Key events<\/p>\n
Show key events only<\/p>\n
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n
Reece James signed a new contract, until 2032, with Chelsea yesterday \u2013 and I notice Liam Rosenior boldly stated: \u201cWe\u2019ve secured the best player in world football in his position.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, as the manager of Chelsea, some might say he\u2019s an unbiased observer (perish the thought!). But it\u2019s interesting. How close is James to being the world\u2019s best right-back?<\/p>\n
Rosenior justified his claim by saying: \u201c\u2018Do I have to explain that when you\u2019ve seen him play?<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you meet him or see him from afar, you admire him. He can play many different positions, technically, he can score goals, he defends, his athleticism, has tactical understanding \u2026 As long as I\u2019m here, he will be my leader.\u201d<\/p>\n
The world\u2019s best right-back (arguably) looks at his manager. Photograph: Darren Walsh\/Chelsea FC\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n The Championship\u2019s top two both kick-off at lunchtime today \u2013 but perhaps the most arresting battle isn\u2019t for top spot, it\u2019s for second.<\/p>\n After all, promotion is the name of the game and while Coventry have opened up an eight-point gap on Middlesbrough, the race for second is incredibly tight.<\/p>\n In-form Millwall sit one point behind Boro and host Blackburn at 3pm; Ipswich are fourth, four points behind Middlesbrough \u2013 but with a game in hand on the teams above them. And today they visit poor old Sheffield Wednesday. Enticingly poised.<\/p>\n Coventry v Southampton, 12.30pm<\/p>\n Middlesbrough v Bristol City, 12.30pm<\/p>\n Oxford v Charlton, 12.30pm<\/p>\n Birmingham v Sheffield United, 3pm<\/p>\n Leicester v QPR, 3pm<\/p>\n Millwall v Blackburn, 3pm<\/p>\n Norwich v Preston, 3pm<\/p>\n Sheffield Wednesday v Ipswich, 3pm<\/p>\n Stoke v Watford, 3pm<\/p>\n West Brom v Hull, 3pm<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n There\u2019s no WSL games today. There\u2019s four fixtures tomorrow \u2013 but they\u2019re overshadowed by the Women\u2019s League Cup final: holders Chelsea v Manchester United.<\/p>\n The game kicks off at 2.15pm on Sunday and before it, Tom Garry spoke to Fridolina Rolf\u00f6, the former Barcelona and now United winger.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should be proud, but of course we\u2019re not happy \u2013 we want to win the final as well,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Michael Carrick is also talking positively before Manchester United take on Aston Villa at Old Trafford tomorrow. He\u2019s not letting his first defeat as United\u2019s interim manager get him down.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going to be the reaction?\u201d asked Carrick. \u201cWhat\u2019s the emotions in the group? What\u2019s the motivation for the next game? And driving that forward.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand with it being the first defeat<\/a> it feels a little bit different, but it\u2019s going to come at some point.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a tough league. Most teams, if not every team, has suffered that in recent times so it\u2019s putting things in perspective and putting it in a shape where we can improve.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve taken a lot of confidence from [games recently] as a group and what we show we can achieve and how we play.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an important game, there\u2019s no getting away from it. It\u2019s a fantastic game.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Arne Slot, meanwhile, has issued a rallying cry to his Liverpool players, urging them to \u201cget the maximum\u201d out of the rest of this uneven campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I want is that every single player gets the maximum out of every single training session and games we are playing from now until the end of the season,\u201d Slot said before the visit of Spurs tomorrow.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is the aim for me and that should be the aim for the players because that\u2019s the only way to get the maximum out of what is there, what is in it for us.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat that\u2019s exactly going to be, that\u2019s not always so easy to say in advance because sometimes you need a little bit of luck.\u201d<\/p>\n Arne Slot: the maximum man. Photograph: Peter Byrne\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.12 EDT<\/p>\n We\u2019re not here to riff on Tottenham\u2019s pain. But what happened the last time Spurs went down \u2013 and can the current side learn anything from the fate that befell Keith Burkinshaw\u2019s gifted team?<\/p>\n Sam Cunningham has written a lovely delve into the past which even Tottenham fans may enjoy, albeit in a bittersweet fashion.