Scott Murray's Blog, page 94

October 29, 2020

Europa League clockwatch: Arsenal 3-0 Dundalk, Rangers 1-0 Lech Poznan and more – as it happened

Arsenal, Leicester and Rangers win for the second time in two Europa League games, beating Dundalk, AEK Athens and Lech Poznan respectively, but Celtic toss a two-goal lead in Lille and Spurs lose in Antwerp

10.02pm GMT

OK, that’s about us. Thanks for your company, and enjoy the rest of your night. Ta-ra.

9.59pm GMT

But Celtic are not.

9.58pm GMT

Leicester, meanwhile, are doing alright.

9.58pm GMT

It appears that Spurs are still Spurs.

9.57pm GMT

Here’s our Arsenal report....

9.55pm GMT

9.54pm GMT

9.51pm GMT

Arsenal move to the top of Group B with two wins from two; Molde have done likewise, but with a less good goal difference.

9.50pm GMT

That’s a good result for the Bears. They sit second in Group D behind Benfica, who have also won both games, but with a better goal difference.

9.49pm GMT

“As a Dundalk fan I know that it’s a really one-sided game at this stage,” emails Eoin Keenan, “but believe me, this is a superb performance by Dundalk given all the circumstances. I was at Anfield with my father in 1969 when Dundalk were beaten 10-0 in the old Inter-City Fairs Cup. It was Ray Clemence’s first European game replacing Tommy Lawrence. Over subsequent years Dundalk have had great performances against Spurs, Celtic, PSV, to name just a few. Well done tonight the Town!”

Great stuff. We’re a bit late for this, but what’s the biggest kicking you’ve seen your team take? I watched Man United lose 4-0 to MK Dons.

9.48pm GMT

Ey up, yer da’s discovered the internet.

Mourinho’s Instagram > pic.twitter.com/84moh7L55V

9.46pm GMT

Good work from Ryan Jack inside his own box, insinuating himself into a challenge just as space looked to be opening up for Poznan.

9.44pm GMT

At Ibrox, Rangers are expending time pretty comfortably.

9.44pm GMT

I’ve been handed some hospital balls in my professional life, but BT’s commentators have been told to peddle Wolves v Palace and Burnley v Chelsea for 15 sheets apiece.

9.41pm GMT

They’ve had an hour against 10 men, but Slavia Prague have finally taken the lead against Leverkusen, Peter Olayinka with the goal.

9.39pm GMT

Arsenal have slowed down now. Dundalk are still struggling to get out of their own half, but they don’t look especially like conceding again.

9.36pm GMT

At Ibrox, Poznan are starting to press a little bit.

9.34pm GMT

Nice from Nelson, driving through the middle of the pitch with stepovers and sways. When I first saw him, I thought he might be first-team material, and I still think that he’s a squad player at worst. But I wonder if Arsenal will end up selling him to generate funds.

9.32pm GMT

Sandro Kulenovic has hauled Rijeka back into things at AZ. They now trail 4-1.

9.32pm GMT

Nice from Willock, absolutely diddling his man with a feet and bodyswerve combo - he’s been excellent tonight. But Nketiah can’t convert his cut-back and then Arteta makes two changes, introducing Tierney and Balogun for Xhaka and Nketiah.

9.30pm GMT

OH MY DAYS!

STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!

Keemar Roofe, is that you!?

Omonia Nicosia's Jordi Gómez has just done this... pic.twitter.com/F5mAYRNF6J

9.28pm GMT

Ohi Omoijuanfo has put Molde 1-0 up against Rapid Wien.

9.27pm GMT

Two goal in seven minutes in Romania, where Mario Rondon put Cluj ahead, only for Christian Fassnacht to equalise for Young Boys.

9.26pm GMT

When I pondered Arsenal earlier today, I hoped to see Emile Smith-Rowe play. I’m not sure why he isn’t – surely his team could absorb any bad game he might have?

9.25pm GMT

Luca Waldschmidt has scored a penalty to put Benfica 2-0 up against Standard Liege.

9.25pm GMT

Barisic earns himself a yard, with a bum touch I think, and swings over another belter of a cross upon which Morelos sticks the absolute nut. That’s 21 European goals for him, same as Ally McCoist.

9.23pm GMT

And what of Willian. I know he was free, but even so I was surprised Arsenal bought him. By the time they’re properly good again, Willian is even further past his best, and he’s always been inconsistent, which is the last thing they need.

9.22pm GMT

Arsenal’s back three: Elneny, Xhaka, Kolasinac. Absolutely incredible scenes.

9.20pm GMT

Elneny has taken Mustafi’s place in Arsenal’s back three.

9.19pm GMT

Albert Gudmundsson has scored his second of the night and AZ now lead Rijeka 4-0.

9.19pm GMT

Meanwhile at Ibrox, Morelos has replaced Roofe.

9.18pm GMT

Arsenal bring Ceballos and Willian on for Mustafi and Pepe. Is Mustafi being saved for Old Trafford on Sunday?

9.17pm GMT

Loan watch: Diogo Dalot scored Milan’s crucial third goal in their 3-0 win over Sparta Prague earlier this evening. He’s got a fair bit of ability and would be a decent buy for them.

9.15pm GMT

Matteo Politano has put Napoli ahead away to Real Sociedad.

9.14pm GMT

Arsenal are looking for more goals and moving the ball quicker. If they score again in the next 10 minutes, this could get seriously messy.

9.12pm GMT

Rangers are struggling away against Poznan, and I’d expect to see attacking changes pretty soon.

9.12pm GMT

Jesper Karlsson has put AZ 3-0 up against Rijeka. That will surely be that.

9.11pm GMT

“The ‘only pros in the technical area’ rule is utter rubbish,” fumes Peter Oh. “I’m certain that Giovagnoli’s skills at playing invisible accordions, pointing in all directions, shouting cliches and clapping in the enthusiastic manner are up to professional standards.”

Maybe his gum-chewing needs work.

9.09pm GMT

I know that this is mainly Arsenal reserves, but they could really use a comfortable win tonight. The Artetish feelgood factor has dissipated in recent weeks because his team are struggling to create so struggling to entertain, and when results aren’t going well, that doesn’t make for a good mix.

9.07pm GMT

A penalty from Pizzi has put Benfica in front against Standard Liege.

9.07pm GMT

“Who’s in charge of VAR for European games?” wonders Malc Shuttleworth. “Is it neutral officers or that usual shower who have been messing things up all year? Just wondering.....”

It depends what you mean. I’m sure Uefa are involved in inflicting the whole nonsense upon us, but in terms of whose administering the minutiae of things, I assume it’s their officials rather the Premeer League’s.

9.05pm GMT

Arsenal work the ball across the edge of the box and Pepe rolls studs over it to conjure a shooting lane, then with very little backlift, jabs a 20-yarder high into the net! With his right foot! He’s such a strange player!

9.02pm GMT

Aaaaand off we go again...

9.01pm GMT

Back come the players....

8.51pm GMT

I’ll be back in a few. In the meantime...

8.50pm GMT

8.47pm GMT

Donyell Malen has equalised for PSV against Omonia.

8.46pm GMT

Sweetheart, you’re so cruel! Nketiah sweeps a pass to Pepe, on the edge of the box, and he should move it one more but instead shoots into the nearest shins. The ball, though, has its own ideas, taking itself to where it should’ve gone, and Willock, who’s been the best player on the pitch by far, takes a touch, adjust his feet, opens his body, and roofs his finish past keeper and defender on the line.

8.44pm GMT

“The whole David vs Goliath narrative is probably in danger of being overused for Arsenal Dundalk,” says Frank Bredin, “but using Dundalk’s 2018 accounts as a guide and commonly-quoted press figures, then Mesut Ozil is paid the equivalent of Dundalk’s entire squad’s salaries for the year every three weeks. Dundalk’s accounts are on their website. I’m no financial specialist and only ever heard tell of Swiss Ramble. Some of Dundalk’s better paid players may be just about on the same income as Gunnersaurus was?”

Well yes, better players tend to earn more than worse players.

8.43pm GMT

He doesn’t miss this time! Rogers comes for a corner, tries to punch, and the ball grazes his knuckles, cannons a defender, and drops for the arch predator to force home.

8.40pm GMT

But here he is, lashing a shot that hits a defender ... and falls to Nketiah! But though he stretches a leg, he can’t control his finish because it comes to him so fast, and the ball flies wide.

8.39pm GMT

“In the Arsenal match, Pepe has got a very intriguing policy,” emails Charles Antaki, “playing so badly as to reduce his monetary value by about half, immediately lightening the burden of being a £72m footballer. Unfortunately he seems to have somewhat miscalibrated, and looks to be about worth about thruppence at the moment.”

That was a deal that absolutely reeked of nonsense when they did it. Twenty-four years old, one proper good season, playing for the second-best team in league that isn’t especially strong, unable to get into his national side and no competition to buy him. Er, OK then.

8.35pm GMT

Dundalk are closing down Arsenal’s space pretty well, and Arsenal don’t have much ingenuity even in their first team. But Willock’s doing his best, attacking the line and standing up a cross that Kolasinac attacks, forcing Rogers to tip over the top.

8.31pm GMT

There’s shock potential in Cyprus where Omonia have taken the lead against PSV, Jordi Gomez – of Wigan fame – with the goal.

8.30pm GMT

At Ibrox, Poznan look pretty comfortable, and at Arsenal, so do Dundalk.

8.30pm GMT

8.27pm GMT

At Ibrox,Barisic swings over a fine cross and Roofe is up – this is a chance! – but he heads directly down. So the ball bounces up for him, and he tries a hopeful overhead when Kent, behind him, was well-placed to have a proper dig.

8.25pm GMT

It’s goalabout! Amine Gouiri has put Nice ahead against Hapoel Beer-Sheva.

8.24pm GMT

Arsenal are getting closer. Elneny finds himself on the ball in the and lays back to Nelson, who lamps a low one that flashes past the post.

8.24pm GMT

Albert Gudmundsson has added a second for AZ against Rijeka.

8.23pm GMT

In Prague and against Slavia, Leverkusen have had Karim Bellarabi sent off.

22' | Straight red card for Bayer #38 Bellarabi for a slide tackle on Provod!

⚪️ 0-0 ⚫️ #slab04 #UEL

8.22pm GMT

Arsenal are turning it up. Gently – almost imperceptibly – but nevertheless.

8.20pm GMT

That Koopermans goal is is the only one we’ve seen in the first 20 minutes of these second games.

8.19pm GMT

Nice from Arsenal, Willock dashing in behind to take a diagonal pass slid along the carpet by Pepe. He crosses low and well, but there’s no one to get on the end of it.

8.18pm GMT

Dundalk’s manager, Filippo Giovagnoli, isn’t allowed in the technical area because he doesn’t have pro coaching licence. Glad to see the important stuff is all being taken of.

8.17pm GMT

Leicester are running into decent touch.

8.16pm GMT

The ball drops on the touchline and Gerrard controls, sweeping it behind his standing foot with one velveteen touch. Bet he was a useful player in his day.

8.14pm GMT

8.13pm GMT

Joe Willock, then. I really, really enjoy his energy, ball-carrying and desire to run past the strikers. But are his passing and touch good enough for him to make it as an Arsenal midfielder?

8.12pm GMT

Pepe forages down the right and looks for Willock, but a defensive foot intervenes and the ball sits up for Cedric, who wellies an effort high and wide.

8.11pm GMT

For example.

Another game, another goal

@fbalogun67 pic.twitter.com/ZTK18MXysk

8.09pm GMT

At Ibrox, Rangers are knocking at the door, Kamara jinking about on the edge of the box and finding Kent, whose fine cross is shanked behind for a corner which comes to nowt.

8.08pm GMT

In Alkmaar, Teun Koopmeiners has put AZ ahead against Rijeka. He plays as a 6, but is meant to be a really good player already.

8.07pm GMT

Runarsson, making his Arsenal debut, has to scramble down by his near post to save McEleney’s shot from range. Decent effort, and a decent idea to try something before he’s had a chance to get used to things.

8.02pm GMT

There’s some strange activity going on in this Arsenal team. They’re playing five at the back, and I think Xahaka is involved there. Perhaps most interesting is the presence of Folarin Balogun on the bench – he looks a real prospect, but until now, a real prospect planning to leave the club. I hope he gets on.

8.01pm GMT

Off we go at Ibrox and the Emirates.

8.00pm GMT

Arsenal: Runarsson, Cedric, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Elneny, Xhaka, Pepe, Nketiah, Nelson. Subs: Leno, Hein, Bellerin, Tierney, Gabriel, Saka, Ceballos, Lacazette, Willian, Aubameyang, Partey, Balogun.

Dundalk: Rogers, Gartland, Boyle, Cleary, Mountney, Murray, Shields, McEleney, Dummigan, Hoban, Duffy. Subs: McCarey, Corcoran, Gannon, Hoare, Flores, Sloggett, Leahy, Oduwa, Colovic, Kelly, McMillan.

7.59pm GMT

Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Barisic, Davis, Kamara, Arfield, Hagi, Kent, Roofe. Subs: McLaughlin, Bassey, Helander, Jack, Itten, Zungu, Patterson, Aribo, Morelos, Barker, Stewart, Barjonas.

Lech Poznan: Bednarek, Czerwinski, Satka, Rogne, Kravets, Skoras, Moder, Marchwinski, Puchacz, Ramirez, Ishak. Subs: Malencia, Muhar, Sykora, Dejwski, Kacharava, Awwad, Klups.

7.55pm GMT

Thanks Scott and evening all. For your delectation we have:

7.53pm GMT

And with that, I’m off. Daniel Harris, in hot form after penning the feelgood hit of the autumn yesterday, will take you through the 8pm kick-offs!

7.51pm GMT

7.49pm GMT

The Foxes keep pace with Braga at the top of Group G. Maximum points for Brendan Rodgers’ men.

7.48pm GMT

A first half to rebuild confidence for stuttering Celtic; a second period to knock it all back down again.

7.47pm GMT

A tedious display and a limp defeat for Spurs. Antwerp go top of Group J.

7.45pm GMT

Lucas Moura has a belt from distance with 120 seconds of bonus time remaining. It’s miles over.

7.43pm GMT

It’s just not happening for Spurs. With seconds of regulation time remaining, Kane turns neatly by the right-hand side of the Antwerp D. He can’t get a shot away. Neither can Son. The ball’s crossed towards Lamela at the far post, but the winger can’t bring the ball under control before running it out for a goal kick. Still five minutes of added time to save themselves.

7.41pm GMT

With a couple of minutes remaining, Harry Winks goes on a rococo dribble down the inside-left channel. It’s a fine run, spoilt slightly when he leans back and wafts over the bar from the edge of the box.

7.40pm GMT

Tottenham continue to toil in a most ineffective manner in Antwerp. Meanwhile Paco Alcacer puts Villarreal 2-1 up at Karabakh on 84 minutes.

7.37pm GMT

Precious little happening right now in the Spurs, Leicester and Celtic games. But it suddenly comes to life in the Karabakh-Villarreal tie, Owusu Kwabena putting the hosts in front on 78, Yeremi Pinto levelling up two minutes later. And Maccabi Tel-Aviv go 2-1 at Sivasspor thanks to Dor Peretz’s 74th-minute effort.

7.35pm GMT

Elvis Manu completes a hat-trick, and suddenly it’s LASK 4-3 Ludogorets. AC Milan are now 3-0 up over Sparta Prague, Diogo Dalot with a 66th-minute strike. A quick two-goal salvo from Aleksandar Katai has put Red Star Belgrade 5-1 up against Liberec. And Dan Biton’s 68th-minute penalty levels things at 1-1 for Maccabi Tel-Aviv at Sivasspor.

