Rob Smyth's Blog, page 97

January 2, 2021

Brighton 3-3 Wolves: Premier League – as it happened

Brighton and Wolves, who struggled for goals at the back end of last year, started 2021 with a six-goal thriller at the Amex Stadium

7.36pm GMT

7.27pm GMT

More more more

7.26pm GMT

Peep peep! That was all sorts of fun. Brighton were 1-0 up, then 3-1 down at half-time before fighting back impressively in the second half. It’s another home game without a win for Brighton, but they can probably live with that given the trouble they were in.

7.24pm GMT

90+4 min: Otasowie misses a great chance with the last kick of the game! Or rather the last header. Traore went on one last run and stood up a lovely cross that was headed over from six yards by Otasowie. What a chance! He sits in the net at the final whistle, trying to understand why the ball isn’t there with him.

7.23pm GMT

90+3 min The corner is cleared at the near post. Brighton keep it alive until Webster volleys over from 25 yards. That should be that.

7.22pm GMT

90+2 min One Brighton corner leads to another, this time on the right wing.

7.22pm GMT

90+2 min March’s high, hanging free-kick from the halfway line is headed back across the area by Webster and put behind by Semedo.

7.21pm GMT

90+1 min Semedo is booked for something or other, it doesn’t take much these days.

7.20pm GMT

90+1 min Three added minutes.

7.20pm GMT

90 min Kilman chips a nice pass down the left to Neto, who gets behind Webster but then overruns the ball.

7.19pm GMT

89 min Webster is lucky not to be booked for flattening Ait-Nouri.

7.17pm GMT

87 min A change for Wolves. Owen Otasowie replace Fabio Silva, who worked hard without having much influence on the game.

7.15pm GMT

85 min “It’s not one sound,” says Mike Hollitscher. “I’ve watched enough La Liga, PL, Serie A to be able to tell the difference between each by the sound alone. The roar of a crowd in Spain is aurally distinguishable from one in England.”

Oooh that’s a good point about La Liga crowds.

7.14pm GMT

84 min Zeqiri’s deflected cross is cleared by Saiss. Brighton look the likelier winners, but then so did England against Romania in 1998.

7.13pm GMT

82 min For all the excitement, a draw isn’t great for either side, particularly Brighton.

7.09pm GMT

78 min I’ve just remembered that Pedro Neto is still on the field. He’s been so quiet in the second half. Traore has been more like his old self, but that aside Wolves haven’t been great going forward since half time.

7.07pm GMT

77 min “A genuine question,” says Gary Naylor. “It sounds (to me anyway) that the ‘internal’ noise of a football match, even down to vocabulary, pitch of voices, cries of pain, are the same whether you’re overhearing a match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or a couple of miles away on Hackney Marshes. So, give or take swapping an Anglo-Saxon oath for a Spanish one, are the ‘sounds of football’ a universal backdrop to the global game?”

Paul Doyle wrote a very funny piece on this general subject a couple of months ago.

7.07pm GMT

76 min Having seen a replay I don’t think Trossard (73rd minute) did foul Ait-Nouri, who knew he was in trouble and fell over in the hope of a foul being given. It was.

7.05pm GMT

75 min Replays confirm that was a good tackle by Dunk.

7.04pm GMT

74 min Dunk makes a desperate tackle from the wrong side on Traore, prompting brief Wolves appeals for a penalty. I’m pretty sure he got the ball, but it was a very risky tackle.

7.04pm GMT

73 min Sanchez’s long goalkick leaves Trossard one on one with Ait-Nouri, who heads weakly back towards his keeper and falls over. Trossard runs on and hammers the ball into the net, but the whistle had gone for a foul on Ait-Nouri. That was 50/50.

7.02pm GMT

72 min Actually, that might be a Saiss own-goal, as it’s touch and go whether Dunk’s header was on target. It hit Saiss on the side of the face and changed direction completely. He’s not having much luck, either way: he was the man who deflected Marcus Rashford’s shot into the night at Old Trafford the other night.

7.01pm GMT

71 min Replays show Dunk’s header took a deflection off Saiss, though I think it’s still his goal.

7.01pm GMT

It came from another corner, this time on the right. Trossard curled a lovely ball to the far post, where Dunk got between Saiss and Ait-Nouri to plant an excellent downward header into the net.

7.00pm GMT

It’s in there!

6.59pm GMT

69 min Brighton make their last change: Adam Lallana replaces Dan Burn.

6.58pm GMT

68 min: Webster hits the bar! March’s outswinging corner from the left was met very well by Webster, who planted a header back across goal and onto the bar. The rebound fell to Zeqiri, who snatched at the shot and launched it over from five yards.

6.58pm GMT

67 min “Dan Burn has been hung out to dry by his manager here,” says Will Morgan. “Roasted by pace against Arsenal, he’s been matched up against Traore. He might have a chance with Solly March helping him but Potter in his wisdom moved March to the right. Bizarre tactic in an increasingly bizarre set of tactics this season. Also Burn is a centre back, odd he’s continually played left back and even odder that Ben White’s talents are wasted in midfield. The sense of Albion fans turning against Potter is growing...”

He did switch March and Trossard a few minutes ago, but I agree that Burn needed more help. I’m not sure it would have made much difference to the penalty though.

6.56pm GMT

66 min For all Brighton’s possession - and it has been very one-sided in the second half - Rui Patricio hasn’t had much work to do.

6.54pm GMT

64 min Wolves are going to switch to a back three: Max Kilman replaces Vitinha.

6.51pm GMT

61 min Trossard almost equalises! White’s floated cross was headed back by Veltman towards Trossard, who took it down on the chest and hit a volley that was kicked away by Coady.

6.49pm GMT

59 min Neves screws a half volley well wide from the edge of the D.

6.48pm GMT

58 min Burn is booked for pulling back Traore. The poor chap is having a beast.

6.47pm GMT

57 min Traore beats Burn on the right and hammers a cross towards the near post, where Vitinha flicks the ball neatly behind his front leg on the volley. The shot hits Dunk and loops up in the air for Sanchez to claim.

6.45pm GMT

54 min: Chance for Brighton! Burn’s cross is put behind for a corner by Neves, Brighton’s first of the game. March’s outswinger is hooked away at the far post. The ball is given back to March, whose cross from the left beats almost everyone in the middle and reaches Burn at the far post. His first touch is too heavy, though, and that allows Moutinho to make a vital tackle.

6.42pm GMT

52 min Fabio Silva has a shot blocked by Webster after a lovely chop inside, and then Semedo goes over in the area under challenge from Burn. No penalty. Brighton break and Zeqiri has a shot blocked at the other end. It’s a cracking game, this.

6.41pm GMT

50 min It’s been a fine start to the second half by Brighton, who have had almost all of the ball since Maupay’s penalty. I forgot to say during the first half - so sue me - that they switched to a back four, with Burn moving to left back and March to the right of midfield. They’re basically playing a 4-4-2 now.

6.38pm GMT

47 min “Good evening, Rob, and best wishes for 2021 from Bulgaria,” says Vladimir. “If the new normal means Wolves scoring goals (plural!) in the first half (what?), then I am all for it. In an actual reality this translates to me that the new year is bound to be more bonkers than the previous.”

I must admit, I didn’t expect five goals in this game, never mind the 17 we’re going to get by the final whistle.

6.36pm GMT

Maupay cracks the penalty straight down the middle. Game on!

6.36pm GMT

PENALTY TO BRIGHTON! Moutinho dangles a leg in the area, allowing Maupay to go over. A penalty to Brighton after 15 seconds of the second half.

6.35pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! Brighton begin the second half, having made a double change: Davy Propper and Andi Zeqiri replace Bissouma and the injured Connolly. And...

6.20pm GMT

Peep peep! An excellent half for Wolves, who came from behind to lead 3-1 at the Amex Stadium. Brighton haven’t played badly, again, but they’re losing, again.

6.20pm GMT

45+4 min Aaron Connolly is injured again. He’s walked straight down the tunnel, looking pretty dejected. No substitute has come on yet, as it’s so close to half-time, but I’ll be surprised if we see him in the second half.

6.16pm GMT

45+1 min RAUL WHO?!?!?!??!?!?!?!

6.15pm GMT

45 min Four minutes of added time.

6.14pm GMT

Ruben Neves cracks the penalty into the right-hand corner; Sanchez went the wrong way. Wolves have scored three goals - in the first half.

6.14pm GMT

PENALTY TO WOLVES! Dan Burn, who is having a miserable night, takes the marauding Traore out near the byline. It was a desperate challenge and a clear penalty.

6.11pm GMT

40 min There’s a break in play while Pedro Neto receives treatment. He has a nose bleed after wearing a pig’s bladder in the face.

6.05pm GMT

Neto cut inside from the right and hit a shot that took a deflection off the stretching March. It spun awkwardly towards Sanchez, who punched it off Burn and back into the net. Burn had no chance of getting out of the way; Sanchez should probably have done better with the angle of his punch.

6.04pm GMT

Well that escalated quickly.

6.03pm GMT

34 min The corner is headed away by

Web-
Bissouma

6.03pm GMT

33 min Traore storms infield and plays a good pass out to Neto on the left. He twists inside Webster and lofts a cross that is headed behind for a corner by Burn. He was trying to head it back to Sanchez but couldn’t soften his noggin sufficiently.

6.02pm GMT

32 min Maupay flicks the ball neatly behind his standing leg to Connolly, whose return pass is imprecise. Both teams have played some nice football at times.

5.59pm GMT

28 min Neves booms a curling shot a few yards wide. It was a nicely worked free-kick - everyone expected a cross and instead Moutinho angled a sharp pass into Neves - but he set the shot too far outside the far post.

5.55pm GMT

25 min Webster moves forward again and chips a flat cross into the area, where Connolly produces a sizzling overhead kick that sadly goes straight at Rui Patricio. That came right off the sweet spot.

5.52pm GMT

22 min March’s shot from the edge of the area hits Saiss and rebounds to safety. Wolves break and Bissouma is booked for a foul on Ait-Nouri.

5.52pm GMT

21 min “Gorgeous photo, that, of Verona’s kit,” says Charles Antaki. “Brighton once had an appalling striped-shirt-and-shorts combo, and the internet reveals it in its full glory. I now remember Des Lynam (BHA fan) when describing the kits in a game, ending lugubriously with ‘and Brighton are in ….. the other kit’.”

When you sad, ‘Brighton once had an appalling…’, I assumed you meant the Chewits wrapper of 1991. If only all Chewits wrappers were worth £350.

5.50pm GMT

They avoided Adam Webster and scored! Moutinho drove the corner flat and hard beyond the far post to find the unmarked Semedo just inside the area. He made a mess of an attempted volley but retrieved the loose ball and stood up a nice cross to Saiss, who ran away from goal to meet the ball and looped a header back across Sanchez from 10 yards. He is such a threat at corners and that was another really good finish.

5.48pm GMT

18 min Neves flicks the ball up, 25 yards from goal, and hits a volley that is deflected over the bar for another Wolves corner. They might as well just walk over and place it on Adam Webster’s head.

5.46pm GMT

16 min ... and Webster heads it away. Of course he does.

5.46pm GMT

16 min Ait-Nouri’s low cross is put behind by Lewis Dunk. Moutinho strolls over to take the corner...

5.45pm GMT

15 min Webster, who has had a storming start to the game, makes a good tackle on Pedro Neto just outside the area.

5.44pm GMT

New year, new Brighton. Webster ran into space from the halfway line and found Trossard on the right wing. He twisted one way and then the other before curling a cross towards the near post, where Connolly got in front of the diving Rui Patricio to poke a volley into the net. That was a smartly taken goal.

5.42pm GMT

Brighton take the lead out of nothing!

5.41pm GMT

10 min This is a very young Wolves front four - Traore, at 24, is comfortably the oldest - which probably explains their inconsistency from game to game and even within games. Individually they look very promising, Traore and Pedro Neto in particular.

5.39pm GMT

9 min Neto’s second corner begets a third. Moutinho takes this one, and Webster heads away once again.

5.38pm GMT

8 min Wolves win a corner on the right. Pedro Neto cracks it hard towards the near post, where Webster heads away. Semedo picks up the loose ball, plays a one-two and curls a good cross towards Saiss; Webster again gets in front of him to head behind for another corner.

5.36pm GMT

5 min “Is it just me,” says Ezra Finkelstein, “or is the Brighton home shirt one of the best of the year?”

Maybe it’s just the two of us, because I think it’s lovely, though I’d probably prefer it without the collar. Most kits with pin stripes look great. Exhibit A: Verona 1984-85. See also: Ipswich, the Pioneer years.

5.34pm GMT

4 min Wolves have made a lively start. Neto bets two players on the halfway line and runs into the space he created. He gets to the edge of the area, goes past Dunk on the outside and drives wide of the near post from a tight angle.

5.32pm GMT

3 min Joao Moutinho has an early pop from 25 yards. Robert Sanchez makes a comfortable save.

5.30pm GMT

1 min Peep peep! Wolves, in their Portugal kit, kick off from right to left. Brighton are in blue and white.

5.15pm GMT

Pre-match reading

4.35pm GMT

Brighton (3-4-3) Sanchez; Webster, Dunk, Burn; Veltman, White, Bissouma, March; Trossard, Connolly, Maupay.
Substitutes: Steele, Bernardo, Mac Allister, Gross, Lallana, Propper, Molumby, Jahanbakhsh, Zeqiri.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (4-2-3-1) Rui Patricio; Semedo, Coady, Saiss, Ait-Nouri; Neves, Moutinho; Traore, Vitinha, Pedro Neto; Fabio Silva.
Substitutes: Ruddy, Sondergaard, Hoever, Kilman, Richards, Perry, Otasowie, Cundle, Corbeanu.

4.09pm GMT

New year, new you, right? Yeah. Brighton and Wolves have similarly good intentions after a troubling end to 2020. Wolves’ resolution is to score more goals; Brighton’s is to win a lot more games, especially at home, primarily by scoring more goals). Wolves were struggling even before Raul Jimenez’s injury, and have scored only six in seven games since he fractured his skill at the Emirates.

Brighton won only one league game at home in 2020 and couldn’t even see off ten-man Sheffield United before Christmas. As a result they are in a relegation battle: two points above Fulham in 18th but already six points off Newcastle in 15th having played a game more. It’s hard to reconcile that with the progressive, classy football they have played under Graham Potter, but style will count for nothing if they don’t start winning games in 2021.

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Published on January 02, 2021 11:27

Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Leeds United: Premier League – as it happened

Harry Kane and Son-Heung min were too good for Leeds, picking them off in transition to lift Spurs to third in the table

2.44pm GMT

2.29pm GMT

Here’s a very tired Son-Heung min

“[Exhales demonstratively] It was a really difficult game - they do an unbelievable job and work so hard. We created a lot of chances and got a clean sheet, it’s a fantastic start to the new year. I couldn’t wait [to score his 100th goal for Spurs] and I’m very happy and very grateful for my team-mates who supported me early on. I needed a lot of help for this big achievement and I’m really proud. But the most important thing is that we got the clean sheet here and the three goals.

2.21pm GMT

It was an easy win for Spurs, who were a model of efficiency in transition and could have scored six or seven. Harry Kane’s debatable penalty gave them the lead, Son scored a lovely goal on the stroke of half-time - his 100th for Spurs - and Toby Alderweireld headed the third.

2.20pm GMT

Peep peep! Spurs jump from seventh to third in the great game of Snakes and Ladders that is the 2020-21 Premier League season.

2.18pm GMT

90+2 min: Doherty sent off! Matt Doherty gets a second yellow for a late tackle on Pablo Hernandez, and Spurs are down to 10 men. It was a pretty straightforward decision.

2.17pm GMT

90+1 min “The Dutch Total Football team and snide fouls in the same post - wash your mouth out, or at least clean your fingers!” says Richard Hirst.

Those boys knew how to look after themselves, Neeskens in particular. There was that great David Lacey line, in 1978 I think, about the Dutch reminding us that they invented the clog.

2.16pm GMT

90 min “VAR is the sporting equivalent of Trump,” says Mary Waltz. “No matter how much you do not want to discuss Trump ever again his outrageous actions and words force you back on discussing him. VAR is the same. it ruins everything good in this world.”

So who, or what, is our Joe Biden? Is it Peter Walton?

2.15pm GMT

89 min Phillips is booked for a foul on Vinicius. That means he’s suspended for Leeds’ next game, the FA Cup tie at Crawley. It’s almost as if he did it deliberately!

2.14pm GMT

88 min “Ndombele is Spurs’ most talented player,” says Cian O’Mahony. “Tough love - or the lack of it - has nothing to do with it.”

He was their most talented player last season, too, and he was crap. I think it’s reasonable to draw a connection, but it’s also reasonable to think he was always going to come good. I feel better already.

2.13pm GMT

87 min Harry Kane has made one and scored one, and now he’s done one. Carlos Vinicius replaces him.

2.11pm GMT

85 min Hojbjerg is booked, because the referee was running out of time to fulfil his contractual obligation. (And for a foul on Pablo Hernandez.)

2.10pm GMT

84 min “Just saw the quiz answer from earlier,” says Peter McHugh. “I worked with a Spurs fan (as I am myself) who always called Vinny Samways, Sammy Heighway. His malapropisms were legendary.”

I’d love to know what he made of Steffen Freund. “Steffen, could I have your autograph? And have you got half an hour to talk about my sexual desire for my mother?”

2.09pm GMT

83 min Bamford, 12 yards out, heads straight at Lloris from Raphinha’s cross. Not much of a chance.

2.08pm GMT

83 min Phillips blocked Hojbjerg’s shot, though it was going wide anyway.

2.07pm GMT

80 min Raphinha zips outside Doherty and drives a speculative cross-shot that is comfortably saved by the falling Lloris.

2.06pm GMT

79 min Nothing much happening. Leeds are still bouncing around like Tigger; Spurs are still working very hard to keep Hugo Lloris’s sheet clean.

2.05pm GMT

78 min “It’s not quite the same as using by not using, but one of my abiding memories is seeing the Dutch ‘total football’ team of the 70s playing England at Wembley,” says Richard Hirst. “On the TV you saw the pass played and maybe one other option. Live you saw the multiple options available as the team flowed forwards and flowed backwards - breathtaking.”

We’re doing a Joy of Six on that soon – assists without touching the ball. Off-the-ball runs, dummies, snide fouls at set pieces. If you’ve got any nominations, please send them in. No1 is Marco van Basten, that’s all I’m giving you.

2.03pm GMT

77 min Another Spurs change: Lucas Moura replaces Tanguy Ndombele, who had a 7/10 kind of day. He’s become a very important player for Spurs, which proves Jose Mourinho’s tough love can work.

2.03pm GMT

77 min “The penalty chat has gone way off topic - whether it’s in the box is a fair question (personally I think it is - contact was still being made when they were on the line and in this case advantage should go to the attacker) but the penalty was given live, as it would have been 10 years ago or 20 years ago,” says Phil Beattie. “The fact that it was a foul has nothing to do with VAR whatsoever...”

Yes but I’d argue VAR has increased the number of ‘live’ decisions being given, in the same way DRS changed, for example, the number of LBW decisions given on the field. All I know is that beauty is ephemeral. Oh and that penalties are up by about 100 per cent (I think), and that can’t be right.

2.01pm GMT

76 min Moussa Sissoko replaces Harry Winks.

2.00pm GMT

74 min Pablo Hernandez, who has etc, has another medium-range shot deflected behind for a corner. Leeds are hilarious; they are playing as if world peace depends on their scoring a goal this afternoon.

1.59pm GMT

73 min Pablo Hernandez, who has been really good since coming on, has a medium-range shot deflected behind for a corner.

1.59pm GMT

73 min “Hi Rob,” says Lalith Adithyan. “How good has Hojbjerg been for Spurs this season. He has been a defensive rock for them this season and spurs have been crying out for a player like him. He has also made some decent runs into the box in this game.”

I must admit, I elevated my nose at precisely 45 degrees when they signed him, but he’s been extremely good.

1.59pm GMT

73 min Spurs break from the corner and Kane tries to score from inside his own half. It was a decent strike, which had Meslier backpedalling desperately, but it just cleared the crossbar. Meslier probably had it covered in the end.

1.58pm GMT

72 min Another corner for Leeds, won by Shackleton this time. It’s lovely to watch, though we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that Spurs are 3-0 up and could have scored 10. I suppose it was always going to be like this, certainly once Spurs scored the first goal.

1.56pm GMT

69 min The dynamic Poveda-Ocampo wins a corner for Leeds, who continue to ooze irrepressibility. Phillips’ corner is headed away.

1.55pm GMT

67 min “The problem with VAR regarding penalties is that it only shows ‘contact’ but not whether this is enough to impair another player,” says Foderoy78. “Contact is allowed when shielding a ball or during tackling so it’s hard to use it as the sole perpetrator of a pen. The only person who knows if it’s was enough contact is the ‘fouled’ player. When running at full flight it sometimes only needs the slightest touch to be tripped but every tackle is different.”

Yes, agreed. Another problem is that penalties are never given unless a player goes down. It’s all a bit of a mess, and the traditional remedy – the increased use of common sense – isn’t compatible with VAR. I think that in time (I’m talking 10/20 years), there will be two tiers of fouls in the penalty area. I don’t love that idea but it’s better than the current situation.

1.52pm GMT

66 min Meslier makes another good save, pushing Kane’s shot round the near post. Bergwijn played Kane in; the angle was tight so he slapped it towards the near post and hoped for the best. Meslier was well positioned and pushed it behind for a corner.

1.52pm GMT

66 min A third Leeds change: Pablo Hernandez replaces Rodrigo.

1.50pm GMT

65 min Matt Doherty is booked for a fresh-air swipe in the direction of Luke Ayling.

