Thanks for reading this Clockwatch. Off to Bramall Lane, then! Brighton 4-1 Crystal Palace. Ed Aarons at the Amex, on a banner day for Brighton, and a nightmare for Roy Hodgson. West Brom 1-0 Birmingham. John Brewin reports from the Hawthorns on a match that has previously gone without mention in this rolling blog. Thank you, my super soaraway Clockwatch! Newcastle 4-4 Luton. Louise Taylor was at St James’ Park to witness a thriller. Burnley 2-2 Fulham. Will Unwin reports from Turf Moor on Burnley’s game efforts to extricate themselves from bother. Everton 2-2 Spurs. Andy Hunter was at Goodison to witness the latest chapter in Everton’s staunch battle against the drop. Scottish Premiership. The title race is on. Championship. Leicester keep on trucking. Saints leapfrog Leeds into second as Ipswich lose ground in the race for the second automatic promotion spot. Meanwhile there are big wins at the bottom for Huddersfield and QPR, as Stoke, battered by the leaders, start looking over their shoulder towards the relegation places. Premier League. Spurs pass up the chance of going level with Arsenal on points. Everton remain in the dropzone despite their late equaliser, thanks to Luton’s absurd 4-4 draw at Newcastle. Crystal Palace meanwhile continue slipping towards trouble after being thumped by arch-rivals Brighton, and their plight won’t be helped after Roy Hodgson sent on Michael Olise in desperation, only for the star man to aggravate an injury. Scottish Premiership full times Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic Dundee 2-3 Hearts Hibernian 0-3 St Mirren Motherwell 1-1 Kilmarnock Rangers 3-0 Livingston Ross County 0-1 St Johnstone Championship full times Blackburn 1-2 QPR Huddersfield 4-0 Sheffield Wed Hull 1-0 Millwall Norwich 2-1 Coventry Preston 3-2 Ipswich Rotherham 0-2 Southampton Stoke 0-5 Leicester Swansea 0-1 Plymouth Watford 0-1 Cardiff WBA 1-0 Birmingham Four Premier League matches: 21 goals. A rate of 5.25 per game! The best league in the world? People have opinions, but say what you will, when it’s on one, it’s on one. Premier League full times Brighton & Hove Albion 4-1 Crystal Palace Burnley 2-2 Fulham Everton 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur Newcastle United 4-4 Luton Town Sheffield United v Aston Villa (5.30pm) FULL TIME: Newcastle 4-4 Luton The teams never did add to those eight goals, the last of which was scored with 17 regulation minutes plus ten of added time to play. But you can’t quibble, can you. What a game! FULL TIME: Rotherham United 0-2 Southampton. … and so this is what the top of the Championship looks like now. FULL TIME: Preston 3-2 Ipswich. The Tractor Boys, so awful in the first half, made a game of it, thanks principally to their new signing Kieffer Moore … but it wasn’t enough. GOAL! Stoke 0-5 Leicester (Vardy 90 pen). Just before the final whistle, Jamie Vardy makes it five. The leaders rout their midland rivals. FULL TIME: Brighton 4-1 Crystal Palace What a way for Brighton to bounce back from that 4-0 shellacking at Luton! Roy Hodgson’s coat hanging on a shoogly peg. FULL TIME: Burnley 2-2 Fulham Burnley narrowly avoid a tenth home loss thanks to David Datro Fofana’s late double. Newcastle 4-4 Luton. They’re halfway through ten minutes of added time at St James’ Park. Play’s stopped for an injury, too. This could go on all day. Nobody’s complaining. GOAL! Burnley 2-2 Fulham (Fofana 90+1) A second goal for David Fofana, who survives a VAR check for handball. A precious – and rare – home point for Burnley is within their reach! GOAL! Preston 3-2 Ipswich (Moore 87). A second goal for the debutant Kieffer Moore, and Ipswich are in with a shout of an unlikely point! The teamsheets are in at Bramall Lane. Barry Glendenning with a round of sandwiches the news. GOAL! Brighton 4-1 Crystal Palace (Pedro 85) Yep, it’s was too little, too late for Palace all right. Joao Pedro curls one in to make sure of victory for the Seagulls in the A23 derby. Beep beep beep beep! Newcastle 4-4 Luton. The home side are pressing for a dramatic winner. Harvey Barnes tests Thomas Kaminski, who tips around the post. Then Jacob Murphy hoicks over from close range. Luton hanging on. GOAL! Brighton 3-1 Crystal Palace (Mateta 72) (Slightly belated) news of Jean-Philippe Mateta pulling one back for Palace. Too little, too late? GOAL! Preston 3-1 Ipswich (Moore 75). The deadline-day loan signing Kieffer Moore pulls one back on his debut. They couldn’t, could they? I mean probably not. Jeremy Boyce certainly doesn’t think so, anyway: “Think of the Championship automatic promotion like the Tour de France peloton climbing to a summit finish at Mont Ventoux. 