Scott Murray's Blog, page 157

Manchester City 0-0 Stoke City: Premier League – as it happened

Manchester City’s title hopes are even slimmer after a dull draw, Stoke thoroughly deserving their point.

9.52pm GMT

And that’s that! Manchester City pressed and pressed in the second half, but Stoke held firm, and thoroughly deserve their point! The home side were below par all evening, passed up the few chances they did create, and look to have blown any slim chance they had of catching runaway leaders Chelsea. They remain third in the table, behind Spurs on goal difference, and ten points behind the leaders with their game in hand used up. Stoke meanwhile, after their horror show at Spurs, have proved something to themselves tonight. They consolidate their ninth place. It wasn’t much of a match, so thanks for sticking with us. Nighty night!

9.51pm GMT

90 min +4: Another chance set up by De Bruyne on the right! It’s another staggeringly good cross. Sane should surely sidefoot home from six yards, as it dips towards his boot, but he’s confused by the lurking Shawcross and doesn’t connect!

9.50pm GMT

90 min +3: Aguero bustles in front of the Stoke area, but can’t work any space.

9.50pm GMT

90 min +2: Having nearly lost it late, Stoke are now holding firm. Manchester City are running out of time.

9.49pm GMT

90 min +1: Manchester City nearly score in the first extra minute! De Bruyne, out on the right, whips a stunning ball to the near post. Iheanacho and Aguero get in each other’s way, the former sticking a leg out and guiding the ball wide right from six yards. What a chance!

9.48pm GMT

90 min: Sobhi embarks on a jinking run down the left. After eating up a fair few seconds, he’s dispossessed. He grabs the ball and is booked for his trouble, then shoved over by a frustrated Fernandinho. There will be four added minutes.

9.47pm GMT

89 min: City push Stoke back. Stoke can’t clear their lines. Sane very nearly breaks free down the left, but he’s forced to turn back. City have tried everything, but to no avail. So far.

9.45pm GMT

88 min: Now it’s Stoke’s turn to hold onto the ball in the midfield. Afellay simply refuses to be knocked off it. Time moves on, and the clock is no longer Manchester City’s friend.

9.44pm GMT

87 min: Aguero carves an opportunity out of nothing. His back to goal, to the left of the Stoke D, he turns on a sixpence and diddles his way into the area, through three lame challenges. He faces a tight angle, Grant in the way, and lashes a shot into the side netting. Shawcross celebrates the miss like a goal.

9.43pm GMT

86 min: City again with the sterile possession.

9.42pm GMT

85 min: Before the resulting free kick can be taken, Allen takes an age to depart, Imbula taking his place. De Bruyne lumps fairly aimlessly into the Stoke mixer; Stoke deal with it accordingly.

9.40pm GMT

84 min: Walters is booked for a laughably cynical slide on De Bruyne from behind, as the Manchester City man looked to make tracks in the Stoke half.

9.39pm GMT

83 min: Stoke break upfield. Sobhi glidefs down the left, and flicks a ball inside for Allen, who would have been free in the Manchester City area had he controlled properly.

9.38pm GMT

82 min: Manchester City with all the possession right now. But it’s all very sterile.

9.37pm GMT

80 min: But that doesn’t mean Stoke have given up all attacking ambition. Cameron and Afellay combine down the left, the former curling one deep for Walters, who gets his head to the ball ten yards from goal. Walters can only head harmlessly over the bar, but it’s a metaphorical shot across Manchester City’s bows: as they press forward for a precious winner, they can’t take anything for granted.

9.36pm GMT

79 min: Mark Hughes looks to shore it up. Berahino is sacrificed for Whelan.

9.34pm GMT

77 min: Silva is given too much time down the inside-right channel. He takes a touch to tee himself up, and launches a shot towards the bottom left. Grant does well to tip round the post. From the resulting corner, Otamendi beats Martins Indi to the jump, but can only send a header, meant for the top right from six yards, high and wide. Manchester City are beginning to ask some serious questions of Stoke now. But Stoke are hanging on.

9.32pm GMT

75 min: Toure is replaced by Iheanacho.

9.31pm GMT

74 min: Silva Maradonas his way down the inside-right channel, his aggressive dribble earning a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece, but Silva has been magnificent since coming on.

9.29pm GMT

72 min: Silva so nearly makes the breakthrough! Out on the left, he dribbles inside, and exchanges a crisp one-two with Fernandinho. Suddenly a little space opens up down the inside-left channel! Silva breaks into the area, and tries to thread a shot across Grant and into the bottom right. It rolls inches wide of the post. That would have been a gorgeous goal. Silva is causing Stoke a lot of problems.

9.28pm GMT

70 min: De Bruyne is sent free down the right by the already influential Silva. He whips low and hard into the box. Aguero, six yards out, tries to connect and poke home, but under intense scrutiny from Shawcross, can only squirt the ball wide left. Manchester City are getting a little closer, but they’ve still had just the one attempt on target.

9.26pm GMT

69 min: Silva, down the right, pulls back for Toure, to the right of the Stoke D. That’s over the posts, rugby style. A general sense of frustration in the stadium now.

9.25pm GMT

68 min: A break as Diouf goes down to receive more treatment. Drinks are taken. Eventually Diouf departs, to be replaced by Afellay.

9.24pm GMT

66 min: Clichy storms down the left wing and skelps a dangerous low ball into the Stoke box. Somehow it makes its way through a packed area without hitting anyone. Is this simply not Manchester City’s night?

9.22pm GMT

65 min: The City of Manchester Stadium is pretty quiet right now. Recognition that Manchester City’s title bid, already a long shot, might be petering out tonight. The next 25 minutes are so crucial.

9.21pm GMT

63 min: Room for De Bruyne down the right. He’s got time to find Silva on the edge of the Stoke D. Silva thinks about a shot, but is closed down quickly, so tries to open up Stoke with a difficult dink down the left channel. The intended recipient Sane, eight yards out, is easily bustled away from the ball. Silva was uncharacteristically ponderous there, passing up a good chance to shoot.

9.19pm GMT

62 min: All a bit scrappy again. Stoke will be perfectly happy with this.

9.18pm GMT

60 min: Silva slips a clever little ball down the right to release De Bruyne into space by the side of the Stoke box. De Bruyne fires into the area low and hard. The ball clips off Allen, sitting up for Sane, who balloons wildly over from the penalty spot. Had that not come off Allen, Sane was sidefooting that calmly off the turf. Manchester City very unlucky. Stoke deserve their break, having said that; their defensive display has been very impressive so far.

9.13pm GMT

57 min: De Bruyne drops a shoulder down the right, reaches the byline, and looks for Aguero at the near post. Aguero can’t get the flick goalwards, and it’s a corner. Which comes to nothing. Silva comes on for Navas.

9.12pm GMT

55 min: Sane knocks the ball past Martins Indi and romps down the left. He slides a pass inside for Aguero, who looks to curl into the top right from 20 yards. It’s a fine shot, but Pieters has anticipated the danger and blocks with a fine header. The resulting corner comes to nothing. For a second there, it looked as though Manchester City had unlocked Stoke at last.

9.11pm GMT

54 min: De Bruyne, out on the left, slips a ball inside for Sane, who attempts to go past Cameron and throws himself to the ground. The referee books him for his sauce.

9.09pm GMT

53 min: Cameron thinks about taking a dig from 25 yards. He thinks twice. Bad decision, because his pass out wide right to Diouf catches his dozy team-mate offside. Diouf was in acres there. Not sure where Clichy was.

9.08pm GMT

51 min: Some good old-fashioned 1980s stuff from Stoke. Grant launches long, Walters flicks on, and Berahino nearly breaks clear down the inside-right channel. Just as he shapes to shoot, Otamendi slides in to block. Corner, from which nothing happens. But Manchester City are extremely shaky in defence. With the home fans beginning to sound their disapproval, Stoke might fancy their chances of doing something here.

9.07pm GMT

50 min: Stoke ping the ball around the front of the Manchester City area. Walters and Berahino very nearly combine to break into the box, but their intricate one-two doesn’t come off. The home side looked nervous there, though. As ever, uncertainty reigns at the back.

9.05pm GMT

48 min: City keep it basic with a long ball down the middle, and it nearly pays off, De Bruyne only just failing to bring it down with his boot and burst into the area.

9.03pm GMT

46 min: David Silva is immediately out on the touchline warming up, to ripples of equally high-temperature applause from the home fans. No rush, Starting XI!

9.02pm GMT

Right, here we go again! Manchester City get the ball rolling for the second half. They really need a strong showing here if they’re to keep on Chelsea’s tail. No changes yet.

8.50pm GMT

Half-time chat, with Ian Burch. “Saw Stan Bowles at his peak at Upton Park playing for the Rs in a League Cup match. He’d been in the Sunday papers a few days before, having being caught playing away from home as it were. He was given grief by the home fans from the off, but he scored as the Rs ran out 2-1 winners and left the pitch waving two fingers to the crowd though I doubt he was indicating the score. A few years later I found myself sitting behind his latest girlfriend at Brisbane Road. She was constantly on her feet anxiously calling out his name as Micky Droy tested his studs out on Stan’s shins. He was some player.”

8.48pm GMT

There’s time for Otamendi to cream a long ball down the inside-right channel, and for De Bruyne to narrowly miss a connection on the edge of the box. And that’s your lot for a dreadful first half. Stoke will be more than happy with their performance, given they recently conceded four times in the first 45 at Spurs. Manchester City, not so much. They need to seriously improve if they’re to keep any sort of pressure on runaway leaders Chelsea.

8.46pm GMT

44 min: Incidentally, as Fernandinho was failing to get a shot away then, the already booked Bardsley slid in, studs showing, slightly recklessly. It wasn’t a full-blooded tackle, but the sort of clumsy challenge that was asking for trouble had he connected fully with Fernandinho.

8.43pm GMT

43 min: Corner for Manchester City down the right. It’s hit long for Fernandinho, to the left of the Stoke D. Fernandinho can’t get the ball out from under his feet, and so there’s no shot. The crowd again with the displeasure.

8.43pm GMT

42 min: Fernandinho tries to burst into the Stoke box, going straight down the middle through a forest of players. Basic and brazen. Nope! The home crowd are audibly irritated and impatient. Manchester City haven’t been good at all.

8.41pm GMT

40 min: Navas turns on the burners and flies down the right. He fizzes a cross towards Aguero upon reaching the byline, but it doesn’t quite reach. Manchester City recycle the ball, and Navas has another go. This cross is chested down by Shawcross, allowing Grant to scoop the ball.

8.39pm GMT

38 min: Toure gets involved in the midfield again, but this time he pointlessly hacks down Allen. The free kick is hoicked into the Manchester City area, and drops to Diouf, level with the right-hand post, just inside the box. He leans back and slashes a miserable volley miles wide and left of goal. It would have been a screamer had it gone in, a difficult skill, but even so, his effort should have been a wee bit better than that.

8.37pm GMT

36 min: This was nearly so much better. Toure bests Bardsley in a brilliant tussle in the middle of the park. Finally busting free, through the centre circle, he slips a ball forward for De Bruyne, who shuttles it down the inside-left channel for Sane. The young winger is clear on goal, but he’s gone too early, a needless offside. But that move was easy on the eye.

8.35pm GMT

35 min: This is not excellent entertainment. The visit of Monaco seems an awfully long time ago.

8.34pm GMT

33 min: Clichy has time to the left of the Stoke D, and sends the ball out of play to the right of goal. Dreadful, though it nearly leads to something from the resulting goal kick, as Martins Indi tries to play out from the back. His not-so-clever pass across the face of his own box nearly releases Aguero on goal. A thankful Grant gets to the ball just in time.

8.32pm GMT

32 min: Cameron tries to dink a pass around Toure, who sticks out an arm to cynically stop the move. It’s a free kick, and really should be a yellow card, but the big man gets away with it. On the touchline, Mark Hughes oscillates between disbelief and apoplexy.

8.30pm GMT

30 min: Diouf is back. He’s running around quite a lot, so that’s got to be a good sign, right?

8.30pm GMT

29 min: Otamendi launches long down the middle for Sane, who can’t get anywhere near the ball under pressure from Shawcross. Grant gathers. City have created next to nothing. Stoke, who shipped four in the first half at Spurs recently, will be very happy with this so far.

8.28pm GMT

27 min: Sane nutmegs Diouf down the left. Diouf, on the floor, springs up and snaffles it back. Fine, dogged play, though Diouf looks to have injured himself making the effort. A break as he’s given the once-over by the doctors.

8.26pm GMT

25 min: ... and then leaves it to Kolarov, who batters a low shot towards the bottom left. Grant is behind it all the way.

8.25pm GMT

24 min: This is a foul, though. Bardsley is booked for illegally clipping the heels of an in-flight Aguero. Free kick to Manchester City, 25 yards out and level with the left-hand edge of the Stoke box. De Bruyne shapes to take it ...

8.24pm GMT

23 min: Fernandinho, sitting deep, slides a lovely ball down the inside-left channel to release Sane into space. Ah hold on, Diouf is right on his shoulder. The pair clash as Sane enters the box. Sane goes over as he shapes to shoot, and there is a little contact from behind. But Sane doesn’t claim the penalty kick. It would have been very, very soft ... but you’ve seen them given.

8.21pm GMT

21 min: Navas, in the middle of a thicket of players out on the right, backheels out of trouble and very nearly releases Sagna into the Stoke area. Nice, nearly successful, but not quite.

8.20pm GMT

19 min: Space for Aguero to the left of the Stoke box. He aims a spectacular curler into the top right. It’s deflected out for a corner, which is wasted. A few groans from the home faithful, who haven’t been entertained with a fast start.

8.18pm GMT

18 min: Cameron is upended by De Bruyne out on the right. A chance for Stoke to load the box. The ball’s hoicked into the mixer, and Martins Indi is clear with the ball at his feet on the penalty spot! Eh? Where on earth is the Manchester City defence? Anyway, they get away with this one, too, as Martins Indi swishes lamely at the ball, the chance gone.

8.17pm GMT

16 min: Manchester City faff around in the middle of the park awhile. For too long, in fact, because Berahino robs the ball and makes off with it, slipping a pass wide to Sobhi on the left. Sobhi twists and turns, leaving Otamendi for dust as he breaks into the Manchester City box near the byline. His cross into the danger zone is no good this time, but he looks the business.

8.14pm GMT

13 min: Aguero hares after a lost cause down the right wing. He gets to the ball before it goes out for a goal kick, hooking it back for Toure on the right-hand corner of the box. Toure tries to return the ball to Aguero with a chip down the channel, but he scuffs it and the move breaks down. Manchester City haven’t really troubled Stoke so far.

8.12pm GMT

11 min: Sane is sent scampering after a long ball down the left. Bardsley has his number, shepherding the ball back to Grant. The Diouf chance apart, this has been very quiet so far.

8.10pm GMT

9 min: Manchester City play the corner short, and De Bruyne whips an astonishing curler through the six-yard box and out of play to the right of goal. That was such a good ball, threaded through from the tightest of spots, it’s a wonder none of his team-mates managed to meet it. What a talent De Bruyne is.

