jose - soccer

Manchester United keeper Edwin Van der Saar has set a new clean sheets' record by going 14 games without conceding a single goal. The FIFA approved International Federation for Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) announced that Van der Saar broke the previous record which was set by Egypt's Essam Al-Hadari. Ending by the United against Fulham game on Wednesday, Van der Saar has now gone 1302 minutes without conceding, surpassing Al-Hadari's 1288 minutes. The Dutch guardian's net was last hit on November 12th 2008, when Arsenal's Samir Nasri scored against Manchester United.

Manchester United players were first to salute Van der Saar, confirming that the 38-year-old's achievement is a massive boost for the whole team. "It's unbelievable. Edwin deserves it; he's a great man, a great goalkeeper. He works a lot - for his age! - and I'm really happy for him," said Cristiano Ronaldo. "Not just for him, the whole team, all the lads, especially the defenders, who support him a lot."

From his side, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed that Van der Saar has played a great role in the team's victories over the last couple of years. "Edwin brings absolute calm and assurance to the players in front of him," said the United boss. "We have changed he back four I don't know how many times and not conceded. That says a lot for every player who has come in and done a job."

former Forest keeper Chris Woods has poured cold water on Edwin van der Saar's record attempt. The Man United stopper bids to break Woods' record – of going 1,196 minutes without conceding a goal – against West Ham tomorrow. But Woods, who set the record playing for Rangers in the 1986-87 season, insists Van der Saar has a long way to go to beat it. "Nobody seems to be counting the goal he conceded in Japan in the Fifa Club World Cup," said Woods, who is currently coaching at Everton. "If you count that, his record is nine games, or 810 minutes. "It was a Fifa recognised fixture. We are not just talking about league fixtures because my record covered both league and cup games."

Woods, who was a League Cup hero at Forest, never played a league game for the Reds because of the form of Peter Shilton. He left for QPR in 1979 to find regular first-team football. Woods, who also played for Norwich, Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Colorado Rapids, Southampton and Burnley, was good enough to win 43 full England caps.

(source: filgoal, thisisnottingham.co.uk)

Bookmakers in England have moved quickly to install current Russian national team coach Guus Hiddink as the favourite to take over from Luiz Felipe Scolari, today sacked as Chelsea manager, at Stamford Bridge. Bookmakers Ladbrokes are quoting the Dutchman at odd of 5/2 to be the next Chelsea gaffer. However, the coach himself 'dead-batted' suggestions by reporters that he was in line to take over from the Brazilian in west London, as he works with his Russian squad at a warm weather training camp in Turkey. "I have no news for you," the Dutchman told Reuters earlier. "I'm not concerned with what has been said about me elsewhere, I'm working here now."

Guus Hiddink was announced as Chelsea's interim manager this week, and yesterday he attended his first training session since arriving at his new club. The Dutchman took plenty of positives from his orientation day at Cobham, but he also identified the need to unify the 'team' he has inherited from Luiz Felipe Scolari. "They are very committed, I have seen them training but sometimes you can have a little bit of a different approach to get even more efficiency out of the players," Hiddink told Chelsea TV last night. "That's what I'm aiming for and if you can add those individuals together and make a team, then everyone can bring a little bit more. "I don't like to give anyone much time, not me and not the players. It is too easy to talk commitment because everyone has an obligation to be committed, but in the tactical and the strategic approach during the game we might gain some profit."

Guus Hiddink was this week announced as Luiz Felipe Scolari's successor in the Chelsea hot-seat. With the Blues lying fourth in the Premier League standings, the Dutchman faces the unenviable task of resurrecting a richly talented but under-performing team's season. How will his successes and failures over the years influence his reign at Stamford Bridge?

As mentioned earlier, the league title is all but off the cards for the London giants. Thus, Hiddink will have to gear his squad for European success. In his favour is his relative success with national teams in knock-out tournaments. No, he's never actually won the World Cup or the European Championship, but he's taken some middling teams a heck of a long way.

However, Chelsea aren't exactly an Australia or a South Korea. The quarter-finals or the semis mean nothing to a club who have come to expect trophies season after season. They are yet to win the Champions League, and it is the one crown Abramovich wants more than any other.

Hiddink's done it before, of course, albeit not in the modern format. But that was as a young up-and-comer building his reputation. As an experienced, well-travelled trainer who's been focused on 'project teams' over the past few years, it is hard to say how he will handle this sudden return to the elite level of club football.
(source: goal.com)

It looks like another match fixing scandal could rock Italian football again after Inter Milan have been accused of drawing or losing matches to change betting odds. According to a report which was published by Italian Public Ministry in Friday's edition of Il Giornale has said that Inter Milan threw their lead in the title race towards the end of last season to increase gambling odds.

This enquiry that was carried out by Italian Police at the request of the Public Ministry who are investigating allegations regarding phone calls between former Inter coach Roberto Mancini (who was incharge of Inter Milan last season) and a man who is associated with the Mafia, he is called Domenico Brescia.

