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

Stumble It!

Manchester City beat Blackburn 4-1 to move into fourth spot

Carlos Tevez grabbed a hat-trick to move Manchester City into fourth place in the Premier League following a commanding 4-1 victory over Blackburn.

Tevez put City in front from close range in the seventh minute before Micah Richards doubled the lead after a powerful 50-yard surge on 39 minutes.

Tevez extended the lead after the break with a stunning 20-yard finish.

Blackburn pulled a goal back through Morten Gamst Pedersen before Tevez added his third with a superb finish.

Premier League Top Six

Team          Pl  GD PTS 
1 Chelsea     20 +29  45 
2 Man Utd     21 +27  44 
3 Arsenal     20 +30  42 
4 Man City    20 +14  38 
5 Tottenham   20 +20  37 
6 Aston Villa 20 +11  35

Stumble It!

FA Cup : Fourth Round Draw made

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
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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

Stumble It!

Manchester City owner now wants to buy Real Madrid

Manchester City's owner Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been sensationally linked with a billion pound swoop to buy Real Madrid.

According to reports in Spanish newspaper AS (which admitedly does routinely print a load of bullsh!t and acts as a Real Madrid publicity machine), Sheikh Mansour has been prompted to set up a meeting with Real President Florentino Perez early in 2010, and he is reportedly prepared to pay 1 billion euros for the La Liga giants.

The Madrid newspaper, however, say that such a deal would be near impossible because the club would need the permission from their shareholding fans to change its legal statutes, which would then pave the way for any deal to go through.

Real Madrid currently have two of the world's most high profile players in Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo on their books, but had to go into significant debt in order to pay ther transfer fees.

But reports that suggest Sheikh Mansour is willing to take on all the debts and could entice the Real Madrid fans to back the surprise bid.

Stumble It!

Man City sack manager Mark Hughes, name Roberto Mancini as replacement

Manchester City have sacked Mark Hughes after 18 months in charge and named Roberto Mancini as his successor, with Brian Kidd as assistant.

News of Hughes' departure came via a statement, issued just two hours after the 4-3 home win over Sunderland. The Welshman had been appointed in June 2008, replacing Sven-Goran Eriksson.

But despite spending heavily on the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Joleon Lescott and Carlos Tevez, results have not satisfied City's ambitious owners.

Assistant coaches Mark Bowen, Eddie Niedzwiecki, Kevin Hitchcock and Glyn Hodges have also left the club.

A Manchester City statement read :

"A return of two wins in 11 Premier League games is clearly not in line with the targets that were agreed and set".

"Sheikh Mansour and the board felt that there was no evidence that the situation would fundamentally change."

"This is a particularly difficult announcement given the personal investment over the past 15 months on all sides and we would like to put on record our respect for and thanks to Mark Hughes and we wish him the best in his future career."

Stumble It!

Mark Hughes time at Man City looks to be up in May 2010

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes had better start keeping his eyes out for his next job if Guus Hiddink's agent is to be believed.

Hiddink's agent, Cees Van Nieuwenhuizen, told the Daily Telegraph when asked if he has spoken to the English club's chief executive Garry Cook: "Yes, I did. Definitely. I had a call because I have been working with Garry for 12 years since we worked together at Nike.

"He (Cook) asked me if it would be worthwhile having a meeting to discuss the future and what might happen next summer. But I told him that Guus was contracted to Russia."

Reports suggest Hiddink, who guided Chelsea to an FA Cup win as interim manager in the second half of last season, is prepared to consider his future in February.

City were comfortably beaten 3-0 at White Hart Lane to cast doubts over their top-four credentials and the security of their manager's job.

Current boss Mark Hughes is under increasing pressure after his side slipped to eighth in the Premier League following Wednesday's defeat at Tottenham.

Stumble It!

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

Top Four Betting Odds at Paddy Power
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Manchester United 1.01 @ Paddy Power
Arsenal 1.17 @ Paddy Power
Liverpool 2.00 @ Paddy Power
Manchester City 2.20 @ Paddy Power
Tottenham Hotspur 3.50 @ Paddy Power
Aston Villa 6.50 @ Paddy Power

Stumble It!

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.

Chelsea 1.91 @ Canbet
Manchester United 4.33 @ Victor Chandler
Arsenal 4.33 @ Eurobet
Manchester City 34.00 @ Ladbrokes
Liverpool 41.00 @ Betfred
Tottenham Hotspur 151.00 @ Victor Chandler

Stumble It!

