Scott Murray's Blog, page 110

November 28, 2019

Astana 2-1 Manchester United: Europa League – as it happened

The champions of Kazakhstan were too strong in the end for a spirited and very young Manchester United side

6.00pm GMT

5.54pm GMT

Anyway, the Europa League action keeps on coming ... so may I politely turf you out of this MBM, and send you running into the loving arms of Paul Doyle and Simon Burnton, who are taking turns to show you a good time as Wolves, Rangers, Arsenal and Celtic get their gamefaces on. Thanks for reading!

5.47pm GMT

That result isn’t too costly for United, who had already qualified for the knockout stage. But it does mean AZ Alkmaar can leapfrog them into first place in Group L tonight. The Dutch side host Partizan Belgrade this evening, and a win would put them on 11 points, one ahead of United. But whatever happens, United still have their fate in their own hands: they welcome AZ to Old Trafford on 12 December to sort out what’s what.

5.40pm GMT

The champions of Kazakhstan have beaten the kids of Manchester United. Astana didn’t turn up in the first half, but they came out resurgent in the second, and experience proved too much for youth in the end. Mind you, had Tahith Chong not missed that open goal ...

5.39pm GMT

90 min +2: The Astana Arena prepares to party. OK, this might not be peak Manchester United. But they are still Manchester United. And the minnows from Kazakhstan are about to beat the famous Manchester United.

5.37pm GMT

90 min: Levitt has a whack from 35 yards. Full marks for ambition. Rangelo Janga replaces Roman Murtazayev. There will be three minutes of added time.

5.35pm GMT

88 min: Lingard is booked for a late clatter on Rukavina. Then the seventh United debutant of the evening arrives, Ethan Galbraith replacing Angel Gomes.

5.34pm GMT

87 min: Pertsukh robs Levitt in the midfield, and sets Maevski away down the right. Bernard does extremely well to stick to the Astana man and snuff out the attack.

5.31pm GMT

85 min: Sergei Khizhnichenko makes way for Yuri Pertsukh.

5.31pm GMT

84 min: Laird busies himself down the right, and his sheer persistence wins a free kick just outside the box. Before it can be taken, James Garner makes way for Largie Ramazani.

5.29pm GMT

83 min: Shomko sees yellow for sliding in unnecessarily on Greenwood.

5.27pm GMT

81 min: Beysebekov is booked for a cynical tug on Lingard.

5.26pm GMT

80 min: United have stepped it up again. Laird, who has been extremely impressive on the attack, wins another corner down the right. The ball’s hit long, and Gomes whips it back in from the left flank. Eric is worried about it sailing into the top right, but it goes wide, and he withdraws his hand just before making any contact.

5.25pm GMT

78 min: Another sensational save by Eric! Gomes bursts infield from the left and rolls a pass across to Greenwood, who shapes like Zidane at Hampden in 2002 and batters a rising shot towards the top right. He’s denied by the keeper’s strong hand. The corner leads to nowt.

5.23pm GMT

77 min: United come back at the hosts, Garner and Gomes combining well down the middle. The latter’s bundled over, and it’s a free kick just outside the D. Gomes takes, whipping the ball over the wall and down towards the top-left corner. It’s going in, but Eric fingertips over the bar. A magnificent free kick, and a save to match. The corner comes to nothing.

5.22pm GMT

75 min: Astana are looking for a third. Sigurjonsson has another attempt, coming in from the right, only to be denied by Bernard. Then Murtazayev tries to replicate Lingard’s first-half goal, but his effort flies wide of the bottom-right corner.

5.21pm GMT

73 min: Gomes glides in from the left and tees up Lingard, whose curler towards the top right is deflected out for a corner kick. Greenwood whips it in. Eric flaps, but does just enough to get it away from bother. Astana go straight up the other end and nearly score a picturebook goal: Rukavina deep on the right to Shomko on the left, Shomko inside to Rotario, who shuttles the ball on to Sigurjonsson by the right of the D. He whistles a low drive millimetres past the right-hand post.

5.18pm GMT

72 min: Shaw turns on the jets and whizzes down the left. His cutback nearly finds Gomes in space in the area, but several yellow shirts swarm the single red one, and that is that.

5.16pm GMT

70 min: There’s no point having a shot from those sort of distances, unless you’re Cristiano Ronaldo or Marcus Rashford. So United pass it around instead, and keep hold of possession.

5.15pm GMT

69 min: Logvinenko is booked for an agricultural lunge on Lingard. A free kick to United, 35 yards out.

5.15pm GMT

67 min: Sigurjonsson warms Grant’s hands from distance. Then United go up the other end and win their first corner for a while, Greenwood’s persistence a factor. A game of pinball ensues, only to end when the flag goes up for offside. “Chong had time enough to light up a cig if he wanted to,” writes Mary Waltz. “Instead he misses. Ah, the travails of youth.”

5.13pm GMT

65 min: D’Mani Bughail-Mellor replaces Tahith Chong, who will wonder how he didn’t get on the scoresheet tonight. He’ll never get an easier chance in his whole career. Ah well, while it hurts now, the experience should stand him in good stead.

5.11pm GMT

64 min: Khizhnichenko nearly breaks clear down the right, but is shepherded away from danger by Bernard, who has done very well to clear his head after that own goal. An awful slice of luck.

5.09pm GMT

Astana rip United apart with some pretty triangulation down the right. A ball’s suddenly slipped down the inside-right channel for Rukavina, who is sprung clear into the box. Where’s Shaw? Anyway, Rukavina pulls the ball back ... and it smacks off Bernard’s head and into the top-right corner, past a wrong-footed Grant. What terrible luck for young Bernard. A freak goal, albeit at the end of a lovely passing move.

5.06pm GMT

60 min: From the resulting free kick, sent in from the left by Sigurjonsson, Shaw does extremely well to flick a header out of harm’s way with yellow shirts lurking everywhere. The corner that results is a waste of time. But United’s very young team are under the cosh now.

5.05pm GMT

59 min: Levitt is booked for a garden variety coming together with Beysebekov in the midfield. There really didn’t seem much in that, it’s a very strange decision.

5.04pm GMT

57 min: A big 38 seconds, that. Astana have been a completely different team since the restart.

5.03pm GMT

The thin margins of success and failure. Shaw bursts down the left , draws the Astana keeper Eric, and rolls the ball across the face of goal. All Chong has to do is tap it in ... but he leans back and misses it, blazing it over the bar! How on earth? And then, 38 seconds later, a ball slipped down the inside-left channel finds Shomko just inside the United area, Shomko whips it across Grant and into the bottom right.

5.01pm GMT

54 min: Something for the home fans to shout about! A free kick out on the left leads to a game of pinball in the United box. Eventually the ball falls to Maevski, who fires a shot inches wide of the left-hand post.

5.00pm GMT

53 min: There’s not a great deal to excite the crowd at the minute. Lingard overruns the ball when presented with a pocket of space just outside the Astana box. The busy Postnikov blooters it long for Khizhnichenko but the striker’s miles offside.

4.58pm GMT

51 min: United get their foot on the ball for the first time since the restart. They don’t go anywhere but that’s not the point. A modicum of control has been reestablished.

4.56pm GMT

49 min: A free kick for Astana out on the right. Rotariu swings it in deep. Postnikov gets a head to the ball but his effort is soft and an easy one for Grant.

4.54pm GMT

48 min: Astana are clearly moving around with more pace and purpose. Beysebekov powers down the left and fires a low ball across the face of goal. Bernard blocks, but in a very uncoordinated fashion, slicing the ball backwards over his own crossbar. Nothing comes of the corner.

4.53pm GMT

46 min: Astana have presumably been given a good talking-to by their manager Roman Grygorchuk. Beysebekov and Murtazayev combine well down the left to win a corner. From the dead ball, Postnikov heads well over the bar.

4.51pm GMT

We’re off again! No half-time changes.

4.44pm GMT

Half-time entertainment.

4.37pm GMT

United’s young team have acquitted themselves very well. Though how much Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has learned from their performance is moot, given how bad Astana have been. They’re giving United all the time in the world to play. But you can only beat what’s in front of you, eh.

4.35pm GMT

45 min: Murtazayev hoicks a shot miles into the air. Fortunately the roof’s shut, or that ball would be halfway to Beijing.

4.34pm GMT

44 min: Lingard sets Greenwood clear down the middle. The flag goes up for offside, correctly, and the whistle goes. Greenwood scoops the ball over Eric and into the net anyway, earning himself a comprehensive bollocking from the referee. But no yellow card.

4.33pm GMT

43 min: Shomko makes off down the left. He’s got men in the box. And slaps his cross into the first man. Astana have been dismal.

4.32pm GMT

41 min: Shaw finds Greenwood out on the right with a glorious crossfield spray. Greenwood lays off to Chong, who runs down a cul-de-sac.

4.30pm GMT

39 min: Sigurjonsson is booked for an unnecessarily hard lunge on Lingard. His studs crumped on the top of Lingard’s boot, and you’ve seen red cards given for that. As it is, he’s still on the pitch, with a guilty but not particularly contrite smile spread across his cheeky face.

4.28pm GMT

37 min: United continue to boss possession, though. They’re not doing a great deal with it at present, but control isn’t to be sniffed at. The home crowd are getting a little bit testy.

4.26pm GMT

35 min: So having said that, Beysebekov, coming in from the left, meets a deep cross coming in from the other flank. He sends a meaty shot goalwards, forcing Grant into his first save of the evening. He makes it with ease. Safe hands.

4.25pm GMT

34 min: Shomko launches long, in the 1980s style. Murtazayev is caught miles offside. Grant gathers the ball. He’s had absolutely nothing to do.

4.23pm GMT

32 min: Lingard has a whack from distance. His shot takes a huge deflection off Postnikov, looping up over the stranded keeper Eric and nearly dropping into the empty net. Nearly. The ball settles on the roof of the net, and nothing comes of the resulting corner.

4.21pm GMT

30 min: The lull continues. Astana caused United a few problems at Old Trafford. Not many, but a few. They’re causing their visitors no bother tonight. Some of these young lads will be thinking big boys’ football is a doddle.

4.19pm GMT

28 min: A lull. United’s travelling support have just belted out 2019’s first rendition of their festive 12 Cantonas song. Too early? Nah. It’s snowy, and the John Lewis advert has been out for a good week or so.

4.17pm GMT

26 min: Logvinenko has a dig from the best part of 30 yards. Nope!

4.14pm GMT

24 min: Garner is eased off the ball by Maevski, illegally from behind. A free kick 30 yards out. Greenwood fancies it, and blooters it straight into the wall.

4.13pm GMT

22 min: Astana should be level. Beysebekov glides in from the left, and plays a diagonal pass into the area that cuts out Shaw, who is totally oblivious to Rotariu lurking behind him. Rotariu’s instant slapshot flies wide right from eight yards. He had to at least hit the target there. No idea what Shaw was thinking of there. Not much, is my wild guess.

4.10pm GMT

20 min: United are in total control here. Chong drives towards the box with options either side, but fails to pick a penetrative pass. Then another run by Laird, who tears down the right flank, cuts back to see off Shomko with great ease, and tees up Lingard for a wild hoick. This Laird looks the business.

4.08pm GMT

18 min: Another positive run by Laird, who reaches the byline and pulls a ball back into the Astana box. It’s intercepted and cleared before it can find Greenwood.

4.07pm GMT

16 min: Gomes makes good towards the Astana box down the middle. He slips the ball out right for Chong, who feeds Laird on the overlap. Laird lashes a shot-cum-cross straight into the arms of Eric. A decent move, with the right-back Laird showcasing his attack-minded philosophy.

4.05pm GMT

14 min: The first job for Lee Grant to do. A free kick for Astana out on the left. Sigurjonsson swings it into the mixer, and it’s easy pickings for the former Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley keeper.

4.03pm GMT

13 min: Replays show Lingard’s shot taking a slight deflection off Sigurjonsson’s boot. A fine effort nonetheless.

4.02pm GMT

12 min: That goal had been coming. United have started very brightly, while the home side are struggling to string more than a couple of passes together at any one time.

4.01pm GMT

Lingard drops deep and powers towards the Astana area. He slips a pass wide right for Chong; his attempt at a curler into the top left is blocked. But United pick up possession again, Shaw cutting in from the left. He slips the ball to Lingard, who from the edge of the box takes a stride and larrups a low shot across Eric and into the bottom right. What a way to mark your first match as Manchester United captain!

3.58pm GMT

8 min: Shaw sets Greenwood away down the left, but the young striker has gone far too early and the flag goes up for offside. United are well on the front foot here.

3.58pm GMT

7 min: United look dangerous. Gomes strides down the left, cuts into the box and shoots. The Astana back line comes together and closes the door just in time.

3.57pm GMT

6 min: Nothing much comes of that, Eric smothering the ball with Greenwood in reasonably close attendance.

3.56pm GMT

5 min: United continue to knock it around. Suddenly they pick up the pace, Lingard sliding a pass down the inside-left channel for Greenwood, who shoots violently towards the goal from a not particularly promising angle. But he gets his effort on target, forcing Eric to parry. Corner coming up.

3.54pm GMT

4 min: A bright end-to-end start as Chong tears off down the right. He doesn’t have a whole load of support, though, and is forced to check back. But United keep hold of possession and ping it around confidently in a very pretty style.

3.52pm GMT

2 min: A long pass down the Astana left. Murtazayev chases and wins a corner off Tuanzebe. United deal with the set piece with ease.

3.51pm GMT

Here we go, then! United’s youthful team kick off. A feel of the ball for everyone at the back. Solskjaer shouts his encouragement from the bench. A few footballing journeys begin right here.

3.50pm GMT

The teams are out! It’s a comparatively balmy eight degrees centigrade in the Astana Arena. The roof’s closed, you see. It’s minus 13 outside. A lovely scene in the tunnel beforehand, as Jesse Lingard made a concerted effort to say hello and talk to all of the mascots, making the young ones feel at ease. A lot of extremely wide smiles as they look up to the Manchester United captain with saucer eyes. Sweet. We’ll be off in a minute.

