Rob Smyth's Blog, page 94
March 6, 2021
India beat England by an innings: fourth Test, day three – as it happened
Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin took five wickets apiece as India overwhelmed England’s batsmen to complete a 3-1 series victory
11.08am GMT
That’s it for our liveblog. Thanks for your company and emails, today and throughout a thrilling series. We’ll be back on Friday for the start of the T20 series. Good day!
Related: England fall apart again as spinners wrap up innings win and series for India
11.06am GMT
And here’s Virat Kohli
“The comeback pleased me the most. The first game was a bit of an aberration – the toss was important and England outplayed us. Our bowlers weren’t in the game on the first two days. From the next game onwards it was more exciting cricket, and we played with greater intensity. Our bench-strength is as strong as it’s ever been, and that’s a great sign for Indian cricket.
11.01am GMT
The Man of the Series is... Ravichandran Ashwin
“The fact we have qualified for the World Test Championship final gives me the most satisfaction from this series. Our intensity was very low in [the first Test in] Chennai and after that we had to pick ourselves up and win three on the bounce. I thought every time there was a challenging passage of play, someone put their hand up and delivered for us.
10.56am GMT
Specialist subject: the bleedin’ obvious
The Man of the Match is Rishabh Pant.
10.51am GMT
Here’s Joe Root
“[What are the positives from the series?] The way we played in the first game, obviously, and the fight and character showed by the guys. Huge credit to India – they’ve outplayed us, we’ve got to be honest and realistic about things. We’ve still got a big year ahead and it’s really important that we become a better team for this experience.
10.46am GMT
The presentation is about to begin, so we’ll hear from Joe Root in a second.
10.46am GMT
England’s biggest mistake was to pick the wrong team for the third and fourth Tests. I’m not sure it would have made much difference, mind you - the second Test broke the England batsmen.
10.41am GMT
India have won their last 13 Test series at home, going back to England’s victory in 2012-13.
10.39am GMT
Read all ab- oh fair enough
Related: England fall apart again as spinners wrap up innings win and series for India
10.37am GMT
Let’s push things forward
If England beat New Zealand 2-0 and India 4-0 this summer, they’ll be top of the Test rankings. And Covid will have buggered off, so we’ll be able to gather for the open-top bus tour.
10.29am GMT
I wonder what Shahbaz Nadeem makes of all this. His struggles seem a long time ago.
10.27am GMT
Selected series averages
10.24am GMT
This is (yet) another great spot from Tim
#INDvENG Congratulations to Dan Lawrence, the only Englishman to make more Test runs in the whole winter than Joe Root made in his second-best innings
10.23am GMT
England made the mistake of winning the first Test, and by heaven India punished them for their effrontery. They have slaughtered England in three consecutive Tests, playing some exhilarating cricket in lively conditions. England weren’t good enough, though some of their players deserve great credit, particularly the extraordinary James Anderson. But this is all about the brilliance of India: the new spin twins of Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel, who gave a month-long spin-bowling clinic; the class of Rohit Sharma; the naked talent of Rishabh Pant. They’re the best team in the world, and because of this result they have the chance to become the first winners of the World Test Championship.
10.19am GMT
It’s all over! Lawrence misses, Ashwin hits, and India have won the series 3-1. Ashwin gets his five-for - and, most importantly, India will play New Zealand in the World Test Championship final.
10.15am GMT
Nine down, one to go. Leach edges Ashwin low towards slip, where Rahane takes another accomplished low catch. He knew he was out this time and casually tossed the ball away. The umpires went upstairs to check, and replays confirmed it was out.
10.13am GMT
53rd over: England 134-8 (Lawrence 50, Leach 2) Lawrence works Patel for a single to reach a fine fifty from 93 balls, an innings full of personality and composure. Well played.
10.10am GMT
53rd over: England 132-8 (Lawrence 49, Leach 1) A maiden from Ashwin. The ball before the review was another jaffa that roared past Leach’s outside edge.
10.08am GMT
Leach is not out He missed it by a mile, mainly because it turned prodigiously. That’s a great advert for DRS.
10.07am GMT
REVIEW! Leach given out caught behind It was an instant review from Leach, so maybe he didn’t hit it.
10.01am GMT
52nd over: England 132-8 (Lawrence 49, Leach 1) Washington Sundar replaces Axar Patel (23-6-46-5). Lawrence pushes a couple to move to 49 and then defends the rest of the over. Time for drinks.
“Aside from the wreckage of these last three Tests, can’t we agree that it’s not all total desolation?” says Guy Hornsby. “Lawrence has looked one of the few bright things this last week. He looks relatively unafraid, I hope he gets a run in the team. Leach has been pretty solid, in spite of some treatment. Root was a class act much of the time but really weighed down by so much responsibility. Stokes had looked better after being all at sea. Sibley also looked less shaky, with albeit bad luck. Jimmy was just, well Jimmy. You have to hope the likes of Pope, Crawley, and Burns just aren’t scarred by this too much. They should all be much better at home and in Oz. God, that felt odd, but we can’t just think we’re an appalling team overnight. Even New Zealand would struggle here.”
9.59am GMT
51st over: England 130-8 (Lawrence 47, Leach 1) Lawrence is batting normally, even though there are only two tailenders left. He waits for a poor ball from Ashwin and smashes it round the corner for four, and then keeps the strike with a single. He threw away a fifty in the first innings; this time he looks like equanimity personified.
9.55am GMT
50th over: England 125-8 (Lawrence 42, Leach 1) Lawrence shovels Patel off the pads for another single, then Leach inside-edges a hack past leg slip. The commentators are discussing what team India might pick for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand, specifically how on earth they are supposed to choose between Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.
9.52am GMT
49th over: England 122-8 (Lawrence 40, Leach 0) England need another 38 to make Indi a bat again. More to the point, Ashwin needs two wickets for another five-for, and he beats Leach with a gorgeous dipping offbreak from around the wicket.
9.50am GMT
48th over: England 121-8 (Lawrence 40, Leach 0) Lawrence thumps a long hop from Patel for four, then lofts the next ball down the ground for another boundary. He’s batted extremely well in this Test. See, even the apocalyspe has a silver lining.
9.47am GMT
47th over: England 112-8 (Lawrence 31, Leach 0) On the plus side, Dan Lawrence has looked good.
“Who will be the Man of the Series?” wonders Madhu Balasubramon. “Root and Rohit had a few good knocks. Pant and Patel have announced themselves in no uncertain way. But my vote goes to Ashwin, who is still the highest wicket taker, and the fifth highest run getter in this series.”
9.44am GMT
46th over: England 111-8 (Lawrence 30, Leach 0) Axar Patel now has 27 wickets at 10.07. This is up there with the greatest debut series of all time: Alderman, Hogg, Doshi, Headley, Gavaskar, Pietersen, Cork.
“Morning Rob,” says Henry Lubienski. “I hope they don’t burn Lawrence by batting him at three. Bell, Root, even KP had a start batting a bit further down. Trott was only one to start at three. When Stokes comes back then he, Crawley, Root, Pope, Lawrence & Sibley should be in the top six. What would speak against Stokes batting at three?”
9.41am GMT
Another five-for for Axar Patel! Bess under-edges a slog sweep and is smartly taken by Rishabh Pant. Patel has taken four five-wickets hauls in his first three Tests.
9.39am GMT
45th over: England 111-7 (Lawrence 30, Bess 2) It should be a matter of time now. I still think three wins and three defeats represents a decent winter for England. The downside is that all the key performances have been from established players, so the team hasn’t really developed. That said, this is such a valuable education for the batsmen.
“I do think this series has made a good case for the value of Jos Buttler to this team,” says Phil Harrison. “Not only is he an increasingly reliable Test batter (he’d have launched at least one momentum-shifting counter-attack in the games he’s missed here) but I feel like Root captains better when Buttler’s alongside him. Hard to see a way for both him and Foakes to play but it would be nice.”
9.36am GMT
44th over: England 111-7 (Lawrence 30, Bess 2) Axar Patel is one wicket away from his fourth five-for. This is his third Test.
“Hi Rob,” says Darrien Bold. “I remember scoffing at suggestions a few months ago that Keaton Jennings would have “done a job” in the last two series as a decent player of spin, despite his modest record. Did England miss a trick there or is that a stretch? Did Pope’s excellence at short leg cost him a place in the squad?”
9.33am GMT
Ben Foakes goes in unusual circumstances. He edged Patel towards slip, where Rahane grabbed the ball just above the ground and then signalled to the square-leg umpire that he wasn’t sure whether it carried. When the umpires went upstairs to check we assumed it would be not out, but replays showed Rahane got his fingers under the ball as he swooped to his left. That’s a terrific catch.
9.31am GMT
43rd over: England 109-6 (Lawrence 30, Foakes 12) England are six away from their first fifty partnership since the first innings of the series.
9.27am GMT
42nd over: England 108-6 (Lawrence 30, Foakes 12) And now Patel has changed ends to replace Washington. His second ball spits nastily to beat Lawrence, who is rattled and goes for a big drive off the next delivery. It takes the edge and flies wide of Kohli at slip. Then Lawrence is beaten again by a jaffa. A quite brilliant over from Patel, whose decision to change ends looks a good one.
9.24am GMT
41st over: England 106-6 (Lawrence 28, Foakes 12) Ashwin has changed ends to replace Patel. Virat Kohli has rotated his three spinners a lot either side of tea, impatient for a seventh wicket. Nothing doing in that over.
9.20am GMT
40th over: England 104-6 (Lawrence 27, Foakes 11) Now Ashwin is hooked after two wicketless overs, with Washington replacing him. Foakes drives a single to bring up the hundred, the first of five in the over. These two are batting really well.
9.18am GMT
39th over: England 99-6 (Lawrence 25, Foakes 8) “I’d probably go Burns (though I would demand he has a haircut), Sibley, Crawley, Root, Lawrence, Pope, Foakes, Woakes/Curran, Leach, Archer/Wood/Stone, Anderson/Broad,” says Jeff Ando. “Although arguably we’re a bowler light against the Kiwis with no Stokes.”
That’s a good point, though Root is a passable fifth bowler I guess. It’s not ideal, but that New Zealand series could become a shootout for four top-six places (1, 2, 3, 6) in the return series against India. You can make a case for dropping any of the others (even Crawley, who I really like, has had a miserable run of scores this winter), but I’d be inclined to cut the younger players in particular a bit of slack. They all need runs next summer though.
9.14am GMT
38th over: England 98-6 (Lawrence 24, Foakes 8) India are rattling through the overs in about the time it takes me to read and edit an email. A maiden from Ashwin to Lawrence. These two have played well, with plenty of pride and common sense.
“Rollocks, Bob,” says Guy Perry, though he didn’t really say rollocks, or Bob. “Power cut’s ended in Kerala. Now watching the collapse, sound off, and blasting out Quadrophenia. We’re crap at cricket but sublime in angry 70s rock. Take that, India.”
9.12am GMT
37th over: England 98-6 (Lawrence 24, Foakes 8) Foakes is defending with determination and expertise, and is the subject of fulsome praise from Sunil Gavaskar. He has 8 from 34 balls, Lawrence 24 from 38.
“Your closing comments on the 29th over regarding Ricky Ponting,” begins Matt Dony. “Feels like they should have started with ‘Listen, guys’, and been delivered while sitting backwards on a chair.”
9.09am GMT
36th over: England 97-6 (Lawrence 23, Foakes 8) Washington Sundar is pulled out of the attack after two wicketless overs, with Ravichandran Ashwin replacing him. It’s a quiet over, just a single from it.
“Agree with Andy Moore pre-tea,” says Phil Harrison. “One of the things I look forward to least after this kind of series is the agonised post-mortem when the defeat that literally everyone predicted would happen, has happened. Basically, England win a series in India about once every 25 years. And it’s roughly the same the other way around too. Let’s not do the hand-wringing thing this time eh?”
9.06am GMT
35th over: England 96-6 (Lawrence 22, Foakes 8) Patel ends another good over by turning one past Foakes’ outside edge.
“Morning Rob!!” says Simon McMahon. “The game was up yesterday when Rishabh Pant smashed his way to a hundred. He bats in technicolour, England monochrome. All of which leads me to note that the Pantone colour(s) of the year for 2021 are ‘Illuminating’, a bright yellow, and ‘Ultimate Gray’, a not so bright gray. ‘A marriage of colour conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting’. Bit like cricket, really. And Buckfast.”
9.04am GMT
34th over: England 95-6 (Lawrence 21, Foakes 7) Washington Sundar continues after tea. Lawrence, forcing to leg off the back foot, gets a leading edge that lands safely on the off side.
“Interesting to hear you think Lawrence should bat at No3 and that Crawley is more of an opener but could still do a job at 3,” says Jeff Ando. “What would your top order be for the next Test in that case? Do you think Lawrence has the technique to go at first drop and who from Burns/Sibley misses out with this plan? Also, what do you make of the Pope situation and the creeping accusations that England are ‘hiding’/overprotecting him? Lots to ponder it seems!”
8.41am GMT
33rd over: England 91-6 (Lawrence 19, Foakes 6) Ashwin has changed ends to replace Patel. Lawrence continues his purposeful innings with a crisp cover drive for two, and then survives a big appeal for LBW. Ashwin was bowling round the wicket, so the umpire presumably thought it pitched outside leg. India go for the review. This is really close.
In fact, it’s not close at all. It pitched on the stumps but turned too much and would have missed leg stump.
8.37am GMT
32nd over: England 88-6 (Lawrence 17, Foakes 5) Washington Sundar comes on for a quick bowl before tea, replacing Ashwin. He must be full of the joys after that sparkling 96 not out earlier in the day - and he almost gets a wicket with his sixth ball. Lawrence swipes a full ball towards long leg, where it goes through the hands of the swooping fielder. It was a really good effort from whoever it was.
“Hope there is some perspective after this,” says Andy Moore. “Winning away especially in long series is rightly incredibly tough. You need a hugely strong side and a lot of luck. In 2012 England had Cook, KP, Trott, Bell, Swann, Monty, Jimmy. It was unreasonable to expect this side to achieve anything more than they have. If anything we underappreciate just how good that Strauss/Flower side was.”
8.31am GMT
31st over: England 83-6 (Lawrence 13, Foakes 4) Four of England’s first five partnerships in this series reached fifty. Since then: 72 partnerships, no half-centuries. They haven’t been good enough - Pulitzer please - but it has been desperately difficult. I don’t think any team in the world could have coped.
“I’d like to add to Pete Salmon’s list,” says Deepak Puri. “Growing up, I thought blowdarts and cat burglars would feature more heavily in my adult life than they actually have.”
8.28am GMT
30th over: England 78-6 (Lawrence 11, Foakes 1) Lawrence flashes hard at Ashwin, slicing the ball over slip for four. He looks in positive mood, as he was in the first innings. Might as well get the job done today.
“Good morning Rob, good morning everyone,” writes Em. “Were it not for the fact I’ve things to do today I’d mourn England’s collapse with the stack of Cobra I’ve got in my shed… mind you, have England been on the beers last night because they’re playing with a hangover?”
8.25am GMT
29th over: England 74-6 (Lawrence 7, Foakes 1) Foakes defends solidly against Patel, who hurries through another maiden. Foakes has had a slightly disappointing series with the bat, though he has defended better than most. Yes, yes, I know.
“Hi Rob,” says Giles Page. “This mauling/dismantling/implosion/sh*%storm over the last three tests is too painful to watch & listen to but strangely engrossing via OBO. I am right in hankering for a return of Sir AN Cook? Oh how we could do with at least one decent opener. Hameed had a reasonable Bob Willis Trophy & can play well in India, or has that man no possible return to Test cricket? Surely it is possible to find some decent openers. Crawley is a No3.”
8.22am GMT
28th over: England 74-6 (Lawrence 7, Foakes 1) “Someone on Twitter recently mentioned that they when they were a child they genuinely thought that quicksand and boa constrictors would be major issues when they grew up, and were relieved to find they weren’t,” says Pete Salmon. “I can’t stop thinking about that as I watch England bat.”
8.19am GMT
27th over: England 72-6 (Lawrence 6, Foakes 0) Lawrence rocks back to cut Patel decisively for four. I like the cut of this lad’s jib, and would play him at No3 in England’s next Test.
8.16am GMT
26th over: England 67-6 (Lawrence 1, Foakes 0) My gut feeling is that Root did inside-edge that delivery from Ashwin, but the evidence was inconclusive so there’s no way the third umpire could have overturned the decision.
“ROB, hello,” says Guy Perry. “I’m in Kerala thanking various deities for the power cut in my village which means I can’t watch the England collapse. Much ribbing will be suffered in the tea shops later. What can a young boy do?”
8.13am GMT
STOP TWITTER
Related: Alex Hartley: 'I don’t think I deserve to have people telling me to die' | Tanya Aldred
8.11am GMT
He’s gone!
8.10am GMT
He was caught on the back foot by Ashwin, plumb in front, but he must feel he got an inside edge as he pushed defensively across the line. I’m not sure he did.
8.09am GMT
ROOT IS OUT LBW - BUT HE REVIEWS IMMEDIATELY
8.08am GMT
25th over: England 65-5 (Root 30, Lawrence 0) Axar Patel, in his debut series, has 24 wickets at 10.66.
“Good morning!” says Anand. “Few days ago, you helped me by sharing my poll about two-day Tests. The results are in. It seems that complaining about the pitch on social media (a hybrid choice) seems to pip actual cricket! The times we live in!”
8.06am GMT
A brilliant stumping from Pant! Pope, unnerved by a jaffa the previous ball, came flying down the pitch and was beaten by a vicious delivery that turned and bounced. Pant, who was unsighted, took it near the top of the breastbone and reached forward to dislodge the bails.
8.03am GMT
24th over: England 64-4 (Root 29, Pope 15) A brutal delivery from Ashwin, bowling round the wicket to Pope, turns down the leg side for four byes. Pope then survives a muted LBW appeal after missing a reverse sweep and being hit on the arm. England are going down swinging.
8.01am GMT
23rd over: England 58-4 (Root 29, Pope 15) Pope, hurried by Patel, top-edges a sweep over the keeper’s head for three runs. I’ve just been looking at England’s batting averages for the whole winter: Root 72, Buttler 46, nobody else above 25.
7.56am GMT
22nd over: England 54-4 (Root 28, Pope 12) Pope charges Ashwin and drives him handsomely over wide long on for six. That was a lovely stroke, not least because it was against his nemesis. Pope is playing with the freedom of the damned, and later in the over is beaten trying a reverse sweep.
“All Simon Kirchin’s fault...” says Matt Dony by way of apology for what is about to follow. “Another Bad Day in the life of an England batsman. The fall-out will no doubt involve some Bang and Blame. Ultimately, Everybody Hurts. But, at least we’re all fairly used to this kind of situation. It’s not The End Of The World...”
7.53am GMT
21st over: England 48-4 (Root 28, Pope 6) The ball is doing all sorts for the spinners now, and Axar Patel has changed ends to replace Mohammed Siraj. Root does very well to drop a nasty delivery from Patel just short of slip, but there’s little he can do with a jaffa that drifts in and rips past the edge.
“You really do pick these special sessions, don’t you Rob,” says Guy Hornsby. “Welcome to the wake.”
7.51am GMT
20th over: England 48-4 (Root 28, Pope 6) Ravichandran Ashwin comes on to replace Axar Patel. Ollie Pope takes a hairy single to mid-on, though he would have been home even with a direct hit; later in the over he flicks uppishly past the left leg of Gill at short leg. This time he was unable to knee it to Rishabh Pant.
“Morning Rob!” says Amitabh Mukherjee. “The morning continues to slide on and so do the tired English batters. At least this clears up any and all illusions the media seem to be harbouring, that it was not just the pitch in the past two games that was the game changer. But rather the better bowling/batting and proof that the best team always wins in a four-Test series. Spin is the new seam. Change of guard. This here right now really defines the series for me.”
7.48am GMT
Thanks Tanya, morning everyone! That’s right, an exclamation mark. Sod it, have two: morning everyone!!
7.46am GMT
19th over: England 46-4 (Root 27, Pope 5) Five from the over as Pope jabs at Siraj’s final ball to bring up drinks. Time to hand over to Rob Smyth who will wrap things up for the day. Thanks for all the messages, enjoy your weekend!
7.42am GMT
18th over: England 41-4 (Root 24, Pope 3) I take that back, Root is allowed to sweep - a sweet shot, of which he has full control, wristy, languid and four. Kohli fields a ball, at point, his throw bounces awkwardly and hits Root square in the upper thigh area. Kohli pats him on the back in apology. Root smiles. Might there have been more bristle if it was the other way round?
“Tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of ‘Collapse Into Now’, R.E.M.’s fifteenth and final studio album. “ writes Simon Kirchin. “ The England cricket team are marking the occasion A DAY EARLY. They can’t even get that right.”
7.35am GMT
17th over: England 37-4 (Root 20, Pope 3) Kohli whistles for Siraj, whose hand must have recovered from his pre-lunch tumble. Must be for Root, who has looked assured against the spinners. What, then, is the prescription for England’s batsmen? A period of abstinence from playing the sweep? A cool, dark room?
7.32am GMT
16th over: England 35-4 (Root 19, Pope 2) Root watchful, the boyish grin still there, and a maiden for Axar Patel who wizzes through his overs like a dog eating a forbidden slither of bacon.
@tjaldred Please take this cricket off terrestrial TV immediately! Stick it behind a paywall, I beg you!
7.29am GMT
15th over: England 35-4 (Root 19, Pope 2) Ashwin continues to enjoy his dream playground. Root tops him around to square leg for a single and England limp on.
“Morning!” Mornig Kenny. “Just checked in to take a look at the OBO, and well, both Axar and Washington deserved better. A 50 and a 100 respectively would’ve gone a long way to acknowledge what a good job those two have been doing throughout this series. Axar has been a standout performer and Washington has efficiently done his part whenever asked to. Absolutely solid backbone for this team, kudos to them.Also, how unfortunate was that Sibley dismissal?”enny
7.26am GMT
14th over: England 33-4 (Root 16, Pope 1) Two goldfinches perch in the silver birch outside my window. Pope picks up a single off Axar and scarpers up the other end. My tea leaves say this will be over by tea.
7.23am GMT
Stokes sweeps, but it goes straight to short leg where an exuberant Kohli says merci bien. A dismissal that somehow manages to be a complete hybrid of both Sibley and Bairstow’s wickets.
7.21am GMT
12th over: England 29-3 (Root 12, Stokes 2) Ashwin has dismissed Stokes 11 times previously. And one fizzes past his outside edge, before he snatches a quick single to finish the over. Sunil Gavaskar stares at a delicious looking chocolate cake and waves a sharp knife around in the commentary box. I can’t quite work out why.
That just about sums it up @tjaldred. Switched on against my better judgement just in time to see us lose two for zilch, then Sibley trying to out-Pope Pope with a freak stinker. I promised myself I wouldn't end up in as bad a mood as yesterday but my god, my zen is crumbling.
7.17am GMT
11th over: England 29-3 (Root 12, Stokes 0) Stokes shifts off the mark with a single second ball. This is the England power house, but their energy must be sapped already and there’s another hour and a half before tea. Root plays out the remainder of Axar’s over.
“ “You can say Sibley was unlucky but surely a good sweeper of the ball can easily avoid the close fielder? You rarely see Root nail the guys around the bat. If Sibley can’t sweep well, put the shot away. And surely this has to be Bairstow’s last ever Test, regardless of how many CC runs he scores anymore? “ So stern Kevin Wilson on a Saturday morning.
7.14am GMT
101h over: England 28-3 (Root 12, Stokes 0) Two gorgeous shots from Joe Root, through the covers for fours of light relief. Ashwin goes round the wicket as a result.
7.12am GMT
10th over: England 20-3 (Root 8, Stokes 0) Stokes just has to bat for two days now.
“Good morning Tanya.” Hello Amelia!
“Anyone else a bit desensitised after last week. I feel like we are back in the groove of England batting circa the 90’s replace Atherton with Root and maybe a Ramprakash for Lawrence. I think we all know the major plot points of this movie. Looking forward to the sequel in England in the summer.”
7.10am GMT
Man, that’s unlucky. Sibley stretches forward to sweep and clops Shubman Gill on the left knee at short leg. The ball riccochets into the air and a quick-thinking Pant collects with a nod of thanks. Root removes his gloves and helmet and takes a deep breath
7.06am GMT
9th over: England 19-2 (Root 7, Sibley 3) Sibley’s bits and pieces technique survives four balls from Ashwin, though is beaten past the outside edge with the last.
Incidentally, Jonny Bairstow has now made six ducks in his last nine Test innings v India, which adds a little grist to Adrian’s mill.
7.03am GMT
8th over: England 17-2 (Root 6, Sibley 2) Root sweeps again, a top-edge but into the empty outfield. Axar finding bounce and turn.
“Morning Tanya” Morning Adrian Armstrong! “Will a generation of Indian children grow up to use the phrase ‘I’ll be with you in a Bairstow’?”
7.01am GMT
7th over: England 15-2 (Root 4, Sibley 2) Somehow, Root is still grinning.He sweeps a couple from Ashwin, he’s not going to go down meekly.
Phillip Pigott gets in first with what I suspect will be a few missives on the same subject. “YJB or rather, WhyJB?”
6.58am GMT
6th over: England 12-2 (Root 2, Sibley 1) Root teases Strauss, and flies very close to being lbw fourth ball to Axar Patel. Virat Kohli, who has had an appalling run with the review system , rejects Pant’s pleas. As it turns out, he’s right, it would have been umpire’s call.
6.54am GMT
5th over: England 10-2 (Root 1, Sibley 1) R Ashwin gets his huge paws on the ball. His second ball turns out of the dust past the diving Pant for four leg byes. His fourth traps Crawley , his fifth Bairstow wristily hands to Rahane, and his hat-trick ball? Root calmly tips into the leg side. At least no-one has been lbw to Axar yet.
6.51am GMT
Don’t look. Baristow guides his first ball into the hands of the waiting Rahane at leg slip. His third duck in four innings.
6.49am GMT
The ball pitches in the same spot as one that spun sharply earlier in the over, but doesn’t zip and zag but instead goes straight on. Crawley plays for spin, edges and the ball slips into Rahane’s hands at slip.
6.45am GMT
4th over: England 6-0 (Crawley 5, Sibley 1) It is Axar Patel to resume after lunch. A maiden that Sibley plays competently enough. Nicholas Varley, though, has his doubts.
@tjaldred Sibley's technique against Axar is the stuff of car crashes. He's all over the place.
6.42am GMT
“Good Morning Tanya.” Good morning Column Fordham!
“Writing from Naples where the AQI is a rather unsalutory 159 and therefore not ideal for a test match. Strauss’ admonition to England’s leading batsmen is really helpful. So getting bowled by Axar is ok, then? Just not LBW. I’m sure Sibley will oblige before too long but we England fans live in hope.
“It would be nice if Bairstow could make a few more runs than Axar Patel this time (Patel 43 batting number 9, YJB 28 batting number 3).
“If India are the Bayern Munich of cricket (I did root for them against the Aussies but then that’s only normal given Ashes rivalry), England might arguably be the Spurs of cricket. They might occasionally shine and punch above their weight but when reality strikes and they play the top dogs, well...”
A final word from Strauss as the players walk out. “Using your feet doesn’t mean you have to hit the bowlers for six.”
6.38am GMT
“I feel sorry for Washington Sundar but canny of Siraj and Ishant to get out without having to make any batting effort in the field thereby keeping themselves fresh for bowling!” So true Vincent Barreto. It would have been his maiden Test century too.
6.06am GMT
3rd over: England 6-0 (Crawley 5, Sibley 1) Can England survive Siraj, one last over till lunch?They can! Crawley scampers up the other end after a prod to mid-on, Sibley gets off the mark with a flick to long leg. Crawley spins his bat handle and gets a couple with a angled drive square. Siraj dives to stop a drive from Crawley and lands on his left arm, oof, he’s hurt and lies on the ground for a good 30 seconds. The physio comes out to help but everyone troops off for sustenance. England dine 154 runs behind, time for a quick stretch and a coffee. See you back here shortly!
5.57am GMT
2nd over: England 2-0 (Crawley 2, Sibley 0) It’s the long-legged figure of Axar Patel, trademark sunglasses on. Crawley drives his first to mid-off, the second bristles past the outside edge. Sibley, bat outstretched at an angle, awkward, tries to whip the ball leg side but gets a leading edge and it squits the other way.
5.53am GMT
1st over: England 1-0 (Crawley 1, Sibley 0) It’s Siraj, fast, on target. His second swings away and Crawley whisks his bat away at the very last moment of the very last second. From slip, Kohli raises his hands and applauds. More outswingers follow and Crawley squirts a single from the last ball.
5.48am GMT
Time for a couple of emails while we wait for Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley.
Football from Amit Kumar: “Just an add on to football reference, India is definitely “Bayern Munich” of cricket. Champions of home, now conqueror of world.”
