That concludes our clockwatch for today. Back on Sunday for more.
Arne Slot spoke to Sky, and yes, there was a Salah question: ““I think he was a threat. The first ball he touched, he almost made an assist for Mac Allister. He was constantly involved in the fact we had Mo. Pleasing to see but not a surprise.
“It was an easy decision to put him in the squad. I have said many times before what has been said between us will stay between us. We needed him and he assisted to the 2-0 which is nice for us. We have been so many times this season on the wrong side of the set-piece battle.
“He goes to the Afcon and that means for us another player down. This is what we knew before the season started. Hopefully one or two players can come back from injury.”
Enzo Maresca, from the press conference at Stamford Bridge: “The last 48 hours has been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because so many people didn’t support us.”
Uh oh.
Some words from Hugo Ekitike, via the BBC:
“I am just here and I do my job. Whether I play with Flo [Wirtz] or Alex [Isak] I do my best to complement them.
“Mohamed [Salah] is a great, great professional. I look to him as an example. You can see how much he is involved in goals and assists. He is a legend here. To share the pitch is a blessing. That’s the kind of player who makes us like to watch football.”
Andy Hunter was there to see Mohamed Salah return and say goodbye – for now.
Enzo Maresca spoke to Sky after Chelsea’s win: “I’m happy. It’s important to win games after two or three we didn’t win. It’s important for the players. We are happy.
“I think the reaction was good. The players want to win every game. Sometimes we struggle a little bit more, sometimes we are able to win the game. I think in this moment it was very important for the players to win the game.”
Here’s Jonathan Wilson’s report from Stamford Bridge.
Scottish Premiership full-time scores
Dundee Utd 0-0 Motherwell
Livingston 2-2 Dundee
League Two full-time scores
Accrington Stanley 0-1 Bromley
Cheltenham 1-1 Harrogate Town
Chesterfield 3-1 Barnet
Crawley Town 2-2 Oldham
Gillingham 2-2 Barrow
Grimsby 0-2 Notts County
Milton Keynes Dons 1-1 Cambridge Utd
Newport County 0-2 Fleetwood Town
Tranmere 1-4 Crewe
Walsall 1-1 Shrewsbury
League One full-time scores
Barnsley 3-2 Leyton Orient
Blackpool 3-2 Lincoln City
Bolton 2-1 Exeter
Bradford 2-0 Reading
Burton Albion 0-0 Wycombe
Cardiff 4-3 Doncaster
Luton 2-2 Port Vale
Peterborough 2-1 Northampton
Plymouth 1-0 Rotherham
Stockport County 1-3 Stevenage
Championship full-time scores
Birmingham 1-1 Charlton
Coventry 1-0 Bristol City
Leicester 3-1 Ipswich
Middlesbrough 3-1 QPR
Millwall 1-3 Hull
Portsmouth 2-1 Blackburn
Wrexham 2-2 Watford
Before we run down the results, here’s our dispatches from Caledonia, via Simon McMahon: “The goal that was coming at Tannadice got lost in transit, typical. Finished 0-0. Ten man Arbroath held on to beat Partick 2-1. And one other score of note from the Scottish Championship was Raith Rovers 6 Ross County 0. County were in the Scottish Premiership seven months ago but are now bottom of the Championship.”
The Premier League table, and also the top scorers.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 15 | 19 | 33 |
| 2 | Man City | 15 | 19 | 31 |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 15 | 7 | 30 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 16 | 12 | 28 |
| 5 | Crystal Palace | 15 | 8 | 26 |
| 6 | Liverpool | 16 | 2 | 26 |
| 7 | Man Utd | 15 | 4 | 25 |
| 8 | Everton | 16 | -1 | 24 |
| 9 | Brighton | 16 | 2 | 23 |
| 10 | Sunderland | 15 | 1 | 23 |
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur | 15 | 7 | 22 |
| 12 | Newcastle | 15 | 2 | 22 |
| 13 | AFC Bournemouth | 15 | -3 | 20 |
| 14 | Brentford | 15 | -3 | 19 |
| 15 | Fulham | 15 | -4 | 17 |
| 16 | Leeds | 15 | -10 | 15 |
| 17 | Nottm Forest | 15 | -11 | 15 |
| 18 | West Ham | 15 | -12 | 13 |
| 19 | Burnley | 15 | -14 | 10 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton | 15 | -25 | 2 |
Salah shakes the hands of opponents, big hug with Alisson, and then applause for the Anfield Road end. Then he turns to the other stands, applauding. Is this goodbye?
