Bleacher Report - Articles by Owen Watson

Sunderland on Course for Premier League Success Under Steve Bruce

Owen Watson — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:47:23 -0500

The euphoria of last weekend’s victory against Arsenal has yet to dwindle on Wearside. Sunderland’s win caps an impressive start to the season. The Black Cats currently lie in eighth position in the table, level on points with Liverpool.

Considering the club only avoided relegation on the last day of the previous campaign, the transformation under Steve Bruce has been magnificent.

In a league where the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have thrown around mountains of money to reverse their fortunes, it is a credit to Sunderland’s manager that their turnabout has been achieved with a net spend of £15.25 million.

That would just about buy you a Kolo Toure, but would leave you half a million short of the sum paid to bring Jermain Defoe back to White Hart Lane.

Clearly the ex-Manchester United defender is savvy in the transfer market. Despite what his former chairman at Wigan Athletic, Dave Whelan, came out and said this week.

The question is now, can Sunderland sustain this success and challenge for a place in the Europa League at the end of the season?

In reality, the answer is: It’ll be tough.

Of those teams currently above them in the Premier League table, it is difficult to see them usurping any other club apart from Aston Villa.

Even that will be difficult. Martin O’Neill is a fantastic manager, and although his squad is comparatively weak on paper, the Northern Ireland native made some astute reinforcements in the summer.

They will also be welcoming Stewart Downing into the team very soon, making them an even sturdier outfit.

Sunderland, for their part, have shown some inconsistency in form, and beyond their starting 11, there is a worrying lack of quality needed to compete at the highest level.

The good news is that if the Black Cats can maintain their league position until January, then the club’s billionaire owner, Ellis Short, may be tempted to provide further backing to Bruce in the transfer market.

If the club aspires to bring European football to the Stadium of Light, then more signings may well be needed. Bruce received a stark reminder of the fragility of his success as Darren Bent limped off the pitch following the game against Arsenal.

Luckily, the damage done to his star striker seems to have been minimal, and Bent is expected to feature against Wigan this weekend.

If Sunderland are to continue their impressive start to the season, then Bruce will need Bent maintain his good form into January and beyond.

A result against Wigan on Saturday would go a long way to demonstrating the intentions of his side.

Sunderland have struggled at times away from home this season, and Wigan will be looking to respond to their 9-1 drubbing at the hands of Tottenham last week.

Avoid defeat and it could well be a sign that Sunderland are finding the consistency required to stake a legitimate claim to European football next season.

Lose, on the other hand, and Bruce will realise that his Black Cats still have a very long way to go.

Ireland's Giovanni Trapattoni May Regret Omitting Sunderland's Andy Reid

Owen Watson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:52:58 -0500

Ireland face France this evening in an attempt to secure a place in the World Cup. They travel to the Stade de France, knowing that a victory is required to keep their hopes alive. At the time of writing they lead the game 1-0 after a goal by Robbie Keane.

By the time you read this article, though, the match may well have been decided. In all likelihood, despite the setback, France will have qualified for next summer’s tournament in South Africa.

But will manager Giovanni Trapattoni be regretting his decision to leave out Sunderland midfielder Andy Reid?

Reid has been in stunning form for Sunderland so far this season. Left out at the start of the campaign by manager Steve Bruce, the Irishman got a chance to stake his claim against Norwich City in the League Cup.

His performance was nothing short of magnificent; Reid scored twice as Sunderland claimed a 4-1 victory.

Reid was dropped to the bench a few days later when the Black Cats travelled to Stoke and lost 1-0. But he returned to the starting lineup against Hull and got on the score sheet again as Sunderland earned a 4-1 victory.

Since then Reid has arguably been Sunderland’s best player, firmly cemented his place in the starting lineup. His performances haven’t caught the eye of his national coach, however, as Trapattoni continues to extend a frosty shoulder to the Dublin-born midfielder since a disciplinary incident in 2008.

Reid, for his part, is trying not to dwell on his international exile.

"It's not on my mind," Reid insisted. "There's nothing I can do except do what I am doing and perform for Sunderland.

"My problem would be if I was chosen, and then I would have to perform on an international platform."

"Everyone wants to play in a World Cup, but it's not down to me."

It’s that last sentence that may be echoing in Irish ears tonight, as this is arguably the best chance Ireland have to qualify for the tournament. They are playing France, who are a highly ranked team, but have also been woeful during qualifying, and are coached by a man who should have been relieved of his duties on multiple occasions.

That Ireland have taken the lead in this game demonstrates that they have a real chance to qualify. But the question is: Would Andy Reid increase those chances?

The answer must be, undoubtedly, yes.

Ireland’s midfield consists of: Damien Duff, Keith Andrews, Glenn Whelan, and Liam Lawrence. Reid is far superior to each of these players. There is no doubt that, if Trapattoni was picking on form, Reid would be the first name on the team sheet.

Reid has the quality that can tell in a game of this nature, he is able to create a moment of magic that unlocks a defence. His crossing is excellent and he is a real threat at set pieces. As the game draws on, these qualities could become invaluable to the Irish cause.

I really hope tonight doesn’t become a night of regrets for Ireland. I’ve got a soft spot for both of these teams, but the way FIFA have implemented this farcical ranking system in the playoff means I am whole-heartedly rooting for the underdogs in these ties, and there is no bigger scalp available than France.

If Ireland do go on to win this game and qualify for the World Cup next year, I hope that Trapattoni will reconsider his decision to steadfastly ignore the Sunderland resident. But I won’t hold my breath.

Robin Van Persie International Duty Injury Signals Disaster For Arsenal

Owen Watson — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:05:51 -0500

In-form Arsenal striker Robin van Persie was stretched off just 15 minutes into Holland’s international friendly with Italy last night after a challenge by Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini.

Initial reports suggest van Persie sustained a serious ankle injury, with Holland’s head coach Bert van Marwijk indicating the Gunner may have torn the ligaments in his ankle. Goal.com has reported that the Dutchman may face up to three months on the sidelines.

If that is true it will be a hammer-blow to Arsenal’s title ambitions. In that period Arsenal face tough games against Chelsea, Liverpool, Aston Villa (twice), Everton, and Manchester United. All this in a period that Arsenal have struggled in recent seasons, the cold winter months and a packed schedule in January.

To make matters worse Arsenal face Chelsea and Liverpool again within three days of one another in the first week of February. If van Persie is out for three months, it is unlikely he will be fully fit for either of those games.

Van Persie has been a revelation for Arsenal this season, emerging from the shadow of Emmanuel Adebayor to lead Arsenal into second place in the Premier League table. Just as Thomas Vermaelen has quashed fans initial fears surrounding the exit of Kolo Toure, van Persie has done the same for the departing Toga international.

Injuries can and do occur to all major sides, if you are vying for silverware in the modern era, then you need to be able to sustain injuries to key players. Chelsea have lost Frank Lampard, and they sustained a title challenge last season without the services of Michael Essien and Joe Cole for much of the campaign.

It seems that Arsenal are the unluckiest of the bunch though, wherever the Gunners appear to be the thinnest on the ground is where they tend to pick up injuries. In addition to van Persie, Arsenal are also currently without Nicklas Bendtner, Theo Walcott, and Carlos Vela.

Add to that the slow return to form of Eduardo da Silva and you’ve got the recipe for a reliance on a certain Dutch maestro.

If the injury is as serious as it first seems then Arsenal will become heavily dependent on the Brazilian-born Croatian to keep their season alive. Eduardo certainly has the talent, but he has missed many chances in recent weeks—an unerring sight considering his finishing ability before his own ankle injury.

There is no doubt that a fully fit Eduardo is more than capable of replacing van Persie in Arsenal’s current system, but we are entering the fourth month of the season and Dudu has only registered three times for the Gunners.

More worryingly, he has only scored once in the Premier League this season.

The talent is definitely there. Ironically, the rumour mill had been linking Eduardo with a £10million move to Liverpool—due to his apparent upset about being moved onto the flank and lack of opportunities up front. Even if this is true, he’ll have no such complaints in the coming months.

This valuation is despite his current goal scoring drought and his contract having only 18 months left to run; clearly he is a man whose ability is still highly rated.

Arsene Wenger must be feeling a renewed sense of disgust at the international friendly calendar. It’s enough to make him want to wrap Alex Song in cotton wool and bubble wrap. Along with his initial disdain may well be a deeper feeling of regret, what he would do to have a Marouane Chamakh to call upon in the coming months.

Brazil 1-0 England: Nilmar Tames Toothless Three Lions

Owen Watson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:41:58 -0500

Brazil triumphed over England in the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha thanks to a header from Nilmar at the start of the second half.

Luis Fabiano squandered an opportunity to put his side two up by blazing his penalty over after England goalkeeper Ben Foster had brought down Nilmar.

England's chances in the first half were fleeting. Shaun Wright-Phillips put left-back Michel Bastos under pressure high up the field and managed to steal the ball, the Manchester City winger attacked the byline and whipped a quality cross into the penalty area. Captain for the night Wayne Rooney stretched but couldn't make contact with his right boot and the chance came to nothing.

Brazil had a chance to take the lead, as Nilmar attacked down the left flank. Matthew Upson came across and tried to shepherd the Brazilian out of play.

The West Ham United defender got it all wrong however and Nilmar broke into space, he entered the penalty area and tried to pull the ball back across the box. Joleon Lescott was on hand to clear the danger for the Three Lions.

The South Americans were growing in confidence and attacked down the left again, with Bastos threading a pass through to Luis Fabiano. Upson did well to get his body between the Sevilla forward and the ball and passed back to Foster in the England goal. Foster slipped as he cleared and the ball went straight to Kaka 30 yards from goal. Fortunately for England, the Real Madrid star couldn't control and the danger subsided.

Kaka combined brilliantly with Fabiano to tear the England backline apart in the 20th minute, playing the ball into his forward. Kaka continued his run as Fabiano controlled and back-heeled into his path. Only a last ditch challenge by Upson denied Kaka a one-on-one with Foster.

England responded with a good passage of play, this culminated with James Milner crossing into the box from the right wing with his left foot. The Aston Villa winger's delivery arched towards Darren Bent but it was a fraction too high for the Sunderland forward and his header looped harmlessly over the bar.

Brazil continued to attack and Fabiano found himself a pocket of space in the England penalty area. He retreated towards his own goal and attempted to play Elano in down the right channel. Wayne Bridge read the pass well and intervened, intercepting in his own box but conceded a needless corner.

