Scott Murray's Blog, page 111

Wales qualify for Euro 2020 finals – as it happened!

Aaron Ramsey scored twice to send the 2016 semi-finalists to Euro 2020.

10.04pm GMT

Ben Fisher was our man in Cardiff. Here’s his report on a memorable night for Aaron Ramsey, Ryan Giggs and Wales. Thanks for reading!

Related: Aaron Ramsey’s double sends Wales to Euro 2020 with win over Hungary

Related: Serge Gnabry hat-trick helps Germany thrash Northern Ireland 6-1

Related: John McGinn’s brace earns Scotland comeback victory over Kazakhstan

Related: Euro 2020 qualifier roundup: Wijnaldum hat-trick sparks Netherlands rout

9.57pm GMT

Ryan Giggs speaks. “It doesn’t get any better. It’s amazing. From where we were in the summer ... credit to the lads for coming back. They’ve shown great determination and quality. It’s one of the best days of my life! We missed Aaron Ramsey, but better late than never! I’m blessed with a good set of players and the best staff I could ask for. And the fans are part of it. We’re going to go on another trip!”

9.48pm GMT

The full-times:

9.45pm GMT

The Welsh hero Aaron Ramsey is all smiles, as you’d expect. “We had the best time of our lives in France, and we wanted to make sure we got there this time, having missed out at the World Cup. I missed a lot of this campaign, but it was all worthwhile. Chipping in with a couple of goals tonight was amazing!”

His friend Gareth Bale, arm draped around his shoulder, is in equally bouncy mode. The adrenaline pumping, he sails off into blooper territory as he jokes: “It’s about time he contributed, innit?! Fucking ... oops!” Meme ahoy!

9.42pm GMT

Glorious scenes back in Cardiff, though. The team charge at their support, holding hands, the party started. A lovely moment, though, when Gareth Bale breaks off to console Gergo Lovrencsics, who was distraught, in tears. Shades of Andrew Flintoff and Brett Lee at Edgbaston during the 2005 Ashes. Bittersweet.

9.39pm GMT

BUT LET’S NOT FORGET ABOUT THE SCOTS! Scotland 3-1 Kazakhstan (John McGinn 90). This will be three wins in a row for Steve Clarke’s side. Admittedly they’ve only had to play San Marino, Cyprus and Kazakhstan, but from small acorns, and all that.

9.36pm GMT

WALES QUALIFY FOR EURO 2020! The Welsh make it to only their third major finals in their history! And their qualification is fully deserved! They picked up momentum at the business end, and here’s their reward! They were excellent to a man this evening ... but the plaudits go to Aaron Ramsey, who scored both goals on his return. They’ve missed him, huh?

9.34pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Poland 3-2 Slovenia (Jacek Goralski 81). But never mind that, because ...

9.34pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Germany 6-1 Northern Ireland (Julian Brandt 90). Brandt tears down the inside left and fizzes a shot across Peacock-Farrell and into the top right. This is now officially a rout. “Thank goodness Stoke doesn’t have to play Germany any time soon,” quips Josh Reynolds.

9.32pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Holland 5-0 Estonia (Myron Boadu 87). The Dutch celebrate their return to the top table in style.

9.31pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Slovakia 2-0 Azerbaijan (Marek Hamsik 86). Too little, too late for Slovakia. A Hungarian equaliser in Cardiff would have seen them through. But Ryan Giggs’ men were not to be denied.

9.30pm GMT

88 min: Gareth Bale leaves the field of play, to be replaced by Harry Wilson. A chance for Cardiff to show their appreciation of their world star. Wilson gets a grand reception as he comes on, too. The Welsh are a happy bunch right now.

9.27pm GMT

86 min: So having said that, a scrappy scramble erupts in the Welsh box. Joe Allen is on hand to tidy up. A goal for Hungary now would put the cat among the pigeons all right.

9.25pm GMT

83 min: Hungary are causing Wales no problems whatsoever. The hosts have the feet up on the desk, cigar on. That isn’t stopping their fans looking extremely nervous, as the prize of qualification edges ever closer. But you can understand that. It’s how football supporters roll.

9.23pm GMT

GOAL! San Marino 0-5 Russia (Nikolai Komlichenko 78). For the record, Scotland scored two when they visited the microstate.

9.21pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Holland 4-0 Estonia (Georginio Wijnaldum 78). A hat-trick for one of the most underrated midfielders in Europe.

9.19pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Belgium 6-1 Cyprus (Christian Benteke 68). The clock is ticking very slowly for the Cypriots.

9.18pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Poland 2-2 Slovenia (Josip Ilicic 61). A point would secure third spot for Slovenia; Poland have long been home and hosed.

9.16pm GMT

75 min: Everyone in the Cardiff City Stadium is in party mode already. James burns his way down the left and cuts back for Ramsey, who hooks for the bottom right. His hat-trick effort is blocked and hacked clear. Wales are purring.

9.15pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Germany 5-1 Northern Ireland (Leon Goretzka 72). That Michael Smith goal seems a long time ago now. Goretzka scores his second of the evening, a crisp drive into the bottom left from the edge of the area.

9.13pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Holland 3-0 Estonia (Georginio Wijnaldum 66). A second for the Liverpool midfielder, who now has eight goals in this campaign already for club and country.

9.10pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Latvia 1-0 Austria (Marcis Oss 65). Goals in every qualifier this evening. Marvellous.

9.09pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Scotland 2-1 Kazakhstan (Steven Naismith 64). Onwards and upwards.

9.09pm GMT

66 min: Daniel James is a class act. The Manchester United winger makes himself a bit of space on the left, sashays infield, and curls a delightful shot towards the top right. It’s beaten Gulacsi all ends up, but goes over the bar. An inch or so away. Factor in Bale’s earlier free kick, and Wales have been about five centimetres away from a four-goal lead. They’ve been very impressive tonight indeed.

9.06pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Poland 2-1 Slovenia (Robert Lewandowski 54). With Serge Gnabry going goal crazy, his Bayern Munich team-mate gets in on the act.

9.03pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Germany 4-1 Northern Ireland (Serge Gnabry 60). Julian Brandt slips a lovely ball down the inside-left channel. Serge Gnabry shoulders debutant Tom Flanagan out of the road with ease, opens his body, and sidefoots past Bailey Peacock-Farrell for his hat-trick.

9.00pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! San Marino 0-4 Russia (Aleksei Ionov 56). Also no doubt recalling how Belgium beat San Marino 9-0 last month: San Marino.

8.59pm GMT

58 min: Wales are looking extremely comfortable right now. Moore nearly breaks clear down the left, chasing a monster punt, but he can’t quite latch onto the ball for a shot.

8.57pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Belgium 5-1 Cyprus (Kypros Christoforou 51 og). This could get ugly for Cyprus. Belgium beat San Marino 9-0 last month, they’ll no doubt recall.

8.55pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Scotland 1-1 Kazakhstan (John McGinn 48). The rebuild starts in earnest here!

8.54pm GMT

52 min: Bale nearly gets it, too. He whips a vicious free kick over the wall and back down towards the top right. Gulacsi is nowhere. The ball nearly shaves the top of the crossbar. So close to a spectacular third.

8.53pm GMT

51 min: Hungary suddenly look ragged and desperate. Barath bundles Moore to the ground, just to the left of the D. Bale’s eyes light up. Two goals already for Ramsey. He wants a piece of the action.

8.51pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Germany 3-1 Northern Ireland (Serge Gnabry 47). A second for the former Arsenal man, and there’s more grist to Grant Tennille’s mill (8.26pm).

8.49pm GMT

But all of that may be immaterial! A free kick out on the left. Ben Davies swings it in. Moore tries to connect on the penalty spot. His shank flies through a packed box to Ramsey, free on the left-hand edge of the six-yard box. Ramsey takes a calm touch, and lifts a shot over Gulacsi and into the net. Cardiff erupts in delight! Wales are so close now!

8.47pm GMT

The second half gets underway in Cardiff! And elsewhere too, we’ll be bound. A reminder of the state of play. As things stand, Wales are going to Euro 2020 next year. They have to win, or it’s the play-offs for them. A draw is no good to them. A draw might not be good enough for Hungary, either; Slovakia, currently leading against Azerbaijan, would pip them to automatic qualification on the head-to-head should they hold on as expected.

8.44pm GMT

Scotland were booed off at half-time. No huge surprise there, if you’d read Ewan Murray’s analysis yesterday.

Related: ‘There is an anger’: where did it all go wrong for Scotland? | Ewan Murray

8.37pm GMT

The half-time scores.

8.35pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! North Macedonia 1-0 Israel (Boban Nikolov 45). A diminuendo end to the first-half goal rush.

8.34pm GMT

The big boys Bale and Ramsey combine, and as things stand, the 2016 semi-finalists are heading back to the finals!

8.33pm GMT

GOALS ELSEWHERE! And it’s another quickfire double in Brussels. Belgium 3-1 Cyprus (Kevin De Bruyne 41); Belgium 4-1 Cyprus (Yannick Carrasco 44). Three goals in nine minutes for the number-one-ranked team in the world.

8.31pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Germany 2-1 Northern Ireland (Leon Goretzka 43). Goretzka slides in to force Jonas Hector’s left-wing cross in off the right-hand post.

8.29pm GMT

Kazakhstan, though. On the head-to-head, Scotland are currently trailing the 116th best team in the world 4-0.

8.26pm GMT

39 min: Ben Davies, currently without a manager at club level, cuts in from the left and makes space for a shot. Then he dawdles a little, and his eventual effort is blocked. Nice run, though. Meanwhile here’s Grant Tennille with a little succour for Mauricio Pochettino: “Ramsey ... Gnabry ... perhaps the universe is reminding dear old Poch there’s indeed life after being unceremoniously shuffled out of North London.”

8.24pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Belgium 2-1 Cyprus (Kevin De Bruyne 35). You come at the king, you better not miss. Are Belgium favourites for Euro 2020? If not, they should be.

8.23pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Scotland 0-1 Kazakhstan (Baktiyor Zaynutdinov 34). Twas ever thus.

Related: Self-sabotage and self-hate: Scotland's relationship with success

8.21pm GMT

34 min: What a double save by Hennessey! A long pass down the inside-right channel. Ad Szalai cushions a header down for Szoboszlai, who must score from eight yards! But he shoots straight at the keeper. The ball rebounds to Sallai, just to his left. Sallai should score as well, but Hennessey somehow manages to smother! That is quite superb goalkeeping.

8.16pm GMT

29 min: Wonderful end-to-end fun as Szoboszlai nearly dances straight down the middle of the park and into the Welsh box. He’s stopped at the very last possible opportunity by Mepham, who steps across to block and steal possession. Szoboszlai wants a penalty, but he’s not getting it, and Wales rip upfield. Bale is found in acres out on the right, and his cross is headed wide right by Moore. Had that been on target, it was going into the bottom right, because Gulacsi’s feet were planted.

8.15pm GMT

28 min: Hungary are slowly establishing a foothold. They ping it around awhile. Moore gets fed up and concedes a free kick in the midfield with his elbow. No booking, but he complains quite a lot, and on the touchline Giggsy joins in. A little bit of frustration seeping out.

8.12pm GMT

26 min: Ramsey is very fortunate to escape a booking as he slides through the back of Szoboszlai. From the resulting free kick, pumped into the Welsh box from the left, Barath wastes a decent half-chance by slapping a header miles over the bar.

8.11pm GMT

GOALS ELSEWHERE! Slovakia 1-0 Azerbaijan (Robert Bozenik 19); San Marino 0-2 Russia (Sergei Petrov 19); Poland 1-1 Slovenia (Tim Matavz 14). There we are, another goal in Serravalle.

8.08pm GMT

GOALS ELSEWHERE! Holland 1-0 Estonia (Georginio Wijnaldum 6); Holland 2-0 Estonia (Nathan Ake 19). I’ll be frank with you, I’ve bitten off more than I can chew here.

8.06pm GMT

GOAL! Germany 1-1 Northern Ireland (Serge Gnabry 19). A spin on a sixpence, and Gnabry belts a shot towards the top right. Peacock-Farrell gets a hand to it, but he’s never keeping it out.

8.04pm GMT

GOALS ELSEWHERE! And they’ve both come in Brussels. Belgium 0-1 Cyprus (Nicholas Ioannou 14); Belgium 1 -1 Cyprus (Christian Benteke 16). There’s you thinking all tonight’s real action was in N17.

8.02pm GMT

Simple but effective! And the two big stars combine. Connor Roberts slips a pass down the right wing for Bale, who reaches the byline, cuts back abruptly, and curls a vicious cross into the centre, where Ramsey has timed his run perfectly. He meets the cross and powers a header past the helpless Gulacsi. As things stand, Wales are going to Euro 2020!

7.59pm GMT

13 min: Wales put their first serious attack together, and it’s a visual delight. James tears down the left wing and glides infield. He lays off to Ramsey, who considers shooting from distance but shuttles the ball towards Bale on the right. Bale cuts back into the penalty box and attempts a curler towards the top left. He doesn’t quite catch it, and it’s an easy snaffle for Gulacsi in the Hungary goal. But that’s got the crowd going again, after a quiet couple of minutes.

7.57pm GMT

Not a great deal happening in Cardiff yet. In lieu of action in a match we previously thought would provide us with tonight’s big story, here’s David Hytner on Pochettino’s dismissal. Poor Mauricio. Po’ Poch’s a-cold.

Related: Mauricio Pochettino sacked as Tottenham manager amid poor results

7.54pm GMT

SENSATIONAL GOAL ELSEWHERE! Germany 0-1 Northern Ireland (Michael Smith 7). There won’t be a better goal scored all evening! Jonas Hector launches a clearing header upfield. There’s nothing much wrong with it. But it finds Michael Smith in acres of space, and he larrups a riser into the top left from the best part of 30 yards! A proper old-school netbuster! Michael O’Neill, what a manager.

7.52pm GMT

6 min: Wales are knocking it around nicely. No need to rush, as their boss Ryan Giggs said before kick-off. The home fans are keeping their team honest with plenty of encouraging noise.

7.51pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! Poland 1-0 Slovenia (Sebastian Szymanski 3). Early action in Warsaw. I’m already beginning to regret committing to goal alerts for every match.

7.49pm GMT

GOAL ELSEWHERE! San Marino 0-1 Russia (Daler Kuzyaev 3). By the looks of it, the scoring in Serravalle won’t end here.

7.47pm GMT

40 seconds or so: Dzsudzsak has a lash from distance. The ball’s sailing towards Barry. What a very strange time to be getting shot of Poch, though, towards the end of a two-week international break. There’s forward planning for you. Can’t wait to hear the story behind this one.

7.45pm GMT

Here we go then! Kick off in Cardiff! Hungary get the ball rolling. Incidentally, it’s also kicking off in north London, where Tottenham Hotspur have just sacked Mauricio Pochettino. No doubt you’ll be hearing more of that soon. But one thing at a time.

