Scott Murray's Blog, page 85

February 25, 2021

Leicester out, Manchester United, Arsenal and Rangers through: Europa League clockwatch – as it happened

Arsenal, Manchester United and Rangers progress, while Leicester meekly bow out

10.12pm GMT

Jamie Jackson was at Old Trafford. His report is in, so you know what to do: click and enjoy. That’s it for this Clocko. Thanks for reading! Nighty night.

10.11pm GMT

So does a much happier Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. “You remember defeats more than wins. Especially semi-finals. We’ve had three of them, so this group feels hurt, and wants to go further. We are a group that’s very tight. We’ve had a few setbacks and knocks, but it lifts us, we want to go further. If you fail in three semis, you want to do better and improve. It’s exciting. It’s a group of players that will improve, because we’re still a young team.”

10.08pm GMT

A very gracious Brendan Rodgers speaks to BT Sport. “I felt I picked a team that could win the game. But we didn’t create enough tonight, and didn’t defend with any intensity. So we gave away two disappointing goals. The best team won, the best team got through, and we just have to recover and get ready for the weekend. They play a man-marking style so you have to be patient. We got into some good areas but lacked quality when we got there. We didn’t have enough quality to break them down. I don’t want to give too many excuses, but you can see what we have, injury wise. However, I still expected us to show up more. There will be learning from it. Tonight we weren’t good enough, and when you’re not good enough at this level you’ll get punished. Good luck to Slavia in the next round.”

10.01pm GMT

“I see Leicester brought on a midfielder called Tavares. If their centre-back can’t thread a pass through to him then Evans Must Be Missing An Angle.” Please be upstanding for David Griffiths, everyone. Speaking of Leicester’s meek exit, Paul Doyle witnessed it, and here’s his verdict.

9.56pm GMT

The full-time scores of the 8pm kick-offs.

9.53pm GMT

A bit of a non-event at Old Trafford, but 17-year-old Shola Shoretire, now United’s youngest-ever representative in Europe, will remember it for ever. As may poor Axel Tuanzebe, whose first-ever senior goal was wiped out thanks to the antics of his slapstick partner Victor Lindelof.

9.51pm GMT

Slavia Prague run out worthy winners at the King Power. Leicester offered nothing. Brendan Rodgers is yet to crack the European code.

9.49pm GMT

GOAL! Roma 3-1 Braga (Mayoral 90); agg 5-1. Well that wasn’t much of a consolation, was it.

9.49pm GMT

GOAL! Roma 2-1 Braga (Cristante og 87); agg 4-1. A late consolation for the Portuguese.

9.48pm GMT

GOAL! PSV 2-1 Olympiacos (Kouka 88); agg 4-5. PSV were going through on away goals ... until Ahmed Hassan Kouka had his say.

9.46pm GMT

GOAL! Club Brugge 0-1 Dynamo Kiev (Buyalsky 83); agg 1-2. Have the Ukrainian giants won it at the death?

9.45pm GMT

GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 0-2 Young Boys (Fassnacht 86); agg 3-6. Young Boys never lose it / Young boys always shiii-iii-iiine!

9.43pm GMT

86 min: Slavia have done a proper number on Leicester here. Kolar has been barely troubled in their goal. “I played in a Neil Young covers band (two gigs) called Neil Young Boys,” writes/admits Jon Collin. “We’ll reform if the price is right.” Anyone interested should contact the Guardian in the first instance. We’ll take no more than 15%.

9.40pm GMT

GOAL! Roma 2-0 Braga (Perez 74); agg 4-0. A breeze for the Giallorossi.

9.38pm GMT

It looks like Slavia Prague have made it to the last 16. Abdallah Sima drops a shoulder, nudges the ball to his right, and whistles an unstoppable shot into the bottom right from 25 yards. Such a lovely strike, and Brendan Rodgers’ continental misery looks set to last another year.

9.36pm GMT

77 min: A little bit of history is made at Old Trafford, where Shola Shoretire, 17 years and 23 days old, replaces Mason Greenwood. He becomes the youngest player to represent Manchester United in Europe, beating a long-standing record held since the early 1980s by Norman Whiteside (17 years, 131 days).

9.34pm GMT

75 min: Leicester still haven’t forced Slavia Prague keeper Kolar into action. “Could you help with some academic research via your readers, both of them in fact?” asks Graham Moger, the old charmer. “Am I the only one who uncontrollably blurts out ‘Young Boys!’ in the style of the Village People, every time I see the team name in print? The crux of my research paper will indicate I’m not alone in that habit.” I’m more of a mid-era Duran Duran man myself.

9.30pm GMT

71 min: Marko Gobeljic of Red Star Belgrade has been sent packing after picking up a second yellow in Milan. His team are currently going out on away goals, the tie delicately poised at 3-3 on aggregate. Stating the obvious, but that isn’t going to help, is it.

9.28pm GMT

70 min: Leicester continue to huff and puff. Brendan Rodgers can boast a fine domestic record, with positive contributions made at Swansea, Liverpool, Celtic and now Leicester. But he’s been conspicuously poor in Europe so far. Can his side help him buck a miserable continental trend?

9.26pm GMT

67 min: Martial swans in from the left and sends a pearler towards the top right. Just over. That was such a sweet strike.

9.25pm GMT

It’s a no-brainer of a decision. Poor Tuanzebe has the first senior goal of his career disallowed, thanks to the needlessly aggressive intervention of his defensive partner. Just a booking for Lindelof, which is probably right, it was clumsy rather than anything else, but you could certainly make an argument for his dismissal. Somewhere in the multiverse, Sociedad scored their penalty and United are down to nine men.

9.22pm GMT

64 min: But this might be chalked off, because Lindelof has clumsily leapt into Bautista. Leaping high and out of control, his knee whacks into the poor guy’s startled coupon!

9.21pm GMT

Tuanzebe rises highest at a corner to plant a glorious header into the top left. It’s his first senior goal!

9.20pm GMT

63 min: Barnes has a first gander down the left, but goes nowhere. Slavia remain in total control.

9.19pm GMT

60 min: Leicester get themselves some of that sweet triple-sub action. Albrighton, Amartey and Choudhury are replaced by Barnes, Ricardo and Castagne. Might as well roll the dice, with two goals required in the next half-hour.

9.17pm GMT

59 min: So here comes 18-year-old Amad Diallo, making his first appearance at Old Trafford. James trudges off shaking his head sadly.

9.16pm GMT

58 min: The in-form Dan James is down, clutching his calf. Looks like his evening is about to come to an end. “There’s a lot to be said for placing curses on football clubs,” begins Ian Burch, with reference to the earlier entry regarding Benfica banjaxer Bela Guttmann. “As legend has it, Birmingham City had a curse put on them back in 1906 which they’ve been trying to lift ever since. Former manager Ron Saunders supposedly had crucifixes placed on the floodlights while Barry Fry decided to do his bit to set things right by watering the corner flags in a way which possibly only Barry Fry and Aston Villa fans could think of doing. The curse was supposed to last for 100 years, but it doesn’t look like ending anytime soon.”

9.13pm GMT

55 min: United made a triple change at half-time, by the way, Bruno Fernandes finally getting some well-deserved rest. On come Rashford, Williams and Tuanzebe; Fred and Wan-Bissaka are the other two chaps to give way.

9.12pm GMT

GOAL! Bayer Leverkusen 0-1 Young Boys (Siebatcheu 47); agg 3-5. Just like Leicester, Leverkusen now need two goals to progress.

9.11pm GMT

52 min: United should be down to ten. Williams, having just been booked, sticks his studs onto the top of Merino’s boot. It’s clumsy rather than malicious, but nevertheless the young full-back is fortunate not to be walking.

9.09pm GMT

50 min: Meanwhile at Old Trafford, there’s action at both ends, Rashford inches away from steering a free kick into the bottom right, Sagnan planting a header onto the United crossbar.

9.07pm GMT

Slavia come again down the left. A deep cross by Stanciu. Provod is unmarked at the far post. He meets the dropping ball sweetly, sweeping into the bottom right. That’s a fantastic goal, though Leicester’s central defenders had gone AWOL.

9.05pm GMT

The second halves are underway. Almost immediately at the King Power there’s an almighty scramble in the Leicester box, Slavia Prague coming out of the blocks at pace. The hosts clear. But ...

8.54pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. It’s been a good couple of days for the Light Blues, hasn’t it.

8.52pm GMT

GOAL! JUST BEFORE HALF-TIME! PSV 2-0 Olympiacos (Zahavi 44); agg 4-4. Eran Zahavi scores his second of the evening, and it means his team go in ahead on away goals. So the half-times in the 8pm kick-offs look like this:

8.48pm GMT

Someone will need to do something at some point.

8.48pm GMT

La Real have had their chances to reduce the deficit and start dreaming about achieving the seemingly impossible. Most notably captain Mikel Oyarzabal’s absurd penalty. But here we are.

8.46pm GMT

45 min: More Leicester irritation, as Choudhury goes over a non-existent leg and claims a penalty he’s never going to get.

8.44pm GMT

42 min: Choudhury sends Vardy scampering into space down the left flank at the King Power. An opening to shoot doesn’t present itself, though, and Vardy ends up scooping harmlessly into Kolar’s arms from the tightest of angles. He boots the hoardings in frustration, a result of Leicester’s inability to get going this evening.

8.41pm GMT

40 min: Nothing to report. Arsenal and Rangers spoiled us earlier.

8.40pm GMT

37 min: Brendan Rodgers begins to chew his gum with Allardycian ferocity, as his Foxes continue to toil. “That penalty, eh!” begins Justin Kavanagh. “Oyarzabal looked like a man swaggering up to the bar to chat up Penelope Cruz … and tripping on his own shoelaces.” It definitely had more than a bit of classic sitcom-style ineptitude about it, like Del Boy falling through the bar, or Mainwaring inadvertently shopping Pike. Perhaps manager Imanol Alguacil should have arrived, stage left, and thrashed him with the branch of a tree.

8.34pm GMT

GOAL! Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 Krasnodar (Orsic 31); agg 4-2. Mislav Orsic gives the Croatians a cushion against the side from southern Russia.

8.30pm GMT

30 min: Leicester need to pick it up a bit. This tie, the first leg of which finished goalless in Prague, already has the gamey whiff of extra-time and penalties.

8.29pm GMT

GOAL! AC Milan 1-1 Red Star Belgrade (Ben 24); agg 3-3
GOAL! PSV 1 -0 Olympiacos (Zahavi 23); agg 3-4
GOAL! Roma 1-0 Braga (Dzeko 23); agg 3-0

A flurry of goals in ties that are in differing states of order and disorder.

8.25pm GMT

24 min: Bruno Fernandes, racing onto a Greenwood pull-back down the right, nearly recreates his astonishing goal against Everton the other week. A power curl towards the top left from 25 yards that pings off the crossbar and away. It’s not difficult to work out why Solskjaer wants to play him all the time; it’s just questionable whether he should, four goals up and all.

8.23pm GMT

Meanwhile, golf and Scottish football’s Ewan Murray rounded off a busy 24 hours with a trip to Ibrox. Here’s his verdict on another rollercoaster ride for the Teddy Bears.

8.22pm GMT

Nick Ames’ report on Arsenal’s last-gasp victory over Benfica has landed. Here ‘tis.

8.21pm GMT

19 min: Still fairly quiet on the east-midland front. Meanwhile back at Old Trafford, United continue to find themselves pinned back. Sociedad are stroking it around very nicely, the former United starlet Januzaj the latest to cause the hosts’ rickety defence some problems, swanning in from the right flank and nearly finding one of the three team-mates in the box.

8.18pm GMT

15 min: And the thing is, La Real could have scored three already. in the immediate aftermath of his embarrassing penalty miss, Oyarzabal rolls a delicious ball through the six-yard box from the left. Lindelof hooks clear just in time, with players waiting at the far post to tap home. Then Guevara creams a shot inches wide of the top right. It’s a good start from the Basques, with one fairly obvious caveat.

8.15pm GMT

13 min: PREPOSTEROUS PENALTY MISS AT OLD TRAFFORD! James concedes it, clumsily clipping Gorosabel, who was going nowhere. But no matter! Oyarzabal takes a Fernandesesque skip before taking the spot kick, and wedges it disgracefully high and wide left. Bruno makes it look easier than it actually is.

8.13pm GMT

GOAL! AC Milan 1-0 Red Star Belgrade (Kessie pen 9). So having said that, Milan score the first goal of the evening kick-offs. They lead 3-2 on aggregate.

8.11pm GMT

9 min: No early goals anywhere, in fact. Probably just as well, given the breathless end to the Arsenal game. Need some time to recover. Poor old Benfica, though. Yet another year without a European trophy for the two-time European Cup winners. Bela Guttmann will be up there laughing.

8.08pm GMT

7 min: How about those Rangers, though, huh, Peter Oh? “Rangers needed to work 9-5! What a way to make a livin’!” He’s only doing it so you don’t have to.

8.07pm GMT

5 min: Nothing of note has happened at Old Trafford yet. Time to ponder, then, on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s slightly strange decision to select Bruno Fernandes, who has clocked up the miles since joining last January and could surely do with a rest. Ruth Purdue elaborates: “So when Fernandes breaks down due to fatigue later on in the season, again, maybe, just maybe the manager will learn his lesson on managing workloads.”

8.04pm GMT

2 min: Leicester have started quickly at the King Power. A fine run down the right by Under. He tees up Soyuncu who spoons over. Then Vardy embarks on a busy run down the inside-left channel, only for his shot to be blocked.

8.01pm GMT

Yep, Napoli’s goose is indeed cooked. The game ends 2-1, and that means Granada Club de Futbol win 3-2 on aggregate.

7.58pm GMT

Thanks Ben. News of Napoli-Granada when we have it ... but unless something positively psychedelic happens in the eighth minute of injury time, the Italian giants are heading out. Meanwhile the teams are out in Manchester and Leicester. We’ll be off in a minute. A quick reminder of where the 8pm kick-offs stand after the first leg:

7.52pm GMT

Napoli v Granada (2-3 on agg) are into seven minutes of second-half stoppage time. Scott Murray will bring you the full-time result from that one, plus stay tuned for Leicester and Manchester United, of course ...

7.51pm GMT

Arsenal 3-2 Benfica (4-3 on agg)
Hoffenheim 0-2 Molde (3-5)
Ajax 2-1 Lille (4-2)
Napoli 2-1 Granada (1-3)
Rangers 5-2 Antwerp (9-5)
Shakhtar D 1-0 M Tel Aviv (3-0)
Villareal 2-1 Salzburg (4-1)

7.49pm GMT

Another entertaining game for Steven Gerrard and co.

7.48pm GMT

Arsenal advance to the last 16!

7.47pm GMT

7.46pm GMT

Home and dry at Ibrox.

7.45pm GMT

Full-time: Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 M Tel Aviv (3-0 agg)

7.44pm GMT

90 min: ... there will be four added minutes in Athens ...

