Time for me to clock off. Thanks for your company, correspondence and diverse views on Darwin Nunez. I’ll be back on Wednesday to see if India can finally mess up in their World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. For now, do join Rob Smyth to see if Poch can rattle Pep.
And the consequence is ...
Liverpool leap from fourth to second, joining Arsenal on 27 points from 12 games and edging ahead of them on goal difference, thanks to that fine shot from Diogo Jota. City remain top on goal difference and will stay there if they somehow manage to avoid losing 4-0 at Chelsea.
Villa stay fifth, but with 25 points from 12 games they’re now breathing down the neck of Spurs (26 from 12), who’ve tumbled from top to fourth in the space of a week.
Brighton are stuck at eighth with 19 points from 12 games. They’ve had seven non-wins, the same as West Ham, who move up to ninth with 17 from 12 while Brentford stay on 16 and slip back to tenth. They’ve now won four, drawn four and lost four.
In the bottom six, Forest stay 15th and Fulham 16th after their defeats today. Least but not last, Sheffield United are off the bottom. Their first away point, and fifth of the season in all, is enough to lift them clear of Burnley.
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Full time! Liverpool 3-0 Brentford
Brentford’s winning run comes to an end, to the surprise of nobody. Liverpool make it nine home wins out of nine in all comps, with two goals from Mo Salah, and two disallowed goals from Darwin Nunez.
Full time! Brighton 1-1 Sheffield United
Sheffield United collect their first away point of the season! With a little help from a red card. For the sixth league game running, Brighton fail to win.
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Full-time! West Ham 3-2 Forest
A breathless game that could well have been a draw, but Tomas Soucek settled it.
Full time! Villa 3-1 Fulham
Yet another resounding home win for Villa.
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West Ham 3-2 Forest Yet more chances at the London Stadium, but they’re falling to West Ham. They keep missing them, which is in the spirit of the occasion.
All this action has rather prevented me from opening the mail. Too many hits, as Prince used to say. But here’s a good line on Darwin Nunez. “Maybe, with respect to Nunez,” says Andy Flintoff, “it’s a bit like jazz, in that it’s the goals he DOESN’T score rather than the ones he does? :)”
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West Ham 3-2 Forest Chance! Divock Origi, on for Forest, works the ball onto his left foot and strikes it well from 15 yards, only to see Areola tip it over the bar.
West Ham 3-2 Forest It was a corner, expertly taken as ever by James Ward-Prowse. Both teams had lined up in the formation fondly known as the Love Train. Soucek was in the last carriage, but he still found the power to head through the crowd. We’re into added time and Forest have six more minutes to equalise for the third time.
GOAL! West Ham 3-2 Forest (Soucek 88)
Soucek gets his goal in the end!
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West Ham 2-2 Forest West Ham are on top again (though last time I said that, Forest promptly scored). The Hammers have had the last five attempts on goal, the latest a thumping downward header from Tomas Soucek, which brings a fabulous reflex save out of Vlachodimos.
Liverpool 3-0 Brentford As things stand, Liverpool are second in the table, squashed between Man City and Arsenal. All three have 27 points but City have a game in hand. That game is at Chelsea in about 45 minutes’ time. Do join Rob Smyth for the team news.
GOAL! Brighton 1-1 Sheffield Utd (Webster OG 74)
Brighton’s bad run look set to continue. Mahmoud Dahoud sees red for a second yellow, and within five minutes Adam Webster turns the ball into his own net.
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Liverpool 3-0 Brentford It’s another assist for Kostas Tsimikas, whose cut-back gives Diogo Jota the chance to find the far corner with a fine shot.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Brentford (Jota 76)
Game over!
West Ham 2-2 Forest You know those games they don’t make them like any more? This is one of them. End to end, riotously entertaining … it could easily be 4-4. But now one of the best players to watch is going off – Taiwo Awoniyi, giving way to Chris Wood.
GOAL!! Villa 3-1 Fulham (Jimenez 70)
Raul Jimenez hasn’t scored in the league for 18 months … he has now!
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West Ham 2-2 Forest Back at the London Stadium, it’s still breathless stuff. Tomas Soucek, racing into the centre-forward position, hits the underside of the bar, and it’s not quite a Geoff Hurst.
GOAL! Villa 3-0 Fulham (Watkins 64)
Ollie Watkins is on fire at the moment, and Fulham’s hopes have just gone up in flames. It’s a goal on the counter, with Leon Bailey producing the cross and Watkins helping himself to a tap-in.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Brentford (Salah 62)
Liverpool double their lead and Salah doubles his tally! With a header from a cross by Kostas Tsimikas, who may have let the ball go out first. Thomas Frank certainly thinks so.
