Right then, as the players come out at the Emirates I’ll be off. Here’s Tumaini’s liveblog on Arsenal v Leicester. Bye!
David Hytner saw Kai Havertz do his best to elbow Chelsea’s off-field issues out of the headlines:
In other news, Kai Havertz scored a stunning last-minute winner to give Chelsea a fifth Premier League win on the spin and hand Newcastle a first defeat in 10 games in the competition.
It was a day when the action on the field felt strangely incidental, as Chelsea played at Stamford Bridge for the first time since the fall of their oligarch owner, Roman Abramovich, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Facing them were opponents who are owned by the Public Investment Fund of a country that is involved in the war with Yemen. Outgoing Russian money versus incoming Saudi Arabian money, with ethical questions everywhere. It was one to warm the hearts of the romantics.
Much more here:
Jonathan Wilson witnessed a moment of genuine emotion as West Ham beat Aston Villa:
Andriy Yarmolenko sank to his knees, arms out, less in celebration it seemed than in exhaustion. His teammates surrounded him, their reaction less of joy than of something more profound. When the Ukrainian got to his feet, his mouth was tight as he tried to fight back the tears. In the end he could not, and as he walked back to his own half to restart the game he wept openly. Even Aston Villa’s players applauded. Football can be a horrible game, its ownership model perhaps broken beyond repair, but there are still times when it can provide moments of enormous poignancy and perhaps more.
“Goal for West Ham and Ukraine,” boomed the stadium announcer, “Andriy Yarmolenko.” Was that overdoing it? Perhaps. But the bombast matched the mood. This was a goal that set West Ham on the way to their second win in seven games and that kept them dreaming of Champions League qualification. But it felt a lot more important than that.
Much more here:
Ben Fisher had the rare pleasure of watching a Watford win:
A game that started with Watford’s supporters deriding their team’s chances of starting next season in the Premier League ended with them revelling in victory and clinging on to hope of an unlikely escape.
Roy Hodgson earned his second win in charge to hoist Watford level on points with Everton, who remain outside of the relegation zone on goal difference. The obvious caveat is that teams above and below them are armed with games in hand but on this evidence Watford’s race is not yet run. Cucho Hernández scored twice as Southampton suffered a third straight defeat, with Mohamed Elyounoussi’s strike before half-time failing to ignite a fightback.
Much more here:
Louis Taylor had the good fortune to be at Elland Road:
Stoppage time had begun and Jesse Marsch was looking increasingly anxious when 19-year-old Joe Gelhardt replaced Mateusz Klich. It would prove a highly inspired substitution on the Leeds manager’s part
as, by the time the final whistle blew, Gelhardt had quite possibly changed the course of the entire race against relegation.
As the substitute lashed Raphinha’s delivery beyond Tim Krul and the entire home bench raced down the touch line to envelop him in hugs of utmost relief, Leeds fans celebrated not only Marsch’s first win, and points, in three games since succeeding Marcelo Bielsa but the end of a run of six straight defeats which had carried their team to the brink of the bottom three.
Much more here:
If your interests extend beyond these shores, here’s a European football roundup:
Richard Jolly has filed his match report from Goodison Park:
Only Ryan Giggs has won more Premier League games as a player than Frank Lampard but one of the division’s royalty is threatened with ejection from the ranks of the elite. Everton’s position grows ever more precarious. They were imperilled both by a fourth consecutive league defeat and by results elsewhere. Others may yet save them, but Everton showed precious little ability to save themselves. They may have been relying on Goodison Park to provide salvation but a rare Merseysider present to enjoy their latest setback was the man who condemned them to defeat: Conor Coady, a former Liverpool player and lifelong fan.
He enabled his side to leapfrog Tottenham, complete a first double over Everton since 1973 and provide another endorsement of Bruno Lage’s low-profile, high-quality regime. Everton were combative in the first half but rather more shambolic in the second. They were reduced to 10 men when Jonjoe Kenny collected two cautions in the space of four minutes and ended up being outclassed by Rúben Neves. If they are not alone in that, Wolves’ eventual dominance boded badly for their victims.