3.43pm GMT

The last time Manchester United met Astana ⏪

Mason Greenwood #UEL pic.twitter.com/p8XhBoPyd7

3.41pm GMT

Ole! “It’s a great chance for the young players. A chance to show what they can do. It’s the start of something special I’m sure. One or two of these, we’ll definitely see a lot more of them. It’s exciting for us as coaches to see where we are at. Of course we want to win the game, but being away from home, and with such a long way to travel, this was the sensible decision. We’ve got a game on Sunday again. And we give the youth a chance to play in front of 30,000 people, to play men’s football, to get experience. Max Taylor has been an inspiration for all of us, we are so happy he is here. It’s great for the other boys to see that setbacks are sometimes part of life and you can fight back from it.”

3.18pm GMT

United’s inner sanctum. Here’s their kit laid out in the changing room ahead of the match. Confirmation that they’ll be playing in their world-famous red shirts. Astana will be in their first-choice yellow.

3.04pm GMT

As expected, teenagers Ethan Laird, Di’Shon Bernard and Dylan Levitt make their Manchester United debuts.
The veteran goalkeeper Lee Grant also makes his first United start. Laird (18) is a right-back who likes to bomb forward in the modern style; Bernard (19) plays in the centre of defence; and Levitt (19) is a central midfielder who can pick a pass. The 19-year-old defender Max Taylor, thankfully fit and healthy now after his cancer treatment, is on the bench.

3.04pm GMT

Astana: Eric, Rukavina, Postnikov, Logvinenko, Shomko, Beysebekov, Maewski, Sigurjonsson, Rotariu, Sergei Khizhnichenko, Murtazaev.
Subs: Muzhikov, Pertsukh, Zhakipbayev, Janga, Mokin, Zhalmukan, Prokopenko.

Manchester United: Grant, Laird, Tuanzebe, Bernard, Shaw, Garner, Levitt, Chong, Lingard, Gomes, Greenwood.
Subs: Puigmal, Bughail-Mellor, Kovar, Taylor, Galbraith, Ramazani, Mengi.

12.04pm GMT

Welcome to our coverage of Manchester United’s experimental seminar in Kazakhstan. Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side are already through to the knockout stage of the Europa League, so this fixture against Astana presents a chance to field some debutants.

Teenagers Ethan Laird, Di’Shon Bernard and Dylan Levitt, and 36-year-old goalkeeper Lee Grant, are expected to make their debuts at some point. There’s also a feelgood story in 19-year-old defender Max Taylor’s inclusion, promoted to the senior squad for the first time since cancer treatment.

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Published on November 28, 2019 09:54

The Fiver | Fifa, Uefa and the Premier League rupturing the space-time continuum

If you stand looking north-east or south-west anywhere in the English midlands, so one ear points north-west while the other faces south-east, you can probably hear, in perfect stereo, a click, a puff, cascading liquid, and finally two extremely satisfying thuds. Those are the sounds, in the wake of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur’s advancement to the knockout stages of Big Cup, of Pep Guardiola and Humility Man™ lighting up a cigar, pouring themselves a large brandy and throwing their boots up on the desk. Job’s done! Wahey! All finished! Now to enjoy Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year with nary a care in the world.

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Published on November 28, 2019 07:50

November 27, 2019

Valencia 2-2 Chelsea: Champions League – as it happened

Chelsea still have qualification in their own hands after an end-to-end romp at the Mestalla

• Report: Wass fluke checks Blues progress

10.32pm GMT

Lampard reaction ...

9.34pm GMT

Sid Lowe on Kepa ...

8.15pm GMT

Jacob Steinberg was our man at the Mestalla. Here’s his verdict. Enjoy, enjoy ... and thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night, wherever you are.

8.14pm GMT

Frank talking. “We nearly won it, we nearly lost it. To be straight, it’s very difficult to come here. And to a point we were hanging on, but qualification is in our hands, so we have to be happy with that. Certain parts of our performance, I wasn’t so mad on, and I haven’t had to say that too much this season. But we got a point, and have to think about the last game when it comes. We’re giving up a lot of chances and not putting ours away, we have to work on that. But credit to their character and work-rate. It’s hard when it runs away from you.” Meanwhile there’s good news on Tammy Abraham, who has severely bruised his hip ... but has suffered nothing that’ll be long-term.

8.05pm GMT

Some freshly launched Chelsea-related news ... for your leisure and pleasure.

8.02pm GMT

Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta’s verdict. “You’re never happy when you don’t win. They had a couple of chances, and we did as well. Our focus was to win and qualify for the next round. But we didn’t manage the game well. When we went 2-1 up, we should have created more chances. But they are a good team, and wanted to qualify as well. Our target is to improve, and be close to perfection, and we will work on this. I think it was a good game of football for the fans! I would prefer the three points, but we have in our hands qualification.”

7.59pm GMT

This incarnation of Chelsea are making Kevin Keegan’s famous Newcastle look like Helenio Herrera’s Inter. You could make a fair argument that this game was even more recklessly entertaining than the 4-4 with Ajax. Chelsea were eight minutes (plus stoppages) away from the knockout stage; they could also have been thrashed out of sight. Daniel Parejo missed a penalty, Maxi Gomez spurned a couple of first-half sitters, and Rodrigo passed up a gilt-edged opportunity to win right at the end. Valencia will wonder how they didn’t take the three points, and now they’re up against it a little bit. Then again, Chelsea had plenty of other opportunities to score themselves ... and they’re such good fun to watch. You’ve gotta love Frank’s Freewheelers! [Supporters of other London clubs are permitted to demur.]

7.52pm GMT

And in the end, after all that, it’s a decent enough result for Chelsea. If they beat Lille at Stamford Bridge in the final game, they’re through, no matter what happens between Ajax and Lille tonight, no matter what happens when Valencia visit Ajax on the final day.

7.50pm GMT

90 min +6: Rodrigo should have settled it! Loads of space for Gaya down the left. He crosses towards Rodrigo, at the far post. He just needs to slam home from six yards, but opts to shift his feet and slices horribly wide! The amount of chances Valencia have missed is absurd.

7.49pm GMT

90 min +5: Rodrigo skedaddles down the right wing. He cuts infield, turns Zouma this way and that, and curls towards the top left. It’s way off target.

7.48pm GMT

90 min +4: Gomez and Gameiro combine cutely down the inside-left channel. The ball’s laid off to Gaya, on the left-hand corner of the box. Gaya tries to catch out Kepa at his near post, but the keeper isn’t to be grifted.

7.47pm GMT

90 min +3: The first lull of the match. You can’t say the punters in the Mestalla haven’t got bang for their buck this evening.

7.46pm GMT

90 min +2: Pulisic dances in from the left and scoops a pass wide right for James, who fizzes a low cross-cum shot into Cillessen’s hands at the near post.

7.45pm GMT

90 min +1: To be fair, the VAR decision for the Pulisic goal took the best part of three minutes.

7.44pm GMT

90 min: What a save by Cillessen! Batshuayi cuts in from the right and batters a shot towards the bottom left. The ball takes a huge deflection off Gabriel, and looks to be heading into the bottom right, but Cillessen sticks out a strong leg to block! And wait for this ... there will be seven minutes of added time!

7.42pm GMT

88 min: “Why do I have the feeling that this match will not end in a draw?” wonders Mary Waltz, in the rhetorical style.

7.41pm GMT

87 min: Gabriel is booked for standing on Mount’s foot. He doesn’t bother complaining.

7.40pm GMT

86 min: Gameiro is sniffing around again, but Christensen is positioned perfectly to block Gaya’s cross from the left and stop it getting to the striker.

7.40pm GMT

85 min: Wass surely didn’t mean to score with that ball in from the right. But Kepa might think he could have dealt with it better. Meanwhile, Valencia are looking for the winner too. Gameiro has a wild lash at a deep right-wing cross, but can’t connect.

7.38pm GMT

83 min: Chelsea try to bounce back immediately for the second time this evening, and nearly manage it! The ball’s swung into the Valencia box, and Zouma’s header is cleared off the line!

7.37pm GMT

A surreal goal pegs Chelsea back! Wass chases a pass down the right and crosses deep. Kepa opts not to interfere ... and watches in horror as the ball curls over his head, crashes off the left-hand post, and into the top corner! Shades of Paul Konchesky in the 2006 FA Cup final, albeit from the other wing. And apologies to Daniel Wass for comparing him to Paul Konchesky.

7.35pm GMT

81 min: Valencia shuttle the ball in from the right wing. Suddenly Parejo is in space, just inside the Chelsea box. He slams goalwards, only to be denied by the frame of Azpilicueta, throwing himself horizontally in the John Terry style.

7.34pm GMT

80 min: Mason Mount comes on for Willian.

7.33pm GMT

79 min: Kepa is booked for taking his sweet time over a goal kick.

7.32pm GMT

78 min: Carlos Soler makes way for the 18-year-old South Korean Lee Kang-in.

7.31pm GMT

77 min: Kovacic has a blooter from distance. It’s wild and wide. Valencia go up the other end, Gaya sashaying in from the left before laying off to Gameiro, who really should have done better with his attempted curl towards the top right. It’s miles off target.

7.29pm GMT

75 min: Another Valencia corner. Parejo clips it in from the right. Garay wins a header but that’s an easy claim for Kepa. The Mestalla is pretty quiet right now.

7.28pm GMT

74 min: Before the free kick can be taken, Valencia replace Torres with Coquelin. The set piece eventually proves a complete non-event, despite the hosts loading the Chelsea box.

7.27pm GMT

73 min: Kante is booked for a garden-variety challenge on Gaya, who was making his way down the left.

7.26pm GMT

72 min: Emerson comes on for Jorginho.

7.25pm GMT

70 min: It looks as though Jaume Costa injured himself when taking that shot just before his substitution. He’s currently having his thigh Saran Wrapped, in the thoroughly modern style.

7.22pm GMT

68 min: Kevin Gameiro comes on for Jaume Costa. Chelsea bust Valencia’s offside trap open, but Willian and Batshuayi make a mess of the two-on-one, and it turns out the flag went up late anyway.

7.21pm GMT

66 min: A bit of pinball in the Chelsea area. Costa has a batter from a position to the right of the D, but it’s off target. How on earth have only three goals been scored here tonight?!

7.20pm GMT

65 min: Valencia miss! After a long period of confusion - has the ref given this or not? - Parejo steps up to take. He slams his penalty towards the bottom left ... but Kepa sticks a strong arm up and out to turn it around the post! That’s a great instinctive save! Nothing comes of the resulting corner.

7.18pm GMT

63 min: Penalty for Valencia! A ball is slipped down the inside-left channel. Gaya gets in ahead of Jorginho, who brings his opponent down in a tangle of legs.

7.15pm GMT

61 min: Kante tears down the right and whips in low at pace. Pulisic attempts a spectacular volley, but doesn’t quite connect.

7.14pm GMT

59 min: Incidentally, the Pulisic goal was officially scored on 50 minutes, even though it wasn’t awarded until the 53rd. I didn’t get the memo, but then VAR is making fools of us all.

7.12pm GMT

57 min: Valencia should be level. Christensen sticks out a leg to cut out a long ball down the middle. Kepa was rushing out to clear. The ball breaks to Rodrigo, who chips over the stranded Kepa towards the unguarded net ... but sends his effort sailing over the bar. This scoreline could have been anything. It’s unlikely to end 1-2, the way these defences are playing.

7.10pm GMT

55 min: Azpilicueta is booked for swinging an arm into Costa’s face. It’s hotting up in here.

7.09pm GMT

54 min: Valencia are fuming. They’re claiming that Zouma fouled Gabriel when Kante swung the cross in. But neither the referee nor VAR was interested in that.

7.08pm GMT

... he’s onside by one of your VAR armpit hairs! Garay the man this time who will be ruing his decision to shun the Veet.

7.06pm GMT

52 min: Mind you, another angle is less than conclusive. And ...

7.05pm GMT

51 min: They’re taking their sweet time over this.

7.05pm GMT

50 min: ... Chelsea score! Or get the ball in the net anyway. The ball’s swung into the area from the right. Zouma rises highest and heads down for Pulisic, who prods home from six yards. But the flag’s up for offside. This’ll be going to VAR, and it looks as though Pulisic is clearly offside. Still, let’s see.

7.03pm GMT

49 min: James takes. Valencia half clear, but Chelsea come straight back at them. James feeds Batshuayi, who turns and shoots. It’s deflected out for a corner on the right. From which ...

7.02pm GMT

48 min: The free kick’s sent wide right to Torres, who immediately runs into trouble. Chelsea break, James zipping down the right. He’s clattered by Rodrigo, and now it’s Chelsea’s turn to have a free kick. They line up on the edge of the box.

7.01pm GMT

47 min: Valencia ping it around for a bit. Kante gets fed up and clips Parejo on the heel. A free kick but not the booking the hosts were after.

7.00pm GMT

We’re off again! The hosts get the second half underway. Michy Batshuayi replaces the stricken Tammy Abraham.

6.55pm GMT

Half-time news. Poor Abraham couldn’t make it back to the dressing room under his own steam. They had to fetch a stretcher. Terrible luck for a player who has really blossomed this season. Hopefully that’s a bang on the hip, an impact injury rather than any internal concern.

6.47pm GMT

That’s the end of a highly entertaining first half. Chelsea were the better team for most of it, though Valencia slowly came into the game as it developed. Both sides will feel they’ve let some chances pass them by. Chelsea will be pleased with their performance, although worried about Tammy Abraham, who landed very awkwardly on Garay’s foot as the pair fell, and looked in real agony as he made his way back to the dressing room. God speed.

6.45pm GMT

45 min +3: Actually it looks as though Abraham has taken a knock to his hip, or his stomach. He’s holding his side and grimacing hard. The poor chap looks in an awful lot of pain. He tries to limp off with the assistance of the physio, but shouts in agony as he makes his way down the touchline. We’ll not be seeing him in the second half.

