Key events
GOAL! Burnley 0-2 Brighton (Wieffer 89)
Two for Wieffer, two for Brighton. A gut-punch for home fans at Turf Moor after coming so close to equalising. 12 points from safety, six games left for Burnley. They are all but relegated.
GOAL! Hearts 2-1 Motherwell (Shankland 87 pen)
Penalty for the home side! A strange one as Steven Welsh tries to flick the ball and catches the back of Kabore’s head instead as he falls.
Lawrence Shankland dispatches his 13th goal of the season and Tynecastle roars. This should keep them three points clear of Celtic.
Championship: A late equaliser at Bramall Lane. Gustavo Hamer puts it to the Hull goalkeeper’s left to make it 1-1. One feels that Sheffield United are almost safe.
Gary Naylor writes in: “Does anyone think that Michael Kayode should have the nickname Wile E? That might work best if he’s chasing Adama Traore down the wing.
Also, like, I suspect, many an Everton fan, finishing ahead of Liverpool matters much more than a European place.”
GOAL! Brentford 2-1 Everton (Igor Thiago 76)
Who else could it be? In truth, it will go down as one of his most fortuitous goals of a prolific campaign. Michael Kayode made it, cutting in from the right and scything past a couple of Everton defenders. He shot, the ball hit Thiago’s midriff as he made a run into space and wrong-footed Jordan Pickford.
Brentford are up to sixth, as it stands.
Championship: John Lundstram is sent off at Sheffield United. Now a man down, Hull City have 15-odd minutes to hold on to their 1-0 lead. As things stand, they will finish the day fifth in the Championship.
Premier League: Everton come close at the Gtech. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is one-on-one with Kelleher but delays and squanders the chance.
Meanwhile, Fulham are unchanged at Anfield but Liverpool has made four switches to the midweek XI. Rob Smyth will tell you who’s come in and plenty more besides.
League One: Tom Bradshaw makes it 3-0 for Barnsley away to beleaguered Rotherham. Lee Clark has not been able to stop the rot.
Championship: England international goal-scorer Taylor Harwood-Bellis (remember that?) scores by doing what he does best, with a precise header. 2-1 for Southampton, who continue their sublime form.
League One: Dan Kemp puts Alex Revell’s Stevenage ahead at promotion-chasing Bradford City. They could yet face one another in the play-offs next month. The table as it stands:
Premier League: A sublime save from Caoimhín Kelleher stops Everton from making it 2-1. He was moving one way to stop a shot, it got deflected, and he stuck out a leg to divert it.
In the Championship, Preston have come from behind to lead 2-1 at Charlton, courtesy of Brad Potts.
Scottish Premiership: Hearts are level. Claudio Braga makes it 1-1, getting the final touch. VAR are having a look, mind… and it stands! Bodies everywhere, it wasn’t pretty, but the Tynecastle tifosi won’t care.
And in the Championship, Leo Scienza has made it the same scoreline for Southampton at home to Derby. He cuts onto his right foot and curls it beyond the goalkeeper.
Premier League: An hour in and Burnley are on top, pushing for an equaliser at home to Brighton. Bart Verbruggen makes a save on instinct with his legs to stop a Flemming shot on the turn.
League Two: Cambridge had their goalkeeper sent off in the first half but no matter, James Gibbons has just put them 4-0 up against Notts County.
At the bottom of the table, Joe Thomas makes it 2-1 for Newport against Harrogate. And it is an absolute belter, returning a cleared corner from the edge of the box with interest.
Championship: Jesurun Rak-Sakyi equalises and makes it 1-1 for Stoke at home to Blackburn.
Goal glutton Zan Vipotnik scored minutes ago for Swansea to put them ahead away to Leicester City. Can Gary Rowett’s players strike back?
Scottish Premiership: Emmamuel Longelo puts Motherwell ahead at Hearts. The leaders are good for a late goal, but they could be set to lose their unbeaten home league record. Celtic are breathing down their necks too…
Disallowed goal for Burnley
There was a VAR check which lasted several minutes. Bashir Humphreys fired home, but he was marginally offisde. Heartbreak for home fans as Jack Hinshelwood was very close to playing him on. They have had two wafer-thin calls go against them today.
Premiership: Brentford’s Nathan Collins powers a header against the crossbar, with Pickford nowhere near it. That was close. The west Londoners are turning the screw.
Bundesliga update. With few goals in the second-half, let’s see how things are going in Germany.
Dortmund are 1-0 down at home to Leverkusen, with about 15 minutes left for the second-placed side to salvage something. Bottom side Heidenheim are 2-1 up against Union Berlin. Leipzig and Mönchengladbach is goalless, while Eintracht Frankfurt lead 2-0 against Wolfsburg.