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.


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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.

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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.

Stumble It!

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.

BEST PRICES TO WIN THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Chelsea 2.50 @ PinnacleSports
Manchester United 4.50 @ PinnacleSports
Liverpool 8.00 @ Eurobet
Arsenal 13.00 @ Ladbrokes
Manchester City 14.00 @ PinnacleSports
Tottenham Hotspur 51.00 @ Eurobet

Stumble It!

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

Stumble It!

Manchester City sign Adebayor for £25m from Arsenal

Manchester City have added to their collection of strikers by signing Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor on a five-year deal for a fee of about ££25m.

The 25-year-old joins fellow new signings Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez at Eastlands. And with Robinho, Craig Bellamy, Valeri Bojinov and Benjani also on their books, City have an embarrassment of riches up front.

The Togo striker, who takes City's summer spending to around £80m, passed a medical on Saturday and had already been successful in arranging a work permit.

Adebayor, who was also linked with linked to AC Milan and Chelsea, spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Gunners after joining them from Monaco for £7m, scoring 62 goals in 142 games.

He scored 30 goals in the 2007-08 season but struggled with injuries in the last campaign and also incurred the wrath of some Arsenal fans, who felt the striker lacked commitment.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said he was sorry to see Adebayor leave, but insisted he had no immediate plans to replace him.

Gooner Adds :
Adebayor was a big talent, but his 30-goal season two years ago seemed to change the man, and with AC Milan in the picture, money has been the main aim for the big man (and his agent entourage) ever since.

Performances last year were lack-lustre to say the least, and he seemed to be sulking (almost as much as Berbatov did in his final months at Spurs) in order to agitate a big money move.

Rumours are that Adebayor will be on around about £170K per week (or £9m per year) - and that's twice as much as he'd earn at Arsenal.

Frankly, I am pleased to see an unhappy player leave, especially at a £19m profit for the club, but Wenger needs to invest it back into the team in experienced players rather than young potential players if Arsenal are to compete this season.

Whether it's a good buy for Man City? We will have to wait and see.

Stumble It!

MANCHESTER CITY AGREE CARLOS TEVEZ DEAL

FOOTBALL: Manchester City have announced they have reached an agreement to sign Carlos Tevez

The 25-year-old, who left city rivals United at the end of last season, has agreed personal terms and is expected to pen a five-year deal at Eastlands.

City have confirmed the deal has been ratified by the Premier League and the Football Association, and Tevez is expected to have a medical shortly before meeting up with his new team-mates on their pre-season tour to South Africa.

With rumours swirling round Manchester that Emmanuel Adebayor is about to be offered a five-year contract to leave Arsenal and continuing speculation over the future of Chelsea skipper John Terry, it is clear City are a club with plenty of cash.

"This is yet another deal that shows the commitment of owner Sheikh Mansour to make this club the best it can possibly be," said manager Mark Hughes.

Stumble It!

CARLOS TEVEZ LEAVES MAN UNITED LIKELY TO JOIN CITY

Carlos Tevez is expected to join Manchester City after champions Manchester United confirmed the striker is to leave Old Trafford.

Manchester United issued a statement which read: "Following contact received from Carlos Tevez's advisors last night, in advance of the deadline the club set for concluding negotiations, Manchester United announces that Carlos will not be signing a new contract with the club.

"The club agreed to pay the option price of £25.5million and offered Carlos a five-year contract which would have made him one of its highest-paid players.

"Disappointingly however, his advisors informed the club that, despite the success he has enjoyed during one of the club's most successful periods, he does not wish to continue playing for Manchester United.

"The club would like to thank Carlos for his services over the last two seasons and wishes him good luck for the future."

Stumble It!

Kaka turns down Man City and stays at AC Milan

AC Milan playmaker Kaka has turned down a lucrative move to Manchester City.

City issued a statement saying they had ended talks, believing it was unlikely a deal could be struck with Milan. Executive chairman Garry Cook said: "The discussions reached only a preliminary stage and the player was not involved at any time."

City's bid for Kaka was reportedly worth £100m, more than £50m in excess of the current world transfer fee record Real Madrid paid to Juventus to sign Zinedine Zidane in 2001, and that the Premier League club were willing to pay the Brazilian weekly wages of £500,000.

Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi told Italian television the 26-year-old had opted not to leave. "That's the end of the story," Berlusconi said. "I'm truly delighted to have kept Kaka at Milan."

Stumble It!

KAKA transfer news overdose ...

Here is a selection of news flashes and pure made up bollocks published by newspapers in the last 24 hours regarding Kaka's possible transfer to Manchester City.

They can't all be true - many of them contradict each other ...

(Press Association) Despite reports to the contrary from the Middle East, Manchester City boss Mark Hughes insists the Kaka deal could still go ahead.

(Arabianbusiness.com) Manchester City have sensationally withdrawn their bid for Kaka, and will instead unveil another signing from Serie A in the next 48 hours - "not in the Kaka league".

(The Sun) AC Milan star Kaka will only move to Manchester City if he is given a series of get-out clauses as part of a world record £175m deal.

(The Sun continues) If he joins City, the Brazilian star wants written guarantees in his contract that Sheikh Mansour remains the club's owner and continues to invest heavily, that City qualify for the Champions League within two years, that Robinho stays at the club and also that he retains control of his image rights. If any of those clauses are broken, Kaka would be allowed to leave for a predetermined transfer fee.

(Daily Star) City will offer Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti the chance to take charge at Eastlands in the summer in a bid to improve their chances of signing Kaka.

(The Sun tried a new line ..) Kaka is committed to the Rossoneri but will listen to City if there is any indication that the Italian club are willing to accept the £100m on offer by the Eastlands club.

(Daily Telegraph) Milan are willing to sell Kaka but a deal will only be sanctioned if he wishes to leave the San Siro.

(The Sun must have a lot of bugs in the negotiation room) Kaka's father and closest adviser Bosco Leite is flying in from Brazil to enter the negotiations.

(Daily Mirror) City will present their proposal to Kaka's representatives before the end of this week but Bosco Leite holds the key to whether the deal will go through.

(Daily Mail) Kaka wants to meet Sheikh Mansour before he decides on his future.

(Daily Telegraph) City will renew their efforts to sign Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon or AC Milan goalkeeper Dida in an attempt to convince Kaka of their ambitions.

(The Guardian) Manchester City used Kaka's compatriot Robinho, who joined them from Real Madrid for £32.5m in August, to try to persuade the 26-year-old midfielder to swap the San Siro for Eastlands.

(Daily Mail starts to make it all up ..) Robinho has been in regular telephone contact with Kaka and has told City boss Mark Hughes that his Brazil team-mate is ready to move to Manchester.

Stumble It!

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."

Stumble It!

UEFA Cup Knockout Draw

Aston Villa and Tottenham have a potential last 16 clash - but they will have to get past a pair of quality opponents as they first face CSKA Moscow and Shakhtar Donetsk respectively in the last 32.

Manchester City will face FC Copenhagen in the last 32 but they could meet Deportivo La Coruna in the last 16.

Other last 32 ties include AC Milan up against Werder Bremen, while Ajax meet Fiorentina.

Last 32 draw (first leg 18-19 Feb/ second leg 26 Feb):
Paris Saint-Germain v Wolfsburg
FC Copenhagen v MANCHESTER CITY
NEC Nijmegen v Hamburg
Sampdoria v Metalist Kharkiv
Braga v Standard Liege
ASTON VILLA v CSKA Moscow
Lech Poznan v Udinese
Olympiakos v Saint-Etienne
Fiorentina v Ajax
Aalborg v Deportivo La Coruna
Werder Bremen v AC Milan
Bordeaux v Galatasaray
Dynamo Kiev v Valencia
Zenit St. Petersburg v Stuttgart
Marseille v FC Twente
Shakhtar Donetsk v TOTTENHAM

Stumble It!

Aston Villa shorten to lift the UEFA Cup.

Aston Villa have been cut for UEFA Cup glory after winning in midweek while Spurs and Portsmouth are on the drift.

Aston Villa kicked off their Group F campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ajax at Villa Park and Ladbrokes have cut them to 11/1 to lift the trophy after goals from Martin Laursen and Gareth Barry secured victory over the Dutch visitors.

However, with the knockout stages still to come, there are plenty of challenges left and Villa can still be backed at 13.00 with PaddyPower.

Tottenham's miserable start to the season continued with a 2-0 defeat away to Udinese.

