Blackburn return home to Ewood Park shell shocked after their mauling at the hands of new Premier League leaders, Manchester United. Sam Allardyce will have done very well to clear the performance from the minds’ of his players.
Wolves were only minutes from another frustrating defeat against Sunderland last weekend, before a late double prevented Mick McCarthy’s men settling at the bottom of the Premier League table. Wolves still need points desperately and whilst back to back wins may drive them out of the relegation zone, it is hard not to see this game as a potential relegation six pointer.
It must be remembered that Rovers have a very strong home record- it is this that has kept them in the league over the past two seasons. Wolves will come to play, and will not park the proverbial bus. This may well be a decent game plan with Blackburn’s potentially fragile mental state- how they respond should they go a goal down will be key to the outcome.
Prediction: 1-0
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Thierry Henry scored what might be his last goal for Arsenal against Sunderland in the Gunners 2-1 victory. Even though the goals he scored in his second spell weren’t classic Thierry Henry, he scored some important goals in his first spell.
When Arsene Wenger signed Henry from Juventus in August 1999 for £11 million, even he didn’t think that this man would become an Arsenal and Premier League legend and surpass Ian Wright’s record of 185 goals. In his time at Arsenal, Henry won 2 Premier League titles, 3 FA Cups and 2 Community Shields. The Frenchman also won a huge amount of individual awards, including 2 European Golden Boots, 4 Premier League Golden Boots and was in the PFA Team of the Year 6 times.
This article is a selection of Thierry Henry’s greatest goals that includes exquisite volleys, stunning strikes and astonishing pieces of skill. I hope you enjoy my tribute to the great Frenchman.
10- Charlton
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9- West Ham
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8- Blackburn
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7- Real Madrid
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6- Weiz
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Continued on Page TWO
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5- Man United
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4- Tottenham
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3- Man City
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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes must shoulder the blame for gifting the Red Devils their clinching goal in Saturday's 2-0 win at Old Trafford.
The Brazilian shot-stopper bowled the ball out of his hands anticipating a free-kick after Nani had handled in the penalty area.
But referee Mark Clattenburg waved play on after Nani's indiscretion and the Portuguese winger rolled the ball into the empty net.
The whistler allowed the goal to stand, much to Spurs' disgust but Ferguson insists the keeper should have known better.
"It was bizarre," he said."No-one knew at the time what was wrong. One minute the goalkeeper had the ball in his hands and the next it's in his net.
"Nani looked back and looked at the referee and the referee said play on, so what can he do but put the ball in the net.
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"You can look at the referee and look at the linesmen and blame them, but the goalkeeper should know better. He's an experienced goalkeeper. I thought he made a mess of it.
"The referee played on because the goalkeeper took possession of the ball. He then went to take a free-kick thinking it was a foul. He made an error."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
David Moyes wants Everton to catch the teams chasing European qualification spots and has a score to settle against Bolton Wanderers.
When he was Preston manager, Moyes was beaten in a play-off game by Bolton in 2001 – an afternoon he has not forgotten.
“When I was manager at Preston they beat me in the end of season Championship play-offs around 10 years ago and they have been in the Premier League ever since,” Moyes said.
“It has always been hard to travel to Bolton because they have always had good managers – especially Sam Allardyce.”
“Bolton have done very well this year and Owen Coyle has got them playing good football. I hope our players will be up for the challenge and we know it is going to be a hard game.”
“We have been trying to catch up with teams like Bolton and hopefully if we can go on a run of three or four wins then we can be on the tails of the teams outside of the European places.”
“We’re only in February and we’ve got to hope the best is yet to come. In the past few seasons that’s been how it’s worked out so we are hoping it will be that way again.”
“A lot of teams at the lower end of the Premier League are playing really well and it can be quite unpredictable. There are lots of good games but also some that are very tight.”
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“It’s very close and I don’t think there is a lot between the teams at the top and the teams at the bottom. Last week the team at the bottom [Wolves] beat the team at the top [Manchester United] so it is very close.”
Jack Rodwell (groin) and Louis Saha (hamstring) will play no part in the game.
Manchester City travel to Stamford Bridge on Monday night knowing a win over Chelsea could see them extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.
