Scott Murray's Blog, page 125

January 23, 2019

Burton Albion 0-1 Manchester City (agg 0-10): Carabao Cup semi-final second leg – as it happened

Sergio Aguero scored the only goal of the second leg as Burton salvaged a little pride after their nine-goal nightmare.

10.10pm GMT

And that, my good friends, is your lot. Peter Lansley was our man at the match, and his report is here. Congratulations to Manchester City on reaching their seventh League Cup final; commiserations to Burton Albion, though take nothing away from their wonderful run to the semis, and the way they bounced back from despair to give a great account of themselves tonight. Thanks for reading; sweet dreams, wherever you are!

10.07pm GMT

And now Cloughie Jr. gives his verdict. “We came very close a couple of times, I’m very pleased with the way we played tonight and went about it. We got a bit of pride back. We showed a lot of spirit, some good youngsters as well. I thought we pressed them and did everything we could tonight. The pressure was off, of course, with the tie being over. But we put in a good performance against some top, top players. We were brave and caused them problems. I watched their last couple of Premier League games against Wolves and Huddersfield and I thought we caused them as many problems as they did. As a club, it’s been an incredible experience just to reach the last four. As a team, especially for the youngsters, it’s been incredible to be on the same pitch as those magnificent players. We take an awful lot from it, the experience and the glory of reaching the semi. Hopefully we’ve made a bit of money too. I can’t wait for Bradford on Saturday!”

9.58pm GMT

Pep speaks! “We worked very well. The pitch was so dangerous and slippery. But we make a good game. I am a little disappointed with our finishing, but we were good. Burton had also a couple of clear chances, and were outstanding. But we are in the final, that is what is important. I didn’t see a lack of desire, we played seriously, and we have no injuries. I am not thinking about Chelsea or Tottenham, they are both incredible teams. The important thing is again, one more year we are there.”

9.54pm GMT

A charming post-match interview with 18-year-old Ian Carlo Poveda. He’s a little nervous, but his joy at making his Manchester City debut tonight is infectious. “I am buzzing,” he begins, smiling shyly. “I’m just grateful for the opportunity, I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family and my friends, and the fans also.” He’s asked what it was like to play alongside the likes of Aguero and De Bruyne. “I’m just speechless to be honest, it’s an amazing feeling, I have dreamt of this.” An evening to remember for the young man.

9.42pm GMT

So City will play either Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur in the Wembley final on February 24. We always knew this would be the case, after that first-leg rout, so there’s little in the way of the usual manic semi-final celebrations at the final whistle. Some muted clapping, and that’s about it. The managers Nigel Clough and Pep Guardiola shake hands warmly and share a smile, just as they did at the Etihad a fortnight ago. But this time Clough’s side have given a much better account of themselves. His players look understandably deflated, but they’ve restored much pride after the horrors of the first leg, and once the sting subsides, should feel pleased with their efforts tonight, a mid-table League One outfit holding the champions of England to a single goal.

9.38pm GMT

... that’s the final whistle! City have reached their fourth League Cup final in six seasons! And Burton Albion have restored some pride with a staunch second-leg display.

9.36pm GMT

90 min +2: Danilo whips the free kick over the wall. It’s straight at Collins, who tips over with ease. The corner comes to nothing, and ...

9.36pm GMT

90 min +1: There will be two added minutes. In the first, McCrory races out of his own box and slams Jesus to the ground. A free kick, 25 yards out.

9.34pm GMT

90 min: Hutchinson shows Foden a clean pair of heels down the left. But just as Burton start to dream about the cross that leads to that precious consolation strike, Hutchinson takes a heavy touch and runs the ball out for a goal kick.

9.33pm GMT

88 min: Jesus dribbles into the Burton box in the style of Ricky Villa, but can’t finish his baroque ramble. His shot is smothered by Collins, and the resulting corner comes to nothing.

9.32pm GMT

86 min: Nothing going on. Which explains why Kári Tulinius has started to concentrate on the pitchside advertising. “When I was a wee lad watching English football in Iceland, I would puzzle over the pitchside hoardings, trying to figure what the various exotic companies were selling. Pirelli Stadium is bringing me right back as I wonder what the heck Palletforce, Kestral and Russell are all about.” A timely email, because they’ve just this minute flashed up an ad for Don Amott caravans. Anyone who watched ATV back in the 70s and 80s will have enjoyed a Proustian rush.

9.29pm GMT

84 min: Garcia slips over as City knock it back and forth around the back. Daniel nearly manages to latch onto a momentarily loose ball, but Garcia recovers just in time.

9.27pm GMT

82 min: Harness is sent scampering into the City box down the right by Fox. He’s hassled by Mendy, then crashes into Muric, who has come out to smother. Harness wants a penalty kick, but that’s not forthcoming.

9.26pm GMT

81 min: City continue to hog the ball in the sterile fashion.

9.24pm GMT

79 min: City stroke it around, keeping warm their only concern. Can they find the two goals that would give them the all-time League Cup aggregate victory? Or is the ten-goal semi-final record enough to sate their desires?

9.22pm GMT

77 min: Boyce is replaced by Daniel. Both teams have now made all their substitutions.

9.22pm GMT

76 min: Templeton ambles down the left, and has Hutchinson on the overlap. He eventually finds his team-mate with a pass, after plenty of faffing about, but at this point Hutchinson is offside. The pair analyse the move in the full and frank style.

9.19pm GMT

74 min: It’s a couple of degrees below zero now, and the pitch is hardening up. Pretty passing is at a premium right now, the ball bobbling around quite a bit. Burton will be happy enough, as it ensures City can’t be their usual fluent selves.

9.17pm GMT

72 min: Nmecha goes down in the Burton area, barged by Harness as he chases a Jesus pass down the inside-left channel. It was a good old-fashioned shoulder-charge, though, and the referee’s not interested in awarding a penalty kick.

9.16pm GMT

70 min: Burton come so close to that consolation! Sandler slips on the edge of his own box. Boyce steps into the area, but his heavy touch allows Muric to smother. The ball breaks to Miller, on the penalty spot. He slams low towards the goal, but Garcia is back on the line to spectacularly clear! Poor old Burton.

9.14pm GMT

69 min: Mahrez finds himself standing in the Burton D. He considers shooting, but instead slides a pass wide right for Danilo, who instantly looks for Jesus in the middle. His ball, neither cross nor shot, flashes out to the left of goal.

9.11pm GMT

67 min: City make their final change of the night, Zinchenko making way for debutant Felix Nmecha.

9.10pm GMT

65 min: Harness busies himself down the right, and nearly slips Miller free in the City box. But Garcia has read the danger well, stepping in to shield the ball out of play for a goal kick. Burton are giving it their all in pursuit of this consolation goal.

9.09pm GMT

63 min: Aguero has had a very strange evening indeed: some awful control, that dreadful miss, and the game’s only goal. A clinically brilliant one at that. He’s had a good run out, though, and now he makes way for Jesus. Meanwhile de Bruyne, also working his way back from injury, is replaced by Mendy, returning from a spell out himself. This is all great news for City, several of their stars sharpening up just in time for the big run-in.

9.06pm GMT

61 min: What a miss! Aguero backflicks deliciously down the left to send de Bruyne into space. De Bruyne then slides a pass down the channel to release Foden, who tears clear into the box, then cuts one back for Aguero. He can’t miss, but does, sending his first-time shot wide right from 12 yards under no pressure whatsoever! Replays show Foden was well offside, so it’s probably for the best.

9.03pm GMT

59 min: Templeton simmers down, and is again about his business, dribbling into the City box from the left again. But neither of his two attempts to cross low are any good, both blocked by his nemesis Danilo.

9.03pm GMT

57 min: Templeton continues to argue the toss, chuntering on at whoever will listen as play continues. It still means something, ten goals down or not.

9.01pm GMT

55 min: Templeton dribbles into the City box from the left and springs over Danilo’s leg. He’s livid. He’s after a penalty kick. But there was no contact, and Danilo did nothing wrong. The VAR folk - apparently working from a van in the car park, a pimped version of Andy Townsend’s old truck, perhaps? - double check, and we play on.

8.59pm GMT

54 min: Danilo makes space on the right and swings a low cross to the near post, where Delph must surely score. But he takes a fresh-air swipe at the ball, which then bounces back towards him off Collins, offering a second bite at the cherry. He clanks that one out of play, wide right, for a goal kick. It should have been City’s 11th goal of the tie. Hey, if you’re going to miss a sitter, now’s the time to do it.

8.57pm GMT

53 min: Foden probes down the City left; Mahrez has a go out on the right. Neither can work a clear route into the box.

8.56pm GMT

51 min: Aguero dribbles down the right. He’s stopped by Wallace, who in turn is slide-tackled by ... his own man, McCrory. Burton continue to give it their all despite the ludicrous scoreline, which is very much to their credit.

8.54pm GMT

49 min: Garcia slips on the frosty turf and very nearly allows Boyce to race clear on goal. He does very well to recover and hack away from danger.

8.53pm GMT

47 min: Mahrez glides in from the right but can’t release himself into the box with a one-two with Aguero. City will be in something of a rush themselves, needing two more goals to register the biggest aggregate win in all League Cup history.

8.51pm GMT

45 min 21 sec. Burton have clearly come out with a flea in their ear, ordered to pick up the pace in search of this elusive consolation goal. They snap into a couple of challenges, and suddenly Templeton has possession 25 yards out. He creams a fine shot just over the bar. No time to waste.

8.49pm GMT

Here we go again! Burton get the second half underway, having replaced Quinn with Fox.

8.36pm GMT

Half-time entertainment.

8.33pm GMT

Burton were four down at half-time a fortnight ago, so this is a most acceptable improvement. The home side will be relatively pleased with their efforts so far ... but what they’d give for a consolation goal in the second half, even if they end up shipping a few more themselves. Don’t go anywhere!

8.31pm GMT

45 min: Both teams appear to be waiting for the half-time whistle. Not much going on. They’ll get their wish in two minutes.

8.29pm GMT

43 min: Harness comes again down the right and whips a cross to the near post. But there’s nobody in yellow there, and Garcia is able to clear calmly.

8.29pm GMT

42 min: De Bruyne hesitates 30 yards from his own goal and has his pocket picked by Harness. For a second, City are exposed, but de Bruyne ensures Harness can’t have a clear run on goal, making up for his mistake and putting a stop to Burton’s gallop.

8.27pm GMT

40 min: Turner’s race is run. The big centre-half has picked up an injury, and he limps off sadly, to be replaced by Hutchinson.

8.26pm GMT

38 min: Boyce is sent zipping clear down the inside left by a lovely Templeton defence-splitter, but Muric is out of his box quickly to batter clear.

8.25pm GMT

36 min: De Bruyne loops the set piece to the far post, where Garcia should either score or roll a pass back across goal to invite a tap-in. He does neither, allowing Collins to claim. In the crowd, a clear “fackinell” pierces the white noise, life imitating the art of Father Ted.

8.22pm GMT

35 min: Aguero drops a shoulder to nip past McFadzean, and is clipped to the floor for his trouble. A free kick out on the right.

8.21pm GMT

33 min: Foden comes straight through the back of Templeton, and should really go in the book. It wasn’t a good challenge. But the referee’s in a lenient mood.

8.21pm GMT

32 min: Zinchenko is sent scampering free down the left by Poveda. His low cross is trapped by Aguero on the penalty spot, but before he can shoot and surely score, the flag goes up for offside. Zinchenko had mistimed his run by a nanosecond.

8.19pm GMT

31 min: City knock it around in a professional manner. They’re in complete control. “How’s the atmosphere at the Pirelli Stadium?” wonders Ian Sargeant, setting himself up for a tyre-related zinger. “If a little flat, the DJ should play Goodyear For The Roses to fit with a melancholy mood.”

8.16pm GMT

29 min: It would be lovely to see Burton grab a consolation at some point. With this in mind, Miller takes up possession 25 yards out, down the inside-left channel, and tries to curl one into the top right. It’s high and wide, but not so far off target that Muric wasn’t momentarily concerned.

8.15pm GMT

28 min: As things stand, this is now the biggest aggregate scoreline in a League Cup semi, beating the 9-0 rattled up by City against West Ham five years ago.

8.13pm GMT

You just knew this would happen. Aguero hasn’t been at the races, so of course now he opens the scoring. De Bruyne, quarterbacking from deep, plays a glorious defence splitter down the inside right. Mahrez dribbles into the box, waits for Aguero to arrive on the penalty spot, and tees his team-mate up. Aguero sends a crisp finish into the bottom left, Collins with no chance. You can’t keep a goalscoring genius quiet for too long.

8.10pm GMT

24 min: Good combinations between Aguero and Poveda down the left. Suddenly they flick Zinchenko away. He crosses to nobody in particular, and that’s easy meat for McFadzean.

8.09pm GMT

22 min: Aguero’s cold start continues. First he kicks a huge divot out of the turf as he skedaddles down the inside-right, scuppering his hopes of getting a shot on goal. Then he tries to bring down Delph’s crossfield pass on the left, but lets that roll off his boot and out of play. The home crowd taunt him on both occasions, which let’s face it is asking for trouble. Nevertheless, it’s been an undistinguished first 22 minutes for a very distinguished player.

8.07pm GMT

20 min: Zinchenko is brushed off the ball by Harness, who looks for a split second clear down the right. But the City man battles hard to snaffle possession back.

8.05pm GMT

18 min: Mahrez swans in from the right, unchallenged, and pearls a glorious effort towards the top left. The ball flies millimetres wide of its intended target. That would have been a very handsome goal, even if McCrory’s defending wasn’t up to much.

