And with that, I’m off. Scott Murray is presiding over the dregs of Liverpool v Everton, which has been disappointingly goalless for the entire second half (though the MBM will certainly be sizzling). Bye!
One more match report for you: here’s David Hytner from Old Trafford:
The sight of Marcus Rashford in smooth and pacy flow – the components of his thrilling technique in sync from first to last – would once have delighted José Mourinho. Not here. Mourinho had wanted to mark his return to Manchester United with a fourth win on the spin with Tottenham; to make his biggest statement yet with his new club. Instead, Rashford comprehensively upstaged him, scoring both of the goals in a United victory that ought to have been more emphatic, such was their first-half domination, to provide his current manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, with a sorely needed tonic.
Much more here:
Pete Lansley was at Molineux to see West Ham’s seventh defeat in 10:
The biggest challenge for Wolves on their way to fifth place in the Premier League and the knockout stages of the Europa League has been how well their back-up cast can come in for the regulars. So Patrick Cutrone’s clinching goal four minutes from time, after the Italian was teed up by fellow substitute Pedro Neto, could prove crucial in a month when Nuno Espírito Santo’s men play eight games.
Much more here:
Ben Fisher was our man in Southampton for the Saints’ victory over Norwich:
With a handful of minutes left to play, Southampton didn’t know what to do with themselves, unsure whether to eke their way through stoppage time or find a third goal to kill the game. They retreated until they could no more, surviving to see off Norwich City. Such trepidation was understandable given March was the last time they recorded back-to-back league wins. Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side held on to savour victory, with first-half goals by Danny Ings and Ryan Bertrand paving the way for victory to delight supporters, who have been starved of these kind of gritty displays for too long.
Much more here:
Paul Doyle was at the King Power Stadium to watch the Leicester bandwagon keep rolling:
It is extraordinary that this is becoming business as usual. For the seventh Premier League game in a row, Jamie Vardy scored and Leicester won. This was their most stuttering performance during that run and Vardy needed a second-half penalty to make the breakthrough against the league’s bottom team before James Maddison netted in stoppage time, but Leicester made sure they took maximum points. That is what they do now.
Much more here:
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The match reports are landing! Here’s Jacob Steinberg’s from Stamford Bridge:
Once the tributes to John Terry were done, Chelsea got on with showing their former captain the future. There is no place for sentiment in the heat of battle and Frank Lampard’s academy products made sure Aston Villa’s assistant manager did not enjoy his big homecoming too much, earning three important points thanks to excellent goals from Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount.
This was a fine victory for Chelsea after their aberration against West Ham. Mount was back to his enterprising best in midfield and Lampard’s side, sitting pretty in fourth place, did well to regain their poise after gifting Villa a soft equaliser on the stroke of half-time. Chelsea created countless chances during the second half and Terry must have known the visitors, a point above the bottom three, were fortunate not to lose by more.
Much more here:
Final score: Leicester 2-0 Watford
In all five of the 7.30pm kick-offs the home side scored two goals and won. The last to finish is at the King Power Stadium, where a dodgy penalty and a slightly lucky 95th-minute goal brought Leicester victory over Watford, who had one shot on target in the entire game (and that in the 95th minute).
Final score: Chelsea 2-1 Aston Villa
Chelsea pocket all the points and probably should have won more comfortably. They had 25 shots, which strikes me as rather a lot.
Final score: Manchester United 2-1 Tottenham
A deserved win for Manchester United, who played superbly for periods of this game. They leapfrog Spurs and sit sixth!
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GOAL! Leicester 2-0 Watford (Maddison, 90+5 mins)
And that’ll seal it! Maddison tries to push the ball past Mariappa and it deflects of both of the defender’s leg and back to Maddison, who runs into the area before beating Foster!
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Final score: Southampton 2-1 Norwich
And that’s the last chance at St Mary’s, with the final whistle blowing within seconds. With Everton losing, as it stands Southampton are out of the bottom three!
