It turns out the magic potion needed to end Aston Villa’s miserable run came in a bottle of peroxide applied to Morgan Rogers’s hair. The England midfielder went bright blond after a trip to the barbers and could not have been happier with the results – his opening goal giving Villa lift-off as they finally won a match after going eight games without victory. Rogers also provided an assist for Matty Cash after Ollie Watkins had scored from the penalty spot, with only Mikkel Damsgaard’s second-half goal making it slightly nervy after the interval. “They can do whatever they like with that but, on the field, I want them committed, working tactically and with the attitude we need to play serious and compact and disciplined,” said Unai Emery, the Villa manager. “Then he can be the protagonist, not for his hair and more for his football. Scoring like he did was fantastic, because this is the way to get confidence again.” The first 45 minutes was an emphatic answer to whether this was a mini-blip for Emery, or a more deep-rooted problem for the team who shook up the natural order in the Premier League last season by finishing in the Champions League places. Rogers has enjoyed a stunning few weeks, making his England debut last month and backing it up with a match-winning performance just when there were suggestions of Villa heading towards crisis. Such is the competitiveness of this season, victory takes Villa within sight of the European places, despite their recent run. “The message is to try and focus on each match and forget the table and how we were then and how we are now,” Emery added. “I don’t want to speak about what it does for the table. I spoke before about the top five, but now we have to keep calm and recover.” Rogers’s hair was the highlight of an opening period short on quality and desperate for somebody to stamp their mark on the game, which the Villa midfielder did by running from his own half into enemy territory and then swapping passes with Watkins before curling into the top corner. Watkins scored his seventh goal of the season with a penalty after winning the spot kick himself, getting knocked off balance by Ethan Pinnock as he ran through on goal. Young referee Lewis Smith, who made his Premier League debut last season, was backed by VAR, but it was a tight call. Rogers provided the assist for the third goal, floated to the far post, where Cash volleyed in. Emery had made a huge call dropping Pau Torres to give Tyrone Mings his first Premier League start of the season, and first since conceding a penalty against Club Brugge with a bizarre handball when he thought the ball was dead. Denmark midfielder Damsgaard pulled one back for Brentford but their run of failing to win away this season continued. 10:14 PM GMT City stop the rot A seven-match winless run comes to an end for ✅ — Premier League (@premierleague) 10:13 PM GMT Full-time scores from Wednesday night All the final scores from an action-packed evening. Goal-happy Chelsea and Arsenal have cut Liverpool’s lead to seven points. Manchester City’s seven-game winless run ended without drama at the Etihad and they’re back up to fourth, nine behind Arne Slot’s men. At the bottom, Everton scored four to move up to 15th place. Wolves and Southampton, mired in the relegation zone, were on the receiving end of thrashings. Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0 Aston Villa 3 Brentford 1 Everton 4 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Manchester City 3 Nottingham Forest 0 Newcastle United 3 Liverpool 3 Southampton 1 Chelsea 5 10:10 PM GMT Full-time: Aston Villa 3 Brentford 1 Villa ran riot in the opening 35 minutes and that fierce start was more than enough to ensure all three points. They move up to seventh, passing ninth-placed Brentford. Morgan Rogers will be good for dozens more England caps, based on his influential display. Home is where the happiness is for both Villa and Brentford. They will seek to improve their away form in coming months. 10:07 PM GMT Full-time: Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0 Arsenal reduce the deficit to leaders Liverpool to seven points. Once again, their set-pieces made the difference. Some lessons for Ruben Amorim. He never said it would be easy. United frustrated the home side in the first half, but Arsenal’s quality showed after the hour mark and the away side offered little of substance in attack. What is Ruben Amorim thinking? — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 10:05 PM GMT Southampton did not stand a chance 5.29 - Chelsea's xG tonight was the most Opta has on record (2008-09 onwards) by an away team in a Premier League match (5.29). Domination. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) 10:03 PM GMT 90 mins: Arsenal 2 United 0 Declan Rice swings in a corner and it hits a few heads at the front post, nearly going in for another goal. No team seems able to handle Arsenal’s set-piece threat. Four minutes of stoppage time. 09:59 PM GMT 87 mins: Arsenal 2 United 0 Sharp set-piece work from Manchester United, but no cigar. That was one straight off the training pitch. Fernandes plays it to Antony on the left after shaping to shoot from a free kick. He shot hard and straight at Raya, who collected it after Kiwior chested it down to him. A few minutes left here and at Villa Park. Looks like both home teams will hold on. 09:56 PM GMT When a picture is worth a thousand words... Every time Arsenal have a corner - and they’ve had 12 - they look capable of scoring. 09:53 PM GMT 75 mins: Villa 3 Brentford 1 Tyrone Mings heads just over from a corner. Encouraging performance from the 31-year-old after a lengthy lay-out due to a knee injury. The home side look a bit less nervy. 09:47 PM GMT GOAL! Arsenal 2 United 0 - Saliba Yet another Arsenal goal from a set-piece. A Saka corner to the back post and Thomas Partey cannons a header in. It comes off Saliba’s derriere, with several United defenders crammed together on the goal-line. Thoughtless defending there, just when United had enjoyed a positive spell. A Var check briefly appears to be checking for handball, but it’s over quickly. Man Utd just CANNOT DEAL with Arsenal's corners! 😯 The Gunners have their second goal thanks to William Saliba! ✌️ — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 09:39 PM GMT 66 mins: Arsenal 1 Manchester United 0 David Raya seemed to hang in the air for seconds, diving to his left to keep out a Matthijs De Ligt header from a free kick. We’ve had some goalkeeper howlers tonight, but that is top-draw from the Spaniard. Manchester United are looking more confident and fluent as they chase an equaliser. David Raya, that's a sensational save! 