Scott Murray's Blog, page 165

Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Chelsea: Champions League – as it happened

Edinson Cavani’s second-half winner gave the French champions the advantage at the halfway stage of a well-contested last-16 tie.

9.36pm GMT

And that’s that! Chelsea came so close to a brilliantly determined draw. But Edinson Cavani’s late winner has given the French champions an advantage that, on balance, was probably deserved. Chelsea will be happy to still be right in this tie, though. The second leg at Stamford Bridge promises to be another classic. It certainly will be if it’s anything like this highly entertaining encounter.

9.34pm GMT

90 min +2: In the second minute of the two that are added, Willian goes romping down the left, then hooks a gorgeous diagonal ball towards Pedro, cutting into the area from the right. Pedro takes it first time, and hammers a rising shot inches wide of the top-right corner. So close to late drama!

9.32pm GMT

90 min: Costa dribbles towards the PSG box. He should have a batter at goal from 20 yards, but hesitates and allows Luiz to slide in and clear. The hosts go up the other end, Maxwell hooking into the Chelsea box from the left. At the far post, the ball drops at Ibrahimovic’s feet. He’s got to score! But he sidefoots straight into Courtois’s chest. A bad miss, but a fine save nonetheless. Courtois did very well to make himself large there.

9.30pm GMT

88 min: Pedro, gifted the ball 25 yards from goal, slides a clever pass down the inside-left channel and is inches away from finding Oscar free on goal. But it’s a tad too strong, and Marquinhos can swing a tired leg at the ball to clear. It’s suddenly got very tense at the Parc des Princes.

9.28pm GMT

87 min: Willian’s set piece distribution has been strangely off tonight. This one’s looped high into the area, and easy pickings for Trapp.

9.27pm GMT

86 min: A chance for Chelsea here, though. Costa is needlessly tripped by Thiago Silva to the left of the PSG box. Costa was going nowhere there, but now Chelsea have a chance to load the box in search of a second equaliser.

9.26pm GMT

85 min: ... the ball finds Thiago Silva on the edge of the box, to the left of the D. Hoof! It’s over the bar. Chelsea are hanging on a bit here. The next five minutes plus stoppages are so important.

9.25pm GMT

84 min: Marquinhos dribbles at pace into the Chelsea box from the right, scampering after a neat Pastore flick. He curls low towards the bottom left. Cahill steps in to deflect it out of play on the right. And from the corner...

9.24pm GMT

82 min: Di Maria, sitting deep, threads a ball out to the right. Pastore should control and storm into the area, but he’s still a bit cold, and his touch is heavy. Chelsea were a little out of shape at the back there. A 2-1 result wouldn’t be the end of the world, not at all, but another goal for the French champions would put their English counterparts into a bit of bother.

9.21pm GMT

80 min: A double change for the hosts: Rabiot and Pastore come on for Verratti and Matuidi.

9.20pm GMT

PSG were beginning to look frustrated again. But suddenly they burst into action, and the substitute does the trick! It was so simple. Ibrahimovic pitching-wedged a pass down the inside-right channel to release Cavani into the box. He draws Courtois and beats the keeper at the near post by slotting the ball under the diving keeper. Oscar was so close to giving Chelsea the lead, but now look!

9.18pm GMT

77 min: A long Chelsea hoick upfield, and Oscar is this close to taking it down and scooting clear on goal. He can’t quite extend his leg enough, and the ball bounces through to Trapp, who manages to guide the ball away from danger.

9.17pm GMT

76 min: Chelsea pass the ball this way and that, a sustained period of possession, though they can’t break into the PSG final third. No matter, they’re frustrating the home fans, who fill the air with piercing whistles. The clock is fast becoming Chelsea’s friend.

9.15pm GMT

74 min: Lucas Moura was brilliant in the first half, but a little quieter in this second period. As a result, he’s hooked in favour of Edinson Cavani.

9.14pm GMT

72 min: Oscar comes on for Hazard. “I notice that your choice of half-time musical entertainment replicated the first-half scoring repertoire of ankle tap, ankle tap then head flick, toe tap,” writes noted jazz critic

Philip Larkin
Raymond Reardon.

9.12pm GMT

70 min: Luiz and Lucas both go in the referee’s book in quick succession, for cynical trips on Costa and Rahman respectively. A little frustration bubbling in Parisian noggins right now.

9.11pm GMT

67 min: Di Maria curls the free kick powerfully towards the bottom left. It’s flying in, but Courtois, at full stretch, turns the ball round for a corner. What a save! The corner comes to nothing. This is a fantastic battle. PSG are relentless in attack, but Chelsea are holding out marvellously. Champions League football at its best. It’s almost as though Uefa should do away with the tedious groups and make their tournament knock-out from the start. Who’s with me? Oh good! Everyone!

9.08pm GMT

66 min: Chelsea are fighting a rearguard action here. A deep Di Maria cross from the left. It nearly finds the head of Ibrahimovic at the far post, but Ivanovic is there again, this time to flick a header out right for a corner. From the set piece, the ball drops to Verratti to the right of the Chelsea D. Pedro leaps and plants his studs on poor Verratti’s nips. That’s a booking, and a free kick in a very dangerous position.

9.06pm GMT

64 min: An absurd scuffle in the Chelsea six-yard box, Maxwell having started it all with a burst down the left, Ibrahimovic heading down into a melee. The ball breaks to Matuidi, who surely must Mikel it home from close range. But he batters the ball straight into Ivanovic’s trouser arrangement. The Chelsea defender was beyond brave there. Oof! Ooyah! But that’s the danger cleared. What a block!

9.04pm GMT

63 min: Willian goes on a long solo ramble down the left wing, before cutting inside and across the front of the PSG box. He claims to have been illegally tumbled to the floor by Luiz, but he’s not getting the decision.

9.03pm GMT

61 min: Lucas bursts down the inside-right channel, set clear by a clever dink inside by Ibrahomovic. On the edge of the area, he pearls a shot goalwards, though it’s straight at Courtois, who parries with strong arms. “To offer a counter argument to Harrington / St Etienne cops, Chelsea aren’t exactly blameless on the soap-opera and football-despoiling-oligarchy fronts,” argues Jordan Pickering, tongue out in concentration, working furiously around the rim of some tinned worms.

9.01pm GMT

60 min: Marquinhos wins yet another Paris corner, on the right. The set piece comes to nothing, but PSG are beginning to turn the screw again.

9.00pm GMT

59 min: From the corner, the ball’s worked out to the right for Lucas, who loops a long cross back in. Di Maria, on the left of the D, shapes like Zidane to volley goalwards, but his attempt at the spectacular is wild and high.

8.59pm GMT

58 min: A corner for PSG out on the left. Di Maria whips it to the near post, but Fabregas gets a brave header away, and is clattered by Thiago Motta for his trouble. Free kick. But the hosts are quickly coming back at Chelsea, Di Maria sliding a pass down the left for Maxwell this time. Maxwell shapes to shoot, but the ball’s bundled out of play to the left of goal by Courtois, out quickly to smother.

8.57pm GMT

56 min: Maxwell slides Di Maria into acres down the Chelsea left. Pedro was ball watching. Cahill comes to his team-mates aid by slide-hooking Di Maria’s low cross out of the six-yard box, with blue shirts swarming. Marvellous defending by Cahill.

8.56pm GMT

53 min: Ibrahimovic drops a shoulder to gain a yard on Rahman, in the right-hand section of the Chelsea box. He lashes a shot towards the near post. Courtois tips it round. The corner leads to nowt. This is marvellous end-to-end entertainment. “I’ll put 50p on Ibrahimovic getting himself sent off if Chelsea score the second,” replies Kelvin. No flies on Kelvin. Now that’s responsible betting.

8.54pm GMT

52 min: Actually, the corner doesn’t quite come to nothing: Chelsea flood upfield, and Costa manages to dribble a shot straight at Trapp from 25 yards. Not particularly impressive, though Chelsea are beginning to look dangerous on the break, with the security of that away goal in their pocket, and the hosts forced to press.

8.53pm GMT

51 min: Marquinhos cleverly heads the ball past Rahman on the right. He bursts into the box, but can’t find a man in the middle with his low cross. PSG come at Chelsea again, Di Maria having a whack from 25 yards. His rising shot is straight at Courtois, and probably going over, but it’s swerving around enough for the keeper to take no chances. He fingertips over. The corner comes to nothing.

8.51pm GMT

49 min: Lucas considers shooting from the edge of the Chelsea box. His shot is blocked and Chelsea spring clear on the break. Willian scoots upfield at speed, then slides the ball left to Costa, who is free in the area, albeit faced with a tight angle. His low, first-time shot is rather brilliantly saved by Trapp, the ball whistling out on the left, clear of danger. Chelsea so very close to a second away goal, and one that’d give PSG some serious thinking to do.

8.49pm GMT

47 min: A slightly ponderous start to the second half. But it clanks into life when Verratti and Hazard go up to contest a high ball and accidentally whack each other. Ooyah oof. They’ll both be OK after a squeeze of the sponge. Meanwhile Paul Harrington had a conversation with a French cop in Burgundy yesterday. “He was a St Etienne fan. Said for the first time in his life he wanted the English to beat the French team. Apparently he and his mates are fed up with the soap opera that is PSG and their dominance of French football. Likes what Leicester are doing.” In fairness, who outside of Nottingham and Derby doesn’t?

8.46pm GMT

The hosts get the ball rolling for the second half. No changes. Meanwhile a surname-shunning chap called Kelvin has noticed “a weird coincidence. The only two players in the ref’s naughty book are also the scorers. What are the odds?” Not sure, but 50p says they won’t both score another and get themselves sent off in the second half. Other bookmakers are available. Please bet responsibly.

8.35pm GMT

Half-term entertainment: The co-founder of the Hot Club of France with a nod to the PSG back four.

8.33pm GMT

And that was the last kick of a highly entertaining first half. After a very slow start, Chelsea deserved something from that first 45, and they got it: a precious away goal. The second half promises to be a cracker. No flipping!

8.32pm GMT

Willian whips the corner to the near post. Costa eyebrows a flick onwards. And the ball drops to Mikel, six yards out. No messing: he batters the ball into the right-hand side of the goal! Having just deflected the opener into his own net, this is some response. He’s the bizarro Tommy Hutchison at the 1981 FA Cup final! Er, sort of.

8.31pm GMT

45 min: Willian slides Fabregas into the box down the right. Fabregas has a slap shot. The ball breaks off Matuidi, out for a corner. From which...

8.30pm GMT

44 min: Willian takes, looking for the top right. The ball flicks off the wall, but there’s no Ibrahimovicesque good fortune for Willian. The ball sails out harmlessly to the right for a corner, and the set piece comes to nothing.

8.29pm GMT

43 min: Or can they go one better, and equalise? Hazard busies himself down the right, and shuttles the ball inside for Willian, who threatens to break into the area. Thiago Silva is forced to come across and obstruct, a couple of yards outside the box. A free kick to the right of the D - and it’s PSG in some danger now.

8.28pm GMT

42 min: Verratti creams a long pass from the right to Matuidi on the left. The PSG midfielder breaks into the box, but Pedro comes across to nick the ball away just in time. Chelsea have to get to half time without conceding another.

8.27pm GMT

41 min: PSG weren’t exactly rocking, but Chelsea had started to come at the hosts a little, so that goal arrived at exactly the right time. The crowd are giving it plenty again, while on the pitch, PSG’s passes are sticking to feet once more.

8.26pm GMT

Ibrahimovic batters low, towards the bottom left. The ball clips off Mikel’s ankle and into the bottom right, Courtois having followed the initial path of what in truth was a poor strike. But that’s flown into the net, and the champions of France draw first blood! A dismal minute for poor old Mikel.

8.24pm GMT

38 min: Lucas Moura is PSG’s most potent attacker tonight. He bursts down the inside-left channel and is clipped by Mikel just before he enters the box. A booking for the Chelsea midfielder. Not much in the way of contact, but cynical enough. A tempter for Ibrahimovic, this free kick. He looks very interested. Chelsea in some danger.

8.23pm GMT

37 min: Ibrahimovic drives down the inside-left channel and slides wide to Lucas, who earns a corner off Azpilicueta. The set piece is swallowed up by Courtois. Ibrahimovic claimed he was checked as he ran into the box ahead of the corner, but the referee isn’t interested.

8.21pm GMT

36 min: A chance for the home support to find their lungs again as Di Maria goes scampering after a long hoof down the Paris left. He reaches the edge of the area, and lashes a low shot across the face of goal. Courtois has it covered, and the ball flies out of play, well to the right of goal.

8.20pm GMT

33 min: PSG are losing their heads a little, frustration very much the top note in the stands, and in their play. A quick free kick down the left by Chelsea sends Hazard clear. He dinks to the far post, where Ivanovic lashes a loose ball into the side netting. Then Di Maria is jumping around in frustration after a Pedro slide tackle in the midfield on Matuidi: it was a common-or-garden foul, nothing more, and the referee isn’t getting his cards out. Finally Di Maria swings a cross into the Chelsea box from the right. Ibrahimovic has a jump on Cahill, eight yards out, but rather snatches at the effort, heading it down, up and over the bar.

8.17pm GMT

31 min: Now it’s Chelsea who are winning most of the 50-50 duels. Costa, Willian and Fabregas scrap in the middle of the park. Fabregas threatens to break down the right, and is upended by Verratti, frustration creeping into the home side’s play. A chance for Chelsea to load the box. Which they do, but Willian’s dead-ball expertise lets him down for once. An uncharacteristically poor free kick which is easily cleared by PSG.

8.14pm GMT

28 min: Di Maria cuts in from the right and tries to find a little space to shoot. He’s quickly crowded off the ball, and soon enough PSG are faffing around in the centre circle. The no-nonsense incisiveness of their early attacks is no more. Their play has slowed down a bit. Chelsea look more comfortable now.

8.12pm GMT

26 min: Pedro is in more space down the right. His low, fizzing cross somehow weaves its way past Azpilicueta, who shapes to sidefoot a shot goalwards from eight yards. Pedro and Costa were also nearby, but wrong-footed by the route of the cross. PSG clear. Chelsea have worked their way into this game after a slow start.

8.11pm GMT

24 min: PSG go up the other end. Ibrahomovic has a dig from 25 yards, but it squirts weakly wide left of the target, Courtois escorting it out of play with a dismissive wave. Compared to what was happening earlier, that wasn’t such a sharp attack from the hosts. I wonder if that Costa chance has shaken their self-belief a little bit?

8.09pm GMT

23 min: More Chelsea passing, this way and that. Suddenly Rahman breaks down the left, and curls a perfect cross onto Costa’s head, eight yards out, Luiz out of the game. Costa heads straight at Trapp. Either side, and it’s the opening goal. Even so, Trapp has to pull off a magnificent reaction save, palming the ball up onto the crossbar and out for a corner. Trapp claims the set piece. What a chance!

8.07pm GMT

22 min: This is a lot better from Chelsea, Fabregas, Costa, Hazard and Pedro taking turns to pass the ball along the front of the Paris defence. They can’t quite spring Costa into the box down the inside-left, but it wasn’t for the want of trying, and they weren’t that far away. Something for the hosts to think about at last.

8.06pm GMT

19 min: The first booking of the tie, and it goes to Ibrahimovic. He feigns innocence, but he can have no arguments, a late connection on Mikel’s ankle as he chases the Chelsea midfielder in the middle of the park. That’s a pretty bad one, actually: a full-on tread on Mikel’s half-planted leg, his ankle bending over. Not enough for a red card, not quite, but then you’ve seen them given if the ref’s in a mood.

8.03pm GMT

17 min: A lovely fast pace to this game. Matuidi slides a ball down the middle of the park. Lucas threatens to break clear on goal, but Azpilicueta is across to cover brilliantly, gets a foot in just in time, and the ball pings off Lucas and out of play to the right of goal. Danger over. This time. Chelsea don’t look totally secure. Their best bet is to hold out for another ten minutes or so, and hope PSG get frustrated.

8.02pm GMT

16 min: Pedro embarks on a wander down the Chelsea right. Paris look a little light at the back, but there’s nobody in white keeping up, and his cross is easily intercepted and cleared.

8.01pm GMT

15 min: Chelsea can’t keep hold of the ball at all. This is all PSG. A lot of passing at the back. Suddenly Luiz strides forwards and wallops a long pass down the inside-left channel. Di Maria very nearly latches onto it. Not quite, there’s too much on the pass, and Courtois gathers.

7.59pm GMT

13 min: Maxwell is sent scampering into acres down the left by Matuidi. Azpilicueta on his holidays upfield. Maxwell fizzes a low one into the box, across the wet turf. Courtois gathers well, under pressure from Di Maria and Lucas, who are both pelting in from the other side, hoping for a tap-in.

7.57pm GMT

12 min: Ibrahimovic tries to chip one over the wall and towards the top left. It’s not a bad effort, inches wide of the post, but it wasn’t travelling fast and it looked as though Courtois would have easily gathered the ball had it been on target.

7.56pm GMT

11 min: This could be dangerous. Willian clanks into the back of Ibrahimovic, who is retaining possession, but doing little else, 30 yards from goal, just to the left of centre. It’s a long way out, but Ibrahimovic looks like he fancies this.

7.55pm GMT

9 min: Chelsea finally make it up the other end of the field, Costa twisting around down the left. He enters the box, a purposeful run, but is stopped in his tracks by Thiago Silva. That’s a bit better from the English champions, though.

7.54pm GMT

8 min: Verratti, out on the right, plays a diagonal pass to Ibrahimovic on the left of the Chelsea D. The big man heads down towards Lucas, who takes one touch too many when he really should be shooting. His eventual effort is blocked. Chelsea can’t carry on like this, though. It’s all Paris. They’ve shown nothing in attack yet.

7.53pm GMT

7 min: Di Maria makes a pest of himself down the right wing, hassling and harrying and nearly winning possession off Rahman. Not quite. But Chelsea can’t settle here.

7.51pm GMT

5 min: A simple clearance by Ivanovic is charged down by Verratti. Paris are press, press, pressing. Chelsea are all over the shop in the early exchanges. That won’t settle the makeshift centre back at all. The ball clanks out of play to the right. Chelsea only half clear, and Lucas is soon coming back at them. He drops a shoulder in a central position, takes a touch to the right, then lashes a riser towards the top left from 20 yards. That wasn’t far wide of the post, and I’m not 100 percent certain Courtois would have got across in time had it been on target.

7.49pm GMT

3 min: Chelsea are rocking a little here. There’s space for Verratti down the inside-left. He takes a whack towards the bottom-right corner. Courtois is down well to parry, and Cahill hacks the loose ball clear, but these are worrying signs for the visitors. PSG have come flying out of the traps.

7.48pm GMT

2 min: Ibrahimovic, down by the left-hand corner flag, finds Lucas at the left-hand corner of the D with an impudent back flick. The move breaks down, but Chelsea are on the back foot early doors.

7.47pm GMT

30 sec: Lucas picks up possession in the middle of the park and goes bowling down the inside-left channel at speed. He zips past Fabregas as though he wasn’t there. He enters the area, but Rahman steps across him and snuffs out some very early danger. A determined start by the hosts!

7.45pm GMT

Pennants have been exchanged. Hands have been shaken. Coins have been tossed. And the knockout stage of the 2015-16 Champions League is underway! Chelsea get the ball rolling. The Parc de Princes is pumping.