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GOAL! West Ham 2-2 Forest (Bowen 65)
A sharp retort! Bowen may not be a natural No.9 but he suddenly looks like one now, getting his head to a typically classy corner from James Ward-Prowse. It took Forest longer to celebrate their goal than it took West Ham to level.
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West Ham 1-2 Forest This was a lovely team goal. From the keeper, through the middle, down the right … Danilo can’t reach the byline but he can find the perfect pull-back to Antony Elanga near the spot. His finish is cool and calm, though he then gets overexcited and picks up a booking for taking his shirt off.
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GOAL!! West Ham 1-2 Forest (Elanga 62)
Forest go from back to front and into the lead!
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The Darwin debate continues. “In response to Declan O’Brien,” says Patrick Crumlish, “as a Liverpool fan I love the chaotic energy Nunez brings to the team. But his finishing needs to be more clinical, look at the Luton match, and once he sorts that out, he will be recognised by others as the great player he is. Until then, get used to the jokes.”
Another complaint, though not aimed at us. “Any thoughts,” asks Paul Kingston, “on Saka being whistled for a two-handed push on the back of a Burnley defender yesterday, IDENTICAL to the Joelinton shove on Gabriel that was NOT called? From, an annoyed Gooner. (Incidentally, it looks like Arsenal would have been up 1-0 on a Burnley own goal if that sequence was refereed using the Newcastle rules).” Hang on. You won easily. You’re second in the league. Spurs lost in stoppage time. And you’re still going on about the ref?
West Ham 1-1 Forest The Hammers are back on top now. An ominous caption informs us that Forest are the second-best defending team in the Prem if you go by the first half of all their games, and the second-worst in the second half.
A complaint. “Just watched the Liverpool first half,” says Declan O’Brien, “and decided to wander over to see if there was any recognition of just how brilliantly Nunez had played. Instead find him being used as the butt of more lame jokes. He was unplayable in that half, not that you’d know from the MBM.” If it was an MBM, you might know it: sadly, I can’t see that game. And our readers and writers do reserve the right to make the odd joke, even if it’s liable to go down badly with someone.
West Ham 1-1 Forest Chance! For Forest. Their goalie Odysseas Vlachodimos takes route one to Awoniyi, who lays off to Elanga, who storms into the box and slips it back … but Awoniyi’s shot is just wide.
A message from the London Stadium, and it’s a beauty. “Three young ’uns in front of me,” says Ian Sargeant, “singing ‘Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that’ at the Forest fans. The look on their faces when I put them right was priceless.
“When I was their age, I had annuals that told me things like that.” Rothmans, I presume. “And journos like you recommending I buy albums like New Gold Dream and Lexicon Of Love.” Ha. Thank you for not mentioning any of my less hot tips.
Half-time! Villa 2-0 Fulham
Only one clear-cut chance, but two goals. Villa are formidable at home.
Half-time! Liverpool 1-0 Brentford
The scoreline is just as you might expect, and so is the scorer (a Mr Salah). But Brentford have shown some spirit on the counter with five shots to Liverpool’s ten.
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Half-time! Brighton 1-0 Sheffield United
Brighton have the lead through Simon Adingra, but Sheffield United look as if they have held their heads up. They’ve had four of the ten shots in the game, and half of the four corners. Possession, not so much: just 29pc.
Half-time! West Ham 1-1 Forest
Although West Ham could have been 3-0 up early on, Forest are quite entitled to their equaliser. They’ve had one more shot than their hosts (4-3) and one more on target (3-2). And they never say die.
GOAL! West Ham 1-1 Forest (Awoniyi 44)
Hallelujah! An away goal. It’s made by Morgan Gibbs-White, who pounces on a West Ham mistake and shoots from the right. Areola parries the ball but only puts it on a plate for Taiwo Awoniyi. He and Gibbs-White are so good together.
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GOAL! Villa 2-0 Fulham (McGinn 42)
After a few mins of 1-0s all round, Villa score a second. It’s a solo effort from John McGinn, who shrugs off a challenge from Joao Palhinha and finds the corner.
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As half-time looms, all four home teams are in the lead. You wouldn’t have bet on Liverpool to be he last ones to manage it.
Liverpool 1-0 Brentford Nunez gets on the scoresheet, sort of, with an assist. But the real creator seems to have been Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose piercing pass to Nunez was flicked on to give Mo Salah a simple finish.