Much more here:
Chelsea’s goal is magnificent in every way. The pass from Jorginho is superb, Havertz’s first touch is unimprovable, and the finish manages to be both easy but classy. As a club they are receiving a lot of criticism at the moment, in my opinion rightly, but that is just fabulous football.
Ladies and gentlemen, your Premier League table:
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 28 | 50 | 69 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 28 | 53 | 66 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 28 | 38 | 59 |
| 4 | Man Utd | 29 | 8 | 50 |
| 5 | West Ham | 29 | 12 | 48 |
| 6 | Arsenal | 25 | 12 | 48 |
| 7 | Wolverhampton | 29 | 6 | 46 |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 27 | 7 | 45 |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 28 | 2 | 36 |
| 10 | Southampton | 29 | -9 | 35 |
| 11 | Crystal Palace | 28 | 1 | 33 |
| 12 | Leicester | 25 | -3 | 33 |
| 13 | Brighton | 28 | -8 | 33 |
| 14 | Newcastle | 28 | -16 | 31 |
| 15 | Brentford | 29 | -13 | 30 |
| 16 | Leeds | 29 | -34 | 26 |
| 17 | Everton | 26 | -19 | 22 |
| 18 | Watford | 29 | -26 | 22 |
| 19 | Burnley | 27 | -16 | 21 |
| 20 | Norwich | 29 | -45 | 17 |
Final score: Southampton 1-2 Watford
Is there life in the Hornets’ survival bid yet? They are in the bottom three only on goal difference after pocketing three points at Southampton!
Final score: West Ham 2-1 Aston Villa
Andriy Yarmolenko takes the headlines on his emotional, goalscoring return from compassionate leave.
Final score: Everton 0-1 Wolves
A fourth defeat in five for Everton, and Thursday’s visit of Newcastle looks massive now.
Updated
Final score: Leeds 2-1 Norwich
A huge and hugely dramatic win for Leeds over Norwich is enthusiastically celebrated on the pitch and in the stands. Tears and everything.
Leeds (2.97) 2-1 (0.92) Norwich
— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) March 13, 2022
GOAL! West Ham 2-1 Aston Villa!
Jacob Ramsey makes it game on at the London Stadium.
GOAL! Leeds 2-1 Norwich!
The home side steal it at the last! In the fifth of six minutes of stoppage time the keeper sends it long, it’s flicked on to Raphinha and he runs into the area, rounds the keeper and squares for Gelhardt, who taps into an empty net!
Updated
Final score: Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle
Maximum double fist-pumps from Thomas Tuchel as the final whistle blows at Stamford Bridge, a game memorable mainly by Kai Havertz’ fantastic first touch to set up the winning goal.
Updated
Chelsea nearly get another! Havertz is released down the right by Kante, runs into the penalty area and hits a shot that the keeper palms into the air and loops off his gloves, onto the bar and away to safety.
GOAL! Leeds 1-1 Norwich!
An equaliser for the league’s bottom side at Elland Road! As the game ticks into stoppage time the ball is pumped high into the right side of the Leeds area and Pukki runs onto it, sends in a low cross and Kenny McLean gets to it first!
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle!
Chelsea score in the 89th minute! It’s a long ball over the Newcastle defence and Havertz escapes from Burn, executes the most fabulous first touch to bring the ball instantly under control, and prods in!
Updated
GOAL! West Ham 2-0 Aston Villa!
Pablo Fornals doubles the Hammers’ lead against Villa. Rice leads the break before passing to left to Benrahma, whose low cross runs to Fornals who scores with a first-time left-footer!
Raphinha hits the top of the bar with a 25-yard free kick, as Leeds seek to extend their 1-0 lead against Norwich.
Red card! Everton go down to 10!
A second yellow card for Jonjoe Kenny! He slid in to challenge Jimenez, clipped his ankle, and immediately knew he was in trouble. He popped straight to his feet and waved apologetically at the referee, but it didn’t save him. Fans start to head for the exits.
