Scott Murray's Blog, page 171
November 3, 2015
Sevilla v Manchester City: Champions League – as it happened
A very impressive Manchester City make the last 16 after becoming the first English team to win in the Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium.
9.40pm GMT
The final act of the game sees Banega whip a corner into the City box from the right. Rami heads well wide right. And that’s that! Manchester City become the first English team to beat Sevilla at home. They’re also the first English team through to the Round of 16 this season. They deserve nothing less after a stunning performance: they were exciting in the first half, staunch in the second. It could only have been a better evening if they had been playing in blue as opposed to neon yellow, and news came through that Uefa had sacked their musical director.
Related: Raheem Sterling sparkles as Manchester City beat Sevilla to reach last 16
9.36pm GMT
90 min +3: It’s finished 1-1 between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Juventus. City can touch the second round.
9.36pm GMT
90 min +2: The first of four added minutes goes by without incident. The second sees Immobile clip the heels of Kompany as he chases a long, hopeful ball. The home crowd go ballistic, but they know the jig is up.
9.34pm GMT
90 min: Fernandinho has been City’s man of the match, though Sterling and Navas have run him close. He’s knocked over by Krychowiak, and though he’s OK, he’s replaced by Demichelis. Good old time management. Though they’re nearly hoist by their own petard. After taking an age to make the switch, the referee blows his whistle to restart the game the millisecond Demichelis’s boot crosses the white line. Immobile romps down the right and lashes into the side netting with City snoozing. That would have been interesting all right.
9.31pm GMT
88 min: Toure robs Krohn-Dehli in the middle of the park, and strides towards the Sevilla box. He should be causing all manner of trouble, but faffs around and then passes to nobody out on the left. Ah well, nobody’s perfect. But there’s not a City player who deserves any criticism tonight. They’ve been magnificent from front to back.
9.29pm GMT
86 min: Bony, his work done, jogs off. He’s replaced by Fabian Delph, making his Champions League debut.
9.28pm GMT
85 min: Sevilla, in Desperation Mode now, are pressing City back a little. Balls repeatedly swung into the box from both flanks, but each and every time they’re thumped clear by either Kompany or Otamendi. Eventually Tremoulinas wanders offside, and the pressure’s off.
9.27pm GMT
83 min: Sagna and Navas clip passes to each other down the right. Sagna pulls the ball back from the byline for Bony, who should score from 12 yards out, just like he did in the first half. But this one’s blocked at source. A chance spurned to wrap this one up for good.
9.25pm GMT
81 min: City are in total, quiet control here. This is a masterclass of game management. Meanwhile in more Coke-Is-Not-It news (56 min) here’s Michael Day: “Back in 1985, a Brattleboro, Vermont man, Fred Koch, was tired of having his name mispronounced and had it legally changed to Coke-Is-It. Subs: Soria, Krohn-Dehli, Reyes, Immobile, N’Zonzi, Escudero, Ferreira.
Manchester City: Hart, Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Kolarov, Fernando, Toure, Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, Sterling, Bony.
Subs: Caballero, De Bruyne, Delph, Mangala, Clichy, Demichelis, Barker.
12.47pm GMT
Just how much of a momentum shifter will Kevin De Bruyne’s late winner at the City of Manchester Stadium against Sevilla prove to be? Manchester City have never really been able to catch a break in this tournament, and after opening up in a difficult group with a home defeat against Juventus, it looked like being more of the same old, same old. A determined late surge at Borussia Monchengladbach put their campaign back on track, but things appeared to be going awry again at home to Sevilla. Until that late De Bruyne intervention.
City are now snugly ensconced in second place of Group D at the halfway mark of this opening stage. A point behind Juventus, they’re three points clear of Sevilla, who desperately need a result tonight. The reigning Europa League champions need to bounce back quickly after back-to-back away defeats at Juve and City, and they’ll be buoyed by their home form: they’ve won their last ten European fixtures at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. This will test City’s mettle all right.
Continue reading...
The Fiver | Meeps, beeps and other distressed SFX influenced by Beaker from the Muppets
A QUOTE-HEAVY STORY, BUT PEOPLE WILL INSIST ON DELIVERING SHAKESPEARIAN MONOLOGUES, SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?
After Chelsea’s abject loss to Southampton a few weeks ago, José Mourinho famously responded to a single question from an inquisitor by delivering a soliloquy so lengthy and verbose it made the Duke of Gloucester from Henry VI, Part 3 sound like Lillian Gish. Seven minutes it lasted. O miserable thought! By the time of his side’s dismal capitulation to Liverpool, he’d trimmed his act down considerably, judicious editing leaving something a lot shorter yet arguably even stronger. He answered 13 questions in 54 seconds using only 57 words, and most of those were “no”. He didn’t say much. But then he didn’t have to. You knew exactly what he was driving at.
Continue reading...October 31, 2015
Swansea v Arsenal, Real Madrid v Las Palmas and more: clockwatch – live!
Manchester City stay top, Arsenal score their 2,000th goal under Arsene Wenger, Jamie Vardy finds the net yet again, and Jurgen Klopp wins his first Premier League match.
5.04pm GMT
And that’s that on the day Jamie Vardy scored in his eighth consecutive Premier League match, Arsenal scored their 2,000th goal under Arsene Wenger, Jurgen Klopp registered his first league victory in English football, and Jose Mourinho answered 13 questions in 54 seconds with 57 words. Breathless stuff.
5.02pm GMT
And in Scotland ...
Celtic 3-1 Aberdeen
Dundee United 1-0 Ross County
Hamilton Academical 2-4 St Johnstone
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1-1 Dundee
Kilmarnock 0-1 Motherwell
Partick Thistle 0-4 Heart of Midlothian
5.00pm GMT
The Championship results for you:
Birmingham City 0-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Bristol City 1-4 Fulham
Burnley 2-1 Huddersfield Town
Derby County 3-0 Rotherham United
Ipswich Town 0-0 Cardiff City
Middlesbrough 3-0 Charlton Athletic
Rude Usurpers 0-2 Hull City
Reading 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Nottingham Forest
4.58pm GMT
Meanwhile you might have thought I’d forgotten about Real Madrid and Las Palmas. Well, I did, yes, but no matter! The last we heard, it was 3-1 to the home side at half-time, and that’s exactly how it finished. Clockwatch: always in control, even when we’re not.
4.55pm GMT
Kolarov misses a last-minute penalty for Manchester City! But it matters not, because it’s the last kick of the game. Here are the final Premier League scores, then. City stay top, but only just. Arsenal remain on their heels with a fine victory at Swansea. Leicester go third after a thriller at the Hawthorns, Jamie Vardy scoring for the eighth Premier League game in a row. A third successive 0-0 for Manchester United, who were second best at Palace, but stay in fourth. And Watford see off West Ham, who won at Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City, but can’t do it at Vicarage Road!
Crystal Palace 0-0 Manchester United
Manchester City 2-1 Norwich City
Newcastle United 0-0 Stoke City
Swansea City 0-3 Arsenal
Watford 2-0 West Ham United
West Bromwich Albion 2-3 Leicester City
4.49pm GMT
A late winner for stuggling Motherwell at Kilmarnock. Louis Moult has scored on 87. A Billy Mckay penalty on 81 minutes has given bottom club Dundee United the lead.
4.47pm GMT
Hearts are going second in Scotland in style. A fourth goal for them at Partick Thistle, Osman Sow with an 86th-minute penalty. Meanwhile Yannick Bolasie has just flashed a header over the Manchester United bar from close range. Palace have been the better side at Selhurst, but it looks like United are going to deny them.
4.45pm GMT
Yaya Toure slams the ball past John Ruddy, who is no Russell Martin. City will stay at the top of the table tonight after all.
4.44pm GMT
A fine save by Martin to deny a fine Raheem Sterling shot. Problem is, he’s not the keeper. Bye bye!
4.44pm GMT
A pointless slide on Odion Ighalo, and Collins is walking.
4.42pm GMT
The former Southampton striker scores his first goal for the Baggies from the spot. Are West Brom going to come back themselves? Is the biter about to be bitten?
4.40pm GMT
Joe Hart, on his own line, drops a common-or-garden high ball, allowing Cameron Jerome to tap in. It’s an awful howler, and Arsenal are going top as things stand.
4.36pm GMT
So as things stand, Leicester City are going third. This sort of carry-on hasn’t been witnessed since the days of Matt Gillies. You have to love football.
4.34pm GMT
Eleven for the season. Seven in his last six. A goal in eight consecutive Premier League games. That Jamie Vardy, huh?
4.32pm GMT
Joel Campbell, in his 15th game for Arsenal, scores his first goal for the club, on the end of a lovely team move. This is over, and Arsenal are the form horse in this division.
4.30pm GMT
Yohan Cabaye has just missed a sitter for Palace against Manchester United. Albert Adomah has made it two for Boro against Charlton. And Michael O’Halloran has made it four for St Johnstone at Hamilton. Meanwhile upwardly mobile Sheffield Wednesday have taken the lead against Nottingham Forest, Fernando Forestieri their hero there. A quiet first half, but the goals are flying in now.
4.28pm GMT
That should be that at the Liberty, though it’s a controversial one, Giroud having clattered into former Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski during the build up.
4.26pm GMT
Against the run of play, Nicolás Otamendi has powered in a header to give the league leaders the advantage at the Etihad.
4.25pm GMT
Juanma has grabbed his second of the day, and Hearts’ third, at Partick Thistle. They’ll be going second tonight. It’s now 3-0 to St Johnstone at Hamilton. Graham Cummins with the second after 49 minutes, David Wotherspoon making the result certain on 63. Greg Tansey has equalised for Inverness CT against Dundee, from the spot after 64 minutes. Meanwhile south of the border, in the Championship, David Nugent has scored the opener for Middlesbrough against Charlton, on the hour.
4.21pm GMT
Comeback experts Leicester certainly are at it again! Though there are shades of offside as Riyad Mahrez scores his second of the afternoon.
4.18pm GMT
Ah, hold on, a chance for West Ham. No, ball-playing defender Andy ‘Franz’ Carroll has shinned it wide from 12 yards. It doesn’t look like being the big man’s day.
4.17pm GMT
Watford are raining shots in on the West Ham goal. It’s still only 2-0, but the Hammers don’t have an answer at the moment. The Hornets gave Arsenal a good run for their money a couple of weeks ago, before being overrun late in that particular match. The 0-3 scoreline that day wasn’t representative of their performance, more of Arsenal’s quality in depth. Seems like they’re getting more of the breaks today.
4.14pm GMT
A seventh goal of the season for Riyad Mahrez and Leicester, who are never happier when they’re coming at teams from a losing position, appear to be at it again.
4.13pm GMT
Championship leaders Brighton have taken the lead at Reading. Jamie Murphy with the opener just off junction 11 of the M4.
4.11pm GMT
Rory Loy has given Dundee the lead at Inverness Caley Thistle on 50 minutes. It’s been a miserable 60 seconds for the Highlanders, who saw David Raven sent off for cynically bringing down the last man just beforehand. The Caley Jags have certainly taken their foot off the gas since winning that Scottish Cup in May. They can be thankful for the early season struggles of Dundee United. Meanwhile Osman Sow has scored a second for Hearts at Partick Thistle. They’ll be going second tonight, providing they don’t let that lead slip.
4.08pm GMT
Olivier Giroud converts from a Mesut Ozil corner, and that’s 2,000 goals scored by Arsenal under the living legend Arsene Wenger! His knee presumably standing up, then.
4.06pm GMT
Odion Ighalo has just met a left-wing cross first time, wheeching a fine shot home from the edge of the box. West Ham have won at Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, but look like going down to the newly promoted Hornets. Football, huh?
4.04pm GMT
The second halves will be getting underway across the country. But of course the biggest football match of the day is in another code. Just in case you’ve forgotten, our man Dan Lucas is covering the Rugby World Cup Final between
Scotland
Australia and New Zealand. It starts about now.
Related: New Zealand v Australia: Rugby World Cup final – live!
4.00pm GMT
The half-times in Scotland. Featuring two strikes not previously mentioned: Graham Cummins giving St Johnstone a 40th-minute lead at Hamilton Academical, Juanma doing the same for Hearts on 38 at Partick. If Hearts hold onto their lead, they’ll leapfrog the pile of rubble that once was title-chasing Aberdeen into second place.
Celtic 3-1 Aberdeen (FT)
Simon McMahon’s Dundee United 0-0 Ross County
Hamilton Accies 0-1 St Johnstone
Caley Thistle 0-0 Dundee
Killie 0-0 Motherwell
Partick Thistle 0-1 Hearts
3.52pm GMT
Santana Trujillo pulled a goal back for Las Palmas at the Bernabeu on 38 minutes, but Jesé restored Real Madrid’s two-goal cushion just before the break. t’s 3-1 to Rafa Benitez’s attack-minded [subs, please check] side at half time.
