It’s another massive day of cross-channel football. Send us your thoughts and comments on this afternoon’s action. Tweet us@mdelaneyst @thescore_ie, find us on Facebook, or leave a comment below.
11.56 – Welcome to what should be a fairly interesting day in the Premier League, starting with the Merseyside derby at 12.45. We’ll be back shortly for the day’s key questions but, in the meantime, here’s an interesting piece in the Guardian on how the Everton-Liverpool match has been overtaken by Manchester as the Premier League’s most high-placed derby.
12.00 – The big news of the week was, of course, Carlos Tevez’s refusal to play against Bayern Munich. In many ways, the incident played into Roberto Mancini’s hands. A player he was barely using offered a very handy smokescreen after his team had been eviscerated by a bona fide Champions League team.
In any case, though, where do you stand on the matter?
Poll Results:
12.38 – Today’s team news.
The big ones: Everton actually start with a striker in Louis Saha. While Dalglish goes with Carroll and Kuyt beside Suarez but still doesn’t start Gerrard.
Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Fellaini, Rodwell, Osman, Cahill, Saha
Liverpool: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Skrtel, Jose Enrique, Kuyt, Lucas, Adam, Downing, Suarez, Carroll
12.57 – Chance for Liverpool! Kuyt sends in an inviting cross for Suarez but the Uruguayan can only head it down at Howard. Should have scored!
13.02 – Saha shoots just wide. It’s been open. A goal surely on its way soon.
13.03 – After that Distin turn, what other examples are there of players doing unlikely things for their position? John O’Shea nonchalantly chipping the ball over Jens Lehmann maybe
13.09 – A common defence of Carroll’s price tag is that it was always going to be Torres – £15m. But who exactly agreed to that deal? After all, because of injuries they didn’t even really use him last season so they didn’t desperately need him?
13.10 – RED CARD! Jack Rodwell with a strong challenge on Suarez. His feet were in the air to be fair.
13.14 – That’s nine red cards in the last 11 derbies at Goodison, with eight of them given to Everton players.
13.15 – The worst thing about that red card was that referee Atkinson could not have been in a better position. As @DamianSpellman tweets “so it’s official, tackling is no longer allowed in football”
13.19 – A rare outbreak of football there as Dirk Kuyt launches one for Carroll but Howard easily collects.
13.23 – Much debate on Twitter about the appointment of Atkinson to this. In a fixture that has seen more red cards per game than any other in the Premier League, why appoint one of the most card-happy refs in the division?
13.31 – Suarez getting booed every time he receives the ball now.
13.37 – Half-time: EVERTON 0-0 LIVERPOOL
It had been the kind of open game where Distin saw fit to perform a turn in Liverpool’s box. Distin. Yet, with the harsh sending-off of Rodwell, it’s turned into a messy enough affair. Liverpool have had the better since then but couldn’t take advantage as Kuyt missed a penalty.
14.07 – Coleman the one who makes way for Drenthe. He was industrious without ever being incisive.
14.09 – The whole Suarez issue opens the question of what is worse? Aggressive tackles that “let strikers know you’re there” or diving? Both equal in my view. Both attempt to con the referee. Yet more made of diving.
14.24 – Credit to Craig Bellamy there. A frequent problem with Liverpool this season has been that their players have been too eager to hit Carroll too early and too high, playing the kind of balls he’s not suited to. Bellamy had the idea to use his pace, keep it on the deck and hey presto
14.56 – Premier League team news:
Aston Villa: Given, Hutton, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Petrov, Ireland, Bannan, Delph, Agbonlahor, Bent
Wigan: Al Habsi, Stam, Caldwell, Figueroa, Van Aanholt, Moses, McCarthy, Boyce, Watson, Diame, Di Santo
Blackburn: Robinson, Lowe, Samba, Dann, Givet, Petrovic, Nzonzi, Pedersen, Goodwillie, Yakubu, Hoilett. Subs: Bunn, Formica, Slew, Rochina, Vukcevic, Roberts, Hanley.
Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, Milner, Toure Yaya, Silva, Johnson, Aguero, Balotelli
The big news: Dzeko doesn’t start as Mancini makes good on Tuesday’s promise No Nasri either as Johnson comes in.
Man Utd: Lindegaard, Valencia, Jones, Evans, Evra, Park, Fletcher, Anderson, Nani, Rooney, Hernandez
Norwich: Ruddy, Naughton, Russell Martin, Barnett, Tierney, Bennett, Hoolahan, Fox, Pilkington, Morison, Johnson
The big news: both Rooney and Hernandez start, with Valencia at right-back again. There may be concerns over that central defence though with Jones and Evans so young. Young is completely rested though.
