Crystal Palace v Sheffield United, EFL and more – football clockwatch – live!

11.35am EST 11:35

Nottingham Forest have taken the lead at Preston, Lewis Grabban converting a penalty with 20 minutes remaining despite falling over at the moment of impact (some suspicion that he kicked the ball onto his other leg, and from there into the net, so it might have been disallowed had the referee had stupendous slow-motion vision).

11.34am EST 11:34

Team news for the early evening Premier League game is in, and here are the line-ups.

Brighton: Sanchez, Webster, Dunk, Burn, Veltman, White, Bissouma, March, Maupay, Trossard, Connolly. Subs: Mac Allister, Gross, Lallana, Jahanbakhsh, Steele, Propper, Zeqiri, Bernardo, Molumby.Wolverhampton: Rui Patricio, Nelson Semedo, Coady, Saiss, Ait Nouri, Joao Moutinho, Neves, Traore, Vitinha, Pedro Neto, Silva. Subs: Hoever, Ruddy, Perry, Richards, Kilman, Otasowie, Corbeanu, Cundle, Sondergaard.Referee: Chris Kavanagh.

11.30am EST 11:30

As it stands Watford will drop to sixth, because Reading have come from behind to lead Huddersfield 2-1, Lucas Joao with both of their goals including a fabulous second a few moments ago, and they look set to go up to fifth.

11.28am EST 11:28

Swansea’s comeback against Watford is complete. That’s a lovely cross from Korey Smith on the right, and after Foster comes for it and gets nothing on it, Jamal Lowe nods in at the back stick.

11.26am EST 11:26

It’s now Burton 1-5 Oxford United, Josh Ruffels with the fifth for the visitors. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s return to the Pirelli Stadium is not going well.

11.23am EST 11:23

I’ve now seen that Buendia goal, and it’s pretty tasty. Kenny McLean’s long ball from the right did the damage, and Buendia ran through from the left, altered his stride to make sure his right foot would happily greet the ball as it dips to earth, and caressed it past the keeper. The Barnsley defence seemed to have pretty much taken a tea break, but still, a fine pass and a fine finish.

11.18am EST 11:18

Having been in a perpetual state of nearly-scoring for most of their match against Barnsley, Norwich have now actually scored! Emi Buendia gets the goal for the Championship frontrunners.

11.14am EST 11:14

Hamilton Academical, who started the day at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership, are now 2-0 ahead at home to third-bottom Motherwell, Ross Callachan scoring four minutes into the second half.

11.10am EST 11:10

Crystal Palace have got another injury to deal with, Christian Benteke this time departing after a couple of minutes of on-pitch physio attention, and Jordan Ayew coming on.

10.57am EST 10:57

Half time

It is half time everywhere, and here’s a full half-timely scorecheck:

Premier League

Crystal Palace 1-0 Sheffield United

Championship

Birmingham 0-1 BlackburnBrentford v. Bristol City (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Bristol City)Huddersfield 1-0 Reading Luton v. QPR (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Luton)Millwall 0-2 CoventryNorwich 0-0 BarnsleyPreston North End 0-0 Nottm ForestRotherham v. Cardiff (postponed because of snow)Swansea 1-1 WatfordWycombe 1-2 Middlesbrough

League One

Accrington Stanley v. Portsmouth (Postponed because of a frozen pitch)Bristol Rovers 2-1 BlackpoolBurton Albion 1-3 Oxford UtdFleetwood Town v. Ipswich (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Fleetwood) Hull 1-0 CharltonNorthampton 0-0 SunderlandPeterborough v. Doncaster (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Peterborough) Plymouth 1-0 GillinghamRochdale v. Milton Keynes Dons (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Rochdale)Shrewsbury v. Crewe (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Shrewsbury)Swindon v. Wigan (Postponed because of a frozen pitch) Wimbledon 1-1 Lincoln City

League Two

Barrow v. Exeter (Postponed because of a frozen pitch)Bolton 0-0 Crawley TownBradford v. Morecambe (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Morecambe)Colchester v. Tranmere (Postponed because of Covid outbreaks at both clubs)Forest Green 1-1 OldhamGrimsby 0-2 Cambridge UtdHarrogate Town v. Cheltenham (Postponed because of a frozen pitch)Leyton Orient 1-0 Salford CityMansfield 2-0 Port ValeNewport County v. Southend (Postponed because of a frozen pitch)Stevenage 2-1 ScunthorpeWalsall 0-1 Carlisle

Scottish Premiership

Aberdeen 0-0 Dundee UtdHamilton 1-0 MotherwellHibernian 0-2 LivingstonKilmarnock 1-0 St MirrenRoss County 1-1 St Johnstone

10.52am EST 10:52

GOAL! Crystal Palace 2-0 Sheffield United (Eze, 45+5 mins)

Eze picks up the ball midway into his own half, runs through the Sheffield United midfield, keeps going through the defence as well, and then curls an inch-perfect, nonchalant, side-footed shot into the far corner from just outside the area! That’s a cracker!

