The Times - UK - 04.12.2021

Sean Dyche has picked an unchanged line-up
25 times more than any other manager since
Burnley’s promotion in 2016
Most unchanged Premier League XIs since
start of 2016-17:
Sean Dyche (Burnley)

Nuno Espírito Santo (Wolves, Tottenham)

David Moyes (Sunderland, West Ham)

57

32

25

Newcastle United v Burnley
Today, 3pm. TV: Highlights, BBC One,
10.20pm. Radio: talkSPORT 2

Newcastle (4-4-1-1)
M Dubravka — J Manquillo, J Lascelles,
F Schär, M Ritchie — R Fraser, J Willock,
J Shelvey, A Saint-Maximin — Joelinton
— C Wilson. Injured: P Dummett.
Suspended: C Clark.

Burnley (4-4-2)
N Pope — M Lowton, J Tarkowski, B Mee,
C Taylor — D McNeil, J Brownhill,
A Westwood, M Cornet — C Wood,
M Vydra.
Injured: A Barnes, P Bardsley.
Out (Covid-related): D Stephens.

Referee P Tierney 0 0 0 42
Odds Home win 5-4

Southampton have rarely been troubling

assistant referees this season

Fewest offsides in a Premier League season:*

Southampton, 2021-22

Wolves, 2020-21

Newcastle, 2014-15. Swansea, 2017-18

Aston Villa, 2015-16

24**

37

38

42

*Data available

from 2003-04.

**projected; 9 in

14 games so far

Southampton v Brighton & Hove

Albion

Today, 3pm. TV: Highlights, BBC One,

10.20pm

Southampton (4-4-2)

A McCarthy — T Livramento, Lyanco,

M Salisu, K Walker-Peters — N Tella,

J Ward-Prowse, O Romeu, N Redmond —

C Adams, A Armstrong. Injured:

J Bednarek, F Forster, S Armstrong.

Brighton (4-2-3-1)

R Sánchez —J Veltman, S Duffy, L Dunk,

M Cucurella — J Moder, Y Bissouma —

S March, P Gross, L Trossard — N

Maupay. Injured: S Alzate, D Welbeck,

J Sarmiento, A Webster, A Lallana.

Referee A Taylor 0 2 0 45

Odds Home win 7-5

Liverpool’s 34 goals in their past ten away

top-flight games is the most since Manchester

City hit 35 in ten away in 1936-37

Liverpool’s past ten away league games:

Man Utd W4-2

West Brom W2-1

Burnley W3-0

Norwich W3-0

Leeds W3-0

Brentford D3-3

Watford W5-0

Man Utd W5-0

West Ham L3-2

Everton W4-1

Wolves v Liverpool

Today, 3pm. TV: Highlights, BBC One,

10.20pm. Radio: BBC 5 Live

Wolves (3-4-3)

J Sá — R Saïss, C Coady, M Kilman —

N Semedo, R Neves, J Moutinho, R Aït-

Nouri — A Traoré, R Jiménez, D Podence.

Injured: J Otto, P Neto, Y Mosquera,

H Bueno, W Boly. Doubt: D Podence

Out (Covid-related): F Marcal.

Liverpool (4-3-3)

A Becker — T Alexander-Arnold, J Matip,

V van Dijk, A Robertson — J Henderson,

Fabinho, T Alcântara — M Salah, D Jota,

S Mané. Injured: R Firmino, N Keïta,

J Gomez, C Jones, H Elliott.

Referee C Kavanagh 0 2 0 24

Odds Home win 13-2

Claudio Ranieri has experienced a goal-filled

start to a Premier League job for a third time

Goals scored in Ranieri’s first seven

league games:

Leicester, 2015

Watford, 2021

Chelsea, 2000

Per game

4.1

4

3. 9

29 (F15, A14)

28 (F12, A16)

27 (F18, A9)

Watford v Manchester City

Today, 5.30pm. TV: Live, Sky Sports PL.

Radio: talkSPORT

Watford (4-3-3)

D Bachmann — K Femenía,

W Troost-Ekong, C Cathcart, D Rose —

T Cleverley, M Sissoko, I Louza —

J Pedro, J King, E Dennis.

Injured: P Etebo, B Foster, K Sema, I Sarr

F Sierralta, A Masina, K Baah, N N’Koulou

Man City (4-3-3)

Ederson — K Walker, R Dias, A Laporte,

J Cancelo — B Silva, Rodri, J Grealish —

G Jesus, P Foden, R Sterling.

Injured: F Torres, L Delap. Doubt: K De

Bruyne, I Gundogan, K Walker, J Stones.