Full-time: Liverpool 2-0 Brighton
All eyes on Salah despite Hugo Ekitike winning a game, and buying Arne Slot some respite. The game closes with Robertson looking for Salah. Now, what reaction is there from Salah? Is there a lap of honour? Let’s see.
Updated
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Chance for Salah, who is too eager, and too tired, having worked so hard. At least there’s a smile. He just couldn’t execute what he wanted. Perhaps that’s the tale of his season this season. And the reason for his leaving of Liverpool. He shinned it.
Full-time: Chelsea 2-0 Everton
Cole Palmer’s first home goal of the season in the Premier League and game won nice and early, and then managed well by Enzo Maresca’s team. That’s far better after the Atalanta loss.
Championship: Big, big win for Coventry, much-needed as they beat Bristol City 1-0 after dropping points in their last two matches. Wrexham have an equaliser, it’s 2-2 with Watford, Olly Rathbone getting it.
Chelsea 2-0 Everton: Chelsea seeing this out, despite an effort from Dibling. A nice, comfortable win over Everton, and it usually is in this fixture.
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Correction via Bluesky, from Michael van Hulten: “Total football” is what the Dutch say too. “Total voetball” makes no sense and is spelled incorrectly.”
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah, speeds on and shoots from a Chiesa pass. His radar is incorrect, too.
Updated
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Stewards are moving into action at Anfield, as the game moves into the last knockings. The suggestion is that this is to prevent a pitch invasion as Mohamed Salah waves goodbye. Or is it au revoir? Eight minutes added on.
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Big cheers as James Milner comes on for Brighton, who have not quite seen the best of his ripening years, as he’s had plenty of injuries.
Chelsea 2-0 Everton: Tyler Dibling and Tim Iroegbunam replace Jack Grealish and James Garner as Moyes chases something. Both players will get minutes when Everton lose Gueye and Ndiaye to Afcon.
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Szoboszlai goes off, Federico Chiesa comes on and Curtis Jones takes the Spinal Tap drummers’ stool/right-back spot.
Updated
Championship: Millwall have a goal back against Hull, from Aidomo Emakhu, after Oluwafemi Azeez was sent off for violent conduct. It’s 2-1. Portsmouth lead Blackburn 2-1, and it’s Ibane Bowat’s first goal for Pompey.
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: From an observer of the game at Anfield: “think ekitike said “cramp” to the guy on the sideline.”
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Ekitike and Wirtz off, the former looked to have a knock. Isak comes on, as does Andy Robertson. Perhaps to play full-back. Kerkez is ahead of him. Or is it the other way round. Total voetball from Arne Slot. Closing down Minteh seems the plan.
Updated
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Dominik Szoboszlai seems OK to continue or is at least trying to play through the pain barrier. Needs must. He’s quite the warrior. and is nailed on for player of the year. There’s goals to come here, maybe. Brighton are a very fit, young team. They concede late often, too.
Simon McMahon from over the border: “Still 0-0 at Tannadice, John, but a goal is in the post. Who for, I’m not sure. Both teams been much better second half, with chances at both ends. Arbroath are now two up at home to Partick.”
Chelsea 2-0 Everton: A game opening up, and Jack Grealish has missed a decent chance at the post. Enzo Fernandez goes close after a fresh air effort from Joao Pedro.