It is known that Brescia is an Inter Milan supporter who has been in trouble before with drug related allegations. During last season, from week 24 onwards, some betting agencies wouldn't take anymore bets on Inter Milan winning the Scudetto.

The report also says that Zlatan Ibrahimovic's return from injury was postponed on purpose and that on the penultimate match of the season (the day that Inter Milan won the Scudetto) Julio Cruz was told not to take the penalty and Marco Materazzi missed it. The last thing that Italian football needs right now is another match fixing scandal whether it is true or not. Hopefully it isn't true because the last thing that we want in football is this.

It has not been long since the Calciopoli was unearthed from the depths of the Serie A wherein some of the biggest clubs in Italy were put to shame as their dirty linen was washed in public. This was not only a defamation of the clubs involved, but also a black mark in the history of the top flight that has only in recent times begun to regain the respect that it once lost.

Presently, another scandal has rocked the country as the Milan based daily Il Giornale published a report from the Italian Public Ministry that accuses Inter of throwing away matches in order to facilitate better odds towards their winning the Scudetto last season.

It is believed that the report released by the Public Ministry picks up pace sometime in the second half of the season, and centres around a string of phone conversations between Roberto Mancini and Domenico Brescia, a convicted murderer who is said to have had links with the mafia.

While the club distanced themselves when it became known that they were dealing with someone with a criminal record, it remains a fact that Brescia was the emergency tailor for the Nerazzuri at some point, since that is where the problems are supposed to have begun.

The report is apparently alleging the club of delaying the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic after an injury, only to unveil him in the last match of the season against Parma in which the striker scored twice, to lead the path to the Serie A title.

This will be a damaging time for Inter as well as the Serie A, which has come under severe criticism in recent times due to the shocking incidents that have come to light in the past. This revelation will do no good to the league that boasts so many big names and stars. That apart, this may derail the hopes that la Beneamata can bring home the Scudetto this season.

(source: footballitaliano, bleacherreport.com)

Tottenham Hotspur bukan termasuk klub hebat di Inggris, jika dibandingkan dengan Liverpool dan Manchester United. Tapi klub berjuluk The Spurs ini pernah memiliki kkebesarn di era 1980-an. Dan, penyihir yang membawa kebesaran itu tak lain adalah Glenn Hoddle. Gelandang yang membuat permainan Tottenham selalu efektif, berbahaya dan menarik.
Padahal ketika Hoddle masih remaja, nyaris tak ada yang memperhatikan kemampuannya. Maklum, waktu itu Hoddle belum memiliki klub karena hanya bermain dari satu klub ke klub kecil lainnya di Middlesex, kampung halamannya. Beruntung ada teman yang juga striker Tottenham, Martin Chivers. Atas sarannya, Hoddle masuk The Spurs sebagai pemain magang. Bahkan Chivers memberi rekomendasi, sehingga Hoddle diterima.
Belum lama magang di Tottenham, manajer The Spurs kala itu, Bill Nicholson dipecat. Ini justru memberi berkah buat Hoddle. Manajer baru Terry Neill, tak memandangnya sebelah mata seperti pelatih sebelumnya. Neill melihat bakat Hoddle luar biasa dan dengan berani memberi kepercayaan kepadanya saat masih berusia 18 tahun. Agustus 1975 ketika Hotspur berjumpa Norwich, Hoddle diturunkan sebagai pengganti Ian Smith. Sejak itu Hoddle sering dipasang dan menunjukan bakatnya sebagai gelandang kreatif dan punya tendangan keras. Lalu memasuki tahun 1976, dia sudah menjadi pemain inti dan mulai tampil penuh saat lawan Stoke City di bulan Februari. Bahkan berkontribusi untuk kemenangan 2-1 tim ibukota lewat gol tendangan jarak jauh yang memperdayai kiper kenamaan Peter Shilton.
Inilah awal kebintangan Hoddle, tak berapa lama dia segera jadi pahlawan White Hart Lane, markas Tottenham. Permainannya selalu mengundang kagum dan punya gocekan maut serta akurasi umpan yang berbahaya. Meski begitu, baru di era 1980-an, Hoddle membawa kebesaran bagi tim London. Bukan cuma dalam negeri tapi juga tingkat Eropa. Puncaknya dia mempersembahkan gelar Piala FA 2 tahun berturut-turut dan trophy Piala UEFA 1983-1984 kepada klub. Publik White Hart Lane ingat betul, pemain kesayangannya ini berandil besar dalam sukses tersebut. Salah satunya pada partai final FA Cup 1982, Hoddle mengukir gol untuk menaklukan Liverpool.
Terakhir, dia memperkuat Tottenham di final Piala FA tahun 1987, namun sayang The Spurs kalah dari Coventry City 2-3. Setelah itu Hoddle pindah ke Liga Perancis bersama AS Monaco dengan transfer 750.000 pounds. Torehan kenangan Hoddle selama berkostum The Whites adalah 490 laga dan mengoleksi 110 gol.
Meski tergolong uzur, 30 tahun, Hoddle ternyata masih tampil bagus berseragam Monaco yang saat itu diarsiteki calon “Professor” Arsene Wenger. Bahkan Hoddle menjadi motor serangan klub. Puncaknya dengan raihan juara Ligue 1 musim 1987-1988. Ini satu - satunya gelar kompetisi liga yang pernah diraih. Usai membantu Monaco merengkuh trophy Le Championnat, cedera lutut kanan yang dia derita sejak di Hotspur sering kambuh hingga Hoddle jarang diturunkan pelatih.
Tahun 1993 dia pindah ke Chelsea sebagai pemain nonkontrak, bertahan dua bulan kemudian hijrah ke klub Divisi I, Swindon. Hoddle merangkap menjadi pemain – manager dan menunjukan kemampuan sebagai calon manager brilian. Berkat sentuhannya pula Swindon promosi ke Premier League season 1993. Musim itu juga dia langsung kembali ke Chelsea juga sebagai pemain merangkap manager. Sekali Hoddle menjalankan tugasnya dengan baik. Chelsea seperti bangun dari tidur dan mampu bersaing di papan atas dengan para raksasa Premiership lainnya. Cedera yang terus menjerat memaksanya pensiun lalu berkonsentrasi sebagai pelatih.
Bagi public White Hart Lane, Hoddle dinobatkan menjadi pemain terbaik sepanjang masa dan rakyat Inggris menilainya sebagai pemain berbakat St. George Cross era 1980an. Memperkuat The Three Lions 53 caps dan 8 goal.