7.44pm GMT

90 min: Into stoppage time in Arsenal v Benfica ...

7.43pm GMT

The La Liga side inch in front on the night.

7.43pm GMT

89 min: Arsenal send on Calum Chambers and Mohamed Elneny in place of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.

7.42pm GMT

David Neres strikes!

7.41pm GMT

88 min: Arsenal, as it stands, are heading through to the last 16 with Rangers, who are cruising against Antwerp in another goal-fest.

7.40pm GMT

What were you all worrying about? Aubameyang heads in Saka’s wonderful cross. Aubameyang cannot miss at the back post. The VAR checks for offside but the goal stands.

7.39pm GMT

86 min: Tierney crosses from the left but Benfica wallop it clear. Benfica break on the counter but back come Arsenal ...

7.38pm GMT

85 min: Benfica bring on Nuno Tavares in place of Grimaldo, who takes an age to trudge off the pitch ...

7.36pm GMT

84 min: ... Arsenal need a goal to save their season ...

7.35pm GMT

82 min: Arsenal need a goal to stay in the competition ...

7.34pm GMT

Looking very good. Rangers lead 8-5 on aggregate.

7.34pm GMT

80 min: Scott Arfield is on for Ianis Hagi at Ibrox. Rangers looking good to advance to the last 16. They lead 7-5 on aggregate ...

7.32pm GMT

Yusuf Yazici hammers in from 12 yards.

7.31pm GMT

77 min: Benfica gift possession to Arsenal, with Helton’s clearance closed down by Aubameyang. The ball runs kindly for Saka but the winger skews an effort wide. Always rising. Lacazette enters in place of Héctor Bellerín as Arsenal chase a late winner.

7.28pm GMT

75 min: Here comes Alexandre Lacazette ... stripped and readied.

7.26pm GMT

72 min: So, Bruno Fernandes starts for Manchester United. That game gets under way at 8pm (GMT) and Scott Murray will guide you through all the key moments. First, a stat via Opta: since the start of last season, only Fernandes (10) has scored more Europa League goals than Rangers’ Alfredo Morelos (nine, excluding qualifiers).

7.23pm GMT

69 min: Willian had a hand in the Arsenal equaliser, teeing up Tierney strike. He came on seconds after Arsenal fell behind, with Mikel Arteta hooking Dani Ceballos, who was at fault for both goals. Thomas Partey has also entered, coming on in place of the quiet Emile Smith Rowe.

7.22pm GMT

Deadlock broken!

7.20pm GMT

Game on! Kieran Tierney sends a left-foot bullet into the bottom corner after Willian, a substitute a moment ago, cut the ball back for the marauding defender. Tierney immediately waves his team-mates back to try and get another one. They need another goal because, as it stands, Benfica would prevail on away goals.

7.19pm GMT

A delightful player, and potentially a big goal.

7.17pm GMT

Manchester United: Henderson, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Bailly, Telles, Fred, Matic, James, Fernandes, Greenwood, Martial

Subs: De Gea, Grant, Bishop, Maguire, Rashford, Diallo, Shaw, Williams, Tuanzeba, Galbraith, Shoretire.

7.16pm GMT

63 min: Benfica lead 3-2 on aggregate!

7.15pm GMT

A defensive nightmare for Arsenal. Benfica welly the ball upfield from goal after an Arsenal corner ... Dani Ceballos inadvertently flicks the ball on – it is a dreadful, blind header – allowing the Benfica striker to surge through on goal. Leno rushes out to the D, Rafa Silva skips around him and taps into an empty net. Arsenal will need two goals to go through. Mountain-to-climb territory.

7.12pm GMT

It is raining goals at Ibrox. 7-5 on aggregate!

7.10pm GMT

57 min: Benfica make changes. Gabriel replaces Seferovic and Everton is on for Pizzi, one of their more lively players.

7.09pm GMT

Steven Gerrard promised they would go for the jugular and they now have a 7-4 lead. Ryan Kent, who teed up Morelos for the opener, strikes and surely Rangers are heading into the last 16?

7.08pm GMT

54 min: Patterson was in the doghouse last week but that strike gives Rangers a bit of breathing space on the night. They lead Antwerp 6-4 on aggregate with half-hour or so to play. Patterson, Bongani Zungu, and Calvin Bassey, all of whom started among the substitutes this evening, completed a period of self isolation after attending a party this month. The group were fined by the club, who were also in dialogue with the Scottish FA and government about the incident.

7.04pm GMT

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Amartey, Evans, Soyuncu, Thomas, Tielemans, Ndidi, Albrighton, Choudhury, Under, Vardy

Subs: Ward, Barnes, Ricardo Pereira, Mendy, Castagne, Fuchs, Jakupovic, Leshabela, Tavares, Flynn.

7.03pm GMT

50 min: Aubameyang has the ball in the net ... but the striker strays offside before dinking the ball in. This time it was Odegaard who slipped in the captain but otherwise it was almost a carbon copy of the Arsenal opener. There is a VAR check, but he is ruled offside.

7.00pm GMT

An inspired half-time substitution! Nathan Patterson, who replaced Leon Balogun at the interval, pounces in the box. It is a redemption story of sorts too, given Patterson was one of three Rangers players forced to quarantine after breaking Covid-19 rules.

6.58pm GMT

The second halves are almost upon us. Bjorn Kuipers is ready to get things started in Athens – no changes for Arsenal or Benfica at the break. My colleague, Paul Bellsham points out one oddity ... both teams are carrying the same shirt sponsor: Emirates.

6.44pm GMT

Arsenal 1-1 Benfica (2-2 on agg)
Hoffenheim 0-1 Molde (3-4)
Ajax 1-0 Lille (3-1)
Napoli 1-1 Granada (1-3)
Rangers 1-1 Antwerp (5-4)
Shakhtar D 0-0 M Tel Aviv (2-0)
Villareal 1-1 Salzburg (3-1)

6.41pm GMT

45+1 min: ... Arsenal look rattled by that equaliser.

6.40pm GMT

45 min: Benfica are hunting for a second before the break ...

6.38pm GMT

A belting free-kick! Diogo Goncalves bends a wonderful right-footed strike into the top corner, and postage-stamp territory. Ceballos was penalised for fouling Weigl. Benfica had not penetrated much but a sloppy foul – and an exquisite free-kick – gives them a route back in.

6.37pm GMT

41 min: Saka goes close! Ceballos slips in the winger and he gets a shot away ... but the goalkeeper Helton is alert and makes a fine save. It looked as though it may have been chalked offside anyway.

6.35pm GMT

The La Liga side open up a 3-1 lead on aggregate.

6.34pm GMT

38 min: Saka is looking really bright for Arsenal. He jinks away from one Benfica shirt and then debates taking on another but plays in Smith Rowe. Saka then spurts off, making a clever run into the box, but Smith Rowe doesn’t spot him and the chance evaporates.

6.30pm GMT

33 min: Jan Vertonghen raises the Arsenal alarm, heading over after beating David Luiz to a free-kick from the right. It loops harmlessly over in the end but Arsenal looked panicked for a moment.

6.28pm GMT

Ah. Rangers’ lead is not quite so insurmountable now. They are up 5-4 on aggregate with an hour to play at Ibrox. Jordan Lukaku picks out Lior Refaelov with smart pass, and he latches on to it inside the box and beats the goalkeeper.

6.26pm GMT

30 min: Arsenal win a free-kick just inside their own half. So far, so good. Since the start of last season, Bukayo Saka has provided more assists in all competitions than any other Arsenal player (17).

6.22pm GMT

The La Liga side level things up.

6.20pm GMT

24 min: Dani Ceballos takes aim from 25-30 yards but gets it all wrong and it screws wide. Arsenal lead 2-1 on aggregate!

6.15pm GMT

Who else? Aubameyang clips the ball over Hélton and it is a delightful finish – but it is all about the vision of the brilliant Bukayo Saka. The youngster spies Aubameyang’s run and slips a ball into the Arsenal captain, who dinks the ball over the Benfica goalkeeper. There was a VAR check for offside – and it was tight – but the goal is given. It was an incisive attack, all very Arsenal. That should settle any nerves. They’re in the box seat now.

6.15pm GMT

Molde lead!

6.13pm GMT

Mergim Berisha strikes! But they still trail 2-1 on aggregate.

6.11pm GMT

Davy Klaassen gives Ajax the lead, the former Everton midfielder heading in from Dusan Tadic’s cross.

6.10pm GMT

15 min: Benfica work the ball down the left flank and into Seferovic, who is in space and able to get a shot away ... but he scuffs his effort and it drags across the box. There was no one in support but the striker should have at least tested Leno there.

6.08pm GMT

12 min: Benfica break through Goncalves down the right flank after Taarabt sprays a pass wide. Arsenal cut the ball out near the penalty spot. They have seen plenty of the ball but Benfica have been compact and fairly mean opponents.

6.05pm GMT

That’s a big goal for Rangers. They now lead 5-3 on aggregate. Ryan Kent, leading the charge, wins the ball back in the Antwerp box before cutting back for Morelos to do the rest. Dream start at Ibrox.

6.03pm GMT

7 min: The more you see that Taarabt crunch on Gabriel, the worse it looks. It was a crude challenge and perhaps the Moroccan was fortunate to escape with just a booking, let off the hook given it was in the opening blows.

6.01pm GMT

The Serie A side lead. Game on!

6.00pm GMT

4 min: Taarabt gives Gabriel a bump and the Arsenal defender is not best pleased. The former Spurs midfielder is booked for a poor challenge, with his left boot planting on top of the Brazilian’s ankle.

5.58pm GMT

3 min: Bernd Leno makes his 100th appearance for Arsenal this evening becoming the fifth German player to reach the milestone for the club. The others? Jens Lehmann (200), Per Mertesacker (221) Mesut Ozil (254) and Shkodran Mustafi (151). Leno has had nothing to do so far this evening. Arsenal, dominating possession, have made an encouraging start.

5.57pm GMT

1 min: A bit of Arsenal-related news as Mikel Arteta’s side stride through midfield early on in Athens through Ceballos.

5.56pm GMT

We’re under way in Athens, at Ibrox, and beyond!

5.54pm GMT

A gentle reminder that Arsenal, despite flying four hours east to Athens, are at ‘home’ this evening. Away goals still count.

5.50pm GMT

Arsenal team news: Kieran Tierney is in at left-back to replace Cedric Soares but the midfielder Thomas Partey is back on the bench after recovering from a hamstring problem. The 18-year-old Karl Jakob Hein is among two goalkeepers on the Arsenal bench. The former Spurs midfielder Adel Taarabt starts for Benfica.

5.48pm GMT

Rangers team news: Nathan Patterson, Calvin Bassey and Bongani Zungu have rejoined Steven Gerrard’s squad after being forced to quarantine having breached Covid-19 rules. Captain – and talisman – James Tavernier and striker Kemar Roofe remain out injured.

5.26pm GMT

Essential pre-match reading:

5.17pm GMT

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Leno; Bellerin, David Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney; Ceballos, Xhaka; Ødegaard, Smith Rowe, Saka; Aubameyang

4.24pm GMT

It never stops, does it? After Manchester City made winning in Europe look worryingly look easy, no doubt Arsenal and Rangers will do their best to make a pig’s ear of the respective tasks facing them. Later tonight, Scott Murray will guide you through the going-ons at Old Trafford, the King Power Stadium and beyond.

Not one to up the ante or to indulge in hyperbole, Mikel Arteta has only gone and described their ‘home’ match against Benfica akin to a final. They drew the first leg in Rome and will now do battle in Athens, hoping to secure a spot in the last 16. Winning the Europa League is Arsenal’s best hope of qualifying for the Champions League after a run of two wins in six Premier League games has left them languishing in mid-table, 11 points off the top four.

Rangers, by comparison, are laughing. And not only because Neil Lennon has walked, with Steven Gerrard’s side on the brink of the Scottish title and unbeaten in 30 league games. Their first leg against Antwerp was a belter – a 4-3 win after they trailed with 10 minutes to go – but Gerrard just wants them to get the job done, whether it is another thriller or not. “We’re at home, we’re not going to sit and wait and protect,” he said. “This is our home and we want to show everyone how difficult it is to play against us.”

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Published on February 25, 2021 14:12

The Fiver | The world's greatest second-rate pan-European football competition

In days gone by, Big Vase was won by the likes of Ipswich Town, Gothenburg, a club known to most folk as Neverkusen, and Schalke, who are Germany’s version of Newcastle United, for goodness sake – and that’s being generous and polite. But the chances of any similar gusts of fresh air blowing across the continent these days seem slim. Take Wednesday night’s match between Spurs U-17s and Wolfsberger, which ended 4-0 to the mid-table Premier League outfit. The only whiff of a shock came in the post-match presser, when José Mourinho spoke quite nicely of Dele Alli. That it’s come to this for the greatest second-rate pan-European competition in the whole goddamn world.

*Insert Alan Partridge commentary here* ️

Nathan Ferguson with the cleanest strike you’ll see all season for @SUFCRootsHall! Sublime. #EFLonQuest #EFL #Blues pic.twitter.com/rFcC5hm0wb

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Published on February 25, 2021 08:10

February 19, 2021

Wolves 1-0 Leeds United: Premier League – as it happened

A wonderfully entertaining match was decided by a world-class strike from Adama Traore and some awful luck for Illan Meslier

10.27pm GMT

Ben Fisher was at Molineux tonight. His report has landed. You know how it goes: clickity click, enjoy, enjoy. Thanks for reading this MBM. Stay safe and warm, wherever you are. Nighty night!

10.26pm GMT

Bielsa’s take. “There were only very few moments when we didn’t dominate. The offensive game we created was sufficient to score at least one goal. In a game of small margins, we were the superior side. We had ten chances from different sources. I repeat that I think our offensive game was good. I don’t think we conceded dominance too often. Of course they have two wingers that are very dangerous, and thought we didn’t dominate them completely, but our defensive behaviour was good.”

10.22pm GMT

Nuno, smiling broadly, gives his verdict. “It was an important performance. A good attitude to compete against a very tough team. They have a unique approach to the game, that leads you to making the same high-intensity duels, and the boys did really well. There were many things that Leeds did not allow us to do. For some moments we were stronger, but they had their chances and created real problems. Players like Adama, when they have the ball and start running, they are really dangerous. And it was a beautiful strike. [Wolves’ struggle to defend set pieces] was one part of the plan that didn’t work out, and we have to improve. We’ll keep on chasing and working hard.”

10.15pm GMT

Leeds midfielder Tyler Roberts doesn’t seem too down, smiling wryly on BT Sport as he gives us his calm, considered, philosophical take. “It was a performance when the boys were digging it out and we pushed to the very end, but it just wasn’t to be today. The goal they scored was unfortunate, but we’ll take the positives, rest up, and go again on Tuesday. We’ve been working on the set pieces and the delivery was amazing today, it was just unfortunate that we didn’t get one in. It was good run from Traore, but it was a piece of luck that’s come off the bar and hit out keeper, it’s kind of a freak accident. I feel we bounced back well and pushed to the very end. It was a high-pressure game and both teams worked very hard. It just didn’t fall our way.”

