To Scotland …
Louise Taylor was at St James’ Park.
Stalemate on the South Coast.
Ed Aarons was at Molineux.
David Hytner was at the London Stadium.
A telling quote from a Newcastle United fan here: “The most exciting bit of the match today was when I realised I had mobile phone signal for the first time ever in the Gallowgate end.”
Sorry, Neil.
Stuart James saw Cardiff grab their first win of the season and pull themselves clear of the relegation zone.
Ben Fisher saw the new dawn at Aston Villa.
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It will soon be time to consider the day’s final Premier League match.
The reports are rolling in. Paul Wilson was at the Etihad.
Manchester City will be top of the league at the weekend’s conclusion unless Liverpool manage to beat Huddersfield 12-0.
What a moment. Derby County’s team of 2007-8, Paul Jewell, Robbie Savage etc etc, keep their place in history.
FULL-TIME | #TheSilkmen 2-1 @officialcufc
— Macclesfield Town (@thesilkmen) October 20, 2018
THE WIN IS OURS! Two second half goals ensure Macc come back from behind and bank their first three points of the season! #SilkmenLive
Full-time: Newcastle 0-1 Brighton
Newcastle have lost all of their first five home matches. Kayal’s goal was a fluke but Newcastle’s lack of goals leaves them bottom of the table. Cardiff have climbed above them.
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Full-time: Cardiff 4-2 Fulham
That makes it 25 goals that Fulham have already conceded. Oh dear. Great win for Cardiff, though.
Full-time: Bournemouth 0-0 Southampton
Bournemouth blew the best chances of a poor game.
And Macclesfield Town have won! The pain is over! Staying up surely.
Full-time: West Ham 0-1 Tottenham
Lamela’s goal scraps Spurs to another win at the London.
Full-time: Manchester City 5-0 Burnley
Joe Hart’s worst nightmare descended.
Full-time: Wolves 0-2 Watford
Two early goals did the damage.
Into injury time at the Moss Rose. Four minutes to go....
Goal! Cardiff 4-2 Fulham (Harris, 90+2)
Oh dear, Fulham. More chaos and Cardiff make hay again, slotting in at the back post.
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Goal! Manchester City 5-0 Burnley (Sane, 90)
A bad day for Joe Hart. He is blameless for all of City’s goals but he has been left unprotected.
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Celtic make it 4-2 against Hibs with another Edouard goal.
Cardiff goalkeeper Neil Etheridge has just made a fine save to protect his team’s lead against Fulham. Alfie Mawson must have thought he had scored.
West Ham had the ball in the net but it was offside. No surprise to hear that Chicharito Hernandez was the offender.
Macclesfield are winning! It’s 2-1 against Carlisle. Peter Vincenti with the goal. Can they hang on?
Goal! Manchester City 4-0 Burnley (Mahrez, 83)
Joe Hart rooted to the spot as Mahrez lashes home from 25 yards.
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Peter Oh emails in: “Marko Arnautovic involved in jersey-shredding handbags? Proof that he is certainly fit to tear the shirt!”
Birmingham score against Stoke, where Gary Rowett is under pressure.
In the Championship, Wigan have scored against West Brom, chasing promotion.
Macclesfield Town equalise! Michael Rose slots home a 79th minute penalty. Just ten minutes now to save themselves.
It looks like Newcastle may have run out of ideas.
Kenedy tries a Rabona from 20 yards.. but it flies over. #nufc have half an hour to save this day from disaster.https://t.co/Is3d6SWmw3
— Mark Douglas (@MsiDouglas) October 20, 2018
Aston Villa clinging on to that early lead against Swansea. JT and Deano on course for the points, though.
Nerves for Brendan as Hibernian peg Celtic back to 3-2 after a goal from Martin Boyle.
Hubert O’Hearn tweets in: “I know you’re absolutely correct, but ‘in the last century’ sounds so long ago. It summons to mind images of Keegan with a waxed moustache and Woodcock lifting a meerschaum out of his mouth just long enough to say, ‘Have at it, brave lads all!’”
Newcastle are huffing and puffing at St James’ Park. Brighton’s defence dealing well with a series of crosses into their box.
Up in Scotland, Celtic are leading Hibernian 3-1 after a goal from Odsonne Edouard.
Goal! Cardiff 3-2 Fulham (Paterson, 65)
More chaos in the Fulham defence, and Paterson scores a deflected goal. Cardiff on course to climb out of the bottom three.
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Managerless, winless Macc Town are pushing for an equaliser. It isn’t coming...
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Correction on Robben: not sent off for diving. It was a foul for the second offence. But rest easy, Daniel Lees. The first was a dive.
Josh King has just missed a golden chance for Bournemouth against Southampton. Eddie Howe agonises: no goals yet in the South Coast derby.