It will be a tough ask for Roberto Mancini’s men to overcome the Blues in West London following their confidence boosting 3-0 wins over Wolves and Newcastle. Andre Villas-Boas’ side turned the Geordies over in their own back yard last week to lift themselves back into the top four and ease the pressure on their managers shoulders. The former Porto coach’s job had come under increasing scrutiny after home defeats to Arsenal and Liverpool in recent weeks whilst a fall out with owner Roman Abramovich was reported in the press. However they’ve snapped out of their turgid run of form with two encouraging performances and two clean sheets despite still looking shaky at the back. John Terry and David Luiz still don’t look comfortable playing beside one another and the latter was lucky not see red after hauling Demba Ba down in the fourth minute as he bore down on Petr Cech’s goal. What has been most impressive about Chelsea in the last few weeks has been the understanding generated by the front three of Juan Mata, Didier Drogba and Daniel Sturridge. The latter was unstoppable on Tyneside last week as he dominated the right side with his speed and strength seeing him win a penalty and score late on to seal the game. Drogba has also rediscovered his form with another powerhouse display at St James’ Park whilst Mata continues to get better every week. All three will need to be in top form if the Blues are to overcome the lead leaders.
City are simply unstoppable at the moment and chalked up yet another high-scoring win last weak sticking five past helpless Norwich at the Etihad Stadium. It’s now 12 victories from 14 for Mancini’s side who continue to lead rivals United by five points at the Premier League summit and they know extending that is a real possibility should the Red Devils drop points on Saturday. Despite extending their unbeaten run last week they’ll travel to West London knowing they won’t be in for an easy ride against Chelsea. Mancini know the Blues forward line is currently in red-hot form and will be keen for his defence to snuff out Drogba and co at every opportunity and prevent them from even testing Joe Hart. However with the brittle nature of the home side’s defence City will be counting on their attacking players to punish any mistakes made the fragile Luiz. Sergio Agüero was inspired aganst the Canaries last week whilst David Silva produced yet another virtuoso performance. Getting the ball to the Spaniards feet and letting him work his magic will be the key to success in the capital.
Chelsea – 4th
Last Five: Won 3-0 v Newcastle (H), Won 3-0 v Wolves (H), Lost 2-1 v Liverpool (H), Won 1-0 v Blackburn (A), Lost 5-3 v Arsenal (H), Lost 1-0 v QPR (A)
Potential Starting X11: 1. P. Cech 2. B. Ivanovic 26. J. Terry [C] 4. D. Luiz 3. A. Cole 6. O. Romeu 7. Ramires 8. F. Lampard 10. J. Mata 11. D. Drogba 23. D. Sturridge*
Injury News: Villas-Boas has no new injury worries with Michael Essien the only player currently in the Stamford Bridge treatment room.
Key Player: Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge was the star of the show once again for Chelsea putting in another industrious display down the right flank at Newcastle last week. The youngster was a constant menace on Saturday giving Magpies full back Ryan Taylor his toughest afternoon of the season. His speed and strength won the Blues a penalty and a goal for himself at St James’ Park although he could have had more if not for goalkeeper Tim Krul. More terrorising forays down the wing will be expected as he comes face-to-face with his old club.
Match Fact: Chelsea have a good record at Stamford Bridge against City winning nine of the fourteen Premier League meetings between the two sides.
Manchester City – 1st
Last Five: Won 5-1 v Norwich (H), Drew 1-1 v Liverpool (A), Won 3-1 v Newcastle (H), Won 3-2 v QPR (A),Won, 3-1 v Wolves (H)
Potential Starting X11: 25. J. Hart 2. M. Richards 4. V. Kompany* 6. J. Lescott 22. G. Clichy 18. G. Barry 42. Y. Toure 21. D. Silva 7. J. Milner 19. S. Nasri 16. S. Aguero
Injury News: Mancini will be without left back Aleksandar Kolarov for the trip to West London whilst Owen Hargreaves also remains out.
Key Player: Vincent Kompany
With the likes of Agüero and Silva doing the business in the City attack it’s been a relatively comfy ride for Kompany and his back four. However when called upon the Belgian giant has completed his tasks with consummate ease. His strength in the air and no nonsense approach will be key to Mancini’s side coming away from Stamford Bridge with maximum points. His tussle with Drogba will be one to look out for.