10.05pm GMT

BT Sport talk to matchwinner Adama Traore. “I am very happy for the team. We worked through the 90 minutes. We know how Leeds play, with intensity. We followed the plan Nuno gave to us, to keep working, keep pushing, and to take our chances. We are happy for back-to-back wins. Every team concedes against Leeds, so we did really well with our effort to keep it 1-0. It does not matter [that the goal is an own goal] because the important thing is we win today, that is all that matters.”

9.59pm GMT

Wolves celebrate their hard-earned victory. Adama Traore’s glorious run and shot, which clattered off the junction of post and bar and went in off the back of the staggeringly unlucky Illan Meslier, was worthy of winning any match. So were the series of saves Rui Patricio made from Liam Cooper, who could quite easily have had a hat-trick tonight. Raphinha’s set-pieces were outstanding, while Patrick Bamford had an equaliser ruled out for a very marginal offside call. Leeds will wonder how they didn’t get something out of the match. Wolves leapfrog them into 11th place, a point ahead (33-32) having played a game more (25-24).

9.53pm GMT

A moment of sublime skill by Adama Troare, coupled with some outrageously bad luck for Illan Meslier, secures a Premier League double for Wolves over Leeds!

9.51pm GMT

90 min +4: Rui Patricio claws a Raphinha header out of the top-right corner! What a game the Wolves keeper has had!

9.51pm GMT

90 min +3: Raphinha finds Helder Costa with a long ball just inside the Wolves box. Costa, 12 yards out, fires the ball straight at Rui Patricio! What a chance to equalise!

9.49pm GMT

90 min +2: Nothing comes of the corner, but that’s not really the point. Wolves manage to keep the ball down by the flag for the best part of a minute. Leeds’ frustration is palpable.

9.48pm GMT

90 min +1: In the first of five added minutes, Neto is booked for taking an absurd amount of time over the corner. He clearly needs to work on his clock-management skills.

9.47pm GMT

90 min: Coady’s good to continue. Rui Patricio launches long. Cooper fresh-airs a clearing header, allowing Silva to advance on the Leeds box down the right. His low drive is deflected out for a corner.

9.46pm GMT

89 min: Roberts shoots from distance. The ball clatters into Coady’s startled coupon. He topples over. Play is stopped.

9.45pm GMT

88 min: Ait-Nouri drops a shoulder to glide in from the left, and is cynically brought down by Ayling’s hanging leg. Free kick in a dangerous position, just to the side of the box. Moutinho dummies to take, but flicks it to Neto, who wanders towards the corner. The gods of football retaliate by making him clumsily run it out for a goal kick. What a farce.

9.43pm GMT

87 min: Silva comes on for Willian Jose.

9.43pm GMT

86 min: Raphinha swings it in, but the whistle goes, someone in white having knocked Saiss to the floor.

9.42pm GMT

85 min: Struijk makes a hash of a simple clearance, allowing Moutinho to have a strike from 20 yards. His curler towards the top left is only just over the bar. Leeds go up the other end and force a corner, Roberts bothering Dendoncker down the left.

9.41pm GMT

84 min: For the first time in the evening, Leeds look as though they’re running out of ideas. They’re certainly struggling to retain possession, which isn’t like them.

9.39pm GMT

82 min: Wolves have to sub their sub. Marcal has tweaked something, and he can’t continue. He’s replaced by Ait-Nouri.

9.38pm GMT

81 min: Leeds make a double change, replacing Klich and Harrison with Helder Costa and Alioski.

9.37pm GMT

80 min: Wolves take their time over a series of throws deep in Leeds territory. The clock is very much their friend now.

9.36pm GMT

78 min: VAR has a check, though, and there really wasn’t much in that. Coady very nearly played him on. But the on-field decision is rubber-stamped. No goal.

9.35pm GMT

77 min: Leeds snaffle possession and tear upfield on the counter. Roberts slides a pass down the inside-left channel to release Bamford, who strides into the box and lashes an unstoppable shot into the top left. But the flag goes up for offside.

9.33pm GMT

75 min: Raphinha’s delivery is uncharacteristically poor. Wolves clear. Leeds come again, through Bamford down the left. He whips viciously through the Wolves box, but Rui Patricio calmly ushers the ball out for a goal kick.

9.31pm GMT

74 min: Roberts tries to burst down the middle and is checked by Semedo. Another set piece, another chance for Raphinha to cause a little bother.

9.30pm GMT

73 min: Dallas dances down the left touchline and feeds Harrison, who loops long. Too long. Decent field position is wasted.

9.29pm GMT

72 min: Hernandez and Dallas combine crisply down the inside-left channel, but they can’t quite open Wolves up and the ball dribbles through to Rui Patricio. This is a great game.

9.28pm GMT

71 min: Moutinho’s delivery is decent, but he’s no Raphinha, and Leeds clear easily enough.

9.27pm GMT

70 min: Wolves win a couple of corners down the right. The second leads to a free kick out on the right, conceded by the hand of Hernandez.

9.26pm GMT

68 min: In a parallel universe somewhere, Cooper has a hat-trick tonight, Raphinha three assists. How has at least one of those chances not gone in?!

9.24pm GMT

67 min: Another free kick for Leeds out on the right. Raphinha, whose dead-ball delivery is nothing short of outstanding, swings it towards the far post. Cooper continues his duel with Rui Patricio, extending a telescopic leg and prodding towards the bottom left, only for the keeper to parry out for a corner.

9.23pm GMT

66 min: What a shot by Traore. Such a shame the goal can’t be credited to him. It’s all his work, though. Leeds respond by replacing Shackleton with Hernandez.

9.22pm GMT

This is both sensational and so unlucky. Traore dribbles at pace down the left and drifts inside. He sends a rising heatseeker towards the top right. The ball crashes down off the junction of bar and post, into the back of the prone Meslier, who had just completed a futile dive, and into the net. It’ll go down as an own goal, but that’s harsh on Meslier, who could do nothing to stop Traore’s moment of genius.

9.20pm GMT

63 min: Raphinha’s inswinger is met by Cooper, who fires a header straight at Rui Patricio from six yards! Bamford tries to nod the rebound in, but Wolves scramble clear. So close to the opener. And then ...

9.19pm GMT

62 min: It’s getting a wee bit scrappy, this. Saiss goes jumping into the back of Klich, out on the right wing. Another chance for Leeds to line up on the edge of the Wolves box, waiting for Raphinha’s free kick.

9.18pm GMT

61 min: Traore barges into the back of Ayling, 35 yards out on the right. Free kick. Raphinha floats it towards Cooper, who loops a harmless header into the arms of Rui Patricio from the edge of the box.

9.17pm GMT

60 min: The first change of the evening, as Marcal comes on for Jonny.

9.16pm GMT

59 min: So having said that, the match descends into its first proper lull. A notable drop in pace and direction.

9.14pm GMT

57 min: Both teams are still going for this at a million miles an hour. It’s a fun match, and I have no idea how there hasn’t been at least three or four goals already.

9.12pm GMT

55 min: One corner leads to another, leading to an inconsequential shot by Roberts. Goal kick.

9.12pm GMT

54 min: Ayling makes good down the right and whips a low cross towards the near post. Raphinha lurks, waiting to prod home, but Coady bundles it out for a corner, just in time. A goal-saving intervention.

9.11pm GMT

52 min: Roberts ships possession in midfield, playing a backwards ball down the Wolves right towards nobody. Neto latches onto the loose ball and romps towards the box. He’s got Jose free in the middle, but opts to lash towards the top right from a tight angle. Wide and high. In the centre, Jose has his arms outstretched in irritation, the internationally recognised mime for Why Didn’t You Tee It Up For Me Here, You Selfish Get? He is wild.

9.08pm GMT

51 min: Neves has a speculative look from the best part of 30 yards. The shot finds the top-right corner of the stand behind the goal.

9.07pm GMT

50 min: Dendoncker tries to release Jonny down the left with a raking diagonal pass. It flies out for a goal kick. This half hasn’t quite got going yet.

9.05pm GMT

48 min: Traore whistles down the left, batting the ball alongside him with his left arm. Bump, set, spike. He has the brazen cheek to look affronted when the whistle goes for a free kick. Full marks for chutzpah.

9.03pm GMT

47 min: Leeds start the second half like they did the first: with plenty of statement possession.

9.02pm GMT

Leeds get the second half underway. There have been no half-time changes.

8.57pm GMT

Half-time postbag. “Ah, 1973. The UK joins the EEC, Roger Moore becomes James Bond, Last of the Summer Wine, Dad’s Army, Slade, The Sweet, T Rex, Ian Porterfield, Jim Holton. We had it all ahead of us, eh?” Today’s cheery lockdown fun has been brought to you by Simon McMahon. Now I come to think about it, I should have referenced 1972 anyway. Sorry, everyone.

8.50pm GMT

Half-time advertisement. There’s a new definitive history of the club so breezy and enjoyable it’s almost as though the pages turn themselves: The Biography of Leeds United by Rob Bagchi, formerly of this parish. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll never before have seen a youthful Jack Charlton described as looking “like a Postcard Records bass player”. Highly recommended.

8.47pm GMT

Not a second of added time. Everyone trudges off, spent after a high-octane first half. No goals, but plenty of entertaining football and the promise of more to come.

8.45pm GMT

45 min: Jonny curls high from the left. Meslier comes to the edge of his box to claim confidently.

8.43pm GMT

43 min: A 101mph lull, if that’s not a contradiction in terms.

8.41pm GMT

41 min: Neto barges his way down the right, and suddenly the Leeds defence parts like the Red Sea. Neto romps towards the box. A combination of a heavy touch, and Meslier reading the danger, allows the keeper to blooter clear.

8.40pm GMT

40 min: Dallas teases a low cross through the Wolves box from the left. Raphinha can’t quite reach it at the far post. Goal kick.

8.39pm GMT

39 min: See 36 min.

8.39pm GMT

38 min: Raphinha dribbles elegantly down the inside-right channel, enters the box, and hits a low cross-cum-shot that’s deflected across the face of goal, barely evading Roberts at the far stick. A corner is the consolation prize.

8.36pm GMT

36 min: All the corners so far this evening, by both sides, have been useless. That trend continues here.

8.35pm GMT

35 min: Jose slips a ball down the inside right for Semedo, who does well to reach the overhit pass and cream a shot towards the bottom right. Meslier turns it around the post for another Wolves corner.

8.34pm GMT

33 min: It’s now tipping down at Molineux. Poor old Bielsa looks soaked to the bone. He also looks like he doesn’t care about that at all, lost utterly in the game. Who can blame him? No goals yet, but it’s been a lot of fun.

8.31pm GMT

31 min: Neto clearly fancies his chances against Meslier. He cuts in from the right and again goes for goal from a distance. Cooper blocks this one.

8.29pm GMT

29 min: Then, up the other end, Wolves pass up a golden opportunity of their own, Neto flicking Semedo into the box on the right. Semedo goes for the bottom right, Meslier turning it around the post. Nothing comes of the corner.

8.29pm GMT

27 min: Wolves half clear the corner. Klich drives down the inside-right channel. He’s nearly at the byline when he surprises Rui Patricio by firing low from an absurdly tight angle. The ball clanks off the base of the post and out, the keeper very fortunate not to run it into his own net. The ball breaks to Struijk, who takes two attempts at the rebound. Both are blocked. How did Wolves survive that?

8.26pm GMT

26 min: Corner for Leeds on the right. One leads to another. Take two.

8.25pm GMT

25 min: Traore spins away from Klich and Cooper, wriggling out of a tight spot and romping towards the Leeds box. He wastes all of his good work with a loose pass, but what skill. Such a shame that didn’t lead to something.

8.24pm GMT

23 min: Leeds ping it around gracefully. It’s like 1973 all over again.

8.21pm GMT

21 min: Neto completes his triptych of early long-distance shots, sending one fizzing wide of the right-hand post. There is surely no way this game will end goalless.

8.20pm GMT

20 min: Saiss comes through the back of Bamford, who was busy shielding the ball down the Leeds right. It’s a free kick, but not, surprisingly, a yellow card for the Wolves defender. Raphinha swings it in. It’s a glorious delivery, and Cooper meets it with his head, six yards out. He really should score, but sends it straight at a grateful Rui Patricio.

8.18pm GMT

18 min: Neto certainly has his shooting boots on this evening. He pearls another long-distance effort through a crowd of players. It’s claimed well by Meslier. It’s also a wonder that shot didn’t take a nick off a defender and give the keeper some real issues.

8.17pm GMT

17 min: Both teams are moving the ball around at high speed. It’s at the cost of accuracy. The wind, swirling around this famous old stadium, won’t be helping matters.

8.15pm GMT

15 min: Now it’s Raphinha’s turn to have a dig from 25 yards out on the right. His effort is deflected, and Rui Patricio does well to readjust and gather a ball that was bouncing towards the top right.

8.14pm GMT

13 min: A great tussle between the number 22s down the Wolves right. Semedo goes shoulder to shoulder with Harrison, nearly barging past and into the box. The Leeds man holds firm, though. Both teams seem right up for this.

8.12pm GMT

12 min: Meslier is forced into action again, and how. Neto finds some space down the inside-right channel, drops a shoulder and curls a magnificent effort towards the top left. It’s heading in, but fingertipped away by the Leeds keeper. Nothing comes of the corner, but that was great football all round.

8.11pm GMT

11 min: Wolves earn their first corner of the match, out on the right. It’s half cleared, but returned with some feeling by Semedo, whose shot flies straight down Meslier’s throat.

8.10pm GMT

9 min: A long ball down the right nearly releases Raphinha. Leeds are getting plenty of joy down this flank. Meanwhile here’s Peter Oh: “Leeds fans might be heartened to know that here in the US, this match is being broadcast by a streaming service called Peacock.” In living color?

8.08pm GMT

7 min: Bamford cuts back from the byline on the right. Roberts dummies in the hope of teeing up Raphinha but the move doesn’t quite come off. Leeds are looking dangerous already.

8.06pm GMT

6 min: Traore has a look down the left this time. His cross finds the Leeds defence momentarily all over the shop, but Neto can’t take advantage at the edge of the box, and the ball’s eventually cleared.

8.05pm GMT

5 min: The first corner of the evening is a complete non-event.

8.05pm GMT

4 min: Traore drives down the inside-right channel and feeds Neto on the outside. There’s space and time, but Neto crosses too long. Leeds counter, Roberts feeding Bamford down the right. Bamford wins the first corner of the evening.

8.03pm GMT

2 min: Leeds see plenty of the ball in the early exchanges. Plenty of confident passing. Semedo then stops Bamford illegally as the Leeds striker advances down the left. Raphinha sends the free kick into the box diagonally. Too much juice on it, and it sails out for a goal kick. Shame for Leeds, who had men waiting unmarked at the far post.

