Rob Smyth's Blog, page 100

November 26, 2020

The Fiver | Packing more into 60 years than most would manage in 60 trillion

Wednesday was another triumph for the best breaking-news service in the business. At 4.10pm, The Fiver filed a Slow News Day special and wandered jauntily down to our illegally open local, the Failure & Acceptance, a place where there is no signal, no wifi and even less hope. At 4.25pm, as we were draining our second glass of Instant Decompresser, news broke to the outside world that Diego Maradona had died. This awful story finally reached us when we emerged, blinking into the sunlight, at 7.41am this morning.

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Published on November 26, 2020 09:06

November 22, 2020

Liverpool 3-0 Leicester City: Premier League – as it happened

Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino scored as Liverpool overwhelmed Leicester to set a new club record of 64 league games without defeat at Anfield

9.46pm GMT

That’s it for tonight’s blog. I’ll leave you with Andy Hunter’s match report from Anfield. Thanks for your company and emails - goodnight!

9.21pm GMT

Brilliant win and mentality from the boys #YNWA https://t.co/lcDA8T5wWX

9.08pm GMT

Peep peep! Liverpool have set a new club record of 64 league games without defeat at Anfield. They never looked in danger against a disappointing Leicester, and were in control from the moment Jonny Evans scored an own goal in the 21st minute. Diogo Jota headed a beauty just before half-time, and Roberto Firmino – who found some weird and wonderful ways not to score earlier in the second half – finished things off with a very popular late goal.

Even without six of their best XI, Liverpool were just too good; the win takes them up to second in the table, behind Spurs on goal difference. Spoiler alert: they are going to win the league at a canter.

9.04pm GMT

90+2 min Vardy knocks a bouncing ball past Alisson on the left edge of the box and lobs into the side netting from an impossible angle. Good effort though.

9.01pm GMT

89 min A double change for Liverpool: Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino replace Jota, who was terrific, and Mane, who is always terrific.

9.01pm GMT

88 min Maddison’s corner is headed over by Fofana.

8.59pm GMT

A perfect end to a perfect night for Liverpool: Roberto Firmino gets a much-needed goal with a terrific downward header from Milner’s right-wing corner. Liverpool are still writing their own scripts.

8.56pm GMT

84 min Mane cuts inside Fofana and belts a low shot from 20 yards that is pushed away by the diving Schmeichel. It goes straight to Firmino, but the pace on the ball means he can’t control it.

8.54pm GMT

82 min Alisson comes out of his area on the right to make an effective slide tackle on Justin.

8.53pm GMT

81 min Replays show that approximately 999/1000ths of the ball was over the line when Albrighton cleared Firmino’s shot a few minutes ago.

8.51pm GMT

79 min This has been a surprisingly comfortable night for Liverpool. Leicester will wonder what might have happened had they been given a penalty in the first few minutes, but since then they’ve been second best.

8.50pm GMT

77 min: Firmino and Mane hit the post in the space of five seconds! That was bizarre. Firmino slipped Fofana neatly on the edge of the area and hammered a low shot off the far post. Firmino’s follow-up was then cleared off the line by Albrighton - just about - and finally Mane’s shot hit Schmeichel and ricocheted onto the same post.

8.48pm GMT

76 min “To appreciate just how well-loved Ray Clemence was at Anfield, you only had to be on the Kop and hear the roar of applause whenever he trotted over to take up his position just before kick off or the second half, applause he would always acknowledge in his own discreet manner,” says Michael Cosgrove. “Ah, memories…”

8.47pm GMT

75 min “Curtis Jones does display much promise,” says Gary Naylor. “If only he had a manager who played him as often as Pep plays Phil Foden, we might see more of his international potential.”

Arf.

8.46pm GMT

74 min Robertson zig-zags thrillingly past three players before being fouled by Fofana.

8.45pm GMT

72 min Liverpool appeal unsuccessfully for a penalty when Jota goes down after a challenge from Fofana. Jota dragged a shot wide at the end of a fine run, and his momentum took him into Fofana. VAR agrees that it wasn’t penalty; Jota and Jurgen Klopp do not.

8.43pm GMT

70 min Milner’s corner is headed away at the near post by Vardy.

8.40pm GMT

67 min A Leicester goal now would make things interesting. They’ve been good in the last seven or eight minutes.

8.38pm GMT

65 min Mendy is booked for a late tackle on Wijnaldum.

8.36pm GMT

65 min Leicester are having a decent little spell, probably their best of the match in terms of sustained possession. Under’s stinging long-range shot is blocked by Milner.

8.35pm GMT

63 min A double change for Leicester: Dennis Praet and Cengiz Under replace Barnes and Fuchs, which means a switch to 4-2-3-1.

8.35pm GMT

62 min: Fine double save from Alisson! Leicester almost found their way back into the game. Maddison’s deflected free-kick reached Vardy, who tried to chest it round Alisson in the six-yard box. Alisson dived at Vardy’s feet to block and then saved the follow up from Barnes.

8.30pm GMT

57 min: Evans almost scores his second own goal! It’s all Liverpool now. Jota twists Justin inside out and drives a shot that is beaten away at the near post by Schmeichel. The ball comes back to Jota, who hammers it low towards the near post. Firmino’s shot is blocked at point-blank range by Schmeichel and then Evans, under pressure from Firmino, heads the rebound against his own post.

8.28pm GMT

54 min: What a clearance from Fuchs! Milner, now in midfield, put Mane clear in the inside-left channel with a fine pass. Mane opened his body to sweep a shot that was palmed up in the air by Schmeichel and was about to drop into the net when Fuchs appeared to head clear from under the crossbar. He was under a lot of pressure from Jota, which made it an even better piece of defending.

8.26pm GMT

54 min Keita walks off very slowly, looking thoroughly cheesed off. Williams is on.

8.25pm GMT

53 min Neco Williams is getting ready to replace Keita, who has done his hamstring. He’ll go to right-back and James Milner will move into midfield.

8.24pm GMT

52 min Keita is down with what looks like - yep - another muscle injury.

8.22pm GMT

49 min Vardy scoots round the back of the defence to win a corner. Maddison’s delivery is poor and Robertson clears.

8.21pm GMT

48 min Maddison slides a fine through pass between Matip and Milner to find Barnes. He moves into the area but is expertly pushed wide by Matip, and Alisson makes a comfortable save.

8.19pm GMT

47 min “Hi Rob,” says Simon Gill. “Greetings from (at the moment, at least) a very happy Liverpool fan in the Czech Republic. Steve Tayler was recollecting a save Ray Clemence made from a forward who thought he was going to lob him but ended up dollying the ball into his grateful arms. I am not 100% sure if we are recalling the same incident but I remember him doing exactly that in about 1973 at the Anfield Road end against peak Leeds - the forward was either Allan Clarke or Peter Lorimer. My, how we laughed. We loved him.”

He’d be booked for ungentlemanly conduct nowadays.

8.19pm GMT

46 min Another devastating cross from Robertson is volleyed over ar the far post by Jota. That was a decent chance, though was under pressure from Justin. This isn’t news, but Andy Robertson is quite magnificente.

8.17pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! Liverpool begin the second half.

8.17pm GMT

Liverpool are signing who?

Diogo Jota is the first player in our history to score in each of his first 4 home top-flight appearances ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/5dVAS1SGZa

8.08pm GMT

“Haven’t been able to watch recently, but Curtis Jones strikes me as a VERY tasty player - a cert for England,” says Francis Mead. “What do you think?”

I wouldn’t say a cert but he does look really promising. He’s made some excellent runs through midfield tonight, with and especially without the ball.

8.02pm GMT

Half-time reading

8.02pm GMT

Peep peep! That exciting title race you were promised this season? Forget about it. Even without six of their first-choice XI, Liverpool are just too good. They had plenty of fortune with the opener, a slightly absurd own goal from Jonny Evans, but Diogo Jota’s second was lovely and the scoreline doesn’t flatter them. Leicester’s only real cause for complaint is that they should have had a penalty at 0-0, but the VAR team at Stockley Park were glued to Countryfile on BBC1.

8.00pm GMT

45+1 min Replays show Justin won the ball, though he may have gone through Milner to do so. A yellow card feels a bit harsh.

8.00pm GMT

45 min Justin is booked for a frustrated tackle on Milner.

7.58pm GMT

43 min While I was typing that bit about the goal, Alisson got down smartly to his left to push away a long-range shot. I think it was from Tielemans but I wouldn’t swear it in a court of law.

7.58pm GMT

That was beautiful play from Liverpool. It started when Curtis Jones sprayed a long pass out to Robertson on the left. Albrighton committed himself, which allowed Robertson to zip inside him and curl a glorious cross towards the near post. Jota made a superb run in front of Fuchs and planted an accomplished downward header past Schmeichel. Great goal.

7.56pm GMT

Diogo Jota scores a brilliant goal!

7.54pm GMT

39 min A slip from Fofana almost lets Mane in. He recovers well, though, and eventually takes the sting out of Mane’s shot on its way through to Schmeichel.

7.50pm GMT

35 min At the other end, Mane pokes wide after a through pass from Keita. He was offside anyway.

7.50pm GMT

34 min A lovely effort from James Justin. He ran at Milner and Jota, cut inside and curled a dipping shot just wide of the far post. Alisson probably had it covered but it was a really nice bit of play.

7.49pm GMT

32 min Evans fouls Mane just outside the area on the left wing. Robertson’s deep free-kick is headed back across goal by Matip, and the leaping Firmino studs the ball wide from a yard. It was a tricky chance - at waist height, and with the ball looping away from him and the goal - but he would have scored with a firmer touch.

7.46pm GMT

31 min Liverpool are controlling the game. Leicester have been pinned in their own half for much of the last 15-20 minutes.

7.42pm GMT

28 min “Anyone who leaves Gordon Banks out of their top five,” says Robert Clayton, “never saw him play.”

We didn’t have TV in the womb.

7.42pm GMT

27 min Robertson’s dangerous inswinging corner is headed just wide by Matip, under pressure from Fofana. The ball dipped awkwardly in front of Matip; I think it came off his shoulder in the end, but it still almost went in the net.

7.40pm GMT

25 min “There’s an interesting article to be written about all-time greats who had the misfortune to spend their career playing second fiddle to someone even greater,” says James Evans. “Clemence is one, Aussie leg-spinner Stuart MacGill another. And of course there’s Cantona playing in the shadow of Le God.”

I had no idea that was what they called Brian McClair.

7.39pm GMT

24 min: Just wide from Barnes! This is great stuff now. Barnes, in the inside-left channel, slides the ball down the line to Vardy in the area. He pulls a speculative low cross into the middle, where Barnes runs onto the ball and slices a first-time shot just wide of the far post. He probably should have scored.

7.38pm GMT

22 min: Firmino has a goal disallowed! It was the right decision - he and Jota clattered Schmeichel as he collected a Robertson cross. That led to him dropping the ball and Firmino turning it over the line from 0.0001 yards.

7.37pm GMT

Milner clipped in a corner from the right towards the six-yard line, where Evans was so busy wrestling with Mane that he took his eye off the ball for a crucial split-second. It hit him on the back of the head and flew past Schmeichel.

7.36pm GMT

Jonny Evans gives Liverpool the lead!

7.35pm GMT

20 min Leicester are struggling to get Vardy in the game. Mind you, that was the case after 20 minutes at the Etihad earlier in the season, and he ended up scoring a hat-trick.

7.34pm GMT

19 min Fuchs is limping after being caught accidentally on the side of the leg by Jota. I think he’ll be okay.

7.33pm GMT

18 min Robertson volleys a loose ball well wide from 20 yards.

7.31pm GMT

15 min Firmino is looking quite sharp, which will encourage Liverpool. They have been the better team in the first 15 minutes, though there hasn’t been much in it.

7.29pm GMT

13 min Jota receives Firmino’s pass in the D, shifts the ball away from Fuchs and sweeps a fierce shot that is palmed away by the falling Schmeichel. It was a lovely strike but a bit too close to the keeper.

7.28pm GMT

13 min Liverpool are having most of the ball, but Leicester are springing so quickly when they win it. This is already a fascinating game.

7.27pm GMT

Should Joel Matip have been penalised for this handball? #LIVLEI pic.twitter.com/wvqrpY1SOV

7.26pm GMT

11 min “You are going to leave out Banks!!!???” says Francis Mead. “I think he was the best ever, worldwide. And personally, I always thought Clemence was a more reliable goalkeeper than Shilton.”

He played his last game before I was born, hence the omission.

7.25pm GMT

10 min The resulting corner breaks to Keita, whose long-range shot is comfortably saved by Schmeichel.

7.25pm GMT

9 min: Good save from Schmeichel! Thta was excellent play from Liverpool. Keita angled a through apss to Jones on the right of the area. He took the ball in his stride and smashed a shot from a tight angle that was pushed round the post by Schmeichel.

