Scott Murray's Blog, page 126

January 8, 2019

Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Chelsea: Carabao Cup semi-final – as it happened

Chelsea dominated possession and created more chances, but Harry Kane’s penalty gave Spurs the advantage at the semi-final halfway point

Read David Hytner’s match report Barney Ronay on Harry Kane and Chelsea’s missing link Police arrest youth over alleged racist incident before Spurs v Chelsea

11.29pm GMT

10.33pm GMT

So that’s your lot. Spurs take a one-goal lead to Stamford Bridge in a fortnight, with both managers fuming about VAR. It promises to be an exciting second leg. Until then, thanks for reading, and goodnight!

10.30pm GMT

And now a word with a seething Maurizio Sarri. “I saw a few minutes ago the video, and it was offside. But it’s not important. The linesman stopped his run, he didn’t follow the ball, and had a big influence on our defenders. So at the moment I don’t think the English referees are able to use the system. If you are not sure with the system you have to follow the ball, but he stopped, and so for our defenders he was offside. I don’t know about the keeper, but I know about our defenders. They have to study the system. It is very strange that there is no system in the Premier League but in the Carabao Cup there is. It is very strange for us, the players, and I think also the referees. We played very well, I am really very happy with my players.”

10.25pm GMT

Mauricio Pochettino speaks in a full and frank manner about VAR. “I don’t like VAR. Today we got the benefit, but watching the World Cup or another league like La Liga, no-one is happy from day one that they started to use it. To get the benefit is nice, of course, but I am not happy to win games like this. I am pro-technology because you cannot stop evolution. But waiting how we wait ... the rules are not clear. I am watching every week in La Liga and no-one is happy, whether they are fighting for the title or against relegation. It should be a good example for us, because we still have six months to prove the system, and there is still a lot of work to do.”

10.08pm GMT

David Hytner was our man at Wembley. Here’s his report.

10.07pm GMT

Harry Kane talks to Sky Sports! “I made the run, played to the whistle, nicked it round the keeper. It was a clear penalty, just a matter of whether it was offside or not. Obviously I wasn’t sure, I was just running through on goal, but VAR is there for a reason. I’m sure they got it right. VAR is part of the game, a big part of football going forward. Chelsea had a point to prove, we knew it was going to be tough. It’s a win, it’s what we came here to do. Now we can go for it.”

Danny Rose, who has won the man-of-the-match award, adds: “It was hard work, and it’ll be even harder when we play them in the return leg. But it was a great team performance and I think we deserved it in the end. We tried to get the second, but it was one of those games, Chelsea played really well. There’s going to be pressure on them to come at us in the second leg, but we’re one of the best counter-attacking teams in the league. We’re not going to try to protect, we’re going to try to win it.”

10.00pm GMT

Meanwhile some dispiriting news from Wembley ...

9.58pm GMT

That second leg will be played at Stamford Bridge on Thursday 24 January. The final comes along a month later, on Sunday 24 February. Spurs are in the box seat, but Chelsea will take heart from their performance tonight - they hit the woodwork twice, and had the better of the possession, territory and chances created. They’ll fancy their chances of turning this one around. Put another way: this semi-final is beautifully poised. Gotta love the League Cup! Don’t you dare listen to the miserable buggers who keep talking a good competition down.

9.52pm GMT

And that’s it! Spurs hang on for victory, and they’ll take a one-goal lead to Stamford Bridge in a fortnight’s time! Chelsea were probably the better team on balance, but that man Harry Kane was the difference. There’s a bit of a face-off between Rose and Rudiger after the final whistle, but everyone calms down soon enough.

9.51pm GMT

90 min +3: Hazard dribbles down the left and earns a corner off Kane. It’s all hands to the pump for Spurs. Hazard takes the corner himself, and again it’s not up to much. Spurs whack clear.

9.50pm GMT

90 min +2: Kovacic bursts down the left, then slips the ball inside for Hazard, who shuttles it further to Kante. This is a glorious flowing move, but just as it looks like Chelsea are about to do something both pretty and pretty dramatic, Rose crunches into Kante with great power. What a saving tackle!

9.49pm GMT

90 min +1: Spurs make their final change in the game-management style. Eriksen is replaced by Llorente.

9.48pm GMT

90 min: Winks is replaced by Skipp. Hazard, down the left, pulls a ball back for Pedro. But Pedro’s swarmed by white shirts before he can get a shot away. There will be three added minutes.

9.46pm GMT

88 min: Chelsea continue to press forward. But suddenly Spurs break, and Kane has the ball out on the left. He curls a low pass into the centre for Lamela, who seems to have got the better of Alonso. He’d be free, but the ball clanks between his legs. Eventually he’s forced to drag Alonso, who has recovered, to the ground. Spurs so close to a priceless two-goal first-leg advantage!

9.45pm GMT

86 min: Hazard stands stock still, just to the right of the Spurs box. He suddenly bursts past Alli and Rose to reach the byline and stands one up in the middle. Gazzaniga fumbles. Sanchez hacks out with Giroud lurking. The ball breaks left for Alonso, whose shot is deflected into the air harmlessly.

9.42pm GMT

84 min: Pedro dinks one in from the right. Sanchez eyebrows it away, but only to Alonso on the left. Alonso looks to flash a cross to Giroud at the near post, but gets too much on it; the ball misses the striker and Gazzaniga claims.

9.41pm GMT

83 min: Hazard’s free kick is easily dealt with by Sanchez. His set-piece delivery hasn’t been all that tonight.

9.40pm GMT

82 min: Hazard looks to turn down the inside-right channel and is unceremoniously clattered to the floor by Lamela. The substitute, only just on, is booked.

9.38pm GMT

80 min: Both teams make a change. Son is replaced by Lamela, while the very promising Hudson-Odoi makes way for Giroud, who as an erstwhile employee of Arsenal gets the reception you’d expect.

9.37pm GMT

78 min: Chelsea have enjoyed 65% of the ball in this second half. The majority of the play’s been in the Spurs half, too. The visitors must wonder how they’re not on terms. Hudson-Odoi barrels down the left, Alonso tries to turn the resulting cross in at the near post, but it’s blocked out for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece.

9.34pm GMT

76 min: Barkley is replaced by Kovacic.

9.33pm GMT

74 min: Hazard cuts in from the right and flicks a pass down the channel for Kante. The ball slaps Alderweireld’s arm. You’ve seen those given - he’s close, but not super-close - but the referee isn’t interested. Neither is the VAR dude. In fairness to Alderweireld, upon second view, he might have been trying to take his arm away.

9.31pm GMT

72 min: It’s been a fast-paced match pretty much from the get-go. Hazard makes good ground down the right but is stopped by Alli; Kane flicks a pass down the left which Son busts a gut in trying to reach. Nothing’s quite coming off at the moment, for either team, but you can’t mark anyone down for effort. It’s made for a great spectacle.

9.28pm GMT

70 min: Good work by Azpilicueta down the right earns Chelsea a corner. But Hazard’s delivery is uncharacteristically dismal, failing to beat the first man.

9.27pm GMT

68 min: Wembley is bubbling away. This has been a highly entertaining semi so far, and the crowd are doing their bit. It’s a great atmosphere. And people say the League Cup doesn’t count for anything. Don’t listen to them, kids.

9.25pm GMT

66 min: Sissoko powers down the right. Kane takes over and hooks the ball further down the wing. Son nearly breaks into the box. He can’t get a shot away. But Sissoko has kept going, and nearly gets the ball under control on the penalty spot. Nearly, but not quite. A hectic, seat-of-pants attack finally comes to an end. But Chelsea were nearly opened up for the first time in a while. That break for Kane’s treatment has done Spurs some good.

9.23pm GMT

65 min: The Spurs physio gives Kane the thumbs up, despite the star striker mumbling something about his calf. Kane’s back in the action soon enough.

9.22pm GMT

64 min: Kane is down looking pained. As he gets treatment, it’s a chance for Spurs to regroup. They’ve been second best since the restart.

9.21pm GMT

63 min: Willian is replaced by Pedro, who scored here for Barcelona in the 2011 Champions League final, the opening goal of their 3-1 victory over Manchester United.

9.20pm GMT

62 min: Hazard dribbles down the right, enters the Spurs box, and takes a shot. It’s high and wide, but the ref decides it’s come off Alderweireld for a corner. Replays aren’t conclusive, so it’s probably for the best that the set piece comes to nought.

9.19pm GMT

61 min: Chelsea are pressing Spurs back. The home side can’t get out of their final third. Hudson-Odoi, Willian, Kante and Hazard are seeing an awful lot of the ball down the right, but can’t prise the hosts open. There’s a sense that it might only be a matter of time, though.

9.17pm GMT

59 min: Sanchez comes straight through the back of Hazard in the centre circle and goes into the referee’s notebook.

9.17pm GMT

58 min: Hazard jinks down the right and crosses. It loops off Rose and over the crossbar. For a second, Gazzaniga was worried about the freak looper there. It’s a corner from the right. Hazard whips it to the near post, where Barkley flicks to the far post. Christensen is haring in, unchallenged. But he clanks his volley wide left from close range. What a chance that was!

9.15pm GMT

57 min: Azpilicueta has three goes at delivering a cross into the Spurs box from the right. The third attempt hits the arm of Rose, and the Chelsea man wants a penalty. But the ref’s not interested; there wasn’t much space between the two players, and no reaction time.

9.13pm GMT

55 min: Good work by Hudson-Odoi down the right. His deep cross is chested down by Trippier and gathered by Gazzaniga. Chelsea are beginning to dominate this.

9.13pm GMT

54 min: Another fine save by Gazzaniga, who denies Kante’s dipper, turning the ball away from his right-hand post. Chelsea will soon start wondering what they have to do to score.

9.12pm GMT

53 min: Hazard skedaddles in from the left , waltzes past Eriksen, and sends a dipping screamer straight down Gazzaniga’s gullet. There have been precious few signs that this game will end with just the one goal scored.

9.11pm GMT

52 min: Alli and Sissoko exchange passes as the ball’s shuttled in from the Spurs right. Kane is teed up, 30 yards out, and pearls one towards the bottom left. Kepa does extremely well to save. The resulting corner isn’t up to much.

9.09pm GMT

51 min: ... nowt. Gazzaniga plucks the corner from the sky. No sweat.

9.09pm GMT

50 min: Kante drives forward, and slips the ball right for Hudson-Odoi, who offloads to Hazard. Chelsea’s star man drops a shoulder and very nearly makes room for a shot from the edge of the box. But he’s crowded out so meanders right, then chips left towards Alonso at the far post. Sanchez rises to concede a corner. From which ...

9.07pm GMT

48 min: Sanchez impedes Hazard as he dribbles down the middle of the park. Willian takes the free kick, wedging the ball down the inside-right channel. Hudson-Odoi very nearly brings it down in acres of space - the rest of the box was loaded on the left - but just misses it. Gazzaniga gathers, and the flag had gone up for offside anyway.

9.05pm GMT

47 min: ... the ball’s worked to Eriksen, 20 yards out. He has a shot which Kepa gathers, but not in a wholly convincing style. For a second, it looked like he was in the process of fumbling it, but recovered his composure in time.

9.04pm GMT

46 min: Kane slips a reverse pass down the inside-right channel for Alli, who is stopped from shooting by the outstretched leg of Rudiger. Alli went over in the area, but it was a perfectly timed tackle. Corner, from which ...

9.04pm GMT

And we’re off again! Chelsea get the ball rolling for the second half. No changes. Meanwhile here’s Ed Wall. “One thing I’m unclear about with the VAR decision on the offside - if the assistant referee has raised his flag during the buildup, doesn’t that completely affect how the players (especially on the defensive side) react? Shouldn’t he be keeping his flag down if the decision is marginal and leaving the decision to the VAR team? It strikes me that Kepa was completely baffled for a split second as to what to do, and this might have been poor keeping, or because he was unsure if Kane was really offside.” It’s almost as though VAR is just replacing one set of problems with another. But most people seem happy enough with it, so here we are.

8.51pm GMT

Half-time reading.

8.49pm GMT

And that’s that for the first half. Chelsea shaded it in terms of possession, and have hit the post twice. But it’s Spurs who have the lead thanks to the power running of Harry Kane. The second half is poised perfectly. Don’t you go anywhere!

8.48pm GMT

45 min +2: So nearly a sensational equaliser! Hudson-Odoi Crosses from the right. The ball deflects off Rose and looks like looping over Gazzaniga and into the top left! But the keeper fingertips the ball onto the left-hand post. As the ball bounces across the face of goal, Alderweireld slams the ball clear. Spurs escape!

8.45pm GMT

45 min: Hudson-Odoi hasn’t stopped running all half. Here he doesn’t stop running into Rose, and earns a brief lecture from the referee.

8.44pm GMT

43 min: Alonso, deep on the left, curls into the box for Hazard, who can’t control. But the ball nearly drops to Hudson-Odoi, who momentarily considers van Bastening a volley goalwards from a position out right. But the ball deflects through to Gazzaniga.

8.41pm GMT

41 min: Chelsea are beginning to regain their early rhythm. Hudson-Odoi drifts in from the right, opens up his body, and looks to whip a curler into the top left. He overcooks it, but not by so much. It was Chelsea’s eighth attempt on goal so far; Spurs have just had the two. But look at the scoreline.

8.40pm GMT

40 min: A little space for Alonso, set clear down the left by Willian. Alonso curls the ball to the near post, where Kante nips in ahead of Alderweireld and Trippier, and clips a first-time effort off the bottom of the left-hand post! Goal kick.

8.38pm GMT

38 min: Plenty of pantomime booing after a few firm challenges by both sides. Spurs take the sting out of proceedings again with some calm passing around the back. Both sets of fans are enjoying this battle, though.

8.37pm GMT

36 min: Hudson-Odoi and Hazard take turns to dribble down the right. The ball’s switched to Willian out on the left, but his low cross is easily dealt with by Alderweireld.

8.34pm GMT

34 min: Kante has a dig from 25 yards. It’s deflected, but only straight down the throat of Gazzaniga.

8.33pm GMT

33 min: Kante and Hudson-Odoi confuse each other in playing out from the back. Rose steps in and should release Kane down the left, but his pass is poor and Chelsea get away with the mistake.

8.32pm GMT

31 min: Harry Kane has now overtaken Cliff Jones into fourth spot on the all-time Spurs scorers list, with 160 goals. Only Martin Chivers (174), Bobby Smith (208) and Jimmy Greaves (266) ahead of him now. Meanwhile Chelsea have a free kick out on the right. Hazard whips it diagonally to Alonso, who runs it straight out of play for a goal kick. That goal has robbed Chelsea of a little of their early confidence.

8.29pm GMT

29 min: Well that’s got Wembley bouncing. As has a booking for home hero Winks, who cuts across the front of Hazard, a clumsy challenge.

8.27pm GMT

Kane shapes to shoot into the bottom right, but twists and slots the ball into the bottom left. Kepa read it correctly, but Kane gave the kick a good belt and it settles into the net. First blood in the semi to Spurs, slightly against the run of play!

8.26pm GMT

26 min: Penalty to Spurs! Kane timed his run from deep to perfection - though there was very little in it - and then it’s just down to whether it’s a foul in the box or not. Kane played the ball forward with too much pace - it was flying out for a goal kick - but he was definitely taken out by Kepa, who is booked.

8.25pm GMT

24 min: But this gets the Spurs fans screaming again. Kane romps off down the inside-left channel after Alderweireld’s long ball. He makes to round Kepa on the outside, and goes over the keeper’s wild lunge. This is going to VAR, because Kane might have been offside.

8.23pm GMT

22 min: Spurs are struggling to get anything going in attack. Chelsea look very comfortable right now, and the home crowd are getting a little worried, if not yet totally agitated.

