Key events
Eight minutes of added time at SJP while, at Selhurst, we’ve played four of nine, and Joao Pedro is declared POTM. Chelsea haven’t played especially good football, nor really controlled the game, but they’ve been good on the counter.
GOAL! Newcastle United 0-2 Aston Villa (Watkins 88)
Villa have looked the likelier scorers through most of this match and they finish the game when Newcastle fail to clear a corner, the ball going wide to Digne, who measures a gorgeous half-volleyed cross to the back post, when Watkins dives into a downwards header. This is going to be a huge win for Emery’s men, who’ll move level on points with Man City in second place.
But they have nine additional minutes to pretend they do.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-3 Chelsea (Richards 88)
A corner, a header, and Palace still don’t have a prayer.
GOAL! Brentford 0-2 Nottingham Forest (Awoniyi 80)
Game over! Awoniyi gets away down the right, barges inside Ven den Bergh then barely notices Kayode desperately sliding past him, before hitting a low finish into the net!
Steve Parish, the Palace chairman, has decisions to make. Does he spent money in this window and hope to stay up that way, or does he change manager now, rather than in the summer? He might not want to buy when he knows he’s a manager coming in who might play a different style and won’t want to fire his club’s best ever manger, but he might not have a choice.
Voilla win a free-kick 20 yards from goal, just left of centre; Rogers is on it, but his effort is saved by Pope easily enough.
Rogers is caught on the edge of the box, but the ref says no foul and a replay shows it was outside not inside, so there’s nothing VAR can do. Then Newcastle race forward Elanga crosses, Woltemade is up, and Konsa heads over his own bar before Martinez claims the corner then goes down – eventually – before the ref tells him to get up.
Newcastle are pushing for an equaliser, Miley crossing from the right … upon which Martinez dives.
“I’m a Chelsea fan and that seems a very harsh penalty, admits Lee Madden. “Joao Pedro hits the ball towards his arm from no distance. He’s got an arm and it has to go somewhere? Seems mad but we’ll take it!”
I’m inclined to agree, otherwise we’re saying that a striker can aim for an arm.
Palace’s next game, by the way, that Wharton will now miss, is Forest away. If Dyche’s side hang on at Brentford, they’ll stay fourth-bottom but the gap between the sides will be just three points. Glasner’s men are in a relegation battle, I’m afraid.
Adam Wharton is sent off for Crystal Palace
Oh dear. Wharton, already on a yellow card, slides in, tries to withdraw as the ball is sent elsewhere but can’t, and instead catches Caicedo. The ref doesn’t have much choice other than to brandish a red card, but as Wharton notes, he’s only made two fouls in the match whereas Caicedo has got away with more.
“Couple of big games just kicked off in Scotland,” writes Simon McMahon. “Leaders Hearts at home to Celtic, where a win for the Tynecastle side would take them nine points clear of their visitors, and Rangers, third on goal difference behind Celtic, at home to struggling Dundee. And Celtic have just scored! Nygren with a classic up and over the wall free kick from 22 yards.”
You’d fear for Hearts if they were to lose this one, but there’s still a long way to go.
Our blog for Arsenal v Man United is live, and team news is in – join the great Rob Smyth for that.
At Brentford, the home side continue to apply pressure, but are yet to create a chance this half.
Changes for Newcastle, Elanga and Woltemade replacing Gordon, whose last league goal came at the start of December, and Wissa.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-3 Chelsea (Fernandez pen 64)
Fernandez drills into the bottom-right and Henderson doesn’t even move.
PENALTY TO CHELSEA
Back at Palace, the check continues, then the ref tells us that the handball is accidental, but it’s a penalty nevertheless, just one with no accordant booking, Canvot has had better afternoons.
Change for Villa, the returning Bailey replacing Sancho.
At Palace, Joao Pedro almost finishes the game, his shot hitting Canvot on the body then bouncing on to a hand, I think. He wants a penalty, the ref says no, but then as play proceeds, he’s called to the monitor. I’m not sure why, because I think the law is clear on this point.
Newcastle get Trippier away down the right, his cross is a goodun … but has just too much on it for Gordon, who flings himself at it, and for Barnes, who goes with a foot when his head might’ve been a better option.
Palace haven’t won a game, in any competition, since the 11th of December; their last league win was on the 7th. It’s not all Glasner’s fault, obviously – his best players have been sold from under him and his squad isn’t deep enough for the added workload of a European campaign, but their defending today has been shambolic.
We’re off again at Brentford, by the way.
Barnes steps inside, curls one, it takes a deflection … and soars over the bar. Corner, but the ball is easily claimed by Martinez, who’s having a good day.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-2 Chelsea (Joao Pedro 50)
Palace are so open at the back, a simple one-two give-and-go between Joao Pedro and Estevao allowing the latter to play the former in behind, down the right. He cuts infield and into the box but the angle is tight, so he shimmies inside, Wharton sells himself, and wallops a shot at the diving Henderson which canons off his the keeper’s shins and in. Palace are Don Draper in the opening credits of Mad Men.
