That's all for today ...
On an afternoon when Chelsea stretched their Premier League lead to nine points with their eleventh consecutive win and Leicester staged their own little pre-Chrismtas miracle by coming from a man and two goals down to mug Stoke City for a point, Sunderland were perhaps the biggest winners with a victory over Watford that moves them to two places up the table. There was misery for Hull City, who really didn’t deserve to lose against West Ham, while Swansea City found themselves on the wrong end of another hiding after shipping three goals at Middlesbrough. Meanwhile at the Hawthorns, Manchester United have taken an early lead against West Brom courtesy of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Lawrence Ostlere’s providing minute-by-minute updates on that one, so I’ll steer you his way ...
Sunderland 1-0 Watford match report
West Ham 1-0 Hull City match report
Middlesbrough 3-0 Swansea City match report
A Kirkcaldy wrap from Simon McMahon
Our Dundee United correspondent has had a frustrating afternoon: “Strange second half at Starks Park,” he writes after his team’s stalemate with Raith Rovers. “Finished 0-0 but United played most of it with 10 men, from which point they completely dominated and missed a penalty. Still, the point takes up top on our own, for a couple of hours at least.”
Meanwhile in Spain ...
La Liga: Atletico Madrid have beaten Las Palmas by a solitary goal to earn their first win in three Spanish league games. It leaves them in fifth place, one point behind Villarreal, who were victorious over Sporting Gijon earlier today.
Scottish Premiership results
Celtic 2-1 Dundee, Hearts 1-1 Partick Thistle, Kilmarnock 1-1 Inverness, Ross County 2-1 Aberdeen, St Johnstone 1-1 Motherwell.
Updated
League Two results
Doncaster Rovers 1-0 Grimsby Town, Accrington Stanley 0-1 Plymouth Argyle, Barnet 1-2 Stevenage, Blackpool 0-2 Luton Town, Cambridge United 2-1 Crewe Alexandra, Carlisle United 2-1 Yeovil Town, Colchester United 2-1 Notts County, Crawley Town 3-1 Newport County, Exeter City 2-0 Mansfield Town, Morecambe 1-2 Cheltenham Town, Portsmouth 0-0 Hartlepool United, Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 Leyton Orient.
Updated
League One results
AFC Wimbledon 4-0 Port Vale, Bury 2-3 Oxford United, Charlton Athletic 0-2 Peterborough United, Chesterfield 1-0 Bolton Wanderers, Gillingham 1-0 MK Dons, Northampton Town 2-3 Rochdale, Oldham Athletic 0-2 Southend United, Scunthorpe United 3-0 Millwall, Shrewsbury Town 2-0 Bristol Rovers, Swindon Town 1-1 Fleetwood Town, Walsall 1-1 Bradford City
Updated
Championship results ...
Blackburn Rovers 2-3 Reading, Bristol City 1-2 Preston, Burton Albion 1-2 Newcastle United, Cardiff City 3-4 Barnsley, Fulham 2-2 Derby County, Leeds 1-0 Brentford, Nottingham Forest 0-2 Wolves, Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Rotherham, Wigan Athletic 2-3 Ipswich Town. Birmingham City v Brighton (5.30pm GMT).
Updated
Late drama in the second tier
Championship: Cardiff City end their afternoon without a point despite their spirited comeback from 3-1 down against Barnsley to level the scores in the 89th minute. Ryan Williams pooped their party with a winner deep in added time to give the visitors all three points. At Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday nicked all three points against Rotherham courtesy of a late Steven Fletcher penalty.
Full time: Middlesbrough 3-0 Swansea
Premier League: Alvaro Negredo scored another brace as hapless Swansea City conceded three or more goals for the fourth time in five matches.
Full time: Sunderland 1-0 Watford
Premier League: Patrick van Aanholt scored the winner after Sunderland weathered a firs-half storm to take three precious points in their annual fight against relegation.
Full time: Stoke 2-2 Leicester
Premier League: Leicester had Jamie Vardy sent off and were two goals down, but still managed to nick a point.
