Tottenham will be hoping for a promising start to 2011 by recapturing their place in the premiership top four by claiming all three points when they face Fulham at White Hart Lane on New Year's Day. Harry Redknapp's spurs side has enjoyed a very fruitful festive period thus far with a Boxing Day win over Aston Villa and a win over Newcastle in midweek and Chelsea's victory over Bolton in midweek has demoted Tottenham from the top four and they will be looking to reinstate themselves with an important three points over their fellow Londoners Fulham today. They will also really be keen to continue the fine form which has seen them flirting with the higher climbs of the premiership and finding themselves being considered title contenders.
By contrast Fulham have different objectives as they look to get anything they can from games they face in the meantime as they struggle to break out of the relegation drop zone. The Londoners have only won 3 of their 19 league fixtures so far this season and new boss Mark Hughes has a big task on his hand to turn the club's fortunes round this season. One of the wins did come this week however with a shock 3-0 win over Stoke due to a brace from Chris Baird and the team will surely be gaining some confidence from the performance and hoping they can carry some momentum from it.
Tottenham and Bolton's standings in the premier league 31/12/10:
Roy Hodgson is under intense scrutiny at the moment and rumours say he is on the verge of being sacked if results dont pick up immediately. His Liverpool side are fumbling badly with their poor run of results and after Wednesday's defeat to Wolves showed dismay at the supporters not showing him support and they have in turn forced heavy pressure on the boss to be sacked. However, Hodgson has insisted he will never quit as manager and he is still certain he is the man to lead the club back to their former glories and despite the vehement opposition the Anfield faithful have shown against him since Wednesday's disappointing defeat he will never walk away.
"It has taken me a long while to get to this elevated position coaching one of the best clubs in Europe,'' said the former Fulham manager.
I was very pleased to get the job - I left a very good job to take it - so the last thing in my mind is walking away from a club like this or walking away from football. I want to be here, I want to change things, I want to turn it around and I want to help the club and the new owners get the success they want. There is no security as a Premier League manager and when you take any job you don't take it for security, you take it because you believe you can do it and do it well.''
Bolton last got a point from an Anfield fixture on New Years Day 2002, exactly 9 years ago. Since then they have lost every league game they have played there and have conceeded 19 goals in the process so despite the unrest at Anfield the odds are stacked in the Merseysiders favour and so if there was ever a bit of slack needed they may have it in the fine form they have in this fixture.
Liverpool and Bolton's standings in the English Premiership 31/12/10:
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West Brom 1 Manchester United 2 Watch highlights 1/1/11
This season opened up in somewhat ominous expectations for West Brom and Manchester United after champions Chelsea steamrollered all over West Brom on the opening day with a 6-0 demolition of the midlanders leaving them with bleak visions of the oncoming season along with ones for Manchester United trying to wrestle back the dominance of the English game this season. Now, 4 months and more on and halfway through the season, the picture is far more rosey for Manchester United. Unbeaten in the league and sitting pretty at the the top of the table on goal difference at the moment over rivals, Manchester City and Chelsea have had a very rough ride since the first couple of months where they were in cruise control.
West Brom also have ample cause to feel more perky about the remainder of the season with a string of fine results against strong opposition. Draws against Tottenham before beating Birmingham, Manchester City and Arsenal then holding United to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford was their peak. However, their form lately has been dour of late, with only 2 wins in their last 10 games and boss, Di Matteo has had to struggle on whilst his squad has been ravaged by a lengthy list of players in recent times. Chris Brunt returns from a ban to face United, Gabriel Tamas and Gonzalo Jara are suspended.
West Brom and Manchester United in the Premiership standings 31/12/10:
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Watch Birmingham vs Newcastle live stream 18/12/10
New Newcastle boss is confident he can turn Andy Carroll into an even more impressive player as he begins to leave his imprint on the clubs management. The local 21-year old had made huge progress in the last year to make himself a firm favourite amongst the toon army and a regular in the first team and even into pushing himself into national contention. Chris Hughton has nurtured the up and coming striker and has helped him morph into a heavy hitting premier league frontman from a more modest youngster status. However, with Pardew working with youngsters before in his managerial career he's sure he can get the best from him.
Birmingham have had it harder than the toon lately with only 1 win in 8 league games, albeit that victory did come over champions Chelsea.
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Roy Hodgson welcomes the visit of his former employers this evening at Anfield and whilst his start at the reds has been quite a wretched one, the return of his last club will remind him of the LMA manager of the year award he received this May for his achievements at Craven Cottage last year where they were runners up of the Europa league and gave many entertaining and satsifying displays as they comfortably finished the term in mid-table. However, this season the Londoners have had it much harder and currently languish outside the relegation zone on goal difference. Injuries to key players like Bobby Zamora and Moussa Dembele have given new boss Mark Hughes a big task on his hands and the team don't tend to be flowing well as opposed to the perfect chemistry when Hodgson was manager.
Hodgson has yet to find real success with his tactics at Anfield. Expectations had been raised after moving to club with more world class players but the boss remarked that the reds players had done little to prove their superiority over his former. They will be hoping for a positive display tomorrow in front of the Kop faithful.
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Stoke head to the emirates tomorrow and their first meeting with Arsenal since the infamous match in February which saw young gunners starlet Aaron Ramsey being stretchered off the field with a leg broken in 2 places from a shocking tackle by Stoke player Ryan Shawcross. The bad blood was clear soon after the match with stern words expressed from bosses Arsene Wenger and Tony Pulis but leading up to today's match Arsene Wenger remained calm and objective about the task ahead and says the slate is clean between the sides.
Arsenal disappointingly failed to reach the summit of the premiership with their defeat at Old Trafford last Monday and they will be looking to bounce back and keep up with pace of Manchester United and Chelsea whilst Stoke will also be looking for a positive result after their 1-0 defeat to Blackpool last time round.
