Category: Football (Soccer)

Sandro Tonali sets the tone, Manchester City debutants have mixed fortunes and Brighton must find their edge

As a cure for the Sunday fear, the self-identifying worst Manchester United team in history’s trip to Craven Cottage was pot-boiling viewing. It will be some time until Ruben Amorim can stage high-end entertainment of a Wolf Hall standard but at least relegation is now unlikely to be the series conclusion. United fans were singing the manager’s name once Lisandro Martínez’s fortuitous winner span in. A fragile belief is growing. Such are the lenses on United any result is seen as a signifier, but beating Fulham is not a return of the glory days. The last United manager to lose at Craven Cottage was Sir Alex Ferguson himself. Amorim should take heart from a more solid defensive performance, Harry Maguire the organising heart of the trio, Martínez aggressive and provocative alongside him, looking closer to be the player he promised to be two seasons ago. Toby Collyer’s late clearance off the line completed a much more positive week than last. John Brewin

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Lisandro Martinez’s deflected shot gave Man Utd an ugly but important victory at Craven Cottage

Marco Silva and Ruben Amorim, friends off the pitch, embrace on the touchline. Time for action.

Sign up to United Writing. I dare you. I double dare you.

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West Ham started terribly but came back strongly after Aston Villa were forced to reorganise when Tyrone Mings was forced off with injury

1 min: Peeeeeep! Aston Villa get the ball rolling.

Just before kick-off, here’s Jacob Steinberg’s report on Tottenham’s latest misfortune:

Away from the mutinous chants pouring down from the south stand, the unmistakeable disgust with Daniel Levy and the gathering angst around Ange Postecoglou, it was possible to forget about Leicester. Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side have endured a horrible winter and, when they found themselves behind to a fragile Tottenham at half-time, they had the look of a group waiting for the sweet release of relegation.

At that stage they were on their way to their eighth consecutive defeat in the Premier League, equalling a club record set in the 2000-01 season. If history was a guide, though, then playing Spurs was good news for Van Nistelrooy. After all Leicester stopped the rot by beating them 4-2 at Filbert Street 24 years ago. It meant there was almost a grim inevitability to how this match unfolded. In control after Richarlison’s header, it was astonishing to see an injury-hit Spurs collapse in the first five minutes of the second half, 1-0 becoming 1-2 thanks to goals from Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannous.

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After scoring on 68 minutes, Erling Haaland’s expression was pure box office – and who could blame him? Manchester City had hit the front, Chelsea were cowed, and relief mainlined through Pep Guardiola.

The ruthless striker’s 18th Premier League goal of the season was a sweet lofted effort fashioned over a backpedalling, out-of-position Robert Sánchez in the Chelsea goal: Haaland watched the ball kiss the net, then offered a comical what-else-do-you-expect face to the jubilant congregation.

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Second-half goals from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden boosted Pep Guardiola after an early mistake by City debutant Abdukodir Khusanov

Chelsea get the ball rolling. Then an early touch for the new boy Khusanov.

Before kick-off, a moment to remember three former Manchester City players who have recently passed on: Tony Book, Denis Law and Bobby Kennedy. The warmest of applause and an a cappella version of Blue Moon.

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Dango Ouattara scored a hat-trick as Bournemouth hammered Forest, while Riccardo Calafiori gave ten-man Arsenal a crucial win

Arsenal are without Martin Odegaard, who is unwell, but William Saliba and Myles Lewis-Skelly return.

Wolverhampton (3-4-2-1) Jose Sa; Doherty, Bueno, Agbadou; Nelson Semedo, Andre Trindade, Joao Gomes, Ait Nouri; Sarabia, Cunha; Larsen.
Subs: Johnstone, Hwang, Dawson, Rodrigo Gomes, Doyle, Toti Gomes, Bellegarde, Goncalo Guedes, Pedro Lima.

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• Dewsbury-Hall and Chukwuemeka catch Moyes’s eye
• Dwight McNeil set for surgery on knee injury

Everton are hoping to send Armando Broja back to Chelsea in exchange for another loan from Stamford Bridge, with the midfielders Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka on David Moyes’s wishlist.

Everton had wanted to terminate Broja’s season-long loan after the Albania international was ruled out for 10-12 weeks with ankle ligament damage, only for Chelsea to demand compensation for the remainder of the deal. Moyes is desperate to improve his attacking options in this window but Everton, who still have to be mindful of profitability and sustainability restrictions, have used their full allocation of four loan signings this season. One potential solution that has arisen in talks between the two clubs is for Broja to return to Chelsea and Everton to take another of their players on loan.

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Chelsea travel to the Etihad to take on Manchester City while Fulham host Manchester United at Craven Cottage

Saturday 3pm Venue Vitality Stadium

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Harvey Elliott deserves a Liverpool start, Chelsea should go for the jugular at City and Mikey Moore would help Spurs

In a surprise to pre-season predictors, this match is as important as a fixture in January can be in the battle for Champions League football. Nottingham Forest head into the weekend level with second-placed Arsenal, while Bournemouth are three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and seven back from Forest. The scrutiny on both teams is growing but they keep answering the questions thrown at them. Despite having no out-and-out striker last weekend, Bournemouth put four past Newcastle, giving Nuno Espírito Santo a warning. Justin Kluivert scored a hat-trick, his second of the season, at St James’ Park as Andoni Iraola’s flexible front four excelled. Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo might feel more confident against a natural No 9 but Forest’s centre-back pairing will relish the challenge. Will Unwin

Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm (all times GMT)

Brighton v Everton, Saturday 3pm

Liverpool v Ipswich, Saturday 3pm

Southampton v Newcastle, Saturday 3pm

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