Tottenham v Aston Villa, Crystal Palace v Arsenal: Premier League – live!

2.29pm EDT 14:29

“Wouldn’t Harry Kane moving to Manchester City constitute a breach of Unfair Competition regulation?” says Stephen Ashworth. “If they snag him they should agree to always start with ten players. Or at least have me as their 11th.”

2.26pm EDT 14:26

Crystal Palace 0-0 Arsenal There’s a bit of needle in this game. There was the Schlupp foul, a kick off the ball by Ward on Tierney (not enough for a red card) and a few other robust challenges. Tierney is being heartily booed, having made a meal of the aforementioned Ward kick.

Andros Townsend gets to grips with Kieran Tierney. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated at 2.33pm EDT

2.25pm EDT 14:25

Thanks for all your emails, which I’m trying and failing to keep up with. There’s plenty going on in the various matches, and Bertrand Traore has just a shot blocked crucially by Toby Alderweireld. It’s still Spurs 1-2 Aston Villa.

2.24pm EDT 14:24

“Benitez gave us hope,” says Charlie Hopkins. “Look at our previous managers. Big Sam, Pardew, McLaren, Joe Kinnear. From poor to woeful. None of them achieving anything since leaving. Then along comes Rafa. A Champions League-winning manager who agrees to stay in the Championship because he believes in the project. The only manager of the five who ever actually called out Ashley’s lack of investment in the club and his lack of connection with the fans. Yes the football was not scintillating but there were tactics in play, a sense of building from the back and the feeling that we would be taken seriously, which is a far cry from Joe Kinnear talking about Yohan Kebab and telling journalists to F off.”

Beautifully argued. Just one question: which one’s Simon Bird?

2.21pm EDT 14:21

“I’m just glad it’s not Man Utd,” says Tim Bartlett of the transfer that we have already decided on Harry Kane’s behalf. “After Sheringham, then Berbatov it seemed that the Spurs drain-pipe always ended at Old Trafford. £150m is a nice sum to squander, and what if Son wants to move as well given the shrinking prospects? Might almost be able to afford Jose’s payoff.”

2.20pm EDT 14:20

Spurs 1-2 Villa Traore shapes a clever shot just wide after another Terminator run from McGinn.

2.18pm EDT 14:18

“Rob, I’ll level with you, I’m nervous,” weeps Liverpool fan Ian Copestake. “I’m fully expecting an evening of swearing at the brilliance of Burnley before joining Matt Dony on some street corner to throw stuff.”

You can get all the team news – all of it – here.

Burnley v Liverpool: Premier League – live!

2.17pm EDT 14:17

“I hope that Gareth Southgate is taking note of Villa’s performance tonight,” says Jon Collins. “They’re a team transformed with Grealish back in the side. He’s developed into such a good and influential player that if he’s fit England surely need to find space for him in their starting lineup in the summer.”

I love Grealish so much but I don’t think he’ll start Euro 2021. Southgate is almost certainly going to pick Mount, Foden and Kane, so I’d imagine he’ll want the fourth attacker to be genuinely fast. That probably means Raheem Sterling or Marcus Rashford, even though both are in wretched form. Not that it matters, because on tonight’s form John McGinn will beat England on his own. He has been everywhere.

2.13pm EDT 14:13

Spurs 1-2 Aston Villa Spurs have been much better since half-time. Reguilon’s deep cross is volleyed over by Kane, a difficult ball to take on the run.

2.10pm EDT 14:10

Spurs 1-2 Villa Kane stabs a nice pass through to Bergwijn, whose rasping shot is again pushed away by Martinez. That was a relatively comfortable save.

2.09pm EDT 14:09

“It’s stunning the difference one man can make to a team,” says Darren MacTavish. “Without Grealish, Villa look no better than Burnley or Crystal Palace; with him, they’re comfortably a better team than Spurs.”

It’s fascinating, isn’t it. It’s not just his genius on the ball; he clearly empowers everyone around him.

2.08pm EDT 14:08

Spurs 1-2 Aston Villa It’s all happening tonight. Emi Martinez has just made a fine save, falling to his left to beat away a shot from Bergwijn. On reflection Bergwijn should have done better, but it was still a really good stop.

2.07pm EDT 14:07

Crystal Palace 0-0 Arsenal Jeff Schlupp is booked for a poor tackle on Calum Chambers, and there’s a protracted VAR check for a red card. Eventually it stays yellow, but it could have gone either way. It looked much worse in slow motion, with his studs plunging into the top of Chambers’ foot.

2.05pm EDT 14:05

GOAL! Everton 1-0 Wolves (Richarlison 48)

Everton take the lead early in the second half! Richarlison gets above Boly to meet Sigurdsson’s’s corner and head across John Ruddy.