5.43am GMT
The agony is over for England, but what agony to come? Time for three or four overs before lunch. Just rewards for Stokes, the breakthrough made possible by a quick-thinking bit of fielding by Bairstow. Superb batting by Axar Patel and the unlucky (and crestfallen) Washington Sundar, who took their feet to England and stretched India’s lead into the far distance.
5.40am GMT
That’s it! After three quarters of a session of toil, England take 3-0. Siraj is surprised by a pitched up which passes through a wide open gate. Sundar is stranded on 96, and Stokes has four wickets for his sweet efforts.
5.37am GMT
First ball! Ishant lumbers in front of the stumps and is speared right in front of them. Sundar looks at the approaching Siraj like a man whose confidence has spilt suddenly out of his boots.
5.35am GMT
114th over: India 363-7 (Sundar 96, Ishant 0) So the breakthrough comes with a run-out, which is probably all it was ever going to be.
5.33am GMT
From nowhere! A smashing bit of fielding from Jonny Bairstow, who whips the ball in to Root who removes the bails with Axar a few inches short. Sent back by Sundar for a crazy run that was never there.
5.29am GMT
112th over: India 363-7 (Sundar 95, Axar 42) Dom Bess dives with all his might - and prevents a low-legged pull from Axar running across the boundary, a shot that brings up the century partnership. 104 off 173 balls. Six from Stokes’s over - time for a change, but who? Do none of these England batsmen bowl dibbly-dobblies?
“Topnof the Morning to you Tanya!” Hello Amitabh Mukherjee!
5.23am GMT
111th over: India 357-7 (Sundar 91, Axar 40) Root turns one and it detonates out of the foot holes, just evading Axar’s bat. Not really what England really wanted to see, though Axar will be delighted.
And now we see the ground from the air, pollution obscuring much of the view of the city.
5.19am GMT
110th over: India 351-7 (Sundar 90, Axar 37) Stokes’ average speed has slowly dropped throughout the match, according to the figures on the television. But not the effort. He looks such an athlete these days, gone are any days of puppy fat.
Going back to Clive Pullinger’s point about the air pollution, this is where the authorities, local and ICC, have repeatedly turned a blind eye and failed their own players.
5.14am GMT
109th over: India 349-7 (Sundar 89, Axar 36) Root, shirt buttoned (buttoned?) at the wrist, wheels in . Ears pinking in the severe heat. Low arm, and makes it spin, and bounce, out of the dust.
“Foreign pacers do struggle so often on the dustbowls of India,” writes Ayan Chakrabarti. “But the craft and class of Jimmy Anderson in this series is simply unparalleled in recent history. Despite being an Indian supporter my heart bleeds to seem him soldier on sans much support.”
5.10am GMT
108th over: India 347-7 (Sundar 88, Axar 35) In the television studio they’re thinking that the pitch is either nicely paced and easy to bat on; or these two youngsters are playing out of their skins. I guess we’ll see whenever England managed to get them out and pad up themselves. In the meantime, Stokes bowls from wide of the crease and slams the ball into the pitch and it rises awkwardly on Axar who stabs the ball away. More short balls follow. I ache just watching them. Just noticed Ben Foakes behind the stumps for the first time today - in the unobtrusiveness stakes, highly valued for a keeper, he scores highly.
James Anderson and Ben Stokes have bowled together in 102 Test innings - only seven times have they bowled more deliveries combined than the 294 they have sent down in this Test. #INDvENG
5.02am GMT
107th over: India 344-7 (Sundar 86, Axar 34) Joe Root searches around the field and turns to ... himself. A decent enough over, just a couple of singles. That’s drinks and time for me to find a blanket to cover my chilly knees. Such glamour on the OBO. India lead by 139 runs.
4.59am GMT
106th over: India 342-7 (Sundar 85, Axar 33) Stokes thunders through another over, leaking four runs to a couple of wristy shots from Sundar.
Good morning Saurabh Raye! “This is with reference to ‘All the while India - the Brazil of cricket teams in 2021- can lick their fingers at what a day three pitch might do’
4.55am GMT
105th over: India 338-7 (Sundar 76, Axar 33) Washington Sundar, lithe of limb, power-taps Leach straight back through his ankles for four.
“Anybody looked at the air quality index at the ground in Ahmedabad today?” asks Clive Pullinger. “Not sure it’s healthy to be playing today.”
4.50am GMT
105th over: India 333-7 ( Sundar 76 , Axar 33) It is the mighty Stokes, long Dennis Compton hair held back by a mixture of sweat and oil. He challenges straight away, one from the over.
4.47am GMT
104th over: India 332-7 ( Sundar 76 , Axar 33) The pitch has no devil - at least for these Indian batsmen who’ve been out there for three-quarters of an hour now this morning. First Sundar launches Leach over mid-on for a single, then Axar does it better - a saucy six!
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen that “Walking like a dude” ad, and as someone who has been consuming content mostly off my laptop/phone (sans ads), I can only giggle at the absurdity of some advertisements, “chuckles Kanishk Srinivasan
4.41am GMT
103rd over: India 323-7 ( Sundar 73 , Axar 26) Anderson accelerates through another over.
“Back in the 90s there was a British TV comedy set in a TV news room called Drop the Dead Donkey.” writes Martin O’Connor
4.37am GMT
102nd over: India 322-7 ( Sundar 73 , Axar 26) Just one comes from Leach’s over this time.
Aha! An email from Tim de Lisle - who is watching for pleasure in this small hour. Apparently his email address is at the top of the page not mine, while we fix things, please email me any thoughts on tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com.
4.33am GMT
101st over: India 321-7 ( Sundar 72 , Axar 26) Anderson decides short balls are the answer, slotting in three in a row. Sundar pivots and hooks, a shot that deserves more than the single it picks up. Patel drives at a fuller one, misses, then ducks a shorter one and Jimmy looks cranky now. Time for a bowling change. India are now 116 runs ahead.
4.28am GMT
100th over: India 320-7 ( Sundar 71 , Axar 26) Patel shimmies, and slices Leach over mid-on just a bounce short of being a six. Leach looks anguished. He swing and misses a couple of balls later then connects with the last, lovely feet again, and this time the ball glides through the covers for another four.
4.24am GMT
99th over: India 312-7 ( Sundar 71 , Axar 18) A snifter to mid-on and Anderson leaks his first runs of the morning. he gets his revenge by crashing the ball into Sundar’s groin a couple of balls later. Medical attention runs on the pitch and everyone takes a breather.
As if Joe Root had just read this tweet from Sambit Bal, Root gently removes Bess and hands the ball to Leach.
Rishab Pant mauled him the first Test, but I am still baffled about how little Jack Leach has bowled to left-handers #INDvENG
4.19am GMT
98th over: India 309-7 ( Sundar 70 , Axar 16) A slightly less good start by Bess this time around. Sundar charges his first ball and swings him straight, dancing feet in a puff of dust, for six. An even better shot from the second, a fullish toss, which, with low back knee, and all angles, he cruises past cover for four. Ten from the over, which somewhat negates Anderson’s maidens at the other end.
4.14am GMT
97th over: India 299-7 ( Sundar 60 , Axar 16) Another maiden for Anderson, man made machine. We get a breakdown of yesterday, it is stark. First session: 65 runs, 3 wickets, second session: 73 runs, two wickets, third session: 141 runs, one wicket.
4.10am GMT
96th over: India 299-7 ( Sundar 60 , Axar 16) Joe Root throws the balls to Dom Bess and... he largely repays his faith. A lovely looping ball to start, the second is driven just a LPs width back past his diving hand for four. Then steady as she goes, and narry a full toss.
On the radio, they think he’s shortened his run up a little.
4.05am GMT
95th over: India 294-7 ( Sundar 60 , Axar 11) It’s Jimmy Anderson with the ball, ankle support low on his left leg, thick white wristbands on both arms like thick slashes of vanilla custard. It’s a maiden, an excellent maiden, the last ball sliding past the outside edge of a probing Sundar.
While we all praise Rishabh Pant, i must add that Washington Sundar too has been a delight to watch. Young, confident and si assured...has such a sound head on his shoulders.
4.00am GMT
We see footage of Joe Root addressing England in a patch of shade on the side of the ground. Stokes looks knackered but determined. Here is Pant on yesterday’s wizardry.
Related: 'If the crowd like it I'm happy': Pant on his reverse flick against Anderson
Related: 'If the crowd like it I'm happy': Pant on his reverse flick against Anderson
3.55am GMT
Graeme Swann is in the middle of at Ahmedabad. “Pant’s hundred is one of the best I’ve ever seen.” And more worryingly for England. “That wicket, I’ve had a look at it today -IT IS A DUSTBOWL. One thing England can take from Pant is how he played with his feet, he smothered it before counter-attacking. It is 39 degrees and feels like 50.”
3.49am GMT
Good morning from Manchester wherever you are in the world. Play starts in 15 minutes. A pertinent tweet from Ali Martin to start your day.
Spot on from @GeorgeDobell1 ... was ridiculous how one bad Test with the ball (which had a few contributing factors) saw England move on from their best finger spinner pic.twitter.com/RmbFVeypie
10.44pm GMT
And Pant’s innings gives me the excuse to play this advert again for all those in need of skin care advice whilst walking like a dude.
10.44pm GMT
What a bubble bath of effervescence and impish genius, what sorcery of hand-eye co-ordination, what strutting, bounding self belief. Rishabh Pant’s hundred may not have been quite as pressurised as his 89 not out in that run-chase against Australia at the Gabba, but it turned what had hitherto been a close match, into one looking terminal for Joe Root and his tired men. And pencilled India into the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand in June.
A night’s sleep can only bring so much replenishment for England after three hard sessions in 38 degree heat and a post-tea spanking from Pant. Even Ben Stokes, who drinks nightly at the well of unquenchable strength, was spent yesterday evening. I hope someone bought Dom Bess dinner last night, how alone you must feel on an Indian cricket field with full tosses in your fingers and head and a dancing princeling at the other end. 89 behind, England must dismiss Washington Sundar - who has played beautifully for his 60 - quickly and hope the tail fall in a heap. And then the batting pulls off the greatest of great escapes.
Related: Rishabh Pant's swashbuckling century puts India in sight of Test victory
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India v England: fourth Test, day three – live!
9.20am GMT
40th over: England 104-6 (Lawrence 27, Foakes 11) Now Ashwin is hooked after two wicketless overs, with Washington replacing him. Foakes drives a single to bring up the hundred, the first of five in the over. These two are batting really well.
9.18am GMT
39th over: England 99-6 (Lawrence 25, Foakes 8) “I’d probably go Burns (though I would demand he has a haircut), Sibley, Crawley, Root, Lawrence, Pope, Foakes, Woakes/Curran, Leach, Archer/Wood/Stone, Anderson/Broad,” says Jeff Ando. “Although arguably we’re a bowler light against the Kiwis with no Stokes.”
That’s a good point, though Root is a passable fifth bowler I guess. It’s not ideal, but that New Zealand series could become a shootout for four top-six places (1, 2, 3, 6) in the return series against India. You can make a case for dropping any of the others (even Crawley, who I really like, has had a miserable run of scores this winter), but I’d be inclined to cut the younger players in particular a bit of slack. They all need runs next summer though.
9.14am GMT
38th over: England 98-6 (Lawrence 24, Foakes 8) India are rattling through the overs in about the time it takes me to read and edit an email. A maiden from Ashwin to Lawrence. These two have played well, with plenty of pride and common sense.
“Rollocks, Bob,” says Guy Perry, though he didn’t really say rollocks, or Bob. “Power cut’s ended in Kerala. Now watching the collapse, sound off, and blasting out Quadrophenia. We’re crap at cricket but sublime in angry 70s rock. Take that, India.”
9.12am GMT
37th over: England 98-6 (Lawrence 24, Foakes 8) Foakes is defending with determination and expertise, and is the subject of fulsome praise from Sunil Gavaskar. He has 8 from 34 balls, Lawrence 24 from 38.
“Your closing comments on the 29th over regarding Ricky Ponting,” begins Matt Dony. “Feels like they should have started with ‘Listen, guys’, and been delivered while sitting backwards on a chair.”
9.09am GMT
36th over: England 97-6 (Lawrence 23, Foakes 8) Washington Sundar is pulled out of the attack after two wicketless overs, with Ravichandran Ashwin replacing him. It’s a quiet over, just a single from it.
“Agree with Andy Moore pre-tea,” says Phil Harrison. “One of the things I look forward to least after this kind of series is the agonised post-mortem when the defeat that literally everyone predicted would happen, has happened. Basically, England win a series in India about once every 25 years. And it’s roughly the same the other way around too. Let’s not do the hand-wringing thing this time eh?”
9.06am GMT
35th over: England 96-6 (Lawrence 22, Foakes 8) Patel ends another good over by turning one past Foakes’ outside edge.
“Morning Rob!!” says Simon McMahon. “The game was up yesterday when Rishabh Pant smashed his way to a hundred. He bats in technicolour, England monochrome. All of which leads me to note that the Pantone colour(s) of the year for 2021 are ‘Illuminating’, a bright yellow, and ‘Ultimate Gray’, a not so bright gray. ‘A marriage of colour conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting’. Bit like cricket, really. And Buckfast.”
9.04am GMT
34th over: England 95-6 (Lawrence 21, Foakes 7) Washington Sundar continues after tea. Lawrence, forcing to leg off the back foot, gets a leading edge that lands safely on the off side.
“Interesting to hear you think Lawrence should bat at No3 and that Crawley is more of an opener but could still do a job at 3,” says Jeff Ando. “What would your top order be for the next Test in that case? Do you think Lawrence has the technique to go at first drop and who from Burns/Sibley misses out with this plan? Also, what do you make of the Pope situation and the creeping accusations that England are ‘hiding’/overprotecting him? Lots to ponder it seems!”
8.41am GMT
33rd over: England 91-6 (Lawrence 19, Foakes 6) Ashwin has changed ends to replace Patel. Lawrence continues his purposeful innings with a crisp cover drive for two, and then survives a big appeal for LBW. Ashwin was bowling round the wicket, so the umpire presumably thought it pitched outside leg. India go for the review. This is really close.
In fact, it’s not close at all. It pitched on the stumps but turned too much and would have missed leg stump.
8.37am GMT
32nd over: England 88-6 (Lawrence 17, Foakes 5) Washington Sundar comes on for a quick bowl before tea, replacing Ashwin. He must be full of the joys after that sparkling 96 not out earlier in the day - and he almost gets a wicket with his sixth ball. Lawrence swipes a full ball towards long leg, where it goes through the hands of the swooping fielder. It was a really good effort from whoever it was.
“Hope there is some perspective after this,” says Andy Moore. “Winning away especially in long series is rightly incredibly tough. You need a hugely strong side and a lot of luck. In 2012 England had Cook, KP, Trott, Bell, Swann, Monty, Jimmy. It was unreasonable to expect this side to achieve anything more than they have. If anything we underappreciate just how good that Strauss/Flower side was.”
8.31am GMT
31st over: England 83-6 (Lawrence 13, Foakes 4) Four of England’s first five partnerships in this series reached fifty. Since then: 72 partnerships, no half-centuries. They haven’t been good enough - Pulitzer please - but it has been desperately difficult. I don’t think any team in the world could have coped.
“I’d like to add to Pete Salmon’s list,” says Deepak Puri. “Growing up, I thought blowdarts and cat burglars would feature more heavily in my adult life than they actually have.”
8.28am GMT
30th over: England 78-6 (Lawrence 11, Foakes 1) Lawrence flashes hard at Ashwin, slicing the ball over slip for four. He looks in positive mood, as he was in the first innings. Might as well get the job done today.
“Good morning Rob, good morning everyone,” writes Em. “Were it not for the fact I’ve things to do today I’d mourn England’s collapse with the stack of Cobra I’ve got in my shed… mind you, have England been on the beers last night because they’re playing with a hangover?”
8.25am GMT
29th over: England 74-6 (Lawrence 7, Foakes 1) Foakes defends solidly against Patel, who hurries through another maiden. Foakes has had a slightly disappointing series with the bat, though he has defended better than most. Yes, yes, I know.
“Hi Rob,” says Giles Page. “This mauling/dismantling/implosion/sh*%storm over the last three tests is too painful to watch & listen to but strangely engrossing via OBO. I am right in hankering for a return of Sir AN Cook? Oh how we could do with at least one decent opener. Hameed had a reasonable Bob Willis Trophy & can play well in India, or has that man no possible return to Test cricket? Surely it is possible to find some decent openers. Crawley is a No3.”
8.22am GMT
28th over: England 74-6 (Lawrence 7, Foakes 1) “Someone on Twitter recently mentioned that they when they were a child they genuinely thought that quicksand and boa constrictors would be major issues when they grew up, and were relieved to find they weren’t,” says Pete Salmon. “I can’t stop thinking about that as I watch England bat.”
8.19am GMT
27th over: England 72-6 (Lawrence 6, Foakes 0) Lawrence rocks back to cut Patel decisively for four. I like the cut of this lad’s jib, and would play him at No3 in England’s next Test.
8.16am GMT
26th over: England 67-6 (Lawrence 1, Foakes 0) My gut feeling is that Root did inside-edge that delivery from Ashwin, but the evidence was inconclusive so there’s no way the third umpire could have overturned the decision.
“ROB, hello,” says Guy Perry. “I’m in Kerala thanking various deities for the power cut in my village which means I can’t watch the England collapse. Much ribbing will be suffered in the tea shops later. What can a young boy do?”
8.13am GMT
STOP TWITTER
Related: Alex Hartley: 'I don’t think I deserve to have people telling me to die' | Tanya Aldred
8.11am GMT
He’s gone!
8.10am GMT
He was caught on the back foot by Ashwin, plumb in front, but he must feel he got an inside edge as he pushed defensively across the line. I’m not sure he did.
8.09am GMT
ROOT IS OUT LBW - BUT HE REVIEWS IMMEDIATELY
8.08am GMT
25th over: England 65-5 (Root 30, Lawrence 0) Axar Patel, in his debut series, has 24 wickets at 10.66.
“Good morning!” says Anand. “Few days ago, you helped me by sharing my poll about two-day Tests. The results are in. It seems that complaining about the pitch on social media (a hybrid choice) seems to pip actual cricket! The times we live in!”
8.06am GMT
A brilliant stumping from Pant! Pope, unnerved by a jaffa the previous ball, came flying down the pitch and was beaten by a vicious delivery that turned and bounced. Pant, who was unsighted, took it near the top of the breastbone and reached forward to dislodge the bails.
8.03am GMT
24th over: England 64-4 (Root 29, Pope 15) A brutal delivery from Ashwin, bowling round the wicket to Pope, turns down the leg side for four byes. Pope then survives a muted LBW appeal after missing a reverse sweep and being hit on the arm. England are going down swinging.
8.01am GMT
23rd over: England 58-4 (Root 29, Pope 15) Pope, hurried by Patel, top-edges a sweep over the keeper’s head for three runs. I’ve just been looking at England’s batting averages for the whole winter: Root 72, Buttler 46, nobody else above 25.
7.56am GMT
22nd over: England 54-4 (Root 28, Pope 12) Pope charges Ashwin and drives him handsomely over wide long on for six. That was a lovely stroke, not least because it was against his nemesis. Pope is playing with the freedom of the damned, and later in the over is beaten trying a reverse sweep.
“All Simon Kirchin’s fault...” says Matt Dony by way of apology for what is about to follow. “Another Bad Day in the life of an England batsman. The fall-out will no doubt involve some Bang and Blame. Ultimately, Everybody Hurts. But, at least we’re all fairly used to this kind of situation. It’s not The End Of The World...”
7.53am GMT
21st over: England 48-4 (Root 28, Pope 6) The ball is doing all sorts for the spinners now, and Axar Patel has changed ends to replace Mohammed Siraj. Root does very well to drop a nasty delivery from Patel just short of slip, but there’s little he can do with a jaffa that drifts in and rips past the edge.
“You really do pick these special sessions, don’t you Rob,” says Guy Hornsby. “Welcome to the wake.”
7.51am GMT
20th over: England 48-4 (Root 28, Pope 6) Ravichandran Ashwin comes on to replace Axar Patel. Ollie Pope takes a hairy single to mid-on, though he would have been home even with a direct hit; later in the over he flicks uppishly past the left leg of Gill at short leg. This time he was unable to knee it to Rishabh Pant.
“Morning Rob!” says Amitabh Mukherjee. “The morning continues to slide on and so do the tired English batters. At least this clears up any and all illusions the media seem to be harbouring, that it was not just the pitch in the past two games that was the game changer. But rather the better bowling/batting and proof that the best team always wins in a four-Test series. Spin is the new seam. Change of guard. This here right now really defines the series for me.”
7.48am GMT
Thanks Tanya, morning everyone! That’s right, an exclamation mark. Sod it, have two: morning everyone!!
7.46am GMT
19th over: England 46-4 (Root 27, Pope 5) Five from the over as Pope jabs at Siraj’s final ball to bring up drinks. Time to hand over to Rob Smyth who will wrap things up for the day. Thanks for all the messages, enjoy your weekend!
7.42am GMT
18th over: England 41-4 (Root 24, Pope 3) I take that back, Root is allowed to sweep - a sweet shot, of which he has full control, wristy, languid and four. Kohli fields a ball, at point, his throw bounces awkwardly and hits Root square in the upper thigh area. Kohli pats him on the back in apology. Root smiles. Might there have been more bristle if it was the other way round?
“Tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of ‘Collapse Into Now’, R.E.M.’s fifteenth and final studio album. “ writes Simon Kirchin. “ The England cricket team are marking the occasion A DAY EARLY. They can’t even get that right.”
7.35am GMT
17th over: England 37-4 (Root 20, Pope 3) Kohli whistles for Siraj, whose hand must have recovered from his pre-lunch tumble. Must be for Root, who has looked assured against the spinners. What, then, is the prescription for England’s batsmen? A period of abstinence from playing the sweep? A cool, dark room?
7.32am GMT
16th over: England 35-4 (Root 19, Pope 2) Root watchful, the boyish grin still there, and a maiden for Axar Patel who wizzes through his overs like a dog eating a forbidden slither of bacon.
@tjaldred Please take this cricket off terrestrial TV immediately! Stick it behind a paywall, I beg you!
7.29am GMT
15th over: England 35-4 (Root 19, Pope 2) Ashwin continues to enjoy his dream playground. Root tops him around to square leg for a single and England limp on.
“Morning!” Mornig Kenny. “Just checked in to take a look at the OBO, and well, both Axar and Washington deserved better. A 50 and a 100 respectively would’ve gone a long way to acknowledge what a good job those two have been doing throughout this series. Axar has been a standout performer and Washington has efficiently done his part whenever asked to. Absolutely solid backbone for this team, kudos to them.Also, how unfortunate was that Sibley dismissal?”enny
7.26am GMT
14th over: England 33-4 (Root 16, Pope 1) Two goldfinches perch in the silver birch outside my window. Pope picks up a single off Axar and scarpers up the other end. My tea leaves say this will be over by tea.
7.23am GMT
Stokes sweeps, but it goes straight to short leg where an exuberant Kohli says merci bien. A dismissal that somehow manages to be a complete hybrid of both Sibley and Bairstow’s wickets.
7.21am GMT
12th over: England 29-3 (Root 12, Stokes 2) Ashwin has dismissed Stokes 11 times previously. And one fizzes past his outside edge, before he snatches a quick single to finish the over. Sunil Gavaskar stares at a delicious looking chocolate cake and waves a sharp knife around in the commentary box. I can’t quite work out why.
That just about sums it up @tjaldred. Switched on against my better judgement just in time to see us lose two for zilch, then Sibley trying to out-Pope Pope with a freak stinker. I promised myself I wouldn't end up in as bad a mood as yesterday but my god, my zen is crumbling.
7.17am GMT
11th over: England 29-3 (Root 12, Stokes 0) Stokes shifts off the mark with a single second ball. This is the England power house, but their energy must be sapped already and there’s another hour and a half before tea. Root plays out the remainder of Axar’s over.
“ “You can say Sibley was unlucky but surely a good sweeper of the ball can easily avoid the close fielder? You rarely see Root nail the guys around the bat. If Sibley can’t sweep well, put the shot away. And surely this has to be Bairstow’s last ever Test, regardless of how many CC runs he scores anymore? “ So stern Kevin Wilson on a Saturday morning.
7.14am GMT
101h over: England 28-3 (Root 12, Stokes 0) Two gorgeous shots from Joe Root, through the covers for fours of light relief. Ashwin goes round the wicket as a result.
7.12am GMT
10th over: England 20-3 (Root 8, Stokes 0) Stokes just has to bat for two days now.
“Good morning Tanya.” Hello Amelia!
“Anyone else a bit desensitised after last week. I feel like we are back in the groove of England batting circa the 90’s replace Atherton with Root and maybe a Ramprakash for Lawrence. I think we all know the major plot points of this movie. Looking forward to the sequel in England in the summer.”
7.10am GMT
Man, that’s unlucky. Sibley stretches forward to sweep and clops Shubman Gill on the left knee at short leg. The ball riccochets into the air and a quick-thinking Pant collects with a nod of thanks. Root removes his gloves and helmet and takes a deep breath
7.06am GMT
9th over: England 19-2 (Root 7, Sibley 3) Sibley’s bits and pieces technique survives four balls from Ashwin, though is beaten past the outside edge with the last.
Incidentally, Jonny Bairstow has now made six ducks in his last nine Test innings v India, which adds a little grist to Adrian’s mill.
7.03am GMT
8th over: England 17-2 (Root 6, Sibley 2) Root sweeps again, a top-edge but into the empty outfield. Axar finding bounce and turn.
“Morning Tanya” Morning Adrian Armstrong! “Will a generation of Indian children grow up to use the phrase ‘I’ll be with you in a Bairstow’?”
7.01am GMT
7th over: England 15-2 (Root 4, Sibley 2) Somehow, Root is still grinning.He sweeps a couple from Ashwin, he’s not going to go down meekly.
Phillip Pigott gets in first with what I suspect will be a few missives on the same subject. “YJB or rather, WhyJB?”
6.58am GMT
6th over: England 12-2 (Root 2, Sibley 1) Root teases Strauss, and flies very close to being lbw fourth ball to Axar Patel. Virat Kohli, who has had an appalling run with the review system , rejects Pant’s pleas. As it turns out, he’s right, it would have been umpire’s call.
6.54am GMT
5th over: England 10-2 (Root 1, Sibley 1) R Ashwin gets his huge paws on the ball. His second ball turns out of the dust past the diving Pant for four leg byes. His fourth traps Crawley , his fifth Bairstow wristily hands to Rahane, and his hat-trick ball? Root calmly tips into the leg side. At least no-one has been lbw to Axar yet.
6.51am GMT
Don’t look. Baristow guides his first ball into the hands of the waiting Rahane at leg slip. His third duck in four innings.
6.49am GMT
The ball pitches in the same spot as one that spun sharply earlier in the over, but doesn’t zip and zag but instead goes straight on. Crawley plays for spin, edges and the ball slips into Rahane’s hands at slip.
6.45am GMT
4th over: England 6-0 (Crawley 5, Sibley 1) It is Axar Patel to resume after lunch. A maiden that Sibley plays competently enough. Nicholas Varley, though, has his doubts.
@tjaldred Sibley's technique against Axar is the stuff of car crashes. He's all over the place.
6.42am GMT
“Good Morning Tanya.” Good morning Column Fordham!
“Writing from Naples where the AQI is a rather unsalutory 159 and therefore not ideal for a test match. Strauss’ admonition to England’s leading batsmen is really helpful. So getting bowled by Axar is ok, then? Just not LBW. I’m sure Sibley will oblige before too long but we England fans live in hope.
“It would be nice if Bairstow could make a few more runs than Axar Patel this time (Patel 43 batting number 9, YJB 28 batting number 3).
“If India are the Bayern Munich of cricket (I did root for them against the Aussies but then that’s only normal given Ashes rivalry), England might arguably be the Spurs of cricket. They might occasionally shine and punch above their weight but when reality strikes and they play the top dogs, well...”
A final word from Strauss as the players walk out. “Using your feet doesn’t mean you have to hit the bowlers for six.”
6.38am GMT
“I feel sorry for Washington Sundar but canny of Siraj and Ishant to get out without having to make any batting effort in the field thereby keeping themselves fresh for bowling!” So true Vincent Barreto. It would have been his maiden Test century too.
6.06am GMT
3rd over: England 6-0 (Crawley 5, Sibley 1) Can England survive Siraj, one last over till lunch?They can! Crawley scampers up the other end after a prod to mid-on, Sibley gets off the mark with a flick to long leg. Crawley spins his bat handle and gets a couple with a angled drive square. Siraj dives to stop a drive from Crawley and lands on his left arm, oof, he’s hurt and lies on the ground for a good 30 seconds. The physio comes out to help but everyone troops off for sustenance. England dine 154 runs behind, time for a quick stretch and a coffee. See you back here shortly!
5.57am GMT
2nd over: England 2-0 (Crawley 2, Sibley 0) It’s the long-legged figure of Axar Patel, trademark sunglasses on. Crawley drives his first to mid-off, the second bristles past the outside edge. Sibley, bat outstretched at an angle, awkward, tries to whip the ball leg side but gets a leading edge and it squits the other way.
