And that’s about it from Friday’s blog. Thanks for reading everyone.
There’s only one man who could play us out…
So, West Ham boss David Moyes *thrusts mic in face*… would YOU like to have done a Chelsea and spent £320m on eight new transfers in the transfer window, ballooning your squad to 33 players?
“I’m not sure I would. I think sometimes you want to build a team and take it forward. It’s not an easy job. The hardest part as a manager is who to leave out,” said Moyes ahead of West Ham’s London derby clash with Chelsea at the London Stadium this weekend.
“It can take time, I can tell you that with us bringing new players in. I think when you spend £600million, it should give you half a chance. But money isn’t the only thing to do with football, you’ve got to get the team right, you’ve got to get other parts of it going well.
“Hopefully we can give Chelsea a good game, obviously they are a really good team, they’ve got some really talented players they’ve bought in, but they will need time to gel just like the ones we brought in in the summer have taken a bit of time to gel as well.”
West Ham are only a point above the drop zone after a difficult campaign but Moyes is looking up not down.
“I believe we can have a good season. We have still got a lot to play for. I think we’re showing a little bit better signs in some areas but we’re going to be challenged by good teams like Chelsea, we’re going to be challenged in the European competition, which we’re going into again in March, and we’re in the next round of the FA Cup.
“We want to try and keep ourselves involved in as many tournaments as we can. But our focus is solely on the Chelsea game and trying to do the best we can against Chelsea.”
And here’s Louise Taylor on Leeds United’s hunt to replace Jesse Marsch.
You’ve seen these no doubt but it seems the right time to crowbar them in.
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) February 7, 2023
A little treat for fans of #HappyValley
— Kieran Hodgson (@KieranCHodgson) February 9, 2023
Bad TV Impressions: Happy Valley Series 3
SPOILERS!#comedy #impressions #justabitoffun @BBCOne pic.twitter.com/8cNNqNMNyw
Here’s Jamie Jackson’s piece from the Pep press conference.
Read all about it. Read all about it… the Football Daily is out.
“Guardiola swung haymakers in all directions; he presented one of the world’s richest clubs as a noble, put-upon underdog; and he established a siege mentality with such coruscating precision that Football Daily instantly bet the farm on City winning the Premier League this season. It’s a risky tactic, because he’ll be eating mea culpas for the rest of his natural-born days if City are found guilty, but in the short-term it felt like a cynically brilliant response to unprecedented adversity.”
And, looking through the e-mails, ‘Peter Oh’s Pun Corner’ brings us this: “City missed a huge PR opportunity by not signing B. Innocent from French Ligue 1 club Lorient during the transfer window.”
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is relishing his first crack at the A23 derby. The Seagulls take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in one of five Saturday 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League.
De Zerbi said: “I live for this game. It’s an honour to play this game. We must play a bold game, aggressive game, but I don’t want to lose our quality, our style of play. The first part of the season has been fantastic in terms of results, in terms of quality of play, and we have to continue in this way. But tomorrow is a different game.
“The emotions are the most important part of football and we have to feel the emotion in the football. But we have to be clear to the other things, to be focused on the game, on our quality, on our style of play, but we have to feel it’s a different game. We want to beat them for sure. We want to make our fans happy. It will be a very important game for us. I love this kind of game, we are ready to play.”
World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister is back for Brighton following the Argentina midfielder’s one-match ban for picking up five yellow cards. “It will be great to have Alexis back, he will play tomorrow,” said De Zerbi. “He’s a very important player for us, it’s excellent to have him available.”
Fulham scored three times in six crazy second-half minutes to win 3-2 at Nottingham Forest earlier in the season. That result left Fulham sixth and Forest languishing in 19th with four points from seven games.
Fast forward to this weekend and while Fulham have continued to flourish (they’re eighth), Forest have climbed to 13th, six points clear of the drop zone.
Here’s Fulham boss Marco Silva. “It will be a another tough one. They are different than when we played against them at Forest. I can say completely different, even if most of the players who started that game are going to start again.
“But there is a slight difference in some players, they again signed good players in January. We are talking about a club that signed around 25 or 26 players this season. Of course they need time to gel, to put everything in the right direction. They are in good momentum and they want to keep the momentum for sure, but they know as well that it will be tough for them.
“Everyone that comes to play at the Cottage, normally it is tough for them to play, with the environment that we play, we like to play on the front foot every time. The players feel really well and comfortable with our style, with the way we approach the game.”
