Rob Smyth's Blog, page 131

May 12, 2019

Brighton 1-4 Manchester City: champions retain Premier League title – as it happened

City retained the title for the first time in history after coming from behind to thump Brighton on an emotional day at the Amex Stadium

8.38pm BST

7.03pm BST

That’s it for today’s blog. I’ll leave you with Dom Fifield’s match report from the Amex Stadium, where Manchester City survived a scare to thump Brighton and retain the league title for the first time in the club’s history.

They are quite magnificent, a group of white-collar footballers with a blue-collar ethic, and it will take a great team to dethrone them. Thanks for your company and emails, today and throughout the Premier League season. Bye!

6.48pm BST

The 29.51 millimetre title

6.41pm BST

Impromptu @NoelGallagher gig in the dressing room!!

An anthem for the Champions!

#mancity pic.twitter.com/XpcpUV1rMZ

6.19pm BST

Graeme Souness sums up the title race

“Liverpool drew one game too many.”

6.14pm BST

Jurgen Klopp speaks

“We couldn’t really have done more. When your opponent is City, it’s difficult. They couldn’t get rid of us and we couldn’t get rid of them. We have improved so much to close a 25-point gap from last season. I’ve told the boys already: if we make the same steps next year, it’ll be a helluva season! This team has a wonderful age group. We will go again.”

6.04pm BST

Great season mate well done! https://t.co/dA3bSf6FuS pic.twitter.com/Fq9pcEdWiR

6.03pm BST

Player ratings Jamie Jackson has written his end-of-term report on the City squad, and four of them get 10/10.

5.57pm BST

Here’s the thoroughly magnificent Bernardo Silva

“We’re so happy. It was so difficult against a very strong Liverpool, who were unbelievable from the beginning. What a season for us. We didn’t think we could close to the points total we managed last season. We still have the FA Cup, which is very important to us – if we win it we do the treble, which nobody has ever done. But we’re so happy with this achievement.

5.51pm BST

And here’s Pep

“It was the toughest title I have won in my career by far. We have to say congratulations to Liverpool – and thank you so much, because they pushed us and made us increase our standard. To get 198 points in two seasons is incredible. To win the title we had to win 14 games in a row – we knew for the last three months that we couldn’t drop any points.

5.48pm BST

Here’s Raheem Sterling

“Delighted. This is exactly what I came to the club for. It’s an amazing day. The manager’s mentality is the best – winning, winning, winning. I’m happy to be working learning, and winning another Premier League. The players push each other. Nobody’s comfortable here – everyone’s on their toes. It’s been a lovely season – I had a difficult World Cup and I said to myself I had to start fast, and thankfully I’ve had a good season.”

5.46pm BST

Vincent Kompany says he doesn’t know whether he’ll stay at City. “Once the season’s finishes, we’ll discuss it. The outsiders have got not say in this.

5.45pm BST

22 - The English Premier League Golden Boot for the top goal scorer has been shared by three African Players for the first time ever (Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane & Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang) who each scored 22 goals. Representing.

5.43pm BST

Eleven years ago, on the final day of the season, Manchester City lost 8-1 at Middlesbrough.

5.42pm BST

Noel Gallagher is in the crowd, singing the City version of Wonderwall along with all the players and fans. After all those decades watching a complete shambles, it must be thoroughly surreal for him.

5.39pm BST

Leroy Sane covers Yaya Toure and the rest of the Sky Sports team in champagne, prompting a cry of “Oh ya bastard!” in a Scottish accent. Wonder who that was.

5.36pm BST

This is quite a ceremony. Each City player is introduced before walking onto the podium to receive their medal. The last man is Vincent Kompany, who whoops and hollers with joy before lifting the trophy high above his head. Manchester City are champions of England for the sixth time!

5.33pm BST

Manchester City have won 32 league games in each of the last two seasons. It’s hard to see their standard dropping significantly while Pep Guardiola is at the club; it’ll be fascinating to see whether Liverpool can maintain theirs.

5.29pm BST

Here come the players, led by Pep Guardiola. This is his eighth league title in 10 seasons as a manager, a pretty staggering success rate.

5.24pm BST

It’s time for the trophy presentation. First, all City’s backroom staff - and there are dozens of them - are slowly emerging from the tunnel. Half of them are pissing around on their phones. Look lively, you’ve win the league!

5.21pm BST

“A Liverpool fan’s soundtrack, thinking of that little be-ribboned trophy,” says Hubert O’Hearn.

5.20pm BST

City lost four league games, Liverpool only one. Draws really were the new defeats in this year’s title race. Perugia fans of a certain age will feel Liverpool’s pain.

5.13pm BST

Match reports have landed from the Amex Stadium and Anfield, and here they are

5.11pm BST

The title will be presented to City soon. First, Brighton are saying goodbye to Bruno. He walks out to a guard of honour, and there is so much affection for him around the ground. Here’s what he had to say.

It was a perfect ending – I couldn’t have asked for anything else after 20 years as a professional. I’m really thankful, I don’t know what to say. Being at Brighton changed my life. I love this club and I would like to stay with them. We are working on it.

5.07pm BST

“Genuine congratulations to City,” says Matt Dony. “Fourteen wins on the spin is ridiculous; you can look at a couple of stray draws for Liverpool, but you simply can’t legislate for a team going on that kind of run under pressure. Well done, them. And well done, Kompany. If anyone was going to score an iconic goal, I’m glad it was him. He’s a class act, as a player, and as a guy. With the best will in the world, I hope he does leave City over the summer!”

Yes, agreed. I thought Liverpool would win their last 6-8 games and that City would draw or lose somewhere, but once City went out of the Champions League it became harder to see them dropping points.

5.02pm BST

Here’s four-time Premier League champion Vincent Kompany

“It was the hardest and most satisfying Premier League ever. Liverpool were exceptional this year. I don’t mean to rub it in, it is what it is and they didn’t deserve to be a loser today. It makes me so much happier because we played against such a good team all season. Our backs were against the wall and we beat them at the Etihad and that made the difference.

4.58pm BST

Read all about it

4.56pm BST

Liverpool’s game finished 2-0, with Sadio Mane scoring both goals. It’s a bitter one for them to swallow - Everton away, one bloody goal - but they at least have the chance of the greatest consolation prize in football history on 1 June.

4.54pm BST

You don’t need to retain the title to be a great side, as Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal showed, but it sure helps. This is a rare and indisputable achievement from a glorious football team. Yaya Toure, live on Sky Sports in his punditry suit, is suddenly mobbed by City players, who all dance around him chanting his song.

4.52pm BST

Pep Guardiola’s eyes are ablaze, his face beaming with pride as he salutes the City fas. The players get in a huddle and scream ‘Championes’. City have won the title with 98 points and a goal difference of +72. Liverpool finish second with 97 points and a goal difference of +67. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Gary Neville on Sky. I have seen something like itbefore, but only on Championship Manager 01/02.

4.49pm BST

Full time: Brighton 1-4 Manchester City

Peep peep! Manchester City have retained their title in glorious style - and they are now one game away from becoming the first English team to do the domestic treble.

4.48pm BST

90 min Pep Guardiola’s titles have generally been won at a canter, certainly since he left Spain: 19 points, 10, 10 and 19 again last season. This year they have been only one point better than Liverpool, and their triumph will be infinitely sweeter because of that. They had to win 14 games in a row. Thirteen wins and a draw wouldn’t have been good enough. It’s quite ridiculous.

4.45pm BST

88 min Kyle Walker is replaced by Danilo.

4.44pm BST

86 min Nicolas Otamendi comes on to replace Vincent Kompany, whose immortal goal against Leicester was the iconic moment of this title race.

4.42pm BST

85 min We shouldn’t underestimate how hard it is to retain the title. Some of the great sides of the last 50 years, including Revie’s Leeds and Wenger’s Arsenal, didn’t manage it. And Pep Guardiola becomes only the third manager to do so in the Premier League era after Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho.

4.41pm BST

84 min A lovely moment as Bruno, playing his final game at the age of 38, is replaced by Martin Montoya. He gets a standing ovation and is embraced by players on both sides as he leaves the field. Isn’t football nice sometimes.

4.38pm BST

81 min The last dropped points in the title race were on 3 March, when Liverpool drew 0-0 at Everton. I don’t know whether that counts as Everton denying Liverpool the title, but it will give them bragging rights of sorts over the summer.

4.37pm BST

80 min Aguero has a chance to make it 5-1 but faffs in the area and is dispossessed.

4.36pm BST

79 min Don’t shoot Vinny!

4.35pm BST

78 min City make a change. David Silva, who will collect his fourth Premier League winners’ medal, is replaced by Kevin De Bruyne.

4.34pm BST

75 min It’s worth repeating that City have won the league by winning their last 14 games. That is quite ludicrous. I still think that, pound for pound, that Arsenal’s winning runs of 1997-98 and 2001-02 were even more impressive, but City have still been quite awesome.

4.31pm BST

74 min After all those unbearably tense 1-0 wins in recent weeks, City and their supporters can now enjoy 20 of the happiest minutes of their lives.

4.30pm BST

That was a lovely goal from Ilkay Gundogan. Raheem Sterling was fouled 25 yards from goal, and Gundogan curled an emphatic free-kick into the top corner. Ryan dived full length to his left but couldn’t get near it. Great goal.

4.29pm BST

And that’s Blockbusters.

4.28pm BST

70 min Zinchenko cracks a low shot that is kicked away by the stretching Dunk. For the first time in a while, City look like they’re enjoying themselves.

4.25pm BST

67 min Gundogan, who has been really good today, shapes a curler not far wide from 20 yards. Meanwhile, Brighton make a double change: Florin Andone and Jurgen Locadia for Murray and the disappointing Jahanbakhsh.

4.24pm BST

66 min There have ben two key moments in this game – the first, oddly enough, was Brighton’s opening goal. The second was Pep Guardiola admitting that he got his tactics wrong and changing his team accordingly.

4.22pm BST

So that’s why Pep picked him. It was a fine individual goal from Mahrez. He received possession 25 yards out, shaped to shoot with his left foot and then dragged his studs over the ball to beat the sliding Dunk. That gave him a clear shot with his right foot, and he lashed a rising drive that went through the left hand of the stretching Ryan and into the net. A keeper as good as Ryan will probably feel he should have saved it, but it was a lovely piece of skill from Mahrez and a pretty well-struck shot.

4.21pm BST

Riyad Mahrez (probably) seals the title for Manchester City!

4.19pm BST

63 min The game has slowed down since that flying start to the second half by City. They are still controlling the game, however, simultaneously very comfortable and distressingly uncomfortable.

4.18pm BST

62 min “The fellow makes a good point about podcasts,” says Stuart Ives. “Might I recommend Casefile for all your true crime needs? Always good to hear gory murders. Top Flight Time Machine very good for vaguely football related needs. They, too, worked out no one needs football.”

4.18pm BST

61 min Sterling’s pearoller is easily saved by Ryan.

4.17pm BST

61 min “There are other things in the world, Phil Podolsky?” says Matt Dony. “I’m looking forward to discovering them. After the crushing, brilliant relentlessness of City last season, through a summer with a great World Cup, straight into this league season with its probable ‘What could have been...’ narrative for us Liverpool fans, I’m actually worried about what will happen when this game ends. I imagine it’ll be like the end of The Truman Show, changing channels confusedly, discovering that other things have actually happened over the last two years or so. Brexit’s all done and dusted, I take it?”

4.17pm BST

60 min Ederson has been a little jittery today. That would be my main concern, were I a supporter of Manchester City FC.

4.16pm BST

58 min David Silva almost slithers through on goal, only to stumble slightly and allow Dunk to come across and clear. City need a third goal; if they don’t get one in the next 15-20 minutes, they’ll be taking their life in their own hands.

4.15pm BST

57 min Aguero mis-hits a volley from Sterling’s very sharp cross. The ball comes to Gundogan, whose stinging shot from 25 yards is blocked by one of the many Brighton defenders in the penalty area.

4.13pm BST

56 min Meanwhile, over in our comedy section, Manchester United are losing 2-0 at home to Cardiff.

4.12pm BST

55 min Laporte lobs the ball back to Ederson, who catches it nonchalantly... and the referee waves play on. That was peculiar, as it looked like a clear backpass.

4.11pm BST

54 min Knockaert curls a booming free-kick beyond the far post, where Dunk heads over the bar from 12 yards. That was half a chance.

4.11pm BST

53 min Jahanbakhsh is fouled on the left wing by Walker. City have given away a few too many free-kicks today.

4.09pm BST

52 min It’s still all City, though they haven’t yet created any clear chances in the second half.

4.06pm BST

49 min “Honestly, who even needs football,” says Phil Podolsky. “There’s other stuff out there like true crime podcasts and being a Marxist on Twitter.”

4.05pm BST

48 min City have made a very fast start to the half in an attempt to put the game to bed. They won’t want to go into the final 10 minutes with only a one-goal lead.

4.04pm BST

47 min An abysmal pass from Knockaert goes straight to David Silva, just outside the area on the left. His low cross is miscontrolled by Sterling and that allows Brighton to clear.

4.03pm BST

47 min “Where,” says Peter Oh, “is a Brightonpool half-and-half scarf when I need one?!”

4.02pm BST

46 min Peep peep! City begin the second half, the last half, the only half, the eternal half.

3.58pm BST

A perfect precis of the first half from Simon McMahon

“Seems like Glenn Murray’s goal for Brighton may in fact have won the league for Man City?”

3.49pm BST

“Can we just fast forward to 5pm?” says Adam Jensen. “I’m not sure how much more of this season I can take!”

And he’s a Bournemouth fan.

3.49pm BST

Peep peep! City are on course for the title, but only just. Brighton have been dangerous on the break and took the lead through Glenn Murray’s header. Sergio Aguero equalised almost straight away, and then Aymeric Laporte headed City into the lead. It’s been deliciously tense.

3.48pm BST

45+2 min: Fine effort from Dunk! Lewis Dunk hit a wobbling, David Luiz-style free-kick that was shovelled onto the roof of the net by Emerson. It was straight at him, but the movement of the ball meant it slipped through his grasp and, thankfully for him, dribbled over the bar.

3.46pm BST

45+1 min Gundogan fouls Bissouma 25 yards from goal, just to the left of centre. This is a chance for Brighton.

3.45pm BST

45 min Lots of City possession in the last few minutes of the half, but nothing for Brighton/Liverpool to worry about. While there’s only one goal in it, Pep Guardiola won’t be able to sit still.

3.42pm BST

42 min Mahrez’s shot from a tight angle, which I think was a mis-hit cross, is patted down at the near post by Ryan.

3.42pm BST

42 min Obligatory Clockwise clip for Liverpool supporters.

3.41pm BST

41 min This is City’s best spell, by quite a distance, and they have a chance to put Brighton away before half-time. Sterling’s low cross from the left of the area is kicked away inside the six-yard box by Bernardo.

3.40pm BST

39 min City are now playing the formation we expected, with Sterling left, Mahrez right and Bernardo Silva in midfield. And, hey presto, they look much better.

3.39pm BST

Such a simple goal. Mahrez curled the corner to the far post, where Laporte lost Murray with surprising ease and planted a downward header into the corner from six yards.

3.38pm BST

Aymeric Laporte heads City into the lead!

3.37pm BST

37 min: Good save by Ryan! Murray’s poor pass went straight to David Silva on the edge of the D. He slid it to the right for Mahrez, who beat Bernardo with a stepover and flashed a shot from a tight angle that was beaten behind by Murray. But from the corner…

3.37pm BST

36 min Brighton do look quite dangerous on the counter-attack, particularly Knockaert. He’s fouled by Aguero just inside the City half, which allows Brighton to send the big men forward. Gross’s cross is met by Duffy on the edge of the area, and his header loops slowly onto the roof of the net. Ederson has it covered.

3.35pm BST

83 - There were just 83 seconds between Glenn Murray's opener for Brighton and Sergio Aguero's equaliser for Man City. Drama.

3.34pm BST

34 min Sterling and Mahrez have swapped positions, so Sterling is now on the left and Mahrez is playing as the right-sided central midfielder.

3.32pm BST

32 min Brighton are defending desperately, as if survival depends on it. Bernardo Silva’s deflected shot flies across the box before being kicked away by Bruno.

3.31pm BST

30 min: Good save from Ryan! Another chance for City, who have been much better since going behind. Zinchenko’s fast cross clears everyone in the middle and reaches Bernardo Silva beyond the far post. His stooping header is too close to Ryan, who scrambles across his line to save.

3.29pm BST

It was a clinical finish. Laporte slid a short pass into the area towards David Silva. He flicked it classily behind the defence for Aguero, who drove it through the legs of Ryan with his left foot. At first it looked like he was offside; replays showed Bernardo was playing him on.

3.28pm BST

Sergio Aguero equalises straight away!

3.27pm BST

Oh my goodness. It was a superb corner from Gross, curled at pace to the near post, where Murray got in front of the flailing Ederson to head into the net from two yards. He took a smack in the face from from Ederson, about which he will not give a single stuff.

3.26pm BST

And they have scored!

3.26pm BST

26 min Brighton win a corner on the left. They are always dangerous from set pieces, particularly with Duffy and Dunk...

3.24pm BST

24 min If if if if if this goes wrong, Pep Guardiola will be slaughtered for his tinkering, just as he was when they lost to Spurs in the Champions League quarter-final. He can’t help himself sometimes.

3.23pm BST

23 min David Silva angles a nice pass to the overlapping Mahrez, whose fierce cross is palmed away the diving Ryan. That was better from City.

3.22pm BST

21 min “Afternoon Rob, and thanks to you and all MBMers at the Guardian and on this side for another great season,” says Simon McMahon. “May the best team win today blah blah blah. Now, imagine Cantona and Maradona on a panel show discussing the press. The pair of them together would make Pochettino’s Wednesday night performance look positively stoic.”

Imagine them on Sunday Supplement, Diego on the way down after a busy night. And yes, thanks to all of you for your company and emails throughout the season. It’s been digital.

3.20pm BST

20 min Walker’s deflected shot loops up in the air and is dropped by Ryan. Happily for him, and millions of Liverpool fans, it falls kindly for Gross to clear.

3.19pm BST

19 min Sterling slips past Bernardo and really smashes a cross that is palmed away by Ryan. Then Gundogan’s shot from 25 yards is blocked by a stretching defender.

3.18pm BST

18 min Liverpool have taken the lead at home to Wolves thanks to Sadio Mane. As things stand, I won’t be going online for the next month.

3.17pm BST

17 min Actually, City are playing their usual 4-1-2-3, but with Sterling as a slightly advanced central midfielder. It’s a bit of a strange set-up, and so far it hasn’t really worked. I’ve never really liked Mahrez on the left, or Sterling in the centre.

3.15pm BST

16 min “Rob, I’m struggling,” says Matt Dony. “It’s been a long season. I’m watching the Liverpool game (naturally), and relying on your good self for updates on the other lot. When City inevitably score (probably through a Kyle Walker screamer or some other such nonsense), can you break it to me gently? Appreciated.”

I could drop the exclamation mark? And the capital letters? goal. brighton 0-1 manchester city, that kind of thing?

3.14pm BST

15 min Mahrez’s shot from 25 yards takes a deflection and dribbles through to Ryan.

3.14pm BST

13 min City win their first corner. Nothing happens.

3.12pm BST

12 min Sterling’s cross skims off the head of the leaping Aguero on the six-yard line, allowing Bong to clear. City haven’t started well, Bernardo Silva excepted.

3.11pm BST

11 min I thought Manchester City would win this game comfortably. After the first 10 minutes, I’m not so sure. Brighton are really up for this.

3.11pm BST

10 min Bernardo Silva has started excellently. He slides a crisp pass into Aguero on the edge of the area; Aguero gets the ball out of his feet and smacks a shot that is blocked by Duffy (I think).

3.10pm BST

9 min Brighton are looking pretty dangerous on the counter-attack. Knockaert drives a delicious low pass across the field to Jahanabakhsh, who cuts inside on his right foot and smacks a wobbling shot that flies just wide of the near post. It brushed the side netting on its way through, and had it been on target Emerson would not have got there.

3.08pm BST

7 min Kyle Walker’s every touch is being booed, presumably because of his contretemps with Alireza Jahanbakhsh in the FA Cup semi-final.

3.07pm BST

6 min City would give so much for an early goal. Most of their recent games have been 0-0 at half-time, which is not conducive to a resting heart rate for all those City fans watching the match.

3.05pm BST

5 min Brighton win their first corner. It’s half cleared to Knockaert, whose cross is headed a few yards wide by Murray. He was offside anyway.

3.05pm BST

4 min Bernardo Silva steals the ball off Bissouma and slaloms thrillingly through the defence, only to be crowded out as he’s about to shoot. At first I thought it might have been a foul but replays suggest Bissouma recovered to make a fine tackle.

3.03pm BST

4 min Gundogan cracks a shot from distance that is blocked on the edge of the area by Kayal. It’s all City.

3.02pm BST

3 min Not much to report so far. The Brighton fans are up for the game, so there’s a cracking atmosphere.

3.01pm BST

2 min City’s tactics aren’t quite as expected. They are playing a 4-2-3-1, with Bernardo Silva on the right, Mahrez on the left and Sterling behind Aguero.

3.00pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Brighton kick off from left to right. They are in blue and white stripes. City are sporting their away kit. Drawing inspiration from a key moment in the Club’s history, the 2018/19 away kit features a dark blue shirt with field blue and luminous yellow pin stripes down the front and back, alongside dark blue shorts. Luminous volt coloured socks with dark blue band around the shin complete a fresh and modern looking kit for the League champions.

2.57pm BST

The players emerge from the tunnel on a pleasant, sunny afternoon in Brighton. It’s time for business. If you’re don’t believe in blogogamy, these are the links for you.

2.52pm BST

In an unrelated development, this film on the greatest GOAT of all time looks entirely wonderful.

2.52pm BST

“Good day Rob,” says Duncan Edwards. “Pep might have relaxed his team by taking them up the road to Eastbourne. There’s a nice cliff top memorial to the very young pilots who sacrificed their lives in the Battle of Britain. And they could have enjoyed a pint in the village where Sherlock Holmes retired to keep bees. Not even Holmes could deduce why Mahrez is in. Presumably it’s to provide crosses for Aguero to get his head on haha.”

He hasn’t been that bad. Has he? Pep (it’s okay, we’re friends) has been unhappy with Leroy Sane in recent weeks so I suppose it’s not that surprising that he’s picked Mahrez. If Fernandinho and/or De Bruyne were fit to start I’m sure they would be in midfield, with Bernardo Silva on the right.

2.46pm BST

“Thank you for unearthing that Cantona jewel from the vaults of French TV,” says Charles Antaki. “I rather think it wasn’t aired, or airable, here. It is vanishingly unlikely that Kompany would be quite so forthright about what he would do to journalists’ backsides, or that he would argue that ‘unforgivable’ was conceptually distinct from ‘indefensible’ on the grounds, in part, that the Pope wears a Rolex. I think I’ve now had a satisfactory afternoon’s entertainment, wherever happens in the football.”

2.44pm BST

City could become the first team to retain the title since Manchester United a decade ago. If they manage that, they’ll be one game away from becoming the first English team ever to do the domestic treble.

2.40pm BST

Here’s Pep Guardiola “One more game. We will try to do our best, and the players will decide what we deserve. We are here to try to win the title. [Why did you pick Riyad Mahrez, Pep?] His quality, his personality, his lack of fear. We know Brighton will defend deep so we will need quality in small spaces, and he has that. I don’t know, honestly, what is going to happen.”

2.32pm BST

“I expect my Seagulls to go 2-0 down, then a hat trick from Bruno in the second half,” says Paul Thompson. “Sorry City, it’s just the way things are done at the moment.”

2.16pm BST

“Afternoon Rob,” says Nick Parish. “The title race this slightly puts me in mind of is the 1996 run-in, when Manchester United put aside the 9-0 wins and started winning 1-0 (Cantona, 76) seemingly every game. City are doing the same thing. Is Vincent Kompany the new Cantona? I await his reinvention as a movie star with bated breath.”

I’d like to see him do something like this, maybe on Question Time. Even Soccer AM would do, tbf.