5.53am GMT
1st over: England 1-0 (Crawley 1, Sibley 0) It’s Siraj, fast, on target. His second swings away and Crawley whisks his bat away at the very last moment of the very last second. From slip, Kohli raises his hands and applauds. More outswingers follow and Crawley squirts a single from the last ball.
5.48am GMT
Time for a couple of emails while we wait for Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley.
Football from Amit Kumar: “Just an add on to football reference, India is definitely “Bayern Munich” of cricket. Champions of home, now conqueror of world.”
5.43am GMT
The agony is over for England, but what agony to come? Time for three or four overs before lunch. Just rewards for Stokes, the breakthrough made possible by a quick-thinking bit of fielding by Bairstow. Superb batting by Axar Patel and the unlucky (and crestfallen) Washington Sundar, who took their feet to England and stretched India’s lead into the far distance.
5.40am GMT
That’s it! After three quarters of a session of toil, England take 3-0. Siraj is surprised by a pitched up which passes through a wide open gate. Sundar is stranded on 96, and Stokes has four wickets for his sweet efforts.
5.37am GMT
First ball! Ishant lumbers in front of the stumps and is speared right in front of them. Sundar looks at the approaching Siraj like a man whose confidence has spilt suddenly out of his boots.
5.35am GMT
114th over: India 363-7 (Sundar 96, Ishant 0) So the breakthrough comes with a run-out, which is probably all it was ever going to be.
5.33am GMT
From nowhere! A smashing bit of fielding from Jonny Bairstow, who whips the ball in to Root who removes the bails with Axar a few inches short. Sent back by Sundar for a crazy run that was never there.
5.29am GMT
112th over: India 363-7 (Sundar 95, Axar 42) Dom Bess dives with all his might - and prevents a low-legged pull from Axar running across the boundary, a shot that brings up the century partnership. 104 off 173 balls. Six from Stokes’s over - time for a change, but who? Do none of these England batsmen bowl dibbly-dobblies?
“Topnof the Morning to you Tanya!” Hello Amitabh Mukherjee!
5.23am GMT
111th over: India 357-7 (Sundar 91, Axar 40) Root turns one and it detonates out of the foot holes, just evading Axar’s bat. Not really what England really wanted to see, though Axar will be delighted.
And now we see the ground from the air, pollution obscuring much of the view of the city.
5.19am GMT
110th over: India 351-7 (Sundar 90, Axar 37) Stokes’ average speed has slowly dropped throughout the match, according to the figures on the television. But not the effort. He looks such an athlete these days, gone are any days of puppy fat.
Going back to Clive Pullinger’s point about the air pollution, this is where the authorities, local and ICC, have repeatedly turned a blind eye and failed their own players.
5.14am GMT
109th over: India 349-7 (Sundar 89, Axar 36) Root, shirt buttoned (buttoned?) at the wrist, wheels in . Ears pinking in the severe heat. Low arm, and makes it spin, and bounce, out of the dust.
“Foreign pacers do struggle so often on the dustbowls of India,” writes Ayan Chakrabarti. “But the craft and class of Jimmy Anderson in this series is simply unparalleled in recent history. Despite being an Indian supporter my heart bleeds to seem him soldier on sans much support.”
5.10am GMT
108th over: India 347-7 (Sundar 88, Axar 35) In the television studio they’re thinking that the pitch is either nicely paced and easy to bat on; or these two youngsters are playing out of their skins. I guess we’ll see whenever England managed to get them out and pad up themselves. In the meantime, Stokes bowls from wide of the crease and slams the ball into the pitch and it rises awkwardly on Axar who stabs the ball away. More short balls follow. I ache just watching them. Just noticed Ben Foakes behind the stumps for the first time today - in the unobtrusiveness stakes, highly valued for a keeper, he scores highly.
James Anderson and Ben Stokes have bowled together in 102 Test innings - only seven times have they bowled more deliveries combined than the 294 they have sent down in this Test. #INDvENG
5.02am GMT
107th over: India 344-7 (Sundar 86, Axar 34) Joe Root searches around the field and turns to ... himself. A decent enough over, just a couple of singles. That’s drinks and time for me to find a blanket to cover my chilly knees. Such glamour on the OBO. India lead by 139 runs.
4.59am GMT
106th over: India 342-7 (Sundar 85, Axar 33) Stokes thunders through another over, leaking four runs to a couple of wristy shots from Sundar.
Good morning Saurabh Raye! “This is with reference to ‘All the while India - the Brazil of cricket teams in 2021- can lick their fingers at what a day three pitch might do’
4.55am GMT
105th over: India 338-7 (Sundar 76, Axar 33) Washington Sundar, lithe of limb, power-taps Leach straight back through his ankles for four.
“Anybody looked at the air quality index at the ground in Ahmedabad today?” asks Clive Pullinger. “Not sure it’s healthy to be playing today.”
4.50am GMT
105th over: India 333-7 ( Sundar 76 , Axar 33) It is the mighty Stokes, long Dennis Compton hair held back by a mixture of sweat and oil. He challenges straight away, one from the over.
4.47am GMT
104th over: India 332-7 ( Sundar 76 , Axar 33) The pitch has no devil - at least for these Indian batsmen who’ve been out there for three-quarters of an hour now this morning. First Sundar launches Leach over mid-on for a single, then Axar does it better - a saucy six!
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen that “Walking like a dude” ad, and as someone who has been consuming content mostly off my laptop/phone (sans ads), I can only giggle at the absurdity of some advertisements, “chuckles Kanishk Srinivasan
4.41am GMT
103rd over: India 323-7 ( Sundar 73 , Axar 26) Anderson accelerates through another over.
“Back in the 90s there was a British TV comedy set in a TV news room called Drop the Dead Donkey.” writes Martin O’Connor
4.37am GMT
102nd over: India 322-7 ( Sundar 73 , Axar 26) Just one comes from Leach’s over this time.
Aha! An email from Tim de Lisle - who is watching for pleasure in this small hour. Apparently his email address is at the top of the page not mine, while we fix things, please email me any thoughts on tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com.
4.33am GMT
101st over: India 321-7 ( Sundar 72 , Axar 26) Anderson decides short balls are the answer, slotting in three in a row. Sundar pivots and hooks, a shot that deserves more than the single it picks up. Patel drives at a fuller one, misses, then ducks a shorter one and Jimmy looks cranky now. Time for a bowling change. India are now 116 runs ahead.
4.28am GMT
100th over: India 320-7 ( Sundar 71 , Axar 26) Patel shimmies, and slices Leach over mid-on just a bounce short of being a six. Leach looks anguished. He swing and misses a couple of balls later then connects with the last, lovely feet again, and this time the ball glides through the covers for another four.
4.24am GMT
99th over: India 312-7 ( Sundar 71 , Axar 18) A snifter to mid-on and Anderson leaks his first runs of the morning. he gets his revenge by crashing the ball into Sundar’s groin a couple of balls later. Medical attention runs on the pitch and everyone takes a breather.
As if Joe Root had just read this tweet from Sambit Bal, Root gently removes Bess and hands the ball to Leach.
Rishab Pant mauled him the first Test, but I am still baffled about how little Jack Leach has bowled to left-handers #INDvENG
4.19am GMT
98th over: India 309-7 ( Sundar 70 , Axar 16) A slightly less good start by Bess this time around. Sundar charges his first ball and swings him straight, dancing feet in a puff of dust, for six. An even better shot from the second, a fullish toss, which, with low back knee, and all angles, he cruises past cover for four. Ten from the over, which somewhat negates Anderson’s maidens at the other end.
4.14am GMT
97th over: India 299-7 ( Sundar 60 , Axar 16) Another maiden for Anderson, man made machine. We get a breakdown of yesterday, it is stark. First session: 65 runs, 3 wickets, second session: 73 runs, two wickets, third session: 141 runs, one wicket.
4.10am GMT
96th over: India 299-7 ( Sundar 60 , Axar 16) Joe Root throws the balls to Dom Bess and... he largely repays his faith. A lovely looping ball to start, the second is driven just a LPs width back past his diving hand for four. Then steady as she goes, and narry a full toss.
On the radio, they think he’s shortened his run up a little.
4.05am GMT
95th over: India 294-7 ( Sundar 60 , Axar 11) It’s Jimmy Anderson with the ball, ankle support low on his left leg, thick white wristbands on both arms like thick slashes of vanilla custard. It’s a maiden, an excellent maiden, the last ball sliding past the outside edge of a probing Sundar.
While we all praise Rishabh Pant, i must add that Washington Sundar too has been a delight to watch. Young, confident and si assured...has such a sound head on his shoulders.
4.00am GMT
We see footage of Joe Root addressing England in a patch of shade on the side of the ground. Stokes looks knackered but determined. Here is Pant on yesterday’s wizardry.
Related: 'If the crowd like it I'm happy': Pant on his reverse flick against Anderson
Related: 'If the crowd like it I'm happy': Pant on his reverse flick against Anderson
3.55am GMT
Graeme Swann is in the middle of at Ahmedabad. “Pant’s hundred is one of the best I’ve ever seen.” And more worryingly for England. “That wicket, I’ve had a look at it today -IT IS A DUSTBOWL. One thing England can take from Pant is how he played with his feet, he smothered it before counter-attacking. It is 39 degrees and feels like 50.”
3.49am GMT
Good morning from Manchester wherever you are in the world. Play starts in 15 minutes. A pertinent tweet from Ali Martin to start your day.
Spot on from @GeorgeDobell1 ... was ridiculous how one bad Test with the ball (which had a few contributing factors) saw England move on from their best finger spinner pic.twitter.com/RmbFVeypie
10.44pm GMT
And Pant’s innings gives me the excuse to play this advert again for all those in need of skin care advice whilst walking like a dude.
10.44pm GMT
What a bubble bath of effervescence and impish genius, what sorcery of hand-eye co-ordination, what strutting, bounding self belief. Rishabh Pant’s hundred may not have been quite as pressurised as his 89 not out in that run-chase against Australia at the Gabba, but it turned what had hitherto been a close match, into one looking terminal for Joe Root and his tired men. And pencilled India into the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand in June.
A night’s sleep can only bring so much replenishment for England after three hard sessions in 38 degree heat and a post-tea spanking from Pant. Even Ben Stokes, who drinks nightly at the well of unquenchable strength, was spent yesterday evening. I hope someone bought Dom Bess dinner last night, how alone you must feel on an Indian cricket field with full tosses in your fingers and head and a dancing princeling at the other end. 89 behind, England must dismiss Washington Sundar - who has played beautifully for his 60 - quickly and hope the tail fall in a heap. And then the batting pulls off the greatest of great escapes.
Related: Rishabh Pant's swashbuckling century puts India in sight of Test victory
Continue reading...March 4, 2021
India v England: fourth Test, day one – live!
And you can email your thoughts to Rob
9.26am GMT
He’s gone! He came down the track to defend but got an inside-edge onto the flap of the back pad, and Gill took a smart catch at short leg.
9.25am GMT
Pope has been given out - but they are checking whether it’s a bump ball.
9.23am GMT
61st over: England 166-5 (Pope 29, Lawrence 28) Axar Patel is on for Mohammed Siraj. His second ball, tossed up a little slower, roars past Lawrence’s outside edge. That took a bit out of the pitch - but it also planted a seed of doubt in Lawrence’s mind. As Graeme Swann says on Channel 4, those occasional jaffas from Axar are all part of the set up for the straight one.
9.20am GMT
60th over: England 166-5 (Pope 29, Lawrence 28) A short ball from Ashwin is slashed to the third-man boundary by Pope. That poor delivery was partly a response to Pope’s aggressive-passive feet movement, a nice bit of manipulation from the batsman. This is a promising partnership, 45 from 13.2 overs.
“Having relatively recently woken up I’m blearily trying to assess the situation England are currently in,” says Paul Billington. “What is to blame this time? Poor batting? The pitch? El Niño? Pascale Gauzere? I need somewhere to direct my blazing pitchfork.”
9.17am GMT
59th over: England 160-5 (Pope 24, Lawrence 27) Pope pushes Siraj’s first ball for a single. He’s done that a lot today; push and run, get off strike for the rest of the over. Given his recent struggles, Pope has played with an admirably clear head. One upside of this tour, which shouldn’t be underestimated, is that England’s young batsmen have had a priceless education.
If Pope is dealing in singles, then Lawrence is getting ’em in boundaries: he drives Siraj nicely through mid-off for his sixth boundary.
9.11am GMT
58th over: England 154-5 (Pope 23, Lawrence 23) Lawrence drives Ashwin classily through the covers for four off the back foot - and then survives another big LBW shout from Ashwin. It was a big, beautiful offbreak but there was enough doubt for India not to risk their final review. Replays show it hit him just outside the line.
9.07am GMT
57th over: England 149-5 (Pope 22, Lawrence 19) Mohammed Siraj, who bowled beautifully earlier in the day, returns to the attack after tea. Pope, who has dealt almost exclusively in singles so far, steers another into the covers. Then Lawrence, feeling nervously outside off stump, edges just wide of gully for four. He got very lucky there.
9.03am GMT
Tea-time reading
8.58am GMT
“A few reasons for the smaller crowd,” says Aniket Chowdhury.
8.56am GMT
“Maybe no one wants to purchase tickets to a match that won’t last four days?” says Srikanth Mangu. “Kidding aside, I’ts summer here and the temp is already touching 37 degrees.”
8.45am GMT
56th over: England 144-5 (Pope 21, Lawrence 15) Ishant goes fuller and straighter, but there’s still no sign of reverse swing and Lawrence drives the last ball down the ground for four. That’s a delightful stroke, and a nice way to end a fascinating session: 31 overs, 70 runs and the two big wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes.
Lawrence and Pope showed impressive temperament and intent to ensure England stayed five down going into the interval. India are still ahead, no question, but the pitch is already doing enough for the spinners to give England a bit of hope. Laura...
8.38am GMT
55th over: England 139-5 (Pope 21, Lawrence 11) Pope survives a huge LBW appeal from Ashwin after being hit on the pad by a beautiful offbreak. India have wasted two of their reviews and there is enough doubt - especially over height - not to risk their last one. In fact, replays show it was missing by a distance both on line and length. That turned a long way.
Nobody really knows anything but the ball is doing enough to suggest that, if England can make even 250, they will be in the game. Maybe. I DON’T BLOODY KNOW ANYMORE, OKAY?
8.34am GMT
54th over: England 136-5 (Pope 19, Lawrence 10) A double bowling change, with Ishant Sharma replacing Axar Patel. He settles into a fifth-stump line, looking for some reverse swing back into the right-handers. Nothing so far.
In other news, the Pakistan Super League has been suspended due to a Covid outbreak.
8.29am GMT
53rd over: England 135-5 (Pope 18, Lawrence 10) Ravichandran Ashwin returns to the attack with just over 10 minutes remaining before tea. He’s bowled only eight overs so far, a division of labour with which he is unlikely to be entirely enamoured. Pope drives the first ball of his ninth over for a single and Lawrence survives the remainder. He is also using his feet a fair bit, both in defence and attack.
8.26am GMT
52nd over: England 134-5 (Pope 17, Lawrence 10) Pope misses a sweep at Axar and is hit on the arm. Axar is such a clever bowler, and it’ll be fascinating to see how his career develops - whether he’s another Sivaramakrishnan or something more. He’s 27 years old but his is only his 42nd first-class match.
“Morning Rob,” says Brian Withington. “Sorry to see that Kim Thonger has blown his post-vaccination reaction so cheaply (over 42). I am saving mine for something more substantial, like avoiding scrambled egg-making duties, or opening the post. Schoolboy error, Kim.”
8.23am GMT
51st over: England 130-5 (Pope 14, Lawrence 9) A maiden from Washington. Pope is using his feet a lot to the spinners, particularly Washington, even if the result is often a defensive stroke. He has made 14 from 60 balls but has actually played very positively.
“England playing a blinder here tactically,” says Pete Salmon. “The only reason to have Lawrence at No7 is them being No5 for not very many, and here we are. The next bit where he makes a score might be trickier.”
8.20am GMT
50th over: England 130-5 (Pope 14, Lawrence 9) Excellent, purposeful batting from Lawrence, who hits Axar for consecutive boundaries. The first was a lofted drive on the run; the second a wristy slap through the covers. He survives a pretty big LBW appeal to an arm ball later in the over; it looked like it was missing leg and Kohli isn’t interested in a review.
“Hi Rob,” says Gary Naylor. “Do you think Ben Stokes simply forgot to play the ball there? He’d done all the hard work and then was so late and so off the line of the ball that one can’t help thinking that he was mesmerised.”
8.17am GMT
49th over: England 122-5 (Pope 14, Lawrence 1) Washington has a slip, leg slip and short leg for Lawrence, who gets off the mark with a single to mid-on. He has struggled since that eye-catching debut in Galle, making 58 runs in six innings, but this is a great chance to show he is made of the right stuff. A fighting 250 here would do wonders for his careers.
8.14am GMT
48th over: England 121-5 (Pope 14, Lawrence 0) Graeme Swann, commentating on Channel 4, reckons the ball that got Stokes was natural variation rather than a deliberate arm ball. Sunil Gavaskar disagrees. Either way, Stokes played for turn and paid the price.
“Does it strike anyone else as odd that in a period when rest and recuperation are watchwords for England selection that they’ve gone into a Test with two seamers: one a 38-going-on-39 year-old and the other arguably England’s best batsman whose head, shoulder, knees (and toes?) ideally should never be overtaxed in the field?” asks Michael Jenkins.
8.11am GMT
47th over: England 121-5 (Pope 13, Lawrence 0) Dan Lawrence almost goes first ball! It popped from a length and he pushed it towards short leg, where it hit the boot of the fielder. Had he crouched lower that would have been a chance.
8.09am GMT
Washington Sundar has been getting appreciable turn and bounce to Stokes, but this one skidded straight on to hit the pad and pin Stokes in front. Stokes looks disgusted, presumably with the pitch, and walks off. Ollie Pope ran after him, trying to persuade him to review. Stokes knew.
8.08am GMT
Ben Stokes has gone!
8.05am GMT
46th over: England 119-4 (Stokes 54, Pope 13) Stokes reverse sweeps Axar for two more. He’s had an eerily quiet series - one fifty, one wicket in the first three Tests - and this would be a fine time to remind the world of his greatness.
On the subject of the pitch, this is a terrific piece from Andy Bull.
Related: Pitch battle is a proxy for India and England's 150-year struggle for control | Andy Bull
8.02am GMT
45th over: England 115-4 (Stokes 51, Pope 12) Washington is going round the wicket to Pope, the Ashwin angle but so far without the Ashwin deception. Pope, who looks busy and fairly confident given his recent form, drives another single down the ground.
“Interesting to note that England have gone in with just one genuine pacer,” says Anand. “An over correction to the previous game and the 22 yards? Taking of 22 yards, I created a poll yesterday on the pitch. Was wondering if dear OBOers would like to try it out or share their thoughts...”
What is the best way to spend time if tests end in 2 days?@sidvee @beastieboy07 @wvraman @ajarrodkimber @SriniMaama16 @rameshsrivats @guardian_sport @melindafarrell @GeoffLemonSport @nigelshortchess
7.59am GMT
44th over: England 114-4 (Stokes 51, Pope 11) Axar is bowling around the wicket to Stokes, who reverse sweeps crisply for four to reach a judicious, determined fifty: 114 balls, six fours, two sixes.
“Morning Rob,” says Guy Hornsby. “Fascinating numbers on the TV around how much less the pink ball slows down of the pitch compared to the red. It doesn’t explain our third Test ignominy, but you can see how it just made things irretrievably harder. With that context, is it grim that I see us only 4 down for 100-odd as a bit of a mini victory? The problem is that none of our batsmen look in so it’s less ‘one down, two down’ as ‘one down, all down’. Mainly I just want some cricket to watch on Saturday. Is that too much to ask?”
7.55am GMT
43rd over: England 110-4 (Stokes 47, Pope 11) Washington is getting some lovely turn and bounce to the left-handed Stokes. A slightly ill-conceived cut stroke flies through the vacant gully region for a single. Two from the over. It’s hard to know what would be a good score for England; my instinct is that they need a minimum of 300, ideally 3000.
7.51am GMT
42nd over: England 108-4 (Stokes 46, Pope 10) Pope survives a run-out referral after taking a sharp single to mid-on. It was good running, and everyone knew he was home. That’s the only run from another quickfire Axar over.
“I ache all over from yesterday’s vaccination and my left arm is so sore I would struggle to signal a four or a no ball,” writes Kim Thonger, “but I have just enough strength to type and so must point out to Hugh that were Schrödinger to be involved in the DRS he (or she) would not be an umpire, he (or she) would be a quantumpire.”
7.47am GMT
41st over: England 107-4 (Stokes 46, Pope 9) Washington Sundar continues to Stokes, and his first ball turns and bounces encouragingly - both for him and for England. The third ball kicks even more, prompting Stokes to abort his shot and then shake his head at something or other.
Stokes’ response is an, a-hem, vigorous slogsweep. Fresh air flies over midwicket for six; the ball hits the gloves of Rishabh Pant. But Stokes nails the shot two balls later, carting Washington over midwicket for six. That was a much more controlled stroke.
7.47am GMT
Thanks Tanya, morning everyone. This is intriguing stuff: India have had the better of the play so far but England won what could be a very important toss. This fence is so goddamn comfortable.
7.44am GMT
40th over: England 101-4 (Stokes 40, Pope 9) A tasty little shovel behind point brings Pope four runs off Axar Patel and that’s drinks! Just time for me to tell those interested in the County Championship that Haseeb Hameed has been appointed vice-captain of Nottinghamshire which might bring stability to that troubled ship as well as confidence to Hameed himself. Rob Smyth has arrived in the OBO chair to expertly guide England to respectability, many thanks for your messages.
7.39am GMT
39th over: England 97-4 (Stokes 40, Pope 5) Smashing first over of the Test from Washington Sundar, who beats Stokes with his first ball and his last, which Stokes pokes just wide of slip. Sundar also looking admirably unimpressed with something Kohli is asking him to do. you don’t see many people screw up their nose and shake their head at Kohli.
7.36am GMT
38th over: England 95-4 (Stokes 38, Pope 5) A run for each batsman, as Pope, watchful, defends his way through the rest of the over from Axar Patel.
7.33am GMT
36th over: England 93-4 (Stokes 37, Pope 4) Shot of the day! Stokes strokes Siraj with velvet glove straight down the ground for four. Nearly spoils it a couple of balls later with a wild hoik at a bouncer that lifts him off the ground. I don’t know about you, but I get the sense he’s enjoying this.
7.28am GMT
35th over: England 89-4 (Stokes 33, Pope 4) Axar replaces Ashwin. The umpires review one that Stokes turns to short leg, but it bounces before finding the fielders’ hands. Axar is extracting much bounce from this wicket, and Pope and Stoke approach with caution.
7.24am GMT
34th over: England 88-4 (Stokes 33, Pope 4) There’s a pause while England call for a drink from their water bottles and Stokes changes his gloves. Pope takes a fly through extra-cover straight to the fielder. And again, more confidently, but he still can’t break the ring. Siraj hitting the high 80s mph and befuddles with his final delivery that Pope can’t decide whether to pull or leave alone.
Ah yes!
@tjaldred Re Gingers - Ireland?
7.17am GMT
33rd over: England 88-4 (Stokes 33, Pope 4) One from Ashwin’s over and Pope looking less scrambled than he did in the last Test.
7.16am GMT
32nd over: England 87-4 (Stokes 33, Pope 3) England survive another trying over from Siraj, who is varying his length.
“Id love to see some stats on the umpire’s call decisions” types Hugh Molloy.
“I’m for the umpire’s call but it does introduce Schrodinger’s cat to the proceedings where Bairstow was both in and out for a period of time.”
7.13am GMT
31st over: England 86-4 (Stokes 33, Pope 2) Stokes down the wicket to Ashwin, shuffle-drive and ping, wristy, through mid-on for four. Then he prods forward to muffle the spin. Obi-wan to Ollie Pope’s Skywalker. Incidentally, has any team had more gingers than this England XI?
7.08am GMT
30th over: England 81-4 (Stokes 28, Pope 2) A little confused by all the replays the television keep playing, not only between but within overs. Pope picks up a couple through the covers. A leg bye after one swings late after passing over the ducking Pope and bamboozles Pant. Facing Siraj is continuing to prove a testing experience.
“What Ho from the tranquil (for now) seas off New Caledonia,” writes Sandy Wilson, cocktail in hand, “and many thanks for the commentary which helps to keep us all sane on board.
7.00am GMT
29th over: England 78-4 (Stokes 28, Pope 0) The replay shows the ball sliding back in and Bairstow stone-booted in the crease. A test for Ollie Pope - as we may have said already this series. Smashing over by Siraj - just shows India’s strength in depth in the seam department that he is the replacement for Bumrah.
6.56am GMT
Nips in, looks very suspect but Bairstow reviews the on-field OUT, and shakes his head as the review shows the ball hitting the bails, out on umpire’s call.
6.54am GMT
28th over: England 78-3 (Stokes 28, Bairstow 28) Stokes pushes Ashwin into the knuckles of Shubman Gill at silly point, he springs his hand away, stung. A huge appeal to Ashwin’s last ball. Ashwin’s huge hands plead to Virat Kohli, Pant seems unsure. Kohli is persuaded to review - I don’t think he’s taken a single correct call during this series that I’ve seen - and sure enough it isn’t out. India burn through another review.
6.49am GMT
27th over: England 78-3 (Stokes 28, Bairstow 28) Siraj, heavy haired on the top, shaved up the back, not a million miles away from what I was asked to topiarise during lockdown, fires wide down the leg side but Stokes resists. A single off his pads follows a couple through point.
6.45am GMT
26th over: England 75-3 (Stokes 25, Bairstow 28) There’s no great buzz at the ground, Kohli not yet able to fire up the crowd the way he could in the last Test. Just one from Ashwin’s post-prandial over.
“Good morning Tanya.” Hello Finbar Anslow! “Looking forward to a great day’s cricket interspersed with pruning in Piedmont. Was just reflecting on the illusions of mass communication; I recently invited my 2500+ fb ‘aquaintances’ for a game of Words with friends (finby57 since you ask) and the only ones to take up the challenge were my 2 daughters and one of my sisters. As Gary Turk said “We put our words into order until our lives are glistening.
We don’t even know if anyone is listening”Happily OBO is different and God bless you Tanya and all your colleagues for your long stints at outrageous times of the day. I happily predict that the West country bowlers will save England, probably with the bat!”
6.41am GMT
The players are back out and Ashwin has the ball...
6.36am GMT
And an interesting decision by the PCB to vaccinate all PSL players and officials against Covid, must have been sanctioned by government I guess though prioritising sportsmen is a controversial choice. It follows Tom Banton testing positive for Covid yesterday.
PCB has decided to offer SARS-Coronavirus Vaccine doses to all participants in PSL. The vaccine doses will be administered on Thursday & will be offered to all those inside the bio-secure bubble. It will be the players & officials’ decision if they want to get the vaccine #PSL6
6.31am GMT
Elsewhere, Kieron Pollard has hit six sixes in an over in a T20 against Sri Lanka, became only the third man to hit six sixes in an international over.
6.28am GMT
Something to mull over with your coffee.
A reminder that England were also 74 for 3 in the first innings of the last Test. Right at the very moment they began to lose their last 18 wickets for 119 #IndvEng
6.27am GMT
A fascinating chat on Talksport comparing this Indian team with the one of VVS Laxman, Sehwag, Dravid and Tendulkar. My half-heard conclusion: today’s top-order batting doesn’t compare, but Pant outbats Dhoni and the 2021 seam bowlers rule supreme.
Around the UK, young and old heads are awaking:
First look at Test. Not surprised Eng boosted their batting. The balance of the attack is astonishing I think. They surely needed a 3rd seamer, pref high pace . Then Leach and Root to spin. Goodness it had better turn.
6.05am GMT
25th over: England 74-3 (Stokes 24, Bairstow 28) After nearly 15 minutes without a run, England milk a couple from Axar who licks his lips as he walks backwards to the beginning of his delivery stride. They survive without mishap and that’s lunch! Quite the recovery from 30-3, though not without the odd intake of breath. Time for me to put the kettle on - see you back here shortly.
“It is rather chilly in the conservatoire,” writes Amitabh Mukherjee from Bexley. “I got my Cafe au lait and lara(my cat) curled up while I’m working on a tune(musician, yes) with the match on simultaneously. Gotta say, even though its 3 down(couple of wickets that could have been avoided) I think this is the best pitch Root and the lads could have hoped for, need a daddy ton from Stokesy and bairstow(looking better each ball) to make this last 4 days atleast. Not say a Kohli triple is pending too. See ya in Paris in 2022!
5.59am GMT
24th over: England 72-3 (Stokes 23, Bairstow 27) A moral victory to Ashwin, Stokes ignores one that nearly bowls him and is suckered into having a thrash at the last which turns past his outside edge.
