Scott Murray's Blog, page 189
December 11, 2014
The Fiver | This seismic communiqué
GRANNY FIVER MAKES AN EXECUTIVE DECISION
You’ll have to forgive the Fiver for taking its eye off the ball over the last 24 hours. You see, a fairly major announcement yesterday afternoon shocked Big Paper Mansions to its core, as one of the greatest names in the Guardian’s long, storied history announced their intention to step down from their executive position. Yes, Granny Fiver sent out a press release informing the nation of her plans to relinquish her role as Head of Household, Chez Fiver as of November 2029. We’re stumped as to why this seismic communiqué didn’t get more coverage in media sections around the world, but you can be sure the Fiver has since thought of nothing else. That’s because the Fiver has designs on her job. No, because the Fiver misses her already. That’s right. The Fiver misses her already.
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December 10, 2014
Roma v Manchester City: Champions League – as it happened | Scott Murray
Samir Nasri was the star as City won in Rome to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League for the second year in a row
9.35pm GMT
They’ve made an unnecessary drama of it, one could argue, but that’ll make progress taste all the sweeter! City are through, after a stunning late comeback against Bayern Munich, and a brilliant second-half performance at Roma. They’re in the hat for the knockout stages, while Roma will have to settle for the Europa League. Richly deserved success for Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who comprehensively won at the Stadio Olimpico tonight without their main man Sergio Aguero. Samir Nasri stepped up to the plate, with a scorching goal and an assist. So yes, perhaps this is the season City finally fall head over heels in love with the European Cup...
9.33pm GMT
90 min: Jovetic nutmegs Nainggolan in the middle, then slips the ball forward for Milner, who on the edge of the box miscontrols and can’t quite bust clear. A chance spurned, but this is over, and City care not a jot.
9.31pm GMT
88 min: This has been a thoroughly professional performance by City. Sparkling at times in this second half. Having held Roma in the first, they’ve done a number on their hosts. Superlative. Nasri, the star of the show, comes off, with Kolarov coming on.
9.30pm GMT
Silva throws an outrageous dummy down the left to release Jovetic into space. He checks back and returns the ball to Silva, who whips a low cross over towards Nasri down the inside-right. Nasri holds the ball up a second, then slips it to Zabaleta, who is romping at speed into the box. Zabaleta takes a touch and pelts a low shot into the centre of the net - and City are through to the knockout stages of the Champions League! Who’d have thought they’d be celebrating a goal like this, when 2-1 down against Bayern Munich the other week with three minutes or so to play?!
9.27pm GMT
84 min: Bayern Munich are now 2-0 up against CSKA. City simply need to avoid shipping two goals in the next six minutes, plus stoppages, and they’re through to the next round.
9.24pm GMT
82 min: Roma are doing very little to heap pressure on City. Manuel Pellegrini’s side have been, a rocky first ten minutes or so apart, mightily impressive tonight. In fact, they’ve done particularly well to bounce back from that. The home supporters are whistling a lot. Music to City’s ears.
9.21pm GMT
79 min: A deep left-wing cross finds Gervinho in the middle, ten yards out. Gervinho sends a decent header looping towards the top left, but Hart claws it out well, and deals with the loose ball too. And in any case Gervinho was about a yard offside. The flag goes up. As does the board, signalling the end of Maicon’s night. He’s replaced by Florenzi.
9.20pm GMT
78 min: Dzeko is replaced by Jovetic.
9.20pm GMT
77 min: City triangulate awhile down the left wing, running down the clock nicely. Eventually Dzeko attempts to dance all the way down the channel and towards the box, but no luck. He’s crowded out. Nearly, nearly.
9.17pm GMT
74 min: Nasri is booked for some brazen time-wasting. Jose Mourinho would be proud.
9.17pm GMT
72 min: And then Roma nearly score, not once, but twice! First Manolas rises above Magala and plants a header, won at a free kick sent in from the right, onto the City right-hand post! Then, from the resulting corner, the ball drops to Destro, ten yards out and level with the left-hand post. He swivels to shoot goalwards, and it’s going in, but hits Demichelis on the line! Claims that a hand’s been used, but the referee’s having none of it. Another corner for Roma, but this one passes without incident. Roma so very unlucky!
9.13pm GMT
70 min: Ljajic springs from his seat and throws a water bottle onto the floor with great forcefulness and expression. He’s not considered that Roma still have plenty of time, has he? Totti is replaced by Destro. Nothing much going down on the pitch right now.
9.12pm GMT
69 min: Ljajic is sitting on the Roma bench, his face buried into his coat, which sits on the platform of his hands. A picture of despair. He’ll do well to consider that Roma still have plenty of time to score the two goals that’d see them through. One more for City, of course, and it’s as good as over for them.
9.09pm GMT
67 min and a bit: That was Ljajic’s last contribution. He’s hooked in favour of Juan Manuel Iturbe, while City swap Jesus Navas for the returning David Silva.
9.09pm GMT
67 min: Ljajic twists and turns down the left, sending Zabaleta sliding away on his arse. He’s worked himself a bit of space in the City area, but batters a hopeless shot miles over the bar. He should at least have worked Hart there.
9.07pm GMT
65 min: Nainggolan has a dig from a central position, 30 yards out. It’s a hell of a strike, a blistering affair, but straight at Hart, who tips away.
9.06pm GMT
64 min: Dzeko has acres of grass to run into down the left, the ball at his feet, but he suddenly turns into the second coming of Sean Dundee. Roma swarm around him and the opportunity to tear clear towards the box is gone.
9.05pm GMT
63 min: To be fair to Milner and Dzeko, they weren’t failing to show for Nasri. Nothing opened up, is all, as they tried to offer themselves for a sliderule pass down the inside left. And they confused Roma to the extent that Nasri wasn’t closed down. He still had it all to do, though. Wow, that was some whack. Nasri is a magnificent player, though that’s hardly news.
9.04pm GMT
This is an astonishing strike! Nasri takes up possession on the left, and drifts inside, waiting for someone to make a run, so he can make a sliderule pass to bust them into the box. But nobody shows. No matter! Roma don’t close Nasri down, and he’s able to take a couple of touches inside, before belting an unstoppable strike towards the top-left corner. De Sanctis is beaten. Only the post can save Roma, but it doesn’t, the ball bouncing off the inside of the woodwork at the highest of velocities and into the net! Sheer brilliance by Nasri, and City are going through as things stand. Roma need to score twice if they’re to save themselves.
9.00pm GMT
58 min: Roma wake from their slumber. Firstly Gervinho takes out a little frustration from that tackle with a determined run down the right, his power cross nearly causing City palpitations. It’s cleared. But the home side are soon coming back at the visitors, Pjanic pelting towards the bottom left from 30 yards. A thunderous strike which Hart gets down to parry clear with no little brilliance. Lovely football all round.
8.59pm GMT
56 min: Fernandinho slides in to rip the ball away from the feet of Gervinho. It’s an old-fashioned blood-and-thunder tackle, and a good one in my book (which was published in 1893) but you’ve seen yellow cards given in modern Europe for those. Lucky Fernandinho.
8.57pm GMT
55 min: Nainggolan skittles Nasri to the floor, 40 yards out, in the middle of the park. The ball’s lifted into the Roma area, where Dzeko heads weakly wide right. City are on top, though De Sanctis has had little to do.
8.56pm GMT
53 min: Fernandinho and Nasri combine well down the City left, the latter skipping past Nainggolan and lumping a cross into the centre. It’s cleared, but City are soon coming back at Roma, Clichy pinging another cross in from the same flank. The ball’s bundled out of a stramash (RIP Arthur Montford) and away, but City are turning up the heat a little.
8.54pm GMT
51 min: A belting atmosphere in the Stadio Olimpico! The home fans are giving it plenty. And the volume increases as Maicon earns a corner off Clichy down the right. The set piece looks like coming to naught, but City fail to clear properly, and Ljajic romps into space down the right and whips a cross into the box that’s only just dealt with by Mangala and a pair of iron eyebrows which help the ball away from danger. Pjanic chests down on the left-hand corner of the area, but his shot is blocked at source.
8.51pm GMT
48 min: Fernando pitching-wedges a pass down the left to release Milner into space. Milner attempts a bizarro Marco van Basten from a tight angle, but wangs the dropping ball high and wide left of goal. It would seem City have identified a point of weakness down this flank.
8.50pm GMT
47 min: Gervinho looks to break clear down the right, but he’s miles offside. He performs a pantomime jig of pique nevertheless, which is nice to see.
8.49pm GMT
The teams are out again - no changes - and we’re off! City get things moving once more. A lot of whistling as they pass it around the back for 20 seconds or so. And a few sharp intakes of breath as Fernando slides a ball down the inside left channel to release Dzeko into the Roma box! He could have a shot from a tight angle, but opts to look for someone in the middle instead. Bad choice, because there’s nobody in blue waiting to bundle home. Instead Dzeko settles for a corner, which is a complete non-event. But that’s a decent start to the half for City, who - bottom line - need to score to stay in this competition.
8.35pm GMT
Half-time advertisement:
8.33pm GMT
And that’s that for the half. Brilliant entertainment for the first half hour, and not much else. Roma are in the box seat for qualification, with CSKA losing in Munich, but City - currenlty bound for the Europa League - have slowly got on top in this game, frustrating Roma, and are in a good position to strike in the second half.
8.31pm GMT
43 min: Dzeko and Yanga-Mbiwa are both booked for extreme childishness, some minor nonsense in the middle of the park.
8.30pm GMT
41 min: A bit of City possession in the Roma half. Dzeko rolls a pass down the right for Navas, whose high cross is dealt with easily enough by Yanga-Mbiwa. Roma fly up the other end through Gervinho, who embarks on a slalom down the middle then goes over on the edge of the area under... well... not much of a challenge, really. He claims a penalty, but not with too much vigour. Very little contact, with Demichelis, Milner and Fernando standing around looking as innocent as they can.
8.26pm GMT
39 min: And suddenly both sides nearly score! First Totti, from a deep position on the left, rakes a long ball down the inside-right channel to release Gervinho! But the resulting shot, taken from the edge of the area, is slightly scuffed, and Hart saves well. Then up the other end Milner is sent into the Roma area down the right by a lovely Navas clip. De Sanctis is out quickly to smother, and the resulting corner comes to naught. So close, at both ends!
8.24pm GMT
38 min: Hart gathers a fairly simple long range shot by Gervinho. All a bit ho-hum right now.
8.23pm GMT
36 min: Fernando battles well in the middle of the park and looks to loop one down the inside-right channel to release Navas into space. Offside. There’s a bit of a lull at the moment, certainly in relation to the opening 30 minutes, which were breezy and open, both teams showing purpose in attack. “Very impressed so far with the calm defensive presence of both Mangala and Fernando,” writes JR in Illinois. “Not a single flying karate kick to the coccyx or ax kick to the cranium thus far.”
8.20pm GMT
33 min: A bit more possession for Roma, but they’re doing little with it. A marked contrast to the early exchanges. City have done really well to work their way into this game.
8.18pm GMT
30 min: Holebas pushes City back down the left, and wins another corner. Pjanic loops the set piece into the six-yard box. Hart punches clear with purpose.
8.15pm GMT
28 min: Navas drops a shoulder down the right, and whips a cross into the centre. Dzeko’s header slides across the face of goal and out on the left. Less noise pouring down from the stands now, so City have won that early battle. A goal either way is likely to change everything, of course.
8.14pm GMT
27 min: A corner down the right for City. Easily cleared by Yanga-Mbiwa, but that’s not really the point. The visitors, after a shaky start, are beginning to impose themselves on this game.
8.13pm GMT
26 min: Navas has the ball in the Roma net, lashing home from the right-hand corner of the D. But play had stopped, Dzeko’s header down the result of some over-excitable tussling.
8.10pm GMT
24 min: Nasri breaks down the inside-right channel, slid free by Navas. A low ball into the centre is hoicked over the bar from close range by Dzeko. Three rugby points, but they’re no good to anyone tonight.
8.07pm GMT
21 min: Milner cuts in from the left and batters a shot straight at De Sanctis. A decent enough shot, a decent enough save. Roma zip straight upfield through Gervinho, who twists and turns, shimmies and shakes, down the inside-right channel, and lashes a low shot towards the bottom left. Hart gets fingertips to the ball, turning it round the post for a corner, then claims the set piece without fuss. Magnificent goalkeeping from Hart.
8.06pm GMT
18 min: Well, as things stand, the rather complicated qualification ready reckoner has just got a little simpler. That’s because a Thomas Muller penalty has given Bayern Munich the lead against CSKA, so it’s winner takes all here. A goalless draw, however, isn’t good enough for City; they need a score draw at least. So Roma going through as of now. A mere 72 minutes to go. Plus stoppages.
8.04pm GMT
17 min: Nasri bursts down the middle of the park at speed, before stroking a pass towards Jesus Navas on the right. The resulting low cross evades Fernandinho in the Roma six-yard box. Milner, to the left of goal, tries to keep the move going by pulling the ball back from the byline, but Roma hack clear. They zip up the other end, Pjanic gliding in from the left wing and blootering a hopeless shot over the bar from 25 yards. It’s a nice open game, this.
8.00pm GMT
14 min: Clichy is sent into a little space down the left by Nasri. His cross finds the head of Dzeko, ten yards out. Or is it the striker’s left shoulder he finds? Either way, the ball balloons out of play, harmlessly wide left and high of the target.
7.59pm GMT
13 min: City are calming things down a little, stroking it around the middle of the park, quelling Roma’s ardour. It’s a wise tactic. Mangala gets fed up and opts to spray a long ball down the left with a view to springing Nasri clear, but it’s easily cut out.