7.32pm GMT

Celtic have developed a glass jaw. They nearly concede a third, Lille instigating a game of pinball in the box. Bain is forced to claw one out from under his bar. The Scottish champions, facing a fourth consecutive match without a win, look so short of confidence again. And after a such a fine first-half performance, too. Meanwhile there another goal for Ludogorets’ Elvis Manu. He makes it LASK 4-2 Ludogorets on 67 minutes. And a 66th-minute Dejan Joveljic penalty stretches Wolfsberger’s lead against Feyenoord further: it’s 1-4.

7.29pm GMT

Lille press forward. Celtic fail to clear their lines. Yusuf Yazici mis-kicks on the edge of the box. The ball breaks to Jonathan Ikoné, who aims for the bottom left. The ball takes a deflection and beats the wrong-footed Scott Bain, flying into the bottom right.

7.25pm GMT

Simen Juklerod misses a huge chance for Antwerp, sent clear with Davinson Sanchez away on his holidays. One on one with Hugo Lloris, he blooters wildly over the bar. Harry Kane nearly immediately punishes him, threatening to tear clear down the inside-right channel but slipping over instead. It could be 1-1; it could be 2-0. Time’s running out for Spurs with just over 15 munutes plus stoppages to go.

7.22pm GMT

Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Barisic, Kamara, Davis, Arfield, Hagi, Roofe, Kent.
Subs: Ughelumba, Helander, Jack, Itten, Zungu, Patterson, Aribo, Morelos, Barker, Stewart, McLaughlin, Barjonas.

Lech Poznan: Bednarek, Czerwinski, Satka, Rogne, Kravets, Skoras, Moder, Marchwinski, Puchacz, Ramirez, Ishak.
Subs: Muhar, Sykora, Dejewski, Kacharava, Awad, Malenica, Klups.

7.20pm GMT

The game’s back on in France, where Celtic fail to clear a corner from the left, allowing Lille defender Zeki Celik to bundle in at the far post.

7.18pm GMT

So much for the Feyenoord comeback. Michael Liendl completes his hat-trick for Wolfsberger on the hour; it’s 1-3. Sivasspor go 1-0 up against Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Olarenwaju Kayode with the 55th-minute deadlock-breaker. And in Celtic’s group, AC Milan go 2-0 up on Sparta Prague, Rafael Leao with the latest one on 57 minutes.

7.16pm GMT

Spurs improve a little, Lamela slipping a ball down the right for Moura, who returns it into the middle for Son. The in-form striker uncharacteristically hoicks wide right. Then Aurier rattles down the right and curls in powerfully. Lamela attempts the full Keith Houchen (sorry for raking over old coals, Spurs fans of a certain vintage) but doesn’t connect. That would have been a spectacular one.

7.13pm GMT

Spurs haven’t troubled Antwerp in the opening exchanges of the second half, despite all those changes. So on comes the one-man cavalry in the shape of Harry Kane, who takes the place of a quiet Gareth Bale. Meanwhile Steven Berghuis pulls one back for Feyenoord on 53 minutes; it’s Feyenoord 1-2 Wolfsberger.

7.08pm GMT

Elsewhere ... Florian Grillitsch puts Hoffenheim 2-0 up at Gent, while Red Star go 3-1 up on Liberec, Milan Gajic with a 50th minute goal. And in France, Kristoffer Ajer is indeed unable to continue. He trudges off grimly, almost certainly out of the Scottish Cup semi-final with Aberdeen at the weekend. Nir Bitton returns in his stead. Not a bad replacement, huh.

7.05pm GMT

A simple scoop down the middle of the park exposes the Leicester defence and springs Muamer Tankovic clear. He strides into the box and lashes past Kasper Schmeichel. Game on.

7.04pm GMT

Jose Mourinho isn’t the sort of guy who’ll die wondering. Incensed with his Spurs team’s insipid first-half performance, he’s made four half-time changes, bringing on Son Heung-min, Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg for Vinicius, Alli, Bergiwjn and Lo Celso.

7.02pm GMT

Lille have started the second half pushing Celtic back a bit. A couple of loose clearances giving the hosts hope. But they’re not capitalising, the final ball lacking. Another slight worry here: Kristoffer Ajer has gone down holding his groin, and by the looks of it won’t be able to continue.

7.00pm GMT

Arsenal: Runarsson, Cedric, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Elneny, Xhaka, Nelson, Nketiah, Pepe.
Subs: Leno, Bellerin, Tierney, Gabriel, Saka, Ceballos, Lacazette, Willian, Aubameyang, Thomas, Hein, Balogun.

Dundalk: Rogers, Gartland, Boyle, Daniel Cleary, Mountney, Murray, Shields, McEleney, Dummigan, Hoban, Duffy.
Subs: Corcoran, Gannon, Hoare, Flores, Sloggett, Leahy, Oduwa, McCarey, Colovic, Kelly, McMillan.

6.57pm GMT

The second halves of the 5.55pm kick-offs are starting all over Europe. Meanwhile team news for the 8pm matches trickles through ...

6.48pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. For your listening pleasure.

6.44pm GMT

6.41pm GMT

Jan Matousek halves the deficit in the Marakana. It’s Red Star Belgrade 2-1 Liberec after 41 minutes.

6.39pm GMT

Leicester double their lead at a corner. James Maddison swings the set piece long from the right. The ball drops to the unmarked Hamza Choudhury, who takes a touch and lashes home from an angle on the left!

6.37pm GMT

Scott Bain saves the penalty and gets Shane Duffy out of jail! Jonathan David gets up and takes the penalty himself. He sends it low and hard to the right ... but Bain sticks out a boot to deny the Lille striker. It’s still Lille 0-2 Celtic!

6.36pm GMT

Tottenham haven’t responded to falling behind at all. A half-hearted run by Gareth Bale down the left leads to nought. Meanwhile in France, it’s a penalty to Lille, the increasingly hapless Shane Duffy needlessly clipping the heel of Jonathan David, who was going nowhere, meandering near the right-hand corner of the box. Oh Shane!

6.33pm GMT

Admin update! Ben has scored his second for Red Star on 24 minutes: it’s Red Star Belgrade 2-0 Liberec. Marko Raguz make it LASK 3-1 Ludogorets on 34 minutes. And Ishak Belfodil opens the scoring for Hoffenheim in Gent with a 36-minute penalty.

6.31pm GMT

A second for Mohamed Elyounoussi in short order! Good work by Jeremie Frimpong down the inside right. He reaches the corner of the box and cuts across to Elyounoussi, who swivels 15 yards from goal and threads a shot into the bottom left! Celtic have been extremely dangerous going forward since the get-go, and this is their reward.

6.28pm GMT

Ben Davies is robbed by Dieumerci Mbokani, fannying about near the halfway line. Spurs are left short at the back. It’s two on one. Mbokani romps down the right and hooks into the middle for Lior Refaelov. He’s alone, and able to slam past Hugo Lloris into the bottom left.

6.26pm GMT

In the other Group H game, Brahim Diaz has given AC Milan the lead against Sparta Prague on 24 minutes.

6.25pm GMT

This is sensational! A couple of minutes ago, Mohamed Elyounoussi lifted a gilt-edged chance over the bar from six yards. No matter! Celtic quickly come again at their hosts. Elyounoussi drifts in from the left. He’s got options either side, but opens his body and curls a peach into the top right from 25 yards. Mike Maignan in the Lille goal stands stock still in admiration. That’s as good a finish as we’ll see in Europe all week.

6.22pm GMT

A half-chance for Tottenham in Antwerp, with Carlos Vinícius momentarily clear down the inside-right channel. But hesitation proves fatal to his hopes, and possession is lost without the dice having been rolled. Meanwhile here’s Michael Gibbons with some more Uefa Cup memories: “As Napoli are playing tonight, and it’s Maradona’s 60th tomorrow, can we have a polite smattering of applause for how they landed the Uefa Cup in tandem in 1989? It’s still Napoli’s only European title but, amid World Cups and Scudettos, seems to have been marginalised in the Maradona story and reduced mostly to that Live is Life warm-up in Munich. Back then the competition housed the calibre of teams that occupy the Champions League today, and Napoli sorted out Juventus and Bayern on their way to beating Stuttgart in the final. It’s a victory that deserves way more credit than it gets.”

6.19pm GMT

Not a great deal going on in the Spurs match. Anyone who tuned into the Burnley game on Monday night won’t be super-surprised at this news.

6.18pm GMT

Albian Ajeti puts the ball into the net for Celtic, slotting efficiently into the bottom right after being sprung down the inside-left channel by Mohamed Elyounoussi. But the flag goes up for offside, correctly so. The game remains goalless.

6.16pm GMT

AEK keeper Panagiotis Tsintotas brings down Jamie Vardy. Leicester’s top scorer picks himself up, dusts himself down, gets his gameface on, and lashes an unstoppable kick into the left-hand side of the net.

6.14pm GMT

The goals keep coming in Austria. Andreas Gruber made it 2-0 for LASK on 11 minutes, but Elvis Manu halved the deficit for Ludogorets four minutes later. Meanwhile it’s now two penalties for Wolfsberger’s Michael Liendl. The second, on 13 minutes, has put his side 2-0 up at Feyenoord.

6.12pm GMT

Shane Duffy hasn’t been enjoying the start to his Celtic career. He’s been trying a wee bit too hard, and he’s at it once again here, sliding in hysterically on Jonathan Bamba. He goes in the book, and it’s a free kick in a very dangerous position for Lille. Yusuf Yazici takes, and nearly finds the top right. Bain again to the rescue, and nothing comes of the corner.

6.10pm GMT

So much for Celtic’s confident start. Lille have started to push them back, and after a penalty-box scramble, Boubakary Soumaré drove goalwards, only to be denied by the strong arm of Scott Bain. That’s a fine save.

6.08pm GMT

Ben has put 1991 European champions Red Star Belgrade ahead at home to 2002 Uefa Cup quarter-finalists Liberec. Crvena zvezda 1-0 Liberec (Ben 7). And another goal in Ukraine: Zorya 0-2 Braga (Nicolas Gaitan 11).

6.04pm GMT

A couple of other early goals. A fourth-minute Michael Liendl penalty gives Wolfsberger a quick-smart advantage at De Kuip. Feyenoord 0-1 Wolfsberger (Liendl 4 pen). And Braga striker Paulinho has given his team the early lead in Lugansk. Zorya 0-1 Braga (Paulinho 3)

6.00pm GMT

And we’re off! Celtic start in a very progressive manner, coming at Lille with a confidence and swagger that belies their recent form. Meanwhile in Tottenham’s group, Husein Balic has given LASK an early lead over Ludogorets. LASK 1-0 Ludogorets (Balic 2)

5.55pm GMT

While we wait for kick-off, how about a quick historical trawl through this grand old competition, in all its guises? Here’s an article I can’t remember writing.

5.52pm GMT

Right-o. Teams around Europe are taking to the pitch ahead of Matchday 2’s first wave of hot Europa League action. Buckle yourself in, we’ll be off in a couple of minutes.

5.10pm GMT

Antwerp: Butez, Seck, Gelin, De Laet, Miyoshi, Gerkens, Haroun, Hongla, Juklerod, Mbokani, Refaelov.
Subs: Beiranvand, Birger Verstraete, Boya, Benavente, Opoku Ampomah, Buta.

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Aurier, Sanchez, Davies, Reguilon, Lo Celso, Winks, Bale, Alli, Bergwijn, Vinicius.
Subs: Doherty, Alderweireld, Hojbjerg, Son, Kane, Lamela, Hart, Sissoko, Lucas Moura, Clarke, White, Cirkin.

5.08pm GMT

Lille: Maignan, Celik, Botman, Soumaoro, Bradaric, Ikone, Soumare, Andre, Bamba, Yazici, David.
Subs: Karnezis, Djalo, Fonte, Xeka, Luiz Araujo, Yilmaz, Sanches, Lihadji, Weah, Pied, Mandava, Chevalier.

Celtic: Bain, Frimpong, Duffy, Ajer, Laxalt, Brown, McGregor, Christie, Ntcham, Elyounoussi, Ajeti.
Subs: Barkas, Taylor, Bitton, Griffiths, Klimala, Soro, Turnbull, Rogic, Edouard, Henderson, Welsh, Dembele.

5.02pm GMT

AEK Athens: Tsintotas, Bakakis, Svarnas, Nedelcearu, Insua, Shakhov, Krsticic, Livaja, Mandalos, Helder Lopes, Ansarifard.
Subs: Laci, Tankovic, Oliveira, Hnid, Athanasiadis, Mitaj, Sabanadzovic, Christopoulos, Macheras, Botos, Vasilantonopoulos, Theocharis.

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Fofana, Morgan, Fuchs, Under, Choudhury, Tielemans, Justin, Albrighton, Maddison, Vardy.
Subs: Ward, Iheanacho, Barnes, Perez, Mendy, Praet, Thomas, Jakupovic.

3.13pm GMT

Welcome to our coverage of Matchday 2 of the 2020-21 Europa League. The usual slew of matches coming your way. Here are the 5.55pm GMT kick offs:

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Published on October 29, 2020 15:02

The Fiver | Eight goals more hopeless than Mr Roy

Julian Nagelsmann is perhaps the most precocious managerial talent in the game. Last season, the young RB Leipzig coach took his little club all the way to the semi-finals of Big Cup, an eye-catching run that more than justified his given nickname of Mini Mourinho. However Wednesday night’s events in the very same competition suggest Nagelsmann, 13, still has a little growing up to do. His team were battered five by Manchester United, and that, according to other recent results at Old Trafford, plus playground rules, means he’s eight goals more hopeless than Mr Roy, a man nearly seven times his age, and 11 worse than the actual full-sized, middle-aged Mourinho. You can’t argue with playground rules. No returns.

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Published on October 29, 2020 09:49

October 28, 2020

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

Chelsea weathered an early second-half storm before easing away from the Russians in style

8.06pm GMT

Jacob Steinberg’s verdict is in. Click away ... and thanks for reading this MBM.

7.52pm GMT

It’d be unfair to say the scoreline flattered Chelsea, who went up through the gears towards the end in great style and were deserving winners. But it can also still be true that the result was a little hard on Krasnodar, who looked perfectly capable of equalising until they conceded a slightly harsh penalty. Their shoulders slumped after that, their home Champions League debut ruined. But Chelsea were simply too clinical. They’ll be delighted after rediscovering their goalscoring chops, and once again showcasing their newly found defensive resilience. Three clean sheets in a row, huh. Hats off to Frank Lampard for identifying a big problem and solving it. This puts Chelsea at the top of Group E with four points, Sevilla and Rennes kicking off in ten minutes or so.

7.46pm GMT

A fine night’s work by Chelsea comes to a satisfying end.

7.45pm GMT

90 min +4: Sulemanov tries to catch Mendy out, curling a surprise towards the bottom right when everyone was expecting a delivery into the packed box. But it’s inches wide, and Mendy would have got there anyway.

7.44pm GMT

90 min +3: Suleymanov is clipped by Mount, just to the right of the Chelsea box. A late consolation for the hosts?

7.44pm GMT

90 min +2: The first of four added minutes flies by without incident ... as does the second.

7.43pm GMT

Abraham strides down the right and slips inside for Pulisic, who takes a touch in the box, spins and fires towards the bottom right. Safonov is there, but allows the fierce drive to whistle between his knees.