England cleared the corner but Felipe Melo engineered himself some space cleverly on the edge of the box and hit a curling strike through a crowd of bodies. His shot was aimed towards the bottom corner but Foster was positioned well and caught it comfortably.

The Three Lions should have had a free-kick just outside the penalty area. Bent combined well with Rooney to play the Manchester United striker in on the left edge of the area, but as he cut inside he was body checked by Thiago Silva. The referee looked to play advantage as Bent steamed forward and shot first time, but his strike was deflected wide for a corner.

Brazil took the lead with their first attack in the second half. Elano picked up the ball in the centre of midfield and floated a curling pass towards Nilmar in the penalty box. The Villarreal striker stole a yard on his marker and guided a looping header beyond the stranded Foster—1-0 to Brazil.

It went from bad to worse for England as Wes Brown tried to cushion the ball back to Foster with his chest. Nilmar stole in and dinked the ball away from the England keeper who swiftly brought the Brazilian down for a penalty. Foster was fortunate to only receive a yellow card for the challenge, and was rewarded further as Fabiano blazed over from the spot.

England were reeling and could have conceded a second as centre-back Lucio brought the ball forward and weaved his way through the England defence. He fed the ball to Elano who was in the right-hand side of the box. The ex-Manchester City midfielder cut back and drilled a shot across goal, but it was wayward and went well wide.

England ventured forward in the 70th minute. They attacked down the right and Wright-Phillips crossed towards Milner at the back post. The Aston Villa winger attempted a shot with his instep, side-footing a volley over the crossbar. Sadly this represented England's best chance so far.

Lucio unleashed a magnificent left-footed strike for Brazil. The right-footed defender picked the ball up on the edge of the box and smashed a shot towards the near post. Foster was at full stretch but it was the woodwork that denied the Brazilian a goal as his strike crashed off the keeper's left-hand post.

England did manage to test Julio Cesar before the game was up, as Rooney shot from distance. It was straight at the Inter Milan keeper though, and he saved easily.

The Three Lions had a small flurry towards the end of the match, firing a couple of promising balls into the box. But substitutes Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch failed to capitalise.

This article was first published on Goal.com

Can Darren Bent Convince Fabio Capello of His England Worth?

Owen Watson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:39:38 -0500

Sunderland forward Darren Bent is set to make his first start for the Three Lions under Fabio Capello, as England take on Brazil in a prestige friendly in Qatar this afternoon. But what does the Black Cat have to do to book a seat on the plane to South Africa next summer?

Capello, speaking yesterday, hinted that it would be Bent that started against Brazil.

“I have not totally decided but it is 60 percent for Bent and 40 percent for Defoe to start tomorrow,” he said.

“I know Defoe and Peter Crouch very well. I need to know more about Bent.”

“I like his pace. He is quick, he attacks the space. His movement without the ball is excellent and his ability in front of goal is very good. I want to see this tomorrow.”

So fans can expect Bent to feature for a significant part of the match, whether that is from the starting line-up, or coming off the bench—we are none the wiser, though all indications are that Bent will start the game.

Assuming he does, what does Bent need to achieve in the game to convince the England manager of his worth?

Scoring would help.

Bent has made four appearances for the senior national side since his debut against Uruguay in March 2006 and has failed to register on the score sheet.

His record both in the Premier League and at Under-21 level suggests he is capable. Bent scored nine goals in 14 appearances for the England U21’s and has scored eight goals in 12 games for Sunderland this season. He was also Tottenham Hotspur’s top scorer last season and was prolific for an average Charlton Athletic side.

So Bent definitely has the potential to succeed on the international stage, but it will be very difficult for Bent to force his way into Capello’s plans.

Wayne Rooney and Emile Heskey are clearly the preferred partnership for the Three Lions at the moment. Heskey’s place in the starting line-up could be in jeopardy if he continues to struggle for game time at Aston Villa, but his performances in qualifying have all but secured his spot in the squad for the World Cup.

England are simply a better side with Heskey in the team. That said, you wouldn’t put it past Capello to be ruthless come summer if Heskey is still in the same predicament at club level.

In truth, it is Carlton Cole and Peter Crouch that are likely to be vying for that place in the squad. Bent is more of a goal poacher than a link-up man. It’ll be Rooney, Heskey, one from Crouch and Cole, and the final spot will go to a sharp shooter.

This puts Bent in direct competition with Gabriel Agbonlahor, and more prominently with Jermaine Defoe.

Both London-born strikers have impressive records at club-level , with Defoe scoring nine goals in 18 appearances since returning to Spurs in January. The current resident of White Hart Lane currently has the edge over Bent as he has put in some impressive performances for the Three Lions under Capello.

Defoe came off the bench to score both of England’s goals against Holland and won the man of the match award in the process, he also scored two goals in three minutes against Andorra in a World Cup qualifier.

That said, his record at international record isn’t great, Defoe has only scored 11 times in 37 appearances for England. Compare this to someone like Michael Owen who has scored 40 goals in 89 appearances. If you extended this form across the same amount of appearances it would leave Defoe with only 26 goals.

So despite Defoe’s impressive form in recent times for England there is still a chance for Bent to prove his worth. You get the feeling this game will be Bent’s only real chance to do so, as there won’t be many England fixtures between now and summer.

A criticism of Bent is that he goes missing in big games and doesn’t sustain a good run of form for long enough. Bent will have to answer both of those points if he is to make the cut next summer.

It may seem harsh, but Bent needs to score against Brazil today to have any real chance of participating in the World Cup. Even if he does so, he’ll then have to prove the doubters wrong and continue his goal scoring form across an entire Premier League campaign.

It’ll be tough, but if Bent does both these things then nobody can deny he’ll be more than worthy of a trip to South Africa in 2010.

Should Niall Quinn Back Sunderland Supporters in Police Brutality Row?

Owen Watson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:43:44 -0500

The Football Supporters Federation have launched an online petition in response to Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn’s decision to ban a small number of Black Cats supporters involved in an incident at Newcastle Central Train Station on Aug. 9.

For those that don’t know, the incident occurred following a preseason friendly against Heart of Midlothian in Edinburgh. Reaction from Sunderland supporters against the Northumbria police has been fierce, with many independently verified accounts contrasting with the police force’s version of events.

Fans had been instructed at the ground to board a specific additional train that would take them directly back to Sunderland, avoiding the need to alight at Newcastle to switch onto the Metro line.

Apparently there was a mix-up and the train stopped in Newcastle. Supporters on the train were kept on the train until police armed with batons and unmuzzled police dogs were lined up outside the carriages.

A police statement said that they had intelligence reports suggesting these fans were in the vicinity with the express purpose of engaging in organised fights with hooligans from Newcastle—this is despite video evidence showing many fans were passive during the chaos that ensued.

It’s not clear what started the clashes, police claim that Sunderland fans attacked dogs, kicking and punching them to the ground and then stamping on them.

A later Freedom of Information request revealed that no police dogs required veterinary treatment, despite the Northumbria police described attacks on the dogs as “the worst assaults in the Northumbria force’s history.”

Three Sunderland supporters were hospitalised, with one suffering quite serious head injuries . Eye-witnesses described how the man suffered a fit on the scene and footage shows a pool of blood where the man was left to lie untreated for several minutes.

It was a Sunderland supporter that provided aid to the injured man in the first instance, not the Northumbria police. The Metropolitan Police’s best practice apparently states that batons should not be aimed at the head unless there are exceptional circumstances, in other words, if the police officer’s life is at risk.

The Northumbria Police admitted that their officers didn’t sustain any injuries on Aug. 9, so it seems that the action undertaken was unjustified.

So where does Niall Quinn come into this?

So far there have been no prosecutions relating to the incident made by the Northumbria police, around 30 supporters were arrested at the time. Bail terms are set to expire on Nov. 17.

Despite this, the club has moved to ban supporters involved—before charges have been brought. The club has a zero-tolerance stance towards football-related violence.

Normally I would say this policy is absolutely right, hooliganism should not be tolerated within the game.

But this incident is different, the video evidence available combined with the testimonies of eye-witnesses points towards the actions of the Northumbria Police being the main contributing factor. The police were the aggressors in this saga.

Perhaps a small group of fans responded poorly to the situation that they were faced with, but the large cloud of doubt that has fogies the horizon should have been considered by the club and they should have held fire. At least until charges had been brought against individuals.

Even more curiously, the Northumbria Police insist they have not shared details of those arrested with the club. Which begs the question, where are Sunderland getting their information?

In normal circumstances the club may well be right to back the police as they tackle football violence, but the extraordinary circumstances involved in this incident should have forced the club into a different course of action.

Why are the Football Supporters Federation most vocally supporting the Black Cats? Shouldn’t the club be defending its own fans against police aggression?

If football violence is wrong then surely football-related police violence is also wrong, Niall Quinn should keep supporters in the forefront of his thoughts.

At all times.

Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United: John Terry Header Wins It for Blues

Owen Watson — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:04:22 -0500

A tight game at Stamford Bridge was decided by a John Terry goal in the second half as Chelsea defeated Manchester United .

Manchester United shaded the first half in terms of build-up play, but Chelsea had the best chance with a curling drive by Nicolas Anelka . The Red Devils maintained the pressure in the second half, but it was Chelsea that took the lead with a header by their captain.

United threw men forward in search of an equaliser, but Chelsea defended resolutely and five minutes of stoppage time wasn't enough for Manchester United to grab a goal.

The visitors had the best of possession in the opening minutes, but it was Chelsea that created the first chance of the game. Branislav Ivanovic broke down the right flank and drove into the United penalty area. The Serbian's cross was blocked, but he recovered possession and drilled a shot towards the far post. Edwin van der Sar got down quickly to his right and made a comfortable save.

Wayne Rooney almost broke the Chelsea offside trap high up the field in the eighth minute, but the Liverpudlian went a fraction too early and was flagged offside. Ashley Cole managed to step up just in time to prevent a one-on-one with Petr Cech.

Rooney was involved again minutes later as he received the ball with his back to goal in the left-hand side of the Chelsea penalty area. Marked by Ricardo Carvalho, the Englishman turned quickly onto his left foot and smashed a shot goal wards that went wide at the near post.

United began to exert more influence on the game.

Antonio Valencia slid in to steal the ball from Cole in the Chelsea half and it skidded to Rooney. The Englishman then slipped Valencia into the channel and the Ecuadorian took on John Terry to enter the penalty area.