GOAL NOT DISALLOWED! Liverpool 1-0 Brentford (Salah 39)
An old lag shows how it’s done.
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The next email is headed “On lying”. That sounds more like a slim volume of moral philosophy. “Regarding you lying to us,” says Joe Pearson. “to quote George Costanza, ‘It’s not a lie... if you believe it’. Not sure how that fits here, but the smoke signal from Tim Singleton made me think of it.”
Liverpool 0-0 Brentford Liverpool have had four shots on target already, not counting the two goals-that-never-were from Nunez. He has plenty of time to go for the disallowed hat-trick.
Time for some mail. “Saying Nunez put a foot wrong,” reckons Richard Hirst, “is an open invitation to Jeff Sax.”
And guess who the next email is from. “My weekend,” chuckles Jeff Sax, “wouldn’t be the same without Nunez missing.”
To be fair, he didn’t miss either chance.
Another disallowed goal! Liverpool 0-0 Brentford
And it’s Darwin Nunez again. Offside again. It’s as if he’s determined to show that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
GOAL! Villa 1-0 Fulham (Robinson OG 27)
Another home goal, albeit scored by a visiting player. Youri Tielemans made it happen with a testing cross; Antonee Robinson had the misfortune to divert it into the net.
West Ham 1-0 Forest Yet another chance for West Ham, who could be three up by now. Coufal redeems himself with a crisp cross from the right, but Jarrod Bowen can’t quite get on the end of it. Danny Ings would have buried that in his sleep.
Disallowed goal! Liverpool 0-0 Brentford
Darwin Nunez has a tap-in, but he’s put a foot wrong. Possibly a toe.
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West Ham 1-0 Forest Sure enough, Forest break, though it’s not Gibbs-White, it’s Anthony Elanga bursting down the left. Vladimir Coufal muscles him out of play and put himself into the book.
West Ham 1-0 Forest All the home teams are hogging the ball, except one: this game is roughly 50-50. Forest are so spirited, and it will be a surprise if Awoniyi and Morgan Gibbs-White don’t conjure at least one goal.
Liverpool 0-0 Brentford This one seems to be unfolding just as you’d expect, with Liverpool seeing 70pc of the ball and Brentford content to wait for the odd counter.
West Ham 1-0 Forest Chance! Paqueta should have his second goal, but the composure he showed for his first deserts him as he gets his feet in a muddle.
Another … piece of correspondence. “Could you lie to us,” asks Tim Singleton, “and say ‘A carrier pigeon!’ or ‘A smoke signal!’, make it as if the whole world is watching and determined to make the page by means beyond the pedestrian (yet exclaimed!) email and tweet? Wondering just how many inventive ways into the MBM might be found. I think Sting is working on one now.” Ha. But the answer is no, I can’t lie to you. I’ll get enough things wrong without trying.
West Ham 1-0 Forest Save! Forest are definitely responding. Toffolo chips in a fine cross and Awoniyi’s header is a good one but Areola’s save, point-blank, is even better.
Penalty overturned! Villa 0-0 Fulham
Olliw Watkins shoots from close range and Timothy Castagne gets some part of himself in the way. The ref, Simon Hooper, thinks it’s a hand. The VAR convinces him that it’s actually a face.
West Ham 1-0 Forest Forest, who are more used to grabbing an early goal than conceding one, finally get some touches in the West Ham box, but nothing comes of them.
GOAL! Brighton 1-0 Sheffield United (Adingra 5)
And another one! Simon Adingra goes on a run down the left, plays a one-two with Adam Lallana and scores for the second time in four days.
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West Ham 1-0 Forest The goal came gift-wrapped by the Forest midfield. A simple sideways ball bounced off a Forest player and fell sweetly for Lucas Paqueta, who placed a fine shot into the corner from 20 yards out.
GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Forest (Paqueta 3)
They’re in the box now!
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A tweet! “Jarrod Bowen as a semi-false nine?” says Gary Naylor. “That’ll be a four and a half I suppose?” Ha.
West Ham 0-0 Forest The Hammers have all the early possession without making it into the box.
An email! “Good morning from Pittsburgh!” says Eric Peterson, whose glass is always more than half-full. “Please don’t despair about the lopsided nature of these four early games on paper. Every one of those favored home teams has shown clear signs of fatigue from a busy autumn including European group games, and they all played Thursday night. Every one of those visiting teams (well, except for Fulham) is showing signs of finding some traction after spinning their wheels through the early portion of the season. As a neutral, I look forward to this point of the season where what’s demanded of the big clubs competing on multiple fronts starts to level the playing field in domestic fixtures like these that don’t necessarily look too appealing at first glance.”