A chance for a 93rd-minute equaliser at St Mary’s Stadium, but Sam Byram hits his first effort into a thicket of legs, and his second wide!
Final score: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 West Ham United
The final whistle blows at Molineux, and Wolves pocket the points. With Tottenham losing, as things stand they’re fifth tonight.
Save from Kepa! Aston Villa swing the ball into the area, and Douglas Luiz rises highest and gets a header on target, which Kepa dives to push away!
“Can someone at Guardian towers please explain why it wasn’t possible yesterday to MBM two matches simultaneously (even though Max Rushden was watching the one not covered), yet tonight you are not only doing four matches, but also the one which has its own MBM?” asks Harvey Mayne. a) manpower issues, I expect; b) five matches, I think you’ll find.
GOAL! Wolves 2-0 West Ham (Cutrone, 86 mins)
Wolves seal the win at Molineux! Good work from Raul Jimenez to carry the ball from the left flank into the area, and it’s then touched back into the path of Cutrone, who tucks it just inside the post from the edge of the box!
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“Could it be that Jose Mourinho has managed to compress time as we might be witnessing the third (league) game syndrome as opposed to usual third season syndrome?” wonders Admir Pajic.
The match stats from Anfield make interesting reading: Liverpool have had four shots on target; Everton have had two shots on target ... and it’s 4-2!
I’m a bit late in discovering these completely legal Twitter goal videos, but here are a couple of highlights:
Dele, what have you just done?! 😯
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 4, 2019
A sublime first touch and finish to bring Spurs level!#PLonPrime #MUNTOT pic.twitter.com/PuMCsPXgXR
Trent Alexander-Arnold diagonal 🎯
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 4, 2019
Sadio Mane assist 👌
A lovely finish from Xherdan Shaqiri - @LFC are playing beautiful football! #PLonPrime #LIVEVE pic.twitter.com/M7IfWlNP7M
What a stop! Willian sends a free-kick dipping towards the top-right corner of the net, but Heaton flings himself to his left and gets his fingertips on it, to send it onto the post!
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It’s half-time at Anfield. Liverpool have abandoned their recent 2-1 habit, and are instead dealing in multiples of the same scoreline.
GOAL! Liverpool 4-2 Everton! (Richarlison, 45+3 mins)
A cross from the left, and Richarlison completely misses with his attempted diving header but accidentally shoulders it into the far corner!
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Chance for Tammy Abraham! Willian slides the ball into the box, and Abraham clips it towards, but just past, the far post!
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GOAL! Liverpool 4-1 Everton (Mané, 45 mins)
Another fabulous counter-attack! From an Everton corner Van Dijk heads away to Mané, who passes left to Alexander-Arnold. He sprints most of the pitch, ignores the completely-unmarked-throughout Shaqiri on the right and instead nudges infield to Mané, whose first-time finish is perfection!
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So Jamie Vardy has now scored in seven successive league games. It’s been an exceptional night of football, I think: controversy, quality, and some brilliant, brilliant goals. Dele Alli’s is the highlight so far.
50 – Jamie Vardy has now scored 50 Premier League goals at home for Leicester - the first player to reach this total for the Foxes – doing so in just 96 appearances at the King Power Stadium. Banged. #LEIWAT pic.twitter.com/RT4w1LCC1Q
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 4, 2019
GOAL! Southampton 2-1 Norwich (Pukki, 65 mins)
Now that’s a finish! Ings shoots just wide for Southampton and Norwich run down the other end, Tettey plays an excellent pass into the left side of the penalty area, and Pukki runs through before lashing a left-footer inside the near post!
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You’ve got to worry about Watford now. They have played pretty well thus far, but this team only know one way to react to adversity, and that’s badly. As I type that, though, Vardy is played in and dinks the ball over the onrushing Foster, only for Masina to fling a leg out and deflect it over the bar!