Crystal Palace’s English midfielder Eberechi Eze (L) shoots to score his team’s second goal. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 11.03am EST

10.49am EST 10:49

Five minutes of Schlupp-related stoppage time at Selhurst Park, where Crystal Palace continue to lead Sheffield United by one goal to no goals. I can report that the Blades have had a shot in that game.

10.45am EST 10:45

Swansea equalise against Watford! Jamal Lowe curls a 20-yarder perfectly past Foster and in off the far post. It has been coming.

10.43am EST 10:43

“Afternoon Simon, and Happy New Year to you and all clockwatchers,” writes Simon McMahon, the Guardian’s voluntary occasional part-time Scottish football correspondent. “ Of course after the starter at Ibrox earlier, the main course in the SPFL today is Dundee United’s visit to Aberdeen [still goalless – ed]. In the Scottish Championship struggling Dundee are at home to leaders Hearts later. There are a few games off in the lower leagues, so best check the fixtures if you’re planning on heading out to a game. I’m looking at you, George Galloway.”

10.41am EST 10:41

Crystal Palace’s goalscorer hasn’t made it to half-time – Jeff Schlupp is limping from the field, and Eberechi Eze coming on.

10.40am EST 10:40

Watford continue to lead Swansea 1-0, thanks to Ben Foster’s excellent save from Ayew, tipping the ball over the bar as it flew towards the roof of the net (pretty close to him, it must be said, but still – reflexes).

10.38am EST 10:38

Middlesbrough are now beating Wycombe, Marcus Tavernier cutting in from the right, ghosting past a couple of half-hearted challenges and then scoring with a beautifully-struck left-footed shot from the edge of the area. It’s 1-2 there now.

10.38am EST 10:38

Gymnastic celebration of the day:

Hakeeb Adelakun of Hull City celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Charlton Athletic. Photograph: Greig Cowie/BPI/REX/Shutterstock Hakeeb Adelakun of Hull City celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Charlton Athletic. Photograph: Richard Sellers/PA

10.35am EST 10:35

Burton Albion, bottom of League One, look like they’re on their way to a fifth successive defeat, being as they are 3-0 down at home to Oxford United after a little more than half an hour, Olamide Shodipo with the third (and, a little earlier, the second).

10.32am EST 10:32

Middlesbrough have equalised against Wycombe, Marcus Browne heading in a corner from about five yards out despite some very close attention from a defender or two.

10.31am EST 10:31

“I’m as neutral as neutral can be when it comes to Sheffield United,” writes Kari Tulinius. “I should be indifferent to their plight, but it’s become so painful to watch them lose and lose again, week after week. I just can’t watch their games anymore. I can only imagine what it feels like to be a fan of the Blades.” I’m with you. I don’t mind if they get relegated – though I’m old enough to feel that there really should be a team from Sheffield in the top flight – but two points in January is just cruelty.

10.29am EST 10:29

“About that Palace goal, I cannot help but just think about how football really is a game of inches,” writes Adam Kline-Schoder. “If Egan (I think) hadn’t made that little step up to give Zaha time, if whoever tried to intercept Benteke’s layoff had made full contact and hadn’t inadvertently deflected it to put it on a plate for Schlupp … Sheffield United are not having things fall for them at all, and – I feel – have again been desperately unlucky. Even so, it is great to see Benteke looking confident again, and Palace appear to have impressively put that tonking by Liverpool firmly behind them.” That is about the sum of it.

10.26am EST 10:26

A goal in one of today’s two Scottish Premiership bottom-of-the-table six-pointers, as Ross Draper gives Ross County a 1-0 lead against St Johnstone. That is a very Ross-heavy scoreflash, and a second goal of the season for the 32-year-old midfielder, one of five players called Ross in the Ross County squad.

10.22am EST 10:22

Watford take the lead at Swansea, Tom Cleverley rifling in a low shot from 20 yards!