8.04pm GMT

16 min: Burton will be happy enough with this start. City have only carved out one opportunity so far, despite hogging the ball. It’s all relative: City’s team cost 317 times more than Burton’s.

8.01pm GMT

14 min: Quinn whips the free kick low and hard into the City box from the right. Boyce attempts a cute flick, helping it on towards the bottom left. But Muric is down to smother easily enough. Close, though. And that’s two good chances in a minute. In a parallel universe, this game is already 1-1, and Burton have their precious consolation goal.

8.00pm GMT

13 min: Boyce bowls down the right, capitalising on a loose pass from Delph. He’s brought down by the same player, who was desperately trying to recover the ground he’d given up, and that’s a free kick in a dangerous position for the hosts.

7.59pm GMT

12 min: City’s first shot in anger, as McCrory makes a balls of Delph’s lob down the inside-right channel. His air kick allows the busy Mahrez to ghost in behind, and his fierce first-time shot from a tight angle flashes across Collins but inches wide of the bottom-left corner.

7.57pm GMT

11 min: Poveda and Delph take turns to probe down the left. Akins and McFadzean take turns to hold them up. City are dominating in terms of possession and territory, as you’d expect. “Pirelli Stadium? Nice name. Too bad Burton’s wheels fell off in the first leg.” Peter Oh, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the artisan ale.

7.56pm GMT

9 min: More space for Mahrez, who scoops a pass from right to left for Aguero. City’s captain for the night completes an early triptych of uncharacteristically poor control as he scuffs a weak first-time shot towards Collins. His boots will warm up soon enough, you can be sure of it.

7.54pm GMT

7 min: Danilo sashays in from the right and tees up Aguero, 25 yards out. Aguero tries to slip a pass towards Mahrez instead of shooting, but it goes all wrong. That’s his second touch of the evening; his first ballooned off his shin a couple of minutes ago. Even the greats aren’t perfect.

7.51pm GMT

5 min: City make it into the Burton box for the first time this evening, Mahrez twisting and turning down the right. He dinks one into the middle for Aguero, but Turner is well positioned and clears well.

7.51pm GMT

4 min: City’s young stars continue to knock it about stylishly. Sandler and Garcia are striding around like they’ve spent years together as City’s centre-back pairing. Full of confidence. Burton can’t get a sniff right now.

7.48pm GMT

2 min: City spend the majority of the opening period stroking the ball about in the calm and considered style.

7.47pm GMT

And we’re off! City get the ball rolling. A reminder that should the aggregate score be level after 90 minu... ah let’s not rub it in. Both sets of fans are giving it their all; here’s to an entertaining second leg.

7.45pm GMT

The teams are out! Burton sport their yellow shirts, which in theory allows Manchester City to wear their first-choice sky blue. But folk don’t roll like that these days, do they, so third-choice purple with orange sash it is. There’s a cracking atmosphere at the Pirelli Stadium. We’ll be off before you know it!

7.40pm GMT

Pep meanwhile doesn’t appear to be letting up, even if his team are nine up and he’s playing some of the kids. “We are going to try to win the game of course. We spoke about what we have to do to attack them in the best way. Poveda is a winger, so aggressive, he’s a brave guy. It’s a good test for him to play tonight.”

7.37pm GMT

Nigel Clough speaks! “It’s a huge night, the semi-final of the Carabao Cup. If we get here again in our lifetime it’ll be incredible, so it’s one to be enjoyed at this stage. When you look around it’s just remarkable that we’re here, and not one of the Premier League or Championship clubs. I think we can enjoy it; I hope so. We might not enjoy it so much tonight, if their players start knocking it around as we know they can! But when we look back at it with the children, we should be proud that we’ve been on the same pitch as some of these players. We’d love to score a goal if we can, that would be a major success!”

7.25pm GMT

Winter in Staffordshire. It’s cold. So cold they’ve had the covers on all day to make sure the pitch doesn’t freeze over. Players and fans alike are wandering around with bobble hats pulled tightly over their heads. Meanwhile Pep Guardiola, a man used to the subtropical climate of Catalunya, is forced into this snood, the like of which hasn’t been seen since the chart-bothering glory days of Nik Kershaw.

7.16pm GMT

Burton may be nine goals adrift going into tonight’s second leg, but that doesn’t mean their supporters aren’t going to enjoy themselves. Our man Jamie Jackson has been out, and furthermore about, meeting the Albion faithful. This lovely piece is the result.

7.00pm GMT

Burton make six changes to the side that scraped a last-minute draw at Doncaster on Saturday. Out go John Brayford, Jake Buxton, Reece Hutchinson, Jamie Allen, Scott Fraser and Josh Clarke; in come Kyle McFadzean, Ben Turner, David Templeton, Damien McCrory, Will Miller and Kieran Wallace.

Manchester City also make a truckload of changes, in the wake of their easy win at Huddersfield on Sunday. Eight in all, with plenty of the kids getting a taste of a big-match occasion. The 18-year-old winger Ian Carlo Poveda makes his debut. But there are some star names in the mix too: Sergio Aguero, Kevin de Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez and Fabian Delph all get a run-out. And Benjamin Mendy comes back from injury to take a place on the bench.

6.48pm GMT

Burton Albion: Collins, Akins, McFadzean, Turner, McCrory, Quinn, Wallace, Harness, Miller, Templeton, Boyce.
Subs: Bywater, Brayford, Buxton, Sbarra, Fox, Hutchinson, Daniel.

Manchester City: Muric, Danilo, Sandler, Garcia, Zinchenko, De Bruyne, Delph, Foden, Mahrez, Aguero, Poveda.
Subs: Nmecha, Stones, Mendy, Grimshaw, Gabriel Jesus, Bolton, Richards.

2.17pm GMT

Burton Albion weren’t the first team to be thrashed senseless in the semi-finals of the League Cup by Manchester City; chances are they won’t be the last. But this is the here and now, and after that nine-goal tonking in the first leg at the Etihad, the Brewers will desperately be hoping to avoid a second humiliation in 14 days. So there is a little something riding on tonight’s match: the small matter of pride, and staying if at all possible out of the record books.

The biggest aggregate win in a League Cup semi is 9-0, so Burton need at least a draw tonight in order to avoid obliterating that one. A tall order, though should City win tonight as expected, Burton can console themselves with the fact that everything is relative: the current record, already held by City, came after 6-0 and 3-0 pastings of West Ham United in 2014. West Ham were a fellow Premier League concern; at least Albion have the excuse of plying their trade a couple of divisions down.

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Published on January 23, 2019 14:10

The Fiver | One of the banner occasions in the football calendar

It’s one of the banner occasions in the football calendar: the semi-finals of England’s secondary knockout competition, Tin Pot! There have been some memorable ties down the years. The Fiver recalls Chelsea beating Wycombe Wanderers 4-0. One time, West Brom saw off Carlisle 4-1. And there was that season Manchester City battered West Ham 9-0 on aggregate. But anyway, those memorable ties we were talking about. Well, we vaguely remember fourth-tier Bradford City humiliating five-time winners Aston Villa. The Arsenal-Tottenham stramash in 1987 was fairly epic. And … erm … actually, sod it, that’ll do. QED!

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Published on January 23, 2019 08:51

January 22, 2019

The Fiver | Cardiff City's Sala confirmed as being on board missing flight

Last Saturday, just three days ago, Emiliano Sala agreed to join Cardiff City. His £15m transfer from Nantes generated much excitement: the 28-year-old striker from Argentina had scored 12 goals in 16 matches this season in France, a record bettered only by Nicolas Pépé and PSG’s front three, and would become the Bluebirds’ record signing. Nantes waved off a much-loved talent with their blessing. “The management and the whole of FC Nantes thank warmly Emiliano Sala, and wish him much success for the rest of his career,” read one official tweet. “Forever yellow and green,” promised another. Then on Monday he bade farewell to his former team-mates, posting a snap of himself on social media, arms around old buddies, warmth radiating from the screen. Alongside yellow and green hearts read one simple message: “La ultima ciao.” The last goodbye.

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Published on January 22, 2019 08:04

Football transfer rumours: Bayern Munich to move for Rabbi Matondo?

Today’s rumours are taking the strain

Rumours of players staying put are never that exciting, we know that. You come here for big-money talk, hot gossip of signings emerging from the leftfield. But we can’t just play to the gallery, and the top line today concerns Eden Hazard, who is now thinking of signing a new contract at Chelsea, perhaps buoyed by the impending arrival of Gonzalo Higuaín.

Manchester United won’t satisfy your crazed lust for fresh meat either. They’re mainly concerned with tying down both Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial to new deals, you see, with the pair willing to talk now the gaff has been decontaminated. Scott McTominay has already put pen to paper on a spanking new contract as well, upping the current feelgood factor at Old Trafford to 11.

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Published on January 22, 2019 00:49

January 19, 2019

Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea: Premier League – as it happened

The Gunners close in on fourth spot after a dominant display over Chelsea

10.37pm GMT

9.47pm GMT

7.57pm GMT

No word from Maurizio Sarri. So that’s your lot! A big win for Arsenal; a big worry for Maurizio Sarri, whose Chelsea continue to stutter. It’s going to be some battle for the Champions League places now. Thanks for reading!

7.47pm GMT

Unai Emery speaks! He praises the atmosphere, wanting to win the derby for the fans. This victory will give the team optimism, he says, and Arsenal can be happy. His team need to find a balance home and away, because they are very strong at home. They are going to continue working to find that balance.

7.40pm GMT

Dominic Fifield was our man at the Emirates tonight. Here’s his match report!

7.30pm GMT

That’s only Bernd Leno’s second clean sheet in the Premier League. No coincidence that captain Laurent Koscielny, today’s man of the match, is back in the team after that lengthy injury lay-off. No coincidence that the midfield consists of that hard-working Torreira-Xhaka-Guendouzi axis. You have to wonder how much longer Mesut Ozil will be at the club. But that’s a debate for another day. Arsenal were marvellous this evening, and after a rocky period will be considering the possibility of Champions League football next season, something that seemed well beyond them not so long ago. It’ll be a hell of a battle, though, when you factor Manchester United’s absurd momentum into the equation. Misfiring Chelsea might be worried that they’re heading in the opposite direction. Sarri has a few things to think about.

7.25pm GMT

And that’s that! Arsenal deservedly win this big London derby! They regain fifth spot, above Manchester United on goal difference, having got back on the horse after last week’s defeat at West Ham. Chelsea’s stuttering form continues, though, and now they’re just three points ahead of the Gunners in fourth. A huge win for Unai Emery; a worrying performance for Maurizio Sarri.

7.23pm GMT

90 min +5: Barkley is booked for an Eighties-style lunge on Guendouzi. “Koscielny has been tremendous today,” says Kári Tulinius. “He seems like a really nice guy, so I’m pleased for him that he’s back from injury. As an Arsenal fan I’m also happy, because a fully fit Koscielny is, to borrow a phrase, like a new signing.”

7.22pm GMT

90 min +4: Chelsea stroke it about. But Arsenal hold their shape. Giroud crosses from the left to nobody. Leno gathers.

7.21pm GMT

90 min +2: Kante is this close to sending Hazard away down the middle. But Maitland-Niles gets a toenail to the pass, diverting it away from danger. What a last-ditch intervention!

7.20pm GMT

90 min +1: That’s given Chelsea a little boost, and Hazard goes scampering down the left. He shuttles the ball further forward for Barkley, who reaches the byline and rolls a ball across the face of goal. Whereupon Giroud fresh-air swipes. It’s not Chelsea’s day.

7.18pm GMT

90 min: There will be six additional minutes.

7.17pm GMT

89 min: It’s all very scrappy, and that suits Arsenal just fine.

7.16pm GMT

87 min: Alonso goes dancing down the inside-left channel. he beats a couple of challenges before eventually clattering into Koscielny and conceding a foul. An opportunity for Arsenal to manage the clock, as the defender takes his own sweet time to get back up, in the professional style.

7.13pm GMT

85 min: Iwobi tears down the left. He drives at Azpilicueta before rolling a pass inside for Elneny, who hoicks a shot miles over the bar from distance.

7.12pm GMT

84 min: Torreira has put in some shift today, and unsurprisingly goes down with cramp. He gets back up and will be fine to continue, but expect plenty of added time at the end of the 90.

7.11pm GMT

83 min: Space for Alonso down the left. He loops towards the far post, where Hudson-Odoi lurks. But Kolasinac rises highest, and guides the calmest of headers back towards Leno.

7.10pm GMT

81 min: Elneny dinks a pass down the inside-left channel. Kolasinac opts for the spectacular, looking to volley across Kepa and into the top right. Full marks for ambition, and it’s a decent enough effort, too. He catches it well, and it deflects off Rudiger. The resulting corner comes to nothing.

7.08pm GMT

80 min: Hudson-Odoi comes on for Pedro.

7.08pm GMT

79 min: Pedro and Alonso combine well down the left, and the latter earns a corner off Maitland-Niles. Hazard whips it long. Alonso wafts his hand in Maitland-Niles’ face as they compete for the ball. No foul. Instead, it’s another wasted corner.

7.05pm GMT

77 min: Pedro does enough to win a corner off Sokratis down the left, but he’s not getting the decision. He has the good grace to laugh at his own misfortune. Then Hazard dribbles with purpose down the right, before cutting inside and sending a screamer over the bar in an attempt to find the top left.

7.04pm GMT

76 min: Chelsea are beginning to push Arsenal back again. The home side are struggling to get hold of the ball. But they hold their shape, and the clock ticks on.

7.03pm GMT

74 min: Barkley fizzes a ball across the face of the Arsenal goal from left to right, but there’s nobody in blue to take advantage.

