Wednesday night previews
Updated
Summary
Big results near the top and bottom of the Premier League, with Manchester City suffering a potentially fatal defeat, Newcastle five points clear of the drop zone, and Fulham coming back from 2-0 down to win 4-2 against Brighton. Liverpool can pull seven points clear at the top with a win over Leicester tomorrow – they are now 4/11 to win the title. It would take an almighty slip to blow this one.
Thanks for joining me this evening, for your emails, for your tweets. Get all your Premier League reports and analysis here, and tune into the Guardian tomorrow for more. See ya!
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 23 | 41 | 60 |
| 2 | Man City | 24 | 44 | 56 |
| 3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 23 | 25 | 51 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 23 | 21 | 47 |
| 5 | Arsenal | 24 | 17 | 47 |
| 6 | Man Utd | 24 | 13 | 45 |
| 7 | Wolverhampton | 24 | -1 | 35 |
| 8 | Everton | 24 | 2 | 33 |
| 9 | Watford | 23 | 0 | 33 |
| 10 | Leicester | 23 | 0 | 31 |
| 11 | West Ham | 24 | -7 | 31 |
| 12 | AFC Bournemouth | 23 | -9 | 30 |
| 13 | Brighton | 24 | -9 | 26 |
| 14 | Newcastle | 24 | -11 | 24 |
| 15 | Burnley | 24 | -20 | 23 |
| 16 | Crystal Palace | 23 | -9 | 22 |
| 17 | Southampton | 23 | -15 | 22 |
| 18 | Cardiff | 24 | -26 | 19 |
| 19 | Fulham | 24 | -28 | 17 |
| 20 | Huddersfield | 24 | -28 | 11 |
Some other results to tell you about:
Bolton scored a 92nd-minute equaliser to deny Reading a huge win at the foot of the Championship. The other game in the second tier was just strange. The scores were level at 1-1 between Swansea and Birmingham when the Blues went down to 10 men. Swansea then scored after the hour mark, but two goals in five minutes (against the run of play) saw Birmingham into a 3-2 lead before Oli McBurnie scored his 15th goal of the season in injury time to level the scores once more at 3-3.
A massive 3-2 win for Luton against Portsmouth as first met second in League One. Another ding-dong battle in which Pompey twice pegged Luton back before George Moncur, son of John, scored the winner.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luton | 30 | 31 | 62 |
| 2 | Portsmouth | 29 | 19 | 57 |
| 3 | Barnsley | 29 | 25 | 56 |
| 4 | Charlton | 30 | 16 | 54 |
| 5 | Sunderland | 27 | 22 | 53 |
Manchester City have been beaten at Newcastle. Join Scott Murray for the latest reaction. Liverpool can go seven points clear with a win tomorrow at home to Leicester.
Full-time: Manchester United 2-2 Burnley
What a game. Solskjær’s winning run is over but he’s still unbeaten. I can’t work out if that’s a good or bad result for either Manchester United or Burnley.
90+4 min: Solskjær looks remarkably calm on the sidelines, as the home crowd roar Manchester United forward again. Let’s just say Sean Dyche doesn’t look as serene.
GOAL! Manchester United 2-2 Burnley (Lindelof 90+3)
A late, late equaliser! Young crosses to the back post, United have men over. Heaton makes a remarkable save from Sanchez’s header, but Lindelof is there to turn the ball in from a tight angle. Heaton did actually get a hand to the rebound but it squirmed into the side-netting. Old Trafford erupts and Manchester United again sprint back to the half-way line. They want a winner!
Updated
90+1 min: Burnley are absolutely camped on the edge of their own are. Pogba works some space with a bit of skill away from Cork and fires a powerful strike at goal. Heaton makes a good save, palming it away. As another cross comes in, Heaton gets up well to catch it cleanly. Great goalkeeping.
90 min: Five minutes added on at Old Trafford. Fergie Time.
GOAL! Manchester United 1-2 Burnley (Pogba 87 pen)
The Frenchman sticks it right into the top left corner. Cracking penalty. Pogba grabs the ball and sprints back to the half-way line. Can Burnley hold on?
Updated
Penalty to Manchester United!
86 min: A clear tug from Hendrick on Lingard. Pogba steps up with that unmistakeable run-up …
Updated
Full-time scores in the 7.45pm KOs
Arsenal 2-1 Cardiff
Fulham 4-2 Brighton
Huddersfield 0-1 Everton
Wolves 3-0 West Ham
Some big goals in the second half, there.
GOAL! Manchester United 0-2 Burnley (Wood 80)
Wood glances home a brilliant header from Westwood’s cross. Solskjær’s winning run looks set to come to an end!
