The highlight of the evening, then, that wonder goal by Jamie Vardy. Leicester saw off Liverpool, as they habitually did in the 1960s, and 1980s, and 1990s, and ... Meanwhile Manchester City stay on their tails at the top of the Premier League. It’ll be first versus second when Leicester visit the City of Manchester Stadium at the weekend. Spurs move up to third above Arsenal, who dominated against Southampton but couldn’t break through. And it’s also a fine evening for Manchester United, who broke their first-half drought with some fine football against Stoke, and Bournemouth, who give themselves a little space to work with at the foot of the table. It’s been a blast. Leicester City, though, huh? What a team. Nighty night!
And that’s the final goal of the evening, as the whistle blows at the Hawthorns! So here’s tonight’s full times ...
Arsenal 0-0 Southampton
Crystal Palace 1-2 Bournemouth
Leicester City 2-0 Liverpool
Manchester United 3-0 Stoke City
Norwich City 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Sunderland 0-1 Manchester City
West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Swansea City
West Ham United 2-0 Aston Villa
GOAL! West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Swansea City (Rondon 90 +2)
An almighty scramble from a corner, one of those cartoon clouds with feet and fists sticking out of it, and Rondon prods a loose ball into the bottom right! What a sickener for the relegation-haunted Swans!
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Manchester United have beaten Stoke 3-0. Van Gaal walks very tall as he takes his leave of the Old Trafford dugout. And Bournemouth have won 2-1 at Palace. But Swansea won’t close out their victory, because ...
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Palace’s debut boy, Adebayor, has just flashed a shot into the right-hand side netting from six yards. So close to an injury-time equaliser, and a debut goal to go with the ones he scored while at Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham. But not this time.
Here’s Jamie Vardy on his wonder goal against Liverpool: “To be honest I was looking all game, because he was quite far off his line.” Oh Mr Mignolet!
Three games still being played. It’s effectively all over at Old Trafford, where Manchester United lead Stoke 3-0 and Louis van Gaal is in full cat-cream-interface mode. But it’s all to play for at the Hawthorns, where the Baggies still have ten minutes to turn around a 0-1 deficit against Swansea, and Selhurst Park, where Crystal Palace are trailing 2-1 against Bournemouth. Partick Thistle beat Motherwell with a last-minute Steven Lawless goal, by the way. Simon McMahon will be thrilled.
Yep! Sergio Aguero’s goal was enough for City to see off Sunderland - but they had to defend with their backs to the wall for much of the second half. Here are the full times in the 7.45pm kick-offs:
Arsenal 0-0 Southampton
Leicester City 2-0 Liverpool
Norwich City 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Sunderland 0-1 Manchester City
West Ham United 2-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal couldn’t break through a staunch Saints defence. It’s full time at the Emirates: 0-0. Their rivals Spurs have won 3-0 at Norwich, and will go above Arsenal into third place on goal difference. They’re still playing at Sunderland. Can City hold on?
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It’s all over at the King Power: Jamie Vardy 2-0 Liverpool! They’ll stay top of the Premier League. A first title for the Foxes really could happen. It’ll be a little more likely if City are held to a draw at Sunderland: Otamendi has been forced into a last-ditch clearance at the Stadium of Light.
GOAL! Norwich City 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur (Kane 90)
Kane through one on one. No mistake. Spurs, like Leicester, are the real deal.
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Not over / over / not over. There will be six added minutes at Arsenal, where Fonte needed some serious running repairs to his noggin a while back. Liverpool haven’t looked like getting back into the game at the King Power since going two down at Leicester. And City will need to see out five extra minutes at Sunderland. Meanwhile here’s Simon McMahon: “Firhill for thrills, they used to say. Currently Partick Thistle 0 Motherwell 0. Both teams lucky to get nil by all accounts.”
Arsenal have been pressing against Southampton. But Sanchez, in a bit of space in the box to the left of goal, is denied by Forster, a fine block. Up the other end, Gabriel gets away with a fairly obvious handball in the box. Arsenal certainly can’t afford a loss, with title rivals Leicester, City and Spurs closing in on wins.
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GOAL! West Ham United 2-0 Aston Villa (Kouyate 85)
From a Villa corner, West Ham break upfield. Valencia, down the middle, finds Kouyate on his left. Kouyate takes a touch, strides into the box, and lifts a powerful effort into the top of the net! Game over against the ten men.
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GOAL! West Bromwich Albion 0-1 Swansea City (Sigurdsson 64)
The debutant Paloschi sets up Sigurdsson to break the deadlock with a drive past Foster. Francesco Guidolin on his way to making it three from three since taking over at Swansea!
