#_author:JJ Bull

[the-telegraph-sport-yahoopa-blog]

Manchester United vs Wigan, FA Cup - live score updates: Smalling and Fellaini give United comfortable lead

  5:29PM

72 mins

Substitutions: Grigg off, Tunnicliff on.

Ander Herrera on, Fellaini off.

5:27PM

71 mins

It turns out Fosu-Mensah is coming off now anyway, and in his place is Axel Tuanzebe. One of those highly rated youngsters they have at the club.

Schweinsteiger has had quite a good game by the way. He and Fellaini have taken turns to be the holding midfield player and the other to drift further forward to help link play. When it's build-up, Schweinsteiger goes, when United want to get the ball in the box, Fellaini goes.

5:24PM

68 mins

Martial waits for a defender to come towards him before skipping way with a sharp turn and then finding Rooney. He plays the ball to Mata, who crosses straight to the head of a defender. Wigan are doing well to go in hard on tackles and win 50/50s but aren't very good at actual football.

5:22PM

65 mins

Fosu-Mensah has gone down off the ball and needs some treatment. It might just be a bit of cramp but he seems to have an awkward landing from a jump for the ball.  He's alright to continue though.

5:19PM

62 mins

59' Change Latics. Yanic Wildschut on for David Perkins (2-0) #wafc

— Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) January 29, 2017

 If this were Championship Manager 3, the text would be something like "Wigan's gameplan is coming apart here!"

5:16PM

GOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL

Martial's cross here is superb. It's still early but Wigan look down and out.

Man Utd 2 - 0 Wigan (Chris Smalling, 57 min)

  5:14PM

57 mins

Mkhitaryan and Mata are able to get the ball in central areas because Fosu-Mensah is doing so well on the right wing. Warnock sends Schweinsteiger flying but they laugh about it as United win a corner,

5:12PM

56 mins

Mata is lucky to get away with a cynical little trip on Perkins as he tries to start a Wigan attack. Rojo does really well to dispossess Will Grigg, who is about as hot as a campfire in the rain at the moment, and Romero just palms a shot away. Shortly after he comes off his line and makes another weird choice, palming a cross away at the edge of his own box and having to save the rebound. He must just be bored or something.

Martial tries to counter-attack but is blocked by Burn, who is booked.

5:09PM

54 mins

SCHWEINSTEIGEEEEERRRRR has a shot blocked in the box. He skips past one challenge on the edge of the box after winning the ball and is then able to just keep on going until he gets his effort at goal. United totally in charge of this match.

5:07PM

51 mins

Fosu-Mensah gets forward and is either too greedy or spots a chance to shoot, depending on how you look at it. He links with Rooney, gets to the box and takes a hit on his left foot. Mourinho applauds the idea.

Out: Man Utd 1 - 0 Wigan (Timothy Fosu-Mensah, 49 min)

  5:04PM

48 mins

Martin Keown has pointed out that it's all well and good that Shearer and Lineker didn't get tired but that this is probably because strikers don't do as much running as defenders. I'm not sure that's true...

5:03PM

KICK-OFF 2

We're back! Can Wigan get back into this one?

5:00PM

Lineker and Shearer on fatigue

While discussing Premier League clubs' resting players in the FA Cup, Gary Lineker has just asked Alan Shearer this:

Did you ever get tired?

His response, without missing a beat:

No

Gary Lineker:

Me either. I don't get it.

4:54PM

Photo of the goal

Credit: REUTERS

  4:50PM

Fellaini's biggest fan

Someone clearly isn't a fan of Fellaini... �� pic.twitter.com/GKWSp0Szfm

— TheFootballRepublic (@TheFootballRep) January 29, 2017

  4:48PM

HALF TIME

And that's that. All the Wigan work goes unrewarded as a direct ball into the box makes the difference.

4:48PM

GOOOOAAAAAAAAL!

Fellaini has done it!

Man Utd 1 - 0 Wigan (Marouane Fellaini, 44 min)

That's how you do it. United pass sideways for ages before launching the ball in the area. Fellaini is strong and jumps well to head past the keeper. 

4:44PM

44 mins

Fosu-Mensah tries to trick his way into space behind the defenders in the box so he can cross the ball in but is stopped twice. United keep coming forward but Wigan drop back into their defensive shape and make it difficult for the attacking players to find any space. Lots of short sideways passing but no penetration - Wigan won't step out of their shape to try and win the ball and are aggressively chasing anyone on the ball.

4:41PM

41 mins

Chance for Wigan! Morsy is able hold Smalling off the ball and tee up Jacobs for a shot but he completely wastes it by kicking thin air. The ball bounces off his standing foot and United get rid.

4:39PM

38 mins

Wigan are a very physical team, barging their way past players at times. They're playing well though and trying to prevent United from hitting them on the counter. A great diving header stops a Juan Mata cross from wide into the box.

4:36PM

35 mins

Schweinsteiger wins a free-kick as he is wrestled off the ball. United still very patient in the Wigan half.

4:32PM

32 mins

WHAT A MISS! Great play from Man Utd! Martial steams away from his man, running past the half way line and playing in Fosu-Mensah on the right wing. He delivers a superb, powerful cross to the back post and Mkhitaryan has what is essentially an open goal. He puts it wide. 

Out: Man Utd 0 - 0 Wigan (Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 31 min)

To be fair, it was a difficult chance to take.

4:28PM

29 mins

Fosu-Mensah gets across to left-back (what?!) and makes a clumsy foul, giving Wigan a decent chance to swing the ball into the box. Max Power wants to take it quickly but is denied by the referee.

It's a decent delivery but nobody can take advantage and Mkhitaryan bursts away on the counter. Dan Burn slides in from behind, fouls the winger, and wins a throw in. 

4:26PM

26 mins

Rooney is getting wound up by MacDonald because he keeps fouling him and the referee isn't spotting it. 

4:25PM

25 mins

Rooney is screaming at Luke Shaw and rightly so. He has the ball on the left wing and Shaw absolutely has to make the overlapping run which Rooney is waiting for him to make. He doesn't until Rooney points and then shouts, by which point it's too late. That is incredibly poor reading of the game from Shaw - no wonder Mourinho isn't pleased with how he's getting on if he isn't sussing those bits of play out. That could well be a hangover from the LVG days though because under the Dutchman it would have been Rooney's job to act as wideman.

United put together their first decent bit of play! Mkhitaryan goes down under a challenge in the box and the ball bounces loose to Mata but he blasts over the bar.

Out: Man Utd 0 - 0 Wigan (Juan Mata, 24 min)

  4:22PM

22 mins

Man Utd are making basic little errors all over the shop here. And when I say shop I mean pitch, because if they were in shop this would be mad. There would be no room to play at all. Unless it was a massive Tesco and there were no shelves that is.

Anyway here's Wayne Rooney being give a shoe that won't fit him

Credit: GETTY

  4:19PM

19 mins

A bit of Will Grigg's on Fire, the underdog holding their own and Wayne Rooney a little off the pace. Lovely reminder of the Euros.

— Paddy Power (@paddypower) January 29, 2017

Romero and Rojo have landed each other in danger here. Romero chips wide to Rojo in an attempt to play out from the back and Rojo tries to trick his way past Wigan forwards. He loses out and Fellaini steps in to steal the ball back on the edge of the box. 

4:16PM

16 mins

Wigan are waiting to win the ball near their own box and hit on the counter. It's exactly the kind of problem Liverpool have been trying to deal with in the Premier League lately - by sitting this deep and only engaging players in the defensive third, they eliminate space and can break towards fewer defensive players higher up the pitch.

Average touch positions (15 min)

  4:13PM

13 mins

Credit: GETTY

  4:12PM

12 mins

Oooooooooohhh Schweinsteiger makes a very poor error of judgement, thinks he has more time than he does and tries to turn away from danger as Smalling tries to take the ball under control. He fouls as the Jacob threatens to break away and from that freekick, Wigan get a shot on goal. Romero saves well.