Referee K Friend 0 1 0 31

Odds Home win 12-1

Charlie Goode’s long throws into the penalty

area for Brentford have created plenty of

danger

Most long throw-ins per 90mins

in Premier League this season*:

10.4

5.3

5.1

4.1

4

Charlie Goode, Brentford

Mathias Jorgensen, Brentford

Matty Cash, Aston Villa

Danny Rose, Watford

Diogo Dalot, Man Utd

Leeds United v Brentford

Tomorrow, 2pm. TV: Highlights, BBC

One, 10.30pm

Leeds (4-1-4-1)

I Meslier — S Dallas, D Llorente,

L Cooper, P Struijk — K Phillips —

Raphinha, A Forshaw, M Klich, D James

— T Roberts. Injured: R Koch.

Doubt: L Ayling, P Bamford, P Struijk.

Brentford (3-5-2)

A Fernández — C Goode, P Jansson,

E Pinnock — S Canós, F Onyeka,

C Norgaard, V Janelt, R Henry —

I Toney, B Mbeumo.

Injured: K Ajer, D Raya, M Jorgensen,

J Jeanvier, J Dasilva.

Referee D Coote 0 2 0 39

Odds Home win 20-23

CLASSIC KITS Newcastle 1995-97

For much of the period since

1980 Newcastle had sported

the blue star of Newcastle

Brown Ale but in 1995 they

adopted the full logo, complete

with oval outline. As if hoping

for success through fashion,

they also added the button-up

collar they had worn when last

becoming English champions

in 1927, and it seemed history

would repeat itself. With the

likes of Les Ferdinand, right,

and David Ginola to the fore,

Kevin Keegan’s team built a

12-point lead at the top of the

table with 15 games of the

1995-96 season remaining, only

to allow Manchester United to

beat them to the title.

One of the North London teams has won —

but not the other — in each of the 14 rounds

of fixtures so far

Premier League this season

Round 1 W, L

Round 2 W, L

Round 3 W, L

Round 4 L, W

Round 5 L, W

Round 6 L, W

Round 7 W, D

Round 8 W, D

Round 9 L, W

Round 10 L, W

Round 11 D, W

Round 12 W, L

Round 13 P, W

Round 14 W, L

Tottenham Arsenal

Everton v Arsenal

Monday, 8pm. TV: Live, Sky Sports PL.

Radio: BBC 5 Live

Everton (4-3-3)

J Pickford — S Coleman, B Godfrey,

M Keane, L Digne — A Doucouré, Allan,

F Delph — A Townsend, Richarlison,

D Gray. Injured: D Calvert-Lewin,

S Rondón, T Davies, A Gomes.

Doubt: Y Mina.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1)

A Ramsdale — T Tomiyasu, B White,

Gabriel, K Tierney — T Partey, A Lokonga

— B Saka, E Smith Rowe, M Odegaard —

A Lacazette. Injured: S Kolasinac,

G Xhaka. Doubt: B Leno.

Referee M Dean 0 0 0 27

Odds Home win 12-5

Leicester’s 2-2 draw with Southampton at

St Mary’s Stadium in midweek continued

their run of scoring and conceding away

from home

Successive away top-division matches

where scored and conceded:

14 16

Leicester,

present run:

Most since:

Burnley, Apr 1961

to Mar 1962

Aston Villa v Leicester City

Tomorrow, 4.30pm. TV: Live, Sky

Sports PL. Radio: BBC 5 Live

Aston Villa (4-3-3)

E Martínez — M Cash, E Konsa, T Mings,

A Young — J McGinn, M Nakamba,

D Luiz — E Buendía, O Watkins, J Ramsey

Injured: B Traoré, L Bailey.

Doubt: Trézéguet, M Targett, D Ings.

Leicester (4-2-3-1)

K Schmeichel — T Castagne, J Evans,

C Soyuncu, L Thomas — W Ndidi,

B Soumaré — A Lookman, J Maddison,

H Barnes — J Vardy.

Injured: W Fofana, R Pereira, J Justin.

Doubt: Y Tielemans.

Referee M Oliver 0 1 0 34

Odds Home win 13-10

Wilfried Zaha has become much more likely
to pass to a Crystal Palace team-mate than
attempt to beat an opponent
Zaha passes per dribble for Crystal Palace
in Premier League:

2020-21 onwards

3.7

5.7

2018-20

Manchester United v Crystal Palace
Tomorrow, 2pm. TV: Highlights, BBC
One, 10.30pm. Radio: BBC 5 Live

Man Utd (4-3-3)
D De Gea — D Dalot, V Lindelöf,
H Maguire, A Telles — D van de Beek,
S McTominay, B Fernandes — J Sancho,
C Ronaldo, M Rashford. Injured: P Pogba
R Varane. Doubt: E Cavani,
A Wan-Bissaka, N Matic, L Shaw.