Updated
Manchester City are losing at Newcastle. Huge goal in the title race. Get the latest with Scott Murray.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Cardiff (Mendez-Laing 90+3)
Mendez gets one back, but it look like it’s going to be too late for the Welsh side.
GOAL! Wolves 3-0 West Ham (Jiminez 86)
And that’s that. This has been an absolutely terrible performance from West Ham, I think they’ve had two shots all game. Jiminez finishes off a wonderful counter-attacking move from Wolves after Obiang has hit pocket picked in the centre circle. Wolves are two on one going forward, Jota squares it to Jiminez and the Mexican dinks it over Fabianski.
85 min: Fulham hit the bar again! Cairney turns inside and curls a brilliant effort on the top of the bar. Ryan was motionless.
83 min: Sublime save from Pickford, who dives to his right to palm away Kachunga’s header. “England No1” chant the travelling Everton fans. Huddersfield still 1-0 down against the 10 men but pressing for an equaliser.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Cardiff (Lacazette 83)
Some pretty poor defending from Cardiff as Lacazette waltzes into the box, gets a low shot off. Etheridge gets a foot to it, but can’t stop it from squeezing inside the post. That should be the game for Arsenal!
Updated
GOAL! Fulham 4-2 Brighton (Vietto 80)
Four goals for Fulham in this second half. What a comeback! Cairney hits the bar, the ball falls to Babel, who can’t get it under control, but Vietto stabs it in to give Fulham some breathing space. Surely even they can’t blow this lead from here.
Updated
GOAL! Wolves 2-0 West Ham (Jiminez 79)
Another set piece, another goal for Wolves. It’s nothing less than they deserve. West Ham have been torrid, and Hammers co-chairman David Sullivan looks absolutely miserable in the stands.
77 min: Arnautovic is subbed off injured, so Fabianski is going to have to soldier on in goal for West Ham.
GOAL! Fulham 3-2 Brighton (Mitrovic 74)
Two-nil down at half-time, Fulham now lead! What a game. It’s Mitrovic again, nodding a Bryan cross past Ryan.
Updated
60 min: Solskjær has hooked Pereira for Lingard as Manchester United try to get back into the game. The Brazilian looks absolutely crestfallen as he plods towards the bench. Burnley still 1-0 up at Old Trafford.
70 min: Jota is absolutely furious that Wolves haven’t been awarded a penalty for a tackle by Zabaleta. It’s a close call. Zabaleta certainly made contact but then won the ball.
If that was lucky for West Ham, Arnautovic has an ankle problem and Fabianski has also gone down in a heap after a 50/50 challenge with Doherty. The Hammers have already made two changes.
Red card for Digne! Everton down to 10 men at Huddersfield
67 min: Digne has only just come on for Baines, remember. The former Barcelona is sent off for bringing down Diakhaby as he ran through one-on-one. Huddersfield still 1-0 down but right back in this.
GOAL! Manchester United 0-1 Burnley (Barnes 51)
This goal is all Andreas Pereira’s fault. The Brazilian loses the ball on the edge of his own area. Burnley swarm on him with a high press, Cork nicks the ball, feeds Barnes and the forward makes no mistake, smashing the ball high into the roof of the match.
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Cardiff (Aubameyang 64pen)
Kolasinac goes down in the area under the challenge of Manga and Aubameyang makes no mistake from 12 yards. A big goal for Arsenal, who have looked very pedestrian this evening.
Updated
GOAL! Fulham 2-2 Brighton (Mitrovic 58)
Fulham are level! A remarkable turnaround at Craven Cottage! It’s a bouncing ball in Brighton’s box, nobody takes the initiative, including Ryan in goal, and Mitrovic simply rises above three Brighton players and nods the ball into the net. Calamitous defending. You’d back Fulham to win it from here.
Updated
56 min: Saiss is the latest to go close for Wolves! West Ham are really hanging on, they have offered nothing going forward, and Fabianski does really well to get down to his right to deny Wolves’ Moroccan midfielder.
54 min: Fulham are really going for it now. They are leaving gaps at the back, and are open to the counter-attack, but have thrown bodies forward, and brought Vietto on from the bench.
A few changes to tell you about. Alex Iwobi has come on for Arsenal, replacing Elneny, who was fairly dreadful in the first half.
Meanwhile, at Huddersfield, Aaron Mooy has come on for the home side. Huge cheers for the Australian, who is back after the Asian Cup. He’s been sorely missed. Leighton Baines has gone off injured for Everton, with Digne coming on.