10.15am EST 10:15

Adam Armstrong is at it again, the Blackburn striker grabbing his 16th goal of the season – he’s level with Ivan Toney at the top of the Championship charts now – after being played through on the left at Birmingham, running into the area, opening up his body and sidefooting in at the far post. Very fine, full-confidence finishing there, but the defending was shockingly poor.

10.11am EST 10:11

League One leaders Lincoln City have taken the lead at Wimbledon, Tayo Edun shooting through a crowded penalty area after a corner.

10.08am EST 10:08

Wycombe have taken an early lead against Middlesbrough, the team with the division’s worst defence playing the one with the third-best defence, and it was very lovely from Uche Ikpeazu, who cuts in from the right before curling a left-footer in at the far post!

10.06am EST 10:06

GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-0 Sheffield United (Schlupp, 4 mins)

Zaha gets down the left before pulling back to Benteke, whose lovely first-time touch finds Schlupp bursting into the area, and he sidefoots it in!

OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)

11 – Crystal Palace have netted 11 first-half goals in the Premier League this season, one more than they netted before half-time in the whole of 2019-20. Traps. #CRYSHU

January 2, 2021 Crystal Palace’s Jeffrey Schlupp scores their first goal. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/Reuters

Updated at 10.13am EST

10.04am EST 10:04

Mansfield score the league’s earliest goal, Ollie Clarke giving them a first-minute lead over Port Vale.

10.03am EST 10:03

I may be a little distracted by goings-on at the Liberty Stadium, where Watford play Swansea in the Championship’s match of the day. The Swans have been forced into a last-minute team tweak, after Joel Latibeaudiere got injured in the warm-up. Ryan Manning comes in.

9.56am EST 09:56

Here’s Ewan Murray on Rangers’ victory in the Old Firm derby:

It seems odd to point towards January defining moments in a title race where, even before kick-off in this Old Firm game, Rangers held a 16-point lead. Still, victory for Steven Gerrard’s team here – assisted in no small part by the sending off of Nir Bitton – surely eliminates any lingering Celtic hope of a 10th title in a row. Celtic hold three games in hand but they need snookers now; or, more specifically, an unlikely Rangers implosion.

Celtic were the better team before Bitton’s moment of rashness, which arrived just after the hour mark. With the hitherto ineffectual Alfredo Morelos running to chase a long ball, just outside the angle of the penalty area, the Israeli hauled him to the ground. Neil Lennon and his Celtic players offered little complaint as Bobby Madden issued a red card. It was hard to avoid the sense that, there and then, Celtic’s dreams of title retention had been dashed.

Much more here:

McGregor’s derby own goal helps Rangers to 19-point lead over Celtic

9.54am EST 09:54

A couple of match reports for you to read before the big kick-offs. First, here’s David Hytner on Tottenham’s rather fortunate win over Leeds:

José Mourinho has been a little grouchy of late, moaning about the inability of his Tottenham players to follow on-field orders and railing at the perceived failings of authority, namely the late decision to postpone Wednesday’s game against Fulham.

The last thing he needed was for news to break on the eve of Leeds’s visit that three of his players had flouted coronavirus rules by attending a Christmas party. What was going through the minds of Sergio Reguilón, Erik Lamela and Giovani Lo Celso? Presumably nothing.

Yet Mourinho felt the storm clouds lift as his team won for the first time in five Premier League matches and won well, with a reassuringly stable presence helping to make the difference, to go third in the table.

Much more here:

Harry Kane and Son Heung-min score as Tottenham beat Leeds to go third

9.39am EST 09:39

Chris Wilder has a pre-match chat:

We’ve taken a few hits along the way. Today we’ve got nine out injured or unavailable. But a football result isn’t decided on a teamsheet, it’s decided by what happens out on the green bit. We know we have to have a great second part of the season if we want to survive in the Premier League.

We had a couple of issues regarding the virus, but these things happen. They didn’t happen for us last year and they’re coming in bucketloads at the moment, but we’ve just got to get on with it. We’re up against an established Premier League club. That’s what we’re trying to do. Obviously at the moment it’s not going the way we want it to go, but we’re fighting, we’re punching, and we’re hoping that today will be the day we get ourselves going again.

9.29am EST 09:29

Rangers have wrapped up a 1-0 win over Celtic in Scotland’s lunchtime kick-off, and they now lead the Premiership table by … hang on … how much?

9.19am EST 09:19

Further snowfall updates: it’s been snowing in Bolton, where Crawley Town play this afternoon. This match is on, though.