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Watch Manchester United 1 Arsenal 0 match highlights 13/12/10
6 years on from Manchester United ending Arsenal's 49 game unbeaten run, the gunners have the opportunity to derail the unstoppable red train which is kept on the track of being unbeaten all of this season so far in the league. However United's unbeaten run has papered over the cracks in a leaky defence which has seen them drop opportunities to beat teams this season. Despite their 20 game unbeaten run, which dates back to the last time being the defeat to Chelsea at home on April 3rd this year, the confidence will be shakey after the 4-0 drubbing they suffered in the carling cup quarter final tie at West Ham.
When Chelsea were charging towards the premiership trophy early this season, there was plentiful mention of their two nearest competitors, Man Utd and Arsenal, being able to build an assault on the blues' grip on the premier league trophy. What's developed since then is a flip in fortunes and with Man United having a game in hand, after their match at Blackpool was postponed, Arsenal's new found form and Chelsea being out of luck in recent times, the promise has grown for the premier league's 2 most successful teams, United and Arsenal and tonight's match will signal a chance for either side to outmuscle the other one in their quest for the league trophy next May.
It looks rough in the Arsenal camp however with doubts over Cesc Fabregas and defenders Johan Djourou, Laurent Koscielny and Thomas Vermaelen, who they have won their last three games without, but endured a horrific November as they lost four games in six. United have at their disposal, the Premier League's top scorer, Dimitar Berbatov; Arsenal have arguably the league's most in-form player, Samir Nasri. With the two most decorated managers in England, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, going head-to-head for the 40th time (Fergie: 16, Wenger: 15, draw: 9), the stage is set.
This is the match that Tottenham have been building towards all season. Today they have champions Chelsea entering their yard and if ever there was a chance to display their title credentials, it is this afternoon. Spurs have recently had their odds have bagging the premier league cut down to 20/1 from 120/1 and Harry Redknapp's entertaining group have been impressing domestically and on European lands with fine performances. If Tottenham manage to turnover the champions today they will see the gap between them cut to just one point. Four years ago, Tottenham couldn't win against Chelsea for the life of them and they hadn't managed a win over the blues in the premier league until November 2006.
Whilst Spurs are flying at home without a defeat since August, Chelsea are in freefall. At one point this season they were strolling, 21 goals netted in their first 5 games of the season. Since then injuries and loss of form have taken it's toll on the champions are faltering badly and have only won once in six matches, scouring only four times in the process. Carlo Ancelotti will be desperately looking for a result at White Hart lane to help rescure the morale of his team and help steer them closer to Manchester United at the premiership summit. Another loss may see huge pressure on the Italian's future at Stamford Bridge and with Arsenal and Manchester United for them to face next, if they fail to get positive results their momentum may be irrerepairly crippled.
Spurs will have to battle through without the services of Rafael Van der Vaart, who has been missing with a hamstring problem for two weeks, but Luka Modric is available after recovering from flu. Jermaine Jenas and Niko Kranjcar were injured at Twente while Ledley King, Tom Huddlestone, Jamie O'Hara and Jonathan Woodgate are still out. Chelsea's hopes of keeping Gareth Bale quiet have been hit by a torn hamstring for Jose Bosingwa, which means they will have to deploy Paulo Ferriera at right back. Frank Lampard is still not match fit having not kicked a ball since the end of August.
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Arsenal have been defeated in their last 2 home league matches and will be dreading the prospect of three in a row which would be the first time the event will have occured in the club's history. Arsene Wenger's team won three league matches in November on the bounce but all those matches were in away fixtures as they fell to both Spurs and Newcastle on their own patch. However, the gunners should take some consolation from the fact that they have never lost to Fulham in the league in any of the sides 23 previous matches with Arsenal being victors 20 times and three of the matches being drawn. The gunners will be looking to put recent poor home form behind them today.
Meanwhile at Fulham, they find themselves languishing second from bottom at the foot of the table as they have only managed to chalk up 2 wins since new manager Mark Hughes took up the reigns as the successor to Roy Hodgson in the summer. Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer will be making his first start of the season against the club who tried to snap him up in the summer and will want to impress the home fans at the emirates and make them see what skills they are missing out on between their posts. The cottagers will also hope that they show more attacking prowess than they have in any of their last three duals with the gunners where they have failed to net any goals.
Team news for Arsenal sees French pair Samir Nasri and Sebastien Squillaci possible starters after they were both doubtful at the start of the week after knee troubles. However they will be without Cesc Fabregas, Abou Diaby and Thomas Vermaelen. Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia will also not feature as he has picked up an elbow injury. Arsenal have talent to spare up front and Wenger has the great problem of whether to keep Robin Van Persie in the starting eleven or opt for
Marouane Chamakh. Mark Hughes' injury list is still chocked full and he is without Moussa Dembele (ankle), Rafik Halliche (thigh), Carlos Salcido (ankle), Philippe Senderos (Achilles), Fredrik Stoor (groin) and Bobby Zamora (leg) for the trip to the Emirates.
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The London blues will be desperate to claw back the gap that was extended by Manchester United to 2 points at the top last weekend in the premier league matches. The champions are second in the league standings and have surrendered top spot and a healthy space between them and the chasing pack due to some poor form and them without a win in the league in three games. Their longest run of no wins in it since September 2007 when they went four without a win. 2 defeats on the trot at Birmingham and Sunderland was followed by them held to a 1-1 draw at Newcastle last week where Salomon Kalou saved a point for the Londoners after Andy Carroll put the toon army ahead early on.
Everton are in an even rougher patch. Going into today's match with Chelsea after the miserable 4-1 defeat at home to West Brom last weekend and they are on a five game winless streak in the league. They are hovering ominously above the relegation zone in 16th place and have only chalked up 3 wins thus far this season. The toffeemen are unlikely to be that optimistic about their chances of taking all the spoils tomorrow as they have won only once in 18 visits to Stamford Bridge since the premier league began, which sees them being defeated 9 times and drawing 8 times. However the last 4 trips to London have ended in draws which may be a good omen.