7.02pm GMT

73 min: Hazard strokes a diagonal pass towards Pedro, just inside the Arsenal box on the right. Pedro takes a fresh-air swipe at the ball. The home support manage a quiet “yay”, but their heart’s not in it. The Emirates is a wee bit deflated in the wake of Bellerin’s injury.

7.00pm GMT

72 min: Pedro comes across to wish Bellerin the best as he’s carted off. The poor lad’s got his leg in a splint, and his arm over his eyes. He gets a warm, sympathetic ovation as he departs down the tunnel. Elneny comes on in his stead.

6.59pm GMT

70 min: Bellerin is down, and sadly it looks serious. There didn’t seem to be any contact as he went down independently, and he immediately grabbed his left leg. He’s currently being loaded onto a stretcher.

6.56pm GMT

68 min: Changes all round. Arsenal replace Ramsey and Lacazette with Maitland-Niles and Iwobi, while Chelsea swap Willian for Giroud. A strange one that from Sarri; Willian’s looked one of Chelsea’s big dangers this evening.

6.55pm GMT

66 min: Barkley has a dig that catches poor Koscielny in the fruit bowl. Ooyah, oof.

6.54pm GMT

65 min: Chelsea are seriously rocking all of a sudden. Aubameyang sends Bellerin clear down the right. He’s got Lacazette free in the middle, waiting to tap in. But allows Rudiger to deflect the cross out for a corner, which leads to nowt. How is this still 2-0?

6.53pm GMT

64 min: And now Kolasinac bombs down the inside-left channel and into the Chelsea box! He’s only got Kepa to beat, but the angle’s tight so he looks to find Torreira in the middle. However Alonso’s on hand to make a last-ditch clearance!

6.52pm GMT

63 min: First up, Barkley comes on in place of Kovacic. Then Torreira takes the free kick, and floats it to the far post, where Aubameyang only just fails to connect.

6.51pm GMT

62 min: A lovely sweeping move by Arsenal, right to left, featuring Xhaka, Guendouzi and Kolasinac. Eventually Lacazette jigs down the inside left and is clattered by Jorginho. A free kick in a very dangerous position.

6.49pm GMT

61 min: Chelsea are beginning to press Arsenal back. The hosts are struggling to get out of their final third. Willian is seeing an awful lot of the ball on the left; he drops a shoulder to mooch inside before seeing his shot from the edge of the box blocked, and bounce softly towards Leno.

6.48pm GMT

59 min: Hazard plays the cutest reverse pass down the inside-left channel, releasing Kovacic into the area. Kovacic pulls one back, but Koscielny stoops to cushion the cross down with his chest, and Bellerin belts the dropping ball clear.

6.46pm GMT

57 min: Willian dribbles down the left again. Upon reaching the byline, he’s stopped by Sokratis’ slide. The ball clanks off the Chelsea winger, and the Arsenal defender, fist clenched, celebrates the tackle like another might a goal.

6.45pm GMT

56 min: His mood’s nearly improved as Willian sashays down the left and pulls back for Pedro, who has romped clear of Guendouzi. But Pedro slashes wildly over the bar from the edge of the box.

6.44pm GMT

55 min: Azpilicueta, out right, slips a diagonal pass into the Arsenal area. But everyone in blue is back on their heels, and it’s an easy interception for Torreira. On the touchline, Sarri continues to fume, waving his arms about and screaming at his players.

6.42pm GMT

53 min: Willian finds a little time and space down the left. His cross is deflected out ... but for a goal kick, slapping into the back of Alonso, who was in the process of undertaking him. Chelsea are beginning to look a little frustrated. “Emery justifies the tactical decision to leave out Ozil when the team hassle, press, tackle and play with high levels of energy like this,” observes William Hargreaves. “Cf. Aubameyang chasing back.”

6.40pm GMT

51 min: And the luck’s been on their side too, of course. There’s Koscielny’s goal, and now Torreira slices horribly on the edge of his own area, only for the ball to evade all nearby blue shirts and drop into the grateful arms of Leno.

6.39pm GMT

50 min: An almighty scramble in the Arsenal box, Willian, Hazard and Jorginho making their presence felt. But they can’t carve out a shooting opportunity, and the ball eventually balloons up into the arms of Leno. Chelsea have had the majority of the possession this evening, but Arsenal continue to look comfortable.

6.37pm GMT

48 min: Hazard probes down the left but there aren’t many options for him. He eventually lays off to Willian, who flicks a pass down the channel, expecting Hazard to be there as well. But even the Belgian maestro can’t be in two places at once.

6.35pm GMT

47 min: Kolasinac goes barrelling down the left wing a couple of times. The first occasion sees him nearly find Ramsey with a cutback, the second has him flagged offside. Both times, he was in acres. Chelsea need to get wise to this.

6.34pm GMT

Here we go again! Chelsea get the second half underway. There have been no half-time changes. The visitors were sent out early by Maurizio Sarri, who may or may not have given his team some trenchant advice during the break.

6.22pm GMT

Half-time reading. As things stand, Arsenal will be back in fifth place, three points behind Chelsea and ahead of Manchester United on goal difference. Whatever happens in the second half, the race for Europe is hotting up.

6.19pm GMT

A most satisfactory first half for the Gunners, who have been by far the better team. Chelsea have had their moments, but have never quite got themselves going. They’ll need a big improvement in the second half if they’re to stage a grand comeback.

6.16pm GMT

45 min +1: In the first of two added minutes, Hazard clips the free kick to the near post, where it’s easily dealt with by Koscielny. Within seconds, the ball is all the way back with Kepa.

6.15pm GMT

45 min: Willian takes. Alonso rises on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box, and sends a header across Leno and off the bottom of the left-hand post! Arsenal hack clear, only to concede a free kick to the left of the area.

6.14pm GMT

44 min: Hazard dribbles hard down the left, reaches the byline, and whips a low cross through the six-yard box. Pedro can’t get near it at the far post. But the ball’s recycled and Koscielny is forced to bundle it out for a corner. That set piece, out on the right, leads to another. From which ...

6.13pm GMT

43 min: Chelsea give up possession easily yet again. This time it allows Lacazette to zip with purpose into enemy territory. Chelsea are light at the back, and the striker has options either side. But he’s caught between passing and shooting, and eventually does neither. On the touchline, Maurizio Sarri looks quite some distance beyond irritated.

6.12pm GMT

41 min: Chelsea look collectively shaken at their plight. They’re struggling to string more than a couple of passes together. The Emirates meanwhile is bouncing.

6.10pm GMT

Luiz is booked for sliding in on Ramsey, wide on the right. The resulting free kick is sent to the other flank, where Sokratis crosses with the outside of his boot. The ball dips towards Koscielny, six yards out. Koscielny misses his header, but the ball loops off his right shoulder and into the top right, having taken an absurd arc. A huge stroke of luck, but Arsenal had been pressing and probing again.

6.08pm GMT

37 min: Kolasinac reaches the byline down the left and hooks back for Aubameyang, who attempts to whip an overhead into the top right from 12 yards. The ball drifts inches wide of the post. What an effort!

6.06pm GMT

36 min: A brief brouhaha in the Arsenal box, and the ball nearly breaks to Kovacic. But not quite. Arsenal don’t look solid at the back at all, like that’s breaking news.

6.05pm GMT

34 min: Luiz fires a long pass down the middle. Pedro briefly threatens to get in ahead of Kolasinac, but Leno comes to the edge of his box to claim. Route one can be beautiful, as Neves and Jota proved at Molineux earlier today. That pass from Luiz was nearly as pretty ... but not as devastating.

6.03pm GMT

33 min: Lacazette is furious as he takes a quick free kick to send Xhaka into space down the right, only for the ref to blow up because he wants to talk to the transgressor Kovacic. When the game eventually restarts, Arsenal win another free kick out on the left. Kepa easily deals with Xhaka’s set piece, but this is a little better from Arsenal, who have faded somewhat after their blistering start.

6.01pm GMT

31 min: Alonso dribbles down the left and wins a corner. Willian to take. Leno punches clear with great feeling, sending the ball almost to the halfway line. There was a good shot of the Arsenal corner flag there, by the way; the embroidery of the crest is of the highest quality. Not a stitch dropped.

5.59pm GMT

29 min: Ramsey nicks the ball off Kovacic, who was faffing around 25 yards from goal. Ramsey creams an effort towards the top left, but Kepa’s behind it all the way. “You’re wrong about that door in the Juventus dressing room,” writes Justin Kavanagh. “The only person allowed in there was Gigi Buffon, whose personal Hair Product Storage Area it was. That was before PSG offered him a bigger HPSA, of course, staffed with several of Paree’s best coiffures.”

5.57pm GMT

27 min: To further illustrate Chelsea gaining a foothold in this match, they’ve enjoyed 80 percent of possession in the last five minutes.

5.56pm GMT

25 min: Many apologies for the break in communication. The Commodore VIC-2o I write these things on just threw the mother and father of all hissy fits. I’ve given it a batter with a hammer and here we are again. Happily we’ve not missed a great deal: Lacazette and Jorginho have both flashed speculative shots over the bar, and Chelsea are much more in the game now.

5.55pm GMT

18 min: Luiz scoops a lovely pass down the inside-left channel to release Pedro into the Arsenal area. Pedro was played onside by Kolasinac, who was miles behind his team-mates. Penny for the thoughts of Tony Adams and Steve Bould. Pedro’s lob sails wide right of the empty net. Lucky Arsenal.

5.48pm GMT

17 min: Azpilicueta is robbed out on the Chelsea left. That allows Aubameyang to tear towards the Chelsea area with great intent. He twists this way and that, and eventually pokes a shot straight at Kepa, who smothers.

5.46pm GMT

16 min: That was a belter, and no less than Arsenal deserve for their fast start. Chelsea have looked uncharacteristically uncertain.

5.45pm GMT

The corner from the left leads to another on the right. From that, Bellerin crosses to Lacazette, level with the near post, ten yards out with his back to goal. Lacazette takes touch and spins outside Alonso, then lashes an unstoppable riser into the top right from a tight angle! Kepa was beaten at his near post, but such was the venom behind that strike he had little chance of stopping it!

5.43pm GMT

13 min: Torreira takes, and curls a stunning in-swinging free kick towards Koscielny. He’s six yards out, and has to score, but his header, sent towards the top left, is too close to Kepa. Kepa still does extremely well to tip the ball over the bar, mind, a fine reflex save. And from the corner ...

5.42pm GMT

12 min: Lacazette is bowled over by Pedro, out on the Arsenal left. Another free kick for Arsenal in a dangerous position.

5.40pm GMT

10 min: The first period of Chelsea possession in Arsenal territory. Alonso probes down the left. Then the visitors switch it. Azpilicueta whips in a low ball from the right, and Hazard - nipping in ahead of Sokratis, who was playing him onside by sitting yards deep - slams a first-time sidefoot wide right. That’s a great chance, too. Both Aubameyang and Hazard will think they should be on the scoresheet already.

5.38pm GMT

8 min: To prove the point, Arsenal swing this next one into the mixer in the basic style, and Sokratis rises above Kovacic at the far post. He can’t get his header on target, the ball flashing wide right. But it’s an awful lot better than the nonsense that preceded it.

5.37pm GMT

7 min: Persistent work by Ramsey down the left, and that’s a corner. It’s played short, and nearly wasted, but Arsenal get away with their over-elaboration when Xhaka’s eventual attempt at a cross is deflected out for another go.

5.36pm GMT

6 min: A bright start by the hosts. Chelsea are second to everything right now. The home fans are giving it plenty as a result.

5.35pm GMT

4 min: Xhaka should be booked for a cynical tug on Kante, but the ref is lenient. Then there’s space for Lacazette down the right. He’s only got Aubameyang in the middle, but finds him with a lovely rolled cross. Aubameyang should score, but flicks weakly across the face of goal from six yards, and out for a goal kick. What a chance that was!

5.34pm GMT

3 min: Xhaka’s delivery is a nonsense, easily cleared by Kepa. Speaking of Chelsea keepers, their old boy Petr Cech, now at Arsenal, announced this week that he’ll be hanging up his gloves at the end of the season. A banner in the away section gave thanks to the big Czech.

5.32pm GMT

2 min: Luiz is in the thick of it early doors. Now he comes across the front of Torreira, who was making good down the right. An obvious block, a free kick, and a chance for the hosts to load the box.

5.31pm GMT

And we’re off! Arsenal get the party started. We’ve already had two seven-goal thrillers in the Premier League today, 4-3 wins for Wolves and Liverpool against Leicester and Crystal Palace respectively. And within the first 50 seconds, Ramsey has two half-chances to shoot at goal, Luiz then Jorginho taking turns to give up possession cheaply. Don’t bet against a third!

5.29pm GMT

The teams are out! Arsenal are in their iconic red shirts with white sleeves. Chelsea could be running out in a blue version of that, but their old boss from the 1930s, David Calderhead, didn’t like the sound of the idea, which had been mooted by Tom Webster, a cartoonist for the London Evening Standard. So Webster took it to Herbert Chapman instead. Probably all for the best. Chelsea are in plain blue, and their fans now wouldn’t have it any other way. We’ll be off in a second!

5.12pm GMT

BT Sport asks Maurizio Sarri whether he’s happy with the way his goal-shy team is playing, Eden Hazard as a false nine, all that. “I think our system is working. I hope so. This is a difficult game, I prefer to start with this solution, because with this solution we are more solid.”

Then Granit Xhaka is asked whether Arsenal are feeling the pressure, because a loss tonight would seriously harm their hopes of a top-four finish. “We can be out of it, but we play at home. It’s a hard game and Chelsea have good quality. But we play at home with our fans, and it’s important to make a good game today.”