Colum Fordham gets in touch: “Nice to see Mo Salah come on after the hoo-ha of this week. If this really should prove to be his last outing at Anfield, after what has been an extraordinary period in which he exploded for Liverpool and became their talismanic player, I salute him for everything he has done. He has scored some remarkable goals (and, lest we forget, provided marvellous assists), one of my favourite being the thunderous shot against Chelsea. I do hope he gets a goal today against Brighton. He really seems up for it, showing characteristic bursts of pace. In Naples (where I reside), he is even celebrated as a Christmas crib figure!”
Liverpool 2-0 Brighton: Kaoru Mitoma is on for Brighton, and in a clash with the Japanese flier, Dominik Szoboszlai has taken a knock. Arne Slot’s kingdom for a right-back.
Championship: QPR have a goal back, a Nicolas Madsen penalty. Big goal for Nathan Jones as Tyreece Campbell equalises for Charlton at Birmingham.
Cold gravel from Mark “Scrooge” Woldin: ”Keepers should study film of baseball outfielders. When the problem is a fly ball that is going over the head, the fielder turns his back on the ball and SPRINTS to a place — the landing zone — then he turns back and finds the ball in the air. Football keepers always look like chumps, dazed and confused.”
To be fair, they don’t have a “mitt” to catch with.
Championship: It’s Portsmouth 1-1 Blackburn, Callum Lang getting it. Pompey need to improve, and fast.
Championship: Ephron Mason-Clark has scored for Coventry against Bristol City, just as Middlesbrough seemed to be closing in on the leaders.
Goal! Liverpool 2-0 Brighton (Ekitike, 60)
A cheaply conceded penalty corner, and Ekitike nods in. The supplier: Mohamed Salah’s corner.
Updated
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Chance for Salah, though the ball was behind him. Lewis Dunk has been booked, and is set to miss next week, against Sunderland.
Chelsea 2-0 Everton: Bit of a no-contest at the Bridge. Everton fell behind and have no way back. They’re a better smash and grab team but no grab to be had. Chelsea seem to be putting recent wobbles behind them.
Updated
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Gruda, a player of latent talent, with more to come, smashes just wide, with Alisson beaten. Brighton have started so brightly, and Liverpool are fading.
Updated
Tony Hughes gets in touch: “Perhaps a deliberate decision by Slot to sub Salah on in the first half so he can’t really sub him off in the second, thus denying Salah the opportunity of waving to a packed crowd?”
Back, and to the left.
Championship: It was only last week that someone – OK, me – was writing about Leicester being a crisis club. Jordan Ayew has scored their 52nd minute goal against Ipswich.
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Huge miss from Diego Gomez at the back post! Liverpool fans had their mouths open as that one slid by.
Updated
Marcus Taylor gets in touch: “Don’t look now John, but Walsall are once again opening a lead at the top of League Two. The Saddlers couldn’t be expertly setting up another choke job for the ages, could they?”
Championship: Middlesbrough have a penalty against QPR, and can go 3-0 up. Tommy Conway takes, and scores right down the middle. Four wins from four since Rob Edwards departed. Oh Rob!
From Caledonia, Simon McMahon: “Nothing much to report from Tannadice as we approach half time, John. 0-0. Goalless between Arbroath and Partick too.”
Back underway in the second half in the Premier League. Alexander Isak was seen warming up, but Arne Slot hasn’t made any further changes beyond introducing Mohamed Salah in the first half.
