And with that, I’m going to take a breather. I’ll be back in a bit for Leicester v Tottenham. Bye for now!
Jacob Steinberg reports from the London Stadium:
West Ham climbed into the top half after a brilliant comeback saw them secure three consecutive victories in the Premier League for the first time since December 2016. Wonderful strikes from Felipe Anderson and Robert Snodgrass, combined with a vintage piece of poaching from Javier Hernández, were enough for them to win from a goal down for the first time under Manuel Pellegrini.
Much more here:
Ben Fisher has filed his report from Cardiff:
Ralph Hasenhüttl accepted the Southampton job after six months recharging the batteries in the Austrian Alps but defeat here offered a jarring reminder of the mountain his new team must climb if they are to avoid relegation. A costly defensive error by Jannik Vestergaard gift-wrapped Cardiff a deserved victory, with Callum Paterson on hand to apply a composed finish 16 minutes from time. Southampton are now winless in 14 matches, having won four of their past 41 matches and they remain off the foot of the table only goal difference.
More here:
This is what the top six looks like ahead of the two late games:
Here's how the top of the table looks after the 3pm matches pic.twitter.com/QAds9GPyp3
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) December 8, 2018
Barry Glendenning is on Chelsea v Manchester City duty. You can follow it here:
I was at that Watford game, and it was absolutely dreadful.
2 - Arsenal vs Huddersfield saw fewer shots on target (2) than any Premier League game since October 28th 2017 (Watford v Stoke - also 2). Hypnagogic. pic.twitter.com/fEdYfm20IP
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 8, 2018
Here’s Paul Wilson’s match report on Manchester United’s 4-1 win over Fulham:
If only Manchester United could play Fulham every week people might begin to take them more seriously. The joke before kick-off at Old Trafford was that Liverpool had done United a favour by winning so handsomely at Bournemouth, because goal difference might be important in the battle for eighth place. Enter the Premier League’s bottom club, with a performance to prove that the table does not lie, and suddenly United are not just above Bournemouth but up to sixth.
Much more here:
Final score: Arsenal 1-0 Huddersfield
Torreira’s goal has proved enough to give Arsenal victory over Huddersfield!
On a similar theme, Walsall scored twice in stoppage time to beat Coventry 2-1!
FT: #Saddlers 🔴⚪️ 2-1 Coventry!
— Walsall FC Official (@WFCOfficial) December 8, 2018
WHAT A TURNAROUND!!!
Two goals from Luke Leahy is three minutes give us all three points!! pic.twitter.com/Q70PtlRBv6
There were also seven minutes of stoppage time at Yeovil. The home side were 1-0 (and a man) up when it started, and 2-1 down when it stopped.
FULL TIME | What a turnaround from the 10 men of Forest Green Rovers as Reuben Reid and George Williams both score in stoppage time to claimt he three points.#WeAreFGR pic.twitter.com/o0AJyIITKU
— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) December 8, 2018
Final score: Burnley 1-0 Brighton
Burnley survive some extreme late pressure to clinch three points!
Final score: West Ham 3-2 Crystal Palace
No wins in 11 for Palace, three wins on the spin for the Hammers!
Final score: Cardiff 1-0 Southampton
The size of Ralph Hhasenhüttl’s task is laid bare, as Southampton fall to defeat at in-form Cardiff!
Final score: Manchester United 4-1 Fulham
Well that was emphatic.
They have started seven minutes of stoppage time at Arsenal. Seven!
At Arsenal, Sokratis is furious with Depoitre after the Huddersfield striker went down in the penalty area. He did seem to be pushed, to be fair.
Here are the teams for the 5.30pm game. No space for Morata in Chelsea’s squad:
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso, Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic, Pedro, Hazard, Willian. Subs: Fabregas, Barkley, Loftus-Cheek, Caballero, Giroud, Christensen, Emerson Palmieri.
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Delph, Bernardo Silva, Fernandinho, Silva, Mahrez, Sterling, Sane. Subs: Danilo, Kompany, Gundogan, Otamendi, Gabriel Jesus, Foden, Muric.
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Huddersfield (Torreira, 83 mins)
Finally they get their goal! It comes from Guendouzi’s cross, which Aubameyang does excellently to control before chipping into the middle, where Torreira scores with an overhead kick!