5.57am GMT
23rd over: England 72-3 (Stokes 23, Bairstow 27) Bairstow sets off for a most unwise run after squirting Axar on the legside. Stokes, of infinite wisdom, sends him back, his bat over the line by a whisker before Pant removes the bails. How do you de-pump someone in the dressing room?
Damian Walsh has news:“You will have to hope that travel restrictions are over with before the end of this Summer if you want some sun on your leg. The Paris PermaSmog is scheduled to be back in place for Spring 2022 as if it had never been away.”
5.51am GMT
22nd over: England 72-3 (Stokes 23, Bairstow 27) Ashwin extracting some extra bounce from his second ball as Stokes watchfully defends him away. A maiden.
5.49am GMT
21st over: England 72-3 (Stokes 23, Bairstow 27) With just 15 minutes left till lunch, Bairstow dispatches Sharma through point for four. If these two can survive till the break it will be quite the recovery. Bairstow stares intensely through the grill back down the pitch - does he do it any other way? And at the last, he shoulders arms to one that nips back. Don’t do that Jonny.
5.44am GMT
20th over: England 68-3 (Stokes 23, Bairstow 23) Ashwin, short sleeves, 99 on his back. Bairstow pulls away with Ashwin in his stride - don’t annoy him you fool! Stokes decides attack is the best form of defence, and takes a huge stride down the pitch and lofts Ashwin straight for six, arms aloft, tattoos on display.
I’m not saying I told you but...
Jonny Bairstow played six false shots in his first 20 balls at the crease, and looked very uncomfortable. Since then, he has played three false shots in 22 balls, and has looked a tad more secure. #INDvENG
5.38am GMT
19th over: England 61-3 (Stokes 17, Bairstow 22) Runs a-flowing for England as Bairstow cuts Ishant with a hint of a swagger over third man. Ashwin time.
5.36am GMT
18th over: England 55-3 (Stokes 16, Bairstow 18) Stokes sweeps at Axar and the top edge flies high and out of the clutches of the chasing Kohli. And a super shot by Bairstow, a confident cuff at a short ball outside off. It brings four. The cold air somehow seeps through the double glazing and I dream about a cafe au lait in a Parisian cafe, the sun on my legs. 2022?
5.29am GMT
17th over: England 50-3 (Stokes 15, Bairstow 14) Stokes solidly ignores Siraj’s dance of the seven veils for four balls, then picks up a single off the fifth.
I would need othere OBO’s clarification on this but I think we get more messages on Baristow than any other England players. Perhaps Buttler rivals him.
@tjaldred morning Tanya. I don’t think any England fan wants Bairstow to fail, more absolutely baffled that Vaughan was losing his mind that he was going home for a break as he’d been superb in the Sri Lanka series and such a good player of spin. He didn’t reach 50 once
5.27am GMT
16th over: England 49-3 (Stokes 14, Bairstow 14) A confident stroke from Bairstow off Patel! A muscular cut, sharp through point for four, and suddenly some runs provide succour for England.
So much for optimism but I’m not a betting man anyway,” muses John Starbuck. “Mention of Axar’s plaster on the spinning hand revives memory of a time when the batsmen could ask the umpires to rule on whether or not a plaster on the operative hand of the bowler was allowed. Didn’t he have to get taken off? I recall Boycott arguing that a flapping sleeve or a white wristband was putting him off, but that’s not the same as a putative advantage for a spinner.”
5.23am GMT
15th over: England 45-3 (Stokes 14, Bairstow 10) Stokes hangs out his bat and edges Siraj past the diving second slip for four. Siraj bowling magnificently here as Stokes then plays a slow and deliberate defensive prod. Two fours follow, a pull and a thick edge through the slips. Siraj hands out a bit more chat. The ball is seaming and swinging just like England’s seam attack like it . Ah.
5.16am GMT
14th over: England 32-3 (Stokes 2, Bairstow 10) Patel purrs through a maiden, and we see footage of Kohli and Stokes having an animated chat with the umpires. “Just let your cricket do the talking,” says Graeme Swann on commentary, who wasn’t averse to the odd chat himself from memory.
5.12am GMT
13th over: England 32-3 (Stokes 2, Bairstow 10) During the drinks break, Strauss muses“Hugely disheartened as England are making the same mistakes they’ve made throughout the series, nonplussed by the non-turning ball.” At least Root tries something different, imprisoned in the crease by a rapid inswinger. Stokes flays at his first ball to slip
“I don’t think I have ever wanted a batsman to do as well in adversity as much as a certain J Bairstow here,” taps Brian Withington over an early morning cup of tea. “I say that in part due to the certain knowledge that there will be a number of England ‘supporters’ willing him to fail ignominiously for reasons that I still find baffling. He looks totally out of nick so any success will have to represent the triumph of dogged hope and determination over bitter experience and negativity.”
5.08am GMT
The drinks break strikes! With his very first ball after refreshment, Siraj thrunders into Root’s front and back pad and it is so out that Root declines to review. He crawls from the crease, stopping only to whisper something - sweet nothings? at Ben Stokes.
5.03am GMT
12th over: England 30-2 (Root 5, Bairstow 10) Bairstow cuts Axar just shy of slip and it zips away for four. Kohli doesn’t looks too upset by that
5.01am GMT
11th over: England 26-2 (Root 5, Bairstow 6) We get a bird’s eye view of the stadium, a magnificent beast, a huge colourful amphitheatre (of nightmares as far as England are concerned). Siraj replaces Ishant and has Root jumping around, nervous, awkward. a hook off the last ball brings four and relief.
Hello Mittu Choudhary! “A very good (early) morning to you!”
“Not the kind of morning England would have hoped for (but expected it nonetheless). I have a feeling Roots and Stokes will come with a new determined outlook in this match - both of them are due a big one. Also since 2002, Axar Patel is the first spinner to dismiss both openers of the opposition inside the first ten overs of a Test match.”
4.54am GMT
10th over: England 20-2 (Root 1, Bairstow 6) England decide quick singles are the best way to get through an Axar Patel over and pick up a couple.
A note appears from Vasu Chaurey “Ever since Jonny Bairstow’s wicket in the previous Test, I have been thinking about Jarrod Kimber’s The Year of the Balls 2008: A Disrespective, and his entry about Anil Kumble:”Of all the great modern spinners, he is the one against whom you’d back yourself to get through an over. You probably wouldn’t, but compared to Warne or Murali, you wouldn’t be completely embarrassed either. You would miss the straight one though.”
“It’s a lovely entry in a lovely book, and very relevant to the recent exploits of Axar Patel. If he can even vaguely match Anil Kumble’s lofty career heights, I’d be a very happy fan!”
4.51am GMT
9th over: England 20-2 (Root 0, Bairstow 5) A stabbed boundary for Bairstow through gully off Ishant, nervy but determined, I’m sure you can picture it. But I’ve got a good feeling for him. By force of sheer will he is going to want to erase memories of the last Test. He and Root find the wherewithal to grin at each other in the middle.
The arm ball used to be bowled seam up, drifting, almost swinging in. But that was easy to pick, if you're a batter who watches the seam.
In the last couple of series, we've seen Ashwin and now Axar use the sideways seam ball as the one that goes straight. Near imposs to pick.
4.47am GMT
8th over: England 15-2 (Root 0, Bairstow 0) And it was such a lovely shot by Crawley to Axar’s first ball, a shimmy and a drive for four. But then a terrible muddle of an attack - the very opposite of Root’s pre-test chat on playing the ball. It is quite hard to tell whether Axar Patel is the new best thing or just that he had England scrambled. The best news for England I can come up with is that Axar is repeatedly fiddling with the sticky plaster on his spinning hand.
4.42am GMT
Crawley, buoyed by his boundary earlier in the over, throws the bat at Axar Patel and oh dear straight into the hands of mid-off.
4.39am GMT
7th over: England 11-1 (Crawley 6, Bairstow 0) If there’s some good news for England, it is that there is only spin from one end at the moment. All the same, Ishant powers through, with neither batsman looking completely confident.
“Good morning Tanya (though it’s freezing here and I’ve got the fire on full blast),”
4.35am GMT
6th over: England 10-1 (Crawley 4, Bairstow 0) Jonny Bairstow bends his knees and finishes the over by pushing Patel straight back down the pitch to bring a halfpenny’sworth of reassurance to the pack. He was, incidentally, rapped on the pad first ball as he played down the wrong line. Sibley won’t be delighted by that replay, he got the tiniest of inside edges before the ball made its ominous way to the stumps. Not a bad little snifter to open for Axar Patel at his home ground.
Tom Stoker is worried: “I know it’s too early to suggest England have definitely got their selection wrong, but they’ve definitely got their selection wrong. As in, Joe Root miscounted like you do when you’re arguing your best XI down the pub, five pints in (remember pints!?) but has decided to YOLO and pretend three frontline bowlers was always part of the plan. “
4.28am GMT
Oh no no no, cover your eyes Mabel. Sibley sees turn where there is none and is bowled by Axar Patel’s second ball.
4.26am GMT
5th over: England 10-0 (Crawley 4, Sibley 2) Ishant, pommanded hair shiny and bouncing, gallops in. Eeek! Crawley leaves one that swings back in and passes his thighs and over the top of the stumps before thudding into Pant’s gloves. Let’s call it good judgement.
4.23am GMT
4th over: England 10-0 (Crawley 4, Sibley 2) The vivid burnt orange seats of the ground at Ahmedabad don’t seem as full as they did in the last Test. I came here in 2001, way before it was rebuilt, and the facilities were something of a dump, and the dusty waste ground outside the stadium emptying when Tendulkar was out for a magnificent 103. But the noise when he was batting - spine tingling!
Just one from Siraj’s over, who tempts Crawley into a number of nerve-inducing false shots.
4.16am GMT
3rd over: England 9-0 (Crawley 3, Sibley 2) Crawley has a wispy waft at Ishant, a kind of half-hearted attempt to dust the bannisters as you run up the stairs, and misses. He picks up a couple with a spritz of a drive. We see the pitch: it looks like porridge, with a sprinkling of coriander at one end
4.11am GMT
2nd over: England 6-0 (Crawley 0, Sibley 2) Siraj, tall, skinny, quick. He makes me nervous, not sure about Dom Sibley who picks up a couple of runs and four leg byes in between being beaten past the outside edge of his stolid bat.
4.07am GMT
1st over: England 0-0 (Crawley 0, Sibley 0) We see a shiny dark red orb in Ishant’s hand and mull over the news that this pitch might spin more one end than the other. Crawley ignores the first ball outside off stump and things are already better than the second innings in the last Test. Oh hang on a minute, the second ball swings in and slams into Crawley’s front pad. Ishant is sure, so sure, Kohli reviews - but it turns out the ball hits him high on the knee roll and passes over the top of the stumps. He gets hit on the glove to the last ball of the over but survives.
3.57am GMT
In the Channel 4 studio, Ebony Rainford-Brent has replaced Alastair Cook and sits alongside Andrew Strauss. They aren’t bowled over by England’s tactics. To ERB it “feels a bit odd. Decisions coming from lack of confidence” Strauss: “Taking a risk, personally I don’t like it feels like plugging a hole with a batsman not in form.”
3.52am GMT
A bold move by England early on a Thursday morning, Dan Lawrence batting at seven and England gambling that their seamers aren’t going to bowl much on this pitch anyway. What a chance, though, for England’s young batsmen.
3.50am GMT
England (Bess and Lawrence for Broad and Archer)
Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root (capt), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wk), Dan Lawrence, Dom Bess, Jack Leach, Jimmy Anderson
3.41am GMT
Good morning from England!
10.59pm GMT
Incidentally, other members of the Indian team have been more critical than Kohli of the pink ball, with a member of the Indian team management telling the Indian Express”
“The problem when facing the pink ball is that it skids much faster compared to the red ball. Muscle memory makes batsmen believe that the ball will come at a particular speed after pitching, like they are used to when playing with the red ball. But the pink ball comes much faster. This is a major issue. Also, our players are not keen to play Day-Night Tests because the pink ball has too many variables, including difficulty in sighting the ball.”
10.34pm GMT
The alarm rings shrill but there’s a hint o’spring and a dash o’song in the March night. In Ahmedabad, however, there is little relief for England, groundhogdayed at the scene of their two-day thrashing, the pitch set to spin, the sun set to shine hot, and getting hotter - 37 degrees by noon.
A sickness bug has beset the England camp - I wasn’t expecting to read about Paul Collingwood’s dicky tummy in quite such detail - as well as end of tour-itus starting to drift heavy. But there have been no naughty boy nets for England’s batsmen who, with five successive totals under 200, have endured their worst run with the bat since 1888. Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel, 42 wickets and counting, watch and wait.
It’s time for #pitchwatch, a couple of days before the fourth #INDvENG Test in #Ahmedabad... pic.twitter.com/6zIE7haZ2G
Continue reading...February 28, 2021
Chelsea 0-0 Manchester United: Premier League – as it happened
There was more VAR controversy at Stamford Bridge, where the match ended goalless despite plenty of purposeful, high-tempo attacking from both sides
7.01pm GMT
Right, that’s it - please join Luke McLaughlin for Sheffield United v Liverpool. Goodnight!
Related: Sheffield United v Liverpool: Premier League – live!
6.58pm GMT
This is what Solskjaer was referring to, in a preview on the official Chelsea website.
The Man United skipper’s actions will also be under scrutiny again on Sunday after his penalty area tangle with Jamal Lascelles last weekend. In recent Chelsea meetings the Red Devils’ centre-back has survived VAR reviews of a potential penalty foul on Cesar Azpilicueta and violent challenge on Michy Batshuayi that may well have affected the outcome.
6.57pm GMT
More from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
“Our defending, energy, application, pressing were absolutely spot on. With the ball, not good enough. We didn’t have enough quality. A clean sheet is always the foundation, we’ve had loads against the top sides but we haven’t found the goal and we need to sort that.”
6.54pm GMT
[ Should you have had a penalty?] “Yep, 100 per cent. [Can you understand why it wasn’t given?] No. Not at all. From here it looked like it might have been a handball by our player but when you see it on the video it’s clear, and it’s taken two points away from us.
“I can’t say [what the referee said to the United players] because that’s not gonna be good for him. [Is that not concerning to you?] Of course it is. [Luke Shaw said the referee told Harry Maguire he didn’t want to give it because there would be controversy]. Exactly. I didn’t say that and I don’t want to cause controversy, but it’s not right, is it?
6.49pm GMT
Hang on, here’s a fuming Ole Gunnar Solskjaer...
6.48pm GMT
Here’s David Hytner’s match report. Goodnight!
Related: Manchester United fire more blanks in stalemate at Chelsea
6.48pm GMT
Those were two slightly odd interviews, as both Luke Shaw and Thomas Tuchel got the wrong end of the stick over the penalty appeal. Shaw didn’t understand that VAR had advised Stuart Attwell to look at the monitor, and that he had then stayed with his original decision; Tuchel though Greenwood handled it before Hudson-Odoi, which wasn’t the case.
6.45pm GMT
Here’s Thomas Tuchel
“It was a high-quality game between two very strong teams. We suffered at times in the first half because of the quality of MacGyver, Maguire to come in, and we couldn’t close the 6, but overall it was an even game. In the second half I felt we were very strong - many high recoveries, good chances and half-chances. Performance-wise I am very satisfied. We defended very high, very brave, and I am very happy with that.
6.38pm GMT
Chelsea’s results against the Big Six this season
0-2, 0-0, 0-0, 1-3, 1-3, 1-0, 0-0
6.37pm GMT
United’s results against the Big Six this season
1-6, 0-0, 0-1, 0-0, 0-0, 0-0, 0-0
6.34pm GMT
Here’s Luke Shaw
“[What did you make of that game?] Dunno really. Quite an evenly matched game, not too many chances. We were both quite safe; maybe they had a bit more possession. We defended well but we didn’t create much so we’re a bit disappointed with that. We needed to win because the gap’s getting bigger.
6.29pm GMT
Still want more? Bet you do.
Related: Sheffield United v Liverpool: Premier League – live!
6.26pm GMT
Manchester City are now 12 points clear, so it’s probably safe to cross those Ts. United stay second, a point of ahead of Leicester. Chelsea are fifth, a point off West Ham in fourth and six behind United.
6.24pm GMT
Victor Lindelof walks over to ask Stuart Attwell what the flip he was doing with that penalty appeal in the first half. But both sets of players seem happy with life - except Bruno Fernandes, who looks thoroughly hacked off as he leaves the field. He didn’t have a great game, though he is crying out for some creative support. Overall, a draw was a fair result.
6.22pm GMT
Peep peep! There have been many worse 0-0s.
6.22pm GMT
90+3 min A stinging rising drive from Fred is straight at Mendy, who beats it away unconvincingly.
6.21pm GMT
90+3 min James’s free-kick is headed away by Maguire. Mount’s long-range volley is blocked and then Kovacic’s shot dribbles through to de Gea.
6.21pm GMT
90+2 min Another free-kick on the right to Chelsea, this time 35 yards from goal. This will probably be the last chance.
6.19pm GMT
90+1 min Three minutes of added time.
6.19pm GMT
90 min James’ free-kick clears everybody and United break. Fred plays a brilliant pass to McTominay on the right, and suddenly United are four on three. But McTominay’s low pass towards Martial is underhit, which allows Kante to make a vital interception. That was a big chance.
6.17pm GMT
89 min Reece James is blocked off the ball by Shaw, which gives Chelsea a free-kick on the right wing...
6.15pm GMT
87 min Martial takes Shaw’s pass neatly in his stride on the edge of the area, forcing Christensen to stretch to make an important tackle.
6.14pm GMT
85 min And now Pulisic blasts over from the edge of the area.
6.13pm GMT
85 min Chelsea look the likelier winners at the moment. Werner, on the left of the area, hits a crisp shot from a tight angle that is comfortably saved by de Gea.
6.12pm GMT
83 min: Great defending from Lindelof! Reece James, on the right, curls a wicked ball to the far post, where Lindelof just gets in front of Werner to poke the ball behind. The referee gives a goalkick but that was definitely good defending rather than a bad miss.
6.11pm GMT
82 min Stick or twist, lads. At the moment it looks like the former.
6.09pm GMT
80 min “Kovacic surely should have been booked for taking down James,” says Martin Lancon of an incident a couple of minutes ago.
I thought they both got the ball simultaneously, though I haven’t seen a replay.
6.07pm GMT
79 min Maguire is booked for a late tackle on Pulisic.
6.07pm GMT
78 min Manchester United make their first change: Anthony Martial replaces Mason Greenwood, who had a couple of good moments but still looks a shadow of the player he was last season.
6.06pm GMT
77 min Chelsea make their final change: Timo Werner replaces Hakim Ziyech, who faded after a confident start.
6.05pm GMT
76 min Dan James runs at Rudiger and hammers an excellent low cross that is spilled by the stretching Mendy. Happily for him, there are no United forwards on the scene and he grabs it at the second attempt.
6.03pm GMT
75 min de Gea makes another comfortable save, this time from Azpilicueta’s long-range shot.
6.02pm GMT
73 min Lots of Chelsea possession in the last few minutes. Eventually Kovacic curls a first-time shot from 25 yards that is comfortably held to his left by de Gea.
5.59pm GMT
70 min United have had so many 0-0s in the Big Six games this season - City and Chelsea at home, Liverpool and Arsenal away. I think they’ve played pretty well today, for what it’s worth, and they should have had a penalty. I’m not sure this will end 0-0 anyway.
5.57pm GMT
69 min Ziyech is now playing up front for Chelsea, with Pulisic and Mount behind him.
5.57pm GMT
68 min After some snappy one-touch passing, Fred hits a right-footed curler from 25 yards that goes just wide of the far top corner. That was a terrific effort from a player whose long-range shooting usually has a whiff of the John Jensens.
5.54pm GMT
66 min The 0-0 between these teams at Old Trafford was a stinker; this has been a much better game.
5.54pm GMT
65 min Another Chelsea substitution: Christian Pulisic replaces Olivier Giroud.
5.53pm GMT
65 min A vicious long-range shot from McTominay is blocked by the falling Rudiger.
5.53pm GMT
63 min: Great defending from McTominay! Mendy makes a more comfortable save from Rashford’s curler. Chelsea break and McTominay makes a vital block from a close-range shot by Mount. It was brilliant play from Mount, who played a one-two with Ziyech on the halfway line and ran all the way into the area. Then he Cruyff-turned McTominay, who recovered admirably to block the ensuing shot.
5.51pm GMT
62 min Chilwell is booked for a late tackle on Greenwood, who has come alive in the last few minutes.
5.51pm GMT
61 min: Good save from Mendy! Wan-Bissaka, on the right of the area, cuts the ball back to the unmarked McTominay. He curls a first-time shot that is blocked by the chest of the unsighted Mendy. That was good, unorthodox goalkeeping because he saw the ball so late.
5.50pm GMT
60 min Greenwood plays a crisp one-two with James, zips away from Christensen in the D and hits a fierce shot that flashes just wide of the near post. That was terrific play.
5.48pm GMT
59 min Kante’s long-range shot is blocked by Lindelof and United break three on three - but Fernandes’s pass to Rashford is slightly overhit and runs out of play. Fernandes is fuming because James was taking out by Rudiger off the ball; Stuart Attwell isn’t interested.
5.47pm GMT
58 min Rudiger booms another terrific crossfield pass, this time to Reece James. His sharp cross is cut out by Fred. Chelsea are having an excellent spell though.
5.46pm GMT
57 min Dan James and Greenwood have struggled to influence the game, so we might see Anthony Martial pretty soon. United don’t have many attacking options on the bench because of injuries to Cavani and Mata.
5.45pm GMT
56 min Chelsea make a mess of a short corner. Mary Waltz and Big Sam (8 min) nod knowingly.
5.42pm GMT
53 min Shaw’s corner is headed away by Giroud and Chelsea break. Ziyech cuts infield from the right, past a couple of players, and hits a shot that is blocked by Fred.
5.41pm GMT
52 min Rashford plays an excellent long pass to James, 25 yards from goal. A good off-the-ball run from Greenwood gives James the time to turn and hit a shot that deflects wide off Christensen.
5.40pm GMT
51 min Chelsea have started the second half really well.
5.39pm GMT
50 min Fred is booked for a late tackle on Mount.
5.39pm GMT
49 min: Superb save from de Gea! Chilwell surged down the left, looked up and tried to pick at Giroud at the near post with a sharp cutback. He missed it but the ball reached Ziyech, who swept a cracking first-time shot towards goal. De Gea, who was going the other way, stretched out his right hand to make a fine block. The ball rebounded to James, whose shot was brilliantly blocked by the stretching Shaw.
5.36pm GMT
47 min Hudson-Odoi’s left knee is strapped, so it wasn’t a tactical change.
5.34pm GMT
46 min Chelsea begin the second half.
5.34pm GMT
Some desperately sad news - Glenn Roeder, the former manager of West Ham and Newcastle, has died at the age of 65.
The LMA is so very deeply saddened following the death of member Glenn Roeder, at the age of 65
➡️ https://t.co/95iMpPOen4 pic.twitter.com/6NcJ4WhcbS
5.32pm GMT
Chelsea substitution Reece James is coming on to replace poor old Callum Hudson-Odoi.
5.20pm GMT
Half-time plug
S4 Ep6 is here. Part 1 of our deep dive into Kevin Keegan's England and long chat about player of the pod, Gianfranco Zolahttps://t.co/Td2eUp1enl
5.18pm GMT
Half-time reading
“I feel like letting the ref decide whether a handball was deliberate/reckless without any video reviews might work,” says Niall Mullen. “We’d all have to agree to shut the h*ll up and leave the ref alone. I can’t see that being an issue. Every year Steven Wells’ piece from 2008 resonates more.”
Related: Steven Wells: In praise of referees
5.17pm GMT
Peep peep! As 0-0s go, that was pretty decent: there wasn’t much excitement, just one VAR controversy, but the tempo was excellent and both sides attacked with quality and intent. They also defended extremely well, which is why it’s 0-0.
5.15pm GMT
45 min Two minutes of added time.
5.14pm GMT
44 min Lindelof’s long, angled pass is headed down neatly by Fernandes towards Rashford, who is waiting for the ball to come down when Kante appears on his blindside to put it behind for a corner.
5.13pm GMT
43 min United continue to dominate possession, which is not what we expected.
5.12pm GMT
42 min “Afternoon Rob,” says Tom Hopkins. “To Rick Harris’s point, the current law seems to have been designed for a VAR world of absolutes where we’ve lost the idea that to give away a penalty or get sent off you must have done something wrong (or at least made a mistake). Kind of tail wagging the dog and just intuitively unsatisfying.”
I think this is a huge problem. A combination of VAR and social media is not entirely conducive to clarity of decision-making, or sensible discourse.
5.11pm GMT
41 min Fernandes’s long-range shot is deflected behind. That was another half chance that came from Fred winning the ball in a dangerous area. He has been excellent.
5.09pm GMT
39 min Ziyech is down holding his head after an aerial challenge from Lindelof. He’s fine.
5.07pm GMT
36 min Lovely play from Chelsea. Rudiger moves away from James and crashes a crossfield pass to the unmarked Hudson-Odoi. He puts in a beautiful cross that just evades the diving Giroud in the six-yard box and drifts to safety. Giroud’s momentum takes him into the post, and there’s a short break in play while he receives treatment to his back.
5.04pm GMT
35 min Corner to United on the left. They have pinned Chelsea back in the last 10-15 minutes. Shaw’s corner is poor and Kante clears at the near post.
5.03pm GMT
34 min Abraham was on the bench in Madrid, and there has been no reports of an injury, though it does seem strange not to have him among the substitutes if he’s fit.
5.02pm GMT
33 min “Watching in US where Lee Dixon claims ‘the game is gone’ if that was given as a penalty,” says Stephen Taylor.
That was Niall Mullen’s point (26th min), and I’d agree with it. But in accordance with the current interpretation of the law, it should surely have been given.
5.01pm GMT
32 min A poor kick from de Gea goes straight to Giroud, 30 yards from goal. He takes a touch and then launches a half-volley into Fulham Palace Road.
5.00pm GMT
31 min “We need to go back to the concept of intentional handball and ignore any other instance of ball to hand,” says Rick Harris. “VAR can be the final arbiter but it is pretty clear where a player deliberately handballs as opposed to say protecting their face.”
There’s a grey area of reckless handballs that isn’t quite as easy to define, especially in a social-media age, but in principle I agree with you.
4.59pm GMT
30 min This is a decent spell for United, their best of the match so far, although they haven’t yet created any clear chances.
4.58pm GMT
29 min “Tammy Abraham isn’t even in the squad,” says Julian Menz. “Is he injured?”
I don’t think so.
4.57pm GMT
28 min Fernandes clips another good pass over the top towards Rashford, who this time is eased off the ball by Christensen. I think Rashford was fractionally offside anyway.
4.55pm GMT
26 min “Nobody knows anything but I’m glad that wasn’t given just because it’s so disproportionate to give a goal away for basically accidental handball at the edge of the box with the players facing away from goal,” says Niall Mullen. “In modern terms an xG of near 0 would have been turned into an xG of near 1 for really no good reason.”
Yes, I agree with you on that. It would have been a VAR penalty in every sense, a jobsworth’s fantasy.
4.54pm GMT
24 min Fernandes stabs a clever return pass towards Rashford, and Azpilicueta shepherds the ball behind for a goalkick. That move started with Fred winning the ball high up the pitch; both sides continue to press very aggressively.
4.52pm GMT
22 min Hudson-Odoi plays a one-two with Azpilicueta, flicks the ball up and cracks a volley from the edge of the area that goes a few yards wide of the far post. That was lovely play.
4.50pm GMT
20 min Nothing much has happened since that VAR check, though the pace of the game remains impressively high.
4.48pm GMT
That was so clumsy from Hudson-Odoi but if a referee is going to have a replay of a probable penalty and not give it it's Stuart Attwell. #mufc
4.48pm GMT
19 min “How is that not given?” says Martin Lancon.
4.47pm GMT
17 min In the context of some of the recent penalties that have been given, especially for Wolves at Southampton, Chelsea are pretty lucky.
4.46pm GMT
16 min: No penalty! Stuart Attwell has overruled VAR. As Gary Neville says on Sky, a few months ago that would definitely have been a penalty. I think he’s pretty lucky there, as his hand was a long way away from his body.
4.45pm GMT
15 min When Mendy punched that free-kick away, the ball bounced up and hit the outstretched hand of Hudson-Odoi. Play went on for ages and then Stuart Attwell was told to look at the monitor. I think this will be given.
4.44pm GMT
VAR check: Man Utd penalty!
4.43pm GMT
14 min Rashford’s wobbling free-kick is punched away by Mendy, who sensibly took no chances.
4.43pm GMT
12 min Fernandes, 20 yards out, whacks a shot on the turn that is blocked by Christensen. McTominay picks up the loose ball and is fouled by Mount, maybe 30 yards from goal. Rashford scored a screamer from this range, albeit at the other end, in the Carabao Cup last season.
4.40pm GMT
10 min Mount’s corner is headed away by McTominay and United break at pace. Eventually Rashford hooks a clever pass over his shoulder towards Greenwood, and the last man Chilwell does well to head it away. Greenwood would have been through on goal.