Scottish Premiership half-time scores
Dundee Utd 0-0 Motherwell
Livingston 0-2 Dundee
League Two half-time scores
Accrington Stanley 0-0 Bromley
Cheltenham 0-0 Harrogate Town
Chesterfield 2-1 Barnet
Crawley Town 1-0 Oldham
Gillingham 2-0 Barrow
Grimsby 1-0 Notts County
Milton Keynes Dons 0-0 Cambridge Utd
Newport County 0-2 Fleetwood Town
Tranmere 0-2 Crewe
Walsall 1-0 Shrewsbury
League One half-time scores
Barnsley 1-2 Leyton Orient
Blackpool 1-2 Lincoln City
Bolton 0-1 Exeter
Bradford 0-0 Reading
Burton Albion 0-0 Wycombe
Cardiff 2-2 Doncaster
Luton 1-1 Port Vale
Peterborough 1-0 Northampton
Plymouth 1-0 Rotherham
Stockport County 0-1 Stevenage
Championship half-time scores
Birmingham 1-0 Charlton
Coventry 0-0 Bristol City
Leicester 2-0 Ipswich
Middlesbrough 2-0 QPR
Millwall 0-2 Hull
Portsmouth 0-1 Blackburn
Wrexham 1-2 Watford
Live golden boot standings
Euro roundup, with more to follow.
Half-time in the Premier League
Chelsea 2-0 Everton
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton
Updated
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Diego Gomez has fouled Wirtz, and it’s reckless, with VAR having a check. It’s yellow but it will not be red. That’s the last action of the half.
Goal! Chelsea 2-0 Everton (Gusto, 45)
Having set up Cole Palmer for the first, Gusto scores, and Everton’s awful record at Stamford Bridge is likely to continue.
Updated
Goal of the season at Leicester?!
Abdul Fatawu has scored from inside his own half and and the Foxes lead Ipswich 2-0. It’s a beauty, less Beckham than Maynor Figueroa.
Updated
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Minteh, whose decision-making can go awry, goes it alone as part of a three-man attack for Brighton. Shot is deflected. There are chances for the visitors here.
Chelsea 1-0 Everton: Thierno Barry, who scored his first goal last week, with his second shot on target of the entire season, slides across to miss a chance. A sadly familiar story for Everton fans.
Mary Waltz is in touch: “Management is backing Slot over Mo. Football is a brutal, what have you done for me lately business. That is why I laugh when I hear “we are a family” propaganda.”
So does Steven Mills: “Conspiracy theory - Gomez’s injury was staged to ‘force a rejig’ to get Salah on. I’m convinced...”
Championship: Morgan Whittaker puts Middlesbrough 2-0 up on QPR. Does Rob Edwards lie awake and wonder? His Wolves team play tonight, against Arsenal. Good luck with that.
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: This is an open game, and the Anfield crowd are enjoying it, plenty of applause for Wirtz who slowly but surely seems to be coming good. Now, when will it start happening for Alexander Isak?
Chelsea 1-0 Everton: From an unnamed source at the Bridge: “The amount of space the Ev are giving Chelsea…”
Championship: It’s Wrexham 1-1 Watford, the equaliser from the away side coming from Mamadou Doumbia. Read Barney Ronay’s piece on the Wrexham story.
Championship: Middlesbrough lead QPR 1-0, David Strelec getting it. Coventry City, the leaders, are currently 0-0 with Bristol City.
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Ekitike and Wirtz have an understanding developing, and with Salah’s help, the striker goes close.
Championship: Birmingham 1-0 Charlton (Christoph Klarer 28) Not going well for Nathan Jones at the moment. Charlton have lost their last five.
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Salah on the burst almost immediately, and goes close to setting up Ekitike, via Mac Allister.
Salah comes on for Liverpool
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Joe Gomez is down, and receiving treatment. Looks like his day is done. And who replaces him? Mohamed Salah. Dominik Szoboszlai will go to right back. Could this be the last time?
Updated
Chelsea 1-0 Everton: Alcaraz does an Alcaraz thing and Garnacho does his compatriot a favour by missing the target.
Goal! Chelsea 1-0 Everton (Palmer, 21)
Gusto is the supplier of Palmer’s second goal of the season, cutting into the box, and sending Jordan Pickford the wrong way.
Updated
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Ekitike goes close after some skill from Wirtz, who is playing a free role.
Championship: Kyle Joseph has scored his second as Hull now lead 2-0 at Millwall.
Chelsea 0-0 Everton
Charly Alcaraz is on for Dewsbury-Hall, the sub is a player who always offers plenty, a real amusement arcade, and one to turn David Moyes’ hair yet whiter with his wilfulness.