7.43pm GMT

The teams are out! That increasingly spirit-sapping anthem parps out of the PA speakers. Die Meister, die Besten, les grandes équipes, yada yada. Otherwise, though, what an atmosphere at the Parc des Princes! As the teams emerge from the tunnel, the referee plucks the official FINAL MILANO 2016 ball off its plinth. Paris Saint-German are in their famous blue shirts with red vertical band. Chelsea meanwhile sport a lovely, crisp, clean, white away kit. Say what you like about Chelsea, but more often than not - more often than most of the other big clubs, anyway - they get their shirts right by keeping things simple.

7.32pm GMT

1988 European Cup winner Guus Hiddink speaks! “Everyone knows what Chelsea’s season has been like. We are trying to recover a bit in the Premier league, which is OK, but if we can go on in the Champions League it would be a huge achievement. We could mourn John Terry and Kurt Zouma, but we don’t do that, and we will shuffle our defence. It will be a very tactical game. PSG will try to impose themselves, but they will also drop back and they have a fast counter. So we will have to deal with that - and try to harm them too. We must not just sit back.”

7.01pm GMT

Paris Saint-Germain: Trapp, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Luiz, Maxwell, Verratti, Thiago Motta, Matuidi, Di Maria, Ibrahimovic, Lucas Moura.
Subs: Sirigu, Stambouli, Cavani, Kurzawa, van der Wiel, Rabiot, Pastore.

Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Baba, Azpilicueta, Fabregas, Mikel, Pedro, Willian, Costa, Hazard.
Subs: Begovic, Oscar, Traore, Kenedy, Remy, Miazga, Loftus-Cheek.

7.00pm GMT

The hosts Paris Saint-German make six changes to the second-string XI sent out to draw with Lille on Saturday. (Bang went that 16-game winning run, but when you’re so far ahead in the league, who cares?) The goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, Marquinhos, David Luiz, Blaise Matuidi and Angel Di Maria are the only folk to keep their places. In come Thiago Silva, Maxwell, Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta, Lucas Moura and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Chelsea meanwhile make two changes to the team that thrashed Newcastle United on Saturday evening. The injured John Terry makes way for Baba Rahman; Branislav Ivanovic joins Gary Cahill in the centre of the defence. Meanwhile Nemanja Matic is replaced by John-Obi Mikel.

10.35am GMT

It’s back! The European Cup is back! Because the knockout stages are more like it, aren’t they? All to play for, do or die, may the best team win. And good luck predicting the best team between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. This promises to be quite the rubber.

Paris Saint-Germain have been repeatedly fingered as the Team Most Likely To outside the established big three of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. In Zlatan Ibrahimovic, they boast one of the genuine big hitters in world football. The supporting cast ain’t half bad either: Thiago Silva, Thiago Motta, Maxwell, Angel Di Maria, Blaise Matudi, Ezequiel Lavezzi and

David Luiz
Lucas Moura. They’re 24 points clear of Ligue 1, recently embarked on a 16-game winning run in all competitions, are looking to make their third successive appearance in the Champions League quarters, and knocked tonight’s opponents out of last year’s edition.

Continue reading...

Refreshed and raring to underperform on the continental stage again

Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm GMT, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving

It’s back! After a two-month break, this evening sees the return of Uefa’s premier continental club competition, Barcelona Procession Event. The groups are out of the way, so now we’re down to the nitty gritty, beginning with the first knockout stage: the Round of Arsenal. But the eponymous heroes of the last 16 won’t be going three goals down in double-quick time before gallantly launching a futile two-goal comeback until next week. Until then, we’re killing time. Tonight’s match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea will have to do.

Continue reading...

Chelsea 5-1 Newcastle United: Premier League – as it happened

A romp for Chelsea, and another thrashing on the road for Newcastle.

7.49pm GMT

Related: Pedro’s pair fuel Chelsea’s 5-1 rout of wretched Newcastle

7.23pm GMT

Steve McClaren thought we’d know how this game would go after 20 minutes. He was only 11 off. This was over by minute nine. Chelsea were very impressive tonight, and you’d say a corner’s definitely been turned. They’re up to 12th, and still unbeaten under Guus Hiddink. Newcastle were a rabble, though, and deservedly drop into the relegation places, below Norwich City on goal difference. They’ve now got the best part of three weeks off. Time to sort a few problems out. They’ll need to do that, and fast, because tonight’s display was relegation form. A good thing they’re a lot better at home than they are on the road.

7.19pm GMT

90 min +2: Doumbia tries to break down the inside-right channel, but his bustling run is checked by Cahill.

7.18pm GMT

90 min +1: There will be three added minutes. The first elapses without incident. “Loftus-Cheek has to wonder what he has to do to get a game,” begins Scott Stricker. “When Chelsea were terrible he couldn’t get a game. Now, they are back in form having been winning comfortably in a meaningless game against a woeful Newcastle and he gets ten minutes. Time to move on?” Perhaps. For some reason he always gives me a Campag Velocet earworm. That Loftus-Cheek’s real neat.

7.17pm GMT

A wonderful solo effort from Townsend, who makes off down the inside-right channel, cuts inside, and to the right of the D unleashes an unstoppable effort into the bottom right! Under any other circumstance, he’d be wheeling away in celebration, but he just trudges back upfield shaking his head.

7.15pm GMT

87 min: It should be six. A long pass floated down the inside-right channel by quarterback Fabregas releases Hazard into the area. He must score, but can’t quite get the ball out from under his feet, and squirts it inches wide of the right-hand post from six yards.

7.13pm GMT

85 min: Newcastle stroke it around the back for a while, hoping to run down as much of the clock as possible. Chelsea don’t seem too fussed about pressing them. Their work was done 75 minutes ago.

7.12pm GMT

Suddenly Chelsea spring into life! Azpilicueta exchanges passes with Hazard, and he’s free down the right. He whips a low ball towards Traore, rushing in at the near post. Traore sidefoots powerfully into the bottom right, and that’s his first goal in Chelsea blue! Newcastle are on the end of another away-day tonking.

7.09pm GMT

82 min: Both teams would pack up and go home now, given the choice. Everyone’s wandering around at testimonial pace. Who can blame them?

7.08pm GMT

80 min: Loftus-Cheek comes on for Willian.

7.07pm GMT

79 min: Hazard makes off down the right, and pulls inside for Traore, whose shot from the edge of the box is blocked. Rahman, coming in from the left, blazes over with a very ambitious effort.

7.05pm GMT

77 min: Sissoko romps into a huge gap in the midfield. Newcastle work the ball well on the left. Colback chips a cute ball into the mixer for Doumbia, forcing Ivanovic to step across and head out for a corner on the left. Courtois claims, and throws long to Willian on the right. Up the other end, Willian looks for Pedro in the middle, but Taylor is on hand to head clear.

7.01pm GMT

74 min: Traore dribbles around in the Newcastle area on the left. He’s shoved in the back, bar-room style, by Taylor. If Traore was a bit more cynical there, he could easily have gone down to claim a penalty. But he stayed honest, and it stays 4-0.

7.00pm GMT

72 min: Pedro scored on nine minutes thanks to a slack square pass by Aarons. Standing in the very same spot of the pitch, he returns the favour by gifting the ball to Doumbia. A chance for Newcastle to advance on the Chelsea goal, two on one, but Doumbia’s first touch is woeful, and the opportunity is gone.

6.58pm GMT

70 min: Seydou Doumbia comes on to make his Newcastle debut, replacing Mitrovic.

6.57pm GMT

69 min: Willian, deep on the Chelsea left, rolls a diagonal ball into the Newcastle box. Aarons needlessly plays the ball out for a corner, with nobody around him. From the set piece, Townsend batters into the back of Willian, a free kick that’s as good as a corner. The ball’s worked into the box, where Fabregas and Traore play a couple of one-twos. They can’t prise Newcastle open this time.

6.55pm GMT

66 min: Tiote is replaced by Jamaal Lascelles. Just before he was replaced, Tiote was involved in an innocent 50-50 with Willian, the Chelsea winger coming off worse. Willian requires a bit of treatment, but looks as though he’ll be OK to continue. It was really nothing.

6.53pm GMT

65 min: Chelsea knock it around the middle of the park in the pre-season style.

6.51pm GMT

63 min: Corner for Chelsea on the right. Elliot claims easily enough. He’s got nobody to throw upfield to. Newcastle are in full damage-limitation mode right now.

6.50pm GMT

62 min: Shelvey boots Fabregas up the arse in the comic-book style. He’s booked, and has the good grace not to complain. From the free kick, Pedro finds a little space down the left. His low cross heads towards Azpilicueta by the far post. Aarons should cut it out, but misses. Azpilicueta should do better than shank his shot from close range.

6.48pm GMT

60 min: Bertrand Traore comes on for Diego Costa.

6.48pm GMT

So much for Newcastle getting back into the game. Fabregas, in the centre circle, quarterbacks a high pass down the inside-left channel. Taylor should clear, but jumps under it, allowing Pedro to scamper clear and slot home into the bottom right. So simple. Newcastle are a terrible mess.

6.46pm GMT

58 min: A great chance for Newcastle to get back into this game (well, y’know). Janmaat burns down the right, his cross is shanked by Cahill, and lands at the feet of Mitrovic, to the right of the D. He takes a touch, and squirts a low shot wide left. He should at least have made the keeper work.

6.44pm GMT

56 min: Costa slides Willian into space on the right of the Newcastle box. He drops a shoulder to zip past Aarons and fires into the centre. Newcastle only half clear. The ball breaks to Pedro, 12 yards from goal, a little to the left. The ball sticks under his feet, the chance gone. A suggestion that Colback might have had a cheeky tug on Pedro there. But no penalty. Chelsea have definitely gone up a gear.

6.42pm GMT

55 min: Time for Azpilicueta down the right. He curls one to Costa, on the penalty spot with his back to goal. Costa’s overhead kick goes straight down the throat of Elliot, and he was offside anyway. But we weren’t far away from something quite special there. Chelsea have woken up after a cold start to the half.

6.41pm GMT

54 min: Costa busies himself down the right and earns the hosts a corner. From the set piece, there’s a kerfuffle by the near post. Matic really should be having a whack at a loose ball from the right-hand corner of the six-yard box, but attempts a back-heel into the centre instead. Shelvey clears.

6.39pm GMT

52 min: Newcastle have been the better side since the restart. Townsend twists and turns down the right and curls a low ball in for Shelvey, who tries to sidefoot home from eight yards but has his shot blocked by Cahill. From the corner, Cahill slices into the air and Courtois claims. A fortunate way to end a period of pressure from the visitors.

6.38pm GMT

50 min: One corner leads to another for Newcastle, and a half-chance for Shelvey to shoot from distance. He can’t take it.

6.37pm GMT

48 min: ... and go up the other end through Sissoko down the right. He fizzes a ball through the six-yard box. Azpilicueta is forced to sidefoot out of play to the left of goal. Mitrovic would have been charging in there, but Fabregas had stamped on the back of his ankle in the build-up. That was just inside the area, and should have been a penalty. You could make a case for Fabregas walking, too. Certainly a yellow at least. But the referee didn’t see it, and the Chelsea midfielder got away with one there.

6.35pm GMT

47 min: Costa sends Hazard into space down the right. Hazard waits for Shelvey to arrive, simply to sell him a dummy. The cross finds Costa on the spot, but the ball gets stuck under the striker’s feet. Newcastle clear ...

6.32pm GMT

Newcastle make a change: the out-of-form Wijnaldum, the side’s leading scorer, makes way for Jack Colback. Chelsea get the ball rolling again. Meanwhile a surname-withholding chap called Steve would like to take issue with my pre-match description of Newcastle’s kit as “classic”. Which, as you will see, is fair enough: “Traditional? Has Ashley sold the stripes off their back? Talking of kits, I can never hear the name Steven Taylor without being reminded of the photo caption in this very old piece from the Daily Mash.”

6.19pm GMT

Half-time entertainment: A Second Division match between these clubs in 1984, featuring Kevin Keegan, Terry McDermott, Pat Nevin, David Speedie, Peter Beardsley and Chris Waddle. The Second Division! Different times.

6.18pm GMT

Nothing comes from the set piece, and that’s that for the first half. We’re only halfway through, but this is over. Chelsea have been as brilliant as Newcastle were woeful. Chelsea’s march back to the top half of the table continues; as things stand, Newcastle are slipping into the relegation zone, behind Norwich City on goal difference. They’ll need to keep it tight in the second half, at the very least.

6.16pm GMT

45 min +1: The first of two added minutes sees Willian cut inside from the left and get bundled over by Sissoko. A free kick just outside the area, to the left of the D. Willian gets up and takes himself. He chips it over the wall and towards the bottom left. Elliot gets across to palm out for a corner.

6.15pm GMT

45 min: Shelvey has a blast from distance, but his shot is deflected wide right. Janmaat tries to keep the move going - if Newcastle get a goal here, they’d at least have a little hope - but Rahman holds firm and clears. Fine defending.

6.14pm GMT

43 min: Janmaat comes through the back of Hazard, with the Chelsea player going nowhere. It’s a pointless challenge. He should go in the book, really, but the referee shows a bit of sympathy. Hazard needs a little love and attention, but it looks as though he’ll be OK to continue.

6.12pm GMT

41 min: Townsend embarks on a determined run down the left. But he’s only got Mitrovic in the box to aim for, and his cross is headed clear easily enough by Cahill. With competition a pipe dream, Stamford Bridge has fallen quiet, bar the away fans, who are in impressively defiant mood.

6.09pm GMT

38 min: Terry has injured his right knee upon landing awkwardly after a tussle with his pal Mitrovic. He hobbles off, and Rahman comes on in his place.

6.08pm GMT

37 min: Shelvey has been Newcastle’s best player - not a high bar, admittedly - but he’s at fault here. He plays a loose pass back to Coloccini, and Pedro nips in. He’s two on one with Costa to his left. He opts to shoot for the bottom right instead of laying off to Costa for a certain goal, and a poor effort is blocked. It should have been four.

6.06pm GMT

35 min: But this is much, much better from Newcastle. Shelvey rakes a pass down the right for Janmaat to chase. The full back does very well to reach the ball near the byline, and hooks it into the middle. Wijnaldum, on the penalty spot, shapes like Zidane and attempts to lash a volley home. He connects, but only softly, and the ball’s straight at Courtois, who gathers. But that would have been some goal.

6.05pm GMT

34 min: Chelsea might be three goals to the good, with the three points almost certainly in the bag already, but they’re chasing down everything. Newcastle are struggling to retain possession because Costa, Hazard, Pedro and Willian are right up in their grilles.

6.02pm GMT

32 min: Ivanovic and Costa can’t quite combine down the right, but win a corner with a deflection anyway. Willian takes. Terry, at the near post, flicks on, but Taylor gets ahead of Costa. Another corner. And the pressure’s off, Costa penalised for Costa-isms in the six-yard box.

6.00pm GMT

30 min: Pedro sends Hazard into acres down the left. Hazard’s cross from near the corner flag should find Pedro again, just inside the area, but Fabregas gets in his way. Everyone wants a piece of the action.

5.57pm GMT

27 min: Hazard glides down the right and into the Newcastle box. He’s got Costa in the middle screaming for the ball, but tries to round Tiote to work space for a shot himself, and runs it out of play.

5.56pm GMT

26 min: ... Ivanovic wins a header ten yards out, and sends it towards the top right. Fortunately for Newcastle, Tiote is on the line to head clear.

5.55pm GMT

25 min: Azpilicueta slips a pass down the left to send Pedro into space. The ball’s cut back to Ivanovic, racing in from the other wing. He shoots, but his shot is blocked right for a corner. From which...

5.53pm GMT

23 min: Mitrovic might be losing the rag already. He’s gone nose to nose with Terry, the pair having tangled in the robust style. The referee has a word with them both, possibly with reference to the dates on their birth certificates.

5.52pm GMT

21 min: Taylor plays a heavy pass-back down the Chelsea inside-left. That’s abysmal. Elliot hacks clear, but only a nanosecond before Costa arrives on the scene to slide in. Newcastle are awarded a free kick, but on another day that could have been goal number four.

5.51pm GMT

20 min: “The first 20 minutes will be key. We’ll know by then which way this game will go. We’ve got to come here and defend very well. Their front five is very quick, and on the counter attack they’ll cause problems.” In fairness to Steve McClaren, his pre-match analysis was pretty much spot on.

5.49pm GMT

19 min: Taylor rugby tackles Costa as the striker makes off down the left. He goes in the book. Poor Newcastle. Panic is beginning to set in.

5.48pm GMT

Newcastle’s defence is a risible shambles. Costa beats Coloccini in a foot race down the inside-right channel. He checks on the edge of the box and waits for Willian, who is coming in from the left. Taylor, the only man in the middle, watches in impotent horror as Costa rolls a pass into Willian’s path. Willian slots home with a simple sidefoot. A brilliant counter-attack, of course, but Newcastle are all over the shop.

5.46pm GMT

15 min: A free kick out on the left for Newcastle. Shelvey swings it deep. Sissoko rises at the far post, but can’t connect properly with his header. Shelvey’s been the busiest player on the park so far. Penny for his thoughts when his team conceded those fairly simple goals.

5.44pm GMT

13 min: It’s not as though Newcastle haven’t turned up at all. Wijnaldum cuts in from the right, swaps passes with Sissoko and Mitrovic, and very nearly makes space on the edge of the box for a shot. He’s crowded out of it, but that was a decent run, and some pretty football. They’re showing ambition in attack.

5.42pm GMT

11 min: Again Newcastle respond well to conceding, and again it’s Shelvey who’s in the thick of it. He exchanges passes down the left and has a belt from 20 yards. It deflectes off Fabregas and out for a corner. Shelvey takes, Courtois claims. Shelvey is doing his best, but several of his number look shell-shocked. This is quite a start by Chelsea. Steve McClaren said we’d need 20 minutes to see how things are likely to pan out. Turns out we needed less than half that.

5.40pm GMT

Shelvey’s delivery to the near post is appalling. Courtois gathers. Chelsea hit it long down the right. Costa challenges with Aarons on the Chelsea right, by the centre circle. He loses the battle, but Aarons plays a preposterous square pass inside, a hospital ball for Taylor. Pedro is on it in a flash, and he’s clear on goal! And he smacks it into the bottom left from distance, taking it early, and surprising Elliot. A brilliant finish, but what on earth was Aarons thinking?

5.38pm GMT

8 min: A decent enough response to going behind by Newcastle, with Shelvey already everywhere, prompting, harrying, passing. He creams a pass down the left to release Townsend into space. Eventually a free kick, which is as good as a corner, is earned. Newcastle load the box, and Shelvey will take.

5.36pm GMT

Well this was coming, and it was simple enough. Willian bursts down the inside-right channel. He slides a ball forward for Costa, who has half a yard on Taylor as he enters the box. Elliot comes off his line to close the angle, but it’s no good: Costa, at full stretch, toe-pokes the ball past the keeper and into the bottom left in slow motion. What a start for the hosts, who are slowly feeling their way back into form.

5.34pm GMT

4 min: Tiote clatters Fabregas as the Chelsea midfielder probes down the right. Another free kick, another chance for Chelsea to test this defence early on. Willian loops the set piece into the box. The ever-busy Shelvey is the first to meet it, and clears.

5.32pm GMT

2 min: A free kick for Chelsea in the midfield. Fabregas hits it into the mixer. It’s half cleared. Matic, to the right of the D, lashes a snapshot wide right under pressure from Shelvey. A bright enough start by the hosts, testing a rickety defence early doors.