West Ham v Forest The bubbles are out as ever at the London Stadium, clashing somewhat with the laying of the Remembrance wreaths. Sir Trevor Brooking does the honours.
Brighton go in for some heavy rotation after their latest win over Ajax. They’re short of seniority at the back with Lewis Dunk and James Milner both missing, but Adam Lallana makes up for it in midfield. Up front, Euan Ferguson, Brighton’s main man in the league, gives way to Ansu Fati, who tends to start in the Europa.
At Villa Park, Fulham make two changes to the side that lost to Man United in Fergie time. With Rodrigo Muniz injured, Raul Jimenez returns as the lone striker and Bobby De Cordova-Reid replaces Harry Wilson on the right. Adama Traore is back on the bench to test tiring defenders with his ridiculous pace. Unai Emery brings in Matty Cash, Pau Torres and Douglas Luiz, but it doesn’t seem to matter who plays for Villa at home – they always score four.
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For Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp makes a few changes. Alexis Mac Allister is suspended, so Wataru Endo comes in to anchor the midfield. Virgil van Dijk is well enough to return after an illness and Cody Gakpo is back to join Diogo Jota on an attack-minded left side. Liverpool look a bit thin on the bench, but then so do Brentford.
David Moyes has two centre-forwards at his disposal and he puts them both on the bench. Jarrod Bowen continues as a semi-false nine with Danny Ings and Michail Antonio kicking their heels until the last half-hour. Bowen’s a good player, but the star striker on the pitch at the start will surely be Taiwo Awoniyi of Forest, who can match all of his opposite numbers – Antonio for strength, Bowen for skill and Ings for marksmanship.
Teams: West Ham v Forest
Our team to take on Forest ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/0Q9yDKvFs7
— West Ham United (@WestHam) November 12, 2023
Our side to face @WestHam ❤️
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) November 12, 2023
📋 #WHUNFO
Teams: Brighton v Sheffield Utd
TEAM NEWS! 🚨 Here's our starting XI to face @SheffieldUnited in the #PL. 👀📝
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) November 12, 2023
📲 https://t.co/S3j1TIedJv // #BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/lykYbDWZMs
One change at Brighton! 🟡#BHASHU || @premierleague pic.twitter.com/NVuVmpnpne
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) November 12, 2023
Teams: Villa v Fulham
Introducing your Aston Villa team! 👊 pic.twitter.com/mzqq2c9kRs
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 12, 2023
Team news is in! 🚨#AVLFUL pic.twitter.com/2Iq97FAAQF
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) November 12, 2023
Teams: Liverpool v Brentford
The Reds to take on Brentford 🔴📋#LIVBRE
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 12, 2023
🐝 Your Bees to take on Liverpool#LIVBRE | #BrentfordFC pic.twitter.com/JwxYRiKkSc
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) November 12, 2023
Preamble
Afternoon everyone and welcome to just another manic Sunday. There are more games at 2pm today (four) than there were at 3pm yesterday (three).
They should all be shown live on UK television, but only one of them is – West Ham v Nottingham Forest. I’ll be watching that one and keeping an eye out for all the news from the other three games. Here’s what is on the menu.
Liverpool v Brentford Liverpool have won all eight of their home games this season, but Brentford are not half bad away. They’ve beaten both their nearest neighbours, Chelsea (2-0) and Fulham (3-0). And they were leading at Old Trafford until McTominay time. Can they steal a win at Anfield? Probably not, but they shouldn’t be a pushover.
Aston Villa v Fulham Villa, too, have a flawless record at home in the league. And they’ve racked up 20 goals in five games. Fulham struggle to score without Aleksandar Mitrovic, but they’ve shown how to nick a point off stronger teams at Arsenal and Brighton.
West Ham v Forest West Ham badly need a win after losing their last three in the league, including a home match against Everton. Forest started the season by losing their away games, but did pick up points on their last two trips to London – a draw at Palace and a win at Chelsea.
Brighton v Sheffield United This should be a walk in the park for Brighton as Sheffield United have lost all five of their away games and scored only three goals. But Brighton are in the midst of a mysterious slump that has brought no wins from their last five league games. The only team they’ve beaten since 25 September are Ajax (twice). And Sheffield United, for all their virtues, don’t play like Ajax.
On paper, these games all look like home wins. But – to paraphrase Brian Clough – fortunately, the game is played on grass. See you soon with the team news.
