Rob Smyth 

Ipswich 0-4 Newcastle, Brentford 0-2 Nottingham Forest, and more: football – as it happened

Alexander Isak scored his first Newcastle hat-trick while in-form Forest ended Brentford’s unbeaten run at home
  
  

Alexander Isak celebrates after completing his hat-trick at Portman Road.
Alexander Isak celebrates after completing his hat-trick at Portman Road. Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PA

That’s your lot for today, though Scott Murray is covering Crystal Palace v Arsenal if that’s your jam. Goodnight!

Match report: Sunderland 2-1 Norwich

Read Barney Ronay on Jack Grealish

What kind of footballer is Grealish anyway? A creative one? Another blank here made it 36 games without a goal and three assists in a season and a half. His best times at City have come as a dead pocket on the left wing to rest on the ball for a bit. Otherwise Grealish has been reduced to a kind of tactical void. The maverick parts have been sanded off. What has replaced them?

Match report: West Ham 1-1 Brighton

Simon Burnton was at the London Stadium to watch a hard-fought between West Ham and Brighton.

Match report: Ipswich 0-4 Newcastle

Nick Ames was at Portman Road to see Ipswich get well and truly Isaked.

Manchester City lost at Villa Park earlier today. Here’s what Erling Haaland had to say after the game.

Don’t forget that Crystal Palace play Arsenal in just under half an hour. Scott Murray is your man for that.

All out featured games have come to an end. These are the final scores.

Premier League

Championship

  • Cardiff 0-2 Sheff Utd

  • Leeds 4-0 Oxford Utd

  • Sunderland 2-1 Norwich

Scottish Premiership

  • Aberdeen 1-3 Hibernian

  • Rangers 1-0 Dundee

Full time: West Ham 1-1 Brighton

Full time: Ipswich 0-4 Newcastle

Alexander Isak scored his first hat-trick for Newcastle, who looked as sharp and penetrative as they were in 2022-23.

Full time: Brentford 0-2 Nottm Forest

Peeep peeep: Nottingham Forest jump to third after a crushing victory at Portman Road. Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga finished clinically to end Brenford’s unbeaten run at home.

NO GOAL! Ipswich 0-4 Newcastle.

Yep, Burn’s goal is disallowed. Coudl that be a turning point?

GOAL! Ipswich 0-5 Newcastle (Burn 90+3)

The demolition job is complete. Dan Burn has scored Newcastle’s fifth goal, though it’s being checked for offside.

The latest scores in our featured game

Premier League

Championship

  • Cardiff 0-2 Sheff Utd

  • Leeds 4-0 Oxford Utd

  • Sunderland 2-1 Norwich

Scottish Premiership

  • Aberdeen 1-3 Hibernian

  • Rangers 1-0 Dundee

West Ham 1-1 Brighton Pervis Estupinan is booked for a studs-up tackle on Max Kilman. Apparently it could easily have been a red card.

Championship: Plymouth 3-3 Middlesbrough Scratch that, Boro have equalised again! Emmanuel Latte Lath was the man this time.

Championship: Plymouth 3-2 Middlesbrough

Plymouth’s match with Middlesbrough (aka Wayne Rooney v Michael Carrick) in the Championship has been a cracker. Plymouth, who have already been pegged back twice, have just gone ahead for the third time through Mustapha Bundu.

Rangers 1-0 Dundee Hamza Igamane has hit the bar for Rangers, a desperate miss according to Kris Boyd on Sky Soccer Saturday.

The latest scores in our featured games

Premier League

Championship

  • Cardiff 0-2 Sheff Utd

  • Leeds 4-0 Oxford Utd

  • Sunderland 2-1 Norwich

Scottish Premiership

  • Aberdeen 1-3 Hibernian

  • Rangers 1-0 Dundee

GOAL! Leeds 4-0 Oxford (Solomon 73) Manor Solomon made the first and third goals; now he’s scored the fourth.

GOAL! Cardiff 0-2 Sheff Utd (Moore 73) Two goals for Kieffer Moore against his old club; that should seal the deal for Sheffield United.

GOAL! Sunderland 2-1 Norwich (Bellingham 72) Sunderland are a man up and now a goal up thanks to Jobe Bellingham. He sat a defender down on the left side of the six-yard box and curled the ball into the far corner; that’s a really good finish.

