Scott Murray's Blog, page 113

September 19, 2019

The Fiver | Talk of crisis is relative. Then again, this is Real Madrid

Six months ago, Zinedine Zidane strode big-leggy back into town, a modern-day John Wayne returning to save the day. His wasn’t an arrogant strut: the poor man had no option but to walk in a preposterously mannered style because of the fruitbowl-bothering, midlife-crisis kecks he was wearing. The best-left-to-teenagers strides were also the reason he had to leave the Harley Davidson at home. Well you try mounting a hog in a pair of please-tell-me-those-shrunk-in-the-wash-and-you-didn’t-as-a-46-year-old-man-actively-choose-such-a-style tapered breeks! It was all he could do to stand uneasily at the podium, propped up like a half-squeezed tube of toothpaste by the bathroom sink, while promising to bring the glory days back to Real Madrid. So let’s give him a break, eh.

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Published on September 19, 2019 07:58

September 18, 2019

Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 Real Madrid: Champions League – as it happened

Angel Di Maria scored twice against his former team as PSG outplayed Real at the Parc des Princes.

10.43pm BST

And the others in tonight’s Champions League …

9.51pm BST

This doesn’t flatter Paris Saint-Germain at all. Who needs Neymar? Thomas Tuchel’s side were well worth their three-goal victory; they could easily have had a couple more. It bodes well for their latest tilt at the elusive Champions League. Real Madrid on the other hand were a bit of a shambles, and yet they still had two goals disallowed for marginal offences, Gareth Bale so close to a juggle and lob that would have resonated down the ages. So it’s all relative ... and it’s only matchday one, mid-September after all. Thanks for reading!

9.51pm BST

90 min +3: Nope. They make a proper collective balls of it.

9.50pm BST

90 min +2: Bernat is booked for a slide on Carvajal down the right. A free kick just by the Paris box. A consolation for Madrid?

9.49pm BST

Meunier one-twos with Di Maria to romp into acres down the right. PSG are two on one ... and it’s the other full back Bernat who’s up with him! Meunier slips the ball to Bernat, who could shoot but decides to pass it back. Meunier sidefoots solidly into the top right.

9.48pm BST

90 min: There will be added minutes. Three of them.

9.47pm BST

89 min: PSG swap an attacker for a defender. Abdou Diallo comes on for Pablo Sarabia.

9.46pm BST

87 min: This match is petering out. Benzema’s lively couple of minutes apart, Real Madrid have done very little to fight back in this second half. While we watch the clock tick down, here’s Lee Madden: “I must say, Eden Hazard looked very rusty this evening and the vast majority of their players have looked off the pace. As a Chelsea fan, I did wonder why Hazard would go to Madrid at this point, but it really does look like Madrid are as far as making an impact on Europe as Chelsea this season. Same for Courtois – he’s looked below par and I do wonder what the big appeal with Madrid is.” An elegant variation on the classic Mrs Merton question, right there.

9.42pm BST

85 min: Di Maria skedaddles in from the right and whips a low pass towards Choupo-Moting, on the edge of the box. The former Stoke man lashes a first-time shot over the bar. Close, but not quite.

9.41pm BST

84 min: Sarabia has his standing leg whipped from under him by Kroos. A frustrated challenge. The referee takes no action as the clock ticks on.

9.40pm BST

82 min: Bernat is busy lashing a clearance up the touchline. He gets his ankle clipped by Vinicius Junior, who is booked for the clumsy challenge. Di Maria goes in the book too, for getting involved in the referee’s decision-making process and nearly instigating a donnybrook.

9.37pm BST

80 min: Bale is replaced by Vinicius Junior.

9.37pm BST

79 min: Real have finally come to life. Bale crosses deep from the right. Benzema rises highest at the far post and sends a header back across goal. It’s inches away from bouncing into the bottom right. Wide. What a thoroughly strange performance Real have put in this evening.

9.36pm BST

78 min: For all Real’s general impotence this evening, they’ve still had the ball in the opposition net twice. On another night, the small margins, etc.

9.35pm BST

76 min: Real finally show a bit of snap in the tackle, and it nearly pays off. Benzema, cutting in from the right, lashes a loose ball across Navas and into the bottom left! A gorgeous finish. But Lucas Vazquez, from a well-offside position, had run across Benzema just before he shot, and is flagged for interfering with play.

9.32pm BST

74 min: Herrera turns on a sixpence to make space in midfield, then slips Choupo-Moting into acres down the left. The resulting cross is dreadful. But the visitors keep giving up opportunity after opportunity.

9.30pm BST

72 min: Corner for PSG out on the left. The ball’s worked patiently this way and that. They don’t really go anywhere, but before you know it another couple of minutes have been shaved off the countdown clock. The hosts are in total control of this match.

9.28pm BST

70 min: Yep, on he comes. And it’s a double change by Real Madrid, who hook Eden Hazard and the extremely disappointing James Rodriguez, sending on Lucas Vazquez and Luka Jovic in their place.

9.27pm BST

69 min: Ander Herrera, formerly of Manchester United, prepares to replace the cramped Marquinhos.

9.25pm BST

67 min: Hazard is doing his best to get his new team going. He drives at full pelt down the left, putting the home defence very much on the back foot. He exchanges passes with Benzema, but the pair don’t look on the same wavelength yet. First Hazard delays a pass that would have released his partner down the flank; then Benzema shoves Hazard too far wide with a return into the box. Early days.

9.23pm BST

65 min: The hosts are still winning the lion’s share of the midfield battles. Verratti in particular has been immense. Real haven’t worked Navas since the restart.

9.21pm BST

63 min: On the touchline, Zinedine Zidane smiles wryly. He knows his team are in danger of making a show of themselves here.

9.20pm BST

61 min: Icardi is replaced by Choupo-Moting. Then there’s yet another great chance for PSG, as Di Maria dances into the area from the left and tees up Sarabia, who slams a first-time sidefoot wide left. Inches wide. PSG are rampant.

9.18pm BST

60 min: And this was even closer, as Di Maria is released into acres down the inside left. He enters the box, draws Courtois, and really should elegantly chip him for his hat-trick, but lifts the ball clumsily over the bar. Real Madrid are all over the shop at the back.

9.17pm BST

59 min: PSG knock it around for a bit. Then suddenly they spring into action. Gueye bursts into space and shoves a pass down the inside-left for Di Maria, whose low cross only just evades Icardi in the middle. Close.

9.14pm BST

57 min: Yep, he’s back on.

9.13pm BST

56 min: Di Maria is getting a bit of treatment on his ankle, having been clipped by Mendy on the follow-through after a 50-50 challenge. Plenty of magic spray drenching the old sock. It looks as though he’ll be fine to continue.

9.12pm BST

55 min: A little bit better from Real, who slowly march forward. Benzema’s mere presence in the PSG box panics Bernat into a wild slice over his own crossbar. The resulting corner is a bit of a non-event, though. It’s all a bit of an effort for Madrid right now.

9.11pm BST

53 min: Plenty of possession for Real Madrid, but it’s all in their own half. Most of it in their final third. PSG quite happy not to commit too many players forward and let them get on with it.

9.09pm BST

51 min: Hazard embarks on a sensational dribble from left to right, across the field of play. Only problem is, it’s near his own box, getting his out-of-shape team-mates out of bother. He eventually draws a foul from his international chum Meunier.

9.07pm BST

49 min: But he’s earned the right I guess. He sashays down the left again, nearly busting his way through the Real back line, but eventually giving the ball away. He’s so good to watch in full flight, and when he’s in the mood. He’s certainly up for it tonight.

9.05pm BST

47 min: Di Maria flicks the ball this way and that, tip-toeing on the touchline, frustrating the nearby Bale. Possibly a bit early for the old showboating, but each to their own.

9.04pm BST

Here we go again, then! Real Madrid get the second half underway. No changes. Here’s another thing that hasn’t changed: Real are still giving the ball away cheaply in midfield. It’s not long before Veratti snaffles a loose Kroos pass, sending the hosts piling forward. They don’t go anywhere in particular, but that’s not exactly a statement of intent by Real.

8.57pm BST

Half-time patter. “Courtois lets in two low shots? Can’t help but feel that a shorter keeper would have got to them.” Satire, ladies and gents, courtesy of Felix Wood.

8.52pm BST

Half-time entertainment. Just in case you didn’t realise, the Spurs game kicked off early today. David Hytner was in Greece to witness last season’s finalists ship a two-goal lead.

8.47pm BST

This doesn’t flatter the French champions.

8.46pm BST

45 min +1: Bale, who has been Real’s biggest threat, is fed by Carvajal just to the right of the D. He sends a fierce daisy-cutter inches wide of the right-hand post.

8.45pm BST

45 min: There will be two added minutes.

8.44pm BST

44 min: Di Maria dances in from the right and is skittled to the ground. No idea why that’s not a free kick just to the right of the Real D, but the referee waves play on. Perhaps he’s feeling a pang of sympathy for the 13-time European champions, who are being thoroughly outplayed.

8.43pm BST

42 min: Madrid give Di Maria, Sarabia and Gueye the run of the penalty area. They’re all over the place at the back. The ball pinballs around, and sails out for a corner. Courtois claims this one. Some relief for Real, who are very much second best right now.

8.40pm BST

40 min: Bah, though. Bah!

8.39pm BST

38 min: Bale responds by trying to larrup a pearler into the net from 35 yards. It’s always flying over. It’d have been nice to see that one fly in. What a fine goal he nearly scored (x2).

8.38pm BST

37 min: This is such a shame. While Bale was juggling his way down the channel, the ball brushed him on the right wrist before dropping towards his boot and being dispatched with exquisite skill into the net. It’s the right decision, I guess - Bale certainly looked a bit sheepish after scoring, and didn’t celebrate too wildly - though the ball wasn’t really diverted by his wrist. Neither did the player make a deliberate movement with his arm towards it. But that’s that. On behalf of all lovers of football: bah.

8.36pm BST

What a strike this is! Carvajal hits long. Marquinhos heads half clear. Bale traps, juggles it this way and that down the inside-right channel, past Bernat, and lobs it over Navas and into the top left from the edge of the area! That is quite sensational!