7.23pm GMT

7 min Under the current handball rules, Matip was really lucky to get away with that appeal earlier in the game. We should start calling it VARbitrary.

7.22pm GMT

6 min Leicester have made a bright start, particularly down their left against the fill-in right-back Milner.

7.21pm GMT

5 min “Hi Rob,” says Paul Griffin. “In terms of Liverpool shotstoppers who could read the game, use their body to make saves, and cover angles, in tight one-on-ones, it seems churlish not to include Stephane Henchoz in the mix.”

7.20pm GMT

4 min Leicester appeal unsuccessfully for a penalty after the ball hits Matip on the arm in the penalty. VAR decides there’s nothing to see here. Hmm, I would like to see that again. I thought Matip moved his arm slightly towards the ball.

7.18pm GMT

2 min Milner’s floated near-post corner is headed into the side netting by the stooping Mane. That was a clever effort that almost caught Schmeichel out.

7.17pm GMT

2 min Jota and Mane combine well to tee up Keita, whose long-range shot deflects behind for the first corner.

7.16pm GMT

2 min “Gary Naylor is right about Liverpool’s last line of defence when Clemence was playing,” says Steve Tayler. “I remember a game on MotD (I’m going to say against Leicester, but I’m probably making that bit up) when the ball fell to an opposing forward in the centre of the goal some 6-8 yards out. Clemence took a step forwards, shaping to lunge for the ball, and then stepped back just as the forward tried to chip him. The shot was a simple catch for a grinning goalie.”

7.15pm GMT

1 min Peep peep! Leicester, in their white away kit, kick off from left to right. Liverpool are in red.

7.15pm GMT

There is a poignant minute’s applause for the late Ray Clemence. Before the game, Alisson laid Clemence’s iconic green shirt behind one of the goals.

7.14pm GMT

Hang on, Naylor meant the best five full stop! “At risk of going a bit David Brent, of those I’ve seen, in alphabetical order, I’d go: Buffon, Clemence, Schmeichel, Shilton, Southall.”

I think it’s pushing it to include him in the best five overall, but you saw more of him than I did.

7.13pm GMT

“Who are the five England goalkeepers?” asks Elliot Wilson. “I think of Shilts, Clemence, Seaman, Banks, and then maybe Del Boy saying ‘Bonetti, Bonetti’, but is he the fifth you had in mind?”

In Naylor’s lifetime, that’d be my five. In my lifetime, I’d replace Banks and Bonetti with Tim Flowers and lord knows, maybe Nigel Martyn.

7.10pm GMT

Here come the players. It’s a cloudy evening at Anfield, with scattered showers that will ease going overnight. A dry night with clear spells for many, as cloud clears in the early hours. Feeling chilly. Minimum temperature 2 °C.

7.05pm GMT

“Hi Rob,” says Gary Naylor. “Whilst it is right and proper that Ray Clemence has been celebrated as a universally liked and admired man, we should not lose sight of what a fearsome foe he was on the pitch. Players would get past Tommy Smith, Jimmy Case or Graeme Souness only to face down Clemence in a one-on-one game of chicken in which you were absolutely certain that he would not blink first.

“Just because his career coincided with that of Peter Shilton, we should not be in any doubt that he was an all-time great goalkeeper, top five in my lifetime for sure.”

6.48pm GMT

“Hello Rob,” says Geoff Wignall. “So, do you think Liverpool’s heavy-mettle football will be up to this serious test of their metal?”

My point exactly.

6.48pm GMT

It finished Leeds 0-0 Arsenal at Elland Road

6.43pm GMT

“Ahem,” says Marie Meyer. “Sending out JM7 is never an ‘enforced change’. It is a splendid, delightful, evergreen option.”

6.42pm GMT

“I haven’t been following football properly for a while,” says Wendell D’souza, “but I don’t think Virgil played vs City.”

My point exactly.

6.36pm GMT

“A lot of midfielders in that Liverpool XI,” weeps Matt Dony. “Maybe Klopp is trying to cheer up Guardiola after yesterday’s debacle? (Using ‘humour’ to try and deflect from the fact that I am terrified about tonight’s match.)”

6.16pm GMT

Liverpool make four enforced changes from the team that drew 1-1 at Manchester City before the international break: James Milner, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Curtis Jones replace Trent, Joe, Jordan and Mo.

Leicester make two changes from their 1-0 win over Wolves: Marc Albrighton and Harvey Barnes come in for Luke Thomas and Dennis Praet.

6.07pm GMT

Pre-match reading

4.54pm GMT

Hello. It was in April 2019, after a vital win at Southampton, that Jurgen Klopp christened his team “mentality monsters”. (He used a third word, but this is a family newspaper.) Klopp’s Liverpool have so many qualities, but their mental strength is surely the greatest. They have needed plenty of it this season. As well as coming from behind to win three of their first eight league games, Liverpool have had to deal with a surreal 7-2 defeat and an increasingly grotesque injury list.

Now they have another serious test of their metal: Leicester, who on current form are the most dangerous visitors in the Premier League. They savaged Manchester City and Leeds on the counter-attack and won at Arsenal and West Brom as well. Leicester have also had plenty of injuries, though you wouldn’t know it from the smart, unobtrusive way Brendan Rodgers has filled the various gaps in his first XI.

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Published on November 22, 2020 13:11

November 21, 2020

Manchester United 1-0 West Bromwich Albion: Premier League – as it happened

Bruno Fernandes’s retaken penalty gave United a laboured victory over West Brom, who had a penalty of their own controversially overturned

9.57pm GMT

That’s it for tonight - I’ll leave you with Jamie Jackson’s match report. Goodnight!

9.53pm GMT

Peep peep! Manchester United move up to ninth after a laboured victory over West Brom. As usual, it was all about VAR. West Brom were awarded a penalty which was controversially overturned on review; a few minutes later, Bruno Fernandes scored a twice-taken penalty at the other end. It’s United’s first league win at Old Trafford this season, but it was an underwhelming performance.

9.50pm GMT

90+2 min Martial is denied a goal by a brilliant last-ditch tackle from one of the West Brom defenders. I’m not sure who it was but well done them.

9.49pm GMT

90+1 min Cavani is booked for leaving some on Gallagher.

9.48pm GMT

90 min Four minutes of added time.

9.46pm GMT

88 min The match is petering out. If West Brom do equalise, United will regret their laziness in possession in the last 10-15 minutes. They’ve been playing at walking pace half the time. This has been a very odd game.

9.43pm GMT

85 min United’s last home win in the league was a thrilling 5-2 defeat of Bournemouth. It feels a long time ago, and not only because it was a long time ago.

9.41pm GMT

83 min United make their final change. Scott McTominay, penalty king, comes on for Fred.

9.39pm GMT

80 min “The West Bromwich body language,” says Ian Copestake, “seems to reflect an absence of the will to live.”

Ian, what have I told you about projecting.

9.37pm GMT

79 min West Brom make their final change - Filip Krovinovic replaces Branislav Ivanovic. And Manchester United bring on Donny van de Beek for Marcus Rashford.

9.36pm GMT

78 min Some 1-0s feel safer than others. This is somewhere in the middle. A West Brom goal wouldn’t be a shock, but it would be against the run of play.

9.35pm GMT

77 min Fernandes and Telles try the old Beckham/Scholes corner. Fernandes angles the ball back to Telles, who blooters a volley over the bar.

9.34pm GMT

76 min Fernandes drives a beautiful pass over the defence towards Rashford, but his first touch is poor and the ball runs away from goal. Gallagher was booked for a foul on Fred just before that.

9.33pm GMT

75 min After a good move from United, Bruno Fernandes’s first-time shot from the edge of the area is blocked.

9.32pm GMT

74 min Conor Gallagher, on loan from Chelsea, has had a fine game in midfield for West Brom. He’s only 20 and could become a really good player.

9.30pm GMT

72 min Bartley blocks another Cavani shot, this time after a nice through pass from Fernandes.

9.29pm GMT

71 min Fernandes’s corner is flicked on by Cavani and comes to Maguire at the far post. He drags a shot into the ground that bounces up and is palmed away by Johnstone. That was a more comfortable save for him, though still a decent one.

9.28pm GMT

70 min Martial crosses low to Cavani, whose first-time shot is well blocked by Bartley.

9.25pm GMT

67 min: Johnstone makes another brilliant save! He’s having a blinder against his old club. Fernandes’s low ball across the area reached Rashford at the far post, six yards out. He dummied to shoot and then sidefooted the ball back across goal. It looked certain to go in, but Johnstone flew to his left to make an outstanding reaction save.

9.24pm GMT

66 min “I would love it,” says Ian Copestake, “if a ref stopped Fernandes doing his penalty hop citing ungentlemanly conduct and human rights violations.”

9.23pm GMT

65 min: Robinson hits the bar with a glorious effort! Oh my. Robson-Kanu lost three players on the halfway line with a Cruyff turn (hello Belgium) and found Gallagher on the left. He gave the ball to Robinson, who whipped an extravagant curling shot from the edge of the area that beat de Gea and clattered off the bar. I think those were Robinson’s first touches of the game.

9.21pm GMT

63 min “I don’t understand why that penalty against Fernandes was overturned,” says J.R. in Illinois. “Did they think there was no contact? Or did they think he got some of the ball first? As opposed to the call in the Villa game where Solly March clearly got the ball before making slight contact, the only thing I saw Fernandes make contact with was Gallagher’s shin. And though I can’t prove it, I’m not just saying that because I’m a West Brom fan. Totally bogus, man.”

He touched the ball first - only slightly, but there was a touch before he followed through into Gallagher. Whether that’s enough to overturn the decision... I haven’t a clue anymore.

9.20pm GMT

62 min And United bring on Edinson Cavani for Juan Mata. Martial moves to the left and Rashford to the right.

9.20pm GMT

62 min Both teams are going to make a substitution. West Brom first: Hal Robson-Kanu and Callum Robinson replace Grady Diangana and Karlan Grant.

9.17pm GMT

58 min That’s twice this season that Fernandes has missed a penalty and then scored the retake. The same thing happened at PSG in the Champions League.

9.16pm GMT

57 min West Brom will feel pretty aggrieved, and you can understand why. The decision against Furlong was correct under the new interpretation of the handball law, but that interpretation is horse pucky.

9.14pm GMT

Fernandes scores this time, sidefooting the ball high to his left. Johnstone went the right way but couldn’t reach it.

9.13pm GMT

54 min Fernandes did his usual skip but Johnstone went the right way, to his left, and pushed it away. It was a brilliant stop - but replays showed that he was off his line when the kick was taken.

9.12pm GMT

54 min: Penalty given.

9.11pm GMT

54 min Furlong’s hand was away from his body, though he wasn’t even looking at the ball. It’s being checked by VAR. I doubt this will be overturned.

9.11pm GMT

53 min: Penalty to United! This one is for handball against Furlong.

9.10pm GMT

52 min: Good save by de Gea! West Brom have been the better team since half-time. A right-wing cross found its way through to Townsend beyond the far post. He controlled the ball on the chest and hit a low drive that was brilliantly saved with his legs by de Gea.

9.07pm GMT

49 min Rashford’s wobbling long-range strike is palmed round acrobatically by Johnstone.

9.06pm GMT

No penalty! On BT Sport, Glenn Hoddle and Peter Walton both think the decision should not have been overturned - Hoddle thought it was a foul, Walton thought it wasn’t a clear and obvious error. I can see both sides!

9.05pm GMT

The referee David Coote is going across to look at the monitor. This is very similar to the one that was overturned in the Villa game this afternoon.

9.05pm GMT

Bruno Fernandes has been penalised for a tackle on Conor Gallagher. I thought he got the ball, and it’s being checked by VAR.

9.04pm GMT

PENALTY TO WEST BROM!

9.03pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! West Brom begin the second half. If they’re not very careful, they could end up winning this game.

8.49pm GMT

“Evening Rob,” says Neil Carter. “No BT Sport so following the blog whilst watching Strictly (whilst keeping an eye on the Strictly blog). Saturdays are strange these days mate, much like a Manchester United home performance. My God it’s tedious. I literally don’t know what to say any more other than this doesn’t surprise me at all [pours another G&T].”

The one thing I don’t understand about games like these is the absence of van de Beek.

8.47pm GMT

Half-time reading

8.47pm GMT

Peep peep! Another 45 minutes of frustration for Manchester United. Sam Johnstone made one outstanding save and one decent one, both from Anthony Martial, but that aside United struggled against a dogged West Brom defence. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.

8.46pm GMT

45 min One minute of added time.

8.43pm GMT

42 min: Chance for Bartley! Gallagher’s inswinging corner is headed onto the roof of the net by Bartley. It was a really clever effort - he was facing away from goal, under pressure from Maguire, so he improvised a backheader that almost sneaked in the net. United fans have seen that one before.

8.42pm GMT

41 min The confident Gallagher does well to find Diangana on the edge of the area. His shot hits Wan-Bissaka and deflects behind for a corner.

