Harry Kane scored a hat-trick in a thriller between Spurs and Leicester, Arsenal just about held off a Newcastle fightback, Bafetimbi Gomis struck late at Villa Park – and plenty more
5.02pm GMT
That’ll probably do us for today. Thanks for reading and for all your (generally) excellent input. I suggest you join Alan Smith shortly for his MBM of West Ham v Sunderland, and in the meantime I wish you a great weekend. See you soon.
4.58pm GMT
And Caolan Lavery has equalised for Sheffield Wednesday at Rotherham! Meanwhile, full-time at Vicarage Road, Watford 0-1 Ipswich!
4.58pm GMT
Fulham have smash-and-grabbed it against Huddersfield, winning it 2-0 and seeing Nahki Wells miss TWO penalties!
4.57pm GMT
That goal from Chaplow was in the 95th minute. Wow.
4.57pm GMT
Goal at Vicarage Road!! Richard Chaplow seems to have won it for Ipswich against Watford, right at the end! What a result that would be for the Tractor Boys!
4.56pm GMT
Which means Tim Sherwood is an appalling luddite and should be replaced by AVB ASAP.
4.55pm GMT
Spurs still in the European hunt? Rough luck for Leicester, not for the first time.
4.54pm GMT
Saints still in the European hunt?
4.53pm GMT
Diouf, then a controversial Murray penalty and a Zaha winner. Palace looking very good at the moment.
4.52pm GMT
Wigan equalise at home to Bolton! Martyn Waghorn with an overhead kick in the 94th minute! Does this do much to keep their hopes alive?
4.52pm GMT
Six straight league wins for Arsenal but wow, they were made to work for that in the second half!
4.51pm GMT
Big goal for Bury in League Two! Adam El Abd puts them 2-1 up over Northampton, even though they’re down to 10!
4.51pm GMT
They can’t, can they? Nugent powers towards the box and beats Vorm superbly. This stands to be very frustrating for the visitors.
4.50pm GMT
Brad Guzan goes forward for a corner at Villa Park! But he can’t get onto it and that seems to be Villa done.
4.50pm GMT
Leicester may be adrift at the bottom, but this is the first time anyone has scored four against them all season. Which is a bit odd, and also seems to confirm the impression that they’ve been quite respectable in general play for most of the season. They’ve fallen short in both boxes.
4.48pm GMT
Could have been all over at Villa – Routledge finding himself all alone against Guzan but being denied. So many chances in this one!
4.47pm GMT
Oh, that’s very unlucky for Jeff Schlupp. Eriksen dances into the box, one-on-one with Schmeichel. The ‘keeper blocks but it rebounds off Schlupp, challenging, and bounces into the net. All over, surely, for Leicester.
4.45pm GMT
Is that a late winner? Great work from Jefferson Montero and the finish from the big Frenchman! This game never looked like finishing goalless, but the Swans have left it late.
4.44pm GMT
Another save by Ospina! Kicking a Perez shot away after it was deflected wickedly. Constant pressure from Newcastle now.
4.41pm GMT
It’s now Charlton 3-1 Reading – Simon Church against his old club there.
4.41pm GMT
Ooooh, just seen a replay of that. Did Koscielny catch him? Maybe not, but seen referees give those.
4.39pm GMT
Penalty shout for Newcastle, who have been excellent this half, waved away after Perez goes down in the box. Haven’t seen a replay, and the appeals were lukewarm, but there might have been something there.
4.37pm GMT
Last-ditch tackle from Walker denies Vardy at White Hart Lane – this one ain’t over yet.
4.36pm GMT
Hope for Forest at Carrow Road? Probably not, but Chris Burke has had a say for the visitors. 3-1 there. Cardiff lead Birmingham 2-0 now, Peter Whittingham with the latest of what seems an endless stream of penalties in these second halves.
And Barnsley have equalised against Preston in League One, thanks to Jabo Ibehre – important goal there.