6.43pm GMT

45 min +2: Abraham and Garay fell awkwardly in a tangle, and it looks like the big defender landed accidentally on the striker’s leg. Abraham is rolling around in a lot of pain.

6.41pm GMT

45 min +1: In the first of two added minutes, Chelsea win a corner down the right. Willian takes, and Abraham really should plant a header on target from ten yards, but under pressure from Garay, allows the ball to skim off the top of his head.

6.40pm GMT

45 min: ... Kovacic has another crack at goal! This time he does try a curler towards the top right, but it’s always going wide. London buses, eh.

6.40pm GMT

44 min: Kovacic, having waited so long for his first Chelsea goal, nearly gets a second in three minutes! Pulisic dribbles hard towards the Valencia box. He draws two white shirts and lays off to Kovacic on his left. Kovacic should curl towards the far corner, but instead goes for the near post. Cillessen turns it out for a corner. From which ...

6.38pm GMT

43 min: It’s been a great game. A fair chance we’ve not seen the end of the scoring, either. This is New Chelsea, after all.

6.37pm GMT

What a reaction by Chelsea! Valencia only half-clear a left-wing cross. The ball drops to Kovacic, just to the left of the D, with his back to goal. He takes a touch, turns, and fires a heatseeker into the bottom left! It’s his first goal for Chelsea! And what a time to get it.

6.36pm GMT

This was worryingly simple for Valencia. A long goal kick, and suddenly Rodrigo is in space down the right. He crosses for Soler, who shoots messily straight at Kepa from the penalty spot. Kepa gets a hand on the powerful shot, but can’t keep it out, palming it into the bottom left.

6.34pm GMT

38 min: And what a save this is, as Abraham improvises with a sidefooted stab to guide a right-wing James cross towards the top right. It’s looping in ... but Cillessen arches his back and tips over wonderfully! That is a sensational save! And nothing comes of the resulting corner.

6.33pm GMT

37 min: Chances at either end! Kepa plays a piss-poor goal kick straight to Torres, who dribbles back into the Chelsea box from the right. Torres freezes, neither shooting nor crossing, then falls over. Chelsea go up the other end, Willian and James one-twoing down the right. James cuts back for Kante, free on the penalty spot. He leans back and blazes over. What an opportunity!

6.31pm GMT

35 min: Kante steals the ball of Garay in the centre circle, and tears towards the Valencia area. He should probably have a whack when he gets close to the box, but opts instead to lay off to Abraham on his right. The pass is woeful, miles behind his team-mate, and the move putters out.

6.28pm GMT

33 min: Willian performs a couple of stepovers at great pace down the right. He curls in a low ball that’s well claimed by Cillessen, with Pulisic lurking.

6.27pm GMT

32 min: A yellow card for Wass, fully deserved punishment for a cynical bodycheck on Azpilicueta in midfield.

6.26pm GMT

30 min: Gomez misses another sitter! Torres strips the ball from Azpilicueta in the centre circle. Soler rolls a pass wide right for Costa, who finds Gomez at the far post. A simple sidefoot should do it ... but instead he slams it at Kepa, who had made himself impressively big but nevertheless should never have been allowed to make the save. The resulting corner is a complete waste of time.

6.24pm GMT

28 min: Gabriel returns, with a tight-fitting cap covering the bandages.

6.23pm GMT

27 min: Gabriel will be OK to continue as well ... but only after a bandage is wrapped many times around his bleeding head. He’ll be back on in a minute. Meanwhile Zouma has already won his first defensive header since coming back on, and looks fine.

6.21pm GMT

25 min: A corner for Chelsea out on the right. It leads to nothing ... but Gabriel and Zouma suffer a sickening clash of heads as they compete for a high ball. Zouma took a proper whack in the face there. But after a quick check, and a splash of water, he’s deemed good to continue. That looked like a sore one on the nose.

6.19pm GMT

23 min: Parejo floats a ball down the inside-left channel. Soler guides a header towards the top left. Kepa catches without fuss. In the centre, Gomez is going nuts; he wanted Soler to set him up for a tap-in with a square ball. Full marks for brazen nerve, given the chance he missed less than five minutes ago.

6.17pm GMT

21 min: Parejo is down, complaining that he’s copped one in the mush from Kovacic. Valencia surround the ref. There was a bit of contact, but it looked accidental enough. The referee isn’t interested.

6.16pm GMT

19 min: Chelsea have been by far the better side. But they should be behind. Rodrigo is sent scampering into acres of space down the inside-right channel, the beneficiary of another exquisite Parejo pass. Chelsea’s defence are caught napping; they’re nowhere. Rodrigo rolls the ball across the face of goal towards Gomez, at the far post, six yards out. Gomes simply has to tap it in ... Kepa’s been drawn out of position ... but he takes a complete fresh-air swipe! That is absurd. Chelsea breathe again.

6.13pm GMT

17 min: James again on the right. This time a low cross causes some slapstick nonsense in the area. A scrappy passage of play set to Symphony for Slide Whistle and Trombone. Eventually Azpilicueta kicks Juame Costa into the air, and a free kick brings an end to the nonsense.

6.11pm GMT

16 min: Valencia are struggling to put anything together going forward. Parejo sprays a gorgeous diagonal pass towards Gaya on the left, and for a minute it looks as though he’ll be racing towards the box. But James is quickly on the scene to shut him down.

6.10pm GMT

14 min: James is causing all manner of problems for Valencia down the right wing. If he’s not threatening to tear clear with his pace, he’s putting the fear of God into them by whip-cracking in some dangerous crosses. This time it’s his crossing that’s the danger; he finds Abraham at the near post. Abraham can’t quite wrap his foot around the ball to get a first-time shot on target; it’s wide right. This is a very impressive start by Chelsea.

6.08pm GMT

13 min: A free kick for Chelsea out on the left, and a chance to load the box and put more pressure on agitated Valencia. Willian operates the release valve, floating in some easy pickings for Cillessen.

6.07pm GMT

11 min: Jorginho nearly releases Pulisic down the middle with a lovely floated pass that wasn’t a million miles away from his assist for Abraham against Watford. Gabriel blooters clear in a blind panic, and nearly releases Gomez up the other end! But Christensen is alert to the danger and shepherds the striker away from danger, eventually drawing a foul.

6.05pm GMT

9 min: Chelsea look dangerous every time they go forward. Azpilicueta whips a low ball through the Valencia box from the left. James meets it on the right ... and whips it back through the box and out past Azpilicueta for a throw to the hosts. Willian and Abraham were unable to get close to either cross. Those fierce deliveries wouldn’t have taken much turning in.

6.03pm GMT

8 min: The corner’s rolled back down the left flank to Gaya, who hooks in a high one. Kepa plucks that out of the sky with great ease.

6.03pm GMT

7 min: But the volume goes up again quicksmart, as Torres breaks down the right and is bundled over clumsily by Jorginho. That’s the first booking of the evening. The free kick’s swung into the mixer and headed behind his own goal by Zouma. Time for Valencia’s first corner of the night.

6.01pm GMT

5 min: Valencia look nervous to a man. Cillessen betrays their collective state of mind by shanking a goal kick straight out of play, under no pressure whatsoever. Chelsea have already done a pretty good job of turning the volume down in the Mestalla ... if not quite silencing it yet.

5.59pm GMT

4 min: Chelsea are really up for this. Pulisic drives at them with extreme prejudice, then feeds Willian who drives with equal passion towards the Valencia box. Just as he starts to think about shooting, he loses a little control and ends up clanking a white shirt to the ground. Foul, and a rare chance for Valencia to get a feel of the ball. They’ve hardly touched the thing so far.

5.58pm GMT

2 min: ... nothing occurs. Willian’s delivery is dismal, failing to beat the man on the near post. But Chelsea are soon coming straight back at Valencia, James whipping in a cross from deep on the right. Willian is free at the far post! But he sends his header high and wide from ten yards or so. He probably should have scored; he certainly should have got his header on target. What a chance!

5.56pm GMT

33 seconds: Chelsea are immediately on the front foot, Pulisic and Kovacic taking turns to run at the hosts down the left wing. They win a corner. From which ...

5.55pm GMT

And we’re off! Frank’s Freewheelers get the party started. Another evening of wild and reckless abandon? Yes please! In the meantime, here’s Peter Oh: “A blood-orange sky, a club known for wearing orange, and an Oranje international in the home goal. Talk about chromatic determinism.”

5.52pm GMT

The teams are out! It’s a cloudy evening in Valencia, though still a comparatively balmy 18 degrees. The atmosphere in the Mestalla is, however, red hot, much as you’d expect. Uefa’s official mangling of Zadok the Priest blasts out of the PA. Cesar Azpilicueta will swap that pennant in a minute. And then we’ll be off before you know it!

5.35pm GMT

A pre-match word with Frank Lampard. “It’s much more of a must-not-lose than a must-win,” he tells BT Sport. “There’s a lot on it, but that’s football. We’ve pulled a lot of ground back since the first game against Valencia, and it’s very important we finish off the job. We’ve got two games to do it, but particularly tonight. I’ve got a competitive squad, with plenty of players knocking on the door. It’s no slight on the players who have come out, and I trust the players who are coming in. The strength of Manchester City and Liverpool has been their relentless nature, coming back from any little knock-back. So we need to try to close that gap, and it starts with consistency and reactions. And it’s a great chance for us to show that tonight.” Lampard talks really well, you know. He exudes a calm, cool authority, and doesn’t put too much pressure on his players. A class act. I fully appreciate some supporters of Leeds United may have a drastically different viewpoint regarding this matter.

5.14pm GMT

On the subject of blood orange ... oh my, what a sunset.

5.11pm GMT

Here’s the pennant Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta will present to his opposite number Daniel Parejo before kick-off. A classy bit of merch. From this photo, we can also confirm that the Blues will be playing in, er, first choice blue. The hosts will be wearing their famous white shirts and black shorts, with a lovely dash of blood orange on the piping.

5.05pm GMT

There are four changes to the Valencia team sent out at Stamford Bridge on matchday one. Jaume Costa, Carlos Soler, Ferran Torres and Maxi Gomez replace Francis Coquelin, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Denis Cheryshev and Kevin Gameiro.

Chelsea make two changes to the side that gave it a good go at Manchester City last weekend. And they’re both at the back. Reece James comes in for Emerson, while Andreas Christensen replaces Fikayo Tomori.

4.59pm GMT

Valencia: Cillessen, Costa Jaume, Garay, Gabriel, Gaya, Torres, Parejo, Wass, Carlos Soler, Rodrigo, Gomez.
Subs: Domenech Jaume, Correia, Mangala, Gameiro, Vallejo, Lee, Coquelin.

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, James, Christensen, Zouma, Azpilicueta, Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic, Willian, Abraham, Pulisic.
Subs: Pedro, Caballero, Giroud, Mount, Batshuayi, Tomori, Emerson Palmieri.

1.45pm GMT

It’s tight in Group H, where Ajax, Chelsea and Valencia are all on seven points after four matches. Three famous European giants are pirouetting on the proverbial knife-edge. Should either Chelsea or Valencia win in the Mestalla this evening, they’ll be through to the knockouts, due to a favourable head-to-head record in a potential three-way tie. So close! It’s there for the taking!

There’s only one problem for Frank’s Freewheelers: Valencia did a number on them in matchday one at Stamford Bridge. So should Los Ches beat them tonight, and assuming Ajax see off Lille, they’ll need Valencia to win in Amsterdam on matchday six to give them a chance of qualifying in place of the Dutch. This scenario doesn’t sound quite so promising.

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Published on November 27, 2019 12:15

The Fiver | Mourinho and the golden value of a top-quality retriever

How did Liverpool turn around a three-goal deficit against Barcelona last season? That’s what Barça fans keep asking themselves every single day, as they wake up with a start, regular as clockwork, pyjamas soaked through, for their 3am scream. You’ll get no sensible answers out of them, as they sit there, shivering, in their puddle. Poor dears. But The Fiver would boil it down to a couple of things: Andrew Robertson clipping good-time charlie Lionel Messi upside the head, and the quick-thinking ballboy who efficiently gave Trent Alexander-Arnold the chance to make some fast calculations of his own. Either or.

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Published on November 27, 2019 08:01

November 23, 2019

Manchester City 2-1 Chelsea: Premier League – as it happened

Chelsea were the better team in the early stages, but City reasserted their authority after falling behind and bounced back in the champion style

8.02pm GMT

Jamie Jackson was our man at the Etihad. Here’s his report. Enjoy, enjoy ... and thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!

8.01pm GMT

Frank Lampard’s turn. “Some big parts were good. Some parts we can improve on. That’s why there’s a gap. We went toe-to-toe in the main. A moment of quality from Mahrez, and a deflection, was the difference. Games can be won or lost in the boxes and that was the difference. We’re coming to close the gap, and we’ll have to show our response to losing for the first time in a long time. We’re in the early stages, but if we keep working we’ll be coming.”

7.55pm GMT

Guardiola also gave an update, of sorts, on Sergio Aguero, who limped off injured. It’s a “muscular” injury, and he’ll require a scan tomorrow. He might be out for “some days during the toughest part of our season”.

7.53pm GMT

Pep’s thoughts. “It was a top game between top sides. A great victory for us. After they scored, we suffered a little bit, and in their best moments we scored. Then we created a lot of chances. They are a top side but we fought a lot and it’s a great victory. They are so good, they are an incredible team. It’s Chelsea. The last 15, 20 years it was always United and Chelsea. The top teams want to play and go forward, they are playing very well. Liverpool, Leicester, us and Chelsea. I give a lot of credit to my team.”

7.31pm GMT

That was a very impressive performance by the champions. They were all over the shop for the best part of half an hour, and having fallen behind to N’Golo Kante’s goal, will have started to fret a little about the title race. But this City side aren’t back-to-back champs for nothing, and they refused to panic. They slowly reasserted their authority in midfield and will wonder how they didn’t win by a larger margin in the end. Not that it matters a whole lot. A win’s a win’s a win, ain’t that the truth. Chelsea meanwhile can take heart from their performance in the early stages. It didn’t bear fruit today, but there’s no shame in a young side losing to this Pep machine. And here’s Mary Waltz with the tl;dr version: “Chelsea ran out of gas or ideas, City kept their cool and got the win they had to have. Kudos to them.”