1.50pm GMT

64 min Alioski is replaced by Jamie Shackleton. He goes to right back, Stuart Dallas to left back.

1.49pm GMT

63 min Spurs look like they might score every time they win the ball back. Who’d be an xG algorithm?

1.48pm GMT

62 min: Great goalkeeping! Meslier makes a brilliant point-blank save from Bergwijn, who took Son’s pass on the run, moved away from Alioski and blootered a shot towards goal.

1.47pm GMT

62 min “One of the best things about Maxi Rodriguez’s goal,” says Robert Smithson, “is Carlos Bilardo yelling “arco!” (go for goal!) just before he hit it.”

1.46pm GMT

61 min A Leeds change: Ian Poveda-Ocampo replaces Jack Harrison.

1.45pm GMT

60 min Leeds are playing with their usual optimism, despite the scoreline. Spoiler alert: this doesn’t end 3-0.

1.45pm GMT

59 min “Happy new year Rob,” says Guy Hornsby. “After the last few games I bailed on watching this game after 18 minutes of Spurs saying ‘come on then Bielsa’. The 2020-grade pessimist in me was expecting a 1-1 draw after 1 shot on target and a 92nd minute equaliser, so chose a walk with the little one. She’s blissfully unaware of how jinxes work (yet) but I may just do that every time in future. Perhaps this is a new dawn. Probably not.”

There are no new dawns, only new years. Now pass me my kombucha.

1.43pm GMT

57 min Son is too unselfish for his own good. He breaks into the area from the left, eschews the obvious shot and instead tries a square ball to the unmarked Hojbjerg that is blocked.

1.42pm GMT

57 min Leeds’ last five games: 5-2, 2-6, 1-0, 5-0, 0-3. God bless them.

1.42pm GMT

56 min “All these debates about penalties would be irrelevant,” says Richard Hirst, “if all teams were as sporting as Fulham and had such incompetent penalty takers.”

Look, man, that’s a good email.

1.41pm GMT

55 min Son’s shot is blocked by a topknot, Phillips I think.

1.41pm GMT

55 min Winks is booked for kicking the ball away.

1.39pm GMT

54 min “Personally I think it’s more about what constitutes a foul,” says Nicholas of my proposed Ifab penalty review. “Every description of a foul revolves around how a player makes a tackle or challenge. How an opponent tries to win a free kick or penalty does not change the nature of the tackle or challenge. His challenge for the ball has not become careless - which is the minimum requirement - upon the action of the opponent. The opponent being “clever” has not in any way, changed the way someone tackled. If the challenge for the ball was legitimate by any usual definition (not a lunge, no studs showing, no high foot etc) how can it become careless according to the action of the opponent?”

You could argue it is careless for not taking into account the potential movement of the opponent before you get the ball. As with most basic rules, we’ve all lost our bearings since the VAR magnifying glass came out. It’s surely time for us all to stop, collaborate and listen.

1.39pm GMT

53 min Spurs are creating chances at will. Kane twists neatly away from Ayling on the left edge of the area and smashes a rising shot into the side netting.

1.37pm GMT

Son’s excellent outswinging corner from the right was met by Alderweireld, who flicked a header that went through Meslier and into the net. Meslier had started to come from the cross, which meant he was moving towards his own goal as he tried to make the save. He pushed the ball away when he was in his own net, but technology confirmed it had just crossed the line.

1.37pm GMT

The respite was brief for Leeds.

1.36pm GMT

50 min Ndombele hits a vicious shot from 15 yards that is really well saved by the falling Meslier. He couldn’t hold it but managed to shovel it behind for a corner.

1.34pm GMT

48 min “Wondering if the one of the main difference between the two teams is the difference in quality between Kane and Bamford,” says Paul Fitzgerald. “Both teams will get decent chances to score but after watching Bamford against Man Utd recently, I don’t know if he has that killer instinct against top sides.”

Fair point. Imagine Leeds with Harry Kane! In fact, Spurs should loan him to Leeds for the rest of the season in the interests of the nation’s morale.

1.33pm GMT

47 min “A soft pen can still be a clear pen,” says Phil Beattie. “I agree with your general sentiment on pens, but think you’re picking the wrong example. The challenge on Bergwijn is a silly challenge to make but it’s a clear foul and always would have been seen as a foul. He’s entitled to let the ball run across his body, and Paul Johnson’s accusation of cheating is frankly a little ridiculous.”

I agree that it was a foul, albeit just outside the area IMEHO. I don’t think Bergwijn cheated but he did know what he was doing. That’s his right, and defenders need to be much less impetuous in a VAR world, but all these penalties don’t sit comfortably at all.

1.32pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! Spurs begin the second half.

1.30pm GMT

“Gary Naylor is, of course, correct about Bale,” says Matt Dony. “He’s even got the regulation Leeds Topknot.”

1.27pm GMT

Pop quiz “Vinny Samways,” says Conor Clarke, simply and correctly.

1.26pm GMT

The more you see that Spurs penalty, the dodgier it looks. The contact looks fractionally outside the area, and you could also argue that Bergwijn made the foul by stepping across Alioski. I think it was a foul, in truth, but I don’t think it was in the penalty area.

1.22pm GMT

“Barry Davies would love this Leeds side,” says Gary Naylor. “There’s a ‘uses him by not using him’ in every attack.”

Quiz question (no cheating; it’s 2021 and we’re going to do this life properly): who was used by not being used in the Barry Davies commentary mentioned by Gary?

1.18pm GMT

Half-time reading

1.18pm GMT

Peep peep! Spurs have done a fairly predictable number on Leeds. They had less than 40 per cent of the ball but looked very dangerous on the break, particularly after Harry Kane’s soft penalty gave them the lead. Kane made the second for his football friend Son, a beautiful goal just before half-time that leaves Leeds with plenty to do.

1.16pm GMT

45+2 min “Another soft penalty,” says Paul Johnson. “Just manoeuvre trailing leg into path of defender, wait for slight touch, fall over and penalty ‘won’. ‘Winning’ a penalty and ‘entitled to go down’ should be expunged from dictionary. If you’ve ‘won’ a penalty, you’ve cheated.”

I think it’s slightly subtler than that, but essentially I agree with you. Now that VAR is here to stay, I think Ifab need an urgent review of what constitutes a penalty.

1.16pm GMT

45+1 min Kane plays a good pass into the area for Son, who is unusually indecisive and loses the ball. That was another chance. This could easily be 5-3 to Spurs, in a game that Leeds have dominated.

1.15pm GMT

45 min Spurs could have had four or five in this half. Ndombele’s cross on the turn is intercepted by Ayling. The ball runs towards Davies, who spanks a first-time shot over the bar from a tight angle.

1.14pm GMT

Hojbjerg won a loose ball 40 yards from goal and gave it to his superior, Harold Kane. He moved away from Struijk, down the right wing, and curled a delicious ball around the defence towards the near post. Son got away from Dallas, waited for the ball to bounce and swept it deftly past Meslier at the near post. That’s a lovely goal, Son’s 100th for Spurs.

1.13pm GMT

Leeds have been mugged, and we all saw it coming.

1.12pm GMT

43 min Bamford shoots straight at Lloris from the edge of the area. That was a decent chance.

1.11pm GMT

41 min Harrison wanders infield, receives a square pass from Klich on the edge of the D and whips an excellent shot just over the bar.

1.10pm GMT

40 min Raphinha’s cross is headed away to Alioski on the edge of the area. His volley goes out for a throw-in.

1.09pm GMT

39 min “How many world-class strikers of Kane’s quality would agree to fall back and become more of a feeder to Son and the other Spurs attackers?” says Mary Waltz. “Kane’s self-sacrificing buy-in to Jose’s tactics is admirable to say the least.”

Whatever happened to Gary Cooper? He’s right there, up top for Spurs.

1.09pm GMT

38 min Alioski’s low cross towards the near post finds Bamford, whose first-time poke is blocked by Dier. Bamford’s movement in front of Dier was excellent but he didn’t connect with the shot as well as he would have liked.

1.07pm GMT

37 min Kane and Son are both down. Kane is holding his right knee, which is a particular concern; he landed awkwardly after a struggle for possession with Ayling. Both are going to continue for now.

1.06pm GMT

35 min: Bergwijn misses an excellent chance! A poor header from Raphinha went to Davies on the left wing. He lost the recovering Raphinha and picked out Bergwijn with a good low cross. Bergwijn turned beautifully but then spanked his shot into orbit from 10 yards.

1.05pm GMT

35 min More good play from Leeds. Raphinha’s pass infield is flicked behind his standing leg by Klich on the edge of the area. Rodrigo runs onto it but slices a tame shot through to Lloris with the outside of the right foot.

1.04pm GMT

34 min “Bergwijn creates the contract by jumping into Alioski,” says Drew Lundgren.

In VAR football, almost any contact - however it comes about - is a penalty. It’s a mess.

1.03pm GMT

33 min Klich pokes a short pass towards Rodrigo on the edge of the area. He lets it run through his legs towards Bamford, and Davies comes across to make a vital tackle.

1.01pm GMT

32 min Almost a second goal for Spurs. Alderweireld, still up from an earlier set piece, has a shot blocked. Kane, on the half turn, curls the rebound well wide of the far post. That was a surprisingly tame effort.

12.59pm GMT

Kane puts the penalty straight down the middle. That’s his 205th goal for Tottenham!

12.58pm GMT

Penalty given!

12.58pm GMT

VAR check It’s a soft penalty but I doubt it will be overturned.

12.57pm GMT

27 min: PENALTY TO SPURS! Alioski has been penalised for a clumsy challenge on Bergwijn. It came from a loose pass out by the keeper Meslier, which was intercepted by Winks and fed forward to Bergwijn. Alioski made a needless challenge from the wrong side, right on the edge of the area, and Bergwijn went over.

12.56pm GMT

26 min At the other end Phillips plays in the overlapping Dallas, whose dangerous cross is kicked away at the near post by Hojbjerg. Good defending.

12.55pm GMT

25 min Kane wriggles away from Klich and Dallas in the area before cutting the ball back sharply towards the near post. Alioski heads it clear.

12.53pm GMT

It’s still 0-0 in the Old Firm derby - but Celtic are battering the leaders Rangers.

12.52pm GMT

22 min: Chance for Bamford! Raphinha cuts inside from the right and curls an inswinging cross towards Bamford, who gets under the ball and heads over from six yards. At first I thought it was a bad miss but on reflection the ball was a fraction too high.

12.52pm GMT

22 min “I am feeling old today,” says Ruth Purdue, referring to the below.

Maxi Rodriguez had his countrymen celebrating wildly when his unbelievable winner sent @Argentina into the #WorldCup quarter-finals. They'll be raising a toast to the Newell's Old Boys winger as he turns 40 today

#HBD | @MR11ok | @CANOBoficial pic.twitter.com/JxFkEEnSfk

12.50pm GMT

21 min Son’s free-kick from the left is kept alive by Spurs. Eventually Hojbjerg hits a crisp first-time shot from 15 yards that goes straight at Meslier.

12.49pm GMT

19 min It’s been an enjoyable game, even if there haven’t been any clear chances yet.

12.48pm GMT

18 min “You know who would look good in this Leeds team, who needs a bit of footballing fun and who can afford to play for a much reduced wage?” says Gary Naylor. “Gareth Bale, that’s who.”

As I rode the crescendo of that first sentence, I honestly thought you were going to say yourself.

12.47pm GMT

17 min A loose ball falls nicely for Kane, who bullets it over the bar with his left foot. That was a chance, even though he was at a fairly tight angle on the left side of the area.

12.44pm GMT

13 min Leeds break three on two, with Klich finding Bamford on the edge of the area. He cushions a nice pass into Rodrigo, who can’t make room for a shot as the Spurs defenders get back. Instead he plays it back to Bamford, whose tame shot from the edge of the area is easily saved by Lloris. Rodrigo’s return pass wasn’t great, hit with too much pace and onto Bamford’s weaker foot.

12.42pm GMT

12 min Davies’s corner is claimed confidently by Meslier.

12.41pm GMT

12 min Son tries a one-two with Bergwijn, and Dallas comes across to make an important interception on the edge of the area. Corner to Spurs...

12.40pm GMT

10 min Alioski surges forward and slides a lovely ball through to Harrison in the area. Doherty does well to block his cross-shot but Harrison picks up the loose ball and lobs it into Klich, who smacks it over the bar on the bounce. The ball didn’t come down quickly enough for him.

12.39pm GMT

9 min Harrison’s dangerous cross just evades the leaping Raphinha at the near post and flashes across the face of goal.

12.38pm GMT

8 min The game has started exactly as we expected, with Spurs sitting deep and watching Leeds play the ball around. No counter-attacking yet for Son and Kane, but they will surely come.

12.36pm GMT

6 min Lots of early possession for Leeds, who look busy and relaxed.

12.35pm GMT

5 min “Don’t forget the Cockerels v the Peacock on your movie poster,” says Justin Kavanagh. “Not exactly two birds of a feather but both with preening pretensions to reaching the heights of former glories.”

12.34pm GMT

4 min A half chance for Leeds. Harrison fires a pass into Leeds, who controls it well on the edge of the area and plays in the marauding Alioski. He rattles a shot into the side netting from a tight angle.

12.33pm GMT

3 min A quiet start. Leeds were 2-0 down at this stage of their last big away game.

12.31pm GMT

2 min “Why does a neutral get up at 4am California time to watch this match?” asks Mary Waltz. “Because absolutely anything can happen. Leeds could destroy Jose’s back four or Kane and Son could counter-attack Leeds to death Either way I will not have to watch a match like yesterday’s Everton sleepwalking football.”

12.30pm GMT

1 min Peep peep! Leeds, in their maroon away strip, kick off from left to right.

12.12pm GMT

“Why is Reguilon on the bench,” says Ruth Purdue, “if he’s been ‘strongly condemned’?”

Football and moral principles have a complicated relationship.

11.50am GMT

Now, Spurs v Leeds should be a cracker, but it’s not the most mouth-watering game this lunchtime. If I were you, I’d bugger off over here.

11.50am GMT

Here’s more on the Three Unwise Men of Tottenham Hotspur

11.43am GMT

Pre-match reading

All work and no play makes Jose a dull boy. He’ll love the fact Burnley have just been 24 hours’ notice as well.

11.42am GMT

“Covid this, Covid that, why don’t you f*****g play for them?!”

Yep, more Covid news I’m afraid: tomorrow’s match between Burnley and Fulham is off after more positive tests at Craven Cottage.

11.38am GMT

Spurs return to a back four, with Toby Alderweireld and Steven Bergwijn replacing Davinson Sanchez and Sergio Reguilon. Erik Lamela is not even in the squad. He, Reguilon and Giovani Lo Celso were pictured breaking Covid rules with West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini and other less famous people on Christmas Day. Lo Celso is injured so he wouldn’t have been involved anyway.

Leeds are unchanged, but you knew that already.

Absolutely unacceptable mixing from Lo Celso, Reguilon and Lamela on Christmas Day. I guess they don’t understand the gravity of the situation but you do NOT fraternise with a West Ham player.

11.34am GMT

Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1) Lloris; Doherty, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies; Winks, Hojbjerg; Bergwijn, Ndombele, Son; Kane.
Substitutes: Hart, Reguilon, Rodon, Tanganga, Sissoko, Alli, Fernandes, Lucas Moura, Vinicius.

Leeds United (4-1-4-1) Meslier; Dallas, Ayling, Struijk, Alioski; Phillips; Raphinha, Rodrigo, Klich, Harrison; Bamford.
Substitutes: Casilla, Cresswell, Casey, Hernandez, Shackleton, Jenkins, Poveda-Ocampo, Costa, Huggins.

10.40am GMT

Hello, happy new year and welcome to one of the first treats of 2021. You could make a movie poster for this game, with taglines plastered from top to bottom in a font that oozes gravitas. Cynicism v optimism; pragmatism v idealism; Kane v Ayling; seventh v eleventh; counter-attack v attack-attack-attack; overt charisma v inscrutable charisma. Mourinho v Bielsa.

Yep, it’s Spurs v Leeds, the first meeting between two of world football’s most iconic coaches since April 2013. Jose Mourinho has a perfect record against Marcelo Bielsa - his Real Madrid won all four matches against Athletic Bilbao between 2011-13 - and he could really do with extending that today.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

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Published on January 02, 2021 06:29

December 30, 2020

Newcastle 0-0 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened

Karl Darlow made a number of excellent saves as a dogged Newcastle frustrated the leaders Liverpool at St James’ Park

9.57pm GMT

Louise Taylor’s match report has landed, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company, happy new year, all our dreams will come true.

9.53pm GMT

The result means Liverpool are three points clear of Manchester United, having played a game more. They have now dropped 15 points in 16 league games, the same as they dropped in 38 last season. There was some good news in the return of Thiago, who was majestic when he came off the bench. They are still the team to beat going into 2021, though it’s closer than most of us expected.

9.52pm GMT

Peep peep! Another unlikely result in this fascinating season. Liverpool, though not at their best, had the clearest chances and would have won but for some excellent goalkeeping from Karl Darlow.

9.50pm GMT

90+3 min Liverpool have had 73 per cent of the possession in this game. They have another 60 seconds to find a winning goal.

9.49pm GMT

90+2 min One last change for Liverpool: Xherdan Shaqiri replaces Mo Salah, who was unusually wasteful.

9.48pm GMT

90+1 min Thiago is laughably good. He looks like an 18-year-old playing under-11s football.

9.47pm GMT

90 min There will be four added minutes.

9.46pm GMT

89 min “Has Wilson been subbed,” says Richard Hirst, “or just gone very quiet after his good start to the game?”

The latter. Newcastle haven’t threatened at all in this half, expect from set-pieces.

9.46pm GMT

88 min: Brilliant save from Darlow! Robertson’s corner from the right was met with an strong downward header by Firmino, and Darlow plunged to his right to push it away. That led to an almighty scramble in the area, but eventually Newcastle forced the ball away.

9.45pm GMT

88 min Alexander-Arnold whistles a sweet long-range shot that is blocked by Schar. Newcastle are hanging on desperately.

9.44pm GMT

87 min Robertson and Fernandez have a full and frank exchange of views. Alas, it doesn’t descend into a 21-man brawl.

9.44pm GMT

87 min “Extraordinary stuff from Schar!” says Gary Naylor, lovingly lining up the inevitable pun. “It’s as if he could turn back time.”

9.43pm GMT

86 min Newcastle make another change, this time at left wing-back: Jamal Lewis is on for Matt Ritchie.

9.42pm GMT

85 min Hayden is booked for a late challenge on Thiago.

9.42pm GMT

85 min Salah releases Wijnaldum on the right of the area. He looks up and tries to find Mane at the far post, but it’s a poor pass and Newcastle clear. This is Liverpool’s best spell of the match.

9.41pm GMT

83 min Thiago plays another delicious pass out to Alexander-Arnold, but this time he’s fractionally offside.

9.39pm GMT

82 min Since coming on, Thiago has been quite majestic.

9.39pm GMT

80 min: Brilliant defending from Schar! Thiago sprays a gorgeous pass out to Alexander-Arnold on the right. He puts in a very dangerous cross that is pushed away by the diving Darlow. It hits Mane and bounces towards goal, but Schar somehow gets back to beat Mane to the ball and hook it off the line! What a piece of defending!

9.37pm GMT

79 min: Fine save from Alisson! Ritchie’s big, inswinging free-kick from the right is headed back across goal by Clark, and Alisson plunges to his left to push it behind. That’s another really good save, probably better than it looked because he made it with the minimum of fuss.

9.35pm GMT

78 min Phillips is booked for clattering Joelinton.

9.35pm GMT

78 min A loose ball bounces up at Thiago, 25 yards out. He twists his body beautifully to smash a shot that is blocked just inside the area. He has already energised Liverpool; just before that he played one of those lovely no-look passes to Wijnaldum.

9.33pm GMT

76 min Salah is fouled on the right wing by Clark. Alexander-Arnold belts the free-kick straight into the wall.

9.30pm GMT

73 min Thiago comes on to replace James Milner. He’ll probably manage 50 passes in the 20-odd minutes he’s on the field.

9.30pm GMT

72 min Alexander-Arnold’s corner is headed away as far as Henderson, who spanks a half-volley into orbit from 25 yards. It was on his left foot, which might explain why it went straight up in the air.

9.29pm GMT

72 min Salah slithers into the area, away from Clark, but Fernandez comes across to make a vital sliding tackle.

9.29pm GMT

72 min Thiago Alcantara is preparing to come on for Liverpool. His last game was the derby against Everton in mid-October.

9.26pm GMT

68 min: Another great chance for Liverpool! Robertson’s deep corner is completely missed by Darlow, who is in no man’s land when Firmino heads wide of an open goal from six yards. Firmino was backpedalling beyond the far post when he made contact; even so, like Salah a couple of minutes ago, he should have scored.

9.25pm GMT

68 min Gini Wijnaldum comes on for Liverpool in place of Curtis Jones, who has had a quiet game.

9.24pm GMT

67 min Newcastle bring on Miguel Almiron for Jacob Murphy.

9.24pm GMT

66 min: Salah misses an excellent chance! Firmino lost Schar beautifully on the halfway line, surged forward and found Salah on the right of the area. He cut inside Clark with ease, opened his body and placed a shot just wide of the far post. I reckon he would score that 19 times out of 20.

9.23pm GMT

66 min The best thing about the game so far has been the buddy-comedy commentary of Jon Champion and Ally McCoist. I’d listen to them talk about paint drying.

9.22pm GMT

65 min Milner is booked for a late tackle on Joelinton.

9.21pm GMT

63 min Lots of Liverpool possession, but still not much progression. The longer it stays 0-0, the greater the psychological benefit if they do win.

9.17pm GMT

60 min If this does end in a draw, and that’s an appreciable if, Liverpool will have dropped as many points in the first 16 league games as they did throughout last season.

