Scott Murray's Blog, page 68

RB Leipzig 2-1 Manchester City: Champions League – as it happened

Kyle Walker was sent off as City ended the group stage in disappointing fashion and Leipzig made sure of their place in the Europa League

3 min: One corner leads to another, and the second take is no good, De Bruyne hoicking an aimless cross out of play for a goal kick.

2 min: A poor Gulasci clearance allows City to launch their first attack. Mahrez enters the box down the right and looks for Grealish in the middle, but his cross fails to beat the first man. City come again, though, Foden forcing the first corner down the left.

Continue reading...

The Fiver | Football governance, a select committee and … no wait come back!

Like this? Forward it to your friends and they can sign up here

Select committees are usually tedious affairs, and the one Tracey Crouch appeared before this morning was no different. But it is a slow news day, so let’s feign interest. Crouch was in front of the digital, culture, media and sport committee, you see, proselytising for her fan-led review of football governance, which makes several mild redistributive recommendations for the benefit of everyone, and has therefore been compared in some Premier League boardrooms to a year-zero purge, because this is the level of political debate in 2021 and we can’t have nice things. Not allowed.

Continue reading...

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

A Sterling-Silva service delivered all three points to the champions, who take advantage of Chelsea’s earlier defeat to go top

2 min: Sterling and Walker combine down the right, forcing Cathcart into the early concession of a corner. Laporte meets it, steering a header towards the top right. It’s heading in, Bachmann beaten all ends up, but Pedro heads off the line! What a start that could have been.

City get the ball rolling ... but only after the taking of the knee. Warm applause greets the gesture. There’s no room for racism.

Continue reading...

West Ham 3-2 Chelsea: Premier League – as it happened

Arthur Masuaku scored a freakish/sensational late winner as the Hammers twice came from behind to shock the leaders

3 min: Rice, released by Chelsea as a youngster, heads clear.

2 min: Chelsea hog the ball in the early exchanges. Then Diop pointlessly shoves Mount to the floor, out on the right. Free kick and a chance for Chelsea to load the box.

Continue reading...

The Fiver | Penny for the thoughts of Keane and Vieira that it’s come to this

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!

There was a time back there when Manchester United and Arsenal were the two best teams in the Premier League, and their showdowns were the fixtures that decided the season. Now, not so much, with the quality regressing to levels similar to the era before Arsène Wenger arrived on these shores with suitcases full of his new inventions, water and broccoli, and Fergie had drastically reduced the United starting XI’s 330-pint-per-session intake. As a result, tonight’s meeting of these old foes at Old Trafford is extremely unlikely to have a bearing on the season overall. But it may have a bearing on their seasons, and for that reason alone we should probably feign interest.

Continue reading...

Everton 1-4 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened

Liverpool scored four at Goodison for the first time since 1991

Here come the teams! Everton wear blue and Liverpool red, like you need to be told. A crackling atmosphere at this famous old stadium as the theme to Z Cars blasts out of the speakers. Benitez and Klopp embrace warmly. Before the match, there will be memorial applause to mark the passing of Ray Kennedy and Cliff Marshall. Fans of both sides have also clubbed together for a banner responding to the tragic murder of 12-year-old Ava White: “No more knives in our city.” We’ll be off soon.

Love is love. The Premier League does its bit for Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign this week, as clubs link arms to show their support for all LGBT+ people both in the world of football and beyond. Rainbow armbands, pin badges, ball plinths, substitute boards, LED perimeter boards, and of course laces, ahoy! More details of a celebration of solidarity, inclusion and love can be found here.

Continue reading...

The Fiver | Agent Rafa and a Merseyside derby set to be on a rolling boil from the get-go

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!

It’s the 239th Merseyside derby tonight. These things are spicy affairs at the best of times but tonight’s edition is likely to be on a rolling boil from the get-go. For a start, patrons are back, and with the kick-off set for a refreshment-friendly 8.15pm, many will be fully energised with a view to telling it as they see it. Secondly, Virgil van Dijk comes up against his old nemesis Jordan Pickford who, during this fixture last season, clattered into the Dutchman like a toddler high on a cocktail of 1970s orange squash, 1960s instant coffee and 1930s monkey glands, with predictable results. Thirdly, Rafa.

Continue reading...

Newcastle 1-1 Norwich: Premier League – as it happened

Teemu Pukki’s thunderous volley rescued a point for Norwich against a Newcastle side reduced to ten men after just nine minutes

3 min: Saint-Maximin and Lewis combine well down the left, the latter swinging a cross long in the hope of finding Wilson. Nope. Williams clears the danger.

2 min: There’s bedlam a-plenty in St James’ Park. A rare old atmosphere as Eddie Howe takes to the home dugout for the first time. What a noise! “I suppose it’s fitting that Howe is speaking to Amazon, because it’s time for him to deliver,” quips Peter Oh, never one to miss an open goal.

Continue reading...

The Fiver | Did Messi really have a better year than 53-goal Lewandowski?

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!

The Fiver isn’t in any position to accuse anyone else of living in the past, given we’ve spent the last 20 years banging on about ZX Spectrum games, regional ITV and Spurs. But really, the folk who vote for the Ballon d’Or will have to stop pretending it’s still 2011 at some point. Did winner Lionel Messi really have a better year than 53-goal Robert Lewandowski? Was sixth-placed Cristiano Ronaldo really better in 2021 than Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, Kylian Mbappé, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Erling Haaland, Romelu Lukaku, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Raheem Sterling, Neymar, Luis Suárez, Simon Kjær, Mason Mount, Riyad Mahrez, Bruno Fernandes, Lautauro Martínez, Harry Kane, Pedri, Phil Foden, Theme Pub O’Fiver, Nicolò Barella, Rúben Dias, Gerard Moreno, César Azpilicueta and Luka Modric? Was he? OK, we’ll give you Theme Pub O’Fiver, but other than that, our point stands.

Continue reading...

Alexia Putellas and Lionel Messi win 2021 Ballon d’Or – as it happened

Alexia Putellas won her first Ballon d’Or while Lionel Messi picked up his seventh

The ceremony is being hosted by Didier Drogba and journalist Sandy Heribert. Even by the spirit-sapping standards of these things, their scripted banter is painful and most unwelcome. None of the gags are landing. Fabio Cannavaro, winner of the Ballon d’Or in 2006, arrives and grins uncomfortably as a magazine cover of the Italian legend with the old nipples out is flashed up on the big screen for a very light smattering of forced laughs. Cannavaro puts up with it for a couple of minutes, then gets down to the business of announcing the winner of the Kopa Trophy for best young male player. It’s Barcelona starlet Pedri. Applause!

The 65th Ballon d’Or Ceremony has begun. In an absurd display of overkill, the two trophies are delivered to the venue in a shiny, expensive red car. It pulls up to the red carpet, whereupon two dudes in suits and motorcycle helmets, channelling Daft Punk, jump out, take the pots out of the boot and bring them into the arena. Is it actually Daft Punk? Nope, of course not, it’s Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon of F1 fame, for some reason. Some painful patter about the teams they support, Real Madrid and PSG. We’ll spare you.

Continue reading...