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Everton v Burnley, Aston Villa v Brentford, and more: football – live

LIVE Updated 
Sat 6 Apr 2024 11.14 EDTFirst published on Sat 6 Apr 2024 08.40 EDT
Brentford keeper Mark Flekken attempts to stop the ball from crossing the line from Ollie Watkins’ header, but he failed and Aston Villa have the lead.
Brentford keeper Mark Flekken attempts to stop the ball from crossing the line from Ollie Watkins’ header, but he failed and Aston Villa have the lead. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Brentford keeper Mark Flekken attempts to stop the ball from crossing the line from Ollie Watkins’ header, but he failed and Aston Villa have the lead. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

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Key events

GOAL! Luton 0-1 Bournemouth (Tavernier, 52)

After missed chances at both ends at Kenilworth Road, Bournemouth finally take the lead. Tavernier had hit the woodwork earlier in the game but he lashes home this time.

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.

Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers slots the ball home to break his Premier League duck … Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters
Which he’s understandably rather happy about. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images
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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.”

Everton fans protest against their Premier League points deduction. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images/Reuters

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

  • Blackburn 0-0 Southampton

  • Cardiff 0-2 Hull

  • Coventry 1-0 Leeds

  • Huddersfield 0-0 Millwall

  • Leicester 1-1 Birmingham

  • Middlesbrough 1-0 Swansea

  • QPR 0-0 Sheff Weds

  • Stoke 0-1 West Brom

  • Sunderland 0-0 Bristol City

  • Watford 0-0 Preston

HT scores – Premier League

  • Aston Villa 1-0 Brentford

  • Everton 1-0 Burnley

  • Fulham 0-0 Newcastle

  • Luton 0-0 Bournemouth

  • Wolves 1-0 West Ham

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.

Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin looks surprised to have opened the scoring against Burnley. Photograph: Peter Powell/Reuters
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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.

Heidenheim's players and fans are joyous after Tim Kleindienst (centre) notches their second goal and gets the score back on level pegging. Photograph: Leonhard Simon/Reuters
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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.

Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins heads goalwards against Brentford … Photograph: Craig Brough/Action Images/Reuters
Brentford keeper Mark Flekken attempts to stop the ball from crossing the line … Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Flekken pushes the ball onto the post after which Leon Bailey bundles the ball into the net, but it may have already crossed the line. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images
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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.

Newcastle United's Fabian Schar and Dan Burn go up for a header with Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters
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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.

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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.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Pablo Sarabia scores their first goal from the penalty spot against West Ham. Photograph: Molly Darlington/Reuters
Then salutes the fans. Photograph: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
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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.

West Ham United's Emerson Palmieri bundles over Wolverhampton Wanderers' Rayan Ait-Nouri and the referee points to the spot. Photograph: Molly Darlington/Reuters
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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.

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?”

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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.

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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.

Coventry City's Ellis Simms heads home from close range to open the scoring. Photograph: Barrington Coombs/PA
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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.

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.

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:

  • Blackburn v Southampton

  • Cardiff v Hull

  • Huddersfield v Millwall

  • Leicester v Birmingham

  • Middlesbrough v Swansea

  • QPR v Sheff Weds

  • Stoke v West Brom

  • Sunderland v Bristol City

  • Watford v Preston

The Norwich City players look pretty pleased with their win. Photograph: Nigel French/PA
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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Marcelino Núñez is mobbed by teammates after putting Norwich 1-0 up in the derby. Photograph: Nigel French/PA

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).

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