Rob Smyth's Blog, page 108

July 11, 2020

Real Valladolid 0-1 Barcelona: La Liga – as it happened

Arturo Vidal's emphatic early goal gave Barcelona an important if unconvincing victory that kept their title chances alive

8.26pm BST

Peep peep! Barcelona keep their slim title hopes alive with a laboured victory over Valladolid. It looked like it would be a comfortable night when Arturo Vidal blasted them ahead in the 15th minute, but their attacking play got worse as the game progressed and Valladolid caused them a few problems in the second half. Gerard Pique was terrific and Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a fine save from the substitute Enes Unal. Thanks for your company, night!

8.23pm BST

90+1 min Sandro’s firm shot from a tight angle is beaten away at the near post by ter Stegen. It was a fairly comfortable save for a keeper of his class, but still an important one.

8.22pm BST

90+1 min Four minutes of added time.

8.21pm BST

90 min Suarez plays a nice one-two-three with Messi, only to fall over in the area.

8.21pm BST

89 min Barcelona look comfortable defensively. Pique has had a fine second half.

8.16pm BST

85 min For the first 20 minutes, Barcelona were electric. Since then they’ve been pedestrian at best.

8.16pm BST

84 min Waldo Rubio’s terrific cross is palmed away unconvicingly by the stretching ter Stegen, who is relieved to see it fall to Jordi Alba rather than a Valladolid player.

8.13pm BST

82 min Valladolid appeal unsuccessfully for a penalty when the ball bounces up to hit the body of Semedo. It did hit his bicep, I think, but it was tight to his body.

8.12pm BST

81 min Waldo’s sharp cutback is cleared as far as Perez, whose shot is blocked by Rakitic.

8.12pm BST

81 min Messi hooks a brilliant pass over the defence to find Suarez on the left. He runs at Moyano and then leaves the ball behind. Suarez has looked well off the pace.

8.11pm BST

80 min Another Valladolid change. Oscar Plano is replaced by Waldo Rubio.

8.09pm BST

78 min Time for a drinks break. Jordi Alba has been booked for dissent.

8.07pm BST

76 min This is a good spell for Barcelona, who are passing the clock down. Rakitic’s corner is headed down by Pique and claimed by Masip. Pique thought he was fouled by Sanchez; the referee didn’t.

8.05pm BST

74 min Barcelona make another change, with Junior Firpo on Busquets.

8.04pm BST

72 min Busquets stabs a good pass to Suarez, who seems to be fouled by the sliding Sanchez on the left side of the area. The referee isn’t interested. I thought that was a penalty, albeit soft.

8.01pm BST

70 min Plano runs at Semedo and wins a corner for Valladolid. It’s taken short to Nacho, whose cross is headed up in the air by the under pressure Unal and cleared by Pique.

7.57pm BST

66 min ter Stegen makes a comfortable diving side from another Unal header. Barcelona are asking for trouble with this listless second-half performance.

7.56pm BST

65 min Kike Perez is booked for a foul on Sergi Roberto.

7.54pm BST

63 min Messi’s free-kick is pushed over the bar by Masip, a relatively comfortable save.

7.53pm BST

61 min Another change for Valladolid: Sandro Ramirez, once of Barcelona, replaces Guardiola.

7.53pm BST

60 min: Excellent save from ter Stegen! The substitutes almost combined to equalise for Valladolid. Hervias’s deep free-kick from the right was headed back across goal by Unal, and ter Stegen dived a long way to his left to push it away.

7.50pm BST

58 min Perez whistles a shot well wide from 25 yards. Valladolid are still well in this game, though, and that looked unlikely after 20 minutes.

7.48pm BST

57 min A double change for Barcelona: Ivan Rakitic and Ronald Araujo replace Lenglet and Riqui Puig.

7.45pm BST

54 min “Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “Expanding on Phil Podolsky’s Wikipedia gander (34 min.), I was delighted to learn that the owner and president of Real Valladolid is none other than Ronaldo (O Fenômeno, the original recipe). It would surely liven things up if he were to somehow amble down from the luxury box, squeeze into a kit and take the pitch as owner-president-player against his old team.”

I bet he could still go past a goalkeeper with a stepover, even now.

7.43pm BST

52 min Unal’s long-range shot kicks up awkwardly in front of ter Stegen, who holds it comfortably nonetheless.

7.42pm BST

51 min It’s quite an open game now, with Valladolid showing more attacking intent since half-time.

7.40pm BST

49 min After good play from Messi and Sergi Roberto, Riqui Puig’s shot takes a slight deflection and is comfortably saved by Masip.

7.38pm BST

47 min Ruben Alcaraz is the other player who has gone off for Valladolid.

7.37pm BST

46 min Valladolid begin the second half.

7.37pm BST

Half-time substitutions

Valladolid Enes Unal and Pablo Hervias on, Joaquin and [redacted] off.

7.20pm BST

Half-time reading

7.19pm BST

Peep peep! A comfortable half for Barcelona, even if there was a whiff of complacency after Arturo Vidal thumped them into the lead in the 15th minute. Semedo and Griezmann missed excellent chances to make it 2-0, while Perez fluffed Valladolid’s only opportunity.

7.16pm BST

45+2 min Busquets stretches to make an important interception just outside the Barcelona area.

7.16pm BST

45+1 min Four minutes of added time.

7.15pm BST

45 min Alcaraz is booked for a nasty tackle on Vidal.

7.12pm BST

42 min A good effort from Messi, who zips away from a couple of defenders and drives a low shot just wide from the edge of the area. In fact it took a deflection off Moyano and Barcelona have a corner. It’s worked nicely by Jordi Alba and Messi, who is tackled desperately on the left side of the area by Guardiola.

7.10pm BST

40 min Lenglet is booked for a foul on Plano.

7.08pm BST

37 min: Chance for Valladolid! That came out of nothing. Masip’s long punt was headed on unwittingly by Lenglet, and suddenly Perez was through on goal. He lumbered into the area, away from Pique, but overran the ball slightly and had to stretch to hit a shot that he miskicked straight at ter Stegen. Perez fell very awkwardly as he stretched for the ball, with his knee getting stuck in the pitch, and he could easily have suffered a serious injury.

7.04pm BST

34 min “Took a gander at Valladolid’s Wikipedia page,” says Phil Podolsky. “Apparently Mr. Ben Arfa is a squad member. Was wondering how he’s been. What a talent. His Wikipedia photo is from the Cannes red carpet for some reason.”

7.01pm BST

32 min Time for a drinks break.

7.01pm BST

30 min Riqui Puig has been very perky in midfield. He burts into the area, onto Messi’s pass, and crosses low towards Griezmann. Masip dives to his right to push the ball away. That was a vital interception, without which Griezmann would have had an open goal.

6.59pm BST

29 min Plano’s long-range shot is blocked by Lenglet. Valladolid have had a bit more of the ball in the last 10 minutes, though Barcelona are still well on top.

6.55pm BST

24 min: Good save from Masip! Barcelona are in total control here. Busquets slices the defence open with a superb angled pass to Semedo, who moves into the area and cracks a shot that is well stopped at the near post by Masip.

6.53pm BST

24 min Raul Garcia is going off injured after a challenge from Vidal. Nacho replaces him.

6.53pm BST

22 min Sergi Guardiola’s speculative long-range shot drifts a few yards wide. Valladolid are struggling to spend any quality time in the Barcelona half.

6.50pm BST

19 min: Griezmann misses a sitter! Barcelona should be 2-0 up. Messi played a good return pass to Semedo, whose low cross somehow found its way to the unmarked Griezmann at the far post. He swung at it with his right foot and missed his kick completely.

6.48pm BST

18 min Jordi Alba fouls Perez just outside the area, to the right of centre. Alcaraz hits a tame free-kick into the wall.

6.46pm BST

It’s been coming. Messi flicks a cute little pass to Vidal, who hammers the bouncing ball across Masip and in off the far post from 15 yards. That’s a fine finish.

6.41pm BST

11 min Griezmann moves into the area on the left, onto a good pass from Jordi Alba, but he can’t decide what to do and the attack peters out.

6.40pm BST

10 min Barcelona are dominating possession; I’d imagine it’s around 70 per cent. Valladolid are very narrow defensively and so far Barcelona haven’t been able to find an eye in the needle.

6.37pm BST

7 min Joaquin plunges his studs into the ankle of Vidal, who spends 30 seconds on the canvas as a result. He seems to be okay.

6.35pm BST

5 min The first chance for Barcelona. Semedo breaks into the area from the right and cuts the ball back to Riqui Puig, who opens his body to sidefoot a first-time shot towards goal. Masip gets down to his right to make a comfortable save.

6.33pm BST

3 min Scratch that, Barcelona are playing 3-5-2 with Sergi Roberto at centre back. Valladolid have started with a midfield diamond.

6.31pm BST

2 min Barcelona’s formation is actually a straight 4-4-2, with Sergi Roberto at right-back, Semedo in front of him and Riqui Puig on the left of midfield.

6.30pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Barcelona, in their yellow away strip, kick off from right to left. Valladolid are wearing purple and white stripes.

6.29pm BST

Valladolid are 14th and almost certain to play in La Liga next season. A win tonight would confirm it.

5.53pm BST

Pre-match reading

5.37pm BST

Luis Suarez, who scored the winner against Espanyol on Wednesday, is only on the bench for Barcelona. They have just seven substitutes, and two of them are goalkeepers.

Valladolid (4-D-2) Masip; Moyano, Olivas, Sanchez, Garcia; Joaquin; San Emeterio, Alcaraz; Perez; Guardiola, Plano.
Substitutes: Caro, Antonito, Alende, Nacho, Matheus, Hervias, Villa, Garcia, Waldo, Sandro, Unal, Miguel.

4.33pm BST

Time is running out for Barcelona. They’re four points behind Real Madrid with three games to go – and Real have the better head-to-head record. That means if Barcelona fail to win at Valladolid tonight, Madrid will have the chance to clinch the title at Granada on Monday.

All Barcelona can do is win their last three games and hope Real fail to win two of theirs. Stranger things have happened in La Liga title races, as Barcelona know from the Johan Cruyff era. It’s a long shot, though, and if Barcelona do fail to win the league their away form will be to blame. They’ve taken only 26 out of 51 available points on the road. They certainly can’t afford to drop any more tonight.

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Published on July 11, 2020 12:26

Watford 2-1 Newcastle United: Premier League – as it happened

Troy Deeney scored two violent penalties as Watford came from behind to earn a vital victory over Newcastle at Vicarage Road

2.45pm BST

2.30pm BST

Here’s more on the news that Norwich have done one from the Premier League

2.25pm BST

Still want more?

2.24pm BST

Peep peep! Watford are six points clear of the relegation places, and tantalisingly close to safety, after their second comeback victory in five days. They were outplayed in the first half by a confident Newcastle, but were much more aggressive after the break and earned a deserved victory through a pair of violent penalties from Troy Deeney.

2.20pm BST

90+2 min Danny Welbeck is replaced by Andre Gray.

2.19pm BST

90 min Hughes is booked for fouling Joelinton. There will be five minutes of added time.

2.18pm BST

89 min Newcastle can’t get out of their own half.

2.15pm BST

86 min Another Newcastle change. Valentino Lazaro comes on for the hobbling Jamaal Lascelles.

2.14pm BST

85 min Tom Cleverley comes on to replace the inimitable Troy Deeney, whose two violent penalties have put Watford ahead.

2.13pm BST

85 min Schar is booked for fouling Hughes, who has been Watford’s best player today.

2.12pm BST

83 min Lascelles makes a marvellous block to deny Deeney a hat-trick. Watford have been excellent since half-time, so much more aggressive.

2.11pm BST

Both Deeney’s penalties contained precisely 0.00 per cent nonsense. Dubravka went the right way, to his right, but it was hit with such power by Deeney that it went straight through him.

2.10pm BST

Deeney smokes it into the net!

2.10pm BST

Manquillo got too tight to Sarr, who rolled him with ease and then fell over when Manquillo tried to pull him back. That was awful defending.

2.09pm BST

80 min: ANOTHER PENALTY TO WATFORD!

2.08pm BST

79 min Two more changes for Newcastle: Nabil Bentaleb and Emil Krafth replace the goalscorer Dwight Gayle and Danny Rose.

2.07pm BST

78 min Sarr’s brilliant deep cross is headed behind by Schar, just in front of Welbeck. That was a vital piece of defending.

2.06pm BST

77 min Fernandez is booked for a foul on Sarr.

2.05pm BST

76 min It’s now Norwich 0-4 Michail Antonio are Carrow Road.

2.04pm BST

74 min Hughes’ inswinging corner is well claimed by Dubravka. Watford look like the likelier winners, though we all remember Romania 98.

2.03pm BST

73 min Hughes goes down in the area after a challenge from Rose. No penalty. It looked like a bit of a dive.

2.01pm BST

72 min A Newcastle substitution: Joelinton replaces Matt Ritchie.

2.00pm BST

71 min If it stays like this Watford will be four points clear of Bournemouth, whose game in hand is at home to Leicester tomorrow.

1.56pm BST

68 min Drinks break.

1.56pm BST

67 min A Dawson own goal is ruled out for an offside against Saint-Maximin.

1.53pm BST

64 min A good effort from Doucoure. He receives a pass from Deeney on the edge of the area, shifts the ball away from Shelvey and scrunches a rising drive that goes a few yards wide.

1.52pm BST

63 min Manquillo is booked for a foul on Sarr.

1.52pm BST

62 min There was a VAR check for a possible handball by Rose when Welbeck’s shot was blocked. It did hit his arm, but he was in the process of falling over and the ball deflected off another defender just in front of him.

1.49pm BST

60 min Watford are the better team now. Sarr and Deeney combine nicely to find Welbeck, whose shot on the turn takes two deflections and loops agonisingly onto the roof of the net.

1.48pm BST

59 min Watford have been in Newcastle’s face a lot more since half-time, and that approach leads to a terrific chance for Deeney. Hughes pressed Fernandez, who gave the ball straight to Deeney. He danced around the recovering Fernandez on the edge of the area but smashed his shot too close to Dubravka. He should have scored.

1.46pm BST

57 min “Rob,” says Mac Millings. “Regarding Neill Brown’s question, and your response, I think you’re both right. At the start of the season, Watford’s ‘attacking’ play was dreadful without Troy, and improved when he returned, but I suspect that’s because he was basically part of a partnership with Deulofeu, before the latter got injured. Deeney has always been better as part of a front two (Exhibit A: his partnership with Odion Ighalo, but also Deulofeu and Vydra). He seems to need a speedy partner running off him, and to thread his underrated passes to.”

1.45pm BST

55 min Michail Antonio has scored a hat-trick for West Ham at Norwich, who will be officially relegated today.

1.42pm BST

53 min At the other end, Gayle’s 20-yard shot is held by the plunging Foster.

1.41pm BST

Troy Deeney inhales extravagantly, runs up and smashes the penalty straight down the middle.

1.40pm BST

Yes, the penalty stands. It was relatively soft but it was a foul.

1.39pm BST

50 min: PENALTY TO WATFORD! Femenia was tripped by Ritchie and, though it will be checked, I think this is a penalty.

1.39pm BST

49 min Newcastle have made a fast start to the second half. Ritchie’s cross from the left comes to Gayle, who lashes the bouncing ball over the bar from 12 yards. It was a difficult ball to keep down.

1.34pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Newcastle begin the second half.

