Rob Smyth 

Brentford 2-2 Man City, Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth: Premier League – as it happened

Christian Norgaard and Reece James scored injury-time equalisers on a pulsating night of Premier League actioon
  
  

Christian Norgaard celebrates with teammate Keane Lewis-Potter after Brentford come from two-goals down to draw against Man City.
Christian Norgaard celebrates with teammate Keane Lewis-Potter after Brentford come from two-goals down to draw against Man City. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images

The match reports are in (apart from West Ham v Fulham, which will turn into a clickable link any second now)

That’s all for our coverage of an exhilarating night of Premier League football. Goodnight!

This is what it does to the Premier League table

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Liverpool 20 28 47
2 Nottm Forest 21 10 41
3 Arsenal 20 21 40
4 Chelsea 21 15 37
5 Newcastle 20 12 35
6 Man City 21 9 35
7 AFC Bournemouth 21 7 34
8 Aston Villa 20 -2 32
9 Fulham 21 2 30
10 Brentford 21 3 28
11 Brighton 20 1 28
12 West Ham 21 -14 26
13 Tottenham Hotspur 20 12 24
14 Man Utd 20 -5 23
15 Crystal Palace 20 -7 21
16 Everton 19 -10 17
17 Wolverhampton 20 -14 16
18 Ipswich 20 -15 16
19 Leicester 20 -21 14
20 Southampton 20 -32 6

Full time: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Liverpool

All square at the City Ground, but Forest needed heroic performances from Murillo and Mats Selz to repel Liverpool in the second half.

84 min: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Liverpool It sounds like Forest have been hanging on for most of the second half – first to their 1-0 lead, now to a 1-1 draw.

And there are still 16 minutes plus added time to play at the City Ground, where it’s Nottingham Forest 1-1 Liverpool. Vote baz.

That was one of the most intense Clockwatches I’ve ever been involved in, and one of the most enjoyable. These are the final scores in the 7.30pm games.

  • Brentford 2-2 Manchester City

  • Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth

  • West Ham 3-2 Fulham

Full time: Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth

Botm teams will feel they should have won a pulsating game at Stamford Bridge; both know they could have lost. Chelsea have now gone five games without a win in the league but they will feel a whole lot better after Reece James’ injury-time equaliser.

Full time: West Ham 3-2 Fulham

Graham Potter gets a win in his first Premier League game as manager. It was a comedy of errors in some ways – Fulham gifted West Ham two goals at one end, Alex Iwobi scored two by accident at the other – but Potter won’t care; nor should he.

Whatever a Brentford season ticket costs, it is worth every penny.

GOAL! Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth (James 90+5)

A beautiful moment for Reece James, whose last few years have been ruined by injury. Chelsea had a free-kick 22 yards out to the left of centre. Everyone expected Cole Palmer to do the necessary but James ran up and belted it into the far corner.

Updated

Full time: Brentford 2-2 Man City

That might be the game of the season, an exhilarating basketball match that could have been won by either team.

GOAL! Nottm Forest 1-1 Liverpool (Jota 66)

Arne Slot has worked his magic again: Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota, just on as subs, have combined for a precious equaliser.

Updated

90+5 min: Brentford 2-2 Man City Ake heads off the line from Mbeumo! This is bonkers.

What a night of Premier League football! Drama, farce, controversy, brilliance, comebacks; we’ve had the lot a lot of things.

  • Brentford 2-2 Manchester City

  • Chelsea 1-2 Bournemouth

  • West Ham 3-2 Fulham

  • Nottingham Forest 1-0 Liverpool (8pm)

Updated

GOAL! Brentford 2-2 Man City (Norgaard 90+2)

City aren’t back. They can attack, sure, but they are still so vulnerable in defence. Mind you, Brentford have given them a helluva workout and it’s hard to begrudge them this equaliser. It was scored by Christian Norgaard, who superb header had too much power for Ortega. He dived to his left, got a strong hand on the ball but could only push it into the net.