👏 — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 09:37 PM GMT Brentford not going down without a fight This is an important spell in the match. Villa were cruising at 3-0 but that Damsgaard goals has made it quiet around Villa Park. Brentford could make this a very nervous second half with another goal, given the run Unai Emery’s team have been on. 09:34 PM GMT GOAL! Villa 3 Brentford 1 - Damsgaard Twinkle-toed Rasmus Damsgaard jinks and jives around a few Villa defenders and hammers the ball into the net. The ball had been poorly headed away by Cash - well, more like headed into the Dane’s path, but he had a lot to do. 09:32 PM GMT Full-time scores for the 7.30pm kick-offs Arsenal have a chance to reduce Liverpool’s advantage after the leaders’ all-action draw on Tyneside. Chelsea are now seven points down on Arne Slot’s players and are the top scorers in the Premier League, with 31 goals in 14 games. At the other end, it’s a priceless three points for Everton. The manner in which they did it will restore a lot of confidence and belief too. Few positives to take for Southampton, mind, who played most of the match with ten players. Everton 4 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Manchester City 3 Nottingham Forest 0 Newcastle United 3 Liverpool 3 Southampton 1 Chelsea 5 09:27 PM GMT GOAL! Arsenal 1 United 0 - Timber As it ends honours even in Newcastle, Liverpool’s title rivals Arsenal are a goal to the good. Declan Rice swung in a corner and Jurrien Timber comes through a crowded six-yard box and glances the ball home, with Onana rooted to the spot. A few suggestions of a push lead to no action from the referee. Arsenal just LOVE scoring from set-pieces! Jurrien Timber glances his header into the net to hand the Gunners a lead over Man Utd! — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 09:23 PM GMT 90+2 mins: Newcastle 3 Liverpool 3 Big penalty shout in the dying embers as the ball strikes Dan Burn as he turns away. Nothing doing from the ref - good call. Meanwhile, Manchester City and Chelsea are minutes away from comfortable victories. 09:21 PM GMT GOAL! Newcastle 3 Liverpool 3 - Schar Kelleher will be up all night thinking about that mistake. He saw a deep free kick sailing over his head and took his hands away, thinking it would go out. Big mistake. Fabian Schar slides in at the back post and converts it from an acute angle. Fine finish, but the Liverpool goalkeeper should have claimed that. WHAT IS HAPPENING?! Fabian Schar with a wonderful finish to make it 3-3 heading into added time! — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 09:18 PM GMT GOAL! Southampton 1 Chelsea 5 - Sancho They were queuing up, with five against three on the break. Jadon Sancho smashes home a rare goal, lashing in the ball. He seems to be enjoying his football again in a Chelsea shirt. Jadon Sancho scores his first goal in Chelsea colours! A FIVE-STAR performance! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 09:14 PM GMT GOAL! Newcastle 2 Liverpool 3 - Salah Sheer quality from Mo Salah. Time seems to slow down when he takes the ball. Alexander-Arnold crosses, Salah controls it with his right leg, turns in an instant and fires the ball home with his left. No wonder Slot is pumping his fists. SALAH IS HIM! 😤 Liverpool lead for the first time - and what a goal it is 🤤 — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 09:12 PM GMT 81 mins: Newcastle 2 Liverpool 2 Salah comes very close to a winner, weaving in on the right and slamming the stanchion with his shot. Nick Pope was beaten. Alexander-Arnold and Szoboslai have revitalised Slot’s men, coming off the bench. 09:10 PM GMT GOAL! Southampton 1 Chelsea 4 - Palmer Cole Palmer taps in from a yard out, helping on a trickling Nkunku shot which was part-blocked. It was coming. Chelsea could have had eight. 09:07 PM GMT GOAL! Everton 4 Wolves 0 - Dawson own goal After the famine comes the goal feast for Sean Dyche’s players. Dominic Calvert-Lewin marks his return to the starting XI with a goal, diving in with a header from a free-kick. More woe for Wolves and their leaky defence. Well, in fact, it was a second Craig Dawson own goal. 09:05 PM GMT Half-time scores in the 8.15pm kick-offs Little quality to report from Arsenal v Manchester United so far. A very different story at Villa Park. Arsenal 0 Manchester United 0 Aston Villa 3 Brentford 0 09:04 PM GMT Pressure grows on O’Neil Wolves fans are taunting Gary O’Neil and calling for his sacking. 09:02 PM GMT 72 mins: Southampton 1 Chelsea 3 It has been like shooting practice at St Mary’s. Joao Felix miscued a headed sitter and Lumley saves well with his feet from Madueke. A dispiriting evening for the ten men of Southampton. 08:59 PM GMT GOAL! Newcastle 2 Liverpool 2 - Salah What a response from Arne Slot’s side. Trent Alexander-Arnold, so often the assister, fired it into the near post from the byline and Mo Salah helped it into the far corner. Cute finish, passing it through Newcastle. The away side are showing their fighting spirit. "SO SLICK!" 👌 Trent Alexander-Arnold to Mo Salah and we're level again at St James' Park! — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 08:56 PM GMT GOAL! Newcastle 2 Liverpool 1 - Gordon Anthony Gordon gives Newcastle the lead again. Isak drew Quansah in and that was all the space the England international needed. He cut inside Gomez sharply, then hit it low past Kelleher. The keeper got a hand to it, but it was not enough. Newcastle are BACK IN FRONT! ⚫️ ⚪️ Isak turns provider for Gordon to slot home — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 08:52 PM GMT GOAL! Villa 3 Brentford 0 - Cash Matty Cash bags his first goal in 20 months, hitting home from a deflected Morgan Rogers cross at the back post. He got it on target from an acute angle and it had too much heat for Flekken. Villa are purring here. 08:49 PM GMT GOAL! City 3 Forest 0 - Doku A Jeremy Doku special. Running from the halfway line, he bamboozles a back-tracking defender and curls the ball past Sels into the corner. Fine individual goal. It’s looking good for City and Guardiola. Ship a little steadier? That finesse finish 🤩 Jeremy Doku has Pep Guardiola's side on track for a massive win — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 08:46 PM GMT GOAL! Everton 3 Wolves 0 - Dawson own goal That ought to be three precious points in the bag. Calvert-Lewin rises highest at the back post to head in from a corner. However, it transpires that it came off Dawson’s hands. Maybe that explains the sheepish celebration from the striker. 08:44 PM GMT GOAL! Villa 2 Brentford 0 - Watkins (pen) Ollie Watkins was bundled over in the box by Ethan Pinnock and he pops up to roll the penalty into the back of the net - just. Flekken guessed right, but his hand wasn’t strong enough. 08:42 PM GMT GOAL! Newcastle 1 Liverpool 1 - Jones On the right flank, Salah spots Curtis Jones haring into the box and picks him out perfectly. He steers it in off the crossbar on the half-volley. Pope was caught a bit flat-footed, but there was too much pace on it. 08:37 PM GMT GOAL! Villa 1 Brentford 0 - Rogers New haircut, same quality from bleach-blond Morgan Rogers. He made that chance too. He drove forward, got the ball back from Watkins, opened up his body and curled the ball into the top-right corner from the edge of the 18-yard box. Classy finish. 