FA Cup holders Chelsea will play Stoke City in the Quarter-finals after the Potters beat Manchester City 3-1 after extra-time in Wednesday nights replay.
Replay results :
Aston Villa 3-1 Crystal Palace
Stoke City 3-1 Manchester City (AET)
Tottenham 4-0 Bolton Wanderers
West Brom 2-3 Reading (AET)
The quarter-final ties will be played on the weekend of 6 and 7 March.
Chelsea v Stoke City
Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur
Reading v Aston Villa
Portsmouth v Birmingham City
Chelsea short price to win EPL title after Manchester Utd stumble
UK bookmaker Betfred make Chelsea the 8/15 favourites to win this season's Premier League after moving four points clear of nearest challengers Manchester United.
Chelsea won 2-0 at struggling Wolves in their 3pm kick-off - taking full advantage of the Man United's lunchtime defeat at Everton.
Third-place Arsenal moved to 55 points - two points behind United - after a 2-0 win at home to Sunderland. With 11 games left to play the Gunners are now a 13/2 chance at BetFred to win their first league title in six years.
Chelsea defender Ashley Cole fractured his ankle in Wednesday night's 2-1 defeat at Everton and will be out for at least 3 months.
The England left-back is almost certainly out for the remainder of the domestic season and his place in Fabio Capello's squad for the World Cup finals in South Africa this summer will depend entirely on his rehabilitation programme.
Cole's injury will provide Wayne Bridge with the chance to become Capello's first-choice left-back. Bridge has been at the centre of a media storm involving his former Stamford Bridge team-mate John Terry in recent weeks.
Terry was stripped of the England captaincy by Capello after newspaper allegations he had an affair with Bridge's ex-girlfriend - one-time French lingerie model Vanessa Perroncel.
And recently Cheryl Cole was reported as worrying that her husband Ashley might want a piece of Ms Perroncel himself.
So, maybe it looks like the boot is on the other foot now, and while Ashley Cole is in rehab he'd better watch - John Terry might be round in a flash to "help out" Cheryl!
30-31st Jan : Round-up of English Premier League weekend
Manchester United moved to within a point of Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea as they beat Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Burnley 1-2 Chelsea
John Terry grabbed a late winner for Chelsea to deny battling Burnley a point at Turf Moor, heading home home a corner from Florent Malouda in the 83rd minute.
It was a cruel blow for the hosts, who had drawn level through Steven Fletcher after Nicolas Anelka had opened the scoring.
Arsenal 1-3 Manchester United
Nani opened the scoring on 33 minutes when his chip across goal was palmed in by Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia, before in-form England striker Wayne Rooney swept home a second following a quick counter attack.
A third on the break from Ji-Sung Park at the start of the second half effectively ended the contest, although defender Thomas Vermaelen netted a consolation for the Gunners.
Birmingham City 1-1 Tottenham
Liam Ridgewell's last-minute strike denied Tottenham a precious victory at Birmingham and left Harry Redknapp's men clinging onto fourth place.
Ridgewell finished off a header across goal by Cameron Jerome to snatch a 1-1 draw for the home side after Spurs looked set to claim victory through Jermain Defoe's 69th-minute effort.
Liverpool 2-0 Bolton
Liverpool coasted to a 2-0 win over Owen Coyle's Bolton at Anfield.
Dirk Kuyt stabbed home the opener in the 37th minute and Liverpoolmade the game safe in the 70th minute when a shot from Emiliano Insua took a huge deflection off Kevin Davies and squirted past Jussi Jaaskelainen in the Bolton goal.
Fulham 0-2 Aston Villa
Villa also kept up the pace with a 2-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage thanks to two goals just before half-time from Gabriel Agbonlahor.
The striker opened the scoring when he headed home Stiliyan Petrov's 40th-minute cross, and four minutes later he turned Brede Hangeland in the box before firing the second past Mark Schwarzer.
Manchester City 2-0 Portsmouth
Manchester City closed to within a point of fourth-spot with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Portsmouth.
There was no joyous celebration as Adebayor rattled his 40th-minute goal past David James, instead he acknowledged the heavens in remembrance of his Togo team mates.
Vincent Kompany then powered home a header from Martin Petrov's corner to ensure the Blues moved to within a point of Tottenham.
English Premier League Top Ten Standings
Team Pl GD Pts
1 Chelsea 23 +38 54
2 Man Utd 24 +36 53
3 Arsenal 24 +32 49
4 Tottenham 24 +20 42
5 Liverpool 24 +16 41
6 Man City 22 +14 41
7 Aston Villa 23 +13 40
8 Birmingham 23 -1 34
9 Everton 23 -1 32
10 Blackburn 24 -15 28
Chelsea and Man United win well, while Spurs, Man City and Liverpool stumble
Chelsea 7 Sunderland 2
Chelsea smashed seven goals past Sunderland to cement their lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League table.
Stoke 1 Liverpool 1
Under-pressure Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was left to reflect upon what might have been as his side threw away a precious victory at Stoke.
The Reds were leading 1-0 with just seconds of normal time remaining when Germany international Robert Huth stabbed home an equaliser amid a late assault.
Man Utd 3 Burnley 0
Burnley held Manchester United at Old Trafford for 64 minutes before they finally succumbed to Dimitar Berbatov.
The Bulgaria international linked with Wayne Rooney before his shot was deflected past keeper Brian Jensen by defender Michael Duff, and further goals from Rooney and substitute Mame Biram Diouf - his first for the club - made sure of the points.
Everton 2 Man City 0
Everton were good value for their 2-0 victory over Manchester City and sealed the points in the first 45 minutes at Goodison Park.
Steven Pienaar made the breakthrough in the 36th minute and Louis Saha extended their lead with a disputed penalty in first half stoppage-time.
Tottenham 0 Hull 0
Fifth-placed Tottenham could not find a way past lowly Hull as Harry Redknapp's 500th Premier League game ended in stalemate with Tigers keeper Boaz Myhill turning in a fine individual display.
Wolves 0 Wigan 2
Wigan's James McCarthy scored on the hour, and doubled their lead through Charles N'Zogbia with 17 minutes remaining.
The ties for the 4th round of the FA Cup were drawn on Sunday afternoon with Leeds United getting another high-profile game at a Premier LEague club.
Leeds United will now make the trip to White Hart Lane to face Tottenham Hotspur, while Arsenal wiill travel to the Britannia Stadium to face Stoke City.
FA Cup holders Chelsea will face more Championship opposition in the shape of Preston, who destroyed Colchester United 7-0 on Saturday.
If Liverpool can overcome Reading in a replay then they will take on Burnley in an all-Premier League tie.
Meanwhile, Manchester City will face Scunthorpe at Glanford Park - a team they beat 5-1 in the Carling Cup in October.
Ties to be played on weekend of January 23rd/24th
--------------------------------------------
Southampton v Ipswich Town
Reading or Liverpool v Burnley
Millwall or Derby County v Brentford or Doncaster Rovers
Bristol City or Cardiff City v Leicester City Stoke City v Arsenal
Notts County or Forest Green Rovers v Wigan Athletic
Scunthorpe United v Manchester City
West Bromwich Albion v Plymouth Argyle or Newcastle United Everton v Nottingham Forest or Birmingham City
Accrington Stanley or Gillingham v Fulham Bolton Wanderers v Sheffield United or QPR Portsmouth or Coventry City v Sunderland
Preston North End v Chelsea Aston Villa v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolves v Crystal Palace Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United
Champions League Draw - Man United get AC Milan, Chelsea face Inter, Arsenal v Porto
AC Milan v MAN UTD
Porto v ARSENAL
Lyon v Real Madrid
CSKA Moscow v Sevilla
Bayern Munich v Fiorentina
Inter Milan v CHELSEA
Olympiakos v Bordeaux
Stuttgart v Barcelona
The first-leg ties will be played on 16, 17, 23 or 24 February. The return games will be played on either 9, 10, 16 or 17 March.
