And that’ll be your lot from today. Thanks for reading all, and remember to stick with Rob Smyth’s minute-by-minute of Manchester City v Tottenham, which is bubbling along nicely. Be safe out there. Good night.
Full-time: Ghana 1-0 Mali
Ghana just about hang on, and they’re through to the quarter-finals with that win against Mali. Just like their first game they went ahead in the first-half, this time through Asamoah Gyan, and just like their first game they hung on in the second, their opponents possibly deserving more.
Again! Bacary Sako hits a free-kick, it thunks into the wall and goes back to him, he tries another shot but Razak goes brilliantly to his left to save. Tense final seconds in Gabon...
What a save by Ghana keeper Razak - a Doumbia shot flies into the area, Coulibaly deflects it towards goal but the keeper gets down to his right and pushes it away. Injury-time now - can Mali break through?
Asamoah Gyan has just been booked for taking too long about being substituted. Textbook stuff.
Mali getting more and more into the game now. Kalifia Coulibaly is the latest to go close with a header at the far post. Ghana digging in and sitting deep, just as they did in their previous game against Uganda.
Premier League match reports
A wee video to celebrate Wayne Rooney’s 250th, and record goal for Manchester United. They do work quickly these vid editors, don’t they...
Yer Manchester City v Spurs minute-by-minute is over here. Rob Smyth has your back. Get stuck in.
It cannot be overstressed how bad the pitch is in Ghana v Mali - Mamoutou N’Diaye looks to get around that by heading towards goal, but it goes just over the bar.
Updated
The boss speaks...
The best 1half and worst 2half. Hurting.#UTV
— Dr. Tony Xia (@Dr_TonyXia) January 21, 2017
In the Africa Cup of Nations, Ghana are still ahead but Mali just had a glorious chance to equalise, Moussa Marega blazing over from the edge of the six-yard box.
Full-time: Real Madrid 2-1 Malaga
All done at the Bernabeu, and Real have won 2-1. Holding on a bit, but that’s three points they needed after two straight defeats.
League Two full-time scores
Wycombe v Luton has now finished. Crawley v Portsmouth and Leyton Orient v Morecambe were postponed.
League One full-time scores
Championship full-time scores
Full-time: Middlesbrough 1-3 West Ham
And that’s that, West Ham taking a convincing three points in the end.
Full-time: West Brom 2-0 Sunderland
A routine victory for the Baggies as goals from Brunt and Fletcher are enough.
Full-time: Stoke City 1-1 Manchester United
Rooney’s free-kick and record-breaking goal gets a point for United after the early own-goal had put Stoke ahead.
GOAL! Middlesbrough 1-3 West Ham (Callieri 90)
And that’s that at the Riverside, as Jonathan Callieri wraps up the points for West Ham over Boro.
Updated
Full-time - Bournemouth 2-2 Watford
A well-earned point for Bournemouth as they come from behind to nab a 2-2 draw at home.
Full-time - Crystal Palace 0-1 Everton
Sam is still winless, as Seamus Coleman gives Everton a 1-0 win.
GOAL! Stoke City 1-1 Manchester United (Rooney 90mins + 4)
And there you go. Wayne Rooney has broken the Manchester United scoring record with an exceptional free-kick, and has in all likelihood saved a point for his side.
Updated
Late, late, late goal for Cardiff, and Rhys Healey has scored in the 91st minute to (probably) give them a win over Burton.
Half-time in Gabon, and Ghana remain 1-0 ahead thanks to that lovely glancing header by Gyan.
United are hammering on the door like a persistent door-to-door door salesman - Jesse Lingard twangs one against the bar, and they’ve only got a few more minutes to break through.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-1 Everton (Coleman 86)
Oh Sam, mate. No wins for the big man, it looks like, as Seamus Coleman dinks a finish over Wayne Hennessey to give Everton the lead over Palace.