4.39pm GMT
10 min Hudson-Odoi’s cross just evades Giroud at the near post and is kneed behind by Lindelof. Chelsea are on top at the moment.
4.39pm GMT
9 min Ziyech and Mount are getting into some dangerous positions between the United defence and midfield. Having an extra passer, rather than a runner in Werner, has so far worked very well.
4.37pm GMT
8 min “Taking corners short and then crossing has always seemed a little clever by half,” says Mary Waltz. “Has anyone done a study of the success rate of that tactic?”
I bet Big Sam could give you chapter and verse.
4.37pm GMT
7 min Mount, who looks very bright, receives a return pass from Ziyech and forces a shot that is blocked by Lindelof.
4.36pm GMT
6 min Rudiger goes on a storming 50-yard run - and why not - before hitting a cross that is cut out by McTominay.
4.34pm GMT
4 min The match is starting to settle into the expected rhythm, with plenty of Chelsea possession.
4.32pm GMT
2 min It’s been a fast, aggressive start from both teams. Ziyech cracks a good pass out to Mount on the left. He cuts inside and floats a cross that is taken off the head of Giroud by Shaw. That was a vital piece of defending.
4.30pm GMT
1 min Peep peep! Manchester United kick off from left to right. They’ve started with Mason Greenwood rather than Marcus Rashford up front.
4.28pm GMT
“Hello Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “I hope you don’t mind me mentioning that St. Johnstone, yes St. Johnstone, have today won the Scottish League cup, beating Livingston 1-0 at Hampden. This after losing on penalties to Dundee United in the group stage, from which the Perth minnows only progressed due to the fact that United had lost to Peterhead, yes Peterhead, at home earlier in the competition. So by rights it’s United’s cup really. Just like the Scottish Cup in 2014, when a United team featuring both Andy Robertson and Stuart Armstrong, inexplicably lost to, well, I forget now. Not that I’m bitter of course. As long as football is the winner, eh?”
4.27pm GMT
The players are ready for action. It’s a nice day in west London, with a whiff of spring in the air.
4.18pm GMT
In other news
Related: Gareth Bale hits two as Tottenham's revamped attack blows Burnley away
4.17pm GMT
Here’s Thomas Tuchel
“[Hakim Ziyech] is a different kind of player - he had a good impact against Atletico and he deserves to start. We also wanted to give Timo a little break; I felt he was a bit tired after playing so many games in a row. [What is the best way to deal with Bruno Fernandes?] Leave him out! Give him a rest, he plays all the time. We have guys who can take of him, we trust N’Golo and Kova to be close to him. He is a key player - he is the accelerator of the game, he’s the guy who delivers passes behind the defence, always on point. The challenge is to defend well in the areas he will hang around.”
4.13pm GMT
“I signed up to the Fiver,” says Bill Hargreaves, “and now I wear my dentures with confidence, and don’t worry about wet patches if I laugh in public. (Smiles at camera and pats retriever.)”
I should have said that a study into side effects of signing up for the Fiver hasn’t yet been completed, so all those rumours about people openly weeping for the future of comedy and humanity should be taken with a pinch of salt.
4.06pm GMT
Here’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
“We need to play a good game and hopefully get the three points. But if you think too much about the result, your focus is somewhere else. We need to perform. We know it will be hard to take the ball off them. Thomas has made them really hard to press, so we need to press high, be aggressive, then play ourselves and find the spaces. We know they press hard - the German style, if you like - so we need to be good on the ball to play through that press and get at their back three.”
3.57pm GMT
Don’t be selfish - sign up to the Fiver
I’ve done it. It was very quick, and I’ve had lots of letters from people who have been very surprised at how easy it was to sign up to the Fiver. And it didn’t hurt at all.
Related: Sign up to The Fiver email newsletter
3.33pm GMT
Thomas Tuchel makes three changes from the side that beat Atletico Madrid in the Champions League: Ben Chilwell, N’Golo Kante and Hakim Ziyech come in for Marcos Alonso, Jorginho and Timo Werner.
Manchester United didn’t play their best XI against Real Sociedad, as they were effectively through, but there are two changes from the 3-1 win over Newcastle in their last league game: Scott McTominay, fit again, and Mason Greenwood come in for Nemanja Matic and Anthony Martial. That means
Marcus Rashford
Mason Greenwood will play up front.
11.36am GMT
Hello. Progress, like hope and potatoes, comes in many forms. In football it can be measured by trophies, signings, performances, even unexpected praise escaping from the open face of Royston Keane. And – duh – league position. Last season, Chelsea and Manchester United were competing to finish third; this year they both have their eye on second. That’s primarily because Liverpool have gegenpressed straight into a brick wall, but their shocking collapse shouldn’t obscure the fact that United in particular have made a big improvement this year.
Chelsea have had a mixed season, and would probably be content to finish in the top four. But after a promising start under Thomas Tuchel – eight games, no defeats, only two goals conceded – second is a realistic ambition. If they win today they will move within three points of United. With a respectful and unwittingly patronising nod to Leicester, these two clubs are the likeliest to break the duopoly of Liverpool and Manchester City.
11.32am GMT
Pre-match reading
Related: Warmth, coaching, communication: how Tuchel got Chelsea purring again
Related: Bruno Fernandes the driving force behind United's road trip brilliance | Barney Ronay
Continue reading...February 21, 2021
Arsenal 0-1 Manchester City: Premier League – as it happened
City were far too good for Arsenal at the Emirates, with Raheem Sterling’s early header giving them an 18th consecutive win in all competitions
6.38pm GMT
That’s it for today’s blog. Barney Ronay’s match report is here, and you can follow Man Utd v Newcastle with John Brewin. Goodnight!
Related: Raheem Sterling's header at Arsenal extends Manchester City hot streak
Related: Manchester United v Newcastle: Premier League – live!
6.36pm GMT
Here’s Raheem Sterling
“We moved the ball well early on and kept the pressure on. Riyad was really aggressive in the first five minutes. They’re a good team, you could see that, but we kept our composure and ground a result out.
6.25pm GMT
One more game, and then you can go to bed
Related: Manchester United v Newcastle: Premier League – live!
6.23pm GMT
Peep peep! Manchester City move 10 points clear - and make it 18 straight wins in all competitions - with one of the more comfortable 1-0 wins you will ever see. Raheem Sterling scored in the second minute and City controlled the game throughout. While they were sloppy in attack at times, particularly in the second half, their marvellous defence didn’t give Arsenal a sniff. They’re slightly different in style to the 2017-19 vintage, but they are just as scary.
6.19pm GMT
90+2 min Leno’s long free-kick is headed away with authority by Stones. On current form he surely has to start for England at the Euros.
6.18pm GMT
90+1 min Four minutes of added time. City are in complete control.
6.17pm GMT
90 min Jesus goes on a one-man counter-attack, beating a couple of players before belting a shot into orbit from 20 yards.
6.17pm GMT
89 min At no stage in the match have Arsenal been able to put City under sustained pressure. Dias and Stones look so good together.
6.15pm GMT
88 min “I was once asked to cover on the kettle drums in the school orchestra,” says Bill Hargreaves. “I was a percussion substitute. Boom-tish.”
6.14pm GMT
87 min Bellerin is booked for clattering Jesus.
6.14pm GMT
87 min Tierney pokes a promising pass towards Lacazette, but he is swiftly dispossessed by Dias just inside the area. Lovely defending.
6.13pm GMT
86 min Another Arsenal change, their fourth because of the concussion substitute: Dani Ceballos is on for Mohamed Elneny.
6.11pm GMT
84 min “I said Champions League,” says Andy. “What has 18th game got to do with the point I made. You’re being wilfully obtuse I feel.”
For what it’s worth I don’t think they’ll win the Champions League either. I just thought you were being ever so slightly negative given they are about to win their 18th game in a row.
6.10pm GMT
82 min Holding gets to his feet, but he’s not going to continue. The way he is flexing his mouth suggests Cancelo caught him in the jaw. David Luiz is going to replace him as a concussion substitute.
6.08pm GMT
81 min Holding is now receiving treatment, and Cancelo goes over to see if he’s okay. It was a complete accident: Cancelo tried to hurdle a sliding tackle from Holding and caught him in the process.
6.07pm GMT
80 min Joao Cancelo misses an excellent chance, flicking just wide with the outside of the foot after dummying Pablo Mari majestically in the area. I was a bit surprised that play was allowed to continue, because moments earlier Cancelo had accidentally clattered the sliding Holding in the head.
6.05pm GMT
79 min “Well this is definitely Champions League failing form,” says Andy. “Another storming Pep season, being set up as favourites, only to be dumped out of Europe again. The pattern is set once more.”
You do realise they’re about to win their 18th consecutive game.
6.04pm GMT
77 min Aubameyang’s neat volleyed cross is controlled on the stretch by Saka, facing away from goal, but then he slips and that allows Fernandinho to make an important interception.
6.03pm GMT
76 min City have been sloppy in the second half, though at the moment it doesn’t look like it will cost them. They have kept the Arsenal attack at arm’s length throughout the game.
6.01pm GMT
74 min A double substitution for Arsenal. Alexandre Lacazette and Emile Smith Rowe come on for Pepe and Odegaard, who both had quiet games.
6.00pm GMT
73 min What a strange incident. Joao Cancelo tried a fancy crossfield pass with the outside of the foot and mishit it high in the air towards Ederson. He could almost certainly have picked it up but tried a flashy volleyed clearance of his own, which he sliced towards Elneny 25 yards out. He drove the ball a few yards wide. If that had gone in, Pep Guardiola would have been apoplexy personified.
5.59pm GMT
72 min After a good Arsenal move, Bellerin’s deflected cross is poked away by Fernandinho. He’s had a terrific game, the 94-year-old.
5.58pm GMT
70 min Ederson’s long pass is miscontrolled by Holding, back towards his own goal, and Leno has to charge from his line to beat Sterling to the loose ball. Good goalkeeping.
5.56pm GMT
69 min Nothing much is happening. City are in control but have lacked urgency in attack in the last five or ten minutes.
5.53pm GMT
66 min Arsenal can’t lay a glove on City. Aubameyang has been very quiet, although he hasn’t had much service.
5.51pm GMT
64 min Joao Cancelo is booked for clattering Tierney as they jumped for a high ball.
5.50pm GMT
63 min A change for City: Gabriel Jesus replaces Kevin De Bruyne, who is presumably being eased back into action after injury. He did some glorious things, as he always does.
5.49pm GMT
62 min Arsenal are still hanging in there, despite being emphatically outplayed for most of the game. While it’s 1-0, anything’s possible.
5.45pm GMT
58 min Fernandinho drives a classy pass over the top to Cancelo, whose half-volleyed cross is too close to Leno. This is a good spell for City.
5.44pm GMT
57 min The corner is cleared to the edge of the area, where De Bruyne smashes a volley over the bar. As he charged towards the ball I really thought we were about to see another De Bruyne screamer.
5.44pm GMT
57 min: Good save from Leno! Sterling has a shot blocked, with the ball rebounding to Gundogan in the D. He tries to place a shot into the far corner, and Leno springs to his left to push it away.
5.43pm GMT
55 min De Bruyne slices Arsenal apart with a stunning through pass to Gundogan on the left of the area. He tries to drag the ball back inside the sliding Holding but mistimes it and it rolls out of play.
5.40pm GMT
52 min The lively Saka cuts inside and hits a shot that is blocked by Stones. City break and Xhaka is booked for a foul on Sterling.
5.38pm GMT
51 min Bernardo Silva is booked for a cynical foul on Saka.
5.37pm GMT
50 min At the other end, Pepe has a shot from the edge of the area blocked by Dias.
5.37pm GMT
49 min Sterling tries to run Holding, who makes an excellent sliding tackle. He had to get that right or it would have been a penalty.
5.36pm GMT
48 min Sterling lifts the ball infield to Zinchenko, who heads it into space and hares down the left. He moves into the area and lays the ball back to De Bruyne, who curls a left-footed chip just wide of the far post. That was almost a delicious goal.
5.34pm GMT
47 min Sterling gets to the byline and lays the ball back to Zinchenko, who blasts over from a tight angle.
5.33pm GMT
47 min “Excellent,” says Charles Antaki. “If Arsenal can keep it to something like this score, they will come away with a moral victory as resounding as it will be ineffective in vulgar league points.”
5.32pm GMT
46 min Peep peep! Arsenal begin the second half.
5.17pm GMT
Half-time reading
Related: 'Second to nobody': Mourinho defends coaching methods after Spurs defeat
5.16pm GMT
Peep peep! City lead through Raheem Sterling’s second-minute goal. For half an hour they threatened to overwhelm Arsenal, with Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan missing good chances, but the contest was much more even as half-time approached.
5.15pm GMT
45 min One minute of added time.
5.14pm GMT
44 min Bellerin wins a header on the right and finds Pepe. He tries to slide the ball back infield to Bellerin, who is lining up a shot when Gundogan nicks the ball of his toes. It runs back to Pepe, who drags a tame shot into the side netting. That was another promising move from Arsenal, who have been much better in the last 10-15 minutes.
5.11pm GMT
41 min Another Tierney cross is booted behind by Fernandinho. Odegaard’s corner is headed on at the near post by Xhaka and headed away by a City defender. No, no idea.
5.09pm GMT
39 min Saka plays in the overlapping Tierney, whose cross is cleared at the near post by Stones. Those two, Saka and Tierney, are such fun to watch.
5.06pm GMT
36 min Tierney’s cross is miscontrolled by the stretching Odegaard beyond the far post. Arsenal have had a little bit of joy down their left through Tierney and Saka. On the other side, Pepe has hardly touched the ball.
5.03pm GMT
34 min: Chance for City Holding makes a vital block from Gundogan, who was put through by Fernandinho. Gundogan’s first touch wasn’t the best, which allowed Holding to get across and block the shot.
5.03pm GMT
32 min This City side remind me more and more of Spain in 2012 - not quite as expansive or entertaining as previous versions, but with a crushing superiority that breaks the will of their opponents.
5.00pm GMT
30 min Xhaka waves a lovely outside-of-the-foot pass to Tierney, who charges into space and hits a vicious rising drive that is saved almost nonchalantly by Ederson. It was a beautiful strike from Tierney.
4.59pm GMT
29 min Bellerin tries to play the ball down the line, mistimes his foot movement and kicks the ball straight out of play.
4.57pm GMT
27 min Mahrez charges menacingly at Tierney, cuts inside and slides a low shot that is blocked by Pablo Mari.
4.56pm GMT
27 min Tierney curls an excellent pass down the left to Saka. He moves infield and tries to find Pepe on the right of the area, but Fernandinho makes a good interception.
4.55pm GMT
26 min City have had 70 per cent of the possession. It actually feels like they’ve had more.
4.53pm GMT
23 min Cancelo gets round the back and rolls the ball invitingly across the six-yard box. There were no City players in there.
4.53pm GMT
23 min The match is still painfully one-sided, but Arsenal will take some comfort from the fact that City are no longer creating a clear chance every two or three minutes.
4.49pm GMT
19 min “Hi Rob,” says Ian Copestake. “Is Bellerin anything other than a good-looking man?”
Are any of us?
4.48pm GMT
18 min Saka plays a one-two with Tierney and hits a crisp right-footed shot that is blocked by Aubameyang in the six-yard box. I’m pretty sure it was going wide.
4.44pm GMT
14 min A much needed quiet spell for Arsenal, though they are still struggling to keep the ball.
4.41pm GMT
11 min Arsenal need to keep this at 1-0 for as long as possible and hope the mood ofthe match starts to change. If City get a second goal soon they could run riot.
4.39pm GMT
9 min City’s formation is fascinating. De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva are going where they like, so the two Arsenal centre-backs have nobody to mark. It’s a bit like a diamond midfield with two wingers.
4.37pm GMT
8 min Arsenal are being overwhelmed. Mahrez turns Pablo Mari inside out and hits a shot that deflects wide off Tierney. City could already be 4-0 up.
4.36pm GMT
6 min: Leno saves from Sterling! De Bruyne’s pass from the right finds its way through to Sterling on the edge of the area. He moves in on goal, twists back inside the sliding Bellerin but is then tackled by Holding. The ball runs loose and Sterling’s poked shot is smothered by Leno. The first chance was the best one; Sterling could have shot when he turned away from Bellerin.
4.35pm GMT
5 min City are so relaxed in possession. This already looks pretty ominous for Arsenal.
4.33pm GMT
3 min City have started with Bernardo Silva as a false nine and De Bruyne in midfield.
4.32pm GMT
That was so easy. Mahrez killed a long pass from Dias with that beautiful first touch of his. Then he teased Tierney and floated a simple cross to the far post, where Sterling got between Bellerin and Holding and headed in from six yards.
4.31pm GMT
Raheem Sterling scores inside 90 seconds!
4.31pm GMT
1 min Mahrez’s cross skims off the head of Holding and reaches Sterling, who muffs an attempted volley with his left foot. That was half a chance.
4.30pm GMT
1 min Peep peep! City, wearing their white third strip, kick off from right to left.
4.25pm GMT
“Hard to know where this one rates on the Arsenal Bad-Feeling-About-This-One-ometer,” says Charles Antaki. “Usually this last year or so it hovers around 50 per cent for games against mid-table sides, drops to single figures in the early Europa League stages, and climbs up again when faced with any half-decent opposition. So for Man. City it’s, what, 95%, or Man Utd 8-2 territory?”
3.58pm GMT
Leicester have won 2-1 at Aston Villa to put a little bit of pressure on Manchester City. They are now seven points clear with today’s game in hand.
Related: Aston Villa v Leicester City: Premier League – live!
3.47pm GMT
Pre-match reading
Related: Three schemers smooth way for Mikel Arteta's Manchester City reunion | Nick Ames
Related: Pep Guardiola believes Foden can become '10 times more extraordinary'
3.40pm GMT
Some interesting decisions from both managers. Mikel Arteta has chosen Rob Holding and Pablo Mari at centre-back, with Gabriel and David Luiz on the bench. Nicolas Pepe is also in for Emile Smith Rowe.
Pep Guardiola prefers Fernandinho to Rodri, and it looks like Kevin De Bruyne will play as a false nine. Goal machine Ilkay Gundogan is also back from injury.
3.37pm GMT
Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Leno; Bellerin, Holding, Pablo Mari, Tierney; Elneny, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Pepe; Aubameyang.
Substitutes: Ryan, Gabriel, Cedric, David Luiz, Ceballos, Smith Rowe, Lacazette, Willian, Martinelli.
Manchester City (4-3-3) Ederson; Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko; Silva, Fernandinho, Gundogan; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Sterling.
Substitutes: Steffen, Walker, Laporte, Mendy, Rodri, Foden, Jesus, Aguero, Torres.
2.03pm GMT
Southampton, Arsenal, Newcastle, Chelsea, Manchester United, Birmingham, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Cheltenham, West Brom, Sheffield United, Burnley, Liverpool, Swansea, Spurs, Everton. Seventeen teams have failed to resist the force of Manchester City, who are on an unprecedented winning run. Now Arsenal, who were tonked 4-1 in the Carabao Cup before Christmas, have a second chance.
Mikel Arteta’s side were at rock bottom after that City defeat, but a joyously unexpected 3-1 win over Chelsea four days later kickstarted their season. A similar result at Stamford Bridge a week later was the first big sign that, after a sluggish start to the season, Manchester City might be back to their best. Subsequent results have not disabused us of this notion. They are going to win the league; the only question is how many cups they’ll win to go with it.
West Ham 2-1 Tottenham: Premier League – as it happened
Michail Antonio and Jesse Lingard scored early in each half as West Ham moved into the top four and inflicted another defeat on Spurs
2.15pm GMT
That’s it for today’s blog. I’ll leave you with Jacob Steinberg’s report from the London Stadium. Bye!
Related: West Ham move into top four with home win over Tottenham
2.10pm GMT
Jose Mourinho has suffered more defeats in his last six league games in charge of Tottenham than he did in his first 74 in charge of Chelsea (5-4).
2.07pm GMT
At the 16th attempt, David Moyes has finally beaten Jose Mourinho!
What a job he is doing with @WestHam this season pic.twitter.com/mlt7RZVrFt
1.55pm GMT
More more more
Related: Aston Villa v Leicester City: Premier League – live!
1.55pm GMT
Peep peep! West Ham move up to fourth in the table with a very, very, very, very, very, very very hard-fought victory over Spurs. They scored very early in each half through Michail Antonio and Jesse Lingard and then withstood a Spurs onslaught after Lucas Moura made it 2-1.
Spurs created enough to draw, maybe even win, but they had to settle for another defeat. It’s their fifth in the last six league games and their seventh in the last 12.
1.52pm GMT
90+4 min Jesse Lingard is replaced by Mark Noble.
1.52pm GMT
90+3 min Son shoots high over the bar from the edge of the area.
1.51pm GMT
90+2 min: Son hits the post! What a strange incident. Coufal’s attempted clearance hit Son, looped tantalisingly over Fabianski and rebounded off the far post!
1.50pm GMT
90+2 min Son’s free-kick is headed away as far as Alli. He tries to poke a pass to Son but underhits it.
1.50pm GMT
90+1 min Lingard gives away a stupid free-kick, fouling Alli on the left wing. Spurs have sent almost everyone forward.
1.49pm GMT
90 min Five minutes of added time.
1.47pm GMT
89 min West Ham are hanging on desperately. They look shattered.
1.46pm GMT
88 min Son’s brilliant cross from the left is sliced over his own bar by Diop. Bale’s corner comes to nothing.
1.44pm GMT
86 min Alli tees up Dier, who marauds onto the ball and then slices it miles wide.
1.43pm GMT
84 min Coufal is okay to continue.
1.41pm GMT
82 min Bale’s cross is punched away by the flying Fabianski, who takes out Coufal in the process. There’s a break in play while he receives treatment.
1.40pm GMT
81 min West Ham substitution: Ben Johnson replaces Pablo Fornals. That might mean a switch to a back three/five.
1.38pm GMT
78 min: Bale hits the bar! Two chances for Spurs in the space of a few seconds. First Kane’s low cross from the right was brilliantly cleared by the stretching Rice in his own six-yard box. The ball came back to Kane, who picked out Bale on the edge of the area. He waited for it to bounce and swished a beautiful shot with the outside of his left foot that clattered off the top of the bar. That was such a sweet strike from Bale.
1.37pm GMT
78 min Spurs have gone to a back three, with Dier on the left and Doherty on the right. It’s a 3-2-4-1 formation now.
1.36pm GMT
78 min “No reason to replace Mourinho,” says Søren Sorgenfri. “He needs better players. Take out Kane and Son and the current squad is no more than midtable at best. Investments must be made.”
1.35pm GMT
77 min Dele Alli comes to replace Sergio Reguilon. Don’t ask me what that means tactically.
1.34pm GMT
75 min Fornals plays a short pass towards Antonio on the edge of the area. He lets it run, and the alert Lingard almost sneaks through on goal. Lloris and a defender, not sure who, were scrambling to clear the danger.
1.33pm GMT
75 min It looks like Dele Alli is about to come on.
1.32pm GMT
73 min: Just wide from Kane! An equaliser is coming. Lucas Moura found Kane on the edge of the D, where he shifted the ball away from Dawson and hit a powerful low drive with his left foot. Fabianski was beaten but it whistled past the post. That was another beautifully struck effort from Kane.
1.31pm GMT
72 min Bale has been good since coming on. He finds a bit of space and plays the ball down the line to Doherty, whose cross is intercepted at the near post by Rice.
1.30pm GMT
72 min The latest yellow card goes to Pablo Fornals for a foul on Ndombele.
1.29pm GMT
71 min Lots of Spurs pressure now. Son plays an inviting pass back towards Lucas Moura, who rifles high over the bar from inside the D.
1.28pm GMT
70 min “Graham Potter please,” says James Stephenson. “Or Diego Martinez, the Granada manager .”
1.27pm GMT
69 min Michail Antonio is booked for blocking a Spurs free-kick.
1.26pm GMT
67 min A cross-shot from Kane beats everyone in the six-yard box and drifts past the far post. Lucas Moura was the closest to reaching it.
1.24pm GMT
66 min “Since we’re on our way to another disappointing Spurs loss, it’s time for daydreaming,” says Dave Purcell. “Who would be your top choices to replace Jose?”
Nagelsmann or Rodgers I guess. You?
1.23pm GMT
65 min A West Ham change: Said Benrahma replaces Jarrod Bowen.
1.23pm GMT
Bale swung a corner towards the near post, where Lucas Moura twisted his neck to flick a superb header that hit the inside of the post and went in.
1.23pm GMT
And now they’re back in it!
1.22pm GMT
63 min This is a good spell for Spurs, who are attacking with more intensity than at any stage in the match.
1.21pm GMT
62 min Diop is booked for a foul on Lucas Moura.
1.20pm GMT
62 min Bale cuts inside promisingly but shoots straight at Fabianski from distance.
1.19pm GMT
61 min Kane’s dangerous low cross from the right is well held at full stretch by Fabianski.
1.18pm GMT
59 min Kane flashes the free-kick just wide of the far post. Fabianski probably had it covered - it went to his side - but it was really well struck.
1.16pm GMT
58 min Ndombele is fouled 25 yards from goal by Lingard. The free-kick is to the left of centre, so you’d expect a right-footer to hit it.
1.15pm GMT
56 min The free-kick is headed away to the edge of the area. Sanchez collects and boots the bouncing ball over the bar.
1.14pm GMT
56 min Soucek is booked for a late tackle on Kane. He got the ball but I think he went through Kane to get to it.
1.12pm GMT
52 min And West Ham will have won seven of their last nine.
1.10pm GMT
51 min If it stays like this Spurs will have lost seven of their last 12 league games.
1.08pm GMT
49 min Lingard played a one-two with Fornals in the inside-left channel, then knocked the ball past the last man Dier. Had Fornals touched the ball he’d have been offside, but Lingard got there first and belted it into the far corner.
1.07pm GMT
It’s been given!
1.07pm GMT
48 min It’s still being checked. Fornals, who was offside, made a move towards the ball but Lingard beat him to it and crashed a left-footed shot past Lloris.
1.06pm GMT
LINGARD HAS A GOAL DISALLOWED FOR OFFSIDE! It was a cracking finish, too. I think that’s a bit harsh, because it’s been given against Fornals even though he didn’t touch the ball. It’s being checked by VAR.
1.04pm GMT
46 min Peep peep! Spurs begin the second half.
1.03pm GMT
Jose Mourinho has made a double substitution: Matt Doherty and Gareth Bale are on for Japhet Tanganga and Erik Lamela.
12.58pm GMT
“I mean, I could probably look it up, but I’d rather simply trust that you know vastly more than me (especially on this subject),” begins Matt Dony. “Regarding that Opta Joe stat, didn’t Van Nistelrooy score more Premier League goals from exclusively inside the area? I seem to remember all his United goals were from inside the box, then he scored from outside the area on his Madrid debut, but I may be wrong. It happens occasionally.”
From memory, he scored one from outside the area at Charlton in November 2005.
12.49pm GMT
Half-time reading
Related: Juventus beware: Milan derby finally signals the end of one-club Serie A | Jonathan Wilson
12.48pm GMT
Peep peep! Another half of toil and trouble for Spurs, who had most of the ball but did little with it. Michail Antonio’s early goal allowed West Ham to sit in and play on the break, just the way they like it. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
12.48pm GMT
45+2 min: Fine save from Fabianski! Kane, on the edge of a crowded penalty area, shifts the ball to the side and hits a cracking low shot across goal. Fabianski gets down really smartly to his right to push it away. The resulting corner is headed wide by Dier in front of the near post.
12.45pm GMT
45 min Three minutes of added time.
12.43pm GMT
44 min Reguilon is booked for pushing Bowen over.
12.43pm GMT
43 min Reguilon’s pass infield finds its way to Lamela, who hits a sweet first-time curler from 22 yards. Fabianski plunges to his right to make a good save.
12.42pm GMT
43 min “You said ‘this isn’t a classic’,” says Foderoy. “It’s classic Spurs.”
12.41pm GMT
42 min Hojbjerg is booked for cleaning out Lingard.
12.38pm GMT
38 min Cresswell’s outswinging corner is thumped towards goal by the head of Dawson, forcing Lloris to push the ball over the bar. It was a comfortable enough save. The second corner is headed on at the near post by Diop and drifts across the penalty area to safety.
12.36pm GMT
36 min Lamela is booked for a lunging tackle on Diop.
12.33pm GMT
34 min Craig Pawson has walked over to give Jose Mourinho a rollocking. Mourinho doesn’t have a face like thunder; he has a face like the apocalypse.
12.32pm GMT
32 min Cresswell’s free-kick is headed up in the air by Sanchez and then claimed by Lloris.
12.32pm GMT
32 min Antonio is fouled by Sanchez 22 yards from goal. The free-kick is in line with the left edge of the penalty area, so I’d expect a cross from Cresswell.
12.31pm GMT
31 min This isn’t a classic.