7.40pm GMT

88 min: Chernov crosses from the left. Mendy claims spectacularly. Chelsea’s new keeper is a few minutes away from his fourth clean sheet in a row ... and Chelsea’s third.

7.38pm GMT

87 min: Berg, who has been quiet this evening, makes way for Sabua.

7.37pm GMT

85 min: Ramirez slithers in from the left wing and fires a shot towards the bottom left. It’s easy pickings for Mendy.

7.35pm GMT

83 min: Let the record show two Krasnodar changes: Utkin and Olsson off, Sulemanov and Spertsyan on.

7.34pm GMT

81 min: That’s Ziyech’s work done. He’s replaced by Abraham, while Emerson comes on for Chilwell. Incidentally, before the third goal, there were smiles all round as Pulisic misread the spin on a right-to-left cross and bicycle kicked thin air. The weight suddenly taken from Chelsea’s shoulders is palpable.

7.32pm GMT

Ziyech has been Chelsea’s most assured performer all evening. Now he gets his reward, found on the penalty spot by Werner, then taking a touch left before swivelling and threading a shot into the bottom right. What a lovely finish by a superb player.

7.30pm GMT

78 min: That was a proper no-nonsense penalty by Werner. I wonder whether he’ll be taking regular penalty duties away from Jorginho. Paul Kerton (29 mins) will surely approve.

7.28pm GMT

Jorginho’s been substituted, so we’ll never know if he’d have been given a second chance from the spot. Werner takes again, and leathers an unpretentious penalty into the top left. Brilliant penalty!

7.27pm GMT

75 min: Pulisic takes a whack from an angle on the right. The ball blasts into the nearby Martynovich’s midriff, then up onto his forearm. The referee immediately points to the spot, though that’s an exceptionally harsh decision. VAR agrees with it, mind.

7.26pm GMT

73 min: Chelsea stroke it about the back with time management in mind. On the bench, Hudson-Odoi, rather like the farmer in Withnai & I, has his leg bound in polythene. An injury concern for Chelsea.

7.23pm GMT

71 min: Chelsea make a Mourinhoesque triple change, swapping Jorginho, Kovacic and Hudson-Odoi with Kante, Mount and Pulisic. Plenty of fresh legs for a midfield Chelsea were struggling to control.

7.21pm GMT

70 min: Chilwell crosses deep from the left. Azpilicueta gathers on the other flank, and slaps a low shot straight at Safonov. When Chelsea manage to get their act together going forward, they look dangerous.

7.20pm GMT

68 min: Nothing comes of the corner. Chelsea are pushing their luck a bit here, though. The hosts will wonder how they’ve not managed to get the equaliser their second-half efforts deserve.

7.19pm GMT

67 min: Chances at both ends. First Ziyech drives into the box from the right and sends a low shot straight at Safonov. Then Berg lashes from a tight angle on the left; Mendy parries. Finally Smolinkov makes good down the right, his shot-cum-cross deflected onto the post and out for a corner.

7.18pm GMT

65 min: Utkin’s free kick is piss-poor, hammered witlessly into the wall. The ball breaks to Olsson, who is preparing to shoot when Utkin steps across for another go, and slices miles wide left. Utkin at least has the good grace to look embarrassed after the event.

7.16pm GMT

64 min: Utkin shakes and shimmies 30 yards out, trying to work space for a shot. Kovacic keeps the door shut, but then hangs out a lazy leg, and Utkin somersaults over it in a ludicrously theatrical fashion. It is a free kick, though, just to the right of the D.

7.14pm GMT

63 min: Chelsea are struggling to retain possession. The hosts have been well on top since the restart.

7.13pm GMT

61 min: Chernov flings a throw into the Chelsea mixer from the left. Vilhena picks up possession to the left of goal. His dinked cross is half cleared by Chelsea. Chernov returns it with passion, his shot screeching high and wide. Chelsea are being properly pressure-tested here.

7.12pm GMT

59 min: Smolnikov takes one in the mush from Werner. The collision is totally accidental. Smolnikov stays down. Chelsea play on, Chilwell crossing from the left. Krasnodar clear, and play is eventually stopped with the home fans making their feelings known in the traditional style.

7.09pm GMT

57 min: Zouma takes a while to get up, but he’s soon ready to go again once the physio is sure he’s not concussed. A sore one for the big defender, but a handy time-out for Chelsea, who were beginning to ship half-chances at an alarming rate.

7.08pm GMT

55 min: The corner’s swung into the mixer. Gazinski meets it with a volley. He hits it into the ground, but it balloons up, over Mendy, and off the crossbar! A melee ensues, and eventually the whistle goes as Zouma cops one in the face from his own flailing keeper.

7.07pm GMT

54 min: Ramirez works his way into the Chelsea box from the left, but his cross is no good. Soon after, another phase of play as Ramirez scoots down the inside right and tees up Gazinski down the inside left. Gazinski’s shot is deflected out for a corner on the left.

7.05pm GMT

52 min: Jorginho messes up an easy clearance by slipping as he prepares to kick, player and ball sailing out for a cheap corner. From the set piece, Olsson is caught offside, and Chelsea get away with another careless mistake.

7.03pm GMT

50 min: Mendy takes a hell of a risk by passing out between two rushing Krasnodar players. Through the eye of a needle. Chelsea go up the other end and nearly break clear down the left through Hudson-Odoi, but he miscontrols.

7.00pm GMT

49 min: Kovacic latches onto a half-arsed Krasnodar clearance and whistles a first-time shot inches wide of the bottom left. Not entirely sure Safonov would have got there had it been on target.

6.59pm GMT

48 min: ... Chernov heads harmlessly over.

6.59pm GMT

47 min: Olsson sashays down the right and loops long. There’s nobody for Krasnodar over there, but there’s miscommunication between Azpilicueta and Mendy and a corner is conceded. From which ...

6.56pm GMT

Chelsea get the second half underway. No changes.

6.43pm GMT

Més que un shower. The Champions League could well go the way of the old European Cup if Barcelona have their way. By way of half-time entertainment, the pod reacts.

6.42pm GMT

Chelsea have the half-time advantage, and troop off looking happy enough.

6.41pm GMT

45 min: Chilwell one-twos cutely with Werner down the left, earning a corner. You’d expect Chilwell to hang one over the keeper, unsettled after his big mistake, but he delivers an outswinger, allowing Vilhena and Olsson to break up the other end! Olsson reaches the left-hand corner flag and scoops infield. Mendy claims easily.

6.39pm GMT

44 min: Chelsea stroke it around the back again. A few impatient whistles from the home crowd.

6.38pm GMT

Ziyech and Havertz interchange on the edge of the Krasnodar box and slip the ball to Hudson-Odoi on the left. He drops a shoulder to make space in the box and shoots

6.38pm GMT

43 min: With that said, Azpilicueta curls in from the right. Safonov comes out and flaps. Havertz is allowed to win the header, six yards out, but slaps it over. A poor miss, but the flag goes up to save any blushes.

6.36pm GMT

41 min: Chelsea stroke the ball around the back, the goal having visibly deflated the hosts. Lampard’s men will be more than happy to see this through until half-time.

6.35pm GMT

39 min: A blue and white flag is unfurled in a stand otherwise full of Krasnodar supporters. Chelsea are not alone.

6.31pm GMT

36 min: Chernov lumps down the left hoping to release Gazinski, but Rudiger has read the danger well, coming across to clear.

6.30pm GMT

35 min: Chilwell makes good ground down the left and pulls back for Werner, waiting in space in the box ... but the full-back’s radar is wonky and the hosts clear easily.

6.28pm GMT

33 min: Utkin crosses from deep on the right. Chernov rises to meet with his head just inside the box on the left. The ball loops harmlessly towards Mendy. On the touchline, an unhappy looking Lampard issues a trenchant order: “Faster!”

6.27pm GMT

31 min: Ramirez leaves a little something on Azpilicueta. Another sprinkling of spice in this match. Don’t be surprised if something escalates at some point.

6.26pm GMT

29 min: Ziyech has a dig from distance. Safonov gathers the pea-roller. “I do wish penalty takers would desist from this [word redacted by Family Newspaper Swearing Ed] hop, skip and a jump before they kick the ball. It seems to be getting worse,” writes Paul Kerton. “Another month and they will be allowed to juggle with flaming swords before taking the penalty. That other kangaroo jumper, Bruno Fernandes, has already missed two penalties this term for Man Utd.”

6.24pm GMT

28 min: While all that was going on, Havertz clattered into Utkin on the edge of the Chelsea box, the pair contesting a high ball. He caught the Krasnodar man in the throat, nowhere near the ball at all, and you really have seen them given for that. But after a lengthy VAR check, we play on. Havertz a wee bit fortunate there.

6.22pm GMT

26 min: Smolnikov breaks into the Chelsea box on the right. His hooked cross is cleared well by Zouma. Chelsea go up the other end through Pulisic, whose left-wing cross is eyebrowed away by Kaio with Havertz lurking. So close at both ends!

6.20pm GMT

25 min: Vilhena concedes a garden-variety foul on Jorginho, who is disproportionately unhappy about it. The referee tells him to get up and calm down. Then Ramirez buys a cheap one by diving between Ziyech and Jorginho. A slight edge developing.

6.18pm GMT

23 min: Zouma hacks a poor clearance onto the back of Chernov, and for a second it looks like the striker will be tearing free down the left. But the ball’s actually hit his upper arm, and though he knew nothing about it, looking the other way as he was, the flag goes up for a free kick. Zouma got away with that.

6.17pm GMT

22 min: Olsson is booked for a totally unnecessary lunge on Havertz, who wasn’t really going anywhere or doing anything.

6.16pm GMT

21 min: Both teams are taking turns to stroke the ball around in a very aesthetically pleasing fashion.

6.15pm GMT

19 min: Vilhena busies himself on the edge of the Chelsea D and shoots towards the bottom left. The ball balloons off Zouma and nearly squeaks into the bottom right, with Mendy caught flat-footed by the deflection. From the corner, Ramirez tries for his second goal of this Champions League campaign, having notched against Rennes. His effort from distance flies straight down Mendy’s throat.

6.13pm GMT

18 min: Azpilicueta enjoys another run down the right, crossing for Hudson-Odoi to nut over. Ah, there’s been a deflection ... not that the corner leads to anything.

6.12pm GMT

16 min: That’s Jorginho’s second penalty miss of the season, after being denied by Alisson of Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea don’t have much luck with penalties in Russia, do they.

6.10pm GMT

14 min: Jorginho misses it! A skip. A jump. He sends Safonov to the right, so strokes the penalty to the left ... but it caroms off the post, then off the back of the keeper, who is up again and wandering about in a confused fashion. Werner tries to whip home the loose ball, but Martynovich blocks and clears! An absurd game of bagatelle, and the hosts have got away with one.

6.08pm GMT

13 min: Ziyech slips Azpilicueta away down the right. The captain fizzes a low ball into the box from the right. Werner comes across to nick it away from Kaio, who clips him to the ground. A clear penalty!

6.07pm GMT

11 min: Does this Chelsea kit give anyone else flashbacks of Scotland in the 1990s?

6.05pm GMT

9 min: Then suddenly they turn up the gas themselves, Ziyech scooting elegantly into the box from the right, his low shot towards the near post forcing Safonov to turn out for a corner. Nothing comes from the set piece. An enjoyable start to this match.

6.04pm GMT

8 min: Chelsea take a little of the sting out of the game. Clever game management given Krasnodar’s early swagger.

6.01pm GMT

6 min: Smolnikov barges his way down the right and nearly opens Chelsea up. Hudson-Odoi comes back to help Chilwell snuff out the danger. This is confident stuff from the Russians.

6.00pm GMT

4 min: And now Utkin takes a run at Chelsea, Havertz having shipped possession carelessly. He curls low and hard towards the bottom left, forcing Mendy to fingertip around the post. The resulting corner is a waste of time, but now we must forget what I said at 2 min. This is a decent start by the hosts.

5.59pm GMT

3 min: So having said that, Jorginho has the ball ripped off him, 30 yards from goal, allowing Berg to advance on the Chelsea box down the right. He hoicks harmlessly over the bar.

5.57pm GMT

2 min: Chelsea quickly grab possession of the ball and stroke it around awhile, finding their feet on foreign soil. Ziyech pings a pass to Hudson-Odoi on the left. Hudson-Odoi travels towards the box with great purpose, but his attempted return to Ziyech doesn’t come off and the ball rolls out for a goal kick. A decent start by the visitors.

5.56pm GMT

Krasnodar get the ball rolling ... but only after the taking of a knee. Black lives matter. There’s no room for racism.

5.55pm GMT

The teams are out! The official Champions League anthem rings around the futuristic Stadium Krasnodar ... and then the sweet, sweet, sweet sound of real cheers. There are thousands of socially distanced fans in the stands! Lovely. The hosts play in their third-choice black, while Chelsea sport third-choice salmon. We’ll be off in a sec.

5.49pm GMT

Frank Lampard speaks to BT Sport. “We’re struggling for wins and looking for some improvements. It’s normal, a lot of teams are in the same position. But I have confidence in the team. Everybody feels good. So we approach the game with the same confidence as normal. It’s normal that everything doesn’t work. Football is a process, we have a lot of trust in [the new signings]. A lot of things we are working on, we are trying to improve in-game. The team will grow in confidence.” I’m not 100 percent sure Lampard appreciated the no-nonsense questioning of the local journalist conducting the interview, who repeatedly, and quite directly, suggested that Chelsea have yet to get much bang for their buck out of their big signings. An amusing edge to that little pow-wow. Should Chelsea lose, the post-match presser could be entertaining.

5.25pm GMT

Krasnodar welcome back two Swedish internationals in Arsenal youth graduate Kristoffer Olsson and 34-year-old striker Marcus Berg. The third Swede at the club, Viktor Claesson, remains injured, as does Brazilian winger Wanderson. The one-time Newcastle midfielder Remy Cabella, who helped Montpellier win the French title in 2011-12 along with Olivier Giroud, is currently self-isolating after testing positive for the Coronavirus.

5.00pm GMT

Antonio Rudiger makes his first appearance of the season in Chelsea’s defence. He’s one of four changes to the team named at Old Trafford last weekend. Mateo Kovacic, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Hakim Ziyech also step up. Ziyech will make his full debut. Reece James, N’Golo Kante and Christian Pulisic drop to the bench, while Thiago Silva gets a rest.

5.00pm GMT

Krasnodar: Safonov, Smolnikov, Kaio, Martynovich, Chernov, Utkin, Vilhena, Olsson, Gazinsky, Ramirez, Berg.
Subs: Gorodov, Kutovoi, Spertsyan, Sabua, Sinitsyn, Suleymanov, Litvinov.

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

2.52pm GMT

Third in last season’s Russian Premier League plays fourth in the English version at Stadium Krasnodar this evening. Both Krasnodar and Chelsea will be looking to build on solid starts to their Group E campaigns: while Chelsea were drawing 0-0 with Sevilla last week, Krasnodar - known as Byki, the Bulls - were holding Rennes to a 1-1 draw in France.

Neither are in scintillating form at present. Chelsea have drawn their last three matches in all competitions, while Krasnodar are coming off the back of a 3-1 home defeat to Spartak Moscow. But the Russians have won their last three home European matches, and are undefeated in their two previous games against English clubs, having drawn at home to Everton in the 2014-15 Europa League and beaten them at Goodison. Chelsea meanwhile will take heart from their record against Russian teams: they’ve won five out of six.