5.30pm GMT

Newcastle get the ball rolling. It goes back to Elliot. Hoof. Cahill ushers it back to Courtois. Hoick. The only way is up!

5.28pm GMT

The teams are out! It’s an aesthetic pleasure, with both teams able to wear their classic first-choice colours. Chelsea in royal blue, Newcastle in black and white. A roaring atmosphere at Stamford Bridge. Some fireworks, too, and a blast of the Harry J All Stars of course. We’ll be off in a minute!

5.20pm GMT

And now it’s Steve McClaren’s turn. “We need to replicate last week’s performance against West Brom. The first 20 minutes will be key. We’ll know by then which way this game will go. We’ve got to come here and defend very well. Their front five is very quick, and on the counter attack they’ll cause problems. Defensively we’re not as strong as we normally are. We have to keep the ball enough to have some effect.” This all reads quite flat on the page, but in fairness he seemed fairly chipper, and certainly perked up when the potential of Andros Townsend and Jonjo Shelvey was raised. Shelvey of course has already played here this season, a member of the Swansea City team that impressed so much on the opening weekend.

5.09pm GMT

Guus Hiddink speaks! “We have been unfortunate with Kurt Zouma, but are confident that Gary Cahill will come in and do his job. Eden Hazard is starting for the first time in a long time, and Pedro is also starting now. Oscar had a slight problem in his calf. Nothing serious. The changes are not with the upcoming Champions League in mind: I make the changes because I have options and I can. We take this league, and our opponent, seriously. Newcastle will be a tough opponent, they have got some good players to go to their club.”

4.41pm GMT

Three changes to the Chelsea starting XI against Manchester United last week: Gary Cahill, Pedro and Eden Hazard come in for Kurt Zouma, Oscar and John-Obi Mikel.

No changes whatsoever to the Newcastle United side that set out to beat West Bromwich Albion last weekend. Hey, if it ain’t broke.

4.35pm GMT

Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Fabregas, Matic, Pedro, Willian, Hazard, Costa.
Subs: Begovic, Baba, Mikel, Traore, Kenedy, Remy, Loftus-Cheek.

Newcastle United: Elliot, Janmaat, Taylor, Coloccini, Aarons, Shelvey, Tiote, Sissoko, Wijnaldum, Townsend, Mitrovic.
Subs: Colback, Lascelles, Perez, Saivet, Darlow, Doumbia, Riviere.

4.30pm GMT

Chelsea, so uncharacteristically, have had their struggles at Stamford Bridge this season. Usually a machine at home, they’ve shed points against Swansea City, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Watford, West Bromwich Albion, Everton and Manchester United. They’ve not won a league match here since December 19 against Sunderland; they’ve only won two league matches here since the middle of October. It’s an astonishing run. Very strange.

They’ll roll the red carpet out for Newcastle United, then. The relegation-haunted Magpies have been shambolic on the road this season. More polite house guests you could not wish for. They’ve lost their last five away games on the bounce. This term, they’ve been thrashed 3-0 at Everton, 5-1 at Palace, and 6-1 at Manchester City. They’ve only scored five times on the road all season. Then again, two of those came against title-chasing Tottenham, who were seen off at White Hart Lane. It’s a strange season all right.

Continue reading...

Sunderland 2-1 Manchester United: Premier League – as it happened

A late Lamine Koné header - technically a David de Gea own goal, but credit where it’s due - gave Sunderland victory in an entertaining game.

2.39pm GMT

Van Aanholt tears into the United box down the left, and lashes an ambitious shot into the side netting. A chance for one last United attack? No, not really. The whistle blows, and Sunderland have their first home league win over United since 1997! A deserved victory in the end, and one that - for now, at least - takes them above Norwich City into 18th place, and within a point of safety. Sam Allardyce raises both hands in triumph - it’s his first win over United for 14 years, since his days at Bolton Wanderers - while Louis van Gaal wanders off looking drained. United’s title hopes look ever-more distant, fourth place perhaps even a struggle now. As for Sunderland, another great escape is on!

2.37pm GMT

90 min +3: Borini, Rodwell and N’Doye combine well down the left. They’re going nowhere fast, but that’s not the point: it’s all about possession. And that clock keeps on ticking.

2.36pm GMT

90 min +2: A couple of free kicks for Sunderland in the middle of the park. The clock is their friend right now, and an enemy of United.

2.35pm GMT

90 min +1: A long ball into the Sunderland mixer. Rooney heads down, and nearly finds Memphis on the spot, but Kone blooters clear.

2.35pm GMT

90 min: There will be four added minutes.

2.35pm GMT

89 min: Manchester United scream for a penalty kick. Martial, to the right of the Sunderland goal, hooks a ball back for Memphis, who hits first time towards the bottom right. The ball hits O’Shea on his forearm, but his arms are tucked into his tummy: given the Rooney decision earlier, that’d have been harsh on Sunderland. United don’t get it, anyway, and will have to settle for a corner. Nothing comes from the set piece.

2.33pm GMT

88 min: It does look as though Sunderland’s second will go down as a De Gea own goal, as Memphis stopped the ball on the line, only for it to squirt off the keeper’s back. That’ll be tight on Kone.

2.32pm GMT

87 min: Memphis twists and turns down the left. He’s been lively since he came on. He creams a shot towards the top right, but Mannone parries strongly.

2.30pm GMT

86 min: And now United replace Schneiderlin with Keane.

2.29pm GMT

85 min: Sunderland hook Cattermole, and replace him with Toivonen.

2.29pm GMT

84 min: It might be harsh to criticise De Gea for that: Kone thumped that header downwards, and you can’t stop everything. Martial didn’t react on the line, though, and Smalling had been totally lost by Kone’s movement at the corner. On the touchline, the blood drains from Van Gaal’s face.

2.27pm GMT

Now it’s Borini’s turn to get goal side of Borthwick-Jackson down the Sunderland right. He earns a corner off Blind. From the first, Cattermole wins another corner off Memphis. Then from the second, Kone crashes a header down and goalwards from eight yards. It should be stopped by either De Gea or Martial on the line, but it squirts between the pair - Martial might have gently kicked it off the back of his keeper, in which case it’s technically a De Gea own goal - and the Stadium of Light erupts! Suddenly, Sunderland are eight minutes plus stoppages away from their first-ever league win over United since leaving Roker!

2.24pm GMT

81 min: Borthwick-Jackson has been much more impressive in attack than defence today. He drops a shoulder to skin Borini down the left, and enters the Sunderland box. A pull back finds Memphis, whose attempt to curl one into the bottom right is weak.

2.23pm GMT

79 min: Love cuts in from the right and is very nearly released into the area after a quick, crisp one-two with Rooney. Not quite. But not far off. Commendable ambition from the young man.

2.21pm GMT

77 min: Borthwick-Jackson, whipping in from the left, wins a corner for United on the right. The ball’s worked back to the left wing, where Rooney loops into the mixer from deep. Smalling threatens to head home from close range, but Kone bundles it out for another set piece. So close. Blind puts the second corner straight out of play on the left. This game is deliciously poised: it really could go either way.

2.19pm GMT

75 min: Borini has a chance to spring N’Doye free down the inside-left channel, having turned nicely into a lot of space in the midfield, with Sunderland on the break. But he hesitates, and the chance is gone.

2.17pm GMT

73 min: Mata takes a speculative shot from 25 yards down the inside-right channel. Mannone’s always going to gather that.

2.16pm GMT

72 min: Kone, of all people, twists and turns down the left and curls a rising shot towards the top left. De Gea spectacularly fingertips over: one for the scrapbook in truth, as he was never getting beaten from that angle. The corner sees Van Aanholt lash wildly over the bar from a position on the left.

2.15pm GMT

71 min: Sunderland make their second change. Defoe, a doubt before the match, isn’t risked for the whole 90. Borini comes on in his place.

2.14pm GMT

68 min: Now it’s United’s turn to get their goal attempt counter whirring around. Memphis makes a nuisance of himself down the left. The ball breaks to Mata, in space on the penalty spot. He whacks goalwards, but Rodwell arrives to block wonderfully. For a second, it looked like United would be adding positively to the most important stat of all. But that’s fine defending, rather than a missed opportunity by Mata.

2.12pm GMT

67 min: Here’s an interesting stat: United have made just over 300 passes, Sunderland just over 100. But the home side have 16 goal attempts to the visiting team’s six. Make that 17: Khazri chests down and tries to cream one goalwards on the turn from 29 yards. But it’s well wide right.

2.10pm GMT

65 min: Khazri sends a fairly harmless dipping effort towards the bottom right. De Gea gathers with a yawn. United go up the other end, Memphis testing Yedlin a little, but he’s unable to work the space for a decent cross.

2.08pm GMT

64 min: Love carelessly brings down Khazri, 25 yards from goal in a central position. Neither of United’s young full backs look on their game right now. A free kick in a very inviting position for Sunderland.

2.08pm GMT

63 min: Memphis comes on for Lingard.

2.07pm GMT

62 min: N’Doye tears past Borthwick-Jackson down the inside-right channel, and into the Sunderland box. He shoots low towards the bottom left, but De Gea sticks out a leg to brilliantly save. Yet another victory for the United keeper in a one-on-one. Is there a better keeper in the world? Corner, from which Kone attempts an overhead kick. Not quite, eh.

2.05pm GMT

60 min: Yedlin goes on a long ramble down the right wing. He’s got Borthwick-Jackson in a bit of trouble as he backpedals furiously. But Blind comes over to double up, and eventually Yedlin runs the ball out of play. The Sunderland man had options in the centre.

2.03pm GMT

59 min: M’Vila is a thorn in United’s side right now. He’s upended by Mata, who had miskicked and cynically took his man down: booking for Mata. Then he’s clattered by Carrick: booking for Carrick. The yellow cards are mounting up.

2.02pm GMT

58 min: Lingard, to the right of the Sunderland D, cocks his leg back to shoot. It’s a dangerous position, but M’Vila tracks back and nips the ball away before Lingard can shoot.

2.01pm GMT

56 min: A long ball down the United right. Penny for Allardyce’s thoughts. With Rooney pressing dangerously, O’Shea does well to bundle the ball back to Mannone, who hammers clear.

1.59pm GMT

54 min: Sunderland are on top right now. Van Aanholt makes good into the area down the left, Love nowhere to be seen. He fires low towards the near post, where Defoe looks to turn the ball home. Blind slides across, in the nick of time, to bundle out for a corner. Nothing comes from the set piece.

1.57pm GMT

52 min: On BT Sport, Howard Webb suggests that should have been a penalty kick, as Rooney’s arm was in an unnatural position. It’d have been a controversial one, that’s for sure. From the resulting corner, incidentally, Van Aanholt crashed a strange header from six yards straight across the face of goal when it was surely easier to get the ball on target.

1.55pm GMT

50 min: It’s whipped towards the near post. O’Shea looks to flick goalwards. Rooney turns it round for a corner. That came off his hand, which was above his head, though the close proximity of the players to each other presumably informed the decision to let that one go. If the referee didn’t, it was a penalty and a second yellow for Rooney! But that would have been super harsh; he was right on O’Shea’s back.

1.53pm GMT

49 min: N’Doye looks to burst past Borthwick-Jackson on the right. Khazri will take the free kick.

1.52pm GMT

47 min: And now news of some actual action: Cattermole has a belt from distance, and his shot is nearly deflected into the path of Defoe on the penalty spot. The planets don’t align for the hosts, though, and United mop up.

1.51pm GMT

Manchester United get the ball rolling for the second half. No changes. Rooney is booked for a cynical clip on Cattermole, as the midfielder scoots off upon the United man miscontrolling. Incidentally, O’Shea was booked at the end of the first half for a foul on Lingard, but the card wasn’t immediately shown due to play having been waved on awhile.

1.44pm GMT

Half-time entertainment: Here’s Sunderland winning at the home of the 1968 European Champions elect. The winner a lovely header from George Mulhall, and a typically brilliant consolation strike by George Best.

1.35pm GMT

And so an entertaining first half comes to an end. United have been dominant, but Sunderland have had their chances, so the scoreline’s about right. Should make for an excellent second half. No flipping!

1.33pm GMT

45 min +3: M’Vila has a whack from the best part of 30 yards. Nope!

1.32pm GMT

45 min +2: In the second of four added minutes, Rodwell goes on a dangerous run down the right and upon entering the box gets a wild shot away.

1.31pm GMT

44 min: Martial makes good on the left and slides the ball inside for Rooney, who very nearly finds Love bombing into the area on the right. A poor pass. That could very easily have been a picture-book goal, had Love been allowed to meet that on the run.

1.27pm GMT

42 min: ... Lingard floats a cross in from the left. Smalling should at least get a header on target from the right-hand corner of the six-yard box, but he mistimes his jump and that’s a goal kick. A chance to really turn the screw on Sunderland there.

1.26pm GMT

41 min: Just before the goal, Yedlin was booked for an egregious dive as he tried to nip past Carrick in the midfield. It’s all going United’s way now. And they’ve just won a corner down the left, from which...

1.25pm GMT

Mata, from the left-hand corner of the Sunderland D, sends a powerful curler towards the bottom left. Mannone parries it brilliantly, but the ball squirts to the left. Martial homes in on the loose ball. He takes a little shuffle before connecting, to set himself perfectly, then pitching-wedges a delicate chip over the prone keeper and into the net from a very tight angle. That might just be a tap-in, but it’s a hell of an exquisite one. What a finish! No more than United deserve on balance.

1.23pm GMT

38 min: Darmian looks in serious pain. He’s hooked his arm inside his shirt, a makeshift sling, and he’s off down the tunnel. The Scotland under-21 right back Donald Love comes on in his stead.

1.21pm GMT

36 min: Khazri and Darmian go in for a 50-50 down the United left. No foul, no free kick, and no intent, but Darmian crumples in a heap. He’s landed awkwardly on his left shoulder, by the looks of it. He’s in some pain, and requires treatment.

1.19pm GMT

34 min: United continue to exert pressure on the hosts. Sunderland can’t get out of their half. Martial and Mata combine well down the left. Then Borthwick-Jackson crosses to the near post. Mannone punches out, but only to Carrick, who shapes to shoot on the edge of the box. He’s blocked by Rodwell. The ball flies out to the left of goal, and it should be a corner, but Sunderland get the goal kick.

1.16pm GMT

31 min: United respond well, winning a couple of corners that come to nothing. Mata is their star man right now. He curls a gorgeous cross in from the left, forcing Mannone to flap and O’Shea to concede one of those corners with a header that denies a lurking Martial. Then he takes a first-time lash with the side of his foot from the edge of the box: well struck, but straight at the keeper. Much better from the away side.

1.15pm GMT

28 min: Sunderland enjoy a period of dominance, Rodwell squirting a diagonal shot wide left from the right of the D. Then Khazri glides in from the left and isn’t far away with an ambitious curler towards the top right. United aren’t exactly clinging on, but they need to watch themselves here.

1.13pm GMT

25 min: Khazri cuts in from the left and hits a rising shot goalwards. It clanks Schneiderlin’s arm inside the area. No penalty, it wasn’t intentional - Schneiderlin was turning away - yet you’ve seen them given by generous referees when a hand’s that far away from the player’s body. The correct decision, though.

1.11pm GMT

24 min: Rodwell bustles his way past Carrick down the left. He’s in acres of space, but Carrick has gone down in the experienced style, feeling an arm on his shoulder, and that’s a free kick. Allardyce doesn’t agree. He’s up and chewing furiously. Then another Sunderland attack, as Darmian puts his arm across Khazri with the Sunderland man threatening to make ground down the same wing. Sunderland don’t get that decision, and Big Sam is now tap-dancing in a very manic manner. He’s beyond displeased.

1.08pm GMT

22 min: Mata wants to send Darmian free down the right, but the full-back doesn’t move. Eventually the pair exchange static passes, and Mata’s caught offside as Sunderland push up. A chance to launch a dangerous attack passed up there.

1.06pm GMT

21 min: Defoe causes a bit of bother in the United area, but his back’s to goal and he’ll not be getting a shot away. He tries to feed Van Aanholt into space with a clever backheel down the inside-left channel, but Darmian’s read that well.

1.05pm GMT

19 min: Yedlin throws long from the right, into the United area. The visitors only half clear, allowing Van Aanholt to have a dig from 20 yards. He screws it wide right, horribly so. That was a decent half-chance. United flood up the other end, Darmian skittering into space on the right. But his attempted low cross is mishit and easily cleared. A nice end-to-end feel to this game. And a slightly strange one: United could easily be a couple of goals down, and yet they’ve been the better team in terms of possession and territory. It’ll be a surprise if this ends 1-0.

1.03pm GMT

18 min: United were beginning to work up a head of steam there, so Sunderland, in the professional style, faff around in the midfield over a throw for a while. Rhythm successfully disrupted.

1.01pm GMT

16 min: Kirchhoff can’t continue, and Rodwell comes on in his stead. United are pushing Sunderland back right now. They pass the ball hither and yon, but Sunderland hold their shape. Eventually Martial gets frustrated and concedes a cheap free kick. Pressure’s off.

1.00pm GMT

15 min: Kirchhoff has left the field of play to receive some more treatment. Sunderland are currently down to ten men. Darmian whistles down the right and fires a low cross into the area for Lingard. But O’Shea reads the play well, steps in between the pair, and blooters clear.

12.59pm GMT

13 min: A corner for United on the right. Blind’s delivery isn’t all that good; O’Shea clears under pressure from Carrick. Meanwhile Kirchhoff suddenly clasps the back of his leg, grimaces, and goes down. Looks like hamstring bother.

12.57pm GMT

11 min: More space for N’Doye on the right. He whips a cross straight through the United box. The ball’s recycled out on the left wing. Cattermole takes up possession on the edge of the D, and flicks forward to Defoe, who has space on the penalty spot, United’s defence all over the place. Blind and Smalling do enough to put the striker off; he miskicks out of play to the left of the goal. But he should have scored. Sunderland should be two up.

12.54pm GMT

8 min: Mata looks in the mood. Again he’s making the play, dropping deep and sliding a pass down the middle of the park, nearly releasing Rooney into the box. Kone, sliding back, intercepts, though nearly pokes the ball into the bottom right of his own goal. Mannone, scampering back, smothers to save his team-mate’s blushes.

12.53pm GMT

7 min: Replays of that Rooney sortie: Mata had flicked a lovely ball down the inside-left channel, but he didn’t fancy volleying it first time. Having waited for it to drop, the door slammed shut. Meanwhile Sunderland went up the other end through N’Doye down the right. A decent cross into the middle nearly found Defoe, but Smalling intercepted the pass well.

12.51pm GMT

5 min: Rooney tries to respond instantly by busying himself in the Sunderland area to the left of goal, but can’t get a shot away. The Stadium of Light was bouncing already before that early strike, but it’s cooking now.

12.50pm GMT

Darmian in defence now, taking down Van Aanholt on the Sunderland left. Sunderland load the box for the free kick. Khazri, out on the left, hits it in low from the wing. Defoe steps over it, trying to get a flick. He fails to connect. But the ball bounces through a thicket of players, past a slow-to-react De Gea, off the right-hand post, and into the net. All the way through! What a start for the home side.

12.47pm GMT

2 min: United stroke it around awhile in the midfield. Carrick drops deep to the left of the centre circle, then quarterbacks a diagonal pass towards Darmian, already showing attacking intent down the right, on the edge of the box. Darmian’s offside.

12.45pm GMT

Sunderland get the ball rolling. Defoe immediately goes on a determined run into United territory, but is bundled off the ball quickly enough. There’s a raucous atmosphere at the Stadium of Light.

