Scott Murray's Blog, page 148

Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Swansea City: Premier League – as it happened

Tottenham’s wait for a Premier League win at Wembley goes on.

7.22pm BST

And that’s that. Still no Premier League win at Wembley for Spurs. Swansea were magnificently resilient ... though Spurs will point to that late non-penalty decision, and Harry Kane clattering a shot onto the crossbar. They’re getting closer. Spurs rise to fifth spot; Swansea 14th. Manchester City and Crystal Palace aside, this is one tight division tonight.

7.20pm BST

90 min +4: And now Routledge needlessly barges into Alli, out on the Spurs left. A chance for Spurs to load the box! Eriksen floats it in. Fernandez clears.

7.20pm BST

90 min +3: Routledge is booked for wasting time.

7.19pm BST

90 min +2: Eriksen floats a ball down the inside right. Llorente wins the header. The ball drops to Aurier, who has been excellent since he came on. But he can only flash a first-time shot wide right from a tight angle, close range.

7.18pm BST

90 min +1: Aurier gets into more space down the right. His cross is headed behind by Mawson. Fernandez half clears with a header. Trippier meets the dropping ball, and sends a screamer inches wide of the top-left corner. What a goal that would have been! But it’s just a goal kick.

7.17pm BST

90 min: There will be four added minutes.

7.16pm BST

88 min: Alderweireld is booked for complaining about the non-decision. Insult added to injury.

7.15pm BST

87 min: Aurier busts into the box down the right, chasing a cute Dier pass. He goes over, the ball smacking off his arm as he falls. He’s booked for diving, though it did look as though there was a little contact from Ayew, tracking back behind. Not much, but enough. That should have been a penalty kick.

7.13pm BST

86 min: Routledge comes on for van der Hoorn. Carroll is booked for impeding Trippier as he tries to take a quick throw.

7.12pm BST

85 min: ... the ball’s hit deep. Alderweireld tees it up for Vertonghen, just to the left of goal, 12 yards out. Vertonghen slices a terrible effort high and wide left.

7.11pm BST

84 min: Dier bursts down the right wing and earns Tottenham’s tenth corner of the evening. And from the set piece ...

7.10pm BST

83 min: Ayew embarks on another sortie down the left. He ends up down a blind alley, but creativity’s not his priority: he holds up the ball for a precious period, and the clock continues to do its thing.

7.08pm BST

81 min: The free kick comes to nothing. The Spurs faithful give it one last push, hoping their team are similarly energised. The home side faff around in the midfield awhile. They appear to be going nowhere. But suddenly Vertonghen shuttles the ball forward, down the inside-left channel. Kane picks the ball up, 30 yards from goal but facing the wrong way. He turns inside, takes a stride, and unleashes a low fizzer which whistles just wide of the left-hand post. Not sure Fabianski had that covered were it on target. So close to the breakthrough at last!

7.06pm BST

80 min: Spurs are beginning to show signs of frustration. Fer turns Sanchez down the left wing, and that’s another free kick near the corner flag. Another chance to load the box, and it’s also eating away at the remaining time.

7.05pm BST

78 min: No! The free kick’s half cleared to Clucas, who chests down on the edge of the box and dreams of Matthew Le Tissier style glory. He shanks it away to the left, and is mocked by the masses for his trouble.

7.04pm BST

77 min: Ayew hotfoots it down the left, and draws a foul from a clumsy Aurier. A free kick near the corner flag. Could this be the classic smash and grab?

7.03pm BST

75 min: Aurier dribbles with purpose down the right. His cross is deflected off Olsson’s high arm, and out for a corner. No penalty, but again, that’s a reasonable shout, because the defender’s arm was up and out. More side than arm, maybe. The referee’s certainly not convinced, anyway.

7.00pm BST

74 min: Former Swansea striker Fernando Llorente comes on for Son. He’s making his Premier League debut.

6.59pm BST

72 min: Bony comes on for Abraham.

6.58pm BST

71 min: Swansea can’t get a sniff of the ball. This is attack versus defence. But they’re holding firm. Eriksen loops another cross in from the right. It sails harmlessly out of play on the left.

6.56pm BST

69 min: A spot of admin: Aurier has come on for Sissoko. Meanwhile Spurs continue to flash the crosses into the Swansea box: Eriksen chips in from the right, only for Alli to miscue his header horribly from six yards with the goal gaping.

6.55pm BST

68 min: Some breaking news of a former Spurs boss: Harry Redknapp has left Birmingham City, after Preston left St Andrews with all the points today, Blues’ sixth defeat in a row. Oh Harry.

6.54pm BST

66 min: ... Eriksen flicks a header at the near post. It’s flying into the top right, but Fabianski tips it over the bar. Another corner, and Vertonghen drags a shot wide left from distance.

6.52pm BST

65 min: For the second time tonight, Wembley celebrates a goal when Son in fact ripples the side netting. Son had danced along the byline to the left of goal, very nearly scoring a twinkle-toed effort from a tight spot. But it’s just a corner. From which ...

6.51pm BST

63 min: The first yellow card of the evening is shown to van der Hoorn, for coming through the back of Alli once again. Swansea will feel aggrieved Sanchez didn’t beat their man to it a couple of minutes ago, as the Spurs defender impeded Abraham on the halfway line as the pair chased after a Swans clearance. But the referee didn’t even give the free kick. Abraham would have been away down the right otherwise.

6.47pm BST

60 min: With Swansea in danger of being over-run in midfield, Sanches - who has been quiet since the restart - is replaced by Fer.

6.46pm BST

58 min: Spurs come so close to scoring three times in quick order. First Son sends in a daisycutter from distance. Fernandez smothers. Then Son has another belt from a tight angle on the right. Not quite. Finally Sissoko picks up possession to the right of goal and tees up Kane, eight yards out. Kane leans back and twangs the crossbar with a fierce belt! How on earth are the home team not ahead?

6.44pm BST

56 min: Trippier sweeps a cross into the Swansea box from the left. The ball sails over Alli’s head, then hits the hand of Olsson, whose left arm was hanging out. The player was surprised at Alli missing his header, but you’ve certainly seen them given for that.

6.42pm BST

55 min: Dier has a lash from 25 yards. It’s blocked by Fernandez. Swansea now can’t get out of their final third.

6.40pm BST

53 min: Space for Eriksen down the right. But his cross is way too deep, with the box full of team-mates. A little frustration spills down from the stands, though it’s soon drowned out by roars of encouragement. Swansea are being pushed deeper, and can’t get out of their own half.

6.38pm BST

51 min: Spurs are very much on the front foot, playing at a higher tempo now. Alli drops a shoulder and very nearly breaks clear in the Swansea area down the left, but Naughton does well to usher him away from danger. Then Trippier cuts inside from the same wing and nearly feeds Kane with a cute pass down the channel. Finally Son tries to burst into the box down the inside left, but overhits the ball he wants to chase after, and runs into van der Hoorn in the hope of buying a cheap free kick on the edge of the area. The referee’s not falling for that one.

6.36pm BST

49 min: Alderweireld goes on a power run down the right, hoping to break into the area. He smashes straight into Olsson, the pair falling to the ground. Alderweireld demands a penalty kick, but he’s not getting one.

6.34pm BST

48 min: Eriksen is given too much time and space 25 yards from goal. Eriksen looks to thread one into the bottom left, but he doesn’t quite get enough purchase on the ball and Fabianski is able to flop on the shot and smother.

6.33pm BST

And we’re off again! No changes. Spurs get the second half underway. Kane goes on an immediate run down the left, but after he offloads to Trippier, the move breaks down. Son has a dribble down the right, but ends up down a cul-de-sac. Then a third thrust, as Alli swings a cross in from the left. But it’s too high for Son at the far post. A strong start to the half by Spurs.

6.19pm BST

Half-time reading:

Related: Golden Goal: Scott Sinclair for Plymouth v Barnet (2007)

6.17pm BST

And that’s the end of the first half. Spurs have been dominant, up until the final third anyway. Swansea have held their shape well, and go into the break deservedly on terms. It should be a very interesting second half: Spurs will no doubt try to turn up the pressure, while Swansea look to hold firm and think about a smash-and-grab raid on the break. Don’t go anywhere now!

6.16pm BST

45 min: Vertonghen, 30 yards from goal, tries to curl a dipper into the bottom right. It’s a very decent effort from the centre-back, but Fabianski is behind it all the way.

6.14pm BST

43 min: Swansea hoick long into the Spurs box. The ball comes off the back of Fernandez, but Swansea are awarded the corner. Unfortunately for those who like to get really angry about things on the internet, van der Hoorn’s header from the resulting set piece flies over the bar.

6.13pm BST

42 min: Abraham flips the ball round Vertonghen, out on the right, and makes to zip off. The Spurs defender puts a stop to his gallop by pulling his shirt. It’s a free kick in the midfield, and should be a booking. But the referee is once again lenient. Both teams have benefited now.

6.11pm BST

40 min: Son appears out on the left this time. He whips a fine cross into the area, but nobody in white takes a chance. Fabianski gathers. It’s gone rather quiet.

6.09pm BST

38 min: Trippier sends Son scampering into the Swansea area down the right. Son fires low into the centre. Fernandez slices the ball hysterically over the bar from six yards. From the resulting corner, Trippier has a dig from distance. Nope.

6.07pm BST

36 min: Sanches is doing a fine job in front of the Swansea defence. He’s won his fair share of possession, nicking off with at least three balls he should never have been able to snaffle, always looking to launch quick breaks. Nothing’s quite come off, but it’s a promising performance so far.

6.05pm BST

34 min: Alli is once again upended down the Spurs left, van der Hoorn coming through the back of him and catching his ankle. The Swansea defender is fortunate to escape a booking. Alli offers his frayed sock as evidence. The referee remains unmoved.

6.03pm BST

32 min: Alli tries to squeeze through a gap down the Swansea left, and earns a free kick just to the side of the penalty area, Naughton again penalised. Eriksen loops the set piece into the mixer. Fernandez rises and clatters a clearing header back upfield. Wembley has fallen a little quiet as the home side struggle to break Swansea down. The away fans are still giving it plenty, though. Ar hyd y nos.

6.01pm BST

30 min: Olsson gets down the Swansea left and whips in a dangerous cross. There’s nobody in red in the middle. Son makes a hash of trying to clear from the other wing, allowing Carroll to probe again. But a promising position comes to nought. Spurs clear their lines.

5.59pm BST

28 min: With this in mind, Eriksen mixes it up. He drops deep and curls a cross in from the right, looking for Son on the penalty spot. Son’s winding his neck back for a header, but Fernandez sticks his nut up first and eyebrows the ball out for a corner. Nothing comes from the resulting set piece.

5.58pm BST

27 min: Alli has a dig from 25 yards. It’s charged down the very second it leaves his boot. Swansea will be the happier side right now; they’re restricting Spurs to long-range efforts.

5.56pm BST

25 min: Sanches instigates a fine move by Swansea with a pass from deep that sends Abraham skedaddling down the right. Sanchez comes over to intercept and makes a total hash of his attempted tackle, allowing Abraham to burn past him and reach the byline. He pulls back for Ayew, and Spurs are very light in defence here. But Ayew can’t get his shot away, and the danger is over. Sanchez has looked very uncertain so far.

5.54pm BST

23 min: You’d expect Dier to flip one over the wall and aim for the top left, but he looks for the top-right corner instead. It’s a pretty lame effort, flying high and wide of the target. Fabianski, already over there, calmly watches it fly away from danger.

5.52pm BST

22 min: Son flips a pass down the inside-left channel for Vertonghen, who channels his inner Beckenbauer and threatens to dribble into the area. Naughton takes urgent action and brings his man down just in front of the area, to the left of the D. Free kick in a very dangerous position.

5.50pm BST

20 min: Carroll robs the ball from Kane in the middle of the Swansea half. He launches long, quickly, for Abraham, who threatens to bust clear of a slightly shaky looking Sanchez. But the new Spurs defender gathers himself and eventually wins the tussle. Just as well he did so, because Abraham would have been one-on-one otherwise.

5.48pm BST

18 min: The first lull of the match. Both teams take a little time to knock the ball around in the midfield. Then suddenly Spurs break down the left, Son exchanging passes with Eriksen, then Kane, then finally Alli as he drifts inside. A shot from the edge of the D flies miles over the bar, but what a pretty move.

5.46pm BST

15 min: Son tries to clear from the left-back position, and is stopped from doing so by Abraham and Ayew. He eventually works a pass out of trouble, but for a second he was in a spot of trouble there. Swansea are pressing well.

5.44pm BST

13 min: Sanchez plays a sloppy backpass to Lloris without properly looking. Or thinking. Abraham very nearly nips in to intercept. Lloris blooters clear just in time. A nice open feel to this game now.

5.42pm BST

12 min: ... Sissoko blasts wildly over from 20 yards. Spurs are beginning to dominate.

5.42pm BST

11 min: Sanches loses possession in the middle of the park, and suddenly Sissoko is racing down the left. He slips the ball inside for Son, who smashes a shot goalwards from a tight angle. It’s heading into the top left, but Fabianksi sticks out a hand and turns it into the side netting. The ripple confuses half of Wembley, who cheer a goal, then settle for the corner. From which ...

5.40pm BST

9 min: Kane curls a stunning free kick around the outside of the Swansea wall and towards the bottom right. Fabianski does very well to turn the effort, hit with pace, round the post. The resulting corner comes to nothing, but that was something else from the Spurs striker. That free kick was a long way out, he had no right to force the keeper into serious action.

5.38pm BST

8 min: Alli diddles Clucas in the midfield with a crisp turn and a nutmeg. Clucas clips him to the ground. A free kick, 35 yards out in a very central position. Kane appears to fancy it.

5.37pm BST

6 min: Lloris falls backwards while attempting to launch a simple kick upfield. The ball drops to Ayew, 25 yards out. He slashes a first-time volley six miles wide to the right. That was an awful clearance by the keeper, though.

5.35pm BST

4 min: Spurs keep hold of the ball for the first lengthy period of time. Eriksen then breaks the sterile mood with a burst down the left. His low cross is half cleared. Alli takes up possession and launches an effort towards the bottom left from 25 yards. It flies harmlessly wide of the post. The crowd respond with their favourite jazz spiritual.

5.32pm BST

2 min: A quiet start, Swansea seeing a little more of the ball than their hosts, but failing to string anything meaningful together.

5.31pm BST

And we’re off! Swansea get the party started. Hats off to Renato Sanches, by the way, for being the first footballer in about 20 years to acknowledge one of the cameras circling around the players during the warm-up, as opposed to staring into the middle distance with a studied supercool. A little raise of the eyebrows as if to say hello to everyone at home. What a polite young man. Hello, Renato.

5.28pm BST

The teams are out! Spurs are in their famous lilywhite, while Swansea are in second-choice red. It’s an aesthetic delight. Wembley looking resplendent as ever; a rare old atmosphere at the old/new place. We’ll be off in a minute!

5.18pm BST

Paul Clement speaks! “We had a very honest reflection period after the game against Newcastle. Focus has to be on this performance now. We just want to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again moving forward. We have a great opportunity today at a fantastic stadium against a really good side, and we’re going to be tested, that’s for sure. We’ve shown in the past that we can get positive performances at good stadiums against good sides, so we have to have the belief that we can do that here. We have to defend very well collectively, but I have put a team out that can cause Spurs some problems themselves.”

5.09pm BST

Mauricio Pochettino speaks! “The team is playing well in different shapes, in different situations on the pitch. We are so flexible, we try to give some freshness to the team. And we try to give minutes to the whole squad, physical condition is so important in the Premier League. We try to win every game, we have a really strong squad, and everyone can play. But Harry Kane wants to play every game, his mentality is so strong, he is a fighter and a warrior.”

4.38pm BST

Mauricio Pochettino makes three changes to the team he sent out against Borussia Dortmund the other night. Serge Aurier, Ben Davies and Mousa Dembele drop to the bench, allowing Kieran Trippier, Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli to take their place.

Paul Clement makes just one change to the selection he named against Newcastle United last weekend. Leroy Fer makes way for defender Mike van der Hoorn.

4.32pm BST

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Dier, Trippier, Sanchez, Sissoko, Son, Eriksen, Kane, Alli.
Subs: Vorm, Llorente, Dembele, Foyth, Aurier, Winks, Davies.

Swansea City: Fabianski, Naughton, Fernandez, Mawson, Olsson, Sanches, Clucas, van der Hoorn, Carroll, Abraham, Ayew.
Subs: Bony, Fer, Narsingh, Nordfeldt, Routledge, Rangel, Roque.

10.49am BST

... in which Tottenham Hotspur, having seen off the mighty Borussia Dortmund midweek in a mature display at Wembley, look to finally make the national stadium feel like home in the Premier League too. Meanwhile, goal-shy Swansea City hope to make it two wins out of two this season in London, after besting Crystal Palace on their last jaunt down the M4.

