Palmer set to return against Arsenal, Slot defiant, Europa League reaction – football live

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The Guardian has kicked off a new chapter in puzzles with the launch of its first daily football game, On the ball. It is now live in the app for both iOS and Android … so what are you waiting for?

So anyway, the race for the golden boot is hotting up.

Sports quiz of the week

I think there’s a mistake in this as it refers to an Ashes Test?!?!?!

UK submit bid to host 2035 Women's World Cup

Suzanne Wrack

England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have submitted their bid to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup as the largest single-sport event staged in the UK.

The Lionesses’ leading goalscorer, Ellen White, described the bid as “really special” and compared it to her experience of the 2012 Olympics as a part of Team GB.

“We felt it in the Olympics in 2012, that exposure, that amazing sense of togetherness,” she said. “The whole worldwide captivation was really special. Seeing all the different nations, the cultures, the diversity, the inclusivity, was really special to be involved with. The fact that it’s a World Cup [means] it is worldwide and all eyes will be on us and people will want to come and be a part of it.”

“One of the problems for Arne Slot is that he’s building a post-Salah side with Salah still in it,” writes Tim Woods. “And while he almost certainly didn’t listen to them, the resounding view from pundits just a few months back was that Liverpool should ‘pay Salah what he wants’. Personally I think it would be utter madness to even think of sacking Slot, and to the (growing number of) Liverpool fans who claim he only won the title with Klopp’s team: well, he won it is as often as Klopp did with that team.”

Will Unwin

Nectarios Triantis made his Greece debut last week after switching allegiances from Australia. The midfielder, who left Sunderland for Minnesota United is already causing a stir in Greece, leading to interest from Panathinaikos becoming very interested in the 22-year-old who was wanted by a number of clubs in the UK in the summer. He has impressed in his first season in MLS, scoring a goal from the halfway line on his debut.

Peter Lansley

Europa League: Aston Villa 2-1 Young Boys

Donyell Malen has a cut to the head and two more goals to his name after leading Aston Villa to the verge of automatic qualification for the last 16 of the Europa League against a backdrop of more crowd violence from Young Boys supporters.

The Netherlands striker exemplifies Villa’s strength in depth but this 10th win in 12 games was marred by visiting fans ripping up seats, throwing missiles at stewards and Villa players – one striking Malen – and fighting with police.

Ben Fisher

Europa League: Nottm Forest 3-0 Malmo

“Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that,” came the chant as Nottingham Forest supporters, not for the first time, enjoyed getting one over on Malmö. A lot has happened since Trevor Francis’s stooping header clinched the European Cup in Munich in 1979 but Forest still, rightfully, cherish those days. A lot has also changed in the five weeks since Sean Dyche took the reins, Forest reinvigorated and another comfortable win, this time courtesy of goals from Ryan Yates, Arnaud Kalimuendo and Nikola Milenkovic, enhanced their hopes of qualifying for the Europa League knockout phase.

Palmeiras and Flamengo meet in the Copa Libertadores final on Saturday night (9pm BST). Caio Carrieri explains how the two became the envy of South American football.

Cole Palmer set to return against Arsenal

Jacob Steinberg

Enzo Maresca will address the media later today and all being well he should have some good news for Chelsea fans on Cole Palmer. Assuming he’s not bumped into any more doors in the night the Chelsea attacker should be fit to return from a broken toe against Arsenal on Sunday. Palmer has been out since September with a groin injury and his return was delayed by a freak accident at home last week, but he’s been in training and it sounds as if he is making good progress. Of course, there could always be a surprise from Maresca…

Arne Slot: 'Every small mistake is leading to a goal'

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been speaking ahead of their must-win/musn’t-lose match at West Ham on Sunday.

It would also be nice if we would reward ourselves in the moments we play well because people are very focused, and correctly, about the parts we don’t play well.
There are definitely large parts of the games that we do play well and do create a lot of chances - we tend to forget to reward ourselves in those moments. Every small mistake, or small error, immediately leads to us conceding a goal.

