Chelsea short price to win EPL title after Manchester Utd stumble

UK bookmaker Betfred make Chelsea the 8/15 favourites to win this season's Premier League after moving four points clear of nearest challengers Manchester United.

Chelsea won 2-0 at struggling Wolves in their 3pm kick-off - taking full advantage of the Man United's lunchtime defeat at Everton.

United are now at 9/4 at BetFred to retain the title ahead of their home fixture against West Ham on Tuesday night.

Third-place Arsenal moved to 55 points - two points behind United - after a 2-0 win at home to Sunderland. With 11 games left to play the Gunners are now a 13/2 chance at BetFred to win their first league title in six years.

Stumble It!

Man United Ryan Giggs out for a month with fractured arm

Manchester United have been dealt an injury blow, with Ryan Giggs ruled out for four weeks with a fractured arm.

Although Sir Alex Ferguson sounded optimistic immediately after United's draw at Aston Villa, the way Giggs held his right arm after the second-half collision with Steve Sidwell and the fact he left for an X-ray with his arm in a sling suggested bad news was on its way.

On Thursday afternoon it was announced that Giggs will miss both legs of the Champions League encounter with AC Milan, the Carling Cup final against Villa at Wembley on February 28, plus a sequence of key Premier League matches.

The only good news is that a four-week absence suggests the damage is relatively minor and Giggs should be back before the crunch encounter with Liverpool at Old Trafford on March 31.

It provides Ferguson with a double headache in terms of his wide players because Nani must now serve a three-match ban following his dismissal for a reckless tackle on Stiliyan Petrov.

Stumble It!

Ashley Cole out for 3 months with fractured ankle

Chelsea defender Ashley Cole fractured his ankle in Wednesday night's 2-1 defeat at Everton and will be out for at least 3 months.

The England left-back is almost certainly out for the remainder of the domestic season and his place in Fabio Capello's squad for the World Cup finals in South Africa this summer will depend entirely on his rehabilitation programme.

Cole's injury will provide Wayne Bridge with the chance to become Capello's first-choice left-back. Bridge has been at the centre of a media storm involving his former Stamford Bridge team-mate John Terry in recent weeks.

Terry was stripped of the England captaincy by Capello after newspaper allegations he had an affair with Bridge's ex-girlfriend - one-time French lingerie model Vanessa Perroncel.

And recently Cheryl Cole was reported as worrying that her husband Ashley might want a piece of Ms Perroncel himself.

So, maybe it looks like the boot is on the other foot now, and while Ashley Cole is in rehab he'd better watch - John Terry might be round in a flash to "help out" Cheryl!

Stumble It!

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!

Arsenal go top with win, Liverpool improve top four chances

Arsenal 4-2 Bolton
Arsenal stormed to the top of the Barclays Premier League as they came from behind to beat Bolton 4-2 at the Emirates Stadium.

Owen Coyle's men - beaten 2-0 by the Gunners on Sunday - took a shock lead after seven minutes through Gary Cahill and Matthew Taylor then doubled the advantage from the penalty spot.

However, Arsene Wenger's young side showed the character of champions to rally before half-time through Tomas Rosicky's strike.

And after Cesc Fabregas netted a controversial equaliser in the 52nd minute, goals from Thomas Vermaelen and Andrey Arshavin ensured the Gunners moved above Chelsea on goal difference.

Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham
Dirk Kuyt's double strike injected new life into Liverpool's stuttering Barclays Premier League campaign as it secured a 2-0 victory over Tottenham.

The Holland international fired home in the sixth minute from the edge of the area and then converted a twice-taken penalty in second-half injury time.

Victory lifted the Reds to within one point of fourth-placed Spurs and eased the pressure on manager Rafael Benitez after early exits from the Champions League and FA Cup.

TOP OF THE TABLE IN ENGLAND

Team        Pl GD  PTS 
1 Arsenal     22 +34  48 
2 Chelsea     21 +34  48 
3 Man Utd     22 +30  47 
4 Tottenham   22 +18  38 
5 Man City    21 +12  38 
6 Liverpool   22 +14  37 
7 Aston Villa 21 +11  36 
8 Birmingham  21  +2  33

Stumble It!

Fabregas is back to help Arsenal beat Bolton 2-0

Bolton Wanderers 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas produced an impressive display on his return from injury as the Gunners won 2-0 at Bolton.

The Spain midfielder, who missed three matches with a hamstring injury, scored his 10th league goal of the season in the 28th minute after a neat one-two with Eduardo.

His surging run then led to substitute Fran Merida scoring the second 12 minutes from time as former Wanderers' player Coyle's reign got off to a losing start

Aston Villa 0-0 West Ham
Aston Villa failed to cash in on slip-ups by the group challenging for the 4th Champions League spot drawing 0-0 with West Ham.

Manchester City - beaten at Everton - and Tottenham, held at home by Hull, both dropped points on Saturday.

But a combination of a below-par performance and some fine saves by Robert Green meant Aston Villa had to settle for their first goalless draw of the campaign in the top flight.

Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Fulham
Blackburn grabbed their first Premier League win since November as they beat Fulham 2-0 at Ewood Park.

Chris Samba's was in the right place to deflect home an attempted clearance by former Rover Damien Duff after Benni McCarthy's corner caused havoc in the visitors' box in the 24th minute.

Captain Ryan Nelsen headed a 54th-minute second while Fulham had few moments to savour - the best coming from Clint Dempsey with an overhead kick which struck the bar.

Top 10 Standings in the English Premier League

Pl  GD Pts 
 1 Chelsea     21 +34  48 
 2 Man Utd     22 +30  47 
 3 Arsenal     21 +32  45 
 4 Tottenham   21 +20  38 
 5 Man City    21 +12  38 
 6 Aston Villa 21 +11  36 
 7 Liverpool   21 +12  34 
 8 Birmingham  21  +2  33 
 9 Fulham      21  +2  27 
10 Everton     21  -4  26 

Stumble It!

Chelsea and Man United win well, while Spurs, Man City and Liverpool stumble

Chelsea 7 Sunderland 2
Chelsea smashed seven goals past Sunderland to cement their lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League table.

Stoke 1 Liverpool 1
Under-pressure Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was left to reflect upon what might have been as his side threw away a precious victory at Stoke.

The Reds were leading 1-0 with just seconds of normal time remaining when Germany international Robert Huth stabbed home an equaliser amid a late assault.

Man Utd 3 Burnley 0
Burnley held Manchester United at Old Trafford for 64 minutes before they finally succumbed to Dimitar Berbatov.

The Bulgaria international linked with Wayne Rooney before his shot was deflected past keeper Brian Jensen by defender Michael Duff, and further goals from Rooney and substitute Mame Biram Diouf - his first for the club - made sure of the points.

Everton 2 Man City 0
Everton were good value for their 2-0 victory over Manchester City and sealed the points in the first 45 minutes at Goodison Park.

Steven Pienaar made the breakthrough in the 36th minute and Louis Saha extended their lead with a disputed penalty in first half stoppage-time.

