Here’s the reports from Sunday’s games, now for the London derby.
West Ham’s Matheus Fernandes spoke to Sky: “They’re a good team with a lot of quality. We need to be more consistent. It was a difficult game for us. We tried to play counter-attack and did well. Second half...when Lucas weas sent off it was more difficult for us.”
Alexander Isak, Liverpool goalscorer, spoke to Sky Sports: “I’m aware that it has been a long time coming and I have been trying to get back to my best form. I’m still on the way but I am happy to get that goal. The best feeling today is that we win the game and that is the best way to get a good spirit in the group but of course I am a striker so scoring goals will always help me. We have to use this win in a good way but also be humble. We have to stay focused and keep working hard to keep this momentum.”
So, Villa up to third, Brighton into fifth, Liverpool into eighth, ahead of the London derby. Forest, West Ham and Wolves remain in trouble.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 12 | 18 | 29 |
| 2 | Man City | 13 | 15 | 25 |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 13 | 5 | 24 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 12 | 12 | 23 |
| 5 | Brighton | 13 | 5 | 22 |
| 6 | Sunderland | 13 | 4 | 22 |
| 7 | Man Utd | 13 | 1 | 21 |
| 8 | Liverpool | 13 | 0 | 21 |
| 9 | Crystal Palace | 13 | 6 | 20 |
| 10 | Brentford | 13 | 1 | 19 |
| 11 | AFC Bournemouth | 13 | -2 | 19 |
| 12 | Tottenham Hotspur | 13 | 5 | 18 |
| 13 | Newcastle | 13 | 1 | 18 |
| 14 | Everton | 13 | -3 | 18 |
| 15 | Fulham | 13 | -2 | 17 |
| 16 | Nottm Forest | 13 | -9 | 12 |
| 17 | West Ham | 13 | -12 | 11 |
| 18 | Leeds | 13 | -12 | 11 |
| 19 | Burnley | 13 | -12 | 10 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton | 13 | -21 | 2 |
Full-time: Aston Villa 1-0 Wolves
A nervy close to the West Midlands derby, a game won by a rare goal from Boubacar Kamara. Wolves stay on two points, the gig is surely up for them.
Full-time: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Brighton
Big celebrations for Brighton’s players, with Danny Welbeck accompanying Stefanos Tzimas as they leave the field; the old master showing the apprentice the way. The teenage Greek scored the second.
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Paul Griffin gets in touch: “Isak there, edging himself marginally ahead of Andy Carroll in the pantheon of strikers Liverpool signed from Newcastle. He is only 3000 slots, nutmegs, assists, shimmies and dinked finishes behind Peter Beardsley. He’s more back than Burt Bacharach’s backing band, backstage, wearing backpacks. Possibly.”
Better days for Liverpool, with that goal from Isak being accompanied by a decent performance from Florian Wirtz. Joe Gomez had a good game, too. On the Sky commentary, Rob Green referred to an “Arne Snot”, and it’s a result Liverpool’s manager won’t be sniffing at.
Full-time: West Ham 0-2 Liverpool
The pressure eases – for now – on Arne Slot. And Alexander Isak, who broke his duck. West Ham offered not nearly enough, and Lucas Paqueta’s behaviour was a disgrace. Talk about picking your moments.
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90+4 min: The Liverpool fans are now singing for Arne Slot. The home fans have made for Pudding Mill Lane, if they have any sense of the quickest way out of the Olympic Park.
Goal! West Ham 0-2 Liverpool (Gakpo, 90+3)
It’s Szoboszlai’s industry that wins it, and he lays it off for Gomez to cross. Gakpo scores. Not much of a celebration; Liverpool’s players know there is a long road back.
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Goal! Nottingham Forest 0-2 Brighton (Tzimas, 88)
The young Greek striker has done for Forest. A fine away win for Brighton.
Updated
90 min: Liverpool have five minutes to see this out, West Ham have five minutes to save their souls.
89 min: Liverpool look likely to see this out, and they can thank Paqueta for much of that. Alisson ran out of his goal to calm down his fellow Brazilian, but that didn’t stop him making himself behave like a wally.
