Newcastle v Liverpool, Arsenal v Manchester United, and more – Premier League clockwatch live | Premier League

7.30pm: KICK OFF

Four matches under way!

My person-in-the-crowd at the Emirates (that’s you Ian) isn’t overly happy with the Arsenal line up:

“Relatively weak defence for Arsenal so I think we will concede. Just hope that our attacking players score more than we let in!”.

Arsenal v Man Utd team news

That’s one of the 8.15 kick offs.

Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Odegaard, Partey, Rice, Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Subs: Tierney, Gabriel Jesus, Trossard, Jorginho, Merino, Sterling, Nwaneri,
Heaven, Neto
Man Utd: Onana, Mazraoui, de Ligt, Maguire, Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Malacia, Mount, Garnacho, Hojlund
Subs: Bayindir, Rashford, Zirkzee, Eriksen, Yoro, Diallo, Casemiro, Antony,
Kukonki

Referee: Sam Barrott

Top tip: Arsenal are celebrating 500 games tonight at Ashburton Grove the Emirates. The club moved out of Highbury in 2006 to their new home built on the old rubbish/recycling tip. Used to go there myself back in the day.

BTW – Theo Walcott played 212 of those games – the most of any player

Foden out with bronchitis

Pep Guardiola confirms Phil Foden won’t play but he welcomes back De Bruyne.

Asked about the the significance of the Belgian’s starting return PG says: “He’s important. It’s a long time that he does not play. It’s important for us.”

He says De Bruyne will take it “step by step”.

Southampton v Chelsea

Southampton: Lumley, Walker-Peters, Bree, Wood-Gordon, Stephens, Manning, Armstrong, Aribo, Fernandes, Fraser, Archer
Subs: McCarthy, Edwards, Sugawara, Brereton, Sulemana, Taylor, Cornet, Amo-Ameyaw, O’Brien-Whitmarsh
Chelsea: Jorgensen, Gusto, Disasi, Adarabioyo, Cucurella, Fernandez, Caicedo, Madueke, Palmer, Joao Felix, Nkunku
Subs: Badiashile, Colwill, Pedro Neto, Jackson, Sancho, Dewsbury-Hall, Veiga, Lavia, Sanchez

Referee: Tony Harrington

Everton v Wolves team news:

Everton: Pickford, Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gueye, Mangala, McNeil, Doucoure, Ndiaye, Calvert-Lewin
Subs: Virginia, Patterson, Harrison, Beto, O’Brien, Broja, Coleman,
Armstrong, Lindstrom

Wolves: Jose Sa, Doherty, Bueno, Dawson, Ait Nouri, Andre Trindade, Lemina, Joao Gomes, Cunha, Larsen, Goncalo Guedes
Subs: Bentley, Johnstone, Hwang, Rodrigo Gomes, Doyle, Toti Gomes, Forbs, Bellegarde, Pedro Lima

Referee: Michael Salisbury

Newcastle v Liverpool team news:

Newcastle: Pope, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy, Isak, Gordon
Subs: Dubravka, Wilson, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff
Liverpool: Kelleher, Gomez, Quansah, van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Jones, Gakpo, Nunez
Subs: Endo, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Elliott, Alexander-Arnold, Morton, Nyoni, Jaros, Nallo

Referee: Andrew Madley

Farewell John Docherty

While Brentford take on Aston Villa the Bees are also mourning the passing of John Docherty – former manager and player who died today aged 84. Docherty also managed Millwall, taking them into the old Division 1.

Last game of the evening to mention sees Aston Villa take on Brentford in the late(r) kick off. We’ll be monitoring that one as well.

Villa haven’t won a football match since October. They’re also hoping global eyeballs will spur them on.

An interesting fact delivered by scrolling – even if it is three days old

Manchester City and Nottingham Forest team news:

Kevin de Bruyne starts.