8.41pm GMT

40 min West Brom are really well organised defensively. They are limited, we know that, but their spirit is admirable. I don’t think they’re nailed on to be relegated.

8.40pm GMT

39 min “Looking through all the old Twin Peaks vids now,” says Bill Hargreaves. “That’s happening again. Seemingly wide open league this year. Please that’s being returned to, too.”

I think Liverpool will retain the title it at a canter, though I would love Jose Mourinho to win it and turn his acceptance speech into a breathless five-hour score-settler.

8.38pm GMT

38 min Telles threatens to get round the back for the first time in the match, but Ajayi recovers well and forces him away from goal.

8.37pm GMT

36 min Fernandes’s corner flashes across the face of goal and eventually reaches Maguire, whose stinging volley flattens Kyle Bartley. It hit him straight in the coupon. I think Maguire’s shot was going in, although there was probably a push from Maguire on Ivanovic just beforehand.

8.35pm GMT

34 min It’s now five hours since United scored a league goal at Old Trafford. In that time they also beat Leipzig 5-0 in the Champions League. I have no idea.

8.34pm GMT

33 min Fernandes drives a stunning angled pass over the defence to find Mata on the right edge of the six-yard box. His cushioned volley towards Martial is intercepted by Townsend, and Johnstone nips in front of Martial to push the loose ball to safety. The pass from Fernandes was glorious

8.30pm GMT

30 min It’s 0-0 after half an hour. All bets are thus off.

8.29pm GMT

29 min “Every minute that passes without a United goal just tightens the noose around Ole’s neck,” says Mary Waltz. “Unfair but reality.”

8.29pm GMT

28 min Pereira pulled Martial’s shirt for a split-second, which is why he went down and appealed for a penalty. Sometimes they’re given, sometimes not.

8.27pm GMT

27 min: No penalty. We haven’t seen a replay yet.

8.27pm GMT

27 min That penalty appeal is being checked by VAR. Play continues for now.

8.26pm GMT

26 min Martial appeals unsuccessfully for a penalty after a challenge by Pereira.

8.24pm GMT

24 min Here’s some footage from a Manchester United supporters’ watch party.

8.23pm GMT

23 min Fred’s through ball towards Martial is crucially intercepted by the last man Ajayi.

8.21pm GMT

20 min: Just wide from Grant! More good play from West Brom. Pereira nutmegs Matic and slides a pass down the inside-right channel for Grant. He drives a low cross-shot that takes a slight touch off Lindelof and drifts just wide of the far post. From the resulting corner, Ivanovic heads over from six yards. He was running away from goal so it wasn’t much of a chance.

8.20pm GMT

20 min That really was an outstanding save from Johnstone a few minutes ago. He’s quite a big lad but he got down so quickly.

8.19pm GMT

19 min Townsend plays a nice give-and-go with Diangana, dances round Maguire in the area but then runs the ball out of play. West Brom will be pleased with how they’ve started this game.

8.18pm GMT

16 min: Brilliant save by Johnstone! That was a lovely move from United. Maguire nicked the ball on the halfway line, surged forward and found Rashford on the left. He fizzed a square ball towards Bruno Fernandes, who was in a bit of space at the far post. Fernandes laid the ball off first time to Martial, who sidefooted a low first-time shot towards goal from eight yards. Johnstone got down superbly to his left to push it away.

8.15pm GMT

15 min United can be such slow starters, especially at home, and tonight has been no different.

8.13pm GMT

13 min Fernandes plays a good pass down the right to Martial. His low cross is slightly behind Rashford, who dummies the ball at the near post in the hope that Fred arrives in the area in time. He doesn’t.

8.12pm GMT

12 min West Brom look quite bright going forward, Diangana and Gallagher in particular.

8.11pm GMT

11 min United are already looking a bit frustrated, Bruno Fernandes in particular.

8.08pm GMT

8 min Maguire moves forward with the ball and finds Rashford on the left. His inswinging cross just evades the stretching Fernandes and goes out for a goalkick. It’s been a scruffy start to the game.

8.05pm GMT

5 min West Brom have had plenty of the ball in the first few minutes. I thought they might park the bus but that hasn’t happened yet.

8.02pm GMT

2 min Martial beats three players down the right before being fouled by Barkley. Mata’s free-kick is headed on at the near post by Martial and pushed away by the diving Johnstone. That was a pretty good save.

8.00pm GMT

1 min Peep peep! Bruno Fernandes gets the match underway for United, who are kicking from right to left.

7.58pm GMT

West Brom are in their evocative yellow and green change strip. United are in red; both teams are wearing black armbands in tribute to Albert Quixall.

Related: Albert Quixall obituary

7.56pm GMT

“Rob,” says Stig. “Appreciate that Utd are struggling, but would any of the WBA players make it into the Utd team?”

No.

7.51pm GMT

Ten minutes until kick-off. A victory would move United into the top half of the table, perhaps as high as seventh. If West Brom win they will move out of the relegation places.

7.50pm GMT

In other news

United Rewind is a brand new podcast.

Every week @DanielHarris and Rob Smyth will revisit a match from United's past and discuss the build-up, the fallout, the atmosphere and the action.

Episode one is out on Wednesday December 2nd so subscribe in your podcast app now!#MUFC pic.twitter.com/ERo8j8LxsL

7.38pm GMT

Here’s more on a very good night for Jose Mourinho

7.24pm GMT

United have won none of their last six league games at Old Trafford, which I think is their worst run since the bleak winter of 1989-90. They have plenty of incentive to win tonight, not least because it would move them above Manchester City. Solskjaer out!

7.09pm GMT

Pre-match reading

Related: Albert Quixall obituary

7.05pm GMT

United’s new left-back Alex Telles makes his Premier League debut. He is returning after Covid-19, as are Branislav Ivanovic and Matheus Pereira in the West Brom side. But West Brom have lost two more players to Covid, with the captain Jake Livermore and Kieran Gibbs unavailable.

Donny van de Beek is still only on the bench for United, while Paul Pogba isn’t in the squad. He has an ankle injury.

6.17pm GMT

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Manchester United v West Brom from Old Trafford. It’s 14th versus 18th in the league - or, if you look at the relevant home and away tables, 19th versus 19th. Both teams have picked up one point in four games, with United scoring two goals and West Brom conceding 10. It’s the resistible force versus the movable object.

Most people will expect a comfortable home win; we always do when West Brom go to Manchester. But they have won three of their five games at Old Trafford since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, including a shock win in 2018 that confirmed Manchester City as champions.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

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Published on November 21, 2020 13:57

Aston Villa 1-2 Brighton, Middlesbrough 0-1 Norwich and more: Saturday clockwatch – as it happened

Ten-man Brighton held on to win at Villa Park for the first time in their history, while Norwich went top of the Championship in a game of two penalties

5.12pm GMT

That’s it for today’s clockwatch, but please do join Scott Murray for the evening’s big game: Jose v Pep, Spurs v Manchester City. Goodnight!

5.12pm GMT

5.07pm GMT

Peep peep! Villarreal stay second, Real stay fourth.

5.00pm GMT

“A come-from-behind 2-1 win for Dundee United,” says Simon McMahon. “Plus a comedy late missed penalty from Hamilton. Happy days.”

4.59pm GMT

So, these are the final scores in our featured games (apart from Villarreal v Real Madrid, which has about five minutes remaining)

Premier League

4.57pm GMT

Peep peep! Brighton get a much needed victory in a crazily eventful game - it’s the first time they have ever won at Villa Park.

4.56pm GMT

Full time: QPR 1-1 Watford That result means Norwich are top of the Championship after their win at Middlesbrough.

4.55pm GMT

Full time: Hibernian 2-2 Celtic

Full time: Middlesbrough 0-1 Norwich

4.54pm GMT

NO PENALTY! Michael Oliver signals that March got the ball, and he has changed his original decision. Dean Smith looks nonplussed. “I’m dumbfounded by that,” says Martin Keown on BT Sport.

4.53pm GMT

Michael Oliver is going to check the pitchside monitor! I think this will be overturned.

4.53pm GMT

PENALTY TO VILLA! Trezeguet went down very dramatically after a challenge from March. He tapped Trezeguet’s shin in the follow through but he got a touch on the ball first, so I’m not sure that should be a penalty. It’s being checked by VAR. Whatever decision is made here will be controversial.

4.51pm GMT

Aston Villa 1-2 Brighton: Tariq Lamptey has been sent off! He received two yellow cards in quick succession, the second for a foul on Grealish. That looks a bit harsh.

4.50pm GMT

A penalty from Gerard Moreno has brought Villarreal level!

4.48pm GMT

Diego Laxalt has equalised for Celtic, and possibly saved Neil Lennon’s job!

4.46pm GMT

Aston Villa 1-2 Brighton Trezeguet misses a good chance to equalise, slapping a loose ball over the bar from 16 yards.

4.42pm GMT

Aston Villa 1-2 Brighton Villa have pinned Brighton back for most of the second half, though they haven’t created much since going 2-1 down. They’re missing Barkley.

4.40pm GMT

4.38pm GMT

It’s there! By Ilias Chair!

4.36pm GMT

A penalty from the substitute Odsonne Edouard has given Celtic a chance of grabbing a point at Easter Road.

4.34pm GMT

“Celtic are not the only ones in trouble, Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Hamilton have taken the lead at Tannadice. Still, Scotland are in the Euros. And we all know the Guardian loves the smaller European nations, eh?”

Arf.

4.33pm GMT

“I was 40 or so before I understood how mental fatigue affected me,” says Gary Naylor. “I could do pretty much everything at 90%, but summoning that last 10% was beyond me - it might as well have been in another country. So it’s not the same as tiredness - which can be pushed back with coffee or motivation - mental fatigue was more a rev limiter on the brain. You can’t get to top-level concentration, imagination, perception.”

4.32pm GMT

Middlesbrough have conceded a goal! The substitute Teemu Pukki’s penalty has put Norwich ahead at the Riverside. I didn’t realise that Boro missed a penalty earlier in the second half, when Marcus Tavernier slipped and kicked the ball twice. That rule is a wee bit harsh.

4.29pm GMT

The latest scores in our featured games

Premier League

4.23pm GMT

Full time: Bayern Munich 1-1 Werder Bremen Peep peep! That’s a fine result for Bremen, who withstood a second-half battering from Bayern either side of Kingsley Coman’s equaliser. Bayern stay top, a point ahead of Leverkusen.

4.21pm GMT

Middlesbrough 0-0 Norwich It’s now over seven hours since Boro last conceded a league goal.

4.17pm GMT

Celtic are in serious trouble now. Kevin Nisbet has made it 2-0 to Hibs, and if it stays like this Celtic will be nine points behind Rangers with only one game in hand.

4.16pm GMT

Solly March scores a beauty - with his right foot! Gross’s low cross came to him in space on the edge of the area, and he swept an emphatic curling shot into the top corner.

4.13pm GMT

Aston Villa 1-1 Brighton Lamptey goes on another intrepid run and forces the ball through towards Welbeck, who is just beaten to the ball by Martinez. Lamptey is the most joyful footballer.

4.12pm GMT

“In vain have I searched (until the little rubber ball on my Amstrad Em@iler melted) for coverage of the Maltese League top-of-the-table clash between Gzira and Sliema,” says James Debens. “For your information, a gloriously dramatic game ended 3-2 to Gzira, who are now in pole position. This oversight is symptomatic of the Guardian’s neglectful attitude to the smaller European nations, Scotland apart.”

Scotland apart?!

4.10pm GMT

Celtic are in trouble again. Jamie Murphy has put Hibs in front at Easter Road, following up after Kevin Nisbet’s penalty was saved by Scott Bain.

4.06pm GMT

Villa are level straight away. Bertrand Traore’s curling from the left is slid into the net at the far post by Ezri Konsa. For a centre-half, that was a really confident finish.

4.03pm GMT

There were only eight first-half goals in ten Championship matches - and five of those came at the Bet365 Stadium, where Stoke lead Huddersfield 3-2.

3.50pm GMT

A close-range header from Kingsley Coman has brought Bayern level.

3.49pm GMT

“No goals so far at Tannadice, Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “But it’s Ayr United 2 Dundee 0 so, you know.”

Oh I know.

3.49pm GMT

It’s half time in all the Championship games as well. Middlesbrough are drawing 0-0 at home to Norwich, while Watford lead 1-0 at QPR. If it stays like that, they’ll go top. You can see the rest of the scores here.

3.48pm GMT

It’s half time at Villa Park, where Danny Welbeck’s jaunty finish has given Brighton an early lead. Both teams missed good chances and Mat Ryan made a couple of fine saves. It could easily be 2-2, maybe even 3-3.

3.47pm GMT

“We may be 1-0 down but after the misery of the last ten years it’s fun being a villa fan,” says David Bertram. “Lamptey is the first player I’ve seen who has handled Grealish well. Bargain for what they paid for him.”