4.35pm GMT
A P Puglisi asks: “With Kane, we’ve reached the point where I’m mostly sure you’re being sarcastic about the ‘greatest penalty ever’. But part of me thinks it might actually have been the greatest pen ever. I’m not watching the match, so I don’t know.”
No, really, it was amazing.
4.34pm GMT
3-1 to Burton at Tranmere now – Abdenasser El Khayati has probably sorted that one.
4.33pm GMT
Big miss from Nacer Chadli at White Hart Lane in the meantime....a cross from the left went all the way through to him at the far post but he blasted well over. Should have settled it there.
4.32pm GMT
Newcastle have Arsenal on the ropes, Remy Cabella really coming alive this half, and the Frenchman has just has another effort saved by Ospina.
And what about that at Huddersfield! Nahki Wells has missed his second penalty of the afternoon! Watch out Martin Palermo....
4.30pm GMT
Another Buyens goal has put Charlton 2-1 up against Reading, and turned the game right round.
4.28pm GMT
Wigan are a goal down to Bolton, a deflected goal by Tom Walker, and that could be a crushing defeat for them. Relegation rivals Rotherham lead Sheffield Wednesday, to compound matters – Ben Pringle with a deflected goal of his own. When your luck’s out...
4.26pm GMT
Kelvin Etuhu has equalised for 10-man Bury in that League Two game with Northampton. And a league higher, MK Dons lead Notts County thanks to Carl Baker.
4.26pm GMT
Looking back at the incident that led to it, Nugent and Rose went for the ball together and it looked rather 50/50 there. Leicester are not happy, and rightly so.
4.25pm GMT
Yes, there we go. Danny Rose was fouled in the box and Kane scored the best penalty anyone has ever seen.
4.24pm GMT
Kane for the hat-trick?
4.22pm GMT
In case you were wondering, Championship leaders Watford (until Bournemouth’s win earlier, anyway) are drawing 0-0 with Ipswich at Vicarage Road.
4.22pm GMT
Ospina saves Arsenal! A deep corner is headed back into the six-yard box and Sissoko flicks it on from point-blank range...and the Colombian parries it away!
4.21pm GMT
Norwich lead Forest 3-0 now, Wes Hoolahan penalty. A Yoni Buyens spot kick has levelled things for Charlton against Reading. And another penalty in the Championship! Nakhi Wells has missed for Huddersfield against Fulham, after Shaun Hutchinson was hugely controversially red-carded for apparently handling on the line. The visitors still lead 1-0.
Blackpool no longer lead Leeds – Mirko Antenucci has made it 1-1.
4.19pm GMT
The big centre-back tries to clear a cross but is ricochets off his knee and in – you fancy that’ll be that.
4.19pm GMT
Yoann Gouffran could have scored for Newcastle there. A cross was half-cleared to his feet, right on the penalty spot, and he tried to measure a finish past David Ospina but instead shot straight at him. A let-off!
4.15pm GMT
Norwich now lead Nottingham Forest 2-0, a backflick from Cameron Jerome. I think they are going to go up.
4.15pm GMT
Really is a superb game at White Hart Lane by the way. Unrelenting pace. Leicester have been excellent since going behind.
4.14pm GMT
How does Gabby Agbonlahor not score? Alan Hutton checks inside, crosses and it’s headed down intelligently by Christian Benteke. Agbonlahor is right in front of goal, but has to take a little time to get the ball out from under his feet....and his jab towards goal is deflected wide!
4.11pm GMT
Cardiff lead Birmingham in the Championship – Eoin Doyle scoring it.
And are Hartlepool in for the greatest of escapes? The Football League’s basement club lead Mansfield 1-0 with a Brad Walker spot kick.
4.10pm GMT
4.10pm GMT
Corner....stooping header...goal from the big man!! Leicester really deserve that – could this be a turning point in their season?
4.08pm GMT
And now Ayoze Perez shoots not too wide for Newcastle. Fascinating half in prospect here.
At Southampton, Victor Wanyama has replaced Dusan Tadic. Burnley were lively at times during the first half and Ronald Koeman clearly wishes to shore things up.