Updated

89 min: Brentford 1-2 Man City It’s way too early to suggest Manchester City might play a part in the title race, especially as they have a grotesque fixture list in the next six weeks. But the quality and verve of their attacking performance is very encouraging for Pep Guardiola and friends, who will be back among the favourites for the Champions League provided they make it through to the knockouts.

58 min: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Liverpool The biggest game of the night has so far been the least eventful. That may well change in the last half hour; you can follow it with Barry Glendenning.

84 min: Chelsea 1-2 Bournemouth If it stays like this Chelsea will have taken only two points from the last five league games. It sounds like they were in control before the equaliser, and that David Brooks could well have been sent off at 1-1.

85 min: Brentford 1-2 Man City Flekken makes a fine save from Savinho, who could already have a match ball. What a marvellous game this has been.

Premier League latest

  • Brentford 1-2 Manchester City

  • Chelsea 1-2 Bournemouth

  • West Ham 3-2 Fulham

  • Nottingham Forest 1-0 Liverpool (8pm)

GOAL! Brentford 1-2 Man City (Wissa 81)

A City clean sheet was too good to be true. Yoane Wissa has pulled one back for Brentford, the least they deserve for their attacking enterprise. Nathan Ake misses Damsgaard’s cross – he should have done better really – and Wissa lifted the ball calmly into the net.

Updated

80 min: West Ham 3-2 Fulham Iwobi rans at a backpedalling and plays the ball left to Jimenez, who sidefoots a shot back across goal. This time Fabianski knows it’s a shot and plunges to his left to make a really good save.

GOAL! West Ham 3-2 Fulham (Iwobi 78)

Alex Iwobi has scored his second unintentional goal of the evening! He was looking for Wilson with a floated pass into the box; Wilson made a terrific run but I’m pretty sure he missed with his attempted header. Fabianski was again distracted and the ball bounced into the net.

Updated

GOAL! Brentford 0-2 Man City (Foden 78)

In attack, at least, Manchester City appear to be Manchester City again. Phil Foden, who scored a hat-trick on this ground last season, has got his second goal. Flekken blocked another fierce shot from Savinho and Foden beat De Bruyne to the rebound to ram it into the net.

Updated

As things stand, Nottingham Forest are three points behind the leaders and Bournemouth are a point of a Champions League place. Just when we thought we were out, tired of all the cheating and avarice and nonsense, football pulls us back in.

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Liverpool 20 27 46
2 Nottm Forest 21 11 43
3 Arsenal 20 21 40
4 Man City 21 10 37
5 Chelsea 21 14 36
6 AFC Bournemouth 21 8 36
7 Newcastle 20 12 35
8 Aston Villa 20 -2 32
9 Fulham 21 1 30
10 Brighton 20 1 28
11 Brentford 21 2 27
12 West Ham 21 -13 26
13 Tottenham Hotspur 20 12 24
14 Man Utd 20 -5 23
15 Crystal Palace 20 -7 21
16 Everton 19 -10 17
17 Wolverhampton 20 -14 16
18 Ipswich 20 -15 16
19 Leicester 20 -21 14
20 Southampton 20 -32 6

74 min “Often, a side used to racking up victories develop nervous tics once they go on a bad run,” says Kari Tulinius. “Fretfulness, hesitancy, overelaboration. But City lookas relaxed as a team ten points ahead at the top. And now they’re ahead. Pep has managed them well. Who knew he was good at this sort of thing?”

He’s a credit to the bald community.

73 min: West Ham 3-1 Fulham I haven’t seen Lucas Paqueta’s goal yet but apparently it was another one that stemmed from Fulham farting around at the back; this time Bernd Leno was the culprit. It never happened to John Beck’s Cambridge, that’s all I say, now and forever.

71 min: Brentford 0-1 Man City Nathan Ake has just made an outstanding goalline clearance to deny Mbeumo (I think). Wissa walked round the outrushing Ortega and passed the ball across the area to Mbeumo. He looked certain to score but Ake stopped his shot on the line.

