Sheffield United vs Manchester City LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction
The 2023/24 Premier League season is under way and you can follow every game and every goal right here with The Independent. This year sees Manchester City try to defend their crown and claim a historic fourth title in succession. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City, who also won the Champions League and FA Cup last season, will have to see off Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and the rest to claim an unprecedented sixth league title in seven years. Meanwhile Luton Town are making their first appearance in the Premier League, having risen from non-league in an incredible decade of progress. They followed Championship winners Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United in earning promotion to the top flight. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.
2023-08-27 23:24
Matty Cash double ensures no European hangover for Aston Villa at Burnley
Matty Cash’s first Aston Villa goals in over a year inspired Unai Emery’s side to a 3-1 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor. Cash came into the side as the only unenforced change from Villa’s 5-0 midweek Europa Conference League play-off win over Hibernian, and ensured there was no European hangover for his side as he scored twice in the opening 20 minutes. Lyle Foster gave Burnley hope with a powerful strike two minutes into the second half, but Moussa Diaby restored Villa’s two-goal advantage just after the hour as they ended a five-match winless league run on the road. Burnley built their Sky Bet Championship title on the back of a 21-match unbeaten run at home, but have started life back in the Premier League with back-to-back defeats at Turf Moor. Cash, playing in an advanced role on the right side of Villa’s midfield, needed only eight minutes to break the deadlock, sliding in to poke home Ollie Watkins’ cross after John McGinn’s lofted ball over the top had left Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford caught in two minds. It was the Poland international’s first goal since the final day of the 2021-22 season and the drama of Manchester City’s title-winning come-from-behind win over Villa, but there would soon be another with Cash at the heart of a slick passing move. Cutting in from the right to collect Watkins’ pass, Cash laid the ball off for Diaby on the right side of the box, then charged into the centre to lash home the resulting cross. Burnley looked rusty after the postponement of last weekend’s trip to Luton left them with an enforced rest and were being overrun defensively as the chances kept coming. Cash, brimming with confidence, tried a spectacular volley from Lucas Digne’s deep cross in the 35th minute, but Hannes Delcroix, making his Burnley debut after arriving in midweek from Anderlecht, got in a block to send it over the crossbar. Cash again linked up with Diaby, whose deflected cross found Watkins, but Trafford was in the right place to deny him from point-blank range. Burnley had done little to threaten the goal of Robin Olsen, making his first Premier League start since New Year’s Day with Emi Martinez sidelined by a calf strain, but things changed immediately at the start of the second half. Johann Berg Gudmundsson, on as a substitute, headed a deep ball back into the box and Foster had the power to hold off Pau Torres, spinning to fire beyond Olsen. Burnley were suddenly on top. Sander Berge sent in a cross begging for a touch, then Zeki Amdouni caused panic between Torres and Olsen. More confusion between Olsen and Boubacar Kamara allowed Berge to run into the box, winning a corner from which Olsen did well to deny Delcroix a debut goal. Having coped with the pressure, Villa hit Burnley on the break just after the hour. McGinn shrugged off a shirt pull from Ameen Al-Dakhil to play in Digne, who pulled the ball back for Diaby to find the bottom right corner – the goal surviving a VAR check for offside. Watkins should have made it four in the 67th minute when he beat Delcroix to a low cross but Trafford again denied him from close range, holding smartly. Nicolo Zaniolo replaced Diaby to make his Villa debut and almost scored with his first involvement, seeing his shot deflected wide, but the Italy international should have squared for the unmarked Watkins. Cash, still fancying a hat-trick, shot narrowly wide with 10 minutes left while Zaniolo flashed a powerful effort just over. Burnley substitute Jay Rodriguez twice threatened Olsen’s goal late on, but there was no way back for the hosts. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Mikel Arteta certain Kai Havertz will prove a hit at Arsenal What next for Oleksandr Usyk after controversial win over Daniel Dubois? Christian Eriksen says Manchester United players expect kneejerk reactions
2023-08-27 23:21
Newcastle vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League team news, line-ups as Wataru Endo makes full debut
