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Arsenal fan David Cassidy is making the journey from Calne in Wiltshire to north London right this moment and is glad to be setting off at an earlier time.
“A lot pleasure – I’m travelling to London for a uncommon 3pm Saturday match for Arsenal. Our final three video games have been 8pm together with the final two Saturday nights which is barking. Come on Premier League, give the followers a little bit extra thought.”
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris is raring to face an “intense” Leeds aspect when the 2 groups meet on the Stadium of Gentle on Sunday. Each side earned promotion from the Sky Guess Championship final season and eight factors separate them within the Premier League as they method the midway stage of the marketing campaign, with Leeds getting into the competition unbeaten of their final 4 outings.
Looking forward to the sport, Le Bris mentioned: “I like enjoying towards Leeds as a result of they’re intense, they play a proactive model of play, so it’s at all times a superb recreation and an thrilling recreation. After that, we all know that some non-negotiable factors will probably be key on this recreation, particularly the depth, the best way we’ll defend on set-pieces, for instance. It’s one other problem, particularly at residence, however we’re trying ahead to it.”
Each Championship conferences had been determined with late objectives as an Illan Meslier mistake within the last seconds allowed Sunderland to grab a 2-2 attract October 2024, whereas Pascal Struijk scored in stoppage-time to clinch a 2-1 win for Leeds within the reverse fixture at Elland Highway and Le Bris insisted Sunday will probably be “a brand new story”.
“It’s at all times a distinct story, however the two video games had been actually good, balanced with good moments for every staff. The equaliser was actually constructive for our followers and for us, and possibly we misplaced our dynamic for the automated promotion at Leeds. So good reminiscences, however I repeat, this will probably be a brand new story.”
Requested if he expects extra late drama towards Leeds this season, Le Bris mentioned: “We don’t know, however we’ll see. If it’s a constructive end result on the finish we’ll take pleasure in, for certain. It wasn’t the case away final season!”
(PA Media)
Diogo Jota’s two sons – Dinis and Duarte – will be part of the mascots at Anfield when Liverpool host Wolves right this moment. The Portuguese ahead, who performed for each Premier League golf equipment, died in a automobile crash alongside his youthful brother in July in north-western Spain. He was 28.
Sachin Nakrani’s piece on the Reds’ troublesome marketing campaign thus far can be value a learn.
An electronic mail. And a reasonably withering evaluation of Eddie Howe after Newcastle did not take something at Previous Trafford final evening.
Jeff Sax writes: “A very powerful truth from final evening’s PL recreation is that Howe has reached his restrict and Newcastle won’t enhance anymore beneath his administration.”
Agree? Disagree? Newcastle are a reasonably humorous staff to evaluate this season. Some highs however a good few lows.
Right here’s one other truth: Newcastle have received simply considered one of their final 12 away league video games (D4 L7), a 4-1 victory at Everton in November. In reality, because the first recreation on this interval (1-4 defeat at Aston Villa on 19 April), the one ever-present Premier League aspect with fewer away factors than the Magpies (7) are Wolves (4).
A couple of Optas forward of right this moment’s 12:30pm kick-off between Nottingham Forest and Manchester Metropolis. The Dyche v Guardiola one doesn’t bode effectively for these hoping for an upset.
● Nottingham Forest received their final Premier League match towards Man Metropolis 1-0 in March final season, final profitable consecutive league video games towards the Residents in September 1995.
● Manchester Metropolis have failed to attain in half of their Premier League away video games towards Nottingham Forest (3/6) however have prevented defeat in every of the three wherein they’ve discovered the web (W2 D1).
● Nottingham Forest have received their final 4 Premier League matches performed between Christmas and New Yr, all beneath Nuno Espírito Santo in 2023 and 2024. The latest of these on 29 December final 12 months was towards Everton who had been then managed by Sean Dyche.
