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At Brighton, Var is wondering if Baleba tripped Maatsen, who went at him on the outside; I don’t think he did and neither do the officials.
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At Arsenal, the hosts are going for more goals, Rice powering into the box – this is exactly what he should be doing and it’s great we’re seeing more of it – but his cross is stuck behind, then the corner is cleared, eventually.
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GOAL! Brighton 2-0 Aston Villa (Pau Torres own goal 29)
That high line. Hinshelwood gets in behind, down the left, powers away with 39 defenders in pursuit, squares when he should probably shoot, and Torres, sticking out a foot, takes the ball at source to toe past his own keeper.
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Question: where do we rank Saka among Arsenal wingers of the modern era? I’d go:
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Overmars
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Saka
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Ljungberg
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Pires
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Arsenal work it nicely down the right – even without Saka, most of their attacks are coming from that side – and when it’s cut back Martinelli’s head goes up and back, the ball following suit.
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Brighton haver a free-kick 25 yards out, just right of centre … and De Cuyper’s effort is helped over the top by Bizot.
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To Molineux now, where a cross into the Wolves box picks out Ndioye … who, looking to glance home, doesn’t get anything. That can happen when you only want a tiny piece of something, though with cake one tends to err towards the opposite extreme.
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At Burnley, Pino has just squared when he should’ve shot. I think Burnley have a good chance tonight, at the wekeend, Palace looked bushed in the second half.
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A Brentford corner yields another, Janelt picks out Schade, who thuds a concussive header … and Raya tips against the bar! Brilliant save, because that was close and travelling. The visitors are in this game.
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At Molineux, it’s Forest in the ascendancy, whole Arsenal are looking for more goals against Brentford. I don’t know if I’m scarred by England’s 1992 cricket World Cup final defeats, but I can’t have baby blue as the colour of a serious sporting outfit.
Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA
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“Warmest greetings of the season, Dan,” begins Simon McMahon. “It’s Dundee v Glasgow in the fitba tonight, with Steven ‘Elvis’ Pressley’s Dundee looking to spoil Martin O’Neill’s last game as caretaker at Celtic. Dundee won their first meeting earlier this season, but I predict trouble tonight for the moody blues. Meanwhile at Tannadice, Jim ‘Not Elvis’ Goodwin’s Dundee United welcome Rangers. After a poor recent run, I’m hoping I can’t help falling in love with United again tonight. If you allow me to dream, that is.”
I just want O’Neill’s tracky, and if I’m allowed to dream, so are you. I’d tolerate an early or mid-80s Arabs one too.
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GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Brentford (Merino 11)
Nice from Madueke, a clever touch allowing him to backheel White away on his outside, the cross is caressed into the middle, and Merino applies a striker’s header, down and across the keeper, into the far side-netting. What a terrific purchase he’s turned out to be.
Arsenal’s Mikel Merino (rear left) heads goalwards … Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PAThe ball evades Brentford keeper Caoimhin Kelleher and the home side are ahead. Photograph: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC/Getty ImagesMerino celebrates. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/Reuters
Arsenal’s Mikel Merino celebrates after opening the scoring against Brentford.
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Updated at 14.59 EST
Var wants a look, but I think this’ll be fine.
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GOAL! Brighton 1-0 Aston Villa (Van Hecke 9)
A flat corner, Bizot, the sub keeper comes to grab fresh air, the ball bobbles off bodies, and Van Hecke eventually extends a telescopic leg to hook in with the outside of his right foot.
Aston Villa keeper Marco Bizot fails to make contact with the ball which Jan Paul van Hecke eventually pops into the net to give Brighton the lead. Photograph: Alex Pantling/Getty ImagesVan Hecke (centre) celebrates with teammates. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images/ReutersShare
Updated at 14.46 EST
Jensen at Arsenal can only mean this…
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I find it interesting that Arsenal generally go back post. George Graham’s team were famous for flat delivery to the near, Bould flicking on for someone arriving to head or bundle in. That corner, when executed well, is almost impossible to defend, but now Brentford have one … curled by Jensen beyond the back post and out.
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At Arsenal, the home side have a corner, Rice to swing in. Brentford make first contact and see away the danger.
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Anyone got any spare eyes? Send to the address at the top of the page.
