Key events
Scottish Premiership: Rangers 1-0 Motherwell Ryan Naderi, who has only just come on to replace the injured Lawrence Shankland, has put Rangers in front at home to Motherwell.
NO GOAL! Brentford 0-0 Sunderland
After a life-affirmingly long VAR check, Dan Ballard’s goal has been erased. Kevin Danso was in an offside position and standing in front of the keeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
GOAL! Fulham 1-0 Crystal Palace (King 12)
Josh King’s shot takes a big deflection and wrongfoots Dean Henderson; Fulham are in front.
7 min: Man City 0-0 Coventry A routine backpass from Khusanov rolls under the foot of Donnarumma, who scrambles desperately clear the ball off the line.
GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Sunderland (Ballard 7)
Dan Ballard has put Sunderland ahead at the Gtech.
Championship Joel Piroe has given West Ham an early lead at home to Derby – and why not?
“Looking forward to your MBM,” writes Jeremy Boyce. “There’s plenty of interest and hopefully action in store without looking outside the Premier League, and much, much more if you do. [I only have two eyes and one slightly added brain – Smyth.]
“It hasn’t started too well, hometown team (and scene of much of my early years spectating) the Mighty Shrews looking at another season of struggle after today’s 2-0 regulation defeat at the Macs (Fleetwood).
“Hoping for better but fearing the worst for the ‘big’ team I’ve supported since those days, NotSoNastyAsTheyUsedToBe Leeds facing a tricky afternoon at the Amex, home of smart signings and good business model.
“Very happy to see Sheff Wed getting points again, after all their mighty fall (copyright Mark E Smith), hope they’ve bottomed out now.”
RIP Bill.
Premier League The 3pm games are under way, and these are the latest scores.
-
Brentford 0-0 Sunderland
-
Brighton 0-0 Leeds
-
Fulham 0-0 Crystal Palace
-
Manchester City 0-0 Coventry
-
Nottingham Forest 0-0 Tottenham
-
Newcastle 2-2 Bournemouth (FT)
Enzo replaces injured O’Reilly
Manchester City have made a late change to their team after Nico O’Reilly hurt his back during the warm-up. Enzo Fernandez comes into midfield for his City debut.
Man City (poss 4-2-3-1) Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol; Anderson, Enzo Fernandez; Ndiaye, Cherki, Semenyo; Haaland.
Subs: Rulli, Kovacic, Ait Nouri, Matheus Luiz, Bouaddi, Foden, McAidoo, Lewis.
Coventry (poss 3-4-2-1) Rushworth; Thomas, Amenda, Pinnock; Van Ewijk, Onyeka, Grimes, Dasilva; Rudoni, Mason-Clark; Awoniyi.
Subs: Bentley, Sakamoto, Yirenkyi, Simms, Tchaouna, Latibeaudiere, Thomas-Asante, Overgaard, Hamer.
Referee Paul Tierney (Lancashire)
Louise Taylor
Just as Bournemouth’s Alex Scott seemed to have succeeded in building a personal playground by the Tyne, another midfielder emerged from the shadows and ruined his afternoon.
Since Matthias Jaissle succeeded Eddie Howe as Newcastle’s manager, Jacob Ramsey has been largely shunted to the margins, but the home substitute’s superbly executed 88th minute equaliser ensured Scott and his team-mates had to settle for a point.
Like Jaissle, Marco Rose is a German graduate of the Red Bull school of management and a former RB Salzburg manager. Big on verticality, intensity and relentless pressing, both men have much in common, but systems are only as good as the players within them and, in Scott, Rose had a player blessed with the brain and vision to dominate central midfield.
By the time Ramsey rose from the bench, Bournemouth should have recorded their first win under Rose, but once again they proved incapable of retaining a lead and, thanks to Ramsey, Newcastle secured a face-saving draw.
Suzanne Wrack
A Veerle Buurman own goal punished a profligate Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, securing a point to Aston Villa in a frustrating start to their WSL title push.
How Villa came away with a point having conceded 64% possession and having amassed just seven shots to Chelsea’s 32 and five touches in the opposition box to the home team’s 57 is somewhat inexplicable.
