Key events
The race for the Champions League is ON!
I went to see your friend and mine Pep Guardiola yesterday.
“Have we timewarped back to the 60s/70s?” asks Jeremy Boyce. “Coventry City v Southampton reads like a fixture from that era, and I can’t help thinking of Terry Paine’s sideburns, surely the finest to ever grace the top flight ? That and the Willie Carr/Ernie Hunt freekick routine.
“Ernie Hunt’s muttons weren’t too shabby either. Anyway, looks like FLCC are on their way back to the promised land, possibly replacing free-falling Spurs. A lot may depend on the outcome as Dr Tottenham make a house visit to struggling Liverpool tomorrow. They both need 3 points. Nailed on draw. Tudor lives again. Of course Coventry famously beat Spurs in a Cup Final, thanks to Tommy Hutchinson’s flying header. Those were the days, eh ?”
Middlesbrough have scored a vital goal against Bristol City through the very talented Leo Castledine.
Wolves might have their three Gomeses but Sunderland are fighting back with a trio of Joneses.
Starting lineups: Sunderland v Brighton
Sunderland: Ellborg; Geertruida, Ballard, Alderete, Hume; Xhaka, Sadiki; Diarra, Rigg, Talbi; Brobbey
Subs: Moore, Cirkin, O’Nien, Mayenda, Isidor, Jen. Jones, Jay. Jones, H. Jones, Whitaker
Brighton: Verbruggen; Hinshelwood, Dunk, Van Hecke, Kadioglu; Wieffer, Milner, Gomez; Gross, Welbeck, Minteh
Subs: Steele, March, Rutter, Boscagli, Ayari, De Cuyper, O’Riley, Veltman, Howell
Starting lineups: Burnley v Bournemouth
Burnley: Dubravka; Walker, Esteve, Humphreys, Hartman; Ward-Prowse, Laurent; Anthony, Hannibal, Foster; Flemming
Subs: Weiss, Worrall, Ugochukwu, Edwards, Florentino, Tchaouna, Pires, Broja, Barnes
Bournemouth: Petrovic; Smith, Senesi, Hill, Truffert; Scott, Christie; Rayan, Kroupi, Tavernier; Evanilson
Subs: Mandas, Diakite, Unal, Brooks, Jimenez, Toth, Gannon-Doak, Adli, Milosavljevic
The beyond delightful Tom Garry has been to speak to the head honchos at Aston Villa Women.
And plenty of interest in L1 and L2.
League One
Lincoln 1-0 Stockport L
Rotherham 2-0 Bolton L
Doncaster v Blackpool
Exeter v Cardiff
Leyton Orient v Peterborough
Mansfield v Barnsley
Northampton v Burton Albion
Port Vale v Huddersfield
Reading v Plymouth
Stevenage v Wimbledon
Wigan v Bradford
Wycombe v Luton
League Two
Harrogate 0-0 Salford L
Notts County 2-2 Chesterfield L
Barnet v Newport
Barrow v Accrington
Bromley v Bristol Rovers
Crewe v Walsall
Fleetwood v Tranmere
Oldham v Grimsby
Shrewsbury v Cheltenham
Swindon v MK Dons
Southampton have just taken the lead at leaders Coventry thanks to Flynn Downes.
Today’s Championship games, with a few early kick-offs.
Coventry 0-1 Southampton L
Middlesbrough 0-0 Bristol City L
Oxford 0-0 Charlton L
Birmingham v Sheffield United
Leicester v QPR
Millwall v Blackburn
Norwich v Preston
Sheffield Wednesday v Ipswich
Stoke v Watford
West Brom v Hull
Get in the mood for the weekend’s with 10 things. I wrote far too many of them.
Wrexham gave their promotion hopes a boost last night with a win over Welsh rivals Swansea but the match was a sideshow. Dominic Booth focused on the gantry shenanigans of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac.
Preamble
Buckle up, everyone! It is a bumper Saturday in the Premier League with the top two playing, not to mention Chelsea v Newcastle. Unfortunately, that comes from 5.30pm onwards. For now we have Burnley v Bournemouth and Sunderland v Brighton. We can all accept that the Clarets are heading down and the Seagulls will be signing off a steady but unspectacular season.
Bournemouth and Sunderland, however, have Europe on their minds. Andoni Iraola could see his side move up the eighth with a win at Turf Moor, and with Everton playing leaders Arsenal, could finish the weekend there. Burnley have shown glimpses of being a Premier League team, so it is not always easy in Lancashire but Bournemouth will be confident.
The Black Cats have stumbled recently but anyone in red and white will be ecstatic with the position they find themselves in. The hard work has already been done and potentially the freedom that comes with that could allow for a late surge up the table.
Premier League 3pm kick-offs.
Burnley v Bournemouth
Sunderland v Brighton
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