9.15pm GMT

57 min Anyway, enough of the toe pokes and forgotten assists, as this game is surely going to liven up in the last half an hour. A storm is coming.

9.14pm GMT

56 min “I know Zidane’s 2002 Champions League final volley is always on people’s greatest goals list,” says Paulo Padilha, “but I feel like Roberto Carlos’ assist gets overlooked. What a ridiculous pass that was.”

Really? I thought he just helped it in the general direction of Zidane. Don’t get me wrong, he did pretty well, but I don’t think his contribution was as important as, say, Frank de Boer’s pass for Dennis Bergkamp against Argentina in 1998.

9.11pm GMT

54 min Alexander-Arnold curls the corner to the near post, where Mane flashes a header into the side netting. That was a fine effort because he was running away from goal and met the ball in front of the near post.

9.10pm GMT

53 min Mane, who has been the liveliest of the front three, wins a corner for Liverpool. Robertson curls it towards the far post, where Clark heads it over his own bar. Another corner, this timeon the right...

9.10pm GMT

53 min “Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “I appreciate the pointed discussion about toe pecks/bungs/pokes but what I’d really like to be reading about - sooner than later - is a Liverpool goal. Scored by whoever, with whatever legal body part pleases them, including the tip of the foot. Toe Salah, Curtis Toes, Divock Toe-rigi, Toe-ago Alcantara, anybody. Please!”

I can’t believe you missed out Roberto Firmino.

9.09pm GMT

52 min Longstaff’s cross finds its way through to Joelinton, who fresh-airs a scissor kick from the edge of the area and lands painfully on his rump.

9.06pm GMT

49 min Fabinho is booked for cynically flattening Yedlin, who knocked the ball one side of Fabinho and tried to run round the other. Fabinho promptly disabused him of this notion.

9.04pm GMT

47 min Remember when, etc.

9.02pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! Newcastle begin the second half.

9.01pm GMT

“Wasn’t this - El Diego’s second against England - completed with a toe poke?” says Paul Griffin. “I can barely watch it, as it reminds me of me before the leg injury.”

I thought it was the side of the foot, though there are a few people who still think it was a toe poke from Terry Butcher.

8.59pm GMT

“Forgotten assists,” says Jonny Lewis. “Hughes to Robins in January 90. Hughes is one of the most unique footballers I have ever seen and his brilliance has possibly been forgotten - I suppose it is a long time ago! Big goals, held the ball like no other, loads of subtlety and imagination in his game and the volleys. Plus, he was so tough and aggressive. Hughesie!”

We spoke about this recently on – brazen plug alert – the United Rewind podcast. His hold-up play is as good as I’ve ever seen. Also one of the great big-game players.

Episode two of United Rewind is OUT NOW!@DanielHarris & Rob Smyth look back at a monster of a performance from Robbo, Norman and the rest in the epic 1985 FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool. https://t.co/d2WJnEm5sa #MUFC pic.twitter.com/60FmL2sZhu

8.55pm GMT

Half-time quiz

8.50pm GMT

Half-time toe-poke chit-chat

“We called it a ‘bull toe’ in County Clare, I think because when we were in primary school using plastic footballs, it was still the strongest straight shot you could take” – John O’Donovan.

8.48pm GMT

Peep peep! A subdued first half comes to an end. Liverpool started very slowly but looked more threatening in the last 15 minutes of the half; Newcastle still have plenty of work to do.

8.47pm GMT

45+1 min: Chance for Liverpool! Mane flips a half-volleyed cross towards Firmino, whose header is pushed away dramatically by the diving Darlow. He was going the wrong way and had to change direction, though it was still a save he would expect to make. Firmino, usually such a good header of the ball, didn’t put it anywhere near the corner.

8.45pm GMT

45 min Newcastle will be really pleased with how the first half has gone. Apart from one ominous five-minute spell, Liverpool have lacked their usual relentlessness.

8.42pm GMT

42 min Firmino plays a through ball towards Salah, or Mane, he doesn’t really care. Yedlin gets between them to make a vital interception.

8.41pm GMT

41 min “Klinsmann’s effort was definitely outside-of-the-boot filth, which opens up a whole new avenue of incredible goals (hello, Ricardo Quaresma),” says Matt Dony. “I’m philosophically torn by much outside of the boot work. On the one hand, it’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing ways a football can be struck. On the other hand, it’s often done because some professional footballers will do almost anything to avoid using their ‘wrong’ foot.”

You’ve been watching Seba Veron videos again, haven’t you.

8.41pm GMT

40 min Murphy’s low shot on the turn is comfortably saved by Alisson. Milner is down after an aerial challenge with Fernandez, and gives the assistant referee a mouthful when he gets to his feet. Is it just me or have Liverpool been very angsty this season?

8.37pm GMT

36 min Liverpool are looking really dangerous now. Mane’s lofted ball is pulled down acrobatically on the left of the area by Firmino. He reverses it to the onrushing Robertson, but he’s moving too fast and can’t control the ball while running at 247mph. That was another chance.

8.35pm GMT

34 min: Fine save from Darlow! Henderson drives a long pass over the defence to Salah, who was played on by Ritchie. He takes it down immaculately, opens his body and sidefoots a low shot that is pushed round the post superbly by the outrushing Darlow. He just managed to get a fingertip on the shot, which would otherwise have gone in the bottom corner.

8.33pm GMT

32 min Robertson’s cross is miscontrolled at the near post by Firmino, which allows Clark to come across and intercept. That was a chance - especially for somebody like Firmino, whose boots are usually made of 50 per cent velvet and 50 per cent velcro.

8.32pm GMT

31 min “We used to call them toe pecks when I was young,” says Ruth Purdue. “Anyway, any toe bung one on one with the keeper is the best type of toe bung in my humble opinion. Ruud did it a few times from what I remember?”

I can’t picture that, though that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. The one that immediately comes to mind for Man Utd is Eric Cantona against City in April 1994. Romario was the best one-on-one toe-bunger I’ve ever seen though.

8.30pm GMT

30 min Jones turns neatly in midfield and finds Mane on the left. His first-time cross towards Salah is deflected behind for a corner.

8.28pm GMT

29 min “Romario was the toey master,” says CB. “With the right footwear I’m convinced this technique can turn anyone into a lethal five-a-side finisher.”

Now there’s a job for Craig Johnston.

8.28pm GMT

28 min This is threatening to become another dismal first-half performance away from home from Liverpool, to go with Brighton, Fulham, Aston Villa and some others that I’ve probably forgotten. It’s hard to fathom, because I don’t think it’s complacency.

8.25pm GMT

26 min “Good evening Robert,” says Simon Whitworth. “I played snow football with my son today. He remarked at how hot it kept us both and asked why Premier League footballers required gloves. He makes a good point.”

It’s rather sweet to hear that, even in his late forties, Roy Keane still plays snow football with his dad.

8.25pm GMT

25 min Milner curls a terrific pass over the defence to Alexander-Arnold, who half-volleys a tame cross/shot into Darlow’s arms. I think he was trying to find Mane at the far post; either way, he didn’t connect properly.

8.22pm GMT

23 min Callum Wilson is pulling onto Phillips at every opportunity, with a fair bit of success. He’s been the best player on the pitch by a mile so far.

8.22pm GMT

23 min “To my eyes, Newcastle have been the better team so far,” says Kári Tulinius . “Liverpool have been oddly misgrooved, not settling back into their rhythm as I expected after last game’s poor performance. Mind you, with the attackers Liverpool have, they don’t really need the whole team clicking, any one of them can win a game on their own.”

That’s a really important point, and one of the things that makes them so devastating. There were a fair few games last season when they didn’t play that well but won games 2-1 through a moment of brilliance and/or demented desire.

8.21pm GMT

22 min Nothing much is happening. Liverpool have started poorly by their stratospheric standards.

8.20pm GMT

20 min “Here’s my toe-poke nomination,” says Stuart MacKenzie, “the second goal in this 3-0 win, from Jurgen Klinsmann.”

Is that a toe poke or the outside of the foot? It’s borderline but I’d say the latter. Either way, it’s a brilliant goal.

8.19pm GMT

19 min Newcastle have a corner, so Yedlin’s cross-shot must have taken a deflection off Robertson. Nothing comes of the corner.

8.18pm GMT

18 min Andy Robertson is receiving treatment. He was accidentally caught on the Achilles by Yedlin when he tried to block that cross shot. He’s limping but he’s going to continue.

8.17pm GMT

18 min “I don’t share your view of Newcastle’s security, even without my hopeful Fulham goggles on,” says Richard Hirst. “They were largely outplayed by Fulham, and without Wilson’s well timed ‘stumble’ would have been Fulham’s third victory, which does not say a lot for them.”

Fulham are a good side, who drew with Liverpool and won at Leicester. We’ll see but I don’t think they’ll go down.

8.17pm GMT

17 min: Another chance for Newcastle! Wilson wriggles away from Fabinho 20 yards from goal and plays a nice angled pass to the marauding Yedlin. He drives a cross-shot that goes through the legs of Robertson and drifts well wide of the far post. Newcastle have started really well, Wilson in particular.

8.16pm GMT

16 min Milner dirties Darlow’s gloves with a crisp low shot from 25 yards. It was a comfortable save for Darlow, low to his left.

8.15pm GMT

14 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “If we’re talking toe-pokes, Dave Narey for Scotland against Brazil in 1982 would have to be up there. According to Jimmy Hill at least.”

8.13pm GMT

12 min: Great block from Fabinho! Longstaff sprays a nice pass out to Wilson on the left wing. He slows down to draw Phillips in and then surges away from him into the area, a classic bit of centre-forward play. Wilson eventually whips a shot from a tight angle that is blocked by Fabinho, stretching in front of Alisson.

8.12pm GMT

12 min Clark is booked for a tactical foul on Milner.

8.11pm GMT

12 min “Am I old enough,” says Michael Messenie, “to remember when this match came up every year it was non-stop hype expecting it to be the cracker we witnessed on that night of Collymore/Fowler infamy?”

Well, I don’t know, are you? You’re right, though, that went on for years. It’s like Arsenal and Man Utd now, which is usually trailed with footage of Keane and Vieira from 15-20 years ago.

8.11pm GMT

11 min Liverpool are starting to get some rhythm in their passing. Karl Darlow’s gloves remain unsullied, though, and Newcastle will be happy as long as that’s the case.

8.08pm GMT

9 min Alexander-Arnold’s corner is headed behind by Clark for another. This one is headed away, and life goes on.

8.07pm GMT

8 min Robertson’s first dangerous cross is chested behind for a corner by Matt Ritchie. Liverpool have started slowly but that was a good move.

8.07pm GMT

6 min Murphy’s free-kick from the right is headed not far wide by Wilson. He met it at the near post, 12 yards out, and flicked a header across Alisson that zipped past the far post. Alisson was scrambling across his line, which is telling because he usually plays with a resting heart rate.

8.05pm GMT

6 min Our own Daniel Harris writes in to say that the Brazilian toe-bung comes from futsal, which is played with a smaller, heavier ball. That would explain it.

8.04pm GMT

5 min “I’m hoping for a big Liverpool win as I still think Newcastle can be dragged into the relegation mire and give Fulham another lifeline option,” says Richard Hirst. “Steve Bruce’s negativity can’t help them: complaining about not having any money means anybody they do buy knows they are only a second choice, and those already at the club know they are third choice. Reminds me of D Moyes when he was in the North East.”

I think that’s a bit harsh. Managers moan all the time about not having money. Either way, I’d be pretty surprised if Newcastle went down, certainly if Callum Wilson stays fit.

8.03pm GMT

3 min The corner skims off the head of Clark (I think) and goes wide of the far post. It wasn’t much of a chance; about an tenth-chance if you want the full xG experience.

8.02pm GMT

2 min Wilson mishit cross is pushed over by the stretching Alisson. That would have been an interesting start to the game.

8.01pm GMT

2 min “Re: Ronaldinho’s toe poke against Chelsea in ‘05: I was there at Stamford Bridge that night, and ever since I have often tried the cheeky toe poke during five-a-side games with friends/frenemies,” says Martin Scott. “Sometimes it worked! Mostly it didn’t though, but when it did it was GLORIOUS. Maybe the next Joy of Six should be Toe Pokes? Please consider.”

It would just be a load of Brazilians, and Steve McMahon. Ronaldinho, Ronaldo in the 2002 World Cup semi-final, Romario against everyone. That’s what interests me about the toe poke – it’s seen as the preserve of the oaf, yet it’s most popular in Brazil, where they fully appreciate the element of surprise. I’ll suggest it to the football editor!

8.00pm GMT

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

8.00pm GMT

The players are ready. It’s a pretty pleasant night in Newcastle, although some forecasts suggest it could snow before the game is over.

7.53pm GMT

“Evening Rob,” says Richard Preston. “Something that always goes under the radar with that Suarez goal is how good the assist from Jose Enrique was. Probably the best thing he did in a Liverpool shirt (admittedly that’s a low bar), and no one knows he even did it.”

Ha, that’s a good point. We should do the Joy of Six: Forgotten Assists.

7.44pm GMT

On reflection, I’m annoyed I didn’t include Suarez v Newcastle in this piece. Maybe it was too fresh in the memory. Shame, as I could have stroked my chin quite beautifully whilst pontificating about it.

7.40pm GMT

“Supporting Liverpool these last few years has involved some tremendous fun,” says Matt Dony. “ There have been astonishing performances, and some unbelievable football leading to fantastic goals. Beauty and bludgeon in equal measure. But, I’m not sure anything has quite matched the insouciant genius of Suarez’s goal against Newcastle.

“I’ve seen many more ‘spectacular’ goals, but nothing that matches that particular combination of unworldly skill, arrogant execution and general air of ‘Try what you want, you can’t stop me’ that Suarez exuded at his best. There have been a number of classic encounters between these two teams (including THAT match, obviously), but these days my thoughts drift immediately to 2012, and a handful of touches that seemed to defy physics.”

7.38pm GMT

“Season’s greetings Rob!” says Martin McCarthy. “There seems to be a fair bit of confidence among Guardian writers that Liverpool are title favourites but with van Dijk and Gomez out for the long term and Matip unable to remain uninjured for long, it feels that defensively A LOT is riding on Fabinho staying healthy for the remainder of the season. Perhaps I’m allowing my natural pessimism to get the better of me though...”

Do you think they’ll buy in January? It’s tricky because if they buy a top-class centre back, what happens to Gomez (and even Fabinho) next season? The best thing might be to loan a solid, experienced centre-back, though nobody comes to mind.

7.32pm GMT

“Hi Rob,” says David Wall. “At what point can you say that there is a genuine contest for the title? Almost half of the season has been played and there are six points between the top nine teams (yes, Liverpool can go five points clear this evening but they’ll have then played a game more than most other sides).

“I saw that Solskjaer was trying to play down the idea yesterday, suggesting you couldn’t really say there was a proper contest until about 30 games had been played). But last year the title was almost decided by this point. And considering that no side has shown any likelihood of achieving the kind of consistency Liverpool had last year then you’d expect it to stay pretty close from here, wouldn’t you? Or is it really too soon to tell, especially with there being so much uncertainty about fixture scheduling, the effects of infection on players, potential breaks in any football at all, and so on?”

7.25pm GMT

Some more pre-match reading

7.10pm GMT

Spurs were supposed to be playing Fulham right now, but the match was postponed at the last minute because of a Covid outbreak at Fulham. That didn’t impress Jose Mourinho much.

7.07pm GMT

Pre-match reading

7.04pm GMT

Steve Bruce has made one change to the Newcastle side that lost 2-0 at Manchester City on Boxing Day: Callum Wilson replaces Miguel Almiron.

There’s some positive injury news for Liverpool, with James Milner returning to the starting line-up and Thiago Alcantara among the substitutes. Nat Phillips starts at centre-half in place of the injured Joel Matip.

5.07pm GMT

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Newcastle v Liverpool from St James’ Park. It’s the last Premier League game of 2020, and Liverpool’s final match of a momentous year in which they won their first league title since 1990. Their title defence hasn’t reached the same awesome heights, at least not consistently, but they are still top and will move five points clear of Manchester United if they win tonight. It’s not exactly a crisis.

Newcastle have had a decent season in terms of results, especially given the Covid outbreak that hit them so hard, but there has been the usual discontent over their style of play. They won’t be turning into Brazil 1970 tonight, understandably so given the opposition. If Newcastle draw 1-1 through a thrice-deflected 94th-minute goal from Jonjo Shelvey, having had 4 per cent of the possession, they’ll have had a good night. Any change in style will have to wait till next year.

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Published on December 30, 2020 13:53

December 29, 2020

Manchester United 1-0 Wolves: Premier League – as it happened

Marcus Rashford’s deflected injury-time goal gave United a flattering victory over a Wolves side who defended brilliantly at Old Trafford

10.37pm GMT

9.57pm GMT

Ugly 1-0 wins are a mark of potential champions, so United will take great pleasure from that - especially as they have struggled to win games likes these in the last few years. Marcus Rashford’s deflected injury-time goal puts them second in the table, two points behind Liverpool. You have to feel for Wolves, whose youngsters defended almost flawlessly and deserved a 0-0 draw. Thanks for your company, goodnight!

9.55pm GMT

Manchester United move up to second with the ugliest of victories.

9.53pm GMT

90+5 min Scott McTominay replaces Bruno Fernandes.

9.53pm GMT

That is so harsh on Wolves. Fernandes started the move with a booming crossfield pass to find Rashford on the right of the area. He faced up Ait-Nouri, twisting this way and that before hitting a left-footed shot that deflected off the chest of Saiss and wrongfooted Rui Patricio. It’s Rashford’s goal I think.

9.52pm GMT

Manchester United have nicked it!

9.51pm GMT

90+3 min Martial was touched very slightly by Neves during that run. It wasn’t a foul, but had he gone down, in the current climate, it would probably have been given.

9.50pm GMT

90+2 min Martial does brilliantly to wriggle away from two defenders just inside the area, but Saiss comes across to make his umpteeth interception of the night.

9.49pm GMT

90+1 min Five minutes of added time. Steve Bruce is getting ready to come on.

9.48pm GMT

90 min Pogba plays a one-two-three with Martial and tries to move away from Hoever, who wins the ball immaculately and is then fouled by Pogba. He’s been so good.

9.47pm GMT

89 min They could play until 2021 and it would probably still be goalless.

9.45pm GMT

87 min This has been a near perfect defensive away performance from Wolves.

9.44pm GMT

85 min Shaw fires a sharp pass into Fernandes, unmarked 25 yards out. His first touch is perfect, teeing himself up for a vicious shot that is superbly blocked by Coady. Fernandes appealed for a penalty but there was nothing wrong with it.

9.42pm GMT

84 min David de Gea is rolling round in pain. He threw the ball out and then accidentally ran straight into Adama Traore, which is one of the less rewarding things you can do on a football field. After a bit of treatment, de Gea is okay to continue.

9.41pm GMT

82 min Wolves’ young defenders - Hoever, Kilman and especially Ait-Nouri - have been brilliant.

9.40pm GMT

81 min Moutinho flips a delicious outside-of-the-foot pass over the defence for Ait-Nouri, who surges into the area and drives a cross shot from a very tight angle that is pushed away by de Gea. Happily for him it goes straight to Maguire rather than Fabio Silva.

9.38pm GMT

79 min Saiss makes a great block from Rashford, though again the flag went up once the attack was completed.

9.36pm GMT

77 min Fernandes and Pogba combine nicely to find Martial unmarked on the edge of the D. He hammers a first-time shot over the bar. United have been better in the last 10 minutes though, with Pogba and Fernandes much more influential.

9.34pm GMT

76 min Both teams have one substitution remaining, though there’s no sign yet of Donny van de Beek, or Axel Tuanzebe for that matter.

9.33pm GMT

75 min Pogba, found by Fernandes, hits a blistering long-range shot that is well held to his left by Rui Patricio.

9.33pm GMT

74 min “Fabio Silva,” says Gary Naylor, “looks like an extra in a Derek Jarman movie.”

9.31pm GMT

73 min Rui Patricio is booked for timewasting.

9.31pm GMT

73 min “Hi Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “If Matt’s needing a bit of a pick me up, and let’s be honest, why wouldn’t he after the year Liverpool have had, he can have a #hoorayfordony from me for nothing.”

9.30pm GMT

72 min de Gea makes another good reaction save from Saiss, who was up for a corner. The flag went up subsequently so it wouldn’t have counted.

9.29pm GMT

No penalty! That would have been given earlier in the season but not now, and thank goodness for that.

9.28pm GMT

69 min: Cavani has a goal disallowed for offside! United are appealing for handball just before that. Bailly’s header hit the hand of Coady, and then Cavani - who was offside from the header - swept it past Rui Patricio. Coady’s hand was slightly away from his body, but I think it would be very harsh to give this.

9.27pm GMT

69 min Pogba crosses low towards Cavani, who is just beaten to the ball by Saiss. Corner to United...

9.26pm GMT

68 min Wolves make another change: Fabio Silva on, Pedro Neto off.

9.23pm GMT

65 min Ait-Nouri is also down receiving treatment on his left arm.

9.23pm GMT

64 min Anthony Martial does indeed replace Mason Greenwood. He goes left, Rashford moves right.

9.22pm GMT

64 min Fernandes’s cross is headed over by Rashford, under a lot of pressure from Coady. It wasn’t much of a chance. Podence was down at the time, so Wolves wouldn’t have been thrilled had that gone in.

9.21pm GMT

63 min Wolves have been the better team in the second half. Traore plays in the overlapping Hoever, whose chipped cross is headed away by Bailly. The 18-year-old Hoever has been ever so impressive at right wing-back.

9.21pm GMT

62 min Anthony Martial is about to come on, probably for the disappointing Mason Greenwood.