Updated
Oh, wait a second - Yakou Meite has pulled one back for Reading against Derby, making it 3-2. Ten minutes left there, could be a finish on our hands.
Newcastle are moonwalking away with the points against Rotherham - Jonjo Shelvey sets up Matt Ritchie, and he makes it 4-0.
GOAL! Bournemouth 2-2 Watford (Afobe 82)
And another comeback - this time Bournemouth have waltzed back from being behind and Benik Afobe has levelled things for them Cherries.
Updated
Yeeesh - Preston have come back to equalise, Jordan Hugill has his second of the day to make it 2-2 with Aston Villa.
GOAL! Real Madrid 2-1 Malaga (Juanpi 62)
Now then. Malaga pull one back at the Bernabeu through Juanpi sticking in a rebound, and then Keylor Navas almost immediately denies Chory a second.
Derby streaking away with it now - Will Hughes has made it 3-1 to them over Reading.
Big red in the Championship, as Wolves keeper Carl Ikeme has been sent off for taking down Wes Hoolahan, conceding a penalty in the process, and right-back Matt Doherty has gone in nets. Robbie Brady sticks the penner away, and that’s 2-1 to them Canaries.
More from the wonderful world of Scottish football, via Simon McMahon: “Scottish Cup latest, Nick. Aberdeen, Hibs, Partick Thistle, Ross County (though United have got another, its now 4-2 to the home side), St. Johnstone, Clyde, Dunfermline and Morton all looking good for the next round. Possible upsets in Elgin, who are holding Inverness 1-1, and Dundee, who trail 2-0 at home to St. Mirren. In the big game in Scottish League Two, Montrose lead the Blue Brazil, aka Cowdenbeath, 1-0.”
Doncaster have got their game against Crewe down in League Two wrapped up - Tommy Rowe has made it 3-1.
Goals in the Midlands - Tom Ince has given Derby an impressive lead over Reading, making it 2-1 there; Preston have pulled one back against Aston Villa through Jordan Hugill; and in Nottingham, a Ben Osborn screamer has put Forest 1-0 up over Bristol City.
GOAL! Ghana 1-0 Mali (Gyan 22)
The old man puts his team on the way to the knockout round, as Asamoah Gyan heads home to give Ghana the lead.
Good ol’ game in Sheffield - the Blades are now level again, Kieran Freeman scoring after United had two goals disallowed. 2-2 there, and it’s 3-0 to Newcastle up at St James’s, as Ayoze Perez nabs another against Rotherham.
Updated
GOAL! Bournemouth 1-2 Watford (Deeney 64)
The Hornets are ahead, and Troyston Deeney has glanced a header home, flicked from a Tom Cleverley corner.
Updated
Ooof - turnaround at Bramall Lane, where Gillingham have come from a goal down against table-topping Sheffield United. 2-1 to the visitors now, and Josh Wright has both of them.
What's going with Sunderland by the way? 2-0 down 🙈, that team is desperate for some new players, the manager need some money to spend
— Julio Arca (@julioarcaOK) January 21, 2017
Huddersfield are flying - they’re now 2-0 up over Ipswich, Christopher Schindler has bagged for them, while Helder Costa has equalised for Wolves at Norwich. 1-1 at Carrow Road.
Doncaster are back into the lead against Crewe in League Two, John Marquis getting the goal there.
Newcastle have rapidly doubled their lead against Rotherham and are heading back to the top of the Championship. Matt Ritchie makes it 2-0, not long after the break.
At the top of League One, Sheffield United have been pegged back, as Josh Wright has levelled things for Gillingham.
Juan Mata tries an overhead kick, completely misses the ball. No Andy Carroll.
— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) January 21, 2017
Meanwhile our Afcon game o’ the day has started, and Ghana have had the better of things thus far against Mali. Only eight minutes gone in that one, mind.