Kári Tulinius gets in touch: “I don’t think Salah has meaningfully worsened over the last few months. He was always a sui generis player, and part of Klopp’s brilliance was setting up the team to get the best out of him. Slot clearly understood this last season, but when he started to change things around to prepare for the departure of that other sui generis talent, Alexander-Arnold, the changes stifled Salah. If someone manager has a plan for him, they might get a game-changing player on a favorable loan contract in January.”
Chelsea 0-0 Everton
Sad news as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, once of Chelsea, has pulled a hamstring. He’s quietly been one of the signings of the season, really good for Everton. That’s a shame.
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton: Gomez, of Brighton, forces a fine save from Alisson, and the visitors are coming back into this one.
Jeremy Boyce gets in touch: “I’d just like to thank Richard Woods for supporting team who are one of the few (at this moment) who are even more rubbish than mine, Shrewsbury Town. We were rooted at the foot of the table but thankfully have managed to escape the drop zone for now, thanks to the likes of Rovers and Newport being even more useless. We’re away at Wolves in the next round of the Cup, chances there, but today we’re away at table-topping and hated local derby enemies Walsall. Mind you, they were top this time last year then blew it. All the same, a 4 - 1 thraping on the cards, see you soon Richard.”
Another Championship goal: Leicester 1-0 Ipswich, with a fine strike by Bobby De Cordova-Reid.
From the Championship, Millwall, pushing for promotion, are a goal down to Hull, Kyle Joseph getting it.
Chelsea 0-0 Everton
Reece James’s corner is nodded over by Trevoh Chalobah as Chelsea push on in the opening stages.
Liverpool 1-0 Brighton
Joe Gomez with the assist there, and it has to be said his return has been a good thing for Liverpool. He’s impressed since his return, and added solidity, and now an assist,
Goal! Liverpool 1-0 Brighton (Ekitike, 1)
A mistake from Minteh, and Gomez’s header drops to Ekitike, and Liverpool lead after 46 seconds. What a start!
Updated
Away we go at Stamford Bridge and Anfield: Let’s see what this afternoon brings.
Updated
Championship: more details here, and this story will update with today’s action, too.
Big win for Swindon, grim for Bristol Rovers in League Two.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walsall | 19 | 11 | 38 |
| 2 | Swindon | 20 | 9 | 37 |
| 3 | Notts County | 19 | 11 | 34 |
| 4 | Bromley | 19 | 8 | 33 |
| 5 | Salford City | 20 | 0 | 33 |
| 6 | Milton Keynes Dons | 19 | 14 | 32 |
| 7 | Cambridge Utd | 19 | 4 | 30 |
| 8 | Gillingham | 19 | 6 | 29 |
| 9 | Chesterfield | 19 | 3 | 29 |
| 10 | Barnet | 19 | 7 | 28 |
| 11 | Colchester | 20 | 6 | 28 |
| 12 | Crewe | 19 | 3 | 28 |
| 13 | Grimsby | 19 | 7 | 27 |
| 14 | Fleetwood Town | 19 | 1 | 27 |
| 15 | Tranmere | 19 | 6 | 26 |
| 16 | Accrington Stanley | 19 | 1 | 24 |
| 17 | Oldham | 19 | 2 | 23 |
| 18 | Barrow | 19 | -8 | 20 |
| 19 | Cheltenham | 19 | -17 | 20 |
| 20 | Shrewsbury | 19 | -13 | 18 |
| 21 | Crawley Town | 19 | -10 | 17 |