8.00pm GMT

The hosts get the ball rolling ... but only after everyone takes the knee. There’s no room for racism. Kick it out.

7.57pm GMT

The teams are out! Wolves wear their old gold; Leeds march on together in pristine white. We’ll be off in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.

7.39pm GMT

Bielsa’s turn. He tells BT Sport, through his interpreter, that Leeds have put the defeat at Arsenal behind them, and are concentrating on this next game. He also says Leeds will miss Kalvin Phillips, of course they will, but they have managed before without him and will have to adapt.

7.37pm GMT

Nuno talks to BT Sport. “The boys played good, so the same team. The routines establish themselves easier when they play together many times, like they did before, and this is what we expect today. Leeds are unique and very difficult for any opponent. It is always very difficult to compete against Leeds because they have talented players, a unique approach to the game, and a very good manager.”

7.16pm GMT

It’s another night under the glamorous floodlights of Molineux. Any old excuse, eh?

7.08pm GMT

Both managers seem happy enough with the way things are right now. Wolves came from behind last time round to beat Southampton, so Nuno Espirito Santo sticks with the same 11 starters. Leeds, vastly improved in the second half of that topsy-turvy performance at Arsenal, make just one switch: Marcelo Bielsa selects Tyler Roberts ahead of Ezgjan Alioski, who drops to the bench.

7.02pm GMT

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Rui Patricio, Dendoncker, Coady, Saiss, Nelson Semedo, Neves, Joao Moutinho, Jonny, Traore, Willian Jose, Pedro Neto.
Subs: Hoever, Ait Nouri, Marcal, Silva, Gibbs-White, Vitinha, Ruddy, Kilman, Otasowie.

Leeds United: Meslier, Shackleton, Ayling, Cooper, Dallas, Struijk, Raphinha, Klich, Roberts, Harrison, Bamford.
Subs: Alioski, Casilla, Llorente, Helder Costa, Hernandez, Davis, Gelhardt, Jenkins, Huggins.

2.43pm GMT

It’s 11th versus 12th at Molineux tonight. Those positions are instructive. On their day, both of these sides are capable of excellence: take Wolves’ recent win over Arsenal and Leeds’ victory at Leicester. But they’re both capable of egregious nonsense as well, as hopeless recent defensive displays, against West Brom and Arsenal respectively, clearly illustrate.

Wolves can be very easy on the eye when they hit their groove. Leeds are always fun. Hopefully both teams are in the mood tonight. Goals, please! Kick off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!

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Published on February 19, 2021 14:27

The Fiver | Jordan Pickford coming like a boulder from an Indiana Jones movie

It’s the second Merseyside derby of the season on Saturday. You can be forgiven for forgetting what happened in the first one, what with this strange concertinaed season, the hectic schedule, the lockdown, the days and matches melding into one, the misery, the comfort eating, the drink, all that. It also doesn’t help that nobody ever refers back to the game in question, perhaps melodramatically framing it in terms of season-jiggering savagery, or refereeing atrocity that wholly justifies the subsequent Blackburnesque title defence. At least we’ve heard no word.

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Published on February 19, 2021 07:56

February 18, 2021

Sociedad 0-4 Man Utd, Antwerp 3-4 Rangers and more: Europa League – as it happened

Man Utd, Rangers and Spurs all scored four away from home, while Arsenal and Leicester drew with Benfica and Sparta Prague respectively

10.03pm GMT

Nick Ames has already filed his report of Benfica 1-1 Arsenal, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company and emails, goodnight!

10.00pm GMT

Peep peep! Rangers have a slight advantage after a crazy game that included a red card, three penalties - only two of them dodgy - and chances galore at both ends.

9.58pm GMT

Antwerp 3-4 Rangers The substitute Koji Miyoshi rifles an excellent shot that beats McGregor and hits the outside of the post!

9.56pm GMT

Antwerp 3-4 Rangers There are six minutes of added time in Antwerp. The other matches have all finished, and these are the final scores:

9.55pm GMT

Benfica 1-1 Arsenal That’s a decent result for Arsenal in a slightly low-key game, though it would have been better had Pierre-Emerick Aubayemang not missed two great chances. They should go through next week. Should.

9.54pm GMT

What a preposterous game of football!

9.53pm GMT

Barisic scores his second penalty of the night, sweeping the ball high into the net!

9.53pm GMT

Peep peep!

9.53pm GMT

PENALTY TO RANGERS AND ABDOULAYE SECK SENT OFF! Kent’s shot hits the hand of Seck, though he was trying to pull his arm out of the way. It’s checked by VAR but the decision stands. Seck was also given a second yellow card, so he’s off.

9.51pm GMT

Antwerp 3-3 Rangers Now the substitute Ryan Jack has cleared off the line from Ritchie De Laet! This is an absurd game.

9.50pm GMT

GOAL! Maccabi Tel-Aviv 0-2 Shakhtar Donetsk (Tete 90+3)

9.50pm GMT

Antwerp 3-3 Rangers Both teams almost take the lead in the space of 10 seconds. First Kent was played through by Hagi and clipped a left-footed shot that was saved with his legs by De Wolf. Antwerp broke devastatingly and moments later McGregor saved with his legs from Martin Hongla!

9.48pm GMT

Ryan Kent equalises with a belter! He played a neat one-two with Morelos on the edge of the area, skipped past Le Marchand and smashed the ball past De Wolf. Brilliant goal.

9.46pm GMT

GOALS! Lille 1-2 Ajax (Tadic 87 pen, Brobbey 89) Ajax have scored twice in the last few minutes in Lille! They’ve changed the narrative!

9.45pm GMT

Antwerp 3-2 Rangers The substitute Ianis Hagi has missed a great chance to equalise, shooting wide from eight yards after a brilliant cross from Barisic.

9.44pm GMT

“Adel Taraabt running straight at David Luiz,” weeps Matt Dony. “That is a match-up where literally ANYTHING could happen. Two players who redefined ‘mercurial’ (or, less charitably, ‘occasional genius paired with maddening inconsistency and hilarious errors’). I was amazed to see that Taraabt is only 31. It seems like a lifetime ago he was in the Premier League.”

He is/was astonishingly talented. The second goal here is a national scandal.

9.40pm GMT

Antwerp 3-2 Rangers The Antwerp keeper Alireza Beiranvand has gone off injured, with Ortwin De Wolf replacing him.

9.35pm GMT

The latest scores

9.34pm GMT

GOAL! Molde 3-3 Hoffenheim (Fofana 74) Molde have come from 2-0 and 3-1 down to equalise!

9.34pm GMT

Benfica 1-1 Arsenal Another good chance for Arsenal. Gabriel’s ball over the top finds Aubameyang, who controls it majestically on the run to move through on goal. But then, instead of shooting, he tries to cut back inside Verissimo and is tackled.

9.32pm GMT

Benfica 1-1 Arsenal Adel Taarabt surges through midfield and finds Everton on the left. He runs at David Luiz, cuts inside and whips a curling shot just wide of the far post.

9.31pm GMT

GOAL! Molde 2-3 Hoffenheim (Ulland Andersen 70)

9.31pm GMT

For the love of Scottish football. Antwerp have taken the lead again! Martin Hongla is given too much time on the edge of the D and whips an excellent shot across McGregor into the far corner.

9.29pm GMT

GOALS PLURAL! Lille 1-0 Ajax (Weah 72), Salzburg 0-2 Villarreal (Nino 71)

9.29pm GMT

Benfica 1-1 Arsenal It’s been a more even game in the second half, with Benfica carrying more of a threat. I suspect Arsenal would be happy with this result, although we said that in 1991.

9.28pm GMT

Antwerp 2-2 Rangers Arfield’s low cross shot is saved by Beiranvand. Rangers are much the better team at the moment.

9.25pm GMT

“On looking at said Portuguese table from 1990/91,” begins Jimmy Maloney, “I was amazed to see only 3 points separating a relegation place from a European place. Squeaky-bum times all round.”

That’s an excellent spot, although I’ve seen worse.

9.23pm GMT

With James Tavernier off injured, Borna Barisic steps forward and smacks the penalty through the hands of the diving Alireza Beiranvand. Rangers are level!

9.22pm GMT

PENALTY TO RANGERS! This time VAR does intervene, with Ritchie de Laet penalised for pulling the shirt of Alfredo Morelos.

9.21pm GMT

Benfica 1-1 Arsenal Benfica almost take the lead again. The substitute Rafa Silva beats Gabriel with ease, moves into the D and flicks a nonchalant shot with the outside of the boot. Leno springs to his right to push it away.

9.19pm GMT

The latest scores

9.19pm GMT

Antwerp 2-1 Rangers Joe Aribo almost equalises on the break, but Maxime Le Marchand boots his low shot away inside the six-yard box. Actually, replays suggest the shot might have been going wide anyway, though Le Marchand didn’t know that.

9.17pm GMT

Yes, it stands. It was beautifully worked: Odegaard slipped a lovely pass through to Cedric on the left of the area, and his precise cross was turned in from close range by Saka.

9.16pm GMT

NO GOAL! Molde 1-3 Hoffenheim Dabbur is denied a hat-trick by VAR.

9.15pm GMT

An excellent equaliser from Arsenal - but it’s being checked by VAR.

9.15pm GMT

GOAL! Molde 1-4 Hoffenheim (Dabbur 55) Munas Dabbur completes a hat-trick in Norway, and all but puts Hoffenheim into the last 16.

9.14pm GMT

Benfica 1-0 Arsenal It’s quite hard to see what happened with that penalty award. I’m pretty sure it hit Smith-Rowe’s hand, but it may have deflected off his body first.

9.13pm GMT

Pizzi scores with a swagger, stopping in his run up and then sliding the ball into the bottom-right corner. Leno went the right way but couldn’t get there.

9.12pm GMT

PENALTY TO BENFICA! Grimaldo’s cross hits Smith-Rowe, who is penalised for handball. His arm was up, though it may have hit his chest first and then deflected onto his arm. After a brief VAR check, the penalty is given!

9.11pm GMT

Benfica 0-0 Arsenal An excellent chance for Arsenal. Bukayo Saka surges thrillingly into the area, only to drag a tame shot wide of the near post.

9.08pm GMT

“There seems to be no VAR debates when the midweek Euro games are on,” says Ian Copestake. “Is that a) because they are not using it, b) they are but the refereeing is far better or c) because of Brexit?”

Obviously

you’re not a golfer
you haven’t been following the Rangers game. I suspect Steven Gerrard will have plenty to say about the penalty not being overturned.

9.07pm GMT

Benfica 0-0 Arsenal Benfica have made a lively start to the second half, with the captain Pizzi forcing an admittedly comfortable save from Bernd Leno.

9.07pm GMT

“Not really relevant to the football, but that was a wonderful song you linked to earlier,” says Matt Dony. “I’ve never heard of Lael Neale, but the Sub Pop logo was more than enough to tempt me. Until I was about 13, I desperately wanted to be Liverpool’s striker. Then I discovered music, and all I could dream of was signing a contract with Sub Pop. I have thus far conspicuously failed to realise either dream. Ah well. Still time, I guess.”

Especially with the way Firmino’s playing roflcopter.

9.04pm GMT

Peep peep! The second halves are under way. Most of them, anyway: Rangers are a bit behind due to the four hours of added time in the first half.

8.56pm GMT

Right, these are the half-time scores. Study them, digest them, embrace them while I get a drink.

8.54pm GMT

Half time: Antwerp 2-1 Rangers How did that happen? Rangers were good for most of the first half yet they find themselves 2-1 down. Their frustration will be compounded by the fact the penalty was such a soft one, with Davis barely touching Refaelov.

Rangers have also lost two players to injury: James Tavernier early on and now Kemar Roofe, who was replaced by Ryan Kent just before the penalty.

8.53pm GMT

Refaelov curls he penalty over McGregor, who went the right way but couldn’t reach it.

8.52pm GMT

PENALTY TO ANTWERP! Steven Davis has been penalised - harshly, I think - for a challenge on Refaelov. We’re in the seventh of four added minutes.

8.50pm GMT

GOAL! Molde 1-3 Hoffenheim (Baumgartner 45+3)

8.47pm GMT

Half time: Benfica 0-0 Arsenal A low-key first half in Rome. Arsenal were the dominant side, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed an absolute sitter, but the pace of play has been very slow.

8.46pm GMT

Antwerp have equalised out of nothing! A free-kick on the right was curled towards the edge of the Rangers area, where Felipe Avenatti strained his neck muscles to loop a superb header over McGregor and into the corner. That’s a brilliant finish.

8.43pm GMT

“‘Kenedy, on loan from Chelsea’,” says Ed Rostron of the Granada goalscorer. “Do you think it’ll say that on his gravestone?”

8.42pm GMT

GOAL! Salzburg 0-1 Villarreal (Alcacer 41) Paco Alcacer has put Villarreal in front in Austria.

8.41pm GMT

GOAL! Molde 1-2 Hoffenheim (Ellingsen 41) Martin Ellingsen gets one back for Molde.

8.40pm GMT

Rangers take the lead! The keeper Alireza Beiranvand came a long way off his line to dive at the feet of Roofe, but the ball slithered out of his grasp towards Morelos. He laid it back to Joe Aribo, who curled the ball calmly into the empty net from 25 yards. After a slow start, Rangers have been the better team and deserve to be in front.

8.38pm GMT

“Naples calling,” says Colum Fordham. “A bit of a nightmare start for Napoli with manager Rino Gattuso under pressure. Napoli just edged The Arch Enemy Juventus on Saturday 1-0 but this doesn’t bode well for their Europa League hopes. Hope local heartthrob Insigne comes up with a bit of magic.”

Imagine telling Rino Gattuso he’s fired. I’d probably do it via WhatsApp and then change the locks.

8.33pm GMT

GOAL! Maccabi Tel-Aviv 0-1 Shakhtar Donetsk (Patrick 31) And it’s in there from Alan Patrick!

8.32pm GMT

Benfica 0-0 Arsenal A good Benfica attack ends with a low shot from Darwin Nunez that is saved at the second attempt by Leno.

8.31pm GMT

Benfica 0-0 Arsenal On that Benfica team of 1991, look what they had to do just to qualify for the European Cup. FC Porto finished second with the equivalent of 98 points (it was two for a win in those days).

8.30pm GMT

Antwerp 0-0 Rangers An excellent chance for Morelos, who goes through one on one but hammers his shot straight at Alireza Beiranvand.

8.28pm GMT

GOAL! Molde 0-2 Hoffenheim (Dabbur 28) A second goal for Munas Dabbur.

8.26pm GMT

Wolfsberger 1-4 Spurs

8.26pm GMT

Benfica 0-0 Arsenal Every time I look at this game, Arsenal have the ball. Charles Antaki will be thrilled to hear that Benfica don’t look up to much.