9.19pm GMT

61 min “Just catching up with events so far, scrolled back through the coverage and saw Neil Carter’s questions about van de Beek,” says Matt Dony. “In my haste, I mis-read his hashtag, and thought it was some long-overdue positivity aimed at me. Ah well. Maybe next year will be my year. Matt Dony (with just the one N).”

9.18pm GMT

60 min Bruno Fernandes plays a good pass to Greenwood on the right edge of the area. He tries to beat Ait-Nouri with a stepover but Kilman comes across to calmly lift the ball over Greenwood and clear the danger.

9.18pm GMT

59 min “Sweepstake for the minute Donny will get on the pitch?” says Neil Carter. “I’ll go for 75th.”

I’ll go next year.

9.16pm GMT

57 min Rashford, by far United’s liveliest attacker, plays the ball infield to Pogba and keeps running. Pogba tries to find him with a return pass over the top, but Rui Patricio gets there first.

9.16pm GMT

56 min It’s been a textbook away performance from Wolves. United never have an easy game against them and, even allowing for the form of both sides, it was naive to expect anything different tonight.

9.13pm GMT

55 min “How on earth was a shoulder charge a booking????” asks Martin Lancon.

When did that happen? Have I missed something?

9.13pm GMT

54 min Wolves make their first change: the excellent Daniel Podence replaces Vitinha, who made a promising full debut.

9.10pm GMT

52 min Can you wake me up when something happens?

9.10pm GMT

51 min Pogba, who is having a stinker, again plays a long pass straight to Rui Patricio.

9.08pm GMT

50 min Rashford is booked for a retaliatory foul on Hoever, who had (fairly) taken man and ball a few seconds earlier.

9.08pm GMT

49 min The second half has started pretty sluggishly. I don’t know what else to say.

9.05pm GMT

46 min Shaw wins a free-kick on the left wing straight away. Bruno Fernandes’s inswinger is headed away by Ruben Neves.

9.03pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! United begin the second half. Luke Shaw has replaced Alex Telles, who is presumably injured.

8.57pm GMT

Half-time reading

8.50pm GMT

Half-time duty

Subscribe to this, make an old hack happy.

Episode 4 of United Rewind is OUT NOW!@DanielHarris and Rob Smyth revisit a brilliant performance from the 1995/96 double-winners as they out-play and out-muscle title rivals Newcastle in December 1995.

(Includes in-depth haircut chat)

Subscribe nowhttps://t.co/d2WJnEDGjI pic.twitter.com/g1pi3cvHco

8.49pm GMT

Peep peep! In recent years, Manchester United plus Wolves has equalled binary, and that was a typical half of football between them. Wolves defended excellently to frustrate United, while looking dangerous enough on the break to keep Nuno happy. Bruno Fernandes missed the best chance - but that was United’s only shot on target. They might need a plan B in the second half, or even a plan DvdB.

8.47pm GMT

45+1 min Another dangerous attack from Wolves. Neto wriggles into the area from the right and tries to cut back inside Maguire, who makes an excellent, probably goal-saving challenge. At the other end, Rashford miscontrols when through on goal. The flag went up after that so I don’t think it would have counted, but it was a poor touch.

8.46pm GMT

45 min Wolves break dangerously again, and Neto has the chance to put Traore through with an angled pass from right to left. But it’s slightly underhit, which allows Bailly to make a vital interception on the edge of the area.

8.45pm GMT

44 min Rashford waits for the overlapping Bruno Fernandes and plays him on the left side of the area. Fernandes hammers a cross that flashes past everyone in the six-yard box. It wasn’t a great ball actually, with only Cavani in the area.

8.44pm GMT

42 min There’s a break in play while Ait-Nouri receives treatment, having fallen awkwardly after an aerial challenge with Rashford. It allows the TV director to focus on Sir Alex Ferguson, sitting in the stands wearing a jaunty tweed cap. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the great man in a flat cap before.

8.42pm GMT

40 min “Team with loads of dosh and poor coach being outplayed by the opposite,” says Tim Stappard.

Yes, an abysmal coach. I hear he can’t even spell his own name.

8.40pm GMT

39 min: Good save from de Gea! Neto hammers the free-kick towards the near post, where Saiss gets in front of Rashford and flicks the ball towards goal. David de Gea reacts smartly to punch it behind for a corner.

8.39pm GMT

38 min Rashford goes over in the area after a challenge from Moutinho. It wasn’t a foul: Rashford jumped to avoid a collision with Moutinho and fell over. Wolves break and Neto is fouled just outside the penalty area on the right by Maguire.

8.38pm GMT

37 min Hoever is bit lucky not to be booked for a late tackle on Telles.

8.37pm GMT

35 min “Quicker! Quicker!” screams somebody on the United bench.

8.36pm GMT

34 min: Good save from Rui Patricio! Bruno Fernandes has missed a good chance to put United ahead. Greenwood cut inside from the right and curled a fine cross to the far post, where Fernandes got on the wrong side of Hoever and twisted in mid-air to flick a volley towards goal from six yards. It was straight at Rui Patricio who pushed it away, and Cavani, facing away from goal, couldn’t put the rebound away on the stretch. Fernandes’s was the bigger chance.

8.34pm GMT

33 min Rashford appeals for a penalty after being manhandled by Coady in the area. The ball had gone out of play just beforehand, and it wasn’t a foul anyway.

8.33pm GMT

31 min Neto goes down holding his face after a block from Matic, who led with his forearm. VAR has a look and decides there’s nothing in it, rightly so in my eternally humble opinion. He should have been booked but VAR can only intervene if it’s a red-card offence.

8.31pm GMT

30 min Shots on target so far: Man Utd 0-3 Wolves.

8.30pm GMT

29 min Fernandes frees Wan-Bissaka on the right. His cross is poor, straight at Moutinho. Wan-Bissaka’s attacking play is a big problem for United at home, especially as they have no right-footed right-wingers.

8.29pm GMT

28 min Neto’s driven cross is half cleared by Bailly. Ait-Nouri picks up the loose ball on the edge of the area but drives it miles wide with his right foot. But Wolves look good going forward.

8.28pm GMT

26 min Rashford runs Hoever in the area, turns neatly back onto his right foot and tries to pick out Fernandes near the penalty spot. The ball is poked clear but Telles returns it to Matic, whose cross skims the head of the stretching Cavani and drifts wide. It wouldn’t have counted anyway; replays show he was just offside.

8.25pm GMT

24 min The tempo of United’s attacking play has been too slow. This often happens at the start of games, especially at home. Sometimes they look like a team waiting to go 1-0 down.

8.24pm GMT

23 min: Wolves hit the bar! Moutinho’s free-kick is met by Saiss, whose looping header hits the top of the bar. I think de Gea had it covered, but it was pretty close.

8.22pm GMT

21 min Wolves continue to keep United at arm’s length without too much difficulty. Ait-Nouri breaks into space down the left and puts in a cross that is cleared by Maguire. Wolves have got into some good positions on the counter-attack.

8.19pm GMT

18 min Telles’s cross is cleared as far as Fernandes, 25 yards from goal. He runs round the ball and rakes a shot that is blocked.

8.18pm GMT

17 min Bruno Fernandes is coming into the game a bit more, which will encourage United. He barely touched the ball in the first 10 minutes.

8.16pm GMT

14 min Fernandes plays a one-two with Greenwood and slides a little pass towards Cavani in the area. He flicks it behind his standing leg to nobody when he might have been better off going for goal. At the moment United are struggling to find an eye in the Wolves needle.

8.14pm GMT

13 min A long-range stinger from Ruben Neves is punched away by de Gea; then Neto has a shot blocked by Wolves. This is good stuff from Wolves, who have been the better side so far.

8.13pm GMT

12 min Pogba looks up and swishes a beautiful 80-yard pass straight into the arms of Rui Patricio.

8.12pm GMT

11 min Vitinha finds a bit of space between the lines and hits a good 20-yard shot that is pushed away by the sprawling de Gea. Wolves look perky in possession.

8.11pm GMT

10 min Possession so far: Man Utd 60-40 Wolves. But Wolves will be pleased with their start, which has been pretty comfortable.

8.10pm GMT

9 min Rashford’s speculative long-range shot wobbles a few yards wide. It almost turned into a decent cross for Cavani.

8.10pm GMT

8 min Traore beats three players and finds Neto on the edge of the box. He whips a right-footed shot that is comfortably saved by de Gea. That’s the first shot on target at either end.

8.09pm GMT

8 min Wolves’ defence is very narrow, inviting United to go down the side. That’s why Telles has been on the ball so much in the first few minutes because there’s very little space in central areas.

8.07pm GMT

7 min There’s plenty of space for Wolves to play when they do get on the ball. Moutinho tries to put Traore through on goal but he can’t find the right angle for the pass and the ball runs through to de Gea.

8.07pm GMT

6 min “Hiya Rob,” says Paul Howarth. “I remember as a United fan in the 70s, walking to Molineux singing ‘We’ll be top, We’ll be top by Five O’clock’. Anyway, we lost, so we weren’t.”

Were you there for the FA Cup game in 1976? That sounds like a helluva night.

8.05pm GMT

4 min Lots of early United possession, with Telles involved in most things on the left.

8.04pm GMT

3 min Telles and Rashford try to work a short corner, and make a Horlicks of it.

8.04pm GMT

3 min Telles breaks down the left and curls in a good cross that is put behind for the first corner by Saiss.

8.02pm GMT

2 min “Leeds though, eh, Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “The thinking man’s Man United?”

Simon McMahon’s email address is available for a small fee, and his postal address for a slightly larger one.

8.01pm GMT

1 min Peep peep! Wolves, in the old gold, kick off from right to left. Manchester United are in red.

7.59pm GMT

You can never have too many podcasts in your life

7.58pm GMT

“Tough job for Hoever against that United front three - guess he’ll just have to suck it up,” says Felix Wood. “I’m not sorry.”

7.56pm GMT

“If Wolves do score tonight,” says Kevin Porter, “it will be from outside the box, because nobody in the starting XI is going to venture there. Feeling very pessimistic as befits 2020 and indeed 2021 for whom someone will hold its beer.”

Adama Traore is due. Just putting that out there for consideration.

7.54pm GMT

Big Sam 0-5 Bielsa, and other stories

7.53pm GMT

Pre-match reading

7.52pm GMT

“Hey Rob,” says Neil Carter. “Answer me this, has Donny done something wrong? Is he a bad person? WHAT IS WRONG WITH DONNY? #Pray for Donny.”

It’s hard to know for sure, because Ole Gunnar Solskjaer won’t reply to my 2am WhatsApps, but my instinct is that he’s the equivalent of buying an expensive pair of jeans one size too small and privately vowing you’ll fit into them, only to find that life gets in the way. But the good news is it’s never too late to change your waistline/association football tactics!

7.03pm GMT

Man Utd make six changes from the team that draw at Leicester, with Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba among those coming into the side. Victor Lindelof is injured, so Eric Bailly continues at centre-back.

Ki-Jana Hoever, the teenage defender signed from Liverpool, and Vitinha make their full Premier League debut for Wolves. Hoever replaces Nelson Semedo in one of four changes from the 1-1 draw with Spurs on whatever day of the week the 27th was. It looks like Wolves have returned to a back three.

6.55pm GMT

There are four Premier League games occuring as we speak, and Leeds have already scored four at the Hawthorns. Scott Murray has more news.

5.30pm GMT

Hello. For Manchester United, Wolves at home is an appropriate way to end 2020. It’s where the year started – not on the first of January but on the first of February, when their new £47m signing Bruno Fernandes came straight off a plane to partially enliven a tedious 0-0 draw against Wolves. Fernandes quickly became United’s greatest catalyst since Eric Cantona; since he signed, only Liverpool (61) have taken more Premier League points than United’s 59. And United have played a game fewer.

It’s one thing to keep pace with Liverpool across two halves of different seasons, quite another to do it for a full season. If United win tonight they will go second, two points behind Liverpool in the real quiz, and expectation of an unlikely title challenge will grow a little more. With that comes hope, excitement – and pressure.

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Published on December 29, 2020 13:58

December 27, 2020

Liverpool 1-1 West Brom: Premier League – as it happened

Semi Ajayi’s late header gave West Brom a deserved draw at Anfield after a tactical masterclass from their new coach Sam Allardyce

10.53pm GMT

Klopp is not happy.

6.49pm GMT

6.37pm GMT

More more more

6.36pm GMT

And here’s Andy Robertson

“Once you start going slack, you get what you deserve. West Brom came with a gameplan, they were happy with 1-0 at half-time. You know when you come up against a Sam Allardyce team that they want to stay in it as long as they can and take the one chance that they get, and they’ve done that. They got what they deserved and we got what we deserved.

6.33pm GMT

Here’s Sam Johnstone

“We dug deep, we ran for 94 minutes. It was tough at times, especially in the first half. It’s a great point and it feels more like a win. We believed in ourselves a bit more in the second half and thankfully we got the goal. To be honest I didn’t have that much to do in the game but it was good to make that save [from Firmino] - it was a great save.”

6.30pm GMT

That’s the first time since January 2019 that Liverpool have failed to win a live Premier League match at Anfield. They also drew at home to Burnley after they had wrapped up last season’s title. Bogeyman Sam has got them again.

6.24pm GMT

That is an astounding result for West Brom, not least because it was thoroughly deserved. Liverpool scored early through Sadio Mane and had 82 per cent of the possession in the first half. But they didn’t create any more clear chances and West Brom - who were only interested in defending in the first half - started to come into the game.

Alisson made one typically brilliant save from Karlan Grant before Semi Ajayi headed a late equaliser. That sparked the inevitable onslaught, and Roberto Firmino almost won the match with a header that was superbly saved by Sam Johnstone. The upshot is that Sam Allardyce is unbeaten on his last four visits to Anfield, with four different clubs: Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Everton and now West Brom.

6.22pm GMT

Never fuck with Big Sam.

6.20pm GMT

90+3 min Henderson’s flighted cross is claimed with authority by Johnstone. If West Brom hold on, it’ll be a deserved point.

6.19pm GMT

90+2 min “Klopp wanted five subs and now only uses one due to injury and the next when it’s too late,” says Barry Owens. “Maddening sometimes.”

6.18pm GMT

90+1 min Four minutes of added time. Divock Origi is on for Firmino. West Brom respond by bringing on Branislav Ivanovic for Conor Gallagher.

6.17pm GMT

90 min: Great save by Johnstone! Oxlade-Chamberlain curls a deep cross to Firmino, who powers a header back towards the far corner. Johnstone springs to his left to fingertip the ball round. That was a sensational stop.

6.16pm GMT

89 min Gallagher makes a terrific tackle on Oxlade-Chamberlain and West Brom break. Ajayi - the centre-half - plays a one-two and charges down the right wing. His cross is too close to Alisson but what was that.

6.15pm GMT

88 min Liverpool score more late winners than any team in England, maybe Europe, so this game is far from over.

6.14pm GMT

87 min “Big Sam has a very satisfied look on his mug,” says Mary Waltz. “’Bielsa my arse’.”

For all the pantomime and the pints of wine, he’s a brilliant manager.

6.13pm GMT

87 min West Brom have reparked the bus.

6.13pm GMT

86 min “The fate of Coutinho?” sniffs Hugh Molloy. “What, winning the league twice with Barca, scoring in a 5-1 Clasico win over Real, then the league, cup and Champions League treble with Bayern the next year?”

I still think the grass was greener at Anfield.

6.12pm GMT

85 min Alexander-Arnold’s cross takes a wicked deflection and almost bounces over Johnstone, who backpedalls smartly and leaps to grab the ball.

6.11pm GMT

84 min Oxlade-Chamberlain volleys into orbit. Liverpool have been asleep for most of the game but they are wide awake now.

6.10pm GMT

83 min Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Curtis Jones. Surely Sam Allardyce, Liverpool’s bejowled bogeyman, isn’t going to deny them at Anfield again?

6.09pm GMT

Pereira took a short corner on the right, got it back and curled a booming cross towards the far post. Ajayi towered over Fabinho and planted a header back across Alisson. It hit the inside of the post, bounced across the line and spun into the net. It was an avoidable corner, too. Jones played a poor pass to Williams, who had little option but to head it behind.

6.08pm GMT

West Brom have equalised - and it’s been coming!

6.08pm GMT

81 min Furlong, who has had a terrific game, hammers a superb ball across the face of the Liverpool area. This has been a really encouraging performance from West Brom. I thought they’d stay up as soon as Sam Allardyce was appointed; I’m even more confident now.

6.06pm GMT

79 min Robertson gives away a needless corner. Pereira curls it in and Fabinho bravely heads away under considerable pressure from Ajayi.

6.05pm GMT

78 min Another change for West Brom: Karlan Grant is replaced by Charlie Austin.

6.04pm GMT

78 min Alexander-Arnold curls the free-kick over the bar. That was a really good effort, though Johnstone probably had it covered.

6.04pm GMT

77 min Henderson is fouled 30 yards from goal by Gallagher...

6.02pm GMT

76 min Possession: Liverpool 78-22 West Brom.
Shots on target: Liverpool 1-2 West Brom.
Goals: Liverpool 1-0 West Brom.

6.02pm GMT

75 min “Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “If Andy Robertson hasn’t yet picked up the nickname Robbo-Kop, he really ought to for the way he laid down the law on Furlong in front of the Liverpool faithful a moment ago.”

6.01pm GMT

74 min Ajayi wins a corner for West Brom, who have probably been the better team in the second half. The corner is clipped straight into the ultra-safe hands of Alisson.

5.59pm GMT

73 min West Brom make a change. Matheus Pereira replaces Callum Robinson.

5.59pm GMT

72 min: Big save from Alisson! Hahaha, West Brom almost equalised! Sawyers boomed a long pass over the defence towards Grant, who did Williams for pace and moved into the area. Alisson, immaculately positioned, saved the shot with his legs. He is one of the best goalkeepers I’ve ever seen in one-on-ones.

5.58pm GMT

71 min Robertson crosses, West Brom clear. Robertson crosses, West Brom clear. Robertson crosses, West Brom clear. Robertson crosses, West Brom clear. Robertson crosses, West Brom clear. Robertson crosses, West Brom clear.

5.56pm GMT

71 min “I predicted a wipe out pre-match,” says Mary Waltz. “As an Everton fan who is suffering from the delusional thinking that we can catch Liverpool, Big Sam has got me hoping for a miracle draw. C’mon you Baggies!”

5.56pm GMT

70 min Liverpool have still had only one shot on target. What a peculiar game.

5.55pm GMT

68 min Robinson breaks down the right, looks up and picks out Diangana in space on the edge of the area. He makes a mess of a volley that bobbles well wide. That was half a chance.

5.52pm GMT

66 min “I think Salah should remember the fate of Coutinho,” says Jorg.

5.51pm GMT

65 min The second half has been very scruffy, which is a credit to West Brom. There’s been no hint of an imminent equaliser, but they are on course to avoid the pasting that looked likely in the first quarter of the game.

5.49pm GMT

63 min Andy Robertson’s cross-shot is brilliantly blocked by Furlong. Not that it matters - Robertson was offside.

5.48pm GMT

61 min Jurgen Klopp loses it with the referee after a foul is given against Rhys Williams. Klopp is booked, rightly so - he’s been out of order a few times this season.

5.46pm GMT

60 min Matip leaves the field after 59 minutes 21 seconds. Rhys Williams, who was generally terrific against Spurs, comes on to replace him. He’ll be playing a fair bit in the next few weeks.

5.46pm GMT

60 min Rhys Williams is going to replace Matip in the 60th minute, which means no clean sheet points for Bobby. FPL? FML more like!

5.45pm GMT

59 min Matip is still being treated, and if the poor bloke can hang on for another 60 seconds I’ll get clean sheet points in my Fantasy League team. Hang in there, Joel! Don’t give up on us now!

5.44pm GMT

59 min “Eadie!” shrieks Felix Wood. “Still the best dribbler I’ve ever seen (at least in my mind’s eye). FourFourTwo once (in 96?) A supplement called Twenty under Twenty. Featured Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen, and then maybe Dozzell? And then a string of non-hits. It was brilliant. Then my sister drew moustaches in biro on the photos and I’m definitely not still annoyed.”

Jason Dozzell would have been nearly 30 by then. Kieron Dyer maybe, if you’re into the whole Ipswich thing.

5.44pm GMT

58 min Oh dear. Joel Matip has done his groin and it looks like he’ll need to go off.

5.43pm GMT

56 min O’Shea is booked for a perceived foul on Henderson.

5.42pm GMT

56 min West Brom have been good since half-time, and Liverpool look a bit confused by it all. I’m sure they’ll snap out of it but at the moment it’s a fairly even game.

5.41pm GMT

55 min “While Gini is clearly considering his options, I really don’t get the impression the same applies to Mo,” says Philippa Bowe. “I listened to his interview and saw how it was then translated into Spanish and, frankly, barely a strong wind in a very tiny teacup.”

5.39pm GMT

53 min Fabinho shanks a clearance out of play, which gives West Brom the opportunity for another long throw. Furlong hurls it into the area and Fabinho heads it away. West Brom keep the ball alive until Matip heads it back to the keeper.

5.38pm GMT

51 min Furlong’s cross is taken down smartly on the edge of the area by Grant. He turns and hits a reasonable shot that is comfortably saved by Alisson. That means both sides have had one shot on target, which is faintly absurd given the possession stats.

5.37pm GMT

50 min Salah plays the ball to Firmino, who conceives a very clever return pass but then overhits it. Had he got the angle right, Salah would have been through on goal.

5.36pm GMT

49 min West Brom increase their total of completed passes by 10-15 with a decent move. Eventually a poor cross is easily claimed by Alisson.