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Published on October 28, 2020 13:06

The Fiver | Remember when FC Barcelona was a second-rate institution

Childhood friends of Granny Fiver will remember the days when FC Barcelona was a thoroughly second-rate institution. Also-rans in La Liga. A regular embarrassment in Europe. A manager who didn’t quite cut it in England. An Argentinian genius whose career was in danger of going to waste if he didn’t get the hell out quicksmart. But times change, and, er, erm. Whatever, Barça are now one of the top draws in the world, as evidenced by the sheer volume of trouser-bothering laughter generated by their increasingly inventive capers in Big Cup. Hey, we wouldn’t be down the laundromat every other week if they were nobodies.

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Published on October 28, 2020 09:59

October 26, 2020

Burnley 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur: Premier League – as it happened

Son Heung-min scored a fine goal that was out of keeping with a dour encounter at Turf Moor

10.33pm GMT

And that, my MBM pals, is your lot. Paul Wilson’s report is here. Click and enjoy ... and thanks for reading this live blog. Nighty night!

10.32pm GMT

Sean Dyche looks on the bright side. “There were good signs. Tonight yet again we fell foul to a soft set piece by our standards, but I’m not going to overegg that when we played so well. A lot of our performance was right, especially against a quality side. Our shape was good, the belief in the shape. We made good blocks and stopped their tempo, mixed it up in attack and had more chances than we normally do against a side like this. We had one cleared off the line and some other moments. A lot of what we are trying to achieve was on show, even if we got nothing for it. The performances over a season is what I’ve been talking about. The team looked fit and strong and we have important players coming back. The signs are right. We know if we play like that over a season we win games and get points on the board.”

10.19pm GMT

Jose Mourinho delivers a couple of textbook back-handed compliments. “That was exactly what I was expecting. I know Sean and the difficulties he can bring to the best attacking teams. He is very clever. He plays with what he has, and gave us a very difficult match. So congratulations to him and to his boys. I also thought Michael Oliver and his assistants were very good, and for a match of this nature you need a good referee with stability. He was that man. He doesn’t need to give a red card to Barnes, because that would have been a different game. My players didn’t play the quality football that we want, but because of Burnley not because of us. This is the kind of match that if you take too many risks you can lose it.”

10.07pm GMT

Paul Wilson was at Turf Moor to witness that tonight. His report has landed, and here it is. Managers still to come, should all go to plan.

10.05pm GMT

A word with a very cheerful Harry Kane. “It was an unusual assist, a flick-on to the back post, and Sonny was there to put it away! It’s one of those, when things are going your way they fall to the right people, and Sonny’s on fine form at the moment. I’ve been dropping a little bit deeper and it allows me to get my head up and play passes through. Maybe in recent years we haven’t been doing that. We’re going with the flow. Tough game tonight, but we’re delighted.”

9.58pm GMT

Sean Dyche strides onto the pitch to give Michael Oliver the what-for. Still not happy about the drop ball right at the end of added time. But that didn’t cost them the game. Harry Kane cleared James Tarkowski’s header off the line, then set up Son Heung-min at the other end. It’s a thin line between success and failure in the Premier League sometimes. Spurs move into fifth on 11 points, behind Everton, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Leicester, while Burnley remain in 18th with just a single point, just like Fulham and Sheffield United, albeit with a better goal difference and a game in hand.

9.55pm GMT

But Spurs claim all three! It wasn’t a classic display, to say the least, but one moment of quality from Kane and Son, who are now creating goals in industrial quantity, decided the match.

9.53pm GMT

90 min +3: The ball hits the referee, who is obliged to stop the game. Burnley are collectively furious, with time running out. Plenty of frustration on display by the home side, who will feel they deserved a point on balance.

9.51pm GMT

90 min +2: The goalscorer Son makes way for Spurs debutant Joe Rodon.

9.50pm GMT

90 min +1: Spurs are four added minutes away from moving into fifth place. Actually, three now.

9.49pm GMT

90 min: McNeil stays down after Lamela goes in studs up. For a second, Lamela had both feet in the air, out of control, but recovered his poise just in time, and just before contact. It’s a sore one for McNeil, but not a serious one, and he’s soon back up and about again. Not sure why Lamela risked censure by going in like that, but there it is.

9.47pm GMT

88 min: The last throw of the Burnley dice: Matej Vydra comes on for Barnes.

9.46pm GMT

86 min: Take two, as Rodriguez wins another corner down the right. McNeil goes longer ... but still gives it too much height, allowing Lloris to pluck from the sky again. On the touchline, Sean Dyche exhales long, slow and hard through his nose, staring straight ahead without blinking. McNeil may be receiving some beneficial words of advice after the match.

9.44pm GMT

85 min: Rodriguez’s first act is to earn Burnley a corner down the right. McNeil wafts it in, allowing Lloris to make an easy claim.

9.43pm GMT

84 min: Burnley throw on an extra attacker, as Jay Rodriguez replaces Gudmundsson.

9.42pm GMT

83 min: Spurs by contrast have been energised. Lo Celso and Son combine cutely down the inside-left, the former eventually shovelling a cross towards Lamela, coming in from the other flank. Lamela whips a low shot straight at Pope, who gathers.

9.41pm GMT

82 min: Burnley haven’t reacted at all to falling behind. A very poor response.

9.40pm GMT

80 min: Long is booked for leaving a little something on Son. From the resulting free kick, Lo Celso sends a soft header into the arms of Pope. Son’s header, though. Such a good reaction to dive onto Kane’s flick-on and fire Spurs ahead.

9.38pm GMT

79 min: Spurs make a second change, sending on Lo Celso for Ndombele.

9.38pm GMT

78 min: That’s the 29th time Kane and Son have combined, one way or another, to score a Premier League goal. There’s only been one more productive partnership since football was invented in 1992: Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, who created 36 goals together for Chelsea.

9.36pm GMT

A corner for Spurs on the right. Kane meets it on the penalty spot, flicking on towards Son, who powers a header into the roof of the net from close range! That all happened in a flash!

9.34pm GMT

74 min: Here, this match has suddenly sparked into life, you know! Ndombele carves Burnley in two with a pass down the inside-right channel for Son, who is free in the box! But he uncharacteristically hesitates, allowing Long to get back and block his shot sensationally.

9.33pm GMT

73 min: Wood, way out near the left touchline, fizzes an ambitious low shot straight at Lloris. Spurs go up the other end, Lamela swinging in from the right. Davies gets ahead of Gudmundsson at the far post, but can’t connect. In going over, he claims a penalty, but he’s quite correctly not getting one.

9.31pm GMT

71 min: SOME EXCITEMENT! A corner for Burnley out on the left. Westwood swings it long. Tarkowski rises highest, guiding a fine header across Lloris and towards the top left. It’s going in, but Kane has read the danger well, and drops back to head off the line! Fine play all round.

9.30pm GMT

70 min: Dier tries to hook a long ball clear. He slaps it straight into Wood, who goes haring off down the centre. He’s clear on goal, but the whistle goes, the ball having hit the striker’s arm. Dier got away with one there.

9.28pm GMT

68 min: Wood tries something acrobatic, hoping to connect with Westwood’s right-wing cross. Full marks for ambition, if nothing else.

9.26pm GMT

67 min: Kane earns a corner off Lowton with a baroque ramble down the left. Burnley clear once again without fuss.

9.24pm GMT

65 min: Kane curls into the Burnley box from the left. Dier hopes to clatter a header goalwards but Tarkowski gets in the road and concedes a corner. Burnley clear it with remarkable ease. Pope still hasn’t had any serious questions asked of him.

9.23pm GMT

63 min: Mourinho channels the Sky Sports viewership by sitting in the dugout motionless, hands in pockets, a face on.

9.21pm GMT

61 min: I suspect Mark Williams isn’t the only Sky Sports viewer wishing his life away right now. Nothing is happening here.

9.21pm GMT

59 min: Both defensive systems are very much on top. “Nobody seems to enjoy watching professional association football on a Monday night,” begins Mark Williams. “Worse still, nobody seems to enjoy playing professional association football on a Monday night. Roll on the weekend!”

9.17pm GMT

57 min: The first change of the evening. It’s by Spurs ... and it’s not Gareth Bale. On comes Erik Lamela, replacing a disappointed Lucas Moura.

9.16pm GMT

56 min: ... Tarkowski heads a good chance over from six yards. He was facing the wrong way. Perhaps if he had one of Justin Kavanagh’s disruptive manbuns (7 min), that would have caromed into the net. I’ll level with you, I’m grasping at straws.

9.15pm GMT

55 min: Wood knocks a long ball down for Barnes, who has a dig from the edge of the D. Alderweireld hangs out a leg to deflect over the bar. Corner. From which ...

9.14pm GMT

54 min: Nothing is happening. If anything, this is even worse than the first half. Plenty of time still for everyone to redeem themselves. “Are Tottenham really just an upmarket West Ham?” wonders Gary Naylor. “They seem to go from the Glory Glory Game to the Borey Borey Game from week to week.”

9.12pm GMT

52 min: Barnes slides into a 50-50 with Hojbjerg, who yells and crumples into a heap. Barnes clearly considers this a fraudulent grift, and performs the internationally recognised mime for GET UP while frowning, effing and jeffing. We play on.

9.09pm GMT

50 min: Davies gives away possession with a lax ball in from the left, behind the intended recipient Sissoko. Brownhill strides towards the Spurs box and zips a shot inches wide of the left-hand post. Lloris had it covered.

9.08pm GMT

49 min: Spurs ping it around in the sterile style.

9.06pm GMT

47 min: Ndombele tries to release Son on goal, but his creamed pass down the left channel is well cleared by Long’s telescopic leg.

9.05pm GMT

Spurs get the second half underway. According to the statisticians at Sky Sports, Spurs played 33 long balls in that first half. Do you wonder what Danny Blanchflower would say? You’ve got a fair idea, haven’t you.

8.51pm GMT

Half-time reading.

8.50pm GMT

Let’s accentuate the positives: two shots on target, and at least this didn’t cost £14.95.

8.48pm GMT

45 min +2: As does the second. Sean Dyche looks happier than Jose Mourinho at the minute.

8.47pm GMT

45 min +1: The first of three extra minutes, a legacy of the assault on Alderweireld, goes by without incident.

8.47pm GMT

45 min: Spurs try to break. Burnley steal the ball back. Gudmundsson has another go, and hoicks it wildly into the stand. Burnley’s press is beginning to cause Spurs problems; the visitors have coughed up possession on quite a few occasions now.

8.45pm GMT

44 min: Dier tries to spring Moura clear down the middle with a monster pass. It flies straight through to Pope. Spurs are light on ideas right now. Burnley go up the other end, Gudmundsson cutting in from the right and whistling a low shot towards the bottom right. Lloris smothers, as he should. That’s two efforts on target now!

8.43pm GMT

42 min: Kane tries to burst through the Burnley back line by one-twoing crisply with Sissoko. But Tarkowski stands firm. Kane runs into him and yelps in pain before tumbling to the floor. He’s not getting a penalty, or much sympathy either. Eventually he gets up and gets on with it.

8.40pm GMT

40 min: Gudmundsson robs Hojberg and makes off down the right. He loops to the far post for Wood. Too far forward, too strong. Goal kick ... but this is better from Burnley, who are beginning to cause Spurs a couple of problems.

8.39pm GMT

38 min: Taylor garrinchas his way past Doherty down the left. A lovely drop of the shoulder and a twinkle of the toes. His cross is only half cleared, and Westwood is permitted a shot from distance. He sends a daisycutter towards the bottom left. Lloris claims the first on-target effort by either side.

8.36pm GMT

36 min: Brownhill takes the set piece himself. He’s looking to curl over the wall and into the top left, but gets right under it, the ball sailing high over the bar and deep into the stand. Like Pope down the other end, Lloris still hasn’t had any serious work to do.

8.35pm GMT

35 min: Moura clumsily, and rather pointlessly, clatters into the back of Brownhill, just to the left of the Spurs D. A free kick for the hosts in a very dangerous position.

8.34pm GMT

34 min: Ndombele cuts in from the left and blooters a shot straight into Long’s startled coupon.

8.34pm GMT

33 min: “This is turgid stuff,” writes Stephen Carr. “The readings on my ‘Percentage Football-o-Meter’ are off the scale.” Count yourself lucky. The needle’s sheared clean off ours, and is currently coptering through the air towards Blackburn.

8.32pm GMT

31 min: Kane drops back with a view to playmaking, but there’s no space for him to operate in. Burnley have regained composure and shape at the back, after a few minutes of being pulled this way and yon.

8.29pm GMT

29 min: Spurs continue to dominate the game. They’ve been the better side, though they’ve yet to seriously warm Pope’s hands. A reasonably major caveat, to be fair.

8.29pm GMT

27 min: A lovely Son soft-shoe shuffle confuses Lowton, sending him off in the wrong direction, and allowing the Spurs striker to send Davies into space down the left. Davies’s cross is too deep and no good. What a lovely little bit of understated, economic skill by Son, though. He’s such a marvellous player to watch.

8.25pm GMT

25 min: Hojbjerg tries to release Kane into the box, but his curler down the right channel is overcooked. Another goal kick. Spurs are beginning to pull Burnley’s back line out of shape.

8.24pm GMT

23 min: The resulting free kick is hoicked straight out for a goal kick. Pope owes Lowton a wee dram or two.

8.23pm GMT

22 min: Pope leaves his area and shanks a dismal clearance straight at Son, 25 yards out on the Spurs left. Pope’s left his goal wide open, but Son takes a heavy first touch, allowing Lowton to come across, get in the way, and eventually concede a garden-variety foul. He’s bailed his keeper out big-time there. Son is livid with himself for passing up the opportunity to return the ball into an empty net.

8.21pm GMT

20 min: Taylor, deep on the left touchline, loops a glorious ball towards Barnes in the centre. Barnes tears clear of the Spurs back line and slams into the bottom left, a wonderful finish. But he knew he was miles offside. The flag goes up eventually.

8.20pm GMT

18 min: A nice sweeping move involving Kane, Son, Moura and Davies, tearing upfield from right to left, ends in a corner. Son takes, and curls towards the near post, but there are no Spurs players taking a chance there. Burnley clear.

8.18pm GMT

17 min: Pope takes his sweet time over a goal kick. A little bit earlier, Doherty did some very strange things to the space-time continuum by taking nearly half-an-hour over a throw. As a result of all this hanging about, there’s been little flow to this game so far.

8.16pm GMT

15 min: Wood wins a long ball down the middle, chesting down under pressure from Dier and Sissoko, teeing up Barnes, who slices a 25-yard effort well left of the target. Burnley’s front two are putting themselves about in the unpretentious manner.

8.14pm GMT

14 min: It takes a while to tidy Alderweireld up. Ointment is applied to the wound, which is by his right eye, some dressing is pressed on, and a bandage wrapped right around his noggin. He’s now good to continue.

8.12pm GMT

11 min: Barnes goes up with Alderweireld and cops an elbow in the mush. Now that’s surely a booking, Barnes going into the jump leading with his arm ... and blood’s been drawn. But Michael Oliver’s not interested in handing out anything other than a free kick.

8.10pm GMT

9 min: Davies scurries down the left after another raking ball, but runs out of road. He’s ushered out of play by Lawton. Spurs are enjoying the lion’s share of possession right now.

8.07pm GMT

7 min: No Premier League start yet for Gareth Bale, of course. Justin Kavanagh thinks he may have worked out why: “Kalvin Philips’ deflected header against Wolves last week got me wondering whether control-freak coaches like Mourinho might ban the man-bun as a back-header accident waiting to happen. Gareth Bale beware! Zidane may have been jealous of your barnet, but this new boss is all about hairline advantages.”