08:36 PM GMT Reasons to be cheerful for Guardiola 08:31 PM GMT Wolves paying the price for defensive sloppiness Everton deservedly ahead. Wolves will be doomed if they keep setting themselves the challenge of needing to score three a game to win. They have the capacity to create chances and might prey on home nerves as the game progresses if they can one back, but if Everton stay positive they will score more in the second half. 08:28 PM GMT 12 mins: Arsenal 0 Manchester United 0 Andre Onana nearly gave a goal away early doors by passing out to the Arsenal attack. United have barely got out of first gear, it’s all Arsenal at the moment. 08:26 PM GMT Rogers with a new do Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers has made an eye-catching start to the game - with his new hairstyle. The England midfielder has bleached blonde hair, which is a very different look to earlier in the season when he earned his international call-up. 08:25 PM GMT Half-time scores Chelsea could have had five or six goals and they trot off a man to the good against hapless Southampton. Everton are halfway to a precious three points and Manchester City’s seven-match winless run could be over in an hour’s time. Work to do for Arne Slot and Liverpool after Alexander Isak’s sublime finish. Everton 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Manchester City 2 Nottingham Forest 0 Newcastle United 1 Liverpool 0 Southampton 1 Chelsea 3 08:19 PM GMT Wolves toothless at the back Wolves’ vulnerabilities exposed again as Everton finally double their lead. The visitors just aren’t tough enough defensively. This is turning into the perfect game for Dyche to relieve pressure. 08:18 PM GMT Arsenal v Man United kicks off The two 8.15pm kick-offs are underway. You can follow Arsenal v Manchester United - Maguire and Mount are starting, interesting - and Villa v Brentford has just started. 08:16 PM GMT Southampton’s early Christmas presents to Chelsea Chelsea don’t look comfortable defensively but Southampton have gifted them two goals. The first the result of a simple failure to defend from a corner and the second, one of the unfortunate hallmarks of their season, a calamitous attempt to play out from the back. Christopher Nkunku won’t score an easier goal than that. 08:15 PM GMT Gvardiol at the heart of affairs It’s been an eventful half for Gvardiol, who is notionally a left back but spending most of this game popping up in positions you’d expect of a No. 10. He has three league goals this season and probably should have had another two tonight, heading an inviting chance wide in the 15th minute and then dragging a shot wide when one on one after being released by Haaland. In between times, he was knocked off the ball by Jota Silva, who teed up Morgan Gibbs-White for a chance Ortega pushed wide. Attacking wise Gvardiol has been a real threat, defensively he has looked less sure. 08:14 PM GMT 39 mins: Southampton 1 Chelsea 3 It goes from bad to worse for Russell Martin and bottom-of-the-table Southampton. Jack Stephens pulls Marc Cucurella’s hair and he’s sent off. Clear as day. A silly, petulant foul. No way back for the home side now, surely. Jack Stephens has been SENT OFF FOR PULLING MARC CUCURELLA'S HAIR! 😱 — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 08:10 PM GMT GOAL! Newcastle 1 Liverpool 0 - Isak Alexander Isak with the best goal of the evening so far. He blasts an unstoppable shot from 25 yards out after wrongfooting Virgil van Dijk, which takes some doing. Impressive power and accuracy. WHAT A HIT! ☄️ Alexander Isak, that is special. Newcastle lead Liverpool! — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 08:08 PM GMT GOAL! Everton 2 Wolves 0 - Mangala Orel Mangala gives Everton a buffer. The ball came back to him on the edge of the box and he made no mistake, helped by a slight deflection to make it past Jose Sa. They had not scored in the Premier League since the end of October, now two goals have come along in the first 33 minutes. 08:06 PM GMT GOAL! Southampton 1 Chelsea 3 - Madueke Noni Madueka has room on the right, cuts inside Manning and shoots past Lumley into the fast corner. His star continues to rise. And there are more goals coming... 08:05 PM GMT GOAL! Manchester City 2 Forest 0 - De Bruyne Kevin De Bruyne lashes home Manchester City’s second. Doku jinked inside and his compatriot was afforded far too much space to fire high into the corner of the net past Sels. A neatly-worked goal, it is like he has never been out of the team. Bodes well for ending the winless run, but City have thrown away bigger leads in recent weeks... A goal to go with his assist! Kevin De Bruyne back to his best for Man City 👏 — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 08:02 PM GMT 29 mins: City 1 Forest 0 Chris Wood misses when through on goal. Sloppy play from De Bruyne passing back gifted it to the prolific New Zealander who charged through. Ortega dived to his left but the ball rolled wide of the right post. That’s a big let-off for Guardiola’s men. 08:01 PM GMT Var controversy at Everton After a prolonged VAR check, Tarkowski’s goal is disallowed for Mangala blocking Lemina during the free-kick. It’s highly contentious. It’s an escape for Wolves, but their biggest problem right now is they can’t defend. Wolves will feel a few dodgy decisions in their favour are overdue, but not even the staunchest away fan would have complained had Tarkowski’s goal stood. It looks like the kind of unnecessary intervention Howard Webb promised would stop. 07:58 PM GMT 26 mins: Southampton 1 Chelsea 2 Lumley redeems himself a little with a smart save from Cole Palmer, palming it onto the post after the on-form Englishman was put through. From the corner, Tosin heads onto the crossbar. Southampton need to be careful or this game will quickly get away from them. 07:56 PM GMT Brentford missing cultured Scandi core; kick-off at 8.15 It will be interesting to see how Brentford get on without their engine room. Mathias Jensen and Christian Norgaard are out injured and the central midfielders are replaced by Yehor Yarmolyuk and Vitaly Janelt from the team that defeated Leicester 4-1. 07:54 PM GMT We need to talk about Kevin City have started with a bang and that man Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the starting XI seems to have given them added impetus. He picked out Erling Haaland with a pinpoint pull back that the Norway striker lashed at Matz Sels and has just played his part in City taking the lead, firing a header goalwards from Ilkay Gundogan’s cross that Bernardo poked in on the line. 07:52 PM GMT 19 mins: Everton 1 Wolves 0 James Tarkowski rises, heading a Dwight McNeil free-kick into the bottom corner to give Everton a buffer... but Var rules it out. Orel Mangala was deemed to be offside. Nevertheless, Dyche’s men have started strongly. 07:49 PM GMT GOAL! Southampton 1 Chelsea 2 - Nkunku That is an early Christmas gift. No danger at all for Southampton as the defence looks to build from the back. The goalkeeper Lumley plays it slowly towards a defender, the watchful Madueke pounces and passes it to Nkunku who taps the ball into an empty net. Joe Lumley was more like Joanna Lumley there. 