1.25pm BST

“Good evening Rob from dark, cold Melbourne,” says Neill Brown. “This is quite a good game, given that one team could be helping overcrowd a beach somewhere. I don’t watch every Watford game but I’m not convinced that Troy Deeney is mobile enough to lead such a rapid frontline and he might be holding the team back. Interested what you, along with Watford fans, think?”

He looks a bit off the pace, which doesn’t help. Watford fans will know more than me but I think he adds so much to the team when he’s at or near his best. Alternatively, you could just wheel him out once a year for Arsenal (H).

1.24pm BST

“Ah, yes,” says Matt Dony. “‘Newly promoted.’ As you were. I was too excited about being able to make a David Bellion joke, which obviously blinded me to the actual question that had been asked. Petty, childish tribalism does turns us into eejits.”

Speak for yourse- oh.

1.21pm BST

Half-time reading

1.20pm BST

West Ham are now 2-0 up at Norwich. They will be in the Premier League next season.

1.20pm BST

Peep peep! An impressive, confident Newcastle deservedly lead through Dwight Gayle’s tap-in. Watford have been bereft in attack, so maybe we’ll see the exciting Brazilian teenager Joao Pedro in the second half.

1.17pm BST

45+2 min Lascelles is booked for a foul on Doucoure.

1.16pm BST

45 min Three minutes of added time.

1.14pm BST

43 min Capoue’s free-kick from the right leads to an almighty scramble, with Dawson and Doucoure both having shots blocked.

1.13pm BST

42 min “Hello!” says Jim McKendrick. “Digvijay Yadav‘s reference to that Derby County season was a bit of a trigger for me: four of their 11 points came from their Newcastle matches.”

I bet Big Sam needed a pint of wine that night.

1.12pm BST

41 min Welbeck heads a long ball onto Sarr, who waits and then floats a cross back towards Welbeck. He rises above Lascelles but can’t get any power on his header.

1.11pm BST

40 min “Sunderland 2002/03 were painfully poor, especially when compared to the quality of the teams above them,” says Matt Dony. “West Ham were relegated despite finishing on 42 points, which makes Sunderland’s tally of 19 seem particularly hopeless. And then Fergie bought their striker.”

And they were promoted in 1999.

1.08pm BST

37 min Schar is down after a clash of heads with Masina.

1.06pm BST

35 min: Fine save from Foster! Lovely play from Newcastle. Manquillo drove the ball into Gayle, who touched it deftly into the path of Saint-Maximin. He surged away from Masina and into the area before flicking a shot that was saved by the legs of the outrushing Foster.

1.05pm BST

35 min Watford’s remaining fixtures are West Ham (A), Manchester City (H) and Arsenal (A). If they lose today, they could be in a bit of trouble.

1.04pm BST

33 min Capoue is booked for a foul on Almiron.

1.03pm BST

32 min This is a good Newcastle side. They had an awful start to the season, but since the start of October they have as many points as Spurs and Arsenal. Steve Bruce has done pretty well for a dinosaur.

1.01pm BST

30 min The second corner is volleyed away by Capoue, and then Shelvey curls in a wicked ball that flashes across the face of goal.

1.00pm BST

29 min Saint-Maximin wins a corner down the right. Ritchie swings it in and Foster mistimes a punch that loops over his own bar.

12.58pm BST

28 min Masina’s long throw leads to a bit of a scramble in the Newcastle area. Eventually Hughes’ chipped cross is claimed by Dubravka.

12.55pm BST

24 min Time for a drinks break.

12.55pm BST

Erm, as I was saying. Newcastle have taken the lead through Dwight Gayle. Ritchie’s right-wing corner was headed dangerously across goal by the unmarked Fernandez, and Gayle ran the ball into the net from a yard.

12.52pm BST

21 min Watford have livened up after a sluggish start, and it’s a more even game as a result.

12.50pm BST

18 min “Derby County 2007-08 aside, which are the worst promoted teams have you seen in the Premier League?” says Digvijay Yadav. “I’d say this Norwich team are right up there. And for some reason I get the feeling Leeds will stay up for a long time.”

I think that’s a bit harsh - they had so many injuries early in the season and never really recovered. Sunderland 2005-06 were very poor, from memory, and Swindon 1993-94, though kinda charming, were hopeless in defence.

12.49pm BST

16 min: Welbeck hits the post! Watford almost take the lead with their first chance. Kiko Femenia’s cross from the right cleared everyone in the middle and reached Welbeck beyond the far post. He sidefooted a volley into the ground that bounced up to beat Dubravka, hit the inside of the post and spin across the goalline. It was about to go over the line when the alert Lascelles hooked it clear.

12.44pm BST

13 min There’s been an early goal at Carrow Road. You won’t believe the score!

12.42pm BST

11 min: Good save from Foster! Shelvey’s corner was flicked on at the near post, by Deeney I think, and half-volleyed towards goal from close range by Almiron. Foster moved smartly across his line to make an excellent block.

12.41pm BST

10 min Newcastle win the first corner on the left. They have dominated possession to an almost Guardiolan extent in the first 10 minutes.

12.37pm BST

6 min It’s been a decent start from Newcastle, whose confidence doesn’t seem to be have been unaffected by their pasting at the Etihad.

12.35pm BST

3 min Saint-Maximin’s cross flashes past Almiron on the six-yard line. Almiron was fractionally offside but it was a terrific ball in.

12.34pm BST

3 min There’s a VAR check for a possible red card after Sarr caught Rose in the face with his elbow. It wasn’t deliberate, and VAR decides Sarr is not guilty.

12.31pm BST

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

12.15pm BST

12.13pm BST

A bit of pre-match reading

12.04pm BST

Some really sad news from earlier Jack Charlton, who managed Newcastle in the 1984-85 season, has died at the age of 85. This is a brilliantly written tribute from Paul Doyle, focussing on Charlton’s extraordinary success with Ireland.

12.02pm BST

Watford (4-2-3-1) Foster; Kiko Femenia, Kabasele, Dawson, Masina; Capoue, Hughes; Sarr, Doucoure, Welbeck; Deeney.
Substitutes: Gomes, Mariappa, Cleverley, Chalobah, Cathcart, Joao Pedro, Gray, Pussetto, Pereyra.

Newcastle (4-2-3-1) Dubravka; Manquillo, Lascelles, Fernandez, Rose; Schar, Shelvey; Saint-Maximin, Almiron, Ritchie; Gayle.
Substitutes: Joelinton, Muro, Krafth, Yedlin, Lazaro, Darlow, Atsu, Bentaleb, M Longstaff.

9.55am BST

Breaking news: 35 is the new 40. Not in terms of ageing, where 40 stubbornly remains the old 40, but avoiding relegation. Once upon a time, a 35-point season meant a ticket to the second-tier, but in each of the last three seasons it has been enough to stay up. The struggles of Bournemouth and Aston Villa mean that 2019-20 is likely to be no different.

If Watford beat Newcastle today they will move to 34 points, and the great escape will almost be complete. Watford have been so solid under Nigel Pearson that it’s easy to forget the state they were in when he took over. They had eight points from 15 games and were seven points from safety.

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Published on July 11, 2020 06:45

July 9, 2020

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

A dodgy penalty, won and scored by Bruno Fernandes, and a belter from Mason Greenwood set United up for another impressive victory

10.51pm BST

10.10pm BST

Peep peep! Manchester United continue their superb league form with a fourth successive three-goal victory. A dodgy penalty, won and scored by Bruno Fernandes, gave them the lead, but it was Mason Greenwood’s belter on the stroke of half-time that really shattered Villa. The second half was a stroll for United, with Paul Pogba scoring the third after a nice corner routine with Fernandes. That’s your lot, goodnight!

10.08pm BST

90+2 min Reina makes an excellent save with his feet to deny Rashford, who was put through by a lovely ball from Pogba.

10.07pm BST

90 min Three minutes of added time.

10.06pm BST

89 min This is the Premier League table since Bruno Fernandes joined United at the end of January. United are a point behind the leaders Liverpool with a game in hand. And Burnley are above Man City.

10.04pm BST

87 min Fred is booked for what looked like a fair tackle on Grealish.

10.00pm BST

84 min Villa make another substitution. Douglas Luiz is replaced by Indiana Vassilev.

9.59pm BST

83 min At the other end, Williams makes a fine block from Hourihane’s shot.

9.58pm BST

82 min Rashford lifts the free-kick over the bar.

9.57pm BST

81 min James runs 50 yards and is tripped by Nakamba, who is booked.

9.55pm BST

78 min A double change for United: Odion Ighalo and Daniel James replace Greenwood and Martial, who is not happy to be taken off when he hasn’t scored.

9.52pm BST

75 min Rashford slides a good pass down the left side of the area to Shaw, whose low cross is put behind for a corner.

9.51pm BST

75 min Both teams are waiting for the final whistle.

9.47pm BST

71 min Another United change: Fred replaces the marvellous Bruno Fernandes, who continues to have the most profound impact of a new United signing since Eric Cantona.

9.47pm BST

70 min “Quite apart from all the VAR stuff, it must be noted just how limp Villa look and how poorly their captain is playing, says Andrew Donald. “Grealish barely attempted to block Pogba’s shot for the third goal and has the look of a man resigned to leaving at the end of the season.”

Yes, he doesn’t demand the ball nearly as much as he was a few months ago. There are a few possible reasons, but his morale looks very low.

9.46pm BST

69 min Time for a drinks break. This game is over.

9.44pm BST

67 min One important thing about Greenwood, which he showed again on his goal, is that he is brilliant at finding a bit of space 20 or 25 yards from goal - just enough space for him to turn and either run at the defence or launch one into the corner. That level of awareness is very unusual in a teenager.

9.42pm BST

66 min Grealish curls well wide from the left side of the box. And Manchester United make two changes: Scott McTominay and Brandon Williams replace Matic and Wan-Bissaka.

9.41pm BST

65 min If it stays like this, United will become the first team in Premier League history to win four consecutive games by three goals. I think.

9.40pm BST

64 min Jack Grealish has a problem with his left ankle. He wants to continue but surely he should be taken off as a precaution.

9.38pm BST

63 min Villa’s next game is pretty much a must-win: Palace at home on Sunday.

9.38pm BST

62 min “Sure, Greenwood is alright, I guess,” says Matt Dony. “But you just wait until Brewster lights up the Premier League next season...”

He’ll score millions.

9.37pm BST

61 min: Martial hits the bar! This could get nasty for Villa, and not in a good way. Fernandes plays in Martial on the left side of the area, and he thunders a shot off the underside of the bar with his left foot.

9.36pm BST

59 min A triple change for Villa. Conor Hourihane, Keinan Davis and Marvelous Nakamba replace McGinn, El Ghazi and Samatta.

9.35pm BST

Paul and Bruno, sitting in a tree. This is a fine goal, another example of the burgeoning relationship between Fernandes and Pogba. Fernandes dragged the corner deliberately back to Pogba on the edge of the D, and he had an age to set himself and curl a low shot into the bottom corner.

9.33pm BST

57 min Rashford plays in Martial, who is superbly denied by the sliding Taylor. Great tackle.

9.33pm BST

56 min Pogba has a goal disallowed for offside. He was miles ahead of the last defender when Rashford’s shot hit him and beat Reina.

9.32pm BST

55 min Tom Levesley writes in to remind me that VAR hasn’t been entirely unkind to Villa this season.

9.30pm BST

54 min McGinn’s long-range shot is comfortably held by de Gea.

9.29pm BST

53 min Konsa is booked for pulling back Rashford.

9.28pm BST

53 min “Loving all the ABU moaning,” says Andrew Reinholds. “A sure sign United are heading in the right direction!”

9.28pm BST

52 min Villa have made a poor, subdued start to the second half.

9.27pm BST

50 min “Evening Rob,” says Brad McMillan. “I hate VAR too, and tonight I’ve been wondering about its potential impact on football in future, particularly on youth development. It’s not a new anti-VAR argument to suggest football should be played according to the same rules everywhere, at every level and at every age, but it had never occurred to me before now that we could see rich clubs introduce this on their youth training grounds and effectively start to create a new breed of VAR-savvy player, only the like of which could go on to succeed at the top levels where VAR is used.”

I know what you mean, but how do you become VAR-savvy when it’s such a capricious shambles?

9.25pm BST

49 min Wan-Bissaka misses a great chance, heading just wide from six yards after a delicious cross by Rashford.

9.25pm BST

48 min Samatta falls in the area under challenge from Maguire. There was a bit of contact but nothing penalty-worthy.

9.23pm BST

47 min “I know the Spurs game was AWFUL and this one not massively better, but thank god for football,” says Rachel Clifton. “Four months of lockdown in NYC made much more bearable…”

9.21pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Villa begin the second half.

9.19pm BST

He's got another ✨

A superb strike from #YoungLions forward @masongreenwood for @ManUtd!pic.twitter.com/dg6Tu8kpkM

9.17pm BST

“Hey Rob,” says J.R. in Illinois. “What was Konsa thinking letting Fernandes stand on his ankle like that? Silly man. VAR really is something else though, innit? I’m not even tired of it. The fivefold sense of injustice you mentioned makes me feel five times as alive. I’ve got a business proposal. How about we co-publish a book which contains all my emails to you that mention VAR? We can split the proceeds 60/40. How much do you think we’d rake in?”

What’s 60 per cent of 12p?

9.10pm BST

“1995-96 Manchester United away kit press release” is the subject of Mac Millings’ email. Trust me, it’s better than it sounds.

“Villa are in claret and blue. United are wearing their away strip. Breaking away from the traditional colours of a United away jersey, the shirt features a fresh stratus-toned aesthetic and intricate patterned design, that takes its inspiration from the mosaic of clouds that adorns the skies of Manchester’s creative distr- well, *all* Manchester’s districts, if we’re being honest.

9.08pm BST

“You’re right that Fernandes one was ‘such a tight one’ - did he deliberately stamp on Konsa’s ankle or not?” says Stefan Volkmann. “Hard to say whether it he should have been a red. A penalty is an absolute joke. Fernandes literally ran into him and stamped on him as he did so. You usually do a good job of staying impartial but I fear you’ve got the Fergie goggles on there.”

Thanks for the patronisation. I said that having seen one replay, while trying to do a million other things. Then I saw more replays, and realised – and wrote – that it was a dreadful decision. This stuff isn’t easy, you know, especially when your cognitive function is on a slippery one.

9.07pm BST

A Bruno Fernandes penalty and a Mason Greenwood cracker have put United on course for another three points. The penalty decision was a joke - and so, in a more modern sense of the word, was Greenwood’s finish just before half-time.

9.06pm BST

Martual played a square pass to Greenwood, in a bit of space 22 yards from goal. He moved the ball away from Douglas Luiz, onto his right foot, and simply belted it past Reina. He is an extraordinary finisher.

9.05pm BST

He’s done it again! An explosive finish from Mason Greenwood has put United 2-0 up.

9.03pm BST

45+3 min Matic is booked for fouling someone.

9.02pm BST

45+1 min Four minutes of added time.

9.02pm BST

45 min: Bruno Fernandes misses an excellent chance! Shaw played a neat one-two with Martial on the left side of the area and stood up a fine cross towards the unmarked Fernandes. He leapt dramatically towards the ball but headed it this far over the crossbar.

9.00pm BST

45 min I’m bored.

8.59pm BST

44 min “Look no further than penalties for Man United for arguments against VAR,” says Mat Oakley. “Four awarded to them since the restart. At least three should have been overturned. Only one was.”