Updated
Actually, Guendouzi is the third Arsenal player to be booked for diving.
GOAL! Man Utd 4-1 Fulham (Rashford, 83 mins)
You’ve got to look at the keeper there. Rashford creeps in from the left and, from the corner of the area, shoots past Sergio Rico at the near post!
A second Arsenal player is booked for diving, this time Guendouzi. That’s a bit embarrassing, no?
GOAL! West Ham 3-2 Crystal Palace (Schlupp, 74 mins)
Meyer’s cross, Schlupp’s header and it’s game on!
GOAL! Cardiff 1-0 Southampton (Paterson, 74 mins)
Of all ways to concede, the intercepted back-pass must be among the most depressing. But that has been Southampton’s fate, Paterson taking advantage!
Updated
Another abandonment to report:
MATCH ABANDONED!
— Accrington Stanley FC (@ASFCofficial) December 8, 2018
Referee Oliver Langford blows his whistle and directs the players off the pitch here at the Wham Stadium. A chorus of boos is replaced by a wave of applause as both sets of players head over to their supporters.
Updated
GOAL! West Ham 3-1 Crystal Palace (Felipe Anderson, 66 mins)
Another cracker for West Ham, who look victory-bound now!
Updated
Now Fulham go down to 10 men!
That’s a second booking for Anguissa, for fouling Rashford.
GOAL! Man Utd 3-1 Fulham (Kamara, 66 mins)
Herrera did get ball before man, and not a lot of man, but the referee points to the spot and Kamara sends De Gea the wrong way and strokes in nicely.
Updated
Fulham have a penalty!
Kamara, the half-time substitute, is brought down and Fulham have a chance to get one back!
GOAL! West Ham 2-1 Crystal Palace (Hernandez, 62 mins)
Felipe Anderson’s 22-yard free-kick is saved but the ball comes out to Chicharito, entirely on his own, who lashes it into the net with his left foot!
Updated
Fulham have a reasonable chance of their own, but Schurrle’s shot is dragged well wide.
Oooof! What a chance for United! It all came from a terrible clearance from Sergio Rico, and a few quick passes later Ander Herrera shoots across goal and, with the goalkeeper beaten, just wide!
Further Sancho-related statistical news:
18y 8m 13d - Jadon @Sanchooo10 is the youngest ever @BlackYellow player to score 6 #Bundesliga goals with 18 years, 8 months and 13 days. Rocket. #S04BVB pic.twitter.com/dDGHeI1X8Y
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) December 8, 2018
Meanwhile in Germany, Jadon Sancho has scored for Borussia Dortmund, putting them 2-1 up at Schalke.
1-2 At the age of 18, Jadon Sancho has become the youngest goalscorer for BVB in a #Bundesliga Revierderby. Lars Ricken held that record as he was 19 years and 110 days old when he scored in BVB's 2-1 away win on 28 October 1995.
— Gracenote Live (@GracenoteLive) December 8, 2018
GOAL! West Ham 1-1 Crystal Palace (Snodgrass, 48 mins)
Adam Kline-Schoder has an update from Cardiff: “The quality is exactly what you’d expect, i.e. so low it is almost entertaining in itself. Saints should probably be a man down, and Cardiff should be at least 2 ahead, but here we are and it’s 0-0. I believe commentators call this “an intriguing tactical battle.” Gripping stuff.”
Fulham have also made a double change, bringing on Vietto and Kamara while taking off Cairney and Mitrovic.
Updated
Peeep! Second halves are under way. In notable substitutional news Arsenal are bringing on Iwobi and Mkhitaryan, but only after extensive tactical instruction.
Sol Campbell’s Macclesfield are 1-0 down at half-time.
It’s now half time in all the Premier League matches. Have yourself a breather.
Another booking at Arsenal, Mustafi getting cautioned for diving. There was, at best, very minimal contact and the collapse was extremely theatrical. I think that’s the eighth yellow card of the game.
Torreira spanks a lovely long-range shot towards the Huddersfield goal, but Lossl makes a super save!
Celtic are 4-0 up at home to Kilmarnock before the half-time whistle, Ryan Christie scoring the latest.
GOAL DISALLOWED! Lacazette intercepts a back-pass and pokes into the net, but he was just offside a few moments earlier when the ball was headed on so the flag goes up. That one might be controversial.