Spurs mixed passages of promising play with a defensive howler from goalkeeper Gomes and then an unnecessary red card to leave manager Juande Ramos even more uncertain about his future.

Spurs are 25/1 shots at BetFred for UEFA Cup glory - if you fancy their chances of getting sorted out.

Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth crashed to a 3-0 away defeat to Braga of Portugal and now Pompey are down at 40/1 in the betting ahead of their next fixture - a home clash with tournament favourites AC Milan.

AC Milan left some big names on the bench for their Group E opener away to Heerenveen but still cruised to a 3-1 win and have been cut to 7/2 by Ladbrokes.

Manchester City, who didn't have a fixture this week, are 14/1 to lift the cup.

Stumble It!

Newcastle draw 2-2 with Man City

Newcastle United might have only picked up a point in their entertaining 2-2 draw with Man City on Monday night, but the betting public saw enough to think that the Geordies will not be going down.

The Magpies got off to the worst possible start at St James' Park, going a goal and a man down after just 14 minutes with Habib Beye adjudged to have brought down Robinho when clean through on goal.

Beye was shown a straight red card before Robinho got back to his feet and dispatched the spot kick past Shay Given in the home goal.

But Newcastle fought back and a Shola Ameobi strike and a Richard Dunne own goal gave the home side a 2-1 lead - but they could not hold it and Stephen Ireland to leveled matters for City with just four minutes remaining.

Still, Newcastle were 7/2 but have been moved out to a best-price of 4/1 for the drop with VC Bet.

Stumble It!

Injury problems for Premier League clubs?

Manchester City will be anxious to check on Robinho's fitness after the star forward was substituted with an injury during Brazil's World Cup qualifier against Colombia.

Robinho was replaced by AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato in the 63rd minute as his country were held to a goalless draw at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

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Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has suffered a suspected broken nose while playing for Spain.

The 21-year-old managed to finish his country's 2-1 victory in Belgium, but medical staff confirmed the injury after the game. Fabregas will now report back to Arsenal for further treatment, though it will be hoped he can play on regardless.

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Liverpool have injury worries up front ahead of Saturday's match at home to Wigan after both Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel limped off while on international duty.

Torres, the Barclays Premier League joint-top scorer with five goals, lasted less than 16 minutes of Spain's World Cup qualifier against Belgium on Wednesday before being replaced by Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

The former Atletico striker reportedly felt a tweak in the muscle in the back of his left leg and was taken off as a precaution.

Stumble It!

Berbatov and Robinho both move to Manchester !

The Premier League transfer window closed on Monday night - and it was Manchester City who had the biggest news.

City were bought by an Abu Dhabi consortum at midday, and the Shieks immediately proved that they've got pot-loads of spare cash by successfully pitching a £30m+ big for Real Madrid's Robinho ... and gettting him !!

In other (minor) news - the sulky Bulgarian Berbatov did eventually move to Manchester United for £30m too - and Spurs agreed to drop the "Tapping-up" case against Sir Alex Ferguson.

PREMIER LEAGUE TRANSFER MOVES :
In:
Blackburn (Bunn),
Everton (Saha, Nash),
Hull (Cousin),
Liverpool (Flora, Gulacsi, Riera),
Man City (Robinho),
Man Utd (Berbatov),
Newcastle (Gonzalez, Xisco),
Portsmouth (Belhadj),
Sunderland (McCartney),
Stoke (Higginbotham),
Tottenham (Pavlyuchenko, Corluka, Campbell),
West Brom (Donk)

Out:
Bolton (Dzemaili),
Fulham (Zakuani, John, Smertin),
Liverpool (Finnan, Voronin),
Man City (Corluka, Vidal),
Man Utd (Saha, Campbell),
Portsmouth (Cranie, Christophe),
Sunderland (Higginbotham),
Stoke (Parkin),
Tottenham (Berbatov),
West Ham (McCartney),
Wigan (Bouaouzan, Nash, Sibierski)

There may be more announcements in the morning - but Arsenal fans should be aware that it appears the Mr Wenger simply decided to have an early night.

Stumble It!

Sunday's Premier League Roundup

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.

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Manchester United 1-1 Newcastle United (video highlights link)
Reigning champions Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by Newcastle United at Old Trafford.

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.

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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.

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Preseason results : ManYoo, Arsenal, Newcastle, Man City

Manchester United were frustrated in their final pre-season friendly of the summer as they played out a goalless draw with Juventus.