(reference: soccer classic 23th dec03)

Manchester United has thrashed Chelsea 3-0 at Old Trafford as the English Premier League champion moved an ominous step closer to leader Liverpool. Nemanja Vidic headed United in front in first-half stoppage time and Wayne Rooney doubled its advantage on the hour with a close-range volley. Dimitar Berbatov completed the rout in the 87th minute to lift United into third place. Alex Ferguson's side is now just five points behind Liverpool and one behind a Chelsea side which was desperately lacking any spark and wilted alarmingly.

United has two games in hand of both its main title rivals. "(Chelsea) had a lot of good possession and they are a threat when they get possession.. .but I don't think they really got a clear-cut chance," Ferguson told Sky Sports. "We said before that we still had all the main teams at home and we really need to win those games. "Janauary is a big month for us with eight games but we've got the squad to cope."

United faces Wigan Athletic on Thursday morning (AEDT) and Bolton Wanderers next weekend. Should it win both, it will be top of the league before Liverpool faces Everton next Tuesday. Defeat was Chelsea's first on the road in the league this season and continued manager Luiz Felipe Scolari's poor record against the top sides since taking over at Stamford Bridge. "This has done big damage to us," the Brazilian said. "We came here to win and now we need to think about what happened with some players." Wigan won for the sixth time in seven league matches when Maynor Figueroa's late header earned a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, which is third from bottom.

United was dealt a blow before kick-off when central defender Rio Ferdinand was ruled out with a recurrence of a back injury that will require a visit to a specialist next week. However his absence was hardly noticed as keeper Edwin van der Sar barely had a save to make as United made it eight league games without conceding a goal. A yellow card for Frank Lampard after a foul that left Cristiano Ronaldo in a heap set the tone for a messy opening to a match that could be a pivotal point in the season.

United appealed for a penalty when Ashley Cole appeared to block a cross with his arm, but it took it half an hour to force Petr Cech into a save from a Berbatov shot. United began to ratchet up the pressure on the Chelsea goal just before the interval. John Terry was forced into one desperate block from a Park Ji-sung shot before Ronaldo had a headed goal disallowed after referee Howard Webb ordered a crafty United corner to be re-taken - much to the fury of Rooney.

Chelsea failed to learn its lesson and as Giggs delivered the ball again in stoppage time, Berbatov got a slight touch and Serbian defender Vidic crept in at the far post to nod the ball past Cech. The goal knocked the stuffing out of Chelsea and despite Scolari sending on Nicolas Anelka to partner Didier Drogba up front after the break, it was United which moved up a gear. A sweet movement on the hour mark saw Ronaldo's back heel release Patrice Evra and his pacey cross was met first time by Rooney to double United's lead. United could have scored on numerous occasions as Chelsea wilted before Berbatov supplied the final flourish, connecting with a Ronaldo free kick.

(source: www.abc.net.au)

David Beckham has made his debut for Italian giants AC Milan against Hamburger SV in the Dubai Football Challenge at the The Emirates Sevens Stadium in Dubai. It was feared that the midfielder - on loan from LA Galaxy - would miss the game following an injury picked up in training, but he was given the all clear after a last minute fitness test.

But Italy striker Francesco Totti claims his arrival will weaken the team. Beckham played the firsthalf of a friendly against Hamburg in Dubai and is due to make his Serie A debut at Roma on Sunday. But with huge competition for starting places, Roma captain Totti believes including Beckham - on loan from LA Galaxy - will "unbalance" Milan. "I like Beckham a lot and I'm glad he's chosen to play in our league," he said. "But let's hope Carlo Ancelotti fields all his big-name players together. I honestly think that could be an advantage for us as the team would be unbalanced."