4.07pm GMT
Chris Barry has his own tale of relationship woe:
“My advice is not to do what I did , which was to take a new girlfriend to the Victoria ground during the Joe Jordan era. Stoke vs Exeter on a freezing midweek night. Worst nil nil ever, turns out she also got goosed but didn’t tell me at the time. Tried it again with the more success with another girlfriend at West Ham though she wondered why the guy behind had to drop the c bomb so much, even when the Hammers were 4-1 up.”
4.06pm GMT
What a start to the second half for Newcastle! A Cabella cross, a firm, accurate Sissoko finish, and now let’s see what Arsenal are made of. This did not look likely at the break.
4.05pm GMT
Haircut news and views
@nickames82 Sorry but that 'do is strictly an homage to Scott Parker. Which of course was an homage to '20s Elis who wore fur coats.
4.02pm GMT
One or two of them anyway. They’ll be staggered, see. Definitely underway at Villa though – I can see it.
4.00pm GMT
Allan Castle has emailed again, taking pains to stress that he was being ironic earlier – and brings the rather odd news that Danny Dichio has called Giroud “aloof and arrogant” on Canadian telly. How would he know?
3.57pm GMT
Kevin Porter with news from the Women’s Champions League, which it was remiss of me not to mention earlier:
“Not just the Men’s English Club sides that are struggling in Europe, Nick. England’s only representatives in the Women’s European Champions’ League, Bristol Academy, lost 0-5 to FFV Frankfurt in the first leg of their quarter final game this afternoon at Ashton Gate.”
3.57pm GMT
From Charles Antaki: “The NUFC - Arsenal match is certainly entertaining, in a higgledy-piggeldy sort of way (NUFC providing most of the piggeldy). The only un-frantic thing on view is Ryan Taylor’s hairdo, which has walked out of the 1950s with a sedate side-parting. It hasn’t managed to stamp much authority on the Newcastle back four though.”
The Harry Kane look is catching on?
3.53pm GMT
@NickAmes82 This had to be one of the weakest pens I've seen. It appears that foul was on Begovic. Very odd.
An opinion on the Bolasie-won, Murray-finished penalty. Any other takes?
3.50pm GMT
Newcastle 0-2 Arsenal, Spurs 2-1 Leicester, Southampton 1-0 Burnley, Aston Villa 0-0 Swansea, Stoke 1-2 Crystal Palace
All fairly entertaining, then.
3.48pm GMT
Well, well! A turnaround there as Murray heads the ball on and Zaha, who is finding some form, races beyond the defence to finish! Alan Pardew’s men lead.
3.47pm GMT
And Norwich lead Forest. Jonny Howson with a drive past Carl Darlow – big goal for them.
3.46pm GMT
Blackpool lead against Leeds on the Bloomfield Road cabbage patch – Gary Madine’s goal.
3.45pm GMT
Could have been another goal for Southampton there. Nathaniel Clyne’s long-range drive is deflected twice and leaves Heaton, in goal, with no chance....but it dribbles wide...
3.43pm GMT
Not too many goals in the Championship but here’s another – Pavel Pogrebnyak has put in-form Reading a goal up at Charlton.
3.42pm GMT
Brad Guzan has just shanked an awkward clearance straight at Gomis at Villa Park, and was a bit lucky to see the ball rebound away from goal.
3.41pm GMT
@NickAmes82 along with the goals, Giroud's first time passing to midfield runners has been spectacular lately.
Take that, Allan Castle.
3.40pm GMT
There we go. Straight down the middle from Murray, 1-1, goals flying in this afternoon.
3.40pm GMT
Yannick Bolasie goes down, contact is slight, but Palace have a very controversial chance to level it up. Glenn Murray to take...
3.39pm GMT
Goals elsewhere. Kayode Odejayi has put Tranmere back in it against Bolton. 1-2 there. And Preston are in the lead at Barnsley.
3.38pm GMT
Jamie Vardy puts it away after super work from David Nugent. It’s his first goal in 24 games and, what’s more, it’s interesting at White Hart Lane now.