12.43pm GMT

The teams are out! Sunderland are in their famous red and white striped shirts with black shorts, while Manchester United play in Sharp Viewcam black shirts and strangely unsettling white shorts. It’s a dreich day on Wearside. Hail earlier, though that’s passed. We’ll be off in a minute!

12.20pm GMT

And now Sam Allardyce’s turn. “I certainly hope I can be Sunderland’s saviour. We’ve got to try not to leave it too late. Last year’s escape was when the team got to single matches, and there’s still a way to go before that, so we’ve got to try to pick up as many points as we can. We’ve had a pretty bad week with injuries, which has left us a little short, but we go again against Manchester United and hope we can hit the level we reached against Manchester City here. We need to score a goal or two if we can. We went right to the end at Liverpool; it shows you what difference a goal makes, they started backing off and we were on the front foot. A fantastic goal by Jermain Defoe, who passed a fitness test for us this morning. He felt a tight hamstring yesterday. He says he’s fit today, so we’re happy about that. Manchester United are in good form and always difficult, but if we’re at our best level, hopefully it’ll be good enough to get something today.”

12.12pm GMT

Louis van Gaal speaks! Do United have to win this afternoon? “You are right. I cannot say it better. Fellaini is injured, more or less. He has played a lot of matches in a row and I have to rotate. I am resting him, but of course then you are close to being injured. We are playing in the football style I always want from my players, but it is not always easy to show that. It is also dependable on how the opponent is defending. When you win games, and we are doing that in 2016, you have more confidence and you can show it much more easily. Sunderland are playing very direct, and we have to cope with that. We are trying to play a positional game and score goals.” A little dig at Sam Allardyce there, perhaps. None too coded. Van Gaal’s press conferences and interviews are always magnificently entertaining, aren’t they. He always gives bang for your buck. We’ll miss him when he’s gone. If he goes. What price a league and FA Cup double? I’d like to see Jose Mourinho’s face if he reels that in.

12.00pm GMT

Two changes to the resolute Sunderland team that started the 2-2 draw at Anfield last weekend. Billy Jones and Duncan ‘Whirlwind’ Watmore are replaced by Deandre Yedlin and Dame N’Doye.

Manchester United, buoyed by increasingly impressive form, make just one change to the team that really should have won at Stamford Bridge last Sunday. Popularity’s Marouane Fellaini makes way for Morgan Schneiderlin.

11.50am GMT

Sunderland: Mannone, Yedlin, Kone, O’Shea, Kirchhoff, Van Aanholt, M’Vila, Cattermole, Khazri, Defoe, N’Doye.
Subs: Brown, Rodwell, Borini, Matthews, Pickford, Toivonen, Honeyman.

Manchester United: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Carrick, Schneiderlin, Lingard, Mata, Martial, Rooney.
Subs: Depay, Romero, Ander Herrera, Andreas Pereira, Weir, Keane, Love.

11.33am GMT

With 13 games of the season to go, time’s running out a little for both of these clubs. Manchester United are 12 points off the title pace set by Leicester City, and six off the Champions League places. They’re finding form at just the right time, but they’ll need to keep that momentum going today, certainly if they fancy keeping their Premier League dream alive. This could, if you believe all the dreadful gossip, be Louis van Gaal’s last chance to add an English title to the ones he won in the Netherlands, Spain and Germany.

Sunderland’s need is certainly the greater, though. It’s not quite got to desperation levels yet, but they’re four points shy of safety right now, and with a none-too-friendly goal difference either. They need to shape up and quick if they’re to survive, having failed to win any of their last four league matches. Though that run doesn’t tell the whole story: in their last two games, they were arguably the better side against Manchester City but somehow failed to find the net, and they came from a couple of goals down at Liverpool to claim a precious point. You could make the case that Sunderland have a little momentum bubbling under the surface, too.

Continue reading...

Peterborough United 1-1 West Bromwich Albion (WBA win 4-3 on pens): FA Cup fourth round replay – as it happened

A slow burner, but eventually this match delivered end-to-end thrills, late drama, and ultimate heartbreak for brave and entertaining Peterborough.

10.27pm GMT

Such a brave effort from the League One side, who were every inch the entertainers their goal record suggested they would be. They were 19 minutes from victory, but West Brom fought their way back into it, battled through extra time, and held their nerve when it mattered. No, not quite the goalfest we hoped for, but end-to-end fun of the highest order. Congratulations to West Brom; commiserations to Posh. The FA Cup: it’s still got it, you know.

10.24pm GMT

PENALTIES: Peterborough United 3-4 West Bromwich Albion: Angol has to score to keep Posh in it. A lazy, shuffling, stuttering run, and this one’s straight at Foster too. Underhit. He looks devestated. The Premier League side survive, and make it through to the fifth round!

10.23pm GMT

PENALTIES: Peterborough United 3-4 West Bromwich Albion: Chester, who has scored in an FA Cup final for Hull against Arsenal, puts his top left.

10.22pm GMT

PENALTIES: Peterborough United 3-3 West Bromwich Albion: Fox up next. And this one’s in the bottom-left corner, though Foster nearly got a hand to it.

10.21pm GMT

PENALTIES: Peterborough United 2-3 West Bromwich Albion: Fletcher drags an appalling effort wide left! An awful kick from such an experienced player!

10.21pm GMT

PENALTIES: Peterborough United 2-3 West Bromwich Albion: Samuelson has been excellent tonight. The 19-year-old takes a long run-up, and hits a weak effort straight at Foster’s legs. Oh dear.

10.20pm GMT

PENALTIES: Peterborough United 2-3 West Bromwich Albion: Gardner lashes his into the bottom left.

10.19pm GMT

PENALTIES: Peterborough United 2-2 West Bromwich Albion: Maddison stutters too, but puts his into the bottom left. Excellent.

10.19pm GMT

PENALTIES: Peterborough United 1-2 West Bromwich Albion: Berahino slots his into the bottom right, after a stuttered run-up.

10.18pm GMT

PENALTIES: Peterborough United 1-1 West Bromwich Albion: Bostwick Ray Stewarts one straight down the middle.

10.17pm GMT

PENALTIES: Peterborough United 0-1 West Bromwich Albion: West Brom go first. Pocognoli takes a short run-up, and slots it into the bottom right. A wonderful kick.

10.14pm GMT

And that’s the last amazing act of an amazing game. Had Berahino scored, it would have been undeserved heartbreak for Peterborough, who have been magnificent against Premier League opposition. As it is, we’re going to penalties! Who’ll be travelling to Reading for the fifth round? We’ll find out soon enough!

10.13pm GMT

ET 30 min: They should have. Gardner curls high towards the far post. Alnwick comes to claim, but misses. Berahino, next to the left-hand post, must head home. But he heads down, across the face of goal, and wide right! What an astonishing miss!

10.12pm GMT

ET 29 min: Sessegnon burns down the right and forces Fox into a cynical tug-back. Fox is booked. This is a free kick in a very dangerous position. Can West Brom do what West Ham did last night?

10.11pm GMT

ET 28 min: Maddison powers down the left but can’t find a cross. Then a throw from the right, Angol backing into Olsson and claiming a penalty kick. Nope! Finally Maddison dinks a ball down the middle, very nearly springing Oztumer clear. Foster is out to the edge of his box to claim. Penalties are looming, but you wouldn’t bet against someone finding a dramatic winner.

10.09pm GMT

ET 26 min: Gardner floats a long free kick into the Posh box from a central position. The ball drifts a little to the left. Olsson heads over from close range. This is wonderfully tense fun.

10.08pm GMT

ET 24 min: How did this stay out?! Gardner, just inside the area, to the left of the D, lashes a rising shot goalwards. It looks unstoppable, but it gets stopped all right: Zakuani, on the line, gets a strong head to it, and clears! That would have put lesser men in a brace. What a clearance!

10.06pm GMT

ET 23 min: And out of the maelstrom, a moment of near-genius. Samuelson keeps the ball in down the right wing; it looked like he had no chance of keeping that alive. Maddison is sent scampering down the wing. He makes to shoot hard, but then floats a clever chip from 25 yards. It beats Foster and very nearly drops in! Wow. That took super-cool nerves.

10.04pm GMT

ET 22 min: It’s getting tense. A lot of hectic 50-50 challenges in the middle of the park.

10.02pm GMT

ET 20 min: Maddison causes bother as he cuts inside and into the Baggies box from the left. His hard, low cross is blocked. Samuelson tries to re-ignite the move down the right, but can’t glide into the area.

10.01pm GMT

ET 18 min: A tired Forrester comes crashing in on Gardner. It’s clumsy rather than malicious. Gardner wants him sent off, but it’s just a yellow. It’s awarded after play was waved on, as there’s a chance for Berahino on the edge of the Posh box. To the left of the D, he curls for the top right. But it’s overcooked.

9.59pm GMT

ET 16 min: Sessegnon drives down the middle of the park, displaying some fine close control. He slips the ball to his left for Rondon, who blooters over from distance. Not good. Sessegnon has every right to have a moan, but keeps admirably quiet.

9.58pm GMT

Peterborough make another change: Oztumer comes on for the impressive but tiring Taylor.

9.57pm GMT

9.56pm GMT

Samuelson has a lot of space in the middle of the park, and two team-mates on his left. Only one West Brom defender. But the pass out wide is lumped into the stand. Rondon bursts up the other end down the left. He enters the box but is stopped by a stunning last-ditch tackle by the ever-heroic Bostwick. Then the new boy Maddison makes off down the Posh left, but his low cross through the Baggies box is ahead of everyone. And that’s that for the first half of extra time. This game took a long time to warm up, but it’s hot, hot, hot now. Not quite the goalfest we predicted, but more than entertaining enough. Can anyone become a hero in the last period of extra time, or are we going to penalties?

9.53pm GMT

ET 13 min: A long ball down the inside-right channel. Rondon chests down, turns, and whistles a screamer inches wide of the bottom-left corner. That’s a wonderful effort, carved out of nothing.

9.51pm GMT

ET 12 min: Sessegnon busily wins a corner down the right. It’s whipped to the near post, where Olsson tries to bundle home. No.

9.51pm GMT

ET 11 min: McClean has been relentless down this left wing. He reaches the byline, steps back upfield, turns, and lashes a low shot towards the bottom left. Bostwick blocks bravely.

9.50pm GMT

ET 10 min: Beautyman is replaced by Maddison. The home support are in buoyant mood. They’re enjoying their side’s very entertaining display. West Brom have, for the most part tonight, been second best.

9.49pm GMT

ET 9 min: Samuelson is brilliant. He Ricky Villas his way down the right at an insouciant speed. Four West Brom players try to get the ball off him. None succeed. He eventually works space for a shot from the edge of the box. His vicious riser only just clears the bar. What a run that was.

9.47pm GMT

ET 7 min: Peterborough are riding their luck a little right now. McClean once again causes mayhem down the left. He finds Rondon in the box. Rondon pulls the ball back for Gardner, whose shot is blocked. The goal was gaping for a second there.

9.46pm GMT

ET 6 min: McClean cuts in from the left and lays off to Fletcher, whose shot is deflected and loops up absurdly. Alnwick comes off his line and through a crowd. His punch clear doesn’t connect properly, but Bostwick is on hand to help with a header away from danger.

9.44pm GMT

ET 4 min: Taylor is in an effervescent mood. He fizzes in from the left, his dribbles causing the West Brom back line all sorts of anxiety. He can’t quite work room for a shot this time, but the visitors can’t keep letting him run hither and yon like this.

9.43pm GMT

ET 3 min: Taylor goes on a George Best-style dribble from the right wing to the left of the Baggies D. He lays off to Coulibaly, whose ambitious shot flies high and wide left.

9.42pm GMT

ET 2 min: McClean cuts inside from the left and looks to have been bundled to the floor by Baldwin, but he’s not getting anything. That’d have been a free kick in a testing position.

9.40pm GMT

West Brom kick off, and Fletcher immediately gifts the ball to Taylor, who advances on the box but is bundled out of it. West Brom go up the other end, thought McClean down the left, and his low cross is guided left of the target by the in-rushing Sessegnon. What a pleasantly loose start to extra time!

9.36pm GMT

Sessegnon executes a ludicrous dive as he attacks the Posh box from the right. Nope! Then up the other end, Samuelson tries a hail-mary shot from 35 yards. Nope! And that’s that! We’re going to extra time. Which was a prospect that didn’t seem too tasty after the first half, but that second period was brilliant fun, and the next 30 promises to be equally entertaining.

9.33pm GMT

90 min +2: More faffing around. A strangely subdued end to a cracking second half.

9.32pm GMT

90 min +1: A lot of faffing around.

9.32pm GMT

90 min: Rondon enters the Posh area from the right and has a whack. Alnwick saves with his legs. There will be three minutes of stoppage time. Anyone for a dramatic winner?

9.31pm GMT

89 min: Peterborough make their first change. Coulthirst is swapped in favour of Coulibaly.

9.30pm GMT

88 min: But West Brom clearly don’t fancy extra time, because they finally apply a bit of pressure. A couple of corners on the left. Sessegnon nearly gets on the end of the first. Alnwick claims the second.

9.28pm GMT

86 min: An amazing escape for Peterborough! Alnwick comes to the edge of his box and fails to gather under pressure from Sessegnon. He lets the ball squirt out to Berahino, who can shoot for an unguarded goal from 25 yards. His effort’s on target, but out of nowhere Bostwick starjumps in front of the ball. A wonderful last-ditch block!

9.27pm GMT

85 min: Berahino drives down the middle before sliding the ball left for McClean. The wing back makes some space for a cross, but it’s a poor one and easily hacked clear by Zakuani.

9.25pm GMT

83 min: Samuelson, out on the right, slips a ball inside for Coulthirst, who should take a shot from the edge of the area. He’s got time. But he hesitates, and is closed down. He slips the ball back to Samuelson, who returns it. Coulthirst has a go this time, but he doesn’t have half the opportunity he had before, and in a rushed panic, slaps a poor shot miles right. West Brom don’t look totally comfortable here.

9.23pm GMT

81 min: Fox reaches the byline to the left of the West Brom goal. His cross is long. Beautyman tries to keep the attack going to the right of the area, but grabs a handful of McClean’s shirt, and the pressure’s off.

9.23pm GMT

9.21pm GMT

79 min: Beautyman goes down in the West Brom box, nudged gently in the back by Pocognoli. He’s not getting the penalty decision. The crowd claim it in the annoyed fashion, but the player doesn’t bother.

9.20pm GMT

78 min: Coulthirst, out on the left, suddenly zips past Gamboa as he comes inside, and lashes an effort towards the bottom left. Foster claims easily enough, but that’s a decent burst of energy from the striker.

9.18pm GMT

76 min: Sessegnon romps down the middle of the park, then slides a pass out right to Rondon, just inside the area. Rondon tries to float a chip from a over Alnwick and into the top left, but no Eric Cantona he.

9.17pm GMT

75 min: Sessegnon has a belt from 20 yards, and it’s an outcome that’s only ever any good in rugby union.

9.16pm GMT

74 min: Peterborough respond well to conceding the equaliser. Fox dribbles into the box down the left, and sends a low cross into the mixer. Someone’s got to poke home, surely? But nobody in blue can react, and eventually West Brom clear. Then Angol goes down in the box very optimistically. And finally Beautyman tries to curl one into the top right, but there’s no beef on the effort and Foster claims with a yawn.

9.14pm GMT

So Having Said That pt.II: McClean runs down the left. His cross is only half-cleared by a Beautyman kung-fu kick. Fletcher comes in, and from the edge of the area unleashes an unstoppable rising shot into the top left! Magnificent strike! Pulitzer, please!

9.12pm GMT

71 min: So having said that, West Brom nearly score one of the goals of the season. Gamboa makes off down the right, and pulls a cross back to Gardner, who is the best part of 30 yards out. He decides to Zidane a volley towards the top right, and it oh so nearly comes off, the ball creaming towards the corner and missing the right-hand post by inches. A stunning effort.

9.11pm GMT

70 min: Taylor breaks into the box on the right and has a dig. The shot hits Pocognoli on the elbow. Taylor wants a penalty, but he’s not getting that. A corner on the right will have to do. And they nearly score from it. It’s hit deep. Bostwick aims a header for the top right. Olsson has to divert it over the crossbar. Another corner, this time on the left. Nothing comes of that one. But right now, if there’s to be a second goal in this match, there’s only one team scoring it, and that’s the hosts.

9.09pm GMT

67 min: Olsson and Foster engage in a full and frank exchange of views. On the touchline, Tony Pulis looks on in amazement as his own team tear into each other. Peterborough have West Brom exactly where they want them right now, though of course there’s still a long way to go.

9.07pm GMT

65 min: A bit of space for Gamboa on the right. He curls one into the box. Zakuani should clear, but heads weakly towards Berahino, then chases after it and clanks his jaw on the striker’s shoulder. Somehow he earns a free kick for this slapstick show, the pressure relieved. Everything’s going for Peterborough right now.

9.04pm GMT

63 min: Samuelson sashays down the inside-right and threatens to break clear into the area. But a combination of Gamboa and Olsson hold him up. Just. He’s a very smooth mover, Samuelson.

9.03pm GMT

62 min: Pulis makes a positive change. Yacob is replaced by Sessegnon.

9.03pm GMT

60 min: End-to-end frolics all of a sudden. First Angol advances on the West Brom box and tries to curl a low one into the bottom right. Foster claims easily. Then McClean busies himself down the left and wins a corner for West Brom. The set piece is plucked from the sky by Alnwick. A little bit better from the Premier League side. But only a little. They really need to raise their game here, or it’s curtains.

9.01pm GMT

59 min: A replay of the goal shows Taylor’s shot took a slight deflection off Chester’s boot. Perhaps it fooled Foster, but it didn’t seem to make too much difference. Let nothing be taken away from Taylor’s strike.

8.59pm GMT

57 min: West Brom try to up the tempo by way of response, but they’re all over the shop. Passes aren’t sticking. Pocognoli, under no pressure whatsoever, sprays a ball deep into the stand down the right. The home fans are bouncing.

8.57pm GMT

The shock’s on! And this had been coming. Angol is sent into acres down the right wing, McClean accidentally launching the attack with a poor pass back up his flank. Angol nears the box, then slides a pass across to Taylor, who has been romping down the inside-left flank. Chester doesn’t close him down, and Taylor flashes a shot across Foster and into the bottom right. London Road erupts! And it’s no more than the home side deserve.

8.55pm GMT

53 min: Forrester floats a cross, or is it a shot, in from the right. Foster claims, but very nearly takes it over his goalline. Then the keeper throws the ball out of play on the right. West Brom look rattled.

8.54pm GMT

51 min: Taylor, Fox and Samuelson cause West Brom no end of hassle down the left wing. They’re probing up and down the wing, cutting inside and back. The Premier League side can’t get the ball. This is very decent football. Eventually Fox bursts inside and lays off to Coulthirst, who attempts a Berahino-style gentle curler with his instep, looking for the top right. Not quite, but not far away either. It’s not been much of a match, but on balance, if anyone deserves to be in the lead, it’s Peterborough.

8.50pm GMT

48 min: A very strong suspicion that the referee had left his cards in the dressing room during that first half. He had plenty of opportunity to book several players, but did nothing. Now Yacob barges fairly harmlessly into the back of Coulthirst, and he’s shown yellow. Persistent fouling, no doubt. The resulting free kick, from a central position, 30 yards out, is wafted into the arms of Foster by Taylor.

