Rob Smyth's Blog, page 122

Football transfer rumours: Thomas Müller to Manchester United?

Today’s gossip think REDЯUM

The Mill gave up drinking throughout 2018. It had a profound impact on our mood, our weight, our blood pressure, our liver and our bank balance. As the clock ticked midnight on 31 December, we proudly reflected on our achievements, and then took care of a bottle of Macallan 1926 in one sitting.

Chelsea know the feeling. The transfer ban has been the best thing to happen for them in years, forcing the emergence on Frankie’s Foetuses, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t ready to pay big as soon as it is lifted.

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Published on October 25, 2019 00:57

Genk 1-4 Liverpool: Champions League Group E – as it happened

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored twice, the second an exquisite goal, as Liverpool ended their run of away defeats in the Champions League group stages

10.03pm BST

Andy Hunter has filed his match report from Genk, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company - goodnight!

10.00pm BST

Ajax 0-1 Chelsea was the score in tonight’s earlier game. Read all about it.

9.59pm BST

Red Bull Salzburg 2-3 Napoli Unsurprisingly, the other Group E game was a cracker. Napoli nicked it despite two more goals from Erling Braut Haaland. Salzburg have scored 11 goals in three games - but they have lost the last two and will do well to qualify from here. In a way I hope they don’t, because they would be a very lively addition to the Europa League.

9.52pm BST

Peep peep! Liverpool end their run of away defeats in their Champions League group stage with an ultimately comfortable victory. They had too much class and too much nous, even if the scoreline is harsh on a charming Genk side. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored twice, the second a delicious goal, with Sadio Mane and Mo Salah getting the others. Liverpool go top of the group and should - should - qualify without alarm from here.

9.49pm BST

90+1 min Ianis Hagi - yep, him - comes on to replace the impressive Junya Ito.

9.49pm BST

90 min Three minutes of added time.

9.49pm BST

89 min “Just thinking what our best midfield three would be if all players were fit and firing,” writes Johnny. “I’d say Fabinho is nailed on, so that leaves Ox/Henderson/Gigi/Milner/Keita/Lallana. That’s quite a strong bunch to choose from! I do think we need someone with a bit more drive than Henderson so would happily have Ox in there as a regular. The season before last he was immense before the injury.”

The selection for the City game will be interesting, especially given Oxlade-Chamberlain’s form against them in 2017-18. I agree about Fabinho, who has no obvious replacement.

9.48pm BST

Genk deserve that consolation goal. Uronen bullies Keita off the ball down the left and plays the ball infield to the substitute Ndongala. He twists past Gomez and cuts tbe ball back towards the other substitute Odey, who beats Alisson with a nice shot on the turn from eight yards.

9.46pm BST

Another delightful goal! Salah receives Mane’s pass ball on the edge of the area with his back to goal, wriggles through a non-existent space between Cuesta and Lucami and drags the ball in off the far post with his right foot. The turn was delicious.

9.42pm BST

84 min Wijnaldum blasts a cross shot just wide.

9.41pm BST

83 min “Goals from the edge of the box are invaluable for Liverpool,” says Niall Mullen. “We lack the Man City whirligig that creates space and clear-cut opportunities in and around the box against low block defences. Ox’s ability to stick it top or bottom bins should, in theory, create more space in behind as defenders rush out to block.”

Yes, goalscoring from midfield is one of Liverpool’s few weaknesses. I’m not sure who he would replace though. Henderson, at his best, is a really important player. I’ve never been that impressed by Wijnaldum, though I have a vague sense he does things I’m not intelligent enough to understand.

9.41pm BST

82 min Berge belts one over the bar from distance. It was beautifully struck but a few inches too high. He looks a good player, though.

9.40pm BST

81 min Stephen Odey replaces Paul Onuachu for Genk. In the other game, Napoli are leading 3-2 in Salzburg.

9.39pm BST

80 min Divock Origi, who came through the ranks at Genk before leaving for Lille, is warmly applauded by both sets of fans as he comes on to replace Roberto Firmino.

9.37pm BST

That defeat has been confirmed. Firmino finds Salah, who stabs a dainty through pass on the turn towards Mane. He charges onto the ball and lifts it confidently over Coucke. Lovely goal.

9.35pm BST

76 min That second goal flattened Genk’s morale. They look resigned to defeat now.

9.32pm BST

73 min Gini Wijnaldum replaces the matchwinner Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

9.30pm BST

71 min The Norwegian Sander Berge has had a quietly impressive match in the Genk midfield. He reads the game really well for a 21-year-old, with and without the ball.

9.29pm BST

70 min Gomez shows impressive pace to beat Ndongala to a through ball from Ito - and then gets himself booked by stopping Ndongala taking a quick throw-in.

9.28pm BST

69 min “Hi Rob,” says Drew Gough. “From the Fun Fact Department: I’m watching this game in Turkey on a Turkish BeIn Sports feed, and the announcer calls every player by his last name except for James Milner, who is called by both names every time. Hashtag respect hashtag legend.”

I’d like to hear commentators double down and call him James Philip Milner.

9.26pm BST

68 min Oxlade-Chamberlain’s deep, floated corner is headed over by van Dijk.

9.26pm BST

67 min “Millings!” says Matt Maradony (sic). “Millings has made my heart grow two sizes. I’m only just catching up with the action, as I’ve been puffing and panting around a five-a-side pitch. (One screamer off the post and in, and one goal conceded via a big ol’ annoying nutmeg. The beautiful game.) Two-nil up against the mighty Genk. Number seven in the post.”

9.25pm BST

66 min A change for Genk: Dieumerci Ndongala replaces the relatively anonymous Theo Bongonda.

9.23pm BST

64 min “Does this mean Oxlade-Chamberlain is hitting pre-injury form?” says Roger Theberge.

I actually thought he was better in general play when he came on at Old Trafford, but the second goal tonight was a timely reminder of his class. At his best, he’s certainly good enough to be a regular starter for Liverpool and England.

9.22pm BST

63 min Andy Robertson, who has had a fairly tricky night defensively, is replaced by Joe Gomez. James Milner will move to left-back.

9.20pm BST

62 min It’s been a good week for the forgotten midfielders of Liverpool.

9.18pm BST

59 min A good inswinging corner from the left is flicked on and wide of the far post by Samatta. That was half a chance.

9.17pm BST

That’s one of the most stylish goals we’ll see in this season’s Champions League. Firmino played a simple pass back to Oxlade-Chamberlain, lurking inside the D, and he stabbed an insouciant first-time shot with the outside of the boot that curved around Coucke, hit the underside of the bar and dropped into the net. Glorious stuff.

9.16pm BST

It is now! This is an outrageous goal from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain!

9.15pm BST

55 min Liverpool are still looking unusually sloppy, and Van Dijk administers a rollocking to someone after heading Ito’s cross behind. Their away form will determine what they win this season, because they should win at least 90 per cent of their home games. At the moment it’s not great.

9.13pm BST

52 min “Klopp’s Liverpool v Houllier’s Liverpool sort of happened in 2001,” says Niall Mullen. “Old Ged cannily predicted a goal glut before parking four buses and an oil tanker.”

I remember rushing home from work to watch that first leg. It reminded me of the film Human Traffic: the worse it got, the more determined I became to finish it. I was finally driven to a Twin Peaks VHS after about 70 minutes.

9.09pm BST

50 min Ito, whose movement is giving Robertson a few problems, wins a corner for Genk. Nothing comes of it, but they have picked up where they left off in the first half. Liverpool need to be careful.

9.06pm BST

Red Bull Salzburg 1-1 Napoli was the half-time score in the other Group E game. You can check all the latest scores here.

9.04pm BST

47 min “I have been watching the rugby World Cup - why does the review process work so well in rugby?” writes US01. “Why can we not have the same level of professionalism and respect in football that we see from the excellent people who referee and play the rugby games?”

I don’t know enough about rugby to comment, though I’m sure the culture of accepting the referee’s decision is one of the biggest reasons.

9.03pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Genk begin the second half.

8.54pm BST

Ah, it seems Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goal took a slight deflection, which might explain why the keeper Gaetan Coucke was flat-footed.

8.52pm BST

Half-time reading

8.51pm BST

Half-time chit chat “The downside to getting rid of VAR is dealing with actual violent conduct,” says Joe Harvey. “It was only four years ago when Deli All punched someone behind the ref’s back. I wouldn’t be too bothered with getting rid of it except in the case of Zidane-level stuff.”

The problem with that is that people would have a different view on what constitutes Zidane-level stuff.

8.50pm BST

Peep peep! Sometimes, despite all the noise and nonsense, football is good, old-fashioned fun. That was a life-affirming - okay, gently uplifting - 45 minutes, with both sides playing with playground enthusiasm and intent. Liverpool deserve their lead, provided by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s early goal, but Genk have had chances and their captain Mbwana Samatta had an immense header ruled out for an offside in the build-up.

8.46pm BST

45 min Two minutes of added time.

8.45pm BST

44 min “Liverpool really need to find a way to win away from home against limited opposition who play defensively,” says Niall Mullen, lining up his punchline with tender loving care. “But enough about Sunday; how are they doing tonight?”

I’d love to see Klopp’s Liverpool v Houllier’s Liverpool.

8.43pm BST

42 min Liverpool’s Champions League group has been a whole heap of fun this season.

8.42pm BST

40 min Ito’s brilliant low cross from the right just evades the stretching Samatta in the middle. The ball runs beyond Bongonda, who retrieves it and hits a shot that is blocked by Milner. I think Ito might have been offside, had they scored, but it was another exhilarating moment. Genk, and their Tanzanian captain Samatta in particular, have attacked with infectious intent.

8.40pm BST

39 min “What strikes me as strange about VAR is this emphasis on a clear mistake by the ref,” says Drew Gough. “You’d reckon Liverpool might have had a penalty and that wasn’t checked. Then the ref disallowed a goal for a shove that was overturned for an offside. Then you’d have hoped VAR could have shown there was no contact on Keita and our poor ref might correctly have shown a yellow for the ol’ simulation. But here we are, hey? To summarize, the trouble with all authoritarian surveillance systems is that technology tends to show that the people meant to be making smart decisions are a bunch of ding dongs but we persist with trusting in the correctness of their decisions.”

Problem is, if you review everything then matches will last four days. I would get rid of it, but that will never happen, so we might as well just grin and bear it.

8.38pm BST

36 min A quiet period in the game.

8.33pm BST

33 min Salah misses a great chance, heading wide from six yards after Lovren flicked on a right-wing corner. He mistimed the header completely.

8.32pm BST

31 min This is a very entertaining game. The indefatigable Robertson storms onto Mane’s clever flick and hits a shot from a tight angle that is beaten away by Coucke.

8.31pm BST

31 min Salah curls a good free-kick just over the bar. We’ve now seen a replay of the disallowed goal, and it was unquestionably the correct decision: Ito was marginally offside in the build-up.

8.30pm BST

30 min Keita dives to win a foul in a good position, 25 yards from goal and to the right of centre.