Champions League Group stages complete - 16 teams for second round named
The lineup for the UEFA Champions League first knockout round was completed on Wednesday when the group stage concluded with holders Barcelona, Inter Milan, VfB Stuttgart and Olympiacos taking the final four places.
Generally, the group winners are the stronger section with the five shorted priced sides in the Winners group, but with Inter Milan, Olympique Lyon and Bayern Munich lurking as dangerous runners-up opponents.
Group winners
------------------------------
Bordeaux (FRA)
Manchester United (ENG)
Real Madrid (ESP)
Chelsea (ENG)
ACF Fiorentina (ITA)
FC Barcelona (ESP)
Sevilla (ESP)
Arsenal (ENG)
Group runners-up
------------------------------
Bayern Munchen (GER)
CSKA Moskva (RUS)
AC Milan (ITA)
FC Porto (POR)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
Internazionale Milano (ITA)
VfB Stuttgart (GER)
Olympiacos (GRE)
Knockout Draw
------------------------------
The draw will take place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland at 12.00CET on Friday 18 December.
The UEFA Champions League first knockout round first-leg ties will take place on 16/17 and 23/24 February 2010 (with two games each day) with the second legs to be played on 9/10 and 16/17 March.
Outright Winner Betting Odds :
------------------------------
Barcelona 4.50 @ Betfred
Chelsea 5.00 @ Eurobet
Real Madrid 7.00 @ Bet365
Manchester United 9.00 @ Ladbrokes
Arsenal 11.00 @ Eurobet
Internazionale Milano 17.00 @ Eurobet
Sevilla 21.00 @ Centrebet
Bayern Munchen 23.00 @ Centrebet
AC Milan 23.00 @ Bet365
Who's going to make the top four in England this season?
Manchester City are in the race for a top-four Premier League finish, according to bookmakers after a weekend of twists and turns in the chase for Champions League places.
Everton were the last team to dislodge the 'big four' of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, back in 2004/05
And while Chelsea (not backable), Man United (1.01) and Arsenal (1.17) are short prices for retaining their places the race is on for the fourth spot.
Liverpool are even-money, Manchester City are 6/5 shots after their thrilling 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Saturday, while Spurs, who currently occupy fourth place, are now out to 9/4 for one of those coveted top-four slots after drawing at Everton.
Current standings :
Chelsea --- Pl 15 Pts 36
Man Utd --- Pl 15 Pts 34
Arsenal --- Pl 14 Pts 28
Spurs ----- Pl 15 Pts 27
Villa ----- Pl 15 Pts 26
Man City -- Pl 14 Pts 25
Liverpool - Pl 15 Pts 24
Venue : Emirates Stadium
Date : Sunday, 29 November
Kick-off : 1600 GMT
ARSENAL :
Arsenal will be without left-back Kieran Gibbs, who suffered a fractured metatarsal in the Champions League win over Standard Liege in midweek.
William Gallas is expected to be fit after suffering a blow to the head in the same match, while Theo Walcott is pushing for a starting berth.
Chelsea are now odds on to win English Premier League
Chelsea are odds-on to win the title for the first time this season - at a top price of 10/11 with Canbet - following their 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday.
Manchester Utd and Arsenal are locked together as 10/3 joint second favourites while Manchester City are now fourth favourites following Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Birmingham City.
Liverpool are 5th favourites at a staggering 40/1 at Betfred, while Tottenham are in 6th spot, and loyal Spurs fans can get a best price of 149/1 at Victor Chandler if they REALLY want a bet on Spurs to win the title.
Bolton 0-4 Chelsea - Blues stay top with comprehensive win
Chelsea remain two points clear at the top of the Premier League thanks to a second 4-0 win of the week over Bolton.
Carlo Ancelotti's side did not have things all their own way this afternoon but they took a decisive lead just before half-time through Frank Lampard's penalty after Jlloyd Samuel saw red for his challenge on Didier Drogba.
Deco netted the second on the hour mark and Zat Knight scored an own goal before Drogba completed the scoring in injury time.
GOALS 45' [0 - 1] F. Lampard (pen.) 61' [0 - 2] Deco 83' [0 - 3] Z. Knight (o.g.) 90' [0 - 4] D. Drogba
Wednesday Carling Cup Results : Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City progress
Teenager Fran Merida netted his first Arsenal goal as Arsene Wenger's young Gunners beat Liverpool 2-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.
Just back from the Under-20 World Cup with Spain, the 19-year-old former Barcelona trainee drilled in a fine goal in the 18th minute as Wenger's faith in youth was once again justified.
Emiliano Insua equalised for Liverpool in the 26th minute with another scorching shot in an open first half.
Nicklas Bendtner, now a regular in the side but coming back from an injury sustained in a car crash, produced a powerful finish after 50 minutes to put Arsenal into the last eight.
---
Chelsea cruised into the quarter-finals with an easy 4-0 fourth-round victory over Bolton at Stamford Bridge.
First-half goals from Salomon Kalou and Florent Malouda put the home side in command before Deco and substitute Didier Drogba finished off Gary Megson's side after the break.
Bolton wasted a couple of chances to reduce the arrears but Chelsea were always in control despite the loss of goalkeeper Hilario through injury in the first half.
The win maintained Chelsea's 100% home record under new coach Carlo Ancelotti and even without the likes of rested captain John Terry and his England team-mate Frank Lampard, the Blues continue to look very good at home.
---
Manchester City cruised into the Carling Cup quarter-finals, brushing aside an outclassed Scunthorpe 5-1.
The Championship side had tried their best at Eastlands in this fourth-round tie, and at one stage produced a fine first-half equaliser from Jonathan Forte after Stephen Ireland had given City an early lead.
But City were ahead by the break through Roque Santa Cruz, and second-half goals from Joleon Lescott, Carlos Tevez and Michael Johnson set the seal on a commanding performance.
After Arsenal came back from two down to beat Standard Liege in Belgium, they were backed up into 5th favourite to win the Champions League.
The Gunners were 2-0 down inside five minutes but goals from Nicklas Bendtner, Thomas Vermaelen and Eduardo turned the match on its head and sparked wild celebrations from the visiting fans.
Liverpool meanwhile slipped back after battling to an uninspiring 1-0 win over Hungarian side Debrecen, while Inter Milan and Barcelona held their positions after battling to a 0-0 draw in Milan.
Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are vying for favouritism at a best of 4/1 and 5/1.
But English teams occupy the four of the next places in the betting, with Chelsea shortest at 6/1, Manchester United 15/2, Arsenal 11/1, and both Inter Milan and Liverpool on offer at 12s.
Chelsea still favourites to win English Premier League
Chelsea are the bookmakers title favourites after a late Florent Malouda winner pipped Stoke 2-1 to give the Blues five straight wins to start the season.
Manchester United are second favourites to win the Premier League title following their 3-1 come-from-behind win over Spurs. The Red Devils trailed to an early Jermain Defoe strike but eventually ran out comfortable winners thanks to goals from Ryan Giggs, Anderson and Wayne Rooney.
Liverpool, who saw off Burnley 4-0 at Anfield are third.
It is then Arsenal, Manchester City, and Spurs at a huge 50/1 rounding out the top six.
2009/10 English Premier League outright betting after round 1
Liverpool are out to 5/1 (6.00) for the Premier League title after their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday.
Liverpool only lost twice in Premier League last season but got off to a losing start to this term, Steven Gerrard's penalty not enough to take anything from White Hart Lane after goals from Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Sebastien Bassong.