12.30pm GMT
30 min Cresswell’s cross hits Tanganga straight between the legs in the comedy style.
12.27pm GMT
27 min Reguilon’s cross is handled by Bowen just outside the area on the left. Son’s free-kick is blocked at the near post and then Lucas Moura spanks a shot over the bar from 25 yards.
12.24pm GMT
25 min Spurs are dominating possession, though West Ham look fairly comfortable defensively. Lamela’s long-range shot is blocked by Diop.
12.23pm GMT
24 min Son’s driven cross is missed by Lucas Moura at the near post. That looked like a decent chance. Meanwhile, Soucek is back on the field.
12.21pm GMT
42 - All 42 of Michail Antonio's Premier League goals have come from inside the box - in the competition's history, only Tim Cahill (56), Chicharito (53) and Gabriel Jesus (45) have scored more with all of them coming from inside the box. Poachers. #WHUTOT pic.twitter.com/lpiGzpvMog
12.20pm GMT
21 min Reguilon is lucky not to be booked for a cynical foul on Bowen.
12.18pm GMT
18 min Soucek doesn’t look concussed, but he is leaving the field to have stitches put in. West Ham are going to play with ten men for the time being.
12.17pm GMT
16 min A Spurs corner leads to a scramble in the area. There’s a nasty clash of heads between Soucek - who is bleeding profusely above his left eye - and Sanchez. Play is allowed to continue and Kane has a snapshot blocked by Soucek, who jumped straight to his feet after the clash of the heads. Now play has stopped and Soucek is receiving treatment.
12.15pm GMT
14 min Rice clips a pass over the top to put Bowen through on goal, but his first touch is poor and the Spurs defenders are able to get back. That was another great chance for West Ham.
12.13pm GMT
13 min: Just wide from Kane! Spurs almost equalise on the break. Lamela ran a long way and slid an angled pass through to Kane on the edge of the area. With Diop backpedalling, Kane cut across a fierce shot that swerved just wide of the near post.
12.12pm GMT
12 min “I found it amusing when Moyes was asked in the build-up if he was pleased that Chelsea had dropped points yesterday,” says Brad McMillan. “He just chuckled, as if he’d only just realised quite how well his team have done this year. He must be pinching himself now.”
Literally.
12.11pm GMT
10 min Another chance for West Ham. Antonio wins a 50/50 with Hojbjerg and plays in Lingard on the left side of the area. He pokes the ball tamely across goal and wide of the far post. I think he was trying to find Antonio, though a shot would probably have been the better option.
12.09pm GMT
9 min Reguilon plays a good ball down the line to Lamela, whose chipped cross is booted up in the air by the stretching Cresswell. Fabianski comes from his line to claim the loose ball.
12.06pm GMT
7 min Oh, Spurs.
12.06pm GMT
Bowen’s wicked inswinging cross from the right was met by Antonio, who stretched to poke a volley towards goal from close range. Lloris made a good save but Antonio was able to roof the rebound from a couple of yards.
12.04pm GMT
There’s something to report now: West Ham have scored!
12.03pm GMT
4 min Nothing to report so far.
12.01pm GMT
2 min “Hi Rob,” says Duncan Edwards. “Assuming no injuries, do you think Mick Antonio should go to Euro 2021?”
No. Good player though.
12.00pm GMT
1 min Peep peep! West Ham kick off from left to right.
11.57am GMT
Here come the players. It’s a nice day in east London, mild and dry, apart from the bubbles.
11.46am GMT
“Excited about today’s game,” writes Yash Gupta. “After all the bad results I thought maybe Rodon, Alli or Bale might be back in the lineup, but I guess Mourinho has not made those changes to see how Moura and especially Sanchez respond after what happened last week. If they don’t respond well, they can finally join Winks and Sissoko on the bench or maybe even out of the squad.”
11.37am GMT
Pre-match reading
Related: Strikerless West Ham find new approach thanks to Lingard gamble | Jacob Steinberg
Related: José Mourinho still striving to instil killer instinct into Tottenham
11.08am GMT
Michail Antonio returns up front for West Ham, who have switched to a back four. Spurs make one change from the team that was hammered at Manchester City last weekend: Sergio Reguilon replaces Ben Davies at left-back.
West Ham (4-2-3-1) Fabianski; Coufal, Diop, Dawson, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Fornals, Lingard; Antonio.
Substitutes: Martin, Randolph, Balbuena, Alves, Johnson, Lanzini, Noble, Benrahma, Odubeko.
9.39am GMT
Only Manchester City have taken more points than West Ham in 2021. David Moyes’ team have won six of their eight Premier League games this year, and another victory today would move them into the top four. The top four! There’s a long way to go before they start playing the Champions League theme at the London Stadium, but so far it’s been an exceptional season for West Ham.
One of the few things they haven’t done is beat one of the Big Six (though they did win at Leicester and Everton). They will hope to rectify that against a Spurs side who have been in desperate form. Spurs have lost four of the last five in the league, although you’d expect them to improve now that Harry Kane is back. For Jose Mourinho’s sake, they need to.
Continue reading...February 20, 2021
Liverpool 0-2 Everton: Premier League – as it happened
Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson scored as Everton produced a classic away performance to win at Anfield for the first time since 1999
10.32pm GMT
Related: 'I'm working on it': Carlo Ancelotti sets sights on place in Everton history
8.38pm GMT
Here’s Jonathan Wilson on Ozan Kabak:
Related: Good news for Ozan Kabak: it cannot get much worse than this | Jonathan Wilson
7.44pm GMT
Andy Hunter’s match report has landed, so it’s time to wrap up this blog. Thanks for your company, goodnight!
Related: Richarlison and Sigurdsson strike as Everton end derby drought at Liverpool
7.44pm GMT
And here’s a smiling Carlo Ancelotti
“I’m really happy for the club, for the supporters. I couldn’t imagine if our fans were here, but I hope they will celebrate tonight. It was a good performance, with a lot of spirit. Richarlison is back - he is scoring and playing with a lot of consistency. James is always the same, he doesn’t have physicality but he has quality.
7.39pm GMT
Here’s Seamus Coleman
“It’s an amazing feeling. It’s been hard, coming here for so many years and letting the blue side of the city down. I was fed up coming out with the same cliches afterwards. We have to thank the manager for the way he set us up, the players put in an unbelievable shift and that was against the champions so we’re delighted.
7.28pm GMT
A delighted Duncan Ferguson is hugging every single Everton player. Carlo Ancelotti, cool as ever, strolls on in his own time to fistbumb the officials and then embrace Seamus Coleman. This win will do so much for an emerging Everton team, both in the short- and long-term. They are now level on points with Liverpool, and they have a game in hand. A Champions League place is a realistic ambition. He’s quite good, this Ancelotti fellow.
7.25pm GMT
Peep peep! Everton have won at Anfield for the first time since 1999! It was a classic away performance: an early goal from Richarlison, a late penalty from Gylfi Sigurdsson and lots of cool, determined defending inbetween. The three centre-halves - Holgate, Keane and Godfrey - were outstanding, while the under-pressure Jordan Pickford was flawless.
7.25pm GMT
90+6 min Sigurdsson almost makes it three, curling just wide from 20 yards.
7.21pm GMT
90+2 min Wijnaldum hasn’t given up: he lofts a fine curling shot from the edge of the area that is tipped over by the leaping Pickford. This game couldn’t have gone any better for Pickford, who has made a few good saves and a couple of outstanding ones.
7.20pm GMT
90 min Five minutes of added time. Liverpool have given up.
7.20pm GMT
89 min The penalty stemmed after a majestic surge from Calvert-Lewin, who outpaced Alexander-Arnold in a 40-yard race. He is turning into a seriously good centre-forward, and must be a nightmare to play against.
7.16pm GMT
88 min Divock Origi replaces the sadly ineffective Thiago.
7.16pm GMT
88 min After going almost four years without a home defeat in the league, Liverpool have now lost four in a row. That is utterly bonkers.
7.15pm GMT
87 min “Oh My God!!!!!!” says Mary Waltz. “I am going to buy a lottery ticket because the odds of Everton winning are about the same. I am playing that horrid Wilson Phillips song on a loop. The world has turned upside down!!!!!!!!!!”
7.15pm GMT
86 min Alex Iwobi replaces Richarlison, who scored the first and started the counter-attack for the second with a brilliant turn away from Phillips.
7.14pm GMT
85 min “It felt like this period would be defined by Liverpool,” says Andrew Hurley, “but City will shortly have won three of the last four Premier Leagues. The point was well-made about Klopp driving his players into the ground, but isn’t his mentality also to blame, constantly looking to be the victim/complaining in the first half of the season. This can’t transmit anything but negatively to his team. And, Thiago - he is literally the opposite of how Liverpool played the past four years, I never understood it.”
Siege mentalities can be extremely effective, but I agree that you have to be really careful not to let it tip over into defeatism. It can be healthy to think it’s you against the world. But it’s dangerous if you think the world is against you.
7.14pm GMT
85 min Firmino zig-zags past three players and shoots just wide. A corner is given, erroneously, but nothing comes of it.
7.13pm GMT
83 min I’m still not about sure that penalty decision. Alexander-Arnold slid in an attempt to stop the first shot, and was still sliding when Calvert-Lewin ran over him and fell over. The interesting thing it that, having been advised to go over to the monitor, Chris Kavanagh only had a cursory look and then stuck to his original decision.
7.12pm GMT
Alisson went the right way, but Sigurdsson rolled the ball softly into the corner. Everton are 2-0 up at Anfield!
7.11pm GMT
Sigurdsson scores!
7.11pm GMT
VAR check Chris Kavanagh is advised to look at the monitor - but he sticks to his original decision and gives the penalty!
7.10pm GMT
PENALTY TO EVERTON! Calvert-Lewin storms through on goal and forces a fine save from Alisson. The ball runs loose, and Calvert-Lewin is about to tap it into the net when he falls over the sliding Alexander-Arnold. Is that really a foul?
7.09pm GMT
80 min Everton’s formation is now a freestyle 8-0-2. Liverpool continue to dominate, though they are still struggling to create clear chances.
7.05pm GMT
77 min “Rob,” says Matt Dony, “could I possibly redact my earlier comment about revenge? I mean, revenge is a petty, messy concept. It’s driven by negativity and looking backwards. Much better to take the moral high-ground and not worry about revenge. At all.”
7.05pm GMT
76 min Alexander-Arnold’s cross-shot is blocked by Godfrey, who has had a fine game. In fact all three Everton centre-halves have been excellent.
7.03pm GMT
75 min Everton have possession in the Liverpool half. Two touches later, the ball is back with Jordan Pickford. It’s probably fair to say they would settle for a 1-0 win.
7.02pm GMT
74 min The last time Everton won at Anfield, this thing was top of the charts.
7.01pm GMT
73 min A loose ball falls nicely for Firmino, 20 yards out, but he smacks a desperate shot high and wide.
7.00pm GMT
72 min Calvert-Lewin bursts into the area from the left, but then loses concentration and runs the ball out of play.
6.59pm GMT
69 min: Vital save from Pickford! Firmino and Shaqiri combine nicely to put Salah through on goal. His first touch is superb, across Keane, and then he whips a close-range shot that is smothered by the outrushing Pickford. Salah didn’t have much room to work with but it was still excellent, decisive goalkeeping from Pickford.
6.57pm GMT
69 min Everton are playing a straight 5-3-2 now, with Richarlison up front alongside Calvert-Lewin. It hasn’t made much difference, though - almost all of the game is taking place in their half.
6.55pm GMT
67 min Mane is booked for dissent after being penalised for fouling Holgate.
6.54pm GMT
65 min Mane plays a good ball to the overlapping Alexander-Arnold, whose low first-time cross flashes past everyone in the six-yard box. Close close close.
6.53pm GMT
64 min Sigurdsson, on the left side of the area, drives a bouncing ball straight at Alisson. It was a half chance at best.
6.51pm GMT
63 min Liverpool make their second substitution as well. Xherdan Shaqiri is on for Curtis Jones.
6.51pm GMT
62 min Another Everton change: Dominic Calvert-Lewin replaces James Rodriguez, whose lovely pass created the goal.
6.51pm GMT
61 min: Chance for Everton! Coleman lofts a pass in behind the defence for Richarlison, who takes too long and loses the ball. He looked offside but the flag didn’t go up, and replays show he was definitely onside. That was a great chance - he should have hit it first time but tried to turn back inside Phillips.
6.47pm GMT
59 min A change for Everton: Glyfi Sigurdsson replaces Andre Gomes, who has been booked.
6.46pm GMT
58 min Salah dives just outside the area after feeling a slight touch from Digne. Chris Kavanagh isn’t interested.
6.46pm GMT
57 min Liverpool have had 83 per cent of the possession in the second half.
6.45pm GMT
56 min Gomes is robbed by Thiago, 25 yards from goal. Firmino picks up the loose ball but hits a meek drive straight at Pickford.
6.42pm GMT
54 min These are good signs for Liverpool, who have really upped their game in the second half.
6.42pm GMT
53 min: Vital tackle from Keane! Mane plays a give-and-go with Robertson and is shaping to shoot when Keane makes a desperate lunging tackle. That was brilliant defending.
6.40pm GMT
51 min Liverpool’s tempo has been better since half-time. Mane is playing more centrally, too, with nobody on the left wing at the moment.
6.40pm GMT
50 min A couple of opportunities for Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold’s cross is crucially clerared by Holgate in the six-yard box, and then the stretching Mane heads over at the far post. That was a difficult chance.
6.37pm GMT
49 min Alexander-Arnold’s cross is confidently claimed by Pickford. So far - so far - he has been flawless.
6.36pm GMT
48 min Richarlison has a goal disallowed for offside. No controversy, he was miles off.
6.36pm GMT
47 min Mane heads straight at Pickford from Robertson’s cross. He strained his neck muscles as he jumped backwards, but couldn’t power the header back across the keeper.
6.34pm GMT
46 min Peep peep! Liverpool begin the second half.
6.28pm GMT
“Injuries,” says Gary Naylor. “Okay, it wasn’t quite defending a title, but have a look at this motley crew.”
I’d like to know more about that team. They weren’t a patch of the awesome 1984-85 side, yet they won the blooming league.
6.25pm GMT
“Forty-five minutes to go,” says Mary Waltz, trembling uncontrollably. “This is the only time I regret giving up drinking 20 years ago. The early goal has given me hope, an extremely dangerous state of mind for an Everton fan.”
6.22pm GMT
“I appreciate it’s been a difficult and strange season but Klopp has to take a degree of responsibility for the fatigue that his players are experiencing,” says Gerry Scott. “Remember when they were 5-0 up at Palace but he somehow thought it was necessary to bring Salah on? Madness.”
Agreed. Diogo Jota was injured in a meaningless game as well. At the start of the season, my colleague Paul Doyle – who reads football better than anyone I know – said Liverpool wouldn’t win the league and that Klopp should have sent the front three and the full-backs on holiday the moment Liverpool clinched the title last year. He was right.
6.20pm GMT
Half-time reading
Related: The Joy of Six: assists without touching the ball
6.20pm GMT
Peep peep! Richarlison’s excellent early goal has given Everton a sniff of a first win at Anfield since 1999. Liverpool dominated without creating any clear chances, though Jordan Pickford did make a stunning save from Jordan Henderson’s volley. Henderson then became the latest Liverpool centre-back to get injured, going off with what looked like a groin injury.
6.15pm GMT
45+1 min Kabak is booked for an ill-judged tackle on Coleman.
6.15pm GMT
45 min Four minutes of added time.
6.12pm GMT
43 min Mane and Alexander-Arnold has looked quite sharp for Liverpool, but Salah, Firmino and Robertson have been subdued. It has to be fatigue; Robertson, in particular, is nothing like the elemental force of 2018-20.
6.11pm GMT
42 min “Ben Davies needn’t worry,” says Gary Byrne. “He’ll get his chance when Kabak picks up an injury.”
6.11pm GMT
41 min Andre Gomes is booked for an off-the-ball block on Salah.
6.10pm GMT
41 min Liverpool have dominated the half without creating any clear chances. Both Pickford’s saves came from long-range strikes. But Everton might be asking for trouble by sitting so deep; I don’t think this will end 1-0.
6.09pm GMT
39 min “Hi Rob,” says Toby Podmore. “I could be wrong, but didn’t the throw-in leading to the Everton goal have to be retaken, because it never entered play the first time? In which case, it was not from 15 yards inside the Everton half (which is where the first decision was given) but rather 10 yards inside the Liverpool half. I appreciate that everyone steals a few yards here and there, but 25 yards for a direct effect on the goal is a bit much, non? I could be sorely mistaken, though...”
I didn’t see that, though you might be right. Either way, I wouldn’t mention it in Roy Keane’s company.
6.08pm GMT
38 min Jurgen Klopp is having a moan to the fourth official Paul Tierney.
6.07pm GMT
38 min Robertson’s flighted free-kick is headed into the side netting by Phillips, a good effort from a very tight angle.
6.06pm GMT
35 min “There are multiple reasons why Liverpool have struggled this season but I really would like to have seen us fail with our first choice squad,” says Niall Mullen. “This never-ending conveyor belt of injuries (a destruction-line if you will) is soul-crushing.”
I’m trying to think of a team that has won the league despite a series of injuries. Arsenal had quite a few in 1997-98 and 2001-02, though they didn’t lose 47 centre-backs. Manchester City this season, though their injury list probably isn’t as bad as Liverpool’s.
6.04pm GMT
33 min: Big save from Alisson! Everton could be 2-0 up, and it was all the work of their wing-backs. Digne curled in a brilliant cross towards the far post, where Coleman got the wrong side of Robertson and met the ball with a flying header. But it was too close to Alisson, who pushed the ball away as he fell to his left. Coleman should have scored.
6.01pm GMT
32 min “I’m sure an Everton fan out there will confirm this,” says Rick Harris, “but I don’t think Everton have lost a game where Richarlison has scored first. If Liverpool turn this around they will deserve that Europa League place.”
6.00pm GMT
31 min Alexander-Arnold curls a tame free-kick over the bar.
6.00pm GMT
30 min Holgate is penalised for what looked like a good tackle on Mane. Free-kick to Liverpool, 25 yards out...
5.59pm GMT
29 min Nat Phillips is preferred to Ben Davies as the replacement for Henderson.
5.58pm GMT
29 min Henderson is done. Liverpool have had such desperate luck with injuries that now even the makeshift centre-backs are getting injured. Do you see what happens, Larry, when you sell Dejan Lovren?
5.58pm GMT
28 min Henderson comes back on, though he’s not moving freely. He’s got serious moxie.
5.57pm GMT
27 min Henderson wants to continue, so it can’t be a hamstring injury. It looks like he’s hurt his groin. Either way, if he carries on he could make it worse. For now Liverpool are playing with 10 men.
5.56pm GMT
26 min Henderson is down after being fouled by Doucoure. In fact, Henderson has pulled his hamstring - it wasn’t a foul at all, though a free-kick was given.
5.52pm GMT
22 min Liverpool are playing with the wind in the first half, so it makes sense to shoot from distance.
5.52pm GMT
21 min Liverpool are starting to hit their stride. Alexander-Arnold, 25 yards out, cracks a fierce rising drive that is touched over by the leaping Pickford. That was a more comfortable save, though still a good one.
5.50pm GMT
20 min: Stunning save from Pickford! The resulting corner is headed away to the edge of the area, where Henderson cuts across a beautiful volley. It’s heading for the bottom corner until Pickford flies to his right and fingertips it round the post. That was a seriously good save.
5.49pm GMT
19 min Mane turns away from a couple of defenders on the edge of the area. Firmino picks up the loose ball, opens his body and sidefoots a shot that deflects wide off Keane.
5.47pm GMT
18 min The strong wind is a perfect excuse to post this video from the glory days of John Beck’s Cambridge.
5.47pm GMT
17 min James’s free-kick is easily saved by Alisson.
5.46pm GMT
17 min Kabak, who has made a very nervous start, is given a last warning for a foul on James.
5.45pm GMT
16 min Nothing much is happening. You’re welcome!
5.42pm GMT
12 min Liverpool are having most of the ball, though Everton look solid defensively at the moment.
5.39pm GMT
9 min Mane’s dangerous cross is punched away by Pickford. That was a really important save because Jones was waiting behind him with an open goal.
5.37pm GMT
8 min Alexander-Arnold curls a crafty pass into Firmino, whose low cross is intercepted by Holgate.
5.37pm GMT
5 min “Hi Rob!” says Mary Waltz. “Everton fan in California being bombarded by Liverpool and United friends telling me my team has no chance, reminding me how we were destroyed by Fulham! I would like to respond with brave responses but I can only muster, well, depressing acceptance. Oh my we just scored! Is this real? Can we hold on for 86 minutes?”
They managed to hold on the time they won here - that was a very early goal too.
5.34pm GMT
4 min This is the revised Everton formation, by the way.
Everton (5-3-1-1) Pickford; Coleman, Holgate, Keane, Godfrey, Digne; Doucoure, Davies, Gomes; James; Richarlison.
5.33pm GMT
That was such a simple goal. James guided a beautiful pass through to Richarlison, who left Kabak in his slipstream and hammered a low shot across Alisson. He took that superbly.
5.32pm GMT
Who cares what formation Everton are playing - they’ve scored!
5.31pm GMT
3 min It looks like Everton are playing with a back three, not the 4-1-4-1 we expected. Carlo lied to us.
5.31pm GMT
1 min Everton win a corner in the first minute after Kabak misjudges the wind. Digne’s corner hits the unsighted Godfrey and drifts a few yards wide of the far post.
5.30pm GMT
1 min Peep peep! Everton kick off from left to right.
5.29pm GMT
“Bundled up in Chicago anxiously awaiting kickoff,” says Mike. “Perhaps the Liverpool PA system could put on the infamous Ezekiel 25:17 speech by Jules in Pulp Fiction right before kickoff to set the tone.”
Imagine what it would be like if there was a crowd.
5.28pm GMT
The players of both sides stroll onto the field. They really are walking through a storm tonight - it’s blowing a gale out there.
5.27pm GMT
“According to George Herbert, the Welsh-born 17th century poet, ‘Living well is the best revenge,’” says Matt Dony. “Everton have (rightly) been given plaudits for many of their performances this season, but a footballing lesson today, combined with a decent run of form to put some daylight between the two clubs would certainly make the point. After spending the first half of the season in vaguely similar league positions. Liverpool ‘living well’ in the Champions League next season while Everton, at best, settle for Thursday nights would constitute some form of revenge. I’m not saying it WILL happen. Just that I’d be very satisfied. (Apologies, Gary Naylor.)”
5.19pm GMT
It’s a wild night at Anfield, wet and extremely windy. Good-oh!
5.19pm GMT
And here’s Carlo Ancelotti
“[Calvert-Lewin and Allan] were not so comfortable so I prefer to put them on the bench. They can play if we need. [Is there a change of system today?] No. The system at the start will be the same. I put more fresh legs because we played Wednesday night, and it will be a game with a lot of intensity. We want to be ready for that.”
5.11pm GMT
Here’s Jurgen Klopp
“We had one day’s extra recovery, which is important, so we should be ready to go again. I haven’t seen the Everton team yet because you pulled me out here for this interview. [When told Calvert-Lewin and Allan are on the bench] Ha! Carlo, the poker face! I can say nothing about their line-up because I don’t know it.
4.34pm GMT
Pre-match reading
Related: Fear and loathing in Liverpool as derby rivals prepare for feisty rematch | Andy Hunter
4.34pm GMT
Jordan Pickford starts in goal for Everton, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin are fit enough for the bench. Liverpool are unchanged.
Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Kabak, Henderson, Robertson; Jones, Wijnaldum, Thiago; Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Substitutes: Adrian, Tsimikas, Davies, Phillips, N Williams, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shaqiri, Origi.
3.52pm GMT
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Friendly Derby. Arf! There is vengeance in the air at Anfield, where Liverpool and Everton meet tonight. The return fixture, a 2-2 draw at Goodison in October, was the beginning of the end of Liverpool’s title challenge: Jordan Pickford nobbled Virgil van Dijk with a dreadful challenge and Richarlison was sent off for an even worse tackle on Thiago.
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool are not out for revenge, though nobody really believes him. Liverpool’s idea of retribution will almost certainly involve trying to play rather than kicking Everton off the park. The game has changed since Steve McMahon rattled Vinnie Jones’s shinbone as payback for Jones’s infamous challenge in the FA Cup final a few months earlier.
Continue reading...Southampton 1-1 Chelsea: Premier League - as it happened
Mason Mount earned and then scored a penalty to give Chelsea a point after Takumi Minamino’s delicious finish put Southampton ahead
2.25pm GMT
Thanks for your company this afternoon. If you want more, and you surely do, Barry Glendenning is on Clockwatch duty.
Related: Burnley v West Brom, Football League and more: clockwatch – live!
2.23pm GMT
Peep peep! Southampton end their losing run with an admirable defensive performance, symbolised by the impressive debutant Mohammed Salisu. Chelsea dominated possession but were nowhere near the best.
Takumi Minamino gave Southampton a half-time lead with a delicious bit of deception. Mason Mount earned and then scored a penalty early in the second half, but Southampton held on to a point relatively comfortably and might have grabbed two more when Jannik Vestergaard hit the bar.
2.21pm GMT
90+3 min Ward-Prowse’s high, hanging corner just evades Vestergaard at the far post. That might be the last attack.
2.21pm GMT
90+3 min After another good interception from Salisu, Southampton break and Tella wins a corner.
2.20pm GMT
90+2 min McCarthy is booked for timewasting.
2.19pm GMT
90+1 min Three minutes of added time, though there might be a bit more now because there’s a break in play after a clash of heads between Tella and Kante.
2.18pm GMT
90 min Mount nutmegs Bednarek sweetly and hits a cross that is cleared by Vestergaard. Mount has been terrific today.
2.16pm GMT
88 min The tireless Mount, who has been Chelsea’s best attacker, wins a corner on the left. Ziyech’s outswinger is headed away at the near post by Djenepo. Mount then swishes over the bar from 25 yards.
2.15pm GMT
87 min Southampton are a few minutes away from ending a run of six straight league defeats.
2.14pm GMT
85 min Che Adams replaces Danny Ings for Southampton.
2.13pm GMT
84 min: Chance for James! Lovely play from Mount, who beats Djenepo on the left and stands up an inviting cross beyond the far post. James, leaning back, half-volleys it into orbit from eight yards. That didn’t impress Thomas Tuchel much.
2.10pm GMT
81 min Now Djenepo is flattened by Jorginho. I haven’t seen one man take this much punishment since Miller’s Crossing.
2.09pm GMT
80 min Djenepo loses Alonso with a Cruyff turn and is pulled back. Alonso is booked.
2.06pm GMT
78 min Mount puts in a dangerous cross from the left towards Ziyech, who is eased away from the ball by Bertrand. Good defending.
2.05pm GMT
77 min Southampton bring on Nathan Tella for the goalscorer Takumi Minamino.
2.04pm GMT
76 min A double change for Chelsea: Jorginho and Hakim Ziyech replace the substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mateo Kovacic. I don’t think Hudson-Odoi is injured.
2.02pm GMT
74 min “I think the most exciting Chelsea team of the Abramovich era was under Carlo Ancelotti,” says Václav Smerda. “Sure, the first stint of José Mourinho was exciting, but more because of José’s arrogance, media stunts and the actual results than the style of play.”
2.02pm GMT
73 min McCarthy makes an excellent diving save from Mount, though it wouldn’t have counted - the flag went up afterwards, with Hudson-Odoi offside in the build up.
2.00pm GMT
71 min: Vestergaard hits the bar! Another corner from Ward-Prowse is only half cleared and comes out to Redmond on the left. He drives a flat cross that skims off the head of James at the near post and flies towards Vestergaard, who steers a looping header onto the crossbar! That was a fine effort.
1.58pm GMT
70 min Bertrand’s cross is headed behind by Zouma. This is Southampton’s first corner of the game... and the usually excellent Ward-Prowse curls straight into the arms of Mendy.
1.55pm GMT
67 min “So pleased for Takumi,” weeps Ian Copestake. “In Liverpool’s belated fumblings in the market to find a centre-back he was treated like loose change found down the back of the sofa.”
There’s a player in there, I think. He has the precious ability to lower his heart rate in the opposition penalty area.
1.54pm GMT
66 min Lots of Chelsea pressure at the moment, but they aren’t really getting behind the Southampton defence. This might be a job for Olivier Giroud.
1.52pm GMT
64 min Apropos nothing, let’s revisit one of the finest moments in the history of Southampton FC.
1.50pm GMT
62 min Chelsea’s passing has been a bit snappier since half-time, though they still aren’t creating much. Werner isn’t having a great game and Hudson-Odoi has been quiet since coming on.
1.48pm GMT
60 min “As a Liverpool fan I thought the most exciting Chelsea was the last season under Mourinho,” says Niall Mullen. “Like a BBC prime time series an evil megalomaniac took on the Doctor. The Doctor eventually triumphed but the baddie resurfaced in later seasons to cause more destruction.”
Say what you like about Mourinho, but he knows how to go out in style.