Francesco Totti, the Roma captain, says he is excited by the arrival of David Beckham in Italy. The England midfielder could make his debut for AC Milan in a friendly with Hamburg tonight after agreeing a two-month loan deal from Los Angeles Galaxy and Totti has expressed his admiration Beckham.

"I am really curious about David's arrival to Italy," he said. "He is an icon. I am delighted he has chosen to play in our league, even if it will be for a short spell. "Beckham is a lad I like a lot just as I like his wife. They are two beautiful people to see. Many will envy them."

(source: timesonline&mirror.co.uk)

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp rubbishes talk of a reported £30m swoop for Portsmouth trio Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Glen Johnson. The January transfer window has opened, which gives clubs their first opportunity to buy or sell players since the end of August. Several deals have already been agreed, including Portsmouth midfielder Lassana Diarra's £20m move to Real Madrid while a number of others are being finalised. A record £150m was spent by Premier League clubs in January 2008.

But that figure could be eclipsed this season if, as expected, Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is given major funds to strengthen his squad by his club's billionaire Arab owners. Any buys by City could kick-start activity from other Premier League sides but the Eastlands club are yet to delve into the market.

Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz is believed to be top of Hughes' wish-list but Rovers boss Sam Allardyce says he has not received any offers for the Paraguay star, while Chelsea defender Wayne Bridge is widely tipped to be heading to Eastlands.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has underlined his desire to sign new players, and has already had a bid of around £6m rejected for West Ham striker Craig Bellamy as well as confirming his interest in Pompey frontman Jermain Defoe and Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing. But teams such as Manchester United and Chelsea insist they will not be buying and others, like Portsmouth and the Hammers, may be forced to sell some of their stars to balance the books.

Wigan are keen to keep hold of England striker Emile Heskey, who is out of contract in the summer, while Newcastle striker Michael Owen and goalkeeper Shay Given are also in demand. Most Premier League managers have already had their say over how they see the next month going:

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger:
"Although we are not close to signing anyone at the moment, if we do buy I think what we need is maybe someone with a bit of experience. I need a creative midfielder and eventually another midfielder, because we are short. "We already have many young players so, if we buy, it will be somebody who is ready to play straight away. A loan deal could also be a possibility. "What we might need is someone who can create a little spark."

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill:
"We are definitely looking at trying to do something if it is at all possible. "I do not know whether the credit crunch has affected the market but this is a chance for all clubs to add to their squads."

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce:
"There have been no bids whatsoever for Roque Santa Cruz. "At the moment I am more focused on getting him fit because I haven't seen him play since I've been here. I'm looking to getting him fit and producing the form he produced last year to get us out of trouble. I'm also more focused on getting players in rather than players out. Certainly my focus over the last two days has been speaking to the chairman about that. "We're both going to go out and try and improve our squad as quickly as possible."

Chelsea manager Luiz Filipe Scolari on his side's transfer policy:
"I knew that it's a different time for Chelsea but, if we suffer more injuries, the board understand that I'll need one or two players to replace some [injured] players. "They understand this. If, on the other hand, the players are in good condition and there are no more injuries, I think it's maximum one player they'll replace because we need one more. Only one. A striker.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon says transfer activity will be kept to a minimum:
"I don't think we will be doing any business in the January transfer window because the type of players we are looking for are not available. "Another reason is that we have still got some long-term injuries coming back and in January or February, Chelsea will have more player availability."

Everton manager David Moyes:
"We are actively looking at what will make a difference, but I don't think I will be able to do much in January. I am more likely to be looking at loans. "Anything the club have got they will give me. But that doesn't mean to say I am not out there looking for loans or Bosman signings or anything else that can help us. "I don't think we will be selling because we don't have the numbers. We are short at this present time and that limits what I can do off the bench."

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez admits signings are unlikely:
"It will be difficult to bring anyone in January because we have a good squad. "To bring in anyone better than what we've got isn't easy and could be expensive."

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes:
"We're aware of this assumption about the level of finance that we'll throw at the project in January, but we still have realistic market values. "There is also an assumption that we will stimulate the market, that the money sloshing around will be from the deals that we have started, but we have to make sure we protect the club as well. "We're hoping to go into the market and acquire players that we think will help us, but it is still dependent on whether clubs are willing to deal with us or not. "The deals that we do will have to be good ones, but we are quite happy at the moment. We know that there will be a premium that we will probably have to pay because it's January, and teams don't want to lose their better players. "But it will not be to the extent where we are paying hugely over the market value."

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson:
"I do not think there will be any January transfers, I am happy with what I have got. "We are probably going to bring back a couple of young players who have been on loan. That may just give us extra protection. "We took 23 players to Japan (for the Club World Cup) and they are substantial players. I would be happy to play any one of them."

Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear insists goalkeeper Shay Given is not for sale:
"Shay won't be leaving - he has no interest in that whatsoever. He loves the football club - he's part of the city and that suits us because he's a world-class goalkeeper."

