Scott Murray's Blog, page 72

Watford 0-5 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened

Roberto Firmino scored a hat-trick, while Mohamed Salah took the breath away with an assist for Sadio Mane and a stunning solo strike

3 min: The corner is a non-event, but Liverpool are quickly back at the hosts, Salah slipping Rose down the right. Sissoko slides across to concede another corner.

2 min: Yep, a statement of intent all right. Van Dijk rakes a long pass down the right for Salah, who cuts inside. His shot deflects off Rose and over the bar for the first corner of the match.

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The Fiver | It’s not just Steve Bruce who could be taking his leave as manager

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We’re in that interregnum between the international break and the resumption of the Premier League in which nothing ever happens. This is where a bolt from the blue would come in mighty handy for The Fiver. A big story out of nowhere, please! The sacking of Steve Bruce, perhaps. But he’s on 999 career games as a manager and the folk in charge of Newcastle United are notoriously sentimental old sausages, so they’ll no doubt let him notch up four figures before the inevitable occurs. We’d ask them to throw us a bone, but, well, y’know.

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Andorra 0-5 England: World Cup qualifier – as it happened

England are one step closer to Qatar after a comfortable win

Andorra get the match started, launch it long, and lose the ball within ten seconds. England ping the ball around in brisk fashion. Saka has a quick look down the right but nothing doing.

The teams are out! Andorra are in their first-choice red, while England sport their white shirts. There’s a ceremony to honour Márcio Vieira, who is suspended tonight but recently reached the 100-cap milestone for Andorra. Then the national anthems are sung. England’s we know all about; Andorra’s is called El gran Carlemany (the Great Charlemagne) and tells the traditional tale of the big man recapturing the region from the Moors in the eighth century. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes.

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Brighton 0-0 Arsenal: Premier League – as it happened

Brighton were the better team, but lacked the cutting edge required to take all three points

46 seconds: Saka sashays in from the right, reaching the Brighton box. It’s a direct but skilful run, leaving a couple of men in his wake. He can’t quite sort his feet out for a shot, the eventual effort bobbling towards the bottom right and easy for Sanchez. But what a dribble!

Arsenal get the party started ... but only after everyone takes the knee. More applause greets the gesture. There’s no room for racism.

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Manchester United 1-1 Everton: Premier League – as it happened

Anthony Martial scored his first goal of the season but Everton secured a deserved point with a glorious counter-attack

2 min: Manchester United haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last nine games at Old Trafford. On the other hand, they’ve only lost twice here against Everton in the Premier League era. Some early pressing panics Pickford into a poor clearance through a thicket of red shirts; the Everton keeper is fortunate he somehow finds a teammate who calms and clears.

Everton get the match underway ... but only after everyone takes the knee. There’s no room for racism. The visitors will be kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half.

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Manchester United 2-1 Villarreal: Champions League – as it happened

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a 95th-minute winner to complete Manchester United’s comeback at Old Trafford

4 min: Villarreal have hardly touched the ball yet. The Old Trafford faithful are giving it plenty. Some pantomime catcalls for Alberto Moreno, formerly of Liverpool. Great atmosphere.

2 min: Telles has a little look down the left. He can’t find anyone in the middle with his cross. Then Lindelof tries to release Sancho with a long pass, but the ball squirts through to Rulli in the Villarreal goal. Finally Ronaldo considers shooting, but shifts the ball left to Fernandes instead. Fernandes - United’s captain for the night in Harry Maguire’s absence - hoicks over from the edge of the box.

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Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Manchester City: Champions League – as it happened!

Lionel Messi opened his Parisian account in spectacular fashion as PSG gained a modicum of revenge for last season’s semi-final defeat

2 min: Sterling is upended by Verratti out on the left. De Bruyne swings the free kick into the mixer. It’s easily cleared by the hosts, but this is a bright start by the visitors, who look in the mood to spread the play wide as often as possible.

1 min: City stroke it around the back a bit, then Laporte dinks one down the right wing. For a second, it looks as though Walker might be released, but Donnarumma is off his line quickly to claim on the edge of his box.

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The Fiver | PSG, Manchester City … it’s a big one all right

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Big Cup has come a long way from the innocent purity of its early years, when clubs implicitly backed by authoritarian regimes threw money at the best players from all around the world, sometimes from teams in pirate leagues with names like Millonarios, and made the competition its dominion. Yes, it’s PSG v Manchester City on Tuesday evening, and when we say Big Cup has come a long way, we are indeed making the counterargument in a heavy-handed style. Though to be fair, there are some differences: neither team has conquered Europe like Real Madrid did back in the day, for example, and Alfredo Di Stéfano was better than Lionel Messi, another position we’re taking in good faith.

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2020 Ryder Cup: USA 19-9 Europe – as it happened

Steve Stricker’s brilliant USA side routed Europe by a record score of 19-9 at Whistling Straits

Rahm never looks like making his 20-foot birdie putt. Scheffler tidies up, and it’s a fast start for the hosts in match three. Back on the tee, Sergio, sporting handsome mirrored shades, whips his opening drive down the track. It’s a wonderful drive, but nothing on the one DeChambeau pitches on the green! Coming down from high orbit, the ball holds. The crowd go wild. The guy’s a star, no matter what anyone says.

McIlroy draws a lovely iron into the downhill par-three 3rd. He’s pin high, eight feet from the pin. Schauffele is perhaps twice the distance outside. Meanwhile it’s advantage USA on 1, where Rahm chips his second to Lowry Country, while Scheffler releases his to four feet.

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Ryder Cup: day two – USA lead 11-5 going into singles

The US team had the upper hand again at Whistling Straits, leaving Europe hoping for a Sunday miracle

Koepka nearly drains the putt on 3. He’s a bit disappointed not to make America’s third birdie in a row, but it’s more than enough for three holes in succession. It’s two birdies and holes out of two for DJ and Morikawa, too; they make four on 2 while Europe were always out of position from the get-go. But some resistance at last! Bernd Wiesberger crashes a drive down 1, Viktor Hovland chips to three feet, and Europe’s first birdie of the day is enough to take the hole from Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. It’s something. Europe need a lot more in the face of America’s brilliant birdie barrage, but it’s something.

3UP Koepka/Berger v Rahm/Garcia (3)
2UP Johnson/Morikawa v Casey/Hatton (2)
Thomas/Spieth v Hovland/Wiesberger 1UP (1)
Schauffele/Cantlay v Westwood/Fitzpatrick
USA 6-2 Europe

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