8.29pm BST

29 min “Bobbie dearest,” says Mac Millings. “Liverpool-supporting Regular Contributor, Matt Dony, should be pleased with things so far, but not as pleased as with the fact that he has an entire World XI inspired by his name:

8.29pm BST

NO GOAL! It was apparently disallowed for offside in the build-up rather than a foul. I hope that’s the case, because it was a storming header and, although there was a bit of contact with Milner, football is a better game with headers like that. We haven’t seen a replay of the offside yet.

8.28pm BST

I’ll level with you: I haven’t a clue what’s going on.

8.27pm BST

Ach, that’s a shame, and it was a glorious, emphatic header from Samatta at the far post. It’s now being checked by VAR.

8.26pm BST

NO GOAL! It’s been disallowed by the on-field referee for a supposed foul on Milner at the far post.

8.26pm BST

GOAL! Genk 1-1 Liverpool (Samatta 26)

What a header!

8.26pm BST

25 min Coucke makes a vital block from Mane’s close-range shot. The chance came after a delicious one-two with Firmino, who added yet another beauty to his highlights reel with a rabona reverse pass. He’s all kinds of genius, that lad.

8.25pm BST

24 min Genk have been reasonably dangerous with their no-nonsense counter-attacks, and if they get the next goal this could become lively. If Liverpool get the next goal, we can all pack up and go home.

8.23pm BST

23 min Some news from the Press Association wires:

Liverpool have condemned an “offensive and inappropriate” banner which was hung in the away end before the Champions League match in Genk.

The banner, featuring a photoshopped picture of striker Divock Origi, was taken down as soon as the club were made aware of its existence.

8.22pm BST

22 min A Liverpool corner is fumbled by Coucke, who is relieved to see Mane’s follow-up shot blocked by one of the many defenders on the six-yard line.

8.21pm BST

20 min Genk almost profit from another long ball. This time Ito runs at Lovren in the area, only to slip over at the moment of opportunity.

8.19pm BST

18 min Liverpool are much the better team, despite the occasional threat of Genk’s front two. They look like a team who want to get qualification wrapped up before their final group game, away to Red Bull Salzburg.

8.16pm BST

15 min “Liverpool may be playing right to left to you Rob,” says Mark Grindrod, “but I prefer to view the MBM from the other side of the ground! ‘For those of you watching in black and white, Tottenham are playing in yellow …’”

8.13pm BST

12 min Genk are happy/have no option but to play on the break, launching long passes to the quick, muscular front pair of Samatta and Onuachu. I suspect Liverpool will face these tactics a lot away from home this season.

8.11pm BST

9 min “I LOVED Bros,” says Steve Waterhouse. “What you gonna do about it?”

Probably nothin’ at all.

8.10pm BST

8 min: Alisson makes a fine diving save from Onuachu! He looked well ffside as he ran onto another long ball from the back, and I suspect it would have been disallowed had he scored, but Alisson couldn’t be sure of that and he made an outstanding reaction save low to his right.

8.08pm BST

7 min Liverpool appeal for a penalty when Firmino is eased over in the area. It probably was a foul, though I don’t think it was clear enough for VAR to get involved. Jurgen Klopp does not concur.

8.08pm BST

5 min A chance out of nothing for Genk. A long ball out of defence puts Samatta clear of the defence, the wrong side of the last man Keita. He chests and then knees the ball into the area before cracking a left-footed shot well wide of the far post. Robertson did well to get back and ensure Samatta had to take the shot earlier than he would have liked.

8.05pm BST

3 min It wasn’t the fiercest strike from Oxlade-Chamberlain, but it was well placed and might have sneaked in even if Coucke had dived. He is such a fine player, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and it’s great to see him back.

8.04pm BST

A perfect start for Liverpool. Fabinho played a nice little pass to find Oxlade-Chamberlain in a bit of space, 25 yards from goal. He got the ball out of his feet and drove a low shot that beat the unsighted, flat-footed Coucke and rolled into the far corner.

8.03pm BST

That didn’t take long.

8.02pm BST

1 min Keita redefines the backpass, twisting his body to guide the ball off his shoulder blade into the path of Robertson. Good lad.

8.01pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Liverpoo, in red, kick off from right to left. Genk are in blue.

7.59pm BST

The players are ready for action. There’s a pulsating atmosphere in the Luminus Arena.

7.54pm BST

Pre-match reading

7.51pm BST

“Trivia question guess: (100% Google search free),” says Peter Oh. “Bon Jovi, Livin’ on a Prayer?”

I think that was 1987. Anyway, wrong! It was this popular record.

7.42pm BST

Chelsea’s spectacular form looks set to continue: Michy Bathsuayi has given them a late lead in Amsterdam.

7.37pm BST

“Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. ““Racing Genk was founded in 1988? I wouldn’t really blame the travelling Liverpool supporters if they break into, ‘You ain’t got no history!’”

Yep, 1st July 1988. A gold star for naming the No1 in the UK charts back then.

7.02pm BST

Ajax v Chelsea The second half has just started in Amsterdam. You will believe the score!

6.59pm BST

Mo Salah returns in what is a strong Liverpool starting line-up. James Milner is preferred to Joe Gomez at right-back.

Genk (4-2-3-1) Coucke; Maehle, Cuesta, Lucumi, Uronen; Heynen, Berge; Ito, Samatta Bongonda; Onuachu.
Substitutes: Vandevoordt, De Norre, Dewaest, Hrosovsky, Hagi, Ndongala.

1.02pm BST

Good evening. It’s an odd thing to say about a team who are European champions and runaway leaders in England, but Liverpool kind of need to stop playing silly buggers. They have lost their last four group games away from home in Champions League, making qualification for the knockout stages – when they really come alive – tougher than it needs to be.

They’ll almost certainly be fine, because they’re the best team in Europe right now, but they could do with a win in Belgium tonight to keep everything in order. Genk have not won in 14 attempts in the Champions League proper, going back to 2002, although they have drawn six of their seven games at home – including a worthy 0-0 against Napoli last month.

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Published on October 23, 2019 14:03

Genk 1-4 Liverpool: Champions League Group E – live!

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored twice, the second an exquisite goal, as Liverpool ended their run of away defeats in the Champions League group stages

10.03pm BST

Andy Hunter has filed his match report from Genk, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company - goodnight!

10.00pm BST

Ajax 0-1 Chelsea was the score in tonight’s earlier game. Read all about it.

9.59pm BST

Red Bull Salzburg 2-3 Napoli Unsurprisingly, the other Group E game was a cracker. Napoli nicked it despite two more goals from Erling Braut Haaland. Salzburg have scored 11 goals in three games - but they have lost the last two and will do well to qualify from here. In a way I hope they don’t, because they would be a very lively addition to the Europa League.

9.52pm BST

Peep peep! Liverpool end their run of away defeats in their Champions League group stage with an ultimately comfortable victory. They had too much class and too much nous, even if the scoreline is harsh on a charming Genk side. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored twice, the second a delicious goal, with Sadio Mane and Mo Salah getting the others. Liverpool go top of the group and should - should - qualify without alarm from here.

9.49pm BST

90+1 min Ianis Hagi - yep, him - comes on to replace the impressive Junya Ito.

9.49pm BST

90 min Three minutes of added time.

9.49pm BST

89 min “Just thinking what our best midfield three would be if all players were fit and firing,” writes Johnny. “I’d say Fabinho is nailed on, so that leaves Ox/Henderson/Gigi/Milner/Keita/Lallana. That’s quite a strong bunch to choose from! I do think we need someone with a bit more drive than Henderson so would happily have Ox in there as a regular. The season before last he was immense before the injury.”

The selection for the City game will be interesting, especially given Oxlade-Chamberlain’s form against them in 2017-18. I agree about Fabinho, who has no obvious replacement.

9.48pm BST

Genk deserve that consolation goal. Uronen bullies Keita off the ball down the left and plays the ball infield to the substitute Ndongala. He twists past Gomez and cuts tbe ball back towards the other substitute Odey, who beats Alisson with a nice shot on the turn from eight yards.

9.46pm BST

Another delightful goal! Salah receives Mane’s pass ball on the edge of the area with his back to goal, wriggles through a non-existent space between Cuesta and Lucami and drags the ball in off the far post with his right foot. The turn was delicious.

9.42pm BST

84 min Wijnaldum blasts a cross shot just wide.

9.41pm BST

83 min “Goals from the edge of the box are invaluable for Liverpool,” says Niall Mullen. “We lack the Man City whirligig that creates space and clear-cut opportunities in and around the box against low block defences. Ox’s ability to stick it top or bottom bins should, in theory, create more space in behind as defenders rush out to block.”

Yes, goalscoring from midfield is one of Liverpool’s few weaknesses. I’m not sure who he would replace though. Henderson, at his best, is a really important player. I’ve never been that impressed by Wijnaldum, though I have a vague sense he does things I’m not intelligent enough to understand.

9.41pm BST

82 min Berge belts one over the bar from distance. It was beautifully struck but a few inches too high. He looks a good player, though.

9.40pm BST

81 min Stephen Odey replaces Paul Onuachu for Genk. In the other game, Napoli are leading 3-2 in Salzburg.

9.39pm BST

80 min Divock Origi, who came through the ranks at Genk before leaving for Lille, is warmly applauded by both sets of fans as he comes on to replace Roberto Firmino.

9.37pm BST

That defeat has been confirmed. Firmino finds Salah, who stabs a dainty through pass on the turn towards Mane. He charges onto the ball and lifts it confidently over Coucke. Lovely goal.

9.35pm BST

76 min That second goal flattened Genk’s morale. They look resigned to defeat now.

9.32pm BST

73 min Gini Wijnaldum replaces the matchwinner Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

9.30pm BST

71 min The Norwegian Sander Berge has had a quietly impressive match in the Genk midfield. He reads the game really well for a 21-year-old, with and without the ball.

9.29pm BST

70 min Gomez shows impressive pace to beat Ndongala to a through ball from Ito - and then gets himself booked by stopping Ndongala taking a quick throw-in.

9.28pm BST

69 min “Hi Rob,” says Drew Gough. “From the Fun Fact Department: I’m watching this game in Turkey on a Turkish BeIn Sports feed, and the announcer calls every player by his last name except for James Milner, who is called by both names every time. Hashtag respect hashtag legend.”

I’d like to hear commentators double down and call him James Philip Milner.

9.26pm BST

68 min Oxlade-Chamberlain’s deep, floated corner is headed over by van Dijk.

9.26pm BST

67 min “Millings!” says Matt Maradony (sic). “Millings has made my heart grow two sizes. I’m only just catching up with the action, as I’ve been puffing and panting around a five-a-side pitch. (One screamer off the post and in, and one goal conceded via a big ol’ annoying nutmeg. The beautiful game.) Two-nil up against the mighty Genk. Number seven in the post.”

9.25pm BST

66 min A change for Genk: Dieumerci Ndongala replaces the relatively anonymous Theo Bongonda.

9.23pm BST

64 min “Does this mean Oxlade-Chamberlain is hitting pre-injury form?” says Roger Theberge.