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“Worried about Villa away at the weekend,” confesses David Penney, “but if we can win tonight and win there, we have a not-too-horrific 60 days ahead where we could pull away all going well.”
Pulling away depends on City and Chelsea too, though. I can’t see the latter staying the course, but City are a threat. Thing is, the teams at the top are, I’d say, among the least good in the Premier League era, but the standard below that has never been higher because there’ve never been more good players in the world and there’s never been more money sloshing about the top of the English game.
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Out come our various teams. Arteta asked for “animals” in the crowd at Arsenal. I’m not sure he’s going to like the result…
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“In teeth-gnashing news,” advises Charles Antaki, “pity poor young Myles Lewis-Skelly who has to watch Ricardo Calafiori gallop up and down the left wing while he sits and worries about Getting On The Plane , or at least appearing somewhere on Thomas Tuchel’s team sheet doodles. But Calafiori has been pretty terrific, so it may have to be the cup games – though whether Tuchel takes much interest in the Carabao is uncertain.”
It’s a tricky one isn’t it? I guess Lewis-Skelly got lucky last season because Calafiori spent most of it injured, but ultimately Arteta has signed players to go in front of him, at both left-back and in midfield. If he wants to be a regular at Arsenal, he’ll have to wait.
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We’ve also got a full SPL programme tonight.
I’d also take a job that got me this tracksuit.
Photograph: Fred Palmer/Focus Images Ltd./ShutterstockShare
So which matches to watch? I don’t think I can do better than three, and we’re covering Liverpool v Sunderland – join the great Rob Smyth for that one.
So I’ll start with Arsenal v Brentford, Brighton v Villa and the goals as they go in; I guess I’ll swap one for Leeds v Chelsea when that gets going.
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Emi Martinez injured and won’t play for Villa
Marco Bizot comes in.
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Email! “Could this be the first time that a player with the surname Henry will grace the Arsenal pitch since Thierry’s retirement? wonders Peter Oh – no, I’m sure Karl Henry played there for Wolves, as well as Rico himself, and how good it is to see him back.
“As a Liverpool fan I would love to see Arsenal drop points today and feel some Schade-freude. Ouattara the chances?”
It’s always possible because, as I said below, Arteta’s Arsenal tend to be methodical rather than devastating and may lose some fluidity without Saka and as Odegaard gets back to it. I’d back Arsenal to win 2-1, and I’d not be staggered if they’ve to come from behind to do it.
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So Salah remains on the Liverpool bench; this feels like the beginning of the end doesn’t it? Even this time last year, his run of form felt unsustainable – it reminded me of Robin van Persie’s in 2012-13. Good enough August-January to secure the title, before tailing off thereafter, never to return. If Liverpool get a decent offer for the summer, my sense is there’ll be a hug, a handshake, and a long goodbye.
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Late kick-off teams
Leeds: Perri, Bogle, Gudmundsson, Rodon, Bijol, Struijk, Ampadu, Tanaka, Stach, Nmecha, Calvert-Lewin. Subs: Darlow, Justin, Bornauw, Gruev, Harrison, Aaronson, Gnonto, Okafor, Piroe.
Chelsea: Sanchez; Chalobah, Tosin, Badiashile, Cucurella; Fernandez, Andrey Santos; Estevao, Joao Pedro, Gittens; Delap. Subs: Jorgensen, Gusto, Acheampong, James, Hato, Palmer, Garnacho, Neto, Guiu.
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Sunderland: Roefs, Hume, Mukiele, Ballard, Mandava, Alderete, Talbi, Xhaka, Sadiki, Le Fee, Brobbey. Subs: Patterson, O’Nien, Geertruda, Neil, Mundle, Adingra, Traore, Mayenda, Isidor.
Liverpool: Alisson, Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo, Isak. Subs: Mamardashvili, Endo, Kerkez, Salah, Chiesa, Jones, Ekitike, Nyoni, Ngumoha.
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And finally, Wolves are unchanged; Forest leave out Dominguez, with Hutchinson coming in while Murillo, whose nickname I sincerely hope is Lisbon, remains injured.
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Updated at 14.40 EST
At Burnley, Anthony and Ekdal come in for Mejbri and Tuanzebe; Palace try Lerma for the injured Sarr.
