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Phil McNulty reports: “Spectacular – but more than likely the end of Arsenal’s title challenge as they are six points behind Manchester United with only five games left. A special night of football and a credit to both teams, although that looked like little consolation to Arsene Wenger at the final whistle.”
2316: Anyway, before I go, here’s what our match reporters thought of tonight’s Premier League games…
2312: Crumbs, that cup is as big as some of the Barca players. Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t look that bothered about winning – he’s got his sights set on something far more prestigious.
2312: The Real players go and shake hands with the King of Spain and collect their medals, and Iker Casillas, who had never won the Spanish Cup before tonight, steps on to the platform and holds the trophy aloft, with the flag of Spain wrapped around him.
From Bob, on text: “While five Clasicos is a gift for world football, you have to feel sorry for the Spanish national coach. He could have a lot of players not talking to each other by the time Spain play their next match.”
2308: The Barca players go up and collect their losers’ medals – Carles Puyol rips his off almost immediately, clearly disgusted. Those Champions League games are going to be seriously intense.
2304: Yeah, it was Angel di Maria who was sent off. I was obviously expecting it to be Alvaro Arbeloa. Tell you what though – doesn’t this set up the two Champions League semi-final legs perfectly?
2302: Jose Mourinho’s players celebrate with gusto, going straight over to their fans in the Mestalla. The Barca players look shell-shocked; they just aren’t used to losing. Pep Guardiola goes to all of his players and gives them a little, er, pep talk.
2300: Full-time Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona
Real Madrid have won the Spanish Cup
2257: Jose Manuel Pinto makes a super save from Emmanuel Adebayor to keep Barca in it and then Dani Alves blocks Cristiano Ronaldo’s follow-up effort. Barca take off Adriano for Maxwell and Real bring on Ezequiel Garay for Ricardo Carvalho. Not much more than a minute left now.
2256: Cristiano Ronaldo is fouled by Adriano and the defender is booked. It hasn’t quite turned into the barnstorming finish you might have expected in Valencia.
2255: Gerard Pique is now playing as an emergency centre-forward for Barcelona. Pedro gets half a yard of space to shoot, but Alvaro Arbeloa gets in the block. Four minutes left and Real are holding on quite comfortably right now.
From Charlie wobbler, on text: “Sitting in a bar in Madrid, total belief around me that they will hold this. I’m a Gooner, bit of a new experience for me…”
2252: Barca continue to try to pass their way through Real, but there is no way through at the moment. Don’t expect them to go long ball, however desperate they are. Another injury holds us up further. Textbook.
2250: Emmanuel Adebayor shows good pace and power down the Real right to hold off Gerard Pique and get into the Barca box, but he tries to turn inside and concedes a goalkick. This is perfect for Jose Mourinho, he must be loving it.
2248: Real are cleverly slowing the game down at every opportunity – Barcelona have no tempo at the moment and their fans are quiet, too. Pep Guardiola tries to encourage them from his technical area, but time is running out.
2246: Barcelona send on Seydou Keita for Sergio Busquets, more attacking move from Pep Guardiola.
From Harry, Spurs fan, on text: “Watching Copa del Rey on the TV. I am only imagining what a Tottenham vs Arsenal Cup final would be like due to the recent thrilling contests between them. Bout time we had one as well!”
2244: Straight back under way at the Mestalla, as Barca bring on Ibrahim Afellay for David Villa. Barca have 15 minutes to avoid defeat.
2241: Half-time in extra-time Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish: “I thought there were aspects of our play that were good but losing an early goal was pretty sad. Last year we did the same thing and it leaves you with a mountain to climb.”
2238: GOAL Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona (Ronaldo)
2233: Cor blimey that’s not missed by much. The wonderful Xabi Alonso sets Cristiano Ronaldo away down the inside right channel and he does Adriano for pace, blazing a trail to the edge of the box and cracking a right-foot shot an inch wide of the far post.
2231: Lionel Messi gets past Pepe down the Barca left and is brought unceremoniously crashing to the ground by Sergio Ramos. He just keeps getting straight back up, the little man. He must be made of granite.
2229: David Villa is flagged offside, but he probably wasn’t. Real look very tired and they keep giving the ball away. That’s going to kill them in this extra period if they keep doing it.
From Jack, on text: “After such a fantastic match is it too much to ask for Arsene to hold his hands up and say both teams gave everything and a draw was fair? Just a thought.”