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A marvellous save by Joe Hart from Jones at Sunderland, a shot heading for the top right turned round the post with a strong hand. Manchester City need to hang on here, with leaders Leicester on their way to another wonderful win against Liverpool.
Leicester have a serious shout for a penalty kick, Okazaki going down under a pincer movement from Lovren and Moreno. But they’re not getting it. Meanwhile at Upton Park, Noble nearly settles it by whistling a first-time shot with the outside of his boot inches wide of Villa’s left-hand post.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-2 Bournemouth (Afobe 57)
A slow-motion looping header. It’s fair to say nothing’s going right for Crystal Palace right now.
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GOAL! Leicester City 2-0 Liverpool (Vardy 71)
Okazaki, down the inside-right channel, has a dig from the edge of the box. The ball deflects off the leg of the outstretched Lovren, to the left-hand side of the box, where Vardy dinks a delicious finish over the advancing Mignolet and into the right-hand side of the net.
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At the Stadium of Light, Sunderland’s Defoe has just planted his elbow on Otamendi. The referee doesn’t see it though. Meanwhile Ozil has just set up Koscielny, but the defender’s put that one over the crossbar. And now the pressure’s on, with Giroud missing another close-range header, and Ward-Prowse hacking an Ozil effort from the turn on the penalty spot off the line.
GOAL! Manchester United 3-0 Stoke City (Rooney 53)
Another wonderful team goal by United, who are on song now. Mata slips a pass down the left for Martial, who immediately slides a ball across the face of goal, allowing Rooney to tap home. United had the Stoke defence chasing shadows there. Simple but effective and very pretty. Could it be that Louis van Gaal knows a bit about football, do you think?
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Benteke’s on for Liverpool. Hm. Here’s Simon McMahon: “Drew Goldie talks a lot of sense (some might say too much sense for Clockwatch), but I think that if Dundee United can win their next two league games then, like weekday tea-times on ITV, the chase will be on. That’s a big ‘if’ though. But whoever finishes in the play off place in the SPFL will find it much more difficult against the team finishing second in the Championship this year. Talking of which, Anthony Stokes has just given Hibs the lead at Raith Rovers.”
GOAL! West Ham United 1-0 Aston Villa (Antonio 60)
So this one looks a bit average as a result, but it’s a great goal in its own right, Antonio racing into the box down the right after a bouncing ball and guiding it first-time across Bunn and into the left-hand side of the net. They’ve deserved that lead, having recently bothered the crossbar as well.
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GOAL! Leicester City 1-0 Liverpool (Vardy 60)
This is an astonishing goal! Vardy goes romping after a long Mahrez pass (hit on the turn!) down the right - and from the best part of 30 yards, sends a screaming dipping volley over Mignolet and into the right-hand corner! A slight question mark over Mignolet’s positioning off his line perhaps ... perhaps, if you’re being tight ... but then who’d have expected Vardy to take that, the ball dropping over his shoulder? No, no, you can’t blame Mignolet for that. That’s a wonder strike. That’s ... dare I say ... Robbie Fowler-esque.
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Norwich haven’t done much to get back into the match against Spurs at Carrow Road. But suddenly! First Naismith flashed a subtle header wide of Lloris’s goal, the closest they’ve come. And then even closer! Naismith swivels and shoots from close range, but his effort is blocked. Bassong follows up to bother the net, but he’s offside. Spurs clinging onto their two-goal lead a little.
Still no breakthrough at the Boleyn. But West Ham are finally turning the screw on ten-man Aston Villa. Richards hoicks clear from his own area with four West Ham men bearing down on him. Then Noble creams a dipping volley towards the bottom right, but Bunn parries magnificently. Meanwhile at Arsenal, Mane misses another gilt-edged chance, having been put through on goal but managing to make an awful pig’s lug of it.
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A lively start to the second half at the King Power. Can dragged a shot wide left of the Leicester goal, then Mahrez made a balls of a quick-break upfield with Liverpool all over the shop. And at the Emirates, Giroud curled a majestic effort towards the top right, but Forster somehow clawed it out, brilliant play all round.
And the other two half-time scores in the 8pm kick-offs:
Crystal Palace 1-1 Bournemouth
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Swansea City
A half-time scoreline that’s worth the standalone treatment:
Manchester United 2-0 Stoke City
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Zaha is perhaps fortunate to still be on the pitch for Crystal Palace against Bournemouth. He received a yellow card for giving the linesman pelters over a corner/goal-kick decision, then nearly copped for a second one by attempting to engage the referee in a full and frank exchange of views. A lenient Mike Jones told the silly sod to calm and pipe down, with a little help from Palace captain Jedinak.