7.58pm GMT
11 min: Clichy makes good down the inside-left channel and slips a pass forward for Dzeko, who would have been clear on goal had he bent his run in the Ian Rush style rather than the Oleg Salenko fashion.
7.57pm GMT
10 min: Roma are winning the majority of 50-50s in the middle of the park, and enjoying the lion’s share of possession. The wolf’s share, perhaps. Gervinho skitters around the middle of the park, drops a shoulder, nudges the ball a little to the right, and looks to pearl one into the top right from 30 yards. It’s nowhere near. The home fans are, however, happy with their side’s start. City look a little flustered, they need to dig in.
7.54pm GMT
7 min: City buzz around the Roma area down the left, but Nasri and Clichy can’t prise the home team open. A little something to redress the early balance.
7.53pm GMT
6 min: It’s been all Roma so far. Totti rakes a pass down the right for Ljajic, who nearly breaks clear but checks back. The ball’s sprayed left for Holebas, who bursts into the box and finds himself one on one with Hart! He takes an age to get his shot away, and the keeper smothers rather brilliantly. City pay no heed to the danger, allowing Nainggolan to romp down the left wing in Roma’s very next attack. His low cross is for Gervinho in the centre, but hacked clear by Mangala. An ominous 60 seconds of action. City need to get their gamefaces on, and quick.
7.49pm GMT
3 min: The first corner of the game - won by Gervinho and Manolas as they combine down the inside left - is battered straight into the side netting. There’s a wonderful atmosphere in the Stadio Olimpico, silly buggers with light pens notwithstanding.
7.48pm GMT
And we’re off! Roma get the ball rolling, knock it around the back awhile, and eventually trundle it out of play down the right. City’s first touch will be a throw, and as Clichy prepares to launch it, he’s pestered by a light pen, buzzing all around his coupon. Eventually the prankster gets tired of the joke, and we move on.
7.46pm GMT
As the Champions League theme tune blares out of the PA and the teams are forced to endure it, the camera runs along the line. The mascots wave and scream at the camera, hello, hello, hello! It’s a lovely scene, the little kids enjoying themselves, the time of their lives. So often mascots are made to stand statue-still, in silence. I’m sure Uefa will clamp down on this in due course.
7.43pm GMT
The teams are out! Roma wear their beautiful imperial purple/yellow/white combo, while City are in their equally lovely powder blue. Strong looks, a classic aesthetic. We’ll be on our way in a minute!
6.54pm GMT
Roma: De Sanctis, Maicon, Manolas, Yanga-Mbiwa, Holebas, Ljajic, Nainggolan, Keita, Gervinho, Pjanic, Totti.
Subs: Curci, Strootman, Iturbe, De Rossi, Destro, Astori, Florenzi.
Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Demichelis, Mangala, Clichy, Jesus Navas, Fernandinho, Fernando, Milner, Nasri, Dzeko.
Subs: Caballero, Sagna, Kolarov, Lampard, Silva, Jovetic, Boyata.
6.42pm GMT
The qualification facts, as much as we can ever know them:
6.00pm GMT
Sometimes there’s an instant click. Take Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed in the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life (dir. Frank Capra, 1946, b&w). One look, bang, it’s on! It’s been the same with some English football clubs and the European Cup. Manchester United in the 1950s: love at first sight. Shankly’s Liverpool and Revie’s Leeds both embraced the competition with a passion that lingers down the ages. And things escalated pretty quickly once Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa enjoyed their first kisses, too.
Other times, initial relations are distinctly more frosty. Take Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan in the Christmas classic The Shop Around the Corner (dir. Ernst Lubitsch, 1940, b&w). From the get-go, they simply could not get along! It’s been the same with some English football clubs and the European Cup. Wolverhampton Wanderers couldn’t make eye contact in the late Fifties. Catterick’s Everton never found love. Arsenal long flattered to deceive, always failing to deliver on promises. Blackburn Rovers slobbered like a Bordeaux Mastiff during their first smooch. And Chelsea couldn’t even be bothered to turn up to the first date in 1955! How rude!
Continue reading...The Fiver | The Apparition and his nine mortal team-mates
A Dickensian scene last night at Anfield, as The Apparition Formerly Known As Steven Gerrard belted a free-kick into the top-left corner of the net. The pearler proved a ghostly reminder of Christmas past, when the real Steven Gerrard hoyed one into the same goal against Olympiakos, and Liverpool went on to win Big Cup. But this time it was all for naught, as Basel/Basle/Baaarrrrlll held on for the draw that knocked The Apparition and his nine mortal team-mates out of the same competition. Now the redmen face a blue Christmas, outside in the snow, noses pressed up against the window looking in, as everyone else stands by the roaring fire ripping turkey flesh from the bone and snorkeling mulled wine like there’s no tomorrow. Which there isn’t for Liverpool, not in Big Cup anyway.
Continue reading...December 9, 2014
Liverpool v Basel: Champions League – as it happened | Scott Murray
Steven Gerrard scored another Champions League stunner, but ten-man Liverpool left it far too late against Basel, who advance to the knockout stages at the expense of the Anfield club
View the best images from Anfield in our gallery
9.36pm GMT
Yes, but Sterling, on the left-hand edge of the Basel area, doesn’t take it, scuffing a shot-cum-cross into the hands of Vaclik. And it’s all over! Basel are into the knockout phase of the Champions League, while Liverpool - whose fans are belting out a defiant rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone - enter the Europa League. Steven Gerrard: ya beauty II. But it wasn’t quite enough.
9.34pm GMT
90 min +3: Sterling finds himself in more space down the left. The ball causes a minor stramash (RIP Arthur Montford) before Henderson batters one from the edge of the box. It’s a decent shot, but blocked. Is there enough time for one last shot?
9.33pm GMT
90 min +2: Sterling in space down the left. His low ball towards the near post is nearly turned in by Skrtel. But it’s a goal kick.
9.32pm GMT
90 min +1: Henderson overruns the ball down the right. Embolo races off down the wing. His low cross into the box evades Gashi in the middle by inches.
9.31pm GMT
90 min: There will be four added minutes. Embolo breaks down the left and hammers a shot towards the bottom-left corner. Mignolet, covering his near post well, sticks up a strong hand.
9.31pm GMT
89 min: From the corner on the left, Henderson is found in space on the right, but his measured cross is deflected out right for another corner. Coutinho flings the ball into the centre. It drops to Gerrard on the edge of the box. Three rugby points. You can’t hit the sweet spot every time.
9.29pm GMT
88 min: Gerrard slides a gorgeous ball down the left channel for Sterling. The Liverpool winger can’t quite get to the ball first, but as he enters the area, Vaclik slides out and clatters into Schar. The ball bounces out for a corner on the left. Before that’s taken, though, Vaclik and Schar require a little treatment. Clock’s ticking!
9.28pm GMT
87 min: Samuel comes on for Zuffi.
9.28pm GMT
86 min: Gerrard chips a ball into the Basel box from the left. Henderson rises but doesn’t get much on the header, directed to the right side of the goal. He nearly scores, though, with a little help from Gashi, the ball coming off the Basel man and nearly squeaking into the bottom left, Vaclik wrong footed. But the keeper recovers brilliantly and smothers the ball on the line.
9.26pm GMT
85 min: Zuffi turns on the edge of the Liverpool box and, from the right-hand edge of the D, goes for the top left. Mignolet, at full stretch, palms clear. A fine save. Then another phase, and Xhaka bursts down the right after a lovely Gonzalez flick. He blooters miles over the bar from 12 yards!
9.25pm GMT
84 min: Diaz comes on for Elneny. Sterling turns on a sixpence, breaks down the inside-right channel, and wins a corner. Which is ludicrously wasted by Gerrard, who hits the set piece straight out of play. But after that free kick, who could be too hard on him?
9.24pm GMT
83 min: Gashi skelps a free kick straight at Mignolet from 30 yards. A Basel goal there would really have ruined the mood. But Anfield is finally buzzing, after 80 minutes of misery. “My standard rule applies,” begins Samuel Blanning. “If It’s Not Allowed In Cagefighting, It’s A Red Card On A Football Pitch. Watching the slo-mo replay, my immediate thought was that if Markovic did that in an MMA ring, the referee would stop the fight and tell him that he either keeps his fists closed or he gets points deducted. Eye-raking/gouging being a no-no, even if accidental. And things you get warned for in a cagefight you get red cards for in football. Silly boy.”
9.23pm GMT
He can, you know! And how! He curls an unstoppable free kick over the wall, at high speed, up and back down, right in the top-left corner! It’s not quite ya-beauty territory, as Liverpool still need another goal, but that one was right out of the top drawer! What a way to notch his 100th goal at Anfield!
9.21pm GMT
80 min: Sterling goes on a fast wander down the inside-left channel. Just before he breaks into the area, Schar bundles him over. He’s booked, and will miss Basel’s next game in the Champions League. A free kick in a dangerous position, just to the left of goal, outside the area. Can Gerrard change the atmosphere?
9.19pm GMT
78 min: Moreno, in space down the left, cuts the ball back for Sterling, who diddles on the edge of the box before losing control. Sterling needs a rest. Unfortunately for the poor young man, he’s been Liverpool’s best player by some distance this season, and doesn’t look like getting one any time soon.
9.17pm GMT
76 min: A corner for Basel down the right. It comes to nothing, but the visitors are more than happy to run down the clock. The ball breaks upfield, and then Gonzalez romps off down the right. He’s unceremoniously upended by Moreno, who hangs out a cynical leg. He’s rightly booked.
9.16pm GMT
75 min: Moreno makes good down the left, and whips a decent high ball into the mixer. But the mixer’s unplugged, because only Gerrard’s trying to get upfield, he’s 34, and there’s no striker.
9.15pm GMT
74 min: Gerrard has a lash from 30 yards up the inside-left channel. It flies wide right of goal. Lucas is replaced by Coutinho, while Streller makes way for the exciting young Embolo. Anfield is very quiet now. The crowd know the jig is up.
9.13pm GMT
72 min: Sterling rolls a ball down the inside-left channel to release Gerrard into the box. The Liverpool captain looks to round the advancing Vaclik on the left, and goes over the keeper’s arms. The Kop scream for a penalty kick, but the keeper’s got a hand to the ball and blocked it onto Gerrard, who then went over. A fine decision by the referee, although not a popular one.
9.11pm GMT
71 min: Streller takes a bash from the edge of the box, Liverpool light at the back and throwing caution to the wind. Johnson manages to block and clear.
9.10pm GMT
68 min: Skrtel, 35 yards out down the right, sends a rising shot towards the top left. It’s a couple of millimetres over the bar! What a spectacular strike that would have been! But it betrays Liverpool’s desperation. Once the sugar rush of the shot dies down, it’s only the Basel fans who can be heard. It’s been a grim evening at Anfield for Liverpool.
9.08pm GMT
65 min: Frei slides in on Sterling, as the winger flies down the right. Free kick. It’s easily cleared by Basel, and Xhaka tears off up the other end. Lovren bundles him over while in hot pursuit, and is booked for the trouble. He can have no complaints. But can Markovic? Well, they’ve just run a replay, and he looks behind to ascertain where his opponent was, before throwing a weak slap back in the direction of his face. There may not have been any contact - if there was, it wasn’t much - but what on earth was he trying to achieve? Dearie me.
9.05pm GMT
63 min: Gerrard clatters into Schar, the red mist having thoroughly descended. Nothing more than a free kick. Liverpool need to calm down.
9.03pm GMT
60 min: Markovic is running through the midfield, a couple of steps ahead of Safari. He inexplicably throws back his arm, fully extended, his fingers drifting towards Safari’s face. It’s a waft, and he doesn’t really connect. Safari goes down as though hoicked in the teeth with a crowbar. It’s a preposterous reaction... but then again, what on earth was Markovic doing, raising his arm in the direction of an opponent’s mug? Asking for trouble, that’s what, and by gum he’s found it.
9.00pm GMT
59 min: Xhaka picks up a loose ball on the right wing and drifts inside with menace. He reaches the edge of the box, to the left of the D, and unleashes a low shot towards the bottom right. It’s beaten the despairing grasp of Mignolet, but bounces past the post by an inch or so. Such a wonderful run, so unfortunate. Liverpool’s goose was nearly cooked.
8.58pm GMT
57 min: A bit of space down the right for Sterling, but his low fizzer into the area is easily mopped up by Suchy. Then Markovic bears down on Basel along the right. He slips the ball inside for Allen, whose shot from the edge of the box is blocked. Markovic has a go himself, and that’s not brilliant either. But Markovic has looked decent since coming on, injecting a little pace, passion and skill into an otherwise flat mix.
8.56pm GMT
54 min: Spirit’s not eroded yet. Frei looks to break upfield with a powerful run down the middle, but loses control as he nears the Liverpool box. For a second the hosts were light at the back. Risks are necessary, of course, but surely nothing reckless yet?!
8.55pm GMT
53 min: Liverpool are applying a little pressure here, though the emphasis is on little. A lot of triangulation in the middle of the park, and it’s not really going anywhere. But Basel are sitting back, and being forced to chase the ball. Liverpool aiming to slowly erode Basel’s spirit, perhaps. We’ll see how that pans out.
8.52pm GMT
51 min: Gerrard takes a baroque route down the left. Nice skill. He lays off to Moreno on the overlap. The young full back crosses. A decent ball into the area. No red shirts, though. No striker, you see. It’s fair to say this team is lop-sided.
8.50pm GMT
49 min: A rare old atmosphere now at Anfield! Markovic slides a pass down the right to release Johnson into space. The ball skids off the slippery turf, and though Johnson slides to hook it back into the box, it’s easily dealt with by Basel. But this is much better from Liverpool. It couldn’t have got much worse.