2.07pm BST

In other news

2.05pm BST

A slightly funky selection from Pep Guardiola. He has decided to start Riyad Mahrez, who hasn’t been seen on a football field for over a month. Phil Foden drops out of the team and even the squad, with Bernardo Silva moving back into midfield. City have plenty of insurance on the bench – Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne.

Brighton & Hove Albion (4-2-3-1) Ryan; Bruno, Duffy, Dunk, Bernardo; Kayal, Bissouma; Knockaert, Gross, Jahanbakhsh; Murray.
Substitutes: Button, Burn, Bong, Montoya, Molumby, Locadia, Andone.

1.47pm BST

The scene is set...

#BHAMCI #mancity pic.twitter.com/hsKf0l9cyf

It’s just like being there really.

1.39pm BST

Pre-match reading

10.30am BST

The Premier League title race has been a marathon and a sprint. Manchester City and Liverpool have been at full pelt since August, but only one of them will swig Winners Fizz straight from the bottle when they cross the winning line just before 5pm. The other team, probably Liverpool, are going to feel a strange kind of disappointment. Contrary to Freddie Mercury’s lyrics, there will be time for losers whenever the story of the 2018-19 Premier League is told. Whoever finishes second will be indelibly associated with a unique title race - not the best in English football history, but certainly the most relentless.

If City retain the title by winning at Brighton today, it will be their 14th consecutive league victory. Even allowing for the inequalities of modern football, that would be a staggering achievement. Pep Guardiola and his team have had to go to places they didn’t know existed - like the 1-0 win.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 12, 2019 11:04

May 11, 2019

England beat Pakistan by 12 runs: second one-day international – as it happened

Jos Buttler’s blistering 50-ball century was decisive as England held their nerve to beat Pakistan in a high-scoring game at the Ageas Bowl

7.38pm BST

That’s all for today’s blog. Vic Marks’ match report has landed, so I’ll leave you with that. Happy holidays!

7.37pm BST

The Man of the Match is Jos Buttler “It’s very special. It’s great to have [his newborn daughter Georgia] here and to begin the summer in that fashion. Cricket has developed in the last few years and everyone’s trying to expand their range at the end of the innings. It’s a huge part of the game. The guys set a brilliant platform, and because we bat deep that allows us to try to push on a bit earlier in the innings.”

7.35pm BST

Eoin Morgan speaks “We always still believed – they played extremely well but 374 is a tough score to chase. Fakhar surprised us with how well he played, and we need better plans against him. It was a belting wicket to bat on and we did well to get over the line. The bowlers delivered under pressure and that’s a really good sign.

“Jos Buttler… he’s very good, he really is. I was in prime position to see the whole innings, and his freakish knocks seem to be getting closer and closer together. He has a gear that very few of us have. I don’t have it. It’s always open for discussion whether he should bat up the order, but he always seems to time his run well.”

7.32pm BST

Sarfaraz Ahmed speaks “I’m very proud of the team that they got so close to the target. T20 cricket has made it easier to think you can chase nine or 10 an over. Our accuracy was not up to the mark in the last 10 overs. England bowled very well at the end, their yorkers in particular.”

7.30pm BST

England scored 74 runs from their last four overs; Pakistan scored 40.

7.21pm BST

That was quite a match: there were 734 runs in 100 overs, with two coruscating hundreds from Jos Buttler and Fakhar Zaman. For all the fours and sixes, the big winner was probably a bowler. David Willey’s superb spell at the death (3-0-17-2) won the match and suggested he can do a lot more than bowl with the new ball. At one stage it looked like Pakistan would pull off their highest ever run-chase, but Eoin Morgan and England kept their nerve.

7.18pm BST

50th over: Pakistan 361-7 (Sarfaraz 41, Hasan 4) That’s it. Woakes sees England home with a good final over, and they take a 1-0 lead in the series.

7.17pm BST

49.4 overs Pakistan 360-7 (chasing 374; Sarfaraz 41, Hasan 3) Just a single, and that leaves Pakistan needing snookers: 14 from two balls. England have been very good at the death, Willey in particular.

7.16pm BST

49.3 overs Pakistan 359-7 (chasing 374; Sarfaraz 40, Hasan 3) Sarfaraz plays and misses at a wide delivery. Well bowled by Woakes.

7.15pm BST

49.2 overs Pakistan 359-7 (chasing 374; Sarfaraz 40, Hasan 3) Hasan edges a single to short fine leg. Pakistan need 15 from four balls.

7.14pm BST

49.1 overs Pakistan 358-7 (chasing 374; Sarfaraz 40, Hasan 2) An off-side wide from Woakes.

7.14pm BST

49.1 overs Pakistan 357-7 (chasing 374; Sarfaraz 40, Hasan 2) Hasan Ali launches the first ball over extra cover for two. Pakistan need 17 from five.

7.12pm BST

Chris Woakes will bowl the final over.

7.11pm BST

49th over: Pakistan 355-7 (Sarfaraz 40, Hasan 0) That was a really good over from Plunkett – no boundaries, and only eight from it. Pakistan need 19 from the final over.

“That dismissal of Imad Wasim was bizarre,” says Adam Roberts. “The England fielders might as well have all held up signs saying, ‘We’re setting a trap’.”

7.10pm BST

England are almost home. Faheem Ashraf has gone, muscling Plunkett high to Stokes at mid-off. Pakistan need 21 from 7 balls.

7.05pm BST

48th over: Pakistan 347-6 (Sarfaraz 34, Faheem 1) Willey ends his spell with another really good over – just five from it, and it included the wicket of Imad Wasim. He finishes with figures of two for 55; crucially, that includes a spell at the death of 3-0-17-2. Those three overs may have secured his spot in the World Cup squad.

7.02pm BST

Another very important wicket for David Willey. Imad sliced an attempted cut stroke high in the air, and Buttler ran back towards short third man to take a good diving catch.

7.00pm BST

47th over: Pakistan 342-5 (Sarfaraz 30, Imad 8) That’s a beautiful shot from Sarfaraz, who lashes Rashid’s googly over extra cover for four. The next ball is cut behind square, where the sprawling Bairstow does quite brilliantly to save two runs on the boundary. This is pulsating stuff – and Imad Wasim makes it a superb over for Pakistan by clouting the last ball down the ground for six. Seventeen from the over!

6.56pm BST

46th over: Pakistan 325-5 (Sarfaraz 19, Imad 2) A very good over from Willey – four from it, and Pakistan need 49 from 24 balls.

6.54pm BST

Asif punches Willey for a couple to bring up a thwacktastic fifty from 34 balls, with four sixes and two fours. But like Babar Azam earlier in the innings, he falls straight after reaching his half-century. He drove Willey straight to long off, where Stokes took the catch. Big wicket, that, both for England and Willey. He’s bowled pretty well at the death.

6.50pm BST

45th over: Pakistan 321-4 (Asif 49, Sarfaraz 19) Sarfaraz makes room to the first ball, so Rashid follows him with the googly. By the time Sarfaraz plays the stroke he is almost at short leg, and he late cuts the ball just wide of leg stump. It’s the start of a lung-busting over for Pakistan – eight from it, all in ones and twos. They need 53 from 30 balls.

6.46pm BST

Pakistan need 61 from 36 balls, and Adil Rashid is coming back into the attack.

6.46pm BST

44th over: Pakistan 313-4 (Asif 48, Sarfaraz 12) Willey replaces Plunkett and goes straight round the wicket in an attempt to bowl wide yorkers at Asif. The first ball is immaculate; the second is not, and Asif thumps it down the ground for six. The rest of the over is excellent for England, with just two runs from the last four deliveries. Willey got his yorker right more often than not in that over.

6.40pm BST

43rd over: Pakistan 305-4 (Asif 40, Sarfaraz 12) Rashid still has two overs remaining, which feels important. Pakistan are just about keeping up with the required rate, with nine from that Woakes over. It included a lovely shot from Asif Ali, who sliced a drive up and over backward point for four. He has 40 from 25 balls.

6.34pm BST

42nd over: Pakistan 296-4 (Asif 34, Sarfaraz 10) Pakistan hammer Plunkett’s eighth over for 13 precious runs. Sarfaraz swings him high over the leg side for a one-bounce four before Asif Ali clubs another boundary down the ground.

6.29pm BST

41st over: Pakistan 283-4 (Asif 29, Sarfaraz 4) Chris Woakes returns to the attack. Asif Ali cuffs a pull just short of midwicket, and the first five deliveries all go for a single. The sixth, an excellent slower bouncer, is too good for Asif - and for Buttler, who gives away a couple of byes.

“I was just about to press send on something witty about 370+ chases becoming a formality and Buttler needing to do some soul searching about his dot ball problem, but now the narrative has been tainted by three quick wickets (aka the ‘Boycott Paradigm Shift’),” says Brian Withington. “Shame England can’t call on a 90+ mph quick to try to press home any transient advantage ...”

6.24pm BST

40th over: Pakistan 276-4 (Asif 27, Sarfaraz 1) Superb stuff from Plunkett, who concedes only two from the over. Pakistan need 98 from 60 balls.

“Hello Rob,” says Matthew Doherty. “Given the strength of the upper order batters, surely England’s squad could contain an Anderson or Broad? But maybe we will have to wish we had a fit Reece Topley?”

6.20pm BST

Liam Plunkett strikes with the first ball of a new spell. Haris slapped a short ball high towards deep point, where the reliable Bairstow took a good running catch.

6.18pm BST

39th over: Pakistan 274-3 (Asif 26, Haris 14) Moeen’s last over is a decent effort – seven from it with no boundaries. He finishes with slightly unflattering fgures of 10-0-66-1.

6.15pm BST

38th over: Pakistan 267-3 (Asif 25, Haris 8) Asif Ali smashes Rashid over midwicket for a huge six, his third in the last seven deliveries, and then he’s dropped by Willey! He smeared Rashid towards long on, where Willey ran in and put down a relatively straightforward low chance. He’s thoroughly hacked off with himself.

6.12pm BST

37th over: Pakistan 257-3 (Asif 18, Haris 6) Another six for Asif Ali, this one clouted over long-on off Moeen. A handful of ones and twos make it an excellent over for Pakistan, who are still right in this game. No total is safe any more.

6.09pm BST

36th over: Pakistan 245-3 (Asif 8, Haris 4) Oof! Asif Ali gets Pakistan moving again with a lusty slog sweep for six off Rashid. Eight from the over, which means Pakistan need 129 from 84 balls.

6.06pm BST

35th over: Pakistan 237-3 (Asif 2, Haris 3) England have become good at holding their nerve when their opponent threatens to chase down a huge target. Much of that, you suspect, is down to the equilibrium of Eoin Morgan. Moeen Ali returns to the attack and bowls a good over – three dot balls, three singles, and the required rate is above nine an over.

6.03pm BST

34th over: Pakistan 234-3 (Asif 1, Haris 1)

6.01pm BST

Babar reaches a typical, stealthy half-century. Despite containing only one boundary, it has taken just 50 balls. But he’s gone now! He tried to smash a vile long hop from Rashid and miscued it straight back to the bowler. His glove slipped off the bat as he played the stroke, which is why it went back to Rashid rather than out of the ground as intended.

5.57pm BST

33rd over: Pakistan 227-2 (Babar 46, Asif 0) Asif Ali is the new batsman.

5.56pm BST

Fakhar has gone! What a brilliant review from England. He seemed to miss a wide attempted yorker from Woakes, but Ultra-Edge showed it shaved the bottom of the bat on its way through to Buttler. Most of the England players didn’t even appeal - but Woakes did and Morgan backed him up by opting to review. I thought it was a silly, desperate decision; not for the last time, I was wrong.

Fakhar gets a fine ovation for an innings that was both spectacular and intimidating in its certainty. He’s quite a player.

#ENGvPAK England just aren't quite the same without Jofra Archer

5.49pm BST

32nd over: Pakistan 220-1 (Fakhar 132, Babar 45) It’s time for Adil Rashid, Eoin Morgan’s trump card. He has six overs remaining, and they will probably decide the match. The first disappears for 12. Great stuff. Fakhar smacks consecutive boundaries, a sweep followed by a lofted drive down the ground. Pakistan need 154 from 18 overs; they should win comfortably from here.

5.44pm BST

31st over: Pakistan 208-1 (Fakhar 124, Babar 42) Chris Woakes replaces Liam Plunkett (6-0-41-0). His first ball is short and pulled for four by Fakhar, who has scored approximately 99.94 per cent of his runs today on the leg side. Woakes then spears in a wide yorker to Fakhar, who walks across his stumps and pings the ball mischievously over short fine leg for four more. Shot! Fourteen from the over, and England really, really need a wicket.

5.38pm BST

30th over: Pakistan 194-1 (Fakhar 111, Babar 41) Fakhar clears his front leg and smears a slower ball back over Stokes’s head for four. The over ends with a rare play and miss when Babar fiddles outside off stump. I thought I heard a noise as it went past the bat; nobody else did.

5.34pm BST

29th over: Pakistan 187-1 (Fakhar 105, Babar 41) Babar steers Plunkett towards third man, where the diving Rashid does excellently to turn four runs into three. Ten more from the over; England really need a wicket here.

5.29pm BST

28th over: Pakistan 177-1 (Fakhar 103, Babar 33) Ben Stokes comes into the attack, presumably with instructions to Get Fakhar. If he is batting in the 40th over, England will be in trouble. At the other end, Babar Azam gets his first boundary with a sweetly timed flick off the hip. It tells you how well Babar has worked the ball around that, despite only hitting a single boundary, his 33 runs have come from only 37 balls.

5.25pm BST

27th over: Pakistan 168-1 (Fakhar 100, Babar 27) Fakhar smears another baseball stroke for four, this time off Plunkett, before threading the final ball of the over for a couple to reach a brilliant hundred from only 84 balls. Well played indeed. He has batted with a lot of control and commonsense, and he has been savage with anything short.

5.21pm BST

26th over: Pakistan 160-1 (Fakhar 93, Babar 26) This is a good little spell from Willey, who concedes only five singles from his seventh over. Pakistan need 214 from 24 overs.

5.19pm BST

25th over: Pakistan 155-1 (Fakhar 90, Babar 24) “Rob,” says Dorothy. “Is it my imagination or has Chris Woakes gone off any kind of boil after he was awarded his IPL contract last year? There seems to be no edge to him. Obviously a lovely bloke who is very popular but with Jordan, Archer, Curran (T) all of whom can bat, is it not time for a little more scrutiny? I suspect that his injuries have shielded him a little from a true appraisal of his worth to the team. Of course, maybe statistics will show otherwise, I sort of hope so.”

Personally I think it’s all down to his injury problems. He’s not the kind of chap who would lose focus or thnk he’s cracked it. His fitness and form are a worry – he’s averaging 123 with the ball in ODIs this year – but I’d say he still has a lot of credit in the bank. He’s so important with the new ball.

5.13pm BST

24th over: Pakistan 152-1 (Fakhar 88, Babar 23) The ball is making a beautiful sound when it comes off Fakhar’s bat, particularly when he plays the pull stroke. Not quite as beautiful as this, but still very easy on the ears. He has 88 from 72 balls; England need to bring this to a close.

5.09pm BST

23rd over: Pakistan 146-1 (Fakhar 86, Babar 19) Liam Plunkett also returns to the attack. Fakhar lifts a full back high over backward square leg for six, his fourth of the innings; Plunkett responds with an excellent cross-seamer that kicks to hit Fakhar on the bottom of the grille; Fakhar then cuffs a ferocious pull stroke that is brilliantly saved on the boundary by Jonny Bairstow. An eventful over concludes when Fakhar top-edges a pull shot miles in the air, with the ball falling well short of Rashid at fine leg.

5.05pm BST

22nd over: Pakistan 136-1 (Fakhar 76, Babar 19) David Willey returns to the attack, conceding three runs from a good over that includes a play and miss by Babar. As Rob Key says on Sky, this is an important spell for Willey, a chance to remind everyone that he can do a job with the old ball. It’s going to be such a tough call to decide which seamer misses out. A fortnight ago I thought it would be Tom Curran; now I haven’t a clue.

5.00pm BST

21st over: Pakistan 134-1 (Fakhar 75, Babar 18) Fakhar cracks Moeen to wide long on for four more. In the Champions Trophy two years ago I thought he was a bit of a chancer – great fun and potentially devastating, but still a chancer. He looks a much better player now.

4.57pm BST

20th over: Pakistan 125-1 (Fakhar 69, Babar 15) Rashid enquires unsuccessfully for LBW when Fakhar pushes round his front pad. I’m pretty sure it was missing leg. A good over from Rashid, only three from it. Pakistan need 249 from the last 30 overs.

4.51pm BST

19th over: Pakistan 122-1 (Fakhar 67, Babar 15) Fakhar has a big swipe at Moeen and drags the ball just past his leg stump. Time for drinks.

“Is cricket increasingly becoming a batters’ game where bowlers have little scope to flourish other than break their backs more in hope than with any sense of confidence?” asks Gangesh. “Heavy bats, flat decks, short boundary lines, improvised batting pyrotechnics, etc., have reduced the game to bowlers’ graveyard. Just spare a thought for the latter. Only they are challenged while every batter runs up astronomical gains. This is but UNFAIR!”

4.48pm BST

18th over: Pakistan 116-1 (Fakhar 65, Babar 11) Pakistan are dealing mainly in ones and twos, topped up by the occasional big shot from Fakhar. It’s excellent stuff, and there have been hardly any dot balls since the spinners came into the attack.

4.45pm BST

17th over: Pakistan 109-1 (Fakhar 64, Babar 5) Fakhar charges Moeen again, but this time he can only crunch the ball down the ground for a single. He makes up for it off the final delivery, cuffing a mighty slog sweep for six.

4.42pm BST

16th over: Pakistan 97-1 (Fakhar 56, Babar 2) Rashid and Moeen’s partnership has been fundamental to England’s improvement since the last World Cup. It’s strange that they don’t have any cover in the current squad, though I suspect Liam Dawson might replace Joe Denly in the final XV.

4.39pm BST

15th over: Pakistan 94-1 (Fakhar 54, Babar 1) The new batsman is the excellent Babar Azam, who averages over 50 for Pakistan in both ODIs and T20s.

4.37pm BST

England needed that wicket. Imam tries to turn a flighted delivery to leg and gets a leading edge back towards Moeen, who takes a tumbling catch.

4.35pm BST

14th over: Pakistan 91-0 (Imam 35, Fakhar 52) Adil Rashid is into the attack. Fakhar Zaman turns him off the pads for a couple to reach an impressive, authoritative half-century from 39 balls.

4.32pm BST

13th over: Pakistan 84-0 (Imam 34, Fakhar 46) After a few dot balls from Moeen, Fakhar alleviates any pressure with a majestic six over midwicket. As Waqar Younis says on Sky, that was a shot he played so memorably off Ravichandran Ashwin in the Champions Trophy final two years ago.

4.29pm BST

12th over: Pakistan 77-0 (Imam 34, Fakhar 39) We’re having a few technical problems; apologies for that. Pakistan are continuing to collect runs with apparent ease, although England have put a temporary stop to the boundary hitting. The last was in the eight over.

“Get Jofra On!” says Chris Drew. “Oh. Ah.”

4.22pm BST

10th over: Pakistan 66-0 (Imam 32, Fakhar 33) A double change, with Liam Plunkett coming into the attack. His first over goes for five, all in ones or twos. Pakistan have had the better of the Powerplay, although England are still on top overall.

4.17pm BST

9th over: Pakistan 61-0 (Imam 28, Fakhar 32) Eoin Morgan has turned to Moeen Ali, who is happy enough to bowl during the Powerplay. A quiet first over goes for four runs.

4.13pm BST

8th over: Pakistan 57-0 (Imam 25, Fakhar 31) Imam pulls Willey wide of short fine leg for four to bring up an excellent fifty partnership. Later in the over he slams an emphatic cut to the boundary. With the ball not moving sideways, England look a bit helpless at the moment.

“Far be it from me to tell you how to do your job (I can barely do my own job!),” begins Matt Dony, “but regarding the fifth over, I direct you to the Guardian Style Guide: ‘brutalise - render brutal, not treat brutally; so soldiers may be brutalised by the experience of war.’ That is all.”

4.07pm BST

7th over: Pakistan 46-0 (Imam 14, Fakhar 30) Fakhar swings Woakes sweetly over long-on for six and pulls the next ball carefully round the corner for four. This guy is a dangerous customer, and he has raced to 30 off 19 balls.

4.04pm BST

6th over: Pakistan 33-0 (Imam 13, Fakhar 19) There’s no swing for Willey, who has pulled his length back as a result. Fakhar, who is very good on the pull, drags a short one through midwicket for three.

“Cricket, eh?” says Guy Hornsby. “Permission to be as English as Boycott on an uncovered lurch pitch and worry about our players peaking in this series? Buttler, of course - along with Morgan, Moeen, Roy, ok, most of ‘em - is simply too good to do that but this success feels way too uncomfortable for me, so I’ve got to scrabble for any scraps of pessimism I can, or I’ll probably have a funny turn.”

3.59pm BST

5th over: Pakistan 28-0 (Imam 11, Fakhar 16) A short ball from Woakes is brutalised through midwicket for four by Fakhar, who then dances down the track to cuff a boundary to long on. This pitch is a belter, so we shouldn’t assume an England victory here. I think they’ll win, don’t get me wrong, but I wouldn’t gamble responsibly on such an outcome.

3.56pm BST

4th over: Pakistan 18-0 (Imam 11, Fakhar 6) Fakhar times Willey down the ground for four, a seriously elegant stroke from a man who is better known in this country for giving it some humpty. A handful of singles make it a decent over for Pakistan.

“Hey Rob,” says Phil Harrison. “Do you think that perhaps England supporters still don’t quite realise what they’ve got with Buttler? That he might still be fractionally under-rated? There was more than one person on one of the blogs the other day genuinely arguing that Foakes should replace him. Now I love Foakes but that’s just weird. I get the feeling that English cricket still struggles to accept the singular and freakish.”

3.51pm BST

3rd over: Pakistan 10-0 (Imam 8, Fakhar 1) Imam-ul-Haq, on the charge, muscles Woakes over the leaping Morgan at mid-off. That’s the first boundary of the innings. But England will be happy with this start - Pakistan’s required rate has already moved up to 7.74 per over.

“Hi Rob,” says Dave Langlois. “As a cricket correspondent I’d love to hear your take on the difference between a Mankad and Trent Alexander Arnold’s corner routine the other day. Why is the former reviled as unsportsmanlike and the latter hailed as sporting genius? Difference in cricketing and footballing ethics?”

3.47pm BST

2nd over: Pakistan 5-0 (Imam 3, Fakhar 1) David Willey, England’s new-ball specialist, opens the bowling alongside Woakes. He beats Imam-ul-Haq with a fine delivery just outside off stump, and apart from a leg-side wide it’s a good first over.

3.42pm BST

1st over: Pakistan 3-0 (Imam 2, Fakhar 1) A good first over from Woakes, just three singles from it. Fakhar also missed a spectacular yahoo across the line.

3.39pm BST

The players are back out on the field. Chris Woakes will open the bowling. This is an important series for him, given his fitness problems, and the scrap for the five seam-bowling places in the squad is fascinating. I suspect that, at this stage, Woakes and Archer are the only certainties.

3.32pm BST

Thanks Simon, hello everyone. Jos Buttler’s back, then. His absurd 110 not out from 55 balls, which included 6o from the last 20, took England to a mighty score of 373 for three. He is terrifyingly good, with the ability to skin a bowling attack any way you like.

In 2018 he made mature, controlled hundreds against Australia at Sydney and Manchester. In 2019 he has reminded us of his capacity for carnage. He belaboured 150 from 77 balls against West indies in February, and now this. He’s hit 21 sixes in his last three ODI innings alone.

3.11pm BST

Pakistan’s all-time greatest run chase is 329-7 against Bangladesh in Dhaka five years ago. Even on a flat pitch, this is a long way from their comfort zone. England’s Buttler-powered acceleration was phenomenal. Rob Smyth will be with you for their reply. Emails here please, everyone!

Memo to England’s World Cup rivals: if Joe Root offers a chance, you night want to drop it @Simon_Burnton

3.07pm BST

Buttler’s innings was simply stunning. His 110 runs came off precisely 55 balls.