Newcastle host Liverpool in a tantilising fixture early in this Premier League season. Both teams are expected to challenge for the Champions League spots this year and with plenty of competition from the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham and West Ham, today’s encounter could be a crucial one come the end of the season. Both teams have made mixed starts to the new campaign with Newcastle looking slightly stronger of the two despite being lower in the tabel. Eddie Howe’s men were impressive winners against Aston Villa on the opening day but were edged out 1-0 by Manchester City last weekend. Jurgen Klopp’s side, meanwhile, started their campaign with a shaky draw away at Chelsea before sweeping Bournemouth aside 3-1 despite of a red card for Alexis Mac Allister. New signing Wataru Endo makes his full debut for the Reds after coming on as a substitute against the Cherries and he’ll need to quickly get to grips with the Premier League against a Newcastle side on the rise. Follow all the action from St. James’ Park as Newcastle host Liverpool and get all the latest odds right here: Read More Eddie Howe admits last season’s battles with Liverpool remain vivid memories Liverpool are under pressure from Saudi Arabia – on and off the pitch Eddie Howe distances himself from comparisons to Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan
2023-08-27 22:59
Mikel Arteta certain Kai Havertz will prove a hit at Arsenal
Mikel Arteta has backed Kai Havertz to win over the fans and come good at Arsenal after the summer signing from Chelsea endured a tepid start to his career at the Emirates. Havertz arrived for £65million in June and has started all three of the team’s Premier League games as part of a midfield three this season. He was withdrawn after 56 minutes of Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Fulham having struggled to help Arsenal back into a match in which they trailed to Andreas Pereira’s first-minute goal. He had one glorious chance to level early in the first half when he got his head to Bukayo Saka’s clever flick back across goal but badly miscued his effort. And there was audible discontent from sections of the home support in certain moments when the Germany international was in possession. His struggles were thrown into stark relief by the impact of the player who replaced him, Fabio Vieira, who won a penalty from which Saka equalised in the 70th minute and then set up fellow substitute Eddie Nketiah to fire Arsenal into the lead moments later. Arteta insists he has been pleased with Havertz’s contributions so far and said he remains confident he will settle in north London. “I saw an action when he played it backwards and he could have turned,” said the manager. “But that’s more I think the demands of everybody, to play forward and to impact the game in the final third, because we had the urgency to win it. “Yes, I think (he will win the fans over). I think he’s done already really good things today. It was tough for him in certain moments, he got in great areas again and the ball didn’t arrive. “He’s had a lot of situations, he should have scored already a lot of goals this season, and that’s the thing that is missing there.” The introduction of Vieira and Nketiah in the second half had a transformative effect on Arsenal after a first half in which they dominated play but rarely extended Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Vieira in particular succeeded in galvanising the team in midfield after the ineffectual Havertz had departed, playing a decisive role in the goals that looked to have won it for the hosts before Joao Palhinha’s late strike for 10-man Fulham. But Arteta reserved special praise for Nketiah, a surprise omission from the starting line-up after performing well during Monday’s win against Crystal Palace, winning the penalty from which Martin Odegaard secured a 1-0 victory. “(Nketiah) looks a real threat at the moment,” said Arteta. “He’s in a good moment, I think he’s full of confidence. I saw when he came on in the second half the fire in his eyes, and he’s got an eye for goal. The way he finished the action, it was top. “It’s difficult to leave (any) player out. When I see the bench there are players that still haven’t played. But we’ve (played once a week (so far). In two weeks, that’s going to be a completely different scenario and we’re prepared for that.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live What next for Oleksandr Usyk after controversial win over Daniel Dubois? Christian Eriksen says Manchester United players expect kneejerk reactions We’re ready to go – Jamie Ritchie says Scotland are excited for World Cup
2023-08-27 22:15
Burnley vs Aston Villa LIVE: Premier League latest score, goals and updates from fixture
The 2023/24 Premier League season is under way and you can follow every game and every goal right here with The Independent. This year sees Manchester City try to defend their crown and claim a historic fourth title in succession. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City, who also won the Champions League and FA Cup last season, will have to see off Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and the rest to claim an unprecedented sixth league title in seven years. Meanwhile Luton Town are making their first appearance in the Premier League, having risen from non-league in an incredible decade of progress. They followed Championship winners Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United in earning promotion to the top flight. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.