3.37pm GMT
Shane Long for the Saints! Nathaniel Clyne’s shot is going well wide, but Long sticks out a leg and converts!
3.37pm GMT
Swansea, who have dominated Villa and should be in front, come close again after Guzan flaps at a free-kick under pressure from Bafetimbi Gomis. Wayne Routledge is sharply onto it and half-volleys towards goal, but it’s cleared from in front of the posts by Ciaran Clark.
3.35pm GMT
Celtic lead Dundee United 2-0 now, John Guidetti with the goal.
3.34pm GMT
In that League One relegation tussle, Crawley lead Leyton Orient with an Izale McLeod penalty. Could be a big goal, that.
3.33pm GMT
And here are some life lessons from Dave Hill, in response to Danny Marsh’s relationship quandary:
“Why do you need to explain it to her? I’m guessing there are aspects of her life that you find inexplicable. It’s been said the key to a good relationship is have some space between the two people. Let football be that space. Now getting pissed and watching it for hours on end may be a bit too much, but 2-4 hours on a Saturday shouldn’t be an end all. Who knows, if you support a team that gets to go to Europe, the travel might be an inducement for her to learn. As a Leeds supporter, it’s been a while since I could test the hypothesis.”
3.32pm GMT
Allan Castle is keen to get the Giroud debate up and running yet again: “I’d just like to point out that Olivier Giroud is basically a Ligue 1 striker and exemplifies the gap in class between Arsenal’s strike force and oh, let’s say, Manchester United’s.”
3.30pm GMT
Some feisty banners at Villa Park:
Villa fans protest (presumably about portrayal of pitch invasions?) pic.twitter.com/mZqL76g1JT
3.30pm GMT
We also flagged up Peterborough v Chesterfield at the top of the show, and the home side lead the clash of the League One play-off hopefuls through Michael Bostwick.
3.29pm GMT
In the Championship, a Matthew Kilgallon own goal has put Brighton ahead at Blackburn.
3.28pm GMT
Arsenal simply did not let up after that first goal and, after some intense pressure, they won another corner. Cazorla swung it in and Giroud did not have to jump to evade his marker and plant a low, accurate header into the bottom left corner.
3.26pm GMT
Burton now lead 2-0 at Tranmere – Lucas Akins – and Rochdale lead Scunthorpe thanks to Michael Rose.
3.25pm GMT
The Gunners lead. Santi Cazorla had overhit a free-kick from the right a few minutes before, but this time it’s a wicked delivery from an identical position and....it’s flicked on at the near post and appear to sneak past Krul off Olivier Giroud’s knee! He’s the man in form right now, and that could be a big goal.
3.24pm GMT
Half a chance for Aaron Ramsey at Newcastle actually – played in one the left, he got to the ball ahead of Tim Krul but his touch was that little bit too heavy and the ball goes out of play.
Meanwhile, Spurs have hit the post against Leicester and Burnley have come close to scoring at Southampton with sub Kelvin Davis denying Danny Ings.
3.22pm GMT
Important goal in League Two now – Damien McCrory has put the leaders, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s Burton, a goal up at struggling Tranmere.
3.21pm GMT
Arsenal still struggling to make too much headway at Newcastle – they’re getting a few crosses into the box but the home side are defending well, safe for one half-chance for Alexis Sanchez at the back post.
3.18pm GMT
A goal for Celtic in Scotland – Gary Mackay-Steven scoring a fine one against former club Dundee United.
3.17pm GMT
Espen Bommen writes: “I think Danny Marsh might be asking the wrong crowd. Considering we are not even watching overpaid babies play, we are watching a screen where people write about said babies and their escapades, I suspect very few of us has much experience when it comes to dating wonderful beautiful intelligent women.”
Speak for yourself, etcetera and so forth.
3.14pm GMT
A strange one, this, Charlie Adam’s free-kick deflecting into the path of the Senegalese, all alone and onside, who finished well.
3.14pm GMT
Perhaps Bury won’t be exerting too much pressure in League Two after all – they’re a goal down to Northampton at home. And the FA Cup’s Bradford City are a goal up against Fleetwood c/o Jon Stead.