Tottenham are hot favourites, winning the last three meetings between these clubs to an aggregate of 10-2. The Swans haven’t beaten Spurs since 1982, and last avoided losing at their place in 1930. Nothing lasts forever, though, so you never know. Kick off is at 5.30pm. It’s on!

Continue reading...

Crystal Palace 0-1 Southampton: Premier League – as it happened

Roy Hodgson’s honeymoon period at Palace lasted six minutes, as Saints made off with the points at Selhurst.

2.35pm BST

Related: Steven Davis spoils Roy Hodgson’s big day as Crystal Palace lose again

2.24pm BST

And that’s that! No dream start for Roy Hodgson, then: his team remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, pointless and goalless. Saints meanwhile launch themselves up the table to fifth, for a couple of hours at least. Hodgson congratulates his opposite number Pellegrino - “Well played!” - then trudges off with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’s got quite the job on here.

2.20pm BST

90 min +4: Ward looks for the top-right corner from 25 yards. He finds the top-right corner of the stand.

2.20pm BST

90 min +3: Schlupp tries to clear upfield, but Ward-Prowse hassles and harries. The episode ends in a goal kick, but there’s more time eaten up successfully by Saints.

2.19pm BST

90 min +2: Benteke comes back into his own half to win the ball back. But all he does is bowl Romeu over, and that’s a free kick that’ll allow Saints to run down the clock a bit further.

2.18pm BST

90 min +1: Gabbiadini comes on for Long.

2.18pm BST

90 min: Palace throw it into the mixer. Forster gathers. Van Dijk waves his arms around, organising in the I’m In Charge style. There will be five extra minutes.

2.16pm BST

89 min: Cedric twists and turns down the right and slaps a shot goalwards from just inside the box. It’s gathered easily enough by Hennessey.

2.16pm BST

87 min: Tadic is replaced by the returning Virgil van Dijk. He seems to get a fair enough reception from the away support. Almost as though most of the heat and noise surrounding transfer talk is generated by the media and on the internet, well away from the real world.

2.13pm BST

86 min: Bertrand earns a corner for Saints down the left. It’s hit long, and Ward tries to hook a ball over his own head and into the top right from the right-hand corner of the box. Ambitious, to say the least. Up the other end, Yoshida blasts a common-or-garden clearance into the back of Lemina. The ball rebounds into the arms of Forster.

2.12pm BST

85 min: Ward-Prowse comes on for Redmond.

2.11pm BST

84 min: Townsend shimmies in from the left, and curls deep for Sako. But Bertrand stands firm and blocks his man in a fair tussle. The ball flies out for a goal kick.

2.09pm BST

82 min: Dann miscontrols in the midfield. Long goes scampering off. Dann has no option but to drag him back. That’s Palace’s fifth booking of the game. It’s not been a dirty match, this, but there you have it. I’m feeling old.

2.08pm BST

81 min: Once again, Saints find a bit of joy down the right. Cedric and Tadic combine, though eventually the ball’s run out for a goal kick. This flank has been a serious problem for Palace all afternoon.

2.07pm BST

80 min: The impressive Lemina goes on a George Best skitter, left to right on the diagonal, and nearly works enough space in the area for a shot. But he’s swarmed by Palace defenders, and slips the ball wide left to Redmond. Redmond hesitates, though earns a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece.

2.06pm BST

78 min: Hodgson is booed by his own fans! The reason? He replaces the impressive Loftus-Cheek with Sako. Only a smattering of dissent, to be fair, but even so! They work fast round Palace these days.

2.04pm BST

77 min: Long is booked for complaining, no free kick forthcoming after his being brought down by Ward.

2.03pm BST

76 min: Cabaye’s delivery is appalling. Easily cleared by Saints.

2.02pm BST

75 min: Palace are awarded a very cheap free kick out on the right, Ward losing control of the ball, but being lightly brushed in the back by Redmond a split second afterwards. A chance for Palace to load the box.

2.01pm BST

73 min: Fosu-Mensah goes down holding his ankle. That looked a sore one, but he’s up quickly enough, after a bit of treatment, and looks good to continue.

1.59pm BST

71 min: Palace enjoy a little possession in the midfield. They go nowhere, but they’ve not kept hold of the ball well today, so it’s better than nothing. Small acorns, and all that.

1.57pm BST

69 min: McArthur is hooked in favour of Milivojevic. And there’s another good run by Loftus-Cheek down the left. He earns a corner, which is headed out harmlessly by Dann, but this is a little better from Palace, who have improved in this second half, even if that’s not saying a whole lot.

1.55pm BST

68 min: McArthur is booked for a clumsy slide on Bertrand. Then the lively Loftus-Cheek goes racing down the left, gets the better of Lemina, and crosses for Benteke. But Hoedt contorts his body to hook away.

1.54pm BST

66 min: For the 387th time this afternoon, Tadic is sent away down the right, this time by a clever reverse ball from Long. To give Schlupp some credit this time, he hares back and stops Tadic in his tracks with a glorious saving tackle, but it should never have come to that. Long races over to try to latch onto the loose ball that’s sprung from the tackle. He pings off Schlupp and goes flying into the stand in the slapstick style. All good knockabout fun.

1.52pm BST

65 min: ... there’s nowt of note.

1.51pm BST

64 min: Tadic is once again found in preposterous space down the right. This is a joke; Palace haven’t closed him down this afternoon at all. He should set Long free down the inside-right and into the area with a diagonal sliding pass, but plays it too close to the back-pedalling Dann and the defender slides across to block out for a corner. From which ...

1.49pm BST

62 min: A free kick out on the right for Saints, Cedric having been upended by a combination of McArthur, Cabaye and Puncheon. The latter, having already been booked, is the recipient of a stern lecture by the referee. He’s on his final warning. To be fair, he hasn’t really done much that’s so awful this afternoon, it’s only fair he’s cut a little slack.

1.47pm BST

60 min: Cabaye, in the centre circle, quarterbacks long for Benteke. The big striker rises on the edge of the area, and clanks a header miles wide left, and high to boot.

1.46pm BST

59 min: It is tipping down in south London. Stair rods. Meanwhile the Saints, after rocking early in the half, have reestablished their earlier dominance. They’re first to everything again.

1.44pm BST

57 min: Ward is booked for a foul committed a couple of minutes earlier, when he dallied on the ball, allowed Davis to run off with it, and rugby tackled him to the floor.

1.44pm BST

56 min: And now it’s Southampton’s turn to pass up a great chance to score. They ping the ball around awhile, then Redmond bursts into the box down the right. His cross is missed by everyone, then recycled by Tadic out on the left. Tadic chips the ball back into the centre, and Long should plant a header home from six yards. But he fails to connect properly, and after a little pinball, the danger is gone.

1.41pm BST

54 min: Virgil van Dijk warms up on the touchline. Meanwhile on the pitch, Saints have slipped into game-management mode. The referee has a word as Long takes his sweet time over a throw.

1.40pm BST

52 min: Thing is, Palace have been pretty poor so far, all told. And they still could, arguably should, have scored on three separate occasions. That surely augurs well. They just need the dam to break.

1.39pm BST

50 min: Puncheon is booked for a frustrated clatter into the back of Tadic. And a period of pressure is released.

1.38pm BST

49 min: It’s a slightly subdued Selhurst. And then the roof suddenly nearly comes off! First, Loftus-Cheek dribbles down the right, reaches the byline, and fizzes a low ball through the six-yard box. How did that stay out?! How did Cabaye and Benteke miss it? Then Schlupp drifts in from the left and sets up Puncheon, who has to score from six yards, but Forster blocks brilliantly and Lemina knocks it clear calmly. Much better from Palace, who should be level! When will they score?

1.34pm BST

47 min: It doesn’t lead to much, but Lemina sells McArthur an outrageous dummy in the midfield, a trick that incorporates a subtle drag-back. He looks a very fine signing indeed.

1.32pm BST

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

1.21pm BST

Half-time reading:

Related: 'They ARE feminine': the Matildas' long road from sexism in '79 to sellouts in '17

1.19pm BST

Roy Hodgson storms off in the businesslike fashion. He’ll need to give his team a good talking-to. They’ve been bossed by Saints. The plus points: they’ve nevertheless still managed to create a couple of chances, while their opponents are a little blunt up front, despite their dominance everywhere else. It promises to be a fascinating second half.

1.16pm BST

45 min +1: So having said that, Palace nearly equalise, Townsend scampering after a long ball down the inside-left channel and sending a screaming, dipping shot just over the bar from an angle!

1.16pm BST

45 min: The half-time whistle can’t come quickly enough for Palace, who are reduced to a shambles. They’re second to absolutely everything. Redmond crafts more space for himself, this time in a central position, but his shot from 25 yards is weak and easily gathered by Hennessey.

1.15pm BST

44 min: Palace are hanging on here. Redmond skedaddles into their area from the left, then cuts the ball back for Tadic, whose shot from the penalty spot is blocked.

1.14pm BST

43 min: Saints ping it around nicely, as they’ve done for the majority of the half. After a few pretty triangles, the ball’s clipped down the inside-left channel for Lemina by Davis. A bit too much juice behind that, or Lemina would have been clear.

1.12pm BST

42 min: Saints launch yet another attack down the right. This is getting old. Long very nearly scampers clear, but Dann comes across to harry him off the ball.

1.11pm BST

40 min: Hoedt, deep on the left, sprays a golden pass wide right to release Tadic into acres. Schlupp is on walkabout, goodness knows what his game is. Thankfully for Palace, Tadic’s low cross is dismal. The home side should have been in serious trouble there.

1.09pm BST

38 min: Cabaye floats a reasonably aimless cross into the Saints box from the right. It’s not what Benteke is after, and the big man communicates this point in the direct style. A few whistles. Both players and punters getting irritated.

1.07pm BST

36 min: Davis chips forward, down the middle for Redmond, who chests down on the edge of the Palace area with his back to goal. He turns and very nearly slides a clever pass forward to release Long. But Fosu-Mensah and Dann get in the way. Palace are living a little dangerously, and will be thankful that Saints have a few goalscoring issues themselves right now.

1.05pm BST

34 min: Yet again, Tadic is afforded too much time out on the right. Not entirely sure what Schlupp is up to this afternoon. Fortunately for Palace, Saints haven’t exactly over-committed, and they can easily deal with the resulting cross. But this surely can’t continue. Saints have the run of this flank.

1.04pm BST

33 min: Cabaye is booked for leaving his foot in on Lemina, as the Saints midfielder whipped a pass away. He can have no complaints, having landed his boot on Lemina’s toes.

1.02pm BST

31 min: Loftus-Cheek so nearly scores a glorious goal! Townsend wins a ball he had no right to win 35 yards from the Saints goal in a central position. He slips it to his right for Loftus-Cheek, who drops a shoulder once, then twice, and zips past a couple of despairing Saints challenges on a slight left-to-right diagonal run. He enters the area, makes enough space, then looks to whack low into the bottom left. But his effort is deflected out at the last, and the resulting corner comes to nothing. Still, that’s much better from Palace.

1.00pm BST

29 min: Loftus-Cheek and Benteke one-two in the midfield, allowing the former to have a pop from 25 yards. He sends a glorious low fizzer inches wide of the left-hand post. Had that been on target, I’m not sure Forster was getting to it.

12.59pm BST

27 min: Tadic finds more space down the right. His cross takes a nick off Schlupp and threatens to loop into the top left along a crazy arc, but Hennessey claims well. Then another Saints attack, as Redmond springs Long free down the inside-right channel. The flag goes up, and it’s the correct decision, but it was very close indeed, and had the linesman kept his flag down, it’d have been an understandable error. Palace playing with fire.

12.57pm BST

26 min: Something of a lull, but Saints remain in command, keeping hold of the ball. Palace are unable to get anything coherent going.

12.54pm BST

24 min: An encouraging spell for Palace, who knock it around in the midfield for a while. Schlupp sashays down the inside-left channel before shuttling the ball inside to Cabaye, who sends a speculative effort, aimed for the top left, high and wide from 20 yards.

12.53pm BST

22 min: Saints continue to hog the ball. Some patient passing, hither and yon. Eventually Redmond takes a whack from 25 yards. It’s straight at Hennessey, albeit oscillating in the air enough to pose the keeper problems. Hennessey deals with it well.

12.51pm BST

20 min: A pretty dribble down the middle by Saints’ club-record signing Lemina. Ball-on-string stuff. But with options either side as he advances towards the Palace area, he gets giddy and drags an ambitious effort wide left from distance. He had options either side. The home fans beginning to get a little edgy as Saints probe for a second; Palace can’t afford to ship another right now.

12.49pm BST

18 min: The corner leads to another corner, and that second one comes to nothing. What a chance for Benteke, though. Palace still haven’t scored a goal this season. After that Benteke effort, straight at the keeper, and Scott Dann’s late close-range header at Burnley last week, Palace will be wondering if they’ll ever break their duck. But at least they’re creating chances.

12.47pm BST

16 min: Redmond slips and allows Townsend to make off with the ball down the right. A pass is slipped forward to Loftus-Cheek, who crosses low. Benteke must score from six yards! But he doesn’t connect powerfully, and Forster is able to claw the ball away. Corner.

12.45pm BST

14 min: Saints are completely bossing this game right now. They’ve enjoyed nearly 70% of possession in these early exchanges. “I do hope Mr. Hodgson does not moan at the lack of ‘famous support’ his team are getting,” quips Ian Copestake, with reference to Mr Hodgson’s famous stint at Anfield a few years back. Oh Roy!

12.43pm BST

12 min: Davis swings a cross into the Palace box from a deep position on the right. Ward and Fosu-Mensah are all over the shop, and nowhere near Long, who is drifting in from the left. Long opts for a spectacular header, looking to guide the ball first time into the top right from a position to the left of the D. His effort flies miles wide right. He had time to take that down, and will wish he did so now.

12.41pm BST

10 min: Townsend goes racing down the right and falls over Hoedt’s extended leg. The ref doesn’t give the free kick, much to the home support’s collective annoyance. Probably the right decision. To be fair to the Palace support, they don’t slip into an extended sulk, and after ironically cheering a decision in their favour 30 seconds later, go back to making a hell of a racket.

12.39pm BST

8 min: A free kick for Saints out on the right, and a chance for the visitors to load the box. Davis loops it in. Schlupp heads away powerfully, and in any case the whistle goes for some Saints pushing. On the bench, Hodgson has assumed the pensive pose, chin on palm, eyes fixed on some point in the middle distance.

12.37pm BST

So much for Roy Hodgson’s honeymoon period. Davis slides a pass down the inside-right channel for Tadic, who drops a shoulder to waltz past Schlupp. He reaches the byline and fires into the middle low and hard. Hennessey can only parry out to Davis, who had been following up and sidefoots confidently into the bottom right. On the bench, Hodgson tries his best to appear calm. He just about manages it.

12.35pm BST

4 min: Space for Tadic down the right, set free by a lovely crossfield pass by Redmond. Cedric goes deep on the overlap. A cross, and Palace make a pig’s lug of clearing the ball. Davis has a whack from the edge of the box, though he doesn’t connect properly and Hennessey claims easily enough as the ball bounces apologetically towards the bottom right.

12.33pm BST

2 min: Townsend races after a long ball down the right wing. Hoedt comes across to shepherd the ball out of play for a goal kick. Palace are certainly on the front foot in these very early exchanges. A fine atmosphere at Selhurst Park, incidentally, though that’s hardly breaking news. There’s always a fine atmosphere at Selhurst.

12.32pm BST

And we’re off! Palace get the ball rolling and they’re out of the blocks quickly, Benteke romping down the left, checking his run, spinning, and looping a cross into the centre. Townsend sticks out a telescopic leg but can’t control and the ball squirts out for a goal kick, to the left of goal. Hopefully as far as Palace are concerned, that’s not the end of Hodgson’s honeymoon period.

12.30pm BST

The teams are out! Crystal Palace are in their usual red and blue, while Saints sport their Rank-Xerox-era-referencing blue-and-very-dark-blue stripes. Or is it blue-and-black? Hm. Anyway, they’re in that. Roy Hodgson waves at the crowd, then gives the cuddly mascot a hug and his best PR smile. We’ll be off in a minute!

12.22pm BST

Roy Hodgson talks! “I thought Palace’s performance last week at Burnley was a good performance, the team was unlucky. But Loftus-Cheek is fit again, so I thought it was good to bring him back. We are very eager. For the players, it is another new start, but we believe in the players and their experience and quality. There is only one way to prove that they are a good team, and that is on the field, and that’s what they hope to do today.”

12.08pm BST

Mauricio Pellegrino speaks! “Virgil van Dijk is training well. But he is coming from eight months without playing the game. Hopefully he can be ready to play. Physically he is good, but he needs more time to be at the same level with his team-mates.”