GOAL! Bournemouth 1-1 Watford (King 48)
Didn’t take Bournemouth too long to level things up - Josh King has equalised for them down on the coast, Josh King thwapping the ball home after being set up by Adam Smith.
Updated
GOAL! Real Madrid 2-0 Malaga (Ramos 43)
Well, well, well. A goal machine, Ramos now has his second of the day and his sixth of the season, shooting home right-footed from a corner.
Updated
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-0 Malaga (Ramos 34)
Deadlock SMASHED at the Bernabeu, as Sergio Ramos heads home from a corner. He’s now Real’s joint-second top-scorer this season, with five.
Some half-times from the Championship...
Late goal in the Championship, as Daryl Murphy has put Newcastle 1-0 ahead over Rotherham.
Half-time scores
Premier League
Bournemouth 0-1 Watford
Crystal Palace 0-0 Everton
Middlesbrough 1-2 West Ham
Stoke City 1-0 Manchester United
West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Sunderland
Half-time approaching, and Blackburn have equalised against Birmingham, Danny Graham snapping one up, three minutes into injury time.
No goals at the Bernabeu yet, but there is an injury - Marcelo has gone off, with what sounds like a twanged hamstring.
Izzy Brown has given Huddersfield the lead over Ipswich - that’s 1-0 to David Wagner’s men, and Mick McCarthy could be in some trouble if Ipswich lose this one.
GOAL! Middlesbrough 1-2 West Ham (Carroll 43)
The big man is on fire. Carroll is there to snap up a rebound and pop it into the net, and West Ham are ahead, a little against the run, by the sounds of things.
Updated
United are on top of things now in Stoke - Fellaini volleys towards goal, Grant tips over, a goal could be imminent...
“It’s goals o’clock in the Scottish Cup,” writes Simon McMahon. “Hibs are three up already against Bonnyrigg, Ross County lead Dundee United 4-1 (we’d prefer to concentrate on the league anyway), Partick Thistle 3 Formartine Utd 0, St. Johnstone 2 Stenhousmuir 0, Aberdeen 1 Stranraer 0, and a possible shock at Dens where St. Mirren lead Dundee 1-0.”
Ach, sorry about this. “Please note,” quite rightly chastises Martin Mason, “my team, Crewe are in League Two, not League One as you’ve stated twice now. Mind you, they may not be there next season, I think the National League is beckoning.”
Aston Villa are having an afternoon - Albert Adomah gets his second of the day, this time from the penalty spot, to make it 2-0 over Preston. And across the Midlands, Darren Bent has levelled things for Derby against Reading, but it doesn’t sound like he knew much about it.
GOAL! West Brom 2-0 Sunderland (Brunt 36)
Has someone checked on Moyeseh? Bad news for the Sunderland manager as his side go 2-0 down to West Brom, for whom Chris Brunt rattles a shot home.
Updated
The ball is in thar net at Selhurst Park, but it’s disallowed - Romelu Lukaku hits the post, Ross Barkley snaffles the rebound but cruel, cruel fate/the linesman’s flag rules it out.
In League One, Crewe have levelled things against Doncaster - 1-1 there. A level up, but only just, and Wigan have bagged two goals in four minutes to take a 2-0 lead over Brentford.
Big big big chance for Manchester United, and Juan Mata, who flays one over from about four yards out after being set up by Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Bad afternoon for Manchester’s primary museum enthusiastic.
GOAL! West Brom 1-0 Sunderland (Fletcher 30)
A corner, a spot of heading, the ball falls to Darren Fletcher who spins and finds the net. Maybe Moyseh’s pessimism wasn’t misplaced after all.
Updated
GOAL! Middlesbrough 1-1 West Ham (Stuani 27)
Nice strike from Boro, as Traore lays one on for Chambers, who clips over the cross and Cristhian Stuani is there to shoot back across goal and into the net.
Updated
Aston Villa are ahead in the Championship, with Albert Adomah putting them 1-0 up over Preston.