Survival chances look slim for Steve McLaren’s former side, who were in the Champions League group stage as recently as 2022.
Any more for any more in the clockwatch mailbag? Send your moans, missives and monologues to me here, whether at the match or watching from your sofa.
The Grand National is about to start at Aintree for those who fancy a quick half-time follow. John Brewin will be typing at warp speed during the race:
Half-time scores
Scores on the doors after the first 45 minutes from the land’s most prestigious leagues.
Premier League
Brentford 1-1 Everton
Burnley 0-1 Brighton
Scottish Premiership
Championship
Championship: Leicester and Swansea go in at half-time goalless. The 2015-16 Premier League champions could be going down to the third tier this season. Here’s how the underbelly of the Championship looks currently:
GOAL! Burnley 0-1 Brighton (Wieffer 43)
Curse of the commentator, eh? Brighton are in front. Pascal Gross slips his man, finds some space on the left and Mats Wieffer meets his ball in with a neat, low finish, ghosting into the box unmarked. No chance for Dubravka, diving to his left in vain.
Premier League: Danny Welbeck has a penalty shout turned down at Burnley, taken down after breaking into the box.
Not much to report otherwise since that disallowed early goal for the home side.
Championship: Carlton Morris makes it 1-0 for Derby away to Southampton. Not many would have that on the cards, given their red-hot form and FA Cup run. They are only outside the play-off positions on goal difference.
Meanwhile in League Two, Jack Evans makes it 1-1 for Harrogate, bottom of the League pyramid, at relegation rivals Newport. A lifeline.
League One: Nathan Lowe puts Michael Duff’s Wycombe a goal up at Huddersfield. Both teams are trying to keep up their faint hopes of a play-off place.
On the other side of Yorkshire, Adam Phillips gives Barnsley the lead at Rotherham. Nine points from safety, Lee Clark’s men have a mountain to climb.
Premier League: Brentford are back in control and it takes a smart Jordan Pickford save at full-stretch to deny Jensen, whose shot nearly crept into the back of the net at the near post.
He may have given away the early penalty, but that was Yashin-esque.
League Two: Shayne Lavery adds another for Cambridge, who are set to leapfrog opponents Notts County into third as things stand. Oh, and it’s three! In front of their biggest home league attendance since 1991, James Gibbons adds another.
Will Boyle puts Shrewsbury ahead against Oldham.
GOAL! Brentford 1-1 Everton (Beto 26)
Everton are level: Beto peels off his marker and scores with a header from point-blank range. Protests of a foul on Lewis-Potter fall on deaf ears; he was the man at fault, giving the ball away in possession in the corner, allowing O’Brien to set up Gueye for the cross.
Simon McMahon writes in: “Big day at the top and bottom of the Scottish Premier with the final round of fixtures ahead of the league split. Game of the day is at Tannadice Tynecastle where leaders Hearts, unbeaten at home in the league this season, will be desperate for three points against this season’s hipsters’ team of choice Motherwell and maintain the pressure on Celtic and Rangers.
“Celtic should take care of St. Mirren in Glasgow today, while Rangers should do the same to this season’s surprise package Falkirk tomorrow. Defeat for Livingston at Dundee United would all but ensure their relegation, but the play-off spot could get interesting depending on the outcome of Kilmarnock v Dundee and Aberdeen v Hibs. All to play for, then…”
Championship: Myles Peart-Harris wallops into the back of the net to give Oxford a precious lead against Watford. A win here could take them out of the relegation zone.
Adam Forshaw just scored a 20-yard peach away for Blackburn away to Stoke, who are also very close to the drop.
Hull City are also one up away to Sheffield United, looking to safeguard a place in the play-offs in the next few games.
Scottish Premiership: After a couple of blocked shots by St Mirren players, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain puts Celtic ahead with a cultured finish. They are looking to keep the heat on Hearts this afternoon.
Joe Hugill has also given Kilmarnock the lead against Dundee.
National League: Woking are a goal to the good against Morecambe. Defeat today would seal relegation for the Lancashire team, who have had a tumultuous season.
Premier League: A disallowed goal for Burnley and Jaidon Anthony, offside. Eleven points from safety, seven games left. If they are going to seal an unlikely survival, one feels they have to beat Brighton at home and start to close the gap.
Wonder how many away fans have made that 10-hour round-trip in the hope of a viable victory on the road.
League Two: Cambridge United are already a goal to the good at home to Notts County. As fourth playing third, they could leapfrog their opponents if things stay the same.
At the other end of the table, in a relegation six-pointer, Nathaniel Opoku scores an important opener for Newport County after some dire Harrogate defending. Here is how things stand at the basement:
GOAL! Brentford 1-0 Everton (Igor Thiago 3 pen)
A stop-start, stuttering penalty from Igor Thiago, but he does the job, scoring his 20th league goal. Pickford should have got closer than he did. A dream start for the west Londoners.