You do know that all professional football is fixed to benefit the big teams, right?

8.57pm BST

43 min This game has been pretty anodyne, that VAR shambles aside.

8.57pm BST

42 min Here’s Ian Copestake. “VAR should be reviewed VAR-style at season’s end and the percentile of bad decisions against helpful ones divvied up and put through an electoral college to determine the winner in a Eurovision contest format vote decided at home by you the viewer.”

8.56pm BST

40 min McGinn’s deep free-kick is half-volleyed wide by Hause at the far post. It wasn’t much of a chance.

8.55pm BST

40 min Wan-Bissaka was booked for an ill-conceived, poorly executed tackle on Samatta.

8.55pm BST

40 min “One of the worst decisions involving VAR that I’ve seen,” says Keith Sanderson. “If anything it was dangerous play by Fernandez. Villa have been mugged there.”

Yes, it was a real stinker.

8.54pm BST

39 min McGinn’s long-range shot is blocked by Maguire.

8.54pm BST

39 min No penalty. It was a slightly clumsy challenge for Douglas Luiz but nowhere near enough contact for a penalty.

8.53pm BST

38 min United appeal unsuccessfully for a penalty when Rashford is bounced to the floor by Douglas Luiz. There will be a fake riot if VAR gives this.

8.53pm BST

37 min Reina makes a better save to deny Greenwood. He received the ball 25 yards from goal, ran to the edge of the area and dragged a low shot that was palmed away by the sprawling Reina. Greenwood didn’t connect cleanly with the shot.

8.50pm BST

35 min Martial runs at Konsa, moves the ball onto his right foot and hits a low shot that is comfortably saved by Reina.

8.50pm BST

34 min That penalty decision is getting worse with every replay. Fernandes fell into Konsa, and also stood on his ankle by accident. Konsa didn’t even foul Fernandes a split-second later, as I first thought. As far as I can see, he did absolutely nothing wrong.

8.48pm BST

33 min “I thought VAR was looking at a possible red card against Fernandes,” says Simon McGrother. “That is a bizarre decision.”

I hate VAR. It’s one thing to suffer a bad decision, but when it’s VAR-approved the sense of injustice increases fivefold.

8.47pm BST

32 min That was United’s 13th penalty in the league this season, which equals the record set by Andy Johnson in 2004-05 and Leicester City in 2015-16.

8.46pm BST

31 min “Villa fan here,” says David Bertram. “Outside of Grealish, who else will jump ship when the obvious is made official?”

I’d imagine there will be a lot of interest in Mings and McGinn.

8.45pm BST

30 min The more I see that replay, the less I think it was a penalty. Fernandes didn’t dive, it was just a collision as he pirouetted to shield the ball from Konsa.

8.43pm BST

A good penalty, dragged into the bottom left corner. I feel sorry for Villa there; I’m not sure that was a foul by Konsa.

8.42pm BST

PENALTY GIVEN! Fernandes did well to shield the ball from Konsa, but if anything he fouled Konsa before Konsa brought him down a split-second later. It might also have been outside the area. This is such a tight one, because I don’t know whether there’s enough evidence to overturn the decision. Apparently there isn’t: the decision has been upheld.

8.42pm BST

PENALTY TO UNITED! Konsa has been penalised for fouling Fernandes. Villa are convinced it wasn’t a foul - and I think they might be right. VAR are looking at it.

8.41pm BST

25 min: Trezeguet hits the post! Pogba dawdled on the edge of the centre circle and was robbed by Trezeguet. He ran to within 22 yards of goal before curling a low shot that beat de Gea and hit the outside of the post.

8.38pm BST

23 min Time for a drinks break.

8.36pm BST

21 min Martial’s pass to Greenwood goes behind for a goalkick, a reflection of a sloppy start from United.

8.35pm BST

20 min Villa have been the better team in the first quarter.

8.34pm BST

19 min “Years ago, before instant info on games, I had a friend (an Arsenal fan) text me score updates from United v Villa,” says Liam Maloney. “He had Villa 2-0 up within minutes of kick-off, leaving me (a United fan) fuming. That’s not how the game turned out, of course. I haven’t asked him for score updates since!”

8.34pm BST

18 min: Grealish misses a good chance. Konsa’s excellent deep cross found him in space on the left edge of the six-yard box. He tried desperately to control the volley with his left foot but it sliced off his ankle and wide of goal.

8.33pm BST

18 min Konsa’s deep cross is headed by Douglas Luiz onto the back of Wan-Bissaka and behind for a corner. This is a decent spell for Villa. Grealish’s corner is punched away by de Gea.

8.31pm BST

16 min It hasn’t been much of a game so far. Villa look solid defensively.

8.28pm BST

13 min After a patient build-up on the right, Pogba whips in a cross that is miscontrolled by Mings at the near post and cleared by Hause behind him.

8.25pm BST

10 min Douglas Luiz hits it into the wall.

8.25pm BST

9 min Fernandes fouls El Ghazi 25 yards from goal. Douglas Luiz and McGinn are over the ball.

8.20pm BST

5 min The game has started as expected, with lots of United possession and the occasional Villa counter-attack.

8.19pm BST

4 min At the other end, El Ghazi shoots well wide from distance.

8.19pm BST

3 min Bruno Fernandes’ cute flick finds Greenwood just inside the area, but he misses his kick completely. Douglas Luiz did put hands on Greenwood’s back but it wasn’t enough for a penalty.

8.18pm BST

3 min A good move from United down the right. Wan-Bissaka and Martial combine to find Greenwood, whose low cross is kicked away by Taylor.

8.16pm BST

2 min “United’s away strip,” says Michael George. “It’s beige, isn’t it?”

Pretty much, but you try making a press release out of that.

8.15pm BST

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

8.12pm BST

Here come the players. Villa are in claret and blue. United are wearing their away strip. Breaking away from the traditional colours of a United away jersey, the shirt features a fresh savannah-toned aesthetic and intricate patterned design, that takes its inspiration from the many mosaics that adorn the streets of Manchester’s creative district, the Northern Quarter.

Standing out with a new colour palette, the striking new away shirt continues to blur the lines between sport and style, blending both cultures in to a single piece of design, which will of course be seen during our away trips in 2019/20. Influenced by the unique artwork of the Northern Quarter, the city is embedded deep within the design as the base colour is overlaid with a subtle pattern.

8.01pm BST

Villa have dropped to 19th before kick-off by virtue of Bournemouth’s 0-0 draw with Tottenham. The other early game finished Everton 1-1 Southampton.

7.38pm BST

The last time Villa beat Man Utd at home in the Premier League was 25 years ago. Aye, that game.

7.37pm BST

Pre-match reading

7.20pm BST

Ally Samatta replaces Keinan Davis up front for Villa. United are unchanged for the fourth league game in a row.

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1) Reina; Konsa, Hause, Mings, Taylor; Douglas Luiz, McGinn; El Ghazi, Grealish, Trezeguet; Samatta.
Substitutes: Nyland, Guilbert, El Mohamady, Lansbury, Nakamba, Hourihane, Jota, Vassilev, Davis.

12.53pm BST

Evening. At a different stage of the season, Aston Villa might have seen a visit from an in-form Manchester United as a free hit, with any points an unexpected bonus. But there are no free hits when you’re in the relegation places with five games to go. Villa need at least two wins if they are to have a realistic chance of avoiding relegation, and tonight would be an unimprovable time to get the first one.

Villa have played quite well since lockdown, and were excellent for an hour at Anfield on Saturday. Yet they have only picked up two points from five games in that time, which leaves them four behind Watford and West Ham with tonight’s game in hand. They need a lot more than two points from the next five games. It’s not quite now or never, but it isn’t far off.

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Published on July 09, 2020 14:10

July 8, 2020

England v West Indies: first Test, day one – as it happened

Test cricket returned at the Ageas Bowl - but so did the English weather, which ensured that only 17.4 overs were possible on a frustrating day

7.57pm BST

7.38pm BST

7.37pm BST

Vic Marks’s day one report:

6.12pm BST

Play has been abandoned for the day. Only 17.4 overs were possible because of the weather, but the forecast suggests we will get close to a full day tomorrow. Please join us then. Goodnight!

5.41pm BST

“Whilst sharing Matt Dony’s comforting reflections on the new normal, there is nevertheless something just a tad jarring about contemplating a crunch match for relegation-flirting West Ham on the evening of a July Test match,” says Brian Withington. “Looking forward to just focusing on the cricket (after a vital away win) ...”

5.39pm BST

Still no official news. While we wait, have a song.

5.32pm BST

Here’s the weather forecast for the rest of the match. It gets progressively better, so I wouldn’t throw money at the draw just yet.

5.14pm BST

“Hi Rob,” says Richard Mead. “Given there are no ticketing issues, no crowd control problems etc, do you know if this match will push into a sixth day to get the required overs in? Given the logistics of getting this match on and surely with no other pressing engagements at the ground, it makes sense?”

It won’t, mainly because the need to hotfoot it to Old Trafford for the next Test. But I’m confident, with these batting line-ups, that we’ll get a positive result within the scheduled five days.

5.12pm BST

It hasn’t been confirmed, but I’d be surprised if there’s any more play today. If you’re in urgent need of a live-sport fix, West Brom have just scored a football goal against Derby.

4.50pm BST

The covers are back on, so the resumption isn’t imminent. I’m glad to say the forecast is better for the rest of the match.

4.41pm BST

The tea break has been brought forward. Play will resume, light permitting, at around 4.50pm.

4.40pm BST

“It’s exciting that Cricket Is Back, and obviously I’m pleased that play has got underway,” says Matt Dony. “But there is something awfully comforting about following an OBO full of rain-induced filler. A small window of The New Normal being similar to the old normal. Like a comfy cardigan.”

4.38pm BST

“I wanted to let you know of a link between the Guardian and the West Indies team playing in the match,” writes Kate Gavron. “My late husband, Lord Gavron, was Chairman of the Guardian Media Group, 1997-2000. One of his passions was cricket. He supported the Barbados Cricket Association for 15 years and the support has continued since his death in 2015.

“Part of this support is the annual Lord Gavron Award, given to promising young cricketers in Barbados, chosen for their talent, character, work ethic and potential. The sums of money involved are relatively small but the young awardees are encouraged, nurtured and given training opportunities, usually in the UK.
“You have already noticed, I am sure, how many of the current West Indies players are from Barbados. Even more remarkable is the fact that no fewer than seven of the winners of the Lord Gavron Award are playing in the current Test match. They are Jason Holder (c), Kraigg Brathwaite, Sharmarh Brooks, Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich and Kemar Roach.

4.28pm BST

Bad light stops play

17.4 overs: England 35-1 (Burns 20, Denly 14) Denly tries to pull a ball that keeps a bit low and cracks him on the hip. This, as Nasser Hussain notes on Sky, looks a bit of a two-paced pitch. Joseph follows that with a very full delivery that leads to a half-hearted LBW appeal. There was a big inside-edge, but it was nice bowling and Denly was always cleaned up.

4.23pm BST

17th over: England 35-1 (Burns 20, Denly 14) Holder beats Denly with a quite ludicrous legcutter. It was a fraction too short to find the edge, the old Phil DeFreitas/Andy Caddick length. One run from the over, which makes it one from the last three overs. These are challenging conditions and the England batsmen are trying to play as little as possible. As if to prove the point, Burns is late trying to leave Holder and the ball bounces off the face of the bat into the ground.

In case you missed it earlier, the players took a knee before the first ball was bowled.

4.20pm BST

16th over: England 34-1 (Burns 20, Denly 13) Joseph almost traps Burns LBW as he falls across his stumps. Burns did well to adjust, drag his bat across and get a leading edge into the off side. Another maiden.

4.16pm BST

15th over: England 34-1 (Burns 20, Denly 13) Denly edges Holder just short of Campbell in the slips at the start of another maiden. Holder is steadily pushing the ball closer to the bat, and you’d expect him to be quite a handful once he settles into a full length.

4.15pm BST

Thanks Tanya, hello everyone. It’s good stuff out there, a rugged arm-wrestle in bowler-friendly conditions. You wait all this time for the new normal and all you get is old-fashioned Test cricket.

4.14pm BST

14th over: England 34-1 (Burns 20, Denly 13) Joseph springing like a collie through heather but not yet totally on target, Burns sends him flying through backward point for four. And that’s it from me, handing over to Rob Smyth who will guide you through till the close.

4.10pm BST

13th over: England 30-1 (Burns 16, Denly 13) A double change, and Jason Holder is into his rhythm immediately. His third ball fizzes off the pitch hitting the top of Denly’s bat handle, his top hand flying up uncontrollably. He calls for a change of gloves.

Joe Mitchell is contemplates the stands, thinking “They could definitely squeeze a few socially distanced households in there’. Has anyone done the maths? Bet there’s someone reading OBO who could be distracted into modelling the optimal number of fans that could fit in the ground while maintaining social distancing?
Even a thousand fans would create more atmosphere than most four-day county cricket...”

4.05pm BST

12th over: England 28-1 (Burns 15, Denly 13) Just a nine-step run-up for Joseph, and Burns sends his first ball, an afternoon loosener, to the boundary. He’s tall and and slight and carries much hope on his shoulders. A bit of a warm-up six balls.

3.59pm BST

11th over: England 20-1 (Burns 7, Denly 13) The empty seats stare forlornly as Roach continues to tempt Burns and Denly. Interesting that the ECB didn’t follow the lead of football and let fans pay to be cardboard cut-outs in the crowd. I guess they might have disintegrated into pulp by Sunday. Aha! the ball has been thrown to Alzarri Joseph.

3.54pm BST

10th over: England 20-1 (Burns 7, Denly 13) Denly stands up tall and pulls Gabriel through mid-on. The shot of confident man. The very next delivery he darts the ball through where fourth slip would be . The shot of an over-confident man?

3.51pm BST

9th over: England 12-1 (Burns 7, Denly 5) It continues to be a torrid passage for England out there. Roach threatening with length and variable bounce. A maiden.

John Starbuck writes re Nasser’s bookcase, “I haven’t seen the screen view which Paddy Sturdy mentions, but it’s likely that the book “Silver” is either a crime novel by Chris Hammer (2019) or the fictional autobiography of Treasure Island’s Long John Silver by Andrew Motion (2012).”

3.47pm BST

8th over: England 12-1 (Burns 7, Denly 5) The cameras show the West Indian players wiping the sweat from their brows onto the ball. We get a side-on view of play - those slips are a good way back, at a guess I’d judge half a pitch length. Shanon Gabriel reaching 89mph as he cranks through the gears, bouncing Denly who retaliates with a gratitude four through third man.

More on Bomber Wells from Richard O Hagan: “Brian ‘Bomber’ Wells was indeed a lost sort of cricketer in many ways. Overweight, liked a drink, bowled off only two paces (he once bowled an over whilst a nearby clock struck twelve, much to his captain’s disgust) and a batsman who only scored runs when absolutely unavoidable. Stephen Chalke wrote a typically masterful biography of him just before he died.”

3.42pm BST

7th over: England 7-1 (Burns 6, Denly 1) Roach has got it nipping and zipping as his legs kick up high behind him. Denly has survived choppy periods like this before, but he is not looking entirely at ease.

3.38pm BST

6th over: England 7-1 (Burns 6, Denly 1) I can’t think of a more barrel-chested bowler than Shannon Gabriel. He parts the wind with his upper body as he kegs in, feet thudding towards middle earth. And that’s England’s first boundary, Burns kissing Gabriel through deep mid wicket.

