That, then is us. Thanks all for your company and comments – peace out.
The rest of tonight’s results:
Back with the Copa del Rey, Barcelona now lead Atletico 4-3; they’ve played 86 minutes.
Levi Colwill reveals he’s close with Nkunku so he’s pleased for him; he’s pleased with his goal but hadn’t told the team it’s his birthday tomorrow; he’s pleased to score against the team from his town, he’s got mates who support Saints whom he’ll be giving stick; and he’s proud of Tyrick George, who he thinks is “very, very sharp, amazing player”.
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Next for Chelsea, it’s Copenhagen, Leicester, Copenhagen, but after that things get more difficult – Arsenal, Spurs, Brentford. That run will tell us more.
I hate to say it, but I don’t think you can really learn anything about Chelsea from that game; Southampton are that poor. The win might be restorative, but it might just’ve been the opponents.
FULL TIME: Chelsea 4-0 Southampton
Chelsea were far too good. I feel for Southampton, because I fear they’ve a few more hidings waiting for them between now and May.
In four days Palace have Millwall, a totally different game as they play a lot of long ball; he needs to find solutions in possession for a deep block. He needs the same level of performance to win that one.
Advised that Wharton played well, Glasner says he was rusty at the start, credit to him and to the medical staff. Everyone knows he’s good, eh’s so smart in anticipating the balls, and he showed that here.
On Nketiah he says he didn’t give him many minutes but he always worked so hard in training, scored goals, he always wanted his goal and now he’s got it; he’s so pleased for him and needs every single player. They’ve a difficult programme and now have Will Hughes suspended for two games.
He then talks about staying patient – Villa find pockets by baiting the press – they had some triggers and the players did well and then it’s about being aggressive, winning the duels and second balls, and the second goal is exactly the kind they’re trying to score, winning the ball, a pass to what they call the far 10.”
Oliver Glasner says Villa surprised him with a 3-4-3 but his players adapted well and scored amazing goals. They didn’t talk about winning, you can talk to much about that, they talked about what they wanted to do – they know Villa like finding players in the pockets with short passes and did it really well at the beginning, McGinn getting Rogers and Watkinson the ball running towards goal, which is hard to defend. But they did well to keep them wide and restrict the pockets – his players played at their top level.
GOAL! Chelsea 4-0 Southampton (Cucurella 78)
Chelsea clear a corner, win it back, and Gusto slides Tyrick George, a teenager on as sub, in down the right. He collects nicely, hits the line, cuts back, and Cucurella fires in his fourth goal of the season.
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Back at the Bridge, there are 77 minutes gone and Chelsea still lead Southampton 3-0. I reckon they’re going to win…
“A special human being, a special footballer,” says someone on TNT’s commentary team. And here’s the man himself:
Welbeck says Bournemouth are a good side and there were difficult moments, but they stuck together and got the result. You always have to believe you can impact the game form the bench and he was analysing it to see where he might find space; somewhere in Istanbul, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer nods to himself. When Rutter picked up the ball, he knew his mate had the ability to play him in, he took a good first touch and it was nice finish.
On the penalty he thought it was clear, but Pedro would’ve wanted to score if he could, and he felt that sometimes the team have been guilty od thinking too far ahead. They need to take it one game at a time and at the weekend they’ve got a big Cup game (away to Newcastle).
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It’s so good to see Daniel Welbeck making the most of his dotage. He, perhaps, suffered more than anyone for Alex Ferguson’s retirement, and he then suffered with injuries. But, though he was never a killer in front of goal, he still has a beautiful touch and lovely imagination.
How it stands:
Sancho’s played well tonight. He kills a long ball that hits his buttock and allows him to spin. I think that’s good improvisation even if the specifics weren’t planned, and he then feeds in Neto who allows it across him and can’t catch up.
Looking at the table, Brighton have moved up to eighth – Bournemouth are seventh, Villa 10th. But there are only five points between Forest in third with 47 and Villa with 42.
Back at the Bridge, Chelsea still lead Southampton 3-0.
FULL TIME: Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Bournemouth
A tight game won by a moment of quality from a wily old boy.
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FULL TIME: Crystal Palace 4-1 Aston Villa
Impressive from Palace – Villa turned up.
FULL TIME: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-2 Fulham
Wolves gave it everything but might’ve lost by more.
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Back to the Copa del Rey, Barcelona now lead Atletico 3-2 having been 2-0 down.
