And last but not (necessarily) least, here’s our report from Leeds’s defeat at the hands of high-flying Brighton:
Updated
And our write-up of Manchester City’s rampant second-half comeback against Crystal Palace:
…and from Liverpool’s record-equalling rout of Bournemouth:
Here’s our report from Brentford’s hard-fought draw with winless Everton:
Our report is in from Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea crept past Leicester, who probably now take the mantle of crisis club:
Full-time scores: Football League
Championship
Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Stoke City
Blackpool 3-3 Bristol City
Cardiff City 0-0 Preston North End
Huddersfield Town 2-2 West Bromwich Albion
Hull City 3-2 Coventry City
Middlesbrough 2-1 Swansea City
Millwall 0-1 Reading
Rotherham United 2-0 Birmingham City
Watford 2-3 Queens Park Rangers
Wigan Athletic 1-5 Burnley
League One
Accrington Stanley 0-0 Exeter City
Bristol Rovers 1-1 Shrewsbury Town
Cambridge United 4-3 Burton Albion
Cheltenham Town 1-2 Oxford United
Derby County 2-1 Peterborough United
Ipswich Town 2-2 Barnsley
Lincoln City 2-2 Fleetwood Town
Morecambe 0-4 Milton Keynes Dons
Plymouth Argyle 2-0 Bolton Wanderers
Port Vale 0-1 Portsmouth
Sheffield Wednesday 5-0 Forest Green Rovers
Wycombe Wanderers 1- Charlton Athletic
League Two
AFC Wimbledon 0-1 Barrow
Bradford City 0-0 Crewe Alexandra
Carlisle United 1-0 Gillingham
Harrogate Town 0-4 Newport County
Leyton Orient 4-2 Hartlepool United
Northampton Town 0-1 Doncaster Rovers
Rochdale 1-1 Crawley Town
Salford City 1-0 Stevenage
Stockport County 1-1 Swindon Town
Sutton United 2-1 Mansfield Town
Tranmere Rovers 2-0 Colchester United
Walsall 1-2 Grimsby Town
Full-time scores
Brentford 1-1 Everton
Brighton 1-0 Leeds United
Chelsea 2-1 Leicester City
Liverpool 9-0 Bournemouth
Manchester City 4-2 Crystal Palace
Edo Kayembe thinks he’s made it Watford 3-3 QPR but it’s disallowed. Blackpool’s Theo Corbeanu does make it 3-3 against Bristol City after a defensive howler. And Everton cling on at Brentford, who see a flurry of corners repelled by the visitors.
Steven Davis, who made his debut lining up alongside Patrik Berger and against Gareth Southgate, has just scored for Rangers. They’re 4-0 up against Ross County.
Goal! Manchester City 4-2 Crystal Palace
Erling Haaland completes his hattick, slotting past Guaita after being played in by Gundogan. The 13th hattrick of an already absurd career.
Updated
Goal! Liverpool 9-0 Bournemouth
Lius Diaz heads home from a corner. Can they do it…?
Updated
Goal! Brentford 1-1 Everton
The Bees find the reward for a half of pressure after some mild chaos from a corner ends with Vitaly Janelt knocking home.
Updated
Goal! Liverpool 8-0 Bournemouth
Alexander-Arnold pings the ball to Tsimikas, who lays back first time to Carvalho and the Portuguese shapes a pleasing volley into the far corner. One more to equal the all-time record for biggest win, two more for the holy grail of double figures.
Updated
In a glorious game at Vicarage Road, Albert Adomah has put QPR 3-2 in front. And in the top flight, the recent theme of angry managers continues apace as Jesse Marsch is booked for hurling the ball away in a rage.
Goal! Manchester City 3-2 Crystal Palace
Erling Haaling completes the City comeback, sticking the ball in the net from virtually underneath the crossbar after John Stones had skewed his shot.
Updated
Goal! Brighton 1-0 Leeds
It’s been a long time coming, and it’s Pascal Gross who slots home after being teed up by Leandro Trossard after a great run by Danny Welbeck.
Updated
Goal! Chelsea 2-1 Leicester
Game back on! Harvey Barnes exchanges passes with Jamie Vardy before rattling an early shot inside Édouard Mendy’s near post. Yet more questions over the Chelsea keeper.