8.07pm GMT

6 min: Ndombele spins smartly in the middle of the park and sprays a long pass down the right for Moura, who reaches the box and shoots low and hard. Pope makes a meal of claiming on the greasy pitch, but completes the task after a fashion.

8.05pm GMT

4 min: A long cross into the Spurs box from the left. Gudmundsson heads back across from the far stick. Wood goes up with Lloris, and is penalised for the resulting clatter. Both sides showing plenty of attacking intent in these early exchanges.

8.04pm GMT

3 min: Kane chases after a long pass down the right. Long and Tarkowski allow him to bustle into the area and loop a shot over the bar from a tight angle. A bright start by Spurs.

8.03pm GMT

2 min: Brownhill goes into the book after 61 seconds. He’s harshly penalised by Michael Oliver for tugging down Ndombele from behind. That’s some no-nonsense refereeing! Penny for the thoughts of Virgil van Dijk.

8.02pm GMT

1 min: Lawton aquaplanes off the pitch. He does very well not to disappear head-first into the stand. It’s been raining a lot in Lancashire.

8.00pm GMT

Burnley get the ball rolling ... but only after the 22 players take a knee. There’s no room for racism. Black lives matter.

7.58pm GMT

The teams are out! Burnley wear their famous claret and blue, while Spurs are in their first-choice lilywhite. A lovely classic aesthetic to tonight’s match. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.31pm GMT

Sean Dyche is equally upbeat, though that doesn’t stop him firing another shot across his board’s bows. “All managers have a challenge, whatever club they’re at. It’s been challenging in some ways, but also very rewarding, not just for me but the staff, the players and the town. So we will work hard to keep that going. I think it is [one of the toughest times]. Since the lockdown there has been a lot of noise off the pitch, a lot of noise about what we can do on the pitch in terms of recruitment and finance. But the players are still working hard, we’ve never been short of the work ethic. We just have to tidy up the details and get back to winning ways. I thought we were getting there against West Brom, and it’s a big ask against a side like Tottenham but we’ve delivered before against them. The performance is the key for me. We have to work well in both boxes. We’re going to have to do that again tonight because they’re a good side.”

7.21pm GMT

Jose Mourinho, in an easy-going mood, speaks to Sky Sports, and reflects on the draw Spurs scrambled at Turf Moor back in March. “That match was the worst period for us. Two days after, we had to play in Leipzig. We did not have attacking players. We lost here our last attacking player, with Bergwijn injured, so that moment was really difficult. Now we have more players, better players, more time to work, a different style of play. But one thing doesn’t change: this stadium here, against Burnley, is always difficult.” He goes on to praise assist-machine Harry Kane as a footballer and not just a goalscorer, while enjoying a good-natured giggle with the interviewer as the Lancastrian rain hammers down on their noggins. Feelgood factor: ten out of ten.

7.13pm GMT

Burnley make one change from the goalless draw at West Brom. Matt Lowton comes in at right-back in place of the injured Erik Pieters.

Spurs make four changes to the XI who went three up against West Ham, let’s accentuate the positives about that one. Matt Doherty, Eric Dier and Ben Davies replace Serge Aurier, Davison Sanchez and Sergio Reguilon in defence, while up front Lucas Moura comes in for Steven Bergwijn.

7.02pm GMT

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

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Doherty, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies, Sissoko, Hojbjerg, Lucas Moura, Ndombele, Son, Kane.
Subs: Reguilon, Bale, Lamela, Hart, Rodon, Lo Celso, Vinicius.

3.18pm GMT

Welcome to the rematch of the 1962 FA Cup final, as all the pop kids are framing it. Burnley were in the box seat to land the league and cup double that year, but misplaced their mojo, allowing Ipswich Town and Spurs to make off with the spoils instead. Can Sean Dyche’s men avenge the 3-1 Wembley defeat of Harry Potts’ side, er, sort of, by notching their first win of the 2020-21 league season? Or will Spurs pile on more misery as they look to bounce back from that collapse against West Ham? We’ll find out soon enough. It’s on!

Kick off: 8pm.

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Published on October 26, 2020 15:33

The Fiver | Stitched up good and proper by that piece of work Virgil van Dijk

The Premier League continues to be a maelstrom of glorious unpredictability. On Friday night, Aston Villa, the only team left in England with a 100% record, were outplayed, outpaced and outfought by Dirty Leeds, who made off with their Leftfield Title Contenders status in the 1970s comic-book style, giggling like they’d just taken possession of a large bag of sweeties. “Yoinks, now for a feast!” guffawed a carefree Marcelo Bielsa, who already held the Hipsters’ Choice award, which for the record is shaped like a giant plate of mashed potatoes with sausages sticking out of it. Good luck wresting either of those distinctions from his grasp this season.

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Published on October 26, 2020 09:28

October 24, 2020

Manchester United 0-0 Chelsea: Premier League – as it happened

It wasn’t a thriller

7.53pm BST

Both managers appear to have gone to ground. So with that, I’ll leave you with David Hytner’s match report from Old Trafford. Thanks for reading this MBM, and the best of luck to Gorse Hill Packed Lunches, as well as all the similar projects across the country.

7.34pm BST

Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta speaks to Sky. “We could have done more. We didn’t create the last pass or make the right decisions. So yes, we defended solidly, but we could have got more from the game. It was very even. In the first half we controlled better, in the second we rushed it and lost possession too easy, so we lost control. But we had solidity.” As for his tussle with Maguire that could have led to a penalty? “I felt both arms around my neck and shoulders. I think yes. Martin Atkinson is the man to make the decisions, so why not take 20 seconds to review it?”

7.28pm BST

A result for Marcus Rashford, at least.

7.27pm BST

Both sets of defenders were well on top in a poor spectacle. But there are plus points for both teams. Chelsea will be happy with their second clean sheet in a row, and their third in four games, while United have at least avoided the ignominy of losing their first three home fixtures for the first time since 1930. However this is still the first time they’ve failed to win any of their first three at Old Trafford since Frank O’Farrell’s reign began unravelling in 1972. United will end the day in 15th place on seven points; Chelsea finish it sixth with nine points.

7.21pm BST

One for the purists.

7.21pm BST

90 min +4: Fernandes crosses from the right. James powers a header clear.

7.21pm BST

90 min +3: Ziyech drives at the United back line and bustles past Shaw, but can’t make space to shoot.

7.19pm BST

90 min +2: United continue to press until Wan-Bissaka runs the ball out of play for a goal kick.

7.19pm BST

90 min +1: The nation’s hero nearly becomes United’s hero! Amid a melee on the edge of the Chelsea box, Fernandes toe-pokes to tee up Rashford, to the left of the D. Rashford curls powerfully towards the top right. It looks in all the way, but a superb full-length dive by Mendy puts paid to the fairytale! Wonderful play all round!

7.17pm BST

90 min: There will be four added minutes.

7.16pm BST

88 min: Greenwood dribbles cleverly along the byline to the right of the Chelsea goal. He rolls the ball to Cavani, who tries to flash home from close range but is denied by Silva’s brave extended leg. Great play by both old campaigners.

7.14pm BST

87 min: Another poor delivery by Ziyech, this time from the left. The ball is eventually volleyed deep into the stand by an overly ambitious Jorginho.

7.13pm BST

86 min: United don’t clear properly, though, and Chelsea come back at them, James pressing down the right, Chilwell probing on the left. Eventually Fred is panicked into slicing over his own bar.

7.12pm BST

85 min: Ziyech’s corner fails to beat the first man.

7.11pm BST

84 min: In the stand, Donny van de Beek looks impassively on. Penny for his thoughts. On the pitch, Azpilicueta crosses from the right. Shaw deflects out for a corner.

7.10pm BST

83 min: United make their final change, sending on Greenwood in place of McTominay.

7.09pm BST

81 min: Ziyech comes on for Pulisic, who hasn’t been comfortable since being cleaned out by McTominay.

7.08pm BST

80 min: Silva shanks a Shaw cross out for a corner. The set piece is half cleared, but Lindelof comes back at Chelsea down the right and dinks inside for Pogba, who shoots lamely into a thicket of players. Chelsea clear properly this time.

7.06pm BST

78 min: There’s not a lot of urgency on display here. Both teams would love to win, of course, but the avoidance of defeat, and all the concomitant pressure, is the main target.

7.05pm BST

76 min: BREAKING NEWS: Marcus Rashford is a human being with faults like the rest of us! He slides into the back of Mount, and goes in the referee’s notebook. He’s got moral credit to burn, let’s be fair.

7.02pm BST

75 min: Pulisic goes down, the result of being clattered in the hard-but-fair fashion by McTominay. After a fashion, he rises again, albeit gingerly.

7.01pm BST

73 min: Both teams pick up the pace, so there’s that. But they’re still struggling to piece together any moves. It’s been a disappointing game so far. Still enough time for someone to take it up a gear.

6.58pm BST

71 min: Chelsea’s turn to make a double change: Mount and Abraham come on for the ineffectual Werner and Havertz.

6.57pm BST

69 min: Maguire pings a lovely ball down the left for Rashford, who takes it in his stride at full pent. He shoots from a tight angle, thinking he’s got the better of Azpilicueta after a shake of the hips, but the Chelsea man recovers well and blocks.

6.55pm BST

67 min: The game threatens to grind down to a halt. It’s not inspiring fare.

6.52pm BST

65 min: Play stops as Pogba comes off worst in an innocent 50-50 with Reece James. He’s holding his back and grimacing. Ah hold on, now James goes down to get treatment for a sore thigh and also his ankle, while Pogba springs back up. James is repaired, and both men are good to continue.

6.50pm BST

63 min: Havertz and Werner launch a high-speed raid into United territory. Lindelof does extremely well to shepherd Werner out to the left, as the striker looked for space to shoot. Chelsea settle for a corner that comes to nothing.

6.49pm BST

61 min: Reece James sends a fierce right to left swinger through the United six-yard box. Havertz is an inch away from running the ball in at the far post. He ends up in the net as the ball continues on its merry way.

6.48pm BST

59 min: Cavani nearly makes a sensational start in a United shirt. He’s inches away from scoring with his first touch! From the corner, Fernandes curls in low from the left towards the near post. Cavani sticks out a leg and nonchalantly swipes towards the bottom left. It shaves the outside of the post and billows the side netting. Mendy probably had it covered but you wouldn’t put too much money on it. Shades of Scholes and Sheringham.

6.45pm BST

58 min: United spring into life, Fernandes releasing Rashford down the left. There’s no space for a shot. Shaw earns a corner instead. Before it can be taken, Pogba and Cavani come on for Mata and James.

6.44pm BST

57 min: There’s not a lot going on.

6.42pm BST

55 min: Kante creams a long diagonal ball towards Chilwell on the left. Chilwell slips inside for Havertz, who loops a poor ball into the United box but nowhere near anybody in blue.

6.40pm BST

53 min: Chilwell, Pulisic and Werner combine smoothly down the left, eventually carving out a half-chance for Werner just inside the area. His shot is blocked by Maguire the second it comes off his foot.

6.39pm BST

51 min: A United corner on the left. Mata and Fernandes pull off a cute back-and-forth routine that catches Chelsea cold, the ball eventually cut back for Rashford on the edge of the box. Rashford’s shot is always going wide left. Mata tries to keep the attack going but the flag goes up for offside.

6.37pm BST

49 min: Pulisic hits the deck when dribbling along the byline to the left of the United goal. He’s eased off the ball fairly and doesn’t claim a penalty.

6.35pm BST

48 min: Dan James drives at Azpilicueta down the inside-left channel. He drops a shoulder and ... runs slap bang into the Chelsea captain, the ball squirting away harmlessly. He has the good grace not to claim a penalty kick.

6.33pm BST

46 min: Havertz threatens to break into a lot of space in the midfield, and is cynically clipped by Fred, who goes into the notebook.

6.32pm BST

United get the second half underway. No changes. It’s also still raining with extreme prejudice. Incidentally, Frank Lampard has been taking his fashion cues from Geno-era Dexys. He’s been searching for a dependable centre back, he’s been searching everywhere, he can’t find one anywhere. Where have you hidden them?

6.21pm BST

It’s also half-time in Marcus Rashford v The Man. Rashford’s running away with it; The Man should be thoroughly embarrassed with his pitiful performance. “Gorsehill is in spitting distance of Old Trafford,” writes Judith Mellor. “The Primary School is down the road from the ground. It is a rainbow nation of a school. My daughter (who is a teacher) will be volunteering for ‘Gorsehill Mums with Limited Funds’, which will be organising packed lunches for local schoolkids next week during half term. These are mums with limited funds helping those with no funds. There is a GoFundMe page.”

6.18pm BST

Both teams haven put in a curate’s egg of a performance. This match has threatened to spark into life on a few occasions, but it’s not quite happened. To be fair, everyone and everything is soaking wet. They’ll be back after 15 minutes of bliss in warm towels.

6.16pm BST

45 min +1: Havertz is booked for a cynical tug on Fred’s shirt. Mata busies himself down the right. Wan-Bissaka fires in a low cross, but it’s easily claimed by Mendy.

6.15pm BST

45 min: There will be one more minute of first-half football.

6.15pm BST

44 min: Shaw bustles in from the left but, just as things look like opening up for him, he loses control and lets the ball run through to Mendy. United are enjoying their best spell of the match. The break is coming at the wrong time for them.

6.14pm BST

43 min: The corner leads to nowt. Rashford’s good to continue.

6.13pm BST

41 min: Mata aims a curler towards the top left. Mendy does very well to tip round for a corner. The closest United have come. Before the resulting corner can be taken, Rashford gets some treatment after being clipped on the bottom of the boot by Silva. VAR checks for foul play, but again, no interest. Like the one before it, you’ve seen ‘em given. Somewhere in the multiverse, both teams have been awarded a penalty kick.

6.11pm BST

40 min: Chilwell hoicks it into the mixer. United clear. Maguire has his arm right around Azpilicueta, who wants a penalty. It’s a fair shout, Maguire giving him a good old hug from behind and dragging him down. But neither referee nor VAR show interest.

6.09pm BST

39 min: Shaw is booked for tugging away at Reece James, who was making good at great pace down the right. A free kick with promise for Chelsea. “Despite the potential howler, that Mendy save on Rashford was a shot that Kepa would have seen behind him in the net,” notes Mary Waltz.

6.08pm BST

37 min: Like Pulisic before him, Rashford could have taken another couple of steps towards goal before shooting. But he spotted a gap at the bottom left, and went for a power threader towards that. He was denied by an excellent save, to be fair.

6.07pm BST

35 min: United finally force Mendy into proper work. Jorginho is stripped of possession by Fernandes; Mata then slips Rashford away down the inside right. He reaches the area and batters towards the far corner. Mendy sticks out a leg to deflect. A fine reaction save. Rashford should probably have done better, but if there’s any time to cut him some slack, it’s now. He’s not happy with himself, though. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.

6.04pm BST

34 min: Pulisic robs Fred and drives at the United defence down the right. His low diagonal shot deflects off Lindelof and out for a corner on the left. Nothing comes of the set piece.

6.03pm BST

32 min: Pulisic dances in from the left and eases past McTominay. He enters the box and takes a whack. De Gea gathers at his near post. Pulisic could have taken another step or two towards goal there, such was the gap in United’s defence, but opted to take it early. Bad decision, it turns out.

6.02pm BST

31 min: One corner leads to another, and Mendy makes up for his ludicrous error by safely gathering Fernandes’ long-range shot.