7.24pm GMT

But it doesn’t matter! City move into third, leapfrogging Chelsea and keeping on Liverpool and Leicester’s tail!

7.23pm GMT

A hair on Sterling’s arm had wafted offside, apparently. What a fiasco VAR is.

7.22pm GMT

Sterling has done next to nothing today ... except seal the deal for the champions! He latches onto Jesus’s header down the middle, swivels, and guides a shot into the bottom left! Kepa should have done better, but a decent finish nonetheless.

7.20pm GMT

90 min +2: Mount’s effort - from the best part of 30 yards - flies wide left. But not a million miles away from the top corner. Ederson was diving over at full stretch, taking no chances whatsover.

7.19pm GMT

90 min +1: Kante latches onto a loose Sterling pass in midfield and races into the City half. Gundogan clips his heel cynically, taking a booking for the team. Mount is preparing to take a belt at the free kick from long range.

7.18pm GMT

90 min: The Etihad is a little bit nervous. For all City’s dominance in this second half, they’re still just one lapse away from dropping a couple more precious points in the title race. The four minutes to be added on won’t go particularly quickly for them.

7.16pm GMT

88 min: Mahrez flicks Foden into acres down the left, but the young midfielder hits a blind cross to nobody in particular. He may as well have taken a shot.

7.15pm GMT

87 min: Mount attempts to release Willian with a long pass down the inside right, but Mendy reads well and intercepts, before drawing a foul that eases the pressure on the champions. Time is on their side.

7.13pm GMT

85 min: Ederson plays a lazy pass out, straight at Batshuayi. The ball balloons off the striker’s backside, over the keeper, and fortunately for City, out of play to the right of goal. On the touchline, Pep simmers quietly.

7.11pm GMT

84 min: Chelsea have enjoyed nearly 70 percent of possession in the last ten minutes. However only six percent of the play has taken place in City’s final third.

7.10pm GMT

82 min: Chelsea are beginning to ask the odd question. Mount bombs down the middle and tries to release Batshuayi with a sliderule pass along the inside-left channel. Batshuayi should take up possession just inside the City box, but falls over and the ball rolls out for a goal kick instead.

7.09pm GMT

80 min: Chelsea spring forward. Pulisic breaks fast down the left and swans inside. He lays off to Willian, whose first touch isn’t the best, but the ball sits up and allows him to take a Le Tissieresque lash at goal. It’s going over the bar, but Ederson fingertips over anyway. But Chelsea don’t get the corner they deserve. Willian is fuming.

7.07pm GMT

79 min: Chelsea knock it around the back, but City are pressing hard and they’re struggling to break out of their final third.

7.05pm GMT

77 min: Foden takes another speculative effort at goal. His sidefoot slap flies harmlessly wide left.

7.04pm GMT

76 min: Augero is limping. City are taking no chances, and on comes Jesus in his stead. Aguero takes an absolute age to trot off; expect a little time to be added on for that brazenly drawn-out farewell at the end.

7.03pm GMT

74 min: A double change for Chelsea. Batshuayi and Mount replace Abraham and Jorginho.

7.02pm GMT

72 min: Foden has a crack from distance. Kepa smothers. Then Sterling chips over the Chelsea back line. Aguero, chasing, runs into James and wants a penalty. But he’s not getting it, Martin Atkinson deeming it an accidental collision.

7.01pm GMT

71 min: Willian, Abraham, Kovacic and Pulisic combine artfully, pinging first-time passes to each other down the middle and nearly opening City up. The move comes to a pitiful end, however, as Abraham miscontrols, then assumes he’ll win a corner off Fernandinho. But the Brazilian isn’t giving it up, and draws a foul from the young striker, who panics upon realising he shouldn’t have powered down.

6.57pm GMT

69 min: James makes another run down the right. He whips a Beckhamesque cross towards Abraham by the far post. The striker is an inch or two away from connecting. But what delivery by the young full-back. He really does look like a player.

6.56pm GMT

68 min: James crosses from the right. The ball’s only half-cleared, and falls to Willian, who blazes over wildly from a promising position down the inside-right. A decent half-chance wasted by a rush of blood to the noggin. Chelsea don’t need to panic yet.

6.54pm GMT

67 min: The old warrior can’t continue. He’s replaced by Foden.

6.54pm GMT

66 min: A pause as Silva gets treatment for cramp.

6.53pm GMT

65 min: Fernandinho, Silva and Sterling triangulate sharply down the let and win their fourth corner of the evening so far. De Bruyne swings long. Aguero clips it back into the mixer from the right. Fernandinho, coming in from the left, shoots straight at Azpilicueta. The ball breaks to Mahrez, whose rising shot is tipped over by Kepa. Nothing comes of the resulting corner, but City are pushing hard for the third goal that would surely put this game to bed.

6.51pm GMT

63 min: A rare period of second-half possession for Chelsea. They stroke it around the middle, then Kovacic tries to release Willian with a quick pass down the right. Not quite. But it’s a little bit better from the visitors, for whom the opening half hour must seem quite a long time ago.

6.49pm GMT

61 min: Jorginho is booked for a cynical block on De Bruyne, who was looking to make good up the left wing. No argument.

6.47pm GMT

59 min: Emerson is replaced by James, who will offer some extra pace at right back while the captain Azpilicueta shifts across to the other flank.

6.46pm GMT

57 min: Chelsea commit too many players to an attack, and suddenly Mahrez is heading the other way. He’s got time and space to work in, and options either side, but instead dallies before taking a shot that’s blocked easily. Aguero is incensed, though he tries to keep the attack going, unsuccessfully as it happens.

6.44pm GMT

56 min: Stones tries to guide a header goalwards, but it’s deflected wide. The second corner is a training-ground masterpiece, Mahrez pulling it back for Cancelo, who is free in a pocket just inside the Chelsea box on the right. Cancelo slapshots towards the bottom left, where Aguero waits to bundle home, but Azpilicueta is on hand to block and clear.

6.42pm GMT

55 min: De Bruyne romps down the right and enters the box at great speed. He hits a shot - or is it a cross? - towards the far corner. Kepa feathers it with his fingertips and that’ll be a corner.

6.41pm GMT

54 min: Chelsea finally put something together in attack, Willian driving down the right and seeing his shot blocked pretty much the second it leaves his boot. City clear. But Chelsea come back again, quickly, Willian playing a reverse pass down the right to release Azpilicueta, who cuts back from the byline for Kante. The shot that follows is deflected inches wide of the right-hand post by Fernandinho. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.

6.39pm GMT

52 min: Rodri appears to have picked up some sort of tweak. He’s replaced by Gundogan.

6.39pm GMT

51 min: More of the City passing. Chelsea have completely misplaced their early verve.

6.37pm GMT

49 min: And then suddenly Mahrez sashays in from the right and pulls the trigger, sending the ball inches wide of the left-hand post. Kepa might have had that covered ... but you wouldn’t bet the farm on it.

6.36pm GMT

48 min: City have hardly given Chelsea a sniff since the restart. They continue to pass it around, a statement of intent.

6.34pm GMT

46 min: City finished the first half very strongly, and in the early exchanges of this second period, they’re looking to reestablish that domination. They ping the ball around in the sterile manner, making Chelsea nip about hither and yon.

6.33pm GMT

City get the ball rolling for the second half. No half-time changes.

6.21pm GMT

Half-time reading. Just in case you’re wondering why both teams are going for it in such devil-may-care fashion ...

6.19pm GMT

The thrills of association football, the rhythms of basketball. That was magnificent fun. Where did those 45 minutes go?

6.17pm GMT

45 min +1: They nearly don’t make it safe to the shore. Sterling is sent scampering down the left. He’s in an awful lot of space, but when he brings Silva and Aguero into the mix, the trio overthink things on the edge of the box. A couple of pointlessly intricate flicks later, and Silva’s passing the ball out for a goal kick, with Sterling standing offside.

6.16pm GMT

45 min: Chelsea stroke it around the back awhile. They’re waiting for the half-time whistle, and a change to regroup, because for the first time they’re beginning to look a little ragged.

6.14pm GMT

43 min: Kepa gets away with a howler! He shanks a pass upfield, straight to Aguero. The striker’s eyes light up ... but he somehow fails to make Chelsea pay, lofting a shot over the keeper, towards the top left, and off the crossbar! Chelsea clear their lines.

6.11pm GMT

41 min: ... and neither is VAR. The correct decision. There was no significant contact.

6.11pm GMT

40 min: City scream for a penalty kick. Silva is released into the box down the left by Sterling. Silva swivels and crosses low for Aguero, who tries to nip in ahead of Tomori but falls over instead. Martin Atkinson isn’t interested ...

6.10pm GMT

39 min: Willian scampers down the right and reaches the byline. He flicks a pass towards Abraham at the near post, but Stones gets in the road. City clear. Chelsea are still looking dangerous every time they cross the halfway line.

6.08pm GMT

38 min: So far, City are leading Chelsea 7-6 on attempts. How is this only 2-1?

6.08pm GMT

We should ask that sort of question more often. Mahrez dribbles with purpose, in from the right. He slips between Emerson and Kovacic, opens his body as he enters the area, and slots a gorgeous curler across Kepa and into the bottom left!

6.06pm GMT

36 min: De Bruyne cuts in from the right and very nearly sends a whistler into the top left. Inches over. What an effort! How is this still only 1-1?

6.06pm GMT

35 min: Chelsea finally recover from the blow of the equaliser. Willian strides down the middle of the park, City’s defence lined up in the avant-garde style once again. He should send Abraham, to his right, clear on goal, but hesitates and eventually plays the easier pass to Emerson on his left. Emerson’s cross is no good, and that’s that.

6.03pm GMT

33 min: De Bruyne flicks a ball to Aguero, just inside the Chelsea box on the right. Aguero turns and shoots, but he’s not got much space to operate in, and doesn’t really catch it. Kepa gathers.

6.02pm GMT

32 min: City were rocking hysterically back there, but suddenly they’ve reestablished a modicum of control. That’s why they’re champions. They stroke it around the middle awhile, making Chelsea chase shadows, just because they can.

6.01pm GMT

30 min: That’s got the home crowd singing again. Most likely that isn’t going to be an end to the scoring.

6.00pm GMT

The champions step it up! Fernandinho nicks the ball off Abraham in the centre circle, and City are away on the counter. The ball ends up at De Bruyne’s feet, on the edge of the D. He drops a shoulder and sends a shot towards the bottom left. But the ball takes a huge deflection off Zouma, closing in, and whistles past a wrong-footed Kepa in to the other side!

5.58pm GMT

28 min: Chelsea are bossing this. City’s midfield - when was the last time we could truly say this? - is being overrun. The home faithful have slipped into a state of mild anxiety. The champions need to step this up.

5.56pm GMT

26 min: Tomori launches long. Abraham nearly gets the better of Fernandinho in a one-on-one footrace. But City’s makeshift central defender holds firm, just, and the flag went up for offside anyway. However, yet again, City looked threadbare at the back. They can’t go on like this.

5.54pm GMT

24 min: Another corner, after De Bruyne and Aguero dip into their bag of tricks and nearly open Chelsea up down the right. A set piece isn’t much of a reward for an intricate move, especially when De Bruyne blooters it behind in uncharacteristically clumsy fashion.

5.53pm GMT

23 min: That was no more than Chelsea deserved. City need a response, and quick. They earn a corner, but there’s no instant redemption as Stones heads weakly off target.

5.52pm GMT

It’s fair to say this had been coming. Kovacic, to the left of the centre circle, sprays a perfectly weighted ball down the channel to release Kante. Where are City’s central defenders? There’s a search party out for them. Meanwhile Mendy comes across to try to help, but Kante holds him off, draws the outrushing Ederson, and does enough to flick the ball past the keeper and into the empty net!

5.50pm GMT

19 min: Willian drives at City, head down. He passes to Emerson, free as a bird on the left. Emerson strides into the area. He really should roll the ball across for Abraham to sidefoot home, but goes for glory instead. Bad choice. His poor effort flies straight down Ederson’s throat, and then he receives the mother of all bollockings, richly deserved, from Abraham and a couple of other team-mates.

5.49pm GMT

17 min: Mahrez and De Bruyne link up down the inside-right channel, the former nearly releasing the latter. The move is ended by Tomori, who heads cutely away from trouble when in a tight spot on the byline. Chelsea go straight up the other end, Pulisic driving at the City defence before scooping a chip over the back line for Abraham. As Abraham shaped to shoot, he’s clipped from behind by Cancelo. It would have been an obvious penalty kick ... but Abraham was clearly offside, and City breathe again.

5.46pm GMT

15 min: Willian and Kante combine well down the right and earn a corner off Stones. There’s some head tennis in the box. Then the ball drops to Tomori, in a preposterous pocket of space to the right of the penalty spot. He lashes a shot inches wide of the bottom-right corner. This match is fantastic. Ludicrous, but fantastic.

5.44pm GMT

14 min: This match is absurdly open. Both defences are all over the shop right now. Our pre-match pundits Mary Waltz and Hubert O’Hearn had it damn straight, there’s surely no way this is going to end goalless. Both sides could easily have netted a couple already.

5.43pm GMT

12 min: Aguero showcases some Maradonaesque ball control in a tight spot just inside the Chelsea area. He can’t get a shot away, so hands off to Mahrez instead. No joy for Mahrez either.

5.42pm GMT

11 min: Jorginho cuts in from the left and slips a pass forward to Kante, who tees up Abraham on the edge of the D. Abraham attempts a chip over Ederson, but curls the ball just wide of the top-right corner.

5.40pm GMT

9 min: From the restart, Aguero is sent scampering clear on goal by Ederson’s long goal kick. But the whistle goes, because the ball was still moving when Ederson threw it down and punted upfield.

