Time to wrap up – I’ll leave with you this, from Barney Ronay. Let’s hope we’re all talking about events on the pitch, rather than any more unpleasantness off it, come Monday morning. Enjoy your weekends. Bye!
European preview
La Liga’s top four has a more conventional look this week, and both Madrid giants can put pressure on Barcelona with wins on Saturday. Atlético visit Valladolid, as Real host another side from the capital in Rayo Vallecano. On Sunday, Sevilla host Girona before Barcelona visit Levante, where they suffered their only league loss last season.
Saturday’s Bundesliga action sees runaway leaders Dortmund host Werder Bremen, while Bayern are away at struggling Hannover. Mönchengladbach are sandwiched between the two in second, but face a tricky trip to Hoffenheim.
In Italy, Juventus will look to continue their merciless title charge in the Turin derby, while Napoli and Inter will look to get over their Big Cup heartache against Cagliari and Udinese respectively.
As for France, the wave of anti-government protests look like the only obstacle to PSG’s title procession. Their game has been called off for the second week running, while Lyon v Monaco is still on for Sunday.
Here are the final previews for Saturday – first, it’s Huddersfield v Newcastle. The Terriers won this fixture last season – their first top-flight win over Newcastle since 1955.
Last but not least (OK, potentially least) it’s Watford v Cardiff. This is the two clubs’ first top-flight meeting ever. Ever ever? Ever, ever!
Updated
Championship preview
Two of the top six meet tonight as Sheffield United host West Brom. Both teams are in need of a win to stop Norwich and Leeds pulling away at the top. Marcelo Bielsa’s side go to cash-strapped Bolton tomorrow, while Norwich fans face a tricky trip home from a tea-time kick-off at Bristol City.
Elsewhere, rock-bottom Ipswich search for their second (!) win of the season at home to Wigan, in-form Aston Villa host also-in-form Stoke, and Steve McClaren gets a crack at his old club as Middlesbrough visit QPR. We have to wait until Monday night for the game of the weekend – it’s an East Midlands derby, as er, Derby face Nottingham Forest.
Thanks Simon! Here’s a preview of Spurs v Burnley. Fun fact: Burnley’s next game is at Arsenal, and they haven’t won an away league game against either team since 1974/75 – when they won at Highbury and the Lane. Not sure I fancy Sean Dyche’s mob to repeat the trick...
Right, I’m going to hand over to Niall McVeigh, who will take you through the next however-long of remorseless action. Bye!
Crystal Palace v Leicester news now, with the visitors’ chances to be boosted by Wilfried Zaha’s absence:
“I think in fairness to Pep, and as Christmas jumpers go, that’s a pretty decent effort,” writes Martin Gamage. “At least he’s managed to carry it off without looking like an embarrassing uncle.” If only the choice of top was his own: pan out and it becomes clear that everyone was in it at Manchester City today:
Everything you wanted to know about Fulham v West Ham but were too busy thinking about Liverpool v Manchester United to ask:
It’s always good to keep an eye on the next generation of young talent, particularly when they have a name this good. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton is right up there with the all-time great player names, perhaps not quite on the same level as Creedence Clearwater Couto and Nortei Nortey, but not far off.
🚀 | WHAT A GOAL SON-NY!
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) December 14, 2018
INCREDIBLE winning goal in #watfordfc's FA Youth Cup victory last night from 16 year-old Sonny Blu Lo-Everton 😱
Check this rocket out! pic.twitter.com/cYJ9VWEbzX
The Press Association have an update from Macclesfield, where Sol Campbell is preparing for his home dugout-debut and the club have stocked up on specially-themed booze:
Macclesfield are laying on special beer at the Moss Rose for Sol Campbell’s first home game on Saturday, but could use a win before they raise a toast.
