Good morning, football. Here we go for some red-hot soccer chat.
That is my matchday live stint done for the day. I will leave you in the very capable hands of John Brewin to continue getting excited about today’s football. Please keep the comments and emails coming in.
Preview: Crystal Palace v Tottenham
Thomas Frank is convinced the story from his previous clubs will repeat itself at Tottenham – with unconvincing starts giving way to consistent results and achievement.
The manager is conscious that losing can become a habit and he takes his team to Crystal Palace on Sunday in need of a tonic, having suffered six defeats in the past 10 Premier League matches, winning only twice during the sequence.
Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven makes the challenge that left Alexander Isak with a fractured left leg.
It has been a mixed bag for Frank since his summer appointment, the worries piling up, with one of the biggest being the capacity of his players to handle the additional demands of midweek Champions League fixtures. Although Spurs are set fair to qualify for the knockout rounds of the competition, it has been possible to view their involvement as a poisoned chalice.
Read David Hytner’s full preview here:
Chelsea “have ourselves to blame” after Villa defeat, says James
Captain Reece James said Chelsea should have dealt better with Aston Villa’s changes after he and his teammates chucked away a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.
Ollie Watkins scored twice in the second half to overturn Chelsea’s 1-0 lead at the break and after the game James told reporters that it was down to the players:
We dominated 60, 65 minutes of the game. We came out sharp with the way we set up, we got off on the front foot and in the right way.
In the first 60 minutes they didn’t create any chances, and then they get one and the dynamic changes.
We knew they’d make substitutions and the shape changed slightly but it was nothing we shouldn’t have been able to deal with. We understand the style and the way they want to play. We have ourselves to blame.
Second half one or two moments changed the game. They picked up momentum. It was two slight errors from us and we got punished. This is why it’s the toughest league in the world. It’s always disappointing to lose at home.
I can confirm, 34 is not old:
Kick-off at San Siro for that one is in about 20 minutes time.
Team news: AC Milan v Hellas Verona
AC Milan XI: Maignan, Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic, Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi, Pulisic, Nkunku.
Subs: Athekame, Castiello, Estupiñán, Fofana, Jashari, Odogu, Ricci, Terracciano, Torriani.
Hellas Verona XI: Montipò, Núñez, Nelsson, Bella-Kotchap, Oyegoke, Niasse, Al Musrati, Bernede, Bradaric, Giovane, Mosquera.
Subs: Ajayi, Cham, Ebosse, Gagliardini, Harroui, Kastanos, Orban, Perilli, Yellu Santiago, Sarr, Serdar, Slotsager, Toniolo, Valentini.
Preview: Sunderland v Leeds
The last time Leeds played Sunderland Daniel Farke’s side were in the midst of a run of 17-game unbeaten run that would go a long way in powering them to the Championship title. Leeds won 2-1 back in February, but Sunderland would still come up via a dramatic win in the playoff final. The immediate post-season narrative around these two traditionally big clubs, was that Regis Le Bris was a coach capable at the highest level but Farke was not. Sunderland spent the summer putting together a squad capable of staying up and Leeds pondered whether to change their manager. It was very odd, but Premier League survival has not proved to be a zero sum game for these two. Two wins and a draw from their last four games have put Leeds in a decent position to stay up, while Sunderland are dreaming of Europe.
With a number of key players at Afcon for Sunderland, there is every chance of Leeds coming away with a result. How do you think it will go? Let me know in the comments or via the email link at the top of the page.
Updated
Wait, is that optimism coming out of Anfield?
Three of Liverpool' s new players all had their best games yesterday; Kerkez was running all over the place, made three tackles with his head and looked like a human stock car but with an excellent cross and Frimpong showed exactly what Liverpool wanted out of him. Pacey and punchy, he filled the Salah shaped hole and that cut back to Gravenberch was sumptuous. Wirtz has been coming to the boil over recent games but his vision in this game shone out, he's one step ahead in is mind about the next move and it feels like Liverpool plyers are really starting to catch up. He is physically more robust and now he has his debut goal I'm expecting more.
Bodes well for the second half of the season and I'd have snapped your hand off for fourth at this point during that miserable run and we can kick on.