4.50pm GMT

Here’s Aaron Ramsey in the Arsenal changing room before today’s match. Some high-quality wood panelling at the Emirates, he’ll do well to note. It’s like a five-star spa.

4.40pm GMT

Arsenal make three changes to the side named at the London Stadium last Saturday. Aaron Ramsey, Hector Bellerin and Lucas Torreira take the places of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Alex Iwobi and Shkodran Mustafi. There’s also a spot for Mesut Ozil on the bench. Chelsea meanwhile have selected the exact same first 11 picked against Newcastle last week.

4.32pm GMT

Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Papastathopoulos, Koscielny, Kolasinac, Torreira, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Ramsey, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
Subs: Cech, Elneny, Ozil, Maitland-Niles, Iwobi, Monreal, Mustafi.

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso, Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic, Pedro, Hazard, Willian.
Subs: Barkley, Caballero, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Christensen, Emerson Palmieri, Ampadu.

2.51pm GMT

Has one of the biggest fixtures of the season come at the wrong time for these two clubs? Or exactly the right moment? You could spin it either way, given neither are at the top of their game right now.

Hosts Arsenal are coming off the back of defeat in another London derby, at West Ham last weekend. They were dismal in that one, their fourth defeat in their last eight matches in all competitions. That long winning run during September and October feels an awfully long time ago.

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Published on January 19, 2019 11:57

Wolves 4-3 Leicester City: Premier League – as it happened

Diogo Jota was the last-gasp, hat-trick hero as Wolves saw off the Foxes in a Molineux thriller.

3.07pm GMT

And that’s your lot. Congratulations to Wolves, who won a Premier League classic; commiserations to Claude Puel, who will be under even greater pressure now. If we see a better game all season, we’ll be doing pretty well. Thanks for reading!

3.05pm GMT

And now a grim-faced Claude Puel. “We have had a lot of emotion in this game, different feelings. We started with poor play, a poor performance at the beginning. This we had to correct. After the second goal we came back with good intention, pressing, quality, chances to come back. We come back in the second half with fantastic desire, we put Wolves under pressure, it was a fantastic feeling. But it was difficult to maintain our pressing. We had the happiness to score the third goal, but we didn’t keep our structure. We wanted to score another goal in extra time, and that is our fault. It is sad. To concede the last goal is difficult, very disappointing. My concern is to keep my focus. Other things are not my focus.”

2.59pm GMT

A beaming Nuno speaks! “A very good game. A game we have to look at, but it’s a game everyone enjoys. Fantastic game of football, two teams that really wanted to win and play the game. Of course I think that when we were in the advantage, we should manage it better. We thought we had the game, but in football you cannot, it is never finished. We are speaking with happiness and relief. I was sent off, but rightly so, you cannot go on the pitch. I went outside it, but then just on. Someone saw me!”

2.44pm GMT

Ben Fisher hit the jackpot this week. He was in situ at Molineux to witness some top-drawer entertainment, and here’s his report of a thriller!

2.39pm GMT

The hat-trick hero Diogo Jota speaks some righteous truth. “This is the Premier League! Every team believes until the end. In a game you win like this, you feel great. We know Ruben Neves’s ability to put long passes in, we practice in training, we believe that the ball is going to be there, and we just have to be there and do the final touch. I thought I had missed the last opportunity, but thankfully there was another one and I could score.” He saunters off with the match ball under one arm, the man-of-the-match award in the other hand. A good day at the office!

2.35pm GMT

What a game, though. Both teams had an absurd number of chances! Leicester took 16 pots at goal to Wolves’ 12. Not sure what Leicester’s defence was up to right at the end. Piling forward and leaving two at the back, with the manager’s job on the line, was just asking for trouble. And trouble came at them with extreme prejudice. After you, Claude.

2.30pm GMT

It almost seems irrelevant at the moment, with the Molineux masses bouncing in joy to celebrate that sensational victory. But the win’s taken Wolves above Leicester in the Premier League table. They’re in eighth spot now, at least for a wee while. Anyway, you’ll do well to see a better match than that for a while. Both teams put on wonderful attacking displays, even if the defending sometimes left a little to be desired. But Wolves were thoroughly deserved winners, because they looked just that little bit more dangerous going forward, just that little bit more solid at the back. It’s a thin line between success and failure sometimes, and the reactions of both managers illustrated that all right: Nuno’s smile sparkled brighter than gold, while Puel buried his face in both hands.

2.24pm GMT

Wow. Wow! The best game of this Premier League season so far, and it’s been won in dramatic circumstances by Jota’s hat-trick! Claude Puel held his head in disbelief; that late blow could have serious repercussions for the under-fire Leicester manager. But what a win for Wolves, who were magnificent today, Molineux celebrating accordingly!

2.22pm GMT

The Wolves boss came racing onto the pitch, Klopp style, to celebrate with his players. And he’s been sent packing as a result!

2.21pm GMT

A long rake down the right for Jimenez, another fine Neves pass. Jimenez curls a first-time ball into the middle, and Jota opens his body to slip a shot into the bottom left! What drama here!

2.20pm GMT

90 min +2: Jota chases an up-and-under down the middle. He very nearly gets in between Evans and Pereira, but can’t poke the ball past Schmeichel. But then ...

2.19pm GMT

90 min +1: The first extra minute is spent dealing with Iheanacho, who took a whack from Doherty there. On the touchline, Claude Puel tells his charges to take it easy. He’ll settle for this point; it might just have kept him in a job.

2.18pm GMT

90 min: The corner’s hit long. Doherty rises at the far post, but is crowded out and can only send a poor header wide left from close range. There will be three added minutes of this marvellous match; if only there could be 33.

2.17pm GMT

89 min: But this one’s cleared easily, and Jota goes racing down the left on the counter. He crosses. Evans can only eyebrow a clearance to Jimenez, in space on the right. Jimenez can’t get the ball down to shoot, but earns a corner. This is relentless! Can anyone find a dramatic winner?

2.16pm GMT

88 min: Evans passes long down the left and Vardy earns a corner off Bennett. The magician Maddison to take.

2.15pm GMT

What a free kick from Maddison! From the right wing, he curls it towards the far post, the ball dropping to Morgan on the edge of the six-yard box. Morgan rises highest and guides a header into the top right! Leicester’s captain races off to the dugout, pointing at Puel, dedicating his goal to his manager!

2.13pm GMT

86 min: Jonny is booked for another foul on Mendy. A kick on the knee, more clumsy than intentional. A free kick out on the right, and Maddison is over this one too.

2.12pm GMT

85 min: Leicester try to move Wolves about. Jota tugs Mendy’s shoulder, and this is a free kick 35 yards out. Maddison is over it. He lays off to Chilwell, who chips weakly into the mixer. Wolves clear easily. That’s extremely poor.

2.10pm GMT

83 min: Iheanacho comes on for Simpson.

2.10pm GMT

82 min: Chilwell crosses deep from the left. Wolves don’t clear, and Pereira is able to hook the ball back from the byline to the right of goal. He finds Maddison, on the edge of the six-yard box. Maddison appears surprised, and scuffs a first-time effort wide right. A real chance there.

2.08pm GMT

81 min: Gibbs-White comes on for Moutinho.

2.07pm GMT

79 min: Gray wedges a pass down the left and nearly releases Vardy into the box, but the ball clacks off the striker’s heel. A cute effort. Both players hold their head in their hands; that wasn’t far from opening Wolves up.

2.06pm GMT

78 min: Leicester stroke it around in Wolves territory awhile, but don’t really go anywhere, the hosts holding their shape. Admirable patience by Leicester, though, who could be forgiven for getting a bit desperate, given their manager’s plight.

2.04pm GMT

76 min: Jonny drives down the Wolves left; Mendy dribbles down the Leicester right. There’s a pleasing basketball rhythm to this match now.

2.03pm GMT

74 min: Gray sends a daisycutter goalwards. It’s deflected into the path of Vardy, and nearly pinballs in the direction of Maddison, who would have been clear in the area with a little luck. But the ball rolls Wolverhampton’s way, and the home side clear. Nearly an immediate impact from the Leicester sub.

2.01pm GMT

73 min: Apologies to Barnes for the previous entry, because he’s now hooked for Maddison. Pulitzer, please! Meanwhile Doherty comes on for Wolves, replacing Vinagre.

1.59pm GMT

72 min: Barnes bowls down the left and nearly sends Gray clear with a little dink forward. Not quite. That very early loose pass apart, Barnes has impressed today. He can take heart from his first Premier League start, whatever the result.

1.58pm GMT

70 min: Jimenez grafts down the left to earn Wolves a corner. Moutinho takes. Chilwell half clears. Neves attempts an ambitious volley from 30 yards and nearly hits the corner flag on the left. He’s earned the right to take such an ambitious dig; that pass for Jota’s second was sensational.

1.56pm GMT

68 min: So that Barnes equaliser ... turns out the shot was curling just wide of the right-hand post, and took a flick off Coady. So that’s an own goal. It never rains but it pours, eh Leicester fans.

1.55pm GMT

66 min: Jimenez does extremely well to keep a Jonny pass in play down the right. He sprays a crossfield pass towards Vinagre on the left. Vinagre dinks into the centre. Schmeichel gets proactive and races from his line, tapping the ball out of a thicket, then hacking clear from the edge of his box. Jota goes over Schmeichel’s leg, but the keeper got there first and it wasn’t a foul. No penalty. The momentum shifts in this game have been absurd.

1.53pm GMT

Wolves have steadied the ship all right! And how! Simpson crosses into the Wolves box from the right. Bennett heads clear. Neves picks up possession from deep, and quarterbacks a stunning pass down the inside-left channel for Jota, who takes down, strides into the box past Morgan, and then blasts a shot through Schmeichel and into the net! Route one can be beautiful too.

1.51pm GMT

63 min: Signs that Wolves have steadied the ship a little, if nothing else. Leicester were pouring forward with great regularity during the opening exchanges of the second half; now the game’s settled a bit.

1.49pm GMT

61 min: So having said that, Wolves show in attack for the first time since the break. Neves scoops a pass down the inside-left channel for Jota, who enters the area looking dangerous. Jota looks to bring the ball down, but only succeeds in playing it back into Morgan’s chest. Morgan clears, though Jota goes down in the process. There’s not enough in that for a penalty, though Wolves want one.

1.47pm GMT

60 min: Wolves are struggling to retain possession. Credit to Claude Puel for a thoroughly effective half-time bollocking.

1.46pm GMT

58 min: Ndidi is booked for a rash slide on Moutinho. A few players now one poor challenge away from an early bath. This has been such an entertaining game, it’d be a real shame if it was decided by a red card for either side.

1.44pm GMT

57 min: Gray drives down the inside-left channel and is stopped by a brave tackle from Bennett just inside the area. That was perfectly timed; it had to be. Wolves are seriously rocking here.

1.43pm GMT

56 min: Leicester’s corners haven’t been much cop today, and that trend continues here.

1.42pm GMT

55 min: Molineux has fallen quiet. It’s all Leicester. Chilwell battles down the left and wins a corner off Jonny.

1.41pm GMT

53 min: Well that’s quite the turnaround. Perhaps we shouldn’t be totally surprised, given only Arsenal have won as many points from a losing position in the Premier League this season as Leicester (12). Wolves are stunned, and now it’s the away end making all the noise.

1.40pm GMT

Chilwell turns on the jets and runs at Wolves down the inside-left channel. That’s one of the most determined runs you’ll see! He enters the area at great speed, threatening to break clear, but Jonny blocks. But the defender’s falling backwards, and can only flick the ball a couple of yards back up the pitch. It’s bouncing free just inside the area, and Barnes nips in to smash a low shot across Rui Patricio and into the bottom right! The power took that through the keeper and into the net, there was no stopping it!

1.38pm GMT

49 min: And suddenly it’s all Leicester. Vinagre plays a poor pass inside from the Wolves left. That allows Vardy to zip towards the Leicester box, and slide a pass to Barnes, bombing in from the Leicester left. Barnes shoots hard from a tight angle, forcing Rui Patricio to tip to the ball over the bar. The resulting corner comes to nothing, but good luck guessing how this game’s going to end up.

1.36pm GMT

48 min: But it’s not all good news for Leicester, because Maguire has taken a whack to the nose, and he’s replaced by Evans.

1.35pm GMT

Wolves are immediately on the front foot, Simpson gifting the ball to Jota on the left. Jota feeds Vinagre, whose cross isn’t too great. Leicester clear, and Vardy outmuscles Bennett in the centre circle to turn into space. He slips a pass wide to Gray, who immediately tears off down the inside-right channel, enters the area, and threads a shot across Rui Patricio and into the bottom left! Game immediately back on!

1.32pm GMT

Leicester get the second half underway! No changes at the break.

1.25pm GMT

And some half-time reading ...

1.23pm GMT

Half-time viewing from ATV Land.

1.20pm GMT

Leicester have been half-decent in attack. But wholly dreadful at the back. As a result, Wolves could easily be out of sight. A big half-time teamtalk coming up for Claude Puel.

1.19pm GMT

45 min +1: The first of two added minutes sees Wolves load the Leicester box. But the free kick’s no good. Coady goes long for Jota, who is shoved in the back by Simpson. No penalty, though you’ve seen them given. Then the same players come together in the centre circle, and Jota is booked for not very much at all. He’s incensed, and no wonder, because Simpson kicked him on the thigh when completing a boot upfield. That’s preposterous.

1.15pm GMT

45 min: Leicester’s free kick is a non event, and Jota is allowed to charge back upfield on the counter. Pereira unceremoniously hacks him down from behind, and that’s a no-brainer of a booking.