I actually thought he was better in general play when he came on at Old Trafford, but the second goal tonight was a timely reminder of his class. At his best, he’s certainly good enough to be a regular starter for Liverpool and England.

9.22pm BST

63 min Andy Robertson, who has had a fairly tricky night defensively, is replaced by Joe Gomez. James Milner will move to left-back.

9.20pm BST

62 min It’s been a good week for the forgotten midfielders of Liverpool.

9.18pm BST

59 min A good inswinging corner from the left is flicked on and wide of the far post by Samatta. That was half a chance.

9.17pm BST

That’s one of the most stylish goals we’ll see in this season’s Champions League. Firmino played a simple pass back to Oxlade-Chamberlain, lurking inside the D, and he stabbed an insouciant first-time shot with the outside of the boot that curved around Coucke, hit the underside of the bar and dropped into the net. Glorious stuff.

9.16pm BST

It is now! This is an outrageous goal from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain!

9.15pm BST

55 min Liverpool are still looking unusually sloppy, and Van Dijk administers a rollocking to someone after heading Ito’s cross behind. Their away form will determine what they win this season, because they should win at least 90 per cent of their home games. At the moment it’s not great.

9.13pm BST

52 min “Klopp’s Liverpool v Houllier’s Liverpool sort of happened in 2001,” says Niall Mullen. “Old Ged cannily predicted a goal glut before parking four buses and an oil tanker.”

I remember rushing home from work to watch that first leg. It reminded me of the film Human Traffic: the worse it got, the more determined I became to finish it. I was finally driven to a Twin Peaks VHS after about 70 minutes.

9.09pm BST

50 min Ito, whose movement is giving Robertson a few problems, wins a corner for Genk. Nothing comes of it, but they have picked up where they left off in the first half. Liverpool need to be careful.

9.06pm BST

Red Bull Salzburg 1-1 Napoli was the half-time score in the other Group E game. You can check all the latest scores here.

9.04pm BST

47 min “I have been watching the rugby World Cup - why does the review process work so well in rugby?” writes US01. “Why can we not have the same level of professionalism and respect in football that we see from the excellent people who referee and play the rugby games?”

I don’t know enough about rugby to comment, though I’m sure the culture of accepting the referee’s decision is one of the biggest reasons.

9.03pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Genk begin the second half.

8.54pm BST

Ah, it seems Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goal took a slight deflection, which might explain why the keeper Gaetan Coucke was flat-footed.

8.52pm BST

Half-time reading

8.51pm BST

Half-time chit chat “The downside to getting rid of VAR is dealing with actual violent conduct,” says Joe Harvey. “It was only four years ago when Deli All punched someone behind the ref’s back. I wouldn’t be too bothered with getting rid of it except in the case of Zidane-level stuff.”

The problem with that is that people would have a different view on what constitutes Zidane-level stuff.

8.50pm BST

Peep peep! Sometimes, despite all the noise and nonsense, football is good, old-fashioned fun. That was a life-affirming - okay, gently uplifting - 45 minutes, with both sides playing with playground enthusiasm and intent. Liverpool deserve their lead, provided by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s early goal, but Genk have had chances and their captain Mbwana Samatta had an immense header ruled out for an offside in the build-up.

8.46pm BST

45 min Two minutes of added time.

8.45pm BST

44 min “Liverpool really need to find a way to win away from home against limited opposition who play defensively,” says Niall Mullen, lining up his punchline with tender loving care. “But enough about Sunday; how are they doing tonight?”

I’d love to see Klopp’s Liverpool v Houllier’s Liverpool.

8.43pm BST

42 min Liverpool’s Champions League group has been a whole heap of fun this season.

8.42pm BST

40 min Ito’s brilliant low cross from the right just evades the stretching Samatta in the middle. The ball runs beyond Bongonda, who retrieves it and hits a shot that is blocked by Milner. I think Ito might have been offside, had they scored, but it was another exhilarating moment. Genk, and their Tanzanian captain Samatta in particular, have attacked with infectious intent.

8.40pm BST

39 min “What strikes me as strange about VAR is this emphasis on a clear mistake by the ref,” says Drew Gough. “You’d reckon Liverpool might have had a penalty and that wasn’t checked. Then the ref disallowed a goal for a shove that was overturned for an offside. Then you’d have hoped VAR could have shown there was no contact on Keita and our poor ref might correctly have shown a yellow for the ol’ simulation. But here we are, hey? To summarize, the trouble with all authoritarian surveillance systems is that technology tends to show that the people meant to be making smart decisions are a bunch of ding dongs but we persist with trusting in the correctness of their decisions.”

Problem is, if you review everything then matches will last four days. I would get rid of it, but that will never happen, so we might as well just grin and bear it.

8.38pm BST

36 min A quiet period in the game.

8.33pm BST

33 min Salah misses a great chance, heading wide from six yards after Lovren flicked on a right-wing corner. He mistimed the header completely.

8.32pm BST

31 min This is a very entertaining game. The indefatigable Robertson storms onto Mane’s clever flick and hits a shot from a tight angle that is beaten away by Coucke.

8.31pm BST

31 min Salah curls a good free-kick just over the bar. We’ve now seen a replay of the disallowed goal, and it was unquestionably the correct decision: Ito was marginally offside in the build-up.

8.30pm BST

30 min Keita dives to win a foul in a good position, 25 yards from goal and to the right of centre.

8.29pm BST

29 min “Bobbie dearest,” says Mac Millings. “Liverpool-supporting Regular Contributor, Matt Dony, should be pleased with things so far, but not as pleased as with the fact that he has an entire World XI inspired by his name:

8.29pm BST

NO GOAL! It was apparently disallowed for offside in the build-up rather than a foul. I hope that’s the case, because it was a storming header and, although there was a bit of contact with Milner, football is a better game with headers like that. We haven’t seen a replay of the offside yet.

8.28pm BST

I’ll level with you: I haven’t a clue what’s going on.

8.27pm BST

Ach, that’s a shame, and it was a glorious, emphatic header from Samatta at the far post. It’s now being checked by VAR.

8.26pm BST

NO GOAL! It’s been disallowed by the on-field referee for a supposed foul on Milner at the far post.

8.26pm BST

GOAL! Genk 1-1 Liverpool (Samatta 26)

What a header!

8.26pm BST

25 min Coucke makes a vital block from Mane’s close-range shot. The chance came after a delicious one-two with Firmino, who added yet another beauty to his highlights reel with a rabona reverse pass. He’s all kinds of genius, that lad.

8.25pm BST

24 min Genk have been reasonably dangerous with their no-nonsense counter-attacks, and if they get the next goal this could become lively. If Liverpool get the next goal, we can all pack up and go home.

8.23pm BST

23 min Some news from the Press Association wires:

Liverpool have condemned an “offensive and inappropriate” banner which was hung in the away end before the Champions League match in Genk.

The banner, featuring a photoshopped picture of striker Divock Origi, was taken down as soon as the club were made aware of its existence.

8.22pm BST

22 min A Liverpool corner is fumbled by Coucke, who is relieved to see Mane’s follow-up shot blocked by one of the many defenders on the six-yard line.

8.21pm BST

20 min Genk almost profit from another long ball. This time Ito runs at Lovren in the area, only to slip over at the moment of opportunity.

8.19pm BST

18 min Liverpool are much the better team, despite the occasional threat of Genk’s front two. They look like a team who want to get qualification wrapped up before their final group game, away to Red Bull Salzburg.

8.16pm BST

15 min “Liverpool may be playing right to left to you Rob,” says Mark Grindrod, “but I prefer to view the MBM from the other side of the ground! ‘For those of you watching in black and white, Tottenham are playing in yellow …’”

8.13pm BST

12 min Genk are happy/have no option but to play on the break, launching long passes to the quick, muscular front pair of Samatta and Onuachu. I suspect Liverpool will face these tactics a lot away from home this season.

8.11pm BST

9 min “I LOVED Bros,” says Steve Waterhouse. “What you gonna do about it?”

Probably nothin’ at all.

8.10pm BST

8 min: Alisson makes a fine diving save from Onuachu! He looked well ffside as he ran onto another long ball from the back, and I suspect it would have been disallowed had he scored, but Alisson couldn’t be sure of that and he made an outstanding reaction save low to his right.

8.08pm BST

7 min Liverpool appeal for a penalty when Firmino is eased over in the area. It probably was a foul, though I don’t think it was clear enough for VAR to get involved. Jurgen Klopp does not concur.

8.08pm BST

5 min A chance out of nothing for Genk. A long ball out of defence puts Samatta clear of the defence, the wrong side of the last man Keita. He chests and then knees the ball into the area before cracking a left-footed shot well wide of the far post. Robertson did well to get back and ensure Samatta had to take the shot earlier than he would have liked.

8.05pm BST

3 min It wasn’t the fiercest strike from Oxlade-Chamberlain, but it was well placed and might have sneaked in even if Coucke had dived. He is such a fine player, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and it’s great to see him back.

8.04pm BST

A perfect start for Liverpool. Fabinho played a nice little pass to find Oxlade-Chamberlain in a bit of space, 25 yards from goal. He got the ball out of his feet and drove a low shot that beat the unsighted, flat-footed Coucke and rolled into the far corner.

8.03pm BST

That didn’t take long.

8.02pm BST

1 min Keita redefines the backpass, twisting his body to guide the ball off his shoulder blade into the path of Robertson. Good lad.

8.01pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Liverpoo, in red, kick off from right to left. Genk are in blue.

7.59pm BST

The players are ready for action. There’s a pulsating atmosphere in the Luminus Arena.

7.54pm BST

Pre-match reading

7.51pm BST

“Trivia question guess: (100% Google search free),” says Peter Oh. “Bon Jovi, Livin’ on a Prayer?”

I think that was 1987. Anyway, wrong! It was this popular record.

7.42pm BST

Chelsea’s spectacular form looks set to continue: Michy Bathsuayi has given them a late lead in Amsterdam.

7.37pm BST

“Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. ““Racing Genk was founded in 1988? I wouldn’t really blame the travelling Liverpool supporters if they break into, ‘You ain’t got no history!’”

Yep, 1st July 1988. A gold star for naming the No1 in the UK charts back then.

7.02pm BST

Ajax v Chelsea The second half has just started in Amsterdam. You will believe the score!

6.59pm BST

Mo Salah returns in what is a strong Liverpool starting line-up. James Milner is preferred to Joe Gomez at right-back.

Genk (4-2-3-1) Coucke; Maehle, Cuesta, Lucumi, Uronen; Heynen, Berge; Ito, Samatta Bongonda; Onuachu.
Substitutes: Vandevoordt, De Norre, Dewaest, Hrosovsky, Hagi, Ndongala.

1.02pm BST

Good evening. It’s an odd thing to say about a team who are European champions and runaway leaders in England, but Liverpool kind of need to stop playing silly buggers. They have lost their last four group games away from home in Champions League, making qualification for the knockout stages – when they really come alive – tougher than it needs to be.

They’ll almost certainly be fine, because they’re the best team in Europe right now, but they could do with a win in Belgium tonight to keep everything in order. Genk have not won in 14 attempts in the Champions League proper, going back to 2002, although they have drawn six of their seven games at home – including a worthy 0-0 against Napoli last month.