Manchester United were not at their best but still recorded a 1-0 win over Birmingham earlier in the day and continue to fight for favouritism with Chelsea, who saw off Hull 2-1 thanks to Didier Drogba's injury-time fluke on Saturday.
Manchester City set down an early marker with a 2-0 success at Blackburn.
Arsenal also made a tremendous start with a 6-1 hammering of Everton and they are into 7/1 from 8/1 - Hills were even more impressed and they go 11/2 from 9/1.
BEST ODDS FOR YOUR TEAM TO WIN THE 2009/10 LEAGUE : Chelsea 3.00 @ Ladbrokes Manchester United 3.50 @ Pinnacle Liverpool 5.50 @ Ladbrokes Arsenal 9.50 @ Pinnacle Manchester City 15.00 @ Ladbrokes Tottenham Hotspur 101.00 @ Pinnacle Everton 301.00 @ VCBet Aston Villa 501.00 @ VCBet West Ham United 751.00 @ Bet365
FOOTBALL: Inter Milan have confirmed their intention to sign Deco and Ricardo Carvalho from Chelsea.
Both players have been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer.
"(Inter coach Jose) Mourinho has asked us for Deco and Carvalho and we are working towards making him happy," said Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Our wish is to sign both players and I have seen that the players' intention is to join us. We still haven't reached an agreement with Chelsea but I think we will do in a short time."
Carvalho, who moved to Chelsea in 2004, endured a frustrating campaign with the Blues. Injury restricted the 31-year-old to just 18 appearances this season.
Deco joined Chelsea from Barcelona last summer but the 32-year-old also suffered injuries, making just 22 league appearances this campaign.
Anelka injury re-opens Premier League golden boot race
The race for the English Premier League golden boot tightened on the weekend as Steven Gerrard grabbed a hat-trick and leading scorer Nicolas Anelka was ruled out for three weeks with injury.
Anelka (15 goals) leads by two from Cristiano Ronaldo (13) and Steven Gerrard (13) with Peter Crouch (11) and Robinho (11) further back in joint 4th spot.
The Frenchman continues to head the Golden Boot betting, but only just as Anelka looks likely to miss Chelsea's next game at Newcastle on April 4th.
Hiddink still favourite to be next Chelsea manager
Guus Hiddink is 8/11 favourite with UK bookmakers to be the Chelsea manager on the first day of the next campaign despite suggesting he will only stay with Chelsea until the last day of this season.
The Russia head coach was announced as Luiz Felipe Scolari's temporary successor at Stamford Bridge last week and he is currently preparing his charges for his first game in charge at Aston Villa on Saturday.
On his future, Hiddink said: "I will help out until the end of the season, and then it will stop. I am certain it will only be until the end of the season."
But the bookmakers don't beleive it making him a strong favourite.
Avram Grant is the 7/4 (from 3/1) favourite with bookmakers to be the next Portsmouth manager after support for the former Chelsea boss today.
Former favourite Sven-Goran Eriksson has eased to 5/2 with caretaker boss Paul Hart and Slaven Bilic both 3/1.
"The support for Eriksson has dried up in the last 24 hours, while Avram Grant has publicly stated that he would be willing to return to Fratton Park," said Eurobet spokesman David Stevens.
"Although another three points at Stoke this weekend could see Paul Hart take pole position."
Real Madrid still making the most money in revenue league
Real Madrid remain top of the Deloitte Football Money League in terms of revenue generated for the fourth successive season.
But English clubs dominate the list with seven Barclays Premier League sides are among the top 20.
The Manchester United money men saw last seasons double success increase their revenues to £257m, an increase of £45m on the previous season.
It saw United receive a bumper pay-out in terms of broadcasting revenue while their income from commercial contracts also saw a healthy increase. In addition, sell-out crowds at their 76,200 seater stadium saw matchday revenues grow by a staggering 10 per cent to £101.5m last season, meaning that 39 per cent of their total revenue comes from home games.
Chelsea's overall revenue grew by 12 per cent, largely thanks to a 30 per cent increase in money from broadcasters.
While Arsenal may be sweating in Champions League qualification this season, the move to the Emirates Stadium continues to be a success story.
While there are suggestions that the cost of building the 60,000-seat arena has tied manager Arsene Wenger’s hands in the transfer market, matchday revenue of £94.6m last season, which represents 45 per cent of Arsenal’s total revenue, is difficult to argue against.
Liverpool's need to press ahead with the construction of a new stadium is highlighted by their relatively low matchday revenue figure of £39.2m despite an average crowd at Anfield of 43,500.
Even Tottenham's smaller White Hart Lane home generates more matchday revenue than Anfield, while they, too, have a plans for a new stadium in place. Spurs continue to do well from broadcasting and commercial revenue streams, but the Deloitte survey points out that they must return to the days of challenging for a Champions League place to stand a chance of regaining a top 10 spot.
Manchester City return to the top 20 thanks mainly to the revenue generated by the new broadcast deal and a reviewed ticket price structure, which saw the average gate at Eastlands rise by five per cent, keeping matchday revenue constant at £18.5m.
Deloitte Football Money League - 2007/08 revenue 1 (1) Real Madrid £289.6million 2 (2) Manchester United £257.1m 3 (3) FC Barcelona £244.4m 4 (7) Bayern Munich £233.8m 5 (4) Chelsea £212.9m 6 (5) Arsenal £209.3m 7 (8) Liverpool £167.0m 8 (6) AC Milan £165.8m 9 (11) AS Roma £138.9m 10 (9) Internazionale £136.9m 11 (12) Juventus £132.6m 12 (13) Lyon £123.3m 13 (16) Schalke 04 £117.5m 14 (10) Tottenham £114.8m 15 (15) Hamburg £101.3m 16 (19) Marseille £100.4m 17 (14) Newcastle £99.4m 18 (-) Stuttgart £88.3m 19 (-) Fenerbahce £88.1m 20 (-) Manchester City £82.3m
Scolari sacked by Chelsea - Guus Hiddink favoured to take over
Guus Hiddink is widely regarded as the favourite for the Chelsea manager's job in the wake of Luiz Felipe Scolari's shock sacking on Monday afternoon.
But Hiddink's price has been drifting after his agent Cees van Nieuwenhuizen said there was "no chance" of him going to Stamford Bridge. "Guus wants to qualify for World Cup for a fourth time in a row and with a fourth different team." he said.
With Chelsea having slipped to fourth in the Premier League - seven points off Manchester United's pace, having played a game more - the decision was taken to axe Luiz Filipe Scolari.
That sparked a frenzy in the betting markets, with Guus Hiddink and Avram Grant almost immediately being linked with managerial roles at the club.
Grant, ditched by the club and replaced by Scolari in the summer, was being touted as director of football with current Russia boss Hiddink in charge of team affairs.
Hiddink, who knows Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich as a result of his spell in charge of the Russian national side, was almost immediately installed asthe bookmakers 1/2 favourite for the manager's job - but that price soon drifted out to a general 3/1 as the markets settled down.
Paddy Power's Darren Haines said: "Hiddink's close relationship with Abramovich in the Russia job have repeatedly linked Guus to the Stamford Bridge post in the past. Now could finally be the time for Chelsea to go Dutch."
Betfred's Jon Wilde added: "Surely now Chelsea will go for someone who knows his onions at club level. Hiddink fits the bill having won the European Cup and with his Russian connections he is a worthy favourite."
Meanwhile, bet365 are prepared to offer 14/1 about Avram Grant returning to the hot seat.
Former Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard is also prominent in the betting at a general 6/1, while Chelsea playing legend Gianfranco Zola, currently in charge of West Ham, is also towards to the top of the markets at a best price of 7/1.