Sunderland: Mignolet, O’Shea, Brown, Turner, Richardson, Elmohamady, Gardner, Cattermole, Larsson, Sessegnon, Bendtner
West Brom: Foster, Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Shorey, Brunt, Mulumbu, Dorrans, Morrison, Odemwingie, Long
Wolverhampton: Hennessey, Stearman, Johnson, Berra, Ward, Hunt, Henry, O’Hara, Jarvis, Doyle, Fletcher. Subs: De Vries, Edwards, Vokes, Hammill, Zubar, Doherty, Guedioura.
Newcastle: Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Obertan, Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez, Best, Ba
15.00 – Kenny Dalglish on the red card. Not so insistent on talking about refereeing decisions today:
“I’ve not seen it and I don’t intend to watch it – I’m going to enjoy the two weeks off. Everton will be disappointed to lose but Moysey can’t be disappointed with the attitude of his players.”
15.11 – Steve Bruce is under pressure at Sunderland. But, given that they allowed himto build a new team in the summer, would it not be madness to not try and let him bed it in?
15.25 – GOAL! Sunderland 1-2 West Brom
let’s not write those parting shots for Bruce just yet. Nicklas Bendtner has pulled one back for his new manager.
15.30 – The Norwich fans, by the by, having been singing “We’ve come for our scarves” at Old Trafford.
15.36 – Rooney should have made it 1-0 to United there. Did well to leap above the defence for a corner but sent his header wide from four yards.
15.38 – GOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Wigan
We should have put our money on. What did we say earlier about Agbonlahor and Wigan’s high line? The striker runs at Caldwell before striking the ball into the top corner.
15.41 – It’s games like this where you think, maybe United should have splurged for Sneijder. Finding it very difficult to open up Norwich’s two banks of four.
15.47 – HALF-TIME: Manchester United 0-0 Norwich
15.51 – HALF-TIME: Wolves 0-2 Newcastle
Newcastle full value for their lead but Wolves might have had a penalty.
15.52 – Interesting piece here from Dan McDonnell on Roy Keane’s latest movements.
16.10 – Pilkington! Could well have been 1-0 Norwich. United break, Jones slips and the midfielder shoots. But it deflects up into Lindergaard’s hands. But he’s still fortunate that Evra didn’t head the parry back over him.
16.12 – Balotelli smashes the post for City at Blackburn, having taken the ball down superbly on his chest
16.15 – Park tries a shot from distance and deflects wide.
Good as he is, odd that Park is still on. United need ingenuity now, not industry.
16.18 – GOAL! Blackburn 0-2 Man City
Balotelli follows last week’s goal with a fantastic strike after a fine ball from Nasri.
16.21 – GOAL! Aston Villa 2-0 Wigan
Darren Bent scores gets his first goal in front of the Holte End, tapping in a cross from Agbonlahor amid dreadful marking.
16.29 – @sboc23 has just tweeted me this divine pun.
“Imagine United signed Michel Vorm from Swansea on loan and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar on a four-year-deal. At the press conference Ferguson might say Vorm is temporary, Klaas is permanent”
16.31 – 73 mins…
Aston Villa 2-0 Wigan
Blackburn 0-2 Man City
Everton 0-2 Liverpool (full-time)
Man United 1-0 Norwich
Wolves 0-2 Newcastle
16.33 – Odd sub here for United as Rio Ferdinand comes on after 75 minutes for Anderson. Jones moves into right-back and Valencia to midfield.
16.37 – And that should have been another from United. An absolutely glorious 40-yard ball from Giggs finds Rooney who cuts outside before flashing just wide. Lovely stuff.
16.38 – It was David Silva that set up that Nasri goal, for those of you looking at FF assists. Nice one-two in the box but a hint of offside.
16.43 – GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Norwich
Park cuts across the box for Welbeck to slide in and finish.
16.47 – GOAL! Wolves 1-2 Newcastle
Fletcher, so impressive at Anfield last week, arrows one in.
16.48 – Rooney really wants that chip. Clean through on goal and tries to loft it again. Looks great but it’s also over the bar.
16.49 – That was self-indulgent from Rooney really.
16.56 – And that’s full-time everywhere:
Aston Villa 2-0 Wigan
Blackburn 0-4 Man City
Everton 0-2 Liverpool
Man United 2-0 Norwich
Sunderland 2-2 West Brom
Wolves 1-2 Newcastle
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