Penalty to Brentford!
Jordan Pickford brings down Schade with his foot after he knocks the ball past him one-on-one. Yellow card for the England international and a chance for the home side to move into the lead, just 40 seconds into the match.
Peep!
The whistles go around the grounds for kick-off.
We’ll keep the keenest eye on the pair of Premier League 3pm kick-offs, as well as action at the top of the Scottish Premier League. Keep those emails and thoughts rolling in, you can reach me here.
Key fixtures
Our pick of the matches kicking off at 3pm. Two rivals for European qualification have the same number of points. Can Brentford put daylight between themselves and Everton?
Premier League
Championship
Middlesbrough (4th) v Portsmouth (21st)
Southampton (6th) v Derby (8th)
Oxford (23rd) v Watford (12th)
League One
League Two
Scottish Premiership
As we turn our attention to 3pm kick-offs, Andy McGrath is back in the clockwatch chair.
Ed Aarons
Scott and Bournemouth deal blow to nervy Arsenal’s title hopes
For Arsenal’s longsuffering supporters, the emotional strain is reaching unbearable levels. They could only watch in stunned disbelief as Alex Scott’s goal 16 minutes from time condemned the Premier League leaders to a defeat they must fear will prove to be extremely significant.
While Arsenal still lead Manchester City by nine points, a defeat at the Etihad next Sunday could give City an opportunity to draw level on points if they beat Chelsea tomorrow and then win their game in hand against Crystal Palace. Having set the pace since the start of October, that is the nightmare scenario Arsenal must now come to terms with. Bournemouth, who have now gone 12 matches unbeaten, were excellent value for their second victory in succession here after Eli Kroupi Junior gave them an early lead.
Read Ed Aaron’s full report from the Emirates here:
Jamie Jackson
Carrick part of the decision making process at Old Trafford despite temporary role
Michael Carrick, who has taken an admirable 23 points from his 10 matches as Manchester United interim manager, is a strong voice inside the club despite his role being temporary – for now, at least.
Earlier this week Harry Maguire signed a fresh one-year contract and Carrick was asked how involved he was in this and regarding plans for pre-season.
“In the role I’m in, there’s these decisions you need taking care of, I said it as soon as I came here. I’m part of that and whatever that looks like moving forward, I’m part of that.
“Certainly there’s conversations in different directions and different things that I’m definitely part of. I think it should be that way anyway, because things need doing. I’m here to take care of that.”
National League: York held on for a 1-0 win at Tamworth to extend their lead at the top of the table. Second-place Rochdale play Wealdstone later on with a chance to cut the gap to two points with two games to go.
Full-time Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth
Amid all of the EFL action, the full-time whistle went at the Emirates sealing a result that definitely makes the title race a lot more interestng. Barry Glendenning has the reaction here:
League Two: Bromley miss the chance to be promoted today, they could not find an equaliser against 10-man MK Dons, that one finished 2-1. Bristol Rovers were able to add a bit of polish to the scoreline against Crawley with Yusuf Akhamrich making it 3-1 late on.
League One: All the 12.30pm kick-offs are finished, Cardiff beat Bolton 2-0, Lincoln held on to beat Orient 2-1 and Plymouth v Exeter finished all square.
Full-time: Norwich 0-2 Ipswich
A league double over their bitter rivals keeps Ipswich just about in the title race and firmly in the promotion picture as they climb to second.
Full-time: Coventry 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday
A goalless draw against the bottom side and Ipswich beating Norwich means Coventry cannot go up today.
Team news: Brentford v Everton
Brentford XI: Kelleher, Lewis-Potter, Collins, Van den Berg, Kayode, Jensen, Yarmoliuk, Schade, Damsgaard, Ouattara, Thiago
Subs: Valdimarsson, Pinnock, Nelson, Ajer, Donovan, Bentt, Shield, Stephenson, Owen.
Everton XI: Pickford, Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, O’Brien, Garner, Gueye, Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, McNeil, Beto
Subs: Travers, Patterson, Keane, Barry, George, Dibling, Coleman, Rohl, Iroegbunam.
Team news: Burnley v Brighton
Burnley XI: Dubravka, Ekdal, Humphreys, Esteve, Hartman, Ugochukwu, Ward-Prowse, Edwards, Luis, Anthony, Flemming.
Subs: Weiss, Walker, Worrall, Larsen, Foster, Tchaouna, Pires, Broja, Tresor.
Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Wieffer, Van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu, Ayari, Gross, Gomez, Hinshelwood, Minteh, Welbeck.
Subs: Steele, Julio, March, Rutter, Baleba, Kostoulas, Mitoma, De Cuyper, Veltman.