GOAL! Man Utd 3-0 Fulham (Lukaku, 40 mins)
A third for United! This comes from a corner on the left, which is well worked to put Mata free and Lukaku taps in his low cross! Mata was very close to being offside there.
Updated
Hogg is booked a minute later, the fourth Huddersfield player in the book so far.
Some handbags at Arsenal after Williams takes down Torreira from behind and after it calms down a bit the Huddersfield player is rightly booked.
Marcus Rashford has just had a shot from a free kick 40 yards out that absolutely flew, rocketing towards goal until Sergio Rico pushed it away at full length.
Every time I look at the Arsenal game one of their forwards has their head in their hands after missing a golden chance. Both Aubameyang and Lacazette have been guilty in the last couple of minutes.
Swansea are running wild at Brentford - three up already!
28' | AAAAND ANOTHER!!! @LeroyFer8 turns home @oli_mcburnie attempted overhead volley. It fell nicely for our captain to prod home...👏👏
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) December 8, 2018
💻 Match Centre LIVE! 👉 https://t.co/4dzsVxtWZT
🔴 0 - 3 🔶 pic.twitter.com/97STzfmYA9
GOAL! Man Utd 2-0 Fulham (Mata, 28 mins)
Lukaku slides in Rashford, who runs into the area on the left side and passes inside to Mata, who from the edge of the area passes the ball into the net!
Updated
“I know this is a highly subjective question, but could Arsenal’s squad today be the Premier League’s craziest ever collection of consonants and vowels?” wonders Phil Grey. That line-up in full:
Arsenal: Leno, Lichtsteiner, Mustafi, Papastathopoulos, Bellerin, Guendouzi, Torreira, Xhaka, Kolasinac, Aubameyang, Lacazette. Subs: Cech, Elneny, Koscielny, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi, Monreal, Nketiah.
Celtic have gone 2-0 up against Kilmarnock and appear to be on their way to the top of the table.
Here’s the story of one game in Tweets:
GAME ON as we welcome @ColwynBayFC to @leektown
— Leek Town FC (@leektown) December 8, 2018
Pitch looks great 👍🏼
A bit damp in the goalmouths today... pic.twitter.com/kEHISbfGaV
— Leek Town FC (@leektown) December 8, 2018
The teams are out at a very wet Leek Town. Parts of the pitch are starting to hold water as the rain continues so hopefully we can get the game completed. Seagulls in all claret today.
— Colwyn Bay FC 🏴 (@ColwynBayFC) December 8, 2018
7: 0-0 signs of the ball holding up in surface water in one or two places
— Leek Town FC (@leektown) December 8, 2018
12: Rain of biblical proportions now, if it carries on like this we might not get finished
— Leek Town FC (@leektown) December 8, 2018
16: Ref consults with benches and the players are coming off
— Leek Town FC (@leektown) December 8, 2018
Match abandoned pic.twitter.com/teH0cRBPaM
— Leek Town FC (@leektown) December 8, 2018
Derby have taken the lead at Wigan, where the home side are also a man down.
Young has another go from the left-side corner of the area, but this curler hits a defender and goes out for a corner, which is headed clear.
GOAL! Man Utd 1-0 Fulham (Young, 13 mins)
Phwoar! Rashford passes to Young on the left, and he jinks inside, gets past his marker and lashes a rising shot across goal and in at the far post! Super strike!
Updated
GOAL! West Ham 0-1 Crystal Palace (McArthur, 6 mins)
I haven’t seen this, but according to the Premier League “Tomkins knocks down a free-kick and James McArthur races through to slip the ball past the on-rushing Lukasz Fabianski”.
Updated
3pm: They’re off!
The players are out, and action is imminent. Let’s do this!
A team tweak to tell you about: Andreas Pereira has been added to the Manchester United substitutes after Luke Shaw dropped out with an injury:
.@AndrinhoPereira has replaced @LukeShaw23 on the #MUFC bench due to injury. #MUNFUL pic.twitter.com/DvSuylKcWo
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 8, 2018
A team-tweak to tell you about:
“It’s evidence of general lack of quality, these two teams’ excellence, that it’s a funny old game - and of some dubious financial chicanery, at least for one of them,” says Tim Woods of that stat. Yes, that too.