8.21pm GMT

20 min: Hazard drops a shoulder, 25 yards out, down the inside-right channel. He sends a whipping, dipping, swerving shot goalwards. Gazzaniga does very well to claim a tricky ball without embarrassment.

8.20pm GMT

19 min: After such a fast start, some sort of lull was inevitable at some point. And here it is.

8.17pm GMT

17 min: Barkley has a dig from 30 yards. It flies 30 yards high and 30 yards wide.

8.16pm GMT

16 min: Spurs enjoy a little period of possession without going anywhere in particular. Only 13% of the play so far has been in the Chelsea final third.

8.15pm GMT

14 min: Spurs take a little of the early sting from the game by passing it around the back awhile in the 1980s style. “I suppose I’m as neutral-ish as one can be on a football match, but as that’s no fun I’m cheering for Spurs out of a certain sense of justice,” writes Hubert O’Hearn. “It would be a crying shame if a squad that has played so well and entertained so mightily for four seasons has the window close and curtains drawn on their era without at least one mad night of ‘We’re Number One!’”

8.13pm GMT

12 min: Chelsea are beginning to get the upper hand. Jorginho latches onto a loose ball in midfield and should set Hudson-Odoi free down the right, but his pass forward is uncharacteristically clumpish, and flies out of play for a goal kick. Hudson-Odoi, who has looked very lively in these opening exchanges, looks irritated at the lost opportunity.

8.11pm GMT

10 min: Willian’s work down the left, and Hazard’s presence in the box, forces Sanchez into conceding a corner. Willian flashes the set piece to the near post, where Barkley attempts an elaborate backflick from a tight angle. The ball nestles on the top of the net.

8.09pm GMT

9 min: The atmosphere at Wembley is magnificent. The fans are being rewarded with a basketball-style end-to-end rhythm. It’s marvellously open with both sides on the front foot.

8.07pm GMT

7 min: Willian strips Trippier of possession and sprays a glorious left-to-right pass towards Hudson-Odoi, who sashays in from the wing and belts low and hard towards the bottom right. Gazzaniga handles it well.

8.06pm GMT

5 min: Yes, a bright, open, end-to-end start. Barkley sends a shot into the side netting to the left of the Spurs goal. Then Kane sends a spectacular overhead kick straight at Kepa. This is great.

8.04pm GMT

3 min: Well this is a bright start by both sides, and here’s the first major talking point, as Alli rakes a long pass down the inside-right channel for Son to chase. For a second, it looks as though Son’s going to burst clear into the Chelsea area, but he’s stopped in his tracks by Christensen. Son, sailing across the turf on the old nips, wants either a penalty kick or a free kick, and whatever punishment for the defender. But it was shoulder to shoulder, with minimal tugging, and neither the ref nor the VAR operators are interested.

8.02pm GMT

2 min: Hudson-Odoi sails in from the Chelsea right and one-twos with Hazard. He very nearly breaks into the Spurs area, but lets the ball run away from him, allowing the hosts to clear.

8.01pm GMT

Here we go, then! Spurs get the first leg of this League Cup semi-final underway! And they’re immediately on the attack, Rose turning on the jets down the left. But he can’t quite squeak through a gap, and ends up fouling Azpilicueta. Both sets of fans giving it plenty.

7.58pm GMT

The teams are out! Spurs are in their famous lilywhite, while Chelsea sport their storied royal blue. A fine atmosphere at Wembley, as befits a London derby, never mind a major semi-final. Spurs will be hoping for the sort of fast start that blew Chelsea away in the Premier League in November. Chelsea will be looking for a result that’ll set them up nicely for the second leg, to be played at Stamford Bridge on Thursday 24th. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.50pm GMT

Mauricio Pochettino talks! “It is a semi-final and we are trying to win. We are in a good condition to give different players an opportunity, but our challenge is to be good and fight for this competition. Of course it will be tough because Chelsea are a very good team. I expect it to be a very good game.”

7.48pm GMT

Maurizio Sarri speaks! “In the last match here against Tottenham, we lost without playing. Theirs was a different approach, they were more aggressive. We didn’t play. Alvaro Morata has a problem with his hamstring and we prefer him to rest. Hudson-Odoi is on the pitch because in the last match he did very well. I prefer to start with the young players.”

7.43pm GMT

A quick look inside the dressing rooms before the big game. Tottenham have long made themselves at home at Wembley, each player with their own personal cubby-hole. The lighting quite brash and businesslike, you’ll notice.

7.14pm GMT

Unsurprisingly, given the strange state of cup football in this country these days, both teams make many, many, many changes. Spurs won 7-0 at Tranmere Rovers on Friday night, and there are seven changes to the team named at Prenton Park. Out go Kyle Walker-Peters, Juan Foyth, Serge Aurier, Ben Davies, Lucas Moura, Oliver Skipp and Fernando Llorente; in come Kieran Trippier, Toby Alderweireld, Danny Rose, Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko, Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane.

Chelsea make eight changes to the side sent out to beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Out go Willy Caballero, Davide Zappacosta, David Luiz, Emerson, Ethan Ampadu, Alvaro Morata, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and the departing Cesc Fabregas; in come Kepa, Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Marcos Alonso, Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Willian and Eden Hazard.

7.04pm GMT

Tottenham Hotspur: Gazzaniga, Trippier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Rose, Winks, Sissoko, Eriksen, Alli, Kane, Son.
Subs: Lamela, Walker-Peters, Llorente, Davies, Skipp, Lloris, Foyth.

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

1.26pm GMT

Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have a long tradition of meeting at the business end of the League Cup. They first clashed in the 1972 semis, a last-gasp John Hollins penalty giving Chelsea a 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge in the first leg, the deal sealed in a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane thanks to some late confusion between Cyril Knowles and Pat Jennings on the Spurs goalline. Chelsea lost to Stoke in the final.

In the 1991 quarters of the Rumbelows Cup, Chelsea thrashed a dismal Tottenham side 0-0 at Stamford Bridge, then did what they should have done in the replay at White Hart Lane. A 3-0 rout, with Andy Townsend, Kerry Dixon and Dennis Wise in the goals. Chelsea lost to Sheffield Wednesday in the semis.

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on January 08, 2019 14:33

The Fiver | Not one of the great career moves

Like everyone else around the country, the paying punters at Stoke City just want a little joy in their lives. They just want to be entertained. It’s not too much to ask after a hard week at work. But their hopes and desires are not always shared by those managing the team. Take Bob McGrory, a dour Scot straight from Central Casting, who very nearly won the league for the Potters in 1947, but sold star winger Stanley Matthews in a fit of pique with three games of the season to go. Matthews was a bit too flashy for McGrory’s tastes, you see, and the sheer number of fans who flocked to witness his skilful play made his boss fume in the resentful style. Not only that, Matthews had taken McGrory’s pal Bobby Liddle’s place in the team. And he wanted paying properly. So he was packed off to Blackpool. Stoke subsequently lost their last game of the season and missed out to Liverpool by one point. Well done, Bob!

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on January 08, 2019 08:09

January 5, 2019

Blackpool 0-3 Arsenal: FA Cup third round – as it happened

The 19-year-old midfielder Joe Willock scored twice for the Gunners, who moved serenely into the fourth round.

7.58pm GMT

Unai Emery tells BT Sport that he’s very happy with his young team. And that’s pretty much that, on a night that’s raised the profile of Joe Willock and Tony Adams’ tailor. Night night everyone!

7.49pm GMT

Blackpool boss Terry McPhillips talks! “We didn’t quite have the quality to hurt them tonight. We had some good play in both halves, and I think they know they’ve been in a game. And I thought the last goal was offside. But we’ve played Arsenal home and away and given it a good go. My players are honest, and keep going, and want to do well. We had more of a go here, and that leaves gaps. But I’m proud of the lads. In the end, they’re a top team. We move on now to Portsmouth.”

7.43pm GMT

Meanwhile at Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace left it late to see off Grimsby Town. Ed Aarons is your man for this one.

7.43pm GMT

At Ashton Gate, Bristol City saw off Huddersfield. Does this really count as a shock? Stuart James has the verdict.

7.41pm GMT

And now for the late kick-offs elsewhere. Louise Taylor was at St James’ Park to witness a salvage job by Matt Ritchie.

7.36pm GMT

Andy Hunter was our man at Bloomfield Road. Here’s his take on a breezy night for Arsenal.

7.35pm GMT

A very happy Joe Willock speaks to BT Sport. “It was a good night for me. But not just for me, for the team. We dug deep, the second half wasn’t as easy. I thought I had a hat-trick but the linesman took it away from me. But that’s how football is sometimes! I’m preparing myself everyday, competing with the best players in the world in training. It’s the best thing I can do, and I will try to make sure I’ll get in the team.”

7.29pm GMT

There were four other late kick-offs in the FA Cup. Here are the results, with Huddersfield and Norwich both coming a cropper against teams from lower divisions.

Bristol City 1-0 Huddersfield Town
Crystal Palace 1-0 Grimsby Town
Newcastle United 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
Norwich City 0-1 Portsmouth

7.23pm GMT

The 13-time FA Cup winners are into the fourth round. Joe Willock, the 19-year-old midfielder, was their two-goal hero. Blackpool never seriously threatened a shock, but dug in well after a shaky start, staying in the game until late on.

7.19pm GMT

90 min: Blackpool push forward looking for a consolation, but nearly concede a fourth instead. Arsenal break upfield, Ramsey is sent clear by Elneny. But Mafoumbi reads the danger, sliding out of his area and putting a stop to Ramsey’s gallop.

7.16pm GMT

88 min: Jenkinson has a little burst down the right but can’t get a cross in. No matter.

7.14pm GMT

87 min: Bola bursts down the left and finds Pritchard in the middle. But Pritchard can’t control and fails to get a shot away.

7.13pm GMT

85 min: Iwobi is sent romping into acres down the left. He should feed Lacazette, free in the middle, but goes for goal instead, and slams a shot straight down Mafoumbi’s throat. It’s his last act of the night; he’s replaced by the 17-year-old Saka.

7.12pm GMT

84 min: Both teams make a change. Arsenal send on Medley for Kolasinac, while Davies replaces Gnanduillet for Blackpool.

7.11pm GMT

Lacazette swans in from the right wing. He slips the ball left for Ramsey, who enters the box down the channel. He toe-punts towards the bottom right. Mafoumbi saves well, but the ball breaks to Iwobi, who slots home at the far post. Iwobi was a touch offside when Ramsey took his shot, but the flag didn’t go up. There’s no VAR here tonight; that would have been chalked off if the technology was in situ.

7.08pm GMT

80 min: Willock gets the ball in the Blackpool net for a third time. But he’s not celebrating his hat-trick, because Kolasinac, who had teed him up for a tap-in with a ball from the left, was found offside by Lacazette earlier in the move.

7.07pm GMT

79 min: Iwobi and Lacazette combine down the inside-left channel and make it into the Blackpool area. But it’s all too intricate, especially when Willock arrives on the scene to completely clutter up the place. Blackpool clear.

7.05pm GMT

78 min: Iwobi nearly slips Lacazette clear with a cute pass down the middle, but his radar’s just a little bit off. Nice try, though. Lacazette tries to keep the move going with some determined work down the left, but his flash across the face of goal doesn’t go anywhere near a dark-blue-and-purple shirt.

7.03pm GMT

76 min: The tempo of this game has dropped, which will suit Arsenal just fine.

7.02pm GMT

74 min: The corner’s taken, and it’s a waste of time.

7.01pm GMT

73 min: Nottingham with a long throw out on the right. Arsenal deal with it easily and Ramsey breaks up the other end. He strokes a pass down the right for Maitland-Niles, who earns Arsenal’s sixth corner of the evening. Before the corner, there’s a bit of silly buggers between O’Connor and Lacazette, forcing the referee to remind both players that they’re grown men.

6.58pm GMT

71 min: The substitute keeper still hasn’t got his hands warm, because the corner’s worked to Kolasinac, 25 yards out, and the resulting shot clears the Blackpool Tower.

6.57pm GMT

70 min: Arsenal play it short instead, Maitland-Niles earning a corner. So that’ll be the first thing Mafoumbi has to deal with.

6.57pm GMT

69 min: A very disappointed Howard trudges off the pitch. He’ll be replaced by Mafoumbi, who takes his own sweet time getting onto the field. His first job, once he eventually clocks in, will be to face a long Arsenal throw from the right flank.

6.55pm GMT

68 min: Howard is down, and it looks as though Blackpool will have to change their keeper. It looks as though he’s pulled a muscle while taking a goal kick.

6.54pm GMT

66 min: Willock, on the hat-trick hunt, dribbles into the Blackpool box from the left. He’s got options inside, but wants to shoot, understandably so. His effort is blocked, and falls to Elneny, who sends a shot wide from the edge of the box.

6.53pm GMT

65 min: Lacazette comes on for Nketiah, who on another night might have had a hat-trick. Then there’s another corner for Blackpool down the right; O’Connor eyebrows this one wide left from close range. The home side really have had their chances.

6.52pm GMT

63 min: More slapstick nonsense in the Arsenal box, as Pritchard’s right-wing cross balloons up off Elneny, then Sokratis, and falls from high towards Feeney, on the left-hand edge of the six-yard box. But O’Connor gets in the way of his own man, and Feeney ends up fresh-airing it. Peter Chelsom would approve, one suspects.

6.50pm GMT

62 min: Pritchard comes on for Taylor, and immediately wastes a corner that’d been won by Delfouneso down the right.

6.49pm GMT

60 min: Lichtsteiner passes back to Cech, who slips in the slapstick style while attempting to change his feet. He just about gets away with it, the ball somehow eluding the lurking Guy. He whacks clear, blowing out his cheeks, with a sweat on.

6.46pm GMT

58 min: A nice period of Blackpool possession. They push Arsenal back, and back, and back. Then Bola bursts into a gap down the left, sent clear by Spearing. Bola pulls the ball back across goal. Nottingham races in from the right, leans back, and blooters a first-time shot miles over the bar. Blackpool have had their chances.

6.43pm GMT

56 min: Delfouneso sails past Kolasinac in the midfield, and is dragged back in the cynical style. It’s the first yellow card of a match that’s been played in good spirit.

6.42pm GMT

54 min: Blackpool pass it around the back for a bit. Then Guy, last man, is nearly stripped of possession by Willock, who had Nketiah in close attendance. Guy just about gets away with it, but for a split second a third goal looked on the cards.

6.40pm GMT

52 min: A nice spin by Spearing down the Blackpool right. He dinks forward towards Delfouneso, who doesn’t really bother going for the ball, much to the home support’s irritation. But he knew full well he was a yard offside, and chose to save his energy.

6.38pm GMT

51 min: A corner out on the left for Arsenal. They play it short. Iwobi draws a couple of tangerine shirts and slips the ball to Ramsey, who shoots from a tight angle. It’s deflected out for another corner, this one leading to nothing much.

6.37pm GMT

49 min: Iwobi breezes down the left wing, a ball-glued-to-boot burst that Stanley Matthews would have approved of. He beats four men. The resulting cross isn’t up to Stan standards, though. Blackpool go up the other end, Gnanduillet dragging a poor shot wide left from the edge of the box.

6.35pm GMT

47 min: Iwobi spins into space and is brought to an unceremonious halt by Guy. No booking, surprisingly, but it’s a free kick to Arsenal 30 yards out. Elneny takes. Sokratis wins a header but doesn’t get any goalward purchase on it. Delfouneso creams it away.

6.33pm GMT

And we’re off again! Blackpool get the ball rolling for the second half. No changes.

6.24pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. A paean to the seaside town of Blackpool, and its glorious showbiz tradition, directed by local auteur Peter Chelsom.