2226: Back under way at the Mestalla, meanwhile. It’s Real Madrid 0-0 Barcelona in the Spanish Cup final, and we’re now into extra-time. It hasn’t been dull, despite the lack of goals. No way, Jose.
Redknapp on Bale injury: “Gareth came off injured, he took a bit of a knock and he’ll take a few more of them over the years – but he’ll be OK.”
Redknapp on fighting for fourth place: “You can’t always have the result you want. We’re still in there and it’s all to play for. I won’t go home disappointed, I will go home thinking how lucky I am to have such a great group of players.”
More from Redknapp: “It was a great game, a real classic.”
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp: “It was a great game to be involved in. We had two teams playing unbelievable football. We couldn’t live with them early on with their passing ability, breathtaking, but we stuck in there and stayed with them and got an equaliser. It looked over at 3-1 – I spoke to Jens Lehmann and he said we looked dead and buried – but it was an amazing performance from us. We have both got attacking flair and go for it. We swarm forward in numbers and so do they. It’s what football is all about – you don’t want to see teams sit back and play for 0-0.”
2220: Full-time Real Madrid 0-0 Barcelona
We’re going to have extra-time at the Mestalla. Don’t go anywhere.
2218: Jose Manuel Pinto makes a save that keeps Barcelona in the Cup final, tipping away Angel di Maria’s right-foot shot from 20 yards that might have taken a slight deflection off the head of Gerard Pique. Top-class keeping.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti on the title race: “In football we have to believe until the referee whistles for the end of the game. The game is not finished but Manchester United have a fantastic advantage.”
2215: That looked like second-half daylight robbery – Real Madrid get forward for the first time in ages and Emmanuel Adebayor slips in Cristiano Ronaldo down the left, but Dani Alves gets in like a flash to make a potentially goal-saving tackle. And they say he can’t defend. Pah.
2212: Six minutes to go in Spain and we’re on the brink of extra-time. Lionel Messi almost gets on the end of a pass into the Real box, but Marcelo gets across like lightning to punt the ball behind for a corner.
Arsene Wenger on whether Arsenal can win title: “We will fight like mad for the next game. Of course we can do it – we will try and fight for the next game.”
Arsene Wenger on questions about Arsenal’s mentality: “It is very unfair, we are on a 15-game unbeaten run and no-one else has done that. This team has an outstanding attitude.”
Arsene Wenger on Arsenal’s disallowed goal: “I don’t think it was offside but do I complain? What does it change?”
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: “It was a game with a frenetic tempo. Of course we have regrets because we were 3-1 up but the second was an outstanding goal and then we conceded a penalty. We had a fantastic attitude in the first half but dropped in the second half because it is a massive advantage playing two games of such stature in a matter of days. It is too short to maintain that pace for 90 minutes.”
2210: Anyone want to hear what Arsene Wenger’s had to say…?
2208: The crowd have gone quiet inside the Mestalla, seemingly entranced by Barcelona’s hypnotic passing interchanges. Andres Iniesta, in particular, is giving and getting the ball back on a piece of string at the moment. He eventually gets in a shot from the left of the box and Iker Casillas tips it round the far post.
From Jon Casemore, Reading, on text: “If Chelsea and Arsenal gain maximum points from their last five games they finish on 79 points. That would mean Man United losing twice and finishing on a maximum of 79 pts…”
2205: Real cannot get the ball off Barca now and Lionel Messi is running past their midfield at will. He’s gone up a couple of gears, Jose Mourinho might have to make a change. Getting close to a period of extra-time that neither of the clubs will want.
2203: Emmanuel Adebayor is booked after Javier Mascherano goes down like he’s been shot. Moments later, Dani Alves’s pass to Lionel Messi sets up the Argentine to slam in a low shot that Iker Casillas saves. Pedro then curls towards the far corner, but Casillas makes a top save at full stretch.
2201: Barca are stepping it up inside the Mestalla, they are growing stronger with every minute. Lionel Messi has come to life, and Real are on the back foot. Less than 20 minutes left.
2158: Real Madrid bring on Emmanuel Adebayor for Mesut Ozil.
2157: Controversial. No, it’s a brilliant decision. Lionel Messi goes on a superb run, jinking his way around the Real defence and slipping in Pedro to unerringly fire past Iker Casillas – but the Spanish forward was half a yard offside. So, so close.
From Phil, Chelmsford, on text: “Van der Vaart, Fabregas, Modric, Dawson, Sagna, Assou-Ekotto, Van Persie? Man of the Match? Take your pick. Thank you Spurs, thank you Arsenal.”