5.39pm GMT

8 min: Now Chelsea show their teeth. Mahrez is robbed by a buzzing Abraham, who slips the ball to Willian on the right. Willian is in acres, with Mendy way out of position. He enters the box and, like De Bruyne minutes before up the other end, sends a diagonal daisycutter inches wide of the left-hand post. Give or take a few millimetres here and there, and this game would be 1-1 already.

5.37pm GMT

6 min: Chelsea string a few passes together in City territory. But the move’s broken up, and suddenly the hosts are tearing upfield on the counter. Silva feeds Aguero, who eats up the turf before slipping De Bruyne into acres to his right. De Bruyne opts to cut inside instead of entering the box directly to shoot, a strange decision that proves costly. Chelsea usher him away from the danger zone.

5.34pm GMT

4 min: Suddenly City burst into life. Fernandinho rolls a pass down the inside-right channel from deep. Aguero picks it up and flicks it on to De Bruyne, who enters the box from the right and whistles a low shot across Kepa and inches wide of the left-hand post. That was a rapier thrust, and very nearly the opening goal.

5.33pm GMT

3 min: Ederson kicks it long. Somebody’s been watching Tottenham earlier today.

5.32pm GMT

2 min: Chelsea win a throw deep in City territory. Within 15 seconds or so, the ball’s back at Kepa’s feet. Everyone carefully feeling each other out at the minute. It’s a big game. Nobody do anything rash!

5.31pm GMT

Chelsea get the ball rolling. A massive roar. The ball’s hoicked upfield and then it’s City’s turn to get an early touch. No fast start.

5.29pm GMT

Any road, the teams are out. There’s the usual pre-match air of anticipation ... but a little bit of apprehension too. Both teams will be desperate for a win; anything else will seriously compromise their pursuit of Liverpool and Leicester City. We’ll be off once everyone stops crooning Blue Moon.

5.27pm GMT

Seems you lot are expecting an evening of freewheeling entertainment. “Chelsea is probably the last team that City would prefer to see at this time,” argues Mary Waltz. “City has to win. Lose this fixture and their hopes for a title are crushed. Chelsea form has been wonderful and even though on paper they should lose they may be too young and too talented to realise they are in over their heads. Should be fun.”

Meanwhile Hubert O’Hearn adds: “This is a truly exciting match. Besides all the wonderful young talent Chelsea are bedding in – and City is vulnerable to speed which Chelsea has plenty of – what fascinates me is just how good a manager Frank Lampard is proving to be. In any major team sport, the rarest thing to find is a truly great player who becomes a truly great head coach/manager. Good for Lampard. Lampard always struck me as a solid, good sportsman and he’s assembling a memorable team. Let’s call this one an exhilarating 3-3 draw.”

5.21pm GMT

Pep, in one of his more abrupt moods, didn’t have too much to say in his pre-match chat with Sky Sports. He praised Chelsea’s “spirit ... they’re free in their heads, they play good. Individually the quality of the players they have is a top-class team.” He also insisted that swapping out both full-backs is not a reaction to defeat against Liverpool, and responded positively to a question regarding his team’s likelihood of bouncing back from that loss in impressive style. “Yes.”

5.15pm GMT

Frank Lampard’s pre-match statement of intent: “To come to Manchester City and declare I’m going to dominate with the ball would be a bit brave. But we have to be confident we can play. We’ve been confident on the ball recently, creating chances, so we have to come with that idea. But we’ve also got to understand we’re coming up against a team that’s been doing this for a few seasons to a really high standard. Both elements of our game, on and off the ball, will have to be spot on to get a result.”

5.07pm GMT

There’ll be a blue moon over Manchester this evening whatever happens at the Etihad. City will of course be playing in their famous sky blue. But their shirts are a different enough hue for visitors Chelsea to get away with their own royal version.

4.58pm GMT

The stakes have just got that little bit higher. The leaders Liverpool have won 2-1 at Crystal Palace, while second-placed Leicester City are 2-0 winners at Brighton & Hove Albion. As things now stand, Liverpool are on 37 points, 11 clear of Chelsea and 12 clear of City. Leicester meanwhile are certain to stay in second place tonight, on 29 points, unless Chelsea win 14-0 that is. So good luck with that. Barry Glendenning has all the details of the 3pm kick-offs.

4.43pm GMT

Manchester City make five changes to the team sent out at Anfield a fortnight ago. Ederson, Joao Cancelo, Benjamin Mendy and Riyad Mahrez replace Claudio Bravo, Kyle Walker, Angelino and Ilkay Gundogan, who all drop to the bench. David Silva is in for his suspended namesake Bernardo.

Chelsea make a couple of changes to the side that saw off Crystal Palace two weeks back. Mason Mount and Reece James are replaced by Jorginho and captain Cesar Azpilicueta.

4.32pm GMT

Manchester City: Ederson, Joao Cancelo, Stones, Fernandinho, Mendy, De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva, Mahrez, Aguero, Sterling.
Subs: Bravo, Walker, Gundogan, Gabriel Jesus, Jose Angelino, Otamendi, Foden.

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Zouma, Tomori, Emerson Palmieri, Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic, Willian, Abraham, Pulisic.
Subs: Christensen, Pedro, Caballero, Giroud, Mount, Batshuayi, James.

10.07pm GMT

There’s a little bit of pressure building on Manchester City. The back-to-back Premier League champions, last season’s imperious treble winners, are currently only fourth in the table. Right now, they sit nine points off the blistering pace set by Liverpool ... and a point behind both Leicester City and Chelsea. This picture could improve or get even worse by the time the 3pm kick-offs are done and dusted - more on those anon - but this is where City are at the moment. They haven’t been here for a while.

How they’ll respond to that defeat at Anfield before the international break will be fascinating. The last time they lost on the road, at Norwich in September, they won their next Premier League match 8-0.

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Published on November 23, 2019 12:02

West Ham 2-3 Tottenham: Premier League – as it happened

José Mourinho gets off to a flyer at Tottenham against an often shambolic West Ham side flattered by the final scoreline

2.52pm GMT

David Hytner was our man out east today. He witnessed the dawning of a new age, and perhaps the end times of another. Here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM!

2.51pm GMT

The turn of the under-pressure Manuel Pellegrini. “There is frustration because we did not win a home game, especially because it is the derby against Tottenham. It’s a victory we wanted to have for our fans, to return to a winning performance, but we couldn’t. Antonio could not play the whole game, but we hope in the future he will contribute to a win. When you don’t have the result you want, you must trust more than ever. Our players never gave up, they continued to fight until the last minute. The moment we have the first winning result, the pressure will be gone.”

2.47pm GMT

And now a word with the man of the moment, Jose Mourinho! “I was really happy for an hour. We were playing well, doing things we spoke a lot about. I think we are lucky that I have so many years of Premier League that I told the players at half-time, even if it is 3-0, minute 85 the game will be open, and I think they understood that. But for the last 20 minutes, fatigue, people coming from the national team, all the emotions of losing their manager, another one comes ... there was clearly fatigue. And we were playing a very good team with good players, and their coach tried different things, playing more direct to avoid our pressure. It was not easy. But I really liked very much our first 60 minutes. I enjoyed it. The most important thing was not to win 3-0 or 4-0, the three points were a mental barrier. The boys are happy, and I really wanted them to be back to happiness. Dele Alli is too good not to be in the national team, too good not to be one of the best players in the world. The best Dele has to be back.”

2.41pm GMT

Dele Alli speaks: “It’s been a tough week for us emotionally. We’ve all spent a long time with Poch and were shocked when we heard the news. It was very sad. But we have a job to do. We have to go out and perform for the fans and for the club. No matter what happens, we have to stay together as a squad. In football things change.”

Son Heung-min adds: “For almost five years we have tried to play from the back, but now we are trying something new. We adapted well, the lads did a really good job. We have to fight for the second ball.”

2.33pm GMT

That result catapults Tottenham up to sixth, at least for a couple of hours. West Ham are still stuck in 16th place, currently five points clear of the relegation zone. Should Watford beat Burnley later, though, that’ll just be two. And as good as Spurs were for most of that game - Son and Alli were sensational in the first half - West Ham turned in the sort of performance that usually leads to a relegation scrap. Not a perfect day at the office for Mourinho, as it looked like being midway through the second half, but more than good enough. Onwards and upwards. West Ham by contrast are in all sorts of bother; those late goals don’t mask anything. Manuel Pellegrini is on very thin ice.

2.26pm GMT

But it’s too late for West Ham. Spurs have their first away win since January ... though those late West Ham goals mean Jose Mourinho doesn’t look quite as pleased with his team’s performance as he was a little earlier.

2.25pm GMT

Antonio, who has been the one plus point for West Ham this afternoon, races along the byline to the left of goal. His low cross-cum-shot pinballs off Alderweireld and Gazzaniga. Half the ground celebrate a goal, but the ball has somehow squirted wide of the bottom left. No matter! From the resulting corner, Ogbonna loses Sanchez and slams a shot into the bottom left!

2.22pm GMT

90 min +4: Kane purchases a cheap free kick from Noble in midfield. That’s the pressure off Spurs, who are closing in on their first away win in the Premier League since January.

2.21pm GMT

90 min +3: Another corner for West Ham. Snodgrass takes. Too long. Rice tries to recycle the ball from the right. Alderweireld clears.

2.20pm GMT

90 min +2: West Ham have enjoyed 82 percent of possession in the last five minutes. Spurs fans better get used to matches ending like this, it’s how Mourinho rolls.

2.19pm GMT

90 min +1: There will be six added minutes. During the first, Snodgrass digs a cross out from a deep position on the left. Haller rises and heads straight at Gazzaniga.

2.18pm GMT

90 min: ... West Ham score! Ogbonna rises highest. The ball’s going wide left, but Rice turns it in by the post. The referee awards the goal ... but VAR snatches it away quickly. Rice was clearly offside, so much so that the home fans didn’t really bother celebrating properly in the first place.

2.17pm GMT

89 min: More good work by Antonio, who battles to win possession. Fredericks scoops a cross from the right. It’s deflected out for a corner, from which ...

2.15pm GMT

87 min: However, after giving it some thought, Michael Oliver books Kane and Snodgrass, who, it should be pointed out, are both grown men.

2.14pm GMT

86 min: West Ham refuse to put the ball out of play with Sissoko down injured. Kane has a nibble at Snodgrass, who reacts angrily and throws the Spurs man to the floor. Just for a second, it looks like developing into a bit of rough-house, but everyone calms down quickly enough.

2.12pm GMT

84 min: Spurs are now sitting back. The plan presumably being to keep their shape, and keep hold of what they’ve got. Cresswell crosses from the left, but Sanchez heads powerfully clear with ease.

2.09pm GMT

82 min: Moura knocks Cresswell to the ground, and it’s a free kick out on the left. West Ham load the box. Snodgrass can’t find anyone, though. That’s Moura’s last act of the afternoon, as he’s replaced by Sissoko.

2.08pm GMT

81 min: Moura is bowled over by Sanchez, 25 yards out. Kane takes the free kick and belts it straight at Roberto, who gathers without fuss for once. The home crowd again with the ironic cheers.

2.07pm GMT

79 min: Eriksen comes on for Alli, who takes his sweet time to leave the field of play. Noble gets up in the referee’s grille, pointing out that he should have departed at the nearest point of exit. That may be reflected in the time added on. Or it may not.

2.05pm GMT

77 min: Suddenly West Ham look lively. Noble launches long towards Antonio, who chests down on the edge of the box for Haller. Unfortunately Haller can’t get any purchase on his snapshot, and Tottenham can clear. But this is better from the home side, who have finally turned up, just the 70-odd minutes late.

2.03pm GMT

75 min: Davies injured himself while fouling Antonio back there. He limps off, to be replaced by Rose.

2.03pm GMT

Antonio has been West Ham’s one success story this afternoon, putting himself about since coming on, a whirlwind of desire and talent. There’s some pinball in the Spurs box. The ball breaks to him. He slips Alderweireld with a deft shimmy right, then slaps a low shot into the bottom left from the edge of the area! A lovely finish, and there’s life in this match yet.

2.01pm GMT

72 min: That was really brave from Kane, who resisted the temptation to raise his hands to save himself. He took that full in the face, standing firm. He’s good to continue, though.

2.00pm GMT

70 min: Cresswell belts the free kick very hard. It hits poor old Kane flush in his startled coupon. Ooyah, oof, that’s going to hurt a lot. He lies face down in the turf awhile. Selflessly, the Spurs captain has given the put-upon West Ham fans something to cheer.

1.58pm GMT

69 min: Antonio shines for West Ham, dribbling past Davies and Dier, cutting in from the right and drawing a foul from Davies, who had come back for more. A free kick in a dangerous position.

1.55pm GMT

67 min: Aurier nutmegs Snodgrass out on the right wing, and scampers off tittering, like a cartoon character with a bag of sweeties. Snodgrass tilts his head back, scrunches his eyes, and emits a loud AW NO. It’s been that sort of day for West Ham.

1.54pm GMT

66 min: Spurs are strutting around like they own the place. Which, this afternoon, they sort of do. They’re hogging possession, stroking it around in the grand manner. It’s very easy on the eye. Could this day be going any better for Jose Mourinho?

1.52pm GMT

64 min: Diop is put out of his misery, hooked for Carlos Sanchez, whose arrival isn’t met with uniform enthusiasm by the West Ham faithful.

1.51pm GMT

63 min: Now it’s Son’s turn to beat the West Ham offside trap. He scoots down the left and wins a corner. The set piece leads to nothing, but there are more goals in this for Spurs.

1.50pm GMT

61 min: West Ham United force Gazzaniga into a save! Antonio glides in from the right and curls towards the top right. It’s an easy catch for the keeper, who immediately launches long. Diop, who has been awful today, misjudges the flight of the long blooter, and allows Kane to tear clear on goal! To be fair to Diop, he mops up his own mess by powering back and blocking Kane, who dithered uncharacteristically. But still. What a mess.