Anyone still furloughed? A question from Robert Heath: “When was the last time that England took to the field without a single Yorkshire player in their ranks?And if you want to go further: What is their relative success rate with & without Yorkshire players in the lineup? I’m guessing the answers are 1. A long time ago, and 2. Poor.”

3.32pm BST

5th over: England 3-1 (Burns 2, Denly 1) The wind undulates across the players’ shirts as Roach bowls the remaining five balls of his over. From wide of the crease he tempts Denly, with one moving away from the outside of his eager driving blade.

3.27pm BST

Thrilled to have just found a mint humbug underneath the sofa. Wrapped. Presumably, England will have to be without their trusty sweets this Covid summer. Meanwhile in France, Charles Lomas is drawn to write by Sibley’s weight-loss.

“Good afternoon Tanya

3.22pm BST

“Bearing in mind that one of the arguments for maintaining 11 o’clock starts in this country is to enable punters to catch trains/buses etc. and still get into the ground on time,” writes Gary Bartley, “will the start times be pushed forward to account for the lost overs now that there ain’t no punters?”

A very good point Gary. I suppose you’ve still got broadcasters and schedules to deal with...?

3.17pm BST

Derek Pringle thinks things could be worse:

One observation on the little play so far - Burns given not out on review to a ball which, when bowled to Sibley at other end, clipped his off-stump. Sibley out, Burns not out - crazy world of DRS protocols

3.13pm BST

All things being equal etc etc. Tea will then happen at 5pm and play will, theoretically, linger on into aperitifs.

3.07pm BST

Paddy Sturdey has a question for a rainy day: “Hi Tanya, carrying on from Ian Forth’s comments about Nasser’s bookshelf (the one from lockdown most closely approximating mine incidentally), who is that book Silver by? Big one, black spine, over his left shoulder. There are hundreds of books on Amazon called Silver or something similar. Anyone know?

3.01pm BST

Just to say my email address above is wrong - I’ll ask someone to change it but in the meantime do email me on tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com.

2.58pm BST

“Afternoon Tanya, afternoon everyone,” writes Michael Avery.

Hello Michael!

2.53pm BST

Heavier now.

2.51pm BST

4th over: England 3-1 (Burns 2, Denly 1) Denly averages 30 in his brief Test career, which was good enough in the late 80s but won’t be long-term in the 2020s. He slurps Gabriel unconvincingly into the onside. Then Gabriel makes one slice in off the pitch with so much jag that the keeper struggles to pick it up with his left hand. Denly’s stump was nakedly exposed. There’s a battle within a battle within the top four to see who makes way for Joe Root on his return.

2.44pm BST

We’re back on. Gabriel stands at the top of his mark and stares down at Burns.

2.38pm BST

Thanks to TMS for this gruesome stat: England’s average for the opening partnership last year was 16. Which was the second worst average in a summer of three Tests or more since 1999. Today the partnership was 0. Make of that what you will.

2.35pm BST

...if there is no further rain.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to read about shouldering arms, try this.

The first wicket on the return of international cricket and it’s a batsman shouldering arms. I wrote about for @NightwatchmanXI about why it’s my favourite thing in cricket: https://t.co/2w0mZ0Fnmg pic.twitter.com/5v5RcDx6AF

2.29pm BST

The Rose Bowl is so far without the full valance and quilt. But the Hover Cover sits.

Ian Forth has been on bookcase watch. “I’ve just been watching some cricket show watch-along highlights from the lockdown era. I was mildly surprised to discover Nasser had Bill Bryson and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin quite prominently on his bookcase. I imagined he’d be more of a military history man, for some reason. All I could see on Rob Key’s was Freddy’s autobiography, turned face-on to the camera like a staff pick in a bookshop. No sign of any books behind Warney, but sadly no sign of his infamous mural either.”

2.24pm BST

Alas poor Sibley: 115 days of waiting since England’s warm-up game in Colombo was called off. We’ve all been there. Condolences.

Meanwhile Brian Withington has been doing some maths: “At Mark Wood’s 142km/hour my fag packet calculation suggests the batsman gets a shade under half a second from ball release to arrival. I don’t know what sum is needed to calculate time taken for the impact of a toe crushing yorker to register with the brain, but have known umpires who would have raised a finger beforehand.”

2.20pm BST

3rd over: England 1-1 (Burns 1, Denly 0) Roach skids the ball full and towards Burns’s boot, the ball flaps away and England are off the mark in a thoroughly convincing way. Denly swishes at Roach’s last ball and then, ye curses, rain starts to fall. The hover cover floats into place and the players return once more to the pavilion.

Charles Shenrick’s message is out of date already, “Shame the rain stopped…. I was enjoying it up until we started batting….”

2.14pm BST

2nd over: England 0-1 (Burns 0, Denly 0) Holder threw the ball to Shannon Gabriel against the advice of Brathwaite, who on the radio earlier felt Gabriel might lack some control. Hey ho. And the scoreboard settles into a reassuringly familiar hue.

2.11pm BST

Not one for Sibley’s scrapbook. Gabriel slings through another thunderbolt, Sibley mistakenly shoulders arms, his off-stump disappears, and he has to trundle back to the bubble.

2.07pm BST

1st over: England 0-0 (Burns 0, Sibley 0) Kemar Roach takes the new ball and roars in, all five foot seven of him, moving the ball away. His third nips back and Burns plays no stroke and the ball clips the pad. Off that’s close. Holder decides to review and it is umpire’s call. No stress.

Incidentally, we have home umpires for the first time since 2002, and the players get an extra review because of that.

2.02pm BST

The players are out and arrange themselves in a socially distanced perfect semi-circle. A minute’s silence follows in memory of the Covid-19 victims and Sir Everton Weekes. Poignancy hangs over the ground.

1.56pm BST

Jerusalem is piped through the Rose Bowl. Damn there is no-one there to go through the actions. Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough walk out to the middle, followed by the players.

1.52pm BST

The players are milling together on the steps of the Ageas. All are wearing black armbands. Rory Burns is sitting alone on a white tip up seat.

Carlos Brathwaite is ruminating on young Alzarri Joseph “He is also a much more mature person [than on his last tour of England]. He went through the loss of his mum , he’s put on a bit of muscle. He was a bit over-hyped before, he’s more cool, calm collected than he was. I’m looking forward to great things for him in this series.”

1.48pm BST

Nerves a-cranking in that dressing room. As Rob mentioned earlier, this is the least experienced England top four since the fifth Test against Australia in 1989. Burns, Sibley, Denly, Crawley v Curtis, Moxon, Atherton, R Smith.

England

1.38pm BST

Afternoon session: 2pm-4.30pm

Evening session: 4.50-7pm

England have gone for all out pace, picking Jofra Archer AND Mark Wood.

In the last five years, England's fastest bowling performances in Tests are:

Wood v SA, Jo'burg 2020 - 142kph

Archer v AUS, Lord's 2019 - 141kph

Wood v WI, St Lucia 2019 - 140kph#ENGvWI

1.33pm BST

Ben Stokes: “We’re trying to get the best conditions out of it. The pitch looks quite hard on top and it is not going to have too much pace. We’ve gone with Woody, Jofra, Jimmy and myself because we think with Woody and Jofra’s pace it adds a new dimension. The boys (Woakes and Broad) took the news like champions.”

Holder, “isn’t too disappointed to be bowling first.” They’ve gone with the four quicks.

1.16pm BST

If there is no more rain....

1.15pm BST

Copyright OBO 2020

For the new Farrow and Ball range James Debens writes “ As a barometer of the public mood in 2020, this Test match is exceeding all expectations. The Farrow & Ball paint shade would be Dank Schadenfreude (Pantone 666); the soundtrack, any laughing Lenny Cohen.”

1.06pm BST

Joe Root is not the only member of the #cricketfamily to have a new addition. OBO stalwart Kim Thonger has one too, whatsmore he wants your help with the name. Over to you Kim. “

Might you and OBO readers help us? We collect our new dachshund puppy on Saturday. He will join well established opener Dakkers in our canine team. I am keen to name him Furlough (fur, low, geddit) but SWMBO is wavering. Is the consensus that the name Furlough is an unplayable fast yorker on leg stump? Or is it an attractive slow medium long hop outside leg stump? And if not Furlough, what other names can readers suggest? Shortlist currently also includes Lofty, Underdog and Longfellow. Actually I quite like shortlist as a name too.”

1.02pm BST

A cracking performance from the broadcast media this morning. Wonderful segments on Black Lives Matter on Sky and then on TMS with Isa Guha, Alison Mitchell and Carlos Brathwaite. Much to think about.

And the covers begin to be unrolled....

12.56pm BST

Quick update: The umpires are chatting next to the covers, the floodlights are on, it is not raining, the sky is murky.

An email arrives from Will Bowen: “Afternoon Tanya – a quick search of the archives has revealed that I last contributed to OBO some 9 years ago, shortly before my wife’s “delivery” of twins, which explains the long hiatus. Young Thomas has recently been undergoing cricketing indoctrination at Horsley & Send CC in Surrey – it would be great to get what I believe is still called a “shout-out” to the club, and show the young whippersnapper that his old man has still got it when it comes to inane cricketing banter.”

12.45pm BST

Happy news for the captain. Congratulations Joe and Carrie Root!

Huge congratulations for our Test captain @root66 and his wife, Carrie, on the birth of their second child! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/om3QgNVIu8

12.39pm BST

It is officially LUNCH here at the Ageas Bowl, with the umpires due to come and inspect again at 1.10pm. I’m just going to grab a sandwich, see you back here shortly, with your cup of disappointment and punnet of resignation.

12.33pm BST

Here you go Robbie! Thanks Andy.

@tjaldred The way to make the "worldwide" TMS work is to go to this link https://t.co/vqPfUF5XrR and then click only on the oddly named "Natural Sounds" link in the bottom right. Everything else is geoblocked

12.30pm BST

I wonder if Farrow and Ball could flog the current colour of the Hampshire Sky? Broken Hope? Slate Sorrow?

UPDATE :- Scratching my previous update..... Rain is back and so the covers here in Ageas Bowl, Southampton....
We need to wait more....#ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/Yg787VfO35

12.24pm BST

Is there anyone out there from Nova Scotia? Robbie Bays is still having communication problems. “I followed the Beeb link you posted and it comes up with Not in your location, clearly I must be on a different planet . Hello Earth Can You Hear ME! ...... Robbie in The Independent Republic of Bear River Nova Scotia”

Ah! Rob Key has popped up on Sky - great to see him looking ship-shape so soon after his stroke. No news yet on when we can expect play to start but Key, Nick Knight and Ian Ward are standing chatting on a balcony so it is not raining NOW at least.

12.18pm BST

James Walsh ponders “Afternoon Tanya! In the most recent season of Fortnite, they’ve flooded the entire map, with sharks and roaming zombies to content with. Hopefully this isn’t a commentary on how the cricket is going to go over the next few days, though looking at the weather...”

I think, though I am absolutely in no way any sort of expert here, that there are also some new weapons available? Perhaps a commentary on the Archer and Wood opening partnership?

12.12pm BST

Ah, while I was typing I missed this from Guy Hornsby on that Michael Holding segment (below.)

“I know we should chunter on about rain, squad rotation and workloads, but as the film from Sky showed, there’s more at play here. So I’d like permission to profess my enduring love and admiration for Michael Holding. Following up that film was this arresting monologue (https://twitter.com/SkyCricket/status/1280809870766284800) by the great man. He really is a immense human being. It’s sad to see not a lot has changed, but he’s such a compelling listen, just as imposing in speech as when he was thundering into the crease. I presume the ‘gesture’ today that teams will make will be to take a knee. I know it’s just a gesture that needs backing up by the ECB with deeds, but if you’d told me 3 months ago this is what we’d be seeing, I’d have scoffed. Progress comes in small steps.”

12.09pm BST

As Rob mentioned, such a powerful piece by Sky on racism and Black Lives Matter earlier this morning. This was Michael Holding afterwards, also worth every moment of your time.

We can pontificate and spew on Twitter all we want, but this is the real talk: one of the main gatekeepers to live sport in this country saying, “if you want to watch the cricket, you need to watch this first”. Ignore the minority of weirdos and dickheads. Minds will be changed. https://t.co/mDIy0eZalg

12.01pm BST

Thanks Rob, and hello! I greet you with the news that the umpires are still mooching about the damp outfield with unfurled umbrellas, supposedly watching another suspicious cloud nudge towards the ground. Will keep you posted. Meanwhile, this is the first time I’ve owned the TV since lockdown and there will be no fortnite in this house till 4.10, so....

11.53am BST

I’m going to hand over to Tanya Aldred for the next few hours – you can email her on tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com or tweet @tjaldred. See you this afternoon, hopefully for some actual cricket.

11.44am BST

“Actually, wouldn’t it be great if Stokes turned out to be one of those captains who overbowls himself?” writes Pete Salmon. “Generally found in club cricket, especially the Thirds. Fifteen or sixteen overs straight, the odd hint of a wicket, and 16-2-58-0 at the end of it. Proper cricket.”

11.42am BST

“Hey Rob,” says Rob Lewis. “Just to thank your correspondent Damian Burns for the lovely piece on St Helena cricket. My ancestor, Saul Solomon, was a leading light on St Helena in the nineteenth century. He is reputed to have tried to help Napoleon, who was a prisoner of the British on the island, to escape. He didn’t manage to get away though, and some people believe he was poisoned as he died quite young. I never knew they played cricket there, though.”

11.41am BST

“On Stokes, comparisons to Flintoff and Botham miss the mark by a fair way,” says Adam Giles. “Both legends of the sport but always relied on natural talent without so much of both the cricket IQ, and the ‘get your hands dirty and grind it out if needs be’ attitude that I believe Stokes has exhibited consistently since his return to the England set-up. I’ll be interested to see how he performs but I’d certainly expect very few defensive field settings in the coming days. Should be a good, intense match.”

That’s an interesting point. I agree that he’s a smarter cricketer, though the biggest concern is what the pressure and workload – if he bowls as much as he does when in the ranks – would do to his game. The biggest problem with Flintoff and especially Botham was not their captaincy; it was their batting and bowling. Either way, as a one-off it is fine, and rather exciting.

11.36am BST

“Rob, Rob, Rob...” says Richard Holmes. “If England get Archer to bowl 22 overs a day for a couple more years they’ll have another 84 mph dobber on their hands for the remainder of his career.”

I didn’t say they should, I said that’s what I think will happen with the chosen XI. That’s why I would have picked Broad ahead of Archer or Wood. There is a slight complication with Archer’s workload, though. Whereas Wood is perfect to use in very short spells (4x4, say), Archer can take a while to rev up.

11.30am BST

Some of the players are heading back to the hotel. This isn’t quite as bad as it sounds, given the hotel is on site, but it does suggest the toss isn’t imminent.

11.28am BST

“Anyone who can’t access 5Live should have a butcher’s at Guerilla Cricket,” says Darren Winter. “It’s highly irreverent but done with real knowledge and passion, and they’re available on all the usual social channels.”

11.25am BST

“This is more like it,” says Mark Hooper. “Just what the nation needs right now - that traditional frisson of excitement, checking every 20 minutes to see if the covers have come off yet, wondering why they take lunch as soon as the sun comes out…”

11.25am BST

“Stokes is likely, given the precedents of England all-rounder captains, to under-bowl himself,” says John Starbuck. “Which means that the attack is a bit lighter, so why is SCJ Broad discarded? Buttler is much better than most as a batsman which could make up the deficit in the batting order.”