Sol lager on offer in the McIlroy Suite this Saturday......https://t.co/gUeui8QoOE
— Macclesfield Town (@thesilkmen) December 11, 2018
Campbell’s long wait for a first job in management has taken him to the very foot of the Football League, with the Silkmen bottom of League Two.
This weekend he will be introduced to the Moss Rose crowd for the first time when his side take on Crawley, and the ground’s McIlroy Suite has loaded up with a Mexican beer bearing his name specially for the occasion.
How many bottles they shift could depend on the result, with Macclesfield still three points behind second-bottom Notts County, despite two wins from their last three matches.
Campbell was officially in charge for neither of those games, even if his appointment coincided with a 1-0 win away to Exeter. Instead, his life as a manager began on familiar territory but an unfamiliar competition.
On 4 December, Campbell took his side to St James’ Park, where he spent one season as a player, but saw them lose on a penalty shoot-out to Newcastle’s under-21s in the Checkatrade Trophy. They followed that up with a 1-0 away loss to Colchester in the league last weekend, but Campbell has seen encouraging signs.
He praised their performance at Colchester, and reckoned that but for some more clinical shooting the result could have been different.
“You could see it was a hard game for Colchester and that’s what we have to do between now and the end of the season,” he said after the match.
“We have to make it difficult for teams and then get our chances and then hopefully get a little bit of luck in front of goal.
“The effort was there and the lads really worked their socks off. That really gave me the heart to say as long as you’re working to get in the right positions and give the front line opportunities, that’s good.”
BONG! It’s Fiver O’Clock!
Here’s the text of a Premier League statement on racism:
Some brilliant football has been played this Premier League season and the vast majority of fans have generated exciting and passionate atmospheres in stadiums. However, there have been incidents recently where a very small minority have behaved unacceptably.
As we head into the festive season, with matches coming thick and fast, we ask all supporters to get behind their teams in passionate, positive and respectful ways. Support for a club should never include excessive aggression or discrimination towards the opposition.
If anyone at a Premier League match witnesses unacceptable behaviour please report it to a steward, or submit details on the Kick It Out reporting app or website.
Enjoy the football this weekend, and for the rest of the season, and thank you for your continued support of our clubs.
To Newcastle now, where Rafael Benitez is preparing his side for two games, at Huddersfield and then at home to Fulham, that could change the course of his side’s season.
The next two games are massive for us - it is like a final in every single game. We have to approach every game thinking one point can make a massive difference at the end of the season.
“That is why I was upset the other day because you are in control of a game and you can win it and then everything happened and that makes it more difficult.
When you play Manchester City and Liverpool you know it will be difficult because they will be perfect, but when you play teams that are close to you you are more or less in control and these decisions change everything.
“Normally when we play away from home the other team is more exposed and open, so if you’re more organised you have chances on the counter-attack,” said Benitez. “I think that’s why when we’re away we can do a bit better.”
Benitez he continued to deflect questions about potential January transfer targets and also his prospective war chest, with time running out to secure a new owner in light of Mike Ashley’s apparent decision to sell.
“We have been working for a while looking for names and watching a few players,” added Benitez. “The first thing is to identify the players and get some names and then decide, OK, we will go for this one. But we are in exactly the same situation.”
Another manager hoping hoping to oversee a few clean sheets is Southampton’s Ralph Hasenhuttl, who says that defensive solidity is his No1 top priority:
At first it is more important for me to keep the nil on our side. And afterwards we have always the quality to play good in front and maybe to score but first keep the game long in an open stance that everything is possible. That is the main goal in the beginning.
Generally, though, Hasenhuttl is happy with the way his players are working:
For me it’s been a good week until now and we saw the intentions of every player to work hard, to follow us, and they are very interested in all this stuff. It’s a lot of new things they maybe never heard and a different style of defending and it doesn’t work from one day to another. It’s a process we are working in now. We are forcing that they are working in their mind and try to get this new content with the best habits and good habits.