Fun fact: Fulham could complete the Premier League double over an opponent for the first time since 2013/14, when they did so against both Aston Villa and Norwich City.
Fancy a Friday quiz? It’s a general sports one but has four football questions, including a beaut about Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano.
Brentford start the weekend in seventh place. Perhaps even more impressive is that they’ve lost just four of their 21 Premier League games this season. Only Newcastle and Arsenal have suffered fewer.
Brentford have already won away at Manchester City this term and they’ll hope to cause a similar upset at leaders Arsenal on Saturday.
Here’s boss Thomas Frank on the task in hand. “I always believe that we can win, but – and it is a big but – we are facing Arsenal who are top of the league. They have been going from strength to strength and they are in a fantastic position.
“[Mikel] Arteta has done a top job in building a culture over three years, making difficult decisions and sharpening a style of play. Arsenal can smell that they have a chance to win the league. It is well deserved that they are top. They look in sync and they have all their key players fit and available. At home they play with an unbelievable intensity.
“You can see that they are running harder and in the duels they are giving everything. They are so eager to win and that makes it even more difficult to beat them. To get anything out of this game, we need to top perform. We will probably need the best performance we have ever put out in a Premier League game.”
But Frank knows the worth of his own side. “I hope teams respect us for what we are capable of. In this group of players there are a lot of strong characters. They have been growing as individuals. It is a good feeling going into a game knowing that if we top perform then we can do something.
“We have always been quite strong defensively, with a good structure, mentality and principles, but now we are in a spell where everything is melted together and it is just working.”
Some more Graham Potter lines from Chelsea’s press conference.
On the future of striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has been excluded from Chelsea’s Champions League squad alongside Benoit Badiashile: “Nothing to report. He’s been training with us this week, training really well. Conducting himself well, really good professional, supporting his team-mates. Whilst he’s here he’s doing exactly what I expect him to do, which is to train well and to act well.”
On feeling the pressure : “There’ll be lots of talk around pressure and time. If I’d had a month of time for every time I’ve been asked the question, I’d be here for about 10 years. That’s just the nature of it.
“I’m not stupid. If the results aren’t what this club should get, and I’m the reason for it, then that’s the job. In the meantime, I go through the process of working with the players, helping them improve, helping them come together.
“It’s a complicated situation at the moment. But I’m really excited for it, looking forward to it, really looking forward to the challenge that awaits us. I don’t worry too much about the absolute time scale of it all.”
Erling Haaland didn’t have a single touch in the Spurs box in Manchester City’s 1-0 defeat last weekend. But he’s second in this list. Are we slightly surprised by the high placings of Arsenal’s Gabriels given Jesus’s injury absence and Martinelli’s starting position on the left? Maybe Martinelli takes lots of dinky touches in there, like Salah.
🦶 Most touches in the opposition box in the Premier League this season:
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) February 10, 2023
🥇 Mohamed Salah - 164
🥈 Gabriel Jesus / Erling Haaland - 142
🥉 Gabriel Martinelli - 139#WhoScoredAnswers https://t.co/t1zOiOUsyi
If you want to study Pep’s body language – and choice of cardigan – this is the video for you.
History says Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is even more up against it than we think when his team travel to Manchester City on Sunday. From Opta:
Manchester City have won their last 12 Premier League home games against Aston Villa, coming from 2-0 down to win 3-2 and secure the Premier League title on the final day of the season.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has never beaten Man City’s Pep Guardiola in 12 previous meetings in all competitions, drawing four and losing eight.
“I’ve played against Manchester City here and in the Champions League, it’s a very difficult match. Maybe it’s going to be more difficult now with the issues they are having,” said Emery, using his words carefully.
“I think they’re going to be together and they are going to try and respond on the pitch against us. It’s a very difficult match. Manchester City are building a team to win the Champions League and they are getting close to doing it. In the Premier League they have had amazing results over the last few years. Each year it’s Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, and this year it’s Arsenal, to be close to them.
“I want to play the same matches in the same competitive way at home and away. We are going to focus on this Sunday’s match, trying to get the same performance away as we did before.”
Leeds interim boss Michael Skubala secured a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford in midweek and he’ll hope to go one better when he locks horns with Manchester United and Erik ten Hag again on Sunday. Skubala will remain in charge while Leeds hunt for a permanent new manager following the departure of Jesse Marsch.