8.34pm BST

What a belter this is! A throw on the right. Gueye takes up possession and slips the ball inside for Di Maria, who takes a touch before creaming an unstoppable drive towards the bottom-right corner! Courtois had no chance! And it’s no more than PSG deserve.

8.33pm BST

32 min: Bale takes, trying to whip one over the wall and into the top right. It’s always going over and wide. PSG head up the other end of the park, and Icardi is wrestled over under a high ball by Carvajal, who is booked for his trouble.

8.31pm BST

31 min: Bale tries to work a bit of space to the right of the PSG D, having taken possession of a ball slipped inside by Carvajal. He’s upended clumsily by Gueye. A free kick that sets Bale’s eyes a-sparkling!

8.30pm BST

30 min: Verratti is winning everything in midfield. He snaps into a tackle and fires a pass down the inside left for Icardi, who very nearly spins clear into the box. The ball ends up clanking off his shin and out for a goal kick, but Real can’t keep going like this.

8.28pm BST

28 min: Meunier and Gueye split Real Madrid down the right, setting up Di Maria for a shot that’s blocked and hacked clear. PSG look extremely dangerous in every attack.

8.27pm BST

26 min: Wonderful defending by Mendy, who surely saves Madrid from conceding a second goal. Icardi creams a lovely pass down the inside-right channel to release Sarabia. For a second, the PSG forward is clear. But Mendy gets his body in the way and shepherds the ball out for a goal kick. Masterful.

8.24pm BST

24 min: Real hog the ball in midfield for a while, but do very little with it. The passage of play does quieten the crowd a little, though.

8.23pm BST

22 min: A deep cross into the Paris box from the right. Benzema competes for a header, but doesn’t get anything on target. There are surely more goals in this match.

8.22pm BST

20 min: Di Maria flies with great purpose down the left. He whips a cross into the area in the hope of finding Icardi. Militao star-jumps in a very strange fashion - think Keown baiting Van Nistelrooy back in the day - but manages to cushion the ball in his belly without giving away a penalty for handball. That was fairly risky.

8.20pm BST

19 min: James and Benzema play a long-distance one-two, the latter teeing up the former in a central position 20 yards out. The resulting effort flies 20 yards over.

8.18pm BST

17 min: Sarabia burst through a gap in the Real midfield and makes off down the inside right. He can’t find Icardi or Di Maria in the centre with a low cross, and is bundled out of it, but the hosts are looking dangerous every time they go forward.

8.16pm BST

16 min: Not 100 percent sure the keeper covered himself in glory there. Though there was such snap in Di Maria’s shot, you have to credit the attacking play. Speaking of which, here’s Hazard, nearly striking back immediately for Real, taking a touch with his back to goal on the edge of the PSG box, turning, and whistling a low fizzer inches wide of the right-hand post. Navas wouldn’t have got there had it been on target.

8.15pm BST

PSG ping it around in slow motion for a while. Then suddenly they spring into action. Icardi one-twos with a bursting Bernat down the left. Bernat reaches the byline and pulls the ball back to Di Maria, on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Di Maria pokes it with great power into the bottom left, surprising Courtois at his near post!

8.12pm BST

12 min: Hazard is clattered to the ground by Meunier, out on the Real left. The resulting free kick finds Benzema at the far post, but the striker can’t sort his feet out to get a shot away, and he’s soon dispossessed as PSG swarm around him.

8.10pm BST

10 min: Meunier backs himself in a foot race with Mendy, knocking the ball past the young full back and tearing off after it. He doesn’t quite win it, though it’s Mendy’s positioning rather than pace that gets him out of bother this time.

8.08pm BST

8 min: Real counter, and Bale finds himself in a lot of space down the right. He’s got men in the middle, but slaps a low cross straight into the arms of Navas. A lovely open feel to these early exchanges.

8.07pm BST

7 min: A lovely flick by Di Maria, dropping deep, sets Bernat off into acres down the left. He drops a shoulder to make his way past Carvajal and enter the box, but loses the run of himself not long after that.

8.06pm BST

5 min: Real stroke it around for the first time in the match. A cacophony of whistling. Both sides just feeling each other out at the moment.

8.05pm BST

4 min: More room for Meunier down the right. He floats a cross over the bar, a waste as a couple of his pals were in the Madrid penalty box. It’s a lively start by the hosts.

8.04pm BST

2 min: And now there’s a bit of space for Gueye, of all people, the ball dropping to him just inside the Real area. Militao is in the thick of the action again, as he closes the midfielder down before he can get a shot away. But a lively start for the hosts.

8.03pm BST

And we’re off! The hosts get the party started. They stroke it around the back for a bit. Then Meunier romps into space down the right. He dinks the ball inside for Sarabia, who tries to purchase a penalty off the arm off Militao. You’ve seen them given, most notably in the first 25 seconds of the final last season. But not this time. The ref’s not interested.

7.59pm BST

The teams are out! The Champions League anthem blasts out of the PA speakers at the Parc des Princes. Then they finally turn it down and let the crowd do their thing. A fine atmosphere on a warm early-autumn evening in Paris. We’ll be off before you know it!

7.34pm BST

For the completists ... and because there’s not much more to be said before the teams come out in 20 minutes or so ... here’s what Thiago Silva will be handing over to his opposite number Karim Benzema as a pre-match gift. A little bit busier than the Real pennant, but none the worse for it. Ah the magnificent pomp of association football.

7.25pm BST

The dressing rooms. Some top-of-the-range wood panelling in the changing rooms at the Parc des Princes. High-quality cushioned seating also. A vague high-class whiff of Ibrox about the whole place. By the looks of things, the hosts will be playing in their gorgeous third-choice shirts, a vague Crystal Palace Team of the Eighties homage. (The blue and red stripes are vertical as opposed to diagonal.) Admittedly this comparison isn’t so clear when pictured from behind. Close your eyes and think of Clive Allen, you’ll not be far off.

7.13pm BST

PSG make five changes to the team named for the 1-0 victory over Strasbourg on Saturday. Presnel Kimpembe, Marquinhos, Thomas Meunier, Juan Bernat and Mauri Icardi take the places of Layvin Kurzawa, Abdou Diallo, Colin Dagba, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Neymar.

Real Madrid are restrained by comparison. Just the four changes to the XI sent out for the 3-2 win over Levante four nights ago. Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale replace Lucas Vazquez, Vinicius Junior, Marcelo and Sergio Ramos.

7.08pm BST

Paris Saint-Germain: Navas, Meunier, Thiago Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat, Marquinhos, Gueye, Verratti, Sarabia, Icardi, Di Maria.
Subs: Nianzou Kouassi, Paredes, Sergio Rico, Choupo-Moting, Kurzawa, Ander Herrera, Diallo.

Real Madrid: Courtois, Carvajal, Eder Militao, Varane, Mendy, Kroos, Casemiro, Rodriguez, Bale, Benzema, Hazard.
Subs: Areola, Lucas, Jovic, Odriozola, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, De la Fuente.

2.00pm BST

Two European heavyweights meet tonight in Paris ... sort of. Think of this as PSG Lite versus Diet Real Madrid. There are a few folk missing, you see.

The hosts will be desperate to make an early statement tonight. They need to atone for their abysmal capitulation last season in the last 16 against Manchester United. But they’ll have to do it without their entire first-choice forward line of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani. Mbappe and Cavani are injured, while Neymar is suspended after criticising the ref on social media in the wake of that United fiasco.

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Published on September 18, 2019 13:57

The Fiver | Which other hopes can be blithely written off in mid-September?

It was a bad evening for England in Big Cup. Liverpool’s defence of their title lasted all of 82 minutes, while the youthful manifesto set out by trendy acid-jazz collective The Frank Lampard King’s Road Youth Revolution! has been immediately exposed as a tissue of lies, bum notes and pipe dreams. That’s if The Fiver has parsed all of Wednesday’s hot takes correctly. Now then, which other hopes can be blithely written off in mid-September?

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Published on September 18, 2019 07:58

September 14, 2019

Norwich City 3-2 Manchester City: Premier League – as it happened

Norwich stunned the champions at Carrow Road.

7.58pm BST

No word from Pep, who is presumably busy kicking Otamendi and Stones around the dressing room like a pair of old socks. So it’s time for this MBM to grind to a halt. Paul MacInnes was our man in Norwich tonight, and here’s his match report. Enjoy, and thanks for reading!

7.44pm BST

Daniel Farke gives Sky his verdict. “We are absolutely delighted, it’s a great day for us. Carrow Road is absolutely buzzing. It is good for our owners, you can’t ask for more kind-hearted people. We have to stick to what we believe. You cannot change for one game. Of course we would have liked more possession, but sometimes you can’t against a team like Manchester City. We have had an unbelievably tough start, against the European champions, the English champions and the Europa League champions. And we are on six points after five games, which is decent. We have to stay calm. The fans are allowed to celebrate, but we have an unbelievably difficult game in Burnley. But we can enjoy this moment.” Half of that interview was practically obliterated by nearby fans singing paeans to their manager. They love this guy, and no wonder.

7.38pm BST

Kenny McLean speaks to Sky. “I don’t think many people gave us a chance. But when our backs are to the wall we come out fighting. Our performance was excellent from the first minute. They’re one of the best teams out there, and we’ve put ourselves against them and done an excellent job. It gives us confidence, something to build on, and shows we’re good enough at this level.”

Todd Cantwell adds: “We’re showing this isn’t an easy place to come and get points. To beat a team like that shows how together we all are. In the changing room, we know what we’re capable of. We looked forward to the game. We went out with the mentality that we had nothing to lose and a lot to win. It shows us that anything is possible.”

7.27pm BST

It’s fair to say nobody saw this coming. But Norwich City fully deserve the three points. They were magnificent to the very last man, as collectively impressive as John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi were individually poor. Manchester City attacked with their usual panache; they pushed and probed, coming at the hosts from all angles. But they couldn’t do enough to dig themselves out of the hole their central defenders had dumped them in. It’s a result that means Liverpool are five points clear of second placed Manchester City at the top, while Norwich find themselves catapulted up to 12th spot. Carrow Road celebrates according to specifications set out by Delia all those years ago. Come on! Let’s be having ya!

7.22pm BST

Nope! Norwich City have vanquished the champions!