21km / 46 matches of serious grind, no let up, but the yellow jersey and serious wonga awaits. Like on the bikes, it’s a process of ‘eliminiation par l’arriere’ as Jumbo Visma (Leicester City) punish everyone with their serious pace. The peloton falls apart from behind (Ipswich bad day today) and one by one it comes down to the last men standing/kicking/pedalling. Pedalling a tractor is a big ask.” Whatever happens to Luton Town today … and indeed this season … hats off to the Hatters. They’ve brought it to the Premier League. Such good fun. What a job Rob Edwards has done. GOAL! Newcastle 4-4 Luton (Barnes 73) This is getting old. So wonderfully old. Harvey Barnes marks his return from long-term injury with the equaliser. Is this going to end 4-4? It can’t, it surely can’t. GOAL! Stoke 0-4 Leicester (Vardy 73). Jamie Vardy scores his seventh goal of the Championship campaign as the Foxes keep on keepin’ on. GOAL! Burnley 1-2 Fulham (Fofana 71) David Fofana, on loan from Chelsea, announces himself with his first goal for Burnley … indeed his first goal in English football, because he’s yet to notch for his parent club … and a tenth home defeat of the season for Burnley isn’t certain yet. GOAL! Newcastle 3-4 Luton (Trippier 67) It isn’t over yet at St James’ Park! Kieran Trippier volleys Newcastle back into it. This is an absurd afternoon of Premier League football, and it’s glorious. GOAL! Stoke 0-3 Leicester (Daka 66 pen). … meanwhile there’s a second for Patson Daka, and the race for the Championship title isn’t unfolding in similarly dramatic fashion. GOAL! Rangers 3-0 Livingston (Cantwell 56). Todd Cantwell makes it three for Philippe Clement’s resurgent Teddy Bears, and the title race in Scotland is officially on! GOAL! Newcastle 2-4 Luton (Adebayo 62) Elijah Adebayo doubles Luton’s advantage, and a third Premier League win on the bounce is on! Brighton 3-0 Crystal Palace. Roy Hodgson has plenty to answer for here. Michael Olise, thrown on in desperation by the under-pressure manager, pulls up and can’t continue. Before the game, Hodgson was talking about keeping Olise in reserve due to his recent injury, and treating him with kid gloves. Now look. GOAL! Newcastle 2-3 Luton (Morris 59 pen) Carlton Morris slots … only for the referee to deny him, as he was talking to some other players at the time! Morris has to go again … and he holds his nerve. Luton lead! Newcastle 2-2 Luton. VAR gives the penalty! It’s for the initial tug as well, which was deemed to be inside the box. The referee doesn’t even need to go over to the screen, because he’d given the free kick. Carlton Morris to take! Newcastle 2-2 Luton. Chiedozie Ogbene troubles Dan Burn again. A tug of the shirt. A clip on the foot. A free kick outside the box. But was the final contact inside the box? VAR is going to take a look. A long look. Brighton 3-0 Crystal Palace. Brighton are so far ahead in the A23 derby, they’ve pulled over and started doing donuts. As a result, Palace fans have got the old banners out again. Some supporters reportedly calling for Roy Hodgson to go as well. Anyway, the Palace manager sends on the not-totally-fit Michael Olise for the second half. Premier League: as it stands Scottish Premiership half-times Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic (FT) Dundee 1-0 Hearts Hibernian 0-3 St Mirren Motherwell 1-1 Kilmarnock Rangers 2-0 Livingston Ross County 0-1 St Johnstone Championship half-times Blackburn 0-0 QPR Huddersfield 0-0 Sheffield Wed Hull 1-0 Millwall Norwich 0-0 Coventry Preston 3-0 Ipswich Rotherham 0-2 Southampton Stoke 0-2 