8.08pm GMT

8 min: De Bruyne, in the middle of the park, sprays a delightful ball wide right for Navas, who turns on the jets before curling high and deep into the Stoke box. Allen, rushing back, heads out to the left of goal before a Manchester City shirt can meet the cross. Corner, though.

8.07pm GMT

6 min: All a bit scrappy in the middle of the park. Sobhi wins a header 30 yards from goal. The ball flies wide left for Pieters, who whips one along the corridor of uncertainty. On the edge of the six-yard box, Clichy slips, allowing Diouf to connect with his boot six yards out. But Diouf doesn’t connect properly, and although he guides the ball towards the bottom left, Caballero parries it away from danger with ease. Still, there’s Manchester City once again looking a bit scrappy at the back.

8.04pm GMT

3 min: It’s all down Manchester City’s right flank early doors. Navas once again tries to release De Bruyne into space, but his dinked pass hits Pieters in the chest. It’s not been the fastest of starts, tell the truth, but there’s plenty of time for fun and games.

8.03pm GMT

2 min: Jesus Navas latches onto a loose ball and probes down the right wing. He finds De Bruyne further down the flank, who earns Manchester City’s first corner of the evening. Nothing comes of the set piece.

8.01pm GMT

And we’re off! The visitors get the ball rolling. They lump it long. Allen takes up possession in Manchester City’s final third, but he can’t find Sobhi out on the left with his first progressive pass of the evening. Manchester City mop up.

7.58pm GMT

The teams are out! Manchester City are in their famous sky blue shirts, allowing Stoke to gallivant around the Etihad in their first-choice red-and-white stripes. Fatboy Slim has done his thing, right there and right then, so we’ll be ready to go in a minute!

7.50pm GMT

Mark Hughes speaks! “We have to be positive. We’ve had a problem with teams at the top end of the League, so we might not be quite as open as we normally are. But we will still look for opportunities. If we can release Berahino in good areas, I think he will have an impact. We’ve got good ability on the pitch.”

7.50pm GMT

Pep Guardiola speaks! “We have been much better recently. But that is done. Every game is proof that we can be better. All of Stoke’s players are so, so quick. They are going to make plenty of runs in behind. Perhaps they will put Crouch on for the long ball towards the end of the game.”

7.23pm GMT

Pre-match reading. Stan Bowles is a QPR legend, of course. But he started out at Manchester City. He’s now suffering from Alzheimer’s. Ed Vulliamy spent an emotional afternoon with him, noting that while the memories may have faded, the great man’s twinkle never will.

Related: An afternoon with Stan Bowles: the twinkle is still there but the memories are gone

7.12pm GMT

Manchester City make three changes to the starting XI sent out at Sunderland on Sunday. John Stones, David Silva and the rested Raheem Sterling make way for Nicolas Otamendi, Jesus Navas and Kevin De Bruyne.

Stoke City change four players from the line-up named against Middlesbrough on Saturday. Injured two-goal hero Marko Arnautovic, Glen Johnson, Glenn Whelan and Peter Crouch are out; Phil Bardsley, Saido Berahino, Jonathan Walters and Mame Biram Diouf are in. Berahino is making his first start for Stoke.

7.03pm GMT

Manchester City: Caballero, Sagna, Otamendi, Kolarov, Clichy, Toure, Jesus Navas, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Sane, Aguero.
Subs: Bravo, Zabaleta, Nolito, Delph, Silva, Stones, Iheanacho.

Stoke City: Grant, Bardsley, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters, Cameron, Allen, Berahino, Sobhi, Walters, Diouf.
Subs: Muniesa, Whelan, Afellay, Adam, Imbula, Given, Crouch.

10.36am GMT

Chelsea are 11 points clear of third-placed Manchester City. In all probability, the Premier League title is going back to Stamford Bridge. But the cogs in Pep Guardiola’s head won’t have stopped whirring quite yet.

He knows his team are already knocking back chasers in the last-chance saloon. “Every game if you win, you stay; if you lose, you are out.” But they’re not scrabbling around, half-cut in the spit and sawdust, quite yet. For starters, they’ve got a game in hand over Chelsea, and so tonight they’ve got the opportunity to reduce that gap to eight points. City also have yet to visit Chelsea, so the chance to whittle it down to five is in their hands. Chelsea also have to travel to tough-to-beat Manchester United, and Everton, where they’ve lost their last two fixtures ...

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We ain’t got nuttin’ else goin’ on | The Fiver

In today’s Fiver: Big Cup part two, Chapecoense and the blue eyes of Stan Bowles

The Fiver has been going for the best part of 20 years now. Yes, yes, we know exactly what you’re thinking. Anyway, that’s roughly 843,572 editions, give or take a few hundred thousand. And we’ve never, ever, ever got anything right. Not once. So you’ll forgive us for taking the opportunity to crow after we finally broke our duck yesterday with this magnificent prediction: Arsenal 1-5 Bayern Munich. Yes! Get in there! Admittedly elsewhere in the email we also went for 2-1 to Arsenal, but cut us some slack, will you? We ain’t got nuttin’ else goin’ on.

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Arsenal 1-5 Bayern Munich (agg 2-10): Champions League last 16, second leg – as it happened

Arsenal gave an unlikely comeback their best shot for 53 minutes - before totally collapsing again as Bayern breezed into the quarters.

11.07pm GMT

Related: Arsenal and Arsène Wenger humiliated again by ruthless Bayern Munich

9.36pm GMT

The whistle. Half-arsed boos. Wenger walks down the tunnel looking utterly deflated. Bayern register their third 5-1 victory over Arsenal in a row. This is Arsenal’s biggest loss at the Emirates to date, and they go crashing out of the Champions League in embarrassing style. Thing is, they played well tonight up until the penalty and red card, and none of the big decisions went their way. But given what happened afterwards, none of that really matters. It’s one thing being ultimately outclassed - there’s no shame in losing to this Bayern Munich side - but another capitulating totally. The mood around the Emirates is resigned and funereal; it feels like the end of days at Arsenal. It’s going to be an interesting climax to their season all right, one way or another. Last word to Stuart Goodacre: “Just to say that we - Lincoln - have scored four goals tonight. Roll on Saturday!”

9.33pm GMT

90 min: There will be three more minutes of this. 180 seconds that will seem like 180 years to Arsenal.

9.32pm GMT

89 min: Bellerin, from the right of the Bayern D, looks for a consolation. His low shot isn’t far away from the bottom left, but whistles wide.

9.31pm GMT

87 min: The Bayern fans are giving it plenty. They can be heard quite clearly, to be fair. The Arsenal fans are in the pit of despair. On the touchline, Arsene Wenger looks beyond miserable. Alexis Sanchez allows himself a wry, thin-lipped grimace.

9.28pm GMT

This is painful. Renato Sanches, from deep, splits the Arsenal defence with one pass. Douglas Costa, down the inside-left channel, draws Ospina before laying inside for Vidal, who sidefoots into an empty net.

9.26pm GMT

83 min: Renato Sanches slips a ball down the left for the overlapping Alaba, who nearly finds Kimmich six yards out with a low whip into the centre. Inches away from a third 5-1 in a row against Arsenal. “Can Arsenal use some of their millions to arrange for, say, a spaceship to land on the pitch and have the game abandoned?” wonders Charles Antaki. “Or maybe the pitch could gently descend into one of those sink-holes we hear so much about? Or just offer the ref lots of cash to blow for time. Anything, really, to stop it all.”

9.23pm GMT

81 min: Incidentally, between those two body blows for Arsenal, Bayern made a double change, sending on Kimmich and Renato Sanches in place of Thiago and Ribery.

9.22pm GMT

This is getting embarrassing now, ten men or no. Mustafi passes out straight to Alonso, who slips the ball forward for Vidal. He’s clear. He clips the ball over the outrushing Ospina, and into the net.

9.21pm GMT

Rafinha zips up the right and is scythed down by Xhaka, who will be booked for that. Costa takes up possession on the halfway line, reaches the area, cuts inside Robben-style, and curls an unstoppable shot past Ospina into the left.

9.20pm GMT

77 min: Lewandowski races clear down the inside-left channel. He’s one on one with Ospina, and should score, but over-runs the ball with a heavy touch. Arsenal go up the other end, Bellerin reaching the byline on the right and shooting from a super-tight angle. Bayern clear, go up the other end, and ...

9.18pm GMT

76 min: Lewandowski wins a towering header in the middle of the Arsenal half, holding onto possession before passing to Douglas Costa on his left. Costa enters the Arsenal box and fizzes a low ball back to the striker. Lewandowski, rushing in, meets it well, but his effort batters off the bottom of the right-hand post and away.

9.17pm GMT

74 min: A bit of possession for Arsenal in the middle of the park. Sterile, as a great man once said. “I also don’t see how video replays would help,” writes Liam Westaway. “It would just drag out the process of making bad decisions. And we’d still have to listen to the pundits argue whether said video decision was the correct one and whether player X was just simulating being headbutted to try and force a video replay with the intent of wasting time.”

9.15pm GMT

72 min: A triple change by Arsenal. Ramsey, Giroud and Sanchez come off; Coquelin, Ozil and Lucas Perez take their places.

9.13pm GMT

70 min: Robben, his work done, is replaced by Douglas Costa.

9.11pm GMT

Ospina hacks lamely upfield. Robben intercepts, one-twos with Lewandowski down the right, drops a shoulder to break past a couple of non-existent Arsenal challenges, and whips the ball into the top left as he enters the box.

9.10pm GMT

66 min: Sanchez, deep in his own half on the left wing, beats four men with a gorgeous dribble. The move goes nowhere, but that’s the best bit of skill we’ve seen all night. Then Bayern hoick long down the left. Lewandowski looks offside, so he stops playing and allows Robben to take over. Robben wins a corner off Ospina, who came way off his line and did well to avert a goal. The corner comes to nothing.

9.07pm GMT

64 min: Bayern are clearly after a statement victory. Lewandowski one-twos with Vidal down the middle of the park, and he’s clear in the Arsenal box. He lashes a shot towards the top left. Ospina tips round the post, and the resulting corner comes to nothing.

9.05pm GMT

63 min: Ribery dances into the Arsenal box from the left, after a Bayern corner. He flicks the ball up to Thiago, who tries to guide a close-range header into the net, but fails.

9.04pm GMT

61 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain skitters at high speed down the left wing. It’s a great run, but Hummels guides him away from danger, and on the edge of the box Rafinha steals the ball from his toe. Oxlade-Chamberlain can’t stop clattering into Rafinha, who buys a clever free kick to bring the episode to an end. Oxlade-Chamberlain, his frustration getting the better of him, berates the referee for the decision, and can’t complain when he sees yellow. He does complain, mind.

9.02pm GMT

60 min: Alonso dinks a pass down the right wing from the centre circle. He releases Robben into the area, but Ospina comes off his line to block well, and the flag’s gone up for offside anyway.

9.01pm GMT

58 min: That Bayern equaliser was coming, though. The German champions, in the professional style, had clearly come out with a clear remit: ensure Arsenal, who had earned themselves a sliver of hope, were disabused of any fancy notions quicksmart. And so it proved. Bayern are now just stroking it around the middle, and it’s only the travelling support who can be heard.

8.59pm GMT

56 min: Just the four goals, then, and we’re into extra time.

8.58pm GMT

Lewandowski, having earned the penalty kick, steps up, stutters, and slots the ball into the bottom right. There goes that one little scrap of hope, then.

8.57pm GMT

54 min: The referee changes his mind and shows Koscielny red!

8.56pm GMT

53 min: A little dink down the middle, and Lewandowski is suddenly in the Arsenal box, shaping to shoot. He’s barged over from behind by Koscielny, who is shown the yellow card after the referee points to the spot.

8.54pm GMT

51 min: Arsenal are light at the back as Bayern stream forward. Vidal romps down the left and should find one of three grey shirts in the middle, but his cross goes straight over the box towards the other wing. Robben tries to revive the move, but it’s too late.

8.53pm GMT

49 min: A free kick for Bayern near the centre circle. Arsenal are dozing. Alonso magic-wands the set piece down the inside-right, and releases Hummels into the area. Hummels helps the ball into the bottom right of Arsenal’s net. Luckily for the sleepy hosts, Hummels had mistimed his run and was clearly offside. But that was too close for comfort.

8.51pm GMT

48 min: Arsenal are pressing hard in these early exchanges. Mustafi tears down the right and very nearly breaks into the Bayern box. Cleared. Then Arsenal come again, Ramsey spinning down the inside-right channel to make a little space for a dinked cross. Rising in the centre: Giroud, who really should send a header into the top right with Neuer’s feet planted. But he times his jump all wrong, and the header goes high and wide right.

8.49pm GMT

46 min: Robben embarks on a little meander down the right. He nearly releases Ribery into the Arsenal box with a threaded pass, but his team-mate’s touch isn’t what it normally is.

8.47pm GMT

And we’re off again! Arsenal get the ball rolling for the second half. No changes. Three goals are required. They couldn’t, could they? I wonder if Carlo Ancelotti is thinking about Istanbul. Anyway, here’s Neil Truby: “Listen to the BT Sport pundits unable to agree on whether Arsenal should have had a penalty or not, and know that video replays as advocated by every wronged coach ever will in most cases solve nothing.” Preach on, brother.

8.40pm GMT

Half-time reading: Arsenal may go out tonight, but their season will be far from over. They face non-league Lincoln in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday. Donald McRae met Imps boss Danny Cowley, who is preparing his men for the shock to end all shocks: 1933 at Walsall would have nothing on this.

Related: Lincoln’s Danny Cowley: ‘We have one-in-1,000 chance at Arsenal but we can do it’

8.33pm GMT

Nothing happens in the 60 seconds of added time, and so here we are at the three-quarter mark in this tie. Arsenal have played well, Theo Walcott scored a screamer, the Gunners should have had a penalty kick, and Bayern have looked a little shaky at the back. This should be over ... it probably is over ... and yet it isn’t, not quite, not yet. Don’t go anywhere, now, y’all!

8.30pm GMT

45 min: ... sidefoots a dismal effort straight at Neuer. There will be one added minute of a half that’s flown by.

8.30pm GMT

44 min: Ramsey turns Javi Martinez down the inside-right channel, and makes for the Bayern box. He’s brought down by Martinez, who is booked. A free kick, just to the right of the D, but a good 30 yards out. Sanchez steps up, and ...

8.29pm GMT

43 min: Vidal crumps the studs of his boot into Sanchez’s cheek (right lower). How he’s not got booked for that is anybody’s guess. The fact that Sanchez was going nowhere fast in the centre circle probably had something to do with it.

8.27pm GMT

41 min: Corner for Bayern down the right. The ball falls to Ribery on the edge of the D. He shapes to shoot, and is robbed by Bellerin. Arsenal swish up the other end. The attack breaks down, allowing Bayern to counter in the basketball style. Robben ends up in possession out on the right. He cuts inside and whistles a bang-average shot down Ospina’s throat. This match is an awful mess, really, neither team in control, but it’s wonderfully exciting.

8.25pm GMT

39 min: Alaba and Walcott are both booked for having the temerity to compete for a loose ball in the middle of the park like adults. Both men rightly look aggrieved. What a preposterous decision.