8.24pm GMT

Antwerp 0-0 Rangers Tavernier is replaced by Leon Balogun.

8.23pm GMT

GOAL! Granada 2-0 Napoli (Kenedy 21) Two in three minutes for Granada! Kenedy, on loan from Chelsea, has got the second.

8.22pm GMT

Antwerp 0-0 Rangers The Rangers captain Jame Tavernier is struggling after injuring his knee during a block tackle on the edge of the Antwerp area. I don’t think he’ll be able to continue.

8.21pm GMT

GOAL! Granada 1-0 Napoli (Herrera 19) Yangel Herrera has put Granada ahead in - where’s this being played - Granada.

8.19pm GMT

Benfica 0-0 Arsenal Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has missed a rare old sitter, sliding Bellerin’s low cross past the post from eight yards. That was a shocking miss for a player of his class.

8.18pm GMT

There isn’t a huge amount going on. These are the latest scores:

8.18pm GMT

“Lovely Arsenal v Benfica video you shared, and super nice to see Yuran and Kulkov combining to score,” says Philip Bickerstaffe. “Not something we saw much of five years later when they both came to the Den to join Millwall.”

That’s the year you were relegated after being top early in the season, isn’t it? Or was that 1989-90?

8.15pm GMT

Benfica 0-0 Arsenal Sterile domination so far from Arsenal, though I suppose that’s better than being 4-0 down. They have looked confident in possession, if slightly one-paced.

8.14pm GMT

“Evening Rob,” says Tom Hopkins. “As a lad, this was routinely presented to me as the peak of sporting achievement, so any game involving Benfica still has a certain frisson. I assume Eusebio is not playing tonight though?”

It would be quite the story if he was.

8.11pm GMT

The first goal of the 8pm games has been scored: Munas Dabbur has put Hoffenheim ahead away to Molde.

8.10pm GMT

Antwerp 0-0 Rangers Not much going on in Antwerp, though Premier League alumnus Ritchie De Laet has just driven wide from long range.

8.09pm GMT

Slavia Prague 0-0 Leicester

8.09pm GMT

Real Sociedad 0-4 Manchester United

8.07pm GMT

Benfica 0-0 Arsenal Bellerin wins a corner for Arsenal, who have made an assured start in Rome. Nothing comes of it but Mikel Arteta will be pleased with how his team have started.

8.06pm GMT

“Hi Rob,” says Charles Antaki. “I remember Benfica is being absolutely wonderful in the, when was it, 80s? 90s? I haven’t looked it up to see how good they are at the moment. I could do; but it would only worry me. Could you say a word or two about them being absolutely dreadful, just to give a bit of comfort to Arsenal fans as we start?”

Actually, they’re not having a great season – they’re fourth in the league, miles behind the runaway leaders Sporting Lisbon.

8.04pm GMT

“Saka, Smith-Rowe, Odegaard and Auba starting today after starting vs Leeds,” says Emmanuel Dairo. “Does it mean Arteta has written off the City game on Sunday as a loss?”

Either that or he wants to win this game.

8.03pm GMT

Tonight’s match in Rome is the first time Arsenal have met Benfica since that traumatic night at Highbury in 1991. You’re welcome.

8.00pm GMT

Peep peep! The 8pm games are under way.

7.58pm GMT

Arsenal have named an unchanged side for the first time since September 2018, it says here. Crikey.

7.57pm GMT

Cheers Scott, hello everyone. There’s an 82-second break, give or take, between matches. Why not fill it with a bit of fragile beauty?

7.53pm GMT

So that’s all the 5.55pm kick-offs done and dusted, but there are a load of 8pm kick-offs still to come. Time to hand over to your friend and mine, Mr Rob Smyth, who’ll take you by the hand and treat you real nice.

7.52pm GMT

Here are the full-times in the other matches, then.

7.50pm GMT

Young Boys reclaim the lead against Bayer Leverkusen at the death! Theoson Siebatcheu snatches an 89th-minute winner to secure a remarkable 4-3 win. Leverkusen will be sickened after coming back from three down, though those away goals will stand them in good stead come the second leg. Meanwhile a late equaliser for ten-man Red Star Belgrade against Milan, the appropriately named Milan Pavkov with that one.

7.48pm GMT

Real Sociedad 0-4 Manchester United
Slavia Prague 0-0 Leicester City
Wolfsberger AC 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur

7.45pm GMT

Vinicius with the reflex, poking home from close range. Wolfsberger are on a ride and they want to get off.

7.42pm GMT

James zips down the right flank, cuts inside, and nutmegs the keeper at the near post. Easy as that. United have been rampant; La Real a rabble.

7.40pm GMT

Spurs and United continue to run down the clock, while Leicester search in desperate fashion for that crucial away goal. “Interesting that Spurs are playing their Austrian opponents in Budapest, in the same stadium where Liverpool took on Germany’s RB Leipzig. With apologies to Duran Duran, this is certainly no Ordinary World we find ourselves in at the moment. The ‘home’ team look so starved for chances, you might say they’re Hungary Like the Wolfsberg.” New romantic satirist Peter Oh, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the industrial quantities of cocaine.

7.37pm GMT

Iyayi Atiemwen restores Dinamo Zagreb’s lead in short order. They’re 3-2 up at Krasnodar. Otherwise, a lull descends across Europe.

7.34pm GMT

Now Greenwood drags a shot wide left from 12 yards. As fine as United have been tonight, Real Sociedad are a shambles. Meanwhile Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes Ruth Purdue’s hint and takes off Fernandes, albeit on 83 minutes with his side long home and hosed. He’s replaced by Mata.

7.32pm GMT

Fernandes remains on the pitch, and here he is rampaging down the middle of the park, releasing James into acres down the right. James enters the box and slaps his shot straight at the keeper. United could quite easily have run up a cricket score this evening.

7.29pm GMT

Krasnodar’s Viktor Claesson has made it 2-2 against Dinamo Zagreb. Elsewhere, Manchester United and Tottenham are coasting home. “Fernandes needs to come off now,” argues Ruth Purdue. “That’s now, not in minutes 80. He burnt out last season due to not being rested. Sir Alex understood when to take/rest his best players when there was a large lead.”

7.25pm GMT

Never say Neverkusen! The comeback is complete! Moussa Diaby’s 68th-minute goal has drawn Bayer Leverkusen, three down at the break, level at Young Boys! Meanwhile a Theo Hernandez penalty has given Milan a 2-1 lead at Red Star.

7.23pm GMT

Still goalless between Slavia Prague and Leicester, though that’s not to say there’s nothing of interest to report. “I am watching Europa League match Slavia Prague against Leicester City,” begins Giorgio. “I am pretty used to empty stadium sound ambience, so I was pretty distracted when I heard jeering and whistling against Leicester during the match. I was wondering who possibly could do these sounds in the empty stadium. Luckily a photographer form Deník Sport newspaper made a picture. Apart from usual suspects from our political scene you can see our former Minister of Health Roman Prymula who just today called for complete lockdown (and who had to step down in October after he himself violated covid 19 restrictions imposed by himself). I can’t watch the game anymore.”

Kromě tradičních celebrit typu Mynáře nebo Vondry dorazil na fotbal Slavia - Leicester i Roman Prymula (dolní řada, druhý zleva). Někdo má holt kliku.
Foto: Pavel Mazáč (@DenikSport) pic.twitter.com/9YkkRU64LE

7.19pm GMT

United find the net again, Greenwood roaring down the left wing and slipping the ball across for James, who sidefoots off the base of the right-hand post and into the net. But this one’s offside, Greenwood having gone a wee bit too early. There wasn’t much in it, though, and United look in the mood to finish this tie off tonight, if they haven’t done that already.

7.17pm GMT

This is too easy ... or are Manchester United simply making it look too easy? Fred strokes a perfectly weighted pass down the inside-left channel to release Rashford, who enters the box, opens his body, and sidefoots across Remiro and into the bottom right. You could argue that United should have scored six tonight. They may yet manage it!

7.14pm GMT

Mind you, great as that United move was, they were helped by some more thoroughly confused Sociedad defending. James and Fernandes were given free rein to run all sorts of baroque patterns without challenge. “Is it fair to say that Real Sociedad are a tribute act to the Manchester United defence of that comical night against Istanbul Basaksehir last November?” wonders Justin Kavanagh. Meanwhile elsewhere, a Guelor Kanga penalty has levelled things up for Red Star against AC Milan, while Bruno Petkovic makes it 2-1 for Dinamo Zagreb at Krasnodar.

7.12pm GMT

A lovely goal, this. Rashford breezes down the left and passes infield for Fernandes. But Fernandes leaves it for James, just behind him. James flicks it instantly back into Fernandes’s path. Fernandes does what Fernandes does, steering the ball delightfully into the bottom right. There’s an interminable wait for VAR to check things, because the flag’s gone up for offside ... but the goal’s given. That was some mighty fine football.

7.09pm GMT

The Wolfsberg captain Liendl steps up and rolls the penalty into the bottom left.

7.07pm GMT

Penalty for Wolfsberger AC! Sissoko dozes, allowing himself to be robbed in the box by Wemitznig. Sissoko sticks out a leg and brings his opponent down. What a brain fade. Out of nothing!

7.04pm GMT

Well, well, well. Another goal for Patrik Schick, three minutes after his first, and suddenly it’s Young Boys 3-2 Bayer Leverkusen. The extremely unlikely suddenly looks more than possible.

7.01pm GMT

Is the big Bayer Leverkusen comeback on? Well, probably not, but Patrik Schick has pulled a goal back on 49 minutes against the Young Boys. It’s 3-1.

7.00pm GMT

Spurs meanwhile have sent on Carlos Vinicius against Wolfsberger AC. Son has contributed more than enough already and is rewarded with the chance to fling his boots up onto the desk. Other big challenges lie ahead.

6.58pm GMT

The second halves are underway. Real Sociedad are on the front foot immediately, Le Normand channelling his inner Beckenbauer by striding forward and creaming a long-range shot towards the top right. Henderson is always going to claim it easily, but it was a sweet strike nonetheless.

6.56pm GMT

Benfica (3-5-1-1) Leite; Verissimo, Otamendi, Vertonghen; Diogo Goncalves, Taarabt, Weigl, Pizzi, Grimaldo;

Isaias
Waldschmidt; Nunez
Substitutes: Svilar, Vlachodimos, Gilberto, Everton, Gabriel, Cervi, Seferovic, Chiquinho, Rafa Silva, Pedrinho, Nuno Tavares, Joao Ferreira.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Leno; Bellerin, David Luiz, Gabriel, Cedric; Ceballos, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe; Aubameyang.
Substitutes: Ryan, Hein, Tierney, Lacazette, Willian, Holding, Pepe, Chambers, Pablo Mari, Elneny, Nketiah, Martinelli.

6.56pm GMT

Antwerp (3-4-2-1) Beiranvand; Seck, Le Marchand, De Laet; Buta, Boya, Hongla, J Lukaku; Refaelov, Gerkins; Avenatti.
Substitutes: Chevaughn, De Wolf, Verstraete, Miyoshi, Nsimba, Ampomah, Gelin, Pavlic, Van Den Bosch.

Rangers (4-3-3) McGregor; Barisic, Helander, Goldson, Tavernier; Arfield, S Davis, Kamara; Roofe, Morelos, Aribo.
Substitutes: McLaughlin, Hagi, Jack, Itten, Kent, Wright, Stewart, Balogun, Simpson.

6.47pm GMT

A flurry of activity just before half-time. Meschack Elia makes it 3-0 for Young Boys against Bayer Leverkusen, while Youssef El Arabi restores Olympiacos’s lead over PSV Eindhoven. It’s 3-2, and that looks like a cracker. So here are the other half-times in the 5.55pm kick-offs...

6.44pm GMT

6.41pm GMT

Theo Hernandez thought he’d given AC Milan the lead at Red Star Belgrade on 12 minutes. That was chalked off by VAR, but the Italians are ahead now, Radovan Pankov putting through his own goal.

6.39pm GMT

In the blink of an eye, the 1-1 scoreline between Olympiacos and PSV has turned into 2-2. Yann M’Vila put the hosts ahead on 37 minutes, only for Eran Zahavi to score his second for the Dutch side two minutes later.

6.36pm GMT

Real Sociedad are beginning to ask a few questions of United. Greenwood, of all people, is forced to slice over his own bar under severe pressure; Bailly hacks a header off the line. A couple of textbook examples of last-ditch defending. Grant Tennille is watching this game in the US, and reports: “Watching the Spanish channel feed of the United game, and you’ll not be surprised to learn the commentators were just name-checking Larry, Curly, and Moe.”

6.33pm GMT

“How did Januzaj react to the United goal?” wonders Robin Hazlehurst. “Please tell us he was in mid mid-air-fist-pump when he remembered where he was.” I can report that he’s not looking particularly happy right now, having just clanked a witless cross out of play when in a load of space just inside the United box on the left. Meanwhile Marcus Berg has equalised for Krasnodar against Dinamo Zagreb: it’s 1-1.

6.31pm GMT

Spurs have one foot in the last 16 already. Moura shimmies his way past two defenders down the inside-left channel, gives the keeper the eyes, and passes the ball into the bottom left. That’s another sensational effort. All three of Tottenham’s goals have been a delight.

6.28pm GMT

Wolfsberger AC nearly haul themselves back into contention immediately. Vizinger sends a close-range header towards the top left, but Lloris fingertips it onto the bar and Spurs clear their lines.

6.26pm GMT

This is lovely! Bale scampers down the right, after Doherty’s through ball. He’s level with the six-yard box, and stops dead, pulling the ball back and sending Scherzer aquaplaning off the pitch. He then opens his body and curls powerfully into the top left. Gorgeous goal! He’s still got it, you know.

6.23pm GMT

It’s fair to say this had been coming. A simple ball shovelled down the inside-left channel. Remiro comes off his line and clatters into both Zubeldia and Le Normand. The three Sociedad players crumble in a heap as Fernandes swans past and walks the ball into the unguarded net. What a slapstick farce!

6.19pm GMT

PSV have equalised at Olympiacos. Eran Zahavi on 14 minutes. Young Boys are now 2-0 up against Bayer Leverkusen, Theoson Siebatcheu after 19 minutes. And Bruno Petkovic has put Dinamo Zagreb ahead at Krasnodar after 15.

6.16pm GMT

Leicester have been knocking at the door in Prague. They should be a goal up, the ball dropping to Barnes, in space in an otherwise crowded area, on the left-hand edge of the six-yard box. He pulls his shot into the side netting. What a chance!

6.15pm GMT

And another! The Sociedad back line is a sick joke. Telles sends Fernandes bombing down the left, in acres of space. Rashford is free in the middle. Fernandes sets one up on a plate. Rashford, on the penalty spot, meets the ball first time and aims for the bottom left. The keeper blocks again. This is absurd, and great fun.