8.48pm GMT
47 min: Liverpool have clearly come out with purpose. Perhaps too much purpose, as Lucas slides in on Elneny. He’s late, and deservedly goes in the book. The resulting free kick, 30 yards out just to the right, is hit by Schar, not once, but twice, and the ball flies harmlessly wide left.
8.47pm GMT
With the rain still lashing down, the teams come out for the second half. And Liverpool have made a double change, swapping Lambert and Enrique for Markovic and Moreno. And within 20 seconds, Markovic embarks on a power sashay down the right, pulling back a ball that causes a little panic in the Basel box. Gerrard ends the phase of play by sending a bouncing bomb right of goal from the edge of the box. That’s got Anfield going!
8.42pm GMT
Half-time advertisement:
8.32pm GMT
And that’s that for the first half. Basel go in with a deserved lead. They’ve conceded two goals in their last seven games. Liverpool now need to score twice in the second half if they’re to stay in the Champions League. On the evidence presented so far, it’s over. But stranger things have happened in this competition for Liverpool, so you never know.
8.30pm GMT
45 min: Henderson slips a ball down the right for Johnson, who has a little time and space to get a cross in. Lambert’s in the middle, but the ball flies over his head, too far in front of him, and at too high a velocity. “Joe Allen. The Carmarthenshire Maradona. Saving the best for the second half obviously.” Kalle Weis-Fogh there, with a textbook example of optimism.
8.29pm GMT
43 min: Basel put the ball in the net again, Zuffi firing a low pass down the inside-left from the centre circle to release Gashi, who thrashes a low shot into the bottom-right corner. Gorgeous finish. But he’d burst clear of the back line in an over-eager fashion, and is quite rightly flagged for offside. Liverpool breathe again.
8.27pm GMT
42 min: It’s tipping it down at Anfield, in stair rods. If that’s any excuse. It’s not an excuse.
8.27pm GMT
41 min: Gerrard looks to release Sterling into the area with a ball rolled down the right, but it’s yards from his man. Soon after, a simple pass out from the back by Skrtel is intercepted, but once again Basel can’t quite benefit from Liverpool’s total and utter lack of cohesion.
8.25pm GMT
39 min: Streller strolls down the left and fizzes a low cross into the Liverpool box. At which point the theme tune to Some Mothers Do Ave Em springs to mind. It’s komik kutz as defenders slip on their arses and fail to hack clear. Gonzalez and Frei nearly latch onto the loose ball, but the luck’s with Liverpool. The ball certainly wasn’t cleared by design. This is a desperate display by Liverpool.
8.23pm GMT
37 min: Sterling picks up the pace a little with a burst down the middle of the park. Basel momentarily on the back foot. He slides a pass down the right channel for Henderson, but there’s too much juice on the ball. Goal kick.
8.20pm GMT
35 min: The home side are a complete shambles right now. Frustration spilling down from the stands as passes are misplaced. Nothing whatsoever is happening for Liverpool.
8.19pm GMT
32 min: Streller flicks a ball round the corner down the right. Gonzalez cocks his leg back to shoot from a tight angle, ten yards out. Johnson gets a toe to the ball. Corner. Lambert half-clears the set piece, but the ball’s swung back in from the left by Gashi, and Streller meets it with a volley at the far post, six yards out. He doesn’t catch it properly, and it flies into the Kop, missing the target on the right.
8.16pm GMT
30 min: Liverpool’s positive response to falling behind didn’t last long. They nearly fall two goals behind, Gonzalez powering down the inside-left channel before being crowded out just inside the box by Enrique’s powerful shoulder charge. A corner, though, and from that, Safari tries to blast one in from the best part of 35 yards! There’s confidence running through the Swiss. Liverpool can barely string two passes together right now.
8.14pm GMT
29 min: As things stand, Liverpool are out, of course. They can take a little succour from the fact that, chances are, they’ll at least have Europa League action to look forward to in the New Year. Real Madrid are currently beating Ludogorets 1-0, Cristiano Ronaldo (who else?) with the opener there.
8.13pm GMT
27 min: Sterling, Lambert and Gerrard combine down the right. From the resulting throw, Sterling lashes a shot towards the bottom right from just inside the area. It’s easily gathered by Vaclik.
8.11pm GMT
A free kick for Basel down the right. Mignolet plucks a poor Safari set piece from the sky. Relief. For about 30 seconds. Frei, down the inside-left channel, slips the ball forward to Zuffi, on the left-hand side of the D. Zuffi lays off instantly to Frei, on his outside, and the midfielder flashes a stunning low shot across goal and into the bottom right corner! Brilliant goal! And it has been coming. Richly deserved. Liverpool did go a goal down against Olympiakos all those years ago, I suppose.
8.08pm GMT
22 min: Basel press Liverpool back and win a corner down the left, Gashi irritating Johnson in the grand style. Nothing comes directly from the set piece, but the away side are soon coming back at the hosts, Xhaka whipping a low cross into the area from the right. Streller can’t quite get the ball out from under his feet, six yards out and level with the left-hand post. Liverpool hack clear, but an opening goal offered itself to Streller for a nanosecond. Liverpool are working themselves up into a panic.
8.06pm GMT
20 min: Liverpool’s collective lack of confidence betrays itself. Henderson rakes a pass down the inside-right channel for Sterling, who has space and suddenly finds himself with only Vaclik to beat! But 12 yards out and faced with a slight angle, Sterling opts to pull the ball back for Gerrard instead of shooting, and his nervous pass is intercepted. Oh dear.
8.04pm GMT
19 min: Basel are playing nicely. Zuffi spreads the ball wide right to Xhaka, who cuts inside, considers shooting, but doesn’t. The visitors triangulate awhile, then eventually Frei blooters into the Kop despite enjoying quite a bit of space down the left. Again Liverpool didn’t look totally secure at the back there.
8.03pm GMT
16 min: Gashi is very, very close to breaking through the middle, chasing a high ball that confuses Lovren and Skrtel. Eventually Skrtel regains his composure and just about deals with the situation. But Liverpool don’t look solid at the back at all. Like that’s breaking news.
8.01pm GMT
15 min: Another free kick from Gerrard down the right, and once again it’s easily cleared by Basel. Xhaka attempts to break away down the right, but is unceremoniously dumped into touch by Lucas. The referee would be within his rights to book the Liverpool midfielder, who got the ball but was testing the boundaries of acceptable force. But the official makes do with a firm chat and a Paddington-style hard stare.
7.59pm GMT
13 min: Pretty and powerful. Zuffi, in the centre circle, rolls a pass down the inside-left channel to send Gashi romping with purpose towards the Liverpool box. The home side’s back four are all over the shop! Luckily for them, Gashi batters his shot, meant for the top left, just over the bar.
7.58pm GMT
12 min: Xhaka breaks clear down the right with Enrique snoozing. His low cross into the area is easily claimed by Mignolet, with no attackers making life difficult for the Liverpool keeper. But that looked dangerous for a second. Basel are beginning to knock it around in a pretty manner.
7.55pm GMT
10 min: Enrique launches a ball into the Basel box from the left. Lambert doesn’t quite win the header, but the loose ball breaks towards Sterling, who wins a corner down the right in a physical duel with Safari. But the resulting set piece comes to nothing.
7.54pm GMT
8 min: Streller is checked as he looks to burst down the inside-left channel. Free kick to Basel, and a chance for the away side to load the Liverpool box. Suchy hoicks the ball towards the right-hand post where, with Streller lurking, Lovren heads powerfully clear. That may settle the big man’s nerves. Next stop: repairing shattered confidence. But one step at a time.
7.52pm GMT
6 min: A poor free kick by Gerrard from the right touchline. Easily cleared by Basel, the first man. The visitors race up the other end, with Gonzalez cutting in from the right and causing a little trouble just outside the Liverpool area. He’s joined by Streller, though both men are eventually crowded out by the busy pair of Skrtel and Lovren. The away supporters are making a hell of a racket too. It’s not exactly Chelsea 2005, but a decent atmosphere nonetheless.
7.50pm GMT
3 min: Henderson breaks down the inside-left channel and lays off outside to Gerrard, who finds Lambert in the middle. Lambert gets a head to the ball, but its directionless. Henderson tries to latch onto the dropping ball, just inside the box, to the left of goal, but can’t volley with any certainty. A reasonably uptempo start by Liverpool, though. Shades of last season.
7.48pm GMT
2 min: Sterling goes on a meander down the right, and cuts into the area. He can’t find a man, but the ball’s deflected to Gerrard on the edge of the box. Gerrard tries to curl one into the top right, but doesn’t catch it. Vaclik does catch it, with ease.
7.47pm GMT
Liverpool get the ball rolling, kicking towards the Anfield Road Stand in the first half. They’ll be attacking the Kop in the second half, which is exactly how they like it. It’s not long before they’ve conceded possession, though, and within 40 seconds Skrtel is in his own penalty area hoofing a ball straight into the air. That’s gone into orbit! Straight up. Momo Sissoko did that once, against Everton I think. Trapped it perfectly when it came down, too. Skrtel doesn’t manage that, but he does clear. Hmm. I’d say the only way is up, but that cliche doesn’t work so well right here.
7.44pm GMT
The teams are out! No Fabio Borini in the squad, which has raised an eyebrow or two. “Once again Borini nowhere in sight and no real centre forward except for Lambert (whom I like), a 34 year old who has played in the last few games for the full 90 minutes,” writes Roger Nogivensurname. “For a game where a win is the only acceptable outcome, a very strange omission indeed.” An evening for Lazar Markovic, perhaps, should things reach that point? Anyway, the players line up on the turf, Liverpool in their famous red, Basel in second-choice white - shades of Real Madrid instead of their usual Barcelona number - and the Kop is making its trademark racket. A rare old atmosphere for a match Liverpool have to win: a typical European night at Anfield. We’ll be off in a minute!
7.09pm GMT
Team news: Steven Gerrard returns to the Liverpool starting XI, while Dejan Lovren comes in for Kolo Toure, who was ruled out at the last minute with a groin strain. Jose Enrique and Joe Allen also freshen things up. A new look. People love new looks, right?
Meanwhile 17-year-old wonder-striker Breel Embolo - profiled here by wonder-writer Paul Doyle - is kept in reserve by Basle on the bench. Marco Streller, who scored the winner when the teams met in Switzerland in October, leads the line with Derlis Gonzalez on his shoulder.
6.36pm GMT
Liverpool: Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Lovren, Enrique, Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Gerrard, Sterling, Lambert.
Subs: Jones, Sakho, Moreno, Can, Lallana, Coutinho, Markovic.
Basel: Vaclik, Xhaka, Schar, Suchy, Safari, Elneny, Frei, Zuffi, Gonzalez, Streller, Gashi.
Subs: Vailati, Degen, Samuel, Delgado, Diaz, Hamoudi, Embolo.
6.00pm GMT
It was twenty years ago today … well, Sgt Pepper is a fictional character of Paul McCartney’s, he’s not relevant here. But for the record, around this time in 1994 Liverpool were fourth in the Premier League and on the periphery of the title race but in the process of falling away, thanks to a run of three matches in which Roy Evans’ team disappointingly drew with Coventry City, Crystal Palace and Chelsea, scoring only one goal in the process. (Ian Rush in the second minute against Coventry, a run down the inside-right channel culminating in a sweet shot past Steve Ogrizovic, but we’re going well off piste here.)
As for the slightly less lyrical ten years and one day ago ... that’s when Steven Gerrard found the sweet spot himself, battering home from the edge of the area at Anfield’s Kop end, giving Liverpool the two-goal victory they required against Olympiakos to stay alive in that year’s Champions League. And we all know how that story panned out. That yabeauuuuuuuutiful strike was the moment, looking back, when Gerrard’s status at Liverpool Football Club shifted from Good And Popular Player to Living Legend. (Though it should be remembered that the real heroes that night were Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor, who both had a goal and an assist to their name. And therefore Mellor, who was only on the pitch for 11 minutes and created twice as much in roughly one-tenth of the time, was the real hero of that particular evening. But poor Stevie’s had it hard recently, so let’s not deconstruct one of his classic moments and try to take it away from him. And fair’s fair, it was one hell of a strike. Ya beauty indeed.)
The Fiver | Liverpool are in a right old pickle
It’s the end of the Big Cup groups this week, and Liverpool head into their final match knowing that only a win over Basel/Basle/Baaaarrrl will suffice. Quite understandably, this desperate state of affairs has revived memories of a decade ago, when a misfiring Liverpool side went into their final group game against Olympiakos knowing that only a two-goal victory would see them through to the knockout stages, then promptly shipped another to leave themselves with quite the poser. But a hero stepped up to the plate that evening. All hail Neil Mellor, who came on with 11 minutes to go and Liverpool still two goals shy of their target. Mellor scored one before setting up another, and Liverpool were, with a 3-1 win secured against all the odds, through! What a legend! Ya beauty!
Continue reading...December 6, 2014
Manchester City v Everton: Premier League - as it happened | Scott Murray
Yaya Toure’s first-half penalty was enough to bring City to within three points of league leaders Chelsea, on a controversial night at the Etihad
7.26pm GMT
Eto’o breaks into the area down the right and wins a corner off Demichelis. But his corner is easily cleared, and that’s that! City hold on! They can count their lucky stars - they could easily have been down to nine men in the first half, while the decisive penalty was soft to say the least - but then they did lose star man Sergio Aguero within two minutes of kick off. So swings and roundabouts, I guess, even though Everton might not see it that way. City move to within three points of Chelsea at the top of the table. What looked an insurmountable eight-point gap now looks very workable. The 2014-15 Premier League title race: it’s on!
7.23pm GMT
90 min +4: Milner makes off down the right, holding the ball up well, the clock ticking away, time continuing its relentless march.
