourth-placed Chelsea, who could only draw at Leicester this lunchtime. Both Manchester United and Wolves had the opportunity to leapfrog the Blades into fifth with a win, but that goalless draw leaves them sixth and seventh respectively, both on 35 points. Tottenham, in eighth, will attempt to hoist themselves up to fifth tomorrow, a feat they’ll manage if they beat Manchester City.

7.23pm GMT

Neither side deserved to win that, so here we are. Fair’s fair.

7.22pm GMT

90 min +4: Wan-Bissaka burns down the right and, upon reaching the byline, loops a fine cross into the centre. Dalot stoops on the edge of the six-yard box and is inches away from guiding a header into the bottom right. So close to nicking all three points at the end!

7.21pm GMT

90 min +3: Wolves pin United back in their final third. Time ticks on.

7.21pm GMT

90 min +2: United press. Wolves intercept and break. Podence slips a pass wide right for Neto, who enters the box and returns the ball. Podence spins on the spot but can’t get a shot away. Podence has looked very impressive in his short cameo. Busy, direct, decisive and skilful.

7.19pm GMT

90 min +1: Jimenez is replaced by Dendoncker. He takes his own sweet time to depart, and is momentarily helped on his way by Shaw’s little shove. An opportunity to pause and take umbrage, before continuing on his meander towards the bench.

7.18pm GMT

90 min: United are pressing Wolves back. They’re not finding any gaps, though. There will be four added minutes.

7.17pm GMT

89 min: Neto threatens to counter down the right. Wan-Bissaka comes across and stops him with a perfectly timed tackle. United were otherwise in a world of trouble.

7.16pm GMT

88 min: Before the corner is taken, James and Mata are replaced by Lingard and Dalot. Then there’s a game of head tennis in the Wolves box. Wolves eventually clear.

7.15pm GMT

87 min: Neto clumsily brings down Shaw, who was going nowhere on the left. Suddenly this is a free kick in a very dangerous position. A big moment coming up in the race for fourth place. Martial hooks it long. Maguire tries to force home at the far post, but has to settle for a corner.

7.13pm GMT

85 min: Neves finds the busy Podence down the right. Podence crosses towards Doherty at the near post. Maguire is forced to come across and block out for a corner. From the set piece, Saiss heads the ball against Maguire, and it pings clear. Moutinho hoicks it straight back in, and Jimenez is free, one on one! De Gea saves brilliantly, though, and the flag goes up for offside anyway.

7.12pm GMT

84 min: Podence prepares to zip up the right wing, and is unceremoniously brought down by Shaw, who scythes him from behind. A no-brainer booking.

7.11pm GMT

83 min: Fernandes puts Shaw in all sorts of trouble with an overly ambitious crossfield pass deep in his own territory. Shaw does extremely well to ride a 51-49 challenge with Moutinho and clear.

7.10pm GMT

82 min: Now it’s Wolves’ turn to overthink a corner. There’s something to be said for occasionally putting it straight in the mixer.

7.09pm GMT

81 min: A corner for United out on the right. Fernandes and Mata confuse each other, allowing Neto to tear up the other end. He feeds Jimenez, who earns a corner off Wan-Bissaka.

7.08pm GMT

79 min: A nightmare minute for Lindelof nearly results in a goal. First he’s booked for hauling back Doherty on the left. Then from the resulting free kick, he’s beaten in the air by Saiss, who really should get his header on target from six yards. But no. It sails harmlessly over the bar.

7.07pm GMT

78 min: Greenwood cuts in from the right and shoots. A double deflection nearly foxes Rui Patricio, but the keeper readjusts just in time.

7.06pm GMT

76 min: Traore gets up and departs, to be replaced by Podence. The home fans didn’t appreciate that break in play, and you can’t really blame them. Do they rock up for work half-dressed, wearing only string vest and pants? (We do on the MBM, admittedly, but you get the point.)

7.04pm GMT

75 min: Traore is again in some discomfort, this time gripping his left ankle. He limps off, ready to be replaced by the new man Podence. But the new Wolves winger isn’t ready, so Traore goes down, buying his team-mate time to tape up his shinpads and pull on his shirt.

7.01pm GMT

73 min: Moutinho, out on the left, tries a curler towards the top right. Nope.

7.00pm GMT

72 min: Pereira, on the left-hand edge of the box, latches onto a deflected Shaw pass and curls a low shot straight down Rui Patricio’s throat. It’s his only real contribution so far, and it’s also his last of the evening. He’s replaced by Greenwood.

6.59pm GMT

71 min: Moutinho is booked for a cynical move-jiggering handball in midfield.

6.58pm GMT

70 min: The resulting corner, taken after Wolves replace Jota with Neto, is no good at all.

6.58pm GMT

69 min: Traore bursts down the middle from deep. He slips the ball wide right for Jimenez, who nips past a wrong-footed Maguire and sprints down the channel. He enters the box and lashes a riser towards the top right from a tight angle. It’s a great effort, and met with an equally impressive save by de Gea, who tips over.

6.56pm GMT

68 min: Fernandes sends a bouncer goalwards. It’s easy meat for Rui Patricio, but the keeper takes his eye off the ball as he gathers, and nearly spills it into the bottom left. The ball squirts inches wide, and the resulting corner comes to nothing. That would have been a farcical way for United’s new boy to score his first goal for the club, not that he’d have complained on aesthetic grounds.

6.55pm GMT

66 min: Fred shoots from distance. The shot hits Moutinho, and United want a penalty for hand ball. They’re not getting one. Wolves tear up the other end, Traore and Jota nearly making hay on the break. Neither can work the proper space for a shot.

6.53pm GMT

65 min: This has got extremely scrappy. As things stand, it’ll be a good result for Sheffield United, who leapfrogged both sides into fifth earlier today after beating Crystal Palace. The Blades will stay there if nobody here finds a winner.

6.51pm GMT

64 min: Wolves boss Nuno is booked for showing too much displeasure at the award of a free kick to his own team, Traore having been in a position to take advantage.

6.50pm GMT

62 min: United continue to do not very much. A nice ball into the box from the right by the new boy Fernandes, but there’s nobody in the middle making a run to meet it. “United’s fans on the edge here,” suggests Stephen Carr. “We’re not quite at the ‘Hodgson at Liverpool’ stage but we’re not a million miles away either. It’s only Solksjaer preventing it from happening.”

6.48pm GMT

60 min: Wan-Bissaka drops a shoulder to make ground down the inside-right channel. He slips a little pass infield for Mata, who whistles a low shot roughly one inch wide of the right-hand post. So close to the opener.

6.47pm GMT

59 min: James zips down the right and sends a deflected shot towards Rui Patricio.

6.46pm GMT

58 min: Fernandes whips the free kick over the wall and towards the top left. It’s got power and swerve, but Rui Patricio is right behind it. Still, United fans seem to like what they’ve seen from their new signing so far. He’s certainly felt like a genuine threat, and always involved in the play.

6.45pm GMT

57 min: Mata has space to shoot from distance. His effort is easily blocked, but Neves comes sliding in and upends him, earning a booking and gifting United a free kick in a central position, 25 yards out. Fred and Fernandes stand over it.

6.43pm GMT

55 min: A debut booking for Bruno Fernandes, as Jimenez spins past Fred on the right and sashays infield. There are options for him ahead, so Fernandes tugs him back in the cynical style. He doesn’t bother complaining about it.

6.42pm GMT

53 min: Suddenly Jota bursts down the inside left, a stunning dribble that only ends when he loses his footing, six yards from goal. He was preparing to poke home, but the presence of Maguire and Wan-Bissaka was enough to put him off. Wolves claim for a penalty for this one as well, but again, it’s a big resounding NAH from the ref.