Team news for Chelsea sees John terry returning to their lineup after an injury layoff. The defender was sidelined with a sciatic nerve problem recently in his right leg but is raring to get back into the team. Michael Essien is also available after returning from a three match suspension after his red card against Fulham and Frank Lampard also has a remote chance of featuring but not probable that he will get fitness in time. Mikel Arteta is out after he has to serve the first of his three match ban following his dismissal against west brom. Arteta's no show will be a downer for Moyes' team but they will take some composure from the comeback of Marouane Fellaini, who is back after a suspension of the same length.
watch ac milan vs real madrid uefa CL live stream and highlights
AC Milan suffered domestic setbacks at the weekend in the 2-1 defeat to Juventus in Serie A and also saw them lag further behind pace setters Lazio in Serie A, trailing them 5 points but Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri wants his players to put that to one side as they face Spanish Giants Real Madrid tonight at the San Siro in the champions league. The defeat to Juventus was their first home league defeat in 10 months and was disappointing for all at the club.
"I am disappointed by the result as we didn't deserve to lose," said coach Allegri. "We played well and created many goalscoring opportunities. We must put this defeat behind us and bounce back immediately in order to prepare well for the game against Real Madrid."
Milan are also trailing Madrid 5 points in their group G in the champions league and are neck and neck with Ajax on 4 points. Milan midfielder Ronaldinho knows his side can't lax in the early stages of the game and must take the game to Madrid. That was Milan's downfall in the repeat fixture last month with the rossoneri conceding 2 goals in the opening 14 minutes.
"To concede twice early on made life difficult for us," said Ronaldinho. "We must be focused from start to finish. This is a very important game for us and we must only think of doing what the coach asks us to do in order to clinch three points."
Madrid make the trip to Italy with their heads held very high as they continue their glorious start with Jose Mourinho and they know that a victory will see them in the last sixteen of the competition. Madrid are currently unbeaten and have won 10 out of the 13 games they've played this campaign in all competitions.
Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira believes his side will come away with the spoils tonight just so long as the defensive unit is efficient and doesn't leak anything.
"If we keep a clean sheet we will win the match. The big teams in Europe who manage to go far are almost always the ones who concede the fewest goals. That's the key to success. A good defence wins titles," said Khedira. "It will be a difficult match. (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Alexandre) Pato, Ronaldinho, Robinho, also (Clarence) Seedorf, (Kevin-Prince) Boateng...they are all exceptional players and even more so when you allow them to play their own game," Khedira said. "(Gennaro) Gattuso and (Andrea) Pirlo are also very dangerous. If you don't take them seriously they can have you up against the ropes."
He added: "Our objective is to get the three points to get through to the last 16. We played an almost perfect game against them at the Bernabeu, defending very well against their strong attack. We are in good condition to overcome a very strong team like Milan away from home and get this win."
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Tomorrow sees the North East's two biggest clubs locking horns once more and the rivalry will be even more fierce with the two clubs having a very similar display of ability and success at the present, both treading water in the middle of the table only a point apart, and both having spent recent seasons in the 2nd tier of English football, Sunderland being a league above the more glamourous Newcastle last season and so today sees the rivarly renewed after a season break. In fact the local council has seen the kickoff time shifted from an initial 4pm start back to a 1:30pm kickoff to prevent there being more drinking time for fans before the match and in turn less risk of more rowdy behaviour.
Childhood Newcastle fan and Sunderland Manager, Steve Bruce, will be having his first experience at the helm for a Tyne-Wear derby and the black cats are enjoying a very respectable start to this campaign beating Manchester City and holding Liverpool and Manchester United to draws in their own grounds and only having lost once in their matches, to West Brom. The team have been reeling from a solid defensive unit including the reliable Michael Turner and Titus Bramble leaking very few goals thus far this season and also the firepower of Darren Bent at the other end helping them gain results.
Newcastle's season has been more modest and has seen trouble with trusted players like Andy Carroll, receiving punishment for fracars and question marks being raised over the ability of Chris Hughton to keep a steady ship for the club back in the premiership. Other elements have enhanced this lack of confidence with Hughton being angered by Colin Calderwoo'ds departure to take the reigns at Hibernian and also being furious when confronted with talk of rumours that bookmakers stopping taking bets on an oncoming leaving of him from the club. Newcastle have strived to dispel these rumours with mention of a possible new deal for Hughton but all at the club will just be hoping that a good performance in the tyne wear derby will go a long way to helping the club reach greater heights in the league and get Newcastle back on track after the mid week thrashing at the hands of Arsenal.
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Manchester United go into today's evening kickoff with the disappointing news that Michael Owen will be out for a further three weeks after suffering a hamstring injury picked up in training as he was trying to get himself back in shape after a groin injury. However Javier Hernandez is currently flying in red hot form as he scored both goals in the 2-1 win at Stoke last week and the winner against Wolves in the league cup on Tuesday and will give Sir Alex Ferguson a welcome morale boost after a shaky display by the team in some matches this campaign.
Hernandez's fine form is also crucial as Rooney is now expectected to be out for longer with his ankle injury. Owen Hargreaves and Giggs are also ruled out with injuries whilst Antonio Valencia is on the long term layoff list with a dislocated ankle he picked up in the champions league match with Rangers a month ago.
Whilst United have been shakey and let in goals to see them drop points against much lesser opposition this season, they still have not lost any of the 15 matches they've played in all competitions this year. They also have not lost to Tottenham in their last 18 meetings, with it last happening in May 2001. Tottenham have also failed to win at Old Trafford for almost 21 years, with Gary Linekar's solitary goal in a 1-0 win in December 1989 being the last occasion. Harry Redknapp has also never managed a side that has won at the Theatre Of Dreams so as you can see a win for Tottenham tomorrow would be legendary and would break many ducks which have been formed.
