Scott Murray's Blog, page 91

Brighton 1-2 Southampton: Premier League – as it happened

Danny Ings came off the bench to score a controversial penalty and send Saints into fifth spot

10.27pm GMT

Nick Ames was our man at the Amex. His report has landed. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!

Related: Danny Ings penalty leaves Brighton unhappy as Southampton go fifth

10.26pm GMT

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s turn. “I think the penalty was inside, it was a penalty. The line is also in, and it was also a little bit inside the line, so it was clear the contact was inside the box and it was a penalty, and that’s why we have VAR.”

10.18pm GMT

Sky aren’t letting this drop, and press Graham Potter on the matter ... only for the Brighton manager to respond in a measured and dignified fashion. “I’m not sure. I haven’t seen it back. It looks like the first challenge is outside, I don’t know whether there’s a second challenge. That’s what the referee seemed to think, and if that’s the case, that’s how it is. From our perspective we’re disappointed with our second-half performance, but having said that it was quite an even game. Disappointed with the result.” Sky don’t let it lie, and bring the subject back round to the penalty. “If the offence is deemed to be inside, and they prove that’s the case, that’s what we’re using it for and it’s just one of those things you have to accept.” A long pause as the interviewer realises Potter isn’t biting. Finally he asks some questions about the football, but you can tell his heart isn’t in any of those.

10.12pm GMT

Sky badger Danny Ings about the penalty decision. “To be honest, I didn’t see it clear enough to know. I thought their players were very unhappy, but sometimes decisions go for you, sometimes they don’t.” Sky press further, testing Ings’ patience. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I was just stood there waiting to see either way. Even if it was a free kick, Prowsey has fantastic delivery and who knows, we could have scored from that anyway.”

10.08pm GMT

Brighton remain in 16th spot, with 10 points, four above the drop zone. They surround David Coote, who is at the centre of yet another VAR controversy. On Sky, Jamie Carragher and Freddie Ljungberg both say Southampton’s winning penalty shouldn’t have been given. If pushed, I might argue the other way, but y’know. Opinions will be shared with good grace on social media. Anyway, never mind that: this win means Southampton become only the 11th side in Premier League history to reach 1,000 points.

9.52pm GMT

Danny Ings returns; Southampton are immediately back on track. Saints win on a Monday for the first time in 18 years. More pertinently, they go fifth. Brighton are now ten games without a win at home. The only team they’ve beaten at the Amex in 2020 is Arsenal.

9.50pm GMT

90 min +3: Some scrappy scrapping in the midfield. The clock is very much Southampton’s friend now.

9.49pm GMT

90 min +2: March curls in from the left. Trossard attempts to eyebrow a header across McCarthy but it’s too close to the keeper, who claims.

9.48pm GMT

90 min +1: Veltman is caught dawdling and Armstrong is sent into the box on the right. He’s one on one with Ryan, who does well to usher him away from goal and force him to turn tail. A crucial intervention that keeps Brighton hoping.

9.47pm GMT

90 min: There will be four bonus minutes.

9.46pm GMT

89 min: Bissouma goes in the book for his overly animated reaction to being penalised for a garden-variety foul.

9.45pm GMT

87 min: McCarthy is booked for taking his sweet time over a goal kick.

9.44pm GMT

85 min: Brighton come again and win a corner down the right. McCarthy claims confidently. The hosts are fuelled by a sense of injustice, incensed that David Coote didn’t at least go over to check the monitor.

9.41pm GMT

84 min: Brighton come at Saints with feeling. Maupay spins and shoots from the edge of the box but his effort sails wide of the bottom left.

9.39pm GMT

82 min: Brighton respond by making a double change, sending on Trossard and Jahanbakhsh in place of White and Welbeck.

9.38pm GMT

Ings whips the penalty into the left-hand side of the net, sending Ryan the wrong way. Textbook!

9.37pm GMT

80 min: March goes in the book for his challenge.

9.37pm GMT

79 min: David Coote does the telly-box mime, and points straight at the spot! No checking the monitor.

9.35pm GMT

78 min: VAR is taking a long time over this. It’s very close.

9.34pm GMT

77 min: Walker-Peters gets ahead of March down the right, chasing a long Vestergaard pass, and threatens to break into the box. March barges him over from behind. A free kick is awarded, though that looked inside the box. VAR will check.

9.34pm GMT

76 min: March advances down the left and slips a neat diagonal pass infield to release Maupay into space. Maupay’s not so clever, running slap-bang into the nearest defender.

9.32pm GMT

75 min: Saints are threatening to take control the game for the first time this evening. Brighton are finding it difficult to work their way out of their own half.

9.31pm GMT

73 min: Redmond advances down the inside left and slips inside for Ings, who has his back to goal, juggles the ball twice, and spins. He’s trying to work space for himself, but the ball drops closer to Redmond, who had kept going. Redmond creams a volley over the bar. What a goal that would have been! The best accidental assist of the season.

9.29pm GMT

71 min: More of that high-paced scrappy stuff. But no complaints. On the whole, this game has made for good viewing, barring the odd lull.

9.26pm GMT

69 min: A second change for the Saints, as Redmond comes on for Walcott.

9.26pm GMT

68 min: March does something down the inside left. Was it a shot? An attempt at a cross? Not sure, but he falls over and shanks the ball out of play. Brighton are looking lively again.

9.24pm GMT

66 min: A glorious pass down the right by Gross for Lamptey, who scampers upfield, enters the box, and tries to tee up Maupay. No good. He gets the ball back and tees up Gross, arriving late, instead. Gross leans back and his effort is nominative determinism at its very best.

9.22pm GMT

64 min: Graham Potter has seen enough, and replaces the very quiet Connolly with their leading scorer Neal Maupay.

9.21pm GMT

63 min: Walcott plays a clever ball down the inside-left channel. Ings is uncharacteristically on the back foot, and can’t get there before Ryan smothers. Saints are coming back into this now, finally getting a few things going up front.

9.20pm GMT

62 min: Corner for Saints out on the left, Romeu orchestrating a period of pressure. Ryan flaps at Ward-Prowse’s delivery. Armstrong sends it back in from the right. Ryan claims well this time.

9.19pm GMT

61 min: There’s not a whole load going on right now. Saints will be slightly happier, you’d have thought, having dampened Brighton’s early second-half fire.

9.17pm GMT

59 min: Armstrong bursts down the right, sent away by Ings. He sprays wide left for Walcott, who takes a touch inside, reaches the edge of the D, and curls powerfully towards the top right. It would have been a picture-book goal ... but it’s a few inches wide. Not sure whether Ryan would have got to that.

9.16pm GMT

58 min: Some high-paced nonsense. Sequences of more than two passes are at a premium right now. Both teams battling hard.

9.14pm GMT

56 min: Dunk goes in the book for sliding in late on Adams. Over-zealous would be the best way to describe it. Happily not much in the way of contact. He can have no complaints.

9.13pm GMT

55 min: It’s been all Brighton since the restart. Saints haven’t got Ings into the game yet.

9.12pm GMT

53 min: March crosses from the left. Saints half clear. Bissouma takes a speculative shot. It’s heading wide left, but Welbeck tries to deflect it goalwards. It loops up instead. He’d have been able to take a second poke at the ball had the offside Connolly not got in his way, and McCarthy comes out to claim.

9.10pm GMT

52 min: A worrying moment for Welbeck who is down clutching his shoulder in a lot of pain. He took a hefty - but fair - whack in a 50-50 with Bednarek. Happily he’s up again soon enough, albeit with a grimace creasing his brow.

9.09pm GMT

51 min: Gross latches onto a ball down the inside-left channel and hooks towards the right for Lamptey, who tries to round an over-excited McCarthy, rushing from his line. Lamptey runs the ball out of play, much to the keeper’s relief.

9.07pm GMT

50 min: Vestergaard summons his inner Beckenbauer, dribbling past a couple of challenges down the left and slipping the ball on for Walcott, whose cross is no good and easily claimed by Ryan. Lovely run by the Saints central defender.

9.06pm GMT

48 min: Gross swings the free kick in from the right. Ings gets in ahead of Webster, heading over the bar. No corner, though, because Webster is adjudged, somewhat harshly, to have bowled Ings to the ground as the pair tussled in the air.

9.04pm GMT

47 min: A poor touch in the midfield from Romeu allows Connolly, Gross and March to stream forward. Romeu tries to make amends, chasing back, but clips Gross on the ankle, conceding a free kick 25 yards out, and going into the book.

9.02pm GMT

Brighton get the second half underway. A couple of strange sequences could end tonight. The hosts haven’t won a game in front of their own fans since last December, when they beat Bournemouth 2-0. Saints meanwhile haven’t won on a Monday night since 2002. If this ends in a draw, forget I said anything. But Saints are looking for the win: they’ve sent on Ings in place of Djenepo.

8.48pm GMT

Half-time entertainment.

Related: A Mourinho masterclass and depressing scenes at Millwall – Football Weekly

8.47pm GMT

Brighton were the better team in the first 45, but they failed to challenge Vestergaard at the corner and have paid the price. Nicely set up for the second half!

8.46pm GMT

Saints haven’t shown in attack all evening, but they’ll go in level! Armstrong wins a corner out on the right. The set piece is swung in and met by a towering header from Vestergaard, who slams the ball into the top left, giving Ryan no chance.

8.44pm GMT

43 min: Welbeck wins a ball that was never his and sends Connolly whistling down the left. Welbeck keeps going, reaches the area, and cocks his leg back with a view to meeting Connolly’s cross and slamming home from six yards ... but Vestergaard hoicks clear just in time.

8.43pm GMT

42 min: A lovely spin on the right touchline by Armstrong. He tippy-toes along the tightrope, exchanging a crisp one-two with Walcott, but then tries one trick too many and runs into trouble. Shame, because that was delightful skill.

8.41pm GMT

40 min: Having said all that, Saints are improving a little, albeit from a low base. Walcott dribbles down the inside-right channel and drags a weak shot across the face of goal. On the touchline, Graham Potter performs the internationally recognised mime for Put Some Bloody Effort Into It.

8.39pm GMT

39 min: Djenepo clips Gross on the heel. It’s a free kick and nothing more ... but he’s on a booking, and needs to take care. Another clumsy challenge and he could be in big bother.

8.38pm GMT

37 min: Saints ping it around, but not with any great urgency. They look as though they need to hear the half-time whistle and have a rethink. They look as though they need Danny Ings.

8.35pm GMT

35 min: Saints have achieved next to nothing going forward. Bertrand bucks that trend by forcing a corner down the left, but the set piece is a total non-event.

8.34pm GMT

33 min: Dunk has a full and frank exchange of views with the referee, after receiving a ticking-off for kicking a dead ball into the Saints goal. For a second, it looks like he’s talked himself into the book, but common sense prevails.

8.32pm GMT

32 min: Bissouma curls in from the left. Welbeck chests down for Gross, who attempts a volley from the penalty spot. He snatches at it and sends the ball miles over the bar.

8.31pm GMT

31 min: Saints make a meal of clearing the corner, but the flag eventually goes up for offside. And relax.

8.30pm GMT

30 min: Ward-Prowse’s delivery is no good. Brighton break quickly. Lamptey zips down the right and looks for Welbeck in the centre. Ward-Prowse blocks - legally this time, with his chest - but at the expense of a corner.

8.29pm GMT

29 min: Free kick for Saints out on the left. Can they bounce back immediately? Can the dead-ball wizard Ward-Prowse conjure something up? For some reason, he leaves it to Bertrand, whose delivery is no good. But soon enough there’s another set-piece opportunity on the other flank, and he’ll take this one.

8.28pm GMT

27 min: Ward-Prowse wasn’t happy with the award of the penalty, and he continues to chunter on at the referee. He’s not got much of a case. His arm was in a wholly unnatural position as he tussled with Welbeck, and the current rule is what it is.

8.27pm GMT

Gross whips the ball into the top-right corner, McCarthy diving the other way. The hosts lead, and 2,000 fans give it plenty!

8.25pm GMT

25 min: March hooks in from the left. Welbeck goes up to contest. Behind him is Ward-Prowse, who has his arm stuck high in the air. The ball bounces off Welbeck’s chest and onto the Saints skipper’s hand. A no-brainer for the ref, who points to the spot.

8.23pm GMT

23 min: There’s been a pleasant snappy pace to the game from the get-go, though passes aren’t quite sticking at the minute.

8.21pm GMT

21 min: Djenepo makes good down the left and nearly slithers his way between Veltman and Dunk, but the Brighton door shuts just in the nick of time.

8.20pm GMT

20 min: One corner leads to another. The second leads to nothing.

8.20pm GMT

19 min: Bissouma is a marvellously assured player. From the middle of a hubbub, he calmly strides forward into space and picks out Welbeck down the left with a glorious slide-rule pass. Welbeck crosses for Connolly. Bertrand is forced to head behind for a corner.

8.18pm GMT

17 min: Adams has taken a sore whack. Nothing too serious by the looks of it - just a grimace - but Ings is sent out to warm up, just in case.

8.15pm GMT

15 min: Ward-Prowse blocks White illegally and it’s another free kick for Brighton in Saints territory. This one’s sent wide left for March, who whistles low into a crowded box. It’s easily hacked clear by Romeu.

8.13pm GMT

13 min: Lamptey is beginning to influence this game. A third determined run in almost as many minutes, and this time he’s clumsily brought to ground by Djenepo. The Saints winger goes in the book.

8.12pm GMT

11 min: Lamptey is brought down on his next sortie. Free kick. Gross swings it in from the right. Dunk barrels in from a deep position to burst through the Saints back line and meet the cross, ten yards out. He’s unchallenged, but sends a poor header high and wide.

8.10pm GMT

9 min: The first sighting today of Lamptey, who is surely going to be a superstar. He tears off down the right at lightning speed, and for a second it looks like he’s going to break into a world of space, but he slightly overruns the ball and is forced to check back. Not this time, but notice has been served.

8.08pm GMT

7 min: Saints respond, Walcott slicing a snapshot over the bar, Djenepo dribbling into the box from the left only to run the ball out of play. A lovely free-flowing feel to this one.

8.07pm GMT

6 min: Bissouma pearls a lovely ball down the middle to release Gross down the inside-right channel. He’s got Connolly in the middle, thinks about taking a shot himself, then has his cross cut out by Vestergaard. Big chance, though there was a suspicion of offside and the flag may well have gone up.