7.44pm GMT

The teams are out at the Cardiff City Stadium! Wales are all in dragon red. Hungary are fond of that colour too, so are forced into second-choice white. Bedlam as the players take to the field; both anthems given a proper belt. Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau delivered with particular hwyl. We’ll be off in a minute.

7.30pm GMT

Ryan Giggs, appearing very calm and relaxed, has a quick pre-match chat with Sky. “Aaron Ramsey is fit. He got minutes the other day. He’s raring to go. Ramsey and Bale have quality and experience. We’ve not had them together for a long time, Aaron’s been missing for about a year. But there are other players as well, it’s not just about those two. We will need to play as a team to get the victory. We might have to be patient. If we win the game early on, that’s even better. But it might go to the last minute, so we have to play our football and be patient. Momentum has been building, and we’re in good form. Everyone knows it’s a big game, but you can’t get carried away, we’re against a very good organised team and we’ll have to play well to win. I’m sure the fans will get behind us, and we’ll try to give them something to cheer about.”

7.25pm GMT

If It Ain’t Broke dept. Scotland name the same side that started Saturday’s 2-1 victory in Cyprus.

6.55pm GMT

Tom Flanagan replaces Jonny Evans in the Northern Ireland defence for the dead rubber in Germany. The Sunderland defender makes his first competitive start, standing in for the Leicester man, who has succumbed to illness. Jordan Thompson also starts a meaningful international for the first time, replacing fellow midfielder Stuart Dallas. Shane Ferguson comes in for the injured Jamal Lewis at left-back.

Germany coach Joachim Low makes five changes to the side that beat Belarus 4-0 on Saturday. Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Jonas Hector, Jonathan Tah, Julian Brandt and Emre Can replace Manuel Neuer, Robin Koch, Matthias Ginter, Timo Werner and Nico Schulz. Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan stars in midfield.

6.50pm GMT

Aaron Ramsey is match fit, and thus returns to the Wales starting XI. Ryan Giggs makes two changes from the side named ahead of the 2-0 win in Azerbaijan on Saturday. Ramsey replaces Harry Wilson; it’s his first Wales start in over a year. Meanwhile Joe Allen is back from suspension, and replaces Ethan Ampadu in midfield.

Hungary are without injured central defenders Tamas Kadar and Willi Orban. They’re also missing the suspended Mihaly Korhut and Laszlo Kleinheisler.

6.48pm GMT

Wales: Hennessey, Connor Roberts, Lockyer, Mepham, Ben Davies, Allen, Morrell, Bale, Ramsey, James, Moore.
Subs: Ampadu, Levitt, King, Matondo, Vokes, Tyler Roberts, Vaulks, Wilson, Adam Davies, Williams, Gunter, Jamie Lawrence.
Hungary: Gulacsi, Lovrencsics, Barath, Lang, Zsolt Nagy, Patkai, Adam Nagy, Dzsudzsak, Szoboszlai, Sallai, Adam Szalai.
Subs: Kovacsik, Varga, Holman, Kovacs, Attila Szalai, Gazdag, Pavkovics, Vida, Dibusz, Holender, Bese, Feczesin.

Germany: ter Stegen, Klostermann, Can, Tah, Hector, Gundogan, Kimmich, Kroos, Goretzka, Gnabry, Brandt.
Subs: Leno, Rudy, Koch, Ginter, Serdar, Neuer, Amiri, Stark, Schulz, Werner.
Northern Ireland: Peacock-Farrell, McNair, Cathcart, Flanagan, Smith, Corry Evans, Davis, Saville, Ferguson, Thompson, Magennis.
Subs: Lavery, McGinn, Brown, Carson, Kennedy, Donnelly, McGovern, McLaughlin, Boyce, Lafferty.

5.13pm GMT

Wales versus Hungary, is it? Ah yes.

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The Fiver | Welsh memories of Ivor Allchurch scoring a goal for the ages

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The Republic O’Ireland and Denmark drew a competitive football match on Monday night. It was the fifth time they’d done so in the last 24 months, the continuation of a grim existential rut which naturally reminded The Fiver of that legendary Bill Murray film. We refer of course to Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties. Just 80 minutes in length, but man, it seemed like it would never end. The least successful of his Wes Anderson collaborations, in The Fiver’s book. Subs, please check.

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Euro 2020 clockwatch: Finland and Sweden qualify, Swiss nearly there – as it happened

Teemu Pukki scored twice on a historic evening in Helsinki, as the Finns reached their first-ever major finals

9.50pm GMT

But the evening belongs to the flying Finns, who have made it to the finals of a major championship for the very first time in their history. An end to 81 years of hurt. And a perfect excuse to whip off the old breeks and lounge around in your string vest and pants, sipping on a couple of ice-cold tins. Go on, enjoy yourself. Nobody’s watching, and anyway, life’s too short. Congratulations Finland, and thanks for reading Clockwatch!

Related: How the Finnish lifestyle of getting drunk while wearing pants became the new hygge

9.46pm GMT

It’s been a great evening for Sweden, who have secured their qualification from Group F. Switzerland meanwhile are as good as there, providing they don’t embarrass themselves by failing to win in Gibraltar on Monday night. Denmark just need to avoid defeat in Dublin to make it through themselves, but that’s easier said than done, given an Irish win would see Mick McCarthy’s men through instead. It’s going to be some match.

9.39pm GMT

With that, all the full-time results are in. Well done to Malta for limiting Spain to seven this time, a five-goal improvement on the farce of 1983.

9.37pm GMT

GOAL! Denmark 6-0 Gibraltar (Eriksen 90+3). Joe Chipolita, playing out from the back, rolls the ball straight at Christian Eriksen, who slams the ball into the bottom right. A ruthless punishment. Chipolita may now wish he’d been sent off in the first half for barging into the ref.

9.34pm GMT

The ball drops towards Robert Skov, free, 12 yards out. He could take a touch and score, but opts for the spectacular volley instead. Swish! Air-swipe! Bah! There goes his chance for an international hat-trick. They don’t come along every day, Robert, you know.

9.31pm GMT

GOAL! Spain 7-0 Malta (Navas 85). Jesus Navas, formerly of Manchester City, now of Sevilla, moves Spain into rout territory. If Malta ship a goal a minute for the remainder of the game, their infamous 1983 collapse will be overwritten in the record books.

9.29pm GMT

GOAL! Denmark 5-0 Gibraltar (Eriksen 85). Christian Eriksen cuts in from the right and shapes to shoot towards the left-hand corner. But instead he switches aim towards the bottom right. Kyle Goldwin is rooted to the spot, wrong-footed, and in it whistles. The Danes have been much better in this second half. After a slow start, this is becoming a real confidence builder ahead of Dublin.

9.26pm GMT

That’s a huge goal for the Swiss, who as things stand leapfrog the Republic of Ireland into second place in Group D. They’d be one point behind Denmark, and two ahead of the Irish, with only a visit to Gibraltar left on their itinerary. In other words, if they hold on to win tonight, they’re practically through. Ireland and Denmark would battle it out for the final qualification spot on Monday.

9.24pm GMT

GOAL! Switzerland 1-0 Georgia (Itten 77). The Swiss break the deadlock in St Gallen! And it’s a delightful goal. Denis Zakaria, to the right of the D, floats a diagonal chip towards Cedric Itten, who guides a gorgeously weighted header back across Giorgi Loria and into the right-hand corner.

9.20pm GMT

Incidentally, Spain’s third, initially credited to Paco Alcacer, is now officially the work of Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres. Another debut goal.

9.17pm GMT

GOAL! Spain 6-0 Malta (Gerard 71). It continues, Villarreal striker Gerard the latest to chip in. It was still 8-1 at this point in 1983, so the 2019 vintage is catching up a bit. Oh Malta.

9.14pm GMT

GOAL! Spain 5-0 Malta (Olmo 69). Young winger Dani Olmo of Dinamo Zagreb, making his debut for Spain, gets on the scoresheet. If Malta aren’t careful, this could soon turn into an ersatz tribute to that Euro 84 miracle.

9.11pm GMT

GOAL! Spain 4-0 Malta (Sarabia 63). Pablo Sarabia of PSG adds another. The 1983 score at this stage: 8-1, Poli Rincon completing a hat-trick just one minute after Maceda’s aforementioned second.

9.08pm GMT

GOAL! Denmark 4-0 Gibraltar (Skov 64). The Danes wake up again. Daniel Wass makes it to the byline out on the right, then cuts back for Robert Skov, who opens his body and sidefoots crisply into the bottom left.

9.06pm GMT

GOAL! Spain 3-0 Malta (Alcacer 62). Borussia Dortmund’s Paco Alcacer makes it three for the Red Fury. It was 7-1 at this point back in 1983, Antonio Maceda having just scored his second goal in three minutes.

9.04pm GMT

That quick double whammy apart, watching Denmark has been hard work this evening. To be fair, they’ll already have one eye on Monday night’s match in Dublin, and will be conserving energy accordingly. But still, this is time none of us are ever getting back.

8.58pm GMT

GOAL! Bosnia-Herzegovina 0-3 Italy (Belotti 52). Torino striker Andrea Belotti sends the runaway Group J leaders away down Easy Street.

8.54pm GMT

GOAL! Denmark 3-0 Gibraltar (Braithwaite 51). The Danes are clearly in the mind to right the wrongs of their turgid first-half display. Eriksen crosses from the left. Goldwin parries weakly, teeing up the in-rushing Martin Braithwaite, who smashes home with great feeling!

8.52pm GMT

GOAL! Denmark 2-0 Gibraltar (Gytkjaer 47). That’s livened everyone up! A garden variety punt down the middle. Kyle Goldwin in the Gibraltar goal should deal with it easily, but instead rushes rashly out of his area, misjudging the flight, letting the ball bound over his confused noggin. Christian Gytkjaer is on hand to poke into an empty net. Oh dear.

8.49pm GMT

Here we go again, then. The second halves are underway, all across Europe. Despite the restart, it’s fairly quiet at the Telia Parken in Copenhagen. Maybe everyone’s got bored and chipped off down Mikkeller.

8.40pm GMT

Half-time Eurotainment.

Related: Michael O’Neill not distracted by Stoke role before final Euro 2020 qualifiers

8.36pm GMT

The half-time scores:

8.34pm GMT

Denmark troop off at the break in Copenhagen, currently held to a single goal by the minnows of Gibraltar. A smattering of boos. It’s not exactly been dynamite. Speaking of which, any old excuse ... and if you haven’t bought the classic book, be about your business!

Related: The forgotten story of ... Danish Dynamite, the Denmark side of the mid-80s | Rob Smyth and Lars Eriksen

8.29pm GMT

GOAL! Spain 2-0 Malta (Cazorla 41). Santi Cazorla with a second for Spain. All good and well, but they were 3-1 up by this stage in 1983. Standards are clearly slipping.

8.28pm GMT

GOAL! Bosnia-Herzegovina 0-2 Italy (Insigne 37). Lorenzo Insigne of Napoli puts the Azzurri one step closer to a perfect qualification record.

8.24pm GMT

GOAL! Romania 0-2 Sweden (Quaison 34). It looks as though Sweden are going to do a number on the Romanians again. Mainz striker Robin Quaison has doubled the Blågult’s lead. As things stand, the Swedes will be at Euro 2020 next summer.

8.21pm GMT

In lieu of action, anyone for satire? Here’s Simon McMahon. “Congratulations to Finland blah blah blah, but I think even Scotland could have qualified from a group including the likes of Italy, Greece and Bosnia - it’s not like any of them have won anything recently, is it? Unlike European giants Cyprus, Kazakhstan and San Marino that Scotland found themselves paired with. It’s a conspiracy, I tell you.”

8.19pm GMT

In Copenhagen, Gibraltar’s Joe Chipolina has been booked for barging into the referee in the style of a galoot. He was unhappy at not being awarded a free kick, and “accidentally” ran into Istvan Vad of Hungary. That was hilariously saucy, an act of brazen cheek. He’s very fortunate not to see red.

8.16pm GMT

GOAL! Spain 1-0 Malta (Morata 23). Alvaro Morata opens the scoring in Cadiz. Ah, Miles and Gil.

8.13pm GMT

GOAL! Romania 0-1 Sweden (Berg 18). First blood to the Swedes in Bucharest, drawn by Krasnodar striker Marcus Berg.

8.10pm GMT

GOAL! Bosnia-Herzegovina 0-1 Italy (Acerbi 21). Francesco Acerbi of Lazio opens the scoring for the 1968 champions, who have already won Group J at a canter. They’re eight wins from eight, and are already in good shape to maintain their 100 percent record.

8.07pm GMT

Georgia are asking a few questions of the Swiss in the early exchanges in St Gallen. Kvilitaia, falling backwards, scoops a shot onto the right-hand post. Very unlucky. Meanwhile there’s more goalframe-bothering action back in Copenhagen, where Jorgensen crashes a header off the crossbar from a couple of yards.

8.02pm GMT

Wass is hacked down by Olivero, just to the right of the Gibraltar box. It’s one of the most ludicrously agricultural clatters you’re ever likely to see, and the defender’s got some brass neck arguing the toss as he goes in the referee’s notebook. Skov, high on life, wastes the free kick by going direct for goal from a tight angle with way too much height and power.

7.59pm GMT

GOAL! Denmark 1-0 Gibraltar (Skov 12). A messy scramble in the Gibraltar box. Goldwin flaps, Roy Chipolina can’t hack clear, and amid a melee also involving Eriksen and Braithwaite, Skov flicks home while falling to the floor.

7.58pm GMT

Skov finds plenty of space as he enters the Gibraltar box on the right. He dinks the ball past the keeper Goldwin, but Roy Chipolina is on hand to hack clear. Denmark’s first real chance passes by. But no matter, because ...

7.52pm GMT

Nothing came of the corner, by the way. No quick starts in any of the five matches.

7.51pm GMT

Gibraltar can’t get out of their half during the opening exchanges. It’s something of a surprise, then, when they win the first corner of the match. It’s gift-wrapped by Kjaer and Schmeichel, the former lumping a blind backpass towards a keeper nowhere near his own area. Very clumsy. Denmark are very fortunate that Kjaer’s backpass wasn’t directed at the goal, because had it been, that was one for Danny Baker’s next bloopers VHS tape, whenever that’s coming out.

7.47pm GMT

Here we go then! The five evening kick-offs are underway. Let’s start by keeping an eye on Gibraltar, and how long they can hold out against Denmark in a very wet Copenhagen.

7.34pm GMT

Romania versus Sweden has plenty of historical resonance too. Revisit their USA ‘94 quarter final with the World Cup’s premier historian.

Related: The Joy of Six: World Cup classics | Cris Freddi

7.27pm GMT

Ah yes, Spain versus Malta. Enjoy, enjoy.

Related: The Joy of Six: European Championship qualifiers | Scott Murray

7.20pm GMT

The teamsheets for the 7.45pm kick-offs have landed. Here they are, for your perusal ...