Updated

Sunderland 1-1 Norwich There’s been a lot of needle in this game, by all accounts, and Norwich’s Jose Cordoba has just been given a second yellow card. Meanwhile…

GOAL! Leeds 3-0 Oxford (Aaronson 67) It sounds like a very comfortable afternoon for Leeds, who now lead Oxford 3-0. Brenden Aaronson scored after a good from Manor Solomon.

The team news is in for Crystal Palace v Arsenal, which kicks off at 5.30pm, and Scott Murray has it all.

GOAL! Cardiff 0-1 Sheff Utd (65) The Championship leaders are also in front thanks to a terrific finish from Kieffer Moore. With third-place Burnley 2-0 up at home to Watford, it’s as you were at the top.

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Sheff Utd 22 20 48
2 Leeds 22 24 45
3 Burnley 22 20 44
4 Sunderland 22 15 41
5 Blackburn 21 8 38

GOAL! West Ham 1-1 Brighton (Kudus 58)

Mohammed Kudus heads West Ham level after Jarrod Bowen’s shot is pushed away. Terrific play by Bowen and a smart finish from Kudus.

Updated

GOAL! Leeds 2-0 Oxford (Bogle 57) Jayden Bogle has put Leeds 2-0 up at Elland Road, where they are set to win their ninth consecutive game.

GOAL! Ipswich 0-4 Newcastle (Isak 54; Isak hat-trick)

Alexander Isak is damn hot right now. He’s just completed a hat-trick at Portman Road, which makes it six goals in the last four league games for him. It was a clever little finish, stabbed quickly past Muric after an ingenious backheel from Jacob Murphy.

Updated

Latest scores

Premier League

Championship

  • Cardiff 0-0 Sheff Utd

  • Leeds 1-0 Oxford Utd

  • Sunderland 1-1 Norwich

Scottish Premiership

  • Aberdeen 1-3 Hibernian

  • Rangers 1-0 Dundee

GOAL! West Ham 0-1 Brighton (Wieffer 51)

Brighton have also been on a poor run but Mats Wieffer has put them ahead at West Ham with his first goal for the club. It was nicely taken, volleyed into an emptyish net after Fabianski came off his line to challenge Lewis Dunk for a cross.

Updated

GOAL! Aberdeen 1-3 Hibernian (Boyle 49) Aberdeen’s woes continues. Their winless run is surely going to stretch to six games, and that Vaclav Cerny goal means they are on course to drop below Rangers into third.

GOAL! Brentford 0-2 Nottm Forest (Elanga 51)

Forest are doing it again! Anthony Elanga has taken advantage of a mistake from Keane Lewis-Potter to double their lead at the Gtech Stadium. Lovely finish too, shaped into the far corner as he made an angled run into the area.

Updated

GOAL! Rangers 1-0 Dundee (Cerny 47) And at Ibrox. Vaclav Cerny runs onto Danilo’s pass and strolls round the keeper to score.

GOAL! Sunderland 1-1 Norwich (Ballard 47) A fast start to the second half at the Stadium of Light, where Dan Ballard has headed a cracking equaliser for the home side.

Updated

“In three months, Forest has become a very good football team.” says Mark Turner. “It might not be the full Ranieri fairytale scenario, but this is no-flash-in-the-pan side. Balanced, patient, dangerous attack. Morgan Gibbs-White is destined for greatness. Murillo will be sorely missed when he’s snapped up by Real Madrid. Applause for Nuno.”

Why does he receive so little credit? Is it because his teams are best on the counter-attack? Or a lack of charisma in interviews? For the most part he did a brilliant job at Wolves and you can’t really judge anyone on four months at Spurs.

It’s half time in our featured games. The big winners so far are Newcastle, who are hammering Ipswich at Portman Road. These are the scores.

Premier League

Championship

  • Cardiff 0-0 Sheff Utd

  • Leeds 1-0 Oxford Utd

  • Sunderland 0-1 Norwich

Scottish Premiership

  • Aberdeen 1-2 Hibernian

  • Rangers 0-0 Dundee

Half time: Brentford 0-1 Nottm Forest

“Time to take a walk around the block!” says Martin Widdicks. “Forest’s play in the final third has been so composed of late. We looked frantic in that loss to Newcastle but I think the Old Trafford win (sorry Rob) seemed to change the mentality (I hope!)”

GOAL! Ipswich 0-3 Newcastle (Isak 45+1)

Ipswich have been competitive in most of their games this season. Not today: Alexander Isak has scored his second after Ipswich were caught trying to play out from the back. It’s a dreadful goal to concede, not that Isak will or should care.