7.22pm BST

90 min +4: See 90 min +2, only this time it’s Sterling having a go. The crowd go ballistic as the ball is snaffled by Krul. Norwich so close now! Cantwell goes up the other end and takes the ball to the corner. He’s nudged over by Walker. Can Manchester City launch one last attack?

7.20pm BST

90 min +3: Jesus spins this way and that on the edge of the Norwich box. He eventually crafts enough space for a shot, but it’s weak and straight at Krul. What a finish!

7.19pm BST

90 min +2: Aguero dribbles down the left and cuts inside. He reaches the edge of the area and opens up his body, looking to sidefoot into the bottom right. But his shot has no oomph, and Krul can claim easily!

7.18pm BST

90 min: The champions come again - again - City winning a corner on the left. And that corner leads to another on the right! It’s cleared, but this is attack versus defence in the extreme style. And there will be four added minutes!

7.17pm BST

89 min: Srbeny comes on for Stiepermann. Manchester City win another corner. It’s cleared. But Carrow Road has gone very quiet.

7.16pm BST

From the corner, Jesus scampers left to right across the face of the box. He lays off to Rodri, who rakes a low shot through a thicket of players and into the bottom left! Krul should have saved that, but his hand was weak. Could the champions save themselves?

7.15pm BST

87 min: Cantwell comes sliding through Walker, who was perambulating down the right. It’s a free kick and a booking. The resulting free kick is half cleared by Norwich, though Sterling now comes again down the left. He crosses deep. Mahrez wins a header at the far post. It’s either going in, from a tight angle, or will be tapped over the line by Aguero. But Krul tips over magnificently!

7.14pm BST

86 min: Sterling George Bests his way across the face of the Norwich goal, left to right, but can’t get a meaningful shot away. His tame effort is helped on by Jesus, albeit merely into the hands of Krul.

7.13pm BST

85 min: Sterling loops a cross into the mixer from the left. Too high for Aguero, who spins away in agony. Goal kick.

7.12pm BST

84 min: Jesus dribbles like billy-o inside the Norwich box, but is swarmed and can’t work space to shoot. “This is glorious football,” opines Mary Waltz. “Not from a skills standpoint but in regards to the heart.” It’s quite the scene all right.

7.10pm BST

83 min: Norwich make their first change of the evening. Buendia is replaced by Drmic.

7.10pm BST

82 min: A corner for Manchester City as Jesus’s header from close range is deflected over the bar. Krul goes walkabout in an attempt to claim De Bruyne’s set piece, but he gets away with it, the ball sailing over everyone in the box and out for a goal kick.

7.09pm BST

80 min: McLean’s free kick isn’t up to much, and Ederson snaffles. A fine atmosphere rumbling in Carrow Road, though plenty of tension too, as a shock victory becomes an increasingly realistic prospect now.

7.08pm BST

79 min: Pukki is brought down by the hapless Otamendi, to the left of the Manchester City box. A chance for Norwich to load the box.

7.06pm BST

77 min: Sterling sashays in from the left and puts a gorgeous cross onto Aguero’s head, six yards out. Aguero gets too much purchase on his header, and the ball sails wildly over the bar. What a miss!

7.04pm BST

75 min: It’s all gone scrappy in midfield, which is exactly how Norwich like it right now. The champions need to relocate their mojo and quick. “I’m sorry, but I must protest,” begins Mac Millings. “Sale of the Century was a well-oiled machine, whose running time zipped by like Raheem Sterling past a hapless Bulgarian. And the theme tune is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.” I’ll concede that final point, for sure. But the self-styled “quiz of the week”? Nope. Not a patch on Winner Takes All with Tarby, Monkhouse-era Fortunes, or even 3-2-1.

7.01pm BST

73 min: Buendia sends a harmless free kick wide right of the goal. Then Bernardo Silva eventually leaves the stage, and Mahrez fills the gap.

7.00pm BST

72 min: Pukki and Buendia over-elaborate again, on the edge of the Manchester City box. Once again a chance to carve out a shooting opportunity goes begging. But then Bernardo Silva clatters into Byram and it’s a free kick 30 yards out.

6.59pm BST

71 min: Riyad Mahrez prepares to come on for Bernardo Silva. But Pep wants to give his man a few more notes. So play continues.

6.57pm BST

69 min: Bernardo Silva should be sent clear down the left by Sterling, but the pass is poor and Amadou is able to block. Then the Manchester City man is booked for a cynical tug on McLean as he chases back the other way.

6.56pm BST

67 min: Pukki, Buendia and Cantwell drive at the creaky Manchester City back line, but over-elaborate and fail to create a shooting chance. That was poor. Manchester City go up the other end, Walker winning a corner on the right, Otamendi sending his header straight at Krul. It’s difficult to see this ending 3-1.

6.54pm BST

66 min: De Bruyne drives at Stiepermann down the right. He drops a shoulder and threatens to go past, but slips over. Norwich had the sprinklers on at half-time, incidentally.

6.52pm BST

65 min: Ah no, he’s clattered into the back of Rodri, albeit clumsily rather than aggressively. Still, he doesn’t bother arguing the point.

6.52pm BST

64 min: A yellow card for McLean. Not sure what that’s for, maybe he’s crossed the line with overly strident patter.

6.50pm BST

62 min: A free kick for Manchester City out on the left. De Bruyne curls it into the mixer. Stones can’t get a head on it. Neither can Aguero. The ball nearly creeps all the way into the bottom right, but Krul claims as Carrow Road holds its collective breath.

6.49pm BST

60 min: Manchester City are coming at Norwich hard. The corner’s cleared, but Sterling’s soon rushing down the inside right. Krul rushes off his line and very nearly clatters him. But he stops just before making contact. No penalty. Another corner. And then another corner! This is relentless. Norwich eventually clear, the ball ending up back at Ederson’s feet, but this promises to feel like the longest half-hour in Norwich since the days of Sale of the Century with Nicholas Parsons.

6.47pm BST

59 min: Aguero has a snapshot that’s deflected out for a corner on the left. De Bruyne’s very first involvement is nearly an assist: he hits the corner long, and Otamendi nearly bundles in at the far post. But it’s deflected out for another corner instead.

6.45pm BST

57 min: Pep has seen enough. Gundogan and David Silva are hooked, with Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne coming on.

6.45pm BST

56 min: Manchester City continue to do their passing thing. But they’re finding touch with uncharacteristic regularity too, and the crowd holler at every misplaced sidefoot. “Judging from the photographs in your report, it looks like those East Anglians are actually watching the match, not their mobiles,” notes Simon Cordery. “They even seem to be celebrating instead of taking pictures. How retro!” They’ve been singing and chanting and everything, too. It’s almost as though Delia’s message sunk in all those years ago. We should all pay attention to the sainted Delia.

6.43pm BST

54 min: But be under no illusion: Norwich still have a lot of work to do if they’re to get anything out of Manchester City, who aren’t treble-winning champions for nothing. Aguero nearly jigs his way through the middle of the park and into the Norwich box. Amadou blocks just in time.

6.41pm BST

53 min: Aguero tries to get his team back into this match. He busies himself down the inside left and has a shot that’s deflected over the bar by Godfrey. The resulting corner leads to Walker having a dig from distance. He shanks the ball miles to the left, then screams in extreme displeasure at his team-mates.

6.39pm BST

51 min: Stones and Otamendi.

6.39pm BST

Playing out from the back, Stones rolls a hospital pass across the front of the box for Otamendi, who embellishes the error by taking a heavy touch of his own. Buendi steps in, nicks the ball and enters the box down the inside-right channel. He draws Ederson and slips a pass inside for Pukki who takes a touch and lifts the ball into the net, past a sprawling Stones! What a complete farce!

6.37pm BST

49 min: Norwich should be three up. Stones faffs around in the middle of the park, like Stones does. He gifts the ball to Stiepermann, who sends Pukki away down the left. Pukki enters the area and screws a weird shot across Ederson and out of play for a corner. But no matter! Because ...

6.34pm BST

47 min: The late-evening, late-summer sun streams across Carrow Road as Manchester City take up where they left off. On the attack. Bernardo Silva sends a couple of crosses in from the left. Amadou and Godfrey take turns to clear. It could be a long, long second half for the hosts if it’s to continue like this.

6.32pm BST

Here we go again! Manchester City get the second half underway. No changes! “Can Daniel Farke please come and manage Scotland when he’s finished giving Norwich fans the time of their lives?” asks Simon McMahon. “We’d take Pep too if he gets fed up winning things.”

6.20pm BST

Half-time team-talk. A small nod to Norwich / Manchester City matches of yore.

6.18pm BST

We said there’d be goals, right? Not sure any of us would have predicted they came along as they did, mind. What a second half we have in store!

6.17pm BST

45 min +1: Byram is booked for a cynical tug on Bernardo Silva, as the Manchester City midfielder looks to break down the left. All of a sudden, Norwich really need to hear the half-time whistle.

6.16pm BST

Wow, did Manchester City need this. Just before the break, Bernardo Silva finds a little pocket of space out on the left. He curls a perfect ball onto the head, six yards out, of Aguero, who plants a header into the bottom right, giving Krul absolutely no chance. Game on!

6.13pm BST

43 min: It’s attack versus defence, though Manchester City aren’t causing their hosts too many problems. Norwich are holding their shape well.

6.12pm BST

41 min: Zinchenko goes down after some garden-variety nonsense with Stiepermann, a dispute over a throw. Zinchenko rolls around a bit, holding his ankle, screaming, after a light trip amid a petty squabble. To Pep’s eternal credit, he races to the touchline and starts bollocking his own player, telling him to get up. You have got to love Pep Guardiola.

6.09pm BST

39 min: Sterling switches to the right wing in the hope of making something happen for Manchester City. He drops a shoulder and purchases a cheap corner off Lewis. Gundogan takes the set piece, whipping it low towards the near post. David Silva ghosts in, hoping to turn the ball into the bottom right, but can only clank it out for a goal kick.

6.07pm BST

37 min: Walker crosses deep from the right. Buendia should let the ball fly out for a goal kick, but head-juggles it instead. Krul steps in to claim as his team-mate faffs dangerously. A reminder that Norwich have a lot of work still to do if they’re to hold onto this unexpected lead ... and that they’ll need to keep calm heads. Nothing’s a given when you’re playing a team as relentless as Manchester City.