8.48pm GMT

47 min: Fox slides a delightful ball down the left wing for Taylor, who reaches the byline and pulls back for Coulthirst. The striker, on the penalty spot with time, can’t quite get his feet sorted, and the chance is quickly gone. But that’s a fine move from the League One side.

8.46pm GMT

West Brom were sent out early, with a flea in their ear no doubt. Peterborough get the ball rolling, and will be hoping for another fast start. No changes.

8.32pm GMT

Half-time advertisement: Courtesy of YouTvbe.

8.31pm GMT

Hmm. Poor old BBC Sport can’t catch a break.

8.29pm GMT

44 min: McClean crosses deep from the left. Olsson heads over from eight yards. Then another attack’s launched, allowing Berahino to attempt a curler towards the top right from the left-hand corner of the area. It’s wide and high. But West Brom have finally turned up.

8.28pm GMT

41 min: It’s hit long, and drops to Chester on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. He’s got to get a shot on target, but he shanks it. The ball flies off at a right angle, across the face of goal, before clanking off Fletcher’s arm and over the bar, volleyball style. Best chance of the match, but look at the state of it.

8.26pm GMT

40 min: Baldwin and McClean crunch into each other on the halfway line, a thumping tackle, no quarter asked or given. Wallop. Cup-tie football, right here. Then Gardner bursts down the right and curls a cross over. Rondon misses his header at the near post. McClean sees his shot from a tight angle blocked at the far post. Corner. From which ...

8.23pm GMT

37 min: That’s sparked Peterborough back into life. Taylor turns the jets on and zips down the left wing. It’s an astonishing run, and he reaches the byline uncontested. His low cross fizzes through the six-yard box, but nobody’s kept up with play and it’s a let-off for the Premier League side.

8.22pm GMT

36 min: Suddenly, a moment of quality as West Brom explode forward. Foster hits a long clearance. Rondon, on the edge of the Peterborough box heads down for Berahino, who gently sends a rising sidefooter from 25 yards towards the top right. The ball whistles inches wide of the post. A brilliant effort. That looked in all the way. But not quite.

8.20pm GMT

34 min: This has turned into a scrappy nonsense. Peterborough’s momentum has been lost. West Brom never had any.

8.18pm GMT

32 min: Taylor slides in recklessly on Gardner in the midfield. No yellow. This is getting old now.

8.17pm GMT

30 min: Baldwin goes sliding in on Gamboa, who is tearing clear down the left. That should be a booking too, but this referee is judging everything by the standards of the 1980s. Fair enough if he keeps it going all evening. Gardner, by the corner flag, whips the free kick low to the near post. Alnwick claims.

8.14pm GMT

28 min: Samuelson escapes from a hole on the right wing with a stunning turn between McClean and Yacob. McClean slides in clumsily and misses his man; Yacob slides in clumsily and catches him. Yacob should be in the book, but this referee has forgotten his cards. On another day, West Brom could easily be already down to ten men with two men on yellows. The resulting free kick comes to nothing.

8.13pm GMT

8.11pm GMT

25 min: Peterborough have enjoyed 62% of the possession so far. They’re five attempts to one ahead too. West Brom are woefully unambitious so far.

8.09pm GMT

23 min: Fox curls a magnificent dipper towards the far post. Bostwick is waiting to crash a header home, but Yacob has read it well and steps in front of his man to clear, just in time.

8.08pm GMT

22 min: McClean trundles into the back of Samuelson, who was making good down the right. It’s a fairly cynical challenge, and the West Brom man really needs to watch his step here. The ref keeps his cards in his pocket. But this is a free kick in a dangerous position.

8.07pm GMT

20 min: Peterborough are well on top. Angol plays a cute pass down the inside-right channel to release Beautyman into the area. He’s one on one with Foster, albeit facing a tight angle. Foster parries the shot, which then clanks off Olsson for a corner. The set piece comes to nothing. But if anyone’s scoring an opening goal here, it’s the League One side. West Brom have been not far short of dreadful so far.

8.05pm GMT

19 min: Pocognoli gets on. Just in time as well, for Peterborough have a corner down the left. Fox’s delivery is appalling, though.

8.04pm GMT

17 min: McAuley has twanged his hamstring while in hot pursuit of Coulthirst. He can’t continue. He departs the scene, and it takes his replacement Pocognoli a good two minutes to get his tracksuit off. And now the ball’s back in play, with no chance to get the sub on. Can you imagine how many litres of steam are coming out of Tony Pulis’s lugs?

8.01pm GMT

15 min: A corner for West Brom on the left. It’s a total non-event. The home team are enjoying themselves here. They break upfield, and Fox has a lash from an absurd distance out on the left. Foster gathers easily enough, but the home side are obviously under orders to give it a go from all angles.

7.59pm GMT

13 min: A free kick for Peterborough out on the left, and a chance to load the box. But the home side don’t hoick it long. Fox nudges the ball to the right for Forrester, who unleashes a screamer from 30 yards towards the bottom left. Ambitious, and nearly successful. Foster turns the ball round the post. And from the corner, Bostwick flicks an effort goalwards, shooting from the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Foster parries, and the pressure’s relieved on West Brom as the ref blows for Baldwin’s gentle brush on Yacob.

7.57pm GMT

11 min: Taylor charges down Yacob in the middle of the park, and zips towards the West Brom box with purpose. Once he’s 20 yards from goal, he takes a pop. The shot’s nothing special, trundling harmlessly left of the target, but otherwise that was top-notch pressing. Gegenposhing.

7.54pm GMT

8 min: In the midfield, McClean comes straight through Samuelson with a fairly reckless tackle. It’s just a ticking off from the referee, but he’s fortunate not to go in the book there. A needlessly aggressive challenge. West Brom have come out swinging.

7.53pm GMT

7 min: Samuelson goes on a wander down the left. He breaks into the box and crosses low for Beautyman, who is in a little space just inside the area. He opens his body and sidefoots towards the bottom left. That’s heading in, with Foster’s feet planted, but Chester arrives from nowhere to spread himself a block. Brilliant defence.

7.50pm GMT

5 min: Peterborough get their foot on the ball for the first time in the match. Angol causes Foster a little bother as he chases down a long ball. Then Taylor bursts down the right, and wins a corner off Gardner. There’s a bit of pinball in the box. The ball breaks out to Fox on the right. He batters a wild shot into his own man Coulthirst, and the ball twangs out for a goal kick on the right. A lively enough start to this game.

7.48pm GMT

2 min: A free kick to the Baggies out on the left. McClean to take. Both teams fill the box. McClean’s low curler is dangerous, but somehow makes its way through the thicket and out of play on the right. In the melee, Gardner pops his elbow lightly in Coulthirst’s face. No power in it, but that’s deliberate and if the referee had seen it, well. Gardner’s a very lucky boy.

7.46pm GMT

West Brom get the match underway. Berahino slips the ball out to the right wing. Yacob slips the ball over to the left, where McClean has a probe. Nothing doing yet. But West Brom immediately on the front foot.

7.43pm GMT

The teams are out! An anticipatory FA Cup atmosphere at London Road. Peterborough are in their blue shirts, forcing West Brom into their red-and-black change strip. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.41pm GMT

And now the Baggies boss Tony Pulis: “We know it’s going to be a tough game. We know how difficult it is. I love the FA Cup, I love the competition, I just wanna be in it, and try to win the game. We tried to win the game at home, but missed lots of chances. They’re going to be right up for it. It’s going to be a great atmosphere. My lads are going to give it a go.”

7.41pm GMT

Posh manager Graham Westley speaks. “My players are an ambitious bunch, but they know we’re playing very good opposition who have got a front-line team on the pitch, and they know it isn’t going to be easy.” What of his former experiences at Stevenage, where he oversaw a side that put out Newcastle in 2011? “It spreads confidence, my players know it can be done, and they know that I knew what it took to make that happen. But the one thing we all know is that top players are top players for a reason, you underestimate them at your peril.”

7.15pm GMT

Peterborough make five changes to the team that held on for a 1-0 win at Chesterfield with nine men. Michael Smith and Ricardo Santos are suspended, Tom Nichols is ineligible, and Harry Toffolo and Erhun Oztumer drop to the bench. Stepping up: Martin Samuelsen, Gabriel Zakuani, Andrew Fox, Jack Baldwin and Harry Beautyman.

West Brom make three changes to the side that went down 1-0 at Newcastle United. The injured Craig Dawson, ineligible Sandro and benched Victor Anichebe miss out; Cristian Gamboa, Salomon Rondon and Saido Berahino move on up.

7.02pm GMT

Peterborough United: Alnwick, Samuelsen, Zakuani, Fox, Baldwin, Forrester, Taylor, Beautyman, Bostwick, Angol, Coulthirst.
Subs: Ntlhe, Oztumer, Maddison, Da Silva Lopes, Henry, Coulibaly, Toffolo.

West Bromwich Albion: Foster, Chester, McAuley, Olsson, Gamboa, Gardner, Yacob, Fletcher, McClean, Rondon, Berahino.
Subs: Anichebe, Myhill, Pocognoli, Sessegnon, Ward, Roberts, Leko.

1.03pm GMT

Here’s a match which has all the makings of a goalfest. The League One hosts first. Peterborough have scored more league goals this season than any other club in the country bar one: 54 to Gillingham’s 55. Meanwhile in the FA Cup, they’ve been banging them in at a rate of 2.25 goals per match: a 3-0 win at in-form Burton, 2-0 home wins over Luton and Preston, and most impressively of all, two late equalisers in the first match of this tie, a 2-2 draw at The Hawthorns. West Brom watch out!

A side managed by Tony Pulis – who unashamedly preaches caution first – can’t be expected to match that scoring rate. Albion have only scored 23 goals in 25 league games this season, and that first cup tie against Peterborough aside, have only found the net twice in their last five games. But look at it another way. On their last four visits to London Road, West Brom have won 2-0, 3-0, 2-0 and 3-2. Meanwhile they’ll definitely be playing Saido Berahino tonight, and in his last six FA Cup outings, he’s scored eight times and had a hand in four other goals! A one-man Peterborough, if you will.

Continue reading...

The Fiver | If the big clubs don’t get their way, they’re going to get their way

Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm GMT, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving

Thank the football gods in heaven that Argentina won the 1986 World Cup final, huh folks? Not only did their triumph forever validate the unique talent of Diego Maradona – kids, think Lionel Messi, only he turned up for major international tournaments, went about his work at club level without 10 of the best players in the world doing his running for him, and played on pitches like pigsties when GBH was only a yellow-card offence – it also ensured that Karl-Heinz Rummenigge didn’t get his hands on football’s biggest prize. Not that The Fiver had anything against the West Germany striker at the time, but he’s since become the chair of the European Clubs’ Association, and is now agitating for a European Super League, because apparently under Big Cup “there is a limit to how much money can be made”. The brazen state of it.

Continue reading...

West Ham United 2-1 Liverpool: FA Cup fourth round replay – as it happened

An exciting to-and-fro game ended dramatically as, with penalties looming, Angelo Ogbonna scored at the death to send West Ham into the fifth round of the cup.

10.20pm GMT

And they have! A dramatic end to a simply wonderful game of football! West Ham United have beaten Liverpool in the FA Cup for the first time in their history, thanks to that stunning late intervention by Angelo Ogbonna! Slaven Bilic spins and screams in delight, while Jurgen Klopp looks utterly deflated: if you thought the FA Cup meant nothing to him, that reaction serves as rebuttal. He manages a sporting smile as he congratulates Bilic, but can’t hold it for long. Liverpool’s young team performed with distinction tonight - their first-teamers want to have a long, hard look at themselves - but on balance West Ham deserved to nick it, especially as they’ve had good penalty shouts in both matches turned down. The FA Cup’s still got it, you know.

10.19pm GMT

ET 30 min +1: And that’s the first of two extra minutes gone. West Ham have almost certainly won this at the death!

10.18pm GMT

Payet whips the ball to the far post. Ogbonna, on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box, leaps above Stewart and smacks an unstoppable header into the right-hand corner!

10.17pm GMT

ET 30 min: Lucas shoves Antonio in the back down the West Ham left. A free kick, 30 yards out. West Ham load the box, and ...

10.16pm GMT

ET 29 min: From the corner, Flanagan has a go from a tight angle on the right. Nope.

10.16pm GMT

ET 28 min: Randolph claims the corner. Liverpool come back at West Ham. Milner has a shot from the edge of the box blocked. The ball breaks right to Flanagan, who fires low for Sturridge. The striker back flicks goalwards, and the ball’s bundled round for a corner.

10.14pm GMT

ET 27 min: Valencia’s back on. Milner, in a tight spot on the right, chips a lovely ball into the middle of the West Ham half, where Sturridge is in acres. Sturridge dribbles his way into the box, and nearly Ricky Villas his way free. But he’s crowded out, and a corner will have to do.

10.13pm GMT

ET 26 min: Valencia is OK to continue, but has been forced to the sidelines, so he’ll just be watching the free kick. The ball’s chipped into the box. Collins wins a header, but the ball’s heading out of play on the left. No matter, because the flag’s up for offside, or shoving, or something. Liverpool feel a wave of relief.

10.12pm GMT

ET 25 min: Valencia managed to injure himself while stretching for that shot, then colliding with Lucas. He’s down getting treatment. When he rises, West Ham have another free kick in a promising position, Obiang having been clattered in the middle of the Liverpool half.

10.10pm GMT

ET 23 min: Valencia cuts in from the left, takes a couple of touches, and looks to have worked enough space to shoot. But as he hammers the ball goalwards, Lucas comes barrelling into view, and blocks brilliantly. Better from West Ham, though.

10.09pm GMT

ET 22 min: A long throw into the Liverpool box from the left, and it’s easily plucked from the sky by Mignolet. West Ham have fallen a little quiet right now.

10.08pm GMT

ET 21 min: A free kick for West Ham out on the left. Payet hoicks it into the box, but it’s easily cleared and Liverpool break down the other end. Benteke has a chance to go for goal from 20 yards, but curls it well wide of the right-hand post. The big man looks pained. Yes, it’s difficult to watch a player struggle like this.

10.07pm GMT

ET 19 min: Sturridge slips a pass wide left for Origi, who enters the area and, from a tight but not totally prohibitive angle, whacks a shot into the side netting. “Eight minutes of injury time???” splutters Justin Kavanagh. “Did Klopp have his appendix put back in during that second half?”

10.05pm GMT

ET 18 min: Sturridge picks up possession in the centre circle. When he’s 25 yards out, he unleashes a shot towards the top right. It’s a mighty fine effort, but a little too high. If that was on target, Randolph wasn’t reaching it. Very close.

10.04pm GMT

ET 17 min: All very scrappy at the start of this half. A lot of players wandering around, thinking about the prospect of penalty kicks. Unless someone’s a hero in the next 13 minutes or so, someone’s going to be a villain. The crowd, so noisy for so long, suddenly sound pretty tense, too.

10.03pm GMT

ET 16 min: They switched on the bubble machine during the turnaround. Nature at its prettiest, but very distracting. Fortunately, there seems to be nothing going on right now.

10.02pm GMT

West Ham get the ball rolling for the final period of this epic cup tie.

10.00pm GMT

Noble and Payet combine well down the right to earn a corner off Lucas. A chance to load the box. Benteke clears with a towering header, and that’s the end of the first half. We’re 15 minutes away from penalties.

9.59pm GMT

ET 14 min: Smith is still holding his groin, but he’s been running up and down the left freely enough, so chances are it’s cramp rather than a hamstring problem, writes Dr Murray, a quack who actually has no idea and is wildly speculating.

9.58pm GMT

ET 13 min: This is better from Benteke, who holds up play on the right before setting Sturridge scampering towards the West Ham box. He’s got Ibe completely free on his left, but hits a dreadful pass straight at Collins. Then another phase of attack for the visitors, Origi crossing from the left, Benteke battling to win a header in the centre. It flies over, but at least he’s competing at last.

9.56pm GMT

ET 11 min: Liverpool make their final change. Milner comes on for Chirivella, who has been neat and tidy on his full debut for Liverpool. Smith was feeling his hamstring a minute or two ago, so they’ll be hoping he can run whatever’s wrong off.

9.55pm GMT

ET 9 min: Space for Origi out on the left. He curls a cross towards Sturridge at the near post. Sturridge can’t get a head on it, but Collins’ clearance isn’t good, dropping to Benteke, 12 yards out, with time. He lashes wide of the left-hand post. Then in the next phase, an even worse miss! Sturridge slips a clever ball down the middle that flummoxes Collins. Benteke is clear on goal! And he blams a shot straight at Randolph. A wonderful save from West Ham’s point of view, but that’s an appalling miss from a striker who just can’t turn his fortunes around. It’s hard to watch him go about his business.

9.52pm GMT

ET 7 min: Payet, out on the left, glides inside and slips the ball across for Noble, who takes a touch, opens up his body, and sidefoots a powerful riser towards the top right. Mignolet, at full stretch, batters clear. An inch or two to the right, and the keeper wasn’t getting that. Fine effort from the edge of the D.

9.50pm GMT

ET 6 min: Payet slides Moses in down the inside-left channel. Moses earns a corner, from which Cresswell dispatches a volley halfway towards the tube station.

9.49pm GMT

ET 5 min: Ibe is instrumental in shuttling the ball from right to left, via a series of brisk one-twos. Origi has a little space down the wing, and crosses, but Cresswell heads clear easily.

9.48pm GMT

ET 3 min: Liverpool stroke it around the back, going nowhere fast. Everyone seems happy enough with this state of affairs, an opportunity to take a breather.

9.46pm GMT

ET 2 min: A long ball down the right for the excellent Antonio to chase. Too much juice on it, and Smith ushers it out for a goal kick without fuss.

9.45pm GMT

Liverpool get us underway. They’re keeping their final substitution in the back pocket for now. West Ham have used up all of theirs.

9.44pm GMT

It’s been an excellent cup tie so far. The match at Anfield might have been one for the purists, but this has been a rollicking end-to-end affair. You could easily make a case for either team in extra time, though West Ham finished the second half stronger. And of course they should have had a penalty for Ilori’s tug on Valencia. Just to clarify for anyone unfamiliar with FA Cup rules: away goals aren’t a factor in this marvellous old competition; there will be 30 minutes extra time; and if there’s no winner by the end of that, it’s penalty kicks. We’ll be off in a sec!

9.40pm GMT

And that’s that! There’s going to be extra time. After a 53-minute second half. You can just picture the look on Klopp’s face, can’t you.

9.39pm GMT

90 min +8: Payet threatens to break clear down the inside-right channel, but Ilori puts a stop to his gallop.

9.38pm GMT

90 min +7: Obiang has a charge towards the Liverpool box, but lashes a poor shot miles wide right from distance.

9.38pm GMT

90 min +6: Lucas and Mignolet make a bit of a balls of a backpass. Lucas nearly finds the bottom right, Mignolet hacks out by the right-hand corner flag. From the throw, Carroll contests a high ball, but shoves Stewart. Hearts in Liverpool mouths before the flag went up, though, as there’s a shout for a hand ball against Stewart, and Carroll then turned to flash a shot inches wide of the right-hand post.

9.36pm GMT

90 min +5: All a bit scrappy as the nerves kick in.

9.36pm GMT

90 min +4: Collins, of all people, has a dig from 25 yards. Mignolet claims. Liverpool go up the other end and win a corner down the left. From the set piece, Sturridge has a pop from 20 yards, and converts in the rugby style.