4:09PM

9 mins

Fosu-Mensah, who is a right-back today, nearly gets caught out with a loose bit of control but Wigan are so deep they can't really get close to him to take advantage. Max Power still hasn't scored 20 goals yet.

4:07PM

6 mins

All United at the moment.

Possession: Man Utd vs Wigan

Wigan are sat deep behind the ball but still giving space for the ball to be played into. 

4:03PM

3 mins

United start with all the possession, Anthony Martial has already given the ball away twice though. Schweinsteiger tries to start an attack with a quick one-two move.

4:00PM

KICK-OFF

And we're off!

3:59PM

Rooney receives award from Sir Bobby Charlton

That's nice.

#ROONEY250: @SirBobby makes a special presentation to the man who broke his #MUFC scoring record, @WayneRooney. �� Two absolute legends! pic.twitter.com/D2Nr7Iagnu

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 29, 2017

In even more interesting news, there is literally someone called Max Power playing today. 

He starts on the right wing for Wigan.  

3:55PM

Magic of the cup

Some people have been saying that the magic of the FA Cup is dying, and I'd agree. Even Championship teams are putting out weakened teams so it's hardly a surprise when lower league clubs beat them.

However. Leeds have just been dumped out of the cup to Sutton, who are in the Conference. That must be incredibly embarrassing for Leeds players but the scenes on the Sutton pitch just now are great. There's a full on pitch invasion.

3:49PM

Jose Mourinho doesn't know how to avoid an upset

Reporter: "Jose, how do you avoid an #FACup upset today?" Mourinho: "I don't know." pic.twitter.com/geTLGkdHDq

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) January 29, 2017

  3:32PM

The warm up

Out for the warm-up! #MUFCpic.twitter.com/PfAITejLmT

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 29, 2017

  3:25PM

Former Man Utd player Reece James on returning to Old Trafford

James Ducker spoke to Wigan's Reece James as he prepared to face old club Man Utd.

Credit: REX

There were some dark days in the James household last year. Matty James missed the entirety of Leicester City’s remarkable championship-winning campaign after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in the penultimate home game of the previous season. Waiting hand on foot on the crestfallen midfielder was his younger brother, Reece, the Wigan Athletic defender and fellow product of Manchester United’s famed youth academy, at least until the roles were reversed and the junior James sibling succumbed to an injury nightmare of his own. Then it was Matty’s turn to play the role of downtrodden butler in the house they shared in Mere, a Cheshire suburb.

The road back for both has been long and painful but they were able to lean on each other for support and, almost a year after suffering an ankle ligament and tendon problem that required two operations, Reece is finally braced for his comeback for Wigan on Sunday afternoon. He could not have picked a more emotive venue for it. Having never got the opportunity to play at Old Trafford in a competitive match during his three years at United, the left-back is hopeful of getting off the substitutes’ bench in the televised FA Cup fourth-round tie. And watching him in the crowd should be Matty, whose own career got a welcome lift yesterday when he made his first appearance on loan for Barnsley from Leicester. 

“It would be amazing for me,” said Reece, 23, talking at Wigan’s Euxton training ground on Friday. “I was unfortunate to miss the friendly in pre-season against United [at the DW Stadium] but this one is even better because it is actually at Old Trafford and it is a game with some meaning behind it. I played for United’s Under-21s in a pre-season game against Valencia at Old Trafford but it was nothing like a full house so if I can get on this weekend it will be something I have always wanted to do.

3:10PM

Transfer detective

Is Gareth Bale to Man Utd really a thing? Is that true? Could it happen?!

I investigated, while in character as a weird detective.

  3:08PM

Full strength Wigan

They're taking it seriously! We might have a game on our hands here.

TEAM NEWS: Latics unchanged for today's game @ManUtd. @rjames2, @yanicw33 and @AndyKell13 all back to the bench. #wafcpic.twitter.com/y3kWX6GaJT

— Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) January 29, 2017

  3:03PM

Team news - Schweinsteiger starts

Jose Mourinho has kept up the trend of not giving a flying monkey's about the FA Cup and is putting out the reserves. Admittedly, Anthony Martial, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata are hardly reserves.

Man Utd

Romero; Fosu-Mensah, Smalling, Rojo, Shaw; Fellaini, Schweinsteiger; Mkhitaryan, Mata, Martial; Rooney

Here's the #MUFC team to face Wigan... pic.twitter.com/M1FFYF3Ikn

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 29, 2017

2:39PM

Preview

What is it?

It is the FA Cup fourth round match between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic.

Where is it and what time is kick-off?

The match will be hosted by Man Utd at Old Trafford. It is the final FA Cup tie of the round and will kick off at 4pm on Sunday January 29, 2017.

What TV channel is it on?

For their 56th consecutive FA Cup encounter Manchester United will be shown live on TV, namely BBC1. The programme begins at 3.35pm and will be hosted by Gary Lineker. Should you be away from the telly box, you can follow all the action with our live blog on this page.

The TV cameras return to Old Trafford for United's FA Cup clash with Wigan

What is the team news?

David De Gea will be rested for the match, with Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw set to feature.

De Gea is being given a few days off so Sergio Romero will start, but manager Jose Mourinho plans to name a "good team" against the Championship side. The United boss has confirmed Martial and Shaw - the latter is without a first-team appearance since November 30 - will get a chance to impress against Wigan.

Eric Bailly is returning from the African Nations Cup after the Ivory Coast's early exit so could be involved.

Pick your Manchester United team to play Wigan

Wigan's former Manchester United players Nick Powell and Reece James are injured, and David Perkins and Alex Gibley are both doubts.

Defender Craig Morgan may start after recovering from a groin injury.

What are they saying?

Jose Mourinho has pledged to name a strong line-up, with Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw given the chance to prove themselves.

Martial's happiness has been questioned recently and the United boss confirmed the Frenchman will get a chance to shine on Sunday, having been omitted from the last two match day squads.

Asked how the France international took being left out in the League Cup semi-final second leg against Hull, Mourinho said: "I don't know. I don't speak with the players about how they take it.

Anthony Martial will be given the chance to impress Credit: ap

"He will play Sunday and if Sunday he plays magnificently, he will play against Hull City in the next match. It's simple."

Shaw is also set to get a chance to prove his worth on Sunday after belatedly returning to the United squad at Hull.

The 21-year-old left-back has not featured since limping off halfway through the EFL Cup quarter-final against West Ham on November 30, but has worked his way back into fitness.

Mourinho confirmed his intention to play Shaw against Wigan, whose manager Warren Joyce knows United better than most.

The 52-year-old was at the club from 2008 until last November, when he left his role as coach of United's reserves to take the hotseat at Wigan.

"I worked at the club with him for just a few months but it was enough to know he is a very nice man, a very passionate football man," Mourinho said of Joyce.

Jose Mourinho is a man on a mission Credit: getty images

"He took the risk, he accepted the challenge. He left a good situation in the club to try and go to what we call men's football.

"For sure, he'll come with a team very aggressive, very well organised defensively. I will make some changes, that's obvious. I did (against Hull), and I have to do (the same in) the next match.

"We play Hull City again two days after Wigan, but I am going to play with a good team - a team with the responsibility to give the fans a good performance at home and the responsibility to try and win against Wigan."

Joyce does not want his history to be any sort of distraction as Wigan make a welcome return to the big time.

Times have been tough at the DW Stadium since their stunning FA Cup triumph in 2013 was followed days later by relegation.

The Latics reached the semi-finals again the following season but were then relegated to League One and have found life difficult on their return to the Championship.

Warren Joyce used to ply his trade at Old Trafford Credit: rex

Back-to-back wins have lifted them out of the relegation zone, and Joyce said of the glamour tie: "I just thought it was a good bit of money for the club, with the transfer window.

"I've got a lot of memories but they're in the past. The future is what happens here at Wigan Athletic.