2153: Xavi tries to find a gap in the Real defence and when the ball rebounds to Lionel Messi 22 yards out, his left-foot shot flies plenty over Iker Casillas’s crossbar. It’s disappointing, you have to say.
2152: Lionel Messi is booked for the second Clasico in succession, this time for standing about two yards away from a Real free-kick. Seconds later Xabi Alonso flashes a right-foot shot just wide of Jose Manuel Pinto’s right-hand post.
2150: Ten goals in two cracking Premier League games, and over in Spain we’ve had over an hour in the Cup final and it’s still Real Madrid 0-0 Barcelona. You could barely make football up.
2148: Xabi Alonso slides into Lionel Messi from behind and brings the Argentine down, finding his way into the referee’s notebook soon after. Messi lines up the free-kick, with some idiot in the crowd shining a laser on his face. Oh dear.
From Ian in Macclesfield, on text: “I believe United now need only 10 points from the last five games to win the title.”
2145: It’s a much more even game in Spain than Saturday’s affair, which Barcelona largely dominated until Real got Mesut Ozil on the pitch. Real still marginally the better of the two teams, but Barca have come into it a bit more after the break. David Villa shoots selfishly into the side-netting from an improbable angle.
2141: That genuinely was a magnificent game of football. The players embrace each other and that’s good to see, because Arsene Wenger didn’t look best pleased as he shook hands with Harry Redknapp at the final whistle. Pity.
2140: Full-time Spurs 3-3 Arsenal
2139: Pedro cuts in from the Barcelona left and flashes a right-foot shot into Iker Casillas’s side-netting from 18 yards. At Spurs, Cesc Fabregas shoots wide from the edge of the Spurs area.
2138: One minute left at Tottenham. They could both do with winning.
2137: Into stoppage time at White Hart Lane. Cue mass panic among Arsenal fans. Surely not today…
2137: Full-time Chelsea 3-1 Birmingham
2135: Robin van Persie tries to volley goalwards as he fastens on to a ball over the top, but it’s just too far ahead of the striker and he cannot get an effort on target. Would be cruel for either team to lose.
2134: Back under way in the Clasico Cup final in Valencia, where it is Real Madrid 0-0 Barcelona.
2133: Three minutes left, it’s 3-3 between Spurs and Arsenal. You brave enough to go either way?
From Anon, on text: “I suggest another 90 minutes straight after this 90 finishes, with each team being allowed to make three more subs each, with players already substituted allowed back on if required. Completely showing the ‘El Clasico’ up at the moment. Breathless. Stunning. The Premier League.”
2130: Sandro, who came on for Roman Pavlyuchenko, hits a sweet, low left-foot shot goalwards, but the increasingly busy Wojciech Szczesny makes the save with a combination of his arms and legs.
2128: Indirect free-kick inside the Birmingham box, but after Frank Lampard taps it to Didier Drogba, the Ivorian blazes it over the crossbar.
2127: Rafael van der Vaart turns superbly inside the Arsenal box but his left-foot shot isn’t hard enough to beat a diving Wojciech Szczesny. The Gunners take off Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott and bring on Nicklas Bendtner and Andrey Arshavin.
2124: Matt Derbyshire drags a shot wide for Birmingham. Even tonight, surely they can’t stage a remarkable comeback? At Spurs, Benoit Assou-Ekotto drills a cross on to the head of Peter Crouch from the left, the giant striker forcing a decent tip over from old copy and paste himself, Wojciech Szczesny.
2122: Never-ending. I hope it never does. Cesc Fabregas crashes a right-foot shot towards the corner of Heurelho Gomes’s net from outside the Spurs area, but the Brazilian gets across to tip it wide with that giant right hand of his. You cannot take your eyes off it for a second.
2120: Incredible stuff in north London. Minutes after drawing level, Spurs have a golden chance to go in front. Younes Kaboul gets free down the right and his cross finds the onrushing Luka Modric eight yards out. However, his shot is scuffed and Wojciech Szczesny saves with his legs.
2119: GOAL Chelsea 3-1 Birmingham (Larsson penalty)
2118: PENALTY TO BIRMINGHAM
Saj Chowdhury’s HT snap-shot: “Niggly, bitty, with players surrounding the referee every time he blows the whistle for a foul. Barcelona look uncomfortable but Jose Mourinho’s Real are happy with the pattern, are turning the psychological screw and have had the best chances – they want the Catalans to snap. It may happen.”