| 22 | Bristol Rovers | 20 | -23 | 17 |
| 23 | Harrogate Town | 19 | -13 | 16 |
| 24 | Newport County | 19 | -15 | 13 |
Those lunchtime results lifted Huddersfield above Wimbledon in League One.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff | 18 | 15 | 38 |
| 2 | Bradford | 18 | 8 | 34 |
| 3 | Lincoln City | 19 | 7 | 34 |
| 4 | Stockport County | 18 | 4 | 32 |
| 5 | Bolton | 18 | 9 | 31 |
| 6 | Stevenage | 17 | 7 | 31 |
| 7 | Huddersfield | 20 | 2 | 28 |
| 8 | Luton | 19 | -1 | 28 |
| 9 | AFC Wimbledon | 19 | -3 | 27 |
| 10 | Wigan | 19 | 1 | 26 |
| 11 | Barnsley | 16 | 5 | 25 |
| 12 | Leyton Orient | 19 | 0 | 25 |
| 13 | Wycombe | 19 | 5 | 24 |
| 14 | Northampton | 18 | -1 | 24 |
| 15 | Rotherham | 19 | -3 | 24 |
| 16 | Mansfield | 19 | -1 | 23 |
| 17 | Reading | 18 | -1 | 22 |
| 18 | Burton Albion | 18 | -8 | 22 |
| 19 | Doncaster | 19 | -9 | 22 |
| 20 | Exeter | 18 | -1 | 20 |
| 21 | Peterborough | 18 | -5 | 19 |
| 22 | Blackpool | 19 | -8 | 19 |
| 23 | Plymouth | 19 | -12 | 19 |
| 24 | Port Vale | 18 | -10 | 14 |
Huge win for Norwich in the Championship:
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry | 20 | 29 | 44 |
| 2 | Middlesbrough | 20 | 9 | 39 |
| 3 | Preston North End | 21 | 7 | 35 |
| 4 | Millwall | 20 | -2 | 35 |
| 5 | Ipswich | 20 | 15 | 34 |
| 6 | Stoke | 21 | 8 | 33 |
| 7 | Hull | 20 | -1 | 31 |
| 8 | QPR | 20 | -3 | 31 |
| 9 | Southampton | 21 | 5 | 30 |
| 10 | Bristol City | 20 | 5 | 30 |
| 11 | Birmingham | 20 | 4 | 28 |
| 12 | Watford | 20 | 2 | 28 |
| 13 | Leicester | 20 | 1 | 28 |
| 14 | West Brom | 21 | -3 | 28 |
| 15 | Wrexham | 20 | 1 | 27 |
| 16 | Derby | 20 | -2 | 27 |
| 17 | Sheff Utd | 21 | -6 | 23 |
| 18 | Charlton | 19 | -6 | 23 |
| 19 | Swansea | 21 | -7 | 23 |
| 20 | Blackburn | 19 | -5 | 22 |
| 21 | Oxford Utd | 21 | -8 | 19 |
| 22 | Norwich | 21 | -10 | 17 |
| 23 | Portsmouth | 19 | -11 | 17 |
| 24 | Sheff Wed | 19 | -22 | -9 |
That Salford City game finished 4-3 against Colchester for the Gary Neville-led club. Gary loves a Chinese banquet on a Saturday so that will taste that little bit nicer.
Andy Grace gets in touch: “Its crazy to see that Liverpool have two of the most devastating and feared forwards from last season on the bench, while feeling that the team would be weaker if they came on.”
Updated
Lunchtime EFL scores
Championship
Norwich 2-1 Southampton
Oxford 1-2 Preston
Stoke 2-1 Swansea
League One
Huddersfield 1-1 Wigan
Wimbledon 0-0 Mansfield
League Two
Bristol Rovers 0-3 Swindon
Salford 4-3 Colchester (latest score)
Big win for Arsenal in the WSL. Everton beat Chelsea last week, of course.
Slot seems rather like a chilled-out entertainer of last season, it has to be said.
Arne Slot has been speaking to the BBC:
On Salah: “Like you said, he is back in the squad and on the bench today.”
Isak’s injury: Minor. Got a knock in both games. Games come quite fast and there is also not so much to choose from. Nice to have someone from the bench who can impact the game.”
“Quite proud because playing four games in 10 days - that is almost criminal for football players. Especially if you have only 13-14 outfield players that are available. We accept playing a lot of games, but four in 10 days. That is a lot to take for players.”