Tottenham 0 Hull 0
Fifth-placed Tottenham could not find a way past lowly Hull as Harry Redknapp's 500th Premier League game ended in stalemate with Tigers keeper Boaz Myhill turning in a fine individual display.

Wolves 0 Wigan 2
Wigan's James McCarthy scored on the hour, and doubled their lead through Charles N'Zogbia with 17 minutes remaining.

Stumble It!

Portsmouth v Birmingham City postponed due to waterlogged pitch

Portsmouth's Premier League match against Birmingham has been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.

The club invited supporters to help clear the Fratton Park pitch of snow in midweek and were confident that the game would go ahead.

But heavy rain overnight and the forecast of more wet weather to come prompted referee Anthony Taylor to call it off after a 1000 GMT inspection.

Portsmouth are four points adrift at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Stumble It!

Liverpool report major injury blows with Torres, Gerrard and Benayoun out

Liverpool's hopes for the rest of this season have suffered a serious setback with key trio Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun all being sidelined.

The club confirmed the three players were all injured in the FA Cup loss to Reading, will be out for varying lengths of time up to six weeks.

Star striker Torres is the worst affected, ruled out until the end of February with a torn knee cartilage that will require surgery.

Inspirational captain Gerrard is out for a fortnight with a torn hamstring while Benayoun has fractured a rib and will not play again for around four weeks.

A club spokesman said: "Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres both underwent scans earlier today after coming off in the FA Cup tie against Reading.

"Steven has a hamstring strain and will be out for a fortnight, while Fernando has torn a cartilage in his right knee. The injury will require surgery and he is expected to be sidelined for six weeks.

"Yossi Benayoun also suffered a fractured rib in the game and will be unavailable for between three and four weeks."

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!

Fulham v Portsmouth Postponed

The big freeze is continuing to decimate this weekend's action in England and Scotland.

The Barclays Premier League game between Fulham and Portsmouth at Craven Cottage on Saturday has become the first to be postponed due to the adverse weather conditions.

The club felt that the conditions around Craven Cottage meant it was too dangerous for fans to get to the ground.

Sky Sports News is also reporting that Liverpool have informed the Premier League they believe Sunday's Anfield fixture with Tottenham should be postponed.

While the pitch at Anfield is believed to be playable, it is thought the surrounding area of the stadium is unsafe for supporters making their way into the ground.

Stumble It!

Portsmouth players still waiting for December wages

Troubled Premier League club Portsmouth have again failed to pay players their December wages, but hope to do so on Wednesday.

Portsmouth have lurched from one financial crisis to another in a troubled season, in which they lie bottom of the league.

Club officials had promised to clear the debt on Tuesday, but a further delay has arisen. The club have now secured a short-term bank loan to pay the players - but they are still completing the necessary paperwork to release the funds

It is the third time the players' wages have been delayed, although the club did pay non-playing staff their December wages on Monday.

On Monday, it was revealed that the Premier League is set to use Portsmouth's share of the latest television monies to pay off the club's debts to other top-flight sides. Chelsea, Tottenham and Watford are all owed money by Pompey and the Premier League will split £7m between them.

The action is allowed within league rules to protect clubs who are owed money from transfers.

And in another blow, the club have been told they will not be able to extend Jamie O'Hara's loan deal from Spurs. The midfielder is due to return to White Hart Lane on 15 January, and with an embargo in place, Pompey cannot re-register him with the Premier League.

Unless another sugar daddy owner appears on the horizon it appears that Portsmouth's stay in the Premier League will end in May, and that this season could have a severe long-term impact on the football club's finances.

Stumble It!

Manchester United and Arsenal win to close in on Chelsea

Manchester United and Arsenal closed the gap on Premier League leaders Chelsea with big victories over struggling sides Wigan Athletic and Portsmouth.

Defending champions United beat Wigan 5-0 at Old Trafford while Arsenal were never troubled by bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth and won 4-1 at Fratton Park.

Man United raced into a 3-0 lead by halftime with goals from Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Rafael before Dimitar Berbatov added the fourth soon after the break. Antonio Valencia scored United's fifth against his old club 15 minutes from time.

Arsenal also had the points wrapped up by the break thanks to goals from Eduardo, whose free-kick took a huge deflection off Younes Kaboul, and Samir Nasri.

Aaron Ramsey added a third while Alex Song Billong headed a superb fourth nine minutes from time, after Nadir Belhadj had netted a consolation for the home side.

Chelsea lead the table with 45 points from 20 matches, followed by United on 43 and Arsenal on 41 with a game in hand.

Stumble It!

Mark Hughes initial favourite for vacant Bolton Wanderers managers job

Mark Hughes is the opening favourite with Paddy Power to be the next Bolton manager following Gary Megson’s sacking today.

Hughes is 11/4 for a quick return to management following his recent exit at Manchester City with Alan Curbishley the next name in the frame at 6/1.

Other out of work managers seen as possible contenders include Paul Jewell and Darren Ferguson both at 13/2 with Steve Coppell, Kevin Keegan and Gareth Southgate at 14s, 16s and 20s, respectively. Former Bolton players Gary Speed and Peter Reid are 28/1 and 40/1.

Paddy Power, said: "Hughes is the favourite for a quick return to the Premier League but is it a job that is going to attract him after the millions he had at his disposal at Man City?

It may be that the likes of Alan Curbishley and Gary Speed are picked up by punters as more fitting of the Bolton mould.

One thing is for sure, this market is going to see some ups and downs over the next few days as managers rule themselves in or out."

UPDATE :
Paul Jewell has stormed into favouritism at 11/4 (3.75), with Peter Reid now second at 13/2 (5.50). Mark Hughes is now 3rd favourite at 6/1 (7.00)

Next Permanent Bolton Manager Betting

11/4 Jewell (from 13/2)
13/2 Reid (from 40/1)
6/1 Hughes (from 11/4)
9/1 D Ferguson (from 13/2)
10/1 Curbishley (from 6/1)

(see all the latest Bolton Wanderers Next Manager Betting odds at Paddy Power)

Relegation Latest

2/5 Hull
5/13 Portsmouth
Evs Burnley
11/10 Wolves
13/5 West Ham
3/1 Bolton
9/2 Wigan
7/1 Bar

Stumble It!

Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool - Torres strikes for Liverpool at the end

Fernando Torres scored a 93rd-minute winner as Liverpool claimed a dramatic late victory over Aston Villa.

The Reds' season of frustration looked set to continue as Villa produced a spirited display in snowy conditions. Steven Gerrard went close, Pepe Reina denied Stewart Downing and Gabriel Agbonlahor, and John Carew headed wide.

The game was very evenly contested with the sides splitting posession 51%-49% in Liverpool's favour, and Liverpool edging the shot count 12-11.

A draw beckoned but Torres raced on to a ricochet around the edge of the Villa penalty area, and slotted in to stun Villa Park.

The Spaniard's strike provided a pulsating end to a disappointing encounter and Liverpool's joy at snatching a morale-boosting three points was clear for all to see.

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!