I’d imagine the division of labour on average day would be something like: Anderson 18, Archer 22, Wood 15, Stokes 15, Bess 20. I agree with you, though, I would have had Broad (or Woakes) in the hard-yakka role.

11.21am BST

Test Match Special

A reminder that you can listen to us today WORLDWIDE.

Listen: https://t.co/jh2nwnAz6Q
Follow: https://t.co/SENMYWq1st

And of course in the UK on 5 Live Sports Extra & @BBCRadio4 LW with video clips during play and highlights on @BBCTwo from 7pm. #bbccricket pic.twitter.com/GHQCfk3dvP

11.20am BST

"If you don't educate people, they'll keep growing up in that sort of society and you'll not get meaningful change."

Michael Holding and @ejrainfordbrent say that institutionalised racism must be eradicated for the good of humanity. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/TIpdAcdZJI

11.18am BST

“Welcome back!” says Pete Salmon. “Obviously a lot of OBOers have lost a bit of match fitness during the break. We are ten minutes in and still no debate about Stokes as captain. I’ll start off. This is madness! Botham! Shoulders/weight! Natural game! Just let him concentrate on batting! Just let him concentrate on bowling!

“Alternatively New dawn! Root’s no good! Natural game! Shane Warne!”

11.12am BST

The covers are still on, and there’s no news on the toss. I doubt there will be any play before midday, maybe lunch.

11.07am BST

“The BBC appears to be hiding the commentary for those of us ‘outside the jurisdiction’, as we say in Ireland,” says Alan Tuffery. “The Radio Five Live Sports Extra site is ‘geoblocked ‘and there appears to be nothing available on YouTube. Any OBOers able to help?”

11.05am BST

“Morning Rob, lovely to have the OBO back,” says Phil Sawyer. “Looking forward to your coverage of the rain today. So this is what working from home was invented for. If my manager is reading, I’m definitely not this Phil Sawyer.”

10.58am BST

There’s a very powerful feature on racism in cricket being shown on Sky right now, with Mikey Holding and a tearful Ebony Rainford-Brent talking about their experiences. Some stories we know (“grovel”), some we don’t (“do you wash my skin? Everyone in your area gets stabbed”). I’ll post a link if/hopefully when it appears on the Sky website.

10.49am BST

“It’s great to have the OBO back and some cricket — eventually,” says Alan Tuffery. “Perfect start after two months of no cricket and four of lockdown — drizzle. Is there a better game for fostering the stoic virtues!”

Depression is quite good for that as well tbf.

10.42am BST

“Hi Rob,” says Eva Maaten. “Lovely to see you back, lovely to have cricket restarting, even if it is under strange circumstances. We have just relocated from South Africa on a repatriation flight after several months delay, on our way to Berlin via the Netherlands. Strange times - wonderful to at least have the OBO back in a semblance of normality.”

Yep, life hasn’t been the same without the Met Office website.

10.37am BST

On Sky Sports, Nasser Hussain and Mikey Holding are reinforcing the point that the West Indies deserve so much credit, and gratitude, for coming on this tour at a time when England is a world leader in Covid mismanagement. Amen to that.

10.34am BST

It’s drizzling, so the covers are back on. The forecast is a little better for later, both today and the rest of the Test.

10.31am BST

Cricket’s back! The toss has been delayed, presumably because of a damp outfield.

10.29am BST

“Greetings, Rob”, shouts out OBO stalwart Wayne Trotman from Izmir, (west coast Turkey for those who failed Geography GCSE ‘O’ level back in the day). “And greetings to all around the world tuning in for some distraction from news about you-know-what. Rob, today, is it a case of win the toss and bat, or win the toss, think about it for five seconds and bat? As usual, we are hanging on your every word, lad.”

Legal disclaimer: the Guardian is not legally responsible for the consequences of readers hanging on any of Rob Smyth’s words, never mind all of them.

10.23am BST

If, as expected, England's top four is Burns, Sibley, Crawley and Denly, then it'll be the least experienced England top order (in terms of caps) since the fifth Test of the 1989 Ashes.

The top four for that Test was Curtis (4), Moxon (9), Atherton (0) and Smith (6).#ENGvWI

If England have the same 50 per cent success rate as they did with those 1989 selections - Burns and Crawley the favourites in this case - we’ll all be very happy.

10.22am BST

This is great

“Morning Rob,” says Damian Burns. “Really excited for Test cricket to start up again. Here on St Helena we’ve been Covid-free thanks to South Africa shutting off our air link to the rest of the world. But cricket continued and our season recently came to a close. Would be fab if you could share this video we put together which captures the spirit of cricket on the island – it’s sure to get the OBOers warmed up for today’s play!”

10.20am BST

And here’s a handy guide to England’s opponents. You may not have heard of Chemar Holder yet, but don’t worry, you will.

10.19am BST

Some damn fine pre-match reading

10.14am BST

This is the #raisethebat Test series, and the ECB’s Ben Walker has emailed a nice story about the England team’s tribute to key workers.

Key worker heroes from across the cricket family were today honoured by having their names displayed on the training shirts of the England men’s Test team ahead of the start of the first #raisethebat Test against the West Indies.

The three-Test series, taking place behind closed doors, is honouring and celebrating the heroes who have been going above and beyond to help others during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today we #raisethebat to honour the heroes within our cricket family who have supported those in need during the past few months.

Find out more ⬇️

10.10am BST

Stuart Broad has been dropped for a home Test for the first time in 12 years*. I pity the fool who had to impart this to him.

* He missed a Test against West Indies in 2012 but was rested on that occasion.

10.04am BST

It’s a dank day at the Ageas Bowl, but it’s dry at the moment and the covers were taken off around half an hour ago. There will probably be some interruptions in the first half of the day.

9.29am BST

Cricket, lovely cricket. After four months of vodcasts, watchalongs and virtual Tests, the real thing is back. It’s been a lot of fun reliving the great moments of modern English cricket with those involved, not to mention nosing round houses, trying to deduce whether anyone has rearranged their bookshelves for show (hang on, is that Hegel next to the Da Vinci Code?). But nothing compares to the blank canvas of live sport.

It’ll be cricket with a difference – no spectators, no saliva, no skin folds on Dom Sibley – but it’s still cricket, Test cricket at that, and it should be great. This is the plan. England will play three back-to-back Tests against West Indies, the first at the Ageas Bowl and the last two at Old Trafford. If all is biosecure and dandy, they will then play a three-Test series against Pakistan in August.

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Published on July 08, 2020 10:12

England v West Indies: first Test, day one – live!

OBO updates from the behind-closed-doors Test at the Rose BowlLet nerves jangle and adrenaline flow: the first Test is hereSend your thoughts to Rob by email here

10.10am BST

Stuart Broad has been dropped for a home Test for the first time in 12 years*. I pity the fool who had to impart this to him.

* He missed a Test against West Indies in 2012 but was rested on that occasion.

10.04am BST

It’s a dank day at the Ageas Bowl, but it’s dry at the moment and the covers were taken off around half an hour ago. There will probably be some interruptions in the first half of the day.

9.29am BST

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Published on July 08, 2020 02:10

July 7, 2020

Dundee United's glory years under Jim McLean: part one of two – podcast

The best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet.
In this episode: the first of a two-part feature-length story about Jim McLean, the tactical genius, bully, visionary and ‘absolute bampot’ behind Dundee United’s unimaginable success in the 1980s

• Read the text version here

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Published on July 07, 2020 21:00

July 6, 2020

Tottenham 1-0 Everton: Premier League – as it happened

Michael Keane’s unfortunate own goal gave Spurs victory in a poor game that was most notable for a half-time row between Son and Hugo Lloris

10.12pm BST

9.57pm BST

“Never,” says David Miller, “have two mediocre teams worked so hard to prove that they are mediocre. “

9.56pm BST

Peep peep! Spurs move up to eighth, a point behind Arsenal, after an important victory over Everton. It was a poor game, settled by Michael Keane’s unfortunate own goal, but Spurs created the better opportunities and deserved to win. Everton were frustratingly timid.

9.52pm BST

90+2 min Spurs make their final change. Jan Vertonghen comes on for Giovani Lo Celso.

9.51pm BST

90 min Kean twists away from Winks and Dier on the edge of the area but hits a low drive too close to Lloris, who makes another comfortable save.

9.50pm BST

89 min Digne’s corner is headed away to Gordon on the edge of the area. He tries desperately to get over the bouncing ball but can’t quite manage it and lashes his shot over the bar.

9.47pm BST

88 min Everton are going down with a whimper. This has been a very disappointing game.

9.47pm BST

87 min Andre Gomes is booked for kicking Lamela.

9.46pm BST

86 min A terrific ball from Davies flashes across the six-yard box.

9.45pm BST

85 min “These games really aren’t being helped by the drinks break,” says George Wright. “The flow gets totally stopped, particularly in the second half when it comes in a period already disrupted by countless subs. The 65th-75th minutes are totally lost. Do you reckon they’re here to stay? Sadly I think they probably are.”

Until the end of the season, yes, but I imagine/hope/pray they (and five subs) will be dropped after that. I thought the whole point of those changes was because games are being played during summer.

9.44pm BST

84 min Alderweireld is booked for flapping his gums at the referee.

9.43pm BST

83 min Calvert-Lewin’s snapshot is blocked by Alderweireld. Spurs are inviting trouble with their defensive approach.

9.42pm BST

82 min Erik Lamela replaces Lucas Moura for Spurs.

9.41pm BST

81 min Gordon’s free-kick is backheeled imaginatively towards goal on the volley by Calvert-Lewin, 15 yards from goal. Lloris makes a comfortable save.

9.40pm BST

79 min Davies swishes over the bar from long range.

9.38pm BST

79 min “It’s certainly looking that Mourinho was a bad appointment for Spurs,” says David Wall. “But I’m not sure they should have stuck with Pochettino. Spurs had been in consistently bad form for about a year before he was fired, a run that was masked a bit by the fact that they reached the CL final. But they only managed that thanks to 45 minutes of decent football against an Ajax team who had outplayed them over the previous 135 minutes. Something needed to change there. Bringing in Mourinho wasn’t the change that needed to be made but Spurs were starting to slide before he increased the rate of descent.”

I agree with that. I’m not entirely sure why, but it was increasingly clear that a brilliant Spurs era was coming to an end.

9.38pm BST

78 min And one for Spurs: Son is replaced by Steven Bergwijn.

9.38pm BST

77 min A double change for Everton: Moise Kean and Djibril Sidibe replace Coleman and Davies.

9.36pm BST

76 min Davies is booked for a cynical foul on Richarlison.

9.34pm BST

73 min Lucas Moura commits a silly foul just outside the Spurs area. Bernard slams the free-kick into the wall, and Davies’s follow-up deflects behind for a corner.

9.33pm BST

71 min “A clearly unpopular opinion here, but as a United fan I am actually quite grateful for what Mourinho did for the club,” says Matt Richman. “There were some real displays of attacking cohesion and even fun in his first two seasons, and most of the players that he brought into the first team are performing still (he may have fallen out with them at the end, but he clearly was right in his view of their potential). A 2nd place finish with 81 points, Europa League, and League Cup were all nice things to have in the turgid years since Fergie left. I’d counsel Spurs fans not to write him off yet (but by all means, do not waste time in his third season).”

I know what you mean, though I think you’re generous to most of his signings. The problem with Mourinho is that once the mood sours, there’s no way back. And I fear the second season is the new third season.

9.31pm BST

70 min Gordon has shown some nice touches since coming on at half-time, including another there as part of a zig-zag passing move with Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin.

9.28pm BST

68 min And that’s drinks.

9.27pm BST

67 min Another substitution for Everton: Bernard replaces Gylfi Sigurdsson.

9.27pm BST

67 min Digne’s clipped free-kick is headed away excellently by Dier, under extreme pressure from Keane in the six-yard box.

9.26pm BST

66 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “I think the whole Spurs thing is just part of José’s master plan. You know, the one that sees him lead Scotland to World Cup glory in the year 2030. In England.”

9.25pm BST

65 min Another effort from Son, who wriggles away from Sigurdsson and belts a low left-footed shot that is beaten away by Pickford. That’s another good save.

9.25pm BST

64 min A lovely effort from Son, who has been the brighest attacker on the field. He turns just outside the area, dances away from Coleman and hits a curling shot that flies a couple of yards wide of the far post.

9.23pm BST

63 min When I said the game had improved...

9.23pm BST

61 min “Isn’t Mourinho like a batsman, once great, who now averages 16 after 17 the previous season and 18 the one before that,” says Andrew Hurley, eschewing the question mark. “What was Levy thinking, and getting rid of Pochettino to top it all off? It’s not one of those where hindsight is even really needed...”

I do wonder if us amateurs are missing something, and that Spurs are going to do the Treble in 2022-23. But it’s hard to resist the conclusion that he’s done, and has been since Madrid. I must say, I thought he would succeed at United, because it was his dream job so I expected it to lift him to his old great heights. Once he started sulking there, I couldn’t see a way back.

9.19pm BST

58 min Winks belts a half-volley well wide from distance. Everton have been better in the second half, and the game has improved as a result. Spurs are still a bit passive, certainly compared to Mauricio Pochettino’s team at their most dynamic, but they have the game under reasonable control.

9.17pm BST

57 min “Hi Rob,” says Ruth Purdue. “My cynical alarm went off at that visible hug… in front of the cameras… not in the changing room.”

It looked to me like a sincere, slightly self-conscious reaffirmation of what had already happened in the dressing-room rather than a cynical gesture. But what would I know about the etiquette of making up with a mate after an embarrassing display of toxic masculinity, eh? Oh.

9.16pm BST

55 min Coleman, found by Richarlison in space on the right of the box, floats a woolly cross in the vague direction of Calvert-Lewin that is headed away. That was unusually indecisive from Coleman, who was in a great position.

9.14pm BST

54 min Alderweireld wafts a long ball forward towards Son. Mina lets it bounce, then misses it, which allows Son to run on and drive a low shot across goal. Pickford plunges smartly to his right to push it away.

9.12pm BST

52 min Davies makes a fine block tackle on Calvert-Lewin, who was in the act of shooting from 20 yards.

9.11pm BST

51 min It’s a dog of a game, this.

9.10pm BST

50 min A crisp long-range drive from Gordon is comfortably held by Lloris.

9.08pm BST

48 min Sissoko fouls Richardson, who lost him with a lovely dummy, and is booked.

9.07pm BST

47 min “I don’t understand that photo captioned ‘Lloris and Son’,” says Mac Millings. “Surely Hugo’s too young to have a kid playing top-flight football.”

You’ve been watching Father Ted again, haven’t you.

9.07pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Spurs begin the second half. Everton have brought on the teenager Anthony Gordon for the anonymous Alex Iwobi.

9.06pm BST

Breaking news: two grown men have made up after a brief altercation

Lloris and Son had a wee embrace in the tunnel on the way out.

9.02pm BST

Lloris and Son pic.twitter.com/f9m2lL0Uo8

9.01pm BST

“Did you see what happened with Son and Lloris?” says Chris Ioannou. “They were at each other’s throats as they walked off at half-time.”

I’ve just seen it now – Lloris, in particular, was fuming and looked like he was quite close to throwing hands. I think it was down to Son not tracking back in the build-up to that Richarlison shot that went just wide.