Bosnia-Herzegovina: Sehic, Kvrzic, Kovacevic, Bicakcic, Kolasinac, Besic, Pjanic, Cimirot, Visca, Dzeko, Krunic.
Subs: Saric, Piric, Buric, Hotic, Hajrovic, Hajradinovic, Mihojevic, Hodzic, Duljevic, Jajalo, Memisevic, Civic.
Italy: Donnarumma, Florenzi, Bonucci, Acerbi, Emerson Palmieri, Barella, Jorginho, Tonali, Bernardeschi, Belotti, Insigne.
Subs: El Shaarawy, Gollini, Izzo, Di Lorenzo, Castrovilli, Chiesa, Romagnoli, Zaniolo, Sirigu, Immobile, Mandragora, Biraghi.

7.14pm GMT

There are still five qualifiers to play, but whatever happens next, tonight belongs to Finland. And in particular Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki, whose nine goals in nine matches have propelled the Finns to their first-ever major finals. Only Harry Kane, Eran Zahavi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more during this campaign, and that’s mighty fine company to be keeping. Giddy supporters are still cavorting across the pitch. In the stand, the great Jari Litmanen smiles beatifically. And up and down this vast country, Pukki parties will be breaking out, the striker’s name sung all across the land...

7.02pm GMT

FULL TIME: Brazil 0-1 Argentina
Lionel Messi’s first-half goal, the rebound off his missed penalty, was the difference in Riyadh, and gives the Albiceleste (displaced) local bragging rights.

6.57pm GMT

FULL TIME: Armenia 0-1 Greece
FULL TIME: Norway 4-0 Faroe Islands
The other two early kick-offs end quietly by comparison. The 2004 champions Greece keep their play-off hopes alive with a win in Armenia. Norway are assured of a play-off berth whatever, but they’ve kept hold of their dream of automatic qualification.

6.52pm GMT

FULL TIME: Finland 3-0 Lichtenstein. Jasse Tuominen and Teemu Pukki bring an end to 81 years of hurt, as Finland qualify for a major finals for the very first time in their history! Helsinki erupts in delight. The pitch fills with fans. A few eyes fill with tears. It’s been a long wait. It’s going to be a long night. Time to strip off the breeks and crack open a tin; the evening’s only just begun.

Related: How the Finnish lifestyle of getting drunk while wearing pants became the new hygge

6.41pm GMT

There won’t be a hat-trick tonight for Teemu Pukki. He’s substituted with six minutes to play, and having scored his eighth and ninth goals of Finland’s first-ever successful qualifying campaign, receives the thunderous ovation he deserves! A huge smile breaks out deep within that hipster’s beard.

6.35pm GMT

Finland are in full Pukki party mode now. Joni Kauko lashes a shot goalwards, only to see his rising effort deflected just over the bar. Lichtenstein just about deal with the two corners that follow, but the visitors are beginning to look rather ragged now, having defended so staunchly for so long.

6.33pm GMT

GOAL! Finland 3-0 Lichtenstein (Pukki 75). The goal-hungry Teemu Pukki latches onto a pass down the middle, rounds the keeper on the right, slaps a first shot against the chest of Andreas Malin on the line, then whips his second attempt past the brave defender and in. Finland’s participation at Euro 2020 is beyond all doubt now!

6.30pm GMT

Incidentally, old pals Brazil and Argentina are currently shaking their hips for coin in Saudi Arabia. Here’s the team-sheet for that one:

Brazil: Alisson, Danilo, Eder Militao, Thiago Silva, Alex Sandro, Casemiro, Arthur, Lucas Paqueta, Gabriel Jesus, Willian, Firmino.
Subs: Santos, Fuzato, Emerson, Renan Lodi, Felipe, Marquinhos, Fabinho, Douglas Luiz, Coutinho, Rodrygo, Richarlison, Wesley.
Argentina: Andrada, Foyth, Pezzella, Otamendi, Tagliafico, De Paul, Paredes, Lo Celso, Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Ocampos.
Subs: Marchesin, Musso, Damian Martinez, Acuna, Alario, Dominguez, Dybala, Gonzalez, Kannemann, Aguero, Pereyra, Perez, Rodriguez, Rojo, Saravia.

Related: The Joy of Six: the Brazilian national football team

6.24pm GMT

GOAL! Norway 3-0 Faroe Islands (Sorloth 62)
GOAL! Norway 4-0 Faroe Islands (Sorloth 65)
Well, the substitute Alexander Sorloth isn’t messing about, is he. Two in three minutes for the young striker, currently on loan at Trabzonspor from our very own Crystal Palace.

6.21pm GMT

GOAL! Finland 2-0 Liechtenstein (Pukki 64 pen). Teemu Pukki slams his eighth goal of the campaign into the bottom left corner, sending the keeper the wrong way! Finland are now so, so close to their first-ever finals, and Helsinki erupts in delight!

6.20pm GMT

Penalty for Finland! Teemu Pukki very nearly loops a header into the top right. It’s clawed out. But the Finns come straight back at Liechtenstein. Pyry Soiri cuts in from the left, and his driving run is brought to an undignified end by a defender in red.

6.16pm GMT

No second-half goals in the other two games yet. Norway still lead the Faroes 2-0 thanks to a couple of very early goals, Tore Reginiussen opening the scoring after four minutes, Iver Fossum doubling their lead on eight. Meanwhile Armenia trail 1-0 at home to Greece, the Euro 2004 champions leading by Dimitrios Limnios’s 34th-minute goal.

6.13pm GMT

Finland are knocking at the door. Specifically Robin Lod, who has just had two attempts within 60 seconds. The first was a speculative dig from distance that’s currently flying towards Iceland; the second was a snapshot from a left-wing cutback that whistled inches wide of the left-hand post. He really should have scored that second one.

6.10pm GMT

To Helsinki, then, where Finland are within touching distance of their first-ever major finals appearance. They’re leading thanks to Jasse Tuominen’s 21st-minute strike, swept home from 12 yards after Teemu Pukki’s shot was blocked on the edge of the box. Tuominen very nearly made it 2-0 just after the start of the second half, but his header from a right-wing corner twanged off the right-hand post. So it’s still just the slim 1-0 lead ... though the hosts are utterly dominant. Liechtenstein are offering nowt.

6.06pm GMT

First up, the teamsheets in the early kick-offs. You know, for

kids
completists.

Armenia: Hayrapetyan, Hambardzumyan, Voskanyan, Calisir, Ishkhanyan, Kamo Hovhannisyan, Barseghyan, Grigoryan, Hovsepyan, Vardanyan, Karapetyan.
Subs: Avetisyan, Danielyan, Sarkisov, Manucharyan, Harutyunyan, Simonyan, Yedigaryan, Babayan,
Beglaryan, Kasparov, Arman Hovhannisyan.
Greece: Vlachodimos, Bakakis, Chatzidiakos, Stafylidis, Giannoulis, Kourmpelis, Galanopoulos, Limnios, Pavlidis, Mandalos, Bakasetas.
Subs: Tsimikas, Vasiliadis, Barkas, Mavrias, Lampropoulos, Bouchalakis, Siovas, Koulouris, Paschalakis, Donis, Fetfatzidis, Masouras.

5.36pm GMT

The great Jari Litmanen never graced a major international tournament. Neither did Sami Hyypiä. Or Mikael Forssell, Jussi Jääskeläinen, Antti Niemi, Hannu Tihinen, Jonatan Johansson, Aki Riihilahti, Mixu Paatelainen, Petri Pasanen or Joonas Kolkka. Finland have never made it to the finals of either the World Cup or the European Championships, you see. They’re the only major Nordic country yet to do so.

But we’re 45 minutes (plus stoppages) away from righting that historical wrong. Finland are a goal up against Liechtenstein in Helsinki right now, with the second half just kicking off. A win will guarantee them a place in next summer’s Euro 2020 finals. Tim Sparv and Teemu Pukki are about to achieve what legends like Jari and Sami never could. This is happening!

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The Fiver | An edition that registered meh out of 10 on our Will-This-Do-o-meter

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The way former Fiver favourites England have been going recently, you’d have to say they’ve got a fair chance of winning Euro 2020. They’re scoring plenty of goals, their captain is now officially better than Tom Finney and Alan Shearer, and next summer the final will be played at Wembley, where they’ll be (SATIRE ALERT) boosted by a loyal fanbase unaffected by (SATIRE ALERT) petty club loyalties offering unstinting support to (HAM-FISTED SATIRE ALERT) every single player in the squad.

Related: Raheem Sterling defends Joe Gomez after boos from England fans

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The Fiver | Who to support at Euro 2020 next summer?

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The Fiver wanted England to win the last World Cup. We really did, they seemed a great bunch of lads. But Euro 2020? Not so much. Look at the state of them, Gareth Southgate in full Frank Drebin mode, insisting there’s nothing to see here while a comic-book cloud with fists and boots poking out of it rumbles away in the background, the result of Raheem Sterling being miffed that assorted social media disgraces hadn’t given him sufficient credit for leaving a cynical late one on Virgil van Dijk’s ankle, or whatever it was that got his goat. Hey, if they don’t even like each other, there’s no reason for the rest of us to love them.

Related: Gareth Southgate was right to lay down marker over Raheem Sterling | Barney Ronay

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Leicester City 2-0 Arsenal: Premier League – as it happened

Two glorious finishes, by Jamie Vardy and James Maddison, propel the Foxes to second place in the Premier League, as more pressure is heaped on Unai Emery

7.57pm GMT

Here’s Paul Wilson’s take on the match, hot off the press. Click, enjoy ... and thanks for reading this MBM.

Related: Jamie Vardy takes Leicester second to pile pressure on Unai Emery’s Arsenal

7.49pm GMT

Here’s Unai. “Good evening. Our priority was being consistent ... we created some chances ... I thought in the first half we played well, and had opportunities to score and win the match ... the players worked and had very good attitude ... if we scored the first goal we could control, but we didn’t do, and they did ... our priority is to win the next match at home ... we are behind Leicester and Chelsea, but we must take confidence ... in 38 matches, little by little, we will get better ... we need time, we changed a lot of players ... we are ambitious but we need time.” Is the club behind him? “Yes.” And that’s it.

7.33pm GMT

Jamie Vardy, this season’s leading Premier League scorer with 11 goals, speaks to Sky. “We knew it was going to be tough. There were chances for both teams. The boss said it was going to be about patience, keep working it, getting it out wide. And we managed to get two goals. There’s a long way to go. We look forward to the international break and a few days off. Then we’ll come back, ready to go for the next one. We’ve got to take each game as it comes, it’s a long slog. We’ll keep working hard.”

7.25pm GMT

Unai Emery trudges off down the tunnel, a desolate and lonely figure. Perhaps he’s off to light up a Strand. It’s another miserable performance from his Arsenal team, who slip to sixth position, leapfrogged by Sheffield United, who drew at Tottenham. Leicester by contrast are cock-a-hoop, full of bounce despite the rain that continues to flatten their hair. They leapfrog Chelsea and Manchester City, moving into second place on goal difference. They’ll end up third tomorrow evening, should the champions Manchester City get at least a point at Anfield, but whatever happens there, they go into the international break in very good nick indeed.

7.20pm GMT

The 2015-16 champions go second, after a fully deserved victory over Arsenal!

7.18pm GMT

90 min: Vardy looks to have hurt his wrist, or maybe his shoulder, upon falling. He winces in pain, a blotch on Leicester’s otherwise perfect day. But he insists on playing on, so hopefully it’s not too serious. There’s an international break coming up, so he’ll have time to recover. There will be three minutes of added time.

7.16pm GMT

88 min: Bellerin is booked for a cynical shove on Vardy as Leicester pile forward. “I feel like Arsenal are improving. At least we haven’t thrown away the lead in this match.” Graham Fulcher there, despite all the rain remaining tinder-dry.

7.13pm GMT

86 min: Pepe rather rashly shoves Chilwell in the throat as the pair attempt to iron out their differences over a garden variety free kick in the midfield. The referee shows leniency, telling the pair to stop playing silly buggers, grown men and all. We play on.

7.12pm GMT

84 min: It gets worse for Arsenal and Emery. The home support are giving it the old olés now, as their heroes play keep-ball.

7.10pm GMT

82 min: The home side are utterly dominant now, coming at Arsenal from all angles. A third goal wouldn’t flatter them; they’ve been magnificent in this second half. The Leicester fans chime up a chorus of You’re Getting Sacked In The Morning. Poor Unai. At least I assume it’s the Leicester fans.

7.07pm GMT

80 min: From the third corner, Johnny Evans briefly contemplates an overhead kick, but thinks twice. Shame. Then Unai Emery makes another attacking change: Joe Willock comes on for Lucas Torreira.

7.06pm GMT

79 min: Leicester win a corner out on the right. One leads to another. Then from the second, the ball smacks Guendouzi flush in the coupon, and nearly sails into the top right. He’s very fortunate to see the ball fly millimetres wide.

7.04pm GMT

77 min: Make no mistake, Leicester are in this title race. They’re very easy on the eye. Tielemans tries to make it three with a whack from distance, but it’s always going wide. Meanwhile Arsenal are forced into an attacking roll of the dice, taking off Rob Holding and sending on Nicolas Pepe.

7.03pm GMT

What a finish this is! Vardy chases Praet’s right-to-left pass into the Arsenal box. He pulls back for Maddison, who shifts his feet with a super-fast shuffle and immediately fires a low heatseeker into the bottom left! Leno had no chance whatsoever! That was sensational improvisation!

7.01pm GMT

74 min: Luiz has a little nibble at Vardy in the centre circle. A cheeky clip on the ankle. Vardy lets the sting subside and he’s fine to continue, but he’s not happy.

7.00pm GMT

73 min: Leicester make their second change of the evening, and it’s a defensive one, taking off Harvey Barnes and sending on the more defensively minded Dennis Praet.

6.59pm GMT

72 min: Leicester go up the other end and nearly seal the deal, Gray feeding Vardy down the inside-right channel. It’s a perfectly weighted pass, allowing Vardy to run onto it and give it the full belt with extreme prejudice. His fierce shot is well parried by Leno, who keeps Arsenal in this match.

6.58pm GMT

71 min: Arsenal have picked up the pace since conceding. Some space for Bellerin down the right, found by Lacazette. His low ball into the centre is smothered by Schmeichel.

6.56pm GMT

70 min: As things stand, Leicester City are going second, and Arsenal are staying in sixth spot, without a win in five. Great news for Arsenal Fan TV ... and for Jamie Vardy, who is one clear of Tammy Abraham in the Premier League scoring charts, with 11 already this season.

6.55pm GMT

This is a lovely goal. Pereira makes ground down the right and finds Barnes, just inside the box. Barnes flicks the ball to Tielemans, who rolls a first-time pass across the face of goal, teeing up Vardy. He slams into the bottom left, giving Leno no chance!

6.53pm GMT

65 min: Ndidi dinks a pass down the inside-right channel that hits Guendouzi on the arm. Leicester want a penalty kick, but we’ve already ascertained that the VAR guy is kipping under the desk. Then Gray has a skedaddle down the right, but can’t find anyone with his cross.