87 min: Bowen goes close for West Ham as Fullkrug bullies the ball free. It drops to the skipper but he can’t keep his shot on target.
85 min: That’s a terrible look for West Ham, on this day of all days. Paqueta, you silly boy.
Red card for Paqueta!
Oh dear, head loss. The Brazilian is dismissed, and leaves the field sarcastically, and with much delay. He’s given a yellow for a minor offence, and then keeps on ranting, and gets the second for dissent. Remember Javier Masherano at Old Trafford in 2008 or so? It was like that.
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81 min: Liverpool look to the counter to relieve the pressure being placed on them by West Ham, which is hardly the most testing test they will face.
80 min: An almost immediate impact by Fullkrug as Paqueta aims in a cross. Offisde, though.
78 min: Off goes Wilson, the West Ham workhorse. On comes Fullkrug, who owes a goal or two to the Hammers.
77 min: A powerful run by Luis Guilherme suggests the Hammers are not done yet. The crowd is urging on the home team. The fans, a knowledgeable crowd, know when opposition is worried.
75 min: Wirtz, at least, has a smile on his face as he leaves the field. Jones immediately gets involved in the attack, and neat flick sets off Ekitike, though the shot is unconvincing.
74 min: Slot further putting the tortoise shell on a defensive setting: Curtis Jones will be coming on for Florian Wirtz.
72 min: And some classic Liverpool pass and move. Far more poise. They are still fully capable. West Ham need to up their game, and have little way back into the game.
70 min: Liverpool seem to be retreating. Let’s recall they did plenty of that last season and it proved a title-winning formula.
Goal! Aston Villa 1-0 Wolves (Kamara, 67)
From the edge of the box, Kamara smashes in. Wolves losing again, the Rob Edwards revolution not quite paying off just yet.
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67 min: Off goes Isak, who scored that goal. Magassa vacates for the Hammers.
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66 min: Magassa is booked for a hefty tackle on Szoboszlai. Luis Guilherme will soon be coming on for West Ham. And so will Hugo Ekitike.
64 min: West Ham have to find a way back. Potts sends Bowen on a scrambling run but the cross finds no takers, with Diouf on the far side the nearest to the ball.
62 min: The Liverpool fans can be heard for the first time in a while. Their team win a corner, whipped in by Gakpo, cleared by Areola.
61 min: It took 381 Premier League minutes for Isak to end the drought. That was a finish from the top level.
Goal! West Ham 0-1 Liverpool (Isak, 60)
A first Premier League Liverpool goal for Isak. Gakpo’s cut-back of Wirtz’s ball and Isak slide-rules the ball home.
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58 min: Paqueta gets away from Mac Allister, the pair have been conjoined all game, but the shot is wide of Alisson’s goal.
56 min: A fresh West Ham corner, this one taken short, and another results. Pottsy will take it again, and it’s cleared with much more ease. West Ham are having much more of the ball.
54 min: Potts’ corner only reaches Cody Gakpo. Neither time finding it, both of them grinding it.
53 min: Paqueta tries to find Wilson but West Ham’s striker is isolated. Liverpool are defending in numbers, Gomez adding to their strength there. Van Dijk concedes a corner.
52 min: Kerkez takes a cruncher from Freddie Potts but will be OK to continue. West Ham have a brief period of attacking but not too much is being risked. This is the Nuno way, forget the West Ham way.
50 min: The atmosphere at the London Stadium is rarely the best, though it can have its moments. This is hushed silence, though jeers break out as Gakpo takes aim and blams his shot miles wide.
49 min: Matt Dony gets in touch: “0-0 at half time against the 17th-placed side? I’d have took it, as they say. Which sums up the season so far. Onwards and (maybe) upwards.”
48 min: Florian Wirtz searches desperately for space. He’s been lively, though not as decisive as he’d like or how you would expect a player of his price and pedigree to be.
Back underway at the London Stadium
46 min: We begin with a scrappy moment, and a free-kick. A bit like the first half.