I don’t see it (confidence) being low when we start the game. I didn’t even see it being low after we conceded (the first goal in Wednesday’s 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven). Even when we conceded the 2-1 and again had a disappointment we were able to generate enough chances but after they scored the 3-1 I could see it hurt the players and that wasn’t the period where our fighting spirit was the best in the game, to say it mildly.

After the 3-1 it is very difficult to get a message across when I’m on the sideline but before (the game) and during half-time I think the message comes across to them. If I see how we create our chances it is a lot of the things we train on and what is in the meeting but unfortunately it doesn’t lead to goals and that is difficult for them, for me, for everyone. But the message that comes across is very clear from me from the way we generate our chances.”

“Hi Rob,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “Talking about confused metaphors or twisted aphorisms, there is some sound advice to Arne Slot. Don’t just do something, simply stand there.”

Are you saying all you have to do is nothing?

The Lionesses are in action this weekend; they play China at Wembley tomorrow evening. And as I type, Australia are playing New Zealand in a friendly in Gosford – the first major sport of any kind to take place in Australia in ages. You can follow the action with Jo Khan.

Chelsea v Arsenal (Sunday, 4.30pm)

Here’s a good one from the archive, Scott Murray on six classic Chelsea/Arsenal matches.

Chelsea won their first and only pre-Mourinho championship in 1954-55 under the auspices of Ted Drake, but a series of mid-table finishes, and a slow start in 1961-62, saw the former Arsenal legend sacked and replaced by Tommy Docherty. The Doc’s first game in charge was a 4-0 tonking at Blackpool, and at the end of the season Chelsea were relegated. But they bounced straight back with a side built around Peter Bonetti, Ron Harris, Terry Venables, and their young captain Bobby Tambling.

Their first season back in the top flight was, for such a young team, a triumph. The standout result was a 4-2 win at Highbury, Tambling scoring all four goals on a mudbath, capitalising on three mistakes by Ian Ure, the other a delicious lob. Before the game, Arsenal – built around the attacking talents of George Eastham, Joe Baker and George Armstrong, had held faint hopes of sustaining a title challenge, but they’d been found out. The result seemed to set both teams down very different roads. Chelsea finished in fifth, three places ahead of out-of-puff Arsenal. Docherty’s side were instantly anointed as one of the teams of the decade. Tambling scored in their victorious League Cup final against Leicester in 1965, and the 1967 FA Cup final defeat to Spurs. And the club would round off the decade with their first FA Cup win in 1969-70. Arsenal meanwhile ...

Europa League: Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic

Feyenoord manager Robin van Persie said his decision to give son Shaqueel a senior debut in their Europa League game against Celtic was made in his role as his coach, not his father, after the Dutch side lost 3-1 at home on Thursday.

The 19-year-old signed his first professional contract with the Dutch club in 2022 and was an unused substitute in Sunday’s Eredivisie defeat by NEC Nijmegen after being called up to the first-team squad for the first time.

The forward’s senior debut came four days later against Celtic when he came on to replace defender Jordan Lotomba in the 81st minute, with Feyenoord trailing by two goals.

“I made that call as a coach, not as a dad because we needed a goal,” former Arsenal and Manchester United forward Van Persie said. “Shaqueel is a player who can score a goal from all angles. That was the reason I brought him on.”

The substitution did not have the desired effect as Feyenoord conceded a third just a minute later, Benjamin Nygren’s goal sealing the win for the Glasgow side.

“From a father’s point of view, when your son makes his debut that is always a special moment,” the coach said. “But I wasn’t that busy with enjoying that moment, I was doing my work like Shaqueel was.”

Preamble

Hello, good morning and welcome to our Friday football blog. Think of it as the guy behind the guy, the other guy being the actual football that takes place over the weekend. And the football that was played last night, to which we’ll have reaction and comment. So maybe it’s the guy between the guys.

Enough of the confused metaphors. Here’s a full list of this weekend’s Premier League fixtures