Sir Alex Ferguson sent out a strong side with the Community Shield against Portsmouth just four days away.

Juve will not start their Serie A campaign until the end of the month but they matched United in a tight first half, with neither goalkeeper seriously tested.

Lee Martin was perhaps unlucky not to be awarded a penalty after being brought down by Zdenek Grygera, while Darren Fletcher blazed over from a tight angle on the left.

There were few chances after the break either, although Paul Scholes spurned one glorious opportunity as he headed wide from point-blank range.

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Newcastle had to settle for a 2-2 draw with PSV Eindhoven at St James' Park despite scoring twice in the first 10 minutes.

Steven Taylor put the hosts ahead after only three minutes, heading in Geremi's outswinging corner, and debutant Danny Guthrie made it two five minutes later from James Milner's through ball.

Newcastle were pegged back on the half-hour mark as Ibrahim Afellay fired in after Shay Given parried a shot from Nordin Amrabat.

Former Manchester City goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson prevented the Magpies from extending their lead and it was Amrabat who drew PSV level 20 minutes from time with a snapshot from 12 yards.

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Arsenal's youngsters took home the Herbert Chapman Trophy after two goals in the last 15 minutes gave them a 2-1 victory over Huddersfield at the Galpharm Stadium.

The match was held to celebrate Huddersfield's centenary, with the cup named after the legendary manager of both clubs in the 1920s and 30s.

James Berrett gave the hosts the lead after 75 minutes but Sanchez Watt quickly equalised and Nacer Barazite grabbed the winner three minutes from time.

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Celtic finalised their Clydesdale Bank Premier League preparations with a 1-1 draw against Manchester City in their friendly encounter at Parkhead.

Martin Petrov's 54th-minute strike gave City a deserved lead before youngster Paul McGowan equalised with 10 minutes remaining with his first goal for the first team.

McGowan missed the chance to become the hero when he hit the bar from 10 yards out in the final seconds as Celtic pressed for the winner.

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Man City & Villa get easy uEFA Cup draws

Aston Villa and Manchester City were handed ties against little-known opponents in the Uefa Cup second qualifying round draw on Friday.

Aston Villa will play Icelandic side Hafnarfjordur while Manchester City meet Danish side FC Midtjylland.

Both sides are scheduled to play at home in the first legs on 14 August.

Villa, in conjunction with their opponents, have requested the tie is switched, which would see the first leg take place in Iceland on 14 August, with the decider at Villa Park two weeks later.

UEFA CUP - NORTHERN SECTION - 2Q ROUND
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Djurgarden (Sweden) v Rosenborg Trondheim (Norway)
MANCHESTER CITY v Midtjylland (Denmark)
FC Honka (Finland) v Viking Stavanger (Norway)
QUEEN OF SOUTH v Nordsjaelland (Denmark)
Ghent (Belgium) v Kalmar (Sweden)
ASTON VILLA v FH (Iceland)
Stabaek (Norway) v Stade Rennes (France)
Haka Valkeakoski (Finland) v Brondby (Denmark)
FC Copenhagen (Denmark) v Lillestrom (Norway)
Elfsborg Boras (Sweden) v St. Patrick's Athletic (Ireland)

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Ronaldinho to join AC Milan

AC Milan have beaten Manchester City in the race to sign Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho after revealing they have reached an agreement in principle on a three-year deal for the Brazilian.

The Serie A club made the announcement on their official website following a day of talks between Barca president Joan Laporta and Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani in the Catalan capital.

The financial terms of the agreement have not been revealed but City's interest almost certainly pushed up the final fee.

Transfer talks between Barca and Milan reportedly stalled earlier this week, with the Italian club only willing to pay £11.9million plus up to around £4million in add-ons - £7.9million less than Barca were demanding.

But the Rossoneri are understood to have increased their bid by around £4million after City were reportedly waiting with a bid of £27.8million.

The Italian club confirmed that the formal completion of the deal now hinged only on the Brazil international successfully completing a medical.

"AC Milan and FC Barcelona have reached a principle agreement for the transfer of Ronaldinho to the Rossoneri," read a short statement on Milan's official website on Tuesday. "The player will be in Milan tomorrow (Wednesday) to undergo the medical examinations and sign the contract that will bind to Milan until June 30, 2011."

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Manchester City buy Jo

Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Brazilian striker Jo from CSKA Moscow.