Wolves had a first-half goal against Aston Villa chalked off. Jorgen Strand Larsen scores but Jhon Arias was ruled to have blocked off Emi Martinez’s view. The same keeper also made a worldie save from Yerson Mosquera, tipping a header on to the bar.
Henrik gets in touch: “Football fans are like tribes that often havn’t nice sayings about other tribes.But if you asked which players you do like from the opposite site,I think many would agree that West Hams Jarrod Bowen indeed is a fine player, full of fair play and great attitude.
“As a ‘pool supporter I loved to see him and Jurgen Klopp always took their time after every match to chat and Klopp also spoke highly about this player.Even he’s from another tribe.”
Half-time scores:
West Ham 0-0 Liverpool
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Brighton
Aston Villa 0-0 Wolves
Updated
Goal! Nottingham Forest 0-1 Brighton (De Cuyper, 45+1)
Brighton’s full-back found himself through on goal, set up by the excellent Yankuba Minteh, and his finish was excellent.
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Half-time: West Ham 0-0 Liverpool
A cleared Freddie Potts corner closes the half. Liverpool continue to be scratchy, West Ham happy to soak up pressure. Low on entertainment and quality: sorry about that.
45 min: Just a minute added on.
44 min: Not much noise at the London Stadium; the players can be heard. And a plane overhead.
43 min: Liverpool lay something of a siege, their midfielders' stroking the ball around. But the final ball is still lacking.
42 min: Wirtz has been trying things, and attempts to send away Isak, only for the ball to outrun the striker.
41 min: This has been a very Nuno approach to the game, and he would argue his team are very much in the contest. The plan is to strike later; it worked for Forest last season.
39 min: Van Dijk continues on, and at the other end his team create their best chance of the half. Gakpo lays up Wirtz but the shot is a disappointment; Areola gets down low to save.
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38 min: Callum Wilson – inadvertently – smashes his arm into the throat of Virgil van Dijk.
36 min: West Ham attempt to build up a head of steam, Jarrod Bowen at the heart of it. Liverpool are there for the taking if they fancy it, even if this has been improved.
35 min: Jonathan Wilson has penned this tribute to Billy Bonds.
34 min: West Ham defending doggedly enough, though in truth Liverpool have not looked in much nick.
32 min: Lovely skill and pass from Wirtz, but Gakpo’s control isn’t good enough and Todibo steps in to clear the ball. Gakpo has had his struggles this season, not as high profile as others but he’s got some convincing to do.
30 min: Mac Allister gets space to shoot, but it takes a deadening deflection before it gets to Areola.
After 30 minutes, there have been no goals scored across the 2.05pm Sunday matches.
28 min: Wirtz, who has been good, and all over the field, takes a knock, and there’s a loud squeal. He will be fine.
26 min: There was moment there when Isak looked like his old self, galloping on with the ball, only to falter at the last juncture. Maybe there is a player there after all. He looks tired after all that effort.
25 min: Defenders required by Liverpool as Bowen almost escapes. It’s end to end, perhaps not as much as Arne Slot would like.
24 min: Did Konate foul Diouf, on the overlap? The arms seemed up, but no foul given. Some jeers for the lack of a decision. Then, is Gravenberch fouled? Not inside the box, on second look. Magassa’s tackle was marginal.
22 min: Gomez a bit too excitable, in smashing into Diouf as the Hammers defender seeks to clear his lines.
21 min: Chance for Liverpool, blocked off by a fine save by Areola as Isak shaped to hook the ball in. The keeper just threw himself at it.
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20 min: Jeremy Boyce gets in touch: “Bowen is not only a credit to his club and an adult in the room, as well as that he’s always fully committed, like Billy always was, as well as being a top player and a proper man to wear the captain’s armband today. As well as that, I’d be off down the Bookies right now if they were open for a punt on him bagging the winner this afternoon. It’s as well they’re playing Liverpool today, in their current run of “form”, you wouldn’t bet on them suffering more pain this afternoon.”
19 min: Gomez certainly more alert than his fellow Liverpool colleagues.