6.52pm GMT

63 min: Nothing comes from the resulting set piece. And hey, while we’re on the subject of tipped cigarettes that cost just three and tuppence for 20, here’s our very own Richard Williams: “Well done for finding the ‘You’re never alone with a Strand’ ad, Scott. It was, of course, a famously disastrous campaign: instead of making men feel that a packet of Strands would imbue them with the existential allure of, say, Albert Camus or Alain Delon, it sent out the message that if you smoked Strands, you’d be doing so strictly by yourself. There may be an Özil-related message there, too.”

6.50pm GMT

62 min: Leicester are opened up with great ease, Luiz caressing a long pass down the centre to find Aubameyang all alone on the penalty spot. Perhaps the striker’s cadged a Strand from Ozil. But he’s uncharacteristically slow to react, chesting down and allowing Pereira to toe-poke out for a corner before he can shoot.

6.46pm GMT

60 min: Leicester make the first change of the evening, replacing Ayoze Perez with Demarai Gray.

6.45pm GMT

58 min: That was all a bit wild. Leicester try to establish some control with some patient passing in the middle of the park. They don’t go anywhere, but that’s not really the point.

6.43pm GMT

56 min: Evans is booked for an earlier slide on Ozil. He can have no complaints.

6.42pm GMT

55 min: Aubameyang has the ball in Leicester’s net, but the flag goes up for offside. Ozil is sent scampering down the left. He whips low for the striker, who sidefoots powerfully into the bottom right. But no goal, and that’s the correct decision; Aubameyang was clearly ahead of the last man.

6.40pm GMT

53 min: Barnes skedaddles down the left and tees up Tielemans, who can’t get a shot away from the edge of the box. Maddison tries to flick Perez clear on the right, but Holding isn’t giving him room. Maddison falls and wants a free kick. He’s not getting it, rightly so, and Arsenal go up the other end, Bellerin nearly finding the top right with a rising heatseeker from 25 yards. It’s fun, this.

6.38pm GMT

51 min: Arsenal haven’t done much since the restart. Luiz takes matters into his own hands, barging down the middle of the park and attempting a curler towards the bottom left. It’s always sailing wide of the post, but that was entertainingly rambunctious.

6.36pm GMT

49 min: Barnes dances down the left into space, a fine run. But his cross is too strong. Perez recycles possession, and Pereira is sent skittering down the right. He reaches the byline and pulls one back for Ndidi, who has to score, on the penalty spot. He leans back and sidefoots towards the top left ... but the ball twangs off the crossbar and away! That’s a poor miss. Leicester should be leading.

6.34pm GMT

47 min: A garden variety free kick in the midfield as Ozil tugs at Maddison’s shoulder. A useful counterpoint to Guendouzi’s earlier yank on Soyuncu, and the VAR dude’s reluctance to award a penalty.

6.32pm GMT

46 min: Leicester are almost immediately on the attack, stripping a snoozing Guendouzi of the ball. Perez dribbles at speed down the right and very nearly feeds Vardy down the inside-right channel. Not quite.

6.31pm GMT

Two sets of freshly laundered players return to the pitch ... and Arsenal get the ball rolling for the second half. No changes.

6.27pm GMT

Half-time advertisement. Stephen Carr suggests that “Mesut Özil’s heat map resembles a lonely sheep farmer roaming the moors at midnight smoking a cigarette.” Yes, that pretty much nails it. A performance of verve and energy not wholly dissimilar to this:

6.18pm GMT

The whistle goes. Everyone looks happy enough, given the driving rain. Warm towels! Fresh kit!

6.17pm GMT

45 min: A very strange header by Barnes, who attempts to flick Chilwell’s left-wing cross towards the top right ... only for the ball to slap him on the side of his face as he’s making the movement. The mistimed header costs Leicester the half-time lead, because that was a golden chance, six yards out.

6.15pm GMT

44 min: Lacazette falls onto the ball and shields it. Ndidi tries to kick it away from under him, but accidentally toe-punts the striker on the nip. Ooyah, ow, oof. That’ll sting. The ref takes no action, and Lacazette springs back up quickly enough.

6.12pm GMT

42 min: Maddison whips one towards the top left. Leno is nowhere near it, so he’s fortunate to see the ball ripple the side netting, missing the corner by inches.

6.11pm GMT

40 min: Maddison nearly springs Barnes into the box down the inside-left channel. Barnes is forced to check back. Another go for Maddison, who is quickly upended by Torreira, who slides in hysterically across the greasy turf. He’s fortunate not to go in the book. A free kick in a dangerous position, though, just to the left of the D.

6.09pm GMT

38 min: Bellerin scoops a ball into the Leicester box, forcing a back-pedalling Schmeichel to tip over the bar. Nothing comes of the resulting corner. Not entirely sure how this is still goalless. It can’t stay this way for long. Surely.

6.08pm GMT

37 min: Barnes and Chilwell combine down the left. Chilwell crosses. Chambers slides in to deflect out for a corner with the box brimming with team-mates. From the set piece, Maddison and Tielemans try to replicate the famous Beckham-Scholes combo against Bradford City back in the day. Full marks for ambition, but Tielemans snatches at the volley and it flies well wide.

6.05pm GMT

35 min: Arsenal triangulate down the left. Suddenly Aubameyang sprays the ball wide right for Lacazette, who cushions a first-time pass towards Bellerin, racing into the box down the middle. It’s overhit slightly, and Bellerin can’t latch onto it. Shame, because that would have been a picture-book goal.

6.04pm GMT

33 min: Tielemans has a dig from 30 yards. It flies 30 yards over the bar. So the next time he has the ball, and thinks about shooting, he opts to slide Perez away down the right instead. Perez whips a low ball across the face of goal. Vardy is an inch away from bundling it into the net at the far post.

6.02pm GMT

31 min: It’s end to end, and it’s fast. Both teams are on the front foot.

6.00pm GMT

29 min: But then Leicester spring into life, Perez sent into acres down the right by Pereira. His low fizzing cross only just evades Vardy. Then Perez goes over Kolasinac’s leg just inside the box, but the referee isn’t interested; there really wasn’t much contact.

5.58pm GMT

28 min: Leicester stroke it around the middle of the park for a while, just because they can. Arsenal seem quite happy to sit back and let them get on with it.

5.56pm GMT

26 min: Arsenal ping the ball around the back awhile. Then Bellerin plays a dreadful pass infield from the Arsenal right. It’s straight to Perez, who makes for the Arsenal box and blazes over. Then another phase, and this time it’s Barnes having a shot from the same flank. Leno claims.

5.55pm GMT

25 min: A bit of a lull. The rain continues to pelt down.

5.54pm GMT

23 min: Holding tries to dribble past three men in the midfield. There’s ambition, and then there’s that. He’s stripped of possession and Vardy is able to whizz off down the right. Vardy crosses low, but the ball’s just behind the in-rushing Barnes. Tielemans cues up a shot, just inside the box on the left, but it’s blocked. Holding got away with one there.

5.52pm GMT

21 min: Leno’s penchant for erratic footwork resurfaces. He turns on a simple backpass by Holding, and nearly kicks the ball into his own net. He does very well to scamper after it and hook clear before disaster occurs. But that betrayed Arsenal’s collective lack of confidence.

5.51pm GMT

20 min: Arsenal might not convince at the back, but they’re looking much better up the other end. Aubameyang busies himself down the right and crosses for Lacazette, who sends a dribbler into the arms of Schmeichel. This match certainly doesn’t feel like a goalless draw in the making.

5.50pm GMT

19 min: Tielemans is beginning to pull some strings. He very nearly releases Pereira down the right, but Kolasinac does extremely well to stay shoulder to shoulder and usher the Leicester full back out of play. Goal kick.

5.48pm GMT

17 min: A quick Tielemans throw down the right wing releases Perez. He reaches the byline and cuts back for Vardy, but Chambers is on hand to whack clear. Arsenal look extremely open at the back, like that’s breaking news.

5.47pm GMT

15 min: Arsenal wanted a penalty themselves there, but the ball hit Ndidi’s arm accidentally, and there clearly wasn’t enough for the VAR man to call foul. Or perhaps the VAR bloke has fallen asleep, or his set-top box has fused. Who knows what goes on these days.

5.45pm GMT

14 min: Arsenal should be ahead. A lovely sweeping move upfield is started by Ozil out on the left. He switches play to Bellerin on the right. Bellerin reaches the byline and cuts back for Aubameyang, who can’t get a shot away, the ball clanking into a prone Ndidi and breaking to Lacazette, who tries to chip into the unguarded right-hand side of the goal, but hoicks it wide.

5.43pm GMT

12 min: VAR, though. What a crock.

5.42pm GMT

10 min: Maddison whips the free kick in from the left of the D. The ball flies out of play to the right of the goal. But Guendouzi has tugged at Soyuncu’s shoulder. That should be a VAR-assisted penalty ... but whoever’s in charge of this ludicrous system decides there’s not enough there for a spot kick. You’ve certainly seen those given.

5.40pm GMT

9 min: A rare misplaced pass by Tielemans, who should send Vardy clear down the middle, but overcooks it. Leicester really look in the mood. Maddison comes back at Arsenal down the left. Torreira bowls him over. Free kick.

5.39pm GMT

8 min: Leicester pass it long. Leno is forced to come out of his box to head clear with Vardy threatening to latch onto the ball. There’s a second phase of attack, and Vardy earns a corner that’s wasted. There’s a nice open feel to this match.

5.38pm GMT

6 min: Aubameyang makes ground down the right and cuts one back for Ozil, who dummies and leaves the ball for Lacazette. The French striker can’t get a clean shot away, the ball scuffed into the side netting. But that was a cute interchange.

5.37pm GMT

5 min: Tielemans swings one in from the right wing. Maddison twists in mid air but can’t get much purchase on his sidefoot.

5.35pm GMT

4 min: Chilwell has a couple of sniffs down the left wing. He’s forced to turn tail both times, but his attacking intentions are clear already.

5.33pm GMT

2 min: An early statement of intent by Leicester, who look lively. Arsenal haven’t had much of a touch yet.

5.32pm GMT

A moving rendition of the Last Post by a lone bugler ... and then the eruption of a cheer as Leicester kick off. Evans launches it long, in the hope of releasing Perez down the right. Too long. Leno gathers. But the Foxes are quickly coming back at the Gunners, Vardy tearing off down the left and just failing to keep the ball in play with his cutback.

5.25pm GMT

The teams are out. It’s tipping down at the King Power, but the fans are making the best of it. The pre-match anticipation is palpable. Zach Neeley is the exception that proves that rule: “Does Emery think if you just have the highest number of defensive midfielders your defence will be good? Why am I doing this to myself?”

5.19pm GMT

Brendan Rodgers talks! “There is no easy game in the Premier League, no matter what form teams are in. We have big respect for Arsenal and the quality they have. Their players at the top end of the field can score and create goals. So we’re going to have to be what we’ve been for most of the season: concentrated. We have to defend well as a team and show our qualities when we have the ball, and play with speed and with the combinations that we have been. We’re under no illusions, it’ll be a tough game for us.”

Unai Emery adds: “Good afternoon. We want to use our players and impose our idea and quality. This match is very important for us. We need to show confidence.”

4.58pm GMT

The 3pm kick-offs are done and dusted. Sheffield United are up into fifth place after their 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur; Arsenal have been nudged down to sixth. But the Gunners can reclaim fifth spot if they avoid defeat here. Leicester meanwhile can leapfrog Chelsea and Manchester City to move into second spot with a win.

4.49pm GMT

It’s Remembrance Sunday tomorrow. The poppy will grace Leicester’s famous blue shirt ...

4.39pm GMT

If It Ain’t Broke dept. Upwardly mobile Leicester, who have won four on the bounce, are unchanged. They name the same XI that won 2-0 at Crystal Palace last Sunday.

By comparison, unsettled Arsenal, without a win in four, make three changes to the team held at home by Wolves last Saturday. Hector Bellerin, Sead Kolasinac and Rob Holding replace Kieran Tierney, Sokratis Papastathopolous and Dani Ceballos. It’s Bellerin’s first Premier League start since January, having suffered a serious knee injury against Chelsea at the start of the year. And Mesut Ozil keeps his place, which is always news these days.

4.32pm GMT

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Ricardo Pereira, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell, Ndidi, Perez, Tielemans, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy.
Subs: Justin, Morgan, Gray, Albrighton, Ward, Choudhury, Praet.

Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Luiz, Kolasinac, Torreira, Chambers, Guendouzi, Ozil, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
Subs: Tierney, Papastathopoulos, Pepe, Martinez, Willock, Martinelli, Saka.

11.29am GMT

Leicester City are in a good place right now. To be exact, third in the Premier League table and in the quarter-finals of the League Cup. They’ve won eight of their last ten matches in all competitions, the only bumps in the road having been narrow defeats at Old Trafford and Anfield. They’ve spanked Newcastle by five and Southampton by nine - nine! - all the while playing some glorious football. Oh Brendan, we never doubted you!

Arsenal aren’t in such a chipper mood. Their form has been hideous. They’ve won just twice in the league since September, against Aston Villa and Bournemouth, and they’ve failed to hang onto leads in each of their last four games, against Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Vitoria Guimaraes. There’s open revolt within the fanbase, folk not best pleased with Granit Xhaka or Unai Emery. Things are coming to a head. These could be end times. Put it this way: if they lose tonight, you’ll be rubbernecking Arsenal Fan TV, won’t you.

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Chelsea 2-0 Crystal Palace: Premier League – as it happened

Tammy Abraham and Christian Pulisic scored the second-half goals that broke a stubborn Palace side.

2.49pm GMT

Jacob Steinberg was our man at Stamford Bridge. Here’s his report. Enjoy ... and thanks for reading this MBM.

Related: Chelsea up to second after Abraham and Pulisic sink Crystal Palace

2.48pm GMT

And now a word with Mr Roy. “I can’t really ask more of my players. Unfortunately we met a Chelsea that had their tails up, and who really wanted to win the game. If we kept in the game a little bit longer, we might have done a little bit more. We were growing into the game. I have no qualms about the way the players played, and the work we put in. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get any points. I have no criticisms of anybody, we played one of the country’s top teams.”

2.42pm GMT

Frank Lampard talks to BT. “We’re happy with what we’re doing. We respect where Liverpool and Manchester City are. This season is about bridging the gap. At the minute we’re staying close and we’re in good form. I’m proud of the players and I believe in them. It was a really impressive game from Reece James, against Wilfried Zaha, and he’s only going to get better. You never know with young players until you put them in. But they’ve shown they’ve got the mindset and ability and desire to play for Chelsea. I’ll enjoy maybe two bottles of wine tonight!”

2.29pm GMT

Tammy Abraham, who today joined Jamie Vardy as the Premier League’s leading scorer, on ten, speaks to BT Sport. “It wasn’t out best game, but the most important thing was we got the three points. Crystal Palace are a good side, and in the first half they frustrated us. We believed, we didn’t change our style of play, we continued our attacking football and scored two goals. I’m so proud to be the number nine.”