6.01pm BST

30 min: Zouma passes back to Mendy, who turns and nearly drags a pass into his own net! Fortunately for the keeper, the ball rolls out of play wide of the left-hand post. But that was nearly extremely embarrassing for Chelsea’s new keeper. It still might be if something comes from this needless corner.

5.59pm BST

29 min: McTominay finds a little bit of space 25 yards out and shapes to shoot. Pulisic bravely gets in his road.

5.58pm BST

28 min: Fred pointlessly barges into the back of Chilwell, going nowhere out on the left. Free kick. The box is loaded. Reece James spots a gap at the near post and tries to surprise De Gea by going direct for goal, but the keeper’s not falling for the trick. He’s across to gather with ease.

5.57pm BST

26 min: Havertz, on the edge of the United D, plays a cute reverse pass down the left channel in the hope of springing Werner free. There’s too much juice on the ball, and it flies out for a goal kick. I suspect the flag would have gone up for offside had Werner been able to control and shoot, but the point is moot.

5.55pm BST

25 min: Maguire meets the corner, but isn’t able to get a header goalwards. Chelsea clear. This match hasn’t taken off yet. That’s understandable given the conditions, though not what we’ve become accustomed to in this wild and wacky season.

5.54pm BST

24 min: So having said that, Wan-Bissaka sends a ball down the right, allowing Rashford to probe down the wing, and forcing Chelsea to concede a corner.

5.54pm BST

23 min: United haven’t visited Chelsea’s final third for over ten minutes.

5.53pm BST

21 min: Some sweet relief for the hosts as a loose Kante pass down the inside-left channel is ushered out of play by Wan-Bissaka for a goal kick. And something of a let-off for Fernandes, who petulantly clips Jorginho around the lug as the pair battle for space. To be fair, it was more of a stroke than anything particularly aggressive, and it would have been a ridiculously soft sending off. But catch a referee or VAR operative on a bad day, and you never know.

5.50pm BST

20 min: From the corner, Pulisic drives at McTominay down the left but the United midfielder stands strong. However United are struggling to get out of their final third. Chelsea continue to press them back.

5.49pm BST

19 min: Chelsea are beginning to dominate possession. Jorginho sprays a ball wide left for Chilwell, who earns another Chelsea corner off Wan-Bissaka.

5.48pm BST

17 min: Jorginho and Havertz combine down the right and force Shaw to concede a corner. Chilwell takes. It’s half cleared. It’s slapped back weakly by Pulisic. Neither keeper has needed to get his hands warm yet.

5.47pm BST

16 min: A pause in play as Rashford goes down, having been accidentally nutted in the back of the head by Zouma, the pair contesting a high ball. He’s up again quickly enough, good to go.

5.46pm BST

15 min: Kante is close to sliding Havertz clear down the middle, but his precision pass is well read, just in time, by Maguire.

5.44pm BST

13 min: Jorginho passes long down the right. Werner nearly latches onto the ball, but Maguire gets across in time to head away from danger. Neither team are prepared to risk too much in attack right now, perhaps mindful of their recent defensive travails.

5.42pm BST

11 min: United stroke it around awhile, not to any great effect. Both teams very much putting the feelers out at the minute.

5.39pm BST

9 min: It’s all a bit too fast at the minute. Passing sequences are at a premium right now.

5.38pm BST

7 min: It’s nice and open. Fernandes and Mata nearly open Chelsea up with a crisp one-two down the right, but Zouma gets in the road.

5.35pm BST

5 min: Pulisic drives at United down the inside-left channel. He’s got the chance to spring Werner clear through the middle, but opts to dribble his way into a shooting position. His notions of scoring are checked by Wan-Bissaka, who aquaplanes across to block.

5.33pm BST

3 min: Jorginho launches long. Lindelof stands tall against Werner to clear the danger. I hope they’ve fixed that hole in the Old Trafford roof.

5.32pm BST

2 min: The conditions are horrendous. The rain’s been hosing down for hours, and the pitch is very heavy as a result. Plenty of scope for slapstick shenanigans. Everyone quite literally finding their feet in these opening exchanges. Take care, everyone!

5.30pm BST

Chelsea get the ball rolling ... but not before everyone takes a knee. Black lives matter. There’s no room for racism. The visitors will be kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half.

5.30pm BST

The teams are out! United are in their famous red, Chelsea their storied blue. The weather in Manchester is, well, positively Mancunian ... the rain is sheeting down. We’ll be off in a minute or two. “In a season where making predictions is turning out to be a fool’s errand, there is one result that can already be called - the Guardian footballer of the Year,” writes Vibhanshu Bisht. “Unless Alisson emerges from his injury break with a Covid vaccine that he tested on himself and then gives it away for free.” There’s a lot of love around for Marcus Rashford all right, and every last bit of it richly deserved. What a seriously impressive young man. (And while we’re on the subject, here’s a quick reminder about the donation page for Gorse Hill packed lunches, as explained in this MBM’s preamble.)

5.19pm BST

Frank Lampard talks his Chelsea team up ... with caveats. “We’re doing OK. We can do better, without a doubt. We’re seeing across the league that teams are trying to find form, and we’re one of those, but our result in midweek was good because you saw a team that was solid. That’s what we’ve been striving for. But we can do better. Scoring goals hasn’t been a problem, but we’re coming to a very good team so we have to get both sides of our game right. We’re making relationships through the team so I expect progression with that. We must play with a real organisation and be confident. We know we can give Manchester United - any team - a problem.”

5.16pm BST

Should Manchester United be defeated today, they’ll equal an unwanted club record by losing their first three home games of the season. That was their fate in 1930-31, when they lost their first 12 matches straight. Their first three defeats at Old Trafford that season saw Aston Villa win 4-3, Huddersfield Town 6-0 and Newcastle United 7-4. And you thought the Spurs debacle was bad. United were unsurprisingly relegated at the end of the campaign, and manager Herbert Bamlett was sent on his way. This fiasco seems to be Bamlett’s legacy, which is slightly unfair seeing he took unfashionable Oldham Athletic to the brink of the title in 1915, but this is where we all are.

5.10pm BST

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has kept his team together since Paris, staying in a hotel last night. “It was something that we wanted to do this time, keep everyone together. The atmosphere has been good, so we want to keep it going. Sometimes you have to reward players who play well, and there are a few players who deserve to be in the team. This set-up was the best we felt. You go through different scenarios, and the team that played in Paris also deserved to play again. But of course Anthony is suspended so we had to change a little bit. Every substitute is match-dependant. I hope to get Cavani on in a comfortable position, but if it is a precarious situation he’ll be a threat because he has looked really good in training.”

4.55pm BST

Pre-match reading. These two have a habit of racking up the goals. Here are a few blasts from the past as we while away the time before kick-off.

4.41pm BST

Harry Maguire is back, baby. He’s one of three changes to Manchester United from the XI named against PSG midweek. Juan Mata and Dan James also return. Making way: Alex Telles, Anthony Martial and Axel Tuanzebe. The latter has our permission to feel a little miffed at being stood down after his excellent performance up against Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. Alongside him on the bench: Edinson Cavani, who could make his United debut this afternoon.

There’s just one change to the Chelsea side from the team picked for the goalless draw with Sevilla. The captain Cesar Azpilicueta returns; Mason Mount drops to the bench.

4.34pm BST

Manchester United: de Gea, Wan Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, McTominay, Fred, Mata, Bruno Fernandes, James, Rashford.
Subs: Pogba, Cavani, Greenwood, Henderson, Matic, van de Beek, Tuanzebe.

Chelsea: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Zouma, James, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell, Havertz, Pulisic, Werner.
Subs: Rudiger, Abraham, Caballero, Kovacic, Giroud, Mount, Ziyech.

12.07pm BST

Welcome to our live coverage of Marcus Rashford v The Man. “Gorsehill is in spitting distance of Old Trafford,” begins Judith Mellor. “The Primary School is down the road from the ground. It is a rainbow nation of a school. My daughter (who is a teacher) will be volunteering for ‘Gorsehill Mums with Limited Funds’, which will be organising packed lunches for local schoolkids next week during half term. These are mums with limited funds helping those with no funds. There is a GoFundMe page.”

We’ll also be keeping tabs on Manchester United v Chelsea, one of the blue-riband fixtures of English football. United did the double over Chelsea last season, winning 4-0 at Old Trafford and 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, but the Blues got some revenge in the semi-final of the FA Cup with a comprehensive 3-1 victory. There are often goals when these two meet, and hopefully that’ll be the case today, with plenty of attacking talent on show and neither defence exactly on top of their game.

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Published on October 24, 2020 11:53

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

Michail Antonio’s spectacular overhead kick earned resilient West Ham a point at the London Stadium

2.47pm BST

No word from David Moyes again, but never mind that, because Jonathan Liew’s match report has landed. It’s merely a click away. Thanks for reading this MBM!

2.40pm BST

Pep’s verdict. “We start really good. After we conceded a goal, we struggled to find it. In the second half we were much better. They defended so deep. But we had chances at the end. We move forward. We didn’t play bad except in the last ten minutes of the first half. We had the chances but we didn’t do it.” He also reports that Sergio Aguero is injured with a new, unspecified problem.

2.36pm BST

Phil Foden reflects. “We would have liked to get the three points today. We played well and controlled most of the game, so we’re disappointed not to get the win. But we’re not a team to sulk a lot, so we’ll work to improve. On another day, Raz and Riyad finish their chances. We need to work on finishing more chances, and we’ll be OK.”

2.30pm BST

Declan Rice speaks. “It’s a great point. We’ve been in fantastic form. In the first half we were excellent, they only had one shot on target and we nullified their main players. Mic scored a great goal. In the second half, it’s something we need to work on, we started a bit sloppy after sitting down at half time. Phil scored a great goal and we had to dig in. They’re a possession-based team and we’re trying to cover our lines, and it doesn’t help when they bring De Bruyne on with 20 minutes to go! I thought the lads were excellent. It shows we’re building something, the manager’s been brilliant. We’ve found a formation that suits our players, and that’s what West Ham fans expect.”

2.26pm BST

That leaves both teams in mid-table on eight points. West Ham are tenth, City 11th. The Hammers deserved their point. City were dominant, but the resilient hosts hassled them into missing a series of good chances. Also, Michail Antonio’s splendid first-half overhead kick deserved some reward. It’s a much better point for them than City, who will be slightly concerned by the ground they’ve already given up in the title race. “Problem with City in big games and defining moments is that there second striker so to speak is Sterling, and he won’t get you that goal if he has time to think about it,” argues Paul Fitzgerald.

2.22pm BST

Gundogan slips Mahrez into the box down the left. He opens his body for a shot. Fabianski turns round the post. Nothing comes of the corner, and after a dogged second-half defensive display, West Ham have their hard-earned point! City drop two precious ones.

2.20pm BST

90 min +2: City still pressing. West Ham still holding out.

2.20pm BST

90 min +1: Balbuena, of all people, chases a loose ball up the West Ham right. He slides in on Dias and is booked for his trouble. A better-timed challenge, though, and he’d have been free down the wing! I strongly suspect David Moyes would rather he stayed back, but there it is.

2.18pm BST

90 min: There will be three additional minutes. Can City find a winner and claim all three points?

2.17pm BST

89 min: The dreadful Yarmolenko gifts possession to Sterling, who dribbles down the left in acres. He hesitates as he reaches the box, though, and is eventually crowded out by Ogbonna and Balbuena.

2.16pm BST

88 min: Mahrez dribbles clear down the right but strangely runs the ball straight out of play with options in the middle. West Ham suddenly look extremely tired.

2.15pm BST

87 min: Rodri sends a wild shot miles over the bar from 25 yards. It’s a daft effort, releasing the pressure that had been building on West Ham. On the touchline, Pep spins and waves his arms in the frustrated fashion.

2.14pm BST

86 min: Now it’s City’s turn to spurn a fine chance! De Bruyne slips Sterling into the box down the inside-left channel. He’s one on one, but slaps straight at Fabianski, who smothers at his feet! Breathless drama here.

2.13pm BST

84 min: From the corner, West Ham break and Fornals is sent clear! The flag stays down - correctly, as he’d made his run from the halfway line - and he’s one on one with Ederson! But he panics, and in attempting to chip the keeper, merely scoops softly into his arms. What a chance to complete an amazing smash-and-grab!

2.12pm BST

83 min: City want all three, though, and go again. De Bruyne, deep on the left, shovels a diagonal pass towards Mahrez, who chests down and prepares to shoot from close range. Ogbonna lashes clear just in time. Corner.

2.10pm BST

82 min: A welcome breather for West Ham as Fornals chases a long ball down the left and draws a clumsy foul from Dias. He takes his sweet time to get up. West Ham load the box. Cresswell takes. Dias clears. But time ticks on, and West Ham are closer to a hard-earned point.

2.09pm BST

80 min: Ogbonna clatters into Sterling, and this is a free kick in a very dangerous position, 25 yards out, just left of centre. De Bruyne’s eyes light up. He sends a dipper over the wall, towards the top left. But it’s not quite high enough, and Fabianski claims.

2.07pm BST

79 min: Zinchenko has finally been sent on, by they way. He arrived between those corners, replacing Walker, Cancelo switching flanks.

2.06pm BST

78 min: Cancelo works his way down the left and crosses low and hard. Balbuena is forced to stick out a leg and nearly turns the ball into his own net. One corner leads to another, which leads to a De Bruyne dribbler that Fabianski claims.

2.05pm BST

77 min: An almighty tangle of bodies in the West Ham box, De Bruyne, Cancelo and Sterling all pressing hard. Not sure how it didn’t lead to either a shot on goal, or a penalty. But here we are.

2.04pm BST

76 min: City continue to stroke it around at half pace. West Ham hold their shape.

2.02pm BST

74 min: City’s tempo has dropped a little. West Ham will be more than happy about that, given the amount of chasing they’ve had to do this afternoon.

2.01pm BST

72 min: More time and space for Yarmolenko on the right. Once again he over-complicates things when a simple ball inside for Haller was on. Cancelo and Foden combine to strip him of possession. Yarmolenko has been pretty poor since coming on. West Ham miss the livewire Antonio.

1.59pm BST

71 min: Mahrez and Sterling make a nuisance of themselves on the edge of the West Ham box. The ball breaks left to De Bruyne, who sends a low fizzing ball across the face of goal. Nobody in City black makes a move.

1.57pm BST

69 min: That’s Bowen’s last act of the afternoon. He’s replaced by Haller. Meanwhile on comes De Bruyne, who takes the place of Bernardo Silva. It’s going to be an interesting final 20 all right.

1.56pm BST

68 min: A more progressive sequence by West Ham, and Bowen has the chance to shoot from the right-hand edge of the D. He sends his effort screaming over the bar.

1.54pm BST

66 min: West Ham manage to string a few passes together, but it’s all very timid stuff in the middle of the park, and the move unravels quicksmart when they try to advance into City territory. City are in total control ... and Kevin De Bruyne is preparing to come on. Worrying times for West Ham.

1.53pm BST

64 min: The corner’s worked back to the excellent Cancelo, who opens his body and sends a curler not too far wide of the top left. You don’t need to be an experienced lip-reader to understand the subsequent effing and jeffing.

1.51pm BST

63 min: Mahrez spins free in the middle before sending Sterling away down the inside-left channel. Sterling’s probing pass, intended for Foden, is deflected out for a corner.

1.48pm BST

61 min: Ederson claims with great authority amid a bustling box. That’s a really confident claim. City go up the other end, Walker sending a piledriver goalward from 25 yards. It’s straight into Fabianski’s midriff.

