Key events
Bowen is made of stern stuff. He’s soldiering on for the Hammers as they look to respond to Pablo Sarabia’s penalty at Molineux. Ben Johnson and Michail Antonio were introduced by David Moyes at the break, by the way.
49 mins: A possible problem here for Jarrod Bowen, and concern for West Ham with a big European tie against Leverkusen around the corner. Bowen has stayed down for a while after taking a blow to the ribs. Ouch.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-0 Brentford (Rogers, 46)
What a way to start the second half at Villa Park. It’s Morgan Rogers’ first goal in the Premier League. A lovely move and a classy strike.
Brentford = work to do.
More FFP/points deductions chat from our readers:
Jim Driskell: “It seems awfully unfair to be docking some of the smaller teams points when it seems quite likely that the rules will changed by next year and penalties will be imposed financially (which the wealthier teams can handle). Quite the farce.”
Justin Kavanagh: “Points deductions are to the 2020s what ‘early reducers’ were to the 1970s and 80s: totally misdirected destroyers of everything fans love about football (skill, fair play, a good relegation battle, etc). Well done, administrators. Bring hooliganism back, while you’re at it.”
The only first-half goals in the Scottish Premiership have been scored by Dundee (Jordan McGhee making it 1-0 against Motherwell), and Jorge Grant’s penalty for Hearts at St Mirren. Goalless elsewhere.
HT – League One and Two
The standout scorelines in the third tier are Portsmouth 2-1 Shrewsbury and Charlton 2-1 Barnsley. Pompey’s promotion party looks to be close.
In the fourth tier, meanwhile, Mansfield 0-2 Crawley is the big surprise, while Stockport are now 3-1 up at Sutton. Playoff hopefuls Barrow are 2-0 down at home to Swindon.
HT scores – Championship
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Blackburn 0-0 Southampton
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Cardiff 0-2 Hull
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Coventry 1-0 Leeds
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Huddersfield 0-0 Millwall
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Leicester 1-1 Birmingham
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Middlesbrough 1-0 Swansea
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QPR 0-0 Sheff Weds
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Stoke 0-1 West Brom
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Sunderland 0-0 Bristol City
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Watford 0-0 Preston
HT scores – Premier League
The half-time whistles are starting to sound around the country. Summaries incoming.
GOAL! Everton 1-0 Burnley (Calvert-Lewin, 45)
On the brink of half-time, DCL has put Everton ahead. The Toffees haven’t played well, Calvert-Lewin’s not had a sniff. But nobody will care now.
Championship: Drama! Birmingham have hit back at Leicester. Jay Stansfield’s goal will be celebrated as much in Ipswich and Leeds as it is in the second city.
Meanwhile, Hull have doubled their lead at Cardiff. Bluebirds 0-2 Tigers there.
What on earth is going on at Bayern Munich?
2-0 up at German minnows Heidenheim, they were cruising towards a much-needed win, with Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry – they ex of north London – on target. Then something odd happened. Heidenheim scored twice in the space of a minute early in the second half. It’s 2-2 and game on, while Bayer Leverkusen are 1-0 up at Union Berlin.
League One: It’s been an entertaining first half at Fratton Park. Portsmouth were pegged back by Shrewsbury, but have just retaken the lead via a Colby Bishop penalty. A Pompey win today would put them in the box seat for promotion.
League Two: MK Dons and Stockport are both in front, while Mansfield trail 2-0. The battle for the automatic spots in the fourth tier is very much on.
Oh. There is some debate over whether this is Watkins’ goal or not. He headed it goalwards, Mark Flekken made a half-save, the post was involved, but Leon Bailey followed it in to make sure. One for the dubious goals panel.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Brentford (Watkins, 39)
WHO ELSE BUT …
Yes, Ollie Watkins has opened the scoring at Villa Park. Check your FPL teams.
38 mins: Newcastle have finally woken from their slumber at Craven Cottage. Maybe they’d been using the spa facilities in the new Riverside Stand pre-match? Anyhow, Anthony Gordon has twice gone close on the counterattack, but it remains goalless.
35 mins: I’m not watching Everton 0-0 Burnley, but Michael Dawson has just described the fare on offer at Goodison as “pretty boring”. The stats tell me that very little has happened so far.
Anyone fancy staying up? No?
Championship: You suspect Cardiff and Hull are both Citys that have left it a little too late to launch a playoff push this season. On-loan Liverpool starlet Fábio Carvalho has broken the deadlock for the Tigers in the Welsh capital, however, to lift the visitors’ spirits. That’s some journey from Humberside to Cardiff, let me tell you.
GOAL! Wolves 1-0 West Ham (Sarabia, 33)
The penalty is drilled in off the post by Pablo Sarabia. It only just wriggled in!
Wanderers lead this mid-table battle.
31 mins: Wolves have a penalty at Molineux. Emerson Palmieri is penalised for a sloppy tackle and the home side will get a chance to capitalise on their early dominance, VAR pending.
Championship: A huge goal for Leicester, as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall nets at the King Power! Three points would take the Foxes back to the top of the Championship.