Fulham still haven’t kept a clean sheet this season. Every other team in the top flight has at least two to their name, but Claudio Ranieri insists that one is coming:
“Keeping a clean sheet is our first problem, but only with the work we do together every day we can find a solution. Now we meet a team who scored three goals every match in the last three matches. But they also conceded goals.
“For us it’s important to find a solution to scoring goals and stay together because they are very, very good players. We have to stay concentrated.”
Ranieri branded his players ‘lambs’ after they succumbed 4-1 at Manchester United last weekend.
He added: “I hope they will be lions now. Be together, help each other with our crowd behind us. The qualities of Manchester is better than us but I wanted more concentration, aggression and everything. The second half was much better and I want to follow this way. Play hard, play quickly, try to score. Sooner or later we will make the first clean sheet, and I hope sooner rather than later.”
You can now hear the words of Jürgen Klopp while watching moving images:
Hello again! So today is of course Christmas Jumper Day, which is a cunning fund-raising exercise from Save the Children, but it seems in the world of football only Pep Guardiola has got the memo. These darts fans at Alexandra Palace today are very much sartorial exemplars:
Updated
Time to hand back to Simon – I’ll leave you with this tidy bit of street art:
2️⃣ Days
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 10, 2018
1️⃣ Incredible piece of street art
Jürgen Klopp in the heart of the city's thriving Baltic district.❤️#ThisMeansMore pic.twitter.com/3HWfDWV32L
Here’s our match preview for Manchester City v Everton. The visitors have picked up a point on their last three Premier League visits to the Etihad.
Get stuck in to this week’s sports quiz, which has plenty of football questions alongside some niche non-footy pursuits.
Sean Dyche, who I would guess wears a snazzy jumper on Christmas Day and Christmas Day only, has been talking up Burnley’s trips to Spurs and Arsenal as a bit of a free hit for his struggling side:“We get a win and it just gives them a reminder of that winning feeling.
We do go into two tough games now of course. But there’s that bit more freedom to go and play at those sort of places. The expectation changes, especially from the outside. Sometimes you’ve got to get back to the basic principles of what you stand for and we’re kind of getting back there. Once you get that, then you’re looking for players to have that bit of freedom and go and show what they can do and express themselves.
As you can see from the above image, Pep Guardiola was sporting a Christmas jumper at his press conference. Struggling to think of a manager less suited to Christmas attire. Fabio Capello maybe, or Arsène Wenger. On the other hand, it would be a strong look for Roy Hodgson.
More team news ahead of the big one at Anfield – and Jürgen Klopp might call on the returning Nathaniel Clyne, who was being linked with a loan move to Cardiff a couple of hours ago. With Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez and Joël Matip all injured, Clyne is in line for his first league start since May. Here’s what Klopp had to say:
“Trent is not as serious as the other two boys, but it’s not top class news. It was unlucky as well, like with Joel. It was in the last seconds of the game. [Clyne] was unfortunately injured in the past two or three weeks but luckily he’s back in full training. Is he ready for 90 minutes? I don’t know. But he is ready for Sunday.”
Afternoon, Niall here for a brief stint off the bench. Let’s start in Scotland, where Brendan Rodgers takes Celtic to Hibs for a tasty-looking contest on Sunday. Celtic are top but could be overtaken by Kilmarnock on Saturday, with Rangers also looking to capitalise if they slip up at Easter Road.
“The games are coming thick and fast and we are putting a lot of energy into a lot of our games,” Rodgers said. “The guys have been amazing. The level they have been at, the concentration, the effort ... we have played a season worth of games already.”
Celtic also reached the last 32 of the Europa League in unusual fashion, squeaking through thanks to a late Rosenborg equaliser against RB Leipzig. “I knew something was going on because of the celebrations,” Rodgers said. “But it was just great to get through, that was the whole objective. It doesn’t really matter how you do it.”