2.25pm GMT

It’s six wins in a row for Chelsea, and they go second in the Premier League table, for a few hours at least.

2.24pm GMT

90 min +4: Willian sends a power-curler towards the top left. Just over the bar.

2.23pm GMT

90 min +3: Gilmour flicks the ball over McCarthy’s head, and is kicked for his cheek. A booking for the Palace sub, and it’s a free kick just outside the D. Willian’s eyes light up.

2.21pm GMT

90 min +1: Kante finds Batshuayi on the penalty spot, with his back to goal. Batshuayi has Hudson-Odoi to his left, in acres of space, but a striker’s a striker’s a striker, and he opts to shoot on the turn instead. Wrong choice. Hudson-Odoi flings his arms around in frustration.

2.20pm GMT

90 min: There will be four added minutes. While we wait for the clock to run down, here’s Mary Waltz, reporting from over the pond: “You have no idea how thrilled our nation’s football fans are to see one of our own show the skill and flair that Pulisic is displaying lately. Our men’s national team is in the doldrums and Pulisic gives us a ray of hope that things might improve. Maybe we can supply the Premier League something other then just goalies.”

2.18pm GMT

88 min: Gilmour’s first touch sends Hudson-Odoi racing down the left. The striker cuts in and slaps a shot just wide of the bottom-right corner.

2.17pm GMT

87 min: Mount is replaced by Billy Gilmour.

2.16pm GMT

86 min: But this is much better. Zaha drives down the left, cuts inside, and pulls back for McCarthy, who slams a shot towards the bottom left from the edge of the box. Kepa is down quickly to smother.

2.15pm GMT

85 min: McCarthy rolls a pass wide left for Zaha, who lets the ball run under his foot and out for a throw. Palace’s star man has been poor today. He looks beyond frustrated.

2.13pm GMT

84 min: Schlupp clips Willian’s heels, and he’s fortunate not to go into the book.

2.12pm GMT

83 min: Schlupp tries to release Ayew through the middle, but his pass is too heavy and Kepa is quickly out to claim.

2.11pm GMT

82 min: Palace’s last substitution: McCarthy for Kouyate.

2.10pm GMT

80 min: That’s Pulisic’s last contribution. The excellent USA international is replaced by Hudson-Odoi.

2.10pm GMT

Chelsea ping the ball around for a while. Then suddenly Kovacic, quarterbacking deep on the right, switches play towards Pulisic out on the left. Pulisic drives towards the box and slips inside for Batshuayi, who swivels and shoots. His shot is blocked, and loops into the air. Pulisic had kept running, and is in situ to guide a header home from six yards.

2.07pm GMT

77 min: Willian sends Mount into space down the left. Mount shoots. Tomkins blocks. Chelsea come back at Palace, Emerson bombing down the left and screeching a shot across the face of goal. There must have been a deflection, because it results in a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece. Both teams are doing their damnedest to score the second goal of the afternoon.

2.04pm GMT

75 min: Pulisic has the chance to slip Batshuayi free down the middle, but his sliderule pass is intercepted cannily by Tomkins.

2.03pm GMT

73 min: Zouma will be good to continue. But it’s the end of the road for the goalscorer Abraham, who is replaced by Batshuayi.

2.02pm GMT

72 min: Kelly crosses from the right. Ayew and Zouma clash heads. The ball drops to Zaha, who tries to nudge it back from the left in the hope of shooting towards the top right. But he can’t make room. Then the play’s stopped so Zouma can get treatment for his sore neep.

2.00pm GMT

70 min: Milivojevic curls the free kick to the far post. Tomkins is clear, and simply must score, but heads wide left. What a chance that was. Palace are beginning to ask a few questions of the hosts.

1.59pm GMT

69 min: Tomori clips Ayew as the Palace striker tears down the right. It’ll be a free kick, and a chance to load the box. But first, on comes Schlupp for McArthur.

1.56pm GMT

67 min: Mount slips a pass down the inside left. Pulisic cuts in from the wing and goes for goal. He scores three of your rugby points.

1.55pm GMT

65 min: Zaha zips down the left and beats James again. He’s got options in the box, but balloons a cross over everyone in the area and out for a goal kick. But Palace come back at Chelsea in short order, McArthur crossing from a deep position on the right. Zaha, coming in at the far post, can’t get a header on target. Much better from Palace.

1.53pm GMT

63 min: Zaha robs James, just inside the Chelsea box on the left. That’s some fine hassling. But the subsequent dribble is down a dead end, and there’s no chance to shoot or set up a team-mate.

1.51pm GMT

61 min: But Chelsea really fancy this now, and they’re quickly coming back at Palace. Willian drives into the box from the left, and could go down having been nudged off balance. Instead he stays on his feet and tees up Abraham, who lashes wildly into the stand behind.

1.50pm GMT

60 min: The corner’s hit way too long, a waste. But Abraham salvages the situation by winning a throw out on the right. From the throw, Kante finds space to shoot on the edge of the box. But he opts to lay off to Willian, who can’t get a shot away. Palace shut the door, just in time.

1.48pm GMT

58 min: Pulisic dances in from the left and pearls a rising shot towards the top left. Guaita sticks out a strong arm to tip it over the bar.

1.45pm GMT

56 min: Van Aanholt dribbles with purpose down the middle, and slips a pass to Kouyate, just inside the Chelsea box on the right. Kouyate is in acres of space, but doesn’t seem to realise it. He dithers before shooting, and his effort is blocked. But that’s better from Palace, who have to come out now.

1.44pm GMT

54 min: It’s fair to say that Chelsea have rediscovered that early verve, then. Mount has a crack. It’s blocked, and nearly falls to Abraham, but luck’s not on their side and Palace survive.

1.43pm GMT

So having said that, Chelsea immediately open the scoring. Kovacic bursts in from the left and lays off to Willian, who plays a first-time flick around the corner, sending Abraham free into the box down the inside-left channel. Abraham draws Guaita and slips the ball into the bottom right. What a lovely move!

1.41pm GMT

51 min: More midfield noodling by Chelsea, who have lost their early verve. “Thanks for the article on Peter Reid,” writes Mary Waltz. “Leave it to a footballer to describe both of our countries leaders in one simple accurate sentence. Straight, no ice, pure.”

1.39pm GMT

49 min: Chelsea are hogging the ball, but Palace continue to hold their shape. A heavy touch by Abraham on the edge of the box generates the first loud groan of the afternoon. A little bit of frustration bubbling to the surface.

1.37pm GMT

47 min: James looks to release Willian down the right. His pass is deflected off Mount, which means Willian is offside when the ball reaches him. Willian slams the shot into the side netting anyway.

1.37pm GMT

Chelsea get the second half underway. It’s started to pelt down at Stamford Bridge. Stair rods. No half-time changes. Pulisic miscontrols just inside the Palace box. The ball spins up onto Kelly’s hand, but the defender was standing right next to Pulisic, and couldn’t get out of the way, even though he was withdrawing his hand at speed. On the touchline, Frank Lampard makes the claim with passion, but the referee’s not interested.

1.24pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. You have got to love Peter Reid.

Related: Peter Reid: ‘I told Boris Johnson he was a fat, lying disgrace’

1.22pm GMT

Chelsea walk off in the exasperated fashion. Palace have refused to buckle.

1.21pm GMT

45 min +4: Kepa rolls the ball out to Zouma, putting the defender in trouble, with Zaha in close attendance. Zaha nearly strips Zouma, who stumbles, and is given the benefit of the doubt by the referee. A generous free kick. Chelsea go up the other end and nearly score themselves, James crossing from the right, Willian seeing his close-range shot blocked by former Stamford Bridge hero Cahill. A busy end to the half.

1.17pm GMT

45 min +2: Kante crosses from the right. Pulisic rises highest and wins a header, but can only send it harmlessly over the bar.

1.15pm GMT

45 min: There will be four added minutes.

1.14pm GMT

44 min: Palace can now make their substitution. Ward, who looks to have a groin strain, limps off and is replaced by Martin Kelly.

1.13pm GMT

43 min: Pulisic drops a shoulder and nearly skins Townsend. He earns a corner. Before that can be taken, Ward goes down, having hurt himself while challenging Emerson back there. Looks like he’ll be going off soon. But not before this corner. From the set piece, Willian tries to curl one into the top right, but Guaita claims calmly.

1.11pm GMT

41 min: Willian is nudged to the ground by McArthur out on the right. A chance to load the Palace box. Willian will deliver. He hoicks long, in the hope of finding Emerson at the far post. Emerson wins a corner off Ward, but the flag goes up for offside. That’s a poor decision, as the Chelsea full-back was clearly on. But that’s the pressure off Palace.

1.09pm GMT

39 min: See 37 min. Stamford Bridge has fallen a little quiet as a result.

1.09pm GMT

37 min: A bit of possession in the Palace half for Chelsea. They’re held at arm’s length, though. Palace are beginning to look a little bit more comfortable. They’re keeping a good shape. Classic Roy.

1.07pm GMT

35 min: James is the recipient of a lecture from Mike Dean, after the young full-back has a full and frank exchange of views with the linesman. An argument about nothing. He’s ordered to pipe down, but there’s no booking.

1.04pm GMT

34 min: Another booking for Chelsea, who are suddenly looking a little ragged. Kovacic earns it for a slide into the back of Townsend.

1.03pm GMT

32 min: Milivojevic whips the free kick over everyone in the box and out of play, wide right of goal. What a waste.

1.03pm GMT

31 min: Palace ping the ball around in pretty triangles, and at speed, their first decent period of progressive possession in the match. Townsend is fouled, but the referee plays advantage. James then clatters Zaha, just to the left of the area. It’s a free kick. But first the ref goes back to book Emerson for the foul on Townsend.

12.59pm GMT

29 min: Mount’s free kick is poor, straight into the Palace wall. He grimaces in frustration, a great chance to work Guaita spurned.

12.58pm GMT

28 min: Mount is clumsily bundled over on the edge of the Palace D. He’ll get up and take this himself.

12.58pm GMT

27 min: Pulisic dribbles down the left and somehow manages to create enough space to shoot, out of pretty much nothing. He’s a rare talent. But instead of shooting, he lays off for Kante, who is in a better position and takes a shot from the edge of the box. It’s blocked as it was whistling towards the bottom left.

12.56pm GMT

25 min: Palace haven’t done much attacking so far. Zaha tries to get them going, slipping a speculative ball down the inside left for Ayew to chase. Zouma is on hand to shepherd the Palace striker away from the ball. Then Townsend embarks on a sortie down the right, but he can’t produce a worthwhile cross, and their rare excursion into Chelsea territory is over.

12.53pm GMT

23 min: Emerson has a go at this one, and it’s not great. He’s looking for the top right, but he’s nowhere near. Goal kick.

12.53pm GMT

22 min: Now Zaha goes in the book. He’s shown the yellow card for a blatant tug on Willian, who had just robbed him of possession and was making off down the inside right. Another free kick in a promising position for Chelsea.

12.52pm GMT

20 min: Pulisic is a wonderful player. He tap-dances around in the Palace area, showcasing some fine ball control in a very limited space. He can’t quite open Palace up, but it’s an entertaining watch nonetheless.

12.49pm GMT

19 min: Zaha nudges Kovacic off the ball. It’s a garden-variety free kick in the middle of the park, but Zaha is fortunate not to join Willian in the referee’s notebook, after kicking the ball away in frustration.

12.48pm GMT

17 min: Yep, someone’s going into the book. But it’s not a Palace player. Emerson wins a corner for Chelsea out on the left. Willian takes, but Kouyate clears at the near post. Ayew looks to launch a quick counter down the right, and he’s cynically brought down by Willian, the Chelsea captain taking one for the team. Out comes the yellow.

12.46pm GMT

16 min: Palace are giving away a lot of free kicks in their own half. Now it’s Ward, high-kicking Abraham out on the left wing. Chelsea do nothing with the set piece, but Palace can’t keep doing this. Someone will be going in the book sooner rather than later.

12.45pm GMT

14 min: Willian curls a fantastic free kick over the wall, up and back down towards the top-right corner. Half of the stadium cheer, convinced the ball’s gone in, but it’s inches wide of the right-hand post. And Guaita had it covered in any case. A highly decent effort, though.

12.44pm GMT

13 min: James is brought down by McArthur as he teases the Palace man down the inside-right channel. This is a free kick in a dangerous position. Willian fancies this.

12.43pm GMT

12 min: Willian strides at great pace down the middle of the park. He slips the ball wide left for Pulisic, who enters the box and sends Ward sliding off in the Puskas-Wright style with a cute pullback. For a second it looks as though we’ll be witnessing a goal for the ages, but his next touch takes him too close to Guaita, who can smother. What skill, though. And what a pacy no-nonsense attack. Chelsea are very good to watch.

12.41pm GMT

10 min: Mount nicks the ball off Kouyate and is immediately hacked down by Milivojevic for his cheek. A free kick out on the left, and a chance for Chelsea to load the box. Mount takes himself, and it’s a poor delivery, aimless and without pace. Palace clear this set piece as well.

12.39pm GMT

9 min: Willian tears past Van Aanholt out on the right, and earns a corner off McArthur. He takes it himself. Abraham tries to get a header on target, but the ball skims off the top of his head. Palace clear.

12.38pm GMT

7 min: Pulisic glides in from the left and takes a shot from distance. It dribbles wide of the left-hand post. Guaita had it covered.

12.37pm GMT

6 min: Willian, captain for the day, goes on a dribble down the right. Some fancy footwork. He’s going nowhere this time, but Chelsea appear to be in a buoyant mood. Five league wins in a row, who can blame them?

12.35pm GMT

4 min: Some possession in the midfield for Chelsea. Palace haven’t had a sniff yet. “Cakes sent to the soldiers in the trenches were normally egg free due to rations, and contained vinegar to help the cake to rise,” notes James Ellis, while contemplating the remembrance spread laid on in the press room. “I hope it’s at least authentic.” Wishing discomfort on a room of freeloading football journalists? Who could countenance such a thing? Ah.

12.33pm GMT

2 min: The corner’s cleared without too much fuss. But what a statement of intent from Chelsea, who have got the hang of show-business rather quickly under Frank Lampard.

12.32pm GMT

And we’re off! Chelsea are immediately on the front foot, and within 15 seconds Pulisic is on the edge of the Palace box looking for a chance to shoot. He can’t get one away, but Kovacic has a go instead. It’s blocked. Then James whips in a cross from the right, forcing Guaita to tip over for the first corner of the match.

12.26pm GMT

The teams are out! Chelsea wear their famous royal blue, while Palace are in third-choice white with Team of the Eighties sash. It’s a fine atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, hopefully everyone’s enjoyed their lunch, whether in solid or liquid form. It’s a dreich day in west London, but hopefully Frank’s Freewheelers will bring the sunshine, one way or another. A blast of the Liquidator. A couple of Chelsea pensioners take to the field as Stamford Bridge remembers. We’ll be off in a minute.