6.40pm GMT

52 min: United are struggling to retain possession. The home fans are getting ever more pensive.

6.39pm GMT

50 min: Neves and Jimenez combine down the middle, a couple of simple passes nearly opening United right up. Wan-Bissaka does extremely well to get in the way and deny Jimenez the chance to shoot, though the ball does rear up and hit his hand. Wolves scream for a penalty, but the ref’s not interested, and no wonder: Wan-Bissaka was trailing his arm behind and didn’t have a clue where the ball was.

6.37pm GMT

49 min: Boly high-kicks Martial out on the left, and this is a chance for United to load the box. Fred takes the free kick ... but it’s pretty aimless and easily cleared by the visitors. The away fans are making the most noise right now, though that particular bar is low. To be fair, neither team has done much to excite the crowd.

6.35pm GMT

47 min: United pass it around awhile. Martial feeds Wan-Bissaka down the right. The full back’s cross is no good. He has another run. He trundles the ball out of play.

6.33pm GMT

United get the second half underway. Some good news for Wolves: Traore is back out, sore shoulder and all. No changes.

6.21pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. At last! It’s the 1949 show! Courtesy of Nigel Moore.

6.17pm GMT

Nothing much happens in them, and that’s a wrap for the first half. Neither team have seriously looked like scoring. Improvements, please!

6.16pm GMT

45 min: Eventually Traore is back up and running, though they’ll be sure to run the rule over him during the break. That’s coming along after two extra minutes.

6.15pm GMT

44 min: Maguire pulls back Traore’s left arm, both hands on. It’s a garden-variety tussle, but Traore’s felt that, gesticulating towards his occasionally troublesome shoulder and wincing with pain. The physio comes on. Traore doesn’t look comfortable.

6.13pm GMT

42 min: Wan-Bissaka accidentally stands on Moutinho’s foot. VAR checks, but it’s nothing more than a foul. Poor old Moutinho has been in the wars this evening. He’ll be fine to continue, again.

6.10pm GMT

40 min: This is better, though, as Shaw bursts down the left and pulls one back for Fernandes, who pearls a rising shot goalwards from the edge of the box. But it’s straight at Rui Patricio, who gathers.

6.09pm GMT

39 min: James threatens to break clear down the inside left but stumbles just before he reaches the box. United keep hold of possession, they pass and probe, but can’t work a way through. A few grumbles from the faithful.

6.07pm GMT

37 min: United are struggling to make any space whatsoever in the Wolves final third. The visitors are happy to sit back and wait for each move’s inevitable breakdown.

6.06pm GMT

35 min: Jonny and Jota work the ball well down the left. Jota then glides infield and switches play towards Traore, who bombs into the box from the right and slaps a wild shot wide right. He should have done much better. A suddenly worried Old Trafford had been waiting for the net to ripple.

6.04pm GMT

34 min: Jimenez is sent scampering clear down the right. United are light in defence, and are very pleased to see Jonny flagged offside. The hosts are looking the most likely to score.

6.03pm GMT

33 min: Fernandes takes his first shot in anger in a United shirt. He screws it harmlessly wide right from distance. Rui Patricio had it covered all the way. United have yet to make the Wolves keeper work.

6.02pm GMT

32 min: It’s high-octane stuff, this. But my word, it’s scrappy. Both teams seem stuck in Counter Mode, and all the moves are breaking down in short order.

6.01pm GMT

30 min: A free kick down the other end, Pereira needlessly bowling Jota to the ground, 25 yards out. Neves tries to show Fernandes how to do it. He doesn’t, though. The ball sails deep into the Stretford End.

5.59pm GMT

29 min: Fernandes sends the ball in the general direction of the far post, but hoicks it harmlessly out for a goal kick. Onwards and upwards. “What a waste of money,” trill the Wolves supporters, earning a perfect 10 for both comic timing and predictability.

5.58pm GMT

28 min: But suddenly James slips a pass down the inside right for Martial, who spins adroitly and draws a foul from Saiss. This is a free kick in a dangerous position, 30 yards out, just to the right of goal. A chance for Fernandes to showcase his dead-ball skills.

5.57pm GMT

27 min: United stroke it around for a bit, but don’t really go anywhere. Wolves are happy to sit back and see what the hosts can do. At the minute, that’s not very much.

5.56pm GMT

25 min: Maguire, buoyed by his howitzer at Tranmere, has another pot from distance. He shanks it miles wide right. Still, buying lottery tickets, all that.

5.55pm GMT

24 min: Neves rakes a ball down the right for Traore, who slips. The crowd cheer and jeer. Traore simply gets up and starts tormenting Shaw, hooking a long cross towards Jota, who should do much better at the far post than chesting down and launching it straight back at Traore and out of play. United are giving Traore too much time, and asking for trouble.

5.53pm GMT

22 min: United are passing it around at a notably faster pace than of late. Fernandes and Mata very much at the heart of it. They push Wolves back. But then Neves, Jimenez and Doherty combine deliciously, long-pass one-twos opening United up down the right. Doherty can’t find anyone with his cross, but Wolves don’t half play some pretty football at times.

5.50pm GMT

20 min: This one’s hit long. Doherty rises mighty high, looping a header towards the top right. It’s dropping in, and de Gea does extremely well to claw it out. The flag then goes up, fingering some offside lurkers.

5.49pm GMT

19 min: Traore wins a Wolves corner on the right. Fred hacks it clear. Neves whacks it back in. Moutinho wins another corner on the same side.

5.48pm GMT

18 min: Martial scampers down the inside left after a sliderule pass by Fernandes. He earns himself a corner. The set piece itself isn’t much to write home about, but Fernandes and Mata combine well down the left as United come again, crisp passes that eventually tee up Pereira, who slices a shot from the edge of the box wide left. Promising early signs from United’s new midfielder. He’s clipping it around nicely.

5.46pm GMT

16 min: Good news for Wolves. Moutinho is back up and about after running repairs by the physio.

5.45pm GMT

15 min: Moutinho is down, having come off worse in a 50-50 duel with Fernandes. Has he pulled a muscle? He’s certainly holding his hamstring and grimacing quite a lot.

5.44pm GMT

13 min: Traore flies past Maguire down the right with ease. He reaches the byline and cuts the ball back. Jimenez can’t quite connect with a diving header. Say what you like about Maguire’s lack of pace, but Traore’s speed from a standing start is unreal.

5.41pm GMT

11 min: Martial has a wee look down the right. Nothing doing. United haven’t got going as an attacking force yet.

5.39pm GMT

9 min: Jota drifts down the left, cuts inside, and very nearly finds Jimenez free in the box with a simple pass. Lindelof, the only United defender in the same postcode, steps across to clear. Wolves are having the better of these early exchanges.

5.38pm GMT

7 min: Fred’s miserable midfield pass is intercepted by Neves, who shuttles the ball forward for Jimenez. It’s then sent down the inside-right channel for Traore to chase, but Shaw cleverly/cynically brushes him to knock the lightning winger off his rhythm. Lindelof mops up.

5.35pm GMT

5 min: The resulting corner is missed by a combination of Shaw, Lindelof and Maguire. The ball breaks to Saiss on the penalty spot. He’s facing the wrong way, though, and after spinning he lashes harmlessly over the bar.

5.34pm GMT

4 min: The resulting free kick is a non event. But Wolves come back at United, Traore exploding form a standing start down the right and hooking into the box. Lindelof is forced to hysterically slice a clearance into the stand behind.

5.33pm GMT

3 min: Space for Jonny and Jota out on the left. Jota looks to roll Pereira, and is held back by the United midfielder. A free kick out on the left. Everybody congregates on the edge of the United box.

5.32pm GMT

2 min: It’s all a bit hectic. United are seeing more of the ball, but Wolves aren’t letting them do much with it.