3.44pm GMT

Aston Villa 0-1 Brighton Tariq Lamptey is having another eye-catching game at right wing-back. He made a couple of good chances for Welbeck and Lallana and has been his usual irrepressible self.

3.43pm GMT

“As well as players being physically tired, I wonder if mental tiredness is just as significant a factor in the high number of injuries, some brainless goals conceded, high number of penalties, and such like so far this season,” says David Wall. “Karen Carney recently told about how she suffered a serious injury towards the end of a game during her career when she was so mentally tired she didn’t pay attention to how she was putting her feet down as she would normally do if fresher.

“If players are mentally tired it’s more difficult to concentrate so they’ll tend to make poorer decisions, or take longer to make a decision, which might lead to mistakes in how they’re moving, say, having to change direction later and more abruptly. And if anything in football takes concentration it’s defending properly (including not making challenges in the box when it’s more sensible to hold off).

3.41pm GMT

Aston Villa 0-1 Brighton And now Ben White makes a fantastic tackle to deny Watkins a tap-in from Grealish’s low cross.

3.40pm GMT

Aston Villa 0-1 Brighton Mat Ryan improvises brilliantly to volley Tyrone Mings’ looping shot off the line. It was a strange save but an extremely good one.

3.34pm GMT

Villarreal 0-1 Real Madrid “Afternoon Rob,” says Stephen Carr. “The decision to allow Real’s goal has me utterly flummoxed. The lino called offside and the replays confirmed it. Real, rightly, played to the whistle, scored and celebrated with authority – it’s almost as if that’s why the goal was given. Bonkers stuff.”

How strange. I haven’t seen it yet because of the thrill-a-minute action at Villa Park, but it sounds like another triumph for all concerned.

3.32pm GMT

Aston Villa 0-1 Brighton Lallana misses an excellent chance, slicing Lamptey’s cross well wide with his left foot. After a slow start, Brighton have looked really dangerous on the break.

3.32pm GMT

“Slight but strong, good close control and an energetic give and go style, can pick out the bottom corner, England’s Next Great Hope?” says Iain Chambers. “Joe Cole eventually faded and probably didn’t fulfil his potential as did so many other ENGH’s. Let’s hope Grealish goes on to great heights because he’s a joy to watch.”

Cole’s career is an intersting story. There’s a perception that Mourinho ruined him, but Cole played his best football under Mourinho and says he was the best coach he ever had. He was never the same after that cruciate injury in 2008-09.

3.28pm GMT

Aston Villa 0-1 Brighton An imaginative curler from Grealish is pawed away by the flying Mat Ryan. This is a really enjoyable game.

3.26pm GMT

Championship Here’s more on Bournemouth’s barnstorming comeback against Reading.

3.24pm GMT

“The ten-man high press in football is like the absent third man in cricket,” says Gary Naylor. “It earns you 10% more attacking options at 90% loss of defensive capability. Jamie Vardy will play ‘til he’s 50.”

I also wonder whether teams are even more exposed this season because all the players are on their last legs.

3.21pm GMT

The latest scores in our featured games

Premier League

3.20pm GMT

Aston Villa 0-1 Brighton A double chance for Trezegeut! The first was superbly blocked, and then he somehow wafted the loose ball past the post. That was a sitter.

3.19pm GMT

“My first memory of Grealish, you ask?” says Phil Podolsky. “Him coming on as a late sub against a title-chasing Man City, and being among the hapless Villa players chasing Yaya. He looked so tiny I remember thinking good thing he knew better than to try sliding into a tackle, would’ve only got himself trampled. Trying to decide what playmakers he reminds me of stylistically: Wilshere is an obvious one but we can probably aim higher. Deco? Redondo?”

He’s not in the same class but he reminds of Zidane because of his technique in tight areas and ability to protect the ball.

3.19pm GMT

Mariano, who according to some reports might be heading to West Ham, ha given Real Madrid an early lead at Villarreal.

3.18pm GMT

Aston Villa 0-1 Brighton A heavy first touch costs Welbeck the chance of a second goal.

3.17pm GMT

Well I never. Maximilian Eggestein has given Werder Bremen a shock lead at the Allianz Arena.

3.15pm GMT

“Jack Grealish,” says Will Morgan. “He’s a little, how shall I put it… he has an odd relationship with gravity…”

I’ve never really seen him as a diver, I just think he’s very good at drawing fouls because of his strength and fast feet.

3.14pm GMT

Danny Welbeck gets his first goal for Brighton! That came out of nothing. Villa’s defenders were too high and Welbeck was able to run from inside his own half onto Lallana’s through pass. He moved to the edge of the area, drew Martinez and flipped the ball gently over him. Lovely finish.

3.12pm GMT

In the Championship, Ben Wilmot has given Watford an early lead at QPR. They could go top if they win that game.

3.10pm GMT

Aston Villa 0-0 Brighton Ben White makes a good block from Trezeguet’s vicious cross-shot. Villa have started strongly.

3.06pm GMT

Aston Villa 0-0 Brighton Bertrand Traore has come on to replace Ross Barkley.

3.04pm GMT

Aston Villa 0-0 Brighton Ross Barkley is the latest footballer to pull a hamstring. I think he did it while taking a free-kick on the left. Either way he’s going off, which is a big blow to Villa. These injuries are getting ridiculous.

3.02pm GMT

Aston Villa 0-0 Brighton The first foul on Jack Grealish comes after 35 seconds.

3.00pm GMT

Bayern Munich 0-0 Werder Bremen It’s still goalless after half an hour at the Allianza Arena. The Bayern left-back Lucas Hernandez has gone off with a back injury.

2.57pm GMT

Right, it’s time for the 3pm games to begin. Play!

2.56pm GMT

“Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Some big games in Scotland today, as the domestic action resumes after the high of Belgrade (let’s not mention the lows of Slovakia and Israel that inevitably followed). Micky Mellon’s Dundee United host Hamilton at Tannadice, where three points for the home side would see them remain comfortably in fifth position, and move them 13 points clear of Hamilton who are bottom. Hibs in fourth welcome second place Celtic to Easter Road, and elsewhere it’s St. Johnstone v Motherwell, Kilmarnock v Ross County and Livingston v St. Mirren.

“In the Scottish Championship Dunfermline beat Hearts 2-1 last night to go top, but Raith Rovers will replace them if they win at Inverness today. Exciting times in the Kingdom of Fife. In Scottish League One leaders Cove Rangers will be hoping to make it five wins out of five as they travel to second place Falkirk.”

2.48pm GMT

Chelsea’s victory at Newcastle means that Aston Villa will only go top if they score at least four against Brighton and win by three goals or more.

2.47pm GMT

2.27pm GMT

Full time: Bournemouth 4-2 Reading Bournemouth go top of the Championship after a cracking match at the Vitality Stadium. They were 2-0 at half-time but ran riot in the second half, with Lewis Cook scoring a glorious goal to put them 3-2 up.

2.26pm GMT

Villarreal v Real Madrid team news

Villarreal (4-3-3) Asenjo; Mario, Albiol, Pau Torres, Pedraza; Parejo, Iborra, Trigueros; G Moreno, Bacca, Moi.

2.23pm GMT

Newcastle 0-2 Chelsea Frank Lampard’s side go top of the table after an easy win at Newcastle.

2.20pm GMT

GOAL! Bournemouth 4-2 Reading (Solanke 89) Dominic Solanke completes a famous comeback at the Vitality Stadium. Rafael came out of his area, made a fool of himself and was robbed by Solanke, who rammed the ball into the empty net from 20 yards. Bournemouth are going top of the Championship; Reading, the leaders this morning, have lost four league games in a row.

2.17pm GMT

Bournemouth 3-2 Reading Asmir Begovic has just made an awesome save from Lucas Joao’s header. Reading thought the ball had crossed the line; they were wrong.

2.16pm GMT

Middlesbrough v Norwich team news

Middlesbrough (4-2-3-1) Bettinelli; Dijksteel, Fry, McNair, Bola; Howson, Saville; Spence, Tavernier, Johnson; Akpom.

2.12pm GMT

Hibernian v Celtic team news

Hibernian (4-3-3) Marciano; P McGinn, Porteous, Hanlon, Mackie; Gogic, Newell, Mallan; Boyle, Nisbet, Murphy.

2.08pm GMT

GOAL! Bournemouth 3-2 Reading (L Cook 77) Bournemouth’s comeback is complete! They were 2-0 down at half-time; now they are 3-2 ahead after a stunning long-range shot from Lewis Cook. That was some strike, which dipped spectacularly and gave Rafael no chance.

2.05pm GMT

Aston Villa v Brighton team news

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1) Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Douglas Luiz, McGinn; Trezeguet, Barkley, Grealish; Watkins.
Substitutes: Taylor, Steer, Hourihane, Traore, Nakamba, El Ghazi, Elmohamady.

1.54pm GMT

Chelsea are going top of the league, at least until 4.56pm: Tammy Abraham has put them 2-0 up at Newcastle.

1.50pm GMT

GOAL! Bournemouth 2-2 Reading (Danjuma 59)

Crikey, Bournemouth are level! Arnaut Danjuma made a fine run infield from the left, onto David Brooks’s excellent through ball, and forced the ball past Rafael at the near post.

1.48pm GMT

GOAL! Bournemouth 1-2 Reading (Solanke 56)

Bournemouth are back in the game thanks to a flying volley from Dominic Solanke. Excellent finish, that. Edit: it was actually Stanislas who volleyed the ball across goal for Solanke to turn it into an empty net. I think Stanislas was going for goal.

1.45pm GMT

1.40pm GMT

Bayern Munich v Werder Bremen team news

Bayern Munich (4-1-4-1) Neuer; Pavard, Boateng, Alaba, Hernandez; Javi Martinez; Coman, Muller, Musiala, Douglas Costa; Lewandowski.

1.29pm GMT

In the Championship, the leaders Reading look set to end their run of three consecutive defeats. An early penalty from Lucas Joao and a cool finish from Sone Aluko have put them 2-0 up at half-time away to Bournemouth.

1.25pm GMT

Chelsea are 1-0 up and in complete control at St James’ Park. You can follow that with Scott Murray.

12.22pm GMT

Afternoon. Today is a glorious day, for we get to watch Jack Grealish play football. Or read about somebody else watching him, which I appreciate might not be quite as impactful upon the soul.

Aston Villa, who can go top of the table, are at home to Brighton in the Premier League’s only 3pm kick-off. There are also big games in Scotland, Spain and Germany; these are our featured matches (all 3pms unless stated):

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

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Published on November 21, 2020 09:07

November 17, 2020

Spain 6-0 Germany, Croatia 2-3 Portugal: Nations League – as it happened

Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick as Spain stormed into the Nations League Finals, while there were promotions for Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands

Spain 6-0 Germany: read Sid Lowe’s match report

10.10pm GMT

9.47pm GMT

It wasn’t quite 17 November 1993, but that was a pretty eventful night in the Nations League. Spain did a spectacular number on Germany to reach next year’s finals tournament, while there were promotions for Montenegro, the Faroe Islands and - most memorably of all - Gibraltar. Goodnight!

9.47pm GMT

“Am watching the France-Sweden game,” says Julian Menz. “The commentator just said (freely translated of course), ‘One more goal and Sweden will qualify for ... [embarrassing pause] ... what?’. All blushes spared though, as Sweden took out their keeper, and France won the Stanley Cup. Or something like that.”

9.41pm GMT

And this is what it all means

Group A3

9.41pm GMT

9.39pm GMT

GOAL and full time: Francve 4-2 Sweden (Coman 90+4) With Robin Olsen forward for a free-kick, Kingsley Coman taps the ball into an empty net. It was the last kick of the game; Sweden are going down to League B.

9.38pm GMT

Full time: Gibraltar 1-1 Liechtenstein I’m told the word is ‘scenes’. Gibraltar have also been promoted to League C!

9.37pm GMT

Full time: Malta 1-1 Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands are promoted to League C!!

9.36pm GMT

Full time: Montenegro 4-0 Cyprus As expected, a comfortable night for Montenegro. They are promoted, Cyprus are relegated.

9.35pm GMT

Well nobody saw that coming. Spain join France in next year’s Nations League Finals after a spectacular thrashing of Germany in Seville. Ferran Torres scored a fine hat-trick, and if anything the score flattered Germany.

9.34pm GMT

GOAL! Andorra 0-5 Latvia (Krollis 90 pen)

9.33pm GMT

Full time: Croatia 2-3 Portugal

9.33pm GMT

GOAL! France 3-2 Sweden (Quaison 88) Now then! If Sweden can grab an equaliser, and Portugal hold on to their lead in Croatia, Sweden will avoid relegation.

9.32pm GMT

Well I never.

9.32pm GMT

GOAL! Croatia 2-3 Portugal (Ruben Dias 90) It’s been a good night for Manchester City players. Ruben Dias gets his second to give Portugal a meaningless but doubtless heartwarming victory in Croatia.

