MATCH REPORT: Brentford 4-1 Bournemouth. John Brewin reports on a banner day for Kevin Schade.

MATCH REPORT: Liverpool 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers. Andy Hunter was at Anfield to see Florian Wirtz finally break his duck.

MATCH REPORT: West Ham United 0-1 Fulham. It’s now two wins a row for Fulham, but seven without victory for the Hammers.

MATCH REPORT: Arsenal 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion. Ben Bloom was at the Emirates as the Gunners shot back to the top in short order.

MATCH REPORT: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Manchester City. Ben Fisher witnessed City’s hard-fought victory in a match that will give Sean Dyche hope of survival.

MATCH REPORT: Burnley 0-0 Everton. Will Unwin reports on an underwhelming game at Turf Moor.

Hearts’ dramatic loss in the Edinburgh derby allowed Celtic to move to within three points of them at the top. Celtic made hard work of winning at bottom side Livingston, though. Rangers also were unconvincing in victory, but their dispatch of Motherwell moves them up to third, and while you wouldn’t fancy them to win the league, it’s also true that they’re not out of the title race quite yet. And there’s a transfer window opening up shortly, so you never know how that might pan out. Exciting times in Scotland.

Arsenal’s win over Brighton takes them back to the top of the Premier League. Liverpool rise to fourth after their skittish victory over bottom side Wolves, though Chelsea can reclaim that spot if they beat Villa this evening. Brentford’s big win over Bournemouth whistles them up to eighth, while West Ham spurn the opportunity to close the gap on Nottingham Forest in their attempt to extricate themselves from the dropzone. Forest will be much happier with their performance in defeat today than the Hammers.

Liverpool 2-1 Wolves. There will be five minutes of injury time at Anfield as well. Can Wolves grab a goal for what would be just their third point of the season?

Senegal 1-1 Congo DR. It’s petering out in Tangier. Five minutes of injury time. Can anyone grab a winner?

Liverpool 2-1 Wolves. The bottom side look more likely to equalise than the champions extending their lead. The sub Jhon Arias is denied by Conor Bradley’s last-ditch block.

Chelsea v Aston Villa. A reminder that when all the 3pms are over, Chelsea host in-form Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. Will Magee has the team news.

Liverpool 2-1 Wolves. A big chance for Wolves as Tolu Arokodare heads over. Liverpool doing their level best to ship yet another two-goal lead. Wolves meanwhile are definitely going for it, sending on Jhon Arias to bolster their attack.

Livingston 2-4 Celtic. “Watching the game at Almondvale, you wouldn’t be surprised if it was to finish 6-5 to either team,” writes Simon McMahon. “That’s not a great look for Wilfried Nancy’s Celtic as they are chasing the title, while Davie Martindale’s Livvy are battling to avoid relegation.”

Arsenal 2-1 Brighton. Arsenal are still leading … but only because David Raya has just spectacularly tipped Yankuba Minteh’s shot over the bar. The Seagulls really going for this.

Senegal 1-1 Congo DR. Some worrying news for Sunderland fans. Arthur Masuaku caught his studs in the turf during the build-up to that goal, while mistiming a tackle, and he’s carried off.

Arsenal 2-1 Brighton. Needs must, and with Arsenal creaking a bit after conceding, Gabriel is sent on to shore things up. The home fans so happy to see him return from injury.

Arsenal 2-1 Brighton. Yasin Ayari has two shots blocked in as many seconds, and suddenly the title favourites are rocking. But holding onto their lead. For now.

Burnley 0-0 Everton. … so having said that, something happens at Turf Moor. Jacob Bruun Larsen is one on one with Jordan Pickford … but hoicks his shot over the bar. But it’s something! It’s not nothing!

Burnley 0-0 Everton. “Everton minus their three good players,” harrumphs Will Unwin. It’s like one of Hemingway’s short stories.

We’re into second-half territory now. It is on, all over the world.

Half-time postbag. “A very moving day for both Liverpool and Wolves fans. Djogo Jota is in everyone’s hearts. The match is being played in the right spirit. Some promising touches from Wolves’ Manè (such a familiar-sounding name to Reds fans) but ultimately the superior technique of Liverpool has shone through. Frimpong has been excellent on the right but Ekitikè is in simply sublime form, proving the perfectly weighted assist for Wirtz. Season’s greetings and, if poss, a Christmassy shout-out to my friend Andy in Liverpool” – Colum Fordham

“I’m at a family holiday shindig with a some Liverpool fans. They were surprised to hear that the Reds scored. I have to think back to the Roy Hodgson’s time at Anfield to remember such a downbeat feeling among Liverpool supporters” – Kári Tulinius

“Low on quality” – Will Unwin, our man at Turf Moor, low on energy, understandably drained by that soporific first 45

Arsenal 1-0 Brighton. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard didn’t look particularly happy as he left the field at half time. That’ll doubtless be the fallout from a brouhaha involving Viktor Gyokeres and Bart Verbruggen, the Brighton keeper taking out the striker but escaping with a yellow. That’s because Gyokeres was heading to the corner flag at the time, the result of a poor touch, so it’s not considered the denial of a goalscoring opportunity by either referee or VAR. The level of controversy yet to be determined, contingent on result.