07:46 PM GMT GOAL! Everton 1 Wolves 0 - Young The home side are in front and Everton have their first goal in four Premier League matches. Ashley Young bends in a low free-kick from 25 yards out round the outside of the Wolves wall. That is his 50th Premier League and his first for 26 months. 4 - Ashley Young is now the fourth-oldest scorer in Premier League history (39y 148d), and the oldest to score from a direct free kick. Smarts. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) 07:44 PM GMT GOAL! Southampton 1 Chelsea 1 - Aribo Game on at the South Coast. Walker-Peters waltzes into the area and plays a ball across and Joe Aribo makes amends, tapping it past Jorgenson. That’s just desserts for the dynamic way the relegation strugglers have started. Quick response! ⚡️ After falling behind, Southampton have an equaliser against Chelsea thanks to Joe Aribo! — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 07:41 PM GMT GOAL! Manchester City 1 Forest 0 - Bernardo Silva Bernardo Silva pinches the opener. Gundogan made a late run and sent a well-judged dink to the back post where Kevin De Bruyne threw himself at it. His effort was goalbound, but Bernardo Silva got the final touch about 50 centimetres from the goal line. He’s nabbed that one. Just the start Pep Guardiola wanted. Always love a headed assist 👌 Kevin De Bruyne tees up Bernardo Silva for his first league goal of the season — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) 07:39 PM GMT GOAL! Southampton 0 Chelsea 1 - Disasi Axel Disasi nods home Enzo Fernandez’s corner at the front post. The Southampton defence were like statues. Having had a gilt-edged chance of their own, the home side are already a goal down. 07:37 PM GMT Jack Grealish’s chance to shine Guardiola has taken a leaf out of Lee Carsley’s book by starting Jack Grealish in midfield alongside De Bruyne and Gundogan. Grealish hasn’t scored in the league this season and City could really do with the England midfielder finding some form. 07:34 PM GMT 2 mins: Southampton 0 Chelsea 0 Joe Aribo has missed an absolute sitter from ten yards out. Well-stopped by Jorgenson but it should have been tucked well out of his reach. Goals have been hard to come by for Russell Martin’s basement dwellers and they might be made to rue that. 07:31 PM GMT Kick-off is here Here are the 7.30pm kick-offs about to get underway. Christmas anthems are pumping at stadiums around the country and opponents’ hands are being limply shaken: Everton v Wolverhampton Wanderers Manchester City v Nottingham Forest Newcastle United v Liverpool Southampton v Chelsea 07:28 PM GMT Can Calvert-Lewin help to move Everton out of danger? The great Beto renaissance lasted just one game, sadly for the Everton striker. Dominic Calvert-Lewin returns with Sean Dyche demanding more from him. Calvert-Lewin might be entitled to demand more service to oblige the request. Everton desperately need a win given their schedule. Wolves will sense a chance to prove they are in a false position. 07:27 PM GMT Cole Palmer could be in the goals again 07:23 PM GMT Chelsea make seven changes Joao Felix, Nkunku and Madueke are up top among seven changes made by Enzo Maresca. Only Cucurella is retained at the back, while Filip Jorgensen makes his first Premier League start in goal. Well, Chelsea do have the strength-in-depth to make these kind of wholesale changes and still come out on top. For the home side, Harwood-Bellis, Downes and Dibling are all suspended, in come Bree, Wood, Aribo and Ryan Fraser. Lumley; Walker-Peters, Bree, Stephens, Wood, Manning; Fernandes, Aribo; Armstrong, Archer, Fraser. McCarthy, Edwards. Sugawara, Taylor, Cornet, O’Brien-Whitmarsh, Amo-Ameyaw, Brereton Diaz, Kamaldeen. Jorgensen; Gusto, Disasi, Tosin, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Joao Felix; Nkunku. Sanchez, Badiashile, Colwill, Veiga, Dewsbury-Hall, Lavia, Neto, Sancho, Jackson. 07:16 PM GMT Aston Villa v Brentford line-ups Tyrone Mings and Leon Bailey start in place of Pau Torres and Jaden Philogene for the home side. A pair of tweaks for Brentford too, as Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt slot in for Christian Norsgaard and Mathias Jensen. Kick off is at 8.15pm. How we start against the Bees tonight 👊 — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) 🐝 Your Bees to take on Aston Villa — Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) 07:10 PM GMT Arsenal v Man Utd teams are out; changes galore and Gabriel out Gabriel is out injured, alongside defensive partner Riccardo Calafiori. Zinchenko and Kiwior come in at the back, while Thomas Partey gets the call ahead of Leandro Trossard on the wing. Mikel Arteta’s fourth change to their five-goal shellacking of West Ham is opting for Thomas Partey ahead of Jorginho. Ruben Amorim said he would rotate the squad and he has made six amendments to the starting team who won with similar comfort against Everton at the weekend. Maguire and Ugarte are in for the suspended Martinez and Mainoo. Amad makes way for Malacia. Mount, Garnacho and Hojlund come in, with weekend scorers Rashford and Zirkzee on the bench. Raya, Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka, Havertz. Neto, Tierney, Heaven, Jorginho, Merino, Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling, Jesus. Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Maguire; Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Malacia, Mount, Garnacho, Hojlund. Bayindir, Kukonki, Yoro, Casemiro, Eriksen, Amad, Antony, Rashford, Zirkzee. 07:03 PM GMT Newcastle will be no walkovers Let's get to work. 👊 — Newcastle United (@NUFC) 07:01 PM GMT Arne Slot makes three changes; Alexander-Arnold benched Here it is in good old black-and-white. One change for Eddie Howe’s side, as Jacob Murphy replaces Joe Willock. Alexander Isak is fit and starts. Three for Liverpool, as Jarrell Quansah, Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez come into the line-up. Luis Diaz, Dominik Szoboszlai and Trent Alexander-Arnold start on the bench. Pope, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Guimaraes, Murphy, Joelinton, Isak, Gordon. Dubravka, Wilson, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff. Kelleher, Gomez, Van Dijk, Quansah, Robertson, Mac Allister, Jones, Gravenberch, Salah, Gakpo, Nunez. Jaros, Endo, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Elliott, Nallo, Alexander-Arnold, Morton, Nyoni. 06:52 PM GMT De Bruyne starts as captain for City, one of four changes Kevin De Bruyne is back and pulling on the captain’s (rainbow, I expect) armband today for his first start in nearly three months. The experienced Belgian midfield magician is one of four changes to City’s starting XI in their 2-0 defeat against Liverpool. Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish are also starting. Doku gave them a little more energy and penetration when he came on in the second-half at Anfield. Anthony Elanga is one of three changes made by Nuno Espirito Santo for Forest, alongside Dominguez and Moreno. Ortega; Gvardiol, Dias, Akanji, Ake; Grealish, Doku, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Gundogan, Haaland. Ederson, Carson, Walker, Savinho, Nunes, Wright, O’Reilly, Lewis, McAtee. Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Yates, Dominguez, Jota Silva, Gibbs-White, Elanga, Wood. Carlos Miguel, Morato, Williams, Anderson, Awoniyi, Hudson-Odoi, Da Silva Moreira, Ward-Prowse, Sosa. 06:41 PM GMT In the last of the 7.30pm kick-offs, the Everton v Wolves starting XIs Tonight's Toffees to face ! 🔵⚪️ — Everton (@Everton) 4⃣ Four changes from ➡️ Doherty, Bueno, Dawson & Guedes into the XI How we line-up to face . 🐺📋 — Wolves (@Wolves) 06:40 PM GMT How Southampton and Chelsea line up Your starting XI ❤️ — Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) Your Chelsea. ✊ | — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) 06:38 PM GMT Newcastle United v Liverpool starting XIs HOWAY NEWCASTLE! ✊ — Newcastle United (@NUFC) Team news for our clash with Newcastle United 📋🔴 — Liverpool FC (@LFC) 06:33 PM GMT The Manchester City and Forest line-ups Lining up tonight 👊 XI | Ortega Moreno, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Gundogan, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Doku, Grealish, Haaland SUBS | Ederson, Carson, Walker, Savinho, Nunes, Wright, O'Reilly, Lewis, McAtee | — Manchester City (@ManCity) Your Forest XI to face . 👊 — Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) 06:30 PM GMT Six scintillating matches to enjoy tonight Good evening and welcome to ’s live, minute-by-minute Premier League clockwatch. There are six matches to get stuck into on a busy Wednesday night of action, four kicking off at 7.30pm and a brace at 8.15pm. League leaders Liverpool are away to Newcastle United. It’s an opportune time to be visiting, as Eddie Howe’s side are experiencing an inconsistent patch of form. Can they show their best and slow down Slot and company’s saunter to the title? In stark contrast, defending champions Manchester City have not won in seven matches, which has never happened under Pep Guardiola’s guardianship. The aura has gone, their defence has looked nervy and leaky, but surely the free-fall will end - and there will not be a seven-finger salute from their manager to away fans tonight. “We don’t have a squad [due to injuries],” Guardiola said. Rodri and John Stones are still crocked; Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake were previously out for a significant period of time. They go up against a very game Nottingham Forest outfit who will move ahead of them if they win at the Etihad. Who would have thought that possible four months ago? Unbeaten in five, Enzo Maresca’s free-scoring Chelsea have an opportunity to move into second place tonight, as the Londoners travel to bottom side Southampton. Wesley Fofana is out, nursing a hamstring injury sustained in Sunday’s win over Villa, but Southampton have a swathe of players banned or on the treatment table. They’ll be missing Tyler Dibling and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, whose bookings in their last match mean they are suspended tonight. In a match between fellow relegation fighters, Everton play Wolves. The home team hasn’t won in five and pressure is building on Sean Dyche. If the visitors take three points, they will move above their opponents and out of the relegation zone. The pick of the lot is 8.15pm kick-off, as Arsenal go up against rivals Manchester United. After Ipswich, Bodo/Glimt and Everton, this is Ruben Amorim’s first big test. Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo are suspended, though the side are unbeaten in seven games. Nevertheless, coming away from London with anything will be a big ask. Mikel Arteta’s men will be brimming with confidence after putting five past their last two opponents and United have lost seven of their last nine at the Emirates. “I have to say it again: the storm will come,” said Amorim yesterday, who warned after the match against Ipswich that United are “going to suffer for a long period”. “We know that we are in a different point, if you compare to Arsenal. We will try to win it and we go with confidence to win but we know that we need to play very well to win the next football match.” Rounding out the night’s action, in a mid-table clash, eighth-placed Brentford travel to Aston Villa (12th) in the other 8.15pm GMT kick-off. Team news coming imminently.
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The loss of ITV's independence would be a blow to creative Britain, says ALEX BRUMMER By ALEX BRUMMER FOR THE DAILY MAIL Updated: 17:01 EST, 25 November 2024 e-mail View comments The possibility of a bid for ITV has perked up a lagging share price. Even so, as a creative enterprise, Britain’s leading terrestrial broadcaster looks hugely undervalued. Consider this. Almost every leading show on the small screen at present has origins in ITV Studios. The list includes the BBC series Ludwig starring David Mitchell, the Netflix hit Fool Me Once and Disney’s Rivals as well as the politically explosive Mr Bates Vs The Post Office. The biggest changes at ITV since Carolyn McCall took the helm in 2018 are the group’s income streams. Revenues from ITV Studios and streaming service ITV X climbed from 45 per cent to 60 per cent and are expected to hit 66 per cent by 2026. If one were to price ITV Studios on the same multiple as All3Media, sold to RedBird IMI in May of this year, it would be worth £3billion plus. That is more than the whole of the broadcaster, which is valued at £2.5billion following the latest 8.6 per cent rise to 71.15p in the group’s shares. Hit factory: Almost every leading show on the small screen at present, the Netflix hit Fool Me Once and Disney’s Rivals, has origins in ITV Studios If a bidder were to emerge, it would gain control of a broadcasting platform, with an ability to attract large scale audiences and linear advertising to match, for nothing. ITV is a bellwether for the UK and has suffered in recent years from the same shocks as the rest of Britain – the great financial crisis, Covid-19 and the Ukraine war. Prospects in recent months have been damaged by the lengthy interregnum between Labour’s election and the Budget. Both have caused large scale business advertisers to curtail plans. There are few better ways of reaching a large scale audience than ITV. I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here has been drawing audiences of 9m. Perpetual favourites such as Coronation Street are gold dust for advertisers. So far, no observable change in ITV’s share register has been seen. The biggest holding of 10.45 per cent is held by John Malone’s spawling media empire Liberty Global. He and his shrewd lieutenants would not want to see ITV sold on the cheap. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Backlash grows over failure on business rates as Kingfisher... Hairdressers hit as experts say Reeves £25bn budget NI raid... Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) stocks and shares Isa and the right DIY investing account Activist investors on the register such as Redwheel and Silchester might take a different view. There must be the possibility that someone might want to see studios spun off as a means of releasing value. Private equity outfit CVC, mentioned as a bidder (there has been no approach), might want to get its hands on some of the sports rights. Buying ITV is not as straightforward as it might seem. The group’s licence, valid until 2034, contains obligations. These include generating output in the UK regions and devotion of airtime to news bulletins. Most importantly, however, the loss of ITV’s independence would be a blow to creative Britain. This, just at the moment when the Labour Government has remembered that it is a sector which excels and is ready for growth. Pink panthers The most shocking aspect of the Barclays agreement to pay a fine of £40million to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), over the bank’s Qatar fundraising in 2008, is the time it has taken to dish out the discipline. Excuses can be made for the delays, including the parallel prosecution by the equally useless Serious Fraud Office (SFO), but white-collar justice which takes 16 years is a waste of space. Since then, the Barclays board has been replenished and the bank has had to ride out another crisis over the connection of former boss Jes Staley to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In balance sheet terms, the payout is a rounding error. Britain’s system of financial enforcement is woeful. An excoriating report by MPs and the Lords accuses the FCA of being ‘incompetent at best, and dishonest at worst’. Instead of delivering swift and firm white-collar justice, the SFO finds itself with multi-million pound legal costs over the bungled prosecution of Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC). Such humiliations have made British financial justice a laughing stock. Carbon retreat Anglo American is demonstrating that self-help is preferable than selling to a big overseas rival which would have crushed culture and ambition. The sale of its remaining steel making coal mines in Australia to Peabody Energy, once part of the UK’s Hanson conglomerate, frees up £3.1billion for investment in copper and other enterprises. De Beers next? DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS AJ Bell AJ Bell Easy investing and ready-made portfolios Learn More Learn More Hargreaves Lansdown Hargreaves Lansdown Free fund dealing and investment ideas Learn More Learn More interactive investor interactive investor Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month Learn More Learn More Saxo Saxo Get £200 back in trading fees Learn More Learn More Trading 212 Trading 212 Free dealing and no account fee Learn More Learn More Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. Compare the best investing account for you Share or comment on this article: The loss of ITV's independence would be a blow to creative Britain, says ALEX BRUMMER e-mail Add comment Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence. More top storiesBashar al-Assad, the Syrian president who inherited power in 2000 with promises of reform, only to brutally suppress his opponents in a war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, has been toppled in a lightning rebel advance. Assad fled Damascus as Islamist-led opposition forces entered the capital and put an end to more than half-a-century of his family’s rule. Assad and his family arrived in Moscow, where they were granted asylum by the Russian government, Russian state agency TASS reported Sunday. Once courted by European governments, Assad’s transformation from a potential Western ally to a ruler who responded ruthlessly to peaceful protests against his rule took many by surprise. From using chemical weapons against civilians to widespread torture, Assad faced grave accusations during the Syrian war, but managed to survive the unrest thanks to strong support from Moscow and Tehran. During his last days in power, Assad’s backers were unwilling or unable to support him in the face of a shock military advance Syrian rebels embarked on just about 10 days earlier. Unlikely ruler Bashar Hafez Al-Assad was born on Sept. 11, 1965, in Damascus, the third child and second son of Hafez al-Assad and Aniseh Makhlouf. The family’s roots were in the minority Alawite sect, a small part of the Shiite school of Islam. Assad’s father was an air force officer who helped lead the 1963 takeover of government by the socialist Baath Party before seizing power himself in a bloodless military coup in 1970. Assad grew up in the capital and graduated from medical school at Damascus University in 1988, according to his official biography. Fluent in English, he was getting advanced training as an ophthalmologist in London in 1994 when Bassel, his father’s first choice for president, died. Assad went back home to be groomed to lead Syria. Taking over the authoritarian government at age 34, the tall and soft-spoken Assad pledged to pursue a path of reform and economic liberalization. Youthful image Many Syrians, and Arab and Western leaders, were willing to give him a chance partly because he projected a youthful image willing to loosen the government’s grip. Assad crossed sectarian lines to marry Asma al-Akhras, a Sunni Muslim and the daughter of Syrian expatriates who grew up in Britain. They had two sons, Hafez, born in 2001, and Kareem, born in 2004, and a daughter, Zein, born in 2003. The couple’s populist touch contrasted with Hafez’s remote and austere approach. At home, Asma, a graduate of King’s College London who worked for New York-based JPMorgan Chase & Co. for three years, championed women’s rights and education. Abroad, the Assads were given red-carpet welcomes on official visits to Arab and European countries. In his first months as president in 2000, Assad ordered the release of 600 political prisoners, some of whom were members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni Islamist group. Assad said Syria needed constructive criticism, a radical notion at the time in a country that jailed political opponents. Intellectuals openly called for greater civil liberties and democratic reform. The first months of Assad’s rule were optimistically dubbed the Damascus Spring. Changing tone About a year into his presidency, however, the government snuffed out the pro-democracy movement, throwing its leaders in jail. Charges ranged from attempting to change the constitution to inciting sectarian conflicts. In 2005, opposition groups came together to issue a declaration demanding free parliamentary elections, a national conference on democracy and an end to emergency laws and other forms of political repression. Assad responded by imprisoning its leading signatories. Then began the street protests of early 2011 at the onset of the Arab Spring. Around that time, Arab heads of state in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen succumbed to uprisings that swept through North Africa and the Middle East. Assad’s violent reaction to the demonstrators escalated the conflict into a prolonged civil war and emboldened radical groups, including the Islamic State, or ISIS. Determined not to join the list of deposed Arab rulers, Assad opted to use brutal force including barrel bombs, torture and chemical weapons, to quash dissent, according to the U.S. and other Western nations. He benefited from the fact that the opposition was fragmented into hundreds of mainly Islamist groups, which the U.S. and its allies supported only warily. Former President Barack Obama and his successor, Donald Trump, ordered waves of airstrikes against Assad strongholds but had little appetite for deeper intervention. Chemical weapons In 2013, the U.S. blamed Assad for the death of more than 1,400 people near Damascus in an attack using the nerve agent sarin. The Assad government blamed the assault on Islamic extremists, but agreed to a U.S.