And with that, I’m off. It’s been a blast. Bye!
There were comfortable wins for Manchester City, Liverpool and Burnley, but Manchester United were held at home by Wolves in front of Sir Alex Ferguson
Sat 22 Sep 2018 12.27 EDT
First published on Sat 22 Sep 2018 08.35 EDT- GOAL! Cardiff 0-5 Man City (Mahrez, 89 mins)
- GOAL! Burnley 4-0 Bournemouth (Barnes, 88 mins)
- GOAL! Burnley 3-0 Bournemouth (Barnes, 83 mins)
- GOAL! Leicester 3-1 Huddersfield (Vardy, 75 mins)
- GOAL! Cardiff 0-4 Man City (Mahrez, 67 mins)
- GOAL! Leicester 2-1 Huddersfield (Maddison, 66 mins)
- GOAL! Man Utd 1-1 Wolves (Moutinho, 53 mins)
- GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Southampton (Salah, 45+3 mins)
- GOAL! Cardiff 0-3 Man City (Gundogan, 44 mins)
- GOAL! Burnley 2-0 Bournemouth (Lennon, 41 mins)
- GOAL! Burnley 1-0 Bournemouth (Vydra, 39 mins)
- GOAL! Cardiff 0-2 Man City (Bernardo Silva, 35 mins)
- GOAL! Cardiff 0-1 Man City (Aguero, 32 mins)
- GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Southampton (Matip, 21 mins)
- GOAL! Leicester 1-1 Huddersfield (Iheanacho, 19 mins)
- GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers (Fred, 18 mins)
- GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Southampton (Hoedt, 9 mins)
- GOAL! Leicester 0-1 Huddersfield (Zanka, 5 mins)
- Premier League teams!
- Preamble
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- GOAL! Cardiff 0-5 Man City (Mahrez, 89 mins)
- GOAL! Burnley 4-0 Bournemouth (Barnes, 88 mins)
- GOAL! Burnley 3-0 Bournemouth (Barnes, 83 mins)
- GOAL! Leicester 3-1 Huddersfield (Vardy, 75 mins)
- GOAL! Cardiff 0-4 Man City (Mahrez, 67 mins)
- GOAL! Leicester 2-1 Huddersfield (Maddison, 66 mins)
- GOAL! Man Utd 1-1 Wolves (Moutinho, 53 mins)
- GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Southampton (Salah, 45+3 mins)
- GOAL! Cardiff 0-3 Man City (Gundogan, 44 mins)
- GOAL! Burnley 2-0 Bournemouth (Lennon, 41 mins)
- GOAL! Burnley 1-0 Bournemouth (Vydra, 39 mins)
- GOAL! Cardiff 0-2 Man City (Bernardo Silva, 35 mins)
- GOAL! Cardiff 0-1 Man City (Aguero, 32 mins)
- GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Southampton (Matip, 21 mins)
- GOAL! Leicester 1-1 Huddersfield (Iheanacho, 19 mins)
- GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers (Fred, 18 mins)
- GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Southampton (Hoedt, 9 mins)
- GOAL! Leicester 0-1 Huddersfield (Zanka, 5 mins)
- Premier League teams!
- Preamble
Maybe Mike Ashley should show up a bit more often? On the day that Kevin Keegan revealed he is no longer welcome at St James’s Park after falling out with Newcastle United’s detested owner, it was just like the Sports Direct chief executive to attend his first match for almost 18 months on a damp and dreary day in southeast London. He was treated to a backs-to-the-wall performance that earned Rafa Benítez’s side only their second point of the season but also laid bare the challenge facing their beleaguered manager this season.
More from Selhurst Park:
Jürgen Klopp admits that his decision to take off the outstanding Xherdan Shaqiri at half-time was tactical –
The result is really cool. The performance could have been better but it’s clear. We made some changes and it cost us. We changed the system, and without training it’s always difficult. The changes were obviously good because Shaq was influential and Matip as well, but organisation-wise we had a lot of problems. This is why we changed back to a system we are used to, so we controlled the game in the second half. I’ve never got a player off who was not injured after a performance like he had in the first half, but it’s all good. He had a real impact, so good to see. The performance was good – what I didn’t like was my fault.
Efficiency is always commendable but, in a football context at least, it pays the greatest dividends when combined with cold-blooded ruthlessness. If there can be no doubt that Middlesbrough have the first part of that equation sorted their final ball has a nasty habit of letting them down.