GOAL! Bournemouth 0-1 Watford (Kabasele 24)
It’s been rancid for Watford in recent weeks, but they’re ahead down on the coast. Christian Kabasele has put them ahead against the run of play, nodding home from close range.
Updated
League One leaders Doncaster are ahead - Conor Grant has put them 1-0 up against Crewe.
Penalty shout at Selhurst - Ramiro Funes Mori goes in for a cuddle with Loic Remy, but the ref ain’t having none of it.
Goal there in the Championship, as Reading have taken the lead against Derby, prising the Rams’ defence apart for John Swift to bag one. 1-0 Reading.
GOAL! Stoke City 1-0 Manchester United (Mata OG 18)
Now then. Stoke are in the lead, as Erik Pieters takes a shot that is deflected massively by Juan Mata, and past David de Gea. Game on.
Updated
We’ll be keeping track of Real v Malaga as well. Have some teams:
Real: Navas, Ramos, Varane, Nacho, Ronaldo, Kroos, Benzema, Marcelo, Casemiro, Lucas Vasquez, Modric
Malaga: Kameni, Rosales, Luis Munoz, Mikel, Juankar, Camacho, Recio, Fornals, Juanpi, Chory Castro, Penaranda
Bit of pressure being relieved on Alex Neil, perhaps - Norwich have taken the lead at home to Wolves, Steven Naismith bagging after 13 minutes.
Meanwhile...
Steve Bruce in a kebab house in his full training gear is the best picture I've ever seen in my life pic.twitter.com/Kh14iPti64
— Reece (@ReeceJones98_) January 21, 2017
Crystal Palace hit the bar! Bosh! Christian Benteke rises above the Everton defence and thunks a header ‘gainst the horizontal from a James McArthur cross.
GOAL! Middlesbrough 0-1 West Ham (Carroll 9)
Andy Carroll is in fine form, and while disappointingly this wasn’t a repeat of his heroic overhead kick from the other week, a powerful header will do West Ham just fine.
Updated
Early game in Scotland has ended, and Rangers have squeaked through to the next round of the Scottish Cup with a couple of late goals from Kenny Miller, enough to beat Motherwell 2-1.
Ah, lovely...
Villa Park remembers Graham Taylor. #AVFC pic.twitter.com/3JoEuwm4sc
— Tom McGowan (@tompmcgowan) January 21, 2017
First goal of the day - and Birmingham have taken the lead against Blackburn. Lukas Jutkiewicz has slotted a penalty home to make it 1-0.
We’re away. Football all over the place. Meanwhile, at the Vitality...
Deeney and Gomes doing everything to make the #watfordfc mascot's day. Gomes kicking ball about with him until literally team huddle. Class.
— Ben Fisher (@benfisherj) January 21, 2017
If you fancy following Stoke v Manchester United, and Stoke v Manchester United only, then you’re in luck - Englishman in New York (though his preference between tea and coffee is unconfirmed) Tim Hill has a minute-by-minute for you.
Could be a spicy one over in Gabon...
Pitch here in Port-Gentil is so bad that the teams will conduct pre-match warm-ups in the changing rooms to preserve it. Never seen that!
— Nick Ames (@NickAmes82) January 21, 2017
Mali's players prodding at the pitch disapprovingly. Man with wheelbarrow sanding large patches. pic.twitter.com/eaoANC5DCS
— Nick Ames (@NickAmes82) January 21, 2017
All done at Anfield. And Swansea have won. Stone the crows.
