Barcelona and Real Madrid lose
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Match report: Tottenham 2-2 Watford (4-2 on pens)
Match report: Arsenal 3-1 Brentford
Despite taking a two-goal lead, Arsenal were unable to relax until Alexandre Lacazette put the game beyond Brentford in stoppage time.
Man City women exit Champions League
Manchester City, twice semi-finalists in this competition, crashed out of the Champions League in the last 32 after a 2-0 home defeat by Atlético Madrid. Suzanne Wrack was there to see it ...
Match report: West Ham 8-0 Macclesfield
Jacob Steinberg had no shortage of goals to chronicle for posterity as West Ham ran amok against the League Two basement-dwellers.
Match report: Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea
Andy Hunter was at Anfield to watch Chelsea stop Liverpool’s early season gallop. This is how he saw it.
Tottenham Hotspur win! Dele Alli scores the winning spot-kick to send Tottenham through at Watford’s expense after Etienne Capoue and Domingos Quina missed for the “visitors”. It was a happy return to his old stomping ground for Alli, who scored two in the 90 minutes and spanked home the decisive penalty in the shoot-out. Heurelho Gomes got a hand to it, but couldn’t prevent it from going in.
Tottenham v Watford has gone to penalties ...
It’s 3-2 for Spurs in the shootout at the MK Stadium, but Watford have missed one. Spurs have the upper hand.
Meanwhile in the Spanish league: Barcelona have suffered a shock 2-1 defeat against Leganes, who were La Liga’s bottom side when the game kicked off. In other Spanish news, Villarreal ran out 3-0 winners at Athletic Bilbao.
Watford equalise: A comedy own goal from Ben Davies levels proceedings at Stadium MK, Tottenham’s digs for the nights.
Elsewhere in the Carabao Cup: While I was focusing on a thrilling denouement at Anfield, there were a couple of more goals elsewhere. Alexandre Lacazette scored at the death to make it Arsenal 3-1 Brentford at the Emirates, while Delli Alle has scored two goals in five minutes to give Tottenham a come-from-behind 2-1 lead over Watford. The Hornets are down to 10 men after losing Christian Kabasele to a red card and that match remains a work in progress.
Carabao Cup results
- Arsenal 3-1 Brentford
- Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea
- Nottingham Forest 3-2 Stoke City
- West Ham United 8-0 Macclesfield Town
- Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Watford (latest score)
Full time: Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeep! It’s all over and Chelsea advance to the next round, continuing their excellent recent record at Anfield. A moment of genius from Eden Hazard settled an entertaining game, after Emerson had cancelled out Daniel Sturridge’s acrobatic opener.
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90+7 min: David Luiz concedes a late free-kick about 35 yards from goal. Jordan Henderson tries to dink the ball into the penalty area, but it runs out of play.
90+5 min: SImon Mignolet lumps the ball long, but David Luiz sends the ball back the other way with a meaty header. Alvaro Morata gets booked for kicking the ball away in an bid to waste time after the whistle had gone for offside.
90+3 min: Say what you like about the Carabao Cup, but this has been a terrific game of football ... particularly in the second half. Liverpool looked to be in control, but the introduction of Eden Hazard seems to have been a master-stroke by Maurizio Sarri. It’s his bit of individual genius that separates the sides as the seconds tick by.
90+1 min: We’re in the first of five recommended minutes of added time. Can Liverpool rescue this at the death? Victor Moses is booked for dissent.
89 min: Mo Salah has come on for Liverpool, replacing Fabinho. Jordan Henderson gets booked after bundling Eden Hazard over while challenging for the ball on the halfway line. There’ll be five minutes of added time.
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#prayformacclesfield It’s West Ham 8-0 Macclesfield Town at the London Stadium. Grady Diangana scores his second.
