EPL : Manchester Utd win at Wigan to claim title

A Cristiano Ronaldo penalty and a late goal from Ryan Giggs gave Manchester United a 2-0 victory over Wigan at the JJB Stadium to claim the Premier League title.

The Portuguses winger scored his 31st league goal to help Sir Alex Ferguson's side lift their 17th league title which left them just one behind Liverpool's haul of 18.

United were handed an opportunity to break the deadlock after Emmerson Boyce brought down Wayne Rooney in the penalty area and referee Steve Bennett pointed to the spot.

Ronaldo stepped up to take the 33rd-minute spot-kick and calmly side footed the ball past goalkeeper Chris Kirkland who dived the wrong way.

Giggs, on as a substitute to equal Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 758 appearances for the club, added a second for United in the 80th minute.

VIDEO LINK :
Wigan Athletic v Manchester United 0-2

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Russia gives Champioins League fans a VISA waiver

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.

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Manchester Utd losing it off the pitch

Manchester United will probably win probable second successive Premier League title and will take part in a Champions League final, but the club's accounts show a significantly bleaker picture of the club's finances.

Under the ownership of the Florida-based Glazer family, all the borrowings have been loaded onto ManYoo PLC and total loans now stand at a massive £666m by far the highest of any English football club, ever.

The total owed to all creditors, including the banks, was up to £764m and includes £56m that United owe to other clubs in transfer fee instalments on players Sir Alex Ferguson has signed.

When the United headline results were announced back in January, it was said that it produced record income of £210m and operating profits of £75m. But the full accounts show, that even though United made a further £11m profit from buying and selling players, the interest and other accounting provisions pushed United into recording an overall loss of £58m for the year!

The total interest payable by the club on its borrowings was £81m, although only £42m was actually paid. The rest is allowed to roll up until the whole amount has to be repaid in 2016, or, alternatively, until the Glazers can refinance it.

A total of £152m is currently owed to hedge funds, at a staggering 14.25% interest a year - £22m of that from 2007-08 alone. Last year the Glazers tried to refinance but were unable to strike a deal with financial institutions, and a spokesman acknowledged that the credit crunch is making it more difficult now.

Before the Glazer family's 2005 takeover, United prided itself on being the only Premier League club regularly to make a significant profit, to have cash in the bank and, unlike all the others, no debts.

The accounts also reveal that by far the highest proportion of income, £92.5m, is still generated on home match days, and although the club has announced more modest ticket price rises for next season than for the previous two, supporters groups continue to protest that they are paying the debts of a takeover they opposed.

"It is outrageous that supporters are paying the huge interest on these borrowings, which are worrying for the club's future," said Sean Bones of the Manchester United Supporters Trust. "Our money is pouring out to pay the Glazers, while they have not put a penny into the club."

A spokesman for the Glazer family pointed to the club's success on the field, and in generating income off it, as evidence of the family's competent management. "The family continue to run United as a business," he said. "Their model is to encourage success on the pitch by backing Sir Alex Ferguson, and to grow revenues off it. The interest payments are more than covered by the cash generated."

This amount of debt is incredible, the numbers being bandied about are like telephone numbers, and when you consider that Arsenal's stadium cost £360m to purchase all the land and construct then the total debt of £764m at United is obviously not backed by physical assets.

This could all end in tears if the TV money stops coming in ...

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Red shirts dominate PFA team of the year.

The PFA team of the year at a star-studded ceremony at London's Grosvenor House Hotel on Sunday April 27th.

Five clubs were represented in the side, with 9 of the 10 outfield players normally wearing red shirts.

Manchester United had three representatives in Cristiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic while Arsenal had four players with Cesc Fabregas, Adebayor, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy featured in the side.

Liverpool duo Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres were included, as was Portsmouth goalkeeper David James and Aston Villa midfielder Ashley Young.

Interestingly, Chelsea's strong attempts to win titles in the Premier League and Champions League were not regcognised at an individual level with no Blues players featuring.

Perhaps that reflects the dour controlled style at the Bridge, or a team that is based more on hardwork and flair? Chelsea may yet get much more tangible team rewards for their efforts - so was the team picked too soon?

PFA Premier League team of the year:
G : David James (Portsmouth),
D : Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd), Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd), Gael Clichy (Arsenal),
M : Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd), Ashley Young (Aston Villa),
A : Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal), Fernando Torres (Liverpool).

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Manchester United odds on to qualify after scoreless draw

Manchester United are favourites to qualify for the Champions League final with the bookmakers after holding Barcelona to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their semi-final clash at the Nou Camp on Wednesday night.