*Wind stopped play*
🚨MATCH ABANDONED🚨
The match has been called off due to heavy winds and unplayable conditions.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused 🙏
— Edinburgh City FC (@EdinburghCityFC) April 6, 2024
Championship: Mercy me, another goal! Mikey Johnston has put West Brom 1-0 in front at Stoke, who are one of the many sides in the second tier at risk of plunging into the drop zone, and potentially joining Rotherham in League One for 24/25.
Manchester United might not beat Liverpool tomorrow (they definitely won’t) but their Under-18s are conquering all and sundry right now. They beat their Merseyside counterparts 9-1 (NINE) earlier today.
Any chance of a goal in the Premier League or Championship?
We’re 22 minutes into most games and we’ve had only one so far …
Two more readers wade into the debate about Everton’s further impending points deduction and the general discombobulation caused by PSR, FFP and other annoying and hard-to-understand acronyms …
Spurs fan Nicholas Bentley says: “I just wanted to give a little shout out to all the long suffering Everton fans out there, my thoughts are with you (massive soft spot for your club, no idea why, but mostly because you aren’t Liverpool) and I believe the day of reckoning will be coming for Manchester City. Despite their smugness.
”No club is too big to go down (Leeds, Leicester, Aston Villa) but I will be desperately sad if [Everton] do. I have no problem with clubs being penalised for breaking the rules but this process must be fair and transparent. One cannot describe the current situation as that. Best league in the world TM etc …”
Colin Young adds: “Regarding Gary Naylor’s spot-on comments about points deductions, I literally overheard the following the other day. It was heartbreaking:
(Young lad with Dad walking through park)
Lad: Dad, so like, how do points deductions work, then?
Dad: Umm… well… yeah… (fade into mumbling distance)…
Lad: But I don’t understaaaaand!!
Not great for the game, is it?”
Fulham are on top against Newcastle; Brentford are pushing hard for the opener at Villa Park and Luton have nearly gone a whole 20 minutes without conceding a goal.
The pure unpredictability of the Premier League, eh?
An update from Scotland from our (unofficial) correspondent Simon McMahon:
Hi Dominic. The big game in Glasgow – today, at least – is at Hampden, where Dundee United face Queens Park, looking to build on their best performance of the season last week against Raith Rovers and maintain their lead over the Fifers at the top of the Scottish Championship. Five more wins and United will be champions. Easier said than done – especially when you hit the bar and miss a penalty in the first 10 minutes as United have just done.
A mention also for Stenhousemuir in Scottish League Two who will secure the first league title in their history if they beat East Fife today.
It’s been a quiet start in the Premier League in terms of goals. I’d suggest Luton, Burnley and Brentford should be making the running in their respective games. None of them can particularly afford to lose today.
Marcus Tavernier has struck the woodwork for Bournemouth at Kenilworth Road.
Coventry 1-0 Leeds: Ellis Simms. Maybe Everton shouldn’t have let him go? He could have bagged them a goal or two you’d think. He’s scored again for Cov and it’s an early hammer blow for promotion-chasing Leeds United. Work to do for them.
Andy Flintoff emails a response to Gary Naylor:
Man City are facing 100+ charges regarding financial shenanigans, and the Premier League is no nearer to resolving those.
League Two: A couple of early goals have gone in that may prove crucial in the promotion race. Mansfield are trailing 1-0 at home to Crawley, while Stockport have gone a goal up at Sutton.
Meanwhile, in issues that really matter …
Before the early goals inevitably start flooding in, we’ll start with an email from Gary Naylor:
A win for either Everton or Burnley will be greeted with optimistic ecstasy, but if you think VAR kills the spontaneity, it’s positively benign compared to the mysterious panel with their mysterious points docking. If this farce of uncertainty was affecting the other end of the table, it would have been sorted months ago. Except, of course, it is and it isn’t.
Quite, Gary. Quite.
KICK OFF
Peeeeeeeepp!! Whistles go around the country. In complete unison, of course.
David Moyes says it was a “hard choice” leaving Michail Antonio on the bench for today’s game at Wolves – despite two goals in his past three games – while Gary O’Neil has no qualms in keeping Matheus Cunha among the substitutes despite his comeback from injury.
It looks to be a tale of no strikers in that mid-table clash, with Pablo Sarabia and Jarrod Bowen acting as false nines for their respective sides.
And John Brewin was at Selhurst Park to watch Kevin de Bruyne inspire Manchester City to a vital, and entertaining, victory in the context of the title race.
Arsenal will be the next of the championship-chasing trio to have their say; they’re in action at 5.30pm (BST) today at Brighton.
Nick Ames’ report from Carrow Road has landed. And the Canary has landed … something something.
Norwich 1-0 Ipswich is a full-time score. Huge result for the Canaries, who will now believe a playoff spot can be theirs. It’s also a boost to Leeds, Leicester and Southampton in the race for the Championship autos.