Average balls to reach 100 in ODIs (min 8 x 100):
69.5 J Buttler (8 x 100)
81.9 AB de Villiers (25)
85.1 V Sehwag (15)

3.06pm BST

50th over: England 373-3 (Morgan 71, Buttler 110) A dot ball! Morgan’s single puts Buttler on strike again. He shuffles backwards but Shaheen follows him, and reduces his speed for good measure, and Buttler gets nothing on it. Then a single, and another dot. It turns into a very good final over, costing just five runs, but Pakistan will have to smash their record run chase if they’re going to win this!

Universe Jos
Out of this world...https://t.co/6xjh2fShWF #ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/lbrVrjlNhV

3.01pm BST

49th over: England 368-3 (Morgan 67, Buttler 109) A single from Morgan puts Buttler on strike. He is about to face his 50th delivery, and if it goes all the way it will become England’s second-fastest ODI century, and the 10th-fastest of all time. And it does! Over long-off it flies, deep into the crowd, and it’s followed by a couple of fours for good measure!

2.56pm BST

48th over: England 351-3 (Morgan 65, Buttler 94) Morgan hits Shaheen’s first ball high but not quite hard enough, but there’s nobody waiting at cow corner to collect the catch. Buttler later shows him how it’s done, pummelling a pull flat and hideously hard for an eighth six! The last ball is slower and miscued by Buttler, but it drops safe!

2.52pm BST

47th over: England 336-3 (Morgan 60, Buttler 85) Buttler clubs Hasan’s first delivery over midwicket for another maximum! None of the next four quite get the same welly, but England keep running two and it all adds up, before the final ball of the over, dropped maybe a foot short of yorker length, is sent over long-off! That’s his seventh six of the day!

For goodness sake Jos, this isn't fair on the mere mortals you play with and against.

2.48pm BST

46th over: England 316-3 (Morgan 60, Buttler 65) A single off Faheem’s first delivery takes England to 300. “Everything must go now,” says Nasser of England’s approach and the next one certainly does, flying way over long on and into the back of the stand! Then Buttler hits high towards Imam at deep cover, who runs round, sets himself, puts his hands about a foot away from where they need to be, watches the ball fly straight past him and then, to cap it, trips over the rope and falls over. This is fantastic stuff from two phenomenal batsmen in excellent form.

2.42pm BST

45th over: England 299-3 (Morgan 51, Buttler 57) A single from Morgan, and then Buttler picks out a couple of fielders before finding the most obvious method of avoiding them: launching it over midwicket and into the stands!

2.37pm BST

44th over: England 291-3 (Morgan 50, Buttler 50) Morgan reaches his half-century, off 34 balls, with a single. Buttler tries to ramp his way to the same landmark but fractionally mistimes it. The ball hits the toe of his bat and heads, safely, back towards the bowler. Then he does it! All the space in the field is on the off side, so he takes a few steps back before clubbing a short ball, his 32nd delivery, over point!

2.32pm BST

43rd over: England 285-3 (Morgan 49, Buttler 46) Shaheen Afridi returns, and Buttler picks up his cutlery, tucks his napkin into his collar and tucks in, launching magnificent successive leg-side sixes! Shaheen’s comeback to this is excellent, a perfectly-pitched wide yorker that the batsman gets nothing on. Pakistan were hoping to restrict England to about this score, but they’ve got there seven overs early. Buttler has faced 28 deliveries, Morgan 33.

2.29pm BST

42nd over: England 272-3 (Morgan 48, Buttler 34) Yasir Shah, Pakistan’s most expensive and least impressive bowler, returns and it’s a very creditable return as well. Six runs off it in ones and twos, neither batsman given enough space to really swing their bat, and not inclined to make their own.

2.24pm BST

41st over: England 266-3 (Morgan 47, Buttler 29) Imad Wasim is the first bowler to complete his allocation, at a total cost of 63. Five off this one, all singles.

2.21pm BST

40th over: England 261-3 (Morgan 45, Buttler 27) Four singles and a dot convinces Buttler to attempt a premeditated ramp, which sends Faheem’s final ball looping to the boundary with a single hop along the way. Into the powerplay we roll.

2.16pm BST

39th over: England 253-3 (Morgan 43, Buttler 21) Buttler edges just past Sarfaraz Ahmed, but the ball limps gingerly away before being cut off. Then Morgan hits through the covers, in the air and close enough to a couple of fielders to convince them to dive, but not close enough for either to touch anything other than the faint whoosh of displaced air.

2.11pm BST

38th over: England 241-3 (Morgan 35, Buttler 17) Yasir is mercifully removed from the attack, with Faheem returning. Three dots and a single later Morgan goes on the attack, advancing to hammer through midwicket for four.

2.09pm BST

Another failed review! Snicko shows absolutely no hint of anything. Complete flatlining.

2.09pm BST

I didn’t hear anything, and nor did the umpire, but the fielding side seem convinced...

2.06pm BST

37th over: England 235-3 (Morgan 30, Buttler 16) Imad starts his over with a couple of wides, and it improves slightly from there.

2.02pm BST

36th over: England 227-3 (Morgan 25, Buttler 15) Yasir, theoretically buoyed by the wicket, plops some dobbly nonsense in front of Buttler, who heaves it over midwicket for six, and then does it again for four. In doing so he forces a fielder round from deep square leg to deep midwicket, allowing him to mow the last ball of the over to the newly-created gap for four more!

1.58pm BST

Root powers the first ball of Yasir’s over to midwicket, where Haris takes an excellent catch low to his right!

1.57pm BST

35th over: England 211-2 (Root 40, Morgan 24) Imad returns, and gets thwacked about a bit. Morgan, who doesn’t seem so keen on scoring in ones and twos, powers another ace cover drive to the rope, and then bottom-edges a reverse sweep for four more. In between he top-edges over midwicket, but well short of the fielder in the deep, and then his lofted drive down the ground lands a few yards short of a maximum.

1.52pm BST

34th over: England 197-2 (Root 38, Morgan 12) The batsmen help themselves to an over each, Root driving down the ground before Morgan hammers through midwicket.

1.48pm BST

33rd over: England 187-2 (Root 34, Morgan 7) Hasan Ali bowls a maiden over!

1.46pm BST

Again it’s umpire’s call: the ball would have just clipped the outside of leg stump.

1.45pm BST

The ball looked to be sliding down leg to me, but I’ve been wrong before. Many times.

1.43pm BST

32nd over: England 187-2 (Root 34, Morgan 7) Another nice cover drive from Morgan but this one holds up on the damp grass and he ends up with three.

1.39pm BST

31st over: England 182-2 (Root 32, Morgan 4) As the ball steepled into the sky, Roy smacked the ground with his bat in fury and self-loathing. He had started to motor beautifully, and then broke down. Morgan gets off the mark with four through cover. Fakhar looked to have cut it off with a dive at the rope, but perhaps he touched the ball after his leg hit the boundary. It looked close, but the fielder generously signalled the boundary.

1.35pm BST

Roy swings his bat and top-edges his pull high into the sky, giving the fielder at mid-on an easy catch!

1.33pm BST

30th over: England 175-1 (Roy 86, Root 30) Haris concedes a few singles. Twenty overs to go, plenty of wickets in hand, and England will be aiming for a score in the region of 350.

1.30pm BST

29th over: England 172-1 (Roy 84, Root 29) That interruption has had no impact on anything. It remains a 50-over game. A couple of singles to end the interrupted over.

1.27pm BST

And back they come! So much for the weather forecasters, and their promise that it wouldn’t rain on Southampton until Friday. No wonder we’ve had enough of experts.

1.21pm BST

The covers are coming off already. Do not adjust your sets, they’ll be back out shortly.

1.13pm BST

The sky is already brightening. We should not be long delayed here.

1.06pm BST

28.4 overs: England 170-1 (Roy 83, Root 28) There are umbrellas raised and rain falling. It looks like it will be a brief downpour (the skies have been blue all day, before these clouds pitched up from nowhere), but it’s still extemely wet. The umpires play on for a bit, but then give up.

1.02pm BST

28th over: England 167-1 (Roy 82, Root 27) That’s another lovely shot from Roy, who sends the ball arcing over extra cover again. He’s rapidly catching up with run-a-ball pace.

12.59pm BST

27th over: England 161-1 (Roy 77, Root 26) And now Hasan Ali returns, having changed ends since his first spell, and nearly slices Root in half with a ball that doesn’t bounce as much as the batsman was anticipating and never reaches pulling height.

12.54pm BST

26th over: England 157-1 (Roy 75, Root 25) Haris Sohail’s first over of the day, and Root hits a lovely shot through midwicket for four.

12.52pm BST

25th over: England 150-1 (Roy 75, Root 18) Precisely halfway through the innings, and England will be pretty happy with life.

12.48pm BST

24th over: England 145-1 (Roy 73, Root 15) Another six for Roy! He shuffles back to give himself some room and hoists it over extra cover, the ball landing on the rope! He’s playing precisely the innings England’s management would have hoped for: inevitably a big awkward initially, but first surviving and then flourishing.

There are three England batsmen (Roy, Bairstow, Stokes) who have never been dismissed by a leg-spinner in ODIs in England. Root has been dismissed by a leggie just once off 209 balls. Amazing that Pakistan still picked Yasir Shah ahead of Junaid Khan. #EngvPak

12.43pm BST

23rd over: England 136-1 (Roy 66, Root 13) Faheem returns, bowling generally in the low 80mphs but hitting the high 80s once or twice. Roy gets four from the last, timing this one perfectly and sending it skipping through midwicket.

12.37pm BST

22nd over: England 129-1 (Roy 61, Root 11) Root cuts away for four, with nobody protecting third man.

12.36pm BST

21st over: England 122-1 (Roy 60, Root 5) Shaheen starts his over with four dots, but then Root gets a couple and then something that is completed at such a leisurely pace it can’t reasonably be described as a run. For most of it the batsmen are only at one very slight remove from stationary.

12.33pm BST

20th over: England 119-1 (Roy 60, Root 2) Yasir Shah leaks five singles. Pakistan’s stated intention was to restrict England to 270-280, which is looking unlikely but still vaguely plausible at this point.

FIFTY & out for Bairstow!

A ball after bringing up his half century, Bairstow departs to a terrific catch (at the second attempts) by Fakhar on the boundary.

Watch #ENGvPAK on Sky Sports Cricket: https://t.co/tQnbqLwUWu
Scorecard: https://t.co/qN1d3ohsdX pic.twitter.com/fK4kjTFJ4c

12.27pm BST

19th over: England 115-1 (Roy 58, Root 0) Bairstow follows Roy past 50, flicking the ball wide of fine leg for four. He’s looked in better touch than Roy, and scored at a greater lick, but he’s the first back in the hutch.

12.26pm BST

Bairstow, having just eased past 50, tries to pull the last ball of the over for six, but it’s well caught at the second attempt by Fakhar Zaman!

12.22pm BST

18th over: England 106-0 (Roy 57, Bairstow 43) Roy lifts the ball over extra cover. There’s a fielder not far away, and it flies close enough to him that he has to sprint round to his left, but just too far away for it even to be worth diving for. Four runs.

12.18pm BST

17th over: England 101-0 (Roy 52, Bairstow 43) Another over. Some more runs. England tick past 100. “Do you think Archer not playing means the selectors have decided he’s in the squad, and what we have today is a play-off amongst the rest to help decide who drops out?” I do. We’ve only seen glimpses of him in an England shirt, but it’s enough already, isn’t it?

12.13pm BST

16th over: England 96-0 (Roy 50, Bairstow 40) Yasir Shah, looking particularly like former France full-back Bixente Lizarazu today, comes into the attack and Roy suddenly locates his touch, hitting a perfect reverse sweep. A single completes his half-century, and allows Bairstow to dismiss the final ball of the over.

12.08pm BST

15th over: England 83-0 (Roy 44, Bairstow 33) A double let-off for Bairstow in this over. First, Imad totally fluffed a routine chance to run him out. Waiting at the stumps for the ball after the England batsman had got halfway down the pitch before being sent back, he gets a bit too close, knocks the bails off with a stray left hand, and then when the ball arrives he doesn’t catch it anyway!

12.06pm BST

The ball would have hit leg stump, but not quite enough to overturn the on-field decision!

12.05pm BST

It was a long and lusty appeal, but the umpire wasn’t convinced. Pakistan send it upstairs!

12.02pm BST

14th over: England 80-0 (Roy 42, Bairstow 33) Hassan Ali bowls short and the ball flies way over Roy’s head before being caught at full strength by Sarfaraz Ahmed

11.58am BST

13th over: England 75-0 (Roy 41, Bairstow 31) Four overs into his spell, Imad is yet to concede a boundary.

11.55am BST

12th over: England 73-0 (Roy 40, Bairstow 30) Hasan Ali’s second over, and Roy is considerably more comfortable facing him than Imad. He flicks a shortish delivery square for four, but then inside edges the next, which flies a foot over the stumps and away for four more. “Like Roy usually does after sitting out for any significant period of time, he’s looking out of sorts despite the numbers,” writes OB Jato. “Hopefully he comes good and does as well as he can during the World Cup, but even if he doesn’t, England won’t be too worried. After all, they have Alex Hales in their..... Oh wait.”

11.50am BST

11th over: England 61-0 (Roy 31, Bairstow 27) The key difference between this Imad over and the last two is that one of the three singles became a two.

11.47am BST

10th over: England 57-0 (Roy 30, Bairstow 24) Roy has hit two sixes, one of them extraordinary, but still seems a bit out of sorts, the ball continuing to leave his bat in random directions. I never gave you the full Pakistan team and should have done. So: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Yasir Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

11.42am BST

9th over: England 52-0 (Roy 26, Bairstow 23) The second over from Imad, just like the first, brings three singles. Roy is 35-19 ahead on balls faced.

11.39am BST

8th over: England 49-0 (Roy 24, Bairstow 22) Wowzers! Faheem bowls short and wide and Roy lifts it over extra cover, ludicrously high and sufficiently long, the ball dropping into the third row of seats. How to describe that? A high rap? A rising thump? Here’s a link to the TMS coverage for non-Blighty-based readers, courtesy of Harry Coleman.

11.32am BST

7th over: England 39-0 (Roy 16, Bairstow 21) Some spin, courtesy of Imad Wasim, and he’d have had a wicket from his first ball had a slip been in place to pouch Roy’s nick. Instead, the batsmen run three.

Jason Roy averages 21.7 with a strike rate of 88.6 facing left arm orthodox bowlers in ODIs, the lowest among all the bowler types he's faced regularly in the format. #ENGvPAK

11.28am BST

6th over: England 31-0 (Roy 11, Bairstow 18) After the thrills and fireworks of over No5 it’s back to sobriety here. Three singles.

11.24am BST

5th over: England 28-0 (Roy 10, Bairstow 17) Bairstow flicks the ball off his pads and through midwicket for four, and then pulls a short ball, which flicks off his gloves and fine for four more, and another one, which he middles and flies away to the rope. I notice there was no link to my email address on the standfirst at the top of the page (though there is now). Send me your goodies here. Thanks!

11.19am BST

4th over: England 16-0 (Roy 10, Bairstow 5) A quick Bairstow single returns Roy to strike, and he decides to go agricultural, advancing to Faheem and lifting the ball over long-on, where the lack of fielder removed the element of risk, for six!

11.15am BST

3rd over: England 9-0 (Roy 4, Bairstow 4) Roy’s searching desperately for the middle of his bat but just can’t find it. Twice he sends the ball squirming to cover with leading edges; once he digs out a yorker and that rolls to cover as well. It doesn’t matter which way he points his bat, the ball goes in the same direction. Finally his third leading edge of the over flies back past the bowler and earns him a couple.

11.11am BST

2nd over: England 7-0 (Roy 2, Bairstow 4) So Mohamed Amir, the Pakistan bowler who was the subject of most pre-match conversations, is, like his England equivalent, not playing in the match at all. Faheem Ashraf bowls the second over, and Roy keeps picking out the fielder at cover but finally gets a sharp single off the last, to mid on.

The wicket at Southampton is one of the flattest in the country. A good wicket with teams scoring at 6.17 runs per over in ODIs since 2015, with only Nottingham seeing a quicker scoring rate. Batsmen have played only 14.4% false shots here, the most secure of all venues. #ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/C7LNsORvam

11.05am BST

1st over: England 6-0 (Roy 1, Bairstow 4) Shaheen Afridi bowls the first over. Roy gets a single off the first delivery, and Bairstow gets a bit stuck before pushing the final ball down the ground for four.

10.59am BST

“It looks an absolute belter of a pitch,” trills Nasser Hussain, as Jerusalem rings out and the players head for the middle.

10.57am BST

It’s not only not raining, the sun is actually physically shining on Southampton. Action just a few minutes away.

10.37am BST

Here’s the England team in full:

We lose the toss and will bat first! Who are you backing to shine today? https://t.co/6xjh2fShWF #ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/1zBY3V2wQb

10.36am BST

Eoin Morgan isn’t asked what he would have done, but he seems happy enough with his lot. Jason Roy, Moeen Ali and David Willey return for England, which means that Jofra Archer doesn’t even play.

10.34am BST

Sarfaraz Ahmed is happy. “We have to play positive cricket. If we restrict them to 270-280, then we can chase the target.”

10.27am BST

Sky are broadcasting a World Cup preview show before their coverage of today’s game starts, in which all their interviewees seem extraordinarily sweaty. I’d love to know the conditions in which those interviews were conducted, because they were clearly hellish.

8.46am BST

The first piece of good news ahead of the second of five ODIs, or the first if you don’t count the one England and Pakistan played only 19 overs of on Wednesday before rain got in the way, is that rain won’t get in the way: Southampton is forecast to be a precipitation-free area until Friday, and even then rainfall is far from certain.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 11, 2019 11:38

April 28, 2019

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

Another hideous mistake from David de Gea gave Chelsea a point at Old Trafford and surely ended Manchester United’s hopes of finishing in the top four

8.54pm BST

More backing for De Gea ...

8.53pm BST

Some decent photos ... 12 to be precise

8.52pm BST

It’s a big Ole task (does that work?)

6.46pm BST

That’s it for today’s blog. Thanks for your company, goodnight!

6.45pm BST

Juan Mata speaks

“We wanted to win, we needed to win, so we are disappointed. We played well in the first half; that’s how we should start every game, to be honest. David is unquestionable – his level has been fantastic for this club. The amount of points he has earned us in the last seven years is incredible. We all have good and bad moments in our career, and he is determined to react positively. He’s one of the best in the world. It will be very difficult for us to finish in the top four now. We have to win the last two games and see what happens.”

6.44pm BST

“You’d have to predict Chelsea will be a better representative in the Champions League than Man Utd,” says Reg Gorczynski. “They will be troubled just by the quality of the Europa League. Poor side, too many ‘drifters’. Major issues to sort out at that club.”

Agreed, but what about United?

6.39pm BST

Jamie Jackson’s match report has landed, and here it is.

6.38pm BST

Here’s Eden Hazard

“Yeah, a good day but it could have been better. I think if we believed in ourselves a bit more we could have scored another goal. We just need a bit more determination away from home. We started slowly, conceded a goal, but today we had a reaction so that’s a good thing. We played a good game and I can’t remember them having a chance in the second half.”

6.29pm BST

“I feel quite privileged to have watched the two laziest centre forwards in world football on the pitch at the same time,” says Stephen Carr. “It feels as momentous as the Pacino-De Niro scene in ‘Heat’.”

6.26pm BST

That’s an excellent result for Chelsea, who look likely to play Champions League football next season. Manchester United will almost certainly be playing in the Europa League. They started the match superbly and deserved to lead through Juan Mata’s goal. But another bad mistake from David de Gea, which allowed Marcos Alonso to equalise just before half-time, changed the mood of the match and Chelsea were comfortable for almost all of a bitty second half.

6.25pm BST

Peep peep!

6.25pm BST

90+7 min De Gea makes a vital save from Higuain, although he didn’t know much about it.

6.23pm BST

90+6 min There’s a manic desperation to United’s attacking, but not so much in the way of quality.

6.20pm BST

90+3 min: Pedro clears off the line! Young’s deep, inswinging corner from the left was headed firmly towards goal by Rojo, and Pedro danced across the line to head clear. Chelsea would have been fuming had Rojo scored.

6.19pm BST

90+3 min McTominay wins a corner after a good header down from Sanchez, who is actually playing really well.

6.18pm BST

90+2 min Lukaku, who had been flagged offside, is denied anyway by an excellent save by Kepa.

6.18pm BST

90+1 min There are seven added minutes, mainly because of the injuries to Rudiger and Bailly.

6.17pm BST

90 min Hazard’s stinging shot from the edge of the area is blocked by McTominay, who had both arms held tight behind back in the VAR position.

6.16pm BST

89 min Young is booked for dissent. United can’t put Chelsea under any sustained pressure. Lukaku was brilliant in the first half hour but it looks like he shot his bolt.

6.15pm BST

88 min Pedro crashes over the bar from the right side of the box. Chelsea, for all their good play, have hardly bothered David de Gea in the second half.

6.12pm BST

86 min McTominay bullies Kante off the ball and finds Pogba, whose angled through pass to Lukaku is crucially intercepted on the edge of the area by Alonso.

6.12pm BST

85 min Can Manchester United score? They occasionally score.

6.11pm BST

84 min Willian, who is still feeling the impact of Rojo’s studs, limps off to be replaced by Pedro.

6.10pm BST

83 min Chelsea don’t need a winner, but it’s there for them if they want it enough. They are much the better side now.

6.08pm BST

81 min United started so well but they have lost their way in the second half, exemplified by Matic spraying a crossfield pass straight out of play. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer makes his final change, with Scott McTominay replacing Juan Mata.

6.07pm BST

80 min Willian is going to try to carry on, although he’s limping heavily.

6.07pm BST

79 min Rojo is booked for planting his studs into Willian’s ankle. It was an appalling, reckless challenge and he should have been sent off.

6.05pm BST

79 min United miss Marouane Fellaini. They do.

6.05pm BST

78 min Herrera sweeps a good pass out to Young, who then plays a dreadful pass towards Sanchez. He does well to win the ball off David Luiz near the byline, only to rake a miserable cross straight out of play.

6.03pm BST

77 min “Sanchez is improving,” says Matthew Stephens. “He’s touched the ball twice already.”

6.02pm BST

76 min Ruben Loftus-Cheek replaces Kovacic, who is brought off for his own protection.

6.02pm BST

75 min “Saying ‘David Luiz could’ve done X without faking an injury’ is tantamount to saying ‘Romario could’ve just put it in the net without humiliating the keeper so thoroughly’,” says Phil Podolsky. “Some things are signature elements of one’s art.”

6.01pm BST

74 min Willian wins a corner for Chelsea, who look the likelier scores. It’s been a stop-start half, which probably hasn’t helped United, although the bigger problem is their porcelain confidence.

5.59pm BST

73 min “I’d love to know what percentage of dedicated season-ticket football fans who cheer on all their foreign players every week voted for Brexit?” says Nigel Moore. “More than the national average, I bet.”

And the best thing is that, if you do want to place a bet, football can direct you about 500 different companies who will happily take your money. Thank you, football!

5.59pm BST

72 min Willian curls a free-kick over the bar from 25 yards.

5.58pm BST

71 min A stretcher is brought on for Bailly, but he’s able to limp slowly off the field with support from the medical staff. Marcos Rojo replaces him.

5.55pm BST

68 min Now Bailly is down injured after a challenge with Kovacic on the edge of the area. This looks really bad. It’s his right knee, and he’s in agony.

5.54pm BST

67 min Blimey. Bailly flattens Alonso just outside the area with what looked like a two-footed tackle. He got the ball but that doesn’t really matter.

5.53pm BST

66 min David Luiz is fine. I think he faked that injury to justify kicking the ball out of play so that Christensen could come on. Bit weird, as he could have just kicked it out anyway.

5.52pm BST

65 min Christensen comes on for Rudiger, but now David Luiz has gone down holding his groin. Meanwhile, Alexis Sanchez has replaced Marcus Rashford. That looks like an injury as well.

5.51pm BST

65 min “Thoroughly enjoying the fifty-fifty challenge between Eden Hazard and Juan Mata,” says Joe Mann. “The footballing equivalent of war between Luxembourg and Andorra...”

5.51pm BST

64 min Antonio Rudiger is limping off with what looks like a recurrence of his knee injury. Andreas Christensen will replace him.