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty after only three minutes and then sat back and defended the 0-0 scoreline for 88 minutes - perhaps due to the absence of Nemanja Vidic.

Barcelona dominated possession but caused Edwin van der Sar few real problems in the United goal, will now have to avoid defeat in the return leg in order to progress to the final in Moscow.

Manchester United are a best priced 1.60 to qualify while Barcelona are 2.40 to get to Moscow. Both prices are from Aussie internet bookmaker Centrebet.

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Personally I think that United have to be very wary of conceding at Old Trafford, but still should be slight favourites at around 55% likely to win and qualify meaning a price of 1.81 for fair value.

RELATED LINK :
BookieLabrat's LIVE Champions League Betting Odds page.

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Win a chance to play at Old Trafford !

Attention ManYoo fans - ten lucky BetFred.com punters will win a spot for a dream day out at Old Trafford.

Betfred Bookmaker has teamed up with Manchester United to offer a fantastic prize to ten lucky BetFred.com punters. To enter this free competition you just need to click the link on the BetFred web site and answer an easy question (a "who scored this goal?" photo quiz - below).

If you’re one of BetFred’s 10 lucky winners, you and a friend will be invited to Old Trafford on Friday 9 May to take part in a dream event for any United fan!

Change in the player dressing rooms! Make your way down the tunnel and out onto the pitch. Show off your skills and learn some new ones with the coaches from Manchester United Soccer Schools.

You’ll also meet some United legends, go on a tour of the stadium and enjoy a post match meal before you head home.

All you need to do to win this fantastic prize is take a look at the picture above and answer the following question:

Who scored the winning goal for Manchester United in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in 1999?

A. David Beckham
B. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
C. Ronny Johnsen

click the link to go to the BetFred web site
Then click on the visit site link
And follow the link at the top of the BetFred page

Good luck!

My thanks to the guys at BookieLabrat.com for spotting this promo and for also remembering that I scored one of these a few years back for Arsenal at Highbury.



(that's me - 4th from the right in the back row)

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EPL : Manchester Utd 2-1 Arsenal

Once again Arsenal are good enougth to take the lead in a high profile game - but once again the makeshift defence is unable to keep a clean sheet.

It's happened against Chelsea, Liverpool and now ManYoo in the last month and let's be honest that's where the title challenges disappeared as the squad has got smaller and smaller.

But instead of recriminations - here's a short video of the Arsenal fan reaction after the game at Old Trafford - as the travelling fans wait to get moved on.



Nice to see - it might not have been a victorious season - but there has been some amazing football played - and it's good to acknowledge it.

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Manchester Utd step towards semi-finals

Manchester United are into 2/1 (3.00) to win the Champions League after they took a huge step towards the semi-finals.

Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney gave United a 2-0 victory over Roma in the Stadio Olimpico to put them firmly in the driving seat going into the second leg of the quarter-final at Old Trafford next week.

Ronaldo made the breakthrough with a brave header in the first half for his 36th of a remarkable season. Rooney then extended their lead when he took advantage of a mix-up between goalkeeper Doni and Christian Panucci.

And it means the Red Devils, are now a best priced 3.00 (at Betfred) while their likely semi-final opponents Barcelona are next best at 4.00 with Ladbrokes and Centrebet.

Barca also claimed an away win in the first leg of their last-eight clash, beating Schalke 1-0 in Gelsenkirchen. Bojan Krkic scored the only goal of the game in the 12th minute, putting Frank Rijkaard's side in a powerful position ahead of the Nou Camp return.

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ManYoo Still FA Cup Favourites

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.

Top Odds :
Manchester United @ 2.38 at Bet365
Chelsea @ 2.75 at Centrebet
Middlesbrough @ 15.00 at Centrebet
Portsmouth @ 15.00 at Betfred

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Money talks - 11 clubs turnover GBP 100m +

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

11 (15) Tottenham Hotspur £103.1m
12 (3) Juventus £97.7m
13 (11) Lyon £94.6m
14 (13) Newcastle United £87.1m
15 (16) Hamburg £81.0m
16 (14) Schalke £76.9m
17 (-) Celtic £75.2m
18 (-) Valencia £72.4m
19 (-) Marseille £66.6m
20 (-) Werder Bremen £65.5m

Last year's position in parentheses

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Adebayor chasing Ronaldo for top scorer honours

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has had his odds cut to finish as the Premier League's top scorer this season after closing the gap on Cristiano Ronaldo at the weekend.