Talking of which, the PA understands they are still working on a four-man shortlist despite being turned down by Feyenoord boss Arne Slot. That doesn’t seem to have registered with the bookies who still have Slot as favourite. The next four in the betting are Rayo Vallecano coach Andoni Iraola, former Wolves and Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo, Marcello Gallardo and Skubala himself. For the record, local news reports in Leeds say former River Plate boss Gallardo has turned down an offer. All a bit vague, isn’t it.
Anyway, Skubala said: “I’ve been having clear communication every day with [director of football] Victor [Orta]. I expect to be in charge on Sunday. Back-to-back games are unusual, there may be one or two tweaks to the side, but there’s nothing we can change majorly. We can get work done tomorrow and a bit of shape.
“We did really well (on Wednesday) but it’s still one point. The book’s closed and Sunday’s a chance for three points.”
Team news-wise, skipper Liam Cooper and Marc Roca missed out in midweek due to respective muscle strains and will be assessed. Skubala is hoping Luis Sinisterra can recover from a strain sustained at Old Trafford. Pascal Struijk will miss out under the concussion protocol. He was withdrawn on Wednesday after blocking a shot from Marcus Rashford with his head.
And now for Chelsea boss Graham Potter. Can the club’s spending spree trigger a charge up the table? Or will Potter continue to carry the bafflement of a child brought up playing contentedly with wooden toys who has had a pile of shiny new PlayStations thrust upon him.
The good news. Joao Felix returns after serving a three-match ban for his red card at Fulham. “It’s great to have him back. I think we all saw the impact that he had in his 60 minutes before the red card. You could see his quality, I see it every day.
“He’s a player that I think can make a difference for us but at the same time it’s about helping him get into the team, get integrated into the team and to the team-mates around him and for him to understand what we’re trying to do, but the signs are really positive.”
The bad news. Raheem Sterling has picked up a fresh injury. “We had a little set-back with Raheem, he had a kick in training so we’re assessing him. I think he’s probably doubtful for tomorrow I’d say. It’s a new injury, he just got a kick in training on the side of his knee.”
‘No one else is back but they’re all getting closer and closer. Wesley has been training with the team, Denis has been training with the team.
Finally, some news on Wesley Fofana, Denis Zakaria and Mateo Kovacic. “No one else is back but they’re all getting closer and closer. Wesley has been training with the team, Denis has been training with the team. Mateo’s training with the team, but it will be too soon for him. So there’s good news, we’ve got some options.”
Updated
Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a major doubt for Monday’s Merseyside derby at Anfield. The England international played just over an hour of last weekend’s win over Arsenal but afterwards manager Sean Dyche admitted it had been a risk as the player was struggling with a hamstring problem. That has prevented him from training this week and puts his participation at Anfield in doubt.
“We’re still monitoring him. It will be touch and go, at best, I would think,” said Dyche. “We’re hoping it settles down as quickly as possible. He put a real shift in, his stats were very good in the last game and unfortunately he’s got a niggly hamstring and we’ve got to get on top of it as quick as we can.”
Losing Calvert-Lewin would be a significant blow as Dyche’s only other options are Neal Maupay, who is a long way from being a target man, and 22-year-old Ellis Simms, recently recalled from a loan spell at Sunderland and with just three first-team Everton appearances to his name. But Dyche is keen to maintain the positivity and suggested it was an opportunity for someone to stake their claim.
“We adapt to the players that we work with. The obvious two are Simmsy and Neal,” he added on the effect Calvert-Lewin’s absence would have. “There are different ways the team can operate. I don’t look at one player to try to win games, it has to be a team collective. It is a great opportunity whoever plays next. What a game to be stepping into if he is not right. Get ready to take it on.” (PA Media)
Thanks Will. Let’s open with Dyche...
Right, it’s time for me to hand over to Dave Tindall. He’ll bring you the latest from Potter and Dyche. Have a good weekend all.
Arteta says Jesus 'doing really well'
Asked about the timeline for Gabriel Jesus’s return, with the forward sidelined since injuring his knee with Brazil at the World Cup, Arteta sounds cautiously optimistic but declines to give an exact date. “He’s doing really well, he keeps pushing everyone every single day, but we need to respect some timelines. It’s too far [to set a date]. You have to see now when you start to put some load through that knee, and start to get some movement and some action, how that knee reacts and whether he is comfortable to go to the next stage.”