Updated
Goal! Manchester City 2-2 Crystal Palace
Erling Haaland gets the inevitable equaliser, ghosting between two defenders to head Foden’s lofted ball past Guaita.
Updated
Goal! Chelsea 2-0 Leicester
James and Havertz play a one-two before the full-back whistles a delicious ball across the six-yard box, which Raheem Sterling helps himself to at the back post.
Updated
Goal! Liverpool 7-0 Bournemouth
Roberto Firmino gets his second of the day at the second time of asking, turning home his own rebound from a corner.
Updated
Sheffield Wednesday are cannibalising Forest Green at Hillsborough, Dominic Bernard’s own-goal putting the hosts 5-0 up. And Oscar Estupinan completes his hattrick to put Hull 3-1 ahead against Coventry.
A no-nonsense finish from Jed Wallace levels for West Brom at Huddersfield: 2-2. And Blackpool retake the lead again Bristol City thanks to an overhead kick from Jerry Yates.
Goal! Manchester City 1-2 Crystal Palace
Here we go. A businesslike Bernardo Silva cuts in from the left and finds the net via a kind deflection off Jeff Schlupp.
Leeds are clinging on by their fingernails at Brighton. Meslier keeps his side in it with a superb one-on-one save from Solly March. At Vicarage Road, Joao Pedro has made it 2-2 in a seesawing game, while Nathan Tella puts Burnley 3-1 up at Wigan.
Goal! Chelsea 1-0 Leicester
Raheem Sterling has his first Chelsea goal second into the second half, finding his way into the box before curling home into the far corner via the slightest of deflections. Your move, Brendan.
Updated
Goal! Liverpool 6-0 Bournemouth
Told you they’d take their foot off the gas. Alexander-Arnold bends in a signature cross from the right, which is about to be tapped in by Diaz until Chris Mepham arrives on the scene to hoof it into his own net.
Updated
Half-time scores
Premier League
Brentford 0-1 Everton
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Leeds United
Chelsea 0-0 Leicester City
Liverpool 5-0 Bournemouth
Manchester City 0-2 Crystal Palace
Championship
Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Stoke City
Blackpool 1-1 Bristol City
Cardiff City 0-0 Preston North End
Huddersfield Town 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
Hull City 2-1 Coventry City
Middlesbrough 2-0 Swansea City
Millwall 0-1 Reading
Rotherham United 1-0 Birmingham City
Watford 1-2 Queens Park Rangers
Wigan Athletic 1-2 Burnley
League One
Accrington Stanley 0-0 Exeter City
Bristol Rovers 0-0 Shrewsbury Town
Cambridge United 1-2 Burton Albion
Cheltenham Town 0-0 Oxford United
Derby County 0-0 Peterborough United
Ipswich Town 1-1 Barnsley
Lincoln City 2-1 Fleetwood Town
Morecambe 0-2 Milton Keynes Dons
Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Bolton Wanderers
Port Vale 0-1 Portsmouth
Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 Forest Green Rovers
Wycombe Wanderers 1-1 Charlton Athletic
League Two
AFC Wimbledon 0-1 Barrow
Bradford City 0-0 Crewe Alexandra
Carlisle United 0-0 Gillingham
Harrogate Town 0-4 Newport County
Leyton Orient 2-1 Hartlepool United
Northampton Town 0-0 Doncaster Rovers
Rochdale 0-1 Crawley Town
Salford City 0-0 Stevenage
Stockport County 0-0 Swindon Town
Sutton United 1-0 Mansfield Town
Tranmere Rovers 1-0 Colchester United
Walsall 1-0 Grimsby Town
Goal! Liverpool 5-0 Bournemouth
Virgil van Dijk gets in on the action with a thumping header from Andy Robertson’s outswinging corner. Liverpool’s fifth goal of the day is their first not to be scored or set up by Roberto Firmino.
Updated
In the Championship, Reading have leapfrogged their way to the top of the table thanks to Naby Sarr’s header. Burnley and Middlesbrough are 2-0 up against Wigan and Swansea respectively and Faustino Anjorin’s brace has Huddersfield leading 2-1 against West Brom. Winless Coventry trail 2-1 at Hull.