6.05pm BST

35 min: Sterling skedaddles down the left and curls a low ball into a crowded area. Krul stoops to gather without fuss.

6.04pm BST

34 min: ... there are claims for handball. The ball definitely hit Stones on the arm, during an aerial challenge, but the referee isn’t interested. VAR doesn’t get involved either. Norwich are incensed, but they have to make do with another corner, from which nothing occurs.

6.03pm BST

33 min: A free kick for Norwich out on the right, and a chance to load the box. The set piece is only half cleared, and Pukki grafts to win another corner. From which ...

6.02pm BST

31 min: Sterling hits the post! Bernardo Silva loops a header across the face of the Norwich goal, right to left, and Sterling crashes his own header onto the left-hand upright. Nothing’s going for Manchester City right now. But the margins are close. Sterling and Aguero will both wonder how they’re not on the scoresheet.

6.01pm BST

30 min: Walker is livid, arguing that Pukki was offside when he was sent through. But it was Walker who’d played the striker on. VAR checks, and the goal stands.

6.00pm BST

Well, well, well. The champions are two down! Buendi spins and flicks himself into space, just inside his own half. He feeds Stiepermann in the centre circle. Stiepermann slips an instant pass down the inside right, and Pukki is sent clear! He doesn’t have the pace to stay ahead of Walker, but no matter, because Manchester City are so light at the back. He squares the ball for Cantwell, who sidefoots into an empty net!

5.58pm BST

27 min: More Manchester City possession. Ping, ping, ping, ping. Suddenly Sterling zips in from the left and whips a vicious cross towards Aguero, on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. Aguero flashes a header over from close range. You’ve seen him score plenty of those. “Can we declare now please?” begs David Jameson.

5.55pm BST

25 min: Sterling whips a high cross in from the left. Krul comes off his line and claims with great confidence. He’s also applauded for his handling when Walker bombs down the right and hits a low cross-cum-shot towards the bottom right. The keeper’s not to be beaten at his near post.

5.55pm BST

23 min: Manchester City continue where they left off, just before the goal. A lot of possession in the Norwich half. This could be a crucial ten or 15 minutes for the hosts, if they’re serious about causing a shock today.

5.53pm BST

21 min: Sterling tries to hit back in short order, but his speculative shot drifts well wide of the right-hand post. Here’s Gary Naylor. “Two words ... David Narey.” Scottish fans of a certain vintage will know exactly what he’s predicting here. At least nobody can accuse McLean of having scored a toe-poke, huh.

5.51pm BST

20 min: If there’s one chink in Manchester City’s armour, it’s defending the near post at set pieces. Some more evidence there. And a wee test for the champions now. Plenty of time to get back into this, just as Liverpool did against Newcastle after falling behind earlier in the day.

5.49pm BST

This is very simple. An outswinger sent towards the near post. McLean rises highest - barely challenged, in fact - and plants a powerful header into the top right! As easy as that! Ederson had no chance. That header was crashed home. Carrow Road erupts!

5.48pm BST

18 min: A little space for Tettey down the right. His low cross is hacked out of play by Zinchenko, and this will be Norwich’s first corner of the afternoon. And from it ...

5.46pm BST

16 min: Aguero’s causes more havoc down the inside-left channel. He pivots and shimmies, twists and flicks, and very nearly tees up David Silva just inside the area. Not quite. Sterling was lurking with intent too. But the home side hold firm.

5.44pm BST

14 min: An absurd amount of space for Gundogan, 25 yards out. Inexplicably, he turns down the opportunity to have a good old whack at goal, instead slipping the ball wide right for Bernardo Silva, who clumps it out for a goal kick himself.

5.42pm BST

12 min: Aguero breaks through a half-arsed Tettey challenge and scampers with purpose down the inside left. He slips a pass outside to Sterling, who shapes to shoot just inside the area but can’t get anything away. For a second, Manchester City suddenly looked very threatening.

5.41pm BST

10 min: Walker, under no pressure whatsoever in the centre circle, sends a simple pass wide right deep and high into the stand. That was a bit surreal. The champions are dominating, as you’d expect, but they haven’t quite clicked into gear yet. It may take a few more minutes to brush off that post-international-break rust.

5.39pm BST

9 min: Stiepermann trundles down the left and gets the better of Walker with a cute flick. Having circumvented the full back, he’s got a pass on to release Pukki down the middle, but the striker can’t trap it while running at full speed between Stones and Otamendi. That was half a chance.

5.37pm BST

7 min: Some of the metronomic Manchester City passing. Norwich can’t get a sniff at the minute.

5.35pm BST

5 min: Manchester City take a couple of liberties when passing the ball around at the back. Stones, then Ederson, both give Buendia a sniff. They don’t lose possession, but it looked a little risky for a second there.

5.33pm BST

3 min: David Silva takes. It’s an uncharacteristically poor effort, hitting the first man. But that first man, Lewis, slices backwards and allows Rodri a header from ten yards. Fortunately for Norwich, Rodri’s effort is tame and loops straight into the arms of Krul.

5.32pm BST

2 min: Manchester City don’t take long to establish themselves. They ping it around the middle of the park awhile, then suddenly man-of-the-moment Sterling makes good down the left. He lays off to David Silva, who earns the first corner of the match.

5.31pm BST

And we’re off! Norwich City get the ball rolling. A fine Saturday-afternoon-spent-in-the-public-bar atmosphere at Carrow Road. The hosts stroke it around the back awhile, then Krul blooters it forward so a couple of the Manchester City lads can get a touch. All good fun.

5.30pm BST

A word on the training tops. You wouldn’t have thought it would be easy to outdo Manchester City’s tribute to the Grateful Dead ...

5.19pm BST

Daniel Farke speaks to Sky about Norwich’s long injury list. “There is no time to cry. We are not here to raise the white flag. We want to give it a go and try to be competitive. Tim Krul had a slight injury yesterday and was still not good in the warm-up, so I needed to name two keepers on the bench.”

Pep adds: “I am pretty sure the game will be open. They will defend deep if we are good, but they like to play that way, they won the Championship playing that way. So why should they change?” He’s then asked if this is time for the erratic John Stones to stake a claim as a first-pick central defender. The response isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, as he references Fernandinho, the rest of the squad and young players in the academy.

4.43pm BST

Norwich make four changes to the team named for the 2-0 defeat at West Ham. Sam Byram, Ibrahim Amadou, Kenny McLean and Alex Tetty come in for Christoph Zimmermann, Moritz Leitner, Tom Trybull and Max Aarons.

Manchester City make three changes to the side that swatted aside Brighton 4-0. Kevin De Bryune and Riyad Mahrez drop to the bench, making way for Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan. The injured Aymeric Laporte is replaced by John Stones.

4.31pm BST

Norwich City: Krul, Byram, Amadou, Godfrey, Lewis, McLean, Tettey, Emi, Stiepermann, Cantwell, Pukki.
Subs: Hanley, Heise, Drmic, Fahrmann, Srbeny, McGovern, Idah.

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

10.21am BST

It’s fair to say that Norwich City and Manchester City like to bring the goals. Here are half a dozen specially selected scorelines from the last decade: 7-0, 6-1, 5-1, 4-3, 3-2, 3-0. Forget that this fixture ended goalless the last time it was played, in March 2016. Or that it remained 0-0 the time before that, in February 2014. Because more often than not, these two serve up a high-scoring confection.

Norwich are usually on the receiving end. Of all those eye-opening scorelines, the Canaries were winners in just one game, a 3-2 victory at the Etihad in May 2013, Jonathan Howson grabbing the decisive goal in a back-and-forth thriller. That remains their only victory over Manchester City in the top flight since 1993 - thank Mark Robins and Lee Power for that one - though they did win 2-1 in a second-tier fixture in 2001.

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Published on September 14, 2019 11:58

Liverpool 3-1 Newcastle United: Premer League – as it happened

Sadio Mane scored twice as Liverpool bounced back impressively from an early setback

2.50pm BST

And that, my good people, is your lot. Thanks for reading this MBM report. Now why not enjoy Andy Hunter’s Anfield verdict?

2.49pm BST

Jurgen Klopp’s verdict. “We had a tough job to do. We needed 25 minutes to really arrive in the game. They scored a wonderful goal, and were a big threat always. And then we changed the rhythm and it was immediately much better. We could have scored more but it is all good. I am really happy. We had to find the rhythm, but that’s the main challenge after an international break. We don’t want to leave Bobby Firmino out, but sometimes we have to be sensible and do it. Divock Origi has twisted his ankle but it is not too serious.”

2.43pm BST

Steve Bruce talks. “They are very, very good. They’re a threat. That’s why they are champions of Europe. The disappointment for me was the second goal, you can’t make mistakes like we did. We lost it cheaply in the middle of the park. Perhaps the goalkeeper should have claimed it. Thankfully we stuck at it, and showed plenty of resilience. We had a big chance at 2-1, and if that had gone in, it might have been a different story. Firmino made a big difference when he came on, he is a brilliant player. We’ve played Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool, and we’ve given a decent account of ourselves in all of those games.”

2.29pm BST

Virgil van Dijk speaks to BT Sport. “Obviously it was very important to get the three points. It was tough to break them down. To be 1-0 down here is not good, but we reacted the right way. We needed to be organised. Roberto Firmino is a very important player for all of us. He is making life difficult for any defender in the world. He is so good, and I am very happy that he plays for my team.”

Georginio Wijnaldum adds: “We were lucky that a goal came quick after. It was still difficult after that. Even when we were 2-1 up, they still created chances for 2-2.”

2.25pm BST

The bright side for Newcastle? OK, they were outplayed over the piece. But their performance in the first half hour was extremely impressive; they carved out a couple of chances that, on another day, could have turned this match in a different direction; and their resolute refusal to buckle defensively, under extreme pressure applied by one of the best attacks in Europe, bodes well for the battles ahead. They’ve got four points after five games and are currently in 16th spot.