GOAL! West Ham 3-1 Fulham (Paqueta 67)

Lucas Paqueta, the Mick Harford des nos jours, has restored West Ham’s two-goal lead. We can’t dwell on that either because…

Updated

GOAL! Chelsea 1-2 Bournemouth (Semenyo 68)

Antoine Semenyo batters a ferocious rising drive that beats Sanchez at the near post. We can’t dwell on it because…

Updated

GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Man City (Foden 67)

A goal has been coming at one end or another. It was worth waiting for because this is a beauty. De Bruyne pulled out to the right and whacked a trademark curling cross towards the near post. Foden ran between two defenders and adjusted his body superbly to cushion a volley across Flekken and in off the far post.

That’s such a good finish. The ball came to him at an awkward height and he had both feet off the ground by the team it reached him. But he was in total control throughout.

Updated

64 min: Chelsea 1-1 Bournemouth Another injury problem for Chelsea in defence: Levi Colwill is limping off with what looks like a muscle injury.

At the Gtech, Brentford have a goal disallowed for a clear offside, I think against Damsgaard.

64 min: Brentford 0-0 Man City Sensational defending from Josko Gvardiol! Brentford broke three-on-three from a City corner, with Gvardiola a fair way behind Wissa at one stage. Mbeumo timed his through pass near perfectly, only for Gvardiol to stretch and block Wissa’s shot. He hasn’t his best season defensively but that was marvellous.

61 min: Chelsea 1-1 Bournemouth End-to-end stuff at Stamford Bridge as well. Reece James has just come on for Chelsea.

Half-time: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Liverpool Forest lead through a superbly taken goal from Chris Wood.

59 min: Brentford 0-0 Man City It’s almost a chance a minute at the Gtech Community Stadium. Mbeumo sprays over at one end, Savinho hits the side netting at the other.

55 min: Chelsea 1-1 Bournemouth Brooks tries to stop a Chelsea counter by blocking Cucurella off the ball but catches him quite high with his arm. The referee is told to go to the monitor to check for a potential red card. After a long delay, Brooks is booked.

The commentators are suggesting that was payback for a foul by Cucurella on Brooks earlier in the game.

Updated

GOAL! West Ham 2-1 Fulham (Iwobi 51)

Fulham are back in the game. Iwobi’s inswinging cross from the left bounces past both Jimenez, who tries to flick it towards goal at the near post, and the keeper Fabianski. I’m pretty sure Jimenez didn’t touch it, but his attempt was vital because it distracted Fabianski.

Updated

GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Bournemouth (Kluivert 51 pen)

Justin Kluivert, who scored a hat-trick of penalties at Wolves recently, lifts the penalty down the middle to bring Bournemouth level!

Updated

49 min: Penalty to Bournemouth! An affronted Caicedo has been penalised for a shove on Semenyo. It was a daft challenge and there’s no chance this will be overturned.

Updated

50 min: Brentford 0-0 Man City Savinho makes a thrilling run into the area from the left and rifles a low drive that beats Flekken and hits the far post! That would have been a lovely goal.

Updated

The second halves are under way in the 7.30pm games.

24 min: Nottm Forest 1-0 Liverpool Forest still lead at the City Ground. The stats suggest a classic Forest performance so far but Barry Glendenning is your man if you want the optinion of somebody who has actually watched the game.

“There might be a lot going on,” says Tom Hopkins, “but maybe be thankful you weren’t MBMing whatever this was.”

Ninety-five fouls, 103 goal attempts, 32 corners. Yep, AI is going to wipe out humanity before the clocks go forward.

Half time: West Ham 2-0 Fulham

It’ll take a while for Graham Potter to impose his very precise style of play at West Ham. In the meantime he’ll happily take a 2-0 half-time lead in his first home game. Carlos Soler scored classily after an it-never-happened-to-John-Beck’s-Cambridge mistake from Andreas Pereira; Tomas Soucek double the lead a couple of minutes later.

