Arsenal 0-0 Everton. A fast start for the hosts, with the sheer presence of Bukayo Saka causing the dithering Jordan Pickford angst. The keeper sorts himself out just in time. Then he claims a Declan Rice corner. “Greetings from Free State California,” writes Mary Waltz. “It’s pitch dark, pouring rain, the perfect surroundings for watching my Everton march into the Arsenal home ground. Not feeling especially optimistic but who knows … who am I kidding, it’s going to be ugly. Sigh.”
Liverpool 0-0 Fulham. Andy Robertson has taken an early knock on the knee, courtesy of Issa Diop, who goes into the book. Robertson’s up and about, but took a while to get back onto his feet. A concern for the hosts at Anfield.
While we wait for things to happen, here are the results of the early kick-offs. There was no lunchtime match in the Premier League.
Championship
League One
League Two
Whistles sound all across the land as the 3pms kick off. (SFX)
To Scotland. “Can you believe it’s 14 December already?” asks Simon McMahon. “This time last year Dundee United were losing at home to Raith Rovers in the Scottish Championship, and today we’re at Motherwell where a win would take us five points clear of our hosts in fourth place in the Scottish Premier League table, with European dreams a live possibility as we enter the drunken busy festive period. United have the third-best defensive record in the league after Celtic and Rangers, and loan signing Sam Dalby has been banging them in regularly at the other end. If you ignore the fact that we’ve already lost twice to Motherwell this season, what can possibly go wrong? A shout out to super-fan Evie McMahon who is again part of the travelling Tangerine Army today. Come on United! Other teams are available, including Hibs v Ross County and St Johnstone v St Mirren.”
The state of the Premier League as we go into the 3pms. Plenty to play for at both ends of the table, with Liverpool and Arsenal in action, and a relegation six-pointer at Molineux. Newcastle and Leicester keep things interesting in the middle.
It will be an emotional day at the Emirates, as Arsenal and Everton meet for the first time since the passing of Kevin Campbell. The beloved striker played for Leyton Orient, Leicester City, Nottingham Forest, Trabzonspor, West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City, but he’s best remembered for his stints with the Gunners and the Toffees, for whom he scored 59 and 39 goals respectively. Campbell is celebrated on a poster outside the stadium …
… and on the front of today’s matchday programme. “Good to see KC being celebrated,” writes Jeremy Boyce. “A man who brought Sunshine to whichever Band he was playing with.” Kevin Campbell obituary.
The notable additions and omissions. For your bullet-point pleasure.
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Arsenal welcome Gabriel back into their defence
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Dwight McNeil is missing for Everton so Jack Harrison takes his place
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Liverpool can finally call on Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa, if only as subs; see also Darwin Nunez, who drops to the bench
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Fulham defender Calvin Bassey is suspended so Jorge Cuenca makes his Premier League debut
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Nick Pope is injured so Martin Dubravka takes his place in the Newcastle goal
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Stephy Mavididi gets the call over Jordan Ayew for Leicester
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Wolves replace the suspended Joao Gomes with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde
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There’s no Sammie Szmodics for Ipswich
The teams
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Rice, Merino, Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
Subs: Neto, Tierney, Partey, Gabriel Jesus, Kiwior, Trossard, Jorginho, Sterling, Nwaneri.
Everton: Pickford, Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gueye, Mangala, Harrison, Doucoure, Ndiaye, Calvert-Lewin.
Subs: Virginia, Patterson, Keane, Beto, O’Brien, Broja, Coleman, Lindstrom, Armstrong.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Jones, Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Nunez, Chiesa, Elliott, Jota, Quansah, Morton, Nyoni.
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Diop, Cuenca, Robinson, Lukic, Berge, Iwobi, Andreas Pereira, Wilson, Jimenez.
Subs: Benda, Rodrigo Muniz, Traore, Vinicius, Castagne, King, Sessegnon, Smith Rowe, Godo.
Newcastle United: Dubravka, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy, Isak, Gordon.
Subs: Vlachodimos, Trippier, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff.
Leicester City: Hermansen, Justin, Coady, Vestergaard, Kristiansen, Choudhury, Skipp, McAteer, El Khannous, Mavididi, Vardy.
Subs: Ward, Faes, Okoli, De Cordova-Reid, Ayew, Daka, Thomas, Buonanotte, Cartwright.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Johnstone, Nelson Semedo, Bueno, Toti Gomes, Doherty, Andre Trindade, Lemina, Ait Nouri, Bellegarde, Cunha, Larsen.
Subs: Bentley, Hwang, Dawson, Rodrigo Gomes, Doyle, Forbs, Goncalo Guedes, Meupiyou, Pedro Lima.
Ipswich Town: Muric, Harrison Clarke, O’Shea, Burgess, Davis, Morsy, Cajuste, Hutchinson, Chaplin, Burns, Delap.
Subs: Walton, Woolfenden, Phillips, Taylor, Al Hamadi, Johnson, Townsend, Broadhead, Jack Clarke.
Preamble
Today’s Clockwatch is as follows.
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Arsenal v Everton
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Liverpool v Fulham
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Newcastle v Leicester
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Wolverhampton v Ipswich
We’re back, so it’s on. Kick off is at 3pm.
