UK News
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest: Premier League – live | Chelsea
Key events
5 min: Making his full Premier League debut, Forest right-back Luca Netz gets on the ball as Forest go in search of a second goal.
4 min: Awoniyi’s goal came on 98 seconds and has stunned Stamford Bridge into silence. Dilane Bakwa stictched Marc Cucurella up like a kipper before sending in his cross and Awoniyi had a free header which he placed in the top corner.
GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Nottingham Forest (Awoniyi 2)
Forest lead! Taiwo Awoniyi puts Forest ahead, leaping unmarked at the far post to nod a Dilane Bakwa cross from the byline past Robert Sanchez.
1 min: Forest win an early throw-in deep in Chelsea territory, the ball going out of play off Marc Cucurella. Zach Abbott takes responsibility, starting just his second senior game.
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest is go …
1 min: Nottingham Forest get the ball rolling, playing it straight back to Matz Sels. He passes it back upfield.
Not long now: The teams are out on the Stamford Bridge pitch and going through the last of the pre-match formalities. Kick-off is just a couple of minutes away.
Chelsea: Currently on a run of five Premier League defeats without scoring, the hosts will set an unwanted club record if they lose without finding the back of the net this afternoon.
Calum McFarlane: “It’s a great opportunity for Jesse,” says Chelsea’s interim head coach of his decision to hand young Master Derry his full debut. “He’s training with us a lot, he’s been in squads, he’s played in other games. We trust him, we know his talent because I’ve worked with him previously. The boys trust him, he’s trained really well so I’m really excited for Jesse.” McFarlane goes on to tell Sky Sports that both Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are sidelined with knocks that aren’t serious.
Vitor Pereira: In a pre-match interview with Sky Sports, the Forest manager is asked about his team selection and the potential risks involved in resting so many first-team regulars. “They need to show, to prove in this moment that they are ready to help the team,” he says of the players he has picked. “I truly believe we can do a competitive game and we can fight for the points.”
Unai Emery adopted the same approach with the Aston Villa team he picked to face Tottenham Hotspur yesterday and if he believed his largely second-string side could be competitive he was quickly disabused of the notion as they stank Villa Park out with an embarrassing performance that seems to have prompted far more upset among West Ham’s fans than those of the Villa.
Today’s match officials
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Referee: Anthony Taylor
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Referee assistants: Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn
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Fourth official: Michael Salisbury
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VAR: James Bell
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Assistant VAR: Dan Robathan
Chelsea: Having recently returned from a club-imposed two-match ban for telling reporters how much he’d like to live in Madrid, Enzo Fernandes only went and spent his three days off this week in the Spanish capital watching tennis with his teammates Marc Cucurella and Joao Pedro.
“It says a lot about the group that they go away together,” said McFarlane. “I love that they spend time together. They went to Madrid to watch tennis, I don’t see an issue. It’s a positive sign for the unity of the group.”
On his own role as interim head coach of a team that has lost five consecutive Premier League matches without scoring a goal before his appointment, McFarlane hd this to say: “I’ve been involved at games at Stamford Bridge as assistant and support staff but there might be a different feel leading the team and it will be a great honour in front of the Chelsea fans. Really looking forward to it and hoping we can put in a similar level of performance as we did at Wembley.”
Nottingham Forest: “I will try to think just about the Chelsea game because it’s our Champions League,” said Vitor Pereira when asked about this match being sandwiched between both legs of a Europa League semi-final. “It’s very important for us and we will try to go there to compete with the players. I prefer a fit player without injury problems, than someone that goes inside the pitch with problems, because with problems, we cannot give 100% and in this moment we need to run and fight.”
Jesse Derry: Maybe it’s just his hairstyle but Jesse Derry reminds me of Jamie Tartt, star player of AFC Richmond in the comedy series Ted Lasso. Unlike Jamie, he seems unlikely to take a sabbatical from football so he can appear on a Reality TV Show. If he’s as good and unselfish a player as Tartt in his series three pomp, Chelsea fans are in for a treat.
Pre-match listening: Myself, Barney Ronay and Jonathan Wilson were up with the lark to join Max Rushden and pick over the bones of the weekend action in the latest episode of our Football Weekly podcast. Warning: may contain middle-aged men bickering and one extremely laboured tea analogy.