3.49pm GMT
And so here are the Premier League half-times:
Chelsea 1-3 Liverpool (FT)
Crystal Palace 0-0 Manchester United
Manchester City 0-0 Norwich City
Newcastle United 0-0 Stoke City
Swansea City 0-0 Arsenal
Watford 1-0 West Ham United
West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Leicester City
3.47pm GMT
More injury woe for Arsenal? Too early to tell, perhaps. But Olivier Giroud is down getting treatment on a sore knee at Swansea. Meanwhile another goal for promotion-chasing Burnley, and another for Andre Gray: they’re 2-0 up at home to Huddersfield. Fulham are now four goals to the good at Bristol City, Ross McCormack and Ryan Tunnicliffe adding to the earlier Moussa Dembélé double.
3.44pm GMT
Andy Carroll has just attempted a Cruyff Turn inside his own area. The result? You know the result. Odion Ighalo taps home amid the resulting mayhem. Oh Andy!
3.41pm GMT
And hats off to Jeff Stelling on Sky Sports, too. He’s just praised the Middlesbrough fans for their midweek torchlight solidarity for the Teesside steelworkers who have lost their jobs, going out of his way to bollock the government for their ideological intransigence. “If only they could see the light too, then everyone would be happy.” Preach on, brother.
3.35pm GMT
Here’s the latest from Tannadice, courtesy of Simon McMahon. “No goals so far, but Dundee United have started very brightly against Ross County. So, expect the men from Dingwall to be leading by half-time.” No goals anywhere else in the Scottish top flight either. Well isn’t this quite the scene. All hail the swashbuckling stylings of Tony Pulis.
3.32pm GMT
A glancing header by Jose Salomon Rondon, and as things stand West Brom - who don’t score many, but don’t concede that often either - will be safely ensconced in the top half of the table.
3.29pm GMT
Norwich have got back into the game at Manchester City, thanks in part to some Wilfried Bony profligacy. He’s missed a couple of chances, and Matt Jarvis has gone down the other end and pinged a rising pearler towards the City goal. Joe Hart broke his heart with a spectacular save. Still no goals in the top t... ah hold on!
3.26pm GMT
It had been a quiet start at the Liberty Stadium between Swansea and in-form (in the Premier League anyway) Arsenal, but the home side should be leading. Bafetimbi Gomis has just been put through on goal by Jonjo Shelvey, but spurned the chance after a lot of fussing and faffing. Still no goals in the top tier.
3.23pm GMT
Hull City, currently second in the Championship, are looking to consolidate their position. Ahmed Elmohamady has opened the scoring against the Impatient Disrespectful Usurpers. A second goal of the day meanwhile for both Fulham and Moussa Dembele; the Cottagers are 2-0 up against Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
3.19pm GMT
Cristiano Ronaldo has made it two for Real Madrid against Las Palmas. Just the 14 minutes gone there. Plenty of time for five more, and we’d be one vowel away from a Madness earworm.
3.17pm GMT
In the Championship, there’s an early goal for in-form Burnley at Huddersfield, Andre Gray converting a 12th-minute penalty, a spot kick he’d earned himself. Andreas Weimann has given Derby County a seventh-minute lead against Rotherham United. And Moussa Dembele’s second-minute goal has put Fulham ahead at Bristol City. Other than that, nothing to say right now. Nothing to say. No. No. Nothing at all. Nothing to say.
3.13pm GMT
Isco has given Real Madrid an early lead against Las Palmas. The Spanish league leaders are 1-0 up after four minutes. The ball’s hit Andy Carroll on the arm in the West Ham box at Watford, but the hosts are getting nix. Manchester United meanwhile are living dangerously against Crystal Palace, Yannick Bolasie having sent a strange bouncing bomb onto the visitors’ bar, Wilfried Zaha and Scott Dann both going close as well.
3.09pm GMT
The Premier League form boys just keep on keepin’ on. Manchester City have started like a train against Norwich City; they’re well on top in the early stages. Meanwhile Jamie Vardy has been bothering the West Bromwich Albion woodwork at the Hawthorns. But no goals in the Premier League 3pm kick-offs to report as of yet.
3.06pm GMT
By the way, if you want minute-by-minute action from Selhurst Park - and who wouldn’t? - Tim Hill is all over the big Palace-United clash. He’s just a click away.
Related: Crystal Palace v Manchester United: Premier League – live!
3.05pm GMT
Dwight Gayle has gone close early doors for Crystal Palace against Manchester United. It’s the first meaningful act of the day in the Premier League, outside the Stamford Bridge media room, that is. All the games have kicked off, then.
3.01pm GMT
So here’s Jose Mourinho’s post-match interview on BT Sport. Word for word.
Jose. A 3-1 defeat after a fabulous start, the game just got away from you there.
I have nothing, nothing to say.
Nothing to say about the game at all?
Nothing, nothing, I have nothing to say.
Nothing to say about the Lucas decision that left him on the pitch?
Nothing to say. I have nothing to say.
The Costa clash?
Nothing to say. I’m so sorry I have nothing to say.
Do you not think it’s time to have a chat to the fans, to give them some message, some indication of your thinking?
The fans are not stupid.
We heard them chanting your name.
The fans are not stupid.
You did say before this game that you weren’t worried. Are you a little bit more worried now?
No. [Pause. Narrows eyes.] Worried about what?
Your future, your own position at the club, the backing of the board?
No. No.
Nothing about the game at all?
At all.
No individual performance you’d like to pick out?
No.
Nothing about the performance going ahead?
Nothing.
Nothing about the way we could fix it?
[Smiles ruefully] I cannot say.
Thank you for your time, Jose.
Thank you.
2.42pm GMT
Full time at Stamford Bridge: Chelsea 1-3 Liverpool. Like a pint of plain, Barry Glendenning is your only man. But at this rate, with Chelsea making Leeds 1993 and Blackburn 1996 look like Manchester United circa 2000, how long will Jose be Chelsea’s? A lot of smiling is being done by Jurgen Klopp right now, though he was at studious pains to keep a respectfully grim look on his coupon as he shook Mourinho’s hand on the final whistle. The Chelsea manager scuttled off down the tunnel at great speed, but then he always does that. You may be hearing quite a lot about Mourinho and Chelsea in the next few hours and days. Keep ‘em peeled.
2.35pm GMT
Wolves have closed out their 2-0 win at St Andrews. They spring into the top half of the table, for now at least, while Birmingham’s opportunity to grab second place for themselves for a wee while is gone. Meanwhile here’s our north of London correspondent Simon McMahon, with some early news from That Scotland. “On my way to Tannadice to see United play Ross County,” he reports. “Actually, I’m in the pub. You need a stiffener before watching United these days. A word too, for Cowdenbeath-Dunfermline in Scottish League One. There’ll not be many half and half scarves being sold before that one, I’ll wager.”
2.31pm GMT
It’s now 3-1 to Liverpool at Chelsea.
2.23pm GMT
The majority of the games are, of course, kicking off at 3pm. But there’s already action elsewhere. Celtic are 3-0 up at home to August-to-September sensations Aberdeen: Leigh Griffiths (2) and James Forrest the Parkhead heroes there. Wolverhampton Wanderers are very close to closing out a 2-0 victory at Birmingham City: Dave Edwards and Sheyi Ojo have done the damage there. And at Stamford Bridge, Liverpool are 13 minutes away from their first away victory against Chelsea since 2011. Phillipe Coutinho has scored twice to wipe out an early Ramires goal. You’ll need to head over to Barry Glendenning’s MBM for the detailed report on that.
Related: Chelsea v Liverpool: Premier League – live!
2.06pm GMT
Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Ward, Dann, Delaney, Kelly, Cabaye, McArthur, Zaha, Puncheon, Bolasie, Gayle.
Subs: Speroni, Hangeland, Bamford, Lee, Jedinak, Sako, Ledley.
Manchester United: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Mata, Ander Herrera, Martial, Rooney.
Subs: Carrick, Young, Romero, Fellaini, Lingard, Andreas Pereira, Tuanzebe.
Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire)
Manchester City: Hart, Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Kolarov, Toure, Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, De Bruyne, Iheanacho, Bony.
Subs: Fernando, Sterling, Caballero, Mangala, Demichelis, Roberts, Garcia.
Norwich City: Ruddy, Martin, Bennett, Bassong, Olsson, Tettey, Mulumbu, Jarvis, Howson, Brady, Jerome.
Subs: Whittaker, Grabban, Rudd, Hoolahan, Dorrans, Redmond, O’Neil.
Referee: Robert Madley (West Yorkshire)
10.09am GMT
Welcome to a super special Super Saturday of Saturday football! Traditionalists rejoice, because the afternoon fixtures today have a lovely, classic, old-school feel to them. Kicking off at the traditional time of 3pm on Saturday, the top five of the Premier League: Manchester City, Arsenal, West Ham United, Manchester United and Leicester City. Throw in seventh-placed Crystal Palace, and it really will be all happening at the business end of the English league. Admittedly the biggest match of the weekend kicked off at the resolutely non-traditional time of 12.45pm, but you can’t have everything, and nobody’s bringing us down from this high anyway. Here’s what’s going on in the big-boy division, then ...
Crystal Palace v Manchester United
Manchester City v Norwich City
Newcastle United v Stoke City
Swansea City v Arsenal
Watford v West Ham United
West Bromwich Albion v Leicester City
October 29, 2015
A brief guide to … Chelsea's rivalry with Liverpool
For years, Chelsea were in the doldrums as Liverpool dominated England and Europe. Now the Blues are in the ascendancy, and the pair meet this weekend
With the Guardian’s unstoppable rise to global dominance** we at Guardian US thought we’d run a series of articles for fans wishing to improve their knowledge of the sports history and storylines, hopefully in a way that doesn’t patronise you to within an inch of your life.
A warning: If you’re the kind of person that finds The Blizzard too populist this may not be the series for you.
** Actual dominance may not be global. Or dominant
Continue reading...October 28, 2015
Liverpool v Bournemouth: Capital One Cup fourth round – as it happened
Jurgen Klopp tastes victory as Liverpool manager for the first time, though his team were made to work for the result by Bournemouth.
9.36pm GMT
And that’s that! Jurgen Klopp has his first win as Liverpool manager! He smiles warmly and pats a few backs, a special hug reserved for Firmino. He walks onto the pitch and commiserates with Bournemouth, before giving Allen a long hug followed by a forceful pep talk. Bournemouth played well tonight - Adam Bogdan had plenty to do - but they were second best nonetheless, Liverpool by far the better team in the second half, and scorers of a peach of a goal in the first. They’re in the hat for the quarter finals, and the sense of relief around Anfield is palpable. Next stop for Klopp’s team: Stamford Bridge. With the monkey off the new Liverpool manager’s back, and Chelsea having something to prove, it could be quite the clash. Saturday’s a date, then.
9.35pm GMT
90 min +3: ... nothing happens.
9.35pm GMT
90 min +2: Bournemouth are enjoying the lion’s share of possession. A very nervous Liverpool can’t keep hold of it at all. And then Ritchie bursts past Allen down the inside-right channel and toe-pokes a brilliant effort towards the bottom right. Bogdan, who has been excellent tonight, makes yet another save, turning round the post for a corner. From which ...
9.33pm GMT
90 min +1: Daniels finds a bit of space down the left, but his cross is high and too close to Bogdan, who leaps to claim. Jurgen Klopp is two minutes away from that elusive first win as Liverpool manager.
9.32pm GMT
90 min: Lucas strides down the right, into acres of space, having won the ball in the centre of the park. He whips a low cross to the near post, where Origi slides in. But the striker can’t connect, and Federici gathers. There will be three added minutes.
9.31pm GMT
88 min: Clyne makes off down the left at speed. Bournemouth look light at the back, but the full back decides to check, retaining possession rather than creating chances his goal. Lallana gets involved to hold up play further, and the clock ticks on.
9.29pm GMT
87 min: Firmino has been excellent tonight, and earns a loud ovation from the Anfield faithful as he departs. Lallana takes his place.
9.28pm GMT
85 min: Rantie is allowed to make his way in from the right wing, past Teixeira, Allen and Lucas. He’s got a chance to shoot on the edge of the D, but larrups it high and wide left. Liverpool hearts in mouths there.
9.25pm GMT
83 min: Lucas blocks off Pugh down the left, and that’s a free kick, a chance for Bournemouth to throw men forward. Daniels curls a long one into the area, King rising but shouldering the ball right of the target instead of connecting with the nut.
9.24pm GMT
82 min: Bournemouth make their final change: Stanislas is replaced by Rantie.
9.23pm GMT
81 min: Teixeira batters a fine free kick towards the top right, but it’s turned round the post by Federici. From the corner, Randall has a dig from distance down the right, but it’s always heading wide left.