Mikel Arteta, Graham Potter and Sean Dyche have taken their places in front of the assorted microphones, dictaphones and plain old phones, with all due credit to the voice memos app. Let’s start with Arteta, who has to find a way past Brentford at the Emirates this weekend. Asked about last Saturday’s defeat to Everton, he says: “It’s not about being in a comfort zone. We are going to lose matches. Each defeat brings an opportunity to look at other things and see a reaction from the team. Tomorrow we are going to try to put in a great performance in front of our fans and try to win the game.”
Updated
… and here’s Jamie Jackson with more from Ten Hag, who is also delighted with Marcus Rashford’s electric form.
Here’s Suzanne Wrack with some analysis of the Women’s Champions League draw. Chelsea have what looks like the toughest quarter-final tie on paper, having been paired with Lyon.
Erik ten Hag, meanwhile, has also been speaking to the media. He has some qualified praise for Alejandro Garnacho, the teenage winger enjoying a breakout season at Old Trafford. “I think he is doing well, he has an impact on our game, I think he is a threat. [In our 2-2 draw at home to Leeds] he had good actions, he was lively, created chances, but had to score. And, finally, it’s about that, that you have an effect.
“As a striker, you have to at least be on the scoring list, the assist list or key action list to have the right impact. As a Man United player, we expect you to have an impact: to influence the score, to influence the result, to positively influence the game by scoring goals and having an assist.”
There will no doubt be plenty of analysis of Guardiola’s comments to come, but, for the moment, let’s leave it there. Elsewhere, as reported by Voetbal International in the Netherlands, Arne Slot, the Feyenoord manager, has no intention of leaving midway through the season to succeed Jesse Marsch at Leeds.
Updated
It should be noted that, as opposed to being found “innocent” when their Champions League ban was overturned, City were still fined €10m for failing to cooperate with the investigation, while other aspects of Uefa’s case were found to be time-barred.
Guardiola says 'there are no enemies or friends, just interests'
Guardiola pointedly lists the nine teams that wrote to Cas in support of City’s Champions League ban. “In this world there are not enemies or friends, there are just interests,” he says, which seems like a vaguely terrifying sentiment. He jokes that, if City are relegated to League Two, they will call up Paul Dickov and Mike Summerbee, get the band back together and bounce back to the Premier League. “But we should wait, because at the end, OK, the Premier League are going to decide and, OK, we are going to defend ourselves like what happened with the Uefa situation.”
Updated
“I would love to wait and see,” adds Guardiola. “Time will see, or time will dictate, what’s going to happen. Just in case we are not innocent, we will accept what the judge, the Premier League, decides. But what happens if, in the same situation as with Uefa happened, we are innocent? What happens to restore or pay back our damage?”
There’s more where that came from. “Another side I would say is that we are lucky we live in a marvellous country and society where everyone is innocent until proven guilty. We didn’t have this opportunity, we are already sentenced, and ‘tough’. What happened, I don’t know. On the other side, personally, I am happy that we are here, like Uefa happened. OK, we have a chance to defend [ourselves] … I think we have good lawyers, Uefa had good lawyers, and the Premier League – with 19 teams – are going to take up good lawyers too to defend their position, like we are going to defend our position.”
Guardiola launches into a fierce defence of the club, referencing City’s Champions League ban being overturned in 2020 and the nine clubs that wrote to the court of arbitration for sport calling for the ban to be upheld. “You have to understand that 19 teams of the Premier League are accusing us without the opportunity to defend [ourselves]. The word of my club, my owner, my chairman, my CEO, my people, who have explained everything over these three or four years… you know exactly on what side I am.”
Guardiola's press conference gets under way
Right, here he is. Straight to the point, he’s asked whether, having pledged to leave City if the hierarchy lied to him, he still has confidence in the club. He starts by conveying his and the club’s sympathies to the victims of the earthquakes which have hit Turkey and Syria. “My first thought is that we have already been condemned,” he says, in reference to the Premier League charges. “What’s happening right now, what happened on Monday is the same as what happened with Uefa … we’ve had already accusations and now we have just ‘charged’.”
Updated
Before anyone sends me an email containing the words “bias” or “agenda”, it’s best to just repost Max Rushden’s take on the subject. It feels like this piece would dovetail nicely with the “don’t make me tap the sign” meme.