8.24pm GMT

38 min: Chances at either end, Vidal having a speculative look from distance but firing high, Giroud failing to connect properly when haring after a ball down the inside left. And then the best opportunity of the lot, Robben opening Arsenal up with an exquisite chip down the inside-right channel. Lewandowski is free in the Arsenal box, but the ball’s dropping over his shoulder, and he can only help the ball wide left with a waft of his leg.

8.22pm GMT

36 min: Ramsey busies himself on the edge of the Bayern D, stealing possession from the visitors and looking to get an attack going. He’s clipped to the floor by Vidal, who was already rolling around on it. Arsenal don’t get the free kick. If the Gunners are to turn around this deficit, they need everything to go for them. They’re not getting the crucial decisions right now.

8.20pm GMT

34 min: Mustafi threads a lovely ball down the inside-right channel, releasing the superlative Walcott into the area. Walcott tries to recreate his blistering goal from a similarly tight angle, but lightning ain’t striking twice. Side netting.

8.19pm GMT

32 min: ... Arsenal should have a penalty kick! Oxlade-Chamberlain dinks a ball down the inside-right channel. Walcott shapes to shoot again from his tight angle, and is clumsily clattered by Alonso from behind. Bayern swarm around him in accusatory fashion, and do a number on Arsenal and the referee. It wasn’t the hardest clatter from Alonso, but there was contact. Arsenal are within their rights to fume.

8.18pm GMT

31 min: Arsenal buzz around the midfield in packs. The ball’s won in the midfield and dispatched out right for Walcott, whose low, curling cross is hacked out by Javi Martinez for a corner. And from the set piece ...

8.16pm GMT

30 min: Now it’s Bayern’s turn to earn a corner, Lewandowski doing the work for that down the left. Thiago’s ball into the middle is laughably poor, allowing Arsenal to scoot upfield on the counter. Nothing comes of the quick break, but at the moment Bayern look a little rattled.

8.14pm GMT

29 min: From the corner, Ramsey has a whack from distance, but it’s not much to write home about.

8.13pm GMT

28 min: Walcott drives down the right again. His route to the box is cut off, so he slips the ball to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who spins round Alaba adroitly, reaching the byline and winning a corner.

8.11pm GMT

26 min: Bayern appear to have cleared their heads after falling behind. Robben earns a corner down the right, and Arsenal can only half-clear the set piece. Ribery has a dig from distance, though it isn’t very good. A fine response, though, because for a few minutes before and after the goal, Bayern looked slightly shaky.

8.10pm GMT

24 min: Robben slips a ball to Rafinha on the overlap down the right. Rafinha stands one up to the far post, where Vidal rises and crashes a header goalwaards. Ospina stops well. The flag goes up for shoving. Ospina is in the action again a few seconds later, as Lewandowski is sent through the middle by a clever pitching wedge from Thiago. He parries again, though the flag went up in any case.

8.08pm GMT

22 min: Arsenal are now first to mostly everything. A rare moment of possession for Bayern sees Ribery attempt to romp down the left. He is clattered, legally, by Bellerin. The crowd are enjoying themselves here.

8.07pm GMT

Walcott has been electric from the get-go. He puts his head down and tears down the inside-right channel, skating past Alonso and Alaba as though they weren’t there. He enters the box, and though he’s got men in the middle and faces a tight angle, with Neuer in the way, he shoots. Wallop! Skelp! He lashes a riser past Neuer, who was beaten for pace, and sends the ball into the roof of the net! What a finish! It couldn’t be on, could it?! Just the three required now.

8.04pm GMT

19 min: Mustafi comes through the back of Ribery in the centre circle. The referee doesn’t show the yellow card, though you’ve seen those given in Europe.

8.03pm GMT

18 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain floats a cross into the Bayern box from the right. Walcott, of all players, rises highest to compete in the middle, but the ball flies off Javi Martinez for a corner on the left. The set piece comes to nothing - Giroud is penalised for shoving - but Arsenal are asking a few questions.

8.02pm GMT

16 min: But this is good from Arsenal. Walcott drives at Alaba down the inside-right channel. A smarter touch as he enters the box would have earned him space to shoot, but he runs into trouble. Sanchez tries to re-energise the move, latching onto a half-cleared ball, but he too runs into bother.

8.01pm GMT

15 min: Bayern, who were gently rocking there for a couple of minutes, take the sting out of the situation by faffing around in the middle of the park. The Emirates falls quiet again.

8.00pm GMT

13 min: ... Arsenal nearly score. Bayern make a pig’s lug of clearing the corner. The ball bounces around by the left-hand post. Xhaka hooks it across the face of goal. Giroud rises, and should plant a header on target, but his downward effort sails inches wide of the right-hand post. He grimaces theatrically. An early Arsenal goal, and you never know. (Well, you probably do, but ... y’know.)

7.58pm GMT

12 min: Arsenal are trying to up the tempo. Bellerin scampers after a pass down the right, and twists Alaba inside and out. He can’t get a cross into the box, though, and has to make do with a corner off Alaba. From which ...

7.57pm GMT

10 min: Some hope for Arsenal here. Walcott is nearly sprung clear down the right wing, but he’s caught offside. Arsenal give the long pass another go a minute later, and this time Walcott is free down the middle! He nearly latches onto the ball, but Neuer is out quickly from his box and blooters clear. That’s got the crowd going again; they’d fallen quiet, anxious after all that Bayern probing.

7.54pm GMT

8 min: Robben skitters infield from the right wing. No challenges, almost as though nothing has been learned from the other week. He enters the box and takes a shot, which balloons off Monreal for a corner on the left. Alonso’s set piece is worked to Alaba, to the left of the D. Alaba shoots high and wide right. He should have done better. Arsenal’s defence should have done better too. That was all a bit laissez-faire.

7.52pm GMT

6 min: Bayern get their foot on the ball and pass it around the middle awhile. Ribery has a probe down the left; Robben takes a look down the right. They’re beginning to find a little rhythm, hogging possession, all of which is ominous for Arsenal.

7.51pm GMT

4 min: Sanchez scampers after a long ball down the Arsenal left. He can’t get on the end of it, but there’s a bit of early determination by the home heroes. “Let’s just for play for guts and glory and for the best manager we’ve ever had!” cries Tod O’Brien.

7.49pm GMT

2 min: The pitch is cleared of all that toilet roll. Quite a few rolls. Everyone’s a critic. Speaking of which, here’s Charles Antaki: “It’s just a matter pf what sort of dismalness can be expected of Arsenal tonight. Full on early capitulation, initial hope plus inevitable decisive loss, or some combination of that plus season-ending, profit-reducing injury to Sánchez. Or they might even win, 6-1.”

7.47pm GMT

And we’re off! Bayern get the ball rolling, and launch it long to little effect. Bellerin prepares to take a throw, and has to wait for the best par of a minute as the far end of the pitch is cleared of ticker tape and toilet roll. Marvellously farcical.

7.45pm GMT

The teams are out! One hell of an atmosphere, despite it all. And there’s a change to the Arsenal team: Danny Welbeck has managed to fall sick during the warm-up - there’s a bug going round all right - and is replaced by Olivier Giroud. Arsenal are in their famous red and white. Bayern play in their second-choice grey and black. We’ll be off in a minute. “Bayern haven’t lost a competitive match since 23 November 2016 and Franck Ribery is in fine form,” begins Peter Oh. “Still, you have a point. ‘Never’ might be too strong. To borrow a line from the crooners Richard Marx and Bryan Adams, how about ‘next to never’?” A reference to the soft-rock classic Right Here Waiting, there, pop pickers. I see that one’s off Marx’s album Repeat Offender. Probably no need to go any further down this road.

7.37pm GMT

Arsene Wenger, manager of the Arsenal since 1996, speaks! “I want our fans to be happy. I work very hard, and at the moment I don’t achieve that, so I am not happy. I am at the end of my contract at the end of the season, and I will give my best until the last day. If I sign a new one, I will give my best again. I have not made my decision. The only thing I can say is: this is my 201st Champions League game. I hope it is not my last one.”

7.23pm GMT

A pre-match word with Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti, who is asked if he plans to show Arsenal any mercy. “No.”

7.14pm GMT

Never Say Never dept. A four-goal turnaround in European competition? Yes, it’s unlikely, but it’s not totally beyond the realms. Here’s the story of one such comeback, Alan Mullery’s QPR the victims of Partizan Belgrade’s recovery in the 1984/85 Uefa Cup.

Related: How Partizan Belgrade overcame QPR after losing the first-leg 6-2 at Highbury

7.02pm GMT

Arsenal swap four players from the XI named at Liverpool last Saturday. David Ospina, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez step up; Petr Cech, Alex Iwobi, Francis Coquelin and Olivier Giroud step down. Iwobi has phoned in sick; the formerly ill Mesut Ozil is back on the bench.

Bayern make five changes from the team sent out to beat Cologne 3-0 on Saturday. Rafinha, Mats Hummels, Xabi Alonso, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben are in; Juan Bernat, Philipp Lahm, Douglas Costa, Kingsley Coman and Thomas Muller are out.

6.54pm GMT

Arsenal: Ospina, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Ramsey, Xhaka, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Welbeck, Sanchez.
Subs: Cech, Gibbs, Gabriel, Coquelin, Ozil, Lucas, Giroud.

Bayern Munich: Neuer, Rafinha, Martinez, Hummels, Alaba, Alonso, Vidal, Thiago, Robben, Lewandowski, Ribery.
Subs: Ulreich, Costa, Bernat, Muller, Coman, Kimmich, Sanches.

12.58am GMT

pipe dream n. an illusory or fantastic plan, hope or story

Let’s put Arsenal’s task here in some sort of perspective. They need to recover a four-goal first-leg deficit tonight at the Emirates. Some job, as only three clubs have ever managed to achieve that in Uefa competition. Leixões SC responded to a 6-2 defeat at La Chaux-de-Fonds in the first round, first leg of the 1961/62 European Cup Winners’ Cup by triumphing 5-0 in the return. FK Partizan lost by the same scoreline, 6-2, at Queens Park Rangers in the second round of the 1984/85 Uefa Cup only to progress after a 4-0 victory at home. And Real Madrid overturned a 5-1 first-leg loss at Borussia Mönchengladbach in the 1985/86 Uefa Cup, winning the return 4-0. But that’s your lot.

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The Fiver | A history of stratospheric balls-ups

Today: London’s most searching exploration of pipe dreams since Kevin Spacey starred in The Iceman Cometh at the Old Vic

These are changing times in Big Cup. All-conquering Barcelona aren’t what they were. Live action, once the preserve of boring old terrestrial telly, is now shown on BT’s amazing new flicker-tastic zoetrope service. And this could be the last year in a good while that the Round of Arsenal is staged, because, well, you know, there are quite a few reasons for that. So tonight, in what could quite feasibly be nearly man Arsène Wenger’s valedictory Big Cup bow, Bayern Munich come to town for London’s most searching exploration of pipe dreams since Kevin Spacey starred in The Iceman Cometh at the Old Vic.

Related: How Partizan Belgrade overcame QPR after losing the first-leg 6-2 at Highbury

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Leicester City 3-1 Hull City, Watford 3-4 Southampton and more – as it happened

A busy afternoon for Clockwatch, as Leicester, Swansea and Crystal Palace move away from trouble while Middlesbrough sink into it.

5.42pm GMT

And Eibar 1-4 Real Madrid:

Related: Karim Benzema double sparks Real Madrid rout at high-flying Eibar

5.42pm GMT

Last few: Nottingham Forest 3-0 Brighton.

Related: Brighton left angry and pointless by Zach Clough and Nottingham Forest

5.41pm GMT

Paul MacInnes was at West Brom 0-2 Crystal Palace:

Related: Crystal Palace defeat West Brom as Sam Allardyce’s side get physical

5.27pm GMT

Watford 3-4 Southampton.

Related: Southampton beat Watford in seven-goal epic as Nathan Redmond bags brace

5.26pm GMT

Swansea City 3-2 Burnley.

Related: Fernando Llorente’s late header gives Swansea vital win over Burnley

5.24pm GMT

Stuart James was at Leicester for their 3-1 win over Hull City.

Related: Riyad Mahrez revives the old magic as renewed Leicester sink Hull City

5.19pm GMT

Here come your reports … first up: Stoke City 2-0 Middlesbrough from Nick Miller.

Related: Marko Arnautovic at the double for Stoke to sink hapless Middlesbrough

5.04pm GMT

So that’s your lot. For Clockwatch, at any rate. Meanwhile one of the most dependably unpredictable fixtures is about to take place at Anfield: Liverpool v Arsenal. We’re serving up hot MBM action by the spoonful. Rob Smyth is your man. Enjoy!

Related: Liverpool v Arsenal: Premier League – live!

5.00pm GMT

The Championship full times: Blackburn 1-0 Wigan; Bristol City 0-0 Burton; Derby 2-1 Barnsley; Fulham 3-1 Preston; Ipswich 1-1 Brentford; Forest 3-0 Brighton; QPR 2-1 Cardiff; Reading 2-1 Wolves; Rotherham 0-2 Villa; Wednesday 5-1 Norwich.

Scottish Cup quarter finals: Hibernian 3-1 Ayr; Rangers 6-0 Hamilton Accies.

4.55pm GMT

It’s all over. And these results will shake up the Premier League table, with Middlesbrough dropping into the bottom three as Crystal Palace leapfrog them.

Leicester City 3-1 Hull City
Manchester United 1-1 Bournemouth
Stoke City 2-0 Middlesbrough
Swansea City 3-2 Burnley
Watford 3-4 Southampton
West Bromwich Albion 0-2 Crystal Palace.

4.53pm GMT

This is getting old.

4.51pm GMT

Carroll zips down the left and swings a high cross into the box. Llorente. Bang! Paul Clement embarks on a Mourinhoesque skitter along the touchline. And no wonder, what a difference this will make at the bottom!

4.48pm GMT

Hull have been pushing for an equaliser. But Gray skedaddles upfield, nearly finds the bottom left with a fine shot, and from the resulting corner, Huddlestone accidentally flicks a header into the top right of his own net. Manchester City 1938 look like remaining a singular lot a little longer.

4.46pm GMT

Southampton’s recent scorelines: 3-0, 1-0, 0-5, 2-1, 1-3, 4-0, 2-3 and currently they’re 4-2. Unpredictable, yes, but worth the money of the ticket all right.

4.43pm GMT

This is six goals in four games for the striker of the moment, Manolo Gabbiadini. He swoops to sweep home a mistake from Gomes in the Watford goal. What a signing! But is this news? Do Southampton make dud signings?

4.41pm GMT

A solo stunner by Andros Townsend. Yes, 370,000,000 pennies for the thoughts of Tony Pulis.

4.40pm GMT

The majestically monickered Isaac Success whips in a cross that’s converted by Stefano Okaka. Yet another goalfest involving the Saints, who are certainly one of the teams to watch in 2017, one way or another.

4.37pm GMT

Derby have turned it around against Barnsley. Tom Ince’s equaliser has been followed up by a David Nugent goal; they lead 2-1 at Pride Park. Paul McShane has reclaimed the lead for Reading against Wolves, and quite a long way north of the M4, Falkirk are 2-0 up at Queen of the South.