Full time: West Ham 1-0 Hull
Premier League: Mark Noble scored from the penalty spot after Hull City hit the woodwork three times in a match they really shouldn’t have lost.
Updated
A late goal at Ewood Park
Championship: Blackburn are on the verge of losing 3-2 in their third consecutive game, now that George Evans has given Reading a late lead at Ewood Park. Ouch.
More Championship goals ...
Championship: Cardiff City have equalised to make it 3-3 between themselves and Barnsley, while Ipswich Town lead by the odd goal of five against Wigan courtesy of a late David McGoldrick strike. At Elland Road, Leeds United have struck to go one up against Brentford. Kyle Bartley was the scorer, pouncing in the 89th minute.
Goal! Stoke 2-2 Leicester
Premier League: Crikey! Having been 2-0 and one Jamie Vardy down with all hope looking lost, Leicester have equalised against Stoke City! Daniel Amartey has got the equaliser for the 10-man champions.
Updated
A good match at Craven Cottage
Championship: It’s 2-2 between Fulham and Derby County, where Alex Pearce equalised for the visitors after 75 minutes. The Rams are looking for their eight consecutive league win today but are being forced to work hard for it.
More woe for Forest
Championship: Ivan Cavaleiro doubles Wolves’ lead over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, where it’s now 2-0 to the visitors. Meanwhile at the Cardiff City Stadium, Peter Whittingham has scored for the home side to make it Cardiff City 2-3 Barnsley. At Bristol City, Aaron Wibraham has equalised for The Robins in their match against Preston North End. It’s 1-1 at Ashton Gate.
GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Hull City
Premier League: Mark Noble breaks the deadlock at the London Stadium, scoring from the spot after Tom Huddlestone fouled Michail Antonio in the Hull penalty area.
Updated
GOAL! Stoke City 2-1 Leicester
Premier League: They may be down to 10 men, but Leicester have pulled a goal back against Stoke City at the Britannia. Leonardo Ulloa keeps them in the game with a header that Ryan Shawcross couldn’t prevent from crossing the line. Referee Craig Pawson points to the device on his wrist to let everyone know technology has decreed that the goal should stand.
Updated
Meanwhile in Spain ...
La Liga: Atletico Madrid lead Las Palmas courtesy of Saul Niguez’s strike just before the hour.
Updated
Another email from Simon McMahon
Scottish Championship: “Marvellous travelling support for [Dundee] United at Raith Rovers, must be around 3000,” writes our Tangerines correspondent. “They’ve not had too much to shout about in the first half though as it’s currently goalless.” And goalless it remains as the game goes into its final 20 minutes.
Another goal at Wigan ...
Championship: Brett Pitman scores his second of the day for Ipswich Town to make it 2-2 between themselves and Wigan Athletic in what sounds like a right old ding-dong.
Another goal in Scotland ...
Scottish Premiership: Niall McGinn has equalised for Aberdeen at Ross County, where the score is 1-1 between the two sides.
More goals in the Championship ...
Championship: Reading lead Blackburn 2-1 at Ewood Park, where Liam Moore gave Jaap Stam’s team the lead for the second time after 60 minutes. At Craven Cottage, Fulham have come from behind to lead to lead Derby County 2-1, while Wigan have done the same at the DW Stadium against Ipswich Town. Yannick Wildschut has got a brace for them after Brett Pitman opened the scoring for the Tractor Boys.
Celtic extend their lead
Scottish Premiership: The champions lead Dundee 2-0 courtesy of goals from Leigh Griffiths and Nir Bitton either side of the break. Elsewhere in Scotland, St JOhnstone’s Christopher Kane has made it 1-1 between his side and Motherwell.
Updated
GOAL! Middlesbrough 3-0 Swansea City
Premier League: Marten De Roon has made it 3-0 to Middlesbrough, as Swansea City concede three or more goals for the fourth time in five matches.
It's all going pear-shaped for Leicester ...