"It's fantastic for myself, friendships and bonds that I've made with players and staff during that time. You can't put a price on that and they'll live with me forever, and I'll always have that, but the game's not about that, it's about our players and the fans and them having a memory of their own."

Joyce built a strong reputation for his work at Old Trafford and turned down several chances to forge his own managerial career before Wigan came calling.

"It was more of an impossible time when Sir Alex (Ferguson) was there because the people at the club offered you the job because they were looking for somebody who wanted to genuinely develop players and not use the job working at Manchester United to increase their profile and get another job," said Joyce.

Joyce worked under Alex Ferguson at United Credit: afp

"Hopefully the people who employed me at that time would think I served my time and did all the things I was asked to do.

"I certainly know that there were many opportunities to leave and go to Championship clubs or Premier League clubs, either as manager or assistant manager during that time.

"But I think the big secret of Manchester United during that period was everybody at the club was that desperate to do a good job for Sir Alex that it was a pleasure and a privilege to work there."

What are the odds?

Man Utd win: 1/6 Draw: 13/2 Wigan win: 16/1

What's our prediction?

Mourinho's side will go marching on, albeit in unconvincing fashion. A 1-0 win to Manchester United.

[the-telegraph-sport-yahoopa-blog]

Real Betis 1 Barcelona 1: Barca lose ground on title rivals as late Luis Suarez equaliser rescues a point

 Real Betis 1 (Alegria 75') - 1 (Suarez 90') Barcelona 

Barcelona's title chances took a hit as a superior Real Betis side held them to a point - and Luis Enrique's side was fortunate to come away with even that.

Barca could have moved top of La Liga with a win but injuries deprived them of key players; the absence of Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta proving too big to overcome.

Víctor Sánchez had his team attack from the first whistle, pressing Barcelona high up the pitch and forcing them to make hurried decisions. Gerard Pique and Jeremy Mathieu tried their best to stick to the Barcelona blueprint and play out from the back but time and again they were caught in possession. Goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter-Stegen was lucky on a few occasions not to hand clear chances to wasteful Betis forwards.

Credit: GETTY

Dani Ceballos was superb, if devious with some of his playacting, throughout but along with Ruben Castro and Ruben Pardo, just too wasteful in goal-scoring positions.

Barcelona created their own problems. Ivan Rakitic had responsibilities normally assigned to Busquets as the number four in Enrique's system but struggled to turn and was forced backwards whenever he received the ball.

Betis paid particular attention to the Croatian and it meant that any attempts to bring the ball out from the back were rushed and routinely ended up back in the possession of Sanchez's team.

Enrique made no efforts to change the flow of the game despite Barcelona clearly losing the midfield battle. Arda Turan and Denis Suarez were poor and lent little support to the isolated Rakitic; it was no surprise that both were substituted late in the game and that this change resulted in Barcelona's only dominant spell.

Credit: AFP

The opening goal eventually came in the 75th minute as Barcelona failed to deal with a corner. The ball ricocheted around the area and Alex Alegria was in the right place at the right time to volley into an empty net. 

It had been coming but rather than maintain the high press that had caused Barca so much trouble throughout the game, Betis reverted to a deeper, defensive system - one which would ultimately be their downfall.

Barcelona responded immediately and should have pulled level but for a poor decision by the match officials. A cross from wide was turned in at the far post but even with the Betis defender clearing the ball away from a good two yards over the line, the referee waved play on.

Barcelona finally gained control of possession in Betis' half and were able to start creating chances. Lionel Messi, kept quiet due to Barca's inability to get the ball out of their own half, drifted in an out of the game but whenever he received the ball, was dangerous. 

Credit: REUTERS

As is so common, Messi's input decided the outcome of the match. Rafa Navarro, on as a substitute in the 86th minute, was twice guilty of overplaying near his own box. Having failed to learn from one mistake, his second was crucial. Messi robbed him of the ball, threaded a pass through to the lethal Luis Suarez, and the striker finished low into the bottom corner to make it 16 goals in La Liga for the season.

Having been denied a legitimate goal, to a point, justice was served. But make no mistake about it - Enrique's team got away with this one and need to improve drastically if they are to maintain their title bid.

12:52PM

FULL TIME

That's it!

12:51PM

90 mins +3

Barca have every player in the Betis half and are moving the ball quickly from side to side to try and create an opportunity. Messi runs into trouble, Rakitic takes over and crosses to the back post... Suarez is there! HE CAN WIN IT! It's a free-kick for a tiny push.

12:49PM

GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLL!

SUAREZ HAS EQUALISED! Ohhhhhh that is so cruel! 

Navarro tries to play out from the back despite being surrounded, in his own defensive third and with his team hanging on for three points. Messi wins it back, threads it through to Suarez and Suarez finishes low into the bottom corner. Well taken goal.

12:46PM

90 mins

Sergi Roberto clearly fouls a Betis striker and the referee waves play on. He has been shocking in this match. I haven't seen refereeing this poor since Willie Collum. 

Messi now has a free-kick as Roberto, who should have given away a free-kick, is fouled. Messi's delivery is too close to the keeper. Suarez goes down in the area looking for a penalty. Pathetic.

12:45PM

87 mins

Spanish football doesn't have goal line technology, in case you were wondering why the score is still 1-0. It's a contentious issue. 

Barcelona have Betis pinned back now. Neymar tries a shot from 25 yards but it's too central and Adan saves easily.

12:41PM

84 mins

Messi hits a free-kick straight off the wall. Moments later he chips a pass into the box for Suarez but the keeper reads it. Rakitic hits an absolutely superb pass from the halfway line to Vidal, he finds Messi, Messi holds onto for too long and is surrounded - the space is gone. Betis win it back... then Barca win it back... and Vidal is offside.

12:39PM

81 mins

RUBEN CASTRO IS CLEAN THROUGH ON GOAL! He must score! He has the entire half to run into on his own! Ter Stegen comes out, Castro shapes to shoot into the far post but it must be a dummy... it's not! Easy save for Ter Stegen. Ohhhhhh what a waste!!!

12:37PM

80 mins

CLEARED OFF THE LINE! Messi plays a great pass wide to Vidal, who hits the ball low across the box and a defender slides in at near post! It's going in the goal but another defender slides in and clears off the line!

  12:34PM

78 mins

BARCELONA HAVE SCORED! Wait - no they haven't! They attack immediately and find space in the final third... the ball is pinged across the box and attacked at the far post. The ball looks way over the line but play continues! I really want to see a replay of that, that looks a shocking decision.

 That is AWFUL! How can the officials not see that?!

12:33PM

GOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!

REAL BETIS HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD!

Alex Alegria reacts at the far post to volley at goal from a corner which Barca defend horribly. A deserved lead for the hosts.

12:31PM

75 mins

Credit: REUTERS

Gomes fouls wide right of the goal and Betis have a great chance to get the ball into the box. Mathieu and Pique are good in the air but that's about it for Barca...

Again the delivery is poor. This must be so frustrating to watch for the manager.

CASTRO HITS THE POST! Barca are on the ropes! They're being torn apart. Castro teases Pique, waits for him to commit to a tackle and shoots between his legs from the edge of the box. It pings back off the goal. How are Barca surviving this?! 

12:28PM

72 mins

This referee isn't having a very good game. He's giving free-kicks to both teams that aren't fouls and is annoying the home crowd especially with some of his calls. Pardo is coming off for Betis to be replaced by Ryan Donk. Will he put a banging Donk on it? 

Rakitic goes straight in the referee's book for an obvious foul as he slide tackles to stop a counter-attack. Barca on the back foot again. Betis are pressing so well! Why can't they create chances? It's not as if Barca are blocking the entrance to the box with numbers OH CEBALLOS!!! What a hit! He's hit the bar from 25 yards! Ter Stegen tips it onto the bar and it should have been a corner. Unsurprisingly, the referee awards a goal kick.