4.35pm GMT

Marco Asensio has made it four for Real Madrid at Eibar. A Will Vaulks own goal has given crack Victorian outfit Aston Villa the lead at Rotherham. And up in Scotland, Zak Jules gives Motherwell a 2-1 lead over Kilmarnock. It. Is. All. Happening.

4.33pm GMT

At the King Power, Danny Drinkwater tries to replicate his Monday-night screamer against Liverpool. Nope! But full marks for ambition.

4.31pm GMT

A little bit of karmic justice done at the Liberty? Sigurdsson exquisitely tees up the rampaging Olsson for the equaliser. Is Sigurdsson the greatest creative force to come out of Iceland since Björk, Friðrik Þór Friðriksson or Jóhann Jóhannsson? It’s a toss-up, isn’t it.

4.26pm GMT

Josh Koroma has completed his hat-trick for Leyton Orient at Newport. A penalty on 64 minutes. They’re 4-0 up.

Related: Leyton Orient facing the full fury of a spiteful owner scorned

4.22pm GMT

Middlesbrough have just had a goal disallowed at Stoke. Gibson tucks the ball away, but Bernardo is penalised for use of an arm. Meanwhile in the Championship, Forest lead Brighton at the City Ground through a controversial Zach Clough goal - shades of offside - while Marvin Emnes has put Blackburn ahead against Wigan in their relegation scrap.

4.21pm GMT

Swansea have hit the woodwork three times, and already conceded a goal from a penalty kick awarded for a hand ball by the opposition. Now they’re trailing to Andre Gray’s second strike of the match. They’ll be seething all right, and the fact that this one is legit is unlikely to simmer them down.

4.17pm GMT

This is a fine goal, and it’s not just Jamie Vardy who has relocated the source of his genius! Mahrez twists and turns on the right-hand edge of the Hull D, before lashing a shot into the bottom right! Truth be told, Jakupovic in the Hull goal should have turned the ball round the post, but that was still some fancy football from Mahrez. And the resurgence of the champions is back on!

4.15pm GMT

Is the Sam Allardyce effect finally taking ... er ... effect? The relegation-swerving expert looked to have lost his mojo, but Palace beat Boro last weekend, and now look! Zaha latches onto a spectacular crossfield Zaha pass to put the struggling Eagles into the lead at the Hawthorns. 370,000,000 pennies for the thoughts of Tony Pulis.

4.12pm GMT

A half-time score from Spain: Eibar trail Real Madrid by the three goals. Carl McHugh has equalised for Motherwell at Kilmarnock. And Matthew James has put Barnsley 1-0 up at Steve McClaren’s Derby County.

4.09pm GMT

Championship play-off hopefuls Reading have taken the lead at home to Wolves. Yann Kermorgant with that one. Ah hold on, Wolves have come straight back at their hosts, Ben Marshall putting the old gold on terms. “After that news from the Shrewsbury-Coventry match, maybe Mings and Ibrahimovic should take a look at themselves,” opines Simon McMahon. “Grown men both.”

4.07pm GMT

Hull have come out for the second half at Leicester with great purpose! Two early chances to reclaim the lead. Maguire shaved the left-hand post with a close-range header from a corner. And the same man guided a powerful header into Schmeichel’s hands from a tight angle on the left.

4.05pm GMT

In case you missed the lunchtime match, ten-man Bournemouth earned a 1-1 draw at Manchester United in a tempestuous affair. Tyrone Mings has denied stamping on Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s head; Ibrahimovic has insisted Mings jumped into his innocently flying elbow. That’s all sorted, then! No need for anyone to harp on about it for the rest of the week!

Related: Manchester United’s top-four push stalls in chaotic draw with Bournemouth

4.01pm GMT

Some worrying news from the match between Shrewsbury and Coventry. The Sky Blues midfielder Andy Rose was stretchered off after a sickening clash of heads early in the game. Play was stopped for nearly 20 minutes as Rose received treatment. God speed, young man.

3.54pm GMT

So here are the Premier League half-time scores: Leicester City 1-1 Hull City; Stoke City 2-0 Middlesbrough; Swansea 1-1 Burnley; Watford 1-2 Southampton; WBA 0-0 Crystal Palace.

Here’s what’s going on in the Championship, though I warn you it’s not very exciting: Blackburn 0-0 Wigan; Bristol City 0-0 Burton; Derby 0-0 Barnsley; Fulham 1-0 Preston; Ipswich 1-1 Brentford; Forest 0-0 Brighton; QPR 0-1 Cardiff; Reading 0-0 Wolves; Rotherham 0-0 Villa; Wednesday 3-1 Norwich.

3.48pm GMT

Pass, pass, pass, passity, pass. Tadic to Redmond, and Saints have come from behind to lead at half time!

3.47pm GMT

Llorente sends another towering header towards the Burnley goal. This one hits the crossbar, which means Swansea have bothered the woodwork on three occasions this afternoon. Burnley seriously need to mix up their travelling routine. Maybe pack rolls instead of sandwiches, or fill up with petrol at a different service station.

3.44pm GMT

Boro are beginning to look like serious relegation candidates. This one was far too easy for Stoke, Crouch teeing up Arnautovic for his second. Meanwhile in Spain there’s another for Benzema! Real are 2-0 up after 25 minutes, and surely heading back towards the top of the table, at least for a while, depending on the Barcelona-Celta Vigo game tonight.

3.41pm GMT

In the Scottish top division, Kris Boyd has given Kilmarnock the lead at home against Motherwell. Meanwhile Craig McGuffie has pulled one back for Ayr at Hibs in the cup. And in Spain, Karim Benzema gives Real Madrid the lead at Eibar. Real were an utter shambles at the Bernabeu against Las Palmas during the week - salvaging a 3-3 draw was all good and well, but they could easily have been 5-1 down at one point - so this represents something of an upturn in form.

3.36pm GMT

Leicester are beginning to turn the screw against Hull. Vardy is all over the place, in a good way. He storms down the right and very nearly sets up Albrighton in the middle. Then he makes off down the left and nearly turns the last man to scoot free on goal. Not quite. But he’s very much back on his game after a long barren spell. I wonder what Claudio Ranieri is thinking right now? More to the point, I wonder what Sevilla are thinking right now?

3.32pm GMT

Stoke finally get their reward for being on top pretty much from the get-go. Arnautovic dances his way around Friend and Valdes to open the scoring in the Potteries.

3.30pm GMT

Saints had responded well to falling behind, and here’s their reward. Meanwhile Hibs are now 2-0 up against Ayr in the Scottish Cup.

3.29pm GMT

Hull had been looking comfortable since taking the lead. But there’s no stopping the irresistible Jamie Vardy, who tears down the left yet again, reaches the byline, and pulls one back for marauding full back Fuchs. He slaps a sidefoot into the net, and the champions have regained their momentum!

3.23pm GMT

Up in Scotland, John McGinn has given Hibernian the lead in the cup quarter-final against Ayr. Meanwhile at Stoke, Ramadan Sobhi has twanged the crossbar against Middlesbrough. No goals yet there, or between West Brom and Palace.

3.22pm GMT

Maybe it’s a rare day of on-the-road luck for Burnley after all! They’re awarded a penalty, which Andre Gray tucks away without fuss. Problem was, it was awarded for a handball by their own player, Sam Vokes!

3.17pm GMT

The champions are still in relegation bother! Ndidi gives the ball away in the middle of his own half, with team-mates committed to attack, and Leicester are short at the back. Clucas Beckenbauers his way upfield, lays off to Niasse on the left, and bundles in the low return! That’s a fine counter attack!

3.14pm GMT

Is there a better header of a ball than Fernando Llorente? He John Toshacked one into the net at Anfield, crashed another past Chelsea last weekend, and now he’s converted a Fer cross against Burnley, who really should consider selling their bus.

Related: The Joy of Six: Great headers | Paul Doyle

3.11pm GMT

Swansea bother the woodwork against Burnley, not once but twice. From a Sigurdsson free kick, a header’s glanced off the crossbar, then in the resulting melee, Mawson sticks out a boot and clatters a shot off a post.

3.09pm GMT

Leicester City have come back at Hull in the champion style. First Wes Morgan should get a close-range header at the right-hand post on target from a free kick, but fails to connect. Then Shinji Okazaki nearly gets on the end of a left-wing Jamie Vardy cross. And finally a complete sitter is missed, Vardy again romping down the left and rolling a ball across the face of goal. Marc Albrighton must tap in, but somehow pulls a sidefoot wide right from a couple of yards. What a miss! Three misses, really, but that last one was a doozy.

3.06pm GMT

Troy Deeney has whistled his 99th League goal for Watford into the top corner of the Southampton net. Saints suffering a League Cup hangover already.

3.03pm GMT

And we’re off! Hull get the ball rolling at the King Power, and hog the ball during the opening exchanges. In fact it’s all Hull for the first couple of minutes. They’ve not allowed Leicester to make any early statements, as they did against Liverpool the other night, Jamie Vardy introducing himself to Sadio Mane in uncompromising style.

2.56pm GMT

It won’t be long before whistles are whistled all across the country. Everyone’s in position. Are you in position? Sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin!

2.39pm GMT

And here’s Simon McMahon telling us what’s what north of the border: “It’s Scottish Cup quarter-final weekend up here, and as promotion-chasing Dundee United sensibly got thrashed in an earlier round, they have the weekend off to prepare for the visit of league leaders Hibs to Tannadice next Friday night. The Edinburgh team are not so clever, so play Ayr United for a place in the last four today. Rangers beat Hamilton 6-0 in the early kick off and tomorrow it’s Celtic v St Mirren and Aberdeen v Partick. There’s still some league matches today - in the Scottish Premier there’s an ‘interim manager derby’ as Kilmarnock host Motherwell, in the Scottish Championship it’s Queen of the South v Falkirk and Dunfermline v Dumbarton, and in League Two it’s last chance saloon for Cowdenbeath as they continue their descent from the Championship towards non-league football in three seasons at home to Stirling.”

2.33pm GMT

Speaking of Bournemouth, they’ve just come away with a 1-1 draw at Manchester United in a match described by MBM poet Rob Smyth as “one of the oddest games of football you will ever see.” Here’s how it all unfolded at Old Trafford:

Related: Manchester United 1-1 Bournemouth: Premier League – as it happened

2.30pm GMT

It’s as you were for the champions Leicester, who name the same starting XI that spooked Liverpool within 0.00000001 seconds of kick-off last Monday night. Hull City make three changes to the team who drew against Burnley last weekend. Lazar Marković, Sam Clucas and Oumar Niasse come in for Shaun Maloney, Omar Elabdellaoui and Dieumerci Mbokani.

Stoke City make two alterations to the team-sheet handed in at Spurs last Sunday. Phil Bardsley and Charlie Adam make way for Glen Johnson and Geoff Cameron. Middlesbrough, who lost to Palace last time round, ring-a-ding-ding the changes: George Friend, Grant Leadbitter, Adam Clayton, Adama Traore and Rudy Gestede come in for Bernardo, Stewart Downing, Adam Forshaw, Alvaro Negredo and Cristhian Stuani.

2.05pm GMT

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Mahrez, Drinkwater, Ndidi, Albrighton, Okazaki, Vardy.
Subs: Chilwell, King, Amartey, Slimani, Zieler, Gray, Ulloa.
Hull City: Jakupovic, Elmohamady, Ranocchia, Maguire, Robertson, Huddlestone, Markovic, N’Diaye, Clucas, Grosicki, Niasse.
Subs: Meyler, Hernandez, Elabdellaoui, Maloney, Diomande, Marshall, Tymon.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).

Stoke City: Grant, Johnson, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters, Cameron, Whelan, Sobhi, Allen, Arnautovic, Crouch.
Subs: Bardsley, Berahino, Afellay, Adam, Diouf, Walters, Given.
Middlesbrough: Valdes, Da Silva, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Leadbitter, de Roon, Clayton, Traore, Gestede, Ramirez.
Subs: Bernardo, Negredo, Guzan, Barragan, Stuani, Guedioura, Forshaw.
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire).

5.28pm GMT

Good afternoon! That’s a lovely looking 3pm Premier League card today. Not a self-styled Big Club in sight, which is just how Clocko likes it. But the fixture list still has cachet, baby. It’s got cachet up the yin yang!

Leicester City v Hull City
Stoke City v Middlesbrough
Swansea City v Burnley
Watford v Southampton
West Bromwich Albion v Crystal Palace

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Premier League and EFL Cup final: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Managerless Leicester look to prolong Liverpool hoodoo, scoring first could prove a burden again at Wembley and Palace must shrug off home discomforts

As our man Daniel Taylor recalled a few weeks ago, Southampton’s last appearance in a League Cup final led to a painful lesson in hubris for Alan Ball. Ball taunted John McGovern when David Peach put Saints ahead against Nottingham Forest in 1979 – “this is Wembley, son, try to enjoy it while you’re here!” – only to get his words gleefully quoted back at him when Forest replied with three decisive goals. More so than its FA Cup counterpart, the League Cup final has been notable for quite a few turnaround victories, ever since Rotherham United let a 2-0 first-leg lead slip against Aston Villa in the very first decider back in 1961. Other famous comeback wins include QPR’s effort from two goals down against West Brom in 1967; Liverpool hauling themselves back at the death against Spurs in 1982; Arsenal breaking Sheffield Wednesday hearts (and their own collarbones) in 1993; and José Mourinho’s Chelsea shushing Liverpool in 2005. First blood in these fixtures doesn’t always count: in the last ten years, five of the finals have been won by the team conceding first. (Chelsea v Arsenal in 2007, Spurs v Chelsea in 2008, Manchester United v Aston Villa in 2010, Liverpool v Cardiff in 2012, Manchester City v Sunderland in 2014.) So our advice to Saints and United this weekend? Enjoy Wembley. But if you go one up early doors, for goodness sake keep your counsel. SM

Related: Premier League relegation battle: the fans’ verdict on who’s going down

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Tottenham 2-2 Gent (agg 2-3): Europa League last 32 – as it happened

Dele Alli was sent off for an awful challenge as Spurs crashed out of Europe.

10.00pm GMT

Gent nearly find a winner, Coulibaly storming down the left and crossing deep for Perbet, whose shot is parried at the far post by Lloris. And that’s that! Gent, to the delight of their vociferous travelling support, are through to the last 16! Spurs are out. Gent, impressive in defence and ambitious in attack, thoroughly deserve their victory, while Dele Alli thoroughly deserves the mother of all bollockings for the ludicrous and frankly unpleasant tackle which forced Spurs to compete for 50-odd minutes with ten men. Let’s hope he has the good grace to apologise to his team-mates, and to poor Brecht Dejaegere.

9.56pm GMT

90 min +2: Vertonghen lumps long. Kalinic comes to the edge of his box to claim. Mitrovic rises and heads the ball past him, but fortunately for Gent it’s wide right of the goal. It’s not even going out for a corner.

9.55pm GMT

90 min +1: The first of three added minutes. Coulibaly is booked for a foul on Walker in the middle of the park. After the restart, Kane turns tightly on the left-hand corner of the Gent box, and curls a fine effort inches wide of the right-hand post. That’s a glorious effort, but this is over.

9.53pm GMT

90 min: A corner for Spurs out on the right. Eriksen sends it into the mixer. It drops to the boot of Wanyama, ten yards out. His shot is deflected out for another corner, which is easily cleared by the visitors.