Ronaldo remains favourite but has been eased out to 1.83 at Centrebet.

Adebayor scored twice in Arsenal's 3-1 win at Manchester City to take his tally to 18 while Ronaldo stayed on 19 after firing a rare blank against Tottenham. Adebayor is quoted at 2.65 at VCBet now.

Liverpool's Fernando Torres added to his tally with a goal against Sunderland but is a distant third favourite with 12 goals. You can get on Torres at 15.00 at Bet365.

While Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka also scored and has 11 goals now and he's priced at 17.00 at Bet365.

Elsewhere Carlos Tevez (26.00), Robbie Keane (34.00) and Dimitar Berbatov (51.00) are also offered - but it's pretty much a "fan" bet - and you'd probably feel better by donating your money to charity than simply handing it over to the bookmakers.

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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 5th Round Draw : Man United v Arsenal

Arsenal will face Manchester United in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup.

Arsene Wenger's side were drawn against their Premier League title rivals when the draw was made at FA headquarters in Soho Square on Monday afternoon.

Arsenal eased into the last 16 with a 3-0 victory against Newcastle at Emirates Stadium. United beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Fifth-Round ties will be played over the weekend of February 16 and 17.

Full FA Cup Fifth-Round draw
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Bristol Rovers v Southampton
Cardiff City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sheffield United v Middlesbrough
Liverpool v Barnsley
Manchester United v Arsenal
Preston North End v Portsmouth
Coventry City v West Bromwich Albion
Chelsea v Huddersfield Town

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FA Cup 3rd Round : Favourites fail to win - almost everywhere!

It was a tough weekend for favourites backers in the FA Cup this weekend with a mix of upset wins and draws meaning that only 7 of 22 teams that started as odds-on favourites actually managed to win.

You'd have been better off picking cup winners at random over the weekend!

Although there were no total shocks in the FA Cup on Sunday we still saw Liverpool, Newcastle, Derby and Fulham were all held by lower league opposition.

Liverpool are now 7.00 (6/1) (BetFred) for the trophy, while Newcastle are 29.00 (28/1) with Bet365 for Wembley glory.

At least my team Arsenal obliged with a good result as they beat Burnley 2-0 and covered the asian handicap bet too. The Gooners are now a 5.00 (4/1) chance at Ladbrokes to lift the cup.

On Saturday Manchester United beat Aston Villa 2-0 to book their place in the last 32. They are now 4.33 (10/3) favourites at BoyleSports to win the FA Cup.

Chelsea were also among the winners - they beat QPR 1-0 - and Avram Grant's side are now joint-second favourites to lift the trophy in May, as they are 4/1 with BoyleSports.

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FA Cup 3rd Round : Upsets galore

Scottish midfielder Gary McDonald's first-half strike gave League One Oldham a famous 1-0 FA Cup third-round triumph against mighty Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.

The League One side, over 50 places below the Merseysiders, fully deserved their victory after a battling performance.

Everton fielded a much-changed side, and McDonald's 25-yard cracker on the stroke of half-time was enough to beat them.

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Michael Mifsud scored twice as Coca-Cola Championship club Coventry booked their place in the fourth round with a memorable 4-1 win over Blackburn at Ewood Park.

The Sky Blues, who dumped Manchester United out of the Carling Cup earlier this season with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford, were in good form against Premier League opposition and never looked in danger of losing the lead given to them through Mifsud's crisp volley after 34 minutes.

They doubled their advantage after 64 minutes when Zurab Khizanishvili was adjudged to have fouled Leon Best in the penalty area and defender Elliott Ward coolly stepped up to fire past Brad Friedel.

Dele Adebola added a third from 18 yards before David Bentley scored a consolation five minutes from time for Mark Hughes' beleaguered side.

Mifsud added a fourth in the dying stages as Iain Dowie's side celebrated a memorable day.

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Chris Brandon scored nine minutes from time to secure another cup shock as League One Huddersfield beat Premier League Birmingham 2-1.

Luke Beckett handed the Terriers a dream start as he poked home from close range after just four minutes but Garry O'Connor levelled for Blues 15 minutes later.

Huddersfield never looked out of place against their more illustrious opponents and Brandon slotted home from close range late on to book their place in the next round.

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Holders Chelsea were made to work hard for their 1-0 victory over neighbours QPR at Stamford Bridge.

They scored the only goal of the game after 39 minutes in fortuitous circumstances as Claudio Pizarro's shot cannoned off the post before rebounding into the net off the back of Rangers goalkeeper Lee Camp.