Updated

Half time: Chelsea 1-0 Bournemouth

An arrogant finish from Cole Palmer – no that was a compliment – has given Chelsea a half-time lead against Bournemouth.

Half time: Brentford 0-0 Man City

Lots of fun, plenty of openings but no goals.

Updated

45+1 min: Brentford 0-0 Man City That bit about Kevin De Bruyne knowing how to caress a ball. He’s just tried to whip a first-time curler from the left edge of the box and – no exaggeration – almost put it out of the stadium. That could have come from a John Smiths advert.

44 min: Chelsea 1-0 Bournemouth So much for Jackson being rampant; he’s just missed a really good double chance from Cole Palmer’s booming cross. The first effort was a good downward header, superbly saved by Travers to his right, but then Jackson snatched at the rebound and hit the side netting.

Updated

43 min: Chelsea 1-0 Bournemouth Jackson, who looks rampant every time I turn to the Chelsea game, puts Palmer through on goal again. This time the angle is much tighter and a defender (possibly Kerkez) does well to force him wide.

Cole Palmer and Chris Wood have both scored tonight. That’s it.

Premier League latest

39 min: Brentford 0-0 Man City This game has been loads of fun. City still look vulnerable defensively but there’s a much greater speed and intensity to their attacking play.

GOAL! Nottingham Forest 1-0 Liverpool (Wood 9)

You betcha. Another expert finish from Chris Wood has given Forest an early lead at the City Ground.

Updated

37 min: Chelsea 1-0 Bournemouth Both teams hit the post in the space of 15 seconds. First it was the substitute Justin Kluivert* after a poor pass from Robert Sanchez; then Chelsea broke and Jackson battered a low shot from 20 yards that thumped the near post.

* He’s on for the injured James Hill, it says here.

Updated

35 min: Brentford 0-0 Man City While West Ham were scoring a Manchester City player flashed a shot just wide from the edge of the area. At least I think they did; there’s a lot going on right now.

Updated

GOAL! West Ham 2-0 Fulham (Soucek 33)

Two goals in three minutes! Fulham have been the better team and they’re 2-0 down. This one stemmed – I’m not joking – from Paqueta battling for a long ball in the air. He didn’t win it but did enough to ensure the defender couldn’t get a clean header. Kudus got involved, then Soler curled a nice pass out to Wan-Bissaka on the right. He looked up and picked out Wan-Bissaka, who stunned a first-time shot into the ground and past Leno. That’s another accomplished finish.

Updated

Premier League latest scores

  • Brentford 0-0 Manchester City

  • Chelsea 1-0 Bournemouth

  • West Ham 1-0 Fulham

  • Nottingham Forest 0-0 Liverpool (8pm)

GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Fulham (Soler 31)

The first Premier League goal of the Graham Potter years is scored by Carlos Soler! It was a cracking finish after a howler from Andreas Pereira. He received a short pass from the keeper Leno and tried to clip a first-time pass across his own area. He got it horribly wrong, Soler read what was happening and he whipped the bouncing ball back across Leno. Lovely technique.

Updated

30 min: Brentford 0-0 Man City “Surely, Peadar de Burca is not suggesting that Sonny was murdered before Michael executed Sollozzo and McKluskey,” says Joe Pearson. “The tollbooth incident took place while Michael had taken refuge in Sicily. I need to get a life. BTW, is Klopp Vito and Slot Michael?”

1 min: Nottm Forest 0-0 Liverpool The big game of the night is under way. Barry Glendenning is your man if you want to follow it in the minute-by-minute style.

27 min: West Ham 0-0 Fulham West Ham have a goal disallowed for offside against Kilman, who beat Leno with an excellent header from a free-kick. After a long VAR check – lines are out, folks – the decision is upheld.

28 min: Brentford 0-0 Man City This is a cracking game. Nunes chrages into the area, sits the defender down superbly, but then overruns the ball and misses out on a clear shooting chance.