2.22pm BST

And there goes the whistle. Liverpool started sluggishly, and Jetro Willems put Newcastle ahead with an absolute screamer. But by the end of it, the league leaders were in total command. Sadio Mane was typically magnificent, scoring twice. Roberto Firmino pulled strings in the Brazilian style. And Mo Salah was quiet, yet still scored a lovely goal. Liverpool go five clear at the top, having won their 14th successive Premier League match, though of course Manchester City can cut that lead to two later this afternoon at Norwich.

2.21pm BST

90 min +2: Newcastle finally enjoy a bit of possession, but of course it’s far too late.

2.18pm BST

90 min: There will be three added minutes.

2.17pm BST

88 min: Shaqiri flicks Firmino free down the right. Firmino rolls a pass across the face of goal for Mane, who taps into an unguarded net. But it’s not to be his hat-trick goal, because Firmino has quite rightly been flagged for offside.

2.16pm BST

87 min: Another cute flick on the edge of the Newcastle box by Firmino, this time down the inside-right channel. And it’s not clear how neither Salah nor Alexander-Arnold were able to score. Dubravka made himself big, we know this much. But someone in Liverpool red surely had to force that home. Firmino has been quite excellent since he came on.

2.14pm BST

85 min: Salah’s work earns a corner out on the right. Nothing comes of it. Right now, Newcastle appear happy enough to limit the damage. Should they somehow carve out a goal on the break, though, we could have a grandstand finish yet.

2.13pm BST

84 min: Here comes the Power Cube! Shaqiri - whose last goal came in this fixture last year on Boxing Day - replaces Wijnaldum.

2.11pm BST

82 min: Firmino busies himself down the right and feeds Alexander-Arnold, who wins a corner off Dummett. The full back takes the set piece himself and finds Mane, who flicks on at the near post to nobody in particular. If nothing else, that was unselfish, given he’s on a hat-trick.

2.09pm BST

81 min: Liverpool continue to calmly stroke it around the middle of the park.

2.08pm BST

79 min: Schar is down again. And so is Hayden. It looks like the latter is OK to continue; not so the Swiss international. He’s replaced by Fernandez.

2.06pm BST

77 min: Liverpool pass it around the middle in the game-management style. “God what skill on the attack,” writes Mary Waltz. “Thrilling to watch Liverpool when they are humming on all cylinders.”

2.04pm BST

75 min: It’s been a mixed bag from Oxlade-Chamberlain today. But after a year out, he’ll need time to find his feet again, and that’s another 75 minutes in the bank. He’s replaced by Milner.

2.02pm BST

74 min: Schar requires a bit of treatment having just been skinned by Salah. He might have pulled something while stretching in vain ... though it looks like he’ll be good to continue.

2.02pm BST

Nope. Salah picks up possession 35 yards out, down the inside-right channel, then drifts inside. He feeds Firmino who, with his back to goal on the edge of the box, cutely flicks a return for Salah down the inside left. Salah takes a touch inside the box past Schar, draws Dubravka, and clips the ball into the bottom right. What a goal that was!

2.00pm BST

71 min: It’s attack versus defence. Can Newcastle hold out for 20 minutes?

1.58pm BST

69 min: Hayden clips Mane’s ankles out on the right. A free kick, and a chance for Liverpool to load the box. Alexander-Arnold hoicks it long. Van Dijk rises at the far post and heads the ball across goal. Lascelles does well to intercept and clear.

1.56pm BST

67 min: Newcastle make a double change. Almiron and Krafth are replaced by Muto and former Liverpool defender Manquillo.

1.54pm BST

65 min: Newcastle can’t get out. Oxlade-Chamberlain has a shot that’s well parried by Dubravka. Firmino can’t quite latch onto the rebound. The Toon survive again. Right now, a third Liverpool goal looks merely a matter of time. But tales like this have been told a hundred times before. Can Newcastle supply a twist?

1.52pm BST

63 min: Firmino gently scoops a pass down the inside-left channel to release Robertson into the box. Robertson powers goalwards from a tight angle and forces the ball past Dubravka. Somehow the ball takes a deflection that sends it across the face of goal and out on the right for a corner. How did that stay out?! The resulting corner isn’t all that. But Liverpool are really cranking up the pressure now.

1.51pm BST

62 min: A lung-bursting drive by Robertson gets the crowd going. The ball eventually ends up with Firmino, just to the left of the box. He slips a pass inside for Salah, whose first-time sidefoot is easily blocked by Lascelles.

1.50pm BST

61 min: Alexander-Arnold crosses deep from the right. Firmino glances a header towards the bottom right but it’s an easy collect for Dubravka.

1.48pm BST

59 min: Liverpool are beginning to press Newcastle back again. It’s all happening in the visitors’ final third. Mane works some space down the left with an elaborate dragback, but then slices a cross into the stand.

1.46pm BST

57 min: But Liverpool soon win another, Alexander-Arnold’s right-wing cross forcing Schar to head over from close range. The corner’s met by Matip, an increasing menace at set pieces these days. But there’s no power on Matip’s header this time.

1.45pm BST

56 min: This is much better from Oxlade-Chamberlain, who releases Alexander-Arnold into space down the right. The full-back hammers a low shot towards the near post, but it’s deflected over for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece.

1.44pm BST

54 min: Newcastle should be level. Atsu drops a shoulder to ease himself past Oxlade-Chamberlain down the left. That was too easy. Oxlade-Chamberlain isn’t at the races today. A lot of misplaced passes and now this. Atsu crosses deep for Krafth ... who is free on the penalty spot! He must at least hit the target, but leans back and balloons high into the Kop. Yep, this game remains in the balance all right.

1.42pm BST

52 min: Liverpool break four on two. Oxlade-Chamberlain’s clunker of a pass lets Newcastle off the hook. Anfield groans. There are a few nerves crackling around the old place. This game remains in the balance.

1.41pm BST

50 min: Salah - who’d take him off?! - nearly releases Oxlade-Chamberlain on goal with a delicious Barnesesque backheel. Not quite. Elsewhere, Schar launches into an impetuous two-footed lunge on Mane. Fortunately it’s a bit half-hearted, plus Mane leaps elegantly out of the road. But that could have been ugly. No action is taken, though to be fair, nobody’s complaining.

1.38pm BST

49 min: Liverpool nearly score a sensational team goal. The ball’s flicked down the middle, a series of cute passes between Mane, Fabinho and Wijnaldum. It’s fed left to Robertson, who hooks inside for Wijnaldum. The Dutch international brings the ball down with a telescopic leg, then flicks a looper towards the top right. It’s inches over the bar, with Dubravka backtracking in a panic, not likely to get there. That was all very pretty.

1.36pm BST

47 min: Newcastle are immediately on the front foot. A loose ball bouncing around the Liverpool box allows Krafth to romp in from the right and take a shot. His effort is deflected out for a corner that’s only noteworthy because Shelvey gets a polite round of appreciative applause from the Kop when he takes the set piece.

1.35pm BST

And we’re off again! Newcastle get the second half underway. No changes, though on that subject here’s Ian Copestake: “Mo seems a bit off his feed (nothing to do with Mane scoring obviously). Do you think he should be hooked to give Power Cube a go?” Why not? It’d be fascinating to see the lesser-spotted Shaqiri at some point. He’s well rested, if nothing else. And of course to witness the startled look on Salah’s coupon when he’s taken off.

1.22pm BST

Half-time entertainment. Messi < Ronaldo < Mane < Willems. We’re all agreed on that, right?

1.20pm BST

And that’s the first half over and done with. Newcastle started strongly but will be happy to hear the whistle. An opportunity to regroup. What a goal Jetro Willems scored, though.

1.16pm BST

45 min +1: Alexander-Arnold’s right-wing cross is cleared. Wijnaldum stuns it on the edge of the box and shoots towards the bottom left, but it’s a dribbler and Dubravka is able to claim easily.

1.15pm BST

45 min: There will be three added minutes.

1.14pm BST

44 min: Almiron breaks clear down the right, but he’s well offside. Newcastle have shown very little in attack since the equaliser.

1.13pm BST

42 min: Alexander-Arnold hooks in from the right. Mane nearly returns the favour to Firmino, cushioning the ball down for his team-mate, 12 yards out. But Willems manages to read the danger and deflects the ball away, denying Firmino the chance to shoot. Newcastle need to hear the half-time whistle.

1.11pm BST

Firmino robs Atsu in the midfield. He slips a lovely pass down the inside-right channel. Mane bursts into the box after it. Dubravka should claim, sliding out to gather, but the ball clanks off his hip and tees up Mane for a simple tap-in.

1.09pm BST

39 min: It’s gone scrappy again, which will suit Newcastle. They’d been under constant bombardment since the equaliser.

1.07pm BST

37 min: To be clear, it wasn’t anything Almiron did. They were both running by the touchline, and Origi stepped off the pitch and slipped on some artificial turf, turning his ankle. He limps off, dejected. On comes Roberto Firmino.

1.06pm BST

35 min: Origi sits down. It looks as though he’s got a problem with his left ankle, perhaps from that earlier coming together with Almiron. He’s getting some treatment while everyone else takes a drink.

1.04pm BST

33 min: Liverpool continue to press. Alexander-Arnold crosses from the right. Mane chests down, and looks to have created room to shoot, but can’t quite sort his feet out.

1.02pm BST

32 min: Van Dijk has a shot from 30 yards. Nope. Incidentally, that was Sadio Mane’s 17th league goal of 2019. Only Sergio Aguero, with 18, has scored more in this calendar year.

1.01pm BST

31 min: Another Liverpool corner, out on the left. It comes to nothing. But the hosts have finally turned up. After the shakiest of starts, they’re beginning to put Newcastle under serious pressure now.

1.01pm BST

30 min: A cross hit deep from the Liverpool left. Matip, so often a threat when he goes up, wins a header. His looping effort briefly threatens to fall into the top left, but Dubravka has it covered. Goal kick.

12.59pm BST

Liverpool forget all about the non-penalty decision. Robertson powers his way past Schar down the left and into the box. The ball is laid off for Mane, who opens his body up and curls an unstoppable shot into the top right. Dubravka had no chance, that was perfectly placed.

12.58pm BST

26 min: But Liverpool are slowly finding their rhythm, and Salah wins another corner down the left. The set piece is lumped into the mixer, and Matip looks to have been dragged over by Lascelles. The Newcastle defender’s arm is around his opponent’s neck, but the referee doesn’t think there’s enough in it. VAR refuses to overturn. You’ve seen them given.