12:25PM

69 mins

Betis have worked out, from the start of the game, that if they press Rakitic and the central defenders, in numbers, they will win the ball back. Enrique has done absolutely nothing to address it and it's been happening all game long. Vidal stays on as it turns out... and Turan is off. He has done five eighths of nothing either. Always walking, never sprinting. 

12:23PM

66 mins

Sergi Roberto and Jordi Alba are getting ready to come on. That might be enough to change it - Aleix Vidal and Lucas Digne have been poor. They've been out of position, not close enough for passing triangles with Rakitic and have barely managed to get into the Betis half. 

12:21PM

63 mins

Betis keep winning the ball high up the pitch - it's the kind of pressing Barca used to be famed for but which Luis Enrique has abandoned in favour of a deeper counter-attack. Arda Turan makes a slide tackle in his own half, Ter Stegen panics and puts the ball out for a throw-in. Betis pass quickly from side to side and a cross is put into the six yard box! This could be it! Ter Stegen dives and takes a knock to the head. He'll survive.

12:18PM

60 mins

Here comes Andre Gomes to come on and add absolutely nothing to the game. He is not the player Barcelona need at the moment and I can only imagine it'll be a like for like swap with one of Denis Suarez or Arda Turan, who are also technically gifted attacking midfielders. Barca need someone to control the midfield.

Pardo has hit about four crosses into the box straight out for a goal kick, over the bar. Dreadful.

Suarez is off, Gomes is on. This might mean Barca go to a two holding midfielder system.

TER STEGEN HAS LOST THE BALL ON THE EDGE OF HIS BOX!

I've watched quite a lot of Barcelona games and honestly this is the worst I've seen them play since... the worse games in Tata Martino's spell in charge. They've been useless.

But Messi's on the pitch and that still might be enough. 

12:14PM

57 mins

Betis are being so wasteful in attack. They have so much of the ball in the final third but aren't using it well at all. The final ball is never good enough and shots are being blasted high and wide... although Ter Stegen has just saved well from distance again.

This is how high up the pitch the Real Betis press starts. The front three try to win the ball, the midfielders are close enough to Barca's to win the ball back, the centre-backs are better at winning the ball in the air than Suarez, Neymar and Messi. Betis first to every ball, winning every challenge.

12:10PM

54 mins

You'd not think Barcelona have several of the world's best players on the pitch right now. Betis are all over them. The referee has made some curious decisions too. And the Barca defenders are making even weirder ones! Again Pique nearly gets caught out playing out from the back but this time they manage to get it forward. Turan finds Messi on the edge of the area and Messi perfectly lifts the ball over the defence for Vidal's run. He shoots wide on the volley from eight yards. A bad miss.

12:07PM

51 mins

Neymar finds space on the left again but his cross into the box, which is a good ball, is cleared in the centre of the box as Suarez pulls off his marker and doesn't attack it. 

I cannot stand watching Ceballos. He's such a cheat. He shields the ball, waits for a player to be within a yard of him and falls to the floor like a bad TV actor. Put him in the bin.

12:05PM

48 mins

Betis start as they finished the first half. Pique is taking no chances now and getting the ball put out for throw-ins instead of playing it out from the back. 

Neymar has a chance to counter-attack and wins a corner. He only had Luis Suarez inside the pitch to help him there.

12:02PM

KICK-OFF 2

And we're back!

12:01PM

The players are back

Credit: Reuters

No changes for either side but Barcelona need to do something to get into this.  

11:48AM

HALF TIME

Betis were much the better side there but it's only going to take a moment of magic from Messi to open the game up. Barcelona aren't set up well and there's no balance in the team. Without a proper number 4 in that team, playing out from the back is really dangerous.

11:47AM

45 mins

Pique is booked for a blatant foul on Castro, kicking the forward high up the leg to stop him running past and straight through into the Barcelona box. This is a great chance to shoot.

Aaaaaand it's wasted. Castro gets the ball touched to him and he boots it with power at goal but puts it way, way over. 

11:43AM

44 mins

Rakitic is no Busquets. He keeps receiving the ball while facing the goalkeeper and passing it sideways or back - Busquets is so good he is able to spin and get the ball forward, which is how Barca get away with the constant playing out from the back. Some players just aren't naturally gifted at it. Without a Guardiola, Xavi, Busquets type, it becomes really risky.

11:41AM

42 mins

SUAREZ! Wide. Also offside. Betis get caught on the ball near their own box. It takes one pass to Neymar to make it a two on one... but Neymar's pass across the box finds Suarez in an offside position. Neymar does that annoying finger wag thing that implies he is correct and the linesman is not. That is another thing I dislike. 

11:39AM

39 mins

Messi gets the ball in space for the first time in the game and finds Neymar with a superb through-ball. The keeper saves well. It just takes a second for him to change the game, all of Betis' hard work nearly undone. 

11:37AM

36 mins

The thing that's great about La Liga is that Betis are really trying to win this game and are doing so by playing with the ball, attacking at speed and pressing high up the pitch. If this were the Premier League it'd be 10 men behind the ball when Barca are in possession and a quick counter. Betis are countering really well but playing some nice football too. 

The bad thing is that players are far too quick to throw themselves to the ground and cheat. This Ceballos chap is a disgrace to humans - he's just flung himself to the ground, with absolutely no contact whatsoever, AGAIN, to win a free-kick. 

11:33AM

33 mins

Barca are only at 75% passing accuracy today, which isn't great considering most of those accurate ones have been in their own half, square to a defender somewhere to the side. As soon as they get put under pressure it all goes wrong. 

11:30AM

30 mins

Credit: REUTERS

A photograph! Hooray! The problem Barca have here is fairly obvious - Suarez and Turan are both attacking midfielders and neither is working hard enough, or is willing to do the defensive work needed in the middle of the pitch. Rakitic is an attacking player too but has to keep a deep midfield position and there's little balance to the side. The forwards are all standing high up the pitch, as you'd expect, and Betis are finding space all over the final third.

Ruben Castro has a shot from 20 yards which Pique manages to head behind the goal.

11:27AM

27 mins

27 minutes played, still no photographs from any of the agencies. Great stuff, lads. Betis go close again but the forward takes too long to take his shot.

Barca attack, Neymar dribbles left of the area and is fouled. He takes the free-kick but balloons it into the stands behind the goal.

11:23AM

24 mins

Piccini is played into acres of space on the right wing with a brilliant long switched pass. He controls, looks up, and knocks a poor low ball harmlessly into Ter Stegen's clutches.

Betis keep coming forward, Durmisi has it on the left and moves into the box! He can shoot here... but puts it way over the bar. Betis press high up the pitch - without Busquets and Iniesta, Barca don't seem to be able to play out from the back.

11:21AM

21 mins

Great save by Ter Stegen! He's at full stretch to turn a shot from 25 yards wide of the far post and needs a strong hand to take the sting out of it. Betis have been impressive so far - they aren't letting Barca play their game at all. Digne appears to be absolutely fine now, which is good news for Enrique.

Messi goes on a little dribble and leaves the ball dead behind him so Neymar can take it on. It's really clever but then Neymar overhits his pass out wide to Turan.

11:18AM

18 mins

Lucas Digne slides in to block a cross from the right wing and jars his knee or ankle as the ball hits off his outstretched foot. He might have to come off now. Turan wins a free-kick from the resulting corner as an attempted overhead kick catches him somewhere on the head.

11:16AM

15 mins

Barcelona are finding it really difficult to get out of their own half and keep the ball at the moment. Luis Suarez has just tried to score from 50 yards (fifty) but the keeper is able to chest control the ball in his own box. 

11:12AM

12 mins

Ceballos tries an embarrassing dive in the Barcelona box and his teammates genuinely try to claim it's a penalty. Awful. 

Betis press high from the goal kick and win it back! The shot comes in at the near post but Ter Stegen can save it easily low at the ground. Barcelona don't look themselves here at all!

11:10AM

9 mins

Luis Enrique is rocking a stylish army green jacket on the sidelines. You'd never see him in a tracksuit. 