5.31pm GMT

39 seconds: Another huge cheer as Fernandes takes his first touch in a United shirt.

5.30pm GMT

Here we go, then! The visitors get the Saturday teatime match underway, after a huge welcoming cheer for the new boy Fernandes.

5.27pm GMT

The teams are out! A fine afternoon-spent-in-the-public-bar atmosphere at Old Trafford. Manchester United are in their famous red shirts, wearing black armbands in remembrance of the Babes. Wolves sport their storied old gold ... but only on the trim of their black change shirts. We’ll be off in a minute or two. Don’t move!

5.18pm GMT

Nuno Espirito Santo on the return of Willy Boly. “It is good. He’s a good player. We dealt with his absence well, but today he’s ready to go. Jota and Neto are both well, both give us different things, so it’s a good option, it’s about the idea we have for the games. We have to be organised, we have to play a very good team, we have to play very well. We compete against everybody, it’s about us trying to do the things we have planned. Daniel Podence is ready to go.”

5.13pm GMT

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on his two new signings. “There have been loads of fans waiting for Bruno Fernandes to come, and the player himself has been a very good influence since he’s come. Of course it’s been a few hectic days for him, but the boost of him being around has been good for everyone. He’s ready to go, he wants to play, and we need some fresh legs. We’ve had 18 games in the last two months, it’s been a big demand for these boys. In Odion Ighalo we’ll get a proper man, a great lad, a good goalscorer. It’s not long ago he was top scorer in the African Nations Cup. I know him from way back in Norway, and he gives us a different option, so I’m delighted that he wanted to come for a few months. It’s great to have him around, and I know he’s a Man United fan.”

5.06pm GMT

The Busby Babes. Supporters have this afternoon attended a memorial service for the legendary Babes, forever young after perishing at Munich in 1958. This is the nearest home match to the 6 February anniversary, and it’s apt that Wolves are the visitors today, for the Babes had been travelling home to welcome Stan Cullis’s side to Old Trafford for a title summit meeting two days later. It would have been a must-win for United, with Wolves firmly in control of the First Division that season. When the rescheduled game was eventually played, a makeshift, threadbare United lost 4-0 to the champions-elect. The result that day was less significant than the bittersweet return to the team of survivor Dennis Violett.

4.42pm GMT

Manchester United hand a debut to their new £47m midfield maestro Bruno Fernandes. He’s one of four changes to the team that won at the Etihad on Wednesday night. In come Daniel James, Juan Mata and Andreas Pereira; out go Brandon Williams, Jesse Lingard, Mason Greenwood and the suspended Nemanja Matic.

Wolves make two changes to the side that lost at home to Liverpool nine days ago. Willy Boly and Diogo Jota take the places of Pedro Neto and Leander Dendoncker. Their new winger Daniel Podence is named as a sub.

4.33pm GMT

Manchester United: de Gea, Wan Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Bruno Fernandes, Fred, James, Mata, Andreas Pereira, Martial.
Subs: Jones, Lingard, Dalot, Romero, Greenwood, Chong, Williams.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Rui Patricio, Coady, Boly, Saiss, Doherty, Joao Moutinho, Neves, Jonny, Traore, Jimenez, Jota.
Subs: Bruno Jordao, Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence, Gibbs-White, Ruddy, Dendoncker, Kilman.

5.00pm GMT

Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, two names blessed with that incandescent wow and sparkle of old-school glamour. It’s all about the 1950s, really, both sides florescent under the floodlights, opening our hearts and minds to Europe. Sigh.

In an ideal world, this fixture would be live on ...

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Leicester City 2-2 Chelsea: Premier League – as it happened

Antonio Rüdiger scored two sumptuous headers to earn a point for Frank Lampard’s side at the King Power Stadium

2.52pm GMT

So that’s your lot. Paul Doyle was our man at the King Power, and his verdict has landed. You can enjoy that by following the information superhighway hotlink below. Thanks for reading this MBM!

Related: Chelsea’s Antonio Rüdiger scores twice to earn draw with Leicester City

2.51pm GMT

A slightly frustrated Brendan Rodgers adds: “We should win the game. We’ve conceded two disappointing goals. I thought the players overall showed a really good mentality and created enough clear-cut chances to win the game. But we’re a little frustrated that we couldn’t win it. I thought Chelsea started better but we worked our way into the game. The mentality to come back and get in front was very good. It was important that we didn’t lose today, to keep the advantage over Chelsea is important. But it’s still all to play for. We’ll see where we’re at with ten teams to go. For us to be in this position, the players have been fantastic but we have to stay focused.”

2.45pm GMT

A reasonably content Frank Lampard speaks. “I thought it was a pretty even game. We were the better team in the first half. In the second half we weren’t so fluid and they had some clear chances. We have worked in training to get more goals from set pieces, so to get two was pleasing. I thought Willy Caballero’s performance was good. We were underdogs for top four at the start of the season. We’ve got a well-fought draw at Leicester and we move on.”

2.39pm GMT

The essence of a chat with Antonio Rudiger, who has deservedly won the man-of-the-match award for his two-goal antics. He’s happy, as you can imagine, and he’s having no truck with that late penalty shout. “The ball touched my hand, but it was not my intention to touch it.”

2.30pm GMT

On the other hand, Chelsea may be happy enough with a point at the home of a very fine team. Leicester are now on 49 points, two shy of Manchester City in second and eight clear of Chelsea, who are fourth with 41. Still, the draw means the chasing pack can close the gap: Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, currently on 34 points, can get to within four of Chelsea if they win tonight’s showdown at Old Trafford. Tottenham can do likewise if they take down the champions tomorrow afternoon. Fascinating, right?

2.25pm GMT

Great second-half entertainment and a fair result. A result that’s better for Leicester, comfortable in third, than Chelsea, looking over their shoulder in fourth.

2.24pm GMT

90 min +5: Barnes skedaddles down the left and cuts inside. He crosses in the hope of finding Maddison in the middle. The ball pings off Rudiger’s hand. Leicester want a penalty. Rudiger’s hand was behind his back, and there was a little movement, but not enough to interest the referee or your pal and mine, Mr VAR.

2.21pm GMT

90 min +3: Evans picks up a yellow for a garden-variety clatter.

2.20pm GMT

90 min +2: A break in play as Evans goes down with cramp. He’s put in quite a shift, to be fair.

2.19pm GMT

90 min +1: Iheanacho nearly finds Perez down the right, but the pass doesn’t stick. Had it done so, Chelsea were in a bit of trouble at the back.

2.19pm GMT

90 min: There will be five minutes of added time. More than enough for somebody to find a goal that could shape the rest of their season.

2.18pm GMT

89 min: Barnes nearly breaks clear down the left but is forced to turn tail. The tension is palpable as both teams probe for a winner.

2.17pm GMT

87 min: A Kante dribble down the right earns Chelsea a corner. Rudiger rises in the hope of completing what would be a fairly unexpected hat-trick, to say the least. But he can’t get a third header away.

2.15pm GMT

86 min: Hudson-Odoi is good to continue. If the glance he’s just shot Chilwell is anything to go by, he’s not convinced by the accidental nature of the challenge.

2.14pm GMT

85 min: Hudson-Odoi has taken a whack upside the head, in an accidental collision with Chilwell. He looks to be in some pain, repeatedly whacking the turf with his palm. On comes the physio.

2.12pm GMT

84 min: The slew of changes has disrupted the flow of this otherwise fine second half. There’s not a lot going on right now.

2.10pm GMT

83 min: Chelsea make their final change, throwing on Barkley in place of Abraham.

2.09pm GMT

81 min: That’s Vardy’s last contribution. He makes way for Iheanacho, while Tielemans is replaced by Praet.