Premier League: After seeing Jamie Vardy sent off just before the half-hour mark, six of his 10 remaining team-mates have been booked: Danny Simpson, Islam Slimani, Andy King, Christian Fuchs, Marc Albrighton and Robert Huth have all had their names taken, while Kasper Schmeichel had to restrain Claudio Ranieri as he attempted to confront the referee at half-time.
GOAL! Sunderland 1-0 Watford
Premier League: Patrick van Aanholt puts his miss before half-time behind him to give Sunderland the lead against Watford at the Stadium of Light. He needed two attempts: his first shot was blocked, but the ball broke kindly for him to ram it in off the post for his third goal of the season.
Updated
Meanwhile in Scotland ...
Scottish Premiership: Sean Welsh has equalised for Partick Thistle against Hearts. It’s 1-1 at Tynecastle.
No goals at the Stadium of Light ...
Premier League: Watford had Sunderland under the cosh for almost the entire first half, but couldn’t find the back of the net despite several good chances. Patrick van Aanholt missed a great chance to give Sunderland a half-time lead they wouldn’t have deserved just before the break. The home side were booed off as they went in for their half-time brew and a rollocking from David Moyes. They’ll need to up their game if they’re to take anything from this match.
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The half-time whistles are blowing ...
You can see the Premier League latest scores up above and the rest are as follows ...
Championship
Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Reading, Bristol City 0-1 Preston, Burton Albion 1-2 Newcastle United, Cardiff City 1-3 Barnsley, Fulham 1-1 Derby County, Leeds 0-0 Brentford, Nottingham Forest 0-1 Wolves, Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 Rotherham, Wigan Athletic 1-1 Ipswich Town. Birmingham City v Brighton (5.30pm GMT)
League One
AFC Wimbledon 0-0 Port Vale, Bury 2-2 Oxford United, Charlton Athletic 0-1 Peterborough United, Chesterfield 1-0 Bolton Wanderers, Gillingham 0-0 MK Dons, Northampton Town 1-1 Rochdale, Oldham Athletic 0-1 Southend United, Scunthorpe United 2-0 Millwall, Shrewsbury Town 1-0 Bristol Rovers, Swindon Town 1-1 Fleetwood Town, Walsall 0-0 Bradford City
League Two
Doncaster Rovers 1-0 Grimsby Town (result), Accrington Stanley 0-0 Plymouth Argyle, Barnet 0-1 Stevenage, Blackpool 0-1 Luton Town, Cambridge United 0-0 Crewe Alexandra, Carlisle United 2-0 Yeovil Town, Colchester United 1-1 Notts County, Crawley Town 1-1 Newport County, Exeter City 1-0 Mansfield Town, Morecambe 1-0 Cheltenham Town, Portsmouth 0-0 Hartlepool United, Wycombe Wanderers 0-0 Leyton Orient
Scottish Premiership
Celtic 1-0 Dundee, Hearts 1-0 Partick Thistle, Kilmarnock 0-0 Inverness, Ross County 1-0 Aberdeen, St Johnstone 0-1 Motherwell
GOAL! Stoke City 2-0 Leicester
Premier League: It’s 2-0 to the home side at the Britannia, where Stoke City lead 10-man Leicester as the players troop in for half-time. Joe Allen was the player who doubled Stoke’s lead.
Updated
Cardiff City go further behind
Championship: Barnsley lead the Welsh side 3-1 after Josh Scowen extended their lead. At the City Ground, Helder Costa has given Wolves the lead against Nottingham Forest. At Craven Cottage, Floyd Ayite has equalised for Fulham in their match against Derby County.
Updated
More bad news for Leicester
Premier League: Down to 10 men after Jamie Vardy’s dismissal, Leicester City are now behind at Stoke. Bojan scored from the spot after 39 minutes. Danny Simpson was the culprit, getting penalised and booked for a hand-ball in the penalty area.
Updated
Meanwhile in Scotland ...