Messi has hardly been involved so far and has drifted into a more central, deeper area of the pitch. Betis break at speed as the ball is given away but Turan works hard to get back and win possession again. And then Betis win the ball and counter... and win a corner. Lots of things are happening.

11:07AM

6 mins

Mathieu plays a ludicrous chipped pass across his own goal with Ter Stegen way off his line. Pique controls and takes the play forward, committed to the Barcelona way, and a few quick passes later, they're by the Betis box. Lovely football. 

Suarez has the first real chance for Barcelona as Vidal hits a decent cross to the back post and the striker moves into space. His low shot is deflected behind.

11:03AM

3 mins

Aleix Vidal hasn't really had the best of Barca careers since joining. His first real involvement in the game is to pass the ball straight to the Betis defence. They come forward and work space in the final third... but a shot from 25 yards is easily saved by Ter Stegen.

11:01AM

KICK-OFF

And we're off! The fans jeer and whistle as Barca start with the ball.

11:00AM

Early controversy

There's some early controversy here as Real Betis have fielded an evil ghost from the shadow world. Even with supernatural powers, he's still not as good as Messi. 

10:58AM

The players are out on the pitch

It's time for some football! Messi is captain today and leads the hand... clasps. Because footballers don't shake hands any more.

10:43AM

How do Barca cope without Busquets?

Andres Iniesta is the big name absence but still people underestimate how important Sergio Busquets is to this team. He suffered a nasty looking injury against Eibar, doing some damage to his ankle ligaments, and although it turned out not to be as bad as first feared, the timing is poor. Luis Enrique will be hoping that Ivan Rakitic can do a decent job in his absence. Arda Turan is a diet version of Iniesta and Suarez is a clever little player but Rakitic needs to curb his natural inclination to burst forward to keep the shape of the team intact.

10:21AM

Team news

Why do teams make these horrible videos to announce their starting XIs? I don't get it.

Real Betis

These are the starting XI for the game against @FCBarcelona ���� Come on, You Green-and-Whites! pic.twitter.com/l1QP7rhoqu

— Real Betis Balompié (@RealBetis_en) January 29, 2017

Barcelona

���� Barça XI: 1.Ter Stegen 3.Piqué 4.Rakitic 6.Denis 7.Arda 9.Suárez 10.Messi 11.Neymar Jr 19.Digne 22.Aleix Vidal 24.Mathieu#FCBLive

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 29, 2017

Arda Turan, who is linked with a move away this window, starts. Denis Suarez keeps his place. 

10:16AM

Preview

What is it?

It's Real Betis vs Barcelona in la primera división de La Liga.

When is it?

The match is to be played this Sunday, Jan 29.

What time is kick-off?

It's scheduled to start at the frankly unspeakably early hour of 11am GMT.

That's 12pm CET, but all the same - a few of the players might still be in bed at half time, so to speak.

What TV channel is it on?

Betis-Barca will be broadcast on Sky Sports 2.

Form Real Betis

Betis have been inconsistent in the league in recent matches, winning two, drawing two and losing two of their last six, but are comfortably perched in midtable in 13th.

Betis' Italian defender Cristiano Piccini holds off Sporting Gijon's Roberto Canella in last weekend's match Credit: JOSE MANUEL VIDAL/EPA

Los Verdiblancos have struggled to score this term, averaging just over a goal per game with 20 in 19. At the other end, 20 per cent of Betis' goals conceded (30) came in a resounding 6-2 defeat at Barca back in August.

With the bottom three looking well cut off in the relegation zone, nine points below Betis, the Seville-based side may still be tempted to have a real go at beating their powerful visitors, despite their chastening loss in the last meeting.

Barcelona

Unbeaten in 12 league games since October's 4-3 debacle away to Celta, Barca have reestablished their form and are focused on chasing down league leaders Real Madrid, who are two points clear with one game fewer played.

Barca will fancy their chances of outscoring Betis on Sunday Credit: TONI ALBIR/EPA

With Betis' city rivals Sevilla also in the hunt a point ahead of Barca, the Catalan side know they need to keep up their unbeaten run for a good while yet to even stand a chance of winning the title this season.

They have yet to fail to score away from home this season in the league, and that promises well against the frugal offence of Betis.

What are the odds?

Real Betis to win: 10/1

Draw: 5/1

Barcelona to win: 1/4

Betis fans will be making it as difficult as possible for Barcelona at the Estadio Benito Villamarín Credit: SUSANA VERA/REUTERS

Interesting fact

Real Betis' ground, Estadio Benito Villamarín, was the scene of Brazil's 4-1 humbling of Scotland at the 1982 World Cup.

What's our prediction?

Betis 1-3 Barca

The hosts will go for it, and likely bag a goal - but not before Barca have cantered into the lead.

[the-telegraph-sport-yahoopa-blog]

Transfer Detective: is Gareth Bale going to Chelsea or Man Utd?

There's only one thing on our minds at this time of the year: what is going to happen before the transfer window closes? That's why January is such a challenging month in which to give up drinking alcohol.

Luckily the Transfer Detective does not believe in abstinence. His only concern is truth, specifically in the realm of football gossip. 

In addition to being a football writer for the Daily Telegraph, JJ Bull is a private investigator publicly providing his services to you. For free. Join him as he delves into a web of concoction, internet rumour and outright nonsense to determine the validity of those snippets of transfer news we all cherish.

Is Gareth Bale preparing to re-learn English? Could Arsenal break the habit of a lifetime and sign a striker in January? Is William Carvalho a mirage? All this and more may be revealed.

Join Detective Bull for the final time this window on Tuesday 31 January as he discusses all the deadline day rumours.

[the-telegraph-sport-yahoopa-blog]

Liverpool have only won a single game in 2017 - so why has their form dipped?

From the first whistle of the first match of the season, Liverpool have been superb to watch. They overwhelmed Arsenal in that opening 4-3 win at the Emirates and were effervescent as they pinged passes right, left and centre, leaving Arsene Wenger's team dizzy on the ropes.

Man City were well beaten and Stoke, Leicester and Hull were blown out of the water. Jurgen Klopp's gegenpress really works and Liverpool are in the running for three trophies at the end of the season.

But... they don't quite look themselves at the moment and have only won a single game in 2017 - an FA Cup replay against lowly Plymouth. What's happened? 

Teams adapting to their style of play

Klopp's side aim to counter counter-attacks. They want to close the ball down high up the pitch and try to win it back as quickly as possible so that opportunities to score are created as opposition defences are out of position and in transition.

However, weaker teams are now so terrified of the gegenpress that they're making sure it can't happen.

They do this by sitting with every player behind the ball in the defensive third, as Swansea did in their 3-2 win and Plymouth did superbly in a 0-0 draw at Anfield. By staying narrow and compact, a defending team blunts Liverpool's usually sharp attack.

Despite the number of creative, attacking players on the pitch, Liverpool struggle to create chances in this situation because there is no space to exploit.

Swansea were so compact that Liverpool had to move the ball sideways into space on the wings... but without a powerful striker box to head in crosses, and rather than aimlessly give away possession with a punt into the area, the ball is moved back to the middle again.

This particular move early in the Swansea match ended with a cross from wide right being put way over the bar by an offside Emre Can, for example. 

Miss: Liverpool 0 - 0 Swansea (Emre Can, 9 min)

So although chances are being created, they are not the kind of chances that smaller forwards like Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana tend to thrive on. 

Here's an example of Swansea's tactical plan in action and it nearly being undone. They briefly wander forward in possession but have no joy in Liverpool's half and the team is stretched.

Liverpool attack down the right and run at the defence, who work hard to get back into shape. Only Llorente is forward.

On this occasion Firmino is able to barge his way past the full-back and put a ball into the box, which Lallana bicycle kicks over the bar - precisely the kind of counter-attack that Paul Clement will have warned his players about. This time Liverpool are wasteful and Swansea get away with it.