9.52pm GMT

89 min: Janssen comes on for Dier. The Gent fans are filling Wembley with plenty of noise.

9.52pm GMT

88 min: Wanyama has been booked, we didn’t see why. And now Winks has been cautioned for arguing over a common-or-garden free kick in the midfield. Indiscipline has done for Spurs this evening.

9.51pm GMT

86 min: Kane romps into the Gent half and slides the ball to Son on the right. Son has time and space just inside the box, and must make Kalinic work at least. But he blasts wildly over.

9.49pm GMT

85 min: Dier, who had played Coulibaly onside as well as teeing up Perbet for the goal, takes out his frustration on a linesman. He gets right up in his grille, a totally out of proportion reaction over a throw-in. Maybe he wanted a free kick for a previous tussle. Even so.

9.48pm GMT

84 min: Walker makes his way down the right and is stopped illegally by Verstraete, who is booked. The resulting free kick doesn’t lead to anything useful.

9.47pm GMT

Spurs are all over the shop at the back. A simple ball down the middle allows Coulibaly to stride into acres of space down the left. He reaches the box and looks for Perbet in the middle. The cross clanks off Dier’s chest and drops for the striker, who pokes softly into the bottom right-hand corner from ten yards. Tottenham’s race looks run, unless something very dramatic happens in the next ten minutes. They now need two goals.

9.44pm GMT

81 min: Vertonghen strides down the inside-left channel and would be free in the box had Eriksen not slipped midway through a one-two.

9.42pm GMT

79 min: Son probes down the right and earns a corner off Mitrovic. That’s wonderful pestering, Son was very much second favourite in that battle. But the set piece comes to nothing as the same player fails to control a short pass. Meanwhile the clock keeps ticking.

9.40pm GMT

77 min: A corner for Spurs down the right. Alderweireld wins a header, rising on the penalty spot, but can only send it lamely wide left.

9.39pm GMT

76 min: Simon’s missed header was his last contribution this evening. He’s hooked in favour of the first-leg hero Perbet. Spurs meanwhile trade Dembele for Winks.

9.38pm GMT

74 min: Walker is booked for a ludicrously late slide on Gershon. A timing cock-up, rather than anything malicious.

9.37pm GMT

73 min: Saief drops a shoulder to scoot past Dier with ease. He’s free down the left, and crosses deep for the unmarked Simon, who flashes a header into the side netting from eight yards. He should have scored. The away fans momentarily think he did, and celebrate accordingly. The home supporters counter pretty much as you’d imagine.

9.35pm GMT

71 min: Eriksen is this close to releasing Kane down the inside-right channel, but the ball hits the lucky Gershon on the back. Spurs are knocking and knocking, but time is beginning to run out now.

9.33pm GMT

69 min: You’d think it was Gent playing with ten men. Walker dribbles at pace down the right, but with team-mates in the middle, opts for a near-post finish. He lashes the ball into the side netting. On the touchline, Mauricio Pochettino performs the dance of the highly irate.

9.32pm GMT

68 min: Son has made a difference since coming on. He scoots down the right, reaches the by-line and nearly finds Kane at the near post with a low cross. Kane can’t connect. The ball’s put out of play by a yellow shirt on the other side. Corner, which nearly sees Gershon steer a header into his own net from six yards. Kalinic smothers and saves his team-mate’s blushes.

9.30pm GMT

66 min: Kane slides a pass down the inside-right channel and nearly releases Eriksen into the box. Gigot sticks a boot out as the Spurs man attempts to go clear. It’s a fine block, though Eriksen claims a penalty. He’s not getting it. Spurs recycle the ball down the other flank; Alderweireld blooters high and wide from an ambitious range.

9.27pm GMT

64 min: Vertonghen and Foket tangle near the centre circle. Foket pulls the Spurs man down. Vertonghen demands a yellow card, but gets one himself for attempting to referee the game in a bellicose fashion.

9.26pm GMT

63 min: Wembley is bouncing again, but this time it’s the home fans giving it plenty. This is going to be a hell of a half hour!

9.25pm GMT

What a goal! Son dances down the left and fires a low cross into the centre. Kane and Eriksen somehow mess up from six yards. No matter! The ball’s recycled to Walker on the right. He slips the ball inside, Eriksen tees it up with a gentle backflick, and Wanyama, level with the right-hand post, 12 yards out, creams a shot into the top left! Spurs are right back in this! One more goal, and they’re through!

9.23pm GMT

59 min: Walker is found yet again - yet again - in space on the right. His looping cross finds Kane in the centre, but the striker’s header flashes over the crossbar. He’s getting close.

9.21pm GMT

58 min: Spurs roll the dice: Son comes on for Davies.

9.21pm GMT

57 min: Saief gives the ball away in the middle of the park again. Eriksen picks it up and drives down the inside-right channel. He slips the ball forward for Kane, who is one on one with Kalinic, albeit out wide, and at a tight angle. He should still get a shot on target, though, but pulls it across the face of goal and out to the left. Spurs are beginning to create chances, though; there is still hope for the ten men.

9.18pm GMT

55 min: No, Dejaegere can’t continue. With blood on his sock from the Alli tackle, he limps off to be replaced by Verstraete.

9.17pm GMT

53 min: Kane is playing the role of No10 very well at the minute. Again he sits a little deep, turns on a sixpence and flicks a clever ball through a small gap down the inside-left channel. Eriksen is sprung clear into the area, and he tries to round Kalinic. But the keeper has read the situation well, and smothers. So close to getting Spurs back into this tie. Just one goal, and it’s suddenly a realistic prospect.

9.15pm GMT

51 min: Walker makes good down the right yet again. He’s been excellent tonight. His low cross nearly finds Kane on the edge of the six-yard area, but Gershon intercepts brilliantly, just in time. Tonight’s attendance is 80, 465, incidentally. A Europa League record. Which gives us an excuse to be pious: Dele Alli has let every single one of them down.

9.13pm GMT

49 min: Kane, on the edge of the Gent D, wedges a cute pass into the area for the marauding Vertonghen. But Mitrovic is wise to the grift, and ushers Vertonghen out of harm’s way before making off with the ball.

9.11pm GMT

47 min: Saief plays a loose ball in the midfield, allowing Eriksen to blitz down the right wing. He turns this way and that, before snatching at his shot from the edge of the box, the ball trundling harmlessly out of play on the right.

9.09pm GMT

We’re on the move again. Gent get the ball rolling for the second half. They make a change: Matton comes on for Milicevic. Dejaegere is still out there, incidentally, having spent the interval working on the leg worked over by Dele Alli.

8.58pm GMT

In case you missed the breaking news, look at the state of this:

Related: Leicester sack Claudio Ranieri less than a year after winning Premier League

8.54pm GMT

Now it’s Eriksen’s turn to have a long-range blast. Nope. And that’s that for the first half. Spurs started well, but Gent are in the driving seat now. Spurs need two second-half goals to make the last 16. Here, I don’t fancy being Dele Alli when a frowning Mauricio Pochettino reaches the dressing room.

8.51pm GMT

45 min: Kane tries to beat an out-of-position Kalinic from the halfway line. Not close, but full marks for ambition.

8.50pm GMT

44 min: Vertonghen hoicks a speculative effort over the bar from distance. Kalinic is booked for taking an age over the resulting goal kick. Dejaegere doesn’t look like he’s going to be able to continue. He really has been in the wars.

8.49pm GMT

42 min: The red mist really did come down on Alli there. He had been knocked off the ball a couple of seconds earlier, and probably deserved a free kick. But you can’t be responding to a garden-variety refereeing mistake like that.

8.47pm GMT

39 min: This is a disgraceful challenge by Alli, and he can have no argument about his dismissal. He crumps his boot on Dejaegere’s shin, contesting a 50-50 ball with ludicrous intent. Dejaegere’s foot was planted, and his leg bent in sickening fashion. Fortunately, it’s not a break, he’s up and about again soon enough. But that’s the sort of foul that could cause serious injury. Spurs are really up against it now, after an act of extreme stupidity.

8.44pm GMT

38 min: Walker is being afforded far too much time and space out on the right. He’s found in acres yet again, and once more his low cross only just fails to find Kane.

8.43pm GMT

37 min: Dejaegere twisted his knee in his efforts to score there. Looks like he’ll be OK, as he’s back up and running having been magic sponged. But he is grimacing quite a lot.

8.42pm GMT

35 min: Gent come back at Spurs, through Simon down the left. He twists and turns, earning a corner. This one’s hit long, too. Coulibaly rises and heads into the thicket of players in front of him. Simon tries to tee up Dejaegere on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Dembele gets a boot in to stop a certain goal. Dier hacks clear. Spurs are living dangerously at these corners.

8.39pm GMT

34 min: Walker is found in acres down the right. He’s been very impressive tonight. He storms into the area and lashes a shot towards the top right. Kalinic turns it round the post for a corner, and the set piece is a non-event. Meanwhile here’s Peter Oh: “Kane can score an own-goal perfect hat-trick today, and it would be only a tiny blip compared to the massive howler that the Leicester directors have managed.”

8.38pm GMT

31 min: Spurs are nearly caught out as they faff around at the back. But an exquisite Dembele turn gets them out of trouble, and in a split second Walker is tearing down the right. His low cross nearly finds Kane steaming in at the far post, but Gigot bundles the ball out for a corner. The set piece is wasted as Spurs revert to faffing, Dembele dribbling down a dead end and eventually fouling Foket out of frustration.

8.34pm GMT

29 min: More space for Davies down the left. He earns a corner off Foket. Eriksen’s set piece fizzes through the six-yard box. Dele Alli tries a back-flick, and Wanyama can’t connect at the far post. Another chance for a simple finish! But once again, it’s spurned. Meanwhile Brother Simon is back. “Ah, I get it now. They’re going to reappoint Nigel Pearson, finish strongly to stay up, then bring back Ranieri in the summer, thus winning the league again in 2018.”

8.32pm GMT

26 min: Kane, jogging down the right, is stopped in an agricultural manner by Saief, who is booked. The free kick comes to nothing.

8.31pm GMT

25 min: Kane should have scored, and made up for his own goal. Alli slides a lovely pass down the left to release Davies into space. Davies hits a first-time cross into the area, a low ball that evades the Gent defence. Kane seems to lose his balance as he runs to meet the ball, though, and gets his feet all tangled up. For a second, it looked like he would surely sidefoot home from six yards. But the danger is gone.

8.29pm GMT

23 min: Dejaegere is booked for a cynical tug on Eriksen’s shirt, 30 yards from goal. It’s Paul Gascoigne Country. But there’s to be no re-run of the 1991 FA Cup semi against Arsenal. The free kick is clumped straight into the wall by Alderweireld.

8.28pm GMT

22 min: Alli has a blast from distance. It’s high and not particularly handsome. Wembley is bouncing, and it’s the away fans who are doing all the work.

8.27pm GMT

Gent go straight up the other end, though Milicevic down the left. The Gent forward enters the area and is about to shoot when Alderweireld slides in to tackle brilliantly. What a saver! But it’s all in vain, as the corner from the left is hit long. Mitrovic rises high and heads back into the mixer. Kane, trying to clear, loses his bearings and guides the ball into the top left. A precious away goal for Gent. We can’t have extra time now. And Spurs need three to progress.

8.24pm GMT

18 min: Vertonghen channels his inner Franz Beckenbauer and dribbles with great purpose down the inside-left channel. He one-twos with Alli, skips past the sliding Mitrovic in the box, and reaches the by-line. It’s a fantastic run, but his pullback, intended for Alli, doesn’t quite find his man. Such a shame.

8.22pm GMT

16 min: Walker diddles his way down the inside-right channel, this way and that. He ties Gershon up in knots, but having made some space on the edge of the box, blasts a wild effort high and wide right. Spurs have found their groove, though. Meanwhile, here’s Simon McMahon. “That entry on 4 mins is a wind up, right?” Nope. “At least Claudio Ranieri leaves as a reigning Premier League champion, with his (former) club still in the Champions League. Furthermore, he has his dignity. Which is more than can be said for those that made the decision.” Preach on, brother McMahon.

8.19pm GMT

13 min: This is the only scoreline which would lead to extra time. Spurs clearly don’t fancy an extra 30 minutes tonight, and are after another goal quick-smart. The ever-impressive Dele Alli sashays down the left, cuts into the box, and curls one towards the top left. The ball hits Foket’s dangling arm. Alli wants a penalty kick, but he’s not getting it. You’ve seen them given for that, as Foket’s arm was quite a way from his body, but the players were pretty close together, and that probably influenced the referee’s decision.

8.17pm GMT

12 min: Spurs, with a great sense of urgency, come at Gent again. Walker, who has been busy from the get-go, races down the right and slips a ball sideways into the box for Alli. It bobbles before Alli can make contact, and his sidefoot squirts off to the left of the target. But that was a crisp move.

8.16pm GMT

This is so simple! Alderweireld hoicks high and long down the right. Gershon and Mitrovic confuse each other under the high ball, allowing Eriksen to scoot clear towards the box! He takes a touch, steadies himself, and slips a cucumber-cool finish past Kalinic! He rushes to gather the ball from the net. Spurs are in Business Mode!

8.14pm GMT

8 min: Eriksen busies himself down the right. Kane looks to get something on target, but can’t find a way through. It’s all a bit scrappy.

8.12pm GMT

6 min: Not much happening in this game, meanwhile. Alli has 0.0000001 of a second to fashion a shot on the edge of the Gent area. Predictably, given the window of opportunity, he snatches it and the ball screws harmlessly wide to the left.

8.11pm GMT

4 min: Claudio Ranieri has been sacked by Leicester City. What an awful shame. Relegation wouldn’t have sullied their title, you know. This has soured the fairytale all right, though.

8.08pm GMT

2 min: Walker gets on the ball again, finding a bit of space down the right. His ball along the channel is overhit, and Alli can’t get on the end of it.

8.06pm GMT

And we’re off! Spurs get the party started. A huge roar as they send the ball forward and lose it within 13 seconds. But they soon regain possession, and Walker makes off down the right. His low cross is intercepted by Mitrovic, who did very well with a couple of white shirts closing him down. A lovely brisk start!

8.02pm GMT

The teams are out! Spurs are in their famous lilywhite strip, while Gent are in second-choice Borussia Dortmund style neon yellow. A rare old atmosphere ringing around Wembley in anticipation of a cracker. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.52pm GMT

Hein Vanhaezebrouck, the Gent head coach, is in a very breezy mood. “I think it’s going to be a great game! There are so many Belgian fans over here. It will be great for the players. We are looking forward to playing. We have to score, I think. If we don’t, it is going to be very difficult for us. The quicker we score, the better, but if we need to score in the last minute to qualify, I will be pleased with that also! We have two good strikers. Perbet did well at home, but now I am giving Coulibaly the chance. Maybe Perbet will need to come in to make the difference at the end. But both are ready to play!”

7.40pm GMT

Mauricio Pochettino speaks! “It will be an interesting game. We need to keep a good balance between attack and defence. It’s a 90-minute game, and we’re only 1-0 down, so it’s important to be patient. We will try to score as soon as possible, but we have time. We will compete; it will be tough. This is like a final. Wembley is a fantastic place to play football, and we have 90,000 fans, which is fantastic. It is important that we start to feel that Wembley is our home. The Fulham win was important, it was important to rediscover that feeling and regain our confidence.”

