Key events
Today’s key fixtures
My pick of the matches this fine Saturday afternoon (3pm BST unless stated). Some matches pitting promotion and relegation rivals against one another in League Two:
Premier League
Championship
-
Coventry City (1st) v Sheffield Wednesday (24th) – 12.30pm
-
Norwich City (9th) v Ipswich Town (3rd) – 12.30pm
-
Middlesbrough (4th) v Portsmouth (21st)
-
Southampton (6th) v Derby (8th)
League One
-
Plymouth Argyle (7th) v Exeter City (21st) – 12.30pm
-
Cardiff City (2nd) v Bolton Wanderers (4th) – 12.30pm
-
Bradford City (3rd) v Stevenage (6th)
League Two
-
MK Dons (2nd) v Bromley (1st) – 12.30pm
-
Cambridge United (3rd) v Notts County (4th)
-
Newport County (22nd) v Harrogate Town (24th)
Scottish Premiership
Arsenal v Bournemouth team news
Seven games left for Arsenal, who are nine points up on Manchester City with a game in hand.
Piece of cake, right? Ha ha ha. More like seven chances to slip up, especially if their recent domestic form is anything to go by. After Carabao Cup final defeat and a surprise loss to Southampton in the FA Cup, Mikel Arteta will be keen to canter away to their first title in 22 years with minimal fuss and put the lid on talk of bottling it.
Three changes from the XI which beat Sporting, with Lewis-Skelly, Havertz and Martinelli coming in. Barry Glendenning has all the latest updates for us here.
Taking three points against Bournemouth will be no easy feat. They are unbeaten in 11 matches and only the top three Premier League sides have lost fewer matches than Andoni Iraola’s team. However, hampered by being draw specialists – fifteen in the Prem this year! – they are only 13th in the table.
Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Rice, Havertz, Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, Hincapie, Jesus, Eze, Norgaard, Trossard, Dowman, Salmon
Bournemouth XI: Petrovic, Jimenez, Hill, Truffert, Senesi, Scott, Christie, Rayan, Tavernier, Kroupi Jr, Evanilson
Subs: Mandas, Adams, Brooks, Gannon-Doak, Smith, Diakite, Adli, Unal, Toth
Preamble
To paraphrase the Titanic old lady, it feels like it’s been 84 years but after a 19-day intermission, the Premier League was back with a bang last night.
We’ll have all the reaction to West Ham’s 4-0 win over Wolves, lifting themselves out of the relegation zone and putting Tottenham Hotspur into the bottom three. Your move, Roberto De Zerbi.
At the other end of the table, Arsenal are at home to Bournemouth in today’s first kick-off (12.30pm BST), while Liverpool host Fulham this evening, last season’s winners seeking to get over their Champions League stinker and qualify for the continent’s premier club competition again.
In the Championship, leaders Coventry City could effectively ensure promotion today if they beat abject Sheffield Wednesday, in a lunchtime kick-off, and rivals Middlesbrough drop points at home to Portsmouth. After 25 years away from the top division, it is surely only a matter of time for Frank Lampard’s side, given their vastly superior goal difference.
The other choice fixture is the East Anglian derby, as Norwich City could dent Ipswich’s promotion push. Spicy.
In League One, second-placed Cardiff City could take a big step towards promotion if they can see off Bolton Wanderers. And in League Two, first plays second, with Bromley v MK Dons. The south Londoners (just about, even if it feels like Kent) could secure promotion today, and just need a win.
At the top of the Scottish Premiership, it’s all to play for. Hearts face Motherwell and if they lose, Celtic would be on the same number of points if they beat St Mirren.
As ever, please do get in touch with comments, tangents and matchday musings.