11.45am BST

It’s not quite a case of If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It for Palace. But they did play pretty well at Burnley last Sunday, without reward, so there’s only one change to their starting XI. Lee Chung-Yong, whose poor early backpass sealed Frank de Boer’s fate, and ushered in the Hodgson Era, loses his place to Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Saints by contrast ring the changes, having gone down miserably at home to Watford last week. Out go Jack Stephens, James Ward-Prowse, Sofiane Boufal and Manolo Gabbiadini. In come Maya Yoshida, Mario Lemina, Dusan Tadic and Shane Long. And who’s that on the bench? Why, it’s only

Liverpool’s
Virgil van Dijk, ready to be reintegrated away from the white-hot heat of St Mary’s.

11.32am BST

Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Ward, Fosu-Mensah, Dann, Schlupp, McArthur, Cabaye, Puncheon, Townsend, Benteke, Loftus-Cheek.
Subs: Speroni, Van Aanholt, Milivojevic, Tomkins, Lee, Sako, Kelly.

Southampton: Forster, Cedric, Yoshida, Hoedt, Bertrand, Romeu, Lemina, Tadic, Davis, Redmond, Long.
Subs: Stephens, McCarthy, Ward-Prowse, van Dijk, Boufal, Gabbiadini, Targett.

10.05am BST

... in which Roy Hodgson returns to club football, desperate to end his long career on a high note by hauling his boyhood heroes out of trouble, while goal-shy Southampton continue to search for their misplaced mojo.

Let’s not kid ourselves: recent form suggests this might not be a free-wheeling classic. Palace have lost all four of their Premier League games so far this season, and have yet to find the net; Southampton have played five matches in league and cup, and have failed to score in four of them. But something’s got to give at some point, and it may as well be today. Especially as we’ve just tempted fate by making a big thing about it. Goal frenzy, please!

Continue reading...

Liverpool 2-2 Sevilla: Champions League – as it happened

The visitors battled back to earn a deserved draw in a highly entertaining to-and-fro at Anfield

10.20pm BST

Related: Joaquin Correa’s equaliser for Sevilla spoils Liverpool’s return

9.39pm BST

And that’s that! After the whistle goes, Klopp gets involved in a screaming match with what remains of the Sevilla bench. “Why are you shouting at me? What did I do?” Dignity, Jurgen, dignity! Liverpool were the better attacking force for the majority, but Sevilla the smarter side. And the visitors played their way back into contention during the second half, after nearly losing sight of Liverpool during the first. A missed penalty and the usual defensive frailties cost the hosts, but they were up against a very good team who weren’t going to let them off with their mistakes. A deserved draw, and it’s a mixed bag for the Reds on their return to the Champions League. Last word to our very own answer to Mystic Meg, Jon Taylor: “Yep. A dance as old as time.”

9.38pm BST

90 min +4: Gomez walks for a late lunge in the midfield on Muriel. A second yellow, he can have no complaints.

9.37pm BST

90 min +3: Coutinho takes, and hits deep. Wijnaldum rises, but a soft header flies into Rico’s arms like a feather. Then Sevilla go up the other end. Muriel latches onto a long ball. Gomez gets confused under it, and suddenly Muriel is free! But he slides his shot wide left when it was easier to score!

9.35pm BST

90 min +2: Good old-fashioned bustling from Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sturridge earns a throw deep in Sevilla territory down the right. From the throw, Oxlade-Chamberlain wins another corner.

9.34pm BST

90 min +1: Oxlade-Chamberlain forces a corner down the right. Sevilla half clear it. Henderson returns a header, but it’s an easy snaffle for Rico.

9.33pm BST

90 min: There will be four added minutes.

9.33pm BST

89 min: Now Lovren slaps a simple clearing header straight to Escudero. Once again, the crowd are not fully impressed with his contributions.

9.32pm BST

88 min: Under no pressure whatsoever, Lovren shanks a pass into the stand down the left. The crowd let him have it. Then Liverpool’s final change, as Salah is replaced by Oxlade-Chamberlain.

9.30pm BST

87 min: Correa forces a corner off Moreno down the Sevilla right. Sarabia wanders out slowly to take it. Correa is allowed to flick on a header at the near post, but fortunately for Liverpool, there’s nobody in white in the six-yard box to bundle home.

9.29pm BST

86 min: Liverpool’s final-third passing is all over the shop now. It’s all very scrappy. Meanwhile Maribor have equalised against Spartak.

9.28pm BST

85 min: Coutinho drops a shoulder and, for a second, looks to have opened up a huge flank of space down the left. But he’s crowded out of it on the edge of the box.

9.27pm BST

83 min: A change apiece. Jesus Navas is replaced by Sebastien Corchia; Sadio Mane by Daniel Sturridge.

9.27pm BST

82 min: Salah and Coutinho attempt to power their way down the left, but they’re never in total control of their dribbles. A hint of desperation in Liverpool’s play now. Their earlier dominance went some time ago; now the fluency’s gone too.

9.23pm BST

80 min: Coutinho, quarterbacking from deep, chips a pass down the inside-left for Salah. But the pass is overcooked, too much for even the whippet-fast Salah. Had that been weighted properly, Salah was free.

9.23pm BST

79 min: Matip slices hysterically into the air under no pressure whatsoever, and concedes a corner under pressure from Muriel. Fortunately for the centre back, the set piece comes to nothing. But Anfield, warm and wobbly earlier on, is cold and shaky now. A lot of nerves crackling around.

9.21pm BST

78 min: Henderson hoops a ball down the right. Kjaer tries to usher it out of play. Salah makes sure he concedes a corner. Lovren rises to meet the set piece, but there are no Dortmund-style heroics here, as his header flies harmlessly high into the Kop.

9.19pm BST

76 min: Can is replaced by ... Coutinho. And the little Brazilian is given a warm reception as he runs on, then a cheer as he takes his first touch.

9.18pm BST

74 min: Mercado, already on a yellow, stands in the way of Mane as the Liverpool man makes off down the left. The referee waves play on, then does nothing as the Liverpool move peters out. Which is fair enough. Both sides have had the benefit of one now.

9.17pm BST

Out of nothing, Sevilla are level! From a throw, Muriel bustles in from the left. Nobody bothers to challenge him. He flicks a pass down the inside-left channel, and Correa is free in the box! He opens his body and curls powerfully into the top right, leaving Karius with no chance! That penalty miss looks costly now!

9.16pm BST

71 min: Moreno cynically gets in the way of Sarabia in the midfield. Sarabia waves the imaginary yellow card that would see Moreno sent off. The referee doesn’t react. Moreno got away with one there.

9.13pm BST

69 min: Luis Muriel comes on for the Sevilla goalscorer Wissam Ben Yedder.

9.12pm BST

68 min: Henderson curls it into the mixer. N’Zonzi heads it out to Wijnaldum, who arrows a low shot towards the bottom left. Rico does very well to turn the ball around the post, seeing the ball late through a crowded box. The resulting corner is easily cleared.

9.11pm BST

67 min: Moreno crosses from the left. Jesus Navas sticks up a hand, and that’ll be a free kick just to the left of the Sevilla penalty box.

9.09pm BST

65 min: Salah wriggles out of a thicket of players out on the right, reaches the side of the area, and finds Mane on the edge of the D. Mane, his back to goal, smoothly spins and looks for the top left. He finds the top left of the Kop. That would have been a very pretty goal had it gone in.

9.08pm BST

64 min: Banega swings in the resulting free kick, and the offside flag goes up.

9.07pm BST

63 min: Spartak Moscow have taken the lead at Maribor. Meanwhile back in Liverpool, Gomez is booked for a cynical tug on the brilliant Correa’s shirt as the Sevilla star goes down the left.

9.06pm BST

62 min: Salah has a bobble from 20 yards. It’s not very good, but Rico turns it around the right-hand post anyway. The resulting corner is a non-event. Liverpool are soon coming back at Sevilla, Firmino turning N’Zonzi this way and that. He drags a shot meant for the bottom left wide of the post from 25 yards.

9.04pm BST

60 min: The Sevilla panto continues! Coach Berizzo catches a ball sailing out of play. Instead of handing it to Gomez, standing right next to him, he ostentatiously throws the ball down the touchline. There’s only going to be one outcome after the earlier, very similar brouhaha: the referee sends him to the stands! He departs, but only after accusing Klopp of getting him sent off. Klopp did have his say, it’s true, but it’s probably best that Berizzo takes ownership of that one.

9.03pm BST

59 min: Mane drops a shoulder out on the left and looks to Coutinho a shot into the top right from distance. Nope!

9.02pm BST

58 min: Salah shimmies down the right before scooping a poor cross out of play with options in the box. His shooting and decision making is a wee bit erratic, but he’s a bundle of energy and always involved.

9.00pm BST

56 min: Mane busts down the left, rides a couple of challenges, and squirts the ball inside for Can, who has a larrup from 25 yards. It’s going wide left, and hits Firmino on its way through anyway. A poor shot, really, as the ball was sitting up very invitingly with no Sevilla player in position to close down in time.

8.59pm BST

55 min: It’s beautifully poised, this game. Sevilla are in control again, passing it around with ease in the middle of the park. But this Liverpool side are a coiled spring. Good luck guessing who’ll score next. It surely won’t end 2-1.

8.58pm BST

53 min: But suddenly Liverpool crank up the pace. A couple of surges starring Salah down the right. Then from the halfway line, Matip decides to go on a Beckenbaueresque dribble down the inside-right channel. He nearly breaks clear into the box! But in looking to make space to shoot, he passes up the chance to set up Wijnaldum on his inside. It would have been the better bet, but you can’t fault him for getting giddy. That was a glorious skitter!

8.55pm BST

52 min: Sevilla are on the front foot right now, re-energised by the half-time break. Liverpool’s momentum appears to be broken. Pass, pass, passity, pass.

8.55pm BST

51 min: Philippe Coutinho is warming up on the touchline. He hasn’t been hit by a wet fish, rotten tomato or flying cabbage yet. Do you think the Anfield faithful are preparing to forgive him? The early signs are good.

8.53pm BST

49 min: Good work by Sarabia down the right, but the Sevilla sub couldn’t find Ben Yedder in the middle. Then another phase of attack by the visitors, the relentless Correa making good down the left. His fizz towards the near post is nearly trapped by Ben Yedder, but not quite.

8.52pm BST

48 min: Sevilla coach Eduardo Berizzo is given a ticking off by the ref for brazenly flinging the ball away as Liverpool prepared to take a quickthrow in the midfield. Good knockabout stuff. All it needed for pantomime perfection was added Jose Mourinho.

8.50pm BST

46 min: Henderson hooks a pass down the left to send Mane scampering dangerously goalwards again. He cuts inside and shoots, but the effort’s blocked pretty much at source by Pareja.

8.48pm BST

Here we go again! Sevilla get the ball rolling for the second half. No changes. Liverpool are shooting towards the Kop now. It’s goalless in the other Group E game between Maribor and Spartak Moscow, by the way. And here’s Jon Taylor: “Since at least Roy Evans’ era, one of the most maddeningly frequent phrases you’ll hear when watching Liverpool is ‘We’ll, we did wonder if they’d come to rue those missed chances.’ This has the feel of another of those games.”

8.36pm BST

Half-time reading: So we’ve had yet another penalty in the Champions League. What’s going on? Barry Glendenning p.i. investigates.

Related: It’s raining penalties in the Champions League – but what’s behind the increase?

8.34pm BST

Just time for Sarabia to swing a free kick into the Liverpool box from the right, Karius to punch powerfully clear, Liverpool to break, and Moreno to flash a shot at Rico from a tight angle down the left, with Salah and Firmino nearly getting to the rebound in the middle! Yes, just enough time for all that. There goes the whistle, and it’s half time. That fair whizzed by. Excellent entertainment, both teams looking very lively in attack, but Liverpool especially so. It promises to be a fun second 45. Don’t be going anywhere now!

8.31pm BST

45 min: Confirmation that Banega was the Sevilla man booked after Liverpool’s second goal. Meanwhile Pablo Sarabia comes on for Guido Pizarro, who has developed a limp. There will be two added minutes.

8.30pm BST

44 min: The much-maligned Moreno has been excellent tonight. He tears down the left and wheechs a gorgeous ball along the corridor of uncertainty. Any red shirt nearby, and it’s a tap-in. But both Mane and Firmino are just off the pace.

8.29pm BST

42 min: A John Aldridge stutter by Firmino. He sends Rico the wrong way, but with the right-hand portion of the goal gaping, hits the right-hand post! The ball clanks away from danger. It wasn’t the worst penalty kick you’ll ever see, but bottom line is, it hasn’t gone in.

8.28pm BST

41 min: Moreno wins a header he never should win out on the left above Mercado. Mane scampers into the area and looks to clip the ball past Pareja. There’s a hint of handball, but the referee doesn’t have to make a decision on that one, as Pareja then brazenly takes Mane down from behind!

8.25pm BST

39 min: Moreno is booked for a ludicrously late leg across Jesus Navas. A Sevilla player got booked for protesting Salah’s challenge on N’Zonzi in the lead-up to the goal, incidentally, but I’ll need to get back to you on identity.

8.24pm BST

Firmino exchanges rat-a-tat passes in the middle of the park with Wijnaldum. He sprays it wide right for Gomez, who slips inside for Salah. Salah’s first touch is poor, and it looks as though the danger is gone as N’Zonzi strides away. But N’Zonzi is striding away in the insouciant manner, and allows Salah to get back at him, steal the ball, turn and shoot. The ball takes a huge deflection off Kjaer, and loops into the top right over the stranded Rico! Not much of a shot, but brilliant persistence from Salah!

8.21pm BST

35 min: Mercado is booked for a late clip on the back of Firmino’s leg. That will have been a sore one, studs on ankle, but it didn’t look malicious. Mercado has the good grace to go up to Firmino and offer his apologies.

8.19pm BST

33 min: Sevilla continue to ping it around like Benitez’s Valencia. But one loose pass is cut out by the head of Gomez, and suddenly Can is in acres down the middle. His shot is deflected out for a corner on the left. And from that, Wijnaldum instigates a game of pinball with another speculative dig from distance. Sevilla eventually flipper it away.

8.17pm BST

31 min: Sevilla are bossing possession now. And pushing up high, which may or may not be asking for trouble. We’ll see. As things go right now, they’re stroking the ball around very nicely, and with great confidence, though it’s all sterile stuff in the middle of the park.

8.15pm BST

29 min: Liverpool go up the other end, Mane and Firmino attempting to prise Sevilla open with a one-two down the right. But the latter’s return pass has too much juice on it. Goal kick. This is a fun, open match. Both sides are going for it.

8.14pm BST

28 min: Confusion between Moreno and Karius, neither knowing who should be dealing with a loose ball down the Sevilla right. Ben Yedder senses the danger and hovers, doing enough to force Moreno into the concession of a corner. Karius, to be fair, does very well to pluck the set piece from the sky, cleaning up his mess.

8.12pm BST

26 min: Jesus Navas annoys Liverpool down the right for 60 seconds or so. Liverpool eventually bundle the ball away from danger. Henderson very nearly spins and sends Salah away down the right, but doesn’t get enough oomph on the sprayed pass, and he’s clattered by N’Zonzi anyway. Free kick, and while the break’s not on, at least the pressure is off that rickety Liverpool defence.

8.10pm BST

24 min: On the touchline, Klopp bounces around and shouts quite a lot. He enjoyed that last sweeping counter attack, even if it didn’t result in a second goal.

8.09pm BST

23 min: The excellent Correa drops a shoulder down the left, and nearly zips past Matip, but the defender does very well to whip the ball off his toe. Counter. Wijnaldum, down the right, slips the ball inside for Mane, who shuttles it further left for Can. He’s in the area, with only Rico to beat! But it’s a tight angle, and though he dinks the ball past the keeper, he pulls his shot across the face of goal. The ball bumbles apologetically out of play, inches wide of the right-hand post.

8.07pm BST

But this is lovely by Liverpool! They pass it around hither and yon, as patient as you like. Suddenly Moreno turns on the jets, exchanging a quick one-two with his captain Henderson. He’s free in the area! He reaches the white line, zips a ball into the centre, and Firmino is on hand to turn it in from close range! That’s got Anfield going again!

8.06pm BST

19 min: Gomez is seeing a lot of the ball out on the right. His crossing is a bit erratic, but he’s getting into good advanced positions. Sevilla are happy to sit deep, though, especially with that early goal in their back pocket, so it’s difficult to find anyone in the box.

8.03pm BST

18 min: Mane is brought down by Jesus Navas as he scampers down the left. A chance for Liverpool to load the box, but they do nix with the free kick. The home crowd are trying to lift their team’s spirit. They’re trying to lift their own spirits. Full marks for ambition but it’s not happening for Liverpool yet.