No penalty! Massive roars in the stands at Elland Road. People are hugging each other. Norwich are furious, but the game has restarted and it’s still 1-0!
Norwich have a penalty! Ayling brings down Rashica in the area, and the referee points to the spot! But do they? VAR has asked the referee to have another look at it.
GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Aston Villa!
Yarmolenko makes the breakthrough against Villa! The Ukrainian drops to his knees and has his face in his hands in the celebration after his left-foot toe-poke goes in, emotional moments.
Updated
Team news is in for the day’s late Premier League game, and Tumaini Curayol will give it to you here:
If Chelsea need some inspiration as they seek a late goal in a crucial home game, they don’t have to look far:
At some point in the last few minutes Newcastle have had a shot on target, the first of the game at Stamford Bridge. Saint-Maximin is about to come on there.
“Why burst my bubble?” sniffs Eric from Pittsburgh. “Technically, Philip’s right - we did lose an hour of time, but that doesn’t really kick in until I have to fight my body clock and wake up for work tomorrow morning. For now, let me bask in a 10am local kick-off rather than my usual 9am Sunday start of Premier League festivities. We Toffee supporters need to take our life pleasures where we can get them.” I think we should cut Eric some slack here - he’s obviously knackered.
Werner is played through, tries to go round the keeper, goes down, and ... the linesman raises his flag!
No clear and obvious error! ❌
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 13, 2022
Newcastle are livid that they haven't got a pen for this challenge from Chalobah! 😳
👉 #CHENEW is live on Sky Sports Premier League pic.twitter.com/uP6qJzB44A
Updated
Everton come that close to an equaliser, but Richarlison’s header from Gordon’s cross flicks the wrong side of the post and goes wide.
Then the referee books Ziyech for a high boot after Bruno goes to ground. It was quite a high foot, but I don’t think he made any contact with Bruno.
Updated
Snoozing VAR alert! Chalobah grabs a big fistful of Murphy’s shirt inside the penalty area and tugs, keeps hold of it for several seconds, and then gets a toe on the ball and puts it behind. The referee gives a corner, and the VAR doesn’t overrule him. A clearer case of shirt-pulling you will never see.
“If that had been Dan Burn on Havertz there would have been no question,” says Brian Robson, “but the perception is of a gentle bias towards the ‘skill’ players, that negates their equal ability to be nasty bastards.” That bias definitely exists, though I don’t think a red card would have been appropriate there.
GOAL! Everton 0-1 Wolves!
Conor Coady has given Wolves the lead at Goodison Park! It’s from a set piece, which is nodded out of the area, brilliantly re-centred by Neves, and headed across goal and in by Coady at the near post!
Updated
Leeds have the ball in the Norwich net again, but Dan James was offside.
The second halves are now under way. Jacob Murphy has earned himself a booking for pulling back Ziyech.
Given how little noteworthy action there’s been on the Stamford Bridge pitch today, Chelsea fans might appreciate this minor diversion:
This is quite the stat. Wolves have conceded more goals in the last 15 minutes of their away games than in the opening 45.
0 - Wolves haven't conceded a first half goal in any of their last 14 away games in the Premier League, the joint-longest such run by any side in the competition's history (Arsenal also 14 from September 1998 to April 1999). Sturdy.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 13, 2022
“Sorry to disappoint you, Eric from Pittsburgh, but I think you may have lost an hour’s sleep,” insists Philip Dunshea. “The clocks went forward last night (at least here in Canada they did).” This is not what I expected to be the hotly-contested half-time talking point.
The big talking point at Stamford Bridge is a Kai Havertz aerial challenge on Burn, which involved significant elbow-on-chin contact. The assumption is that what saved Havertz is the fact he didn’t look over his shoulder before leaping, so may not have known that Burn was coming, which makes it hard to conclude he definitely deliberately assault him.