3.13pm GMT
Yes, of course. Leicester have actually been on top at White Hart Lane, but Kyle Walker has driven to the line and, after his ball across was half-cleared, Kane has slammed his second goal into the corner. Leicester look doomed, really.
3.12pm GMT
Newcastle, who really are down to the bare bones availability-wise, are holding their own early on against Arsenal and perhaps having marginally more of the play.
And yes, Forster is stretchered off at Southampton and it doesn’t look good, probably a knee injury. Kelvin Davis will enter the fray and we wish Forster well/
3.09pm GMT
Another goalkeeper hurt? Fraser Forster seems to have sustained an injury at St Mary’s in a challenge with Sam Vokes...
3.08pm GMT
AFC Wimbledon are beating Portsmouth in League Two. All quiet elsewhere in the Football League.
3.06pm GMT
Our Saviour snaffles up a loose ball in the box from three yards out, his 27th goal of the season, against his old loan club.
3.05pm GMT
You feel that Leicester need, somehow, to get a result at Spurs and David Nugent has just had one cleared off the line. Meanwhile, as Villa v Swansea, Brad Guzan has made a super early save, but back at Spurs...
3.04pm GMT
Early goal in the Championship, Alex Kacaniklic scoring for Fulham at Huddersfield. Shrewsbury are a goal up against Oxford in League Two and news from Rotherham is that their derby with Sheffield Wednesday has been delayed by 15 minutes....
3.03pm GMT
Michel Vorm is going to have to come on in place of Hugo Lloris at Spurs – seems as if the Frenchman has collided nastily with Kyle Walker...
3.00pm GMT
Who’ll get off the mark first?
2.58pm GMT
Teams are now stepping out onto lush green turf, and the pitch at Bloomfield Road, around the country. What are you hoping for?
2.56pm GMT
Danny Marsh has a question:
“I have recently started dating an extremely attractive and intelligent woman. She’s quite wonderful really. The only downside is that she doesn’t like football. How can I convince her that there’s more to it than a bunch of overpaid babies falling over after the slightest touch, who also think that it is acceptable to shout and swear at the referee and continue to be bad role models for children all over the world?”
2.55pm GMT
Brentford have equalised against Millwall! My word. Moses Odubajo has turned it around at the death. 2-2 – the kind of comeback that gets you a play-off place?
2.51pm GMT
Simon McMahon’s Scottish previews are a staple of these here parts and he has delivered once more:
“Having lost the League Cup final and also a Scottish Cup QF replay to Celtic in the space of four days in Glasgow last week, Dundee United will be looking to get those defeats out of their system and back to winning ways as they travel to, eh, Glasgow to face, eh, Celtic for the fourth match in a row today. We trail 7-1 on aggregate from the first 3 games but lead the red card count 4-2, so it’s not all bad news. Other matches in the SPFL include Ross County v. Kilmarnock and Partick v. Inverness, and Hearts will be within touching distance of a return to the top league if they win at Falkirk today.”
2.48pm GMT
Brentford are back in it against Millwall – an Alex Pritchard penalty.
2.45pm GMT
Jeff and the lads on Sky enjoying some banter about a young lady who has opted to have Gabriel Agbonlahor’s name tattooed on her posterior after his recent goalscoring heroics. Which reminds me of a friend who, moments from the end of normal time in Ipswich’s (eventual) play-off win over Bolton in 2000, uttered the pledge: “If we score now, I’ll get the club badge tattooed on my &rse.” Step forward Jim Magilton, and the next day a trip to the tattoo parlour. I’ve played football with the chap and believe me, it looks the part.
2.41pm GMT
Manchester City beat West Brom 3-0 in what was a procession from the off. The headlines will be made by the case of mistaken identity that saw McAuley sent off instead of Dawson, and I’m sure that’ll be corrected retrospectively, but really it made no difference.