8.05pm GMT

4 min: March is sent scampering down the left wing by Welbeck. March returns the ball when he reaches the edge of the area. Welbeck opens his body and tries to guide a first-time sidefoot into the bottom right. He doesn’t quite get the angle right, and it’s an easy smother for McCarthy.

8.03pm GMT

2 min: Bissouma plays a cute pass down the middle that nearly finds Gross. Walker-Peters swings one in from the right for Adams; not quite. Djenepo skedaddles down the inside-left channel and drags a shot-cum-cross harmlessly wide right. A nice open start to the game.

8.01pm GMT

Saints get the ball rolling ... but only after the players take a knee of love and solidarity. There’s no room for racism. The gesture is met with the warmest applause on a chilly night by the sea.

7.58pm GMT

The teams are out! Brighton play in their retro 80s all-blue shirts, while Saints wear third-choice white with red sash. The visitors are given the pantomime bird by the 2,000-strong Brighton bunch - “Boo! Who are ya?!” - and yet it’ll be sweet music to the ears of everyone involved. The fans are back! They’re making some racket, one hell of an atmosphere, a beautiful noise. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.51pm GMT

A word with Graham Potter. “It’s great news for football that fans are back ... hopefully they can help us ... it’ll be nice for us to get their support and get a good performance and a good result.”

Then a chat with Ralph Hasenhuttl: “Everyone is happy that fans are back in the stadium ... this time we play away but next week we are at home and also have them in our ground so we are looking forward to it ... hopefully we can go back there with a success from today.”

7.09pm GMT

One change to the Brighton team that battled for a deserved draw against Liverpool. Tariq Lamptey is back from suspension; Neal Maupay drops to the bench.

Southampton are unchanged from their eventful defeat to Manchester United. Star striker Danny Ings returns from injury, but only as an insurance policy on the bench.

7.02pm GMT

Brighton & Hove Albion: Ryan, Veltman, Dunk, Webster, Lamptey, White, Bissouma, March, Gross, Connolly, Welbeck.
Subs: Maupay, Trossard, Jahanbakhsh, Alzate, Steele, Bernardo, Burn.

Southampton: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Bertrand, Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Djenepo, Walcott, Adams.
Subs: Stephens, Long, Ings, Redmond, Salisu, Diallo, Forster.

4.40pm GMT

It’s not the south-coast derby ... but it’s a south-coast derby, and that’s good enough for us. Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Southampton, hoping for their first victory over their near-neighbours in the Premier League era, and three points that would ease them further away from the relegation zone.

Graham Potter’s side are better than their current total of ten points from ten matches suggest. After a sluggish but not always fortunate start to the season - think that game against Manchester United - they’re beginning to get it together. They’ve only lost one of their last six, and that narrowly to leaders Tottenham; their last two matches have seen them go toe-to-toe with champions Liverpool and win impressively at Aston Villa. They look a cut above the other early-season strugglers.

Continue reading...

The Fiver | A starting point of reference for Mikel Arteta's sterile Arsenal shower

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

This is Arsenal’s worst start to a campaign since 1981-82. That season, a team with a defence featuring a 76-year-old John Hollins and Pat “I’m 83!” Jennings won just three of their first 11 matches, scoring a mere seven goals in the process, and found themselves sixth from bottom of the old First Division. The jig looked up for manager Terry Neill, who was given the dreaded vote of confidence. However, the board held their nerve, and were rewarded when Arsenal won their next six matches on the bounce. Something for everyone involved with the 2020-21 set-up to ponder, if only to conclude that Mikel Arteta’s sterile shower, also sixth from bottom, aren’t going to win their next half dozen, are they? But at least it gives us a starting point of reference.

Related: Mikel Arteta not blind to Arsenal shortcomings but can't see a solution

Continue reading...

West Ham United 1-3 Manchester United: Premier League – as it happened

Manchester United went from the ridiculous to the sublime in a textbook game of two halves

7.44pm GMT

No word from David Moyes, who is probably turning the West Ham dressing room into a makeshift sauna with his lug-steam. But no matter! Jonathan Liew was at the London Stadium, and his verdict has landed! You know what to do: clickity click! Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!

Related: Manchester United hit back in style to beat West Ham and go fourth

7.42pm GMT

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer speaks. “Football is up and down ... first half we struggled ... we played at too slow a tempo and gave the ball away too often ... second half, the goal changes the mood ... great goal by Paul ... Mason’s goal, the individual quality ... we play against a team who have drawn to City, beaten Leicester and Wolves and drawn to Tottenham ... they’re a good team! ... they make it difficult for you ... they’re compact and aggressive ... so I’m very, very pleased with the performance ... last week we were 2-0 down at Southampton, so this is a step forward! ... I am very happy with the away form ... at home we are becoming more consistent ... we cope better when we are 1-0 down and 2-0 down, the character in the boys, they believe, and that’s a big thing ... at the end of the season we don’t care about the performance.”

7.35pm GMT

Marcus Rashford, who transformed the game in the second half, speaks to Sky. “We have to stop doing that! If we keep more clean sheets, we’ll definitely win more games. It’s good that we showed spirit to come back, but ideally we don’t want to be conceding. We defended quite well, they have some dangerous players, especially in the first half on the counter. Half-time was an opportunity to regroup and come out with a new focus, and that’s what we did. It’s not about what the manager says [at half-time] but about what we can see on the pitch. It was clear we didn’t get in behind them enough. The team knew what we had to do. It was just a case of working hard and doing it. We can go to Leipzig and enjoy ourselves. It’s a great feeling to have some fans back: 2,000 is much better than nothing. I’m glad they can come back to enjoy their football.”

7.29pm GMT

David Moyes engages the officials in a full and frank exchange of views. He’s clearly far from happy about the Henderson clearance that could have gone out of play and led to Manchester United’s equaliser. It was a game-changer, one way or the other: Manchester United were as imperious for the last half-hour as they were abject during the first 60 minutes. They’re a very strange team ... but despite their Jeckyll-and-Hyde struggles, they’re right in the title hunt! A huge boost ahead of bigger tests against Leipzig and Manchester City, though at some point they’ll have to identify the reason for all this erratic behaviour, endearing and entertaining as it is. West Ham meanwhile should take great heart from their first-half performance, and write off that second half as one of those things. This is what Manchester United 2020 do, after all. They are not alone.

7.23pm GMT

A ninth consecutive Premier League away win. A textbook game of two halves. Manchester United are two points off the top!

7.22pm GMT

90 min +4: Mata pings Greenwood clear. Greenwood opts for the first-time spectacular, and shanks it well wide left. Up the other end, Lanzini larrups a frustrated long-distance effort straight at Henderson.

7.20pm GMT

90 min +3: Manchester United stroke it around as the clock ticks down. Compare and contrast to an hour ago. The transformation has been remarkable.

7.18pm GMT

90 min +1: The first of five added minutes passes by without incident. “This iteration of Manchester United is obviously not a title winning side but this squad surely has resolve,” argues Billy Graboso. “That alone will probably save Ole for this season.”

7.17pm GMT

90 min: Johnson is barged over by Rashford out on the right. A chance for West Ham to load the box and grab a goal that would make injury time interesting. But Cresswell’s free kick is headed clear by Lindelof.

7.16pm GMT

89 min: Benrahma embarks on a purposeful dribble down the middle. For a second, it looks as if he might sensationally break through. But he loses control on the edge of the box and falls over in the hope of purchasing a cheap free kick. He doesn’t get one.

7.14pm GMT

87 min: Rice has a rake from 25 yards. It’s a decent hit, but takes a deflection off McTominay that actually helps Henderson, the ball whistling straight down the keeper’s throat.

7.12pm GMT

85 min: The resulting corner is no good. Johnson comes on for Coufal.

7.12pm GMT

84 min: A free kick for West Ham, 30 yards out. Cresswell takes, and curls powerfully over the wall and towards the bottom right. It’s in all the way, but Henderson extends an arm to turn around the post. What a save!

7.10pm GMT

82 min: West Ham are in danger of losing heavily, which seemed to be Manchester United’s fate in the first half. Rashford makes good down the left and sends a dribbler across the face of goal. Thankfully for the 2,000 increasingly morose attendees, there’s nobody in dazzle camouflage in the middle.

7.08pm GMT

80 min: Coufal dribbles down the right and wins a corner off Telles. Cresswell takes. The ball ends up at the feet of Benrahma on the other wing. He dribbles at Lindelof, who isn’t minded to tackle inside the box. Benrahma drops a shoulder to move to the inside, and sends a curler towards the top right. Inches over, with Henderson beaten. It’s just not West Ham’s day.

7.05pm GMT

Mata creams a first-time pass from the centre circle down the inside-left channel for Rashford, who is sprung clear. He draws Fabianski and dinks a lovely chip over the keeper and into the net. Good luck trying to figure this Manchester United side out.

7.04pm GMT

77 min: Greenwood bustles down the inside left and slices a shot wide. Manchester United look dangerous on every attack now. They’re as wonderful now as they were woeful earlier on.

7.03pm GMT

76 min: Rashford is fixed up and good to go again. Meanwhile the hosts make a double change, sending on Benrahma and Lanzini in place of Bowen and Fornals.

7.02pm GMT

74 min: Rashford romps at warp speed down the left. Rice gets a good foot in to stop his gallop. Rashford accidentally falls into Ogbonna’s boot, and play is stopped while West Ham were on the counter. The West Ham 2,000 aren’t happy, and boo accordingly, but the referee had little option.

7.00pm GMT

72 min: Fernandes turns in the centre circle and slides Rashford clear down the inside-right channel. He’s clear on goal, but slightly scuffs his shot across Fabianski, which twangs off the base of the left-hand post and away. Inches from setting the seal on what will be one of the more absurd Jeckyll-and-Hyde performances since ... er, last weekend at Southampton.

6.58pm GMT

70 min: A look of glazed confusion washes across the face of David Moyes. He has no idea how his team have just been hit by that double whammy. But this is just what this Manchester United team does.

6.56pm GMT

He’ll be doubly livid now. Telles makes space down the left and cuts back for Greenwood, who has his back to goal on the six-yard box. He takes one touch to spin Ogbonna, and lashes past Fabianski. One smooth movement of extreme brilliance!

6.54pm GMT

67 min: Moyes is fuming.

6.54pm GMT

66 min: There’s a VAR check. Did Henderson’s blooter upfield curl out of play before reaching Fernandes? David Moyes certainly things so. But there’s no way of knowing for sure, if the footage shown is all they’ve got to go by, and so the goal stands.

6.52pm GMT

Henderson launches a long clearance down the right, under pressure from Bowen. He inadvertently springs Fernandes down the right. Fernandes cuts back for Pogba, who unleashes a screamer into the top right! Fabianski had no chance.

6.48pm GMT

63 min: Martial can’t continue. He limps off, to be replaced by Mata.

6.48pm GMT

61 min: Rashford earns a corner for Manchester United that’s wasted. But they’re beginning to ask a few questions on a regular basis at long last.

6.47pm GMT

60 min: Ogbonna launches a crossfield pass that finds Coufal in acres on the right. The resulting cross is no good, but once again you have to question Telles. Not so much what he’s doing, but where he is.

6.46pm GMT

59 min: Manchester United are currently playing with ten-and-a-half men. Martial is limping heavily and trying to run it off.

6.45pm GMT

57 min: Fernandes shows in attack for the first time since coming on, spinning cutely down the middle and threading a delicate pass forward in the hope of releasing Martial into the box. Martial is well offside. But again: a little better from Manchester United.

6.42pm GMT

55 min: Rashford tries to pick up the pace with a determined dribble down the left. He cuts inside and tees up McTominay, who flashes the side netting with a fierce first-time drive. A little better from the visitors.

6.42pm GMT

54 min: On Sky Sports, co-commentator Gary Neville is fuming at the half-arsed nature of Manchester United’s press. Right now: steam > bubbles.

6.41pm GMT

53 min: Maguire decides to have a thrash from the best part of 30 yards. It’s a decent enough effort, but Fabianski shouldn’t get beaten from there, and doesn’t. He smothers easily.

6.39pm GMT

52 min: Incredible amounts of space for Coufal on the right. Where’s Telles?! He enters the box and looks for Fornals in the middle. The ball flies across to Bowen, who attempts to steer into an unguarded net from a tight angle, but can only find the side netting. A big chance to double West Ham’s lead is spurned.

6.38pm GMT

50 min: West Ham stroke the ball around nicely, from back to front, Masuaku finally firing in a cross from the left. Maguire hacks clear. Both sides, for differing reasons, look hell-bent on hunting goals.

6.36pm GMT

48 min: Rashford probes down the left. He runs slap-bang into Coufal, and demands a free kick for obstruction, but doesn’t get one. You’ve seen them given. A good sign for those worried about his shoulder that he’s more than prepared to get physical.

6.33pm GMT

46 min: Martial is sent scampering down the left ... but he’s miles offside. “Those Man Utd shirts are a bit like watching telly in the 70s/80s,” suggests Justin Kavanagh. “The broken lines would slide upward or downward for ten minutes before a minute of beautiful clarity would break through and you could finally make sense of what you were watching - only for the zebra lines to then return with a vengeance. A lot like watching United these days, in fact.”

6.32pm GMT

Manchester United get the second half underway. They’ll be buoyed by the fact they’ve won four of the six Premier League games in which they’ve conceded the first goal this season ... and that Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford are on for the second half. They replace Donny van de Beek and Edinson Cavani.

6.23pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. Having witnessed that abject first-half display, Manchester United fans can be forgiven for daydreaming about better times. They could do worse than fire up United Rewind, a nostalgia-fest hosted by Rob Smyth and Daniel Harris of this parish. It’s everything you’d expect from this magnificent duo ... but even better than that. You won’t regret it. Get on it.

Episode one of United Rewind is out now!@DanielHarris and Rob Smyth look back at United's counter-attacking shellacking of Norwich in the 1993 title run-in.

Eric, Giggs and Ince all star and there's a combustible cameo from Robbo too...#MUFC #MUNPSGhttps://t.co/d2WJnEm5sa pic.twitter.com/Uo3hBIaku1

6.17pm GMT

There’s just enough time left for Bowen to lift an effort over the bar ... and the whistle goes for the break. It’s no exaggeration to say that the hosts could - arguably should - be at least three goals up. Manchester United have some thinking to do.

6.16pm GMT

45 min: From the resulting throw, Bowen flashes a header goalwards. Henderson does well to parry, though the flag goes up for offside anyway.