Meanwhile at the City Ground, Stoke have pulled another goal back against Nottingham Forest, who are down to 10 men after losing Diogo Goncalves tyo a red card. Saido Berahino makes it 3-2, with his latest strike after recently ending a barren streak of more than two years in duration.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea (Hazard 85)
Chelsea lead!!!! Eden Hazard picks up the ball on the right touchline, cuts inside and twists the blood of two defenders before unleashing a terrific shot inside the far post. That is simply sensational from the Belgian!
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83 min: So close for Liverpool! Shooting from outside the penalty area, Daniel Sturridge rattles the cross-bar with a curled effort.
The goal stands ...
80 min: There’s a long break in play as some officials holed up in a bunker somewhere decide that there was no offside. I’m not entirely convinced they’re right, but we’ll find out soon enough ... no doubt.
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GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea (Emerson 79)
Hazard takes a free-kick on the right and it leads to a goal. Emerson stabs home from close range after Mignolet can only parry a bullet-header from Ross Barkley into his path. The left-back can’t miss from four yards, although a hint of offside means Kevin Friend is asking for video assistance.
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78 min: Another booking in a match that hasn’t been particularly bad tempered. Naby Keita is cautioned for something or other.
75 min: So, Chelsea use all three substitutes and Callum Hudson-Odoi remains seated on the bench. I was rather hoping to see him play tonight, as a Chelsea-supporting friend has told me great things about him.
74 min: Chelsea substitution: David Luiz on for Andreas Christensen.
#prayformacclesfield Bottom of League Two, the Sikmen are now losing 7-0 (seven) at West Ham. Grady Diangana piling on the hurt, there. The big bully.
70 min: Liverpool substitution: Sadio Mane off, Roberto Firmino on. The departing striker gets a warm hug and some kind words of praise from his manager.
69 min: Liverpool have been much improved in this second half, having obviously got a bit of a half-time rocket from their manager and got their heavy press on. Chelsea’s defence have struggled to cope with this renewed vim and vigour since the interval.
Goal flash: Arsenal 2-1 Brentford (Judge 59)
Back at Anfield: Jordan Henderson has replaced James Milner in the Liverpool ranks, Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante is on for Kovacic and Xherdan Shaqiri has had another shot over the bar for Liverpool.
Elsewhere in the Carabao Cup: Nottingham Forest have increased their lead against Stoke and now lead 3-0 courtesy of Joe Lolley’s 50th minute strike. But hold on ... Benik Afobe makes it 3-1 on the hour mark.
Meanwhile at the London Stadium, West Ham are showing League Two basement-dwellers Macclesfield little or no mercy. It’s 6-0 to the home side in that one. Michail ANtonio, Robert Snodgrass x 2, Lucas Perez, Ryan Fredericks and Angelo Agbonna have all taken kicks at the blind man’s stick.
At Stadium MK, Isaac Success has given Watford a 46th minute lead against Tottenham in tonight’s later kick-off. It remains Arsenal 2-0 Brentford at the Emirates.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea (Sturridge 58)
Chelsea lose possession near their own goal under a heavy press and Keita stings the palms of Caballero at the near post with a rasping drive. The ball loops in the air and drops for Sturridge, who leathers it into the gaping goal from seven or eight yards with a splendid scissors kick.
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55 min: Fabinho is the latest player to incur the wrath of referee Kevin Friend, who takes his name. Chelsea substitution: Willian off, Eden Hazard on. Maurizio Sarri has called for the heavy artillery.
53 min: Chaos in the Chelsea penalty area, as a kamikaze Ross Barkley header lands kindly for Sadio Mane. He pokes the ball goalwards and it goes out for a corner off Willy Caballero, who knew very little about it. From the corner, Alvaro Morata almost heads the ball into his own net under pressure from Dejan Lovren.
Meanwhile in Spain: Hot on the heels of their weekend draw with Girona, Barcelona have just been beaten 2-1 by Leganes in La Liga. Here’s Sid Lowe with an indepth match report.