Crawley players inspecting the pitch as the snow falls before the League Two match between Bolton Wanderers and Crawley Town at the University of Bolton Stadium. Photograph: Paul Thompson/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock

9.09am EST 09:09

This was the scene at Rotherham United today, as a sudden snowstorm caused the groundsmen some alarm. The game is on, though now off.

A groundsman blowing away the snow on the New York Stadium pitch ahead of the Championship match between Rotherham United and Cardiff City. Photograph: Shaun Conway/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock

Rotherham United (@OfficialRUFC)

📷| 2021 throws it’s first curveball 🤨

We’ve gone from glorious green to white-over here at New York in about half an hour!

Game on at present, though!#rufc #millers #ForeverTogetherForeverProud pic.twitter.com/QdW5CRkBUr

January 2, 2021

Updated at 9.15am EST

9.05am EST 09:05

Teams!

Team sheets have been handed in across the land, and here are the starting XIs for the one Premier League fixture. Sheffield United have nine players missing and a 16-year-old on the bench:

Crystal Palace: Guaita, Ward, Tomkins, Kouyate, Mitchell, Townsend, Milivojevic, McArthur, Schlupp, Zaha, Benteke. Subs: Butland, van Aanholt, Dann, Ayew, Sakho, McCarthy, Batshuayi, Eze, Riedewald.Sheff Utd: Ramsdale, Basham, Egan, Stevens, Bogle, Norwood, Ampadu, Fleck, Osborn, McGoldrick, Mousset. Subs: Baldock, Lowe, Verrips, Brewster, Bryan, Hackford.Referee: Stuart Attwell.

Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC)

COME ON YOU PALACE#CPFC | #CRYSHU

January 2, 2021

Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited)

Here’s how the Blades line-up. 👊

Jayden Bogle earns a first Premier League start while 16 year old Antwoine Hackford is on the bench.

Nine Blades players miss today’s game through injury, illness and suspension. pic.twitter.com/ZdKkyUozus

January 2, 2021

8.19am EST 08:19

Hello world!

It’s that time again! 3pm on a Saturday afternoon is nearly upon us, and with it just the one Premier League fixture, and not as many in other divisions as you’d have expected. Chilly weather has caused several postponements, and Coronavirus outbreaks several more – they’re all marked on this big list of today’s fixtures.

Beyond Sheffield United’s latest attempt to actually win a game, standout fixtures include Watford, having beaten the Championship leaders, Norwich, in their first game under new manager Xisco Muñoz, travelling to second-placed Swansea for the second; another new manager in League Two as Paul Hurst takes charge of his first match as relegation-threatened Grimsby host Cambridge, who will move into the play-off places if they win; it’s third v sixth in League One as Charlton visit Hull; and the bottom four in the Scottish Premiership play each other.

Here’s the full list (all 3pm GMT kick-offs unless stated):

Premier League

Brighton v. Wolverhampton (5.30pm)Crystal Palace v. Sheffield UnitedTottenham Hotspur v. Leeds (12.30pm)West Brom v. Arsenal (8pm)

Championship

Birmingham v. BlackburnBrentford v. Bristol City (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Bristol City)Huddersfield v. ReadingLuton v. QPR (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Luton)Millwall v. CoventryNorwich v. BarnsleyPreston North End v. Nottm ForestRotherham v. CardiffStoke v. Bournemouth (7.45pm)Swansea v. WatfordWycombe v. Middlesbrough

League One

Accrington Stanley v. Portsmouth (Postponed because of a frozen pitch)Bristol Rovers v. BlackpoolBurton Albion v. Oxford UtdFleetwood Town v. Ipswich (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Fleetwood) Hull v. CharltonNorthampton v. SunderlandPeterborough v. Doncaster (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Peterborough) Plymouth v. GillinghamRochdale v. Milton Keynes Dons (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Rochdale)Shrewsbury v. Crewe (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Shrewsbury)Swindon v. Wigan (Postponed because of a frozen pitch) Wimbledon v. Lincoln City

League Two

Barrow v. Exeter (Postponed because of a frozen pitch)Bolton v. Crawley TownBradford v. Morecambe (Postponed because of a Covid outbreak at Morecambe)Colchester v. TranmereForest Green v. OldhamGrimsby v. Cambridge UtdHarrogate Town v. CheltenhamLeyton Orient v. Salford CityMansfield v. Port ValeNewport County v. SouthendStevenage v. ScunthorpeWalsall v. Carlisle

Scottish Premiership

Aberdeen v. Dundee UtdHamilton v. MotherwellHibernian v. LivingstonKilmarnock v. St MirrenRangers v. Celtic (12.30pm)Ross County v. St Johnstone