6.13pm GMT

Another huge chance in Turin! McTominay bursts into the Sociedad box down the right, and is one on one with Remiro. He fires towards the near post, and the keeper hacks clear. A fine save, though he shouldn’t have been allowed to make it. Somewhere in the multiverse, this game is 2-2. It should be 2-2. Both defences are in full Slapstick Mode.

6.11pm GMT

Spurs take the lead against their Austrian opponents! Doherty worms his way down the right and feeds Bale, who clips back from the byline towards Son. The striker crouches and steers a delightful header across the keeper and into the bottom right. Kind of a mirror image of one of Ian Rush’s goals in the 1989 FA Cup final. Sort of. If you remember that.

6.09pm GMT

A fine burst down the United left by Rashford, who feeds Telles on the overlap. The resulting cross is dangerous, but headed powerfully clear by Monreal. Meanwhile Andreas Bouchalakis gives Olympiacos the lead against PSV on nine minutes.

6.05pm GMT

Wan-Bissaka goes into the book for a crude lunge on Nacho Monreal from behind. Meanwhile here’s a reassuring word from Alex Brown: “Folk don’t unsubscribe from The Fiver in disgust. Just a vague sense of disappointment.”

6.03pm GMT

Five minutes into the game between Wolfsberger AC and Spurs, and Son cuts in from the right and nearly curls delightfully into the bottom left. It’s lively elsewhere, too, Eden Dzeko giving Roma an early lead away to Braga, Young Boys going one up at home to Bayer Leverkusen, Christian Fassnacht opening the scoring on three minutes.

6.00pm GMT

It’s an absurd start to the game in Turin. Seconds after Januzaj’s attempt on goal, Rashford is sent clean through down the other end! He’s denied by Remiro in the Sociedad goal. And then Alexander Isak goes racing towards the United goal, firing towards the bottom right, forcing Henderson into a save. Just over two minutes gone, and the score could be - should be - Real Sociedad 2-1 Manchester United. As it stands, it’s still 0-0.

5.58pm GMT

Nearly the perfect start for former Manchester United starlet Adnan Januzaj! Space down the right. He opens his body, and nearly Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Days one into the top left! Inches wide and high. Henderson was beaten all ends up.

5.56pm GMT

There’s already been one match played in the Round of 32 tonight. Dynamo Kyiv have drawn 1-1 against Club Brugge.

5.54pm GMT

The teams are out! Of the three English clubs kicking off in a minute, only Leicester are wearing their first-choice clobber. Manchester United have chosen to play in black, despite their red kit not clashing with La Real’s blue and white, while Spurs are forced into third-choice tangerine by the famous Pellets of Wolfsberger AC. Off in a minute!

5.47pm GMT

Today’s Fiver concerns the Real Sociedad v Manchester United tie. Subscribe now for your daily fix o’ football fun! You can always unsubscribe in disgust later.

5.25pm GMT

A reminder that Covid concerns have taken their toll on these fixtures. Manchester United are denied a visit to lovely San Sebastian; they’ll take on Real Sociedad in Juventus’s stadium in Turin ...

5.06pm GMT

Slavia Prague: Kolar, Bah, Kudela, Zima, Boril, Sima, Stanciu, Holes, Provod, Olayinka, Kuchta.
Subs: Deli, Stejskal, Dorley, Hromada, Traore, Masopust, Kovar, Lingr.

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Amartey, Evans, Soyuncu, Thomas, Ndidi, Tielemans, Albrighton, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy.
Subs: Ward, Iheanacho, Under, Choudhury, Mendy, Fuchs, Jakupovic, Leshabela, Tavares, Flynn.

5.02pm GMT

Wolfsberger AC: Kofler, Novak, Baumgartner, Lochoshvili, Scherzer, Sprangler, Taferner, Liendl, Wernitznig, Joveljic, Vizinger.
Subs: Giorbelidze, Henriksson, Peric, Pavelic, Dieng, Rnic, Leitgeb, Stratznig, Rocher, Skubl, Schofl, Kuttin.

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Doherty, Dier, Alderweireld, Davies, Sissoko, Winks, Bale, Alli, Lucas Moura, Son.
Subs: Hojbjerg, Sanchez, Lamela, Hart, Bergwijn, Tanganga, Ndombele, Whiteman, Vinicius, Scarlett, Bowden, Lavinier.

4.59pm GMT

Real Sociedad: Remiro, Zaldua, Elustondo, Zubeldia, Monreal, Silva, Illarramendi, Merino, Januzaj, Isak, Oyarzabal.
Subs: Portu, Munoz, Guridi, Sagnan, Guevara, Merquelanz, Gorosabel, Barrenetxea, Le Normand, Bautista, Marrero, Zubimendi.

Manchester United: Henderson, Wan Bissaka, Bailly, Maguire, Alex Telles, McTominay, Fred, Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, James, Rashford.
Subs: de Gea, Lindelof, Mata, Martial, Grant, Diallo, Shaw, Matic, Williams, Tuanzebe, Shoretire.

2.08pm GMT

Welcome to EuroClocko™! Some big ties in the Europa League round of 32 this evening. It’s Benfica versus Arsenal and Antwerp versus Rangers later, but first off there are a tranche of kick-offs at 5.55pm GMT, and here are the three we’ll be concentrating on:

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Published on February 18, 2021 14:00

The Fiver | The San Sebastián branch of the Manchester United supporters' club

The rational part of the Fiver, and there is one that peeks its head above the parapet every couple of years, is well aware that professional footballers do not necessarily love the clubs they play for. Not like supporters do. This is OK. We’re all adults. Even so, it’s usually quite nice if players pay some sort of lip service to the concepts of loyalty and romance. They don’t have to ostentatiously kiss the badge, pose aggressively in front of a green screen for a trailer, or pretend to play the flute. Just a few mumbled platitudes will do. Keep the paying punters happy. Dance the dance.

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Published on February 18, 2021 09:16

February 17, 2021

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

Outstanding second-half goals from Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva stretched City’s winning run to 17 matches in all competitions

10.44pm GMT

That’s your lot. Andy Hunter was at Goodison to witness City stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League to ten points. Here’s his report; thanks for reading this one. Stay safe and warm, everyone. Nighty night!

10.42pm GMT

Carlo Ancelotti’s turn. “We started to believe ... the game for an hour was really difficult but we were in the game ... we worked hard ... the second goal was the tipping point of the game and we could not get back ... they found a fantastic combination and it was a fantastic shot ... there was nothing to say, nothing to do.” Did they face the champions-elect tonight? “I think so, it’s difficult to say another name ... they have fantastic quality, belief, they are strong.” Are they the best side they’ve played this season? “Absolutely, yes, congratulations to them ... they are able to play really well with the ball, and work hard without it as well ... the regrets were against Fulham, not tonight ... the derby is a special game, and away we are on a really good run, so we hope for this!” He adds that Yerry Mina is unlikely to make the Liverpool game.

10.33pm GMT

Pep seems happy enough. “It was a really tough game ... not perfect conditions in the winter ... so physical ... a solid performance, the guys ran like you have to do ... we have the quality up front ... we needed more patience in the final third ... Everton is a team that can make chances, they scored three at Old Trafford, so we did well.” And is he thinking about the title now City are ten points ahead? “[cough] Arsenal ... is the next game.” It’d be nice to think Pep was dropping in an Eric Morecambe reference there.

10.20pm GMT

Managerial verdicts still to come ... but Andy Hunter was at Goodison tonight and his report has landed. Here it is!

10.16pm GMT

The man-of-the-match Riyad Mahrez speaks to Amazon Prime. “It was a good performance ... I think we played good all the game ... it’s a shame to concede the goal in the first half but we didn’t concede much to be fair ... we made the difference in the second half ... we tried to pass and move a lot, to find the right space to score a goal ... we [Mahrez and Silva] don’t need to scream or speak to each other, we know where each other will be ... we train so good, so we don’t need to speak ... when you keep winning the confidence grows ... we are in a very good moment but have to keep going ... I don’t know about the title, but we have to think about the next game, and the next game is Arsenal so we have to play the same way.”

10.12pm GMT

City are all smiles, and who can blame them, another job completed in impressive fashion. The second-half goals scored by Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva were right out of the top drawer, though Jordan Pickford could have done better for Silva’s. City’s serene procession to the Premier League title continues apace. Everton stay three points behind Liverpool, in seventh place. Their only consolation: City didn’t inflict such a big defeat on them as they did on the folk across Stanley Park a couple of weeks ago. It’s not much, but ahead of Saturday’s Merseyside derby, it’s better than nothing.

10.07pm GMT

There’s just enough time for Mahrez to go close, threading one towards the bottom left but just wide, and that’s it. City are deserving winners, for the 17th time in a row in all competitions. What a run! What a team. They’re ten clear of Manchester United and Leicester City at the top.

10.06pm GMT

90 min +3: James nearly takes Cancelo’s kneecap clean off with an accidental and thoroughly inept fresh-air swipe. Happily the City player, having taken a sore one, is up again quickly enough.

10.05pm GMT

90 min +2: A long pass down the left. Jesus is denied a rush on goal by Pickford, who comes haring out of his box at full speed to blooter into the stand.

10.04pm GMT

90 min +1: Fernandinho replaces Rodri.

10.03pm GMT

90 min: There will be three minutes of added torture for Everton, who are struggling to get a touch.

10.03pm GMT

89 min: Amazon co-commentator and new national treasure Ally McCoist gives the man-of-the-match award to Riyad Mahrez. No complaints here.

10.00pm GMT

87 min: Foden reaches the byline out on the left and floats a cross into the centre, forcing Digne to head behind for City’s umpteenth corner of the evening. Everton clear. The clock ticks on.

9.59pm GMT

85 min: Everton can’t get out. Cancelo drifts in from the left, the Everton defence threatening to open up comically for a second or two. Cancelo helps them out by hesitating, allowing Keane and Holgate to frantically shut the door. Cancelo should have either shot earlier, or laid off to set up De Bruyne.

9.57pm GMT

84 min: ... so City slow it down, the clock their friend. Everton chase some shadows.

9.56pm GMT

82 min: Keane creams a long pass down the left. It’s helped on by Digne, and King nearly gets on the end of it, but Ederson is off his line quickly to claim. Everton come back again, Doucoure trying to sort his feet out just inside the City box, but he’s robbed by Foden. Everton have upped the tempo, fully aware they need something very quickly if they’re to do another 3-3 number on a team from Manchester.

9.53pm GMT

80 min: De Bruyne’s first act is to find Jesus down the left with a threaded diagonal ball. Nothing comes of the move, but some sub to bring on, huh?

9.53pm GMT

79 min: A lovely City move, that, though Pickford should have done much better. And if that wasn’t bad enough for Everton, on comes De Bruyne. Sterling makes way.

9.51pm GMT

This is another beautiful flowing move. Walker, Mahrez and Jesus combine down the inside-right channel. Jesus slips the ball infield for Silva, gliding imperiously. Silva takes a touch inside, drops the shoulder, and fizzes low and hard into the bottom left. Pickford can’t keep it out, pawing it into the net.

9.48pm GMT

75 min: Everton see a little bit more of the ball, but do very little with it. City are totally comfortable right now.

9.46pm GMT

73 min: Manchester City misplace a pass!

9.44pm GMT

71 min: City play keep-ball for a couple of minutes. Breaking news: they’re in-form and making everything look very easy right now.

9.41pm GMT

69 min: Everton make a double change. James and King come on for Iwobi and Davies.

9.40pm GMT

67 min: Cancelo curls deep from the left. Pickford plucks it from the sky under pressure from Jesus. Everton try to counter, but Coleman is cynically tugged back by Sterling, who goes into the book for his cheek.

9.38pm GMT

65 min: That was an absolute screamer. Nothing Everton could do about that. As things stand, the leaders are going ten points clear at the top.

9.37pm GMT

So having said that, City score a pearler! Silva wanders into the Everton box down the right. He’s faced with two blue shirts, so rolls inside a little for Mahrez, running just behind. Mahrez opens his body and curls an unstoppable screamer towards the top left, pinging off the woodwork and into the net in satisfying style. What a goal!

9.35pm GMT

61 min: City win yet another corner on the right. Foden delivers a dangerous inswinger, and Rodri climbs highest, but he sends his header harmlessly wide left. City’s accuracy has been a bit off this evening. Penny for Aguero’s thoughts as he sits on the bench.

9.34pm GMT

60 min: Some neat work between Richarlison, Iwobi and Sigurdsson down the inside right. City are on the back foot. Digne is in acres on the left, and found by Richarlison’s clever switch. Digne panics and hits a first-time cross that balloons out for a goal kick. What a waste.

9.32pm GMT

59 min: The first sign that City might be getting a little frustrated, as Rodri hoicks a godawful ball forward and deep into the Park End.

9.30pm GMT

57 min: A stat flashed up on Amazon: Jesus has scored seven goals against Everton, three more than any other side, and he’s never failed to find the net here at Goodison. Well, he’s had his chances to keep that run going.

9.29pm GMT

55 min: Sterling floats a pinpoint cross, left to right, for Mahrez, who brings the ball down elegantly before rolling it harmlessly towards Pickford from a tight angle. City are soon coming at Everton again, Jesus sent scampering into space down the inside-left by Walker. Jesus aims a screamer towards the top left, but it’s too high. Pep’s fume suggests the City boss thinks Jesus should have forced a save at the very least.

9.27pm GMT

53 min: Iwobi strides in from the right and finds Sigurdsson on the edge of the box with a forensic pass. Sigurdsson spins and takes a snapshot that’s blocked and balloons into Ederson’s arms. That was a decent chance, though Laporte closed him down well.

9.24pm GMT

51 min: Cancelo swings one in from the left. Jesus chests down. The ball breaks to Silva, on the right. Silva creams a first-time volley towards the bottom right. It’s beaten away brilliantly by Pickford. A fine save.

9.23pm GMT

50 min: Some sterile possession for Everton, who will be happy enough at the minute.

9.21pm GMT

48 min: Silva earns a corner off Davies down the right. It’ll be City’s eighth of the evening. Everton haven’t had one yet. Pickford punches this one clear.

9.20pm GMT

47 min: City probe patiently down both flanks. Suddenly Cancelo and Foden combine down the left. For a second it opens up for Cancelo, but he hesitates while an opportunity to curl towards the top right presents itself, and the chance is gone.

9.18pm GMT

Everton get the ball rolling for the second half. No further changes.

9.04pm GMT

Half-time entertainment.

9.03pm GMT

A decent half of football, that. City have dominated, but Everton stuck to their guns after falling behind and battled back impressively. The second half promises to be good fun. Don’t go anywhere!

9.01pm GMT

45 min: The permanently furious Richarlison is booked for stupidly walloping the ball away in reaction to a garden-variety free kick in midfield.

9.00pm GMT

44 min: It’s getting a little feisty, too. Richarlison clatters into Laporte, Foden barges Davies. The second half could be entertaining.