8.02pm BST

16 min: Ben Yedder is hot in form right now: that was his fourth goal in his last four-and-a-very-small-bit games. He nearly bursts clear down the inside-right channel, after a clever Jesus Navas flick. But he’s sandwiched out of it and Liverpool mop up.

8.00pm BST

15 min: Liverpool are dominating possession, though. Salah is found in acres down the right, but needlessly loses possession with a panicked pass inside. Then another phase of attack, with Gomez swinging in high from the right, Can rising but sending an aimless header angling off the top of his head, high and wide left.

7.58pm BST

13 min: Gomez hugs the right touchline and does very well to dribble past Correa. But then Correa battles back, and blocks just as Gomes reaches the byline and looks up for a red shirt in the middle. “There we go,” begins Matt Dony. “I’ve really missed the Champions League. An opportunity for Liverpool’s defence to embarrass themselves on a whole new stage.”

7.57pm BST

11 min: ... another corner’s won. Swung in from the right, Firmino meets it, and powers a header over the bar from ten yards. He should have got that on target, and holds his head accordingly.

7.56pm BST

10 min: Sevilla take their turn to look a bit jittery at the back. Salah beats Kjaer to a high ball down the right; the defender really should have cleared. He reaches the byline and cuts back for Mane, whose weak shot is aimed towards the bottom right. Rico parries and fumbles, forcing Kjaer to poke out for a corner. From which...

7.54pm BST

8 min: Mane goes off at breakneck speed down the left wing. He approaches the box and is cynically barged to the floor by Pareja, just before the white line of the area. But the referee doesn’t award a free kick. Anfield was bouncing a few minutes ago; it’s not such a happy place right now.

7.53pm BST

7 min: That’s the worst possible return to Champions League football for Liverpool. Wijnaldum attempts to respond quickly with another Liverpool shot from distance. His effort is deflected wide left of goal, but the resulting corner is a complete non-event.

7.51pm BST

Can and Gomez both have the chance to clear. They both fail. Correa turns on the jets down the left, reaches the byline, and crosses low. Lovren must block on the corner of the six-yard box, but misses the ball completely, and it flies through to the in-form Ben Yedder, who sticks out a telescopic leg to poke home!

7.50pm BST

4 min: Salah has a dribble down the right, and the ball’s worked inside for Henderson, who shoots from 25 yards. The shot is weak and blocked. Sevilla go up the other end, Jesus Navas crossing from the right. Matip half clears. Then...

7.49pm BST

3 min: Sevilla get their first touch of the ball, and stroke it around the back awhile. A successful attempt to put a stop to Liverpool’s early gallop.

7.48pm BST

2 min: Liverpool start fast, as they often do. Mane has another turboramble down the left, but upon reaching the byline his cross is snaffled by Rico.

7.47pm BST

50-odd seconds: Salah, out on the right, sprays a diagonal pass towards Mane, who enters the area. He sets the ball back for Can, who tries to curl one into the top right. There’s no whip on the shot, and Rico claims it easily.

7.46pm BST

Pennants are exchanged, hands are clasped, coins are tossed, and we’re off! Liverpool get the ball rolling; Sevilla will be kicking towards the Kop in this first half. Which means the home side will face that way in the second, exactly how they like it. Matip knocks it long. Can heads down for Mane, who thinks about making off down the left, but runs out of road. That’s the first eight seconds covered.

7.42pm BST

Everyone’s favourite number from Carousel gets a spin. And at Anfield, that can only mean one thing: we’ll be off in a minute! The teams take to the pitch, Liverpool in their Shankly red, Sevilla in their own first-choice white. A typical European atmosphere at this famous old stadium!

7.33pm BST

Jurgen Klopp speaks! “This is the most special competition in Europe for club football. You want to be part of it, and when you are part of it, you want to perform. We are ready. If I would have spoken only about the City game for the last few days, that would have not been right, because we have also had some good games. But if you have a knock, you have to respond, get up, and do your best. And that is what we will try to do tonight. We are well rested. A few people will say we rested in the last game. [Mugs to camera, titters.] Coutinho is ready, that’s why he’s on the bench.”

7.13pm BST

Pre-match reading. While we’re waiting to hear from Jurgen Klopp, here’s a preview of this game from our man Sachin Nakrani.

Related: Liverpool return to Champions League with hope and intent for past success | Sachin Nakrani

7.04pm BST

Liverpool make three changes to the team routed at the City of Manchester Stadium last Saturday lunchtime. Loris Karius takes the place of Simon Mignolet in goal, as he’s set to do for the entire run in Europe. Meanwhile Joe Gomez replaces Trent Alexander-Arnold at right back, while Dejan Lovren gets in ahead of Ragnar Klavan in the middle of the defence. And who’s this on the bench?! Philippe Coutinho, all fit, healthy and still employed by Liverpool! It’s the same starting XI that routed Arsenal 4-0.

Five changes meanwhile to the Sevilla side Eduardo Berizzo sent out at the weekend. Simon Kjaer, Ever Banega, Joaquin Correa, Guido Pizarro and captain Nicolas Pareja return to the starting line-up at the expense of Clement Lenglet, Daniel Carrico, Pablo Sarabia, Paulo Ganso and the injured Nolito.

7.04pm BST

Liverpool: Karius, Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Moreno, Can, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Subs: Mignolet, Milner, Coutinho, Sturridge, Klavan, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Robertson.

Sevilla: Sergio Rico, Mercado, Pareja, Kjaer, Escudero, Nzonzi, Banega, Pizarro, Jesus Navas, Ben Yedder, Correa.
Subs: Soria, Corchia, Carrico, Krohn-Dehli, Sarabia, Muriel, Vazquez.

9.56am BST

... in which Liverpool return to the Champions League after a three-year absence, and attempt to avenge their defeat by Sevilla in the 2016 Europa League final. The five-time European champions welcome the five-time Uefa/Europa winners, whose last visit to these shores saw them come unstuck in the quarter-finals of this competition at Leicester City.

Sevilla have never won in England in five attempts. Seeing they’re coming off the back of a 3-0 win in La Liga over Eibar, while Liverpool have just been skelped 5-0 at Manchester City, they may fancy their chances of breaking that particular duck this evening. Liverpool, for their part, will have a little payback for That Night In Basel on their mind. It’s perfectly poised. It’s Anfield on a European night! It’s on!

Continue reading...

The Fiver | A wee ned with a gait that made Liam Gallagher look like Nureyev

In today’s Fiver: Rodgered, André Villas-Boas’s Big Book O’Excuses, infected pimples and Olivier Giroud’s never ending story

Bad luck always comes in threes, as Heart of Midlothian can attest. First up, the managerial interregnum of Ian Cathro, 7. That was quickly followed by the appointment of Craig Levein, a man who once decided Scotland were good enough to ponce about without a striker, as their new tactical guru. And now perhaps the cruellest blow of all, as the proud old club are forced to give up sole ownership of a long-standing record, one set in 1895, to a bunch of nouveau-riche, petrodollar-fuelled arrivistes who didn’t even exist until 1970. Albert Kidd’s got nothing on this!

Related: What formation did Holland's Total Football side actually play?

Continue reading...

West Ham United 2-0 Huddersfield Town: Premier League – as it happened

The Hammers haul themselves off the foot of the table with a hard-fought but deserved win over the Terriers.

10.44pm BST

Related: West Ham give Slaven Bilic respite as lucky break earns win over Huddersfield

9.52pm BST

And that’s that. West Ham deserved their win, even if they needed a huge stroke of fortune to break the deadlock. They rise off the foot of the table, while Huddersfield taste Premier League defeat for the first time. ♫ Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Slaven, happy birthday to yoo-o-ou! ♪ ♫

9.50pm BST

90 min +3: Rice comes on for Obiang.

9.49pm BST

90 min +2: West Ham are happy to sit back and admire their work. Mooy scurries about, trying to make something happen for Huddersfield, but he can’t prise the Hammers open.

9.47pm BST

90 min: There will be four added minutes.

9.46pm BST

88 min: Mounie and Ince combine well down the inside-right channel, but the latter’s shot is blocked, its energy removed, and deflected into the arms of Hart. West Ham go up the other end, Antonio snatching at a shot from the right of the D. He’s been excellent tonight, though, and has deservedly won the man of the match award.

9.45pm BST

87 min: West Ham let Huddersfield string a few passes together in the midfield. Once the visitors get near the penalty area, the space is closed down.

9.43pm BST

85 min: A sense that this game is done and dusted, which it pretty much is of course. A celebratory atmosphere in the London Stadium.

9.41pm BST

83 min: A couple of changes. Carroll is hooked for Sakho, while Billing is replaced by Depoitre. “I’d just like to let Gavin Hutchinson (15 mins) know that there’s a word for a John Charles / Marco Van Basten cross,” writes Geoff Wignall. “Well, two words actually, neither of them Andy or Carroll: Denis and Law. Once of Huddersfield of course.”

9.40pm BST

81 min: From the set piece, there’s a half-arsed claim for a penalty as the ball brushes Obiang’s arm. They’ll not get that. But then the ball finds Ince on the edge of the area. He lashes a rising shot goalwards. The ball smacks the bar, having taken a little nick along its way. What an effort! And it’s all for nothing, because that’s what the next corner comes to.

9.37pm BST

79 min: West Ham deserve their lead on the balance of play. Mounie tries to respond with a snap shot from the right of the West Ham D. Hart is forced to tip the ball round the right-hand post before it sneaks into the corner.

9.36pm BST

Clear daylight for West Ham! A corner’s won down the right. It’s whipped towards the near post, where Fonte attempts to bundle the ball home. It’s blocked on the line, but squirts out of a melee and sits up for Ayew, who pokes home from a couple of yards! The atmosphere is bubbling up nicely now, and it looks like being a very happy birthday for Slaven Bilic!

9.34pm BST

75 min: Sabiri comes on for Kachunga.

9.34pm BST

74 min: Obiang’s shot was probably going wide left, on second view. That may well go down as a Jorgensen own goal.

9.31pm BST

Huddersfield finally concede a goal in the Premier League, and they’re awfully unlucky! Ayew zips in from the right and slides the ball to Obiang, who has a dig from 25 yards. He’s aiming for the top left. The ball twangs off Jorgensen’s back, loops up, and flies along an unstoppable arc, dropping into the top-right corner. Lossl had no chance, and the London Stadium explodes in relief!

9.29pm BST

71 min: Antonio is stopped in his tracks down the left by Jorgensen, a light slap to the chops. There wasn’t much in that, though the defender wants to watch himself, on a booking as he is. The resulting set piece is swung in by Cresswell, whose delivery has been excellent tonight. Three West Ham players line up in the middle, but none of them can make contact.

9.27pm BST

69 min: Cresswell crosses deep from the left, forcing Malone into an acrobatic clearance for a corner at the far post. The set piece is gathered, after a jugging fashion, by Lossl.

9.26pm BST

68 min: Mooy has a bash from distance. It’s always rising. But it’s something. Huddersfield have been very quiet in attack.

9.25pm BST

66 min: It’s all got a bit scrappy again. Thank goodness for this report’s co-author Paul Beaumont, then. He’s got news of a “PLOT TWIST IN NORWAY! The Christian Party has just announced that it will not join nor prop up a coalition that allows FRP (read UKIP) to stay in power: ‘The distance between us is too big.’ The left may take back power after all! No sign of Huddersfield plot twist mind. Clean sheet record hanging by a thread.”

9.23pm BST

64 min: Both teams make a change. Lowe is replaced by Malone; Hernandez is replaced by Ayew. The home fans don’t like that decision at all, and meet it with a smattering of boos. “You’re getting sacked in the morning,” trill paying punters of unidentified stripe. It’s his birthday, for goodness sake!

9.21pm BST

62 min: Zabaleta hovers on the right-hand corner of the Huddersfield box, receives a pass, then scoops a cross to the far post, nearly finding Carroll. The big man can’t get his head on the ball. But there’s a sense that chances are a-coming, at both ends.

9.19pm BST

61 min: It’s opening up, this game, now. Huddersfield win a corner down the right. Some head tennis. West Ham clear their lines. Then the visitors come again, Ince having a dig from 25 yards. It clanks off Reid’s ankle. The sting removed, the ball loops into the air and into the arms of Hart.

9.18pm BST

59 min: And now it’s time for Huddersfield fans to take a sharp intake of breath, as Schindler makes an awful hash of controlling a long West Ham punt, and slices it out of play to the left of his own goal. The corner comes to nothing, but that was nearly disastrous for the visitors.

9.16pm BST

58 min: Mounie threatens to break clear down the inside-left channel with West Ham very light at the back. He’s flagged offside. Hart then tries to take a quick free kick with a rolling ball. He batters it straight at Mounie, who wasn’t ten yards away, and gets a second go. A few West Ham hearts in mouths there for a second.

9.14pm BST

56 min: Fonte curls a cross in from the right. Hernandez, on the edge of the D with his back to goal, plays a cute reverse pass down the inside-right channel for Kouyate, just inside the area. Never quite in control, always battling with Schindler, Kouyate nevertheless manages to fire a low shot meant for the bottom right just wide of the post. That’s a lovely move: simple, crisp and effective. And so nearly the opening goal.

9.12pm BST

54 min: Hart’s hands are warmed for the first time this evening, as Billing drops a shoulder to make room for himself 25 yards from goal, and sends a heatseeker towards the bottom right. The West Ham keeper is behind it all the way, smothering without fuss.

9.11pm BST

53 min: All a bit scrappy this. Hernandez tries to release Antonio down the inside-right channel but his pass clanks into the first blue-and-white shirt. “It’s election time down here in New Zealand too, or will be in 11 days,” reports Paul Cockburn. “I empathise with our Huddersfield-supporting Norwegian friends, because we too have the chance to turf out the incumbent right-of-centre government in favour of something bold and new. Tonight though, Kiwi Hammers (of which there are quite a few watching via MBM or at the pub at 8am in various cities; we have a Facebook page and everything) are just hoping that we can scrape up one more vote off Andy’s pony-tailed nut to settle this, and to take some of the jitters away. This could be a long 45 minutes otherwise.”

9.09pm BST

51 min: Huddersfield launch a quiet sortie into West Ham territory, Mooy slipping the ball wide left to Van La Parra, whose cross is way too deep. Goal kick. Meanwhile Paul Beaumont is back: “How we (Huddersfield) have not conceded here is beyond me. We have West Ham’s profligacy to thank for that. I reckon Huddersfield’s lethargy stems from Mooy being off-colour - our star bald Aussie midfielder - who has often struggled when coming back from international duty. However, there are some reasons for optimism. West Ham seemed to tire towards the end of the half: one can’t press for 90, and I reckon they are probably burnt out. Also, Wagner has a history of being able to make game changing substitutions to secure late goals. Prediction: Kelsey Palmer comes off the bench for Ince and repeats his goal scoring exploits for the England Under-21s with a tidy finish from 18 yards. 1-0 Huddersfield. You heard it hear first. Meanwhile if you are living in my house in Norway you are already miserable as it appears the Green’s are set to fall short of the 4% threshold necessary to gain a proportional number of the seats. Meanwhile, Norway’s Ukip, the Progress Party, look set to more or less retain their 15% of the vote.”

9.06pm BST

49 min: Zabaleta whips a fine cross into the Huddersfield box from the right. It causes no danger. Frustrated, he slides in on Van La Parra, and is correctly booked for the lunge.

9.05pm BST

48 min: Hernandez looks for the top right with the free kick, but converts in the rugby style instead. West Ham have started the second half in very positive fashion, though.

9.04pm BST

47 min: A long ball forward by Collins drops to Antonio on the edge of the box. He takes a fresh air shot. But West Ham come back again at Huddersfield, who only half clear, and Schindler clumsily clatters into Antonio. A free kick, 25 yards out.

9.02pm BST

And we’re off again! West Ham get the ball rolling. More pretty bubbles in the air.

9.02pm BST

Shameless half-time plug. I’ve written a new book. An oblique nod to Abbott and Costello, it’s called The Title, and it’s the history of the old First Division before the Premier League circus rolled into town. Huddersfield are naturally well represented, and there’s a fair bit of West Ham too. The Observer kindly published an extract: the bit they chose is light on Terriers, but heavy on dog.

Related: How Manchester City were dogged by the new neighbours

8.48pm BST

Van La Parra strides down the middle and slips the ball to Ince on his right. Ince reaches the area. A sucker punch by Huddersfield right at the end of the half? Nope. Ince doesn’t really connect with the shot and it’s blocked. And that’s that for the opening 45. West Ham have been the better side, but Huddersfield still haven’t conceded a goal in this year’s Premier League. Don’t go away! Back soon!

8.46pm BST

45 min: Billing is booked for hanging an arm into Zabaleta’s face. That looked accidental, too, though Zabaleta isn’t too happy about it, feeling his lip gingerly.