Portsmouth manager Tony Adams:
"The board are going to do exactly what they did for [former boss] Harry Redknapp to me, and I had money anyway [before Real's move for Diarra]. I have had new signings in mind since I have been in the job."

Stoke chairman Peter Coates:
"We've got a few things on the go. I think Tony Pulis would like about three players, but I don't want to give too much away. "I do know we'll have a stronger squad at the end of January than what we have now."

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp on his January targets:
"If could find a wide-left player I would like to get one. That and a frontman would be the priority." "I think Portsmouth have had a massive offer from somebody for Jermain Defoe, so good luck to them - I paid about £9m when I signed him. He is a good player but we're not going to pay over the top for anyone. "It's not finished but if they don't want to sell him [Defoe] it's up to them. I am not going to upset the applecart. "If they say 'we'll have that', then we can do something. If they say 'we don't want to sell him' then it is end of story. "I like Stewart Downing but I don't know whether Middlesbrough want to sell him."

West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury:
"We must not be afraid of interest in or bids for our leading players. "Each approach will be considered in terms of fee, fitness, form and where the manager thinks the player is in his career. "We have to consider the will of the player and whether he is committed to what we are trying to achieve. "A bid may be evaluated by the manager as allowing him to significantly improve his team."

(source: BBC, goal)

LIVERPOOL have maintained their grip on first place in the Barclays Premier League table with a stunning 5-1 win against a toothless Newcastle United at St James' Park. Reds captain Steven Gerrard scored twice and had had it not been for Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given, the hosts could have been on the wrong end of a double-figure disaster after being completely outclassed. The Republic of Ireland international made five world-class saves in 10 minutes to prevent Newcastle from total capitulation before the midway point of the first-half.

Liverpool assistant manager Sammy Lee said: ``I think we are improving with every game we play and that is all we can look for. You haven't seen the best of Liverpool yet. "You win nothing in December but you can certainly lose a lot. We're very pleased to be going into the New Year at the top."

Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear - whose 62nd birthday celebrations on Sunday have been distinctly muted having been beaten by Wigan on Friday and now Liverpool - said that his depleted side had not been able to hold off the attacking hordes from Liverpool. "We were short of six or seven players and everything that could go against us did go against us. "We had to play one of the best teams I've seen for a long while. You have to take your hat off to Liverpool. They were in command for a long time and could have put the game to bed in the first half."

Arsenal target Given began his run of jaw-dropping stops in the 10th minute as he pushed away a fierce near post strike from lone Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt. Within a minute England midfielder Gerrard weaved his way around three United defenders only to see his left foot shot palmed away by Given.

However, the onslaught had only just begun and in the 14th minute the Magpies 'keeper denied Gerrard again as he sprung to his right to claw away a rising left footed shot. But that stunning save was eclipsed by an even better show of agility five minutes later as Given denied the Brazilian midfielder Lucas from point-blank range. When the former Gremio player saw his header, from a Gerrard corner, beaten away by the Newcastle goalkeeper moments later, the visitors must have begun to fear this would be no easy win on Tyneside.

United, for their part, had barely managed to break beyond halfway and the Magpies' owner, Mike Ashley, must have been wondering whether he had been premature in announcing his decision to take the club off the market for the foreseeable future. If his aim had been to usher in a period of calm at St James' Park, the effect had not extended to the pitch. Liverpool continued to press forward at will and two goals before half-time appeared to end the game as a contest. Inevitably, given his sensational start to the match, it was Gerrard who broke the deadlock in the 31st minute when he drilled Yossi Benayoun's pass in off the post. Poor Given had no opportunity to reprise his heroics and the Irishman was stranded again five minutes later when defender Sami Hyypia was given the freedom of the Newcastle penalty area to head home Gerrard's corner.

The experienced Finn could have grabbed a second three minutes before the break only for a diving Given to push the ball into the path of Newcastle's Charles N'Zogbia, who cleared. These were torrid times for United but, incredibly, Canada international defender David Edgar reduced the arrears on the stroke of half-time by heading in Danny Guthrie's corner.

Liverpool's third, five minutes after the restart, had an element of luck about it, with referee Mark Halsey failing to spot Lucas's hand ball, but Dutch international Ryan Babel tapped-in from five yards despite being surrounded by several Newcastle players. Gerrard grabbed his second from Lucas's astute through ball in the 66th minute. And when substitute Xabi Alonso wrapped things up with a well taken penalty 13 minutes from time with Gerrard off the field, after his fellow replacement David Ngog had been brought down by Edgar, Liverpool could celebrate heading into 2009 on top of the Premier League pile.

Agence France-Presse, source: foxsport)

A Robbie Keane double helped Liverpool regain the lead at the top of the Premier League after a 3-0 win over Bolton at Anfield. Rafael Benitez's men had dropped to second after Chelsea's win over West Brom earlier, but Keane's brace and a first-half strike from Albert Riera was enough to see off Gary Megson's side. Liverpool put the opposition under intense pressure from the kick off and took the lead after 25 minutes when Riera tapped home a Steven Gerrard corner. Keane scored his second goal in two games when he coolly slotted past Jussi Jaaskelainen after being played through by Gerrard. It took Keane only five minutes to get himself on the scoresheet again as he latched onto a Yossi Benayoun through ball and drove past Jaaskelainen to put the game beyond doubt.