9.31pm GMT

Gibraltar 1-1 Liechtenstein Three minutes plus stoppage time remaining. Gibraltar have had no shots on target and have barely completed 100 passes in the match, but as things stand they will be promoted.

9.27pm GMT

Gibraltar 1-1 Liechtenstein Right, I’ve switched to the Gibraltar game. There are eight minutes remaining and Gibraltar are hanging on to the draw that would put them into League C.

9.25pm GMT

“It boggles my mind,” says Yash Gupta, “that it is not even Spain’s best starting XI.”

9.24pm GMT

Spain 5-0 Germany Dave Mandy wonders who was the last player to score a hat-trick against Germany. Michael Owen in 2001? Or has it been done since then?

9.21pm GMT

League D It’s still Gibraltar 1-1 Liechtenstein and Malta 1-1 Faroe Islands. As things stand Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands will be promoted, but a goal for Liechtenstein or Malta would change that.

9.19pm GMT

Spain 5-0 Germany Serge Gnabry hits the bar with an angry long-range strike. Sheesh, he got hold of that.

9.19pm GMT

Spain 5-0 Germany As if it’s not Spain 5-0 Germany.

9.18pm GMT

“I should be doing work, but I’m curious, am I only the only transfixed by League D?” asks Stefan Martens. “It’s quickly become the highlight of every international break for me. The idea that one of Gibraltar or Liechtenstein will be in League C next time round. The sense of disbelief that Latvia (smallish population notwithstanding) finds itself mired in League D when it came close to beating Germany at a major tournament ‘just’ 16 years ago.

“And nothing against Malta (lovely and fascinating country), but my heart sagged when news of their goal in Ta’ Qali came: I’ve always thought the Faroes are a fairly useful side (in a non-patronising sort of way) and I’d be overjoyed to see them in League C next cycle. Maybe one day they could out-Iceland Iceland and all that.”

9.15pm GMT

9.14pm GMT

Ferran Torres completes a memorable hat-trick with an emphatic finish! Yet again Germany were taken apart on the break, and Torres swept a beautiful first-time shot past Neuer from 20 yards.

9.13pm GMT

GOAL! Malta 1-1 Faroe Islands (Jonsson 70) Ari Mohr Jonsson has equalised for the Faroe Islands! That’s a mighty goal, because a draw would ensure promotion to League C.

9.12pm GMT

GOAL! Andorra 0-4 Latvia (Gutkovskis 70 pen) Andorra are going to finish rock bottom of group D1. On the plus side, there’s no relegation in League D.

9.11pm GMT

“Hi Rob,” says Matt Burtz. “ESPN Plus here in the U.S. gives me a choice of all the games and I’ve gone with Gibraltar - Liechtenstein. Let me tell you, it’s far more entertaining than it has any right to be, even if the level is roughly equal to the National League North. Still 1-1, BTW.”

And if it stays like that, Gibraltar will be promoted to the National League proper.

9.06pm GMT

GOAL! Croatia 2-2 Portugal (Kovacic 65) Mateo Kovacic’s second goal gives Croatia a bit of insurance, just in case Sweden come back to draw in France.

9.05pm GMT

Spain 4-0 Germany Ferran Torres comes this close to his hat-trick, smashing just wide after another lovely move. Spain have been so exciting tonight.

9.04pm GMT

GOAL! Croatia 1-2 Portugal (Joao Felix 60)

GOAL! France 3-1 Sweden (Giroud 59)

9.03pm GMT

“This is getting alarming now,” says Jake Lynch. “I fear the DFB will be looking to make a change, and of course there is an obvious candidate at Anfield. I’d been hoping he’d stay a while longer.”

I can’t see it. One day, sure, but not at the moment; he’s not silly.

9.01pm GMT

GOAL! Andorra 0-3 Lativa (J Ikaunieks 60) This is the one dead rubber of the night, though Janis Ikaunieks will remember it fondly: he’s scored twice in four minutes.

9.00pm GMT

GOAL! Montenegro 4-0 Cyprus (Mugosa 60) Montenegro are going up, Cyprus are going down.

8.59pm GMT

GOAL! Malta 1-0 Faroe Islands (Guillaumier 54) A big goal in Ta’ Qali. Matthew Guillaumier has given Malta the lead, and if it stays like that they will be promoted to League C!

8.58pm GMT

GOAL! Andorra 0-2 Latvia (J Ikaunieks 57)

8.58pm GMT

Ferran Torres gets his second, ramming home from close range after a good Spanish break down the left. Germany’s defending has been abysmal.

8.56pm GMT

8.55pm GMT

Spain 3-0 Germany There’s much more urgency in Germany’s attacking play in the second half. That’s the good news; the bad news is they need to score at least three times to have any chance of topping the the group.

8.54pm GMT

GOAL! Croatia 1-1 Portugal (Ruben Dias 52) A potential spanner in Croatia’s works: Ruben Dias has equalised for Portugal in Split. Croatia still have a bit of a cushion with Sweden losing in France, but they are not completely safe.

8.52pm GMT

Spain 3-0 Germany Another chance for Spain. Morata leads a three-on-two break but picks the wrong option and the move peters out. This could easily be 5-0 or 6-0.

8.50pm GMT

Spain 3-0 Germany Manuel Neuer saves with his legs from Dani Olmo, who nicked the ball off Robin Koch and should probably have made it 4-0 to Spain. Germany are all over the show.

8.49pm GMT

“Germany’s pressing of Spain has been uncoordinated and uncontrolled,” writes Paul. “The three midfield players Kroos, Goretzka and Ilkay are so far up the field when Spain build their attacks that some of their forwards are behind them. This seems a crazy idea as only Goretzka is a player who has the ability to be in such an aggressive pressing situation, Both Kroos and Ilkay favour sitting deeper as they are not the quickest. Also ridiculous marking at corners with Gnabry and Ilkay marking powerful and tall headers of the ball.”

It’s been very half-arsed, even down to the marking on set-pieces as you say. Gnabry v Morata? Good luck with that.

8.47pm GMT

Peep peep! The second halves are underway. Germany have brought on Jonathan Tah for Niklas Sule.

8.42pm GMT

“Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “That Berti ‘goal’ still makes my jaw drop every time. There are FOUR England players playing him onside. Thank goodness VAR has put an end to dodgy offside decisions, eh?”

At least in the past you had a bit of clarity - most of the assistant referees were crap, so you knew to expect the unexpected.

8.40pm GMT

“Spanish TV are calling this a festival of football,” says Paulo Biriani. “Can’t blame them. Personal question Rob. You’re not from Portsmouth are you?”

That is a personal question. I’m not, alas. As for Spain, they’ve been brilliant - so dynamic and decisive.

8.35pm GMT

“Is it time for Joachim Low to quit and fulfil his destiny as a Bond villain?” wonders Rai Skrupskis. “Germany have been diabolical for a while.”

You’re probably right. He’s been doing the same job for 14 years, and I was about to slag him off for phoning it in and staying in his comfort zone until I remembered I’d been at the Guardian since 2004.

8.32pm GMT

Peep peep! These are the half-time scores:

8.30pm GMT

GOAL! Gibraltar 1-1 Liechtenstein (Frick 44) Liechtenstein’s promotion hopes are still alive. Noah Frick has equalised in their must-win match in Gibraltar.

8.28pm GMT

Spain 3-0 Germany Sergio Ramos is the latest man to suffer a hamstring injury. He is replaced by Eric Garcia of Manchester City.

8.24pm GMT

Spain 3-0 Germany This has been a blistering performance from Spain. The scoreline doesn’t flatter them one bit.

8.24pm GMT

Spain get their second goal of the night from a corner. Fabian Ruiz curls an outswinger towards Rodri, who gets in front of his clubmate Rodri and flicks a superb header into the far corner.

8.21pm GMT

GOAL! France 2-1 Sweden (Pavard 36) France have come behind to lead in Saint-Denis, and it looks like Sweden will be relegated to League B.

8.20pm GMT

Spain 2-0 Germany F Torres scores against Germany in the 33rd minute; we’ve heard that one before.

8.19pm GMT

A deserved goal - not just for Spain but also Ferran Torres, who is having a storming game. Dani Olmo flashed a header onto the bar and Torres smashed the rebound past Manuel Neuer. Spain are heading to next summer’s Nations League final.

8.15pm GMT

GOAL! Croatia 1-0 Portugal (Kovacic 29) Chelsea’s Mateo Kovavic has given Croatia the lead against Portugal. If they win tonight they will stay in League A and Sweden will be relegated.

8.15pm GMT

Spain 1-0 Germany Neuer makes a vital one-on-one save from Ferran Torres. Spain are hammering Germany.

8.14pm GMT

GOAL! Montenegro 3-0 Cyprus (Boljevic 28) It’s all over in Podgorica. Aleksandar Boljevic has scored twice in four minutes to ensure they will beat Cyprus and then finish top of group C1.

8.11pm GMT

GOAL! Montenegro 2-0 Cyprus (Boljevic 25) Montenegro are going to be promoted to League B.

8.10pm GMT

Spain 1-0 Germany Replays show that Morata was well onside when he turned Ferran Torres’s cross into the net. I think he was behind the ball as well, so the assistant referee was wrong on two counts. It’s not quite comparable with Nicola Berti in 1990, but that was still a pretty poor decision.

8.08pm GMT

Spain 1-0 Germany Morata has a goal disallowed for offside after a terrific counter-attack from Spain. I’m not sure he was offside, you know, but there’s no VAR tonight.

8.07pm GMT

Spain 1-0 Germany Spain have been much the better team so far. Germany haven’t started playing.

8.06pm GMT

The latest scores

8.05pm GMT

GOAL! Gibraltar 1-0 Liechtenstein (Frommelt 17 og)

Gibraltar are also on course for promotion. They only need a draw tonight, and they’re ahead through an own goal from Noah Frommelt.

8.02pm GMT

The in-form Alvaro Morata gives Spain the lead with a thumping header at the far post from Fabian Ruiz’s inswinging corner.

8.01pm GMT

GOAL! France 1-1 Sweden (Giroud 16) That’s Olivier Giroud’s 43rd goal for France.

7.59pm GMT

GOAL! Montenegro 1-0 Cyprus (Jovetic 14) Stevan Jovetic’s early goal should ensure a comfortable night for Montenegro, who will be promoted to League B if they beat Cyprus.

7.56pm GMT

Spain 0-0 Germany Fabian Ruiz comes on to replace Canales.

7.56pm GMT

Spain 0-0 Germany Sergio Canales’s hamstring has gone, so Spain will need to make an early substitution.

7.53pm GMT

GOAL! Andorra 0-1 Latvia (Cernomordijs 6) This game is a dead rubber - but try telling that to Antonijs Cernomordijs!!!!

7.52pm GMT

GOAL! France 0-1 Sweden (Claesson 5) Viktor Claesson scores an important early goal for Sweden after a mistake from yep him. Sweden will avoid relegation if they better Croatia’s result at home to Portugal.

7.51pm GMT

Spain 0-0 Germany Gundogan fouls Olmo right on the edge of the area. A free-kick is given, though replays show it was inside the area. Whether it was a foul is another matter. Sergio Ramos’s free-kick is well saved by the diving Neuer.

7.48pm GMT

Spain 0-0 Germany Nothing much to report in the first few minutes. Germany, who will go through with a draw, look like they are happy to play on the counter-attack.

7.45pm GMT

Peep peep! We’re underway in Seville and, presumably, in all the other matches.

7.32pm GMT

On the subject of club v country, this is an interesting piece from Nick Ames. A few club managers will be sitting uncomfortably tonight.

7.00pm GMT

Malta v Faroe Islands team news

Malta (3-4-2-1) Bonello; Shaw, Agius, S Borg; J Mbong, Guillaumier, Teuma, Camenzuli; Gambin, Degabriele; Montebello.

6.39pm GMT

Luxembourg v Azerbaijan team news

Luxembourg (3-4-1-2) Schon; Skenderovic, Gerson, Mahmutovic; Jans, Barreiro, Sinani, Michael Pinto; V Thill; Deville, E Muratovic.

6.39pm GMT

Montenegro v Cyprus team news

Montenegro (4-4-2) Mijatovic; M Vukcevic, Vujacic, Simic, Marusic; Boljevic, Bakic, Scekic, Haksabanovic; Mugosa, Jovetic.

6.39pm GMT

Andorra v Latvia team news

Andorra (4-4-2) Gomes; Jordi Rubio, Garcia, Emili Garcia, M San Nicolas; C Martinez, Rebes, Pujol, Cervos; Fernandez, M Vieira.

6.39pm GMT

Gibraltar v Liechtenstein team news

Gibraltar (5-3-2) Coleing; Sergeant, Wiseman, R Chipolina, Olivero, Ronan; Badr, Annesley, Mouelhi; De Barr, L Walker.