Watch Blackburn vs Chelsea english premiership live stream and highlights
Premiership trailblazers Chelsea will be hoping to race even further away from the pack with a win in lancashire tomorrow as they head to Blackburn. The champions are following on from the end of last season, this season, only missing out on 5 points from the 9 games they've played. They've been untouchable at Stamford Bridge, winning 5 out of the 5 fixtures there they've played, although more mortal away losing and drawing a match. Despite that they've found the net 9 times on the road and only let in 2 goals in the 4 away matches. Chelsea have a pretty proud record at Ewood Park, only losing 1 game in the last 10 seasons (1-0 defeat in 2006) and Blackburn won't be feeling overconfident going into the match today with them also failing to win in 3 games.
It's has been a lacklustre start to the campaign for Blackburn as their usually promising home form has been dented, whilst their away displays have been poor. Only winning once at home and it being on the opening day of the season, they have also only scored 3 times at Ewood. A seemingly bleak look to them trying to net against Chelsea today, with Chelsea only conceding twice in away games. Blackburn will be up against the odds and a victory for them would be a real turn up for the books.
Team news for Rovers sees Christopher Samba back after a suspension layoff received for being sent off against Sunderland and should see him figure in the match today. Sam Allardyce's men will also be looking to start Ryan Nielsen after recent thigh problems. Whilst Steven Nzonzi looks unlikely to figure after bowing out in the first half of the deafeat at Liverpool and Keith Andrews is on the long term absentee list as he has to undergo Groin Surgery.
For Chelsea, they will be encouraged by the return of Alex at the heart of their defence, after the player was ruled out last week in their trip to Wolves because of a thigh strain. John Terry will partner him in central defence. Frank Lampard and Yossi Benayoun are continued absentees with respective hernia and Achilles injuries, though Ancelotti has no other fresh concerns. Ramires should be passed fit after picking up a knock, while Didier Drogba has fully recovered from a virus.
watch newcastle vs arsenal carling cup live stream and highlights
Tonight sees a shakeup for the Newcastle starting eleven as manager Chris Hughton is looking to rest certain players who will be vital for Sunday's North East derby between the magpies and Sunderland. Tamas Kadar, Shane Ferguson and Haris Vuckic are rumoured to be up for contention for a place on the pitch but players Sol Campbell, Steven Taylor, Steve Harper, Leon Best, Hatem Ben Arfa and Dan Gosling are all ruled out with injury issues.
Newcastle boss Chris Hughton is focused and eager to hand out the same fate to Arsenal as the magpies did to Chelsea in the last round although he also owns up to the fact that it is consolidating their position in the Barclays Premiership this season that is the club's main focus and they currently have a morale boost and look more likely to achieve that goal on the evidence of their 2-1 win at West Ham at the weekend. Although positive perfomances in the League cup will be a valuble bonus to the team and establish momentum with them going into league fixtures.
Hughton said: "It's exciting in every round. We went to Accrington in our first game - I had been to watch a game there, but never played there and most of the players had never played there, so that was something new and exciting in itself. To go to Stamford Bridge was always going to be tough, but it was a really exciting day in front of a full house at Stamford Bridge, and you couldn't have got a more exciting game than that. Now the fact that we are playing Arsenal, albeit that Arsenal will, I am quite sure, make several changes, as we will, it's exciting in every round. I am appreciative that it is a very big game for us. It's a game we want to give the respect it deserves, and it's a competition we very much want to stay in. But I have a responsibility to look after the best interests of the squad and the club, and I will be making some changes."
By contrast Arsene Wenger will be likely to choose his best eleven for the match. Nicklas Bendtner and Theo Walcott are both back after injury issues while youngsters Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Kieran Gibbs, Henri Lansbury - who scored in the last round at White Hart Lane - and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny will probably be included again. However Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles), Robin van Persie (ankle), Manuel Almunia (elbow) and Aaron Ramsey (leg) are still sidelined, while England midfielder Jack Wilshere continues to serve a three-match ban.
Watch Manchester United vs Wolves Carling Cup live stream
Michael Owen could see a return to the Manchester United starting lineup tonight as he got back to training after a groin injury and is possible for an appearance as United boss Sir Alex is set to make many changes to his side, as he is acustomed to do for League cup ties. Owen netted twice in the 5-2 victory over Scunthorpe in the last round and will be hoping for a repeat of his magic in the tie against Wolves at Old Trafford tonight. Rooney however is still absent and will be for another month due to ankle problems and Giggs and Jonny Evans are also having to sit it out.
United's most hailed player at the moment, Javier Hernandez, stole the show on Sunday by firstly scoring an amazing instintive header in the first half, then saving United's skin by scoring late and grabbing the 3 points for the team and earning their first league away win of the campaign. Talking ahead of tonight's fixture he claims that it is the prowess of his team mates that has resulted in his fine recent form and his performance on Sunday went a long way to securing his position in the starting lineup tonight as they continue to try and reclaim the trophy they've won for thw past 2 seasons, the Carling Cup.
Hernadez said: "I'm happy and I always say that the goals are all part of the team. It is a game about the team. We play with 11 and there are also seven waiting, it doesn't matter who scores. The most important thing is that there are no heroes - it's all about the effort of the team and my goals are down to my team-mates. They have trust in me, and also the staff. It's an unbelievable opportunity for me to play with the biggest team in the world, Manchester United. I'm working hard because I want to stay here a long time and win lots of trophies."
Team news for Wolves sees Stephen Hunt possibly seeing his first outing for the midlanders this season after finally shaking off a foot injury and will want to start proving himself to the molineux faithful after his signing from Hull in the summer. Ronald Zubar, Jody Craddock and Michael Kightly are all ruled out with inuury problems and captain Karl Henry is suspended.