<\/p>\n double quotation markGlenn Hoddle was in tears in the dressing room. Others sat in disbelief, wondering what the future held.<\/p>\n Tottenham were the first English club in the 20th century to win the league and FA Cup Double, in 1961, and the first to lift a European trophy when they won the Cup Winners\u2019 Cup two years later. They were renowned for playing attractive football and the goals of Jimmy Greaves.<\/p>\n Under their manager Bill Nicholson, they added two League Cups and the Uefa Cup at the start of the 1970s. And now they had been relegated.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Tottenham are not in action today \u2013 they visit Anfield tomorrow. However Igor Tudor, the specialist \u2018firefighter\u2019 manager who seems to have turned up at Spurs with a flamethrower, has also spoken to the press.<\/p>\n He dismissed talk of the club being cursed by \u201cblack magic\u201d (which is good) and said the players must not be \u201cvictims\u201d (that\u2019s bad). Tudor has given his players a choice: cry or fight.<\/p>\n Check out his fighting (or crying) talk.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n On that tussle for the Champions League spots, our writers have broken down how the PL\u2019s contenders are shaping up with reasons to be cheerful\/fearful and a look at their run-ins.<\/p>\n Well worth a read.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.33 EDT<\/p>\n Here\u2019s today\u2019s five Premier League fixtures today, by the way. It\u2019s not just the two at the top in action!<\/p>\n Burnley v Bournemouth, 3pm (all times GMT)<\/p>\n Sunderland v Brighton, 3pm<\/p>\n Arsenal v Everton, 5.30pm<\/p>\n Chelsea v Newcastle, 5.30pm<\/p>\n West Ham v Manchester City, 8pm<\/p>\n Chelsea hosting Newcastle is a tasty one. The Magpies dented Manchester United\u2019s Champions League qualification hopes in their last league outing; Chelsea are in fifth and right around the cutoff point. What will happen?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Mikel Arteta, Pep\u2019s protege turned title rival, also had words for the media before today\u2019s fixtures. Specifically, words about set pieces and a denial that Arsenal have been blocking defenders as part of their corner routines.<\/p>\n Asked whether other teams had been learning some dark arts from Arsenal, Arteta said:<\/p>\n double quotation markNo. We weren\u2019t the first. And it\u2019s not about blocking. I\u2019m not going to describe what we do, but it\u2019s not blocking \u2026 Others know what we try to do. And it\u2019s not that.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Pep Guardiola spoke to the press yesterday before West Ham v Manchester City today. In his usual understated style, Guardiola revealed that when he [perhaps the greatest manager in the world, in charge of a well-resourced and highly successful football club] loses a game 3-0, everyone makes a big ol\u2019 fuss.<\/p>\n Oh Pep! Never change.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with last night\u2019s Championship game in which Wrexham beat Swansea 2-0 to boost their playoff hopes. Dom Booth was watching for the Guardian and he took in a football match, plus some slavish devotion to the cult of fame. Bonus.<\/p>\n double quotation markClearly the suits at Sky Sports thought Wrexham v Swansea City on a Friday night needed its own sideshow. A clash between two historic Welsh clubs just five points apart in the battle for the Championship playoff places may not appeal to the TikTok generation. If only there were some Hollywood actors on hand to step into the content void, relegating Daniel Mann and Andy Hinchcliffe to second-string commentary choice.<\/p>\n Luckily, Wrexham\u2019s co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac were happy to oblige on the fifth anniversary of their \u00a32m takeover of the then National League outfit. \u201cAs with our decision to take over Wrexham, we genuinely have no idea how this will go,\u201d the pair chimed \u2013 presumably in unison \u2013 on a cheery press release before the broadcast.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.48 EDT<\/p>\n Preamble<\/p>\n Hello! I don\u2019t want to get all Sky Sports promo\/Mitchell and Webb<\/a> on you \u2013 but this is a pretty super-sized Saturday of live football action. We\u2019ve got both Premier League title contenders in action as Arsenal welcome Everton at 5.30pm, then Manchester City visit West Ham in the evening.<\/p>\n Before that, the Championship\u2019s top two are also playing: Coventry v Southampton and Middlesbrough v Bristol City (both 12.30pm kick-offs). And to complete a top-two triple, the tight race for the Scottish Premiership sees second-place Celtic host Motherwell at 3pm, before leaders Hearts go to Kilmarnock at 8pm.<\/p>\n Here at Matchday live we\u2019ll bring you the buildup to those games and many more \u2013 with team lineups, previews, breaking news, early goal alerts and such as we get them.<\/p>\n As always, please get in touch<\/a> with your thoughts, predictions and matchday musings.<\/p>\n