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In other games :

Manchester United progressed as goals in the last 10 minutes from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney saw off Aston Villa 2-0 in the evening kick-off.

Bolton left out a string of first-team players, including Chelsea target Nicolas Anelka, and were made to pay as David Carney's solitary strike put Sheffield United through.

Dave Nugent's third goal for Portsmouth secured a 1-0 win over Ipswich, who had Liam Trotter dismissed in the first half.

Paul Scharner's first-half header, Paul McShane's own goal and a neat strike from David Cotterill helped Wigan cruise past Sunderland 3-0 at the Stadium of Light.

David Wheater's second-half goal ensured there was no upset at Ashton Gate as Middlesbrough came from behind to see off Bristol City 2-1.

Two replays required :

Stephen Hunt matched Dimitar Berbatov's brace as Reading secured a 2-2 draw with Tottenham, who had Tom Huddlestone dismissed for violent conduct.

Manchester City and West Ham will meet again after a dour goalless draw at Upton Park.

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Manchester United lead the Premier League

Manchester United are the new leaders of the Premier League after they beat Sunderland 4-0 on Boxing Day and then saw title rivals Arsenal held to a 0-0 draw at Portsmouth.

United strolled to a straightforward victory at the Stadium of Light.

Wayne Rooney was put clear in the 20th minute and had no trouble beating Craig Gordon with a cool finish, and he turned provider when he broke forward and crossed to Louis Saha who guided the ball home after 30 minutes.

A sublime Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick in first-half injury-time put the game beyond Sunderland and when Nani went down in the box, Saha converted the late penalty (86).

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Arsenal had two great chances to grab the points in the closing stages but William Gallas lifted a shot over the bar from close range and then Tomas Rosicky screwed an effort just wide in injury time.

The result leaves Arsene Wenger's men trailing United by a point at the halfway stage of the season.

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Chelsea also dropped points as the Blues were involved in a riveting 4-4 draw against Aston Villa in a game which saw three players sent off.

Villa took an early 2-0 lead with a Shaun Maloney double. Zat Knight was sent off in first-half injury-time for bringing down Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko scored the resulting penalty, before levelling with a brilliant strike in the 50th minute.

Chelsea went ahead through defender Alex (66) but Martin Laursen equalised for Villa. Ricardo Carvalho was dismissed for a two-footed lunge at Gabriel Agbonlahor but Chelsea went ahead regardless through Michael Ballack's 88th-minute free-kick.

However, Villa earned a penalty when Ashley Cole was sent off for handling on the line, and Gareth Barry scored from the spot to secure a well-earned point.

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Liverpool laboured to a late 2-1 win at Derby and had captain Steven Gerrard to thank for the victory.

Spain international Fernando Torres' excellent dribble and finish put Liverpool a goal up at Pride Park although Rafael Benitez's men struggled to extend their lead.

Jay McEveley equalised on 67 minutes and chances came and went for both sides, before Gerrard - who moments earlier hit the bar - made a tireless burst forward to steam into the box and bundle the ball past Lewis Price in the 90th minute.

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The pressure on Sam Allardyce was cranked up by Newcastle's miserable 1-0 defeat at Wigan.

Ryan Taylor's delightful curling free-kick beat Shay Given to put the Latics ahead - and heap further stress on Allardyce following the 2-2 draw with Derby last weekend.

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Birmingham enjoyed a much-needed 3-0 win against Middlesbrough at St Andrews.

Stewart Downing sliced Gary McSheffrey's driven free-kick into his own net in the 21st minute and Mikael Forssell stabbed home after Cameron Jerome flicked on from a corner.

McSheffrey added a third in added time, converting a penalty after being fouled by Huth in the box.

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Everton beat Bolton 2-0 after a goalless first half at Goodison Park.

The home side edged ahead after 51 minutes when goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen made a mess of clearing Phil Neville's deep cross, allowing the ball to pass him and hit the net.

Tim Cahill made it 2-0 after a scrappy build-up when Rob Styles played a smart advantage and Joleon Lescott crossed accurately.

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Earlier in the day, Tottenham were impressive in a 5-1 win over Fulham as Robbie Keane and Tom Huddlestone scored two apiece and Jermaine Defoe added a late goal, while Moritz Volz was sent off for Fulham.

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West Ham and Reading shared the points in an entertaining 1-1 draw at Upton Park in which the Royals had Brynjar Gunnarsson sent off in the first half.

Nolberto Solano put the Hammers ahead but Dave Kitson secured a point.

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Big match Buildup.