12.55pm BST

25 min: Fabinho chips a fine pass down the inside right for Alexander-Arnold, whose first-time ball into the middle is blocked out for a corner by Dummett. Another crucial intervention, because Salah was waiting to sidefoot home. The corner comes to nothing.

12.54pm BST

23 min: Alexander-Arnold whips a glorious cross in from the right. Origi is preparing to smash a header home from six yards when Lascelles eyebrows away heroically. Mane tries to set up Origi again from the left, but though the striker connects with this cross, he can only lamely send the ball dribbling wide right. What defending by Lascelles, though!

12.52pm BST

22 min: Another long pass nearly does for Liverpool. Joelinton turns Matip and tears clear on goal, but the flag goes up. That was closer than the hosts would have liked. They don’t look secure at the back at all. On the bench, Steve Bruce argues that Joelinton had been played on by Alexander-Arnold, and he may have had a point.

12.51pm BST

21 min: Liverpool try to pick up the tempo, at last, but Newcastle are snapping into the tackles, closing down all the space. It’s hard for the hosts to string more than a couple of passes together. Eventually Oxlade-Chamberlain gets frustrated and tugs Shelvey to the ground. Free kick, and the pressure’s relieved on Newcastle.

12.49pm BST

19 min: Adrian’s off his line now, and that encourages Shelvey to attempt to Xabi Alonso one into the net from inside his own half. His effort barely hits the right-hand corner flag, but full marks for ambition.

12.48pm BST

18 min: Willems is causing Liverpool all sorts of bother out on the left. He powers into a little pocket of space and curls a delicate cross into the centre, where Almiron heads off target from an offside position. Adrian was a bit uncertain there, not sure whether to come off his line or not.

12.47pm BST

17 min: Origi twists, turns and earns the first corner of the match, out on the Liverpool left. Van Dijk and Matip come up. The former wins a header, but can only send it straight into the air. Newcastle half clear. The ball’s whipped back in from the right, Mane contorting his body impressively to get a header away, though it’s always going over. Better from Liverpool.

12.46pm BST

15 min: Mane and Alexander-Arnold combine down the right. Alexander-Arnold pulls back viciously from the byline, the ball breaking to Wijnaldum on the edge of the box. Wijnaldum should either shoot or feed Robertson, free to his left, but does neither. Instead he gives the ball to Oxlade-Chamberlain on his right, and a harmless floater is sent over the bar.

12.44pm BST

13 min: The Blaydon Races pinging off the walls of Anfield. Liverpool have had 81 percent of the possession so far, yet have been distinctly second best so far. That’s statistics for you.

12.42pm BST

11 min: Liverpool finally wake up. Oxlade-Chamberlain strides forward, drifting gently left to right, and lashes a shot towards the bottom left. It’s always heading wide, but that’s at least something positive for the hosts, who look a bit groggy right now.

12.41pm BST

10 min: Another long ball, and Willems very nearly races clear down his wing. Alexander-Arnold steps up just in time, and the Newcastle scorer is offside. Just. Liverpool were playing a dangerous game there. They haven’t got started at all.

12.40pm BST

9 min: Liverpool had been sloppy from the get-go, and paid the price there. Anfield was pretty quiet before Willems struck; the home fans have been shaken into making some noise now. The away supporters are certainly doing their bit.

12.38pm BST

Well, well, well! A long ball down the middle finds Atsu in space. He’s given a ludicrous amount of time to bring the ball down, turn, and feed Willems to his left. And then ... wham! Willems drops a shoulder to make space inside Alexander-Arnold, shifts the ball between his feet deliciously, and launches a stunning rising strike across a helpless Adrian and into the top right! What a goal!

12.36pm BST

5 min: Newcastle clearly haven’t come here just to sit back, like they did at Spurs. Joelinton busies himself again, and finds Atsu down the left. Atsu nearly slips the lively Almiron free into the area, but Van Dijk is on hand to nick the ball back to Adrian, who clears his lines.

12.35pm BST

4 min: A nice dribble by Joelinton in the centre circle. He nearly releases Almiron into space down the right. Robertson intercepts. Origi goes over in a fair 50-50 challenge with Almiron, and for a second looks in pain, but he’s up again quickly enough. All a bit scrappy so far, truth be told.

12.32pm BST

2 min: Liverpool stroke it around the middle. Newcastle sit back. This could set a pattern.

12.32pm BST

And we’re off! Looks like Liverpool have lost the toss, because they’re kicking off and attacking the Kop in this first half, contrary to preference. The more superstitious locals won’t like that. Much good turning Liverpool round like this did Arsenal the other week, mind.

12.28pm BST

The teams are out! A lovely sunny September day at Anfield, and an atmosphere to match. The players clasp hands and bump fists. We’ll be off in a minute, just after the showtunes.

12.18pm BST

Jurgen Klopp speaks to BT Sport. “We have to rotate. Bobby is ready, Hendo is ready, but we have to think about the bigger picture. We could have made more changes, but then again we need to think about the rhythm as well, and we respect Newcastle too much to think about rotating and rotating. Newcastle were impressive against Tottenham, they were physically strong with a clear plan, and we need to have solutions for that.”

11.55am BST

Some hot preview chat, just in case you’d missed it all. Here’s Jurgen Klopp on the timetable for Alisson’s return ... and here’s Steve Bruce reminiscing about the time he tried to sign Virgil van Dijk.

11.49am BST

A view inside the changing room. This is the home team’s inner sanctum. It’s a bit busy, isn’t it? Sensory overload. It’s on-brand, if nothing else. But this picture does allow us to exclusively reveal that Liverpool will be playing today in red shirts. Newcastle, sources close to the club have intimated, will wear black and white.

11.35am BST

Liverpool make two changes from the Burnley game a fortnight ago. Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson are encouraged to rest on the bench, recovering from their recent efforts for Brazil and England. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, making his 50th appearance for the club, and Divock Origi step up.

Newcastle make just one change from their last game against Watford. Jonjo Shelvey returns to Anfield, replacing the injured Sean Longstaff.

11.32am BST

Liverpool: Adrian, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Salah, Mane, Origi.
Subs: Milner, Firmino, Gomez, Henderson, Lallana, Shaqiri, Kelleher.

Newcastle United: Dubravka, Krafth, Schar, Lascelles, Dummett, Willems, Atsu, Hayden, Shelvey, Almiron, Joelinton.
Subs: Clark, Ki, Muto, Fernandez, Manquillo, Darlow, Matthew Longstaff.

10.20am BST

This is one of the signature Premier League fixtures, its status the result of that game 23 years ago. A classic’s a classic’s a classic. Not that folk from the north-east will necessarily see it that way; one fan’s signature fixture is another’s annual ordeal. And since the heady April 1996 evening when Stan Collymore sent Kevin Keegan slumping over the hoardings in despair, Newcastle United have taken many other painful beatings at Anfield: another 4-3, one 4-2, five 3-0s and a 4-0 last Christmas. Oh Stan, what did you start.

There’s also the small matter of Liverpool’s club-record 13-match winning run in the Premier League. With Mo Salah and Sadio Mane fully rested during international fortnight, they’re extremely short-priced favourites to win this lunchtime. Newcastle are a healthy 16-1 shot, which looks generous enough until you consider they’ve not won in the league at Anfield for a quarter of a century.

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Published on September 14, 2019 06:50

September 12, 2019

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Bruce might have what it takes at Anfield, Manchester United and Spurs under pressure and a six-pointer at the Amex?

Newcastle don’t have much of a record at Anfield. They’ve not won there since Steve Watson knocked Roy Evans’s side out of the League Cup in 1995; they’ve not tasted league victory there since Andrew Cole and Robert Lee secured a 2-0 win in 1994. It’s been mainly defeats ever since, though they did get a point three years ago against a starting XI featuring Alberto Moreno, Connor Randall and Kevin Stewart. The Magpies won’t be flying down the A1 with too much hope in their hearts, then. Liverpool are on a 13-match Premier League winning run, and Mo Salah and Sadio Mané have had their feet up during the international break. SM

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Published on September 12, 2019 16:05

September 11, 2019

The Fiver | A man who had just fallen backwards down a water chute with a beer in both hands

Look at last night’s scorelines in the European qualifiers. 0-3. 1-5. 1-3. 4-2. 3-0. 0-4. What a load of lopsided nonsense. Not a whole lot of edge-of-the-seat fun to be had there. But though international football breaks are becoming an increasingly predictable chore, there’s always one exception that proves the life-sucking rule. Hats off to England, then, who aren’t going to win anything anytime soon, but at least we’ll have a bit of fun along the way.

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Published on September 11, 2019 08:56

September 10, 2019

England 5-3 Kosovo: Euro 2020 qualifier – as it happened

England were poor at the back but sensational up front in a match that was wildly entertaining from the very first kick.

Sancho the difference in chaotic England win

12.24am BST

Sancho was impressive ...

12.01am BST

Here are your player ratings ...

12.01am BST

Gareth Southgate knows it was not a perfect night ...

9.59pm BST

And so that’s your lot for this MBM. Our man Daniel Taylor was at St Mary’s to witness this fizzy confection. Here’s his report; thanks for reading this one. Nighty night!

9.58pm BST

Gareth Southgate’s verdict. “That was a bizarre game. Obviously some poor errors for goals. I’m really pleased with the composure we showed to come back from our early mistake. Some devastating attacking play throughout. We used the ball really well. But the mistakes were obvious, there are areas where we need to do better. The outstanding parts of our play were obvious, the errors were obvious.”

9.51pm BST

Jadon Sancho, who scored his first and second goals as an international tonight, speaks to ITV. “It was a crazy game. Five goals, and I’m happy to get two of them. I’m just delighted to score my first goal for England. Scoring means a lot to me. I would like to dedicate my goals to my Nan, who was a big fan of me, but sadly she passed away.”

9.47pm BST

Those three points put England three clear at the top of Group A. They’ve got 12 points from 12, and a match in hand over second-placed Czech Republic, who won 3-0 in Montenegro tonight. All of which means that England will qualify for Euro 2020 should they win in Prague next month.

