Emillia Hawkins has the Manchester City v Chelsea in the WSL right here – City lead 5-1 inside the final 10 minutes:

The neutral may argue that Kevin’s special goal deserved to earn a point for Fulham. But they slackened off in defence to allow Sesko time and space to score the winner. It was sensational work down the right by Fernandes to create that goal, who continues to set the standard for United. Diallo was brilliant on the right wing, too, and Carrick’s side showed a lot of desire and a high work-rate to keep Fulham out at the very end.

The obligatory mention of “Fergie Time” from David Jones on Sky Sports just then. I wasn’t above a “Football, bloody hell” myself, so who am I to judge?

The powers-that-be at Sky Sports will switch to Tottenham v Manchester City coverage soon but whatever reaction appears, I’ll post here.

Forest 1-1 Palace is a final score. Villa trail Brentford 1-0 deep in stoppage time.

101 min: It’s all highly frantic. Fulham are trying to fashion one more chance. United’s workrate is good though and they keep closing it down. Now a set-piece if floated in! Martinez clears! Castagne down the Fulham right now! United get it clear again. And still we play on …

100 min: Shaw watches a cross come over from the Fulham left and he is able to leave it to bounce out for a goal kick … is that the lot? Still a minute or so to play. Another chance for Fulham left?

90 min+8: Now Diallo works Bassey down the wing. The Fulham defender nicks the ball off his toes. Excellent defending. Fulham attack again. But United’s defending is good. Martinez puts in a couple of reducers in and around the penalty area. This is great stuff now.

90 min +7: Diallo, who has been excellent, leads the United press and nearly robs Berge on halfway. Fulham still have it though and should get one more chance … they construct a nice little move on the right but a low cross is cleared.

90 min + 6: Leny Yoro on. Is this done? Or is there more comedy/drama to come? Can United make it safe with a fourth?

90 min +1: Fulham are stroking it about …

90 min: Nine added minutes, minimum. Monster, monster!

90 min: Sessegnon tries to slide in Kevin for Fulham as they hunt for a point. The ball is cut out. Are we going to see an unfeasibly large amount of stoppage time?

89 min: All hands on deck for United at the back now. A cross from the Fulham right is repelled.

88 min: Could we have comedy/drama to finish? We live in hope.

“Once upon a time offside was adjudged according to the position of players’ feet,” emails Geoff. “I’m not sure why that ever changed.”

“I suppose there could be a case for including any body part in contact with the pitch, but wouldn’t it make life much simpler? And if feet were obscured from the cameras, it’d be the ref’s decision.”

82 min: Fernandes launches a long pass downfield for Mbeumo after a Fulham corner, but Leno emerges from his area to punt it to safety.

80 min: Dalot chases a seemingly lost cause down the right and his efforts to keep the ball in play are appreciated by the fans. The mood is upbeat but is nearly punctured when Jimenez collects a cross at the far post and nearly turns it home. It’s flicked out for a corner instead.

78 min: Chukwueze off for Fulham, Tom Cairney on.

77 min: United are threatening almost constantly now and the fans are loving it. (At least the ones who didn’t get involved with the protest against the Glazers and Jim Ratcliffe earlier.) Fernandes releases the ever-willing Diallo down the right.

75 min: Sesko hits the post with his first touch!! Diallo bends a wicked cross over from the right and the Slovenian connects well with a downward header but it cannons back off the upright.

73 min: Diallo pulls a pass back to Cunha on the edge, who this time tries dinking a delicate effort aiming for the far top corner. It sails over the bar, and Cunha is immediately taken off by Carrick, with Benjamin Sesko coming on. Casemiro, the scorer of the first goal, is also taken off with Manuel Ugarte coming on.

72 min: Changes for Fulham: Ryan Sessegnon and Kevin are introduced for Emile Smith Rowe and Antonee Robinson. Robinson had a very decent day against the dangerous Diallo, I thought.

70 min: Thoughts on the latest VAR disgrace? Mail me.

Now we can see a handy computer graphic showing Chukwueze’s elbow was 2mm offside.

68 min: Into the fourth minute of the VAR check now … The crowd are wailing their disapproval.

65 min: A set-piece for Fulham just outside the box … Wilson and Jimenez over it …

63 min: Jimenez looks to play in Smith Rowe of Fulham from just outside the box. It’s a strongly-hit pass, and the former Arsenal man’s touch lets him down when he would have had a clear sight of goal had he brought it under control.