Updated

West Ham 0-0 Brighton “Amazing longevity from the man once derided by (some) Gooners as Flapphandski,” writes Paul Curievici. “Will West Ham just forget to replace him forever? Good on him, he must be enjoying his old pal Szczesny benchwarming at Barca!”

He also looks exactly the same as he did at Arsenal 15 years ago.

League Two

Bryn Morris has scored a hat-trick inside 36 minutes to give Newport a 4-0 lead against MK Dons. Blimey.

GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Nottm Forest (Aina 38)

Forest are ahead at the Gtech Stadium. Neco Williams got to the byline and drove a cutback that deflected towards his fellow wing-back Ola Aina at the far post. He adjusted his feet smartly and drove a first-time shot back across Mark Flekken.

Updated

GOAL! Aberdeen 1-2 Hibernian (Cadden 35) Hibs have come from behind to lead at Pittodrie. A win today would set them up beautifully for the trip to Tynecastle on Boxing Day.

Ipswich 0-2 Newcastle “Oh my days...” says Chris Paraskevas. “Jacob Murphy isn’t just doing tame non-threatening half-cross shots anymore... he’s actually hitting them straight.”

Ipswich 0-2 Newcastle As things stand Newcastle are only three points off a Champions League place. They’re hitting form at a very good time.

Updated

“After that update about Claudia Schiffer, it seems the only venues worth being at on this grim midwinter’s day are Stonehenge and the Gtech stadium,” writes Hasan Minhas. “Could that be the secret to Brentford’s sterling home form? Visiting teams being too starstruck to focus on the game? Let’s hope Forest don’t fall for it today...”

They’re doing okay so far. By this stage of Brentford’s last home game, against Newcastle, it was 2-2.

GOAL! Ipswich 0-2 Newcastle (Murphy 32)

The in-form Jacob Murphy has doubled Newcastle’s lead, ramming a shot off the underside of the bar and into the net. Newcastle are flying right now, particularly in attack.

Updated

West Ham 0-0 Brighton West Ham keeper Lukasz Fabianski has just made a good save from a Kaoru Mitoma volley.

The lastest scores in our featured games

Premier League

Championship

  • Cardiff 0-0 Sheff Utd

  • Leeds 1-0 Oxford Utd

  • Sunderland 0-1 Norwich

Scottish Premiership

  • Aberdeen 1-1 Hibernian

  • Rangers 0-0 Dundee

Brentford 0-0 Nottm Forest It sounds fairly dull at the Gtech Stadium, with no goals and not many chances. Give it time.

“My lazy Saturdays seem to always coincide with your clockwatch,” says Martin Widdicks. “Anxiously watching Forest at Brentford. Despite our heady league position it’s still tense every week. Forest and Brentford have a strange mini-rivalry so a little bit of extra needle today. Forest may miss Yates winding up the Brentford midfield.”

I’m fascinated by rivalries that have nothing do with geography or supremacy. See also: Swindon v Gillingham.

“G’day Rob,” writes Chris Paraskevas, our Australian Newcastle fan. “Early goal for Isak means tonight’s ‘fuelling session’ didn’t completely go to waste:

  • 0.5 L Mountain Dew

  • Homemade ‘pizza’

  • An unhealthy amount of Tim Tams

  • Salt and vinegar chips (make-do sorbet)

  • ...not consistently consumed in that order.”

I’ll be real with you, Chris: when I saw the phrase ‘fuelling session’, I didn’t expect to read that you’d been quaffing Mountain Dew.

GOAL! Sunderland 0-1 Norwich (Ben Slimane 23) Talking of Norwich, Anis Ben Slimane has just put them in front at the Stadium of Light after a well-worked corner.

Updated

On this day in 1992… Ipswich stun the Premier League leaders Norwich in the first Old Farm league derby since 1985.

GOAL! Aberdeen 1-1 Hilbernian (Youan 18) That didn’t take long. Some blooper DVD defending has allowed Elie Youan to equalise for Hibs at Pittodrie.

On this day in 1985… Charlie Nicholas scores a late winner for Arsenal at Old Trafford. Niall Quinn, whose shot led to the goal, later described the match as “caveman football”.

Updated

GOAL! Aberdeen 1-0 Hibernian (Keskinen 14) Topi Keskinen’s deflected shot has put Aberdeen in front at Pittodrie.