Palace have been really good tonight. The first three goals were excellent, and they’ve threatened throughout; Villa haven’t played poorly.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 4-1 Aston Villa (Nketiah 90+2)
Palace work it out to Mitchell, who’s played well. The ball gets caught under his feet but he somehow gets clear of defenders who seem to move away from him. He slides across the face, and if Nketiah knows anything, he knows where to be in the box, and he sticks in his first league goal for his newish club.
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Goodness, I’d not fancy being Raul Jimenez if Fulham concede. Because they counter, Robinson crosses from the left, and Jimenez chests down nicely … then drags a tame shot wide of the far post. You could fry an egg on Marco Silva’s invective.
Back at Molineux, wolves have a corner and the tannoy announces seven additional minutes. Fulham still lead 2-1.
Kluivert drives into the box down the left … and Minteh slides into an excellent challenge, celebrating with the crowd because he knows if he misses, it’s probably a penalty or a goal.
We’ve played between 85 and 86 minutes in our early games. Wolves are pressing for an equaliser against Fulham; Brighton are playing out time pretty well against Bournemouth; and Villa look beaten.
Tell you what, these have been some really good games – and of decent standard. Meantime, at Wolves, Raul Jimenez gets clear at inside-left, telegraphs he’s going across goal, and Sa saves. On the touchline, his manager has briefly turned into Paulie Gualtieri.
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Palace again threaten Villa with a fourth goal, Munoz breaking down the right – he’s a helluvanathlete, him. But he does’t fancy the cross and doesn’t have an angle to shoot, so does neither.
I’ve now got Wolves and Fulham back on; Fulham lead 2-1.
Finally I can let you know that Chelsea lead Southampton 3-0 at half-time.
GOAL! Brighton 2-1 Bournemouth (Welbeck 75)
Ayari into Rutter, who plays Welbeck in, and though the pass gets a little stuck under his feet, he stays on them long enough to guide a clever finish across Kepa and inside the far post. Excellent goal, and two of the three involved have only recently come on as sub.
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Eze out to Mateta on the right, first-time pass infield that meets Mitchell’s run … and his finish rolls just past the far post.
He was not. And here come Palace again!
VAR wants a look: was Munoz offside when found by Wharton?
GOAL! Crystal Palace 3-1 Aston Villa (Sarr 71)
Wharton collects a cleared corner, advances, and slides down the line for Munoz, whose cross Sarr meets on the volley, controlling a decent finish inside the far post. Happy birthday old mate!
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At Palace, Emery has changed things, Rashford and Asensio on for Murphy and Watkins. Decent options, but palace are looking nasty on the counter.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 Southampton (Colwill 44)
A free-kick 25 yards out, curled nicely towards the back post by Neto, and Colwill arrives on to it nicely, powering a header into the net, and this could get severe.
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At the Amex, Bournemouth have, for now at least, taken over. Kluivert is conducting, and I’d not be surprised to see Huerzler change something.
Eric Dun notes that, in the Copa del Rey, Atlético lead Barcelona 2-1 … no, it’s now 2-2. After 27 minutes!
Phew!
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Southampton (Neto)
Another lovely goal! Nkunku holds up, spins, and feeds into the box, down its left-hand side; Neto runs on to it, then dismissively leathers a lovely finish inside the near post.
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GOAL! Brighton 1-1 Bournemouth (Kluivert 62)
Kluivert picks up possession 30 yards out, inside-left channel, oozes forward, and swipes across a brute that flies, shrieking and hissing, into the far top corner!
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GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-1 Aston Vlla (Mateta 59)
Oh my days! Good, sharp ball into Eze, his back to goal, he and Disasi colliding. But the ball breaks to Mateta, on the edge, and he punishes a first-time finish left-footed inside the near post, halfway up. He can’t help himself!
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Now, at the other end, Sancho does well to drift inside and find Palmer, who opens his body and you can almost see him pass it into the far corner … except the ball goes wide.
Back at the Bridge, Suleimana nicks a yard down the left, stands up a cross, and Onuachu is up! But Jorgensen makes a fine save, tipping over the top; that’ll do him the world of good.
Rogers is the kind of player I think – and, in a way, fear – is changing football. One of things I most love about the actual playing is that there’s room for your Crouches and your Juninhos, your Riquelmes and your Puskases. But nowadays, the big lads have feet, and a if you’ve a big lad and a little lad of equivalent abilities, you’re clearly going with the former.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-1 Aston Villa (Rogers 52)
Morgan Rogers is a player! Goodness me he’s a player! A long punt forward, flicked on by Watkins, sees Rogers bounding on to it, nipping between two defenders and seemingly forced a little wide by Richards. But a fantastic pirouette on the move, inside towards goal, allows him to drag an expert’s finish inside the near post. Brilliant behaviour.