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Juan Mata has just missed a sitter for Manchester United. Darmian twists and turns down the right, before sending a perfect inswinger onto the head of the little man. He’s got to score, but somehow blasts his header from six yards miles wide right. That’s a dreadful miss. Mata cocks his head back and smiles ruefully. It’s impossible to be angry with that face.
Meanwhile it’s half-time in all the Premier League 7.45pm kick-offs:
Arsenal 0-0 Southampton
Leicester City 0-0 Liverpool
Norwich 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Sunderland 0-1 Manchester City
West Ham United 0-0 Aston Villa
Not too many goals there. All of which is making the 8pm kick-offs look quite the scene. The latest scores, 30-odd minutes into the first half, are as follows:
Crystal Palace 1-1 Bournemouth
Manchester United 2-0 Stoke City
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Swansea City
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-1 Bournemouth (Pugh 34)
The Cherries, pretty in pink tonight, are level at Selhurst Park. Pugh has danced this way and that before planting an effort home. Palace, struggling of late, couldn’t hang onto that lead for very long.
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Rangers have just taken the lead at Raith, a 44th-minute goal by Andrew Halliday, which I mention as an excuse to print this email from Drew Goldie: “I’m not massively confident that Dundee United gubbing Killie 5-1 is a sure sign of resurgence, but it’s going to be an interesting month with fixtures against Motherwell and Hamilton (and ironically, the Jags in the Cup). I don’t know if Mixu is either. The bottom of the Scottish Premier is fascinating because second bottom will play the winners of the Championship playoff, and whereas Hibs sank like a stone and went down to Hamilton who were on a high, Motherwell totally outclassed Rangers last year because they were playing against good teams week in and out, whereas Rangers had little to bite into when beating Dumbarton and Alloa (occasionally) and the like. Every time Kilmarnock look like they’re defenestrating, they come up with a result. Ah me. This might be the last Premiership season in Scotland we can actually talk about the football, so I’m making the most of it.”
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-0 Bournemouth (Dann 27)
Zaha makes good down the right flank, whips a cross into the area, and Dann opens his body to sidefoot powerfully home. Palace on course to break their four-match losing run in the league.
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Southampton should be leading at Arsenal. Mane races after a Long header down the middle, and he’s free in the area. But with Cech quickly off his line, he panics, and squirts a lame effort past the keeper and wide of the right-hand post. Mane has the good grace to look pained as he trots back upfield. What a chance that was!
GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Stoke City (Martial 23)
Old United are back! And it’s a classic. A wonder strike. A pitch-length move down the right involving Carrick and Rooney, who hoicks the ball to the other flank for Martial. The young man steps inside, and pass-lashes a Thierry Henry-esque creamer into the top right from the edge of the area. That’s as good a team goal as you’ll see all season. Looks like LVG might have a plan after all?
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Simon Mignolet, not for the first time today, has made a save for the ages. This is probably worth recording, seeing the amount of stick the man gets for his admittedly erratic performances. A reminder that Tim Hill is your go-to guy.
Manchester United boring? Oh I don’t think so. Martial nearly makes it two, cutting in from the left and finding the side netting when he should have at least made Butland work. Then down the other end, Crouch causes all sorts of bother, while Bojan twice causes a problem down the inside-right channel, but is bundled out of it first by Borthwick-Jackson and then by De Gea. The entertainers.
GOAL! Norwich City 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Kane 30 pen)
Norwich haven’t had a kick yet. Alli was preparing to knock a chance home from six yards, but he’s bundled over by Bassong. No card, but that’s a penalty, and Kane makes no mistake from the spot.
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GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Stoke City (Lingard 14)
Manchester United score IN THE FIRST HALF AT OLD TRAFFORD! It’s their first first-half goal in 12 home games. Lingard is the hero, a diving header from close range, putting away a fine left-wing cross from Borthwick-Jackson.
Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
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Good news for City fans: Aguero is up and about, scooting around in his usual fashion. No serious injury. And no news from the three 8pm kick-offs either. The matches have started, though, there is that.
Another great chance for Ozil at the Arsenal! A deep right wing cross drops to his feet on the edge of the six-yard box. He’s clear, and onside! But he kung-fu-kicks the ball straight at Forster, who nevertheless has to make a splendid split-second save from close range. Meanwhile here’s Simon McMahon from o’er the border: “A few important games in Scotland tonight, not least at Firhill where Partick take on Motherwell. The bums of the losers of that one will be getting squeakier by the minute as they look over their shoulder at a resurgent Dundee United side ready to swiftly climb the table. A draw wouldn’t be bad for the Tannadice men either. So it cocktails all round whatever happens. In the Scottish Championship it’s Raith v. Rangers and Morton v. Hibs.” If he doesn’t follow this up, he’s just been a great big tease.