Ipswich 0-1 Newcastle Anthony Gordon has missed a good headed chance for Newcastle, who have by all accounts started superbly at Portman Road.

The lastest scores in our featured games

Premier League

Championship

  • Cardiff 0-0 Sheff Utd

  • Leeds 1-0 Oxford Utd

  • Sunderland 0-0 Norwich

Scottish Premiership

  • Aberdeen 0-0 Hibernian

  • Rangers 0-0 Dundee

“How could you forget?” sniffs Simon McMahon. “Also on this day, Rob, ten years ago, was the last time Dundee United beat Celtic, 2-1 at Tannadice, the goals coming from Nadir Cifcti and Stuart Armstrong. We play them tomorrow, in what will be Brendan Rodgers’ first visit to Tannadice, as United spent the entirety of his first spell at Celtic, and also last season, in the Scottish Championship, so I’m sure all United fans will be keen to wish him a Merry Christmas…”

GOAL! Leeds 1-0 Oxford (James 9)

Leeds United, who have won their last eight games at Elland Road, are ahead already through Dan James. Manor Solomon did the hard yards and gave James a tap-in.

Updated

Isak ran onto a cross that wasn’t properly cleared and rattled a first-time shot past Muric. The goal was scored after 25 seconds, though it took a couple of minutes to be awarded.

Updated

GOAL! Ipswich 0-1 Newcastle (Isak 1)

Isak was onside and the goal stands!

Updated

VAR check! Ipswich 0-0 Newcastle An early goal from Alexander Isak was ruled out for offside but it’s being checked, and checked, and checked. And…

“Talking about managers, while Manchester suffers, the Steel City is enjoying some strength just now,” writes Jeremy Boyce. “Chris Wilder is doing his stuff with the Blades and looking good for a return to the Prem, meanwhile Danny Rohl has done a great job with the Owls since the Munoz fiasco, despite their financial difficulties, currently up in ninth and threatening the play-off places. The next derby could be pretty tasty.”

It’s Saturday, it’s 3pm. It’s fitba o’clock.

West Ham v Brighton Before kick off at the London Stadium, West Ham are paying tribute to Oscar Fairs, the Academy goalkeeper who died tragically aged just 15.

Updated

“Could Ipswich Town v Newcastle United be the Ed Sheeran - Mark Knopfler Derby?” asks Peter Oh.

I mean it could, but isn’t it just quicker to say ‘Ipswich v Newcastle’? Six syllables rather than eight. I’m all about economising these days.

Here’s more on a memorable day for Callum Lang, who scored all four goals as Portsmouth took Frank Lampard’s Coventry to the cleaners.

On this day in 1997… Peter Schmeichel makes two save-of-the-season contenders at St James’ Park.

The crowd for Brentford v Nottm Forest includes Claudia Schiffer, who has clearly got wind of Brentford's coruscating home form. On that subject, this was a lot of fun to research a couple of weeks ago.

On this day in 1998… an own-goal from Charlton’s Richard Rufus ensures John Gregory’s Aston Villa will be top of the Premier League at Christmas.

On this day in 1991… two quite brilliant lobs from David White give Man City a draw at Anfield. We forget how good White was between maybe 1990 and 1993.

The excellent Ben Fisher was at Villa Park to see Aston Villa overwhelm Manchester City. Here’s his report.

Championship results (12.30pm kick-offs)

  • Hull 2-1 Swansea

  • Portsmouth 4-1 Coventry (Callum Lang scored all four)

  • Sheff Wed 2-0 Stoke

There was also a post-match rumpus at the Memorial Stadium after Bristol Rovers’ 1-1 draw with Wrexham in League One. I don’t think punches were thrown but there was more to it than the usual posturing.

Updated

Leeds v Oxford team news

Leeds Meslier, Bogle, Rodon, Ampadu, Byram, Tanaka, Rothwell, James, Aaronson, Solomon, Piroe.
Subs: Darlow, Schmidt, Struijk, Chambers, Guilavogui, Ramazani, Gnonto, Fernandez, Bamford.

Oxford Utd Cumming, Kioso, Moore, Brown, Leigh, Goodrham, Brannagan, Vaulks, Dale, Placheta, Harris.
Subs: Ingram, Long, McEachran, El Mizouni, Rodrigues, ter Avest, Goodwin, Edwards, Scarlett.