68 seconds, two goals, Barça beaten
— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) September 26, 2018
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50 min: Kovacic goes into the book for a foul on Shaqiri.
48 min: Now Chelsea miss a decent chance! Alvaro Morata is presented with a decent opportunity at the far post by a cross from Willian, but heads over the bar.
Second half: Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
46 min: Liverpool get the ball rolling for the second half and almost score immediately. A dreadful backpass by Christensen puts Sturridge through one on one against Caballero, but the goalkeeper gets a touch on the ball. The ball breaks kindly for Sturridge, who gets a second a second bite of the cherry, but steers the ball wide of the upright with an open goal to shoot at. He didn’t wrap his foot around the ball sufficiently despite having a lot more time on it than he seems to have thought.
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Tonight's Carabao Cup half-times
- Arsenal 2-0 Brentford
- Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
- Nottingham Forest 2-0 Stoke City
- West Ham United 3-0 Macclesfield Town
- Tottenham 0-0 Watford (still in first half)
Half-time: Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
It’s all square at the interval. The atmosphere at Anfield has been subdued, but the fare on show has been worth a look despite the paucity of goals. Here’s hoping for a few in the second half.
45 min: Chelsea win a corner, which is swung into the Liverpool penalty area. It’s cleared and the referee blows for half time.
44 min: An error by Andreas Christensen gifts possession to Shaqiri. He unleashes a shot from distance, but it’s high and wide.
43 min: We approach half-time in a reasonably entertaining game at Anfield. No score so far, but both sides have had chances. Liverpool have had the pick of them, but Chelsea will be happy enough with their own performance.
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Goal flash! Nottingham Forest 2-0 Stoke (Murphy 40)
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Goal flash! West Ham 3-0 Macclesfield (Perez 40)
Goal flash! Arsenal 2-0 Brentford (Welbeck 37)
38 min: Shaqiri gallops down the inside right and gets in behind Emerson. He stands the ball up for Sadio Mane, whose decent downward header is clawed away by Caballero as it heads for the bottom right-hand corner. Another good Liverpool effort thwarted by another fine save from Big Willy.
37 min: Naby Keita cuts inside from the left, runs at two defenders and unleashes a curling drive towards the far post. Caballero saves well for Chelsea.
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36 min: Another penalty appeal from Liverpool after Christensen plays a clearance on to the hand of Cesc Fabregas as he attempts to clear a cross. It would have been extremely harsh, but I’ve seen them given for less.
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34 min: I thought Kevin Friend might book Naby Keita for a quite obvious dive after the passage of play that followed his dramatic collapse in the Chelsea penalty area came to an end. No yellow card was shown, which seems strange.
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Goal flash! West Ham 2-0 Macclesfield (Snodgrass 32)
Goal flash! West Ham 1-0 Macclesfield (Antonio 28)
30 min: Naby Keita goes down in the Chelsea penalty area under a challenge from Cahill, who stuck a leg out and immediately retracted it. Liverpool’s players and their fans appeal for a penalty, but referee Kevin Friend waves play on without a moment’s hesitation.
28 min: Moreno goes down just outside his own penalty area after shipping a kick to the calf/achilles from Victor Moses, who was trying to advance into the Liverpool penalty area. He’ll live.
26 min: Joel Matip gets booked for a foul from behind on Mateo Kovacic. He follows James Milner into the referee’s notebook - the midfielder was cautioned a couple of minutes ago for a foul on Emerson.
24 min: An email from Graeme Thorn: “If the Chelsea fans were/are singing about Gerrard’s slip at Stamford Bridge, then they obviously misremember it (even though it happened less than five years ago),” he says. “It happened at Anfield in a 0-2 defeat, which derailed Liverpool’s run-in.” D’oh!
21 min: Chelsea win a free-kick deep in Liverpool territory, which is curled towards the back post. Morata tries to play it across the face of goal, but is flagged for offside.