GOAL! Liverpool 3-1 Everton (Origi, 31 mins)
Lovren catches 60-yard-wonderpassitis! The Liverpool centre-back pings the ball over the entire Everton team, and Origi emphatically outpaces the Everton defence, controls the ball with a brilliant first touch, and then lifts it over Pickford and into the net!
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GOAL! Leicester 1-0 Watford (Vardy penalty, 56 mins)
Foster stands his ground, and Vardy sends the ball to his left! The foul, such as it was, was committed by Adam Masina on Jonny Evans. Masina was keeping him at arm’s length, so did indeed touch him, but it was a very odd decision.
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Now Leicester do have a penalty! Or do they? There’s a long VAR check, and he points to the spot! That is a 100% pure make-up penalty award, because the Foxes should have had one in the first half. That, though, looks harsh.
GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Tottenham (Rashford penalty, 48 mins)
Rashford is tripped by Sissoko as he bursts into the area, and the referee points to the spot! The England forward gets up, brushes himself down, sends Gazzaniga the wrong way and sidefoots his penalty into the net!
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GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Everton (Keane, 21 mins)
Everton pull one back! From a short corner Iwobi’s cross deflects into Kean’s path, leaving him with a simple finish!
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GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Aston Villa (Mount, 48 mins)
Into the second half, and someone has already turned on the goal tap! Willian crosses, Abraham chests it down, and Mount thumps a right-foot volley into the roof of the net from a yard or two behind the penalty spot!
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GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Everton (Shaqiri, 18 mins)
Liverpool stretch their lead! Alexander-Arnold starts the move with an insane 60-yard crossfield pass upfield to Mane, whose pass picks out Shaqiri’s run into the area, and he taps it past Pickford! That’s a fantastic break.
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“Dele, seems he’s a one-off physical specimen,” complains Peter Littley, “shoulders stretch all the way to his elbows.” You can’t seriously be telling me you think that goal should have been disallowed?
Some half-time reading for you, just in case you’re at a loose end:
History has been made at Stamford Bridge:
1 - Trézéguet’s goal, assisted by Ahmed El Mohamady for Aston Villa vs Chelsea is the first-ever Premier League goal to be both scored and assisted by Egyptian players. Pharaohs. pic.twitter.com/r1mwR5L0Le
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 4, 2019
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Everton (Origi, 6 mins)
That’s a lovely break from the league leaders! Mane carries the ball down the left, into Everton’s half, and then curls a fabulous left-footed pass around Keane and perfectly into Origi’s path! Pickford rushes out of goal but loses the race to the ball, the Belgian’s first touch takes it past him, and his second sends it into an empty net!
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It is half time in all the 7.30 kick-offs, so have yourself a breather. Though they’re just five minutes into things at Anfield, so make it a quick one.
Looking back at that Trezeguet goal, it is an absolutely classic hilarious slapstick finish. The Egyptian’s header is completely hopeless, but he actually heads it straight down and into his own shin, and it bounces off his shin and into goal!
“Thank goodness VAR let that Alli goal stand,” writes Rob Moore. “I’m no fan of either Spurs or Man Utd, but that goal was worthy of all the superlatives. To have it ruled out for a graze on a shirt shoulder would be tragic.” It was a fabulous goal, no doubt about it, and though it might have just brushed a bit of fabric in his shoulder area, it was not a handball or even near one.
Chance for Watford! Deulofeu slides the ball across the edge of the area to Hughes, who has a fabulous chance! His shot, though, hits Deeney and goes wide.
GOAL! Southampton 2-0 Norwich (Bertrand, 43 mins)
Another set piece for Southampton, and another goal! It’s a corner from the right, which Long flicks on and Bertrand taps in at the back stick!
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GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Aston Villa (Trezeguet, 41 mins)
A cross from the right, and everyone thinks it’s going to be met at the near post, including Trezeguet by the looks of things. It misses two players at the near post, hits Trezeguet and bounces in!