Earlier Zola's lawyer Fulvio Marrucco had said: "At the moment we know nothing about the link between Gianfranco Zola and the vacant position at Chelsea.
"Gianfranco is very happy at West Ham and still thanks them for giving him the opportunity to be a coach in the Premier League. It is very difficult to say if anything will happen, but Chelsea is a special place for Gianfranco Zola."
Liverpool now second favourites for title after beating Chelsea
Liverpool have been cut from 8/1 to 9/2 second favourites for the Premier League title with William Hill after defeating Chelsea 2-0.
Liverpool dumped ten-man Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday to cut Manchester United's lead at the top of the table to two points - and in the process moved them three clear of Chelsea.
The bookmakers makes Chelsea 8/1 following the defeat, with Aston Villa at 33/1 and Arsenal 66/1 after they were both held to goalless draws by Wigan and West Ham respectively on Saturday.
Tottenham have signed Carlo Cudicini on a free transfer from London rivals Chelsea.
The Italian goalkeeper has set his sights on pushing Heurelho Gomes for the number one jersey at White Hart Lane.
Cudicini (35) spent a decade at Stamford Bridge and has no regrets about swapping Champions League football for a Premier League survival battle saying :
"At this moment the team is not in the best position but it doesn't matter - I'm here to bring some experience and try to push this club forward."
Bookmakers have slashed the odds on Chelsea bosss Luiz Felipe Scolari being the next Premier League boss out of a job to 10/1 (from 33/1) following a flurry of bets on him to be sacked.
Chelsea are struggling a little and with Scolari coming under more pressure after Southend forced the Blues to an FA Cup replay, it seems that the 33/1 was too attractive a price for some punters to turn down.
Transfer window opens - what do the Premier League managers say?
The January transfer window opens on New Year's Day, giving clubs their first opportunity to buy or sell players since the end of August.
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."
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce: "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 : "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."
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez : "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: "I think everyone understands there are certain areas of the squad which need strengthening and we will look to address those in the window."
"We are looking to bring good quality players to the club to help our situation and make sure that the club is moving forward in the future. There is no guarantee how many of those players we will be able to bring to the club. It is clear from everyone's point of view that we do need help."
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."
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp : "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."
"I like Stewart Downing but I don't know whether Middlesbrough want to sell him."
Manchester United are title favourites with bookmakers
Manchester United have been shortened from 6/4 to 11/8 favourites (PaddyPower) to win the Premier League title following their hard-fought 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on Monday night.
United dominated for most of the game and missed a host of chances before Dimitar Berbatov blasted home the winner in the 69th minute. The result means Sir Alex Ferguson's men now trail Liverpool by seven points and Chelsea by four in the race for the title but have two games in hand.
Chelsea are 2/1 second favourites (VCBet)with Liverpool available at 9/4 (BetFred) despite being top. Arsenal are 33/1 (Bet365) shots with Aston Villa 66/1. (Bet365)
Champions League Knockout Draw : Italy vs England x 3
The champions league draw for the last 16 was made in Nyon on Friday and it has thrown up some mouthwatering clashes as English clubs face three Italian opponents ...and Real Madrid as well.
Manchester United will face Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Former Tottenham boss Juande Ramos will return to England with Real Madrid as they take on Liverpool, with the second leg to be played at Anfield.
Arsenal will have the first leg at home as they play AS Roma, while Chelsea will clash against Juventus who are managed by former boss Claudio Ranieri for their .
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE KNOCKOUT DRAW Chelsea v Juventus Villarreal v Panathinaikos Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich Atletico Madrid v FC Porto Lyon v Barcelona Real Madrid v Liverpool Arsenal v Roma Inter Milan v Manchester United
The ties will be played on 24/25 February and 10/11 March as the Champions League knockout phase begins.
Chelsea bundled out of Carling Cup - United new favourites
There was a Cup shock at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night as Burnley knocked out favourites Chelsea on penalties and that caused a re-order of the betting favourtism.
Burnley held their Premier League rivals 1-1 after extra time and then won a dramatic shootout - and the Clarets can be backed at 40/1 at Centrebet to lift the trophy ahead of the quarter-final draw.
Holders Tottenham marched into the next round of the Carling Cup after defeating Liverpool 4-2 and are now 7/2 chances with Centrebet to hold onto the Cup.
Chelsea are odds-on favourites for the Barclays Premier League title following Liverpool's 2-1 loss at Spurs on the weekend.
The Blues beat Sunderland 5-0 earlier, but it took Liverpool's 1-2 defeat to Spurs at White Hart Lane to send Chelsea under even money for the title.
Rafa Benitez's side went 1-0 up inside three minutes through Dirk Kuyt and controlled the majority of the game for the next 70 minutes, hitting the bar three times but couldn't find the killer second goal.
And Harry "houdini" Redknapp's charmed life as Spurs new boss continued as a late Jamie Carragher own goal was followed by an injury-time winner from Roman Pavlyuchenko to leave Benitez's side second in the table on goal difference.
Liverpool are now 9/2 for the title, with Manchester United 15/8 second favourites following their narrow 4-3 win over Hull City.
Arsenal are out to 20/1 for the league title after they lost 2-1 at Stoke City.
Terry wins appeal against red card and will face Manchester Utd
Chelsea captain John Terry will face Manchester United in the Premier League game on Sunday after winning an appeal against the red card he picked up at Manchester City.
Terry was sent off for hauling down City striker Jo in Chelsea's 3-1 victory on Saturday but Jo still had a long way to go to goal when the foul came in from Terry.
Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho was also in a defensive position and although referee Mark Halsey deemed it a professional foul, Chelsea protested, and lodged an appeal.
The FA announced on today that an independent regulatory commission had upheld the club's claim for "wrongful dismissal." The ruling means the defender has avoided an automatic three-game suspension and he will be available to face United at Stamford Bridge.
Europes best clubs ready for UEFA Champions League Draw
Sixteen teams gained automatic entry to the competition proper and the same number came through the third qualifying round on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Making their debut in the group stage are UEFA Cup holders FC Zenit St. Petersburg, CFR 1907 Cluj of Romania, the first Belarussian qualifiers, FC BATE Borisov, and the inaugural Cypriot entrants Anorthosis Famagusta FC.
In all, 17 nations are represented in the draw, the ceremony for which will include the UEFA Club Football Awards.
English sides dominate the seedings for the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League group stage draw which will take place from 18.00CET on Thursday at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum.
POT ONE Manchester United FC (ENG, holders) 107.996 Chelsea FC (ENG) 124.996 Liverpool FC (ENG) 118.996 FC Barcelona (ESP) 117.837 Arsenal FC (ENG) 110.996 Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) 99.380 FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) 96.934 Real Madrid CF (ESP) 93.837
POT TWO 92-66 points FC Bayern Munchen (GER), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Villarreal CF (ESP), AS Roma (ITA), FC Porto (POR), Werder Bremen (GER), Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR), Juventus (ITA)
POT THREE 63-51 points Olympique de Marseille (FRA), FC Zenit St. Petersburg (RUS), FC Steaua Bucuresti (ROU), Panathinaikos FC (GRE), FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA), Celtic FC (SCO), FC Basel 1893 (SUI), Fenerbahce SK (TUR)
POT FOUR 49-1 point FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), ACF Fiorentina (ITA), Club Atletico de Madrid (ESP), FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR), CFR 1907 Cluj (ROU), Aalborg BK (DEN), Anorthosis Famagusta FC (CYP), FC BATE Borisov (BLR)
Chelsea 4-0 Portsmouth (video highlights link) Luiz Felipe Scolari made the perfect start to his Chelsea reign as they easily overcame Portsmouth 4-0 in their Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Joe Cole, Nicolas Anelka, Frank Lampard (penalty) and Deco all netted as the Blues made short work of the FA Cup holders to top the early standings.