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And you can, of course, check all the EFL scores by clicking on the link at the top of this page.
Elsewhere, in the Women’s Nations League, Northern Ireland trail 1-2 at home to Bosnia and Scotland lead Netherlands 1-0.
In the SPL, Celtic lead Aberdeen 2-0 – I reckon they might nick the league this season.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Southampton (Nkunku 24)
Chelsea have been tepid so far, but they win a corner down the right, Adarabioyo wins the flick, and Nkunku tucks away at the far post.
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I guess Emi Martinez is injured: he’s been replaced by Robin Olsen.
GOAL! Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-2 Fulham (Muniz 47)
They did it at the start of the first and now they’ve done it at the start of the second! Traore swerves a lovely pass in behind, Muniz is on to it, and when Sa comes charging to the edge – there’s no need to, he has cover – he makes Muniz’s mind up for him a deft sink looping over the keeper and into the net.
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Off we go again in our early games.
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There’s not loads going on at Stamford Bridge, and the crowd don’t seem to trust Filip Jorgensen, Chelsea’s young keeper. It gets jittery every time he’s got the ball.
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We mentioned Guardiola below, and one thing for which he might be criticised is the players he’s let leave City, whom they could well use now: Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia and Jeremie Frimpong. It’s difficult when you’ve a top side, but that’s management at the top: regenerating while still winning.
Looking at the Brighton penalty again, Pedro properly knocks the ball away so Kepa, committed to the challenge can’t get it, but also in the knowledge that he won’t be able to get it either; essentially, he swaps the penno for a clattering. And obviously it’s impossible to argue with the award, but it doesn’t look right to me – it’s a player playing the laws.
Chelsea have got Pedro Netto through the middle. I don’t suppose they’ve many options, but I’d be inclined to get him in his position and put someone else central. Meantime, Sancho – on the right, which tends not to work well due to his lack of gas and strength – arcs a fantastic low cross through the corridor, and of course there’s no striker there to attack it.
“Yes, some of the current Arsenal squad look spent,” reckons Charles Antaki, “but those are the ones likely to go as soon as a buyer can be found: your Zinchenkos, your Jorginhos, your two other three others. The stalwarts look good, indeed terrific in some obvious cases. There doesn’t seem to be the signs of played-outness that, for example, Man City are showing. The key is indeed signing somebody upfront – as Ian Little said, additions have been made from the base forwards, and when money is found for that, the wheels will start to turn again. Praying will help too, of course.”
I don’t know – obviously a proper centre-forward will help a lot, but I don’t think it’s the difference between champions and not. There’s a decent chance the title is won with fewer points than Arsenal have managed the last two seasons, and they even injured Rodri, for Liverpool to benefit. That must be a right sickener.
HALF-TIME: Brighton 1-0 Bournemouth
Brighton are well worth their lead.
HALF-TIME: Crystal Palace 1-0 Aston Villa
Unai Emery does not look impressed.
We’re under way at Stamford Bridge. I’ll get that game on now it’s half-time at Molineux, where Wolves and Fulham are level at 1-1.
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“I love Rashy” says Pramith Pillai, “and I hope he plays for United again. However a one in seven billion tag is a bit much. In my opinion, Rashford was never as good as Rooney when it came to talent, hunger, or anything else that could have propelled him to be a footballing great even in a supportive environment. Rooney had many more off-field troubles, but he kept showing up and performing for an underperforming England team and a successful United team. Still, it’ hard enough to be an admirable human being in our world and Rashy did that part well.”
When I said he was one in seven billion, I meant he would be if he wasn’t affected by his environment, i.e. all humans are. And the difference with Rooney is that he knew he was competing for the big pots every season, so there was something riding on him and something he’d miss if he didn’t put it in. Rashford, like De Gea before him, was eventually ground down by the mess.
NO GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-0 Aston Villa
It was close, but it was definitive.
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VAR wants a look. Was Watkins offside?
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-1 Aston Villa (Rogers 42)
Rogers drives form halfway, of course he does, feeds Watkins in behind, then when the cut-back from the by-line arrives, he’s in the box to punch home.