6.18pm GMT

There’s enough time for Nketiah to bring down a long ball down the middle, and bobble a shot towards the bottom right. He should have scored, but Howard tips round the post. And that’s that for the half. Willock has two goals; Nketiah should have had a hat-trick. Arsenal are cruising in some style, like you would in a Ford

Mustang
Escort.

6.16pm GMT

45 min: Delfouneso cuts in from the right and has a blast. It’s blocked, but rebounds to Spearing. The Blackpool captain thinks about shooting but instead spreads the play back to the right for Nottingham, who fires witlessly into a forest of players. Arsenal clear.

6.14pm GMT

43 min: Arsenal stroke it about the back again. Blackpool, once bitten, don’t bother pressing.

6.12pm GMT

41 min: Replays suggest Iwobi did touch the ball with his arm. O’Connor was complaining, but nobody else, and the referee’s assistant saw nowt.

6.10pm GMT

39 min: A suggestion that Iwobi might have brought that Jenkinson pass down with his arm, the ball rearing up off his knee. But the referee didn’t see much wrong. It was a really clever move by Arsenal, who teased Blackpool into the press before breaking up the other end in ruthless fashion.

6.09pm GMT

This is a fine goal. Arsenal pass the ball around at the back awhile, drawing Blackpool onto them. They beat the press easily. Jenkinson sends a long pass down the right for Iwobi, who brings the ball down and slips it back to Jenkinson on the overlap. Jenkinson fires it low towards Nketiah by the near post; he flicks it further across the face of goal, and Willock arrives at the far post to bundle home.

6.06pm GMT

35 min: Spearing sets Feeney away down the left with a lovely wedged pass. He’s got Gnanduillet and Delfouneso in the middle, with no defender in sight! For a second it looks as though Arsenal are in a world of trouble, but the flag goes up for offside. It’s the correct decision, though Blackpool aren’t particularly happy about it.

6.03pm GMT

33 min: A long throw into the Arsenal box from the right. Cech flaps instead of punching, and the ball’s at the livewire Feeney’s feet, just to the left of the D. Feeney looks to curl one into the bottom right, but doesn’t set it out far enough, and it’s an easy gather for Cech this time.

6.02pm GMT

31 min: Blackpool push Arsenal back a bit, Nottingham probing down the right, Feeney down the left. Arsenal hold their shape. Blackpool are slowly working their way back into this match, though. The Gunners will be desirous of another goal to settle their inexperienced team down.

6.00pm GMT

29 min: Taylor curls the free kick into the Arsenal box. Gnanduillet meets it, clear, six yards out! But he heads weakly, straight at Cech ... and it turns out he was a fair distance offside anyway. Even so, he should have planted that one past Cech; a poor miss.

5.59pm GMT

28 min: A long throw down the left. Iwobi shoves Feeney in the back. Free kick in a dangerous position.

5.57pm GMT

26 min: One corner leads to another, and that second one’s easily headed clear by Spearing. Arsenal come back at Blackpool, Iwobi making a little space for himself down the inside-left channel, then dragging a low shot across goal and wide of the right-hand post.

5.55pm GMT

25 min: Feeney makes good down the left and loops to the far post. There’s a mild melee. Gnanduillet nearly gets a header in. Sokratis eventually clears. Arsenal go up the other end, Willock winning a corner with a burst down the left.

5.54pm GMT

23 min: Taylor nearly gets on the end of Delfouenso’s cross from the right, but can’t get his feet sorted. This is an impressive response by Blackpool, who were threatening to capitulate for a few minutes back there. As it is, having hung on, they’re now asking a couple of questions.

5.53pm GMT

22 min: Delfouneso finds a bit of space down the right. He bombs down the wing and there’s folk in the middle waiting for service. But he shoots from a tight angle instead, and it’s easily fielded by Cech.

5.52pm GMT

21 min: Gnanduillet holds the ball up well, before bringing Bola into the action down the left. There’s a brief skirmish in the Arsenal box before the ball is cleared. As bad as Blackpool have been in defence, they’ve asked a couple of questions down the other end, and should take heart accordingly.

5.50pm GMT

18 min: Arsenal should probably have four goals already. But it’s a thin line between 0-4 and 1-1 ... erm, well, y’know ... and here Taylor spins by the right-hand edge of the Arsenal D, and sees his shot deflect and threaten to creep into the bottom left. Cech does well to gather at full stretch. That half-chance was set up by a lovely crossfield ball from Bola on the left to Delfouneso on the right.

5.47pm GMT

16 min: Ramsey, deep on the right, finds Nketiah in the Blackpool box with a perfectly judged floating pass. Nketiah has gone too early, and though he chests down well, with a view to getting a shot away, it’s all in vain as the flag goes up for offside.

5.46pm GMT

15 min: Spearing spreads the play by sending Feeney racing down the left. Feeney earns a corner, which becomes Blackpool’s second set-piece non-event of the match.

5.46pm GMT

14 min: Blackpool are all over the shop here. Iwobi sends a looping cross from the left wing to the far post. Jenkinson should score from close range, but opts to head back across goal instead, allowing O’Connor to hack clear.

5.44pm GMT

13 min: Willock tears down the left, sits down O’Conner, and nearly finds Nketiah in the middle. Then the livewire Maitland-Niles is sent clear through the centre by Iwobi, but the flag goes up for offside.

5.42pm GMT

Ramsey looks for the top right with the free kick. The ball twangs off the right-hand post, via a deflection off Sterling in the wall, and sails across the face of goal. Willock, six yards out, stoops and heads into the empty net. Howard had no chance to react! And it’s fair to say that had been coming.

5.41pm GMT

10 min: Nketiah hasn’t let those early misses get to him, and he dribbles stylishly down the inside-left. He’s brought down by Nottingham, just outside the area. Ramsey steps up to take the free kick, and ...

5.40pm GMT

9 min: Ramsey sits deep again, and carves Blackpool open with another fine long pass down the middle. The impressive Maitland-Niles can’t quite take the ball down while in full flight.

5.39pm GMT

7 min: Well, this match could, probably should, already be Blackpool 1-2 Arsenal. Jenkinson flicks a cute pass down the right to release Maitland-Niles, who immediately squares for Nketiah. The 19-year-old striker slices his shot wide left from six yards. Another poor miss from the young man. But he’s getting into the right places.

5.37pm GMT

6 min: Cech plucks the corner from the clouds. Really not sure what Lichtsteiner was doing back there.

5.36pm GMT

5 min: Gnanduillet dribbles with purpose down the inside-left channel. And into the area. Lichtsteiner backs off, and keeps backing off, allowing the tall Blackpool striker to Ormondroyd his way towards the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. He gets a shot away, and Cech does well to smother. Corner.

5.34pm GMT

3 min: Ramsey, quarterbacking from deep, finds Maitland-Niles on the edge of the Blackpool area. Maitland-Niles cushions a first-time pass left for Nketiah, who slams a shot into the side netting. He shouldn’t just have done better; one on one with Howard, he should have scored.

5.33pm GMT

2 min: A slightly eerie atmosphere in this famous but empty old stadium. Arsenal songs echoing around, pinging off the walls.

5.32pm GMT

And we’re off! Arsenal get the ball rolling. But possession’s soon lost. Gnanduillet beats Elneny to the ball down the left and sends Feeney scampering free. But Feeney’s a mile offside. Still, a promising start for the hosts.

5.29pm GMT

The teams are out! Blackpool, led out by 2012 finalist Jay Spearing, take to the field in their famous tangerine shirts. Arsenal are in their second-choice blue and purple. There are around 5,000 Arsenal fans here, and they’ll greatly outnumber the home support, on account of the ongoing Oyston-out boycott. We’ll be off in a minute!

5.25pm GMT

A late change to the Arsenal team. Laurent Koscielny has injured his back in the warm-up, so Carl Jenkinson steps in at right back, Stephan Lichtsteiner moving into the centre. Meanwhile Unai Emery has a quick word with BT Sport: “We want to win. This competition we use so many different players because it’s a good area to take responsibility. It’s a good test. It’s a big match.”

5.21pm GMT

Corrections and clarifications dept. So it would appear that this is a Ford Mustang ...

5.09pm GMT

Fashion watch. In the BT Sport studio, Arsenal legend Tony Adams is sporting a powder-blue velvet three-piece suit. A powder-blue velvet three-piece suit! It’s a strong look, and to be fair he carries it off magnificently. To these untrained eyes, it’s a handsome combination. Where’s Hadley Freeman when you need her? In lieu of expert analysis, we’ll have to make do with Gary Lineker instead.

I’ll be surprised if Tony Adams’ suit doesn’t have its own Twitter account by the final whistle.

4.58pm GMT

Pre-match demonstration II. A tangerine Ford Mustang makes its point as it makes its way past Bloomfield Road.

4.49pm GMT

Pre-match demonstration.

4.43pm GMT

Blackpool make one change to the team that lost 1-0 at home to Sunderland last week. Michael Nottingham comes in at the back for Ben Heneghan.

Arsenal make six changes to the side that beat Fulham 4-1 on Tuesday. Bernd Leno, Shkodran Mustafi, Matteo Guendouzi, Grant Xhaka, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang step down, allowing Petr Cech, Stefan Lichtsteiner, Mohamed Elneny, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Willock and Eddie Nketiah to take their place.

4.35pm GMT

Blackpool: Howard, Nottingham, Daniels, O’Connor, Bola, Spearing, Guy, Taylor, Feeney, Delfouneso, Gnanduillet.
Subs: Mafoumbi, Anderton, Bunney, McLaughlin, Pritchard, O’Sullivan, Davies.

Arsenal: Cech, Lichtsteiner, Koscielny, Sokratis, Kolasinac, Elneny, Ramsey, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Iwobi, Nketiah.
Subs: Martinez, Jenkinson, Medley, Torreira, Guendouzi, Saka, Lacazette.

9.04pm GMT

Arsenal have won the FA Cup a record 13 times; Blackpool just the once. Even so, you could argue that these respective contributions to the competition’s legacy are six and half-a-dozen. The Gunners bring plenty to the table: the 1930 Graf Zeppelin final, Charlie George, 1979’s five-minute spectacular, Andy Linighan’s late, late winner, Ray Parlour, Vieira’s penalty, Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey. A list as impressive as it’s long. But Blackpool have the Matthews final, and nobody’s trumping that.

This match is a repeat of the 1953 Charity Shield, and neither club is currently the force it was back then. Blackpool were coming off the back of that famous final, holders of the cup, while Arsenal were the reigning league champions. Nowadays Arsenal are well off the pace at the top of the Premier League, while Blackpool languish in mid-table all the way down in League One. The chances of the Seasiders causing a shock is therefore low, but tonight’s hosts will take succour from their performance at the Emirates in the League Cup a couple of months ago, when they were an offside decision away from staging a two-goal comeback against their illustrious hosts. Another performance like that tonight, and it’s on!

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on January 05, 2019 11:59

Manchester United 2-0 Reading: FA Cup third round – as it happened

Reading gave it a good go, but United were too clinical as the hosts reached the fourth round without too much drama

2.50pm GMT

All that’s left is to point you in the direction of our match report. Jamie Jackson was at Old Trafford, and here’s his take. Thanks for reading, and hope to see you later for Blackpool-Arsenal.

2.38pm GMT

And now Solskjaer - the first manager in United history to win his first five games - speaks! Was the result better than the performance, asks Matt Smith of BT Sport? “Yeah I think you’re right there. Two-nil, a clean sheet again, and I have to say they made it tough for us. And probably I made it tough for us, because you know when you make nine changes, it’s never easy for a team that’s never played together. So I’m delighted we’re in he next round. We learned a lot. We know we need some fitness work, and to work on relations. But I’ve put a team together that’s never played together. We knew they were going to come and play, and they made us work hard. When we had possession we were too wasteful, and we know we have things to improve on. If we repeat that performance at Wembley, we won’t have a clean sheet or any points.”

2.32pm GMT

There were some other 12.30pm kick-offs in the FA Cup third round today. Here are the results.

Bournemouth 1-3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Burnley 1-0 Barnsley
Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 Luton Town
Shrewsbury Town 1-1 Stoke City
West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Wigan Athletic
West Ham United 2-0 Birmingham City

2.30pm GMT

That’s five wins out of five for Solskjaer. Five shiny bronze centimes for the thoughts of Jose Mourinho. United jet off for some warm-weather training in Dubai, in order to prepare for their trip to Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday. Reading meanwhile take succour from a gusty performance, dusting themselves down for the visit of Nottingham Forest next Saturday.

2.25pm GMT

Enough time for Jaakkola to fingertip a long-range Pereira effort around the post, and it’s a routine win for United. The hosts did what they had to do, and they sail comfortably into the fourth round. Championship strugglers Reading played extremely well, but ultimately were too blunt up front to bother Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s second string.

2.22pm GMT

90 min: A komik kut at the end, as Rashford, one-on-one with Jaakkola, tries to round the keeper on the right ... then stands on the ball and skitters hysterically out of play for a goal kick. He laughs heartily at his mistake, yet another sign that United are playing with renewed joie de vivre.

2.20pm GMT

89 min: Reading pile forward in a desperate attempt to get back into the game. Suddenly Pereira spots Lukaku alone on the halfway line. His long pass forward momentarily looks to set the striker free, but Jaakkola is out quickly to sweep the ball away from danger.

2.18pm GMT

88 min: Reading have had 13 attempts at goal today; United just the seven. Reading still on 60% possession. But it’s the small things that matter at this level, and the hosts have snaffled their chances when they’ve come.

2.17pm GMT

86 min: Swift finds space out on the right and curls a cross into the area. Romero is out to claim. The visitors are keeping on, right until the end.

2.15pm GMT

84 min: Chong strokes a pass wide right for Dalot, whose looping cross eludes Pereira, diving in for a header, six yards out. There was a slight nudge on Lukaku as the ball came over, and the referee consults VAR, but it’s not enough for a penalty.

2.13pm GMT

82 min: Barrow zips down the left and nearly gets past Fellaini in the United box. Nearly, but not quite. Goal kick.

2.12pm GMT

81 min: Barrow slips Richards into space down the left. Richards crosses long. Meite, coming in from the right at a tight angle, slams a wild shot deep into the stands from close range. He was offside anyway. But Reading, to their immense credit, haven’t given up.

2.11pm GMT

80 min: Swift sends Aluko skittering down the right. Meite is free in acres in the middle, but Aluko can’t find the space to loop the ball across, and runs it out of play.

2.09pm GMT

78 min: Good work by Rinomhota down the right, nipping past Jones with ease, the United defender charging out recklessly. But his cross is well cleared by Dalot with Reading forwards waiting to pounce.

2.08pm GMT

77 min: To a chorus of pantomime boos, Chong is booked for a light but cynical clip on Richards.

2.07pm GMT

76 min: Reading make their final change, swapping Harriott for Meite.

2.06pm GMT

75 min: Reading press United back in their final third, Aluko, Barrow and Rinomhota stroking it around, probing hither and yon. But they can’t find the killer pass.

2.04pm GMT

73 min: Reading are still on 61% possession for the match. They’re going out, but they’ve given a great account of themselves this afternoon, a performance that’s sure to give them a boost in their Championship relegation battle.

2.03pm GMT

72 min: Barrow bowls down the left, then slips a pass inside for Aluko, who clips a first-time shot towards the bottom left from the edge of the box. Romero tips round for a corner. From the set piece, Yiadom’s shot hits McTominay on the shoulder. Reading want a penalty, but they’re never getting it. Another corner instead, which comes to nothing.

2.01pm GMT

70 min: Aluko drives at United but the door is slammed shut. United break upfield, Lukaku slipping a ball wide right to Chong, who is fast but can’t get on the end of that. The Old Trafford faithful certainly are excited by the promise of Chong, a huge roar going up as he’s in hot pursuit.