12.19pm GMT

Roy Hodgson speaks ahead of his 300th match in a Premier League dugout. “It doesn’t get easier, but it doesn’t get harder. The job is the same and it’s a job I love doing. I’m proud to have 300 Premier League games, it’s not easy to rack up that number. It’s a good day, but to make it a really good day it’s got to be a good performance for the Crystal Palace team, and hopefully some points to take home to Selhurst Park.”

12.18pm GMT

Frank Lampard reflects on the wild and wonderful Ajax match. “I enjoyed it. Fans come to be entertained and it was an entertaining match, for good and for bad. I think it was more good for us, because of the spirit showed, but we must turn our heads to this game. It’s a tough match going into the international break. I’ve got a lot of respect for Roy Hodgson and they’re good on the road. It’s going to be tough and we need to be on it.”

11.57am GMT

There will be a minute’s silent reflection before kick-off in honour of the fallen. The lucky denizens of the press room will be able to show their gratitude for the ultimate sacrifices of generations past via the medium of sponge cake, because this is a thing now. The ration book is a nice period touch, and could be construed as acid comment on Chelsea’s transfer ban.

11.36am GMT

N’Golo Kante is back for Chelsea! He’s one of three changes to the XI named for the absurd eight-goal thriller with Ajax. Also in: Emerson and young midweek hero Reece James. Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta puts his feet up on the bench, while Jorginho (suspension) and Marcos Alonso (poor form) drop out altogether. Mason Mount passed a late fitness test on his ankle.

Palace make just the one change to the team named for the 2-0 defeat to Leicester last Sunday. Andros Townsend is back from injury and replaces Jeffrey Schlupp. James McArthur keeps his place despite a back problem.

11.32am GMT

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, James, Tomori, Zouma, Emerson, Kante, Kovacic, Willian, Mount, Pulisic, Abraham.
Subs: Christensen, Caballero, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Batshuayi, Azpilicueta, Gilmour.

Crystal Palace: Guaita, Ward, Tomkins, Cahill, van Aanholt, Townsend, Kouyate, Milivojevic, McArthur, Zaha, Ayew.
Subs: Dann, Hennessey, Schlupp, Benteke, McCarthy, Kelly, Riedewald.

1.33am GMT

Chelsea are a lot of fun right now. So far this season, Frankie’s Freewheelers have been involved in a 7-1, a 5-2, a 4-2, a 4-1, a 3-2, two 2-2s and of course that wonderfully absurd 4-4 against Ajax the other night. Last weekend, were it not for Ben Foster, they could easily have beaten Watford by ten goals; as it panned out, were it not for Kepa Arrizabalaga, they’d have ended up drawing 2-2. They can just as easily ship points at home as thrash someone away. They’re making Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle look like Helenio Herrera’s Inter. Yeah, they’re a whole world of fun.

They’ve also won five Premier League matches in a row - a sequence that’s earned Lampard the manager-of-the-month award for October - so today’s visitors Crystal Palace will approach Stamford Bridge with some trepidation. The Eagles haven’t won in three, and they’ve only scored ten goals in their first 11 matches. In that sense, they’re going into the lion’s cage with neither whip nor chair.

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Red Star Belgrade 0-4 Tottenham: Champions League – as it happened

Son Heung-Min scored twice as Spurs quelled the hostile atmosphere in Serbia for a crucial victory in Group B

10.24pm GMT

David Hytner was at the Marakana to witness Tottenham’s first away win in any competition since the Champions League semi at Ajax, nearly six months ago. Here’s his report. Enjoy ... and thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!

Related: Son Heung-min’s double strike takes Tottenham past Red Star Belgrade

10.23pm GMT

Mauricio Pochettino speaks. “It is good, we are happy with the performance of the team. Our approach was fantastic. We controlled the game, and we were better. This game will help us stay together, and now we need to keep going. We need three points more to qualify, but it’s a good feeling after Everton.”

10.15pm GMT

Tottenham’s two-goal hero Son Heung-min speaks. “It was so important to win this game, especially against a team who were unbeaten at home. We played really well. It’s a really difficult place, and we should take confidence, the positive things. It has been a tough few days, but my team-mates and supporters have made me realise how lucky I am. Everyone gave me strong messages. Of course I feel really, really sorry about this accident ... [long pause] ... but I had to focus for the team.”

9.59pm GMT

Easy to forget that Red Star could - and probably should - have scored two goals in the first half. But they didn’t manage it, and Spurs were utterly dominant in the second half. Mauricio Pochettino’s men thoroughly deserved their victory, and they’re now looking good for a place in the knockout stage. One more win will guarantee it - and if Bayern win at Red Star next time round, they’ll be through no matter what. Special praise goes to Son Heung-min, who responded to the emotional tumult of Goodison by scoring twice, and Giovani Lo Celso, so impressive on his full debut. It’s been a good night for Tottenham.

9.55pm GMT

A magnificent performance by Spurs, who now just need to beat Olympiacos on matchday five to progress to the knockout stage.

9.53pm GMT

90 min +4: The Red Star coach Vladan Milojevic isn’t happy with that Skipp challenge. He’s bouncing around on the touchline, beyond furious. Boakye limps off, unable to continue. The hosts will end the game with nine men.

9.52pm GMT

90 min +2: Skipp is booked for an extremely over-zealous slide on Boakye. That could easily have been a red. Needlessly aggressive.

9.51pm GMT

90 min +1: Eriksen should free the lively Sessegnon down the left, but opts to attempt to spring Kane in the middle instead. Wrong choice. His pass is easily cut out.

9.50pm GMT

90 min: But there will be four added minutes. Poor Red Star.

9.49pm GMT

89 min: Ndombele sends Sessegnon away down the left. Sessegnon spots Kane free in the centre, but he slips as he tries to hook a cross towards his captain. Red Star are all over the shop now, in tatters, and are desperate to hear the final whistle.

9.47pm GMT

88 min: Red Star don’t often get battered like this at home. I wonder when the Marakana was last as quiet as it is now?

9.46pm GMT

86 min: The excellent Lo Celso is replaced by Oliver Skipp.

9.45pm GMT

Rose feeds Sessegnon down the left. Sessegnon pulls one back for Eriksen, who shapes to send a shot towards the bottom right. But it takes a deflection and dribbles apologetically past a wrong-footed Borjan and into the bottom left.

9.42pm GMT

83 min: Sessegnon combines with Lo Celso and tees up Eriksen, who tries to fire low into the bottom right from 20 yards. It’s an easy gather for Borjan.

9.41pm GMT

81 min: Red Star have used all their subs, so they’re down to ten men now. Ninety minutes can’t tick round fast enough for the hosts.

9.39pm GMT

79 min: Pavkov crumples in a heap, having jumped for a high ball and landed awkwardly on his ankle. He’s in some pain, and won’t be able to continue. He departs on an electric buggy.

9.38pm GMT

77 min: Kane crosses from the left. Lo Celso wafts a weak volley wide right. That was a good chance, he should have done much better. But he’s had a fine game tonight, as has Ndombele. Throw in the beginning of Sessegnon’s Spurs career, and Mauricio Pochettino’s second-wave Spurs side is beginning to take shape.

9.35pm GMT

75 min: Tottenham’s two-goal hero, Son Heung-min, is replaced by Ryan Sessegnon, making his Champions League debut, three days after turning out for Spurs for the first time in the Premier League.

9.33pm GMT

73 min: A lull ... and a sense that both teams would quite happily declare now, given the opportunity to do so.

9.31pm GMT

71 min: Ndombele rolls a pass down the right for Eriksen, who cuts one back from the byline. Kane meets it, 10 yards out and level with the right-hand post. He drags his shot inches wide right. Or was it deflected? It looks deflected. It should have been a corner. Kane is incensed, though the scoreline being what it is, it doesn’t really matter. But Kane will be wanting a goal.

9.29pm GMT

69 min: Ndombele cuts in from the right and finds the top-left corner ... of the stand behind the goal. That was a wild old slash.

9.28pm GMT

68 min: Marin waits to take, but before he does so, Richmond Boakye comes on for Mateo Garcia. The free kick’s then whipped towards the bottom-left corner. Lo Celso blocks for a corner that’s easily dealt with by the Spurs defence.

9.27pm GMT

67 min: Marin busies himself down the left and is crudely bundled over by Foyth. Just outside the box, but a free kick in a dangerous position nonetheless. The crowd find their voice again.

9.26pm GMT

66 min: The home crowd, so intimidating early on, have fallen almost totally silent. The only songs to be heard are coming from the away end. Glory, glory, all that.

9.24pm GMT

65 min: Petrovic slides in late, though not particularly recklessly or dangerously, on Rose. It’s mistimed enough to earn a booking, though.

9.23pm GMT

64 min: That was a quite magnificent one-two from Spurs, who drew the sting from a re-energised Red Star, calmly and methodically, before springing forward and surely putting this game beyond the hosts. Four minutes that could get their season back on track.

9.22pm GMT

62 min: A couple of changes in the wake of the third goal. Jose Canas comes on for Dusan Jovancic, while Christian Eriksen replaces Dele Alli.

9.21pm GMT

Spurs are in total control now! Kane slips a glorious pass down the left for Rose, who scampers into space and squares for Son, who slams home from close range at the far post!

9.20pm GMT

59 min: Red Star win a corner down the left. Marin takes, but it’s easily cleared and Lo Celso nearly breaks clear into the Red Star half on his own. Red Star want to watch themselves here.

9.18pm GMT

And then Spurs, having bored Red Star into submission, break quickly upfield! Sissoko powers with great grace down the inside right, holding off his man and drawing another defender. He’s got Alli and Son to his left. He feeds Alli, who shuttles the ball on to Son, and the striker roofs one past Borjan. A wonderful goal on the break! Tottenham’s away-day woes could be coming to an end here in Belgrade.

9.16pm GMT

56 min: Spurs pass it around the back in the sterile fashion. It’s clever, because it’s getting on the home crowd’s nerves. It doesn’t make for great viewing, admittedly, but Spurs haven’t won on the road for nearly six months, so you do what you have to do.

9.14pm GMT

54 min: All a bit scrappy again. Spurs will be happy enough with that, in the wake of Red Star’s recent burst of increased energy.

9.12pm GMT

52 min: So having said that, Spurs nearly make it two, Alli sashaying into the box through the middle only to be robbed just as he’s cocking his leg back to shoot. The ball’s poked out for a corner, from which nothing much occurs, despite the very impressive Lo Celso’s prompting.

9.10pm GMT

50 min: Degenek, quarterbacking from deep, fires a long pass down the inside-left channel and nearly finds Garcia in the Spurs box. Not quite. Another goal kick. But this is much better from Red Star.

9.09pm GMT

49 min: Red Star should be level. Ndombele gifts the ball to Marin in midfield. Suddenly Red Star are two on two. Marin instigates a one-two with Pavkov, and should be sent clear into the box on the left, but the return pass is a real clunker. Goal kick, and Marin is beyond livid.

9.07pm GMT

47 min: Tottenham impose themselves on the second half immediately. They stroke the ball this way and that. Then Kane bursts into the box down the left. Kane goes over very easily in a barging match with Milunovic, who did shove the Spurs captain in the small of the back, but very gently indeed, so come on. The referee’s not having it, quite correctly.

9.05pm GMT

We’re back! Spurs get the second half underway. Red Star have made a change at right back, with Jander coming on for Marko Gobeljic.

8.53pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. A few episodes of the magnificent Nessun Dorma pod for your leisure and pleasure. Includes a fine dissection of Ossie Ardiles and the Famous Five, the cult attacking quintet of Teddy Sheringham, Jürgen Klinsmann, Ilie Dumitrescu, Darren Anderton and Nick Barmby. Enjoy!

Related: Nessun Dorma podcast: from Ardiles to Baggio, Bracewell and Van Basten

8.50pm GMT

And that’s the end of the first half. If you didn’t know better, you could be forgiven for thinking this game has a multi-ball feature. Two amazing pinball sequences, one at each end, both going Tottenham’s way. It’s been great fun. More in ten minutes!

8.48pm GMT

45 min +2: Van la Parra earns a corner for Red Star in the second of two added minutes. Marin floats it in from the left. Pavkov is penalised for pushing. For a second, the home crowd think the referee’s signalling for a penalty. But it’s not to be.

8.46pm GMT

45 min: This has been all Spurs, really, and yet Red Star must wonder how they’ve managed to pass up two gilt-edged invitations to score.

8.45pm GMT

43 min: More pinball madness, this time in the Spurs box! Van la Parra bursts into the box on the right and smacks a shot against the base of the right-hand post. Sanchez, facing his own net, loops the rebound over his own keeper Gazzaniga and off the crossbar! Spurs clear, having got away with that big-style!

8.43pm GMT

42 min: Son earns a corner on the left. He possibly should have laid the ball off for Alli. From the set piece, he tries to mend fences by slipping a pass down the left wing for Alli. Too much juice on the ball, and it’s out for a goal kick. Alli doesn’t look particularly pleased.

8.42pm GMT

41 min: Alli considers a shot from 20 yards, but thinks twice and slips the ball right for Lo Celso, who is brimming with confidence after his goal. We know this because he’s just tried to flick an insouciant shot into the bottom right from the edge of the box, first time, with the outside of his boot. It flies wide, but full marks for ambition.

8.40pm GMT

40 min: Some more space for Kane down the inside right. He floats a chip over Borjan and over the bar. The flag goes up for offside, so it didn’t really matter.

8.40pm GMT

38 min: Lo Celso’s finish was quite sublime, by the way. A cushioned first touch and a deft swish into the top right, calmness personified amid some wild nonsense.

8.38pm GMT

36 min: The previous entry was brought to you by Bally Entertainment.

8.37pm GMT

Pinball madness! Lo Celso wins the ball in the midfield and sends Kane clear down the inside right. Kane enters the box and should score, but slips the ball past Borjan and off the base of the right-hand post. Son volleys the rebound goalwards, but it’s hacked off the line. Alli looks to have been bundled over amid the melee, but the ball breaks to Kane, who pulls a volley across the face of goal, left to right. Son tries to bundle the ball home, but hits the bar. And finally the man who started it all, Lo Celso, crashes home! That ... was intense.

8.33pm GMT

32 min: Now Garcia is clattered by Rose, who was late and clumsy. But it’s just a free kick, he gets away without a booking. So each side has had one. Fair’s fair.

8.32pm GMT

30 min: Dier goes up to challenge for a high ball, and clacks Pavkov in his startled coupon. He goes in the book. That was completely unnecessary. Now he’s tip-toeing gingerly along that metaphorical ribbon of censure, the disciplinary tightrope. He’ll be up on that an hour!

8.30pm GMT

29 min: Ndombele is fine, all right. He nearly releases Son with a glorious slide-rule pass down the inside-left channel, but just as Son is shaping to meet it first time and shoot on goal from an inviting position, Milunovic slides in to intercept. Fine football all round.