Chelsea's captain looked to be struggling and barged into Valencia, both players fell to the ground with Terry clutching a chunk of Valencia's shirt, but the referee signalled for a goal kick as the Red Devil glared at the assistant on the touchline.

Chelsea got a number of crosses into the penalty area as the game unfolded, but the quality of distribution was disappointing. This was epitomised by a Frank Lampard free-kick on the left in the 23rd minute that fizzed over the crowd in the box and went out for a goal kick.

The Blues did improve later in the half and forced a good save from Van der Sar on the 30 minute mark.

Anelka picked the ball up on the right flank, cut inside his marker, and quickly unleashed a stinging drive that was headed for the far corner. The Dutch 'keeper appeared to see the shot late but managed to meet the ball with an outstretched palm.

Manchester United seemed happy to accept this pressure and spring on the counter-attack. Rooney had two good opportunities on the break, the second of which saw the Englishman released into space on the left. Anderson had made a good run in the middle, but Rooney elected to take the shot on himself as he came inside and his effort was blocked. Valencia was standing by himself on the edge of the box.

Didier Drogba had an opportunity towards the end of the first half.

The Ivorian backed into Patrice Evra on the edge of the penalty area, turned the Frenchman, and ran into the penalty area to meet Deco's through ball. Drogba shot with his first touch and lashed his attempt high of wide of the United goal.

Manchester United created a decent opening at the start of the second half, Rooney held the ball up on the edge of the penalty area and squared to Darren Fletcher who was making ground to his right. The Scotsman let fly with his right foot but his shot squirmed over the crossbar.

The Red Devils opened up Chelsea moments later as they worked the ball on the edge of the box. Rooney fed the ball to Ryan Giggs who was unmarked on the left. The Welshman took a touch and opted to dink a cross towards the back post, but his pass was over hit and went out for a goal kick.

Fletcher had another shooting opportunity with just under 60 minutes gone. United played their way through the Chelsea midfield with a series of neat passes, Fletcher made a darting run towards the penalty area and was presented with possession. The Scottish international put his foot through the ball from 20 yards, but Carvalho was on hand with an excellent block to deny the chance.

In an effort to rejuvenate his side, Carlo Ancelotti brought off Deco and replaced him with Joe Cole. It didn't stem the tide initially as Rooney hit a thunderous strike from the edge of the box that missed the target by inches.

Rooney had the next chance of the game as he turned away from the Chelsea defence on the edge of the box on yet another occasion. The English forward tried to pick his spot in the top right-hand corner but didn't quite get enough power in the strike and Cech saved comfortably.

Drogba caught an accidental but hefty blow in the chest as he closed down Jonny Evans in the 72nd minute. The Ivorian collected a yellow card for his troubles.

Chelsea took the lead minutes later, Fletcher conceded a foul on the left wing and Lampard floated a brilliant goal into the penalty area. The cross was met with a flick header by Terry and the ball zipped into the bottom right-hand corner, 1-0 to Chelsea.

United were furious because they thought the referee was wrong to award the initial infringement. Rooney was booked for his protestations.

Sir Alex Ferguson responded by throwing on Gabriel Obertan and Michael Owen, who replaced Anderson and Giggs for the Red Devils with five minutes to go. They couldn't inspire United to victory, though, as Chelsea held out for the win.

Chelsea are now five points clear of Manchester United, who were usurped in the table by Arsenal following their victory against Wolves yesterday.

This article was first published on Goal.com

Ab-Who Diaby? Alex Song Magnificent as Arsenal Brush Aside Wolves

Owen Watson — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:59:58 -0500

In recent weeks there has been much talk about the emergence of Abou Diaby in the centre of Arsenal’s midfield. People have argued the Frenchman’s power and supposed strength in tackling have added steel to the Gunners' attacking flair.

Anybody who believes that Arsenal’s midfield resilience is down to Diaby should watch the first 24 minutes of today’s contest against Wolves.

It was the Wanderers who were making the early strides at the Molineux as the home side answered Mick McCarthy’s rallying call to get at the Arsenal defence. The visitors were on the back foot. William Gallas collected a yellow card for a clinical foul on Kevin Doyle as the Irishman broke down the left flank.

Then Diaby picked up an injury and was replaced by Cameroonian Alex Song. The difference in Arsenal’s play after his introduction was stark.

It’s not as simple as saying Song provides a shield to the back four. His positional awareness is excellent and he is comfortable on the ball under pressure. His reading of the game enables him to turn, create space, and pick a pass that allows his team-mates to break on the opposition.

He doesn’t even sit in front of the back four; it was Song who had pushed up the pitch to win possession in the Wolves half that resulted in Eduardo scoring in the 35th minute—via Jody Craddock’s head, of course.

Song contributes in the final third in an attacking sense as well, he picked out a lovely cross-field pass to find Robin Van Persie late in the game, and he played a perfectly weighted pass to Eduardo before his withdrawal that the Croatian should have finished.

The talking point after the game may way be Arsenal’s stunning attacking play, or even a slight note of concern that they gave away a cheap goal on a set-piece again, but make no mistake, Alex Song’s remarkable performances in central midfield provides the platform for the Gunners' explosive play.

Despite injuries to Theo Walcott, Carlos Vela, and Nicklas Bendtner; Arsene Wenger was able to call on Samir Nasri and Tomas Rosicky as attacking reinforcements, bringing both players off the bench late in the game.

Who does Wenger have to replace Alex Song? It’s a question the Arsenal manager will have to find an answer for in January as Song departs for the African Cup of Nations.

There is a certain Brazilian waiting in the wings, but will he have the same influence as the magnificent Cameroonian?

Will Sunderland's Darren Bent Come Back To Bite Tottenham Hotspur

Owen Watson — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:47:11 -0500

Darren Bent returns to White Hart Lane today following his transfer to the North East this summer. The Black Cat will be crossing Harry Redknapp’s path for the first time since his departure, and some of Spurs' more superstitious fans might be dreading the return.

The English striker, sold for £10m, has been on electric form this season. Bent has scored eight Premier League goals in 11 appearances for his new employers.

Despite this, the stats suggest that it would be a much livelier affair if this game was taking place at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light. The Black Cats are the third top scorers in the division at home, their 15 goals scored is enough to match league-topping Chelsea.

At the same time, they’ve conceded the fourth most goals at home—shipping in nine in front of their home support. The Lilywhites, for their part, are the third-best scorers away from home in the league, with 11 goals scored.

But football isn’t all about statistics and Bent will be relishing the chance to put one over on Redknapp, a man who compared Bent’s finishing to his own wife’s at a similar stage last season.

Bent must be itching to prove his former manager wrong, and today provides an excellent opportunity. It would surely be sweet for the former Charlton Athletic striker to get one over on Redknapp and his Lilywhites.

In truth, no matter what happens this afternoon the deal has been good for all parties concerned. Bent has taken the opportunity for a fresh start with both hands, and although Fabio Capello has yet to integrate the forward into his plans, if the Sunderland striker keeps up his goal scoring form the Italian maestro cannot continue to ignore him.

Sunderland and Steve Bruce are reaping the rewards of Bent’s fine form. They currently sit in a well-deserved eighth position in the Premier League, behind a pack of the usual suspects. If they can improve their away form and tighten up slightly at the back, they might even pinch a Europa League spot come the end of the season.

As for Spurs, they’ve barely missed their top scorer from last season. Jermaine Defoe has been in fine goal-scoring form himself, and they have a good blend of attacking talent at their disposal. They also sit in an impressive fifth position in the Premier League, and look nailed on for a Europa League spot at a minimum.

But if you gave me a choice between Darren Bent and Peter Crouch, I know who I’d pick every time. He currently sits third in the goal scoring charts behind Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba, and ahead of Wayne Rooney, Jermaine Defoe, Peter Crouch, and Carlton Cole.

Let’s hope he can keep up that form with another brace this afternoon against Tottenham.

Arsene Wenger Pleased 'Intelligent' Arsenal Secured Birmingham City Win

Owen Watson — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:37:07 -0400

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was satisfied with his side's performance this afternoon against Birmingham City , especially with their response to the Blues goal.

"Overall we had plenty of chances, we were very comfortable," Wenger told Sky Sports .

"It was [looking] more like [it was going to be] three or four [nil] and suddenly it was 2-1 and then you need to keep your nerves and because the third goal came late, of course, you need to be diligent.

"Overall I still believe the most important thing after an international game is to start with three points again."

Asked if he thought it was important his side maintained their concentration Wenger responded: "Yes of course, and not to make defensive mistakes and keep going forward. We are a team who likes to go forward and in fairness we had plenty of chances even in the second half. We missed a little bit of sharpness.

"I feel as well that in some situations we wanted to force the decision individually when we could have done it collectively and that's why we didn't score more," explained the Arsenal boss.

Wenger highlighted the mental strength of the team, saying his side will continue to grow as the campaign develops.

"You can always learn as a team and I believe that we are an intelligent team that learns always," he added.

Arsenal 'keeper Vito Mannone felt he was fouled by Sebastian Larsson for the Birmingham goal. His manager was non-committal but felt the goal should have stood.

"From outside I didn't see that, no, but I have to see that on the tape again. From outside it didn't look like that," The Gunners manager claimed.

On Theo Walcott's injury following a tough challenge by Liam Ridgewell, Wenger said he was unsure how extensive the damage to his English winger was.

"He suffers from his knee, we don't know yet...is it a twisted ligament or just a kick. We will have to assess him," the Frenchman explained.

"I believe for the Champions League game he will not be available."

This article was first published on Goal.com

Arsenal 3-1 Birmingham City: Andrey Arshavin Seals Alex McLeish's Blues

Owen Watson — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:31:35 -0400

Andrey Arshavin scored a late goal to ensure Arsenal defeated Birmingham City at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal's dominance in the first half was rewarded with two goals from Robin Van Persie and Abou Diaby . The scoreline didn't reflect this, though, as a mistake from Vito Mannone allowed Lee Bowyer to grab a goal back for the Blues before half-time.

To their credit, Birmingham battled on throughout the second half, nearly grabbing an equaliser ten minutes from time. But it was the Russia star who scored the final goal of the game to seal victory for Arsene Wenger's side.

Van Persie fired the Gunners in front in the 16th minute. Following an Arsenal attack, Birmingham cleared the ball to Alex Song, who immediately picked out the Dutchman on the edge of the left-hand side of box with a well-weighted pass.

Van Persie controlled to bring the ball into the penalty area and smashed his shot into the bottom right corner with his left foot.

