Key events
Full-time: Wolves 3-0 Everton
Another good result for Gary O’Neill’s Wolves. Everton are tough to beat so this is a fine win.
We might have an answer on Dyche here:
Full-time: Crystal Palace 3-1 Brentford
Olise delivers for the Eagles, a first win in nine for Roy Hodgson’s side.
We have nine minutes of added time at Villa Park. Will there be another twist?
Full-time: Manchester City 2-0 Sheffield United
All over, routine win for City. The Blades were very passive after the break.
Goal! Aston Villa 3-2 Burnley (Douglas Luis 89, pen)
Late heartbreak for Burnley as Douglas Luis sees his penalty go in off the underside of the bar.
We have a penalty at Villa Park, it’s soft but Douglas Luis will take it…
Not only did Arbroath keeper Ali Adams score an unlikely goal but it was a thunderbolt. I was hoping he would have keeper gloves on, but you can’t have everything.
More mispronounciation gripes, David Howell (probably not the golfer) emails in:
Why does almost everyone still pronounce Kevin de Bruyne’s surname as ‘de BROY-nuh’ given how he’s pointed out it’s ‘de BRU-nuh’? The only exceptions I can think of are Derek Rae, 5 Live’s excellent John Murray, and… Sam Matterface tries but usually finds a new and original mispronunciation, which just about sums up the real Alan Partridge in him.
83min: This is very comfortable for City, just stroking it around. Surely we’ll see De Bruyne soon?
Simon McMahon has a fitba update:
Still no goals at Forfar, the home side seemingly happy to settle for a point after being reduced to 10 men in the first half. In the Scottish Championship an injury forced Arbroath to send on their substitute goalkeeper to play up front against Raith, and they then promptly conceded again to trail 2-0.
Wait, there’s more:
Hang on! The goalie has just scored to make it 2-1!
This was minute’s ago, Leighton McIntosh has just made it Raith 2-2 Arbroath from the penalty spot. It’s also 2-2 between Hearts and Ross County.
A couple of emails on the Dyche pronounciation to update on…
Kieran Geoghegan muses:
I’ve always wondered if he thinks he’d be a top-four boss if his name was Dicci.
Marcos thinks he has the answer:
According to Wikipedia, Dyche’s name is “Sean Mark Dyche, pronounced /daɪtʃ/.” For those who don’t read IPA, that is indeed Deisshhh. As we all know, Wikipedia is 100% reliable at all times, so case closed as far as I’m concerned.
Goal! Aston Villa 2-2 Burnley (Foster 71)
Villa are done by a long ball! Ten-man Burnley are back in it as Foster races on to a flick-on and beats Emi Martinez.
Wolves denied a fourth. Hwang has it in the net but a quick VAR check reveals he’d gone too soon and was offside.
74mins: Nervy moment for Foderingham as he is closed down by Alvarez, the keeper’s clearance ricochets behind for a goal kick.
The Premier League action continues later on. John Brewin is your man for Forest v Manchester United:
I’ve now seen it, nailed on handball.
VAR controversy at Villa Park! Mike Dean on Soccer Saturday says he doesn’t know how Burnley aren’t awarded a penalty against Diego Carlos for handball. More on that as I can grift some images from the Internet.
Goal! Crystal Palace 3-1 Brentford (Olise 58)
Wonderful goal from Olise, driving at the heart of the Brentford defence skipping past challenges and placing a low shot home. Ii think we should be *officially* worried about Brentford.
Goal! Wolves 3-0 Everton (Dawson 61)
He nearly got one earlier but now he is on the scoresheet, Dawson deepens Everton’s woes.
Red card!
Burnley down to ten as Sander Berge earns a second yellow for a pull back. Long way back from here.
Goal! Manchester City 2-0 Sheffield United (Alvarez 61)
That is a textbook City goal, Bobb slips in Foden on the left hand side of the box, he rolls it across the six-yard box where Alvarez is sliding in at the back post.
Goal! Wolves 2-0 Everton (Cunha 53)
Second shot on target, second goal for Wolves. Matheus Cunha wanted it more at the back post to get on the end of Hwang Hee-chan’s cross.
55mins: Couple of openings for City but it remains 1-0. First Phil Foden latches on to a lofted ball over the top of the United backline, he rounds Foderingham but cannot get the shot off from the angle as his feet become uncharacteristically tangled. Bobb picks up the loose ball and drives into the box, finding Julian Alvarez but the forward blazes his shot over from eight yards out.
51mins: Jack Grealish is going off, which seems early, perhaps a little knock? Oscar Bobb is on.
We don’t have an answer on the Dyche issue, but here’s a nice story from Tom Williams:
The Sean Deisshhh/Dyke issue reminds me of when I met Mark Gatiss on a train in to south Wales. I said to him in the bar carriage (now sadly gone on First Great Western!): “Excuse me, are you Mark Gay-tiss?” He congratulated me on the audacity of pronouncing the first syllable of his first name correctly, as many opt for ‘Gat-iss’. I thought he might be going down to watch Newport County in action, but apparently he was off to film Dr Who. Likely story.
Peeeeep! Peeeep!
Second half is underway at the Etihad (and most other places).
Query for the readers from Phil Woolf:
I’m currently laid up with post-Christmas flu and enjoying the Everton shindig. Do you or any of the readers know why does every single commentator mispronounce Sean Dyche’s surname? He has gone on record as it’s pronounced “Dike”, so why all this sibilant pussyfooting around with “Deischhh” and the likes?
I had no idea it wasn’t “Deischhh”. Anyone else?
National Leaue half-time scores
Barnet 0-0 Southend United
Bromley 2-1 Ebbsfleet United
Kidderminster Harriers 1-2 Boreham Wood
Oldham Athletic 1-0 Hartlepool United
Scottish half-time scores
Scottish Premiership
Aberdeen 0-1 St Mirren
Hearts 0-0 Ross County
Kilmarnock 0-1 Dundee
Motherwell 3-1 Livingston
Scottish Championship
Ayr United 1-2 Dunfermline
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0-0 Greenock Morton
Queen’s Park 1-0 Airdrieonians
Raith Rovers 1-0 Arbroath
Scottish League One
Edinburgh City 0-5 Hamilton Academical
Falkirk 4-0 Stirling Albion
Montrose 1-1 Cove Rangers
Queen of the South 1-1 Annan Athletic
Sottish League Two
Clyde 0-1 Stenhousemuir
Elgin City 1-0 Peterhead
Forfar Athletic 0-0 East Fife
Premier League half-time scores
Aston Villa 2-1 Burnley
Crystal Palace 2-1 Brentford
Manchester City 1-0 Sheffield United
Wolves 1-0 Everton
Half-time: Manchester City 1-0 Sheffield United
Rodri’s strike is the difference at the break.
44min: Rare chance for United as William Osula sees his goalbound effort blocked by Manuel Akanji and turned behind for a corner.
Goal! Aston Villa 2-1 Burnley (Diaby 42)
Watkins sprints in behind the Burnley backline and get to the byline to pull it back for Diaby. There’s a VAR check for offside against Watkins but he is well on.
Goal! Crystal Palace 2-1 Brentford (Eze 39)
The turnaround is complete! Jean-Philippe Mateta fails to control a pass on the edge of the area but Eberechi Eze is running in behind him to collect and slot the ball home.