Updated
Latest EFL scores
Norwich 2-1 Southampton
Oxford 1-2 Preston
Stoke 2-1 Swansea
League One
Huddersfield 1-1 Wigan
Wimbledon 0-0 Mansfield
League Two
Bristol Rovers 0-3 Swindon
Salford 3-3 Colchester
Updated
Dispatches from Caledonia, from our Simon McMahon: “As well as the two games in the Scottish Premier, there’s a tasty clash at Gayfield in the Scottish Championship where third place Arbroath host second place Partick. A win for the visitors would take them level with leaders St. Johnstone, who won at Ayr last night, while three points for the Red Lichties would close the gap on the top two. Can you tell I’m trying hard to avoid thinking about what might happen at Tannadice ...”
Keep us posted, Simon.
Gary Naylor is in the Bard’s neighbourhood: “I’m in Stratford Upon Avon for The BFG, trusting the RSC to expunge any residual antisemitism from the original (see it once in Dahl’s work and you see it everywhere).
“Anyway, I’m not allowed to check the phone for updates on the Everton score from the stalls am I? Not even in a kids’ show? A blessing in disguise given Everton’s record at Stamford Bridge.”
For Everton, Idrissa Gueye is back from his suspension for slapping a teammate, for his last game before Afcon, where he and Iliman Ndiaye will head. Four changes for Chelsea. Cole Palmer is back after missing Atalanta, Cole Palmer, alongside Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana and Alejandro Garnacho.
No Danny Welbeck for Brighton as Fabian Hurzeler seeks to pack the midfield with Jack Hinshelwood, with Georginio Rutter leading the line.
Two Liverpool changes from Milan, Florian Wirtz in for Isak. Milos Kerkez in for Andy Robertson. Watch out for Kerkez v Minteh today…
Updated
Chelsea v Everton teams
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella, James, Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Palmer, Garnacho, Joao Pedro. Subs: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Bynoe-Gittens, Santos, Hato, Acheampong, Guiu, Estevao.
Everton: Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Gueye, Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish, Barry. Subs: Travers, Patterson, McNeil, Beto, Dibling, Alcaraz, Aznou, Iroegbunam, Campbell.
Referee: Thomas Bramall (Sheffield)
Liverpool v Brighton teams
Liverpool: Alisson, Gomez, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Wirtz, Ekitike. Subs: Mamardashvili, Isak, Salah, Chiesa, Robertson, Ramsay, Ngumoha, Lucky.
Brighton: Verbruggen, Wieffer, van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu, Baleba, Hinshelwood, Minteh, Gruda, Gomez, Rutter. Subs: Steele, Welbeck, Kostoulas, Milner, Boscagli, Mitoma, Ayari, De Cuyper, Veltman.
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)
On that local derby, Richard Woods gets in touch: “Hi John. Bristol Rovers 0 Swindon 3 doesn’t tell the half of it. Ten League defeats in a row incoming, which is one club record. Five home losses in a row is another club record. Former manager and playing legend in the dugout for local rivals, and a former player captaining them, who has already scored. Oh and by the way we are down to ten men as well. It’s not much fun being a Gashead these days.”
For Swindon, Aaron Drinan has followed Rovers’ Kacper Lopata into the communal bath after a red card.
News from Spain, via AFP: “Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said Kylian Mbappe is fit to play on Sunday against Alaves in La Liga, as his depleted team bid to turn around a run of bad results. Mbappe missed the Champions League defeat by Manchester City on Wednesday which left Madrid with just two wins in their last eight games and Alonso at risk of the sack. “We’ve got Kylian back, he’s ready to play, and tomorrow we’ll see and decide (if he starts), that’s good news obviously,” Alonso said on Saturday. Real Madrid are without several injured players for the game in Vitoria, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga. Fran Garcia, Alvaro Carreras and Endrick are also suspended. Defender Dean Huijsen is likely to return for the clash at Alaves which could define Alonso’s future.”