5.34pm GMT

48 min Jordan Henderson completed 85 passes in the first half, almost twice as many as the entire West Brom team (46).

5.34pm GMT

47 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Wishing all MBMers a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year when it comes. 2021 is going to be some year. I agree Andy Robertson is a magnificent player and a fine human being, though he’s only the second best left back to have played for Dundee United.”

Julian Dicks played for Dundee United?

5.33pm GMT

46 min Henderson almost scores in the first minute of the second half. Wijnaldum chested down a clearance and teed up Henderson, 25 yards out. He cut across the bouncing ball to hit a lovely shot that swerved just wide of the post. Johnstone didn’t move.

5.32pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! Liverpool begin the second half.

5.31pm GMT

A bit of Liverpool news here. I don’t really understand why he, Mo Salah or anyone else would want to leave the best team in the world. I understand that people sometimes want a new challenge, but they’ll never have it better than this.

5.28pm GMT

“‘The Boy’s a Bit Special’ was marvellous,” says Felix Wood of the erstwhile FourFourTwo feature. “As a QPR fan I was very excited when Kevin Gallen featured one month. Then I realised they’d done a slightly different version called ‘the name’s a bit special’. It was a very long time ago, and obviously I’m not sad enough to remember who else was on the list, although I do happen to remember it was Kevin Francis and Pilkington and I’m definitely not still annoyed about it.”

I’ve just had a look to see who the inaugural TBABSs were. There were eight in the first issue: Peter Ndlovu, Bryan Roy, Stefan Schwarz (aged 25), Nicky Summerbee, Robbie Elliott, Jason McAteer, Bruce Dyer and Darren Eadie. I thought Ndlovu and Eadie were going to be stars.

5.16pm GMT

A half chance for West Brom on the stroke of half time. Grant plays a good ball down the inside-left channel to release Phillips in the area. He decides not to shoot and instead puts in a lame low cross that is cleared by Robertson.

Peep peep! Liverpool lead, as expected, through Sadio Mane’s superb goal. West Brom barely crossed the halfway line but defended so well that Mane’s goal was the only shot on target.

5.14pm GMT

44 min Robertson beats Robinson neatly and puts in another dangerous cross that is kicked away by O’Shea.

5.13pm GMT

43 min Alexander-Arnold’s cross is headed on and over the bar by Salah. Liverpool haven’t really threatened in the last 20 minutes.

5.11pm GMT

41 min According to the official Premier League site, Liverpool have had - and you’ll like this - 85 per cent of the possession.

5.09pm GMT

40 min “Curtis Jones (19) is 99% undroppable for the greatest team on planet Earth?” wonders Paul Quigley.

At the risk of Grinching, I wouldn’t go that far. He’s pretty impressive but if Liverpool were playing Bayern in the Champions League final tomorrow, and Thiago was fit, I don’t think Jones would start. I’d say he’s still the fifth-choice central midfielder, though Fabinho’s secondment makes him fourth choice for the rest of this season.

5.08pm GMT

39 min West Brom break two on three, but Diangana’s pass towards Grant is terrible. Alisson comes out to clear.

5.07pm GMT

38 min West Brom have done pretty well defensively, even if the game has been almost comically one-sided. Their plan, as Jamie Carragher points out on Sky Sports, is to keep it at 1-0 for as long as possible and hope human nature kicks in in the last 15 minutes.

5.06pm GMT

36 min “Ha!” says Matt Dony. “I did actually type ‘male’ (24 mins), then deleted it cos I worried I looked like one of the (many) spanners who were moaning BTL about it...”

5.05pm GMT

35 min “I feel very passionately that Andy Robertson is the Player of the Season so far,” says Pete Tomlin. “I can’t think of a more consistent player in the Premier League plus he’s led Scotland to the Euros. It would be great to see a wing back win an award this season. Do you agree?”

Yes. I think he is pretty wonderful. The understandable focus on his frankly terrifying intensity sometimes obscures the precision of his crosses and cutbacks. He’s the perfect full-back, Jordi Alba with a healthy infusion of Julian Dicks.

5.04pm GMT

34 min Robertson’s free-kick is headed away as far as Salah, who swishes a half-volley over the bar from 20 yards. It was sweetly struck but Johnstone had it covered.

5.02pm GMT

33 min A rare attack from West Brom ends with a mishit long-range volley by Sawyers.

5.02pm GMT

32 min Furlong has had a very good game at right back. He also scored a belter at Newcastle recently. If this was 1995, and by heaven I wish it was, he’d be a prime candidate for ‘The Boy’s a Bit Special’ in FourFourTwo.

5.00pm GMT

31 min “Hi Rob,” says Mike. “A belated Merry Christmas and happier and healthier days for all wishes for 2021. Could we see Liverpool ping their way to a record for passes in a Premier League match today? How about time spent in one half of the pitch?”

It would surprise me not one jot.

4.59pm GMT

30 min Alexander-Arnold whips the free-kick well wide.

4.59pm GMT

29 min Jones is fouled by Furlong 22 yards from goal. Henderson, Alexander-Arnold and Salah are all over the ball.

4.58pm GMT

28 min Firmino’s long-range shot deflects behind for a corner. Robertson’s corner is headed away

and West Brom break
.

4.57pm GMT

26 min The darts should be good tonight.

4.53pm GMT

24 min “Yup,” says Matt Dony. “Mane has a ridiculous ability to instantly make space away from the defender. That’s what makes him definitively the fifth best footballer in the world.”

The fifth best male footballer, Matthew.

4.52pm GMT

23 min Another driven cross from Alexander-Arnold is put behind by Furlong, who again did well to get in front of Mane.

4.51pm GMT

21 min Henderson’s cross is headed just wide by the stooping Mane, who looks right on top of his game.

4.50pm GMT

20 min Alexander-Arnold moseys infield and thrashes a left-footed shot that is blocked by O’Shea. Liverpool’s dominance is verging on the illegal.

4.48pm GMT

19 min Alexander-Arnold’s driven cross takes a deflection and flies across the six-yard box, just in front of the stretching Mane. Furlong did well to get his body in front of Mane.

4.48pm GMT

18 min Robertson’s corner is surprisingly missed by Salah, 10 yards from goal.

4.47pm GMT

18 min Robertson’s cross bounces off Salah and almost falls again for Mane. Furlong puts it behind for a corner.

4.46pm GMT

16 min This is brutally one-sided. West Brom could become the first team in history to have a minus possession percentage.

4.44pm GMT

14 min That’s twice - today and for his goal at Crystal Palace - that Mane has controlled a difficult ball and beaten the defender in one movement. Almost every other footballer on the planet would have needed two touches.

4.43pm GMT

Sadio Mane gives Liverpool the lead with a high-class finish. Matip curled a flat pass into him on the edge of this area. He took it beautifully on his chest, away from Ajayi, and thrashed the ball past Johnstone on the half-volley. Lovely goal.

4.42pm GMT

And it’s goodnight from West Brom.

4.41pm GMT

11 min Mane plays a nice reverse pass to the relentless Robertson, who surges into the area and hits a cross that is blocked. Andy Robertson is an incredible footballer; I was unpleasantly surprised by how low he was in the Guardian 100.

4.39pm GMT

10 min Furlong’s long throw is headed well wide under pressure by Ajayi. West Brom should threaten from set pieces when they get the opportunity.

4.39pm GMT

9 min West Brom win a goal kick. Sam Johnstone whips out a copy of War and Peace, thumbs through a few pages and then boots the ball downfield. I don’t blame him, I’d do the same.

4.38pm GMT

8 min In a surprising development, Liverpool are completely dominant. West Brom would take a 2-0 defeat right now, and probably say thank you.

4.36pm GMT

6 min Robertson flashes another dangerous ball across the face, this time just in front of the stretching Fabinho.

4.35pm GMT

6 min West Brom are almost playing with four centre-backs: Gibbs and Furlong are very narrow. So far they have done well.

4.33pm GMT

4 min West Brom’s formation is essentially 4-5-1, with Callum Robinson and Diangana on the wings.

4.32pm GMT

3 min Robertson curls a dangerous ball across the six-yard box. Salah retrieves it and finds Henderson, whose chipped cross is headed away by Ajayi.

4.31pm GMT

2 min I’m surprised Jurgen Klopp has gone with his strongest available team, given the imminent fixture congestion. But he’s the best manager in the world and I’m not, so we shouldn’t judge him too harshly.

4.29pm GMT

1 min Peep peep! West Brom kick off from left to right and win a throw-in.

4.27pm GMT

Liverpool is still in tier 2, so there are 2,000 fans at Anfield. They greet the arrival of the Liverpool team with a heartfelt chant of “Championes”.

3.33pm GMT

Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Fabinho, Robertson; Jones, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Substitutes: Kelleher, R Williams, Phillips, N Williams, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shaqiri, Minamino, Origi.

West Brom (4-5-1) Johnstone; Furlong, Ajayi, O’Shea, Gibbs; Robinson, Phillips, Sawyers, Gallagher, Diangana; Grant.
Substitutes: Button, Ivanovic, Peltier, Grosicki, Harper, Krovinovic, Edwards, Pereira, Austin.

3.29pm GMT

Pre-match reading

11.27am GMT

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Liverpool v West Bromwich Albion from Anfield. Liverpool have had a good Christmas period so far, and they haven’t played a game. Yesterday’s draw between Leicester and Manchester United was the perfect result for Liverpool, and means they will go five points clear at the top if they win today. Now, about that exciting title race we were promised...

A Liverpool win looks a formality against a West Brom side who are fighting for survival, though the presence of Sam Allardyce might induce one of two pangs among Liverpool supporters. He was the last manager to win a Premier League game at Anfield, with Crystal Palace in April 2017, and drew 1-1 with Everton on his last visit later that year. Everton had 21 per cent possession that day.

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Published on December 27, 2020 10:39

Leeds United 1-0 Burnley: Premier League – as it happened

Patrick Bamford’s debatable early penalty gave Leeds an important victory over Burnley, who dominated the game without creating any clear chances

2.08pm GMT

1.58pm GMT

Here’s Patrick Bamford

“I’m not sure about luck - we defended brilliantly. We haven’t come up againt too many teams like that, where they’ve tested our physical resolve. It was a real slog. In the second half we weren’t at it, but we showed a mental resolve there and I liked it. One-nil wins are sometimes nice!

1.55pm GMT

More more more

1.53pm GMT

Leeds move up to 11th after that win. A clean sheet is never a bad thing, and Marcelo Bielsa will be thrilled with their defensive resilience during a fraught second half. He’ll also be fuming with how poorly they kept the ball, the raving perfectionist.

1.52pm GMT

Sean Dyche walks straight over to the referee to ask what time he can go into his office, presumably for a full and frank exchange of views about the debatable Patrick Bamford penalty that decided this match.

1.50pm GMT

Peep peep! Leeds hold on for a very very very very very hard-fought victory.

1.49pm GMT

90+3 min Westwood’s clipped free-kick is pushed over his own bar by the backpedalling Meslier.

1.48pm GMT

90+2 min Westwood’s corner is punched away emphatically by Meslier, who jumped above his opposite number Pope.

1.48pm GMT

90+2 min Nick Pope comes forward for a Burnley corner. Meslier punches it away for the umpteenth time today. Lowton’s follow-up shot deflects behind for a corner, so Pope stays forward.

1.47pm GMT

90+1 min Three added minutes.

1.46pm GMT

90 min Ashley Barnes is booked for dissent. It’s been a frustrating day for Burnley.

1.46pm GMT

88 min “The penalty?” says Alan Chivers. “It’s a classic British thing for me, git the ball...all’s good! He absolutely battered him. The fact he got the ball is not important here.”

Thing is, had he blocked Bamford with his body or hands rather than his foot, I don’t think a penalty would have been given. What’s the difference? The challenge was very strong but it wasn’t reckless. You’re right to say getting the ball doesn’t necessarily invalidate everything else, especially with dangerous tackles, but now we are reaching the stage where winning the ball is seen as entirely irrelevant. And that, in a contact sport, is entirely absurd.

1.43pm GMT

87 min: Good save from Meslier! That’s his best save of the match. Barnes received a pass Tarkowski on the right side of the area, dragged the ball into the space and smacked a shot towards the near post. Meslier moved smartly to his left to push it behind.

1.42pm GMT

86 min Yet another corner for Burnley. Westwood’s outswinger is punched away by Meslier. It wasn’t entirely convincing, but his willingness to come for every single ball into the box has been admirable. There are many more experienced goalkeepers who hide in such situations.

1.41pm GMT

85 min Leeds have been so poor on the ball in the second half. It’s slightly hard to fathom.

1.40pm GMT

83 min “I may be late to this, but I think one of the reasons we all love this Leeds team is the subliminal reminders they give us of playground football,” says Gary Naylor. “Of course, at a higher level it’s technical Bielsaball, but if you ease back and narrow the eyes a little, it’s everyone running round like mad trying to score, with the couple of big lads who can be bothered detailed to do a bit of defending. I’d love to er… spy on a first team vs reserves trading ground exercise.”

I’d love to watch a game of Murderball. But is that name offensive?

1.39pm GMT

82 min: Chance for Rodriguez! Barnes does well to chest down a long pass and hook it into the area towards Westwood. He lobs it beyond the far post, where Rodriguez waits for the ball to bounce but then spanks it high and wide. It wasn’t an easy chance - there were a few Leeds defenders in the way - but he should at least have kept the shot down.

1.35pm GMT

79 min Ashley Westwood is booked for dissent.

1.35pm GMT

78 min I suspect 99 per cent of football managers would prefer to win 1-0 than 4-3. Marcelo Bielsa is probably in the one per cent, so I doubt he’ll be enjoying this second half.

1.32pm GMT

74 min Jay Rodriguez has also come in place of Erik Pieters, which suggests a switch to a narrow 4-3-3.

1.30pm GMT

74 min A Burnley change: Dale Stephens replaces Josh Benson.

1.29pm GMT

73 min Wood’s flick on releases Barnes, whose snapshot is beaten away at the near post by Meslier. It was a save he’d expect to make but a decent one nonetheless.

1.28pm GMT

71 min: Fine save from Pope! Leeds broke three on two, with Hernandez on the ball. He ran 50 yards to the edge of the area before trying to thread a shot into the bottom-right corner. Pope got down well to his left to push it behind. On reflection, Hernandez should probably have played in Harrison.

1.27pm GMT

70 min A third change for Leeds: Ian Poveda-Ocampo replaces Raphinha.

1.24pm GMT

68 min If Leeds do win they will jump from 15th to 11th. For all Burnley’s possession in the second half, Illan Meslier hasn’t had any difficult saves to make.

1.23pm GMT

67 min I know Leeds were once managed by George Graham, but I didn’t expect them to follow a 5-2 and a 2-6 with a dogged 1-0 victory.

1.22pm GMT

66 min Another Leeds change: Jamie Shackleton replaces Mateusz Klich.

1.22pm GMT

66 min A rare Leeds attack ends with Dallas curling tamely over the bar from 20 yards.

1.21pm GMT

65 min Leeds have been pinned back for most of the second half. I don’t think they’re inviting pressure; it’s just that they are unable to get out.

1.20pm GMT

63 min Okay, I said no more talk about VAR, but this is too good for a lover of the Big Lebowski to resist.

“Sometimes you eat the VAR,” says Ian Copestake, “and sometimes the VAR eats you.”

1.17pm GMT

61 min Another beautiful cross from Westwood skims off the head of Phillips, just in front of Wood. That was a vital touch. Westwood’s delivery from wide areas is exceptional.

1.16pm GMT

60 min The Elland Road pitch isn’t great, as discussed, but I should stress it’s nothing like it used to be.

1.15pm GMT

59 min A Leeds change: Pablo Hernandez replaces Rodrigo.

1.15pm GMT

58 min “Is it me,” says Joe Pearson, “or does the pitch look an absolute mess?”

Yes, by modern standards it’s cutting up a fair bit.

1.13pm GMT

57 min Meslier makes another comfortable save, this time from Brownhill’s wobbling long-range shot.

1.11pm GMT

54 min Benson and Brownhill combine nicely to find Barnes, whose deflected shot is headed away by Phillips. Moments later, Lowton’s low shot is comfortably saved by Meslier. Burnley have been very good since half-time.

1.09pm GMT

52 min At the other end, Raphinha beats Taylor and has a shot blocked bravely by Mee. It’s a good game, this, and the next goal feels pretty darn important.

1.08pm GMT

51 min A Burnley corner is headed away by Raphinha. Westwood swings it back into the area, where the flying Mee can only head it across goal. Tarkowski is then flagged offside but Mee’s was the better chance. On reflection, he was under a fair bit of pressure from a Leeds defender.

1.06pm GMT

49 min Burnley are dominating possession at the start of the second half. Klich’s poor touch allows Barnes to find Westwood on the left of the area. He stands up a rabona cross - I did a double take as well - towards Wood, and Phillips gets in front of him to head the ball away.

1.04pm GMT

48 min With England in mind, Kalvin Phillips’ accomplished performance today has been interesting. He might be an option in the John Stones role from 2018 if Gareth Southgate decides to play three at the back in the Euros. The new, improved John Stones could then play the Kyle Walker role, with Harry Maguire plodding on defiantly in the Harry Maguire position.

That said, Wood and Barnes aren’t exactly Mbappe and Griezmann.

1.02pm GMT

47 min “How is Benson doing on the wing after his nightmare intro against Wolves?” says Doug Statt. “Not sure I’ve seen him mentioned (which probably answers it).”

I’ve barely noticed him, for good or bad. Most of Burnley’s noteworthy attacks have been from set-pieces taken by Westwood or Pieters.

1.01pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! Leeds begin the second half.

12.59pm GMT

In other news, Krzysztof Ratajski is wiping the floor with Simon Whitlock in the darts. I thought that would be a seven-set thriller.

12.56pm GMT

The Mac Millings Christmas XI!

“By way of wishing everyone a Happy Christmas,” writes Mac Millings, “here’s my all time Christmas Songs XI:

12.54pm GMT

Right. Sod this, no more VAR talk for the rest of the game, or my blood-pressure levels will become problematic.

12.53pm GMT

“I would disagree with this ‘we’re stuck with VAR forever’ mentality,” says Edouard. “Of course, if we all think like this, it’ll be a self-fulfilling prophecy. But all it would take for VAR to go away would be enough people voicing discontent that the money-driven powers that be realise we’re best off without it. I would love for there to be a supporter’s group with petitions, walkouts, and so forth. Realistically, you’re probably right it won’t ever go away, and I imagine more and more people will gradually do as I have, which is to stop watching football entirely. By the time the commercial stakeholders in football realise what’s happened, it’ll be too late.”

The problem is that VAR has heighted our reaction to unjust decisions, and I think that will persist even if we go back to the old system. People complained about decisions then, of course, but there was also a vague acceptance that it was part of the game. Not anymore, and I don’t know how you cure that. You can change the system but it’s harder to change a culture of entitlement. Ach, I’m not smart enough to put all the pieces together, but I don’t think there’s a satisfactory solution any more. There was one: to trial VAR properly, for years and years and years. But they couldn’t be bothered doing that, and here we are.

12.49pm GMT

“Hi Rob,” says Gary Naylor. “Interesting comments from the always perceptive Andy Hinchcliffe about defending without the expectation of winning the ball - eg jumping with the attacker to make their header more difficult. It sounds like a foul, at least obstruction, yet it never gets given. The more cameras there are, the more the underlying norms of the game that exist alongside the laws are revealed - and the more sustenance there is for the maw of VAR.”

In the year 2025, former West Ham full-back Ray Stewart, aged 66, will come out of retirement to play as a specialist penalty taker. He’ll touch the ball three times a game and end the season with 122 goals.

12.47pm GMT

Half-time reading

James Yuille McLean RIP.

12.46pm GMT

Peep peep! Leeds have played their usual charming football and deserve to lead on the balance of play. Burnley will be aggrieved with a couple of VAR decisions, but they are still in this and have been particularly dangerous at set pieces. See you in 10 minutes for more action.

12.45pm GMT

45+1 min “Is it possible we stop whining about VAR?” says Benjamin Park. “The moaning has become rather tedious. Don’t get me wrong, it was a horrible decision, but there is a bigger refereeing issue here. First of all, I believe the bar for ‘clear cut mistake’ is far too high. This is not a murder trial. Secondly, in this instance, we all know that goalkeepers are given a bit more liberty in their penalty box, but shouldn’t we more discuss here how much leeway they’re actually given? No outfield player would have gotten away with such an action even remotely. In my opinion, the refereeing has just been very poor and inconsistent this season, that isn’t VAR’s fault.”

Football is the greatest game in history, VAR has stolen its soul and turned it into a spreadsheet. What’s not to moan about?

12.45pm GMT

45 min: Another chance for Leeds! That was lovely football. Rodrigo clipped a pass out to Harrison on the left and charged into the area. Harrison put in an excellent cross, and Rodrigo arrived late to thump a header over the bar. He couldn’t quite get over the ball but it was a fine piece of play.

12.42pm GMT

43 min “Crying Giancarlo here,” greets Giancarlo Sandoval. “I think it was definitely and ‘old school penalty’ where the striker sells minimum contact in order for the referee to buy it. Theoretically, those would have to be wiped away by VAR, but I’m puzzled as to why the referee didn’t go look. It would have been a 15-minute look, but it wouldn’t have been a pen, I think.”

By 2025, they’ll be reviewing throw-ins. And there will be a smart speaker that gives you an authentic VAR experience. It’ll sense when you’re on the cusp of orgasm, and at that precise moment it will start playing your mother’s voice.

12.40pm GMT

40 min Alioski’s long pass skims off the head of the backpedalling Mee and runs through to Raphinha. He slides a low first-time shot that is comfortably saved by Pope, low to his right. Raphinha might have done better there.