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Published on October 23, 2019 14:03

The Fiver | Take your quotations book and stick it up your Bobby Bacala

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You’re only as good as your last game, right? Well, the Fiver has just lost a game of chess in two moves to Fiver Jr, so you can take your quotations book and stick it up your Bobby Bacala. But you’re probably safe to utter such pearls of wisdom around down Tottenham Way, because yesterday’s crisis club Spurs are now Europe’s form team!

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Published on October 23, 2019 08:57

The Spin | All hail the Nehru Cup, unloved but way ahead of its time

Designed to help an election campaign in India, the 1989 tournament was a landmark one for English cricket

The Spin has a half-baked theory that any decent weekly cricket email should be able to write an interesting – OK, mildly diverting – article on any match or tournament in international cricket history. There are always stories, details, quotes and, if you’re really desperate, hardcore statistical oddities that bring a historical match to life.

There are plenty who would argue that our output over the past 15 years is ample evidence against that theory, but we’re going to test it again. There’s nothing much going on in the cricket world this week, so we’ve decided to celebrate the uncelebratable. Yep, it’s the 30th anniversary of the Nehru Cup.

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Published on October 22, 2019 03:00

Manchester United 1-1 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened

Liverpool’s winning run came to an end in a scruffy game at Old Trafford, but Adam Lallana’s late equaliser put them six points clear at the top of the table

6.57pm BST

That’s it for today’s blog. Thanks for your company and emails; night.

6.53pm BST

Jose Mourinho’s response to Klopp’s comments

“He didn’t like the menu. He likes meat and he got fish. so he was not happy. They are of course much stronger against opponents who give them a chance of transitions and counter-attacks. United didn’t do that. And he didn’t like the menu.”

6.53pm BST

Here’s Jurgen Klopp

“So, the result is now okay. It’s not what we wanted beforehand, obviously, but with the way the game developed we have to be happy with a point. The performance was … we had good moments in the second half. The first half I didn’t like. We gave Man United opportunities to do what they wanted to do – just being aggressive, making challenges everywhere. You have to pass through the lines. There were opportunities to do that but we didn’t see them.

6.38pm BST

“I was listening on BBC World Service in France and following the MBM,” says Andrew Dobson. “Weirdly, you were always ahead of the radio. How does that happen?”

If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you in two minutes’ time.

6.37pm BST

Jordan Henderson “I delighted for Adam, because he’s worked so hard and he deserves that. He saved us today and that could be a big point come the end of the season. We could have been better – we know that – but if you can’t win, don’t lose. We were sloppy first half, not fluid enough; it was quite scrappy. Second half I thought we caused them more problems, especially towards the end of the game, but we couldn’t find a winner.

6.26pm BST

That’s it. Liverpool’s winning run ends at 17, one short of the record, but they will be happy enough after Adam Lallana’s late equaliser put them six points clear at the top. Although it was a scruffy game of few chances, there was always something going on and it was fascinating tactically.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer set United up expertly in the first half, with a 3-4-1-2 formation and split strikers, but they ran out of steam in the second. Solskjaer was arguably too passive with his substitutions, although he didn’t have many options. And while Liverpool were nowhere near their awesome best, they probably deserved a draw for their persistence and territorial dominance.

6.23pm BST

Peep peep!

6.23pm BST

No penalty! A cross from the right hit Fred on the shoulder, and they are still looking at it. It’s been cleared, but Liverpool have a corner.

6.22pm BST

90+6 min: VAR check for a Liverpool penalty!

6.22pm BST

90+5 min Oxlade-Chamberlain overhits a fairly straightforward crossfield pass to Alexander-Arnold, who would have been in on the right side of the area.

6.20pm BST

90+4 min Brandon Williams replaces Andreas Pereira for United.

6.19pm BST

90+3 min Pereira’s corner is headed clear by Matip.

6.19pm BST

90+3 min Now James wins a corner for United on the counter-attack. As much as it anything, it will buy them a bit of time.

6.18pm BST

90+1 min Oxlade-Chamberlain, 25 yards from goal, cracks a superb daisy-cutter with his left foot that beats de Gea and goes this far wide of the post.

6.17pm BST

90 min United are out on their feet. There will be five minutes of added time.

6.16pm BST

89 min If Liverpool win this, it will empower them beyond belief for the rest of the season. They have a bit of a swagger on for the first time all day.

6.15pm BST

88 min A poor header from Lindelof goes straight to Alexander-Arnold, who swishes the bouncing ball just over the bar from the right side of the area. De Gea had it covered.

6.14pm BST

87 min Liverpool have a great chance to nick this, because the place has gone really flat and United look tired.

6.12pm BST

It was made by Robertson on the left. His low cross, not his best actually, was missed by Lindelof at the near post and ran through to Lallana, who tapped into an open net from four yards. Liverpool could yet make it 18 wins in a row!

6.11pm BST

Adam Lallana has equalised for Liverpool!

6.10pm BST

84 min The first Manchester United change: Anthony Martial replaces Marcus Rashford, who has been immense.

6.10pm BST

83 min James charges down the left, ignores a rugby tackle from Matip and flashes a low ball across the face of goal. It’s recycled by Wan-Bissaka and then Fred, who whistles a left-footed shot just wide of the far post. I think Alisson had it covered.

6.08pm BST

82 min Liverpool make their final change: Naby Keita for Gini Wijnaldum.

6.08pm BST

81 min United have now moved to a 5-4-1 formation, with James on the left wing. I’m surprised Martial hasn’t come on, although I don’t suppose you can take Rashford off when he’s playing like this.

6.07pm BST

80 min “These two pub sides are giving it their all,” says Kevin Porter. “When does the Premier League match start?”

6.06pm BST

79 min Oxlade-Chamberlain drifts out of play to huge cheers. Liverpool’s pass selection has been weirdly poor for most of the match.

6.04pm BST

78 min “Fred and Pereira have been wonderful today,” says Manasvin. “an underrated part of what Pereira has done is the way he’s locked Fabinho up. You expect Fab to usually be heavily involved in Liverpool’s first stage build-up but he’s been closed off very well today. Props to Fred for covering spaces in midfield properly as well, he’s ensured that Wijnaldum doesn’t have the chance to twist and turn his way out like he did in the initial stages.”

Agreed, especially about Pereira and Fabinho, who is such an underrated influence on Liverpool’s play.

6.03pm BST

77 min Young is lucky not to be booked for a late tackle on Lallana, a point Virgil van Dijk makes in his ear before play restarts.

6.01pm BST

75 min Liverpool have completely dominated possession in the second half, yet I don’t think de Gea has had a save to make. It’s been a very strange game.

6.00pm BST

73 min If it stays like this, and that’s an appreciable if, it’ll complete a very, very good day for Manchester United.

5.59pm BST

72 min Fred, on the left side of the box, slashes a half-volley well wide from 15 yards. It was a nice move from United involving Pereira, Rashford, Young and then Pereira again.

5.58pm BST

71 min Adam Lallana replaces Jordan Henderson. Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville on Sky are slating Liverpool’s performance, with Carragher suggesting there might be a “mental block” about playing at Old Trafford.

5.57pm BST

71 min “He’s only gone and done it, hasn’t he?” says Simon McMahon. “Andy Murray won! He bloomin’ well won! A set and a break down, and he still won. He’s crying, I’m crying. He only had one hip nine months ago. Now he’s thanking his opponent and the crowd. I love him. No Hawkeye/VAR drama either. I still love it, but football has a lot to learn.”

Ya dancer!

5.56pm BST

70 min Fabinho is booked for a foul on the breaking James.

5.56pm BST

69 min Mo Salah is having a sensational game.

5.54pm BST

67 min Rashford almost grabs a second on the break. Pereira found him on the left with a good crossfield pass, and he waited for James to make an off-the-ball run from centre to left. Rashford used James by not using him, cutting inside Matip before drilling a low shot just wide from 25 yards. Alisson had it covered but it was well struck.

5.51pm BST

64 min Oxlade-Chamberlain drags a shot wide from 20 yards. It’s all Liverpool now, working the ball from side to side as they look for an opening. United, who started with such intensity, are starting to look slightly weary.

5.49pm BST

63 min “I simply can’t believe you’re allowing your outrageous pro-United bias to show, even going as far as to report a 1-0 scoreline,” sniffs Matt Dony. “We all saw the build-up. It’s supposed to be a walk-over. Liverpool must be winning. Surely. #BakowskiIn.”

5.49pm BST

62 min That tactical change from Solskjaer was a switch from 3-4-1-2 to 3-5-2, with Pereira moving a bit deeper. It’s been an interesting game tactically.

5.48pm BST

61 min For the first time in the match, Liverpool are being allowed more time on the ball in deeper positions. Robertson’s low cross goes right across the face of goal before being cleared by Young. United can’t get out, and it might soon be time for Anthony Martial.

5.46pm BST

60 min Liverpool bring on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for Divock Origi. That looks like a switch to 4-4-2, with Oxlade-Chamberlain left and Mane and Firmino up front. James is okay to continue.

5.45pm BST

59 min James is having a concussion test. The break in play allows Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the chance to give some tactical advice to Rashford.

5.44pm BST

57 min James is down again, having been whacked by Fabinho, but Liverpool play on. After about 40 seconds, Matip kicks the ball out of play and gets a minor rollocking from Jordan Henderson.

5.42pm BST

56 min This is a good spell for Liverpool, their best of the match. Origi loses McTominay and hits a fierce shot that is blocked by Rojo. United have struggled to get out in the last few minutes.

5.39pm BST

52 min Liverpool look slightly better since half-time, though it is still a very scruffy game. That suits United. Rashford, after a listless start, is having a minor stormer.

5.38pm BST

51 min “I had a friend once who ‘died in the wool’,” says Mac Millings. “Heart attack while mid-intim [that’ll do – Smyth].”

5.37pm BST

50 min James is flattened by a firm but fair tackle from van Dijk. He looks really groggy, although it’s not a head injury this time; he’s been winded.

5.35pm BST

49 min “In old money Mane’s goal would have stood,” says Niall Mullen. “In new money it was correctly disallowed. I hate new money.”

5.35pm BST

48 min Liverpool have switched to a 4-2-3-1: Henderson right, Mane left and Firmino behind Origi.

5.34pm BST

47 min Henderson’s grossly overhit cross is retrieved by the absurd Robertson, who keeps the ball in play Steve McMahon-style - okay, not quite as spectacularly as that - and then whips in a very good cross that is headed away.

5.33pm BST

47 min “Surely,” says Sean Doyle, “there’s someone over at Guardian Towers who isn’t a died in wool Man Utd fan to do an unbiased MBM.”

Fraid not. Manchester Guardian, innit. Seriously, though, to which bits do you object?

5.32pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Liverpool begin the second half.

5.31pm BST

“Honestly so so sick of the complaining about VAR,” writes Cnoyes. “Get over it. It was NOT a foul on Origi, and it was a handball on Mané. Justice was served. Stop whinging.”