Those teams: Vitor Pereira has channeled his inner Unai Emery and made eight changes to the side that beat Aston Villa on Thursday night. Morato, Nico Dominguez and Igor Jesus are the only survivors as a host of first team regulars drop to the bench for a rest.
It’s a risky strategy that may prove to have backfired come season’s end, but Pereira clearly feels his players have enough about them to pick up the points they need to avoid relegation in their remaining games, even if they lose today. And let’s face it, given they are playing Chelsea-in-freefall, there’s every chance Forest won’t lose today.
With Pedro Neto and Alejandro both absent from the home squad, Jesse Derry comes into the Chelsea side to make his full senior debut. The 18-year-old winger is the son of Shaun Derry, the former Notts County, Crystal Palace and QPR legend. As expected, Reece James and Levi Colwill are on the Chelsea bench.
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest line-ups
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Chalobah, Tosin, Cucurella, Caicedo, Lavia, Palmer, Derry, Fernandez, Joao Pedro.
Subs: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Colwill, Fofana, James, Hato, Santos, Essugo, Delap.
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Abbott, Morato, Jair Cunha, Netz, Yates, McAtee, Dominguez, Bakwa, Igor Jesus, Awoniyi.
Subs: Ortega, Williams, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Wood, Da Silva Moreira, Lucca, Hutchinson, Milenkovic.
Early team news
Filip Jorgensen, Estavao Willian and Jamie Gittens remain sidelined but Chelsea could welcome Reece James and Levi Colwill back into their matchday squad. Colwill is back from an ACL he suffered in pre-season and has not played since the Club World Cup final. “When someone’s had an injury for that long, you have to be patient,” said Calum McFarlane. “We just need to manage his minutes, not push him too much. We don’t want to risk re‑injuring him, but he looks brilliant and he is in a really good place.”
Forest right-back Ola Aina limped out of Thursday night’s Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa but may return this afternoon. At his pre-match press conference, Vitor Pereira was unable to offer updates on the fitness of Dan Ndoye, Ibrahim Sangare, Jair Cunha and Murillo. Callum Hudson-Odoi, Nicolo Savona, John Victor and Willy Boly are definitely out.
Premier League: Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
Stamford Bridge hosts a high-stakes Bank Holiday clash between two sides suffering different end-of-season anxieties. Chelsea have an imminent FA Cup final to focus on but must win today to end a remarkable five-match Premier League losing streak to keep their already slim hopes of playing Champions League football next season alive.
Dragged back into a relegation battle they hoped they’d escaped, Nottingham Forest currently find themselves between two legs of a Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa. While the lights of Villa Park beckon for Thursday’s second leg, Forest cannot afford to take things easy this afternoon. Kick-off is at 3pm (BST) but we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.
UK News
Edinburgh airport reopens after security alert but passengers warned of ‘knock on’ effect | Scotland
Edinburgh airport reopened on Saturday morning after parts of the terminal building were evacuated on Friday night because of a security alert.
An explosive ordnance disposal team was sent to the airport to investigate what Police Scotland described as a “potentially suspicious package” discovered at about 6.50pm on Friday.
An evacuation was ordered and a police cordon was set up, with roads closed.
Passengers faced disruption as result of the operation and the airport warned that schedules would continue to be affected on Saturday.
In a statement at about 3am on Saturday, the airport confirmed it had reopened and would work to restore normal services as quickly as possible.
“Following investigations by specialist teams, the airport has now reopened.
“This incident will have knock-on impacts throughout today and staff are working hard to address these and support passengers.
“Operational teams are continuing to work to restore normal services as quickly as possible.
“Please check with your airline for the latest information on your flight.”
The statement did not provide an update about the examination of the suspicious package.
From Glasgow to Salford, smaller, unique events are celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
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Key events
4 mins: Just minutes after scoring, Galarza receives the first yellow card of the match after careening into Yunus Akgun.
2 mins: Matias Galarza was brought into the starting XI for Paraguay and it’s paid off immediately. The midfielder picks up a ball and takes a step into space near the top of Turkey’s penalty area before rocketing a low shot into the bottom corner. Incredible opening moments.