18 min: Paqueta smashes the ball to Wilson, who wins a corner. Gomez and Konate seem at cross purposes. The corner swirls in and Gomez does just enough to put Todibo and Mavrapanos off. Gomez has looked quite sharp.
16 min: Chance for Isak, Wirtz lays the ball up but..Isak is rather slow to chase it. A corner results, and Van Dijk heads wide. He had a clear run, let go by Paqueta.
14 min: Good ball by Potts is hacked away awkwardly by Konate, though awkward has lately been his default setting. This time, the danger is cleared.
12 min: Sore ribs for Alisson, it seems but he will be OK to continue. That wasn’t a tactical timeout with a keeper, as was seen with Manchester City on Saturday.
11 min: Wan-Bissaka gets space to whip in a cross, and Liverpool beat the ball away. Gomez gets to it, and Alisson smashes into the defender. The keeper goes down in pain. Another injury?
10 min: Nuno seems happy for his team to defend deep. Patience will be a virtue for Liverpool. Young Fred Potts is sat deep, when his best work is done further up.
8 min: Liverpool haven’t exactly gone at this one, either. An unfamiliar lineup may take time to pull together. Big game for Wirtz. He and Salah don’t seem to fit together. Or with Isak. Funny old game, transfers, as one of Bondsy’s old teammates might have put it.
6 min: West Ham have been slow to start. That’s often the case.
4 min: Gakpo lets the ball run, a nice dummy, and here’s a chance for Isak. It ends up somewhere in the Olympic Park. And here’s the four-minute mark and applause for Billy Bonds.
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3 min: Kerkez sets off down the flank, and tries to link with Cody Gakpo. As so often this season, there’s a breakdown in communication between the pair. Arne Slot paces his area.
Away we go at the London Stadium
1 min: Ryan Gravenberch takes an early blow in a helter-skelter of an opening minute. He’ll be OK. Good noise from the home fans.
And here’s the commemoration of Billy Bonds, with his teammate Sir Trevor Brooking looking on from the exec boxes. It’s a minute’s applause. They don’t make them like Trev and Billy Bonds any more. Jarrod Bowen heads to the Billy Bonds stand with the no 4 shirt in his hands. Quite the moment. Tears in the eyes.
The teams leave the tunnel for the long walk to the centre-circle. The bubbles are being blown, and the fans are singing lustily. Billy Bonds is in everyone’s thoughts.
Result: Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester United
Goals from Mateta were followed by a Zirkzee blockbuster and then a Mason Mount free-kick.
Jarrod Bowen has been speaking to Sky Sports about the death of Billy Bonds: “You can see the reaction from everyone online already, what he meant to this club, what he achieved at this club, obviously a stand named after him as well, so it is a sad day for everyone.
“It is never nice when a club legend like him (dies). Our condolences go to his family. I know the supporters here will make noise for him today as well, which will be a good thing for him and his family as well.
“He is probably going to go down as West Ham’s biggest legend, the best club captain that they have had as well. He achieved so much here. I will never emulate that success, but to put on the captain’s armband, especially like he did as well, for me is a big, big thing, so to have a game today as well is what I want to show and what the team want to show as well.
“It is going to be a tough game. We know that they are the Premier League champions, but we are in a good place at home, so we have to continue that today, and especially for circumstances today as well.”
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Bowen is a credit to his club, an adult in the room.
Andy Flintoff gets in touch: “Looking at that Liverpool line-up, the two players with squad numbers >11 could so easily be switched with Endo & Salah with not a lot of positional changes required, which would leave it with a very retro looking 1-11.”
Arne Slot has been explaining his team selection to Sky Sports.
“We have more players on the bench than just Mo but I understand why you ask the question. We’re playing four games in 10 days. I have many good players, so today I chose this line-up. Sometimes Isak has been on the bench, sometimes Wirtz so I understand why it’s about the players on the bench but it’s also about those that start.
“It’s not an easy decision as I have many more than 11 good players – it’s not the first time I haven’t played Mo, just like I’ve decided not to play Isak, Wirtz and Etikite.”