5.48pm BST

61 min “Further to the debate about De Gea,” says Robert Darby. “It is all well and good playing him against Cardiff and Huddersfield, but putting on his kit and jumping up and down between the posts before the kick-off is likely to be the sum total of all the action he will see.”

Exactly.

5.47pm BST

60 min Kovacic, who has already been booked, leaves one on Herrera. It wasn’t enough for a second yellow card, but his next tackle might be.

5.46pm BST

59 min A draw is of little use to United, unless they want to play on Thursday nights next season. It would be a decent result for Chelsea, though.

5.45pm BST

58 min Chelsea are looking threatening at the moment. It’s been a very enjoyable game, full of subtle momentum shifts.

5.43pm BST

56 min Hazard tries to test de Gea with a long-range shot that spins behind off Young. Willian’s corner is headed away by Bailly.

5.42pm BST

56 min “Couldn’t disagree more about de Gea,” says Reg Gorczynski. “He’s shown little loyalty to the club… missed a transfer last time only because of delayed fax…clearly holding out as (like Sanchez) he sees the club as a cash cow. I’d move him, and several other like-minded players, out NOW!”

Crikey.

5.42pm BST

55 min A United free-kick falls nicely for Bailly, who drags an apologetic left-footed shot straight at Arrizabalaga from 12 yards.

5.40pm BST

53 min Kovacic is booked for kicking the ball away.

5.40pm BST

52 min Willian is booked for a foul on Mata. He walks away in disgust, motioning extravagantly that he got the ball. Replays show he was right.

5.38pm BST

50 min Rashford’s free-kick kicks up awkwardly in front of Arrizabalaga, who does well to hold on with United players sniffing around for a fumble.

5.36pm BST

50 min Kante shoves Bailly over 30 yards from goal. Hazard was fouled just before that by Matic, so Chelsea will have a bit of a humour on if this leads to a goal.

5.34pm BST

48 min The manner of that equaliser has deflated United and invigorated Chelsea, who have started the second half confidently.

5.32pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Chelsea begin the second half, probably with instructions to shoot on sight.

5.32pm BST

“The knives will really be out for David de Gea but we must not forget that he is our best player since Sir Alex’s days and thus persist with his slump even if it is a gamble with the Champions league qualification,” says Adarsh Ashokan. “We as a club must show faith in him in such testing times which would show him that we value him very highly as a club and would like to resign a new contract.”

For what it’s worth - nowt - I agree. If they were about to play Liverpool in a Champions League semi-final, I think there would be a big decision to make, but I’d play him against Huddersfield and Cardiff. He’s an all-time great who’s having a bad spell; happens to them all.

5.30pm BST

J Stand chanting De Gea's name. Stretford End will doubtless warmly applaud him when he re-emerges. Deserves to be cut some slack but his form rivals his first six months at the club. #mufc

5.23pm BST

“A friend of mine once went on a double date in Chelsea, only to find out her half of the date was Juan Mata,” says Norrie Hernon. “‘Quite shy and very polite,’ apparently. No, she didn’t give any further details, despite my whinnying. Which is exactly how I imagined him.”

5.21pm BST

“I’m suggesting that after all that fawning, Neville is not the most partial of judges,” says Paul Fitzgerald.

Hmm, I’m not sure what your point is. We know Neville’s allegiance, and his friendship with Solskjaer, but whenever I’ve seen him on Sky Sports he has been as near to objective as dammit. When the time comes that Solskjaer is fighting for his job, I think he’ll be as considered and fair as he was with Mourinho, van Gaal and Moyes. I would agree there is a developing problem with grating bias, but there are other pundits who come to mind before Neville. Each to their own, I guess.

5.18pm BST

Peep peep! Juan Mata gave United an early lead before another sad error from David de Gea led to Marcos Alonso’s equaliser. The scoreline flatters Chelsea a touch, though they’ll not give a solitary one about that.

5.16pm BST

45+1 min Another opening for United. Rashford bursts into the box on the right and lofts a cross towards Mata beyond the far post. He cushions it back into the middle and Chelsea scramble it behind for a corner.

5.14pm BST

That was another surreal error. Rudiger moved forward and smashed a hopeful shot from 30 yards. It was well struck but straight at de Gea, who fumbled it to his right. Alonso, who was the only one to follow the ball in, bounced a clever shot across de Gea and in off the far post.

5.13pm BST

David de Gea has made another mistake!

5.12pm BST

43 min Herrera is booked for a foul on Alonso.

5.11pm BST

41 min A double stepover from Pogba is too much for Azpilicueta, who boots him and is lucky not to be booked. Pogba has been excellent in the first half.

5.10pm BST

40 min Mata’s lovely, dipping cross from the left is headed behind by the stopping Alonso. Nothing comes of the corner.

5.08pm BST

38 min “A lot of things are ridiculous,” says Paul Fitzgerald. “Such as Neville asking Ole where he wants his statue after the PSG game.”

Are you suggesting that was a serious question?

5.07pm BST

37 min I think Matic was trying to hold Azpilicueta off, but ultimately he elbowed him in the face and should at least have been booked.

5.06pm BST

36 min Azpilicueta is down holding his face after being hit by a flailing arm from Matic. Martin Atkinson waves play on, and United eventually kick the ball out.

5.05pm BST

35 min Matic slides a penetrative pass down the inside-left channel for Rashford, who runs at Rudiger in the area but gets the ball stuck under his feet.

5.04pm BST

34 min Lukaku, who is really up for this game, shoulder barges Azpilicueta into the advertising boards as they challenge for a ball on the left. Great stuff.

5.03pm BST

33 min Mata, played in on the right of the area by Herrera, crosses too close to Arrizabalaga. This is a fun, open game.

5.02pm BST

32 min “If Mata writes an autobiography,” says Kevin Wilson, “I want to read more about his love of Chinese art.”

I’d like to hear his thoughts on why so few footballers have bothered to pledge 1 per cent of their income to Common Goal.

4.59pm BST

30 min Bailly almost makes it 2-0. Young swung a corner from the left towards the six-yard line, where Bailly got between Alonso and Rudiger to plant a downward header just wide of the far post.

4.58pm BST

29 min “There are many factors, of course,” says Colum Farrelly, “but to what extent has the absence of Ander Herrera contributed to Utd’s recent poor form?”

A bit, yeah, although he did play in the FA Cup game at Wolves that really started the slump. He’s limited but I like him a lot and they’ll miss him.

4.58pm BST

28 min The resulting corner is headed by Rudiger onto the back of Alonso’s head, and luckily for Chelsea the ball ricochets to safety.

4.57pm BST

28 min Lukaku plays another nice through pass, this time to Rashford. Azpilicueta tracks him all the way to concede a corner. Excellent defending.

4.56pm BST

26 min Chelsea have been much the better side in the last 10 minutes, although they haven’t really worked David de Gea.

4.55pm BST

24 min “Mata’s only 31?” sniffs Hubert O’Hearn. “Seems like he’s been around since Stanley Matthews. One thing – when he retires, if he wants to do it, Juan Mata will have one fascinating autobiography to read. The scenes he’s seen in and out of clubhouses at Chelsea and United, my my.”

He’s not really the whistle-blowing type, is he.

4.53pm BST

23 min Willian and Jorginho try the Beckham/Scholes corner. Goal kick to Manchester United.

4.52pm BST

22 min This is a good spell for Chelsea. A poor header from Shaw goes straight to Higuain, but he redeems himself by blocking the subsequent shot.

4.49pm BST

20 min A couple of corners for Chelsea, the second of which is half cleared to Jorginho 25 yards out. Goal kick to Manchester United.

4.48pm BST

19 min There was a lovely line from Rob Hughes about Romario - “darting between defenders like a lizard between rocks” - which comes to mind even time Hazard slips past people. He is despicably good.

4.47pm BST

18 min Alonso cracks the free-kick over the bar.

4.47pm BST

16 min Hazard slips gloriously past Herrera, who trips him 25 yards from goal. He’s fortunate not to get booked for that.

4.46pm BST

14 min “Seems like Man U’s problem is pretty simply a lack of a technical director with clear authority over transfers,” says Joe Harvey. “An additional problem seems to be an organizational chart where no one knows who’s precisely responsible for what. For my taste, the TD has sole say and is higher up the chart than the manager, but that’s just me.”

Yes, agreed. When you see clubs like City (Manchester and Norwich), you realise how important it is to have a clear identity and purpose. I mean, there are lots of other problems at United but this is probably the biggest one.

4.42pm BST

12 min This is the same United system - and the same personnel, bar Bailly and De Gea - that Solskjaer used when they put Chelsea out of the FA Cup in February.

4.42pm BST

The goal was made by Lukaku, who chipped a beautiful pass over the defence into the path of Luke Shaw. Kepa came out to block the shot, so Shaw touched the ball across the area for Mata to score his right foot. There were a few defenders on the line but Mata stayed cool and passed it into the net.

4.41pm BST

It’s been coming, and that’s a really nice goal from Juan Mata.

4.40pm BST

10 min Lukaku plays an excellent pass to Shaw, whose low cross is kicked away by Azpilicueta. United are playing some good one-touch football.

4.38pm BST

9 min The first goal is even more important than usual, given the fragile confidence of both sides, United in particular.

4.37pm BST

8 min It’s been a breezy, open start to the game, with United in particular showing a zest and intent that hasn’t been evident of late.

4.36pm BST

7 min Rashford beats Alonso with a lovely turn on the right. He looks really sharp.

4.36pm BST

5 min “How can Neville be seen as an impartial judge when he obviously has an ever-ready excuse available for his friend Ole,” says Paul Fitzgerald. “Man Utd’s biggest problem is not just Ole’s lack of nous but former Utd players’ omnipresence and their sense of entitlement over the Utd debate.”

I think that’s harsh, verging on ridiculous, but that’s just my opinion.

4.34pm BST

4 min: Big save from Kepa! That was a great chance for Lukaku, who made a good run onto a long ball forward from Shaw and was through on goal. He spent too long trying to move the ball onto his left foot, which allowed Rudiger to get round, but Lukaku still managed to hit a low shot that was smothered by the outrushing Kepa.

4.33pm BST

4 min “Right now the Premier League table looks ridiculous,” says Phil Podolsky, “but overall the hierarchy at the very top seems to be less rigid than in all the other top leagues. You can see Chelsea buying, I dunno, Griezmann, Coutinho and Alaba and challenging for the title, with Liverpool weakened after losing Mane and Salah to the Spanish big two, City facing uncertainty after Pep walks out at the end of next season etc. (I know Chelsea have the transfer ban which they’re appealing, but in the realm of the hypothetical etc.)”

Yep, agreed. The top six has been set in stone for years, the Leicester miracle notwithstanding, but there’s been a lot of change within that sextet. It’s a different kind of predictable to Spain, Italy and Germany. I still prefer the Championship, though.

4.32pm BST

3 min A good attack from Chelsea. Hazard hammers a dangerous low cross that Kante flicks towards goal on the six-yard line, and Shaw comes round to make a fine block.

4.31pm BST

2 min “True about Azpilicueta,” says Nelson Kalberer, “but doesn’t he always look like he wants to kill someone?”

Yes. Here’s a picture of him in the tunnel, in fact.

4.30pm BST

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

4.24pm BST

The players are in the tunnel. Cesar Azpilicueta looks like he wants to kill someone. Eden Hazard is laughing and joking.

4.09pm BST

Manchester City have beaten Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor, which leaves them two wins away from retaining the title.

3.37pm BST

There are just over 15 minutes remaining in the vital match between Burnley and Manchester City. You will not believe the score!

3.36pm BST

Pre-match reading

3.35pm BST

Ander Herrera, so impressive in the last two months, returns to the side in what looks like a diamond midfield. Juan Mata and Eric Bailly have also been taken out of cold storage.

Manchester United (4-D-2) de Gea; Young, Bailly, Lindelof, Shaw; Matic; Herrera, Pogba; Mata; Rashford, Lukaku.
Substitutes: Romero, Rojo, McTominay, Darmian, Pereira, Sanchez, Martial.

2.35pm BST

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Manchester United v Chelsea from Old Trafford, the latest instalment in the strangely compelling stumble for Champions League places.

Actually, to call it a stumble might be bit generous. Spurs have lost six of their last league 10 games; Arsenal have lost four of the last five and were plugged 3-0 by Leicester earlier today. Manchester United have lost four of their last six league games – and seven out of nine in all competitions – while Chelsea, who are in reasonable form compared to the others, have still lost five of their last seven away games in the Premier League.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on April 28, 2019 10:46

Brighton 0-4 Arsenal: Women's Super League – as it happened

Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead hit spectacular goals as Arsenal crushed Brighton to become champions for the first time since 2012

2.34pm BST

Simon Burnton has filed his report from the Amex Stadium, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company and congratulations to everyone at Arsenal. Bye!

2.25pm BST

More reaction

Kim Little

2.18pm BST

And if you’re into the whole men’s football thing

2.17pm BST

More good news from the Amex Stadium

5,265 here, a new WSL record crowd.

2.16pm BST

Two of the Arsenal stars are being interviewed on BT Sport

Vivianne Miedema

2.13pm BST

Arsenal are worthy champions, and their record brooks no argument. They’ve won 17 of their 19 games, scoring 69 goals in the process.

2.12pm BST

In other news...

2.09pm BST

Full time: Brighton 0-4 Arsenal Peep peep! For the first time since 2012, Arsenal are champions. They have won the title in style with an empathic victory that included two spectacular goals from Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead. The others came from Katie McCabe and Danielle van de Donk, and it’s nice that, on today of all days, all of Arsenal’s brilliant attacking quarter are on the scoresheet. A goal from Kim Little would have been nice, but you can’t have everything. Besides, Arsenal are champions!

2.04pm BST

89 min van de Donk misses a good chance to make it 5-0, with the outrushing Hourihan blocking her attempted lob.

2.02pm BST

88 min Mead drives a corner to the unmarked Veje on the edge of the box. She gets the ball out of her feet and hits a fierce shot that is blocked in the area.

2.01pm BST

86 min The lively Umotong finds Whelan, whose tame long-range shot is easily saved by van Veenendaal.

1.59pm BST

84 min Umotong has a big penalty appeal turned down after a challenge from Schanderbeck. Replays suggest it was a clear foul, but Lucy Oliver disagreed. Umotong was through on goal, so she had no reason to go down really.

1.55pm BST

80 min A half chance for the substitute Carter, who smashes over from the edge of the box. Brighton, meanwhile, have brought on Ini Umotong for Kate Natkiel.

1.54pm BST

79 min Another Arsenal change: Janni Arnth for Lisa Evans.

1.53pm BST

79 min Danielle Carter replaces the excellent Katie McCabe.

1.52pm BST

78 min After from a slight wobble at the start of the second half, which lasted about three minutes, Arsenal have been in total control of this game. It’s been an emphatic way to clinch their first league title since 2012.

1.52pm BST

The brilliant Daniëlle van de Donk gets on the scoresheet with a low shot from 16 yards that goes through the unsighted Hourihan.

1.49pm BST

74 min Mead’s deep corner is headed towards goal by Quinn, and Hourihan stretches to her left to push the ball behind.

1.48pm BST

74 min Brighton make another change, Chloe Peplow for Fern Whelan.

1.47pm BST

72 min Arsenal make their first substitution: Viktoria Schnaderbeck replaces Leah Williamson.

1.47pm BST

Even by Beth Mead’s standards, that was a blistering goal. Bloodworth drove a crossfield pass out to Mead on the left. She turned smartly inside Barton, moved the ball onto her right foot and hit a spectacular shot from 25 yards that flew into the far top corner. Pick that out! Mead goes straight over to celebrate with the injured Jordan Nobbs.

1.45pm BST

Now that’s how to seal the championship.

1.41pm BST

67 min A goal would make things very nervous but for the time being Arsenal are comfortable, as they have been for almost all of the match.

1.39pm BST

63 min Lovely play from Arsenal. Little plays a smart reverse pass to Bloodworth, who backheels the ball into the path of McCabe just inside the area. Her shot deflects off a couple of defenders and dribbles through to Hourihan.

1.35pm BST

59 min Arsenal calm things down with an extended spell of possession. They’d like a third goal so that they can really relax.

1.30pm BST

55 min Buet’s lofted pass into the area almost sneaks into the corner of the net, with van Veenendaal scrambling across her line to palm it behind for a corner. Out of nowhere, Arsenal are under a bit of pressure.

1.27pm BST

52 min Natkiel’s overhit cross is held comfortably by van Veenendaal. It’s a bit better from Brighton, though, who have had more attacking threat in the last few minutes than they did throughout the first half.

1.25pm BST

51 min A half chance for Brighton. A cross from the right is headed away to Brazil, who slices her volley well wide from 15 yards.

1.24pm BST

49 min Arsenal have started the second half on top. Miedema flicks a nice pass into the area for van de Donk, who is bullied off the ball by Williams.

1.21pm BST

47 min Brighton have made a half-time substitution, with Ellie Brazil replacing Emily Simpkins.

1.20pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Arsenal begin the second half.

1.05pm BST

Peep peep! Arsenal are strolling towards their first league title since 2012. They were quite superb in the first half and lead through fine goals from Vivianne Miedema and Katie McCabe. The scoreline doesn’t flatter them.

Twitter: follow us at @guardian_sport

12.59pm BST

41 min Williams is booked for kicking the ball away.

12.58pm BST

Stop what you're doing and watch this

Look at the power on this strike from @VivianneMiedema @ArsenalWFC are on course for the #FAWSL title! pic.twitter.com/MzOHlFngGx

12.56pm BST

38 min From the resulting corner, Quinn’s looping header is cleared off the line by Williams!

12.56pm BST

37 min: Good save from Hourihan! McCabe beat Williams down the right with a majestic turn before trying to pick up out Mead. The ball ran through to van de Donk, whose curler from the edge of the area was palmed over the bar by the leaping Hourihan.

12.54pm BST

35 min This is a stroll for Arsenal. They are just too good for Brighton.

12.50pm BST

Little, on the left, played the ball back to Miedema 25 yards from goal. She dinked a subtle pass over the defence and into the path of McCabe, who made a perfectly timed run into the area and knocked the ball carefully past Hourihan.

12.49pm BST

Arsenal are going to be champions, and this is a beautiful team goal!

12.45pm BST

27 min The only positive for Brighton is that, for all their possession, Arsenal haven’t really created any clear chances. Yet.

12.43pm BST

25 min Veje’s 20-yard shot is comfortably saved by Hourihan.

12.40pm BST

23 min van de Donk wins a corner for Arsenal, who are in complete control of this match. Nothing comes of it.

12.38pm BST

20 min After a neat move down the left involving Little, van de Donk and Veje, McCabe’s close-range shot is blocked desperately by Fern Whelan.

12.35pm BST

17 min A quiet spell in the game. Brighton are struggling to put Arsenal under any pressure.

12.30pm BST

13 min It’s been a comfortable start for Arsenal, who are controlling the pace of the game and lead through Vivianne Miedema’s howitzer.

12.29pm BST

10 min: Evans hits the bar! That was a strange incident. She slid to keep an overhit pass in play and lifted a cross from the byline that swerved slightly and hit the face of the crossbar.

12.27pm BST

10 min A Brighton free-kick on the left leads to a bit of a scramble in the Arsenal area, until eventually van Veenendaal falls on the ball.

12.26pm BST

7 min That’s Miedema’s 21st goal in 18 league games this season. She’s a phenomenon.

12.25pm BST

It was all her own work. She won possession 25 yards from goal, looked up and hit a vicious shot that went through the hands of Hourihan, hit the underside of the bar and bounced down into the net. It was too hot for the keeper.

12.24pm BST

What a goal from Vivianne Miedema!

12.21pm BST

3 min The pitch is relatively huge, which should hopefully make for an open, expansive game.

12.20pm BST

2 min An early chance for Beth Mead! She started the move with a nice through ball down the inside-left channel for Miedema. She angled a precise return pass into the path of Mead, who took the shot first time from 15 yards but shanked it across the area.

12.18pm BST

1 min Brighton kick off from left to right.

12.18pm BST

Joe Montemurro looks very relaxed. He has the posture of a man sitting in the park watching his Golden Retriever have a mad five minutes.

12.16pm BST

This is the first WSL game to be played at the Amex Stadium, and the crowd is in the thousands rather than hundreds.

12.04pm BST

Here’s the Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro “We’re pretty relaxed, actually. Our preparation has been good and it’s just another game for us. I’m really proud of what the players have achieved this season. We’ve created a fantastic base to sustain a long-term plan and way of playing. It’s very important that we win the trophies, but the big thing for me is sustainability.”

11.38am BST

.@ArsenalWFC @Arsenal All the best against Brighton today. Up the Gunners! @FAWSL pic.twitter.com/5p3Cc7Hbhq

11.26am BST

Brighton (4-3-3) Hourihan; Williams, Buet, F Whelan, Gibbons; Barton, Simpkins, Connolly; A Whelan, Green, Natkiel.
Substitutes: Hartley, Roe, Rafferty, Peplow, Nilden, Brazil, Umotong.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1) van Veenendal; Evans, Williamson, Quinn, Veje; Bloodworth, Little; McCabe, van de Donk, Mead; Miedema.
Substitutes: Harper, Arnth, Schnaderbeck, Mitchell, Kemme, Carter.

11.21am BST

Some pre-match reading

9.50am BST

Good morning. What comes next in this sequence: 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3? We don’t know yet, but it’ll be either 1 or 2. Those are Arsenal’s league positions in the WSL since they last won the title in 2012. For a club like Arsenal, who won the league 14 times between 1993 and 2012, seven years without a title is an ocean of time.

It should end today. A win over Brighton at the Amex Stadium would seal the title. If not, they have another chance in their final game of the season on 11 May. But there’s a but. That final game is against their title rivals Manchester City, so anything other than victory would expose Arsenal to a title decider in two weeks’ time. (That’s assuming City beat Yeovil this afternoon, which they will.)

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on April 28, 2019 06:34

April 27, 2019

Norwich 2-1 Blackburn: Canaries promoted from Championship – as it happened

A screamer from Mario Vrancic proved decisive as Norwich clinched promotion to the Premier League with another charming performance

9.34pm BST

Paul Doyle’s match report has landed, so I’ll leave with you that. Thanks for your company and emails. Congratulations to everyone connected with Norwich City, who thoroughly deserve promotion. They are Premier League!

9.33pm BST

“Hi Rob,” says Laurence Bennett. “Are they not singing ‘Farke Life’? I wish I was there to join in, but no tickets!”

Ah yes, of course they are, and I am an idiot.

9.33pm BST

Here’s Ben Godfrey

“This is the best day of my life. We’re young and hungry and I think it shows on the pitch.”

9.29pm BST

Post-match interviews

Christoph Zimmermann

9.26pm BST

A huge, throaty cheer went round the ground as the final whistle was blown. Daniel Farke clenched his fists in triumph before embracing his coaching staff. Some of the players are in tears; most of them are beaming; all of them are consumed with joy. Delia Smith is singing along to Parklife. It’s a lovely and rather moving scene.

9.23pm BST

Full time: Norwich 2-1 Blackburn Norwich are back where they belong.

9.22pm BST

90+4 min Two more substitutions for Norwich - Jordan Rhodes and Moritz Leitner replace Onel Hernandez and Teemu Pukki.

9.20pm BST

90+2 min Marco Stiepermann, who scored a fine first goal, walks off to a standing ovation. He’s replaced by Alex Tettey.

9.19pm BST

90+1 min The corner is half cleared to Rothwell on the edge of the area. He chests the ball down and swishes a volley over the bar. That was a chance.

9.19pm BST

90 min There will be three minutes of added time. Conway’s cross is headed behind by Godfrey for a Blackburn corner.

9.17pm BST

89 min If it stays like this, Norwich will need a point from their final match at Aston Villa to win the title.

9.14pm BST

87 min “As I said,” says Simon McMahon, “it’s not like me to shoehorn a reference to my own club into an email, but for those that might not know, Craig Conway scored twice for Dundee United in the 2010 Scottish Cup final.”

9.14pm BST

86 min Norwich have calmed the game down after that jittery spell, and they will soon be officially promoted to the Premier League. That’s when the party will really start, unless somebody puts on the floorfiller of a third goal before then.

