Saturday Soccer Action Roundup: Liverpool vs Brighton, The Blues versus Everton along with Further Fixtures
Current Fixture Updates
A pleasant day here in the capital, where the sun is indeed beaming, though by the time we're at half-time, dusk will be falling. Speaking of which, can there be a happy send-off for the Egyptian star? And, that doesn't have to be one permanently, of course. The player, like many others will be traveling to the Africa Cup of Nations, whatever happens. We are waiting for the team news from Liverpool's game with the south coast side.
Listed below are today's 3pm British time fixtures.
- Chelsea versus Everton
- Liverpool v Brighton
There's a complete schedule of EFL action, as well.
Official Team Lineups
Chelsea v Everton
Chelsea Starting XI: Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella, James, Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Palmer, Garnacho, Joao Pedro.
Chelsea Substitutes: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Bynoe-Gittens, Santos, Hato, Acheampong, Guiu, Estevao.
Everton Starting XI: Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Gueye, Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish, Barry.
Everton Bench: Travers, Patterson, McNeil, Beto, Dibling, Alcaraz, Aznou, Iroegbunam, Campbell.
Match Official: Thomas Bramall.
Anfield versus Brighton
Liverpool Starting XI: Alisson, Gomez, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Wirtz, Ekitike.
Liverpool Substitutes: Mamardashvili, Isak, Salah, Chiesa, Robertson, Ramsay, Ngumoha, Lucky.
Brighton Lineup: Verbruggen, Wieffer, van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu, Baleba, Hinshelwood, Minteh, Gruda, Gomez, Rutter.
Brighton Bench: Steele, Welbeck, Kostoulas, Milner, Boscagli, Mitoma, Ayari, De Cuyper, Veltman.
Match Referee: Craig Pawson.
Salah starting from the bench for Liverpool. So is Alexander Isak. Further selection details is imminent but it appears like Florian Wirtz supporting Hugo Ekitike in the forward line.
Afternoon League Roundup
Big scoreline in League Two, where it's a regional clash of Bristol Rovers v Swindon; relatively local. Swindon are ahead 3-0.
In the Championship, three afternoon starts at half-time:
- Norwich 0-0 Southampton
- Oxford 0-1 Preston
- Stoke 1-0 Swansea
League One Scores:
- Huddersfield 1-0 Wigan
- Wimbledon 0-0 Mansfield
League Two Updates:
- Bristol Rovers 0-3 Swindon
- Salford 1-1 Colchester
Subsequent Scores have come through, and it's currently Huddersfield 1-1 Wigan, Oxford 1-2 Preston, Salford 1-2 Colchester, Norwich 1-1 Southampton. At Norwich, whose goal came from Jovon Makama, Southampton missed a first-half penalty and have now equalised through Ryan Manning.
Norwich have gone back in front, the decisive strike coming from Jovon Makama, his second of the game.
Other Soccer Updates
News from La Liga, where Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said Kylian Mbappe is fit to play on Sunday against Alaves. Mbappe missed the Champions League defeat by Manchester City. Alonso confirmed, "We've got Kylian back, he's ready to play, and tomorrow we'll see and decide on his involvement." Real Madrid are without several injured players including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga.
On that Bristol Rovers v Swindon game, one fan reported: "Hi. Bristol Rovers 0 Swindon 3 doesn't tell the half of it. Ten League defeats in a row incoming, which is one club record. Five home losses in a row is another club record... It's not much fun being a Gashead these days." For Swindon, Aaron Drinan has followed Rovers' Kacper Lopata in receiving a red card.
Full Afternoon Fixture Schedule
EFL Second Division 3pm kick-offs
- Birmingham v. Charlton
- Coventry v. Bristol City
- Leicester v. Ipswich
- Middlesbrough v. QPR
- Millwall v. Hull
- Portsmouth v. Blackburn
- Wrexham v. Watford
League One 15:00 fixtures
- Barnsley v. Leyton Orient
- Blackpool v. Lincoln City
- Bolton v. Exeter
- Bradford v. Reading
- Burton Albion v. Wycombe
- Cardiff v. Doncaster
- Luton v. Port Vale
- Peterborough v. Northampton
- Plymouth v. Rotherham
- Stockport County v. Stevenage
League Two 3pm fixtures
- Accrington Stanley v. Bromley
- Cheltenham v. Harrogate Town
- Chesterfield v. Barnet
- Crawley Town v. Oldham
- Gillingham v. Barrow
- Grimsby v. Notts County
- Milton Keynes Dons v. Cambridge Utd
- Newport County v. Fleetwood Town
- Tranmere v. Crewe
- Walsall v. Shrewsbury
Only two games in the Scottish Premiership, too.
- Dundee Utd v. Motherwell
- Livingston v. Dundee