GOAL! Paraguay 1-0 Turkey (Galarza 1)
It’s the fastest goal in the World Cup so far!
Kick-off!
Centre referee Ivan Barton toots his whistle and we’re underway.
And for those keen-eyed viewers who have noticed an unusual amount of hot-pink boots across the World Cup so far, including a bunch of players about to make their way out onto the grass for the anthems, here’s a great yarn from Lauren Cochrane about why.
Plenty of fans are flooding into San Fransisco Bay Area Stadium for today’s final match, which is sitting at a gorgeous 19 degrees C (67 degrees F) and clear skies. A perfect evening for football, which hopefully delivers much more focused and effective performances from both sides compared to their opening games.
Meanwhile, Brazil have held onto their 3-0 lead against Haiti to claim top spot in Group C, though it wasn’t as convincing a performance as what many had hoped from the South American giants against a relative minnow of world football. An injury to Raphinha will be a particular worry.
Matheus Cunha found the back of the net twice in the opening half, and Vinicus Jr made it two in two matches, after which Carlo Ancelotti’s side seemed more focussed on conserving energy and seeing out the clock than finding more goals. It is a decision that may come back to haunt them if goal difference is what separates them from Morocco at the top of Group C.
Sam Lewis
Turkey fans will be thrilled to see their two starlets, Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz, starting their first World Cup match together.
Guler, the Real Madrid creative attacking midfielder, was kept largely at bay by Australia’s resolute defence a week ago, but still managed to deliver some sneaky through-balls and find small pockets of space in and around the penalty area. He’s also a free-kick specialist, so Paraguay will need to be careful not to give away too many fouls outside their own area.
Yildiz, meanwhile, made an immediate impact when he came on in the second half against the Socceroos. The Juventus winger added a new dimension to Turkey’s otherwise-muted left-sided attack, isn’t afraid to take on defenders one v one, and delivers some pin-point crosses and cut-backs for teammates to run onto.
With Guler moved into central midfield and Yunus Akgun brought onto the right side, the connection the two 21-year-olds can make could be the difference today.
Sam Lewis
A surprise start for attacker Isidro Pitta, who was so certain he wouldn’t be called up to Paraguay’s squad for the World Cup that he had already booked a holiday to Spain with his family during the tournament.
Nicknamed ‘Viking’ due to his long hair and big ginger beard, he’s found form at Red Bull Bragantino and is described as “a fighter, a tireless worker and a constant nuisance for opposition defences” in the Guardian’s World Cup player guide.
For more information about him, and plenty more fun and quirky facts about the two starting XIs, check out the guide below.
Paraguay XI
Sam Adams
Paraguay have also shuffled a few things around, making two changes from their 4-1 defeat to the USA last week.
Isidro Pitta replaces Antonio Sanabria to partner Enciso up front, while Matias Galarza comes into midfield in place of Damian Bobadilla. Here’s their squad to start today’s match.
Paraguay XI (4-4-2): 12 Gill; 6 Alonso, 3 Alderete, 15 Gomez, 4 Caceres; 10 Almiron, 23 Galarza, 14 Cubas, 8 Gomez; 25 Pitta, 19 Enciso.
Turkey XI
Sam Lewis
Three changes for Turkey following their defeat to Australia.
Juventus star Kenan Yildiz comes into the starting XI alongside right-back Mert Muldur and winger Yunus Akgun, with Orkan Kokcu, Baris Yilmaz, and Zeki Celik benched. Here’s their line-up.
Turkey (4-2-3-1): 23 Cakir, 18 Muldur, 3 Demiral, 14 Bardakci, 20 Kadioglu, 16 Yuksek, 10 Calhanoglu, 19 Akgun, 8 Guler, 11 Yildiz, 7 Akturkoglu.
Sam Lewis
Elsewhere, Brazil are maintaining a comfortable 3-0 lead over Haiti. If they maintain or extend that, they’ll leapfrog Morocco and sit pretty at the top of Group C.
Check out Jonathan Howcroft’s live updates below as we wait for the Turkey and Paraguay line-ups.
Sam Lewis
There are a few players worth keeping an eye on for both sides today.
Despite struggling to break down a resolute Australian defence, Turkey’s Arda Guler continued chipping away with neat little passes and crosses, and always found small pockets to drift into around the penalty area.