6.16pm GMT

44 min: West Ham break from the Manchester United corner. Fornals puts Bowen clean through! The visitors are very fortunate that Wan-Bissaka is much faster than Bowen. He catches him up on the edge of the box and blocks.

6.14pm GMT

43 min: Yet despite their awful first-half display, they could be level. Martial glides in from the left and curls powerfully towards the top left. Fabianski does extremely well to claw out for a corner.

6.14pm GMT

42 min: Manchester United are a rabble. McTominay and Lindelof get in an awful mess, gifting Bowen possession then bringing him down. That leads to a shot, a corner, a melee, and a Pogba overhead clearance that on another day could have taken Soucek’s head off.

6.12pm GMT

40 min: Haller is sent clear down the middle! Manchester United’s defence is all over the shop! Haller rounds Henderson on the left. He switches feet, preparing to stroke home ... then slips over! Henderson is able to claim. Haller might have been a yard offside, but we’ll never know for sure. No need for VAR to check, and Haller may be the only person in the London Stadium wishing there were still no fans allowed.

6.10pm GMT

39 min: Manchester United fans won’t be too worried yet. They keep falling behind on their travels in the Premier League ... and keep winning. Can West Ham buck the trend?

6.09pm GMT

The corner’s whipped from the left to the near post. Rice flicks on. Henderson plus defenders had all swarmed Rice, and Soucek is able to poke into an unguarded net from a couple of yards! It had been coming.

6.08pm GMT

37 min: Haller spins Maguire down the right and loops long to the far post, where the excellent Bowen waits. He brings the ball down and shoots from a tight angle. A deflection earns West Ham a corner. From which ...

6.07pm GMT

36 min: Pogba has a dig from distance. It’s swerving around but easily claimed by Fabianski, who has otherwise had very little to do.

6.06pm GMT

35 min: Pogba’s forward pass clanks into a thicket of players. Bowen comes away with it and drives towards the Manchester United box from the right. He slips a pass into Fornals, who pokes a delicate no-backlift effort towards the bottom left. Henderson is beaten. The ball clanks off the base of the post and back into the keeper’s grateful arms.

6.04pm GMT

33 min: Manchester United’s brief resurgence has stalled. They’re shipping possession with obscene regularity right now. This time they allow Bowen to have a dig from distance. Miles over the bar, but it’s another warning sign. The visitors need to sharpen up.

6.03pm GMT

32 min: Cavani gifts West Ham the ball. Bowen is sent scampering down the right, passes Telles with ease, and curls to the far post, where Fornals heads into the side netting from a tight-ish angle. It wasn’t the easiest of chances, though he should still have done better.

6.01pm GMT

31 min: West Ham work a short corner and waste it. A harmless game of head tennis breaks out on the edge of the Manchester United area and Henderson is quickly out to claim.

6.01pm GMT

30 min: Pogba and Van de Beek take turns to give the ball away cheaply. That allows Masuaku to work his way down the left and earn a corner.

5.59pm GMT

28 min: Manchester United are spending more and more time in the West Ham half. Cavani is popping up everywhere.

5.58pm GMT

26 min: A long ball launched down the West Ham right. Maguire comes across to deal with it, but brings the ball down with his arm. It’s a blatant handball, but there’s no free kick coming West Ham’s way, the referee waving play on. David Moyes goes ballistic on the touchline. That free kick would have been in a tasty position near the Manchester United box.

5.56pm GMT

25 min: A free kick earned by Pogba out on the right. He takes it himself. The delivery’s no good, and it’s easily cleared by Ogbonna. “Is that the Manchester United bench booing Pogba?” wonders sports satirist Gary Naylor.

5.54pm GMT

24 min: Once again, the Manchester United corner is a non-event. But Manchester United are growing into the game after a slow start.

5.53pm GMT

23 min: Pogba wins a 50-50 with Rice and lays off to Martial, who slips Telles away down the left. Telles sweeps a low cross into the mixer. Ogbonna is forced to sky the ball over his own bar for a corner.

5.52pm GMT

21 min: A little space for Haller out on the left. He’s got Bowen bombing down the centre, through a huge gap in the Manchester United defence. He looks to thread a diagonal pass to release his team-mate ... but it clatters into Maguire, who intercepts through accident more than design. The visitors were nearly exposed there.

5.49pm GMT

19 min: A one-two between Greenwood and Wan-Bissaka out on the right. The full back passes infield for Martial, who takes a snapshot. It’s deflected wide for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece.

5.48pm GMT

17 min: Soucek wraps his leg around McTominay from behind and is fortunate to escape a booking. It’s a painful one for the Manchester United midfielder, but after a brief spot of rolling and grimacing he’s up and about again.

5.47pm GMT

16 min: Masuaku crosses from the left. Haller tries to trap and turn on the penalty spot, but loses control. West Ham are attacking with confidence.

5.46pm GMT

15 min: It’s Pogba trying with a long pass this time. He finds Cavani down the left. The striker brings it down gracefully, but then backheels to nobody in particular. For a second, West Ham were very light at the back.

5.44pm GMT

14 min: Maguire launches long, hoping to release Van de Beek, breaking from deep. Ogbonna puts a stop to the plan with a towering header clear.

5.43pm GMT

12 min: A neat interchange between Haller and Fornals nearly opens Manchester United up down the left. The flag goes up, though there wasn’t much in it. West Ham have been much the better team during these early exchanges.

5.41pm GMT

11 min: A free kick for West Ham out on the left. Cresswell takes, looping long in the hope of finding Ogbonna at the far post. Henderson comes out and flaps a bit, but there’s no worry as the delivery’s no good and the ball sails out for a goal kick.

5.40pm GMT

9 min: Soucek releases Bowen down the right. Bowen’s free! He enters the box and passes a forensic shot across Henderson and into the bottom left. But the flag goes up for offside. VAR double-checks, though there’s no need to. He was miles off.

5.39pm GMT

8 min: Plenty of applause as Fornals continues to apply the press. A gorgeous sound rippling down from the stand. We’ve missed it.

5.37pm GMT

6 min: Henderson is put under some early pressure when the ball’s at his feet. He deals with West Ham’s press comfortably, but you can be sure David Moyes has told his charges to test the full Premier League debutant at every nerve-jangling opportunity.

5.35pm GMT

4 min: Cavani wants a free kick after running into Balbuena out on the left. He’s not getting one. Meanwhile here’s Damian A Durrant painting a dazzling picture with words: “Manchester United’s kit looks like a hangover feels.”

5.32pm GMT

2 min: West Ham are on the front foot early doors. Bowen causes a bit of bother down the right, swinging the ball in twice. Manchester United can’t clear and Fornals nearly gets a snapshot away at the near post. Henderson blocks and the danger is averted.

5.31pm GMT

The players take a knee ... there’s no room for racism ... and West Ham get the ball rolling. Bubbles in the air, as well as the sweet, sweet sound of punters in the stand. Stay safe, everyone.

5.30pm GMT

The teams are out! West Ham United are in their famous claret and blue, while Manchester United wear their dazzle-ship camouflage. The 2,000 West Ham fans in the Billy Bonds Stand bring the atmosphere. Above them, a rainbow, in support of Stonewall’s rainbow laces campaign for LGBT+ inclusivity. All of it: lovely to see.

5.20pm GMT

David Moyes welcomes the lucky 2,000 fans back to the London Stadium. “I hope the fans have a positive effect. We’ve been playing well. We’ve been playing in a positive fashion, especially here at the London Stadium where it’s been said it’s not home yet, we’re not winning enough games, but I think we’re doing much better so hopefully the supporters will help us again today. It’s a start, but this arena can hold many, many more, and it’s capable because of the way it’s spread out, and the distances to walk up to the stadium, etcetera, but we’re following the government guidelines and we can only have 2,000. I think Manchester United are a really good team, they’ve been in form away from home, so I’m hoping we can give them a really good game and show that we are worthy of being in and around the top teams.”

5.09pm GMT

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer speaks to Sky Sports. “The injury David de Gea had against Southampton has flared up a little bit so we didn’t want to take the risk and kept him at home. Bruno Fernandes has been kicked from pillar to post recently so if I don’t have to use him I’d like not to. Marcus Rashford is fit enough to be on the bench and he held his arm up - with a bad shoulder! - to say he’s ready if needed. Every time you pick a team you think short term, but with a little eye on the next few games. I couldn’t take risks even though we know this is an unbelievably tough place and a tough team to play against.”

4.57pm GMT

That Manchester United team serves up a tasty trio of Premier League firsts. Dean Henderson and Edinson Cavani both make their full league debuts for the club, while Bruno Fernandes isn’t in a Premier League starting XI for the first time since he joined. Meanwhile Digvijay Yadav is on board with my description of the upcoming showdown in Leipzig: “It’s season-defining all right. If Manchester United win here and in Germany, they’d be within touching distance of the top of the league and would have snuck out of a tough group. Lose and Mauricio Pochettino should keep his phone fully charged.”

4.45pm GMT

West Ham, three on the bounce, make just one change to the side named for the win over Aston Villa, and not by choice. The injured Michail Antonio is replaced by Sebastien Haller.

Manchester United have one eye on the potentially season-defining visit to Leipzig on Tuesday, making four changes to the team sent out against PSG. Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford drop to the bench, while David de Gea and Fred miss out altogether. Dean Henderson, Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek and Mason Greenwood step up.

4.35pm GMT

West Ham United: Fabianski, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Coufal, Rice, Soucek, Masuaku, Bowen, Fornals, Haller.
Subs: Benrahma, Lanzini, Snodgrass, Noble, Diop, Johnson, Randolph.

Manchester United: Henderson, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles, McTominay, Pogba, Greenwood, van de Beek, Martial, Cavani.
Subs: Mata, Rashford, Grant, Fernandes, Matic, Williams, Tuanzebe.

11.06pm GMT

This is one of those fixtures that delivers more often than not. See!

This evening should be no different. West Ham are in great form at the moment, having won their last three Premier League games, and five of their last eight. They’ve even worked out how to win ugly, which they did against Aston Villa on Monday night, a fact David Moyes was more than happy to admit. Sign of a good team, right? Which is what the Hammers, quietly, are threatening to become. A third successive win over Manchester United at home is on.

Continue reading...

Burnley 1-1 Everton: Premier League – as it happened

Both keepers shone on a sunny day at Turf Moor

2.49pm GMT

Paul Wilson was at Turf Moor. Here’s his report. You know what to do. Clickity click! Thanks for reading this MBM.

Related: Calvert-Lewin rescues point for Everton to leave Burnley in bottom three

2.47pm GMT

Carlo Ancelotti’s take. “We were quite good after a difficult start ... we changed the shape, it was not easy ... it’s a draw that helps us move a little bit up the table ... of course we wanted to win and had opportunities ... one at the end ... we have to accept the result ... mentally we suffered after the goal but we came back and at the end we played a good game ... we were more comfortable with three midfielders ... Jordan is back ... he has a lot of quality ... for him it’s important to stay mentally in good condition, fit and motivated ... it was a difficult game for Dominic Calvert-Lewin but when it came he was ready ... I think we played quite good ... we wanted to win but a point is acceptable.”

2.43pm GMT

Sean Dyche, 200 up, makes a couple of trenchant observations. “An important reaction from last week ... a really good reaction, we took the game on against a really good side, I know they’ve had a tough spell but they’re a good side without doubt ... our basic requirement of how we work is the will and desire to work as a unit from a shape, but then try to be effective with the ball, and I thought we found a good balance ... but it ends up a game of two keepers, they were outstanding ... I don’t know what a foul any more, Westy gets an arm in the back and a soft touch on his foot, he goes down but it’s not a foul ... we all know they get given every week ... this league now, you make contact with someone it gets given virtually every time ... today it doesn’t and they counter and score so I was certainly aggrieved ... money’s always been difficult to get from the board and chairman because they want to safeguard the club ... but there’s only so many years you can safeguard ... eventually you have to stretch and we haven’t done that ... but our group can be effective ... I can’t sign the cheques, so I try to manage the things I can affect.”

2.29pm GMT

Robbie Brady speaks to BT Sport: “We had some chances ... we could have put it away ... we’ll take a point today ... I felt we performed well, it was a bit more like us ... we know we have it in us, we’ll stick at it and hopefully there are more wins to come ... it was nice to get on the scoresheet but it was disappointing to concede ... we possibly could have nicked it, but a point we’ll take.”

2.27pm GMT

The keepers are the only players who seem content as everyone hotfoots it back to the warmth of the dressing rooms. Nick Pope made a fine save from Gylfi Sigurdsson in injury time, while Jordan Pickford met a Chris Wood header with some style late on. They’re both smiling, but pretty much everyone else has a face on. One point’s better than nothing, but it doesn’t really help much. Everton rise to seventh, on 17 points. Burnley stay in 19th, but join West Brom on six points. Still, it was an entertaining game.

2.23pm GMT

This seems about right.

2.22pm GMT

90 min +2: Burnley bustle down the right. Wood, Barnes and Keane tumble in the Keystone Kops style, the ball breaking clear for McNeil, 25 yards out! McNeil sorts out his feet ... then pulls a dismal effort miles wide right. That was a fine chance to sneak all three points. Oh dear.

2.20pm GMT

90 min +1: Just as the clock ticks past the 90-minute mark, James Rodriguez improvises a delicate toe-poked pass down the middle to release Sigurdsson into the box. Sigurdsson is one on one with Pope! He looks for the bottom-left corner, but Pope sticks a leg out to block. What a pass ... and what a save!

2.19pm GMT

90 min: Keane takes a whack from Tarkowski, and the whistle goes. Corner successfully defended. There will be four added minutes.

2.18pm GMT

89 min: Barnes busies himself to the right of the Everton goal, latching onto a deep right-wing cross. Mina is forced to hook his leg around Barnes and poke out for a corner.

2.17pm GMT

88 min: Benson fires a cross in from the right. Mina clears. Cenk Tosun comes on for Allan.

2.16pm GMT

87 min: Ashley Barnes hasn’t scored since November 23 last year. That would make some story, too.

2.15pm GMT

86 min: Burnley’s goalscorer Robbie Brady goes down injured, and is quickly replaced by Josh Benson, who is celebrating his 21st birthday today. Some headlines ready to be written here?

2.14pm GMT

85 min: Both sides have given this a good go, even if the quality has been lacking a little bit. Can anyone nick it?