9.22pm GMT
80 min: Ibe sends Lucas into space down the right. Lucas then slides Randall into the box. Randall pulls back well, but his low cross for Origi is toe-poked out of the area. Marvellous last-ditch defence. But Clyne wins the ball back, and then Allen is upended by MacDonald on the edge of the D. MacDonald is booked, and this free kick is in a very dangerous position.
9.20pm GMT
77 min: “Firmino has been a Lidl Suarez tonight,” writes Niall Mullen. “I mean that as a massive compliment.” Lucas, the Co-op Souness, sends a riser towards the top-left corner from 25 yards. It’s a fine belt from a player who hasn’t scored for five years, but Federici parries away.
9.19pm GMT
76 min: A lot of Liverpool possession in the middle of the park, but Bournemouth are holding firm. This is an impressive performance from a team who have shipped ten goals in their previous two matches.
9.16pm GMT
74 min: Ibe threads a pass inside from the right, releasing Randall into the area. A low cross is hacked behind for a corner. Pugh eyebrows the set piece away from danger. Liverpool are beginning to apply some pressure again.
9.15pm GMT
72 min: Teixeira and Firmino tap quick passes to each other down the left, and nearly prise Bournemouth open. But the move becomes a little too intricate, and breaks down.
9.13pm GMT
71 min: A double change by Bournemouth: Kermorgant and Arter off, Tomlin and King on.
9.11pm GMT
69 min: Bournemouth are struggling to put it all together right now. A period of possession, deep in their own half, ends when Distin looks long for Kermorgant, but succeeds only in flying the ball straight through to Bogdan, his striker left with no chance of reaching the pass.
9.09pm GMT
67 min: Ibe turns on the burners to smoke Daniels down the right. Then, having done the difficult bit, he scuffs his cross into the area. It’s mopped up with ease by Distin.
9.08pm GMT
65 min: Brannagan’s debut comes to an end, as he’s replaced by Lucas. He’s earned himself a warm round of applause from the home support. “Without wanting to sound nerdy 0db is, in fact, the loudest possible noise,” corrects David Liversidge. “-120db would be the quietest.” Zero also represents the amount of research I’ve done there.
9.06pm GMT
63 min: Firmino, to the right of the Bournemouth box, slips a ball inside for Ibe, who after a bit of shifting looks to curl one into the top left. The effort’s deflected back into the path of Firmino, who shanks hopelessly wide right from just inside the area. But these two have looked lively. It’s an energy that’s been missing from Liverpool’s play for the best part of 12 months, if not longer. Promising signs, but also baby steps.
9.04pm GMT
61 min: Arter drops a shoulder and has a dig from 25 yards. It’s easily blocked. After the restart, Allen lunges in recklessly on MacDonald in the centre circle. He makes no contact, but gets booked for the poor challenge anyway.
9.02pm GMT
59 min: Origi makes ground down the inside right and slips the ball inside for Randall, who is certainly an attack-minded full back. MacDonald brushes the young man off the ball with a sturdy shoulder. Anfield screams for a free kick just to the right of the D, but they’re not getting it.
9.01pm GMT
58 min: Pugh is robbed by the livewire Firmino down the Liverpool right. Firmino storms into the area, with just Federici to beat, albeit from a tight angle. He whistles a low shot across the keeper and out to the left of the goal. Almost an identical miss to the one in the opening 15 seconds. But he’s shown glimpses of class tonight.
8.59pm GMT
56 min: Bournemouth enjoy plenty of the ball in the midfield, but once again their final pass is lacking. They’ve been the match of Liverpool tonight otherwise.
8.57pm GMT
54 min: Bournemouth take a quick free kick out on the left, Liverpool expecting the ball to be lumped into the box. Arter finds Pugh, who runs down the wing, but his deep cross finds nobody in particular. Arter and Pugh too quick for their own team-mates there, never mind the opposition.
8.55pm GMT
53 min: Ibe dances around near the right-hand corner flag, before flicking the ball inside for Firmino. For a split second, it looks like Bournemouth have been opened up by a crisp move, but they close ranks. Allen and Randall take turns to attempt to maintain the pressure, but the momentum’s eventually lost.
8.54pm GMT
52 min: Teixeira slaloms down the inside-left channel, a determined run, and slides the ball to the left for Clyne, who earns a corner. The resulting set piece isn’t up to much.
8.52pm GMT
49 min: Pugh bursts down the left and earns a corner off Lovren. Stanislas hits the set piece long. MacDonald rises, 12 yards out and level with the right-hand post. He powers a header down towards the bottom left, and isn’t far away from finding the corner and beating Bogdan. The ball goes inches wide. Brannagan had a handful of MacDonald’s shirt, too. A penalty? It’d have been soft, but you’ve certainly seen them given.
8.49pm GMT
47 min: A bitty start to the second half. Bournemouth are doing a fair bit of gegenpressing of their own.
8.47pm GMT
Liverpool set the ball rolling once more, and will be kicking towards the Kop in the second half, just as they like it. No changes. “Is it just my rubbish laptop speakers or is Anfield VERY quiet tonight?” wonders Matthias Scherer. “I’ve watched most Liverpool games this season and the atmosphere has rarely been great, but tonight I have the impression that I’m watching a Sunday service and not a football game. Albeit a church service where a handful of angry men occasionally shout instructions.” Yes, it’s been pretty damn quiet. Team and fans appear locked in a vicious circle of nervousness right now, a self-fulfilling prophecy which registers at 0 dB. Something’s got to give at some point.
8.36pm GMT
Half-time “entertainment”: Someone’s been comparing Jurgen Klopp’s current predicament to the one faced by Gerard Houllier back in 1998. Who? Eh?
8.34pm GMT
Ibe robs Daniels down the right, swans past MacDonald, and on the byline dinks a cross onto Origi’s head, six yards out. Origi can’t connect, the ball skimming off the top of his head. Teixeira attempts a snapshot from the left-hand corner of the six-yard box, but only finds the side netting. And that’s that for the half. Both teams have something to be pleased about: Liverpool have a picture-book goal to their name, while Bournemouth have worked Adam Bogdan on three occasions, and are unlucky to be trailing. It promises to be a cracker of a second half. No flipping!
8.31pm GMT
45 min: Arter decides to really test the referee’s patience by clipping Teixeira’s ankle. In itself, not too bad a challenge. Coming on the back of the Origi tackle, he’s really chancing his arm. But the referee waves play on.
8.30pm GMT
8.30pm GMT
44 min: Arter slides in on the back of Origi, taking the striker’s planted leg out at the ankle. He should be booked for that, but the referee keeps his cards in his pocket. In fairness, the game is being played in a fine sporting spirit, and nobody in red complains.
8.28pm GMT
42 min: Daniels is allowed to run 60 yards down the left. He lays off to Pugh, who curls a ball to the far post, where Ritchie rises but can only waft a weak header towards the top right. Bogdan claims without fuss.
8.26pm GMT
41 min: Anfield very quiet at the moment. It’s a long way from Dortmund.
8.24pm GMT
39 min: Stanislas is clumsily brought down by Allen just outside the Liverpool box on the left. Stanislas takes the free kick himself, and goes for the top-left corner. It’s a rare old whip, and on target too, but Bogdan is behind it all the way. Liverpool would be in a spot of trouble without their keeper. That’s three fine stops now.
8.23pm GMT
37 min: Pugh turns Randall inside out down the left. His cross is half cleared by Liverpool, but Ritchie is coming again down the right. His cross isn’t up to much either. The final ball is lacking, but Bournemouth are otherwise on top right now.
8.21pm GMT
35 min: Ibe nearly bursts clear down the Liverpool right, but he can’t get free of Daniels. The ball’s half cleared upfield by Bournemouth, but Ritchie only finds Firmino, 30 yards out down the inside-left channel. Firmino takes a stride and curls powerfully towards the top right. It’s on target, but Federici anticipates well, then parries and claims with confidence.
8.19pm GMT
34 min: Ibe bowls Ritchie over down the Bournemouth left. Another chance for the visitors to load the box. But the delivery is appalling, Stanislas failing to get the ball over the first man, and that man the diminutive Allen too.
8.18pm GMT
33 min: Nope. Here comes Skrtel. So, then: Skrtel and Lovren. Can Bournemouth take advantage?
8.17pm GMT
32 min: Toure limps off. No Skrtel yet. Liverpool are down to ten men, with Randall in the centre and Ibe filling in at right back. Can Bournemouth take advantage?
8.16pm GMT
30 min: Toure is down on the turf, feeling his hamstring. It doesn’t look as though he’s going to be able to continue. Martin Skrtel will replace him, though with the Oxlade-Chamberlain/Walcott farce suffered by Arsenal last night in mind, only after a good warm up one would hope.
8.14pm GMT
28 min: Teixeira makes an appalling balls of the free kick, his low ball immediately cut out by the first man. He picks up possession again and makes things worse, a crossfield ball intercepted by Pugh. Bournemouth stream forward, but Clyne, back-pedalling furiously, stops their gallop. Poor play from the young playmaker, but he’s in plenty of credit right now after that delightful disguised back-heel which led to the goal.
8.12pm GMT
27 min: Liverpool pass it around the back a bit again, with a view to drawing some of Bournemouth’s recent sting. Eventually Clyne springs forward, turning on the jets to burst past Smith down the left. He’s tugged back just before he can enter the area. A free kick in a dangerous position.
8.10pm GMT
24 min: The locals are still transmitting nervousness, unsurprisingly so given Bournemouth’s progressive play. MacDonald wins a free kick down the left. Stanislas curls a dangerous ball into the Liverpool area, Toure doing very well to glance a header away from the middle with Kermorgant and Ritchie lurking six yards from goal.
8.07pm GMT
22 min: Bournemouth are definitely targeting the debutant Randall down the left. Pugh deedles and dawdles along the touchline and very nearly breaks clear again. The full back holds firm, though he needs a little help from a couple of team-mates. Understandable early nerves.
8.05pm GMT
19 min: Bournemouth very nearly respond immediately, Arter smashing a low shot just wide left from the edge of the box. And then Pugh twists and turns into the area down the left, the ball looping up on the corner of the six-yard box. Stanislas rises to head towards the top left. That would have gone in were it not for Bogdan’s fingertips. Liverpool clear the corner. Bournemouth are losing, but were it not for Liverpool’s keeper, they’d have scored two goals. It’s a lovely open game, this.
8.04pm GMT
This is a marvellous goal. Origi turns Distin down the right, lovely play. He checks back and passes inside for Firmino, who rolls a pass down the inside-right channel to release Teixeira. He tries to round Federici but overruns the ball - so improvises with a cheeky backheel that beats the keeper and would be going in had Smith not cleared off the line. But the ball breaks to Clyne on the left, who slams into the empty net. Very pretty. The sort of thing you used to see when Brendan Rodgers still had possession of his mojo, in fact.
8.01pm GMT
15 min: Liverpool have been doing a lot of light faffing around in front of goal recently, so this is much better. Ibe clips a pass inside from the right for Firmino, who with little backlift hammers a brisk rising shot towards the top right. It’s a lovely effort, hit with venom, and Federici fingertips over the bar. Nothing comes of the resulting corner, but that was promisingly energetic from the home side.
7.59pm GMT
14 min: Daniels makes ground down the left and whips a low cross to the near post, where Kermorgant nearly connects. He would have done, were it not for a fine challenge by Lovren, who gets his body in the way and clears.
7.58pm GMT
7.58pm GMT
13 min: Smith bowls over Teixeira down the left. A chance for Liverpool to load the box, but they knock the free kick backwards and pass it around awhile in the 1970s style. Unlike the 1970s, a goal’s not coming at the end of all that possession.
7.57pm GMT
11 min: Ibe is Liverpool’s brightest spark so far. Which isn’t saying much, though of course it’s early days. He earns a corner down the right. Teixeira whips it in, and Federici punches clear with purpose. “The wretched Allen’s unaccountable presence in the Wales team makes their qualification for the Euros even more of an exceptional feat,” suggests Lou Roper, who is cooking with gas tonight.
7.55pm GMT
10 min: Smith wins a corner off Teixeira down the right. The set piece is hit way too deep, and Francis can’t make anything of his header, which flies off miles to the left of the target. Bournemouth have started strongly.
7.54pm GMT
8 min: Ibe has been busy enough for Liverpool, dropping deep in the hope of making a few things happen. He slides another ball down the inside-right channel, very nearly springing the ambitious Randall free. But the full back’s got too much ground to make up, and the pass is too strong. Goal kick.
7.53pm GMT
7 min: Nothing much going on right now, so they’re showing replays of the Stanislas chance. He opened his body nicely and sidefooted towards the bottom right. It was a decent effort, and a fine save by Bogdan with his feet. Good play all round. No regrets.