9.35pm GMT

90 min +3: Noble hits a deep free kick into the Liverpool box. Carroll wins a header, and flashes it across goal. Valencia tries to hoick home, but Ilori is right up in his grille. Liverpool clear.

9.34pm GMT

90 min +2: Sturridge twists and turns down the right now, but can’t break clear of a backtracking Cresswell. Staunch defence by West Ham, who were rocking for a minute or two there.

9.33pm GMT

90 min +1: Sturridge chases after a quickly taken free kick down the left. His low cross finds Ibe on the edge of the box. Ibe sidefoots powerfully towards the bottom left. Randolph parries clear, a fine save.

9.32pm GMT

90 min: Valencia wins a corner off Flanagan down the left. Mignolet claims it. There will be eight minutes of added time. Eight minutes!

9.31pm GMT

88 min: Stewart goes in for a 50-50 with Obiang, who stands on his leg, just above the ankle. That’s a potential leg-breaker, though it looked totally accidental, both players stretching for a loose ball. Thankfully, Stewart gets up and, after a grimace, looks OK to continue.

9.28pm GMT

87 min: A yellow card for Antonio as Origi turns him down the left and makes to scoot off down the wing. Origi doesn’t get very far. It’s a fair decision.

9.28pm GMT

86 min: A loose ball bouncing around the front of the Liverpool box. Noble goes for it, lashing a fine volley towards the top right. Mignolet gathers well.

9.27pm GMT

85 min: Carroll, offside as he breaks into the Liverpool box, comes off second best in a high challenge with Mignolet. He goes down and for a second West Ham hearts are in mouths. No more subs left. But he’s up and about quickly enough.

9.25pm GMT

83 min: O’Brien can’t continue. He’s replaced by another Liverpool old boy in Moses. West Ham mooch upfield, Payet striding down the inside-right channel and looping a cross towards Valencia, ten yards out and level with the left-hand post. Valencia heads harmlessly over the bar, but Liverpool were light at the back there. It wasn’t an easy chance, but he’ll still think he could have done a bit better.

9.24pm GMT

81 min: Ah no, my mistake, I thought everyone shaped as though the ref had awarded a corner, but it’s a goal kick. Before Randolph can get the game underway again, O’Brien requires some treatment.

9.22pm GMT

80 min: Benteke whips one over the wall and down towards the top left. Not a bad effort, and one which would have gone in were it not for a firm hand from Randolph at full stretch. Origi is first to the loose ball, and wins a corner on the left.

9.21pm GMT

79 min: Now Sturridge one-twos with Benteke on the right-hand corner of the West Ham box. This one doesn’t come off either, but the striker looks up for this. And here he is, to the left of the D, nutmegging O’Brien and buying a cheap free kick for obstruction. Another free kick in a dangerous position. Coutinho Country, though the wee man is off the pitch now. Sturridge and Benteke stand over it.

9.19pm GMT

78 min: Origi cuts in from the left and runs across the face of the West Ham box. He lays the ball off to Sturridge, who sliderules a return forward and into the area. Randolph beats Origi to the ball on the penalty spot. An intricate move which nearly paid off.

9.18pm GMT

77 min: A lovely noisy but tense atmosphere at the Boleyn as this FA Cup tie reaches the business end. Everyone doing their bit. Football’s nothing without the fans, huh?

9.17pm GMT

75 min: Kouyate is quickly up and about, though he does look a little groggy. He wants to go back on, but a sensible decision’s made, and Carroll comes on in his stead. A headline or two waiting to be written by the man who’s still Liverpool’s record signing.

9.15pm GMT

72 min: Kouyate is down, having clashed heads accidentally with Flanagan. It didn’t look like there was much contact, and Flanagan is fine, but the West Ham midfielder is in a bit of pain. He’ll need some treatment.

9.11pm GMT

69 min: Payet dribbles dangerously into the Liverpool box from the left, but can’t keep control as he closes in on shooting distance. The home side are beginning to find their rhythm again, though, after a slow start to the half.

9.10pm GMT

68 min: Liverpool were very lucky there. Slaven Bilic is wandering up and down the touchline with his hands in his pockets, a wry smile on his face. Another poor decision, though, and expect a Full Seethe.

9.09pm GMT

66 min: Antonio nips the ball past Smith down the right, brilliantly so. He whistles a majestic low cross through the Liverpool box. Valencia should smack it home from six yards, but he goes down, claiming a penalty kick. And he should have got it, too, having been tugged back by Ilori. Mind you, it was such a light tug that you wonder why Valencia didn’t just sidefoot home and ask questions later. West Ham quite rightly feel extremely aggrieved though.

9.07pm GMT

65 min: As Liverpool broke upfield, Reid pulled up with a hamstring problem. He limps off and is replaced by Collins. Meanwhile Sturridge changes his boots. Less than six minutes, that pair lasted.

9.05pm GMT

63 min: A couple of corners on the left. Smith puts the first out of play. The second is cleared easily by Liverpool, with Chirivella breaking down the left. He cuts inside and slips the ball to Benteke, who frees Sturridge into the box down the inside-right! But there’s no fairytale introduction: Sturridge miscontrols with only Randolph to beat, and he was offside anyway.

9.04pm GMT

62 min: A free kick for West Ham, wide on the left, and a chance to load the area and cause a little bother. Payet’s free kick is uncharacteristically poor, straight at the wall. But Antonio - after fresh-air kicking at a dropping ball on the right - retrieves the situation and hoicks back into the mixer. Mignolet is forced to tip over the bar, with the ball threatening to drop into the top left.

9.02pm GMT

59 min: Klopp rolls the dice. A tiring Coutinho, his job done, is one of two men to make way, Teixeira the other. On come Origi and Sturridge. A huge cheer from the away end as the latter trots onto the field, pointing at the sky.

9.01pm GMT

58 min: An absurd game of pinball in the Liverpool box. Antonio, Valencia and Cresswell take turns to swing and miss. The ball’s half cleared. Then Mignolet flaps dismally on the edge of his box under a high Cresswell cross, challenged by Kouyate. West Ham can’t prod into the empty net. Liverpool break upfield, but Coutinho’s pass wide to Ibe, who is in acres, is a tired one.

8.58pm GMT

56 min: Shades of hand ball as Benteke turns down the inside-left channel. He backheels the ball brilliantly for Smith to power into the box. He reaches the byline and cuts back. Benteke meets the cross powerfully, but his shot hits Obiang, who has spread himself bravely in the firing line. Benteke should probably have scored there, but he did well to start the move, and should have been flagged for handling the ball. So all in all, it’s probably fair, and for the best, that no goal was scored.

8.56pm GMT

54 min: Flanagan goes on a Power Wander down the right, reaching the byline and hooking into the mixer. There’s still nobody making runs into the area for Liverpool. Where’s Benteke? Meanwhile they’ve been showing replays of that Valencia-Smith incident: a free kick would have been harsh on the full back, in fairness, Valencia having clanked into him, rather than the other way round.

8.54pm GMT

52 min: The home crowd holler in anger once more, as Noble takes a belt from 25 yards up the inside-left channel. The ball smacks into Ilori on the edge of the box. The home side are after a hand-ball decision, but they’re not getting that one either.

8.53pm GMT

51 min: Valencia looks to break into the Liverpool box down the right, but is stopped in his tracks by Smith. He claims a free kick, right on the edge of the area, but he’s getting nothing. The home crowd aren’t happy with that at all. It’ll be interesting to see that one again.

8.52pm GMT

50 min: Ibe is sent skittering into space wide on the right. He curls a fast cross into the box, but there’s nobody in white there to challenge Randolph, who claims well. Liverpool have come out looking very energised.

8.50pm GMT

Well this is a very clever free kick indeed! Coutinho makes an elaborate show of shaping to blooter one into the top right. The wall jumps. Coutinho rolls the ball along the ground and into the bottom left. That’s some very smart thinking indeed. It didn’t take long for Liverpool’s playmaker to announce his return, then.

8.49pm GMT

47 min: Coutino and Teixeira swap clever passes down the inside-left channel, and slip the ball to Benteke on the edge of the box. Obiang comes lumbering in, and clatters the striker as he attempts to turn on the left-hand edge of the D. Free kick in a very dangerous position.

8.47pm GMT

Liverpool were sent out early, possibly with a flea in their ear. Klopp certainly doesn’t look particularly pleased on the touchline. Strange, because this has been one of Liverpool’s better performances of late. The young lads are certainly doing no worse than the usual first picks. They get the ball rolling for the second half. Daniel Sturridge meanwhile is already warming up.

8.34pm GMT

Half-time entertainment: Happier times for Liverpool against West Ham. And a strange substitution - Kenny Dalglish for Alan Hansen - pays dividends for Liverpool in this Upton Park goalfest from 1986.

8.33pm GMT

That’s a body blow for Liverpool’s young team, who had been the equals of their West Ham elders in that half. But what a goal! Worthy of winning any game. Which it will do, unless Liverpool can somehow find their first goal of the season against the Hammers in four matches. It promises to be an exciting second half, one way or the other. Don’t leave us!

8.31pm GMT

Payet slips Valencia into space down the left. He dribbles into the box and to the byline, before chipping to the far post. Antonio, cutting in from the right, meets it with a searing volley, six yards out, and crashes the ball across an impotent Mignolet and into the top left. What a finish!

8.30pm GMT

44 min: Space for Smith yet again down the left. He’s made his way up the length of the pitch. Benteke didn’t bother to make a run into the box. Smith’s cross fizzes harmlessly through the area.

8.28pm GMT

42 min: Valencia skins Smith down the right. He reaches the byline and absolutely skelps a low cross into the centre. Mignolet, at his near post, handles that one well.

8.27pm GMT

40 min: What a brilliantly entertaining game this has been. On the touchline, Slaven Bilic and Liverpool No2 Željko Buvač enjoy a joke. A cup game that’s been played in the right spirit.

8.25pm GMT

38 min: Payet crashes a stunning curler against the right-hand post! Mignolet gets the lightest of fingertips to that. The rebound is headed back towards the top right by Antonio. Mignolet meets this one with a diving punch. West Ham keep pressing, with Liverpool all at sea. Valencia has a dig from the edge of the box but it’s easily blocked. How on earth is this game still goalless? The woodwork’s been rattled three times now: West Ham 2-1 Liverpool.

8.22pm GMT

37 min: West Ham launch another attack at last. It’s not really going anywhere, but Ibe pointlessly shoves Kouyate in the back, just outside the D. A chance for Payet to do his magic from a free kick.

8.21pm GMT

35 min: Another deep corner by Coutinho. Another header by Benteke. Another save by Randolph at his near post. Fine football all round, and that’s a far better couple of minutes for Benteke, who with a little more luck would have had either a goal or an assist there.

8.20pm GMT

34 min: Reid plays a dreadful ball out of the West Ham defence down the right. Coutinho latches onto the ball and slips Benteke free down the Liverpool left. It’s a poor ball by Coutinho, who should be setting Benteke clear into the box. But he’s pushed his striker a little bit wide. Benteke stops on the byline and executes a brilliant drag-back to fox O’Brien, then cutting the ball back for Coutinho, who opens his body and crashes a shot against the left-hand post. The rebound falls to Stewart, whose effort is deflected wide left of goal for a corner.

8.18pm GMT

33 min: A burst of energy by Payet down the inside-left channel, but the Liverpool back line holds its shape and he quickly loses possession on the edge of the box. “A couple of years ago I told my eleven year old son that right next door to Upton Park there was a bubble factory, hence the number of bubbles in the air. I only ‘fessed up recently, and only after he’d confidently informed all his friends.” Proud dad Tony Crawford there.

8.17pm GMT

31 min: Benteke tries to spin on the edge of the area, taking an Ibe pass from the right, but falls over. Then he’s caught two yards offside as Chirivella slips a clever pass down the inside-right channel. None of it’s ideal, but he’s keeping busy and involved, which is not something you can always say about the enigmatic striker.

8.15pm GMT

29 min: Benteke bundles Obiang to the ground in the centre circle. Another chance for West Ham to load the box and hit it long. They do the former, then forget about the latter. Very strange. Then Liverpool break upfield, with Smith romping in more space down the left flank. His low cross is only half-cleared by the Hammers, and rebounds to Teixeira, level with the left-hand post, 12 yards out. He’s got to make Randolph work at the very least, but fails dismally, dragging a low shot wide left. He falls to his knees in pain, knowing full well he’s missed a fine one there.

8.12pm GMT

26 min: Teixeira slides Smith into space on the overlap down the left. Smith reaches the byline and hooks a low ball into the centre. Benteke misses it. Ibe, on the penalty spot, should trap and shoot, but lets the ball roll under his foot. So clumsy, an opportunity spurned. West Ham try to break upfield through Kouyate. Stewart stops him with a clumsy kick on his knee, and can’t have any complaints over receiving a yellow card.

8.10pm GMT

25 min: Liverpool take the sting out of the game with a lot of passing in the midfield, this way and that, then back to the keeper, and over again. It’s an ersatz version of the 1980s.

8.09pm GMT

23 min: Ah well, there you go, this one passes without any incident whatsoever.

8.08pm GMT

22 min: West Ham have wrested the upper hand from Liverpool here. They’re winning the majority of loose balls in the midfield. Smith gets to a rare one first for Liverpool, but needlessly handles. A free kick, allowing West Ham to load the box. The ball’s hoicked into the mixer, forcing Ilori to head behind for a corner. You know what Liverpool have been like with these this season.

8.05pm GMT

19 min: A slight lull after all that action. Antonio nearly breaks clear down the right, but again he’s chasing after an overhit pass. Not entirely sure Lucas looks happy with his lot tonight. The expression on his face screams: I have concerns.

8.03pm GMT

16 min: And this is even closer! Payet spreads a pass wide right for O’Brien. Where’s Smith? Not there, is where. O’Brien takes a touch on the edge of the box and then shoots. The ball takes a slight deflection off Lucas, flies past Mignolet and crashes off the base of the right-hand post! Liverpool clear after a fashion. What a bright start to this game!

8.01pm GMT

15 min: Coutinho hits another corner long. Benteke meets this one again, this time with a volley that’s parried well at his near post by Randolph. So close to the opening goal!

8.00pm GMT

14 min: Teixeira pitching-wedges a pass down the left wing to send Coutinho into some space. He wins a corner, and takes it himself. He hits it long. Benteke heads back into the six-yard box. There’s a game of pinball. Neither Teixeira nor Stewart can get a shot away. The ball brushes O’Brien’s hand, but that’s never a penalty. The ball squirts out to the left of the West Ham goal for another corner.

7.57pm GMT

11 min: Valencia and Antonio gegenpress Lucas and Ilori. The Liverpool centre-back pairing panic a bit, and require Chirivella to drop back and help them out. The young midfielder clips a fine pressure-relieving pass out of a melee and wide to Smith. Fine work, except Smith lets the simple ball run out of play. West Ham come again at Liverpool, Noble chipping down the inside-right channel with a view to releasing Antonio. The pass is too strong, but the home side are beginning to get into this match after a slightly groggy start.

7.54pm GMT

9 min: West Ham finally show a little attacking intent, Payet sending Cresswell into room along the left flank. The full back whips a teasing cross into the area, but there’s nobody up with play, and Mignolet can come off his line to claim without fuss or ceremony.

7.53pm GMT

8 min: Liverpool have started this game confidently. Ibe slides a ball down the right to release Benteke into the area. Faced with a tight angle, the confidence-free striker is never going to have a lash at goal. Instead, he holds the ball up and looks for a cross. That clanks into Ogbonna. But a promising move by this makeshift team.

7.52pm GMT

6 min: Smith bursts into a bit of space down the left. The young Aussie has a cross on him. He puts a decent high ball into the box, in the general direction of Benteke, but Cresswell has read the flight perfectly and flicks a header clear of danger. “About the bubbles floating around Upton Park. Might they be a symbol of the financial sustainability of all this modern football?” Hot topical satire, ladies and gentlemen, from the pen of Peter Oh. Perhaps he should have saved it for 77 min.

7.49pm GMT

4 min: It’s all a bit scrappy so far, with not much shape to the match. Fans of both teams are giving it plenty, nevertheless. Steven Gerrard still very much a hot topic of debate.

7.48pm GMT

2 min: A couple of historical pointers. Liverpool have never lost to West Ham in the cup. But on the other hand, the last season West Ham did the double over Liverpool in the league, 1963-64, ended with FA Cup success at Wembley. Something’s got to give tonight.

7.47pm GMT

Before kick off, a warm round of applause to mark the 10th anniversary of the passing of West Ham’s 1964 cup-winning manager, Ron Greenwood. Then the home side get the ball rolling. Liverpool pick up possession quickly enough, and Ibe slides a ball down the inside-right channel towards Teixeira, who chases it into the area. Ogbonna shoulder charges the young midfielder to the ground, and that’s a goal kick. Nobody claims for a penalty kick, either in the stand or on the pitch.

7.43pm GMT

The teams are out! West Ham United are in the Victorian splendour of their famous claret and blue, forcing Liverpool into second-choice white. As always at Upton Park, there’s a cracking atmosphere, with plenty of bubbles sailing around the night sky. Loads of them. They’ll never float alone. We’ll be off in a minute.

7.37pm GMT

Meanwhile poor Klopp would have liked some sympathy for his recent visit to hospital, but is resigned to getting bupkis. “I would like to say I have big pain, but I don’t, and I am here! Maybe it was a good combination of British doctor and German patient. I don’t celebrate like a crazy devil when we score, sometimes I am cool, so if something happens positively I know what I have to do.” What about the central defensive pairing of Ilori and Lucas? “Well, we want a really strong bench.” [Folds up in laughter at his own zinger.] “It’s difficult. First of all it’s good that [Divock] Origi, Phil [Coutinho] and Dan [Sturridge] are back, but after four days training we cannot bring them all together in the starting line-up. Steven Caulker yesterday said he had a stiff back, so we had to create a new idea, and this is the new idea. Also Pedro [Chirivella] is a big talent and we are looking forward to watching him tonight. We have no doubts about his quality.”

7.22pm GMT

Bilic speaks! “I was happy with the way we played after the first 15 minutes at Southampton. But we have to have a better start tonight, the sort we showed against Liverpool and Manchester City a few weeks ago. I do not think we are strong favourites because Liverpool are a good team. OK, so they have a few players in midfield who are not regulars, but they have players on the bench, and the game could be very long! We have played against them a few times and done well, but it’s a new game. If we do what we are capable of, hopefully we are going to go through.”

6.59pm GMT

West Ham make five changes from the team that went down to defeat at Southampton on Saturday evening. Darren Randolph takes Adrian’s place in goal, as he does for the cup. Elsewhere, James Tomkins, James Collins, Victor Moses and Alex Song step down, with Cheikhou Kouyate, Pedro Obiang, Joey O’Brien and Angelo Ogbonna coming in.

Liverpool make their usual wholesale changes for the FA Cup. Only Simon Mignolet survives from the team that started the 2-2 draw with Sunderland. Lucas captains another young team, and joins Tiago Ilori in the centre of a makeshift defence. Hmm. But there is some good news for Klopp’s side in the return from injury of Philippe Coutinho.

6.57pm GMT

West Ham United: Randolph, O’Brien, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Kouyate, Noble, Obiang, Antonio, Valencia, Payet.
Subs: Carroll, Adrian, Collins, Moses, Oxford, Cullen, Parfitt-Williams.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Flanagan, Stewart, Tiago Ilori, Smith, Teixeira, Lucas, Chirivella, Ibe, Benteke, Coutinho.
Subs: Jose Enrique, Milner, Henderson, Sturridge, Origi, Ward, Randall.