Leicester Swansea 0-1 Plymouth Watford 0-1 Cardiff WBA 0-0 Birmingham Premier League half-times Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 Crystal Palace Burnley 0-2 Fulham Newcastle United 2-2 Luton Town GOAL! Rangers 2-0 Livingston (Matondo 45+2). One quickly becomes two, as Rabbi Matondo’s shot is deflected in, and Rangers look like closing the gap on the leaders Celtic today. GOAL! Rangers 1-0 Livingston (Silva 40). A first goal in light blue for Fabio Silva, and Rangers, who have been hammering at the door since the get-go, make the breakthrough. GOAL! Preston 3-0 Ipswich (Keane 39). Ipswich certainly aren’t going second tonight, that’s for sure. A second goal for Will Keane at Deepdale and this one is as good as over. GOAL! Rotherham 0-2 Southampton (A Armstrong 38). Adam Armstrong doubles Southampton’s lead, and second spot is now theirs for the taking. GOAL! Newcastle 2-2 Luton (Barkley 40) Ross Barkley starts the move and ends it. Just the three 3pm Premier League matches today, but oh my they’re delivering. Brighton 3-0 Crystal Palace. That was a Kalvin Phillips style introduction to Palace for Adam Wharton. Having just come on for Marc Guehi, he shipped possession in his own half and that was that. GOAL! Brighton 3-0 Crystal Palace (Buonanotte 34) Facundo Buonanotte adds another within a minute, and Roy Hodgson’s side are in all sorts. Relegation bother? If they don’t get their act together soon, you’d think so, yes. Oh Roy, must it end like this? GOAL! Brighton 2-0 Crystal Palace (Hinshelwood 33) Jack Hinshelwood is a prospect all right. The 18-year-old scores his third goal of the season, nodding home Tariq Lamptey’s cross. GOAL! Stoke 0-2 Leicester (McAteer 30). Kasey McAteer has a dig from way out, and a deflection does the rest. “Yep, Burnley are a non-event,” writes Jeremy Boyce. “Runaway winners of the Championship, big things expected. Watch out Leicester.” GOAL! Stoke 0-1 Leicester (Daka 27). Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s cross causes bedlam in the Stoke box, and Patson Daka gives the Championship pacesetters the lead.. GOAL! Burnley 0-2 Fulham (Muniz 21) Rodrigo Muniz makes it two for Fulham, and Burnley have been a complete non-event this season. GOAL! Newcastle 2-1 Luton (Longstaff 23) … but not for long, because Sean Longstaff scores his second of the day to restore the hosts’ lead in short order! That’s the first time he’s chalked up a double in the Premier League. GOAL! Newcastle 1-1 Luton (Osho 21) Gabriel Osho pings a close-range header off the underside of the bar, and in-form Luton – who have won their last three matches in all competitions – are level! GOAL! Burnley 0-1 Fulham (Palhinha 18) Andreas Pereira delivers, João Palhinha heads home. (Though, in true Winner Takes All with Jimmy Tarbuck style, there’s a difference of opinion … because our man at Turf Moor, Will Unwin, thinks it’s “actually a Sander Berge og”.) Those Match of the Day highlights can’t come soon enough. Celtic were held at Aberdeen earlier this afternoon. That’s not the only reason their fans have a cob-on, mind. Burnley 0-0 Fulham. “Burnley the far better team against Fulham,” writes our man on the spot, Will Unwin. “Sander Berge and Lyle Foster having strong starts. Whether they can turn it into actual points is another matter.” GOAL! Preston 2-0 Ipswich (Edmundson og 8). George Edmundson pokes through his own net, and it’s a cold start for the Tractor Boys all right. Ploughing a lonely furrow right now. “Afternoon Scott,” begins Tannadice regular Simon McMahon. “Scottish Championship table toppers Dundee United can go four points clear of Raith Rovers at the top with a win at Ayr United today. United are unbeaten on the road in the league this season, but Ayr are now managed by Scott Brown, vying with Big Dunc at Inverness for the unofficial title of ‘greatest former big time Scottish legend making their way in management with a mid-ranking side in the Scottish Championship’. In the Scottish Premiership, former Motherwell favourite Kevin Van Veen will be sure of a warm welcome as he makes a return to Fir Park (after joining today’s