Gerry Mandering - Football Correspondent: previews and match reports, Sunday 1 November 2026

Gerry Mandering, 86. Rarely wrong. When he is, blame the ref.

Premier League

Liverpool v Arsenal 0–1

Gerry’s report: Zero target: Liverpool miss everything

Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal. Havertz scored in the 16th minute, yet 0% of managers own him. That is a gap in the market I will not explain. Liverpool had 17 shots and 56% possession, but 0 on target. They are 5th on 15 points. Arsenal are 1st on 24. The wind must have been blowing straight into the net. Back in the day, we actually aimed for the goal. Now we seem to be aiming for the atmosphere. The referee let the clock run, which was sensible. Or perhaps the players simply ignored my column. It was a good column.

League One

Sheffield Wednesday v Blackpool 1–1

Gerry’s report: Shared points at Hillsborough

Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Blackpool. Keillor-Dunn scored after 25 minutes, yet nobody owns him. Yates equalised on 81 to save Blackpool. The home side had 17 shots and 48% of the ball. Blackpool had 18 shots and 52%. A draw feels correct for such a dull affair. In my day, we played football. Now we manage points. Wednesday are 9th on 20. Blackpool are 19th on 12. The referee allowed the game to drift. Or perhaps the players simply did not read my column. One grumpy thought: the weather was fine. That is the only good thing about it.