2023-08-27 21:51
Uneven Texas High School Football Fan Fight Features Woman Going Flying
VIDEO: Woman gets destroyed at high school football game.
2023-08-27 21:25
Christian Eriksen says Manchester United players expect kneejerk reactions
Christian Eriksen says kneejerk reactions come with the territory of playing for Manchester United as he laughed off the focus on their sluggish start to the season. Having finished third in the Premier League, won the Carabao Cup and reached the FA Cup final last term, there is intrigue and increased expectations around Erik ten Hag’s second season. United were fortunate to kick off their campaign with a 1-0 win against Wolves – a poor performance compounded by last weekend’s alarming drop-off after a fine start in the 2-0 defeat at Tottenham. Saturday was shaping up to be an even more chastening day after Taiwo Awoniyi and Willy Boly put Forest two up within four minutes of kick-off at a stunned Old Trafford. But United roared back through Eriksen, Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes to secure a 3-2 comeback victory against 10-man Forest, avoiding an intense week of scrutiny ahead of the trip to Arsenal. Asked how important it was to win given a lot of people have had things to say about United’s start, goalscorer Eriksen said with a smile: “Yeah, this week. Maybe next week they’ll say something else and then the week after they’ll change their mind again. “It’s how football goes and definitely here. “I think everybody knows that if you lose one game everything is changed, everything is the worst thing that can happen. “And if you win, it’s ‘oh, it’s normal’, so, yeah, it’s just how it is at this club and we expect that as players. “Obviously we try to do our best to win every game, none of us like losing and we try to do it in the best possible way.” He doesn’t back down from anything Christian Eriksen on Rasmus Hojlund Eriksen, unsurprisingly given his career and experiences, cares little for the background noise surrounding United, but the expectation at the club can weigh heavily on some. Denmark team-mate Rasmus Hojlund is among those that will be under the spotlight this season having been brought in to solve their number nine issue. Signed for a £64million fee that could rise to £72million, the talented 20-year-old striker has yet to make his debut due to a back complaint but could feature for the first time at Arsenal. “He’s a guy who holds his ground,” Eriksen told club media. “He doesn’t back down from anything. “He’s really a front-foot guy, who is aggressive and really attack-minded. “But, at the same time, a nice guy outside of football. “I will definitely (pass on my experience of English football) but he will definitely see it for himself, that the Premier League is different compared to any other league he’s been at before. “So, he’s going to have to adapt, but I’m sure he will adapt quickly.” Hojlund is highly unlikely to be United’s final arrival before Friday’s transfer deadline, just as Forest are expected to be active before the window closes. There will also be talk about departures, with homegrown Wales international Brennan Johnson subject of interest from Chelsea, Tottenham and Brentford. “Brennan’s, for me, a top young player,” manager Steve Cooper said. “He had some great moments in the first half, showed his real quality on a big stage and there’s naturally going to be talk and interest, speculation, whatever it may be. “My focus is just on him day to day and helping him get ready for the next game, try to get the best out of him in training and the analysis side. “Until I get told something will be different with any of the players, that is what we will do, so it’s not something I’ve really thought about, to be honest.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live We’re ready to go – Jamie Ritchie says Scotland are excited for World Cup Iain Henderson: World Cup selection not a factor in unconvincing Ireland display Daniel Dubois’ camp to lobby for No Contest after Oleksandr Usyk drama
2023-08-27 20:55
Is Newcastle vs Liverpool on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Premier League fixture