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GOAL! Manchester United 1-1 Tottenham (Alli, 39 mins)
And after all that dominance, United are pegged back! And what a finish that is from Dele Alli! It’s a cross from the left that goes through to the right, where a shot is blasted goalwards. De Gea beats it away, but Dele Alli, with his back to goal, gets to it, flicks it up and over his head before spinning and volleying it in! It’s a lovely, lovely goal - but did it brush his upper arm? VAR checks, and (quite rightly, in my opinion) says no!
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Leicester in VAR penalty controversy! Vardy goes down in the area as Mariappa challenges, but the referee is unimpressed and books the Leicester striker for his troubles. VAR checks it, and it looks very much like a penalty from where I’m sitting, even if Vardy fell over in a slightly unnatural way, but it’s not overturned.
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At Molineux Jota has a pop from the edge of the area, but Martin remains resolute for West Ham, and pushes the ball away.
Chance for Leicester! Lovely build-up as Barnes comes inside from the left, plays a couple of little one-twos and bursts into the area, but when he finally gets round to shooting Foster saves it.
At Stamford Bridge, Aston Villa win a corner, then another corner, then another corner. Then corner No4 is cleared and suddenly Chelsea have a 3 v 2 break, but Abraham tries to pass inside to Pulisic rather than go for goal himself, and hits a defender.
Meanwhile in Scotland, it’s Aberdeen v Rangers and one of the players has been hit with a pie thrown from the stands.
Now Lingard shoots just wide! Tottenham are getting overrun here, and it could be time for a Jose Mourinho first-half substitution special.
Gazzaniga got a touch to that Rashford shot, so that goes down in the big bumper book of great stops.
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Now Rashford pings a lovely shot against the bar from 30 yards! That’s a cracking effort, and United could have this game wrapped up by now.
7 - Marcus Rashford has scored in six of his 10 appearances at Old Trafford this season, netting seven goals. Dreams. pic.twitter.com/mO1jUW8z0g
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 4, 2019
Save! James sends in a low cross from the right and the ball hits a few legs before dropping to Greenwood, whose hard, low effort is well stopped by Gazzaniga!
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Aston Villa (Abraham, 24 mins)
And another one! It’s a lovely ball into the box from Reece James, which tempts the keeper into no-man’s land but lands on Abraham’s head, and he nods it into an empty net!
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GOAL! Wolves 1-0 West Ham (Dendoncker, 23 mins)
Another set-piece goal! It’s a corner from the left, nobody stops Dendoncker’s bulldozing run into the six-yard box, and he touches it back across goal and inside the post with an outstretched boot!
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GOAL! Southampton 1-0 Norwich (Ings, 22 mins)
James Ward-Prowse sends a lovely free-kick in from the left wing, and any kind of touch at the near post and the keeper was in big trouble. Ings gets the touch, and in it goes! Some kind of snooker-themed celebration follows.
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Oooh! Rashford sends a free-kick whistling not far wide of goal at Old Trafford. Meanwhile at Stamford Bridge, Mason Mount meets a right-wing cross but his header is straight at Heaton.
At Old Trafford, Winks is booked for taking out Daniel James and sending the youngster flying down the little slope at the edge of the pitch, into Jose Mourinho, and onto the paved pitchside walkway bit. He looks hurt for a while, then he gets up and stops looking hurt.
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You’ve got to love a good aerial duel photo. Deeney, possibly in this very challenge, has already made Soyuncu aware of his presence, using the traditional inadvertent aerial forearm smash.
United aren’t just leading Spurs, they’re roaring at them with real vim every time they get the ball. It’s all extremely encouraging for the home side.
GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Tottenham (Rashford, 7 mins)
The ball breaks to Rashford on the left-hand corner of the penalty area. He carries it forward a couple of yards and then lashes a shot towards the near post, which bounces unkindly just before Gazzaniga, who fingertips it into the post and in!