8.59pm GMT

43 min: Everton are pressing with more ferocity now. City aren’t quite the dominant force of earlier.

8.57pm GMT

41 min: Everton suddenly look reborn. Digne romps down the left and crosses deep for Doucoure, who doesn’t have the opportunity to shoot this time, and can’t pull back for a team-mate either.

8.55pm GMT

40 min: City try to reclaim the lead in short order, Foden hitting a volley from an ambitious angle out on the left. It’s on target, but an easy enough claim for Pickford.

8.54pm GMT

A little bit of space for Coleman out on the right. He shovels across towards Digne, haring into the box from the left. Digne sends a first time shot towards the bottom right. The ball clanks off the post, onto the thigh of the loitering Richarlison, and in! A bit of luck at the end, but a lovely move, and City’s parsimonious defence has been breached!

8.52pm GMT

36 min: Everton try to respond, but Doucoure’s cross from the right is way too deep. City counter, and Mahrez is this close to dropping a perfect cross onto Foden’s head from the right. Just too high, and it skims off the top of his team-mate’s noggin and out for a goal kick.

8.51pm GMT

34 min: Jesus, on the edge of the box, nearly brings a ball down from the heavens with an exquisite cushioned touch. Not quite; it clanks off the nearby Keane and away. Then a long ball is headed back to Pickford by Coleman. It’s all perfectly executed, but at high speed, and any little mistake would have seen Jesus walking the ball into the empty net.

8.49pm GMT

The corner’s worked around to the right. Mahrez crosses again. The ball’s half cleared. Foden, just to the left of centre, 12 yards out, volleys towards the bottom left. The ball takes a huge deflection off Coleman and flies into the centre of the goal, past Pickford who was heading in the other direction.

8.47pm GMT

31 min: Mahrez teases Godfrey down the right. It’s cat versus ball of wool. He scoops to the far post. Jesus prepares to head home, but Keane eyebrows out for a corner. And from that ...

8.46pm GMT

30 min: City stroke it around thoughtfully. They don’t appear to be in any sort of panic. No desire to force things. A 16-match winning run will help instil that sort of mindset.

8.44pm GMT

28 min: Jesus bursts down the middle and is upended in the basic style by Doucoure, who cuts across the striker crudely. It’s a no-brainer booking, in both senses of the word.

8.42pm GMT

26 min: Now Pickford cleans out his own man Godfrey, as he comes to claim a high ball in his box. This weekend’s Merseyside derby is going to be eventful, isn’t it.

8.41pm GMT

25 min: Mahrez spins off after a long pass down the right, and nearly breaks into the box. Pickford is across to claim in his usual take-no-prisoners style. Mahrez thinks better of going in for the 51-49.

8.38pm GMT

23 min: Some space for Walker, who earns yet another City corner down the right. The set piece is worked all the way out to the other flank, where Sterling scoops into the mixer. Coleman slams clear. City haven’t found the killer pass yet, but everything else is running pretty smoothly.

8.36pm GMT

21 min: Sterling, Rodri and Foden draw some pretty triangles down the left. A lovely smooth move, but Foden’s final ball infield is too close to Pickford, who claims without fuss.

8.34pm GMT

19 min: Confirmation that Mina can’t continue, as Coleman is finally sent on.

8.33pm GMT

18 min: Davies faffs about in the midfield and is robbed by Rodri, who sends Jesus zipping clear down the middle with a fine first-time prod. Jesus has to score, surely. He’s got to hit the target at least. But sensing Keane right on his shoulder, he leans back and hoicks it over the bar. Very poor.

8.32pm GMT

16 min: Mina limps around the touchline, and it’s not clear whether he’s throwing in the towel quite yet. Everton are down to ten as they assess the situation in further detail. There is some good news for the home side, though: turns out it wasn’t a City corner, so Everton restart with a goal kick.

8.30pm GMT

15 min: Before it can be taken, Mina requires some treatment on his calf. Not sure if he’ll be able to continue. On the bench, Coleman rushes to get stripped and ready for action.

8.29pm GMT

14 min: Silva swans past a lumbering Keane, entering the box on the right. He’s skating along the byline and falls under pressure from Keane, trying to catch up. He wants a penalty but he’s only getting the corner.

8.28pm GMT

12 min: A little relief for Everton as City power down for a couple of minutes. Some calm, sterile possession at the back. “So Doucouré didn’t fancy his chances of being the next van Basten?” asks Gary Naylor. “Who knew?”

8.26pm GMT

10 min: Sterling’s first involvement of the evening wins a corner down the left. Everton half clear. Jesus drops a shoulder down the other flank, leaving Holgate for dead. He reaches the touchline and wins a corner on the right this time. One corner leads to another, and that one’s cleared by Keane. City are applying some serious pressure here.

8.24pm GMT

8 min: Everton counter, Digne crossing from the left. Doucoure has an opportunity to volley, haring in from the other flank, but opts to take a touch. Bad decision. City clear.

8.23pm GMT

7 min: Mahrez powers down the right but his attempted cross is blocked by Holgate. The ball breaks to Silva, just inside the box. He spins through 180 degrees and looks for the bottom right, but doesn’t catch it and it’s an easy gather for Pickford.

8.20pm GMT

5 min: City go straight up the other end and win their second corner of the game, Walker and Mahrez doing the business down the right. They take it short, and over-elaborate. A breezy start to this game.

8.19pm GMT

4 min: However they’re not infallible, and they ship possession after overplaying out from the back. A bit of space for Holgate on the right. He crosses. Laporte takes a fresh-air swipe when trying to clear, but gets it right with take two.

8.18pm GMT

3 min: Everton deal with the corner easily enough. But it’s fair to say City have begun in dominant fashion.

8.17pm GMT

2 min: City are kicking towards the Gwladys Street end in this first half. They don’t appear to be in any rush to get down there, stroking it around the back awhile with trademark swagger. It’s one minute and 28 seconds before Everton get a touch. City get it back by the one minute 35 second mark. Seven seconds later, Cancelo has a dig from distance, forcing Pickford to turn it out before it nestles into the bottom left.

8.15pm GMT

City get the ball rolling ... but only after everyone takes a knee of solidarity, equality and love. There’s no room for racism. Kick it out.

8.13pm GMT

Here come the players! Everton out of the tunnel in royal blue, City traipse in from the car park in second-choice black. We’ll be off in a minute, after a quick blast of Johnny Todd.

8.01pm GMT

Pep’s not in a particularly chatty mood. “We have to focus. Everton are a team with a lot of quality. They can play four or five at the back, we will see, and try to impose our game. If you see the schedule we had in December and January, and the one we have in the end of February, we don’t have one week off. So everyone is going to play.”

7.54pm GMT

A relaxed-looking Carlo Ancelotti speaks to Amazon Prime. “It is a big challenge but usually we do well in this kind of game, when it is tough. We did really well against all the top teams. We will do the same tonight. We have to play with confidence and belief. We need Pickford’s ability in the goal, he had an injury that took time to recover but now he is fit. Olsen replaced him really well but now he is back and I hope everything is going well. We play with a back four with Digne in midfield. We need to focus defensively because they are going to have more possession, but with a good attitude we can have our opportunities. This season is difficult to predict. I don’t know what is going on! But I know we will have good spirit and attitude.”

7.28pm GMT

Pre-match entertainment. Manchester City are on an 11-game winning run in the Premier League, hot favourites to become champions as a result. But a warning from history explains why City supporters won’t be hanging up the bunting just yet.

7.21pm GMT

Everton make four changes to the side that didn’t turn up for the Fulham game. Seamus Coleman, James Rodriguez, Andre Gomes and Robin Olsen are replaced by Yerry Mina, Michael Keane, Alex Iwobi and - returning from injury - Jordan Pickford. Hamstring issues continue to affect Dominic Calvert-Lewin, while Allan also misses out altogether.

City make three changes to the XI named for the breeze against Tottenham. Riyad Mahrez, Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias replace Oleksandr Zinchenko, John Stones and goal machine Ilkay Gundogan, the latter missing with a groin injury. Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero are both among the substitutes.

7.17pm GMT

Everton: Pickford, Mina, Keane, Holgate, Godfrey, Davies, Doucoure, Digne, Sigurdsson, Iwobi, Richarlison.
Subs: Delph, King, Nkounkou, Rodriguez, Bernard, Andre Gomes, Coleman, Olsen, Onyango.

Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Foden, Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus, Sterling.
Subs: Stones, Aguero, Zinchenko, Steffen, De Bruyne, Torres, Mendy, Fernandinho, Garcia.

4.10pm GMT

Everton don’t have a great record against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. But then again, who does? City are looking to make it 17 wins in a row in all competitions tonight. If they manage it, they’ll go ten points clear of Manchester United and Leicester City, and the title will, barring an unlikely collapse, surely be theirs when it all comes down.

Everton, on the other hand, are coming off the back of a miserable defeat at home to relegation-haunted Fulham. They’ll have to do without Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose hamstring won’t be risked ahead of the weekend’s Merseyside derby. They’ve lost their last five matches against City, who have won on their past three visits to Goodison by an aggregate score of 8-2. They’ve only kept one clean sheet in their last 15 games at home. And of the 41 times they’ve played against the leaders of the Premier League, they’ve won just three. All signs point to City, then ... but this is football, and one of the wilder seasons to boot. So you never know.

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Published on February 17, 2021 14:44

The Fiver | Big Cup and the newly-minted Round of Barcelona

Older readers may remember the Woolwich Arsenal as a going Big Cup concern. So much so that they once had a round named after them. The Round of Arsenal. The last 16, which they would grace with distinction every year, playing their part in 12-goal aggregate thrillers in which they would routinely contribute at least one or two. But times change, nothing ever stays the same, even hoary old Fiver riffs get retooled ever-so-slightly for a new generation, and so Arsenal were usurped, their once-eponymous Round instead becoming synonymous with Paris Saint-Germain, whose laundry bill would spike dramatically every February at the mere thought of getting through to the quarters. Ah, it seemed like the mild amusement would never end.

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Published on February 17, 2021 08:41

February 15, 2021

Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle United: Premier League - as it happened

Timo Werner scored one and set up another as Chelsea moved into fourth

10.31pm GMT

That’s your lot, folks. Jacob Steinberg was at the Bridge, and his report is here. You know the pack drill: click, click, click. Thanks for reading this MBM. Stay safe and warm, everyone. Nighty night!

10.30pm GMT

A word with Steve Bruce. “We sat off them a little bit in the first half. Werner caused us problems in particular. We changed things in the second half and got better. We got after them right from the off, there was more intent, which is what we’re trying to implement. Set pieces was a problem in the first half in particular, usually it’s a big strength of ours, so it’s something we’ll look at. There are a few positives in the second half. We have tried to change in the last eight weeks, and we are going to come unstuck now and again, but I am far happier in the way we played in the second half. Everybody’s making a fist of it, there are six, seven, eight teams all looking over their shoulder, but if we keep showing the same resilience, like we’ve shown the last month or so, then we’ll be OK.”

10.14pm GMT

Tuchel also confirmed that Edouard Mendy is still Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper. “I am very happy that Kepa continued with a second clean sheet in a row. It was the moment to let him build his confidence. It was clear before that Edouard will be in goal from now on, because he recovered physically and mentally, and right now he’s the number one.”

10.12pm GMT

Thomas Tuchel, ever the perfectionist, speaks to Sky Sports. “I liked the first half. We played with courage and a lot of purpose in the box. We had a lot of shots and managed to keep them away from our box. I liked that a lot. Our decision-making in the box can be more deadly, more precise, more decisive. The second half, we gave away shots, lost duels, suddenly there were corners against us. We played too many balls back. We did not keep the advantage to put the game into the opponent’s half. Our counter attacks were also not clinical enough to score a third goal and finish the game.”

10.08pm GMT

The post-match managerial interviews are still to come. But Jacob Steinberg’s verdict has landed, so here it is!

10.07pm GMT

It’s Timo time! “The first half was really good from us. We played a lot of very good football. I’m happy that I scored finally! There’s still a long way to go for the rest of the season, but if we keep going like this, I think it will be a good end for us. As a striker you always want to score. But at the end it’s a team sport, and if we win it is good. If I help my team with assists, by winning penalties, and now scoring, I am happy and very glad I scored today. My team brought me a lot of situations when I could score. It is really important for us to reach the Champions League, to reach for the top four, but look for next year as well.”

9.54pm GMT

The Thomas Tuchel honeymoon continues apace, with Chelsea leapfrogging West Ham United and Liverpool into fourth spot in the Premier League. Newcastle stay 17th, but will take some heart from their performance. They fought well; they were just beaten by a better side, that’s all.

9.53pm GMT

90 min +2: Lewis is down having taken a whack to the knee. Nothing too serious by the looks of it, and he’s soon up and about again.

9.52pm GMT

90 min +1: Timo Werner has been named man of the match by Andy Hinchcliffe on Sky co-comms. Seems about right. He’s been excellent tonight. A goal and an assist. Ultimately the difference.

9.50pm GMT

90 min: There will be three added minutes.

9.49pm GMT

89 min: A free kick for Chelsea out on the left. Alonso to take. Lascelles clears.

9.48pm GMT

88 min: From the resulting throw, out on the right, Newcastle work the ball down the flank to win another corner. Carroll goes down in a grapple with Giroud, but it’s 50-50 and Chelsea get the decision. Carroll is not happy.

9.47pm GMT

87 min: Shelvey dinks a free kick down the left for Almiron, who wins a corner off Kante. Carroll attacks the corner, but can’t get anything on it. Kepa eventually punches clear, albeit not in the most convincing style. But fair’s fair, he got it clear of immediate danger.

9.46pm GMT

85 min: Fraser drives down the right but all the avenues close. With time running out, Newcastle look doomed. You have been watching ...

9.44pm GMT

83 min: Carroll and Joelinton combine crisply down the inside-left channel, a couple of flicks finding Almiron, just inside the Chelsea box on the left. Almiron meets the dropping ball first time, but it’s always heading high and wide. That was a tricky chance, the ball coming over his shoulder, and would have been one hell of a goal.

9.43pm GMT

82 min: Lascelles works over yet another Chelsea player, this time winding Giroud as the pair contest aerially.

9.41pm GMT

81 min: Carroll’s first act is to shove Azpilicueta in the back as he competes for a high ball in the Chelsea box. Free kick.

9.40pm GMT

80 min: Andy Carroll, who scored against Chelsea in the 2012 FA Cup final for Liverpool, and should really have had two, replaces Willock.

9.39pm GMT

79 min: James is immediately in the thick of it, driving towards the bottom right. Darlow does well to kick clear, especially as the shot took a nick off Lewis en route.

9.38pm GMT

78 min: Nothing comes of the corner. And having just given Hudson-Odoi the big talk, he’s immediately replaced by James. Pulitzer, please!