1.14pm GMT

44 min: But they deal with the corner well enough. They race up the other end, in the hope of reducing the arrears just before half-time. Vardy knocks the ball past Bennett down the left wing, and clatters into the defender, knowing full well he’ll earn a free kick. And Bennett goes in the book too.

1.13pm GMT

43 min: Jonny bustles his way down the right and earns a corner off Chilwell. That’s wonderful harrying, though Chilwell should never have allowed that. Leicester have been pitiful at the back.

1.12pm GMT

41 min: Wolves are after the third goal that would put this game to bed. Jota tries a spectacular bicycle kick from the edge of the box. It’s blocked. Then Moutinho has a shot that’s sliced miles wide right. And then Jota dribbles in from the right and runs slap into Morgan. The crowd scream for a penalty but they’re never getting that.

1.10pm GMT

40 min: Vinagre glides in from the left and feeds Jimenez, who turns Maguire inside out down the channel. He makes enough space for a shot, just inside the box, but Schmeichel saves well with his feet.

1.09pm GMT

38 min: Jota is this close to releasing Vinagre down the left with a crossfield rake, but Maguire does well to intercept and put a stop to Wolves’ gallop.

1.07pm GMT

36 min: Vardy slides Simpson into space down the right. Simpson earns a corner, but the set piece is easily cleared, Rui Patricio and Moutinho combining to end the danger.

1.06pm GMT

35 min: The game enters its first lull. It couldn’t keep going like that forever.

1.04pm GMT

33 min: Vardy is slightly fortunate to get away with clumping Neves upside the head as he contests a high ball a bit too vigorously. He wanders off effing and jeffing, clearly frustrated at Leicester’s current plight.

1.02pm GMT

31 min: Ndidi opens up down the left, and nearly hits the right-hand corner flag with something that could have been a cross, could have been a shot. Not really sure. No Ndidi.

1.00pm GMT

29 min: Jonny should send Jimenez clear down the inside-left channel, with Wolves three on two. But the pass is no good, and Leicester, who are an utter shambles at the back, escape again.

12.59pm GMT

28 min: Leicester have enjoyed 57 percent of possession, and taken eight pops at goal. They’ve attacked in numbers, entertainingly so. And yet they could easily be four goals down before the half-hour mark. Nothing’s going right for Claude Puel right now.

12.57pm GMT

26 min: Leicester Could Be Three Down Now pt.II. Jimenez makes good ground down the right and, from a tight spot, whips a cross in from the byline for Jota. Morgan is sleeping, and Schmeichel does extremely well to gather Jota’s downward header on the line.

12.56pm GMT

25 min: And yet they could be three down now! Jimenez slips a ball down the left for Dendoncker, who whips a magnificent low cross through the six-yard box. Schmeichel’s position isn’t great, and if Jonny had read Dendoncker’s intention, he’d have had a tap-in at the near post. But he was hanging back a bit. That was a fine, incisive move by Wolves, and a great run by Dendoncker.

12.54pm GMT

24 min: Wolves have drawn a little of Leicester’s sting in the last couple of minutes, but the majority of the play is still in their half. Leicester haven’t played badly at all.

12.53pm GMT

22 min: Wolves knock the ball around for a bit in the sterile style. They really need this breather. This has been a very strange, but very entertaining, opening period.

12.52pm GMT

20 min: Barnes, receiving pelters from the home support on account of his sojourn at West Brom, wheels down the left and sets up Ndidi, who in turn tees up Gray; his shot sails wide. Then Simpson sends Pereira off down the right; he tees up Gray again, but once more no luck. Leicester have now had eight attempts on goal, while Wolves have made just the three. That’s the joy of football, right there.

12.49pm GMT

18 min: Pereira drives down the middle and slips a pass down the inside-left channel for Gray, who fires a shot towards the bottom right. Rui Patricio fingertips it round the post for a corner that, you guessed it, isn’t up to much. But the visitors are in this game all right, despite the scoreline.

12.47pm GMT

16 min: That corner isn’t up to much either. But Leicester, despite being two goals adrift already, are looking dangerous in attack. They come back at Wolves yet again, Chilwell winning a third corner in short order down the left. It comes to nothing, but that completes a passage of play that will give Leicester a little hope of getting out of this mess.

12.46pm GMT

15 min: Leicester’s corner isn’t all that, but Rui Patricio makes another mistake with the ball at his feet, sending a clearance straight to Barnes. Leicester come straight back at Wolves, the ball slipped right for Gray, who shoots diagonally for the bottom left. That’s deflected out for another corner.

12.44pm GMT

14 min: On the touchline, Claude Puel is beyond anger, throwing semaphore shapes and screaming abuse at his players. “You’re getting sacked in the morning,” trill the Wolves fans. Barnes responds with a shot from distance. It’s deflected out for a corner.

12.43pm GMT

Coady rakes a glorious long pass down the inside-left channel to send Jota into an awful lot of space. Jota wins a corner, which Moutinho takes long. Bennett rises above a flat-footed Maguire, and plants a header into the top right! Once again, Schmeichel had no chance, and this is a superb start by Wolves! Star soccer!

12.40pm GMT

10 min: Maguire’s back up and about.

12.40pm GMT

9 min: Jota threatens to break clear down the inside-right channel, but he’s stopped in his tracks by Maguire. The ball squirts through to Schmeichel and the danger is gone, though Maguire’s hurt himself there and is down receiving treatment. Meanwhile here’s Gary Naylor, coming straight at you from the 1970s: “A drizzly day in ATV Land? I literally (and involuntarily) heard Hugh Johns’ voice in my mind when I read that. Thank you for that Proustian rush.” Wait until I start banging on about Hartley Hare.

12.37pm GMT

7 min: Both of these teams are all over the shop! Gray breaks out of a brouhaha and reaches the byline down the left. His cross is blocked by Moutinho for a corner. From the set piece, Maguire rises highest in the six-yard box, but the ball slaps off his grid and over the bar. A fine chance spurned.

12.36pm GMT

5 min: Rui Patricio nearly gifts Leicester and immediate equaliser! He faffs around with the ball at his feet, taking way too long to weigh up his options. Vardy nips in and nearly rounds him on the right, but can’t slot home from a tight angle and the keeper does just enough to recover. This is a wonderfully entertaining start!

12.35pm GMT

Leicester clear the corner easily enough. But Gray loses the ball in the midfield, and Moutinho’s racing down the right as a result. He crosses into the centre. Jota nips in ahead of a snoozing Simpson, and sidefoots powerfully into the right-hand side of goal! Schmeichel had no chance!

12.33pm GMT

3 min: Vinagre makes ground down the right and pulls the ball back from the byline. Neves, racing in from deep, meets the pass 25 yards from goal, and sends a first-time power curler towards the top right. It’s a sensational effort, and one tipped round the post in similar style by Schmeichel. Corner, from which ...

12.32pm GMT

Here we go, then! The home heroes get the party started. A drizzly day in ATV Land. And it’s not long before a loose Barnes pass allows Jimenez to tear down the right. Mendy comes in to clatter, and that’s the earliest of early yellow cards. Not an ideal first touch for the Premier League debut starter.

12.28pm GMT

The teams are out! Wolves are in their storied old gold, while Leicester sport their famous blue. Hi ho, Wolverhampton, we’ll be off in a minute. In the meantime, and speaking of shirts, here’s our old pal Mac Millings. “My real concern about that dressing room pic isn’t the horror of the folding job that’s been done on the kit (although I can, in truth, barely bring myself even to look at it). Instead, I’m wondering why Harvey Barnes has been given an entire roll of toilet paper. Perhaps of more concern is the fact that his neighbour to our right doesn’t have one. Has he used the whole thing up already?”

12.20pm GMT

And now it’s the turn of Claude Puel. “It will be fascinating to see how Harvey Barnes starts the game. He has good qualities. I hope he can give his best, with the character and personality he showed at West Bromwich. We have shown a lot of quality in other games and now we have to find a good consistency. We can go seventh and that is our only focus today.”

12.18pm GMT

Nuno speaks to Sky Sports, and is asked why Matt Doherty isn’t in the starting XI. “Cos Jonny’s gonna play. Options, options, I’m always trying to better the team. We are totally confident that the decisions we make are the right ones. We have a small squad but a versatile enough one to know that when a player is missing we have other options, and we can maintain our performance. Today is a tough challenge, Leicester is a good team and we look forward to playing them.”

11.52am GMT

Harvey Barnes makes his first start in the Premier League for Leicester City today. This is what the 21-year-old midfielder will find in the Molineux away dressing room. Hopefully superstition isn’t an issue for the young man, because the way his shirt’s been folded, the bottom of the numbers aren’t in view. And those socks have been paired to different lengths. It’s chaos. Who could concentrate in the face of such disorder? I’d be spinning like a top. A free bottle of calming isotonic pop, though, so it’s swings and roundabouts.

11.38am GMT

Two changes for Wolves off the back of their 3-0 defeat at the Etihad. Romain Saiss and Ruben Vinagre take the place of the suspended Willy Boly and the benched Matt Doherty, neither of whom particularly covered themselves in glory on Monday night.

Leicester make three changes to the team that lost 2-1 at home to Southampton last Saturday. Danny Simpson, Demarai Gray and Harvey Barnes replace James Maddison, Marc Albrighton and Hamza Choudhary, who all drop to the bench. Barnes, who impressed on his recent loan spell at West Brom, makes his first Premier League start for the club.

11.32am GMT

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Rui Patricio, Bennett, Coady, Dendoncker, Jonny, Saiss, Neves, Ruben Vinagre, Joao Moutinho, Jimenez, Jota.
Subs: Doherty, Ivan Cavaleiro, Helder Costa, Gibbs-White, John Ruddy, Giles, Traore.

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell, Mendy, Ndidi, Ricardo Pereira, Gray, Barnes, Vardy.
Subs: Evans, Iheanacho, Maddison, Albrighton, Ward, Fuchs, Choudhury.

10.54am GMT

Wolverhampton Wanderers are one of the success stories of the season. No doubt about that. Last year’s Championship winners are in no danger of going back down. Nuno Espirito Santo’s team can beat the best of them on their day: they’ve taken a point off the champions Manchester City, won at Spurs, and knocked league leaders Liverpool out of the cup. The 1954, 1958 and 1959 champions of England are back, baby!

Even so, their recent form hasn’t been so hot. Beating Tottenham just after Christmas was some result, but it’s their only win in their last five Premier League outings. That sequence has seen them well beaten at home by Liverpool and Crystal Palace, scrape a draw at Fulham, and lose heavily at Manchester City. They could do with a big result here to get themselves back into the top half of the table.

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Published on January 19, 2019 07:07

From Allison to Hoddle via Souness: beware the manager returning ‘home’ | Scott Murray

Martin O’Neill may have won two European Cups as a player for Nottingham Forest but while his appointment as manager may be a romantic tale such second comings rarely end well

Never go back, that’s what they say. It’s beneficial advice. But it is a warning that all too often goes unheeded. Look at them all, hooking up with their exes, visiting their hometown for the first time in years, booking the same holiday in the hope of reliving that perfect break. Don’t do it! That old flame won’t rekindle; an old foe will start a fistfight; it’ll rain all week and the hotel’s now infested with mice. No, it’s best to keep moving forward. Never go back.

They tell you this in the world of football too, but here again folk don’t always listen. History is strewn with tales of managers returning to their alma mater on a white charger in the windswept style, only to come a cropper in short order and limp off in abject defeat. It’s a state of affairs that may give Nottingham Forest pause, as they welcome back Martin O’Neill to the scene of his greatest playing successes, a managerial marriage that’s seemed inevitable for decades, but a romantic appointment fraught with danger.

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Published on January 19, 2019 01:00

January 12, 2019

Chelsea 2-1 Newcastle United: Premier League – as it happened

Pedro and Willian scored fine goals as Chelsea tightened their grip on fourth place.

7.51pm GMT

And that’s that. Thanks for reading!

7.50pm GMT

Rafa Benitez talks. “The team worked so hard, you could see every player fighting to the end. But we were playing a very good team, and Willian was great. The reaction of the team to falling behind was good. We made a couple of big mistakes but we defended well, and played on the counter-attack. On another day we could have got something. We know that we have difficult games. When you play the top teams in two or three games in a row, maybe you won’t get the points you want. But we have to be strong enough to get the points we need.”

7.45pm GMT

Maurizio Sarri speaks. “I was very happy with the performance against Tottenham. But today I am happy with the result, but not the performance. It was not so good, especially from between 1-0 and 1-1. We could have done better, but today it was really important to win points. We slept for 25 minutes and let them back in the match. Maybe we thought after our goal it is very easy. But it wasn’t! Willian is very important for us. He has to stay with us. A seven-point gap over Arsenal is very useful, but we have to play a lot of matches.”

7.40pm GMT

Ed Aarons was at Stamford Bridge tonight. Here’s his report!

7.38pm GMT

Chelsea’s goalscorers Willian and Pedro are sent out for a post-match chat. It’s the usual thing, great to earn three points, happy for the fans, onto the next game, etc. But there’s one charming moment when BT Sport quiz Willian about his future. At which point, footballers normally play it with a straight bat. But Willian smiles broadly and cheekily. “My future? My future is here with Chelsea! I don’t know what you are talking about.” So some good news there for Chelsea fans.

7.28pm GMT

Chelsea take a good grip of fourth place. They move six points ahead of fifth-placed Arsenal, and nine ahead of sixth-placed Manchester United, the latter with a game in hand and a chance to close that gap tomorrow. They’re only a point behind third-placed Tottenham Hotspur. It’s Arsenal next weekend!