Scottish Premiership latest: Celtic 0-0 Dundee, Hearts 1-0 Partick Thistle, Kilmarnock 0-0 Inverness, Ross County 1-0 Aberdeen, St Johnstone 0-1 Motherwell.
A flurry of goals in the second tier ...
Championship: Mo Diame has put Newcastle back in front against Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium, while Sam Winnall hass scored again to put Barnsley ahead at Cardiff City, where the score is 2-1. At Craven Cottage, Derby County have taken the lead against Fulham with a Tom Ince goal. At the DW Stadium it’s 1-1 now that Wigan have equalised against Ipswich Town.
Updated
GOAL! Middlesbrough 2-0 Swansea City
Premier League: Alvaro Negredo has scored his second of the afternoon to put Boro two up against Swansea City. This one came from the penalty spot after a Jordi Amat foul on Adam Forshaw.
Updated
A red card at the Britannia
Premier League: Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has been sent off for a two-footed lunge on Mame Biram Diouf after 28 minutes. He can put his feet up for Christmas.
Updated
Another goal in the second tier
Championship: Preston lead Bristol City 1-0 courtesy of Simon Makienok.
Some action at the London Stadium
Premier League: Dieumerci Mbokani has blown a great opportunity to put Hull City ahead against West Ham after finding himself in a one-on-one with Darren Randolph. The West Ham goalkeeper has also just saved well from a Harry Maguire header. Maguire was attempting to score from a Robert Snodgrass corner.
Updated
Burton equalise against Newcastle
Championship: Lloyd Dyer has made it all square at the Pirelli Stadium, where Burton had been losing against the league leaders. In other equaliser news, Barnsley’s Sam Winnall has made it 1-1 in the match between his side and Cardiff City.
GOAL! Middlesbrough 1-0 Swansea City
Premier League: No Premier League team has scored fewer goals this season, but Middlesbrough have chalked up another one in the credit column. Alvaro Negredo has scored on the back of an Adam Clayton assist.
Updated
Some goals in the third tier ...
League One: Bury and Oxford United have scored a goal apiece at Gigg Lane, while Swindon Town lead Fleetwood Town 1-0. Elsewhere, Louis Dodds has given Shrewsbury a one-goal lead over Bristol Rovers and Northampton lead Rochdale 1-0 at Sixfields courtesy of a splendid Matt Taylor free-kick.
A goal for Newcastle
Championship: Dwight Gayle scores his 17th of the season with a near post flick after getting on the end of a good cross from Matt Ritchie. It’s Burton Albion 0-1 Newcastle United.
Hull City have a problem
Premier League: Hull City goalkeeper has been down for an extended spell getting treatment on a groin injury. He’s struggling on manfully, but can’t kick the ball properly. He’ll do well to continue for much longer.
Updated
Ipswich take the lead ...
Championship: We’ve had another goal in the second tier, where Ipswich Town have taken the lead against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium. Brett Pitman was the scorer with a contentious penalty.
A goal in the Championship
Cardiff City 1-0 Barnsley: Sean Morrison has put Cardiff a goal up against Barnsley. A heavy touch from Dwight Gayle has ruined a good chance for the striker to put Newcastle a goal up against Burton Albion. The home side’s goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin was quick off his line to foil the striker after he’d miscontrolled a Jonjo Shelvey ball over the top.
Early top flight action ...
At the Stadium of Light, Nordin Amrabat has gone close for Watford, bringing a smart save out of Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford. Meanwhile at the Riverside Stadium, a poor first touch from Mo Barrow has cost him a goalscoring opportunity for Swansea City.
A goal in Scotland ...
Annan Athletic score the first goal of the 3pm kick-offs in their match at Stirling Albion. Max Wright did the honours from the penalty spot in the first minute.
Games are under way all over the UK
The last of the pre-match formalities have taken place, the referees’ whistles have peeped shrilly and matches have started. Where will we get the first goal?
Updated
Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea match report ...
Premier League: Dominic Fifield was our man peering into the mist from the Selhurst Park press box and while he warms himself up with a post-match brew while waiting for the press conferences of Antonio Conte and Alan Pardew, you can read his on-the-whistle report here.