Word on Reiss Nelson: he became the third Englishman to score two goals in a Bundesliga game, following Kevin Keegan (for Hamburg) and Tony Woodcock (for FC Cologne) in the last century.
Handbags at the London Stadium between Davinson Sanchez and Marko Arnautovic. Sanchez has a ripped shirt but both players stay on the pitch.
Daniel Lees again: “I take it back. There IS sentence which is better to read for a true football fan: “Joey Barton is not happy about it.”
And now Kevin de Bruyne is on for City. More growling from Sean Dyche. Fernandinho’s goal was a powerful side-footed shot, very coolly done.
Goal! Manchester City 3-0 Burnley (Fernandinho, 56)
City now running riot after not being able to put Burnley away in the first half. Fernandinho smashes home from long range. Sean Dyche is still growling about City’s second.
Goal! Manchester City 2-0 Burnley (Bernardo Silva, 54)
The ball may have gone over the line before the Portuguese midfielder slotted home but City are headed for the top of the league. That was a triumph of David Silva not giving up a loss cause.
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Daniel Lees emails in: “For a true football fan, is there a better sentence to read…..”Arjen Robben has been sent off for diving. It seems to be karma finally repaying Mr Robben.....If only there were a German equivalent for schadenfreude.”
In League One, leaders Portsmouth have a lead against Fleetwood after Oliver Hawkins’ goal. Joey Barton is not happy about it.
Oh no! Macclesfield Town are heading for misery. Carlisle have scored through Ashley Nadesan. 37 games without a Football League win surely beckons.
Bayern now winning 3-1 thanks to a goal from James Rodriguez. That will show those nasty journalists.
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Back underway in the second halves. Hugo Lloris has just made a fine save from Arnautovic to deny a West Ham equaliser.
Danny Taylor was at Stamford Bridge for the drama and punch-up.
Dr Ian Copestake emails in from Germany with a little bit of politics. “I am glad the update on Murray did not confirm that he has been taken to hospital for a scan and will be seen in four hours.”
(Ian is not that sort of doctor.)
Been a busy half-time, but here’s some recommended reading.
News from Germany: Bayern are leading Wolfsburg 2-1, but Arjen Robben has been sent off for diving. Robert Lewandowski has scored both goals, while meanwhile, another young Englishmen is making hay in the Bundesliga. Two goals for Reiss Nelson, on loan from Arsenal, for Hoffenheim.
THERE'S THE BRACE! 💥
— TSG Hoffenheim EN (@achtzehn99_en) October 20, 2018
🔴 1-2 🔵 (57') #FCNTSG pic.twitter.com/Dq5Zsoiaet
And that’s half-time at St James’ Park.
Newcastle’s game still going on after that Glenn Murray injury; he was taken to hospital. The news is that he is conscious and now having a scan.
Half-time scores
Bournemouth 0-0 Southampton
Cardiff 2-2 Fulham
Manchester City 1-0 Burnley
Newcastle 0-1 Brighton (latest score)
West Ham 0-1 Tottenham
Wolves 0-2 Watford
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Joe Hart, he of the training pitch, makes a fantastic save to deny David Silva, and then Aguero misses from a yard out. Burnley still in it. Just. Joe Hart waves to fans at half-time, which is novel.
Newcastle go close through Kenedy’s drive over the bar. The home fans yet to desert their team, despite a truly awful home record this season.
Goal! West Ham 0-1 Tottenham (Lamela, 44)
Spurs break the deadlock, as the Argentinian continues his great decent goal record with a glancing header.
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Grady Diangana has come on to replace the stricken Yarmolenko, who suffered an injury to his calf, it seems.
Robert Snodgrass in the thick of the action for West Ham against Spurs. He has had an unlikely renaissance under Manuel Pellegrini. Not a bad player, but neither Slaven Bilic nor David Moyes fancied him much...meanwhile, Yarmolenko has gone down heavily and will not be able to continue. Bad news for the Hammers.
Another fact on Sessegnon: he’s the first player born after 2000 to score in the Premier League.
Goal! Cardiff 2-2 Fulham (Sessegnon, 34)
That’s the first ever Premier League goal for Fulham’s young star. He burst off a Mitrovic flick and finished coolly.
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Oh, Newcastle. This really isn’t going well for Rafa. How long until insurrection breaks out.
Goal! Newcastle 0-1 Brighton (Kayal, 29)
A scrambled goal that came off a pair of deflections after Shane Duffy’s header and José Izquierdo volley. Kayal got the last touch but maybe didn’t know much about it.
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Luckless Macclesfield Town have had a goal disallowed.
0-0 | ⏱ 25' | DISALLOWED GOAL! Tyrone Marsh crosses for Peter Vincenti, who heads across goal into the top corner, but the offside flag was raised. #SilkmenLive
— Macclesfield Town (@thesilkmen) October 20, 2018
West Ham and Tottenham is not much of a game, according to our snouts. Possession for both teams but not much else.