Liverpool 2-0 Wolves. There were 89 seconds between those two Liverpool goals. A proper double whammy for Wolves.

Senegal 0-0 Congo DR. A free kick for Senegal, just to the right of centre along the D. Sadio Mane whips it over the wall and down towards the bottom-left corner. The keeper’s beaten all ends up, but the ball bounces inches wide. Probably just as well, because the award of the free kick was preposterous. Absolutely nothing happened, no contact, no hands, nothing, but the referee awarded one anyway.

Burnley 0-0 Everton. This one’s not getting good notices anywhere.

Arsenal 1-0 Brighton. Arsenal remain comfortable at the Emirates. Brighton haven’t shown in attack at all.

Liverpool 0-0 Wolves. Jose Sa tips an Alexis Mac Allister shot onto the post. It’s the second time Liverpool have hit the frame of the goal, Hugo Ekitike having hit its base beforehand. Turns out the Mac Allister effort wouldn’t have counted anyway, as Federico Chiesa was in a live offside position, but a save’s a save’s a save, ain’t that the truth.

Livingston 2-2 Celtic. They’ve all calmed down. So with nothing to report, here’s the belated publication of our old pal Simon McMahon’s Scottish preview. “Scottinho! Love Clocko, especially when your team don’t play until 5.45, which is the ko time for Aberdeen v Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership today. Special shout out to United super fans Evie and Ryan, and indeed all those who travel near and far to support their team while the likes of me head up once a fortnight and follow Clockwatch the rest of the time. They haven’t missed a game all season, and after being at Pittodrie today will go to Livingston on Tuesday for one final trip, a lot less glamorous than the ones to Luxembourg and Vienna back in the summer. United have only won four out of eighteen in the league so far, but have recorded nine draws, leaving them in eighth place but still with realistic hopes of making the top six if they can put a run together. Celtic will be hoping to have cut the gap at the top to three points before the teatime kick off by beating Livingston, after Hibs held on in the Edinburgh derby. And at the bottom struggling Dundee welcome high flying Falkirk while St. Mirren host Kilmarnock, and Rangers are at home to Motherwell.”

Senegal 0-0 Congo DR. Nicolas Jackson goes close for Senegal, dragging a low shot inches wide of the left-hand post.

Liverpool 0-0 Wolves. Anfield stands as one to honour the memory of Diogo Jota on 20 minutes. The Wolves fans chant his name, while the Liverpool supporters sing their fallen hero’s song. The most bittersweet of moments.

West Ham 0-0 Fulham. Jarrod Bowen finds himself one-on-one with Bernd Leno. The keeper wins the duel with a fingertip save. Turns out Bowen was offside anyway, but Leno wouldn’t have known so credit the save anyway.

Liverpool 0-0 Wolves. The bottom club are giving as good as they’re getting at Anfield. Mateus Mane, on his first Premier League start, forces Alisson into the first big save of the game.

Senegal 0-0 Congo DR. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has the ball in the net for Congo DR, a fine diagonal lash into the bottom left. But he’s clearly offside.

Livingston 2-2 Celtic. The last three goals were scored in a three-minute-and-34-seconds burst.

Livingston 2-1 Celtic. Wilfried Nancy’s Celtic, though.

Arsenal 0-0 Brighton. Viktor Gyökeres scuffs an early one-on-one chance. So much for the confidence given by that winning penalty at Everton.

Senegal 0-0 Congo DR. Ismaïla Sarr nearly scores the quickest goal in Afcon history, dribbling straight down the middle and sending a curler towards the top-right corner just over the bar. Barely ten seconds on the clock, there was.

Here we go, then. The 3pms kick off in the Premier League, and in Scotland, and in Morocco. Godspeed one and all.

Liverpool v Wolves. A poignant moment at Anfield as Diogo Jota’s sons Dinis and Duarte lead Virgil van Dijk and his men out onto the pitch. Jota also played for Wolves, and all four corners of the ground let the love pour down. Forever 20.

FULL TIME: Nottingham Forest 1-2 Manchester City. Ben Fisher was at the City Ground to see Rayan Cherki put the visitors back on top of the Premier League, for a couple of hours at least. Here’s his report.

