Key events
West Ham are struggling to create anything at Molineux. Potts has the chance to swing a free-kick into the box but it sails out for a goal-kick. Wolves lead 1-0.
GOAL! Hearts 1-0 Livingston (Halkett 18)
The Scottish Premiership leaders go in front at Tynecastle. Craig Halkett’s looping header does the job!
The Wolves fans are singing “You’re going down with the Wanderers” at the West Ham end, says Will Unwin at Molineux.
Penalty shout: West Ham look to the referee again as Summerville is bumped to the floor by Mosquera but the winger was looking for it. Nothing given.
Scotland: Leaders Hearts are laying siege to Livingston’s goal. Tomas Bent Magnusson has had a glorious chance but toepoked wide from just a few yards out. Still 0-0.
Goal disallowed! Brighton think they’ve taken the lead through Charalampos Kostoulas but he’s flagged offside. Burnley still level.
Crysenio Summerville, back in the West Ham lineup today, looks like a threat down the left. Arias is doing some good defensive work down that side after his goal.
Hibs take the lead at struggling Kilmarnock through Elie Youan, 1-0.
That’s Jhon Arias’s first goal for Wolves since joining in the summer!
GOAL! Wolves 1-0 West Ham (Arias 4)
Dream start for Wolves! Hwang heads to the byline after a stepover and pulls the ball across goal, Arias sliding in to open the scoring!
Penalty shout: West Ham’s Freddie Potts goes down in the penalty area but VAR says no. There was a little bit of contact but clearly not enough.
Kick-off
We’re under way in the 3pm games across England and Scotland.
Early match reports
“I’ve just fried two eggs for lunch, and broke the yolks in both, so I’m in a bad mood,” writes Matt Dony. “As such, I am less than charitable towards the lowly. As Wolves are clearly, clearly going down, I hope they set an absolute comedy record points total. Ideally stick where they are, and lose every game from here on. Come on West Ham. Do it, for comedy’s sake. (And apologies to Wolves fans. But, hey, it’s not like you’ll be expecting much else!)”
If that’s not got you in the mood, the teams are out and shaking hands at a snowy Molineux and a very chilly Amex Stadium. Kick-off is next!
Serie A half-time scores
Genoa 1-1 Pisa (Colombo 15; Leris 38)
Sassuolo 1-1 Parma (Thorstvedt 12; Pellegrino 24)
A bit more on Pablo Felipe, West Ham’s new signing.
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Position: Striker
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Age: 22
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Nationality: Brazil
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Signed from: Gil Vicente (Portugal)
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This season: 14 games, 10 goals
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Form (last 6 games): 6 goals, 1 assist
He’s on the bench this afternoon.
Will today be the day for Wolves? After impressive performances in defeats at Arsenal and Liverpool, plus Tuesday’s draw at Manchester United, it looks as if Rob Edwards is gradually making his team competitive in the Premier League once again.
That first league win of the season is still to be earned but the omens are good. Wolves have already beaten West Ham at Molineux this campaign – in the Carabao Cup in August – and Graham Potter was in charge the last time the Hammers won away from home – at Nuno Espírito Santo’s Nottingham Forest in August.
Edwards spoke to the media yesteday:
The intensity levels are better. There’s more of a confidence and belief but that’s only going to come from more results and more performances and being more consistent with what we do. There are certainly certain things that we’ve improved on, but it’s a difficult league, and we came in at a difficult moment, so it was always going to be hard to instantly get those results. I said to the lads after the [United] game that we need to get that performance level at home. That’s the most important thing for us now.
West Ham and Burnley will be pleased to hear of Nottingham Forest’s defeat at Villa Park. And Wolves, I guess, if we’re being nice.
Full time scores
Premier League
Aston Villa 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Scottish Premiership
Celtic 1-3 Rangers
Transfer news: here is the latest from West Ham
Santiago Bueno is fit enough to start for Wolves – he is the only change from the lineup that got a draw at Manchester United in midweek. Mateus Mané, 18, continues to start in midfield. Jørgen Strand Larsen, a transfer target for today’s opponents, is on the bench.
Striker Pablo Felipe, signed from Gil Vicente yesterday, could make his West Ham debut from the bench. Lucas Paquetá and Jean-Clair Todibo are ruled out.
Charalampos Kostoulas makes his first Premier League start and leads the line for Brighton ahead of Danny Welbeck. Yankuba Minteh misses out after a dead leg with Koaru Mitoma coming in.
Bashir Humphreys replaces the injured Maxime Estève for Burnley, while Jacob Bruun Larsen and Jaidon Anthony come into the front three.
Premier League team news
Brighton v Burnley
Brighton (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu; Ayari, Gruda; Gomez, Rutter, Mitoma; Kostoulas.
Subs: Steele, Hinshelwood, Watson, Welbeck, Milner, Boscagli, De Cuyper, Gross, Coppola.
Burnley (5-2-3): Dubravka; Walker, Laurent, Ekdal, Humphreys, Pires; Ugochukwu, Luís; Bruun Larsen, Broja, Anthony.
Subs: Weiss, Edwards, Tchaouna, Sonne, Banel, Barnes, Brierley, Agyei, Pimlott.
Wolves v West Ham
Wolves (3-5-2): Sá; S Bueno, Mosquera, Krejci; Tchatchoua, Arias, Mané, J Gomes, H Bueno; Arokodare, Hwang.
Subs: Johnstone, Doherty, Wolfe, André, Strand Larsen, Chirewa, Hoever, López, González.
West Ham (4-2-3-1): Areola; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Scarles; Magassa, Potts; Bowen, Fernandes, Summerville; Wilson.
Subs: Hermansen, Igor, Pablo Felipe, Rodríguez, Soucek, Earthy, Kante, Golambeckis, Mayers.
This afternoon’s fixtures (3pm kick-off GMT unless stated)
Premier League
Brighton v Burnley
Wolves v West Ham
Scottish Premiership
Dundee Utd v Dundee
Falkirk v Aberdeen
Hearts v Livingston
Kilmarnock v Hibernian
Motherwell v St Mirren
Europe
Osasuna v Athletic Club (3.15pm)
Genoa 0-0 Pisa (2pm, latest)
Sassuolo 0-0 Parma (2pm, latest)
Monaco v Lyon (4pm)
Afcon last 16
Senegal v Sudan (4pm)
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the afternoon’s clockwatch. Attention in the Premier League turns to the battle for survival, with all of the bottom three in action at 3pm (GMT). Wolves are still looking for their first win of the season and host West Ham, who are four points from safety. Burnley, six points adrift of 17th, visit a Brighton side who are without a win in six.
There’s no EFL action today – a full programme is slated for tomorrow – but we do have Scottish football to keep tabs on. The Old Firm got under way earlier on.
The knockout stages of Afcon kick off this afternoon with a last 16 clash between Senegal and Sudan at 4pm, plus we’ll have updates from league fixtures across Europe.
If you’re off to a game or watching on TV, feel free to get in touch and let us know.