Team-mate and elder statesman Hakan Calhanoglu is Turkey’s midfield engine, while winger Kenan Yildiz made an immediate impact when he came off the bench a week ago.
For Paraguay, Julio Enciso was one of their better performers in their loss to the USA on the first match day, assisting the consolation goal from substitute Mauricio in the second half.
Andres Cubas also did his best to hold Paraguay’s shape through midfield, but was regularly overwhelmed by the USA’s press.
There will be a lot for both sides to improve upon today. Let’s see if they can.
Sam Lewis
Here’s a bit more info about where to watch today’s Turkey v Paraguay match thanks to our friend Graham Ruthven, who sets the scene for us below.
Turkey have a point to prove after a shock opening defeat to Australia. Vincenzo Montella’s side struggled to create against a low block and could run into many of the same problems again if Paraguay are able to keep things tight at the back in the way they weren’t against the USA.
Paraguay were powerless to stop the USA running over them in Los Angeles, but have much more to offer if their qualification campaign is anything to go by. Anything less than a draw would all but end their hopes of making it through to the last 32.
Want more on today’s earlier Group D game between co-hosts USA and Australia? Our team in Seattle has you covered.
Sam Lewis
We’re already starting to see the shape of some other groups as match day two continues at the World Cup.
Mexico became the first nation to secure knock-out football after a 1-0 victory over South Korea in Group A.
Canada and Switzerland both recorded wins in Group B to draw level with each other on 4 points apiece.
Finally, Morocco edged past Scotland 1-0 to move to 4 points in Group C, with Brazil currently taking on Haiti to potentially join them there.
If following every game is simply too much for you, the wonderful fellas at Guardian Football Weekly are recording daily wraps for your pleasure – now also in video format!
Sam Lewis
Looking at the group’s permutations, both Turkey and Paraguay will now have Australia squarely in their sights after the Socceroos lost 2-0 to hosts USA earlier today.
A win for either team today will bring them level on points with Australia (3), though exactly where they’ll end up – second or third – will be decided by goal difference.
The USA are all but through to the round of 32 after their comprehensive win, sailing into their third and final group game on six comfy points. Here’s Alexander Abnos on the match:
As John Denver’s Country Roads blared over the Seattle Stadium PA, they celebrated history: a spot in the knockout round secured with a game to spare, two wins to start a World Cup for the first time since 1930, a big moment for a breakout star in goalscorer Alex Freeman, and the continuation of a journey that US Soccer hope will be transformative for the sport in their country.
“We built the victory in our attitude,” Mauricio Pochettino said. “Today, even if I am not American, after the game I was emotional … To connect with the people is what we wanted.”
Preamble
Sam Lewis
Hello friends and welcome to live coverage of Group D’s second match between Turkey and Paraguay. Kick-off at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium is scheduled for 8:00pm local time (11pm EDT/4am BST/1pm AEST).
Both sides come into this crucial clash having lost their opening matches in rather startling fashion. Turkey, favoured by many to top the group, unexpectedly lost 2-0 to Australia, while Paraguay were picked apart by hosts USA 4-1 a week ago.
Neither team was especially convincing in those losses. Turkey’s dominant possession did not translate into convincing chances, creating an average xG of just 0.04 despite having two of the tournament’s most exciting young attackers in Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz.
Paraguay, meanwhile, were defensively shambolic, allowing the USA to have 53 touches in their own penalty area: the second-most behind Curaçao’s destruction at the hands of Germany. They did pull a goal back from their only shot on target, but that glimmer of hope papered over some much deeper cracks.
As a result, each side will be looking to restore a bit of dignity and repair their negative goal difference as the door to the round of 32 slowly closes in front of them. The loser of this match will almost certainly be sent home.
This is the first high-stakes match between Turkey and Paraguay in their history, with their only other meeting coming in a friendly over a decade ago, so it’ll be a match of discovery for both sides as they try to save a bit of face.
I’ll be back with the line-ups shortly, but in the meantime, what did you think of the opening performances of these two sides? Which result shocked you more? And how do you reckon this one will play out? Send me an email at samantha.lewis.freelance@guardian.co.uk
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