9.13pm BST

85 min “Get the Job Done City,” says Erik Orring. “Never mind the danger!”

9.13pm BST

84 min Stiepermann is struggling. He challenged Chapman and accidentally did the splits, injuring his groin in the process.

9.11pm BST

82 min “Hi Rob,” says Charlie Robinson. “Like your earlier correspondent, Phil Withall, I also support a team aiming for promotion from the Championship this season, and I share his ambivalence regarding joining a division that could generously be described as venal. But the Premier League does have room for goodies alongside the baddies, and if Norwich can position themselves as playing feelgood football with humble goodwill, as you rightly say they have done this season, they could become the sort of team that Southampton and Swansea have been in years just past. Those of us who are tired of owners from brutal authoritarian regimes and hedge-funds are crying out for a club just like Norwich to do well in the Premier League and charm the socks off everyone. So I don’t think Phil should be too despondent yet - they could be the antidote to the shameless and charmless moral bankruptcy of our top flight.”

9.09pm BST

81 min Armstrong is booked for a hack at the superb Jamal Lewis.

9.08pm BST

79 min Chapman wins a corner for Blackburn, who are having their best spell of the half. It’s all getting a bit nervy. Norwich will be promoted no matter what, but the team and supporters want it sealed mathematically tonight so that they can celebrate accordingly.

9.06pm BST

78 min Aarons is limping after a challenge on Chapman, as is Buendia after a tackle by Rothwell.

9.04pm BST

76 min A half chance for Blackburn, with Williams heading over from the penalty spot after a flat cross from the right.

9.03pm BST

74 min Yet another missed chance for Norwich! Hernandez moves through on goal and slips the ball past Leutwiler, but Bell clears off the line. Moments later, Stiepermann’s fierce low shot is palmed away superbly by Leutwiler.

9.02pm BST

74 min Norwich are passing the clock down and are 16 minutes away from promotion. Gonzo’s Tea Room will be rocking tonight.

8.59pm BST

71 min Another Blackburn change: Bradley Dack is replaced by Harry Chapman.

8.58pm BST

70 min Hernandez skips round the outside and crosses low into the area, where Bell screws an attempted clearance behind for a corner.

8.56pm BST

68 min “Blackburn fan here half-watching half-pretending to be interested our dinner party guests’ conversation about Cavapoo breeding (no I don’t live in Blackburn anymore),” says Neal Wallace. “Norwich are a wonderful side, but spare a thought for Blackburn, who have also somehow cultivated a feel-good atmosphere out of the pits of absolute despair. Something to celebrate all round.”

8.55pm BST

66 min In other news, here’s more on Sheffield United’s ascent to the Premier League.

8.53pm BST

65 min Dack whacks a lamentable free-kick into orbit.

8.52pm BST

64 min Zimmermann is booked for taking a shortcut through the back of Brereton 22 yards from goal. It’s a fair way to the left of centre, and Bradley Dack is going to take it.

8.51pm BST

63 min Conway’s deflected cross from the left just evades the sliding Dack at the near post. Norwich are well on top but Blackburn are still a threat.

8.49pm BST

61 min Another chance for Norwich! Buendia plays a neat pass into the area for the right-back Aarons, who splatters over the bar from a tight angle.

8.49pm BST

60 min “Hi Rob,” says Ian Wilson. “It’s lovely to see how Norwich are playing this season, they’re producing wonderful approach football and scoring some great goals. I love the combination of skill, work rate, and team spirit. But bloody hell they’ve missed some chances in recent games. They create so many… should be 6-1 up in this game. But as you say, it’s great fun, and it’s uplifting to see football played this way.”

Yes, that sums it up: it’s feelgood football. Not just the way they play, but also the atmosphere around the club. There’s no entitlement or expectation, just humble goodwill. That probably sounds patronising but it’s not meant to be. They evoke a more innocent, decent time.

8.46pm BST

58 min A Blackburn change: Whatever Happened To Jack Rodwell is replaced by Craig Conway.

8.45pm BST

56 min: Hernandez hits the bar! It was another thrilling strike. McLean’s long pass out to the left gave Hernandez to isolate Bennett. He ran into the area, shifted the ball onto his right foot and blasted a spectacular shot that flew across Leutwiler and smacked off the bar.

8.43pm BST

55 min Norwich are reasonably comfortable, although a third goal would allow everyone to relax.

8.41pm BST

53 min Dack is booked for a studs-up challenge on Buendia. He got the ball but the referee felt he came through Buendia to do so.

8.40pm BST

52 min Stiepermann lopes forward and picks out a clever square pass to Buendia, whose first-time shot from 16 yards is blocked.

8.38pm BST

50 min After an excellent passing move from Blackburn, Bell’s 20-yard shot is blocked by Godfrey.

8.36pm BST

48 min “Talk about kicking a man when he’s down, Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Mr Dony is a man on the edge. I think, although I’m not sure, he supports Liverpool. And Wales. Almost as bad as being a Dundee United and Scotland fan. You know it’s not like me to shoehorn a reference to my own team into an email, but the only time Dundee United have featured in an MBM was the 2014 Scottish Cup Final v St. Johnstone when I threatened / promised to give it all up if we won. So I blame the Guardian.”

8.36pm BST

47 min Buendia almost makes it 3-1 with an improvised overhead kick that is palmed away by the sprawling Leutwiler. That was a fine effort and a smart save.

8.33pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Norwich begin the second half. Blackburn have made a change, with Ben Brereton on for the anonymous Danny Graham.

8.21pm BST

Half-time reading

8.18pm BST

Peep peep! Norwich are on course to secure promotion tonight. They raced into a 2-0 lead through cracking long-range strikes from Marco Stiepermann and Mario Vrancic, but Lewis Travis’s precise finish brought Blackburn back into the match. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.

8.15pm BST

45 min There will be two minutes of added time.

8.14pm BST

44 min Bell shoots high and wide for Blackburn. They are still a threat, although Norwich look like they could score with every attack.

8.13pm BST

43 min “I’ve let Norwich down, I’ve let the MBM ‘community’ down, and I’ve let myself down,” says Matt Dony. “I’ve also let Morrissey down, but that doesn’t seem like a bad thing. I’ll make it up to Norwich by supporting them against most teams in the Premier League next season. Whenever I’ve seen them, they’ve been so entertaining! Oh, I suppose I’ve also let you down, Rob. But, I guess you’ve received enough emails from me in the past to know exactly how low I set the bar!”

You’ll always get a pass for your emails during the Euro 2016 semi-final.

8.13pm BST

42 min McLean drives a fine angled pass to Lewis, who moves it infield to Hernandez. He turns back onto his right foot and thwacks a fine shot that goes this far wide of the far post with Leutwiler beaten.

8.10pm BST

40 min Buendia, who looks desperate to score on today of all days, drags the ball cleverly past two defenders in the area before lashing a left-foot shot wide of the near post from a tight angle.

8.10pm BST

38 min “Morning Rob,” says Phil Withall. “I’m feeling somewhat conflicted at the moment. I’m loving the way Norwich are playing, the type of football they have served up this season has been exemplary. I also love the fact they are on the verge of winning the title. However, I find the whole concept of the Premier League repulsive. The way it has evolved into a monstrous, avaricious thing that is slowly destroying clubs in their attempts to reach it and the self-serving way it wilfully ignores the rest of football in pursuit of money just doesn’t sit well with me. I’ll enjoy this morning, if and when promotion is secured yet my jubilation will come with a major feeling of despair.”

Yeah, I know what you mean, and that’s without mentioning the inequality that makes it extremely difficult for promoted teams to finish in the top half of the Premier League, never mind achieve something memorable. Maybe promotion should be optional. No thanks, we’ll just keep enjoying life in the Championship.

8.06pm BST

36 min Buendia’s booming free-kick from the left nicks off the head of Travis and flashes just wide of the far post.

8.05pm BST

35 min Rodwell’s left-foot shot from 20 yards is blocked. Blackburn are playing well now. They were overwhelmed in the first 21 minutes, but that surprise goal from Lewis Travis has changed the mood of the game.

8.03pm BST

32 min Another reason to love Norwich: they have a lot of left-footed players. That always makes a team look more elegant. Well, it does if those players can pass the ball like Vrancic, Stiepermann, McLean and others. A team with 11 clones of Julian Dicks wouldn’t exactly be the poster boys for elegance.

8.01pm BST

29 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Congratulations to Norwich on their promotion to the Premiership, thoroughly deserved. As you know, I wouldn’t normally try to shoehorn a reference to my own team into an email, but Farke’s Norwich do remind me a bit of Dundee United, and one or two others. Provincial teams who have the odd great season, and occasionally get one over the big boys. Norwich and Raith Rovers spring to mind, whose fans I think will still have large canvases of the scoreboard at Bayern Munich in their living rooms ...”

I didn’t know Raith led at Bayern Munich. That’s great. Look at the team they were up against as well.

7.59pm BST

28 min Now Blackburn almost equalise! Armstrong runs at Lewis and curls a fantastic cross that somehow beats everyone in the six-yard box.

7.58pm BST

28 min “A push and a rush and the Premier League is Norwich’s!” says Matt Dony, who is so pleased with himself that I almost don’t have the heart to point out that it was ‘rush and a push’ rather than ‘push and a rush’.

7.58pm BST

27 min: Fine save by Leutwiler! This is great fun. Pukki gets round the back on the left and picks out Stiepermann, whose close-range shot is blocked by the legs of Leutwiler.

7.55pm BST

24 min “No Sky TV in my humble home, but do I care?” says Deborah Stolworthy. “No. Absolutely love to read your commentaries. You always say such kind words about the boys. OTBC!”

They make me do it. They’re the most charming, likeable team I’ve seen in many a year. I really hope they keep this team together.

7.54pm BST

Blackburn’s first attack of the match leads to a goal. Travis, found by Bell in space on the edge of the D, places a precise low shot into the bottom corner. It was hit so softly but it was accurate enough to beat the diving Krul to his left.

7.53pm BST

Seconds after Pukki somehow missed from six yards, Vrancic collected the ball 25 yards from goal. He had a look around, had another look, realised nobody was coming to challenge him and arrowed a spectacular rising drive into the far top corner. What a goal!

7.51pm BST

Pick that out!!

7.49pm BST

18 min Lenihan gets a yellow card, and it could have been worse. He miscontrolled the ball on the halfway line and was robbed by Pukki, who was about to surge through on goal when he was cynically tripped by Lenihan. You can see why Andy Madley didn’t send him off, because Williams was trying to get round to cover, but on balance I think that was a clear goalscoring opportunity and therefore should have been a red card.

7.46pm BST

16 min Buendia turns smartly and cracks a sweet shot just wide of the far post from 25 yards. He is a glorious footballer.

7.45pm BST

15 min Pukki appeals unsuccessfully for a penalty when his volley is blocked by the arm of Lenihan. That would probably have been given with VAR.

7.44pm BST

It’s a fine goal from Marco Stiepermann. Moments after Hernandez had a shot blocked after receiving a gorgeous pass from Buendia, Vrancic won possession and played the ball square to Stiepermann. He moved it onto his left foot and struck a low, left-footed drive from 25 yards that arrowed past the diving Leutwiler.

7.43pm BST

It’s been coming!

7.41pm BST

11 min I think Blackburn have had a kick, but I’d struggle to tell you much about it. It’s been so one-sided.

7.40pm BST

9 min Lewis moves down the left and slides a square pass to Hernandez, who pirouettes elegantly on the edge of the area and drives a low shot just wide of the far post.

7.39pm BST

8 min It’s a pleasure to watch this Norwich team. They pass the ball so smoothly, with lovely angles and movement off the ball. The big bad world of the Premier League will be an almighty test, but all right-thinking folk (who don’t support Ipswich) should wish them well.

7.37pm BST

6 min Norwich are playing some lovely stuff. Vrancic lifts a pass forward to Pukki, who chests it smartly into the path of Stiepermann. He moves onto the ball and sidefoots high and wide from 25 yards.

7.34pm BST

4 min Stipermann wins Norwich’s first corner, which is put behind for a second. Buendia’s inswinger is headed clear.

7.33pm BST

3 min Norwich have started confidently. Lewis’s sharp low cross is touched off by Pukki by Hernandez, who is crowded out in the area.

7.31pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Blackburn, in Cambridge blue and white halves, get the match under way. Norwich are in yellow and green.

7.30pm BST

There’s a heck of an atmosphere at Carrow Road. There’s yellow and green everywhere – flags, scarves, replica shirts, probably a bit of sick in the gents from someone who got carried away this afternoon.

7.12pm BST

It’s finished Sheffield United 2-0 Ipswich, so United will play Premier League football next season. Chapeau!

7.08pm BST

The chances of Norwich playing Brighton next season have just increased: Pascal Gross has equalised for Brighton at home to Newcastle.

7.07pm BST

6.53pm BST

In reality, Norwich have already been promoted, such is their goal-difference advantage over Leeds. They’ll be joined in the Premier League by Sheffield United, who lead Ipswich with a few minutes remaining at Bramall Lane. That result means Norwich will start tonight’s match in second place, behind Sheffield United on goal difference.

6.32pm BST

Norwich City (4-2-3-1) Krul; Aarons, Zimmermann, Godfrey, Lewis; McLean, Vrancic; Buendia, Stiepermann, Hernandez; Pukki.
Substitutes: McGovern, Leitner, Rhodes, Klose, Tettey, Hanley, Cantwell.

Blackburn Rovers (4-2-3-1) Leutwiler; Bennett, Lenihan, Williams, Bell; Travis, Rodwell; Armstrong, Dack, Rothwell; Graham.
Substitutes: Raya, Nyambe, Chapman, Mulgrew, Brereton, Evans, Conway.

5.38pm BST

Evening. There’s a party in NR1 tonight, and we’re all bloody well invited. It’s taken a bit longer that expected, but tonight’s the night when Norwich City should formally secure promotion to the Premier League. All they need is a point at home to mid-table Blackburn Rovers, who are in excellent form but have nothing to play for except pride, and you know what Marsellus Wallace said about that.

Norwich won’t want to sneak over the line with a fifth consecutive draw, however. They have played such gorgeous football for most of the season that they will be desperate to put on one last show for their supporters. The talismanic Emi Buendia was suspended for the last two home games, those dramatic 2-2 draws against Reading and Sheffield Wednesday. With him back in the side, Norwich should be ready to party.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on April 27, 2019 13:34

Fulham 1-0 Cardiff, Southampton 3-3 Bournemouth and more – as it happened

Ryan Babel’s late goal pushed Cardiff closer to the Championship, while Rotherham and Yeovil were relegated on a dramatic afternoon

5.26pm BST

That’s it for today’s blog. Squeaky-bum time never disappoints, and this afternoon’s fixtures were as dramatic as expected. Thanks for your company and emails. Bye!

5.26pm BST

5.25pm BST

5.15pm BST

5.13pm BST

Cardiff’s defeat means Brighton can effectively ensure survival with a win over Newcastle in the late game. Scott Murray will be watching that one.

5.12pm BST

5.03pm BST

5.02pm BST

Peep peep! The 3pm matches have all finished. I won’t type every single result, because my fingers are weeping, but you can see them all by clicking here. And here are all the live league tables.

5.00pm BST

“Full-time: Nuneaton Borough 0-3 Stockport County,” writes Phil Grey. “Stockport are promoted as champions.”

5.00pm BST

It’s over for Cardiff, who now need snookers if they are to stay up.

4.59pm BST

Fulham 1-0 Cardiff In the last few minutes, Cardiff have battered Fulham, with Sergio Rico making a series of vital saves. But it’s almost certainly too little, too late.

4.58pm BST

It’s finished Northampton 2-2 Yeovil after a frantic finale, and Yeovil are heading out of the EFL.

4.57pm BST

They lost 2-1 at West Brom, which means Millwall are safe.

4.57pm BST

League One

Luton’s promotion party has been postponed, and it might be cancelled if Portsmouth win their final two games.

4.55pm BST

Southampton will be safe unless Cardiff score twice in injury time.

4.54pm BST

A very good win for Wolves, who consolidate their place at the top of the Premier League second division.

4.52pm BST

League One Stevenage have scored an injury-time winner at Mansfield!

4.52pm BST

Fulham 1-0 Cardiff Hoilett has hit the bar for Cardiff!

4.51pm BST

File this one under ‘Two banks of four’.

4.49pm BST

Northampton 2-2 Yeovil Omar Sowunmi, who scored at the wrong end, has a header cleared off the line at the right end. Yeovil desperately need a winning goal.

4.48pm BST

Here’s more on the great Borussia Dortmund implosion

4.48pm BST

Sunderland 1-1 Portsmouth Will Grigg has hit the post for Sunderland! If they don’t get a late winner, they’ll be heading for the playoffs.

4.46pm BST

La Liga Atletico Madrid 1-0 Valladolid (Joaquin 67 og)

4.45pm BST

Callum Wilson gets his second goal to bring Bournemouth level again!

4.44pm BST

League One Scunthorpe have pulled another goal back at home to Bradford, who lead 3-2. In League Two, Tyler Walker has scored an important equaliser for promotion-sniffing Mansfield against Stevenage.

4.43pm BST

A peach from Ryan Babel has given Fulham a deserved lead. Cardiff are in serious trouble now, while Fulham must be wishing they gave Scott Parker the job a few months earlier.

4.42pm BST

Derby are so close to the play-offs. Jayden Bogle has completed a smash-and-grab victory over a thoroughly unfortunate Bristol City.

4.42pm BST

Rekeem Harper has ensured that Rotherham will play League One football next season.

4.40pm BST

Fulham 0-0 Cardiff A draw probably isn’t enough for Cardiff, although they do have a winnable game at home to Crystal Palace next weekend.

4.39pm BST

“Change the Mars bars to Snickers, and you have a deal, McMahon,” says Matt Dony. “I’ve pretty much conceded the league, but if Liverpool can pull a Dundee United and sweep Barcelona aside, I’ll be a happy man.”

So happy that you’ll be listening to this on loop.

4.38pm BST

Jay Rodriguez’s debatable penalty has shattered Rotherham, who will effectively be down unless they find a winner.

4.34pm BST

Wolves are back in front through the irrepressible Diogo Jota.

4.34pm BST

Goals goals goals!

League One Walsall 3-0 Peterborough

4.33pm BST

League One Burton have come from behind to lead Luton 2-1!

4.32pm BST

Oh my goodness! David Fitzpatrick’s drive has put Sol Campbell’s side ahead, and if it stays like they will only need a point next week to stay up.

4.31pm BST

Notts County are heading for a vital win. They are still in the relegation places on goal difference, with Macclesfield drawing at Port Vale, but they have hope.

4.28pm BST

League One Scunthorpe have pulled one back at home to Bradford, though they still trail 3-1.

4.28pm BST

The most miserable day imaginable for Dortmund - they had two men sent off, lost to their big rivals and almost certainly surrendered the title to Bayern Munich.

4.27pm BST

This sounds like a classic match. Valery’s superb cross is nutted into the net by Matt Targett to give Southampton the lead again.

4.24pm BST

Bristol City 0-1 Derby The substitute Antoine Semenyo has been controversially sent off for Bristol City, whose play-off hopes are fading.

4.23pm BST

League One It’s all change at the top. Barnsley have gone 2-1 up against Blackpool, while Burton have equalised against Luton. That means Barnsley are now a point behind Luton, but neither side would be guaranteed promotion. It’s all happening. Won’t somebody think of my fingers?

4.22pm BST

It’s over, you don’t need to tell me...

4.20pm BST

“Re: the action photo of Fulham-Cardiff,” says Peter Oh. “Was Junior Hoilett booked for that tackle on Ryan Babel? He’s showing more studs than Michael Owen’s stable.”

Erm. Erm, can I phone a friend?

4.20pm BST

League Two It’s been a miserable few minutes for Yeovil. They were 2-0 up at Northampton at half-time, but Daniel Powell’s goal has made it 2-2. Yeovil are now bottom of the as-it-stands table. I think.

4.19pm BST

League One Two very important goals at the bottom - Joe Pigott’s second goal has made it AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Wycombe, while a Daniel Lafferty own goal has put Walsall 2-0 up against Peterborough.

Make that three big goals at the bottom: Rochdale lead Southend 1-0 through Ian Henderson.

4.18pm BST

Nine-man Dortmund have got one back!

4.17pm BST

“Is it just me, or MBM updates recently have been trying to become some stand- up comedy?” asks Zoltan Hevesi. “Why is the urge for trying to be funny in each of the entries? Getting a bit tired of reading wannabe humorous posts. Thanks though for the articles nevertheless.”

It’s just you – MBMs have been trying and failing to be funny since the early 2000s.

4.16pm BST

“Hey Rob,” says Rob Lewis. “You are absolutely right that Wimbledon’s goal was a BIG goal. Their story is quite astonishing, as they seemed dead and buried after Christmas. With a win today and something next week against already down Bradford, they must stay up. Although I am a Wimbledon boy, I am not a Wimbledon fan, but I have no hard feelings towards them, even though they dumped West Ham out of the cup this season.”

4.15pm BST

Everyone’s favourite double-barrelled set-piece expert has equalised - this time from open play, and with his left foot as well.

4.14pm BST

League One It’s AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Wycombe. WILL PEOPLE PLEASE STOP SCORING GOALS FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS DECENT.

4.14pm BST

League Two A couple of important goals at the bottom. Yeovil’s Omar Sowunmi has scored an own goal; his side now lead 2-1 at Northampton. At Meadow Lane, Craig Mackail-Smith has put Notts County ahead against Grimsby. That means the bottom three clubs - County, Yeovil and Macclesfield - are all on 41 points. One of them will survive.

4.12pm BST

League One Sean McConville has completed a hat-trick: Accrington 4-0 Plymouth.

4.12pm BST

Oh my. Rotherham have taken a surprise lead at the Hawthorns through Clark Robertson. A victory would give them an outside chance of avoiding relegation.

4.10pm BST

League Two Frankie Kent has made it Colchester 2-0 MK Dons. That result would surely end MK Dons’ chances of automatic promotion.

4.08pm BST

La Liga It’s Atletico Madrid 0-0 Real Valladolid at half time. If it stays like this, Barcelona could seal another title by beating Levante tonight.

4.07pm BST

It’s there!

4.06pm BST

Peep peep! The second halves are under way.

4.03pm BST

Serie A Bologna have beaten Empoli 3-1. It would be an insult to your intelligence to pretend I know anything about the match other than the scoreline.

4.00pm BST

Bundesliga Schalke are now two goals and two men up on Dortmund. Marius Wolf has been sent off to complete an immense implosion from the home side. Eight months of hard work has been undone in five minutes of pure noggingonery.

3.59pm BST

“Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Dundee United 2-0 up at Tannadice at half time v Falkirk as they look to invite Maurice Mentum into the home dressing room ahead of the play offs. I’ll do a deal with Matt Dony - one trophy for Liverpool and promotion for United? Though I suspect Liverpool fans have rather more to lose. Maybe I could throw in a set of bibs and a box of Mars bars?”

How about another Andy Robertson?

3.58pm BST

“Hi Rob,” says Phil Grey. “After the Guardian did a piece on Stockport County this week it’s defo worth mentioning that they’re two up at half-time at Nuneaton and looking like they’ll be champions of National League North this evening (Ashley Palmer and Matthew Warburton with the goals).”

I was going to mention that the moment my extra set of fingers arrived.

3.57pm BST

It’s all going wrong for Dortmund. Marco Reus gets a straight red card - how is that even possible - and moments later Daniel Caligiuri gets his second goal to put Schalke 3-1 ahead.

3.55pm BST

“Argh,” says Rachel Clifton. “Saints are going to screw this up aren’t they?!”

No. You’re welcome! They’re far too good; I wouldn’t worry.

3.54pm BST

These are the scores in some of this afternoon’s big games.

Premier League

3.49pm BST

Peep peep! It’s half time in all the 3pm games, which is my cue to give my beleaguered fingers a quick break. See you soon for all the second-half action.

3.49pm BST

Bundesliga Schalke 04 still lead 2-1 at Borussia Dortmund. There are 35 minutes remaining; Dortmund surely need to win if they are to have a realistic chance of winning the title.

3.47pm BST

“What do you think of it so far? Rubbish!” says Allison Siegenthaler. “Given that today’s match is Luton vs. [Richard] Burton, hopefully I can persuade you to post this picture.”