Updated
Scotland! “Afternoon Nick,” writes Simon McMahon, to bring us up to speed on that nation. Well, the football played there this afternoon, rather than a more comprehensive socio-economic breakdown. “Scottish Cup fourth round action up here today, and the pick of the ties is at Dingwall where Dundee United, two time winners of the old trophy, the last in 2010 against today’s opponents, are the visitors. Other ties of interest include Elgin v Inverness, Morton v Falkirk, Kilmarnock v Hamilton and Bonnyrigg v Hibs. In the early kick off it’s currently 0-0 between Rangers and Motherwell going into the closing stages, and both Celtic and Hearts play their ties tomorrow against Albion and Raith Rovers respectively. There’s still a few league games going on too, in the Scottish Championship it’s Dumbarton v Queen of the South and in Scottish League Two it’s Arbroath v Annan, Edinburgh City v Forfar and Montrose v Cowdenbeath.”
Team news
Bournemouth v Watford
Boruc, Adam Smith, Steve Cook, Mings, Daniels, Surman, Wilshere, Stanislas, King, Fraser, Wilson. Subs: Gosling, Pugh, Arter, Afobe, Brad Smith, Federici, Ibe.
Gomes, Kaboul, Prodl, Britos, Kabasele, Capoue, Cleverley, Holebas, Doucoure, Deeney, Okaka. Subs: Cathcart, Zuniga, Sinclair, Janmaat, Ighalo, Pantilimon, Mason.
Referee: Lee Mason (Portsmouth)
Crystal Palace v Everton
Hennessey, Tomkins, Delaney, Dann, Ward, Puncheon, McArthur, Cabaye, Schlupp, Remy, Benteke. Subs: Speroni, Flamini, Townsend, Lee, Ledley, KaiKai, Kelly.
Robles, Holgate, Ashley Williams, Funes Mori, Coleman, Davies, Barry, Barkley, Baines, Mirallas, Lukaku. Subs: Schneiderlin, Jagielka, McCarthy, Valencia, Oviedo, Stekelenburg, Lookman.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Manchester)
Middlesbrough v West Ham United
Valdes, Bernardo, Chambers, Gibson, de Roon, Traore, Clayton, Forshaw, Friend, Negredo, Stuani. Subs: Bamford, Fabio, Leadbitter, Fischer, Guzan, Downing, Gestede.
Randolph, Byram, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble, Obiang, Feghouli, Lanzini, Antonio, Carroll. Subs: Adrian, Fletcher, Calleri, Fernandes, Oxford, Quina, Collins.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (Bradford)
Stoke City v Manchester United
Grant, Johnson, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters, Whelan, Adam, Shaqiri, Allen, Arnautovic, Crouch. Subs: Bardsley, Muniesa, Afellay, Imbula, Given, Krkic, Ngoy.
De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Blind, Fellaini, Ander Herrera, Pogba, Mata, Ibrahimovic, Mkhitaryan. Subs: Rooney, Lingard, Carrick, Rashford, Romero, Schweinsteiger, Darmian.
Referee: Clatts (Co. Durham)
West Bromwich Albion v Sunderland
Foster, Nyom, McAuley, Dawson, Brunt, Fletcher, Yacob, Chadli, Morrison, Phillips, Rondon. Subs: Livermore, Olsson, Robson-Kanu, Myhill, McClean, Leko, Field.
Mannone, Jones, O’Shea, Djilobodji, Van Aanholt, Denayer, Rodwell, Honeyman, Januzaj, Larsson, Defoe. Subs: Borini, Mika, Love, Ethan Robson, Anichebe, Tom Robson, Embleton.
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)
Right old boiler at Anfield - it’s Roberto Firmino 2-2 Fernando Llorente. 18-odd minutes left, join Rob Smyth for the remainder, here.
Preamble
Today, we present to you a buffet. A buffet of football. A footett, if you will. Or a buffball. Actually, not buffball. That sounds hideous. We do have a wide selection of football. Don’t like one thing? No worries, we’ve got loads of other things. There’s Premier League. There’s Football League. There’s Spanish stuff. There’s the Africa Cup of Nations. If there’s nothing for you there then football might not be the sport for you. So let’s look at the games on which we’ll be focusing.