Chelsea played with more freedom than under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant, and were in front inside 12 minutes. Cole provided the breakthrough, racing onto an excellent Michael Ballack pass to fire confidently past David James.
The Blues doubled their advantage on 26 minutes when new boy Deco's looping effort drifted over the head of James and the impressive Anelka headed home from close range.
By now Chelsea were rampant, and they virtually made certain of victory in first-half injury time. Sylvain Distin handled Joe Cole's cross and Lampard easily beat James from the spot.
The second half was a stroll in the sunshine for the home side, though Pompey did provide more threat in attack. It was Chelsea who eventually did find another goal, when Deco capped a fine Premier League debut with a superb swerving long-range effort a minute from time.
Sir Alex Ferguson was missing a host of first-team regulars, including Carlos Tevez who had returned home to Argentina because of a family bereavement.
Young gun Fraizer Campbell started up front with Wayne Rooney, and saw his early point-blank header crash against the fortunate Shay Given's forehead.
But it was Newcastle who took a surprise lead on 22 minutes when Obafemi Martins powered home a header from a James Milner corner.
It took the champions just two minutes to draw level, as Darren Fletcher popped up to slide home a Ryan Giggs cross.
Both sides had chances to win it after that with Nemanja Vidic hitting the bar for the home side, but Kevin Keegan's side held out for a highly creditable point.
-----
Aston Villa 4-2 Manchester City
Gabriel Agbonlahor bounced back from his England snub with a stunning seven-minute hat-trick as Aston Villa beat Manchester City 4-2 at Villa Park.
John Carew had fired Martin O'Neill's side in front early in the second half but his strike was cancelled out by Elano on 64 minutes.
Then Agbonlahor, who was left out of the England squad by Fabio Capello for Wednesday's friendly against the Czech Republic, took out any disappointment on City in devastating fashion.
He netted on 69,74 and 76 minutes to give Villa a 4-1 advantage and assure them of three points.
Vedran Corluka got City's second - a consolation effort a minute from time.
It was a miserable afternoon all round for Mark Hughes' Blues, who lost Valeri Bojinov before kick-off. He snapped his Achilles during the warm-up and is now facing six months on the sidelines.
Preseason wins for Chelsea, Arsenal, Hamburg and Ajax
Nicolas Anelka scored four times as Chelsea tore apart a weakened Milan team 5-0 in their pre-season friendly.
Without Kaka or Ronaldinho, the Italians fell behind to Frank Lampard's second minute opener, and were never in the game as the Blues emphatically settled the third-place play-off in the Railways Cup.
There were four goals for Anelka during a game where Milan looked barely interested, especialy after finding themselves 0-3 down at halftime.
In London, a near-full strength Arsenal beat Real Madrid 1-0 at the Emirates, with Emmanuel Adebayor scoring the winner in the second half.
Unlike yesterday's match against Juventus, Arsene Wenger chose a strong side - led by captain William Gallas, with Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor also featuring, and home start for summer signing Samir Nasri on the left of midfield.
Hamburg won the Emirates Cup with a 3-0 victory over Juventus taking them to 7 points in the mini-league that also awards a point for each goal scored.
Sunderland lost 1-0 at home to Ajax. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored the only goal in the 80th minute at the Stadium of Light.
Cristiano Ronaldo has fails to clear up speculation over his future by saying he could still leave Manchester United. When quizzed by ESPN he said: "What do you want me to say? That I'm going or I'm staying? I don't know about the future, only God knows it. I can't say any more." ( Gooner Truth Rating = 5/10 :: Source = ESPNsoccernet)
Chelsea's world record bid to sign AC Milan forward Kaka could cost the Blues anything from £50m to £120m with 10% going to the player himself, but the Serie A side say he is not for sale. ( Gooner Truth Rating = 1/10 :: Source = Everyone)
Chelsea are also apparently interested in Real Madrid forward Robinho after his agent revealed the club have proposed a firm offer. (Gooner Truth Rating = 5/10 :: Source = Sunday Telegraph)
Juventus are ready to launch a £15m bid for Arsenal's Robin van Persie, who they see as an ideal replacement for Pavel Nedved. (Gooner Truth Rating = 1/10 :: Source = News of the World)
And in the massively over-hyped and not nearly as good as you and your agent think you are section of the day Emmanuel Adebayor says that he will deign to stay at Arsenal if the Gunners offer him £100,000-a-week.
F*ck off Ade - no-one is interested in your delusions.
It looks like being another month or so until "REAL" football kicks off - so I'm going to continue the football transfers rumours series.
ARSENAL lead off today with a whole lot of talk ..
Arsenal midfielder Alex Hleb has agreed a four-year-deal with Barcelona and is set to sign for £15m - or perhaps €15m. No-one seems quite sure. (Source = The Sun)
Arsenal are also likely to waive goodbye to Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva to Greek side Panathinaikos. (Source = Blog Arsenal Analysis - but now picked up by a lot of papers)
On the positive side Arsenal will complete a £11.5m deal for Marseille's Samir Nasri now that the new French tax year has begun. (Source = The Sun)
Newspapers then start totally making it up when claiming that Arsenal have bid £19m for Andrei Arshavin but his club Zenit St Petersburg want £24m. (Source = Star)
The Gooners are also rumoured interested in 22-year-old Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, who is rated at £8m by his club River Plate - and this sounds more like Wenger to me. (Source = The Sun)
Chelsea are also well covered in the rumour market ..
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has personally blocked Inter Milan's attempts to buy midfielder Frank Lampard. (Source = half a dozen sites)
While on paper says that Lampard has told friends he is determined to leave Chelsea and says it is time for him to go. (Source = Daily Express)
Didier Drogba still wants to leave Stamford Bridge, even though there hasn't been much interest - with Milan keeping very quiet ... (Source = Daily Star)
And Chelsea were interested in Brazil forward Robinho but have been told by Real Madrid that it will cost £30m to sign . (Source = Daily Star)
Liverpool fans are also kept informed - although the news is not so positive ..
Liverpool were interested in signing Valencia's David Villa but have been put off by the massive £32m price tag and instead are looking at Spanish international winger David Silva. (Source = The Sun)
Benitez's transfer funds are also in doubt after Juventus said that they will not pay £15m for midfielder Xabi Alonso. That could affect Liverpool's chances of raising the cash to sign Aston Villa's Gareth Barry. (Source = The Sun again)
Finally two snippets from mighty ManYoo ..
Fifa president Sepp Blatter has pontificated again about "player slavery" and said Manchester United they should let winger Cristiano Ronaldo join Real Madrid. (Source = FIFA website)
Manchester United look to have lost another Portuguese employee in the form of assistant boss Carlos Queiroz, who took over as Portugal manager on Wednesday evening. (Source = Daily Star)
As the summer grinds on - and very little major transfer action actually is happening - I thought that I would start a daily thread of the various rumours - with their sources.
The cynical webmasters amongst you might think that i'm just trying to up the hits on this blog ... and you might be right !! :-)
Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has boasted to Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal that Cristiano Ronaldo has already signed for the Spanish club. (Source = just about every newspaper)
Frank Lampard looks to be on his way out of Chelsea as owner Roman Abramovich has refused to sanction the new five-year deal the midfielder is demanding. (Source = The Sun)
AC Milan claim Arsenal have written a letter to them offering to sell Emmanuel Adebayor, but don't want to pay the £35m fee that the Gunners want for the striker. (Source = The Sun again !)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has set Gareth Barry's price at £17m plus defender Steve Finnan. Wow! (Source = Daily Mirror)
Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is trying to do a cut-price £6m deal for Real Zaragoza's Argentine forward Pablo Aimar. (Source = Daily Mirror)
Everton are tracking Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito as David Moyes considers potential replacements for unsettled striker Andy Johnson who might move to Wigan. (Source = several)
Luiz Felipe Scolari begins life as Chelsea's manager with the signing of the Barcelona midfielder Deco on a two-year contract.