1.48pm BST

60 min: This is better, though, as Bowen drives down the inside-right channel to win a corner.

1.47pm BST

59 min: Mahrez slips Walker away down the right. Walker shanks a woeful cross deep into the stand behind the goal. City continue to dominate. West Ham are yet to react.

1.46pm BST

57 min: Foden latches onto a simple long ball down the middle and tries to hoick spectacularly home from 30 yards. He doesn’t quite catch it and it’s an easy claim for Fabianski. City are causing West Ham all sorts of problems now. “Is there a more error prone referee in the Premiership than Anthony Taylor?” wonders Ian Burch. “With his indecisiveness and poor decision making he’s the refereeing equivalent of Porridge’s Mr Barrowclough. He pales into comparison with Mike Dean’s Mr Mackay act.”

1.44pm BST

56 min: Yarmolenko is sent scampering into space down the right. He’s got options in the middle, but overdoes the fancy footwork and eventually falls over, the ball rolling apologetically out for a goal kick.

1.43pm BST

54 min: Gundogan pings a glorious ball down the inside-left channel for Cancelo, who has sprung the offside trap. He’s clear, but miscontrols and lets the ball squirt out for a goal kick. He puts his head in his hands and screams. What a great chance that was. City have clearly been given the hairdryer treatment at half-time.

1.41pm BST

53 min: And it’s a double blow for the Hammers, because Antonio has picked up an injury and makes way for Yarmolenko.

1.40pm BST

Cancelo has had the beating of Coufal all day, and he zips past him down the left again. His low cross finds Foden on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box with his back to goal. He swivels, sorts his feet, and lashes into the bottom left. What an impact by the sub!

1.39pm BST

51 min: Coufal is booked for leaving one on Cancelo. He has the good grace to give the ref a nod of acceptance.

1.38pm BST

50 min: It’s been all City since the restart. Looks like they might be preparing another change, though, with Zinchenko warming up.

1.36pm BST

48 min: Rodri has a belt from 25 yards. It’s deflected wide right for a corner. Rice blooters clear. Antonio tries to zip past Walker but the City defender holds firm. Just as well, as Antonio would have been free otherwise.

1.35pm BST

47 min: Balbuena knocks the corner clear. Dias tries to launch a new phase of attack by working his way down the right, and he’s shoved over by Masuaku, but the referee doesn’t give anything for that either. Very strange.

1.34pm BST

City get the second half underway. They’ve made a change at the break, replacing Aguero with Foden. They’ve also been yammering at the referee en masse, presumably still going on about the Soucek hand-ball that wasn’t. But they snap into business mode the second the whistle goes, Foden driving down the left and winning a quick corner.

1.32pm BST

Controversy corner. Replays of the build-up to the goal show the ball hit Soucek on the hip, not the arm. So that one’s out of the way. Let’s replace it with the Garcia challenge on Antonio (25 min). In the opinion of Joe Cole and Joleon Lescott on BT Sport, there was contact before he touched the ball, and it should have been a penalty. The channel’s resident refereeing expert, Peter Walton, then performed an Olympic-standard gymnastic routine, jumping through a series of hoops to explain why the ref wasn’t at least called to the VAR monitor for a second look. “We don’t want them to be forensically analysing the game,” is what comes off the top of his head. This guy’s good.

1.20pm BST

Half-time entertainment ... and a reminder that when this match is done, Barry Glendenning will be at the helm for MBM coverage of El Clásico.

1.18pm BST

The Hammers lead thanks to Michail Antonio’s marvellous overhead kick. They’ve looked dangerous in attack, while restricting City to speculative efforts. Much to think about for Pep. Plenty of time to put it right, of course. No flipping!

1.15pm BST

45 min: There will be one added minute.

1.15pm BST

43 min: Fabianski pumps long. Cancelo takes a heavy touch and allows Bowen to race down the right. That sets West Ham up for a series of speculative shots and crosses. City hold firm, blocking efforts by Masuaku and Soucek, but they’re in panic mode all of a sudden. West Ham’s confidence has ballooned after that slow start.

1.12pm BST

42 min: Cresswell dinks it down the inside right again, but this time Antonio’s there. He takes down well, but can’t get a shot away, as he’s quickly swarmed by defenders.

1.11pm BST

41 min: A free kick for West Ham midway into City territory. The hosts line up on the edge of the box. Cresswell takes, and plays a ball down the inside-right channel to nobody. What a waste. But they’ll get another chance, because Fornals has just been barged over in exactly the same place. Take two.

1.09pm BST

39 min: Cancelo has the beating of Coufal. He drops a shoulder to make space down the left and curls in. Fabianski claims. This match continues to flow freely.

1.08pm BST

37 min: Masuaku sashays down the left, nearly opening City up. Walker sticks to his guns though and the West Ham wing-back is forced to check back. Cresswell whips into the box instead, but his dangerous-looking cross is deflected, the sting removed, and dribbles back to Ederson.

1.05pm BST

35 min: Cresswell curls in from the left. Antonio shapes to perform the spectacular again, but Walker reads it well and blocks out for a corner. City deal with the set piece easily enough.

1.04pm BST

34 min: Garcia channels his inner Beckenbauer, striding up the middle and pearling a low shot inches wide of the left-hand post. Fabianski had it covered, mind.

1.03pm BST

33 min: Moyes is still sulking. Arms crossed tightly. Frown on. Thin lips.

1.02pm BST

31 min: On the touchline, David Moyes enters into deep philosophical discussion with the fourth official. You can’t blame him for wondering what the hell is going on. That was a ludicrous bit of refereeing.

1.01pm BST

29 min: Rice tries to launch an attack and is cynically tugged back by Gundogan. The referee waves play on. The move breaks down. When there’s eventually a break in play, Anthony Taylor opts not to book Gundogan. It’s a preposterous decision after the most brazen of fouls.

12.58pm BST

27 min: Yep, it’s a game to enjoy ... but not necessarily if you’re one of the managers. Pep Guardiola prowls the technical area with a worried frown.

12.56pm BST

25 min: Two simple flick-ons and Antonio is romping down the left! He nearly breaks clear into the box, but Garcia sticks to him like glue and sticks out a leg. A perfectly timed challenge that allows Ederson to come out and smother. City go straight up the other end and nearly equalise, Cancelo turning Coufal inside out down the left and curling to the far post, where Mahrez tries to guide home from a tight angle. Fabianksi claims. This is a great game now. It could easily have been 2-0 or 1-1 in a matter of seconds.

12.54pm BST

23 min: A stat to worry City fans from BT Sport: their heroes have lost the last six Premier League away matches in which they’ve fallen behind. Plenty of time yet to snap that run.

12.52pm BST

22 min: A free kick for City that’s effectively a corner on the right. Mahrez wedges it in. Ogbonna clears with ease.

12.52pm BST

20 min: A suggestion that the ball accidentally hit Soucek’s hand as he chased that ball down in the build-up. But the VAR isn’t of a mind to overturn that moment of brilliance.

12.50pm BST

This week, they’re one up! Bowen drives down the right again and earns some more good field position. From the next phase, Soucek chases down a loose ball by the right-hand corner flag and cuts back for Coufal, who crosses. Antonio, his back to goal and hassled by Dias, swivels and creams a glorious overhead kick into the left-hand side of the net. Ederson had no chance!

12.47pm BST

16 min: Cancelo rolls a defence splitter down the left. Aguero races into the box and chips inside for Mahrez, who can’t keep his effort down. Goal kick, and the game remains scoreless. West Ham were three down by this point last weekend.

12.45pm BST

15 min: City waste the corner. They’re threatening to click into gear, though. Some very attractive football already.

12.45pm BST

14 min: City probe down the right and win another corner. It’s played back upfield. Gundogan, quarterbacking from deep, creams a wonderful diagonal pass to spring Dias into the box. Dias chests down and is about to shoot from close range when Balbuena blocks him out. Corner.

12.43pm BST

13 min: Mahrez, Gundogan and Aguero combine crisply down the middle, suddenly turning up the speed with some slick movement and pretty triangles. Gundogan reaches the edge of the box before slashing wildly wide left. Lovely move.

12.41pm BST

11 min: City have had 70 percent possession so far. Both teams will be happy enough, though, each having shown some promise in attack.

12.40pm BST

10 min: Now Bowen gets the other side of Cancelo down the right. He reaches the byline and cuts back, but there’s nobody in claret on the end of it. Moments earlier, Antonio nearly squeaked through a small gap on the left. A few things for City to ponder.

12.39pm BST

9 min: This is better from West Ham, with Bowen going on a tear down the right. Garcia just about keeps up with him, but it’s a throw to West Ham deep in City territory. Coufal flings it into the mixer; it’s easily cleared. But signs that Bowen has the beating of Garcia for pace. That was a brilliant power dribble.

12.38pm BST

7 min: Bowen wins a free kick for West Ham out on the right. Cresswell swings it in. A brief game of head tennis, and West Ham quickly give up possession again.

12.36pm BST

6 min: City come at the hosts again. Mahrez slips Walker away down the right. Walker cuts back, intending to find Aguero. Not quite. But the loose ball falls to Cancelo, who tries an ambitious curler towards the top right from 30 yards. No.

12.35pm BST

5 min: Mahrez drifts in from the right and sends a tempting cross into the West Ham six-yard box. It’s just a wee bit too high for Sterling, and Balbuena is able to head clear. West Ham are struggling to retain possession.

12.33pm BST

3 min: From the set play, Gundogan slides a low cross in from the left. It’s easy pickings for Fabianski. A nice bright start by City. Pep’s unchanged team quickly finding their rhythm, just as planned.

12.33pm BST

2 min: Antonio plays a speculative first-time ball down the left and nearly releases Fornals into acres of space. For a second, City hearts are in mouths, but Ederson reads the situation and comes out to clear. Turns out the flag would have gone up for offside anyway. City counter, Sterling slipping Aguero clear down the inside-left channel. Aguero wins the first corner of the match.

12.30pm BST

The hosts get the ball rolling ... but only after everyone takes a knee. Black lives matter. No room for racism. This is the first time City have named an unchanged side in 172 matches. October 2017, half a world away.

12.28pm BST

No word from David Moyes, but no matter, because here come the teams! Pretty bubbles fill the air as West Ham take to the London Stadium. They’re in their famous claret and blue. City follow them, and they’re turned out in second-choice black. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes!

12.15pm BST

Pep Guardiola speaks to BT Sport. “We decide to continue with the same guys to get the rhythm as quickly as possible. We were better in the second half [against Porto] but in some games you need time. We cannot deny what a strong team we played. West Ham are in a good moment in terms of confidence, which in football is everything. Or almost everything! They also have talented players, always. The teams who play in Europe and international competition ... with the Covid situation, you have to adapt, it is what it is.”

11.37am BST

West Ham reward the players who came back from three down at Spurs by naming the same XI. There’s no Said Benrahma yet; he’s not fully fit. But Sebastien Haller is on the bench.

Manchester City are unchanged too. They pick the same XI that won 3-1 against Porto. There’s some big news on the bench, though, and it’s good: Kevin De Bruyne is back.

11.32am BST

West Ham United: Fabianski, Coufal, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaku, Bowen, Soucek, Rice, Fornals, Antonio.
Subs: Yarmolenko, Lanzini, Noble, Haller, Diop, Fredericks, Randolph.

Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Garcia, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Gundogan, Mahrez, Aguero, Sterling.
Subs: Stones, Zinchenko, Steffen, De Bruyne, Torres, Foden, Palmer.

11.20am BST

If recent history is any guide whatsoever, this is only going to end one way. Since drawing 2-2 with Manchester City in January 2016, West Ham United have met the Citizens on nine occasions. They’ve lost every game, a sorry sequence that has them on the wrong end of an aggregate 30-4 scoreline.

But losing runs are there to be snapped, and West Ham have reason to believe this could be their day. They’ve put in some impressive performances so far this season: a 3-0 win at Leicester, a 4-0 rout of Wolves, and that absurd three-goal comeback at Spurs last weekend. They’re as high on life as they’ve been for quite some time.

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Published on October 24, 2020 06:47

October 23, 2020

Aston Villa 0-3 Leeds United: Premier League – as it happened

Patrick Bamford was the hat-trick hero as Leeds ran rings around Villa with a dominant second-half performance

10.17pm BST

Paul Doyle was at Villa Park. His verdict is in, so get clicking! Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!

10.16pm BST

A reflective Dean Smith gives his opinion. “It was frustrating. I thought it was a fairly even first half in terms of chances. The ones we had we didn’t take. Jack’s gone on a mazy run and their keeper’s made a really good save, but you’ve got to make the most of those moments. I’m disappointed after the first goal, we lost the game. We got too disillusioned and disappointed by the goal, and they were very good. I’ve just said to the players, five games and we’ve got 12 points, and there were 40 minutes when we were poor. But you’ve got to give Leeds credit. It’s the first time we’ve been behind and we didn’t handle it very well. We can learn from it.”

10.09pm BST

Marcelo Bielsa’s verdict. “It was a good performance. We were better in the second half, but the first half was also good. We defended well, we attacked well, and we had the luck to score before they did, as they had a few chances as well. Struijk got a yellow early on, and there was a lot of agility in the middle of the park. He had another foul and was at the limit, so I was worried about him. I am very happy for Bamford, they were some of the nicest goals he has scored for us.”

10.04pm BST

An extremely cheery Patrick Bamford speaks to BT Sport. “It’s nice [to score a hat-trick] especially in the Premier League. It’s what you dream of growing up, so it means a lot to me. I was frustrated [with the two missed chances in the first half] but knew I’d get another one. I stuck it away and got three! I’ve got a manager who believes in me, so long as I keep working hard, he’ll keep trusting me. So it’s up to me to make sure I keep helping the team. I’m sure he’ll keep showing his faith. Villa are a good team. Someone was saying in the press that Bielsa is a myth! But I think we showed everyone that Leeds are here to compete.”

9.59pm BST

The result means Everton stay top on 13 points. Villa remain in second on 12. Leeds move up into third, until tomorrow at least. Marcelo Bielsa’s side made one hell of a statement tonight, which raises the question: if we’re going to talk about Everton, Villa, Spurs as left-field title challengers, why not Leeds?

9.56pm BST

They’re all smiles now, though. Patrick Bamford claims the match ball, reward for his superb hat-trick. But every single Leeds player can be proud of themselves tonight. They were magnificent.

9.55pm BST

90 min +5: Leeds launch one final attack, seven of their players running at full pelt in the 95th minute! Harrison lashes wide from a tight angle. His team-mates aren’t totally happy.

9.54pm BST

90 min +4: On the touchline, Dean Smith looks slightly stunned. If nothing else, at least he now knows what Jurgen Klopp felt like.

9.53pm BST

90 min +3: McGinn spins and shoots from distance. Always over the bar.

9.53pm BST

90 min +2: Harrison and Alioski combine for the 987th time this evening, nearly opening Villa up down the left. Cash makes his 986th desperate tackle. Harrison wants a penalty but he’s not getting it. Leeds haven’t stopped.

9.51pm BST

90 min +1: In the first of five added minutes, Klich is booked for his cynicism.

9.51pm BST

90 min: Klich pulls McGinn back. The referee plays advantage. Barkley slides Watkins in on the right. Watkins, the hat-trick hero against Liverpool, flashes across the face of goal and inches wide of the left-hand post. Too little, too late from Villa.

9.49pm BST

89 min: Targett and Grealish try to get some consolation down the left, but tie themselves in knots, the full back eventually conceding a free kick in a fit of frustration.