Thanks for clearing that up.

5.29pm BST

“Those two VAR decisions are entirely consistent with how it’s been used all season,” says Oliver Atkinson. “When there’s something vaguely debatable like a foul they don’t want to overturn the original decision, when there’s something 100% quantifiable like handball or an offside they will overturn it. This may not be right, but it’s consistent.”

Yes, on reflection I think you’re right. To some it was clear and obvious, to others Origi made a meal of the contact and had lost the ball. The problem is with the protocol. God, I am so, so bored of talking about VAR.

5.24pm BST

VAR department “Elated as I am that the goal was given, VAR is driving me absolutely up the wall,” says Matthew Richman. “The letdown of having to wait for a few guys in a trailer to watch TV absolutely kills the celebration. I’ve been let down by terrible calls before and I understand the arguments for, but I’m wondering if the obsession with a fairness has finally crossed the line.”

The main argument for VAR was that it would remove a sense of injustice from football. In fact, it has increased it. I would get rid of it, but there’s about as much chance of that as there is of somebody putting the internet back in its box.

5.22pm BST

Mane’s ‘goal’ A few of you have written to say it should have been given because his hand was not in an unnatural position. But the new law says that all goals will be disallowed if the ball hits the scorer’s hand, regardless of context, in the build-up.

5.18pm BST

Peep peep! Manchester United deservedly lead, although Marcus Rashford’s goal should probably have been disallowed by VAR. Liverpool have been very poor by their stratospheric standards, and so far have been outfought and outthought. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s 3-4-1-2 system, with split strikers, has worked brilliantly. The manner in which Jurgen Klopp ran straight down the touchline suggests they will play far better in the second half.

5.16pm BST

45+1 min Pereira wins a corner after a slick move involving James and the increasingly superb Rashford.

5.15pm BST

45 min There will be one minute of added time.

5.14pm BST

NO GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool There’s no argument with this one. The ball hit Mane’s hand as he controlled a long ball forward. The rest was excellent; he muscled Lindelof aside and slid the ball past de Gea.

5.13pm BST

Yes, it’s handball, so this will be disallowed.

5.13pm BST

Mane equalises and now United are appealing for handball!

5.13pm BST

42 min The more you see the replay of the goal, the more it looks like a - yep - clear and obvious foul on Origi.

5.12pm BST

41 min For all the occasional frustrations of watching Marcus Rashford, his big-game record is outstanding.

5.10pm BST

39 min In accordance with the current VAR protocol, it was the right decision to award the goal, but I also think eight out of 10 neutrals would say that was a foul on Origi.

5.09pm BST

The goal itself was lovely. James ran into space down the right and curled a brilliant pass/cross between the keeper and defenders. Rashford lost Matip with a beautiful double-run, shaping to move towards the near post before pulling in the opposite direction, and forced the bouncing ball past Alisson from close range.

5.08pm BST

GOAL GIVEN!

Jurgen Klopp is fuming. It looked like a foul from Lindelof on Origi, but it didn’t pass the clear-and-obvious test.

5.07pm BST

I think this will be disallowed.

5.07pm BST

Rashford gives United the lead but Liverpool think there was a foul in the build-up!

5.06pm BST

36 min De Gea makes a better save from Firmino’s header, but he’d been flagged offside.

5.05pm BST

34 min De Gea makes a good save from Firmino after a smart break from Liverpool. Matip swept a fine long pass out to Mane on the right. He kept the ball in, charged down the wing and then cut the ball back perfectly for Firmino to strike first time on the run from 15 yards. He didn’t really get hold of it, however, and de Gea plunged to his right to make an ultimately comfortable save.

5.03pm BST

32 min As with Everton yesterday, United’s performance suggests the manager certainly hasn’t lost the dressing-room.

5.00pm BST

31 min Young goes down after taking Henderson’s hand in his face. It was accidental.

4.59pm BST

30 min Henderson’s flat cross is volleyed wide from 12 yards by the stretching Firmino. It was a quarter-chance at best.

4.59pm BST

29 min Wan-Bissaka is having a terrific game. Whatever happens at United in the next few years, and all bets are off, it should be a long time before they need to scout another right-back, never mind 800.

4.58pm BST

28 min A brilliant cross from Wan-Bissaka is serenely cleared by van Dijk at the near post. That was a vital bit of defending.

4.57pm BST

27 min Rashford, on the left, zips away from Henderson and then Matip in the area, only to mistime his attempted cutback towards James. It was a lovely run, though, and he’s looked sharp in the last 10 minutes. United are playing with split strikers, as they did to good effect when Solskjaer was caretaker manager.

4.55pm BST

25 min McTominay takes matters into his hands, marauding forward from midfield before hitting a low shot from 25 yards that is comfortably saved by Alisson. It was a good run but a fairly tame shot.

4.54pm BST

25 min The game is too important to feel boring, but if this was Mansfield v Swindon we’d be calling it a stinker.

4.54pm BST

24 min “Hi Rob,” says Julian Smith. “I stumbled across this today. Great doc about the history of the rivalry between these two great cities and the mutual respect that we hopefully now acknowledge between each other (grudgingly no doubt). We’re closer than either side would now care to admit. Of course, you won’t have a chance to watch while there’s so much action going on but Merseyside/GM reds should appreciate it (even though it’s an LFCTV production).”

It’s interesting that nobody (as far as I’m aware) has written a book about the rivalry. There are plenty, for example, on Barcelona and Real Madrid, though I realise that’s a bigger, broader rivalry.

4.52pm BST

23 min I’d be tempted to switch Mane back to his usual position on the left. Liverpool haven’t really threatened yet, despite looking the calmer, classier side.

4.51pm BST

22 min Young’s corner is punched away by Alisson.

4.51pm BST

21 min Rashford leaves van Dijk on all fours and finds Pereira, whose shot deflects wide for a corner. Young will take it.

4.50pm BST

21 min United break through Rashford, whose attempted through pass to James is blocked by Matip. It wasn’t a great pass.

4.50pm BST

20 min Andy Robertson’s cross is cleared by Maguire as far as ... Robertson, who storms forward to win the ball himself. I love watching him so much. He’s an elemental force.

4.48pm BST

19 min “It’s coming,” says Mary Waltz. “Liverpool is starting to control the midfield. United is dropping back. United is being reduced to knocking it long and hoping. A Liverpool goal, like Winter, is coming.”

Henry?

4.47pm BST

17 min Wan-Bissaka plays a good pass into the area for Pereira, whose speculative backheel goes through to Alisson with no United forwards in sight. Gary Neville makes the valid point that James and Rashford have both been pretty static so far.

4.46pm BST

17 min The match is starting to settle into the expected pattern, with Liverpool dominating possession. Marcus Rashford is already starting to look a bit hacked off.

4.45pm BST

15 min Maguire drives a crossfield pass straight out of play. It’s been a good start from United in terms of aggression and endeavour, but not quality in possession.

4.43pm BST

13 min Liverpool are starting to stir as an attacking force. Wijnaldum neatly slips both McTominay and Fred before hitting a low shot from 25 yards that is comfortably saved by de Gea.

4.42pm BST

12 min Pereira leads a promising attack, sees Wan-Bissaka in space on the right ... and then mishits a miserable shot from 25 yards that is claimed by Alisson.

4.40pm BST

10 min Liverpool’s first decent attack. Mane heads the ball down nicely for Firmino, who surges into the area on the left before slicing a half-volley miles wide.

4.39pm BST

9 min A dangerous free-kick from Pereira on the right is supeerbly defended by Robertson at the near post. Had he missed that, Rashford would have had a clear shot from 10 yards.

4.38pm BST

9 min “Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Matt Dony should count his blessings. Maybe being a Liverpool and Wales fan ain’t so bad, when you could be, say, a Dundee United and Scotland fan (wins over San Marino don’t count). Even Gerwyn Price is going further in the darts than Gary Anderson these days. Although one of the year’s more heart-warming stories involves the incomparable Andy Murray, who is currently giving it a right go in the final of the European Open in Antwerp. He’ll lose, but still ...”

4.37pm BST

8 min This has been a really aggressive start from United, summed up by a late shoulder charged by Pereira on van Dijk. Liverpool haven’t got going yet.

4.35pm BST

5 min United are pressing much higher than expected, with Young and Wan-Bissaka playing as genuine wing-backs for now. A decent cross from Young - rocking up on the right in open play for some reason - flashes across goal.

4.33pm BST

3 min I take it back: United are playing a 3-4-1-2, with Pereira closer to the influential Fabinho.

4.32pm BST

2 min Young lobs a good ball down the left to Rashford, who runs at Matip but then picks the wrong option with a nothing cross that is easily cleared.

4.31pm BST

2 min Sadio Mane has started on the right for Liverpool, with Origi on the left. United’s formation looks like a 3-3-2-2, with McTominay deeper than Fred and Pereira.

4.30pm BST

1 min Peep peep! United, in red, kick off from left to right. Liverpool are in white, chasing an 18th consecutive victory.

4.29pm BST

“Jonathan Wilson has a point that United might be looking at Klopp and saying ‘What if?’,” says Peter Oh, ‘but the teamsheet suggests that they looked at Klopp, swallowed dryly and commanded Ole to ‘PUT FIVE AT THE BACK!!!’.”

4.28pm BST

The players emerge to the usual sound of This Is the One by the Stone Roses. It’s time for business.

4.27pm BST

Jose Mourinho, on Sky Sports, has just said “it’s very, very rare that magic tactics win a game”. Everything we know is wrong.

4.25pm BST

Paul Pogba is at Old Trafford, limping around with a walking stick.

4.22pm BST

“I’m currently waiting for a flight from Brasilia to Rio on Gol Airlines before heading home to London on Norwegian Air,” says Chris Hall. “I’m not entirely sure what it all means but with three Brazilians in my team today, even with no Salah, surely a 0-0 isn’t on the cards?”

Well, three of the last six league games have ended goalless. It’s not beyond the realms, especially with United playing an 5-3-0-0-0-0-2 formation. But I’d expect Liverpool to win maybe 2-0 or 3-0. It’s not like you’re on Golless Airlines, is it.

4.20pm BST

“I really, really did not enjoy this morning, Rob,” says our Wales/Liverpool fandom correspondent Matt Dony. “The rugby took several years off my life expectancy. I’m very keen for this afternoon to be less tight and less stressful. Five or six early Liverpool goals to settle the nerves would be useful.”

Surely this morning was a reminder me that late victories are all the preceding misery?

4.16pm BST

Axel Tuanzebe has been injured in the warm-up. Marcos Rojo replaces him and Phil Jones moves to the bench. This is the revised team news.

Manchester United (possible 5-3-2) de Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Rojo, Young; Fred, McTominay, Pereira; James, Rashford.
Substitutes: Romero,

Ro
Jones, Williams, Garner, Mata, Greenwood, Martial.

3.34pm BST

Some pre-match reading

3.34pm BST

David de Gea is fit for Manchester United, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka returns in what looks like a back five. Anthony Martial is on the bench. United could also play with a diamond, with Axel Tuanzebe in midfield and Andreas Pereira on Fabinho.