2116: GOAL Spurs 3-3 Arsenal (Van der Vaart, penalty)
2116: PENALTY TO SPURS
2113: Birmingham send on Matt Derbyshire and David Bentley and take off Cameron Jerome and Alex Hleb.
2110: Theo Walcott hares away down the Arsenal right and slips the ball past Michael Dawson, but he delays for too long and then there isn’t room to get his shot away – eventually a cross-shot sails wide of Heurelho Gomes’s right-hand post, much to Arsene Wenger’s disgust.
2109: Spurs have moved up a gear since the interval, they are enjoying more possession and are posing a constant threat to Arsenal. Chelsea, meanwhile, take off Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou and send on Nicolas Anelka and some Spanish striker who hasn’t scored for 873 minutes, Fernando Torres.
From Brian, Birmingham, on text: “Sat in a pub with no north London derby coverage. Hope I’m not missing much…”
2106: Mesut Ozil sends Cristiano Ronaldo away down the Real right and he steams forward, cutting into the Barca box and flashing in a shot that Jose Manuel Pinto does well to get down and save. More afters involving Pepe and Sergio Busquets, two likely lads, those.
2104: GOAL Chelsea 3-0 Birmingham (Malouda)
2103: Robin van Persie’s left-foot rocket show from 22 yards flies in off the right hand of Heurelho Gomes, but the on-fire Dutchman (he’s not actually on fire) is flagged offside. Marginal. Still a fabulous game of football, so gung-ho.
2101: Fabulous shot from 20 yards on the left of the Arsenal box from Rafael van der Vaart and an equally top-drawer save from Wojciech Szczesny, springing to his left and parrying the ball away with his left hand.
2058: Chelsea very much in control in the second half at Stamford Bridge. Birmingham are doing OK, but they don’t look like getting a goal and getting back into the match. Arsenal send Jack Wilshere on for Abou Diaby.
From Jon, on text: “Even as a Chelsea fan, I am finding it hard to peel myself away from the north Londoners’ match. I recall Mourinho’s comment on Arsenal and their hockey scorelines, this looks like it’s going down the same route, great for the neutral!”
2054: … Rafael van der Vaart hits it with pace and meaning, the ball flying a yard or two over the Arsenal crossbar. No signs of the game slowing down yet.
2053: Luka Modric is taken out completely by Johan Djourou on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area, silly, needless challenge from the defender. He’s booked and this is a great chance for Spurs to get an early shot in at Wojciech Szczesny in the second half…
2052: Back under way at White Hart Lane and Spurs have made two changes – Aaron Lennon and Younes Kaboul on for Vedran Corluka and the injured Gareth Bale.
2050: Pepe gets there late on Lionel Messi, looks nasty on the replay as the Portuguese treads on Messi’s ankle, but the Argentine is unharmed.
2049: Better in the last few moments from Barca, though they haven’t been able to create a proper chance to threaten Iker Casillas in the Real goal. If only they had a goal threat like Arsenal…
2042: What a chance for Real Madrid, who have started better in Valencia. Mesut Ozil plays a gorgeous clipped cross from the left of the box into the path of Cristiano Ronaldo, but his first touch is a bit heavy and takes him wide, and from an angle his shot is cleared from inside his six-yard box by Javier Mascherano.
2039: Decent move from Real as Mesut Ozil plays Sami Khedira in down the right and his cross is hurriedly cleared by Sergio Busquets. Moments later, David Villa is penalised for allowing Sergio Ramos to climb all over his back. Lively atmosphere at the Mestalla, where both teams have 22,000 fans there.
From Will in Newcastle, on text: “Re 2030: The best 45 minutes of the season was the second half of Newcastle v Arsenal. Then again I am a Magpies fan…”
Phil McNulty’s HT snap-shot: “Magnificent 45 minutes of football – and you still wouldn’t put your money on a winner. Arsenal the better side but Spurs not going quietly. Shame the half-time whistle had to go.”
2034: We’re into four minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half at White Hart Lane. What a staggering football match it is. The Clasico has an awful lot to live up to tonight.
Paul Fletcher’s HT snap-shot: “All very comfortable for Chelsea, who have been in control after taking an early lead. Perhaps a good game for Fernando Torres to get off the mark?”
2032: They are under way at the Mestalla in the Spanish Cup final – Real Madrid v Barcelona.
2030: GOAL Spurs 2-3 Arsenal (Huddlestone)
2029: Gareth Bale and Wojciech Szczesny have had their second coming together at White Hart Lane – the Welshman looks a bit groggy this time and gets up gingerly after some treatment. Not long until half-time, so maybe Spurs will try to get him back in the second half.