2.12pm GMT

83 min: Corner for Burnley out on the right. McNeil swings it in. Wood rises highest and heads towards the bottom left. Pickford extends himself and tips around the post. A sensational save! Nothing comes of the second corner.

2.11pm GMT

82 min: Calvert-Lewin scampers into space down the left, released by a cute Richarlison flick. He enters the box and tries to poke past the out-rushing Pope, but the keeper smothers brilliantly. Calvert-Lewin cocks his head back, a Pez dispenser of despair.

2.10pm GMT

81 min: Everton make a proactive substitution: Doucoure is replaced by Sigurdsson.

2.09pm GMT

80 min: Everton break quickly from Burnley’s corner. Gomes tries to curl into the top left, but it’s always going high and wide.

2.08pm GMT

79 min: Nothing comes of that corner, but Burnley come again quickly, Barnes besting Godfrey out on the right and crossing low for Wood, hovering at the near post. Mina makes a crucial lunge to turn out for another corner.

2.07pm GMT

78 min: Westwood swings the free kick into the mixer. The ball breaks to Brownhill, who has enough time to bring the ball down and shift his feet, but his shot is blocked out by Godfrey. Corner.

2.06pm GMT

77 min: Taylor goes barrelling down the left and draws a clumsy foul from Doucoure. A chance for the hosts to load the box. Those Burnley eyes light up again.

2.04pm GMT

75 min: Burnley make their first change: Ashley Barnes comes on for Jay Rodriguez.

2.03pm GMT

74 min: Everton probe to no great effect.

2.02pm GMT

72 min: Wood landed awkwardly on his shoulders, and for a minute there’s some concern that he’s hurt his neck. But happily he’s up and about after a thorough check by the physio, and good to continue.

2.00pm GMT

70 min: Iwobi reaches the byline on the right and fires low and hard into the six-yard box. A minor brouhaha breaks out, and Mee eventually clears. Burnley attempt to break, but Wood lands awkwardly after accidentally flipping over Gomes as the pair contest a high ball. Play is stopped so the Burnley man can get some treatment.

1.58pm GMT

69 min: Richarlison wedges in from the left. James Rodriguez shapes to volley, but Mee heads the dropping ball away from his dangerous boot.

1.56pm GMT

67 min: The corner’s worked back to Brady, who takes a skelp from 25 yards. Allan blocks bravely.

1.56pm GMT

66 min: McNeil looks as though he’s running down a cul-de-sac out left, but suddenly flicks infield between Allan and Iwobi. He’s away! Lovely skill. But his cross isn’t all that, and he has to settle for a corner.

1.54pm GMT

64 min: A lovely bit of Zizou-style skill from Gomes, who falls under pressure from Westwood but somehow keeps the ball stuck to his boot, springs up, and scuttles away. His trick opens up a bit of space for James Rodriguez, who slips Iwobi into acres down the right. Iwobi wallops a low cross along the corridor of uncertainty, but Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison are nowhere to be found.

1.51pm GMT

62 min: Burnley’s final pass isn’t all that, either. They probe down both flanks, opening up a bit of space but freezing when there’s a decision to be made. Taylor and Brady at fault this time. Everton hold their shape and there’s no way through.

1.49pm GMT

60 min: Richarlison drives down the left and rolls infield, hoping to find Calvert-Lewin. Brownhill intercepts, but slices wildly, the ball looping behind him and nearly dropping over Pope and into the net. The ball just about clears the bar for a corner. Nothing happens at the set piece.

1.47pm GMT

58 min: Taylor ships possession cheaply in the centre circle. Everton flood forward. James Rodriguez shapes to shoot, then flicks towards Richarlison on the left. Lowton reads a poor pass and heads clear. Everton’s final ball has, for the most part, been dismally lacking.

1.44pm GMT

56 min: Pickford flaps at the corner, under pressure from Brownhill. Under too much pressure, it transpires, and the whistle goes for a free kick.

1.44pm GMT

55 min: Brady comes bowling down the right and wins a corner off Godfrey. A few Burnley eyes light up.

1.43pm GMT

54 min: Everton threaten to launch a couple of dangerous counter-attacks, but with Burnley light at the back and plenty of yellow shirts offering themselves, James Rodriguez and then Gomes pass straight to the opposition.

1.40pm GMT

52 min: Nothing comes of the resulting corner.

1.40pm GMT

51 min: A little time and space is afforded to James Rodriguez on the edge of the Burnley D. Really bad idea. James opens his body and curls towards the top left. Pope makes an excellent fingertip save. So close to a stunning goal by Everton’s star man.

1.39pm GMT

50 min: Brady and Lowton combine well on the right touchline, nearly opening Everton up. Not this time, but a nifty interchange nonetheless.

1.37pm GMT

48 min: Brady hoicks into the box from the right. Keane does well to head clear under pressure from Wood and Jay Rodriguez. Both teams have had a talking-to during the break, I’ll be bound.

1.36pm GMT

46 min: Everton are immediately on the front foot. Iwobi curls in from the right. Calvert-Lewin can’t connect. Richarlison bashes a shot into the ground. The ball breaks to Gomes, who batters a shot goalwards from 12 yards. Lawton bravely spreads himself and blocks with his back. The flag eventually goes up for offside, but what an opening to the second half!

1.34pm GMT

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

1.22pm GMT

Half-time entertainment.

Related: Carlo Ancelotti to invite José Mourinho for drink after Marine FA Cup tie

1.20pm GMT

That equaliser had been coming, and it arrived just in the nick of time from Everton’s perspective. Sean Dyche strides off briskly and purposefully, with the brooding air of a man who is about to turn the hairdryer up to 11.

1.19pm GMT

Allan wins the ball off Westwood and rolls down the left for Richarlison, who whips into the centre. Calvert-Lewin comes in at full tilt, extending a leg and studding into the bottom right!

1.17pm GMT

45 min +2: Brownhill is back on after a brief dab down with a wet sponge.

1.17pm GMT

45 min +1: The first of three added minutes goes by without incident.

1.16pm GMT

45 min: VAR isn’t interested. There didn’t appear to be any intention, Gomes turning to protect himself as he came together with Brownhill.

1.15pm GMT

44 min: Brownhill goes down after a clash with Gomes. No free kick, even though he took an elbow on the jaw. The referee eventually stops play and VAR is going to take a look.

1.14pm GMT

42 min: James Rodriguez swishes a wonderful reverse ball down the left to release Gomes into acres. Gomes fizzes the ball into the six-yard box. Tarkowski does well to hack clear with yellow shirts preparing to swarm. The flag eventually goes up for offside. Everton look so much better since their enforced change of shape.

1.12pm GMT

41 min: A long Pope clearance down the middle. Wood brings it down, lays off to McNeil, and spins. McNeil returns the ball, releasing Wood into the box. Pickford comes out to block brilliantly. A big chance for Burnley there, somewhat against the run of play.

1.11pm GMT

40 min: Richarlison crosses from the left. Tarkowski flicks away from Calvert-Lewin at the expense of a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece.

1.09pm GMT

39 min: Pickford punches Westwood’s corner away with great feeling. Everton attempt to launch a counter but James Rodriguez plays an uncharacteristically poor speculative pass forward.

1.08pm GMT

38 min: McNeil crosses deep from the left. Keane eyebrows away just in time, with Tarkowski winding his neck back nearby. Corner kick.

1.07pm GMT

36 min: Richarlison sashays down the left and pearls a shot well wide of goal. “I don’t know whether I’m too unsophisticated to understand, but I think Everton just need to make more tackles,” writes Everton’s Gary Naylor. “And that puts a lot of stress on Doucouré and Allan because not many others seem keen.” Picking Marco Silva over a certain Sean Dyche, a sliding-doors moment right there.

1.04pm GMT

34 min: Iwobi crosses from a deep position on the right. Calvert-Lewin flicks on elegantly for Richarlison, but the Brazilian is miles offside and the flag goes up. Everton are showing signs of flickering into life.

1.02pm GMT

32 min: Iwobi makes good down the right and nearly finds Calvert-Lewin in the middle with a clever diagonal pass, threaded between two players. Just a little too much on it. Iwobi’s looked lively.

1.01pm GMT

31 min: Doucoure makes a positive burst down the middle and slips a pass down the inside-left channel for Calvert-Lewin. He could have a first-time shot but instead takes a couple of steps and wins a corner off Mee. Nothing comes of the set piece. Much better from Everton, though.

12.59pm GMT

29 min: It takes a disconsolate Delph some time to limp off. Another spell in the treatment room for the poor chap. Andre Gomes comes on to take his place.

12.57pm GMT

27 min: Delph accelerates down the left wing and immediately pulls up, clutching the back of his leg. There goes his hamstring. He hobbles off in an extremely downcast manner.

12.56pm GMT

25 min: A period of Everton possession comes to naught. The hosts continue to look comfortable.

12.54pm GMT

23 min: Brady tries to release Wood down the middle. The pass is too heavy. A huge gap in the middle of the Everton defence, though. The visitors don’t seem particularly comfortable with their gameplan.

12.52pm GMT

22 min: Brownhill has a dig from 25 yards. It’s always flying wide left. Doucoure let him slip by with ease, though. Everton’s midfield need to sharpen up quicksmart.

12.51pm GMT

20 min: Doucoure gifts the ball to Brownhill, who drives down the inside-left. His pass forward, intended to release Wood, is too strong and claimed by Pickford. Doucoure and Allan haven’t been on it in the Everton midfield at all.

12.48pm GMT

18 min: Richarlison spins away from Lowton down the left. Calvert-Lewin is in the middle, but arriving a little too late, so Richarlison takes on a shot from a tight angle instead. Pope claims.

12.47pm GMT

17 min: Burnley ping it around the midfield for a while. They’re playing with confidence. They certainly don’t look like a relegation-haunted outfit right now.

12.46pm GMT

15 min: Lowton again looks for Wood, this time down the left. Wood briefly threatens to take control and bust into the box, but doesn’t quite manage it.

12.45pm GMT

14 min: James Rodriguez rolls a ball down the right channel for Iwobi, who replicates his low cross of a minute ago. Nobody in yellow is at the near post, and Pope can smother. There’s no way this is going to end 1-0. But who scores next?

12.44pm GMT

13 min: Everton finally bare their teeth. Iwobi whips in low from the right. Calvert-Lewin sticks a leg out at the near post. Pope blocks unconventionally with both shins. The ball’s hacked clear. This is an entertaining game.

12.43pm GMT

12 min: But you can see why. Lowton intercepts a Pickford throw-out and barges his way down the right. He whips low, hoping to find Jay Rodriguez in the middle. Godfrey does extremely well to block and bundle clear.

12.41pm GMT

11 min: Lowton down the right for Wood. Mina covers, Pickford clears. This is getting old.

12.40pm GMT

9 min: Lowton pings a ball down the right for Wood. Pickford is forced to race out of his box to blooter clear, with Keane and Mina nowhere. Burnley have clearly decided this flank is ripe for the picking.

12.37pm GMT

7 min: James Rodriguez, just to the side of the D, takes a whack. His effort is blocked, but he was allowed too much space there. Burnley will have to watch that.

12.36pm GMT

6 min: Burnley now have something to defend. This is going to be a test for Everton. Though the home team aren’t sitting back; Brady pearls a pass down the right and nearly releases Wood, but Pickford is out to the edge of his box to claim.

12.34pm GMT

4 min: On the touchline, a frowning Carlo Ancelotti chews gum with great vigour. Not sure this is breaking news, but there it is.

12.33pm GMT

Well, you can scrub that! Allan and Doucoure faff about in the midfield and the ball rolls to Brady, who takes a touch, uses Keane as a shield, and whistles a low drive into the bottom left, Pickford unable to extend an arm far enough to do anything about it. What a start!

12.32pm GMT

2 min: A fairly nondescript start to the match.

12.30pm GMT

Burnley get the ball rolling on a chilly day in Lancashire ... but only after everyone takes a knee. No room for racism.

12.28pm GMT

The teams are out! Burnley are in their lovely traditional claret and blue, while Everton reference their appearance in the 1968 FA Cup final with a gorgeous yellow change shirt. As Miles Davis would say, everyone is looking cleaner than a [12-letter word redacted by Family Website editor]. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes! “This is a must win for Everton in this topsy-turvy season,” writes Mary Waltz. “Was our fast start a mirage or is this year different from our typical mid-table mediocrity? On pins and needles.”

12.17pm GMT

Carlo Ancelotti’s turn. “We need more confidence, more consistency, more balance. The last two games we have improved, but it would be a good signal today to have a good performance, play well and have points. I had some good ideas in training and it worked well, but the test is today. It will be tough against a strong team with good organisation.”

12.05pm GMT

Sean Dyche, taking charge of Burnley in the Premier League for the 200th time today, speaks to BT Sport. “The way the game’s changed, for British managers, achieving things in the Premier League, or being in the Premier League, is a task, and a tough one at that. We’ve earned our way into it, and kept in there with good planning and good preparation and lots of hard work - not just by myself, I have a really good staff and group of players. Our injury list is getting better and stronger, that’s been affecting us of course. We’ve got to get back to performances like Palace, when we were on the front foot early in the game and defended resolutely.”

11.38am GMT

Burnley make three changes to the side spanked at the Etihad last week. Nick Pope, Josh Brownhill and Robbie Brady come in for Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Josh Benson and Ashley Barnes.

Two changes for Everton from the side that lost at home to Leeds. Yerry Mina and Fabian Delph replace Mason Holgate and Tom Davies.

11.34am GMT

Burnley: Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Brady, Westwood, Brownhill, McNeil, Wood, Rodriguez.
Subs: Barnes, Peacock-Farrell, Pieters, Vydra, Long, Dunne, Benson.

Everton: Pickford, Godfrey, Mina, Keane, Iwobi, Doucoure, Allan, Delph, Rodriguez, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison.
Subs: Holgate, Sigurdsson, Tosun, Bernard, Andre Gomes, Davies, Lossl.

10.59pm GMT

Everton’s seven-game winning sequence at the start of the season seems a long time ago now. Since then, they’ve played six matches, all in the Premier League, losing four, drawing one and winning another, and they made hard work of that against struggling Fulham.

On the face of it, a visit to second-from-bottom Burnley looks an ideal opportunity to regain some of that lost momentum. Especially as Sean Dyche - 200 Premier League games up today! - is presiding over a side who have lost six of their opening nine, have only scored two goals in their last eight, and were battered 5-0 at Manchester City last weekend.

Continue reading...