Didier Drogba's first league goal of the season helped Chelsea to a 2-0 win over West Brom at Stamford Bridge. Luiz Felipe Scolari started with both Nicolas Anelka and Drogba for the first time this season and the Ivory Coast striker took only three minutes to break the deadlock when he headed Joe Cole's cross past Scott Carson to give Chelsea the lead. Frank Lampard then picked up on Ashley Cole's deflected cross to chip over Carson for the winner on the stroke of half time.

Manchester City dragged themselves out of the relegation zone in emphatic fashion with a 5-1 thrashing of Hull at Eastlands. Robinho cut inside and chipped over to Stephen Ireland who squared his cross to Felipe Caicedo. He hit the ball into the roof of the net from close range to open the scoring. Caicedo scored his second after 26 minutes before Ireland sent Robinho through on the half hour and the Brazilian slid the ball past Boaz Myhill for City's third. Robinho's second came 10 minutes before the break when he tapped home a low Shaun Wright-Phillips cross. Craig Fagan pulled one back for Hull in the second half but Ireland scored City's fifth to complete the rout.

Manchester United had to wait until seven minutes from the end to hit the winner at Stoke. Tony Pulis' side, who had Andy Wilkinson sent off, held United until Carlos Tevez turned home a Dimitar Berbatov cross to send the Potters back into the relegation zone.

Craig Bellamy underlined his importance to West Ham by scoring twice in the Hammers' 4-1 win over Portsmouth at Fratton Park. Nadir Belhadj gave Portsmouth an early lead but the Hammers levelled soon after through Jack Collison. Carlton Cole turned home a Valon Behrami cross to put West Ham ahead before Spurs transfer target Bellamy raced through the Pompey defence and beat David James with 20 minutes left. Bellamy picked up a return pass from Luis Boa Morte to seal the Hammers' fourth with seven minutes left.

Everton clocked up their seventh away win of the season at the Riverside Stadium thanks to a Tim Cahill goal. An injury crisis at Goodison Park meant that midfielder Cahill had to be employed as a lone striker and the Australian showed a true goalscorer's instinct to tap home from close range after a goal-mouth scramble just after the break.

Ryan Taylor and Amr Zaki were on target for Wigan in their 2-0 win over Newcastle at the JJB Stadium. Taylor's 22-yard free kick put the Latics ahead before Zaki scored from the penalty spot after Sebastien Bassong was sent off for a foul on Emile Heskey. Newcastle pulled one back late on with a Danny Guthrie penalty, but Wigan held on to complete the win.

Despite their best efforts, Tottenham could not find a way past Fulham in their drab 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane. And Jason Roberts missed an open goal in stoppage time as Blackburn had to settle for a 0-0 draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Aston Villa reclaimed third place after Zat Knight struck late on to give the Villans a 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Villa Park. Denilson and Abou Diaby had given the Gunners a commanding lead and they looked in control until the 65th minute when William Gallas hauled down Gabriel Agbonlahor just inside the box. Referee Lee Mason pointed to the spot and Gareth Barry powered his spot kick past Manuel Almunia. Arsenal looked set for victory until Knight picked up a deflected Barry cross inside the box and fired past Almunia to rescue a point for Villa and keep them level on points with Manchester United.

(source:uefa.com)

Champions League betting is now available for the matchday six, the final game in the group phase of this season’s Champions League. At this stage thirteen of the sixteen knockout places are already known, but both places in Group A are up for grabs, while a Greek-Cypriot showdown in Athens between Panathinaikos and Anorthosis Famgusta should decide who accompanies Inter Milan into the knock-out stage


Chelsea, have been favourites in the outright Champions League , and after two opening Group A victories, looked certainties to cruise through. However, with just one point from matchday 3 & 4, the Blues fate rests on their remaining fixture at home to CFR Cluj. A win would guarantee them passage, while a draw would leave them hoping that Roma avoid defeat to Bordeaux. The Londoners will be strong favourites at Stamford Bridge against the Romanian minnows, but stranger things have happened in the Champions League

With Inter Milan already qualified from Group B, and Werder Bremen already eliminated, it is only left for Panathinaikos and Anorthosis Famgusta to battle it out in Athens to decide who claims the second qualification berth. The Greeks hold the upper hand, with one more point on the board, meaning they need only draw on home turf, while Famagusta must produce a unlikely win to continue their first Champions League adventure. Panathinaikos will be buoyant after claiming victory in the San Siro on matchday five, while Famagusta have injury concerns over a handful of key players that could leave them exposed

(source: http://www.pinnaclesports.com)

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech reckons Arsenal will be out of the title race if they lose to the Premier League leaders at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Arsenal have lost five league matches already this season, have slipped 10 points behind pacesetters Chelsea and Liverpool and are currently not even in the top four. Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger believes the London derby offers a chance for his side to kickstart their title challenge. "Ideally, I do not want to be 13 points behind Chelsea so let's make it seven on Sunday night," he said. "We know that direct confrontations with top teams become vital when you are in our position."