Giorginio Wijnaldum told The Telegraph's Chris Bascombe that Liverpool actually find it easier to play against the top six than they do the bottom half of the table because they can play their game the way they want to:

We have not started the year so well, but we have not lost our quality or our way of playing. What has happened is teams know how to make it difficult for us.

When we play every team – maybe except against the biggest teams – we don’t have any spaces. They play with eleven behind the ball and on the counter attack and we have to find solutions for that. We will.

A drop in intensity

Liverpool's concentration also seems to suffer when they enjoy the majority of possession. Swansea nearly scored with their first attacking move of the game after a period of dominating possession. 

Blocked Pass: Liverpool 0 - 0 Swansea (Dejan Lovren, 19 min)

Liverpool had already gone close three times and perhaps lulled themselves into a false sense of security, assuming it was a matter of time until they scored against a team set to all-out-defend. But that's when they are most vulnerable.

Above, the defence are in position but stand off Swansea players and don't really engage them with any bite. Having beaten the timid deep press, out of nowhere, Tom Carroll darts away into space behind a passive back line.

Liverpool's missing intensity isn't just running everywhere all of the time, or overloading teams with crazed strikers desperate to feast on the nearest goal they can find, it is also maintaining incredibly high concentration levels throughout the match.

A disappointing 2-2 draw with West Ham back in December was one of the first games in which Liverpool showed signs of dropping down a gear at the wrong time. After that match James Milner explained what he thought had happened:  

I thought we started pretty well, got around the ball, [played] some good bits of football... but when we went in the lead it seemed to change slightly. I don’t think it was bad but it wasn’t the same intensity.

We didn’t keep it simple enough I don’t think and we’ve let them back into the game. We’ve shown all season that when we’re at it and 100 percent and everyone’s firing together, we can beat anyone.

As soon as we drop off slightly… you can’t do that in the Premier League. You get punished.

Klopp has suggested that his players aren't enjoying themselves on the pitch either, something else which doesn't help with the level of energy he demands of his players.

Credit: AFP

"Before the Swansea game I actually thought we were back on the right track, with the freshness coming back. But what I spoke most about was enjoying what we do.

“We are Liverpool, a really good football-playing side and we don’t enjoy the job we have to do. It is not as though we are a team at the bottom of the league that has to defend 80% or 90% of the time. In most of our games we are dominant, so we have to enjoy this, even when we don’t come through after five minutes.”

Missing players

Credit: REX

Klopp's side has an average of 49.8% possession against teams in the top six of the Premier League this season and 66.7% against the rest, a statistic which adds weight to the idea that Liverpool enjoy games against bigger teams because they are able to play the counter counter-press game they favour.

Of all the players that Liverpool have missed through injury, Philippe Coutinho's absence against weaker teams is key. He is one of very few in the team who can see and make those crucial forward passes in the final third which unlock packed defences - he plays from bottom to top while his teammates are often forced to play from side to side.

As he returns to full fitness and finds form again, Liverpool's attacking spark should be reignited, and in turn, this means that teams who come out to park the bus must deal with a player who can cause them damage from a standing start. 

Similarly, Sadio Mane is a huge miss. While he is at the African Cup of Nations, Adam Lallana has taken his forward position. That means Liverpool's midfield misses Lallana's energy and desire to win the ball back, and in turn, the attack doesn't have the speed and penetration that Mane brings. 

Pick your Liverpool team to play Southampton

“We miss Sadio and missed Phil for a long time... and that is really difficult. It is a problem,” Klopp said.

“As a much as I like Sadio it’s not allowed we think the problems we had is because we miss Sadio. We scored enough goals to win the games. The problem is the whole defence work of the team. If it was so easy you buy one new player and all the problems are solved I would do it.”

The defence is being exposed

Liverpool have never lost a game that Joel Matip has started and without him, their defence is really vulnerable. Opposition teams know this and the goalkeepers, already short of confidence, are suffering.

Swansea's first two goals were very avoidable.

Dejan Lovren should have done much better with his header here, either heading back to the goalkeeper or to any number of teammates in space. Swansea knew they just had to swing the ball high into the box to cause problems, and sure enough they did.

Liverpool 0 - 1 Swansea (Fernando Llorente, 48 min)

The second goal was well worked but another example of Liverpool players not quite doing their jobs properly. Clyne and Henderson should have stopped the ball coming into the box but the header was a thing of beauty, even if Llorente did manage to beat two centre-backs to the cross.

Liverpool 0 - 2 Swansea (Fernando Llorente, 52 min)

Lovren and Ragnar Klavan are good players individually but not a title winning worthy partnership - Lovren was excellent in a team next to Jose Fonte but has struggled without a leader next to him.

In addition to horrible defending for both of Swansea's first two goals, the third was a catalogue of basic defensive errors. Llorente receives the ball while both Lovren and Klavan afford him way too much space. The holding midfield player, Henderson, has also been caught out higher up the pitch.

As the right sided centre-back, Lovren should deal with Llorente now, while Klavan should move out to close down the player on the ball. Klavan has the better starting position, Lovren can cover Llorente.

Instead, Lovren steps up, makes a pathetic attempt of a tackle on Tom Carroll and Carroll bundles his way into the box and gets a lucky bounce off Klavan, who throws himself at the ball in a last ditch attempt to rescue the situation. The best defenders in the world don't make slide tackles like this because they're in the right position first.

Sigurdsson scores the winner.

Liverpool 2 - 3 Swansea (Gylfi Sigurdsson, 74 min)

Liverpool aren't in crisis, they're still playing really well. The problem is that at times they are now dropping the level of intensity necessary to make Klopp's high energy system work effectively.

Add defensive instability, goalkeeper errors and injury depriving the team of their creative genius, and it makes sense that targets have been realigned towards qualifying for the Champions League.

Where it has gone wrong for Liverpool

"For us it is still absolutely important to finish the season as good as possible whatever it means and then we will see, " said Klopp. "We have quality to fight for the Champions League. If we do this and are close enough at the decisive moment you can fight for a little bit more."

Southampton are the next big challenge and are one of the four Premier League teams to have beaten Liverpool this season. Like Bournemouth, Burnley and Swansea, the Saints will defend in numbers and let Klopp's team decide what they want to do with the ball - exactly what they don't want.

Klopp's worry will not be how to win this match because he already knows. More difficult is making sure his players not only carry out those instructions, but enjoy them too.

[the-telegraph-sport-yahoopa-blog]

Transfer Detective: Is Wayne Rooney next for a mega money move to China?

Transfer rumours and transfer rumours go but one thing that will always remain is the Transfer Detective's desire to unearth the truth in each and every piece of football gossip.

In addition to being a football writer for the Daily Telegraph, JJ Bull is an investigative reporter of the most deranged kind. Join him as he delves into a web of concoction, internet rumour and outright nonsense to determine the validity of those snippets of transfer news we all cherish.

With only a week left until the end of the January transfer window, there are bound to be incredible rumours discussed down by the water cooler - let Detective Bull give you his entirely non-expert opinion on just how credible these might be.

Every Monday and Thursday, Telegraph Sport writer JJ Bull rounds up the latest football news and rumours for the January transfer window.

[the-telegraph-sport-yahoopa-blog]

Analysing Pep Guardiola's tactical mistakes at Manchester City

pep guardiola tactics

Pep Guardiola says he must adapt his ideas to work in English football and that he's made mistakes. But has he? And what are they?

The principles of Guardiola's philosophy, that goalkeepers start attacks and attackers are first to defend, are nothing new. But in England, a physical team that are tough to beat and "gets stuck in" can often defeat a more technically talented side through sheer will and defensive solidity. West Brom are eighth in the table.

Has Guardiola underestimated the physical demands of the Premier League? What else has gone wrong so far for him at City?

Trying to control the uncontrollable

Teams with fewer individually talented players than Man City often head to the Etihad with the intention of defending for 90 minutes and snatching a goal on the counter-attack. By being aggressive and strong in the air, they take advantage of 50/50s against less physical players.