Sevilla 0-4 Chelsea: Champions League – as it happened

Olivier Giroud scored a perfect hat-trick, then added a penalty, to humiliate Sevilla on their own turf and secure top spot in Group E for Chelsea

10.24pm GMT

Sid Lowe was at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium this evening. His report has landed, so you’ll be heading over there now. But before you go: thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!

Related: Olivier Giroud's fantastic four flattens Sevilla as Chelsea claim top spot

10.23pm GMT

Frank talking. “Four goals at this level, and the quality of the goals ... individual aspects from Oli himself ... team aspects from back to front ... an amazing solo performance, he deserves all the accolades ... I’m delighted with him, I’m delighted with the team ... to come here against a very strong Sevilla team, our team performance was great, it had everything ... Oli is reliable full stop, he’s up there with the great French individuals ... everyone is delighted for him, because of how he trains and how he is ... Leeds is a tight turnaround so I’ll have to see, but it’s four goals in a game [flashes smile] ... he was really top class.”

10.07pm GMT

A blissed-out Olivier Giroud, a look of relaxed contentment spread across his face, speaks to BT Sport. “When you win 4-0 away in the Champions League it is always a great feeling ... a good performance from the team ... we took the game from the front foot ... it’s a good night ... also for me, because I scored four goals! I didn’t know until two years ago that you called it a perfect hat-trick. I scored against Kyiv in the Europa League and they told me that ... I said, what do you mean?! ... and it was plus a penalty so yes it was good, but I had good assists so it was maybe easier to finish! ... I will try to carry on like that ... just let me enjoy the night, we will rest, and we’ll see what the gaffer has planned for Leeds ... we are looking forward to Saturday and hope for a nice welcome [with the returning fans].”

9.56pm GMT

That was a striking masterclass by Olivier Giroud. A perfect hat-trick - left foot, right foot, header - plus a penalty thrown in for good luck. Chelsea top Group E on 13 points, and can’t be knocked off their perch, even if an experimental team of kids and office staff are sent out against Krasnodar at Stamford Bridge next week. Sevilla weren’t at full strength, but then neither were Chelsea, and the hosts were eviscerated on their own turf. Manchester City are the only English club to ever win in Seville, back in the groups in 2015, but even they never did it like this. A stunning result and a performance that will concentrate a few minds around Europe.

9.50pm GMT

A nigh-on perfect performance from four-goal Olivier Giroud has won Group E for Chelsea!

9.49pm GMT

90 min +2: Jordan was also booked, and he’ll miss the dead rubber against Rennes next week.

9.48pm GMT

90 min +1: Mount shoves Jordan in the back and the game briefly threatens to break out into a brouhaha. Azpilicueta plays peacemaker, though Mount still picks up a booking.

9.47pm GMT

90 min: There will be three added minutes.

9.46pm GMT

88 min: Gomez goes in the book for some minor infringement.

9.45pm GMT

86 min: There’s a VAR check for another penalty, as Werner bustles into the box down the inside-right channel. Gomez comes across and toe-pokes away, then makes contact, the lightest of brushes. Even by the ludicrous standards of VAR, this would be a preposterous decision, but thankfully the referee sees sense after looking at the monitor and restarts the game with a drop ball instead.

9.42pm GMT

84 min: Giroud has earned an ovation, and the few folk inside the Sanchez-Pizjaun applaud as he departs, his job more than done, to make way for Werner. Gilmour also comes on, taking the place of Jorginho.

9.40pm GMT

Giroud gives Pastor the eyes, sending the keeper the wrong way as he whips an unstoppable penalty into the top right. Four for the French World Cup winner!

9.39pm GMT

82 min: Azpilicueta crosses from the right. Gomez clumsily clatters into the back of Giroud, and it’s an easy decision for the referee.

9.38pm GMT

81 min: Sevilla take their turn to enjoy some possession, but they don’t really go anywhere, and they’re playing with the deflated air of a team who just want to hear the final whistle.

9.36pm GMT

79 min: Chelsea are now stroking it about at their leisure.

9.34pm GMT

77 min: Chelsea have thoroughly outplayed the Europa League champions on their own patch. It’s been a comprehensive display, and one that sends a few loud signals around Europe.

9.33pm GMT

75 min: Sevilla make their last change. A strangely out-of-sorts Rakitic makes way for Torres.

9.32pm GMT

Kante crosses from the right. Giroud rises at the near post and flashes an unstoppable header into the roof of the net. Not just a hat-trick; a perfect hat-trick. Left foot, right foot, header. And that’s four goals for Giroud in the last two Champions League matches. They can’t get rid of him, surely?

9.31pm GMT

73 min: Munir wastes the free kick disgracefully, looping miles over the bar from 25 yards.

9.29pm GMT

72 min: Emerson clips Kounde from behind, and should really go in the book, but it’s just a free kick to Sevilla. Kounde isn’t happy about it at all, and offers to engage in the throwing of hands. The referee steps in to calm the situation down.

9.28pm GMT

70 min: Emerson wins a corner for Chelsea down the left. He takes it himself. Giroud rises, hoping to bash a header home for his hat-trick, but the ball sails harmlessly over the bar. Chelsea are pressing hard for the third goal that would put this game beyond any doubt whatsoever.

9.26pm GMT

68 min: Kante’s first act is to bustle down the right and win a corner. It’s half cleared, but the ball’s soon coming back at Sevilla, and Mount chests down on the edge of the box, leans back, and pokes towards the bottom right. Pastor gets a strong hand to the shot, and Ziyech isn’t able to latch onto the loose ball.

9.24pm GMT

67 min: Chelsea make their first changes. Three of them: Pulisic, Kovacic and Havertz make way for Kante, Mount and Ziyech.

9.23pm GMT

66 min: Sevilla make their penultimate change, replacing Vazquez with Munir.

9.22pm GMT

65 min: Now Pulisic tries a spin and shot. His effort is blocked too, out for a corner that leads to nothing.

9.20pm GMT

63 min: Hudson-Odoi is looking increasingly dangerous out on the right. He makes good down the flank again, pulling back cleverly for Havertz, who spins and shoots from the edge of the box, but sees his effort blocked the nanosecond it leaves his boot.

9.18pm GMT

61 min: Giroud grafts out on the left and wins Chelsea a corner. Nothing comes of that, but what an influence the veteran French international is having.

9.17pm GMT

60 min: And so Sevilla make three changes. On come Ocampos, Jordan and Kounde, replacing Oscar, Navas and Idrissi.

9.16pm GMT

59 min: ... nothing. Something needs to change if Sevilla are to get back into this.

9.15pm GMT

58 min: Navas whips in from the right. Jorginho is forced to hoick over his own goal, with white shirts heading towards him. The corner’s worked back up the left wing to Oscar, who lashes towards the near post, forcing Rudiger to turn out for a second corner. And from that ...

9.14pm GMT

57 min: Hudson-Odoi cuts in from the right and tries a curler. Nope.

9.13pm GMT

56 min: So that’s two attempts and two goals for Olivier Giroud. Weird to think Chelsea might let him go in the transfer window.

9.12pm GMT

Hudson-Odoi flashes a ball across the face of goal from the right. Giroud’s on the back foot and misses the chance of slamming home from six yards. No matter! Chelsea come straight back at the hosts, Kovacic feeding Giroud down the inside-right channel. Giroud enters the box, draws Pastor, and gently lifts his shot over the young keeper and into the net. A delicious finish.

9.10pm GMT

52 min: Rakitic spreads a lovely diagonal ball towards Navas on the right wing. Navas drives forward with purpose, but then rather wafts at his cross, which is an easy pluck for Mendy. Shame, given the quality of Rakitic’s pass.

9.08pm GMT

51 min: Chelsea haven’t got going since the break.

9.07pm GMT

49 min: Navas is surrounded out on the right touchline. He takes three Chelsea players out of the game with an outrageous scoop to Gudelj, who steps into the box and lashes a stunning shot towards the top right. Mendy was nearby, but not certain to stop the shot had it been on target, such was its vicious power. But the ball clears the crossbar by a lick of paint. What an effort! That would have been a picture-book goal.

9.04pm GMT

47 min: The hosts on the front foot during the early exchanges of this second half, albeit to little effect in the final third.

9.02pm GMT

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

8.48pm GMT

Half-time entertainment.

Related: Klopp's kids and a new Champions League format - Football Weekly

8.47pm GMT

That’s your lot for the first half. After Chelsea’s fast start, Sevilla have dominated possession, but Frank Lampard’s side have the lead. It’s been good fun. Here’s to more in the second half.

8.45pm GMT

45 min: A long ball down the left is headed by Rekik into space for Rakitic, just inside the box. Rakitic takes his shot early, and it’s wild and wide.

8.44pm GMT

43 min: Now Pulisic is booked after losing control and sliding in on Oscar. Four bookings already, two apiece. Not bad for a game between two sides already qualified.

8.42pm GMT

41 min: Oscar is stopped in his tracks, illegally, by Emerson down the Sevilla right. Another free kick that’ll test Chelsea’s defence. Oscar gets up and takes himself. Vazquez dives to head but his effort is blocked. Chelsea break. Havertz, running at full pelt, is blocked hard by Idrissi, who earns himself a place in the referee’s notebook.

8.40pm GMT

39 min: VAR - being operated remotely tonight, by electric wire and magic impulses at Fifa HQ in Switzerland - says no. Pointless check over! Sevilla momentum ruined!

8.38pm GMT

38 min: Rakitic slams a witless free kick into the wall. The ball pings sideways and clatters poor Pulisic in his trouser arrangement. Sevilla claim a handball, and it’s going to VAR, but surely not for goodness sake.

8.37pm GMT

37 min: Some cute Sevilla interplay and Oscar is set up on the edge of the D. He opens his body to shoot, so Kovacic hits the panic button and tugs him down. A free kick in an extremely dangerous position, just to the left of the D.

8.35pm GMT

35 min: Everyone calms down, to the extent that nothing whatsoever happens.

8.34pm GMT

33 min: Jorginho is robbed in the centre circle by En-Nesyri, who spots Mendy well off his line and goes for goal. The ball is always drifting wide right, and Mendy would have been back in time anyway. In the dugout, Frank Lampard performs the internationally recognised mime, copyrighted by Harry Enfield, for Calm Down.

8.31pm GMT

31 min: Space for Emerson on the left, but his low ball into a crowded box isn’t particularly measured and easily smothered by Pastor.

8.31pm GMT

30 min: Oscar winds himself by jumping into Kovacic, then falling on his back. This time it’s Sevilla’s turn to complain about bugger all.

8.29pm GMT

29 min: Pulisic takes another whack from a position out left. He looks for the top right. A deflection sends the ball out for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece. Both teams are giving this a good go.

8.28pm GMT

27 min: Pulisic romps down the left, shoots, and wins a corner. From the set piece, Rudiger aims a header towards the bottom left. Pastor is beaten, but Vazquez contorts in mid air to hook off the line and away. That’s sensational defending.

8.27pm GMT

26 min: Chelsea are collectively livid when Diego Carlos comes clattering into the back of Havertz, but it’s deemed a fair aerial challenge and we play on.

8.26pm GMT

24 min: Rakitic busies himself down the inside right and pokes forward for En-Nesyri, who is one on one with Mendy, albeit facing a tight angle. He tries a cute one towards the bottom right, but can’t catch the keeper out. Mendy turns round the post, and it turns out En-Nesyri was needlessly offside anyway. A fine chance spurned by a couple of poor decisions by the Sevilla attacker.

8.23pm GMT

23 min: Sevilla have fought their way back into this game, launching a few attacks while quelling Chelsea’s fire, and so Frank Lampard sends a few of his subs out to warm up. Gauntlet down!

8.21pm GMT

21 min: Another free kick for Sevilla out on the left. Oscar launches it long. Vazquez wins a header but there’s no oomph behind it and it’s an easy claim for Mendy.

8.20pm GMT

19 min: A sassy Gudelj dummy sends En-Nesyri away down the left. Rudiger knocks him down. Free kick. Oscar sends it into the mixer. A hectic game of pinball breaks out. Carlos gets a header away, and claims a handball off Christensen, but Chelsea smack clear and neither referee nor VAR is interested in pursuing the claim.

8.17pm GMT

17 min: To be honest, there’s not a whole load going on. No jeopardy, no drama.

8.16pm GMT

15 min: Gudelj gently tugs at the shirt of Havertz, who was preparing to break into space. He feigns surprise as the referee shows him yellow, but that’s simply a cheeky, cynical one he didn’t get away with.

8.14pm GMT

13 min: Sevilla suddenly spring into life, Idrissi bowling down the left and fizzing a dangerous low cross into the mixer. Kovacic does very well to clear just before he’s engulfed by a swarm of white shirts.

8.12pm GMT

12 min: Having said that, this is effectively Sevilla’s second string, too, so fair’s fair.

8.10pm GMT

10 min: The hosts have achieved absolutely nothing of consequence so far. Chelsea look extremely comfortable ... and this is to all intents and purposes their current second XI. Frank Lampard has a hell of a squad.

8.08pm GMT

We’ve not been playing long, but this had been coming. Havertz sashays down the inside-right channel. He slips the ball to Giroud, just inside the box. Giroud takes a touch inside and, leaning back, eases a perfectly placed shot across Pastor and into the top left. What a start by Chelsea!

8.07pm GMT

6 min: Chelsea could easily be leading. Hudson-Odoi drifts down the right and pings infield for Azpilicueta, who picks out Pulisic on the penalty spot with a glorious diagonal threaded pass. Pulisic spins and whips a low shot inches wide of the bottom left. So close to an opening goal of delicate brilliance.

8.05pm GMT

5 min: Chelsea continue to dominate possession. Everyone at the club in an extremely positive frame of mind right now.

8.04pm GMT

3 min: The corner’s easily cleared by Sevilla, and suddenly they’re breaking upfield through Oscar. He’s got three players to his right, with only one Chelsea defender back, but can’t find any of them with his crossfield pass. A quicker - and better - ball, and Chelsea were in serious bother.

8.02pm GMT

2 min: It’s been all Chelsea in the very early stages. Hudson-Odoi crosses from the right to win the first corner of the evening.

8.02pm GMT

The players take a knee ... there’s no room for racism ... and Chelsea get the ball rolling. Pastor is set an early test as Azpilicueta slips the ball down the right for Havertz, who lashes a fierce drive goalwards from a tight angle. Pastor parries clear. That’ll either settle his nerves or, somewhat appropriately, put the fear of God into him.