7.33pm GMT

Pre-match entertainment: The country has been battered by high winds today. They’ve eased off now, which is an awful shame, as what we’d give for some classic comic cuts like this at Wembley tonight. Thanks to your good friend and mine, Rob Smyth, who remembers all this stuff so we don’t have to.

7.15pm GMT

Spurs make four changes to the XI which started the FA Cup stroll at Craven Cottage last weekend. Michel Vorm, Kieran Trippier, Heung-Min Son and Harry Winks make way for Hugo Lloris, Kyle Walker, Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele.

Gent swap three players from the side sent out to earn a 1-1 draw at St Liege in the Belgian First Division on Sunday. Renato Neto, Nana Asare and Yuya Kubo are replaced by Rami Gershon, Brecht Dejaegere and Moses Simon.

7.05pm GMT

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Walker, Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Wanyama, Dembele, Eriksen, Dele, Kane.
Subs: Vorm, Wimmer, Trippier, Winks, Sissoko, Son, Janssen.

Gent: Kalinic, Gershon, Mitrovic, Gigot, Saief, Esiti, Dejaegere, Foket, Simon, Coulibaly, Milicevic.
Subs: Rinne, Matton, Kalu, Perbet, De Smet, Verstraete, Ibrahim.

12.23pm GMT

Tottenham Hotspur need to seriously raise their continental game. Home defeats to Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco sent them packing from this season’s Champions League; now a limp away defeat in Gent seriously threatens their continued participation in the Europa version. Jérémy Perbet’s first-leg goal has given the mid-table Belgians a half-time advantage, setting Spurs something of a poser. They need to score tonight, but without the insurance of an away goal in their pocket, can’t go too gung-ho. “We need to be clever ... aggressive and ... patient,” stresses Maurico Pochettino, perhaps wary that Wembley hasn’t provided too many home comforts so far this season.

Harry Kane doesn’t consider Spurs temporary base a problem, though. Spurs did beat CSKA Moscow here in their final Champions League group game, easily enough, after a fashion. And the striker is convinced they can build on that. “We won the last time we played there, so we have to use that. We have our stuff on the walls, like Tottenham sayings and Tottenham pictures. We try to make it as much of a home as possible, so we have no excuses. Having 90,000 there is incredible. I think it’s a full house again, so hopefully we can use it to our advantage.”

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Sevilla 2-1 Leicester City: Champions League last 16, first leg – as it happened

Sevilla were threatening to run riot, but Jamie Vardy poached a crucial away goal to give the Premier League champions precious hope.

9.36pm GMT

And that’s that! Jamie Vardy’s away goal has kept Leicester City’s Champions League dreams alive! Sevilla were threatening to run away with this tie. They were two goals to the good, having also missed a penalty, and were probing for a third. But Demarai Gray slipped a clever ball down the left to release Danny Drinkwater into space, and Drinkwater’s dangerous low cross was turned home by Vardy. And in one blistering 2015/16-style move, Leicester were back in it! They’ll now welcome Sevilla to the King Power with hope in their hearts. The second leg promises to be a famous night. We’ll see you for that one, won’t we? Yep, it’s a date!

9.35pm GMT

90 min +2: But from the corner, Leicester clear, and Mahrez goes scampering away down the left. With Gray free on his inside, Carrico has no option but to resort to the professional foul. A booking, and Leicester are very close to an extremely decent result here.

9.33pm GMT

90 min +1: A lot of whistling as Sevilla faff around in the middle of the park. Then Mariano bursts down the right and crosses, panicking Huth into a sliced clearance over his own bar.

9.32pm GMT

90 min: Albrighton makes off down the right, and very nearly slips Vardy clear. Just a little too much pace on the pass. There will be three added minutes.

9.31pm GMT

88 min: Before the corner can be taken, Albrighton is replaced by Amartey. He takes a laughable amount of time to leave the pitch. That’s professionalism, folks! Then Rami rises above Huth and Morgan to slam a header against the top of the crossbar. Blimey.

9.29pm GMT

87 min: Jovetic has a belt from 25 yards He’s looking for the bottom right, but his slapped shot is deflected wide left of goal. Corner, though it was nearly so much worse, as Schmeichel’s feet were planted, having gone the wrong way. Were that on target, it was in.

9.28pm GMT

85 min: Sarabia has a whack from distance. It’s deflected out for a corner, from which nothing comes. All of a sudden, a slightly dull match has turned into Manchester City versus Monaco! This is a glorious end-to-end nonsense.

9.27pm GMT

84 min: Suddenly, on the counter, Leicester are two on two! Gray eats up the turf down the left. He’s got Drinkwater in acres on his right, but opts to go it alone. He tries to drop a shoulder to glide past Mariano, but the excellent Sevilla defender isn’t having it. He puts a stop to Gray’s gallop. In the middle, Drinkwater allows a little steam to escape from his lugs.

9.26pm GMT

83 min: But they can’t afford to concede another, of course. They need to finish the job. Sarabia, out on the right, curls a fine deep cross towards Vitolo at the far post. But the angle’s too tight to convert.

9.25pm GMT

82 min: ...and that’s because Sevilla are getting a little desperate, knowing this result might not be enough. They looked so comfortable for so long: a three or four-goal victory looked within their reach. But Vardy’s first goal in 46 years has changed this tie utterly. People have questioned Leicester’s mentality this season. Well, just look at this!

9.23pm GMT

81 min: Vitolo dribbles with intense purpose down the left, and very nearly breaks clear into the box, but Simpson is tracking back and guides the ball into the arms of Schmeichel. It’s the Leicester fans who are making the most noise now...

9.22pm GMT

80 min: Sevilla play their way upfield and into the Leicester box. Vitolo, on the left, slips the ball inside for Jovetic, who falls over on the penalty spot as he shanks a poor shot wide left. Jovetic claims a penalty, going over Ndidi’s leg, but he’s not getting that.

9.21pm GMT

78 min: The resulting free kick is rather wasted, Fuchs having a dig from 30 yards. Nope! But Gray comes again, out on the left, cutting inside and looking for the top right. His shot is blocked easily enough by Rami, but the young winger has changed Leicester’s mindset, and carried a very real threat. He’s an excellent player, the real deal.

9.20pm GMT

77 min: Leicester have their tails up now! Mahrez goes scampering down the inside-right channel, and he’s upended cynically by Escudero. That’s a booking.

9.19pm GMT

75 min: Sevilla, shocked at the absurdity of conceding a goal given the context of this match, gift Vardy another opportunity, albeit from a ridiculously tight angle to the left of the goal. It’s blocked, but Leicester’s away goal - what a lifeline! - has transformed the atmosphere here! Whistles again from the home crowd. And what could this do for Leicester’s season?! The next 15 minutes are so important, for so many reasons!

9.17pm GMT

And out of absolutely nothing, hope! Gray slips Drinkwater into space down the left. Drinkwater reaches the side of the Sevilla area, and curls a low, hard, brilliant cross into the mixer. Vardy has timed his run into perfection, and smacks the ball home from six yards! Now that’s given this tie a new look!

9.14pm GMT

72 min: Mahrez crosses into the Sevilla box looking for Drinkwater, but Mariano rises gracefully to head clear.

9.14pm GMT

71 min: Gray attempts to recreate his marvellous goal in the FA Cup against Derby County. Rami sticks a foot in the way just before he can pull the trigger. But that was a little burst of quality from the young winger. It wasn’t much, but in the context of this Leicester performance, it was a shimmering shaft of light.

9.12pm GMT

70 min: Vitolo slips a ball down the left to release Jovetic into space. His shot-cum-cross slithers through the six-yard box; Huth does rather well to avoid making contact and running the ball into his own net.

9.11pm GMT

68 min: Sevilla ping it around hither and yon. Jovetic breaks the steady rhythm by bursting down the right. The resulting corner comes to nothing, but this is looking very ominous for Leicester. They’ve got 20-odd minutes to hold onto a little hope. A third would do it for Sevilla, you’d think.

9.09pm GMT

65 min: There’s a satisfied purr going round the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán now. An away goal for Leicester would alter the picture, of course, but right now that looks like a pipe dream. The visitors can’t keep hold of the ball.

9.07pm GMT

63 min: That’s Correa’s last act of the evening. He’s replaced by Iborra. The first rule of showbiz: leave them wanting more.

9.05pm GMT

They’re not so irritated now. And this was so simple. A long ball down the middle is brought down on the edge of the Leicester box by Jovetic. With his back to goal, he draws Huth and Morgan, who lumber into each other. Jovetic flicks to the left, where Correa is unmarked. Correa lashes high into the net past Schmeichel, and Leicester are in a little trouble now.

9.03pm GMT

61 min: The set piece comes to nothing, but Leicester do enjoy a little bit of sterile possession after their attacking danger subsides. For the first time this evening, the home fans resort to irritated whistling.

9.02pm GMT

60 min: A terrible infield pass by Mariano is intercepted by Vardy, who finds Gray. A lovely shimmy works space for Drinkwater, who makes good towards the Sevilla box. His low shot is deflected and nearly squirts into the bottom left. Corner.

9.00pm GMT

58 min: Gray comes on for Musa, whose last act of the evening was to run the ball out of play for a goal kick down the left, while in a decent position. Musa was dismal tonight; his lack of tracking back and closing down allowed Escudero the time and space to cross for Sevilla’s goal.

8.59pm GMT

56 min: Correa jigs around down the left. His deep cross finds Sarabia, free in the right-hand portion of the Leicester area. Huth half closes him down, and it’s just about enough, Sarabia snatching at a shot meant for the bottom right. It dribbles harmlessly wide of the target.

8.57pm GMT

55 min: Lenglet goes down holding his leg. He’s up on his feet again soon enough, but only to limp off. Carrico comes on in his wake.

8.56pm GMT

53 min: Goodness knows how that Vitolo shot didn’t cross the line. Anyway, after that lively Leicester start to the half, Sevilla are hogging the ball again.

8.54pm GMT

51 min: A nice, open start to this half. First Ndidi sends a fine dipping shot towards Rico from distance; a little either side of the keeper and Sevilla were in trouble there. But they go up the other end, Nasri slipping a gorgeous pass down the left channel to release Vitolo into the area. He’s facing Schmeichel from a very tight angle. And here comes Schmeichel’s first mistake of an otherwise impressive evening, as he allows Vitolo to beat him at his near post. He’s saved by his left-hand post, though: the ball clatters off the base of it, across the face of the goal, and away. Leicester breathe again!

8.52pm GMT

49 min: Mahrez, who has been quiet all season, wakes up and embarks on a baroque ramble down the right. He reaches the by-line, twists and turns, and tries to cross. The ball loops off a white shirt and harmlessly into the arms of Rico, but that is also a lot better.

8.50pm GMT

48 min: Mariano has a dig from the best part of 30 yards. It’s overly ambitious and heading miles to the left, but takes a huge deflection off Correa, to the left of the D, and nearly squeaks into the bottom left. The excellent Schmeichel smothers.

8.49pm GMT

46 min: Leicester have obviously been given a rocket by Ranieri. Vardy snaps at Rico’s heels, forcing the Sevilla goalkeeper into a hurried clearance. Then Ndidi steals the ball in the midfield and lays off to Musa, who has Drinkwater in space down the right. He really should make the simple pass, but opts to shoot towards the bottom left from 25 yards. His pea-roller flies harmlessly wide. But that’s much better already from Leicester.

8.47pm GMT

Here we go again, then! Leicester get the ball rolling for a huge second period: an away goal would change everything. No half-time substitutions. And here’s Kári Tulinius: “This half gave me flashbacks to the early 90s when tactically insular English teams got outplayed by much more sophisticated European teams and the English side would have to rely on last-gasp defending and outstanding goalkeeping to even stay in it. Makes me want to put Screamadelica on.”

8.36pm GMT

Half-time reading: It was raining goals at the City of Manchester Stadium last night. A cue for Nick Ames to recall some other memorable Champions League thrills!

Related: From Istanbul to the Etihad: eight of the most exciting Champions League games | Nick Ames

8.34pm GMT

Mariano crosses deep from the right. Vitolo, six yards out, should get his header on target, but Simpson makes a nuisance of himself and puts him off. And that’s that for the half. Sevilla go into the break happy enough despite Correa’s missed penalty; they’ve been utterly dominant. Leicester have 15 minutes worth of hard thinking to do.

8.31pm GMT

45 min: Vardy goes up for Simpson’s long high ball. He nearly gets the jump on Rami. Nearly, not quite. He’s feeding on scraps.

8.29pm GMT

43 min: The free kick, from a central position, is curled gently by Mahrez towards Morgan near the right-hand post. It’s telegraphed and easily defended.

8.27pm GMT

42 min: But here’s a chance as Vardy has a short sprint 30 yards from the Sevilla goal and is clumsily upended by N’Zonzi. A free kick, and a chance for Leicester to load the box.

8.26pm GMT

41 min: Albrighton bursts down the left but eventually runs out of road. Leicester have done nothing up front at all.

8.26pm GMT

40 min: A break as Escudero gets treatment for a bang on the head. He’ll be fine to continue.

8.25pm GMT

38 min: Nasri swings one in high from the left. Rami is loitering. Schmeichel comes off his line to punch clear from danger. The next seven minutes are huge in this tie, perhaps in the context of Leicester’s entire season if we want to be melodramatic about it. Leicester certainly can’t afford to ship another before the break.

8.24pm GMT

37 min: A loose pass by Simpson down the Sevilla left allows Vitolo to make good for the Leicester area. The Sevilla captain lays off for Correa, who arrows a low shot towards the bottom left. It’s parried brilliantly by Schmeichel, who has single-handedly ensured this hasn’t already turned into a rout.

8.21pm GMT

35 min: A throw for Leicester, deep in Sevilla territory down the right. Musa flings it long, hoping to find the head of Ndidi in the box, but Lenglet nuts clear without fuss. It’s not much, but it’s something. And if Leicester can hang on until half-time, maybe they can make some running tactical repairs.

8.19pm GMT

33 min: Leicester are struggling to keep hold of the ball. But Sevilla faff about in the middle of the park, easing the pressure for a little while. The home fans make up for the slight lull by giving it plenty.

8.18pm GMT

31 min: Sarabia, on the right-hand edge of the Leicester area, curls one across Schmeichel towards the bottom left. The keeper just about gets a hand to it, though it only instigates a brouhaha in the area. Neither Correa nor Vitolo can get a clean shot away, and the ball bobbles out to the right of the goal. Leicester can’t keep on like this.

8.16pm GMT

30 min: Nasri chases across the front of the Leicester area, right to left, in the style of George Best. He can’t quite work an opening for a shot. But Leicester are sitting back, and inviting trouble.

8.15pm GMT

28 min: On the touchline, Claudio Ranieri wears a furrowed brow. And no wonder. Leicester have made an unwelcome habit of folding after conceding recently. They can’t afford a repeat of the Manchester United and Swansea City games here. And right now, they’re chasing shadows. So much for that extra spring after the penalty miss.