The Chelsea yesterday completed the purchase of the 30-year-old playmaker who has followed his Portugal manager to west London in an £8m deal which may have an effect on Frank Lampard's future at Stamford Bridge.
The Premier League club had been unsure whether Deco, who was below par in a Barcelona side well adrift of Real Madrid last season, represented value for money but Scolari was obviously persuaded by Deco's good form at Euro 2008.
The midfielder was a key member of Scolari's squad in Austria and Switzerland as Portugal reached the quarter-finals and has long been viewed as the coach's on-pitch lieutenant.
But what now for Frank Lampard? The England midfielder is currently on holiday in Italy but with only a year to run on his contract he has been courted by Chelsea's former manager, Jose Mourinho, who is now at Internazionale.
Deco's arrival appears to threaten Lampard's place in the team.
bet365 are offering 5/2 that Michael Ballack finishes on the losing side for Chelsea in a cup final next season.
bet365 spokesman Steve Freeth "Ballack's trophy cabinet should have more winners medals than it does and his nearly man tag will have been added to after tasting yet more defeat on Sunday night."
Will Ballack Be A Losing Finalist Next Season? ------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes 5/2 No 2/7
(Ballack must actually feature for Chelsea in a final to count. Champions League , Carling Cup &/or FA Cup)
Chelsea have confirmed Portugal boss Luiz Felipe Scolari as their new manager.
The Brazilian was one of the favourites to succeed Avram Grant in the Stamford Bridge hotseat but the timing of his appointment has come as a surprise.
Scolari is currently managing Portugal at Euro 2008 and was not expected to make a decision about his future until after the tournament.
A statement from Stamford Bridge read:
"Chelsea Football Club is delighted to confirm that Luiz Felipe Scolari will be the club's new manager from July 1, 2008.
Out of respect for his current role as Head Coach of the Portuguese national team, and to ensure minimum disruption to this work, there will be no further comment from Chelsea FC nor from Felipe about his new role until his employment with us commences."
Despite a number of big-name managers being linked with the job following Avram Grant's sacking last month, it is understood Scolari was always Chelsea's number one choice and nobody else was offered the position.
He is likely to be unveiled during the first week of July, at which time the details of his contract will also be revealed although figures of £6.25m per annum are being floated.
Before becoming an international manager, he enjoyed success at club level in Brazil, winning South America's equivalent of the Champions League - the Copa Libertadores - with two different clubs.
The 59-year-old has no experience of managing at club level in Europe.
Scolari doesn't say no to Chelsea - but is it a yes?
Luiz Felipe Scolari refused to rule himself out of the race to become Chelsea's manager last night but also effectively told the London club that they would have to wait until his participation at Euro 2008 with Portugal had ended before he would give serious consideration to an approach from them.
The Portugal manager, preparing Portugal for a Group A tie against Turkey, insisted that his squad had his total focus.
The Brazilian has been in this situation before. In the countdown to Euro 2004 with Portugal he was linked with the job at Benfica. Before the 2006 World Cup he was touted as England's next manager. On both occasions and for different reasons he came out on the eve of the tournament to make it clear that he would not accept the jobs. Not this time.
"I am here as the Portugal coach; I am going to work hard with the Portugal squad until the end of the Euro, which may be the first phase, the second phase or, if it is up to me, June 29 [the date of the final]," said Scolari, who will be out of contract at the end of the championship, as he was after the last World Cup.
"What is going to happen to me, whether I stay or leave, concerns me [only] and I am not going to talk about it now. I am only going to make a public declaration after the Euro.
"If something happens during the Euro, I am not going to answer [questions about it]. Something might happen one way or another and things might go this way or that but I am here to work for Portugal.
"I started to work for Portugal for 2004, 2006 and 2008; I might sign again or I might leave. It's a situation I'm going to examine, but I'm not going to answer this sort of question or talk about it and I'm going to stay quiet. I'm going to talk to my family and examine the possibilities, then I will decide."
Chelsea job betting has Spalletti as new favourite
Roma coach Luciano Spalletti has emerged as the new favourite to take over at Chelsea - according to leading UK betting site Bet365.
The announcement that Carlo Ancellotti will be staying in Milan has upset the market and punters are running out of high profile names to turn to.
Spalletti is now the 3/1 (4.00) favourite with Bet365 whose spokesman Steve Freeth said: "Roman Abramovich has apparently had a couple of knockbacks in finding a replacement for Avram Grant in the Chelsea hot-seat and some punters think he'll be turning to Spalletti next."
Personally, I think that he looks a bit like a Gianluca Vialli clone (without the beard) and I wonder if he has the sort of managerial pedigree that the Russian money-man is looking for ...
The former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been confirmed as the new manager of Internazionale.
A press statement on the Inter Milan website read "The whole Internazionale organisation takes great pleasure in welcoming Jose Mourinho and his colleagues."
The Portuguese has signed a three-year contract with the Nerazzuri, and will work alongside his former Chelsea colleagues Rui Farias, Silvino Louro and Andre Vilas-Boas at the San Siro. Giuseppe Baresi, previously director of Inter's youth programmes, will be Mourinho's assistant.
As I revealed 6 days ago when writing about Roberto Mancini's departure, the shadow of Mourinho always loomed large over this job after it was apparent that neither of the Spanish giants wanted to try Mourinho's negative brand of football management.
The arrival of Mourinho at Inter is likely to increase the speculation over the future of several of his former Chelsea players, particularly Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho.
The Premier League is generating more money than ever but only eight clubs are actually turning a profit says a Deloitte study of the 2006-07 season.
In 2006-07 Premier League clubs' salaries rose 13% - slightly ahead of a median 11% rise in revenue - and the situation is worse in the Championship as average wage increases of 14% outstripped median revenue growth of 3%.
There are startling disparities between the important wages-to-turnover ratios at clubs in England's top two divisions.
The average Premier League figure stood at 63% and the Championship level at 79% but there was a lot of variance. Tottenham had the lowest wages/turnover ratio or just 42%, followed by ManYoo (44%), Arsenal (50%) and then the two Sheffield clubs.
Liverpool stood at 58% and Chelsea was a high 70% - but then with a Russian sugar-daddy normal financial metrics mean little to the Blues at present.
There were high figures figures of 80% and 85% at Middlesbrough and Blackburn respectively. Alarmingly, Sunderland's ratio was 90% and Derby's 125%. But the latter two probably reflect the payment of performance-related bonuses to players for winning promotion.
Overall, only eight Premier League clubs showed operating profits, namely Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle, Reading, Sheffield United and Watford.
If your club isn't on this list then they're spending beyond their earnings - and any downturn in fotoball revenues could hit home hard ...
Mancini leaves Inter Milan - Mourinho to take over?
The agent of Roberto Mancini has indicated that his client is no longer the coach of Serie A outfit Internazionale, although an official announcement has yet to be made by the Italian champions.
Mancini looks to be on his way out of the club less than a fortnight after delivering the club's third consecutive Serie A title.
The 43-year-old's agent, Giorgio De Giorgis, indicated in an interview with Sportitalia television on Tuesday night that Mancini has left the club following a 25-minute meeting with Inter president Massimo Moratti earlier in the day.
The agent told Sportitalia television: "Roberto never expected it to end like this. Roberto is very disappointed also because he has not yet finished his job - he wanted to try and win even more league titles, and maybe even the Champions League."