Earlier today, Norwich shlepped to Sunderland and got themselves a narrow win. Here’s our report:
Goal! Liverpool 4-0 Bournemouth
Four in half an hour for the crisis club. This time Elliott feeds Salah, whose cross falls to Firmino via a deflection and the Brazilian turns home for his first Anfield goal since 2020. If it was in any doubt before, then surely now this game will be a contender for ‘most boring second half in Premier League history’.
Updated
Goal! Liverpool 3-0 Bournemouth
Trent Alexander-Arnold receives the ball 25 yards out, looks up, and unleashes an absolute screamer into the Anfield Road end goal. Magnificent goal.
Updated
Red card for Chelsea!
Conor Gallagher, in just his second start for Chelsea, is sent off for collecting two bookings before the half-hour mark. And what a ludicrous one this is: Gallagher takes out Harvey Barnes to halt a Leicester counterattack. I’m pretty sure the concept of ‘taking one for the team’ only applies to yellow cards, not reds.
Updated
Goal! Brentford 0-1 Everton
A good, simple goal on the break for Everton, Conor Coady carrying the ball out from the back and picking out the run of Anthony Gordon, who catches the home defence sleeping to slot home for the visitors.
Updated
Goal! Manchester City 0-2 Crystal Palace
Eeeesh. Another moment of defending from the champions, another goal conceded. Again it’s an Eze set-piece, his flighted corner finding the head of Joachim Andersen and the Dane heads coolly home, unbothered by anything resembling a marker.
Updated
At Brighton, Adam Webster proves his centre-back credentials by skying a clearcut chance from seven yards out. For injury-hit, defender-light Leicester, Jonny Evans is down and looks in pain.
Liverpool inches away from going 3-0 up with a Brazil-1970 wondergoal, Fabinho starting a move that ends up at the feet of Salah via some lighting interplay between Firmino, Diaz and Elliott. But the Egyptian contrives to miss a sitter. At Brentford, Jensen sends a long-ranger whistling past Pickford’s post seconds after Mbuemo has done the same. Lampard watches on anxiously.
Penalty at Stamford Bridge! Ruben Loftus-Cheek weaves his way into the box and is felled by Youri Tielemans.
No penalty at Stamford Bridge! It’s ruled out by VAR for an offside against Kai Havertz in the buildup.
Goal! Liverpool 2-0 Bournmeouth
Roberto Firmino tees the ball up for Harvey Elliott to uncork a fearsome 20-yard curler that flies into the far corner. A majestic first Premier League goal.
Updated
Goal! Manchester City 0-1 Crystal Palace
Well well well. This is a John Stones own-goal but credit goes to Eberechi Eze wicked delivery. He whips in a fiendish free-kick which hits Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and finally Stones before pinballing into the City net. Game on!
Updated
Goal! Liverpool 1-0 Bournemouth
Mohamed Salah burrows down the right and pops the ball back to Roberto Firmino, who swings in a terrific cross. Luis Diaz leaps to nod in home. Bish bash bosh.
Updated
So, James Milner makes way for Fabinho at Anfield, in the change that Jurgen Klopp has perhaps made five days too late. Even with injuries it’s a strong enough lineup, but that bench – combined squad number: 368! – still looks wince-inducingly thin. But that won’t matter today … will it?
Meanwhile, Conor Gallagher keeps his place in the Chelsea side despite his full debut going somewhat pear-shaped last week. Ruben Loftus-Cheek also stays put in the engine room for the visit of Leicester. And Crystal Palace take on the champions without Wilfried Zaha, so in comes [checks notes] Nathaniel Clyne. Huh…
Sheridan Hitchens writes in: “Sexy Beast has got to be up there as one of the best films about a final job. Ben Kingsley showing off his versatility with a tour de force performance.”
Couldn’t agree more. You are going to have to turn this opportunity yes!