Half-time Premier League scores in full:
Chelsea 0-0 Newcastle
Everton 0-0 Wolves
Leeds 1-0 Norwich
Southampton 1-2 Watford
West Ham 0-0 Aston Villa
The half-time whistle blows at Goodison Park, where it is goalless. “Hello from Pittsburgh!” writes Eric Peterson. Hello! “It’s a wonderful morning - the advent of our Daylight Savings Time last night meant an extra hour of sleep before kick-off. I’m impressed with how composed and organized Everton look. Three at the back frees Coleman and Mykolenko nicely to push the pace wide. It also provides extra cover for when our centre-backs make the occasional horrible gamble in midfield on an opponent’s counter - two colleagues rather than one left to mop up for that is a good thing. (Bless Michael Keane, but I hope he reads this while he’s watching the game.)”
Half time in the Despot Derby, and there still hasn’t been a shot on target. If it’s attacking intent you’re after, there’s always this:
Bangkok FC’s Aitsaret Noichaiboon sacked immediately after their match for this pic.twitter.com/qUMA9yzKDZ
— James Dart (@James_Dart) March 13, 2022
GOAL! Southampton 1-2 Watford!
A couple of minutes after Kucka fluffs a superb chance to score a third for the Hornets, Elyounoussi pulls one back for Southampton!
Updated
Bamford bashes a shot over the bar at Elland Road, where Leeds should be three or four up by now.
The most exciting thing at Stamford Bridge so far has been the crowd banter. “Boris Johnson, he’s coming for you!” shout the home fans. “Mike Ashley, he’s coming for you!” Comes the riposte.
Updated
GOAL! Southampton 0-2 Watford
Watford are two goals up! Juraj Kucka crosses, and Cucho Hernandez volleys in his second of the day!
Updated
The Leeds game is full of incident, and now they’ve hit the bar! Raphinha and Bamford play a long-range one-two, but the Brazilian turns the cross onto the bar. And then from a corner a terrible double miss from Pascal Struijk, whose far-post free header is saved, and the follow-up shot at a gaping goal goes high!
Updated
Luke Ayling gets booked for a nasty foul on Norwich’s Milot Rachica, flying in over the ball and nailing his opponent above the ankle. There’s a decent delay while the VAR mulls over upgrading it to a red, but charitably decides against it.
A shot at Stamford Bridge! If you’re being charitable! Newcastle’s deep free-kick is volleyed back into the goalmouth by Schar, and there’s a chance it might have been goalbound, but Mendy catches. “Really disappointed not to see Saint-Maximin against Chelsea,” sniffs Ian Copestake of the Newcastle team. “You’d think you need your best weapons on the pitch.”
At Stamford Bridge, Murphy slashes a half-volley way wide from a ludicrous angle. That’s the only game still to feature a shot on target.
The as-it-stands table has both Leeds and Watford rising one place as a result of their goals, to 16th and 18th respectively.
Updated
GOAL! Leeds 1-0 Norwich!
A long ball towards Bamford is headed away to James, whose chest control runs to Rodrigo, whose shot hits Ben Gibson, takes a big deflection and spins in at the far post! That’s a massive blow for Norwich, and one of their coaches gets booked for being upset about it.
Updated
GOAL! Southampton 0-1 Watford!
Cucho Hernandez rounds the keeper to score the day’s first Premier League goal - but only just!
Updated
Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne has been forced off with injury, and Ashley Young is on in his place.
Updated
So far the main thing I have to tell you is that watching two live matches plus Sky Soccer Sunday at the same time leads to nothing but confusion.
BONG! The clock strikes two, and footballers get boot on ball.
Updated
Out come the players! Chelsea don’t appear to have tried very hard to get rid of wantaway sponsors Three.
Inexplicable headgear of the day:
Sky’s build-up to the Despot Derby has so far involved asking lots of football people - Thomas Tuchel first, and then Petr Cech - about lots of non-footbally things. “Sometimes managers come and leave, sometimes club change owners. Now we are in the same situation,” Cech says. The circumstances are far more complicated than other clubs have experienced but we go day by day, we hope a new owner will come and want to continue this legacy with the club, to be competitive.”
Team news!