Portsmouth deny planning to go into administration

Portsmouth have issued a strongly worded statement denying rumours they are planning to go into financial administration.

Speculation over the club's finances increased after it was revealed last week that the players had been paid late for a second time this season.

A transfer embargo is currently in force because of debts to other clubs and yet Portsmouth desperately need to strengthen the squad in the January transfer window because half a dozen players will be absent at the African Cup of Nations.

More at the BBC Sports website

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
--------------------------------------
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!

Sunday Football - Fulham beat Sunderland : Everton and Spurs share points

Fulham striker Bobby Zamora fired his club back into the top half of the table with a 1-0 win over Sunderland at Craven Cottage.

It means Fulham leapfrog over Sunderland into eighth, with their form reliant on home performances: they have not lost on their own turf since September.

---

Tottenham lost a two-goal lead and then missed an injury-time penalty to draw 2-2 at Everton.

Jermain Defoe opened the scoring just after the break and the points appeared safe when Michael Dawson doubled the lead on the hour.

But goals from Louis Saha and Tim Cahill levelled the scores before Defoe's weak spot-kick was saved by Tim Howard after Tony Hibbert had brought down Wilson Palacios.

Stumble It!

Arsenal v Chelsea Team News

Venue : Emirates Stadium
Date : Sunday, 29 November
Kick-off : 1600 GMT

ARSENAL :
Arsenal will be without left-back Kieran Gibbs, who suffered a fractured metatarsal in the Champions League win over Standard Liege in midweek.

William Gallas is expected to be fit after suffering a blow to the head in the same match, while Theo Walcott is pushing for a starting berth.

Doubtful: Clichy (back), Diaby (calf), Fabianski (thigh)

Injured: Bendtner (groin), Djourou (knee), Gibbs (foot), Van Persie (ankle), Wilshere (ankle)

---

CHELSEA :
Chelsea hope to have Frank Lampard available following the midfielder's recovery from a torn thigh muscle.

Deco and Michael Ballack may feature after returning from injury in midweek.

Doubtful : Drogba (chest), Lampard (thigh)

Injured : Bosingwa (knee)

Stumble It!

Tottenham 9-1 Wigan ... yes that's NINE-ONE !!!

Jermain Defoe scored five second-half goals as Tottenham humiliated Wigan to record their highest top-flight win.

It is the first time a team has scored nine in a Premier League fixture since Manchester United thrashed Ipswich 9-0 at Old Trafford in 1995.

Tottenham, who move level on points with third-placed Arsenal after their biggest win in 32 years, led 1-0 at the break but the visiting Latics, playing in an orange away strip, were simply blown away in the second half.

Tottenham Goals
Crouch 9
Defoe 51
Defoe 54
Defoe 58
Lennon 64
Defoe 69
Defoe 87
Kirkland (og) 88
Kranjcar 90+4

TEAM          PL GD  Pts  
1 Chelsea     13 +25  33 
2 Man Utd     13 +14  28 
3 Arsenal     12 +21  25 
4 Tottenham   13 +14  25 
5 Aston Villa 13  +8  22 
6 Man City    12  +7  21 
7 Liverpool   13  +9  20 

Read a full match report at the BBC site

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!

Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham - Gunners goals speak louder than Keane's empty words

Arsenal forward Robin van Persie struck twice to earn his side bragging rights in north London with a 3-0 victory over Tottenham in the early game.

Spurs have not won a league game against Arsenal since 1999, and they fell away after Van Persie opened the scoring at the Emirates Stadium and Cesc Fabregas added the second less than a minute later.

Van Persie tapped in the third after the break as Arsenal strolled to a comprehensive derby win.

GOALS :
42' [1 - 0] R.v. Persie
43' [2 - 0] C. Fabregas
60' [3 - 0] R.v. Persie

Stumble It!

Manchester Utd 2-0 Blackburn - United stay second with workman-like win

Goals from Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney saw Manchester United overcome Blackburn 2-0 at Old Trafford.

Berbatov made the breakthrough with a neat volley in the 55th minute and Rooney sewed the points up two minutes from time.

United should have extended the scoreline but substitute Gabriel Obertan missed two sitters on his league debut.

GOALS :
55' [1 - 0] D. Berbatov
87' [2 - 0] W. Rooney

Stumble It!

Bolton 0-4 Chelsea - Blues stay top with comprehensive win

Chelsea remain two points clear at the top of the Premier League thanks to a second 4-0 win of the week over Bolton.

Carlo Ancelotti's side did not have things all their own way this afternoon but they took a decisive lead just before half-time through Frank Lampard's penalty after Jlloyd Samuel saw red for his challenge on Didier Drogba.

Deco netted the second on the hour mark and Zat Knight scored an own goal before Drogba completed the scoring in injury time.

GOALS
45' [0 - 1] F. Lampard (pen.)
61' [0 - 2] Deco
83' [0 - 3] Z. Knight (o.g.)
90' [0 - 4] D. Drogba

RED CARDS :
45' J. Samuel

Stumble It!

Fulham 3-1 Liverpool - nine man Liverpool lose again

Under-pressure Rafael Benitez endured another day to forget as nine-man Liverpool crashed to a 3-1 defeat against Fulham.

Last week's win over Manchester United ended a run of five successive defeats but that became six from seven as goals from Bobby Zamora, Erik Nevland and Clint Dempsey earned Fulham the points.

Fernando Torres had equalised just before the break but he was substituted in the second half. Nevland restored Fulham's lead and Philipp Degen and Jamie Carragher both saw red within three minutes before Dempsey rubbed salt in the wound with the final goal.

GOALS :
24' [1 - 0] B. Zamora
42' [1 - 1] F. Torres
73' [2 - 1] E. Nevland
87' [3 - 1] C. Dempsey

RED CARDS :
79' P. Degen
82' J. Carragher

Stumble It!

Manchester United defeat at Liverpool shakes up English title odds

Manchester United are out to 5/2 (3.50) with VC Bet for the Premier League title following their 2-0 defeat at Liverpool.

Liverpool produced a top performance to halt their worst run of defeats in the last 22 years. Fernando Torres scored the first before substitute David Ngog added the second in stoppage-time.

In the frantic final minutes, United had Nemanja Vidic sent off, with Liverpool having Javier Mascherano also red-carded.

Chelsea who hammered Blackburn 5-0 on Saturday evening, lead by two at the top from United are into 7/4 (2.75) at Bodog bookmaker.

Arsenal are 11/2 (6.50) third best at PinnacleSports after somehow letting a two-goal lead slip against West Ham as they drew 2-2 at Upton Park.

Liverpool are once again shortening in the betting, with the Reds general 10/1 chances, but as high as 12/1 (13.00) at Bodog after getting back to winning ways.

Manchester City were pegged back to 2-2 by Fulham and Mark Hughes' side are out to 14/1 (15.00) with Bet365.

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!

Liverpool's title hopes sinking already - according to the bookmakers

Liverpool are out to 8/1 with Betfred to win the Premier League title following their 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa on Monday night.