1.59pm GMT

68 min: Young hoicks a free kick into the Reading box from the left. Lukaku can’t get a header on target. Then another wave, as Rashford bursts into the area from the left, but he’s crowded out. Finally a third go, as Young dribbles in from the left and slips a ball inside for Fellaini, who tries to back-flick into the net from close range. No Lee Sharpe he.

1.57pm GMT

66 min: Nothing going on, so BT Sport show footage of Sanchez sitting in Solskjaer’s seat in the dugout, and being told to move in short order.

1.54pm GMT

64 min: Sanchez departs with a frown, as Rashford comes on in his stead.

1.54pm GMT

63 min: Typical timing: Sanchez has pulled up, and has indicated that he needs to come off.

1.53pm GMT

61 min: Reading make their second change, swapping McCleary for Barrow. Meanwhile United make a double substitution: Mata and Fred are replaced by Fellaini and the 19-year-old winger Tahith Chong.

1.50pm GMT

59 min: McCleary makes good ground down the left with some ball-on-string entertainment. He flicks a pass down the channel to release Loader into the box, but the Reading forward has foolishly wandered offside. A needless mistake with United once again looking vulnerable in defence.

1.48pm GMT

57 min: A bit of a lull. United don’t really need to move up the gears, so this is where we are.

1.47pm GMT

55 min: Now it’s Reading’s turn to escape. A long ball down the United left. Lukaku cushions a header down for Sanchez, who can’t get a shot away. Yiadom should clear, but he allows Lukaku to barge him off the ball, to the left of goal. Lukaku sets up Mata, whose first-time swipe hits Moore.

1.45pm GMT

53 min: Aluko jinks his way across the front of the United box, right to left. Then he suddenly checks and plays a cute straight pass to Harriott, who is free on the penalty spot! He has to score, but batters straight at Romero. United escape.

1.43pm GMT

52 min: Dalot and Mata play a long-distance one-two down the right. Dalot dinks one into the centre but Lukaku is on the back foot. Mata tries a cross from the left but it’s too deep. The first signs of United flickering to life in this second half, though.

1.41pm GMT

50 min: Kelly takes a shot from the best part of 40 yards. Full marks for ambition.

1.39pm GMT

49 min: Darmian clatters into the back of Loader, who was in the process of turning him down the inside-left channel, 25 yards from goal. A free kick in a dangerous area. Swift takes, sending one over the wall and dipping towards the bottom right. Romero reads it well and snaffles the catch.

1.38pm GMT

47 min: Harriott dribbles down the middle of the park and flicks a pass to his left for Loader. It doesn’t quite come off, but United were once again light at the back there.

1.37pm GMT

46 min: McClearly and Loader work the ball down the right. The ball’s teed up for Swift, who blazes over from distance. Reading have obviously come out swinging, with nothing to lose. A fair chance, one way or the other, that this won’t end 2-0.

1.36pm GMT

The second half is underway. United get the ball rolling again. Reading have made a change, with the injured Ilori replaced by the forward-thinking Aluko. Rinomhota moves to right back, with Yiadom moving into the centre of defence.

1.22pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. This is delightful. Please don’t get too lost in nostalgic reverie, and remember to come back for the second half.

1.21pm GMT

Reading have been excellent. But United have been clinical. The hosts have one foot in the fourth round.

1.20pm GMT

Just as Reading were threatening to equalise, United break upfield. Sanchez threads a pass down the inside left to release Lukaku, who rounds Jaakkola on the outside and rolls home.

1.19pm GMT

45 min +3: Harriott has a whack this time from his beat out on the right. It’s blocked. But then Yiadom spins Jones with the greatest of ease, down the inside right. He slams a shot towards the top right; it’s parried round the post for a corner that comes to nothing.

1.18pm GMT

45 min +2: Swift has been Reading’s chief creative force, and here he sends a stunning crossfield pass to Harriott out on the right. Not for the first time, there’s a lot of space out there. Not for the first time, Harriott doesn’t do anything with the opportunity.

1.15pm GMT

45 min: There will be five added minutes, a combination of the Ilori injury and the VAR exercise.

1.14pm GMT

44 min: Swift robs Pereira, 35 yards out, and feeds Harriott down the right. Harriott opens his body and looks to pass the ball into the bottom right, but his shot is weak and easily snaffled by Romero.

1.13pm GMT

43 min: Young hauls down Harriott in the middle of the park. For some reason the referee gives Sanchez a lecture instead. This half is petering out.

1.11pm GMT

41 min: Yiadom bursts past Sanchez down the right. There’s not much in it, but the referee blows for a United free kick. Just as well for the hosts, because Yiadom was yomping into the area. Yiadom loses the place completely, throwing semaphore shapes in disgust. He suddenly remembers he’s on a booking and calms down quicksmart.

1.10pm GMT

40 min: Space for McCleary down on the right. He hooks into the box for Loader, but Darmian and Jones crowd out the Reading striker.

1.09pm GMT

37 min: Fred looks industrious and impressive. He sends Lukaku trotting into the Reading half with a quick forward thrust. Lukaku feeds Sanchez on his left. Sanchez dribbles into the box with great purpose, but he’s shepherded away from danger by Ilori, and Jaakkola then hacks away from danger while down on his knees.

1.06pm GMT

35 min: United’s defence is all over the shop, offering up plenty of chances. But Reading aren’t taking them. Twice in the space of a minute, there’s oodles of room for Harriott, then Loader, down the inside-right channel. But both young Reading forwards hesitate when they should drive forward to trouble Romero.

1.04pm GMT

34 min: Reading are still on 61% possession. But what’s possession nowadays? United seem happy to let them ping it around and play on the break.

1.04pm GMT

33 min: Yiadom is quite correctly booked for a wild and late lunge on Fred. He took out the United midfielder’s standing leg with gusto. Clumsy more than anything else, but still.

1.02pm GMT

32 min: Reading aren’t taking this lying down. Harriott has a whack from a position wide on the right. It’s not a million miles from the top-left corner.

1.01pm GMT

30 min: A glorious chance missed at both ends! First Lukaku barrels his way down the middle. He should tear clear, but with Moore on his shoulder, lets the ball clank between his feet. Momentum gone. He finally digs it out for a shot, but Jaakkola parries well. Then Harriott is sent scampering into acres down the right. With United’s entire defence inexplicably AWOL, he slips a ball inside for Loader, who should shoot when one on one with Romero. But instead he tries to round the keeper on the right. Romero stands up well to block for a corner, which leads to nought.

12.59pm GMT

28 min: Sanchez twists and shimmies in the Reading box, but can’t get a shot away because Richards is sticking to him like glue. Ilori, moving well again, sends a long clearance towards Harriott, who briefly threatens to race clear. But Darmian is across to cover well.

12.57pm GMT

27 min: Young tears down the left and sends a low cross-cum-shot into the arms of Jaakkola. The goal has lit a fire under United. They’re playing with much more speed and purpose now.

12.56pm GMT

25 min: Sanchez attempts to cross from the left. The ball clanks into Yiadom’s arm, just inside the box. United want another penalty kick, but they’re not getting one. Yiadom was standing right in front of Sanchez, and he had little chance of getting his arm out of the way. Also, on second viewing, he wasn’t in the box. We move on.

12.54pm GMT

24 min: It took two minutes and five seconds, but that was the correct decision. A shame for Reading, though, who had otherwise started very well.

12.53pm GMT

Mata slots the ball into the bottom right, Jaakkola given no chance!

12.52pm GMT

22 min: And it’s a penalty to United, Mata having been barged over by Richards as he played the ball forward to Fred! Mata will get up and take it himself.

12.51pm GMT

20 min: United score! But the flag goes up! Young hoicks the ball into the Reading area from the left. Fred hooks it down near the penalty spot. Mata plays the dropping ball back to Fred, who sweeps home. But Mata’s touch looks to have caught Fred offside. We’re going to VAR.

12.49pm GMT

18 min: Reading respond very impressively. First Swift looks to have sent Loader clear down the middle with a defence splitter from inside his own half, but the Reading striker went too soon and the flag goes up for offside. Then a left-wing cross from Harriott finds its way to Yiadom, haring into the United area from the right. Yiadom is in acres - where’s Young? - and could take a touch before shooting. But he suffers a rush of blood to the head, and blooters a first-time effort wide and high. That goes down as a good chance spurned.

12.47pm GMT

16 min: Finally, United spring into life. Fred, McTominay and Lukaku play it upfield at speed, some glorious one-touch passing. Sanchez picks up possession 25 yards out, drops a shoulder as he shifts the ball to his right, and sends a dipping screamer, intended for the top left, inches over the bar. So close!

12.45pm GMT

15 min: Ilori’s back up, but padding around gingerly at the moment.

12.44pm GMT

13 min: Ilori has come off second best in a 50-50 challenge for a high ball with Lukaku. He’s landed awkwardly on his hip from a height. On the Reading bench, erstwhile United defender John O’Shea wonders whether he’ll get a fairytale run-out at his alma mater, at the ripe age of 37.

12.42pm GMT

11 min: Reading have enjoyed 62% of possession so far. United have looked a little sleepy so far, not long out of bed.

12.41pm GMT

10 min: McTominay’s back up and about. Reading spend some time probing down the left. Swift then switches play to Harriott, who briefly threatens to turn Pereira down the inside-right channel. Pereira recovers well and United try to break upfield, but Sanchez’s attempt to release Lukaku is wayward.

12.39pm GMT

8 min: United finally get a little rhythm going. Fred at the centre of some pretty triangles. Suddenly Sanchez attempts to turn Harriott down the inside left. He’s fouled, and it’s a chance to clip a free kick into a loaded box. Young wedges the set piece into the mixer. Jones wins a header. Moore wins another to clear. McTominay goes down having hurt his noggin. He’s down getting the magic sponge.

12.36pm GMT

6 min: Loader and Swift try to one-two their way down the middle of the park. A couple of passes stick, the one intended to split United’s defence doesn’t. But full marks for ambition.

12.35pm GMT

4 min: Reading continue to knock the ball around in a carefree style, albeit mainly in their own half. They’ve decided to try to enjoy themselves, by the looks of it, just as their manager suggested. United haven’t got going yet.

12.32pm GMT

2 min: It’s not been all Reading, exactly, but the visitors have been pinging it around in a confident manner. Everyone’s had a touch. Perhaps they’ve been a little too confident, because for a second it looks as though Kelly is going to gift possession to a buzzing Fred on the edge of his own box. But he plays away from danger.

12.30pm GMT

And we’re off! Reading get the ball rolling, and they’ll be kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half.

12.29pm GMT

The teams are out! A fantastic atmosphere at Old Trafford, as the sound of the Stone Roses pings around the place. This is the one. It’s almost as though a huge weight was recently lifted. United are in their famous red, white and black, while Reading sport their traditional blue and white. We’ll be off in a minute. “After the Reading manager’s interview just now, it feels completely surreal to me to have someone named José talking about Manchester United with any kind of enthusiasm or interest.” Adam Kline-Schoder with today’s top zinger, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the pickled egg in a sausage and black pudding coating rolled in breadcrumbs.

12.24pm GMT

Solskjaer speaks ... and smiles. He’s loving this life. “It’s been a hectic couple of weeks, but it’s been fantastic. It’s great to be in a competition that you can win, it’s a trophy we can go for. Most of these players have started a game in the last four games anyway. Romelu and Alexis, it’s about time to start them. I give young Scott a chance, he’s played enough games. It should be an opportunity for everyone to put themselves in the frame for Tottenham. Changing so many players might be a risk, but we have a couple of injuries and some tired legs, so this is how it has to be. I’m going to enjoy it as long as I’m here. If you don’t enjoy working at Man United, you’re not gonna enjoy working in football! I’m not thinking about job prospects, but trophies. This is probably our biggest chance of a trophy. I have told the lads how nice it is to run out at Wembley for a final.”

12.19pm GMT

For the record, the Reading gig is the well-travelled Gomes’ sixth job in the last two-and-a-half years. And his tenth in a 13-year managerial career. He makes Roy Hodgson look like Guy Roux. Altogether now: ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ ♭ ♮ ♯ There’s a voice, keeps on callin’ me ... ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ ♭ ♮ ♯

12.11pm GMT

The new Reading manager Jose Manuel Gomes speaks! “It’s a big game, the football party of the English federation. It’s an honour to be part of this game. We must enjoy it, we must show to our supporters that we are able to play good football and get good results in the league. Today is a day to enjoy, and you never know what can happen. United are a strong team with fantastic players. We will try to play positive, offensive football. Why not? I cannot change this because we play against Manchester United, and we will try to give a good picture of what we can do.”

12.00pm GMT

Pre-match patter.

11.56am GMT

Corrections and clarifications dept. “Hi Scott,” begins Christian Palmer. “It’s not going to make any difference to today’s result, but Reading made it to the semis in 2015. Here’s your minute-by-minute report. Don’t worry, my memory is failing me too.” Oh dear. Thank you. Sorry. Yes, I am getting old. I remember when the Madejski was all fields.

11.49am GMT

Only two United players remain from the starting XI named for the win at Newcastle on Wednesday. Phil Jones and Juan Mata keep their places. Otherwise it’s all change, with Sergio Romero replacing David de Gea in goal, Matteo Darmian playing in the centre of defence, and the lesser-spotted Alexis Sanchez starting up front.

Reading make four changes to the team thrashed at home by Swansea last weekend. Liam Moore, Liam Kelly, Callum Harriott and Danny Loader replace Sone Aluko, Yakou Meite, Modou Barrow and - returning to his old stomping ground, the Old Trafford benches - John O’Shea.

11.35am GMT

Manchester United: Romero, Dalot, Darmian, Jones, Young, Fred, McTominay, Andreas Pereira, Mata, Lukaku, Sanchez.
Subs: Lindelof, Rashford, Martial, Grant, Fellaini, Garner, Chong.

Reading: Jaakkola, Yiadom, Tiago Ilori, Moore, Richards, Kelly, Rinomhota, McCleary, Swift, Harriott, Loader.
Subs: Gunter, O’Shea, Aluko, Barrow, Meite, Walker, East.

9.05pm GMT

Manchester United and Reading have history in the FA Cup. A long tradition stretches all the way back to 1912, when Billy Meredith and Sandy Turnbull starred in a 3-0 win for United at Old Trafford. A last-minute goal settled a three-game marathon in Reading’s favour in 1927; the Biscuitmen made it all the way to the semis

, the last time they got so far
. United beat Reading in successive seasons in 1937 and 1938. Colin Webster and Dennis Violett shone for the Busby Babes in a 4-1 rout in 1955.

In more modern times ... the United of Cantona and Giggs won 3-0 at Elm Park during their successful run of 1996; Gabriel Heinze, Louis Saha and a certain Ole Gunnar Solskjaer put them three up in six minutes (!) at the Madejski in 2007; Nani and Javier Hernandez were the heroes in 2013; Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford wrapped up a 4-0 win this time two years ago.

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on January 05, 2019 06:50

January 3, 2019

FA Cup third round: 10 things to look out for this weekend

A trip back to 1953 at Bloomfield Road, tricky ties for Fulham and Leicester, and plenty of minnows with eyes on a big scalp

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on January 03, 2019 16:40

The Fiver | Tidying Up with Ole Gunnar Solskjær

Human beings have now reached such an advanced stage of evolution that we are prepared to pay cash money to a subscription channel to watch a reality television programme called Tidying Up. You can find that one on Netflix, tune in kids. It stars organising consultant Marie Kondo, whose MO is to rock up at someone’s tat-packed house and order them to throw away some stuff and fold up their clothes neatly. That’s about it, give or take. While cynics may raise an eyebrow at the brazen simplicity of the advice proffered, and ponder the savage irony of how the ten million copies of her NYT No 1 bestseller will be cluttering up charity shops for years to come, the folk she advises seem pretty happy at the end of each episode. So fair’s fair. “Sparking joy” is Kondo’s mantra, nicked from The Fiver. OK, she didn’t nick it from The Fiver.

