11:26
Congratulations, Kelechi. Seven goals in four matches (five in three in the Premier League) was pretty sensational, and the answer to Brendan’s prayers.
11:21
Paul Heckingbottom faces the club where he had a brief but disappointing spell as manager, just like everyone else between David O’Leary and Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road, aside perhaps from Simon Grayson.
11:07
Ben Fisher has spoken to the Brentford manager. His team begin the day back in fourth in the Championship, before they play Huddersfield on Saturday lunchtime.
10:39
Jack is back: Probably. Aston Villa will be able to welcome back Grealish when they play Fulham on Sunday. They have won just one of their six games without him. Dean Smith seems happy to have him back, while guarded.
He trained all week, he’s only had a few sessions but seems fit enough and has certainly put himself up for selection. The performances over the last six weeks haven’t been what they were previously. If anyone loses a player of the calibre of Jack you are going to struggle a bit. It will be a big boost for everyone to have Jack back.
10:26
There may be developments today on this story. Eddie Howe seems an odd fit but could he be a better manager than Stevie? It’s not impossible.
10:23
Manchester United have launched a new anti-racism campaign, See Red. The club’s players have been targeted, including Fred after last month’s FA Cup loss to Leicester. United have set up an online reporting system and is encouraging supporters to report incidents of racism or other hate crimes and speak out when there is discriminatory abuse.
10:09
Roy Hodgson doesn’t much enjoy being asked about his future, as he was on Thursday ahead of Crystal Palace’s match with Everton on Monday.
Every week I get the same question, every week I give the same answer and I will continue doing that until such time I feel there is an announcement to be made. I am not interesting in having that discussion at the moment. I am interested in working very hard with the players to make certain we finish this season properly. As a result it is the games that are ahead of us which interest me much more than next season. When the time is right, we’ll discuss it.
10:00
The least surprising quote of the day award has already gone to Sam Allardyce for praising Thomas Tuchel for prioritising clean sheets.
West Brom go to the Bridge on Saturday and Big Sam genuflected: “Fantastic because he’s done the right thing. Start with clean sheets and then you build from there. He’s done that absolutely magnificently That’s not to say that Chelsea are not very entertaining, because the quality of the players they’ve got at the other end, they are, and obviously I’m very jealous about that.”
09:51
Let’s start this the usual way, with ten things to look out for this weekend, including Cavani, Mitrovic and Paul Heckingbottom.
09:08
Preamble
It’s back, your actual football. Pack up your tedious talk of Gareth Southgate and defensive midfielders in your old kitbag. We’re back into the final straight of the Premier League this weekend, and there’ll be all the talk from the ‘pressers’ to come. But before that, the Championship takes its if-not-quite-traditional-but-now-regular centre stage on Good Friday. Time was when the old First Division would play all over Easter – in the final 1991-92 season before football was invented, Manchester United played on Maundy Thursday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday and No More Chocolate Wednesday and completely blew the league title. This current lot, with their three matches a week and their Covid-19 protocols don’t know they’re born.
In the Championship, we have these matches to be played today, all kicking off at 3pm (BST) unless stated:
AFC Bournemouth v Middlesbrough
Barnsley v Reading (5.30pm)
Birmingham v Swansea (8pm)
Bristol City v Stoke
Cardiff v Nottingham Forest
Derby v Luton
Millwall v Rotherham
Preston North End v Norwich
QPR v Coventry
Watford v Sheff Wed
Wycombe v Blackburn
And in the Premier League, we’ll be looking ahead to following:
Arsenal v Liverpool (Saturday, 8pm)
Aston Villa v Fulham (Sunday, 4.30pm)
Chelsea v West Brom (Saturday, 12.30)
Everton v Crystal Palace (Monday, 6pm)
Leeds v Sheff Utd (Saturday, 3pm)
Leicester v Man City (Saturday, 5.30pm)
Man Utd v Brighton (Sunday, 7.15pm)
Newcastle v Tottenham Hotspur (2.05pm)
Southampton v Burnley (Sunday, 12pm)
Wolverhampton v West Ham (Monday, 8.15pm)
Updated