7.22pm GMT
90 min +3: It’s very scrappy right now. City’s nerves are betraying them. If they hold on, they’re right back in this title race! If they don’t ... well, they’re still in it, but what a difference this win will make.
7.21pm GMT
90 min +2: The second sees City clear it easily enough.
7.21pm GMT
90 min +1: There will be five minutes of added time. The first sees Everton win a corner down the right.
7.20pm GMT
90 min: Barkley is booked for a dive. He went down easily, but Lampard did bump him from behind. This isn’t one of the great refereeing performances. Not least because City were looking at a three-on-two break when Andre Marriner stopped play!
7.19pm GMT
88 min: Toure is booked for his part in a tussle with Eto’o. Mirallas is swapped for Osman. Milner is down getting a little attention after getting an elbow in the chops from Barry, who has already been booked. This could easily have been a red-card-fest.
7.17pm GMT
86 min: Everton can’t get hold of the ball right now. City are pushing them back, and while they’re not creating much in the way of chances, that’ll do them right now.
7.15pm GMT
85 min: Milner, down the inside right, slides a pass inside for Dzeko, who shoots from the edge of the area but sees his effort loop out for a corner. Milner takes an age in getting across to take it. When it eventually arrives, it’s a lot of nonsense. But the clock’s ticking down, and that’s all City’ll care about.
7.13pm GMT
83 min: Nasri is sent skittering away down the left, into acres of space. He hesitates upon reaching the Everton box, but checks inside, then looks to belt one into the top right. His effort is blocked, and lands at the feet of Lampard, who turns by the left-hand post and scoops a ball back into the middle for Dzeko. But Everton clear.
7.12pm GMT
82 min: Everton triangulate awhile. Then Barry slides a powerful pass down the left channel, and Eto’o shuttles it on for Lukaku with a first-time flick around the corner. Lukaku’s in the box with the ball at his feet, and belts a pearler towards the bottom right. Hart gets a strong hand to the ball, turning it round the post, a wonderful save. The resulting corner comes to naught.
7.10pm GMT
80 min: City knock it around the middle awhile, in the hope of taking a little sting out of the game. Everton certainly fancy their chances of grabbing an equaliser here, and have looked dangerous when the game’s been stretched, so it’s an understandable tactic.
7.08pm GMT
78 min: Lampard comes on for Navas. He’s immediately involved in a wonderful move, chipping a reverse ball down the inside-left channel for Dzeko. The striker heads down inside for Milner, who lashes a first-time volley wide left. That would have been picture-book pretty.
7.05pm GMT
76 min: Eto’o, 30 yards out, scores three rugby points.
7.05pm GMT
75 min: Coleman is sandwiched out of it by Milner and Mangala as he looks to break into space down the right. No free kick, which rankles with Everton, especially as City flood up the other end and win a corner down the right. The set piece comes to nothing, but that’s not really the point of Everton’s ire. They’ve not had the decisions tonight.
7.03pm GMT
73 min: Milner rakes a ball from the left wing to the other side for Navas, who waits before freeing the underlapping Zabaleta into the area. But the full back faces a tight angle, and he wangs a cross-cum-shot into the stand behind the goal.
7.02pm GMT
72 min: Mirallas takes a pretty poor set piece, blootering it straight into the wall. He’s fortunate that it pings out for a corner on the right, but Baines can’t beat the first man with the set piece. Everton have looked good on occasion in this second half, yet Hart’s had little to do.
7.01pm GMT
71 min: Eto’o has clearly decided to turn it up a notch. He bursts down the inside-left channel and earns a free kick, Toure coming across and flipping him into the air like a fried egg. This’ll be a free kick, nearly 30 yards out, just to the left of the goal.
6.59pm GMT
69 min: Eto’o has a thrash at the ball from the edge of the City D. He doesn’t connect cleanly, but the ball’s deflected and it’s another corner down the left. And once again the ball is hoicked high into the air, allowing Hart to come and claim with ease! Another chance to apply a bit of pressure passes by.
6.57pm GMT
67 min: First Mirallas, then Lukaku, are lucky to escape bookings after, respectively, a cynical tug on Navas’s shirt, and a lunge on Clichy. I wonder if the referee is aware he went a bit easy on City in the first half, during their Moulin Rouge phase?
6.56pm GMT
65 min: Some end to end excitement. First Barkley goes on a Gazzaesque dribble down the left, but trips over Zabaleta as he looks to move menacingly towards the City box. Toure latches onto the loose ball and romps upfield, finding Milner in space down the left. He should make for the box and shoot, but opts to lob in a cross, giving Everton the chance to intercept, which they take.
6.53pm GMT
63 min: Milner knocks the ball into acres down the left and races after it. He gets to it before it rolls out of play, and finds Nasri, who dribbles around in the box awhile to little effect. And then seconds later Milner’s romping down the wing again, causing a few Everton hearts to flutter with a dangerous-looking cross that’s cleared after a fashion.
6.52pm GMT
62 min: Everton have been creeping back into this match. With this in mind, the substitute Pozo, promising but callow, is substituted. Dzeko comes on in his stead.
6.50pm GMT
60 min: All a bit scrappy at the moment. And then Mirallas goes on a dance down the left, beating a couple of men and busting into the box. He can’t quite get a shot away before City swarm around him, but that was a very positive run by this excellent winger.
6.47pm GMT
58 min: Mirallas, found by a lovely crossfield ball from Barkley, threatens to zip past Zabaleta down the left, but settles for a corner. The set piece goes straight down Hart’s throat. A chance to put a little pressure on City goes by.
6.45pm GMT
56 min: Barkley comes on for Besic. Everton are clearly looking to step it up in an attacking sense.
6.45pm GMT
55 min: Besic, out on the left, finds Eto’o in the centre. The striker’s on the edge of the box, with his back to goal, and attempts to softly guide a bicycle kick over Hart. Nope! And it’s a double whammy of nope, because soon after Mirallas attempts to recreate his screamer against Tottenham last weekend, only to send the ball into the top-right corner of the stand behind the goal.
6.43pm GMT
53 min: Milner dances and jigs down the left, keeping possession with four men around him. He really is an excellent player, highly under-rated. He pulls the ball back for Nasri, whose curling cross just evades Navas, storming in from the right with a view to heading home from ten yards. That would have made a fine goal.
6.41pm GMT
52 min: Barry clatters into Milner at high speed down the City left, and in the clumsy fashion to boot. He’s in the book, and can have no complaints whatsoever.
6.40pm GMT
50 min: Milner does wonderfully well to keep a bouncing ball in play down the left. He zips down the wing, then fires a low cross into the area. Pozo meets the ball first time, ten yards out, and sidefoots powerfully towards the bottom left. It’s a clean, crisp strike, but Howard sticks out a foot to deflect the ball wide left. If Pozo lifted that ball off the floor, it was a goal, but even so, what a save! The corner leads to nothing.
6.37pm GMT
47 min: City start the second half very much on the front foot. Nasri stands on the edge of the Everton area, to the left of the D, for what seems like a minute, sizing up a curler into the top right. Everton close down all opportunity. The early pressure gets the crowd going again, if nothing else.
6.36pm GMT
And we’re off again! To be fair, City don’t have that much to croon about in the miserable style: they could easily be down to nine men, with the score 0-0. As things stand, they’re closing in on Chelsea. Everton get the second half underway.
6.27pm GMT
Half-time entertainment: For those cursing Aguero’s injury, or the penalty award, or lack of red cards, or any other unspecified complaint.
6.20pm GMT
What a strange half of football.
6.19pm GMT
45 min +3: Mirallas, who is a superlative player, goes on a high-octane dribble down the inside-right. He very nearly breaks into the box, but is robbed by Mangala at the death. Decent play all round!
6.19pm GMT
45 min +1: Nasri robs Barry in the centre circle and skitters off down the right. His high cross is chested down in the Everton box by Coleman, and it looks at first glance as though the full back’s handled that, letting it run down his chest and onto his arm. But the referee’s called that one correctly, if the replays are to count for anything. He’s not got everything right tonight, Andre Marriner, but that was a fine decision.
6.15pm GMT
45 min: There will be four extra minutes tacked onto the end of this half, for the early Aguero-related stoppage.
6.15pm GMT
44 min: Toure was down with some unspecified complaint of the leg. For a second he looked like becoming City’s second casualty of the match, but after a while he’s up and about.
6.13pm GMT
43 min: Nasri is having an excellent game, as is Milner. The pair jink around to the left of the Everton D, a shoulder dropped here, a pass exchanged there. Eventually Pozo is slipped clear into the area down the left. Coleman blocks the resulting shot, which balloons over the bar for a corner that’s wasted.
6.12pm GMT
41 min: Pozo twists and turns down the right to win a corner for City. Demichelis rises to blooter a header wide right. “James McCarthy looks a better and better player the longer he spends out of the side,” suggests Gary Naylor. “By Christmas, he’ll be Lionel Messi.”
6.10pm GMT
39 min: Another high ball lifted down field by Everton, and City are in a little bother again. Eto’o battles for it in the box, and it drops to Mirallas, who launches a low heatseeker towards the bottom left. It’s a fine strike, but one that’s deflected wide left by a wonderful block by Zabaleta. The resulting corner is wasted, but this is better by Everton.
6.09pm GMT
38 min: A garryowen down the right wing nearly catches City out. Mirallas very nearly takes down the high ball. If he did, he’d be scooting clear on goal. But it clanks off his shoulder.
6.07pm GMT
36 min: City win a corner down the left. They take it short and balls it up, an over-intricate nonsense, but the ball squirts along the byline and very nearly finds Fernando, looking to flick a boot at the near post. Howard wins a footrace and gathers. Just as well, because it didn’t require much of a dink to turn a loose ball into a goal.
6.05pm GMT
34 min: Nasri, just inside the Everton box on the right, turns on a sixpence and lashes a shot goalwards. Howard parries well. Soon after, Pozo drags one wide left of goal from a similar position. City are beginning to push Everton back now.
6.03pm GMT
31 min: Replays of that penalty suggest Jagielka went shoulder to shoulder with Milner. And the City man made absolutely no claim for a spot kick when he got back up. It was certainly a soft decision. City have certainly had the benefit of the referee’s largesse so far this evening.
6.01pm GMT
29 min: A stramash (RIP Arthur Montford) in the Everton area. Nasri nearly gets a snapshot on goal. Then Toure threatens to break clear down the left channel and take a whack. But it never quite opens up for City. Everton eventually clear.
6.00pm GMT
26 min: Fernando is booked for recklessly booting Barry in the head. Another high kick! It’s very acrobatic, if nothing else. A yellow card. But first Mangala, now this ... City are chancing their arm here with this homage to the can-can. This is what the Premier League would look like had it been founded during La Belle Époque.
5.55pm GMT
Toure slaps a sidefoot into the bottom left. Howard goes the right way, but can’t get a hand to it. City lead, and are closing in on the leaders as things stand!
5.54pm GMT
23 min: Nasri goes on a magnificent run down the left wing, a high-wire act along the touchline. He reaches the byline but can’t quite find a man in the centre. Such a shame, because that was a blistering dribble. But no matter! City come again, Toure feeding Milner into the area down the left. Milner’s bundled over - rather softly, but he is bundled over - by Jagielka. The referee points at the spot.
5.51pm GMT
20 min: City triangulate beautifully down the right wing, Everton pinned back in the box. Zabaleta nearly breaks into space down his wing, but is forced to turn back. Toure takes up possession and attempts a precision curler into the bottom left from the edge of the area. It zips wide of the left-hand post, but only just, though Howard had it covered.
5.49pm GMT
18 min: Corner for City down the right. Nasri whips the ball into the mixer. It’s cleared by Everton, and the whistle blows for a foul. And no wonder! Mangala highkicks Eto’o in the back! It’s a red card all day long, that. But he only sees yellow for his karate pastiche. Eto’o doesn’t look particularly happy about that one at all, and you can hardly blame him. What dismal refereeing.
5.47pm GMT
17 min: Besic is robbed in the centre circle by Toure. City stream forward. Milner finds himself in acres down the left, then delivers the worst cross in the history of association football. A chance to test Everton spurned.
5.45pm GMT
15 min: Besic upends Toure, 40 yards from the Everton goal. A chance for City to fling a free kick into the box. They attempt a training-ground number, a couple of crisp triangles momentarily surprising and confusing Everton. But the ball’s soon flying into the stand down the right, the wheels coming off the routine in double-quick time.
5.44pm GMT
13 min: Coleman has two opportunities to fizz crosses into the City area from the right. Neither ball finds Lukaku or Eto’o, and the flag eventually goes up for offside. But this is a fairly bright start by Everton, with City looking fairly open at the back.
5.42pm GMT
11 min: Coleman is booked for a cynical tug on Clichy’s shirt as the City full back looks to break up the left. He can’t really moan, although it did look as though he took a slap in the chops as the two were battling for the ball, so perhaps he’ll feel hard done by that Clichy wasn’t reprimanded as well.
5.41pm GMT
10 min: In the momentary silence, Lukaku overpowers Zabaleta down the left and tears into space. He’s got nobody upfield with him, and stands with the ball at his feet, arms stretched out in pantomime annoyance. Eventually Mirallas makes a move into the box, but Lukaku can’t find him. City clear.
5.40pm GMT
9 min: While all that was going on, City won a corner down the right through Milner, but did nothing with the set piece. The sense of occasion has been diminished by that early injury.
5.39pm GMT
7 min: Actually, no, poor Aguero is limping around the pitch with tears in his eyes. It’s clearly a sore one, at best. He’s replaced, at long distance, by Pozo and slowly makes his way around the field. The good news is that a stretcher is not required, Aguero making his own way back to the warmth of the changing room. Which would suggest that, while this is a painful one, it won’t be a long-term injury. Of course, time will tell, I’m nothing more than an armchair quack.