● Nottingham Forest supervisor Sean Dyche is winless in all 16 of his Premier League matches towards Man Metropolis’s Pep Guardiola (D2 L14). Solely Steve Bruce towards Alex Ferguson (17) has managed extra video games towards one supervisor with no single victory within the Premier League.
Heading to a Premier League match right this moment? Ship your ideas and hopes to matchday.reside@theguardian.com
Simply in case you awoke a bit confused, completed off a chocolate orange after which dived straight into this weblog, maybe you missed occasions Down Beneath. Properly, get this, England have received the fourth Take a look at in Melbourne! Right here’s Ali Martin’s report:
Let’s whet the urge for food by taking a look at right this moment’s Premier League fixtures. And, what the heck, because it’s Christmas let’s throw in a desk.
12:30 Nott’m Forest v Man Metropolis
15:00 Arsenal v Brighton
15:00 Brentford v Bournemouth
15:00 Burnley v Everton
15:00 Liverpool v Wolves
15:00 West Ham v Fulham
17:30 Chelsea v Aston Villa
Nice to see that Nottingham Forest proprietor Evangelos Marinakis plans to rename one of many stands on the Metropolis Floor in John Robertson’s honour. The Scot handed away on Christmas Day on the age of 72. I’m nearly sufficiently old to recollect Robertson in his Forest heyday. I’ve a easy reminiscence: no-one might get the ball off him. Most wingers are hit or miss in possession however with Robertson it at all times appeared to be this: obtain ball, glue it to foot, sluggish full-back down, shuffle down wing, brief five-yard burst, cross. Time after time after time. And no-one might cease him doing it. “That lad is a bloody genius,” mentioned Brian Clough. He wasn’t flawed.
Right here’s Ewan Murray’s tribute.
Extra from the Championship. Louise Taylor headed to the Riverside however witnessed a reasonably disappointing draw between Middlesbrough and Blackburn.
Boxing Day’s actual deal with was the fantastically entertaining eight-goal thriller within the Championship the place Wrexham fought again from 3-1 right down to tonk Sheffield United 5-3.
The Championship has now reached the midway level of the season (23 matches out of 46) and Coventry will go into half two with an eight-point lead over Middlesbrough. Frank Lampard’s staff, who beat Swansea 1-0, are 13 away from third-placed Ipswich.
Simply in case you needed to verify the stats at Previous Trafford (listed on the backside of Jamie’s report), right here’s just a few:
Objective makes an attempt: Man Utd 6, Newcastle 13
Corners: Man Utd 2, Newcastle 11
Possession: Man Utd 34, Newcastle 66 (Man Utd’s lowest all season)
And, I do know, I do know, the principle stat was Man Utd scoring one objective and Newcastle failing to attain any.
Manchester United are as much as fifth. Regardless of the uncommon absence of Bruno Fernandes, they jumped above Liverpool after a 1-0 win over Newcastle at Previous Trafford final evening. An amazing objective too. I didn’t price Patrick Dorgu in any respect till seeing him play for Denmark however he bettered his objective towards the Scots with a crunching left-foot volley right here. And but, regardless of shifting to a flat again 4 – the equal of Dylan going electrical we had been led to consider – it was nonetheless extremely unconvincing stuff from Ruben Amorim’s males and Newcastle will need to have been kicking themselves to not have taken a minimum of a draw. Right here’s Jamie Jackson’s report.
Preamble
I’ve no concept what day it’s. That’s a typical chorus right now of 12 months and the discombobulation wasn’t helped by Boxing Day witnessing only one Premier League match. Extra on that later. However the upside of so little top-flight motion yesterday is that we’ve got seven video games right this moment, child! It begins with Nottingham Forest internet hosting Manchester Metropolis at 12.30pm whereas leaders Arsenal take the sphere in considered one of 5 3pm kick-offs.
We’ll even have the newest from Afcon and response from final evening’s barely odd recreation at Previous Trafford. Prepared for an enormous day of soccer? Let’s do that!
Oh, by the best way, it’s Saturday.