Moments later Savinho flashes over from 20 yards after a two-on-two break.

26 min: West Ham 0-0 Fulham The stats show that Fulham lead 6-0 on attempts at goal.

25 min: Brentford 0-0 Man City Lewis-Potter crosses when he should surely have had a shot. He was put clear on the left side of the area by a neat pass, but tried to square it for Mbeumo instead of shooting. The replays confirm he made the wrong decisioon.

“Pepe..!” foams Charles Antaki. “No emoji of outrage & chagrin could do his purchase justice.”

He scored 16 goals in 2020-21. Time for a bit of respect on his name.

Updated

23 min: Brentford 0-0 Man City De Bruyne, on the left, curls a seductive left-foot cross that is headed wide by Haaland beyond the far post. He had to stretch forward and the angle was pretty tight. But my word, Kevin De Bruyne knows how to caress a football.

20 min: Brentford 0-0 Man City Brentford are hurting City on the break. Wissa, still such an underrated player, passes slightly tamely wide of the far post after twisting Akanji inside-out on the right side of the area. Tough chance.

“Seeing Emile Smith Rowe starting for Fulham inevitably makes the anxious Arsenal fan wonder whether it might have been more prudent to keep him; probably, on balance, not,” says Charles Antaki. “You can’t stockpile players on the off-chance that you might need them later (case study: Chelsea FC). But what can you do? Is there such a thing in the insurance market as a hedge against player-knack? The premiums would be high, but Arsenal, for one, would be coining it in in reimbursements at the moment.”

It was the right time for him to go. But with all those injuries on the right wing, could it be time to look at the small print of Nicolas Pepe’s sale?

17 min: West Ham 0-0 Fulham “Paqueta playing the role of the physical hold-it-up presence up top,” weeps Ian Sargeant. “Ha ha ha. Reminds me of the time we had a front two of Tony Cottee and Mark Ward – with Paul Hilton and Gary Strodder launching it from centre back for the whole 90 minutes without wondering why we weren’t getting change in the air against Brian Kilcline.”

15 min: Brentford 0-0 Man City Stefan Ortega makes a good save to deny Bryan Mbeumo, who tried to surprise him by reversing a shot towards the far post. Ortega read it and got down to push the ball behind.

GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Bournemouth (Palmer 13)

Cole Palmer has given Chelsea the lead, finishing nervelessly after being putting through one-on-one. The goal was made superbly by Nicolas Jackson, who beat two players on the halfway line and timed his through ball perfectly. Palmer dummied Travers to sit him down and then passed the ball into the corner.

Rare is the attacker who has a resting heart rate in the opposition’s penalty area. Cole Palmer demonstrates it all the time.

Updated

9 min: Brentford 0-0 Man City Wissa goes over in the area after being leaned on by Akanji. Brentford’s penalty appeals are muted and unrewarded. Akanji took a risk though.

These are the latest scores in our featured games. Look at how clean those sheets are!

  • Brentford 0-0 Manchester City

  • Chelsea 0-0 Bournemouth

  • West Ham 0-0 Fulham

Updated

8 min Gvardiol’s right-footed daisy-cutter from 20 yards is comfortably saved by the sprawling Flekken.

“As a Liverpool fan I haven’t been caught up in the victory-lap mentality floating about since November,” writes Peadar de Burca. “Too many flaky moments at the back and the memory of Jordan Pickford taking out Van Dijk lingers like Sonny getting whacked at the toll-booth.

“This is the game though, right? This is where Arne (Michael Corleone) comes out of the toilet and pops Sollozzo and McCluskey kicking off a scouse-themed bloodbath which leads to a takedown of the Five Families: Man City and Newcastle in February, Totteringham in April, Chelsea and Arsenal in May. As Pete Clemenza said, ‘leave the gun, take the cannoli.’”