2.09pm GMT

80 min: ... and Leicester should have scored it. Vardy is sent scampering down the right. Chelsea are super-light at the back. Vardy rolls the ball across to Barnes, who simply has to score, but flicks his shot inches wide of the bottom left. Caballero was out of the picture.

2.07pm GMT

79 min: Abraham looks to bustle down the middle and into the box, but the door slams shut just in time. There’s another goal in this game.

2.06pm GMT

77 min: Maddison’s free kick pings off the wall. Corner on the right. Maddison takes that too ... and he should have an assist to his name, Evans unmarked in the centre, eight yards out. He slaps his header wide right. What a miss! In the dugout, Brendan Rodgers is a study in disbelief.

2.04pm GMT

76 min: Perez sashays in from the right and is clipped from behind by Kovacic, cynically taking one for the team. Yellow. Perez was either preparing to shoot, or feed Vardy just inside the box. Instead this is a free kick just to the right of the D. Maddison fancies this.

2.02pm GMT

74 min: Frank Lampard was preparing a double change before the equaliser, and doesn’t let events dictate. Pedro and Jorginho are replaced by Willian and Kovacic.

2.01pm GMT

73 min: A free kick for Leicester out on the right. Maddison hoicks it into the mixer. Rudiger wins another header, this time clearing back upfield. The big German is having some game.

2.00pm GMT

Pereira clips Mount out on the Chelsea left. A free kick and a change for Chelsea to hit back. And how they hit back! Mount takes the free kick himself floating it towards Rudiger at the far post, ten yards out. Rudiger rises majestically and plants a header across Schmeichel and into the top left! What a header that is. Regroup 101.

1.58pm GMT

69 min: Tielemans pearls a low diagonal shot towards the bottom left. Caballero does very well to get down and parry. The visitors need to regroup quickly.

1.57pm GMT

68 min: Chelsea are chasing shadows at the moment.

1.56pm GMT

66 min: That was a real rush of blood by Caballero, who went scampering along the byline after a ball he was never likely to reach. Leicester have responded fantastically to going behind so early in the second half. If they can hold onto this, a Champions League spot is surely theirs.

1.54pm GMT

A penny for Kepa’s thoughts. Chilwell and Barnes combine crisply down the left. Chilwell overhits his cross. Cabellero races off after it, but can’t get there ahead of Pereira, who cuts back for Tielemans. The ball’s played back across to the left, where Chilwell is free to blast into the top left. Cabellero couldn’t get back in time. Oh Willy.

1.51pm GMT

62 min: Mount takes the free kick ... and it’s hopeless. A curler towards the far post sails harmlessly high into the stand behind. Maybe the wind caught it, let’s give the young man the benefit.

1.49pm GMT

61 min: James dribbles his way down the inside-right channel and is cynically tripped from behind by Maddison. It’s a clear free kick and a yellow card.

1.48pm GMT

60 min: After the excitement of the goals, we’re back into Fascinating Mode. Bah. All a little scrappy as the teams battle in the middle of the park.

1.47pm GMT

58 min: Now Kante goes lunging in on Chilwell. Just a free kick, though you’ve seen yellow cards flashed for such late extended-leg shenanigans.

1.45pm GMT

56 min: Leicester have the momentum now. Pereira floats a ball in from the right. Vardy is sniffing at the far post, but the ball hangs in the wind and it’s easy meat for Caballero. Then in the midfield, Jorginho hangs out a leg to stop Maddison, and that’s the first booking of the match.

1.43pm GMT

Oh, they up their game! Tielemans drifts down the inside-left and slips Barnes clear on the wing. Barnes cuts inside and shoots. The ball clips off Christensen and loops across a wrong-footed Caballero and into the top right. A fortunate deflection but a fine move.

1.41pm GMT

53 min: Maddison’s corner fails to beat the man on the near post. Mount clears. The King Power is pretty quiet at the minute, the Chelsea fans taking the opportunity to make themselves heard. The home heroes need to up their game.

1.40pm GMT

52 min: A high ball down the Leicester right. Perez brings it to earth gracefully, then wins a corner. Maddison to take.

1.39pm GMT

50 min: Schmeichel has started this half in a very uncertain fashion. Having dithered over the goal, he now fluffs a kick upfield, gifting the ball to Jorginho. A better pass from the Chelsea midfielder would have put Leicester in all sorts of trouble, but his attempt to release Abraham down the inside right is a clunker, and Schmeichel is off the hook.

1.37pm GMT

49 min: Leicester try again. A free kick in a central position, 30 yards from goal. Maddison can’t get round the wall. But this is a decent response from Leicester, after falling behind so soon after the restart.

1.36pm GMT

48 min: Leicester nearly strike back immediately, Barnes skittering down the left, reaching the byline, and nearly finding Vardy in the six-yard box. Caballero does brilliantly to kick clear.

1.35pm GMT

Mount sends a curler towards the far post. Schmeichel thinks about coming, but stops. Rudiger rises and heads past the stranded keeper. Simple as that!

1.34pm GMT

Chelsea get the second half underway. They’re immediately on the front foot, Azpilicueta crossing from the left, Choudhury forced to hack out for a corner. From which ...

1.25pm GMT

Half-time entertainment.

Related: Transfer window verdict: how every Premier League club fared in January

1.19pm GMT

Mount slips a pass to Hudson-Odoi, down the inside-right channel. Hudson-Odoi loops a dismal effort high and wide. Leicester go up the other end and win a corner, from which Choudhury heads harmlessly wide right from six yards. The entire half in microcosm, right there. Like I say, it’s not been awful, but, y’know. “Is it time to haul out the commentator’s special, an ‘intriguing tactical battle?’” Adam Kline-Schoder speaks for me.

1.15pm GMT

45 min: Vardy bustles his way down the right, but is stopped on the edge of the box by Christensen. Barnes has a look down the other flank, but hoicks his cross - or was it a shot? - high over the bar.

1.13pm GMT

43 min: Chelsea are knocking at the door. James flicks another dangerous ball in from the right. Evans half-clears. Kante has a bash. Evans, a one-man wall, stops that one too. The Leicester defender has been sensational today.

1.12pm GMT

41 min: Mount nicks the ball off Chilwell and feeds Hudson-Odoi down the right. Hudson-Odoi returns the ball to Mount on the penalty spot. Mount can’t get a shot away. He should leave the ball for Kante, steaming in behind, but shifts to the left and has another go. His eventual effort is blocked.

1.10pm GMT

40 min: The resulting corner is a non-event.

1.10pm GMT

39 min: James drops a shoulder to make a yard down the right. He curls a low ball across the face of goal. Evans slices over with Pedro and Abraham in close attendance. James is such a fine prospect as an attacking right-back. Alexander-Arnoldesque.

1.08pm GMT

37 min: From the corner, Chiwell blazes over. This game hasn’t quite got going. It’s not been bad, as such, but y’know. The try-hards would file it under ‘fascinating’.

1.06pm GMT

36 min: Barnes has another dig from distance. It’s blocked. Chelsea go up the other end, Abraham nearly beating Soyuncu to a bouncing ball. Not quite. The defender clears, accidentally kicking Abraham on the back. No foul. Leicester go back up the field and win a corner.

1.04pm GMT

34 min: Maddison looks for an avenue straight down the middle, but can’t bust between Christensen and Rudiger. The ball dribbles through to Caballero.

1.03pm GMT

33 min: Tielemans rolls a pass down the left for Chilwell, who pulls back towards Barnes. He leans back and hoicks miles over the bar. That was a very decent opportunity.

1.02pm GMT

32 min: Pedro crosses from the right. The ball clips Choudhury and forces Schmeichel to tip over his crossbar. The resulting corner comes to nothing.

1.01pm GMT

30 min: Evans slides recklessly into a head-on challenge with Pedro. Off the ground for a split second, he does well to pull back at the very last, studs down, and it’s just a foul, no need for any more punishment. Mount batters the resulting free kick in the wall.