Man City: Ortega, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Silva, Gundogan,
De Bruyne, Doku, Haaland, Grealish
Subs: Ederson, Carson, Walker, Savio, Matheus Luiz, Wright, O’Reilly, Lewis, McAtee

Forest: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Alex, Yates, Dominguez, Elanga, Gibbs-White, Jota Silva, Wood
Subs: Carlos Miguel, Morato, Williams, Anderson, Awoniyi, Hudson-Odoi,
Moreira, Ward-Prowse, Sosa

Referee: Michael Oliver

Back on the blue side of Liverpool, Everton take on Wolves. Both are in the lower reaches of the table.

Sean Dyche knows he is under pressure to improve his team’s performances.

“Me, my staff and the players, sometimes we haven’t done it as well as we could do, but we work tirelessly, I can assure you. This is the most work I’ve done in all my years of management at this football club, without a shadow of a doubt.”

Meanwhile Wolves are welcoming a global audience – are you watching Greater Fort Lauderdale?

Over to bottom-of-the-table Southampton who are up against a Chelsea team who have sparkled of late and now sit in third.

Blues’ boss Enzo Maresca is not taking anything for granted.

“The moment we lose games, there will be doubts – I know how it works”.

“It’s difficult to continue the whole season in the way we are now. For sure, a different moment will come and we need to manage that and deal with that.”

Over to the Emirates and Arsenal against Man Utd

Ruben Amorim brings his side to North London after a 4-0 thwacking of Everton. And Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta is wary.

“You can see his fingerprints in what he wants to do straight away,” said Arteta. “He’s been very clear with what he wants to do. What he did with Sporting was remarkable after so many years. Especially the way he did it and the way his teams are playing. It brings energy to a new club and the players which is always positive. But we have to focus on what we’re doing.”

Meanwhile Amorim is showering praise on Arteta.

“Sometimes coaches are just judged about the titles, but what he has been doing in Arsenal is amazing.

“It transformed the team. He bought some youngsters that now are the big talents in this country. I hope to have the same mindset that he had in the difficult moments because I followed the Premier League for a long time.”

Pep G and Man City host Nottingham Forest

There is pressure on the City manager. If his team don’t emerge victorious tonight then Pep will have gone eight games without a win. That’s eight fingers!

BTW – he’s been talking about his six-fingered gesture to Liverpool fans at Anfield after that 2-0 defeat last weekend.

“It [Guardiola’s gesture] was just to make our fans feel that what we have done is extraordinary,” he says. “I want to prove that we are an incredi­ble football club. Sooner or later it’s going to be the end [of City’s success], but I will try to extend as much as possible for the best of my club.”

You can read more here:

And here’s a pic of Pep not scratching his head

Newcastle take on leaders Liverpool

Still a while to go before it all kicks off but worth casting your eye over a few interviews making the news.

Louise Taylor has an interesting take on the issues at St James Park – with Eddie Howe opening up about the problems at the club.

Howe: “We have had a lot of issues this summer and we continue to have them.

“We’re not quite at our best. I’ve had several meetings with all the players to try and get them at their best levels to solve little issues we may have.”

“Without talking about individuals you need your best players at their best levels,” Howe said, rather pointedly.

Is he pointing to underwhelming performances from Bruno Guimarães, Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon?

“The squad we have is a very good squad,” Howe said. “It’s our job to do better with it. I’m confident in the players and I’m confident in our methods of work. I’ve got no doubts we’ll re-find our touch.” Maybe tonight?

Read more here:

Meanwhile Liverpool are pumped up

So this is what we are looking at tonight:

Arsenal v. Man Utd (KO 8.15)

Aston Villa v. Brentford (KO 8.15)

Everton v. Wolverhampton (KO 7.30)

Man City v. Nottm Forest (KO 7.30)

Newcastle v. Liverpool (KO 7.30)

Southampton v. Chelsea (KO 7.30)

And here is the table as it stands

Hello, good evening, afternoon or morning depending where in the world you may be reading this.

Joyous news – we’ve got six premier league matches tonight. Six!

So many plots and subplots. It’s like one of those Christopher Nolan films – but all about football.

Questions I’m asking are: will Pep Guardiola have enough fingers (and toes) to count his team’s defeats by Xmas? Will Eddie Howe stop a soaring Liverpool and can Manchester United’s resurgency scupper Arsenal at the Emirates? Lots of questions.