Arsenal tore open the Birmingham defence with their next attack to extend their lead. Emmanuel Eboue slid the ball to Tomas Rosicky who had made a run into the right-hand side of the box. The Czech Republic international drilled the ball towards the back post, finding Diaby , who side-footed the ball back across Joe Hart and into the top right-hand corner: 2-0 to Arsenal.

Influential | Diaby exerted himself well

Diaby should have scored again in the 25th minute. The Frenchman pounced on a poor header by Lee Carsley and ran at the Birmingham City defence. An excellent run by Theo Walcott distracted the centre-backs and allowed Diaby room to shoot, but the midfielder scuffed his attempt from 20 yards and it went straight to Hart.

Birmingham had an opportunity to grab a goal back as Bowyer was fouled by Diaby around 35-yards from goal. Former Arsenal midfielder Sebastian Larsson stepped up and unleashed a stinging strike on goal, but Vito Mannone got a strong hand to it and saved.

The Blues did manage to claw a goal back in the 38th minute through a goalkeeping mistake by Mannone. The ball was launched into the box and the Italian came to collect but flapped under pressure from Larsson. Mannone spilled the ball to the feet of Bowyer and the former Leeds United midfielder finished easily to make the score 2-1.

Before the half was finished, Andrey Arshavin, a substitute in place of Walcott, unleashed a fantastic effort on goal with his right foot. Joe Hart produced a fine stop to deny the Russian maestro.

Arsenal had a great chance to score at the start of the second half. Diaby found himself in space on the left flank and, when his scuffed cross came to Arshavin yards in front of goal, the Russian controlled and managed to send the ball wide of the right-hand post from close range.

Arshavin pierced the Birmingham defence minutes later with a wonderful dribble. He played the ball towards Cesc Fabregas on the right but Larsson intercepted and played it back to Hart. Fabregas closed down the Birmingham 'keeper, winning the ball back, but ran out of play as he tried to round the 'keeper. The Spaniard never really had control of possession.

Arsenal won an indirect free-kick in the penalty area after Larsson was forced into a back-pass to deny Van Persie a shot on goal. It was the Dutchman who took the responsibility from the set piece and rifled his attempt off the cross-bar from eight yards out.

The Gunners continued to press forward but Birmingham defended tenaciously, as personified by James McFadden's pressing high up the field. The Scot was withdrawn in the 70th minute and replaced by Gary McSheffrey.

Valiant | McFadden relished the midfield battle

Van Persie whipped in a corner from the right that found Thomas Vermaelen at the back post. The Belgian headed goalwards but his attempt was redirected by William Gallas. Hart looked to have the header covered.

The Dutch forward was involved again as Fabregas won a free-kick on the right. Van Persie hit a searing effort towards the far corner—it was a viscious strike but curling inches wide of the post. Song was lurking but couldn't quite get there to divert the ball home.

Birmingham were also looking for an equaliser and had a great chance in the 81st minute when Bowyer crossed from the right towards Ridgewell at the back post. The former Villa defender played the ball across the box first time and Mannone came off his line quickly to thwart two oncoming Birmingham attackers.

This proved to be a key intervention, as Arsenal scored minutes later. Mannone collected the ball and handed it to Fabregas, the Spaniard advanced quickly upfield and fed Arshavin on the left flank. The Russian drove into the penalty area and cut inside, creating half a yard, and curled the ball into the side netting beyond Joe Hart for 3-1 to Arsenal.

In the dying moments of the game, Hart produced a fantastic save to deny Diaby. Eboue held the ball on the right and clipped the ball into the centre. The Frenchman hit the ball first time and the 'keeper dived to his left, saving from point blank range.

This article was first published on Goal.com

Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool: Florent Malouda Sends Blues Top of the Table

Owen Watson — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:10:20 -0400

Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda scored as Chelsea defeated Liverpool this afternoon at Stamford Bridge.

The first half saw both sides begin cautiously with limited chances at both ends. As the half progressed, both Nicolas Anelka and Fernando Torres had headed attempts on goal that were saved comfortably. Albert Riera almost scored with a long-range effort towards the end of the first half.

Chelsea broke the deadlock in the 59th minute through an Anelka strike from close range. Liverpool struggled to break down the home side's defence until Yossi Benayoun was introduced midway through the second half. The Israeli wasted a great chance to score late on, but not before Malouda had extended Chelsea's lead after powerful work by Didier Drogba.

Liverpool were on top in the early stages with Steven Gerrard floating out to the left flank and sending a number of crosses into the box. Chelsea were able to cope with these comfortably as Ricardo Carvalho marshaled the penalty area.

Chelsea tried to venture forward in the 10th minute, connecting a few passes together in midfield, but whenever they got together any momentum Javier Mascherano was there to break up the play and win the ball back for Liverpool.

Chelsea created the first real chance of the game in the 28th minute, Michael Essien found himself up field on the left and pulled the ball back onto his right foot, turning Glen Johnson. The Ghanaian crossed the ball towards the back post as Nicolas Anelka stole a yard on Emiliano Insua. The Frenchman connected with a glancing header that was saved by Pepe Reina low to his left.

Gerrard had an opportunity to open the scoring with a free-kick slightly to the left of centre. The English international couldn't control his strike as his attempt went over the crossbar. It was too central to have troubled Henrique Hilario in the Chelsea goal.

Essien had a decent chance towards the end of the first half as Frank Lampard won a corner for his side as his shot deflected off Martin Skertel. Essien was lurking at the edge of the penalty area and as the ball was cleared it fell to the Ghanaian, who struck the ball with his right foot.

His first attempt was blocked but the rebound broke for Essien who took the ball into the penalty area and hit a low shot towards the near post. Reina was equal to it and saved without a problem.

Torres had a good opportunity, too, as Dirk Kuyt crossed from the right the Spaniard got the run on Carvalho to meet the ball at the near post. 'El Nino' didn't make strong contact and the ball went straight to Hilario.

Albert Riera almost caught out Hilario with a speculative effort from a long-range free-kick just before half-time. The Spaniard smashed the ball towards the bottom right-hand corner and the Portuguese reacted very late to make a finger-tip save to his right.

The corner was sent towards Skrtel at the front post, the Slovakian looked to be held down by Drogba as he went to head the ball but the referee was uninterested and waved away Liverpool's claims.

The second half began with Liverpool on the attack, with Gerrard unleashing a shot on goal from the right and although it was well struck, it was off target.

Branislav Ivanovic tested Reina with a long range effort moments later, on a rare forage forward the Serbian defender struck the ball with venom. The ball swirled in the air but Reina kept his eye on the ball and got his body behind it as he saved low to his left.

Chelsea took the lead in the 59th minute, Mascherano was caught in possession and the Blues broke on Liverpool with Ballack feeding the ball to Drogba on the left. The Ivorian sent the ball across the face of the goal and Anelka pounced at the back post, slotting the ball into the gaping net and beyond Reina.

The ball was at a difficult height and it was a deft finish by the Frenchman.

Rafael Benitez responded by replacing Riera with Yossi Benayoun as Liverpool were finding it difficult to create going forward. The Israeli international had an impact in the 73rd minute, showing good footwork to beat his marker and slide the ball to Johnson in the middle. The ex-Blue tried his luck from 20 yards but his shot went over the crossbar.

Lampard won a free-kick for Chelsea after a foul by Gerrard on the left. Drogba stepped up and rifled a powerful strike goal wards, Reina dived to his right but the Ivorian's shot flew inches wide of the post.

Liverpool were coming closer to equalising, a cross to the back post from Benayoun reached Kuyt who passed the ball inside to Gerrard. The Liverpool captain tried to engineer a shooting opportunity but was blocked by John Terry. The ball fell to Torres who unleashed a shot first time, but the Spaniard's strike flashed inches wide of the left-hand post.

As the game drew to a close Chelsea scored a second to finish the game. Drogba collected a long-ball towards the right of the penalty area and muscled past two Liverpool players to the byline. The Ivorian cut the ball back to substitute Malouda who tapped the ball home to seal the contest.

Moments later Benayoun had a glorious chance to grab one back for Liverpool, the ball was crossed in from the left and the Israeli controlled brilliantly to leave himself one-on-one with Hilario. Benayoun feigned a shot and committed the Portuguese, he looked certain to score but dragged his shot wide of the left-hand post.

Hilario was involved again in the 95th minute, saving a stinging strike from Gerrard. The Portuguese dived to his right to push the ball out for a corner. As the ball was cleared from the subsequent set piece the referee blew for full-time, 2-0 to Chelsea.

This article was first published on Goal.com

Hat-Trick Hero Fernando Torres Happy to See Ryan Babel Score Double

Owen Watson — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:04:53 -0400

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres scored a hat-trick against Hull City in the Reds' 6-1 victory this afternoon and said he was delighted to score for his side.

“The role of the striker is to score; I had scored three so I'm really happy,” Torres told Sky Sports.

Torres was also full of praise for his teammate Ryan Babel. The Dutch forward came off the bench to score twice in the victory.

“Ryan Babel came in my position and scored two so I'm really happy for my teammates as well because they deserve to play,” said the Spaniard. “Not all of us can play 90 minutes so it is adapting work, and that is the main thing.”

Torres appears to be approaching his peak form, and the Spanish striker admitted he has been fatigued after a long campaign last year. Torres represented Spain in the Confederations Cup during the summer while some of his Liverpool teammates were on holiday.

“I'm getting better because it was a long season for me, the last one, and I'm training, trying to reach 100 percent and we are working for that,” said Torres.

Liverpool's No. 9 emphasised that the Reds haven't yet reached their peak, despite sitting third in the Premier League.

“I'm scoring goals now but the main thing is we are improving physically and as a team as well so I think we will be near our best soon,” he concluded.

This article was first published on Goal.com

Liverpool 6-1 Hull City: Fernando Torres Triple Thrashes Tigers

Owen Watson — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:00:57 -0400

Liverpool grabbed three more Premier League points after embarrassing Hull City at Anfield this afternoon.

Fernando Torres was magnificent, scoring twice in the first half before completing his hat-trick early in the second half. Brazilian Geovanni had equalised for the Tigers soon after El Nino scored his first goal, but the Spaniard was on ominous form and Hull were never really in the game despite a spirited showing.

Steven Gerrard then scored with an overhit cross that fortunately found its way into the top corner of the Hull City goal before two late goals from Ryan Babel sealed the Tigers' fate.