7.50pm GMT
5 min: Allen faffs around in the centre circle, and is robbed by Kermorgant. Bournemouth are suddenly four on two! Kermorgant slides the ball to the left for Stanislas, who drops a shoulder to cut back into the middle as he enters the area. He’s one on one with Bogdan, and should score, but the keeper spreads himself brilliantly to save Liverpool, and more specifically the snoozing Allen. That was dismal play from an international midfielder, who was brushed off the ball with ease.
7.48pm GMT
3 min: Bournemouth are on the front foot here. Ritchie makes good down the right, and curls one to the far post. Pugh very nearly connects with a header from close range, but Randall does enough to put him off. Quite a few worried “ooh”s from the Kop there, and no wonder.
7.47pm GMT
2 min: Pugh goes rambling in the baroque style down the left wing. He dances this way and that, before finally swinging a cross into the centre. Bogdan claims under no pressure. An early test for Randall there, who at least kept his man out on the touchline.
7.46pm GMT
Bournemouth kick off, and they’ll be kicking towards the Kop in the first half. And within 15 seconds, Liverpool have nicked the ball. Ibe slides it down the right-hand channel, allowing Firmino to drag a shot across Federici and wide of the left-hand post. Nearly a whirlwind start for the hosts.
7.45pm GMT
The teams are out! A blast of Liverpool’s take on The Fields of Athenry - which road is this stadium on again? - greets the players as they take to the pitch. And then the showtunes from Carousel. A fine atmosphere for what promises to be a fine match. We’ll be off in a minute! “Klopp has conjured an interesting mix of youth and uselessness with tonight’s selection,” opines Lou Roper. “But where does Clyne fit in?” Left back tonight.
7.41pm GMT
And now here’s his opposite number, Eddie Howe! “The last two games are gone now. We’re really looking forward to our test tonight. It’s a huge boost to get Harry Arter back, he was the heartbeat of our midfield. Our confidence hasn’t been dented. We’re looking to make a fast start, but we need to defend better too. We don’t need extra motivation from what happened against Liverpool earlier in the season; it’s a cup tie at Anfield, we can take all our motivation from this game.” Like Klopp, he looks very relaxed; no doubt that serenity will be passed onto his players.
7.38pm GMT
Klopp speaks! “We have to play the game and not think too much about Liverpool’s history in this tournament. We have injured players, but we have fit players too, so that is cool. My players are ready, and prepared for playing real football. There are two really young guys, but they have impressed me. It is cool what they have done in training. We have selected them because we want to win.” He signs off with what is fast becoming his trademark, a sing-song, supermarket PA announcement “thank yoo-ou!” So sweet. A million miles from the Incredible Shouting Touchline Man. Hey, he’s only human, a mass of contradictions made flesh.
7.27pm GMT
Tonight’s half-and-half scarf, rather appropriately, is sported by a scary half-human, half Halloween beastie. Oo-er! Help! Mum! Hopefully the sight of this scarf - a lovely memento giving glee to this young chap, and one which will be cherished for years to come - will give nightmares to bores who feel it contravenes arbitrary Proper Supporter rules set out in a meeting everyone else couldn’t be bothered to attend.
7.17pm GMT
It’s all change for Liverpool. Simon Mignolet gets the night off, Adam Bogdan taking his place in goal. Kolo Toure and Dejan Lovren start in the centre of defence for the first time under Jurgen Klopp. The 19-year-old midfielder Cameron Brannagan is handed his first start for the club, while 20-year-old right-back Connor Randall makes his first-team debut. Joao Carlos Teixeira also gets a chance to shine, the 22-year-old attacking midfielder making his first start in a red shirt, having previously looked promising as a sub during a dramatic late win at Fulham during Liverpool’s nearly season of 2013-14.
Bournemouth, who will be playing in blue and black tonight, but unlike Arsenal last night have an excuse for doing so, ring the changes too. They make six swaps from the team thrashed by Spurs on Sunday. The two names springing out from their teamsheet: Adam Federici, who replaces hapless keeper Artur Boruc, and influential midfielder Harry Arter, who returns from injury to make his first appearance of the season.
6.52pm GMT
Liverpool: Bogdan, Clyne, Toure, Lovren, Randall, Brannagan, Allen, Teixeira, Firmino, Origi, Ibe.
Subs: Coutinho, Moreno, Lallana, Lucas, Skrtel, Fulton, Sinclair.
Bournemouth: Federici, Francis, Smith, Distin, Daniels, MacDonald, Pugh, Ritchie, Arter, Stanislas, Kermorgant.
Subs: Cook, Rantie, King, Allsop, Tomlin, O’Kane, Cargill.
2.22pm GMT
Liverpool and Bournemouth only met for the first time in league competition back in August - a fortunate 1-0 win for the Reds at Anfield - but they’ve got a little more history in the cups. Let’s first go back to 1927, when Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic came within four minutes of victory in the third round of the FA Cup at Dean Court, Frank Taylor so close to being their goalscoring hero. But the legendary Gordon Hodgson scrambled a late equaliser, and Liverpool won the replay 4-1.
Then in 1968, with Bill Shankly’s side chasing the league title, third-tier B&BA held them to a goalless draw, again in the third round of the FA Cup. And again they came close to winning: Keith East whistled the ball past Tommy Lawrence in the Liverpool goal, but the linesman’s flag went up for offside. Shankly’s men held on, and won the replay 4-1.
Continue reading...Barrelling around on all fours and spraying his territory like a feral cat
FIFAPOCALYPSE
Events are beginning to spiral dangerously out of control at the dystopian wasteland that was once the headquarters of Fifa, JG Ballard House. Lights flicker, windows shatter, melted foie gras streams down the walls like water. A dead dog turns on a spit. The seven presidential candidates announced today – Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino, Liberia FA president Musa Bility, Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, former diplomat Jérôme Champagne, South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale and Uefa president Michel Platini - roam the building carrying socks full of coins. They’re all prepared to administer a cotton and cupronickel shock upside the head if needs be.
Continue reading...October 27, 2015
Sheffield Wednesday v Arsenal: Capital One Cup – as it happened
Nothing went right for the Gunners as they were deservedly bundled out of the League Cup by upwardly mobile Wednesday.
9.42pm GMT
Arsene Wenger has never won this tournament, so it’s to his credit that he smiles warmly as he congratulates his opposite number Carlos Carvalhal. Wednesday, deserved winners, move on to the quarter finals. They’re the last team from outside the top flight to win this competition, back in 1991. They couldn’t, could they? On this evidence, as poor as a disorganised and inexperienced Arsenal were, anything is possible!
9.39pm GMT
90 min +2: Campbell dinks a cute pass down the inside-left channel to release Iwobi into the area, but as he shapes to shoot, the debutant sees the ball clobbered away for a corner by Loovens. From the set piece, Campbell has a whack in the centre, but the ball squirts off to the left. There’s to be no consolation goal for the 1993 League Cup winners.
9.38pm GMT
90 min: There will be three added minutes. Arsenal can’t get out of Dodge quickly enough. The home support are enjoying some bedlam.
9.37pm GMT
89 min: Giroud curls a cross into the Wednesday box from the left. Wildsmith comes off his line to claim with confidence. “This Tuesday’s Wednesday is giving me a serious case of the Mondays,” wails renowned Arsenal lyricist Grant Tennille.
9.35pm GMT
88 min: Giroud, who has been invisible for the most part, goes barrelling down the left wing. He enters the area, and Wednesday are light at the back, but Lees slides in with a perfectly timed challenge to put a stop to the striker’s gallop.
9.33pm GMT
86 min: Campbell is booked for a tired and frustrated slide on Pudil, as the left back goes on a wander down the wing. He doesn’t bother complaining.
9.32pm GMT
85 min: Joao, who dealt the decisive blow in the first half with that second goal, is afforded a deserved round of applause of his own. He’s replaced by Atdhe Nuhiu.
9.31pm GMT
84 min: McGugan picks up a ball down the left wing, turns to face goal, and curls powerfully towards the top right. He’s overhit that a wee bit, though it’s not the worst effort you’ll ever see.
9.29pm GMT
82 min: Chambers, on the halfway line, passes down the right channel to absolutely nobody. Wenger holds his arms out in a mix of despair and what-the-hell-was-that incredulity. Perhaps that last smidgen of hope has just ebbed away.
9.27pm GMT
80 min: Hutchinson has taken a bit of a clatter to his leg, and limps off to be replaced by Lewis McGugan. Now here’s a player who knows how to score a spectacular goal or two. On the touchline, Arsene Wenger has a face on, livid at the time Wednesday are taking to make the switch. He’s not given this up yet.
9.25pm GMT
78 min: Arsenal are still knocking it around nicely in the middle of the field. Why couldn’t they find this groove earlier, before it was (presumably) way too late? “Looks like February’s coming early this winter,” writes Matt Dony. So much knowing information packed in one tiny barb, huh. Arsenal fans will take succour at the number of first-team regulars elsewhere with their feet up and a cigar on.
9.21pm GMT
75 min: Bannan has put in a superlative performance tonight, and he’s warmly appreciated by the Wednesday faithful as he walks off, to be replaced by Jose Semedo.
9.20pm GMT
73 min: It’s all Arsenal right now in terms of possession. But Wednesday are looking fairly comfortable. Bielik attempts to release Campbell down the inside-right channel but his threaded pass is way too strong. Meanwhile here’s some consolation for Arsenal fans, courtesy of Allan Castle: “However bad this is, they don’t have to spend the week defending Mourinho.”
9.19pm GMT
71 min: Iwobi and Debuchy combine down the right, where the visitors are beginning to get a little joy. The corner isn’t great, easily bundled away from danger by Wednesday, Bannan eventually drawing a foul upfield to relieve the pressure. But this is better from Arsenal. At last. At long last.
9.17pm GMT
69 min: Flamini is granted possession to the right of the Wednesday D. He pitching-wedges a glorious diagonal ball towards the left-hand post, where Mertesacker rises and sends a header towards the top left. Wildsmith tips over brilliantly, an instinctive save, and the resulting corner is cleared.
9.16pm GMT
68 min: Debuchy makes a bit of ground down the right, having finally woken from his slumber. His cross is overcooked. But he’s soon coming back at Wednesday, and wins a corner down his flank with another storming run. And from the set piece ...
9.14pm GMT
66 min: Arsenal are showing no sign whatsoever of launching a Reading-style comeback. A free kick out on the right. Iwobi attempts to find Giroud in the area with a chipped floater, but the ball goes nowhere near his team-mate and out of play to the left of goal. Joe Wildsmith, 19, deputising in the Wednesday goal, has had absolutely nothing to do tonight.
9.11pm GMT
63 min: Looks like Wednesday’s third was a Debuchy own goal, the defender poking his leg out in desperation and meeting the ball before it hit Hutchinson’s thigh. Hutchinson would have followed it in anyway, so you can’t blame the defender for that one. Meanwhile here’s Mike McCarthy: “For so long we have suffered as Wednesday fans but games like this are why you carry on doing a mad thing like supporting a team. We’ve been glorious. I am getting drunk.” There’s confidence for you! Still half an hour to go! I’m incapable of celebrating victories until a few weeks after the final whistle, just in case there’s been some sort of administrative error. Different strokes, and all that.
9.08pm GMT
60 min: The final change for Arsenal. A fourth debutant, the young Polish midfielder Krystian Bielik, comes on for Kamara.
9.07pm GMT
59 min: Helan bursts with purpose down the left, and he’s got a yard on the uninterested Debuchy. The full back slides in, upends his man, and goes in the book. As does Loovens, for an earlier challenge on Iwobi.
9.04pm GMT
57 min: “We’re Sheffield Wednesday, we’re on our way back.” It’s fair to say there’s a feelgood atmosphere in this ground tonight.
9.02pm GMT
55 min: ... the busy Bannan finds space down the left and whips a cross into the Arsenal box. Joao rises to meet with the nut, eight yards out, and really should score, but his effort flashes wide right of the target with Cech’s feet planted. Arsenal are all over the shop here. Wednesday are brilliant, but Arsenal are in danger of disgracing themselves.
9.01pm GMT
54 min: This is astonishing. So much for Arsenal keeping up their recent momentum. Joao goes bombing down the left to win a corner. Debuchy could hardly be bothered to get across to close down his man. And from the corner ...
8.59pm GMT
... flicks a diagonal ball to the right-hand post, where Lees sidefoots across the face of goal. Coming in at the far post is Hutchinson, who bundles untidily over the line. But hey, they all count, and a young, inexperienced and shocked Arsenal are in danger of being routed here!
8.58pm GMT
51 min: Joao is a real handful. Chambers grabs his shirt as the pair contest a high ball down the left channel, and this is another chance for Wednesday to load the box at a free kick. Bannan takes, and ...