GOAL! Fulham 1-2 Brighton (Chambers 46)
Fulham are back in it! Chambers gets his first goal for Fulham, volleying a sensational shot into the top corner. That has really livened up the crowd, and two minutes later Mitrovic is denied an equaliser by a brilliant Duffy challenge.
Updated
The 7.45pm games are back underway for the second half. Half-time at Old Trafford: Manchester United 0-0 Burnley.
Staying on the continent, new £31m Krzysztof Piatek has scored two on his Milan debut against Napoli in the Coppa Italia. Wowee.
That's how you introduce yourself to the home fans!
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 29, 2019
Krzysztof Piątek bags inside 10-minutes on his full AC Milan debut 🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/fCRnlca0iK
Another one 💥💥💥
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 29, 2019
Krzysztof Piątek grabs his second goal with a stunning finish!
Pick that out 👊 pic.twitter.com/laXTHF3xpj
I can’t say that I’m watching Monaco v Guincamp, but fortunately Kári Tulinius is, and he’s emailed in.
“I switched over to the French league cup semifinal between Guincamp and Monaco as it started and haven’t been disappointed. So far, with thirty minutes played the following has happened, William Vainqueur was shown a straight red for a horrendous tackle on his Monaco debut, Rony Lopes scored a bicycle kick for Monaco, there was a hailstorm, and Golovin added another for Monaco, his first for the club.”
Half-time at Swansea, who are drawing 1-1 with 10-man Birmingham, while it’s goalless between probably the league’s poorest two teams: Bolton and Reading. That last one is a 8pm KO.
Updated
38 min: Manchester United are starting to turn the screw now. Paul Pogba has the ball in the Burnley net after flicking a cross past Heaton, but he is correctly flagged offside. Burnley are slightly hanging on here, but credit to Tarkowski and Mee at the heart of their defence, they have both been excellent.
Updated
35 min: Great save from Tom Heaton to deny Lukaku! The Belgian was actually penalised for a foul before shooting, but the Burnley keeper wasn’t to know that, and he got down superbly well to palm Lukaku’s effort over the bar. Heaton has made a real difference for Burnley’s defensive organisation since replacing Joe Hart between the sticks.
Here’s today’s Fiver, featuring Alvaro Morata, David Squires and a headbutt (not between Morata and Squires).
Half-time scores in the Premier League
Arsenal 0-0 Cardiff
Fulham 0-2 Brighton
Huddersfield 0-1 Everton
Wolves 0-0 West Ham
It’s also Manchester United 0-0 Burnley. That one has about 12 minutes left, it being an 8pm kick-off.
43 min: Arsenal have had the lions share of possession but it’s Cardiff that have had the better chances. Bobby Reid has been particularly wasteful, despite some good link up play from the former Bristol City man. Ozil has been very quiet.
41 min: Brighton hit the bar. So nearly a third for the visitors, with Propper smashing the ball against the crossbar from range. The Dutchman hasn’t scored in 61 games for the Seagulls.
Updated
24 min: Manchester United not looking particularly inspired against Burnley, who look fairly comfortable at Old Trafford. Solskjær out.
Updated
37 min: Fulham so nearly get themselves into the game, but a miraculous goal-line clearance from Duffy maintain’s Brighton’s 2-0 lead. Babel delivers a worldie cross to the back post, where Schurrle is unmarked, and the German volleys a first-time shot towards the far corner, but Duffy somehow diverts the ball over his own bar.
35 min: Wolves should be about 3-0 up at home to West Ham, but somehow it’s still goalless. Jonny planted a header from a glorious Jiminez cross inches wide of Fabianski’s left-hand post a few minutes ago, and then the home side see a goal chalked off for offside. Jiminez flicked an effort onto the bar, and Dendoncker’s header on the follow up is ruled out. West Ham on the ropes.
Updated
32 min: I don’t think Jordan Pickford has touched the ball for Everton at Huddersfield. It’s hard to see how they are going to get back into this. Still 1-0 down.
28 min: It’s snowing at both the games in London. The fans at Arsenal v Cardiff and Fulham v Brighton are getting absolutely drenched.
Updated
16 min: Phil Jones gets Man Utd out of jail, cleaning up a defensive mix-up and making a good tackle on Ashley Barnes, who looked like he was going to sweep Burnley into a lead at Old Trafford.
26 min: Wolves have been denied a clear penalty at Molineux. Doherty felled by Masuaku. I genuinely have no idea how that hasn’t been given.
Updated
24 min: “If Unai Emery starts his pressconferences ’Good morning’/‘Good afternoon’/‘Good evening’, doesn’t that make him Truman Burbank? And if so, are we all actors and extras in Seahaven? I’m somewhat troubled by this. Regards, Johan in Sweden.”