Match Fact: City’s record in West London doesn’t make easy reading with only two wins in 14 Premier League visits. Their 4-2 success in February 2010 was their first since they beat they had beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since January 1993.
Last Time at Stamford Bridge
Premier League 20 March 2011
Chelsea 2-0 Manchester City
Luiz (78) Ramires (90)
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Attendance: 41,741
Referee: Chris Foy
PREDICTION
Chelsea’s win over Newcastle last week will have boosted their confidence and lifted the pressure even further of Villas-Boas’ shoulders. With Sturridge, Drogba and Mata leading the attack they have the quality to beat the league leaders. However City are unstoppable at this current time and they don’t look like letting their momentum cease for a second. They’ll be coming out all guns blazing as they look to maintain their advantage at the top ahead of rivals United.
How dull is the Carlos Tevez affair becoming? The Argentinean striker has caused controversy in every year that he has been in English football, whether it’s his fault or not, and many people will be glad to see the back of him, but not me.
The former Boca Juniors and Corinthians hitman was credited with keeping West Ham in the Premier League in 2007 after scoring vital goals in huge games that helped the Upton Park side beat the drop on the final day of the season at Old Trafford. His time in the East End though was overshadowed by the third party ownership from meddler and agent Kia Joorabchian that resulted in the Hammers paying around £25million over four years to relegated Sheffield United. Tevez unsurprisingly moved to Manchester United that summer where he felt he was harshly treated throughout by Sir Alex Ferguson even though he did manage to score 34 goals in 99 games that earned him a move to arch-rivals Manchester City for a reported £35million+ deal that is one of the biggest ever in English football.
Tevez, who turns 28 on Sunday, hit the prime of his career last season, becoming City captain, leading them to FA Cup glory, a Champions League spot and 23 goals in 39 games. The Argentine was a vital member of the Blues side that created history under Roberto Mancini. However, Tevez revealed he wanted to leave the Etihad Stadium in the summer with a move to his native Argentina the preferred option to allow him to be with his family. But City could not get the required funds from any club and Tevez was told to stay. Since then Mancini has claimed that Tevez refused to warm up in a Champions League defeat away at Bayern Munich and he has not played since after being dropped and suspended by the club. So it was a certainty that Tevez would leave Manchester in January, but with just over 24-hours to go of the transfer window, Tevez remains a City player.
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But in amongst the lengthy transfer saga, I feel that the majority of people are forgetting just how good Tevez is and that on his day he is one of the best strikers in the world. Scoring 52 goals in 84 games at City and an overall record of a goal in nearly every other game in his career is certainly an attractive stat that should be remembered. Plenty of clubs wouldn’t go anywhere near Tevez in this window as his off the field history is the first thing that comes to mind when talking about him and City’s understandably high asking price is a stumbling block.
Unfortunately for Tevez his agent Joorabchian’s approach to transfers have definitely had an effect on his move but it would be nice to hear from the player himself. The main man at City last year will need a few weeks to get match fit after not playing for so long but it would not surprise me if he went on to score bundles of goals if he was to move on this week and silence any critics that don’t really know what has happened at City.
Tevez will always score goals, work extremely hard and win a team games, well worth the asking price in my opinion and someone will take him in the summer if not tomorrow. The striker is one cap away from 60 for Argentina and although he is not far off of turning 30, he may still have a good few years left in him. A bad attitude? I’m not sure, but a world class footballer? Yes.
What do you make of the Carlos Tevez affair? Let me know on Twitter @Brad_Pinard
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Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has survived a knife attack in a Spanish airport that left his bodyguard with a 4cm stab wound.Former Chelsea manager Mourinho was moving through the La Coruna airport and signing autographs for Real fans when a man armed with a knife approached. One of Mourinho’s minders thought he had been punched by the attacker as they moved through the crowd before discovering a wound near his armpit when they boarded the team bus. Mourinho was only told about the full extent of the incident on Friday, a week after it happened. Police are investigating the attack using security camera footage from the airport. El Periodico reported: “Mourinho stopped to sign autographs in arrivals, where a large number of Madrid fans were waiting for the team.””The bodyguard was near the manager and noticed he had been stabbed in the armpit. Mourinho was very worried by the incident.” The club said it suspects the attack was intended for Mourinho. It will arrange increased security around its coach while police investigate.