Champions Manchester United are also in action, knowing they can ill afford any slips at local rivals Manchester City. United, eight points behind Chelsea and Liverpool with a game in hand, were beaten home and away by City last season.

Tottenham Hotspur's resurgence under new manager Harry Redknapp will be tested when they host mid-table Everton at White Hart Lane looking to move clear of the relegation zone.

United have only won one of their lat three Premier League matches and Ferguson says they must start grinding out results even if they are not playing at their best. He added: "Results are important and we need to start grinding out results. Last season we had a period where we kept winning 1-0. "If that's the way we need to do it this season, then we need to start doing it very soon. Chelsea and Liverpool are out there at the moment, and it's about us getting back into the race."

United are currently eight points behind Chelsea and Liverpool with a game in hand. The Blues and Reds both dropped points last week only for United to do the same against Aston Villa. Ferguson will therefore hop United can improve on the 1-0 defeat they suffered to City in the corresponding fixture last season.

AIG recently posted a third-quarter of $24.5 billion, prompting the US government to rework the terms of it’s aid to the insurance giant in order to a) extend more money to AIG (another $40 billion, after $123 billion had already gone into buying up AIG equity and b) significantly reduce repayment terms to help stabilise the company and allow it to recover fully (as opposed to collapsing under the current crisis or under the weight of the government handouts).

For Manchester United, the message is clear - if there was any hope that AIG would recover in time to renew their deal as sponsors of the Manchester United shirt, they are now shot. David Gill was recently quoted as saying that United would have no trouble in finding a replacement if the need arose - it’s time for the Manchester United chairman to put that to the test and ensure that a shirt sponsor paying as much (and if possible more) than AIG’s 14m / year deal is brought in before the agreement with AIG ends, or worse, before AIG says they can’t pay their next year’s installment.
The US government has stepped in with a new package of aid for troubled insurance giant American International Group. It comes after the firm - which sponsors Manchester United Football Club - announced third quarter losses of £14.7bn.

AIG made a £1.8bn profit the year before. The rescue package includes a £20.5bn cash injection in return for partial ownership of the firm. Announced jointly by the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department, it takes the sum pumped into the company to around £90bn. As part of the new deal, the Fed is reducing a £51bn loan it had made available to AIG to £36bn. It is also replacing a separate £22.7bn loan to the insurance company with a £31bn aid package. The government said the measures were needed to "keep the company strong and facilitate its ability to complete its restructuring process successfully." The Treasury Department, which is overseeing the rescue operation, has promised to invest £150bn in America's banks to get them lending again.

Until now all of the help provided for AIG was coming from the Federal Reserve.
It said earlier this year it would lend AIG a total of £74bn, then gave it access to a further £12.5bn to help it pay wages and other key expenses. AIG has said repeatedly its kit sponsorship deal with Manchester United will not be affected by its financial woes. The contract, which is worth £56.5m over four years, is the most lucrative in the Premier League.

source: Forbes, Sky

Samir Nasri struck twice as Arsenal beat Manchester United and delivered an emphatic confirmation of manager Arsene Wenger’s belief that they are still serious Premier League contenders. Nasri’s deflected shot opened the scoring in the 22nd minute and he doubled their advantage three minutes after the interval with a powerful finish from Cesc Fabregas’s precise pass.

Substitute Rafael da Silva volleyed United back into contention with a minute of normal time left - but Arsenal survived six extra minutes and an outbreak of mass anxiety at The Emirates to claim three points. It was a victory they merited, with United creating and wasting chances, but never carrying the same sense of self-belief as Arsenal in a highly-charged atmosphere.

It was a victory that made all the supporters of this London club very happy. They needed it desperately and it came perhaps at the best time that they could imagine. Well, the final score was 2-1 and I said I would have kept the lead of 2-0 until the very last moment. Manchester united could pull back one goal at the 87th minute but it was too late and too little. With this win, arsenal is now at the third position in the league table. On the other hand, Manchester united is at the fourth position in the league table and they have played one match less than arsenal.

BBC reported:
"Samir Nasri struck twice as Arsenal beat Manchester United and delivered an emphatic confirmation of manager Arsene Wenger’s belief that they are still serious Premier League contenders".

The best thing that the London based club was the emergence of a new star in Samir Nasri. There is a lot of the expectations from Samir Nasri but until now, he was not up to the mark to satisfy the supporters.

www.eplmatches.com
www.southasiafair.com

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti held an emergency meeting with his squad as they prepare to face Chelsea, writes Tom Collomosse.
Spalletti's job is under threat after his side were thrashed 4-0 at home by Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan at the weekend, and another heavy defeat at Stamford Bridge tomorrow would leave him in an even more vulnerable position.
Roma are 14th in Serie A after collecting only seven points from their first seven matches. Spalletti held talks with his players at the training ground and admitted: "When you go through a period like this, it becomes even more difficult to convert your chances because everything is out of order."
Francesco Totti added: "Our league position is very worrying."
Skipper Totti, who has had a knee problem, is fit to play at Stamford Bridge, but former Arsenal striker Julio Baptista misses the game as he has yet to recover from a knock.
Serie A Roundtable Part I: Roma Crisis—When and How Will it End?
In the first ever Serie A roundtable on Bleacher Report, Salaar Arshad Shamsi, Marzia Hazra, Daniel Penza, and Zahi Sahli have their say over Roma's current form crisis.