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Perez gets another chance at the King Power, and this time his shot goes so wide one of his team-mates manages to stop it going out for a throw-in.
Ludicrous miss! Leicester should be ahead in the third minute, after Vardy roars into space down the left, cuts inside and taps the ball to Perez, who is running unmolested into the penalty area. He need only pick his spot, and the spot he picks is towards the back of the stand!
Peeeeeep! The Leicester and Chelsea matches get under way on time. Everyone else seems to be lagging behind.
OK, our players are in their tunnels. Time for action (nearly)!
Scott Murray is all over the Merseyside derby, by the way. You can find his liveblog here:
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Here are the teams from Anfield, where Liverpool spring a surprise by dropping Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino to the bench for the derby. Xherdan Shaqiri starts his first game since January, and Divock Origi and Adam Lallana both also come in. Everton, by contrast, are unchanged:
Liverpool: Adrian, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Milner, Shaqiri, Mane, Origi. Subs: Keita, Firmino, Salah, Gomez, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kelleher.
Everton: Pickford, Sidibe, Holgate, Mina, Keane, Digne, Iwobi, Davies, Sigurdsson, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin. Subs: Baines, Walcott, Tosun, Schneiderlin, Bernard, Kean, Lossl.
Referee: Mike Dean.
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Hayden Mullins, Watford’s caretaker manager, has a brief pre-match chat:
It’s been a whirlwind couple of days. We’ve been setting up quite a bit, loads to do, but they’ve been very good. it’s taken a lot of preparation, trying to set up in a positive way. We want to come here and put on a good performance. Any game in the Premier League is tough. We’ve got a gameplan, we’ve got a job we’re going to try to do. We can do that by pulling in the same direction, and hopefully we can get a result.
It doesn’t look like Tom Heaton is enjoying his warm-up very much:
Here’s a bit of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s pre-match chat:
There’s a couple of injuries, and Scott’s back fit to play so that was an easy decision. Ashley Young’s very important for us. He’s one of the leaders and it’s important to have experience in these big games. Mason’s a young boy but he’s getting his chance now. I’ve been waiting to see him in the Premier League, and of course it’s a big stage against a big team, but I’m sure he’s ready.
“I’m a teacher in Montreal, Canada. I’m also a massive Liverpool fan,” writes Pierre-Yves. “I took the day off to watch the Merseyside derby. Does this make me a bad human or a bad teacher or both?” I’d say it doesn’t give us quite enough evidence to be sure on either count, but it does provide a decent clue.
Sue Smith, who is on punditry duties at Molineux, has the most incredible hair. There’s lots of it, but it doesn’t move at all. It’s like a wavy bicycle helmet. She’s got an absolutely fantastic hairdo history, very much worth an image search.
Watford come up against one of their many former managers at the King Power Stadium. Leicester are unexpectedly without Ben Chilwell, who is replaced at left-back by Christian Fuchs. Watford also make one change, with their interim manager Hayden Mullins bringing Troy Deeney in and leaving Jose Holebas out (apparently he’s injured). That suggests a switch back to four at the back, with a Deulofeu-Deeney-Sarr front three that might be genuinely dangerous (against lesser teams, anyway).
At Molineux the managers have only gently massaged their teams. Romain Saiss returns from suspension for the home side, replacing Max Kilman, while West Ham bring in the recently goal-shy Sebastian Haller, who has scored just once in his last 11 games, for the injured Michail Antonio.
Meanwhile in Southampton, Ralph Hasenhuttl gives Shane Long only his second league start of the season, dropping Michael Obafemi to the bench. Norwich stick with the starting XI which drew 2-2 against Arsenal.
Quite a lot of team changing going on. At Old Trafford Manchester United bring in four, with Scott McTominay returning from injury and Mason Greenwood making his first league start of the campaign. Jesse Lingard and Ashley Young are also in. Tottenham make two changes, with Harry Winks and Lucas Moura replacing Tanguy Ndombele and Eric Dier.