“So have you any evidence to suggest that Guardiola can resurrect a struggling team?” asks Geoff Wignall. “He’s been much lauded over the years by some very well qualified judges, so must have something. And he was quite the innovator at first. But he started out making his name with the greatest midfield and the greatest player in history; then took over a Bayern team that you or I could have coached to the Bundesliga title, but basically failed in Europe. From there he went to the world’s richest club, one that had been structured to accommodate his methods and needs, where he’s achieved domestic dominance but again underperformed in Europe. Coaching genius? Or not?”
It’s true, he’s never stayed anywhere long enough to rebuild, but I don’t think we can sensibly argue he’s no kind of football genius. I agree he’s had a lot in his favour, but the midfield and Messi you mention? It was he who put it together – who, say, relied on Busquets in the 2009 Champions League final – and who moved Messi to the middle – and he who changed the game for a generation. Even if he never wins another game, like Mourinho he’s already a great.
Back at Palace, Sarr arrives on to a cross, but Martinez parries his first-time effort, then can’t control his shot when the rebound arrives at his feet. There’s a proper tempo to all of these games.
Brighton hit the post Baleba, Minteh and Rutter combine, setting Lamptey away down the right. He crosses well, Mitoma adjusts really well to hook a bouncing ball goalwards … and hits the inside of the far post! That’s lovely football.
Palace have just had Will Hughes booked; in the process he earns himself a two-game suspension.
Bournemouth have’t mustered much, but as I type, a ball from Kluivert sets Semenyo away at inside-left. He might go for placement – if he gets it right, he scores – but instead wellies it and, though Verbruggen dives away from it, the shot cannons his legs and flies to safety.
“I quite agree with you about Baleba,” says Dean Kinsella. “Very good all-round footballer. Tonight he is partnered in midfield by Gomez. He also looks extremely talented. Where do Brighton keep finding them?”
Tony Bloom’s algorithm innit? But yes, it turns out there’s something to be said for smart people doing their research, buying what they need not what they fancy, and integrating them into a settled and calm environment.
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GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-0 Aston Villa (Sarr 29)
Palace keep it alive after a corner goes short and Eze’s cross misses everyone, Wharton crossing and Richards heads down, Martinez palming out … but straight to Sarr, who taps in to marks his 27th birthday with a goal.
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Bournemouth have made a change already, the injured Ryan Christie replaced by Alex Scott.
Anyway, enough football and on to the important stuff: who has a better beach, Brighton or Bournemouth? I’m going with the latter – the Jurrasic coast canes the Sussex coast – and i had some belting soft-serve there in the summer.
GOAL! Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Fulham (Joao Gomes 18)
Oh, football. Oh, Ryan.Garcia crosses well from the left after a gorgeous nutmeg-pass from Ait-Nouri, Semedo’s swing contacts little leather, Sessegnon alongside him kicking fresh air, and the ball falls beautifully for Gomes, who thrashes into the roof.
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“Was wondering why you believe it is Arsenal that is over the apex, something I believe you expressed this weekend in the MB,” writes Ian Little. “Wouldn’t the obvious choices be City and Liverpool, given the age and contract-issues in the respective clubs? While I do think Arteta cycles will come fast because of the way they play, we are not there yet, and this year is an outlier IMO. Six games with red cards (I do not fault the refs with the exception of the MLS first one), numerous injuries to key players and yet only one club is even close to their quality. If they continue to add to the squad, having worked back to front, then I can only see them getting stronger. I don’t think their ‘if’ is as big as the other ‘ifs’ you will find at their closest rivals.”
I can’t remember how I phrased it, but generally speaking, you get four years out of a team before it needs refreshing, and Arteta’s have been together for three. I don’t know if they can find the elite attackers they need to take the final step and, as far as the other clubs you mention go, I think it’s fair to say Liverpool are taking advantage of a power vacuum, but I’d write off Arteta a long time before i’d write off Guardiola.
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Back to Brighton, I’m extremely fond of Carlos Baleba. It’s not often you see a midfielder able to cover ground, tackle, ball-carry and create, but he does a bit of everything. I’m excited to see how he develops.
“Given the fact that Chelsea’s bench is mostly kids (a few very talented ones too),” begins Matt Muir, “it’s sad that Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is the person I would be least comfortable to see subbed on. We can’t possibly not win this (obvious foreshadowing), but it could get very whistle-y if it’s only 1-0 at 55 mins.”