Salaar Arshad Shamsi:
Roma have had a pathetic start to their season, both in Europe and in the Serie A. Luciano Spalleti's men are in the bottom half of the league table and have already suffered a defeat at the hands of FC Cluj in the Champions League. A victory at Bordeaux followed by a defeat at Siena summed up a mixed bag for the Romans but the question remains:
"How can they get out of this hole?"
Well, Roma have plenty of quality in their side with the likes of De Rossi, Vucinic, Totti and Taddei and players like Riise, Baptista and Menez have been fine additions so Roma should be able to overcome this early glitch by mid-season but a poor start probably means they have destroyed their chances of Champions League action next season.

Marzia Hazra:
Roma has started the season disastrously and seven points in six games definitely qualifies for a crisis.
The club has had their most important player sidelined for the majority of the season as the captain only has made three brief appearances so far. Considering the fundamental role Totti plays for his team, it is in some sense understandable the position the club now find themselves in.
Although Totti’s absence most likely is the biggest factor to Roma’s crisis I also have to take into consideration the injuries that have haunted several of the defenders. In addition to that there is always Spaletti’s recent inability to change the picture of the game with tactics—he just looks so lost.
On top of that, Roma lack players in the central striker role and without Totti there are no natural replacement for him in the squad. The club has built their entire team around one player, and when that player isn’t around things tend to fall apart.
Reports have suggested that Roma and Inter could go in for a swap deal with Aquilani going to Inter in exchange for Hernan Crespo—considering the excess of central strikers the Nerazzuri have.
Roma—including the club, supporters and coach—need to stop putting all their hope on a single player. Just this the weekend Spalletti told Corriere dello Sport that Totti would save the team with his (planned) return against Inter, that he himself would make the difference.
The players have missed so many given goals this season, there is close to no will and the confidence seems washed away in the absence of the skipper. What Roma needs to do is to make all the players take responsibility for their own and stop looking sideways at Totti.

Daniel Penza:
It's hard to say when Roma will regain their form because, aside from Riise and Julio Baptista, they are basically the same team. So meshing together as a team shouldn't really be an issue.
So, with that being said, when Francesco Totti returns from injury, things will have to get better. He is the captain and the driving force of that team. Yeah Daniele De Rossi is the future captain, but the current captain is needed right now to stabilize things in the capital city.

Zahi Sahli:
Roma equals Totti. It is as simple as that. Totti is not playing and hence Roma cannot get the right results. But there is no reason why Roma can't get back to their winning ways. They have an excellent team with three of the best center midfielders in Italy, a good defense and have added quality to their attacking line after signing Julio Baptista.
Roma have maintained faith in Luciano Spalletti after having a good season last term. The current drop in form does not mean Roma will be deluded forever. They will return to their top form. The players and the manager should have faith in the quality of the squad's abilities, and the results will come soon.

Tom Collomosse, Football Correspondent
www.thisislondon.co.uk

Bundesliga newcomers Hoffenheim stormed back to the top of the league with a display of attacking football that left their rivals dumbfounded. The small club from the village of Hoffenheim, playing their first season in the Bundesliga, have had a dream start, similar to that of high-flying Hull City in the English Premier League. A backheel from Demba Ba, a cracker from Carlos Eduardo and a penalty from Vedad Ibisevic sealed a 3-1 victory over strugglers Bochumand - yet another three points for Hoffenheim to put them back on top of the table.

Bayern Munich's recovery is continuing after a woeful start to the season, and they were thankful for star man Franck Ribery who capped a powerful display with a goal to seal a 2-1 away win against Eintracht Frankfurt. Martin Jol’s Hamburg, still smarting from their recent 3-0 defeat to Hoffenheim, also kept their title hopes alive with a 2-0 victory over Stuttgart thanks to a Piotr Trochowski penalty and a deflected goal from Joris Mathijsen to move within two points of the unlikely leaders. The game was marked by another angry outburst from Stuttgart keeper Jens Lehmann, who was furious that Jarolim had gone down too easily to win the spot kick.

The other game on Wednesday night ended 1-0 as Dortmund scraped an away win at Cologne. Hoffenheim fans will love waking up this morning and seeing their club at the top of the league. The question is, can they stay the distance?

(source: www.bild.de)

Manchester United shirt with a big AIG, have become icons in the successful club in English persepakbolaan. However, in the last week, the company is steady cook disintegration of the disintegration of other United States companies. Will the disintegration of the sponsor of this disastrous also for the team "Red Devil"?