8.27pm GMT

26 min: Son is crudely stopped in his tracks by Gobeljic, and that’s a free kick just to the left of the Red Star box. Ndombele wafts the set piece into the box, and it’s eyebrowed out for a corner by Van la Perra. Lo Celso takes the corner from the right. The ball’s punched clear by Borjan, then lashed wildly high and wide by Sissoko. A sense that a goal’s coming soon, one way or another.

8.25pm GMT

25 min: Well, that got the home crowd going again. Red Star needed that, because Spurs have enjoyed nearly 70 percent possession so far.

8.25pm GMT

23 min: So after all that, it’s Red Star who nearly take the lead. Pavkov, who scored twice against Liverpool here last year, barges his way through a couple of poor Spurs challenges, and he’s free in the box! He opens his body and sidefoots powerfully towards the bottom right, but Gazzaniga has read his intentions well, and sticks out a strong leg to block and clear!

8.23pm GMT

22 min: Sissoko drives Spurs forward, winning possession and finding Lo Celso in a central area, 25 yards from goal. Lo Celso slips the ball to Son on his left; Son drops a shoulder and drags a shot across Borjan and wide right.

8.22pm GMT

21 min: Foyth and Lo Celso combine well down the right again. Foyth pushes the ball along the byline only to lose control before he can find a team-mate, and Degenek is able to clear. Most of the game is now being played in Red Star’s final third, though Spurs haven’t warmed Borjan’s hands yet. A sense that it’s only a matter of time.

8.20pm GMT

19 min: Sanchez’s long pass down the middle nearly causes havoc in the Red Star box, but Borjan manages to slap the ball out of harm’s way with Son and Kane lurking, hoping to pick up the pieces. Spurs are beginning to cause Red Star a little trouble.

8.19pm GMT

18 min: Lo Celso finds Foyth on the overlap down the right. Foyth’s cross isn’t all that, but it’s good enough to win the first corner of the game. Lo Celso sends a vicious inswinger into the mixer, a fine delivery, but Borjan punches clear with confidence from the middle of a packed box. Lo Celso has looked lively in these early exchanges.

8.17pm GMT

16 min: Son reaches the byline down the left and scoops a dangerous ball over Borjan. It’s begging to be prodded home, but there’s nobody there in dark blue, and turns out he was offside anyway, the flag going up late.

8.16pm GMT

15 min: Rose and Pavkov clash heads in the middle of the park. Ooyah oof. Totally accidental, and while Rose furrows his brow and attends to his sore neep by rubbing it with great vigour, both players look fine to continue. We play on.

8.14pm GMT

13 min: Suddenly Spurs spark into life. Sissoko slips a quick ball down the inside-right channel. Ndombele shuttles it further on to Kane, who takes a stride into the box and lashes the evening’s first shot in anger into the side netting on the right.

8.12pm GMT

12 min: Spurs knock it about the back for a while. They go absolutely nowhere, but that’s not really the point. They continue to work their way into this game, and are quieting down the crowd a little. Just a little, mind, it’s all relative.

8.10pm GMT

10 min: Lo Celso plays a cute ball around the corner for Kane, who makes good down the right and tries to interact with Son just inside the Red Star box. But Kane leans unnecessarily on a nearby defender and it’s a pressure-releasing free kick.

8.10pm GMT

8 min: Lo Celso has the ball at his feet and options ahead of him. But he can’t pick a pass. Possession’s given up to Van la Parra, who draws a foul from Lo Celso. All a bit scrappy at the moment.

8.08pm GMT

6 min: Borjan launches a goal kick long. Pavkov flicks on for Garcia, who threatens to get the better of Foyth, but the Spurs man nudges a weak pass backwards towards Dier, who sorts out the bother. Another slightly uncertain moment for Foyth; a worry for Spurs unless he finds his feet soon.

8.05pm GMT

4 min: Foyth hassles Rodic out on the Spurs right. The ball breaks to Kane, just inside the box, and he tries to combine with Ndombele, but Red Star swarm around and refuse to be opened up. That’s a first sortie into the Red Star half for Spurs, and a small foothold in the game after that early home flourish.

8.04pm GMT

2 min: Marin attempts a dribble down the left but the Red Star captain goes down a dead end. He might have taken a little knock while doing so, and grimaces accordingly. Ah, panic over, he looks fine to continue and trots back upfield.

8.02pm GMT

Here we go, then! The hosts get the ball rolling. It’s launched forward quickly, and Foyth hesitates with the ball at his feet. He’s nearly closed down by Van la Parra, but a rebound goes out for a goal kick. Red Star are soon coming back at Spurs, Garcia nearly besting Rose down the right. But Rose keeps cool and clears. A fast start from the home side, though.

7.58pm GMT

The teams are out! The 1991 champions Red Star sport their world-famous red and white stripes, while Spurs are shunted into second-choice dark blue. There is, it goes without saying, one hell of an atmosphere at the Marakana. Red Star don’t lose here often. In fact they rarely concede, so let’s not be too disappointed if we don’t get another 4-4 tonight. But whatever happens, it’ll be a big test of Tottenham’s moxie. Handshakes and coin tossing to come, but we’ll be off before you know it! Incidentally, in the early kick-off in Group B, Bayern Munich have beaten Olympiacos 2-0. So they’ve qualified for the knockout stage already.

7.48pm GMT

The abridged pre-match thoughts of Mauricio Pochettino. He tells BT Sport it’s the “right moment” for Giovani Lo Celso to make his full debut, having finally got himself up to full fitness. Meanwhile Son Heung-min has “moved on quick” after the distressing injury to Andre Gomes at Goodison Park. “He’s started to realise it wasn’t his fault. He is in a perfect state to perform.” One last point: it’s going to be a “tough game”.

7.36pm GMT

So here’s how the players get from the changing room to the pitch at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. (Actually this is the NFL Tunnel Club under the East Stand, but it mirrors the Spurs Tunnel Club in the West Stand, so you get the general idea.)

7.07pm GMT

Tottenham make five changes to the XI sent out at Everton last Sunday. Toby Alderweireld, Christian Eriksen, Lucas Moura and Ben Davies drop to the bench, while Serge Aurier is out altogether. In come Danny Rose, Eric Dier, Giovani Lo Celso, Juan Foyth and captain Harry Kane, who has recovered from a virus.

Red Star Belgrade - Crvena zvezda to the purist - make three changes to the side thrashed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium two weeks ago. Midfielders Milos Vulic and Jose Canas, and striker Tomane, are replaced respectively by Njegos Petrovic and Dusan Jovancic, and Milan Pavkov.

6.54pm GMT

Red Star Belgrade: Borjan, Gobeljic, Milunovic, Degenek, Rodic, Jovancic, Petrovic, Garcia, Marin, van La Parra, Pavkov.
Subs: Popovic, Pankov, Vulic, Richmond Boakye, Jander, Simic, Canas.

Tottenham Hotspur: Gazzaniga, Foyth, Sanchez, Dier, Rose, Sissoko, Ndombele, Lo Celso, Alli, Son, Kane.
Subs: Alderweireld, Vorm, Sessegnon, Eriksen, Lucas Moura, Skipp, Davies.

4.56pm GMT

Spurs swatted Red Star aside a fortnight ago in north London. Harry Kane and Son Heung-min both scored twice in an easy 5-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Erik Lamela also getting on the scoresheet. In that sense, they should be confident of getting the victory tonight in the return match, one that’d help immensely in their quest to qualify for the knockout stage.

Nevertheless, they’ll be wary. Red Star were pasted 4-0 at Liverpool last season, yet bounced back to beat the eventual champions 2-0 in Belgrade soon after. They’re a different proposition in Serbia: they’ve won 13 of their 14 league matches so far this season, and have lost only two of their last 21 home games in Europe. And this season they’ve already got a 3-1 win over Olympiacos in their Group B bag. A home win tonight will give Red Star a boost in their hopes of reaching the last 16.

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The Fiver | Competent defending hasn’t been this far out of fashion since 1925

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On Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea and Ajax served up an instant Big Cup classic. Eight goals were scored. Two were penalties. Another two were own goals. The penalties were expertly converted, while one of the own goals twanged off someone’s big, startled, confused face in the grand music-hall manner. There was a double sending off for two separate incidents during the same passage of play, one of them a hilariously harsh handball decision. A three-goal comeback was completed in 11 minutes. A late winner got ruled out by VAR, while the side down to nine men were sending their full-backs upfield on the overlap during added time. Also, there was only one set of fans in attendance, so the whole thing was played out in a very surreal, lopsided atmosphere indeed. And they say the group stage is the boring bit.

Related: Frank Lampard hails Chelsea spirit after three-goal comeback against Ajax

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Chelsea 4-4 Ajax: Champions League – as it happened

Ajax were sublime at Stamford Bridge before two red cards in a minute led to a remarkable Chelsea comeback

Read Jacob Steinberg’s match report

12.47am GMT

Related: Frank Lampard hails Chelsea spirit after three-goal comeback against Ajax

Related: Chelsea’s youthful soul keeps them fighting through the chaos | Barney Ronay

10.24pm GMT

Two own goals, two penalties, two red cards, a 4-4 scoreline and a winner disallowed by VAR. That was a game of football. Thanks for reading!

Related: Chelsea fight back as Ajax pay price for two red cards and two penalties

10.16pm GMT

A cheery Frank Lampard tries to make sense of it all. “I can’t explain the game. For all the things we can analyse back, the goals we concede, we’re here for entertainment. So what an incredible game of football. Ajax are a great team. But we were always in it. I felt we could build momentum, and fortunately we did! The biggest pleasure to me was the spirit the whole stadium showed. We should take it for what it was, a point against a very good team.”

10.06pm GMT

A 5-5 last week. A 4-4 tonight. It’s like 1925-26 all over again.

10.01pm GMT

What a weird and wonderful game of Champions League football. After it all comes down, a draw is about right. Ajax might question the award of Chelsea’s second penalty - and therefore the red card awarded to Joel Veltman - as the defender didn’t have much of a chance of getting his hand away from Callum Hudson-Odoi’s shot. But the hosts were on the comeback trail already, and deserved to haul themselves back to parity through moxie alone. We already knew how magnificent Ajax were; this Chelsea side are something pretty special - and most importantly, fun - as well.

9.52pm GMT

And that’s it! Phew. Dear me. On Bonfire Night, the denizens of Stamford Bridge certainly got plenty of bang for their buck with that one.

9.51pm GMT

90 min +4: And even more frustration, as Willian slips a cute ball down the right to release Batshuayi into space. He enters the area and whips a shot across goal and out of play for a goal kick, inches wide.

9.50pm GMT

90 min +3: James curls a harmless cross into the arms of Onana. More frustration.

9.50pm GMT

90 min +2: Hudson-Odoi skitters down the left but runs out of pitch. Frustration abounds. Can Chelsea find a winner against the nine men?

9.49pm GMT

90 min +1: The first of four added minutes flies by. Yep, just four. Not sure how, given the time spent faffing around at the double sending off, plus assorted VAR nonsense and subs. Frank Lampard looks non-plussed, but eventually allows himself an ironic grin.

9.47pm GMT

90 min: Jorginho slips a pass down the inside-right channel for Batshuayi, who spins on the penalty spot and must score. But his slapshot, towards the bottom right, is weak and smothered by Onana. What a chance to wrap it up!

9.46pm GMT

89 min: Hudson-Odoi advances on the Ajax box, van de Beek having been stripped in the centre circle. He curls towards the bottom right. It’s inches wide, with Onana rooted to the spot.

9.45pm GMT

88 min: It’s end to end again. Mazraoui shoots from the right-hand edge of the D; Kepa saves. Abraham heads goalwards; Onana saves. That lull didn’t last long.

9.44pm GMT

87 min: Kovacic is replaced by Batshuayi, who will be looking for a second late winner against Ajax in a fortnight.

9.43pm GMT

86 min: Ajax, with nine men, pile forward. Alvarez turns on the edge of the box and swishes a wonderful shot towards the bottom right. Kepa tips it round the post. Nothing comes of the corner. Alvarez, remember, was sent on to steady the ship at the back! Total football.

9.41pm GMT

84 min: We’ve waited a long time for a lull. It’s a strange time to have one.

9.40pm GMT

82 min: Anything goes tonight, so Willian, under a crossfield pass, tries to cream a volley into the bottom left from the right-hand edge of the box. Onana gathers.

9.38pm GMT

80 min: And now a corner for Ajax. Willian goes down to relieve pressure on the hosts, who are able to clear their lines. There’s no way this is going to end 4-4, is it?

9.37pm GMT

79 min: Another twist in this wild game! In the middle of the melee, Jorginho had taken a shot that hit Abraham’s arm. The hand ball saves Ajax’s blushes. For now.

9.36pm GMT

This is absurd! Hudson-Odoi feeds Azpilicueta down the left. There’s a melee. Pinball. Then the ball breaks to the Chelsea captain, who arrows a shot into the top right! It’s probably for the best that Ajax don’t have any fans here to witness it.

9.34pm GMT

77 min: Nope. They don’t exactly load the box. They can’t commit too many men forward. Chelsea clear.

9.34pm GMT

76 min: But the nine men of Ajax aren’t quite finished yet! Promes bustles under a long ball and James handles. Free kick, which Promes sends towards the top left. Kepa is forced to fingertip over. A corner! Ajax can’t, surely. Can they?

9.32pm GMT

75 min: Willian dribbles along the byline, to the right of the Ajax goal. His low fizzer is gathered by Onana. Chelsea scent blood.

9.31pm GMT

This is quite amazing! Chelsea win a corner down the right. Zouma rises high and crashes a header onto the crossbar. The ball pings out, to the feet of James, just inside the box to the right. James pearls a shot into the bottom left, and goes sliding off on his knees as the Stamford Bridge roof spins off towards Surrey. Holy moly!

9.30pm GMT

73 min: Ajax make a double sub. Ziyech and Neres are replaced by Schuurs and Alvarez. It’s have-what-we-hold for the visitors!

9.29pm GMT

A skip and a sidefoot into the bottom left! Ice-cool! This is on! Stamford Bridge, so quiet so recently, is bouncing!

9.28pm GMT

70 min: Throw Chelsea a double lifeline, that’s what! The referee goes back to book Blind. It’s his second yellow, so he’s off! Then he awards a penalty. Then he books Veltman for the handball! It’s his second yellow, too. And in the blink of an eye, Ajax are down to nine men! A miracle comeback is on!

9.26pm GMT

68 min: What an outrageous passage of play! Blind hands off Jorginho, then slides in on Abraham. It’s a foul, but the referee waves play on. Hudson-Odoi picks up possession and cuts inside from the left. He whacks a shot straight at Veltman ... who handles in the area! What’s the referee going to do?

9.24pm GMT

66 min: Jorginho shimmies down the inside-right channel and shanks a shot. Abraham and Azpilicueta try to turn the ball goalwards, but neither can connect properly. Goal kick. But Chelsea have their tails up now.