That makes it two defeats in three games for Rafa Benitez's Reds and leaves them six points off the pace already.

Liverpool are now fourth-favourites for the title, having slipped below in-form Arsenal, 11/2 (6.50) at PinnacleSports.

Chelsea remain favourites following a 2-0 win at London rivals Fulham on Sunday while Manchester United strengthened after bouncing back from defeat at Burnley to beat Wigan 5-0.

Tottenham are on top the table after battling back to win 2-1 against West Ham on Sunday and Spurs are now as short as 25/1 in places while you can still get 45/1 (46.00) at PinnacleSports.

Best online prices to win the Premier League title are :
2.50 Chelsea at PinnacleSports
4.50 Manchester United at PinnacleSports
6.50 Arsenal at PinnacleSports
9.00 Liverpool at Betfred
15.00 Manchester City at Ladbrokes
46.00 Tottenham at PinnacleSports
201.00 Aston Villa at Bet365
501.00 Everton at Bet365

(compilied by BookieLabrat's Online Premier League Betting Odds)

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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

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Arsenal blast SIX past Everton

Arsenal scored six goals at Goodison Park on Saturday evening - surpassing my wildest hopes for the opening game of the season.

Even Andrei Arshavin got it wrong (predicting FIVE goals in ONE game here in this promo)


Arsene Wenger's young side produced a classy and clinical display to tear apart last season's FA Cup finalists - and make a statement on opening day.

Denilson started the avalanche with a superb strike on 26 minutes, and new boy Thomas Vermaelen was left unmarked to nod home the second from a free-kick 11 minutes later.

The game was over as a contest four minutes before half-time thanks to another header from a free-kick - this time from William Gallas.

Things didn't get any better for the Toffees after the break, with Cesc Fabregas taking centre stage to net on 48 and 69 minutes.

Eduardo added a sixth for Arsenal with two minutes remaining - his first Premier League goal since suffering that horrific injury at Birmingham back in 2008.

Louis Saha finally got Everton on the scoresheet with a tap-in in the closing seconds.

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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.

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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."

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RONALDO DECIDED ON REAL MADRID MOVE LAST SUMMER

FOOTBALL: Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he made up his mind to leave Manchester United last summer

Madrid conducted a long and public pursuit of Ronaldo last year but it proved ultimately unsuccessful as the 24-year-old remained at Old Trafford.

But despite staying in the Premier League, and helping United retain their title, Ronaldo claims he made up his mind to leave after the Champions League triumph over Chelsea a year ago.

"After we won the European Cup. I thought there is no more I can achieve here," the Portuguese player told the News of the World.

"And when you have done all you can, you know it is time for a new challenge. I stayed one more season and it was nice to make it three titles in a row but it was my dream to play for Madrid."

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BIRMINGHAM CITY VISIT MANCHESTER UNITED FIRST UP

FOOTBALL: Fixtures for the 2009-2010 Barclays Premier League season have been released.

Manchester United start at home to newly-promoted Birmingham on August 15, followed by a visit to Burnley where they take on the Coca-Cola Championship play off-winners.

Liverpool start their season with a tough away fixture at Tottenham on August 15, while Chelsea will be at home to Hull.

Over at Goodison Park Everton will host Arsenal while Championship winners Wolves are at home to West Ham on the opening day

PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES for Saturday, 15 August 2009
Aston Villa v Wigan
Blackburn v Man City
Bolton v Sunderland
Chelsea v Hull
Everton v Arsenal
Man Utd v Birmingham
Portsmouth v Fulham
Stoke v Burnley
Tottenham v Liverpool
Wolverhampton v West Ham

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INTER MILAN TARGET CHELSEA DUO DECO AND CARVALHO

FOOTBALL: Inter Milan have confirmed their intention to sign Deco and Ricardo Carvalho from Chelsea.

Both players have been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer.

"(Inter coach Jose) Mourinho has asked us for Deco and Carvalho and we are working towards making him happy," said Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Our wish is to sign both players and I have seen that the players' intention is to join us. We still haven't reached an agreement with Chelsea but I think we will do in a short time."

Carvalho, who moved to Chelsea in 2004, endured a frustrating campaign with the Blues. Injury restricted the 31-year-old to just 18 appearances this season.

Deco joined Chelsea from Barcelona last summer but the 32-year-old also suffered injuries, making just 22 league appearances this campaign.

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UNITED ACCEPT REAL MADRID'S £80M RONALDO BID

FOOTBALL: Manchester United have accepted an £80million bid for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid.

Manchester United have finally caved in to Real Madrid's repeated attempts to lure Cristiano Ronaldo away from Old Trafford.

United confirmed on Thursday morning they had accepted an £80million bid for the world player of the year, with a world-record deal expected to go through by June 30.

The news had been expected given that Real stated on Wednesday night talks were under way and now it is only a matter of finalising the player's personal terms before he completes a dream move to the Bernabeu.

A United statement read: "At the request of Cristiano - who has again expressed his desire to leave - and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player."

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SETANTA TV BROADCASTER LIKELY TO COLLAPSE

Setanta faces administration "within days" unless backers provide more funds to pay £30m it owes to the English Premier League, reports have suggested.

The broadcaster has already failed to pay the Scottish Premier League £3m it owes in television rights money. Setanta, which also shows cricket, golf and rugby union, has about 1.2 million subscribers but is losing up to £100m a year, analysts say.

Would-be customers who attempted to subscribe to Setanta through its website were on Tuesday told that it was not possible because of "routine maintenance". Meanwhile anybody trying to subscribe by phone receives a recorded message saying that "The service is temporarily out of order".

A spokesman for Setanta declined to comment on the firm's situation.

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ROBERTO MARTINEZ IS WIGAN ATHLETIC'S NEW MANAGER

FOOTBALL: Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan has confirmed Roberto Martinez will be Wigan's new manager.

An official announcement on Martinez's appointment is expected to be made in the next 24 hours, but Whelan has revealed to Sky Sports News that the deal is done.

The Spaniard, who has agreed a three-year contract, emerged as Wigan's top target soon after Steve Bruce left the Latics to take charge of Sunderland.

Martinez, who spent six years as a player with Wigan and is fondly remembered by the club's fans as one of the 'Three Amigos', is one of the most highly-rated young managers in the game.

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NEWCASTLE UTD FOR SALE AT £100 MILLION

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has confirmed he's put the club up for sale for £100million.

More than a week after it emerged that Ashley was looking to get out for the second time since he took control, the Magpies issued an official statement setting a price as Keith Harris, chairman of investment bankers Seymour Pierce, continued his search for buyers.

The statement read: "The board of Newcastle United can today confirm that the club is for sale at the price of £100million.

"Interested parties should contact Newcastle United at admin@nufc.co.uk (or Keith Harris at Seymour Pierce) for further details.

The announcement came as no surprise, with Ashley's desperation to offload the club he bought for £134.4million in May 2007 growing by the day.

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Early bookmaker odds for 2009/10 Premier League race

Manchester United ended the 2008/09 season as Premier League champions on 90 points after beating Hull 1-0, and they are 11/8 chances to retain their crown next season.