I’m all for an extended metaphor but you can’t compare Virgil van Dijk to Sonny Corleone! Sonny was an agent of chaos and Liverpool certainly don’t have anyone like th- well never mind.

But yes, I agree. Actually I’d say this is the week. If Liverpool get at least two points from Forest and Brentford away I can’t see them not winning the league.

6 min: West Ham 0-0 Fulham Harry Wilson has just volleyed against the bar for Fulham, who have made a strong start at a very noisy London Stadium.

2 min: West Ham 0-0 Fulham West Ham have started with Lucas Paqueta as a false nine and Carlos Soler playing from the left.

Updated

Peep peep! The three 7.30pm games are up and running. Forest v Liverpool is an 8pm kick-off.

Chelsea v Bournemouth Evanilson is absent with a metatarsal injury. That’s a big blow as you’d imagine he’ll be out for at least a month. I blame Aldo Duscher.

“I wonder if readers, like me, struggle to remember much about Tony Book, the name as understated as his demeanour, playing and managing,” begins Gary Naylor. “In that sense, he was the perfect choice to lead City on and off the field, operating with purpose and achieving a still surprisingly excellent set of outcomes, content in the shadow of The Behemoth’s cabaret across town. Footballers often looked old to teenagers, but he really did look old, unlikely to feature in Insta screen grabs. It’s how full-backs once were.”

It’s how all men once were, no? They had tough paper rounds in those days. Says Clooney over here!

Updated

“Don’t forget there are three FA Cup matches today too!” says Joe Pearson. “And ESPN+ is carrying them all. Let me know if you want updates. I won’t provide any, because I’ll be glued to Forest v Liverpool, but I just wanted to make the offer. Cheers!”

I’ll get back to you once I’ve hastily rewritten my preamble.

Updated

West Ham are playing without a recognised striker tonight. A false nine might be an upgrade on the false promises of the last 15 years.

It should not be about individuals. Too often, though, West Ham seem to buy a striker with little regard for whether they are the right style of player. There was the decision to spend a club record £45m on Sébastien Haller, who left after 18 months after scoring 14 goals in 54 appearances. Eighteen months later came the £30.5m Gianluca Scamacca: a talent who seemed unsuited to English football, unable to adjust to life away from Italy and unwilling to last more than a season after eight goals in 27 appearances. The 31-year-old Füllkrug, who cost £27.5m last summer, has two goals in 11 appearances and is probably out for the season.

The Manchester City players will wear black armbands tonight in tribute to the legendary Tony Book, their former captain and manager, who has died aged 90.

There’s no Kyle Walker in the Man City squad. Here’s Jonathan Liew on why the career of one of England’s greatest right-backs is ripe for reappraisal.

Based on media footprint alone, Walker might well be one of the most chronicled English footballers of the past decade, and largely for issues unrelated to anything he did in a defensive transition. Search the internet for this player of 93 England caps and pretty much every medal at club level and you will be deluged with various keyword-rich morsels of celebrity gossip swimming in pound signs, house prices and gigantic photos ripped from Instagram.

Nottingham Forest v Liverpool team news

No surprises in either team for the top-of-the-table clash. Barry Glendenning has all the details.

West Ham v Fulham team news

Graham Potter makes three changes from the FA Cup defeat at Aston Villa. Emerson Palmieri, Carlos Soler and Guido Rodriguez in; Ollie Scarles and the injured pair of Niclas Fullkrug and Crysensio Summerville are out.

I’ve no idea who will start up front for West Ham, or even what formation they’re playing. Potter has just been asked on TNT Sports whether he can give us a steer. “Not really.”

Fulham’s last Premier League game was a 2-2 draw with Ipswich. Emile Smith Rowe and Andreas Pereira replace Tom Cairney and Issa Diop.

West Ham (possible 4-D-2) Fabianski; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Rodriguez; Soucek, Alvarez; Soler; Kudus, Paqueta.
Subs: Foderingham, Cresswell, Coufal, Luis Guilherme, Ings, Irving, Casey, Scarles, Orford.