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Amazon do a sweep around the grounds, providing evidence that they have basically hired every football pundit known to man.
All the teams!
The team sheets have all been handed in, and here are all the names you need:
Chelsea v Aston Villa
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, James, Christensen, Zouma, Azpilicueta, Kante, Kovacic, Willian, Mount, Pulisic, Abraham. Subs: Jorginho, Caballero, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Batshuayi, Tomori, Emerson Palmieri.
Aston Villa: Heaton, Elmohamady, Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Nakamba, Hourihane, Trezeguet, Wesley, Grealish. Subs: Taylor, Douglas Luiz, Lansbury, Engels, Jota, Nyland, Kodjia.
Referee: Chris Kavanagh.
Leicester v Watford
Leicester: Schmeichel, Ricardo Pereira, Evans, Soyuncu, Fuchs, Ndidi, Perez, Tielemans, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy. Subs: Justin, Morgan, Albrighton, Ward, Iheanacho, Choudhury, Praet.
Watford: Foster, Femenia, Mariappa, Cathcart, Masina, Doucoure, Capoue, Hughes, Sarr, Deeney, Deulofeu. Subs: Gomes, Chalobah, Gray, Quina, Success, Dele-Bashiru, Foulquier.
Referee: Craig Pawson.
Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur
Man Utd: de Gea, Wan Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Young, McTominay, Fred, James, Lingard, Rashford, Greenwood. Subs: Mata, Andreas Pereira, Romero, Shaw, Garner, Tuanzebe, Williams.
Tottenham Hotspur: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Winks, Sissoko, Lucas Moura, Alli, Son, Kane. Subs: Rose, Dier, Lo Celso, Foyth, Eriksen, Ndombele, Austin.
Referee: Paul Tierney.
Southampton v Norwich
Southampton: McCarthy, Cedric, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand, Djenepo, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Redmond, Ings, Long. Subs: Yoshida, Adams, Romeu, Boufal, Obafemi, Gunn, Danso.
Norwich: Krul, Aarons, Zimmermann, Godfrey, Byram, Amadou, Trybull, Cantwell, McLean, Hernandez, Pukki. Subs: Vrancic, Lewis, Emi, Stiepermann, Fahrmann, Tettey, Srbeny.
Referee: Kevin Friend.
Wolverhampton v West Ham
Wolverhampton: Rui Patricio, Dendoncker, Coady, Saiss, Doherty, Neves, Joao Moutinho, Jonny, Traore, Jimenez, Jota. Subs: Bennett, Pedro Neto, Cutrone, Ruddy, Ruben Vinagre, Kilman, Ashley-Seal.
West Ham: Martin, Fredericks, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Snodgrass, Noble, Rice, Fornals, Felipe Anderson, Haller. Subs: Zabaleta, Yarmolenko, Roberto, Sanchez, Masuaku, Ajeti, Holland.
Referee: Andre Marriner.
Look who’s back in town:
Hello world!
Tuck in your bib, you’re about to salivate. We have six top-flight fixtures on our menu this evening/morning/whatever-it-is-where-you-are, including a Merseyside derby (which gets its own liveblog elsewhere, and kicks off 45 minutes after every other game, but we’ll still be monitoring). The teams first, third and fourth in the table all play at home, with Leicester hosting managerless crisis club Watford and Chelsea welcoming Aston Villa, while Southampton, having seen off the Hornets and landed a killer blow on their briefly-manager Quique Sanches Flores in their last outing, play their second consecutive win-or-bust bottom-three humdinger as Norwich come to town. In other news José Mourinho returns to Old Trafford with Tottenham, and the division’s bottom two sides (on alphabetical order) play at Molineux, where it’s Wolves v West Ham. Frankly there isn’t a dud among them. So welcome. Sit yourself down, strap yourself in, and prepare for blast off!
Kick-offs: 7.30pm GMT, 8.15pm GMT at Anfield.
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