More on Middlesbrough’s goalless draw with Swansea at the Riverside:
Sir Alex Ferguson was back where he belongs – at Old Trafford – for a first time since recovering from a brain haemorrhage to witness a disappointing draw from a Manchester United who failed to turn dominance into three points.
More from Old Trafford:
Leicester recovered from a dire start to run out emphatic winners here. Huddersfield glimpsed a first league win of the season when Mathias Jørgensen swept them into the lead in the fifth minute, but the home side soon drew level thanks to Kelechi Iheanacho, before sealing victory in the second half through goals by the former England striker Jamie Vardy and the excellent James Maddison, a 21-year-old who will become a prized part of England’s future if he continues to perform as he has done for Leicester this season.
More from the King Power Stadium:
Manchester City laid on an attacking masterclass as they extinguished any concerns of a European hangover to blow away Cardiff City in style with five magnificent goals, as Pep Guardiola’s side strolled to victory in south Wales. A breathtaking away performance left the hosts exasperated, with Sergio Agüero opening the scoring on his 300th appearance for City, before goals from Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gündogan and a double by Riyad Mahrez, his first goals for the club since his £60m move from Leicester City, completed the rout.
More from Cardiff City Stadium:
A funny thing happened when Burnley took the lead in a league game for the first time this season. Within another couple of minutes they had a second, a much-needed first victory was on the way and suddenly high-flying Bournemouth were the ones looking quizzically at each other after being caught in possession or passing to opponents.
More from Turf Moor:
As Jürgen Klopp is fond of telling it takes greed, aggression, talent and a phenomenal work-rate to execute his gameplan, yet Liverpool are making victories look routine. His team returned to the top of the Premier Leaguewith a sixth straight win, their eighth in all competitions this season, as Southampton were dispatched with ease at Anfield.
More from Anfield:
It would be remiss to let this blog pass without mention of Chas Hodges, who died earlier today aged 74. Many years ago I was at this match to see a fine musician and a great football fan rock White Hart Lane at half-time. Happy memories …
I’ll have some match reports for you very shortly, but in the meantime Rob Smyth is all over the build-up to Brighton v Spurs:
Oh my goodness, I’ve just seen Sakho’s miss for Crystal Palace today. Un. Be. Lievable.
Peeeep peeeep! it’s Manchester United 1-1 Wolves, Liverpool 3-0 Southampton and Leicester 3-1 Huddersfield!
Peeeeep! Burnley have smashed Bournemouth 4-0, and Manchester City have thumped Cardiff 5-0. Meanwhile Crystal Palace and Newcastle have drawn 0-0.
Stoke City, who were 3-0 down a minute after half-time at home to Blackburn, get a penalty to equalise in the last minute – and Berahino hits the bar!
GOAL! Cardiff 0-5 Man City (Mahrez, 89 mins)
Sterling is dispossessed inside Cardiff’s penalty area and Ecuele Manga takes the ball, turns, collects himself and then passes straight to Mahrez on the edge of the area, who stylishly accepts the gift.
GOAL! Burnley 4-0 Bournemouth (Barnes, 88 mins)
Burnley break, passing Lennon into space down the right. He runs downfield and pulls back to Barnes, whose first-time shot flies low and hard inside the far post!
Aha. I felt sure there must be a reasonable explanation.
Crewe have conceded the first goal in the A500 derby, and given that in every one of their league games this season a team has scored nil, that might be enough to win it for Port Vale. Crewe are an odd team – they’ve failed to score in five of their seven league games before today, and in the other two they’ve scored nine.
GOAL! Burnley 3-0 Bournemouth (Barnes, 83 mins)
Lennon scampers down the left and crosses to Gudmundsson, whose shot hits a defender, bobbles onto the post and rebounds to leave Barnes with an open goal!
“Yep, Klopp needs to sort out the Fabinho situation immediately,” concurs Ronan Fitzgerald, “Liverpool’s season is in total freefall.” Fair point.
Forest Green seem set to extend their unbeaten record, and with a rare win as well.
The teams are in for the late Premier League kick-off, and here they are:
Brighton: Ryan, Montoya, Duffy, Dunk, Bong, Stephens, Knockaert, Propper, Bissouma, March, Murray. Subs: Kayal, Locadia, Andone, Balogun, Jahanbakhsh, Button, Bernardo.