2026: GOAL Spurs 1-3 Arsenal (Van Persie)
2023: Chance for Birmingham to get the ball into the Chelsea box and cause a problem, but Sebastian Larsson’s free-kick sails into the arms of Petr Cech. Need to make one of those count if they are going to find a way back into the match.
2021: Chances in both games – firstly Didier Drogba fires in a low shot from 25 yards at Chelsea that Ben Foster does well to push away, while at Spurs, Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko does well to hammer an effort in from 20 yards that takes a deflection on its way behind for a corner, which comes to nothing.
From Paddy, on text: “Drogba playing like a man possessed. Love it when he’s in this form but I can’t help but feel he might just be putting himself in the shop window.”
From Scott the Spurs fan, Essex, on text: “Harry has made a real mistake in playing Huddlestone instead of Sandro! Not fit enough for this sort of game at the moment.”
2017: You know those training games where the attacking team have to have a shot… Spurs’ turn to attack and Luka Modric cuts in from the right, clattering a left-foot shot goalwards and forcing Wojciech Szczesny to beat the ball away from his near post.
2015: So close to a third for Arsenal, who are attacking with real danger tonight. Robin van Persie springs Theo Walcott through again, this time he’s over to the right so the angle doesn’t favour him and his shot flies an inch or two past the far post. Not sure if Heurelho Gomes got a touch or not.
Saj Chowdhury reports: “Real midfielder Mesut Ozil makes the first XI having come on as a substitute in the league match against the Catalan side last Saturday. The German replaces French forward Karim Benzema. Barcelona centre-back Carles Puyol, who has recently returned from injury, is replaced in the starting line-up by Javier Mascherano.”
2011: GOAL Chelsea 2-0 Birmingham (Kalou)
2009: Vedran Corluka doesn’t quite get hold of a shot from 22 yards and the ball fizzles wide of Wojciech Szczesny’s left-hand post. Not had a goal for a while, have we?
2005: Cameron Jerome latches on to a ball over the top down the Birmingham left and surprises the chasing defenders with a left-foot snap-shot from 15 yards that Petr Cech fingertips into his side-netting.
2004: Chelsea look in the mood tonight, the game has settled down after a flying start from the hosts and Birmingham have at least stemmed the tide, but Carlo Ancelotti’s boys are still very much on top.
2003: Real Madrid v Barcelona line-ups:
Real: Casillas, Marcelo, Carvalho, Sergio Ramos, Arbeloa, Pepe, Xabi Alonso, Khedira, Ozil, Ronaldo, Di Maria.
Barcelona: Pinto, Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Adriano, Sergio Busquets, Iniesta, Xavi, Messi, Villa, Pedro.
1958: GOAL Spurs 1-2 Arsenal (Nasri)
From Sean, Arsenal fan, on text: “Too nervous to watch. Listening to Faure Requiem on Radio 3. Hope that’s not a bad omen.”
1955: Action from Chelsea – Alex Hleb gets the better of John Terry and looks momentarily like he has a clear run on goal, but Terry recovers superbly and his sliding challenge gets rid of the danger.
1953: GOAL Spurs 1-1 Arsenal (Van der Vaart)
1951: GOAL Spurs 0-1 Arsenal (Walcott)
1950: Luka Modric has dragged wide from outside the Arsenal box for Spurs, but it’s all happening at Chelsea – this time Didier Drogba fizzes in a shot from 22 yards that Ben Foster misjudges and can only push over.
1948: GOAL Chelsea 1-0 Birmingham (Malouda)
Some?
1946: Not that far away – Spurs kick off at White Hart Lane. Massive over-reaction from me. Possibly not for the last time.
1945: Under way at Chelsea, not even close at Spurs yet.
1942: Teams are out at White Hart Lane and Stamford Bridge, not far off kick-off in the Premier League. Don’t forget, Real v Barca in the Spanish Cup final doesn’t get started until 2030 BST. Teams on the way.
From Anon, on text: “If Arsene Wenger is gonna pull off a vital win for the club tonight the two key players – Nasri & Van Persie are gonna have to be on tip-top form. It’s now or never. Arsenal!”
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp: “Arsenal are in great shape, they must’ve been looking at last night’s result and thought they are right back in the title race. But we’re in pretty decent form too and we’ve won the last two meetings so we’re pretty confident.”