8.59pm BST

“Rob,” says Ian Copestake. ““I think it is pretty clear that, like Klopp at Liverpool, Carlo Ancelotti has taken Everton as far as he can.”

8.52pm BST

Half-time chit-chat

“The problem with 4-4-2, of course, is that you need the two to offer out balls for an outnumbered midfield,” says Gary Naylor. “Richarlison looks short of fitness, too static, neither pressing nor playing the auxiliary target man. Don Carlo needs to do something. or this will get comfortable for Tottenham.”

8.51pm BST

Peep peep! Spurs lead through Michael Keane’s unfortunate own goal. It hasn’t been a classic.

8.51pm BST

45+5 min Richarlison almost equalises out of nothing. He received the ball on the half turn, pushed it forward to the edge of the area and crumped a shot that bounced this far wide of the far post. That was a really good effort.

8.48pm BST

45+4 min “I like Pickford’s shot-stopping skills and enjoy watching him play,” writes

Divock Or-
Peter Oh. “Sometimes, however, his enthusiasm seems to boil over a little. When he gets into that zone he reminds me of a cat repeatedly pouncing on a ball of yarn. Speedy and mostly effective, but all over the place.”

8.47pm BST

45+3 min This hasn’t been a great half of football. It has looked like a match between two mid-table teams.

8.46pm BST

45 min Five minutes of added time.

8.45pm BST

44 min “Football is really changing,” says Rotimi Styles Obisesan. “Many years ago, who could have predicted The Almighty Jose and Great Carlo would be managing Spurs and Everton respectively? (No disrespect to both clubs though.) Just thinking.”

8.44pm BST

43 min Lo Celso’s inswinging corner goes through the hands of Pickford, who is relieved to see it drift wide of the post.

8.43pm BST

43 min Kane, such an underrated passer, slides a nice ball across the field to Lucas Moura on the edge of the area. His first touch takes him past Digne, who recovers excellently to block Moura’s cross.

8.41pm BST

41 min The second corner is headed away to the edge of the D, where Andre Gomes slaps the bouncing ball miles wide.

8.40pm BST

40 min Now a corner to Everton on the left. Sigurdsson’s deep inswinger is headed back across goal by Calvert-Lewin and shovelled behind for another corner by Lloris.

8.38pm BST

38 min Son’s corner leads to another, this time on the right wing. Mina heads it away.

8.37pm BST

37 min Kane’s free-kick hits the top of the wall and goes behind for a corner.

8.36pm BST

36 min Holgate tried to continue but he can’t; Yerry Mina replaces him. Meanwhile, Andre Gomes has fouled Son 25 yards from goal, and Harry Kane is over the ball.

8.35pm BST

33 min “Pickford’s penchant for unnecessary diving is something that needs to be discussed in greater depth,” says Stephen Carr.

Ha, yes, he doesn’t exactly radiate calm. When it comes to temperament of goalkeepers, I think I’d definitely prefer a Seaman type to a Schmeichel.

8.32pm BST

32 min Holgate is going to continue.

8.31pm BST

31 min It looks like Holgate injured himself when he fouled Lo Celso. He’s receiving treatment.

8.30pm BST

30 min Dier clips the resulting free-kick onto the roof of the net. It was a good effort, with Pickford leaping desperately across goal in an attempt to make the save.

8.29pm BST

29 min Holgate is booked for cleaning out Lo Celso on the edge of the area.

8.28pm BST

27 min “Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “Unfortunately Ennio Morricone has passed away. He certainly could have penned a catchy musical flourish to capture Mourinho’s mood of circling wagons and tumbleweed desolation.”

8.25pm BST

25 min It’s time for the drinks break.

8.25pm BST

It wasn’t much of a goal, though Spurs won’t mind that. Son and Kane both had efforts blocked, and then Lo Celso’s shot on the turn took a huge deflection off Keane and wrongfooted Pickford. The original shot was going well wide, so that will go down as an own goal.

8.24pm BST

Spurs take the lead!

8.22pm BST

22 min “Not seen too much so far but genuinely think Calvert Lewin has something about him,” says Tom Collins. “Such a hustler, intelligent user of the ball, great aerially (tips from big Dunc). As and when Ighalo goes Utd could do a lot worse in an area that will require competition. Offers qualities the rest lack. Fits the Ole bill more than Jiminez as well.”

Yes, I like him too. His attitude is great and he’s improved a lot in the last 18 months. That said, I’m not sure how much better he will get. I doubt there’s any chance of Everton selling him anyway.

8.21pm BST

21 min Lucas Moura rouses the game from its slumber with an explosive low drive from 25 yards that whistles just past the far post. That was a fine effort.

8.17pm BST

18 min “Spurs,” says Stephen Carr, “are possibly better off playing behind closed doors at the moment...”

8.16pm BST

17 min Spurs’ problems this season have generally been away from home, so they should go into games like this expecting to win. But they have made a pretty tentative start tonight.

8.15pm BST

15 min See 10 min.

8.14pm BST

13 min “When Jose first came to England, they said he looked like Clooney,” says Digvijay Yadav. “That was a compliment to Clooney. So much charisma, oodles of charm, tactical nous. You name it, he had it. Look at him now.”

I have a vague theory that he changed indelibly because of three things at the start of the last decade: the politics of the Real Madrid dressing-room, the mental energy it took to compete with possibly the greatest club team of all time and the disappointment/humiliation of not getting the Man Utd job in 2013.

8.09pm BST

10 min Nothing much is happening at the moment. There’s been some decent passing but it’s all a bit too slow.

8.06pm BST

In other news

8.06pm BST

6 min Digne’s cross is headed away by Dier. It’s been quite a bright start from Everton.

8.05pm BST

4 min “Jeez, what a ringing pre-game vote of faith that is from Jose for his players. Chelsea players used to say that they’d happily run through a wall for their coach,” says Justin Kavanagh. “Spurs players are probably desperately trying to tunnel their way out onto the Tottenham High Road these days.”

8.03pm BST

3 min Lo Celso’s free-kick goes behind off the head of Digne for a corner. Son’s near-post delivery is headed away.

8.00pm BST

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

7.58pm BST

The players are out on the field. It’s a fine and dry evening with cloud slowly breaking. Winds will become light and accompanied by long clear spells overnight, giving a chilly feel around dawn, particularly in rural areas. Minimum temperature 8 °C.

7.51pm BST

Tom Davies (22 yrs, 6 days) makes his 100th PL appearance. He’s the second youngest player to reach 100 PL games for @Everton after Michael Ball (21 yrs, 68 days) pic.twitter.com/x3wAwU9l1I

7.42pm BST

Pre-match mood music

[Jose, you’ve made two changes, is that a reaction to the Sheffield United defeat?]

7.39pm BST

“Though Everton have not won at Tottenham since November 2008, a victory today would vault them into ninth, with games against Wolves and Sheffield United among their remaining five,” says Matt Burtz. “The possibilities are enticing!”

7.36pm BST

An email! “It really shows how elite the Premier League has become,” says Eoin Doherty, “when a match between Spurs and Everton pits Mourinho vs Ancelotti.”

Or £15m a year vs £11.5m a year, if you’re into the whole remuneration thing.

7.28pm BST

Pre-match reading (and listening)

7.05pm BST

Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1) Lloris; Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies; Winks, Sissoko; Lucas Moura, Lo Celso, Son; Kane.
Substitutes: Gazzaniga, Vertonghen, Sanchez, Lamela, Ndombele, Fernandes, Skipp, Cirkin, Bergwijn.

Everton (4-4-2) Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Holgate, Digne; Iwobi, Davies, Andre Gomes, Sigurdsson; Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison.
Substitutes: Stekelenburg, Baines, Mina, Sidibe, Branthwaite, Baningime, Bernard, Kean, Gordon.

5.48pm BST

Hello. The marriage of convenience between Jose Mourinho and Daniel Levy always felt like a big gamble, and it might not be long before both parties are scrutinising the small print of the prenup. Spurs are on course for their lowest finish in over a decade, Harry Kane’s future is subject of constant speculation and, most worryingly of all, Mourinho already has his third-season face on.

Nothing would be more entertaining than Mourinho winning the Premier and/or Champions League with Spurs, before celebrating with a never-ending V-sign to the entire world, but it’s becoming increasingly hard to see that happening. We all know you need to be careful when discussing win percentage as Spurs manager, but so far Mourinho’s is a modest 41 per cent. That puts him below, among others, Tim Sherwood (2013-14), Doug Livermore (1992-93) and The Directors (1908-13). It’s also the lowest of his career.

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Published on July 06, 2020 13:57

July 5, 2020

Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa: Premier League – as it happened

Sadio Mane and Curtis Jones scored in the last 20 minutes as the champions extended their run of home Premier League victories to 24 games

6.45pm BST

6.26pm BST

More more more

6.26pm BST

That’s Liverpool’s 24th consecutive home victory in the Premier League. Is that even legal?

6.24pm BST

Peep peep! Liverpool move to 89 points with victory over Aston Villa. They were sluggish for an hour but upped their game after a triple substitution and eventually broke down a diligent Villa defence. Sadio Mane belted the first of the bar, and the young substitute Curtis Jones sealed victory with a couple of minutes remaining.

6.22pm BST

90+3 min Neco Williams replaces Andy Robertson for the champions.

6.21pm BST

90+1 min Alisson makes an outstanding save, showing superb reflexes to dive low to his left and push Grealish’s shot round the post. He is formidably good.

6.20pm BST

90 min Five minutes of added time.

6.19pm BST

It was a good team goal. Robertson floated a cross beyond the far post, Salah cushioned a header back towards Jones, and he adjusted his feet smartly to hit a shot that deflected off Mings and into the net.

6.18pm BST

Curtis Jones wraps up victory for Liverpool!

6.18pm BST

88 min Villa are running out of time. Defeats are not ideal when you’re trying to avoid relegation but they will surely take a fair bit of confidence from this performance. Their next two games - at home to Manchester United and Crystal Palace - are huge. They have to win at least one of those, especially with Watford likely to beat Norwich in the week.

6.16pm BST

87 min “Completely agree,” says Ronan Fitzgerald. “He’s incredible on the ball. Maybe just his style is so effortless and nobody gets near him so people don’t notice. Brilliant finisher too. And incredibly consistent.”

Superb in the really big games, too.

6.15pm BST

86 min Jones blasts over the bar from long range.

6.14pm BST

85 min Villa bring on Indiana Vassilev for Trezeguet.

6.14pm BST

85 min “Alright Rob, tin hat time,” says Digvijay Yadav. “Stam or Van Dijk?”

That’s a delightful bit of mischief. They are so similar: intimidating strength and speed, oodles of self-confidence and quite brilliant one on one. Probably van Dijk by a nose, simply because of his impact on the rest of the defence. Stam had less midfield protection, van Dijk got more goals. Can you imagine them together.

6.13pm BST

84 min Curtis Jones replaces Naby Keita for Liverpool.

6.09pm BST

79 min Tyrone Mings is struggling after landing awkwardly. He limps to the sidelines for more treatment and then comes back on. Villa really don’t want to lose him for the rest of the season.

6.08pm BST

77 min “Mane!!” says Matt Dony. “Never in doubt, Rob. It’s what champions do. (As well as being tonked 4-0 by your closest rivals, obviously.)”

There’s a rich tradition of new champions behing hammered in meaningless games. But I doubt any team will do it with as much style as Bayern Munich in 1974: “We arrived fairly drunk and lost 5-0.”

6.06pm BST

76 min Reina makes a fine save, flying to his left to beat away Firmino’s curling shot. It came after a quick one-two with Salah on the edge of the box. Liverpool are playing some terrific stuff now.

6.04pm BST

76 min Sadio Mane is a glorious footballer. He’s the best attacking player in the best team in the world, yet it still feels like he’s underrated.

6.03pm BST

74 min A double change for Villa: Ally Samatta and Jota replace El Ghazi and Davis.

6.03pm BST

73 min Salah appeals unsuccessfully for a penalty after being touched on the shoulder by Hause.

6.00pm BST

Alexander-Arnold plays an excellent pass into Keita on the edge of the box. He slides an imaginative angled pass across the area to Mane, who hammers it in off the bar from 10 yards. That goal has been coming ever since Jurgen Klopp made those substitutions on the hour.

5.58pm BST

68 min Time for the drinks break. A draw wouldn’t lift Villa out of the relegation places, but it would be a helluva result. The last time Liverpool failed to win at home in the league was January 2019.

5.54pm BST

65 min Another corner to Liverpool, which Reina punches clear. A storm is coming, Frank says.

5.54pm BST

64 min Villa break four on three, with Grealish on the ball. He moves smoothly past Henderson and hammers a shot from 20 yards that hits van Dijk.

5.52pm BST

62 min It might be a trick of the mind but it already feels, only a couple of minutes after those substitutions, like the real Liverpool are back. The pace has definitely increased.

5.50pm BST

61 min “Liverpool have yet to score a goal as champions,” says Justin Kavanagh. “Clearly they are not up to the pressure on this rarefied perch. KLOPP OUT!”

That is patently ridiculous: nobody in their right mind would claim Liverpool are back on their perch after one league title.

5.50pm BST

60 min Jurgen Klopp has seen enough. He makes three changes, bringing on Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino for Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho and Origi.

5.48pm BST

59 min Origi plays in the underlapping Robertson, whose superb low cross is put behind by Taylor.

5.48pm BST

58 min van Dijk plays a dreadful pass, straight to Douglas Luiz, but redeems his error with a good tackle on El Ghazi in the area.

5.45pm BST

56 min Oxlade-Chamberlain’s dangerous cross is well claimed by Reina.

5.44pm BST

55 min “Happy Sunday Rob,” says Peter Oh. “A decade ago I used to hope for and celebrate Pepe Reina clean sheets. But today I’d like to see him on his back a few times as the ball settles into his net. Heck, get a beach ball on the pitch if that’s what it takes. It is summer after all.”

That’s a great idea. They should exorcise all the ghosts of 1990-2020 - the slip, the PlayStation years, the beach ball, the Istvan Kozma - in one celebratory afternoon.

5.42pm BST

53 min The resulting corner is headed back across goal by Mings and bounces up kindly for Origi to clear. That could have gone anywhere.

5.41pm BST

52 min: Chance for Villa! Grealish leads a four-on-two break, waits for the right moment and plays in El Ghazi to his right. He slashes a low shot to the near post that is palmed behind by the diving Alisson.

5.40pm BST

51 min Grealish’s fierce shot is beaten away by Alisson, though he had been flagged offside.

5.39pm BST

50 min Liverpool look a bit busier than they did in the first half. Alexander-Arnold sprays a majestic pass to Origi on the left, but he runs into traffic and eventually Keita wafts a cross out of play. Origi and Mane have swapped positions.

5.37pm BST

48 min A terrific, trademark cross from Alexander-Arnold is missed by Salah and bounces across the face of goal.

5.36pm BST

47 min As a former Premier League champion I can assure you it is very difficult to retain the same intensity once you have won the title. And if you don’t believe me, look at this example of Liverpool in 1982-83. I’m not saying they eschewed sobriety for a month, I’m not saying that at all.

5.34pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Villa begin the second half, and lump the ball straight out of play.

5.30pm BST

Some half-time reading

5.19pm BST

After watching such a listless first-half performance, on the back of a heavy defeat at Manchester City, it is surely time to ask the most difficult of questions: has Jurgen Klopp taken Liverpool as far as he can?