8.45pm BST

44 min: After a brief tussle in the midfield, Reid can-cans a boot into Mounie’s face. It’s the craze of the week. It’s unintentional, and after the magic sponge is applied to the Huddersfield striker’s coupon, we play on.

8.43pm BST

43 min: A free kick for West Ham, 30 yards out in a central position. Cresswell looks to curl one into the top right, but gets it all wrong. The ball flies harmlessly over the bar. “I think it’s safe to say Bilic has not lost the dressing room,” observes Paul Beaumont of 12th-minute fame. “West Ham are playing for their lives and beating Huddersfield at their own gegenpress here. Meanwhile here in Norway, it looks like the right will squeak it, but its too early to know for sure.”

8.41pm BST

40 min: After a brief lull, West Ham spring into life again. Cresswell hoicks a cross into the Huddersfield box from the left. Carroll cushions a header back to Antonio, on his own on the penalty spot! But Antonio sends a harmless bobbler wide right of the target, disappointing a crowd expecting the net to ripple.

8.37pm BST

37 min: But West Ham keep coming back at Huddersfield. The extremely impressive Antonio drops a shoulder to cut in from the right, and looks to shape one into the top left. His effort is deflected over the bar. The corner is another of the great non-events.

8.36pm BST

36 min: Carroll has a lash from 25 yards. It’s deflected wide left of the goal from a corner. And that’s another set piece which goes by without Lossl having to work.

8.35pm BST

35 min: A rare Huddersfiled attack, with Kachunga dribbling in from the left. But he loses control and slides in on Kouyate, conceding a needless free kick. West Ham have looked extremely comfortable at the back.

8.34pm BST

34 min: Cresswell whips a fine cross into the mixer from the left. It reaches Carroll at the far post, but for once the big man isn’t on the front foot, and the ball sails away to the right, the danger gone. West Ham are giving this a good go.

8.33pm BST

33 min: West Ham have had six attempts on goal to Huddersfield’s none. But the Terriers still haven’t conceded this season.

8.32pm BST

32 min: Zabaleta charges down a Lowe clearance and very nearly breaks clear into the Huddersfield area down the right. Lowe does well to regain his composure, get in the way, usher the ball out of play, and purchase a cheap free kick while he’s at it.

8.30pm BST

30 min: And now Antonio wins a corner down it. Lossl comes off his line to claim the set piece, and gets nowhere it. Carroll rises and sends a header goalwards. It’s deflected off a nearby defender for another corner, from which Kouyate goes down, feeling the breath of Smith on the back of his neck. He’s incensed, sure he’s been shoved to the ground, but there was very little in that, and the referee isn’t the least bit interested.

8.28pm BST

28 min: Zabaleta has been extremely lively down this right wing. His relentless pressing forces Lowe into a panicked backpass, then Lossl into a shanked clearance. Nothing comes of it, but West Ham are enjoying themselves down this flank.

8.27pm BST

26 min: ... and it’s met by Collins, eight yards out. He really should score, but his downward header is fairly weak, and snaffled by Lossl before it can sneak into the bottom right. He holds his head in his hands, knowing full well one’s got away there.

8.26pm BST

25 min: Antonio bursts down the left at great pace. Mooy is left standing. Jorgensen is forced to come across and scythe him down in the traditional style. That’s a booking, a free kick, and a chance to load the box. Though I wonder whether the referee could have let play go on for a little bit, as Hernandez had picked up possession on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box, albeit with his back to goal. Anyway, free kick it is ...

8.24pm BST

24 min: ... nothing much. Huddersfield dealt with that without too much problem, surrounding Carroll and giving him little opportunity to attack the ball.

8.23pm BST

23 min: Good work by Hernandez, Zabaleta and finally Fonte down the right, the first two dribbling around, the latter forcing a corner. From which ...

8.21pm BST

21 min: Carroll battles for possession just outside the Huddersfield area. He does extremely well to win the ball, but then sends a weak dribbler straight at Lossl. A chance to make the keeper work spurned.

8.20pm BST

20 min: Huddersfield are slowly getting a foothold in the game, though. Smith nearly finds Mounie in the centre with a cross from the right, but there’s not enough height on the ball. Then he exchanges passes with Kachunga down the same wing, a move that goes nowhere, but was pretty enough at the time.

8.18pm BST

18 min: Now Ince tries to instigate an attack down the right, but somehow manages to clumsily handle the ball as he’s dribbling with it! The home crowd enjoyed that. It’s almost as though they’ve got issues with his pop.

8.17pm BST

17 min: Ince tries to send Van La Parra away down the left, but his attempted threaded pass is way too weighty. Huddersfield have shown very little in attack so far.

8.16pm BST

15 min: Carroll is penalised a couple of times in short order for common-or-garden fouls in the Huddersfield half. He’s putting himself about all right. Meanwhile Paul Beaumont (12 min) is not the only Terriers fan living with the fear. Here’s Gavin Hutchinson: “It’s the hope that kills you, and I’ve gone from enjoying the sheer novelty of being in the top flight to now fearing the inevitable first Huddersfield defeat. Andy Carroll has morphed into some mix of John Charles and Marco van Basten in my head. Can you remind me it doesn’t matter? Please?” Sorry, can’t. But at least you don’t have an era-defining general election to worry about, look at it that way.

8.14pm BST

13 min: Antonio turns on the jets down the right, skinning Lowe with great ease. He reaches the byline and pulls the ball back for Hernandez, who should score from 12 yards but leans back and twangs the crossbar with his shot! The affair earns West Ham a corner in the end, but they do nothing with it. That was a magnificent run by Antonio, though.

8.11pm BST

10 min: ... there’s a bit of head tennis, then Billing goes down with a sore noggin and the referee stops play. “The fact that Bilic is bigging up Carroll and talking about playing ugly suggests he has hit upon our Achilles heel from last year,” begins Paul Beaumont. “Big lads, set pieces, and direct football led to Huddersfield losing quite handily to seemingly mediocre opposition (e.g. Preston). We seemed to get better as the season went on but whether we can cope with Andy Carroll is another question. Perhaps Mounie (‘got a head like a foot’) will cancel him out from set pieces but I maybe not. I was feeling confident before I read the teamsheets, now I am quiet anxious. PS. Am writing from Norway which is having a general election tonight. Hopefully will end up watching Town squeeze out a win and the the ruling blue-blue coalition (think Tories ruling with Ukip) get ousted. Or, and this seems more likely, watch Huddersfield shunted back to earth with a bump while Norway votes to further undermine its Nordic utopia.”

8.09pm BST

9 min: Persistence by Zabaleta down the right. A deep cross is met by Carroll, whose mere presence forces a corner. From which...

8.09pm BST

8 min: A lot of rain. Ince glides in from the left and momentarily worries his dad’s old team. It’s a tricky jink, but he ends up down a dead end and Zabaleta sorts the situation out for West Ham.

8.05pm BST

5 min: Collins takes a whack upside the head while dipping into a challenge with Ince. That’s a sore one, but he’s up as quickly as he’s down, and there was no Ederson-Mane dynamic there. We play on.

8.04pm BST

3 min: It really is tipping down in Stratford. On the touchline, Slaven Bilic’s suit is already drenched. Happy birthday! Zabaleta makes some space down the right and finds Carroll, who can only hook high and wide. But this is a positive start by the home side.

8.02pm BST

And we’re off! The visitors get the ball rolling. The bubble machines still giving it plenty. Ditto the crowd, who have waited a long time for their home season to start. Huddersfield waste no time in streaming forward, Mounie trying a cheeky flick down the inside-right channel. But it breaks down and the Hammers flood up the other end. Carroll chests down a right-to-left diagonal ball, and suddenly he’s clear of Smith in the area! He blasts a low cross through the six-yard box. Antonio is a toenail away from sliding in and poking home, but Huddersfield escape. Nearly a fantastic start by Carroll and West Ham!

7.58pm BST

The teams are out! West Ham take to the pitch at the London Stadium for the first time this season. They’re in their famous claret and blue. Huddersfield are in their equally storied blue-and-white-striped shirts. Plenty of pretty bubbles in the air. And a lot of rain. It’ll be a decent surface for passing all right. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.51pm BST

There’s a lot riding on this game for Slaven Bilic, whose coat is hanging on a shoogly peg. While we wait for kick off, here’s our man Jacob Steinberg’s expert take on the situation.

Related: David Sullivan’s salvo bursts Slaven Bilic’s fragile bubble at West Ham

7.33pm BST

No song for David Wagner tonight; his 46th birthday isn’t for another month. “Tonight’s challenge is a big one, a difficult one. But we should be focused on ourselves, and hopefully we are prepared. I did not realise we have named the same side three times in a row until you said. We wanted to find a set-up where we are competitive, it wasn’t in my mind to keep the same 11 players but it’s happened! We are excited, this is a great occasion. We like to make ourselves independent from the circumstance, but it is easier to play in this occasion than another game in the Championship on a Tuesday night! Nothing is better than this. We will be focused on ourselves and try to cause West Ham as many problems as possible.”

7.28pm BST

♫ Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Slaven, happy birthday to yoo-o-ou! ♪ ♫ Bilić, 49 today, speaks: “Andy Carroll always has a big impact on the game. He is fit, and looks sharp. We didn’t want to push him before. It’s a big boost for us. But it’s about the team, not just about Andy. Lanzini, Noble and Fernandes are injured, but we have changed the formation a bit and we still have a good team. We are going to fight and try to win the game. A good performance doesn’t always mean sexy football; a big performance has to be solid, to have a lot of spirit and energy. We definitely need a good performance!”

7.17pm BST

Three-time FA Cup winners West Ham United have lost their first three matches, shipping ten goals along the way. By comparison, three-time title winners Huddersfield Town have won two of their first three games and drawn the other, and have yet to concede a goal. And all of this is reflected in the team news.

West Ham make five changes to the team that went down 3-0 at Newcastle United. Out go Angelo Ogbonna, Mark Noble, Edimilson Fernandes, Declan Rice and Andre Ayew; in come Jose Fonte, Cheikhou Kouyate, Pedro Obiang, Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll. Big Andy is making his first start of the season.

7.10pm BST

West Ham United: Hart, Collins, Reid, Fonte, Zabaleta, Kouyate, Obiang, Cresswell, Antonio, Carroll, Hernandez.
Subs: Adrian, Sakho, Ayew, Ogbonna, Byram, Masuaku, Rice.

Huddersfield Town: Lossl, Smith, Jorgensen, Schindler, Lowe, Mooy, Billing, Kachunga, Ince, van La Parra, Mounie.
Subs: Malone, Sabiri, Coleman, Williams, Depoitre, Hadergjonaj, Hefele.

11.01am BST

... and welcome to our coverage of the Monday night football. In which West Ham United attempt to save their manager’s skin, while Huddersfield Town hope to keep partying like it’s 1925. Could be a cracker! It’s on!

Kick off: 8pm.

Continue reading...

Giving their ambitious project nearly 370 minutes once you factor in stoppages | The Fiver

Today: A pointless reign, red-hot car boot sale cancellation news and a reader’s appreciation of Friday’s Chester FC picture choice

Crystal Palace have always had progressive tendencies. Often this has been manifest in the club’s clobber: the modernist CP logo of the early 70s; the time they wore their numbers on their sleeves; the white shirt with iconic blue-and-red diagonal sash. Other times it becomes apparent in their style of play, as anyone who recalls the fun side built by Terry Venables back in the day will attest. No doubt the fact that the self-styled Team of the Eighties got themselves relegated from the top flight in 1981 and didn’t get back until 1989, the entire decade they were supposed to define having passed them by, will be painted by some as hubristic failure on an epic scale. But only by cynics whose price-to-value ratio is all out of whack. At least Palace aimed for the stars. At least they tried.

Related: Crystal Palace to appoint Roy Hodgson after sacking Frank de Boer

Continue reading...

How Manchester City were dogged by the new neighbours

An extract from Scott Murray’s ‘The Title: The Story of the First Division’ describes how a pooch named Major saved the club that became Manchester United

Something had been stirring in Manchester. City had come to prominence in the 1903-04 season, finishing runners-up to The Wednesday while scoring 23 more goals than the champions. Their star player was toothpick-chewing Billy Meredith, a winger of outrageous skill and rapidly increasing fame. He scored the winning goal in that season’s FA Cup final, selling Bolton Wanderers keeper Dai Davies an outrageous dummy, shaping to cross only to batter a surprise shot into the top corner from a tight angle.

Related: A forgotten part of Manchester United's history

Related: Will Buckley: It's never been so good, thanks to Billy

Continue reading...

Premier League: Stoke City 2-2 Manchester United – as it happened

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored twice to earn the hosts a hard-fought but deserved draw in a highly entertaining match, as United returned to the top of the table.

7.26pm BST

And that’s that! A wonderfully entertaining game ends with the spoils shared. It’s a fair result, because both teams sparkled in attack, going for it pretty much from the get-go. Stoke move into the top half of the table with that point, while United reclaim top spot on goal difference over their neighbours Manchester City.

7.24pm BST

90 min +4: A bit of head tennis on the edge of the Stoke area. Pogba tries to Mark Hughes a spectacular bicycle kick home from 12 yards. It’s high and wide.

7.24pm BST

90 min +3: Diouf takes possession of the drop ball at the restart, and delivers it back to Manchester United, who were on the attack. On the touchline, Mourinho applauds the sportsmanship.

7.23pm BST

90 min +2: ... the ball’s swung deep, flicked on by Jones. With Pogba lurking, Zouma deflects the ball towards the bottom left. It’s going in, but Butland parries it with a strong hand! A fine save! Zouma clears, and then play’s stopped for a head injury to Wimmer.

7.21pm BST

90 min +1: United are pinning Stoke back. It’s the way they’ve rolled historically. Jones bustles down the right and earns a corner. In it goes, and ...

7.20pm BST

90 min: Lukaku blooters the set piece straight into the wall. That wasn’t very good. There will be three added minutes.

7.20pm BST

89 min: Matic rakes a long pass down the middle. Stoke don’t really deal with it, and the ball breaks wide right for Mata, who looks to return it inside for Lingard. But Butland smothers the cross. United come again, though, Martial switching the ball from the left to the right. Mata picks up possession, and is clumsily clattered to the ground by Allen, just to the right of the D. A free kick in a very dangerous position!

7.17pm BST

87 min: Zouma is upended by Martial as he zips down the right. Shaqiri’s free kick is a bit better this time, but not much, and Valencia clears easily enough from a tight spot out on the Stoke left.

7.16pm BST

86 min: There’s been some handbags between the managers on the touchline, incidentally, Mourinho encroaching into Hughes’s technical area, and receiving a light go-away shove in the chest as a result. Nothing particularly serious, to be honest, all part of the pantomime.

7.14pm BST

84 min: Before the corner can be taken, Lingard comes on for Mkhitaryan. Then the set piece, which leads to Darmian converting in the rugby style.

7.13pm BST

83 min: Shaqiri curls a dreadful effort into the arms of De Gea. United scoot up the other end, Mata crossing dangerously from the left. Allen, tracking back, is forced to head behind at the expense of a corner.

7.12pm BST

82 min: Pogba shoves Allen over in the playground style, as the Stoke man scuttles down the right. A free kick, and a chance to load the box.

7.12pm BST

81 min: Martial turns on the jets and makes space down the right. He curls a stunning low cross into the area. The ball sits up on a plate for Lukaku, six yards out. He must score, but leans back and shins it over the crossbar. What a chance!

7.10pm BST

79 min: United spend a little time hovering on the front edge of Stoke’s final third, but the home side hold their shape and there’s no space for the visitors to break through.

7.08pm BST

77 min: Berahino, Zouma and Shaqiri take turns to annoy Bailly on the edge of the United area. Bailly has the opportunity to clear, but doesn’t, and eventually concedes a corner. Shaqiri takes, and attempts to catch De Gea out with a cheeky curler towards his near post. For a second it looks like flying in, but ripples the side netting instead.

7.07pm BST

76 min: Pogba makes a little space for himself 30 yards out with a cute drop of the shoulder, before sending a pea-roller straight at Butland.

7.05pm BST

75 min: Jese is replaced by Saido Berahino.

7.04pm BST

74 min: Mata’s first act is to drop deep on the right and look for his fellow sub Martial with a curling cross into the area. There’s too much weight on the ball and Butland claims with ease.

7.02pm BST

72 min: A double change by Manchester United. Juan Mata and Anthony Martial come on for Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera.

7.00pm BST

70 min: Choupo-Moting is brimful of confidence. He shimmies in from the left and has a whack from 25 yards. The effort flies well wide left. United counter through Lukaku, who attempts to find Rashford in the middle with a dinked cross from the right. Butland reads and snaffles.

6.58pm BST

68 min: Some good work by Choupo-Moting, who rides a couple of weak United tackles in the middle of the park before swinging the ball wide right for Jese. The resulting cross back into the area is overcooked, but Stoke have their tails up once more.