Newcastle host Liverpool in a potentially crucial early-season Premier League fixture. For two sides who will hope to finish the season in the Champions League places, this is an opportunity to lay down a marker. Both have made mixed starts to the new league season, with Newcastle impressive winners against Aston Villa on the opening day but beaten by Manchester City last weekend. Jurgen Klopp’s side, meanwhile, followed a draw with Chelsea with a win over Bournemouth. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the fixture, and you can get all the latest football betting sites offers here. When is Newcastle vs Liverpool? Newcastle vs Liverpool is due to kick off at 4.30pm BST on Sunday 27 August at St James’ Park. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage on the channels from 4pm BST. Subscribers can stream the game via Sky Go. Team news Joe Willock, Emil Krafth and Javier Manquillo are unavailable to Eddie Howe, but Joelinton is set to be fit despite appearing to suffer an injury against Manchester City last weekend. Lewis Hall could feature in the squad for the first time since his move from Chelsea was confirmed. Liverpool have received a boost with the rescinding of Alexis Mac Allister’s red card, and the Argentina international could start again in midfield. Jurgen Klopp expects Trent Alexander-Arnold to be fit, but Ibrahima Konate is a doubt with a muscular issue and the Liverpool manager remains without Curtis Jones and Thiago Alcantara. Predicted line-ups Newcastle XI: Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Tonali, Guimaraes, Longstaff; Almiron, Barnes; Isak. Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Endo, Szoboszlai; Salah, Jota, Diaz. Odds Newcastle win 6/5 Draw 3/1 Liverpool win 21/10 Prediction A tight encounter ends in a draw. Newcastle 1-1 Liverpool. Read More Eddie Howe urges Bruno Guimaraes to learn from social media criticism Jurgen Klopp makes definitive statement on Mohamed Salah transfer saga Meet Manchester City’s new roadrunner who took Kylian Mbappe’s breath away Burnley vs Aston Villa LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Sheffield United vs Manchester City LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: Conceding early is not playing on our minds
2023-08-27 20:25
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2023-08-27 18:26
Erik ten Hag hails United’s spirit as they hit back to win after ‘horror start’
Erik ten Hag was delighted by his players’ response to their “horror start” as Manchester United overcame a two-goal deficit to beat 10-man Nottingham Forest. After stumbling to victory against Wolves in their Premier League opener and seeing a fine start fade in last weekend’s defeat at Tottenham, things unravelled in the opening four minutes at Old Trafford. Taiwo Awoniyi scored a decent opener on the break just 86 seconds after kick-off and Willy Boly added another in the fourth minute – the earliest United have ever trailed by two in a Premier League game. But they dug deep and pulled one back through Christian Eriksen, with Casemiro equalising after the break and Bruno Fernandes scoring a spot-kick to decide the contest shortly after Forest’s Joe Worrall was dismissed. Ten Hag said with a wink: “We want to give the fans something, eh? Of course it is a horror start, giving them two goals and making mistakes. “But I am very pleased with the comeback, with the leadership, how we stayed calm and composed. “We stick to the plans, stick to the belief and turn it around and I think we played in the meantime very good football out of our plan and out of our principles and rules. We scored good goals.” Asked if he views the comeback win more positively than negatively, the Dutchman said: “I think every team in the start (of the season) have areas where they have to improve. “Definitely we have also some and we have to progress there if you want to be successful. “But also you see this team has big character, big personality, there is a very good spirit in this team, there is energy and they found a way to win so, for today, big compliment for the team.” Fernandes, appointed captain in the summer, was at the heart of United’s comeback. The skipper provided the assist for Casemiro’s leveller, drew the foul that saw Worrall sent off and fired home the match-winning penalty a week on from being criticised for his role in the Spurs loss. “I think in almost all the aspects, moments of football, he played a very good game at the highest level,” Ten Hag said. “Keeping calm, for instance, emotions under control but in the right moment using his emotions. “He was brilliant in attacking, making the difference, so (I’m) very pleased with his performance.” Ten Hag is unsure whether Raphael Varane has suffered a noteworthy injury having come off at half-time due to “complaints” and was coy about Dean Henderson’s future. The PA news agency understand the goalkeeper is travelling to Crystal Palace for a medical despite the terms of the deal yet to be ironed out, with Fenerbahce’s Altay Bayindir lined up as replacement. Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman was in the Old Trafford directors’ box and Henderson waited outside the away dressing room to see former Forest team-mates after Saturday’s match. The goalkeeper spent last season on loan under Steve Cooper, who was left aggrieved by some of the decision-making on Saturday but said he was “biting my tongue”. “I just think in games like these, you need a bit of… I don’t even want to say good luck to go your way, you just want things to be as they should,” the Forest manager said. “I think on the decisions, I am not going to talk too much because I don’t want to get into trouble. “But the only thing I was surprised about is how quickly the decisions were made at that moment in time. “I think you sort of see now on decisions that can define a game, you tend to see referees take a bit more time, particularly at the top, top level. I was just really surprised looking at it, how quick it all happened. “Of course there was a decision to be made, I understand that, and it’s plain to see on the cameras and I’m hearing what everyone is saying. “But I was just surprised how quickly the officials sort of (decided). It was split-second stuff, wasn’t it?” Read More Bruno Fernandes gives Manchester United’s season lift-off with stirring comeback against Forest Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: Conceding early is not playing on our minds James Maddison says ‘collective’ approach needed to replace Harry Kane’s goals
2023-08-27 16:47
James Maddison says ‘collective’ approach needed to replace Harry Kane’s goals
James Maddison is more than happy to shoulder responsibility at Tottenham but has insisted it will take a “collective” effort to replace Harry Kane. Maddison continues to impress in the Spurs number 10 shirt previously worn by Kane, who completed a £100million move to Bayern Munich on the eve of the new season. Kane’s departure has not derailed the early progress of Ange Postecoglou’s team with Maddison relishing his role as creator in chief with two assists at Brentford earlier this month followed up with a maiden Tottenham goal in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Bournemouth. While Richarlison and captain Son Heung-min are yet to open their accounts for the season, Dejan Kulusevski ended his drought with the second at the Vitality Stadium to extend the feelgood factor currently around the club. “It’s tough if you’re asking me to try and get 30 goals,” Maddison joked. “It’s a collective. You can’t even look to replace what Harry Kane gives you. You’ve got to all chip in and look to try and score the same amount of goals from different areas. “Harry is probably the best number nine in the world. You will never find a direct replacement in terms of goals and what he can give you. We should all be chipping in.” Spurs have had five different goalscorers and benefited from an own goal during their three Premier League fixtures and there appears a new lease of life for several members of a squad rundown by the end of a tough 2022-23 campaign. Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr, having rarely featured under Postecoglou’s predecessor Antonio Conte, have quickly formed an encouraging midfield partnership with Maddison, and Pedro Porro has made the most of his early opportunities at right-back. When Maddison joined from Leicester in June for an initial £40million fee, he was not viewed as a replacement for Kane but continues to provide creativity and a goal threat. It's tough if you're asking me to try and get 30 goals! It's a collective. James Maddison on replacing Harry Kane The 26-year-old insists the philosophy of ex-Celtic boss Postecoglou has been key to Tottenham’s flying start despite losing the England captain. Maddison told BBC’s Match of the Day: “The type of person I am, I’m at my best when I have responsibility on my shoulders and that’s when I thrive. “I am a player who loves to be on the ball and that fits with how the manager wants his players to play. This was a good day for all that. “We’ve got the bit between our teeth. We have some momentum so long may that continue and hopefully we can still implement the final steps the gaffer wants to see, which is attacking football.” Postecoglou has enjoyed an unbeaten start to life at Tottenham but it is a different story for Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola. Iraola watched his team open the season with a 1-1 home draw against West