8.56pm GMT
50 min: Wallace wafts a dreadful free kick into the area. Giroud heads purposefully clear. Wednesday come back at Arsenal, though, with Wallace picking up possession again down the right. He’s got space to work a cross, but once again fails to deliver with the box packed.
8.56pm GMT
49 min: Lee dribbles down the inside-right channel. Mertesacker slides in and fails to make contact. Lee goes down anyway, and earns a saucy free kick. Anything Giroud can do, etc. A free kick in a dangerous position, just outside the Arsenal area by the right-hand corner.
8.54pm GMT
47 min: Wednesday are full of confidence, as you’d expect. Lee snaps at Kamara’s heels to win the ball in the centre circle. Bannan takes up possession and attempts to lash one from a stupid distance past Cech. Nope! But there’s a sign that Wednesday aren’t going to sit back on their lead.
8.52pm GMT
“The only good thing likely to come out of this for Arsenal is the banning of these wretched shirts,” writes Charles Antaki. “In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t junk them at half-time, à la Man Utd and their grey shirt fiasco v. Southampton all those years ago.” Heh. They certainly need to try something, but there’s to be no big shirt switcheroo. Arsenal remain in their fancy new black, blue and yellow clobber, and they get the ball rolling for this second half.
8.41pm GMT
Half-time entertainment: Here’s Peterborough United making a better fist of things at Hillsborough than Arsenal back in 1960.
8.36pm GMT
Giroud goes to ground easily, winning a cheap free kick off a light Lee challenge. Wallace, incensed with the decision, is booked for the ferocity of his yap. Nothing comes of the set piece, and that’s that for a dramatic first half. Arsenal have had terrible luck with injuries, but take nothing away from Wednesday, who thoroughly deserve this lead. Arsenal will do very well to turn this around. It promises to be one hell of a second half. Go nowhere! Stay!
8.33pm GMT
45 min: Here’s a stat, then: Joao has never lost in a game in which he’s scored! Arsenal did for Ian Rush in the 1987 final, but can they do a similar number on the 22-year-old here? All signs currently point to no, though of course a good team talk could see them right.
8.29pm GMT
43 min: Hunt embarks on a sortie down the right, and very nearly edges his way past Gibbs. But the danger’s snuffed out just before the cross can come in.
8.29pm GMT
41 min: Campbell latches onto a gorgeous long Flamini pass down the right wing. He’s clear in the area, but went a fraction of a second too early, and the flag goes up. A sign that Arsenal aren’t quite finished yet. A better timed run, and this match would suddenly be back on for the visitors.
8.27pm GMT
This is no more than the brilliant Joao deserves. He powers down the inside-left channel, past Kamara, and is only denied a shooting opportunity by the backtracking Flamini, who pokes out for a corner on the left. Wednesday pull it back down the wing for Wallace, who curls one to the far post, where Joao rises to plant a header into the top right. Cech had no chance with that. Wednesday are rampant!
8.25pm GMT
38 min: Young buck Iwobi thrusts down the left, cuts inside and lashes a low shot into the Wednesday side netting from the edge of the area. The Championship side will be happy to see Arsenal taking long-range potshots like this already.
8.23pm GMT
36 min: A brief lull, which might give Arsenal time to clear their heads. Speaking of thrusting young bucks, here’s Joseph Christoff: “Stodgy olds like Lou Roper make for no end of amusement. He probably also hates the use of numbers above 11 and the existence of game clocks. I hope his favorite team abandons their classic kit and plays only in day-glo and blacklight-active uniforms.”
8.19pm GMT
33 min: Wallace sends a ripper towards the top right. If that’s on the postage stamp, Cech’s not getting to it. The ball flies inches wide of the post. Wednesday so close to a two-goal lead. There’s one hell of an atmosphere in Hillsborough right now. The home fans sense Arsenal might be there for the taking.
8.18pm GMT
32 min: The ball’s dropping on the edge of the Arsenal box. Joao shapes to send a volley goalwards, but he’s clipped from behind by Flamini. A free kick for Wednesday in a very dangerous position, just outside the D, dead centre.
8.17pm GMT
30 min: Hutchinson is booked for a late slide on Iwobi. He’s lucky not to see red, because his studs crumped onto the youngster’s knee, and he really wasn’t in control there. A free kick for Arsenal, 25 yards out, level with the left-hand post. Iwobi takes, and it’s not very good.
8.15pm GMT
They’ll be happy enough now all right! This is a picture-book goal! Bannan rakes a defence splitting pass down the left to release Pudil into acres of room. He reaches the byline and cuts the ball back to the edge of the area. Wallace, meeting the ball first time on the left-hand edge of the D, sidefoots powerfully into the left-hand side of the net! Cech had no chance! What a gorgeous team move by the Championship side. Premier League quality, if not better!
8.13pm GMT
26 min: There really is very little happening here. 1993 seems like an awfully long time ago. Wednesday will be happy enough.
8.11pm GMT
24 min: Campbell goes on a power meander down the right, and shoulders Pudil off the ball with extreme ease. He’s got time to fashion a dangerous ball into the box, where there are plenty of black-and-yellow-and-blue-and-white shirts, but he inexplicably blooters a witless cross high out of play to the left of goal.
8.09pm GMT
22 min: So it seems Walcott hadn’t warmed up properly, and this one is his manager’s fault. Walcott got up from the bench and started his exercises when Oxlade-Chamberlain was getting treatment, only to be told to get on the field immediately, if not sooner. Oh Arsene! “And would it hurt anyone outside of Uefa to permit replays in cups again?” adds Lou Roper, warming to a theme and now in full public-bar philosopher mode. “Must be this fixture causing these halcyon notions.”
8.05pm GMT
19 min: Nope, Walcott can’t continue. He trudges off, and here comes Ismael Bennacer, Arsenal’s second substitute and third debutant of the night.
8.04pm GMT
17 min: This is farcical. Walcott, the substitute, is down rubbing his calf. He doesn’t look particularly happy either. A lot of frowning. He trudges off the pitch with the Arsenal physio. He’s hanging around the touchline, waiting to go back on, though he glances across to his bench with a shake of the head and a face on. He’s back, but not for long I’ll be bound.
8.01pm GMT
15 min: Iwobi strides down the inside-left channel before sliding the ball out for Gibbs, who earns the first corner of the match. Walcott takes, and fails to beat the first man. This hasn’t been much of a spectacle so far.
8.00pm GMT
12 min: Gibbs embarks on a skitter down the left, and very nearly nips past Hunt, but the Wednesday full-back sticks on his man and eventually forces a miscontrol. Goal kick. “Teams that choose to play in a change (‘away’) strip for no reason should begin the match a goal down,” argues Lou Roper. “Those who choose to play in a ‘third’ (inevitably some bizarre ‘fashion statement’) should start two goals down. Of course, this presumes the FA are actually interested in preserving what is left of the game’s traditions. Sigh.” Preach on, brother. And the sooner they reinstate a length of tape between the two posts instead of these new-fangled crossbars, so much the better.
7.57pm GMT
10 min: A long hoick down the inside-left channel, and Giroud is free in the area. He’s offside, though he takes a whack at goal anyway. The weak effort is easily fielded by Wildsmith.
7.55pm GMT
9 min: Word is that Oxlade-Chamberlain felt a tightening of the hamstring, and Arsenal weren’t in the mood to take any chances. A rare old atmosphere at Hillsborough, despite bugger all happening on the pitch.
7.54pm GMT
7 min: No real shape to this match yet, the early injury to Oxlade-Chamberlain not helping there. “Tonight’s Arsenal strip looks like a can of Castrol lubricant from the 1980s, only not that attractive,” opines Charles Antaki. “But it’s actually less awful than their third strip from last year which had - gasp - diagonal bands. Not a sash - diagonal, curvy, bands! Blasphemy.” The once-infamous banana effort of the early 1990s looks quite restrained these days, doesn’t it.
7.51pm GMT
5 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain is able to make his own way off the pitch - so hopefully this is a precautionary measure rather than anything serious - but he’s not looking happy. A sorry shake of the head as he’s replaced by Theo Walcott.
7.50pm GMT
4 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain is on the floor. He tried to turn away from Hutchinson, and has twisted something or other. He’ll not be able to continue.
7.49pm GMT
2 min: Wednesday are snapping into their tackles early doors. Arsenal are not being allowed time to settle. The Scottish Scholes, Barry Bannan, is already covering plenty of ground in the excitable fashion.
7.48pm GMT
The hosts get the ball rolling. Arsenal soon pick up possession, with Oxlade-Chamberlain looking to send Campbell skittering away down the right. But his pass to the flank is behind his team-mate and flies into touch. The majority in this full house at Hillsborough enjoyed that.
7.46pm GMT
Wednesday rotate a lot these days, but they make just the two changes from their previous match at Rotherham. Kieren Westwood is injured, so young keeper Joe Wildsmith takes his place. Meanwhile Fernando Forestieri is cup-tied, so Jeremy Helan is in. Arsenal make eight changes from the weekend win over Everton. Two debutants: the 19-year-old Nigerian attacking midfielder Alex Iwobi, and defensive midfielder Glen Kamara of Finland, who is also 19, but only for one more day. Here’s Wenger: “Kamara is a strong boy with a good engine. Iwobi is more of a striker. He’s quite efficient and likes to score goals. We want to show respect and humility to lower-division sides, and to come here and qualify we must show the proper attitude.”
7.39pm GMT
Carlos Carvalhal speaks! “It will be very hard to beat Arsenal. All our games are hard, even in the Championship. We prepare well, and have a competitive team. But these teams have a lot of players that can change everything in one second. We must have 100 percent concentration. And we must do goals. With a 0-0, you can’t go through!”
7.10pm GMT
Sheffield Wednesday: Wildsmith, Hunt, Lees, Loovens, Pudil, Wallace, Lee, Hutchinson, Bannan, Helan, Lucas Joao.
Subs: Palmer, Semedo, Nuhiu, McGugan, Bus, Sasso, Price.
Arsenal: Cech, Debuchy, Chambers, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Flamini, Kamara, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Iwobi, Campbell, Giroud.
Subs: Gabriel, Walcott, Monreal, Macey, Bielik, Bennacer, Sheaf.
12.45pm GMT
This is England 93. John Major and Back to Basics. Roy Hattersley and the tub of lard. Carlton and Meridian. Graham Taylor and Davide Gualtieri. Schindler’s List and The Fugitive. Whitney Houston and Meat Loaf. Suede and Blur. And of course Sheffield Wednesday and Arsenal.
What a side Wednesday had back then. Trevor Francis’ side had finished third in the league in 1991-92, and the following season reached both cup finals with a star-studded squad: Chris Woods, Nigel Worthington, Roland Nilsson, Carlton Palmer, Viv Anderson, Danny Wilson, Paul Warhurst, Mark Bright, John Sheridan , David Hirst and the great Chris Waddle. They should have added at least one more trophy to the League Cup they won as a second-division outfit in 1991. But they didn’t. And that was down to ...
Continue reading...Making a JG Ballard novel look like a Christmas special of Downton Abbey
UTOPIA NO MORE
With Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini currently locked in the naughty cupboard under the stairs at Fifa Mansions – without tea, as well, so no foie gras for them! – bedlam reigns supreme at the home of world football’s governing body. Societal structures have been eroded to such an extent that the place would make a JG Ballard novel look like a Christmas special of Downton Abbey.
October 24, 2015
Arsenal v Everton: Premier League – as it happened
Arsenal move to the top of the Premier League table with a deserved victory over Everton.
7.23pm BST
And that’s that! My word, Arsenal made a meal out of that, but they were the deserved victors nonetheless, and their fourth league win in a row takes them to the top of the Premier League table. A proper title challenge is developing here. They look down on the rest of the division for the first time since February 2014 - and they’re a full 14 places above the champions Chelsea. Everton, meanwhile, remain wedged in mid-table, and their two-decade wait for a win at Arsenal goes on.
7.22pm BST
A late clatter into Gibbs, who skedaddles down the left, and that’s a second yellow for Barry. He doesn’t wait to see the referee flourish it.
7.21pm BST
90 min +3: Cazorla and Ozil exchange crisp passes on the edge of the Everton box. Howard is off his line, and the ball’s knocked around him. But neither Arsenal man can walk it into the net, as is their wont. It’s nearly costly, as well, as Lukaku bombs up the other end, only to be denied a shooting opportunity by Gabriel’s excellent challenge.
7.19pm BST
90 min +2: Arsenal tap the free kick and faff around in the time-management style.
7.18pm BST
90 min +1: There will be four added minutes. The first sees Gibbs make off down the left, only to step on the ball as he attempts to hold it up by the corner flag. But Mirallas comes lumbering in to make sure he falls, and that’s a free kick.