Updated
A team news update from Pep Guardiola:
Pep Guardiola says Sergio Aguero could return to the Manchester City side to face Everton. “He did the last two training sessions with the team. He has no pain but after we are going to decide,” Guardiola said.
Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne will also be checked ahead of the game at the Etihad. The Belgian suffered a knee ligament injury in the EFL Cup win over Fulham on 1 November. Guardiola added: “The same as Sergio. He has trained, no pain. We will see.”
John Stones was replaced at half-time during the midweek Champions League win over Hoffenheim due to a knee problem.
However, Guardiola had positive news about the England defender, saying: “Stones had treatment yesterday and he will train this afternoon.”
Despite the club’s recent spate of injuries, Guardiola insisted they had no plans to add any reinforcements when the transfer window opens next month.
He said: “In January we are not going to sign anyone.”
Silva thinks his team will be up for their visit to Manchester City, but that it is in some ways a free hit:
It’s a good game for us to enjoy. To challenge a team like City will be tough for us, but our players and our team have shown that they enjoy a game like this as well.
Now it’s Marco Silva’s turn, and the Everton manager is asked if his team are now playing as he would like:
It’s a process. It’s something you’re doing since the first day. In some moments we are more happy with our performance, in other moments we have to improve. You don’t play alone as well. Last two games we conceded goals that before we didn’t concede. The biggest difference, we scored against Watford and against Newcastle. We conceded goals in moments when we should do better.
He’s then asked whether he might be active in the January transfer window:
You are always aware about everything, it’s part of our job. My job is to work with the players we have, to give them conditions to grow as players. That’s it. We’re aware. We’re thinking always what we can do to improve the squad. We’re focused on the next game and don’t have time to think about that situation.
Here’s Wolves’ Nuno Espirito Santo on racism:
It’s something that is not only sport. I think it’s a social problem. I think it’s everybody’s responsibility, us as individuals, as members of society, that we should treat everybody the same. There is no difference. Being a society problem is not only the media, it’s everybody. That’s why I insist it’s individually, us, as members of society, there’s no difference between us. I think it’s everybody’s responsibility to eradicate and combat this, not only in sport but across society.
He says he has never experienced racist abuse himself.
If I was, I didn’t realise it. But now that there’s a debate I think everybody’s speaking about it, everybody’s thinking about it. And the way Raheem did it, it’s classy. He really put a question in everybody’s mind, and it’s up to us to finish it.
Claudio Ranieri has spoken, on the first (month) anniversary of his appointment as Fulham manager:
The first month is positive. Of course we wanted a little more but I’m satisfied with our job, the players understand what I ask, and of course it’s important in this group of matches to make points.
This [the defence] is our first problem, but only with work together every day we can find a solution. The players are improving a lot, with my tactical movement, but they need time to understand everything. I am very confident.
We have to stay very, very concentrated. In this period there are so many matches, and I hope in the end we will be in a very good position.
A news story on Chelsea, and the kind of punishment they might face as a result of last night’s antisemitic chants:
Here’s an update on Watford, who have not won in six games, most recently conceding a 96th-minute equaliser at Everton on Monday:
Watford manager Javi Gracia believes small details will have the biggest impact as his team look to reinvigorate their campaign.
Twelfth-placed Watford go into their match with Cardiff on Saturday without a win in their past six matches. Spaniard Gracia recently signed a new contract and believes the rewards will come for the squad’s hard work.
“My players are full of confidence and ambition. I can feel it,” the Watford boss said at a press conference. “I know we have to win again, but we are really close to getting it because performances are good.
“I prefer to keep my confidence in the way we are working because we are (going) in the right way. “I think in the last games we have made good performances.
“It wasn’t enough to get the results we wanted. We have to keep going, to keep working hard and I think in the next games we will be able to prove this in the results. I am not concerned about that. I know playing this way we will be able to do it.
“I look back to try to improve the things we can do, but I prefer to look to the future and be focused on the next game. It is a good chance for us, at home against Cardiff, to come away with a win.”