Newcastle meanwhile remain in the bottom three. However with Cardiff City up next at St James’ Park, they’ll be hopeful of addressing that situation positively, and in short order. Not least because they play Manchester City and Tottenham afterwards.

7.23pm GMT

Longstaff bursts into the Chelsea box down the right. He shoots for the top right. The ball takes a clip off Luiz, and it’s a corner to Newcastle. They load the box, but Ritchie and Atsu play it short, wasting the chance to put some late, late pressure on the hosts. Atsu eventually hoicks the ball over everyone’s head, and that’s that! Rafa wears a look of incredulity at what he’s just seen.

7.21pm GMT

90 min +3: Chelsea knock it about, letting the clock do its thing.

7.21pm GMT

90 min +2: Kante slips a pass wide right for Azpilicueta. He’s got men in the middle, but can’t find any of them with his cross. He’s unable to get the ball past first man Lascelles.

7.20pm GMT

90 min +1: Willian busts a gut to earn a corner down the left. He then wastes it, with a little help from Hudson-Odoi, as the pair play it short and achieve nothing.

7.18pm GMT

90 min: There will be four added minutes.

7.18pm GMT

89 min: Longstaff looks to send Ritchie away down the left with another impressive crossfield ball. But it’s delivered just an inch or two too far upfield.

7.16pm GMT

87 min: Hazard is replaced by Giroud. “In response to Benjamin Park, we should be just fine for top four without buying a striker in January,” opines Ciaran Crowther. “Hazard is auditioning for Real, remember, so his goals will probably be enough for top four before we say our goodbyes to him in the summer. Man United might challenge us if the Solskjaer feel-good effect puts them on a winning streak. Thinking long-term, a striker is urgently needed. Major investment needed during the summer in order to challenge for the title next season.”

7.15pm GMT

86 min: Manquillo curls into the Chelsea box from a deep position on the right. Rondon rises above Azpilicueta at the far post, but his header flies wide left. A real chance spurned. Should he have gone back across Kepa towards the right-hand side of goal?

7.13pm GMT

85 min: Jorginho tries to spring Hudson-Odoi clear down the right with a fizzing diagonal pass. But the young man goes too early, and the flag goes up for offside.

7.13pm GMT

84 min: The Chelsea crowd are nervous all right, as their team defend this slim lead. Hazard plays a flick that doesn’t come off in the midfield, and the groans nearly take the roof off the stadium.

7.10pm GMT

82 min: A double switch by Newcastle, as Perez and Yedlin are replaced by Murphy and Manquillo.

7.10pm GMT

80 min: Hudson-Odoi replaces Pedro. The young Bayern Munich target is immediately serenaded with “We want you to stay” by the home support.

7.08pm GMT

79 min: A period of possession for Newcastle now. Some patient passing. Longstaff strokes a lovely right-to-left ball to release Ritchie on the left. Ritchie’s cross is deflected out for a corner. The set piece is wasted, but there’s a sign that Newcastle are far from out of this match. A few nerves around Stamford Bridge.

7.05pm GMT

77 min: Luiz is happily back up and about. A sore one, nothing more.

7.05pm GMT

75 min: Rondon chests down a long ball, then lays off to Perez, who attempts to dribble his way into the Chelsea box. Luiz puts a stop to his gallop. Perez slips and catches Luiz as he falls, clattering into the defender’s standing leg. A free kick for Chelsea, and some necessary treatment to Luiz’s knee, which took a good old whack there.

7.02pm GMT

73 min: Luiz sends the free kick towards the top left ... but it’s swerving all over the shop, and ends up missing the target by a big margin, high and to the left.

7.01pm GMT

72 min: Chelsea put a stop to that with a period of sterile domination. A lot of pretty passing in triangles. They don’t look to be going anywhere, so Newcastle will be annoyed to see Perez lose his patience and needlessly bowl Alonso to the ground, 30 yards out. A chance for Luiz or Willian to score a trademark set-piece screamer?

6.58pm GMT

70 min: Two-pass moves come at a premium right now. All very scrappy.

6.57pm GMT

68 min: Lascelles is back on. Chelsea ping it around in the patient fashion, but go absolutely nowhere. A rare lull with quarter of the match remaining.

6.55pm GMT

67 min: Lascelles injured himself while ensuring that Willian effort went out for a corner, running out of pitch and clattering into the advertising hoardings. He’s gashed his knee badly. He looks like he wants to continue, but he’s currently off the pitch getting some treatment.

6.54pm GMT

65 min: The Luiz-Willian combination nearly undoes Newcastle again. Luiz rakes a long pass down the left that releases his team-mate. Willian draws Dubravka but this time the keeper gets a touch to ensure the ball goes wide left of the goal. Nothing comes of the corner.

6.52pm GMT

63 min: Barkley comes on for Kovacic.

6.52pm GMT

62 min: Jorginho is booked for a cynical tug on Rondon.

6.51pm GMT

61 min: Perez and Rondon one-two their way into the Chelsea box. As Perez steps into the area, Rudiger gently tugs his wrist. Perez goes down, and he wants a penalty. He’s not getting it. Newcastle supporters who recall the Mo Salah incident on Boxing Day are permitted to raise their eyebrows. But it would have been a very soft penalty.

6.49pm GMT

60 min: Hazard goes scampering down the inside-right channel. It’s a determined burst, but he’s robbed by Atsu, who sticks in a toe from behind. It’s a fine tackle. Hazard goes over, and the Chelsea fans explode in collective apoplexy. But the referee waves play on, and he’s called it right.

6.48pm GMT

59 min: Do Newcastle have a second equaliser in them? That goal’s understandably deflated them; they were giving as good as they were getting beforehand. Chelsea by contrast are renewed. There appears to be an extra bounce in Hazard’s step, which doesn’t augur well for the Toon.

6.46pm GMT

What was that we were saying about a lack of quality in this game? Scrub that! No more! Hazard slips a pass down the left for Willian, who enters the box, shifts the ball onto his right foot, and curls a delicious shot across Dubravka and into the top right! The keeper had no chance! That was a lovely goal!

6.45pm GMT

56 min: Alonso zips down the left wing and pulls one back for Pedro, on the penalty spot. Pedro takes a first-time swipe, but there’s no power in the shot and it’s straight at Dubravka.

6.44pm GMT

55 min: ... some head tennis. Lascelles tugs Rudiger, but gets away with it. Dubravka flaps. Newcastle can’t clear, but eventually the flag goes up for offside. There hasn’t been too much quality play in this match, but it’s been wonderfully entertaining ... and good luck predicting the outcome.

6.43pm GMT

54 min: Kante’s not having it, though. He snaps into a challenge to strip Hayden of possession, and drives towards the Newcastle box. He slips a pass left for Willian, who enters the area and sees a low shot turned into the side netting. From the corner ...

6.41pm GMT

53 min: Jorginho, in space and with time 30 yards out, sprays a pass into the stand on the left. The home crowd aren’t happy. Chelsea suddenly look a team with the weight of the world on their shoulders.

6.40pm GMT

52 min: Luiz nearly splits Newcastle’s defence with a sliderule pass down the middle. Hazard can’t quite get onto the ball; Lejeune hoicks it away from danger.

6.39pm GMT

51 min: Chelsea don’t look totally at the races. Luiz miskicks and nearly lets Rondon scamper clear. Hazard miscontrols. Kante lets a simple ball run under his boot. The crowd are vocal in their frustration.

6.38pm GMT

49 min: Ritchie makes good down the left. His cross is eyebrowed away from goal at the near post by Atsu, who might have done well to leave the header to Rondon, standing behind him.

6.37pm GMT

48 min: After making a superb save to keep Newcastle level, Dubravka looks to pluck the corner from the sky. He then drops it, and Ritchie is forced to hook away from Luiz in an emergency. Chelsea so close to regaining their lead!

6.36pm GMT

47 min: A loose pass by Lascelles, 30 yards from goal, allows Kovacic to burst towards the Newcastle box. He slips the ball wide to Pedro, who is one on one with Dubravka. Pedro creams one towards the bottom left, but the keeper tips it around the post!

6.33pm GMT

And we’re off again! Newcastle get the ball rolling for the second half. No changes. “Chelsea NEED a striker,” hollers Benjamin Park. “Willian plays wide, Hazard plays wide, and guess where Pedro plays. When the ball is on the wings, there’s nobody to put a cross into. Even the through balls go through the wings. Not sure if we can keep top four unless something changes ASAP.”

6.22pm GMT

Half-time reading. Rafa is far from the only Premier League manager with problems. Here’s our man Andy Hunter on under-pressure Everton boss Marco Silva.

6.18pm GMT

Chelsea are booed off by a section of their own support, which is a bit harsh. They were the better team for most of that first half. But Newcastle fought their way back into it, and after the equaliser looked very lively indeed. This could be a very interesting second half, so don’t be going out for your Saturday night quite yet!

6.16pm GMT

45 min: Atsu and Rudiger combine at speed down the right. Eventually Yedlin is sent scampering away on the overlap, but he can’t find a team-mate in the area. Newcastle are suddenly a free-flowing confident collective! Chelsea need the half-time whistle desperately. They’ve got two added minutes to survive.

6.15pm GMT

43 min: And now Rondon, pressing hard, bothers last man Rudiger, but can’t nick the ball off the defender. Chelsea work the ball away from danger.

6.14pm GMT

42 min: This is suddenly a brilliantly entertaining match. Yedlin works his way down the right and hooks high into the Chelsea box. Ritchie meets the dropping ball with a volley from 12 yards ... but screws it miles wide right. Full marks for ambition, if not execution.

6.12pm GMT

41 min: And Chelsea should have regained the lead within seconds! Kovacic wedges a pass down the inside left, releasing Willian into acres, the Newcastle defence totally asleep. He’s got to score, having drawn Dubravka off his line. But he pulls a shot wide left from close range. On the touchline, Rafa has reached the stage of teeth-baring anger.

6.11pm GMT

Clark, on the penalty spot, rises between Rudiger and Luiz and plants a stunning downward header into the bottom left. Kepa had no chance! That was perfectly placed. And it had been coming, Newcastle working their way slowly back into the game after a sluggish start.

6.09pm GMT

39 min: ... Luiz is forced to head behind in a panic with plenty of black and white shirts lurking. And from the second corner ...

6.09pm GMT

38 min: Another corner for Chelsea on the left; another non-event. Newcastle go straight up the other end, Atsu winning one off Pedro on the left. From which ...

6.08pm GMT

37 min: Rondon strips Jorginho of the ball, as the Chelsea midfielder faffs about in the midfield. Rondon races away, with Chelsea light at the back. But the play’s pulled back for the lightest of tugs. Jorginho a little bit lucky there; there are plenty of referees who would have waved play on.

6.06pm GMT

35 min: Newcastle should be level. Rondon beats Luiz to a long ball, and sends Perez clear down the inside-right channel. He’s only got Kepa to beat, but slices his shot wide right. That’s poor, though perhaps good karma, because replays suggest Perez might have been just offside. So in that sense, fair’s fair. The flag didn’t go up, though.

6.05pm GMT

34 min: Kante clips Ritchie out on the left. A chance to load the box. The free kick’s tapped to Atsu, who can’t beat the first man. On the bench, steam continues to pour from Rafa’s lugs.

6.03pm GMT

33 min: Chelsea attempt to reestablish their command by stroking the ball around the midfield awhile. Then Pedro has a dig from distance, but his shot, from the best part of 30 yards, bobbles harmlessly through to Dubravka.

6.02pm GMT

31 min: Lascelles replays that crossfield ball to Yedlin. It’s well worth watching again. Once more, Yedlin isn’t able to engineer enough space on the wing to cross, but Newcastle are at least slowly working their way back into this match.

6.00pm GMT

29 min: Rondon takes down a long ball, then one-twos with Perez. It’s direct and effective, but when Rondon takes a stride into the box, he slashes wildly at the ball and sends it sailing miles to the left of goal. Still, that’s much better from Newcastle.

5.58pm GMT

28 min: Some space and time for Pedro out on the left. He nearly releases Kovacic into the area with a cute diagonal pass, but it’s a bit overcooked and the ball flies through to Dubravka.

5.57pm GMT

27 min: But Chelsea don’t clear their lines particularly convincingly, and Newcastle come again. A poor Azpilicueta header allows Lejeune a volley, just to the left of the D. It’s a fine hit, but straight at Kepa, who gathers without drama.

5.56pm GMT

26 min: Suddenly Newcastle show a little in attack, Hayden sending Perez scampering down the right. He’s got Rondon in the middle, but his cross is blocked out by Luiz. The resulting corner is a non-event.

5.55pm GMT

25 min: Willian takes, and scoops a ball to the far post. Luiz rushes in and crashes a header goalwards; it’s deflected over the bar by Lascelles. Chelsea don’t get the corner, though.

5.54pm GMT

24 min: Pedro slips a pass down the inside-right channel for Azpilicueta, who is in the process of rounding Ritchie at high speed when he’s nicked and brought down. A booking for Ritchie, and a free kick just to the right of the Newcastle box.

5.52pm GMT

22 min: But it goes nowhere. Yedlin, deep on the right, sprays one towards Atsu on the left. Atsu goes too soon, and is caught offside. Atsu had the full picture there, he had no need to drift offside.

5.51pm GMT

21 min: A period of sweet possession for Newcastle, their first of the match. Time for everyone to get a touch and hopefully rebuild a little confidence.

5.49pm GMT

19 min: Azpilicueta rakes a long ball down the right for Kante, who can’t quite circumnavigate Clarke. Had Kante got there a split second earlier, he was through on goal. Newcastle need to hang on here.

5.47pm GMT

17 min: Kovacic nearly skins Lejeune down the left, but just as it looks as though he’ll sprint free into the Newcastle box, the defender sticks out a leg. Corner. This one doesn’t clear the first man.