Ham before defeats have followed against Liverpool and Tottenham. The fixture list does not get any kinder with Brentford, Chelsea, Brighton and Arsenal to come in September but Iraola blamed himself for a drop-off during the latter stages of this Spurs loss, with Ryan Christie’s withdrawal on the hour mark viewed in hindsight as a mistake. “We knew from the beginning that we had a very tough schedule to start and now we have some important players out with injuries but we have to keep competing,” Iraola insisted. “I think probably after the game you think and I shouldn’t have taken Ryan out of from the game because especially without the ball, he was pressing really well. “I wanted to go a little bit more offensive, but we were worse from that point. I don’t know if it was after the subs or 2-0 because it was one minute later. “Probably until the 62nd minute we were playing well and – against a very good team – having our chances. “So, I was quite happy with the performance, but from there we couldn’t keep the intensity and they were controlling the game much easier.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Iain Henderson: World Cup selection not a factor in unconvincing Ireland display Daniel Dubois’ camp to lobby for No Contest after Oleksandr Usyk drama On this day in 2016: Hull beat Warrington to win Challenge Cup
2023-08-27 16:29
Pizza, cake and meringue martinis: When did cinema food get so silly?
As I sit in the dark of Screen 2 at Oxford’s Curzon cinema, a woman a few seats away from me does something I’ve not seen before: she orders pizza. Specifically, she orders £64.85 worth of pizzas and chips for her and her family. A few minutes later – after the film has started, in fact – the food is brought to her, as though she was sitting in any regular restaurant and not in a cinema. Eating at the pictures is becoming ever more sophisticated, with ushers bringing you food as fancy as sushi without you having to move a muscle. Is it getting a bit silly? It’s no secret that cinemas have endured a range of crises over the past few years, partly thanks to the rise of streaming and then the pandemic and even more streaming. Cinemas across the country have shut down and forecasters predict that screens won’t be as full as they were pre-Covid until 2025. Some of the cinemas that survived, like AMC, are saddled with billions of pounds worth of debt. Just showing people films may not cut it in this difficult new era. As they fight to survive, cinemas are having to up their game. They have to offer “experiences”. Christina Flourentzou, operations manager at Curzon, says they learned that customers wanted more food and drink with their film thanks to their feedback service, Feed It Back. This happened before Covid struck, she points out, but post-pandemic the company rolled their restaurants out on a bigger scale. “What we’re trying to do is elevate the guest experience,” she says. “For us it’s about giving the guest the best possible experience; so anything that they want, we can give them, essentially.” At my local Curzon this includes padron peppers, mushroom and truffle croquettes, and vegan hot dogs. What Curzon has discovered, according to Flourentzou, is that when at-seat food and drink service is offered, the spend per customer goes up – often by as much as £2 per person. There is a different mindset when ordering at your seat compared with ordering at the till: “You take your coat off, your hands are free, you look at a menu, suddenly someone comes to you and says, ‘What would you like?’ Your mentality changes.” On any new site Curzon will now endeavour to install tables at seats, in order to allow for this in-screen service. Eating entire meals in your cinema seat is becoming more and more popular but it isn’t a brand-new phenomenon. Studio Movie Grill, born in Texas but with sites in states including California, Florida and Georgia, has been offering at-seat food and drink since 2000. Tearlach Hutcheson, the company’s vice president for film, calls this kind of operation a “cinema eatery”. He agrees that it isn’t just the pandemic that has caused a shift in customer priorities; it’s been happening over the past 20 years as home entertainment systems have become increasingly more sophisticated and cinemas have had to compete. “I think that people are looking for a different experience when they go to the theatres,” he says. “We have to provide a more luxurious catering experience to the guest.” I think the immersion is only going to get more and more. I think that everyone is going to