12.59pm GMT

28 min: Perez dinks a crisp pass down the right to release Tielemans. He’s got men in the middle, but can’t find any of them, falling over as he attempts to cross, Rudiger clearing with ease.

12.57pm GMT

27 min: Leicester have finally arrived. They’ve enjoyed 70% possession in the last five minutes, a big shift in momentum. So, er, having said that, Pedro comes skedaddling in from the right and nearly tees up Mount on the penalty spot. Leicester close ranks and clear, just in time.

12.56pm GMT

25 min: Maddison takes this one, and it’s a lovely set piece, an outswinger towards the far post. It’s asking to be tapped in, but Evans can’t get there. From the resulting goal kick, Chelsea concede possession immediately, allowing Vardy his first sight on goal. He blams his shot straight at Caballero, who parries well.

12.54pm GMT

24 min: Chilwell curls it in, but it’s a hopeless delivery and easily headed clear by Abraham. But they’ll get another chance, Pedro clattering into Perez out on the other wing.

12.53pm GMT

23 min: Leicester finally show in attack, Barnes skating down the left and teeing up Tielemans on the edge of the box. Tielemans’ shot is blocked. But Leicester come back again, Barnes purchasing a cheap free kick off a clumsy James. A free kick out on the left and a chance to cause Chelsea some bother at last.

12.52pm GMT

21 min: VAR says NAH. The crowd entertain themselves by singing the chorus of popular English folk standard Fuck VAR. Altogether now ... a-one, two, three ...

12.51pm GMT

20 min: Pedro slips a pass down the inside left to release Abraham, who should shoot as he enters the box but opts to check inside. He falls to the ground, with Soyuncu standing to his right. He wants a penalty, but there’s surely no contact there. Nevertheless, they’re going to check this with the popular VAR system.

12.49pm GMT

18 min: Leicester breathe again ... again. This time James romps down the right and fizzes a fine ball across the face of goal. Abraham stretches but can’t quite get his toe on the ball. Any contact, and that would have been the opening goal. Chelsea are playing very well.

12.48pm GMT

17 min: Chelsea open up Leicester down the left with a rat-a-tat passing sequence. The ball’s pulled back by Azpilicueta towards Abraham, who can’t sort his feet out. Leicester breathe again.

12.47pm GMT

15 min: Leicester still can’t get anything going. They press Chelsea’s back line, in the hope of forcing a mistake, but Jorginho simply spins away from Maddison and Choudhury, a cute pirouette that leaves both Leicester players spinning like teenagers on Special Brew.

12.43pm GMT

13 min: Chelsea have enjoyed 60 percent of the possession so far. Leicester are struggling to get into this match. The visitors are looking much more dangerous.

12.42pm GMT

11 min: Hudson-Odoi glides in from the right, drawing four players then clipping the ball towards Mount on the penalty spot. Mount leans back and hooks over. A dreadful miss, but he’d have been flagged offside anyway. That was a glorious run by Hudson-Odoi, though, a real old-school Maradonaesque dribble.

12.40pm GMT

10 min: A brief pause in play after Rudiger and Vardy accidentally clash heads. A splash of water, a dab with a sponge, and both look fine to continue.

12.39pm GMT

9 min: The first corner is headed behind by Evans. The second is worked back down the left for Pedro, who swings one in deep. There’s nobody there to attack the ball, and Schmeichel calmly ushers it out for a goal kick.

12.38pm GMT

8 min: Now Choudhury comes in from behind, on Hudson-Odoi. It’s a blatant foul and a free kick, 35 yards out in a central position. The set piece is worked right to James, who whips in low. With the six-yard box crowded, Evans does well to stick out a leg to divert the ball out for a corner.

12.37pm GMT

7 min: Tielemans stands on Jorginho’s heel, and is fairly fortunate not to go in the book. A beneficiary of the Too Early rule, one presumes.

12.36pm GMT

5 min: Space for Azpilicueta out on the left. He rolls an inviting ball across the front of the box for Hudson-Odoi ... who takes a wild fresh-air swipe with his left peg. A shame, because that was a fine chance at the end of a nice move started by Hudson-Odoi himself.

12.34pm GMT

4 min: All a bit scrappy during the opening exchanges. On the touchline, Rodgers ostentatiously scribbles on a bit of paper. It’s windy, so let’s hope he keeps a tight hold of it.

12.32pm GMT

2 min: James and Christensen nearly confuse each other, standing too close together when exchanging passes. For a nanosecond, it looks as though Vardy may nip in and take advantage, but the Chelsea defenders get their act together quickly and clear.

12.30pm GMT

And we’re off! Leicester get the ball rolling. Their manager is facing Chelsea for the 14th time today, and he’s still looking for his first victory against his old employers.

12.26pm GMT

Here come the teams! Leicester are in their first-choice blue, so Chelsea wear their third-choice black with orange trim. We’ll be off in a minute or two!

12.17pm GMT

Here’s Brenny! “Ndidi has felt a pain in his knee. We had him in to play, but it’s become very sore so we’ve had a look at it. We’ll just leave it, we don’t want to cause any long-term damage. He’s got a period of time off after this game. It’s unfortunate, but it’s an excellent opportunity for Hamza to come in and show his qualities.”

12.12pm GMT

So has Frank Lampard done the right thing by dropping the increasingly uncertain Kepa? The keeper’s save percentage this season is a Mignoletesque 55.56%, by some distance the worst in the Premier League. The next name on the list is Jordan Pickford, England’s number one, ladies and gentlemen, who has done his fair share of clowning around recently but has still managed to stop 63.92% of the shots sent his way. So the answer would surely have to be yes. Of course Willy Caballero could let one dribble through his legs today, in which case Lampard’s post-match press conference will be reasonably entertaining, but you can only go on the numbers we have right now.

12.09pm GMT

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard talks. “Leicester are a very good team. They’re above us, so it’s a tight game, a bit of a match-up. They do a lot of good things and we try to do the same, so we need to be really competitive today. Goalkeeper is a decision you don’t take lightly, you have to look at what it means. I trust in Willy, he’s a great professional. I trust in them both, but this is a decision I’ve made for today.”

11.46am GMT

Some updated Leicester team news. Wilfred Ndidi has failed a fitness test on his knee, so is replaced in the starting XI by Hamza Choudhury as a precaution. Demarai Gray fills Choudhury’s place on the bench.

11.40am GMT

Just the one change to the Leicester CIty team beaten by Aston Villa in the League Cup midweek. Jamie Vardy is back, replacing Kelechi Iheanacho up front.

Chelsea by contrast make six changes to the XI named for the FA Cup tie at Hull last weekend. Marcos Alonso, Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori, Ross Barkley, Mateo Kovacic and Michy Batshuayi make way for Reece James, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Tammy Abraham. Incidentally, Frank Lampard has clearly lost patience with the increasingly hapless Kepa, who doesn’t regain his place having been benched for the cup.

11.32am GMT

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Ricardo Pereira, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell,

Ndidi
Choudhury, Perez, Maddison, Tielemans, Barnes, Vardy.
Subs: Justin,

Choudhury
Gray, Albrighton, Ward, Iheanacho, Praet, Fuchs.

Chelsea: Caballero, James, Christensen, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Kante, Jorginho, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Abraham, Pedro.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Alonso, Barkley, Willian, Kovacic, Batshuayi, Tomori.