-Russian plan for international monitors to take control of Syria’s chemical weapons. Meanwhile, Iran and Russia propped Assad up with money, personnel and weapons. A turning point in the war came in 2015, when Russia joined on Assad’s behalf and, along with Iranian forces, helped Assad halt the advance of opposition troops and begin to recapture territory. Forces loyal to Assad, with the help of Russia, Iran and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, had managed by 2020 to confine the territory held by militant groups to less than half of the country, replacing all-out war with sporadic fighting. In 2021, Assad secured a fourth term as president in an election that international observers considered neither free nor fair. The insurgent threat to Assad’s rule erupted again suddenly at the end of last month, starting with a surprise advance by opposition fighters on the city of Aleppo. The rebellion was led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former affiliate of al-Qaeda that’s designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and others. “Our goal is to liberate Syria from this oppressive regime,” Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the group also known as HTS, told the New York Times. He occasionally goes by his real name, Ahmed Al-Sharaa. During his last days in power, Assad ordered his army to fall back to defend Damascus, essentially ceding much of the country to the insurgents. His last-ditch attempts to remain in power included indirect diplomatic overtures to the U.S. and President-elect Trump. Iran and Hezbollah, which had reinforced the regime earlier in the civil war, were now significantly weakened by strikes carried out by Israel in its conflict with Iran. Assad’s downfall ultimately eliminates one of Iran’s main allies in the Middle East and represents a big blow to Tehran’s influence in the region. Many in neighboring Lebanon blamed Assad for his support of Hezbollah and alleged him of playing a role in the killing of top officials, including former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005. A displaced society More than 600,000 people had been killed in Syria’s civil war as of March 2024, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based group that closely monitors the conflict. More than half of the prewar population of 23 million had been displaced, either to other regions inside Syria or to other countries, according to the United Nations. That made it one of the gravest refugee crises since World War II. “Assad is the man who presided over the end of modern Syria,” said Paul Salem, president of the Washington-based Middle East Institute. “The ferocious attacks on the protesters forced it from a discussion about political reform into a shooting war, forcing people to pick up arms and giving advantage to the radicals who have vast experience in warfare,” he said. (With assistance from Dana Khraiche, Dan Williams, Mike Cohen, Chris Miller, Laurence Arnold and Donna Abu-Nasr.) ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Aston Villa slot three past Brentford to record first win since October
CHICAGO (AP) — Two-time NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid returned to the Philadelphia 76ers' starting lineup against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. After missing his first seven shots and ambling deliberately in his left knee brace in the first quarter, the 2023 MVP went on a tear to propel the Sixers to a 108-100 win over the Chicago Bulls. Embiid connected on eight of his next 10 shots in the second quarter for his first 19 points of the game, which lifted Philadelphia to a 62-50 halftime lead. The Sixers stretched it to 19 before holding on for their fourth win in five games, and Embiid finished with 31. “I just got lucky and started making shots,” Embiid deadpanned when he talked to reporters almost 90 minutes after the game. “We just missed shots and we adjusted and we got them in.” Embiid, a seven-time All-Star, added 12 rebounds in his fifth game this season. The 7-foot center had missed the previous seven games because of knee injuries and a three-game suspension for pushing a sports columnist. Embiid finished slightly above his career average of nearly 27.8 points per game in 33 minutes. The Sixers don't play again until Friday thanks to the NBA Cup, so coach Nick Nurse planned to give his star ample work Sunday with a break and recovery time ahead. “All of a sudden he certainly caught fire there with a little bit of variety,” Nurse said. “I know a lot of it seemed like foul-line jumpers, which it was. He snuck in a roll or two and a couple of post-ups. It gave us a lot of confidence.” The Sixers trailed 33-23 after the first quarter. Behind Embiid and a 16-0 run in the second, they took the lead for good. Chicago got within four points twice in the fourth, but Philadelphia closed it out. “We guarded really well and we rebounded extremely well at both ends,” Nurse said. Tyrese Maxey got his first career triple-double as part of the winning formula and clicked with Embiid. Maxey finished with 25 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds. “It was great, that's who he is,” Maxey said of Embiid. “After he got in the game it's easy, it was easier, man. There was a lot more space out there.” The All-Star trio of Embiid, Maxey and Paul George (12 points) played together for only the second game this season. “Obviously we've got the connection,” Embiid said. "We know when things are not going right, what we need to do. Now it's up to us to make the shots and the plays. “After that first quarter, it just felt like we needed to take more of an ownership as far as getting us back in the game. They're great players.” AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nbaMANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City's players were booed by their own fans Tuesday after blowing a three-goal lead against Feyenoord in the Champions League to extend their winless run to six games. Jeers rang around the Etihad Stadium after the final whistle of a dramatic 3-3 draw. After five-straight losses in all competitions, City looked to be cruising to