1.48pm GMT

60 min: Moura dinks a reverse pass down the left, nearly setting Kane clear. Fredericks does well to hook the ball away from danger.

1.45pm GMT

58 min: West Ham have shown very little fight. Fornals tries to inject a bit of energy by bustling down the right, but nobody other than Noble seems particularly interested in joining in. The move peters out.

1.44pm GMT

56 min: Yarmolenko isn’t happy either. He’s been totally anonymous today. But there he is anyway, a face like thunder as he’s yanked for Fornals.

1.43pm GMT

55 min: Cresswell slips a ball down the left in the hope of releasing Antonio, but the striker’s gone too quickly and it’s an easy offside decision for the linesman. The home crowd are restless.

1.41pm GMT

53 min: West Ham are all over the shop. Alli is allowed to trundle down the right, and nearly releases Kane into the area with a deft flick. Diop is on point this time, and intercepts. This particular panic is over, but the Hammers can’t keep on like this, or things could get extremely embarrassing.

1.40pm GMT

51 min: Kane twisted his ankle while landing, but after a grimace and a rub, it looks as though he’ll be fine to continue.

1.39pm GMT

Moura’s miss matters not. Aurier is afforded space down the right. He crosses high. Kane rises and plants a downward header past the flapping Roberto. Kane beat a snoozing, dizzy Diop with ease there.

1.37pm GMT

48 min: Antonio has clearly been given a remit to put himself about up front. He battles with Sanchez down the left and wins a free kick. Snodgrass’s delivery is appalling, and Spurs clear easily ... then break at great speed. Moura exchanges passes with Son, and he’s clear in the box. He should score, but drags a miserable effort across the face of goal and out to the left. He might have been trying to play in Alli, tearing down the inside left, caught in two minds.

1.35pm GMT

47 min: Fredericks plays a ball down the right wing to nobody in particular. It dribbles out of play apologetically for a goal kick. Most of the folk in the London Stadium groan in unison, then fall silent. The misery is palpable.

1.33pm GMT

46 min: Aurier slides through the back of Snodgrass in midfield. It should be a booking; it’s not even a foul. There have been some strange decisions in this match.

1.33pm GMT

West Ham get the second half underway. Anderson has been hooked; Antonio comes on.

1.19pm GMT

Half-time entertainment.

1.18pm GMT

A full 45 minutes into the Jose Mourinho era, and a first Premier League away win for Spurs in ten months is on. As for the Manuel Pellegrini era at West Ham ... well, his coat’s on a shoogly peg. His team are booed off.

1.18pm GMT

45 min +2: A corner for Spurs down the right. From which, Sanchez heads towards the top right. It’s going over, but Roberto takes no chances. He tips over the bar. And that’s the end of the half.

1.15pm GMT

45 min: Snodgrass has a speculative dig from distance. It forces Gazzaniga to scramble in a panic towards his left-hand post, but the ball’s always whizzing wide.

1.15pm GMT

This is a great goal. Alli, falling backwards on the left touchline, keeps the ball in play by backheeling it towards Son from a prone position. Sensational! Bet his brother can’t do that. Son tears off down the wing, his ankle seemingly fine, and curls a low cross towards the far post, where Lucas races in to slam home. West Ham are a shambles, but Spurs have been very impressive.

1.13pm GMT

41 min: The resulting free kick is swung into the mixer. Roberto comes out to punch, succeeding only in clattering his own man Ogbonna. The ball drops to Alli, who hooks goalwards. Roberto sort of claws it away, just, but as the ball bounces around, the play’s stopped and he gets away with it. Roberto should be soundtracked by this at all times:

1.11pm GMT

40 min: Fredericks slides in late on Son, who was preparing to make off down the left. He studs Son on his planted ankle, and is booked. That really should have been a red card. It’s checked by VAR, too, but the decision stands. A really sore one, and Son takes a while to recover.

1.09pm GMT

38 min: Roberto offered no resistance to Son’s shot, though take nothing away from the crispness of the finish. Son is such a fine player. Spurs come at West Ham again, Alli whipping a shot inches wide of the bottom left.

1.07pm GMT

Diop is stripped with embarrassing ease by Alli, out on the left. He feeds Kane, who is blocked by Rice. But Spurs come straight back at West Ham. Alli slides a pass down the inside left to release Son, who shimmies and shakes to confuse Diop, then whips a shot across Roberto, who might as well not be there, and into the bottom right. On the touchline, Jose punches the air. It’s on!

1.05pm GMT

34 min: A warm round of applause for West Ham season-ticket holder Lily Harris, who passed away recently.

1.04pm GMT

33 min: Kane and Alli combine cutely in limited space down the inside-left channel, releasing Son into the box. Son is shaping to thread the ball into the bottom right when Rice slides in. A magnificent saving tackle, and nothing comes of the resulting corner. Spurs are knocking at the door.

1.03pm GMT

32 min: Space for Son down the left. He earns a corner off Diop. One Winks corner leads to another. And another. Roberto punches the third to the feet of Alderweireld, who swivels to shoot but can’t get anything meaningful away. West Ham finally clear their lines.

1.00pm GMT

30 min: Spurs stroke it around the middle of the park awhile, subduing the crowd. At least Roberto’s out of harm’s way.

12.59pm GMT

28 min: Kane drops deep to quarterback, nearly releasing Moura on goal with a long rake. Roberto comes to the edge of his box to claim, and is rewarded with ironic cheers from his own fans. Memories of Allen McKnightmare come flooding back.

12.57pm GMT

26 min: Noble flicks a gorgeous first-time pass down the left wing, with the outside of his right foot, towards Anderson. What a spot! Anderson scampers down the wing and slips a pass inside for Haller. But it’s a poor pass, just behind the striker, and the move breaks down. For a second there, West Ham were three on two, and Spurs were in a world of trouble. Full marks to Noble for both vision and execution.

12.55pm GMT

24 min: Kane gets pelters from the crowd for needlessly shoving Fredericks to the ground, as the defender was ushering the ball out of play for a goal kick. He’s lucky not to go in the book for that brazen nonsense. His manager will be pleased with the way he’s putting himself about, though.

12.54pm GMT

22 min: Anderson makes good ground down the left, but Aurier does well to stick to his task, and the winger runs out of space. A nice, breezy, open game, this, if not yet drama-packed.

12.51pm GMT

20 min: Son is a sensational player, like that’s breaking news. He conjures space out of nothing, just to the left of the D, and snaps a curler towards the top right. It’s going in, and, fair’s fair, the oft-hapless Roberto does well to punch it away from danger.

12.49pm GMT

18 min: Yarmolenko curls a ball into the Spurs box from the right. Snodgrass prepares to head goalwards only to be nudged in the back by Aurier as he rises. Snodgrass falls over and demands a penalty. He’s not getting it. You’ve seen them given, though it would have been very soft. Even so, Aurier’s challenge was clumsy; a little more force and the referee might have been minded to point to the spot. The man’s an accident waiting to happen.

12.47pm GMT

16 min: The game goes a little bit scrappy. On the bench, the all-new PR-friendly Mourinho makes a few notes, quietly and calmly. This can’t last. It won’t last.

12.45pm GMT

14 min: More space for Fredericks down the right. He overruns the ball, which goes out for a goal kick before he can cross. Gazzaniga takes the goal kick ... and blooters it upfield. No playing out from the back for Mourinho, one senses.

12.43pm GMT

12 min: An absurd decision by Michael Oliver, who books Diop after a battle with Kane out on the Spurs left. Kane had dragged Diop to the ground, the defender falling on the ball as he’s fouled. But Spurs get the decision, and Diop is carded for handling the ball! Plenty of boos for that egregious double insult, and no wonder. The resulting free kick’s swung in. Roberto flaps, misses an easy catch, and Sanchez heads wide right. The flag goes up for offside, but dear me, what dismal goalkeeping.

12.41pm GMT

10 min: Spurs come straight back at the Hammers, Aurier making good ground down the right and cutting back ... to nobody in particular. Cresswell is able to scoop clear. This doesn’t feel like it’s going to be a goalless draw.

12.40pm GMT

8 min: West Ham finally get their gamefaces on. Fredericks gets a bit of space down the right and crosses. Haller battles with Aurier and Sanchez for a header, six yards out. The defenders combine to win, and Gazzaniga claims. But that’s much better from the home side.

12.37pm GMT

6 min: Spurs have clearly been working on something in training. Again Alli slips a pass down the inside-left channel for Kane; once again he’s just offside, as he rolls the ball across the face of goal, inviting a tap-in that never comes. Spurs have enjoyed nearly 80 percent possession so far. West Ham have hardly had a kick.

12.36pm GMT

5 min: That disallowed goal momentarily sucked the life out of the stadium. The home fans are making noise again now, but not quite as much as they had been. Spurs have done a good job of quietening them down, dominating these early exchanges.

12.34pm GMT

3 min: Alli, dropping deep on the left, slips a pass down the channel and releases Kane, who lashes a first-time shot into the top left! What a glorious finish. Sadly for Spurs and Mourinho, they’re denied a perfect start, because Kane had gone way too early and was clearly offside. The flag goes up accordingly.

12.33pm GMT

2 min: Spurs keep hold of the ball in the sterile style. Then it’s shuttled down the left for Son, who twists and turns dangerously but can’t quite get the better of Fredericks. The derby atmosphere continues to bubble away.

12.31pm GMT

Spurs get the ball rolling. Mourinho is back, then. And he’ll be coming into contact with VAR in the Premier League for the very first time. It’s made for solid-gold entertainment, this.

12.28pm GMT

The teams are out! The denizens of the London Stadium

wish with all their heart they were back at the Boleyn
welcome the two sides ahead of this huge London derby. Pretty bubbles in the air. West Ham sport their current claret-and-blue seventies pastiche, while Tottenham are in their favoured lilywhite. Both kits very easy on the eye. Mourinho made his presence felt in the tunnel, incidentally, still beaming, slapping the back of every player on both teams. A masterclass in passive aggression. We’ll be off before you know it!

12.18pm GMT

contentment n. (kənˈtent.mənt) a feeling of happiness or satisfaction.

12.10pm GMT

A slightly downbeat Manuel Pellegrini speaks. “We have to concentrate in our defending. The games we have lost at home, against Newcastle and Crystal Palace, and the draw against Sheffield United, we have conceded six goals and five of those from set pieces. We must concentrate on those sort of balls, and we must play well because we are playing a big team with good players. Fortunately for us, we have Michail Antonio ready. Maybe not to play the whole game, but some minutes.”

11.54am GMT

An extremely laid-back Jose gives his first pre-match interview as Spurs boss. “Sometimes people think when results are not good that it is something related to motivation, but that is not the case,” he tells BT Sport. “They are good professionals and they tried their best. And that’s what they’re going to do. Tactically, of course there are not big changes. Just little, important things that we think can help them to get our objectives. The match today is very important, but our future is also very important. So I need to understand what is in Christian Eriksen’s mind and heart, and we have to make the right decision for the club. But on top of that, I believe Lucas, Son, Alli and Kane are players with a good understanding. We are going to try to find, in the little time I have had to work, some dynamic to hurt the opposition. Let’s see if we can do it. I like the ideas but I like to work the ideas. And today was more about ideas than working the ideas. So let’s see if we can find happiness.” Some typically enigmatic flourishes at the end, there. Mourinho at his gnomic best. He’s back, baby.

11.37am GMT

West Ham United make two changes to the side gubbed 3-0 at Burnley before the international break. Angelo Ogbonna comes in for Fabian Balbuena, while Andriy Yarmolenko replaces Pablo Fornals. Captain Mark Noble has passed a fitness test and is good to go. The much-maligned Roberto keeps his place in between the sticks.

There are three differences between Mauricio Pochettino’s last Spurs team and Jose Mourinho’s first. Moussa Sissoko, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso are out of the XI named for the 1-1 draw with Sheffield United. Ndombele is injured, while the other two are benched. In come Toby Alderweireld, Harry Winks and Lucas Moura. Christian Eriksen is on the bench.

11.34am GMT

West Ham United: Roberto, Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Rice, Yarmolenko, Noble, Snodgrass, Felipe Anderson, Haller.
Subs: Balbuena, Zabaleta, Sanchez, Fornals, Martin, Ajeti, Antonio.

Jose Mourinho’s first Tottenham Hotspur selection: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies, Dier, Winks, Lucas Moura, Alli, Son, Kane.
Subs: Rose, Walker-Peters, Sissoko, Lo Celso, Foyth, Eriksen, Austin.

11.30am GMT

Mourinho is in the building. Looking very relaxed, as well. He’s even been high-fiving some young West Ham supporting kids. London Jose seems about ten years younger than Lowry Jose.

11.22am GMT

When José met Dele he delved back into his old box of motivational tools …

10.01pm GMT

Well this doesn’t need much building up, does it? And there we were, thinking Manchester City versus Chelsea was nailed on as the biggest event of the day.

Yes, it’s the long-awaited / dreaded (delete as you see fit) return of Jose Mourinho. The former Chelsea manager has pitched up on the north side of town, to see if he can bring Tottenham Hotspur the shiny silver success that proved tantalisingly out of poor old Mauricio Pochettino’s reach. You know Mourinho’s USP: trophies are guaranteed. Here we go, then!

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Published on November 23, 2019 06:52

November 22, 2019

Bellerín calls for 'unity' and Mourinho welcomed back – as it happened

Guardiola, Klopp et al welcome back MourinhoScotland to face Israel in Euro 2020 qualification play-offsGranit Xhaka may return for Arsenal

5.00pm GMT

That’s all from today’s Weekend football countdown blog. Thanks for reading. We leave you with - what else, given it’s 5pm? - today’s edition of the Fiver. Bye! See you!

4.50pm GMT

Our match preview packs are beginning to drop. Clickity click! Enjoy, enjoy.