Guardiola wants to control these situations in the same way he wants his team to dominate space and possession. He has had a rude awakening, because despite its cosmopolitan surface English football is still very English. "In Germany it was more physical, but not like here," Guardiola told Thierry Henry in December.

Credit: AFP

“Many times the ball is more in the air than the grass, and I have to adapt. 

“You have to adapt to the second ball, and the third ball, and the fourth! I never before was focused on that, because in Barcelona or in Spain, more or less the players try to play for the culture."

 Kevin De Bruyne told Belgian press about the difficulties Guardiola has faced:

Where Pep is mostly surprised is that there are still a lot of teams playing with long balls. He sometimes thinks the teams will try to play football, because they do that against other teams. But if it is against us, they change their way of playing.

I think that sometimes he must be annoyed by it. He puts so much time and energy in looking for things, where spaces might be, but then he tells us that the opponent will surely use the long ball. I think he must sometimes think, ‘Why am I doing all this work?’

Failing to address Bravo's deficiencies

Claudio Bravo is a two time Copa America and Champions League winning goalkeeper - he knows what he's doing - but it will take time for him to adapt to the physical nature of attackers in the Premier League.

David de Gea was similar when he first moved to England before working on his upper body strength and is now regarded as one of the best in the league. Bravo will have to do the same but can still prove to be a superb signing.

Guardiola was not wrong to allow Joe Hart, Brave Sir Joe Hart, Rose of England, to leave as he is not able to play with the ball at his feet as... Bravo, for one. His pass completion percentage is second only to Hugo Lloris this season:

Keepers by pass completion

But one of the mistakes Guardiola has made is assuming that because his side plays nice football and controls the majority of possession, Bravo would not have to deal with difficult aerial situations - it as though he assumed these were archaic remnants of a league which should have evolved by now.

Although aware of Bravo's limitations, Pep's displeasure at referees allowing play to continue for what he thought were fouls on the goalkeeper is a misjudgement. 

Controlling games without punishing the opposition

Man City have had an average of 60 per cent possession in all games in all competitions this season, more than any other Premier League team. The problem is that by controlling the game but failing to score, gaps start to appear in defence as City try to force an opening. One error can result in Guardiola's side conceding against the run of play.

One of the first frustrating results of Guardiola's tenure so far was against Everton, managed by fellow Barcelona alumni, Ronald Koeman, who is happy to stick five defenders across the penalty area if it means he gets a result. The two former Dream Team teammates: Koeman the pragmatist vs Guardiola the idealist.

Pep's 3-2-2-3 was supposed to create space so that his team could dominate it:

Average touch positions (0 min)

It did, and Everton hardly touched the ball in a 1-1 draw at the Etihad as Guardiola's team controlled possession from start to finish and were caught out by a simple counter-attack. Two missed penalties didn't help but the Achilles heel of City all season  - decision making and concentration - was exposed as Romelu Lukaku dribbled down the left wing and scored against the run of play.

Man City 0 - 1 Everton (Romelu Lukaku, 64 min)

“Sometimes I have an idea — three at the back or play a player like this," says Guardiola, “And sometimes it didn’t work and when that happens it is always the manager’s fault."

But it's not always his fault. Quite often the result is decided by one player suffering a lapse of concentration. That player, is rather too often, Aleksander Kolarov.

With the three man defence far too shaky at times, Guardiola employed a familiar back four against Liverpool - a strong attacking side - to give his team some stability:

Average touch positions (59 min)

The deciding factor in the match? A quick counter following a momentary lapse of concentration. 

Liverpool 1 - 0 Man City (Georginio Wijnaldum, 8 min)

City are caught in transition as they make a mess of a free-kick, Liverpool attack at speed and Kolarov doesn't defend anywhere near well enough to stop Georginio Wijnaldum getting his head to a cross from wide.

Kolarov has been playing as a ball-playing centre-back for much of the season because he has excellent delivery from wide areas, can dribble with the ball and can play out from the back - all great assets when Man City control possession. Against powerful attacking teams he is a liability.

Twenty minutes later, Kolarov played Roberto Firmino onside in a simple move. The Brazilian was unlucky not to score a second.

For all of Guardiola's match preparations, he cannot account for mistakes like these. 

Guardiola has repeatedly asserted that he was able to do so well at clubs like Barcelona and Bayern Munich because of the exceptional talent he had available to coach but at Man City he wants players like Kolarov and Pablo Zabaleta to play in roles they are unaccustomed to alongside nervous centre-backs like John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi.

None of City's defenders would replace another at Bayern or Barcelona - there is a marked difference in talent between Kolarov and Philip Lahm, for example.

The tactics may have been right all along in a lot of these games, it's just that you can't teach medium-aged footballers new tricks.

Playing to other teams' strengths

Guardiola got it wrong most clearly this season in a 4-2 defeat to Leicester. Everyone knows how Claudio Ranieri's team want to play and how to stop them - the defensive line has to sit deep in order to stop long balls over the top and direct passes through the middle. They don't score if you do this.

Instead, Man City started with a back three, played far too deep and created space for Leicester's direct passing. Perhaps Guardiola anticipated something different from Ranieri's team, but within 10 minutes he had reverted to a back four.

Average touch positions (0 min)

Leicester played like the Leicester of last season and bullied a defence who never looked settled or comfortable in the system. The first goal was a result of Kolarov, once again, being caught out of position.

A simple through-ball from Islam Slimani was enough to split the defence wide open and Jamie Vardy finished with conviction into the bottom corner of the net.

The third was a shocking goal to concede. Drinkwater hits a long ball over the top, Mahrez controls with a brilliant first touch and a mystery man is caught out of position...

It's Kolarov! 

Leicester 3 - 0 Man City (Jamie Vardy, 20 min)

The best Premier League teams have always been built on a strong centre-back pairing - Sol Campbell and Martin Keown, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand -  and Stones and Otamendi is not one. Kolarov and any living defender in history isn't either.

After the Leicester match Guardiola was derided for snapping that he doesn't train his team for tackles - but why should he if his teams always dominate possession? 

Guardiola's comment on tackling was a rejection of the idea that you have to be physical to win games in England. 

The late Johan Cruyff, Guardiola's idol and mentor, said that he would rather his teams be remembered for playing well and losing rather than playing poorly and winning. Guardiola shares this philosophy but, as he has said himself, even his job is at risk if results don't. 

It is the romantic idea that the Total Football Dutch team of 1974 is remembered more than the West Germany team who beat them in the World Cup final, to which Guardiola clings. His Barcelona was the best club team in the history of the game, and although City are doing well in Europe this season, Guardiola must find an uglier, tougher way to succeed in the Premier League. 

The principle ideals of Guardiola's philosophy, about controlling possession and dominating space, can be applied in this more physical, demanding league but Guardiola has largely ignored the weaknesses in his ageing squad and tried to mask them by always playing on the front foot - defeats to Spurs, Liverpool, Man Utd and Barcelona suggest that his collection of talented players are good enough to dispatch weaker teams but his tactical tweaking has had little difference against the top sides.

If Guardiola can adapt the things he has learned, this should change.

For all the pre-season hype, the signs now point toward this season being considered a marginally successful first step rather than a victorious leap forward. 

premier league manager safety index

[the-telegraph-sport-yahoopa-blog]

The five key battles which will decide Man Utd vs Liverpool

mourinho vs klopp 2017 Getty Images

It's Manchester United vs Liverpool on Sunday, but how will the game be decided? In these five areas, we think:

1. Henderson vs Herrera 

Liverpool aren’t the same when Henderson doesn’t play and if he is fit and starts against United, as it is expected he will, Ander Herrera must focus on preventing the midfielder from setting the tempo of the match.

Henderson has made more passes and more sprints than any other player in the Premier League this season and has covered more distance overall too.