victory after going three up inside 50 minutes. But Feyenoord mounted an improbable comeback and leveled the game in the 89th minute to leave the home crowd stunned. While the worst losing streak of Guardiola’s managerial career was brought to an end, his wait for a first win since Oct. 26 goes on. Erling Haaland had scored twice, with Ilkay Gundogan also on target to put City in control. But goals from Anis Hadj Moussa in the 75th, Santiago Gimenez in the 82nd and David Hancko in the 89th turned the game on its head. City's players, including Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and Haaland looked visibly frustrated as they left the field to cheers of the delirious traveling Dutch fans in the away section of the stadium. City plays Premier League leader Liverpool on Sunday — defeat would leave it 11 points adrift of its title rival. James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerLOS ANGELES (AP) — The new chief of the Los Angeles police force said his department is working with consulate offices for Mexico and other Central American countries to draft a plan to protect immigrants ahead of the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations. In an interview with The Associated Press, Jim McDonnell said his tenure as police chief will be marked by high engagement with the community, adding that all of society must participate in the criminal justice system to create a safe place to live. A veteran police officer and former sheriff, McDonnell was selected by Mayor Karen Bass in October and sworn in last month . The LAPD does not stop people or take action for any reason related to immigration status, and it doesn’t enforce immigration laws, a practice that has been in place for 45 years, said McDonnell, referring to a department policy known as Special Order 40 enacted in 1979. Any immigration enforcement would be “undercutting our primary mission, which is to be able to build public trust to work with every member of all of our communities, to be able to have hope that people will come forward if they were a victim of crime, a witness to a crime,” McDonnell said. The department plans to work with the consulates to create and circulate a video explaining their policies to the immigrant community and alleviating their concerns. During the last Trump administration, the U.S. Justice Department attempted to withhold funding from sanctuary cities and favor cities that pledged to cooperate with immigration enforcement for federal grants. McDonnell said the department is “cognizant of what’s at stake” –- with a majority of the LAPD budget going toward personnel, the police force often relies on grants to provide for equipment and tools. He will be working with national police groups like the Major Cities Chiefs Association to advocate for law enforcement needs with the Trump administration, McDonnell said. Along with engaging the immigrant community, McDonnell said he hopes to seek a greater level of engagement from communities that traditionally haven’t felt comfortable doing so, “just human-to-human, going out and asking for help.” He also vows to build back the police force from currently just under 9,000 sworn officers to a baseline of 10,000, ideally even exceeding that number. While recent recruitment class size numbers have been in the mid-30s, he hopes to double that to 60, McDonnell said. The additional officers will be crucial as Los Angeles prepares to play host to a number of events that will draw visitors from all over the world, including the FIFA World Cup in 2026, Super Bowl in 2027 and the Olympics in 2028. One additional tool in the law enforcement arsenal is the recent passage of Proposition 36 , which reverted to a previous law making some shoplifting and drug offenses felonies again. While it will mainly affect prosecutors, McDonnell said it will make arrests for those types of crimes “more meaningful” and give local businesses more safety and comfort, preventing them from having to shut down their stores and leave the community. “As we move forward, we do so judiciously so that we use the tools that are available to us,” McDonnell said. Jaimie Ding, The Associated Press
Live updates: Parkland vs. St. Joe’s Prep in PIAA 6A football playoffsThe finalists for Strictly Come Dancing have been confirmed Pete Wicks and his dance partner Jowita Przystal are the latest couple to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing . In their quest to secure a spot in the Strictly Come Dancing final, Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal performed an Argentine Tango to Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve and a Foxtrot to Bobby Darin's Beyond The Sea. The pair earned a combined score of 65 points for their performances. After the semi-final, Pete took to Instagram to reflect on his time in the competition and his Argentine Tango. He posted a clip of their dance with the caption: "My favourite dance of my mad little journey... what will be, will be." After learning their fates in today's semi final Tasha Ghouri and her pro partner Aljaž Škorjanec had another go at their waltz to (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin. And Pete Wicks and his dance partner Jowita Przystal danced an Argentine tango to Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve. It was a clean sweep by the judges who all chose to save Tasha and send Pete home. Strictly viewers took to social media to voice their opinion on Pete's departure and many having a change of heart about the reality star. One post said: "I really wasn't keen on Pete at the start of #Strictly. But I stand corrected. He's a sweetheart. Definitely went out on a high, that Argentine Tango was." Another added: "Pete, you are such a genuine and lovely man, and your improvement through this series has been remarkable. Yes, technically, I have often been highly critical, but you have truly improved and won people's hearts. Sending love to you." Further commenters added "Pete keeps going on about not wanting to be on Strictly, yet here he is....he even slated himself and kept saying he can't dance, he suddenly believed in himself though." When asked by host Tess Daly about his time in the competition, Pete said: “It's been wild. I've been quite honest about the fact that I didn't necessarily want to do this [Strictly] in the first place, but everyone else wanted me to do it, and I am so, so glad that I did it! "You don't always have to be the best, but if you enjoy something then why shouldn't you have a go at it? I've tried my best from day one, I said I was in for a penny, in for a pound and I've done it, it's been beautiful.”Germany's Merkel recalls Putin's 'power games' and contrasting US presidents in her memoirsManhattan man arrested after DEA raid uncovers 12 kilos of fentanyl near Bronx day care facilities
Crisis in South Korea: Defiance in Parliament Grounds Martial Law
Indian sages understood dharma, it is not just method of worship: UP CM AdityanathTrump Signals an Aggressive Opening, Threatening ‘Jail’ for Cheney and Others