Liverpool finished four points behind United in second. The Reds are 100/30 to win the league next season.

Chelsea are 4/1, Arsenal are 10/1, Manchester City are 50/1 and it's 100/1 bar those five.

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Middlesbrough relegation from Premier League almost certain

Middlesbrough are priced about 1/7 to be relegated from the Premier League following their 2-0 defeat by Manchester United.


Goals from Ryan Giggs and Ji-Sung Park helped United open up a six-point lead over Liverpool at the top but it's looking bleak for Boro.

The defeat leaves Boro in 19th place and likely to be playing in the Championship next season as they're 3 points adrift with an inferior goal difference and only three games to play.

Middlesbrough's next match will go a long way to determining their fate as they make the short journey to St James' to take on Newcastle.

The Magpies, who are in action against Liverpool on Sunday, have been eased slightly for the drop on the back of Middlesbrough's defeat, but are still priced at 1/3.

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Bet365 has Arsenal almost certain to finish in top four now

Arsenal's position in the top four was strengthened on Sunday as Aston Villa and Everton fought out a 3-3 draw in the Barclays Premier League.

Arsenal are now nine points ahead of Aston Villa and 10 points clear of Everton having played a game more than both clubs.

The Gunners are 1/16 with bet365 to finish once again with a top-four finish, with Everton 7/4 to finish above Aston Villa.

bet365 spokesman Steve Freeth said: "It was a hugely entertaining 3-3 draw, but a point hardly helps either side in their quest for a top four finish."

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Anelka injury re-opens Premier League golden boot race

The race for the English Premier League golden boot tightened on the weekend as Steven Gerrard grabbed a hat-trick and leading scorer Nicolas Anelka was ruled out for three weeks with injury.

Anelka (15 goals) leads by two from Cristiano Ronaldo (13) and Steven Gerrard (13) with Peter Crouch (11) and Robinho (11) further back in joint 4th spot.

The Frenchman continues to head the Golden Boot betting, but only just as Anelka looks likely to miss Chelsea's next game at Newcastle on April 4th.

LEADING TOP SCORER ODDS :
Anelka - 15 goals - 3.00 at Bet365
Ronaldo - 13 goals - 3.00 at Eurobet
Gerrard - 13 goals - 5.00 at Victor Chandler
Robinho - 11 goals - 21.00 at Betfred
Crouch - 11 goals - 50.00 at BetFair

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Manchester United odds drift in title race after 2nd straight loss

Manchester United have drifted from 1/9 to 2/7 to win the Barclays Premier League with bookmakers following their 2-0 defeat at Fulham on Saturday.

Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney were both sent off at Craven Cottage as a Danny Murphy penalty and late Zoltan Gera strike earned Fulham all three points.

It means Manchester United are now just four points clear of Liverpool, with both teams having played 29 games.

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West Brom, Stoke and Middlesbrough all odds-on to be relegated

While the Premier League title looks done and dusted (despite Liverpool's stunning 4-1 win at Old Trafford on the weekend) the battle at the other end is attracting plenty of betting attention.

Stoke lost 3-1 at Everton and are in 18th spot, Middlesbrough needed a late Marlon King goal to earn a 1-1 home draw against Portsmouth but sit 19th, while the Baggies are away at West Ham on Monday and are rooted at the foot of the table.

As a result Middlesbrough are now 3rd favourites at evens (2.00) at Paddy Power for the drop while Stoke are second favourites for relegation at 10/11 (1.91) at Bet365.

West Brom seem doomed, and the best price is just 1/10 (1.10) at PaddyPower ahead of the Monday night game.

If you are looking at teams outside the bottom three to become entangled in the battle then there are some good prices available.


Newcastle are only clear of relegation by goal difference and are at 15/8 (2.88) at PaddyPower while Portsmouth are in the same situation and are priced at 10/3 (4.33) at VCBet.

Blackburn lost 4-0 at Arsenal on Saturday and have significant injury woes, and are just one point clear, making the 6/1 (7.00) at VCBet quite appealing.

Sunderland are only three points clear of the drop zone after losing to Wigan at the Stadium of Light and are priced at 15/2 (8.50) at PaddyPower

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Sunderland and Tottenham easing clear of relegation worries

The bookmakers reckoned Sunderland and Tottenham both eased their relegation worries with their 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland had taken the lead through Kieran Richardson's third-minute strike, and looked to have eased themselves seven points clear of the drop zone before Robbie Keane rescued Spurs with a last-gasp equaliser

Both clubs are now on 32 points, and are five points clear of the bottom three.

Sunderland are out to 11/1 (12.00) for the drop with Bet365 while Tottenham are 22/1 (23.00) at PaddyPower.

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Jose Mourinho now favourite to be next Manchester United coach

Jose Mourinho has been cut from 8/1 to 9/4 favourite by William Hill to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as permanent manager of Manchester United following comments from current Red Devils skipper Rio Ferdinand.

"There are very few people who could take over," Ferdinand said in an interview in GQ magazine out this Thursday. "If you're talking about someone with the ego and personality to do it, then Jose Mourinho is the name that jumps out at you."

However Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe said: "Whether Mourinho would want to accept what could be seen as a poisoned chalice, as the successor to Sir Alex would have his work cut out emulating or outdoing his predecessor, remains to be seen."

Martin O'Neill is 7/2 second favourite and it's 9/1 bar.

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Beware the banker bet - Stoke City sting punters at Betfair

The draw was backed at a high of 349/1 (350.00) in-running on Betfair before Stoke salvaged a point against Aston Villa on Sunday.

The Potters struck twice in the final three minutes to snatch a dramatic draw and put a massive dent in the betting accounts of punters who like to lay off "sure things" in order to cash in on "easy money".

Stiliyan Petrov's first Barclays Premier League goal for 11 months and a spectacular effort from John Carew had helped Villa take into a 2-0 lead.

As is usual the price on the draw drifted to stratospheric levels at in-running specialists Betfair, especially as time ticked away with no sign of a recovery.

But Ryan Shawcross reduced the arrears in the 87th minute and substitute Glenn Whelan equalised in injury-time for the visitors.

Job done for Stoke - and someone has a lot of explaining to do to the wife - as trying to hoover up a fiver cost him £1750 inside 3 minutes.

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Hull City slip to another defeat

Hull City are now as short as 11/8 to be relegated from the Premier League following Sunday's defeat by Blackburn Rovers.

The Tigers are still in 13th spot but are winless in their last 11 Premier League games (0-3-8) after their 1-3 home loss against Sam Allardyce's improving Rovers.

Stephen Warnock and Keith Andrews struck within two first-half minutes for Rovers before the Tigers' Dean Marney and Blackburn's Morten Gamst Pedersen were dismissed.

Ian Ashbee scored with a crisp volley late on to give City hope but it was too late to make any difference to the final result.

Hull are now priced at 15/8 (2.63) at Bet365 to make an immediate return to the Championship.