9.42pm BST

A trippy, psychedelic, positively lysergic match comes to an end. And they say qualifiers are boring. What entertainment! Another three points for England, who look great going forward, let’s just leave it at that.

9.39pm BST

90 min +4: Took them a while, though. It’s fair to say they’ve made this harder than it needed to be.

9.39pm BST

90 min +3: No, it looks as though England have finally established a level of control.

9.38pm BST

90 min +2: Can Kosovo find a fourth? Oh go on. There can’t be a single football fan out there who doesn’t want to witness the mind-bending madness that would follow. There just can’t be.

9.37pm BST

90 min +1: The first genuine lull of the match, so here’s a polite request from Stuart Reid. “Any chance you could remind your gentle readers that it is 0-0 between Grimsby and Macclesfield in the Carabao Cup?”

9.35pm BST

90 min: A corner out on the left. Chilwell and Sterling play it short, and faff about. There will be five additional minutes. Can’t there be 55?

9.34pm BST

88 min: Celina dances in from the left and is inches away from curling one into the bottom right. Pickford was beaten. Now that would have set up quite the denouement.

9.33pm BST

87 min: At the start of the aforementioned move, Rashkaj planted his studs on Mount’s knee. He was booked, but should have been sent packing. Thankfully Mount is fine to continue.

9.32pm BST

86 min: Rashford nearly makes an instant impression, whipping down the left, cutting inside, and battering a low shot goalwards. Muric parries, but only to Sterling ... who unbelievably scoops over from six yards! He was offside, as it goes, but still.

9.30pm BST

85 min: And now Rashford replaces two-goal Sancho. Meanwhile Kosovo’s own two-goal hero, Berisha, is swapped for debutant Hasani.

9.29pm BST

84 min: Mount comes on for Barkley.

9.28pm BST

83 min: Berisha is booked for petulantly kicking the ball away, having been penalised for tugging back Sterling on the halfway line. Utterly pointless.

9.27pm BST

81 min: Both sides are looking a wee bit tired as a result, though. Quite a few misplaced passes in promising positions, as the teams basketball their way up and down the pitch.

9.25pm BST

79 min: England respond with some sterile possession of their own. It’d be wrong to describe the period as a lull, though. Nobody’s let up from the get-go.

9.24pm BST

77 min: Kosovo push England back, enjoying plenty of possession in the opposition half. But the hosts hold firm in the final third as the visitors probe. St Mary’s is slightly nervous now, with England fans sensing there’s more absurdity surely in the post. It’s just one of those nights.

9.21pm BST

75 min: The resulting corner is worked towards Henderson on the right. Henderson bursts into a gap and whips high towards the near post, where Keane flashes a header wide. Yeah, not sure how there’s only been eight goals in this.

9.20pm BST

74 min: The ball’s at Sterling’s feet in the Kosovo box again. He’s swarmed by defenders, but manages to dig out a no-backlift shot that’s deflected and squirts inches wide of the bottom left. Not sure how - ahem - there’s only been eight goals in this.

9.19pm BST

72 min: Rashkaj blooters wildly over from distance. Then England go up the other end, and nearly make it six. Muric plays a dreadful ball out to Halimi, who is easily robbed by Kane. England’s captain slides a pass to the left for Sterling, free in acres. Sterling draws Muric and tries to slot into the bottom left. But his shot deflects off the keeper’s leg and off the left-hand post! This match is preposterous.

9.16pm BST

71 min: Alexander-Arnold tries to curl one into the bottom right. He sets it out to the right of the wall, but it doesn’t come back. Goal kick.

9.15pm BST

70 min: Sancho makes his way towards the Kosovo area. Aliti hangs out a cynical leg and puts a stop to his gallop. That’s a yellow card, and a free kick 25 yards out, just to the right of centre. Alexander-Arnold looks like he fancies this.

9.13pm BST

68 min: It’s not often I get to type these words on an MBM, so I’ll take the opportunity while I can. I don’t think this game is going to end 5-3.

9.13pm BST

67 min: In a parallel universe somewhere, Sterling has just scored two in two minutes. First he dribbles sweetly down the middle, but can’t get a worthwhile shot away upon reaching the box. He probably should have laid off to Kane or Barkley. Then he’s inches away from getting a head on a fine Alexander-Arnold right-wing cross.

9.11pm BST

65 min: It’s an age before the penalty is taken. Halimi is booked for dissent, then Paqarada follows him into the book for encroachment. Then Kane takes ... and Muric saves! Kane fired his penalty towards the bottom left. Muric reads well, parries then snaffles. He was off his line, but there’s no VAR, so no second chance for Kane! Is anything else going to happen in this match?

9.09pm BST

63 min: Barkley turns past Rashkaj and embarks on a Gazzaesque dribble down the middle, all power and poise. He reaches the box and is bundled over in the clumsy style by Rrahmani, who is booked for the trouble.

9.07pm BST

61 min: I wonder if there’s anybody out there who doesn’t want Kosovo to score the next goal? Nah, can’t be.

9.04pm BST

59 min: Kosovo make their second change, swapping Voca for Rashkaj in the midfield. “As they also proved in the summer, and at the World Cup, England are a bit hooky at the back to say the least,” argues Michael Gibbons. “That will get exposed in a major championship, because the knockout rounds are rarely negotiated with a succession of ice-hockey scores.”

9.03pm BST

57 min: Berisha wanted to take that penalty, incidentally. Chances of international hat-tricks don’t come along every day. But Muriqi wasn’t having it. St Mary’s is a cauldron right now. This is pure, unadulterated fun.

9.01pm BST

Muriqi slots the ball into the top right. Just. It wasn’t tight in the corner, and Pickford got a good hand to it. But not a strong one. Look at this preposterous scoreline!

8.59pm BST

53 min: Space for Berisha down the right. He rolls the ball into the box for Muriqi, who takes a touch on the edge of the box. Maguire slides in. He should intercept, but misses the ball, and hanging his leg out for a second time, taps Muriqi on the ankle. The big striker goes over, refusing to look this gift horse in the mouth.

8.57pm BST

51 min: Nope, he pulls it back for Henderson, who floats a ball into the box, easily claimed by Muric. Not a great couple of minutes for the Liverpool captain.

8.56pm BST

50 min: Barkley is bundled over by Vojvoda, 30 yards out on the left. It looks like Barkley fancies spanking this one goalwards himself.

8.55pm BST

Scrub that about learning from their mistakes. Rice needlessly gives the ball away in midfield, allowing Kosovo to pour forward. Muriqi powers down the right before scooping a wonderful cross towards the left for Berisha, who takes a touch inside to see off Henderson with ease, then curls an unstoppable effort into the top right! Three minutes and 25 seconds it took him this half.

8.53pm BST

47 min: Kane sprays a fine pass down the right for Alexander-Arnold, who brings the ball down, spins and hammers a shot goalwards. Wonderful technique ... but straight at Muric, who parries.

8.52pm BST

45 min 35 sec. England haven’t conceded in this half yet. Always learning from their mistakes.

8.51pm BST

Some magnificent footage of Bernard Challandes, who thought Sancho was offside for England’s fifth goal. He stormed off down the tunnel frowning fiercely and screaming in impotent frustration. “TERRIBLE!” he hollers at the top of his voice ... before catching a nearby camera and flashing an instant - and genuine - smile. The guy’s a true character, you can’t help but love him. Anyway, he’s replaced Muslija with Paqarada, and we’re off again. England get the ball rolling for the second period.

8.36pm BST

Half-time entertainment. For those fond of 5-1 scorelines involving England.

8.34pm BST

This match has been prorogued for 15 minutes.

8.33pm BST

They don’t survive them. Chilwell clips a pass down the left for Sterling, who knocks it past Rrahmani and zips into space. He makes it all the way to the left-hand edge of the six-yard box, then carefully dinks the cutest of crosses over the outstretched Muric towards Sancho, who can’t miss from six yards.

8.31pm BST

45 min: Kosovo really need to hear the whistle. They’ve got another three minutes to survive, though.

8.30pm BST

Rice breaks up a Kosovan attack inside his own half. The ball breaks to Henderson, who immediately slides a pass down the left to release Sterling into acres. Suddenly England are four on two. Sterling slips the ball right for Sancho, who scores his first goal for England by taking a touch before sliding it past Muric in the fuss-free style. England are lovely to watch in full flow.

8.28pm BST

42 min: Aliti is good to continue, by the way, so no concerns there.

8.27pm BST

41 min: I’m not even sure England were aware of Aliti’s plight. Especially as the defender eventually got up again before the goal was scored. But on the touchline, manager Bernard Challandes isn’t too happy about it, and talks himself into the book.

8.25pm BST

Aliti and Alexander-Arnold come together on the halfway line. Aliti comes off worse, and goes down. England don’t put the ball out - they’re not obliged to - and off goes Sancho down the right. He reaches the byline, amid a cacophony of irate Kosovan whistling, and fires a low cross across the face of goal. Vojvoda, a couple of yards out, is taken by surprise, can’t sort his feet out, and diverts the ball into the net. Oh dear.

8.23pm BST

37 min: Vojvova drives with purpose down the right and smacks a low shot towards the bottom right. It billows the side netting with Pickford sliding across in a panic. He probably had it covered.

8.22pm BST

36 min: Some space for Chilwell down the left. His cross, intended for either Kane or Sancho, is wayward.

8.21pm BST

34 min: Sterling jinks and jiggles down the left to win England another corner. This one finds Chilwell at the far post, but the header’s no good. Miles over.

8.20pm BST

33 min: Now it’s Kosovo’s turn to play a little keep-ball. They don’t really go anywhere, but that’s not really the point. A statement of their collective confidence, the sort you’d expect when on a two-year unbeaten run. They look a really tidy side. And on that subject, here’s our old pal Simon McMahon. “A plucky underdog raising their game and performing with heart and skill against a footballing superpower. It’s enough to bring a tear to a glass eye. Makes me proud to be Kosovar.” Satire, there, ladies and gentlemen, coming at you live from Dundee.

8.16pm BST

31 min: Berisha drops a shoulder and drifts in from the right. He sends a speculative effort goalwards. It’s deflected, and heading out for a corner on the right, but Pickford does extremely well to slide over and stop the ball crossing the white line.