9.23pm GMT

64 min: That’s injected some energy into Stamford Bridge! There was a brief VAR check, but Azpilicueta was onside. Just. Small mercies, the check didn’t take too long, and the buzz of scoring wasn’t totally lost.

9.21pm GMT

Then suddenly there’s a bit of space for Pulisic on the right. He enters the box and rolls the ball across for Abraham, who turns the ball towards the bottom left. It’s heading just wide, but Azpilicueta is there to toe-poke it in from half a yard, just in time!

9.19pm GMT

62 min: A bit of sterile possession for Chelsea ends when Promes crashes into the back of Willian. He’s booked.

9.17pm GMT

60 min: Mount is replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi. A huge roar. The home fans haven’t had much else to cheer about.

9.16pm GMT

59 min: And now Mount’s down, having hurt his ankle when coming together with van de Beek. There’s been no foul play, it looks as though he’s just gone over his ankle upon landing awkwardly. Not sure he’s going to be able to continue. As if Stamford Bridge hadn’t been quietened enough already.

9.14pm GMT

57 min: Abraham takes a knock when going up to compete for James’s right-wing cross. Onana clatters him, totally accidentally. Happily for Chelsea, the striker’s soon up and about again.

9.13pm GMT

... Ajax go straight up the other end and score. Neres works his way down the right and cuts back for Ziyech, who instantly shuttles the ball inside for van de Beek. He takes a touch, takes his time, and slams an unstoppable shot across Kepa and into the bottom right.

9.12pm GMT

55 min: Pulisic bears down on the Ajax box. Chelsea are five on three, but Pulisic makes the wrong decision, trying to release Azpilicueta on the overlap, but misjudging the pass. It’s easily intercepted. And it’s costly, because ...

9.10pm GMT

53 min: A cute shake of the hips from Jorginho in the centre circle. He draws a couple of defenders before slipping Abraham free! Abraham launches towards the top right; Onana tips around the post. Corner. It probably shouldn’t be, because Abraham looked a smidgen offside as he was sent clear, but the referee waves play on. From the set piece, James fires low towards the bottom right, but the angle’s way too tight and Onana isn’t getting beaten from there.

9.08pm GMT

52 min: A little space for Azpilicueta out on the left. He curls into the mixer. Abraham rises highest, but there’s no whip on the cross, and he can’t generate enough power on his header to trouble Onana, who plucks from the sky with a yawn.

9.07pm GMT

50 min: Pulisic finds a bit of space down the left but can’t locate a team-mate with his cross. James tries to keep things going, coming in from the other flank, and wins a corner that comes to nothing. But this is much better from Chelsea, who need something to happen fairly quickly.

9.06pm GMT

49 min: Martinez has a cheeky little poke at Willian, who tries to retaliate. But Martinez, having irritated his opponent, isn’t interested in engaging. Saucy. Willian complains to the referee, but the official’s not interested.

9.05pm GMT

47 min: Zouma beat four men on that run, dropping a shoulder to see off Blind before taking his shot. In the dugout, Frank Lampard can’t quite believe what he just witnessed. He enjoyed that.

9.04pm GMT

Chelsea get the second half started. Reece James has come on for Marcos Alonso, the captain Cesar Azpilicueta shifting to left-back. And there’s nearly a sensational start to the half, Zouma channelling his inner Franz Beckenbauer, hip-shaking his way down the middle of the park, all the way to the edge of the box, before ballooning his shot miles over. What a run! What a shame that didn’t fly in.

8.58pm GMT

Then again, we haven’t got everything wrong. “Your preview remark that Kevin Keegan would approve of Frank Lampard’s buccaneering blues (even with their leaky hull) certainly seems spot on so far,” opines Justin Kavanagh. “Only one team is going to win it now … and I’ve no idea which it is.” Simon McMahon adds: “After that first 45 minutes, I think Chelsea should be looking to partner Jeep Cherokee and Audi Q in central defence for the second half.” In the ever-upwardly mobile world of the Champions League, it was only a matter of time before “parking the SUV” became a thing.

8.53pm GMT

Corrections and clarifications (pt.XXXVIII in an ongoing series). “It’s curious that Robert McAllister should pick up on the Volkswagen mix-up but not the fact that the player you said was Mickey Hazard is in fact Kevin McAllister,” writes Joe Sampson. Yes, well, there you have it. Throw in two own goals initially awarded to attacking players, plus some confusion over who conceded the penalty, and it’s been a banner day for your super soaraway MBM! Support our journalism, etc.

8.47pm GMT

Promes curls in. Abraham heads over this time. And that’s the end of a highly entertaining and borderline surreal first half.

8.45pm GMT

45 min: Azpilicueta is the latest player to go into the card-happy referee’s book, as he bundles Tagliafico over on the left touchline. A chance for Ajax to end the half as they started it.

8.44pm GMT

44 min: Pulisic nearly breaks through a couple of challenges down the inside-left channel and into the box, but last man Blind closes the door just in time.

8.44pm GMT

43 min: Alonso has a crack from distance, but it’s easily gathered by Onana.

8.43pm GMT

41 min: Tomori slides into the back of Neres, scooting down the right. Neres is allowed to get up and play on, Tomori stopping and failing to play to the whistle. The ball’s worked towards Promes on the left. Promes should score, but doesn’t. A huge let-off for Chelsea, although not for Tomori, who is booked.

8.40pm GMT

39 min: Uefa have given the third Ajax goal to poor old Kepa. So that’s two own goals by Chelsea, because the first has gone down as an Abraham og. Where is the love?

8.39pm GMT

37 min: Frank Lampard looks beyond furious. He’ll be having words with Alonso, no doubt. There was absolutely no need to give that free kick away, though there’s no accounting for what happened next. That was such a stunning free kick. Did Ziyech mean it? Either way, it was an unplayable delivery.

8.37pm GMT

... in it goes! Ziyech viciously whips a cheeky one across the face of goal, over Kepa towards the top left! It’s going in ... or maybe not. It hits the post, comes back towards the flailing keeper, and slams in off Kepa’s coupon! That may go down as an own goal, but it was such an outrageous effort that Ziyech deserves all the credit in the world!

8.35pm GMT

35 min: Tadic is going nowhere by the right-hand corner flag. Alonso stupidly barges into his back and concedes a needless free kick. Ziyech to take. And ...

8.34pm GMT

33 min: Now Blind goes in the book, sticking a leg across Kovacic in midfield, right in front of the referee’s nose. Completely unnecessary, and now both of Ajax’s central defenders are teetering on the disciplinary tightrope. Take care.

8.32pm GMT

32 min: Pulisic takes. It’s really poor, a high, aimless waft, and easy pickings for Onana in the Ajax goal.

8.31pm GMT

31 min: Veltman goes into the referee’s notebook for a cynical barge into Willian’s back, out on the left wing. A free kick, and a chance for Chelsea to load the box.

8.30pm GMT

29 min: Turns out the second Ajax goal required clearance from the clowns operating the video fiasco system. Promes passed the armpit test, though one more pre-match spray of Lynx would have formed a film that pushed him over the line.

8.28pm GMT

27 min: From the corner, Chelsea clear and break. Willian tries to release Pulisic down the right, but the ball’s a little bit too heavy and Veltman is able to clear his lines.

8.27pm GMT

26 min: Neves purchases a very cheap free kick of Alonso, who didn’t make much contact as he slid in to challenge. But the pained hop fools the ref. Ziyech takes, out on the right. It’s swung in, and Abraham nearly deflects the ball past Kepa again, eyebrowing the high ball wide left with the keeper sprawling. Corner.

8.25pm GMT

24 min: Chelsea can’t get a sniff at the minute. Ajax will be delighted with the way they’ve sucked the atmosphere out of the stadium. But suddenly the crowd find their voice. Carefree. But they’re not able to rouse their team. Nothing’s happening for them.

8.23pm GMT

22 min: Stamford Bridge falls silent. There’s concern. Ajax are suddenly first to everything.

8.22pm GMT

Ziyech curls in a delicious cross from the right wing. Promes creeps in behind a snoozing Azpilicueta, and gently guides a header past Kepa, to the keeper’s left. As easy as it gets. That was a lovely ball from Ziyech, Promes couldn’t miss. But Chelsea’s defence is not dependable. On the touchline, Frank Lampard’s furrows his brow.

8.19pm GMT

18 min: With no away section, it was always going to be a slightly strange atmosphere. It’s even odder given how open and entertaining the game is. The back-and-forth soundtrack sadly missing. It’s a big loss.

8.17pm GMT

16 min: Another free kick for Ajax out on the left. Tagliafico takes this one, and it’s dealt with in a much calmer fashion this time by Chelsea. Meanwhile the home fans entertain themselves with a rousing rendition of Your Support Is Effing Ess, Ajax having been banned from officially taking anyone here after causing bother in Valencia recently. Satire.

8.15pm GMT

14 min: Both teams come close to scoring. First up, Kovacic sashays down the middle of the park and slips Abraham clear. Abraham takes his time, and calmly slaps the ball into the bottom left. But he went early and is correctly flagged offside. Then Blind sends Tadic racing down the inside-right channel. Tadic drops a shoulder and nearly curls a gorgeous shot into the top left. Just over.

8.14pm GMT

13 min: Willian turns on the jets and is felled in the agricultural style by Martinez. The Ajax midfielder should probably go in the book, but the referee is lenient.

8.12pm GMT

12 min: And replays of the penalty incident suggest Pulisic was eventually upended by Tagliafico, after Veltman didn’t do quite enough to clip the Chelsea man by sliding in hysterically. They were determined to give that penalty away, were Ajax.

8.10pm GMT

10 min: Replays show Abraham definitely deflected Promes’ free kick past Kepa. But it looked like the free kick was on target, so hopefully it won’t go down as an own goal. In any case, the damage was repaired a mere one minute and six seconds later.

8.08pm GMT

8 min: Jorginho zips down the right but can’t get a shot or cross away from a tight angle. Then Willian briefly threatens to break clear down the middle but can’t quite get the ball under control. A fair chance tonight’s scoring won’t end at 1-1.

8.07pm GMT

6 min: The Ajax corner bounces around the Chelsea area for a bit, and nobody seems to be bothered in either shooting or clearing. Eventually the ball sails away from the danger zone of its own accord. And breathe!

8.06pm GMT

5 min: Dearie me, what an opening we’ve got here! Tadic very nearly releases Neres down the right. Alonso is forced to slide in to concede a corner. This is like basketball on steroids.

8.05pm GMT

What a lovely spot kick this is. Jorginho jogs towards the ball, takes a little skip to send Onana the wrong way, and rolls softly into the bottom right!

8.04pm GMT

3 min: Pulisic dribbles in from the left. Veltman slides in clumsily from behind, and that’s an easy decision for the referee. What a start we have here!

8.03pm GMT

Promes whips the free kick in from the touchline. It’s an inswinger, and it goes straight into the net! Bottom left! Abraham may have got a touch on it to confuse Kepa, but let’s give it to the Ajax forward.

8.02pm GMT

2 min: Now Tagliafico skitters down the left, and is unceremoniously upended by Azpilicueta. Free kick. From which ...

8.01pm GMT

And we’re off! Ajax get the ball rolling, and soon enough Martinez and Ziyech are soon making good towards the Chelsea box. A ball down the right channel intended for Promes is shepherded out by Zouma, but that’s an early statement of intent by the visitors.

7.59pm GMT

Here come the teams! Ajax do indeed sport their very pretty red and white shirts. It’s a damp, drizzly, miserable evening at Stamford Bridge. A typical Bonfire Night, in other words. Let’s hope this game isn’t a damp sq... hope that it sparks into lif... no, I can’t do it. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.53pm GMT

Corrections and clarifications. That’s a 1985 VW Golf, not a Polo. Thanks to Miika Vaso and Robert McAllister for pointing that out. Meanwhile our old friend Simon McMahon is lost in a misty water-coloured nostalgic reverie: “Austin Maxi was some player, eh? I often wonder what that Chelsea team could have gone on to achieve if they’d him kept him for another season or two to play alongside a young Ford Mondeo. Or if they’d signed Hertz Van Rental from Ajax.”

7.45pm GMT

A full and Frank conversation. “Against real, high-end opposition, bravery comes into play. You have to receive the ball in tight areas, the press is good, the quality is good. We have to perform how we did out there. We have to reach that level, they’re very strong. Even off the back of a couple of wins in this competition, there’s still work to be done. So it’ll be a tough match for us. Ajax have so much talent in their team. They’re a very attacking team, their selection shows that. We have to be careful.”

7.41pm GMT

Presumably Ajax will be kitted out in their storied red and white. If not, blame modern kit contracts, not us. Here’s Johan Cruyff wearing the gorgeous shirt, riding a sliding tackle by Den Haag defender Aad Mansveld in 1972. He’s about to make off with that Telstar, we’ll be bound.

7.32pm GMT

Chelsea will play in their famous blue shirts. Their current patterned tops have a vague retro whiff about them. Hey, any old excuse to whack up a picture of Stamford Bridge back in the day, pitchside car park and all. Here’s everyone celebrating promotion from the old Second Division in 1989. Left to right: Ford Escort, Austin Maxi, Graham Roberts, Kevin Wilson, Peter Nicholas, Micky Hazard, Volkswagen Polo.

7.12pm GMT

Two players will miss the next match if they’re booked: Ajax goalkeeper-captain Andre Onana and midfielder Lisandro Martinez. Chelsea can pick up as many yellow cards as they fancy.

7.09pm GMT

Marcos Alonso returns to the Chelsea starting XI. He replaces Emerson, the only change made to the side named at Watford three days ago. N’Golo Kante is back from injury and on the bench. Neither Ross Barkley nor Olivier Giroud are in the squad, respectively unfit and unloved.

Ajax make two changes to the team sent out in Amsterdam two weeks ago. Noussair Mazraoui replaces Sergino Dest at right back, while David Neres takes Hakim Ziyech’s place in the front three; Ziyech shifts back to replace Edson Alvarez in midfield.

6.57pm GMT

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Zouma, Tomori, Alonso, Jorginho, Kovacic, Willian, Mount, Pulisic, Abraham.
Subs: Christensen, Kante, Caballero, Hudson-Odoi, Batshuayi, James, Gilmour.

Ajax: Onana, Mazraoui, Veltman, Blind, Tagliafico, van de Beek, Ziyech, Martinez, Neres, Tadic, Promes.
Subs: Bruno Varela, Schuurs, Alvarez, Huntelaar, De Jong, Marin, Dest.

5.40pm GMT

Welcome to the Guardian’s coverage of the game that could decide who wins Group H. Not that topping the group makes much difference in the long run. Not if you’re any good. Which both of these sides unquestionably are.

Chelsea, the reigning Europa League champions, are in fine fettle right now. They’ve won their last seven Premier League and Champions League matches, playing some delightfully open football along the way. At the weekend, they could have won by ten goals at Watford. They also very nearly drew the match 2-2. They’re that sort of team now. Kevin Keegan would approve.

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