Jamie Jackson, our very own Manchester football correspondent, is in situ. Popcorn just out of shot.
this is BALLFOOT pic.twitter.com/PTMsm4Kb6D
— jamie jackson (@JamieJackson___) February 10, 2023
Not been keeping up with the latest City furore? Here’s some light reading to get you up to speed.
Updated
Hello all. Me again, just in time for the day’s big press conference at Manchester City. Here’s a reminder of why it’s so hotly anticipated. Namely, the Premier League charging the club with allegedly breaching its rules on more than 100 occasions.
I’m going to tag in Will Magee, as I need to scrutinise Pep’s body language for the purposes of our Football Daily email. Thanks for your company, ta-ra.
Watch Cristiano Ronaldo score his 500th league goal (and nos 501-503)
I have no idea what to make of this. Historic? Endearing? Odd? Tragicomic? Pathetic? Poignant?
A question that has the square root of bugger all to do with football, but to which an answer would be nonetheless appreciated.
Does anyone know how I can watch Poker Face in the UK? Legally, ideally, but I’ll try anything once.
One of the items on Sky Sports’ breaking news ticker is… Patrick Vieira press conference coming up. I can’t lie to you: I’m not entirely sure this is the future that Walter Cronkite envisaged when he interrupted As The World Turns on 22 November 1963.
Look, it’s not us, it’s you
This piece from Max is spot on. To suggest an organised conspiracy gives far too much credit to an essentially shambolic industry. In 23 years of this nonsense, I’ve never come across a deliberate or conscious agenda.Except against me, obviously, which is why I’m being paid six figures to write one nerdy yet inexplicably compelling longread a month.
I wrote about the media agenda against your club https://t.co/Q48TOBq9H6
— Max Rushden 💛🖤 (@maxrushden) February 10, 2023
Updated
Never mind the WCL, there’s a huge game in the WSL tomorrow: Manchester City v Arsenal.
There’s a serious chance that one of these teams will finish outside the top three for the first time since 2014. That would mean missing out of the Champions League.
In that sense, it’s a mustn’t lose game. But if they want to maintain their title challenge, it’s probably a must-win game.
On this day in 1996… Tino Asprilla’s memorable debut takes Newcastle closer to the Premier League title. Or so we thought.
Pep Guardiola’s press conference is at 1.30pm. I don’t know about you, but I usually despair when people preview press conferences, even more so when they then call them “pressers”. But given the week Manchester City have had, this should be worth following.
I can see Pep’s weary face now as he’s asked for the 48th time about the minutiae of his employment contract, when all he really wants to talk about is overloads in wide areas.
On this day in 2002… Sylvain Wiltord’s freak goal kickstarts the greatest winning run in Arsenal’s history.
So, the dream domestic final is still on. But enough about PSG v Lyon, because Arsenal and Chelsea could also meet in Eindhoven on 3 June. Ho ho ho however it plays out, there are going to be some cracking games over the next few months.
Updated
The WCL semi-final draw
Paris Saint-Germain/Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich/Arsenal
Lyon/Chelsea v Roma/Barcelona
The full WCL quarter-final draw
Bayern Munich v Arsenal
Lyon v Chelsea
Roma v Barcelona
Paris Saint-Germain v Wolfsburg
Paris Saint-Germain v Wolfsburg
Roma v Barcelona
Lyon v Chelsea
Hello!
Bayern Munich v Arsenal
Here comes the WCL quarter-final draw…
On this day in 1991… Sampdoria continue their glorious march towards the club’s only league title, with the great man getting the second goal in their 3-0 win at Bologna.
Women’s Champions League draw
Any minute now. They’re going through the usual preamble.
Updated
A reminder of last season’s WCL final, when Ada Hegerberg inspired Lyon to a famous win over the holders Barcelona.
Women’s Champions League draw
It’s coming up any minute now. Depending on where you are based, you might be able to watch the below livestream. Or you can just let us do the heavy lifting for you. I say heavy lifting, it’s only a few keystrokers really.
On this day 50 years ago… John Radford scored one of the great forgotten goals.
If you want a bit of context, you can read more on my Substack.
From the archive (II)
For some reason the original matador-and-bull dance never became part of the canon, despite the Match of the Day cameras having also witnessed Manchester United’s impotent shame. The most underrated passage of play in the history of English football? Yes
“Good to see the league table, thanks, and remind myself that it’s not all doom and gloom,” writes Matt Dony. “If Liverpool win their game(s) in hand, they’ll be up to 8th, and only just behind Brentford and Brighton! Dizzy heights! I mean, the word ‘If’ is doing a lot of work there, but still. Something to hang on to…”
Delusio- sorry, hope springs eternal. I think they’ll finish the season really strongly, like they did after another winter breakdown in 2020-21, but they’ve probably left it too late to finish in the top four.
