Aston Villa v Arsenal: Premier League – live

⚽ Premier League updates from the 12.30pm GMT kick-off
Live scores | Table | Villans on the rise again | Mail Barry

1 min: Arsenal launch the ball forward down the right flank, win a throw-in and then concede a free-kick. From near the corner flag, Emi Martinez wellies the ball upfield as hard as he can.

1 min: Arsenal get the ball rolling in what could be a thrilling game, their players wearing white shirts, with burgundy shorts and socks. Villa are in their usual home colours.

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Southampton name Tonda Eckert as manager after successful interim spell

  • Under-21 coach has overseen improvement in form

  • ‘We go all in’ for promotion, Eckert says

Southampton have appointed their under-21 coach Tonda Eckert as manager with a contract taking him through to 2027, the Championship club announced on Friday.

The 32-year-old German has changed the team’s fortunes since taking over as interim coach last month following Will Still’s dismissal, guiding them to four wins in five matches.

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Rui Borges’s timely Sporting revival built on talent and a lucky charm

The Portuguese credits his loyalty to his trusty Casio watch for helping the head coach lift the Lisbon club after Ruben Amorim’s messy exit

If there is a stoppage in what is sure to be a supercharged Dérbi de Lisboa on Friday, the Sporting head coach, Rui Borges, will likely look down to check the watch he considers a lucky charm.

The black Casio – bought for €20 while still playing for his hometown club Mirandela in north-east Portugal, 150km inland from Porto – is a symbol of his superstitious nature and one he has maintained on his journey from the obscurity of being an amateur coach to making a mark on the biggest stage in club football.

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Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Van der Ven may be key for Spurs, Wissa could make Newcastle debut and Dyche deserves warm Everton welcome

Arsenal’s recent memories of Aston Villa are of awkward opponents. Mikel Arteta’s side squandered a two-goal lead at the Emirates Stadium when the teams last met, in January, Arsenal dropping two points, their title charge dented. With such little margin for error, it was the kind of day that boosted Liverpool and crystallised the sense that the Gunners would come up short. Villa also defeat Arsenal in 2023-24, abruptly halting Arteta’s six-game winning streak. Now Arsenal are in a different position, at the summit with a five-point lead – and six clear of Unai Emery’s team. Victory at Villa Park on Saturday, against a side that have lost only once in the league since August, would offer another significant indication that this could be the season Arsenal take the crown. Ben Fisher

Aston Villa v Arsenal, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Bournemouth v Chelsea, Saturday 3pm

Everton v Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm

Manchester City v Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

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Amorim ‘angry and frustrated’ after West Ham’s Magassa denies Manchester United

Until Soungoutou Magassa’s 83rd-minute equaliser Manchester United seemed to be flowering in the cold of winter on the way to a win that would have been their fifth in eight games.

Instead Jarrod Bowen’s flick-on from Andy Irving’s corner from the right had to be cleared off the line by Noussair Mazraoui, only for the ball to go straight to Magassa, who drove home a first goal for the Hammers.

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Manchester United 1-1 West Ham: Premier League – as it happened

Diogo Dalot’s well-taken goal looked to have earned Manchester United all three points, until Soungoutou Magassa’s late equaliser denied them

West Ham, resplendent in a blend of grey, beige and cream with a dash of yellow, get the ball rolling. They’re kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half.

The teams are out! Manchester United in their red, white and black, West Ham United in second-choice ecru. According to House & Garden magazine, ecru is “a notoriously finicky colour to define” but they give it a go anyway: it’s “a blend of grey, beige, cream, and a dash of yellow, less creamy than cream, and not eggshell.” So there you have it. We’ll be off in a minute.

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Wilfried Nancy’s move to Celtic means as much for MLS as it does for him

New Celtic manager may not be a big name but he won over the US league with leadership style and attractive football

Other managers won more in Major League Soccer than Wilfried Nancy. Bruce Arena, say, certainly has a fuller trophy cabinet. Nancy, however, lifted more than just trophies. He lifted standards. At Columbus Crew, he set a benchmark for the rest, showing what was possible even with limited resources. Columbus didn’t have Lionel Messi or Son Heung-min, but they had Nancy as head coach, and that was often enough.

For the past three seasons, the Crew have been the most dynamic, boundary-pushing team in MLS. Nancy’s CF Montreal team weren’t bad either, establishing the style of play that would come to be known as Nancyball. He changed MLS’s managerial landscape for ever. It was only a matter of time until a call came from Europe.

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Arsenal 2-0 Brentford, Leeds 3-1 Chelsea, and more: Premier League – as it happened

Arsenal restored their five-point lead at the top of the table, while Leeds beat Chelsea and Villa came back from 2-0 down to win 4-3 at Brighton

Email! “Could this be the first time that a player with the surname Henry will grace the Arsenal pitch since Thierry’s retirement? wonders Peter Oh – no, I’m sure Karl Henry played there for Wolves, as well as Rico himself, and how good it is to see him back.

“As a Liverpool fan I would love to see Arsenal drop points today and feel some Schade-freude. Ouattara the chances?”

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Liverpool 1-1 Sunderland: Premier League – as it happened

Sunderland were on course for their first win at Anfield since 1983 until Florian Wirtz forced an own-goal from Nordi Mukiele

1 min Liverpool kick off from right to left as we watch. They are in red; Sunderland are sporting their stylish Hummel change strip.

YNWA is being sung with the usual gusto at Anfield. The players on both sides look ready for business; let’s get it on.

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Celtic confirm Wilfried Nancy’s arrival as Martin O’Neill signs off with victory

  • O’Neill has been in interim charge since Rodgers’ exit

  • Celtic move level on points with Hearts after Dundee win

Celtic have appointed Wilfried Nancy, coach of Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer, as their new permanent manager to replace Brendan Rodgers, who was dismissed in October. He has signed a two-and-a-half year contract.

Martin O’Neill signed off his spell as interim manager with a 1-0 home win against Dundee on Wednesday night. The result moved Celtic level on points with Hearts, who remain top of the Scottish Premiership on goal difference despite being held to a 1-1 draw at home against Kilmarnock. Celtic also have a game in hand on their title rivals.

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Newcastle 2-2 Tottenham: Premier League – as it happened

Cristian Romero’s late overhead kick salvaged a point for Spurs after Newcastle were awarded a contentious penalty

Tottenham Hotspur kick off. A fine early-evening-pints-fuelled atmosphere at St James’ Park. Spurs are kicking towards the Gallowgate in this first half.

The teams are out! Newcastle in their famous black and white stripes, Spurs in 1982 FA Cup final yellow. A quick blast of the theme from Local Hero and we’ll be away. Howay!

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