Updated
Coming up today at Afcon…
Group E
Equatorial Guinea v Sudan (3pm)
Algeria v Burkina Faso (5.30pm)
The winner of Algeria v Burkina Faso will secure qualification for the knockout rounds but a draw will also be likely be enough as four points should be secure one of the best third-place spots. He may be 34 but Riyad Mahrez is still the x-factor for Algeria, the former Leicester and Manchester City man scored twice in his country’s opening 3-0 win over Sudan.
Group F
Gabon v Mozambique (12.30pm)
Ivory Coast v Cameroon (8pm)
Afcon’s final match of the day is without a doubt its best. One of these two nations has been in final of tournament in eight of the past 13 editions, with Ivory Coast, of course, the defending champions. The last time they met was in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, where they both won their home games. Having failed to qualify for next summer’s tournament in North America, Cameroon have a talented squad and a point to prove. This one could go either way.
All times GMT
Dyche expects to be without Wood for weeks
Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche says Chris Wood will be out for “weeks” after undergoing knee surgery.
The 34-year-old striker has not featured since October due to a knee injury and he has finally gone under the knife after a period of rehabilitation.
Dyche, who worked with Wood at Burnley, has not yet been able to pick him but hopes to have him back before the end of the season:
He has had surgery, at the end of a period of trying to settle it down. It is unfortunate. We had a lot of specialist opinion on trying to get through things naturally, if you like.
But they have decided it was time to go and do it. It was a version of a cartilage op. It will not be days, we are hoping it will be weeks. We will have to see how it settles. The signs were good, from the surgical point of view.
I do not like throwing timescales about, because of (potential) disruptions to the recovery. We hope it will be a smooth path, but it sometimes isn’t.
Wissa needs more time to get over knee injury
Yoane Wissa is still not ready to make regular starts for Newcastle but Eddie Howe is keen to find the Congolese striker more opportunities in the coming weeks.
Wissa has had an injury-hit start to life on Tyneside after his £50 million switch from Brentford in the summer, damaging knee ligaments while on international duty in September, and had to wait until December to make his debut as a substitute against Burnley.
He came off the bench again to make his sixth appearance in the Boxing Day defeat at Manchester United, but has still only made one start - playing 72 minutes in the 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Fulham on December 17.
Speaking about Wissa’s ongoing recovery, Howe said:
I think with Yoane, we’ve got to look after him, he’s still relatively early in his return. He did really well in his one start against Fulham, I was really pleased with him that day and there’ll be other opportunities.
The problem for us is with our schedule playing every three, four days, I don’t think he’s in a condition where he could start regularly at the moment. Hopefully we can manage him to that point at some stage.
Monolithic belief of Guardiolismo has fractured in new era for football tactics
If you want a picture of the future, imagine Michael Kayode winding up to take a long throw – forever. Or at least that was how it seemed in October. Already, though, the picture has begun to change. This was the year of the backlash, and then a bit of a backlash to the backlash.
For almost two decades football had accepted the guardiolista consensus. Football was about possession, about the press, but most of all about position, about the careful manipulation of space. Much-improved pitches meant first touches could be taken for granted: players receiving the ball didn’t have to focus on getting it under control but could instead be parsing their options. The game had become chess with a ball, a matter of strategy more than physicality.
Read Jonathan Wilson’s latest ‘Inside football’ column:
OK, I’m just going to leave this here without comment:
I think it speaks to something about the current state of our rage-watching habits that, as a neutral, I don't know who of Arsenal or Villa I want to see win more. Arsenal so Arteta can shut everyone up and prove them wrong, or Villa so Emery can shut everyone up and prove them wrong. Or maybe it's just me buying too much into the "everyone's always having to redeem themselves" narrative? Maybe I'm the arsehole who needs to be more blindly partisan and hyper-critical of all the dramatis personae in this sport I claim to love. In that spirit, Boo Arteta, you fraud! I hope Villa win! And at the same time, boo Emery, you second-rate chancer! I hope Arsenal win!
(I mean, we all know it's inevitable, don't we? It's going to be City. Booooo!)
Frank only wants “fully committed” January additions
Speaking ahead of Tottenham’s meeting with Crystal Palace this afternoon, Thomas Frank has promised Spurs will only sign “fully committed” players in next month’s transfer window.
It will be the first January in the market without Daniel Levy heading up operations since 2002 after he left as chairman in September having been invited to step down by majority owners ENIC.