More woes for Fulham as their goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli is in the wars after colliding with Dennis Odoi. Time ticking on Jokanovic: Fulham’s defence is chaotic to say the very least.
Goal! Wolves 0-2 Watford (Pereyra, 21)
Two in a minute, and this time a smart finish from the Argentinian.
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Goal! Wolves 0-1 Watford (Etienne Capoue, 20)
Watford score against the run of play and then...
Goal! Cardiff 2-1 Fulham (Reid, 20)
They are flying in. More chaos in Fulham’s defence and Bobby Reid slots in after another one on one.
Goal! Manchester City 1-0 Burnley (Aguero, 17)
A regulation close-range finish for the Argentine goal machine’s 149th Premier League goal.
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Goal! Cardiff 1-1 Fulham (Murphy, 15)
Needless to say, poor Fulham defending let this one happen. Murphy slotted in after a one on one.
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Glenn Murray did indeed have to leave the field at Newcastle and has been replaced by Jurgen Locadia. That was after a clash of heads with Federico Fernandez.
We told you to expect goals between Fulham and Cardiff and that was pretty special.
Goal! Cardiff 0-1 Fulham (Schurrle, 11)
The German has been excellent this season and he smashed in from about 35 yards.
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Dream start for Dean Smith and JT at Villa: Tammy Abraham has scored against Swansea.
Your new #AVFC Head Coach...
— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) October 20, 2018
Dean Smith! 👏#PartOfThePride pic.twitter.com/jJClo0qOga
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Worries at Newcastle, where Brighton’s Glenn Murray has taken a bang to the head and is receiving medical assistance and is highly unlikely to carry on.
Nottingham Forest are leading 1-0 against Norwich; Lewis Grabban scored against his old club.
Newcastle’s Ayoze Pérez has also missed a good chance, after some severe deliberation from Brighton’s Gaetan Bong.
All happening between Manchester City and Burnley where Vincent Kompany was very lucky to get away with only a yellow card for a high challenge on Aaron Lennon. Sergio Aguero has also missed a good chance.
First goal of the day goes to Crawley’s Joe Maguire, who scored against Newport.
A word on Newcastle, who have made their worst ever start to a top-division season. And considering the chaos that has enveloped that club, that’s saying something. Not a great deal of optimism on Tyneside when I was up there last weekend.
And away we go!
3pm kick-offs are underway. What magic awaits?
Down in the very depths of the Football League, Macclesfield Town are trying to avoid an unwanted record. They equalled the English league record of 36 consecutive games without a win by losing at Tranmere last week. Lose their home match against Carlisle and ignominy awaits. Derby County in 2007 and 2008 are joint holders and it might be said that Macc’s losing run incorporates a six-year spell in the Conference.
Meanwhile, in touchline rumble news, José Mourinho has accepted an apology from Marco Ianni, the Chelsea coach who celebrated Ross Barkley’s equaliser in front of him.
A final call for the weekend Premier League preview.
More Germany news, where Jadon Sancho has opened the scoring for Borussia Dortmund against Stuttgart.
Drama here, to say the very least.
Elsewhere on the continent, Bayern Munich are one of Europe’s crisis clubs, along with Real Madrid and just-about-to-beat-Chelsea Manchester United. They travel to Wolfsburg this afternoon, their bosses having responded to recent media criticism in the style of a Trump Thursday night rally.
The big team news is that Kevin de Bruyne will be on the bench for Manchester City, just as Christian Eriksen will be for Tottenham.
European news: Real Madrid lose again, despite breaking their goal duck.
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The presence of Isaac Success can only make one hum Iggy Pop’s Here Comes Success.
Wolverhampton: Rui Patricio, Bennett, Coady, Boly, Doherty, Neves, Joao Moutinho, Jonny, Helder Costa, Jimenez, Jota.
Subs: Ivan Cavaleiro, John Ruddy, Saiss, Ruben Vinagre, Hause, Leo Bonatini, Traore.
Watford: Foster, Femenia, Mariappa, Cathcart, Masina, Doucoure,
Capoue, Deulofeu, Hughes, Pereyra, Success.
Subs: Gomes, Prodl, Sema, Gray, Quina, Navarro, Wilmot.
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)
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Wolves v Watford teams by a more modern means.
Here's how Wolves line-up for today's @premierleague fixture against @WatfordFC. #WOLWAT
— Wolves (@Wolves) October 20, 2018
📋🐺 pic.twitter.com/x4utrYjRTY
🔢 | #watfordfc make four changes for this afternoon's match at @Wolves.