Liverpool are without Mo Salah, who is injured, so Divock Origi comes in. Alisson returns to the starting line-up.

2.08pm BST

Hello. Manchester United v Liverpool is a fixture so big it deserves its own Blackadder simile. And this one feels even bigger than usual. The context of today’s match can be summarised by a number and a football season.

The number is 18. If Liverpool win today, they will equal Manchester City’s English record of 18 consecutive league wins, and move three points closer to finally adding to their 18 league titles.

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Published on October 20, 2019 10:57

Crystal Palace 0-2 Manchester City: Premier League – live reaction!

Gabriel Jesus and David Silva scored just before half-time as Manchester City eased to victory despite starting without a recognised centre-back

7.37pm BST

Sachin Nakrani’s match report has arrived, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company - goodnight!

7.36pm BST

Gabriel Jesus speaks “It’s always difficult against Palace. We have to try to win every game, and I think this season is going to be the same as last year [with a relentless title race]. I try to improve my football all the time, because I have Aguero with me – he’s a legend at City, so I have to work every day to be ready for when I’m on the pitch.

“I tried to head it [for the goal], but it hit my shoulder. I was a little bit lucky! I have to improve that part of my game, but what a cross from Bernardo Silva. With Bernardo and especially Kevin [de Bruyne], I know when and where the cross is coming and I make my runs based on that. I focus on the goal all the time. I think that’s why I score a lot!”

7.22pm BST

Peep peep! City move to within five points of Liverpool with an easy win at Selhurst Park. Gabriel Jesus and David Silva scored just before half-time, the second a beauty, and Palace rarely looked like getting back into the game.

7.20pm BST

90+1 min Three minutes of added time.

7.19pm BST

90 min Pep Guardiola again shows his commitment to youth by bringing on Phil Foden for Kevin De Bruyne.

7.18pm BST

90 min There’s a break in play after a clash of heads between Hennessey and McArthur. They seem fine.

7.17pm BST

88 min Ederson makes another excellent save, diving to his right to beat away a vicious shot from Zaha. Ayew, on the stretch, volleys the rebound into orbit.

7.16pm BST

87 min Joao Cancelo’s low cross is screwed wide by Sterling, who could have had a hat-trick today. If he becomes a really clinical finisher, he’ll score 50 a season in this team.

7.14pm BST

86 min You’d expect City to win their next two league games, at home to Villa and Southampton. Then it’s the humdinger’s humdinger: Liverpool away on 10 November.

7.14pm BST

85 min Joao Cancelo moves onto his left foot and whacks a shot that hits the chest of Cahill and flies behind for a corner. This, in truth, has been a 2-0 thrashing.

7.12pm BST

84 min James Tomkins is replaced by Scott Dann for Palace.

7.11pm BST

82 min Zaha is complaining to the referee about the lack of yellow cards for City’s tactical fouling. I suspect Anthony Taylor is going to book someone in a minute - Zaha himself, if he doesn’t shut up. I have plenty of sympathy with Zaha, though, because City are extremely good at those play-breaking fouls.

7.10pm BST

81 min: De Bruyne hits the post! Gundogan wriggled away from a couple of men on the right of the box and clipped a cross to the near post, where De Bruyne arrived late to flick a header across goal and off the inside of the far post. He probably should have scored, but I’ll forgive that man anything while he continues to play at least one orgiastic pass/cross in every match.

7.08pm BST

80 min David Silva, the Man of the Match for mine, is replaced by John Stones. Rodri moves forward into midfield.

7.08pm BST

79 min Another chance for City. Sterling, found by a beautiful reverse pass tom the superb David Silva, flicks an abysmal left-footed shot so far across goal that it almost goes out for a throw-in. Just before that, Hennessey made a smart reaction save from an errant header by his own player Kouyate.

7.07pm BST

77 min Gabriel Jesus wastes a great chance to make it 3-0. City broke dangerously again, with Sterling playing Jesus through. He should have squared it to De Bruyne, who had an open goal on the other side of the six-yard box, but instead hit a shot that was beaten behind by Hennessey. I suspect that, in the dressing-room, Pep will ruin him for that little act of selfishness.

7.05pm BST

76 min Christian Benteke replaces Milivojevic - and hits the bar with his first touch! He met van Aanholt’s deep, outswinging corner with a thumping header back across goal, and Ederson dived a long way to his right to fingertip it onto the bar. That was a quite brilliant save, especially as he’s had the square root of bugger all to do all night. He is a sensational keeper.

7.04pm BST

75 min “Am I the only one,” says Michael Ireton, “who is craving a Tequila Sunrise after watching Man City for an hour?”

7.03pm BST

74 min Good play from Palace. Zaha plays a one-two with McArthur and hits a deep cross that is volleyed towards goal by van Aanholt on the edge of the area. It’s well struck but a City defender on the six-yard line hoofs it away.

7.02pm BST

73 min Hennessey makes another good save, this time leaping to push Bernardo Silva’s shot over the bar. It wasn’t as good as the save from Jesus BUT THEY ALL BLOODY WELL COUNT IN FANTASY FOOTBALL, SO BE AWAY WITH YOU.

7.00pm BST

69 min “Epnalty?” muses Ben Park. “Is that a new penalty which has to be scored on Fifa 20? Wouldn’t put it past Fifa as a marketing strategy.”

For the Game. For the World.

6.57pm BST

68 min Hennessey makes a superb one-handed save, diving to his right, from Gabriel Jesus’s fierce left-footed shot.

6.55pm BST

66 min I wonder if the City players ever get bored with this type of match. It has been so easy for them.

6.51pm BST

No penalty. Well done everyone.

6.51pm BST

VAR check! They are still looking at it. It could easily have been given on the field, but it’s not a clear and obvious error.

6.50pm BST

62 min De Bruyne goes down in the area after a clumsy challenge from Zaha. No epnalty is given, and VAR is unlikely to overturn it. It was a risky tackle though.

6.49pm BST

61 min City are cruising to victory. The second half has been painfully one-sided.

6.47pm BST

58 min This victory will move City back up to second, five points behind Liverpool. Palace will stay sixth.

6.44pm BST

55 min Crystal Palace make the obvious substition, with Andros Townsend - who scored that awesome volley at the Etihad last December - replacing Jeff Schlupp.

6.43pm BST

55 min Sterling misses a decent chance, slicing wide with his left foot from 17 yards.

6.42pm BST

54 min “I understand that there are a huge range of opinions (some of which are actually valid...) over VAR, but I think we can all agree that the biggest problem so far has been the lack of the constant, nonsense penalties that we were threatened with,” says Matt Dony. “I selected Zaha for my fantasy team purely because he gets kicked so much. This far into the season, it has not paid off.”

On the plus si- no.

6.41pm BST

52 min Sterling whistles a low shot from just inside the area that hits the outside of the post and goes wide. Those last three words, I appreciate, were entirely unnecessary. Sterling is good, really foppin good, but not so good that he can hit a shot off the outside of the post that stays on the pitch.

6.37pm BST

50 min “I must protest,” says Mary Waltz. “The City kit resembles what happens if you make a pasta and shrimp dish and leave it in your refrigerator for a year.”

6.37pm BST

49 min Kouyate takes matters into his own feet, playing a nice one-two with McArthur before slicing a shot well wide from 25 yards.

6.37pm BST

48 min Palace win a free-kick on the right wing. Milivojevic curls it in, Fernandinho heads clear. City’s midfence has had an easy night so far.

6.36pm BST

47 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “I hope you’ve had a good October. The clocks go back next Sunday. I suggest we put them back to 1983?”

14 May 1983 by any chance?

6.35pm BST

46 min Sterling is booked for a late tackle on Ward, who goes looking for afters without success.

6.34pm BST

46 min Peep peep! City begin the second half.

6.20pm BST

Peep peep! City are cruising towards an important victory. After a frustrating first 38 minutes, in which they had all the ball without creating many clear chances, Gabriel Jesus and David Silva scored in quick succession to give City a nice cushion. Palace have been unable to get at the unlikely centre-back pairing of Fernandinho and Rodri.

6.16pm BST

45 min “I think the kits look wonderful - kind of reminiscent of old-fashioned sweeties in jars, or batten burg cakes, or marzipan or something,” says Bill Hargreaves. “A little-known fact: the Manchester City kits are manufactured by the players standing in vats of dye as the colour moves up their torsos, kind of like a secondary school experiment in surface tension.”

We all live in a post-fact world.

6.14pm BST

44 min Kouyate is kicked in the face by De Bruyne, who was going for a high ball. A foul has been given but that’s all. I’m not sure why he wasn’t booked, but at least we can’t say it was a tactical foul.

6.12pm BST

The second goal came 30 seconds after the restart. De Bruyne led a City break with a marauding run past the halfway line. Eventually the ball came to Sterling, just inside the area on the left. He waited for the run of David Silva on his inside and kissed a delicious pass over two defenders into his path. Silva watched the ball onto his left foot and swished a volley through the legs of Hennessey. The pass from Sterling was exquisite, the finish merely excellent.

6.10pm BST

This is a great goal!

6.10pm BST

So much for an organised defence. Bernardo Silva’s inswinging cross from the right found Gabriel Jesus in far too much space eight yards from goal. He mistimed a flicked diving header, but the ball ran off his shoulder and drifted into the net off the far post.

6.09pm BST

One-nil!

6.09pm BST

38 min City continue to have a barely legal amount of possession without getting behind Palace’s superbly organised defence. Zaha and Ayew have switched positions, with Zaha as the lone striker for the time being.

6.06pm BST

37 min “Man City are modelling the first ever half and half kit,” sniffs Ian Copestake.

If so, they’re playing more like Palermo than Brazil.

6.05pm BST

36 min “I’m camped out at work, meant to be writing a lecture for Monday,” says Zubin Mistry. “But keep getting distracted by various surprising things that have been going on today. Like the curious Man City formation in the MBM team news: (0-4-1-2-3). Am I missing a tactics in-joke? Or is this a ‘clear and obvious error’ that maybe, just maybe, a VAR check might clear up? I need to know or Monday’s lecture just won’t get written.”

It was an essentially lame way of saying they have a defence made up of midfield players who will spend most of the game in the middle of the pitch.

6.02pm BST

33 min No danger here: Milivojevic’s free-kick hits the wall.

6.01pm BST

32 min After a sloppy pass from Fernandinho, Zaha is fouled by Gundogan 25 yards from goal. Danger here...

6.01pm BST

30 min “I love the kit!” says Richard Fosbury. “As it looks like it’s a pack of Refreshers it makes an, erm, refreshing change from the reds, whites and blues!”

5.58pm BST

29 min David Silva overhits a relatively simple return pass to Sterling. City are starting to get slightly frustrated by Palace’s diligent defending.

5.57pm BST

27 min It was a clash of heads between Ayew and Fernandinho. He seems okay and is going to continue.

5.56pm BST

26 min Joao Cancelo’s long-range shot is comfortably saved by Hennessey. Fernandinho is down, holding his head, and John Stones has gone out to warm up.