12.21pm GMT

West Ham United go into this match as strong favourites, whatever team Liverpool decide to put out. The logic is simple enough. They’ve beaten tonight’s opponents home and away in the league this season. They’d have most likely had another win at Anfield against the kids in the cup, had the referee only spotted Steven Caulker’s penalty-area bump-set-spike. They beat Liverpool here at Upton Park in the league last season, too. Liverpool meanwhile haven’t scored a goal against West Ham for 280 minutes. They recently went on a 359-minute run without finding the net. And they’ve only won three of their last 11 games.

Favourites don’t always make it through, though. We trot out that trite statement simply to make one thing clear: this could potentially be the very last FA Cup tie ever played at the Boleyn Ground, 111 years and two months after Brighton and Hove Albion beat the Hammers 2-1 in the sixth qualifying round of the 1904-05 competition. Even if West Ham win, a fifth-round trip to Blackburn Rovers is the prize for the victors, with the potential of another away draw in the sixth round. You never know. So just in case, soak up every minute, friends. This could be the evening a curtain fell.

Continue reading...

The Fiver | Design gurus from top branding consultancy Will This Do?

Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm GMT, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving

Last weekend, an estimated 15,000 walked out of Anfield mid-match to protest against high ticket prices. Which was all well and good, but did any of these people consider the bigger picture? If punters don’t cough, and cough hard, until their retinas detach, who’s going to overpay for all these players? Adam Lallana isn’t going to pirouette down a blind alley before standing on the ball and falling on his face for nothing. Who’s going to polish Ian Ayre’s motorised trike? A trike that doesn’t run on chanting and goodwill, by the way. And then there’s this new Main Stand, to be packed full of mod cons such as seats that clamp and rotate through 180 degrees, and shake out coins, notes, gum, rolling tobacco, fillings from teeth, etc. Who’s going to pay for all that? Eh?

Continue reading...

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

An early Maya Yoshida goal was enough to give Saints the win, though they had to fight hard for it after Victor Wanyama got himself sent off on the hour.

7.24pm GMT

And Saints see it through! A fine defensive display by the ten men in the face of relentless West Ham pressure. So that’s five consecutive clean sheets in a row, a league sequence they last achieved 15 years ago! They climb back to seventh, but are now just two points behind West Ham, who stay in sixth. And on the whole, Southampton deserved their win: their early attacks were the most incisive of the match, while they defended resolutely when a man down. Fraser Foster hasn’t let in a league goal for nine hours and three minutes. Like Ronald Koeman said, it’s all about defensive organisation.

7.22pm GMT

90 min +5: Cresswell crosses from the left. Collins, on the penalty area, shapes like Zidane in the 2002 Champions League final, and volleys. It hits Yoshida on the chest. Collins claims a penalty kick, but that hit the defender plumb on the crest of his shirt.

7.21pm GMT

90 min +4: Payet dribbles, left to right, across the front of the Saints box, but can’t work space to shoot.

7.20pm GMT

90 min +3: Byram crosses deep from the right. Cedric gets his clearance right this time.

7.19pm GMT

90 min +2: Claise is replaced by Ward-Prowse.

7.19pm GMT

90 min +1: ... is cleared. The first of five extra minutes has elapsed.

7.18pm GMT

90 min: Cedric nearly scores an absurd own goal! Valencia whips a cross in from the right. It’s deep, and met by Cedric on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Cedric tries to volley clear, but shanks the ball off his ankle and looping over Forster towards the top right! Luckily for Saints, the ball squirts wide of the post. A corner, which ...

7.17pm GMT

89 min: Down the other end, Romeu bundles Emenike over, 30 yards from goal. Nervous tension erupts into celebration as Valencia wastes the free kick, hoicking it high into the stand.

7.16pm GMT

88 min: Romeu dances down the middle of the park, draws two West Ham defenders, and flicks the ball between them to set Austin free on goal! He’s got to score, but slams his low shot wide of the right-hand post. What an opportunity to put the game to bed!

7.15pm GMT

87 min: Byram should be walking for a late and dangerous stamp on Bertrand’s ankle. That was a potential breaker. He’s very lucky to just see yellow.

7.14pm GMT

86 min: Payet chips down the inside-right channel to release Byram into the box. But Bertrand steps across him, guides the ball back to Forster, and it turns out Byram was offside anyway. That was decent defending, though, because Bertrand wasn’t to know the flag was going up.

7.12pm GMT

84 min: Valencia has a rash whack from a ridiculous angle to the right of the Saints box. That flies into the crowd. The clock is quickly becoming Southampton’s friend. “Still feels strange, as a Leeds fan, to watch Sam Byram walk around in a West Ham shirt,” writes Ezra Finkelstein. “Starting to feel like Southampton fans at a Liverpool game.” Though unlike Leeds with the very promising Byram, Saints got the better of their particular deals, huh.

7.10pm GMT

83 min: A free kick for Saints in the middle of the park. Pressure relieved, though Clasie is booked for kicking the ball away to eat up a little time.

7.09pm GMT

82 min: West Ham are flinging crosses into the Saints area from both flanks, but every one is being met by a Saints defender. The home side are looking solid enough when it comes to the crunch, but how long can they deal with this relentless probing?

7.07pm GMT

80 min: From the set piece, Song drifts a cross in from the left. Forster barges his way through a crowd to rise and claim. That’s fine keeping with his team creaking at the back. West Ham are soon coming back at Saints, and this time Song is attempting to curl one into the top right from distance. It’s well over the bar.

7.06pm GMT

79 min: Clasie curls the corner into the box. Collins heads it back to him. Clasie curls it in again, straight down Adrian’s throat this time. And West Ham are instantly back on the attack, winning a corner down the left.

7.05pm GMT

78 min: Austin goes chasing after a long Romeu pass down the left. He’s only got Long in the middle, so tries a shot instead. The ball clanks off Collins and out for a corner. Saints will take this, because the pressure’s been relentless of late.

7.04pm GMT

76 min: Cresswell crosses from the left. Carroll slides in but can’t connect. Valencia picks up the ball on the right, drifts in, and attempts a curler into the top left. It deflects into the path of Carroll, but once again the big man can’t react in time. The home crowd, sensing a session of attack-versus-defence is underway, get behind their team in the grand style.

7.02pm GMT

75 min: Valencia, out on the right, curls a stupendous cross onto the head of Emenike, who is six yards from goal. He heads powerfully wide right. Had that been on target, Forster would have had no time to react.

7.01pm GMT

74 min: Payet, conducting from deep, wands a floated ball down the inside-right. Yoshida heads back to his keeper, though Valencia very nearly nipped in to intercept.

7.00pm GMT

73 min: A couple of changes. Saints replace Pelle with Austin, while West Ham send on Emenike in Antonio’s wake.

6.59pm GMT

72 min: Now Song has a go, attempting to shovel a chip into the top right from the left-hand of the D, having spotted Forster off his line. Nope.

6.58pm GMT

71 min: West Ham are enjoying the lion’s share of possession right now. Saints are holding their shape well, though. After a session of sterile passing this way and that, Noble has a whack from distance. Nope.

6.56pm GMT

69 min: It’s lashing down on the south coast. Pretty football’s at a premium, as a result.

6.55pm GMT

67 min: Valencia slides in on the back of Romeu. That’s a yellow card all day long, although of course in this climate the Saints fans want a red to level things up. They’re not getting it, and howls ping around the stands. Yellow will have to suffice.

6.52pm GMT

66 min: Free kick for Saints out on the right. Bertrand looks for van Dijk, on the penalty spot. He finds his man, but van Dijk is leaning back, and Collins isn’t giving him an inch. The ball sails out for a goal kick.

6.51pm GMT

64 min: Collins misjudges the flight of a long ball down the middle of the park, and allows Long to tear clear of the defender down the inside-left channel. Long reaches the box and sends a riser, meant for the top left, just over the crossbar. A fine chance to give ten-man Saints a two-goal cushion they may well need.

6.50pm GMT

63 min: Byram has a little space down the right. He’s got Carroll in the middle to aim for. A big target, but the young man slides his cross into the arms of Forster.

6.48pm GMT

61 min: West Ham swap Moses for Carroll. And as they’re making the change, Tomkins limps off, so Byram has to come on as well.

6.46pm GMT

59 min: Space for Bertrand down the left. He’s looking for Long in the middle, and would have found him too, were it not for Collins, who blocks the cross with a John Terry style low flying header.

6.44pm GMT

56 min: Saints, down to ten men, sacrifice Mane for Romeu. The home crowd respond to the sending off with defiance: it’s the loudest they’ve been all night.

6.43pm GMT

This is a preposterous challenge. Payet is wandering through the centre circle. Wanyama decides to go after a ball he’s never going to reach. He lumbers after Payet and, with both feet off the ground, scissors his leg. Clumsy and mistimed rather than malicious or aggressive, but potentially dangerous and incredibly stupid: Payet was in the middle of the field going nowhere, with the Saints back line in perfect position! The referee had no choice. Why on earth did he go flying in?!

6.40pm GMT

52 min: Valencia gamely chases after a long ball down the right, enters the box, and trundles a weak shot towards the bottom right. Forster is never going to be beaten at his near post with that. Simon Mignolet in the cup on Tuesday, maybe, but not Forster tonight.

6.38pm GMT

51 min: Yoshida tugs Valencia to the ground as the striker looks to spin off down the inside-right channel. A free kick, and a chance for the Hammers to load the box. Payet’s delivery isn’t up to much, for once, and Long heads back upfield without too much fuss. There’s not a whole lot happening. This match had been clattering along nicely for a while, but now, not so much.

6.37pm GMT

50 min: West Ham have started a scrappy second half slightly the stronger. Antonio bursts into the Saints box down the right and nearly works himself a shooting position, but a combination of Bertrand and Yoshida crowds him out.

6.35pm GMT

47 min: Van Dijk comes in from the back and stands on Valencia’s ankle. It looked clumsy rather than malicious, and the West Ham man looks to be OK after a small yelp of pain and a grimace. The referee takes no action, which is probably fair enough.

6.32pm GMT

No changes at the break. The visitors get the ball rolling for the second half.

6.19pm GMT

Half-time entertainment: Here’s a goalfest between the two sides at the Dell in 1971. West Ham are three goals up, on the attack and ... oh!

6.18pm GMT

And that’s your lot for the first half. Saints started very strongly, very much deserving their early lead. West Ham came back at them, though: they should have had a penalty, while Forster made a stunning save from Reid. So West Ham will feel a little aggrieved at going in behind. All of which should make for an exciting second half, no?

6.15pm GMT

45 min: Mane, in a pocket of space outside the West Ham box, has a chance to shoot. He inexplicably instead tries to thread a pass down the inside-left channel for Long, and it’s easily cut out by Tomkins and cleared upfield.

6.14pm GMT

43 min: Collins plays a risky ball back to Adrian, who is nearly closed down by Mane. Nearly, but not quite. To the soundtrack of a few pantomime ooooooohs, the keeper belts clear. It’s a pretty tame end to the half, truth be told. Not a lot going on.

6.12pm GMT

42 min: Moses zips past Calsie down the left and earns a corner. Payet takes. Pelle clears. Reid tries to dispatch the ball back towards goal with force. His shot is blocked. Saints try to break upfield but soon lose possession. This is all a bit scrappy right now.

6.10pm GMT

39 min: A break in play as Long gets a little treatment after getting his ankle accidentally clipped by Antonio. In the stand, West Ham owner David Sullivan is wearing a similar sable hat to the one once sported by George Costanza.

6.07pm GMT

36 min: A corner for West Ham on the left now. Payet takes. He again finds his pal Reid, who tries to flick a header backwards while level with the left-hand post. The ball flies over the crossbar. But the Hammers are beginning to get back into this, after a slow start. The home fans are quiet and anxious right now.

6.05pm GMT

35 min: A set piece for West Ham out on the right. Another chance for Payet to do his thing. The ball drops to Reid, on the penalty spot, a fine delivery. Reid seems surprised that it’s got over a thicket of players, though, and fails to control. A chance to get a shot away spurned.

6.03pm GMT

32 min: A free kick for Saints, 40 yards from goal in a central position, the result of Collins having mounted Long. But Saints faff around with a load of over-elaborate nonsense, allowing West Ham to intercept and flood upfield. Payet has space down the left, but screws a strange cross miles right of the Saints goal, Valencia in the middle given no chance of meeting it.

6.01pm GMT

29 min: ... Saints nearly score on a break upfield. Mane eats up most of the pitch and slides the ball right to Long. West Ham are light at the back. Saints have a man advantage, three on two. Long plays a weak pass down the right flank for Pelle, and all momentum is lost. Pelle does manage to chip a cross into the box, but by this time Collins is back in place to head clear with Mane lurking.

5.59pm GMT

28 min: Payet is going nowhere down the left, but Wanyama clumsily and impatiently clatters into his back, and that’s a free kick. West Ham load the box. Payet whips it to the near post. Reid glances it at speed towards the bottom right. A fine effort, but Forster parries it out, a stunning save. Song latches onto the rebound and shoots. The ball deflects out for a corner, from which ...

5.57pm GMT

27 min: A bit of space for Antonio out on the right. He gets past Bertrand and fires low into the six-yard box, but Fonte is the first man to the ball and skelps clear. It’s an enjoyable end-to-end affair, this. Both teams have turned up with attacking very much in mind.

5.56pm GMT

25 min: A free kick for Saints out on the right. Bertrand curls it into the danger zone. West Ham can’t clear, but Pelle can’t get a firm connection amid a melee. The ball squirts out of the area to Clasie, who has a speculative prod from 20 yards. The shot hits Mane, who takes the sting out of it. The ball lands softly in Adrian’s arms.

5.54pm GMT

23 min: Noble lifts a long ball down the inside-right channel. Valencia chases after it. He goes down inside the box, having been clipped on his studs by Yoshida, who was on his shoulder making sure he couldn’t get a shot away. That should have been a penalty kick. In fairness to the referee, Valencia didn’t complain much, though the same can’t be said for his manager, who is on the touchline with smoke billowing out of his lugholes.

5.51pm GMT

21 min: Payet, out on the right touchline, hoicks an up and under into the Saints box. For a second, it looks like it might Konchesky its way over Forster on an absurd arc and into the top left. But the ball drifts over the bar, and the keeper probably had it covered anyway.

5.50pm GMT

19 min: A free kick for Saints that’s effectively a corner, near the flag on the left, Noble having upended Bertrand. A dangerous position, but it’s wasted by Fonte, who is penalised for climbing all over his marker when contesting the ball that’s chipped into the mixer.

5.48pm GMT

17 min: Moses drifts in from the left and keeps going. Eventually he tries a shot from 30 yards. It balloons off Fonte and into the sky. Eventually it comes back down. Forster gathers well, considering the conditions.

5.47pm GMT

16 min: A nice duel between Bertrand and Antonio down the Saints left flank. Bertrand very nearly skins his man on the outside. But Antonio stays firm, and eventually prises the ball off Bertrand, before racing back upfield with purpose. Bertrand tracks back, and returns the favour, easing Antonio off the ball.

5.44pm GMT

14 min: A little bit of possession for West Ham at last. But it’s all in the middle of the field. They go nowhere. Still, small acorns and all that.

5.42pm GMT

12 min: Van Dijk goes on a Beckenbauer style dribble down the middle. He flicks the ball wide right for Cedric, who curls a cross deep. Pelle rises, ten yards from goal, but can’t keep the header down and it’s wide left as well. West Ham need to wake up quickly, because Saints could already be a couple of goals to the good.

5.41pm GMT

Saints have a corner out on the left. The ball ends up on the right wing. Mane, out on the touchline, flicks the ball inside for Wanyama, who drives into the box from the side. He looks to have overrun it, but prods it between a couple of blue shirts and into the centre where Yoshida is in a pocket of space in front of goal! It’s a doddle for him to hammer home. Saints deserve the lead after a very positive start to this game.

5.39pm GMT

8 min: Long, out wide on the left, hoicks a high cross into the West Ham box. Cedric, cutting in from the right, towers above Cresswell and powers a header towards the top left. It’s a brilliant effort, and tipped away by Adrian. Stunning save!

5.38pm GMT

6 min: The rain is driving to such an extent that Song has already had to get rid of his protective goggles. He demonstrates his new clarity of vision by clearing a Southampton corner, won out on the left by Pelle, hit long, then hammered clear.

5.35pm GMT

5 min: Long makes a well-timed bending run down the inside-right channel to spring West Ham’s offside trap, but Mane’s pass down the channel is far too strong. Adrian comes out to claim.

5.34pm GMT

4 min: Saints are looking busy down this right flank. Cedric Soares very nearly bursts clear into space after linking up well with Wanyama, but Song comes across to cover and snuff out the danger. West Ham haven’t seen much of the ball yet.

5.32pm GMT

2 min: Long embarks on a run down the inside-right channel and earns a corner off Reid. Saints load the box. Bertrand tosses the ball into the box but it’s easily cleared by Collins. A bright, if not particularly dramatic, start.

5.31pm GMT

It’s coming down in sheets at St Mary’s, and the wind’s up as well. Saints get the ball rolling. Then hit it long and out of play down the right, Six Nations style. Topical.

5.28pm GMT

The teams are out! Southampton are in their traditional red-and-white stripes, while West Ham sport their retro take on that iconic change shirt from the early 70s: light blue with a claret hoop across the chest. There’s a cracking atmosphere at St Mary’s for a game that’s now sixth against ninth, Southampton dropping a couple of places thanks to Everton’s earlier win at Stoke City and Liverpool’s draw with Sunderland. We’ll be off in a minute, but while we wait for kick-off, here’s Raymond Reardon: “West Ham will be hoping their late kick-off results for 2015-16 continue, after a 2-1 win at the Etihad, a 2-2 draw at Upton Park with Manchester City, and a 2-1 win at Upton Park over Southampton. Unfortunately for West Ham they haven’t been a allocated any more late kick-offs for the rest of the season after this match. Maybe they could petition for more late kick-offs when they move to the Olympic Stadium next season.” Who knows what’s possible when you’ve got friends in high places. Of course Saints have had success in this time slot too: remember their evisceration of Chelsea, and the subsequent seven-minute-long live televised launch of Jose Mourinho’s exit strategy? So it’s all to play for tonight.

5.17pm GMT

Ronald Koeman speaks! “We have kept a lot of clean sheets in the last few weeks, and it increases confidence. We know we can score. But we also have good defensive organisation. The whole team is working well, and we have the spirit required to win games.”

5.08pm GMT

Slaven Bilic speaks! “We are improving. We are more consistent. But we know we have to be on the top of our game. We are playing a team that in December was not that good, points wise, but recently they have three wins and a draw, and some clean sheets. They are playing at home and are very confident. It’s going to be an extremely big challenge for us.”

4.46pm GMT

Three changes to the Southampton team which started the goalless draw at Arsenal in the week. Jordy Clasie, Maya Yoshida and Graziano Pelle come in at the expense of James Ward-Prowse, Dusan Tadic and Oriol Romeu.

West Ham make just the one change to the team sent out to beat Aston Villa on Tuesday night. Victor Moses replaces Cheikhou Kouyaté.

4.35pm GMT

Southampton: Forster, Cedric Soares, van Dijk, Fonte, Bertrand, Clasie, Wanyama, Mane, Long, Yoshida, Pelle.
Subs: Tadic, Romeu, Martina, Ward-Prowse, Juanmi, Stekelenburg, Austin.