6.38pm GMT

France v Sweden team news

Despite having the square root of bugger all to play for, Portugal have picked a very strong side. Maybe this is Club v Country 2: The Revenge.

6.38pm GMT

Spain v Germany team news

Spain (4-3-3) Unai Simon; Sergi Roberto, Ramos, Pau Torres, Gaya; Canales, Rodri, Koke; Dani Olmo, Morata, F Torres.
Substitutes: De Gea, Kepa, Cucurella, Inigo Martinez, Llorente, Gerard Moreno, Asensio, Traore, E Garcia, Fabian Ruiz, Oyarzabal, Merino.

6.36pm GMT

Pre-match listening

On this day in 1993, it a went a bit bonkers.. relive it here..https://t.co/WYk7UITccm

6.20pm GMT

Croatia v Portugal team news

Despite having the square root of bugger all to play for, Portugal have picked a pretty strong side.

4.58pm GMT

This is it then: the sixth and final matchday of the 2020 Nations League. There are

nine
eight games tonight and 18 tomorrow (pity the fool who’s doing that Clockwatch), and you don’t need a Brian Moore earworm to know that there’s plenty up for grabs.

The biggest game is in Seville: Spain v Germany, which will decide who qualifies for next year’s Nations League finals alongside France, Belgium or Denmark and one of Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. Spain have home advantage but Germany have the draw.

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Published on November 17, 2020 13:41

The Fiver | The speed with which elite footballers are becoming unavailable

The Fiver might be in its mid-forties, with a BMI to match, but we’re not giving up our dream of becoming a professional footballer just yet. The speed with which elite players are becoming unavailable means there could yet be a surge in demand for our unique brand of languorous false 90. Of course, there are two main reasons for this: Covid-19, and football’s decision to undertake an impromptu physiological study in an attempt to discover how long elite athletes can survive in the red zone before their muscles start screaming for mercy. At the time of phoning this tea-time email in, the list of unavailable Premier League players on the Fantasy Football Scout website is – and you’ll like this – 21 pages long.

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Published on November 17, 2020 08:21

November 15, 2020

Belgium 2-0 England: Nations League – as it happened

Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens scored in the first 25 minutes as Belgium ended England’s hopes of reaching the Nations League finals

10.07pm GMT

That’s it for tonight’s blog. I’m off to dream of Jack Grealish, but I’ll leave you with David Hytner’s match report and Barney Ronay’s piece on England’s selection. Goodnight!

10.05pm GMT

“Grealish was sensational in his willingness to accept the ball whatever the situation,” says Peter Hemington. “Surely we need to treasure that. But the numbers in support of him in attacking areas just weren’t there, despite Belgium sitting back in the second half. 3-4-3 with five defenders in the team is not a confident selection. We have the players to do much better. C’mon Gareth, you can do it!”

10.04pm GMT

Here’s Gareth Southgate

“The scoreline does feel harsh. We don’t like losing football matches but I’ve got to give enormous credit to the players. Right the way through the game we created problems with the ball and defended resiliently. I feel we were excellent.

9.57pm GMT

“More shots, more possession and more corners?” says Niall Mullen. “Are you saying that England won the real quiz?”

9.49pm GMT

Here’s Harry Kane

“I think we were dominant today and were unlucky to concede the two goals. The first was a deflection and I don’t think the second was a foul. From there we dominated but we couldn’t find the end product. If we play like this going forward we’ll win the majority of our games.

9.45pm GMT

“‘Jack Grealish was sensational in the second half - but struggled to create clear chances’,” sniffs Neil Ashby. “That’s because, as usual, he was sensational near the halfway line where the opposition let him produce no end result - nothing special for me, World XI is an absolute joke.”

No, it’s because he produced what are now known as pre-assists, mainly by playing through balls down the inside-left channel. His ability to receive and keep the ball in tight areas reminds me a bit of Zinedine Zidane, the player Sir Alex Ferguson said “doesn’t really hurt you”. Clearly he’s not at the same level, but he has similar qualities. The other thing is that - newsflash - sometimes sport is about pure joy rather than scorelines and pass-completion stats and xbloodyG. And watching Grealish today - especially the backflick to beat Meunier - made me happy. At least until I opened my inbox after the game.

9.37pm GMT

Denmark 2-1 Iceland An injury-time penalty from Christian Eriksen has (probably) given Denmark victory in Copenhagen, which means their match against Belgium on Wednesday will decide who goes to the Nations League finals.

9.37pm GMT

Peep peep! England will not be playing in next year’s Nations League finals. They were picked off by an efficient Belgian side, who took an early lead through Youri Tielemans and never really looked like losing it. Dries Mertens made it 2-0 with a delightful free-kick after 24 minutes, and that was pretty much that.

England did plenty of decent things - Jack Grealish was magical in the second half - but struggled to create clear chances. There are plenty of things for Gareth Southgate to think about in the next few months, not least whether he can fit Grealish, Kane, Sterling and Rashford into the same team.

9.35pm GMT

90+1 min “Grealish looks effortlessly calm on the ball and poses a real threat to Belgium with his creativity but I’m not sure Southgate will now have the courage to put him in the starting line-up next summer,” says Colum Fordham. “Definitely prefer him playing on the left. Technically, he’s streets ahead of the other England players.”

I think he’ll become undroppable between now and June. He looks like a player who is taking a shortcut to greatness. On current form he’d be in contention for a World XI, never mind England.

9.35pm GMT

90 min Lukaku almost makes it 3-0 on the break. He ran into space down the right, cut inside Dier and slapped a curling shot that drifted a few yards wide of the far post.

9.32pm GMT

89 min Iceland have equalised in Copenhagen! That means Belgium will qualify tonight if it stays like this in both games.

9.32pm GMT

89 min Yet another neat pass from Grealish finds Kane, whose cutback is cleared by Denayer. Grealish and Kane have linked up really well at times.

9.31pm GMT

88 min “What are u on about?” says Andrew O’Sullivan. “Eric Dier belongs no where near this team. England are finishing third behind Denmark with players such as Kane, Grealish, Sancho, Maddison, Mount at his disposal. Come on man, call a spade a spade.”

Don’t tempt me.

9.30pm GMT

87 min Witsel wafts over the bar from the right side of the area.

9.30pm GMT

87 min De Bruyne waves a stunning 60-yard pass with the outside of the foot to find Meunier on the right. Nothing comes of it, but it would have been a sackable offence not to mention the pass.

9.29pm GMT

86 min Kane releases Sancho on the right side of the area. He decides not to shoot - don’t ask me why - and his low cross is cleared.

9.28pm GMT

85 min Grealish runs at the defence and slips in Saka, whose low cross towards Kane is crucially intercepted by Vertonghen. Saka then goes over and appeals for a penalty. The referee isn’t interested and replays are inconclusive.

9.28pm GMT

85 min “Hi Rob,” says Will Lane. “Even with Rashford, Sterling etc available England are too one-dimensional in this system when playing Henderson and Rice in the midfield two. With the first choice XI it is very much ‘sit deep, knock it long for the speedsters to run on to a Kane flick-on’.

“That’s fine, and has worked at times, but when it doesn’t it looks boring and flat (see tonight, Denmark). The other issue is that in the current system the midfield two are essentially redundant beyond sitting deep to protect our brittle defence. So why not try just one of Henderson and Rice and dropping Mount/Grealish/Other back to midfield to offer more thrust?”

9.26pm GMT

83 min The goalscorer Dries Mertens is replaced by Dennis Praet.

9.25pm GMT

82 min After another good run from Grealiush, Kane cuts inside two defenders and rifles a long-range shot that swerves well wide.

9.23pm GMT

79 min Grealish, 30 yards from own goal, loses Meunier with an outrageous, cushioned backheel over his own shoulder and sets off on the counter-attack. Eventually Kane’s cross takes a deflection and lands on the roof of the net. The skill from Grealish was glorious.

9.20pm GMT

77 min: Good save from Pickford! Lukaku almost finished England off on the break. He knocked the ball in behind for Mertens, ran onto the return and hammered a low shot that Pickford saved with his legs.

9.18pm GMT

75 min Rice wins the ball off Witsel 30 yards from goal but then a) picks the wrong pass (to Grealish rather than Kane) and b) overhits it.

9.16pm GMT

73 min If it stays like this, Belgium will play Denmark in a winner-takes-all match on Wednesday.

9.13pm GMT

70 min “Not particularly (59 min),” says Alan Hempton, “but I’d feel a lot safer with that back four than adding Eric Dier in the mix as a third centre half!”

Touché. I don’t really see the appeal of Dier at centre half either, although I have this nagging thought that Gareth Southgate and Jose Mourinho are probably better judges of a defender than I am.

9.13pm GMT

69 min A double change for England: Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jadon Sancho replace Mason Mount and Kieran Trippier. That looks like a switch to 4-2-3-1: Grealish left, Sancho right, Kane behind Calvert-Lewin.

9.10pm GMT

67 min Walker’s long-range stinger is blocked by a combination of Tielemans and Denayer.

9.09pm GMT

67 min This has been a very efficient performance from Belgium, who haven’t really dominated at any stage of the match. They would argue, not unreasonably, that they haven’t needed to get out of second gear.

9.09pm GMT

66 min Trippier is back on.

9.08pm GMT

65 min Trippier looks pretty groggy and is being helped to the touchline.

9.07pm GMT

63 min “Some thoughts about the two midfielders chosen,” says Chris Stevenson. “Both Rice and Henderson are good players in a different formation, but in this role you need players who can play on the half turn and receive the ball under pressure and thread it through to the front three efficiently, not just receive and go backwards or sideways slowly. Playing these two virtually negates being able to play through the middle of the pitch limiting our options. Winks is good in this role, it suits Phillips better than Rice and Mount can do it, but possibly doesn’t have the discipline you need against a top team.”

Phillips is an interesting option. I haven’t seen enough of him to categorically announce that he is the second coming, but he has different qualities to all the other midfielders.

9.06pm GMT

62 min Hazard accidentally backheels Tripper in the face after being knocked up in the air himself. Trippier is down but I’m sure he’ll be fine.

9.04pm GMT

61 min Grealish teases two defenders just inside the area, where he knows they can’t touch him, and then cracks a decent shot that flies a few yards over the bar.

9.03pm GMT

59 min This is England’s best spell of the match. Rice plays a crisp pass into Mount, who takes it nicely in his stride on the edge of the area but then runs into trouble.

9.02pm GMT

59 min “Hi Rob,” says Alan Hempton. “Can’t agree with your assertion that playing a back four is risky if you don’t have a world-class centre half. Most countries don’t have a world-class centre half, and more play with a back four than don’t. Picking a balanced back four which can cover each other’s weaknesses seems the way to go. Mings has been good on the left, so pick the most reliable right-footer and we’re good to go.”

When I said ‘world-class’, I was being polite. Let’s say you have a back four of James/Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Maguire (or Mings) and Chilwell, with protection from Rice and Henderson. Would you feel safe with that? I can understand Southgate’s slight caution, especially when he has all his forwards (and wing-backs, who are important in this system) available.

9.01pm GMT

57 min A lovely backflick from Mount finds Kane on the edge of the area. He can’t quite the ball out of his feet, though, and his low shot is saved comfortably by Courtois.

9.00pm GMT

56 min Saka goes over after a challenge from Menuier, who has just been booked. The referee decides it wasn’t a foul; had he given it, Meunier would probably have been sent off.

8.59pm GMT

55 min Kane lands painfully on his back after a shove from Denayer. Belgium have been quite rough with England tonight. He’s okay to continue.

8.57pm GMT

54 min Trippier’s free-kick hits one of the England players in the wall, Mings I think.

8.57pm GMT

54 min Grealish is tripped this far outside the area by Meunier, and he is also booked. Grealish is pure class; I’m not interested in the alternative viewpoint.

8.55pm GMT

52 min Mount’s free-kick goes miles over the bar. He’s a good player but he’s been really poor tonight.

8.54pm GMT

51 min Kane is fouled just outside the area by Alderweireld, who is booked. Belgium’s players think there was a foul on Witsel just before that and are surrounding the referee. I think they have a point.

8.52pm GMT

49 min “Even that makes no sense,” says Julian Menz, who isn’t letting this one go. “Two inside forwards, both lacking in pace, relying on the fullbacks to provide width, with two holding midfielders sitting deep, leaving a donut hole in the midfield. You mentioned the lack of top CBs, but if Southgate wants to accommodate two holding midfielders, he really has to revert to 4-3-3, with one of Grealish, Mount or Foden at the top of the midfield three.”

I don’t agree that Grealish lacks pace. He’s not blistering but he’s not slow – look at the third goal at Arsenal last weekend. I guess we’re not going to agree on this, so maybe it’s time to settle our differences like real men, on Twitter.

8.51pm GMT

48 min Grealish is fouled for the 24th time tonight. He’s had a good game I think.

8.50pm GMT

47 min England almost give Belgium another goal. Walker’s poor pass is intercepted by Mertens on the halfway line. He finds Lukaku, who finds De Bruyne, who drags a shot well wide.