Sir Alex Ferguson was named the League Manager Association’s Manager of the Year on Monday.It is the third time the Scot has collected the award and is a double as he also won the Premier League’s Manager of the Year prize, after leading Manchester United to the English title and a Champions League final.
Ferguson, speaking via video link at the awards ceremony in London, said he was honoured to bag the award.
“It’s a wonderful honour. It has been a fantastic season for us in the most difficult league in the world,” the Scot said.
It was United’s 19th Premiership title – a record in the English top flight – while they also went through the season unbeaten at their Old Trafford home.
Ferguson will be hoping to collect the Champions League trophy for the third time as United take on Barcelona in the final at Wembley on Saturday.
Norwich boss Paul Lambert was named Championship manager of the year after his side earned promotion to the Premier League by finishing second to Queens Park Rangers.
Brighton manager Gus Poyet and Chesterfield’s John Sheridan claimed the League One and League Two honours respectively.
It was raining goals in the Premier League yesterday with no fewer than 36 hitting the onion bag. We can only hope that we will see much of the same at White Hart Lane and St James’ Park this afternoon, in what promises to be a feast of football.
In the papers this morning we have seen a mixed bag of stories including an exclusive interview with Gareth Bale; Michael Carrick wants a contract for life at Old Trafford, while Andy Carroll wants to make the headlines for all the right reasons and much more…
*
Ivanovic admits Wilkins shock – Sky Sports
Harry Redknapp’s strength is to let his players enjoy themselves – Guardian
Newcastle’s Carroll wants to make headlines for the right reasons – Daily Mail
Gareth Bale Exclusive Interview – Mirror
Michael Carrick desperate to stay at Manchester United – IM Scouting
Liverpool line up swoop for Sampdoria striker Antonio Cassano – IM Scouting
Roy Hodgson deserves better than this – Guardian
England 2018’s late bid for votes – Daily Telegraph
Hiddink sheds some light on the monkey business at Chelsea – Mirror
Arsenal to make £10m bid for Bolton’s Gary Cahill – IM Scouting
Grant opens door for Di Canio – Sky Sports
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Arnesen’s departure will leave Ancelotti isolated – Daily Telegraph
It was fascinating to watch Theo Walcott’s interview after Arsenal’s FA Cup 3rd Round tie at the Emirates versus Leeds a few weeks ago. Having won his side a penalty in the 88th minute that Fabregas converted – saving Arsenal’s blushes and earning a replay – he admitted he had dived to win a penalty earlier on in the game.
On one side, it’s refreshing to hear a professional footballer be so honest in front of the camera. With the increase in media coverage in the last decade, players often have lessons in how to deal with the media and what to say and not to say in interviews. But in this interview with Walcott, he admitted he took a dive and apologised for doing so. Although I appreciate his apology, many professionals would avoid the subject altogether – he commented about having a “laugh” with the referee after the game saying it was “his first dive, could you tell?” It makes you question how often this goes on within the game.
However, Walcott also mentioned the common saying in the game “if you feel a slight touch then go down” which has often caused debate over the whole diving issue. It is often seen as ‘smart’ when a player goes into a committed challenge to win a penalty or free-kick – it’s not seen as form of cheating but more like wise trickery. However, going down without being touched is as dishonest as you can get from a professional, not only are they conning the referee but they are cheating the opposition and the fans in order for their own team’s gain.
It reminds me of a story from earlier on in the season when Blackpool’s Ian Evatt claimed that referee, Howard Webb, told him and his fellow Blackpool players to “go to ground” if they want more chance of winning a free-kick. Webb’s point was that it is easier for referees to make a decision when they have a clear indication the player has been fouled.
The story came about when Webb was at Bloomfield Road as part of an FA Scheme to ease relationships between players and referees. Evatt had asked Webb why he hadn’t been given a free-kick during their game against Manchester City in a build-up to one of their goals. Webb had told him he was “too honest” by staying on his feet.
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So if referees are telling players to go to ground, what does it mean for Theo Walcott in his admission to diving? He could still face an FA charge over the incident but at least now he has a strong case to back it up.
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