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) October 20, 2018
▶️ Mariappa, Masina, Deulofeu, Success
◀️ Kabasele, Holebas (both suspended), Deeney (minor hamstring problem), Gray
Chalobah also misses out today with a minor knee problem.#WOLWAT pic.twitter.com/L2x3ImRZXK
West Ham: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Balbuena, Diop, Cresswell,
Noble, Rice, Yarmolenko, Felipe Anderson, Snodgrass, Arnautovic.
Subs: Adrian, Hernandez, Ogbonna, Fredericks, Masuaku, Antonio,
Diangana.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Trippier, Alderweireld, Sanchez,
Davies, Dier, Winks, Sissoko, Lamela, Lucas Moura, Kane.
Subs: Son, Walker-Peters, Llorente, Dembele, Gazzaniga, Eriksen,
Aurier.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
Man City: Ederson, Kompany, Stones, Laporte, Mahrez,
Fernandinho, Silva, Mendy, Bernardo Silva, Sane, Aguero.
Subs: Sterling, De Bruyne, Otamendi, Gabriel Jesus, Zinchenko, Foden,
Muric.
Burnley: Hart, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Gudmundsson,
Defour, Cork, Lennon, Hendrick, Vokes.
Subs: Heaton, Barnes, Wood, Westwood, Bardsley, Vydra, Long.
Referee: Jonathan Moss (County Durham)
Cardiff: Etheridge, Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett,
Victor Camarasa, Gunnarsson, Arter, Josh Murphy, Paterson, Reid.
Subs: Richards, Zohore, Smithies, Cunningham, Damour, Harris,
Hoilett.
Fulham: Bettinelli, Odoi, Ream, Chambers, Le Marchand, Seri,
McDonald, Johansen, Schurrle, Mitrovic, Ryan Sessegnon.
Subs: Ayite, Vietto, Christie, Sergio Rico, Mawson, Zambo, Kamara.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
Newcastle: Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Fernandez, Dummett,
Ritchie, Shelvey, Diame, Kenedy, Perez, Muto.
Subs: Schar, Murphy, Hayden, Manquillo, Joselu, Darlow, Atsu.
Brighton: Ryan, Saltor, Duffy, Dunk, Bong, Jahanbakhsh,
Stephens, Kayal, Izquierdo, March, Murray.
Subs: Bissouma, Locadia, Andone, Knockaert, Balogun, Button, Bernardo.
Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands)
Here come the teams.
AFC Bournemouth: Begovic, Francis, Steve Cook, Ake, Smith,
Brooks, Lerma, Lewis Cook, Fraser, King, Wilson.
Subs: Boruc,
Gosling, Surman, Ibe, Defoe, Stanislas, Rico.
Southampton: McCarthy, Cedric, Hoedt, Stephens, Bertrand,
Redmond, Hojbjerg, Lemina, Elyounoussi, Austin, Ings. Subs:
Yoshida, Vestergaard, Long, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Gabbiadini,
Gunn.
Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)
In the Championship, a big result already as Blackburn beat Leeds 2-1: looks like the Bielsa miracle is getting tiring. Feels like they are slipping away. They have won just two of the last eight, with a record of DDWLDWDL. It was fun while it lasted, which wasn’t actually that long.
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And here’s that JT clip. Captain, leader, legend, assistant to the manager.
Preamble
Good afternoon. While we work out whether José Mourinho should start estimating his minibar bill at the Lowry Hotel or can start ordering the special Christmas dinner package, the rest of the day is worthy of even heavier consideration than Harry Redknapp going into the jungle with Dec.
It’s a European week ahead so that means Saturday takes the strain with six matches kicking off at 3pm. Manchester City will welcome back Kevin de Bruyne at some point in their home match with Burnley. West Ham lost 3-2 to Tottenham last season at the London but might fancy their chances against a patched-up Spurs. Chris Hughton returns to Newcastle with Brighton where Mike Ashley has the purse strings just as tight as back in the days of “Clipboard Chris”, who departed Tyneside as a hero. Fulham travel to Cardiff, and this has to guarantee goals as neither team appears capable of keeping them out. There have been rumours of Slavisa Jokanovic being close to the edge at Fulham; now that Shahid Khan is not buying Wembley, his attentions are no longer so diverted. Wolves’s home game with Watford is a pairing of two teams who have both made decent starts to the campaign. Bournemouth face Southampton in a South Coast derby in which the smaller club is much more in the ascendancy. I once attended a Bournemouth game where a Craig David record was booed because he’s a Saints fan.
In the Championship, all eyes on Aston Villa where the dream combination of Dean Smith and John Terry take the stage against Swansea. We’ve seen JT as a touchline presence before. Remember that time in 2012 when Chelsea sacked AVB and JT subbed himself off against Napoli and then started shouting over interim boss Roberto di Matteo? Can’t help hoping for more of the same.
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