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OK, I’ve failed in my bid to get SkyGo going in different browsers; bah. Meantime, Brighton leave out Ayari and Welbeck, with Baleba and Tzimas coming in; Villa swap out Malen, Digne, Buendia and Tielemans, for Watkins, Maatsen, Guessand and Onana.
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The key point here is: goodness me, what a squad Arsenal have bought. They have two players for every position, almost all of them are physical brutes, and though there will be a few they can’t do without for a period because the best players are irreplaceable, they look very strong. It might not be enough for the title – they lack, perhaps the attacking verve that means you rarely get involved in close games – but this time, they’re not running out of steam.
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Lots of changes at the Emirates. Arsenal make three, with White, Odegaard and Madueke coming in; Timber, Eze and Saka drop out. Oh, and Gyokeres and Jesus are back on the bench after spells out with injury.
Brentford, meanwhile, make five alterations. Igot Thiago, their top scorer in on the bench and so are Hickey, Damsgaard, Henderson and Collins; Henry, Pinnock, Yarmoliuk Janelt and Ajer replace them.
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Updated at 13.48 EST
Teams!
Arsenal: Raya, White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Madueke, Martinelli, Merino. Subs: Kepa, Timber, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Eze, Saka, Jesus, Gyokeres.
Brentford: Kelleher, Kayode, Ajer, Pinnock, Van den Berg, Henry, Jensen, Yarmoliuk, Janelt, Schade, Ouattara. Subs: Valdimarsson, Henderson, Thiago, Onyeka, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Arthur, Donovan.
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Brighton: Verbruggen; Dunk, Van Hecke, Gruda, Kadioglu; Baleba, Wieffer; Tzimas, Minteh, Gomez; De Cuyper. Subs: Steele, Hinshelwood, Welbeck, Kostoulas, Boscagli, Veltman, Coppola, Knight, Oriola.
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Onana; McGinn, Rogers, Guessand; Watkins. Subs: Bizot, Digne, Lindelof, Garcia, Bogarde, Tielemans, Sancho, Buendia, Malen.
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Burnley: Dubravka, Walker, Esteve, Ekdal, Hartman, Florentino, Cullen, Tchaouna, Anthony, Foster, Flemming. Subs: Weiss, Worrall, Bruun Larsen, Ugochukwu, Edwards, Pires, Broja, Hannibal, Laurent.
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Munoz, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Mitchell, Lerma, Wharton, Kamada, Pino, Mateta. Subs: Matthews, Benitez, Nketiah, Uche, Clyne, Hughes, Esse, Canvot, Devenny.
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Wolves: Johnstone, Tchatchoua, Agbadou, Mosquera, Toti, Wolfe, Andre, Gomes, Bellegarde, Arias, Strand Larsen. Subs: Sa, Doherty, Bueno, Munetsi, Hwang, Arokodare, Chirewa, Hoever, Mane.
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Savona, Morato, Milenkovic, Williams, Sangare, Anderson, Ndote, Gibbs-White, Hutchinson, Igor. Subs: Abbott, Dominguez, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo, Victor, McAtee, Cunha, Yates, Boly.
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Preamble
There are certain types of day that are good for football: clear, crisp ones; surface-slickening drizzly ones; matter-of-principle hosing down with rain ones; snowy orange-ball ones; or, in other words, a kick-about is always a blinding idea.
But how many decent matches do you see in that nause of a lunchtime slot? Some, of course – one of the first was one of the best, Crystal Palace 4-3 Liverpool in the 1990 FA Cup semi-final – but generally speaking, the craziest stuff happens at night. Just look at last evening, for example, which gave us ridiculous wildness in two out of three fixtures.
So we can approach today with hope. At the top of the table, Arsenal will hope to restore their five-point lead, but know Brentford are wise to the set-piece ruse; at the Amex, it’s fifth against fourth as Brighton entertain Villa; Burnley and Wolves, second-bottom and bottom, are scrapping for home points against Palace and Forest respectively; Chelsea, on a bit of a buzz, visit old friends Leeds; and Liverpool, who’ve lost six in eight, welcome to Anfield a Sunderland side fresh off their latest miraculous victory. Or, in other words, this could be mayham.
Kick-offs: Arsenal v Brentford, Brighton v Villa, Burnley v Palace and Wolves v Forest: 7.30pm GMT. Leeds v Chelsea and Liverpool v Sunderland 8.15pm GMT.
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Updated at 13.37 EST