LATEST RELEGATION ODDS :
West Bromwich Albion 1.13 @ [Bet365]
Stoke City 1.62 @ [Bet365]
Hull City 2.63 @ [Bet365]
Middlesbrough 2.88 @ [Paddy Power]
Newcastle United 3.25 @ [Bet365]
Portsmouth 4.33 @ [Bet365]
Blackburn Rovers 5.50 @ [Paddy Power]
Sunderland 11.00 @ [Bet365]
Tottenham Hotspur 15.00 @ [Bet365]

Source : BookieLabrat.com Live Premier League Betting Odds

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Hiddink still favourite to be next Chelsea manager

Guus Hiddink is 8/11 favourite with UK bookmakers to be the Chelsea manager on the first day of the next campaign despite suggesting he will only stay with Chelsea until the last day of this season.

The Russia head coach was announced as Luiz Felipe Scolari's temporary successor at Stamford Bridge last week and he is currently preparing his charges for his first game in charge at Aston Villa on Saturday.

On his future, Hiddink said: "I will help out until the end of the season, and then it will stop. I am certain it will only be until the end of the season."

But the bookmakers don't beleive it making him a strong favourite.

8/11 Hiddink
3/1 Ancelotti
5/1 Rijkaard;
13/2 Zola;
10/1 Mancini;
10/1 Mourinho.

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Avram Grant favourite to take over at Portsmouth

Avram Grant is the 7/4 (from 3/1) favourite with bookmakers to be the next Portsmouth manager after support for the former Chelsea boss today.

Former favourite Sven-Goran Eriksson has eased to 5/2 with caretaker boss Paul Hart and Slaven Bilic both 3/1.

"The support for Eriksson has dried up in the last 24 hours, while Avram Grant has publicly stated that he would be willing to return to Fratton Park," said Eurobet spokesman David Stevens.

"Although another three points at Stoke this weekend could see Paul Hart take pole position."

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Scolari sacked by Chelsea - Guus Hiddink favoured to take over

Guus Hiddink is widely regarded as the favourite for the Chelsea manager's job in the wake of Luiz Felipe Scolari's shock sacking on Monday afternoon.

But Hiddink's price has been drifting after his agent Cees van Nieuwenhuizen said there was "no chance" of him going to Stamford Bridge. "Guus wants to qualify for World Cup for a fourth time in a row and with a fourth different team." he said.

With Chelsea having slipped to fourth in the Premier League - seven points off Manchester United's pace, having played a game more - the decision was taken to axe Luiz Filipe Scolari.

That sparked a frenzy in the betting markets, with Guus Hiddink and Avram Grant almost immediately being linked with managerial roles at the club.

Grant, ditched by the club and replaced by Scolari in the summer, was being touted as director of football with current Russia boss Hiddink in charge of team affairs.

Hiddink, who knows Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich as a result of his spell in charge of the Russian national side, was almost immediately installed asthe bookmakers 1/2 favourite for the manager's job - but that price soon drifted out to a general 3/1 as the markets settled down.

Paddy Power's Darren Haines said: "Hiddink's close relationship with Abramovich in the Russia job have repeatedly linked Guus to the Stamford Bridge post in the past. Now could finally be the time for Chelsea to go Dutch."

Betfred's Jon Wilde added: "Surely now Chelsea will go for someone who knows his onions at club level. Hiddink fits the bill having won the European Cup and with his Russian connections he is a worthy favourite."

Meanwhile, bet365 are prepared to offer 14/1 about Avram Grant returning to the hot seat.

Former Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard is also prominent in the betting at a general 6/1, while Chelsea playing legend Gianfranco Zola, currently in charge of West Ham, is also towards to the top of the markets at a best price of 7/1.

Earlier Zola's lawyer Fulvio Marrucco had said: "At the moment we know nothing about the link between Gianfranco Zola and the vacant position at Chelsea.

"Gianfranco is very happy at West Ham and still thanks them for giving him the opportunity to be a coach in the Premier League. It is very difficult to say if anything will happen, but Chelsea is a special place for Gianfranco Zola."

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Bettingzone take Arsenal to beat Spurs

Tottenham v Arsenal

These two arch rivals meet for the 144th time on Sunday with not only the magnificent 4-4 draw still fresh in the memory from earlier in the season, we also have Robbie Keane and Andrei Arshavin on show after protracted transfer deals were finally thrashed out.

They are on offer at 12/5 and 10/3 respectively to find the target at some stage and I would suspect there will be a few takers come match time.

This is a fixture that has its fair share of goals and Keane and Arshavin aside, one player fancied to get in the thick of them again is Dutchman Robin van Persie.

He looks set to get the nod from Arsene Wenger to return to the starting line-up and has already banged in nine goals from 20 league appearances this season - including against this opposition at the Emirates back in October.

Sharp as a tack in the box, he looks a decent poke at 15/8 to get into double figures in the Premier League.

The total goals tally is set at 2.5 and recent history suggests these two may well blow that out of the water - but I just fancy the Gunners nicking this at 6/4 as the better option and spoil Keane's return to The Lane.

Verdict: Tottenham 1 Arsenal 2

Source : BettingZone

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Relegation battle looms for Pompey

The pressure is building on Portsmouth following their 3-1 defeat at Fulham.

Portsmouth are still a point clear of the drop zone but the bookmakers now offer only 5/2 about Portsmouth being relegated at the end of the season having been 12/5 before the trip to Craven Cottage.
(best prices are at Ladbrokes and Bet365)

Middlesbrough are second bottom after a 0-0 home draw against Blackburn and Boylesports now have Boro at 7/4 for the drop.

In contrast Blackburn Rovers are as big as 6/1 with Ladbrokes to finish in the bottom three.

Tottenham are again being dragged into the relegation dogfight after a 3-2 loss at Bolton and Spurs are 13/2 from 8s to drop into the Championship.

RELATED LINK :
Get all the live betting Premier League odds quoted at Bookielabrat.com

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Liverpool now second favourites for title after beating Chelsea

Liverpool have been cut from 8/1 to 9/2 second favourites for the Premier League title with William Hill after defeating Chelsea 2-0.

Liverpool dumped ten-man Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday to cut Manchester United's lead at the top of the table to two points - and in the process moved them three clear of Chelsea.

The bookmakers makes Chelsea 8/1 following the defeat, with Aston Villa at 33/1 and Arsenal 66/1 after they were both held to goalless draws by Wigan and West Ham respectively on Saturday.

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Cudicini moves from Chelsea to Tottenham

Tottenham have signed Carlo Cudicini on a free transfer from London rivals Chelsea.

The Italian goalkeeper has set his sights on pushing Heurelho Gomes for the number one jersey at White Hart Lane.

Cudicini (35) spent a decade at Stamford Bridge and has no regrets about swapping Champions League football for a Premier League survival battle saying :

"At this moment the team is not in the best position but it doesn't matter - I'm here to bring some experience and try to push this club forward."

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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."

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Liverpool stumble and see odds lengthen on title

Liverpool are as big as 11/4 (3.75) to win the Barclays Premier League title after being held to a goalless draw by Stoke on Saturday.