8.00pm GMT

One very late change to the Sevilla line-up. Goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik injured himself in the warm-up and has been replaced by the 20-year-old Alfonso Pastor.

7.57pm GMT

The teams are out at the Sanchez-Pizjuan! Sevilla wear their first-choice white shirts, while Chelsea are in third-choice salmon. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes, once anthems are sung and pennants are swapped. Incidentally, in the early kick-off in this group, Krasnodar have beaten Rennes 1-0. It’s a result that ensures the Russians will be playing Europa League football in the spring.

7.45pm GMT

Frank Lampard speaks. “The players need to rest ... but other players are training hard and deserve to play ... I expect a continuation of how we played against Rennes ... I would love to give Billy Gilmour some minutes if I can ... Sevilla are an intense team and I don’t expect any difference despite their seven changes ... they are intense ... a bit Premier League in their style.”

7.08pm GMT

How much importance are Julen Lopetegui and Frank Lampard placing on this match? Take what you will from the fact Sevilla have made seven changes to the team sent out to beat Huesca in La Liga on Saturday, and Chelsea have made nine changes to the one named for the goalless Premier League draw with Spurs. Edouard Mendy and Mateo Kovacic are the only survivors in Chelsea blue. Andreas Christensen starts his first match for two months.

6.59pm GMT

Sevilla: Vaclik, Jesus Navas, Diego Carlos, Sergi Gomez, Rekik, Rodriguez, Rakitic, Gudelj, En-Nesyri, Idrissi, Franco Vazquez.
Subs: de Jong, Munir, Gonzalez, Jordan, Kounde, Ocampos, Fernando, Romero, Torres, Pastor, Zarzana, Javier Vazquez.

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

4.01pm GMT

Group E has been a cakewalk for Chelsea and Sevilla. Both have already qualified for the next stage; now all that’s left to decide is who wins the group and, theoretically at least, is rewarded with a slightly easier draw in the Round of 16. Whoever wins this tonight is guaranteed to top the group; a draw would mean it goes to the final matches against Krasnodar and Rennes respectively.

Both teams are in form, so both will fancy their chances. Before the goalless draw with Spurs on Sunday, Chelsea had been on a six-game winning streak; they’ve only lost one match this season. Sevilla meanwhile started their season sluggishly, but they’ve won their last five and came away from Stamford Bridge last month happy with a draw. All set up nicely for a summit meeting at the Sánchez-Pizjuán, then. It’s on!

Continue reading...

The Fiver | Fans are back! But avoid using toilets during peak times

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

If nothing else, the last few months have proved conclusively that the old adage “football without fans is nothing” is bull, tish, pish, balls, balderdash, piffle, waffle, yap and mummery. True, football without fans is not very good. But imagine what the last nine Covid-infused months would have been like without any football at all. The Fiver can only speak for itself, but we’d either be in prison, a gutter or rehab. Or on the run. Or maybe we’d have used the time spent watching the likes of Leicester v Fulham at 5pm on a weekday to learn a new language, or get round to reading Finnegans Wake, or whatever it is you haven’t done either. Leicester v Fulham is better, though, isn’t it?

Related: Returning football fans to be allowed alcohol without a meal in stadiums

Continue reading...

Liverpool 1-0 Ajax: Champions League – as it happened

Curtis Jones’ goal was enough to see off Ajax and secure top spot in Group D for Liverpool

10.28pm GMT

Andy Hunter was at Anfield, and his report is in. You know what to do: clickity click. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!

Related: Jones sinks Ajax to send Liverpool through after Alisson adds to crisis

10.27pm GMT

Klopp: the kids are alright. “Since I am in Liverpool that is one of the biggest Champions League nights ... for sure without supporters it was the most important, the most difficult and most exceptional game ... the circumstances are tricky, and then how the kids play, Robbo with a proper knock on the ankle, pushing himself through, Hendo with a proper knock on the back, Gini I have no words for him, Curtis Jones, what a game from a 19-year-old boy ... I am really proud of them ... I think Adrian did an incredible job for us last season, clean sheets, Super Cup final ... but now in this game we needed the natural football playing ability of Kelleher, so we made that decision ... I am really happy with how calm and good Kelleher was ... Neco has shown glimpses, he can be even better, but tonight it was all good.”

10.14pm GMT

An extremely content Caoimhin Kelleher speaks to BT Sport. “It was amazing for me to make my debut ... it was massive for me ... [making saves] is what I’m there for, I work every day in training to make sure that I am ready and prepared and thankfully today I was able to make a few good saves ... the players in front of me, when I get the ball they always give me easy options ... [the young players] aren’t just here to take part, we want to play as many games as we can, we’re actually making a difference and we’re improving the team as well ... my phone’s been hopping since I got in, so big thanks for all the support I’ve been getting!”

10.06pm GMT

Jordan Henderson’s verdict. “It was a very tough game, as we knew it would be, but I thought the boys were outstanding ... we deservedly got the win ... we should have scored a few more given the chances we had ... we were unlucky not to win by two or three, but we’re delighted with the three points and also the clean sheet ... Curtis has gambled that the keeper is going to miss it, and it’s a great finish ... we managed the game a little bit better in the second half ... we know the injury problems we’ve got, but the togetherness is big in this dressing room and stuff like this makes us stronger.”

9.58pm GMT

Klopp is ecstatic. Neco Williams is also the recipient of a bear hug from his elated manager. Kelleher and Williams have earned their power-cuddles; both were excellent tonight. See also Curtis Jones, who scored the winner and hammered another shot against the woodwork. It’s been a good night for Liverpool’s kids. Not so great for Ajax’s youngsters: Atalanta’s 1-1 draw with Midtjylland means the Italians leapfrog them into second place. Ajax will now have to beat Atalanta in the final round of fixtures next week if they want to progress. Klopp can do what he likes in the final, dead rubber against the Danes, a match with absolutely nothing resting on it. Expect to see a starting XI that redefines experimental.

9.53pm GMT

Liverpool have qualified for the knockout phase, beating Ajax thanks to a Curtis Jones goal (and an Andre Onana mistake). They were deserved winners tonight ... and deservedly win Group D as well. Jurgen Klopp runs onto the pitch and heads straight for Caoimhín Kelleher, who made a crucial save near the end. A huge smile, an even bigger hug.

9.51pm GMT

90 min +3: Mane is booked when his arm slaps into the startled coupon of Tagliafico.

9.50pm GMT

90 min +2: Schuurs flings a long one into the mixer. Most un-Ajax. Kelleher comes out to claim with confidence.

9.49pm GMT

90 min +1: Henderson takes one for the team, going in the book for tugging back Gravenberch, who was threatening to break upfield.

9.48pm GMT

90 min: There will be four added minutes.

9.47pm GMT

89 min: Nothing comes of the set piece. Liverpool replace Salah with Rhys Williams.

9.46pm GMT

88 min: Antony swings one in from the right. Huntelaar meets it with his head, six yards out. It’s flashing towards the top right ... but Kelleher makes a fantastic point-blank save, parrying out for a corner!

9.46pm GMT

86 min: With time running out, Ajax press the kitchen-sink button. Blind and Mazraoui are replaced by Martinez and Huntelaar. May as well go for it.

9.44pm GMT

85 min: Firmino sends Salah away down the right. Salah enters the box and sends a wild effort across the face of goal and towards the left-hand corner flag. The flag belatedly goes up for offside, saving a few blushes.

9.43pm GMT

84 min: Nothing comes of the corner. Liverpool should have put this group to bed ... but Ajax are still in it. One goal, and everything will go to the final matchday.

9.42pm GMT

83 min: Firmino, Henderson and Salah combine crisply down the middle at speed. Suddenly Firmino is free in the box! He should score, but in looking to pass into the bottom right, allows Onana to tip round for a corner.

9.39pm GMT

81 min: Neres has picked up an injury after an accidental clatter into Williams. He’s replaced by Traore.

9.39pm GMT

80 min: Some fine work by Williams down the right, as he spins clear of Tagliafico and sets Liverpool off on the attack. Henderson’s cross evades the eyebrows of Mane by a couple of inches.

9.37pm GMT

79 min: Atalanta have equalised against Midtjylland. It’s 1-1 in Bergamo.

9.35pm GMT

77 min: Robertson barrels down the left at jet speed, entering the box. He’s got four team-mates in the middle, but somehow only finds Blind, who deflects clear.

9.34pm GMT

75 min: Ajax surround Firmino, 25 yards from the Liverpool goal. Firmino somehow slithers out of trouble and races up the middle, his pass this close to releasing Mane down the middle. Schuurs intercepts. That could have been one of the great assists. Wonderful play by Firmino.

9.31pm GMT

73 min: Salah has the ball at his feet inside the Ajax box, but can’t carve out enough space to shoot. Eventually Ajax clear their lines. Liverpool still looking for that elusive second goal and some much-needed breathing space.

9.30pm GMT

72 min: Tadic nearly turns Matip down the left. Just as it looks as though he’ll race clear into the Liverpool box, Matip recovers and pressurises him into running the ball out for a goal kick. Fine defending.

9.29pm GMT

70 min: Labyad comes on for Alvarez. Then Wijnaldum is booked for standing on Tadic’s foot.

9.28pm GMT

69 min: Onana and Blind make a meal of playing out from the back. The ball squirts away to Henderson, who hits a first-time low drive back towards the goal Onana’s not currently guarding. Fortunately for the keeper, the spectacular improvised effort sails wide left.

9.26pm GMT

68 min: Jota is replaced by Firmino.

9.25pm GMT

67 min: Blind sprays a pass right towards Antony, who shuttles down the flank for Mazraoui. Fabinho comes across to block out for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece.

9.23pm GMT

65 min: Salah makes his apologies to Onana. The keeper gets up and he’s good to go again.

9.22pm GMT

64 min: Antony is causing a few problems down the right. He jets infield and whistles a low shot straight at Kelleher. Liverpool go straight up the other end, Salah chasing a long ball down the middle and accidentally clattering Onana as the keeper races out of his box to clear.

9.21pm GMT

62 min: Salah races through the middle. He’s clear! But he’s never quite in control of the ball, and Schuurs nips in to pass back. But his touch is weak, giving Salah another chance! Onana is the hero this time, racing out and smothering. This has been a very entertaining match.

9.19pm GMT

60 min: This is far from over, though. Neres crosses from the left. Klaassen chests down on the penalty spot, and prepares to shoot, only for Fabinho to get in the road, chest down, hold his man off, and hack clear. So close to a quick-fire equaliser.

9.18pm GMT

Williams curls in from a deep position on the right. The ball’s dropping at the far post. Onana comes racing out and misses it altogether. Just as the ball looks like floating out for a goal kick, Jones steers the dropping ball into the unguarded net from the tightest of angles. What an error from Onana! But that was some finish by Jones, who kept his eye on the ball and tucked it away beautifully.

9.16pm GMT

57 min: Antony cuts in from the right and shoots low towards the bottom left. Kelleher sticks out an arm to save, but the ball squirts left to Neres, who lashes a shot off the post and out for a goal kick. He should have tucked that away, though Williams did extremely well to heave into view and put him off.

9.14pm GMT

56 min: Matip clatters into the back of Tadic, and is fortunate not to follow Blind into the book. Tadic felt that one, and takes a while to get up. But get up he eventually does.

9.13pm GMT

55 min: Blind is booked for a professional bodycheck on Jota.

9.13pm GMT

54 min: Neres one-twos with Tadic down the inside-left channel and flashes a shot into the side netting. The flag goes up late for offside. Mane makes off down the Liverpool left and prepares to shoot, before Schuurs slides in to block. No corner, though, as a late flag goes up again.

9.11pm GMT

52 min: Mane gets to the byline down the left and loops long. The ball’s dropping for Williams, haring in from the right. Williams prepares to meet it on the volley ... but Salah runs across him, getting right in his way. Williams is forced to pause and when he eventually makes a connection, the ball balloons softly towards Onana. It’s not quite clicking for Liverpool up front.

9.09pm GMT

50 min: Ajax should be ahead. Neres reaches the byline on the left and whips towards the near post. Klaassen meets the cross with a header, six yards out, but sends it wide left when it was surely easier to score. Liverpool breathe again.

9.08pm GMT

49 min: Williams and Henderson combine well down the right. Henderson swings infield for Mane, in loads of space for a couple of seconds. He uses them up and is tackled cleanly by Mazraoui. What a wonderful saving tackle.

9.06pm GMT

47 min: Salah knocks a simple pass straight out of play. He’s cut a frustrated figure all evening.

9.04pm GMT

Ajax get the second half underway. There have been no half-time changes. “Call me a shell-shocked Liverpool fan but I fully expect this match to be decided by the Dutch legend Van der VAR. Looking at the Ajax bench, I wonder how many Champions League minutes Timber has logged. No more bad name puns, I Promes.” Peter Oh, there, brazenly traipsing all over Mac Millings’ patch.

8.51pm GMT

Half-time entertainment.

Related: Antony: 'I watched the Champions League last year. Now I'm scoring in it'

8.47pm GMT

Gravenberch glides past Matip down the left and looks for goal. He leans back, the ball sails into the Kop, and that’s the end of an excellent half. As things stand, Liverpool are going through.

8.45pm GMT

45 min: Tagliafico wins a corner off Williams out on the left. Tadic takes. Klaassen eyebrows on at the near post, but Mane clears. There will be one added minute.

8.44pm GMT

44 min: This is great end-to-end fun. First Tadic nearly dinks his way into space in the Liverpool box, but is denied by a last-ditch toe-poke by Fabinho. Then Robertson sails down the left and tries to catch Onana out at his near post, but flahses into the side netting instead.

8.43pm GMT

42 min: Wijnaldum curls a long pass down the right for Mane. Schuur comes across and cleans him out. He’s booked, and perhaps lucky to escape a red, given Mane would have been clear had he got past the defender. The fact he was on the wing, with two other Ajax players tracking back in the middle, probably saved Schuur there.

8.40pm GMT

40 min: Jota dribbles down the middle. He’s got Jones to his left, Salah to his right. He decides to shoot instead, and is blocked by the very impressive Schuurs.

8.39pm GMT

39 min: Henderson is sent scampering into acres down the middle by a cute Mane backflick. He should probably shoot, but opts to feed Jones to his left. Jones and Robertson over-think it, and eventually give the ball away to Onana.