Now Joelinton is down, but there’s been a development at Selhurst Park…
Immediately, Villa get at Newcastle, Trippier forced to hack away a low cross, then Newcastle storm down the other end and Miley’s shot os blocked by, I think, a stretching Torres.
We’re back underway at Palace and Newcastle…
Further half-time reading: Joy of Six: love.
Half-time reading:
HALF-TIME: Brentford 0-1 Nottingham Forest
The Bees are on top, but the Forresters lead.
Kayode hurls into the box and it’s rare to see a go at goal from first contact on a throw, but Van den Berg is up … and heads wide of the near post.
On Sky, Jamie Carragher is already ripping into how Crystal Palace defended the goal; I wonder when he’ll show Virgil van Dijk the same energy.
HALF-TIME: Newcastle United 0-1 Aston Villa
Villa look the more incisive team going forward; currently, Newcastle are struggling to exploit their high line.
Brentford are dominating Forest territorially now, the away side sitting back and playing for half-time. I don’t think they can survive a full 45 playing this way, but it makes sense for now.
Lerma and Fernandez shove each other on the way off; hopefully there’s a rumble brewing there, and the second half will over us a bit of all the stuff that no one, apart from everyone, wants to see.
HALF-TIME: Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea
Losing is a habit, and I’m afraid Palace have contracted it.
Four added minutes at SJP, two at Selhurst, and seven at the Community.
Palace have had most of the territory, at least when I’ve been watching, but they look ridiculously open when Chelsea counter.
Again, Estevao is left with half the pitch to himself, bursting from wide right, on halfway, towards goal before lashing a low shot wide. Oh, and at Newcastle, Gordon crosses, Miley is up, connects … and a fine save from Martinez turns the ball over the top.
Oh man, good work from Schade, then Jensen sends Outtara through the middle! Sels comes out, makes himself big, and is asking to be rounded – a finish we don’t see often these days, but he’s really close to the striker – who instead opts for the Lukaku-Watkins-Mateta finish, just going low and hardish, and again, the keeper saves when he oughn’t have had a prayer.
Barnes goes down the right, digs out a floaty cross, and Martinez grabs … then the flag goes up for offside.
Back at SJP, Newcastle try to sustain pressure against Villa. But again, a counter causes them grief, Pope forced to hurtle out of goal and slide into a challenge to take the ball away from Watkins.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea (Estevao 34)
Gosh, a terrible backpass from halfway, I’m not sure who played it, sets Estevao away! He motors into the Palace half, Mitchell tearing after him, and he veers off centre, looking to have gone too far, but then he half-swivels into a shot that whooshes past Henderson, who should perhaps have covered his goal better given it’s saveable height and hits the middle of the net. Still, though, great finish.
At Selhurst, Caicedo, who’s already been booked, steps in front of Sarr to thwart a Palace attack. Another ref, on another day, shows him a second yellow for that, but I’m glad the bar for dismissal is higher.
Miley hasn’t done much so far, but it can’t be long before he’s challenging Joelinton for a spot in midfield. He’s got plenty of physicality, but more quality on the ball and less rashness in the tackle.
Newcastle haven’t created much since that Tonali run right at the start – Villa look more likely to pick a hole in their high line and double their advantage than they do to concede an equaliser
Back at SJP, a loose first touch from Watkins, looking to being a decent pass into stride, ruins what looked like being a good chance, then Joelinton is booked for consecutive fouls on Onana and Cash. The latter is fine but the former is suffering, his shin sprayed, but he’ll be good to go on.
This Forest away kit, then. It’s not traditional, which is a problem for old farts like me, but I do also enjoy it.
Let’s have a look over to Selhurst, where it’s a pretty even game. The big chance so far fell to Palace, but otherwise it’s tight and, as I type, Lacroix eases on to the gas, zipping back to relieve Neto of the ball.
With no one near him, Tonali goes down and takes treatment on his right leg. I don’t think he’ll have to go off, but I’m not sure he’s completing the 90.
WHAT A GOAL! Newcastle United 0-1 Aston Villa (Buendía 19)
Villa work it through the centre as they like to do, looking for the escadinha – get us! – then, from 25 yards, right of centre, Buendia unfurls a outswinger that rips, screeches and hisses into the far side-netting, two-thirds of the way up. Think David Beckham in the 1999 FA Cup semi-final replay for a flavour.
Looking again, actually, Rogers could’ve seen there was no one there. His pass was a pointless one.
Back come Vlla, Rogers doing really well down the left side of the box, a shoulder-drop sending Trippy-kye-aye out for a sarnie, but when he squares through the corridor, there’s no one attacking the ball and the chance disappears.