Bournemouth v Watford
Cherries v Hornets. Will the sweet sugar draw the buzzing insects to their gluten graves? Or will they try to swallow one whole and choke on the stone? The rancid form of the former has seen them win none of the last six and only score two in the process, while the latter have been infuriatingly inconsistent but their last five games have seen 20 goals scored. For further reading, have a bang on another excellent Stuart James joint, his interview with Ryan Fraser, here.
Crystal Palace v Everton
The Samolution will not be televised, largely because this game is at 3pm on a Saturday and that would be against UK broadcasting regulations. But also because it’s not going awfully well at the moment, the four games he’s been in charge for have garnered one point against three very beatable opponents. If football were conkers, Everton would be favourites for the title about now, but it would be just like them to follow their hosing of Manchester City by losing to this rabble. Could Ademola Lookman startman? He bloody could you know.
Middlesbrough v West Ham
Two teams, not especially alike in dignity, but alike in baffling transfer policies. Boro have lashed £6million on Patrick ‘no goals for two years’ Bamford, and the same again on Beninese wardrobe Rudy Gestede, adding zero pace to their team that had placed all its speed in one man, namely the unguided missile that is Adam Traore. West Ham meanwhile have been firing cash around like a malfunctioning t-shirt cannon, but nobody has been keen on actually accepting it just yet. Aside from Southampton and Jose Fonte, of course. Still, maybe Aitor and Slaven can discuss being quite good defenders but not quite as good managers.
Stoke City v Manchester United
Stoke are a bit boring these days, aren’t they? At least when Tony Pulis was there they had some sort of clear identity, something you could either hate or get annoyed at snobs for hating. Now, they play reasonably nice football, will probably finish ninth (where they have finished for the last three seasons, where they are now) but you won’t remember a single one of their games. Perhaps in a bid to spice up that particular meatball, they’ve finally stopped playing footsie with Saido Berahino and invited him upstairs. Let’s see what Bruno Martins Indi has to say about it all, speaking to Paul Doyle. Manchester United are there, also.
West Brom v Sunderland
I’d be kidding you on if I said the players we’re hoping to bring in this month are going to make a big difference because, first of all, we probably couldn’t get that level of player and, secondly, we probably wouldn’t have the finances to do that,” said Sunderland’s manager before day’s trip to West Bromwich Albion. “To suggest that a player we might bring in would be making a big difference would not be correct” - David ‘Patton’ Moyes, January 2017.
Real Madrid v Malaga
First they didn’t lose for 40 games! Then they lost two in a row! What will occur today? Well, Real Madrid will play Malaga, and it’d be quite the surprise if they were given a pantsing in this one, as their opponents have lost their last three and sit a little bit closer to the relegation zone than is ideal. Still, stranger things have happened. One of them was all over the telly yesterday. Oh god, sorry for reminding you of that.
Ghana v Mali
Qualification awaits for an impressive Ghana side if they win this one, despite looking a bit tentative in beating Uganda the other day. They are managed by Avram Grant, after all. Bad news for poor sod Baba Rahman though, who did his cruciate knee ligaments in the last game, his attempts to run it off unsuccessful, as you might imagine they would be. Possibly even more seriously, Harrison Afful might have malaria. And they went to the wrong training ground the other day. That’s not quite as much of a concern, though.
Football League
Yes! The gritty stuff. A few games to keep your eye on this Saturday: Derby v Reading in the Champ, where Jaap Stam’s terrifying stare arrives at the home of the most interesting team in the division, who can sneak to within two points of the playoffs with a win, no mean feat after their terrible start to the season. It could be curtains for Alex Neil if Wolves beat Norwich, while Gianfranco Zola looks for his first win as Birmingham boss. In League One, second-place Scunthorpe are not in action after Charlton scrimped on the undersoil heating, so Sheffield United might be able to extend their lead at the top with a win over Gillingham. And more. Oh more. So much more.
Updated
Nick will be here shortly.