5.46pm GMT

16 min: Chelsea continue to stroke it around in a very dominant fashion.

5.45pm GMT

14 min: Hazard wins a corner down the left, though it doesn’t come to much, Rudiger shoving Dubravka in the back. Free kick, and the pressure’s off Newcastle. Hats off to Sarri, by the way, who made it clear that Pedro was his solution to Chelsea’s recent goalscoring troubles. It didn’t take Pedro long to solve the puzzle.

5.44pm GMT

13 min: Chelsea are pinging it around in a very pleasing style right now. Luiz passing long, Hazard scuttling around with menace, Jorginho keeping it all ticking.

5.42pm GMT

11 min: Lascelles sends a glorious left-to-right crossfield ball towards Yedlin, who nearly romps into acres on the left. But he’s stopped in his tracks by Alonso. On the touchline, Benitez is currently producing a volume of smoke Sarri can only dream of, though it’s all coming out of his ears. He wasn’t happy with Clark or Ritchie, who were both caught napping by that long Luiz pass for the goal.

5.40pm GMT

Well they’ll have to do more than defend now. Luiz, to the left of the centre circle in his own half, rakes a lovely long pass towards Pedro, who gets a yard on Clark down the inside-right channel. He takes the ball down, lets Dubravka come off his line, and lifts a precise finish over the keeper and into the net! That’s a really pretty route-one goal.

5.38pm GMT

8 min: Rondon chases down Luiz, who was faffing around out on the Chelsea left. That forces Luiz to roll back to Kepa. Rudiger is then hassled by Atsu on the other flank, briefly causing panic. A sign that Newcastle aren’t just here to defend?

5.36pm GMT

6 min: Not a whole lot going on yet. Chelsea are bossing possession, but Newcastle seem quite happy to sit back, and the hosts haven’t managed to move a packed defence around to any great effect. Early days of course.

5.34pm GMT

4 min: Kante glides in from the right and slips the ball to Hazard, who very nearly spins past Lascelles into an awful lot of space. But the Newcastle defender manages to stick to his man and Hazard eventually loses control.

5.33pm GMT

2 min: The travelling Toon support make their feelings for Mike Ashley known, via the medium of song ‘n’ swearies. You don’t need me to explain any further.

5.32pm GMT

1 min: It’s kind of a false start, as Willian almost immediately goes down under not much pressure from Lejeune. Has he twisted an ankle in an awkward fall? He limps around gingerly but it looks as though he’s good to go.

5.30pm GMT

And we’re off! A wonderful post-Saturday-afternoon-in-public-bar atmosphere in Stamford Bridge. The hosts get the party started.

5.29pm GMT

The teams are out! Chelsea are in their famous blue, while Newcastle wear their classic black and white. A quick blast of The Liquidator, and we’ll be off in a minute!

5.28pm GMT

Rafa talks! But only in a pre-recorded segment, where he straight bats all questions about the transfer window and his own contract. Instead he preaches unity with a righteous zeal. In these troubled times, he’d make a great prime minister, president, army general or cult leader. Oil on troubled waters.

5.09pm GMT

Maurizio Sarri speaks! “We know very well the situation. We have some problems. We are playing well, I think, but we are having a problem to score in this moment. We are trying to solve it. It’s not easy. But we have to do it. Pedro is very important for us, he is good in the spaces. We are trying to solve a problem, and we are trying to do so with Pedro.”

5.07pm GMT

So this afternoon’s 3pm kick-offs haven’t done Newcastle United any favours. Burnley beat Fulham 2-1 at Turf Moor. Southampton won 2-1 at Leicester City. And Cardiff City drew 0-0 with Huddersfield Town. All of that means Newcastle plummet into the bottom three ahead of this match. They’re in 18th place with the same number of points, one adrift of Cardiff and Saints, three behind Burnley. Newcastle are in a relegation battle all right.

4.56pm GMT

A peek behind the scenes. Shirts, towels, shinpads, programmes and flip-flops in the home dressing room. Some tasteful wood panelling offset by benching covered in towelling. Or is it a moleskin finish? Either way, not 100 percent sure that’s practical.

4.40pm GMT

Chelsea make two changes to the side named for their last Premier League game, the goalless draw here with Southampton. Mateo Kovacic and Pedro take the places of Ross Barkley and Alvaro Morata.

Newcastle make three changes to the teamsheet handed in for the home defeat to Manchester United. Fabian Schar, Mohamed Diame and Paul Dummett make way for Florian Lejeune, Ciaran Clark and the 21-year-old midfielder Sean Longstaff, who makes his first League start for the Magpies.

4.34pm GMT

Newcastle United: Dubravka, Yedlin, Lejeune, Lascelles, Clark, Ritchie, Perez, Longstaff, Hayden, Atsu, Rondon.
Subs: Schar, Murphy, Fernandez, Manquillo, Joselu, Sterry, Woodman.

11.14am GMT

Chelsea’s last couple of Premier League home games haven’t gone exactly to plan: a 0-0 draw with Southampton and a 0-1 loss to Leicester. So they’ll welcome Newcastle United to Stamford Bridge this evening with open arms. Here’s how this particular fixture has panned out recently: 3-0, 3-1, 5-1, 2-0, 3-0, 2-0.

The arrival of the struggling Magpies will be a sight for sore eyes. Especially as Rafa Benitez’s men have only won one of their last nine matches. Chelsea might not be firing on all cylinders at present, but they were the better side against Spurs midweek in the first leg of their League Cup semi, despite the result, and will be hopeful their overall performance at Wembley is a promise of better things to come.

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Published on January 12, 2019 11:51

West Ham United 1-0 Arsenal: Premier League – as it happened

Declan Rice, still only 19, was both star man and match-winner as the Hammers deservedly saw off the Gunners.

2.59pm GMT

Right, we’re all done here, then! All that remains is for me to point you in the direction of our man Jacob Steinberg’s match report, and to remind you that there’s some hot 3pm action going on in Rob Smyth’s Clockwatch. Enjoy, enjoy!

2.57pm GMT

And now here’s Unai Emery’s take. “It is a bad result for us. In 90 minutes we maybe didn’t deserve it. We had chances, but we did not control the game like we want. Our reaction after the goal was not efficient, we did not impose our gameplan. We lost a big opportunity to get closer to Chelsea in the table. At home we are feeling good but away we are not getting results like we want. We must do more. We need to continue working and gain confidence. The club is working on transfers but I am happy with the players.”

2.45pm GMT

Now a rather more calm and considered take from their manager Manuel Pellegrini. “I was pleased with the consistency of the team. We didn’t allow Arsenal to create chances, they have so many good players in attack. We played with the mentality of a big team, we tried to score a second goal. I am happy for them. We have to try to work and play in the same way all the time, against big teams and small teams. Declan Rice is improving, he plays a lot of balls in front and not back. In the future he will be a top, top player. Samir Nasri was very good, his pass for Declan was very good. He could continue but I didn’t want to take the risk. If he wants to be the player he was a few years ago, he can do it. We will see what happens with Marko Arnautovic in the next couple of days, and will take the best decision for everyone.”

2.40pm GMT

West Ham captain Mark Noble is told that West Ham have just beaten Arsenal at home for the first time in 13 years. “Is it really? I didn’t know it was that long. It was hard work, I thought we played brilliantly in the first half, and we started on the front foot in the second half. I’m buzzing for this young man here, to score his first goal. We’ve been on at him in training! He should have scored in the first half from a header, but his finish was fantastic. You could see the joy on his face, how much it meant to him. It’s been a really special six months for Declan. I’d be surprised if he sleeps tonight, really surprised!”

Young Declan is standing next to his captain with a grin as wide as the Thames. “I can’t put it into words. The lads are always on to me to shoot. I thought about picking a pass, but I was in the box and thought why not? Take it on! It’s gone in the top corner, and we’ve beat Arsenal, it’s a special moment! To be fair recently, I’ve been getting myself into the box more recently, and I missed that header before half time. I was gutted with that, but managed to get the only goal of the game. I don’t think I want to be 20 now!”

2.26pm GMT

Rice won’t be 20 years of age until next week. He really does look the part already, though. And here he celebrates with a wide smile playing across his face, after a match-winning performance against Arsenal. There aren’t too many West Ham players who have enjoyed one of those in the last decade. The win moves West Ham up into eighth spot, on 31 points, while Arsenal remain stuck in fifth on 41, now within reach of revived hunters Manchester United. The rest of this weekend’s Premier League card promises to be very fascinating indeed.

2.22pm GMT

This Declan Rice, eh?

2.22pm GMT

90 min +3: West Ham hearts are in mouths as Kolasinac bursts down the left and crosses for Koscielny, who plants a diving header into the bottom right! But Kolasinac was well offside, and the flag goes up.

2.21pm GMT

90 min +2: Arsenal have scored in each of their last 20 Premier League matches. Is this fine run over?

2.20pm GMT

90 min +1: The first of three added minutes. Iwobi reaches the byline on the left and pulls one back. Rice - the man of the match - slices wildly behind for a corner. Torreira loops the set piece straight down Fabianski’s throat.

2.19pm GMT

90 min: Anderson romps down the left. He’s got Snodgrass completely unmarked in the middle, but doesn’t spot him and passes to the nearby Noble instead. There goes a fine chance to wrap this up.

2.17pm GMT

88 min: Noble slips a pass down the right for Snodgrass, who looks for Carroll in the centre. Carroll can’t get on the end of the cross, caught in two minds between a header and a spectacular overhead kick. “It’s almost as if Arsenal seem stumped and could really use the sort of tricky player able to create a bit of magic,” observes Matthew Schofield. “Shame they don’t have one on the bench.”

2.16pm GMT

87 min: It’s beginning to look that way, as Carroll embarks on a dribble, Anderson bursts down the left, and Rice conducts a little triangular keepball. This is impressive game management.

2.14pm GMT

85 min: West Ham knock it around the back awhile. They’re in control of this match; can they see out their 50th Premier League game at the London Stadium?

2.12pm GMT

83 min: Arsenal walk the ball in the goal, 2002 style, Ramsey chipping the ball down the left to release Kolasinac, who rolls a cross for Aubameyang to tap in. But Kolasinac was a mile offside, play having stopped long before the net rippled.

2.11pm GMT

82 min: West Ham make a final, defensively minded change, replacing Antonio with Obiang.

2.10pm GMT

81 min: Arsenal’s passes aren’t sticking. On the touchline, Emery cuts a frustrated figure.

2.08pm GMT

79 min: Arsenal keep hold of the ball, but fail to do a great deal with it. West Ham look fairly comfortable at the moment.

2.06pm GMT

77 min: Ramsey, out on the right, hooks a cross into the West Ham box that’s easy for Fabianski to collect. He shakes his head in frustration, as Arsenal continue to toil.

2.04pm GMT

75 min: Snodgrass makes ground down the left, and his cross to the far post very nearly finds Antonio. Koscielny does well to eyebrow the ball away from danger. Both West Ham subs already in the thick of the action.

2.03pm GMT

74 min: Carroll is already giving Sokratis something to think about. His mere presence panics the Arsenal defender into dragging him down by the shirt on the halfway line.

2.01pm GMT

72 min: Ramsey’s corner arcs straight out of play. Not worth waiting for.

2.00pm GMT

71 min: Before it can be taken, Nasri is replaced by Snodgrass, while Arnautovic makes way for Carroll. As he departs, he spins through 360 degrees and ostentatiously applauds. A goodbye to the fans?

1.59pm GMT

70 min: Kolasinac slips one down the left wing for Ramsey, who wins a corner.

1.58pm GMT

69 min: Bellerin comes on for Maitland-Niles.

1.57pm GMT

68 min: Guendouzi has another long-distance effort. This one is well gathered by Fabianski.

1.56pm GMT

67 min: Arsenal are beginning to create chances. Ramsey flicks a pass to Iwobi down the left. Iwobi arrives in the area and zips a fine shot across Fabianski and inches wide of the right-hand post. Not sure the keeper had that covered.

1.54pm GMT

65 min: And now Aubameyang spurns another chance, as Kolasinac crosses low from the left and releases the striker into the box. He’s one on one with Fabianski, but faced with a slight angle on the left, hesitates, allows Cresswell to slide across him, and blasts wildly over the bar.

1.52pm GMT

63 min: Maitland-Niles robs Anderson near the right-hand corner flag, and tees up Ramsey to the side of the West Ham box. Ramsey drops a shoulder, makes for the byline, and dinks one to the far stick, where Aubameyang heads over from close range. Chance.

1.51pm GMT

62 min: The resulting free kick isn’t up to much. A moment for Arsenal to regroup.

1.50pm GMT

60 min: Antonio threatens to burst down the right wing. Kolasinac comes across in the agricultural style and hacks him down. A no-brainer of a booking, and Arsenal’s left back would do well to simmer down.

1.48pm GMT

59 min: A double change by Arsenal, who hook Xhaka and Mustafi and replace them with Torreira and Ramsey.

1.48pm GMT

58 min: Felipe Anderson’s free kick-cum-corner finds the head of Ogbonna, who flashes wide left of the goal.

1.47pm GMT

57 min: Felipe Anderson wins yet another corner for West Ham with an entertaining dribble. Nothing much comes of it, but then Noble holds up the ball near the flag. Aubameyang clatters into the back of him, conceding a free kick right by the corner. Before it can be taken, Kolasinac gets up in the linesman’s grille, and is lucky to escape censure.

1.45pm GMT

56 min: West Ham’s sixth corner of the game, out on the right. Felipe Anderson takes. Antonio attempts a mid-air pirouette and flick at the near post. Leno gathers easily.