Wolves have gone on a disappointing 4 match winless streak but manager Mick McCarthy remains positive and sees no reason why this poor form can't be stopped tonight at the Theatre Of Dreams.
Talking ahead of the match he said: "At this moment in time, wouldn't it be great for us to have a cup run? Everyone knows about the games we've got. We've just been beaten by Chelsea, we've got Man United in the cup, [Manchester] City in the league, United in the league then Arsenal in the league. So wouldn't it be great to have a victory of any sorts amongst all of those? And if it's going to be in the Carling Cup, let's have it."
watch stoke city vs manchester united premiership football live stream
Sir Alex Ferguson has stated that maintaining Rooney's presence at the club will help jumpstart Manchester United's season as they lag 8 points behind the leaders with some disappointing displays this season so far which have seen them drop points to much lowlier opposition. Rooney will be sidelined for another 3 weeks
so Ferguson will be likely to keep Berbatov up front today as a lone frontman until his return, possibly against Manchester City on the 10th of November. Javier Hernandez is also a clear option for Sir Alex but he will most probably start on the bench.
Rooney put question marks on United's ambition this week and Ferguson demanded that he apologise to his team-mates as the team's morale is in need of bolstering after the shaky events that have occured at Old Trafford over the last few days. “We have to start making up ground quickly,” Ferguson admitted.“We can only do that with everyone on board. With no one jumping ship then we can see the real Manchester United. It has been a turbulent few days, we have important issues ahead, starting with Stoke City on Sunday. We have been hurt by events but Wayne has apologised to me and the players. He will do so with the supporters too. I always feel it is a quality in a person when they say they are sorry and realise they have made a mistake.”
Rooney was alleged to have locked horns with Ferguson over United's midfield situation and he claimed United should have beaten Tottenham to the punch for Dutch midfielder Rafael Van Der Vaart's signature over the summer. It’s a mistake Ferguson may yet rectify in the coming window by adding to United’s creative options in midfield. For now Paul Scholes will return despite United being over-run by Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion recently.
Michael Carrick, Darron Gibson or Anderson are expected to be picked to play alongside Scholes and Darren Fletcher in the United midfield whilst Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen and Jonny Evans miss out through injury.
Ferguson will have been shocked by the last few days events and will need to ensure that the United team can pull in together to take the club to higher climbs performance wise and in the league. Full back Patrice Evra questioned whether Rooney should still have a place at the club if he doesn't trust his team-mates but remains firm that the team with find their winning streak again in the oncoming weeks.
“Anyone can talk about Manchester United, but nobody has beaten us. The problem is just Manchester United because no team has played better than us,” said the Frenchman.“People may think I am crazy to say that, but it is true. We have played many games and been 2-0 up and then drawn or made things difficult. The problem is just us because when we defend like we can, we show we are a strong team. No-one can tell me we have played badly against anyone. I believe that. I think we are playing well. We are just doing some silly mistakes. That is the true problem. We can be the Manchester United everyone wants to see.”
watch liverpool vs blackburn english premiership live stream
Liverpool's match today sees the return of trusted faces in the side after they were rested for the midweek trip to Italy where Liverpool played Napoli in the Europa League. Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Raul Meireles and Lucas Leiva are the players which will be contention for places in the starting lineup. Glen Johnson will also be back after an injury layoff and Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger are a possibility to play after injury and illness setbacks. Dirk Kuyt will have to sit it out however as he is still being troubled with ankle injury.
Despite Liverpool's hardships this season in the board room where the ownership is in question and also out on the pitch where poor results have mounted up and see the club languishing in the drop zone, manager Roy Hodgson is still positive and defiant stating that the struggles will make them a stronger unit. Their position at present is most unusual for the club who always tend to finish in the top 4 in recent years and have seen them make glorious assaults in Europe with 2 champions league final appearances in the last 5 years, winning one and losing one. The club are struggling so heavily at the moment that talk of qualifying for the europa league next season seems very far fetched but Hodgson believes the club will fightback the deficit and prove critics wrong.
"I think we are getting stronger as a team and a squad and we are becoming more organised in the sense of how I would like to see us organised" he told Press Association Sport. "As far as I am concerned it is still a work in progress and we have an awful lot of rebuilding to do. But having gone to Naples after a derby defeat and getting a good goalless draw with a team no-one expected to get that is positive going into the game on Sunday. What we need is a bit of luck. When you are down there and you are not getting the victories the pressure builds up and confidence takes a battering and everyone starts to question things. There is lots of speculation and negative things being said but we understand that. It is par for the course and that is what football is. But the only way you can get out of it is keep working hard, keep trying to get those results and then hopefully, when you have done it, it will make you stronger for it. Most of the players and myself are more accustomed to pats on the back than kicks in the teeth but we also know that in football kicks in the teeth are part of the game. What you do is try to keep as many teeth as you can and try to get on with it."
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce believes opposite number in Anfield should be given time to fix the troubles on the pitch for Liverpool and that he can't be blamed for their shortcomings this season.
"I always thought this would be a year of transition for a club that has sold off a lot of its players and Roy has a huge task, but I didn't think they would have as few points as they have at the moment,'' said the Blackburn manager. "All the pressure of the takeover and the money situation has obviously affected the team. There's a healthy atmosphere in a football club that you can feel that there's something great and it's building, and there's the opposite which has created a knock to that normal Liverpool feeling. It's one of the institutions of football made great by the late, great Bill Shankly and that has declined now, the feeling has been lost and it's a great shame, and that's what they must grasp back. It's not just down to Roy Hodgson, it's the structure of the club as a whole, building the atmosphere back. I feel for Roy, he seems to be bearing the brunt of the blame. If he gets enough time he will get it right."
watch manchester city vs arsenal english premiership live stream
Man City manager has stressed to striker Emmanuel Adebayor to not think of repeating last year's provocative goal celebration for Manchester City when he scored against former employers, Arsenal, when he faces them at Eastlands today. Adebayor ran up the field towards Arsenal fans after netting the third goal in a 4-2 victory last season and in turn, Arsenal fans threw missiles in a riot. Adebayor had a 25,000 pound fine slapped on him for the celebration and a suspension for 2 games. He was also banned for 3 games for stamping on Arsenal player Robin Van Persie's face. The player will have to start the match on the bench despite netting a hat-trick in the midweek win over Lech Poznan in the europa league and City will be looking to extend teh gap to 6 points with a win over the gunners today.
