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I’m getting some stick in the comments for: a) mentioning my dinner party, and b) using the word ‘meagre’ to describe today’s Premier League fixture list. Four games out of 10 is quite meagre.
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Fantasy Football Corner: The first thing to say is that you’ve missed the deadline, what with Leeds v West Ham last night. Those pesky Friday night games often catch me out, but alas not this week as I sorted my team amid a spell of Thursday morning boredom.
Who will bag points this weekend? You can never bet against Brighton getting among the goals at Old Trafford – Danny Welbeck perhaps? – while Chelsea’s forwards should thrive at home to Sunderland… emphasis there on should. A prominent ‘FPL expert’ was urging everyone to sell João Pedro this week. It’s a trap! It’s a trap!
My pick of the week: Marcos Senesi, playing at home to struggling Nottingham Forest.
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What happened in Europe last night, I hear you ask?
Real Sociedad picked up a rare La Liga win, beating Sevilla 2-1; Werder Bremen edged Union Berlin in a mid-table Bundesliga contest; and AC Milan salvaged a last-gasp 2-2 draw with Pisa thanks to Zachary Athekame’s 93rd minute equaliser.
Today’s continental offering is far more meaty with Bayern Munich going to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the pick of the German games, plus four La Liga matches including Valencia v Villarreal. The small matter* of El Clásico is tomorrow.
Oh and Napoli lock horns with Inter at 5pm (BST) in a game that may prove illuminating re this season’s Serie A title race.
*It’s not a small matter, it’s a bloody big football match.
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For me, dinner can either be lunch or tea. But that’s just me, Manchester-born, Stockport-bred.
Last night I made bruschetta and carbonara and called it a dinner party. *Shrugs*
I’m familiar with the concept of ‘dinner’. Of course I am. It’s the meal you eat at round half past midday or one o’clock. But a dinner party? What fresh madness is this?!
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This is a really revealing interview with Brentford’s Sepp van den Berg who prepares to face his old side Liverpool tonight and looks back on his difficult time at the Merseyside club:
It was definitely dark days. As a 17-year-old boy coming in from a different country, you’re not the priority.
I was going home crying at some points and then not speaking to anyone. Do you call this depressed? I think it’s a bit too heavy a word. But I wasn’t feeling well. I wasn’t in the head space you are supposed to be in.
I had no confidence and that really affected me as a footballer. I was just constantly doubting myself, like I was not good enough. I didn’t want to go to training, which is not me. Then, you know you are really down low.
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The Premier League offering may be rather meagre today but there’s some meaty clashes in the EFL – especially in the Championship.
Top of the table Coventry can continue their stellar form under Frank Lampard at home to Watford in one of the early games; Ipswich v West Brom is a battle of two underperforming sides who have ambitions to push higher in the table, while Wrexham go to second-placed Middlesbrough looking to inflict just a second defeat of the season on Rob Edwards’ side.
In League One, the clash between Stevenage and Bradford is an unlikely second v third scrap – both teams have defied the odds to sit in the promotion race at this stage, although Cardiff can stay top if they win at playoff-chasing Bolton in the early game.
I’m picking out Gillingham v Salford as the standout game in League Two. Both teams have been heavily tipped for promotion this season but currently lie in the playoff places after recent dips in form. Who can resurrect their fortunes this afternoon?
Aaaaand I’ve probably missed some big games in that short roundup/preview. Comment below or email me with your suggestions …
Coventry City are unbeaten in the league under Frank Lampard this season. Photograph: Steven Paston/PAShare
Updated at 04.35 EDT
Here’s Sophie Downey writing on the incomparable Fishlock, by the way.
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Scottish Premiership: Dundee United v St Mirren, Falkirk v Dundee and Livingston v Motherwell are the only three games in the top tier north of the border this afternoon – all 3pm kickoffs – but the story of the season so far (aside from Rangers’ struggles) has been about table-topping Hearts.