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RED CARD! (Jordan Ayew, Aston Villa, 17)
Ayew has elbowed Cresswell in the mushki, while battling for a throw-in. His manager’s going to love him. Villa had been the better team in the early exchanges. In the middle of a desperate relegation battle, and all. What a business.
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GOAL! Sunderland 0-1 Manchester City (Aguero 16)
Navas fires a cross into the Sunderland box from the right. Nobody bothers to clear. Aguero, at the far post, takes a touch and belts home. But he’s injured by Jones in the act of scoring, the Sunderland man scraping his studs down the back of the striker’s leg. Aguero’s down getting treatment.
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Ozil has come close to opening the scoring at the Emirates. Zipping into the area down the inside-left channel, he takes a ball dropping over his shoulder down with one gorgeous touch, but shoots straight at Forster. A bit more composure, and we’d have a Bergkampesque stunner on our hands there.
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Okazaki should have put Leicester a goal up against Liverpool. Vardy crosses from the left, perfectly onto his strike partner’s nut, six yards out. But Okazaki heads straight at Mignolet, who gets to reprise Bruce Grobbelaar’s finger-tipped effort from Alan Hansen at the 1986 FA Cup final. Falling backwards, he tips over the bar. And that’s that. Meanwhile at West Ham, Villa are claiming a penalty as Agbonlahor causes bother in the Hammers box, only for a rogue arm to pad the ball out of his road. Nothing going for poor Villa.
It’s been a bright start for Southampton at Arsenal, with Ward-Prowse curling a long-range free-kick dipper towards the bottom right. Cech turned the ball round the post, and the corner came to nothing. Meanwhile at Leicester, Huth has just crumped an elbow into Lallana’s startled coupon. Accidental, but a free kick, which is easily cleared from a packed box by the head of Morgan.
GOAL! Norwich City 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Alli 2)
Mahrez wasn’t far away from scoring the evening’s first goal, for Leicester against Liverpool at the King Power. But his long-range shot curls an inch or two wide of the bottom-left corner. Instead, the plaudits go to Dele Alli at Carrow Road, who slots home from close range to put in-form Spurs ahead.
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Here we go, then!
The games at Arsenal, Leicester, Norwich, Sunderland and West Ham are underway! Here’s to a few good old-fashioned goalfests.
Before we get going, a reminder that Tim Hill is on detailed MBM duty for the big game between top-of-the-table Leicester City and Kloppo’s Amazing Travelling Circus. Leicester’s last league game was a 3-0 home win over Stoke; Liverpool’s was that absurd 5-4 victory at Norwich. So anything could happen here. An 11-goal thriller, please!
Selected team news
Arsenal v Southampton: Alexis Sanchez makes his first start in two months for the Gunners. James Ward-Prowse returns to a Saints team coming off the back of a win at Old Trafford.
Crystal Palace v Bournemouth: Emmanuel Adebayor is on the Palace bench, itching to make his debut. Bournemouth welcome back Matt Ritchie.
Leicester City v Liverpool: Shinji Okazaki has been passed fit for Leicester. The visitors bench FA Cup star Christian Benteke.
Manchester United v Stoke City: Matteo Darmian and Michael Carrick return for the home side. Stoke, a promising season suddenly over in the last week, keep Xherdan Shaqiri on the bench.
Norwich City v Tottenham Hotspur: Timm Klose makes his debut for Norwich, while Dele Alli is back for Spurs.
Sunderland v Manchester City: Lamine Kone makes his debut in a new-look back line for Sunderland. City go with the in-form Kelechi Iheanacho up front.
West Ham United v Aston Villa: James Tomkins, who took a whack upside the noggin the other evening at Anfield, is back for the Hammers. Villa welcome Gabby Agbonlahor to the first XI once more.
West Bromwich Albion v Swansea City: Darren Fletcher returns for the Throstles, while Alberto Paloschi sits on the bench for the Swans, hoping to make his debut.
... and the line-ups for the 8pm kick-offs
Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare, Jedinak, McArthur, Lee, Puncheon, Zaha, Campbell.
Subs: Speroni, Hangeland, Mutch, Adebayor, Chamakh, Kelly, Boateng.
Bournemouth: Boruc, Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels, Surman, Pugh, Arter, Gosling, Ritchie, Afobe.
Subs: Iturbe, King, Federici, Distin, Murray, Grabban, O’Kane.
Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire)
Manchester United: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Carrick, Fellaini, Lingard, Mata, Martial, Rooney.
Subs: Depay, Romero, Ander Herrera, Schneiderlin, Varela, McNair, Andreas Pereira.
Stoke City: Butland, Johnson, Wollscheid, Muniesa, Pieters, Whelan, Afellay, Walters, Krkic, Arnautovic, Crouch.
Subs: Bardsley, Ireland, Odemwingie, Joselu, Diouf, Shaqiri, Haugaard.
Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire)
West Bromwich Albion: Foster, Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Evans, Fletcher, Sandro, Yacob, Sessegnon, Rondon, McClean.
Subs: Chester, Gardner, Anichebe, Myhill, Lambert, Berahino, Pritchard.
Swansea City: Fabianski, Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor, Britton, Ki, Cork, Sigurdsson, Routledge, Ayew.
Subs: Amat, Paloschi, Nordfeldt, Gomis, Montero, Naughton, Barrow.
Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire)
The teams for the 7.45pm kick-offs ...
Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Flamini, Ramsey, Campbell, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud.
Subs: Gibbs, Mertesacker, Ospina, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Chambers, Coquelin.
Southampton: Forster, Cedric Soares, Fonte, van Dijk, Bertrand, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Wanyama, Mane, Long, Tadic.
Subs: Yoshida, Clasie, Martina, Pelle, Juanmi, Stekelenburg, Targett.
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)
Leicester City: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Mahrez, Kante, Drinkwater, Albrighton, Okazaki, Vardy.
Subs: King, Gray, Ulloa, Dyer, Wasilewski, Chilwell, Schwarzer.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno, Henderson, Lucas, Can, Milner, Firmino, Lallana.
Subs: Toure, Benteke, Allen, Ibe, Flanagan, Ward, Teixeira.
Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands)
Norwich City: Rudd, Ivo Pinto, Klose, Bassong, Olsson, Howson, Tettey, Mulumbu, Jarvis, Naismith, Mbokani.
Subs: Ruddy, Martin, Jerome, Hoolahan, Redmond, Bennett, Odjidja-Ofoe.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Walker, Alderweireld, Wimmer, Rose, Dembele, Dier, Son, Eriksen, Alli, Kane.
Subs: Bentaleb, Lamela, Vorm, Trippier, Chadli, Carroll, Davies.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
Sunderland: Mannone, Jones, Kone, O’Shea, Kaboul, Van Aanholt, Lens, Cattermole, M’Vila, Borini, Defoe.
Subs: Brown, N’Doye, Johnson, Pickford, Khazri, Yedlin, Watmore.
Manchester City: Hart, Sagna, Otamendi, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernandinho, Toure, Jesus Navas, Iheanacho, Silva, Aguero.
Subs: Zabaleta, Fernando, Sterling, Kolarov, Caballero, Celina, Barker.
Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
West Ham United: Adrian, Cresswell, Reid, Collins, Tomkins, Kouyate, Song, Noble, Antonio, Valencia, Payet.
Subs: Randolph, Obiang, O’Brien, Moses, Jelavic, Oxford, Cullen.
Aston Villa: Bunn, Richards, Okore, Lescott, Cissokho, Bacuna, Gana, Veretout, Gil, Ayew, Agbonlahor.
Subs: Guzan, Clark, Sinclair, Richardson, Lyden, Grealish, Mason.
Referee: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire)
Good evening!
We’ve got pretty much a full card in the Premier League tonight, give or take a match or two. And it’s a quick turnaround of the Boxing Day fixtures. So it’s a chance for ...
... Arsenal to avenge their 4-0 humiliation at Southampton!
... Crystal Palace to end their run of four league losses in a row, at home to Bournemouth!
... Leicester City to pay Liverpool back for one of their rare defeats this season!
... Manchester United to score a first-half goal at Old Trafford! Against Stoke City!
... Tottenham to win their first game at Norwich City in four visits!
... Manchester City to fill their boots at Sunderland, against whom they’ve scored 20 goals in the last six meet-ups!
... Swansea City to continue their one-in-a-row revival under Francesco Guidolin!
and
... Aston Villa to make it four league matches unbeaten by getting something at West Ham!
So, your fixtures, then:
Arsenal v Southampton (7.45pm)
Crystal Palace v Bournemouth (8pm)
Leicester City v Liverpool (7.45pm)
Manchester United v Stoke City (8pm)
Norwich City v Tottenham Hotspur (7.45pm)
Sunderland v Manchester City (7.45pm)
West Bromwich Albion v Swansea City (8pm)
West Ham United v Aston Villa (7.45pm)
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