4.40pm GMT

The Liverpool fan who unfurled an offensive and racially insensitive banner of Divock Origi during the club’s Champions League match at Genk has had his temporary ban lifted. The supporter is free from suspension having agreed to undergo an education course with Kick It Out. He will also attend a session within the club’s community programme.

4.30pm GMT

Steve Harper - Newcastle’s all-time longest-serving player, who spent 20 years at the club between 1993 and 2013 - has returned to St James’ Park. He joins Steve Bruce’s staff as first-team coach, with a remit to establish links between the senior side and the academy. The former keeper says: “I’m looking forward to it. The manager said to me he’d like me to come in with a role around the first team, but more than just that. I’ll officially be a first-team coach, but with a conduit for keeping an eye on, and almost as a link to, the under-23s, who I worked with last season, and the academy where I’ve worked in various capacities over the last three years. So it made sense, and I’m looking forward to getting started.”

4.20pm GMT

Here’s Jamie Jackson on Pep Guardiola’s defence of the suspended Bernardo Silva.

4.10pm GMT

Ederson will be back in goal for Manchester City against Chelsea tomorrow, in the clash between fourth and third at the Etihad. Some good news for Chelsea too, with Christian Pulisic back after a groin problem. However Callum Hudson-Odoi is unlikely to feature after tweaking a hamstring.

4.02pm GMT

Across the city, Steven Gerrard is busy bigging up Glen Kamara. The midfielder has just helped Finland to qualify for Euro 2020, their first-ever major tournament, while his recent displays for Rangers have attracted interest from Leeds.

We haven’t heard of any interest down south, we’ve read tons about it though. But I wouldn’t be surprised if there was interest in Glen Kamara because he’s an outstanding footballer. He’s been outstanding since he walked in the door. Sometimes I still have to pinch myself for how we got him and what we got him for. [He cost £50,000 from Dundee.] He’s in good form and playing well. The message for Glen and the other players is we always reward our players for consistent performances over a long period of time. Glen will be treated no different. All he needs to worry about is bringing success back to the club and I’m sure he will be well looked after.

3.55pm GMT

Scotland! And the champions and league leaders Celtic welcome Leigh Griffiths back to their squad ahead of the visit of Livingston on Saturday. The striker has been out since late August due to personal problems, then niggling injuries and a virus. He’s unlikely to start the match, but boss Neil Lennon is preparing to give him some much-needed game time.

He will be involved with the squad. Slowly but surely. He had an hour on Tuesday, he looked good so he will be in and around it. He is good, he is happy. He needs to stay there now and improve his conditioning. It is bit by bit but we have seen enough now to think he may make a contribution. We have 11 games between now and the end of December and we will be using the squad and Leigh obviously is a part of that. When he is ready and if he is in the groove he will be a real asset for Scotland, there is no doubt about that.

3.50pm GMT

Here’s one star definitely on the move, though.

3.40pm GMT

Never change, Diego. We love you just the way you are.

3.30pm GMT

Second-placed Leicester, then, and Brendan Rodgers is certain the international break will have no adverse affect on his side’s momentum. Since the last break in October, the Foxes have won every game they have played, and go to Brighton tomorrow looking to make it six victories on the bounce.

We lost against Liverpool before the last international break and then refocused and have played very well in the games in between up until now. I think it is important that when players come back from international duty to press the reset button again, because lots are coming back from playing different styles and different ways. So when they come back it is important they come back into the Leicester way and how we work, and the players have been excellent in training since they came back and we will be ready for the game on Saturday.

3.20pm GMT

Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser has recently been linked with a move to Liverpool. That may or may not explain why the 25-year-old Scotland international is, according to his manager Eddie Howe, “keeping his options open” regarding a new contract with the south-coast club. “In terms of his contract, that’s obviously for him to decide what he wants to do with his future,” said Howe. “We would love him to stay and commit to us but, if not, we need to get the best out of him between now and the end of the season. We’ve had conversations with Ryan to try and persuade him to stay but, at the moment, he’s keeping his options open.”

Howe also addressed a recent interview in which Fraser admitted to being a “loner” ever since his friend Marc Pugh left the club. “I think those comments were probably taken slightly out of context. I think people jump on things like this. He’s got some really good friends in the squad, as he mentioned in the interview, Dan Gosling, Nathan Ake, he’s very close with those guys, always socialising in and around them so I think it’s a story that isn’t entirely accurate. I think Ryan’s just very honest when he speaks and probably he’s given the impression that he’s lonely but I can guarantee you he’s not.”

3.10pm GMT

And here’s a bit more from Norwich boss Daniel Farke. He’s flatly refusing to change his easy-on-the-eye footballing style, despite the Canaries’ current predicament at the bottom of the Premier League.

You have to be convinced by your style. We built the squad in that way, so you can’t expect us to just park the bus or put the balls in the river. We have plans B, C, D and E - so we have to be flexible within our philosophies. We have to adapt to each opponent. You have to remember players are human beings, not just the young lads. They were used to winning games and being praised. We responded to every loss last season with a win, so there was no crisis. On this level, you have difficult periods. We have to learn because we are not experienced in a relegation battle.

3.04pm GMT

Some more words from Roy Hodgson ahead of the visit of his former club Liverpool tomorrow. His mind-games sensor is going haywire, and he’s not convinced that so-called injury doubts Andrew Robertson and Mo Salah will miss the match at all.

We are counting on them playing so until such time when I pick up the team sheet and they are not playing, then I’ll think about it, but I think both will be fit to play. I am presuming we will face what Jurgen Klopp has seen as his strongest team in recent weeks because I believe he has enough respect for us and what we are capable of doing not to make unnecessary changes if it is not forced upon him through injury. I am certainly very anxious that we will make it very difficult for them. We aren’t going to sit back and help them win the title; we want to win the game. We are fully prepared and fully ready for that and if we lose, it will be because they have played exceptionally well and we were unable to match them.

2.56pm GMT

As previously mentioned, Granit Xhaka could well return for Arsenal against Southampton tomorrow. With this very much uppermost in mind, his team-mate Hector Bellerin is attempting to engender some positive vibes. Let’s see what happens should Xhaka play, and Ralph Hasenhüttl get the fast start he’s hoping for (12.40pm).

@HectorBellerin has stressed the importance of unity as we prepare to return to @PremierLeague action.

#ARSSOU pic.twitter.com/uEss9xIsqX

2.47pm GMT

It’s Friday afternoon, you’re just counting the minutes until cocktails o’clock. This should help you run down an hour of your boss’s time: the very latest edition of Football Weekly Extra! Includes a blissed-out soliloquy by Elis James, who appears to have reached a state of higher consciousness in the wake of Wales’ qualification for Euro 2020.

2.35pm GMT

Mourinho’d out yet? Hopefully not, because this playful take on the joy of photographing Jose mid-brouhaha, penned by our very own Tom Jenkins, is a highly entertaining read.

2.25pm GMT

BREAKING NEWS: Frank Lampard will not take over as manager of Tottenham Hotspur in 2029. The current Chelsea boss has been asked if he could ever envisage managing Spurs, and he replied in the categorical style: “I can firmly say no, and you can replay that again in 10 years. It wouldn’t happen but I think things are different for me.”

That firm stance hasn’t stopped him wishing his old boss all the best in his new role across town. “We had a couple of messages just to wish him well in his new role as he has always done for me. I think history and results speak for themselves; the trophies, titles he’s managed to win at clubs, they are not surprises, they are for the hard work he’s put in. He’s done that consistently. People will hold up his record and expect big things from him.”

2.16pm GMT

Thanks Luke. Harry Maguire returns to Sheffield United on Sunday afternoon with his new club Manchester United. Blades boss Chris Wilder is already excited.

I usually say it’s just the next game but perhaps this one does have a little more to it. It’s Manchester United - one of the most iconic and powerful clubs in the world, and one of our former players will be playing for them. I’m sure Harry will get a great reception, he’s already been back once with Leicester, but I don’t want it to be ‘the Harry Maguire Show’. I want it to be the Sheffield United show. I want us to show how good we are. I’m sure when his name gets called out before the game he will get a round of applause but make no mistake about it he’s an opposition player, along with the other 10, and he is in the enemy camp for an hour and a half.

2.08pm GMT

As for my earlier trivia question - who scored Tottenham’s injury-time winner in the 4-3 victory against West Ham in 2007? None of you got it right, because none of you responded. Regardless, the answer is Paul Stalteri, which of course we all knew anyway.

Scott is back now to take you through the rest of the press conference news, and other Friday afternoon footballing delights. Over to you Scott.

1.58pm GMT

Marco Silva’s full press conference is available to watch on Everton’s Twitter feed.

On injuries: “Fabian Delph is not in condition for tomorrow’s match, he’s still a big doubt. Bernard is in the same situation, he has started working with the team. Cenk Tosun is OK. [Jean-Philippe] Gbamin is long-term, I don’t know [when he’ll be back], I don’t have a date. Andre Gomes, we must take it step-by-step ... he is doing his rehabilitation but it will be a slow recovery ... Possibly he will play this season. We have to be patient and supportive with him.”

| MS: "We must take it step by step [with Andre Gomes]. It's the time to be really patient with him. He has come here more often doing his rehabilitation. It will be a slow recovery." #EVENOR https://t.co/s7LpV6kMWV

1.55pm GMT

More from Lampard ahead of the mouthwatering clash with Man City tomorrow:

“I am so pleased for Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount scoring their first England goals. I remember from when I was a player what a confidence boost that is.

1.53pm GMT

“Wales, golf, Madrid,” as the old saying goes.

Sid Lowe has filed a story in which Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane plays down Gareth BaleWalesFlagGate:

1.48pm GMT

You can watch the full Pep Guardiola press conference here via the magic of Man City’s YouTube.

1.47pm GMT

Let’s head back to London, where Roy Hodgson has roared that his team won’t roll over for Liverpool at Selhurst Park tomorrow:

“There’s no way we’re going to sit back and help Liverpool win the title. We don’t go into the game with any inferiority complex whatsoever.”

Roy: “There's no way we're going to sit back and help Liverpool win the title. We don't go into the game with any inferiority complex whatsoever."

https://t.co/TTogt6KZzQ
Official club app#CPFC pic.twitter.com/msDb4G57Kw

1.45pm GMT

Meanwhile, back in Manchester, Guardiola says goalkeeper Ederson is training again, but Leroy Sané is going to be out for two-three months.

“Same situation, players fit after Liverpool are fit, those injured are still injured a few more months.”

1.44pm GMT

Everton manager Marco Silva is also speaking now.

He insists Moise Kean - who he recently dropped from the squad for poor timekeeping - is ‘the present and the future.’

| MS: "Moise Kean has all the support he needs here. He doesn't need anything else. He has support from myself, the Club, his teammates. He's adapting and working hard. He's the present and the future." #EVENOR https://t.co/s7LpV6kMWV

1.42pm GMT

Lampard on tomorrow evening’s test against the champions: “Tomorrow’s game at Man City is a great test to see where my team are at, but I won’t be making big judgements based on the result, given how early it is in the team’s development.

Chelsea FC on Twitter: “Lampard reports that Christian Pulisic returned to training this midweek and is in contention for a place tomorrow. Callum Hudson-Odoi has a hamstring issue picked up with England so there is a question mark over his participation.”

1.40pm GMT

I thought I was watching a live feed on Twitter of the Lampard press conference, but it turns out it was just a video of him sitting down, on loop. Oh well.

Breaking: Lampard wishes his old boss Mourinho well at Spurs.

Frank Lampard says he has exchanged a couple of messages with Jose Mourinho, wishing him well in his new role, as Mourinho has always done for Lampard.#MCICHE

1.35pm GMT

Quotes from Man City manager Pep Guardiola right here:

What will Mourinho bring in his new role at Tottenham? “I think you know him better than me. He was here many years with different clubs. He is an incredible manager and I am pretty sure he will do a good job.”

1.25pm GMT

Pep is imminent:

The boss is on his way for the #MCICHE press conference!

⚽️ @marathonbet
#ManCity pic.twitter.com/N9f0qcTirW

1.23pm GMT

Meanwhile, ahead of a trip to Everton, Norwich manager Daniel Farke has bad news about the fitness of striker Josip Drmic:

“He was injured in our last game. It’s a serious muscle fibre injury. Physios think he’ll be out for eight weeks,” Farke said.

1.21pm GMT

It’s all kicking off, press conference-wise. Guardiola, Farke, Hodgson, the lot.

Here is Eagles manager Hodgson speaking ahead of the visit of league-leading Liverpool:

1.19pm GMT

On the subject of Chelsea - who have won six Premier League matches on the bounce - Jacob Steinberg has been speaking to their former goalkeeper and now technical and performance advisor Petr Cech:

1.15pm GMT

Chelsea boss Super Frankie Lampard™ is due to speak at 1.30pm ahead of their visit to Manchester City tomorrow evening.

I’ll grab quotes from him ASAP, and am keeping my ear to the ground for all the press conferences.

Don't miss Frank's pre-Man City press conference, coming up at 1.30 pm (UK).

Watch live on the Chelsea app!

https://t.co/PtFw79ih9n #MCICHE pic.twitter.com/18Zfgsk2zE

1.09pm GMT

Over on Twitter, ahead of West Ham v Tottenham tomorrow lunchtime, Spurs are enjoying the memory of being 3-2 down to the Hammers with a minute left, only to win 4-3.

The match in question took place on Sunday 4 March 2007. Can you remember who scored the winner, though?

⏱️ 89: West Ham 3-2 Spurs

⏱️ FT: West Ham 3-4 Spurs #THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/MLxsLXRaNo

1.05pm GMT

Afternoon all and thank you Scott.

Hot off the press from Liverpool’s website, and following his earlier quotes about José Mourinho’s return and other things, Jürgen Klopp has been talking about the Premier League leaders’ sports psychologist, former Chesterfield manager Lee Richardson:

12.56pm GMT

And with that, I’m away to get fed and watered. Back in a bit. In the meantime, Luke McLaughlin will be your guide.