Phil McNulty reports: “Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger takes Jack Wilshere out of the firing line for the north London derby with Alex Song coming in. Wilshere is on the bench, while Aaron Lennon drops down for Spurs to allow Peter Crouch to partner Roman Pavlyunchenko in attack.”
Spurs (16th) 41% v Arsenal (sixth) 28%
Chelsea (fifth) 77% v Birmingham (83rd) 6%
Real Madrid (second) 31% v Barcelona (first) 61%
From Phil, Edinburgh, on text: “As a neutral (Peterborough Utd fan) I’m not sure who I want to win the north London derby. I want Arsenal to pip Manchester United to the title but also want Spurs to pip Man City to fourth.”
Paul Fletcher reports: “Chelsea make one change from the team that defeated West Brom, with Paulo Ferreira replacing the injured Branislav Ivanovic. Striker Fernando Torres is again named on the bench. Lee Bowyer and Kevin Phillips make way for Aleksandr Hleb and Keith Fahey in the Birmingham XI following their victory over Sunderland.”
1919: That’ll be after Samir Nasri and William Gallas (almost certainly) refuse to shake hands prior to kick-off this evening. Why? Because they apparently don’t like each other much. Footballers, eh?
From Joshua, on text: “Big game for both teams. That’s all there is to it.”
1911: Chelsea v Birmingham line-ups:
Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, David Luiz, Terry, Cole, Essien, Mikel, Lampard, Kalou, Drogba, Malouda.
Subs: Turnbull, Ivanovic, Torres, Benayoun, Zhirkov, Anelka, Bertrand.
Birmingham: Foster, Carr, Johnson, Ridgewell, Parnaby, Larsson, Gardner, Ferguson, Fahey, Hleb, Jerome.
Subs: Doyle, Bowyer, Phillips, Bentley, Derbyshire, Beausejour, Davies.
Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire)
1909: Spurs v Arsenal line-ups:
Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Gallas, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Huddlestone, Modric, Bale, Van der Vaart, Pavlyuchenko, Crouch.
Subs: Cudicini, Kaboul, Lennon, Defoe, Bassong, Sandro, Pienaar.
Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy, Song, Walcott, Fabregas, Diaby, Nasri, Van Persie.
Subs: Lehmann, Ramsey, Squillaci, Wilshere, Arshavin, Gibbs, Bendtner.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
Saj Chowdhury reports: “The second act of the four-part El Clasico fortnight is not far away away. Last week’s league match between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Bernabeu ended in a lukewarm draw – the pre-match hype was tempered by the fact that Barca were eight points ahead of their rivals. Tonight’s Copa del Rey at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium will be a touch more spicy. Winner takes all. Jose Mourinho has won a trophy for the club he’s been at every year since 2003 – the Real coach will be desperate to continue that trend with victory tonight. Pep Guardiola’s Barca will be a little more relaxed knowing that they have the title in the bag. A win tonight and in the Champions League semi-finals over Real will be the dream ‘whitewash’ for the Catalans.”
Paul Fletcher reports: “Difficult to work out who has the most to gain (or lose) from this fixture. Chelsea are nine points from top spot and Birmingham are five points above the bottom three. Probably Birmingham given that four of their last six games are away from home, with a trip to Anfield following their match at Stamford Bridge.”
1902: Confirmed: Jack Wilshere on the bench for Arsenal. Roman Paylyuchenko starts for Spurs.
Phil McNulty reports: “Arsenal hope revive their faltering title challenge against north London rivals Spurs after Manchester United could only draw at Newcastle last night. Victory for Arsene Wenger’s side would leave them only four points behind United, who have yet to travel to the Emirates. Spurs will want the victory to draw level on points with Manchester City in the battle for Champions League places.”
1901: Anyway, before the line-ups drop, here’s some chat from our match reporters on tonight’s contests…
1900: Hearing some chat Jack Wilshere might be on the bench for Arsenal. Full teams from all the games shortly.
More likely next Forest manager, I’d have thought.
From Bosro a Chelsea fan at the Bridge, on text: “You heard it from me first, Chelsea win, Arsenal draw and Chelsea go on to win the title. United to lose vs Blackburn and Arsenal and to draw vs Chelsea. Don’t say I never told you.”
1844: Maybe there isn’t an answer; maybe that’s just how the 2010-11 Premier League season works. Every other weekend, it seems, Arsenal and Chelsea have dropped points that have handed the trophy back to Manchester United. But it doesn’t feel quite over yet, does it?
1840: Question: how many times can a team be ruled out of the title race and yet, somehow, still have a chance of winning it?
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Wednesday football as it happened