Chelsea 1-2 Fulham, Newcastle 3-0 Aston Villa and more: as it happened | Premier League

Thanks for your company today. That’s all from me – join Rob Smyth for Wolves v crisis club Manchester United here (it kicked off a few minutes ago). Goodbye!

Hmmm just saw that red card for Aston Villa’s Jhon Durán and indeed it looks harsh.

“We can manage the game better,” says Chelsea’s Maresca. “We conceded too many transitions second half. They [Fulham] are very good in transition. It’s a game we can learn many things. We need to manage better the game …

“It’s just a game that unfortunately we lost. Now we have to recover energy and go again in three days.

“Not because we win or lose, we are ready or not ready [to win the title] … it’s the feeling we have inside. The best thing we can do is focus game by game and see what we need to improve.”

“To lose at the end is difficult,” says Cole Palmer, of Chelsea’s late defeat by Fulham.

“We played well in the first half. We controlled the game and we had quite a few chances. Second half, we lost a bit of control, and they are a good transition team.

“I don’t think we lost energy or intensity. We just lost control. They turned it into a game – running and stuff – that we are not so good at. We have to try and manage the game a bit better.”

“We knew we weren’t going to win every single game … it’s the manager’s first season … we’re just improving and playing better as a team … it’s a good opportunity to learn.

“It’s football, it happens, it’s one of them games where we lost control for 20 minutes and they scored two. Well done Fulham.”

Final question: Did he mean to nutmeg Issa Diop for his goal?

Palmer nods and says: “Yeah.”

Pep Guardiola and the Manchester City board will discuss new signings for the January transfer window this week, the manager said after his team dropped another two points in the 1-1 draw with Everton.

The result makes it one win in City’s last 13 matches and several key players are out, such as Rodri for the whole season, Oscar Bobb also for the long term and Jack Grealish, Rúben Dias, John Stones, Ederson and Matheus Nunes at present. Against Everton Kyle Walker was missing because of illness.

Blackburn 2-2 SunderlandMiddlesbrough 3-3 Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry 4-0 Plymouth, Sheffield United 0-2 Burnley.

A smattering of scores from the Championship, there, and you can see all today’s scores here.

If we take the view that Southampton are doomed – and, as a reminder, no club has ever stayed in the Premier League with such a lowly points tally at this stage of the season – then small positives must be sought wherever possible for the unfortunate regulars at St Mary’s.

So, while this defeat by West Ham extended the hosts’ winless streak to eight games, there was at least evidence that the Ivan Juric era might offer some fresh hope; if not for this campaign then beyond.

Sandro Tonali has brought Newcastle an abundance of riches but perhaps foremost among them it is the rare ability to slow games down that offers Eddie Howe’s high-intensity team the sort of invaluable control they have so often lacked in recent months.

With the Italian once again imperious at the base of midfield as he ran through his Andrea Pirlo-esque repertoire of short and long passes, seamless interceptions and all-round superior vision, Newcastle were in front even before Jhon Durán’s controversial, 32nd-minute sending-off.

Perhaps there will be some debate over Fulham’s equalising goal after 81 minutes of this 2-1 west London derby victory for Marco Silva’s team at Stamford Bridge. Certainly Pedro Neto spent a long time prostrate on the turf being tended to by the medical team after being caught by Alex Iwobi’s shoulder as he skated past him far too easily on the Fulham left. Perhaps Neto might be better served trying to tackle with his feet in future.

But there was no debate about the winner, which arrived five minutes into added time, tucked in calmly by the sub Rodrigo Muniz, reward for a relentless second-half display, and a moment that left the Fulham bench leaping and writhing in a full bobbing huddle on the touchline.

Newcastle 3-0 Aston Villa
Chelsea 1-2 Fulham
Southampton 0-1 West Ham
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Tottenham
Bournemouth 0-0 Crystal Palace

Early KO: Manchester City 1-1 Everton

Bowen’s goal wins it. Juric’s managerial debut for Southampton ends in defeat.

Wolves v Manchester United – live!

“To come here, a local rival … we played a bit differently with a back five and it worked,” says Fulham’s Harry Wilson. “We didn’t come here and park the bus, we tried to play.

“I’m trying to shake the super-sub tag.”

Of his goal: “I thought I might have been offside, I was looking across the line. I didn’t realise it hit the post, I thought I found the bottom corner. That was lucky.”