Mancini has endured a turbulent season at the San Siro, tendering his resignation in the immediate aftermath of the club's Champions League elimination by Liverpool in March only to be talked into a rethink by Moratti. De Giorgis also suggested that former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has been lined up as Mancini's replacement.
Reports in Italy suggest Mourinho arrived in Milan on Tuesday evening and may be presented as the club's new coach as early as Wednesday while Mancini has been linked with the Chelsea vacancy at Stamford Bridge.
Frank Rijkaard favourite to land Chelsea job at bet365
Frank Rijkaard is the early favourite at bet365 to become the new Chelsea boss after Avram Grant was sacked by owner Roman Abramovich.
After months and months of speculation, Chelsea announced that they had terminated Grant's contract - and Rijkaard, who recently left Barcelona, is now the 15/8 favourite to fill the hot seat.
bet365 spokesman Steve Freeth "The inevitable has happened and all the odds on quotes about Avram Grant going were spot on. Rijkaard has been linked with the jobs for months and he's currently top of our list at 15/8." Roberto Mancini, who recently guided Inter Milan to the Serie A title is next in bet365's market at 3/1, while Guus Hiddink has drifted to 5/1 from an initial 7/2.
Sven-Goran Eriksson, who held talks with Chelsea when he was England boss, is 5/1 despite still being in place at Manchester City.
You can get 14/1 about a return for Jose Mourinho, who left Stamford Bridge less than a season ago back in September which is the same price as another Chelsea favourite, former striker Gianfranco Zola.
EPL : Chelsea 1-1 Bolton - disappointment and injury gives Chelsea the blues
The afternoon began in hope for Chelsea but ended in disappointment for Chelsea as they failed to snatch the Premier league title.
Andriy Shevchenko's second-half strike was cancelled out by Kevin Davies' added-time leveller but the Blues were also left reeling from the loss of captain John Terry with shoulder injury in the first half.
The England defender was stretchered off after clashing with team-mate Petr Cech and Bolton striker Davies and could be out of next week's Champions League final against Manchester United in Moscow.
The Blues captain received lengthy treatment on the pitch before he was replaced by right-back Juliano Belletti and early reports suggested he had partially dislocated his shoulder.
But in the seventh minute, the title-chasers should have gone in front when Michael Ballack's low cross from the left found Didier Drogba at the far post - but he shot high and wide of the target.
Chelsea continued to push for an opening goal but found Bolton a tough test and Matthew Taylor underlined the threat the visitors posed at the other end when he fired a 30-yard drive just wide of Cech's left-hand upright.
The news of Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty at Wigan left the home fans subdued and Terry's loss had clearly unsettled Avram Grant's side. Chelsea's frustration was growing but Bolton's rearguard refused to buckle.
In an effort to re-ignite their title push, Grant replaced Claude Makelele with Shevchenko at the start of the second half.
The move was clearly designed to put more pressure on the Bolton defence and in the 46th minute Florent Malouda almost broke the deadlock. The French winger let fly with a volley from fully 25-yards which Al Habsi tipped against the crossbar.
Seconds later, Joe Cole got to the touchline and pulled the back for Malouda to try his luck again but this time his effort was deflected to safety.
The deadlock was finally broken moments when Lampard's shot was turned home by the alert substitute Shevchenko.
Bolton almost grabbed an equaliser when a Davies header came down off the crossbar and Ashley Cole cleared the ball off the line after it hit Stelios Giannakopoulos.
But the Chelsea fans realised it was not going to be their day when news of United's second goal from Ryan Giggs spread around the stadium.
And disaappintment was complete in the dying seconds when Taylor shot through a crowded area to level the scores and end Chelsea's hopes for good.
Chelsea 1-1 Bolton Wanderers 62 [1 - 0] A. Shevchenko 90 [1 - 1] K. Davies
ManYoo and Chelsea both getting action on title odds
It seems that it's a bit of a fan-fest this week as the top prices on both Manchester United and Chelsea are being snapped up by loyal fans.
Chelsea's win over Newcastle on Monday means that it will all go down to the final day of the season, and the title equation is quite simple ... Chelsea need to get more points on the final day than United.
Chelsea are priced at 4/1 (5.00) to win the title - and that price is being hit quite mard by some punters as they do the maths and work out the real chances of a Chelsea win.
Meanwhile Manchester United were priced at 1/4 (1.25), but bookmakers have been swamped and now the best price you can get is a 1/5 (1.20) quote.
So which price do I think is best? In order to answer that we need to make some basic assumptions about the two games - and come up with some match estimates.
Wigan Athletic v Manchester United Wigan have actually been quite strong at the JJB recently. They have a 8-5-5 home record and are unbeaten in their last SEVEN home games.
United are hardly all-conquering when travelling - at just 9-5-4 in their 18 away games this season. But United have won their fxitures here at the JJB in the last two seasons 2-1, and 3-1.
Away games are hard to win - even Manchester United have won just half of their road fixtures so far and the 1.25 price on an away win speak volumes for bookmaker hype and spin - trying to sell awful odds to legions of fans with red-tinted glasses.
If this were a game with nothing on it then I'd have this game at 21%-24%-55% estimate, but United will be absolutely desperate - so I'll push it out to 13%-17%-70% - but no more.
Chelsea vs Bolton Wanderers Chelsea don't lose league games at home, but they do draw a lot going 12-7-0 last season and 12-6-0 this season, and Bolton have avoided defeat in 3 of their last 4 trips to Stamford Bridge too.
Still Bolton are just 2-4-12 this season, and are safe from relegation now, so you must expect the home side to have far more motivation.
I'd make this game a 80%-13%-7% chance, with a Chelsea victory the mostly likely result by a long chalk.
The Betting Verdict From here it's simple - just calculate the percentage likelihood of Chelsea getting moe points than ManYoo in the final game - and we should have our "fair odds".
The chances are : Chelsea win (80%) * Man United draw or loss (30%) = 24% Chelsea draw (13%) * Man United loss (13%) = 1.7%
So I think that Chelsea have a total 25.7% chance of the title (fair odds 3.89) while Manchester United have a 74.3% chance of winning the league (fair odds 1.34).
So Manchester United are strong favourites to win the league, but given the current prices - I'd put my tenner on Chelsea @ 5.00
Russia has waived normal visa requirements for a 72-hour period for football fans with a ticket for the Champions League final in Moscow.
Michel Platini, president of European football's governing body Uefa, has thanked the Russian government for an "unprecedented gesture".
Supporters will need to present a valid match ticket, a valid passport, and a completed immigration form upon arrival in Russia and the visa exemption will apply between 19 and 23 May.
Anyone overstaying the 72-hour entry period will then have to pay the fee for a regular visa when leaving the country.
The move will alleviate a huge burden on the Russian National Tourist Office in London, which has been handling visas on behalf of the Russian Embassy in Britain for the Champions League final.
More than 42,000 Chelsea and Manchester United fans are set to attend the match at the the Luzhniki Stadium on 21 May.
Fans without a ticket, hoping to travel independently, should be able to have their visas processed in plenty of time - though the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised supporters not to travel "if they do not have a ticket or accommodation beforehand".
Both clubs have been given 21,000 tickets each for the final at the Luzhniki Stadium, where the capacity is being set specifically at 69,500.
UEFA CL : Chelsea beat Liverpool to advance on Moscow
Didier Drogba bagged a brace as Chelsea swept into their first Champions League final at the expense of Liverpool on a night of high drama at Stamford Bridge.
The Ivorian opened the scoring with a 12-yard strike, but Fernando Torres's drive made the score 1-1 and sent the tie into extra-time.
Frank Lampard restored Chelsea's lead from the spot after Michael Ballack had been felled by Sammy Hyypia, before Drogba prodded a third after good work by Nicolas Anelka.