Regarding Adebayor's flashpoint last season and is attitude in this game he said: "It's better to stay calm," said the City boss. "This will be a very difficult game because when Arsenal play well they are probably the best team in the Premier League. I don't know if we can be title challengers. Arsenal have played together for many years."
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watch celtic vs rangers scottish football live stream
Today's biggest fixture of the Scottish football calendar has even more significance placed on it with both Celtic and Rangers firing away with equal gusto, winning their first 8 matches in this season's SPL, Rangers only being top on goal difference and hoops boss, Neil Lennon believes his side have their "tails up" and his side are unbeaten since he took over in March from Tony Mowbray.
Celtic are reeling with confidence after last week's hard fought win over Dundee United at Tannadice last week and Lennon claims it is their best performance of the season so far. He is also encouraged by the fashion in which the team have come together alongside the new players that were signed in the summer and says they are in peak condition ahead of the match against their sworn enemies today, Rangers.
"I think it's as good as it gets from where we started from," said the former Celtic captain. "We have a lot of new players who have to get used to the culture and environment of Scottish football and I think they have coped very well with that. They are playing some good stuff and they were excellent against Dundee United last week. I couldn't have asked any more from them in terms of a team performance and an attacking performance. So the tails are up, there is a wee bit of excitement about this game and the players are looking forward to it. We have gone about things as normal this week but we have worked on a few different things and ways we think we can exploit Rangers."
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watch arsenal vs shaktar donetsk uefa champions league live stream
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is still mulling over whether to take a chance on playing captain Cesc Fabregas for tonight's match with Shakhtar Donetsk at the emirates. The Spanish international has not played since the 18th Of September on the back of a hamstring strain which was suffered when a ball was kicked against his leg when the gunners played Sunderland, after it hit his leg it looped over the Sunderland Keeper and got a goal for Arsenal which was mixed emotions for the skipper. It is a real anxiety for the gunners as they have suffered defeats on the trot in the English premiership without the Spaniards services, although they bounced back against Birmingham at the weekend. Both Shaktar and Arsenal have won their opening 2 games and whoever is the victor tonight in London could all but definitely secure a second round place. Wenger is in 2 minds at the moment on whether to feature his star midfielder or whether to hold him back and not risk him doing more damage to himself with a premature return.
"Cesc has prepared well. He had a little setback, but got over the hurdle and is ready to play at full fitness, but whether I start him or not, I do not know yet,'' Wenger said. "It will be whether I take a gamble or not, because he has been out for a long time. But physically he is ready and fit - and wanting to play. You know his influence on our team, he is our leader, our passer, he has a good level of assists and a good goalscoring record. Ideally you want him in the team.''
Shaktar are flying this season with a perfect 100% defensive record in Europe and winning 15 out of 17 games in their domestic league. Wenger is not naive to the challenge he faces tonight.
"In this group until now you had 12 points at stake - six went to Shakhtar, six went to Arsenal. That means what is at stake is the qualifying and also the top of the group, which is why it is a very important game. It is a key game because it gives us an opportunity to basically think we have qualified."
Arsenal will see the return of Jack Wilshere, Nicklas Bendtner and Theo Walcott and their attacking options are increased from these additions.
Eduardo has a heartfelt return to the emirates tonight and is unlikely to cheer if he's to net against his former associates as they helped him comeback from a horrific leg injury suffered in 2008 against Birmingham in which his leg was broken and ankle was dislocated. He knew it was the right time to leave Arsenal in the summer but still holds the club dear to his heart.
"It was great times here with Arsenal, but now I am on the other side and play for Shakhtar,'' said Eduardo. "I will give them 100%, am ready to play and will give my all best tomorrow.''He added: "I don't think I will celebrate. I respect the club. I had some great moments here and have respect for the supporters and Mr Wenger, for the club. I came from Croatia and learned a lot at Arsenal. Now I have more experience than before. When you play for Dinamo Zagreb and someone like Mr Wenger finds you, takes you to play in the Premier League, that is big respect. He believed in me. But now the most important thing is that now I am on the other side I will give all my best tomorrow. If I score, it will be good for Shakhtar. Hopefully we can finish with a positive result."
watch real madrid vs ac milan uefa champions league live stream
Two of Europe's legendary teams are to face each other at the Bernabeau tonight. Real Madrid and AC Milan are the 2 most victorious teams in European cup history, winning the trophy on 16 times between them and the 2 sides again see themselves battling it out at the top of the heap, this time in group G, with Real having a perfect 100% start to the Eurpean campaign under new boss, Jose Mourinho, and Milan only just behind by 2 points. There's also ties the clubs have in Milan being triumphant over Real at this same stage of the competition last year, Milan having ex Madrid player Robinho in their team, after he left Madrid on less than amicable terms in 2008, Also Jose Mourinho had a very profitable spell at Milan's deadly rivals Inter, bagging a treble last year.
All that aside, Mourinho states that the match will be approached by him and his players just like he does with any other match, saying: "We've played nine games this season and none is more important than the other, no opponent deserves more respect than any other. We're preparing for the game and we are studying our opponents with the same intensity. They are an opponent with a different history (to other teams), because between them and us we`ve won 16 European Cups, but it`s one more game. If we win, then the day after will be Wednesday, and if we lose it will also be Wednesday. We`re in a calm situation. We`re first in the group and in control of our own destiny. We`re not playing a knock-out tie, but to qualify for the next round."