1.47pm GMT
59 min Alonso cracks the free-kick into the wall.
1.45pm GMT
57 min Mount is fouled again, this time just outside the area by Ward-Prowse. The free-kick is in a great position: 22 yards out, slightly to the right of centre.
1.42pm GMT
It was a calm penalty from Mount. He sent McCarthy the wrong way and slid the ball low to his right.
1.42pm GMT
Mount scores!
1.41pm GMT
PENALTY TO CHELSEA! Mount nutmegs Ings and is chopped down: a forward’s tackle and a clear penalty. It came from a short corner, which is why Ings was back in his own area.
1.40pm GMT
51 min Werner scurries past Vestergaard and hits the side netting from a very tight angle. He took the wrong option there.
1.38pm GMT
51 min “Hi Rob,” says Ciaran Murphy. “As a lifelong Chelsea fan, the most exciting Chelsea football was in Carlo’s first season, the epitome of sexy football!”
Didn’t they score seven or more on four occasions? That’s absurd.
1.38pm GMT
50 min Werner’s cross is calmly intercepted by Salisu, who is having an excellent full debut.
1.36pm GMT
49 min “Most exciting Chelsea side probably Mourinho’s first stint,” says Ciaran Crowther. “From back to front, one of the most impressively dominant sides this league has ever seen.”
Agreed. They don’t get enough credit for how good they were going forward, especially when Duff and Robben were flying.
1.36pm GMT
48 min Alonso gets behind Djenepo and drags a cross towards Werner, who is dispossessed by Bertrand. Turns out Alonso was offside anyway.
1.34pm GMT
46 min Peep peep! Chelsea begin the second half. Timo Werner has moved to centre forward.
1.33pm GMT
Chelsea have made a half-time change - Callum Hudson-Odoi has replaced the injured Tammy Abraham, who has an ice pack on his ankle.
1.31pm GMT
Actually, here’s a question for Chelsea fans: what’s the most exciting football you’ve played in the Roman era? Ancelotti’s first season? Mourinho’s first 18 months? Rafa?
1.30pm GMT
“This is all very reminiscent of Sarriball,” says Ian Burch, “ but without the tabs and the occasional moments of brilliance from Eddy Hazard to alleviate the boredom.”
Do I hear the first strains of Tuchel Out?
1.27pm GMT
“Hi Rob,” says Niall Mullen. “The Southampton Leonard Cohen hits include: If it be your Will Smallbone, Shane Long Marianne (I know), Che that’s no way to say goodbye, Oriol Romeu want it darker. I also apologise for nothing.”
1.26pm GMT
“I think the wretched 1-0 win at Fulham was an indicator to the board of just how limited Frank was,” says Sean Orlowicz. “And easy games coming up or not, he had all but proven he couldn’t beat the best managers. Why not give Tuchel a comfy run to start and get to know the whole squad before the Atleti game?”
Oh I agree, the timing was perfect. But Lampard will feel, rightly or wrongly, that things would look different had he been given another month.
1.20pm GMT
Half-time reading
Related: The Joy of Six: assists without touching the ball
1.19pm GMT
Peep peep! Southampton lead after a slightly odd half of football. Chelsea dominated throughout yet barely created anything, and they were punished for the sterility of their domination when Takumi Minamino scored a delicious goal in the 33rd minute. See you soon for the second half.
1.18pm GMT
45+2 min Werner scurries between two players and finds Abraham in the area. He tries to cut inside Salisu and falls over; Anthony Taylor isn’t interested. I’d like to see that again, though I’m pretty sure Salisu didn’t move his leg towards Abraham at any point.
1.15pm GMT
45 min Play resumes, and there will be three minutes of added time.
1.15pm GMT
44 min The VAR check is over. Djenepo is still down though.
1.13pm GMT
43 min Now Kante overruns the ball and leaves his studs on Djenepo, who screams with pain. This is also being checked by VAR, though I don’t think Kante’s challenge was reckless.
1.10pm GMT
41 min “Leicester away was a disaster,” says Patrick Baker. “I am sure Marina and Roman had that fixture circled with an eye on the run up to Champions League play. How many points would Frank’s team have got from these matches? They had lost to Wolves, drew with Southampton, mixed bag with Spurs. I don’t think he gets the points and clean sheets we’ve got from Tuchel. We could just as easily be in 10th today facing Atleti with a fractured squad.”
1.09pm GMT
39 min Alonso clips a free-kick to the far post, where Zouma’s header is pawed round by McCarthy. I’m not sure it was going it anyway but McCarthy took no chances.
1.08pm GMT
38 min Werner overruns the ball and then leaves his studs on Djenepo. VAR have a quick look and decide it was accidental rather than reckless.
1.07pm GMT
37 min “Leonard Cohen (12 mins), and his classics First We Take Mount-hattan, Tuchel-ujah, Sisters of Mendy and So Long, Abraham,” says Matt Dony. “And of course, Chelsea Hotel #2. I apologise for nothing.”
1.05pm GMT
35 min The way Minamino took that chance was reminiscent of this majestic Romario goal.
1.04pm GMT
What a delicious finish from Takumi Minamino. He was put through on goal by a sliderule pass from Redmond, with Azpilicueta wheezing after him. Minamino dummied to shoot twice, sitting down both Mendy and Azpilicueta in the process, and then flicked the ball into the net with the outside of his right foot. That was beautifully done.
1.03pm GMT
Southampton take the lead against the run of play with a brilliant goal!
1.01pm GMT
32 min Werner breaks into space down the left, but his cross is cleared at the near post by Vestergaard.
12.59pm GMT
29 min Rudiger, presumably as bored as the rest of us, decides to have a pop from 30 yards. McCarthy crouches to make a comfortable save.
12.57pm GMT
28 min Will you wake me up when something happens?
12.56pm GMT
26 min For all Chelsea’s possession - and it has been painfully one-sided - Alex McCarthy hasn’t had a save to make.
12.53pm GMT
24 min In the last five minutes, Chelsea have had 86 per cent of the possession.
12.52pm GMT
22 min Southampton haven’t laid a glove on Chelsea.
12.50pm GMT
21 min Alonso’s low cross is miscontrolled by Werner, who would have had a decent chance had he taken it cleanly.
12.47pm GMT
17 min Werner, on the edge of the D, overhits a through pass to Alonso on the left of the area. That was a decent opportunity, and Thomas Tuchel is fuming at the poor quality of Werner’s pass.
12.44pm GMT
14 min Chelsea are well on top, although they’ve only created that one chance for Alonso. By their standards, Southampton look really flat.
12.42pm GMT
12 min “Afternoon Rob,” says Dennis Johns. “Is Bloody Average Positions a mediocre Leonard Cohen album?”
It is now!
12.40pm GMT
10 min Chelsea have made a smooth, confident start to the game. In fact, they’ve had 73 per cent of the possession.
12.37pm GMT
8 min Southampton look a little tentative, as you’d expect given their recent form. If they concede the first goal it could be a long afternoon.
12.36pm GMT
6 min: Chance for Alonso! Chelsea break through Mount, who finds James on the right. He has time to look up and flight a lovely ball to the far post, where the unmarked Alonso shins a volley just wide of the far post. He’s usually such a clean striker of the ball but he made a mess of that.
12.35pm GMT
5 min Nothing is happening on the field, hence the coruscating tactics chat. I’ve decided Southampton are playing 4-4-2-1: a back four without the ball and a back three when they’re in possession.
12.34pm GMT
4 min Actually, now it looks like a back three with Djenepo as a right wing-back. GET ME A BLOODY AVERAGE POSITIONS MAP PRONTO.
12.32pm GMT
2 min It looks like Southampton have started with a back four, with Bednarek at right-back. Their Twitter feed, which suggested wing-backs, told a big fat lie.
12.30pm GMT
1 min Peep peep! Southampton kick off from right to left.
12.27pm GMT
The Chelsea players look very relaxed as they stroll onto the field, the Southampton players a bit more serious. It’s a chilly day in Southampton, more than a little brisk.
12.26pm GMT
A win today would move Chelsea to within a point of second, albeit having played a game more. I wonder how Frank Lampard feels about Chelsea’s resurgence; if I was him I’d be hacked off at being sacked just before such a relatively easy run of fixtures.
12.14pm GMT
Pre-match reading
Related: Rangnick disciples meet as Chelsea face pressing Southampton test
11.33am GMT
Southampton make two changes from the team that lost to Wolves last weekend: Mohammed Salisu and Moussa Djenepo replace the injured pair of Kyle Walker-Peters and Stuart Armstrong. Salisu is starting a Premier League game for the first time, and it looks like Ralph Hasenhuttl has switched to a back three.
There are four changes for Chelsea. Edouard Mendy, Kurt Zouma, Reece James and N’Golo Kante return to the side, with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Andreas Christensen, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Jorginho dropping to the bench.
8.33am GMT
The paradox of the new manager bounce is that it helps to have a soft landing. Thomas Tuchel could barely have wished for a better set of fixtures in his first month at Chelsea, a run that continues with today’s trip to out-of-form Southampton.
Chelsea have jumped five places in five games under Tuchel, from ninth to fourth, and again look credible contenders for a Champions League place. Things will get very real after today – their next three games are against Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool – but Tuchelsea have built up plenty of confidence in the last few weeks.
Continue reading...February 18, 2021
Sociedad 0-4 Man Utd, Antwerp 3-4 Rangers and more: Europa League – as it happened
10.03pm GMT
Nick Ames has already filed his report of Benfica 1-1 Arsenal, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company and emails, goodnight!
Related: Saka finds rapid reply after Benfica penalty puts Arsenal in tight spot
10.00pm GMT
Peep peep! Rangers have a slight advantage after a crazy game that included a red card, three penalties - only two of them dodgy - and chances galore at both ends.
9.58pm GMT
Antwerp 3-4 Rangers The substitute Koji Miyoshi rifles an excellent shot that beats McGregor and hits the outside of the post!
9.56pm GMT
Antwerp 3-4 Rangers There are six minutes of added time in Antwerp. The other matches have all finished, and these are the final scores:
9.55pm GMT
Benfica 1-1 Arsenal That’s a decent result for Arsenal in a slightly low-key game, though it would have been better had Pierre-Emerick Aubayemang not missed two great chances. They should go through next week. Should.
9.54pm GMT
What a preposterous game of football!
9.53pm GMT
Barisic scores his second penalty of the night, sweeping the ball high into the net!
9.53pm GMT
Peep peep!
9.53pm GMT
PENALTY TO RANGERS AND ABDOULAYE SECK SENT OFF! Kent’s shot hits the hand of Seck, though he was trying to pull his arm out of the way. It’s checked by VAR but the decision stands. Seck was also given a second yellow card, so he’s off.
9.51pm GMT
Antwerp 3-3 Rangers Now the substitute Ryan Jack has cleared off the line from Ritchie De Laet! This is an absurd game.
9.50pm GMT
GOAL! Maccabi Tel-Aviv 0-2 Shakhtar Donetsk (Tete 90+3)
9.50pm GMT
Antwerp 3-3 Rangers Both teams almost take the lead in the space of 10 seconds. First Kent was played through by Hagi and clipped a left-footed shot that was saved with his legs by De Wolf. Antwerp broke devastatingly and moments later McGregor saved with his legs from Martin Hongla!
9.48pm GMT
Ryan Kent equalises with a belter! He played a neat one-two with Morelos on the edge of the area, skipped past Le Marchand and smashed the ball past De Wolf. Brilliant goal.
9.46pm GMT
GOALS! Lille 1-2 Ajax (Tadic 87 pen, Brobbey 89) Ajax have scored twice in the last few minutes in Lille! They’ve changed the narrative!
9.45pm GMT
Antwerp 3-2 Rangers The substitute Ianis Hagi has missed a great chance to equalise, shooting wide from eight yards after a brilliant cross from Barisic.
9.44pm GMT
“Adel Taraabt running straight at David Luiz,” weeps Matt Dony. “That is a match-up where literally ANYTHING could happen. Two players who redefined ‘mercurial’ (or, less charitably, ‘occasional genius paired with maddening inconsistency and hilarious errors’). I was amazed to see that Taraabt is only 31. It seems like a lifetime ago he was in the Premier League.”
He is/was astonishingly talented. The second goal here is a national scandal.
9.40pm GMT
Antwerp 3-2 Rangers The Antwerp keeper Alireza Beiranvand has gone off injured, with Ortwin De Wolf replacing him.
9.35pm GMT
The latest scores
9.34pm GMT
GOAL! Molde 3-3 Hoffenheim (Fofana 74) Molde have come from 2-0 and 3-1 down to equalise!
9.34pm GMT
Benfica 1-1 Arsenal Another good chance for Arsenal. Gabriel’s ball over the top finds Aubameyang, who controls it majestically on the run to move through on goal. But then, instead of shooting, he tries to cut back inside Verissimo and is tackled.
9.32pm GMT
Benfica 1-1 Arsenal Adel Taarabt surges through midfield and finds Everton on the left. He runs at David Luiz, cuts inside and whips a curling shot just wide of the far post.
9.31pm GMT
GOAL! Molde 2-3 Hoffenheim (Ulland Andersen 70)
9.31pm GMT
For the love of Scottish football. Antwerp have taken the lead again! Martin Hongla is given too much time on the edge of the D and whips an excellent shot across McGregor into the far corner.
9.29pm GMT
GOALS PLURAL! Lille 1-0 Ajax (Weah 72), Salzburg 0-2 Villarreal (Nino 71)
9.29pm GMT
Benfica 1-1 Arsenal It’s been a more even game in the second half, with Benfica carrying more of a threat. I suspect Arsenal would be happy with this result, although we said that in 1991.
9.28pm GMT
Antwerp 2-2 Rangers Arfield’s low cross shot is saved by Beiranvand. Rangers are much the better team at the moment.
9.25pm GMT
“On looking at said Portuguese table from 1990/91,” begins Jimmy Maloney, “I was amazed to see only 3 points separating a relegation place from a European place. Squeaky-bum times all round.”
That’s an excellent spot, although I’ve seen worse.
9.23pm GMT
With James Tavernier off injured, Borna Barisic steps forward and smacks the penalty through the hands of the diving Alireza Beiranvand. Rangers are level!
9.22pm GMT
PENALTY TO RANGERS! This time VAR does intervene, with Ritchie de Laet penalised for pulling the shirt of Alfredo Morelos.
9.21pm GMT
Benfica 1-1 Arsenal Benfica almost take the lead again. The substitute Rafa Silva beats Gabriel with ease, moves into the D and flicks a nonchalant shot with the outside of the boot. Leno springs to his right to push it away.
9.19pm GMT
The latest scores
9.19pm GMT
Antwerp 2-1 Rangers Joe Aribo almost equalises on the break, but Maxime Le Marchand boots his low shot away inside the six-yard box. Actually, replays suggest the shot might have been going wide anyway, though Le Marchand didn’t know that.
9.17pm GMT
Yes, it stands. It was beautifully worked: Odegaard slipped a lovely pass through to Cedric on the left of the area, and his precise cross was turned in from close range by Saka.
9.16pm GMT
NO GOAL! Molde 1-3 Hoffenheim Dabbur is denied a hat-trick by VAR.
9.15pm GMT
An excellent equaliser from Arsenal - but it’s being checked by VAR.
9.15pm GMT
GOAL! Molde 1-4 Hoffenheim (Dabbur 55) Munas Dabbur completes a hat-trick in Norway, and all but puts Hoffenheim into the last 16.
9.14pm GMT
Benfica 1-0 Arsenal It’s quite hard to see what happened with that penalty award. I’m pretty sure it hit Smith-Rowe’s hand, but it may have deflected off his body first.
9.13pm GMT
Pizzi scores with a swagger, stopping in his run up and then sliding the ball into the bottom-right corner. Leno went the right way but couldn’t get there.
9.12pm GMT
PENALTY TO BENFICA! Grimaldo’s cross hits Smith-Rowe, who is penalised for handball. His arm was up, though it may have hit his chest first and then deflected onto his arm. After a brief VAR check, the penalty is given!
9.11pm GMT
Benfica 0-0 Arsenal An excellent chance for Arsenal. Bukayo Saka surges thrillingly into the area, only to drag a tame shot wide of the near post.
9.08pm GMT
“There seems to be no VAR debates when the midweek Euro games are on,” says Ian Copestake. “Is that a) because they are not using it, b) they are but the refereeing is far better or c) because of Brexit?”
Obviously
you’re not a golfer
you haven’t been following the Rangers game. I suspect Steven Gerrard will have plenty to say about the penalty not being overturned.
9.07pm GMT
Benfica 0-0 Arsenal Benfica have made a lively start to the second half, with the captain Pizzi forcing an admittedly comfortable save from Bernd Leno.
9.07pm GMT
“Not really relevant to the football, but that was a wonderful song you linked to earlier,” says Matt Dony. “I’ve never heard of Lael Neale, but the Sub Pop logo was more than enough to tempt me. Until I was about 13, I desperately wanted to be Liverpool’s striker. Then I discovered music, and all I could dream of was signing a contract with Sub Pop. I have thus far conspicuously failed to realise either dream. Ah well. Still time, I guess.”
Especially with the way Firmino’s playing roflcopter.
9.04pm GMT
Peep peep! The second halves are under way. Most of them, anyway: Rangers are a bit behind due to the four hours of added time in the first half.
8.56pm GMT
Right, these are the half-time scores. Study them, digest them, embrace them while I get a drink.
8.54pm GMT
Half time: Antwerp 2-1 Rangers How did that happen? Rangers were good for most of the first half yet they find themselves 2-1 down. Their frustration will be compounded by the fact the penalty was such a soft one, with Davis barely touching Refaelov.
Rangers have also lost two players to injury: James Tavernier early on and now Kemar Roofe, who was replaced by Ryan Kent just before the penalty.
8.53pm GMT
Refaelov curls he penalty over McGregor, who went the right way but couldn’t reach it.
8.52pm GMT
PENALTY TO ANTWERP! Steven Davis has been penalised - harshly, I think - for a challenge on Refaelov. We’re in the seventh of four added minutes.
8.50pm GMT
GOAL! Molde 1-3 Hoffenheim (Baumgartner 45+3)
8.47pm GMT
Half time: Benfica 0-0 Arsenal A low-key first half in Rome. Arsenal were the dominant side, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed an absolute sitter, but the pace of play has been very slow.
8.46pm GMT
Antwerp have equalised out of nothing! A free-kick on the right was curled towards the edge of the Rangers area, where Felipe Avenatti strained his neck muscles to loop a superb header over McGregor and into the corner. That’s a brilliant finish.
8.43pm GMT
“‘Kenedy, on loan from Chelsea’,” says Ed Rostron of the Granada goalscorer. “Do you think it’ll say that on his gravestone?”
8.42pm GMT
GOAL! Salzburg 0-1 Villarreal (Alcacer 41) Paco Alcacer has put Villarreal in front in Austria.
8.41pm GMT
GOAL! Molde 1-2 Hoffenheim (Ellingsen 41) Martin Ellingsen gets one back for Molde.
8.40pm GMT
Rangers take the lead! The keeper Alireza Beiranvand came a long way off his line to dive at the feet of Roofe, but the ball slithered out of his grasp towards Morelos. He laid it back to Joe Aribo, who curled the ball calmly into the empty net from 25 yards. After a slow start, Rangers have been the better team and deserve to be in front.
8.38pm GMT
“Naples calling,” says Colum Fordham. “A bit of a nightmare start for Napoli with manager Rino Gattuso under pressure. Napoli just edged The Arch Enemy Juventus on Saturday 1-0 but this doesn’t bode well for their Europa League hopes. Hope local heartthrob Insigne comes up with a bit of magic.”
Imagine telling Rino Gattuso he’s fired. I’d probably do it via WhatsApp and then change the locks.
8.33pm GMT
GOAL! Maccabi Tel-Aviv 0-1 Shakhtar Donetsk (Patrick 31) And it’s in there from Alan Patrick!
8.32pm GMT
Benfica 0-0 Arsenal A good Benfica attack ends with a low shot from Darwin Nunez that is saved at the second attempt by Leno.
8.31pm GMT
Benfica 0-0 Arsenal On that Benfica team of 1991, look what they had to do just to qualify for the European Cup. FC Porto finished second with the equivalent of 98 points (it was two for a win in those days).
8.30pm GMT
Antwerp 0-0 Rangers An excellent chance for Morelos, who goes through one on one but hammers his shot straight at Alireza Beiranvand.
8.28pm GMT
GOAL! Molde 0-2 Hoffenheim (Dabbur 28) A second goal for Munas Dabbur.
8.26pm GMT
Wolfsberger 1-4 Spurs
Related: Gareth Bale back on the scoresheet as Spurs brush aside Wolfsberger
8.26pm GMT
Benfica 0-0 Arsenal Every time I look at this game, Arsenal have the ball. Charles Antaki will be thrilled to hear that Benfica don’t look up to much.
8.24pm GMT
Antwerp 0-0 Rangers Tavernier is replaced by Leon Balogun.
8.23pm GMT
GOAL! Granada 2-0 Napoli (Kenedy 21) Two in three minutes for Granada! Kenedy, on loan from Chelsea, has got the second.
8.22pm GMT
Antwerp 0-0 Rangers The Rangers captain Jame Tavernier is struggling after injuring his knee during a block tackle on the edge of the Antwerp area. I don’t think he’ll be able to continue.
8.21pm GMT
GOAL! Granada 1-0 Napoli (Herrera 19) Yangel Herrera has put Granada ahead in - where’s this being played - Granada.
8.19pm GMT
Benfica 0-0 Arsenal Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has missed a rare old sitter, sliding Bellerin’s low cross past the post from eight yards. That was a shocking miss for a player of his class.
8.18pm GMT
There isn’t a huge amount going on. These are the latest scores:
8.18pm GMT
“Lovely Arsenal v Benfica video you shared, and super nice to see Yuran and Kulkov combining to score,” says Philip Bickerstaffe. “Not something we saw much of five years later when they both came to the Den to join Millwall.”
That’s the year you were relegated after being top early in the season, isn’t it? Or was that 1989-90?
8.15pm GMT
Benfica 0-0 Arsenal Sterile domination so far from Arsenal, though I suppose that’s better than being 4-0 down. They have looked confident in possession, if slightly one-paced.
8.14pm GMT
“Evening Rob,” says Tom Hopkins. “As a lad, this was routinely presented to me as the peak of sporting achievement, so any game involving Benfica still has a certain frisson. I assume Eusebio is not playing tonight though?”
It would be quite the story if he was.
8.11pm GMT
The first goal of the 8pm games has been scored: Munas Dabbur has put Hoffenheim ahead away to Molde.
8.10pm GMT
Antwerp 0-0 Rangers Not much going on in Antwerp, though Premier League alumnus Ritchie De Laet has just driven wide from long range.
8.09pm GMT
Slavia Prague 0-0 Leicester
Related: Leicester struggle to impose themselves in draw at Slavia Prague
8.09pm GMT
Real Sociedad 0-4 Manchester United
Related: Bruno Fernandes at the double as Manchester United rout Real Sociedad
8.07pm GMT
Benfica 0-0 Arsenal Bellerin wins a corner for Arsenal, who have made an assured start in Rome. Nothing comes of it but Mikel Arteta will be pleased with how his team have started.
8.06pm GMT
“Hi Rob,” says Charles Antaki. “I remember Benfica is being absolutely wonderful in the, when was it, 80s? 90s? I haven’t looked it up to see how good they are at the moment. I could do; but it would only worry me. Could you say a word or two about them being absolutely dreadful, just to give a bit of comfort to Arsenal fans as we start?”
Actually, they’re not having a great season – they’re fourth in the league, miles behind the runaway leaders Sporting Lisbon.
8.04pm GMT
“Saka, Smith-Rowe, Odegaard and Auba starting today after starting vs Leeds,” says Emmanuel Dairo. “Does it mean Arteta has written off the City game on Sunday as a loss?”
Either that or he wants to win this game.
8.03pm GMT
Tonight’s match in Rome is the first time Arsenal have met Benfica since that traumatic night at Highbury in 1991. You’re welcome.
8.00pm GMT
Peep peep! The 8pm games are under way.
7.58pm GMT
Arsenal have named an unchanged side for the first time since September 2018, it says here. Crikey.
7.57pm GMT
Cheers Scott, hello everyone. There’s an 82-second break, give or take, between matches. Why not fill it with a bit of fragile beauty?
7.53pm GMT
So that’s all the 5.55pm kick-offs done and dusted, but there are a load of 8pm kick-offs still to come. Time to hand over to your friend and mine, Mr Rob Smyth, who’ll take you by the hand and treat you real nice.
7.52pm GMT
Here are the full-times in the other matches, then.
7.50pm GMT
Young Boys reclaim the lead against Bayer Leverkusen at the death! Theoson Siebatcheu snatches an 89th-minute winner to secure a remarkable 4-3 win. Leverkusen will be sickened after coming back from three down, though those away goals will stand them in good stead come the second leg. Meanwhile a late equaliser for ten-man Red Star Belgrade against Milan, the appropriately named Milan Pavkov with that one.
7.48pm GMT
Real Sociedad 0-4 Manchester United
Slavia Prague 0-0 Leicester City
Wolfsberger AC 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur
7.45pm GMT
Vinicius with the reflex, poking home from close range. Wolfsberger are on a ride and they want to get off.
7.42pm GMT
James zips down the right flank, cuts inside, and nutmegs the keeper at the near post. Easy as that. United have been rampant; La Real a rabble.
7.40pm GMT
Spurs and United continue to run down the clock, while Leicester search in desperate fashion for that crucial away goal. “Interesting that Spurs are playing their Austrian opponents in Budapest, in the same stadium where Liverpool took on Germany’s RB Leipzig. With apologies to Duran Duran, this is certainly no Ordinary World we find ourselves in at the moment. The ‘home’ team look so starved for chances, you might say they’re Hungary Like the Wolfsberg.” New romantic satirist Peter Oh, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the industrial quantities of cocaine.
7.37pm GMT
Iyayi Atiemwen restores Dinamo Zagreb’s lead in short order. They’re 3-2 up at Krasnodar. Otherwise, a lull descends across Europe.
7.34pm GMT
Now Greenwood drags a shot wide left from 12 yards. As fine as United have been tonight, Real Sociedad are a shambles. Meanwhile Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes Ruth Purdue’s hint and takes off Fernandes, albeit on 83 minutes with his side long home and hosed. He’s replaced by Mata.
7.32pm GMT
Fernandes remains on the pitch, and here he is rampaging down the middle of the park, releasing James into acres down the right. James enters the box and slaps his shot straight at the keeper. United could quite easily have run up a cricket score this evening.
7.29pm GMT
Krasnodar’s Viktor Claesson has made it 2-2 against Dinamo Zagreb. Elsewhere, Manchester United and Tottenham are coasting home. “Fernandes needs to come off now,” argues Ruth Purdue. “That’s now, not in minutes 80. He burnt out last season due to not being rested. Sir Alex understood when to take/rest his best players when there was a large lead.”
7.25pm GMT
Never say Neverkusen! The comeback is complete! Moussa Diaby’s 68th-minute goal has drawn Bayer Leverkusen, three down at the break, level at Young Boys! Meanwhile a Theo Hernandez penalty has given Milan a 2-1 lead at Red Star.
7.23pm GMT
Still goalless between Slavia Prague and Leicester, though that’s not to say there’s nothing of interest to report. “I am watching Europa League match Slavia Prague against Leicester City,” begins Giorgio. “I am pretty used to empty stadium sound ambience, so I was pretty distracted when I heard jeering and whistling against Leicester during the match. I was wondering who possibly could do these sounds in the empty stadium. Luckily a photographer form Deník Sport newspaper made a picture. Apart from usual suspects from our political scene you can see our former Minister of Health Roman Prymula who just today called for complete lockdown (and who had to step down in October after he himself violated covid 19 restrictions imposed by himself). I can’t watch the game anymore.”
Kromě tradičních celebrit typu Mynáře nebo Vondry dorazil na fotbal Slavia - Leicester i Roman Prymula (dolní řada, druhý zleva). Někdo má holt kliku.
Foto: Pavel Mazáč (@DenikSport) pic.twitter.com/9YkkRU64LE
7.19pm GMT
United find the net again, Greenwood roaring down the left wing and slipping the ball across for James, who sidefoots off the base of the right-hand post and into the net. But this one’s offside, Greenwood having gone a wee bit too early. There wasn’t much in it, though, and United look in the mood to finish this tie off tonight, if they haven’t done that already.
7.17pm GMT
This is too easy ... or are Manchester United simply making it look too easy? Fred strokes a perfectly weighted pass down the inside-left channel to release Rashford, who enters the box, opens his body, and sidefoots across Remiro and into the bottom right. You could argue that United should have scored six tonight. They may yet manage it!
7.14pm GMT
Mind you, great as that United move was, they were helped by some more thoroughly confused Sociedad defending. James and Fernandes were given free rein to run all sorts of baroque patterns without challenge. “Is it fair to say that Real Sociedad are a tribute act to the Manchester United defence of that comical night against Istanbul Basaksehir last November?” wonders Justin Kavanagh. Meanwhile elsewhere, a Guelor Kanga penalty has levelled things up for Red Star against AC Milan, while Bruno Petkovic makes it 2-1 for Dinamo Zagreb at Krasnodar.