Rafa Benitez's side are now four points clear at the top of the table but the two points dropped have negatively affected title chances the title. The Reds are 11/4 chances at BoyleSports.

Arsenal needed a late Nicklas Bendtner goal beat Bolton at the Emirates and were trimmed for the title after the 1-0 win. The Gunners are now 25/1 (26.00) at PaddyPower.

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Brazilian World Cup winner trials with Bolton Wanderers

Bolton have given Brazilian World Cup winner Denilson a trial.

Bolton boss Gary Megson will take a look at the 31-year-old, who is a free agent after being released by Brazilian club Palmeiras. Denilson became the world's most expensive player when he moved to Real Betis from Sao Paulo in 1998 for £21.5m.

Denilson spent seven seasons in Spain before spells at Bordeaux, followed by Al-Nasr and then FC Dallas.

He has won 68 caps for his country and was part of the Brazil squad that won the 2002 World Cup beating Germany 2-0 in the final.

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Chelsea boss odds cut in the sack race.

Bookmakers have slashed the odds on Chelsea bosss Luiz Felipe Scolari being the next Premier League boss out of a job to 10/1 (from 33/1) following a flurry of bets on him to be sacked.

Chelsea are struggling a little and with Scolari coming under more pressure after Southend forced the Blues to an FA Cup replay, it seems that the 33/1 was too attractive a price for some punters to turn down.

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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."

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Manchester United are title favourites with bookmakers

Manchester United have been shortened from 6/4 to 11/8 favourites (PaddyPower) to win the Premier League title following their hard-fought 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on Monday night.

United dominated for most of the game and missed a host of chances before Dimitar Berbatov blasted home the winner in the 69th minute. The result means Sir Alex Ferguson's men now trail Liverpool by seven points and Chelsea by four in the race for the title but have two games in hand.

Chelsea are 2/1 second favourites (VCBet)with Liverpool available at 9/4 (BetFred) despite being top. Arsenal are 33/1 (Bet365) shots with Aston Villa 66/1. (Bet365)

RELATED LINK :
Get the latest Premier League Live Odds Quotes at Bookie Lab Rat.

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BettingZone take Arsenal to win at Villa

Popular UK betting website BettingZone.co.uk have picked Arsenal to bat Aston Villa on Boxing Day - despite the loss of captain Cesc Fabregas ...

Villa gained a deserved win at The Emirates in mid-November and will be popular with punters at 13/8 to complete the double.

However, one of the themes of this Premier League season is that the top teams appear to prefer playing away from home where they have more space and can hit teams on the break.

Villa, with six away wins to just four at home, have been part of that trend while a win for Arsenal would mean they've taken just as many points on the road as they have at home.

Villa go into the game three points above the Gunners so Arsene Wenger would feel very anxious if that gap doubled to six as the prospect of Villa gatecrashing the top four would grown even stronger.

Yes, holes can be picked in the Arsenal line-up and the loss of Cesc Fabregas is a blow too. But they remain a talented bunch and it's foolish to write them off.

Arsenal have won four and drawn one of their last five trips to Villa Park and, given their record against the top teams this year, they're more than capable of nicking a victory.

Villa are no world-beaters yet so maybe the 2/1 about Arsenal is the best bet.

BettingZone Pick : Aston Villa 1 Arsenal 2

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Eduardo nearly ready to return for Arsenal

Arsene Wenger believes it will not be long before Arsenal see striker Eduardo back in action.

The Brazilian-born Croatia striker suffered an horrific broken leg following an X-rated challenge from Martin Taylor at Birmingham in February.

However, the 25-year-old is now closing in on a return to competitive action with the Gunners. Wenger confirmed: "As soon as possible, he will play now. He is joining in full training matches, but he needs games now."

He won't play against Wigan this weekend but the Gunners also face Middlesbrough and Liverpool between now and Christmas.

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Liverpool move into top spot after held to 0-0 by West Ham

Liverpool drew 0-0 with West Ham at Anfield on Monday night and it was enough to take the Reds into top spot in the Premier League.

But this was the second time in 10 days that Liverpool had been held to a goalless draw at home by a London club, seriously handicapping their chances in the title race.

West Ham claimed their first point at Anfield for nine years it it might have been more as West Ham's former Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy came closest to a goal when his 30-yard strike hit a post.

But that would have been tough on Liverpool who dominated the match with 25 shots to 7 and 67% ball possession.

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Sunderland drop into the bottom three after being thumped by Bolton

Sunderland are now 11/4 (3.75) to be relegated from the Barclays Premier League after Saturday's 1-4 home defeat by Bolton.


The loss sent Sunderland catapulting into the bottom three and Boyle Sports offer 3.75 about them still being there at the end of the season.

West Brom are still favourites for the drop at just 1/4 (1.25) at VCBet with Stoke City also odds on at 4/6 (1.67) at Bet365.

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Cesc Fabregas is new Arsenal captain

Cesc Fabregas has been named as the new Arsenal captain by manager Arsene Wenger.

William Gallas's leadership skills have been questioned since his infamous sit-down sulk at St. Andrews last season, and last week's decision by the Frenchman to go public with criticisms of his team-mates prompted Arsene Wenger to drop him for Saturday's trip to Manchester City.

Fabregas also missed that match through suspension, but Wenger today revealed that the captaincy has been handed to the young Spaniard on a permanent basis.

Gallas will return to the side to play Dynamo Kiev at the Emirates on Tuesday night.

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Gallas dropped from Arsenal squad and loses captaincy.

William Gallas has been dropped and stripped of the Arsenal captaincy, according to reports.

France Football claim that the outspoken defender has paid the price for his verbal attack on his Arsenal team-mates and will not appear in Saturday's trip to Manchester City and will be forced to relinquish the armband to either Gael Clichy or Manuel Almunia.

The reports have not been confirmed by the Gunners, but it would not come as a surprise if Arsene Wenger had run out of patience with the 31-year-old after a series of incidents have brought Gallas' leadership qualities into question.

Gallas has recently publically criticised his Arsenal team mates, and followed that on Friday with a fierce critique of his international team-mates in his autobiography.

In October Gallas reacted angrily when Arsenal surrendered a 4-2 lead with just two minutes remaining in the north London derby and drew the game 4-4.

His antics were reminiscent of his behaviour at the end of last season's away game at Birmingham City when striker Eduardo broke his leg and the Gunners conceded a late penalty to draw 2-2.

Simply, William Gallas is a fine player, but one who is rapidly losing his touch, and is unable to display the leadership qualities required of a captain.

This move is the correct one by Mr Wenger

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Bet365 asks whether Carling Cup side will start in the League?

How Many Wenger Boys Will Face Wigan In The Premier League?

Arsene Wenger's young guns tore apart Wigan on Tuesday and bet365 are betting on how many of his Carling Cup kids will start when Steve Bruce re-visits The Emirates on December 6th.

bet365 spokesman Steve Freeth says : "It could have been a cricket score if it wasn't for Chris Kirkland and Wenger could be tempted to blood a few youngsters in the Premier League after the way they dismantled Wigan in the Carling Cup."