Crystal Palace (4-3-3)
V Guaita — N Clyne, J Tomkins, M Guéhi,
T Mitchell — C Gallagher, C Kouyaté,
J Schlupp — W Zaha, J Ayew, O Édouard.
Injured: J McArthur, J Andersen,
N Ferguson. Suspended: J Ward.

Referee C Pawson 0 1 0 32
Odds Home win 4-7

Norwich have drawn their past two league

games, their seventh consecutive pair of

similar results this season

Norwich league results in order this season:

Games 1-2 2 defeats (without scoring)

Games 3-4 2 defeats (by 1 goal)

Games 5-6 2 defeats (by 2 goals)

Games 7-8 2 draws (0-0s)

Games 9-10 2 defeats

Games 11-12 2 wins (by 2-1)

Games 13-14 2 draws

Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City

Tomorrow, 2pm. TV: Highlights, BBC

One, 10.30pm

Tottenham (3-4-2-1)

H Lloris — D Sánchez, E Dier, B Davies —

E Royal, O Skipp, P-E Hojbjerg,

S Reguilón — L Moura, Son Heung-min —

H Kane.

Injured: C Romero, D Scarlett.

Doubt: G Lo Celso.

Norwich (4-1-4-1)

T Krul — M Aarons, G Hanley, B Gibson,

B Williams — P Lees-Melou — J Sargent,

B Gilmour, L Rupp, K McLean — T Pukki.

Injured: M Normann, M Rashica,

C Zimmerman. Doubt: S Byram.

Referee J Gillett 0 0 0 12

Odds Home win 2-5

FAN OF THE DAY

What’s in a name? For Mick

Derby, it is a lifelong love of

his club. Born Mick Stack, he

legally changed his surname

in 1979 to reflect his support

of Derby County.

The reaction from friends,

family and employers was one

of “amazement”, Derby, 62,

says, while he admits that his

mother was not happy at first.

It is not the only way Derby

has shown his commitment.

Twenty-eight years ago he

was sacked after returning

late from an Anglo-Italian Cup

match. He took up taxi driving

instead — giving him time to

follow the first team, and the

under-23 and under-18 sides.

HOW IT STANDS

P W D L GD Pts

(^1) Chelsea 14 10 3 1 27 33
2 Man City 14 10 2 2 21 32
3 Liverpool 14 9 4 1 31 31
4 West Ham 14 7 3 4 8 24
5 Arsenal 14 7 2 5 -3 23
6 Tottenham 13 7 1 5 -4 22
7 Man United 14 6 3 5 0 21
8 Wolves 14 6 3 5 0 21
9 Brighton 14 4 7 3 -2 19
10 Leicester 14 5 4 5 -3 19
(^11) Crystal Palace 14 3 7 4 -1 16
12 Brentford 14 4 4 6 -2 16
13 Aston Villa 14 5 1 8 -4 16
14 Everton 14 4 3 7 -7 15
15 Leeds United 14 3 6 5 -7 15
16 Southampton 14 3 6 5 -7 15
(^17) Watford 14 4 1 9 -7 13
(^18) Burnley 13 1 7 5 -6 10
19 Norwich 14 2 4 8 -20 10
20 Newcastle 14 0 7 7 -14 7
TOP SCORERS
M Salah (Liverpool) 13
J Vardy (Leicester) 9
D Jota (Liverpool) 8
S Mané (Liverpool) 7
TOP ASSISTS
M Salah (Liverpool) 8
T Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) 7
P Pogba (Man United) 7
G Jesus (Man City) 6
12 1GS Saturday December 4 2021 | the times
BILL EDGAR’S GUIDE TO THE
PREMIER LEAGUE WEEKEND
Top-flight teams
with a positive
goal difference
4
S’hampton games
in a row with goal
in first four mins
4
Games since
Chelsea conceded
in first 40 minutes
26
A brief history of
Nottingham Forest
Formed in 1865, they joined the league in
1892 and moved to their present City
Ground in 1898
218
Goals scored by Morris during
his time at the club
(1898 to 1913)
They beat their neighbours Derby in the
1898 FA Cup final, just before the arrival
of Grenville Morris, their record scorer
The centre back Bobby McKinlay
started 399 of 400 league games, 1959-

1968. Forest won the FA Cup in 1959

Brian Clough

oversaw 993

matches as

Nottingham

Forest manager,

119 more than the

club’s past 17

permanent

managers

combined