12.39pm GMT

39 min Another corner to Burnley. Westwood swings it in and Meslier does well to punch clear under pressure. Leeds break and Harrison makes a mess of an attempted through pass. Had he got it right, Leeds would have had three on one.

12.38pm GMT

38 min You know who’d like VAR? Walter Sobchak. (NB: Clips contains adult language, blah de blah)

12.37pm GMT

37 min A Burnley corner is only half cleared. The ball is dumped back in the box towards Pieters, whose volley hits Benson and goes wide. I don’t think it would have beaten Meslier anyway.

12.36pm GMT

36 min This is a good spell for Burnley. The folks at Stockley Park must be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of Burnley scoring another goal with which they can find fault.

12.34pm GMT

33 min: Chance for Wood! Westwood stands up a terrific cross from the right wing. Meslier comes and gets nowhere near it, but Wood heads over from a few yards. Ayling did just enough to put Wood off and ensure he couldn’t get over the ball.

12.33pm GMT

32 min That Carlos Alberto goal in the 1970 World Cup final looked great, sure, but there was an unspotted foul on Sandro Mazzola four minutes earlier, so I’m afraid it’s got to go.

12.31pm GMT

31 min: Chance for Leeds! Mee, who is having a mini-shocker, is robbed by Raphinha. He scurries into the error, resists Mee’s recovery challenge and picks Harrison at the far post. He hits a low shot is blocked by ... Bamford. I thought Pope saved it but replays show it hit Bamford in the six-yard box and rebounded away from goal.

12.30pm GMT

30 min Dallas is warned for an ankle tap on Pieters. He might have been booked. Maybe we should go to Stockley Park to see what they think, and whether they can find any reasons why Maradona’s second goal against England in 1986 should be retrospectively chalked off.

12.28pm GMT

29 min “Don’t think VAR could do anything about Burnley’s disallowed goal as the ref blew his whistle before it crossed the line!” says Andrew. “It could of course have awarded a penalty though...”

Good point, I thought he’d blown the whistle afterwards. It probably was a penalty, too - he basically kneed Mee in the back. Absolute shambles.

12.27pm GMT

28 min Tarkowski is booked for a very late tackle on Rodrigo.

12.27pm GMT

27 min It’s not even the (probably) wrong decisions that are so irritating, it’s the fact we’re talking about VAR every single game. It’s the ultimate mood-hoover, the jobsworth at the orgy. And you can’t just put it back in its box, because it has irrevocably changed the culture of football.

12.25pm GMT

26 min “Given that Leeds are a team which is so much greater than the sum of its parts and plays in a very specific style, would the individual players actually be considered to be of bona-fide Premier League quality?” says Kishalay Banerjee. “Kalvin Phillips belongs at this level of course, but would players like Ayling, Cooper or Jack Harrison find places in other Premier League squads with different styles from this team?”

Probably not, which is one of the reasons they are so much fun. Harrison might, and Phillips is a class act, but I agree that they are so much more than the sum of their parts.

12.24pm GMT

25 min Klich shoots miles over the bar from 25 yards.

12.23pm GMT

23 min Another game of football - a Leeds game, too, the biggest treat - ruined by VAR. Eff it all.

12.22pm GMT

22 min Mee is robbed by Bamford, who breaks into the area and is well tackled by Taylor.

12.21pm GMT

20 min “To be honest Rob, not having a horse in this race, I’m just grateful to have a VAR decision that didn’t take an absolute age,” says Sam Trenery. “That said if I were a Burnley fan I’m sure I’d have far more to say on the matter.”

With or without VAR, both decisions would have gone against Burnley. But the sense of injustice is so much greater when it’s been checked by VAR and you still suffer a dodgy decision. It’s the worst thing to happen to football in my lifetime. We’re stuck with this crap forever, you realise, and it’ll get worse.

12.19pm GMT

NO GOAL! It’s now VAR 2-0 Burnley.

12.18pm GMT

18 min: Barnes has a goal disallowed! Meslier came a long way to meet a flighted free-kick from Westwood. He dropped the ball under challenge from Mee, and Barnes did very well to whip a shot on the turn into the net. I don’t think that was a foul by Mee - Meslier just jumped over him and dropped the ball. It’ll be checked by VAR.

12.16pm GMT

17 min “Leeds make me cry by the beauty of their attacking play,” says Giancarlo Sanodoval. “I’ve seen some of their táctica on YouTube on replay and it’s an excellent watch. It’s simply gorgeous football (they’ve made me cry a good amount of times to be perfectly honest, Rob).”

You’re not crying, it’s just been raining on your face.

12.16pm GMT

16 min Harrison’s lofted pass finds Raphinha, whose lobbed header clears Pope but also the crossbar. He was given offside but it was very tight, so had he scored it might have counted.

12.15pm GMT

16 min Any thoughts on that penalty decision? What am I missing?

12.14pm GMT

15 min Rodrigo makes a bit of space in the D, but his low shot is comfortably saved by Pope.

12.13pm GMT

13 min Burnley will be a threat from set pieces today. Westwood’s free-kick from the left wing is punched away at the near post by Meslier. It wasn’t entirely convincing, but hed’ve took it.

12.11pm GMT

11 min “What to make of Leeds?” muses Mary Waltz. “Championship? No. when was the last time a newly promoted club was considered Championship material. Never. It’s as simple as this. They are absolutely a joy to watch. And give them a few years of Premier League money and they will be challengers for the title.”

12.10pm GMT

9 min The odd thing about the VAR check for the penalty is that only took about 10 seconds. I’ve seen five replays now and I’m still not entirelym sure. Pope definitely got the ball with what was effectively a block tackle; the only issue is whether, because he come out feet first, his challenge was dangerous. The more I see it, the less I think it was a penalty. That said, the excellent Sky Sports summariser Andy Hinchcliffe thinks it was a clear foul.

12.08pm GMT

7 min More good play from Leeds. Raphinha slides a clever ball through to Alioski, who tries to pick out Rodrigo but mishits his cross over the bar. Sean Dyche isn’t happy about the penalty. I think he has a point, though I’d like to see a few more replays.

12.07pm GMT

6 min The more I see the penalty incident, the more I think Pope got something on the ball. The problem is that Bamford touched it almost at the same time so it was hard to see exactly what happened. I’m still not sure it was a penalty, but I’m not sure it was a clear and obvious error either.

12.05pm GMT

Bamford scores emphatically, sweeping the penalty into the top-right corner. Pope went the wrong way, not that it mattered; you don’t save those.

12.04pm GMT

Ayling drove a simple long pass over the defence towards Bamford. Pope came out, feet first, and clattered Bamford. At first I thought he got the ball but replays suggest otherwise. Penalty given!

12.04pm GMT

4 min: PENALTY TO LEEDS! This might be overturned by VAR.

12.01pm GMT

2 min Kalvin Phillips is playing very deep, essentially as a third centre-back. No surprise, really, given that Burnley play with two up front. Marcelo Bielsa always likes to have a spare man in defence. It’s the most attacking 5-4-1 formation in the history of football.

12.00pm GMT

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

11.59am GMT

“Is this Unstoppable Force United v Immovable Object FC?” wonders Robin Lee. “Let’s find out!”

And why not.

11.58am GMT

The players are ready to go. Burnley are in their black away kit; Leeds are in white.

11.42am GMT

“Evening Rob,” says Phil Withall. “I need a little guidance on the whole ‘what to make of Leeds’ thing. Are they a Championship side punching above their weight, the start of a footballing cultural revolution or the plaything of a tactical genius? It’s all a bit confusing. Six points above the relegation places yet heralded as the shot in the arm the game needs. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE??”

I fear you’ve mistaken me for one of our Proper Writers. I don’t have clearance to enter the What It All Means department.

11.25am GMT

The Burnley manager Sean Dyche has apparently been pacing out the pitch dimensions at Elland Road this morning. Good lad.

11.13am GMT

Pre-match reading

11.05am GMT

One change for Leeds: Pascal Struijk replaces the injured Liam Cooper. Burnley are without their wide players, Robbie Brady and Dwight McNeil. They are replaced by Josh Benson and Erik Pieters.

Leeds (4-1-4-1) Meslier; Dallas, Ayling, Struijk, Alioski; Phillips; Raphinha, Rodrigo, Klich, Harrison; Bamford.
Substitutes: Casilla, Davis, Casey, Hernandez, Shackleton, Jenkins, Poveda-Ocampo, Roberts, Costa.

10.32am GMT

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Leeds v Burnley from Elland Road. In different ways, these are two of the more admirable teams in the Premier League: Leeds for their idealistic, fairground-ride football, Burnley for their pragmatic overachievement. Sean Dyche’s side have recovered from a hideous start to the season, taking 11 points from six games, and look set to survive comfortably again.

If their curve is going up, Leeds’ season has been more like, well, a fairground ride: up and down until you feel sick with happiness. In their last two games they have won 5-2 and lost 6-2. They were spanked at Old Trafford last Sunday, yet still managed to cover themselves in glory with their relentless optimism going forward. They won’t change, we know that. Marcelo Bielsa, like Sean Dyche, is not for turning.

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Published on December 27, 2020 05:58

December 26, 2020

Manchester City 2-0 Newcastle United: Premier League – as it happened

Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres scored in an easy win for City, who controlled the match from start to finish at a rainy Etihad

10.07pm GMT

And here is the report.

9.51pm GMT

Peep peep! City move up to fifth after an almost pointlessly easy win over Newcastle. Almost. Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres got the goals; the brilliant Joao Cancelo was man of the match. City were in control throughout and kept their usual clean sheet with the minimum of fuss.

Tonight’s other Premier League match has finished Sheffield United 0-1 Everton. That means Everton move up to second in the table, and United stay bottom. Thanks for your company, goodnight!

9.48pm GMT

90+1 min Three minutes of added time.

9.48pm GMT

90 min Phil Foden gets another chance to show what he can do at Premier League level. He replaces Ilkay Gundogan.

9.46pm GMT

88 min Joao Cancelo is booked for booting - and you’ll like this - Andy Carroll up in the air.

9.44pm GMT

86 min De Bruyne shuffles past two players and whacks a shot that hits Schar.

9.43pm GMT

85 min Aguero appeals unsuccessfully for a penalty after a challenge from Darlow. He was offside, and Darlow got the ball anyway.

9.43pm GMT

85 min This match is over. City are passing the ball around, as they have all night. In fact they have played 715 passes to Newcastle’s 170.

9.41pm GMT

Everton have taken the lead at Bramall Lane, and if it stays like that they will go second in the table.

9.40pm GMT

82 min Dwight Gayle has come on for Newcastle in place of Miguel Almiron.

9.40pm GMT

81 min: Fine save by Darlow! Aguero almost scored with his first touch. De Bruyne released Cancelo on the right for the umpteenth time tonmight. He slid in a lovely low cross to the far post, where Aguero’s shot was pushed away by the sliding Darlow.

9.38pm GMT

80 min Schar is booked for unashamedly taking out De Bruyne.

9.36pm GMT

78 min Murphy’s long-range shot is pushed away well by Ederson, sprawling to his right. That was Newcastle’s best attempt of the match.

9.35pm GMT

77 min Another City change: Sergio Aguero replaces Ferran Torres, who had a decent night and scored the second goal.

9.34pm GMT

75 min A glorious long pass from Ederson releases Sterling, who is just beaten to the ball on the edge of the area by the flying Darlow. Moments later, a low cross from the right is missed by Torres; I think Schar got a slight touch to divert it away from him.

9.31pm GMT

73 min Darlow makes a fine save from Torres, who was subsequently flagged offside. Replays show he was a few yards beyond the defence when he ran onto Cancelo’s pass.

9.29pm GMT

71 min Cancelo hammers another cross that is put behind by Schar. Before the corner is taken, Andy Carroll replaces Joelinton.

9.28pm GMT

70 min Joelinton has a back injury. He’s struggling on for now but Andy Carroll is getting ready to replace him.

9.24pm GMT

66 min Bernardo Silva pokes the ball across the area to Sterling, who is about to score when Hayden nips in front to make a vital interception. Newcastle then make a substitution: Jamal Lewis replaces Matt Ritchie at left wing-back.

9.23pm GMT

65 min Ritchie is booked for a foul on Joao Garrincha Jimmy Johnstone Cancelo. He has had a storming game.

9.22pm GMT

64 min City are in total control. Newcastle haven’t played terribly - they’ve shown more ambition than in some recent games against City - but there’s an obvious difference in class.

9.22pm GMT

63 min There’s a brief VAR check for a possible City penalty after a clumsy challenge by Yedlin on Sterling. No dice.

9.18pm GMT

59 min: What a miss from Sterling! This is blooper gold. Joao Cancelo’s fiercely driven cross from the right gave Sterling an open goal, four yards out. He contrived to kick the ball against his standing legand it rebounded away from goal. It reached Bernardo Silva, who thumped it off the outside of the post. He should probably have scored as well.

9.15pm GMT

58 min This win will move City up to fifth in the table, or fourth if Everton lose at Sheffield United. That game is still 0-0, in name and nature.

9.15pm GMT

57 min Rodri, who has been booked, is replaced by Fernandinho.

9.14pm GMT

Game over. The excellent Joao Cancelo broke into the area from the right and fizzed a low cross into the six-yard box. Fernandez, facing his own goal, could only clear it as far as Torres, who tapped it in from eight yards. Fernandez could have let the cross go but didn’t know what was behind him.

9.10pm GMT

51 min Sterling has a shot blocked by Yedlin. Newcastle break through Murphy, whose low shot from a tight angle is well held, low to his right, by Ederson.

9.09pm GMT

50 min: Chance for City! De Bruyne waves a free-kick into the area, Stones heads it back across goal and Torres can’t quite reach it on the stretch. Stones could have gone for goal himself; I’m not sure why he didn’t.

9.07pm GMT

49 min Murphy loses a boot after a challenge from behind by Gundogan. He struggles on, skidding all over the place, and almost plays a through pass to Joelinton.

9.05pm GMT

47 min Gundogan crumps Hayden near the halfway line, a clear yellow card. The referee Andre Marriner doesn’t even give a free-kick.

9.03pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! City begin the second half.

8.57pm GMT

Half-time reading

8.48pm GMT

Peep peep! City lead after 45 minutes of mostly sterile domination. Ilkay Gundogan scored the goal after a fine build-up involving the excellent Joao Cancelo and Raheem Sterling. It’s been dull, in truth, but City are getting the job done.

8.46pm GMT

45+1 min “There might be hope for Newcastle in boredom if the team can only realise Bruce’s plan and suck the life out of City while remaining awake,” says Ian Copestake.

8.46pm GMT

45 min Cancelo, on the stretch, fails to control Sterling’s pass from the right. Had he done so he’d have been through on goal. He’s playing at right-back but every time I look up he seems to be in the No10 position.

8.44pm GMT

44 min De Bruyne angles a fine pass into the area for Sterling, who tries to twist Schar inside out on the corner of the six-yard box. Schar stays on his feet and pokes the ball behind for a corner, from which nothing eventuates.

8.44pm GMT

44 min “City’s midfield balance isn’t right, starting from the deepest player,” says Chris Faherty. “Fernandinho was so good positionally but also his passing tempo got City going much quicker than Rodri tends to. Don’t fancy Rodri at all tbh, think the sooner they bite the bullet and play Bernardo Silva deeper and closer to De Bruyne with only one of Rodri or Gundogan in midfield they’ll look a lot more penetrating. Tactical and physical reasons to not do so in every game for them of course.”

The switch to 4-2-3-1 is fascinating, and not something I thought Pep Guardiola would ever do. I agree about the tempo of the passing, which is the slowest it’s been since Pep Guardiola came to City.

8.41pm GMT

41 min The corner is headed away by Ake. Almiron collects the ball on the left and puts in a good cross that is headed across goal by Joelinton. Schar, on the stretch, almost got to it.

8.39pm GMT

40 min Yedlin’s dangerous cross is sliced over his own bar by Dias to give Newcastle their first corner.

8.39pm GMT

39 min Newcastle have had a few promising attacks, though until now their final ball has been dreadful.

8.37pm GMT

37 min Joao Cancelo clips another fine pass over the defence to Sterling, whose shot from a tight angle is pushed into the side netting by Darlow.

8.36pm GMT

35 min: Good save by Darlow! City almost made it 2-0 on the break. Ferran Torres lobbed a lovely pass over the defence to put De Bruyne through on goal. He sidefooted the ball towards goal from 10 yards, and Darlow spread himself to make a really good stop.

8.34pm GMT

34 min Rodri is booked for a brazen foul on Clark.

8.33pm GMT

33 min Newcastle keep the ball for the best part of a minute. Eventually Ritchie curls a speculative ball down the left, and Joelinton fouls John Stones. Congratulations to all concerned.

8.30pm GMT

31 min I don’t know what to say. Nothing is happening.

8.27pm GMT

28 min Tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka. It’s a strange thing to say about a Pep Guardiola team, but this is boring.

8.24pm GMT

25 min “Everton’s play is equal to the dreary rainy weather,” says Mary Waltz. “Twenty minutes in and Calvert Lewin has not touched the ball.”

8.24pm GMT

24 min City break two on two. Torres beats Schar easily on the edge of the box but his tame shot is comfortably saved by Darlow.

8.23pm GMT

24 min The more I see that De Bruyne effort in the 20th minute, the more I think he meant it. Even by his standards, it would have been a ludicrous goal.

8.22pm GMT

23 min There’s a break in play after a clash of heads between Ruben Dias and Ciaran Clark, who bravely headed the ball clear and then thumped into Dias. Both players seem okay.

8.21pm GMT

Here’s more on the sad news of Jim McLean’s death

8.20pm GMT

20 min De Bruyne’s mishit cross/ingenious driven chip is pawed away desperately by the backpedalling Darlow. I’m pretty sure it was a cross, as he was on his left foot and the angle was absurdly tight.

8.18pm GMT

18 min It’s very one-sided. If Pep’s great City side of 2017-19 were similar in style to his Barcelona team, this lot - for richer and poorer - remind me of Spain 2012. There has been a fair whiff of sterile domination about their performances this season, even though they are usually good enough to win.

8.16pm GMT

Sheffield United 0-0 Everton “At Bramall Lane, neither side’s midfield seems too keen on having the ball,” writes Gary Naylor. “I think Yerry Mina might as well pass it to the referee and he can hold on to it until the last 20 minutes when the game might loosen up a little.”

8.16pm GMT

It was a nicely worked goal. After a very patient passing move, Joao Cancelo - the nominal right back, lurking on the edge of the D in open play - slid a neat ball through to Sterling in the area. He dummied the goalkeeper and two defenders on the corner of the six-yard box before looking up and giving Gundogan a tap-in. Admirable composure from Sterling.

8.14pm GMT

City score with their first chance.

8.12pm GMT

12 min City have had 69 per cent of the possession, though almost all of it has been in front of the Newcastle defence, and the tempo hasn’t been great either.

8.09pm GMT

9 min Newcastle have looked quite bright on the ball. You certainly couldn’t say they’ve parked the bus, yet.

8.06pm GMT

6 min Torres plays a good pass down the right to Sterling, whose cross is sliced over his own bar by Schar.

8.03pm GMT

3 min A slow start to the game. City are playing with Bernardo Silva on the left and Raheem Sterling on the right, which is slightly surprising.

8.01pm GMT

1 min Peep peep! Newcastle kick off from right to left. They are in black and white stripes; City are in sky blue.

8.00pm GMT

“Hi Rob,” says Norrie Hernon. “I am overwhelmingly and totally, disproportionately encouraged by the Arsenal result. It is joyous! 2021 is going to be GREAT! In other news, what do you say to the theory that City have been ‘holding back’ and will now mount an intensive second-half run, otherwise known as ‘doing a Fergie’?”

It’s a persuasive theory, but it doesn’t really fit the profile of Pep Guardiola. I just think they’re in transition. They have enough good players to go on a demented run after Christmas, but I don’t expect it to happen. Even if it does, they won’t catch Liverpool.

7.55pm GMT

The players stroll out of the tunnel, into the pouring rain. It looks vile at the Etihad.

7.46pm GMT

7.45pm GMT

“Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Don’t know if you’ve heard, but just broken here that Jim McLean has died aged 83 after a long illness. A sad day for United, but what memories! A statue of him is due to be unveiled outside Tannadice next year, a fitting tribute.”

I hadn’t heard; that’s really sad news. Daniel Harris wrote an outstanding piece on him and Dundee United’s glory years.

7.37pm GMT

It is pelting down at the Etihad. It could be a miserable, lonely night for Joelinton.

7.25pm GMT

The 5.30pm match finished Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea. Arsenal’s young team were excellent; Chelsea were a mess and should have lost by more.

7.14pm GMT

Sheffield United v Everton We’ll have goal updates from the other evening game at Bramall Lane. The teams are in for that one as well.

Sheffield United (3-4-1-2) Ramsdale; Basham, Robinson, Egan; Baldock, Ampadu, Osborn, Stevens; McGoldrick; Brewster, Burke.
Substitutes: Verrips, Lowe, Jagielka, Bogle, Fleck, Norwood, McBurnie, Sharp, Mousset.

7.06pm GMT

City make one change from the team that won at Southampton in their last league game. Nathan Ake replaces Kyle Walker, who has Covid-19, with Joao Cancelo moving to right-back.

Callum Wilson is only on the bench for Newcastle, whose team suggests a 5-4-1/9-0-1 formation.

6.42pm GMT

Hello. It’s been a while since Manchester City v Newcastle United was a mid-table clash. But City’s inert start to the season has left them in ninth, five points and three places above Newcastle. Most people will still see this match as a home banker. Newcastle have had some good results against City in recent years, but all of them have been at St James’ Park. They’ve lost their last 11 Premier League games at the Etihad, a run of results that includes a 6-1, two 5-0s and two 4-0s. It has to end sometime, but it’ll be a surprise if it happens tonight.