4.45pm GMT

Matches between Leicester and Chelsea have, in the past, done for some big names. Jose Mourinho, for example, who started yammering on about betrayal after his Chelsea side meekly handed their title to the Foxes in December 2015, earning himself the sack, quick-smart. Then there was Danny Baker, who responded to referee Mike Reed’s award of a penalty for Chelsea after a non-existent Leicester challenge in a 1997 FA Cup tie by lambasting the hapless official on Radio Five Live with trademark eloquence:

Football has a maggot at its golden core, and that maggot is referees … we’ve been at that game for two hours and the referee was bad all the way through it … what is the point of people running themselves to a standstill, what is the point supporters investing time money and emotion, what is the point in anyone investing millions in football when the whole thing rests on some erstwhile van driver from Folkestone who’s probably had a row with his wife? If this was a boxing match and the referee turned round and gave the fight to the bloke who was knocked out on the floor we would say you can’t do that … most of them need a good slap round the face … hacks should doorstep this man like he’s a member of Oasis … that worm should be on the phone now, Radio Five should be knocking down that ref’s dressing room and [asking] do you know on behalf of all referees how bad you are?

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Manchester City 0-1 Manchester United (3-2 agg): Carabao Cup semi-final, second leg – as it happened

United showed great spirit to record their third straight win at the Etihad, but Nemanja Matic’s first-half goal wasn’t enough to deny City another trip to Wembley

10.15pm GMT

So that’s your lot. A reminder that David Hytner was on point at the Etihad tonight, and here’s his report. Congratulations to Manchester City, commiserations to Manchester United. Looking forward to the final already. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!

Related: Manchester City reach Carabao Cup final despite Matic’s winner for United

10.14pm GMT

A visibly irritated Solskjaer gives his verdict on the dismissal of Matic. “It is hard to go here and score a goal with 11, never mind ten. It was never a sending off, absolutely a joke. It’s ironic that he gets a yellow on his first foul, almost gets a yellow on his second foul which isn’t even a foul, and yeah the last one is a yellow. But how many times did they foul us? How many times was Dan James fouled? In the first half, Jesse? That’s the first question you have asked and it shouldn’t be like this because I am so proud of my players. They have beaten City twice in six weeks at their place. We’ve come so far with these boys and we have given absolutely everything. They’ve come a long way, they’ve developed.”

10.09pm GMT

Pep’s verdict. “We played really well, in both games, and were fantastic. We conceded a goal the first time they shot on target, one set piece, we were unlucky. We created enough chances to score many goals, but we didn’t convert, we have to be more clinical. We have to score goals. But I was not concerned, I was incredibly happy. We played really well.” Were you pleased with it? “A lot. In 180 minutes, we were better than United. We are incredibly happy to go to Wembley again for our third final in a row. So that means when people say we are complacent, relaxed after success ... you can be distracted but it didn’t happen.”

10.00pm GMT

Hot managerial chat coming up soon! In the meantime, David Hytner’s verdict has landed, and here it is.

Related: Manchester City reach Carabao Cup final despite Matic’s winner for United

9.54pm GMT

Kevin De Bruyne speaks. “I can’t really comprehend how we lost this game. For me, United had only one chance today. In front we were way too wasteful, and we have to learn from this. But in the end it’s good that we go into the final. Now we are going to fight to win the cup.”

Ilkay Gundogan adds: “We started well but after United scored we were a bit sloppy and lost some balls unnecessarily. We should have scored at least one or two goals today, but it was not meant to be. But obviously we are very happy to go to another final. And it is a learning process for the Real Madrid games.”

9.47pm GMT

City celebrate not so much in giddy happiness but relief. United by contrast look thoroughly gutted, having come closer than most expected to forcing this semi-final to penalties. Harry Maguire in particular is a picture of misery. But United should be proud of their efforts tonight, and once the pain of winning the battle but losing the war subsides, they’ll reflect on an evening of precious positivity as the Solskjaer rebuild continues. Meanwhile City can look forward to yet another cup final; they’ll be hot favourites to make it three League Cups in a row against Aston Villa. Though it’s not all good news for them tonight: Liverpool have won 2-0 at West Ham United, thanks to a first-half penalty from Mohamed Salah and a second-half Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain goal. They’re now 19 points clear at the top of the Premier League.

9.40pm GMT

Nope. There’s just enough time for a pitch invasion by a six-year-old. He’s ushered off, and the referee blows for time. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer warmly congratulates his opposite number Pep Guardiola. His team did him proud tonight, but this tie was lost in the first 30 minutes at Old Trafford. City stumble over the line, and they’ll face Aston Villa at Wembley on March 1!

9.38pm GMT

90 min +4: Jesus meanders down the left and draws a foul from a frustrated Wan-Bissaka, who is booked. City take the free kick short, but in trying to hold it by the corner flag, run it out for a goal kick. Can United launch one last hail-Mary attack?

9.36pm GMT

90 min +3: Sergio Aguero is replaced by Gabriel Jesus. That clock ticks on.

9.36pm GMT

90 min +2: James crosses deep from the right. Maguire, at the far post, would have to be ten feet tall to meet it. Goal kick.

9.35pm GMT

90 min +1: The first of four added minutes flies by for United without incident.

9.35pm GMT

90 min: City go into lockdown, replacing Kevin De Bruyne with John Stones.

9.34pm GMT

89 min: Walker creams a pass down the middle. With everyone in red upfield, Bernardo Silva is sent clear! But as he scampers goalward, the whistle goes. Turns out at the start of the move, Mata took a throw-in with one foot off the ground. Foul throw. City are beyond furious, the decision has done them no favours whatsoever.

9.32pm GMT

88 min: Fred blooters a witless free kick into the wall. As City skelp clear, the home fans cheer as loudly as they would for a goal.

9.31pm GMT

87 min: There really was no need for that challenge, Maguire was going nowhere. Otamendi deservedly goes in the book, and is bollocked by De Bruyne as well. Why?!?

9.30pm GMT

86 min: United pass and probe, looking for a way through. Suddenly Otamendi races out from the back and clatters into Maguire. What a buffoonish challenge. And this is a free kick in a central position, just outside the D.

9.28pm GMT

84 min: City look to have clinched it as Cancelo slips a perfectly weighted pass down the inside left, teeing up Aguero to flick past De Gea and into the bottom right in the insouciant style. But the flag goes up for offside. About an inch in it, but the correct decision.

9.27pm GMT

83 min: On the touchline, Pep bollocks his players with the burning intensity of a thousand suns. He’s far from happy at his team’s performance tonight. Nevertheless, they’re still a mere ten minutes away from yet another League Cup final.

9.26pm GMT

82 min: Walker’s up again, and fine to continue.

9.25pm GMT

81 min: But the nerves haven’t gone away totally. Walker and Otamendi clatter into each other as they deal with a ball bouncing down the United left, one that Martial was never going to get. Walker’s taken a sore one there. On comes the physio.

9.24pm GMT

80 min: City make use of their extra man, stroking the ball around the back, letting the clock do its thing.

9.23pm GMT

79 min: But United still have to go for it in attack, with time running out. With this in mind, Luke Shaw is replaced by Juan Mata.

9.22pm GMT

78 min: Aguero spins on the edge of the box. Shaw blocks him. The ball breaks to Gundogan, who lashes over the bar from distance. Panic in the United ranks there, as they reel from Matic’s dismissal.

9.21pm GMT

76 min: United overplay near the City box. Fred gives the ball away to De Bruyne, who slides a pass towards Bernardo Silva on the right. Matic steps across Silva cynically to put a stop to the counter. He’s already been booked, and the referee has no choice. Off he goes, from goalscoring hero to zero.

9.19pm GMT

75 min: Some United possession in the City half now. The nerves beginning to jangle, the crowd whistling with concern. But ...

9.19pm GMT

73 min: City must be wondering whether a place in the final is simply not to be. Maguire plays a godawful pass in his own area, clumping it straight at Aguero. The ball breaks to David Silva, who has to score. But instead of shooting from six yards, he tees up his namesake Bernardo instead, allowing Maguire time to close him down and redeem himself. Then they come again, Aguero shooting into the side netting when set free down the left. How have City not scored there?