5.18pm BST

Peep peep! The good news for Villa is that they are deservedly level at Anfield. The bad news is that there is approximately 0.02 per cent chance of Liverpool playing as poorly in the second half.

5.18pm BST

45+2 min Keita did brush Douglas Luiz’s heel, but I don’t think it was strong enough to knock him over. It was a delayed fall as well. But Douglas Luiz was convinced it was a penalty.

5.17pm BST

45+1 min Three added minutes. Villa appeal for a penalty when Douglas Luiz goes over under a challenge from Keita, I think. VAR decides there was nothing in it.

5.14pm BST

45 min It’s been a dreadful half, in terms of entertainment, but that suits Villa just fine.

5.13pm BST

44 min Grealish will continue, at least until half-time.

5.11pm BST

41 min Grealish is struggling again with his right ankle.

5.10pm BST

40 min Another good low cross, this time from Trezeguet, is claimed by Alisson.

5.09pm BST

39 min Grealish teases Alexander-Arnold and puts in a terrific cross that is headed behind by Robertson at the far post.

5.07pm BST

37 min Salah has Liverpool’s first shot, a volley from a narrow angle that Reina saves comfortably to his left.

5.06pm BST

36 min McGinn is booked for flattening Oxlade-Chamberlain.

5.05pm BST

36 min “Sure looks like Reds are super motivated to go for points record,” says George Meikle. “Or maybe not at all.”

I think they are, and I’m certain Klopp is. But the subconscious mind is a funny old game.

5.05pm BST

35 min A good break down the right from Trezeguet, whose cross is just too deep for El Ghazi.

5.03pm BST

33 min Douglas Luiz cracks a bouncing ball straight at Alisson from the edge of the area. Villa, almost unbelievably, will be starting to fancy their chances today.

5.01pm BST

30 min The corner did hit Konsa on the hand after he missed a stooping header, but I wouldn’t say his arm was in an unnatural position.

4.59pm BST

28 min Salah wins a corner for Liverpool. There’s an appeal for handball when Alexander-Arnold’s outswinger drops onto the body of a Villa defender. We haven’t seen a replay and play has continued.

4.57pm BST

27 min Dean Smith will be thrilled with how the match has gone so far. Despite all Liverpool’s posession, Pepe Reina hasn’t had a save to make.

4.54pm BST

23 min The drinks break presents Jurgen Klopp with the opportunity to tell his team what they’re doing wrong.

4.51pm BST

21 min Grealish’s free-kick is headed over by Konsa near the penalty spot. It was a half chance at best.

4.51pm BST

20 min Robertson is booked for a foul on Douglas Luiz. Liverpool are well off the pace - or, at least, well off their pace.

4.46pm BST

16 min It looks like Grealish is okay. It’s not a great match at the moment, with Liverpool not at their sharpest.

4.43pm BST

13 min Grealish is going to try to run it off.

4.42pm BST

12 min Grealish is being treated for a problem with his right ankle. This is a worry for Villa, though he doesn’t look in too much pain.

4.40pm BST

10 min Liverpool keep the ball for 90 seconds or so before Oxlade-Chamberlain overhits a pass to Alexander-Arnold.

4.36pm BST

7 min It’s been a fairly low-key start, with Villa seeing plenty of the ball.

4.34pm BST

4 min Salah goes down in the area after a slightly clumsy challenge from Douglas Luiz. Paul Tierney waves play on and there’s no suggestion that VAR is going to get involved.

4.32pm BST

2 min Villa win an early corner down the left. Douglas Luiz works a short one with McGinn and dumps a cross into the middle that is cleared by Oxlade-Chamberlain.

4.30pm BST

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

4.27pm BST

Villa’s players have formed a guard of honour for the Liverpool players. No sign of Bernardo Silva though.

4.25pm BST

“The end-of-season medals were interesting in the pre-internet era,” says Phil Podolsky. “You suddenly saw some guys you had no idea were part of the team. Just as you had to wait for the first games of the season to learn about all the new players signed during the summer. Good times.”

You mean there was a world before the International Champions Cup?

3.59pm BST

Liverpool’s 2-1 win at Villa Park in November, when they were a goal down with four minutes remaining, was one of the most important of the season. Had they lost that day they would have been only three points clear of the champions Manchester City. Eight days later, after routing City at Anfield, they were nine clear.

3.55pm BST

Godspeed, Villa department Liverpool have won their last 23 Premier League games at Anfield, an English top-flighr record. And in the last two league seasons, their record at home is P35 W33 D2 L0 F99 A22.

3.46pm BST

Pre-match reading

3.33pm BST

Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho, Keita; Salah, Origi, Mane.
Substitutes: Adrian, Williams, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Jones, Elliott, Firmino, Minamino, Shaqiri.

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1) Reina; Konsa, Hause, Mings, Taylor; McGinn, Douglas Luiz; El Ghazi, Grealish, Trezeguet; Davis.
Substitutes: Nyland, Guilbert, El Mohamady, Lansbury, Nakamba, Hourihane, Jota, Vassilev, Samatta.

10.52am BST

Hello. We’re all friends here, so let us speak frankly. This is not the triumphant homecoming that Liverpool envisaged as they rampaged towards their first title in 30 years. But the first game at Anfield since Liverpool were confirmed as champions is still an opportune moment to celebrate an immortal group of players who have climbed Everest in record time. The pubs are open, Britain is Great again; what else are we going to do?

Liverpool would have been of a mind to put on a show even before their 4-0 defeat at Manchester City on Thursday. Now they will want to make Villa - and City - pay for that mild embarrassment. If Liverpool win five of their last six games, they will break City’s records for the most points (100) and wins (32) in an English top-flight season. One thing’s for sure: I wouldn’t fancy being an Aston Villa defender for the next few hours.

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Published on July 05, 2020 10:45

Burnley 1-1 Sheffield United: Premier League – as it happened

John Egan’s classy half-volley gave Sheffield United a deserved point at Turf Moor after James Tarkowski slid Burnley into the lead

Read Richard Jolly’s match report

2.38pm BST

1.53pm BST

Next stop: St James’ Park

1.53pm BST

Peep peep! An honourable draw at Turf Moor, with two excellent goals from centre-backs. James Tarkowski reacted superbly to slide Burnley into the lead at half-time; John Egan’s adroit half-volley gave Sheffield United a deserved point.

1.50pm BST

90+3 min McNeil’s corner is cleared by Rodwell.

1.50pm BST

90+2 min A cracking low drive from Pieters is pushed behind by the diving Henderson. It was going wide but Henderson took no chances.

1.48pm BST

90 min Four minutes of added time.

1.47pm BST

90 min Stevens wins yet another corner for Sheffield United. Osborn’s outswinger is headed up in the air by Tarkowski, who follows the loose ball and heads it even further away.

1.46pm BST

89 min The free-kick is taken short to Berge, who spins and smacks a good shot that is patted down by Pope and claimed at the second attempt.

1.45pm BST

88 min Long commits a silly foul on Mousset just outside the area on the left. This is a chance for United...

1.45pm BST

87 min Sheffield United look the likelier winners, but then so did England against Romania in 1998. I haven’t a clue what is going to happen in the last few minutes, is what I’m saying.

1.44pm BST

86 min “Hello Rob,” says George Meikle. “My thought is that the players still get to hear their name over the system, and this provides a psychological boost. And players need all boosts available in an empty park.”

Especially if they are being taken off after 20 minutes.

1.43pm BST

85 min Both sides would be happy enough with this result, I suspect. Burnley because of all their injuries; Sheffield United because their away form has been dismal.

1.41pm BST

84 min “Re the Tannoy, it’s partly for evacuation etc purposes and partly so the regular announcer gets paid,” says Gary Naylor. “A good thing I reckon.”

1.41pm BST

83 min That’s Sheffield United’s first away goal since the restart and their first in the league since 1 February.

1.40pm BST

82 min “Hi Rob,” says Tom Dale. “As a fan of Burnley I am well aware that this Premier League stint will not last for ever. As such, I find it really annoying when pundits lazily question how much the club and its fans really want to be in Europe next year. Knowing that in ten years (if that…) the chances are we will be playing Rotherham United twice a year, nothing would make me happier than being able to watch Burnley on a Thursday night losing 2-1 to HNK Hajduk Split. Even if it did greatly increase the chances of us getting relegated.”

1.38pm BST

It came from a short corner on the right. Osborn’s floated ball into the area was headed on by Sharp towards Egan, who rifled a majestic half-volley into the top corner from a tight angle. That was some finish, especially for a centre half.

1.37pm BST

Sheffield United get a deserved equaliser!

1.36pm BST

79 min “Every game I’ve seen has had the announcer state the goalscorer or substitutions to an empty stadium,” says Craig. “Why?”

Good question. For the media? For the self-worth of a lonely tannoy operator?

1.35pm BST

77 min: McNeil misses a great chance! Rodriguez took the ball down on the chest, 25 yards from goal, and bulleted a shot that almost knocked Henderson off his feet. He could only beat it straight to McNeil, who drove just wide of the far post. He should have scored.

1.32pm BST

75 min Sheffield United make their final substitution. Jack Rodwell - yep - is on for Chris Basham. It’s his first Premier League appearance in three years, apparently, and means a switch to a back four.

1.30pm BST

72 min Berge’s floated cross is too deep for Sharp. Sheffield United, for all their possession, are struggling to create clear chances. Burnley’s defence, which is without Ben Mee, has been outstanding.

1.29pm BST

71 min A Sheffield United change, with Lys Mousset replacing McBurnie. I missed a Burnley substitution a couple of minutes ago. Vydra off, Chris Wood on.

1.28pm BST

70 min Rodriguez’s shot on the turn from the edge of the area drifts well wide.

1.27pm BST

68 min Time for a drinks break. The pattern of the match is set, with Burnley pinned in their own half.

1.26pm BST

65 min Burnley’s next game is at West Ham on Wednesday. Sheffield United host Wolves the very same night.

1.20pm BST

62 min United move the ball smoothly from right to left. The overlapping O’Connell’s cross takes a deflection and loops right across the the face of goal, just in front of the leaping Sharp.

1.18pm BST

60 min Sheffield United have been the better team since half time, as they were for most of the first half, but Burnley look so solid defensively. If it stays like this it’ll be their third consecutive 1-0 win.

1.14pm BST

56 min O’Connell accidentally heads the ball onto his own arm inside the Sheffield United area. No penalty, presumably because of the original touch with his head. I haven’t a clue any more, I’ll be honest. The meaning of life is easier to understand than the laws of football.

1.11pm BST

55 min A double change for Sheffield United: Billy Sharp and the returning Jack O’Connell replace Robinson and Norwood.

1.11pm BST

54 min Bardsley’s long free-kick is headed down neatly by Vydra to find Pieters, who hits the bouncing ball well wide from 20 yards.

1.08pm BST

51 min Nothing to report in the last few minutes.

1.04pm BST

47 min “I believe taking the knee is right and was done for the right reasons - on the opening day of the restart,” says Richard Summers. “But with every repetition, like clapping the NHS, it slightly loses its power and becomes obviously much more about PR than anything else. Do we know how long this will continue?”

No, though I suspect it will continue until the end of the season. And then what, I have no idea.

1.04pm BST

46 min A fierce long-range shot from McGoldrick hits the head of Tarkowski and loops across the area to Baldock. He cushions a volleyed cross into the six-yard box but there are no United players there.

1.02pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Burnley begin the second half.

12.56pm BST

VAR watch Replays show that United should have had a penalty for that handball by Pieters in the 11th minute. He missed an attempted clearance and the ball hit his hand, which was in an unnatural position because of the momentum he put into the attempt to clear. The law is an ass, but that doesn’t change the fact it was a penalty.

12.48pm BST

Half-time reading

12.48pm BST

Peep peep! United dominated much of the first half but Burnley were resolute and nicked the lead just before half-time through James Tarkowski.

12.45pm BST

44 min Chris Wilder might have a few effs and jeffs for Oli McBurnie at half-time. It was a basic loss of concentration that allowed Tarkowski to score.

12.43pm BST

GOAL GIVEN! McNeil’s excellent free-kick from deep on the left was headed on by Rodriguez and finished with aplomb by the sliding Tarkowski. He got the wrong side of his marker McBurnie, and replays showed he was just onside.

12.42pm BST

This may be ruled out for offside.

12.42pm BST

42 min “Hi Rob,” says Chris Collinson. “Wondered who you think is the clubhouse leader in the now clearly audible ‘Effing and Jeffing’ stakes? Chris Wilder seems to have posted some quite blue language recently and would be my pick.”

I haven’t really noticed as I tend to watch games with crowd noise. But I’m glad to hear Chris Wilder has been making a few earthy observations; he’d have been my pick, along with Sean Dyche, Jurgen Klopp and maybe Nigel Pearson.

12.40pm BST

40 min Robinson’s fast, flat cross is flicked just over the bar by McBurnie at the near post. It was a decent effort; all he could really do was help the ball on and hope for the best.

12.38pm BST

39 min “I agree with everything David Wall said,” says Joshua Reynolds. “However, the fact that here in the USA taking a knee was such a huge deal and we haven’t had any sports start again, it will be interesting to see what happens when the games do resume. Kneeling for BLM/against police killings is something that was so taboo and how will it be handled when it’s just done as a matter of course in other countries/sports? I have no idea but I’m glad that’s the position we’re in.”

12.38pm BST

38 min Baldock shows good pace to stop Vydra reaching Pieters’ through pass. Moments later, Bardsley’s swirling long-range shot is beaten away by Henderson.

12.37pm BST

37 min “And to strengthen the evidence for that, Richard Masters said that the reason why the PL were allowing players to support Black Lives Matter but not other causes was that this was a moral rather than a political issue,” says David Wall. “What nonsense. It’s obviously both a moral and political issue (as many things are). Trying to force distinction here just shows the insincerity.”

I have a little sympathy for them, in that they will be heavily criticised whatever they do, but I agree that PR feels like the main consideration.

12.35pm BST

35 min Norwood’s superb inswinging corner is headed over from five yards by Egan. He was just in front of the ball, which meant he had to leap backwards and couldn’t keep the header on target.

12.33pm BST

33 min Norwood’s first-time cross is headed over by Berge at the near post. It wasn’t the easiest chance because the ball was slightly behind him.

12.31pm BST

32 min Burnley enjoy an extended spell of possession for the first time in the match. Nothing comes of it, but it’s the thought that counts.

12.28pm BST

28 min Burnley have been a bit more positive in the last few minutes, which suggests that Sean Dyche imparted some gravel-voiced wisdom during the drinks break.

12.23pm BST

23 min Time for the drinks break.

12.23pm BST

22 min Stevens’ shot hits Bardsley and deflects wide of the near post for Sheffield United’s fifth corner. This one is claimed comfortably by Pope.

12.22pm BST

21 min “Hi Rob,” says David Wall. “Does anyone else have mixed feelings about the players and officials taking a knee at the kick-off? It seems to have become built into the pre-match rituals, and it risks becoming no more significant that the pre-match handshakes (that they aren’t allowed to do anymore). This is in no way a criticism of the players (who I think are sincere) or the cause that it is supporting. But the main problem that needs addressing is not so much particular racist incidents (like abuse from the crowd, etc), but structural discrimination in almost every institution and system in the country (including football). And we know that the Premier League is doing pretty much nothing to address that in their competition.