7.12pm GMT
A lovely goal, this. Rashford breezes down the left and passes infield for Fernandes. But Fernandes leaves it for James, just behind him. James flicks it instantly back into Fernandes’s path. Fernandes does what Fernandes does, steering the ball delightfully into the bottom right. There’s an interminable wait for VAR to check things, because the flag’s gone up for offside ... but the goal’s given. That was some mighty fine football.
7.09pm GMT
The Wolfsberg captain Liendl steps up and rolls the penalty into the bottom left.
7.07pm GMT
Penalty for Wolfsberger AC! Sissoko dozes, allowing himself to be robbed in the box by Wemitznig. Sissoko sticks out a leg and brings his opponent down. What a brain fade. Out of nothing!
7.04pm GMT
Well, well, well. Another goal for Patrik Schick, three minutes after his first, and suddenly it’s Young Boys 3-2 Bayer Leverkusen. The extremely unlikely suddenly looks more than possible.
7.01pm GMT
Is the big Bayer Leverkusen comeback on? Well, probably not, but Patrik Schick has pulled a goal back on 49 minutes against the Young Boys. It’s 3-1.
7.00pm GMT
Spurs meanwhile have sent on Carlos Vinicius against Wolfsberger AC. Son has contributed more than enough already and is rewarded with the chance to fling his boots up onto the desk. Other big challenges lie ahead.
6.58pm GMT
The second halves are underway. Real Sociedad are on the front foot immediately, Le Normand channelling his inner Beckenbauer by striding forward and creaming a long-range shot towards the top right. Henderson is always going to claim it easily, but it was a sweet strike nonetheless.
6.56pm GMT
Benfica (3-5-1-1) Leite; Verissimo, Otamendi, Vertonghen; Diogo Goncalves, Taarabt, Weigl, Pizzi, Grimaldo;
Isaias
Waldschmidt; Nunez
Substitutes: Svilar, Vlachodimos, Gilberto, Everton, Gabriel, Cervi, Seferovic, Chiquinho, Rafa Silva, Pedrinho, Nuno Tavares, Joao Ferreira.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Leno; Bellerin, David Luiz, Gabriel, Cedric; Ceballos, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe; Aubameyang.
Substitutes: Ryan, Hein, Tierney, Lacazette, Willian, Holding, Pepe, Chambers, Pablo Mari, Elneny, Nketiah, Martinelli.
6.56pm GMT
Antwerp (3-4-2-1) Beiranvand; Seck, Le Marchand, De Laet; Buta, Boya, Hongla, J Lukaku; Refaelov, Gerkins; Avenatti.
Substitutes: Chevaughn, De Wolf, Verstraete, Miyoshi, Nsimba, Ampomah, Gelin, Pavlic, Van Den Bosch.
Rangers (4-3-3) McGregor; Barisic, Helander, Goldson, Tavernier; Arfield, S Davis, Kamara; Roofe, Morelos, Aribo.
Substitutes: McLaughlin, Hagi, Jack, Itten, Kent, Wright, Stewart, Balogun, Simpson.
6.47pm GMT
A flurry of activity just before half-time. Meschack Elia makes it 3-0 for Young Boys against Bayer Leverkusen, while Youssef El Arabi restores Olympiacos’s lead over PSV Eindhoven. It’s 3-2, and that looks like a cracker. So here are the other half-times in the 5.55pm kick-offs...
6.44pm GMT
6.41pm GMT
Theo Hernandez thought he’d given AC Milan the lead at Red Star Belgrade on 12 minutes. That was chalked off by VAR, but the Italians are ahead now, Radovan Pankov putting through his own goal.
6.39pm GMT
In the blink of an eye, the 1-1 scoreline between Olympiacos and PSV has turned into 2-2. Yann M’Vila put the hosts ahead on 37 minutes, only for Eran Zahavi to score his second for the Dutch side two minutes later.
6.36pm GMT
Real Sociedad are beginning to ask a few questions of United. Greenwood, of all people, is forced to slice over his own bar under severe pressure; Bailly hacks a header off the line. A couple of textbook examples of last-ditch defending. Grant Tennille is watching this game in the US, and reports: “Watching the Spanish channel feed of the United game, and you’ll not be surprised to learn the commentators were just name-checking Larry, Curly, and Moe.”
6.33pm GMT
“How did Januzaj react to the United goal?” wonders Robin Hazlehurst. “Please tell us he was in mid mid-air-fist-pump when he remembered where he was.” I can report that he’s not looking particularly happy right now, having just clanked a witless cross out of play when in a load of space just inside the United box on the left. Meanwhile Marcus Berg has equalised for Krasnodar against Dinamo Zagreb: it’s 1-1.
6.31pm GMT
Spurs have one foot in the last 16 already. Moura shimmies his way past two defenders down the inside-left channel, gives the keeper the eyes, and passes the ball into the bottom left. That’s another sensational effort. All three of Tottenham’s goals have been a delight.
6.28pm GMT
Wolfsberger AC nearly haul themselves back into contention immediately. Vizinger sends a close-range header towards the top left, but Lloris fingertips it onto the bar and Spurs clear their lines.
6.26pm GMT
This is lovely! Bale scampers down the right, after Doherty’s through ball. He’s level with the six-yard box, and stops dead, pulling the ball back and sending Scherzer aquaplaning off the pitch. He then opens his body and curls powerfully into the top left. Gorgeous goal! He’s still got it, you know.
6.23pm GMT
It’s fair to say this had been coming. A simple ball shovelled down the inside-left channel. Remiro comes off his line and clatters into both Zubeldia and Le Normand. The three Sociedad players crumble in a heap as Fernandes swans past and walks the ball into the unguarded net. What a slapstick farce!
6.19pm GMT
PSV have equalised at Olympiacos. Eran Zahavi on 14 minutes. Young Boys are now 2-0 up against Bayer Leverkusen, Theoson Siebatcheu after 19 minutes. And Bruno Petkovic has put Dinamo Zagreb ahead at Krasnodar after 15.
6.16pm GMT
Leicester have been knocking at the door in Prague. They should be a goal up, the ball dropping to Barnes, in space in an otherwise crowded area, on the left-hand edge of the six-yard box. He pulls his shot into the side netting. What a chance!
6.15pm GMT
And another! The Sociedad back line is a sick joke. Telles sends Fernandes bombing down the left, in acres of space. Rashford is free in the middle. Fernandes sets one up on a plate. Rashford, on the penalty spot, meets the ball first time and aims for the bottom left. The keeper blocks again. This is absurd, and great fun.
6.13pm GMT
Another huge chance in Turin! McTominay bursts into the Sociedad box down the right, and is one on one with Remiro. He fires towards the near post, and the keeper hacks clear. A fine save, though he shouldn’t have been allowed to make it. Somewhere in the multiverse, this game is 2-2. It should be 2-2. Both defences are in full Slapstick Mode.
6.11pm GMT
Spurs take the lead against their Austrian opponents! Doherty worms his way down the right and feeds Bale, who clips back from the byline towards Son. The striker crouches and steers a delightful header across the keeper and into the bottom right. Kind of a mirror image of one of Ian Rush’s goals in the 1989 FA Cup final. Sort of. If you remember that.
6.09pm GMT
A fine burst down the United left by Rashford, who feeds Telles on the overlap. The resulting cross is dangerous, but headed powerfully clear by Monreal. Meanwhile Andreas Bouchalakis gives Olympiacos the lead against PSV on nine minutes.
6.05pm GMT
Wan-Bissaka goes into the book for a crude lunge on Nacho Monreal from behind. Meanwhile here’s a reassuring word from Alex Brown: “Folk don’t unsubscribe from The Fiver in disgust. Just a vague sense of disappointment.”
6.03pm GMT
Five minutes into the game between Wolfsberger AC and Spurs, and Son cuts in from the right and nearly curls delightfully into the bottom left. It’s lively elsewhere, too, Eden Dzeko giving Roma an early lead away to Braga, Young Boys going one up at home to Bayer Leverkusen, Christian Fassnacht opening the scoring on three minutes.
6.00pm GMT
It’s an absurd start to the game in Turin. Seconds after Januzaj’s attempt on goal, Rashford is sent clean through down the other end! He’s denied by Remiro in the Sociedad goal. And then Alexander Isak goes racing towards the United goal, firing towards the bottom right, forcing Henderson into a save. Just over two minutes gone, and the score could be - should be - Real Sociedad 2-1 Manchester United. As it stands, it’s still 0-0.
5.58pm GMT
Nearly the perfect start for former Manchester United starlet Adnan Januzaj! Space down the right. He opens his body, and nearly Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Days one into the top left! Inches wide and high. Henderson was beaten all ends up.
5.56pm GMT
There’s already been one match played in the Round of 32 tonight. Dynamo Kyiv have drawn 1-1 against Club Brugge.
5.54pm GMT
The teams are out! Of the three English clubs kicking off in a minute, only Leicester are wearing their first-choice clobber. Manchester United have chosen to play in black, despite their red kit not clashing with La Real’s blue and white, while Spurs are forced into third-choice tangerine by the famous Pellets of Wolfsberger AC. Off in a minute!
5.47pm GMT
Today’s Fiver concerns the Real Sociedad v Manchester United tie. Subscribe now for your daily fix o’ football fun! You can always unsubscribe in disgust later.
Related: The Fiver | The San Sebastián branch of the Manchester United supporters' club
5.25pm GMT
A reminder that Covid concerns have taken their toll on these fixtures. Manchester United are denied a visit to lovely San Sebastian; they’ll take on Real Sociedad in Juventus’s stadium in Turin ...
5.06pm GMT
Slavia Prague: Kolar, Bah, Kudela, Zima, Boril, Sima, Stanciu, Holes, Provod, Olayinka, Kuchta.
Subs: Deli, Stejskal, Dorley, Hromada, Traore, Masopust, Kovar, Lingr.
Leicester City: Schmeichel, Amartey, Evans, Soyuncu, Thomas, Ndidi, Tielemans, Albrighton, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy.
Subs: Ward, Iheanacho, Under, Choudhury, Mendy, Fuchs, Jakupovic, Leshabela, Tavares, Flynn.
5.02pm GMT
Wolfsberger AC: Kofler, Novak, Baumgartner, Lochoshvili, Scherzer, Sprangler, Taferner, Liendl, Wernitznig, Joveljic, Vizinger.
Subs: Giorbelidze, Henriksson, Peric, Pavelic, Dieng, Rnic, Leitgeb, Stratznig, Rocher, Skubl, Schofl, Kuttin.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Doherty, Dier, Alderweireld, Davies, Sissoko, Winks, Bale, Alli, Lucas Moura, Son.
Subs: Hojbjerg, Sanchez, Lamela, Hart, Bergwijn, Tanganga, Ndombele, Whiteman, Vinicius, Scarlett, Bowden, Lavinier.
4.59pm GMT
Real Sociedad: Remiro, Zaldua, Elustondo, Zubeldia, Monreal, Silva, Illarramendi, Merino, Januzaj, Isak, Oyarzabal.
Subs: Portu, Munoz, Guridi, Sagnan, Guevara, Merquelanz, Gorosabel, Barrenetxea, Le Normand, Bautista, Marrero, Zubimendi.
Manchester United: Henderson, Wan Bissaka, Bailly, Maguire, Alex Telles, McTominay, Fred, Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, James, Rashford.
Subs: de Gea, Lindelof, Mata, Martial, Grant, Diallo, Shaw, Matic, Williams, Tuanzebe, Shoretire.
2.08pm GMT
Welcome to EuroClocko™! Some big ties in the Europa League round of 32 this evening. It’s Benfica versus Arsenal and Antwerp versus Rangers later, but first off there are a tranche of kick-offs at 5.55pm GMT, and here are the three we’ll be concentrating on:
Continue reading...February 16, 2021
Barcelona 1-4 Paris Saint-Germain: Champions League round of 16, first leg – as it happened
Kylian Mbappe scored a devastating hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to deservedly rout Barcelona in the Nou Camp
10.41pm GMT
Related: Kylian Mbappé's brilliant hat-trick for PSG leaves Barcelona in tatters
9.58pm GMT
3 - Kylian Mbappe is only the third player to score a UEFA Champions League hat-trick against Barcelona, after Faustino Asprilla for Newcastle and Andriy Shevchenko for Dynamo Kyiv (both in 1997). Magic. pic.twitter.com/eojfMDK7Cl
9.52pm GMT
Peep peep! Kylian Mbappe’s spectacular hat-trick has put PSG into the quarter-finals with a game to spare. They played beautifully throughout and ignored the inconvenience of going behind to a Lionel Messi penalty in the first half. Mbappe equalised within five minutes and then PSG overwhelmed Barcelona in the second half.
It was a wonderful night for Mauricio Pochettino, whose new team are serious contenders to win the tournament. Thanks for your company, goodnight!
9.50pm GMT
90+4 min Braithwaite turns beautifully away from Marquinhos on the edge of the area before being crowded out by a couple of defenders and Navas. That was sharp forward play though.
9.48pm GMT
90+2 min Barcelona famously ame back from a 4-0 defeat against PSG in 2017, winning the second leg 6-1. But the first leg was away from home, and that was 2017. They have precisely 0.00 per cent chance of turning this round.
9.47pm GMT
90+1 min Five minutes of added time.
9.47pm GMT
90 min For the fourth consecutive season, Barcelona have been humiliated in the Champions League. It’s pretty hard to comprehend how far they have fallen.
9.45pm GMT
88 min PSG sub: Thilo Kehrer replaces Florenzi, who had a good game and created the crucial second goal.
9.43pm GMT
That was a devastating counter-attack. Barcelona lost the ball on the edge of the area and PSG were off again. After a few crisp one-touch passes to work the space, Draxler led a three-on-two break. He ran a long way to the edge of the D and eased the ball left to Mbappe, who opened his body and whipped a spectacular curling shot into the far top corner. Wonderful stuff from a quite extraordinary footballer.
9.42pm GMT
What a goal!
9.41pm GMT
85 min A substitution apiece. Barcelona bring on Martin Braithwaite for Antoine Griezmann; PSG introduce Danilo for the goalscorer Moise Kean.
9.39pm GMT
82 min Navas receives a backpass, faffs and then tries to clip a nonchalant pass out to the right. It hits the stretching Griezmann and loops just wide of the far post. That was very nearly a shambolic goal. Say what you like about the sophistication of modern keepers, but that wouldn’t have happened at John Beck’s Cambridge.
9.37pm GMT
81 min “Dest was sold down the river there,” says Ruth Purdue. “He was struggling all half on whether to hold position or go towards the ball several times against Mbappe. He was caught in no man’s land several times. Pique has to help him out with instructions.”
He got no help from Dembele either. He had no chance.
9.36pm GMT
79 min Pedri was the other player who went off.
9.36pm GMT
78 min Three changes for Barcelona: Francisco Trincao, Riqui Puig and Miralem Pjanic replace Busquets, Pique and I’ll get back to you on the third player.
9.33pm GMT
76 min Dembele, who has had a stinker, shoots high and wide from a tight angle.
9.31pm GMT
75 min Lionel Messi is in look-what-I-have-to-work-with mode. You can’t really blame him, to be fair. He might be working with the other lot next season.
9.30pm GMT
74 min Another PSG change: the excellent Marco Verratti is replaced by Julian Draxler.
9.30pm GMT
72 min Even without Neymar, Paris Saint-Germain have been much the better side. They play with a lovely purpose and confidence, though it helps when you have somebody like Mbappe.
9.27pm GMT
71 min Barcelona bring on Oscar Mingueza for Sergino Dest, who has had a tough night against Mbappe.
9.27pm GMT
PSG had a free-kick 30 yards from goal on the left. Paredes whipped a wicked ball to the far post that found Kean totally unmarked, six yards out. His downward header bounced up through the hands of ter Stegen and into the net.
9.26pm GMT
Barcelona are falling apart!
9.26pm GMT
69 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “I loved, in fact still love, Mmmbop by Hanson. There, I said it. It never gets old, even if they do. I seem to recall that it was released at almost the same time as Paranoid Android by Radiohead. I loved that too. You can like both, right? Like football and cricket. Or the Chase and Pointless. Even Man United and Liverpool?”
But did you like I Could Not Love You More by the Bee Gees?
9.25pm GMT
68 min: Mbappe denied a hat-trick! He has been unplayable tonight. He picked up the bal on the left of the area, swerved away from Dest and rifled a low left-footed shot that was kicked away by ter Stegen.
9.23pm GMT
GOAL GIVEN!
9.22pm GMT
VAR check for offside against Florenzi. I think he’s okay.
9.22pm GMT
Paredes lifted a gorgeous pass over the defence to find Florenzi on the right. His low cross towards Icardi was blocked by Pique, running towards his own goal, but Mbappe followed up to score with appreciable glee.
9.21pm GMT
The wonderful Kylian Mbappe gets his second!
9.19pm GMT
63 min Alba’s cross did hit the outstretched arm of Kean, though he was only a couple of yards away and it was clearly accident- LOOK I DON’T KNOW ANYMORE OKAY.
9.19pm GMT
62 min Dembele drags a tame shot through to Navas from the right edge of the area.
9.18pm GMT
62 min Barcelona appeal for a penalty when Alba’s cross hits Kean just inside the area. I’ve not idea whether it hit his hand, but the referee was having none of it.
9.17pm GMT
61 min “This has to be the most ordinary Barca side since 2003,” says Phil Podolsky. “So few ideas going forward.”
They just need to sign Edgar Davids.
9.16pm GMT
60 min A wicked deep corner from Messi is headed wide by the off balance Griezmann. Herrera did well to make sure Griezmann couldn’t get a clear run at the ball.
9.15pm GMT
59 min Messi’s free-kick hits the top of the ball and goes behind for a corner.
9.14pm GMT
58 min Messi is fouled 22 yards from goal by Kimpembe. Replays show it was a dive, after a handoff to the face, but the referee bought it. This is a chance for Messi...
9.12pm GMT
56 min Herrera’s scooped return pass just evades Mbappe, who had made another run behind the Barcelona defence. He must be utterly terrifying to play against.
9.09pm GMT
52 min This game is PSG’s for the taking, although we’ve said that a few times over the years in this competition.
9.07pm GMT
50 min: Good save from ter Stegen! Mbappe and Icardi combine to set up Kean, whose deflected shot is pawed away by ter Stegen. That was a good save, because he was falling and had to reach up to push it away, but it was a surprise to see Icardi flick the ball behind his standing leg to Kean rather than have a shot himself.
9.06pm GMT
49 min Mbappe zips between Dest and Dembele on the left and pushes the ball back to Verratti on the left corner of the box. He dummies to shoot and then does shoot, opening his body to whip a curler that is headed away by Pique. Verratti has produced some lovely moments of class tonight, including that dummy and the flicked pass for Mbappe’s goal.
9.04pm GMT
48 min “Fantastic players on both sides, but (apart from maybe 80s vintage Millwall) I can’t think of any two clubs that are easier to dislike,” says Matt Dony. “I really would like both teams to lose. Gun to my head, I’ll go for PSG to go through. If only to potentially give Mbappe the chance to leave Paris on a high, before his unveiling at Anfield in July.”
I love that you felt the need to put a metaphorical gun to your head over a game in which you have no vested interest. I bet this doesn’t happen to badminton fans.
9.04pm GMT
47 min Mbappe, who has been scary at times, curls just wide from 25 yards. ter Stegen had it covered but it was another reminder of his devastating efficiency.
9.02pm GMT
46 min Peep peep! Barcelona begin the second half.
9.01pm GMT
PSG have made a sensible half-time substitution: Andre Herrera is on for Idrissa Gueye, who was a red card waiting to happen.
9.00pm GMT
“It’s it just me,” says Paul in Murcia, “that when reading the name Mbappe can’t help think of MMMBop by Hanson, or Sergio Busquets think of Biscuits?”
I’ll level with you: the ‘biscuits’ link is a stretch, and might be something to raise with the therapist. But I’ve also had an Mbappe/Hanson moment or two. Here’s a fun fact to make us all feel old and past it: Mbappe hadn’t even been conceived when that song came out.
8.48pm GMT
Half-time reading
Related: David Squires on … football and the cyber cesspool of social media
8.47pm GMT
Peep peep! It’s Messi 1-1 Mbappe after a very enjoyable half of football. PSG were the better side but went behind to a soft penalty, roofed emphatically by Lionel Messi. PSG responded splendidly, with Mbappe smashing an equaliser within five minutes, and both sides went close thereafter. See you soon for the second half.
8.46pm GMT
45 min Maybe Icardi could have done better, I’m not sure. He really thumped the header but was unable to steer it towards goal from in front of the near post.
8.45pm GMT
44 min Busquets plays the ball back to ter Stegen, who shanks a routine clearance behind for a corner. He is so nearly punished: Mbappe whips an excellent corner to the near post, where Icardi flashes a terrific header just wide.
8.43pm GMT
43 min Gueye, who has already been booked, is late on Busquets. He’d be off for that in the Premier League. I prefer the referee Bjorn Kuipers’ take, which appears to be a final warning.
8.42pm GMT
41 min “Evening Rob, do you agree there is a double standard about fouls inside and outside the penalty area?” says Brian Russell. “It seems any contact in the penalty area results in the attacker smugly throwing himself to the ground and the referee cheerfully rewarding him with a penalty. Outside the penalty similar contact rarely results in a free kick. If it’s not a free kick outside the area how can it be a penalty inside it? It’s like everyone is agreed that footie ceases to be a contact sport when the ball is in the penalty area.”
Yep, it’s a complete mess. I don’t know what else to say really, except maybe EFF VAR.
8.41pm GMT
39 min Mbappe had a slight touch of fortune with the goal, because he didn’t control the ball perfectly. But he reacted with dizzying speed to beat Lengelt and wallop it in at the near post.
8.38pm GMT
38 min At the other end, Kean’s fierce snapshot on the turn is pushed round the post by ter Stegen. After a slow start, this is turning into a cracker.
8.38pm GMT
37 min: Just wide from Griezmann! This is great stuff. Barcelona break from a PSG corner, with Griezmann on the ball near the halfway line. He runs all the way to the edge of the area, using Dembele by not using him, and rifles a low shot that beats Navas and flies just past the far post.
8.36pm GMT
35 min: Fine save from ter Stegen! Mbappe, who is threatening to run riot, slides the ball back from the touchline to find Kurzawa on the edge of the area. He moves away from Dembele, whose defending has been half-arsed at best, and slides a low shot across goal. It looks set to nestle in the bottom corner, but ter Stegen somehow gets down to fingertip it round the post. That was an outstanding save.
8.35pm GMT
33 min Well this is fun.
8.34pm GMT
Marquinhos drove a crossfield pass out to Kurzawa on the left wing. He cushioned a volleyed cross back towards the edge of the area for Verratti, who flicked the ball neatly round the corner to Mbappe with the outside of his foot. Mbappe was surrounded by defenders but had the composure and awareness to shift the ball away from Lenglet and ram it past ter Stegen from close range. That was brilliant play in a tight area from Verratti and especially Mbappe.
8.32pm GMT
Kylian Mbappe equalises with a brilliant goal!
8.31pm GMT
31 min Florenzi curls a nice dipping cross to the near post, where Mbappe improvises a lovely flick behind his front leg that is crucially blocked by Lenglet.
8.31pm GMT
30 min That goal is a blow to PSG, who have created the better chances and had more of the ball.
8.29pm GMT
29 min: Dembele misses an excellent chance! Messi takes advantage of a slip from Kimpembe (I think) and pokes the ball through to Dembele, who shoots tamely at Navas from 15 yards.
8.28pm GMT
28 min Replays confirm that de Jong’s trailing leg brushed the knee of Kurzawa, who knew nothing about it. I feel for PSG but it was a penalty.
8.27pm GMT
Messi smashes an unsaveable penalty into the top corner! Navas went the right way, to his left, but didn’t get near it.
8.26pm GMT
27 min: Penalty given!
8.26pm GMT
27 min: VAR check He may have tripped himself, it’s hard to be certain. I think it will be given though.
8.26pm GMT
26 min: PENALTY TO BARCELONA! de Jong’s heels are clipped, accidentally I think, by Kurzawa. He was running onto a fine long pass from Messi and went over; the referee Bjorn Kuipers had no doubt.
8.21pm GMT
21 min Griezmann plays a nice one-two with Messi, forcing Verratti to make a vital sliding tackle just inside the area. That was really well judged.
8.20pm GMT
20 min Gueye is booked for fouling Pedri 30 yards from goal.
8.19pm GMT
19 min: Pedri clears off the line from Icardi! He looked offside but it wasn’t given. Mbappe, who was found in a bit of space by Verratti, clipped a neat reverse pass to put Icardi through on goal in the inside-left channel. He scuffed an apologetic left-footed effort past ter Stegen, and Pedri had plenty of time to get back and hoof it behind for a corner. I think it might have been going wide anyway, though Pedri was right to take no chances.
8.17pm GMT
17 min Messi is dropping very deep, almost as if he’s part of a midfield diamond. He hasn’t seen much of the ball so far.
8.16pm GMT
16 min “Let’s hope we don’t have a boring 0-0,” says Zack Lawrence. “Me and my friends have been hyped for this all day so it better be good. Also what is your favourite pancake topping?”
Vodka?
8.14pm GMT
14 min: Good save from Navas! Messi, dropping deep, shoves the ball forward to Pedri. He pokes a nice ball through the inside-left channel to release Griezmann, whose low shot from a tight angle is well blocked by Navas.
8.12pm GMT
12 min Gueye muscles Pedri off the ball and finds Kean, who surges away from Lenglet into the area. The covering de Jong pokes the ball behind for a corner, which is headed clear by Griezmann.
8.10pm GMT
10 min Jordi Alba’s overhit cross goes out of play. Great stuff.
8.08pm GMT
8 min Barcelona are starting to put a few passes together. It’s been a decent start to the game.
8.06pm GMT
6 min Dembele, who is playing on the right with Griezmann on the left, cuts inside and hits a long-range shot that is blocked by Marquinhos.
8.04pm GMT
4 min It’s been a confident start from PSG. Icardi nutmegs de Jong and plays the ball square to Gueye, who belts wide from 25 yards.
8.03pm GMT
1 min Some early danger for Barcelona. Verratti clips a pass over the top for Mbappe, who is far too quick for Dest. He can’t quite control the ball on the run, which allows ter Stegen to come out of his area and clear. He panics slightly, slicing his attempted clearance behind him, but he gets away with it. If Mbappe had controlled that he would have been in.
8.00pm GMT
1 min Peep peep! PSG, in their stylish away kit, kick off from right to left.
7.57pm GMT
Here come the players, led by the captains Lionel Messi and Marquinhos. We’re used to empty stadiums now, but the Nou Camp does look a bit eerie.
7.49pm GMT
“Leo has to fancy his chances,” says Ruth Purdue. “PSG’s midfield are bookings waiting to happen.”
It’s a really hard tie to call, I think, because of Barcelona’s recent improvement and Neymar’s injury.
7.38pm GMT
Mauricio Pochettino has been talking about PSG’s Champions League ‘obsession’, which is as good an excuse as any to post this glorious video.
7.33pm GMT
Related: Champions League last-16: previews and predictions for this week's ties
7.33pm GMT
Related: Leandro Paredes offers PSG reasons for optimism against Barcelona
7.29pm GMT
“Only one question Rob,” says Michael George. “Why the hell aren’t these games staggered? Everyone is at home, so it’s not like you will get stuck in traffic and miss the start!”
That’s a good point. Uefa don’t normally miss the opportunity to stagger games. Maybe this is the beginning of a new Integrity First era. Next season, only the champions quality, it’s an unseeded knockout from the start and there are no Gazprom adverts.
7.07pm GMT
This is one of two Champions League games tonight. The other, being played in Budapest because of Covid, is a cracker.
Related: RB Leipzig v Liverpool: Champions League round of 16, first leg – live!
7.06pm GMT
Related: Pochettino says Champions League 'obsession' fuelling PSG against Barça
6.53pm GMT
Gerard Pique, who has been out since November, returns for Barcelona. That means Frenkie de Jong will move back into midfield.
PSG make two changes from the team that beat Nice 2-1 on Saturday: Alessadnro Florenzi and Marco Verratti replace Thilo Kehrer and Julian Draxler.
5.08pm GMT
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League. It’s the most glamorous tie of the round, involving two of Europe’s superclubs, both of them desperate to make up for the pain of last season’s tournament. Barcelona were butchered 8-2 by Bayern Munich, while PSG – having finally made serious progress in the tournament – lost tamely to Bayern in the final.
Since then, both clubs have appointed former Southampton managers: Ronald Koeman at Barcelona and Mauricio Pochettino at PSG. That’s one of many subplots in this tie; the biggest are Lionel Messi’s potential move to Paris this summer, the absence of Neymar and the miracle of 2017. The surviving PSG players, including Marquinhos, Layvin Kurzawa and Julian Draxler, would love a bit of rewenge.
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