Watford are without several players through injury and suspension for the visit of the Bluebirds.
Andre Gray, Will Hughes, Adalberto Penaranda and Sebastian Prodl are all unavailable, while Etienne Capoue is suspended.
Abdoulaye Doucoure has scored in each of his last two appearances, and Gracia hopes the French midfielder can sustain the form as the games come thick and fast.
“He showed last season he is able to do it. He scored in the beginning a lot (last season),” the Watford boss said. “Now maybe he has two goals in a row. I think he now feels the confidence to do it.
“When the strikers sometimes don’t score, it is important midfielders, as Pereyra has done, help the team to score more goals. We need it and it is one thing we spoke about - the need to finish better. It is important different players are helping the team.”
Neil Warnock’s side have picked up form in recent weeks, with three wins from five Premier League games as the promoted club aim to pull clear of the battle for survival.
“We will respect them a lot. They are in a better moment with confidence with their last results,” Gracia said. “We know we have to be 100% concentrated and give our best because it will be a demanding game. We want to get a victory because the players deserve this reward.”
Here’s Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas on the club’s problems with racism:
If we have to be taught a lesson at Chelsea to improve whatever happens around the world, then I’m happy. But to point the finger at one football club because of three or four of these people, I don’t think it’s deserved and I don’t agree with that.
The focus now is on Chelsea for what happened. Unfortunately if we look around carefully all over the world, all sports, all football clubs, we will find things like that. It’s true it happened this [past] weekend, we cannot deny that, but to point the finger at one football club because of that I think it’s really unfair.
There’s an investigation, the club is dealing with this very, very well. Whatever needs to be done will be done. I’ve no doubt about that. The people that did it [abused Raheem Sterling] got caught, they will be punished for it and they will be taught a big lesson in their lives. The quicker we get rid of these people, the better. This is not the real face of Chelsea.
Consider your Wolves v Bournemouth match preview needs met:
Here’s Jamie Jackson on José Mourinho’s press conference:
Here’s Klopp on the possibility of Manchester United parking the proverbial bus on Sunday:
I won’t talk about my tactics today, so how can I talk about their tactics? I’ve got no clue what Jose’s planned. He is probably the most successful manager in the world, so he will have an idea, I’m sure.
Jürgen Klopp has had a chat with Sky. First, he’s asked about the Merseyside derby, and Liverpool’s form since:
You have to take what you get in football. So if that would have been a draw, the game was still good, both teams did everything we could. In the end we were lucky. If in the end two points are the difference then it was very decisive, but of course we don’t know that. But for the soul it was very important. This and the game on Sunday you do first for the fans.
We felt good before, we feel good now. Yesterday was Christmas for a few hours, that’s it. We are completely in a competitive mode, really. We like the situation, but we know it’s not for granted. It was all the time difficult and on Sunday it will be very difficult. No problem with that, and if we can create an atmosphere similar to Tuesday night that would be very good as well.
On Liverpool’s injury list, and Matip’s addition to it:
Unbelievably unlucky. It’s an absolute shame, if you think about the game he played, wow. It’s easy for people to forget how good a player he is. It’s a shame for him especially. Trent as well, we are not sure what will happen for him, for the weekend or the game after. Not too serious, but we have to judge it game by game. We have not a lot of choice at the moment, but that’s how it is. We have still options, that’s good. When we don’t have options we have to be creative, that’s how life is.
Strangely there’s no Joy of Six Watford v Cardiff classics, for some reason. If there was, though, this would be in it, if only for Adlène Guedioura’s ludicrous long-range rocket, about 3min 18sec into this video:
We need to be a bit wary of completely ignoring the weekend’s nine other top-flight games in our relentless focus on this one, but here’s a fine Joy of Six Liverpool v Manchester United encounters from Scott Murray:
Here’s the chaps from WhoScored predicting where each club still in the Champions League will get to. They think only two of the four English representatives will make it past the next round:
Warnock also said that he is interested in signing Liverpool’s Nathaniel Clyne, but that the current defensive injury crisis at the player’s current club - Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold are currently out - might stop the deal happening:
I know Nathaniel, I gave him his debut. But the thing about that is they have had a lot of injuries and they’ve got to look after themselves. It’s very difficult to get clubs to commit. He would be one on our list, yes. We are looking at that position.