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Nottm Forest v Brighton teams
Nottm Forest: Sels, Savona, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Sangare, Anderson, Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Dominguez, Igor Jesus. Subs: John Victor, Hudson-Odoi, Kalimuendo, Hutchinson, Yates, Jair Cunha, McAtee, Boly, Abbott.
Brighton: Verbruggen, Kadioglu, van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper, Wieffer, Ayari, Minteh, Rutter, Gomez, Welbeck. Subs: Steele, Gruda, Tzimas, Hinshelwood, Baleba, Kostoulas, Boscagli, Veltman, Coppola.
Aston Villa v Wolverhampton teams
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Tielemans, Kamara, McGinn, Rogers, Buendia, Malen. Subs: Bizot, Lindelof, Barkley, Watkins, Sancho, Maatsen, Onana, Bogarde, Guessand.
Wolverhampton: Johnstone, Tchatchoua, Agbadou, Mosquera, Toti Gomes, Wolfe, Joao Gomes, Andre Trindade, Bellegarde, Larsen, Arias. Subs: Jose Sa, Hugo Bueno, Santiago Bueno, Munetsi, Hwang, Arokodare, Chirewa, Hoever, Mane.
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh (England)
Nuno was chatting about Liverpool during his pre-match duties: “Liverpool is a good team and in football, what matters is what you do on the day. So what we expect is the champions of the Premier League, players that are talented and capable of doing good things, so we have to get ready.
“The history of the results before, the form of the teams, doesn’t really matter. It is about the day. Knowing that we are going to face a very good team, that has players capable of doing fantastic things, so we have to get ready, to compete.”
Three changes for West Ham. Konstantinos Mavropanos, Soungoutou Magassa, and Lucas Paqueta in for Luis Guilherme, Maximilian Kilman, and Igor Julio.
Looks like Florian Wirtz in for Salah, and Alisson back in the goal. Joe Gomez is making his first Premier League start in 11 months, meaning Curtis Jones will have to smash people off the bench. Alexander Isak could do with a goal.
Salah dropped by Liverpool - teams
West Ham: Areola, Magassa, Mavropanos, Todibo, Wan-Bissaka, Fernandes, Potts, Diouf, Bowen, Wilson, Lucas Paqueta. Subs: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Igor, Fullkrug, Luis Guilherme, Rodriguez, Soucek, Irving.
Liverpool: Alisson, Gomez, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Gakpo, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Isak. Subs: Mamardashvili, Endo, Salah, Chiesa, Jones, Ekitike, Robertson, Nyoni, Ngumoha.
Updated
Billy Bonds - 1946-2025
Sad news of the death of the ultimate Hammer, 799 games for the club, and playing into his 40s. One of the fittest players in football in his day, captain for two FA Cup wins, in 1975 and 1980.
Update from Nottingham
It is a gloriously sunny day at the City Ground, a place that provides dreadful memories for Brighton and Fabian Hurzeler. Nottingham Forest thrashed the Seagulls 7-0 here last season, with Brighton offering up one of the worst team performances in Premier League history. That result came only 10 months ago, so will be fresh in the minds of those travelling up from the south coast.
Things are very different in Nottingham, with the Sean Dyche revolution gathering pace. They are unbeaten in three Premier League games, seeing off champions Liverpool last time around and find themselves out of the relegation zone. Players love playing for the former Burnley and Everton manager, and a sense of positivity has returned to the banks of the Trent.
Brighton will be out for revenge after February and with only one defeat in their past seven matches will fancy their chances. Their only away victory this season, however, came at Chelsea, implying the odd issue on their travels but Hurzeler says his side are ready for a “big battle” today and Dyche will ensure the have one.
Preamble
This is massive for Liverpool, and Arne Slot. How long can the rot be allowed to set in? Are West Ham ideal opposition for a team struggling so badly? Perhaps not now Nuno is in charge, and the Hammers play a direct style. There will also be updates from the two other matches taking place in the Premier League.
Aston Villa v Wolves
Nottingham Forest v Brighton