22 min: Dale Stephens is a lucky boy at Fulham. The Brighton man could have easily have seen red for a studs-up challenge on Schurrle, but Lee Probert just dishes out the yellow card.
9 min: Rashford misses a sitter for Manchester United! Lukaku does brilliantly well to hold the ball up on a classic United counter-attack, he draws two defenders and slips Rashford through on goal … the England man takes a touch and then toe-punts it 10 yards wide from the penalty spot. Should have scored!
18 min: Penalty shouts at both ends of the pitch at Arsenal v Cardiff. First Niasse goes down under a trip from Monreal and a shove from Kolasinac. It’s a definite foul, but Mike Dean waves play on in his inimitable style. Next, Lacazette is tripped by Bamba. It looks innocuous but very clumsy form the Ivorian, who is lucky that Lacazette stays on his feet.
Updated
GOAL! Fulham 0-2 Brighton (Murray 16)
Fulham look doomed don’t they. March delivers a cross into the box, Fulham fail to clear before Propper loops a hopeful ball towards the back post, where Murray prods in from close range. Awful defending.
Updated
The 8pm games have kicked off. Less than one minute played at Newcastle v Man City and Sergio Aguero has already scored. You can join Scott Murray here.
14 min: Gareth Southgate is at Molineux tonight for Wolves v West Ham. Wolves are looking like a threat on the counter-attack. Coady is down receiving some treatment, but looks like he’s going to be OK to continue.
12 min: And just as I say that, Cardiff have a golden chance to take the lead. Bobby Reid, one of the players featuring in our Flop XI earlier today, squanders a chance. He’s got just two goals in 19 appearances.
Updated
10 min: Cardiff are all over the place at the Emirates. They are trying to change their shape, with Gunnarsson furiously gesturing to Warnock on the sidelines. Nobody seems to know what is going on.
Updated
GOAL! Fulham 0-1 Brighton (Murray 4)
After bottom club Huddersfield conceded early on, 19th-placed Fulham do the very same. Glenn Murray pouncing on an excellent cross from Montoya.
Updated
GOAL! Huddersfield 0-1 Everton (Richarlison 3)
The worst possible start for new Huddersfield manager Jan Siewert. Tom Davies crosses into the box, Richarlison is all alone six yards out. Lossl made a fine save but Richarlison was there to follow up.
Updated
Not related to tonight’s games, but this skill from Jadon Sancho is like something made up in a Nike advert. Woof.
— Jadon Sancho (@Sanchooo10) January 29, 2019
Lovely stuff.
Sore neck from his head bein turned
— Mark EFC Blake🇮🇪 (@moyeseyside) January 29, 2019
The #FlowersOfManchester remembered. pic.twitter.com/La58nwVlG2
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 29, 2019
Manchester United v Burnley team news
More team news for our 8pm kick-off. Ole Gunnar Solskjær makes five changes from the FA Cup win over Arsenal. Tony Martial got a little knock in training yesterday so he doesn’t make the squad.
Manchester United: De Gea; Young, Lindelof, Jones, Shaw; Matic, Andreas Pereira, Pogba, Mata, Rashford, Lukaku.
Subs: Romero, Dalot, Smalling, Fred, Herrera, Lingard, Alexis.
Burnley: Heaton, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Hendrick, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Barnes, Wood.
Subs: Gudmundsson, Vokes, Gibson, Hart, Ward, Vydra, Benson.
Referee: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire)
I absolutely love the way that Unai Emery starts every press conference with ‘Good morning’/‘Good afternoon’/‘Good evening’.
Some big inclusions to highlight.
Mesut Ozil starts, and is Arsenal captain for the evening – a little bit by default, mind. Remember he was one of five players named by Emery at the start of the season that would take the armband this season and the others – Koscielny, Cech, Ramsey and Xhaka – are not in the starting XI.
Ryan Babel makes his second start for Fulham, Ryan Sessegnon is left out with Aleksander Mitrovic is made captain for the Whites. Brighton welcome back Mat Ryan in goal, he hasn’t featured since Boxing Day owing to his Asian Cup commitments with Australia.
Interesting that Idrissa Gana Gueye is not in the squad for Everton at Huddersfield, the Senegalese handed in a transfer request earlier this week in an attempt to force through a move to PSG. With the French side signing Leandro Paredes for £34m today, it will be interesting to see if they are still keen on Gueye. Another notable inclusion is Leighton Baines, who captains Everton tonight, the 34-year-old’s first league start since August.