Updated
Women’s Champions League draw
The draw for the quarter-finals (and the semis) will take place around midday UK time. As you’d expect, it’s a cracking line-up.
Group winners Chelsea, Wolfsburg, Arsenal, Barcelona
Group runners-up Paris Saint-Germain, Roma, Lyon, Bayern Munich
Chelsea can’t draw PSG, who they met in the group stage; ditto Arsenal and Lyon.
On this day 30 years ago… emergency forward Paul Warhurst continues a remarkable run of form as Sheffield Wednesday win 4-2 at Blackburn in the first leg of their Coca-Cola Cup semi-final.
Thirty years though.
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From the archive
In a magnificent maelstrom of a match that featured 12 yellow cards, one red and a clatter of controversial penalty calls, Gerrard may well have got himself hurt or sent off: certainly he wouldn’t have conjured the magic that McAllister mustered in the last minute.
A reminder of the Premier League table ahead of the weekend fun and games.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 20 | 28 | 50 |
| 2 | Man City | 21 | 32 | 45 |
| 3 | Man Utd | 22 | 8 | 43 |
| 4 | Newcastle | 21 | 22 | 40 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 22 | 10 | 39 |
| 6 | Brighton | 20 | 11 | 34 |
| 7 | Brentford | 21 | 7 | 33 |
| 8 | Fulham | 22 | 2 | 32 |
| 9 | Chelsea | 21 | 1 | 30 |
| 10 | Liverpool | 20 | 6 | 29 |
| 11 | Aston Villa | 21 | -6 | 28 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 21 | -10 | 24 |
| 13 | Nottm Forest | 21 | -18 | 24 |
| 14 | Leicester | 21 | -5 | 21 |
| 15 | Wolverhampton | 21 | -15 | 20 |
| 16 | Leeds | 21 | -8 | 19 |
| 17 | West Ham | 21 | -8 | 19 |
| 18 | Everton | 21 | -12 | 18 |
| 19 | AFC Bournemouth | 21 | -24 | 17 |
| 20 | Southampton | 21 | -21 | 15 |
Updated
On this day in 1990… Spurs won a league game at Stamford Bridge for the only time between 1986 and 2018. And yes, that is the people’s commentator, Richard Keys, providing the soundtrack.
Liverpool v Everton
And here’s more on Jurgen Klopp’s press conference this morning, including his decision to give the players two days off after their grisly defeat at Molineux last weekend.
Bournemouth v Newcastle
Here’s Eddie Howe on the prospect of returning to the club where he has spent most of his adult life.
🗣️ "It's difficult to predict how I'll feel walking out to a stadium that I know so well"
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 10, 2023
Eddie Howe says it will be hard going back to his former club as Newcastle take on Bournemouth this Saturday pic.twitter.com/tYbxWCZRgF
On this day in 1988… Ted McMinn scores a belter, and Gordon Strachan invites Peter Shilton to have a little sit-down (14m56s if it doesn’t start in the right place).
Crystal Palace v Brighton (Saturday, 3pm)
Here’s Ed Aarons’ preview of the big game at Selhurst Park. Palace, who haven’t won at home since October, are in danger of being dragged into a relegation struggle. They are 12th, which looks very snug, but they are only six points clear of Everton in 18th.
Qatar x Man Utd
The redevelopment of Old Trafford is long overdue, but anybody who visited the grotesque and soulless domes of Qatar’s World Cup will testify that money can buy you a lot of things, but it doesn’t buy you taste.
Updated
Continental Cup
Chelsea will play Arsenal in the final on 5 March after marmalising West Ham in last night’s semi-final. In a surprising development, Sam Kerr scored four of their seven goals.
Liverpool v Everton (& other stories)
Liverpool are in a truly horrible slump, however, having scored twice in their past five games in all competitions – both goals coming from Harvey Elliott – and conceded eight, leaving Jürgen Klopp to cut an increasingly resentful figure. The odds still favour the hosts on Monday, but good luck to all those in the post-match press conference if Klopp’s side, like Arsenal last weekend, succumb to the grinding might of Dycheismo.
