Nottm Forest vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result and reaction after Taiwo Awoniyi winner
Premier League result and reaction after Forest stunned Liverpool to move off the bottom of the Premier League
Nottingham Forest ended their 10-game winless streak in style as Taiwo Awoniyi returned to haunt former club Liverpool and stop their Premier League revival.
Awoniyi was on the books at Anfield for six years without ever playing for them, but showed Jurgen Klopp what he was all about, securing a famous 1-0 win that lifts Forest off the bottom of the table after his second-half goal.
Forest beat Liverpool at the City Ground in their first ever Premier League match 30 years ago and this victory will be just as memorable as it is their first three points since August and will provide hope that they can make a fist of their return to the big time after picking up just three points from their last 27 available.
Follow all the reaction from the City Ground after Nottingham Forest took on Liverpool in Saturday’s early kick off:
Chelsea vs Man Utd team changes
Graham Potter makes four changes to the Chelsea team that drew 0-0 with Brentford during the week. Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell replace Kalidu Koulibaly and Conor Gallagher with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling brought in for Kai Havertz and Armando Broja.
Erik ten Hag meanwhile brings back Christian Eriksen to partner Casemiro in the middle of the pitch. Fred drops out and there’s no Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench after he was left out of the travelling squad.
Chelsea vs Man Utd line-ups
Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga, Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Cucurella, Azpilicueta, Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho, Chilwell, Mount, Aubameyang, Sterling
Man Utd XI: De Gea, Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw, Casemiro, Eriksen, Antony, Fernandes, Sancho, Rashford
Erik ten Hag confirms Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on as substitute against Tottenham
Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute before storming down the tunnel in the final moments of Manchester United’s win over Tottenham, manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed, leading to his punishment of being dropped from the first-team squad.
Ronaldo will play no part in United’s trip to Chelsea in the Premier League tomorrow and has been made to train alone after Ten Hag made the decision to banish the forward from his group, a stance which has been fully supported by the club’s hierarchy.
The Portugal international made a swift exit from Old Trafford after he walked down the full before full-time which, when added to Ronaldo’s refusal to come onto the pitch, Ten Hag said clashed with the “standards and values” the Dutchman has set for his players at United.
Erik ten Hag confirms Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on against Tottenham
Ten Hag accepted full responsibility for the decision to drop Ronaldo after the forward refused to come on when asked against Tottenham
James out for at least eight weeks
In his pre-match press conference, Graham Potter also gave an update on how long right-back Reece James will be on the sidelines for.
“Reece is in a brace for four weeks, which is the first thing, to stabilise the knee and then it’s rehab, so that will take, like we said, about eight weeks. So that’s the latest.” he said,
“You have to at least acknowledge the fact they’re human beings who want to be involved in that type of competition absolutely. The reality is that I haven’t got anything to say that will make it better for them, I think it’s worth me acknowledging that.
“It’s one of those things where you just need to focus on the things you can control, focus on your rehab, go day to day. Things get better and then you just move forward.”
Potter on finding consistency
Graham Potter spoke in the build-up to tonight’s game about how he wants Chelsea to find consistency on the pitch which will hopefully lead to better results.
“I have not got to this point by playing 4-3-3 every week so it will be strange if I did that once I arrive here, but at the same time, something consistent has to happen all the time in terms of what it looks like.” said the Chelsea boss,
“Consistency of selection is difficult, the schedule makes it pretty much impossible, but how the game looks or how we want to play should look the same regardless of personnel or the system, that is the challenge. ‘How the team is playing, the team needs to look consistent regardless of the formation, and then it is about the personnel - how you want to attack the opponent, how you want to defend against them, and then other things will be considered, but hopefully there are things that look the same even though there are shape changes.”
Chelsea vs Manchester United
Chelsea are without a win in nine Premier League games against Manchester United, drawing six and losing three, and the Red Devils are unbeaten in six away games against the Blues across all competitions (three wins, three draws).
No Premier League fixture has produced more draws than the 25 between Chelsea and Manchester United.
Diminished and now dropped, Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at Manchester United is all but over
The fixture should have some resonance for Cristiano Ronaldo. He has scored four goals in Champions League finals but the first was for Manchester United against Chelsea. Saturday’s game could have transported him back to his past. It might have even been the Ronaldo derby. Had Todd Boehly got his wish in the summer, he could be leading the line for Chelsea.
Instead, he will be conspicuous by his absence, dropped from the United squad. Having absented himself for the final minutes against Tottenham on Wednesday, Erik ten Hag has made his exclusion a lengthier affair. Demoted then disciplined, Ronaldo has presented Ten Hag with more problems than defences this season. Now a suspension of sorts sets the stage for a more permanent parting.
It has become one of the worst weeks of one of the great careers. He has been reduced to displays of dissent, losing a power struggle with a manager who has placed less weight on Ronaldo’s stature or statistics, on his past or his profile.
Diminished and now dropped, Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at Man United is all but over
Ronaldo’s latest act of petulance and the news the 37-year-old has been banished from the United squad spells a messy end to a regrettable reunion, writes Richard Jolly
Chelsea vs Man Utd early team news and predicted line-ups
Conor Gallagher has recovered from illness so Chelsea’s squad is similar to the one that travelled to Brentford, with Reece James, Wesley Fofana and N’Golo Kante out. Thiago Silva should start after being rested in midweek, along with Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Manchester United will be without Ronaldo as well as Anthony Martial, who is yet to return from his latest injury setback. It would not be a surprise to see Ten Hag name the same team that defeated Spurs, but Christian Eriksen could return if the manager opts for a change in midfield.
Predicted line-ups
Chelsea: Kepa; Chalobah, Silva, Koulibaly; Azpilicueta, Kovacic, Jorginho, Chilwell; Mount, Aubameyang, Sterling
Manchester United: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Sancho, Fernandes, Antony; Rashford
No Ronaldo for Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo will play no part in Manchester United’s trip to Chelsea in the Premier League this evening after he was dropped by manager Erik ten Hag.
Ronaldo has been punished by the United manager following his actions in the 2-0 win over Tottenham on Wednesday, where the forward stormed down the tunnel before full time after refusing to come on as a late substitute.
It took the attention off what had been United’s best performance of the season so far, and Ten Hag’s side will look to build on that display at Stamford Bridge tonight.
Chelsea vs Manchester United
There are two games taking place in the Premier League at the minute. Everton are taking on Crystal Palace with Manchester City hosting Brighton at the Etihad Stadium.
Everton lead 1-0 at Goodison Park after Dominic Calvert-Lewin sent the Toffees ahead and it’s the Erling Haaland show in Manchester with the Norwegian putting City 2-0 up at half-time.
Our focus is on the late kick off though where Chelsea are readying to host Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. This is a big clash near the top of the table with the winner ending the day inside the top four.
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