Late on a 35-yard strike from Ryan Babel somehow squirmed past Petr Cech which prompted a tense final 4 minutes, but Chelsea held on to seal a match up with Manchester United in Moscow on May 21st.
Chelsea are now heavy favourites after a last second own goal from John Arne Riise gave Chelsea a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final at Anfield.
Dirk Kuyt put Liverpool ahead by firing under Petr Cech just before half-time but in the fifth and final minute of added time at the end of the match Riise headed into his own net.
That had a drastic effect on the betting, with Chelsea now strongly favoured to reach a first Champions League final - the Blues on offer at 1.48, while Liverpool are out to 2.90.
Will it take penalties to seperate Liverpool & Chelsea?
Top UK bookmaker Bet365 are offering odds on whether either team will need a penalty shootout to progress to the Champions League final.
Liverpool are 20/1 with bet365 to repeat last season's heroics and defeat Chelsea in a Champions League semi-final on penalties.
bet365 spokesman Steve Freeth said: "Liverpool have failed again in the Premiership, but Rafa Benitez takes some shifting in the Champions League. We're shorter on a Liverpool victory if it does go to spot-kicks as Pepe Reina is one of the best in the business at keeping them out from 12 yards."
Chelsea are at 29.00 (28/1) to go through on penalties themselves.
Meanwhile punters have latched onto a Liverpool win in the first leg on Tuesday after it was confirmed Reds skipper Steven Gerrard was fit to play.
The Gerrard news has acted like a catalyst for punters who are piling on Liverpool.
Interesting stuff (probably only for Gooners), and although the BBC reporter is a bit of a negative pratt, Wenger deflects it positively talking about how Arsenal are still in with a shout at the business end of the season.
He talks about Arsenal winning a trophy this season - although he admits that's a tough ask - he's not giving up on the Premier League or the Champions League yet.
Chelsea are not happy to being asked to play two Premier League games in the space of 72 hours after their trip to Everton was rescheduled for TV.
The Blues will play Wigan on April 14th and then travel to Goodison PArk to face Everton on Thursday 17th (instead of originally scheduled Saturday 19th).
Chelsea say it gives their title rivals an unnecessary competitive advantage with more time both to recover and prepare. Everton have described the fixture change as an "uncomfortable precedent".
The Merseysiders, who like Chelsea also wanted the match played at the weekend, say in a statement that they fully support their broadcast partners, but hope common sense prevails in the future and sensible alternatives can be reached.
The Premier League have defended the switch, saying: "The compilation of the fixture list is a complex procedure.
"It faces enormous pressure from international match and European competition dates, as well as the need to balance the important requirements of the police and our broadcasters.
"We are also required by the European Commission to televise 138 matches per season, which brings its own inevitable pressures."
Manchester United are the 11/8 (2.38) favourites for the FA Cup even after being drawn against Portsmouth at Old Trafford in the only all-Premier League last eight tie.
Chelsea are at 2.75 to win the Cup after Avram Grant's men were paired with Liverpool's conquerors Barnsley in the quarter-finals.
Portsmouth were general 6/1 third favourites before the numbers came out but after being drawn away to one of the two big guns they've been pushed out to a general 14/1. (15.00) along with Middlesbrough as the biggest threats to Chelsea and Manchester United.
Boro have home tie against Cardiff. However, they'll still need to beat Sheffield United in a replay at the Riverside before they can pencil in a quarter-final with the Bluebirds.
West Brom were also cut after being drawn away to Bristol Rovers - the only League One side left in the tournament. The Baggies are as short as 12/1 with Sky Bet although Boylesports have them at 20s.
Cardiff are 51.00 with BetFred, while Canbet offer 151.00 on Barnsley, and Centrebet are 151.00 for Bristol Rovers.
Paddy Power are offering 3/1 (4.00) for any club except Manchester United and Chelsea lifting the trophy and 7/4 (2.75) for a non-Premier League team to reach the final.
Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have established themselves in the world top five of highest-earning clubs, according to a new report.
They made £580m between them last season and Deloitte, the business consultancy which compiles the Football Money League, believes their revenues will only increase as English clubs as a whole seek to maximise their money-making potential abroad.
A ninth Premier League title combined with a run to the Champions League semi-finals and a £14m-a-year shirt sponsorship deal helped United earn £212.1m in 2007. Chelsea made £190.5m in the same period and Arsenal took £177.6m, mainly from corporate revenue which doubled to £91m in their first season at the Emirates Stadium.
There are six English clubs in the top 20, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United being the others. Financial analysts expect more to follow in 2008 because of this season's £300m Premier League broadcast deal.
The rich list 2008
1 (1) Real Madrid £236.2m 2 (4) Manchester United £212.1m 3 (2) Barcelona £195.3m 4 (6) Chelsea £190.5m 5 (9) Arsenal £177.6m 6 (5) AC Milan £153.0m 7 (8) Bayern Munich £150.3m 8 (10) Liverpool £133.9m 9 (7) Internazionale £131.3m 10 (12) Roma £106.1m
Arsenal scored a 3-1 success at Manchester City thanks to two goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and a fine strike from Eduardo da Silva, have been cut to 6/4 (2.50) to win the title. Manchester United equalised with the last kick of the game in a 1-1 draw with Spurs at White Hart Lane to pick up a point. United were eased to 4/5 (1.80) for the title by Stan James.
Betfair exchange customers backed under 1.5 goals down to 1.04 and Tottenham were matched at just 1.01 when a Carlos Tevez goal from a corner at the death sealed a dramatic point for the Reds.
(and showed just how unsafe it is to chase those "easy money" bets at the exchange)
Chelsea lost ground on Arsenal after being held to a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth where Nicolas Anelka's 55th minute strike was wiped out by new Pompey signing Jermain Defoe. The Blues are out to 11/2.
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Arsenal currently top the table on 60pts, two ahead of United and five clear of Chelsea. All three have played 25 games.
Nicolas Anelka's move to Chelsea provides the perfect stage for the gifted but enigmatic French striker to make his football career mean something.
Arsene Wenger unearthed the french starlet as an 18 year-old from Paris St Germain, for the meagre price of £500,000 and got some brilliant performances during an all-too-brief stay at Highbury.
He earned the tag of "Le Sulk", during his stay in North London, as he listened to the deluded ramlbings of his brother agents - and despite his talent there was great relief and merriment in my household when he left Arsenal in August 1999 to join Real Madrid in a £23m deal.
Anelka has never lived up to his undoubted talent, never really looked likely to fulfill his potential as while he was blessed with physical prowess - he's also been cursed with mental shortcomings and a readiness to believe his sycophant followers.
Anelka showed at Arsenal, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City, Fenerbahce and Bolton that he has (had?) the skills to succeed at the top level, but for all his talents - he has too much baggage to be relied upon by top flight sides.
After a domestic double with Arsenal in 1998 and a Champions League win with Real Madrid in 2000, his career has been a series of ill-fated transfers where the biggest headlines are written the day he signs the contract - and little more thereafter.
Chelsea have bought a flawed talent, although in the short term Anelka might be able to help Chelsea to strive towards their trophy challenges this season.
But it will be beyond Avram Grant (or any manager) to keep Anelka playing to his ability for more than 30-40 matches. Anelka changes clubs like other players change their cars - playing for ten teams in scarcely more than ten years.
Despite the 4 1/2 years on the contract the fact remains that Anelka has never seen a contract through - and it's most likely that Stamford Bridge will be no more than a pit stop as "le Sulk" continues his footballing journey through most of Europe's clubs.
This is "a guide to gambling" and it's written by a Gooner.
It will be mostly sports bets on European football - but with a dash of poker and casino play thrown in as well.
Stumble It!
And in the