West Ham United: Adrian, Tomkins, Collins, Reid, Cresswell, Noble, Song, Antonio, Payet, Moses, Valencia.
Subs: Randolph, Carroll, Obiang, O’Brien, Byram, Emenike, Oxford.

10.10am GMT

The last four times this fixture has been played, then, starting with the most recent: 0-0, 0-0, 1-1, 1-0. Wait! Come back!

Because here are two teams slowly working their way into the groove. The Saints first. Ronald Koeman’s side looked all over the place for a while back there. During a ten-game run stretching between the tail end of November and early January, they lost eight times. Their only win was a 4-0 home victory which said more about Arsenal’s title hopes than anything else.

Continue reading...

Manchester City 1-3 Leicester City: Premier League – as it happened

Leicester romped to victory at the Etihad, making a statement of title-chasing intent against sloppy Manchester City.
Will Leicester win the title? History is on their side...

2.40pm GMT

And that’s that! Leicester enjoyed a little luck, they had the better of the refereeing decisions, and yet they were easily the best side anyway. Thoroughly deserved victors. That’s revenge for the 1969 FA Cup final, but perhaps more importantly, a win that puts them six points clear at the top of the Premier League table. This has been a serious statement of intent from a side who are now 7-4 favourites to win their first-ever English league title. Can anybody stop them? Arsenal, your turn next. Read Paul Wilson’s report from the Etihad Stadium:

Related: Leicester stun Manchester City to maintain remarkable title charge

2.38pm GMT

90 min +4: Space for Kolarov in the Leicester area on the right. His shot is deflected wide right for a corner. From which, Demichelis flashes a header wide left. Leicester finally looking a bit shaky, but it’s all come far too late for Manchester City.

2.37pm GMT

90 min +3: For a second it looks like Vardy will be tearing clear down the left, but the Fuchs clearance he was chasing rolled out of play.

2.36pm GMT

90 min +2: Fernandinho dribbles into the box from the right, and floats a cross to the far post. Sterling can’t meet it, though if that had been floating in, Schmeichel wouldn’t have been able to stop the fluke. It wasn’t far away, the ball flashing inches wide of the left-hand post.

2.34pm GMT

90 min +1: Fernandinho has a belt from 25 yards. It’s 25 yards over the crossbar.

2.33pm GMT

90 min: There will be four added minutes.

2.33pm GMT

89 min: Leicester suddenly betray a few nerves! Simpson plays a weak backpass down the left, and Aguero is clear in the area! But Schmeichel is out quickly to narrow the angle, and Aguero is panicked into slamming a wild shot into the side netting. This isn’t over quite yet.

2.32pm GMT

A corner out on the right. Celina takes. It’s half cleared. Celina gets the ball back, and curls a cross of extreme perfection onto Aguero’s head, six yards out. Aguero flashes a brilliant header into the left-hand side of the goal, Schmeichel with no chance. Augero was a yard offside, but the goal stands. That levels up the penalty non-decision, then.

2.29pm GMT

86 min: Dyer comes on for Albrighton.

2.29pm GMT

85 min: Vardy wins a corner down the right with yet another busy bustle. From the set piece, Drinkwater takes a shot from 25 yards. It goes out for a throw on the left. Ah well, nothing’s ever perfect.

2.27pm GMT

84 min: The Leicester fans are in full Party Mode. And why not? Their unfancied team have been the bosses of Manchester City today. Can anybody stop them? “I would argue that Leicester’s football is more attractive than Arsenal’s,” writes Ruth Purdue, who can speak for me, too. “It’s just the devastating directness and speed. Cue people writing in.” Fortunately, there’s not enough time left for me to publish.

2.25pm GMT

82 min: Ulloa comes on for Okazaki, whose energy has been vital to Leicester’s efforts today.

2.25pm GMT

80 min: It’s all Leicester. Albrighton slips a low pass into the Manchester City box from the right. Vardy lashes a first-time shot into the side netting. So close to the fourth. This is some performance by Leicester. “What you did in your youth is your business, Scott,” writes Justin Kavanagh, “but seriously, this is not an acid flashback, right?” Lysergic City.

2.22pm GMT

77 min: Bersant Celina, 19, comes on to make his Premier League debut for Manchester City. Silva makes way. Meanwhile Leicester swap Mahrez for recent signing Demarai Gray.

2.19pm GMT

75 min: Aguero is trying to kick-start Manchester City into action, but it’s a futile effort. He dribbles down the left but can’t get a shot away. Then he picks up possession again, and has a dig from 25 yards, but it’s straight at Schmeichel.

2.18pm GMT

73 min: Leicester are rampant. Mahrez, out on the right, creams a Hollywood pass left for Albrighton, who would be free on goal had Zabaleta not eyebrowed out for a corner. From the set piece, Fuchs whips low and hard from the left, Vardy nearly glancing a header into the bottom right. He doesn’t get enough purchase on the ball, though, and it flies out on the right. It’s chance after chance, though. City haven’t benefited from the referee’s decisions today, but they’ve also been little short of shambolic at the back.

2.16pm GMT

72 min: A free kick for Leicester in the centre circle. Drinkwater tries to take it quickly, knocking the ball straight at Fernando, who was a yard away, stubborn as you like. Fernando goes in the book. “It’s like Leicester have just found the setting to play the entire season in easy mode,” opines Jeremy Dresner.

2.13pm GMT

70 min: Leicester are relentless, a case study in positivity. Okazaki bombs down the left and is illegally checked by Zabaleta, just outside the area. Zabaleta is yellow-carded. A free kick in a dangerous position, though this one’s wasted. Hart hacks his clearance straight out of play on the right, which illustrates Manchester City’s collective state of mind right now. Befuddlement.

2.11pm GMT

68 min: It should be four. Drinkwater rakes a long pass down the inside-right channel, and Vardy is free on goal. Hart comes off his line in a very determined manner, and starjumps to smother. A wonder save.

2.10pm GMT

66 min: Fernandinho has a speculative whack from distance but it’s easily blocked. Then Sterling finds some space on the left, but his deep cross is way too high for Aguero to latch onto. As the ball sails harmlessly into the stand behind the goal, Aguero falls over in the slapstick style and skitters hysterically across the damp turf. That just about sums up Manchester City’s day.

2.09pm GMT

65 min: More space for Albrighton down the left. He hooks the ball into the area, where Okazaki nearly meets the ball on the penalty spot. He can’t control. Manchester City are all over the shop at the back.

2.07pm GMT

62 min: It’s worth saying that Manchester City have had no luck whatsoever today. Replays show that the corner preceding that third goal shouldn’t have been awarded: the ball came off Okazaki’s knee. And of course there’s that penalty non-decision in the first half. But Leicester are still worth their lead. This is a proper statement of intent from a team everyone will have to take very seriously now.

2.05pm GMT

The corner’s hit deep. Huth rises, 12 yards out, level with the right-hand post, and sends a bullet header across Hart and into the top right! A suggestion that he might have had his hands on the shoulders of Demichelis, but the Manchester City man was so passive there. Huth gets his second of the day, and this is a title challenge all right. A stylish one at that.

2.03pm GMT

59 min: Zabaleta clumsily clatters Albrighton down the left. Manchester City only half clear the free kick that’s whipped into the box. Vardy spins round Zabaleta at speed and breaks into the box down the inside-left channel. His low fizzer nearly finds Okazaki at the near post. It’s bundled out for a corner. From which ...

2.01pm GMT

57 min: Manchester City press Leicester back a little. Sterling twists around down the inside-left channel, but with options in the middle chooses to shoot from a restricted angle, and the danger is gone. “0-2. Can you reassure us that you’re not making this up?” begs Michael Cosgove. Would I lie to you? This is on.

1.59pm GMT

54 min: Zabaleta works hard down the right to earn a corner off Drinkwater. The set piece is whipped towards the near post, where Fernando heads down from six yards. It’s got goal written all over it, but Schmeichel drops down to turn the ball away from danger, a wonderful reaction save. The Leicester fans make some more predictions using the medium of song. Are they gonna win it? There’s a fair chance now, isn’t there.

1.56pm GMT

52 min: A double change by Manchester City, who are in collective shock right now. Toure and Delph are unceremoniously hooked, with Fernando and Iheanacho coming on.

1.55pm GMT

50 min: Manchester City try to respond - a corner’s won down the right - but Fernandinho’s header goalwards is weak. Leicester go up the other end, through Mahrez down the left. The resulting cross nearly finds Okazaki, sliding in six yards out, but Hart gathers just in time.

1.53pm GMT

This is a stunner! Kante wins the ball in the midfield, rides a couple of challenges down the left, and shuttles the ball forward for Mahrez, who drops a shoulder, takes a stride towards the left-hand side of the D, steps over the ball, and absolutely lashes a shot into the top left. Unstoppable! This really is on now. This is a bona fide title bid!

1.51pm GMT

47 min: A bright, end-to-end start to the half. First up, Simpson is booked for a fairly agricultural lunge on Sterling as the winger makes off at speed down the left. Then Leicester go up the other end through Albrighton, who reaches the byline down the left, but can’t find Vardy with his cutback. No matter though, becuase ...

1.50pm GMT

Manchester City get the ball rolling for the second half. There was a celebration of the Chinese New Year during half time, by the way. For the record, it’s the Year of the

Fox
Monkey in 2016.

1.36pm GMT

Half-time entertainment: Leicester City at various points during the 1970s. Featuring Frank O’Farrell, a young Peter Shilton, Jock Wallace’s infamous sand mountain, and a pretty clever Yeovil Town reference courtesy of a knackered Dennis Rofe.

1.34pm GMT

The visitors were brilliant in attack for 20 minutes, and staunch in defence for the next 25. Manchester City should have had a penalty kick, though, and did enough in the closing stages of that half to suggest Leicester will have a lot of work to do in the second. “We’re gonna win the league,” chant the travelling Foxes. And their team is indeed a step closer to it. Just another 27 halves of football to go.

1.32pm GMT

45 min: Delph and Silva combine to shuttle the ball down the left for Sterling, who cuts back for Kolarov. The full back’s shot, from the left of the D, is deflected out for a corner. Schmeichel powerfully punches the set piece clear, but Aguero comes back at Leicester down the right, zips into the box, and fires a low cross through the six-yard box. Schmeichel, who had come across to narrow the angle, is out of the picture, but there’s nobody in sky blue to run the ball home. Kolarov tries to keep the attack going on the left, but only succeeds in running the ball out of play for a goal kick. Leicester breathe again. Again.

1.29pm GMT

43 min: A bad couple of minutes for Fernandinho, who clashes heads with Kante in the midfield. Totally accidental. He needs a couple of minutes’ worth of treatment, but it looks as though he’ll be good to continue.

1.28pm GMT

41 min: Silva turns on the jets and earns a corner down the left. Kante should head it clear easily enough, but sends a strange header to the left-hand side of the box. Fernandinho latches onto the ball and looks to burst down the channel, with a view to hooking one back from the byline, but he’s knocked to the ground by Albrighton. That’s shoulder to shoulder, says the referee. Once again, no penalty. That’s a more clear-cut decision, though. City can still feel aggrieved about that earlier shout, though.

1.25pm GMT

39 min: Manchester City have all the possession right now, but they’re doing very little with it. Leicester are happy to sit back, soak it up, and try to spring Vardy away on the break. It’s a poser for the hosts all right.

1.22pm GMT

37 min: Morgan is booked for repeated fouling. The latest transgression is a whack through the back of Aguero. This will be a free kick for Manchester City, just to the left of the Leicester box. A dangerous position, but Silva’s delivery is appalling, and the visitors clear with ease.

1.20pm GMT

35 min: Leicester have been quiet in attack of late, but here comes Albrighton down the left. He curls a high one into the area, and it’s not far off dropping on the head of Vardy, ten yards out in a central position. But there’s just a little too much air on the cross, and it’s claimed by Hart. The stadium fell silent in anticipation for a split second there, though.

1.19pm GMT

32 min: A bit of space for Aguero to the right of the Leicester box. He gets a stride on Fuchs, knocks the ball into the area, and unleashes a low pearler goalwards. Schmeichel is right behind it, and claims well. Manchester City just can’t get the breakthrough. Meanwhile there’s a lovely banner being waved around by their fans: Manuel Pellegrini - This Charming Man. The man in question is currently shifting around very uneasily, contemplating life’s complexities in the smooth Nissan-sponsored leather of the dugout seat. It’s gruesome that someone so handsome should care.

1.15pm GMT

29 min: Silva busies himself down the inside-left channel, turns and slips the ball to Sterling, who chips forward for Toure. The big man bursts into the box. The angle’s tight, though, and falling backwards, he blasts over the bar. City took the best part of 20 minutes to get going, but they’re on top right now.

1.13pm GMT

27 min: Sterling diddles down the left and curls a gorgeous cross into the middle. Aguero prepares to head home from six yards, but suddenly Huth gets a little flick header on the ball, and the chance is denied. What a defensive intervention! It’s all going Leicester’s way right now.

1.12pm GMT

26 min: City are beginning to pin Leicester back and probe for the first time in the match. Leicester are holding their shape though. And they’re not half bad on the break, so this is the perfect set-up for some breezy entertainment.

1.10pm GMT

23 min: Zabaleta tries to cut into the Leicester area from the right. As he connects with the ball, he’s upended by Fuchs. He wants a penalty, but he’s only getting the free kick. That’s a brave decision, because it looked as though the foul was committed on the line. Only just on it, but on it nevertheless. In which case, it should have been a free attempt from 12 yards. But it’s just a free kick. Kolarov whips a dangerous one into the mixer. Huth eyebrows out for a corner, from which nothing occurs. Leicester got away with one there.

1.08pm GMT

21 min: Vardy taks on Otamendi down the left wing. He wins the footrace and fires low into the Manchester City box. Okazaki is an inch away from sliding in and toe-poking home. This is a whirlwind performance by the visitors so far.

1.05pm GMT

19 min: A little space for Albrighton down the left. His curling cross into the area gets a big deflection, and nearly allows Vardy to break clear of the Manchester City back line. But Hart reads the bounce well, and comes out to claim. Leicester are relentless.

1.04pm GMT

18 min: Wes Morgan has just turned into Franz Beckenbauer, sashaying down the left wing, deep in Manchester City territory. The move breaks down, but still. What a season the big man is having.

1.00pm GMT

15 min: Kolarov wins a corner for Manchester City down the left. The set piece is a complete waste of time. Leicester clear with ease. But the hosts are soon coming back at the visitors, Silva dribbling into the box from the left, a burst of rococo beauty. He attempts to curl one across Schmeichel and into the bottom right. It’s deflected wide by a Leicester boot. Manchester City don’t get the corner, though.

12.59pm GMT

13 min: Leicester are playing like champions right now. Manchester City are struggling. A ball bounces into the home box down the right. Vardy is oh-so-close to getting control of it and having a shot from the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. But Kolarov bundles clear.

12.57pm GMT

12 min: This is magnificently entertaining. Leicester break upfield and carve out another half-chance, Mahrez slipping the ball down the left channel and releasing Drinkwater into the area. He’s got an opportunity to shoot, albeit at a very tight angle. Hart smothers, pushing the ball round the post for a corner. Huth, on the penalty spot, very nearly connects with the set piece, but City manage to smuggle the ball clear.

12.55pm GMT

10 min: Zabaleta persists down the right wing, rides a few tackles, and wins a corner. Silva curls it into the six-yard box. Demichelis is winding back his neck to power a header home, but Huth intercepts just in time and clears.

12.54pm GMT

8 min: Leicester very nearly go two up. A ball hoicked down the inside-left channel by Albrighton. It’s dropping over Vardy’s shoulder as the striker enters the box. He brings it down with one touch, then attempts to poke past Hart. But the keeper saves with his chest. The rebound falls to Okazaki, to the left of the D, but his first-time shot is blocked by Otamendi. A lot of Manchester City hearts in mouths there.

12.53pm GMT

6 min: Silva twists and turns down the inside-right channel, before slipping a ball forward into the box for Sterling. Schmeichel is quick off his line to smother, arriving on the scene in perfect time. Meanwhile Drinkwater has accidentally trodden on Aguero’s foot. The striker’s limping around a little, though no great drama as of yet. He looks good to continue.

12.50pm GMT

5 min: Manchester City have been stunned by that. Kante goes on a Power Wander down the inside-right channel. The home side are light at the back, and are fortunate that the Leicester midfielder slips over on the greasy turf. Leicester City, though! I think we’re guaranteed quite a match now, one way or the other.

12.49pm GMT

What a start! And this is as simple as it gets. Mahrez whips low towards the near post. On the right-hand corner of the six-yard box, Huth comes in and bundles home! Easy as that! A big deflection off a desperate Demichelis there, Huth’s shot heading left, then breaking violently to the right, leaving Hart stranded. But Huth’s claiming it. He scored the winner at Spurs, and now this! The fairytale continues.

12.47pm GMT

2 min: It’s a lively start by Leicester. Albrighton finds a bit of space by the left-hand corner flag, and whips a ball into the box. Hart is forced to punch clear in panic. Mahrez comes again down the other wing, and is upended by Kolarov just before he reaches the box by the byline. A free kick coming up in a dangerous position.

12.46pm GMT

Leicester get the ball rolling, and hoof it out of play down the left wing, losing possession but gaining territory, rugby-union style. Well, the Six Nations does start today.

12.41pm GMT

The teams are out! Right here, right now. Manchester City are in their sky-blue shirts, forcing Leicester into second-choice black. Quite an atmosphere: first versus second, and the rain is falling in the biblical style. No pre-match words from Claudio Ranieri, by the way: the visitors got his full attention in the dressing room. We’ll be off in a minute.

12.08pm GMT

It’s raining heavily in Manchester - that’s official Guardian BREAKING NEWS - but Manuel Pellegrini’s mood is sunny. “This is a really important game. Leicester is a very good team, they are playing very well. Fortunately we are involved in the fight for the title, so today should be a very good game. Leicester win a lot of points away from home, they are very dangerous. They defend very well with eight or nine players behind the ball, have fast players on counter attacks, and two or three of their players are putting in amazing performances.”

12.00pm GMT

There are four changes to the Manchester City team which started at Sunderland the other day. Fabian Delph and Raheem Sterling come in for Jesus Navas and Kelechi Iheanacho, while the on-trend full-back switcheroo (see also: Tottenham Hotspur) has Pablo Zabaleta and Aleksandar Kolarov coming in for Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy.

Leicester go with the XI men who saw off Liverpool midweek. If it ain’t broke, etc.

11.50am GMT

Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Otamendi, Demichelis, Kolarov, Fernandinho, Delph, Silva, Toure, Sterling, Aguero.
Subs: Sagna, Fernando, Caballero, Clichy, Celina, Iheanacho, Aleix Garcia.

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Mahrez, Drinkwater, Kante, Albrighton, Okazaki, Vardy.
Subs: King, Gray, Ulloa, Dyer, Wasilewski, Chilwell, Schwarzer.

8.10pm GMT

After 24 games of last season’s Premier League, Manchester City sat in second spot. Manuel Pellegrini’s side are in the same position today. Not much to write about there.

Leicester City, though. A year ago to the day, the Foxes were rock bottom, 20th out of 20. They’d not win another game until April, when a late Andy King goal secured a 2-1 victory over West Ham. Since when ... well, you know the story, but still ... they’ve only lost three league games. To Chelsea, at the tail end of last season, and Arsenal and Liverpool this time round. That’s title-winning form, isn’t it.

Continue reading...