5.55pm BST

25 min McArthur plays a ball out towards Zaha on the right, just past the halfway line. Rodri slips, which allows Zaha to hare down the right wing, but Sterling gets back to cover and makes an immaculate tackle just outside the area.

5.53pm BST

24 min City have had 80 per cent of the possession. Palace can’t sustain this for 90 minutes, surely. They have been surprisingly wishy-washy on the counter-attack.

5.52pm BST

22 min “City’s alternate kit reminds me of a Retirement Home director attempting to raise the senior’s spirit with a new colour scheme in the dining hall,” says Mary Waltz. “It simply causes nausea and confusion amongst the old folks.”

If only William Morris made football kits.

5.51pm BST

21 min Gundogan’s relatively innocuous curler from 25 yards almost beats Hennessey. There must have been a deflection, because it ended up hitting Hennessey on the leg.

5.49pm BST

19 min A promising break from Palace is nipped in the bud when Fernandinho scoots across to reach the ball ahead of Zaha.

5.49pm BST

18 min “Dear Rob,” says Michael Greville. “My thoughts have turned to the original title of Tom Wofle’s first collection of essays, about custom cars apparently. ‘There Goes (Varoom! Varoom!) That Kandy-Kolored (Thphhhhhh!) Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (Rahghhh!) Around the Bend (Brummmmmmmmmmmmmmm)…’. Perhaps not today, though. Colour-wise, although red v blue is good, I’ve always though Liverpool v Wolves against bright green on a sunny day was best (but not with TV set to ‘vivid’)‘.”

I don’t know what to thnk, never mind say. I don’t think I’ve ever considered what might be the best combination of kits, never mind which TV setting I should use.

5.47pm BST

17 min Sterling plays a one-two with Gundogan, only to make a mess of his attempted volleyed cross.

5.46pm BST

16 min The corner is half cleared to Bernardo Silva on the right side of the box. He floats a curler towards the far corner that is flapped away by Hennessey, and Jesus heads the loose ball wide.

5.45pm BST

15 min Palace have been unable to get Zaha into the game. It’s starting to feel like a City goal is coming. De Bruyne, found by a fine pass from Bernardo Silva, plays a typically devastating ball across the six-yard box that is put behind by Ward at the far post.

5.42pm BST

13 min Milivojevic gets his usual booking, this time for applying his boot to Gabriel Jesus’s ankle.

5.41pm BST

11 min City are having at least 70 per cent of the possession, as at least 100 per cent of us expected, but they are yet to create a clear chance. Roy Hodgson’s teams are invariably difficult to break down.

5.40pm BST

9 min “John Stones has family problems,” says Jon Heslop, “so I imagine he’s being eased back in while he sorts them out.”

Isn’t it usually the case with personal issues that you either miss the match or don’t, rather than being eased back in? I suppose it’s hard to comment without knowing the nature of his problems.

5.36pm BST

7 min David Silva shoots straight at Hennessey from 20 yards. The chance came after a mistake from Milivojevic.

5.36pm BST

6 min “Obviously Pep will be frustrated at injuries to defenders, and I’m sure he wouldn’t wish ill on anyone,” says Matt Dony. “But you just know there’s a part of him that’s absolutely over the (blue) moon at being able to field two extra midfielders. Moving inexorably towards his dream of 10-midfielder dominance.”

Ten? You’ve forgotten the holding midfielder Ederson.

5.35pm BST

5 min De Bruyne’s whipped first-time cross is headed over by the stretching Jesus beyond the far post. City look sharp with and especially without the ball.

5.33pm BST

4 min City, in their execrable ice-lolly away kit, have had most of the possession the first few minutes. Nothihg much to report.

5.31pm BST

2 min “I see that Stones is on the bench, but not in the XI,” says Seventh Horcrux. “Why put him on the bench while playing a CDM in his role instead? Is Stones not fully fit? If so, why put him on the bench at all? Doesn’t make sense for a central defender to me. Am I missing something?”

He’s been out for a month so he won’t be match sharp. That said, in his interview Guardiola rambled a bit about there being another game in three days’ time. If this was a title decider, I’m sure Stones would have started. It has the feel of a Mourinho-style sulk selection, but only Pep knows.

5.31pm BST

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

5.29pm BST

The players emerge from the tunnel, ready for business. There’s a superb atmosphere at Selhurst Park, which pound-for-pound is possibly the most atmospheric ground in the Premier League.

5.24pm BST

“Rob, aren’t football formations (just like assistant referees flagging offsides) outmoded nowadays?” says Ravikiran Ramakrishnan. “Pep is playing with no centre-halves and played with Bernardo Silva at full back for one of the games last season. What’s the point in pretending that us peasants understand Pep the football genius?”

I don’t think they’re outmoded. I do agree that tactics coverage – even from the best writers – can only get so close to what goes on behind closed doors. But tactics are much easier to write about than the things that have the biggest influence on the result of a football match: morale, man-management, the life of the mind, and whether the centre-forward had a sly Wimpy and chips on the way to the ground.

5.17pm BST

Pep Guardiola is high on life “Rodri and Dinho will play in defence. [Is the key controlling the counter-attack and not letting their pacy players get at your defenders?] Well done. Congratulations. You can be manager. That is our dream but they have top players and we know how difficult it is.”

4.44pm BST

Pre-match reading

4.41pm BST

In a surprising development, VAR has stuck its oar into most of this afternoon’s matches. It sounds like Burnley have been the latest victims of football’s all-singing, all-dancing kangaroo court.

4.37pm BST

Manchester City are without Nicolas Otamendi and Kyle Walker, so they have a centre-back pairing of Fernandinho and Rodri. Oh I say!

Crystal Palace (4-1-4-1) Hennessey; Ward, Cahill, Tomkins, van Aanholt; Milivojevic; Zaha, Kouyate, McArthur, Schlupp; Ayew.
Substitutes: Henderson, Dann, McCarthy, Meyer, Townsend, Riedewald, Benteke,

4.25pm BST

Hello. The last time Manchester City had a blip, they won 18 of the next 19 league games to pip Liverpool to the title. They will need produce the same murderous form over an even longer stretch if they are to reel Liverpool in this year. City have dropped eight points in eight games, which equals their worst start to a league season since the Abu Dhabi United Group takeover in 2008. Last season they dropped 16 points in 38 matches.

All they can do is start winning again, then keep winning, and hope Liverpool get an almighty case of finishinglineitis. But it’s not beyond the realms that the title race could be over by the time City leave Anfield on 10 November.

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Published on October 19, 2019 11:37

Everton 2-0 West Ham: Premier League – as it happened

Bernard and Gylfi Sigurdsson scored as Everton produced a performance of blistering intensity to deservedly beat West Ham and ease the pressure on Marco Silva

2.39pm BST

I’ll leave you with our match report from Goodison. Thanks for your company - bye!

2.31pm BST

There are seven 3pm fixtures in the Premier League. Tom Bassam has team news from around the country.

2.29pm BST

Post-match reaction

Gylfi Sigurdsson “It was a fantastic performance. It was one of those games where we had a lot of chances, so you never know when it’s only 1-0, but luckily we managed to hold on to the three points. We had a lot of energy andthere was a real purpose to our game today. We pressed them high; we passed the ball really well with good movement.

2.26pm BST

It’s safe to say Marco Silva hasn’t lost the dressing-room. That was a superb performance, with a blistering intensity throughout. There was plenty of quality, too; Theo Walcott, Richarlison and Andre Gomes were especially good, while the substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a spectacular late goal to settle the match.

2.23pm BST

Peep peep! Everton jump up to 12th with a rousing, emphatic victory over West Ham.

2.22pm BST

That was a classic Sigurdsson goal. He received a square pass from Richarlison 25 yards from goal and sat Wilshere down by dummying to shoot with his left foot. Then he came back onto his right foot, looked up and whipped a beautiful rising curler that flew into the net. It brushed the fingers of Roberto, who was at full stretch, but he was never saving that.

2.20pm BST

The substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson seals victory with a glorious goal!

2.19pm BST

90+1 min There will be four minutes of added time. Pickford makes a smart save from Ajeti, who had been flagged offside. That would have been tight had it gone to VAR.

2.18pm BST

90 min “Even I am currently higher than Man Utd,” sniffs Ian Copestake.

2.17pm BST

89 min Rice abandons his station to surge into the Everton area, but Mina comes across to shepherd the ball through to Pickford. Good defending.

2.17pm BST

89 min “Shouldn’t the referee wait for the ball to go out of play in order to blow the whistle?” says Miltos Kal. “What’s the point of VAR if the referee stops the attack and it can’t be reviewed?”

I have no idea any more. There are so many inconsistencies and imperfections.

2.16pm BST

88 min Sigurdsson gets involved straight away, warming Roberto’s right hand from 20 yards.

2.15pm BST

87 min Gylfi Sigurdsson replaces Alex Iwobi, who has had a good game apart from that missed chance a few moments ago.

2.14pm BST

85 min Everton make a change: Moise Kean on, Theo Walcott off. He’s been outstanding.

2.13pm BST

83 min West Ham are given a corner despite a clear hack by Masuaku on Sidibe. I’m not sure Sidibe touched the ball either. The corner leads to a goalmouth scramble and eventually a brilliant save from Pickford to repel Ogbonna’s deflected close-range shot. There would have been mayhem had that gone in.

2.11pm BST

82 min Everton have been great today; a 3-0 scoreline wouldn’t flatter them.

2.11pm BST

81 min Walcott plays a give-and-go with Iwobi and fizzes a cross to the near post. Diop gets in a tangle and unwittingly rams the ball towards his own goal; it flies off the head of Roberto, who had no time to react, and over the bar.

2.10pm BST

79 min Diop is booked for a foul on Richarlison. I think that Mina goal was disallowed because Andre Gomes blocked Diop, but it looked a very harsh decision. There was no pause for a VAR check, so goodness knows.

2.08pm BST

78 min: Mina has a goal disallowed! It was an empathic header from Bernard’s right-wing corner, but Paul Tierney had blown for a foul. I’m not exactly sure what that was for.

2.07pm BST

77 min: Iwobi misses a glorious chance! That should have been the match for Everton. Sidibe charged down the inside-right channel, waited for Richarlison to drag defenders out of the way and then played a fine pass towards Iwobi in space down the middle. His first touch was immaculate, dragging the ball away from Diop on the run, but he stabbed his shot far close to Roberto.

2.05pm BST

76 min “Is it just me,” says Ian Copestake, “or has this game been going on for hours?”

Well you might think that but I couldn’t possibly comment.

2.02pm BST

74 min West Ham make their final change, and switch to a 4-4-2 formation: Mark Noble is replaced by the young Swiss striker Albian Ajeti.

2.02pm BST

73 min It’s a much tighter game in the second half, though Everton still look the likelier scorers. Andre Gomes plays a delightful pass inside Fredericks for Digne, whose low cross towards Richarlison deflects through to the keeper Roberto.

1.59pm BST

71 min “Good to see a report written partly in Old English,” says Charles Antaki. “The phrase ‘the superb Walcott’ dates back to c. 2007-8 AD but was thought to have fallen into disuse somewhere around 2012. Fondly remembered, if now largely obsolete.”