It’s an odd do isn’t it? It’s almost as it buying everyone possible and sticking them on wild contracts isn’t the route to success.
GOAL! Brighton 1-0 Bournemouth (Pedro pen 12)
Kepa dives right, Pedro sweeps left.
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PENALTY TO BRIGHTON!
We’re seeing a lot of these at the moment. Another lovely through pass from Gomez sets Pedro in behind and he sees the keeper coming, so knocks the ball away, wears the clatter, and the ref points to the spot. I dunno, Pedro made no effort to go by him – he knew what was going to happen – but Kepa did clean him out.
Brighton crank it up, the new kid, Diego Gomez, playing a lovely ball inside Lewis Cook – who, to him his due, does well to stick at it, forcing Mitoma to shoot under pressure, and the effort goes wide of the far post.
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Good work from Baleba on the edge, then Kepa makes a mess of Brighton’s cross – don’t be unkind – but Joao Pedro directs his header wide.
At Palace, Guehi is down inside his own box. He’s soon up, though, and his side get a Villa corner away; he’s moving more easily now.
Ands how good it is to see him score. There was a right old fuss about him when he was younger and he’s not come close to delivering on the hype. At 24, he can’t have too many chances left at this level, and he’ll be well aware of that.
There’s a VAR check … but he’s in the clear.
GOAL! Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Fulham (Sessegnon 2)
How about that! Making his first start of the season, Sessegnon is in behind when a pass into space catches Wolves’ defence square. He takes the ball, looks up composes, and with Sa leaning near post, he passes inside the far. Very well taken, and what an impact.
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We’re away and immediately, Bournemouth are in among it, Outtara slipping Christie in at inside-left and his low wallop is turned away by Verbruggen at the far post.
l“Some very odd comments,” reckons Niall Fogarty. “Rashford’s problems were not and are not excused by the disarray at United. That’s cheap. And Palace will beat Villa tonight…”
Did you see the bit where I said “Obviously he needs to take responsibility for himself”? Yeah, that – but if he wasn’t affected by his environment, he’d be one in roughly seven billion.
Email! “It’s just not Rashford,” writes Robert Hisnay. “McTominay, Wan-Bissaka, Henderson, Elanga. Let alone the poor recruitment these past few years. Huijsen> Yoro as an example.”
I don’t know about that – I don’t think any of the others are proximate to good enough for a side trying to win the big pots and nothing I’ve seen since they moved has suggested they do. I’d also not be so quick to judge Leny Yoro – I didn’t see for Lille, but better judges than me think he could be the best of his generation.
Here come our teams!
I strongly fancy Villa to get a result at Palace. I know Palace can play – I really liked Daniel Munoz when I saw him live last season – but Villa have legs and quality in midfield, with goals on pitch and bench. If they defend sensibly, they’ll be hard to stop.
Ah man, it’s good to see Marcus Rashford smiling again. Obviously he needs to take responsibility for himself, and Ruben Amorim has been unequivocal that he desperately needs so talented a player but doesn’t feel Rashford is selectable. However it’s no great surprise that he’s been ground down by the misery at Old Trafford – if he’d been somewhere more wholesome, he might’ve matured into a world-beater – and the change should do him well.
Iraola has some terrific eyebrows. He’s also wearing a jumper like Bruce Grobbelaar’s in Panini 85. More news as I get it.
I’m glad Wharton’s back too. He was the guy, I’m told, England players were going back to their clubs and telling their managers to sign; I expected a big season from him and though it’s not worked out that way, his talent is not in question.
Oliver Glasner is glad to have Wharton back and glad he’s pain-free. Now he needs to get match-fit and the match-up works for him – he’s smart and good at finding players in the pocket.
Fabian Huerzler is glad to have Estupinan back, while Gomez has earned his start by training well. The data tells him Bournemouth are one of the most physical teams in the league, and he’s expecting a gouh game/
Ally McCoist, usually so sensible, just called the return of Jadon Sancho “a bonus”. I don’t even know where to begin with that.
More teams...
Chelsea: Jorgensen; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Palmer, Sancho, Neto; Nkunku. Subs: Sanchez, Acheampong, Fofana, James, Samuels-Smith, Amougou, Dewsbury-Hall, George, Mheuka.
Southampton: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Bree, Bella-Kotchap, Walker-Peters, Downes, Smallbone, Fernandes, Aribo, Kamaldeen, Onuachu. Subs: McCarthy, Stephens, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Manning, Wellington, Grønnbæk, Dibling, Archer.