Regarding the situation of facing Ibrahimovic he said, "We're playing against a team, not one player, but Ibra is different. The know him in Italy and I know him, but in Spain they don`t, because here he didn`t have confidence. In a team as well organised as Milan, a player like that can make the difference."
Mourinho also brought to the attention the menace that Milan's other forward Filippo Inzaghi has in abundance. He was speaking from a press conference at Madrid's training base and the Portugese star manager has another impressive record on the back of taking up his new reign at the bernabeau and that sees Madrid winning 7 out of the 9 games he's played and them neting 10 goals in the last 2 fixtures.
Ibrahimovic played under Mourinho at Inter Milan, won the title with him and has nothing but praise for his former associate. "My rapport with Mourinho? He inspired me," said Ibrahimovic. "He is a winner. Allegri seems a calmer person, with less presence than Mourinho or (Fabio) Capello."
Ibrahimovic, who has netted the most times for his new club Milan this year, has no regrets about his switch back to Italy this year. "To be back in Italy really excites me," he said. "The fans are different, they are more active than with respect to the Spanish supporters. In Spain, they applaud when you do something nice as though you were in the theatre. In Italy it's a different thing altogether."
As for having to battle with Madrid tonight he added: "Do they (Real) fear me? If they do, I'm happy. But I try to work hard for the team. Because only with the team can you go far."
watch Bayern Munich vs CFR cluj-napoca uefa champions league live stream
Bayern Munich will take another huge step towards the next phase of this season's champions league with a win over the Romanians, Cluj, tonight, as they have already chalked up wins against their 2 previous opponents in this season's champions league, Roma and Basel, and so they will be sitting pretty at the top of their group with 3 points against the Romanians and Munich goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt says a win tonight in the Allianz Arena is vital to shape the German champions season which recently had seen the club faltering and languishing in mid table in their domestic Bundesliga. With these hardships, gaining a qualification to the second phas early will surely boost the morale of last season's champions league runners up and Munich stopper, Butt is eager for the three points.
"We want to reach the next round and to do that, we have got to win our home games,'' he said."With nine points, we would be a long way clear and that would be a huge step.''
Bayern got their domestic campaign off the ground at the weekend, trouncing Hannover 3-0 with mario Gomez netting a hat-trick and he will be relied on heavily tonight to provide some needed firepower. "I am not going to replace a striker who has scored three goals,'' said Munich manager Louis van Gaal."I think he will score another goal tomorrow."
Gomez is an international player for Germany and does not want to give up his starting place easily and maintains he needs to keep up his good form. "I cannot and will not let up,'' he said. "It is not always going to be three goals, but I will always try to score in the next game. We have tanked up on self-confidence."
Louis Van Gaal is awaiting a similar approach to the game by Cluj as Roma adopted in their tie at the Allianz Arena in Munich of playing for a no score draw. The Germans eventually broke down the Italians with a mix of composure and determination and knows his side will probably have to repeat that attitude against the Romanians tonight.
"Cluj will come here and defend and maybe hope to get a goal on the counter-attack,'' he predicted. "They are an uncomfortable opponent. Hopefully we can get an early goal.''
Cluj have been greatly underperforming lately and at the weekend they were seen falling to a new low as defeat to Vaslui brought them down to 11th in their domestic league. The Romanaian champions find themselves lagging behind the top place with a 13 point gap opened between them and the high fliers and the chances of them getting their first win in Europe tonight are looking more bleak with 2 of their most important players, Gabriel Muresan and Edimar out with injuries. They will have to rely on giant striker Lacina Traore to find some spark up front if they are going to get something from the match.
Van Gaal knows the Munich players will have their work cut out to try and contain him, saying: "He is six-foot-six and he can move around well, he is strong with the ball and he is the player everybody aims for.''
Watch Spartak Moscow vs Chelsea UEFA champions league live stream
Tonight sees Chelsea return to the scene of one of the club's most painful defeats, 2008's Champions League final loss to Manchester United on penalties, and most painfully for Chelsea skipper John Terry, who slipped and missed the decisive penalty which gave United the chance to get back into the shootout and then win. However, Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti is confident his captain won't be vexed by the painful memories of that night and will rise to the occasion in the Luzhniki stadium when Chelsea take on Spatak Moscow.
"John has great experience so I think what happened two years ago has no effect on him, he has experience,'' says Ancelotti."Everyone knows in football you can sometimes lose games. I lost a final in 2005 but you have to look forward. If you look forward with enthusiasm and character you can have revenge.Chelsea lost the final in 2008 but I don't think they will have a psychological problem with that tomorrow, it is a different story now.''
The pitch in the stadium now is made from artificial grass and Ancelotti isn't worried by it but won't name his starting eleven until they have trained using the grass. "I can say nothing about this because we haven't tried this kind of pitch,'' he went on to say."We want to try it this evening in the training session and after that we can have an opinion about this. We don't have a problem to play here, I hope, but it is different, it is one of the best artificial pitches. We don't complain about this.I can't give the line-up because we want to try the pitch before,If the players are comfortable to play there I will take the decision after the training session. We don't have important players, but we are able to play a good, physical match and I don't think we have a problem with a reaction from the game against Aston Villa. We'll put out a very good line-up tomorrow."
Spartak will have to see out the match without the services of star midfielder Alex after a thigh issue, which arose in Friday's 3-0 victory against Alania Vladikavkaz, and the Brazilian has been a key linchpin in the team of coach Valery Karpin. It is a harsh upturn of events for the Russians who are reeling in confidence after early wins in the European campaign against Marseille, 1-0 away and beating MSK Zilina 3-0 at home and have a 100% record so far and see them tied on goal difference with Chelsea in their group.
"Medical tests, which were done on Saturday, revealed a minor tear,'' confirmed Spartak coach Karpin on Alex's condition."He'll need about seven to 10 days to recover.''