At 6ft 3in tall is he the Brazilian answer to Peter Crouch?

His full name is Joao Alves de Assis Silva and the 21-year-old is the first signing by City boss Mark Hughes since his arrival at Eastlands.

Jo helped CSKA win four trophies during a three-year spell in Russia has signed a four-year deal scoring 44 goals in 77 games for CSKA Moscow.

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Man City into Uefa Cup via "fair play".

Manchester City will play in next season's Uefa Cup after claiming a place via the Premier League's fair play table.

England were awarded an extra place in the tournament after the Premier League came top of Uefa's fair play rankings - which also includes a component for "positive play".

Sven-Goran Eriksson's Manchester City side actually finished sixth in the Premier League fair play table, but all the sides above them had already qualified for Europe.

City will now be placed in the the Uefa Cup first qualifying round stage which starts in July.

Manager Sven Eriksson has been quoted on the clubs website as saying "It's like the dream came true - our dream to play in Europe has been strong all season. It's a confirmation that we are a good team, but also a team that behaves well on the pitch."

"It's a step in the right direction because the target for this club in the future is to play in the Champions League, and the Uefa Cup is a very good school to learn about European football."

City, who finished in ninth place in the league table, qualified for the Uefa Cup on the same basis in 2003.

The fair play system awards points based on criteria including respect for opponents and the referee, positive play as well as the number of yellow and red cards received.

City will not be able to host the first qualifying round tie at Eastlands as the pitch is due to be relaid once a Bon Jovi concert has taken place on 22 June.

Huddersfield's Galpharm Stadium, which usually plays host to rugby league in the summer, has been mentioned as a possible alternative.

The draw for the first qualifying round will be made on 30 June, with City placed in the Northern section.

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EPL : Middlesbrough 8-1 Man City - so long Sven !

Sven-Goran Eriksson's anticipated final match in charge of Manchester City ended in humiliating fashion as his 10-man side lost 8-1 at Middlesbrough.

The former England boss has guided the club to ninth in the Barclays Premier League and a likely place in the UEFA Cup via the Fair Play League but that does not appear enough to save his job.

Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra has expressed his disappointment with the final outcome of Eriksson's 10 months in charge and the former Thai Prime Minister is fully expected to dispense with the Swede's services sooner rather than later.

That is much to the disgust of City's supporters, who chanted their support for the Swede throughout the match.

The hosts took the lead in the 16th minute when Tuncay raced on to a long ball and, as he entered the penalty area, he accidentally caught Dunne's leg as the defender tried to get back. The City captain was harshly dismissed by referee Phil Dowd and Stewart Downing clinically dispatched the penalty.

Later on in the first half Rochemback went forward, and he picked out compatriot Afonso Alves who slotted home left-footed in the 37th minute.

Downing scored again in the 57th minute when, after Boateng's right-wing cross was knocked on, he smashed a superb volley with the outside of his left foot inside the far post to end the match as a contest.

Two minutes later, Afonso Alves made it 4-0 when he raced on to Arca's through-ball to stab past Isaksson. Chris Riggott then had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside as Boro threatened to run riot.

City's luck was obviously not in as, in the 70th minute, Boro grabbed a fifth when Johnson's long-range shot was deflected past Isaksson.

Rochemback made it 6-0 with a 30-yard free-kick 10 minutes from time and substitute Aliadiere fired home the seventh in the 85th minute.

Elano scored a consolation before Afonso Alves completed his hat-trick.

VIDEO LINK :
Middlesbrough 8 - 1 Manchester City

15 R. Dunne (red card Man City)
16 [1 - 0] S. Downing (penalty kick)
37 [2 - 0] A. Alves
58 [3 - 0] S. Downing
60 [4 - 0] A. Alves
70 [5 - 0] A. Johnson
80 [6 - 0] F. Rochemback
85 [7 - 0] J. Aliadiere
87 [7 - 1] E. Blumer
90 [8 - 1] A. Alves

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Man City being turned into a Thai toy for owner

Manchester City have reportedly offered Luiz Felipe Scolari the managers job at Eastlands - but have told him he must accept before the European Championships.

Various newspapers report that the current Portugal coach has been offered a contract worth around £3million a year to take over from Sven Goran Eriksson, who appears certain to be sacked at the end of the season - after Sven led City to their best league finish in 20 years !!