Credit: GETTY

It’s safe to say that he works pretty hard. In his absence against Southampton, Jurgen Klopp’s team couldn’t find their rhythm and looked completely off the pace - Henderson is essential to this side and if United’s midfield can prevent him from having time on the ball or space to link passing moves together, they can disrupt the flow of counter-attacks and control the match.

2. Zlatan vs Klavan-Lovren

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has already proved a success in English football Credit: PA

Ibrahimovic is on top form at the moment and with 13 goals in 19 games, second in the goalscoring charts. Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren must find a way to cope with the aerial threat he poses as well as making sure he doesn’t find space to shoot - so far this season no other striker has had more than the 86 attempts on goal of Ibrahimovic.

No player in the league has had more touches of the ball in the opposition box than Ibrahimovic either - he is a master at turning up in the right place at the right time.

Liverpool’s centre-backs must be doubly aware of his movement as the striker likes to drop deep during matches to free up space for the two wide forwards, Anthony Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, making him extremely difficult to man mark.

3. Carrick vs Gegenpress

Liverpool enjoy nearly 59 per cent possession on average but their greatest asset is the speed with which they win the ball back when they do inevitably lose it.

Klopp’s gegenpress style has forwards and attacking midfielders put intense pressure on opponents high up the pitch in order to win the ball back as quickly as possible - if no shooting opportunities are created in this rapid transition, they keep the ball by passing it.

Credit: REX

Mourinho’s sides tend to engage and press nearer the halfway line but as Southampton and Plymouth Argyle have shown recently, defending deep and limiting Liverpool’s creative options around the box is an extremely effective way of limiting their chances to score.

The more passes they attempt to try an unlock a defence, the more susceptible to making a mistake they become.

Michael Carrick must make sure that United are tidy with their passing when playing out from the back in order to escape the Liverpool press, while Liverpool must be careful not to try and force an opening, leaving themselves exposed to a counter-attack.

4. Wingers vs full backs

Much of Liverpool’s width comes from the full-backs and Martial and Mkhitaryan will have to work hard to keep both pinned back and force Klopp’s side into a narrow shape.

Mourinho's midfielders must double up with the full-backs to make sure that Nathaniel Clyne and James Milner do not get time and space on the ball in wide areas and that Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana don't find space further forward to drift into.

Average touch positions (0 min)

If Martial and Mkhitaryan can push higher up the pitch and keep these full-backs pinned closer to their own goal, Liverpool become far less effective. And if United can force Liverpool into central areas and keep the pitch small when defending, Klopp's team will have little space to create goalscoring chances from. 

5. Mignolet vs himself

Credit: REUTERS

It is likely that Simon Mignolet will start against Man Utd despite Loris Karius’ decent performance against Southampton in the EFL Cup semi-final, but in truth, neither inspires confidence.

Liverpool are strong in attack but vulnerable in defence - if United can bypass the gegenpress and get crosses into the area, the centre-backs and Mignolet can be exposed, especially with Ibrahimovic lurking around.

Set piece delivery from wide areas will be key for Mourinho’s side.

The Premier Leagues most lethal goalscorers

[the-telegraph-sport-yahoopa-blog]

Premier League Bingo: How many points can you accumulate from the weekend's fixtures?

Premier League bingo

The Premier League is very exciting, but you can make it even more fun by playing Premier League Bingo during the weekend's 10 fixtures.

Go on! Have a blast. We begin on Saturday lunchtime:

Spurs vs West Brom (12:30pm)

Credit: REX

25 points: Vincent Janssen scores a single goal in open play. Into either team's net.

15 points: Dele Alli refuses to respond in any sort of retaliatory way, be it silent or physical, when kicked by West Brom players.

5 points: Tony Pulis fields a bold and innovative zero defenders formation, giving his forwards license to create as they see fit and making Ben Foster act as goalkeeper, false centre-back and false-full-back at the same time. 

Burnley vs Southampton (3pm)

Credit: GETTY

25 points: This is a seven goal thriller featuring three goal of the season candidates.

15 points: Claude Puel happily spends the entire of his pre-match and post-match interviews discussing transfer speculation around Jose Fonte and Virgil Van Dijk.

5 points: Southampton announce at half-time that they have signed a 29 year old midfielder for a club record transfer fee who is already comfortable in the Premier League and cannot be sold to Liverpool later.

Hull vs Bournemouth (3pm)

Credit: REX

25 points: The match commentator says "welcome to the Premier League" in reference to Marco Silva as Hull are denied victory by a last minute Bournemouth equaliser.

15 points: In the pre-match interview, Eddie Howe confirms his interest in taking the Arsenal job the minute Arsene Wenger decides to resign and that he "never cared about anyone at Bournemouth anyway".

5 points: After a 5-0 home win, Paul Merson and Phil Thompson concede that they might be wrong about Marco Silva and foreign people in general, and apologise on Soccer Saturday for their pro-Gary Rowett rant.

Sunderland vs Stoke (3pm)

Credit: PA

25 points: If you don't support either team and watch this game.

15 points: Mark Hughes tries to disguise his raging fury at refereeing decisions that haven't gone his way in a short, sharp interview with Geoff Shreeves. Five extra bonus points if steam literally comes out of his head.

5 points: Both teams wear their red and white striped shirts just for fun.

Swansea vs Arsenal (3pm)

Credit: REUTERS

25 points: Alexis Sanchez celebrates a last minute equaliser for Arsenal by windmilling every member of his own team in a cyclone of fury, exits the stadium on a helicopter and an hour later posts a topless selfie of himself next to the Eiffel Tower.

15 points: Arsene Wenger "doesn't see" a key incident in the game.

5 points: Paul Clement all but ends Arsenal's title chase by masterminding a humiliating 2-0 win over the Gunners.

Watford vs Middlesbrough (3pm)

Credit: REX

25 points: Walter Mazzarri conducts his interviews in flawless English but with an Orkney accent.

15 points: Fabrizio Ravanelli and Juninho are referenced at any point during the game.

5 points: Watford go three down in the opening 10 minutes and Mazzarri kicks back, lights a cigarette and just enjoys the rest of the game.

premier league manager safety index

West Ham vs Crystal Palace (3pm)

Credit: REX

25 points: Dimitri Payet scores a 30 yard free-kick wonder-goal and is immediately beamed up to a hovering mothership which transports him back to his home planet. "They" pay West Ham £30million.

15 points: Sam Allardyce gloats about having out-tacticted Slaven Bilic, who sits next to him weeping while the cameras roll.

5 points: This game is anything other than a draw.

Leicester vs Chelsea (5:30pm)

Credit: FIFA

25 points: Leicester recapture the form of last season, destroy Chelsea and go on an unbeaten run which ends with an even more unbelievable second Premier League trophy win.

15 points: N'Golo Kante has the chance to score an open goal but is so riddled with conflicting emotions as to where his allegiances lie that he puts the ball wide on purpose.

5 points: The floodlights in the stadium lose power and Antonio Conte is hooked up to the King Power Stadium as an auxiliary generator. 

Everton vs Man City (1:30pm - Sunday)

Credit: REX

25 points: Sergio Aguero misses two penalties, Romelu Lukaku opens the scoring and Pep Guardiola puts on himself at in midfield in a frustrated bid to explain what it is he wants his players to do.

15 points: Ronald Koeman mentions that he might possibly want to sign players that aren't incredibly average during this January transfer window.

5 points: Aaron Lennon runs really quickly with the ball down the wing, reaches a defender and turns back, then turns back again and is dispossessed.

Man Utd vs Liverpool (4pm - Sunday)

Credit: REX

25 points: This game is a fiery, entertaining, fast-paced, action-packed piece of magic to be replayed on Sky Sports every day for the next 20 years.

15 points: Jose Mourinho refuses to discuss refereeing decisions at any point, except during the game, which he does multiple times with the fourth official.

5 points: Jurgen Klopp makes a goofy, witty aside directly into the camera either before or after the match.

premier league manager safety index