Updated
More from Neil Warnock on racism. Turns out he thinks some people get too angry at football, which is unexpected:
These people are so vitriolic, and that’s gone back since I was in my 20s. Just because I was playing for the opposition, there was just hatred, and you can see it. I don’t think people or stewards are strong enough or brave enough to report them. People should be banned for life.
I disagree with people saying it’s worse [now]. When I was in my 20s and 30s, it was just unbelievable, some of the lads I played with and what they went through. Because of the cameras nowadays, there’s no reason you can’t do something about these people. I don’t think it’s all racial, it’s just the vitriol.
Some people go to games just for aggro, and that’s been the case forever. It is a minority, though. The game has moved on so much. But I think Raheem handled it really well.
Sachin Nakrani has spoken to Phil Neville about the England women’s team, the World Cup, and disrespect:
At my first press conference I was told: ‘You know nothing about the players, nothing about women’s football’ and I just thought it was incredibly disrespectful. It’s football, I was managing a football team and I had great experience of working with top players, and I only ever saw it as coming into a job and working with top players.
More here:
And here are Neil Warnock’s thoughts on the topic:
“I’d love to see the government appoint a mobile unit to go to certain games and sort them out,” Warnock said, during his press conference ahead of Saturday’s Premier League game against Watford.
“Stewards aren’t really cut out to go into a pack of grown men and eject them from the ground. It needs the law to do that.”
Brighton’s Chris Hughton has held his pre-match press conference, ahead of Sunday’s home game against Chelsea, and was asked for his views on the issue of racism in the game. This from the Press Association:
Chris Hughton believes greater inclusion is required before true progress can be made in eradicating racism from football.
At the conclusion of a week in which Chelsea have criticised their own supporters for singing anti-Semitic chants and suspended four individuals after Raheem Sterling claimed he was racially abused at Stamford Bridge, the topic is again being scrutinised.
Brighton’s Hughton, who turned 60 this week, is alongside Nuno Espirito Santo of Wolves as one of the Premier League’s only two black managers, and it is in positions at the very top of the sport where he feels change is most needed.
The Football Association is one organisation that has long been largely populated by white, middle-aged males, and the Brighton manager said: “I’ve always thought and spoken about inclusion in our game, and that means management at the top level, board level.
“If I’m looking at The FA and Premier League it’s that type of inclusion in the top roles. I’ve spoken about what I feel is the lack of black managers at the highest level, as such. What’s good for our game is total inclusion - and I think is what everybody wants to see.
“The only thing that can be done by all clubs is what all clubs do. Credit to all clubs - if there are incidences anywhere, the clubs are very quickly on that, and that’s banning supporters deemed to have made racial comments.
“Clubs are on top of what they see - [but] if we’re talking about eradicating something from our game or society it’s about a culture, and making sure people are respectful of all colours and creeds.
“Racial events in our game, which we are trying as hard as we can to eradicate, are always going to happen.
“You hope that it’s something that doesn’t escalate. Sometimes when times are harder, they become more relevant. But racism holds no place in our game, it holds no place in society, but unfortunately there are always going to be incidences.”
Brighton host Chelsea on Sunday in the Premier League, and Hughton will hand Jose Izquierdo a late fitness test before selecting his starting XI.
The forward has been struggling with a knee injury and could yet join the suspended Shane Duffy as an absentee, but Hughton said: “We’re going to see whether Izquierdo can train. Apart from that we have everybody available.”