Wait until Jack Wilshere equalises. Then you’ll really see some Chaucer.

1.58pm BST

70 min Declan Rice is booked for a foul on Walcott, who has been the best player on the pitch. On which subject...

1.57pm BST

68 min The Premier League is so tight that a win would lift Everton from 18th to 12th, above Manchster United and only a point behind Spurs.

1.56pm BST

67 min Yarmolenko’s free-kick is comfortably saved by Pickford, moving smartly across his line.

1.55pm BST

64 min: Walcott hits the bar! That was a ferocious strike. Digne’s free-kick from the left was headed out to him, 25 yards from goal, by Ogbonna. He controlled the ball with his chest and then, as it bounced up, lashed a beautiful shot that flashed past the diving Roberto all ends up and rebounded off the underside of the bar.

1.51pm BST

63 min Another West Ham substitution. Jack Wilshere replaces Pablo Fornals, who has had a minor stinker.

1.51pm BST

63 min “West Ham are overrated,” says Clive Smith. “Their displays this season have not been that good. The manager plays one forward home and away. The defence is one of the worst in the league. I have supported this team over seventy years. Nothing changes. As long as they stay in the Premiership that’s ok. They have not won anything for nearly forty years and never will.”

I sense a certain apathy towards the 1999 Intertoto Cup.

1.50pm BST

62 min Roberto makes a comfortable save from Mina’s header.

1.50pm BST

61 min This has been a stirring performance from Everton, who have played with the kind of intensity that the home fans love.

1.48pm BST

59 min Digne whistles a free-kick just wide from a tight angle on the right.

1.44pm BST

56 min West Ham have been slightly better in attack since the break, with Fornals seeing a lot of the ball. He’s done bugger all with it, but it’s the taking part that counts.

1.42pm BST

53 min The superb Walcott wins a corner for Everton. Digne curls it towards the far post, where Mina’s downward header is saved comfortably by Roberto.

1.40pm BST

51 min West Ham’s best chance. Yarmolenko’s cross from the right bounces nicely into the path of Fornals, who mishits a first-time shot wide of the far post from 15 yards.

1.37pm BST

48 min “You should have a butchers at the match thread in r/Hammers on reddit,” says Mark Lepine. “To say, ‘West Ham have been poor’ is an understatement in there.”

The internet: the worst thing to happen to society since [blank].

1.36pm BST

47 min Richarlison goes down holding his face after wearing the point of Diop’s elbow. It was accidental.

1.35pm BST

46 min: Richarlison has a goal disallowed for offside! It was the right decision, as he was well off; it was also a superb volleyed finish from Richarlison.

1.34pm BST

46 min Peep peep! West Ham have brought on Andriy Yarmolenko, which isn’t a surprise, and taken off Felipe Anderson, which is.

1.18pm BST

Peep peep! Everton deservedly lead through Bernard’s unlikely goal, a reward for persistence and improvisation. The rejigged side, with Richarlison up front, have looked sharp on the counter-attack and could be further ahead. West Ham, who omitted Andriy Yarmolenko, have been poor.

1.18pm BST

45+3 min Tom Davies is booked for something or other.

1.15pm BST

45 min There will be three minutes of added time.

1.14pm BST

44 min “It seems to me that Marco Silva might be another managerial victim of Olivier Giroud’s failed transfer to Everton,” says Admir Pajic. “Neither Calvert-Lewin nor Kean are what Everton need right now. Given that, today’s front line of four wingers capable of interchanging positions might be the last straw for Silva. As an Arsenal fan, I still recall how some of the finest Arsenal display’s in the last years of Wenger’s career - including 5-2 at Leicester, 3-0 over Man U and 3-0 over Chelsea - were made possible by Theo Walcott starting in a No.9 role or on the right wing with a mobile striker (Alexis) down the middle. Of course, he will never have qualities of a classic No.9 like Giroud but he still has pace and is a calm finisher.”

1.13pm BST

42 min Felipe Anderson gets away from Mina, but then underhits his a cross/pass towards the unmarked Haller.

1.10pm BST

40 min Richarlison’s shot from the edge of the area is blocked, and Walcott scissor-kicks the loose ball wide. Richarlison had the best chance; he should have played in the overlapping Sidibe to his right.

1.08pm BST

38 min Walcott’s speculative, backheeled cross-shot is blocked by Masuaku. Walcott has been superb today, with an without the ball.

1.07pm BST

38 min Nothing much happening at the moment. West Ham have offered very little in attack.

1.03pm BST

33 min Pickford makes a comfortable diving save from Fornals’ header. I think it would have been disallowed for offside anyway.

1.02pm BST

32 min Play resumes.

1.00pm BST

31 min “With regards to your confusion about Ian’s son…” begins James Chambers. “Everyone knows that BA ain’t getting’ on no plane, you crazy fool… I’d go with Toy Story 4.”

Crikey, a shock scoreline: Pixar 1-0 Napoli.

12.59pm BST

30 min There’s a break in play with Masuaku is treated for a bloody nose. He collided with Tom Davies.

12.57pm BST

27 min “Bernard is going to be good playing for Merseyside in the traditional Christmas five-a-side tournament at Earl’s Court,” says Gary Naylor.

You say that like it’s a … hang on, is it a good thing?

12.55pm BST

24 min Iwobi’s long-range shot is held by Roberto. West Ham are being overrun at the moment.

12.53pm BST

22 min: Richarlison hits the post! That was really nice football from, Everton. Iwobi played him in with a lovely through pass down the side of the defence. Richarlison got between the centre backs and drove a low first-time shot from a tight angle that hit the outside of the post. After a nervy start, Everton have been terrific in the last 10 minutes.

12.52pm BST

21 min “Greetings Rob,” says Ian Sargeant. “West Ham fan here. Halfway to new York with ba. Reliant on your good self and a dodgy wifi for updates whilst trying to stop my 14 yo from watching too much family guy. Trying to decide whether to watch toy story 4 or the Maradona film next. Can you run a poll till half time?”

I think we all know what answer you’ll get. More importantly, I had to read your third sentence at least four times before I realised that ba wasn’t an affectionate name for your 14-year-old.

12.50pm BST

19 min Richarlison almost makes it 2-0 on the break. He skinned Diop with elegant ease in the inside-left channel, moved into the area and then couldn’t decide whether to shoot or try to find Andre Gomes. In the end he tried to cut the ball back into the centre, and Ogbonna put it behind for a corner.

12.48pm BST

It was made by the lively Walcott, who cut infield from the right and played a nice through pass to Bernard on the right side of the area. He decided not to shoot first time, which looked a poor decision, instead cutting back inside Masuaku. Then he wriggled back outside Masuaku and, from a very tight angle, poked the ball under the left armpit of the outrushing Roberto. It was poor goalkeeping from Roberto, who was beaten on the inside, but Bernard won’t care.

12.46pm BST

Everton take the lead with a peculiar solo goal from Bernard!

12.45pm BST

13 min It hasn’t been a great game so far. Everton have been the better side though.

12.40pm BST

8 min: Great save by Roberto! That corner led to another, this time on the left. It was flicked on at the near post and sidefooted towards goal on the volley by Davies, six yards out. It looked a certain goal, but Roberto dived to his left to shovel it away. On reflection, Davies should probably have scored - it wasn’t the cleanest connection, nor was it right in the corner - but it was still a brilliant save.

12.37pm BST

7 min Fine play from Walcott. He controls a long ball on the edge of the area, spins outside and then back inside Ogbonna before hitting an early shot towards the far corner. Ogbonna dangles a leg to deflect it behind for a corner.

12.35pm BST

6 min Everton win the first corner of the match. Masuaku heads it clear, and that’s that.

12.33pm BST

4 min ... and he curls it well wide.

12.33pm BST

3 min Felipe Anderson is fouled by Richarlison, 25 yards from goal. It’s slightly to the left of centre, perfect for Lanzini...

12.31pm BST

2 min The atmosphere is a wee bit muted. The first goal feels particularly important today.

12.30pm BST

1 min Peep peep! West Ham, in their cracking clartet-and-blue kit, kick off from left to right. Everton are in blue.

12.13pm BST

Pre-match reading

11.35am BST

Everton (4-2-3-1) Pickford; Sidibe, Keane, Mina, Digne; Andre Gomes, Davies; Walcott, Iwobi, Bernard; Richarlison.
Substitutes: Lossl, Holgate, Baines, Sigurdsson, Baningime, Calvert-Lewin, Kean.

West Ham (4-1-4-1) Roberto; Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Masuaku; Rice; Fornals, Noble, Lanzini, Felipe Anderson; Haller.
Substitutes: Martin, Balbuena, Zabaleta, Snodgrass, Wilshere, Yarmolenko, Ajeti.

11.16am BST

Hello. Kevin Brock never kicked a ball for Everton, but he played one of the most important passes in their history. Brock’s poor backpass, which allowed Adrian Heath to score a late equaliser against Oxford in a Milk Cup quarter-final in January 1984, probably saved Howard Kendall from the sack. Fifteen months later, Everton were the best side in England, having stormed to the title with a record five games to spare, and possibly Europe.

Marco Silva could do with a Kevin Brock moment right now. He is fighting for his job, with Everton third from bottom and on a run of four straight defeats. Another against West Ham today might be his last. Everton have been a bit unfortunate at times, and they were excellent against Manchester City in their last home game, but the modern culture of instant gratification will not tolerate a club of Everton’s size being in the bottom three.

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Published on October 19, 2019 06:39

Ole Gunnar Solskjær needs more time and respect at Manchester United | Rob Smyth

The choice is simple: potential long-term success under Solskjær or guaranteed long-term failure under a load of different managers

It has been widely reported, not entirely without glee, that Manchester United have had their worst start to a league season since 1989-90. Plenty of those reports have excluded one not insignificant detail; that the manager of the club back then was Alex Ferguson.

It is easy to forget how truly abysmal Ferguson’s United were between 1988 and 1990. They made the current lot look like freewheeling entertainers by comparison. In April 1989, United scored one goal in five games – and that was an own goal by Tony Adams, all his own work.

It would be unfair to say there is an anti-Solskjær agenda in the media but there is certainly an anti-Solskjær mood

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Published on October 16, 2019 12:16

The Fiver | That night in Sofia: embarrassment, shame and visceral revulsion

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The Fiver preferred it when Borislav Mihaylov was best known in this country for his funny little syrup. Now he will probably be remembered as the face of a governing body that made itself the embarrassment of world football before, during and after Monday night’s match against England. Mihaylov, the president of the Bulgarian Football Union, has resigned in response to the large-scale racist abuse that completely overshadowed England’s 6-0 win in Sofia. He was given little option by the Bulgarian prime minister. “It is unacceptable that Bulgaria – which is one of the most tolerant states in the world and where people of different ethnic and religious background peacefully live together – should be associated with racism,” tweeted Boyko Borissov, before suggesting that Mihaylov might wish to consider an alternative career path at his earliest convenience.

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Published on October 15, 2019 08:43