Crystal Palace v Brighton (Saturday, 3pm)
If you want to know how Crystal Palace v Brighton became such a combustible fixture, this old piece from Simon Burnton is well worth a read.
Lincoln play Bristol Rovers at home tomorrow. This, one must confess, would not ordinarily merit inclusion in the Friday football blog – but have you seen their home record in League Two?
P13 W2 D11 L0 F13 A10 P17
Despite, or perhaps because of, that record, Lincoln could be relegated this season. This led to a cracking question in this week’s Knowledge, which I had the abundant pleasure of researching.
I promise, if you’re a league-table nerd, this isn’t clickbait; it’s clickbloodyoxygen.
Fulham v Nottm Forest (Saturday, 3pm)
Although they have not won a league match in nearly a month, there is no doubting Fulham’s gathering sense of purpose this season. Narrow league defeats by Newcastle and Tottenham were followed by a goalless draw against Chelsea before this week’s FA Cup fourth-round replay win at Sunderland (despite nine changes) that set up a fifth-round tie against Leeds.
The manager, Marco Silva, will be back in the dugout for the visit of Nottingham Forest, another side finding their feet in the top division, having served a one-match touchline ban. “Of course I want to be with my players … to feel the emotions of the game in a different way,” Silva told the BBC on Wednesday after paying his dues. “The view is much, much better … you can see everything in a different way,” Silva said of his evening in the Stadium of Light stands.
He might be saying the same of Fulham’s lofty league position if they can successfully unlock Steve Cooper’s miserly defence: victory could potentially lift them up to sixth place. Forest were arguably fortunate to keep Leeds at bay in their 1-0 win last Sunday, and there will be plenty more defending to do in south-west London. Based on their own confidence-boosting Premier League run, Cooper’s side will approach the match without fear. Luke McLaughlin
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Eddie Howe on Christian Atsu, who is still missing after the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
It’s hugely worrying. Really, really enjoyed working with Christian [when he was on loan at Bournemouth] – great lad, great player. Thoughts are with him and his family. We hope there’s some good news. We hope he’s okay. But we’re really concerned for him and his welfare. It’s been difficult because they have been conflicting stories about his whereabouts… I can’t imagine how his family are feeling. From the bottom of our hearts we wish him well and hope there’s a positive ending.
Then, after a slightly awkward segue, Howe confirmed that Alexander Isak has passed concussion protocols and will be in the squad for Newcastle’s trip to Bournemouth.
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Liverpool’s Jota may return against Everton
Jurgen Klopp is getting his press conference out the way so he can enjoy his Friday, like Alvy Singer and Annie Hall having their first kiss before the meal so that they can digest their food better.
He seems amiable enough, if a little coiled, and says that the intensity of Liverpool’s training has been extremely good this week. Diogo Jota was among those training with the requisite intensity, and Klopp says he could be involved against Everton on Monday night. Roberto Firmino may also be in the squad, but it’s too early for Virgil van Dijk. Thiago Alcantara is also doubtful because of a hip problem.
Oh, and Klopp had absolutely nothing (say it again) to say about Manchester City.
🗣 "I have absolutely nothing to say about that." ❌
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 10, 2023
Jurgen Klopp not entertaining questions about Man City's Premier League charges pic.twitter.com/AG2fuU4wga
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Preamble
Right, who’s got that Friday feeling? I’ll tell you who hasn’t: Pep Guardiola. For a start he’s working the weekend, again, and before that, at around 1.30pm, he has to endure a press conference in which the first 474 questions will all be about Manchester City’s alleged financial tomfoolery.
At the best of times Pep fulfils his media commitments with all the loquaciousness and joie de vivre of an introvert on a stag do. These, emphatically, are not the best of times.
As well as a forensic study of Pep’s face as he processes yet another passive-aggressive reminder of his pledge to quit City if they ever lied to him, we’ll have the usual hype and bullishness ahead of an important weekend in the Premier League. It’s a pretty good set of fixtures, including some of English football’s bigger rivalries.
Saturday (3pm unless stated)
West Ham v Chelsea (12.30pm)
Arsenal v Brentford
Crystal Palace v Brighton
Fulham v Nottingham Forest
Leicester v Tottenham
Southampton v Wolves
Bournemouth v Newcastle (5.30pm)
Sunday
Leeds v Man Utd (2pm)
Man City v Aston Villa (4.30pm)
Monday
Liverpool v Everton (8pm)
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