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on January 03, 2019 07:56

December 22, 2018

Cardiff City 1-5 Manchester United: Premier League – as it happened

Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s first match as Manchester United’s caretaker manager couldn’t have gone much better.

7.55pm GMT

And so that’s your lot, on a dream evening for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United. All that’s left is to plug Stuart James’ match report, and to wish you all a very merry Christmas. Ho ho ho!

7.52pm GMT

Neil Warnock talks! “I thought it was an iffy free kick for the first goal, but it was a Sunday league goals really. We’d started off well and to concede a goal like that, and before you know where you are you’re 2-0 down. We came back well, but conceded another stupid goal, and if you concede goals you’re going to lose games. On the plus side, even at half-time I thought we’d have a chance if we got the next goal. But it’s not a penalty, dear me. But you can’t blame the ref when it’s 5-1 can you?! It’s very disappointing. But if you’d told me at the start of the season that we wouldn’t be in the bottom three at Christmas, I’d have snapped your hands off. So we have to take the positives. We’ve got two tough away games now, and we’ve got to start getting points away from here.”

7.44pm GMT

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer speaks to BT Sport! “Football is easy if you have good players. They are such a great bunch and their quality is unbelievable. I arrived on Thursday; all that advice I got on text from Wazza [Wayne Rooney] was useful! He told us to enjoy our football, smile and be Man United. It’s been a tough week for them. It’s been a tough week for me, to be fair. Even though it was enjoyable, there was a lot of things swirling round our heads, so they responded fantastically. We had a little session about patterns of play, Luke supporting Anthony. It’s worked well today. The easiest thing to work on is your work-rate. Because of the occasion, maybe they made a run or two more than normal. The foundation was our centre backs. The players have the Manchester United badge on their shirt, and there’s a reason for that, they’re quality players. We take one game at a time; we’ve caught up eight or nine points before! There is still work to be done. We’ll keep plugging away, little by little.” No sense that he’s getting carried away by this result. A modest interview from a very likeable chap. United could be in good hands, you know.

7.36pm GMT

Here’s United’s two-goal hero Jesse Lingard! He says life under the new boss has “been good. We played with a lot of energy and excitement. The midfield played higher, the full-backs played higher, we pegged them back.” Marcus Rashford adds that Solskjaer wants his team to “be positive and look for the gaps”, sending a warning to the rest of the division: “That was just the start today, we’re going to improve and get better at it.”

7.30pm GMT

That’s quite the statement victory by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United. They’ve been little short of dreadful this season; they were sensational today. Bigger tests will come, no doubt, but that’ll have cleared a few pipes. They remain in sixth place, but suddenly they’re only eight points behind Chelsea, a top-four finish no longer quite the pipe dream it seemed last week. With home games against Huddersfield and Bournemouth to come, this could be a very happy holiday period for an instantly rejuvenated team. Cardiff meanwhile stay 17th, two points above Burnley in the first of the three relegation places and four ahead of Huddersfield and Fulham. Crystal Palace, Leicester and Tottenham await them over the festive period.

7.22pm GMT

Meet the new boss, most categorically not the same as the old boss.

7.21pm GMT

90 min +2: It’s only Cardiff, some will say. But Cardiff had won their last three matches at home.

7.20pm GMT

90 min +1: That’s the first time United have scored five in the Premier League since the Sir Alex Ferguson era! The away end is bouncing by way of response.

7.19pm GMT

Pogba jogs down the inside-right channel and slides a ball forward for Lingard, who enters the box, rounds Etheridge on the right, and slots the ball into an empty net!

7.18pm GMT

88 min: Morrison fires a fine long pass down the left. Lindelof is forced to hack out for a corner under pressure from Zohore. De Gea claims the set piece, and is nearly shovelled into the back of the net in the Lofthouse-Gregg style. But while there’s no free kick, de Gea stands firm on his own line.

7.15pm GMT

86 min: The superb Martial is replaced by Pereira, while Fellaini comes on for Matic.

7.13pm GMT

84 min: Fred creams a glorious pass down the middle for Lingard, who tries to cushion a pass towards Martial. Ralls does extremely well to close some gaps in the Cardiff defence and put a stop to United’s forward momentum.

7.11pm GMT

83 min: Ralls comes on for Gunnarsson.

7.11pm GMT

82 min: A poor de Gea clearance ends up at the feet of Harris, who sets Cardiff on the attack. The ball’s swung in from the left by Murphy; Paterson wins a header on the penalty spot but inexplicably heads the ball away from goal!

7.08pm GMT

79 min: Rashford is replaced by Fred, who will be looking to reboot his Manchester United career under the new boss.

7.07pm GMT

78 min: A series of long throws by Gunnarsson from the left. Lingard eventually clears, after a fresh-air kick, and suddenly Rashford is away down the right! Cunningham slides in and takes one for the team. He’s booked, unsurprisingly.

7.06pm GMT

77 min: A long ball for Zohore to chase down the left. He’s got the speed to beat Lindelof, and enters the box. It’s a tight angle, though. He gets his effort on target, but de Gea’s not to be beaten at his near post, and kicks it out for a corner. Nothing comes from that.

7.05pm GMT

75 min: Zohore has a shot from 20 yards that’s blocked; Murphy bundles the rebound out of play under pressure from Lindelof. Cardiff’s dignity has kicked in, though, and they’ve been much improved in the last few minutes.

7.03pm GMT

74 min: Camarasa whips the free kick to the far post. Bamba rises highest, and should really plant a header into the top right from close range. De Gea would have had no time to react. But Bamba clanks his effort wide right. A glorious chance for a consolation spurned.

7.02pm GMT

73 min: Hoilett is replaced by Harris. Meanwhile a free kick for Cardiff out on the left, Lindelof having gone in high-kicking on Zohore.

7.00pm GMT

71 min: Young takes the corner from the right. Jones tries to sweep a shot into the bottom right from 12 yards, but Etheridge is behind it all the way.

6.59pm GMT

70 min: Pogba drops a shoulder, takes a touch inside from the left wing, and curls towards the top right. The shot’s got whip and dip, but Etheridge does extremely well to tip over the bar at full stretch.

6.58pm GMT

69 min: Cardiff ping it around for a while, a much-needed period of possession. That comes to a halt when Pogba comes through the back of Hoilett out on the right. He’s very lucky to escape a booking. Camarasa takes the resulting free kick, whipping into the United box. Paterson wins the header, but can’t keep it down, and the ball flies harmlessly over the bar.

6.56pm GMT

67 min: Something of a lull, which will suit Cardiff, who just want to see that clock tick round to 90.

6.54pm GMT

65 min: Perhaps the best form of defence for Cardiff will be in attack. Murphy cuts in from the left and looks for the far corner. He nearly threads it through, too, but de Gea is down to turn the ball away for a corner. Nothing comes from the set piece, even though Bamba puts himself about in the physical style.

6.53pm GMT

63 min: Lindelof strolls forward like Franz Beckenbauer and slides a glorious pass down the inside-right channel. Rashford is free. He draws Etheridge and should score, but the keeper is able to get a small nick on his shot and turn the ball wide of the left-hand post. Inches in that. Cardiff are looking down the barrel of a thrashing here.

6.51pm GMT

62 min: From the corner, Herrera tries to screech a volley into the net from 20 yards. It dribbles out of play apologetically, miles to the left of goal. Not quite up there with his first-half strike.

6.50pm GMT

61 min: Pogba drives into the area down the left. He loses control of the ball, but it breaks to Shaw, whose first-time shot from the edge of the box is deflected out for a corner. Before that can be taken, Cardiff switch Arter for Zohore.

6.47pm GMT

59 min: Young’s delivery isn’t all that. Cardiff clear their lines easily enough. “Nice to see Solskjaer getting a good result in Cardiff at last,” quips Matt Dony, because somebody had to.

6.47pm GMT

58 min: Gunnarsson has made quite a few fouls today, and finally he goes in the book for obstructing Lingard as he’s making off down the left. A free kick and a chance for United to load the box.

6.46pm GMT

Lingard takes, after a brief discussion with Pogba. And it’s the correct decision, as he opens his body and sidefoots firmly into the right-hand portion of the net, sending Etheridge the wrong way. This is a dream debut for Solskjaer!

6.44pm GMT

55 min: Lingard dribbles down the inside-left channel and into the box. There’s no challenge ... until Bamba arrives and clips him from behind. The referee points to the spot.

6.43pm GMT

54 min: Gunnarsson is down, taking a bit of a breather. Ah, Pogba caught him with a naughty one. The Cardiff midfielder will be fine to continue, though.

6.41pm GMT

52 min: United are rampant in attack, and it’s been a wee while since we’ve said that. Pogba, Martial and Rashford combine down the inside-right channel, Rashford eventually breaking clear into the box. Just as he’s about to poke past Etheridge, Cunningham suddenly appears to block Rashford’s shot. That’s fine defending. But Cardiff are hanging on.

6.40pm GMT

51 min: But United come straight back at Cardiff, Rashford and Martial combining down the inside-left channel, the latter setting up the former for a shot across the face of goal. It took a nick, and it’s out for a corner that leads to nothing.

6.39pm GMT

50 min: Rashford threatens to break down the inside-left channel, sent scampering away by Pogba. Bamba does extremely well to step in and clear.

6.38pm GMT

49 min: Cardiff are struggling to keep hold of the ball right now. And whenever United get it, they’re knocking it around in pretty patterns.

6.36pm GMT

47 min: United spend a couple of minutes pinging it about. They each look about a foot taller than the rabble who turned out at Anfield last weekend. Amazing what a little love can do. Meanwhile here’s Mike Gibbons. “I live in Oxford, and that 2-0 defeat for United at the Manor Ground in 1986 is one of those ‘I Was(n’t really) There’ games. The only event I’ve heard of with more fictitious attendees was that Sex Pistols gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall ten years earlier.”

6.34pm GMT

It’s the second half! United get it underway, the first having gone just about as well as Ole could have hoped. As for the half-time break itself, Matt Emerson would like to suggest how Jose spent it: “Alone. In the dark. In his vest and pants. Eating Doritos.” It’s a picture and no mistake. One of Gmail’s suggested auto-replies to Matt’s missive was “So cute!” The algorithms still need a bit of tweaking, I’d argue.

6.20pm GMT

Half-time nostalgia.

6.18pm GMT

Oh José.

6.16pm GMT

45 min: Pogba has a dig from 25 yards. He shanks it 25 yards wide. There will be three minutes added to this first half.

6.14pm GMT

43 min: A free kick for Cardiff, in the middle of the United half. Camarasa hoicks it out left. Arter hooks it back in, and the ball lands on the top of the crossbar and bounces out for a goal kick. United have been quite magnificent in this half, but Cardiff have played their part in an entertaining game.

6.12pm GMT

What a goal this is! Old-school United are back! Martial probes down the inside right. He flips a pass left for Pogba, who slips one to Martial’s right for Lingard. Finally Lingard pings it back to Martial, who saunters free into the area and slots the calmest of finishes into the bottom left! First-time brilliance!

6.10pm GMT

39 min: Shaw threatens to break clear into the Cardiff box, but Manga does well to shut the door. United come straight back at the hosts, though, Lingard sashaying in from the left and whistling a low shot straight down Etheridge’s throat.

6.09pm GMT

Camarasa to take. And he launches a wonderful spot kick into the top left, de Gea with no chance whatsoever! You’ll not see a better penalty than that all year. And the stadium erupts, the game suddenly back on!

6.07pm GMT

37 min: Another chance for Gunnarsson to fling a throw into the area from the right. Rashford looks to run the dropping ball out of the box. He leans into it with his shoulder, and Michael Oliver points to the spot!

6.06pm GMT

35 min: It’s all United. Pogba drives down the left and flicks the ball off Gunnarsson for another corner. Young hits it long for Herrera, the pair trying to replicate the famous Beckham-Scholes one-two against Bradford back in the day. Nope. As Cardiff clear, Shaw lunges in late on Murphy and is properly booked.

6.04pm GMT

33 min: Young threatens down the right. Bamba is forced to clear for a corner. Cardiff are all over the shop as they try to defend it, Martial nearly prodding home at the far post, Morrison hooking away just in time.

6.02pm GMT

31 min: Cardiff win a corner on the left, Murphy earning it off Herrera. It proves a non-event, though Murphy comes straight back at United down the left and reaches the byline. Unfortunately for the hosts, Murphy flashes an over-excitable cross high over de Gea and away from danger.

6.00pm GMT

Well this is spectacular! But so simple. Pogba cuts in from the left and curls a pass to Herrera in the middle of the Cardiff half. From 30 yards, he aims for the top right ... and in it flies, Etheridge with no chance again! There’s a big deflection on Herrera’s shot, off the back of Cunningham. Not that Solskjaer cares, as he celebrates in the dugout with a look of sheer delight playing across his face!

5.58pm GMT

27 min: Rashford runs into the back of Cunningham. It’s a common or garden free kick, but the Cardiff fans explode in anger anyway. Hey, it’s panto season. There’s a fine atmosphere in the stadium, both sets of fans giving it plenty.

5.56pm GMT

25 min: From that, Young fizzes a ball through the six-yard box. Jones can’t quite get on the end of it. United’s bright start continues apace.

5.54pm GMT

24 min: Rashford is barged to the turf by Gunnarsson. Young takes the free kick, out on the left touchline. He looks for Pogba at the far post; Bamba does very well to eyebrow the ball out for a corner.

5.54pm GMT

23 min: Phil Jones goes marauding down the left wing. It’s a new era OK.

5.52pm GMT

21 min: Bamba strips the ball from Lingard in the centre circle. He romps upfield and has Murphy in acres on the left. There’s no United defender covering that half of the field at all! Just like the second half at Anfield last weekend. But Bamba doesn’t see the pass and is eventually dispossessed. Martial goes up the other end, crossing from the left. Rashford’s snapshot is blocked well by Cunningham.

5.51pm GMT

20 min: United are snapping into quite a lot of tackles, closing down a fair bit of space. It’s a conspicuous change in approach.

5.49pm GMT

18 min: Lindelof turns back down the United right and very nearly plays himself into a bit of trouble, with Murphy and Arter hovering around. He eventually does very well to slip a pass back to de Gea, who blooters clear.

5.47pm GMT

16 min: Paterson is back on his feet and by the looks of it he’s good to continue. Shaw’s back into the action as well; it’s all good to see. The game restarts, and Martial skins Manga down the left again. He cuts back in the hope of finding Rashford, but Camarasa has read the danger well.

5.45pm GMT

14 min: Murphy makes good down the left and his low cross is hacked out by Jones. Centre stage again for Gunnarsson, who flings in one of those long throws. In the heat of an aerial battle, Shaw and Paterson nut each other in the full-on style. Paterson has come off the worst, and is lying on the turf looking very groggy indeed, a large ice pack pressed to his forehead. A long break in play.

5.42pm GMT

12 min: Martial’s dribble down the left earns a corner off Manga. Young’s delivery is smacked clear by the head of Bamba. “I feel that, on the basis of these ten minutes, United have found their permanent manager and can bring their search to a close immediately,” writes Peter Raleigh. “What club do I support? I don’t see how that’s relevant.”