8.13pm GMT

26 min: Now it’s Leicester who need to clear their heads. Pretty much straight from the restart, Jovetic comes tearing into acres of space in the middle of the Leicester half. He has a dig from 25 yards. It balloons off the back of Huth, and nearly loops hysterically over Schmeichel and into the net. The Leicester keeper punches over the bar, and the resulting corner comes to nothing.

8.12pm GMT

Vitolo nearly opens Leicester up down the left. His shot from a tight angle is blocked. No matter, as the hosts come again. Escudero crosses deep from the left. Sarabia, level with the right-hand post and 12 yards out, crashes a glorious header across the planted Schmeichel and into the bottom left, off the post. There was no stopping that!

8.10pm GMT

24 min: Signs that Sevilla have recovered from that brief post-penalty lethargy. They’re dominating possession again, pressing Leicester back. Touches for the men in blue are at a premium right now.

8.09pm GMT

22 min: Correa zips down the right and pulls a low ball across the front of the Leicester box. Escudero rushes in and meets it first time, steering a fine sidefoot towards the bottom right from the right-hand edge of the D. It’s heading in, but Schmeichel’s reactions are superb and he’s over to parry the ball then gather.

8.07pm GMT

21 min: Nasri chips a clever ball down the inside-right channel which nearly opens Leicester up. But Correa, chasing it, can’t keep it in. Goal kick.

8.05pm GMT

19 min: Musa, out on the right, attempts to release Vardy in the middle with a very ambitious low, curling pass from deep. To be fair, it nearly comes off, but he was one on one with Escudero on the wing, and dropping a shoulder might have been a better bet.

8.04pm GMT

17 min: Albrighton finds a moment down the left, and whips a threatening cross into the Sevilla box. Morgan, of all people, is hanging around up front, and very nearly gets his head onto the ball. Sevilla need to clear their heads after spurning that chance to take the lead.

8.03pm GMT

16 min: Leicester, to a man, have an added spring in their step. Vardy causes a little bother with his buzzing around. Then Mahrez bursts with purpose down the left. He earns a throw in a deep position. Leicester pack the box, and the throw is wasted, but this is already a vast improvement.

8.01pm GMT

14 min: Correa’s earned the right to take the spot kick, but he makes an awful balls of it. A lame scuff towards the bottom left, and Schmeichel, guessing correctly, is able to smother with ease! An early blow for Leicester has suddenly turned into quite the boost!

7.59pm GMT

13 min: Mariano, who has been very busy down the right, crosses low into the area. Leicester can only half clear. Correa picks up the ball to the right of the goal, and is heading backwards when he’s upended by a clumsy Morgan lunge. A no-brainer of a decision for the referee.

7.58pm GMT

11 min: Mariano finds a bit of space down the right and whips low and hard into the Leicester box. Jovetic, on the penalty spot, tries to sidefoot powerfully home, but he’s hindered by Simpson, who sticks tight. Jovetic can only squirt the ball wide of the left post, never threatening the goal.

7.56pm GMT

10 min: Vitolo goes on a wander down the left flank, and earns a corner off Morgan. The set piece is sent towards Nasri, six yards out by the near post. He flicks it towards the top right, and for a second it looks like it might creep in, but Schmeichel plucks it out of the sky, in actual fact always in control.

7.55pm GMT

8 min: Leicester aren’t seeing too much of the ball. Sevilla are quite happy to ping it around the middle and wait for something to happen.

7.54pm GMT

6 min: Fuchs goes a damn sight closer to scoring here, albeit at the other end. He stoops to head a loose ball back to Schmeichel on the edge of the Leicester box. Trouble is, Schmeichel doesn’t anticipate his involvement, and keeps following the ball. Fuchs’ header is heading straight for the goal, but Schmeichel adjusts himself in mid air, like Billy the Fish, and sticks a big hand out to gather. That was close to disaster. Schmeichel gives Fuchs the full $%^&*!$ treatment when he springs up, though it was honest miscommunication rather than a full-on howler.

7.51pm GMT

5 min: Up the other end, Leicester have a early dig themselves, though it’s a hell of an ambitious effort. Fuchs has a look from 30 yards; his shot flies 30 yards over.

7.50pm GMT

3 min: Mariano Ferreira, N’Zonzi and Rami try to get something going down the Sevilla right, but it’s all a bit slow. No matter, they come again, and Sarabia turns on the jets a little to cut inside from the same flank, before sending a screaming dipper inches over the bar from 25 yards. Not entirely sure whether Schmeichel would have got back to tip that over, had it been on target, creeping under the bar. Maybe, looking at the replay. But it was very close.

7.47pm GMT

2 min: Sevilla with more of the passing around the back. They’re in no rush.

7.47pm GMT

And we’re off! The home side get the ball rolling. They knock it around the back for a bit. Vardy makes his presence felt by chasing around at high speed. Everyone just feeling their way into the game.

7.44pm GMT

The teams are out! Sevilla, the Europa League champions, are in their white shirts with red trim; Leicester City, the champions of England, wear royal blue. The Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán is pumping. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.39pm GMT

A cheerful Claudio Ranieri speaks! “When you play in the Champions League, the players are focused. It is a big match, and a big job, because Sevilla have won the Europa League three times in a row. They are strong, but we can show our football. Always I am positive, and I believe in my players. I believe this is the time we can come back. I would like us to score an away goal. Maybe we could also not concede one!”

Incidentally, former Leicester manager Martin O’Neill has just delivered, on BT Sport, via the medium of apoplexy, his take on Ranieri’s current travails. “Listen! Get the picture! They are playing in the last 16 in the Champions League! Leicester City! And he’s been responsible for it! He has earned the right to see this season through.” O’Neill was in full Not Having It mode there. He’s wonderful to listen to when he’s on one.

7.31pm GMT

In case you were unaware, there’s already been some European action involving an English side tonight. Manchester United travelled to France to conclude their Europa League round-of-32 tie with St-Étienne. Jamie Jackson was at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard, and here’s the story of a 1-0 formality for Jose Mourinho’s men.

Also please don’t forget that Porto host Juventus this evening in the final Champions League round-of-16 tie. For up-to-the-minute news of that one, Jacob Steinberg is, like a pint of plain, your only man.

7.25pm GMT

Some light reading, while we wait for the big kick-off? Here’s the latest masterpiece from the good doctor, Sid Lowe, who has been talking to Steven N’Zonzi, the centrepiece of this Sevilla side and one of the best players in Spain right now. So tell us, Steven, what’s it like to play under Sam Allardyce and Tony Pulis?

Related: From Stoke to Sevilla: the startling rise and reinvention of Steven N’Zonzi | Sid Lowe

7.17pm GMT

According to the chappie from BT Sport, Demarai Gray isn’t happy that he’s been left out of the starting line-up. In some respects, you can understand that: Gray is probably the only Leicester player who has enhanced his reputation this season, and has certainly shown excellent form in recent weeks. On the other hand, he’s 20 years old, he’s good enough to expect plenty of other opportunities to start in the Champions League later in his career, and like everyone else in this squad, he should have Claudio Ranieri’s back, after all the kindly Italian has done for Leicester. But that’s just one report, so let’s not pile on: perhaps the guy from BT Sport, who says Gray was “almost sulking” in the dugout, just caught the player in a pensive moment.

7.03pm GMT

The hosts make three changes to their starting line-up from last Saturday, when they beat Eibar 2-0 in La Liga. Gabriel Mercado, Wissam Ben Yedder and Franco Vazquez make way for Mariano Ferreira, Joaquin Correa and the captain Vitolo.

Leicester City meanwhile make ten swaps from the side sent out to face Millwall in last Saturday’s FA Cup defeat. Only Ahmed Musa keeps his place. Perhaps it’s more relevant to point out that there’s only one change from the XI who disgraced themselves at Swansea in the last Premier League outing. Musa is in; Demarai Gray is out.

6.56pm GMT

Sevilla: Rico, Rami, Lenglet, Escudero, Ferreira, N’Zonzi, Sarabia, Vitolo, Nasri, Jovetic, Correa.
Subs: Soria, Kranevitter, Carrico, Iborra, Vietto, Ben Yedder, Vazquez.

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Albrighton, Drinkwater, Ndidi, Musa, Mahrez, Vardy.
Subs: Zieler, Chilwell, King, Amartey, Okazaki, Gray, Benalouane.

10.54am GMT

Leicester City first played Spanish opposition back in 1961. They were England’s representatives in the Cup Winners’ Cup, having lost that year’s FA Cup final to double-winning Tottenham Hotspur. Paired with Atlético Madrid in the second round, they were going well in the first leg at Filbert Street, leading through a Ken Keyworth goal, until Jorge Mendonça popped up with an 89th-minute equaliser. Atlético eased to a 2-0 victory back in Madrid, and that was that. The pair met again in 1997, Ian Marshall scoring Leicester’s only goal of a 4-1 aggregate defeat in the first round of the Uefa Cup. Third time lucky against a team from Spain, then?

You can be forgiven for not fancying their chances. Leicester are famously struggling at present, the champions of England in real danger of relegation from the Premier League having lost their last five matches in that competition on the bounce, scoring a grand total of zero goals during that sequence. They’ve also just been knocked out of the FA Cup by ten-man Millwall of the third tier. Sevilla meanwhile have been going great guns in La Liga, on the coat-tails of Real Madrid and Barcelona in the title race. They’re also not half handy in Europe, having won the last three stagings of the Europa League. And English opposition holds no fear for them: as well as seeing off Liverpool in last season’s Europa final, they did the same for Middlesbrough in the 2006 Uefa Cup final, and dispatched Spurs from the Uefa Cup quarters in 2007. They’re three from three in knockout competition against Premier League opponents.

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The Fiver | Scrabbling around the bottom of the Championship

In today’s Fiver: Blackeye Rovers, Pep gets the fear and Britain’s Ryan Giggs

It breaks The Fiver’s heart to see Blackeye Rovers suffering like this. After all, it’s only two short decades since future Liverpool and England supremo Mr Roy left them bottom of the Premier League and without a hope in hell of escaping releg … hold on, this is an extremely bad example … since Kenny Dalglish inspired them to their first English title since 1914. Happy days! Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton up front, of course, but there were other heroes too: Colin Hendry, Tim Flowers, Matthew Simmons, Andy Cole … the list goes on and on. Twenty-two years, though. The Fiver feels so very old. The Fiver is so very old. Bah! Sob! Here, these antidepressants don’t have much of a half-life.

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Manchester City 5-3 Monaco: Champions League last 16, first leg – as it happened

City and Monaco served up one of the greatest games in Champions League history, an eight-goal thriller that’ll live long in the memory.

9.38pm GMT

Eight goals, one missed penalty, another contentious penalty non-decision, a few finishes of extreme brilliance, and a couple of egregious howlers thrown in. All that was missing was a bench-emptying brawl for a full house. Magnificent entertainment. All back here for the second leg in Monaco, then? OK, it’s a date!

Related: Sergio Agüero helps Manchester City pull it out of the fire against Monaco

9.36pm GMT

90 min +2: A long hoof down the middle. Had Sane chested it stone dead, he’d have been through on goal, but he can’t quite control properly. A ninth goal is probably too much to ask, to be fair.

9.34pm GMT

90 min +1: Silva wastes a bit of time by dribbling down a dead end on the left. He falls over and wants another free kick, but he’s not getting it.

9.34pm GMT

90 min: Sidibe yanks down De Bruyne on the City left. A free kick in a dangerous area, but City aren’t loading the box. You can’t blame them. There will be three added minutes. Can we not have 33?

9.32pm GMT

89 min: The excellent Sterling is replaced by Jesus Navas.

9.32pm GMT

88 min: Bakayoko is replaced by Dirar. Lemar curls a deep free kick into the City box from the left. Caballero comes off his line to claim. Great cheers.

9.30pm GMT

86 min: Joao Moutinho comes on for Bernardo Silva. Fabinho whacks a witless free kick into a City wall from 25 yards. Caballero punches a Monaco corner well clear of trouble. Aguero is replaced by Fernando. Just another boring 60 seconds at the Etihad.

9.28pm GMT

84 min: And now the action goes up the other end. Mendy whips a cross in low from the left; Falcao nearly sweeps a shot home but Caballero sticks a strong leg out to thwart him!

9.27pm GMT

This was so simple. Silva, dropping deep, pitching-wedges forward towards Aguero, who enters the Monaco box along the inside-left channel. Where are the Monaco defenders? City won’t care! Aguero slips the ball inside for Sane, who has a simple tap in! This is astonishing!

9.25pm GMT

82 min: Sane drops a shoulder with a view to scooting down the left. He’s dragged back by Fabinho, who is booked. And from the free kick...

9.25pm GMT

80 min: Aguero fancies a hat-trick. He trundles down the inside-left channel and lashes a majestic shot towards the bottom right. Subasic, whose hands have occasionally flapped like the doors in a haunted house, keeps a strong wrist for this one. Fifteen minutes ago, we were saying it’s very unlikely to end 2-3. Anyone confident this will finish 4-3? No, us neither.

9.23pm GMT

79 min: De Bruyne races down the left but for once, with men in the box, his delivery is lacking.

9.22pm GMT

78 min: Germain comes on for Mbappe. Does a quick substitution count as a lull? Phew! Dear oh dear.

9.21pm GMT

De Bruyne fizzes a cross over the six-yard box. Toure rises and eyebrows delicately on towards Stones at the far post. And Stones makes up for his earlier error by sticking out a boot and guiding home! What an astonishing football match this is!

9.20pm GMT

76 min: Now Bernardo Silva does get booked, for a cynical hoick at De Bruyne’s shoulder, the City man hoping to power down the left. The free kick is sent down the flank, and Aguero earns a corner which De Bruyne goes over to take. And from the set piece...

9.18pm GMT

73 min: Silva’s gallop down the right is stopped by a Bernardo Silva tug. A free kick, but no caution. Zabaleta wants one, though and is booked for complaining. The resulting free kick comes to nothing. “This is like a game taking place in Kevin Keegan’s imagination,” observes Mike Gibbons. Indeed: it’s like Newcastle 96 v Newcastle 96.

9.15pm GMT

A corner for City on the left. De Bruyne loops a cross deep, and it comes off the back of Glik. Another corner, this time on the right. Silva takes, and drops it onto the foot of Aguero, inexplicably free on the edge of the six-yard box. Aguero isn’t turning his nose up at this sort of chance, and steers a wonderful volley into the bottom right past a planted Subasic. This match is beyond brilliant.

9.13pm GMT

69 min: Sterling dribbles into the Monaco area down the inside-right channel and is bundled off the ball. Mendy gets a good challenge in, though the home fans want a penalty, as does an ironically grinning Pep Guardiola on the touchline. But that looks a good decision. The ball breaks to Sane on the penalty spot, but he can’t get a shot away. Monaco sprint up the other end, Mbappe twisting and turning down the left and lashing a shot into the side netting. Had that gone in, the Etihad would be currently in orbit.

9.11pm GMT

68 min: Mendy makes off down the left and swings a fine cross into the centre. The only City man in the area is Sagna, and he plants a fine header back upfield with three red-and-white shirts lurking.

9.11pm GMT

67 min: Falcao is booked for a late slide on Stones. He can’t have any complaints, and to be fair he doesn’t go down that road.