5.36pm GMT
5 min: Aguero lies on the turf shaking his head as the physio manipulates his knee this way and that. He eventually gets up and hobbles off the pitch. It looks as though no serious damage has been done, because player and physio - on the far side of the pitch - are discussing whether it’s worth the risk of continuing. The game restarts with City down to ten men.
5.34pm GMT
2 min: Hibbert plays Everton into early trouble with a dismal clearance. It puts City on the front foot. Aguero looks to bust past Coleman down the left, but he’s soon bundled to the ground. There’s not much in the challenge, but Aguero lands awkwardly, then gets up, over-stretches as he pushes off again, and twists his left knee. He’s down in some pain; this doesn’t look good.
5.31pm GMT
And we’re off! City get the ball rolling, with lusty chorus of Blue Moon rolling down from the stands. A fine atmosphere which suggests all the Christmas shopping has been completed, and cold refreshment has been taken. City knock it around the back awhile, and then Mirallas gives Navas a light cuff round the lug. No fuss is made. We move on.
5.29pm GMT
The players are on the pitch. Everton are indeed in their royal blue jerseys. A blessed relief in a world consumed by marketing bullshit. Congratulations to Everton and, indeed, their kit suppliers Umbro. Toast them by raising a glass of Chang. Hands are being slapped - handshakes having fallen out of fashion at least two decades ago, if the time it’s taken me to notice is any guide - and pompous rubbish is spilling out of the PA speakers. We’ll be off in a minute!
5.04pm GMT
The team news. Fernando and Eliaquim Mangala return for City, who pack the midfield and leave Sergio Aguero alone up front. He’s usually enough, they find. Everton make two changes with defender Tony Hibbert and striker Samuel Eto’o replacing midfield men Ross Barkley and Leon Osman. City will be playing in their famous powder blue (pictured here in black and white) ...
4.35pm GMT
Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Demichelis, Mangala, Clichy, Fernando, Toure, Jesus Navas, Milner, Nasri, Aguero.
Subs: Sagna, Dzeko, Kolarov, Caballero, Lampard, Boyata, Pozo.
Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Barry, Besic, Mirallas, Lukaku, Eto’o.
Subs: Robles, McGeady, Barkley, Osman, Pienaar, Garbutt, Alcaraz.
4.30pm GMT
Manchester City will surely have warm, cuddly, wobbly feelings about Everton from last season. Their 3-2 win at Goodison Park late in the run-in effectively decided the title, for it forced Liverpool into chasing goals at Selhurst Park a couple of days later, and we all know how that panned out. But the early-season meeting at the City of Manchester Stadium was a doozy, too, Everton going ahead early on before City came back at them with a vengeance, eventually winning a very pretty game by three goals to one. Another match like either of those - two determined teams going at each other with panache and flair - will do the trick this evening.
City will be favourites. They’re the champions, of course, and they’ve got Sergio Aguero in their ranks. What more reason do you need? OK, here’s another: after stuttering their way through the tail end of October and early November, it looks like Manuel Pellegrini’s side are getting their chops up. They’ve just won their fourth game in a row, a highly impressive 4-1 shellacking of Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, and will accordingly be in the mood to home in on leaders Chelsea, who slipped up earlier today at Newcastle. Ten goals in three games tends to keep the spirit buoyant.
Continue reading...Newcastle United v Chelsea: Premier League - as it happened | Scott Murray
Chelsea came unstuck once again at St James Park, as two-goal Papiss Cisse secured the win for Newcastle in a wonderfully entertaining game
2.41pm GMT
So there goes Chelsea’s unbeaten record. And Jose’s still not won a league game at Newcastle. But to be fair to the Chelsea manager, he embraces the fourth official with a smile, then offers Pardew a warm handshake. Well done to Newcastle, their two-goal hero Papiss Cisse, and their two goalkeepers, especially the young Jak Alnwick, making his debut against the Premier League favourites. And god speed young Rob Elliot Jnr.!
2.39pm GMT
90 min +5: Ivanovic has a rake from 30 yards. The ball flies roughly 30 yards over the bar, and wide left to boot. Alnwick takes an age over his goal kick. Mourinho really isn’t happy with this carry-on. He’s audacious, you’ve got to give him that.
2.37pm GMT
90 min +4: A long throw into the Newcastle box from the right. Terry gets a head to it, but the effort squirts harmlessly wide left.
2.37pm GMT
90 min +3: Alnwick hoofs long. Courtois, in the middle of his own half, meets the drop kick with a volley! You don’t see that every day.
2.36pm GMT
90 min +2: Two more corners for Chelsea. Sissoko heads the first behind. Alnwick claims the second to great cheers, then goes down on one knee, in the style of an NFL quarterback running down the clock. Terry opens his mouth, and a complaint falls out. Perhaps a wee swearie too.
2.35pm GMT
90 min +1: There will be six added minutes. The crowd aren’t happy, as you’d expect. Schurrle is found in acres down the right, and he sends a dangerous ball into the middle, but he’s offside.
2.34pm GMT
90 min: But not much! First Filipe Luis sends a low fizzing effort goalwards. It’s parried by Alnwick. Then Janmaat sends a ridiculous header into his own six-yard box. Ivanovic sends a weak header bouncing apologetically towards the bottom right. Alnwick gathers.
2.33pm GMT
89 min: Diego Costa has a whack from the edge of the area. It’s straight at Alnwick, but going in, and the young debutant keeper is forced to fingertip over. The corner is cleared by Dummett, whose towering header gives Newcastle a little respite.
2.32pm GMT
88 min: Mikel, on the edge of the centre circle, rakes a high diagonal ball towards Drogba, cutting in from the left, on the edge of the Newcastle box. Drogba meets the ball brilliantly, first time, but his volley lashes the side netting. Newcastle faff around again at the restart, as they’ve been doing for a while to Mourinho’s annoyance.
2.30pm GMT
86 min: The corner finds the head of Cahill, who nearly plants a header into the right-hand side of the net. But Alnwick has read it well, and clutches the ball to his chest. This is Premier League football at its brilliant, shabby, all-over-the-place best!
2.29pm GMT
85 min: Chelsea earn a corner down the right. Before it can be taken, the referee has a word with Coloccini and Ivanovic, who had enjoyed a little coming together down the right.
2.28pm GMT
84 min: Just before the free kick, Alan Pardew remanned his defence by swapping Ameobi for Williamson. This is going to be one hell of a denouement!
2.27pm GMT
Yes it certainly could! The resulting free kick, taken by Fabregas 30 yards out down the right, is swung into the middle. Alnwick comes off his line, but too late, as Drogba rises highest and plants a header into the top left. This is on!
2.26pm GMT
81 min: Taylor and Coloccini chase Drogba, who is making off down the inside-right channel. Before the striker can reach the box, he’s bundled over. Taylor’s already been booked, and a second yellow earns him an early bath. Could this change everything?
2.24pm GMT
79 min: Chelsea’s unbeaten record is under threat here all right! Fabregas, the funk on, is booked while Newcastle celebrate. Then just after the restart, so is Diego Costa for a clumsy clatter on Janmaat.
2.23pm GMT
Colback storms through the middle of the park, and slides Sissoko free down the left-hand channel! Sissoko should score, but lets the ball clank between his feet. No matter, because he’s drawn Courtois from the goal, and manages to shuttle the ball right for Cisse, who slams into the unguarded net! A mere 38 seconds after Hazard hit the post!
2.22pm GMT
77 min: Chelsea are so unlucky here. A ball’s pulled back from the byline on the right. Hazard, 12 yards out, sidefoots wonderfully, wrongfooting a rooted Alnwick, the ball rolling into the right-hand corner. Or not quite. It hits the base of the right-hand post, and away from danger. So unfortunate, especially as ...
2.20pm GMT
76 min: Mikel glides in from the left and floats a ball towards Drogba, 12 yards out and level with the right-hand post. Drogba heads down for Costa, who should batter home from the penalty spot. But he faffs around, and his eventual effort is blocked. The ball rolls to Mikel, who started all, this, 25 yards out. Mikel finishes it, and in some style, though not the kind Chelsea are desirous of. He hoicks a dismal effort many yards right of the goal. Dear oh dear.
2.18pm GMT
75 min: Newcastle break upfield. Brief respite, and nearly a chance, as Sissoko and Cisse come close to breaking Chelsea apart with a snappy one-two down the left. But it doesn’t come off. Chelsea break upfield, and Tiote picks up a booking in the midfield by putting a stop to Hazard’s gallop.
2.16pm GMT
73 min: A couple of corners for Chelsea, first from the left, then from the right. On both occasions, Alnwick bravely deals with the danger by punching clear with purpose.
2.16pm GMT
72 min: Newcastle’s training ground drills are paying off right now. Chelsea are flinging high crosses into their area from hither and yon, but Coloccini and Taylor are standing firm.
2.14pm GMT
70 min: Costa curls a cross into the Newcastle area from the left. Coloccini heads clear, under pressure from Drogba. Chelsea come again, and again, but the home team hold firm. Already this is beginning to look like attack versus defence.
2.13pm GMT
68 min: Azpilicueta attempts to get round Perez down the left, but he’s ushered out of play. He runs back onto the pitch, but might as well not have bothered, as he’s immediately replaced by Filipe Luis. It’s a double substitution by Mourinho, as Willian is swapped for Drogba. That’s Chelsea played their hand. It’s not quite the 2005 FA Cup tie, where Mourinho made three changes at half-time and watched in horror as, thanks to injury and indiscipline, his team ended the game with eight-and-a-half men. But it brings back memories, nonetheless. This will be a fascinating closing phase.
2.09pm GMT
65 min: Schurrle busies himself to win a corner down the right, but nothing much comes of it. Chelsea looks a little flustered here. A lot of frowning, hands on hips, and the odd misplaced pass. Balls aren’t quite sticking to feet as they were doing earlier. Plenty of time for the league leaders to sort this out, so no need to get hectic yet.
2.07pm GMT
64 min: Schurrle is booked for clattering into the back of Colback as the Newcastle midfielder was in mid-air, executing a header. He doesn’t bother complaining. Well, not too much. A fair enough decision.
2.06pm GMT
62 min: A deep cross into the Newcastle box from the right. Azpilicueta beats Willian to the header, and makes a holy mess of it. Chelsea launch a second phase of attack, which culimates in Schurrle skelping a low shot towards the bottom right from 25 yards. Alnwick is behind it all the way to gather, his first meaningful save as Newcastle’s number one. He might need to make one or two more this afternoon.
2.05pm GMT
61 min: Chelsea won’t be panicking yet, but they’re concerned enough to make a change. Schurrle comes on for Oscar.
2.04pm GMT
60 min: And Chelsea are suddenly rocking a little, Cahill again with a miskick, this time slicing a simple clearance out for a corner down the left. The set piece is sent into the middle, where first Cisse, then Dummett, win headers by the left-hand post. Dummett’s finds Sissoko in the middle, and the midfielder should score, eight yards out. But he sends his header over the bar. So close to a second goal, one that really would put the wind up the league leaders.
2.02pm GMT
Ameobi opens his legs down the left, making his way towards the byline. He whips a low ball into the centre. It should be cleared, but Cahill miskicks, allowing the ball to make it to Cisse, who prods home from six yards! As simple as they come, but that’s a predatory striker at his best!
2.00pm GMT
56 min: Taylor is booked for wrapping his arm around Willian’s neck as the pair battle for a high ball down the Chelsea left. The free kick should lead to the opening goal, Fabregas curling the ball into the mixer, Alnwick rooted to his goalline. Mikel should head home, but somehow sends his effort well wide left. A dreadful miss. And it costs Chelsea, because ...
1.59pm GMT
55 min: Newcastle push Chelsea back impressively, the full backs prominient. Janmaat probes down the right, then Dummett attempts to whistle a ball into the danger zone from the left. Chelsea soak it all up with relative ease, mind you, Newcastle gifted no space or time whatsoever to take a shot.
1.57pm GMT
53 min: Cabella is hooked in favour of Cisse.
1.56pm GMT
51 min: On the touchline, Jose Mourinho is in animated discussion with the fourth official, apparently unhappy at the amount of time Newcastle are taking to restart the game whenever the ball goes dead. Given his side’s, eh, measured approach at Anfield towards the end of last season, in that match Chelsea’s fans were singing about earlier, you have to admire the manager’s chutzpah. Beautifully brazen. You wouldn’t have him any other way.
1.53pm GMT
49 min: This could have got them jangling again, however. Oscar diddles into space down the right, and fizzes a low ball into the six-yard box. Alnwick can’t get down to smother it, and Taylor is forced to slice awkwardly over his own bar from six yards out. The corner comes to nothing.
1.52pm GMT
48 min: Sissoko earns a yellow card that sees him suspended for the upcoming trip to Arsenal. He can have no complaints, scything Azpilicueta down, 30 yards from the goal. Fabregas lobs the free kick into the area, and Alnwick punches clear with confidence, taking Diego Costa out as he does so. Fine keeping. That’ll settle the nerves a bit.
1.50pm GMT
And we’re off again! A major change for Newcastle, as poor Elliot - who injured his thigh making a clearance towards the end of the first half - is replaced by the 21-year-old Jak Alnwick, making his competitive debut for Newcastle. In at the deep end, huh.
1.41pm GMT
While away the half-time lull with a bite to eat from Alan Pardew’s Premier League Bar & Grill ™ !
1.34pm GMT
And that’s that for the first 45. Newcastle will be very happy with their sturdy performance against an occasionally rampant Chelsea, though they’ll be concerned that Elliot is limping as he leaves the field. Oh Rob! And there’s your wife doing all she can to first and foremost keep Alan Pardew happy, too.