The team news is all in, and here it all is:
Chelsea v Newcastle
Chelsea: Mendy, Chalobah, Christensen, Rudiger, Ziyech, Kante, Jorginho, Sarr, Mount, Werner, Havertz. Subs: Arrizabalaga, Alonso, Thiago Silva, Kovacic, Lukaku, Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Saul, Barkley.
Newcastle: Dubravka, Manquillo, Schar, Lascelles, Burn, Targett, Murphy, Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Almiron, Wood. Subs: Dummett, Saint-Maximin, Ritchie, Krafth, Fraser, Darlow, Gillespie, Gayle, De Bolle.
Referee: David Coote.
Your Blues! 📋#CheNew pic.twitter.com/O5xPJLs41L
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 13, 2022
🚨 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠-𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 🚨
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) March 13, 2022
HWTL! ⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/HDH5XAXOJv
Everton v Wolves
Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Holgate, Godfrey, Kenny, Gordon, Doucoure, van de Beek, Mykolenko, Gray, Richarlison. Subs: Keane, Allan, Townsend, Begovic, Iwobi, Andre Gomes, Rondon, El Ghazi, Alli.
Wolverhampton: Jose Sa, Kilman, Coady, Saiss, Jonny, Neves, Dendoncker, Joao Moutinho, Marcal, Hwang, Jimenez. Subs: Ait Nouri, Daniel Podence, Trincao, Boly, Silva, Chiquinho, Ruddy, Gomes, Cundle.
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Introducing your Blues to face Wolves 💪🔵#EVEWOL pic.twitter.com/3axKgaSnDg
— Everton (@Everton) March 13, 2022
Our line up for today's game at Goodison Park. #EVEWOL
— Wolves (@Wolves) March 13, 2022
🐺📋 pic.twitter.com/U2dww3DIZw
Leeds v Norwich
Leeds: Meslier, Ayling, Llorente, Struijk, Dallas, Forshaw, Klich, Raphinha, Rodrigo, James, Bamford. Subs: Koch, Klaesson, Harrison, Bate, Gelhardt, Cresswell, Summerville, Greenwood, Shackleton.
Norwich: Krul, Aarons, Gibson, Kabak, Williams, Rupp, McLean, Lees-Melou, Sargent, Pukki, Rashica. Subs: Gilmour, Dowell, Placheta, Normann, Sorensen, Gunn, Giannoulis, Tomkinson, Rowe.
Referee: Stuart Attwell.
📋 Patrick Bamford starts for #LUFC today, as Jesse Marsch makes three changes to his Starting XI pic.twitter.com/ucq1MrU2Ns
— Leeds United (@LUFC) March 13, 2022
🚨 TEAM NEWS 🚨
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) March 13, 2022
▪️ Three changes from our match against Chelsea
▪️ Gibson, Rupp and Rashica back into starting XI
▪️ Hanley misses out after a positive Covid-19 test#NCFC | #LEENOR pic.twitter.com/3Q1uQ75xGP
Southampton v Watford
Southampton: Forster, Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Salisu, Perraud, Smallbone, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Elyounoussi, Stuart Armstrong, Adams. Subs: Stephens, Long, Adam Armstrong, Redmond, Caballero, Broja, Diallo, Walcott, Valery.
Watford: Foster, Femenia, Kabasele, Samir, Kamara, Sissoko, Louza, Kucka, Hernandez, Dennis, Joao Pedro. Subs: Troost-Ekong, King, Cleverley, Masina, Sema, Cathcart, Bachmann, Kalu, Kayembe.
Referee: Graham Scott.
😇🆚🐝
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) March 13, 2022
How #SaintsFC will line-up against #WatfordFC at St Mary's: pic.twitter.com/KcPLgk2P4g
🚨 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 🚨
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) March 13, 2022
Here's how the Hornets line up today.#SOUWAT pic.twitter.com/GaK0BC1IIx
West Ham v Aston Villa
West Ham: Fabianski, Johnson, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice, Lanzini, Benrahma, Antonio, Fornals. Subs: Yarmolenko, Areola, Noble, Diop, Fredericks, Masuaku, Kral, Okoflex, Perkins.