As I’ve received four emails all afternoon, it doesn’t require much persuasion.

3.47pm BST

League One Walsall this, Walsall that. Yep, Walsall are not down just yet - Andy Cook has given them a 1-0 lead over Peterborough in first half injury time.

3.44pm BST

League One Plymouth are being tonked 3-0 at Accrington, with Sean McConville getting his second goal.

3.43pm BST

League One Another

big
important goal. Cauley Woodrow has equalised for promotion-desiring Barnsley at home to Blackpool.

3.42pm BST

League One Joe Pigott, who missed a penalty early on, has scored to make it AFC Wimbledon 1-0 Wycombe. Big goal, that. STOP SAYING IT’S A BIG GOAL, SMYTH. THEY’RE ALL BIG GOALS, IT’S SQUEAKY BLOODY BUM TIME.

3.42pm BST

A devastating cross from Diogo Jota is headed in by Raul Jimenez, to the delight of thousands of Fantasy Football addicts.

3.40pm BST

Britt Assombalonga’s penalty gives Middlesbrough a deserved lead in a match they probably need to win to keep their play-off hopes alive.

3.39pm BST

“Hiya Rob,” says Adam Kline-Schoder. “I’ve been watching the Fulham vs Cardiff match and can confirm that Odoi did regain consciousness shortly after crumpling to the floor. He tried to get up and carry on, but props to the physios who came on very quickly and took the time to completely immobilise him before carrying him off. Never nice to see this type of injury, but heartwarming to see the Cardiff physios rushing to assist their Fulham counterparts in taking care of Odoi. Not that I expect him to read this MBM, but best wishes to Odoi for a full and speedy recovery.”

What the man said.

3.38pm BST

League One Accrington now lead Plymouth 2-0, thanks to Sean McConville’s free-kick. It looks like we’re heading for a relegation shoot-out between Plymouth and Scunthorpe next week, although it’s possible that both will go down.

3.33pm BST

The in-form James Collins has given Luton the lead. As things stand, they will be promoted to the Championship today.

3.33pm BST

Championship An important equaliser for Middlesbrough from Lewis Wing. It’s Middlesbrough 1-1 Reading.

3.32pm BST

Bournemouth have come from behind to lead at St Mary’s!

3.32pm BST

Fulham 0-0 Cardiff Denis Odoi has been taken off on a stretcher. It sounds like he was unconscious before he hit the floor, though I don’t know whether he was conscious by the time he was stretchered off.

3.30pm BST

League Two Jake Gray has put Yeovil 2-0 up at home to Northampton!

3.28pm BST

Here’s more on Celtic’s 1-0 victory over Kilmarnock

3.27pm BST

“Not sure I fully agree with Ian Copestake,” sniffs Matt Dony. “VAR is a flat track bully, and never shows up against the big teams. Maybe it should form a classic two-up-top partnership with Some Flipping Common Sense. (Disclaimer: I’m a big fan of VAR, but there’s so much work to do...)”

3.27pm BST

Jamal Lowe has equalised for Portsmouth in the big game at the Stadium of Light.

3.26pm BST

Fulham 0-0 Cardiff This is very worrying: Denis Odoi has been down for around five minutes after being accidentally kicked in the head by one of his team-mates.

3.25pm BST

Southampton 1-1 Bournemouth Shane Long reverts to type, missing an open goal to leave Phil Thompson open-mouthed with bewilderment on Soccer Saturday.

3.24pm BST

That’s a decent point for Millwall, who will be safe unless Rotherham win at West Brom.

3.23pm BST

League Two

Yeovil lead at Northampton through Tristan Abrahams’ penalty. That’s a huge goal; as things stand, they are out of the relegation places.

3.21pm BST

League One

Billy Kee’s penalty has given Accrington the lead at home to Plymouth, who are also fighting relegation to League Two.

3.20pm BST

Dan Gosling equalises for Bournemouth with a fine goal!

3.20pm BST

League One

A shock at Oakwell, where Barnsley are 1-0 down to Blackpool. So far, it’s been a very good afternoon for Sunderland.

3.19pm BST

Tom Lawrence has given Derby the lead in the potential play-off eliminator at Ashton Gate.

3.17pm BST

League One AFC Wimbledon, who are also scrapping to avoid relegation to League Two, have missed a penalty at home to Wycombe. It’s all happening!

3.16pm BST

Scunthorpe are now 2-0 down at home to Bradford, and could be relegated today.

3.14pm BST

“Good to see VAR contributing to a goal,” says Ian Copestake. “It’s got a good touch for a big arbitration system.”

3.14pm BST

Championship A couple of important goals - Jayden Stockley has given Preston the lead at home to Sheffield Wednesday, and Danny Loader has put Reading 1-0 up at Middlesbrough. Here’s what it means for the Championship table.

3.12pm BST

Shane Long has scored his fourth goal in five games!

3.10pm BST

Tom Flanagan’s emphatic header has given Sunderland an early lead at the Stadium of Light.

3.08pm BST

League One Billy Clarke has scored an early goal for relegated Bradford at Scunthorpe, who are hoping to avoid the same fate. At the other end of the table, Lewis Morgan has hit the post for Sunderland in their big match against Portsmouth.

3.05pm BST

League Two Sammie Szmodics have given Colchester an early lead against MK Dons, who are in the hunt for automatic promotion.

3.03pm BST

Well now. A thumping header from Salif Sane has given Schalke the lead at the Westfalenstadion!

3.01pm BST

Peep peep! It’s 3pm on Saturday, and thus it’s kicking off up and down the country. And some football matches are starting as well! Honk! Ho-honk! Ho-ho-ho-ho-honk!

3.00pm BST

Dortmund’s lead lasted precisely four minutes. Daniel Caliguiri has equalised for Schalke with the aid of VAR.

2.59pm BST

It’s still Millwall 0-0 Stoke City with 20 minutes remaining. A draw wouldn’t be the worst result for Millwall, although they know a win would effectively ensure they will play Championship football next season.

2.51pm BST

Here’s more on Leyton Orient’s emotional return to the Football League.

2.49pm BST

Mario Gotze has given Dortmund an early lead in the Revierderby. You’ll have deduced that from the above, of course, but I have to type something here.

2.46pm BST

Here’s more on West Ham’s victory at Spurs, which should give them bragging rights until forever

2.40pm BST

In the early Championship game, it’s Millwall 0-0 Stoke City after 47 minutes. It sounds like that scoreline flatters both teams. A win for Millwall would effectively ensure their avoid relegation, and send Rotherham down in the process.

2.34pm BST

The scenes in the Orient dressing-room are lovely. The classic celebratory combination of champagne and ‘championes’ will never get old.

2.30pm BST

Celtic have beaten Kilmarnock 1-0 at Celtic Park, which leaves them a point away from their eighth consecutive league title.

2.25pm BST

After two years in the National League, they have sealed promotion to League Two with a 0-0 draw at home to Braintree.

2.22pm BST

West Ham have done the double! They were the first team to win at the Emirates, and now they have become the first team to win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And their victory was thoroughly deserved.

2.17pm BST

Watford (4-2-2-2) Foster; Kiko Femenia, Mariappa, Cathcart, Holebas; Doucoure, Capoue; Hughes, Pereyra; Deulofeu, Gray.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-5-2) Rui Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho, Jonny; Raul Jimenez, Jota.

2.15pm BST

Southampton (4-4-2) Gunn; Valery, Bednarek, Stephens, Bertrand; Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Hojbjerg, Redmond; Ings, Long.

Bournemouth (3-4-1-2) Boruc; Mepham, Cook, Simpson; Clyne, Lerma, Gosling, Ake; Brooks; King, Wilson.

2.10pm BST

Fulham (4-2-3-1) Rico; Odoi, Le Marchand, Ream, Bryan; Chambers, Anguissa; Sessegnon, Cairney, Babel; Mitrovic.

Cardiff (4-2-3-1) Etheridge; Peltier, Morrison, Manga, Bennett; Gunnarsson, Bacuna; Hoilett, Camarasa, Mendez-Laing; Niasse.

2.08pm BST

Crystal Palace (4-4-2) Guaita; Wan-Bissaka, Kelly, Dann, van Aanholt; McArthur, Milivojevic, Kouyate, Meyer; Benteke, Zaha.

Everton (4-2-3-1) Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Zouma, Digne; Schneiderlin, Gueye; Richarlison, Sigurdsson, Bernard; Calvert-Lewin.

1.59pm BST

Celtic 1-0 Kilmarnock Jozo Simunovic has finally given Celtic the lead at home to Kilmarnock. A win would put them 12 points clear of Rangers, who play Aberdeen tomorrow.

1.55pm BST

There’s finally been a goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. I won’t give too much away - but West Ham have scored it.

1.45pm BST

Jadon Sancho starts for Borussia Dortmund in the Revierderby against Schalke. He scored a fine winner in the return fixture in December. Dortmund are a point behind the leaders Bayern Munich with four games remaining.

#BVB STARTING XI

THIS! IS! DORTMUND! ⚔️#BVBS04 pic.twitter.com/4l0FVAJdZc

Team news!

Here's our 1️⃣1️⃣ Royal Blues for the #Revierderby ⚪#s04 #BVBS04 pic.twitter.com/Jz25k9ymoF

1.41pm BST

It’s a particularly important day at the bottom of the Premier League. Cardiff, who are three points behind Brighton, go to relegated Fulham. Then Brighton host in-form Newcastle at 5.30pm. Normally a match against a relegated team would feel like a banker, but Fulham have played well under Scott Parker and are enjoying a run of two consecutive wins. There’s only one guarantee: Neil Warnock’s blood pressure will go through the roof at approximately 4.37pm.

1.32pm BST

The second half has just started in the early Premier League game between Spurs and West Ham. You won’t believe the score!

12.56pm BST

Hello. How’s it going? Right, that’s enough of the pleasantries - let’s proceed straight to a huge afternoon of association football. It’s the penultimate round of matches in the EFL, and the antepenultimate round in the Premier League. Everything is up for grabs: promotion, relegation, an extra few quid for finishing 11th rather than 12th.

And while it’s not quite Romania’s Divizia C, Seria VIII-a in 1983-84, there are permutations and possibilities galore. Thankfully, for the sake of my sanity, Niall McVeigh has produced a very handy guide to what’s at stake.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on April 27, 2019 09:25

April 26, 2019

Liverpool 5-0 Huddersfield Town: Premier League – as it happened

Naby Keita scored after 15 seconds to set Liverpool on their way to an easy victory in which Sadio Mané and Mo Salah each scored twice

12.09am BST

10.04pm BST

That’s it for tonight’s blog. I’ll leave you with Andy Hunter’s match report on another outstanding night for Liverpool. Thanks for your company, night!

10.03pm BST

Here’s the thoroughly likeable Andy Robertson “We were expected to win, but you have to go and do it. We were a bit slack for 10 minutes after the first goal but then we were able to lift it again. The gaffer said at half-time that we need to play as if it was 0-0, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming on gave everyone a lift as well. All we can do is keep putting pressure on City. Usually 91 points can win the league but we’re not even close to that; it’s an incredible points tally from both teams. Could we have done much more? I’m not sure we could.”

9.56pm BST

9.50pm BST

Peep peep! Liverpool go back to the top of the table, for the next 42 hours at least, with the expected Friday-night stroll. Naby Keita gave them the lead after 15 seconds, and Sadio Mane and Mo Salah scored two apiece in a painfully one-sided match. Liverpool will now become Burnley fans for the weekend before turning their attention to Barcelona on Wednesday.

9.49pm BST

90+2 min Salah zips into the area and spanks a rising drive over the bar. He’s desperate for a hat-trick.

9.48pm BST

90 min Three minutes.

9.45pm BST

88 min Isaac Mbenza is replaced by Elias Kachunga. And Liverpool also make a change: Joe Gomez for Trent Alexander-Arnold.

9.44pm BST

87 min Ninety-one points!

9.43pm BST

86 min “Good on yer, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain,” weeps Charles Antaki. “Arsenal fans are watching. Not envious - no, not at all. Nor regretful - no, no. Also N.B.: Ramsey is going, so you could come back...”

9.42pm BST

85 min Andy Robertson cost £8m.

9.41pm BST

84 min Liverpool are still hunting goals. I still think it’s highly unlikely that it will come down to goal difference, but I suppose an 8-0 win can’t do any harm.

9.40pm BST

Great goal. Shaqiri slides a lovely pass down the left to release Robertson, who sidefoots a perfect first-time cross to give Salah an open goal from five yards.

9.38pm BST

81 min Alex Pritchard replaces Jon Stankovic for Huddersfield.

9.38pm BST

80 min Another chance for Liverpool! Salah’s free-kick from the left reaches Lovren beyond the far post, and he rakes a rising shot miles wide.

9.36pm BST

78 min: Mane hits the post! He looked certain to complete a hat-trick of headers as he jumped in front of an open goal to meet Shaqiri’s delicious cross, but he had to leap backwards and could only thump the ball onto the post.

9.34pm BST

76 min Oxlade-Chamberlain almost brings the house down by scoring on his return. Salah ushered him into the area with a nice pass, and he moved sweetly inside Schindler before hitting a left-footed shot that was blocked by Lossl.

9.32pm BST

75 min Even at 4-0, Liverpool are working like beasts without the ball. Their attitude is so impressive.

9.32pm BST

74 min Salah has a great chance to play Mane in for his hat-trick. Instead he shoots from 25 yards, with the ball deflecting behind for a corner.

9.31pm BST

73 min A double change for Liverpool: long-term absentees Xherdan Shaqiri and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Xherdan Shaqiri replace Daniel Sturridge and Georginio Wijnaldum. Oxlade-Chamberlain struggles to suppress a smile as he walks on to a huge ovation.

9.28pm BST

71 min Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is about to come on. He was playing brilliantly when he suffered that injury against Roma a year ago. He’ll be a big player for Liverpool and England next season.

9.27pm BST

68 min Liverpool have 91 points. Ninety-one points!

9.26pm BST

67 min “This Charming Mané,” says Nick Cherkas (and others).

9.25pm BST

Sadio Mane joins Mo Salah on 20 league goals. Henderson lofted a deep cross from the right towards Mane, who steered a precise header back across Lossl from six yards. That’s a deceptively good finish because there was no pace on the ball.

9.23pm BST

65 min Huddersfield make a change: Chris Lowe replaces Steve Mounie, who is still trying to decide whether to shoot or go round Alisson in the 52nd minute.

9.22pm BST

62 min Salah almost scores a great goal. This time he was on the left wing, or rather in the inside-left channel. He lobbed the ball over Kongolo 25 yards from goal, waited for it to bounce and flashed a brilliant left-footed shot that flew into the side netting at the near post.

9.18pm BST

61 min “Wijnaldum It Was Really Nothing,” says Richard Preston, who is talking Matt Dony’s language.

9.18pm BST

60 min Another dangerous low cross from the tireless Robertson is hoofed clear by Kongolo. I know journalists are supposed to be impartial and all that, but jeez I love Andy Robertson. Moments later, Keita shoots wide from 20 yards.

9.16pm BST

58 min “Hi Rob,” says David Kenning. “Slightly poignant thought about tonight’s game: if Bobby’s injury is as minor as Klopp is saying, this could well be Sturridge’s last ever game for Liverpool. Shame. He had that great season alongside Suarez but is clearly past his prime and isn’t the right kind of player for the team’s current style. On a more forward-looking note, I’m hoping that the comfortable lead prompts Klopp to give Gomez and the Ox a bit of game time in the second half. They could chase goals in a bid to close down the GD gap with City, but I can’t see the title being decided on goal difference so it would be a waste of time.”

I remember seeing Sturridge score one and make one for Manchester City at Blackburn when he was a teenager, and I thought he’d be a superstar. I know, sometimes even I get things wrong.

9.13pm BST

55 min Bacuna, who has come to life in the last few minutes, works Alisson with a stinging shot from 25 yards. Alisson flew to his right to beat it away.

9.11pm BST

54 min Both teams have goals disallowed for offside in the space of 40 seconds - first Bacuna for Huddersfield and then Sturridge for Liverpool. Sturridge was definitely offside; we haven’t seen a replay of Bacuna’s yet.

9.11pm BST

52 min A farcical piece of defending from Lovren almost leads to a goal for Huddersfield, and moments later Mounie misses a great chance. First Lovren kicked an attempted clearance off Bacuna, with the ball rebounding just past Grant in front of an open goal. Then Mounie was put clear with just Alisson to beat. He took a ludicrous amount of time, however, and was robbed by Mane.

9.08pm BST

50 min Van Dijk gives everyone a coronary by going down for 30 seconds or so after a challenge with Mounie. He receives a huge cheer when he gets to his feet, and he seems fine.

9.07pm BST

49 min Mane misses a good chance to make it 4-0, lobbing over the bar from just inside the area. Lossl was in no man’s land so that was an excellent opportunity.

9.06pm BST

49 min Liverpool play Barcelona on Wednesday night, so you’d expect Salah and perhaps Mane to be taken off at some stage in the second half.

9.03pm BST

47 min “I can’t see City dropping points again this season,” says Niall Mullen. “That’s why I’m lobbying for Liverpool’s points to be carried over into next season.”

9.02pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Liverpool begin the second half.

8.57pm BST

“Salah Take A Bow,” says Matt Dony, who is now speaking entirely in Smiths song titles.

8.55pm BST

That was Salah’s 20th league goal, which puts him one ahead of Aguero, Aubameyang and Mane in the hunt for the Golden Boot.

8.48pm BST

Peep peep! Liverpool have barely broken sweat, and they lead 3-0.

8.47pm BST

It was created by Alexander-Arnold, who curled a superb pass over the defence from the halfway line. Salah scampered inside Durm to meet the ball and lob it first time over the outrushing Lossl.

8.46pm BST

Mo Salah gets his goal on the stroke of half-time.

8.45pm BST

45 min Lovren makes a fine interception from Hogg’s dangerous low cross.

8.44pm BST

43 min Henderson misses an excellent chance. It was another fine move. Mane played in the overlapping Robertson, whose low cross towards Salah was half cleared by Stankovic. Henderson, following up, cracked it over the bar with his left foot.

8.42pm BST

41 min Sturridge curls a fine pass to Mane, who tries to run Smith in the area and is smartly tackled.

8.37pm BST

37 min “Hodgson and Benitez have already beaten Man City in the league this season,” says Mike Jopson. “It would be very fitting if Rodgers was to complete the set of former LFC managers to help out. Either that, or Peter Crouch scoring a late winner on Sunday. So much narrative potential!”

I’m sure all Liverpool fans will agree that, if they do win the league, the first thing they should do is commission a medal for their beloved Uncle Roy.

8.37pm BST

36 min This is starting to resemble a practice match, with a pretty slow tempo. Both teams know the match is over.

8.33pm BST

34 min “Have we talked about Joe Hart body language before and after the derby match?” says Jesse McClure. “When Keane is tearing into players, Joe Hart looks like he wants to be anywhere other than the set...”

I wonder why.

8.33pm BST

33 min Nothing much to report. Liverpool are cruising to victory, and should be able to eat into City’s goal-difference advantage. Not that it’s likely to matter. It would need both teams to drop points - a Liverpool draw and a City defeat - for it to come into play.

8.30pm BST

30 min “Hi again,” says Tim Woods. “I think Leicester is the game they are most likely to drop points. I also think this is far less likely to happen than us dropping them at Newcastle or against Wolves. The Spurs game showed they can ride their luck, blow teams away, and grind out wins. They managed to win at Everton and United, when we were a bit cagey. And they took four points of us. Fair play if they do it. But I would love it, love it etc etc.”

Timing of fixtures is so important, too. If you played United or Everton now you’d beat them, but in February/March a draw didn’t seem a terrible result.

8.29pm BST

29 min Sturridge, whose presence on the pitch I’d sincerely forgotten, larrups one over the bar from long range.

8.27pm BST

25 min “It would be quite poetic for Brendan to come back and have a major part in Liverpool winning the title, no?” says David Hunter.

Indeed. The presence of Brendan and Rafa in the title race makes it even more intriguing.

8.24pm BST

This is such a good goal. Van Dijk swaggers forward from the halfway line and finds Robertson. He curls a brilliant cross into the middle, where Mane gets between two defenders and plants an emphatic downward header into the net. Lovely goal.

8.23pm BST

Liverpool are going back to the top of the table.

8.22pm BST

21 min “I can’t find a way to shoehorn Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others into the game, but Frankly, Mr Shankly, if you have any sway at all over events, give Brendan your blessing,” says Matt Dony. “Or Sean. Or both. I mean, it’s not going to happen, but a man can still dream.”

You Liverpool fans, which game gives you most hope of City dropping points? Even though it’s their only remaining home game, I think Leicester’s the one. Vardy could hurt them, and they have a few cocky ballplayers as well.

8.19pm BST

19 min Liverpool are back on top after that slightly weird spell of Huddersfield dominance.

8.17pm BST

17 min Alexander-Arnold’s left-wing corner is headed over from 10 yards by van Dijk. It was a tricky chance because the ball was slightly behind him, so he did well to steer it anywhere near the goal.

8.15pm BST

15 min Salah hares into the area and pokes wide from 12 yards with his right foot. He should probably have played in Henderson on the outside.

8.15pm BST

14 min Grant wins a corner for Huddersfield, who are dominating this match. It’s curled in towards Mounie, who completely mis-hits a volley from 12 yards. It was a difficult ball to hit first time.

8.14pm BST

13 min Liverpool have been complacent since going ahead, which is understandable in the circumstances. Another right-wing cross, this time from Smith, is cleared unconvincingly by Alexander-Arnold. There’s a strong wind at Anfield, which is making those booming crosses more difficult to deal with.

8.12pm BST

12 min Liverpool will go top if they win tonight, which brings to mind another summery tune.

8.11pm BST

11 min “After the Manchester derby, this feels like a low-key, anticlimactic affair,” says Phil Podolsky. “Nothing to do with the football, everything with the absence of Roy Keane, whose punditry on Wednesday was about 500 times more gripping than the actual match. Every panel needs an Irishman whose relentlessly grim rage reaches boiling point whenever he sees that some French teenager is too slow in tracking back or whatever.”

It was utterly beautiful. Two yards, man!

8.10pm BST

10 min More good play from Huddersfield. Kongolo surges forward and plays the ball wide to Mbenza on the right. He fizzes a dangerous low cross between Alisson and the Liverpool defence, but Mounie can’t get on the end of it.

8.09pm BST

8 min “Nice try, but I’m with Rob Carey on this one,” says Tim. “I too read your comments after the Spurs match and hold you responsible for all of this.”

Well, if you insist.

8.07pm BST

6 min Huddersfield have started brightly, if you ignore the shambolic goal they conceded after 15 seconds. A left-wing cross finds its way to Mbenza, whose sidefooted shot is blocked.

8.05pm BST

3 min And now Huddersfield almost equalise! Stankovic, given a scandalous amount of space just inside the area, sidefoots a low shot that deflects off Lovren, loops over Alisson and ripples the side netting.

8.03pm BST

2 min Salah almost makes it 2-0 with a fierce rising drive that is beaten away by Lossl. Crikey.

8.02pm BST

It was a desperate shambles from Huddersfield’s point of view. The keeper Lossl played a short pass to Stankovic, who dithered and was robbed by Keita. The ball went to Salah, who pushed a return pass into the area for Keita, and he dragged a precise low shot across Lossl and in off the post.

8.01pm BST

Liverpool take the lead after 15 seconds!

8.00pm BST

1 min After a minute’s silence in memory of the late Tommy Smith, Huddersfield get the match under way.

7.58pm BST

The players are ready for business. This should be a very easy night for Liverpool.

7.57pm BST

“Good evening Rob,” says Rob Carey. “Not using a snarky tone here I promise, but a few weeks ago you were telling us it was Liverpool’s title. Now apparently they might as well give up. What’s changed? Did anyone really think Man Utd were going to get anything from City? Next you’ll be joining the experts who think OGS was appointed too early after wetting themselves over his managerial abilities a few months ago. I think they call it kneejerk don’t they?”

Well, I thought Liverpool would win all their games and City would drop two points somewhere. They haven’t, yet. As soon as City went out of Europe I thought they would win all their remaining league games. I might be right. And I might not!