Goal flash: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Stoke City (Osborn 20)
20 min: Morata brings another save out of Mignolet with another low shot from a tight angle.
18 min: Fabregas picks out Morata with a sublime 30-yard pass into the Liverpool penalty area. The Spaniard tries to lift the ball over Mignolet, but the goalkeeper claws the ball to one side. Morata fails to convert his follow-up from a tight, but far from impossible angle.
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16 min: Meanwhile at Stadium MK, Tottenham kick-off against Watford. Some say it’s farcical they’re borrowing the MK Dons ground for tonight, but as somebody who had to go to a mate’s house to shower this morning because my boiler is on the blink and can’t be fixed until Friday, I feel their pain. Here’s hoping my boiler repairs don’t cost quite as much as the new White Hart Lane.
15 min: Alberto Moreno is flagged for offside while attempting to run in behind on to a through-ball.
13 min: Willian tries his luck again, but his low drive from 20 yards is saved comfortably by Mignolet.
11 min: Chelsea continue to dominate possession and Cesc Fabregas plays the ball forward to Ross Barkley from the centre-circle. He advances towards the edge of the Liverpool penalty area and unleashes a shot. Wide.
9 min: Liverpool get forward down the right and Naby Keita plays the ball into Xherdan Shaqiri, standing with his back to goal, in the penalty area. He turns on a sixpence and tries to get a shot away, but it’s blocked.
7 min: Chelsea win a free-kick 30 yards from the Liverpool goal, a mite right of centre. Willian fires a right-footed shot high over the cross-bar.
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Goal flash! Arsenal 1-0 Brentford (Welbeck 5)
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6 min: Moses runs at Moreno again, before passing to Azpilicueta who is up on the overlap. His attempt at a cross is blocked.
4 min: Gary Cahill clears a through-ball with a header, only for Naby Keita to latch on to the ball. He surges forward and unleashes a shot, which Caballero saves fairly easily.
3 min: Victor Moses runs at Alberto Moreno, jinking this way and that before winning a corner off the Liverpool right-back. Andreas Christensen gets his head to the ensuing inswinger, but lofts a gentle header into the arms of Simon Mignolet.
2 min: Chelsea’s fans are making themselves heard with an early ditty about Steven Gerrard and a famous slip of his at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool v Chelsea is go ...
1 min: Chelsea kick-off, playing into the Kop end and immediately lump the ball forward towards Willian. Before too long, it ends up back with their goalkeeper, with Willy Caballero getting his first touch.
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Not long now: A quick reminder that VAR is in use tonight and there’ll be no extra time in the event of a draw. It’ll be straight to penalties if the sides are level after 90 minutes. The teams march out on to the Anfield sward and line up either side of the match officials. Kick-off is just a couple of minutes away.
Jody Morris speaks: The Derby County coach, who was until recently the former boss of Chelsea’s Under-18s, is a guest on Sky Sports and has been speaking with eloquence and passion about Chelsea’s academy.
He claims it “definitely” has youngsters good enough to make the breakthrough to the first team squad, but few ever do because assorted managers and first team coaches never bother watching them play. It was clearly a huge source of frustration for him before he left the club to join Frank Lampard at Pride Park.
By the same token, the response of Chelsea fans on on social media to tonight’s team selection seems to be one of frustration that Callum Hudson-Odoi is only on the bench. I think a lot of Chelsea supporters were looking forward to seeing him start tonight. Ethan Ampadu, despite his excellent performance for Wales against Ireland during international week, isn’t even tonight’s squad. He may be injured; I don’t know.
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Arsenal v Brentford line-ups
Arsenal: Leno, Lichtsteiner, Mustafi, Holding, Monreal, Elneny, Guendouzi, Mkhitaryan, Smith-Rowe, Iwobi, Welbeck.
Subs: Bellerin, Ramsey, Lacazette, Torreira, Martinez, Kolasinac, Nketiah.