7.17pm BST
90 min: Ozil picks up possession to the right of the Everton D. He’s got his back to goal but turns smoothly and creams a shot towards the bottom right. If it’s on target, it’s in, but it hits the outside of the right-hand post with Howard beaten.
7.16pm BST
89 min: Both teams make a change. Kone comes on for Coleman, while Sanchez is replaced by Gibbs.
7.15pm BST
88 min: Barry slides a pass down the inside-right channel for Mirallas, who spins on the edge of the area and gets away a shot. His daisycutter, aimed for the bottom left, is gathered easily enough by Cech.
7.15pm BST
87 min: So having said that, Flamini first flashes a header from a Sanchez right-wing cross straight at Howard, when it was easier to score from ten yards. Then Everton fly up the other end, Deulofeu dispatching a shot towards the bottom right from 12 yards, only to see Cech get down to parry clear brilliantly. Everton yet again close to an equaliser.
7.13pm BST
85 min: Flamini has a whack from distance, but no, not really. His presence seems to have steadied Arsenal a bit, though. Everton haven’t done much in attack since he’s come on to shore things up.
7.12pm BST
84 min: Some komik kutz in the Everton area, as Cazorla cuts in from the left and sees his shot-cum-cross deflected into the air. Giroud doesn’t quite know where the ball is as it drops. Howard makes an awful meal of claiming, and eventually Stones creams it clear.
7.10pm BST
82 min: Bellerin dribbles into the Everton box from the right wing. Everything nearly opens up for him, but he trips over his own feet and loses control. A half-arsed shout for a penalty, but nobody really believes it. Cazorla wants a corner, though, having latched onto the loose ball only for Funes Mori to prod it out. But he’s not getting it.
7.08pm BST
81 min: Arsenal have been the better side tonight, and yet Everton were inches away from equalising there. And they’ve been causing bother in the last few minutes. With this in mind, Arsenal replace Oxlade-Chamberlain with Flamini, and take their sweet time making the substitution too. Professional clock management of the highest order.
7.07pm BST
79 min: ... the ball is worked to Barkley in space on the wing. He crosses accurately, finding Lukaku in acres, eight yards from goal. Lukaku rises and sends a header towards the top left. For a second it looks like going in, but it’s an inch or two too high and grazes the top of the crossbar instead. So unfortunate!
7.06pm BST
78 min: Deulofeu threatens to burst clear down the right, and is clattered from behind by Monreal. The full back should be booked, but it’s just a free kick, in a very dangerous position to the right of the Arsenal box. Barkley’s delivery is half cleared to Mirallas on the left. Mirallas’s shot is deflected out for a corner on the left, from which ...
7.04pm BST
76 min: McCarthy is beginning to get himself involved after an unusually quiet match. He slips a ball down the left flank to release Mirallas into space, but the winger was a bit over-excitable there, and the flag goes up for offside.
7.02pm BST
75 min: Virgin Trains, though. What an absolute shower.
7.02pm BST
74 min: McCarthy makes some space for himself down the right, and loops a stunning cross to the far post. It’s taken out Cech and Bellerin, but Galloway heads wide left from the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. That’s an awful miss, a wonderful chance to equalise spurned.
7.00pm BST
72 min: Lukaku bursts down the right and whips a cross into the middle. Mirallas prepares to connect but Oxlade-Chamberlain races in to hoof high into the stand behind for a corner. Cech rises to claim the set piece. A big cheer, though not as big as the one which greets the announcement of the cancellation of the last train back to Liverpool tonight.
6.58pm BST
70 min: Lennon is replaced by Mirallas.
6.57pm BST
69 min: Ozil turns down the inside-right channel, springing himself into space, and sliding a pass to his right for Giroud. The striker takes a touch inside and curls a powerful shot towards the top left. Howard is beaten totally, but the ball clangs off the crossbar and away to safety. So unfortunate! Adding insult to injury, when play stops next, Giroud is booked (quite correctly) for a rare old clatter into Barkley’s back.
6.55pm BST
68 min: Monreal gifts the ball to Deulofeu down the Everton right. Deulofeu glides in from the wing and offloads to Barkley, who swings a first-time shot towards the bottomr-right corner. Cech reads well and is behind it all the way.
6.53pm BST
67 min: Barry goes in the book, though, for grabbing a fistful of Ozil’s shirt. He can’t really complain, but you know how footballers are, and does anyway.
6.53pm BST
66 min: Coquelin drops a shoulder to ghost past Barkley and into a pocket of space in the Everton half. Barkley sticks out a cynical arm and is very fortunate not to go into the book.
6.51pm BST
63 min: Ozil has a whack from distance, but it’s easily gathered by Howard.
6.51pm BST
61 min: Space for Barkley on the edge of the Arsenal box, but he can’t get a shot away. Some rare danger for Arsenal there.
6.47pm BST
59 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain turns on the jets down the right. He fizzes a low ball straight through the Everton six-yard box. Giroud, sticking out a telescopic leg, is millimetres away from poking home. A real sense that a third Arsenal goal is only a matter of time.
6.45pm BST
58 min: Sanchez scuttles in from the left and exchanges passes with Cazorla. Stones clears in the nick of time. Ozil, in space on the right-hand corner of the Everton box, balloons a cross high and wide left, with team-mates gasping in the middle. Everton can’t get out at all.
6.44pm BST
56 min: Arsenal are totally on the front foot right now. Nearly half of the play since the restart, give or take a couple of percent, has been in the Everton final third. Giroud has a slapshot from a tight angle on the right, latching onto a dinked header from Oxlade-Chamberlain down the channel. Howard tips round for a corner, which is cleared easily enough by the visitors. But Everton are on the ropes.
6.42pm BST
53 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain, having just done some damage to the centre of Everton’s defence by accidentally crocking Jagielka, does some more by running at its surviving members very quickly. He slips the ball to the left for Sanchez, who enters the area and tries to dink home, but Howard smothers. The resulting corner comes to nothing.
6.40pm BST
52 min: In fact Jagielka can’t continue, and he’s replaced by the new boy Funes Mori. Howard is awarded the captain’s armband.
6.38pm BST
51 min: Coleman has a blooter from the best part of 30 yards, but Cech is behind it all the way.
6.38pm BST
50 min: Ozil, Sanchez and Oxlade-Chamberlain cause Everton all sorts of bother as they probe all across the front of the away team’s area. Eventually Oxlade-Chamberlain tries to burst through down the right, but only succeeds in clattering into Jagielka. The big defender’s taken a whack on his knee there, but looks as though he’ll be fine to continue. He’s having to do a fair bit of rubbing, grimacing and hopping first, though.
6.36pm BST
47 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain, from a deep position down the inside right, rolls a diagonal ball to Sanchez down the other channel. Coleman should cut it out, but lets it run through towards Howard and nearly allows Sanchez to nip in and score. Sanchez’s improvised poke is turned round the post by Howard, and the corner is cleared. Coleman has made several uncharacteristically dozy errors tonight.
6.33pm BST
46 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain embarks on an immediate skitter down the right, but is bundled out of it just before he reaches the Everton area. Arsenal are obviously of a mind to add to their tally in double-quick time.
6.32pm BST
Arsenal get the ball rolling. No changes. And just in case you thought I was lying to you on 24 minutes, re the dude with the budgie smugglers, here’s some pictorial proof. He’s been seen waving a half-and-half scarf, too. He’s our kind of guy.
6.24pm BST
Half-time entertainment: In lieu of no more daft action for the next 15 minutes, here’s some equally frantic stuff from a League Cup semi-final between the two sides in 1988, George Graham’s side wresting the baton of Best Side In Country With Possible Exception Of Liverpool (kids, ask granny or gramps) from Colin Harvey’s men.
6.19pm BST
Deulofeu, to wild boos, whips a ball in from the right. Cech makes an awful mess of gathering a simple bouncing ball, overrunning it, mishandling it, and letting it bounce out of play to the right of goal. He’s lucky that wasn’t on target, or the scores would be level. Slapstick nonsense in the rain. Everton can’t make anything count from the resulting corner, and that’s that for the first half. What wonderful entertainment. You’ll not be going anywhere, right?
6.17pm BST
45 min +1: Deulofeu goes after another long Everton ball, taking it down the centre and nudging it to his right, past Monreal. He goes down under not much contact, then bounces up in high dudgeon. His shirt had been lightly tugged, but the referee wasn’t buying the subsequent crash to the ground.
6.16pm BST
45 min: Well that came out of nothing. Seconds before, Oxlade-Chamberlain was trying to manufacture enough space for a shot on the edge of the Everton box, but couldn’t quite manage it. For a second, a 3-0 scoreline looked on the cards. But now look!
6.15pm BST
But all of a sudden the visitors are back in this! Barkley chases what looks like a lost cause down the inside-left channel. A long hoof. He runs towards the Arsenal area, and chances his arm with a low drive towards the bottom right. It’s not particularly good, but Gabriel sticks out a leg and deflects it into the top left!
6.13pm BST
43 min: A rare old atmosphere at the Emirates despite the weather. Arsenal’s fans are in full celebratory mode right now. And no wonder, because their team are looking very impressive.
6.12pm BST
42 min: Deulofeu has looked lively down the right, but for all his twisting and turning he can’t open Arsenal up. Monreal stays strong and runs him out of play for a goal kick. “How did that guy in Speedos get into the ground?” wonders Julian Le Saux. “I mean, did he turn up in them? Or did he strip down to them once the rain started? Has he tucked his trousers and jumper under his seat? Is he going to put them back on again before he goes home? Come on, somebody go and ask him! I need answers!”
6.10pm BST
40 min: Galloway tries to manufacture something for Everton with a lively run down the left, but he loses control upon entering the area. Adding insult to injury, Gabriel sends a clearing hoof straight into the young man’s coupon.
6.09pm BST
Cazorla curls one high into the Everton box from the left wing. Koscielny rises highest, almost unchallenged on the edge of the six-yard box, and nuts home with purpose and power. Arsenal had been winning plenty of headers in the Everton area, and look what’s happening now they’ve started getting them on target!
6.07pm BST
37 min: Arsenal have their tails up. Sanchez skitters down the left and is stopped in his tracks by Coleman. Free kick. From which ...
6.07pm BST
Ozil is afforded ludicrous amounts of space and time down the right. He magic-wands a delicious high cross into the box, where Giroud rises above Jagielka to glance a delicate header over Howard and into the top left. Simple but lovely.
6.05pm BST
35 min: Deulofeu embarks on a Gazza-style skitter down the inside-right channel, drifting into the middle and considering a shot as he reaches the Arsenal box. He’s bundled over from behind by Gabriel, but he’s not getting a free kick, which looks a fairly tight decision by the referee.
6.04pm BST
33 min: Arsenal had fallen quiet for a while there, but suddenly they’ve sprung back into life. Sanchez latches onto a weak Coleman flick down the Everton right, and sends a screeching first-time shot inches over the bar. It’s a very entertaining game, this one.
6.03pm BST
32 min: Lennon steps across Sanchez as the Arsenal man dribbles down the middle of the park. Free kick. Ozil sends a gentle 9-iron of a free kick into the Everton box. Koscielny, rising near the left-hand post, can’t quite connect.
6.00pm BST
30 min: Lukaku makes a nuisance of himself 30 yards from the Arsenal goal, and sweeps a ball wide left for Galloway, who is unlucky not to win a corner, but must settle for a throw off the flagstick. From the throw, Barkley battles inside the Arsenal box, but in a clumsy fashion, and that’s a free kick that takes the pressure off the hosts. But Everton are finally baring some teeth after being on the receiving end for the majority of the opening exchanges.
5.58pm BST
28 min: Deulofeu curls a cross into the Arsenal box from the right. Bellerin’s clearing header is a nonsense. Barry attempts to shoot from 30 yards, but shanks it. Galloway tries again, and his deflected effort goes out for a corner on the left. From the set piece, Lennon scampers into space on the left, and whips a low cross into the six-yard box. Cech fumbles into the path of Stones, who from 12 yards must at least get a shot on target, and if we’re being honest probably should score. But he shins it wide right and high. What a chance for Everton.
5.56pm BST
25 min: The habitually reckless Coquelin slides in on Galloway. It’s a pointless challenge, in the middle of the park with Everton posing no danger to Arsenal, and it’s out of control as well. His studs are showing, and he’s got both feet off the ground. He can have no complaints at going in the book.
5.55pm BST
24 min: The rain is coming down in sheets. One chap in the stand - and I’m not making this up - is in Speedos, swimming cap and goggles. And nowt else. Marvellous.
5.53pm BST
23 min: Bellerin sprays a pass down the right for Ozil, who checks inside and sliderules a disguised pass down the channel for Sanchez. For a second, it looks like Sanchez is free in the box, and will be able to get a shot away, but in the end he settles for a corner, from which Gabriel wafts a weak header wide left of goal. But Arsenal are repeatedly winning headers in the Everton box from set pieces. The next stage is getting one on target.