Wolves are pretty much as expected, but West Ham name Marko Arnautovic up top. It will be intriguing to see how the Hammers bounce back from their FA Cup exit at AFC Wimbledon.
Team news for the 7.45pm games
Arsenal v Cardiff
Arsenal: Leno, Lichtsteiner, Mustafi, Monreal, Kolasinac, Torreira, Elneny, Guendouzi, Ozil, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
Subs: Cech, Ramsey, Iwobi, Jenkinson, Mavropanos, Xhaka, Nketiah.
Cardiff: Etheridge, Peltier, Ecuele Manga, Bamba, Bennett, Gunnarsson, Paterson, Arter, Ralls, Reid, Niasse.
Subs: Zohore, Smithies, Cunningham, Mendez-Laing, Harris, Healey, Hoilett.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Fulham v Brighton
Fulham: Sergio Rico, Odoi, Le Marchand, Ream, Christie, Chambers, Seri, Bryan, Schurrle, Mitrovic, Babel.
Subs: Bettinelli, Ryan Sessegnon, Kebano, Cairney, Ayite, Vietto, Cisse.
Brighton: Ryan, Montoya, Duffy, Dunk, Bong, Gross, Stephens, Propper, March, Murray, Locadia.
Subs: Saltor, Kayal, Bissouma, Andone, Knockaert, Button, Burn.
Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)
Huddersfield v Everton
Huddersfield: Lossl, Hadergjonaj, Jorgensen, Schindler, Kongolo, Puncheon, Hogg, Bacuna, Kachunga, Mounie, Diakhaby.
Subs: Smith, Mooy, Hamer, Lowe, Depoitre, Pritchard, Durm.
Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Zouma, Baines, Davies, Andre Gomes, Bernard, Sigurdsson, Richarlison, Tosun. Subs: Walcott, Digne, McCarthy, Stekelenburg, Calvert-Lewin, Lookman, Kenny.
Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
Wolverhampton v West Ham
Wolverhampton: Rui Patricio, Bennett, Coady, Saiss, Doherty, Neves, Dendoncker, Jonny, Joao Moutinho, Jimenez, Jota.
Subs: Ivan Cavaleiro, Helder Costa, Gibbs-White, John Ruddy, Ruben Vinagre, Traore, Kilman.
West Ham: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Diop, Ogbonna, Masuaku, Noble, Rice, Antonio, Snodgrass, Felipe Anderson, Arnautovic.
Subs: Carroll, Adrian, Obiang, Hernandez, Fredericks, Diangana, Coventry.
Referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire)
Updated
Arsenal have also released a statement in which they confirmed both captains tonight will lay flowers before kick-off.
Preamble
Hello, and welcome to a bonus Tuesday edition of Football. Six Premier League games will take place tonight, five of which will be covered in this clockwatch …
Arsenal v Cardiff (7.45pm GMT)
Fulham v Brighton (7.45pm)
Huddersfield v Everton (7.45pm)
Wolves v West Ham (7.45pm)
Manchester United v Burnley (8pm)
… with Scott Murray overseeing Newcastle v Manchester City in this MBM.
Some cracking games of football then, at both ends of the table, but two games in particular are taking on a greater significance. Tonight is the first Cardiff City match since the disappearance of Emiliano Sala, their Argentinian striker who boarded a flight from Nantes to Cardiff last Monday, and is still yet to be found, along with the pilot David Ibbotson.
Neil Warnock suggested yesterday that he had considered retiring and also suggested that the XI he selects for the trip to Arsenal will not be based upon his strongest side, but the one most mentally prepared to play a game of football. Some of the Cardiff players have received counselling.
Sala’s family have declined an invitation to attend the match at the Emirates, but they have asked that neither of the teams wear black armbands, with Emiliano of course still missing. The travelling Cardiff fans have prepared a banner for tonight, which reads.
We never saw you play and never saw you score.
But Emiliano our beautiful bluebird we will love you forever more.
As for Arsenal, they have also gone the extra mile, covering the away end in yellow placards and – without Cardiff being aware – including Sala’s name on the back of the match programme, a gesture with which the Welsh club are thought to have deeply appreciated. A complementary daffodil is also being handed out to both home and away fans to show their support.
More emotional scenes up at Old Trafford tonight, with Manchester United honouring the 61st anniversary of the Munich disaster. There will be a ceremony at the memorial outside the stadium and a wreath will be laid before kick-off, while a giant banner showing the Busby Babes side lining up for their final match before the tragedy will be passed across the Stretford End as tonight’s teams take to the field.
So, quite a night in store. Wrap up.
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