Tottenham Hotspur: Gazzaniga, Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose, Dier, Dembele, Lucas Moura, Eriksen, Son, Kane. Subs: Sanchez, Winks, Lamela, Wanyama, Alli, Aurier, Whiteman.
Referee: Chris Kavanagh.
GOAL! Leicester 3-1 Huddersfield (Vardy, 75 mins)
Huddersfield give the ball away just inside Leicester’s half and Vardy is immediately on his way. Gray sees the run and plays the pass and Vardy is just too quick, racing into the box and chipping over the keeper!
“Seriously, what is wrong between Klopp and Fabinho?” harumphs Rick McGahey. Klopp has brought on two of the three midfielders he had on the bench today – the other two, Milner and Keita.
A chance for United, as Shaw hangs a cross from the left towards the back post, and Fellaini heads hard and low but straight at the keeper – he should probably have sent it back across goal.
GOAL! Cardiff 0-4 Man City (Mahrez, 67 mins)
A low cross from the left and a tap-in in the middle for Mahrez, who came on for Aguero a few minutes ago!
GOAL! Leicester 2-1 Huddersfield (Maddison, 66 mins)
Leicester win a free kick 25 yards out, and Maddison whips it over the wall and dips it down again. It’s nowhere near the corner, and Lossl gets a hand on it, but he can’t keep it out!
Van Dijk doesn’t appear to be seriously injured: after going into the dressing room for assessment he has just taken a seat on the bench.
Apparently it was an excellent goal. But what exactly is this?
Manchester United, in search of a winner against Wolves, take off Fred and Sanchez and bring on Martial and Mata.
Portsmouth have equalised against Wycombe, so the unbeaten record might be safe after all.
And another Sané miss! This time he wins a free kick on the right, picks himself up, trots into the area and from Gundogan’s cross he misses a straightforward header!
Manchester City should have had a fourth! The ball comes in from the right, pings around in the middle and then drops to Sané, to the right of goal but in oceans of space and six yards out, but he hurries his shot, which goes nowhere near goal.
Van Dijk is at least able to walk off, rubbing his ribs a little gingerly.
Another injury, this time at Anfield: Van Dijk is on the turf and looking uncomfortable, and Gomez is going to come on.
GOAL! Man Utd 1-1 Wolves (Moutinho, 53 mins)
Another lovely goal! A low cross from the right finds Jimenez, but with his back to goal he passes back to Moutinho on the edge of the area, and his first-time shot finds the top corner!
Jazz Richards, seriously injured in the FA Cup game against Manchester City last season, comes on for Cardiff.
Peltier is being strapped to a stretcher. It’s taken four minutes to treat him and he’s still on the pitch, so expect significant stoppage time.
There’s a long delay at Cardiff while Lee Peltier receives treatment for an injury. It’s serious enough to end his game prematurely, with a substitute being readied.
That free-kick was Shaqiri’s last contribution to Liverpool’s game today – after two assists he’s off at half-time, and Milner is on.
Second halves are under way!
The 12 League Two matches currently in progress have seen a total of four first-half goals, with no more than one in any single game.
Glancing down the divisions, Portsmouth’s unbeaten record is under extreme threat: they’re 1-0 down at home to Wycombe at the break.
This seems an admirably grown-up way of dealing with a clumsy tackle, and a fine use of social media by both players:
… and relax! It’s half time.
Obviously it’s Southampton, not Sunderland, who are playing Liverpool today. Sunderland lodged their name in my brain by repeatedly scoring, you see – they’re 3-0 up against Rochdale.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Southampton (Salah, 45+3 mins)
As Shaqiri prepares to take a free kick, 35 yards out, Salah comes over and has an extended word in his ear. Presumably he was telling him to hit a spectacular curling, dipping shot against the underside of the crossbar which would bounce down on the line and allow him to tap in, because that’s what happened!
Ouch! That is a horrible challenge from Ralls on Gundogan, ludicrously high and terribly late, but he somehow gets away with a booking.
GOAL! Cardiff 0-3 Man City (Gundogan, 44 mins)
That is a beauty! Gundogan, well outside the area, plays the ball to Sterling on its edge, gets it back again and then curls a delicious shot into the top corner!
Ooooh! Southampton have a chance and fluff it, allowing Liverpool to break. It ends with Salah taking the ball into the area, spinning and attempting a backheel cross-goal flicked finish which ends up rolling just wide!