It’s a funny thing, really. The standard at the top of the league is not great – I don’t think it’s controversial to say the top few are way off the best we’ve seen – but the standard below has never been higher. Every side, down to Tyler Dibling at Southampton, has the capacity to hurt any opponent.
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In particular, Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen and Antoine Semenyo are very tasty indeed. Let’s hope they stay put this summer and Iraola is allowed to build.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Bournemouth might be my favourite Premier League team. I love how hard they run, how brave they are and how good their individuals are. Andoni Iraola might be a superstar.
Wolves, who beat Bournemouth at the weekend, are understandably unchanged; Marco silva, though, makes five changes after defeat at Palace, the injured Emile Smith Rowe and Antonee Robinson, Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Raul Jimenez left out; Rodrigo Muniz, Jorge Cuenca, Andreas Pereira, Ryan Sessegnon and Issa Diop come in.
Over to Selhurst Park where Palace, who beat Fulham at the weekend, bring Adam Wharton for Jefferson Lerma; Villa, who saw off Chelsea, leave out Ian Maatsen, Tyrone Mings, Matt T. Cash and Marco Asensio; Andres Garcia, Axel Disasi, Lucas Digned and Lamare Bogarde come in.
Back to our teams: at the Amex, Brighton welcome back, as one is mandated to say, Pervis Estupinan, recovered from injury, with Diego Gomez, recently signed from Inter Miami, handed his first start for the club; Jack Hinshelwood and Yasin Ayari move to the bench.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, bring in Tyler Adams for the suspended Illia Zabarnyi, while David Brooks replaces Marcus Tavernier.
Tonight’s full fixture list:
Let's have some teams...
Brighton: Verbruggen, Estupinan, Van Hecke, Webster, Lamptey, Gomez, Baleba, Rutter, Mitoma, Minteh, Joao Pedro. Subs: March, Gruda, Adingra, Welbeck, Ayari, Wieffer, O’Riley, Rushworth, Hinshelwood.
Bournemouth: Kepa, Hill, Huijsen, Cook, Kerkez, Adams, Christie, Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo, Outtara. Subs: Dennis, Scott, Evanilson, Tavernier, Sinisterra, Soler, Jebbison, Akinmboni, Winterburn.
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Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell, Eze, Sarr, Mateta. Subs: Turner, Lerma, Nketiah, Clyne, Kamada, Esse, Chilwell, Devenny, Kporha.
Aston Villa: Martinez, Garcia, Konsa, Disasi, Digne, McGinn, Bogarde, Tielemans, Ramsey, Rogers, Watkins. Subs: Olsen, Zych, Mings, Maatsen, Rashford, Asensio, Malen, Bailey, Jimoh-Aloba.
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Wolves: Sa, Doherty, Ait-Nouri, Bueno, Munetsi, Andre, J Gomes, Cunha, Semedo, Toti, Bellegarde. Subs: Johnstone, Traore, Strand Larson, Doyle, Sarabia, Djiga, Lima, Pond, Mane.
Fulham: Leno, Andersen, Muniz, Traore, Cuenca, Berge, Pereira, Lukic, Castagne, Sessegnon, Diop. Subs: Benda, Bassey, Reed, Jimenez, Cairney, Iwobi, Willian, King, Robinson
Preamble
It’s not even March and already, we know who’s going to win the league, who’s going to finish second, and who’s going to go down. On the face of things, this English Premeer League season is both over and a bust.
However there’s always a however so, however: the fun in “oor league” has not, this season, been at either end, but in between. So, though we might’ve sneered had someone shown us tonight’s fixtures in August, Brighton v Bournemouth has all the makings of a terrific contest, two tough, attacking teams at the cutting edge of progress with a Champions League spot well with their ambit.
Nor is that it. Aston Villa, somehow still in the hunt – and still in this year’s competition – take on Crystal Palace, while the improving Wolves and, most particularly, the wonderful Matheus Cunha, meet Fulham.
Add to that the late game, in which Chelsea attempt to halt a run of three straight defeats, with Southampton seeking the win that would lift their points tally above the 11 accumulated by Derby in 07-08 – English football’s lowest in the three-points-for-a-win era – and that’s a lovely evening we’ve got for ourselves.
Brighton v Bournemouth, Crystal Palace v Aston Villa and Wolves v Fulham: kick-off 7.30pm GMT.
Chelsea v Southampton: kick-off 8.15pm GMT.
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