Updated
And here’s our write-up from Southampton, where Bruno Fernandes completed a very nice week indeed for the no-longer-crisis club:
Anthony Gordon starts for Everton at Brentford this afternoon. His £60m move to Chelsea is “a nonexistent transfer that seems to capture so much that is transgressive about this industry”, says our own Barney Ronay. Read his column here:
It’s all over at St Mary’s, where Manchester United’s heroic resurgence continues. Live reaction here:
Brentford v Everton team news
🚨 𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 🚨
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) August 27, 2022
⬅ Zanka replaces Jansson
© Nørgaard captains the side#BrentfordFC | #BREEVE pic.twitter.com/keXksGGW2z
Your starting XI to take on Brentford! 👇#BREEVE pic.twitter.com/HirxaRHHpA
— Everton (@Everton) August 27, 2022
Brighton v Leeds team news
TEAM NEWS! 🚨 Here's our starting XI to face @LUFC this afternoon. 📝
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) August 27, 2022
📲 https://t.co/S3j1TIvOB3 // #BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/qyRbcPd7NU
📋 Your #LUFC Starting XI... pic.twitter.com/YeK62iwq8P
— Leeds United (@LUFC) August 27, 2022
Manchester City v Crystal Palace team news
🔵 TEAM NEWS 🔵
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 27, 2022
XI | Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Cancelo, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Mahrez, Haaland, Foden
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Gundogan, Alvarez, Gomez, Palmer, Gomes, Lewis, Knight, Wilson-Esbrand#ManCity | @HaysWorldwide pic.twitter.com/vyZoI93fv2
Our starting XI is here 👊#CPFC | #MCICRY pic.twitter.com/O2GZJsqJ9i
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) August 27, 2022
Chelsea v Leicester team news
Ready to take to the pitch! 🔵@ParimatchGlobal | #CheLei pic.twitter.com/0ppB84GKri
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 27, 2022
Our line-up in London ⚫ 📝#CHELEI pic.twitter.com/YKaW5fRutJ
— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 27, 2022
Liverpool v Bournemouth team news
Here’s how we line up to face @afcbournemouth today 📋🔴#LIVBOU
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 27, 2022
📝 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 📝
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) August 27, 2022
🔺 Christie and Anthony start
🔺 Solanke back in squad
🔺 Smith wears the armband
Our team for #LIVBOU 📋 pic.twitter.com/Eq3b4Pj2YV
Erik Ten Hag’s Resurgent United have taken the lead against Southampton, Bruno Fernandes blamming a very tidy volley into the bottom corner. What a difference a week makes, eh? Read all about it here:
Here’s your game-by-game bitesize preview:
Preamble
What’s your favourite “one last job” story? Unforgiven (1992)? Heat (1995)? Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)?
Or what about The Saturday 3pm Kick-off (today), which – much like Messrs Eastwood, De Niro and Cage – has reappeared from the wilderness and got the old gang back together for a final high-stakes extravaganza. The gang in question? Beleaguered Liverpool, who in recent weeks have started to resemble Ray Winstone in Sexy Beast: an old warhorse whose youthful energy has long since waned and now would like nothing more than to sip a margarita by the pool. They take on Bournemouth at Anfield – and if that fixture doesn’t kick-start their season, surely nothing will.
Similarly besieged are Chelsea, whose past fortnight has been more Naked Gun than Ocean’s Eleven: first denied by Spurs, then battered by Leeds, and finally seeing their manager’s post-match handshake etiquette subject to an eight-page report from an independent regulatory commission. None of this has been good for the club’s dignity. They host Leicester, another listlessly out-of-form outfit, in a meeting that the visitors will be desperate to win not only in order to arrest their slump but to pre-emptively stick it to turncoat Wesley Fofana, who’s in the process of screeching off to join today’s opponents.
And then there’s Manchester City, a crack crew whose cocky new recruit may or may not have upset the finely tuned sense of harmony. Certainly their steely professionalism deserted them during last week’s rollercoaster draw at Newcastle and they will be looking to reassert themselves this afternoon at home to Crystal Palace – who pulled off a smash-and-grab heist of their own at the Etihad last season.
Elsewhere, Brighton and Leeds convene on the south coast to suss out each other’s title credentials – the winner could conceivably end the day top of the league – and Brentford, upstart masters of the big-club ransacking, host Everton, whose manager is surely starting to feel the heat around the corner.
We’ll also bring you the latest from the Championship – where Watford, Reading and Blackburn all have the chance to usurp Sheffield United at the top of the table – as well as the rest of the Football League. Buckle up!