1.32pm GMT
45 min: But Chelsea are soon coming back at Newcastle. Fabregas pitching-wedges a pass down the inside-right channel for Oscar who, with his back to goal 12 yards out, heads up then whips a bicycle kick inches wide of the right-hand post. A stupendous effort, and so unlucky.
1.31pm GMT
44 min: Chelsea ping it round patiently for a while. Newcastle hold their shape, though. Hazard loses patience and attempts to bust through along the left-hand channel at high speed, but his eventual ball inside loops harmlessly into the air and Newcastle clear.
1.28pm GMT
41 min: End to end stuff. First Willian cuts in from the left and loops a shot into Elliot’s hands. The keeper sends Perez off down the left. He reaches the corner of the box, but there’s no chance to get a shot away. However Cabella’s soon on the scene, and he picks up possession in the middle - before shanking a hopeless effort from 25 yards towards the right-hand corner flag.
1.26pm GMT
40 min: Dummett bundles Diego Costa over, as the striker makes off down the right. Fabregas’s set piece isn’t much cop, and Dummett clears up his own mess by powerfully heading upfield. It’s Ian Copestake again: “Thankfully Local Hero has yet to be used to advertise coverage of the Premiership, with Burt Lancaster intoning, ‘Keep watching the sky, MacIntrye’.” But there could be benefits too. For starters, the music always playing in Gordon Urquhart’s B&B would make a perfect soundtrack for a montage of defensive mishaps.
1.24pm GMT
37 min: Now Colback latches onto a loose bit of control by Mikel on the edge of his own area, and bashes a wild first-time shot wide left of the Chelsea goal. This is giving the home crowd, who have on the whole been quiet, something to get stuck into.
1.23pm GMT
35 min: Newcastle have dug in well here, with Colback, Sissoko and Ameobi seeing more of the ball. They’re not doing a whole lot with it as of yet, but Chelsea’s ardour has been snuffed out for the moment.
1.20pm GMT
32 min: A lovely Newcastle move, their first of the match, as Ameobi glides in from the left and finds Perez, who sliderules a pass down the channel to release Colback. He’s one on one with Courtois, but the big keeper is a formidable opponent despite his youth, and smothers magnificently as the Newcastle midfielder attempts to chip home. Turns out Colback had mistimed his run a little and was offside, though there wasn’t much in it. Magnificent football all round.
1.17pm GMT
29 min: Steven Taylor turns into Franz Beckenbauer, striding out from the back, romping down the middle, shoogling his hips, exchanging passes with Ameobi down the left channel, and nearly breaking clear. It would have been a move for the ages, that, but he’s eventually crowded off the ball. It all takes the pressure off Newcastle, though, which is the main thing right now.
1.12pm GMT
26 min: It’s beginning to look like a matter of time, nothing more, before Chelsea score. Diego Costa strides down the inside-left channel and lashes a shot low towards the near post. Elliot is behind it all the way. Chelsea have had over 70% of possession in the last five minutes.
1.11pm GMT
24 min: Oscar slides a ball down the inside-left channel to release Hazard into the box. Hazard’s shot is blocked, but the ball comes back for Diego Costa, who slashes well wide right of the goal from the edge of the area. That was a better-than-decent chance for the striker, who should have hit the target under no pressure whatsoever. But his blushes are spared, as Hazard is flagged for offside.
1.09pm GMT
22 min: Chelsea are well on top here. Willian is found in acres down the right. He cuts back for Hazard, whose first-time shot from ten yards is blocked. Fabregas latches onto the loose ball, and sees his low fizzer from 20 yards deflected wide left of goal. The corner, worked in intricate fashion, is over-elaborate and comes to nothing. “I recently had the privilege of reviewing Roy McFarland’s autobiography for When Saturday Comes,” writes Charles Robinson. “It really is appallingly written, but the highlight was his description of his daughter’s birth. Apparently his wife Linda ‘put in a monumental shift at the hospital’. Jeesh.” And that’s all you can ask at the end of the day. The maternity unit’s a difficult place to go, but she’s come away with a result there.
1.06pm GMT
19 min: Hazard in space down the left. Again. He slides a ball inside, across the face of the box, for Costa. The striker misses the ball, but no matter, it finds Willian, cutting in from the right. Willian sends a power curler from the right-hand edge of the D towards the bottom-left corner. Elliot is beaten all ends up, but the shot flies inches wide. So close to the opening goal.
1.02pm GMT
16 min: Diego Costa slides Willian into space down the right. His low cross is hacked out of play by Coloccini for a corner. The set piece is sent high into the area, where it’s met ten yards out by Cahill, the big defender nutting over. Not far away, that one. Newcastle hearts in mouths.
1.01pm GMT
14 min: Chelsea break immediately upfield through the busy Hazard, who romps down the left, past a couple of half-arsed Newcastle challenges, and attempts to curl one into the bottom right from 25 yards out. A decent enough effort, but always going wide. Elliot waves it by.
1.00pm GMT
13 min: Newcastle immediately take the sting out of the game by knocking it around the back awhile. Then they suddenly spring into life, Janmaat busting down the right and whipping a low cross into the Chelsea area, with a view to finding Ameobi, rushing into the box. Courtois comes way off his line to claim, wonderful goalkeeping.
12.58pm GMT
10 min: Chelsea triangulate in the pretty style, at close range in the Newcastle D. Diego Costa and Fabregas knock it back and forth, then Willian takes up possession and looks to fire a snapshot into the bottom right. It’s a fine effort, with little backlift, but flies just wide right of the post. Elliot had that one covered, in any case. But the league leaders sparked into life there, ominously so.
12.55pm GMT
8 min: Chelsea enjoying the lion’s share at the moment. Hazard nearly breaks clear with another purposeful run down the left flank, but is crowded out. Then Ivanovic finds a bit of space in the right-hand portion of the Newcastle area, but his pull back is miscontrolled by Diego Costa and Newcastle clear.
12.53pm GMT
5 min: Never mind Mrs Elliot and Elliot Jnr., this game’s going through a lull. Already. Both teams happy to knock it around a bit, get a feel of the ball. They’re going nowhere fast.
12.51pm GMT
3 min: The home fans are currently being comprehensively outsung by the impressive Chelsea travelling support, who are singing about Steven Gerrard. [MBM reporter glances around, observes teams playing, etc.] Eh? Is this normal behaviour? They’re enjoying themselves, that’s the main thing. “I don’t think Rob Elliot’s wife is giving 100%,” opines Ian Copestake. “She needs to up her game to get through this lull, because at the end of the day this is a results business.”
12.49pm GMT
And we’re off! Newcastle get the ball rolling, and will be kicking towards the Leazes End. But they soon lose the ball, and Chelsea are on the front foot. Hazard goes on a determined jog down the left, but is shepherded out of play by Janmaat. Goal kick. A bright start by the visitors.
12.45pm GMT
The players are out! It’s sunny, but it’s cold. Cold, cold, cold. The Blaydon Races blares out of the PA. The idiot operating it asks for everyone in the house to say awyeaaaaaah. To their eternal credit, the Newcastle faithful ignore this clown totally. Then it’s time for the theme to the best film ever made, Local Hero:
12.37pm GMT
The team news. For Chelsea, John Obi Mikel comes in for the suspended Nemanja Matic. And Diego Costa is back! Bad news for Newcastle, as he’s only failed to score in three league games this season. He’s already got 11 goals for Chelsea, and just the seven bookings. He’s nothing if not entertaining.
Meanwhile for the hosts, Alan Pardew makes five changes to the side which drew at Burnley. Fabricio Coloccini returns from injury, while Jack Colback and Moussa Sissoko are back after suspension. Steven Taylor and Remy Cabella also return; Massadio Haidara, Mike Williamson, Mehdi Abeid, Yoan Gouffran and Papiss Cisse stand down. Keeper Rob Elloit plays, though it had been touch-and-go, as his wife is expecting a baby. “Fortunately, the good news is that there seems to be a bit of a lull in the pregnancy,” says Dr Pardew, channelling his inner Doogie Howser. A bit of a lull in the pregnancy!
11.58am GMT
Newcastle United: Elliot, Janmaat, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett, Tiote, Colback, Sissoko, Cabella, Ameobi, Perez.
Subs: Williamson, Anita, Cisse, Gouffran, Haidara, Riviere, Alnwick.
Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Fabregas, Mikel, Willian, Oscar, Hazard, Costa.
Subs: Cech, Luis, Zouma, Ramires, Drogba, Schurrle, Remy.
11.45am GMT
What better way to start the weekend than a clash between two of the Premier League’s form teams? Of course, there’s form, and then there’s form. Newcastle recently enjoyed a six-win streak that demanded attention and respect, recovering from a shoddy start to the season by notching impressive wins over Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and, in the League Cup, the reigning champions Manchester City. They’ve hit a wee blip since, losing at West Ham and drawing at Burnley, but those claret-clad oppressors are two of the Premier League’s other hot teams right now, so there’s no shame in that. Newcastle are in fine fettle.
Chelsea, however, are something else. They’ve currently got a 22-match unbeaten run on the go. They’ve only failed to score once this season in all competitions - last weekend at Sunderland - and they responded to that disappointment by crushing Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge during the week. This isn’t news, but Chelsea are the real deal. They’re strong favourites to win this match.
Continue reading...December 3, 2014
Premier League clockwatch – as it happened
Arsenal leave it late, Chelsea beat Spurs yet again, Hull secure a draw at Everton, and City trounce Sunderland on an exciting evening in the Premier League
9.43pm GMT
At the top, Chelsea and City tear clear from defeated Southampton, while Arsenal move up to sixth. Meanwhile at the bottom, Hull leapfrog Burnley to escape the bottom three. And just in time, here’s Kal Hodgson with his top five butties: “Chip, Cheese, Crisp, Fish Finger, Egg. There’s a lot of nonsense being talked here.”
9.40pm GMT
But Hull get their first point in five matches! They’d have taken the point at 95 minutes and 40 seconds, when Everton were incorrectly gifted a corner. However Steve Bruce is livid at hearing the final whistle, and no wonder, because from the corner Hull tear up the field on a three-on-one break! Ah well, he’d have taken that 1-1 draw in the morning.
9.38pm GMT
The first final whistles, and the top two have won. Chelsea are 3-0 winners over Tottenham, while City have sealed a 4-1 deal at Sunderland. And at the Emirates, Arsenal have scraped that 1-0 win against the suddenly shaky Saints. There’s still a little bit of time to go at Goodison, though, where there’s six minutes of added time.
9.36pm GMT
Milner nearly makes it five for Manchester City, bursting down the inside left and curling one towards the top right. If it was on target, it was in. Meanwhile at Stamford Bridge, Chadli fires a shot towards the top left from 30 yards, but Courtois is comfortably behind it. “Clearly the champion of gastronomical packaging is to be found at Rutgers University and is correctly named a Grease Truck,” writes
Adam Richman
Charles Scott. “Customers have the option of adding a full hamburger avec roll, chips, chicken schnitzel, and mozzarella sticks on a baguette. Crowning achievement? If anyone eats five full sandwiches within 45 minutes they can create their own concoction.” Please tell me they’re allowed to take it home for later.
9.33pm GMT
Chambers crosses from the right. Cue melee! Ramsey, at the near post, eventually pulls the ball back into the middle, where Sanchez smashes home. Relief for the home support! No chip butty, but a precious three points!
9.31pm GMT
And we so nearly get one at the Emirates! Arsenal are on the front foot, because Saints, having used their three subs, are now down to ten men, Alderweireld off injured. Giroud nearly headed Podolski’s right wing cross over the excellent Forster, but it’s clawed away. However ...
9.30pm GMT
All four games appear to be freewheeling towards the final whistle. Just trying to tempt fate into dishing us up a dramatic finish or two ...
9.26pm GMT
It’s end to end at Goodison, with Lukaku and Aluko both taking speculative shots at their respective ends. And now Barkley whips a free kick from the right towards the far post, but there’s nobody there to bundle home. “Those chips look great, but up here they’d be put on a roll,” begins Dundee gastronome Simon McMahon. “And the only thing better than a chip roll is a pie on a roll. And the only thing better than a pie on a roll is a pie on a roll on a roll. Or to give it its proper name, pie royale.” Can you get that with cheese?
9.18pm GMT
Oscar is very close to making it four, dancing around on the edge of the Spurs D before dragging the ball left of the goal frame. Chelsea are riffing on their guests’ pain here. It’s what they do.
9.17pm GMT
A ball played down the left channel. Remy’s after it, and ahead of Vertonghen, albeit on the defender’s outside. No worries! He drops a shoulder, pauses a little, and turns inside, leaving the big defender sliding around like Billy Wright circa November 1953, and placing a perfect shot around Lloris and into the bottom-right corner! Game over here too, but then we kind of knew that the minute the first goal went in, Spurs at Stamford Bridge being Spurs at Stamford Bridge, and all that.
9.15pm GMT
Milner takes a touch down the right, then whips a low ball into the box. Aguero gets a step ahead of the clodhopping Vergini, and batters a shot into the right-hand side of the net from eight yards. This is certainly over. As is ...
9.13pm GMT
Arsenal are beginning to turn the screw on Southampton at the Emirates. Forster has just made two marvellous saves, parrying a blooter from Giroud down the inside-left channel, then scrambling clear as Welbeck attempts to poke one into the bottom right. Still goalless, though.
9.10pm GMT
Spurs are seeing a lot of the ball at Stamford Bridge, but they’re doing very little with it. Chelsea are more than content to sit back and soak it all up. It’s what Mourinho teams do. Meanwhile Drogba, who had been limping around just before the break, finally takes his leave. He’s replaced by
Liverpool’s
Loic Remy.