9.37pm GMT

76 min: Hudson-Odoi charges in from the right flank, forcing a corner. He’s been giving Lewis and Clark all manner of problems this evening. “It’s got to be torture to defend against Odoi,” writes Benjamin Park. “Since Tuchel has come in and he’s got more game time, every defender not necessarily struggles, but at least looks petrified whenever he gets the ball.”

9.35pm GMT

75 min: Nothing comes of the corner.

9.35pm GMT

74 min: Fraser crosses from the left. Willock pings a header down and up towards the top right. Kepa turns it around the post, a fine save by a goalie slowly gaining in confidence after all that jittery first-half footwork.

9.33pm GMT

72 min: Fraser comes on for the uncharacteristically quiet Saint-Maximin.

9.32pm GMT

71 min: Werner nearly zips clear of Lascelles down the inside left. Lascelles sticks a hand on his shoulder, the striker going to ground. It would have been a soft penalty, but it should have been given. Lascelles has certainly walked a thin line this evening.

9.31pm GMT

70 min: Kante comes on for Mount.

9.31pm GMT

69 min: Chelsea turn the screw a little, Giroud sending a close-range header straight at Darlow, Hudson-Odoi firing through the six-yard box from the right, neither Werner nor Giroud anticipating the cross. So close to a third that would put an end to the evening once and for all.

9.29pm GMT

68 min: Almiron and Christensen chase a ball that’s heading out for a throw. Neither can put the brakes on before stepping onto the artificial surround, and both men clatter into the hoardings in full that’s-gotta-hurt style. A spectacular crash, but thankfully both survive it.

9.26pm GMT

66 min: Corner for Chelsea out on the right. Mount sends it long. Newcastle clear. It’s suddenly gone a little scrappy. Not sure who that benefits, but with time marching on, as is its wont, it certainly doesn’t do Chelsea too much harm.

9.25pm GMT

65 min: Gayle makes way for Joelinton.

9.24pm GMT

64 min: Alonso and Werner again combine cutely out on the left. Newcastle just about keep the door shut, but these two have been excellent tonight. A constant menace.

9.23pm GMT

62 min: Shelvey spots Kepa a few yards off his line, and tries to score from the halfway line. Full marks for ambition, but it’s all a bit floaty and Kepa’s not going to be caught out by that. Another on-target save for the stats! Sam Johnstone and Jordan Pickford better watch out.

9.21pm GMT

60 min: Chelsea come again, Werner again causing all manner of issues for Newcastle out on the left. His low cross tees up Alonso, whose drive is blocked. Werner tries again, and this time finds Kovacic, who attempts to find Hudson-Odoi with a diagonal dink. Too much on it. Goal kick. But after a slow start to the second half, Chelsea are beginning to cause a few problems again.

9.19pm GMT

58 min: Hudson-Odoi, in a little space just inside the Newcastle box on the right, pulls back for Kovacic, who sends a screecher inches over the bar.

9.18pm GMT

57 min: Saint-Maximin unceremoniously shoulders Azpilicueta off the pitch. The Chelsea captain isn’t happy. Newcastle have certainly made their presence felt physically this evening, as poor old Abraham can attest.

9.17pm GMT

56 min: A free kick for the Toon out on the left. Chelsea hold an extremely high line. Almiron takes ... but rolls it infield for Shelvey, whose shovel down the middle is easily batted back. All a bit odd.

9.16pm GMT

55 min: But a goal up the other end will kill the game. Hudson-Odoi takes on Lewis down the right and hits across Darlow, who fingertips out for a corner. The corner’s worked short, then Darlow parries Azpilicueta’s low drive clear.

9.14pm GMT

53 min: Saint-Maximin turns the burners fully on, reaching the byline and snapping a low cross to the near post. Willock can’t wrap his foot around the ball, sending his snapshot wide left. Half a chance out of absolutely nothing, that.

9.12pm GMT

52 min: Gayle barges down the right and whips infield. Christensen heads away comfortably.

9.11pm GMT

50 min: That’s a confident start to the second half by Newcastle, though, as they go in search of the game’s next goal. Breaking news: they can’t let Chelsea score it.

9.09pm GMT

48 min: Gayle is bowled over by Jorginho, 30 yards out. Shelvey takes the free kick, sending a harmless one towards the top left. Kepa catches, and he’ll soon be passing Angus Gunn and Adrian on the old save-ratio chart if he keeps on like this.

9.07pm GMT

46 min: Newcastle come out on the front foot, Saint-Maximin twisting down the left and teeing up Hayden to force a shot through a thicket of players. It’s an easy snaffle for Kepa, but that’ll do his dreadful shots-to-saves ratio the power of good.

9.05pm GMT

Chelsea get the second half underway. No half-time changes.

8.50pm GMT

Half-time checklist. Pour yourself a drink. Prepare a snack. Nip to the toilet. Subscribe to the Fiver.

8.48pm GMT

The whistle goes to end a very good half for Chelsea and Timo Werner in particular. It’s difficult to see how Newcastle will come back from this.

8.47pm GMT

45 min +2: ... Azpilicueta intercepts and sends Mount into acres down the left. Mount drags a shot across the face of goal and wide right. A poor effort. For a second, that looked like three and out for Newcastle, who desperately need to hear the half-time whistle.

8.46pm GMT

45 min +1: Werner flicks it on at the near post, forcing Shelvey to turn out for another corner. Shelvey clears the second. Newcastle launch a counter, but ...

8.45pm GMT

45 min: Some space for Alonso and Werner down the left. Another corner. Having scored their ninth goal of the season from a corner, can they make it ten before the break?

8.44pm GMT

44 min: Kepa hoicks the ball out for a throw again, having made a meal of playing out from the back. He’s not had much to do, but his footwork hasn’t convinced.

8.43pm GMT

42 min: Mount isn’t far away with a 25-yarder that curls just wide of the top left. Chelsea are playing extremely well.

8.42pm GMT

40 min: Werner’s taken another smack in the mouth! Newcastle want to watch this, because after the first belt he set up one and scored another.

8.41pm GMT

The corner’s hit long. The ball clanks off Lascelles and drops to Werner at the far post. The striker swivels and steers it in from close range. He made that look easier than it was, because the ball didn’t drop perfectly for him, and he made sure of bundling it over.

8.39pm GMT

38 min: A lovely sweeping move upfield by Chelsea, Kovacic starting it out deep on the left with a raking pass towards Mount in the centre, who shuttles it on to Hudson-Odoi on the right. A corner’s earned. From which ...

8.37pm GMT

36 min: A determined run by Hudson-Odoi down the right. Spaces opening up as a result. Shame then that he plays a strange ball infield that goes backwards and out of play on the other flank.

8.35pm GMT

34 min: Werner is on one now. Kovacic gently wedges a pass down the inside-right channel, Werner meeting it first time and sending a screeching effort inches over the bar. So close to making it two.

8.34pm GMT

33 min: Chelsea’s tails are up now. Jorginho floats a long pass down the middle. Giroud is lurking, but Darlow races out of his box and heads spectacularly clear.

8.32pm GMT

Werner, perhaps fuelled by injustice, or a sting of pain, tears off down the left. He stops, then goes again, tricking Krafth. He fizzes low towards the near post. Darlow palms out amid a melee, but can only tee up Giroud, the substitute firing the rebound into the unguarded bottom right. Chelsea have some reward for their dominance!

8.31pm GMT

30 min: Werner has taken a smack to the mouth from Lewis, and receives some running repairs for a split lip.

8.30pm GMT

29 min: Take two. Shelvey hits it long. Saint-Maximin tries a trick but is dispossessed and suddenly Werner is breaking up the right on the counter! Newcastle are short at the back, but Lewis catches up and puts a stop to his gallop.

8.28pm GMT

28 min: Almiron dances and dribbles down the right to earn Newcastle’s first corner of the game. Shelvey takes, Rudiger forced to head behind for another corner.

8.27pm GMT

26 min: Jorginho quarterbacks a long pass towards Alonso, racing into the Newcastle box down the left. Alonso cushions a header inside for Werner, who steers a first-time shot inches wide of the right-hand post. Werner probably had a little more time than he realised, though it was a cute, instinctive effort and would have been a picture-book goal.

8.25pm GMT

24 min: Hudson-Odoi glides in from the right, along the edge of the Newcastle area. He can’t quite work space to shoot, but it’s a fine run, and he lays off to Kovacic, who attempts to sidefoot towards the bottom right. Blocked.

8.22pm GMT

22 min: A couple of Newcastle attacks as Chelsea adjust to their new circumstances. Gayle dribbles down the inside-right channel, only to be stripped of possession; then Saint-Maximin probes from the left but is unable to get a shot away. That’ll give the visitors a little boost of confidence.

8.21pm GMT

20 min: Off he goes. Much sadness in the eyes. No blame should be attached to Lascelles, though; there was an accidental tangle of legs after the defender made a legal tackle, and that’s where Abraham suffered a twist and/or a whack.

8.18pm GMT

18 min: Abraham is down again. A rueful shake of the head.

8.17pm GMT

17 min: Lascelles gave Abraham quite a clatter, mind you, the striker collateral damage in a good old-school challenge. He takes a fair while to get up, but eventually manages it.

8.15pm GMT

15 min: Kovacic wedges down the centre of the park. Abraham is clear! Simple as that. A goal looks on the cards, but Lascelles charges in and puts in a perfectly timed crunching tackle. That’s quite brilliant and almost certainly saved a goal.

8.13pm GMT

13 min: Chelsea are pinning Newcastle back. Hudson-Odoi charges down the right and fizzes into the area, low and hard. The ball pings out for a corner. Before it can be taken, Abraham sits on the turf awhile, grimacing, but he’s up again quickly enough. Then Werner heads the corner behind for a goal kick.

8.11pm GMT

11 min: Werner drops a shoulder to reach the byline on the left, but his cross is too close to Darlow, who claims easily.

8.09pm GMT

9 min: Shelvey chips a pass down the left, looking for a second as though he’s sprung Gayle clear. But Kepa reads the danger, coming quickly to the edge of his box to smother.

8.08pm GMT

7 min: Chelsea work the corner, from the left, short. Mount curls in. Abraham, eight yards out, should do better than heading harmlessly wide right. Chelsea certainly pose a threat at corners; they’ve scored eight goals from them this season, a record matched only by West Ham.

8.07pm GMT

6 min: A deep corner finds Alonso, whose attempted header back across the face of goal pings out for another corner, this time on the right. Azpilicueta meets this one, and it’s heading into the top left, but Gayle eyebrows it out for a third corner in the sequence.

8.05pm GMT

5 min: Werner dribbles at pace down the left, then lays off to Alonso on the outside. Alonso’s low cross is deflected out for the first corner of the match.

8.04pm GMT

4 min: The first touch of the ball for Kepa. He clanks a pass out for a throw under no pressure. He gives Hudson-Odoi, who had busted a gut to try to keep the ball in play, a sheepish thumbs-up.

8.03pm GMT

3 min: A bit of space for Alonso, just inside the Newcastle box. He creams a speculative shot towards the bottom left. Darlow smothers it easily enough.

8.02pm GMT

1 min: Gayle goes charging down the right and draws a cynical foul from Werner. A bit later in the game, and that could well have been a booking, a clip from behind.

8.00pm GMT

Newcastle get the ball rolling, but only after all the players take the knee. There’s no room for racism. Kick it out.

7.58pm GMT

The teams are out! Chelsea are in their royal blue; Newcastle wear a much nicer version of their famous black and white stripes than they did in the days of Papiss Cisse. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes!

7.46pm GMT

Steve Bruce talks to Sky. “It’s a cruel one for us, because we all know what a contribution Callum Wilson has made. To lose your main goalscorer in any team is difficult, but it’s always somebody else’s opportunity so let’s hope Dwight Gayle can fill his boots. We think he’s ready and I hope he grasps the opportunity. We know we have to defend right, but lately we have been a little more adventurous going the other way, and we hope we’ve got a threat up the top end of the pitch.”

7.42pm GMT

A reminder of what happened the last time Newcastle won at Stamford Bridge. The state of that Newcastle kit, though.

7.17pm GMT

Thomas Tuchel tells Sky Sports why he chose Kepa over Mendy. “We need a strong Kepa in our squad, and he had a good game in the cup, so we decided to give him another match to build up a little bit of rhythm and confidence, and to trust him because he did very good. And at the same time to give Edouard the chance to mentally recover, it is a demanding position. So with one decision we have both advantages.”

7.13pm GMT

Chelsea make four changes to the side named for the win at Sheffield United. The most noteworthy: Kepa makes his first Premier League start since the 3-3 draw with Southampton in early October. Edouard Mendy drops to the bench, along with Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Olivier Giroud, whose places are taken by Callum Hudson-Odoi, Marcos Alonso and Tammy Abraham.

Newcastle make four changes to the side that beat Southampton nine days ago. Ciaran Clark, Jamaal Lascelles, Dwight Gayle and Emil Krafth replace the injured Javier Manquillo, Callum Wilson and Fabian Schar, and the suspended Jeff Hendrick.

7.02pm GMT

Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso, Mount, Werner, Abraham.
Subs: Kante, Pulisic, Zouma, Mendy, Giroud, Chilwell, Ziyech, James, Emerson Palmieri.

Newcastle United: Darlow, Krafth, Lascelles, Clark, Lewis, Willock, Hayden, Shelvey, Almiron, Gayle, Saint-Maximin.
Subs: Dubravka, Dummett, Matthew Longstaff, Carroll, Joelinton, Ritchie, Fraser, Murphy, Sean Longstaff.

3.33pm GMT

Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea are enjoying quite the honeymoon. Four wins and a draw since the German took over. You’d expect them to make it five victories tonight, on account of both their form and Newcastle’s predicament: the Magpies are 17th in the table, having lost eight of their last 12 games. Newcastle have also lost every one of their last eight matches at Stamford Bridge. Look at it like that, and this is a home banker.

However, sport can be strange, and this season is stranger than most. Newcastle can take heart from a recent upturn in fortune, winning superbly at Everton and holding on for victory against Southampton with just nine men. If they play with the verve they showed at Goodison, anything is possible, though they’ll be without their injured star turn Callum Wilson. But succour is succour, and you take it whenever you can.

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Published on February 15, 2021 14:31

The Fiver | Classic scenarios from the Comedy 101 playbook

It was a Valentine’s Day to remember for Granny Fiver, who spent the afternoon reminiscing, sweet sepia-toned memories of courting dearly departed Clive Dunn Fiver, a happy, nostalgic, 46.8% ABV juniper-flavoured tear rolling down her cheek. Weird Uncle Fiver enjoyed it too, receiving a card that looked roughly the same dimensions as a collectable magazine and locking himself in the bathroom to read it for five hours. But it wasn’t so good for The Fiver, who didn’t get any cards, chocolates, flowers or vintage bongo, again, or Everton, who meekly surrendered at home to Fulham, for goodness sake, their latest bid to get ahead of that useless shower over the park seemingly going the same way of all the other 387 attempts since 1988.

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Published on February 15, 2021 08:31

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