6.57pm BST

67 min: One corner leads to another. Butland punches the second miles clear. Valencia tries to return it with extreme prejudice, shooting low for the bottom left from 25 yards. It’s just wide. This match is great fun.

6.56pm BST

65 min: United come straight back at Stoke, Valencia, Matic and Pogba busying themselves down the right. Eventually Pogba breaks into a bit of space and smacks a shot goalwards from a tight angle. Butland does very well to turn the ball round the post for a corner.

6.54pm BST

So this starts with a wonder save by David de Gea! Pieters hooks a cross in from the left. Jese meets it, flashing a shot from the corner of the six-yard box. It has to go in, but De Gea somehow fingertips it over! What reactions! And what a futile effort, because the resulting corner, coming in from the right, is hit long, missed by Jones, and Choupo-Moting rises to slam a simple header into the top left from close range! Both teams have taken turns to give up a lead in short order!

6.52pm BST

61 min: Bailly plays a quick ball forward from deep. Mkhitaryan spins and shuttles it further down the inside-right channel, releasing Rashford on goal. But the flag goes up. The Stoke fans cheer ironically, presumably convinced Lukaku was offside for United’s second goal. But both decisions have been correct.

6.50pm BST

59 min: Jese’s over-elaboration on the Stoke counter really cost his team there. Harsh to say, because he had eaten up half of the pitch with a marvellous run upfield. But he dillied and dallied with options either side, was stripped of possession, and United showed him how to counter in the fuss-free style.

6.48pm BST

Rashford pops up on the right and earns a corner. Once again, United let Stoke stream upfield from their set piece. Jese makes good down the right. But he runs out of steam, and is stripped of the ball. United counter the counter. Mkhitaryan chips a clever pass down the middle to bust Lukaku clear. Lukaku’s first shot is parried brilliantly by Butland, but he picks up the rebound and knocks it home!

6.46pm BST

55 min: So having said that, the game suddenly turns a little scrappy. But out of a midfield nonsense, Allen bursts down the middle with the ball and slips it forward and right to Jese, who threatens to break into the box and shoot. Darmian comes across to cover brilliantly.

6.43pm BST

53 min: This is a free-flowing, open game, and both sides appear hell bent on attack. Surely there will be another goal, though good luck calling the team to score it.

6.41pm BST

51 min: Pogba shovels a pass down the inside-right channel to release Mkhitaryan into space. Mkhitaryan chests down and lashes a low shot goalwards. Butland kicks clear, and it turns out the United midfielder’s offside anyway.

6.39pm BST

49 min: Now it’s Stoke’s turn to earn a corner, Allen setting Pieters away down the left with a fine crossfield pass. Pieters crosses deep, forcing Darmian to head behind. Choupo-Moting attempts to chest the set piece down in the six-yard box, but the ball doesn’t fall for a shot and United clear.

6.37pm BST

48 min: ... another corner’s won. The second is half cleared, though Pogba is given time and chance to shoot from 25 yards. His effort goes straight down Butland’s throat.

6.37pm BST

47 min: Pogba blasts through a couple of challenges in the midfield and sets Rashford off down the inside left. The striker looks to curl one into the top right, but Zouma blocks. United come again, though winning a corner down the right. From which ...

6.35pm BST

Here we go again! Bruno Martins-Indi comes on for Geoff Cameron, who has picked up a knock. United get the ball rolling for the second half.

6.23pm BST

Shameless half-time plug. I’ve got a new book out. I know, I know, but a man needs to eat, and anyone interested in the history of English football before the Premier League circus came to town could do worse. An oblique nod to Abbott and Costello, it’s called The Title, and contents include: Stanley Matthews throwing a diva fit; Terry Venables and George Graham’s late-night casino shame; the trenchant political analysis of erstwhile Leeds full back Bert Sproston; and a qualified doctor green-flagging a pre-match booze-and-fags frenzy at the Arsenal. Enjoy!

6.19pm BST

A lively end-to-end half which promised goals, and ultimately delivered. Stoke will be fuming, having given up their lead after a couple of minutes, but the scoreline seems about right. It’s been entertaining. More to come!

6.18pm BST

Mkhitaryan loops the ball to the near post. Matic rises and flicks on. Pogba flashes a header goalwards from six yards. The ball takes a deflection off Rashford, and flies into the top right! Pogba celebrates the goal, and Rashford doesn’t claim it, but it’s surely Rashford’s goal.

6.16pm BST

45 min: United try to respond immediately, Darmian winning a corner off Diouf down the left. And from the set piece...

6.15pm BST

United win a corner, but do nothing with it, and Stoke stream upfield. After a few patient passes hither and yon, Fletcher, on the left, sprays a magnificent ball towards Diouf on the opposite flank. Diouf is in plenty of space, and he flashes a wonderful cross towards Choupo-Moting, who hammers a sidefoot home from six yards! United finally concede a Premier League goal this season, and it’s a peach!

6.12pm BST

41 min: Some fine pressing at high speed down the Stoke left by Allen and Choupo-Moting. Lukaku caught sleeping. Shakiri is eventually sent scampering down the touchline, but his ball inside is aimless and United break upfield, very nearly releasing Rashford on goal. Not quite.

6.10pm BST

39 min: Some head tennis along the front of the United area. The ball drops to the feet of Choupo-Moting, who tries to release Jese into the box with a cheeky backheel. He doesn’t connect properly, but full marks for ambition. That’s a rare sortie into opposition territory for the hosts, though. After a promising start, they’ve retreated into their shell somewhat.

6.09pm BST

38 min: Another free kick for United out on the right, Fletcher again the culprit. Matic’s delivery is appalling, with the box loaded. It was nowhere near to beating the first man. Stoke hack clear.

6.08pm BST

36 min: It’s gone slightly flat. Stoke are doing nothing in attack. United are dominating possession, but are happy to play a patient game, stroking it around in the middle of the park quite a lot.

6.06pm BST

34 min: United are beginning to turn the pressure up a little bit. More joy for Valencia down the right. He’s in loads of space, but opts to shoot from a tight angle. Marco van Basten would have thought twice from there.

6.04pm BST

6 am, Saturday 27 January 1973. The BT Sport clock has now disappeared totally, and I’m not sure if it will ever return. We know exactly where we all are, though, don’t you fret.

6.02pm BST

31 min: Valencia tears off down the right, exchanges a one-two with Lukaku, and fizzes a dangerous low ball towards Rashford at the near post. Zouma hacks it behind for a corner that results in Matic’s wild shot from distance. Zouma’s intervention wasn’t far away from an own goal, incidentally; the Stoke fans certainly had their hearts in their mouths as he flashed that one away.

6.00pm BST

30 min: Shaqiri, his dander up, has another go from 25 yards out on the left. It’s a rising diagonal effort which looks on target for the top right, but De Gea is behind it all the way and holds on spectacularly. This match is threatening to turn into an entertaining affair. Just not quite yet. On another day, though, there would have been goals already. It’s not been for the want of both teams trying.

5.59pm BST

28 min: Good work by Allen and Diouf down the right, some crisp passing. They set up Shaqiri, to the right of the United D. Shaqiri has a dig towards the bottom right. It’s a fast bobbling effort which De Gea does extremely well to collect. And there’s more quality goalkeeping up the other end as United attack through Rashford down the inside-left. A strong hand palms the shot away from the bottom right. Lukaku, looking to pick up the pieces, is flagged offside.

5.57pm BST

26 min: Shaqiri hoicks a long ball down the inside-right channel with a view to releasing Jese. A little too much on the pass, and De Gea is able to collect.

5.55pm BST

24 min: Bailly, quarterbacking from deep, slips a stunning pass down the inside-right channel to release Rashford. The striker enters the area, and lashes a low shot towards the bottom left, but Butland clears well with his feet. United’s best moment so far.

5.53pm BST

22 min: Shaqiri does well to win a ball in the midfield and set Stoke away on the attack. He feeds Jese, who is very close to slipping Pieters into an awful lot of space down the left. But Bailly and Valencia are on hand to snuff out the danger.

5.52pm BST

25 o’clock: BT Sport still haven’t fixed their on-screen timer. I must buy a watch. But worry not, I think we’re on top of this situation.

5.50pm BST

20 min: Valencia earns a corner down the right. It’s half cleared, but United regain possession and Matic very nearly releases Lukaku into the area with a chip down the inside-left channel. The flag goes up for offside.

5.49pm BST

19 min: This is a bit better from Choupo-Moting: an attempt to chest down and Le Tissier a volley into the top right from the best part of 40 yards, De Gea having wandered off his line. It’s high and wide, but not by a ridiculous amount. A decent effort, though De Gea was never in serious danger of being embarrassed.

5.48pm BST

18 min: Rashford plays a ridiculous crossfield pass straight to Choupo-Moting. United are light at the back, and Stoke have men over on the right. But the striker dillies and dallies for the second time in this game, and the chance to put United under some serious pressure is gone.

5.46pm BST

16 min: United knock it around the middle awhile. Stoke keep their shape. Eventually Herrera gets fed up and chips a ball down the inside-right channel. No black shirts near it. Butland comes out to gather.

5.44pm BST

14 min: Fletcher flaps his hand at a ball and concedes a free kick out on the United right. United load the box with big lads, but Mkhitaryan opts to fire a low delivery. Not a great idea. Shaqiri batters clear.

5.43pm BST

12 min: United stroke it around the back awhile. Jones slips and for a second looks like letting Shaqiri away on goal, but regains his balance and sorts himself out. After a very open and hectic start, this has calmed down a tad.

5.42pm BST

10 min: After that early flurry, a bit of a lull. United try to up the tempo as Darmian bursts down the left and sends in a cross for Lukaku, but once again Stoke deal with the situation pretty well.

5.40pm BST

8 min: Rashford is sent scampering down the left by a fine Pogba pass, but he can’t dig out a cross; Cameron closes him down and tidies up. Stoke have started fairly confidently here, but this United side don’t look the sort to panic.

5.37pm BST

986 min: Incidentally, the clock on BT Sport is up the spout, so please forgive me if my timings are a wee bit out. I’ll try my best to work things out.

5.37pm BST

4 min: This is quite the start! Jese makes good down the right and dribbles a shot across the face of goal and out of play on the left. Then there’s another Stoke attack, Diouf making his presence felt on the right. A corner, which De Gea claims, but only after letting the ball slip from his grip and onto the turf. Fortunately for United, there were no red-and-white shirts around him to benefit.

5.34pm BST

2 min: There’s a minor brouhaha as Choupo-Moting falls over in United’s crowded box. No penalty. United then zip up the other end through Rashford down the right. United are two on one! Rashford also turns down an opportunity to power into the box, slipping the ball to his left for Lukaku. But the big striker can’t get the ball out from under his feet, and Zouma is able to block. It really should be 1-1.

5.33pm BST

1 min: Within 30 seconds, Jese hooks a ball over his own head down the right wing and sets Choupo-Moting clear down the flank! But the striker glides rather than drives into the box, and instead of powering a shot on goal, he allows the ball to be bundled out of play for a corner.

5.31pm BST

After a last blast of Delilah, we’re off! The home side get the ball rolling. A rollicking atmosphere at Stoke, but when is there ever not?

5.28pm BST

The teams are out! Stoke City wear their famous red-and-white-striped shirts (think Stanley Matthews); Manchester United are in 1990s retro-chic black (think Sharp Viewcam). We’ll be off in a minute!

5.11pm BST

Jose Mourinho meanwhile takes the opportunity to show Stoke some respect, but doesn’t say much else of note. “Of course we have an important match on Tuesday, but we are focused on this match first. It’s difficult enough to do that.”

5.09pm BST

Mark Hughes speaks! “We’ve started brightly enough at the beginning of a new season. But today is a big test, we’ll have to play well. There are always elements of play we think we can take advantage of. It’s important to get Kevin Wimmer out there for his home debut, though it’s a blow to lose Ryan Shawcross to a back injury. But our back three are all good players.”

4.39pm BST

Stoke City make two changes to the team sent out at West Bromwich Albion before the international break. Ryan Shawcross is unfit while Bruno Martins Indi drops to the bench. In come new signing Kevin Wimmer and Mame Biram Diouf.

Manchester United relegate three of the side that started the Old Trafford victory over Leicester City to the bench. Daley Blind, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial step down; Matteo Darmian, Ander Herrera and Marcus Rashford take their spots.

4.33pm BST

Stoke City: Butland, Zouma, Wimmer, Cameron, Diouf, Fletcher, Allen, Pieters, Shaqiri, Jese, Choupo-Moting.
Subs: Berahino, Tymon, Martins Indi, Adam, Crouch, Haugaard, Sobhi.

Manchester United: de Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Jones, Darmian, Herrera, Matic, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Lukaku, Rashford.
Subs: Mata, Martial, Smalling, Lingard, Carrick, Blind, Romero.

3.11pm BST

... in which Manchester United look to reclaim top spot in the Premier League. The form book suggests they’re in good shape to do it: they’ve won their first three matches without conceding a goal, while scoring ten. Stoke, by contrast, have only managed to find the net 11 times in their last 14 Premier League games.

Still, one of those came at the Bet 365 Stadium against Arsenal, and it proved the Potters have what it takes to see off the big boys. They’ll also take heart from their recent home record against United: they’ve not lost this particular league fixture since April 2013, winning two and drawing two, a record that would have been three and one were it not for a last-minute Wayne Rooney free kick back in January.

Continue reading...

Manchester City 5-0 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened

City thrashed ten-man Liverpool, who had Sadio Mane sent off for a reckless challenge on Ederson.

3.02pm BST

Related: Manchester City and Gabriel Jesus hammer 10-man Liverpool 5-0

2.29pm BST

And that’s that! City go top of the Premier League, at least for a couple of hours, with a five-goal skelping of Liverpool. They were already leading when Sadio Mane clattered into Ederson and received his marching orders; the game was only heading one way after that. Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane and Benjamin Mendy were magnificent. And Ederson is back on the touchline, with a plaster on his jaw but otherwise looking healthy, which is the most important thing of all.

2.26pm BST

Scrub that! There’s time for Sane to pick up possession just to the right of the Liverpool D. He takes a touch and curls one into the top left! A beauty, and this is now officially a rout.

2.25pm BST

90 min: Everyone would be happy to hear the final whistle now, if the keep-ball going on in the middle of the park is anything to go by. That’ll be sounded in two minutes’ time.

2.22pm BST

88 min: De Bruyne, quarterbacking from deep, slides a pass down the inside-left channel for Sane, who crosses low. Aguero slides to meet the ball at the far post, and guides it goalwards, but Mignolet spreads himself to save well.

2.21pm BST

86 min: Solanke sprays a fine ball down the right for Henderson to chase. Out comes Bravo to smother. Henderson thought about going in for the 50-50, but opted out of the challenge, understandably so in the circumstances.

2.20pm BST

85 min: Sane comes straight through the back of Moreno. Not sure how he’s escaped a booking for that, but it’s just a wee chat.

2.19pm BST

84 min: 4-0’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has a run down the left. It doesn’t lead to much. Liverpool have had no outlet in this second half. Was it such a good idea to take Mo Salah off?

2.18pm BST

83 min: Fernandinho curls in a cross from the right. Can tries to trap it with his buttocks, perhaps not the wisest idea. The ball clanks to Aguero, who turns Can on the outside and smacks a shot into the side netting on the right.

2.16pm BST

81 min: Can is booked for a frustrated slide on Aguero. The resulting free kick comes to nothing.

2.15pm BST

79 min: More keep ball from City, whose fans are now in Party Mode. Penny for erstwhile Arsenal player Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s thoughts, now facing two 4-0 defeats in a row with different clubs. If not something even worse.

2.12pm BST

This had been coming. Another powerful run by Mendy down the left, and another peach of a cross. He slips it inside to Sane, who fires a first-time effort into the bottom left. Mignolet was beaten at his near post, though in truth he’d have done very well to stop that crisp shot, with Liverpool all over the shop at the back.

2.09pm BST

74 min: Mendy is rampant right now. He strides again down the left and Henderson does very well to swivel and hoick his cross away while standing in front of goal. The away fans are making the most noise right now, as supporters so often do when their team are in an awful pickle like this.

2.07pm BST

72 min: A brilliant reaction save by Mignolet, from his own player! Mendy whips a low cross in from the left. Matip hangs out a leg, and the ball flashes towards the bottom left. Mignolet does very well indeed to keep the effort, such as it is, out with a strong arm.

2.05pm BST

70 min: Eliaquim Mangala comes on for Nicolas Otamendi.

2.05pm BST

69 min: Solanke’s first contribution is to win the ball in midfield with some determined scrambling. He sets Milner off down the right. Milner is clipped by Danilo, and is happy to sit on the turf awhile, running down the clock. The resulting free kick comes to naught.