Having recently lost the last two unbeaten Premier League records, Arsenal and Liverpool will be trying to bounce back with wins over their biggest rivals.

Alex Ferguson will take some time out from advising the FA not to pick Sam Allardyce for the England job to test the true quality of Rafa Benitez's perennial cup kings and see if their title challenge is for real.

While, Arsene Wenger could welcome back Cesc Fabregas, and Van Persie is almost certain to take part in a mouth-watering contest. One team plays some of the most attractive football in the world. The other is Chelsea.

The managers will say these Sunday games will decide nothing, we say it'll decide who gets to abuse who in offices and workplaces all over the planet for months to come.

Nothing could be more important!

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Win Aston Villa tickets at 32Red

Aston Villa Sponsors 32Red Poker are running a special poker "Giveaways" tournament on November 15th.

You can win a whole range of stuff:
- VIP passes to Aston Villa v Arsenal match (Dec 1st)
- VIP passes to Aston Villa v Man City match (Dec 22nd)
- signed team shirts & footballs,
- free sports bets
- plus free entry to a $65,000 Extreme Stack tournament of your choice.

Check it out at 32Red Poker!

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Chelsea odds lengthen after another bore draw

Chelsea are out to 8.00 (7/1) at BetFred to win the English Premier League now after another 0-0 draw - this time with Fulham.

There were plenty of boos from the home crowd as the Blues trooped off from Stamford Bridge, and the news got even worse when it was revealed that John Terry suffered a fractured cheekbone and requires surgery.

Arsenal lead the league but are only second favourites at 3.50 (5/2) also at BetFred - after the Gunners claimed another victory with a 1-0 win thanks to a Robin Van Persie goal over West Ham at Upton Park.

Manchester United also grabbed a 1-0 win Birmingham after Cristiano Ronaldo pounced on a defensive error to grab the crucial goal. The Red Devils are now 2.50 (6/4) favourites at Ladbrokes to retain the title.

NEW MANAGER AT THE BRIDGE ?
Guus Hiddink is 7/4 favourite to be Chelsea boss on the first day of next season with imcumbant Avram Grant at 4/1 as is Marco van Basten, Jurgen Klinsmann at 6/1, and Didier Deschamps at 8/1.

RELATED LINKS :
You can get all the latest English Premier League betting odds from 15 bookmakers at BookieLabrat.com - they're compiled in real-time when you enter the page.

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Arsenal through to Group stages - 20/1 to win

Arsenal are 20/1 to win the Champions League with Ladbrokes after they easily progressed to the group stage by easing past Sparta Prague 3-0 on Wednesday night to secure a 5-0 aggregate triumph.

Leading 2-0 from the first leg teenager Theo Walcott brilliantly set up Czech star Tomas Rosicky's early strike while late goals from Cesc Fabregas and Eduardo Da Silva completed the win.

Meanwhile Celtic also advanced to the lucrative group stages - for which the draw is on Thursday - having overcome Spartak Moscow on a penalty shoot-out following a pulsating clash at Parkhead. The Bhoys are now 101.00 with Ladbrokes.

The Hoops took a 2-1 aggregate lead when Scott McDonald stabbed home but just before the break Pavluchenko levelled the matters, ultimately forcing the game into extra-time and then penalties. But Artur Boruc was the hero, saving two spot kicks to send Gordon Strachan's men through.

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On Tuesday night Liverpool thrashed Toulouse 4-0 to progress through their qualifying tie 5-0 on aggregate and they're now available at 13.00 with Bet365 ahead of Thursday's draw to go one better than last year and lift the trophy.

Rangers edged past Crvena Zvezda 1-0 on aggregate following a tense goalless draw at the Marakana Stadium and they can be backed at a general price of 100/1 with most bookies but 126.00 with Bet365

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Of course the leading candidates all automatically qualified for the group stages Manchester United and Chelsea were automatically in the hat for the group stages with Barcelona the favourites.

TOP SIX SIDES :
Barcelona are 6.00 at PaddyPower
Chelsea are 7.50 at Bet365
Manchester United are 7.50 at Bet365
AC Milan are 11.00 at Bet365
Inter Milan are 11.00 at Paddy Power
Real Madrid are 11.00 at Bet365

OF course you can always get the latest live prices for the UEFA Champions League at our partner site at Bookielabrat.com

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Real Madrid raid for Robben and Heinz !!

Real Madrid have been busy in midweek while fans and players have been focusing on the international scene - swooping for two major signings.


Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze has agreed to join Real Madrid according to a statement on the Real Madrid website, which has been confirmed by Man Utd. It said the clubs had agreed a fee and Heinze will sign a four-year contract.

Heinze will undergo a medical in Madrid before completing the move which will see him replace veteran Brazilian Roberto Carlos, who left the Bernabeu in the summer.

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Meanwhile Arjen Robben is poised to complete a move to Real Madrid after the Spanish champions agreed a fee with Chelsea. Chelsea announced that the transfer had been settled subject to the Dutchman agreeing personal terms on a five-year deal and passing a medical.

The transfer fee is thought to be in the region of £21m.

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Real Madrid completed a busy day by agreeing to the sale of Cicinho to Italian club AS Roma. They're determined to defend their La Liga title.

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Heinze still stuck at Old Trafford

Manchester United's Gabriel Heinze has lost his attempt to force the club to allow him to move to rivals Liverpool.

Heinze said the Red Devils gave him written permission to pursue a transfer to another club for a fee of £6.8m but ManYoo disputed this.

A Premier League arbitration panel concluded that the permission "was unambiguous in that it envisages only an international transfer".

The defender is set to appeal against the panel's decision. United will have 14 days to respond and, with the transfer window scheduled to shut on 31 August, Heinze is short of time if he wants to leave Old Trafford.

But his solicitor Richard Green says the Argentine could still join Liverpool after that date using Rule M4, which allows the Premier League discretion to grant a transfer outside the window.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill travelled to Monday's hearing in London to put their case and will be happy with the verdict.

I don't really understand Manchester United's approach to this - they've obviously got a player who doesn't want to be there anymore - and indeed Ferguson shows no inclination to want to include Heinze in his match day squads.

I know that transfers between the Liverpoll and United are rare (the last first-team player to move from United to Liverpool was Phil Chisnall in 1964) but the club approach here seems wrong - given that the requested fee has been meet.

It seems like a bloody minded approach, and one that does smack of restraint of trade - or attempting to keep the best players away from your rivals. If you are not gonig to use a player then he should be able to leave - as long as reasonable financial demands have been met.

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Midweek football - a chance to atone?

The first few weeks of the new season are always full on and for a couple of sides (Tottenham and ManYoo) the midweek series of domestic league fixtures gives tem an early chance to atone for weekend disappointment.

See our English football previews page for more.

WE also have the hugely important 3rd qualifying round of the champinos League, and there is as much as Euro 20m at stake for Liverpool and Arsenal as they strive to reeach the lucrative Group stages.

See the UEFA Champions League preview page on the main site for tips and picks now.

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Community Shield : United win on pens

Well - that was actually quite a good game wasn't it?

Perhaps it was because the Community Shield doesn't really matter - or perhaps it was simply because both sides are better when they're attacking - but I cannot be the only one thinking that was the first time in a long while that a Chelsea v ManYoo game has lived up to the pre-match hype.

I know it only finished 1-1 - but both sides showed a willingness to try things - and that game was certainly a step up on the cup final. I've seen that the mainstream media have not been too impressed with it all and I do wonder if they were watching the football or boozing at the bar.

United seemed to have a better shape about them despite not having Anderson, Owen Hargreaves and Carlos Tevez in the side - and Ryan Giggs still has his spark. Rooney was argumentitive and Ronaldo - well he certainly likes a stepover or six ...

Still there is little doubt United were the dominant side - mind you Chelsea were missing John Terry, Didier Drogba, Claude Makelele, Salomon Kalou, Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko, Wayne Bridge and Paolo Ferreira who were all out of the squad.

With that in mind probably the scariest thing for the other 18 teams in the Premier League was that this match showed the strength in depth of both of these clubs - I'd fear to think what Arsenal's team would be like with 8 injuries.

Just 6 days to go until the English Premier league season kicks off then - how's your team looking?

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From United to Liverpool with Love? Not Likely!

The non-transfer of Gabriel Heinze from Manchester United to Liverpool looks like it finally rumbling to a conclusion ... no sale !!

Manchester United are prepared to sell the want-away Argentine player to anyone - anyone except their domestic rivals in England - specifically Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

I know that Man United hardly need the money and Heinze will still be a potentally useful squad player - although how useful a player really is when he doesn't want to even be there is up for debate.

As an old time gooner, I can remember a few transfers from Arsenal to other major English clubs
- Frank Stapleton to Manchester United
(that hurt Frank was a fan favourite),
- Michael Thomas to Liverpool
(a financial insult to Liverpools Championship defeat?)
- and of course Cashley Cole
(who was tapped up by Chelsea - and good riddance!)