8.16pm BST

30 min: Henderson bursts through a little gap down the middle and very nearly finds Sterling just inside the area with a cute chip. It’s read well by Aliti, who intercepts and clears.

8.14pm BST

28 min: England play keep-ball in the middle of the park. So composed, so very continental these days. Properly European, if you will.

8.12pm BST

26 min: Barkley is bundled over 30 yards from goal. He takes the free kick himself, sending a high floater towards Maguire, loitering on the right. But the big defender is beaten to the ball by Hadergjonaj, the lack of pace on the free kick England’s undoing.

8.10pm BST

25 min: The Kosovo fans continue to make a hell of a noise. This match has been wonderfully entertaining, with a soundtrack to match.

8.09pm BST

23 min: Sancho busies himself down the right and lays off for Barkley, who sends a shot-cum-cross harmlessly over the bar. England look dangerous every time they go forward.

8.08pm BST

21 min: You’ll not be surprised to hear that Kosovo aren’t finished yet. They respond to falling behind by causing more bother in the England box, Berisha chesting down a pass to the left of goal and sending an overhead kick past the confused faces of Keane, Chilwell and Pickford. Nobody gets a touch, but English hearts were in mouths there. There was enough confusion, that could easily have been deflected in.

8.06pm BST

This is a wonderful goal. Sterling turns and wriggles out of trouble in the centre circle, an electric eel, then barrels down the middle. He slips a pass to Kane on the left. Kane enters the area, takes a touch to get rid of Vojvoda, and slams a low shot between Muric’s legs and into the net from a tight angle!

8.04pm BST

18 min: Muric miscontrols a simple backpass and for a brief moment it looked like the ball was going to apologetically trundle into the empty net. But despite Sancho applying pressure, the keeper runs back and hacks clear.

8.03pm BST

16 min: Barkley turns Voca with indecent ease on the halfway line, and burns off down the inside-left flank. He tees up Sterling on the edge of the box. Sterling uncharacteristically gets his feet in a tangle, and Hadergjonaj is eventually able to clear. But for a split second there, Sterling’s eyes had lit up.

8.01pm BST

15 min: Sterling romps down the middle of the park and is inches away from releasing Kane on the right with a cute diagonal pass. Up the other end, Vojvoda is granted a little bit too much space out on the right. He can’t find anyone with a looping cross, and Alexander-Arnold clears.

8.00pm BST

13 min: Kosovo aren’t taking this lying down, though. They promised to attack, and having already delivered, here they come again. Voca slips a ball down the right for Muslija, who can’t get his cross past first-man Maguire. Muriqi was lurking in the middle. This isn’t going to end 1-1.

7.58pm BST

12 min: Chilwell takes the corner he’d earned, hanging it high, and it’s easy pickings for Muric in the Kosovo goal.

7.57pm BST

11 min: England have responded marvellously to that early nonsense. They’ve absorbed the shock in the professional, proactive style, and are dominating right now. Maguire Beckenbauers his way down the middle and very nearly slips Kane free down the left channel. Not quite. Then Chilwell comes down the left flank, his low cross hysterically hacked out for a corner by the Kosovo captain Rrahmani.

7.55pm BST

9 min: Can England play at Southampton all the time, please? This is great fun.

7.54pm BST

... Keane does indeed make up for his dreadful error! Barkley hits the corner long. Keane rises high above Rrahmani, heading deliberately back across goal, where Sterling is able to expertly guide a header past Muric from six yards. What a start!

7.53pm BST

7 min: Sancho tears off down the right and earns the first corner of the match. Keane comes up, looking to atone. Barkley takes, and ...

7.52pm BST

6 min: England stroke the ball around the middle for a bit. A chance to clear their heads. Keane gets a couple of touches, which he probably needs after that San Marinoesque opening blow.

7.50pm BST

4 min: Sterling scampers down the left in a let’s-sort-this-out style. He nearly gets past Voca but the Kosovan stands firm, refusing to budge, eventually clearing.

7.49pm BST

2 min: Goodness knows what Keane was thinking about then. He had been played into an awkward spot by Barkley’s pointless backpass, it’s true, but the pass to Maguire was never on. But never mind! Let’s think of the greater good: St Mary’s is bouncing as a result, and we have a game on here!

7.48pm BST

He’s played a piss-poor pass towards Maguire, easily intercepted by Muriqi, that’s what. Suddenly Kosovo are two on one! Muriqi slips a simple ball down the inside left for Berisha, who opens his body and sidefoots powerfully past Pickford and into the bottom left! Wow!

7.46pm BST

And we’re off! Kosovo get the ball rolling. A fantastic atmosphere in St Mary’s. And what’s Keane done here, 34 seconds in?

7.45pm BST

The teams are out! Kosovo - bedecked in blue and black - stand for their anthem, hands on heart. Then the English one. You know how it goes. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.43pm BST

A party atmosphere ahead of the game. Both sets of fans appear to be getting on like a house on fire. Here are a couple of Kosovo supporters politely jigging around to the racket made by a local brass band. Well, you can’t be rude to your hosts, can you? Some nice late-70s retro kit on show, there, as well. Saints should bring that one back. Or any other of the McMenemy-era shirts, really, they had a run of crackers back then, Rank Xerox, Draper Tools, all that. An imperial phase of clobber.

7.33pm BST

And now a word with the equally amiable Gareth Southgate. “We were pleased with the performance of Marcus Rashford and both of the full-backs, but we have some good players to come in. The wide areas are a heavy load, and we freshen the group. Jadon Sancho is a very exciting player in an area of the pitch where we have a few. We love taking games on the road, we want the rest of the country to see the team, it’s a different type of atmosphere. This will be a proper test for us.”

7.29pm BST

Kosovo boss Bernard Challandes drips with charm as he’s interviewed by ITV. All smiles and passionate rhetoric, his energy is infectious. He’s given a bit of a hospital pass with the first question - is he disappointed to play England as they go on tour around the country? - but deals with it admirably. He admits a pang of disappointment for his players, many of whom will have long dreamed of playing at Wembley, but adds diplomatically: “For me as coach, it’s a game for qualification, and perhaps to play here is better, I don’t know! But we play against England, the pitch is very good, and the stadium is very nice. Why not a surprise? One chance, it’s football! But I am realistic, I see England score five, five and four. We must play and take risks!” You’d need a heart of stone not to wish his side well.

7.15pm BST

England’s young guns have already done their bit against Kosovo. The under-21s won 2-0 in Hull last night, Phil Foden the star turn. Those desirous of more detail can slake their raging thirst for knowledge by clicking below.

7.04pm BST

The inner sanctum. Hats off to Southampton for giving the dressing room at St Mary’s a bespoke makeover. England will play in their famous white shirts this evening. Kosovo will therefore be good for their first-choice blue, though nothing’s certain these days, we’ll get back to you if the folk from their marketing department have forced them into second-choice yellow or third-choice black.

6.50pm BST

Meet tonight’s opponents. Kosovo face England for the first time in their history this evening. They make two changes to the side named against the Czechs, with Florent Muslija and Valon Berisha stepping up. Goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, on loan at Nottingham Forest from Manchester City, midfielder Bersant Celina of Swansea City, and Huddersfield Town defender Florent Hadergjonaj all start.

6.36pm BST

No surprises there. England boss Gareth Southgate makes three changes to the team that swatted Bulgaria aside on Saturday. Jadon Sancho comes in for Marcus Rashford up front, while the full backs are rotated: Trent Alexander-Arnold replaces Kieran Trippier, while Danny Rose makes way for Ben Chilwell. James Maddison and Tyrone Mings sit on the bench, hoping to make their debuts tonight.

6.32pm BST

England: Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Keane, Maguire, Chilwell, Henderson, Rice, Barkley, Sancho, Kane, Sterling.
Subs: Heaton, Gomez, Mount, Wilson, Mings, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Pope, Trippier, Maddison, Winks, Rashford, Rose.

Kosovo: Muric, Vojvoda, Rrahmani, Aliti, Hadergjonaj, Voca, Halimi, Muslija, Celina, Valon Berisha, Muriqi.
Subs: Kryeziu, Zhegrova, Rashani, Nuhiu, Ujkani, Dresevic, Bernard Berisha, Raskaj, Bekaj, Leart Paqarada, Hasani.

4.22pm BST

The way things have been going recently, you’d expect England to do well at St Mary’s tonight. That’s because they’ve won their first three Group A qualifiers to the aggregate tune of 14-1; they’ve won 33 of their last 42 qualification matches, drawing the others in a ten-year unbeaten run; and they’re unbeaten in 29 competitive home fixtures staged away from Wembley, a sequence that stretches back to 1936.

Then again, opponents Kosovo are on a pretty decent run of their own. They’re unbeaten in 15, a stretch that goes back nearly two years. Having just beaten Bulgaria 3-2 and the Czech Republic 2-1, they’re looking to make it three wins on the bounce in Group A. And they might take a little historical comfort from the result of England’s one previous visit to Southampton in the Euro qualifiers, a 2-2 draw with Macedonia in 2002.

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Published on September 10, 2019 13:59

The Fiver | Scotland's latest Hampden humiliation

Nobody likes the international break, do they, we’ve established that. But this current one hasn’t been so bad, has it? Narrow your eyes, squint real hard, suspend disbelief, have some more of your magic whisky, and you could almost convince yourself that we’re still roaming the magic lands of the much more entertaining Premier League, a place of pure imagination where Daniel James keeps curling them in from distance, Teemu Pukki scores futile goals in lost causes, and Watford sack their manager every 18 minutes. Also Scotland keep losing heavily at home, which is nothing to do with our bread-and-butter reverie, but it is another repetitive thing that happens quite a lot in life.

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Published on September 10, 2019 07:40

August 25, 2019

End-of-season review: from McIlroy’s agony to Xiyu Lin’s shot along a bridge | Scott Murray

A review of the golfing year features McIlroy’s disastrous start at Portrush and Hinako Shibuno’s fairytale British Open win

As the freshly plundered FedEx truck disappears down the lane, not so much as a bronze centime left rattling around the back, now seems as good a time as any to take stock of the year in golf. So here are our (slightly less valuable) end-of-season prizes.

Anti climax of the year

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Published on August 25, 2019 06:13

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