Liverpool worked the ball down the left flank, with Emiliano Insua passing the ball to Albert Riera wide on the left. The Spaniard pulled the ball back across the box with a low cross, Torres controlled with his right foot, moving onto his left and slotted the ball into the left-hand side of the net. 1-0 to Liverpool with 12 minutes played.

Hull City equalised through Geovanni three minutes later. Paul McShane crossed from deep on the right and the ball was headed back across the penalty area by Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.

Jamie Carragher connected with a poor header and the ball fell to Giovanni on the right-hand side of the box, the Brazilian smashed the ball back across the goal and into the right-hand side of Pepe Reina's goal, 1-1.

Liverpool responded as Insua brought the ball forward from the back. The Tigers defence backed off the Argentinean and the young left-back elected to shoot as he came inside. His shot was struck well but deflected wide of the left-hand post.

Insua was involved again as Liverpool grew in confidence, Riera threaded the ball to the Argentinean who was in an advanced position in the left channel. Insua got his head up and picked out Lucas Leiva on the edge of the box. The Brazilian midfielder hit a decent strike goalwards but Boaz Myhill made a comfortable save low to his left.

Torres scored his second of the game in the 27th minute, El Nino made an arching run off the last defender into the right-hand side of the penalty area that was spotted by Yossi Benayoun.

The Israeli sent a perfectly weighted pass to the Spaniard, who showed wonderful footwork to navigate Ibrahima Sonko and then round Myhill before finishing easily into the open net. 2-1 to Liverpool.

The second half began with Torres sealing his hat-trick two minutes after the restart. The Spaniard combined with Benayoun to engineer space in the penalty area and El Nino finished coolly to extend Liverpool's lead, 3-1 to the Reds.

Hull responded well to the goal, venturing forward and disrupting Liverpool's play. The Reds were struggling to string a series of passes together.

It was Liverpool that scored the next goal of the game and it was a complete fluke from Gerrard. The Liverpool skipper found himself on the left-hand side after a corner was cleared, the ball was fed back to Gerrard who curled the ball towards the back post with his right foot.

The English international's cross eluded everyone in the box, but nestled in the top left-hand corner of Myhill's goal. 4-1 to Liverpool with just over an hour played.

Torres was withdrawn from the field soon after, he was replaced by Holland international Ryan Babel.

Hull had a chance to grab a goal back, Reina came charging out of his penalty area to meet a long ball arriving on the left. The Spanish goalkeeper was forced to play the ball out for a throw-in and manager Phil Brown quickly played the ball back to Stephen Hunt.

The Irish midfielder threw the ball to Kamel Ghilas with Reina still retreating to his goal, the forward hit the ball first time with his right foot but his long-range attempt was way off target.

Liverpool became increasingly comfortable in possession as the end of the game approached and Gerrard and Benayoun were replaced by Javier Mascherano and Andriy Voronin.

Voronin was involved almost immediately, floating a teasing ball in from the right for Babel. The Dutchman connected with a glancing header towards the far post but didn't make enough contact with the ball and his attempt went wide.

The pony-tailed forward had another chance to make an impact in the 79th minute, combining with Babel who headed the ball back to Voronin. The forward unleashed a snapshot half-volley from the edge of the box, but his effort flashed just over the crossbar.

Liverpool continued to press forward in search of more goals and they found a fifth in the 87th minute. Babel played Dirk Kuyt into the channel on the right and then made a good run into the centre of the box. Kuyt drove towards the touchline and played the ball across the face of the goal where Babel met the ball and tapped it in.

The Reds grabbed a sixth goal in injury time and it was embarrassing for Hull City. Johnson slotted Lucas into space on the right, who cut the ball back across the penalty area. Riera arrived late and hit the ball first time with his left foot.

The shot wasn't going goalwards but hit an uninterested Babel on the heel and looped up over Myhill and into the Tigers' net. 6-1 to Liverpool.

The victory sends Liverpool into third position in the Premier League and will surely increase the pressure on Phil Brown in the Hull City dugout.

This article was first published on Goal.com

Liverpool Manager Rafael Benitez Delighted wIth Fernando Torres Brace

Owen Watson — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:19:08 -0400

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has praised star striker Fernando Torres after his match-winning performance against West Ham United.

"Last week he was not scoring goals and people were asking whether he was fit," Rafa said in his post-match press conference. "Tonight he has scored two important goals and I am really pleased with him.

"I was also pleased with his contribution against Debrecen because he was working very hard - not scoring - but creating chances and space for his teammates.

"Today you could see he was a constant threat," added the Liverpool manager.

The Spanish manager is hoping Torres continues to grow as a player, and said the key issue will be Torres' attitude.

"He is a very good player, but the main thing for us, is that he keeps his mentality," said Benitez.

"He is keen to learn and can improve. You saw his quality today. We have a very good player and hopefully he will get better in the future.

"He's now fit and we are working hard with him. If he cannot play one or two games, we have Kuyt who can score goals or maybe Ryan (Babel) who did well when he came on today," asserted the ex-Valencia manager.

"Hopefully he will stay fit and score a lot of goals for us, but we have different options and I think we can manage."

Benitez was unhappy with some of Liverpool's individual defending but was delighted with the way his team responded.

"If you analyse the team in defence, it wasn't bad," he said. "We made individual mistakes that can happen sometimes. The reaction was very positive, so to score the third goal and be attacking all time was the perfect response."

Liverpool conceded another goal from a set piece, and Benitez admitted it was something his staff had looked at before the game.

"We analysed this. We were good the other day (against Debrecen), but the problem is that he (Cole) is very good in the air. When you see the goal again we had two or three players around, but sometimes you have to give credit to the striker.

"When you talk about individual mistakes it is easier to find a solution. So Carra knows and Skrtel knows. It was just a question of making sure we had more focus," said the Liverpool boss.

Despite some slack defending, Benitez thought Liverpool deserved to win the game and explained his decision to remove the impressive Dirk Kuyt.

"I felt we were in control of the game. We were talking about it and after we could see that Kuyt was really tired. We knew we had to do it," said Benitez.

"Ryan was very good; his pace was crucial for us and I think that was the key."

The victory meant that Liverpool have moved into third position in the league, three points behind rivals Chelsea, but Benitez said he was unconcerned about the competition.

He said: "I don't worry about other teams. My concern is to see if we can improve and defend better as a team and continue scoring goals. You cannot influence the other games so it is better to focus on your own team."

This article was first published on Goal.com

Arsene Wenger Glad Arsenal Secured Important Wigan Athletic Win

Owen Watson — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:15:47 -0400

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is pleased his side secured a vital win against Wigan Athletic and got the Gunners' Premier League ambitions back on track.

"We scored many goals and didn't concede, and three days after a very physically demanding game in Liege, it is good to see we could repeat a good performance," Wenger told Sky Sports.

"We have shown the right attitude and quality today and I am very optimistic there is something special in this team."

Wenger reserved particular praise for Thomas Vermaelen, who scored twice in Arsenal's 4-0 victory this afternoon.

"He scored two great goals," said Wenger. "He has a great left foot and can score these kind of goals."

The Arsenal boss admitted that securing three points was his solitary aim in this fixture, having lost the last two Premier League games against Manchester United and Manchester City.

"If you don't get points, you are quickly off the pace in the Premier League, so this was a big game for us and it was important to get three points," conceded the Arsenal chief.

"But in the first four games we played three away games and we have only played twice at home now," he pointed out.

This article was first published on Goal.com

West Ham United 2-3 Liverpool: Fernando Torres Wins Five-Goal Thriller

Owen Watson — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:05:45 -0400

West Ham United 2-3 Liverpool
Premier League fixtures/results

West Ham United and Liverpool produced an outstanding spectacle at Upton Park that was decided by a Fernando Torres header in the second half.

The first half was all action, with impressive youngster Zavon Hines spurning a glorious chance in the opening minutes after woeful defending by Jamie Carragher.

Torres opened the scoring for Liverpool with an wonderful solo goal before Alessandro Diamanti equalised for the Hammers from the penalty spot. Two goals from corners followed, as Carlton Cole cancelled out Dirk Kuyt's goal for the Reds.

Inevitably, the frenetic pace of the game dissipated in the second half, with West Ham trying to limit Liverpool's attacking play. The Hammers couldn't keep the Reds out as a Torres header saw Liverpool recapture their lead for the third time on the night.

Hines almost scored for West Ham in the third minute of the game. Carragher made a horrible mistake after Glen Johnson stole the ball away from Cole on the right. The Liverpudlian allowed Hines to pinch the ball off him on the edge of his own box.

The Jamaican only had Pepe Reina to beat and was inches away from opening the scoring as his shot rebounding off the far post. Liverpool managed to scramble the ball clear and were lucky to escape with the scores level.

Emiliano Insua intercepted a Hines pass in the 19th minute and fed the ball out to Torres, who was just outside the box on the left-hand side. The Spaniard dazzled James Tomkins with his footwork and rounded his marker as he advanced into the penalty area.

In two touches, Torres was bearing down on goal and stretched as he slotted the ball past Robert Green at the near post. Great finish and 1-0 Liverpool.

Matthew Upson was injured as he lunged in vain to try and block Torres strike and was replaced by Daniel Gabbidon.

It went from bad to worse for the Hammers as Valon Behrami limped off minutes later and was replaced by Radoslav Kovac.

Hines picked the ball up on the left and drove past Carragher to advance into the penalty area. Carragher couldn't handle the lively youngster's pace and shoved the Jamaican to the ground. The referee rightly pointed to the spot.

Alessandro Diamanti stepped up and enjoyed a slice of good fortune to level the score. As the Italian stepped up to strike the ball his standing foot gave way and the ball looped straight down the middle into the top of the net. It wasn't intended but it was 1-1 with 29 minutes played.

Diamanti encourages the crowd after levelling from the spot

Liverpool retook the lead in the 41st minute through a well-worked set piece. Ex-Hammer Yossi Benayoun swung in a corner from the right-hand side as Steven Gerrard got a running jump on his marker. The Liverpool skipper's header was powerful and arched towards the bottom right corner.

It was Dirk Kuyt who got the last touch, as the Dutchman dived to make contact with an outstretched foot and directed the ball past Green.

Not to be undone, West Ham equalised from a corner from the same side that Liverpool scored from just before half-time. Mark Noble crossed in from the left and Carlton Cole sent a glancing header towards the bottom right corner. It was a fantastic header and left Pepe Reina with no chance, 2-2.

The second half started with West Ham withstanding a period of sustained Liverpool pressure. The away sides approach play was good but the Hammers were resolute in their defending. Liverpool worked an opportunity for Torres to attack on the left but Scott Parker won the ball with a crunching tackle.