5.50pm BST
20 min: Ozil and Giroud play a crisp one-two on the edge of the Everton box, but Ozil doesn’t respond to Giroud’s two. Everton were a little flat-footed at the back there.
5.49pm BST
18 min: Now Everton are penalised for bugger all in attack, Lennon going shoulder to shoulder in contesting a bouncing ball down the inside-left channel. Gabriel gets the decision, for nowt.
5.48pm BST
17 min: It’s tipping down in north London. Lashing. [MBM hack flicks through Big Book of Tired Old Clichés] It should benefit Arsenal’s passing game.
5.46pm BST
15 min: Arsenal go route one. A long ball down the middle. Giroud rises, wins the header, and lays waste to Stones and Jagielka. Ozil, latching onto the knockdown, is free on goal, but squirts it wide. Think the second half of the World Cup semi-final between Germany and Brazil. The Germans would have scored ten if it wasn’t for Ozil’s profligacy. Anyway, Ozil’s embarrassment is saved as the flag goes up for a foul by Giroud, which is preposterous really. A fine old-school forward’s challenge, the defenders having just come off second best. But here we all are.
5.44pm BST
14 min: The ludicrously impressive Bellerin finds yet more space down the right, and his whipped ball inside is hacked out of play by Stones for a corner. Everton eventually deal with the resulting set piece, but only after Bellerin and Ozil nearly open them up with some neat triangulation down the right. Everton’s offside trap with some fine work there. Arsenal fans who remember the 1980s will appreciate that, and allow themselves a wry smile.
5.42pm BST
12 min: Galloway appears to be a target for Arsenal down the right. The home side attacking again and again down this wing. Oxlade-Chamberlain very nearly nips past him, but this time the young full back stays strong and wins a goal kick.
5.40pm BST
10 min: Bellerin goes off at pace down the right again, and wins another corner for Arsenal. Cazorla takes, and finds the head of Gabriel with an outswinger. Gabriel, on the edge of the six-yard box, should do better than wafting a header over the crossbar. Everton have given up a couple of early chances here, but Arsenal haven’t got anything on target yet.
5.37pm BST
7 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain latches on to a poor Barry ball down the Everton left, bursts back up the wing, and wins a corner off Galloway down the Arsenal right. The set piece is whipped to the near post, where Giroud rises and heads carelessly wide right from close range. A real chance spurned there.
5.36pm BST
6 min: A bit of space for Coleman down by Arsenal’s right-hand corner flag. He shovels a cross to the far post, but there’s nobody there in blue. Both teams have come out tonight with a positive mindset.
5.35pm BST
4 min: Bellerin scampers after a ball he should never reach, and keeps it in by the right-hand corner flag. Pulling it back, he finds Coquelin, who loops to the far post for Sanchez. Too much height on the cross does for Sanchez, though he very nearly kept it in anyway. Arsenal pinging it around with understandable confidence, having just seen off Bayern Munich.
5.33pm BST
2 min: Deulofeu drops a shoulder and nearly makes it past Monreal down the right. Upon reaching the byline he tries to earn a corner off the full back with a flick inside, but the trick doesn’t come off and that’s a goal kick. But a positive enough start by Everton, for whom history is no pal this evening.
5.31pm BST
Everton get the ball rolling, and they’re kicking away from the old clock. The ball’s lost within 20 seconds, Jagielka’s pass forward not up to much. Arsenal take up possession and try to spring down the right. But Oxlade-Chamberlain’s ball inside for Ozil isn’t all that either. The only way for these two teams is up!
5.29pm BST
The teams are out! A fine atmosphere greets the players, Arsenal in their famous red shirts and white sleeves, Everton in their illustrious blue. It’s a classic aesthetic, but then these are two of the oldest and grandest clubs in the land. Hands are currently being shaken, coins are revolving in the air for the purposes of minor decision-making. We’ll be off in a minute!
5.20pm BST
Roberto Martinez has also been on the talk! “Last weekend was a real disappointing result and performance, but we are looking to get rid of that feeling. We are ready to face a team that is in a Good Moment ... ” [ah, there we are!] “ ... and we expect them to be very tough opposition. This game will involve a lot of pace and one-on-one situations, and having Aaron Lennon and Gerard Deulofeu on the pitch will help. We draw encouragement from our own standards. We need to find a good start to the game, because after midweek Arsenal’s confidence and momentum will be high.”
5.13pm BST
Arsene Wenger speaks! “We have to be cautious with Theo Walcott, who has had a little recovery problem. Olivier Giroud is fresh. Aaron Ramsey’s injury is an opportunity for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, though I consider him a first-team player anyway. Per Mertesacker is in bed, sick. We have to show hunger and humility today, after the big game against Bayern Munich on Tuesday. Sometimes you subconsciously think it will be easier, but it will be harder because it is the Premier League. We need to keep the same level of urgency and desire.” The big man seems relaxed enough. No wonder, given the run Arsenal are currently on. In the modern parlance, they’re in a Great Moment.
5.00pm BST
Tonight’s half-and-half scarf: Another satisfied customer, and another one in the eye for passive-aggressive traditionalists and reactionary bores desperate to be seen as Proper Supporters. Hooray!
4.49pm BST
Tonight’s team news. Pretty much as expected, really. Olivier Giroud gets the nod up front for Arsenal; Theo Walcott has to make do with a place on the bench. Tom Cleverley, a martyr to his ankle, doesn’t get in the Everton starting XI but he is one of their named substitutes.
4.35pm BST
Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud.
Subs: Debuchy, Gibbs, Walcott, Flamini, Chambers, Campbell, Macey.
Everton: Howard, Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Galloway, McCarthy, Barry, Lennon, Barkley, Deulofeu, Lukaku.
Subs: Robles, Kone, Mirallas, Naismith, Cleverley, Osman, Funes Mori.
11.29am BST
It’s difficult to know what to make of Everton this season. They’ve battered Chelsea and Southampton. They launched a spectacular comeback to win at West Brom. They’ve toyed with League Cup defeats at Barnsley and Reading. They’ve been battered at home by Manchester United, and failed to put away a Liverpool side helplessly flailing under Brendan Rodgers. It’s been the very definition of the mixed bag.
Things are unlikely to become too much clearer this evening, for Everton have an appalling record away at Arsenal. They haven’t won this particular fixture since 1996, when Graham Stuart and Andrei Kanchelskis roamed the earth in blue shirts. That’s a winless run of 21 league and cup games. A whopping 17 of those have been defeats, including three 4-1s, a 4-0 and a 7-0. As a result, Arsenal are strong favourites this evening, so if they do what is expected of them, it’ll not tell us too much about where Everton are at.
Continue reading...Blackburn Rovers v Burnley: Championship – as it happened
Scott Arfield was Burnley’s hero as the Clarets won a hotly contested East Lancashire derby
2.21pm BST
Lawrence whips a cross into the Burnley box from the right. Duffy rises to meet it with a power header. It’s straight at Heaton, who tips over, then claims the resulting corner kick. And that’s that! Burnley make it two in a row! Hanley thinks about taking his frustrations out on Duff, but the home side are allowed to continue with their celebrations. Rovers can count themselves unfortunate to have lost that one, but that’s not to say Burnley weren’t impressive in their own right. They take the three points, precious in the context of their promotion push, but it’s not really about that today. They maintain their good form in this fixture: five unbeaten, and the last two won. Turf Moor in March, then, everyone?
2.20pm BST
90 min +2: Marshall is in space down the right. Blackburn have sent plenty of men forward. An awful ball inside allows Arfield to tear upfield and eat up plenty of the clock.
2.18pm BST
90 min +1: The first of three added minutes comes and goes.
2.18pm BST
90 min: Barton slides in on Conway as the Blackburn winger makes off down the left. Another chance to load the box at a free kick. Duffy clatters into Heaton as the ball comes in. There goes that pressure!
2.16pm BST
89 min: Blackburn are giving it a go, but nothing’s coming off. Evans tries to latch onto a cross from the right, but gets it all wrong. Heaton takes his time over the goal kick, professional clock management at its finest.
2.16pm BST
87 min: Marshall goes on a trot down the right. He looks to cut inside, and is clipped to the floor by Jones. Free kick. A chance for Blackburn to load the box. Conway curls it in. It drops to the feet of Duffy, on the penalty spot. He’s inexplicably been given time to shoot by the Burnley defence, but suffers a rush of blood and swipes a weak and hellish effort over the bar. He almost faints to the ground, his head lolling around in muddled despair.
2.13pm BST
86 min: Long replaces Gray, who has been unusually quiet today.
2.12pm BST
84 min: The frame of the Burnley goal is still gently oscillating. That really was some strike. Conway as unfortunate as you can get.
2.11pm BST
82 min: Blackburn so unlucky as Conway clatters the woodwork! He cuts in from the left wing, drops a shoulder to make himself some space, and unleashes a stunning riser which crashes onto the corner of the left upright and crossbar. Heaton beaten all ends up! A simply wonderful screamer that was deserving of a goal. But no.
2.09pm BST
81 min: Barton clatters into Akpan on the edge of the Burnley box, winning the ball. Totally legitimate, and very old-school. The away fans enjoyed that.
2.08pm BST
80 min: A low cross into the Burnley box from Olsson on the left. It makes it through to the six-yard box, where the box-fresh Taylor takes a fresh-air swipe. Keane clanks clear. Neither team appears to be keeping particularly calm right now.
2.06pm BST
79 min: Blackburn send on Taylor, with Delfouneso making way.
2.05pm BST
78 min: Conway again delivers a ball into the Burnley box from deep on the left. Keane beats Rhodes to the header. Blackburn are enjoying more of the possession, but seem unable to do much with it right now.
2.03pm BST
75 min: Another high ball into the Burnley box, this time sent there from the Blackburn left. Duff rises to clear, Rhodes and Lawrence unable to meet it. The visitors are looking pretty comfortable at the moment.
2.02pm BST
73 min: A dismal clearance down the Blackburn right by Mee is picked up by Lawrence, who combines with Delfouneso to win a corner. The set piece is looped into the mixer. Hanley, of all people, picks up possession on the penalty spot, and looks to turn and lash a shot goalwards. He gets an effort away, but it clanks into his own man Delfouneso. Hanley wanders off with a pained expression, perhaps wondering whether this is simply destined to be Burnley’s day.
1.58pm BST
71 min: This won’t be news to anyone. But the Burnley fans are giving it plenty right now.
1.57pm BST
70 min: Conway, out on the left, cuts back up the wing before snapping a high cross to the far post for Delfouneso. That’s a lovely ball, and one which very nearly finds its man. But Heaton is out quickly to claim before Delfouneso can plant the nut on it.
1.54pm BST
67 min: Lawrence, whose awful miss earlier now looks so costly, searches for atonement. He lashes a low shot goalwards from 30 yards, through a thicket of players. It’s not the worst idea, especially if it takes a little nick off someone, but the ball makes its way through the crowd safely, and straight into the arms of Heaton.
1.52pm BST
65 min: Blackburn nearly respond immediately, a cross from the right wing met by Akpan, who should head home from eight yards, but flaps his effort straight at Heaton.
1.51pm BST
What a finish by Scott Arfield! A free kick down the Burnley left. It’s hoicked into the Blackburn box. Some head tennis ensues. Mee, on the penalty spot, takes a fresh-air swipe at the ball. It breaks back to Arfield, on the edge of the area. He sidefoots with power into the top right, then races off down the other end of the park to celebrate with his fans. Bedlam, bedlam, bedlam!
1.50pm BST
62 min: A long ball down the Blackburn inside-right channel. Keane should deal with it, but allows Rhodes to bring it down behind him, then turn him on the inside. Rhodes has space just inside the area, but squirts a lame shot straight at the keeper. Heaton doesn’t claim first time, but Rhodes can’t get to the loose ball.
1.48pm BST
61 min: Hanley clatters into Gray down the right, with the striker going nowhere. A free kick for Burnley in a dangerous position. Jones loops the ball into the box, but Steele rises to claim with confidence.
1.47pm BST
59 min: Marshall bursts in from the right, and is upended by Mee. The referee waves play on, though, because Evans is about to latch onto the loose ball for a shot. He fizzes one towards the bottom left. It’s got the beating of Heaton, but it’s also inches wide of the post. So close. And fine refereeing.
1.46pm BST
58 min: It’s lovely and open, now, this. First Gray very nearly turns Hanley down the inside-right channel, but Olsson is quickly across to cover. Then Conway burns down the left, so close to opening Burnley up, but he over-runs the ball slightly and can’t keep his cross in as he tries to clip one on the byline.