“I always wonder why Rooney doesn’t just give up and do punditry,” writes Sean. “But I guess taking huge losses in the Championship is still preferable to listening to Carragher and Richards performatively guffaw over some lame pun every weekend.”

Also fair.

Saints v West Ham is ongoing. West Ham are winning 1-0.

“I’d like to take some of the credit for Fulham’s remarkable win,” writes Phil. “I have spent a considerable portion of the afternoon telling my mates that we hadn’t won at the Bridge since October 1979 and that was unlikely to change today.”

“I’m not sure how good Man United’s new bosses are at the football part,” writes Zach. “But their media management has been very strong. Days and days of focus on a player who has pretty quietly sunk to the bench being bravely sold has filled the headlines instead of them still being poor on the pitch.”

Fair. What I’m wondering is, how is it sensible to advertise the fact that cut-price offers will apparently be welcome for Rashford? Not very marginal gains.

Coventry 4-0 Plymouth is a full time score from the Championship. Not looking good for Rooney at Argyle.

Joelinton makes it 3-0 before the final whistle at St James’ Park. Eddie Howe is the new Messiah, again.

Cole Palmer’s latest classic strike was all for nought. Fulham have won away in the Premier League for the first time in 20 matches.

Stalemate.

That was quite predictable. Forest are up to third, crisis club Tottenham cling on to 11th.

Fulham break down the right! It’s crossed low and Muniz takes a good touch and applies a smart finish back across the keeper! Fulham have won it at the death, it seems!

Remarkable!

“Good afternoon,” begins David Alderton.

“Regarding the Merseyside weather, I’ve just returned from a promenade at New Brighton (as sang about by local band The Boo Radleys) and it was a proper pea-souper out there. Can barely see the new Toffees ground over the river, and Anfield usually sits proudly atop the crest of the hill over the water.”

“Funny there’s such diverse opinion centred around Antony Gordon lookalikes,” writes Hasan. “Whenever I see him I’ve always got immediate recollections of 1984 era Jonny from the Karate Kid franchise. Anyway, let’s hope Forest are channeling their inner Cobra Kai today. Strike first, strike hard, no mercy Spurs! (Sorry, had to do it…)”

Fulham are well on top of “Chels” right now. Nearly full-time.

But now Chelsea nearly win it! Sancho forces a great save from Leno!

Simon McMahonour unofficial and most certainly unpaid Scottish Premiership correspondent, writes in:

“Dundee United, having trailed at half time, have turned it around in Perth and currently lead St. Johnstone 2-1 with ten minutes remaining. Celtic are 3-0 up at home to Motherwell, meaning United would leapfrog the Steelmen into fourth should they see it out. Kilmarnock and Ross County both lead 2-0 against Aberdeen and Dundee respectively.”

Al Pacino snuck into the away dugout at St James’ Park today, points out my colleague Paul Bellsham:

GOAL! Fulham are level against their local rivals. Someone crossed it, someone headed it, someone else headed it, it went in the goal. It will be on telly later.

Andy writes in on City conspiracy theories:

“My theory is they know they’re getting a European ban, so why bother this year?

“Ortega never moved on the Ndiaye goal, Harland bottling penalties, the evidence is there, wake up sheeple ;)”

Ha ha, that’s made me chuckle, that has.

On the subject of resemblances,” writes Bill, “I note that Chris Paraskevas makes the common mistake of seeing Lee Bowyer in the clash with Kieron Dyer, when in fact it was post-Beverley Hills Cop Jonathan Banks. Such was Bowyer’s reputation at Toon that the team were never allowed formal buffet events.”

Love it, Bill.

“Is this the gentleman who ruined the buffet at the Harrow club this morning?”

“Now I know you are not John Kettley (he’s a weatherman) but there is talk of fog spoiling the Anfield game,” writes Ian. “Do you have the latest skinny?”

My sources tell me Liverpool v Leicester (8pm KO) is ON.

Sels has made three good saves from Brennan Johnson, the former Forest man, says Michael Dawson on Sky. But he adds that Forest look comfortable.

That means Bournemouth 0-0 Crystal Palace is the sole remaining goalless encounter of the five 3pm kick-offs.

The Hammers lead!

That match has been significantly delayed by the first-half injury to Fabianski.