Arsenal v Leeds, Brighton v Brentford: clockwatch – live

1 year ago 40

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On this day in 1990… Peter Reid’s lands a savage blow to Aston Villa’s title hopes.

What it says on the tin department

GOAL! Man City 3-1 Liverpool (Gundogan 54)

A finish of indecent serenity from Ilkay Gundogan has put City 3-1 up at the Etihad. Julian Alvarez, in for the injured Erling Haaland, has played a big part in all three goals.

On this day in 1970… an all-British European Cup semi-final.

GOAL! Man City 2-1 Liverpool (De Bruyne 46)

Kevin De Bruyne has put City ahead at the Etihad, finishing off another good move after just 51 seconds of the second half. As things stand, we have a belter of a title race.

Barney Ronay on the title race

Premier League: Man City 1-1 Liverpool (HT)

It was all square after a frantic, occasionally fractious first half at the Etihad. Mo Salah flashed Liverpool in front before Julian Alvarez – in for the injured Erling Haaland – finished off a classic City move.

Alvarez’s goal was set up by Jack Grealish, who moments earlier had charged back to the edge of his own area to stop Salah getting his second.

Follow the second half with Scott Murray.

Women’s Super League

The WSL leaders Manchester United won 4-0 at Brighton in the early game. Leah Galton scored twice before Rachel Williams and Lucia Garcia added some late gloss. It’s turning into one of the great title races, with the Big Four almost inseparable at the top.

Preamble

Welcome to the beginning of the end. The end of another Premier League season, that is. The next eight weeks will be a breathless orgy of drama, hyperbole, euphoria, despair, rage and contrived punditry rows. Each Premier League team has between 10 and 13 games to play before the whole thing concludes on 28 May. More importantly – perhaps uniquely – they all have something to play for.

The concept of mid-table mediocrity will doubtless reintroduce itself before the end of May. But right here, right now, all 20 teams in the Premier League are fighting for something: the title, a particular European place or the avoidance of Championship football next season.

The reason for this unusual situation is the cavernous gap between Aston Villa in 11th place (38 points, four behind Liverpool in sixth) and Crystal Palace in 12th (27 points, four above the bottom club Southampton). There was actually a similar gap between Wolves and Villa at this stage last season, but most of the mid-table teams had no realistic chance of European football or relegation.

Usually by this stage, a few teams are drifting into what the Manchester United writer Richard Kurt called a “nihilistic nothingness”. He was talking about the 1988-89 season, when United went into a prolonged funk after going out of both the title race and the FA Cup. They scored only once in five games in April - and that was a Tony Adams own-goal.

All of which is a roundabout way of saying all today’s Premier League games are important, and all have different points of interest. Just don’t call any of them six-pointers, or we may fall out.

Arsenal, who are tantalisingly close to one of the second most improbable title victory of the Premier League era, can make it seven straight league wins by beating Leeds.

Roy Hodgson, aged 75 ^2/3 , is back in charge of Crystal Palace for their game at home to Leicester.

Bournemouth could move out of the relegation places by beating Fulham, who are playing for the first time since that spectacular loss of noggin at Old Trafford.

Nottm Forest v Wolves is 16th v 13th, but also a relegation battle. Just don’t call it a six-pointer or we may fall out.

Last, and absolutely not least because they are two of the most impressive teams in the league, Brighton face Brentford in a European battle, with both teams hoping to jump into the promised land of sixth place. That depends in part on Liverpool’s result in the early game at the Etihad.

We’ll try to keep an eye on matters elsewhere too. Bbut don’t expect miracles, this isn’t a chatbot. These are today’s featured games, all 3pm kick-off unless stated.

Premier League