60 min: What does Silva do now? Fulham had caused problems to start the second half at 1-0 down, but United look the more dangerous side in attack and have doubled their lead. It’ll be very hard for the visitors from here.

60 min: Villa, in fact, have had that equaliser ruled out and they trail Brentford 0-1.

55 min: Silva has sent his Fulham team out with renewed purpose, and they have looked very busy since half-time. But can United pick them off on the break? With Diallo and Mbeumo they definitely have the requisite pace.

Aston Villa 1-1 Brentford and Nottingham Forest 1-1 Crystal Palace are the other latest scores. Both Brentford and Forest have had a man sent off.

52 min: Wilson drills an excellent curling free-kick at Lammens! He beats it out, but only just. From the rebound, Fulham win a corner.

50 min: Chukwueze crosses deep from the Fulham left. Eventually United are forced into a desperate bit of defending when the ball is worked back to a central area, Martinez clubbing the ball clear when a pass intended for Jimenez appears in the six-yard box. I fancy the hosts may need at least another goal to win this.

48 min: Dalot drives at the heart of the Fulham defence after collecting the ball near halfway. He slides a lovely diagonal pass to Mbeumo, whose effort is blocked by Leno, rushing out of his goal. Good signs for Carrick’s side early doors in the second half.

47 min: United knock the ball around a bit to begin. Diallo, again, asks Robinson to do a bit of defending on the hosts’ right.

Greater Manchester Police say 500 to 600 took part in the 1958 group protest, while the 1958 say 5,000. Someone’s abacus is out …

News!

WSL live!

45 min + 3: Diallo has a cracking effort on goal teed up by Fernandes! It’s beaten out for a corner. And that will be that.

45 min + 2: Smith Rowe and Chukwueze fight for territory down their left wing. Chukwueze has been bright, as has Diallo on that same flank for the hosts. Still, nothing of any note is really happening, and you’re left wondering what the point is. I’m sure a nice cup of tea at half-time will sort everyone out.

45 min: How much stoppage time will we have? I, for one, am looking forward to finding out. And there it is: it’s a minimum of three minutes! Get in.

42 min: There’s definitely a lull now, so much so, the telly people are replaying Casemiro’s goal. The intensity has dropped from both teams. United have a set-piece in a reasonable area but nothing comes of it. Which is to say Fulham defend it well.

39 min: Smith Rowe, Robinson and Wilson are all involved in a Fulham move down the right that ends with Iwobi launching a shot from distance with his right foot. He doesn’t get hold of it and Lammens makes a comfortable save.

37 min: Now Fernandes bends in a free-kick from 50-odd yards. Fulham clear their lines, and the flag was up for offside anyway. The game has settled down a bit from a frantic opening.

34 min: End-to-end as a cross fizzes past the United goal - Diallo gathers it and does indeed have Robinson on toast, knocking the ball past him and sprinting across halfway, but the Fulham full-back does well to get back into position. Prodigious pace from both players. The move ends with a little flick by Fernandes that is cut out by a Fulham defender in the penalty area.

31 min: A random ricochet from midfield nearly falls to Manchester United’s Mbeumo, who tries to get a sight of goal on the edge. Cuenca manages to crowd him out and it’s a corner.

29 min: Mainoo gets his foot on it in midfield. He looks up and attempts a pinpoint curling pass over the top for Fernandes, having spotted his teammate’s run, and it’s only a fraction overhit. A very good effort.

28 min: Both sides continue to probe without creating much in terms of clear chances. Chukwueze belts a very good swerving cross over from the left for Fulham, cleared first-time by a United boot.

25 min: Smith Rowe makes a good run down the middle, and finds Chukwueze on the Fulham left. He strikes a low shot that is easily dealt with by Lammens. Both sides are playing some tidy stuff.

23 min: United come again. Fernandes curls a cross in from the right. It’s cleared, but Diallo is immediately threatening on the right again. The right winger looks full of beans today, but will he also have the full-back on toast?

20 min: The Fulham manager Marco Silva was booked for his remonstrations with the officials over the penalty, or the free-kick, or maybe the goal. That’s his fifth booking of the season. He still looks seriously displeased on the touchline.

15 min: Fulham come again. The hosts’ defence is stretched and Kobbie Mainoo flies into a meaty challenge on Jimenez, who rolls around on the floor but gets nothing. Fulham’s neat passing and lively movement is keeping Manchester United honest, to say the least.

12 min: Fulham win a corner and play it short. Wilson crosses for Cuenca at the back stick, who nods it goalwards, and Andersen flicks the ball towards the net! It’s diverted out for another corner by Lammens. That was a close call for United.