7.52pm BST

“I honestly agree with you,” says a pained Hubert O’Hearn. “Liverpool get edged out for the PL and win Big Cup. I was starting to think about whether or not I should feel disappointed when I gave myself a smack across the face with a freshly caught salmon and gave myself a scolding. To see reaching the highest levels of both domestic and European football as anything other than a great season is to be he sort of snivelling, self-entitled yob fans of other clubs hate. Damn it, I WILL enjoy these last three weeks and this time. Not them, on to the butter, lemon and thyme.”

Admirable sentiments, with which I wholeheartedly agree. In fact, your take on Liverpool’s season reminds me of another of my favourite songs.

7.44pm BST

“OK Rob,” says Sully. “You are a glass-half-empty guy. Or gets to the bar after last orders is called. Hope springs eternal, man. Bright side of life.”

Actually, you’re right, I should be more positive about the situation - especially as it evokes the lyrics of one of my favourite songs.

7.30pm BST

“Come, come Mr Smyth,” says Ian Copestake. “You take just as much pleasure out of killing the dream as I do. But you know football is never straightforward. Except when it is. Which it often isn’t. This race is over when we say it’s over. By losing at home to a relegated side. Okay?”

7.14pm BST

Some pre-match reading

7.06pm BST

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returns to the Liverpool squad for the first time since his serious knee injury a year ago. Roberto Firmino is absent, presumably a precuation ahead of next week’s trip to Barcelina, so Daniel Sturridge starts. Huddersfield are without the injured Aaron Mooy.

Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, van Dijk Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita; Salah, Sturridge, Mane.
Substitutes: Mignolet, Milner, Gomez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shaqiri, Origi, Matip.

4.14pm BST

So now what? Liverpool supporters put so many of their eggs in the basket marked ‘Manchester United’ that they must now be starting to fear the worst. For all Jurgen Klopp’s positive vibes, he knows deep down that finishing runners-up with 97 points is not cool. Everyone connected with Liverpool must be struggling to escape the feeling that the title race is over. They know, but they don’t know.

It won’t be quite as painful as 2014, primarily because they have done so little wrong. But it will still be raw. And it will smart even more because two of the few things they did wrong – those tepid draws at Manchester United and Everton in late February and early March – look likely to cost them the league. Had they won either match, they would now be three games away from immortality.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on April 26, 2019 14:04

April 22, 2019

Brentford 2-0 Leeds United: Championship - as it happened

Neal Maupay and Sergi Canos scored lovely goals as Brentford all but ended Leeds’ hopes of automatic promotion with a ruthless display of counter-attacking

8.04pm BST

Here’s the report. Nick Miller was at Griffin Park.

7.17pm BST

That’s it for today’s blog. Thanks for your company - goodnight.

7.16pm BST

Pablo Hernandez wipes the tears as he walks off the field. Leeds’ players look pretty devastated, and you wonder how this will affect their morale going into the play-offs.

7.14pm BST

Sergi Canos speaks

“We enjoyed that game, it was a pleasure to play. We were confident that we could create chances and we did that really well. I had some messages from my old team-mates at Norwich telling me to score, so I’m pleased for them as well.

7.12pm BST

Still want more?

7.12pm BST

Peep peep! It’s far from mathematically certain, but trust me, Norwich and Sheffield United will be playing Premier League football next season. Leeds’ second defeat in four days has left them facing the peculiar misery of the play-offs. They had the better chances in the first hour of the game, and were denied a clear penalty at 0-0, but Brentford’s blood ran colder in the final third and they scored two lovely goals through Neal Maupay and Sergi Canos.

7.08pm BST

90+2 min Bamford’s shot on the turn is blocked at the expense of another corner. Leeds, to their credit, are not going quietly.

7.07pm BST

90 min The indefatigable Harrison wins a corner for Leeds. There will be five added minutes.

7.06pm BST

89 min Harrison’s curling free-kick from the left clears everyone in the centre and drifts out of play.

7.04pm BST

87 min Bielsa is growling at one of his players, Hernandez I think. This has been a grim Easter for Leeds.

7.03pm BST

86 min Another Brentford change - the impressive Ollie Watkins is replaced by Josh Dasilva.

7.00pm BST

83 min Leeds are running out of time. They need at least a draw to maintain any realistic chance of automatic promotion.

6.57pm BST

81 min Sergi Canos, who has been a pleasure to watch, limps off to be replaced by Emiliano.

6.56pm BST

79 min Watkins is booked for diving in the Leeds area. I think that’s a good decision from the referee, although it’s hard to be certain either way. He was challenged just inside the area by Forshaw and went over. At first I thought it was a penalty; now I’m not so sure.

6.54pm BST

77 min Klich is booked for plunging his studs into Maupay’s knee.

6.52pm BST

76 min Konsa is booked for a cynical foul on Hernandez.

6.52pm BST

75 min Leeds have had more possession, more shots and more corners. But, although it won’t appear in any statistical breakdown of the game, Brentford have had much more ruthlessness.

6.50pm BST

73 min Maupay is booked for something or other.

6.50pm BST

71 min: Canos almost scores a brilliant goal! Janvier made a fine interception in the Brentford area, and moments later they were on the edge of the Leeds box. Canos’s twinkle toes took him past Forshaw and through on Casilla, helped by a superb off-the-ball run from Maupay that distracted Cooper. Canos eschewed the simple finish from eight yards and tried to dance round Casilla, who did very well to dive and push the ball away.

6.45pm BST

67 min Having seen a couple of replays, I’m not sure Ayling did get the ball so that should probably have been a penalty to Brentford. It was nowhere near as clear and obvious as the Leeds appeal at 0-0, mind you.

6.44pm BST

65 min That could have been 3-0 to Brentford! Canos’s shot was blocked, and then Maupay’s scissor kick went just over the bar. There was also a penalty appeal for a challenge by Ayling on Watkins just before, though I think he got the ball.

6.42pm BST

64 min Leeds make their final substitution: Jack Clarke replaces Pontus Jansson, so Forshaw will move into defence.

6.40pm BST

It was another neat goal. Jeanvier won the ball near the halfway line and found Watkins on the left. He ran through Jansson, benefitting from a favourable ricochet, and shoved the ball infield to Maupay on the edge of the area. Maupay pushed a short through pass to Canos, who made a fine run and dinked the ball over Casilla from close range.

6.38pm BST

Brentford double their lead, and probably consign Leeds to the play-offs.

6.37pm BST

61 min Hernandez decides to cross rather than shoot and Watkins heads clear.

6.37pm BST

60 min Sawyers fouls Forshaw 25 yards from goal after another excellent high press from Leeds. Hernandez is over the ball...

6.36pm BST

59 min “Can’t agree re: ‘playing pretty well’,” says Eamonn O’Sullivan. “At any rate, winning ugly is better than losing pretty at this stage of the season.”

We agree on that, for sure.

6.34pm BST

58 min Leeds make their second change, with Kemar Roofe replacing Tyler Roberts.

6.34pm BST

57 min Another chance for Leeds! Hernandez plays a penetrative angled pass to release Roberts on the right, and he drills a low cross that is palmed away at the near post by the diving Daniels. The ball comes to Bamford, who can’t make space for a shot in a crowded area.

6.32pm BST

55 min “Playing like a bunch of lads with no confidence,” says Eamonn O’Sullivan. “Passing is awful. Can’t lose this one.”

You think? They’ve played pretty well to my eyes, though I suspect I’m nowhere near as Leeds-literate as you.

6.30pm BST

54 min Leeds have been superb in the first 10 minutes of the second half. The game is beautifully set up now, because Brentford are very happy playing on the counter-attack.

6.29pm BST

53 min Bamford heads over the bar from six yards, although he’d been rightly penalised for a push on Konsa.

6.29pm BST

52 min “Hey Rob,” says J.R. in Illinois. “You’ve got to admire the Mike Dean-esque dismissive finger wag which Keith Stroud employed on that stone cold, stonewall, lock-tight penalty in the first half. It must be nice to be so sure of yourself. Me, I’m riddled with self-doubt.”

6.28pm BST

51 min After some good build-up play by Leeds, Bamford sprays a slightly selfish shot high and wide from the edge of the area.

6.26pm BST

49 min Leeds have started the second half with ferocious intent. Jeez, I’d love to get a private rollocking from Bielsa.

6.24pm BST

47 min A defensive clearance is picked up by Hernandez, who shoots high and wide from 15 yards. For a player of his class, that was a chance.

6.23pm BST

46 min Dallas sets the Leeds agenda for the second half with a driving run and rising shot from 20 yards that is touched over the bar by Daniels.

6.21pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Leeds begin the second half.

6.07pm BST

Peep peep! Leeds missed a number of chances - and were denied a clear and obvious penalty - before Neal Maupay’s arrogant finish put Brentford ahead just before half-time. Leeds simply cannot afford a defeat here; can’t really afford a draw either. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.

6.05pm BST

45+2 min Roberts misses a fine chance to bring Leeds level, scuffing wide of the far post from 12 yards. Leeds have missed some great chances in this half.

6.04pm BST

The goal came from nowhere, though it was a quite majestic finish. Brentford had a throw-in deep in their own half; four touches later they were ahead. And one of those was the throw-in. It was hurled forward to Canos, who controlled the ball neatly and sliced Leeds open with an excellent through pass. Maupay marched onto the ball, finally reaching it at the edge of the D, and stabbed an insouciant curling shot past the outrushing Casilla. That was a lovely first-time finish, although it was brought to you in association with crap defending. There was nobody near Canos, and Maupay had a huge gap in which to run.

6.02pm BST

Brentford take the lead on the stroke of half-time!

6.00pm BST

42 min Klich curls a good effort from 25 yards that drifts a few yards wide of the angle of post and bar.

5.59pm BST

41 min A draw would be a bad result for Leeds, though not a terminal one. A defeat, realistically, would leave them needing snookers to finish in the top two.

5.58pm BST

39 min More supreme skill from Canos. He receives a short pass on the right edge of the area and drags his studs over the ball to move infield, away from Ayling. Then he hits a curling left-footed shot towards the far corner that is flapped behind by the diving Casilla. It wasn’t right in the corner so it was a save he would usually make; nonetheless, it was lovely play from Canos.

5.56pm BST

38 min “Rob,” says Graeme Stone. “Nothing will ever top this exhaustive collection of everything good about L**ds United.”

Now that is well Shackleton.

5.54pm BST

37 min Canos hammers a superb crossfield pass to Watkins, who tries to control and come inside Dallas in the same movement. Dallas does well to head behind for a corner. Nothing comes of it.

5.51pm BST

33 min Lovely play from Canos, who roasts Ayling on the left and tees up the underlapping Henry, whose shot is deflected over the bar by Cooper.

5.49pm BST

31 min Watkins steers a neat first-time through pass to Maupay, whose fierce shot from 12 yards has the pace taken off it by the stretching Jansson. That was a brilliant block.

5.48pm BST

30 min Watkins and Canos have switched wings in an attempt to get some joy.

5.47pm BST

29 min The stretching Harrison miscontrols the ball onto his hand, but the referee allows play to continue and he wins a corner. Nothing comes of it and therefore, as our friend Jurgen would say, it’s all cool.

5.46pm BST

28 min He curls it out towards the penalty spot, where Janvier does well to head away under considerable pressure.

5.45pm BST

28 min Harrison wins another left-wing corner for Leeds, which he’ll take himself…

5.44pm BST

27 min A quiet spell in the game. Leeds are still playing like the home side, with Brentford happy to play on the break for now.

5.43pm BST

25 min To the wise, a word: this will be absolutely brilliant, whichever team you support.

5.42pm BST

24 min Anyone out there? Millings? Dony? Naylor?

5.41pm BST

23 min That Leeds penalty appeal is an example of where VAR could be used without recourse to farce or injustice, because that was a clear and obvious error.

5.39pm BST

21 min Harrison wins a corner for Leeds, who are having a good spell. Harrison’s corner is headed away to Forshaw, whose low shot from 25 yards takes a deflection and drifts wide of the near post.

5.36pm BST

18 min Replays reinforce the view that Leeds have been done there. Janvier took a shortcut through the front of Bamford, and I’d love to know what the referee thought he saw. Moments before that penalty appeal, Bamford miscontrolled a beautiful long pass from Hernandez when he was through on goal. He could have scored a hat-trick already.

5.35pm BST

17 min: How is that not a penalty to Leeds? Bamford turned inside Janvier in the box and seemed to be clearly tripped, but the referee wasn’t interested.

5.33pm BST

15 min Alioski has an ice pack on his left calf. Cooper seems to okay, however.

5.32pm BST

14 min Henry’s corner is put behind for a corner by Cooper. It’s a dreadful corner, however, and I refuse to justify its existence by describing what happened.

5.31pm BST

13 min Brentford are starting to play some slick football. Watkins slips a short pass through to Maupay, who tries to turn the last man Cooper on the edge of the area and slips over. The ball comes to Canos, who slaps over the bar from 20 yards.

5.29pm BST

12 min A very disappointed Alioski limps off to be replaced by Stuart Dallas.

5.29pm BST

11 min Canos’s shot is blocked by Ayling after a good one-touch move from Brentford. They’re starting to come into the game. Leeds, meanwhile, also have a problem with Alioski, who slipped and has pulled something in his left leg. He needs to go off.

5.28pm BST

10 min Cooper is struggling, which is a huge worry for Leeds. It looks like a recurrence of his muscle injury.

5.26pm BST

9 min Leeds look really sharp, and so far Brentford haven’t been allowed to settle. Canos tries a shot from 35 yards. No.

5.25pm BST

6 min That was a hideous first touch from Roberts, which looks worse every time you see it.

5.23pm BST

5 min: Another chance for Leeds! Bamford flicks a loose ball forward to put Roberts through on goal, but his first touch is far too heavy and that allows Daniels to charge to the edge of his box and claim the ball.

5.22pm BST

4 min It’s been an intense start from Leeds, with and especially without the ball.

5.21pm BST

2 min: A good early chance for Bamford! Leeds won the ball high up the field and moved it from left to right. Ayling then dragged a short ball towards the penalty spot, where Bamford cracked a first-time shot just wide. He was being challenged as he took the shot and couldn’t get enough of his foot round the ball to curl it inside the post.

5.19pm BST

2 min Brentford have started with Canos on the left and Watkins on the right, rather than the other way round.

5.18pm BST

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

5.14pm BST

The players emerge from the tight Griffin Park tunnel, which is on the small side of intimate. Brentford are in red-and-white stripes; Leeds are in yellow.

5.12pm BST

Here’s more on Norwich’s fourth consecutive draw. They need four points from their last two games to be certain of promotion, although realistically a win at home to Blackburn on Saturday evening will be enough.

4.55pm BST

At the top of the Championship, it has finished Stoke 2-2 Norwich and Hull 0-3 Sheffield United. That means Norwich won’t be promoted today, whatever happens in this game.

4.17pm BST

Brentford (3-4-2-1) Daniels; Konsa, Jeanvier, Sorensen; Odubajo, Sawyers, Mokotjo, Henry; Watkins, Canos; Maupay.
Substitutes: Gunnarsson, Dasilva, Marcondes, Ogbene, Racic, Forss, Oksanen.

Leeds (4-1-4-1) Casilla; Ayling, Jansson, Cooper, Alioski; Forshaw; Hernandez, Roberts, Klich, Harrison; Bamford.
Substitutes: Peacock-Farrell, Phillips, Roofe, Dallas, Berardi, Shackleton, Clarke.

11.05am BST

God bless the EFL Championship sponsored by Sky Bet. While the top divisions in most countries are almost too predictable to function, the Championship remains a compelling miracle of randomness. That thought should sustain Leeds at a time when their chance of automatic promotion is threatening to slip away. If they can lose at home to 10-man Wigan, as they did so shockingly on Friday, then Sheffield United can drop points at Stoke on the last day of the season.

First, Leeds next to take it that far. They realistically need a minimum of four points from the next two games - away at Brentford today, and at home to record-breaking Aston Villa on Sunday. Their promotion rivals Sheffield United, who are cruising to victory at Hull this afternoon, have a home banker against Ipswich on Saturday.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on April 22, 2019 11:16

Aston Villa 1-0 Millwall: Championship – as it happened

Jonathan Kodjia’s first-half goal ensured Aston Villa set a new club record by winning their 10th consecutive game

3.18pm BST

Aston Villa secured a 10th successive win for the first time in the club’s history with a 1-0 Championship victory against Millwall at Villa Park.

Jonathan Kodjia’s goal in the 30th minute secured their memorable win and all but assured Villa of a place in the play-offs. Villa had been languishing in mid-table before starting their run, which has surpassed the previous best of nine consecutive victories set back in 1910.

2.55pm BST

Peep peep! Aston Villa set a new club record by winning their 10th consecutive league game, and probably ensure a play-off place as well. Jack Grealish ran the game, and the margin of victory would have been much greater but for some fine goalkeeping from David Martin. Although Millwall were outplayed. I think they showed enough to suggest they will avoid relegation.

Please do join Michael Butler for all the action in the 3pm games, and I’ll be back for Brentford v Leeds at 5.15pm. Thanks for your company, bye!

2.53pm BST

90+3 min Hourihane hits the free-kick into the wall.

2.53pm BST

90+2 min The superb Grealish is fouled by O’Brien on the edge of the D.

2.52pm BST

90 min Four minutes of added time.

2.48pm BST

88 min El Ghazi almost seals it on the break. He burst through on goal and opened his body to slide a low shot to the left of Martin, who made another fine save.

2.48pm BST

87 min “Rob, I presume you remember the Tunnicliffe chat when he was at United,” says Gerard Aston. “Is he any good?”

The great lost midfield of Pogba, Morrison and Tunnicliffe. He looks a good Championship midfielder, no more or less.

2.47pm BST

86 min A Millwall corner is headed back across goal and hooked over the bar on the volley. That was a half-chance for whichever player it was who had the shot.

2.46pm BST

86 min Davis is booked for deliberate handball.

2.44pm BST

84 min Another good save from Martin, who pushes Green’s volley behind for a corner. Villa should really have wrapped this game up by now.

2.40pm BST

80 min Millwall legend Steve Morison comes to replace Ryan Tunnicliffe.

2.39pm BST

79 min El Ghazi cuts into the area from the left and hits a fierce shot that is excellently saved by Martin, diving to his left.

2.37pm BST

76 min Villa make their last change, with Keinan Davis replacing the goalscorer Jonathan Kodjia.

2.35pm BST

75 min Villa have dominated the game in the last 15 minutes, though a one-goal lead leaves them open to a sucker punch.

2.33pm BST

72 min Grealish shimmers to the edge of area and sidefoots a shot that takes a deflection, wrongfoots Martin and drifts just wide of the post. He is such a graceful footballer.

2.32pm BST

71 min Pearce drives a long free-kick to the edge of the Villa area. Steer charges out like a drunk man chasing a balloon, gets nowhere near the ball and is relieved to see Cooper’s header drift wide of the far post.

2.30pm BST

70 min “Hi Rob,” writes Aditya Iyengar. “I’m a QPR fan but John Terry aside, glad to see Villa doing so well. On New Year’s Day, we had them on the ropes in a pulsating 2-2 draw at Villa Park, well above them and closing in on the play-off places. A couple of wins against Leeds, a thrashing of Swansea and countless defeats later, we are struggling to put up a team of eleven fit players. Today at Pride Park, we’ve got a wide midfielder playing right-back, a right-back playing centre-back, a central mid playing left back and four youth team players on the bench! Oh, and also we ain’t got no manager. Man, life sucks to be a QPR fan!”

You’ll always have Dennis Bailey I suppose.

2.29pm BST

68 min Grealish’s low shot from 12 yards is kicked away by Martin, a decent save as I think he was unsighted. Grealish started the move with a nice ball to Green, who returned it to Grealish in the area. He tried to pass it into the net but put it a bit too close to Martin. It’s just about the only pass he’s misplaced all day. He is such a class act.

2.26pm BST

65 min Villa have looked sharper since the substitutions. Grealish, who is so much better than anyone else on the pitch, plays a fine pass to the right of the area for Green. He takes a touch and then, from a tight angle, slams a shot into the side netting at the near post.

2.25pm BST

64 min Aiden O’Brien comes on for Millwall to replace James Meredith.

2.24pm BST

63 min Fine play from Grealish, who waits for the perfect moment to slide a pass that allows El Ghazi to shoot without breaking stride. He catches it well, too, and Pearce makes an excellent sliding block.

2.21pm BST

60 min Dean Smith has had enough of Villa’s sluggish start to the second half. He has made an early double change, with Conor Hourihane and Andre Green replacing Glenn Whelan and Albert Adomah.

2.17pm BST

56 min: Another chance for Kodjia! I don’t know where to start with this, because Kodjia went from the sublime to the ridiculous in record time. It started with a majestic run that took him past three defenders in a very tight space on the edge of the area. That put him through on goal – but then he flicked a dreadful shot with the outside of the right foot that went miles wide of the far post.

2.15pm BST

55 min Romeo shoots well wide from distance. Millwall look increasingly dangerous, though.

2.13pm BST

54 min Meanwhile, Football Weekly has landed.

2.12pm BST

52 min More assertive play from Wallace, who runs through a couple of Villa defenders but then lashes over the bar from 25 yards.

2.11pm BST

51 min Millwall have started the second half pretty well, with a lot of possession in Villa’s half.

2.09pm BST

49 min McGinn foulds Ferguson near the halfway line, which allows Millwall to send their centre-backs forward. Villa deal with the free-kick comfortably.

2.06pm BST

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

1.49pm BST

Peep peep! Villa lead through Jonathan Kodjia’s opportunistic finish in the 30th minute. It’s been a tight game, with few chances for either side, though Villa have edged it. See you soon for the second half.

1.48pm BST

45 min Jed Wallace, playing as a No10 for Millwall today, is a really accomplished footballer.

1.46pm BST

43 min An excellent left-wing cross from Wallace flashes right across the six-yard box. The ball is retrieved to Marshall, who has two shots blocked by Mings. He appealed for handball on the first, though nobody else seemed interested.

1.44pm BST

41 min McGinn turns neatly in the box and drives a low shot that is blocked by the sliding Cooper. McGinn’s inswinging corner is headed away at the far post, with Kodjia winding up for an acrobatic volley.

1.41pm BST

38 min Villa deserve to be ahead, though there hasn’t been much between the sides and Millwall look a threat from set pieces.

1.40pm BST

37 min Grealish is fouled 25 yards from goal, to the left of centre. El Ghazi’s free kick is well struck but too close to Martin, who holds it at the second attempt.

1.38pm BST

35 min Grealish’s long-range shot takes a couple of deflections and then hits Kodjia before bobbling through to Martin. A better touch would have given him a great chance of a second goal, although it came at him both quickly and unexpectedly.

1.37pm BST

34 min It’s worth repeating that

a lot of people can’t spell definitely
if Villa win today they will set a new club record of 10 consecutive league wins.

1.36pm BST

33 min A dangerous inswinging free-kick from Marshall is excellently headed away under pressure by Elmohamady.

1.34pm BST

He’s scored this time! That was a really nice, patient move from Villa. Grealish played the ball out to El Ghazi on the left. He slid a fine low cross towards the near post, where Kodjia gets in front of his man to lift the ball past Martin.

1.33pm BST

29 min: Kodjia misses an excellent chance! Leonard played a dreadful pass towards his centre-backs that put Kodjia through on goal. He charged into the area but stumbled as Martin came out, and though he went round the keeper he could only run the ball out of play.

1.31pm BST

27 min Cooper is booked for taking out Kodjia near the halfway line. Kodjia would have been through, though it would be a reach to say it was a clear goalscoring opportunity and therefore a red-card offence. Kodjia almost made the most of it, though Cooper’s uncomplaining response suggests he caught him.

1.29pm BST

26 min El Ghazi scoots past Romeo on the left and crosses towards Kodjia. Cooper gets there first to concede a corner, which is curled into the six-yard box by Grealish. Martin claims it confidently.

1.26pm BST

23 min Millwall have had the only shot on target so far, that long-range sizzler from Wallace.

1.25pm BST

22 min Grealish is fouled by Tunnicliffe down the Villa left. McGinn’s free-kick is headed over from 12 yards by a Villa player, okay. (There are no replays or live pause, with this being on the red button, so it makes it quite hard to identify players.)