8.37pm GMT

37 min: Mane backs himself in a footrace with Schuurs down the left. He loses out, something that doesn’t happen too often, as the big young defender keeps up with ease, then stands his ground powerfully as the pair go shoulder to shoulder. A good battle, that. Hard but fair.

8.35pm GMT

35 min: Jota is cynically tugged back by Alvarez, who is lucky not to go into the book. Henderson takes the free kick, just to the right of the D, but blooters it straight into the wall.

8.34pm GMT

33 min: The corner’s worked back up the right wing to Tadic, who curls to the far post. Kelleher comes out and doesn’t reach it. Mazraoui can’t connect with a header from a tight angle, but the flag goes up for offside anyway. Kelleher breathes out in relief.

8.33pm GMT

32 min: Mazraoui is given plenty of time and space, 25 yards out. He fires a rising shot towards the top right. Kelleher tips round the post at full stretch. A good-looking save, albeit one he should have made.

8.31pm GMT

31 min: The game’s gone a wee bit scrappy.

8.29pm GMT

29 min: Robertson’s back on and running at full speed.

8.28pm GMT

27 min: Robertson goes down again. He takes off his left boot and sock. The physio tapes his foot and ankle. Looks like he’ll be good to continue, but Kostas Tsimikas warms up, just in case.

8.25pm GMT

25 min: Liverpool have lost some of their early verve. Ajax are growing in confidence: their possession stat is now up to 64 percent.

8.23pm GMT

23 min: Another chance created down the Ajax left. Tadic crosses this time. Klaassen hares in but somehow fails to make contact with his head, six yards out. Robertson hacks out for a corner; nothing comes of the set piece.

8.22pm GMT

21 min: Neres whips a cross in from the left. Klaassen meets it with a strong header, eight yards out, but Kelleher blocks well. The flag goes up for offside, but that’ll give the debutant keeper a boost.

8.21pm GMT

20 min: Midtjylland have gone a goal up at Atalanta. That’s got the potential of shaking up Group D.

8.20pm GMT

19 min: Antony cuts in from the right and tries to curl one into the top-left corner. He finds the top-left corner of the Kop.

8.19pm GMT

18 min: Onana is this close to having the ball taken off his toe by Salah. Ajax don’t half take some chances playing out from the back. They make Manchester City look like a John Beck side.

8.18pm GMT

17 min: Ajax have enjoyed 59 percent of possession so far; Liverpool have looked more likely to create chances.

8.15pm GMT

15 min: Mane drives in from the left then plays a clever reverse pass down the channel. Had Salah read his intentions, he’d have been one on one with Onana, but he makes the run too late and the keeper gathers.

8.13pm GMT

13 min: Mane very nearly busts clear down the middle. Just as he tries to muscle his way into the Ajax box, he goes over, Schuurs right on his shoulder. Mane wants the penalty, but he’s not getting one, having only been lightly brushed.

8.12pm GMT

12 min: Ah, better news for Liverpool, as Robertson appears to have run off his sore foot.

8.12pm GMT

11 min: Antony and Robertson come together in the midfield. Robertson, the only member of Liverpool’s defence to have stayed healthy all season, screams in anguish and then limps about awhile. It’s been that sort of season for Liverpool.

8.10pm GMT

9 min: Jota dribbles purposefully down the left and reaches the byline, but under pressure from a relentless Schuurs, runs the ball out of play. Goal kick.

8.09pm GMT

8 min: Jota and Salah race into the Ajax half, two on one. They should work it out, but Salah’s run isn’t inviting and Jota’s eventual pass is poor. Eventually the ball is teed up for Wijnaldum, who shoots from distance. Blocked. A huge chance spurned.

8.07pm GMT

6 min: This is shaping up to be a cracker. Jones snatches the ball off Klaassen and sends Salah scampering down the inside right. Salah reaches the edge of the box, checks, and tees up Jones, who curls a superb shot towards the top right ... but off the post. That was hit with some venom, and it’s so unlucky for the young midfielder. Onana was rooted to the spot, beaten all ends up.

8.06pm GMT

5 min: Ajax look in the mood. Klaassen spreads wide, right to left, for Neres, who cuts back for Tadic. Fabinho reads well, intercepting and clearing.

8.05pm GMT

4 min: Neres wins the first corner of the evening, sashaying down the left. Ajax play it short, then Neres sends a cross into the mixer. Schuurs tries to steer a header into the top left, but it’s over the bar, and turns out a few Ajax players were offside anyway, Liverpool’s defence pushing out cleverly.

8.03pm GMT

2 min: A nice open feel to the game already, as Fabinho looks long, then Mazraoui probes down the right. Liverpool come straight back at Ajax, Jota nearly breaking clear down the middle and teeing up Jones, who sidefoots powerfully straight at Onana.

8.00pm GMT

Liverpool get the ball rolling ... but only after the players take a knee. Black lives matter. There’s no room for racism. Ajax are kicking towards the Kop in this first half.

7.58pm GMT

The teams are out! Liverpool wear their famous red shirts, while Ajax play in third-choice black. We’ll be off in a minute, just after the Champions League anthem. Young Caoimhin Kelleher listens to it in a pensive mood. “It’s not a huge surprise Adrian didn’t get the nod,” begins Stephen Carr. “He’s as good as a goal against unfortunately. And a quick word on Alisson: I’ve never known such an injury prone goalie.” How quickly we forget the fitness travails of poor old Chris Kirkland.

7.51pm GMT

Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar, formerly of Fulham and Manchester United, explains how the Dutch giants go about their business. “We deliver players from the academy to the first team. They give us two or three years of success, then take the next step up - I did it myself, Marc Overmars did it also - our league is not strong enough so if you want to become a really great player you have to make the next step. For us that gives us the possibility for the new breed. But we have changed our philosophy a little bit, by also adding quality on the top - for example Dusan Tadic and Daley Blind - so we have more experience around the young players. We are really proud if Ziyech plays well for Chelsea, De Ligt at Juventus, or De Jong at Barcelona, it’s a good advertisement for us a a club and how we develop players.”

7.22pm GMT

Jurgen Klopp talks to his old mate Des Kelly on BT Sport. It doesn’t kick off this time. All friendly smiles. “I expect both teams to play better than [the first leg]. It was the first time for a long time without Virgil and so we couldn’t exactly play the football we wanted to play. We had big counterattacking chances which we didn’t use, and had to clear one ball off the line. It was a tight game and I expect that again. Alisson is not Covid, it’s something we have to mention. He told us he felt his hamstring in the 60th, 70th minute of the last game. It’s a little one, but enough for today, and probably for another week, 10 to 14 days. I know Caoimhín for five years, he is improving, and a football-playing goalie, a good shot-stopper. My job is to make decisions. Ajax teams are always really skilled, so we have to give them a proper fight. We want to work for the advantage.”

7.13pm GMT

Nine of the 11 players who started for Ajax against Liverpool in Amsterdam do so again today. The two exceptions: the injured Mohammed Kudus, and Lisandro Martinez, who drops to the bench. Antony and midfielder Edson Alvarez start in their place. Rumoured Liverpool transfer target Perr Schuurs plays in the centre of defence, and may or may not size up the joint this evening, depending on the veracity of the gossip.

7.07pm GMT

No Alisson for Liverpool. The number one has a tight muscle in his leg, and sits it out as a precaution. Caoimhín Kelleher gets the nod ahead of Adrian; the 22-year-old keeper makes his Champions League debut. He’s one of five changes to the team that drew 1-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend. As BT Sport’s Des Kelly ascertained on Saturday, James Milner is hamstrung. Takumi Minamino and Roberto Firmino drop to the bench, while Nat Phillips is ineligible. Joel Matip, Curtis Jones, Sadio Mane and captain Jordan Henderson step up.

6.56pm GMT

Liverpool: Kelleher, Neco Williams, Matip, Fabinho, Robertson, Jones, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Jota, Salah, Mane.
Subs: Firmino, Adrian, Minamino, Tsimikas, Origi, Rhys Williams, Jaros, Cain, Clarkson.

Ajax: Onana, Mazraoui, Schuurs, Blind, Tagliafico, Alvarez, Klaassen, Gravenberch, Antony, Tadic, Neres.
Subs: Stekelenburg, Timber, Klaiber, Huntelaar, Promes, Scherpen, Ekkelenkamp, Labyad, Martinez, Traore.

12.44pm GMT

Form’s a funny old thing. In the Premier League, Liverpool haven’t won away from home in their last four attempts, but have put in some blistering performances at Anfield, as Arsenal and Leicester City can attest. In Europe, however, they look much better on the road: they were impressively resolute in Amsterdam and imperious at Atalanta, but struggled to see off the minnows of Midtylland and didn’t click at all last week against the Italians. Good luck predicting which Liverpool will turn up tonight.

Ajax on the other hand have gone through the gears since that defeat at home to Liverpool. They’ve won seven of their subsequent eight matches to the aggregate tune of 38-6. Thirty-eight goals in eight games! Admittedly that total was boosted by a record-breaking 13-0 win over VVV Venlo, but hitting five on three occasions and three on a couple more is no mean feat in such a short period of time. Liverpool will have a problem or two to solve this evening.

Continue reading...

The Fiver | Something of a fiasco at Parkhead

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

There’ll be no Scottish League Cup for the Queen’s Celtic this season, a domestic trophy slipping from their grasp for the first time since 2016, and the way some folk are carrying on you’d think the club are, as a result, heading the way of Renton or Third Lanark. Sunday’s abject defeat to Ross County led to a mass tantrum outside Parkhead later that evening, culminating in Socratic dialogue with the local polis, and now several members of the fanbase have lost their sense of smell and everything tastes of nothing.

Continue reading...

Crystal Palace 0-2 Newcastle United : Premier League – as it happened

A dreadful game sparked into life at the very end, as Callum Wilson and Joelinton smash-and-grabbed all three points for Newcastle

10.20pm GMT

Related: Callum Wilson and Joelinton strike late to give Newcastle win at Crystal Palace

10.20pm GMT

Our man Ed Aarons was at Selhurst Park tonight. Wrapped up warm, hopefully. His verdict has landed, so you know what to do: clickity click! Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.

Related: Callum Wilson and Joelinton strike late to give Newcastle win at Crystal Palace

10.18pm GMT

Roy Hodgson has his say. “All defeats hurt. We didn’t play well enough. I didn’t think we were going to lose it. I didn’t think we were going to win it either, but to lose it is a bitter blow. There’s not much to say other than to congratulate Newcastle. We didn’t create enough chances or play well enough. I thought we played better against Burnley, in fact, but I think tonight’s defeat is a bit harsh. We’ll have to deal with it and make certain to get back on the track and play the sort of football we know we are capable of playing against West Brom.”

10.12pm GMT

A very content Steve Bruce delivers his verdict. “The two centre forwards have scored goals, which always helps. The little passes they put together, they both set each other up, so I was pleased for them. It was a difficult week for us but our players have responded in the right way. It doesn’t matter about price tags, to adapt to play in the Premier League, sometimes you need time. At times, last year Joelinton found it a struggle, but the kid wants to do well and we are starting to see a bit of him with his overall contribution and his strength. Our goalkeeper has been really good for us. Keeping a clean sheet away from home is always not a bad thing.”

10.02pm GMT

Callum Wilson speaks to Amazon Prime. “It was a little bit of a frustrating game, but you’ve got to be patient and ready to take your chance. We played well, limited them to a few chances. We didn’t create a lot ourselves but got the goal when it mattered. I feel when a chance arises, I’m confident to put it away. It was a bit scruffy today but they all count, and there was a goal for Joel as well which is nice.”

9.58pm GMT

Newcastle move into the top half of the table as a result of that. They’re tenth, on 14 points, one ahead of Palace, who slip to 13th. A fine smash-and-grab goal by Callum Wilson, followed by a weight-off strike for Joelinton, and Newcastle have a victory they just about deserved on the balance of play, though Palace will point to a couple of late near misses just before Wilson pounced. A lot of that was hard going, though. Creativity is a struggle for these sides at the moment.

9.52pm GMT

A terrible match for the most part, but Newcastle came good at the end of it, Joelinton finally paying back a chunk of change from the transfer fee that’s been weighing him down. He walks off with a huge smile on his face, and he’ll deserve all the plaudits he’ll get for a fine performance.

9.50pm GMT

90 min +3: Joelinton, having scored his third career goal for Newcastle tonight, is replaced by Schar.

9.50pm GMT

90 min +2: Schlupp is booked for a lunge on Joelinton.

9.49pm GMT

90 min +1: Joelinton deserved that stroke of luck. He’s played well from the get-go tonight, and his contribution to Wilson’s goal was superb.

9.48pm GMT

Joelinton dribbles down the inside-right channel. He drops a shoulder to send Dann the wrong way, then shoots towards the bottom left. The ball takes a nick off Cahill, and pings into the bottom right past a wrong-footed Guaita. Two goals in 100 seconds!

9.47pm GMT

This is a fantastic goal. From the throw, Wilson and Joelinton combine cutely down the right. Joelinton slips a pass down the channel for his team-mate, a balletic hook, and Wilson is clear! He enters the box and slips the ball under Guaita. Newcastle have snatched it!

9.45pm GMT

87 min: Newcastle take their sweet time over a throw. Looks like they’ve settled for a point. Eh, hold on, scrub that ...

9.43pm GMT

85 min: Palace are suddenly knocking at the door. Van Aanholt takes a stride into the Newcastle box on the left and fires a low cross-cum-shot towards the bottom right. Batshuayi slides in, and is an inch or so away from studding home. But he can’t connect. Another big escape for Newcastle.

9.42pm GMT

84 min: A Palace ball down the middle. Batshuayi chests down for Kouyate, who twists to the left of goal and hammers low towards the near post. Fernandez comes across to block bravely, his last-ditch intervention saving a certain goal. Nothing comes of the corner.

9.41pm GMT

83 min: A melee on the edge of the Palace box. Joelinton momentarily looks well placed to power a shot away, but he can’t sort his feet out and he’s closed down.

9.39pm GMT

82 min: Palace throw on Batshuayi, replacing McArthur.

9.39pm GMT

81 min: Yes, this is opening up at last. A Newcastle corner on the right. Ritchie takes, the ball somehow squeaking through a crowded penalty box and into the arms of Guaita, without taking a deflection off anyone.

9.38pm GMT

80 min: Van Aanholt swings one into the Toon box from the left. Benteke heads down powerfully towards the bottom left, Darlow blocking well. Great football all round.