9.08pm GMT
Everton are rocking a bit at Goodison. Howard flaps under a high ball, catching it, then dropping it at Jelavic’s feet. It’s double relief for the hapless keeper, as Jelavic whips his first-time shot wide right of the open goal, and is penalised for jumping with Howard anyway. Never a free kick. Lucky keeper. Molly-coddled keeper.
9.06pm GMT
Now Alkuo diddles away down the left, digging out a cross by the corner flag and finding Jelavic in the centre. The former Everton man should at least hit the target, ten yards out, but his header flashes inches wide left. Hull should be leading. “Chip butty = french fry sandwich?” wonders Rodney Smith. “Charming, curious, different — and therefore scary and wrong. My cultural relativism is aching in Bowie, Maryland USA.” Exactly how I was feeling last Thursday during Thanksgiving, as I wolfed down mouthfuls of sweet potato topped with marshmallow. Scary, wrong, and so so good. Give the chip butty a go.
9.02pm GMT
A magnificent run down the inside-right channel by Aluko, who turned past a static Distin and smashed a low shot into the bottom-right corner. Should Howard have been beaten at his near post? The purists would say no, but that was a fine finish, take nothing away from the Hull star.
9.00pm GMT
Oh this is a beautiful goal by City, and so simple! Nasri holding up possession down the right, draws a couple of defenders, drags the ball back and then immediately slips it forward for Zabaleta, who chips delightfully over the advancing keeper! That is marvellous. How well City have responded to falling behind to that early stroke of bad luck, a farce which heavily depended on the input of Zabaleta. A perfect narrative arc. If you’re a City fan, of course.
8.55pm GMT
Eriksen tries to curl one into the top right corner of Chelsea’s net from 30 yards. It’s not the best effort you’ll ever see, but not the worst, setting off on target before drifting well wide and high. Spurs need something quickly. At the Emirates, Saints should be leading, but Long got greedy on the break, blootering miles over after scooting down the right wing, with Pelle in acres waiting to convert in the middle.
8.52pm GMT
Everton’s sparkling winger Mirallas tries to lob McGregor from 30 yards with an insouciant swipe of the outside of his boot. He nearly gets it right, too. I think the keeper had it just about covered. That would have put a stop to Hull’s gallop, the away side at Goodison having flown out of the blocks at half time and put Everton under a little pressure.
8.50pm GMT
And we’re off again! Everton and Hull were the first to get going, then Sunderland and Manchester City, then Arsenal and Southampton, then finally Chelsea and Tottenham. I don’t know why I bothered reporting that. For the record, Drogba is back on at Stamford Bridge, though Cahill, who clattered his noggin early doors, isn’t. He’s been replaced by Zouma. “Oh c’mon,” cries Kal Hodgson. “Here I am, marking A level homework and watching the updates and you tempt me, mercilessly, with that delicious looking chip butty. I once compiled a top 5 ‘best butties’ and the chip butty was number 1.” Ahead of bacon? And sausage? And egg? And bacon, sausage and egg? Hmm. But those were the other four in your list, right?
8.38pm GMT
Half-time Premier League repast:
8.35pm GMT
Drogba was being helped off the pitch at Stamford Bridge, so it’ll be interesting to see whether the old boy continues for the second half. Will they risk him, given you can currently get as much as 123-1 on Spurs?
8.32pm GMT
Oscar skitters along the byline to the left of the Spurs goal, then cuts a ball back for Willan, who attempts to curl one into the bottom right. Nearly. Spurs will be desperate to hear the half-time whistle. Up at the Stadium of Light, Rodwell nearly bundles in an equaliser, but is denied by Zabaleta’s block. And our rude finger-clickin’ and lug-cuffin’ nearly pays dividends at the Emirates, with Welbeck flashing a header goalwards from eight yards, Forster doing very well to tip over.
8.29pm GMT
Three great games going on here! Chelsea and City are in the ascendency, flooding forward in waves, and Everton are now knocking it around at Goodison with supreme confidence. Oy! Arsenal and Southampton! [clicks fingers under their collective nose, considers a cuff around the lug] Wee goal or two, perhaps? Hmm?
8.27pm GMT
City are all over Sunderland now. Navas is in acres down the right. He reaches the byline and lifts a ball to the far post, where Clichy connects with a header six yards out. But he’s off target. What a chance to put a little light-blue daylight between the two teams.
8.25pm GMT
This is magnificent. Toure powers down the inside right, and fires a low ball towards Agureo, his back to goal on the edge of the D. Aguero immediately flicks the ball to his right, setting Jovetic free into the box down the inside-left channel. Jovetic slips the ball under Pantilimon, and the champions are clearly in the mood to stay on Chelsea’s tail.
8.23pm GMT
Drogba hoicks a free kick from 30 yards into the top tier of the Shed. And now he’s just fluffed an easy header from six yards, heading a right-wing cross straight back across goal. God almighty that’s dreadful. But to be fair, he’s already scored one and set up another.
8.21pm GMT
Mirallas really is some player. There he was scoring a screamer at Spurs on Sunday. Now he’s just made the assist of the week. He skins Dawson down the right, making a vicious right-to-left swerve around the helpless defender, and reaches the byline, before pulling a ball back onto the penalty spot. Lukaku, rushing in, can’t miss, blasting home. That’s all about Mirallas, though.
8.17pm GMT
Hull are very much holding their own at Everton, and the same can be said for Saints at Arsenal. Just keeping plates spinning.
8.15pm GMT
Some pretty football from Spurs at Stamford Bridge, the fog of funk slowly clearing. A few crisp triangles across the front of the Chelsea box. Eriksen very nearly scoops a brilliant ball through for Kane, but there’s a cluster of blue shirts swarming around, and a clearing header puts an end to that.
8.13pm GMT
Spurs have got the funk on. They’re in shock, dropping right back, in damage limitation mode right now. And up at the Stadium of Light, it’s all City, Aguero and then Fernandinho flashing long-distance shots not that far outside the goal frame. Sunderland appear to have rattled the big beast’s cage with that opening goal.
8.09pm GMT
Dearie me. Spurs oh Spurs oh Spurs. Lloris mistimes a clearance, and Drogba takes full advantage by whistling a beauty into the top right! And there’s Tottenham with that wonderful start. A 28-game wait, then, unless something absurd happens from here on in.
8.08pm GMT
But the champions aren’t behind for long. Aguero goes on a right-wing power run of his own, nutmegs O’Shea, and lashes a stunner into the top right!
8.07pm GMT
Wickham chases a ball down the inside-left channel. It’s a powerful run into the box. But Zabaleta, on his left shoulder, gets to it first. However, the full back kicks it off the striker to his right, and the ball balloons into the goal!
8.05pm GMT
After all that Spurs pressure, a brilliant Chelsea goal, as Hazard cuts in from the left, one-twos with Drogba to break into the box, and lashes a shot past Lloris into the top left! It’s counter intuitive, but Spurs having started so well, this is no surprise.
8.03pm GMT
Seventeen minutes after kick off, Chelsea have turned up! Willian glides in from the left, and feeds Drogba on the edge of the D. The striker lays off immediately for Fabregas, who attempts a curler into the top right. It’s on target, but there’s no real venom in the shot, and Lloris gathers with a yawn. That’s much better from the home side, though. And sure enough ...
8.01pm GMT
At the Emirates, Pelle has just blazed the ball 30,000 feet over the crossbar from six yards! A sickener for Saints. He was hovering on the left-hand edge of the box, and off came the lid. What a rush of blood! And more what-could-have-been woe for Spurs on the Fulham Broadway. Kane should have been slipped clean through on goal, but Lamela was wandering around in the middle of the park with his head down, the dozy get. This is a very impressive opening by Spurs, who have to win at Stamford Bridge again one day. Don’t they?
7.57pm GMT
Spurs are certainly in the ascendency at Stamford Bridge. Kane has just gone on a skitter down the left, drifting inside and breaking into the box, before flashing a brilliant shot across the face of the goal and inches wide of the bottom-right corner. No win here since 1990 for Spurs, of course, but they’ll be wondering how they’re not leading this one.
7.56pm GMT
And first word from Goodison Park, where Hull City are enjoying the best of it, a couple of corners allowing former Toffee Jelavic to cause a bit of trouble with his noggin.
7.54pm GMT
And now Kane has just crashed a header against the Chelsea crossbar, looking for the top-right corner after connecting with a Lennon right-wing cross! Chelsea haven’t turned up yet. Strong starts too for Arsenal against Saints, with Welbeck nearly breaking clear down the left, and Sunderland, who are well on top against champions Manchester City.
7.51pm GMT
A strong start for Spurs, who have won themselves a couple of early corners and a free kick in a dangerous position. Vertonghen flashes a header over the bar from eight yards. And he’s clattered into Cahill, with both players in some dazed distress. Looks like they’ll be OK, which is good news.
7.47pm GMT
A bit of emotional admin at Stamford Bridge before Chelsea and Spurs kick off. This is Chelsea’s first match at home since their former manager John Neal’s death, so there’s a round of applause in appreciation of a great man. Where would Chelsea be without him? They were seemingly on an inexorable descent into oblivion when Neal took over in May 1981. The final 847 minutes of their 1980/81 Second Division campaign, under the yoke of Geoff Hurst, yielded a grand total of zero goals. The club had no money, the ruinous East Stand standing as a monument to a series of risible business decisions, and real-estate magnates circled Stamford Bridge, smelling blood.
Neal’s revolution wasn’t instant - Chelsea were nearly relegated to the Third Division for the first time in their existence in 1983 - but the wily bargain purchases of Kerry Dixon, David Speedie, Pat Nevin, Eddie Niedzwiecki and Nigel Spackman eventually turned things around. One of the prettiest Chelsea sides romped to the 1983/84 Second Division championship, then finished a highly creditable sixth on their return to the top flight, after which illness caused Neal to step down.
7.42pm GMT
Eight teams are in four tunnels. Give it a couple of minutes, and we’ll be off, off, off, off!
7.20pm GMT
The hot team news:
6.52pm GMT
Arsenal: Martinez, Mertesacker, Ramsey, Sanchez, Koscielny, Monreal, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Chambers, Flamini, Cazorla, Welbeck.
Subs: Gibbs, Rosicky, Podolski, Giroud, Sanogo, Bellerin, Macey.
Southampton: Forster, Clyne, Fonte, Alderweireld, Bertrand, Steven Davis, Wanyama, Cork, Long, Pelle, Tadic.
Subs: Kelvin Davis, Yoshida, Gardos, Mane, Mayuka, Reed, Targett.
Referee: Andre Marriner (W Midlands)
Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Fabregas, Matic, Willian, Oscar, Hazard, Drogba.
Subs: Cech, Luis, Zouma, Mikel, Schurrle, Salah, Remy.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Chiriches, Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies, Mason, Bentaleb, Lamela, Eriksen, Lennon, Kane.
Subs: Kaboul, Paulinho, Soldado, Vorm, Dier, Naughton, Chadli.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
6.30pm GMT
After Terrific Tuesday, Wonderful Wednesday has a lot to live up to. Last night’s Premier League action gifted us plenty of goals and incident at both the top and bottom of the league: many thanks for that to Manchester United, West Ham, Swansea, Liverpool and Aston Villa. There were also six matches going on, as opposed to this evening’s four. But worry not! Tonight’s fixtures feature the cream of the Premier League cream: the Big Three of Manchester City, Chelsea and Southampton! Also doing their turn tonight: popular early 1930s revivalists Arsenal and Everton, plus Sunderland and Hull City keeping it real from the lower reaches of the table. And Tottenham Hotspur, but I can’t get a pithy handle on them right now. Hey, being hard to pin down is what Tottenham Hotspur are all about, it’s part of their timeless charm. Anyway, this promises to be a cracker of an evening, with all eight teams desirous of taking a decisive leap up the table. Good luck and god speed, then, everyone! It’s very much on!
Continue reading...December 2, 2014
Premier League clockwatch – as it happened
Manchester United, West Ham, Swansea, Liverpool and Aston Villa all record victories on an entertaining evening in the Premier League
9.58pm GMT
Well, that was a fairly eventful evening’s entertainment. Burnley’s unbeaten run now stretches to four matches. An increasingly impressive Manchester United’s winning streak extends to four. West Ham and Swansea continue to hover around at the top end of the table. Liverpool still aren’t playing brilliantly, but have turned a corner this week with two victories on the bounce. Aston Villa have sprung away from the danger zone. Not such a good evening for the strugglers Crystal Palace, QPR and Leicester, or for Stoke who will have the radge regarding Manchester United’s faintly controversial winner, plus a plethora of last-minute missed opportunities. The Wednesday fixtures have a lot to live up to.
9.54pm GMT
Aston Villa have held out at Crystal Palace for a much-needed win. That’s hoicked them straight out of trouble and into mid-table. Crystal Palace find themselves leapfrogged. And at the Hawthorns, West Ham dig in, with West Brom throwing the kitchen sink at them. It’s enough for another win, and they’re fifth in the table, just behind Manchester United!
Crystal Palace 0-1 Aston Villa
West Bromwich Albion 1-2 West Ham United
9.51pm GMT
Ben Foster is currently playing up front for West Brom. There’s nobody in goal.
9.49pm GMT
Swansea meanwhile just keep on trucking. The sign of a confident side? One which doesn’t panic when things aren’t going quite to plan. And despite being on top against relegation-haunted QPR, it looked like a goalless draw was on the cards. But they kept on keepin’ on, and in the end Rangers broke. It looks like Southampton, West Ham and Swansea will all be in the top six tonight. Good old Premier League. More of this, please!
9.46pm GMT
That’s a big result for Liverpool, too, who record their first back-to-back wins in the league since beating West Brom and QPR in October. Speaking of West Brom, Dorrans has just squeaked a shot wide right from six yards, if that. The Hammers clinging on as the out-of-form Baggies look to salvage a little something from their evening.
