Key events
GOAL! Newcastle 1-1 Luton (Osho 21)
Gabriel Osho pings a close-range header off the underside of the bar, and in-form Luton – who have won their last three matches in all competitions – are level!
GOAL! Burnley 0-1 Fulham (Palhinha 18)
Andreas Pereira delivers, João Palhinha heads home. (Though, in true Winner Takes All with Jimmy Tarbuck style, there’s a difference of opinion … because our man at Turf Moor, Will Unwin, thinks it’s “actually a Sander Berge og”.) Those Match of the Day highlights can’t come soon enough.
Celtic were held at Aberdeen earlier this afternoon. That’s not the only reason their fans have a cob-on, mind.
Burnley 0-0 Fulham. “Burnley the far better team against Fulham,” writes our man on the spot, Will Unwin. “Sander Berge and Lyle Foster having strong starts. Whether they can turn it into actual points is another matter.”
GOAL! Preston 2-0 Ipswich (Edmundson og 8). George Edmundson pokes through his own net, and it’s a cold start for the Tractor Boys all right. Ploughing a lonely furrow right now.
“Afternoon Scott,” begins Tannadice regular Simon McMahon. “Scottish Championship table toppers Dundee United can go four points clear of Raith Rovers at the top with a win at Ayr United today. United are unbeaten on the road in the league this season, but Ayr are now managed by Scott Brown, vying with Big Dunc at Inverness for the unofficial title of ‘greatest former big time Scottish legend making their way in management with a mid-ranking side in the Scottish Championship’. In the Scottish Premiership, former Motherwell favourite Kevin Van Veen will be sure of a warm welcome as he makes a return to Fir Park (after joining today’s visitors Kilmarnock on deadline day).”
So anyway, GOAL! Ayr 1-0 Dundee United (Murphy 2).
GOAL! Preston 1-0 Ipswich (Keane 5). While the Saints march on, into second spot as things stand, the Tractor Boys sputter. Will Keane gives the hosts an early lead at Deepdale.
GOAL! Newcastle 1-0 Luton (Longstaff 7)
So much for Luton’s confident start. Sean Longstaff slots to give Eddie Howe’s side the lead. The Toon have lost their last two at St James’ Park; they’re looking to snap that run.
GOAL! Rotherham 0-1 Southampton (Bednarek 4). It’s Jan Bednarek’s 200th game for the Saints, and he’s celebrated by heading home an early goal. Southampton back into the automatic promotion slots as things stand.
Newcastle 0-0 Luton. A positive start by Luton, with Chiedozie Ogbene giving Dan Burn all sorts of hassle early doors. No sign that the Hatters are unduly perturbed by Everton leapfrogging them and sending them back into the relegation zone.
GOAL! Brighton 1-0 Crystal Palace (Dunk 3)
Corner. Lewis Dunk plants a header into the net. Brighton get over their Luton hangover in double-quick time!
It’s 3pm … and all around the country, it is ON.
Meanwhile in the Championship, the race for automatic promotion is hotting up. The leaders Leicester look a shoo-in right now, but the battle for the other spot is three-way. Leeds won last night at Bristol City thanks to a Wilfried Gnonto goal and go up to second as a result; Ipswich and Southampton have games in hand, though, and both can leapfrog Daniel Farke’s side with wins this afternoon.
Here’s how the Premier League looks going into the 3pms. Everton’s late, late, late equaliser against Spurs has lifted them out of the relegation places … for now. A point for Luton at Newcastle would send them back into it. Tottenham’s dreams of a top-four finish have taken a blow; Aston Villa can put a little bit of claret-and-clear-blue water between them if they win at Sheffield United in the evening kick-off. Brighton and Newcastle can both leapfrog Manchester United if they win this afternoon.
Newcastle v Luton. One change for Newcastle after their 3-1 win at Aston Villa. Alexander Isak has tweaked his groin, so Miguel Almiron holds fort. Callum Wilson and Harvey Barnes both return from injury and take up places on the bench. Luton make just the one change too, after their four-goal triumph over Brighton. Teden Mengi replaces the benched Reece Burke.
FULL TIME: Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic. Aberdeen avoid defeat against Celtic for the first time in ten games, a run that stretches back to a 1-1 draw in April 2021. It’s a deserved point after a much-improved second-half performance. The two Celtic drop mean Rangers are now within striking distance; they can close the gap today with a win over Livingston, who they welcome to Ibrox imminently. A title race is on!
FULL TIME: Everton 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Jarrad Branthwaite heads home from close range deep into injury time, and that’s enough for a point for relegation-haunted Everton! Barry Glendenning has the details.
Burnley v Fulham. Two changes for Burnley after the midweek 3-1 loss at Manchester City. Aaron Ramsey and debutant Lorenz Assignon replace Ameen Al Dakhil and Johann Gudmundsson; Maxime Esteve is on the bench and hopes to make his debut as well. Fulham make three changes after their goalless draw with Everton. Tim Ream, Harrison Reed and Rodrigo Muniz replace Issa Diop, Tom Cairney and Raul Jimenez. Deadline-day loan signing Armando Broja is ready on the bench.