5.41pm GMT

10 min: “I could never figure why Mourinho didn’t give Martial/Rashford/Lingard a run as a front trident similar to Liverpool’s,” writes Hubert O’Hearn. “So I give Solskjaer top marks already for satisfying my curiosity. My suspicion is that the experiment will work out very, very well.” The early signs are certainly good. Though not everything will be fixed immediately, of course. Jones makes a half-arsed clearing header, and is thankful that Hoilett’s attempt to latch onto the loose ball and move towards the area is similarly clumsy.

5.38pm GMT

8 min: Lingard clumsily barges Gunnarsson to the ground, 25 yards out. Murphy looks to plant the free kick into the top right, but it’s always high and wide. A small foothold in the game for Cardiff, though, after United’s blistering start.

5.37pm GMT

6 min: Shaw robs a dithering Hoilett near the centre circle. Rashford goes tearing towards the Cardiff box. The move eventually breaks down, but United are on the front foot alright. They’re swarming around their opponents in the new-fangled pressing style. A penny for Jose’s thoughts right now.

5.35pm GMT

4 min: A suggestion that the free kick might have taken a nick off Paterson en route to the goal. But still, what a hit. In the stands, Ed Woodward smiles broadly, in full cat-cream mode.

5.34pm GMT

Gunnarsson drags down Pogba as the United midfielder looks to spin into space, 30 yards from goal. A free kick in a dangerous position. Pogba steps over it, allowing Rashford to send a stunning, swerving effort around the wall and into the bottom right, Etheridge rooted to the spot! What a start to the Solskjaer era!

5.32pm GMT

2 min: United ping it around the middle of the park awhile. There are already signs that they’ll have a more proactive attitude under the new regime, with Shaw and Young pushing up high on the wings.

5.31pm GMT

Cardiff get the party started! The ball’s immediately launched long. Some head tennis, and then a chance for Gunnarsson to Delap a throw into the United box from the right. The ball’s flung into the mixer, and Jones passes the early aerial test.

5.27pm GMT

The teams are out! Cardiff City are in their famous blue shirts, while Manchester United wear their storied red. A wonderful atmosphere in the stadium, a Christmas party in blue. We’ll be off in a minute!

5.21pm GMT

A very cheery Neil Warnock speaks, and delivers a masterclass in expectation management. “We’re looking forward to this. We worked our socks off last year, against all the odds, to get here, so we’ll enjoy it. We’ll give it our best shot, that’s all the lads can do. They’ve been super. I know there will be players out to prove things on their side; we’ve been a bit unlucky in that respect following on from Southampton and Leicester, with the circumstances around those games, but we just have to get on with it. The crowd will be important, and we can’t concede early. We’ve got to be on our game. We think there are weaknesses and we’ve got to do our best to find them. It’s fair to say that if you look at the teamsheets, we’re miles apart, but that’s football, and you never know what’s around the corner.”

5.16pm GMT

Pre-match reading. Here’s our man Ed Aarons on some of the most memorable caretaker reigns of recent times. Contains quite a lot of Chelsea and Newcastle United, as you’d expect.

5.14pm GMT

In a pre-recorded interview with BT Sport, Manchester United’s new interim manager says he was on the receiving end of Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous hairdryer three times. “Sometimes you need it,” he explains with a smile, accompanied by a small shudder because, well, experiences like that never totally leave you. “You can’t get too complacent, too comfortable. But you want to be confident. It’s a privilege to have that talent [gestures towards players] and for them to be able to express themselves.”

5.07pm GMT

Wayne Rooney is BT Sport’s special guest this evening. He’s asked whether getting shot of Jose Mourinho was the right idea. He says yes. “To be a successful football club, you need everything to be right, to be happy. That rubs off on the players. The relationships between some of the staff and the players wasn’t great. But the players are smiling again. It’s a good move for the club, and it’ll be fascinating to see how Ole sets the team up and how they play today.” He talks intelligently, does Rooney; he’ll make a good pundit one day if he fancies it.

4.38pm GMT

Neil Warnock makes one change to the Cardiff City starting XI named in the 3-2 defeat at Watford last Saturday. Greg Cunningham replaces Joe Bennett.

The first Manchester United team picked by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has four changes to the one named for the 3-1 loss at Anfield last Sunday. Eric Bailly, Diogo Dalot, Matteo Darmian and Romelu Lukaku are replaced by Phil Jones, Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial and ... cue drum roll and fanfare ... Paul Pogba.

4.32pm GMT

Cardiff City: Etheridge, Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Cunningham, Gunnarsson, Hoilett, Victor Camarasa, Arter, Murphy, Paterson.
Subs: Peltier, Ralls, Zohore, Smithies, Reid, Mendez-Laing, Harris.

Manchester United: de Gea, Young, Jones, Lindelof, Shaw, Herrera, Matic, Pogba, Lingard, Rashford, Martial.
Subs: Bailly, Mata, Pereira, Fred, Dalot, Romero, Fellaini.

4.13pm GMT

On the sixth of October 1945, Manchester United drew 0-0 at home to Everton in the Wartime League North. On the eighth of November 1986, they lost 2-0 at Oxford United in the old First Division. The managerial debuts of Matt Busby and Alex Ferguson there. From small acorns to mighty oaks.

Will Manchester United look back similarly on the 22nd of December 2018 in years to come? Let’s wait and see, huh, but safe to say the result of today’s visit to Cardiff City shouldn’t be treated as much of a signifier in the grand scheme of things. You only have to consider the 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic in the 2013 Community Shield, or the 2-1 victory over Leicester City in the 2017 version, to realise that. The triumphant managerial debuts of David Moyes and Jose Mourinho, like you needed to be told.

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 22, 2018 11:55

Arsenal 3-1 Burnley: Premier League – as it happened

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the two-goal hero of a feisty battle at the Emirates.

3.08pm GMT

And that’s your lot! All that’s left is to remind you that Gregg Bakowski is helming Clocko as we speak, and point you in the direction of David Hytner’s match report from the Emirates. Thanks for reading!

3.06pm GMT

And now a word with Unai Emery. “We expected it to be tough. We worked very well today. We are really happy for this victory. Physically we are strong and we can do that if we need to. We imposed our plan.” And what about Dyche’s accusations of diving? “I do not agree with him.”

3.03pm GMT

Sean Dyche speaks, and he’s giving it to you straight. “No-one wants to see diving in the game. There was two dives today ... three I think. Xhaka late on, when he goes through with Vydra, he’s looking at the ref. Ashley Barnes somehow comes out of a tangle with Sokratis, who has elbowed him, I’ve seen it by the way and his elbow goes in on an unnatural movement before he swings over. And Barnesy gets a booking, which is nearly impossible. It’s more about the issue than individuals, I can’t accuse individuals. But it’s got to go out of the game. And to top it off, a clear two-handed push on Long in the box. We’re sixty games without a penalty now. I’m alarmed by how much diving there is now. I’m not talking about gamesmanship, that’s a part of the game, clever players, you clip them, they go down, fine. We’re talking about players going down with nowhere near them. All Emery said at the end was: you were shouting at the ref? And said yes I was absolutely! I think they’re honest and will look back and think I’ve got a case.”

2.49pm GMT

A not particularly cheery Ashley Barnes speaks. “Credit to them, they are a good side. They can go down and get things, we go down and we don’t particularly get so much. But that’s not for me to comment so I’ll leave that one now, please.” As for his run-in with Sokratis? “I’ve got to do my job. There was a bit of handbags on the side, but what will be will be. There was frustration: how many times is he going to foul me before he gets booked, do you know what I mean? The ref was quick enough to give me a card straight away for hardly anything. But that’s happened now, we’ve lost the game and we have to dust ourselves down.”

2.41pm GMT

Match report. David Hytner was at the Emirates to witness a performance that was “Mesut Özil in microcosm”.

2.38pm GMT

Arsenal’s two-goal hero Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang speaks! “Yeah, it was a physical battle, really really hard. But we won and that’s the most important.” When was the last time you played in a game that physical? “Never! I think never! It was really really hard. But all the team fought and we played a great game. The first goal I just tried to be faster than the defender so I could shoot. The second goal, the first touch was important. It is cool and good to know [that he’s leading the top scorer chart now] but the season is long.”

Sokratis Papastathopoulos was also asked about his wonderfully old-school running feud with Ashley Barnes, but basically shrugged and didn’t seem to care one way or the other. “I enjoyed it. That’s football.”

2.24pm GMT

A match that was entertaining from the get-go comes to an end. Unai Emery goes to shake Sean Dyche’s hand with a smile; he gets a handshake in return, but no season’s greetings from the grim-faced Burnley boss. Arsenal will enjoy a happy Christmas Day, comfortable in fifth place. Burnley remain in the relegation places, but once the pain subsides should be buoyed by a couple of brave displays in north London in the past week.

2.21pm GMT

90 min +3: The relief around the Emirates is tangible. Happy Christmas, depending on the result at Goodison Park tomorrow afternoon, to everyone in north London!

2.20pm GMT

90 min +2: There was a slight suspicion of offside as the ball broke to Iwobi, but benefit of doubt to the attacker and all that. There wasn’t much in it. Westwood doesn’t concur, and he’s in the book as a result of his complaints.

2.19pm GMT

Ozil dribbles down the right. He ignores Guendouzi, free in the middle, and instead jinks into the area himself, drops a shoulder and cuts inside. His shot isn’t up to much, but the ball breaks to Iwobi, to his right. Iwobi is free, and smashes home. Game over!

2.17pm GMT

90 min: There will be five added minutes.

2.16pm GMT

88 min: Sokratis strips Vydra and bombs forward. He lays off to Iwobi on the left. Iwobi feeds the Kolasinac on the overlap, and the wing-back drills a ball across the face of goal. But there’s nobody in red there to tap it in! Kolasinac has been magnificent today.

2.13pm GMT

86 min: Iwobi flips a ball down the left to release Ozil, who nearly finds Aubameyang in the centre with a dipping cross. Mee heads clear, just in time. So close to Aubameyang’s hat-trick.

2.11pm GMT

84 min: Burnley are seeing more of the ball right now. Fortunately for Arsenal, they’re not doing a great deal with it.

2.10pm GMT

83 min: Lowton comes on for Bardsley.

2.10pm GMT

82 min: Vydra flicks on for Tarkowski, who worries Leno by flashing the ball into the side netting on the left. The tension in the Emirates is palpable.

2.09pm GMT

80 min: Now he’s throwing bits of tape around. People have decided to give him a bit of space.

2.07pm GMT

79 min: There was a full and frank exchange of views between Lacazette and his manager Emery as the striker returned to the bench. Quite the animated sulk from the striker. He’s not happy at being hooked.

2.05pm GMT

78 min: And then Arsenal make their final change, replacing Lacazette with Iwobi.

2.04pm GMT

77 min: Wood and Barnes, both walking a disciplinary tightrope, are replaced by Vydra and Vokes.

2.03pm GMT

76 min: A rare second-half lull. There’s a lot of action going on in the dugouts, though. Substitutions ahoy.

2.02pm GMT

74 min: Burnley continue to snap into the tackles. Wood clips Guendouzi’s heel. He’s testing the referee’s patience, but there’s to be no second yellow. Meanwhile the combative Torreira, in an act of great symbolism, takes his gloves off and tosses them away. Buckle up, everyone!

1.59pm GMT

72 min: A free kick for Arsenal out on the left leads to a game of head tennis. Burnley just about clear upfield, where Westwood clatters Xhaka. No yellow card for that one, even though Xhaka took a proper whack on the back of the nut.

1.58pm GMT

70 min: Wood, battling well to hold up the ball just inside the Arsenal box, lays off for Cork, whose attempted curler into the top right is watched impotently by the stranded Leno. Fortunately for Arsenal, the effort is high and wide. The Emirates is a collective bag of nerves right now.

1.57pm GMT

69 min: Space for Westwood down the right. He curls in for Barnes, who has bested Lichtsteiner in a tussle and is free on the penalty spot! His shot is blocked by Leno, but the flag goes up for a free kick anyway. There really wasn’t much in that, and Barnes is within his rights to look aghast.

1.56pm GMT

68 min: But the home side do appear to be quickly clearing their heads, and Aubameyang wins a corner off Long down the left. Ozil and Xhaka faff about, knocking the ball back and forth in the sterile fashion. Eventually the ball is played all the way back to their defence. What a waste.

1.53pm GMT

66 min: The ever-busy Kolasinac races down the left for the nth time, and rolls a perfect pass into the box for Lacazette. But the striker can’t sort his feet out, and Burnley are able to hack clear. That would have settled Arsenal.

1.52pm GMT

65 min: The pinball stylings continue, this time in the middle of the park. Possession is at a premium right now. Arsenal look a little shaken, all of a sudden.

1.51pm GMT

Arsenal only half-clear a Burnley free-kick. It’s returned into the mixer. Mee takes it down on the left, and slips the ball inside to Wood, who can’t get a shot away. There’s a game of pinball, then the ball breaks left off Long and into the path of - who else? - Barnes. He’s in a pocket of space, and smashes home from eight yards. Game on!

1.48pm GMT

61 min: Torreira, not yet into his groove, blooters an awful free kick miles over the bar.

1.48pm GMT

60 min: This is getting out of hand. Cork is booked for a late clip on Guendouzi, while Mee sees yellow for clattering into Aubameyang as the striker, in search of his hat-trick, races down the inside-left channel. A free kick in a very dangerous position.

1.47pm GMT

59 min: Guendouzi lashes wildly at Hendrick and goes into the book. This is hotting up nicely, in the old-school style. Meantime Elneny is replaced by Torreira.

1.45pm GMT

57 min: That was odd, because Burnley had four men offside from that free kick, but the flag didn’t go up. Then Kolasinac shoves Wood at the corner; no penalty. And finally Barnes, who is on a rolling boil, tangles with Guendouzi, sticking his boot on the ball when it’s stuck between the Arsenal midfielder’s legs. He’s fortunate to get away with that one.

1.43pm GMT

56 min: A free kick for Burnley out on the left, and a chance for the visitors to load the box. Taylor curls a low ball down the inside-left channel towards Wood, who is free on the penalty spot! But he takes a heavy touch, allowing Elneny to poke behind for a corner. What an opportunity spurned!

1.42pm GMT

54 min: A long ball down the middle. Lacazette and Tarkowski tangle under it, on the edge of the Burnley box. Tarkowski falls over, and is rather fortunate to get the decision. If the referee had looked the other way, the Arsenal man was clear.

1.40pm GMT

52 min: Arsenal stroke it around the back a bit. On the touchline, Sean Dyche looks a worried man. The way this is going, Burnley won’t be escaping the relegation zone in time for Christmas Day.

1.38pm GMT

50 min: Aubameyang is now the Premier League’s top scorer, his 11th and 12th goals taking him past Mo Salah. Meanwhile Guendouzi takes a knee in the back from Barnes, who is treading a fine line.

1.37pm GMT

Burnley press forward. But suddenly they lose the ball and Arsenal break at great pace. Kolasinac strides down the left. He rolls a pass inside for Lacazette, who shuttles the ball further right to Aubameyang. He enters the box and lashes an unstoppable shot past Hart and into the top right. That might have taken a slight nick off Mee on the way, but what power!

1.35pm GMT

47 min: And now Wood is booked for that clank on the keeper. That’s a tad unnecessary; there was no intent there, as the pair contested a 50-50 ball. On the touchline, Sean Dyche responds as you’d think.

1.34pm GMT

46 min: A long ball down the Burnley right. Wood romps after it, but only succeeds in kicking Leno, rushing out of his area to clear. Westwood tries to return the ball into the unguarded net from 35 yards out on the wing. It sails over the bar, but the whistle’s gone for a foul anyway.

1.32pm GMT

And we’re off again! Burnley get the party restarted. No half-time changes. “If Emery is planning to get rid of Özil in January, there must be something more going on than football considerations,” argues Kári Tulinius. “Surely Neymar didn’t scar Emery so much that any imaginative playmaker will have to face his wrath. Özil has the patience and intelligence to surprise the opposition and delight punters, he’s the only player of that type Arsenal have.”