Updated

Aberdeen v Hibernian team news

Aberdeen Doohan, Devlin, Rubezic, Molloy, MacKenzie, Nilsen, Shinnie, Keskinen, Clarkson, McGrath, Sokler.
Subs: Ritchie, Polvara, Nisbet, Lopes, McGarry, Palaversa, Morris, MacDonald, Ambrose.

Hibernian Smith, O’Hora, Bushiri, Iredale, Chris Cadden, Triantis, Newell, Nicky Cadden, Campbell, Boyle, Youan.
Subs: Bursik, Miller, Levitt, Amos, Kwon, Obita, Moriah-Welsh,
Hoilett, Gayle.

That result moves Villa above City and into fifth place. Imagine if you’d spent the last two months at a digital retreat in the Kerguelen Islands and you had this waved under your nose when you got off the plane.

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Liverpool 15 18 36
2 Chelsea 16 18 34
3 Arsenal 16 14 30
4 Nottm Forest 16 2 28
5 Aston Villa 17 0 28
6 Man City 17 4 27
7 AFC Bournemouth 16 3 25
8 Fulham 16 2 24
9 Brighton 16 1 24
10 Tottenham Hotspur 16 17 23
11 Brentford 16 2 23
12 Newcastle 16 2 23
13 Man Utd 16 2 22
14 West Ham 16 -8 19
15 Crystal Palace 16 -4 16
16 Everton 15 -7 15
17 Leicester 16 -13 14
18 Ipswich 16 -12 12
19 Wolverhampton 16 -16 9
20 Southampton 16 -25 5

Full time: Aston Villa 2-1 Man City

Look, we’ll come to City, whose astonishing collapse now reads LLLLLDLWDLLL, or nine defeats in 12 reading a list of Ls and Ds hurts your head. But first we should doff the cap to Aston Villa, who produced their best performance of the season to overwhelm City. John McGinn was brilliant, Morgan Rogers was even better and Youri Tielemans topped the lot.

GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 Man City (Foden 90+3) An accomplished finish from Phil Foden, his first Premier League goal of the season, has cost me four FPL points given City an outside chance at Villa Park.

Updated

Cardiff v Sheff Utd team news

Cardiff Alnwick, Daland, Goutas, Chambers, Rinomhota, Siopis, Robertson, Bagan, El Ghazi, Meite, Willock.
Subs: Fish, Horvath, Davies, Kpakio, Colwill, Ashford, Robinson, Kanga, Perrett.

Sheff Utd Cooper, Gilchrist, Souttar, Robinson, Burrows, Peck, Tom Davies, Rak-Sakyi, O’Hare, Hamer, Moore.
Subs: Adam Davies, McCallum, Brewster, Baptiste, Norrington-Davies, Marsh, Brooks, Blacker, One.

Updated

Sunderland v Norwich team news

Sunderland Patterson, O’Nien, Mepham, Ballard, Cirkin, Neil, Bellingham, Roberts, Rigg, Mayenda, Isidor.
Subs: Moore, Hume, Hjelde, Alese, Aleksic, Aouchiche, Poveda-Ocampo, Connolly, Rusyn.

Norwich Gunn, Stacey, Duffy, Cordoba, Doyle, Marcondes, Nunez, Ben Slimane, Hernandez, Crnac, Sainz.
Subs: Long, Fisher, Hanley, Chrisene, Forson, Schwartau, Sorensen, Gordon, Barnes.

Updated

Rangers v Dundee team news

Rangers Butland, Tavernier, Sterling, Propper, Jefte, Raskin, Diomande, Hagi, Cerny, Igamane, Danilo.
Subs: Kelly, Cortes, Barron, Dessers, Bajrami, Dowell, Balogun, McCausland, Yilmaz.

Dundee Carson, Koumetio, Portales, Astley, Mulligan, Sylla, McGhee, Finlay Robertson, Cameron, Tiffoney, Palmer-Houlden.
Subs: McCracken, Sharp, Ingram, Main, Murray, Kelly, Braybrooke, Vetro.

Updated

83 min: Aston Villa 2-0 Man City Villa are battering City and would be further ahead but for Stefan Ortega, who has just made an important save from the substitute Ollie Watkins. It really is shocking to watch, if not necessarily surprising.

Updated

While he was in New Zealand, our cricket correspondent Ali Martin spoke to some of the key figures in Chris Wood’s development. It’s a cracking piece, well worth a read.