Arsenal v Brighton. A setback for the hosts during the warm-up, as Riccardo Calafiori tweaks something. He’ll be replaced in the starting XI by Myles Lewis-Skelly. The amended teamsheet, for completists everywhere…

Arsenal: Raya, Rice, Saliba, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly, Merino, Zubimendi, Odegaard, Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Gabriel, Gabriel Jesus, Eze, Martinelli, Norgaard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Salmon.
Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen, van Hecke, Dunk, Coppola, Kadioglu, Ayari, Hinshelwood, De Cuyper, Gruda, Gomez, Rutter.
Subs: Steele, Minteh, Watson, Welbeck, Kostoulas, Milner, Boscagli, Wieffer, Veltman.

Burnley v Everton. A bonus bumper preview present from our man at the scene, Will Unwin.

It feels like a crucial spell of the season for Burnley and Everton. For the hosts, these next two home games could be critical for Scott Parker’s future. Their Turf Moor victories have come against Sunderland and Leeds but it feels like they will soon need to add to them if Scott Parker is to have a long-term future with the club. Additionally, the gap to safety is now eight points and with Newcastle the next opponent in Lancashire, they will want it to be smaller going into the January transfer window. The Clarets will need to do some business and if they are judged to be a lost cause, it will be difficult to attract players.

For Everton, sitting 10th, they will think they have a chance of European football. Seventh is only three points away and they are heading into a spell of facing teams in the bottom half of the table, giving themselves to rack up some points. That could also encourage some January investment to aid David Moyes over the coming months.

This is what the Premier League looks like going into the 3pms. Manchester City’s hard-fought 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest sends them into first place; Arsenal can only reclaim their position atop the Christmas tree with victory over Brighton this afternoon. West Ham meanwhile will be looking to cut into Forest’s cushion between themselves and the relegation spots; victory over Fulham will take them within striking distance.

90 min +6: Hibs 3-2 Hearts. Beni Benigime cuts in from the left and smacks a pearler towards the top right. Raphael Sallinger makes his second huge stop of additional time, and has surely secured the points for the Hibees! No wonder they call it stoppage time.

90 min +4: Hibs 3-2 Hearts. It looks as though Hearts have run out of ideas. A huge couple of minutes in the Scottish title race coming up!

90 min +1: Hibs 3-2 Hearts. Hibs keeper Raphael Sallinger made an awful mess of the Devlin goal, failing to deal with an Alexandros Kyziridis in the build-up, but he might have made up for his rick here. Lawrence Shankland meets a cutback from the left and appears to have slotted into the bottom left, but Sallinger sticks out a leg to block. What a finish to this game!

In Scotland, Hearts are making a go of things in the derby at Easter Road. Lawrence Shankland pulled one back on 75 minutes. That seemed no more than a consolation, but Cammy Devlin has made it 3-2 on 89 minutes, and there will be six additional minutes. Is an absurd comeback on?

Arsenal v Brighton: Jurrien Timber is missing for Arsenal, but Gabriel returns from injury to take a spot on the bench. Diego Gomez replaces Yankuba Minteh in the Brighton attack.

Brentford v Bournemouth: Kristoffer Ajer replaces Sepp van den Berg for the hosts, while Antoine Semenyo starts for the Cherries, despite all the talk surrounding a possible move to Manchester City.

Burnley v Everton: Armando Broja is rewarded for his goal against Bournemouth last weekend with a start. Tyler Dibling is on creative duty for Everton with Jack Grealish missing.

Liverpool v Wolves: Arne Slot hands Federico Chiesa a rare Premier League start, while Jeremie Frimpong also begins a match for the first time since Internazionale. Dominik Szoboszlai isn’t in the squad. Wolves hand Mateus Mane his first Premier League start.

West Ham v Fulham: Both sides are unchanged: Fulham after their narrow win over Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage on Monday night, West Ham having not won in six.

There’s also a big story developing in Scotland. It’s the Edinburgh derby at Easter Road, and Hibernian are in the process of putting a huge dent in their arch-rivals Heart of Midlothian’s title hopes. They’re 3-0 up on the league leaders on the hour, thanks to goals from Jamie McGrath, Josh Campbell and Kieron Bowie. Heroes just for one day, from Celtic’s point of view as well.

While we wait for the Premier League team news to drop, a reminder that today’s Clocko™®© will also carry the latest from Group D at Afcon. Sadio Mané’s star-studded Senegal take on Botswana at 3pm; in the meantime, Benin are playing Botswana, and the former led at half-time through Yohan Roche’s 29th-minute goal. The second half of that match at the Stade Olympique de Rabat has just started.