8.48pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! Belgium begin the second half.

8.47pm GMT

England have made a half-time substitution, but it’s not the one we expected: Harry Winks is on for Jordan Henderson.

8.47pm GMT

“Rob, wasn’t the match in England decided on a dodgy penalty and a deflected goal?” says Karl Debbaut. “Just saying.”

Aye, it was. I should stress I have no dog in this fight - I just don’t think England have played that badly.

8.46pm GMT

“England won against Belgium last time slightly fortuitously,” says Felix Wood. “Looks like they’ll lose this time slightly unluckily. These are the fine margins that show that actually they’re now at the top table - no more heroic failure. International success is always tiny, tiny what-ifs either way. On the free kick - a mistake from the ref, but frankly an understandable one. Rice fouls more than he wins the ball. Absolute bobbins he is.”

That pay-off is the most unexpected twist I’ve seen since the Usual Suspects: positivity all the way and then a sudden evisceration of poor old Declan Rice. It’s almost Hitchcockian.

8.41pm GMT

“I understand what you mean Rob (33 min), but that free-kick was just a yard or two outside the penalty area,” says Keith Sanderson. “What if that had been a striker that had used his hand to knock the ball past the defender and neither the ref nor the linesman had seen it, would you just say, tough luck? So long as it‘s applied with common sense and by competent people, it could benefit the game.”

The problem is, where do you draw the line? You can’t check everything. Do you go back to check the free-kick only if a goal is scored. That would be absurd. In principle I agree with you – it happened with France’s first goal in the World Cup final as well - but I’m just not sure how it would work in practice.

8.37pm GMT

“England,” says Gary Naylor, “are playing like Leicester City without Jamie Vardy.”

I think you’re all being a wee bit harsh. England have had more shots, more possession and more corners. Don’t get me wrong, I would have started with Sancho, but I’ve seen far worse performances than this.

8.36pm GMT

Half-time reading

8.35pm GMT

Peep peep! England are going out of the Nations League. They haven’t played badly, and Belgium had a bit of good fortune with both their goals, but it’s hard to see a way back from here. Youri Tielemans’s low shot took a decisive deflection off Tyrone Mings, and then a dubious free-kick was curled majestically into the net by Dries Mertens.

8.32pm GMT

45+1 min “I don’t want to be all doom and gloom, but this formation rubs me the wrong way in so many ways,” says Benjamin Park. “Our strength lies mostly in attack, while our midfield is also not bad. What we’re doing is sacrificing an A grade attack, so that our B- defence becomes a B. We get run over in midfield and run over in defence, because we don’t play a style that lets us keep the ball. We’ve got some great technical players and should use them far more. I’ll stop my ranting here before my own text causes an aneurysm.”

I know what you mean, but a back four would be a bit risky given the lack of a world-class centre-half.

8.31pm GMT

45 min Two added minutes.

8.30pm GMT

44 min: Good save from Courtois! Mount finds Kane in the inside-left channel in the penalty area. He wriggles away from Denayer and forces a shot that is blocked at the near post by the well positioned Courtois. The resulting corner is headed a few uyards wide by Mount.

8.25pm GMT

40 min “Rob, this only goes to show how overrated Premier League is with all its players,” says Jukka Itäkylä. Just bare it down to only British - let alone English – and you’ve got nothing left at all.”

I’m all for jumping to conclusions, but cancelling English football on the basis of a deflected goal and a dodgy free-kick, in a match where they are without half their first choice XI, feels slightly excessive.

8.24pm GMT

38 min Chilwell isn’t okay to continue: he has been replaced by Bukayo Saka. It looks like the dreaded muscle injury for Chilwell.

8.23pm GMT

37 min “The point Jamie Carragher made about England’s lack of pace is one of the reasons I wouldn’t have played two central midfielders on the flanks,” says Julian Menz.

They’re not really playing on the flanks – they’re more like old-fashioned inside forwards. I’d argue Grealish isn’t really a central midfielder anyway; he has barely played in that position for Villa in the Premier League.

8.22pm GMT

35 min Ben Chilwell is receiving treatment for something or other. I think he’s okay to continue.

8.20pm GMT

34 min After a neat touch from Kane, Grealish’s deflected cutback from the byline is volleyed over by Mount at the near post. He did well to get in front of Alderweireld but couldn’t control the shot with his left foot.

8.19pm GMT

33 min “That second goal is the sort of clear-cut decision for which VAR should be used,” says Keith Sanderson. “I can understand why the referee saw it the other way in real-time, but the decision is shown, in the replay, to be incorrect.”

I know what you mean, but you can’t use VAR for everything. You could theoretically use it for all fouls within 30 yards of goal, but what happens if a wrongly awarded free-kick 35 yards out is belted into the top corner? I’m not sure there’s a satisfactory solution.

8.17pm GMT

31 min Alderweireld shoves Grealish over, another example of the slightly rough treatment he has received. He’s played pretty well, as has Kane, though Mount has been quiet.

8.15pm GMT

30 min “Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “In Dries Mertens’ case, football really has come home.”

8.14pm GMT

29 min England win a corner on the right. Trippier curls it in and Mertens clears.

8.12pm GMT

27 min It’s a long way back for England. They can’t really afford a draw tonight, never mind a defeat.

8.10pm GMT

That’s a lovely moment for a player whose family home is only 500 yards away from the stadium. The free-kick was 22 yards out, to the left of centre, and Mertens whipped a beautiful curling shot over the wall and into the net. Pickford had no chance. England will feel hard done by - it wasn’t a foul in my opinion - but what can you do.

8.08pm GMT

Dries Mertens makes it 2-0 with a classic free-kick!

8.08pm GMT

22 min De Bruyne is fouled just outside the area by Rice. At least the referee thought as much; it looked a fair tackle to me.

8.03pm GMT

18 min On Sky Sports, Jamie Carragher makes the good point that the goal came in part because of the relative lack of pace in England’s front three. That means Belgium can defend higher up the field, and Vertonghen won the ball off Mount just inside the England half. It’s one of the reasons I would have played Sancho ahead of Mount.

8.00pm GMT

15 min Denmark lead Iceland 1-0 in the other match in this group. Back in Leuven, the lively Grealish has a 20-yard shot blocked by Denayer.

7.59pm GMT

14 min Good game, this.

7.57pm GMT

11 min England almost equalise straight away - not once but twice. Trippier’s low cross from the right is turned towards goal by Grealish, and Alderweireld makes a terrific block. From the resulting corner, Kane’s header is cleared off the line brilliantly by Lukaku! The header beat Courtois but Lukaku ran behind him and headed it off the line.

7.56pm GMT

The goal stemmed from a risky pass out of defence from Dier. Vertonghen nipped in front of Mount to win the ball and set Belgium on the attack. Mertens and Lukaku moved the ball across to Tielemans, whose long-range strike took two deflections - one off Rice and a bigger one off Mings - and went in off the near post. Pickford got a slight touch on it, but he was at full stretch and couldn’t keep it out. It certainly wasn’t a goalkeeping mistake.

7.54pm GMT

Belgium score with their first shot on goal!

7.54pm GMT

9 min Grealish is fouled again, this time by Alderweireld. He is so good at receiving the ball in tight areas.

7.51pm GMT

7 min It’s been a lively start to the game, which clearly means a lot to both teams. I must say, the Nations League has been a much bigger success than I expected.

7.50pm GMT

5 min Denayer fouls Grealish on the right wing. Trippier swings the free-kick into the area, where an England player is penalised for a foul on Vertonghen.

7.48pm GMT

2 min A good effort from Harry Kane. Grealish found him 40 yards from goal with a nice little pass. Kane rumbled towards the penalty area, held off Denayer and drove a low shot from 20 yards that drifted a few yards wide.

7.45pm GMT

1 min Peep peep! England kick off from right to left.

7.40pm GMT

Here come the players. It’s a clear, cool night in Leuven, perfect for some high-class association football.

7.38pm GMT

“Kevin De Bruyne was ill the last time out?” says Peter Oh. “I can picture him putting a sick free kick past Pickford tonight.”

Ho-honk!

7.34pm GMT

“As a 58-year-old Man Utd fan I grew up watching the Reds v Liverpool in the 70s and 80s with such respect for the Liverpool keeper...” says Nigel Humphriss. “I ended up having his famous yellow England jersey with black stripes down the sleeve and thinking I was him! He was a true gent and an amazing ambassador for the game.... from football fans all over the world, love to his family and friends. A true gent of the game, taken way too soon from us all.. RIP Clem.”

7.33pm GMT

“Greetings from Belgium,” says Karl Debbaut, before swiftly getting down to brass tacks. “De Bruyne is going to be on fire. In the last game against England he was, as he admitted, a bit ill. We are hoping for a convincing win.”

7.27pm GMT

“Where is Raheem Steeling?” says Robert Lin. “I thought he was in the squad.”

He is but he’s suffered an unspecified injury.

7.19pm GMT

“I’d like to see one of Mount and Grealish start in a central position (8/10, whatever),” says Julian Menz. “Does any team really need Henderson AND Rice?”

I’d say most teams do, especially for such a tough away game. You could argue that three centre-backs and two workers is one too many, but it’s fairly common these days. I also think Mount and Grealish will wander and that their average position will be pretty central – don’t forget that Mount, who was nominally playing on the right, scored the winner against Belgium in the inside-left channel. We’ll soon find out!

6.55pm GMT

There was some very sad news earlier: the former England goalkeeper Ray Clemence has died at the age of 72. He won 61 caps between 1972-83, many of them while in a slightly odd rotation system with Peter Shilton. He also won trophies galore with Liverpool and Spurs, including five league titles. And by all accounts he was a thoroughly good bloke.

6.54pm GMT

“Mount and Grealish start, yes,” says Julian Menz. “But neither of them start where they should be playing. Square pegs, round holes etc...”

Really? It looks like the perfect position for Grealish to me, and Mount can play any attacking position except centre forward. I’d have preferred Sancho to Mount but I still think he can play that position.

6.33pm GMT

Jack Grealish starts a competitive international for the first time, and has the chance to reinforce the feeling that England have stumbled upon a top, top playmaker. Mason Mount is also included, which means Jadon Sancho is only on the bench.

Grealish’s inclusion is one of six changes from the Nations League defeat to Denmark last month: Dier, Mings, Trippier, Chilwell and Henderson also return, with Coady, Maguire, James, Phillips, Maitland-Niles and Rashford missing out. Most of that six are injured or suspended, though Maitland-Niles is among the subs.

5.04pm GMT

Hello. Between November 2015 and June 2016, England beat all four teams that would go on to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2016. Then, when it really mattered, England lost to Iceland. It felt like the perfect insight into a team that for decades had been all hat and no cattle.

That has changed a bit in the last couple of years. The old inferiority complex hasn’t gone completely, but it’s far less powerful than it once was. Under Gareth Southgate, England have reached a World Cup semi-final and, just as importantly, beaten some of the world’s best teams in competitive matches. They have won Nations League fixtures against Spain, Croatia and Belgium and, while it’s easy to say it’s only the Nations League, it’s a step up from winning a friendly. And it should be a stepping stone to beating top-class opposition at a European Championship or World Cup.

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Published on November 15, 2020 14:07

November 14, 2020

Manchester United 2-2 Manchester City: Women's Super League – as it happened

A screamer from Tobin Heath helped the leaders United recover from a first-half hammering to earn a point in a pulsating Manchester derby

2.49pm GMT

And here’s the City manager Gareth Taylor

“We’re a bit disappointed. We were so in control in the first half, we absolutely bossed the game and could have been three or four ahead. We didn’t implement our game enough in the second period. They scored a goal from nothing and they looked dangerous from set-plays. It feels like two points dropped, especially with the position we were in.

2.43pm GMT

Here’s the extremely impressive Casey Stoney “I take full responsibility for the first half - I think I got the press wrong. I had to change that and make sure we pressed differently because they were picking us off. The players were incredible. I said to them just now that I’m more proud of them today than I was last week because of the mentality shift - last year we might have folded at 2-0 down. In the end we were unfortunate not to win it.

“Kirsty Hanson was brilliant. That’s why we call our substitutes ‘gamechangers’ - whether they come in to make us solid or give the opposition more problems, time and again they come on and change the game. What a finish from Tobin Heath - it’s world class and that’s why we sign these players. No keeper will save that.”

2.30pm GMT

That was a cracking Manchester derby. It was also a game of two distinct 45-minute segments. City were sensational in the first half and more than deserved their 2-0 lead, with Chloe Kelly and Laura Coombs scoring excellent goals.

United’s response to such extreme adversity was thoroughly admirable. A violent finish from Tobin Heath got them back in the game, and the substitute Kirsty Hanson scored the equaliser with 16 minutes remaining. United might even have won it, with Lucy Staniforth having a header cleared off the line in the final minute. That would have been desperately unfair on City.