9.47pm BST

87 min: Liverpool beat Leeds 4-3. Villa trounced Liverpool 7-2. Leeds could easily have scored six or seven tonight. You have to love the 2020-21 Premier League. It’s been positively psychedelic so far.

9.46pm BST

86 min: Shackleton dinks in from the right hoping to tee up Bamford for his fourth. Not quite. Villa are being run ragged.

9.44pm BST

84 min: This would have been a picture-book goal. Raphinha, to the right of the centre circle, fires a forensic low diagonal pass towards Harrison on the left. Harrison pulls back for Hernandez, who spoils everything by leaning back and hoicking over. So close to another wonderful team goal. Leeds are brilliant.

9.42pm BST

83 min: Raphinha replaces Costa. Leeds showcasing their bench.

9.42pm BST

82 min: VAR quite rightly says no. Leeds hadn’t appealed.

9.41pm BST

81 min: Space for Hernandez down the right. His low cross clanks onto the arm of Douglas Luiz, so they’re checking this for a possible penalty.

9.40pm BST

80 min: Leeds are rampant. Villa have nothing. They just want to hear the final whistle.

9.38pm BST

78 min: Rodrigo’s free kick just about stays inside the ground. It’s his last act of the evening. He’s replaced by Hernandez. Other than that effort, he’s been magnificent tonight.

9.37pm BST

77 min: Barkley drags a shot wide left. Then up the other end he takes down Rodrigo. A free kick in a very dangerous position, just to the right of the D.

9.36pm BST

76 min: Mings could be forgiven for wishing he had indeed been sent off. Villa have completely unravelled, though to be fair, few teams could live with this Leeds display. The visitors have been so exciting to watch.

9.35pm BST

This is a quite sensational way to complete a hat-trick. Rodrigo sprays a pass down the right for Costa, who interchanges with Shackleton before slipping the ball to Bamford, just inside the area but marked by four Villa shirts. No matter! He sorts his feet out, then whips a no-backlift shot into the top left despite being totally surrounded! A stunning move with a finish to match!

9.32pm BST

72 min: Leeds keep on coming. This time it’s Costa teeing up Dallas, to the right of the D. The full-back’s shot is gathered by Martinez. Villa were looking dangerous just before Bamford’s opener; since then, nothing.

9.31pm BST

71 min: Klich takes a dig from distance. His low shot is gathered easily enough by Martinez. Then another Leeds attack, as Harrison curls in from the left and nearly sets up a hat-trick chance for Bamford. Konsa blocks.

9.30pm BST

69 min: That shot may have taken a small deflection off Konsa, but Leeds are worth their two-goal lead. Traore replaces Trezeguet. Grealish is booked for dissent. Villa are in danger of losing their composure here.

9.27pm BST

A strange sort of justice is done, as a livid Bamford picks up possession from Klich, who had been driving at the Villa box. He takes a touch to the right, and from the edge of the D, pearls an unstoppable shot into the top right!

9.26pm BST

65 min: VAR checks for the penalty. No dice, the correct decision. Then a check for the red-mist antics of Mings. He escapes. He could easily have been walking. He probably should be walking. But he gets away with one.

9.25pm BST

64 min: Bamford stands on Mings’ foot as the pair tangle in the Villa box. He goes over spectacularly, then is hauled up by a livid Mings, taking an angry fistful of shirt. Bamford goes down again.

9.23pm BST

63 min: The corner on the left is worked to Costa on the right. He cuts back for the inrushing Harrison, whose first-time diagonal shot is deflected wide right by Koch.

9.22pm BST

62 min: Harrison crosses low from the left, looking for Bamford at the near post. Konsa does well to slide the ball out for a corner, just in time.

9.21pm BST

61 min: Leeds launch another attack at full velocity. Rodrigo slips Costa into space down the right. Costa feeds Dallas on the overlap. Opportunities present themselves in the middle ... but Dallas inexplicably runs the ball out of play. Goal kick.

9.19pm BST

59 min: Leeds are suddenly back on top, and full of beans. No wonder: if they hold onto this lead, they’ll finish the evening in third place, one behind Villa.

9.18pm BST

57 min: That was some passage of play. A couple of near misses by Grealish, a spectacular save from Konsa, then the sucker punch. How did it take so long for the opening goal?

9.16pm BST

Bamford starts a counter on the halfway line and keeps on running. The ball’s worked down the left. Rodrigo has a slap from a tight angle, across Martinez, who parries well, but can only tee up Bamford, who completes his run by slamming the loose ball home from close range!

9.15pm BST

53 min: One corner leads to another. Before that can be taken, Mings is booked for fannying about. Then from the second corner, Konsa volleys towards the top right. Another fine Meslier save denies him. The third corner comes to nought.

9.14pm BST

52 min: So would this! Grealish takes up possession on the halfway line, and drives down the left. He cuts inside, past Dallas, Ayling and Koch dancing left to right across the face of the Leeds six-yard box. All very George Best versus Sheffield United. But in finally aiming for the bottom right, he slams straight at Meslier, who saves well. Corner.

9.12pm BST

51 min: A free kick for Villa, 35 yards out, a little to the left. Targett slips to Grealish down the left. Meslier is off his line, anticipating the cross, so Grealish tries to fire a surprise low shot into the small gap at the bottom left. The angle’s too tight, and he finds the side netting. That would have been pretty special.

9.10pm BST

49 min: Klich steals the ball off McGinn with absurd ease. He advances towards the Villa box with purpose, but then dithers a little. The ball’s switched to Rodrigo on the right, but Villa have had time to funnel back and crowd the box. Rodrigo’s shot is blocked. The ball breaks left to Alioski, who slices wildly over the bar. That move became unnecessarily complicated.

9.07pm BST

47 min: Another Leeds raid down the left. Harrison skitters along the touchline before cutting infield and fizzing a low shot towards the bottom left. Martinez smothers.

9.06pm BST

46 min: Leeds are quickly on the front foot. Alioski crosses from the left. Martinez claims well amid a crowded box.

9.05pm BST

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

8.52pm BST

The Few-Minutes-Before-Nine O’Clock News. David Conn with the exclusive.

8.49pm BST

Don’t let the scoreline fool you. This has been wonderful entertainment. We’re just missing that final touch. Somewhere in the multiverse, we’re halfway to another nine-goal bonanza at Villa Park.

8.47pm BST

45 min: There will be one added minute.

8.46pm BST

44 min: Leeds break upfield at speed once more. Harrison romps into acres down the left, then swings a low pass infield for Bamford, running into the area at full pelt. He meets the cross, but leaning back, and under pressure from Konsa, slashes wide left from ten yards. A huge chance spurned.

8.45pm BST

43 min: VAR checks and confirms. No penalty.

8.44pm BST

42 min: From the resulting free kick, out on the right, Barkley wafts a very average ball out on the full for a goal kick. Villa come back quickly at Leeds, Grealish going over in the area with Costa at his back. Villa scream for a penalty, but they’re not getting it, and rightly so. There was no contact.

8.43pm BST

41 min: Shackleton clatters into Watkins with a reckless high-kick. Accidental rather than malicious, which probably keeps him out of the book.

8.42pm BST

39 min: After some head tennis, Leeds clear the corner and break upfield with speed and sass. Rodrigo finds a little space 25 yards out, and sends a useless curler 25 yards wide and 25 yards over. Like I said, it’s just the final touches that have been missing so far.

8.40pm BST

38 min: Grealish jigs down the left again, slipping the ball inside for Watkins, who shoots from a tight angle. Ayling is forced to slam behind for a corner.

8.38pm BST

36 min: Harrison and Alioski have got quite the routine going on down the Leeds left. They win another corner with some crisp, clever passing. Nothing comes of the set piece. Both teams have been effervescent in the build-up; it’s just the final touch that’s been lacking.

8.36pm BST

34 min: Watkins spins into space down the left and combines with Grealish, eventually taking a wee bit too long over a shooting opportunity that presents itself just inside the Leeds box. He’s swarmed and the ball’s cleared.

8.34pm BST

32 min: From the corner, Bamford heads harmlessly high and wide. “A goal has to be coming soon,” says Mary Waltz. “You can almost feel it through the screen.”

8.33pm BST

31 min: Harrison hugs the left touchline and makes enough space to fire one low into the middle for Rodrigo. Mings reads the play well but only half clears, allowing Harrison to come again down the left and earn himself a corner.

8.32pm BST

29 min: Grealish dances down the left but his wedge into the box is easily claimed by Meslier. Then Alioski barges into the Villa box from the left but bowls Cash over illegally. It never stops.

8.31pm BST

28 min: Villa had been relatively quiet up until that move, and it seems to have woken them up a bit. They’ve moved up a gear or two, and are pressing Leeds back a little for the first time in the game. This is being played at a super-high pace, and it’s a lot of fun.

8.29pm BST

26 min: Watkins steals the ball off a snoozing Ayling, and tears into the box from the right. His low cross finds Trezeguet, who miskicks. The ball rolls on for Grealish, bombing in from the left. He creams a low shot past Meslier, but Ayling makes up for his mistake, racing back to flick off the line. Just in time. Villa inches away from opening the scoring.

8.26pm BST

24 min: Leeds crank it up again, pinging the ball hither and yon. Harrison pulls one back for Dallas, whose shot from distance is as wide and wild as Texas.

8.25pm BST

23 min: The first lull, the game having been broken up by the substitution.

8.24pm BST

21 min: Yep, he’s hooked and replaced by Shackleton. No tantrum, he just looks resigned. A couple of rash tackles gave Bielsa little choice.

8.22pm BST

20 min: Leeds are preparing a sub. It doesn’t look as though Bielsa wants to chance Struijk, who is on a booking and in the last-chance saloon.

8.21pm BST

18 min: Grealish brings down a high ball while running at full pelt down the left, beating Dallas in one smooth motion. Koch reads the danger well and comes across to block, just as it looked as though Villa’s main man was about to burst into the box.

8.19pm BST

17 min: Barkley bashes one goalwards from 30 yards. Meslier does well to claim a swerving ball without too much drama. This is absurdly open. Let’s not rule out another nine-goal thriller yet.

8.18pm BST

16 min: McGinn makes good down the left. His attempted cross is blocked out by Struijk for a corner. Grealish’s delivery is awful, and Leeds are suddenly breaking four on two! But they overthink it, and eventually Harrison ships possession.

8.17pm BST

14 min: Leeds are sensational when they’re on the front foot. Costa whips in from the right and finds Rodrigo, racing in towards the near post. But Rodrigo’s attempted steer goalwards is nothing more than a weak waft, and the ball flies away harmlessly.

8.15pm BST

13 min: Harrison and Alioski combine crisply down the left. Harrison pulls back for Rodrigo, who batters a first-time snapshot off Konsa and out for a corner. From the set piece, Alioski has a whack from distance. Martinez gathers.

8.13pm BST

11 min: Struijk wants to watch himself here. He’s just left one in on Douglas Luiz. Another referee might have shown a second yellow. It’s just a free kick. One more transgression and he’ll be in all sorts of bother.

8.12pm BST

10 min: Struijk is booked for a late lunge on Grealish in the centre circle. A totally pointless challenge, with Grealish having overrun the ball.

8.11pm BST

9 min: Ayling passes long. Bamford cushions the ball down for Rodrigo, who momentarily looks in good shape to shoot. But he hesitates and the chance is gone.

8.10pm BST

7 min: Villa slow it down a bit with some boring stuff around the back. They need the breather, Leeds having come at them with extreme prejudice during these opening exchanges.

8.08pm BST

5 min: Leeds come at the hosts again, the ball ending up at the feet of Klich just inside the box. But he can’t sort his feet out and McGinn is able to block before a shot is taken. Some worrying signs early on for the only 100 percenters in the entire league.

8.06pm BST

4 min: Alioski crosses from a deep position on the left. Mings misreads, and Bamford launches himself horizontally at the dropping ball. He sends a fine diving header not too far wide of the left-hand post.

8.05pm BST

3 min: Harrison crosses from the left and nearly finds Rodrigo at the far post. Targett intercepts well. Up the other end, Trezeguet shows on the right again, his looping cross claimed by Meslier.

8.04pm BST

2 min: Both teams look in positive mood already. McGinn tries to slip Watkins free with a cute ball down the middle. Bamford chases down a slightly weak Mings backpass. Trezeguet dribbles down the right. Costa does the same up the other end. A real open feel from the get-go.

8.02pm BST

Leeds get the ball rolling ... but only after everyone takes a knee. No room for racism. Black lives matter.

7.59pm BST

Here come the teams! Aston Villa in their Victorian claret, Leeds in blue stripes. We’ll be off in a minute or two.

7.52pm BST

Dean Smith speaks! “Our performances have been excellent, and when you’ve got that, it’s very hard to leave anybody out. The players are picking their shirts at the moment, and consistency breeds confidence. We have to have the same mentality and match their work rate; they’re one of the fittest teams in the league. But we’ll show our quality as well, what we’re about and why we’ve got the results we’ve had so far.”

Marcelo Bielsa’s turn. “We would prefer Kalvin Phillips to be here of course. He will be missed. We will try to attack in numbers, as we always do, and try to create as many chances as possible.”

7.37pm BST

Are you a child of the Seventies? The flashing blue diamonds on the BT Sport Box Office holding screen will give you one hell of a Proustian rush. Well worth £15 of anyone’s money.

7.16pm BST

Aston Villa are very much in If It Ain’t Broke mode. Having won their first four games of the season, they stick with the XI named for the win at Leicester last Sunday.

Leeds must make do without the injured Kalvin Phillips. Pascal Struijk moves up from defence to deputise; Ezgjan Alioski comes in as the only change to the XI sent out for the defeat by Wolves on Monday evening.

7.07pm BST

Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Douglas Luiz, McGinn, Trezeguet, Barkley, Grealish, Watkins.
Subs: Steer, Hourihane, Traore, Nakamba, Engels, Elmohamady, Davis.

Leeds United: Meslier, Dallas, Ayling, Koch, Alioski, Struijk, Helder Costa, Klich, Rodrigo, Harrison, Bamford.
Subs: Poveda, Roberts, Casilla, Raphinha, Hernandez, Davis, Shackleton.

4.48pm BST

Saturday 20 August 2011. Goals from Gabriel Agbonlahor, Emile Heskey and Darren Bent give Alex McLeish’s Aston Villa a tidy 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers, and after two matches they find themselves top of the Premier League table. But the very next day, Manchester City win 3-2 at Bolton Wanderers, leapfrogging to the summit, and Villa have never been back there since.

They could end that long wait this evening. A draw tonight, at home to Leeds United, would be enough to send them to toppermost for the first time in nine years. However, brimful of confidence as the only team left in the Premier League with a 100 percent record, they’ll be looking for more than that. Having started with four successive wins for the first time since 1930-31, they could go one better than Pongo Waring’s old lot and make this the grand old club’s fastest start of all time.

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Published on October 23, 2020 14:17

The Fiver | Happy 80th birthday, Pelé

Some big names in the world of football celebrate their birthday today. There’s Andoni Zubizarreta, who kept goal for the fine Athletic Bilbao side of the early 1980s, and lifted Big Cup with Barcelona in 1992. There’s Safe Hands Sander Westerveld, who kept goal for the middling Liverpool team of 2001, and lifted the Milk Cup with a hearty old-fashioned “hooray”. And then there’s Corporal Luis Fernández, who scored an 88th-minute equaliser for the Allies against Germany in 1943 before disappearing after a crowd invasion, never to be seen again. Shame, it was a really decent goal. An overhead kick. That lad could have been special.

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Published on October 23, 2020 07:56

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