9 min: Manchester United win a corner. Bryan Mbeumo fires it to the far post where Harry Maguire heads goalwards, and downwards, but it’s straight at Leno.

The ball comes back quickly in the direction of Fulham’s goal: Mbeumo is in, thanks to a ball over the top, and he’s challenged from behind by Jorge Cuenca on the edge of the box. The fans roar for a penalty and on replay it’s definitely in “seen them given” territory. But Cuenca got just enough of the ball to satisfy the officials.

7 min: Next it’s Fulham’s turn to attack – Samuel Chukwueze has a shot blocked, but Harry Wilson was offside in the buildup.

5 min: Diallo has a first sight of goal, cutting in from the right and testing Leno with a curling shot from just inside the area! The Ivorian is looking dangerous.

4 min: Both teams are pinging the ball about nicely. Fulham attack down the left when Jimenez plays an attractive first-time layoff to Smith Rowe. An ambitious shot by Joachim Andersen from outside the area flies high and wide after a cross into the middle.

2 min: United immediately look quite threatening, with Amad Diallo receiving the ball in space twice in the opening two minutes, offering plenty of width on the hosts’ right wing.

Five minutes to kick off. Are you excited?

The fan protest outside the stadium is presumably still in full swing: we’ll update you on that when we have more.

Oh, there are some shots of the crowd, and it seems plenty of fans have brought protest flags inside.

The players are lined up in the tunnel. Manchester United are wearing Stone Roses-collab tracksuit tops. Casemiro is pictured stretching his lower back. At his age that’s very sensible.

Transfer news from the other day:

“Manchester City have agreed a £27m deal to sell Oscar Bobb to Fulham, with the terms including a 20% sell-on clause. City also have matching rights to buy the Norwegian back should a fee be agreed for his sale in future.”

“Manchester United fear Patrick Dorgu could be out for a prolonged period because of the muscle injury he sustained in Sunday’s 3-2 win at Arsenal, in what would be a blow to Michael Carrick’s resurgent side. While tests are still to confirm the prognosis there is concern the Dane has a hamstring problem that will cause him to miss several weeks, with some reports stating his absence may be more than two months.”

“It’s always a tough place to come,” says Marco Silva. “I understand your question about Michael Carrick coming in, but it doesn’t matter who is in the dugout … the last two games can give them the good feelings and the confidence … but we have to handle that. We will look at ourselves. If we can play our game, we are capable of creating problems for Manchester United too.”

BTW, I initially wrote in the preamble that United beat Brighton in the FA Cup last month. That was incorrect and I apologise.

About 12.30pm I caught Steve Crompton, of the 1958, a Manchester United fan group, at the the junction of Sir Matt Busby Way and Chester Road, about their latest protest, which is directed at Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the largest single minority owner, in addition to the Glazers, the majority proprietors.

In a nutshell 1958 want Ratcliffe and the six American siblings out. He was asked what the club might look like if Ineos chief executive and the Glazers still controlled it in a decade.

“Disneyland? Right. That’s exactly where he’s heading. And in fairness, this isn’t just Man United. You know, football in general is heading the wrong way. Absolutely wrong way. The Americanisation of the sport is happening in front of our eyes, and it’s how it stopped, I don’t know.”

There is a fan protest occurring at Old Trafford and Jamie Jackson is our man on the scene …

“Bryan’s got an eye for goal,” says Manchester United interim manager Carrick of Mbeumo. “His movement’s really good, he’s a combination player, as well as a threat in behind. I think it was just a really good mix for the first two games [City and Arsenal] … we’ve got options, it’s great to have options, and flexibility across the front line … Bryan’s done fantastic. Him and Bruno [Fernandes] have had a really good link-up and the goals have had a big impact for us.”

How does Carrick keep the players focused with all the “outside noise”?

“I think it’s important, when you’re inside here, inside the football, I think it’s all pretty calm and quiet, really. Whatever goes on outside, we can’t let that affect us, and it hasn’t. We’ve spoken about it a little bit but it’s more about what we want to do to be at our best, that’s all our “brain space” is focused on. And it has to be like that.”

He adds that Mason Mount took a little knock in training but will be back “very, very soon.”

“He’s one of those managers who wants players to run,” pundit Ashley Young says of Sean Dyche, who was just interviewed before Nottingham Forest’s home tie against Crystal Palace, also kicking off at 2pm.

As opposed to one of those managers who wants players to have a nice little lie-down, I guess.