Simon McMahon is living the dream
“Just arrived in Kirkcaldy for Scotland’s game of the day as joint leaders Dundee United visit Raith Rovers, the Tannadice men looking to stretch their unbeaten run to 13 games and go clear at the top before Hibs play Morton in the tea-time kickoff,” he writes in an email. “Elsewhere in the Scottish Championship its Queen of the South v Dunfermline and Dumbarton v Falkirk. In the Scottish Premiership, relegation threatened Dundee face runaway leaders Celtic in Glasgow and will probably consider anything less than a three goal defeat a moral victory. Ross County welcome Aberdeen and it’s Hearts v Partick Thistle and Kilmarnock v Inverness. In Scottish League One its first (Livingston) v second (Airdrie) and in Scottish League Two Cowdenbeath host leaders Forfar.” So now we all know - here’s hoping that having whetted the collective appetite for fitba, Simon will keep us posted on events at Stark’s Park.
Kasper Schmeichel back for Leicester
The champions’ goalkeeper returns between the post for the first time since November 2, when he broke his hand in a Champions League match against FC Copenhagen.
Updated
Full-time: Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea
Premier League: Chelsea make it 11 wins in a row courtesy of Diego Costa’s fiftieth goal for the club. They go nine points clear at the top of the table, while Crystal Palace remain fifth from bottom. Andros Townsend could have equalised with a free-kick just outside the Chelsea penalty area at the death, but fired his effort comically high to leave Alan Pardew looking very crestfallen indeed.
Chelsea still lead at Selhurst Park
It remains 1-0 in south London, where Diego Costa’s headed goal just before half-time continues to separate the sides. Crystal Palace have been on the ropes for most of the second half and Marcos Alonso has had two good chances, while Ngolo Kante brought a good save out of Wayne Hennessy. They’re in added time now and you can follow the knockings of that one with Lawrence Ostlere’s minute-by-minute report.
Interesting comments from David Moyes ...
The Sunderland manager sounds thoroughly fed up with life at the Stadium of Light, where it seems the club can’t even afford to bring in a loan player in the January transfer window. “Managing Sunderland always had an appeal to me but, if I’d known about the financial situation, I’d have needed to look at it in a different way,” he said. “I’d have had to have thought a lot more about taking the job. I didn’t see us having no money in January. I’m disappointed I won’t be able to do some work in January and build on what we’ve done so far.”
West Ham v Hull City
West Ham: Randolph, Kouyate, Reid, Ogbonna, Antonio, Noble, Obiang, Cresswell, Lanzini, Payet, Carroll.
Subs: Nordtveit, Feghouli, Adrian, Ayew, Fletcher, Fernandes, Quina.
Hull: Marshall, Maguire, Dawson, Davies, Elmohamady, Livermore, Huddlestone, Clucas, Robertson, Snodgrass, Mbokani.
Subs: Meyler, Maloney, Jakupovic, Weir, Diomande, Henriksen, Bowen.
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)
Middlesbrough v Swansea City line-ups
Middlesbrough: Valdes, Barragan, Chambers, Gibson, Da Silva, Forshaw, Clayton, de Roon, Ramirez, Negredo, Fischer.
Subs: Friend, Bernardo, Leadbitter, Rhodes, Guzan, Downing, Traore.
Swansea: Fabianski, Rangel, Mawson, Amat, Taylor, Fulton,
Britton, Barrow, Sigurdsson, Routledge, Llorente.
Subs: van der Hoorn, Fer, Borja Baston, Nordfeldt, Montero, Naughton.
Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire)
Updated
Sunderland v Watford line-ups
Sunderland: Pickford, Love, Denayer, Djilobodji, Van Aanholt, Ndong, Kone, Januzaj, Anichebe, Defoe, Borini.
Subs: Mannone, Larsson, Khazri, O’Shea, Ethan Robson, Asoro, Honeyman.