9.16pm GMT

72 min: Gundogan tries to open up United with a cute chip down the inside right. The ball flies straight out for a goal kick.

9.15pm GMT

71 min: Gundogan and Sterling combine neatly down the left and win a corner of Wan-Bissaka. It’s City’s eighth of the game; United haven’t had one yet. De Gea fists it clear. Walker, from a mile out, returns a rising missile. What a shot, screaming towards the top left. But it’s too close to De Gea, who is able to punch away spectacularly.

9.14pm GMT

69 min: David Silva nearly has an immediate assist, slipping the ball down the inside left channel for Sterling. But again Sterling can’t get a shot away. Aguero has a go. Nope. Then Lindelof needlessly concedes a corner with a panicked header under no pressure whatsoever, but City do nothing with it. The home side are dominating possession now, but they’ve not forced De Gea into a serious save in this second half yet.

9.11pm GMT

68 min: Riyad Mahrez is replaced by David Silva, who has been sent on to regain a semblance of control for City.

9.11pm GMT

67 min: Mahrez dribbles hard at Shaw down the right. He enters the area and tries to flick De Bruyne clear with a backheel, but the tricks aren’t coming off right now.

9.09pm GMT

65 min: Fred drives City back. He slips the ball wide for Martial, who blazes wildly into the stand. No control or precision whatsoever. He cocks his head back in misery. Then United make their second change, replacing Jesse Lingard with Andreas Pereira.

9.07pm GMT

64 min: Sterling and Gundogan combine well down the left. The ball’s slipped forward to Bernardo, who clumsily miscontrols, allowing Lindelof to shepherd the ball out of play for a goal kick.

9.06pm GMT

62 min: A reminder that, should United find a second and level the scoreline, this tie would go straight to penalties. No away-goal rule, no extra time.

9.05pm GMT

61 min: After an extremely wobbly start to the half, City are beginning to find their feet again. A period of possession in the middle of the park to settle the nerves.

9.04pm GMT

60 min: City’s fans find their voice, hoping to drive their team on. Sterling dribbles hard down the left but can’t get a shot away. Then De Bruyne has a go, but his low cross-cum-shot is easily gathered by De Gea.

9.03pm GMT

58 min: City should have turned the tide here. De Bruyne slips Sterling clear down the inside left. He should slip the ball past De Gea when he enters the area, but hesitates and allows Lindelof to get in the road. Sterling shifts the ball inside, going past one man, then another ... and then he blasts wildly over the bar. Still no goal for Sterling against United. City are still in the lead, but they may be beginning to wonder.

9.01pm GMT

57 min: De Bruyne’s radar goes haywire. De Bruyne’s radar never goes haywire. A scooped forward pass softly lands in De Gea’s arms, nowhere near a sky-blue shirt. Then Rodri is booked for a panicked tug on Lingard, who was threatening to tear down the right wing. City are rocking a little. The crowd are audibly anxious.

8.59pm GMT

55 min: Another loose City pass, straight into touch. The home side are extremely nervous, their fans a little jittery. They need something to happen, because United have the wind in their sail right now. Levelling the tie is far from a pipe dream.

8.58pm GMT

54 min: Martial has a whistle from the best part of 30 yards. Easy meat for Bravo. But United are getting a few chances now.

8.58pm GMT

53 min: The referee tells United captain Maguire that Matic is tip-toeing along the old disciplinary tightrope, having now fouled Aguero unnecessarily. One more and he might be off. Mahrez takes the resulting free kick, out on the left, and makes a mess of it, sending the ball harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.

8.56pm GMT

52 min: The City fans complain a little, though, as their team send simple passes into touch twice in the space of 30 seconds. On the touchline, Pep encourages his players to calm down. They look a little edgy at the moment.

8.55pm GMT

51 min: Matic is booked for a needless clip on Mahrez in the midfield. He doesn’t bother complaining about it.

8.54pm GMT

50 min: United are visibly more confident in this second half. A complete contrast to the first half-hour of City dominance. Plenty of nervous energy in the Etihad.

8.53pm GMT

49 min: Fred swings it towards the far post. Maguire rises above Cancelo, six yards out, and should at least get his header on target. He should score, really. But his effort flies over the bar. Big chance.

8.52pm GMT

48 min: Matic creams a pass down the right for James to chase. James has the legs to beat Cancelo, so the City left-back shoves him over. A free kick in a dangerous position just to the right of the City box.

8.50pm GMT

47 min: Cancelo goes on a storming run down the left, but can’t quite find Aguero with his low pass infield. Then De Bruyne flicks a pass down the right and nearly releases Mahrez, but Maguire is quickly across to cover.

8.49pm GMT

City get the second half underway. The visitors have made one half-time change, replacing Mason Greenwood with Dan James. Greenwood apparently took a knock in the first half, though he was also fairly anonymous.

8.36pm GMT

Half-time entertainment.

Related: TV piracy hits Saudi Newcastle takeover – not the beheadings and crucifixions then? | Marina Hyde

8.35pm GMT

A poor Lindelof backpass nearly lets in Aguero. De Gea does enough, racing out of his box and block-tackling Aguero. The ball pings out for a goal kick. And that’s the end of the first half. City were by far the better side for the first 35 minutes, but then Nemanja Matic scored, and now we’ve got ourselves a cup tie.

8.32pm GMT

45 min: Sterling has a whack after cutting in from the left. The rising shot hits Lindelof on the upper arm. Sterling wants a penalty, but the defender had no time to react, and his arm was right by his body in any case, in a natural position. The referee waves play on.

8.29pm GMT

43 min: City have the ball in the net, the result of a sweet flowing move from right to left involving Bernardo, Mahrez, Aguero and De Bruyne. The latter rolls a ball infield for Sterling to slap home from six yards. But there’s to be no first goal against United for Sterling. He’s gone a split second too early, Lindelof holding his position bravely. The flag goes up correctly for offside.

8.27pm GMT

41 min: Silva nearly settles their nerves, dribbling dangerously down the right, past Shaw and into the box. He rolls a pass across the face of goal. A toe-poke would do it, but Aguero is uncharacteristically on the back foot. United were opened up there.

8.26pm GMT

39 min: De Bruyne rolls a pass towards Sterling on the left. The ball’s travelling at 1mph. Sterling lets it trundle slowly under his boot and out for a throw. City and their followers are suddenly a bag of nerves. They need to settle quickly.

8.24pm GMT

37 min: City have been the better side. But United have held firm at the back, and now look. Suddenly the Etihad is a very nervous place. Bravo hesitates over a simple clearance and is nearly closed down by Greenwood. A collective sharp intake of breath, but the keeper clears eventually.

8.22pm GMT

Fred curls the free kick in from the left. Silva can only eyebrow a clearing header towards Matic, level with the right-hand post, just inside the box. Matic meets the dropping ball first time, and sweeps a glorious shot into the bottom right! Bravo had no chance, and this semi-final is back on!

8.21pm GMT

34 min: Rodri comes sliding in on Lingard as he races down the left. He clips him, and is slightly fortunate not to go in the book. Just a free kick. From which ...

8.20pm GMT

33 min: City have had nine efforts to United’s zero, and 69% of possession. But look at the scoreline. United will be happy enough so far. More of this, and City may get frustrated. And then if United were to somehow nick a goal, the nerves may kick in. On the touchline, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks relaxed enough.

8.18pm GMT

32 min: Otamendi, accidentally or otherwise, gave De Gea a wee nudge in the ribs there. The keeper also landed painfully on his boot when the pair fell. A sore one, but he’s a big man and is soon up and about again, fine to continue.