Watch Holland vs Sweden european championship live
Holland will be sweating it over the injury concerns of midfielders Wesley Sneijder and Mark Van Bommel prior to tonight's crucial match against their main rivals in Group E, Sweden, who haven't been beaten in their previous matches. Holland are racing away with 3 wins out of 3 and a win over the Scandinavians will see them sitting pretty at the top of the group.
Whilst Sweden are without any injury concerns going into the match, Holland coach Bert van Marwijk has to cross his fingers Sneijder and Van Bommel can feature in the match."Sneijder was forced to pull out of training today. I don't have any details but he couldn't finish the session,'' said Van Marwijk."Van Bommel still has a sore knee but I hope he can play.''
A win over Sweden would see them open a six point gap between the two teams but Van Marwijk knows the team will have to dig deep to turn over Sweden. "Sweden are very good opposition, we have a lot of respect for them and they have many qualities,'' he continued. Ball tempo is an important detail for us, we want to contain them but at the same time get our own passes in quickly.They are big and strong and their height advantage is also a weapon for them."
The Swedes have a 100% defensive record in the group conceding none and they have netted 8 times in their previous 2 matches. That momentum is surely going to test Holland and the Swede striker Ola Toivonen, who plays for dutch club PSV Eindhoven, has offered help to his team-mates on how to beat goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg when they come up against him. "I've had several chances against him and every time he's come out early and dived low, so if you keep your cool you can chip him or shoot high into the net,'' Toivonen explained. "He is a very good goalkeeper, unbelievably good on his feet. As long as you're looking at the ball, he'll rush out and suddenly he's there in front of you and that makes it tough to get a shot in. If you try not to look down at the ball and keep a cool head, he'll throw himself down and you can lift the ball over him."
Watch Slovakia vs Republic Of Ireland european championship live
It's a three way tie at the moment in group B with Ireland, Russia and Slovakia all neck and neck trying to make some distance between themselves and the rest of the teams in the group, because of this each of the teams results are vital at the moment and the winner of this match will severely dent the losers morale and momentum. Ireland and Slovakia both won their first two matches but were seen slipping up in their last match both teams losing which makes the stakes really high in who outmuscles the other team in tonight's matchup in Slovakia.
Slovakia began their play in Group C by getting back to back 1-0 victories over Macedonia and a proud win in Russia. They had a shock to the system last Friday, going down 3-1 to a team not in the same league of quality as them in Armenia. That result is sure to give them a wake up call and warning to keep up their high level of performance no matter how lowly their opponents are on paper. More bad tidings for the Slovakians is that much revered Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel got a yellow card for his troubles last Friday and so will miss this match through suspension and Miroslav Stoch will also have to sit it out with an injury. Slovakian boss said of these downturns in events “Bad news, but we have to accept it,”.
Ireland also started with 2 wins a row over Armenia and Andorra before crashing to their opponents Russia last Friday in a 3-2 defeat. What was encouraging for the Irish is that they fought back from 3-0 down to pull it back to 3-2 with goals from Robbie Keane and Shane Long and gave them a chance of getting a point from the game they were unfortunately not able to take but the fighting spirit from Trappatoni's players will be sure to give him some satisfaction. For the Ireland team news is that Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne might be able to comeback from a knee injury and make an appearance in defence.
An important player for Ireland in this tie will be goalkeeper Shay Given. The Manchester City stopper has been at the heart of Ireland's winning campaigns over recent years by stopping threats on their goal at vital times in games and he will need to be sharp in Slovakia if Ireland are hoping to grab 3 points from the match.
A Slovakian player that should be handful tonight is the winger and son of the coach, Vladimir Weiss. The crafty winger can be a real magician in creating chances and has been impressing lately in matches fro Glasgow Rangers. With forward Stoch out, more should be required from the midfield and attack to provide a threat and it is Weiss' chance to take centre stage.
Watch Scotland vs Spain european championship live
Scotland will be facing their toughest opponents of their group tonight in World and European champions Spain at Hampden Park and Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque has stated that his side will be well equipped to deal with any tactics Scotland will employ when they face each other. Scotland having adopted an ultra defensive 4-6-0 formation against the Czechs last Friday which didn't reap any rewards as the Scots were still beaten. Del Bosque also refrained from criticising his opposite number tonight Craig Levein for that approach.
"We will be very much prepared for whatever tactics Scotland adopt tomorrow night," said Del Bosque, whose side have won each of their 2 previous matches in group I, "At club level, lots of our players come up against these types of tactics week after week. We will be looking at ways to combat it on counter-attacking and looking at ways to combat it from deadball situations. It's something all the players are used to and we will be making sure we are doubly prepared. Looking at it, we've got sufficient alternative ways of playing to be able to combat various defensive formations. We've got players of different characteristics and styles who can find a way around that."
Del Bosque expects a more positive display from Scotland for the game. He said: "I think we will see a more attacking Scotland. They are at home, they are in front of their own fans and they will be driven forward by their own supporters. I think the tactics employed by the Czech Republic the other night, who had two very attacking midfielders who were getting forward at every opportunity, almost obliged them to play in that style. And so they only really attacked once they went behind."
Scottish boss Levein claims Scotland can find weak spots in the Spain team despite calling them the strongest team the national side has ever faced. "They play an attractive brand of football, they have players of a technical quality that is to be admired," Levein said. "Their recent results and competitions that they have won would lead me to believe they are possibly the best team Scotland have ever played. The thing for me is we are at home, we are going to have a complete sell-out. Our guys have watched Spain, not just against Lithuania, but on five or six occasions now. I feel there are areas that we can exploit."
"We're at home, it's really important we get the supporters right behind us and we will see what we can do. We'd like to get a goal, we would like to get two goals. It's a home match. You have always got to hope you can pick up points at home. In this group, home matches were always going to be critical. It's a game that we need to try and express ourselves in and try to win, it's as simple as that."
