Manchester United 2, Manchester City 0: Hungry Reds punish Ederson errors March 8, 2020 All but mathematically unable to catch Liverpool and with little prospect of being pipped by a stuttering Leicester, Premier League games must currently feel like curiously pointless tasks for Manchester City. Win, lose or draw, City are highly likely to come second in the table and are almost certain to finish in the top four, [...]
Chelsea 4-0 Everton: Giroud and Gilmour lead Lampard to dominant win on a perfect day for the hosts March 8, 2020 This season Stamford Bridge has been nothing like a fortress. West Ham, Bournemouth, Southampton and Manchester United have all taken three points on visits to SW6. Before this one-sided, free-flowing 4-0 hammering of a hapless Everton on Sunday Chelsea had scored just 18 of their 47 Premier League goals at home – the lowest percentage [...]
Among the Trees at the Hayward Gallery: The life of trees viewed through the lens of the anthropocene March 6, 2020 The first recorded use of the term “tree hugger” came in 1730, when a Hindu sect called the Bishnoi tried to stop the maharajah of Jodhpur from chopping down an ancient forest for materials to build his new palace. They died in their hundreds, clinging to branches as the army cut down first the Bishnois [...]
Aubrey Beardsley at Tate Britain review: Delight in these sinister, bawdy drawings that railed against Victorian prudishness March 6, 2020 “I am nothing if I am not grotesque,” Victorian illustrator Aubrey Beardsley once said when asked to explain his art. It’s a fitting summary for the new exhibition of his work at Tate Britain, which takes the viewer on a tour of life’s darker and more sinister corners. Wandering its 15 rooms, you are shunted [...]
I Think We Are Alone at Theatre Royal Stratford East review: Kathy Burke’s influence looms large on heartfelt black comedy March 6, 2020 “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” It’s a quotation from Scots poet Ian McLaren, now being misattributed to Plato on Instagram feeds everywhere. It’s also the message I Think We Are Alone, the black comedy being toured by physical theatre troupe Frantic Assembly to mark its 25th anniversary, wants to [...]
Military Wives review: The Full Monty meets Keep Calm and Carry On in predictable Britcom March 6, 2020 If someone decided to make a film adaptation of the Keep Calm and Carry On poster, it would probably turn out a bit like Military Wives. Directed by The Full Monty’s Peter Cattaneo, it’s a similar tale of good old-fashioned British grit triumphing against the odds – except instead of steelworkers it’s about soldiers’ wives, [...]
Six Nations organisers had no choice but to postpone Italy v England over coronavirus but Saracens’ handling of Vunipola is ill-considered March 5, 2020 Coronavirus is all over the news at the moment and rugby is no exception after it emerged that England’s final Six Nations game against Italy had been postponed as a precaution. It is a shame for the tournament, which has been bubbling up nicely ahead of its conclusion next weekend, but organisers really had no [...]
Onward review: A magical tale of brotherly love, this is Pixar at its most uplifting March 5, 2020 Pixar’s latest does what Pixar does best. With just a few choice lines of dialogue and a handful of scenes it outlines a rich and vibrant world, rendered with such delicate artistry it’s hard to imagine that each frame was spat out of an unfeeling graphics processor. In keeping with Pixar’s recent slew of gut-punchers [...]
Tottenham 1-1 Norwich: Tim Krul stars as Canaries win 3-2 on penalties to reach FA Cup quarter-finals and condemn Spurs to fourth straight defeat March 4, 2020 Right now is not a happy time to be a Tottenham fan. Spurs are out of the FA Cup following a toothless home performance which ended in defeat on penalties against the Premier League’s bottom side and ensured that they have now been beaten four games in succession. The defeat, courtesy of Norwich goalkeeper and [...]
England have the spin options to be successful in Sri Lanka once again and climb the Test Championship table March 4, 2020 England flew out to Sri Lanka on Monday ahead of their upcoming Test tour of the country, which will have an added significance. The World Test Championship may have started on 1 August last year but it has only now started to come into focus for those competing in it. Having won five of their [...]