8.16pm GMT

30 min: De Bruyne clips a pass down the inside-left channel to release Sterling, who should get a shot away upon reaching the box, but hesitates, allowing Maguire to slide in. The resulting corner ends in a free kick to United, with Otamendi and De Gea falling in a tangle. The keeper’s landed awkwardly, and looks in some pain. On comes the physio.

8.15pm GMT

29 min: Fred loops it towards the far post. Matic tries to meet the high ball, but falls over under a pincer movement launched by Rodri and Cancelo. He wants a penalty but it’s shoulder to shoulder to shoulder and he’s not getting it.

8.14pm GMT

28 min: Lingard drifts in from the left and pings a pass to Greenwood, who is clumped from behind by Otamendi. A free kick to the left of centre, 35 yards out. Everyone lines up on the edge of the box, waiting for Fred’s delivery.

8.12pm GMT

26 min: Walker sprays a long pass down the right. Walker springs the offside trap and whips a cross towards Aguero, who is denied a close-range header by the presence of Lingard. The resulting corner comes to nought.

8.11pm GMT

24 min: City are playing with the patience and confidence you’d expect from a superior team two goals to the good. Pass, pass, passity pass. Suddenly they spring forward en masse, Silva and Aguero combining before teeing up De Bruyne just to the left of the D. De Bruyne looks for the top left, but his fierce rising shot is a wee bit too high.

8.08pm GMT

22 min: City stroke it around the middle of the park, re-establishing control.

8.07pm GMT

20 min: Some good work by Williams down the inside-left channel, as City are pushed back a little. His attempt to work a cute, crisp move with Shaw and Lingard doesn’t quite come off, but full marks for ambition.

8.05pm GMT

19 min: Mahrez fires it long down the middle, but his pass is too meaty for Aguero. City are happy to mix it up. United don’t look comfortable in defence, whatever they do.

8.04pm GMT

17 min: Upon taking the corner, City ping it around awhile. Eventually Sterling peels off down the left and looks like bursting clear into the box. But he runs it out of play with a heavy touch. A wry smile as he picks himself up.

8.03pm GMT

16 min: Gundogan, Silva and Aguero shuttle the ball upfield at speed. Suddenly Aguero is drifting left to right, across the face of the box. He launches towards the top right. De Gea claws it out for a corner.

8.01pm GMT

14 min: Fred spins out of trouble in United’s final third and suddenly there’s a lot of space to work with, City’s press beaten. First Wan-Bissaka nearly breaks clear down the right, then Williams crosses from the left, only just failing to find Martial in the middle. Some hope for United; all they need to do is beat City’s press. All they need to do!

7.59pm GMT

13 min: Sterling whips in low from the left. Aguero nearly gets a toe to the cross but misses it by an inch and the ball sticks to De Gea.

7.58pm GMT

12 min: United spend a little time in the City half. They don’t really go anywhere but that’s not the point of the endeavour. It’s their first prolonged period away from their own third.

7.57pm GMT

10 min: VAR isn’t interested. It’s just a corner. The fact that Maguire slipped clumsily might have swayed the decision, but it’s VAR, so who knows. The corner comes to nothing.

7.56pm GMT

9 min: De Bruyne crosses from the left. Under the ball, Sterling wants a penalty kick as he’s bowled over from behind by Maguire, who took him down while slipping. This is going to VAR.

7.55pm GMT

8 min: Now De Gea is forced to kick a Mahrez snapshot clear. United are finding it difficult to get out of their final third. City have flooded the midfield and are all over them.

7.54pm GMT

7 min: Bernardo, quarterbacking from deep on the left, floats a diagonal ball into the box. Aguero breaks clear of Shaw down the inside-right channel, guiding a header across De Gea and towards the bottom left. De Gea sticks out a strong arm to parry clear. Stunning save.

7.51pm GMT

5 min: City are beginning to find their groove. Rodri has a whack from distance. It’s charged down and half cleared. City come straight back at United. De Bruyne nearly breaks through down the middle. Bernardo then overhits a pass that would have released Sterling down the left.

7.49pm GMT

3 min: Wan-Bissaka launches long. The ball bounces off Martial’s chest. Poor control. Had he taken that down, he had Greenwood to his left, ready to assist in attack, with City light at the back.

7.48pm GMT

2 min: All a bit frantic in the opening stages. A poor clearing header by Maguire gives De Bruyne the chance to scoop a pass down the middle with the view of releasing Aguero, but Matic reads the play well to intercept and clear United’s lines properly this time.

7.46pm GMT

Here we go, then! A quick blast of Blue Moon, then United get the ball rolling in front of a full house at the Etihad. A derby-day roar. The semi-final is happening!

7.43pm GMT

Here come the teams! City wear their famous sky blue shirts, United sport their legendary red. The home fans enjoy their usual pre-match singalong of Hey Jude. We’ll be off in a minute or two!

7.34pm GMT

Pep talks! He looks extremely relaxed in contrast to his slightly more edgy opposite number. “We have 2-0. They have to play the game to score goals. But we are going to try to score goals and play our game.”

7.19pm GMT

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer speaks. First on the Bruno Fernandes transfer: “We’ve agreed with the club so we can hopefully announce it very soon. That’s of course exciting.” Then last night’s attack on Ed Woodward’s house: “Everyone at the club and proper supporters were disgusted with what had happened. Fans can be passionate and opinions can be voiced in different ways. We’ve got to stick together and stay united.” And finally on tonight’s upcoming spat: “We need to score two more goals than them! We’ve done it before. We need to match our performance six weeks ago. PSG away is always a good memory. But we need a proper performance with and without the ball. We will throw loads of energy at it.”

7.01pm GMT

United have also announced the impending arrival of Bruno Fernandes. This is what they’re getting for their £47m, subject to a medical.

6.56pm GMT

There are two differences to the side City put out in the first leg. Joao Cancelo and Sergio Aguero come in for Benjamin Mendy and Fernandinho.

United make four swaps from the first leg. Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Nemanja Matic and Anthony Martial come in for Daniel James, Andreas Pereira and Phil Jones, who drop to the bench, and the injured Marcus Rashford.

6.49pm GMT

Manchester City: Bravo, Walker, Rodri, Otamendi, Joao Cancelo, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Mahrez, Aguero, Sterling.
Subs: Stones, Gabriel Jesus, Zinchenko, Silva, Ederson, Foden, Garcia.

Manchester United: de Gea, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Wan Bissaka, Fred, Matic, Williams, Lingard, Greenwood, Martial.
Subs: Bailly, Jones, Mata, Andreas Pereira, Dalot, James, Romero.

6.16pm GMT

This may not be the greatest Manchester United side of all time, and Manchester City might look well in control of this tie. But if you believe in the spiritual - things like club DNA, that kind of stuff - this League Cup semi-final remains in the balance.

Pep Guardiola certainly thinks so: “It’s Manchester United. They can do it. They have done it.” Twice in the Champions League recently, in fact, coming back from two goals down to beat Olympiakos in 2014 under David Moyes, then repeating the trick against PSG last year with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the wheel. Say what you will about the current state of United; they’re still a club who know how to turn around a cup tie.

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The Fiver | We advise United fans to go home and change into their favourite onesies

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There is so much stuff to be righteously angry about these days. That thing someone somewhere said online that doesn’t exactly chime with your worldview. The colour of your passport that the evil EU has always allowed us to change if we could be bothered. Or the disdainful manner with which big clubs like Liverpool treat the FA Cup, while lower-league purists like Brentford make eight changes in order to prepare for a do-or-die clash with Nottingham Forest that if, say, they lost 1-0, would leave them in fifth place in the Championship, exactly where they were when they started. Ooh, the sheer arrogance of that Klopp/EU mandarin/guy on internet forum. Fume!

Related: Police investigating after fans attack home of Manchester United's Ed Woodward

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