We also picked up a few former Spurs players in the legendary Pat Jennings (how that happened I'll never know) and Sol Campbell.

But they did happen, both clubs accepted the inevitiability of the tranfer once the player had madeup their minds - and eventually people forgot about it and got on their lives - except for every season when the player returned with his new side.

What I don't recall is ever hearing the NOT TO YOU LOT being shouted so strongly - and it's probably no surprise that it's the aging Sir Alex Ferguson doing the ranting.

Is it simply being petty? Is it restrain of trade? Or are United just a little bit scared of what is going on at Anfield?

How would United react if every club in England said "Not to You" to the defending champions - justifying it with the reasoning that as the current top side in England then they must be the biggest rivals?

Whatever the cause - whatever the reason - it's a new development and something that is going to add a bit more spice to their clashes this season ...

(mental note : BUY BOOKINGS when UNITED and LIVERPOOL clash)

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English Transfer Round-up : Babel, Bellamy, Tevez

So the transfer merry-go-round continues to spin, and Liverpool are certainly flexing their newly acquired financial muscles.

LIVERPOOL
Liverpool are very intersted in Dutch U21 star Ryan Babel - but after acquiring Torres for £25m the size of their American bankroll is no secret now and the Reds have been told by Ajax it's going to cost them a further £13m (€20m).

There does seem to be some question about how much Babel will play at Liverpool - with strikers seeming to be joining from everywhere - and his agent Ms Winnie Haatrecht muttered words about ensuring playing time which will go down like a lead ballon with Rafa Benitez.

Liverpool have sold Craig Bellamy to West Ham for £7.5m, and Djibril Cisse to Marseille for £6m, but to balance the books a bit.

They have also gone for a couple of squad level players in acquiring a couple of makeweights in Yossi Benayoun (£4m from West Ham) and Ukraine striker Andriy Voronin on a free transfer from Beyer Leverkusen.

They look like Carling Cup material to me.

MANCHESTER UNITED
Up at Old Trafford, it appears that Sir Alex Ferguson reads the blog as there are now calls for the FA and even FIFA to step in and try and sort out the tangled mess that is the Carlos Tevez financial dealings.

He's a real "ugly bug" in this latest picture - but a potential match winner. I know why Man United want him - but if he does play then I think the whole Sheffield United / West Ham debate is gonig to blow up again.

21-team Premier League anyone?

CHELSEA
Over at Chelsea - Arjen Robben does what he does best - mouths off a bit and plays the primadona - as he complains that he's not getting a 5-year deal for squillions of dollars.

One day soon Jose Mourinho is goingg to cut him loose but in the meantime the Blues have been busy getting French international Florent Malouda from Lyon for a £13.5m price tag.

That's the only spending Chelsea have done so far this season with Claudio Pizarro, Steve Sidwell and Tal Ben Haim all arriving on free transfers.

ARSENAL
No sorry - it's just a bit of a runing joke for Gooners - Arsenal have not gone out and bought anyone to fill the gapping experience hole that they have. Sorry.

On the selling side there are rumours of Freddie Ljundberg being sold to Fiorentina (we'd be so lucky), and the new Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster praises Cesc Fabregas as a player he admires, saying: "He is one of the few players in his position that can carry a team."

Look but don't touch Bernd

REAL MADRID
Speaking of Schuster, I give him about 6 months in the role - as they'll surely finish well behind Barcelona next season - and that's enough to get the chop at the Bernabeu - they've gone through EIGHT coaches in 4 years now.

Schuster has got Argentine striker Javier Saviola on a free transfer after he was released by Barcelona - but the fact that Barca were happy to let him go to Madrid speaks volumes for their appraisal of the player.

OK that it. We'll there are plenty of minor transfers going on around - but you'll need to check out BBC Sport or SportingLife if you want all the details.

(I'll try and do a beer blog everyday over the summer)

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Louis Saha Has Knee Op : Out for 5-6 months

Manchester United striker Louis Saha is likely to be out of action until "around November or December" ... according to his agent.

The French forward has undergone a knee operation in America in a bid to repair an injury which contributed to his disappointing season last term.

The Manchester Evening News reports "Louis has had surgery in America and he won't be on the field now for a few months."

United have already been tipped to bring in reinforcements up front - and with Alan Smith currently looking unsettled and now Saha's long-term absence - the need seems to be more pressing.

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The Picks Sheet - UEFA - 1/2 May

UEFA Champions League Semi-final Data Sheet

There should be nothing too surprising in that sheet - as none of the sides are picked as a "likely" winner - but there are two "value" bets.