2.28pm GMT
Millwall have gone 2-0 up at Brentford, and that will be a big shock if it stays this way. Aiden O’Brien with the second, which is a blow to the hosts’ play-off hopes unless they find something quickly.
2.24pm GMT
What’s eating you this afternoon? Or even exciting you? Drop me an email or a tweet and let’s talk. Especially interested to hear if you’re at a game today, wherever or whatever is is.
2.23pm GMT
It’s now Manchester City 3-0 West Brom – David Silva with the goal.
2.17pm GMT
In the Championship, Bournemouth 3-0 Middlesbrough is a full-time score and puts the Cherries top of the pile, at least until Watford get their annual home win over Ipswich. Brentford remain a goal down at home to Millwall.
2.16pm GMT
Newcastle: Krul, R.Taylor, Janmaat, Williamson, Colback, Anita, Sissoko, Cabella, Gouffran, Ameobi, Perez. Subs: Elliot, Satka, Kemen, Gutierrez, Obertan, Armstrong, Riviere.
Arsenal: Ospina, Chambers, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Ramsey, Alexis, Cazorla, Welbeck, Giroud. Subs: Szczesny, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Bellerin, Flamini, Rosicky, Walcott.
2.11pm GMT
Aston Villa: Guzan, Bacuna, Okore, Clark, Hutton, Delph,
Cleverley, Sinclair, N’Zogbia, Agbonlahor, Benteke. Subs:
Weimann, Westwood, Sanchez, Gil, Kinsella, Given, Grealish.
Swansea: Fabianski, Naughton, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor,
Shelvey, Cork, Ki, Routledge, Gomis, Sigurdsson. Subs: Amat,
Dyer, Nelson Oliveira, Montero, Rangel, Tremmel, Fulton.
2.10pm GMT
Stoke: Begovic, Cameron, Wilson, Shawcross, Pieters, Adam,
Nzonzi, Diouf, Ireland, Arnautovic, Crouch. Subs: Bardsley,
Whelan, Walters, Sidwell, Butland, Teixeira, Wollscheid.
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare, Puncheon,
Ledley, McArthur, Zaha, Murray, Bolasie. Subs: Sanogo,
Hennessey, Gayle, Ameobi, Kelly, Mariappa, Hangeland.
2.08pm GMT
Southampton: Forster, Clyne, Alderweireld, Fonte, Bertrand,
Steven Davis, Schneiderlin, Tadic, Long, Mane, Pelle. Subs:
Kelvin Davis, Yoshida, Gardos, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse, Elia,
Djuricic.
Burnley: Heaton, Trippier, Duff, Shackell, Mee, Boyd, Arfield,
Jones, Barnes, Vokes, Ings. Subs: Wallace, Kightly, Sordell,
Reid, Jutkiewicz, Gilks, Keane.
2.07pm GMT
Spurs: Lloris, Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose, Mason, Bentaleb, Townsend, Eriksen, Chadli, Kane. Subs: Chiriches, Paulinho, Adebayor, Lamela, Vorm, Dembele, Davies.
Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet, Morgan, Huth, Upson, Schlupp, Nugent, James, Cambiasso, Vardy, Ulloa. Subs: Konchesky, Drinkwater, King, Mahrez, Wasilewski, Schwarzer, Kramaric.
1.58pm GMT
Manchester City v West Brom is attack versus defence, and has been since the start, but your man to bring it to life is Scott Murray.
1.58pm GMT
How are you? Are you worried? Nervous? Fretful? Anxious about the Arsenal, stressing out over City, enervated by Everton, perplexed about the Premier League and its failings in Europe? What a concern it is that our boys won’t be under those Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday night lights over the next couple of months. What are we to do?
Is it the fault of that naughty Premier League for being so...so good? So competitive? So unrelenting for the top teams? Can we not just cut them a little slack? Perhaps, from today, teams without much hope of a future among the European Elite should be made to go easy when facing one of their betters. Help them conserve some energy for next season’s continental set-tos. Give them the kind of preparation that, say, Bayern Munich are accustomed to receiving before getting on the plane.
1.58pm GMT
Nick is on his way.
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