1.19pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. This is just magnificent. Please don’t get so lost in nostalgic reverie that you forget to come back for the second half.

1.18pm GMT

The referee blows his whistle, and Arsenal lead a Premier League match at the break under Unai Emery for the first time!

1.16pm GMT

45 min: Lacazette powers into the Burnley box down the inside-right channel, but is dispossessed by Long. Lacazette goes over; the crowd scream for a penalty kick, but the striker doesn’t make a claim. It was a good challenge by Long.

1.15pm GMT

44 min: A ball’s hooked into the Arsenal box from deep. Wood nearly gets his head on it, but Xhaka wins the duel. The ball threatens to loop into the top-right corner, but Leno plucks it from the sky just in time. Given Arsenal’s half-time record this season, such an equaliser would have been beyond absurd.

1.13pm GMT

43 min: Arsenal are 120 seconds plus stoppage time away from a 2018-19 first: a half-time lead! It’s clearly on their minds, because all of a sudden they’ve retreated into their shell, and the visitors are seeing a lot of the ball.

1.11pm GMT

41 min: Barnes is all but rugby tackled by Sokratis in the centre circle, as the Burnley striker looks to break into space. Barnes, who has already been booked, clearly thinks about giving Sokratis a smack, but catches himself just in time. Soktratis is booked. He’s the calmer of the pair, though, and has clearly worked out how to press Barnes’s buttons.

1.10pm GMT

39 min: Mee threatens to break clear down the left, but just as it looks as though he’s going to power into the box, Maitland-Niles comes back to barge his way into possession. Great tracking back; Mee frowns in frustration as a chance to cause Arsenal some rare discomfort is gone.

1.08pm GMT

38 min: Another defensive injury for Arsenal, as Monreal departs shaking his head. He’s off down the tunnel, with Lichtsteiner taking his place.

1.07pm GMT

36 min: In the end, it’s just a yellow for Barnes, for his angry reaction to the elbow. He was hit upside the head by Sokratis, but it was with the pair rolling around the floor, so the referee couldn’t tell whether it was deliberate or not. Barnes feels much aggrieved.

1.06pm GMT

35 min: Wahey! It all kicks off as Barnes and Sokratis tumble off the pitch and wrestle in the directed-by-Ken-Russell manner. Barnes is livid, claiming he’s been crumped by Sokratis’s elbow. Team-mates pile in, though it all calms down quickly enough.

1.03pm GMT

33 min: Another of those aforementioned lulls. The Emirates falls accordingly quiet.

1.01pm GMT

31 min: Ozil slips Lacazette into the Burnley box down the right. Lacazette checks, then crosses in the rabona style. And that’s very much style over substance, as the ball is reasonably aimless and easily cleared. Still, the crowd enjoyed it, and that’s half the point.

12.59pm GMT

29 min: Cork tries to release Hendrick down the inside-left channel, but Sokratis is over to shepherd the ball out of play. Hendrick clips him from behind, and the defender isn’t happy about it at all, but the referee’s seen nothing untoward. We move on.

12.57pm GMT

27 min: ... there’s a bit of head tennis in the Arsenal six-yard box but Leno punches clear.

12.57pm GMT

26 min: Burnley resort to the long ball. Barnes loses a challenge with Elneny but wins a throw. From the throw, Xhaka heads behind for a corner, Burnley’s first of the match. From which ...

12.54pm GMT

24 min: Ozil is brushed to the ground by Mee and demands a free kick he’ll not get. Then he takes his captain’s responsibility too far, moaning loudly at the referee and earning a one-more-word-from-you-sonny rollocking from the official.

12.53pm GMT

22 min: It’s been a slightly strange game so far: stretches of intense excitement punctuated by occasional periods of downtime. Here’s another one of the latter.

12.51pm GMT

20 min: Kolasinac brings the game back to life with a power run down the left. He reaches the byline and tugs a pass back for Guendouzi, who looks to shoot but can’t get anything away. The ball breaks to Maitland-Niles on the right; the young wing-back warms Hart’s hands with a shot.

12.50pm GMT

19 min: VISIT RWANDA. SKY SPORTS FEEL IT ALL. GATORADE. A lull, in other words, as the attention wanders.

12.48pm GMT

17 min: Mee knocks Ozil to the floor, out by the left touchline. A chance for Arsenal to load the box. Ozil doesn’t launch it, instead rolling a pass down the wing for Kolasinac to chase. Kolasinac takes a heavy touch and clanks it out of play for a goal kick. A penalty box full of Arsenal defenders seethe.

12.46pm GMT

16 min: So much for Burnley’s confident front-foot start. And suddenly their passes aren’t sticking any more. Arsenal meanwhile are gliding about.

12.45pm GMT

Oh this is gorgeous. Arsenal triangulate down the right for a while. Suddenly Ozil finds a little space just inside the area. He takes a touch to move into it, then curls an exquisite low diagonal pass to Kolasinac, bursting in from the left. Kolasinac cuts the ball back from the byline, and Aubameyang slams home from ten yards! That was a delight. A captain’s contribution!

12.42pm GMT

11 min: Burnley ping it around the middle of the park awhile with confidence. For a team in the middle of a grim run of form, they’ve come out with a very positive mindset today. Sean Dyche went out of his way in the pre-match interview to say how defensive they were going to be; a grift, perhaps.

12.39pm GMT

8 min: A cross comes into the Burnley box from Lacazette on the left. Elneny rises to head. Hart parries, and after a minor melee, Tarkowski hacks clear in a panic from their six-yard box for the second time already. This is a fun start.

12.38pm GMT

7 min: Some good harassing by Lacazette down the inside-left channel. The ball breaks to Xhaka, 20 yards out. He sweeps a side-footed shot towards the bottom left. Hart saves well.

12.36pm GMT

6 min: Cork snaffles the ball off Elneny in the midfield and drives forward. He can’t quite feed Barnes on the edge of the Arsenal box, and the attack breaks down. But for a second or two there, Arsenal looked very light at the back.

12.35pm GMT

4 min: Seems that Burnley shot took a little nick off Sokratis, so it’s a corner. There’s a long pause before it, with the referee taking issue to some pushing and shoving. Eventually it comes to nowt. That end-to-end start got the crowd going, though, as it had been a bit subdued at kick-off. Quite a few empty seats around.

12.33pm GMT

Arsenal get the Christmas party started! They stroke it around a bit. Then suddenly the game springs into life, both teams nearly scoring in an absurd 20-second burst. Lacazette slips Maitland-Niles in down the right; he shoots low. Hart parries and Tarkowski hacks clear from his six-yard box. Then Westwood tears up the other end, finds Wood down the right, and Wood’s shot trickles across Leno and out of play, inches to the left of goal. What a start!

12.29pm GMT

The teams are out! Arsenal are in their famous 1930s red-and-white shirts, while oh dear, what can they do, Burnley are in black and they’re feeling blue. Can the visitors clamber out of the bottom three? We’ll soon find out, because we’ll be off in a minute!

12.20pm GMT

Unai Emery is asked what sort of response he expects from Ozil. He hopes for a good one, but also “from all the players. It’s important to get the three points today. Burnley also have attacking players and we need to respond to those situations. We have to show quality and positivity. It will be a difficult match.” He’s then asked to reveal his formation today, but he’s not having a bar of it, instead smiling beatifically and, with a twinkle in his eye, telling the chap from Sky that Arsenal simply want to win.

12.10pm GMT

Sean Dyche speaks! “It’s tough coming to these places, but you look to build a chance by giving a good performance. A very defensive performance. It’s difficult. We’re looking at the bodies we have, and had to change our shape. We’ve got to find our balance, we’ve got to defend well, we were very solid at Tottenham. But we’ve got to find more attacking threat, and historically I’ve liked starting with two forwards. It’s not easy. We didn’t look at how Southampton troubled Arsenal, we look at ourselves. We’re aware of how these teams operate and do our analysis, but it’s not always about the tactics, it’s about the delivery of the tactics.”

12.00pm GMT

Mesut Özil has the captain’s armband for Arsenal today, incidentally. “Is Ozil being presented held aloft on a silver tray while a fashionable showgirl makes pointy gestures at him?” wonders Hubert O’Hearn, who may have watched too many episodes of Sale of the Century in his youth. “Classic showcase match - winnable opponent and right before the transfer window opens.” This week’s star prizes include a solid-mahogany dining suite, a 20-inch television set and music centre, his-and-hers watches in gold quartz, a 1,000cc easy-on-the-fuel Mini Metro, and a 1,000cc easy-on-the-fuel mercurial German playmaker. Link includes one of the great theme tunes, plus 1970s ITV ident porn.

11.42am GMT

The home side make five changes to the team that started the League Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in midweek. Bernd Leno, Saed Kolasinac, Mohamed Elneny, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette come in for Petr Cech, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Aaron Ramsey, Lucas Torreira and Alex Iwobi.

Burnley are also coming off the back of a loss to Tottenham Hotspur, theirs a last-minute sickener in the Premier League last weekend. Two changes from that: Jeff Hendrick and Chris Wood replace Robbie Brady and Aaron Lennon.

11.37am GMT

Arsenal: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Papastathopoulos, Monreal, Kolasinac, Guendouzi, Elneny, Xhaka, Ozil, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
Subs: Cech, Ramsey, Torreira, Lichtsteiner, Iwobi, Nketiah, Saka.

Burnley: Hart, Bardsley, Long, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Westwood, Cork, Hendrick, Barnes, Wood.
Subs: Heaton, Lowton, Vokes, Gibson, Vydra, McNeil, Koiki.

10.34am GMT

Like the proverbial London bus, you wait 22 matches for a defeat, then two come along at once. But after losses at Southampton and in the north London derby, Arsenal couldn’t have hand-picked a better bounce-back fixture. It’s Burnley, who were obliterated 5-0 at the Emirates seven months ago, and who have lost their last eight matches against the Gunners.

Unai Emery’s side are hot favourites this lunchtime. A two-match losing run isn’t ideal, but that’s nothing compared to Burnley’s travails. The Clarets have lost seven of their last nine matches; they’ve only won four times all season, a dreadful return from 24 games. They’re in the bottom three, shipping goals at the rate of two a match. It’s not looking good for Sean Dyche’s men.

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 22, 2018 07:08

December 19, 2018

The Fiver Christmas Awards 2018

Give the one you love something special this year: a free subscription to The Fiver. The gift that never starts giving

Welcome to The Fiver Christmas Awards. You’ll note we’ve not given them a number this time. That’s because we’ve lost count. Also, we don’t want to know. We’re getting old, we’re increasingly aware of our own mortality, it’s far later than you think. Anyway, merry Christmas everyone! It’s party time! So punch a hole in an unopened can of Purple Tin and shotgun the delicious cold-filtered contents, then pour yourself a healthy tumbler of Fistfight, the tasty 67.3% ABV whisky-flavoured turps beverage distilled in Granny Fiver’s bath, and sink into a self-medicated catatonic fug, the better to deal with the next few minutes of existence. There you are. Better now? Here we go, then. Enjoy, enjoy.

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 19, 2018 04:41

December 18, 2018

Leicester City 1-1 Manchester City (Man City win 3-1 on pens): Carabao Cup quarter-final – as it happened

The 20-year-old goalkeeper Arijanet Muric was Manchester City’s hero in a dramatic penalty shootout

10.06pm GMT

Congratulations to Manchester City, who make it through to the semi-finals tonight along with third-tier Burton Albion. Meanwhile commiserations to Leicester City, who showed heart to claw their way back into the game, only to fall short in the penalty shootout. All that’s left is for me to point you in the direction of Stuart James’ match report. Sweet dreams, everyone!

10.03pm GMT

Pep talks! “It was a tough game. We played with two players who could not play 70 minutes, we played with a guy who is 19 years old and 20 years old. We make a quite good performance, and had chances to close the game.” And then he’s asked about his old pal Jose. “I am always sad for the managers, we are alone. In football it happens. He is always strong, and I wish him all the best. And soon he is going to come back and we are going to play again!”

10.00pm GMT

City’s goalscoring hero Kevin De Bruyne speaks. “It is a relief. It was a little bit difficult, we had a lot of players who didn’t play a lot, but we did a good game. It was an open game, and in the end our keeper helped us to the semi-final. He has veins of ice! It is a beautiful moment for him. We want to win titles, we know it’s two games more, but we can battle again for another trophy!”

Meanwhile their deadpan goalkeeping hero Aro Muric makes it all sound so easy. “I waited for the ball, and reacted. I was waiting for them. And then I saved them. It’s a great feeling!”

9.53pm GMT

Meanwhile up at the Riverside, Burton Albion beaten Middlesbrough 1-0 to reach their first-ever major semi-final! They’ll look forward to a two-legged tie against one of Arsenal, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur ... or the holders and English champions Manchester City! Don’t say the League Cup doesn’t matter.

9.48pm GMT

So Leicester deservedly hauled the holders level in the second half, only to blow it in the shoot-out with a series of awful penalty kicks. Pep Guardiola looks extremely pleased as his side make it to the semis yet again. Don’t say the League Cup doesn’t matter. If it’s good enough for Pep ...

9.46pm GMT

Penalties: Leicester City 1-3 Manchester City. Zinchenko whip-cracks one into the top left, Ward left with no chance. And City are through!

9.46pm GMT

Penalties: Leicester City 1-2 Manchester City. Soyuncu slides a weak one towards the bottom right. Muric is always getting it. Manchester City are one penalty away from the semis.

9.45pm GMT

Penalties: Leicester City 1-2 Manchester City. Jesus stutters as well, and slips too, but slams his effort into the bottom left nonetheless. He ended up in the press-up position, like Mitch Hedberg’s dog, after that!

9.44pm GMT

Penalties: Leicester City 1-1 Manchester City. Maddison stutters in his run-up and scuffs an awful kick towards the bottom left. Muric stops it easily. These penalties have been dreadful so far, even the ones that have gone in!

9.43pm GMT

Penalties: Leicester City 1-1 Manchester City. Sterling tries a Panenka ... but overcooks it dreadfully, sending it sailing softly and miserably over the bar! Oh dear.

9.42pm GMT

Penalties: Leicester City 1-1 Manchester City. Fuchs ... well, write your own headline, because he hoicks one over the bar while looking for the top left.

9.41pm GMT

Penalties: Leicester City 1-1 Manchester City. Gundogan takes a short, three-step run-up. It squeaks into the bottom right. Ward got a hand to that.

9.40pm GMT

Penalties: Leicester City 1-0 Manchester City. Maguire takes the first spot kick, and sends it towards the bottom left. Muric got a touch, but Maguire hit it just about hard enough.

9.37pm GMT

Indeed we are! Marc Albrighton’s magnificent second-half goal keeps Leicester alive. It’s spot-kick drama for us!

9.35pm GMT

90 min +2: Otamendi barges into Gray, and it’s a free kick out on the right. Maddison launches it into the Manchester City box. The ball momentarily threatens to drop to Soyuncu, then Maguire, but not quite. Jesus threatens on the counter, but he’s robbed by the superb Choudhury and it looks like this quarter final is going to penalty kicks!

9.33pm GMT

90 min +1: Sterling chases after a long diagonal right-to-left pass, hoping to get into the Leicester box. But Simpson nips in to head back to Ward.

9.33pm GMT

90 min: There will be three added minutes. Drama is now guaranteed, one way or another.

9.32pm GMT

89 min: Walker and Gundogan combine down the inside-right channel, but the latter can’t keep a return pass in play, and that’s a pressure-relieving goal kick.