West Ham ventured forward in the 59th minute and Julian Faubert won a corner on the right, as it was swung into the box Reina flapped unconvincingly at the ball to concede another corner. Luckily for Liverpool the Hammers wasted the opportunity with a poor corner from Noble.

Benayoun then sprung to life, displaying wonderful footwork on two occasions in as many minutes to penetrate the West Ham defence.

The first instance saw the Israeli come inside from the left and thread the ball to Torres, who had his back to goal. The Spaniard turned to shoot but his attempt was blocked easily.

The Israeli then picked the ball up in the middle and weaved his way past multiple players, Benayoun was crowded out as he entered the box but managed to squeeze to ball out to substitute Ryan Babel on the right. The Dutchman's cross was poor and the chance was wasted.

Diamanti was withdrawn and replaced by Kieran Dyer and the former-Newcastle man showed a wonderful turn of pace to relieve the pressure on West Ham's back four.

Dyer advanced into Liverpool's half and found Cole in the middle. The English forward's lay-off was sloppy and a promising attack broke down.

Johnson drove at the West Ham defence in the 74th minute, he unleashed a shot on goal that was easily blocked, but the ball rebounded to Babel on the right who headed by the byline and floated a cross towards the far post.

It was met by Torres whose powerful header rippled the back of the net, 3-2 to Liverpool.

Torres celebrates the first of his two decisive strikes

West Ham didn't give the game up and nearly equalised within a minute. Kovac met a cross from the left with a looping header towards the far post, and Reina produced a smart save to deny the Czech's effort.

As the end of the exhilarating contest approached Liverpool tightened their control of possession. A valiant yet increasingly tired West Ham struggled to create chances and it was Liverpool that looked the more likely to score the next goal.

The outstanding Torres was withdrawn in stoppage time as Liverpool held on for the victory.

This match report was first published on Goal.com

Sotirios Kyrgiakos: Liverpool Can Win The Premier League Title

Owen Watson — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:17:44 -0400

Liverpool's latest signing, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, believes his new side are more than capable of winning the Premier League.

The Greek defender believes his experience will help Liverpool to reach this goal.

"I have a little experience of winning titles from my previous career in Greece and in Scotland," Kyrgiakos told Liverpool's official website.

"I won one title with Panathinaikos and two in Scotland when I played with Rangers. I hope that the experiences I had in Scotland will help me begin well at Liverpool.

"I believe that I have the qualities needed to play in the Premier League," he added.

"My time in Scotland will help because it is a similar style of football to here. It is true that the Premier League will be more difficult than the SPL [Scottish Premier League] because the game is faster here and there are more quality players.

"In Scotland you had Rangers, Celtic and Hearts, and it was very rare for us to lose to anyone—and if we did it was normally to one of those two teams," explained the Greek.

"In England, everyone is capable of beating everyone else."

Kyrgiakos admitted he followed English football before making his move, and believes his new side will go one better than last year, when they finished as runners-up.

"I watched a lot of last season's Premier League and I believe we were very close to the title," said the 30-year-old.

"From what I have seen this season we are equipped to go even better," he stated. "In my experience of winning titles, you need a great team spirit in the dressing room and I have seen this already among my new team-mates.

"Everyone works hard and gives everything. That is the most important thing you need for such a long battle as the title race. After that, you need to be brave and have a little bit of luck along the way.

"I enjoy a challenge, and this is the toughest challenge I have taken in my career so far. I am looking forward to playing in this league, but first I must prove myself to the manager in training.

"I know there are a lot of good players at this club so I cannot take anything for granted."

This article was first published on Goal.com

Ivan Gazidis: Arsenal Await UEFA Decision On Eduardo Da Silva's "Dive"

Owen Watson — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:12:23 -0400

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has said the club are anxious to find out if UEFA plan to take disciplinary action against forward Eduardo.

The Croatian is at the centre of a furore as he won his side a soft penalty against Celtic in Tuesday night's Champions League qualifier. Eduardo tumbled in the box following a challenge from Celtic 'keeper Artur Boruc, and replays showed minimal contact was made.

UEFA president Michel Platini has confirmed they will be looking at the incident and could take retrospective action against Eduardo.

When asked if he expected action to be taken, Gazidis was open-minded.

"I think that's a question for UEFA," he told Sky Sports. "I imagine there could have been a yellow card given if the referee had viewed it as a dive.

"Sometimes the video can be a little bit misleading. I think it's important that the referee is given the benefit of the doubt and that we don't turn against the referee in these situations, but support him.

"I'm sure UEFA will look at it and if Eduardo should have been awarded a yellow card they will take whatever action they think is appropriate," he added.

UEFA have launched an experiment in which two additional referees will be positioned at either end of the field, with a view to assist in key penalty area decisions. The governing body are currently against using video technology.

The Arsenal chief executive added that the club supports the introduction of video technology in specific circumstances, but would be against using it in matters of opinion.

"We've always been in favour of video technology for goal-line decisions, we think that is a very factual decision," said Gazidis.

"Once you start bringing different referees in and different judgements it can get very confusing as to who is in charge and to how they are calling the game.

"It's important there is one referee exercising his judgement because decisions all have context and background and how a game is officiated and how a referee as an individual manages the players through the game is an important part of officiating," he added.

"If you introduce too many cooks into the kitchen you can create real issues for yourself, but on factual decisions, such as goal-line technology, I think that makes sense."

This article was first published on Goal.com

Chelsea Owner Roman Abramovich Backs UEFA Spending Cap Plan

Owen Watson — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:06:26 -0400

Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich is backing plans that prevent clubs spending excessively on transfers, according to UEFA president Michel Platini.

Platini's proposal states that clubs can only spend what they earn in revenue, and any club that doesn't balance the books within three years would face expulsion from European competitions.

"It's mainly the owners that asked us to do something: Roman Abramovich, Silvio Berlusconi [Milan], Massimo Moratti [Inter]," Platini told ESPN. "They do not want to fork out any more.

"Manchester City can spend £300m if they want to, but if they are not breaking even in three years then they cannot play in European competition," explained the UEFA chief. "I haven't spoken to Manchester City about this, and I don't remember meeting their owner, but I'm sure I will.

"Roman Abramovich is a football person and passionate about the game. He loves football. He has come to me and said that we must do something about this.

"It doesn't matter if one team doesn't agree, because this is what the clubs want," said Platini.

Chelsea have restricted their spending to £23 million in the current transfer window, however, Abramovich has spent over £700m in the past six years, establishing Chelsea as one of the biggest sides in Europe.

This article was first published on Goal.com

Eduardo Da Silva's Dive Deserves a Ban? Celtic Need To Get Real

Owen Watson — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:19:00 -0400

The way some sections of the Celtic support have responded to the Eduardo “dive” in the Champions League qualifier is laughable.

Fair play to Tony Mowbray, he was gracious enough to say Arsenal were the better team despite the overwhelming dose of bad fortune suffered by his Celtic side.

Without wading too deeply into the quagmire, I don't think you can call what Eduardo did a blatant dive. It was gamesmanship, he went into that situation knowing that to get a penalty he would have to get to the ball first, wait for contact, and go down.

The keeper did touch him...check 41-42 seconds into this video if you don't believe me, Artur Boruc's right knee clips Eduardo's right ankle...you can see it move.

Is that enough contact to knock him down? Probably not...was he looking for the contact in that situation? Absolutely yes.

Would I be annoyed if the penalty was given at the other end? Definitely so.

I have no problem with any Celtic fan that says that their side was unlucky and that it was a soft penalty to get given against them. It was especially hard to swallow given the bad luck for the first goal in the tie.

The problem is when somebody then says Eduardo should be banned for doing this.

What? Any striker will try their luck in this instance...sometimes you get the penalty and it's soft, sometimes it is a blatant dive and the player gets booked. This one sits in the middle for me, it wasn't a terrible dive, and it wasn't a penalty.

To highlight the point I've went and found four clips of diving, this should hopefully show that there have clearly been much worse dives that have only been resolved with a yellow card.

Firstly, Morten Gamst Pederson against Arsenal.

Secondly, Alberto Gilardino against Celtic in the Champions League.

Thirdly, Ivan Campo, once again against Arsenal. This is basically an extreme version of Eduardo did, removed from the example of the keeper...Campo's is worse because he engineers the contact, whereas Eduardo simply took the contact and went down.

And finally, not the worse example by any means, but a player that I've never heard any Celtic fan called to be banned. He is an ex-Celtic player that has a sizeable reputation as a diver.

Stiliyan Petrov.

Of course, every club is plagued to varying degrees by divers, and I'm not excusing Eduardo's action. But still, calls for him to be banned in this instance are excessive.

UEFA needn't get involved.

Chief Executive Peter Storrie: Portsmouth Are Alive And Kicking

Owen Watson — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:03:29 -0400

Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie has insisted that the club will avoid relegation while restructuring to become a more stable business.

Middle Eastern business Sulaiman al-Fahim had been trying to find the funds required to mount a takeover, but it seems Storrie is confident that there will now be investment in the club.

"The decision I took to find a new owner was made in the best interests of the football club," he told Sky Sports.

"We have certain financial commitments and it is my job to ensure we meet them.

"Over the past three weeks or so, I have been undertaking this mission which will see the club become a much more stable business and ensure we operate within our means in the future," he continued.

"The whole structure of the club will be re-evaluated under the new ownership, but the key thing for all you Pompey fans to remember is that we are very much alive and kicking.

"I will give you more details once the takeover is complete but, believe me, this is good news for all of us," added Storrie.

Portsmouth have been under pressure to sell their best players over the last 12 months, with Lassana Diarra, Jermaine Defoe, Glen Johnson, and Peter Crouch all being sold. Sol Campbell has also been allowed to leave the club, and now Sylvain Distin reportedly wants a transfer.

The club seems to have turned the corner financially, with Storrie now insisting Portsmouth are looking to add to their squad.

"Paul and I are actively looking to bring more players in," he said. "With the addition of another three or four, our squad size will not be a great deal different from last season.

"Then, when January comes along, there will be money to spend to further strengthen."

This article was first published on Goal.com

Chairman Khaldoon: Manchester City Have A Carefully Thought-Out Strategy

Owen Watson — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:58:32 -0400

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has discussed the club's strategy and responded to some criticisms levied at the Citizens.

"Value for money is a very subjective statement," he told the Manchester Evening News. "The value of a player is up to the club purchasing him, and down to the club's needs.