12.55pm GMT

While we’re on the subject of Southampton, here’s the epic story of their south-coast rivalry with Portsmouth. A tale of war, tragedy, violence and football. Enjoy, enjoy.

12.47pm GMT

The Copa Libertadores final between River Plate and Flamengo will be televised live on the BBC tomorrow evening. It’ll be the first one-off decider in the competition’s history, and it’s had a troubled birth ...

12.40pm GMT

Southampton have lost their last three matches, a run of misery that began with that 9-0 humiliation against Leicester. But they impressed in defeat at champions Manchester City, and Ralph Hasenhuttl is hoping that performance will stand them in good stead at Arsenal tomorrow.

A fast start always helps against every opponent, because then you feel more comfortable. We had a good start against Manchester City and then you saw how difficult it was against us to turn the table for them. We were only a few minutes from taking something there. We know in away games we can start fast and score, then we are not easy to beat. Especially against big opponents, you have nothing to lose. If you go in the game and be brave, believe in yourself, then you have a big chance to get something and this is what we have to do to at the weekend.

12.30pm GMT

Eni Aluko predicts that things are going to get ugly fast at Tottenham. And there’s nothing wrong with that whatsoever. If anything, it’s about time.

12.20pm GMT

Mourinho will be hoping for a fast start to his Tottenham reign at West Ham tomorrow lunchtime. But opposite number Manuel Pellegrini has his own urgent agenda, his side having failed to win since swatting aside Manchester United back in September.

I trust a lot in the players because I know they have demonstrated a lot of times they can do it against big teams. I think that this international break was good for us, maybe we had time to talk a lot of things. So I hope that especially in a derby game - we know that for our fans it’s the most important game of the season playing against Tottenham at home - so I hope that tomorrow we see the West Ham that we saw at the beginning of the season. The table is very tight, we must try to recover our performance as individuals and as a team and I hope this will be a good game to return to winning ways.

12.10pm GMT

We haven’t mentioned Jose Mourinho for 29 minutes. Many apologies. Here’s the man himself, upon being asked whether this new Spurs gig would be his last in England. “I would love that to be the case. I would love to stay for many years. I say many years but I know realistically how football is. If I could do a Mauricio for five-and-a-half years, it would be amazing. I would be 61 - then 10 more years. Vitoria Setubal in Portugal maybe the last job.” Current Vitoria boss Julio Velázquez is permitted a quick shudder. And Ole Gunnar Solskjaer thinks he’s got problems dealing with an out-of-work Poch.

12.00pm GMT

EFL v Bolton Wanderers. The EFL has appealed against Bolton’s “too lenient” suspended five-point penalty for failing to fulfil two fixtures. The Trotters cancelled a game against Brentford towards the end of last season, and another against Doncaster in August. An independent disciplinary commission penalised them two points for the first transgression and three for the second, with deductions only to be made should the club cancel any more matches in the next 18 months.

However the EFL is “disappointed ... and it is the firm view of the League that the sanction imposed is too lenient when consideration is given to all the circumstances of the case. Given the potential for postponements to have a significant impact on competition integrity and, following receipt of advice overnight on the reasons provided, the League will appeal the outcome in the strongest possible sense.” Bolton - who have already been whacked with a 12-point deduction for entering administration - will “vehemently defend” any appeal.

11.50am GMT

Scotland boss Steve Clarke has delivered his verdict on the Euro 2020 play-off draw. Talking to Sky Sports, he said: “The draw is what it is. I never get too carried away about who we’re going to get. We will be familiar with Israel because we played them in the Nations League group stage, and hopefully we can get a positive outcome. We had two close games, lost away and won at Hampden. It would be nice to repeat that. We’re not disappointed that the final is away from home. You have to take what you get.”

11.44am GMT

Klopp had less interest in discussing the recent stramash between England pals Joe Gomez and Raheem Sterling. “Joe is good, better than good. The people involved were fine pretty quick. Things like this happen in football. Absolutely nothing to say about it. The FA dealt with it how they saw right and I cannot judge that as I was not aware of the circumstances.”

11.41am GMT

Jurgen Klopp was in a cheery mood this morning. “Welcome back Jose! It’s nice to have him back.” He had more to say about the outgoing Mauricio Pochettino, however. “It shows how quick things change. We played each other five months ago in the Champions League final. He’s on holiday now. He can enjoy it, to be honest. He did a brilliant job at Tottenham, nobody doubts that. Everybody knows he’s an outstanding coach. A great guy. It was my first game in the Premier League against him, so we have a kind of history together. All the jobs available, Mauricio will be in contention. It was a big one when I heard, I couldn’t really believe it. I really hope Mauricio can enjoy the few days, weeks, months off. It will not last long!”

11.30am GMT

Steve Clarke has urged the governing bodies in Scotland to “do all they can” to help his team qualify for Euro 2020, by ensuring there are no bothersome fixtures ahead of the big Israel showdown. Knowing how the suits north of the border historically roll, one could argue he may as well be shouting into a hole in the ground. However, he’s got the backing of Rangers boss Steven Gerrard, who says he’ll be willing to move fixtures to help.

I represent this club in this country so for me I give it the support I need to give it. I certainly won’t be standing in the way. But we don’t make those decisions. Ultimately it will be down to the SFA and stuff. We’ll go with the flow and if it means us skipping a game or adjusting a game we’ll do everything we can to support Scotland. That’s what you’ve got to do.

11.23am GMT

We already knew that Northern Ireland will travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Republic of Ireland will be away to Slovakia. If both Irish sides make it to the Path B final, Northern Ireland will host.

11.22am GMT

To recap: Scotland will host Israel in the Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs next March. The draw, conducted in Nyon, paired Steve Clarke’s side with the nation that finished fifth in Group G. Should the Scots prevail, they’ll travel to Norway or Serbia for the Path C final.

11.20am GMT

The semi-final matches will be played on March 26 next year. The final matches follow a mere five days later, on March 31. Euro 2020 itself kicks off on 12 June. The fever’s building already.

11.18am GMT

And in path A ... Bulgaria or Hungary will play host in the final.

11.17am GMT

Path B: Northern Ireland will host the Republic of Ireland in the final, should everything go to plan.

11.16am GMT

Should Scotland defeat Israel, they’ll have to travel to Norway or Serbia for the final of path C. Bah.

11.16am GMT

Now we need to find out which semi-final winners will play the final at home. First up, path D: the victors of Georgia-Belarus will host the final.

11.14am GMT

Path A: Iceland v Romania; Bulgaria v Hungary.

11.13am GMT

Path B: Bosnia-Herzegovina v Northern Ireland; Slovakia v Republic of Ireland.

11.12am GMT

Path C: Scotland v Israel; Norway v Serbia.

11.12am GMT

Path D: Georgia v Belarus; North Macedonia v Kosovo. We knew this already.

11.09am GMT

Now some Uefa suit or other takes to the stage. Breaking news: he very much enjoys the sound of his own voice. Please get on with it.

11.07am GMT

Time for the Euro 2020 play-off draw. Who will Scotland host in their semi-final? We’ll find out in a minute. As always with these things, there’s a load of interminable pre-draw faff to suffer. This time, it’s a chat with Angelos Charisteas, scorer of the winning goal in the Euro 2004 final for Greece. He’ll be assisting with the draw. No rush.

11.00am GMT

Now then, this could be good fun. Granit Xhaka might get a run-out tomorrow as Arsenal welcome fellow crisis club Southampton to the Emirates. He’s not played for the Gunners since effin’ and jeffin’ at his own fans, who in fairness were giving him dog’s abuse as he was hauled off against Crystal Palace. But he played in both of Switzerland’s internationals last week, is raring to go again, and let’s face it Unai Emery could do with the attention being on someone else at the moment. If Xhaka plays, and Saints take so much as a point, Arsenal Fan TV will make for some mighty fine viewing tomorrow evening.

10.50am GMT

Watford captain Troy Deeney has been out with a dodgy knee for most of the season. He last played for the Hornets on the second weekend of the campaign, at Everton. But he could return for the visit of Burnley tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise it’s not great news on the injury front for Hertfordshire’s finest. Roberto Pereyra (thigh), Tom Cleverley (heel), Domingos Quina (groin), Sebastian Prodl (knee), Daniel Bachmann (hamstring) and Danny Welbeck (hamstring) are all ruled out, while Christian Kabasele is suspended. Meanwhile for Burnley, Chris Wood is fit and raring to go, despite missing New Zealand’s recent match against Lithuania.

10.45am GMT

Fed up with Jose already? Make your peace with it, this ride’s only just begun.

10.35am GMT

Here’s Jamie Jackson with the latest hot United chat ...

10.25am GMT

Meanwhile, 20 miles but half a world away ...

10.15am GMT

More from Ole. “It’s good to have Jose back, definitely - especially for you guys, maybe for me because you can talk and write about everything else! And for Mauricio, it’s always sad when one of your colleagues, a good man, you lose your job before Christmas. It’s never nice to see so I just wish him all the best. In football you can never be surprised at anything, or you can’t be shocked at anything. For me, I’ve just got to focus on us.”

10.10am GMT

Manchester United travel to Sheffield United on Sunday. They’ll do so without star turn Paul Pogba. His ankle is no longer in a cast, but he’s only just started to step up his fitness programme. “It’ll still be a few weeks,” says Solskjaer. “We hope to see him in 2019.” Meanwhile Scott McTominay is out for “a couple of weeks” with an ankle injury of his own.

10.05am GMT

Does it bother Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that Mauricio Pochettino - so often linked with the Manchester United gig - is now available? “No. It doesn’t bother me at all. I’ve got the best job in the world. I’m sure if you’re in a job, or out of a job, and you’re a manager, you want this job. So it doesn’t really matter. I’ve got to focus on my job and do as well as I can. I speak with the owners all the time about how we’re going to move the club forward. That doesn’t change if some other clubs change.”

10.00am GMT

Beep beep! What’s that noise? It’s Barry Glendenning, backing up with a truckload of salt. He’s not convinced about the rumour linking Mourinho with the superannuated Zlatan Ibrahimovic, you see. He has much better transfer gossip, and it’s all in today’s super soaraway Rumour Mill.

9.50am GMT

Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino has been saying his goodbyes.

9.40am GMT

Mourinho takes Spurs to West Ham tomorrow. His first Premier League match at home comes the following Saturday, when he welcomes Bournemouth. Eddie Howe is already looking forward to that one. “You always welcome the best back into the league, it makes the league better. I was as surprised as everybody else watching from afar, but Jose is an unbelievable manager and it’s great he’s back. It’s not ideal timing for us to go to Tottenham, but it is what it is, and we’ll relish that challenge. For me he’s one of the all-time greats and he’s certainly got a lot more to give.” (Non-Jose-related aside: Bournemouth host Wolves tomorrow.)

9.30am GMT

We should stress that other Tottenham Hotspur nightwear is available. Forty quid for a special onesie. Twenty-five bar for cockerel-splattered moccasin slippers. A “waffle robe”; that sounds right up Jose’s alley. They’ll be flying off the shelves. This’ll pay for Mourinho’s £13m-a-year contract in no time.

9.22am GMT

It’s early. Still feeling sleepy-eyed? Why not take a nap at your desk? Go on, your boss won’t mind. Tell her you’re taking your lead from other high-status individuals such as Jose Mourinho, who also like to kip on the job. He’s been snoozing at the Lodge, you see, the luxury facility at the Tottenham Hotspur training ground. “If you are trying to find a six-star hotel you couldn’t find better than here,” he says. “Great bed, you sleep in the middle of five or six huge soft pillows, expensive duvet. Absolutely amazing.” The Lowry in Manchester has nothing on this. He’s also been banging on about Spurs-themed pyjamas, for some reason. Poor man must be knackered.

9.10am GMT

Where else to start but here? So many questions. Can Wilfried Zaha prosper against depleted leaders Liverpool? Will Teemu Pukki prosper at Goodison Park? Is there any chance of Chelsea upsetting Manchester City? All this and more. Clickity click, be about your business. And enjoy!

9.00am GMT

Morning everyone, and welcome to the Friday football blog. The Premier League returns tomorrow after a fortnight’s hiatus. Jose Mourinho’s back, too, after 11 months away. God we’ve missed the Premier League.

Anyway, all the latest news and views to come. Plus the thunderingly underwhelming draw for the Euro 2020 qualification play-offs. That’s happening at 11am GMT. Counting down the minutes already. OK, let’s go.

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Published on November 22, 2019 09:00

Premier League news and buildup to Euro 2020 play-off draw – live!

West Ham v Tottenham and Man City v Chelsea buildupPremier League: 10 things to look out for this weekendEmail Scott your thoughts or comment below the line

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Published on November 22, 2019 01:30

November 20, 2019

The Fiver | What used to pass for Spursy, when the sun shone on a more regular basis

Had the legendary John White, then a young man doing his national service, made it from his barracks to Burnley in time for a First Division match towards the business end of the 1959-60 season, Tottenham Hotspur may not have lost 2-0, and may well have won the league instead of the Clarets. In 1961-62, they lost home and away to newly promoted Ipswich Town; had the results been reversed, that would have been their title too. In 1962-63 they rattled in 111 goals, but still somehow managed to finish second. And in 1963-64 they were top at the beginning of March; by the end of the season they were fourth, having just been whacked 7-2 by Burnley. Ah 7-2. We’ll come back to that scoreline in a minute.

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Published on November 20, 2019 07:56

Football rumours: where next for Mauricio Pochettino?

Former Spurs manager will not be kicking his heels for long

A world of infinite possibility has suddenly opened up for Tottenham Hotspur Mauricio Pochettino. – and yes it does feel strange suddenly saying that – is unlikely to be kicking his heels for long. Bayern Munich currently have an interim manager in the shape of Hans-Dieter Flick, while Zinedine Zidane and Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s coats hang on a shoogly peg at Real Madrid and Manchester United respectively. Ears will be pricking up all over the shop. There’s also been talk of Arsenal and Barcelona, but, again respectively, come off it and come on.

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Published on November 20, 2019 00:42

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