TUESDAY - Liverpool v Chelsea
The sheet says that there is almost nothing to call between these two sides at Anfield (1033 v 1029) and so the draw is considered the most likely result as it occurred 35% of the time (in 57 similar games previously) and the 3.20 price on THE DRAW looks the value bet.

WEDNESDAY - AC Milan v Manchester Utd
Manchester United are not ranked highly by the sheet when they play away - which is not surprising given that they've lost away at both Celtic and Copenhagen this season and only won twice in their last 13 European trips.

The Italian side is perceived as a 55% chance to win (based on over 250 similar Euro ratings) not strong enough to be a recommended winner but the 2.25 odds on offer at PinnacleSports on AC MILAN looks worth a value bet - statistically speaking at least ...

Good luck with your midweek bets.

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BET365 CANNOT SPLIT FA CUP FINALISTS

It's Manchester United v Chelsea in the FA Cup final next month after both came through their weekend semis and the bookies can't split them.

Our #1 rated bookmaker Bet365 quote both at 13/8 (2.63) to win the final in 90 minutes play and each at 10/11 (1.91) to emerge as the first FA Cup winners at the new Wembley.

You can get all the latest FA Cup Odds online at BookieLabrat.com who have set up a special page to monitor all the markets and prices from over a dozen safe and secure UK and European bookmakers.

I'll look at the exotic markets closer to the time.

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Manchester United favourites to win the FA Cup.

MANCHESTER UTD ODDS-ON FOR FA CUP

Manchester United are odds-on for the FA Cup following their 4-1 demolition of Watford.

A Wayne Rooney brace and a goal each for Cristiano Ronaldo and Kieran Richardson ensured a smooth passage to Wembley for United, who were far too strong for Watford and are now odds-on across the board for an FA Cup triumph.

Sporting Odds are a best-priced 10/11 about United, with Chelsea available at 6/4 and Blackburn 14/1 (at BetFred) .

Chelsea face Blackburn on Sunday at Old Trafford in the second semi-final.

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FA Cup Semi-Final, Final and Winner ?

Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-1, and Manchester Utd edged past Middlesbro 1-0 on Monday night to complete the quarter-final stage.

However the bookmakers think that the Semi-Finals will be a formality with some prominant bookies pricing a Chelsea v ManYoo final at just 1.33 (1/3)

Manchester United are now the favourites for the Cup (given their easier semi-final draw) and are priced at just 2.00 (evens) to win the trophy with Chelsea out to 2.25 (5/4).

The other two sides have been dismissed by bookmakers and punters alike with Blackburn Rovers out to 10.00 (9/1) while relegation bound Watford are priced up at 26.00 (25/1)

SEMI-FINAL DRAW (14/15th April)
Manchester United v Watford
Chelsea v Blackburn.

BEST OUTRIGHT WINNER PRICES
Manchester Utd 2.00 @ Bet365 and PaddyPower
Chelsea 2.25 @ Bet365, Ladbrokes, and PaddyPower
Blackburn 10.00 @ BetFred and and PaddyPower
Watford 26.00 @ Bet365, BetFred and and PaddyPower :)

Good luck with your bets.

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Arsenal 2-1 Man Utd review with video

Arsenal produced a stunning late comeback to beat Premiership leaders Manchester United 2-1 on Sunday and breathe new life into the title race.

Thierry Henry headed a superb winner in stoppage time after Robin van Persie had netted on 83 minutes to cancel out Wayne Rooney's opener.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side started the game confidently and dominated the early possession. And twice they almost went in front in the dying seconds of the first half.

Both times they were denied by superb Jens Lehmann saves - the first to tip over a Rooney volley and the second to push away a Henrik Larsson header.

United did break the deadlock eight minutes into the second half as Patrice Evra went on a superb run down the left before crossing to the far post where the unmarked Rooney headed home.

Arsenal refused to give up though, and United seemed to be sitting back protecting the 1-0 lead, which allowed Arsenal to keep getting the ball into dangerous areas.

On 83 minutes Cesc Fabregas and Tomas Rosicky battled hard to win the ball back before the Czech crossed low into the box. And a faint touch from Henry diverted the ball to van Persie at the back post, who crashed the ball into the roof of the United net.

Then deep into stoppage time Henry sent the Emirates faithful wild with delight, beating Edwin van der Sar with a superb header from an Emmanuel Eboue cross.



If you prefer the live match coverage - here's Henry's injury time goal and celebration.

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