It came down to our last game and I told the boys: ‘We need to make a statement, win and we’re in the top 10 and go through.’ We were losing 3-0 with 15 mins to go, then Chris scored a hat-trick and we won on penalties. Afterwards he calmly walks over and says to me: ‘There’s our top-10 finish, coach.’ I was just astounded.

Updated

Ipswich v Newcastle team news

Ipswich (4-2-3-1) Muric; H Clarke, O’Shea, Burgess, Davis; Morsy,
Cajuste; Burns, Hutchinson, Szmodics; Chaplin.
Subs: Walton, Phillips, Taylor, Al Hamadi, Johnson, Townsend, Greaves, Broadhead, J Clarke.

Newcastle (4-3-3) Dubravka, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Willock; J Murphy, Isak, Gordon.
Subs: Vlachodimos, Trippier, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Longstaff, Miley.

West Ham v Brighton team news

West Ham (possible 4-2-3-1) Fabianski; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Soucek, Alvarez; Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, Kudus; Fullkrug.
Subs: Areola, Coufal, Summerville, Luis Guilherme, Ings, Rodriguez, Todibo, Irving, Scarles.

Brighton (possible 4-2-3-1) Verbruggen, Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan; Baleba, Wieffer; Gruda, Rutter, Mitoma; Joao Pedro.
Subs: Steele, Lamptey, Igor, Enciso, Adingra, Minteh, Ayari, Ferguson, O’Riley.

Brentford v Nottm Forest team news

Brentford (possible 4-3-3) Flekken; Ajer, Collins, Mee, Lewis-Potter; Janelt, Norgaard, Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade.
Subs: Valdimarsson, Carvalho, Yarmolyuk, Meghoma, Konak, Roerslev, Maghoma, Kim, Yogane.

Nottm Forest (possible 3-3-3-1) Sels; Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato; Aina, Anderson, Williams; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.
Subs: Carlos Miguel, Awoniyi, Toffolo, Dominguez, Ward-Prowse, Alex, Jota Silva, Yates, Boly.

Updated

GOAL! Aston Villa 2-0 Man City (Rogers 65)

Morgan Rogers, once of Manchester City, has scored a fine – and richly deserved – second Aston Villa goal. Blimey, Manchester City are facing their eighth defeat in 11 games. I can’t recall a precedent for a truly great team collapsing like this.

It’s now Portsmouth 4-1 Coventry, Callum Lang 4-1 Coventry in the Championship. What a story!

Updated

60 min: Aston Villa 1-0 Man City

Jhon Duran has had a second goal ruled out for offside at Villa Park, where Villa are playing superbly. In fact, as I type, the outstanding Morgan Rogers has just rattled the outside of the post.

Championship latest

There are three early games in the Championship. Callum Lang has just completed a hat-trick to put Portsmouth 3-1 up at home to Frank Lampard’s Coventry™.

Josh Windass has just scored the opening goal of the game for ten-man Sheffield Wednesday at home to Stoke (Di’Shon Bernard was given a second yellow card shortly before half-time). And Hull are drawing 1-1 at home to Swansea.

  • Hull 1-1 Swansea

  • Portsmouth 3-1 Coventrry

  • Sheff Wed 1-0 Stoke

Read John Brewin on Brentford

Thomas Frank combines football-man nous and being ultra competitive – he rarely admits his team deserved to lose – with an adaptability to modern, US-style front-office stats. He, Matthew Benham and Phil Giles, the director of football, have decided attack is the best form of defence, the low quality of opposing Premier League defenders something to be exploited.

Brentford’s influence and innovation are recognised. The Arsenal set-piece guru Nicolas Jover, now celebrated by a mural outside the Emirates Stadium, and the Manchester United coach Andreas Georgson worked as specialists within Frank’s coaching team. Giles has been linked with replacing Edu as Arsenal’s sporting director.

Preamble

Hello one and all, what’s the rumpus? Our last Saturday Clockwatch includes 3pm games in the Premier League plus assorted fun and games elsewhere. These are our featured games:

Premier League

Championship

  • Cardiff v Sheff Utd

  • Leeds v Oxford Utd

  • Sunderland v Norwich

Scottish Premiership

  • Aberdeen v Hibernian

  • Rangers v Dundee

It’s half time in the early game at Villa Park, where Manchester City trail to Jhon Duran’s goal. You can follow the second half with Barry Glendenning.

 

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