2.03pm BST

68 min: Alexander-Arnold is forced to tap out for a corner under pressure from Mendy, pressing hard down the left. From the set piece, Silva and Sane nearly open Liverpool up with some pretty quick-fire passing down the wing, but the offside flag goes up after a crisp one-two.

2.02pm BST

67 min: Firmino hasn’t stopped chasing, despite the desperate situation Liverpool find themselves in. But his race is run: he’s replaced by Dominic Solanke.

2.00pm BST

65 min: But suddenly City spring into life, Sane turning on the jets out on the left. He pulls back a cross for De Bruyne, who, breaking news, finally does something that isn’t superb! He leans back and blooters a shot miles over the bar, with the goal at his mercy.

1.59pm BST

64 min: City with more of the sterile keep-ball. Liverpool will take this, in the hope of avoiding a cricket-score thrashing. Meanwhile here’s Rory Craig again: “After letting myself calm down, and confirming that my unbridled bias towards the Reds got the better of me, that probably was a red card really. But it might not have been. I don’t know. Hardly matters, we probably would have still lost.”

1.57pm BST

62 min: City play a bit of keep ball in the middle of the park. Walker threatens to break free down the right but Klavan just about manages to keep him away from the danger zone.

1.55pm BST

60 min: Liverpool can’t get out of their own half. The home crowd are enjoying this.

1.53pm BST

58 min: James Milner comes on for Georginio Wijnaldum. The City fans give their former player the bird. Always time for a bit of panto in the Premier League.

1.52pm BST

57 min: The brilliant Gabriel Jesus, who has scored two and had another goal disallowed, won’t be getting his hat-trick. He’s replaced by Leroy Sane.

1.51pm BST

56 min: ... some intricate triangulation which releases Mendy into space. He rolls a ball across the six-yard box, with Jesus again hovering. Mignolet smothers. Yes, Liverpool have to watch themselves here.

1.50pm BST

55 min: This could get embarrassing for Liverpool. David Silva slips a pass down the left for Mendy, who hooks towards the near post, where Jesus lurks. The ball’s deflected out for a corner by Klavan. And from the set piece...

1.49pm BST

City have the ball in the net again, and it’s another disallowed goal, Aguero clipping a right-wing cross home but from an offside position. No matter! Seconds later, they intercept a Liverpool hoof upfield. Fernandinho slides a pass down the middle, splitting Liverpool’s new back three, and Aguero is away! He unselfishly passes to Jesus on his left, and the young man finishes with Mignolet utterly stranded!

1.47pm BST

51 min: ... nothing occurs.

1.45pm BST

50 min: Firmino has a couple of runs at the City back line, clearly not of a mind to let this one go yet. The second earns a corner down the right, from which ...

1.44pm BST

48 min: All a bit quiet at the Etihad, however, with a general sense that this is pretty much over, unless Otamendi, for example, manages to get himself sent off. Meanwhile in the interests of balance, which everyone loves on the internet, here’s Rory Craig: “Yes, Mané’s boot is high, but is he not allowed challenge for the ball? Calling the keeper defenceless is a bit of an overstatement I think; his half-hearted challenge for the ball put himself in more danger than if he had dived for it, but that’s just from my view of the challenge.”

1.42pm BST

46 min: Gary Neville is still standing his ground, incidentally, in his belief that the Mane-Ederson incident was unfortunate, but just a yellow. I guess we’ll be hearing more of it. People like talking points, huh? Adults with differing points of view? Still, how football has changed. This wasn’t even a free kick!

1.40pm BST

Here we go again, then! And what a moment for Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain to make his Liverpool debut, as he comes on for Mo Salah. The home side get the ball rolling for the second half.

1.36pm BST

Hats off to Jon Moss. Because, yes, that’s a red card. On first viewing, it looked an innocent coming together. But Sky have run a few other angles, and while Mane was clearly fixated on controlling the ball, he had his boot recklessly high, and poor Ederson paid the price. Plenty of you agree...

Peter Van: “Mané doesn’t intend to harm Ederson, but he lunges recklessly into a defenseless opponent. You might argue he doesn’t know Ederson is there, but that’s just not true; the way he extends his leg lets you know he is aware of the keeper’s presence. He didn’t intend to harm Ederson, but he did not do all he could to avoid a clash that might have - did have - dreadful consequences. It should be a red.”

1.27pm BST

Well that escalated quickly. City were already leading when Sadio Mane was sent off for a high-footed attempt to round Ederson that went horribly wrong. They’re now two goals and a man to the good. The result is theirs for the taking. Back soon!

1.24pm BST

45 min +8: Salah embarks on another fine dribble down the right, but once again his decision making is poor and he delivers neither cross nor shot.

1.23pm BST

No mistake this time! De Bruyne tries a cross from the left, and it drops on the head of Jesus, who plants a fine header past Mignolet! That was another peach of a cross! City are in control now.

1.21pm BST

45 min +5: Liverpool are desperate to hear the half time whistle. They can’t get hold of the ball. “I thought it was harsh at first bust looking at the replay I think Moss has got it spot on,” writes Kasete Skeen. “Mane’s foot was high, high enough to hit Ederson in the head and the fact they converged so forcefully makes it all the worse.” Yes, you might be right. Who’d be a referee?

1.20pm BST

45 min +3: De Bruyne, deep on the right, curls a glorious ball into the middle. Jesus rises and plants a header past the flapping Mignolet. That was some cross, he couldn’t miss! But the flag goes up, correctly, for offside.

1.18pm BST

45 min +2: Mendy whips a gorgeous cross into the Liverpool box from the right. Aguero, at the far post, seems surprised and can only force a corner. From which...

1.17pm BST

45 min: Ederson departs, and Claudio Bravo comes on. There will be eight extra minutes added to this half.

1.15pm BST

43 min: Was Mane unlucky to be sent off? Maybe. Maybe not. Certainly, poor Ederson has come off worst in physical terms, and he’ll take no more part in the game. He’s being carefully loaded onto a stretcher.

1.13pm BST

40 min: Ederson is down getting a bit of treatment. To be fair, he did take an awful clatter in the face there. But it looked like an honest coming together in an innocent 50-50. I guess folk will have different opinions on the decision, but on Sky both Gary Neville and Thierry Henry think it’s harsh on Mane, regardless of Ederson’s injury. On the touchline, Jurgen Klopp is beside himself with anger. Moss comes over to calm Klopp & Klopp down.

1.10pm BST

37 min: A long hoick down the middle. Mane springs the offside trap and goes after the ball. Ederson comes out of his area. Mane looks to nick the ball past the keeper on the left. His raised leg connects with the keeper, who goes down. It’s a free kick, sure. But there’s shock in the air as Jon Moss brandishes red. Nobody expected that! That looks a slightly harsh decision, with Mane looking at the ball as the pair collided. Having said that, the keeper did take an unfortunate one in the face.

1.07pm BST

36 min: City were looking nervous before that opening goal, but now it’s Liverpool who appear jittery. Passes aren’t sticking any more, and the home side are beginning to win most of the battles in midfield.

1.06pm BST

34 min: Liverpool have been awfully ponderous in defence. Now it’s Klavan’s turn to faff around unnecessarily, and he’s closed down by Jesus, who races off with the ball. Klavan does pretty well to get back and blocks Jesus’s shot from a tight angle. From the resulting corner, the ball drops to Stones, six yards out! He must score, but hits his effort straight at Mignolet, who kicks away well.

1.04pm BST

33 min: That goal means Aguero has become the top-scoring non-European in Premier League history. How’s that for a contrived stat? He’s got 124 now, one more than Dwight Yorke.

1.03pm BST

31 min: A wonderful spin by Mane in the midfield, and he slips a pass down the right for Salah. He’s clear. He steps into the box, but telegraphs his intent, opening his body and looking to curl one past Ederson and into the bottom left. The keeper reads it and claims. Salah has been getting in plenty of decent positions, but his final ball has been woeful so far.

1.00pm BST

29 min: Not much. Can tries to curl one round the wall and into the top right, but gets way too much on it. Goal kick. Maybe Alexander-Arnold will get the next one.

12.59pm BST

28 min: Mane embarks on a speedy stroll down the inside-left channel. Stones backs off and backs off. Mane prepares to enter the area and shoot. Fernandinho takes matters into his own hands with a clip of Mane’s heel, just to the left of the City D. That’s a booking, and what can Liverpool do with this free kick?

12.58pm BST

27 min: Firmino slides a pass down the inside-right channel for Salah, who once again is in the City area with time, and once again plays a poor ball. His low, aimless cross is flopped on by Ederson, and the danger is gone.

12.57pm BST

A poor clearing header from Henderson in the midfield. De Bruyne, in the centre circle, slips a perfectly weighted ball down the middle, releasing Aguero who was just onside. A wonderfully timed run, and he rounds Mignolet on the right and rolls the ball into the empty net. So simple! But that’s a very pretty pass and finish.

12.55pm BST

23 min: Now Mane has a gander down the right. His low fizzer is hacked out by Stones for a corner. From the set piece, Henderson takes a fresh-air screamer from the edge of the box. The home fans enjoyed that. There’s a bit of scrappy head tennis, and finally the flag goes up for offside.

12.53pm BST

22 min: Can and Moreno exchange passes down the left. Can tries to open up City with a scoop over the back line, but Mane hasn’t read it and Ederson claims. Then another Liverpool attack, as Salah skins Otamendi down the right and bombs towards the byline. He’s got Firmino in the middle, screaming for a tap-in, but decides to flick a shot towards the bottom right, hoping to surprise Ederson at his near post. Nope!

12.51pm BST

20 min: Alexander-Arnold plays himself into trouble, delaying a simple hoick upfield. He’s closed down by De Bruyne, who races off towards the box. Alexander-Arnold yanks him down just outside the box, and he’s in the book. The free kick, in a dangerous position, is nothing to write home about.

12.49pm BST

18 min: Can has a smack from 25 yards, but he was falling backwards at the time, and the pea-roller, aimed for the bottom left, is easily claimed by Ederson.

12.48pm BST

17 min: The first lull of an open game. Stones, under no pressure whatsover as City stroke it around in midfield, blooters a pass high into the stand out on the left. That wasn’t in the brochure.

12.47pm BST

15 min: Otamendi is off wandering, and Salah is afforded way too much time down the right. Salah cuts inside and shapes to shoot Stones comes across to block brilliantly. The incident gives Liverpool confidence. Mane has a wander down the left and nearly works space to shoot. Then Henderson swings a ball in from the right. Firmino meets it at the far post, but can only flick a leg out from a tight angle. Ederson gathers. This surely won’t be goalless, but good luck guessing who’s going to open the scoring.

12.44pm BST

13 min: Fernandinho takes up possession 30 yards from goal, and he’s got a little time and space. He threads a low shot towards the bottom left. It’s going in, but it’s not hit with pace, and Mignolet is able to tip the ball around the post. Another corner, another non-event.

12.43pm BST

12 min: Alexander-Arnold is bollocked by the referee for taking too long over his throw-ins. Rattled, the young full back then concedes a corner from miles out, overcooking a backpass under a little pressure. Fortunately for Liverpool, the City corner comes to nothing.

12.42pm BST

10 min: After a slow start, City are beginning to impose themselves. Silva and Otamendi combine down the left and nearly release Jesus, but the striker loses control just inside the Liverpool area.

12.40pm BST

8 min: This is a breezy start all right. Matip is forced into a rushed clearance and concedes a corner down the City right. The corner’s hit deep. Aguero shapes to hit a bicycle kick from the edge of the box, but Klavan crowds him out and Liverpool clear their lines.

12.38pm BST

7 min: Moreno batters the set piece straight into the wall, looking for the bottom right. Alexander-Arnold gets on the rebound and curls deep, but Firmino can’t get his head on it at the far post. City break upfield, De Bruyne striding down the inside-right channel with great purpose and fizzing a low shot towards the bottom right. Mignolet smothers.

12.37pm BST

6 min: Otamendi makes an awful hash of clearing a long Matip ball. His mistake allows Salah to zip off down the right. Salah threatens to break into the box, so Otamendi, only half recovering, checks him cynically. He’s booked, and this is a free kick in a dangerous position, just to the right of the City box.

12.36pm BST

4 min: City have a wander up field for the first time, and Walker is clipped by Mane out on the right wing. A free kick, 35 yards from goal, and a chance for City to load the box. De Bruyne curls the free kick into the mixer. Jesus rises above a static Wijnaldum, who is in Clearing Header (Watford) Mode. The City striker eyebrows an effort wide left; Mignolet was watching it glide harmlessly out of play. But both teams are showing much attacking intent already, pretty much as expected.

12.33pm BST

2 min: Liverpool are on the front foot early doors. Salah sits on Otamendi’s shoulder and nearly bursts down the right. Then Moreno has a crack from distance, and his effort rebounds out for a corner on the left. The set piece, whipped in by Firmino and dipping by the near post, is snaffled by Ederson.

12.31pm BST

A warm handshake between the two managers ... wide smiles ... a blast of Hey Jude (1968, the year of City’s second title) from the speakers ... and we’re off! Liverpool get the ball rolling. Wijnaldum tries to find Salah down the right wing and possession is lost. City’s turn to get a feel of the ball.

12.28pm BST

The teams are out! City are in their famous sky blue and white shorts; Liverpool in their equally storied all-red strip. There’s a rare old atmosphere at the Etihad; we’ll be off in a minute!

12.24pm BST

These two clubs have had a strange relationship of late. Liverpool have won four of the last five league fixtures, drawing the other one. They’ve handed out a couple of big skelpings: 3-0 at Anfield in March 2016, 4-1 here at the Etihad in November 2015. But on the flip side, Manchester City bested them in the 2016 League Cup final and the 2013-14 title race. So Liverpool may have the recent bragging rights in terms of cold stats, but it’s City who won when it really counted and extended their roll of honour. So does this mean today’s result doesn’t really matter? No. So does that mean this paragraph was a pointless waste of time? Hm.

12.10pm BST

Pep Guardiola speaks! “This kind of game, against top players, is why we are in this world. We have gone with two strikers, because we are going to try to score goals. We have options at the back: we can play a back four, or three and one in the middle. It is not easy to stop Liverpool, they are so quick. But it is not only that, they are well organised, and it is Liverpool. But we are going to minimise their strength points, and try to play our game.”

11.55am BST

While we’re waiting to hear from Pep ... here’s Barney Ronay, who has high hopes for this match.

Related: Pep Guardiola v Jürgen Klopp – a showdown to break the season open | Barney Ronay

11.49am BST

Jurgen Klopp speaks! “It is 100 percent sure that this will be a high-intense game. City have a very offensive line-up but they have adapted to the speed we have in our team. They have a high-quality defence, and up front they have quality. We need to be brave, but it is difficult against City. Dejan Lovren is not injured, but he has felt the intensity, so Klavan is in. Trent has fresh legs.”

11.41am BST

Both teams make three changes to their pre-break starting XIs. Of the Manchester City selection sent out at Bournemouth, Vincent Kompany is injured, Raheem Sterling is suspended, and Bernardo Silva drops to the bench. Stepping up: John Stones, Kyle Walker and Sergio Aguero.

Liverpool meanwhile shake up the side that worked Arsenal over. Simon Mignolet returns at the expense of Loris Karius, Trent Alexander-Arnold takes Joe Gomez’s slot at right back, and Ragnar Klavan replaces Dejan Lovren. All three of the replaced are on the bench, alongside the new boy Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

11.33am BST

Manchester City: Ederson, Danilo, Stones, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Walker, De Bruyne, David Silva, Mendy, Aguero, Gabriel Jesus.
Subs: Bravo, Gundogan, Mangala, Delph, Sane, Bernardo Silva, Foden.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Klavan, Moreno, Can, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Subs: Karius, Lovren, Milner, Gomez, Sturridge, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Solanke.

8.36pm BST

OK, so I think we’re all agreed: Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones, Dejan Lovren and Simon Mignolet aren’t the second coming of Franco Baresi, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Moore and Lev Yashin. But hey, there are worse crimes.

And just look at the attacking talent likely to caper across the green grass of the City of Manchester Stadium at some point this afternoon: Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Gabriel Jesus, Bernardo Silva, Sergio Agüero, Sadio Mané, Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge. Say what you like about the balance of these two teams, but Manchester City and Liverpool aren’t short-changing anyone.

Continue reading...

Wales 1-0 Austria: World Cup 2018 qualifier – as it happened

Ben Woodburn, making his debut at 17, scored the goal that kept Welsh hopes of making the 2018 World Cup in Russia alive

• Match report: Wales 1-0 Austria

10.17pm BST

Paul MacInnes’s match report from Cardiff:

Related: Ben Woodburn’s debut scorcher gives Wales vital victory against Austria

9.38pm BST

... the final whistle goes! Wales have revived their World Cup hopes! And in some style too! Ben Woodburn, 17, scored the winner four minutes after coming on for his debut, a few seconds after the crowd had finished belting out a glorious rendition of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. Whatever else happens in the young man’s career, whatever happens in this World Cup qualifying group, that’s a lovely little story that will never be forgotten. Wales move a couple of points behind second-placed Ireland, and it looks like Group D is going to the wire.

