Key events
Callum Hudson Odoi has snatched the lead for Nottingham Forest late on against Manchester City. A big goal in the race for Champions League qualification? The City Ground is bouncing.
In the early kickoffs down the leagues, Coventry are on course for yet another win under Frank Lampard – they lead Stoke 2-1; Millwall are winning by the same score away at Watford; while in League One there’s only been one goal in the Crawley v Reading and Stockport v Charlton games. That’s been scored by the Royals’ Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan. League Two leaders Walsall are on course for a home defeat by Grimsby Town and AFC Wimbledon are cruising 2-0 at home to Notts County.
Premier League team news
You’ll have all no doubt checked the team news on your various apps and websites, but allow me to run through the headlines.
Cody Gakpo is still absent for Liverpool, with Arne Slot handing a start to Darwin Nunez against Southampton as part of three changes from the side that snuck past PSG in midweek. Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas also start. Kamaldeen Sulemana leads the line for Southampton.
João Pedro is preferred up front to Danny Welbeck for Brighton, while Fulham look to be playing three at the back at the Amex. Issa Diop starts for them. Crystal Palace are of course without the injured Jean-Philippe Mateta after he took a whack to the head last week, with Eddie Nketiah starting up top. Kalvin Phillips is back in the Ipswich midfield at Selhurst Park after two games out. Captain Sam Morsy drops to the bench.
There’s 20 minutes or so remaining at the City Ground in the big early kickoff and Scott Murray is all over it for us.
Preamble
Welcome to another Saturday clockwatch – and what a glorious springtime Saturday this is (in most of the UK, at least).
The football doesn’t look too shabby either. In the Best League In The World (TM) there’s top v bottom with Liverpool v Southampton, two middling sides in Brighton v Fulham and whatever you care to dub Crystal Palace v Ipswich, probably safe versus seriously unsafe in the case of the latter.
Down the leagues there’s no shortage of 3pm Saturday goodness, with promotion-pushing Sheffield United and Burnley in action in the Championship, while Birmingham, Wrexham and Huddersfield are among the second tier hopefuls playing in the, er, third tier today.
There’s lots more beside, include the Bundesliga, La Liga and more and more and more. Let’s do this thing!