In the other English league game currently ongoing, Mansfield are 2-0 up at home to Notts County.
This is a good stat. What Liverpool have achieved this season is truly remarkable. It’s once-a-decade at very best remarkable. And it’s likely to happen twice this season, and as often in the last 15 months as in the previous 120 years. Is this an indicator of a general lack of quality in the Premier League, or of these two teams’ excellence, or just further evidence that it’s a funny old game?
Top-flight teams to have a better record than Liverpool this season after 16 games
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) December 8, 2018
Spurs 1960-61
Chelsea 2005-06
Man City 2017-18
[probably Man City 2018-19 later]
That's it.
Liverpool go top of the table (for now) after completing a 4-0 victory at Bournemouth, courtesy of a Mo Salah hat-trick and an own goal.
Here’s Jose Mourinho on the task facing Romelu Lukaku:
Normally people say that strikers’ lives are about goals. I agree and disagree. I prefer to focus on why I disagree, and don’t put any pressure on him in terms of you have to score goals. The pressure is, you have to follow the dynamic of the other boys, with that intensity, with that desire, with that happiness. You can be happy even if you’re not scoring goals, and the team needs that.
So that’s all the Premier League team news. The headline probably comes at Old Trafford, where it’s Lukaku in, Pogba still out for Manchester United.
Burnley v Brighton: teams and preview
Burnley: Hart, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Gudmundsson, Cork, Westwood, Brady, Wood, Barnes. Subs: Heaton, Lowton, Vokes, Hendrick, Lennon, Vydra, Long.
Brighton: Ryan, Saltor, Balogun, Dunk, Bernardo, Knockaert, Propper, Bissouma, March, Gross, Andone. Subs: Bong, Stephens, Kayal, Locadia, Murray, Steele, White.
Referee: Martin Atkinson.
Burnley have to regard this as a must-win match, even if Brighton are 12 points better off and in the top half of the table. Tottenham, Arsenal and Everton are next for Sean Dyche’s side so they could easily be spending Christmas in the bottom three, uncomfortably aware some of the clubs around them are either showing signs of improvement or hopeful of climbing out of trouble after appointing a new manager. Brighton are unbeaten in their past three matches. Paul Wilson
Arsenal v Huddersfield: teams and preview
Arsenal: Leno, Lichtsteiner, Mustafi, Papastathopoulos, Bellerin, Guendouzi, Torreira, Xhaka, Kolasinac, Aubameyang, Lacazette. Subs: Cech, Elneny, Koscielny, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi, Monreal, Nketiah.
Huddersfield: Lossl, Jorgensen, Schindler, Kongolo, Smith, Mooy, Hogg, Williams, Lowe, Pritchard, Depoitre. Subs: Bacuna, Kachunga, Hamer, Sobhi, Mbenza, Hadergjonaj, Durm.
Referee: Paul Tierney.
The story about the night on the eve of the season when some of the Arsenal players allegedly inhaled nitrous oxide brought some shock value – partly because the club have come to sail under the news agenda. Since Unai Emery took charge they have done their talking on the pitch, quietly piecing together a 20-game unbeaten run. Despite the controversy Huddersfield are unlikely to end it. David Hytner
Manchester United v Fulham: teams and preview
Man Utd: de Gea, Dalot, Jones, Smalling, Young, Matic, Ander Herrera, Rashford, Mata, Lingard, Lukaku. Subs: Pogba, Rojo, Fred, Romero, Shaw, Fellaini, McTominay.
Fulham: Sergio Rico, Odoi, Ream, Mawson, Bryan, Seri, Zambo, Schurrle, Cairney, Ryan Sessegnon, Mitrovic. Subs: Bettinelli, Kebano, Johansen, Vietto, Christie, Cisse, Kamara.
Referee: Lee Probert.
José Mourinho’s distinctly odd campaign had its latest instalment in Jorge Mendes’s statement on Friday that said his client will not be vacating his post at Manchester United. He may, though, have zero say if United fail to beat Fulham, the bottom side, as sooner rather than later Mourinho has to start winning matches consistently. There has been no Premier League victory for over a month and United are a yawning 18 points behind Manchester City. Something, surely, has to change. Jamie Jackson
West Ham v Crystal Palace: teams and preview
West Ham: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Balbuena, Diop, Masuaku, Noble, Rice, Snodgrass, Felipe Anderson, Hernandez, Lucas Perez. Subs: Cresswell, Carroll, Adrian, Obiang, Ogbonna, Antonio, Diangana.
Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Wan Bissaka, Tomkins, Sakho, Van Aanholt, McArthur, Milivojevic, Kouyate, Meyer, Townsend, Zaha. Subs: Ward, Sorloth, Ayew, Schlupp, Guaita, Kelly, Puncheon.
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
These sides head into this London derby in contrasting moods. While West Ham are looking to win three consecutive games in the Premier League for the first time since December 2016, Crystal Palace are reeling from their humbling by Brighton on Tuesday. Roy Hodgson will demand a response from his players. However West Ham, who will be without the injured Marko Arnautovic, are unbeaten in six matches against Palace. Jacob Steinberg
Cardiff v Southampton: teams and preview
Cardiff: Etheridge, Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett, Mendez-Laing, Gunnarsson, Arter, Josh Murphy, Victor Camarasa, Paterson. Subs: Peltier, Ralls, Smithies, Reid, Harris, Madine, Hoilett.
Southampton: McCarthy, Valery, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Targett, Hojbjerg, Romeu, Redmond, Lemina, Armstrong, Austin. Subs: Yoshida, Stephens, Hoedt, Elyounoussi, Ward-Prowse, Gabbiadini, Gunn.
Referee: Jonathan Moss.
The Ralph Hasenhüttl era gets underway for Southampton in the Welsh capital in a relegation six-pointer. The omens are not good for the Austrian – Paul Sturrock was the last permanent Southampton manager to win his first game in charge back in 2004 and plenty have been and gone since then. Yet if Hasenhüttl’s colourful first press conference is anything to go by, the players should at least arrive in Cardiff with a spring in their step. Cardiff, two places above Saints, have won three of their last four at home. Stuart James
The teams should be dropping at any moment. In the meantime Liverpool have just gone 3-0 up at Bouremouth, thanks to a Steve Cook own goal. Join Barry Glendenning or the latest:
Hello world! It’s Match Day!
Another top-flight Saturday rolls around, with both Arsenal and Manchester United among the teams scrapping it out at 3pm and nine of the current top 10 in action over the course of the day. Outside the top flight, Sol Campbell will take to the dugout for the first time as his Macclesfield side head to third-placed Colchester In League Two and Lewis Grabban will be looking to continue his currently ridiculous goalscoring run as Nottingham Forest host Preston. So let’s take a quick look at today’s fixtures (all 3pm kick-offs unless stated):
Premier League
Bournemouth v Liverpool (12.30pm)
Arsenal v Huddersfield
Burnley v Brighton
Cardiff v Southampton
Chelsea v Man City (5.30pm)
Leicester v Tottenham Hotspur (7.45pm)
Man Utd v Fulham
West Ham v Crystal Palace
Championship
Birmingham v Bristol City
Brentford v Swansea
Leeds v QPR
Middlesbrough v Blackburn
Millwall v Hull
Norwich v Bolton
Nottm Forest v Preston North End
Reading v Sheff Utd (5.30pm)
Sheff Wed v Rotherham
Stoke v Ipswich
Wigan v Derby
League One
Wimbledon v Rochdale
Accrington Stanley v Sunderland
Blackpool v Charlton
Bristol Rovers v Doncaster
Burton Albion v Shrewsbury
Luton v Fleetwood Town
Peterborough v Oxford Utd
Plymouth v Bradford
Portsmouth v Southend
Scunthorpe v Gillingham
Walsall v Coventry
Wycombe v Barnsley
League Two
Bury v Exeter
Cheltenham v Grimsby
Colchester v Macclesfield
Crawley Town v Northampton
Crewe v Oldham
Mansfield v Notts County (1pm)
Milton Keynes Dons v Carlisle
Morecambe v Port Vale
Stevenage v Lincoln City
Swindon v Newport County
Tranmere v Cambridge Utd
Yeovil v Forest Green
Scottish Premiership
Aberdeen v St Johnstone
Celtic v Kilmarnock
Hamilton v Hibernian
Hearts v Motherwell
Livingston v St Mirren
Right then, let’s get ready for football!