Brentford: Daniels, Odubajo, Canos, Yennaris, Watkins, Mokotjo, Judge, Sawyers, Jeanvier, Konsa, Barbet.
Subs: Bentley, Macleod, Mepham, Maupay, McEachran, Benrahma, Dalsgaard.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
West Ham v Macclesfield line-ups
West Ham: Adrian, Fredricks, Ogbonna, Diop, Cresswell, Sanchez, Obiang, Snodgrass, Diangana, Antonio, Perez.
Subs: Fabianski, Masuaku, Balbuena, Rice, Coventry, Powell, Yarmalenko.
Macclesfield: O’Hara, Fitzpatrick, Lowe, Kelleher, Grimes, Marsh, Smith, Napa, Maycock, Pearson, Whitaker.
Subs: Simpson, Hodkiss, Wilson, Blissett, Welch-Hayes, Vincenti, Artur.
Tottenham Hotspur v Watford line-ups
Tottenham Hotspur: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies, Winks, Wanyama, Sissoko, Alli (c), Lamela, Lucas.
Subs: Whiteman, Foyth, Walker-Peters, Dier, Dembele, Son, Llorente.
Watford: Gomes, Navarro, Cathcart, Mariappa, Masina, Femenia, Wilmot, Chalobah, Quina, Sema, Success.
Subs: Dahlberg, Kabasele, Holebas, Hughes, Capoue, Pereyra, Gray.
Nottingham Forest v Stoke City line-ups
Nottm Forest: Steele, Darikwa, Tobias Figueiredo, Dawson, Osborn, Watson, Bridcutt, Gil Dias, Goncalves, Lolley, Murphy.
Subs: Janko, Fox, Grabban, Smith, Cash, Appiah, Yacob.
Stoke: Federici, Edwards, Williams, Martins Indi, Soutar, Bauer, Adam, Fletcher, Krkic, Berahino, Crouch.
Subs: Martina, Allen, Ince, Afobe, Shawcross, Campbell, Haugaard.
Referee: Darren England (South Yorkshire)
Chelsea team news ...
Unsurprisingly, there’s also very much the whiff of “second string” throughout Chelsea’s starting line-up, with Maurizio Sarri making eight changes from the team that was held at West Ham last weekend. Cesar Azpilicueta, Mateo Kovacic and Willian are the only survivors from the side that started at the London Stadium.
Liverpool team news ...
Nathaniel Clyne and Alberto Moreno make their first appearances of the season in the full-back positions for Liverpool, while Dejan Lovren also makes his first appearance for the club since playing for Croatia in the World Cup final. Brazilian midfielder Fabinho also makes his first start for the club, following his late cameo against Paris Saint-Germain, last night, while Simon Mignolet gets a rare run out in goal.
Liverpool v Chelsea line-ups
Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Matip, Lovren, Moreno, Milner, Fabinho, Keita, Shaqiri, Sturridge, Mane.
Subs: Firmino, Salah, Gomez, Henderson, Solanke, Jones, Grabara.
Chelsea: Caballero, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill, Emerson Palmieri, Fabregas, Kovacic, Barkley, Moses, Morata, Willian.
Subs: Jorginho, Kante, Hazard, Hudson-Odoi, Zappacosta, Luiz, Bulka.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
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Tonight’s Carabao Cup fixtures
While our main focus tonight will be on Liverpool’s match against Chelsea, we’ll bring you updates from around the grounds hosting assorted other matches in the competition.
EFL Cup third round
Greetings one and all. After last night’s excitement at Old Trafford and the subsequent fall-out, Liverpool and Chelsea take centre stage in the latest round of League Cup fixtures. It’s the first of two encounters between the sides this week, as they will meet again in the Premier League on Saturday. Both seem likely to field second-string sides this evening, but stay tuned for team news, build-up and post-match reaction as they go toe to toe in the Carabao Cup. Kick-off is at 7.45pm (BST).