1.43pm GMT

54 min: Guendouzi latches onto a very poor Antonio pass and looks for the bottom-left corner from 25 yards. It’s not far wide, but Fabianski always had that covered. “Arise Sir Declan Moore!” chirps Brian Withington. “Is it too soon/heretical to detect more than a passing resemblance between Declan Rice and a young Robert Moore? Their tackling and interceptions similarly effortless too. Please God/Gareth let him pick England.”

1.41pm GMT

52 min: Only Fulham (28) and Bournemouth (23) have conceded more goals away from home this season than Arsenal’s 22. Imagine what bother they’d be in if they started letting them in from corners as well.

1.40pm GMT

50 min: The joy on Rice’s face was something to behold there. That really meant something. And what a fine finish, calmly dispatched into the top corner. Arsenal respond well. First Lacazette drives down the left, and there’s a bit of pinball before Fabianski gathers. Then Aubameyang wins Arsenal’s first corner of the afternoon down the right; Xhaka’s set piece bounces straight through the box and out for a goal kick.

1.37pm GMT

Anderson comes straight back at Arsenal with a scamper down the right. He reaches the byline and tugs the ball back. Xhaka’s attempted clearance is no good. Nasri intercepts and tees up Rice, who pearls his first goal for West Ham United into the top right! He wheels away in sheer delight! What a moment for the young man!

1.36pm GMT

47 min: Cresswell’s delivery is headed over his own bar by Kolasinac. Yet another West Ham corner, out on the right. Anderson doesn’t beat the first man. Arsenal half clear. But ...

1.35pm GMT

46 min: Some loose control from Guendouzi gifts Anderson a run down the left. Mustafi slides across and nearly gets the ball, but nicks the man instead. That’s the game’s first booking, and a free kick in a very dangerous position near the Arsenal area.

1.33pm GMT

Arsenal get the second half underway. No half-time substitutions. “Honoured to make it into the MBM,” writes Zubin Mistry, the good doctor of 41 min fame. “But I didn’t mean to invoke the ‘Dr’. Damn you, email signature. Unless, of course, that’s why I made the cut and I can finally persuade my family that doing a PhD in medieval history really was worth it (beyond somehow jamming an academic job that means I’m at work on Saturday following the MBM instead of watching the game live).”

1.20pm GMT

Half-time reading. Arsenal’s men won’t be winning the title this season. But their women might.

1.17pm GMT

It hasn’t been a classic, but both sides have had their chances. However it remains goalless in this London derby. Look on the bright side: it’s perfectly poised for a great second half. Stay tuned!

1.16pm GMT

45 min: Another corner for West Ham down the right. Rice flashes a header wide left from six yards. Arsenal’s proud record, and Gary Naylor’s first draft, should be in tatters. But both remain intact.

1.14pm GMT

43 min: Arsenal hog possession, but don’t really go anywhere. Maitland-Niles briefly threatens to burst down the right, but that’s it. The atmosphere is a bit flat now, this game having never quite sparked into life.

1.11pm GMT

41 min: Zabaleta romps forward and slips a ball wide right for Antonio, who has three men in the middle to find. But instead of crossing, he opts for a spectacular curler towards the top left. Nope! “I’d quibble with your fate-tempting reference to Arsenal’s record on corners this season,” writes Dr Zubin Mistry. “We’ve definitely looked defensively vulnerable from our own corners this season, and I’m sure we’ve conceded a few on quick breaks from them. Worth a mention in the chapter on playing against Arsenal in that tactics textbook Gary Naylor is re-writing.”

1.09pm GMT

39 min: Nasri really didn’t do an awful lot there. It looks as though Gendouzi hurt his shoulder as he fell awkwardly. A sore one, but he looks good to continue.

1.07pm GMT

37 min: Guendouzi is brought down by Nasri as he plays the ball out of defence. There wasn’t much in that, but the Arsenal man’s not getting up quickly.

1.06pm GMT

35 min: Guendouzi drops a shoulder to make himself some space down the inside right. He creams a shot towards the top right; it flies inches wide of the post. Fabianski wasn’t getting to that. The Arsenal section thinks it’s in; the home support take great pleasure in explaining the error of their ways.

1.05pm GMT

34 min: The game’s got a little scrappy of late. Moves of more than two passes are at a premium. It’s all a bit pinball.

1.03pm GMT

32 min: Noble’s long ball down the middle finds Arnautovic free! But he can’t dig the ball out from under his feet, so slips a pass to Noble, who in turn tees up Felipe Anderson, 25 yards out and charging down the inside right. Anderson creams a low shot across Leno and inches wide of the left-hand post. Arnautovic looked well offside initially, but had in fact checked at the last second and timed his run to perfection.

1.01pm GMT

30 min: Iwobi slips a pass to Maitland-Niles, who briefly threatens to skin Cresswell and romp into the West Ham box. But Cresswell passes the test.

12.59pm GMT

28 min: A third corner of the match for West Ham, this time out on the right. Filipe Anderson one-twos with Nasri, and his cross is then deflected into the arms of Leno. Arsenal’s proud record at corners etc. “With so few goals resulting from corners for the attacking side these days, do more goals come for the defending side, breaking against defenders and midfielders upfield and out of position? If so, why not concede more corners to allow more such opportunities?” Gary Naylor there, rewriting the tactical textbooks. Step aside, Wilson, a new man’s in town.

12.56pm GMT

26 min: Twice in the matter of a minute, Arnautovic drops a shoulder down the inside-left channel to make some space. The first time he can’t get a shot away; the second he feeds Nasri on the overlap. Faced with a tight angle, Nasri ripples the side netting. But that was a very decent move by West Ham, who look reasonably lively in attack themselves this afternoon.

12.54pm GMT

24 min: Nasri fights with great determination down the left and wins a corner out of a not particularly promising position. But the set piece is wasted and Arsenal’s grand record at corners this season is maintained.

12.52pm GMT

22 min: Iwobi flicks a gorgeous pass round the corner to send Kolasinac away down the left. Kolasinac enters the box and pulls back for Lacazette, who is cocking his leg back to shoot when Rice comes in to scupper his plan. Great play all round.

12.51pm GMT

21 min: Iwobi, who is beginning to look a real player this season, drifts in from the left and slips a cute pass into the area for Aubameyang. But the flag goes up for offside. Arsenal look like they could do damage every time they go forward.

12.50pm GMT

19 min: Aubameyang and Iwobi combine to release Lacazette into the West Ham box from the right. But Lacazette has been tugging shirts in order to get a jump on the West Ham defence, and the referee blows up accordingly.

12.49pm GMT

18 min: Arnautovic is sent into acres down the right by Zabaleta, but his cross, needlessly delivered first time, is a panicked nonsense. There’s nobody in the middle, and it’s an easy gather for Leno. Patience, dear boy.

12.47pm GMT

16 min: West Ham respond well, Arnautovic probing down the right, but unable to find Nasri in the middle. Then Cresswell tears down the left and sends a dangerous low cross into the box. Leno gets down to smother. After a slow start, this is developing into an interesting match.

12.45pm GMT

15 min: Arsenal suddenly look very dangerous. Lacazette and Guendouzi swarm the West Ham back line; the latter should release Aubameyang into the box on the right, but his pass down the channel is too strong.

12.44pm GMT

13 min: Aubameyang turns in the centre circle and bursts upfield. He slips a pass inside to Iwobi, who in turn finds Lacazette bombing down the inside-right channel. He enters the box and lashes hard towards the bottom right. Fabianksi parries brilliantly, and Lacazette blazes the rebound over the bar; it was a difficult chance.

12.41pm GMT

11 min: ... nothing much happens. Arsenal still haven’t conceded a goal from a corner this season. Felipe Anderson retrieves the ball from the right wing, sashays infield, and looks to curl one into the top left. Always high and wide.

12.41pm GMT

10 min: Nasri feeds Cresswell down the left, and West Ham earn the first corner of the game. From which ...

12.40pm GMT

9 min: Lacazette finds space easily down the middle of the park, sent scampering into it by Xhaka. West Ham offer him far too much time, and he’s able to have a dig from 25 yards. He looks for the top right, but the effort is always curling wide.

12.38pm GMT

8 min: Nasri bursts down the inside-right channel, Arsenal not offering much resistance. But there’s nobody in the middle for him to cross to. The move peters out. Nasri is getting pelters from the away support that once doted on him, much as you’d expect.

12.37pm GMT

6 min: The match comes to life. Iwobi bursts down the inside-right channel but can’t find the killer pass to send Guendouzi clear into the box. Then Antonio tightropes his way down the right touchline, a brilliant run that sets up Nasri and Noble for a one-two across the face of the Arsenal box. Noble eventually sends a pearoller into the arms of Leno.

12.34pm GMT

4 min: Arsenal push West Ham back. Ogbonna is forced to play a nervous pass out of defence from deep, and Xhaka nearly takes up possession 25 yards out. Rice does very well to get his body in the way and draw a foul that takes the pressure off.

12.32pm GMT

2 min: Guendouzi nearly takes advantage of a heavy Rice touch, but the West Ham midfielder recovers well to win the ball back before Arsenal can launch a dangerous attack. Just as well, because West Ham were light at the back there.

12.31pm GMT

And we’re off! The hosts get the ball rolling, and stroke it around the back awhile. Everyone gets a touch. The home crowd belt out a fine rendition of the club anthem.

12.27pm GMT

The teams are out! West Ham are in their world-famous claret and blue, while Arsenal sport third-choice green. It’s a drizzly, overcast day in the East End, but the atmosphere in the London Stadium is derby-day fine. Both sets of fans giving it plenty. Pretty bubbles in the air. We’ll be off before you know it!

12.17pm GMT

Kilroy
William Hargreaves was here. “Wot no Ozil? Particularly after he has advertised his full training all week and availability on Twitter etc. And this with three at the back, admittedly still with defensive frailties. I suspect that, with the club not feeling able to offer Ramsey a hefty new contract, and Emery’s weekday words on loans only, no purchases, that Mesut’s eye-watering take-home is stifling Unai’s ability to mould the team in his own likeness. And he’s showing this with his being incalcitrant over Mesut. Tough at the top.” Yes, it’s increasingly looking like a love affair not likely to last. That’s the Rumour Mill kept busy for the next few weeks/months.

12.10pm GMT

Unai Emery talks! “For us it is very important for the table, and it is a derby. We will play with great motivation in the hope of making the top four. There is a chance for us today to play a good match and show everyone we are well. We can be better.”

12.08pm GMT

Manuel Pellegrini speaks! “Marko Arnautovic is important. He has trained with the squad and the team; we are not thinking about other things. I know Samir Nasri very well, he played in the cup last week which was important for him after being out for a long time. He may not be ready for 90 minutes every week. I hope today we will be balanced and aggressive, we will go for the three points.”

11.46am GMT

Arsenal may have the upper hand in the Premier League ... but West Ham will always have the 1980 FA Cup. Any old excuse to pop up a picture of a cup final from Wembley’s sun-kissed golden age.

11.38am GMT

West Ham make three changes to the team named for the 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, their last Premier League game. Mark Noble and Michail Antonio return, while Samir Nasri makes his debut for his new club in the League. Dropping down to the bench: Robert Snodgrass, Pedro Obiang and Andy Carroll.

Arsenal meanwhile name the same side picked for the 4-1 win over Fulham. Plenty of changes from the team selected at Blackpool, of course, but that was the FA Cup and in the Premier League you know exactly what you’re getting with Arsenal these days.

11.33am GMT

West Ham United: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble, Rice, Antonio, Nasri, Felipe Anderson, Arnautovic.
Subs: Carroll, Snodgrass, Adrian, Obiang, Masuaku, Lucas Perez, Diangana.

Arsenal: Leno, Koscielny, Papastathopoulos, Mustafi, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Kolasinac, Iwobi, Aubameyang, Lacazette.
Subs: Cech, Bellerin, Ramsey, Torreira, Lichtsteiner, Monreal, Nketiah.

11.11am GMT

West Ham United did the double over Arsenal in the 2006-07 season. Marlon Harewood settled a 1-0 win for the Hammers at Upton Park; Bobby Zamora secured the same scoreline at the Emirates. Heady days. But since then, their record over their illustrious London rivals hasn’t been too great. They’ve subsequently played each other 23 times, Arsenal winning on 18 occasions, West Ham just the once. Those Hammers fans slightly longer of tooth won’t be looking forward to this.

And yet West Ham shouldn’t give up hope just yet. They may have lost their last three matches against Arsenal, but those games were all held at the Emirates, and the last time they met at the London Stadium the game ended in a goalless draw. Perhaps more pertinently, they’ve taken 16 points out of the last 24 on offer. They’re beginning to hit their stride under Manuel Pellegrini.

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Published on January 12, 2019 06:59

January 9, 2019

The Fiver | The New Artisan Cheese Facility's been delayed again

Tottenham Hotspur have a long and grand musical tradition stretching all the way back to the early 1960s, when they became the first English club side to appropriate the US marching song John Brown’s Body and started banging on about glory, glory. Then there was the 1973 single Nice One Cyril, a celebration of left back Cyril Knowles that earned songwriters Helen Clarke and Harold Spiro an Ivor Novello Award, for goodness sake. And of course we all love the great rockney triptych Ossie’s Dream, Tottenham Tottenham, and When The Year Ends In One by the popular pub-singalong trio Chas, Dave & The Drummer From Chas ‘n’ Dave. (Hot Shot Tottenham, if you even remember it, barely qualifies as a deep cut.) Overall, Tottenham’s contribution to the English folk canon is one everyone involved can be extremely proud of.

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Published on January 09, 2019 08:04

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