Arsenal v Wigan - Premier League - 6th December
How Many Of Carling Cup Starting XI v Wigan Will Start?
0 ------ 6/4 (2.50)
1 ------ 7/4 (2.75)
2 ------ 7/2 (4.50)
3 ------ 8/1
4+ ----- 16

Check the markets out at bet365

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Chelsea favourites to win Premier League

Chelsea are the clear favourites to win the Premier League after they reclaimed top spot with a 2-0 victory over Blackburn on Sunday.


Chelsea's superior goal difference sees them ahead of Liverpool, who had a comfortable 3-0 triumph over West Brom.

Chelsea are available at a best priced 4/5 (1.80) at VCBet, while Liverpool are 3rd favourites at 5.00 at Betfred.

Manchester United are eight points behind Liverpool, but are still second favourites and can be backed at 10/3 (4.33) also at Betfred

Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-1 on Saturday, and that's had the bookmakers cut the price on the Gunners from 20s down to 13.00 - again at Betfred.

RELATED LINKS :
Live betting odds for English Premier League at Bookielabrat.com.
Bet365 Bookmakers
Betfred Bookmakers
VCBet
Ladbrokes

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Stoke City still favoured for relegation

The relegation market has drastically seen a shake-up after the weeeknd with Tottenham the big movers now at 14/1 to go down with Boylesports, who offered 11/4 (3.75) just one week ago.

Tottenham are now the same price as Portsmouth to go down, as Harry Redknapp's former club suffered a 1-2 loss at home to Wigan.

Stoke are still favourites for the drop, but after beating Arsenal 2-1 at home they are now 8/15 following their 4th home of the season.

RELATED LINK :
Live betting odds for relegation from the English Premier League.

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Chelsea Favourites Again after Liverpool Lose

Chelsea are odds-on favourites for the Barclays Premier League title following Liverpool's 2-1 loss at Spurs on the weekend.

The Blues beat Sunderland 5-0 earlier, but it took Liverpool's 1-2 defeat to Spurs at White Hart Lane to send Chelsea under even money for the title.

Rafa Benitez's side went 1-0 up inside three minutes through Dirk Kuyt and controlled the majority of the game for the next 70 minutes, hitting the bar three times but couldn't find the killer second goal.

And Harry "houdini" Redknapp's charmed life as Spurs new boss continued as a late Jamie Carragher own goal was followed by an injury-time winner from Roman Pavlyuchenko to leave Benitez's side second in the table on goal difference.

Liverpool are now 9/2 for the title, with Manchester United 15/8 second favourites following their narrow 4-3 win over Hull City.

Arsenal are out to 20/1 for the league title after they lost 2-1 at Stoke City.

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Tony Adams to manage Portsmouth?

Legendary Gooner Tony Adams is the man almost every punter wants to back to be next permanent manager of Portsmouth with bookie Paddy Power cutting his odds in the first 36 hours of betting from 9/4 to 1/2.

Sam Allardyce remains second favourite, although his odds have eased from 4/1 to 9/2 whilst almost all other contenders have seen a significant drift in their odds.

The most noticeable exceptions to this that are seeing some levels of interest are Avram Grant, whose Portsmouth connections have seen his odds slashed from 14/1 to 9/2, and Kevin Keegan who came into the betting today after some small interest at 20/1.

Joe Jordan, who many believe may join Harry Redknapp at Spurs, is the biggest faller at 14/1 from an early 5/1 on Sunday morning.

Darren Haines, spokesman for Paddy Power, said: "The speculation may have been about Allardyce so far but the betting is almost exclusively Tony Adams and Avram Grant. It remains to be seen if punters will be enjoying another betting coup regarding the Portsmouth manager."

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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.

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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.

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Spurs defeat shortens relegation odds

Spurs are now as short as 5/1 for relegation after their latest defeat - a 1-0 home loss to Hull - left them rooted to the foot of the Premier League.

Spurs have made their worst start to a season in 96 years and have just two points from the opening seven games.

And although the bookies still rate Stoke (1/5), Hull (13/8), West Brom (7/4), Bolton (9/4), Fulham (3/1) and Newcastle (7/2) as more likely candidates for the drop, it's still an surprising price crash for the White Hart Lane side, who were quoted at 1000/1 to go down by totesport before the season started.

VC Bet, and BoyleSports are the firms going 5/1 about Spurs dropping to the Championship.

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Terry wins appeal against red card and will face Manchester Utd

Chelsea captain John Terry will face Manchester United in the Premier League game on Sunday after winning an appeal against the red card he picked up at Manchester City.

Terry was sent off for hauling down City striker Jo in Chelsea's 3-1 victory on Saturday but Jo still had a long way to go to goal when the foul came in from Terry.

Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho was also in a defensive position and although referee Mark Halsey deemed it a professional foul, Chelsea protested, and lodged an appeal.

The FA announced on today that an independent regulatory commission had upheld the club's claim for "wrongful dismissal." The ruling means the defender has avoided an automatic three-game suspension and he will be available to face United at Stamford Bridge.

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Gianfranco Zola likely to be new West Ham manager.

West Ham are likely to offer their vacant managerial position to Gianfranco Zola.

Zola has emerged as the London club's preferred candidate ahead of the former Italy coach Roberto Donadoni and, with personal terms having effectively been agreed, confirmation of his appointment as West Ham's first foreign manager could be made later today.

Zola is currently coaching the Italy Under-21s alongside his former Chelsea team-mate Pierluigi Casiraghi, and has been given a glowing reference by the Italian Football Federation to back up his credentials.

West Ham's board will meet again today and expect to be in a position to offer the job to their favoured candidate - personal terms had been discussed and as good as agreed with both Zola and Donadoni during the interview process - in the hope that Zola will be able to attend the game at the Hawthorns, with the team to be selected by the caretaker manager Kevin Keen.

West Ham are already drawing up tentative plans to unveil the 42-year-old at the Boleyn Ground as early as Thursday ahead of the weekend trip to West Bromwich Albion

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Telegraph reports Arsenal interest in Ghanian Stephen Appiah

Arsenal are reportedly set to the revive their interest in Stephen Appiah, planning a late move to beat West Ham to the signature of the Ghana midfielder according to the Daily Telegraph.

Appiah is a free agent following his release from Turkish club Fenerbache, and so is available to be signed outside of the enforced transfer windows associated for players already on contract.

He had been considering terms to sign at Upton Park but the resignation of Alan Curbishley has forced the player to reconsider his options having been said to be close to reaching a £40K-per week three-year deal.

The player is keen to ply his trade in England and Arsenal could now offer him that opportunity as manager Arsene Wenger considers ways to improve his midfield.

Wenger has been a long-term admirer of Appiah, who two years ago was close to joining Arsenal before a knee injury denied him.

Certainly, Arsenal's young midfield requires strengthening and Appiah could provide a sound alternative at The Emirates - much in the style of Patrick Vieira.

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