"Sir Alex Ferguson commented on the price we paid for Carlos Tevez, and [manager] Mark [Hughes'] response was spot-on, that the value of Carlos to City is maybe different to his value to United.

"Looking back at every acquisition we have made, I think we have got value, and that the results will show they were the right choices."

The Citizens chairman also issued a retort to those who think the club have too many strikers.

"We had a lot of strikers and there was a joke about Manchester City having 11 strikers," he said. "The reality was that this was a carefully thought-out strategy of not selling until we brought in the talent we wanted.

"It was the right strategy. We would have hung ourselves out to dry if we had sold all our strikers before we brought in the acquisitions we made. It's one more example of unfounded criticism.

"There are always going to be critics, especially when you are successful, and we have to deal with that. We have done that very well for the last 12 months, and it will only increase," said Khaldoon.

"We want to prove to everyone we can do it the right way, and that is the way we have been doing it."

Khaldoon also revealed that the club has set itself a benchmark at which they expect to finish in the league this season.

"Sheikh Mansour [Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the club's majority shareholder] is very clear in terms of the target he has for us, and we have been working on this to reach full alignment on a realistic target for us this year," he said.

"Given the squad we have, and given the time we have had to build the squad, it is a target we will be keeping between us."

This article was first published on Goal.com

New Arsenal Formation Is Not A 'Definite System': Arsene Wenger

Owen Watson — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:33:00 -0400

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said he plans to use a more traditional 4-4-2 formation in some games, despite the success his team has enjoyed with the new system.

"We have played a 4-3-3 formation early in the season and there are many benefits from it," Wenger told Sky Sports. "But it is not a definite system—it can change in some games and I might move to a 4-4-2.

"At the start of the season, I wanted to play high up the pitch, making a threat in the opponents' half early in the game.

"We like to do that, because we are an attacking team and it gives us the opportunity to use our character," he added.

Arsenal have scored 10 goals in two Premier League games, but only one of these has been scored by a striker. Wenger is unconcerned by this and insists it reflects the teams style of play.

"It tells me that we have a game where we attack from everywhere," he explained "Our strikers at the moment are providers.

"For me, in a good team everybody can score and a good striker scores and provides.

"At the moment they provide more than they score, but I know that Eduardo and Robin van Persie will score so I am very happy that at the moment they do not score and we still score goals."

On potential recruits, Wenger has ruled out strengthening his attacking options but hinted he may look to purchase a defensive player if the right one becomes available.

"We are not desperate because if you look at the players who are out and those who are available, it shows that we have a big squad," said the Arsenal manager.

"Maybe in the defensive area we could still do something, but everybody looks at basically the same places."

This article was first published on Goal.com

Liverpool Lose To Aston Villa: Are the Reds Heading For Fourth Spot?

Owen Watson — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:37:42 -0400

Liverpool lost at Anfield to Aston Villa tonight, their second loss in only three Premier League games. What's happened to football on Merseyside?

Ok, the club drew far too many games last season, but they have now lost as many games in three fixtures as they did in 38 matches last year.

Looking at Liverpool's fixture list, you'd have said it was important for the club to get a running start in the league. Going into October and November they'll face some tough games; away at Chelsea and away at Sunderland, before hosting champions Manchester United and then travelling away to Craven Cottage to play Fulham.

Going into November is a little easier, as they play Birmingham at home first. But then they have to host Manchester City and go across town to tackle Everton.

Chelsea, Man United, Man City, Everton, and difficult away games at Sunderland and Fulham. Interlink some Champions League fixtures and you can see Liverpool dropping more points in those eight weeks.

Keep in mind that you can only lose six games and still be in contention with a realistic shot at the title. Is it unfair to say Liverpool could have four losses by the end of October?

Deeper than that, the team has to face the real prospect of replacing Xabi Alonso. Alberto Aquilani is a good player, but he'll take time to get up to speed in a demanding division that is tough to adapt to when you aren't coming back from injury.

I don't remember the exact statistics, but I think Liverpool won 67 percent of games last season when Alonso was in the side, and only 45 percent without. It's increasingly clear that Lucas Leiva is not an adequate replacement at this time, whether he will be in the future is another question.

The problem is, they need a dynamic and creative influence in their midfield now. Can they wait for Aquilani to get to full fitness and adapt, or for Lucas to find his feet? Will they even be in the title race at that point?

Three games into a season is far from a crisis, but Liverpool need to turn their season around quickly or their stuttering form will leave them even further behind the pack with a team heavily reliant on Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

One solution would be to move Gerrard back into central midfield and hand a starting berth to Yossi Benayoun behind Torres. The Israeli was devastating in this role at the end of last season. But will Benitez be prepared to drop Lucas?

If he wants to avoid limping into fourth place, does he have another choice?

Arsene Wenger Needs Some Help From Arsenal Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis

Owen Watson — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:31:32 -0400

Ivan Gazidis made a decent start in his tenure as Arsenal chief executive.

He pushed through the signing of Andrey Arshavin against Arsene Wenger's better judgement. If it was down to Wenger alone, the Russian would probably still be with Zenit St. Petersburg.

For some of you with hazy memories, cast your minds back to the summer of 2008. We have Andrey Arshavin decimating the European Championships and being linked to a whole host of clubs. The side with the firmest interest were Arsenal and a certain French professor.

What happened? Arsenal weren't prepared to push the boat out and make the signing, Wenger valued Arshavin at £13 million and wouldn't go any further. Zenit were holding out for a figure much higher.

Fast forward to January 2009 and the difference maker was Gazidis, who had freshly joined the club as chief executive. Not, by the way, Alisher Usmanov—as some people claim. Gazidis was able to complete the deal for a figure roughly 50 percent larger than the one Wenger was prepared to go to.

Judged on the evidence of Arshavin's first few months in the Premier League, he was right to do so.

So far, so good...but his performance this summer has been somewhat mixed. Arsenal were able to capture Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax early in the window, and Gazidis successfully tied down a number of players to long-term contracts. Nice work.

However this has come at a price. By opting to focus on extending player contracts Arsenal missed out on the signing of Felipe Melo. While Arsenal were putting the final touches on Robin Van Persie's new deal, Melo was signing a contract with Juventus.

It was a matter of priorities; considering the attacking options at the club, would it really have been a disaster to risk losing Van Persie this, or next summer? It wasn't even a certainty, just a small chance!

Arsenal lost out on a midfielder that would have been an excellent partner for Cesc Fabregas in midfield. A disappointment, but not a disaster.

Now, Arsenal find themselves at a point that could be critical for their chances in the new season. Arsene Wenger has stated he hasn't put any offers in for centre backs, and he is unwilling to negotiate with Bordeaux over his offer for Marouane Chamakh.

The first thing Gazidis needs to do is go to Bordeaux and say: “Here is £10 million, take it or leave it.” They may not accept, but at least Arsenal fans would know the club did its best. Drawing a line under the affair.

Wenger's stuttering has cost Arsenal to miss out on a fairly reasonable target in Sebastian Bassong, The next thing Gazidis should do is find out who Wenger's No. 1 target for central defence is and then go out and make the deal happen.

To say our defence is weak, and then not strengthen it significantly is the kind of mistake that will cost Arsenal the Premier League. It should not be tolerated.

Gazidis needs to take some initiative and do what he did in January with Arshavin. Trust the footballing judgement of Wenger, compensate slightly for his frugal nature, and get down to business.

The American's performance to date has been acceptable. If Gazidis can step up to the plate at the end of the transfer window and bag a couple of gems for Arsene Wenger then he will have gone a long way to securing Arsenal a realistic shot at the Premier League title.

Arsenal fans everywhere will be grateful.

Manchester City Reveal New Strategy for Breaking Premier League Top Four

Owen Watson — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:56:35 -0400

The deal has been done. Kolo Toure is the latest Arsenal player to transfer from the North London club to the Citizens of Manchester. The transfer fee this time around was believed to be £16 million, following on from the £25 million acquisition of Emmanuel Adebayor.

This should be a day to rejoice for the Manchester City faithful, but underneath the headlines and behind the big name deals lies a more concerning development. The loss of a document vital to the future of Manchester City's plans for world domination.

Manchester City CEO Garry Cook said, “I couldn't believe it. I left my flashy sports car in a dingy underground car park in Manchester. The documents were placed safely, in plain view, on the passenger seat. I don't understand how any criminal could see an opportunity here. One marvels at the mind of the modern crook.”

Quite. But rather than recycle the papers like any honourable citizen would (clearly a Red Devil at heart this criminal), the perpetrator went on to publish the documents in their entirety on the world wide web. Apparently on a blog posting headlined: Ilovecoleen.

Detectives are flummoxed by the cunning enigma. While they call in a certain Inspector Jacques Cousteau to solve the mystery, we better take a deeper look at the devious plot.

Allegedly, Manchester City have decided to abandon the strategy of signing any available forward/striker/Brazilian and moved onto a more macabre scheme. The plan?

Sign the entire Arsenal squad.

They've bagged Ade, grabbed Kolo, and as soon as they hear Eboue is in negotiations with Fiorentina, they are bound to pounce. In fact, they are banking on Arsenal being open to selling their entire first-team squad.

An unnamed Welsh source inside the club (hint: not Craig Bellamy) revealed when questioned, “That's certainly a policy we will be following. Arsenal have a squad of young players that are capable of breaking into the top four, because they are one of the big four.

"That's what we want at this club, to be big and to be four, and we don't care how much oil money we have to spend to get there.”

Remarkably, the current Arsenal board appear to be open to the suggestion of selling their entire first team playing staff to an emerging rival.

Chairman of Arsenal Holdings PLC, Peter Hill-Wood, made this statement, “Yes we've qualified for the Champions League for 12 successive seasons, but what you've got to consider that Arsenal is now more than a football club. We are also a property developer.”

“As such, we have to consider how we can best use our assets, in terms of resale value,” the aging gentleman continued. “It's clear that an opportunity like this doesn't present itself often, and considering the current economic climate, we believe it would be best for all parties if we sold the first team squad. Our youth team won the FA Cup you know, so there is no need to worry.”

When pressed about how Arsenal would spend the money generated from the unprecedented sale, Hill-Wood said, “Buying Canary Wharf primarily, then we'd invest in the acquiring part of the Himalayas.

"That would go well with the Hill-Wood brand. Then we'd spend the rest of money in IKEA, we haven't had a good Swedish import in these parts since Freddie Ljungberg.”