2.26pm GMT

Peeeep peeeeep!

2.25pm GMT

90+3 min Ninety seconds remaining. It’s starting to look like a draw.

2.23pm GMT

90+1 min There will be four added minutes. It’s been a pulsating second half.

2.23pm GMT

90 min: Stokes clears off the line! United almost snatched victory. Another superb inswinging corner from Galton was headed towards goal by Staniforth on the six-yard line. Roebuck was beaten but Stokes chested it away and Walsh completed the clearance.

2.21pm GMT

89 min James is fouled by Greenwood onthe right-hand side, 35 yards from goal. Staniforth’s free-kick is headed behind by the tireless Mewis.

2.20pm GMT

88 min City make their third substitution: Georgia Stanway is replaced by Jess Park.

2.19pm GMT

86 min Stanway and Mewis have shots blocked in quick succession. I’ve got a hunch there will be a late winner, though I’ve no idea at which end.

2.17pm GMT

85 min Hanson’s long-range shot is comfortably held by Roebuck.

2.17pm GMT

85 min Another City change: the goalscorer Laura Coombs is replaced by Caroline Weir.

2.16pm GMT

83 min Galton’s corner is headed away authoritatively at the near post by Houghton (I think).

2.15pm GMT

83 min Batlle’s cross is headed behind by Houghton. It’s impossible to call a winner; both teams still look dangerous going forward.

2.12pm GMT

80 min Beckie misses a half-chance for City, dragging a loose ball wide from 12 yards after a touch from Mewis.

2.10pm GMT

77 min This match is yet more evidence of Casey Stoney’s managerial excellence. United were outplayed to an almost humiliating degree in the first half; their response, presumably inspired by Stoney’s half-time team-talk, has been seriously impressive.

2.08pm GMT

76 min City make their first substitution - Ellen White is replaced by Janine Beckie.

2.07pm GMT

The substitute Kirsty Hanson has equalised! It came from Galton’s corner, which hit an unsighted City defender and rebounded to Hanson in the six-yard box. Her first shot was brilliantly blocked by Roebuck but Hanson battered the rebound into the net.

2.06pm GMT

United are level!

2.05pm GMT

73 min: Great block! Galton’s excellent corner is punched away to Millie Turner, whose snapvolley from eight yards is crucially blocked by Mewis.

2.04pm GMT

72 min Hanson charges into the area from the right and wins a corner for United. Galton comes across to take it...

2.03pm GMT

71 min The goalscorer Tobin Heath is replaced by Lucy Staniforth.

2.03pm GMT

70 min James has been very lively since coming on. United could easily grab a point here, which was unthinkable after the first-half battering.

2.02pm GMT

69 min: Just wide from Stanway! What a brilliant effort that was. Kelly gets away from Millie Turner on the right and hammers an excellent cross towards the far post. Stanway gets across Batlle, 12 yards out, and volleys this far wide.

2.00pm GMT

68 min James controls the ball deftly, cuts back outside Greenwood and hammers over the bar from 20 yards. The first part was excellent, the second not so much.

1.57pm GMT

64 min Heath teases Bronze and squares the ball to James in the area. She wriggles away from Houghton but slips in the act of shooting; Roebuck makes a comfortable save.

1.53pm GMT

61 min The BT Sport feed has returned, just in time to see Ellen White blast a volley over the bar from close range. That was a pretty good chance. Moments later, Bronze’s shot is comfortably saved by Earps.

1.51pm GMT

58 min We’re still having problems I’m afraid, so I have no idea what has happened in the last few minutes. I do know that United have brought on Lauren James for Christen Press, who had a quiet game.

1.51pm GMT

United have started the second half well and now they’re back in the game. They pressed City fiercely from a goalkick and it had the desired effect, with Bronze playing a loose square pass that went straight to Heath just inside the area. She let the ball run across her body and scorched a rising drive past Roebuck. What a finish!

1.46pm GMT

Pick that out!

1.44pm GMT

51 min I’m afraid we’re having a few technical problems. On the plus side, you haven’t missed any signification action.

1.41pm GMT

47 min I forgot to say that United have made a half-time substitution, with Kirsty Hanson replacing Jessica Sigsworth.

1.39pm GMT

46 min Press is booked for a foul on Greenwood.

1.38pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! City get the second half under way.

1.22pm GMT

Peep peep! That was - cliche alert - a bit of a reality check for United, who were totally outplayed and trail to a couple of fine goals from Chloe Kelly and Laura Coombs. City, who played with murderous purpose, could be four or five ahead.

1.19pm GMT

45+3 min Kelly is booked for a late tackle on Galton.

1.18pm GMT

That was a blistering finish. Mewis had a long-range shot blocked by Amy Turner, but Coombs picked up the loose ball on the edge of the area and hammered a rising drive past Earps. United will be aggrieved that Kelly was offside in the build-up, though in a broader sense they can have no complaints about the scoreline.

1.17pm GMT

Laura Coombs hammers City into a two-goal lead!

1.15pm GMT

44 min White’s driven cross is pushed away desperately by the diving Earps, with Stanway waiting behind her to score.

1.13pm GMT

43 min Kelly’s dangerous low cross isn’t properly cleared by Amy Turner, and Ellen White’s close-range shot is blocked by the keeper Earps.

1.10pm GMT

39 min Another terrific inswinging corner from Greenwood bounces across the face of goal and reaches Houghton, whose shot is desperately blocked in the six-yard box.

1.07pm GMT

37 min United have calmed things down a little, though City are still the better team. Casey Stoney will be desperate for her team to get to half-time only one goal behind.

1.05pm GMT

34 min A good attack from United. Press wins the ball off Houghton, then twists her inside out on the left side of the area before clipping a cross that just evades Toone and Sigsworth on the six-yard line.

1.04pm GMT

33 min Earps is okay to continue.

1.02pm GMT

31 min Earps was injured in making that save from Stanway. There’s a break in play while she receives treatment.

1.01pm GMT

30 min: Stanway misses a great chance! City should already be out of sight. Coombs ran at a backpedalling United defence and slipped a fine through pass to Stanway. She moved into the area but then overran the ball, which allowed Earps to come out and smother the shot.

1.00pm GMT

29 min City have played with such intensity, with and without the ball, that United are struggling to cope.

12.59pm GMT

27 min Yet another chance for City! Stokes runs on to a good return pass from Coombs and drives a low cross that is missed at the near post by White. It runs on to Kelly, whose goalbound shot is blocked by Galton.

12.54pm GMT

23 min A deep, inswinging corner from Greenwood is headed onto the roof of the net by Mewis. It was a good effort from a very tight angle, and yet another near miss for City.

12.53pm GMT

22 min United really need half-time. Already.

12.52pm GMT

21 min Earps gives away a corner on the right; the last one led to City’s opening goal. Greenwood’s excellent inswinger is punched away by Earps and volleyed clear by Press.

12.51pm GMT

20 min A desperate headed clearance goes only as far as Stokes on the edge of the area. She chests the ball forward and cracks a left-footed shot just over the bar. City could easily be 3-0 up already; they’ve been magnificent.

12.50pm GMT

19 min Amy Turner makes a vital block! It started with a cross from Kelly that bounced around the area. Mewis’s shot hit Millie Turner in the six-yard box and then Bronze’s ferocious follow-up was blocked by Amy Turner.

12.48pm GMT

17 min There’s a break in play while Amy Turner receives treatment, which allows Tobin Heath to get the other nine players in a huddle and give them a pep talk. United have been second best so far.

12.47pm GMT

16 min City appeal unsuccessfully for a penalty when Amy Turner challenges White in the area. She definitely got the ball, though some would argue she went through White to get to it. I thought it was a good challenge.

12.45pm GMT

14 min City are well on top at the moment. Stanway v Batlle, in particular, looks a bit of a mismatch.

12.44pm GMT

13 min Stanway is fouled just outside the area on the left by Batlle, who has made a poor start to the game. Greenwood’s free-kick is punched away by Earps.

12.41pm GMT

10 min Almost a second goal for City! Stanway played a lovely one-two with Mewis and flashed the ball right across the six-yard box.

12.40pm GMT

Greenwood’s inswinging corner led to an almighty scramble in the United area. They couldn’t get the ball away, despite multiple attempts, and eventually Kelly nipped in front of Toone to flick the ball past Earps from six yards. That was a really clever finish.

12.39pm GMT

Chloe Kelly gives City the lead!

12.38pm GMT

8 min After a loose pass out of defence by the keeper Earps, Kelly’s cross is put behind by Millie Turner for the first corner of the game.

12.36pm GMT

5 min: Just wide from Toone! That was a fine break from United. Galton found Heath, who made progress down the left and then picked out Toone on the edge of the area. She controlled the ball and hit an instant lofted shot that drifted just wide of the far post. Roebuck wouldn’t have saved it had it been on target.

12.35pm GMT

4 min: Stanway hits the side netting. That was half a chance for City. Mewis overhit a pass towards Stanway that looked to be going out for a goalkick. Batlle kept the ball in play - and in the process gave it to Stanway, who cut inside and dragged a shot into the side-netting.

12.34pm GMT

3 min Ladd’s long-range shot is comfortably held by Roebuck. United have made a decent start.

12.33pm GMT

2 min Press picks up the ball just past the halfway line surges straight at the heart of the City defence. Shet gets past Houghton but is blocked off by Greenwood, which allows Roebuck to come and collect.

12.31pm GMT

1 min Peeeeeep peeeeep! Christen Press gets the game under way for United, who are kicking from left to right as we watch.

12.30pm GMT

The players emerge on a chilly afternoon in Leigh. It’s time for the Manchester derby.

12.20pm GMT

Gareth Taylor’s pre-match thoughts “We’ve had a full week’s training which has allowed us to focus on this game. We just need to play our game - stick to the processes that have made us successful this season. Nothing changes.”

12.18pm GMT

Casey Stoney’s pre-match thoughts “Today won’t define our season but it’s important that we put on a good performance. We want to show what we’re capable of today. I’d argue City are still favourites - very much established, the squad depth they’ve got is unbelievable. This is only our third season so the expectation will be on them. But I think we need to start putting expectation on ourselves and ensure the levels are as high as they were last week.”

12.06pm GMT

This is only the second Manchester derby in the WSL. City won 1-0 at the Etihad on the opening day of last season; the return fixture in March was cancelled because of Covid-19.

11.42am GMT

Pre-match reading

Has anyone used the phrase “noisy neighbours” yet?

11.33am GMT

If you want to know how good these teams are, look at the substitutes never mind the first XIs. Katie Zelem, Lauren James, Lucy Staniforth, Rose Lavelle, Janine Beckie and Caroline Weir are all on the bench.

Man Utd (4-2-3-1) Earps, Batlle, A Turner, M Turner, Galton; Ladd, Groenen; Sigsworth, Toone, Heath; Press.
Substitutes: Ramsey, Okvist, Staniforth, Zelem, James, Hanson, Ross.

11.12am GMT

Hello. Women’s Football Weekend could barely have a more exciting opening fixture: Manchester United v Manchester City from Leigh Sports Village. It’s 1st v 5th, which would have sounded about right at the start of the season – except everybody would have the teams the other way round. Casey Stoney’s United are top of the WSL after a brilliant start to the season that includes a draw with the champions Chelsea and a famous win over Arsenal last weekend.

Gareth Taylor’s star-studded City took a while to get going, though they demolished Bristol City 8-1 last weekend and a win would take them to within two points of United. It would also temporarily quieten those who think the Big Three are in the process of becoming Four. But if United win, that chatter will only increase.

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Published on November 14, 2020 06:53

Golden Goal: Terry Gibson for Manchester United v Arsenal (1987) | Rob Smyth

A violent game remembered for a spectacular rampage by Norman Whiteside had a poignant footnote

Not every golden goal has to glister. One of the most euphoric moments of Terry Gibson’s career was a tap-in from eight yards in a match his team would probably have won anyway. After a year of incessant frustration, it was his first goal for Manchester United – and, as it turned out, his last.

Gibson was marginalised almost as soon as he was signed by Ron Atkinson, who was subsequently replaced by Sir Alex Ferguson in November 1986. Two months later, Gibson made one and scored in injury-time to secure a violent 2-0 win over the league leaders Arsenal. Not for the last time, they left Old Trafford bristling with injustice as an unbeaten run – 22 games this time – went up in smoke.

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Published on November 14, 2020 01:10

November 13, 2020

The Fiver | Yes sir, Scotland can boogie

It’s taken 24 years, but The Fiver finally understands how Mark Renton felt during that Archie Gemmill scene in Trainspotting. After decades of hurt, during which it often felt as if it might never happen again, The Fiver finally made sweet, sweet love on Thursday night. But only in the metaphorical sense, by watching an intrepid young Scotland side qualify for Euro 2020, Euro 2021 or whatever the hell it’s going to be called and frankly who cares because Scotland will be playing in it!

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Published on November 13, 2020 07:49

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