Category: Football (Soccer)

Marcus Rashford was the provider as Marco Asensio’s first two goals for Villa helped them come from behind to take all three points

• Read Ben Fisher’s match report from Villa Park

1 min: Villa get the ball rolling, their players wearing their usual home kit. Their visitors are in – I’m going to say – cream shirts, shorts and socks, with blue and orange trim.

Not long now: Black Sabbath are blaring over the Tannoy and the Champions League qualification hopes of both teams are very much up in the air. Referee Michael Oliver leads both sets of players out on to the Villa Park pitch, their arrival greeted by the thick end of 43,000 supporters, the vast majority of whom will be hoping for a game every bit as entertaining – but slightly less end-to-end and even – as the match between Villa and Liverpool on Wednesday night. Kick-off will be along very shortly.

National supporters will see their heroes play against each other when Manchester City meet Liverpool on Sunday

The rivalry between Manchester City and Liverpool has grown in recent years thanks to the coaching of Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp turning it into a battle for the title over numerous seasons. The fixture has become significant around the world but in one north African nation it has a new edge as their rising star and their national hero come face-to-face.

Omar Marmoush arrived in Manchester in January after City paid £59m to buy him from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Egypt forward built his reputation in Germany and has added to it in the Premier League after a hat-trick against Newcastle followed some promising performances to indicate he is up to Guardiola’s high standards. Marmoush is a beacon in a disappointing season for City but has some way to go to match his compatriot Mohamed Salah, the man leading Liverpool towards a second Premier League title. From Alexandria to Zagazig, eyes in Egypt will be on the Etihad on Sunday as the country’s heroes do battle.

Fabian Hürzeler said his only ­disappointment was not winning by more after seeing his side thump Southampton at St Mary’s.

The Seagulls ripped Southampton apart throughout with goals from João Pedro, Georginio Rutter, Kaoru Mitoma and Jack Hinshelwood ­taking them to within three points of the top six. But for some wasteful finishing and a brilliant performance from the Saints goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, the scoreline might have been even more impressive for Hürzeler’s Europe-chasing side.

Arsenal suffered a shock home defeat to West Ham thanks to a Jarrod Bowen goal

Bournemouth (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; Hill, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Christie, Adams, Cook; Kluivert, Semenyo; Ouattara.

Subs: Dennis, Brooks, Scott, Evanilson, Adams, Sinisterra, Soler, Jebbison, Winterburn.

Having restored parity from two goals down, Manchester United got a late reprieve when referee Andy Madley overturned his own decision to award Everton a penalty

• Read Andy Hunter’s match report from Goodison Park

Referee: Andy Madley

Assistants: Mat Wilkes and Craig Taylor.

Fourth official: Anthony Taylor.

VAR: Matt Donohue.

Assistant VAR: Derek Eaton.

A rousing fightback does not camouflage the extent to which Ruben Amorim and Manchester United were reprieved at Goodison Park. The visitors recovered from two goals down to salvage a point against in-form Everton, but only after a penalty awarded to David Moyes’ team was controversially overturned in the 96^th minute.

Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte, the latter with his first United goal, appeared to have rescued Amorim’s team from a dire first-half performance in which Beto and Abdoulaye Doucouré gave Everton a merited lead. Moyes’ side were comfortable until Fernandes converted a free-kick in the 72^nd minute but were given the chance to regain the lead in stoppage time. After André Onana had saved from Idrissa Gueye, Ashley Young appeared to be impeded by both Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire before he could reach the rebound. Referee Andrew Madley immediately awarded a spot-kick but overturned his decision after being sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR. It was a huge and debatable let-off for United.

• Scot is preparing Everton to face his former club
• Moyes says he is ‘a bit calmer’ now than earlier in career

David Moyes has said he wanted to “fight the world” when he first joined Everton and Manchester United but his calmer demeanour today should not be mistaken for a drop in passion.

The Everton manager insists it will be just another game when he faces United at Goodison Park on Saturday having competed against his former club several times with West Ham. Moyes was sacked only 10 months after succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford and described the setback as “part of life as a football manager. You have to find a way back and that’s what I had to do after the disappointment of losing my job at Manchester United.”

Aston Villa host Chelsea in the Saturday teatime match while Liverpool visit Manchester City on Sunday afternoon

Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue Goodison Park