Chelsea were creative and Lauren James was at her free-flowing best, but they just could not convert their many chances, and the new Aston Villa goalkeeper Akane Okuma’s monumental performance was a big part of that.
EFL results
Championship
-
Lincoln 1-1 Southampton
-
Preston 2-1 Blackburn
-
Stoke 4-0 Charlton
League One
League Two
-
Fleetwood 2-0 Shrewsbury
-
Salford 1-0 Port Vale
Full time: Chelsea 1-1 Aston Villa
A frustrating start to the WSL season for Chelsea. Lauren James scored a brilliant early goal, but Villa’s debutant keeper Akane Okuma kept them in the game with a series of saves. They nicked a point – their first against Chelsea in the WSL – when Veerle Buurman scored an unfortunate own goal.
Full time: Newcastle 2-2 Bournemouth
Newcastle came from 2-0 down to earn a point at St James’ Park. David Tindall has all the reaction.
“What new levels of comedy are we looking for from Spurs today?” wonders Krishnamoorthy V. “Down 4-0 after 25 minutes or blow a two-goal lead? Irrespective of the result, entertainment is guaranteed.”
I just want football to be the winner.
GOAL! Newcastle 2-2 Bournemouth (Ramsey 88) Jacob Ramsey has scored a late equaliser for Newcastle at St James’ Park. David Tindall has more.
“Hey Rob,” writes Simon McMahon. “Scotland’s game of the day is, as regular clockwatchers will no doubt be aware, at Tannadice where Dundee United take on Falkirk. It’s been a stuttering start for the Tangerines with an opening day draw against Rangers followed by disappointing defeats to Hearts, Dundee and then Motherwell last Wednesday, with only last weeks win at Kilmarnock offering some hope. Still early days, but three points today really the only thing that will prevent Jim Goodwin’s coat peg from becoming even shooglier.
“Deadline day signings Lyall Cameron and Zinedine Zidane Iqbal are both involved, the former Dundee man, but United fan, Cameron starting in midfield and headline writer’s dream Iqbal on the bench. Aberdeen v Kilmarnock and Rangers v Motherwell are the other 3 o’clock starts, with St. Mirren v Celtic at 8 tonight.”
Brentford v Sunderland team news
Brentford (4-2-3-1) Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Sangare, Janelt; Ouattara, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago.
Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Henry, Yarmolyuk, Wilson, Carvalho, Anthony, Diouf, Schuster.
Sunderland (3-4-2-1) Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Danso; Meunier, Sadiki, Xhaka, Mandava; Le Fee, Angulo; Brobbey.
Subs: Ellborg, Methalie, Rigg, O’Nien, Alderete, Isidor, Ahoka, Hume, Fofana.
Referee Thomas Bramall (Sheffield)
Liverpool are searching for a fourth sporting director in four years after confirming that Richard Hughes has stepped down from the role.
Hughes’s departure has been long expected, with the 47-year-old in line to take up a similar position with the Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal. He informed Liverpool of his intentions to leave early this year, after the departure of his friend Michael Edwards as chief executive of football for Fenway Sports Group, the club’s owner.
With work already under way on Liverpool’s summer transfer targets – including the signing of Bradley Barcola in a £123m deal – and Hughes enjoying a close working relationship with the new head coach, Andoni Iraola, it was agreed he would continue in the role until the end of the transfer window.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Aston Villa (Buurman og 79)
An unlikely equaliser at Stamford Bridge. Noelle Maritz’s shot is saved by Hannah Hampton but the ball rebounds off Veerle Buurman and into the net.
Manchester City v Coventry team news
Iliman Ndiaye starts for City after joining from Everton in the week. Phil Foden drops out and will be joined on the bench by City’s other big signing, Enzo Fernandez.
Coventry bring in Ethan Pinnock and Frank Onyeka for Caleb Yirenki and Loum Tchaouna.
Man City (poss 4-2-3-1) Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol; Anderson, O’Reilly; Ndiaye, Cherki, Semenyo; Haaland.
Subs: Rulli, Kovacic, Fernandez, Ait Nouri, Matheus Luiz, Bouaddi, Foden, McAidoo, Lewis.
Coventry (poss 3-4-2-1) Rushworth; Thomas, Amenda, Pinnock; Van Ewijk, Onyeka, Grimes, Dasilva; Rudoni, Mason-Clark; Awoniyi.