Richarlison gives the Toffee’s the advantage. Photograph: Jan Kruger/Reuters

Updated at 2.15pm EDT

2.03pm EDT 14:03

Peep peep! The second halves are under way, as is the first half of Crystal Palace v Arsenal.

Roy Hodgson receives a guard of honour from both sets of players before his last home match as Crystal Palace manager. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated at 2.07pm EDT

2.02pm EDT 14:02

“Sorry to weigh in but need to answer the email pondering why Newcastle fans love Rafa,” says Oliver Lewis. “In summary, Rafa came to a club in tatters, rebuilt the team from ground up, build the best defence we’ve had in years (still relied upon by Bruce), acted with massive class in terms of engaging with fans and the community and brought through some promising young talent.

“Bruce has sidelined the young talent, brought back the useless Shelvey, slagged off the fans, blamed everything on Rafa, had a much bigger transfer budget, started a season saying top half aim then finished it saying staying up was mission accomplished etc etc etc.

“That is not to say Bruce hasn’t had some bad luck and some performances worthy of praise. But this ‘mystery’ over why Newcastle fans love Rafa because all someone has seen was us beat Man City is the weirdest thing.”

1.54pm EDT 13:54

Half-time chitchat

“You never know with Raiola, but Haaland might just stay at Dortmund after they secured CL football next season, and Lewandowski isn’t going anywhere,” says Julian Menz. “That would make Kane the hottest property around, and several big clubs will be in the market, even at Levy prices. Maybe Real Madrid can’t afford him, but they always seem to find a few quid down the back of the sofa, likewise Barcelona. City are favourites though, given Aguero’s departure. £150m is crazy money/small change, depending on who you are.”

That’s a good summary. The more I think about it, the harder it becomes to see him playing for anyone other than Manchester City or Spurs next season.

1.53pm EDT 13:53

Half time: Newcastle 1-0 Sheff Utd

It was a really good goal from Joe Willock. Saint-Maximin played a lovely pass inside the full back to Murphy, who stood up a textbook cross to the far post. Willock got to it first and planted a header into bottom corner.

Updated at 1.59pm EDT

1.51pm EDT 13:51

GOAL! Newcastle 1-0 Sheff Utd (Willock 45+5)

Joe Willock scores for the sixth game in a row!

Joe Willock score again for the Magpies. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters

Updated at 1.56pm EDT

1.50pm EDT 13:50

Half time: Spurs 1-2 Aston Villa

Spurs are booed off at half-time, having been totally outplayed by a vibrant Aston Villa.

1.49pm EDT 13:49

Spurs 1-2 Aston Villa Yet another chance for Villa, with Lloris saving well from Watkins after a mistake from Dier. The difference a Grealish makes; Villa have been magnificent.

1.47pm EDT 13:47

Spurs 1-2 Aston Villa Anwar El Ghazi misses an excellent chance after more good play from McGinn and Grealish. Spurs are all over the show and could easily be 4-1 down.

1.40pm EDT 13:40

“Hi Rob,” says David Wall. “I appreciate that it’s anathema to most Newcastle supporters that Steve Bruce might stay beyond the end of the season (even though it’s turning out that when his best attacking players aren’t all missing through various injuries or Covid they’ve done pretty well and often been entertaining), but I have never understood the adulation of Benitez.

“The football they played when he was there was frequently unambitious and turgid (perhaps not always as bad as the home match against City when they pretty much set up a line of 10 defenders across the edge of the penalty area from the first minute but rarely very enterprising). And they didn’t achieve great results either, always being around lower mid-table like now.

“It almost seems that they were flattered by the fact that a renowned manager wanted to work with them, as though he was somehow above them so was doing them a favour by being there. But it’s not as though Newcastle is an insignificant club, or that Benitez was really a superstar coach. I’d have thought they should be more demanding whoever ends up in charge.”

Benitez does seem to inspire that kind of intense devotion, at least at certain clubs. It’s an interesting subject, on which I am not remotely qualified to comment.

1.39pm EDT 13:39

GOAL! Spurs 1-2 Villa (Watkins 39)

Jack Grealish is back, and so are the real Aston Villa. Ollie Watkins has given them a deserved lead after another mistake from Sergio Reguilon. His clearance hit Bertrand Traore and rebounded towards Watkins, who held off Eric Dier and dragged the ball past Hugo Lloris at the near post.

Ollie Watkins scores the second for the Villains. Photograph: Paul Childs/Reuters

Updated at 1.48pm EDT

1.38pm EDT 13:38

Everton 0-0 Wolves “It’s pretty much a textbook example of plus ca change at Goodison,” says Stephen Carr. “Wolves are dominating without threatening and Everton are getting ready to get booed off at half time.”