1.44pm BST
55 min: What a miss by Lawrence! He bursts down the middle, and slips the ball wide right to Rhodes, who returns it first time. It’s a perfect pass, right in front of Lawrence, just inside the Burnley box. Burnley have been ripped apart. Lawrence is clear, and he doesn’t have to break stride as he meets the perfectly placed ball. He opens his body, and sidefoots at pace towards the top right. Too much pace, and it flies wide and high. An awful miss. It would have been a picture-book goal as well. Oh my.
1.42pm BST
54 min: Gray, under no pressure whatsoever down the right wing, batters a Jonny Wilkinson style penalty miles over the bar. A cross? A shot? Either way, it was risible, and one the majority of the crowd enjoyed.
1.41pm BST
53 min: A Blackburn free kick in the midfield. They load the box. The ball drops to Marshall on the edge of the area. He attempts a spectacular. Nope!
1.40pm BST
52 min: Marshall, deep on the right, launches long towards Rhodes, on the edge of the Burnley box. Duff should clear, but opts to leave the ball for his keeper, and his decision very nearly allows the striker in on goal. Fortunately for Burnley, the ball’s just a smidgen ahead of Rhodes, and flies through to Heaton. The crowd OOH in unison, knowing full well how close Rhodes was to latching onto that unexpected treat.
1.38pm BST
50 min: Arfield scampers clear of Marshall down the left wing, selling the Blackburn man an outrageous dummy with a drop of the shoulder. He’s clear in the box with men in the middle, but lashes a hopeless shot into the side netting, causing Steele no bother whatsoever. That looked so promising for Burnley, but what a sorry end.
1.36pm BST
48 min: Duff slides a pass down the inside-right channel for Gray, who very nearly turns Olsson and breaks into the area. But the defender stays on the striker’s shoulder, and the flag goes up anyway for a (slightly dubious looking) offside position.
1.35pm BST
47 min: And it’s a bright start to the half by Conway, who drifts in from the left and skelps a shot over the bar from the edge of the box.
1.34pm BST
Burnley get the ball rolling for the second half. They ping it around in pretty triangles down the left, but soon go backwards, and Keane is very nearly robbed by Rhodes. Then Rovers come again at Burnley, Conway getting the better of Darikwa down the left. His deep cross only just evades the eyebrows of Delfouneso at the far post. A bright start to the half.
1.19pm BST
Half-time entertainment: The Joy of Six on Blackburn’s last major trophy, secured by Andy Cole in 2002 ...
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1.18pm BST
Lawrence slides the ball across the front of the Burnley box from the left. Rhodes takes a touch and converts for some rugby union points. And that’s that for the half. A slow burner which eventually became pretty damn entertaining. Both sides should have been awarded a soft penalty - Burnley arguably two, though they were part of the same incident - but neither was given. Honours even, then, and the second half promises to be a rare old party. Don’t go anywhere!
1.16pm BST
45 min: The red mist comes down on Gray, after Marshall buys a cheap free kick by going over the striker’s sliding challenge. A bit of nipple barging. The referee reminds everyone of their ages, and we move on.
1.14pm BST
44 min: Conway curls a high cross into the Burnley box from deep on the left. Rhodes, rising on the penalty spot, meets the inswinger and powers a header towards the top left. It’s a little high and wide.
1.13pm BST
42 min: More space for Olsson down the left, but this time his cross is nowhere near a team-mate, deep and out of play on the far side. However this is better from Blackburn, who had let their rivals take control for a wee while.
1.11pm BST
40 min: Olsson drops a shoulder to make some space down the left. His low cross is picked up by Lawrence, who is barged over from behind by Barton before he can shoot. That should be a penalty too, but again the referee isn’t interested. The resulting corner comes to nothing.
1.10pm BST
38 min: Finally Steele has something to do. Barton slides Arfield down the inside-left channel. Arfield looks to curl one into the bottom right with the inside of his right boot. A lovely effort, which is parried out to the side by Steele. A magnificent save. Gray, from the Burnley right, loops a cross to the far post, where Arfield again gets involved. But he can’t connect properly. Blackburn survive. The away side are beginning to look dangerous now, after a slow start to the match.
1.08pm BST
37 min: Burnley go up the other end and have a belt from distance themselves. Vokes drifts in from the right, and looks for the bottom-left corner from 25 yards. Not quite. The ball fizzes well wide of the left-hand post.
1.07pm BST
36 min: Lawrence cuts in from the Blackburn left and sends a pearler of a daisycutter towards the bottom-right corner from 25 yards. It’s a fine effort, and only gathered by Heaton after a fashion. Had Rhodes or another Blackburn player been on the front foot, there was a rebound there to batter home.
1.06pm BST
34 min: Quite an interesting replay of the Hanley-Barton penalty incident. Seconds after Barton got up, the ball long battered upfield, he was deliberately tripped by Hanley in an off-the-ball incident. The ball was miles away, but the ball was in play. A penalty in itself? Technically, yes. Mind you, you’d have to be a brave referee, with 24 eyes constantly rotating around your head, to give it.
1.03pm BST
32 min: Boyd busies himself down the right wing and very nearly springs Gray clear with a pass along the flank. Just a little overcooked. Burnley are beginning to get a grip of the midfield. Meanwhile here’s JR in Illinois: “Speaking of derbies, here in the US this game is being shown on the BeIN Sports channel. In the upper right hand corner of the screen they have permanently affixed a graphic which consists of the Barcelona and Real Madrid logos and the words: EL CLASICO 28 DAYS LEFT. I’m not even sure what to say about that. Uh, make your plans now, I guess. Mercy.”
1.01pm BST
30 min: Burnley respond, Barton rolling a pass down the middle for Gray, who very nearly shuttles it further forward to release Arfield into the box. But the final ball is lacking. It’s not quite sparking into life, this game, though not for the want of trying. Both sides are showing willing in attack; it’s just not quite coming off for them. Yet.
1.00pm BST
27 min: Blackburn pin Burnley back in their own box for the best part of a minute, but none of their crosses or balls inside pass muster.
12.57pm BST
25 min: Gray and Barton exchange crisp passes down the inside-left channel. Suddenly Barton is in the Blackburn box. He cocks his right leg to shoot. Hanley, coming in from behind, brushes his planted left leg. Barton goes over. That should be a penalty, albeit a very soft one. But it’s not given. Barton, as you’d expect, is livid. Blackburn nearly add insult to injury as Delfouneso makes good down the left on the break with Burnley light at the back, but his cross isn’t accurate.
12.53pm BST
23 min: Mee goes haring after a long ball down the left, and for a split second looks to have the better of Marshall. But just before he takes up possession and tears into the area, Marshall finds a little bit of added power, and reasserts himself in the footrace. The ball’s ushered out of play for a goal kick. A quarter of the way through, and neither keeper has had a save to make.
12.51pm BST
20 min: A corner for Blackburn down the right, Arfield put under a little pressure to give it up. Vokes heads powerfully clear. Marshall has yet another look at goal from distance, and once again his shot isn’t up to much. It’s high velocity, low quality so far. In that sense, quite a lot like the Premier League, only the fans are singing.
12.50pm BST
18 min: A clumpish Evans backpass has Steele in all sorts of trouble. He slides across to save a corner, but this is a throw deep in Blackburn territory down the left. The ball’s flung to Vokes, who hooks over his shoulder from the left-hand corner of the Blackburn box. Steele gathers with a yawn by the right-hand post.
12.48pm BST
17 min: Conway and Mee go up for a ball on the halfway line. Mee’s elbow crumps into Conway’s lug. Conway rolls about a bit, then gets up and frowns quite a lot, making his displeasure known in trenchant terms. The referee gives Mee a good talking to, but he’s not going to get his card out for that. A long free kick is humped into the Burnley box. After a bit of head tennis, Marshall has two attempts at a shot from the right-hand corner of the Burnley D. Both are blocked pretty much at source.
12.45pm BST
15 min: Vokes tries to feed Boyd into space down the right by flicking a header along the flank, but Duffy steps in to blooter the ball away. Burnley come again down the left through Mee, but Hanley sweeps his cross clear with ease. A little better from the visitors. Baby steps.
12.43pm BST
13 min: Burnley are struggling to stay on the ball right now. Blackburn, that Rhodes half-chance apart, aren’t creating much, but at least they’re stringing a few passes together. The visitors aren’t on their game yet.
12.42pm BST
10 min: Then, suddenly, Blackburn spring into life. Olsson strides down the left, and curls a ball into the Burnley box. It’s dropping on the penalty spot. Rhodes, coming in from the right, and with his back to goal, gets in ahead of Duff and, with the outside of his right boot, flicks a stunning first-time effort towards the top left. If that’s on target, it’s in. Not quite: it just flies over the bar. But not by much. What a wonderful piece of improvisation by someone who should play for Scotland more often.
12.39pm BST
9 min: Blackburn continue to pass it around the back, in no hurry whatsoever. Clearly they’ve decided to draw a bit of the sting from the atmosphere, with a view to building something thereafter. It’s not much of an early spectacle, but it’s all about the result today.
12.37pm BST
6 min: Finally a period of calmer play. Blackburn stroke it round the back awhile, getting a feel of the ball with the confidence of a team who haven’t conceded a goal at home for four matches. Burnley are fancied to chalk up only their second win against Rovers since 1979 today, but if they want it, they’ll have to work for it.
12.35pm BST
4 min: It’s all a bit hectic at the moment. Completed passes at a premium.
12.33pm BST
2 min: Gray goes on a wander down the right. He’s going nowhere, but is rugby tackled to the ground by Hanley. A pointless challenge by the Blackburn captain, and a free kick to the right of the Rovers area. Jones whips the set piece into a crowded area, but it’s cleared by the first man Rhodes. The ball’s hoicked into the middle of the park, where Darikwa shuttles it back to his keeper. And he gives it a real belt, causing Hutton a panicked scramble back to his line. He chests down and clears, but that’s some shaky business at both ends already.
12.31pm BST
Blackburn get the ball rolling. The ball’s hoicked out of play down the left within five seconds. The blood pumping.
12.30pm BST
The teams are out! There’s no need for flowery descriptions of the atmosphere. Bloody hell. Visually, it’s a Victorian treat, with Blackburn in their beautiful blue-and-white halves, Burnley in their gorgeous claret. Classic looks for a classic fixture! We’ll be off in a minute.
12.22pm BST
Burnley manager Sean Dyche has been on the talk! “We demand a lot out of ourselves. We don’t really worry about what goes on around us. In theory this is game is no different, but of course the attention on it and the atmosphere around it can change that. In theory the good practice we put in on a daily, weekly basis means our players know what to do under any circumstance. We’ll see if that works today!” Both bosses appear relaxed and smiley. Let’s see how long that lasts, then.
12.19pm BST
Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer speaks! “The local derbies are the games you really look forward to. You wish you were a player, playing in them, but unfortunately I can’t do that. You’ve always got to play with passion and today will be no different. Hopefully we can get a little bit of luck today, as recent decisions have gone against us, but that will come with the honesty and hard work we’ve displayed all season. Four consecutive clean sheets at home, that’s the first time since 2003, which has been a magnificent record, but we’ve got to go again against Burnley.”
12.12pm BST
It’s not great news if your name is Taylor today. Craig Conway returns for Blackburn Rovers, which means Chris Taylor drops to the bench. Burnley make one change too: George Boyd has won his race against fitness, and he nudges Matt Taylor down to the cheap seats.
11.57am BST
Blackburn Rovers: Steele, Marshall, Hanley, Duffy, Olsson, Delfouneso, Akpan, Evans, Conway, Lawrence, Rhodes.
Subs: Henley, Spurr, Kilgallon, Williamson, O’Sullivan, Taylor, Raya.
Burnley: Heaton, Darikwa, Duff, Keane, Mee, Boyd, Jones, Barton, Arfield, Vokes, Gray.
Subs: Lowton, Kightly, Taylor, Hennings, Gilks, Ward, Chris Long.
10.45am BST
North London. Manchester. Merseyside. Glasgow. The regard given to local derbies is only ever commensurate with scale. This East Lancashire cotton-mill affair might not quite boast the worldwide renown of British football’s most celebrated local brouhahas, but it’s got cachet, baby. It’s got cachet up the yin-yang!
Blackburn have the historical edge in this fierce rivalry. They’ve won 41 matches in league and cup to Burnley’s 38, though factor in friendly scrapes from the pre-league era, and the teams are level on 45 wins apiece. Burnley won the last one, Danny Ings sealing a 2-1 win at Ewood Park, and what a victory that was: their first against the old enemy since 1979. The Clarets having broken a 35-year hoodoo, it’s now the turn of Rovers to wait: no wins in the last four meetings, their last a 1-0 triumph at Turf Moor in 2010, David Dunn their hero in that one.
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