Brighton v Palace. Brighton make four changes after their 4-0 humiliation at Luton. Tariq Lamptey, Jack Hinshelwood, Evan Ferguson and Bart Verbruggen come in for Danny Welbeck, Pervis Estupiñán and Jason Steele, who drop to the bench, and James Milner, who is injured. Palace make two changes in the wake of their 3-2 victory over Sheffield United. Jeffrey Schlupp and debutant Daniel Muñoz replace Michael Olise, who is only fit enough for the bench, and Eberechi Eze, who misses out altogether.
Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic. The visitors had a goal chalked off in the first half; now it’s the hosts’ turn with five minutes to go. Leighton Clarkson plays a cute through pass to release Bojan Miovski, who rounds Joe Hart and casually rolls the ball over the line. But the flag goes up correctly for offside, just as it did for Luis Palma all that time ago.
Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic. The Dons haven’t let that equaliser get them down. They keep piling forward, and they should be leading again. Leighton Clarkson makes good down the left and cuts back for Graeme Shinnie, free on the penalty spot. The Aberdeen captain should shot, but whaps his sidefoot straight at Joe Hart. Great save, though Hart should never have been allowed to make it.
Premier League teams
Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen, van Hecke, Dunk, Igor, Hinshelwood, Gross, Gilmour, Lamptey, Buonanotte, Joao Pedro, Ferguson.
Subs: Webster, Lallana, Moder, Welbeck, Baleba, Steele, Estupinan, Fati, Baker-Boaitey.
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Andersen, Guehi, Munoz, Lerma, Hughes, Mitchell, Schlupp, Ayew, Mateta.
Subs: Johnstone, Tomkins, Olise, Matheus Franca, Wharton, Edouard, Ahamada, Riedewald, Ozoh.
Burnley: Trafford, Assignon, O’Shea, Ekdal, Vitinho, Ramsey, Berge, Brownhill, Odobert, Foster, Amdouni.
Subs: Esteve, Gudmundsson, Fofana, Cullen, Al Dakhil, Ndayishimiye, Bruun Larsen, Massengo, Muric.
Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson, Joao Palhinha, Reed, De Cordova-Reid, Andreas Pereira, Willian, Rodrigo Muniz.
Subs: Rodak, Tete, Broja, Cairney, Ballo-Toure, Lukic, De Fougerolles, Sekularac, King.
Newcastle United: Dubravka, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Miley, Almiron, Jacob Murphy, Gordon.
Subs: Dummett, Wilson, Ritchie, Barnes, Krafth, Karius, Hall, Livramento, White.
Luton Town: Kaminski, Mengi, Osho, Bell, Ogbene, Sambi Lokonga, Barkley, Doughty, Clark, Adebayo, Morris.
Subs: Berry, Woodrow, Kabore, Chong, Burke, Mpanzu, Brown, Krul, Townsend.
Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic. It’s a good game in the Granite City. Matt O’Riley steams into the home box and skelps a shot off the right-hand upright; Connor Barron warms Joe Hart’s hands with a fierce rising drive; Luis Palma, who had a seventh-minute effort chalked off for offside, does the same to Kelle Roos up the other end. This won’t end 1-1.
GOAL! Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic (Kuhn 63). Normal service is restored at Pittodrie. Nicolas Kuhn is sent on by Brendan Rodgers, and in short order worms his way into the Aberdeen box and takes a speculative shot that deflects into the bottom-right corner.
GOAL! Aberdeen 1-0 Celtic (Miovski 50). This is a brilliant goal. Bojan Miovski is sent scampering down the inside-right channel. He’s got Maik Nawrocki in his road. No bother! He turns the Celtic defender inside out like an old sock, before steering an unstoppable shot across Joe Hart and into the bottom-left corner. Well, well, well.
There are two big games already underway. Everton are currently trailing Spurs 2-1 at Goodison Park; your friend and mine, Mr Baz, is all over that one …
… while up in Scotland, Aberdeen are hosting the champions Celtic. Now then, Celtic are 23 games unbeaten against the Dons, a run dotted with 20 wins for the Bhoys. The aggregate score over that time is 56-14; the last time the teams met, Celtic won 6-0, and to think they could only manage five against Buckie Thistle in the cup. Aberdeen started the day languishing in eighth spot; they’ve just sacked their manager Barry Robson. So obviously …
Preamble
The A23 derby is the showpiece occasion on today’s 3pm card. We’ll be keeping tabs on all the games in the Premier League …
… plus other random fixtures including top o’the Championship away games for Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton (at Stoke, Preston and Rotherham respectively), and hhot Scottish action as Rangers try to close the gap on the Bhoys as they welcome Livingston to Ibrox. Team news when we have it.