9.09pm GMT

65 min: Zabaleta jigs down the right and reaches the by-line, but his pull back doesn’t quite find the lurking Aguero, and is cleared. On 54 minutes we suggested this wouldn’t end 1-2. Eleven minutes down the line, and it’s very unlikely to end 2-3.

9.08pm GMT

64 min: City respond by flinging a couple of crosses into the Monaco box. There’s no presence in the middle, and on both occasions the ball’s headed clear by visiting defenders. One Bakayoko header is particularly timely.

9.07pm GMT

62 min: Bolted Horse latest. Zabaleta comes on for Fernandinho.

9.06pm GMT

And this changes everything back again. A long ball down the Monaco left. It’s Stones versus Falcao, and Stones should win. But he prods with great uncertainty at the ball, then falls over lightly, allowing Falcao to zip into the area. Now, this could go down as a cock-up, but Falcao still has much to do, and such is the quality of his finish that it’s all about the striker’s genius. He draws Caballero and chips delicately over the keeper, fully upright, into the empty net! What an exquisite touch! What a finish! And, all right, what an error by Stones. But still.

9.03pm GMT

City are back in it, and what a dreadful mistake by Subasic in the Monaco goal! Sterling steals possession deep in their own half. He romps up the right, and slides a pass further up the channel to release Aguero. The striker’s goal drought ends when he takes a shot from the edge of the box towards the bottom right. The keeper must gather, but he fumbles it awfully, the ball going straight through him and into the net! Wow: did City need that! But that changes everything. And the crowd are bouncing.

8.59pm GMT

56 min: ... whips the ball across the face of the six-yard box. Aguero sticks out a boot in the hope of poking home. He can’t quite connect, and he’s a couple of inches offside anyway.

8.59pm GMT

55 min: Sterling turns on the jets down the right, and is brought down by Bakayoko. That’s a booking, and a chance for City to load the box. De Bruyne takes the free kick, and ...

8.58pm GMT

54 min: Sagna tries to oblige, crossing into the box from the right. Sidibe hacks clear. This is extremely unlikely to end 1-2.

8.57pm GMT

53 min: Fernandinho only half clears, allowing Lemar to dribble down the right and reach the by-line. City again clear their lines, but they’re looking extremely nervous at the back. Monaco are pressing them deep. City desperately need something to turn the tide.

8.56pm GMT

52 min: Monaco don’t appear to have lost heart, though. They come at City again, through Mbappe down the right. He earns a corner, which leads to another corner. From which ...

8.55pm GMT

50 min: That’s another controversial decision; it wasn’t totally clear that Otamendi took Falcao down. But a spot kick it is. And it’s saved! Falcao stutters like a poor man’s Zaza, and sidefoots an appallingly weak effort towards the bottom right. Caballero goes down in instalments, and smothers with a yawn. City survive!

8.53pm GMT

49 min: There’s space for Mendy down the left. City are in all sorts of bother at the back. Mendy whips in a low ball. Falcao and Otamendi tangle, six yards out. For a second, it looks like it’s a goal kick, the ball squirting off to the right. But after a long pause, the referee books Otamendi and points to the spot!

8.52pm GMT

48 min: Bernardo Silva looks the business. He hovers around down the right, first nearly releasing Falcao, then Fabinho. But neither pass quite reaches his man. And then Monaco come again. And...

8.50pm GMT

46 min: City start in the positive manner, De Bruyne making good down the right and very nearly springing Sterling down the channel with a clever through ball. He’s overcooked the pass a little, though, and it goes out for a goal kick. A decent move, though.

8.49pm GMT

And we’re off again! That was an absurdly entertaining first 45; if the second period is half as good, we’ll be in for a cracker. On BT Sport, Rio Ferdinand gives City something to cling to: Monaco have some attack, but their defence isn’t particularly great, so there are bound to be chances to get back into this tie. City get the ball rolling again. Incidentally, it seems Sterling wasn’t booked in the wake of the non-penalty controversy; the fourth official was confused. So he’s still available for the second leg!

8.36pm GMT

Half-time quiz: The Liberation of the Lateral. Is it:
(a) an academic paper by Noam Chomsky;
(b) a Super Furry Animals album track; or
(c) part of a theory Jonathan Wilson has about attacking full-backs?
Click here for the answer!

8.33pm GMT

Are those 45 minutes up already? Phew. Absolutely breathless. City have played well, but Monaco have been ruthless in attack, and deservedly go in with two precious away goals in their back pocket. City, however, will point to that contentious penalty non-decision, and should come out for the second half with renewed purpose. The rest of this match promises to be a corker. Don’t go anywhere, now!

8.31pm GMT

44 min: City attack again, but Monaco strip the ball off them and take off down the other end. Bernardo Silva slips a pass down the left for Falcao, who strides into the box and lashes a shot into the side netting. So close to putting City into all sorts of trouble.

8.30pm GMT

42 min: The Silva-Sane partnership has been the one high point for City so far. They combine down the left again, Sane reaching the by-line and whipping the ball into the six-yard box. Subasic makes a meal of stopping the cross, but it’s eventually hacked clear.

8.28pm GMT

Fabinho hoicks the set piece long down the right. A couple of bounces, and Mbeppe is running clear of Otamendi down the inside-right channel. He enters the area, and lashes a shot hard and high past Caballero, who had no chance, the shot would have taken his head off. Monaco are serious dark horses for this year’s Champions League, aren’t they.

8.26pm GMT

40 min: Now it’s a yellow card for Fernandinho, who hangs out a leg to stop Fabinho charging down the right. And straight from the free kick...

8.25pm GMT

38 min: Sterling has been booked for remonstrating with the referee in the wake of that penalty non-decision. He’ll miss the second leg of this tie.

8.24pm GMT

36 min: Monaco go up the other end, in the direct route-one style, and nearly take the lead, Mbappe bustling down the inside left and rasping a stunning rising shot towards the top left from 20 yards. It’s only just over the bar. Not sure Caballero would have saved that, were the shot on target.

8.23pm GMT

34 min: The City of Manchester Stadium explodes in anger as Aguero chases a ball down the middle, breaks clear into the area, and tries to round Subasic on his left. Subasic gets the lightest of touches on the ball. Aguero clatters into his outhanging leg and goes over. Penalty? Nope! The referee books Aguero for diving, which is beyond harsh. It looked a penalty. On the touchline, pints of steam parp out of Pep Guardiola’s lugs. This will be mentioned in dispatches.

8.20pm GMT

Caballero chips a clearance out to the City left wing. Benjamin Mendy intercepts, and sends Fabinho down the Monaco right. It’s another delicious cross, and Falcao flies in to Keith Houchen a magnificent diving header into the bottom right. A slight balls-up by the keeper, there, though Monaco still had plenty to do. A crucial away goal.

8.17pm GMT

30 min: What a cross by Bernardo Silva, out on the left! He whips a ball towards the far post, where Fernandinho clears under extreme pressure from Sidibe, six yards out. More luck than judgement there, as it came off his back. But it’ll do.

8.15pm GMT

28 min: Sane, Sterling, Aguero and Silva come flooding forward again. Monaco suddenly look rattled. But Sidibe stands up and stems the tide this time.

8.14pm GMT

Sane dribbles down the left and exchanges passes with Silva. He’s in the box, clear of the desperately sliding Sidibe. He fizzes a low cross into the middle, and Sterling sidefoots home. He couldn’t miss! Shades of offside? Maybe! But City won’t care!

8.12pm GMT

25 min: Sidibe is booked for a cynical touch on Sane. And from the free kick, out on the left...

8.12pm GMT

23 min: And here we go again. From the right edge of the Monaco box, De Bruyne contorts his body to whip a surprise first-time cross into the area, catching the opposition asleep. Aguero surely must score from six yards, but he fresh-air swipes his attempted sidefoot. Fernandinho attempts gamely to keep the move going on the other flank, but fails. Aguero is on a six-game run without a goal, uncharted territory for a player so good.

8.09pm GMT

22 min: I suppose two minutes without bedlam in either area constitutes something of a lull. It’d be harsh to complain too much, though.

8.07pm GMT

20 min: This is wonderful end-to-end fun. Monaco win a corner down the right. It’s not cleared properly by Toure, who eyebrows the cross to the far post. The ball bounces off a startled Glik from close range, and out of play to the left. City go up the other end, and earn a corner of their own down their right. Sane dribbles into the area from that flank, but his low fizzing cross is hacked clear by Mendy.

8.05pm GMT

18 min: Room for Mendy down the left wing. His low cross nearly finds Falcao in the middle, and Caballero doesn’t gather the ball with confidence. But the flag goes up for offside, saving City’s bacon.

8.04pm GMT

16 min: Good luck in guessing the identity of the opening scorer. City nearly embarrass Monaco twice down the right wing, first Aguero and then Sterling trying to beat a wandering Subasic from a tight angle. But they can’t get the ball into the middle. “What odds, do you think, a bookmaker might offer on Pep Guardiola gorging ostentatiously on a meat pie during the game?” wonders Charles Antaki. No idea. But would he be so silly? Getting gravy on that nice sweater or club tie would surely constitute a sackable offence.

8.02pm GMT

14 min: This is breathless fun. The excellent Bernardo Siva jinks in from the right, nutmegs Toure, then slides a ball down the channel which very nearly releases Falcao. For a second, it looks as though the striker will power clear on goal, but he’s not what he was in that sense, as Manchester United and Chelsea fans would agree. Still, City were very nearly opened up there, and they’ve got Stones to thank for retrieving the situation.

7.59pm GMT

12 min: Sterling looks up for this. Now he exchanges a one-two with Silva down the inside-left channel, reaching the by-line and pulling back for Silva, who sidefoots into an unguarded net from eight yards. Problem is, Monaco had long stopped playing, because Sterling had wandered offside in order to receive the initial pass from Silva.

7.58pm GMT

11 min: Monaco are causing City all manner of bother. Bernardo Silva zips on the outside of Fernandinho out on the right. He very nearly finds Lemar with a pullback from the by-line, but Stones and Otamendi put up an effective barrier.

7.57pm GMT

9 min: Mbappe embarks on a power dribble down the inside-left channel. He reaches the City area and very nearly works enough space for a shot. But not quite. A promising run by a very promising player.

7.55pm GMT

8 min: Sane, out on the left touchline, drops a shoulder to cut inside. He’s cynically blocked by Glik, who will now miss the return leg in Monaco as a result. And of course he’s now got to play 82 minutes of this match on a booking. The resulting free kick leads to nothing.

7.54pm GMT

7 min: Some space for Sane down the left. He should be sent clear into the box by Silva, but the pass forces him a little wide. Sane still manages to get a shot away, but can only blaze wildly over the bar.

7.53pm GMT

6 min: ... the ball’s headed clear with purpose by Toure. But the lively visitors are straight back at City, and Lemar has a whack from afar. His effort is shepherded out to the right of the target by Caballero, who is always in control of the situation. This isn’t ending goalless.

7.52pm GMT

5 min: Bernardo Silva zips with pace down the right and slips the ball to Sidibe on his outside. Another corner, from which ...

7.50pm GMT

3 min: City come straight back at Monaco, De Bruyne and Toure combining down the right, the latter chipping a ball down the channel to release Sterling into the box. Sterling looks to cross low but the ball is smothered by Subasic, who has closed down the angle well. The ball flies out for a corner, but it’ll be Monaco’s ball as Sterling was a yard offside. But what an open start! In a parallel universe, this game is 1-1 already.

7.49pm GMT

2 min: Monaco have flown out of the blocks all right. They press, press, press as City pass it around the back, and earn themselves a corner down the right. The ball’s laid back to Sidibe, who loops long into the City box. There are three Monaco men at the far post, and not very many blue shirts. Fortunately for City, the cross is too high for all of them.

7.47pm GMT

And we’re off! Two attack-minded teams here tonight. Monaco get the ball rolling, and immediately get on the front foot. No hanging about. Bernardo Silva thinks about breaking down the right, but he’s a bit over-eager in a challenge with Sagna and the first attack of the evening is over.

7.43pm GMT

The teams are out! Manchester City are in their iconic sky-blue shirts. Monaco wear their famous red-and-white diagonal. The official Champions League anthem gets the bird, as it always does round these parts, comically so, and more power to everyone’s elbow there. Handel will be spinning at a minimum of 78 revolutions per minute in his grave at what Uefa have done to his wee tune. Anyway, we’ll be off in a minute!

7.35pm GMT

Pep Guardiola is interviewed, and he’s not saying much about his own selection, other than City have a lot of injuries. But he can’t stop praising tonight’s visitors. “It will be a good match. They score a lot of goals. We will see, but I think it will be a good game. Monaco attack with a lot of people, with the wingers playing inside, and strong full backs. They can go up and down many times. They will look to attack us with runs in behind, they are so quick. It is a tough draw, but we will try!” Expectation management? Or lulling Monaco into a false sense of security? We will see all right!

7.20pm GMT

Some pre-match reading: How have Monaco closed the gap on Paris Saint-Germain without resorting to their old bank-breaking antics? Igor Mladenovic has the answer.

Related: How Monaco fashioned a table-topping team from their own academy | Igor Mladenovic

6.58pm GMT

It’s probably no huge surprise that Pep Guardiola has made seven changes to the City team he sent out at Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup on Saturday. John Stones, Fernandinho, Nicolas Otamendi and Sergio Aguero are the only back-to-back starters; Willy Caballero, Bacary Sagna, Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane, David Silva and Yaya Toure are simply back.

6.47pm GMT

Manchester City: Caballero, Fernandinho, Otamendi, Stones, Sagna, Yaya Toure, De Bruyne, David Silva, Sane, Sterling, Aguero.
Subs: Bravo, Zabaleta, Fernando, Nolito, Navas, Delph, Iheanacho.

Monaco: Subasic, Sidibe, Glik, Raggi, Mendy, Fabinho, Bakayoko, Bernardo Silva, Lemar, Mbappe, Falcao.
Subs: De Sanctis, Dirar, Moutinho, Carrillo, Germain, Diallo, Almamy Toure.

12.09pm GMT

Nearly everything points to Manchester City enjoying themselves tonight. They’re on a nine-match unbeaten run at home in the Champions League. Every home side in the Round of 16 so far this season has won their tie. City beat French opposition in Paris Saint-Germain on their run to the semis last year. And the boss man Pep Guardiola has won all seven Round-of-16 ties he’s contested as coach at Barcelona and Bayern Munich; he knows what’s what at this stage all right.

Nearly everything points to Manchester City enjoying themselves. Slight problem is, City’s French opposition tonight is Monaco. And Monaco are notorious for putting English clubs back in their box. They’ve faced teams from dear old Blighty five times in knock-out European competition. On the first occasion, back in 1995, they were dispatched from the Uefa Cup by Leeds United. But since then, it’s been success all the way: a quarter-final Uefa Cup victory over Newcastle United in 1997; a quarter-final Champions League victory over Manchester United in 1998; a semi-final Champions League win over Chelsea in 2004; and a Round of 16 win over Arsenal in 2015. They also, just in case it wasn’t already crystal clear, beat Spurs home and away in this season’s Champions League groups. They’ve got the Premier League’s number.

Related: Pep Guardiola a big fan of Monaco and wary of their Champions League threat

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