Here Ewan Murray takes a dive into the surprise success of the Gorgie Boys, who host Celtic on Sunday (midday KO) in the biggest test yet of their title credentials.
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Welsh legend Jess Fishlock prepares to call time on a glittering international career this afternoon, as they take on Australia in a friendly at her home ground of Cardiff City Stadium.
It should be an emotional occasion for the icon of 165 caps, whose Wales career has spanned nearly two decades, with Fishlock telling the BBC she “owes everything to Wales”.
“My biggest success so far is having kids say: ‘I can do that’. It was never about me playing. All I want to do is play one more time in front of my family. It’s been the biggest honour to represent Wales.”
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Whoever thought organising two games to kick off concurrently in Manchester’s two biggest grounds, one at Old Trafford and one at the Etihad, should give their head an almighty wobble.
It’s never been known for Manchester United and City to kick off at the same time, so why set that same arrangement for United and England’s Women? A baffling decision, the effects of which will be noticed by anyone and everyone travelling around Manchester today, on trains, tram or road.
Rant over.
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Let’s have a gander at today’s football schedule, then, at least in terms of the big games:
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12.30pm – Three Championship games, including Coventry v Watford
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3pm – Chelsea v Sunderland & Newcastle v Fulham in the Premier League
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3pm – Full EFL and Scottish schedule
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5.30pm – Manchester United v Brighton
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5.30pm – England Women v Brazil
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8pm – Brentford v Liverpool
(All times BST – but don’t forget those clocks go back overnight!)
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Updated at 04.03 EDT
Here’s some corking Saturday morning reading for you.
Sir Kenny Dalglish talks to Donald McRae about the new film directed by Asif Kapadia which centres on the Scot’s remarkable career in football and his connection with Liverpool.
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Watching the highlights of Leeds v West Ham (I was conducting a dinner party so missed the full shebang, sorry), I was struck by the ability of Noah Okafor on the wing. He seemed to be involved in everything good Daniel Farke’s side did and looks a cracking signing
Farke himself lauded a “win of passion and desire, togetherness and spirit”, while accepting Leeds could have been more dominant on the night.
The three points lift the Whites to 13th, with 11 points from their nine games so far, which is a decent launchpad for a realistic tilt at survival. Leeds fans, are you staying up this year? Get in touch!
Daniel Farke salutes the Leeds fans after their vital win over West Ham. Photograph: Visionhaus/Getty ImagesShare
Nuno not hiding after West Ham’s Leeds loss
It’s fair to say Nuno has gone from the Nottingham Forest frying pan to a furnace at West Ham.
If the Hammers weren’t in trouble before last night’s clash at Leeds, they most certainly are now after a 2-1 defeat at Elland Road left them 19th with just one win this season – which came against Nuno’s Forest when he was still at the City Ground. Brenden Aaronson and Joe Rodon scored early with Mateus Fernandes’s goal coming too late to spark a comeback.
“There are many problems in our club unfortunately,” said the Portuguese coach last night. “It is not up to us to hide ourselves behind the problems. Everyone has to be alive and to do much more and be in the right position.
“We were not dealing with our defensive situations and I felt like we needed a striker to hold the ball, so maybe that’s not the greatest from me. These kind of mistakes are unacceptable in the Premier League
“We don’t expect things to change by themselves. Realising we have time can be a mistake if we don’t change things around quickly.”
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Updated at 04.53 EDT
Preamble
Good morning and a very happy weekend to you all. Saturday mornings mean our matchday live is up and running and I’ll be steering it until around lunchtime. We’ll have reaction from last night’s games and plenty of buildup to a big weekend in the Premier League, EFL and beyond, with England’s Women taking on Brazil in a big international friendly at the Etihad Stadium later, too.
As always with matchday live, we encourage you to drop your comments in below the line, or send us an email with your thoughts and predictions for the weekend to come.
I’ll start by plugging our usual ‘10 things to look out for’ before we turn to last night’s Premier League action and some problems already for Nuno Espírito Santo and West Ham United.
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