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Chambers, Mings, Digne, McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Ramsey, Coutinho, Ings, Watkins. Subs: Konsa, Sanson, Buendia, Traore, Young, Olsen, Bailey, Chukwuemeka, Iroegbunam.
Referee: Jarred Gillett.
Two changes from Thursday.
— West Ham United (@WestHam) March 13, 2022
Here's how we're lining up against Aston Villa today...@betway | #WHUAVL pic.twitter.com/jrLMKWbgqN
This is your Aston Villa team to face West Ham United this afternoon. 👊 #WHUAVL pic.twitter.com/L3lhl14NGG
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) March 13, 2022
Updated
Hello world!
Got something on? Whatever it is, you should probably warn whoever you’re with that you’re going to be a bit distracted. It might not be a bad idea just to make your excuses and find some more likeminded people to spend your Sunday with. But if surreptitious glances at online text-based updates are all you can manage, we’re here to help. Five Premier League games kick off at 2pm, including the hotly-anticipated/stomach turning (delete according to worldview) Despot Derby at Stamford Bridge, while four of the bottom five are in action, two of them against each other. Here are the Guardian’s best guesses at the line-ups. Please do not send gloating emails when the actual ones come out in a few moments and turn out to be completely different.
Chelsea v Newcastle
A couple of months ago even the most optimistic of Newcastle fans would have had little hesitation in marking this one down as a home win. The Eddie Howe revolution had yet to gain any momentum with an embarrassing FA Cup defeat at home to Cambridge United adding to the club’s Premier League misery. A run of six wins and a draw from their past seven games has banished any relegation fears and they can now approach the trip to Chelsea with genuine hopes of recording a first win at Stamford Bridge since 2012. Stephen Hollis
Everton v Wolves
Frank Lampard warned there would be no quick fix when he was appointed Everton manager but the club’s dire form means time is not on his side. One win in five league games – with that against a Leeds side stuck in an even bigger rut – means Everton could drop into the relegation zone. A response to the shambolic 5-0 defeat at Tottenham on Monday is required and the news Demarai Gray and Ben Godfrey could both return is timely. However, Wolves arrive in upbeat mood after a 4-0 thumping of Watford that brought a run of three defeats to an emphatic end. Stephen Hollis
Leeds v Norwich
Small wonder Jesse Marsch says he is not sleeping too well at present. Or that he dubs Norwich’s visit “a cup final”. The American realises the scale of the challenge ahead as he seeks a first win as Leeds manager at the third attempt. After six successive league defeats 16th-placed Leeds simply cannot afford to lose to a Norwich side four places and six points beneath them. “Fear will ensure failure,” said Marsch. “It won’t protect us. We have to be fearless.” Much may hinge on whether Patrick Bamford is fit to start in the home attack. Louise Taylor
Southampton v Watford
Roy Hodgson will be looking for Watford to bounce back quickly from their abject defeat at Wolves on Thursday. The game was over after 20 minutes and, unless Hodgson can coax better performances from the defence, their season will be over soon too. Watford may be only four points from the last safe spot but Everton and Burnley have multiple games in hand over them so they need to be aiming for winning at all costs against a Southampton side suffering from a dip in form. Watford’s problem is that Ralph Hasenhüttl will see them as the perfect side to be aggressive against so they can correct their slump. A huge FA Cup quarter-final awaits next week and what better way to build up to it than a spirit-boosting thrashing of Watford. Graham Searles
West Ham v Aston Villa
West Ham’s season is in danger of unravelling after a run of three defeats in the space of eight days in all competitions. Southampton ended their FA Cup hopes while defeat in Sevilla leaves them facing a difficult task to progress in the Europa League. Sandwiched between those results was a 1-0 loss at Liverpool which, although slightly unfortunate, dented ambitions of a top-four finish. In contrast Aston Villa have rediscovered their mojo under Steven Gerrard with three straight league wins by an aggregate score of 9-0. Philippe Coutinho has been at the heart of Villa’s improved form while West Ham’s dip can at least be partly attributed to the continued absence of Jarrod Bowen. Stephen Hollis