Watford: Gomes, Zuniga, Kaboul, Prodl, Britos, Holebas, Amrabat, Behrami, Capoue, Deeney, Ighalo.
Subs: Success, Cathcart, Guedioura, Sinclair, Janmaat, Kabasele, Pantilimon.
Referee: Robert Madley (West Yorkshire)
Stoke City v Leicester City line-ups
Stoke: Grant, Johnson, Shawcross, Martins Indi, Pieters, Imbula, Whelan, Diouf, Allen, Krkic, Walters.
Subs: Bony, Adam, Shaqiri, Given, Crouch, Sobhi, Ngoy.
Leicester: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs, Mahrez, Amartey, King, Albrighton, Slimani, Vardy.
Subs: Chilwell, Musa, Okazaki, Zieler, Gray, Ulloa, Mendy.
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)
Updated
Meanwhile in Spain ...
La Liga: Goals from Jonathan dos Santos, Nicola Sansone and Alexandre Pato have helped Villarreal to secure a 3-1 away victory over Sporting Gijon at the Estadio El Molinón. Carlos Carmona popped up wiuth a late consolation for the home side there. The win keeps Villarreal in fourth place, one point behind Sevilla, while Sporting remain in the relegation zone.
Last night's Championship action ...
Huddersfield Town beat Norwich City at Carrow Road last night to consign the Canaries to their seventh defeat in nine matches, but Alex Neil was defiant afterwards and stated he would not be giving up his job despite calls for his head.
Today's fixtures outside the Premier League
Championship
Blackburn Rovers v Reading, Bristol City v Preston, Burton Albion v Newcastle United, Cardiff City v Barnsley, Fulham v Derby County, Leeds v Brentford, Nottingham Forest v Wolves, Sheffield Wednesday v Rotherham, Wigan Athletic v Ipswich Town. Birmingham City v Brighton kicks off at 5.30pm (GMT).
League One
AFC Wimbledon v Port Vale, Bury v Oxford United, Charlton Athletic v Peterborough United, Chesterfield v Bolton Wanderers, Gillingham v MK Dons, Northampton Town v Rochdale, Oldham Athletic v Southend United, Scunthorpe United v Millwall, Shrewsbury Town v Bristol Rovers, Swindon Town v Fleetwood Town, Walsall v Bradford City
League Two
Doncaster Rovers v Grimsby Town, Accrington Stanley v Plymouth Argyle, Barnet v Stevenage, Blackpool v Luton Town, Cambridge United v Crewe Alexandra, Carlisle United v Yeovil Town, Colchester United v Notts County, Crawley Town v Newport County, Exeter City v Mansfield Town, Morecambe v Cheltenham Town, Portsmouth v Hartlepool United, Wycombe Wanderers v Leyton Orient.
Scottish Premiership
Celtic v Dundee, Hearts v Partick Thistle, Kilmarnock v Inverness, Ross County v Aberdeen, St Johnstone v Motherwell
Greetings sports fans ...
Crystal Palace and Chelsea got the weekend’s Premier League action started, with the south London side entertaining the league leaders at Selhurst Park in a match that kicked off at lunchtime. Chelsea are looking for their 11th consecutive Premier League win and it’s currently scoreless have just taken the lead through Diego Costa as they approach half-time. You can follow the rest of that match with Lawrence Ostlere’s minute-by-minute report.
We’ve got four Premier League matches kicking off at 3pm (GMT) (other time zones are available) today, with a further nine getting underway at the same time in the Championship. We’ll bring you news of all the goals and major talking points as we get it, while simultaneously keeping an eye on the action in League One and League and north of the border in Scotland. Over in Spain, Atletico Madrid entertain Las Palmas this afternoon, while there’s plenty of Bundesliga action in Germany too.
Finally, if you’re feeling charitable, you could pick up the phone and make a donation to the Guardian and Observer charity appeal, with all monies raised going to help refugee children. You can also donate online if – heaven forfend – you don’t fancy speaking to a Guardian journalist.
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