All three of those clubs are in action in the 3pm games, which in the Championship are:
Thomas Frank has explained why Ivan Toney is only fit enough for a spot on the Brentford bench today …
Thomas on Ivan Toney
“It was tough to leave him out. He has a small muscle injury in his hip that affects him. He played the full Brighton game with it. This is his fourth match in quick succession; I want him fresh for the rest of the season. He is on the bench if we need him” pic.twitter.com/4IjAX0GqeE
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) April 6, 2024
Wolves v West Ham – team news
Wolves: Sá, S.Bueno, Kilman, Toti, Semedo, J.Gomes, Doyle, Doherty, Aït-Nouri, M.Lemina, Sarabia
Subs: Bentley, Traoré, Dawson, H.Bueno, N.Lemina, Chirewa, Chiwome, Fraser, Cunha
West Ham: Fabianski, Coufal, Mavrapanos, Zouma, Emerson, Alvarez, Soucek, Kudus, Paquetá, Ward-Prowse, Bowen
Subs: Anang, Johnson, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Aguerd, Phillips, Cornet, Ings, Antonio
Luton v Bournemouth – team news
Luton: Kaminski, Hashioka, Mengi, Burke, Kaboré, Clark, Chong, Barkley, Doughty, Townsend, Morris
Subs: Shea, Krul, Berry, Woodrow, Mpanzu, Onyedinma, Johnson, Nelson, Piesold
Bournemouth: Neto, Smith, Zabarnyi, Kelly, Kerkez, Cook, Christie, Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo, Solanke
Subs: Travers, Aarons, Favre, Dango, Scott, Senesi, Hill, Ünal, Billing
Fulham v Newcastle – team news
Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Tosin, Bassey, Robinson, Palhinha, Cairney, Willian, Iwobi, Pereira, Muniz
Subs: Rodak, Ream, Lukic, Decordova-Reid, Traoré, Wilson, Broja, R.Jiménez
Newcastle: Dubravka, Krafth, Schär, Burn, Hall, Longstaff, Guimarães, Willock, J.Murphy, Gordon, Isak
Subs: Karius, Gillespie, Dummett, Ritchie, A.Murphy, White, Diallo, Anderson, Barnes
Everton v Burnley – team news
Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Young, Gomes, Garner, McNeil, Doucouré, Calvert-Lewin
Subs: Virginia, Lonergan, Patterson, Keane, Godfrey, Warrington, Harrison, Chermiti, Beto
Burnley: Muric, Assignon, Estève, O’Shea, Taylor, Cullen, Berge, Bruun Larsen, Odobert, Fofana, Foster
Subs: Vigouroux, Cork, Gudmunsson, Brownhill, Rodriguez, Benson, Vitinho, Amdouni, Delcroix
Aston Villa v Brentford – team news
Aston Villa: Martínez, Konsa, D.Carlos, Torres, Digne, McGinn, Luiz, Tielemans, Rogers, Bailey, Watkins
Subs: Olsen, Moreno, Chambers, Kesler-Hayden, Kellyman, Iroegbunam, Zaniolo, Diaby, Durán.
Brentford: Flekken, Roerslev, Ajer, Zanka, Collins, Reguilon, Janelt, Jensen, Damsgaard, Mbeumo, Wissa
Subs: Strakosha, Ji-Soo, Yarmoliuk, Onyeka, Lewis-Potter, Ghoddos, Baptiste, Maupay, Toney
Prepare for team news. The 3pm-ers are about to drop their official teamsheets in five …
Whether you’re a fan or not of the term ‘Old Farm Derby’, what’s unarguable is that today’s meeting of Norwich and Ipswich is a biggie.
A 39th minute free-kick from Chilean midfield sensation Marcelino Núñez is currently the difference between the two rivals at Carrow Road. A Norwich win would certainly throw a spanner in the works of the Tractor Boys’ promotion wheels, so to speak.
Speaking of Phil Foden … eyebrows were raised when he was left on the bench for Manchester City’s lunchtime clash with Crystal Palace today – and even more surprising was the Eagles flying into a 1-0 lead early on. But order has since been restored courtesy of Kevin de Bruyne and Rico Lewis, with City now odds-on to keep the title pressure on Arsenal and Liverpool.
Preamble
Hello, hello and welcome to the show. We’ve got a whopping five 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League, with the main focus on what’s happening near the bottom of the table. Everton – who don’t seem to have won a game since the discovery of penicillin – face Burnley, who are still 19th despite going on an unbeaten run of four games.
After getting diced up by Phil Foden on Wednesday, Aston Villa face Brentford, who must still be a touch nervy about being 15th, while Luton really, really, really need three points against Bournemouth – a hard-earned point simply won’t do as we get closer to the end. Newcastle head to Fulham, while Wolves are at West Ham, but there’s more … don’t forget the Championship.
An exhilarating title race continues, with second-placed Leeds taking on Coventry and third-placed Leicester entertaining Birmingham. We’ll keep a bit of an eye on Europe, too, with Bayern and Leverkusen in action at the top of the typically, ahem, uncompetitive Bundesliga.
My inbox is always free for your thoughts, fears, dreams and whatever else you feel like sending me (within reason).