9.37pm BST

90 min +3: Wales end the game on the front foot. A Bale scissor kick is parried round the post by Lindner. A low Robson-Kanu shot comes off the bottom of the right-hand post. And then...

9.36pm BST

90 min +2: King robs Baumgartlinger on the edge of the Wales box as the visitors press. He flashes a ball upfield. Robson-Kanu and Bale are two on one! The former should feed the latter, but shoots wildly.

9.35pm BST

90 min +1: Hennessey pumps the ball to the far corner, deep in Austrian territory. The clock does its thing.

9.33pm BST

90 min: Alaba drops a shoulder to make space 25 yards from goal. He scuffs his shot, and it’s blocked wide right. Lainer hoicks into the mixer. Hennessey can’t get a hand to the cross, but he’s been fouled. Celebratory noise. There will be three added minutes. Any fingernails left?

9.31pm BST

88 min: Woodburn, then Bale, take turns to hoick dangerous balls into the Austrian box from the left. Wales aren’t throwing men forward, though, and you can understand the decision. The clock ticks on.

9.30pm BST

86 min: Bale is shouldered to the ground in the basic style by Dragovic under a high ball in the Austrian box. No penalty, which is probably the right decision, but what a risk the defender took.

9.29pm BST

85 min: Free kick for Wales out on the right. Woodburn exchanges passes with Davies, and swings a ball into the centre. Nobody gambles on it. The crowd launch into a chorus of “Super Benny Woodburn”. It didn’t take him long to make friends, did it.

9.26pm BST

83 min: It’s all got scrappy again, which is just how Wales will like it, the clock being on their side.

9.25pm BST

81 min: Austria, their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread, throw on Gregoritsch and Janko in place of Sabitzer and Harnik.

9.23pm BST

79 min: Two corners later, and Wales have cleared the danger. The volume hasn’t dropped.

9.22pm BST

78 min: The stadium has toppled into party mode, that really was one of those moments. But of course there’s still a job to do here. Alaba slips the ball to Arnautovic down the left. The winger cuts inside and curls brilliantly for the top right. Williams steps in front of Hennessey and heads over for a corner.

9.20pm BST

76 min: That is astonishing. Woodburn is only the second youngest scorer in Wales’s history, mind you. No prizes.

9.19pm BST

Hello! Wales have another international star on their hands! They knock it around awhile. It’s launched into the box eventually. Danso and Dragovic take turns to fail to clear their lines. Woodburn, fresh on, brings the ball down, 30 yards from goal. He takes a touch, and lashes a stunning, unstoppable strike into the bottom left! Poise and purpose; Lindner had no chance! And what made that goal even more special, was the crowd’s rousing rendition of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau in the period leading up to the 17-year-old announcing himself to the big time! You couldn’t have timed any of that any better.

9.15pm BST

71 min: Wales suddenly look a bit disorganised, in the immediate wake of the double change. Baumgartlinger nearly takes advantage, dropping deep and very nearly releasing Alaba through the centre with a marvellous floated chip. But Williams rises to clear in time.

9.13pm BST

69 min: Wales make a double change. Lawrence and Vokes are replaced by Hal Robson-Kanu and Ben Woodburn, the latter making his debut at 17.

9.11pm BST

67 min: Arnautovic sails a cute pass down the right, nearly releasing Harnik into the box. The striker can’t quite take the ball down to shoot from a tight angle. Then he’s soon racing into the area again, down the left, but this time he’s robbed by a magnificent tackle by Bale, a superstar not afraid to put in a shift. The crowd enjoyed that.

9.10pm BST

65 min: First the boos, now a few - all right, a lot - of whistles. Ramsey makes good down the right and sends a pea-roller towards the bottom left. It’s accurate, so it’s tipped round the post by Lindner. But the ref didn’t see the keeper’s fingertips, and so it’s a goal kick instead of a corner. Noise, bedlam, brouhaha. This is great fun.

9.08pm BST

63 min: The corner comes to nothing. But the atmosphere has curdled a little, with a few players flying into challenges guaranteed to excite the crowd. Oh, and Lindner takes an age to take a free kick, while stealing a few yards too. Boo! is the general consensus within the stadium.

9.06pm BST

61 min: Arnautovic plays a cute reverse pass down the left to release Hinteregger towards the byline. Corner. Before that, a bit of treatment for Sabitzer, who was pretty crudely checked by Williams in the centre, shoulder to coupon. Williams wants to watch himself, because had the ref seen that, it could easily have been red. Sabitzer gets up, eventually, and looks pretty dazed.

9.03pm BST

59 min: Hinteregger, out on the left, fires a low ball straight through the Welsh six-yard box. It bagatelles its way through several pairs of legs. The Cardiff City Stadium breathes again.

9.02pm BST

57 min: From the corner, another corner. Ramsey loops the second one in. Davies and Williams take turns to shoot, but both efforts are blocked, and suddenly Austria are off on the break! Arnautovic should be sent clear but he’s pushed too far wide and the chance is gone. This is prime-time Saturday evening entertainment. All is not lost, just because Brucie’s gone.

8.59pm BST

56 min: Ramsey fizzes and probes, nearly releasing Lawrence down the inside-left channel. He continues to prompt, rolling the ball in front of Bale 30 yards from goal. Bale goes for the top right. Lindner tips round the post, fine football all round.

8.57pm BST

53 min: Ramsey goes on a super-scoot down the left wing. Lainer clatters him from behind and is pretty fortunate to escape a booking. A free kick, though, which Davies will take from deep. Wales line up in front of the Austria box. Williams and Danso go up for a header, but only succeed in nutting each other. Ooyah, oof. All accidental, and by the looks of it everyone’s fine too, so all good.

8.55pm BST

51 min: A free kick for Wales out on the right. Bale hooks it in. Williams heads down for Ramsey, who belts goalwards from eight yards! A real hammer! But it clanks into Baumgartlinger, and away for a corner that leads to nothing. Ramsey claims handball off the block, but the players were so close together it could never be given. That’s better from Wales, though.

8.53pm BST

49 min: Both sets of fans continuing to give it plenty; a real cup-tie atmosphere in Cardiff. We’ve been a due a lull, to be fair, and it’s come at the start of the second period.

8.51pm BST

47 min: All a bit scrappy at the start of this second half. A few nerves betrayed. This game is, of course, a must-win for Austria too, the hopes of both sides boosted by Ireland’s earlier draw in Georgia.

8.49pm BST

And we’re off again! Wales have made a change: Jazz Richards is replaced by Andy King. The hosts get the ball rolling for the second half. “Apparently the Austrian debutant Kevin Danso lives in England and has played for Reading and MK Dons,” notes Peter Oh. “I’d love to see him sign with Wolverhampton one day, just so I can write in about ‘Danso with Wolves’.”

8.39pm BST

Half-time reading:

Related: How being a footballer saved me from death in Rwanda genocide

8.34pm BST

And that’s your lot for the first half. It’s been very entertaining, with Austria the better team. But both sides have looked lively going forward, and this one really could go either way in the second half. Don’t go a-wandering!

8.33pm BST

45 min +1: Some head tennis in the Welsh box. The ball drops to Harnik, who should shoot from 12 yards, level with the right-hand post. But he opts to leave the ball to the nearby Alaba, and that allows Williams to nip in and clear.

8.32pm BST

44 min: And then a huge chance for Wales! Lindner, faced with a simple clearance upfield, rolls a daft square pass that nearly finds Vokes free on the edge of the area. Vokes isn’t on the front foot. If he had been, he’d be rolling a simple finish into the net! But the Austrian keeper - whose face flushes red with embarrassment - breathes again as the new boy Danso steps in to save the day.

8.29pm BST

42 min: Alaba, dropping deep and influencing every attack, slips a pass down the inside-right channel for Sabitzer, who is inexplicably free, in acres, in the area. He lashes a shot across Hennessey and inches wide of the left-hand post. That was a huge chance. Austria should be in the lead.

8.27pm BST

41 min: Ramsey and Bale hustle down the left and win a corner down the left, Wales’s first. Ramsey looks for Chester at the far post. It’s hit long. Too long.

8.26pm BST

39 min: A ball shifted across the face of the Welsh area from the left wing. Sabitzer controls on the edge of the D, turns, and lashes towards the bottom left. Not bad, but Hennessey is behind it all the way. “The point of this, McMahon, is to weed out all the Welsh fans who only cared for a brief period when we nearly won the Euros,” explains Matt Dony. “Periods of under-performance are necessary. Which, I think, was Strachan’s plan all along.” Does this theory give an out to Berti Vogts, George Burley and Craig Levein as well?

8.23pm BST

37 min: A long hoof up the park falls to Lawrence, 30 yards out. It’s dropping perfectly, just so, and Lawrence has no choice but to give it a good belt goalwards. It’s a decent effort, meant for the top right but always curling wide.

8.21pm BST

35 min: Free kick fore Wales out on the right. Another chance for Wales to float en masse across the front of the Austrian box. Ramsey curls it deep. Vokes is penalised for pulling, and the pressure is relieved.

8.20pm BST

33 min: And then it’s Austria’s turn to nearly open the scoring! Baumgartlinger, quarterbacking from deep, slips a pass down the left channel and Arnautovic is suddenly in space in the Welsh area! He opens his body and looks to shape one into the top right, but gets a little too much on it. High and wide. This is threatening to turn into a very entertaining game. Not quite yet ... but it’s not half bad either.

8.19pm BST

32 min: Ramsey hits the crossbar! But it wouldn’t have counted, even if it had gone in. Vokes and Danso come together 30 yards from goal. They both fall to the ground and Ramsey is allowed to scoot free! He’s one on one with Lindner, and floats his chip onto the woodwork. But Vokes had been over-eager in his challenge. Austria got the benefit there.

8.16pm BST

30 min: Austria have piped down bit, in the wake of Prodl’s injury. Wales take the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with the ball. That Bale backflick apart, it’s been a while. Baby steps, but that break in play has given them a chance of working their way back into this match.

8.14pm BST

27 min: It seems Prodl injured himself while dragging down Vokes. Off he goes, to be replaced by 18-year-old debutant Kevin Danso.

8.12pm BST

26 min: Richards comes in from the left and slips a ball inside for Bale, who first-times a back-heel down the channel to release a slightly surprised Davies into the box. The ball squirts through to Lindner. Nearly a very pretty goal.

8.11pm BST

25 min: Austria continue to press. Alaba has a shot. Edwards blocks. The ball twangs upfield. Vokes looks to turn Prodl in the centre circle, and is clattered to the ground. The act of galootery earns Prodl the first booking of the game.

8.09pm BST

23 min: More ironic cheering as Ilsanker screws a hopeless daisycutter miles wide left from distance. “Not that I’ve anything against either of these teams, but it’s all a bit pointless isn’t it?” offers Simon McMahon. “After last night, they might as well just give the World Cup to Scotland now.”

8.08pm BST

21 min: ... Harnik takes a fresh-air swipe of his own on the edge of the box! The crowd enjoyed that. But too soon? Austria still force another corner, on the right, and Harnik isn’t a million miles away from meeting a header at the near post. The visitors are bossing this.

8.06pm BST

20 min: Austria have enjoyed 62% of possession so far. Given the slow start they made, that’s some stat. Arnautovic chases a long pass down the left. Hennessey comes out of his area to blooter clear ... and misses! Arnautovic turns the stranded keeper and looks to loop into the centre, towards the unguarded net, but Edwards saves his keeper’s bacon by rushing back to block the cross. From the corner ...

8.04pm BST

18 min: Wales are struggling to retain possession. Austria have turned up in the midfield, it’s safe to say.

8.03pm BST

16 min: Alaba, bursting down the inside-left channel, plays a delightful long-range one-two with Arnautovic out on the touchline. He makes it into the area, but stumbles before shooting, just as it looked as though Wales were opened up. Austria recycle the ball down the same wing, Arnautovic fizzing a lethal cross in front of the six-yard box. The ball’s deflected out for a corner, which leads to nothing, but Austria are beginning to threaten here.

8.00pm BST

14 min: Austria are pushing Wales back now. Gunter tries to release some pressure by banging the ball long up the right for Vokes, but the striker can only eyebrow it on to Lindner in the away goal.

7.58pm BST

13 min: After their slow start, Austria are in this game now. Another corner on the left, Alaba firing it to the near post, where Gunter clears. On the touchline, Chris Coleman wears a slightly concerned expression. He knows Wales will be in a match tonight.

7.57pm BST

11 min: Austria break from deep, Hinteregger, Alaba and Arnautovic combining down the left. The latter reaches the byline and chips deep. Harnik can’t make a clean connection with either header or shot - there’s a bit of a scramble - and eventually the flag goes up for hand ball.

7.55pm BST

10 min: A fast start by Wales. But it’s Austria who win the first corner of the game. Alaba takes it from the left, and finds the head of Harnik, who attempts to flash one into the top right but gets it all wrong. Goal kick.

7.54pm BST

9 min: Vokes heads a long ball down for Ramsey, who dribbles right to left across the front of the Austria box and looks for the top left. It’s not far away, but just over.

7.54pm BST

8 min: Austria launch their first proper sortie into Welsh territory. Ilsanker floats a ball down the left wing, looking for Alaba, but it’s read by Chester and the move is snuffed out.

7.52pm BST

6 min: Wales are winning everything in the middle of the park. Ramsey very nearly releases Lawrence down the inside-left channel with a clever chip, but the new man is crowded out of it. Ramsey was given a lot of time there. Not many white shirts populating the centre of the field right now.

7.51pm BST

4 min: All eyes will be on the competitive debutant Lawrence, and he’s started well by winning a free kick with a run down the left. A chance for Wales to group on the edge of the Austrian box. Ramsey stands over the ball and whips it into the box. It’s a very decent delivery, and would have found Chester or Bale near the penalty spot. But Arnautovic extends a telescopic leg to hook clear.

7.48pm BST

2 min: Richards strides down the left and slips the ball inside for Bale, who bombs down the middle of the park before scuffing his shot from the edge of the box. It bounces wide left of the goal, harmlessly so. But you could sense the fear of the Austrians as they backtracked at speed. He was afforded far too much time and respect there. Wales won’t complain.

7.47pm BST

And we’re off! Austria get the ball rolling. And quickly push down the right, though Baumgartlinger’s ball down the flank is overhit and flies through to Hennessey. A cracking atmosphere in the Cardiff City Stadium, both sets of fans giving it plenty.

7.42pm BST

The teams are out! Wales are in their famous red shirts, Austria their equally storied white (though that grand old kit is now their second-choice garb). It’s a must-win for the Welsh, Serbia having earlier extended their lead at the top of the Group D table by beating Moldova, while Ireland drew in Georgia. We’ll be off in a minute or two ... just a couple of anthems to rattle through first.

7.32pm BST

Chris Coleman speaks! “The formation we play suits Tom Lawrence and his attributes. He’s looked good in training, and deserves a chance. And we’ve got Gareth Bale back! We’re going to go for it, so it should be a good game. I think this campaign will go down to the wire, but we have to win tonight. We have to play with imagination.”

7.05pm BST

Gareth Bale is back, back, back from suspension, while Tom Lawrence of Derby County makes his first competitive start. They take the places of the suspended Joe Allen and Joe Ledley, starters against Serbia in June. Meanwhile Marko Arnautovic is one of four Austrian changes to the side which drew in Ireland in June, with Stefan Ilsanker, Marcel Sabitzer and Martin Harnik also named.

7.02pm BST

Wales: Hennessey, Gunter, Ashley Williams, Chester, Richards, Ramsey, Edwards, Ben Davies, Lawrence, Bale, Vokes.
Subs: Adam Davies, Ward, King, Robson-Kanu, Evans, Ampadu, Ledley, Lockyer, Collins, Jonathan Williams, Woodburn, Watkins.

Austria: Lindner, Lainer, Dragovic, Prodl, Hinteregger, Arnautovic, Baumgartlinger, Alaba, Ilsanker, Sabitzer, Harnik.
Subs: Kuster, Bachmann, Wober, Schaub, Bauer, Grillitsch, Kainz, Danso, Hierlander, Janko, Gregoritsch, Laimer.

3.01pm BST

Welcome to the second half of our quick-fire Uefa Group D 2018 World Cup qualifier MBM double header ... in which Wales desperately need to “get Austria sorted out”, to borrow Chris Coleman’s phrase, in order to keep pace with Serbia and the Republic of Ireland.

Kick off is at 7.45pm at the Cardiff City Stadium. Save the date! Be there! It’s on!

Related: Georgia 1-1 Republic of Ireland: World Cup 2018 qualifier – as it happened

Continue reading...