visitors Kilmarnock on deadline day).” So anyway, GOAL! Ayr 1-0 Dundee United (Murphy 2). GOAL! Preston 1-0 Ipswich (Keane 5). While the Saints march on, into second spot as things stand, the Tractor Boys sputter. Will Keane gives the hosts an early lead at Deepdale. GOAL! Newcastle 1-0 Luton (Longstaff 7) So much for Luton’s confident start. Sean Longstaff slots to give Eddie Howe’s side the lead. The Toon have lost their last two at St James’ Park; they’re looking to snap that run. GOAL! Rotherham 0-1 Southampton (Bednarek 4). It’s Jan Bednarek’s 200th game for the Saints, and he’s celebrated by heading home an early goal. Southampton back into the automatic promotion slots as things stand. Newcastle 0-0 Luton. A positive start by Luton, with Chiedozie Ogbene giving Dan Burn all sorts of hassle early doors. No sign that the Hatters are unduly perturbed by Everton leapfrogging them and sending them back into the relegation zone. GOAL! Brighton 1-0 Crystal Palace (Dunk 3) Corner. Lewis Dunk plants a header into the net. Brighton get over their Luton hangover in double-quick time! It’s 3pm … and all around the country, it is ON. Meanwhile in the Championship, the race for automatic promotion is hotting up. The leaders Leicester look a shoo-in right now, but the battle for the other spot is three-way. Leeds won last night at Bristol City thanks to a Wilfried Gnonto goal and go up to second as a result; Ipswich and Southampton have games in hand, though, and both can leapfrog Daniel Farke’s side with wins this afternoon. Here’s how the Premier League looks going into the 3pms. Everton’s late, late, late equaliser against Spurs has lifted them out of the relegation places … for now. A point for Luton at Newcastle would send them back into it. Tottenham’s dreams of a top-four finish have taken a blow; Aston Villa can put a little bit of claret-and-clear-blue water between them if they win at Sheffield United in the evening kick-off. Brighton and Newcastle can both leapfrog Manchester United if they win this afternoon. Newcastle v Luton. One change for Newcastle after their 3-1 win at Aston Villa. Alexander Isak has tweaked his groin, so Miguel Almiron holds fort. Callum Wilson and Harvey Barnes both return from injury and take up places on the bench. Luton make just the one change too, after their four-goal triumph over Brighton. Teden Mengi replaces the benched Reece Burke. FULL TIME: Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic. Aberdeen avoid defeat against Celtic for the first time in ten games, a run that stretches back to a 1-1 draw in April 2021. It’s a deserved point after a much-improved second-half performance. The two Celtic drop mean Rangers are now within striking distance; they can close the gap today with a win over Livingston, who they welcome to Ibrox imminently. A title race is on! FULL TIME: Everton 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur Jarrad Branthwaite heads home from close range deep into injury time, and that’s enough for a point for relegation-haunted Everton! Barry Glendenning has the details. Burnley v Fulham. Two changes for Burnley after the midweek 3-1 loss at Manchester City. Aaron Ramsey and debutant Lorenz Assignon replace Ameen Al Dakhil and Johann Gudmundsson; Maxime Esteve is on the bench and hopes to make his debut as well. Fulham make three changes after their goalless draw with Everton. Tim Ream, Harrison Reed and Rodrigo Muniz replace Issa Diop, Tom Cairney and Raul Jimenez. Deadline-day loan signing Armando Broja is ready on the bench. Brighton v Palace. Brighton make four changes after their 4-0 humiliation at Luton. Tariq Lamptey, Jack Hinshelwood, Evan Ferguson and Bart Verbruggen come in for Danny Welbeck, Pervis Estupiñán and Jason Steele, who drop to the bench, and James Milner, who is injured. Palace make two changes in the wake of their 3-2 victory over Sheffield United. Jeffrey Schlupp and debutant Daniel Muñoz replace Michael Olise, who is only fit enough for the bench, and Eberechi Eze, who misses out altogether. Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic. The visitors had a goal chalked off in the first half; now it’s the hosts’ turn with five minutes to go. Leighton Clarkson plays a cute through pass to release Bojan Miovski, who rounds Joe Hart and casually rolls the ball over the line. But the flag goes up correctly for offside, just as it did for Luis Palma all that time ago. Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic. The Dons haven’t let that equaliser get them down. They keep piling forward, and they should be leading again. Leighton Clarkson makes good down the left and cuts back for Graeme Shinnie, free on the penalty spot. The Aberdeen captain should shot, but whaps his sidefoot straight at Joe Hart. Great save, though Hart should never have been allowed to make it. Premier League teams Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen, van Hecke, Dunk, Igor, Hinshelwood, Gross, Gilmour, Lamptey, Buonanotte, Joao Pedro, Ferguson. Subs: Webster, Lallana, Moder, Welbeck, Baleba, Steele, Estupinan, Fati, Baker-Boaitey. Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Andersen, Guehi, Munoz, Lerma, Hughes, Mitchell, Schlupp, Ayew, Mateta. Subs: Johnstone, Tomkins, Olise, Matheus Franca, Wharton, Edouard, Ahamada, Riedewald, Ozoh. Burnley: Trafford, Assignon, O’Shea, Ekdal, Vitinho, Ramsey, Berge, Brownhill, Odobert, Foster, Amdouni. Subs: Esteve, Gudmundsson, Fofana, Cullen, Al Dakhil, Ndayishimiye, Bruun Larsen, Massengo, Muric. Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson, Joao Palhinha, Reed, De Cordova-Reid, Andreas Pereira, Willian, Rodrigo Muniz. Subs: Rodak, Tete, Broja, Cairney, Ballo-Toure, Lukic, De Fougerolles, Sekularac, King. Newcastle United: Dubravka, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes, Miley, Almiron, Jacob Murphy, Gordon. Subs: Dummett, Wilson, Ritchie, Barnes, Krafth, Karius, Hall, Livramento, White. Luton Town: Kaminski, Mengi, Osho, Bell, Ogbene, Sambi Lokonga, Barkley, Doughty, Clark, Adebayo, Morris. Subs: Berry, Woodrow, Kabore, Chong, Burke, Mpanzu, Brown, Krul, Townsend. Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic. It’s a good game in the Granite City. Matt O’Riley steams into the home box and skelps a shot off the right-hand upright; Connor Barron warms Joe Hart’s hands with a fierce rising drive; Luis Palma, who had a seventh-minute effort chalked off for offside, does the same to Kelle Roos up the other end. This won’t end 1-1. GOAL! Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic (Kuhn 63). Normal service is restored at Pittodrie. Nicolas Kuhn is sent on by Brendan Rodgers, and in short order worms his way into the Aberdeen box and takes a speculative shot that deflects into the bottom-right corner. GOAL! Aberdeen 1-0 Celtic (Miovski 50). This is a brilliant goal. Bojan Miovski is sent scampering down the inside-right channel. He’s got Maik Nawrocki in his road. No bother! He turns the Celtic defender inside out like an old sock, before steering an unstoppable shot across Joe Hart and into the bottom-left corner. Well, well, well. There are two big games already underway. Everton are currently trailing Spurs 2-1 at Goodison Park; your friend and mine, Mr Baz, is all over that one … … while up in Scotland, Aberdeen are hosting the champions Celtic. Now then, Celtic are 23 games unbeaten against the Dons, a run dotted with 20 wins for the Bhoys. The aggregate score over that time is 56-14; the last time the teams met, Celtic won 6-0, and to think they could only manage five against Buckie Thistle in the cup. Aberdeen started the day languishing in eighth spot; they’ve just sacked their manager Barry Robson. So obviously … Preamble The A23 derby is the showpiece occasion on today’s 3pm card. We’ll be keeping tabs on all the games in the Premier League … Brighton & Hove Albion v Crystal Palace Burnley v Fulham Newcastle United v Luton Town … plus other random fixtures including top o’the Championship away games for Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton (at Stoke, Preston and Rotherham respectively), and hhot Scottish action as Rangers try to close the gap on the Bhoys as they welcome Livingston to Ibrox. Team news when we have it.