9.37pm GMT

79 min: Ritchie takes instead. He powers the free kick through a gap in the wall, but it’s straight at Guaita, who can parry then gather. A shame that Longstaff wasn’t rewarded for his positivity.

9.36pm GMT

78 min: So having said that, Longstaff embarks on a marvellous run down the middle of the park. Maradonaesque? Well, that’d be stretching the point, but it was a fine, powerful sashay, and he draws a foul on the edge of the D from Dann, who is booked. A moment of quality amid the dross. Shelvey’s eyes light up again!

9.33pm GMT

76 min: “Sounds more like a Terry Fenwick type of game than a Maradona one,” begins Simon McMahon, who is not wrong. “Regarding 1986, I seem to remember that, had Scotland not been so clueless for 89 minutes against the ten men of Uruguay in their final group match, Argentina would have faced us in the round of 16 instead of their South American neighbours. Resulting of course in them being knocked out of the competition and thus denying the entire world not only the Hand of God but also the greatest goal ever scored. Selfless, us Scots. Selfless. You’re welcome, world!”

9.32pm GMT

75 min: McArthur dances down the left and earns Palace’s sixth corner of the game. The joy of six? Nope.

9.31pm GMT

73 min: Benteke bustles down the left but can only send a poor cross-cum-shot through the Newcastle box.

9.31pm GMT

72 min: Ritchie whips a cross in from the left. It’s more than decent, and Joelinton is in space in the middle, the ball dropping his way. But the misfiring striker times his leap poorly, and barely connects with an eyebrow. Andy Carroll has been waiting for months and months for a cross like that.

9.29pm GMT

71 min: Time marches on.

9.27pm GMT

69 min: A sense that things may be opening up at long last. This time it’s Palace’s turn to send a header wide, Benteke doing so from Van Aanholt’s high left-wing cross.

9.27pm GMT

68 min: Newcastle make their first change, sending on Ritchie in place of the ever-disappointing Almiron.

9.26pm GMT

67 min: Newcastle go close! Manquillo crosses from the right. Wilson loops a header towards the top left. For a second, it looks like dropping in, with Guaita never reaching it. However the ball sails a few inches wide. As close as anyone’s come, which is not saying much, but here we are.

9.24pm GMT

66 min: This has been awful. Something has to change. So Hodgson sends on Benteke and Riedewald at the expense of Ayew and Townsend.

9.23pm GMT

65 min: Palace have had 56 percent possession in this second half. Not that Mr Roy will care. It’s all about what happens in the final third, and what happens in the final third is this: Kouyate shanks a harmless shot wide right.

9.21pm GMT

63 min: Van Aanholt attempts a cross from the left touchline. It balloons off Manquillo and out for a corner. Townsend takes. After a quick game of pinball, Eze tries a Le Tissieresque volley, but slices spectacularly towards the right-hand corner flag. Goal kick.

9.19pm GMT

61 min: See 56 min, replacing Shelvey with Van Aanholt.

9.18pm GMT

59 min: Eze whistles down the inside-right channel and is clipped from behind by Longstaff, who got both ball and man. The Newcastle man goes into the book. Free kick, just to the right of the D.

9.15pm GMT

57 min: Almiron drives towards the Palace box. Space opens up in front of him. He really should have a dig from the edge of the area, but unselfishly rolls towards Joelinton to his right. The pass is awful, Joelinton can’t adjust his feet, and Palace are able to swarm and clear. Guaita should have been put to work there.

9.13pm GMT

56 min: Shelvey wallops witlessly into the wall. Artistically and philosophically consistent with the rest of this match, if nothing else.

9.12pm GMT

55 min: Joelinton is clumsily brought down by McArthur as he bustles down the inside left. A free kick in a dangerous position, just outside the Palace box. Shelvey’s eyes light up.

9.12pm GMT

54 min: Schlupp spins down the right and slides a diagonal pass infield for Ayew, who enters the box and toe-pokes past Darlow ... but wide of the left-hand post.

9.10pm GMT

52 min: Suddenly a little excitement as Ayew dinks a pass down the left for Schlupp, who dribbles hard and eventually earns a corner. Townsend swings it in. Kouyate goes up and heads over. He might have been better off leaving that for Cahill, just behind him.

9.08pm GMT

50 min: The half-time team talks must have been as uninspiring as the football.

9.06pm GMT

48 min: Otherwise, it’s been a nondescript start to the second half.

9.04pm GMT

46 min: A little bit of space for Schlupp down the left. He whips to the near post but it’s an easy gather for Darlow.

9.03pm GMT

Palace get the ball rolling again. Neither side has made a change. Perhaps the electronic board has given the fourth official an 6085 error code.

8.50pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. Compare and contrast: an MBM of the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Diego Maradona and Terry Fenwick. Enjoy, enjoy.

8.49pm GMT

Palace and Newcastle aren’t the only ones experiencing technical difficulties tonight: apparently many viewers haven’t been able to log into the television coverage of this match. Amazon Prime have arguably done them a favour.

8.47pm GMT

45 min: This has been an extremely low-quality half of football. Thankfully there will be only one minute added to it, after which both teams have 15 to work out ways to improve.

8.46pm GMT

44 min: Van Aanholt curls from the left; Schlupp guides a header into the top-left of the stand. In the dugout, Christian Benteke looks on, and must wonder what happened to his career.

8.45pm GMT

43 min: Shelvey nearly finds Wilson on the edge of the Palace box with a simple pass down the middle. Dann intercepts, then inexplicably rolls the ball straight to Joelinton, who fires towards the bottom right. The shot is neither accurate nor fierce enough, and it’s an easy gather for Guaita.

8.43pm GMT

41 min: Newcastle snaffle the loose ball, though, and Lewis opens his body, attempting a curler towards the top right. Guaita claims, but that was a decent effort from the young left-back.

8.42pm GMT

40 min: Shelvey sends Almiron into space down the left. Danger here! But Almiron’s cross is fairly aimless and easily cleared by Kouyate.

8.40pm GMT

38 min: Townsend crosses from the right. Clark blooters clear. Nothing is happening.

8.37pm GMT

36 min: Hendrick battles down the right and earns the first Newcastle corner of the game. Shelvey hits it low and can’t beat the first man. What a waste.

8.36pm GMT

34 min: Palace hump a long ball up the middle. Ayew gets his eyebrows to it but Darlow comes to the edge of his box to claim. A retro 1980s feel to this game at the minute.

8.34pm GMT

32 min: Almiron, Lewis and Shelvey try to get something going down the left, but despite being under little pressure, succeed only in making passing the ball look extremely difficult indeed. Newcastle have lost a lot of their early momentum.

8.32pm GMT

30 min: From the corner, Eze tries to work some space to shoot in a crowded box, but ends up running the ball out of play.

8.31pm GMT

29 min: Wilson plays a poor backwards pass that allows Schlupp to steam down the inside-left with intent to shoot. He enters the box, under a little pressure from Fernandez, and skelps a fine shot towards the bottom left from a tight angle. Darlow does extremely well to turn it round for a corner.

8.29pm GMT

27 min: Good news for Newcastle: Joelinton is good to continue. He’s played well during these opening exchanges.

8.28pm GMT

26 min: A break in play as Joelinton, who had come off second best in a tussle down the inside left with Cahill, sits down unhappily. On comes the trainer.

8.27pm GMT

25 min: Palace stroke the ball around slowly, but suddenly Eze decides to move up a gear, shifting it into a little space down the inside-left and sending a fierce no-backlift riser towards the top right from 20 yards. Darlow does extremely well to palm away. That was an excellent effort from Palace’s new star.

8.24pm GMT

23 min: Joelinton, Clark and Almiron combine crisply down the inside-left channel, but the move falls apart the second they reach the Palace box.

8.24pm GMT

21 min: Eze strolls across the pitch, left to right, before slipping a clever diagonal ball down the inside right for Clyne, who wins a corner. Townsend’s delivery goes straight down the throat of Darlow. That’ll whack Palace’s final-third possession stats up to six or seven percent, I’ll be bound. Roy will be delighted.

8.22pm GMT

20 min: Turns out Fernandez was indeed booked for that challenge on Schlupp. That’s a bit harsh, but there it is. Meanwhile Joelinton tries to send a power-curler into the top right from 25 yards. It’s a decent enough strike but never beating Guaita, who gathers without fuss.

8.20pm GMT

18 min: Wilson is sent scampering down the right and fires low across the face of goal. The ball’s a yard or so too far ahead of Joelinton, who would have had a simple slam home from close range. Lewis clips the ball back into the box from the left, but Joelinton can’t get a proper head on it and the ball harmlessly runs away from danger. So close to the opener.

8.19pm GMT

17 min: Schlupp is shoulder-charged out of play and nearly into the dugouts by Fernandez. The referee considers showing a card but thinks better of it.

8.18pm GMT

15 min: Memo for Mr Hodgson: Palace have enjoyed 44 percent of possession so far. How much of it in the final third is yet to be calculated. Let’s hazard a guess at four percent.

8.16pm GMT

14 min: Schlupp, Van Aanholt and Ayew are beginning to cause Newcastle one or two problems down the Palace left. Another high-speed move nearly opens the visitors up, but not quite. After a slow start, Palace have finally come out to play.

8.14pm GMT

12 min: A lovely spin and high-power dribble down the left by Ayew. He passes Longstaff and Manquillo before having the ball clipped off his toe by Cahill, who purchases a cheap foul in doing so.

8.11pm GMT

10 min: Palace finally send a couple of men over the halfway line. Van Aanholt crosses from the left and wins the hosts their first corner of the game. Townsend’s delivery is headed clear easily enough by Shelvey, but that’s better from the home side.

8.11pm GMT

9 min: Joelinton brushes Kouyate aside with ease and strides purposefully down the middle of the park ... before blootering a wild shot miles over the bar. Steve Bruce holds his head in his hands, but his team have made much the better start.

8.10pm GMT

8 min: Newcastle knock the ball around this way and that, without doing too much with it. Palace totally happy to sit back.

8.08pm GMT

6 min: Palace haven’t seen much of the ball yet. Not that Hodgson will care, of course, if that pre-match salvo is anything to go by.

8.05pm GMT

4 min: Wilson and Manquillo try to combine down the right. Kouyate puts a halt to their gallop. Wilson has another go. Van Aanholt stops him this time. Newcastle have been extremely proactive in these early stages.

8.04pm GMT

2 min: A scrappy start as both teams struggle to find their feet and their team-mates. But then suddenly Almiron slides a ball down the left for Joelinton, who nearly finds Wilson at the near post. His low cross is hacked away. Lewis tries again; Guaita claims.

8.01pm GMT

Newcastle get the game underway ... but not before all players take a knee. There’s no room for racism. Black lives matter.

7.59pm GMT

The teams are out! Palace play in their red and blue stripes, while Newcastle wear second-choice neon yellow. We’ll be off in a minute. But beforehand, there’s a minute of applause in memory of the greatest of the greats: Diego Maradona. Anyone desirous of reliving his finest hour can do so with this MBM of the famous Argentina-England quarter-final at Mexico 86. Gracias por todo Diego.

7.50pm GMT

These two sides have the lowest possession percentages in the Premier League, and both managers get a little bit testy when the subject’s brought up on Amazon Prime. First up, Roy Hodgson: “I don’t believe in possession stats. Until they have some relevance to the game of football I’m not interested, it’s a load of nonsense. The only possession stats I’m interested in are in the final third. The centre backs rolling the ball across the back isn’t possession. If we’re going to win the game it’s in the final third. If you give me stats of that at the end of the game I might be interested but I suspect yours will be the global kind and that doesn’t interest me at all.”

Dearie me. Steve Bruce is less abrupt, but still bristles. “I don’t take much notice of stats. Was it Jose who said Manchester City had all the possession the other day but he took the three points?”

7.17pm GMT

Palace make two changes to the side named for the loss at Burnley. Gary Cahill and Jeffrey Schlupp take the places of Jairo Riedewald and Michy Batshuayi, who drop to the bench. It’s only Cahill’s second start of the season, the veteran defender having been bothered by hamstring and shin problems.

Newcastle make four changes to the starting XI selected for the Chelsea game. Callum Wilson is back from injury, while Jonjo Shelvey, Miguel Almiron and Jeff Hendrick also return. Jacob Murphy takes a place on the bench, while Allan Saint-Maximin and Jamal Lascelles are injured and Isaac Hayden is poorly.

7.04pm GMT

Crystal Palace: Guaita, Clyne, Cahill, Dann, van Aanholt, Kouyate, McArthur, Townsend, Schlupp, Eze, Ayew.
Subs: Butland, Ward, Tomkins, Sakho, Benteke, Batshuayi, Riedewald.

Newcastle United: Darlow, Manquillo, Fernandez, Clark, Lewis, Hendrick, Sean Longstaff, Shelvey, Almiron, Joelinton, Wilson.
Subs: Matthew Longstaff, Schar, Ritchie, Yedlin, Murphy, Gillespie, Anderson.

2.46pm GMT

Crystal Palace went down tamely at Burnley on Monday evening, while Newcastle rolled over for Chelsea last Saturday. Both will fancy their chances of a bounce-back victory tonight: Palace because they’re unbeaten in this fixture in five, Newcastle because Palace have lost 14 of the last 16 games without Wilfried Zaha, who is still isolating with coronavirus.

Palace can go as high as sixth if they give the Toon a good thumping. Newcastle can leapfrog Manchester United into tenth spot with a victory, or, if they’re the ones handing out a spanking, they’ll go ninth at the expense of Wolves. But neither of these sides are prolific scorers, so realism caveats apply. It’s on!

Continue reading...

The Fiver | Getting their hoops kicked by Sparta Prague

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

On the face of it, shipping a two-goal lead against Benfica for the second time in three weeks isn’t a great look for Pope’s O’Rangers. Especially as the Teddy Bhears would now be through to the knockout stage of Euro Vase if they’d managed to hold on to just one of them. But it wasn’t too long ago that they were getting themselves knocked out by the likes of Progres Niederkorn, so going toe-to-toe with a bona fide European giant is a sign of genuine progress. With things slowly coming together at Ibrox, perma-worried boss Steven Gerrard was able to relax his trademark frown into Light Crease, its lowest setting, for Thursday night’s post-match interview, which there’s no need to quote. The forehead speaks volumes.

Related: Pressure on Neil Lennon after Celtic are thrashed by Sparta Prague again

Continue reading...