Neil Warnock has done a press conference ahead of in-form Cardiff’s trip to out-of-form Watford tomorrow. Sky showed us a snippet:
If I’m honest I’m disappointed we’re not on 20+, with the points we’ve thrown away. We have given ourselves an opportunity. But we’re still very big favourites to get relegated, and quite rightly so with the squad we have in comparison with others. But we’ve got a very tight squad, a very together squad, and I think the fans have brought that about. It’s almost as if we go into each game as a club rather than as a team.
Award-cum-excuse-to-watch-a-good-goal-again latest:
A solo stunner from Son Heung-min 😍
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 14, 2018
The @SpursOfficial star wins @carling Goal of the Month for November 👏#PLAwards pic.twitter.com/sxjBDvsbgM
“Jose should perhaps avoid going for the home-making-as-team-building metaphor,” suggests Rob Gray. The fact he apparently lives in a hotel might lead one to the view he doesn’t know much about building a football team, either.”
Here’s some more reaction to yesterday’s Chelsea business:
Piara Powar, executive director of anti-discrimination group Fare (Fight Against Racism in Europe) described the episode as a “sad indictment” of the ignorance of some supporters.
In a statement issued to Press Association Sport, Powar said: “This latest incident involving Chelsea fans singing anti-Semitic songs in Budapest is a sad indictment of where some people are in their understanding of racism and the impact it can have. They stare history in the face and think they are somehow exempt from the judgements it will make on their actions.
“We should give a lot of credit to those Chelsea fans who highlighted what was going on at the match on social media or directly to the authorities.
“The sad fact is that in recent years Chelsea have done an incredible amount of work to tackle anti-Semitism, much of it highly innovative and impactful. But there remains throughout football a rump of people who in 2019 will see the political atmosphere as a cover for their own racism and prejudice.
“The irony of singing anti-Semitic songs in Budapest is not lost. This is the capital city of a country in which there is hatred being fermented towards ethnic minorities, and those deemed to be the ‘other’. Perhaps they thought they would be lauded for it.
“We know that Chelsea will continue to work with a broad range of organisations, including Kick Out and members of the Jewish community, I have no doubt that in the end these types of attitudes will be defeated.
“What is needed now is a recognition that the cultural change required throughout football to deal with individuals like these, the abusers of Raheem Sterling, and the person who threw the banana at Aubameyang, is not by any means complete.”
The Press Association has filed some Manchester United team news:
Jose Mourinho is hopeful of having some of his injured players available for Sunday’s crunch Premier League clash with Liverpool.
Marcos Rojo joined the injured ranks during Wednesday’s Champions League loss to Valencia, and defence is the biggest worry for Mourinho with Chris Smalling, Diogo Dalot, Matteo Darmian, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof also struggling.
Mourinho said: “All of them didn’t train yesterday again. Today there will be a little introduction to see the answer and to see if we can increase a little bit tomorrow to have them available for Sunday. I hope some will be available but for sure some will not be.”
Sky have just shown a bit of José Mourinho’s press conference, which I think is ongoing. This is what he said (there’s a good bit at the end):
I want to play a team that’s capable to be with me on that desire, that ambition, that confidence. We’re going to play against the leader, a team on a high, but we have our qualities, we have our potential, and even with the problems we have, even with the doubts in terms of team choice, in terms of tactics, approach, philosophy, we don’t know which players were are going to have available, but we are going to arrive on Saturday with a team capable of going there and fighting for three points.
Jürgen Klopp is enormously popular despite not winning a trophy so far with Liverpool. Do trophies matter, he’s asked, or is it just perception?
I think trophies matter, yeah. Especially when you have the potential to fight for the trophies, and especially when you clearly say that your objective is to win the trophy. I think sometimes just to say is not very intelligent, but when you have the potential, you have nothing to hide, you know from day one your potential and that your desire has a relation with the potential ... I don’t read much, but I think their objective is to win the Premier League.