Both The Times and The Independent report that Thaksin Shinawatra has insisted that Scolari gives City an answer before Euro 2008 - but understandably Scolari is reluctant to do so, knowing that a winning performance could attract plenty of other attention.

Meanwhile Manchester City will arrive in Thailand on May 14 to open a club store and hold a clinic before playing against Thailand Premier All-Stars on May 17. A match with a South China Invitation XI follows in Hong Kong on May 22.

Who knows who will be in charge then ... this Shinawatra chap is rapidly turning things into a farce .. unfortunately I expect City to go backwards in 2008-09

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Fulham battling to avoid the drop

Fulham are battling hard to avoid the drop after their incredible escape act against Manchester City yesterday.

The Cottagers had looked down and out after a superb Stephen Ireland strike from the edge of the box and a goal from Benjani put City 2-0 in front at Eastlands and at that point a Fulham win was backed at a high of 699/1 on Betfair.

But Roy Hodgson's men hit back late on with Diomansy Kamara shooting through the legs of Joe Hart 20 minutes from time and Danny Murphy then fired in a penalty rebound after his spot-kick was saved.

There was still time for a winner and Kamara grabbed it in dramatic fashion just seconds from time after more good work from Murphy to snatch a 3-2 triumph.

And having been written off in the relegation betting, Fulham are now trading at as big as 1.14 for relegation with Paddy Power. The Londoners remain in the bottom three.

So do Birmingham, who squandered a 2-0 lead to draw against Liverpool to draw 2-2. The Blues are odds-on in places for the drop and Brimngham are a top-priced 2.05 with Centrebet.

Bolton and Reading remain on the fringes of the drop zone after also having to settle for draws at Tottenham and Wigan respectively.

Bolton are 2.75 at Centrebet, while Reading are 3.25 at BoyleSports.

Middlesbrough are priced at 34.00 and Wigan Athletic at 67.00 (both at BoyleSports) to complete the picture - but it's unlikely that either of these two will take the drop.

RELATED LINK :
Live English Premier League Betting Odds at BookieLabrat.com

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Arsenal go top after beating Man City 3-1

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.

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FA Cup : Liverpool to face Havant at Anfield

Blue Square Conference South club Havant and Waterlooville beat Swansea 4-2 to make sure of a dream trip to Anfield on January 26 in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Richard Paquette, Jamie Collins and Rocky Baptiste gave the Hampshire side a three-goal lead, before Guillem Bauza pulled a goal back for the League One leaders in the 39th minute.

Jason Scotland made it 3-2 - but Tom Jordan's 65th-minute goal made sure of victory for Havant and Waterlooville.

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New Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan watched the Magpies beat Stoke 4-1 at St James' Park to set up a fourth-round trip to Arsenal.

Michael Owen and Claudio Cacapa gave the hosts a two-goal lead, with James Milner and Damien Duff finishing off the Coca-Cola Championship side in the second half.

However, former Sunderland striker Liam Lawrence had the last word, denying Shay Given a clean sheet with a goal a minute from time.

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Manchester City will travel to Sheffield United in the fourth round after beating West Ham with a 73rd-minute goal from Brazilian midfielder Elano.

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And Hereford set up a fourth-round tie at home to Cardiff with a 1-0 victory over Tranmere at Edgar Street, with Simon Johnson scoring in the 72nd minute.

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Hou's in at Man City ?

Gerard Houllier is now the favourite to be the next Manchester City manager following the news that former market favourite Claudio Ranieri has taken over at Juventus.

Ex-Chelsea manager Ranieri left his role at Parma last week after leading the club to Serie A safety and had been widely expected to join Manchester City.

However, Juventus have installed Ranieri as the successor to Didier Deschamps to take charge in their return to Serie A.

It all means a wide-open market again for the City job and Houllier tops the Betfair prices at 4/1 at BetDirect while Juande Ramos (who?) has popped up and is favourite at some bookmakers now.

Sven-Goran Eriksson has also shortened to betwen 3.50 to 5.50 while Gordon Strachan can be got at 18.50 at BetFair

While it's double figure prices and upwards about the rest with Billy Davis, Co Adriaanse, GRaeme Souness and Paul Jewell all getting some action.

Be careful though - as Ranieri had been backed at as short as 1/2 with Sky Bet for the Eastlands vacancy while he's traded at a low of 1/8 on Betfair.

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