It has put greater control in the hands of the Lewis family trust, which runs ENIC and targeted “more wins, more often” following the removal of Levy. There are also reports that sporting director Fabio Paratici is the subject of interest from Fiorentina, an unhelpful development when it is clear that the Spurs squad is in need of additions.
Frank has struggled since he took over from Ange Postecoglou in June and won only 10 of his 26 matches in charge of Spurs ahead of Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace, with Tottenham 14th in the Premier League on Christmas Day.
Despite their struggles, Frank only wants players brought in who have the right character:
Any player we sign needs to be fully committed on the project. No doubt about that. Very important. Character for me, as I’ve said many times, is the most important thing. They need to buy into it so we are aligned.
It makes it easier for me to say, ‘Hey remember the bit I said about this...’, then it’s a little bit easier to have consequences.
Another makeshift defender, another unconvincing performance and another win. Arsenal roll on and are still top of the league. It should not be a huge shock that Declan Rice can play right back or that Arsenal beat Brighton at the Emirates, but here we are.
Ben Bloom was at the Emirates and here is his report:
Slot applauds Liverpool and Wolves fans for ‘special’ Anfield tribute to Diogo Jota
Arne Slot praised Liverpool and Wolves fans for “showing the football world how to behave” as Diogo Jota’s two English clubs came together to pay tribute to the late striker at Anfield.
Jota’s two young sons, Dinis and Duarte, were mascots for the first game between the clubs since the Portugal international died in July. Liverpool supporters applauded when Wolves’ fans sang their song for Jota in the 18th minute and vice versa when Anfield acclaimed the late striker in the 20th minute, based on his squad numbers at the two clubs. The entire Wolves squad had visited the memorial to Jota outside Anfield to pay their respects the night before Liverpool’s 2-1 win.
“It was difficult but in a way also special and nice,” said Slot of the emotional atmosphere inside the stadium. “The football world again showed how to behave in moments like this. Our fans have been incredible since the tragedy happened. In every single moment they did what you hope they would do in memory of him.
“Today the away fans showed it is not only about our fans. In the 18th minute the Wolves fans started singing for Diogo and ours were clapping, and in the 20th minute it was the other way around. You guys know how special English fans are and today showed the outside world that it is not only the players who make this league special.”
Read the full story:
Chelsea’s slip means Liverpool, who appear to be picking themselves up off the canvas, are up to fourth. Arne Slot’s team made tough work of beating Wolves, but Florian Wirtz got his first Premier League goal and despite threatening to crumble late on, the Reds defence just about held up.
Here is Andy Hunter’s report from Anfield:
Updated
One man who does not think Villa are in the title race is manager Unai Emery. When asked after the win at Chelsea if he felt his side were contenders, he said:
Not really. I’m not feeling it. I’m feeling that we are competing very well. We are third in the league with two teams, Manchester City and Arsenal, fantastic performances they are getting.
We have to play 38 matches. We are today on 18. There are 20 matches to play, teams like Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United...we must compete against them and try to be more or less consistent like we are now. But even being consistent and performing like we are now, there are Arsenal and Manchester City in front of us.
Where better to start than at Stamford Bridge, where for the first 45 minutes Chelsea resembled a team who could challenge for the title and Aston Villa looked nothing of the sort. Then Unai Emery made a triple change and flipped the entire narrative on its head as Ollie Watkins bagged twice to give Villa an 11th victory in a row. Villa couldn’t do it, could they?
Jacob Steinberg was in west London and here is how he saw it:
Preamble
Hello and welcome to matchday live! Over the next few hours I’ll be building up today’s main games this afternoon while keeping you updated on the latest football news as it comes in. We have a couple of fixtures in the Premier League today, kicking-off with Sunderland v Leeds at 2pm, but before then there’s also some Afcon action and AC Milan feature in the early game from Serie A. First let’s have a look at yesterday’s big headlines…
Riyad Mahrez was of course often used as a super sub at Man City and my little red heart would indeed sink if I saw him waiting to come on. Excellent footballer. Of course he’s still got it. Thirty-four isn’t so old.
And the rest of the Algerian side is pretty decent too…so there is much to overcome for The Stallions (of Burkina Faso) today…but come the heck on and give it a go…and at least I’ll get to enjoy some Mahrez skill while I cheer the least fancied team on.