1.22pm BST

20 min Mother of God. Ferguson wafts the free-kick into orbit.

1.22pm BST

19 min Jedinak sits on Gregory, 25 yards from goal. The laws of association football do not allow the use of opponents as a soft chair, so that’s a free-kick for Millwall in an excellent position...

1.21pm BST

18 min After a very slow start, Millwall have worked their way into the game and currently look the more threatening side.

1.19pm BST

16 min The resulting corner is swung beyond the far post, where Pearce cushions a dangerous cross back into the six-yard box. A Villa player - I’ll level with you, I’ve no idea who it was - dives to head clear.

1.18pm BST

16 min “When a referee has to warn against time-wasting five minutes into a match,” says Matt Dony, “you can be sure you’re in for a helluva game...”

To be fair, I think it was a misunderstanding. All Martin did was ask for a quick break so he could do his 1000-piece jigsaw.

1.18pm BST

15 min: Wallace almost gives Millwall the lead! That was a cracking effort, a stinging drive from distance that was palmed over the bar by Steer.

1.15pm BST

13 min Millwall have their first sustained spell of possession. The lively Wallace, involved multiple times in the move, eventually hits a cross on the turn that is belted away by Mings at the near post.

1.14pm BST

12 min This is so one-sided. It’s a really hot day, and Millwall are having to work like beasts without the ball.

1.12pm BST

9 min Villa continue to dominate, with the alert Cooper heading behind for another corner on the right. Grealish strolls across to take it. He curls it beyond the far post, where the under-pressure El Ghazi heads wide from four yards. That was a chance, although I think a free-kick was given for a foul on his marker.

1.10pm BST

6 min He did fancy it, and he curled it high over the bar. The Millwall keeper Martin is then warned for timewasting by the referee. In his defence, all he did was meticulously unfold a sun lounger.

1.08pm BST

5 min Grealish is flattened by Wallace, 30 yards from goal. I think Jedinak fancies this...

1.07pm BST

4 min It would be unfair to say Millwall haven’t had a kick so far. But most of them have been tackles.

1.05pm BST

3 min A confident start from Villa, who are moving the ball around smoothly. You’d think they’d won their last nine games or something.

1.03pm BST

1 min Villa kick off, from left to right as I look at my screen.

1.00pm BST

The coverage has indeed started.. The players emerge from the tunnel at Villa Park. Aston Villa are in claret and blue; Millwall are wearing their orange change strip. The third kit, produced by Macron, is sponsored by DCS Roofing as part of the deal which sees TW Drainage’s logo adorn the front of the home shirt for 2018/19 - the reverse of the previous campaign. A.T.P.B Ltd are once again back-of-shirt sponsor.

12.58pm BST

The match is live in the UK via the Sky Sports red button. My screen says ‘coverage will start shortly’. One should coco, given the match starts in a couple of minutes.

12.42pm BST

Mind the time

Here’s Alan McInally scoring a worldie, even before the word existed, for Villa against Millwall in the 1988-89 League Cup.

12.07pm BST

The teams

Aston Villa (4-1-4-1) Steer; Elmohamady, Jedinak, Mings, Taylor; Whelan; Adomah, McGinn, Grealish, El Ghazi; Kodjia.
Substitutes: Sarkic, Elphick, Hourihane, Green, Bjarnason, Lansbury, Davis.

10.13am BST

Hello. A league campaign is a marathon, but at some stage you have to sprint. Unless you’ve got the square root of bugger all left in your legs and decide to give the last lap a miss and instead have a lie down on the nice, soft, cool grass mattress giving you those come-to-bed eyes.

Most don’t choose that option, though. Aston Villa certainly haven’t. They have timed their surge perfectly - not to win the race, but maybe to end up on the podium. At the end of February, they had won two of their previous 14 league games and were the definition of mid-table mediocrity. Then, out of nothing, they walloped Derby County 4-0 to start a spectacular run of nine wins in a row. If they beat Millwall today they will set a new club record for consecutive league wins and all but secure their play-off place.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on April 22, 2019 06:55

April 21, 2019

Cardiff 0-2 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened

A scorching half-volley from Georginio Wijnaldum and a debatable late penalty from James Milner gave Liverpool a comfortable victory at Cardiff

9.06pm BST

7.56pm BST

6.29pm BST

That’s your lot. Thanks for reading, and for your emails and tweets. I’ll leave you with this, which gives a good overview of where we are at the top and bottom and the table.

6.27pm BST

Neil Warnock has been chatting into a microphone. Lots of stuff going on, but the pick of the bunch: calling Salah’s penalty “a 9.9 dive.” Lovely stuff. Also this is nice:

I think the groundsman must have thought there was a hosepipe ban. I thought it slowed us down a bit too.

No idea, I’ll have to ask him.

6.23pm BST

So here is the latest table. It would be so much better at the top if goal difference was a bigger factor. Even in the games where the result is decided (today late on for example, against Huddersfield on Friday), would give Klopp another thing to think about – whether to chase a 6-0 win a la Liverpool @ Palace in 2014.

6.19pm BST

Klopp speaks!

On a very dry pitch, against a team defending deep, this is not a joy. We defended the set pieces well, created chances, and then got the goal. The boys decided on that at half-time. With the second goal, Morrison used his hands four or five times, and it was a clear penalty.

Yesterday, we didn’t cut the grass or water it at Melwood. We trained for one hour and 10 minutes on it, and it really helped. We deserved these three points, and now have 88 points, that’s pretty special. We have momentum. I’m really proud of the boys.

6.09pm BST

Why is Louis Saha a pundit for Sky at Cardiff v Liverpool? Not sure, but I have to say he does look magnificent – busting a pair of sunglasses down on the pitch as he analyses the match.

Louis Saha looking like he’s about to drop the freshest of fresh mixtapes. pic.twitter.com/vH503XHuIX

6.06pm BST

Wijnaldum talks!

It was really hard. Because it was warm, they don’t put water on the pitch, we knew that already. Second-half, I think we controlled the game. It’s easier when the pitch is wet. We trained for my goal – the first half I told Hendo to tell Trent that I was in acres.

It’s a bit worse when you’re sat on the bench watching the game. You have to stay patient, with the score at 0-0. All we can do is win the rest of our games. Both teams have been ruthless and clinical. We’ve lost one game all year and we’re second. We just have to be perfect and see if that is good enough.

Virgil gives me plenty of stick for being an old man, so that one was for him really.

5.59pm BST

So, Liverpool regain top spot by two points, and next up face the seemingly easy task of Huddersfield at home on Friday. Manchester City, two points behind with a game in hand, and with the seemingly easy task of Manchester United away on Wednesday.

5.56pm BST

Michael Butler here, stepping in for Rob to mop up all the reaction. Anybody else want to play Neil Warnock Post-Match Interview Bingo?

5.51pm BST

Peep peep! Liverpool go back to the top with an ultimately comfortable victory. Georginio Wijnaldum’s screaming half-volley broke the game open shortly after half-time, and James Milner secured victory with a debatable late penalty. Liverpool were patient, mature and will be very happy with their afternoon’s work.

5.49pm BST

90+1 min “Is that just a desperate attempt to engineer a talking point?” says Callum Macauley. “After having been dismissive of the clear and obvious talking point - Cardiff’s attempt to cheat with the playing surface - throughout your commentary. It was about as obvious a penalty as you could ever hope to see, it’s quite disconcerting that you seem to be - consciously or not - overruling your senses/faculties.”

Your social skills, on the other hand, are happily intact.

5.47pm BST

90 min Etheridge makes an outstanding reaction save from Salah, who ran onto a scooped return pass from Firmino and kneed the ball towards the far corner from six yards.

5.45pm BST

87 min “That happens every match,” says Gareth Rogers. “The unfashionable teams NEVER get those penalties. Ever.”

It does feel like there are at least five such incidents in every game. At the other end, earlier in the second half, Robertson pulled Morrison’s shirt in the Liverpool area. That said, Morrison was very heavy-handed with Salah and that asked for trouble.

5.45pm BST

85 min Joe Gomez replaces Trent Alexander-Arnold.

5.41pm BST

83 min Another Cardiff change: Josh Murphy replaces the ineffective Junior Hoilett.

5.41pm BST

Neil Warnock will go postal about that penalty. It’s a tricky one – Morrison put hands on Salah as he tried to turn in the area, and if you do that you’re asking for trouble. Most football instinct says it wasn’t a penalty, however, and at first I thought Salah dived. Having seen the replay I think he made the most of it, but then Morrison was all over him. It’s probably fair to say it was, at best, a soft penalty. Let’s be honest, though, it probably hasn’t changed the result.

5.38pm BST

Milner scores emphatically, and Liverpool are going back to the top.

5.37pm BST

80 min Cardiff are fuming. It’s been given for a tug by Morrison on Salah.

5.35pm BST

79 min Joe Ralls is replaced by Leandro Bacuna.

5.35pm BST

79 min In other news: Arsenal 2-3 Palace (Aubameyang)

5.35pm BST

78 min Ralls, in futile pursuit of Mane, does his hamstring and will need to go off.

5.34pm BST

77 min A driven free-kick from the halfway line is controlled superbly on the run by Mendez-Laing, who is about to shoot when Henderson appears to concede a corner. Mendez-Laing has been really impressive today.

5.33pm BST

75 min Fabinho is replaced by James Milner. It surely won’t be long before football introduces a fourth ‘concussion substitute’. I wonder what would have happened there had Liverpool already used all three subs.

5.32pm BST

74 min Fabinho wants to continue but has been overruled by the medical staff. Full credit to them for that, because a lot of times the player is allowed to make the decision, even if he doesn’t know what day it is.

5.31pm BST

73 min Fabinho is down after a clash of heads with Zohore. He looks really groggy and might not be allowed to continue.

5.29pm BST

72 min Palace are now 3-1 up at Arsenal. That means they’ve scored three at the Emirates, the Etihad and Anfield this season. Roy for England!

5.28pm BST

70 min Liverpool are still hunting a second goal – they don’t want to go into the last few minutes only one goal ahead - and Robertson wins a corner after some brilliant wingplay from Mane. Before it can be taken, Fabinho replaces Naby Keita.

5.26pm BST

69 min “Hey Rob,” says J.R. in Illinois. “Arsenal have one-upped themselves in the defensive comedy stylings department and now trail 1-2. Wait until you see Palace’s second goal. Mercy.”

5.25pm BST

68 min Hoilett knees the ball back to Etheridge, who looks at it quizzically and then picks it up. It seemed like a backpass but Martin Atkinson decided otherwise.

5.24pm BST

66 min Cardiff make their first change, with Kenneth Zohore replacing Oumar Niasse.

5.23pm BST

64 min: Morrison misses an open goal! I cannot believe he missed that. Alisson came for a right-wing corner and got nowhere near it, which left Morrison at the far post with an apparently simple header from a few yards. But he mistimed his dive and the ball hit him on the back of the neck before screwing wide of goal. There must have been a slight deflection, because it’s hard to see him mistiming his header otherwise.

5.20pm BST

62 min Liverpool are all over Cardiff, trying to put them away in the next 10 minutes.

5.19pm BST

61 min: Henderson misses a sitter! Oh my, what a chance to finish the game. It came from the old high press, with Keita robbing Gunnarsson 25 yards from goal. He found Mane, who put it on a plate for Henderson – but he wafted it off the bar from 10 yards.

5.17pm BST

60 min After more good play from the impressive Mendez-Laing, Hoilett’s left-footed curler from the edge of the area is comfortably saved by Alisson.

5.17pm BST

59 min “I realise it’s asking you to multi task,” says John Tumbridge, “but what’s happening at Arsenal?”

1-1. Ozil. Brexit still up for grabs.

5.15pm BST

It was a superb training-ground set piece from Liverpool, a bit like the old Anderton/Sheringham corner. Alexander-Arnold, who took the corner on the right, dragged it away from goal towards the near post, where Wijnaldum arrived to sweet-spot a belting half-volley past Etheridge. That was a really fine goal, because it wasn’t an easy ball to hit. But by jove did he hit it.

5.13pm BST

And there it is!

5.13pm BST

56 min Morrison concedes another corner. A Liverpool goal feels increasingly inevitable...

5.12pm BST

55 min Alexander-Arnold smashes over the bar from 20 yards. Cardiff can’t get out.

5.11pm BST

54 min Mane wins a corner for Liverpool, who are starting to assert their superiority in the second half.

5.10pm BST

52 min Liverpool are trying to increase the pace of the game, although it’s not easy on such a slow, dry pitch. I have no problem with Cardiff’s tactics at all, but I suspect we’ll hear plenty about the state of the pitch if Liverpool fail to win.

5.09pm BST

51 min Salah turns beautifully and stabs a pass forward to Alexander-Arnold, who moves into the area but then slips over. Moments later, Mane cracks a curling shot just over the bar from the left side of the box. Good effort, that. He has been Liverpool’s best attacker.

5.07pm BST

49 min “Afternoon Rob, and Happy Easter!” says Simon McMahon. “Talking of close finishes, Dundee United’s only league title won in 1983 was pretty tight. We needed to win at Dens on the last day, and duly did so 2-1. Had Dundee equalised, however, both United and Celtic, who won 4-2 at Ibrox, would have finished on the same points, and with the same number of goals scored and conceded. A play off would have been arranged, I think, to decide the winner. Imagine that! And Aberdeen could also have pipped both to the title had results gone their way on the final day. The final league table read:

5.06pm BST

48 min Mendez-Laing’s inswinging cross is headed onto the roof of the net by the leaping Morrison, who couldn’t get over the ball and looped it gently towards goal. His shirt was tugged briefly by Robertson, though I’m not sure there was enough for a penalty.

5.02pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Cardiff begin the second half. This is a(nother) big 45 minutes for Liverpool.

4.54pm BST

“Peep!” says Allan Castle. “Halftime - Arsenal 0 Crystal Palace 1. So far, a throwback to late stage Wenger. Arsenal dominating possession but unimaginative in the final third. Palace defending en masse and made the most of their best opportunity. They might have had three, but for an excellent double save by Leno shortly before halftime followed by Benteke blazing over the bar. Arsenal missing the wit and energy of Aaron Ramsey, though Özil came more into the game as the half wore on. Palace will be deservedly happy. Emery needs to shuffle his pack.”

4.48pm BST

Peep peep! Liverpool will again have to go to the well in the second half. They dominated first half, albeit without creating many chances. The best, by far, was missed by Roberto Firmino. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.

4.47pm BST

45+2 min ... but Alexander-Arnold slaps the free-kick into the wall.

4.47pm BST

45+2 min Mane is taken down 22 yards from goal by Gunnarsson. Good chance, this...

4.45pm BST

45 min The second corner leads to another devastating Liverpool break. Henderson slightly overhits a pass down the left to Alexander-Arnold, whose cross is headed behind for a Liverpool corner.

4.44pm BST

44 min: Good save from Alisson! The corner was headed to the edge of the area, where Camarasa mis-hit a volley into the ground. It bounced up to Niasse, who shinned a shot on the turn from six yards that was palmed over by Alisson. It was a comfortable save really, but Niasse might have done better.

4.43pm BST

43 min Hoilett wins a corner for Cardiff down the right. Set pieces are their main chance of a goal today.

4.41pm BST

42 min “Barcelona’s scouts will return from this game with a definite piece of advice,” says Phil Podolsky. “Turn the sprinklers off.”

4.41pm BST

41 min Alexander-Arnold’s deep, inswinging corner is headed down into the six-yard box by Firmino and claimed by Etheridge.

4.40pm BST

40 min There’s been no sign of panic from Liverpool, though there is a burgeoning frustration. I still think they’ll win comfortably – it’s a hard shift, especially in this heat, to defend for so long. Cardiff haven’t had a decent attack for about 15 minutes.

4.38pm BST

39 min Mane, played through on goal by Matip, is flagged offside. It was a seriously close call, and I’m not sure he was off.

4.37pm BST

38 min “Update for 2011-12,” says Phil Grey. “W28 D5 L5.”

Aye. It’ll be many decades before we see a Premier League title race with such a dramatic finish, though the quality wasn’t always that high. Both sides did a Devon Loch at different stages. I’d be surprised if that happens this year.

4.36pm BST

36 min Liverpool are so dangerous on the break from opposition corners. Henderson curls a long pass forward to Salah, who tries to run the last man Manga and is eventually dispossessed just inside the area.

4.34pm BST

34 min: Fine save by Etheridge! Henderson’s through pass bounced off Manga into the path of Salah, who flicked it towards the near post with the outside of his left foot. Etheridge flew from his line to make an excellent stop. It does feel like a goal is coming.

4.31pm BST

32 min An injury to Niasse gives the players the chance to take a drinks break. It’s a really warm day in Cardiff.

4.31pm BST

31 min Alexander-Arnold flashes a fine cross to the near post, where Mane gets in front of Morrison and knocks the bouncing ball over the bar from six yards. It was an instinctive effort, so I’d be loath to call it a bad miss.

4.30pm BST

30 min “Hi Rob,” says Phil Grey. “I’m certainly not going to argue that this isn’t an incredibly thrilling title race, but I can’t believe people go further back than 7 years ago when looking for something similar. City and United both finished on W25 D5 L5 and City won on goal difference, basically as a result of winning 6-1 at Old Trafford. And how can anyone forget how they beat QPR???”

None of us will ever forget the 35-game season.

4.29pm BST

29 min “17 mins - GOAL!” says Allan Castle. “Arsenal 0 Crystal Palace 1. Christian Benteke rises above crap Arsenal marking to power an unchallenged header past Leno from a free kick.”

4.28pm BST

28 min A lot of Liverpool moves are breaking down around the edge of the box. They haven’t been entirely on it so far, although Mane looks sharp.

4.27pm BST

27 min Liverpool are showing their new maturity and patience, moving the ball from side to side to stretch Cardiff. But it feels like the game is on the edge of becoming an emotional free-for-all.

4.25pm BST

25 min Another excellent run from Mendez-Laing, who beats Alexander-Arnold twice down the left before lofting a cross that is cleared desperately by Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold has had a really bad start defensively.

4.23pm BST

22 min: Dreadful miss from Firmino! It was a high-class move from Liverpool. Salah played the ball square to Mane, who slipped a delicious through pass to Firmino in the area. He looked certain to score but leant back and curled the ball over the bar with his left foot. Firmino looked round to see if he was offside, probably hoping he was. He wasn’t.

4.20pm BST

21 min “I meant the Guardian « you », not the Rob Smyth « you »!” says Peter Manno. “Assumed it was just us Americans who don’t get all the games. Thanks!”

You’re welcome!

4.20pm BST

20 min Salah produces a brillant turn to beat Manga, who does equally well to recover and win the ball. Liverpool’s players are getting a bit tetchy with one another, Robertson in particular.

4.18pm BST

19 min “Yup,” says Matt Dony. “Darts in top pocket, taking apart my cue, racket in my bag, and taking my football home with me. Stick a fork in the league, it is done. Barcelona, on the other hand. Now, that’s exciting.”

4.18pm BST

18 min Firmino’s snapshot from the edge of the area is well blocked by Manga.

4.15pm BST

15 min: Chance for Cardiff! Mendez-Laing roasts Alexander-Arnold and crosses beyond the far post to Hoilett. His first touch is a bit heavy and that allows Robertson to get across and block the subsequent shot. The resulting corner is palmed away unconvincingly by Alisson and Liverpool break dangerously through Salah, who tries to run Peltier and loses the ball.

4.12pm BST

13 min Mane shoots high and wide from 25 yards.

4.12pm BST

12 min Keita slides a good pass down the inslde-left channel to Mane, who is smartly dispossessed in the area by Morrison.

4.11pm BST

12 min It’s been a good few minutes for Cardiff, with Niasse starting to look a threat when he pulls out to the left.

4.10pm BST

11 min “You can’t be bothered to live comment the Arsenal-Palace match?” sniffs Peter Manno.

I did offer to do both games simultaneously, which also writing a feature on the joys of reader interaction, but sadly it’s not on TV.

4.09pm BST

9 min The pitch is so dry, and if Liverpool don’t win today we will hear plenty about it from Jurgen Klopp.

4.07pm BST

7 min Cardiff’s first promising attack. Niasse runs Matip down the left and gets into the area, but he overruns the ball and it goes behind for a goalkick.

4.05pm BST

6 min The atmosphere is brilliant. But Liverpool have started with impressive authority and are completely dominating possession.

4.03pm BST

4 min “What do MU fans do on Wed?” says Peter Campbell. “Surely they’d hate to hand Liverpool the chance for their first title in 29yrs. But they also don’t want to lose to City at home or fall further behind for a champions league spot. I think if they’d performed better today MU fans could have stomached a loss to City but not anymore. Thoughts?”

I suspect, despite the contradiction, that most would rather City win the league while also wanting United to break into the odd sprint and not lose on Wednesday.

4.02pm BST

3 min Liverpool have had all of the ball in the first few minutes, probing for an opening. A very good spot from Gary Neville on Sky – the pitch hasn’t been watered so the ball is moving very slowly.

4.00pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Liverpool, in red, get the match under way. Cardiff are in blue.

3.58pm BST

It’s time for some football. There’s an admirably hostile atmosphere at the Cardiff City Stadium.

3.55pm BST

Matt Dony is putting his darts in his top pocket

“Can I be the first to offer my sincerest congratulations to City for winning the league. I’ll just prepare myself for next season, see what fresh disappointment the 2019/20 season brings. Ah, that’s unfair. This has been far from a disappointment. Liverpool have been brilliant. It’s just that City have been slightly brillianter. I’d love to see Liverpool win all their remaining league games, because 97 points is unbelievable. But, if they absolutely have to drop points, I’d rather see them go to Cardiff than anyone else. I’ve enjoyed having such a good run of Welsh representation in the Premier League. I don’t want to see it end yet. But then, if Liverpool did drop points, and then United pulled something out of the bag on Wednesday, it’d probably break something deep inside me. (Doesn’t seem too likely, though.)”

3.41pm BST

“When it comes to stopping Liverpool, Cardiff have one advantage over Barcelona: no one expects them to play open and attacking football against the world’s deadliest attacking trio just because they’re playing at home (though Warnock being a maverick they still might),” says Phil Podolsky. “As a Barca fan and widely respected tactical mastermind, I would play a double pivot of Busquets and Vidal behind Rakitic & Arthur to be on the safe side. But then Vidal is a chaotic presence and Liverpool thrive on chaos... The quandaries a modern tactician is faced with, I tell ya...”

That tie is going to be immense. I do fancy Liverpool, especially with the second leg at home. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Valverde played a diamond midfield, like he did at Betis a few weeks ago, with Vidal on the left.

3.26pm BST

The early game has finished Everton 4-0 Manchester United, and the scoreline flatters United. You can read all about it here.

3.18pm BST

Pre-match business

3.18pm BST

Still to come department

These are the remaining fixtures for each side after today. Cardiff have a decent chance of staying up, I think, although Fulham away looks a much tougher game than it did three weeks ago.

3.03pm BST

Cardiff City (4-2-3-1) Etheridge; Peltier, Morrison, Manga, Bennett; Gunnarsson, Ralls; Hoilett, Camarasa, Mendez-Laing; Niasse.
Substitutes: Smithies, Bacuna, Cunningham, Murphy, Reid, Harris, Zohore.

Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Substitutes: Mignolet, Gomez, Fabinho, Milner, Sturridge, Shaqiri, Origi.

12.13pm BST

This season’s Premier League doesn’t have a title race so much as a a blinking contest. Manchester City have won their last 10 league matches, Liverpool their last five. City last blinked on 29 January, Liverpool on 3 March. The likelihood is that whoever blinks first - if anyone blinks at all - will not win the title.

Pound for pound, this is probably the most relentless Premier League title race since 2001-02. All Liverpool can do is win at Cardiff today and then cheer on their beloved Manchester United against City on Wednesday night. That still seems the game in which City are most likely to drop points - although if United play as they have at Everton this afternoon, City might become the first Premier League team to score 100 goals in a single game.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on April 21, 2019 10:29

← Previous 1 2 … 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 … 204 205 Next →

Rob Smyth's Blog

Rob Smyth's profile
4 followers

Rob Smyth isn't a Goodreads Author (yet), but they do have a blog, so here are some recent posts imported from their feed.