9.31pm GMT

88 min: Gray one-twos with Maddison, and very nearly breaks clear through the middle. But Muric has read the danger, and races from his area to intercept. A reminder that this will go straight to penalties unless someone finds a dramatic late winner. Both sides are going for it.

9.29pm GMT

86 min: Gundogan is booked for clattering into the back of Maddison, who really has made a difference since coming on. He’s some talent. The ball’s hoicked into the box, Ricardo earning a corner, from which nothing comes. The home side are beginning to fancy their chances of snatching this.

9.27pm GMT

84 min: In between the Choudhary challenge on Jesus and the VAR check, City nearly scored anyway, Gundogan released down the inside right and flashing a shot wide under pressure from behind. Who’d put that pressure on? That man Choudhary, who has been excellent tonight.

9.26pm GMT

83 min: Choudhary takes his eye off the ball, 25 yards out. The loose control allows Jesus to scamper off towards the area. Choudhary recovers enough to get a small nick on the ball, bundling Jesus over as he does. Manchester City want a penalty kick, but they’re not getting it, not even after a VAR check. Not a clear and obvious error.

9.23pm GMT

81 min: Kelechi Iheanacho won’t be grabbing a winner against his former club; he’s replaced by Ricardo.

9.22pm GMT

79 min: Mahrez makes good down the right and earns a corner. Gundogan takes. It’s too long. Jesus then nearly crowbars Leicester apart with a delightfully dainty spin on the byline, but having pirouetted his way past two tight markers, he runs out of space. Shame, because if that had resulted in a goal, you’d be seeing it again and again and again.

9.20pm GMT

77 min: Manchester City will wonder how they’ve been pegged back, given the chances they’ve created. But this is where we all are. Foden tries to respond by driving towards the Leicester box and slipping a pass right for Mahrez. The former Leicester winger has options in the middle, but tries to curl a low one around Ward and into the bottom left. Close, but it flies wide.

9.18pm GMT

75 min: That’s got the King Power jumping. And it’s caused Pep Guardiola to make one last change, throwing on Gabriel Jesus, last weekend’s two-goal hero, in place of the spent Sergio Aguero.

9.16pm GMT

The substitute levels it! Ndidi, quarterbacking from deep, to the left of the centre circle, floats a diagonal pass towards Albrighton, who nips in behind Zinchenko, takes a touch, and lashes an unstoppable shot across Muric and into the top left! That’s a picture-book goal!

9.14pm GMT

71 min: Kevin De Bruyne’s had a good run out this evening, after all that time on the sidelines. Ilkay Gundogan comes on to give him a rest.

9.13pm GMT

69 min: Walker bundles Ndidi to the ground, 35 yards from the Manchester City goal out left, and this is an opportunity for Leicester to load the box. Maddison takes the free kick, and instead of looping it towards the big lads, he plays a cute pass down the inside-left channel to release Iheanacho into the box! Iheanacho must get a shot away, but hesitates, tries to check and turn, and is dispossessed by De Bruyne. What a chance for Leicester to get back into this!

9.10pm GMT

67 min: Sterling is straight into the action, skedaddling down the inside left. He nips the ball inside for Aguero, who rolls it to Foden, who further shuttles it to Mahrez, just to the right of the D. Foden has teed it up perfectly, allowing Mahrez to whip one towards the top left. He’ll be disappointed to have flashed it over the bar.

9.08pm GMT

66 min: Manchester City make their first change of the evening, and Raheem replaces Brahim; it’s Sterling for Diaz.

9.08pm GMT

65 min: Albrighton earns a corner off Zinchenko down the right. Maddison whips it in. It’s half cleared. Maddison has another go. Maguire, on the penalty spot, looks to send a header into the top right, but there’s no oomph behind his effort and Muric claims with a yawn.

9.06pm GMT

63 min: De Bruyne races into the Leicester half with purpose. The hosts are light at the back and De Bruyne has options either side. He slips the pass wide left for Diaz, who skitters into the area and looks to bend one into the top right. His shot is blocked, and the resulting corner is a waste of time. The visitors have had a couple of chances to put this to bed. Not yet.

9.04pm GMT

61 min: Leicester make their second change of the evening, Marc Albrighton coming on for the intermittently impressive Vicente Iborra.

9.03pm GMT

60 min: Otamendi misjudges a long hoick down the middle of the park and nearly lets in Ndidi. The ball skids off the wet grass and through to Muric. Leicester are stirring into action.

9.02pm GMT

59 min: Leicester are enjoying much more of the ball: they’ve had 54% of it in the last ten minutes, and it’s not often Manchester City are second best in that department. But it’s all sterile domination. They’ve still to test Muric.

9.00pm GMT

57 min: A determined burst by Gray down the right. He hooks into the centre, but Iborra can’t time his jump to meet the cross. That’s got the crowd going again.

8.58pm GMT

55 min: That small boost aside, the game’s suddenly gone a bit flat.

8.56pm GMT

53 min: Leicester need to raise their game, so on comes James Maddison in place of Rachid Ghezzal. It’s a popular move with the home support.

8.53pm GMT

51 min: A shock brewing in tonight’s other quarter-final at the Riverside, where Burton Albion have taken the lead against Middlesbrough.

8.53pm GMT

50 min: Foden slides through the back of Gray, and quite rightly goes in the book. A needless challenge in the centre circle, with Gray going nowhere in particular.

8.51pm GMT

49 min: De Bruyne strides down the right and wins a corner off Maguire. Leicester clear the set piece, but Manchester City look to be in the mood to finish this one off.

8.50pm GMT

47 min: Soyuncu plays a poor pass out of defence to Iborra, who stumbles. Mahrez latches onto the loose ball and plays it straight down the inside-right channel for Aguero, who is onside. He draws Ward and looks for the bottom left, but the keeper stays big and parries brilliantly to keep the hosts in it.

8.47pm GMT

Leicester City get the second half underway! No half-time changes.

8.35pm GMT

Half-time schadenfreude. “Mourinho himself has seemed to be fraying a little in recent weeks, resembling in his post-match interviews a particularly haggard and doomed minor European aristocrat hurled up against the palace wall by a cabal of Bolsheviks and asked to explain his extravagant misuse of the public purse.” A treat for Manchester City fans, in the form of more award-winning brilliance from our man Barney Ronay.

8.31pm GMT

Kevin De Bruyne’s back, then.

8.31pm GMT

44 min: Diaz jinks in from the right. He enters the Leicester box and goes over near Ndidi; there’s a half-shout for a penalty. A quick check with VAR, and it’s nothing doing. Diaz didn’t dive, his feet got in an awful tangle, but Ndidi wasn’t a factor.

8.28pm GMT

43 min: Mahrez romps into a lot of space down the right and wins a corner for the visitors. The corner’s half cleared. Mahrez then had a dribble down the left, and crosses low towards the near post. Ward is forced to tip round for a corner, which comes to nothing.

8.27pm GMT

41 min: Leicester pin Manchester City back, crosses coming in from both wings as Iborra, Gray and Ndidi busy themselves. Eventually Ndidi’s work down the left earns a corner. Maguire gets on the end of this one as well, but swings a leg at it and sends it high and wide.

8.25pm GMT

39 min: Gray, in a tight spot out by the left corner flag, drops a shoulder and sashays around Garcia. It’s a glorious piece of close control, and he’s brought down for his trouble. A free kick that’s essentially a corner. It’s hoicked into the box, and Maguire nearly brings it down, six yards from goal. But the big defender can’t get a shot away, and the flag eventually goes up for an offside. Just for a split second, though, Manchester City looked in a spot of bother there.

8.23pm GMT

37 min: De Bruyne spins in the centre circle and cracks a pass wide left for Diaz, who is in acres and plans to instantly slide Aguero clear with a ball back inside. But the flag goes up for offside. That looked pretty tight.

8.21pm GMT

35 min: Ndidi comes sliding in through the back of Mahrez. He’s slightly fortunate to escape a booking. To be fair, the foul looked more a result of the conditions than anything malicious, but you’ve seen referees whip the card out.

8.20pm GMT

33 min: Ineanacho dribbles in from the right, makes a little space to shoot, and looks for the top left with a curler. It’s high over the bar. But a little better from Leicester, who have, one deflected shot apart, yet to test Muric.

8.18pm GMT

32 min: Muric waltzes out of his area to deal with a long Leicester ball. He looks as confident with his feet as Ederson. What a squad Manchester City have.

8.16pm GMT

30 min: Foden releases Aguero down the inside-left channel with a gorgeous pass. But before the inevitable can unfold, the flag goes up for offside.

8.16pm GMT

29 min: This is some filthy weather. It’s not quite as bad as this Filbert Street classic, though. Not yet, anyway.

8.13pm GMT

27 min: Foden’s cross from the left is bundled out for a corner by Soyuncu, who then deals with the set piece as well. Manchester City are slowly reestablishing their dominance after that brief burst of Leicester pressure.

8.12pm GMT

26 min: Choudhury goes crunching in on Zinchenko. Hard but fair, the sort of challenge everyone in the ground felt. Zinchenko grimaces in pain but picks himself up and doesn’t complain. It’s the sort of night for spectacular sliding tackles all right.

8.10pm GMT

24 min: Zinchenko bursts down the middle of the park and really should shoot from 25 yards. He’s got time and space. But he opts to lay off to De Bruyne, who shuttles the ball wide right for Walker. The cross that’s eventually delivered is way too heavy, and Aguero isn’t able to keep it in play. Leicester afforded De Bruyne way too much time for the goal; they made the same mistake again here.

8.08pm GMT

22 min: This is better from Leicester, though, as they come back at Manchester City again. Gray has a whack from 20 yards. The ball clips Garcia’s heel and looks to be heading into the bottom right. Maybe it was hitting the post. Either way, Muric needs to fingertip it round the post; a fine save. Nothing comes of the corner.

8.06pm GMT

21 min: Fuchs blooters long. Iheanacho wonders if he’s offside, but the flag doesn’t go up so he dribbles on. But he can’t sort his feet out for a shot from the edge of the area, allowing Garcia and Otamendi to combine to close him down.

8.05pm GMT

19 min: Maguire brings De Bruyne down just outside the Leicester area to the right. Mahrez really wants his goal here, but blasts the free kick witlessly into the wall. This is all Manchester City right now.

8.04pm GMT

17 min: Diaz jinks and dribbles down the left. He sends a curler goalwards, but it’s deflected to the right, where Mahrez blazes over from close range. So close to a goal on his return to his old stomping ground.

8.03pm GMT

16 min: The Manchester City section breaks into Blue Moon. Before the goal went in, they were entertaining themselves with a chorus of “Bring back Mourinho.”

8.01pm GMT

It has now! De Bruyne jinks in from the left, nipping past Choudhury and lashing a shot straight into the bottom left from 20 yards, simple as that! Ward’s late reaction might have been a bit questionable, but take nothing away from the crisp brilliance of the strike. De Bruyne’s back, baby!

7.58pm GMT

13 min: A throw for Manchester City deep in the Leicester half. Zinchenko flings it straight out for a goal kick. Ward hoicks that out of play for a throw. This game hasn’t quite got going yet.

7.56pm GMT

11 min: It is absolutely hosing down in Leicester. Iborra attempts to release Iheanacho down the middle with a scooped pass, but Otamendi reads the danger.

7.55pm GMT

9 min: Diaz threatens to scamper clear into the Leicester area down the left. Chowdhury is wise to what’s going on and slides in, putting an end to any hopes of a shot but conceding a corner. The resulting set piece is cleared. Just for a second, Leicester looked dangerously open there.

7.54pm GMT

7 min: Muric and Garcia over-elaborate while playing out from the back; Manchester City fans may remember Jordan Pickford and Yerry Mina coming unstuck like this on Saturday. Ndidi is pressing hard, and nearly nicks the ball off Garcia, but the ball clanks out for a goal kick. Lucky Manchester City.

7.52pm GMT

6 min: Fuchs slides in on Mahrez, who was going nowhere down the inside-right channel. De Bruyne curls the resulting free kick into the area. Stones, Aguero and Otamendi are all free, ten yards out. But none of them go for the header. Strange. Ah, hold on, they might have been miles offside. So there you go.

7.50pm GMT

4 min: Manchester City stroke it around for a bit. Suddenly there’s space for Zinchenko out on the left. He curls low into the area. Soyuncu nearly makes a hash of clearing, but eventually gets it away with a second swipe.

7.48pm GMT

2 min: An awful lot of space for Gray down the Leicester left. He tears past Otamendi, reaching the byline with ease. He whips low into the middle, but Garcia has read the danger and nips in ahead of Iheanacho to intercept. An exciting run by the excellent Gray.

7.47pm GMT

And we’re off! The visitors get the ball rolling, and stroke it around awhile. John Stones appears to be playing in centre midfield, with 17-year-old Eric Garcia taking his usual spot at the back.

7.44pm GMT

The teams are out! It’s a miserable, rainy night in Leicester, though the King Power looks pretty under the floodlights nonetheless. The home side are in their usual royal blue shirts, while the visitors wear their first-choice sky blue. A reminder that there’s no replay, and no extra time tonight; we’ll go straight to penalty kicks if it ends in a draw. And the VAR system is in operation too. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.37pm GMT

Claude Puel speaks! “I think we have a competitive team. We have quality and confidence in our play. We know we play a team with a lot of quality, they will have a lot of the ball. But we can give our best.”

Pep adds! “We will see how long Sergio and Kevin play. They have trained not too much, so hopefully as much as possible. Everyone is desperate to play.”

7.05pm GMT

The usual plethora of changes for the League Cup. Leicester City make seven adjustments to the team sent out at Crystal Palace last weekend. There’s no Kasper Schmeichel or Jamie Vardy at all; Wes Morgan, James Maddison, Marc Albrighton, Ricardo Pereira and Nampalys Mendy drop to the bench. In come Danny Ward, Danny Simpson, Caglar Soyuncu, Hamza Choudhury, Vicente Iborra, Rachid Ghezzal and Kelechi Iheanacho.

Manchester City make eight changes to the starting XI named against Everton on Saturday. Ederson, Ilkay Gundogan, Fabian Delph and Gabriel Jesus drop to the bench; Aymeric Laporte, Bernardo Silva, Fernandinho and Leroy Sane miss out altogether. In come Arijanet Muric, John Stones, Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, Alexander Zinchenko, Phil Foden, Eric Garcia and Brahim Diaz.

6.51pm GMT

Leicester City: Ward, Simpson, Soyuncu, Maguire, Fuchs, Iborra, Choudhury, Ndidi, Ghezzal, Iheanacho, Gray.
Subs: Morgan, Maddison, Albrighton, Ricardo Pereira, Jakupovic, Okazaki, Mendy.

Manchester City: Muric, Walker, Garcia, Otamendi, Zinchenko, De Bruyne, Stones, Foden, Mahrez, Aguero, Diaz.
Subs: Nmecha, Sterling, Gundogan, Delph, Ederson, Gabriel Jesus, Sandler.

4.48pm GMT

Well wasn’t that a day to remember? But life goes on in Manchester, and as managerless United contemplate their next move, rivals City tonight take on Leicester City at the King Power in the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

The hosts hope to make it to the semis for the first time since 1999-2000. But that could prove a big ask. They’ve lost all four of their previous League Cup ties with Manchester City, who beat them at this stage both last season and in 2013-14. They’ll most likely not face a weakened team, either, with Sergio Aguero and Kevin de Bruyne expected to get some sort of run-out on their journeys back from injury. Leicester’s old boy Riyad Mahrez could also play, too.

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 18, 2018 14:06

← Previous 1 2 … 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 … 233 234 Next →

Scott Murray's Blog

Scott Murray's profile
3 followers

Scott Murray isn't a Goodreads Author (yet), but they do have a blog, so here are some recent posts imported from their feed.