Subs: Bentley, Sakamoto, Yirenkyi, Simms, Tchaouna, Latibeaudiere, Thomas-Asante, Overgaard, Hamer.
Referee Paul Tierney (Lancashire)
Fulham v Crystal Palace team news
Quinten Timber, signed from Marseille, starts in midfield for Palace.
Fulham (4-2-3-1) Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Charles, Iwobi; Bobb, King, Palacios; Garcia.
Subs: Lecomte, Rodrigo Muniz, Kevin, Larsson, Berge, Angel, Affengruber, Sessegnon, Smith Rowe.
Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1) Henderson; Canvot, Richards, Disasi; Khalaili, Wharton, Timber, Mitchell; Pino, Kamada; Nketiah.
Subs: Benitez, Gozo, Tomiyasu, Hughes, Larsen, Osorio, Doucoure, Mingueza, Chilwell.
Referee Sam Barrott (West Yorkshire)
Nottingham Forest v Tottenham team news
Liam Delap replaces Igor Jesus up front for Forest. Savio, Destiny Udogie and Conor Gallagher come into the Spurs side.
Nottm Forest (3-4-2-1) Sels; Jair Cunha, Milenkovic, Murillo; Aina, Schlager, McAtee, Williams; Ndoye, Gibbs-White; Delap.
Subs: John Victor, Diomande, Hudson-Odoi, Dominguez, Wood, Igor Jesus, Yates, Netz, Munoz.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1) Kinsky; Porro, van Hecke, van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Tonali; Savio, Gallagher, Tel, Marmoush.
Subs: Dubravka, Robertson, Senesi, Gray, Bergvall, Fernandes, Solanke, Kudus, Mudryk.
68 min: Chelsea 1-0 Aston Villa Keira Walsh has just wobbled the crossbar at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea are pushing incessantly for a second goal.
Brighton v Leeds team news
Brighton (poss 4-2-3-1) Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Vuskovic, Dunk, Boscagli, Gross, Ayari; Gomez, Yalcouye, De Cuyper; Kostoulas.
Subs: Steele, Hadjam, Struijk, David, Andres, Osman, Costinha, O’Riley, Oriola.
Leeds (3-4-2-1) Trafford; Justin, Elvedi, Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson; Stach, Okafor; Calvert-Lewin.
Subs: Zetterer, James, Longstaff, Wilson, Aaronson, Nmecha, Bijol, Bahoya, Bard.
Referee Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
“Friday night games still feel a little newfangled (and, let’s face it, only psychopaths actually enjoy change), but there’s is something to be said for seeing your team win on a Friday, and being able to simply relax and enjoy a weekend’s football without The Fear,” writes Liverpool fan Matt Dony. “I don’t care who what happens today. It’s freeing. (Especially after the first two weekends.)”
Newfangled? Tell that to Arthur Graham.
EFL latest
Plenty of early kick-offs across the Championship, League One and League Two. You can see all the details on our live scores page. The most eyecatching scoreline is in Staffordshire, where Stoke lead Charlton 4-0.
Justin Devenny, who signed from Crystal Palace in the week, is on a debut hat-trick – as is his new teammate Ethan Galbraith. Charlton had 10 points from four games going into the game.
WSL half-time: Chelsea 1-0 Aston Villa
For the first time since 2019, Chelsea are beginning a WSL season as Not Champions. Their attempt to win it back is under way; they lead Aston Villa at half-time thanks to a solo goal of frightening simplicity* from Lauren James.
* At least that’s how she made it look. In reality it was anything but.
Premier League half-time: Newcastle 1-2 Bournemouth
Bournemouth, who have won their last two Premier League at St James’ Park, could be about to make it three in a row. They were 2-0 up through Marcus Tavernier and an own-goal from his initialsake Malick Thiaw before Harvey Barnes got one back. Join David Tindall for more.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to a bumperlicious Saturday clockwatch. No post-Europe matches tomorrow, which means our old friend, the Saturday 3pm kick-off, accounts for half of this weekend’s Premier League fixtures. These are the games we’ll be following today:
There’s also Chelsea v Aston Villa in the WSL, a full EFL programme and much else besides. Let’s get it on.
Leave a Reply