9.44pm GMT
Seems it was Ashley Young who was the goalline hero for Manchester United tonight. That’s four wins in a row for Louis van Gaal’s side, who have learned how to grind out results rather brilliantly it would seem. Flashes of the old-style free-flowing football at times, too, though Stoke gave them a hell of a fright this evening.
9.41pm GMT
Burnley 1-1 Newcastle
Leicester 1-3 Liverpool
Manchester United 2-1 Stoke City
Swansea City 2-0 QPR
9.38pm GMT
And this is preposterous! Diouf has another shot from close range, only for Unidentified United Player to hook the ball off the line! Two-thirds of the ball had gone over, but that’s not enough, and the goalline technology comes to United’s aid! That’s the final whistle: Manchester United have won their fourth match in a row. How they held on there, I’ll never know, but the decisions and the luck went United’s way in that second half. Rojo dances around in front of the supporters; he’s claiming that goal all right!
9.36pm GMT
De Gea has just earned United the win in sensational style! First he saves a point-blank Diouf header at the left-hand post, and then after another phase of Stoke attack, saves a low batter from the same player, six yards out!
9.34pm GMT
Stoke are trying their best to pressurise Manchester United at Old Trafford, in search for an equaliser, but the home side are holding firm. “If Rojo was clearly in an offside position (as you state) and within an eyebrow hair of Mata’s cross, then surely he should have been flagged for offside, and the goal disallowed, whether he touched the ball or not?” wonders Iain Macdonald. Well, yes, but (and I didn’t really make this clear, so apologies) Rojo’s offside run was so marginal that you can forgive the assistant referee for missing that one too. I’m aware this sounds fairly mealy mouthed, but there really wasn’t much in it. I suppose United have had the luck with the decision, bottom line.
9.29pm GMT
And Rangers aren’t the only strugglers, er, struggling. On the byline to the right of the Leicester goal, Sterling backheels cleverly into the path of Henderson, who lashes home. The bottom side need a Palace-esque turnaround now. Liverpool are unlikely to be chasing an eight-goal winning margin this time, however.
9.27pm GMT
Dyer, cutting in from the right, needs two opportunities to find Routledge inside. Just as well he did, because Routledge guides a gorgeous low shot into the bottom left from the edge of the box. This was in the balance not so long ago; now it’s as good as over. Such is life at the bottom of the table for QPR.
9.22pm GMT
Swansea have been on top at the Liberty, and now they’ve got something to show for it. Ki picks up possession on the left-hand corner of the box, powers down the channel, and from a very tight angle near the byline hammers a shot across Green, onto the base of the right-hand post, and into the net! A deserved lead, and a fine shot, though from a defensive point of view the keeper wants to have a good look at himself.
9.16pm GMT
At Old Trafford, Wilson has just embarked on a long slalom down the inside-right channel, beating three men before sliding a shot inches wide of the right-hand post from the edge of the box. So close to sealing the win. Meanwhile that Mata/Rojo goal ... perhaps the controversialists have a point after all. The slow-motion replays suggest the ball took a slight deviation from the line Mata set it off along. Er, perhaps. It’s inconclusive. What’s clear is that Rojo was claiming that goal without embarrassment. If he did head it on, Stoke have the right to feel aggrieved, but it’s far from clear at slow speed on the replay, so who’d be a referee?
9.07pm GMT
A red card for Morgan at Leicester, who miskicks as he attempts a backpass and drags Lambert down with the striker planning to make good for the area. He can have no complaints. More bad luck for those who get off on manufactured controversy. Journalists, basically.
9.04pm GMT
A free kick out on the right, 30 yards out. Mata loops it into the box. And it flies into the top-left corner! Now then, Rojo races off celebrating, claiming he’d eyebrowed the ball onwards for the goal, rising from a central position ten yards out. If he did, that was offside, because he’d mistimed his move forward. If he didn’t meet the ball - and it looks like the Mata cross-cum-shot went straight in, saucy Rojo - it’s fair enough. Old Trafford erupts, and the goal’s been given to Mata officially, so it’s bad luck for those who enjoy a bit of tedious controversy.
9.00pm GMT
Gerrard begins and ends a move, firing a shot into the bottom right. Barry Glendenning has the details. This of course will be used as ammo for those who want Gerrard to play every moment of every game - but doesn’t this suggest he might benefit from the odd rest, having been parked on the bench last weekend? Yes, would be the answer to that.
8.58pm GMT
Manchester United are on the front foot again at Old Trafford, van Persie finding Herrera down the inside-right. The midfielder’s staring at Begovic, albeit at a tight angle. The keeper parries. In the resulting melee, van Persie stands on the ankle of Pieters. It was a powerful stomp, but an accidental one: he was looking the other way, and couldn’t have known where the defender’s ankle was. Also a suggestion that Fellaini planted an elbow on the same defender during an earlier phase of play. Anyway, Pieters plays on, but he’s struggling. Limping a lot.
8.52pm GMT
Gouffran scuffs a cross into the Burnley area from a tight spot down near the right touchline. No matter. Burnley fail to clear, the ball allowed to bounce through a thicket of players by the near post, allowing Cisse to smash a sidefoot home from a couple of yards!
8.49pm GMT
The other half times ...
Crystal Palace 0-1 Aston Villa
West Brom 1-2 West Ham
8.48pm GMT
A free kick for the away side down the right. It’s lifted into the box, and Tomkins rises highest, clacking a header into the right-hand side of the net from eight yards!
8.36pm GMT
A few half times, then ...
Burnley 1-0 Newcastle United
Leicester 1-1 Liverpool
Manchester United 1-1 Stoke City
Swansea City 0-0 QPR
8.36pm GMT
Foster saves a spectacular Carroll bicycle kick. Great football all round, but it’s only the Hammers who benefit, as Nolan is on hand to nut the rebound into the net.
8.34pm GMT
This is an astonishing solo effort from Benteke. Minutes after nearly scoring a spectacular curler from 25 yards, he now brushes Dann off the ball down the Villa left, romps down the wing, drifts inside, and threads a low curler into the bottom right from the edge of the box. Fully rested after suspension, Benteke is on fire tonight!
8.29pm GMT
It’s goalless at Selhurst Park, where Crystal Palace have been the better side so far. But they nearly fell behind just then, with Benteke picking up possession, his back to goal 30 yards out, then turning and whipping a curler towards the top right. Speroni, at full stretch, tips wide. Nothing comes from the corner.
8.27pm GMT
Manchester United nearly equalise. Young is upended down the left. The free kick leads to a stramash in the Stoke area, and Fellaini has the ball at his feet, six yards out, level with the right-hand post! He fluffs the chance, though, allowing Begovic to smother. Great save, but the shot was dismal.
8.26pm GMT
What a strike this is! Bojan goes on a meander down the inside-left channel. He draws three defenders and the ball eventually breaks to the right, for Nzonzi, just outside the D. Nzonzi makes a rat-a-tat readjustment of his feet, then lashes a ludicrously sweet riser into the top right! De Gea had no chance whatsoever!
8.19pm GMT
Boyd latches onto a knock-down on the edge of the Newcastle D, and positively larrups a shot into the right-hand side of the net. Unstoppable!
8.17pm GMT
Stoke could easily be level at Old Trafford. Pieters hoicks a cross into the United box from the left. Bojan prepares to sidefoot home on the edge of the six-yard box, but Smalling gets in his way, just in time. Brilliant defending. And then they’re so close to falling two goals behind, as Cameron clumsily nudges the back of Wilson in the penalty box. It would have been the softest of penalties, but you’ve seen them given when referees are in generous moods. It’s still 1-0.
8.15pm GMT
Leicester’s lead didn’t last long. Southampton equalise for Liverpool, Lambert heading a high ball into the City area down the right for Lallana, who sweeps home. Given the understanding built up over years at St Mary’s, why don’t these two play together more often?
8.12pm GMT
Dorrans whips in a free kick from the left. Dawson meets it. In. It’s an ersatz tribute to Fellaini’s majestic number at Old Trafford.
8.11pm GMT
Leonardo Ulloa hits the post. And when your luck’s out, your luck’s out. Poor Simon Mignolet! The ball rebounds off the woodwork, ricochets off the hapless keeper’s back, and into the net.
8.08pm GMT
Herrera didn’t take that miss to heart! He zips down the left and hoicks a high ball into the box from the byline. At the far post, Fellaini rises high and batters a header down and into the left-hand side of the net. Brilliant finish! Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United are finally beginning to get a bit of momentum. Should Chelsea, Manchester City and Southampton be worried? Hell yeah.
8.03pm GMT
And with total and complete predictability, having said that, Manchester United nearly take the lead. They should be leading, in fact. Begovic telegraphs an awful pass out to the left of his box, and van Persie intercepts. The Dutch striker slides the ball inside for Herrera, who on the edge of the D has an open net to guide the ball into. He leans back and blazes over. Dearie me.
8.01pm GMT
Stoke are holding their own at Old Trafford right now. Manchester United haven’t caused them much sorrow as of yet. Assiadi just embarked on a determined skitter down the left wing, with the home defence backtracking in panic, but his indecision, with Diouf and Bojan inside, costs him. United breathe again.
7.56pm GMT
It’s all happening. Gerrard has whipped a free kick into the Leicester area from the left. From six yards, Skrtel has managed to shoulder the ball wide left of goal. Up the other end, Vardy was clean through down the inside-right channel, and failed to hit the target. Meanwhile at Turf Moor, Ings was threaded clear down the inside-left channel, but his effort was palmed clear by Elliot. No goals yet.
7.51pm GMT
And we’re off for the evening! A rare old atmosphere at Old Trafford, where the home fans may be sniffing a return to old Fergusonian ways. Stoke should give them a game, though. Not only did they put on a show at Anfield on Saturday, they’ve won at Spurs and Manchester City. Meanwhile the Swansea-QPR game has started in busy fashion, Kranjcar whistling a free kick inches wide, Routledge missing a one-on-one with Green.
7.26pm GMT
The team news, then.
7.13pm GMT
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Kelly, Dann, Hangeland, Ward, Zaha, Jedinak, McArthur, Bolasie, Chamakh, Gayle.
Subs: Campbell, Hennessey, Thomas, Fryers, Bannan, Boateng, Puncheon.
Aston Villa: Guzan, Hutton, Okore, Clark, Cissokho, Cleverley, Westwood, Cole, Agbonlahor, Benteke, Weimann.
Subs: Herd, Richardson, Sanchez, N’Zogbia, Given, Lowton, Grealish.
Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
West Bromwich Albion: Foster, Wisdom, Dawson, Lescott, Baird, Sessegnon, Dorrans, Gardner, Brunt, Berahino, Anichebe. Subs: Ideye, Myhill, Gamboa, Mulumbu, McAuley, Varela, Samaras.
West Ham United: Adrian, Jenkinson, Tomkins, Reid, Cresswell, Kouyate, Nolan, Downing, Zarate, Amalfitano, Carroll. Subs: Jarvis, O’Brien, Collins, Demel, Jaaskelainen, Cole, Valencia.
Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire)
6.50pm GMT
Burnley: Heaton, Trippier, Shackell, Keane, Ward, Arfield, Marney, Jones, Boyd, Ings, Barnes.
Subs: Mee, Wallace, Kightly, Sordell, Jutkiewicz, Gilks, Long.
Newcastle United: Elliot, Janmaat, Williamson, Dummett, Haidara, Abeid, Tiote, Ameobi, Perez, Cisse, Gouffran.
Subs: Anita, Cabella, Steven Taylor, Riviere, Alnwick, Armstrong, Streete.
Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)
Leicester City: Schmeichel, De Laet, Morgan, Wasilewski, Konchesky, Mahrez, James, Cambiasso, Schlupp, Ulloa, Vardy.
Subs: Drinkwater, King, Albrighton, Hamer, Moore, Knockaert, Wood.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Manquillo, Toure, Skrtel, Johnson, Henderson, Gerrard, Lucas, Sterling, Lambert, Lallana.
Subs: Brad Jones, Lovren, Coutinho, Moreno, Can, Allen, Markovic.
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)
6.45pm GMT
A rollocking night of Premier League action stretches out ahead of us. All three clubs below the relegation dotted line are in action: QPR are at Swansea, Burnley host Newcastle, and Leicester City look to reassert their status as Liverpool’s premier bogey team, a post they held in the 1960s, 1980s and during the Martin O’Neill era. Meanwhile there’s plenty of action at the top, too. There are a few clubs playing tonight who’ll be hoping to close the gap on the modern Big Three of Chelsea, Manchester City and Southampton: Manchester United host Stoke, West Ham are at West Brom, and we’ve already mentioned Swansea, Newcastle and Liverpool. Exciting times. Let us go, then, you and I...
Continue reading...November 28, 2014
Golden goal: Terry McDermott for Liverpool v Aberdeen (1980) | Scott Murray
Poor old Steven Gerrard! A player fated – let’s assume away any unexpected 26-in-a-row winning runs or surprise transfers to Chelsea – to end an otherwise storied career without a Premier League winners medal. Should this be the case, the only appropriate response is … ah well. His European and domestic trophy haul still qualifies as Not Half Bad, while his status as a bona fide Liverpool legend is assured, rubber-stamped, unquestionably secured. That’s a cast-iron Guardian guarantee!
But should Stevie G still experience the odd dark night of the soul, he need simply rationalise it thus: his lack of Premier League success is simply the price paid for such a lofty position in the Anfield pantheon. Had Liverpool won a few titles since Gerrard arrived on the scene in 1999, logic dictates world-class players would have been ten-a-penny at Anfield during that time. But in a (relatively) undistinguished period in the club’s history, it’s been a little easier to stand out. Swings and roundabouts.
Continue reading...Scott Murray's Blog
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