“There are no plans to introduce something like the Rooney Rule, which is already in place in the EFL, and I think the coaching experience scheme that was announced last week was an FA project rather than the PL. So the Premier League allowing everyone to endorse Black Lives Matter seems little more than the virtue-signaling that we are cynical about when done by various huge companies sending out a tweet but making no other changes.”

12.19pm BST

19 min Westwood’s deep free-kick is miscontrolled by the stretching Tarkowski at the far post. It wasn’t an easy ball to trap because of the bounce, but it was still a chance.

12.18pm BST

18 min Sheffield United continue to dominate, and Burnley are struggling to get out. Osborn combines nicely with McGoldrick on the left and curls a terrific ball that bounces just in front of Egan at the far post. Pope read it well and allowed the ball to go past both him and Egan.

12.14pm BST

14 min I’d like to see that VAR check again. There were two appeals, the first when Pieters missed his clearance and the ball hit his arm, and the second when Egan’s shot was blocked. I don’t think the Pieters incident was a penalty, but the brief replay of the second suggested there might have been a handball.

12.12pm BST

12 min McBurnie has made a brilliant start to the game. We know all about his power but he has also produced two or three very subtle touches.

12.11pm BST

11 min There’s a VAR check for handball after Egan’s shot is blocked on the line. No penalty.

12.10pm BST

10 min At the other end, McBurnie gets round the back on the right and cuts the ball back to Berge, whose shot is crucially blocked by Long on the six-yard line.

12.10pm BST

9 min: Vydra misses an excellent chance! That was a lovely break from Burnley. McNeil found Rodriguez, who pushed the ball out to Pieters on the left. He played it first time through to Vydra, who took the ball in his stride and rolled it just wide of the far post. He should have scored.

12.08pm BST

9 min Anyone out there? Any good stories or observations from Asymptomatic Saturday?

12.07pm BST

7 min A corner to Sheffield United. The wind will make set-pieces even more dangerous today. Norwood’s inswinging swirls a bit and is headed away in the six-yard box.

12.04pm BST

4 min: Disallowed goal! Robinson’s long, swirling throw is dropped by Pope and put into the net by Berge. Thankfully for Burnley, the referee had penalised McBurnie for his challenge on Pope.

12.03pm BST

4 min It’s been a really confident start from Sheffield United, who look a different team after that excellent win over Spurs.

12.02pm BST

1 min McBurnie almost scores after 57 seconds! He ran onto McGoldrick’s neat flick and drove a low first-time shot that was kicked away by Pope.

12.00pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Sheffield United, in white, kick off from right to left. Burnley are in claret and blue.

12.00pm BST

It’s a wild, windy day at Turf Moor, which is the best possible excuse to post this clip. Watch it, it’s worth it.

11.56am BST

Reasons to love Burnley, part 12 in an ongoing series

This is their walk-on music.

11.54am BST

Pre-match reading

11.06am BST

Jay Rodriguez returns to the Burnley side, while Chris Wood is fit enough for the bench. But Ben Mee and Jack Cork are both out through injury. Sheffield United are unchanged from the team that beat Spurs on Thursday.

Burnley (4-4-2) Pope; Bardsley, Tarkowski, Long, Taylor; McNeil, Brownhill, Westwood, Pieters; Rodriguez, Vydra.
Substitutes: Peacock-Farrell, Dunne, Thomas, Gudmundsson, Brady, Goodridge, Benson, Wood, Thompson.

10.14am BST

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Burnley v Sheffield United from Turf Moor, the first of f-o-u-r live games today. This match is 10th v 8th, which reflects the admirable overachievement of both these teams. Sean Dyche and Chris Wilder do the kind of work that doesn’t garner likes, retweets, thumbs up or whatever constitutes recognition in 2020. That makes their achievements - only Jurgen Klopp has outperformed them this season - even more impressive.

We take it for granted, but it’s pretty staggering that these teams are part of a sandwich that also contains Arsenal, Spurs and Everton. If Sheffield United win today they will become the Hovis in that sandwich, leapfrogging Arsenal to go seventh. A win for Burnley would move them above United and up to eighth. This is not normal, new or otherwise, and both teams deserve a bit more credit, like.

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Published on July 05, 2020 05:55

July 4, 2020

Chelsea 3-0 Watford: Premier League – as it happened

Goals from Olivier Giroud, Willian and Ross Barkley gave Chelsea a very comfortable victory at Stamford Bridge

9.53pm BST

Peep peep! Chelsea move back into the top four with a solid victory over Watford. It was never really in doubt from the moment Olivier Giroud gave them the lead with a smart finish in the first half. Willian’s penalty made it 2-0 at the break, and Ross Barkley decorated the cake in injury time.

9.51pm BST

Ross Barkley completes a comfortable win for Chelsea. It was a nice move on the left, involving Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic and then Azpilicueta. His precise cutback found Barkley, who controlled the ball with his right foot and belted it into the net with his left.

9.50pm BST

90+1 min Four minutes of added time.

9.50pm BST

90 min At the other end, Welbeck dances away from Christensen on the byline and slides the ball towards Hughes in the six-yard box. It ricochets off Loftus-Cheek and behind for what should have been a corner, but was given as a goalkick.

9.49pm BST

90 min Pereyra gives the ball to Azpilicueta. He plays in Pulisic, whose shot is superbly blocked by Kabasele (I think).

9.47pm BST

88 min A brilliant cross from James is headed wide from close range by Loftus-Cheek, who got ahead of the ball and was therefore unable to steer it on target. It was a great chance.

9.45pm BST

86 min No penalty.

9.44pm BST

85 min Pulisic appeals unsuccesfully for a penalty after wriggling between Mariappa and Kabasele and going over. It’s being checked by VAR. I doubt it’ll be overturned, even though it was a clumsy challenge.

9.43pm BST

85 min Watford have been much better in the past 15 minutes, though it looks like it’s too little too late.

9.42pm BST

83 min Another Watford chance. Roberto Pereyra on, Ismaila Sarr off.

9.41pm BST

81 min: Good save from Kepa! That was Watford’s best chance of the match. It was created by Chalobah, who robbed the dithering Gilmour and played an angled through pass to find Welbeck in the area. He tried to pass the ball into the bottom corner, and Arrizabalaga got down smartly to his left to push the ball away.

9.39pm BST

81 min Chelsea’s next game is away to Crystal Palace on Tuesday. Watford are at home to Norwich on the same night.

9.39pm BST

80 min Masina’s free-kick bounces awkwardly in front of Arrizabalaga, who holds it as he falls to his right.

9.36pm BST

77 min N’Golo Kante has pulled something and is coming off. Billy Gilmour replaces him.

9.34pm BST

76 min A triple change for Chelsea. Tammy Abraham, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi replace Giroud, Mount and Willian.

9.34pm BST

75 min Hughes’ outswinging free kick from the left is headed over by Dawson, under pressure from Zouma. It was a half chance at best.

9.32pm BST

74 min Masina’s long-range shot is comfortably held by Arrizabalaga.

9.31pm BST

72 min A better attack from Watford. Cleverley plays a good pass down the right to Sarr, whose excellent cross is put behind by Christensen at the near post.

9.28pm BST

69 min Time for the drinks break.

9.27pm BST

68 min Zouma’s towering header, from the resulting corner, is comfortably saved by Foster.

9.27pm BST

68 min A good effort from Willian, who zips infield from the left and curls a shot towards the far corner that is pushed behind by the diving Foster.

9.23pm BST

64 min Two more changes for Watford. Tom Cleverley and Adam Masina replace Kiko Femenia and Troy Deeney.

9.22pm BST

63 min Giroud’s shot is blocked. This is absurdly one-sided, like watching a Manchester City game.

9.21pm BST

62 min Azpilicueta’s cross is headed down by Giroud to no-one in particular, and Watford clear. But the ball keeps coming back at their defence.

9.18pm BST

59 min Willian’s pass deflects through to Giroud, whose low shot from a tight angle is blocked by Foster.

9.16pm BST

58 min Watford have barely crossed the halfway line in the second half. In an attempt to make something happen, Nigel Pearson brings on Danny Welbeck for Etienne Capoue.

9.14pm BST

56 min Mount combines with Pulisic and crosses dangerously into the six-yard box, where Dawson stretches to put the ball behind for a corner.

9.11pm BST

53 min It feels like a matter of time before Chelsea get a third.

9.09pm BST

50 min “Bob,” says Mac Millings. “Please could you stop saying things like ‘I still think Watford will stay up’. It is a scientific fact that you are the Hornets’ biggest jinx, with this, from the January 4th FA Cup 3rd Round Clockwatch, being Exhibit bleedin’ A:

“‘GOAL! Watford 3-1 Tranmere (Jennings 65)
Connor Jennings gets a consolation goal for Tranmere.’

9.08pm BST

49 min Mariappa is booked for hacking Pulisic.

9.07pm BST

49 min Mount’s adroit volley from the edge of the area is well blocked by Kabasele.

9.05pm BST

47 min Pulisic slaps a shot over the bar from the edge of the area.

9.04pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Chelsea begin the second half.

9.04pm BST

“I agree with Rob Coughlin about Pulisic,” says Benjamin Park. “The feeling I get is similar to when Hazard got the ball - excitement, though obviously not yet at Hazard’s level. What gets me every time is the accent. Not that I have a problem with it (says every racist ever), I’m just not used to it. American accent in a top team in the Premier League.”

8.55pm BST

“Is it me, or is Pulisic the best player on Chelsea?” says Rob Coughlin. “An American, the best player on Chelsea? And I don’t mean that to slight the other CFC talent. It’s pretty obvious.”

He’s certainly been their best attacking player in the past few weeks, by a fair distance. He’s a brilliant player, with a lovely direct simplicity to his play.

8.50pm BST

Half time chit chat “Seems to me that despite Man U’s recent performances, Chelsea will be challenging Liverpool & Man City before them,” says Mike MacKenzie. “Lampard has the right approach and with Ziyech & Werner arriving they should have much stronger attack. If Abramovich funds more transfers, Chelsea could be very competitive. As Lampard says, though. they need to be consistent which takes time to develop.”

Yeah, I think both teams are still a fair way off challenging for the title, certainly another season. They are going in the right direction, though, and there’s a lot to admire in the way both Lampard and Solskjaer have prioritised youth.

8.48pm BST

Half-time reading

8.48pm BST

Peep peep! A very comfortable half for Chelsea, who lead through a smart finish from Olivier Giroud and a penalty from Willian. It’s hard to see Watford getting back into the match from here.

8.45pm BST

45+1 min Three minutes of added time.

8.45pm BST

45 min I still think Watford will stay up. They should beat Norwich at home in their next game, and I can’t see Bournemouth or Aston Villa picking up too many points for the rest of the season.

8.43pm BST

Willian scores with aplomb, and Chelsea are going back into the top four.

8.42pm BST

PENALTY TO CHELSEA! Pulisic scurries into the area and cuts back inside Capoue, who just runs him over. A gormless piece of defending, and a clear penalty.

8.41pm BST

41 min Deeney fouls Kante 25 yards from goal. Mount’s free-kick hits the wall.

8.40pm BST

40 min James’ cross just evades the stretching Giroud and is palmed away by Foster. Chelsea are well on top now.

8.38pm BST

38 min Willian’s free-kick hits the wall.

8.37pm BST

37 min Giroud is fouled by Kabasele, 22 yards from goal. It’s slightly to the right of centre, a great position for Willian.

8.36pm BST

36 min Chalobah’s corner is headed away by Giroud.

8.35pm BST

35 min Sarr’s low cross is put behind by James. Set-pieces are probably Watford’s best chance of a goal tonight.

8.33pm BST

33 min Dawson plays an excellent pass to Femenia, whose cross is headed away by Kante. Chelsea look comfortable in defence.

8.30pm BST

30 min Pulisic’s looping header is comfortably saved by Foster.

8.30pm BST

Ross Barkley made the goal with a nice, short pass into the area towards Giroud. He dragged a first-time shot on the turn that took Foster by surprise and rolled gently into the far corner. It looked like Dawson had Giroud covered, but he slid to block a near-post shot and had gone past the ball when Giroud reversed it towards the other corner.

8.28pm BST

What a clever finish from Olivier Giroud!

8.25pm BST

25 min Chalobah clips a poor free-kick high over the bar. Time for a drinks break.

8.24pm BST

24 min Mount fouls Capoue on the edge of the D. It looked a bit soft but Kevin Friend gave it, and this is a decent chance for Watford.

8.21pm BST

21 min Capoue is booked for a foul on Giroud.

8.19pm BST

19 min: Good save from Foster! That was nice play from Chelsea. The menacing Pulisic angled a fine pass down the inside-left channel to release Giroud, whose low shot across goal was kicked away by Foster.

8.18pm BST

18 min Deeney is down after taking a knee in the back from Zouma. He’s going to carry on, though he’s moving gingerly.

8.17pm BST

17 min Watford are working very hard defensively, and at the moment Chelsea are struggling to create opportunities.

8.15pm BST

15 min After a good break from Chelsea involving Barkley and Pulisic, Willian’s deflected shot is comfortably held by Foster.

8.13pm BST

13 min Dawson, still up the field after a Watford set-piece, drags a shot well wide from 25 yards.

8.11pm BST

11 min Chelsea have had 72 per cent of the possession so far.

8.10pm BST

10 min Pulisic turns smartly and dinks a pass over the defence to find Giroud on the left of the area. His lobbed cross is headed away.

8.08pm BST

8 min Mount wins the first corner down the Chelsea left. Willian takes it short to Mount, whose overhit cross goes straight out of play.

8.05pm BST

5 min After a minute and a half of faffing, Giroud slams the free-kick into the wall.

8.04pm BST

3 min Barkley is fouled just outside the area by Capoue. The free-kick is a fair way to the right, so it’ll probably be a cross rather than a shot.

8.00pm BST

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

7.58pm BST

“Rob, since when is 2-0 a thrashing, surreal or otherwise?” says M Stapleton. “It was Chelsea v Liverpool B in the FA Cup: a competition which barely registers a blip (or even a bleep) on Klopp’s radar. Not so much wearing your bias on your sleeve as carving it into your forearm.”

I was talking about Watford’s 3-0 win over Liverpool. And yes, I accept your apology.

7.20pm BST

Pre-match reading

7.04pm BST

Chelsea (4-3-3) Arrizabalaga; James, Christensen, Zouma, Azpilicueta; Barkley, Kante, Mount; Willian, Giroud, Pulisic.
Substitutes: Caballero, Rudiger, Alonso, Gilmour, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Pedro, Abraham, Hudson-Odoi.

Watford (4-2-3-1) Foster; Mariappa, Kabasele, Dawson, Femenia; Chalobah, Capoue; Sarr, Doucoure, Hughes; Deeney.
Substitutes: Gomes, Masina, Cathcart, Holebas, Cleverley, Pereyra, Welbeck, Joao Pedro, Gray.

6.54pm BST

Chelsea are a funny old team. This season they have beaten Liverpool, Manchester City, Leicester, Wolves and done the double over Spurs. They have also taken one point from a possible 12 against Bournemouth and West Ham. Tonight’s match against Watford, which Chelsea need to win to return to the top four, is not a foregone conclusion.

Watford need points even more than Chelsea. They have been in dodgy form either side of lockdown, with that surreal thrashing of Liverpool their only win in the last nine games. They are still outside the relegation places thanks to the winlessness of the teams below them, but that’s a dangerous thing to rely on. Watford have two big home games after this, against Norwich on Tuesday and Newcastle on Saturday. Anything tonight would be a bonus.

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Published on July 04, 2020 13:53

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