He’s then asked about potential incoming transfers.
A football team is not just about spending money. It’s a little bit like a house, too. A house is not just about buying the furniture. You have to work on the house and when the house is ready you spend money on the best possible furniture, and then you are ready to live in a beautiful house.
There’s an article about Tommy Oar’s unusual number here, which points out that the Premier League’s highest squad number in 2010 was also worn by an Arsenal player (Niklas Bendtner, sporting a paltry 52).
From from PA on Chelsea:
The Jewish Leadership Council has described anti-Semitic chanting by some Chelsea supporters as “thoroughly depressing”.
The unsavoury behaviour of a minority of Blues’ fans has been highlighted for a second successive match, with Chelsea condemning a derogatory chant about Tottenham supporters, featuring anti-Semitic language, during Thursday night’s Europa League game with Vidi in Budapest.
The JLC endorsed Chelsea’s condemnation in a statement on Friday.
JLT chief executive Simon Johnson said: “We utterly condemn this second incident of racism by Chelsea fans in a week. The latest antisemitic incident is thoroughly depressing, especially in light of the dedicated work that Chelsea has done to address the problem.
“We completely endorse the club’s strong statement and would support them in any robust action which they now take against the perpetrators.”
On squad numbers, this is ground that the Knowledge has inevitably trodden before:
And here’s footage of Tommy Oar making his debut for Australia in 2010, wearing the No121 shirt.
“Didn’t Usain Bolt have 9.58 on the back of his jersey for some game?” wonders Stephen. “It’s the only three-figured number out there I’ve seen (on the back of a football jersey naturally).” He did, and there’s footage to prove it:
“Curiously, the photo you posted of Gigi Donnarumma includes Milik, who also wears a 99,” writes Julian Camilo. Of course! There was also Vitor Baia when Porto won the Champions League:
The Press Association is seeking further response to the antisemitic chanting by Chelsea fans yesterday, and have just submitted this:
The anti-Semitic chanting by a group of Chelsea fans during their Europa League game against Vidi has been described as “thoroughly depressing” by the Jewish Leadership Council, which has endorsed the club’s condemnation of the chants.
For the second season in a row, Arsenal have broken the record for the highest squad number used in a starting 11, with Bukayo Saka wearing the number 87 jersey
— Orbinho (@Orbinho) December 14, 2018
87? That’s nothing. Gianluigi Donnarumma has the highest squad number I can think of, but I’m sure there’s someone sporting three figures somewhere.
Good morning
Welcome to our Friday football countdown in which we will keep you up to date with the latest news as teams around Europe gear up for action this weekend. We will bring you updates from the Premier League press conferences, with the standout fixture being Liverpool v Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday. Oh, it’s a doozy all right. And we’ll also bring you the latest from Chelsea after the club condemned their own fans for the second time in the space of a week, this time after antisemitic chants were heard emanating from the away end during Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Videoton in Hungary.
The Press Association reporter Matt McGeehan was at the match and had this to say on BBC Radio 5 Live this morning.
It was very early in the match. It was a chant that Chelsea supporters have done in the past and it references Tottenham supporters using the ‘y’ word, the anti-Semitic derogatory word about Jewish people. I understand that Chelsea are angry from the top to the bottom of the club – the very top actually because owner Roman Abramovich is Jewish. They are furious. Not just that this has happened again to their club but because of the proximity to the incident last Saturday with Sterling.”
Here’s some things to look out for in the Premier League this weekend:
And this weekend’s Premier League fixtures in full (Saturday games are 3pm kick-offs unless states):
Saturday
Crystal Palace v Leicester City
Fulham v West Ham United (5.30pm)
Huddesfield Town v Newcastle United
Manchester City v Everton (12.30pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley
Watford v Cardiff City
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Bournemouth
Sunday
Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea (1.30pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (1.30pm)
Liverpool v Manchester United (4pm)
Updated