adapt because this is what people want. I don’t think the cinema is enough now ... I don’t think it’s ever going to go back to popcorn and drinks Amy Fernando, creator of Taste Film At Studio Movie Grill, food revenue is more than twice that of ticket sales, and its CEO says that business is better for the company than before the pandemic. In cinemas, profit margins have always been higher on food than on tickets – though these margins are far smaller for cooked food than for popcorn and Coke. The kitchen staff at Studio Movie Grill are often dishing out six meals per minute. A recent innovation was a kitchen printer that printed orders faster than ever before. Servers are allowed to bring food and drink to guests at any point (unlike Curzon, where, Flourentzou says, it should strictly happen during the adverts and trailers) but the bulk of orders are placed within the first 30 minutes of arrival. Studio Movie Grill could represent the future of the cinema-going experience: it might soon be completely normal to bundle the film-and-a-meal experience into one. What Hutcheson is confident about is that cinemas will become more of a “destination spot” in order to entice people to leave the comfort of their homes. Flourentzou doesn’t think I’m right to call it “panic” but it does seem like cinemas are urgently fighting to stay alive. One person who knows all about using food and cinema to create an experience is Amy Fernando, creator of Taste Film, an enterprise that shows films to customers while serving them food featured in those films. Watching Goodfellas in 2016, Fernando was inspired by the infamous shaving garlic scene to marry the two things she cared most about. Seven years later, she has swapped teaching for running the business full-time. “I think the beauty of coming to the cinema, or doing an experience like this, is sharing it with like-minded people,” she says. “Post-Covid there is something special in getting dressed up, going out, and sharing the experience with other people.” When I go to watch Taste Film’s version of Mrs Doubtfire, I agree. I didn’t think of the film as one featuring all that much food but at appropriate moments we are served a savoury birthday muffin; chilli salt and pepper chicken wings; a meringue martini; tiger prawn skewers with chips and salad; a pina colada; and a chilli and chocolate mousse. As Fernando says, the frisson of fun is largely to do with two communal experiences: everyone not just watching the film at the same time but eating the same food at the same time. This won’t be replicable in regular cinemas (a Taste Film ticket is £75, for example) but the company is going from strength to strength, partnering with the big streamers, and its growth is indicative of people’s updated expectations around film. “Guests want more,” says Fernando, “and younger people want more.” Ultimately, of course, it will be the quality of films that govern whether or not cinemas stay afloat. This summer has seen an unusual boom in quality and business, with Barbie and Oppenheimer proving critical darlings as well as excellent earners. But where the cinemas can’t control how good the films are, they can control the various offerings they provide around them. “I think the immersion is only going to get more and more,” says Fernando. “I think that everyone is going to adapt because this is what people want. I don’t think the cinema is enough now.” Hutcheson and Flourentzou agree. Hand in hand with this development, Hutcheson says, will be a resurgence in “purer cinematic experiences” – people wanting to experience cinema with as sophisticated a picture and sound experience as possible. He believes that it won’t be long before cinema eateries – at the moment confined to more modest theatres – will also enter the IMAX space. Look at the signs and it certainly seems as though it will be difficult to put the genie back in the bottle – which means cinemagoers may need to brace themselves for an exciting new range of smells. Fernando is probably right when she says: “I don’t think it’s ever going to go back to popcorn and drinks.” Read More Too gay, too weird, too pregnant: The most controversial Barbie dolls in history Doing things alone isn’t ‘self-love’ – we don’t need to make everything empowering Sizzling kitchen drama The Bear is spicing up the dating game for chefs ‘It started with a radish’: Chef Simon Rogan reflects on restaurant L’Enclume at 20 The true story – and murky history – of Portuguese piri piri oil 30-minute summer recipes for all the family to enjoy
2023-08-27 15:19