Norwich are back in front, the goal coming from Jovon Makama, his second.
Some goals have done in, and it’s Huddersfield 1-1 Wigan, Oxford 1-2 Preston, Salford 1-2 Colchester, Norwich 1-1 Southampton.
At Norwich, whose goal came from Jovon Makama, Southampton missed a first-half penalty and have now equalised through Ryan Manning.
Updated
Salah on the bench for Liverpool
So is Alexander Isak. More team news to follow but it looks like Wirtz supporting Ekitike in attack.
Updated
Liverpool fans appear less well disposed to Salah than those back in his home country.
Just two games in the Scottish Premiership, too.
Dundee Utd v. Motherwell
Livingston v. Dundee
League Two 3pm kick-offs
Accrington Stanley v. Bromley
Cheltenham v. Harrogate Town
Chesterfield v. Barnet
Crawley Town v. Oldham
Gillingham v. Barrow
Grimsby v. Notts County
Milton Keynes Dons v. Cambridge Utd
Newport County v. Fleetwood Town
Tranmere v. Crewe
Walsall v. Shrewsbury
League One 3pm kick-offs
Barnsley v. Leyton Orient
Blackpool v. Lincoln City
Bolton v. Exeter
Bradford v. Reading
Burton Albion v. Wycombe
Cardiff v. Doncaster
Luton v. Port Vale
Peterborough v. Northampton
Plymouth v. Rotherham
Stockport County v. Stevenage
We await news on Arne Slot’s selection. In the meantime, it’s unlikely Jamie Carragher will be holidaying in Egypt any time soon.
Big scoreline in League Two, where it’s a local derby of Bristol Rovers v Swindon; relatively local – the M4 derby. Swindon are leading 3-0.
In the Championship, three early kick-offs at half-time
Norwich 0-0 Southampton
Oxford 0-1 Preston
Stoke 1-0 Swansea
League One
Huddersfield 1-0 Wigan
Wimbledon 0-0 Mansfield
League Two
Bristol Rovers 0-3 Swindon
Salford 1-1 Colchester
EFL Championship 3pm kick-offs
Birmingham v. Charlton
Coventry v. Bristol City
Leicester v. Ipswich
Middlesbrough v. QPR
Millwall v. Hull
Portsmouth v. Blackburn
Wrexham v. Watford
Preamble
Good afternoon from London, where the sun is actually shining, though by the time we’re at half-time, darkness will be descending. Talking of which, can there be a happy send-off for Mohamed Salah? And that doesn’t have to one forever, of course. He, like many players will be heading to the Africa Cup of Nations, whatever happens. We await the team news from Liverpool’s game with Brighton. Just one other match at that time, though a significant one at the top of the table.
Here are today’s 3pm UK time kick-offs.
Chelsea v. Everton
Liverpool v. Brighton
There’s a full round of EFL action, too.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 15 | 19 | 33 |
| 2 | Man City | 15 | 19 | 31 |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 15 | 7 | 30 |
| 4 | Crystal Palace | 15 | 8 | 26 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 15 | 10 | 25 |
| 6 | Man Utd | 15 | 4 | 25 |
| 7 | Everton | 15 | 1 | 24 |
| 8 | Brighton | 15 | 4 | 23 |
| 9 | Sunderland | 15 | 1 | 23 |
| 10 | Liverpool | 15 | 0 | 23 |
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur | 15 | 7 | 22 |
| 12 | Newcastle | 15 | 2 | 22 |
| 13 | AFC Bournemouth | 15 | -3 | 20 |
| 14 | Brentford | 15 | -3 | 19 |
| 15 | Fulham | 15 | -4 | 17 |
| 16 | Leeds | 15 | -10 | 15 |
| 17 | Nottm Forest | 15 | -11 | 15 |
| 18 | West Ham | 15 | -12 | 13 |
| 19 | Burnley | 15 | -14 | 10 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton | 15 | -25 | 2 |