Fulham (possible 4-2-3-1) Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Castagne, Robinson; Lukic, Andreas; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez.
Subs: King, Sessegnon, Diop, Benda, Reed, Rodrigo Muniz, Cairney, Traore, Cuenca.

Referee Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)

Updated

Chelsea v Bournemouth team news

Two changes for Chelsea from their 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park in the last Premier League game. Romeo Lavia and Noni Madueke come in for Malo Gusto and Pedro Neto. That probably means Moises Caicedo will move to right-back.

Bournemouth also make two changes. They’re without Evanilson, which is a blow, and Justin Kluivert is on the bench. David Brooks, who scored a beautiful winner from the bench against Everton, and Tyler Adams come into the side. Antoine Semenyo may play as a falseish nine.

Chelsea (possible 4-2-3-1) Sanchez; Caicedo, Acheampong, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson.
Subs: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, Nkunku, James,
Gusto, Guiu, Veiga.

Bournemouth (possible 4-2-3-1) Travers; Hill, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Cook, Adams; Brooks, Christie, Ouattara; Semenyo.
Subs: Dennis, Kluivert, Jebbison, Adu-Adjei, Akinmboni, Winterburn, Kinsey-Wellings, Sadi, Rees-Dottin.

Referee Robert Jones (Merseyside)

Updated

Brentford v Man City team news

Brentford’s last Premier League game was a 5-0 win at Southampton. Thomas Frank makes one change from the XI that started that match: Kevin Schade is replaced by Vitaly Janelt. That could mean a switch to a diamond midfield. If Thomas Frank ever answers my WhatsApps I’ll let mean you.

Pep Guardiola makes one change from the last league game, the 4-1 win over West Ham. Matheus Nunes, who played so well at right-back against Salford on Saturday, replaces Rico Lewis.

Brentford (possible 4-D-2) Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Norgaard; Jensen, Janelt; Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Wissa.
Subs: Valdimarsson, Henry, Schade, Carvalho, Mee, Yarmolyuk, Konak, Maghoma, Kim.

Man City (possible 4-3-3) Ortega, Nunes, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Bernardo, Kovacic, De Bruyne; Foden, Haaland, Savinho.
Substitutes: Ederson, Grealish, Doku, Gundogan, Simpson-Pusey, Mubama, O’Reilly, Lewis, McAtee.

Referee Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)

Updated

Preamble

The hustle never ends. Less than 24 hours after the end of the FA Cup third round. The FA Cup third round is still ongoing but the Premier League returns tonight with four matches, all televised. Barry Glendenning is covering the big one – Nottingham Forest v Liverpool – while it is ours to focus on the three other games, all of which kick off at 7.30pm.

  • Brentford v Manchester City

  • Chelsea v Bournemouth

  • West Ham v Fulham

Graham Potter takes charge of his first home game as West Ham manager. There’s plenty at stake as always. Manchester City could jump to fourth, a phrase that hasn’t been written too often in the last decade. They could also drop below Bournemouth, a phrase that hasn’t etc. It’s tight towards the top, with only nine points separating Chelsea in fourth and Brentford in 11th. There will be doubtless be more snakes and ladders tonight.

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Liverpool 19 28 46
2 Arsenal 20 21 40
3 Nottm Forest 20 10 40
4 Chelsea 20 15 36
5 Newcastle 20 12 35
6 Man City 20 9 34
7 AFC Bournemouth 20 7 33
8 Aston Villa 20 -2 32
9 Fulham 20 3 30
10 Brighton 20 1 28
11 Brentford 20 3 27
12 Tottenham Hotspur 20 12 24
13 Man Utd 20 -5 23
14 West Ham 20 -15 23
15 Crystal Palace 20 -7 21
16 Everton 19 -10 17
17 Wolverhampton 20 -14 16
18 Ipswich 20 -15 16
19 Leicester 20 -21 14
20 Southampton 20 -32 6

Updated

 

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