Kick off 8pm.

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Published on December 26, 2020 13:54

Aston Villa 3-0 Crystal Palace, Fulham 0-0 Southampton, EFL and more – live!

Ten-man Villa thumped Crystal Palace to move up to sixth, while Southampton had two goals disallowed in their draw at Fulham

5.05pm GMT

That’s it for today’s blog, but the Premier League football continues. Next up, Arsenal v Chelsea. Bye!

4.58pm GMT

Full time: Cardiff 2-3 Brentford Peep peep! Sergi Canos’s memorable second-half hat-trick gives Brentford a vital victory at the Cardiff City Stadium. Will Vaulks scored both Cardiff’s goals, the first from inside his own half.

4.55pm GMT

Full time: Aston Villa 3-0 Crystal Palace Villa move up to sixth after a superb win over Crystal Palace. Tyrone Mings was sent off just before half-time with the score 1-0, but Villa’s ten men were brilliant in the second half and could have won by more.

4.52pm GMT

Full time: Fulham 0-0 Southampton A quiet afternoon at Craven Cottage comes to an end. Southampton had two goals disallowed for offside but Fulham deserved a point.

4.51pm GMT

Full time: QPR 0-2 Swansea Peep peep! Swansea move up to second in the Championship after another good away win.

4.51pm GMT

Full time: Hamilton 0-3 Celtic Peep peep! Three second-half goals move Celtic 16 points behind Rangers with three games in hand.

4.49pm GMT

Aston Villa 3-0 Crystal Palace Ollie Watkins hits the inside of the post after a quite glorious reverse pass from Jack Grealish. Watkins has worked so hard, particularly since Villa went down to 10 men, and deserves a goal.

4.48pm GMT

Fulham 0-0 Southampton Excluding the two disallowed goals for Southampton, there have been three shots on target in the whole match. It hasn’t been a classic.

4.47pm GMT

Aston Villa 3-0 Crystal Palace Joel Ward has hit the bar for Palace with a mishit cross.

4.44pm GMT

Fulham 0-0 Southampton: Walcott goal disallowed for offside. VAR has ruled out an excellent goal from Theo Walcott. He beat Areola from close range after a devastating cross from Che Adams, but replays showed Adams was fractionally offside.

4.40pm GMT

It’s Will Vaulks 2-3 Sergi Canos. Vaulks, who scored from his own half earlier in the game, has brought Cardiff back into the game with a deflected shot.

4.38pm GMT

Anwar El Ghazi seals victory with a rare old screamer. Villa broke from a Palace corner, with Grealish putting Watkins through on goal. His first touch was poor but he retrieved the ball and played it back to El Ghazi, who scorched a first-time shot in off the far post.

4.37pm GMT

Sergi Canos completes a 24-minute hat-trick!

4.36pm GMT

The latest scores in our featured games

Premier League

4.36pm GMT

Aston Villa 2-0 Crystal Palace Scott Dann makes a vital block from Ollie Watkins. Villa have had the better chances in the second half, despite being down to ten men.

4.35pm GMT

“Talking of VAR, which I know you love,” begins Ian Copestake. “I received a Christmas card recently which was a clear and obvious error. It will be returned with this decision noted on it.”

4.34pm GMT

Arsenal play Chelsea this evening in a mouthwatering game at the Emirates. Barry Glendenning has some very interesting team news.

4.33pm GMT

Fulham 0-0 Southampton: Shane Long has a goal disallowed. It would have been first goal since forever, but he was just offside.

4.33pm GMT

After a nervous, goalless first half, Celtic are running away with it at the Fountain of Youth Stadium.

4.30pm GMT

Brentford have come from behind to lead at the Cardiff City Stadium. Sergi Canos, who scored that spectacular equaliser at the start of the second half, has got his second.

4.29pm GMT

Fulham 0-0 Southampton There was a long VAR check for a Southampton penalty just now. Ryan Bertrand’s volleyed cross hit the outstretched arm of Ola Aina, but VAR decided it wasn’t a clear and obvious error. That’s probably fair enough.

4.28pm GMT

Ten-man Villa are 2-0 up! Ollie Watkins’s lobbed header hit the top of the bar, and Kortney Hause reacted quickest to head the dropping ball over the line from a yard.

4.26pm GMT

Fulham 0-0 Southampton It’s been a quiet second half at Craven Cottage. Ivan Cavaleiro missed an excellent chance for Fulham, heading over from Antonee Robinson’s cross, but that’s about it.

4.23pm GMT

Aston Villa 1-0 Crystal Palace Villa’s ten men have defended well in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Christian Benteke has just slapped a shot a couple of yards wide, though he was subsequently flagged offside.

4.22pm GMT

Here’s Jonathan Wilson on Manchester United’s draw at Leicester.

4.16pm GMT

The latest scores in our featured games

Premier League

4.15pm GMT

Sergi Canos has equalised with an outrageous goal, a hooked volley over his own shoulder from 25 yards!

4.14pm GMT

Odsonne Edouard’s brilliant pass is finished off by Leigh Griffiths, which should be enough for Celtic to move to within 16 points of Rangers.

4.13pm GMT

Swansea could be going second in the Championship - Jamal Lowe has put them 2-0 up at Loftus Road.

4.08pm GMT

Odsonne Edouard has scored from the penalty spot to give Celtic the lead at Hamilton. They can’t afford to drop any points today: at the start of the game they were 19 points behind Rangers with four games in hand.

4.04pm GMT

Peep peep! The second halves are underway.

3.55pm GMT

Half-time reading

3.55pm GMT

The half-time scores in our featured games

Premier League

3.54pm GMT

“Season’s greetings!” says Gary Naylor. “Not much charity shown to Tyrone Mings though. I think we can - and I don’t mean this disparagingly - say that Zaha drew both those yellow cards. That said, there are players (though they’re not big centre-backs) who seem to get an allocation of four or five blocks, niggly fouls and late tackles every match. Bruno Fernandes of course, but there are others.”

I think that’s a bit harsh on Zaha. He wasn’t even facing Mings on the first one, and the second one was a clear foul.

3.51pm GMT

Will Vaulks has scored from inside his own half! Cardiff broke from a corner, with the Brentford keeper David Raya a long way outside his area. Vaulks played a one-two with Robert Glatzel and drove the ball nonchalantly over Raya from 60 yards!

3.49pm GMT

Aston Villa 1-0 Crystal Palace The goalscorer Bertrand Traore has been replaced by Ezri Konsa, who has come on in defence after Tyrone Mings’ red card.

3.47pm GMT

Aston Villa 1-0 Crystal Palace Mings thought he was fouled first by Zaha - he might have a point - and wanted VAR to check it. They can’t do that, though, as it was a second yellow card rather than a straight red.

3.46pm GMT

Andre Ayew heads into an open net to give Swansea the lead at Loftus Road.

3.46pm GMT

Tyrone Mings wins the Eejit of the Day award. He was booked a minute ago for that tackle on Zaha, and now he has been given a second yellow for blocking the same man. That was so unnecessary.

3.42pm GMT

Aston Villa 1-0 Crystal Palace Vicente Guaita makes another fine close-range save, this time form Anwar El Ghazi. Villa could be three or four ahead.

3.41pm GMT

Aston Villa 1-0 Crystal Palace Wilfried Zaha and Tyrone Mings are booked for an impromptu fall-out. Mings’ studs caught Zaha on the side of the thigh, a naughty tackle that might have brought a red card, and Zaha sought retribution.

3.37pm GMT

Fulham 0-0 Southampton It’s been a much tighter game at Craven Cottage, with only a couple of shots on target.

3.32pm GMT

“Villa-Palace has been a cracking game so far, very exciting,” says Paulo Biriani. “And then along comes VAR to take all of that away. I mean, seriously, who thinks this adds anything to the game? If only there was a left-leaning media giant to begin a campaign to abolish this shit. It’s an abomination.”

Who said I was left-leaning?

3.30pm GMT

“For those who take note of such things,” begins Paul Flint, “the first mention of Peaky Blinders by the Spanish commentator on the Villa game has come in at a relatively disappointing 2 minutes 34 seconds. He can do better.”

It’s a shame Peckham Town FC aren’t in the Premier League.

3.28pm GMT

Fulham 0-0 Southampton What a chance for Southampton! Ward-Prowse’s brilliant free-kick was tipped onto the inside of the post by Areola, an outrageously good save. The ball rebounded towards Che Adams, who seemed to have an open goal - but the spin on the ball took it away from him.

3.25pm GMT

NO PENALTY That took around four minutes, but I think it was the correct decision: Cash may have got the ball, and if there was a foul on van Aanholt it was in his follow through, by which time the ball had gone anyway.It’s good to see a referee have the confidence to stay with his original decision.

3.24pm GMT

Aston Villa 1-0 Crystal Palace There’s a VAR check for a Palace penalty after an awkward challenge by Cash on van Aanholt. It’s been going on for ages, and it looks like Anthony Taylor will check the monitor.

3.21pm GMT

Aston Villa 1-0 Crystal Palace Vicente Guaita makes a decent save from Jack Grealish after a terrific Villa counter-attack. Grealish was played in Bertrand Traore, who has made a brilliant start to the game.

3.19pm GMT

If Villa win today they’ll go above Manchester City. Who’da thunk?

3.18pm GMT

Aston Villa 1-0 Crystal Palace Bertrand Traore almost gets his second with a cracking low drive that beats Guaita and hits the outside of the far post.

3.17pm GMT

“Season’s greetings Rob,” says Charles Antaki, “and hopefully some lucky child has been given the Palace away shirt as a Christmas present - surely the classiest of this year’s range?”

Hmm. I thought last season’s was a beauty but I’m not sure about this one. It makes me think of ink cartridge levels.

3.13pm GMT

The latest scores in our featured games

Premier League

3.10pm GMT

Fulham 0-0 Southampton It’s been a good start for Fulham, who had a penalty appeal turned down when a loose ball hit Jan Bednarek’s elbow.

3.07pm GMT

Crystal Palace still haven’t kept a clean sheet since the opening day of the season, which must be affecting Roy Hodgson’s equilibrium.

3.05pm GMT

Villa are in front already. Ollie Watkins’ shot was well saved by Vicente Guaita, but Bertrand Traore followed up to score from eight yards.

3.03pm GMT

“Merry lockdown, eh Christmas, Rob, to you and all clockwatchers,” says Simon McMahon. “League and cup action in Scotland today, as this seasons Scottish Cup gets underway less than a week after Celtic won last season’s competition. So very 2020. In the league, Dundee United will be looking to follow up their win against Kilmarnock on Wednesday with another three points at Tannadice today, when Motherwell are the visitors.

“In the Scottish Championship leaders Hearts are at home to Ayr, while struggling Dundee visit Queen of the South. Scottish Cup ties include Cowdenbeath v Wick Academy, Edinburgh City v Caledonian Braves, Elgin City v Civil Service Strollers, Kelty Hearts v Jeanfield Swifts and Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale v Banks O’Dee. All matches to be played in the howling wind and rain. Very romantic.”

3.03pm GMT

Aston Villa 0-0 Crystal Palace Wilfried Zaha almost gave Palace the lead after 40 seconds. He got the wrong side of Tyrone Mings, ran through and hit a shot that was very well blocked by Emi Martinez.

3.01pm GMT

Peep peep! The 3pm games are underway.

2.53pm GMT

Here’s the great Paul Doyle on Leicester 2-2 Man Utd

2.47pm GMT

The Leicester equaliser has gone down as an Axel Tuanzebe own goal, which may or may not interest you.

2.44pm GMT

“Afternoon Rob,” says Matt Turland. “It’s been a classic so far for me. Mrs Turland is at work (God bless the NHS and all that) so I’m alone with the two kids today. Got the eldest excited when I told him we’d be able to watch the Leicester game before realising that the Amazon matches are on Monday (not today). Crushing disappointment for the lad, which should stand him in good stead for having me as a dad.

“Also managed to play three games (Dobble, Slide Quest and Zombie Kidz Evolution). I do love a good game but three in a few hours is exhausting. Could do with the 3pms being a little dull to allow me to recover slightly. Can you put a word in to get that sorted?”

2.29pm GMT

QPR v Swansea team news

QPR (4-2-3-1) Dieng; Kane, Dickie, Barbet, Hamalainen; Cameron, Ball; Bonne, Carroll, Chair; Dykes.
Substitutes: Adomah, Bettache, Duke-McKenna, Kelly, Kelman, Masterson, Osayi-Samuel; Thomas, Willock.

2.27pm GMT

Cardiff v Brentford team news

Cardiff (4-2-3-1) Smithies; Bacuna, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett; Ralls, Vaulks; Ojo, Wilson, Hoilett; Glatzel.
Substitutes: Bagan, Benkovic, Cunningham, Harris, Murphy, Pack, Patten, Phillips, Whyte.

2.24pm GMT

Hamilton v Celtic team news

Hamilton (3-5-2) Gourlay; Stirling, Martin, Easton; Hodson, Hamilton, Odoffin, Trafford, McMann; Winter, Moyo.
Substitutes: Hughes, Johnson, Mimnaugh, Munro, Owolabi, Scully, Stanger.

2.21pm GMT

Full time: Leicester 2-2 Manchester United

An intriguing match at the King Power Stadium has ended with the perfect result for Liverpool. Barry Glendenning will give you chapter and verse.

2.20pm GMT

Full time: Rangers 1-0 Hibernian Ianis Hagi’s goal has continued Rangers’ spectacular winning run in the Scottish Premiership. They are now 19 points clear of Celtic, who play the first of their games in hand at Hamilton Academical this afternoon.

2.13pm GMT

And now there’s been a fourth goal...

2.06pm GMT

There’s been a third goal at the King Power Stadium. You won’t believe who’s scored it.

2.06pm GMT

Fulham v Southampton team news

Fulham (3-4-2-1) Areola; Aina, Andersen, Adarabioyo; De Cordova-Reid, Anguissa, Reed, Robinson; Loftus-Cheek, Lookman; Cavaleiro.
Substitutes: Rodak, Hector, Odoi, Ream, Bryan, Kebano, Cairney, Mitrovic, Kamara.

2.03pm GMT

Aston Villa v Crystal Palace team news

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1) Martinez; Cash, Hause, Mings, Targett; Douglas Luiz, McGinn; El Ghazi, Traore, Grealish; Watkins.
Substitutes: Heaton, Taylor, Konsa, Guilbert, El Mohamady, Hourihane, Nakamba, Ramsey, Davis.

1.48pm GMT

“Ah, come on now, Rob,” says Matt Dony. “Murderous self-loathing is for life, not just for Christmas.”

1.48pm GMT

It’s still Leicester 1-1 Man Utd after an hour at the King Power Stadium. Leicester have probably been the better team; United have definitely had the better chances.

1.45pm GMT

1.20pm GMT

And Ianis Hagi’s goal has put Rangers 1-0 up at half-time against Hibs. As things stand they are an eye-watering 19 points clear of Celtic, albeit having played four games more.

1.20pm GMT

Leicester 1-1 Man Utd is the half-time score at the King Power Stadium. Barry Glendenning will tell you moooooooooooooooore.

1.19pm GMT

A number of games have been postponed because of Covid outbreaks, including a couple in the Championship. Fulham will also be without their manager Scott Parker, who is self-isolating after a household member tested positive. These are the games that are have been postponed so far:

Championship

9.58am GMT

Hello! Boxing Day football is an integral part of the Great British Christmas Experience, right up there with forced jollity, familial contempt, murderous self-loathing and socks you’ll probably never wear. The escapism is even more important this year, with most of Britain in Tier 4, and happily there are plenty of diverting fixtures today.

You can see the full fixture list here. These are our featured matches (all 3pm kick-offs unless etc):

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Published on December 26, 2020 09:05

December 20, 2020

Manchester United 6-2 Leeds United: Premier League – as it happened

Scott McTominay broke a Premier League record, scoring twice in the first three minutes as Man Utd put six past Leeds in a glorious slugfest

7.00pm GMT

6.38pm GMT

Here’s Scott McTominay

“We played well today and I thought we deserved the six goals. Leeds are an amazing team and we’ve done a lot of video analysis on them. It’s nice to score two goals but you don’t want to get carried away - it’s all about the next game. We’re not looking at the league table.

6.32pm GMT

A comedown for the ages

6.29pm GMT

“What was that?” says Mary Waltz. “Answer. Joy!”

6.27pm GMT

That win moves Manchester United up to third in the table. They’re two points behind Leicester, who they meet next in the league on Boxing Day, and five behind Liverpool with a game in hand on both. Ole out!

6.25pm GMT

Just one more thing: what the hell was that?

6.24pm GMT

A glorious slugfest comes to an end. That was so much fun, too much fun almost, and there could have been a lot more than eight goals. I feel slightly dazed, so goodness know how the defenders on both sides must feel.

6.22pm GMT

Peep peep!

6.21pm GMT

90+3 min “That was a volleyball-style double dummy from Leeds,” says Hugh Molloy. “90th minute, 6-2 down. Phenomenal.”

6.20pm GMT

90+2 min McTominay, who started this nonsense with two goals in the first three minutes, has limped off with a groin injury. That’s a big blow for United.

6.20pm GMT

90+1 min There will be 12 hours of added time. Cavani has a low shot saved by Meslier.

6.19pm GMT

90 min Harrison misses a sitter, sliding Raphinha’s cross wide from eight yards after clever dummies from both Rodrigo and Bamford. This game could feasibly have finished 10-6.

6.16pm GMT

87 min Telles’s corner is headed over by Maguire. That’s the 41st attempt on goal: Manchester 25-16 Leeds.

6.16pm GMT

87 min Mercy.

6.16pm GMT

86 min Telles’s corner is headed straight at Meslier by Maguire. He rolls the ball out, United win it back straight away, and Meslier makes a terrifric save from Fred!

6.15pm GMT

86 min Telles’s fierce shot from a tight angle is pushed behind at the near post by Meslier.

6.14pm GMT

85 min Martial’s angled through ball finds Cavani, whose low shot is too close to Meslier. James’s follow-up is also saved by Meslier. It was a good double save, but Cavani should really have scored.

6.13pm GMT

84 min This is the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement that Manchester United have been in a title race at Christmas. I still think Liverpool will run away with it, mind.

6.12pm GMT

83 min “Please tell me,” says Karl Handy, “you think West Brom vs Villa is going to be a much more exciting game than this...”

As we speak, Big Sam is telling Ole to hold his beer, or maybe his pint of wine.

6.10pm GMT

81 min Now Ayling misses a decent chance, heading over from a corner.

6.10pm GMT

80 min Alioski’s cut-back is diverted by the stretching Fred towards Harrison, whose close-range shot is blocked desperately by Maguire. This is joyously bonkers.

6.09pm GMT

80 min I’ve never seen a game of football quite like this. The Expected Goals computer has probably blown up.

6.08pm GMT

79 min McTominay shoots well wide from 30 yards.

6.07pm GMT

78 min There have been 31 shots in this game: Manchester 18-13 Leeds.

6.07pm GMT

A corner was knocked up in the air by Lindelof. Bamford was about to volley it towards goal when he fell over after a challenge from van de Beek. No penalty. Hmm, I’d like to see that again.

6.06pm GMT

VAR check I think this will be a penalty to Leeds.

6.05pm GMT

76 min Here comes Leeds again, and Raphinha wins a corner. They get knocked down...

6.05pm GMT

75 min “I still believe that Leeds are overrated,” says Bogdan Kotarlic. “Yes, they are fun but I prefer watching games that finish 1-0 or 1-1 but with some real and good defending. There are some of us who actually think that good defenders (and there is always less of them) are welcomed to the game and Leeds don`t have them at all.”

I can certainly appreciate that viewpoint, Jose, but Leeds definitely make my world a much better place.

6.04pm GMT

74 min Leeds are still playing with the intensity and optimism of a team who are only one goal down. Their spirit is astonishing.

6.03pm GMT

Stuart Dallas scores a beautiful goal, sweeping a curler into the corner from the edge of the D.

6.02pm GMT

Hahahaha.

6.02pm GMT

73 min Man Utd break four on four yet again. McTominay finds Martial, who takes the ball inside Shackleton with his first touch and slides a low shot that is kicked away by Meslier. He should have scored.

6.01pm GMT

73 min “Leeds have built a reputation for swashbuckling football,” sys Peter Oh, “but today they’ve shown precious little swash and too much buckling.”

6.01pm GMT

72 min Leeds make their final change: Leif Davies replaces Liam Cooper, who is limping heavily.

6.00pm GMT

71 min A couple of substitutions: Donny van de Beek and Edinson Cavani replace Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.

5.59pm GMT

Fernandes dances round the ball, jumps on the spot and passes it into the bottom-right corner.

5.58pm GMT

PENALTY TO MANCHESTER UNITED! Martial dinked a loose ball over Struijk, whose followthrough took Martial’s legs from under him. It’s a soft penalty but a penalty nonetheless.

5.56pm GMT

United broke four on four for the umpteenth time today. McTominay cut inside from the left and drove a long, low pass towards Bruno Fernandes at the far post. It was intercepted by James, who pushed it past Ayling with a fine first touch and drove the ball through the legs of Meslier.

5.55pm GMT

Dan James gets a rare Premier League goal!

5.54pm GMT

66 min “Leeds overrated?” sniffs Tim Stappard. “Ridiculous. In this horrible year they are footballing Pfizer.”

In more ways than one.

5.54pm GMT

65 min de Gea plunges to his right to push Raphinha’s half-volley round the post. I think it was going wide anyway but de Gea took no chances.

5.51pm GMT

61 min “Leeds defence isn’t so much bad as suffering from the same problem as the city’s supermarket – Asda,” says Gary Naylor. “There aren’t enough staff and those that are there are in the wrong place.”