A deal of this magnitude, it seems, would suit all parties. Manager Arsene Wenger wasn't available for comment, it is believed he is pre-booking a one way flight to Madrid for the summer of 2010.

Apparently you get the tickets for cheaper if you book now.

Does Manchester City's Millions Make Them the New "Roman Abramovich" Chelsea?

Owen Watson — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:57:07 -0400

The summer transfer window has seen Manchester City flex its financial muscle in ways reminiscent of the early years of Roman Abramovich's tenure at Chelsea.

This has caused many to draw parallels between the two clubs, and suggest that Manchester City will break into the "Big Four" next season.

This threat is overblown.

There seems to be a general misconception that Abramovich "took the club from nothing" to be world beaters. In fact, Ruud Gullit steered the club to fourth position in '97/'98, Gianluca Vialli finished third in '98/'99, and Chelsea had never finished outside the top six since the '96/'97 season.

Claudio Ranieri even broke into the top four again in '02/'03, the season before Abramovich purchased the club.

Looking at their respective league standings it's hard to argue that City find themselves in a similar position to Chelsea. The main comparison should be between Pre-Abramovich Chelsea and Pre-Abu Dhabi Manchester City.

Though the Citizens are included in the first list purely for interest, and Chelsea in the second list as a means of showing that their wealth provided an incremental boost—rather than a massive step up.

League Standings (Pre-Abramovich Era)

1996/1997—Chelsea (6th), Man City (Not in Prem)

1997/1998—Chelsea (4th), Man City (Not in Prem)

1998/1999—Chelsea (3rd), Man City (Not in Prem)

1999/2000—Chelsea (5th), Man City (Not in Prem)

2000/2001—Chelsea (6th), Man City (17th–Relegated)

2001/2002—Chelsea (6th), Man City (Not in Prem)

2002/2003—Chelsea (4th), Man City (9th)

League Standings (Abramovich Era, Pre-Abu Dhabi Regime)

2003/2004—Chelsea (2nd), Man City (16th)

2004/2005—Chelsea (1st), Man City (8th)

2005/2006—Chelsea (1st), Man City (15th)

2006/2007—Chelsea (2nd), Man City (14th)

2007/2008—Chelsea (2nd), Man City (9th)

2008/2009—Chelsea (3rd), Man City (10th)

Looking at these lists, it would be fair to describe Manchester City as being a mid-table side over the past six seasons. Whereas Chelsea in the Pre-Abramovich era were more like today's Everton—but with a slight edge in quality.

Adding players like Joe Cole, Hernan Crespo, Claude Makalele, Ricardo Carvalho, Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, Arjen Robben over the course of a few seasons can make a difference.

Imagine what Everton would be like if you added even a handful of players of this quality, and you see my point.

The questions emerge: Is Emmanuel Adebayor any better than Drogba? Robinho that much better than Arjen Robben? Does Carlos Tevez have the same pedigree as a Crespo? Or an Adrian Mutu?

Can we really say Gareth Barry is better than Claude Makalele? Than Michael Essien? Will Shay Given save City that many more points than Petr Cech when Chelsea first bought him?

If anything, the players that Chelsea bought were of higher quality than those Manchester City have bought, and they still didn't win the league until they brought in a world class manager in Jose Mourinho!

Plus Chelsea already had players like Frank Lampard and John Terry in their side. They had Gianfranco Zola!

Somehow I don't rate Craig Bellamy in the same class.

To be fair, Manchester City have made some very good opportunistic signings in Robinho, Carlos Tevez, and Emmanuel Adebayor. But even these players aren't truly world class, they only have the potential to be.

Players like Cristiano Ronaldo cost £80m because they have proven themselves on the highest stage consistently. Manchester City have bagged themselves a couple of Karim Benzema's and few van der Vaart's and think they are the next Real Madrid.

They aren't.

In all probability Mark Hughes will struggle to get the team to gel in the early stages of the campaign, will be too far off the pace to mount a serious challenge, and will be sacked by Christmas.

Even with a more generous assessment, I don't see how City will compete with an impressive Everton side that will welcome back both Mikel Arteta and Ayegbeni Yakubu from long-term injury next season.

They'll probably finish sixth next season, which wouldn't be too bad considering their current midtable pedigree. But they don't pose a serious threat to the "Big Four."

I Know Arsenal Won't Buy Him, But Still I Will Suggest: Sebastien Bassong

Owen Watson — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:34:34 -0400

Like many other football fans blessed with a PC in their youth, I grew up spending hour upon hour playing Championship Manager. Today's youth will be more familiar with Football Manager, but the same principle applies. Now every fan thinks he can do the job better than professionally qualified gurus that reside in the hot seats of our beloved clubs.

So when Deepak Israni came up with the 'I Know Arsenal Won't Buy Him...' series, I was hooked! All those years huddled over my PC screen hadn't gone to waste.

Racking my brains, I came up with a candidate that may surprise some people, but before you completely dismiss my idea, let's take a closer look.

Sebastien Bassong: Fact-File

Age: 23
Position: Left-Sided Centre Back
Current Club: Newcastle United
National Side: Represented France at U-21 level

Sebastien Bassong graduated from the prestigious Clairefontaine youth academy in France, before moving to FC Metz and advancing through the youth ranks. Bassong broke into the senior side in 2005 and represented Metz for three seasons, making 87 appearances, before being transferred to Newcastle United, following a trial, for a fee of £1.5m.

The Clairefontaine youth academy, "the Mecca of French football", is well established as one of the best in world football. Former graduates include: Nicolas Anelka, William Gallas, Thierry Henry, Louis Saha, as well as players with Arsenal links, including Jeremie Aliadiere and Abou Diaby. Other interesting graduates include starlets Hatem Ben Arfa and Blaise Matuidi.

Bassong is first and foremost a powerful and committed defender with outstanding athleticism and a good reading of the game. His height, at 6'2”, would be a helpful asset to Arsenal and the former Metz man is commanding in the air. Additionally, Bassong has good positional awareness and anticipates danger well, he is composed in possession and could grow into a complete defender at Arsenal.

Sebastien Bassong to Arsenal: Pros and Cons

Pros:

He has undoubted raw talent, and is at an age that Wenger could effectively mould him into the complete package.
Young, French and gifted...why wouldn't Arsenal want to sign him?
Considering Newcastle's relegation, Arsenal could possibly grab him for £6m-£8m if a straight cash offer was put on the table.
Bassong offers everything Arsenal need in a defender; power, ambition, height, physical dominance, and composure.
His signature would ensure Arsenal had four high quality options at CB.
Signing Bassong could be a cost effective way to reinforce midfield, if Kolo Toure was moved into the defensive midfield role.
He would love to play for Arsenal and is a hugely committed player both on and off the pitch. This is the kind of character needed in the Arsenal dressing room.

Cons:

He is fairly inexperienced, having made no senior international appearances and has only played one Premier League season at Newcastle United.
He has been relegated twice in his fledgling career, in consecutive seasons, first at FC Metz in 2007-08, then at Newcastle in 2008-09.
His wages at Newcastle are reputed to be between £5k-£10k a week, meaning the Magpies wouldn't be in financial straits if they kept him for another season.
Arsenal already have six centre-backs on the books: William Gallas, Kolo Toure, Mikael Silvestre, Thomas Vermaelen, Philippe Senderos, and Johan Djourou.
Whatever transfer money Arsenal have left should probably be invested into a natural defensive midfielder.
His signing wouldn't inspire confidence in supporters, considering his inexperience and the reputation of his former club.
Arsenal already have two high quality left-sided centre backs in Gallas and Vermaelen.

Conclusion:

Despite his undoubted quality and massive potential, the odds are against Bassong signing for Arsenal this summer. It was probably a case of either Bassong or Vermaelen for Wenger, with Vermaelen's European experience swinging the argument in his favour.

The list of cons is fairly long, but if Senderos was moved on then Bassong could be bought for a similar amount. Bassong's strengths far outweigh any that Senderos provides.

Realistically, Bassong will either sign a new contract with Newcastle or will move on to a Europa League challenging side, such as Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur.

Arsenal Missing Out on Felipe Melo Is a Disappointment, Not a Disaster

Owen Watson — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:01:03 -0400

Several media outlets are reporting that Arsenal have missed out on the signature of Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo, who is due to sign for Juventus from Fiorentina. With some attacking the lack of ambition on the part of Arsene Wenger for not ensuring the transfer was completed.

Two counter arguments immediately spring to mind. Firstly, there is no evidence Melo was even the main transfer target for the Gunners. The club keeps auspiciously tight-lipped about any possible dealings, and although Melo would be my, and a lot of peoples', prime transfer target for Arsenal, there is no evidence Arsenal were particularly interested in signing this player. Despite Fiorentina board member pleas to the contrary.

If we cast our collective mind back to January and the Arshavin transfer saga, we'll remember that Arsenal only wanted to pay a £12m for the Russian maestro, and eventually paid out just under £17m for their man. Meaning they, and Ivan Gazidis in particular, have history of going the extra mile to get the man they want.

Which leads into my second point, if this is a failure on the part of Arsenal then it is not Wenger's failing. Gazidis is the man responsible for player acquisitions, and is the same man that came out and said earlier in the week that Arsenal's main priority was on securing current players on long-term contracts.

In fact, Arsenal went out and signed Thomas Vermaelen before tying down these contracts. If Melo was such a priority surely he would have been signed before Vermaelen? Maybe it was the mistake of Wenger to prioritise defensive cover over a first choice midfield pairing for Fabregas.

Missing out on Melo is certainly a disappointment, but I wonder if the people that love to criticise Arsenal would have really heralded the signing of Melo as a masterstroke. He was signed by Fiorentina for €13m last summer, has only featured 10 times for Brazil, and is in the middle of his career at 26 years old. Does one good season at Fiorentina justify a doubling of his value?

Should Arsenal really have blown the rest of their transfer budget on this man, losing Emmanuel Eboue in the process? Felipe Melo only has one season of Champions League experience, and before that he has been playing for mid-table teams in Spain.

Is this really the pedigree of player Arsenal want to spend £20m on?

Whichever side of the Melo debate you fall on, to sign or not to sign, it is far from a disaster for Arsenal to fail to acquire his signature. To blame Wenger for this failure is misguided, the responsibility rests on the shoulders of Ivan Gazidis.

It may well be a mistake to have concentrated on extending contracts of existing players before recruiting a partner for Cesc Fabregas, but there are bigger issues looming on the horizon.

Just ask Alisher Usmanov.