5.49pm GMT

60 min Martial tries to give McTominay a hat-trick with a teasing cross to the far post. Ayling does well to get back and head behind for a corner. Before it is taken, Luke Shaw is replaced by Alex Telles.

5.48pm GMT

59 min “Why no VAR for the James booking?” says Martin Lancon. “Farcical.”

They can’t adjudicate directly on yellow cards, though it would have been overturned had VAR given Man Utd a penalty. It probably wasn’t a foul though, and even if it was I think it was outside the area.

5.46pm GMT

57 min Bruno Fernandes leathers a long-range shot that hits Ayling and spins behind for a corner.

5.45pm GMT

55 min Shaw’s corner grazes the head of the leaping Bruno Fernandes. Approximately 1.4 seconds later, Dallas has a shot blocked by Maguire at the other end.

5.42pm GMT

52 min James is booked for diving. Manchester United broke four on three, with James on the ball. He ran straight at Cooper, who put his arm across James’s neck on the edge of the area. James fell over, expecting a penalty, and was surprised to see Anthony Taylor’s yellow card. That’s a bit harsh I think.

5.40pm GMT

50 min: Brilliant save from de Gea! This is glorious stuff. Rodrigo, on the right, curled a brilliant deep cross towards Raphinha at the far post. He sidefooted a fierce close-range volley that was pushed up in the air by de Gea, the kind of marvellous reaction save he used to make every week. The ball eventually rebounded off the far post before Maguire put it behind.

5.38pm GMT

49 min “Am I the only one who thinks that Bielsa`s Leeds are overrated?” says Bogdan Kotarlic. “They are fit and they play interesting football but their defending is awful.”

I don’t think they’re overrated; they’re just very popular because they’re so much fun.

5.37pm GMT

47 min: Martial misses a sitter! It should be 5-1. Fred won the ball off Dallas in midfield and found Fernandes. He eased a pass through to Martial, who took it beautifully in his stride but slid a low shot wide of the far post.

5.35pm GMT

46 min Shackleton has gone to right-back, with Dallas moving into midfield. Struijk has taken Phillips’ place in front of the back four.

5.34pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! Manchester United begin the second half. Leeds have made two changes: Pascal Struijk and Jamie Shackleton replace Kalvin Phillips and Mateusz Klich.

5.30pm GMT

“Stunning first half,” says Mark Gale. “Though I truly believe this Manchester United team have what it takes to lose 5-4.”

Imagine Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle against Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds. The ‘action areas’ percentages would be 49/2/49.

5.27pm GMT

Podcast department

5.19pm GMT

Half-time reading

Yeah, nice one, but did he score his second in the third minute like Scott McTominay?

5.18pm GMT

Please don’t ask me to summarise that.

5.17pm GMT

45+1 min “Doogie Howser,” says Matt Dony, “was Keyser Soze all along. (I mean, makes as much sense as this scoreline.)”

You say that, but is anyone surprised by this score? Anything from 6-0 all the way round to 0-6 was conceivable.

5.15pm GMT

45 min Rashford draws a decent save from Meslier with a low left-footed drive from 20 yards.

5.15pm GMT

44 min Man Utd break four on four. Of course they do. Rashrford runs at Ayling, cuts inside and hits a shot that deflects behind off Cooper.

5.14pm GMT

43 min Harrison’s corner is headed over his own bar by Wan-Bissaka. I never thought I’d say this, but Manchester United might need a fifth goal...

5.13pm GMT

This is sheer delightful (and slightly bonkers) football. Raphinha’s outswinging corner is met emphatically by Cooper, who flicks an accomplished header into the net. De Gea got a hand on it at full stretch and couldn’t keep it out.

5.12pm GMT

41 min “Hello Rob,” says Geoff Wignall. “There was a time when I thought McTominay looked a real prospect, but he seems to have lost his entire mojo in the last half hour or so.”

5.10pm GMT

39 min Go on, explain it.

5.09pm GMT

38 min Leeds are 4-0 down, and they have covered themselves in glory. Explain that.

5.09pm GMT

Shaw’s outswinging corner was headed on by Martial towards the far post, where Lindelof lost Phillips and slipped the ball under Meslier.

5.08pm GMT

Effing hell it’s Victor Lindelof!

5.07pm GMT

35 min “Doogie Howser,” says David Wall. “He’s exposed as having bought his medical degree from Trump University, is struck off the medical register, and jailed for numerous counts of assault and obtaining drugs under false pretences. But there’s a spin off show, Doogie Howser Prison Kingpin, that is even more successful.”

I knew I recognised that young-looking bloke in Oz.

5.05pm GMT

34 min Dallas’s cross hits James and goes behind for a corner. Phillips’s outswinger is only cleared as far as Raphinha, whose low drive is kicked away by the stretching de Gea. Taat’s good save, though it might not have counted - Harrison, in front of the keeper, was subsequently flagged offside.

5.04pm GMT

32 min Alioski’s stinging shot is blocked by Wan-Bissaka. Leeds are like Tigger, whatever the scoreline.

5.03pm GMT

32 min Manchester United look so dangerous on the counter-attack. With a better final ball and a bit more concentration, they could have had a couple more goals.

5.02pm GMT

31 min Martial runs at Ayling to win a corner for Manchester United. Shaw’s outswinger is headed away well by Cooper, under pressure from Maguire.

5.01pm GMT

30 min “Last year on a business trip to Japan I saw an elderly gentleman in a cafe in the genteel suburb of Shirokanedai in Tokyo,” says Tony Barr. “He was wearing a Scotland home shirt with ‘McTominay’ on the back. I wondered what he had done to inspire such admiration from afar. Today goes some way towards an explanation...”

5.00pm GMT

29 min Another dangerous Manchester United counter-attack ends with James having a shot blocked by Phillips. Leeds go down the other end and Raphinha’s shot hits Fred.

4.58pm GMT

27 min It’s all Leeds at the moment. I suppose if they are going to win a league game at Old Trafford for the first time since 1981, they might as well do it the hard way.

4.57pm GMT

26 min “Leeds is the best marketing tool the Premier League has,” says Mary Waltz. “ am sure the Jose-leaning purists are having seizures at the lack of defence but they don’t get it. There down 3-0 but they are not out of the match. it’s the non-stop action that is so much fun to watch. Even the odd low scoring Leeds fixture is full of action. Give me more of this. Yes, please.”

The Jose-leaning purists? Isn’t that an oxymoron?

4.56pm GMT

25 min Klich lifts in a good cross from the right towards Bamford, who gets in front of Wan-Bissaka but heads over from 10 yards. That was another chance, though not as clear as the earlier one. Leeds, god bless them, haven’t given this up at all.

4.54pm GMT

24 min I said a win would put Manchester United fourth in the table, but if they win by four goals (or 4-1, 5-2 etc) they will jump to third with a game in hand. Solskjaer out!

4.53pm GMT

22 min “Hi Rob,” says Dexter Stern. “I’m shocked at the revelation you have not watched Batman Begins, which means the moment in The Dark Knight Rises when Miranda Tate announces to Batman SHE is the child of Ra’s Al-Ghul will mean nothing to you. Nothing.”

If anyone spoils the ending of Doogie Howser MD, there’ll be trouble.

4.52pm GMT

Leeds are picked apart on the break. Rodridgo gives the ball to James on the halfway line and Manchester United set off. Fred surges through midfield and tries to find Martial in the area. He is well tackled by Ayling but the ball falls nicely for Fernandes, who smacks a low drive into the far corner from 10 yards.

4.51pm GMT

Oh my days.

4.50pm GMT

19 min: Bamford has a goal disallowed for offside! Rodrigo’s shot was half blocked and came to Bamford, who rifled it through the hand of the diving de Gea. Replays confirm he was a couple of yards offside.

4.49pm GMT

18 min Leeds win their first corner. Raphinha’s inswinger rebounds off a couple of defenders and Manchester United clear. I thought that might have hit an arm, though nobody on the field seems interested in what I think.

4.47pm GMT

16 min Rashford looks in the mood; he has beaten a Leeds defender with a body swerve two or three times already.

4.46pm GMT

3 - Scott McTominay is the first player in Premier League history to score twice in the first three minutes of a match. Madness. pic.twitter.com/QtFGGS1JXa

4.45pm GMT

14 min Another good bit of defending from Cooper, who slides to stop Martial’s through ball reaching Rashford.

4.43pm GMT

12 min Scott McTominay scored more goals from open play in the first three minutes than the entire Manchester United team had managed in nine hours of Premier League football at Old Trafford this season.

4.41pm GMT

11 min “Go football!” says Travis Giblin.

It’s all sorts of fun, this.

4.41pm GMT

10 min Rashford beats Dallas on the edge of the area through sleight of hip and hits a rasping drive that is blocked by Cooper.

4.40pm GMT

9 min “Watching Bielsa’s pre-match interviews, I can’t help but wonder if he is just a front and his translator is the real mastermind,” says Vibhanshu Bisht. “Like Liam Neeson being the real Ra’s Al-Ghul in Batman Begins.”

Thanks for spoiling a 15-year-old film I was probably never going to watch anyway.

4.39pm GMT

8 min: Bamford misses an excellent chance! Leeds should be back in it. Rodrigo played a beautiful first-time pass down the inside-left channel towards Bamford, who held off Lindelof but steered his shot wide of the far post.

4.38pm GMT

7 min Leeds are surging forward, just as they do whether it’s 2-0, 0-0 or 0-2. This could easily end 5-5.

4.37pm GMT

6 min I know it’s been a surreal year, but Scott McTominay scoring two beauties in the first three minutes really is pushing it.

4.36pm GMT

5 min Leeds almost get one back straight away. Harrison’s low cross is taken off Raphinha’s toe by Luke Shaw on the six-yard line. This is hilarious, it’s a basketball match.

4.35pm GMT

This is ridiculous. Shaw’s throw was collected by Martial, who moved infield from the left. McTominay made a barnstorming run into the area, and Martial picked him out with a nice through pass. McTominay took it beautifully in his stride and swept it past Meslier. Another very good finish.

4.34pm GMT

Scott McTominay, goal machine.

4.34pm GMT

Shaw won the ball off Raphinha near the halfway line and found Rashford, who pushed the ball infield to find Bruno Fernandes in a lot of space. Fernandes ran towards the edge of the area and played an invitational square pass to McTominay, who marched onto the ball and spanked a brilliant low drive into the corner.

4.33pm GMT

A dream start for Manchester United!

4.31pm GMT

1 min Peep peep! Leeds, in white, kick off from right to left. Man Utd are in red.

4.28pm GMT

Here come the players. Ach, if only there was a crowd at Old Trafford, even 2,000.

4.27pm GMT

Prediction Manchester United 12-11 Leeds United.

4.25pm GMT

Manchester United v Leeds United is one of the most mouthwatering matches of any season. This one comes with added Bielsa. I cannot wait.

4.14pm GMT

Manchester United will go fourth if they win today, with a game in hand on those above them. A victory for Leeds would lift them into the top ten.

4.09pm GMT

Tottenham were well beaten by Leicester in the 2.15pm game. Daniel Harris will tell you more.

4.08pm GMT

“Hi Rob,” says Conol Huetter. “While Pogba can certainly be a defensive liability and doesn’t deserve to be an automatic pick, his ability to slow the game down and keep the ball could be missed in a game that looks like it will be frantic and end-to-end. Fred, for all his improvement, still loves to dither on the ball, and Leeds could absolutely punish that. I hope I’m wrong.”

Pogba dithers on the ball even more, I’d argue, though I thought he would start after his performance on Thursday.

3.42pm GMT

Pre-match reading

3.37pm GMT

David de Gea returns in goal for Manchester United, one of five changes from the team that beat Sheffield United on Thursday. Dan James, Scott McTominay, Fred and Luke Shaw replaces Mason Greenwood, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Alex Telles.

Leeds are unchanged from the team that thumped Newcastle on Wednesday.

12.10pm GMT

Hello. Manchester United and Leeds United have a unique rivalry, fuelled by pharmaceutical grade hatred. There’s nothing quite like it in English football. It’s such a shame there will be no crowd at Old Trafford for their first league meeting since 2004, but the match should still be played with a shuddering intensity. You get that with Leeds at the best of times, never mind in a game of this significance.

Leeds won on their last visit to Old Trafford, an FA Cup shock in 2010, but their last league victory here was in 1981. Marcelo Bielsa is already adored by everyone connected with Leeds; imagine if he wins today. His intrepid Athletic Bilbao played Manchester United off the pitch in a Uefa Cup tie in 2012, and Leeds will come with the same aggressive approach. Manchester would be well advised not to make their usual slow start.

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Published on December 20, 2020 11:00

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

Jordan Nobbs, Caitlin Foord, Jen Beattie and Beth Mead scored as Arsenal thumped Everton to move up to second in the table

2.25pm GMT

Peep peep! Arsenal move up to second after a comfortable victory over Everton. Vivianne Miedema was rested but Arsenal got on just fine without her: Jordan Nobbs and Caitlin Foord scored in the first 10 minutes, and Jill Beattie and Beth Mead finished Everton off in the second half. Mead’s goal was a beauty.

That’s it for today’s blog. Thanks for your company; bye!

2.21pm GMT

90 min van de Donk breaks into space on the right and picks out Little, whose first-time shot hits her teammate Miedema and deflects wide. I don’t think it was on target anyway.

2.20pm GMT

88 min: Boye-Hlorkah hits the bar! Everton were close to a consolation goal there. Wold played a one-two on the right and cut the ball back to Boye-Hlorkah on the edge of the area. She shifted the ball infield, onto her left foot, and cracked a rising drive that beat Williams and thumped off the top of the bar.

2.17pm GMT

86 min Arsenal have a bit of a break after this game - their next match is at Aston Villa on 9 January. Everton play Man Utd the following day.

2.14pm GMT

82 min Evans feeds a pass into Miedema, who is challenged on the edge of the area by Graham. The ball runs through to Little, whose close-range shot is brilliantly saved by MacIver.

2.11pm GMT

80 min Another change for Arsenal: Leonie Maier replaces Katie McCabe at left-back.

2.09pm GMT

77 min The match is petering out. Everton were playing quite well at 2-0 but those two quick goals finished them off.

2.05pm GMT

74 min Two changes for Everton as well. Molly Pike and Chantel Boye-Hlorkah replace Hayley Raso and Nicoline Sorensen.

2.04pm GMT

72 min A double change for Arsenal: Danielle van de Donk and some unknown hopeful called Vivianne Miedema replace Jill Roord and Caitlin Foord.

2.00pm GMT

68 min Almost a fifth goal for Arsenal. Mead slides a lovely through pass to Foord, who dances round the outrushing MacIver on the edge of the area. The touch takes her a little wide, though, and MacIver has time to get back and block Foord’s shot. Good save.

1.56pm GMT

64 min It has finished Manchester United 6-1 Bristol City at Leith Sports Village. Leah Galton and Tobin Heath got two goals each for the leaders, who will be four points clear of second-placed Arsenal when this game finishes.

1.55pm GMT

A brilliant goal from Beth Mead! She ran onto a long pass forward from Nobbs, turned smoothly inside Pattinson and curled an emphatic shot into the net from the edge of the area.

1.53pm GMT

61 min An Arsenal change: Malin Gut off, Lia Walti on.

1.53pm GMT

Arsenal score from the corner! McCabe drove it deep, MacIver punched fresh air and Beattie headed into an empty net from five yards. It was a bad mistake from the usually excellent MacIver, but a lovely moment for Jen Beattie.

1.52pm GMT

60 min: Good save from MacIver! Roord almost wrapped it up for Arsenal. Finnigan was dispossessed on the edge of the area by Nobbs, who pirouetted smartly and teed up Roord. Her low shot was pushed behind by MacIver.

1.50pm GMT

58 min Raso floats a good ball to find Clinton on the right of the area. Her chest control is a fraction too heavy, which allows McCabe to clear. Everton have been much better in the second half.

1.47pm GMT

56 min Tobin Heath’s second goal has made it Man Utd 6-1 Bristol City.

1.46pm GMT

55 min Beattie loses the ball in her own area to Raso, but her cross goes straight into the arms of Williams.

1.45pm GMT

55 min Roord breaks into the area on the right and drives a dangerous low cross that is booted away at the near post. Arsenal have caused lots of problems with low crosses today.

1.43pm GMT

51 min Everton have made a decent start to the second half, albeit without creating any chances. Meantime, Tobin Heath has made it Man Utd 5-1 Bristol City.

1.40pm GMT

48 min If it stays like this Arsenal will move above Chelsea into second, four points behind Manchester United. Chelsea do have two games in hand though.

1.39pm GMT

47 min “What a tonic for anyone who cares about Arsenal Football Club and for good football,” says Charles Antaki. “Calmness, progressivity, composure and goals. And Viv Miedema in reserve. Required watching for those requiring an injection of faith, i.e. all Arsenal fans.”

1.38pm GMT

46 min Peep peep!

1.37pm GMT

Everton have made a half-time change: Poppy Pattinson replaces Dan Turner at left back.

1.33pm GMT

Another goal at Leigh Sports Village - but it’s gone to Bristol City. Ebony Salmon has made it Man Utd 4-1 Bristol City.

1.26pm GMT

Manchester United are 4-0 up against Bristol City. Leah Galton has got her second, and has about half an hour to complete a hat-trick.

1.20pm GMT

Peep peep! That was a bit of a stroll for Arsenal: Jordan Nobbs and Caitlin Foord scored simple goals in the first 10 minutes, and both missed decent chances to make it 3-0. Everton have been outplayed.

1.18pm GMT

45 min Two minutes of added time. Willie Kirk has work to do at half-time.

1.13pm GMT

41 min The leaders Manchester United are cruising to victory over Bristol City: Jessica Sigsworth has put them 3-0 up.

1.13pm GMT

40 min Everton are working extremely hard, and their attitude is beyond reproach, but Arsenal have had a bit too much class.

1.10pm GMT

38 min Another chance for Arsenal. McCabe’s excellent corner from the left is headed over by Beattie at the far post.

1.06pm GMT

34 min After a nice passing move, Mead shoots well wide from long range. Arsenal are very comfortable.

1.03pm GMT

31 min The corner is fired into Nobbs, unmarked on the edge of the area, but she miscontrols it. That was a chance.

1.03pm GMT

30 min Mead’s shot deflects behind for a corner, Arsenal’s first of the game.

1.00pm GMT

27 min Little is shoved off the ball in midfield by Clemaron, who finds Raso in a bit of space. She runs straight at the heart of the defence before being classily dispossessed by Beattie.

12.57pm GMT

25 min Beattie has had a concussion test and is going to continue.

12.56pm GMT

22 min: Chance for Everton! Out of nothing, Everton almost get one back. Sorensen had a shot blocked by the legs of Williams at the near post. Williamson picked up the loose ball and tried to run it out of danger but instead gave it straight to Raso, whose snapshot was deflected just wide. Raso’s followthrough took her into the sliding Jen Beattie, who is down and will need treatment.

12.52pm GMT

19 min This is too easy for Arsenal. Evans beats Turner on the right and cuts the ball back to Roord, whose shot is blocked.

12.50pm GMT

Manchester United 2-0 Bristol City is the half-time score at Leigh Sports Village. Millie Turner scored United’s second in injury time.

12.48pm GMT

16 min Foord misses a good chance to make it 3-0, lofting over the bar from 15 yards after a good pass from Nobbs.

12.47pm GMT

15 min Everton have had much more of the ball since going 2-0 down, though it’s all been in front of the Arsenal defence.

12.45pm GMT

12 min That goal was a rhymester’s dream. Made by Roord, scored by Foord. I’ll let you do the rest.

12.43pm GMT

Two-nil! Williamson drives a fine pass down the inside-right channel to release Roord. She looks up and slides an excellent low cross to Foord a simple chance at the far post.

12.40pm GMT

8 min Arsenal have started with impressive intensity and are well on top.

12.37pm GMT

The perfect start for Arsenal! Jordan Nobbs, back in the side after injury, taps home from close range after excellent play from Mead. She skinned Turner on the right wing and hammered a low cross into the six-yard box; Nobbs couldn’t miss.

12.36pm GMT

4 min McCabe’s low cross from the left leads to a scramble in the Everton area, during which Nobbs and Roord both have shots blocked.

12.35pm GMT

3 min Nothing to report so far. You’re welcome.

12.32pm GMT

1 min Peep peep! Everton, in their yellow away strip, kick off from left to right. Arsenal are in red and white.

12.26pm GMT

It’s almost time for kick-off. Meanwhile, Leah Galton has put Man Utd 1-0 up against Bristol City.

12.16pm GMT

The leaders Manchester United are playing the bottom club Bristol City at Leigh Sports Village. After 15 minutes, it’s still 0-0.

11.45am GMT

Pre-match reading

11.32am GMT

Vivianne Miedema is on the Arsenal bench, presumably rested. Jordan Nobbs replaces her. Hayden Raso returns to the Everton team in place of Simone Magill.

Arsenal (4-3-3) Williams; Evans, Williamson, Beattie, McCabe; Gut, Little, Roord; Mead, Foord, Nobbs.
Substitutes: Zinsberger, Stenson, Maier, Walti, van de Donk, Miedema.

9.52am GMT

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Arsenal v Everton from Meadow Park. It’s a chance for Arsenal to bounce back from that frustrating defeat at Manchester City last weekend. They have picked up only one point from three games against their fellow title challengers, a recurring problem for Joe Montemurro’s side, but at least they have been ruthless against the rest: six games, six wins, 32 (T-H-I-R-T-Y-T-etc) goals.

Everton, the best of the rest, will be a tougher challenge, but Arsenal will expect to win. And they need to: they are already four points behind Manchester United (and one behind Chelsea having played a game more). If they are to win the league, they probably need to win every game against the teams outside the top four.

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Published on December 20, 2020 06:26

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