Andre Villas-Boas admits that being leapfrogged for the fourth place by London rivals Arsenal on Saturday left a bitter taste, particularly since his Chelsea side had played out what he refers to as the club's worst match of the season.

Ahead of the Blues' 2-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park, under-pressure Villas-Boas had acknowledged that his men are in the midst of a disappointing Premier League season and need significant improvement.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has played down the current form of one of his star players in typical fashion, suggesting that goalkeeper Joe Hart still has ways to go before being compared to the world's best.

Hart, 24, is having a brilliant stadium with the Premier League leaders and made a couple of brilliant saves to ensure that City walk out of Villa Park with a vital 1-0 win yesterday.

Thierry Henry came off the bench in his last Premier League appearance for Arsenal this year and capped the occasion off in perfect style with a late stoppage time goal that wrapped up all three points for the Gunners.

In a toughly contested match at the Stadium of Light, James McLean opened the scoring for Sunderland 25 minutes into the second half, when he capitalized on Per Mertesacker's slip to guide the ball past Wojciech Szczesny from an acute angle.

Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill admits that the Black Cats will have their hands full when they entertain Arsenal at the Stadium of Light today, particularly given the dexterity of Gunners youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The teenage sensation has quickly become a fan favorite at Arsenal, setting up Robin van Persie's equalizer in the 2-1 defeat against Manchester United and then displaying his scoring abilities by netting twice in last weekend's 7-1 destruction of Blackburn.

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas admitted that as his side prepares to kick-off at Goodison Park this afternoon, damage control is the only ambition for the Blues in a Premier League campaign where they have not been 'very honorable'.

With Tottenham seven points ahead in third and Newcastle, Arsenal, and Liverpool all within striking distance of Chelsea's current fourth position in the table, Villas-Boas acknowledges that it has been a shaky ride for a side that was assembled to chase glory.

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson believes that playing at Old Trafford tomorrow afternoon could actually prove beneficial for the Reds, who have not been at their best at home this season.

Despite using the Kop to their advantage to knock Manchester City out of the Carling Cup and Manchester United out of the FA Cup, Liverpool's league form at Anfield has been nothing to rave about.

Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill has backed tomorrow's opponents Arsenal to silence their critics, making it clear that the Gunners have sufficient talent to prevail at the Stadium of Light.

Arsene Wenger's men are three points adrift of fourth-place Chelsea and have relied heavily on the incredible form of skipper Robin van Persie, who scored a brilliant hat-trick in last weekend's 7-1 rout of Blackburn.

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has tipped club teammate Steven Gerrard to lead England during this summer's Euro 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

A dramatic sequence of events led to Chelsea skipper John Terry losing the Lions armband last Friday, which was followed by the resignation of manager Fabio Capello, who was upset at not being consulted by the FA over the captaincy row.

Arsenal back-up goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has expressed controversial views opposing the introduction of goal-line technology in football, insisting that officiating errors are part of the game.

A number of high-profile errors in recent years have prompted the International Football Association Board to hold a decisive meeting regarding the issue on July 2.

Newcastle United defender Mike Williamson is aware that Tottenham Hotspur's terrific form throughout the season indicates their prowess, particularly at White Hart Lane.

Following Monday night's goalless draw at Anfield, third-place Spurs return home and with manager Harry Redknapp cleared of tax evasion charges, the North London outfit will be completely focused on picking up all three points in Saturday's late kick-off.

Less than a week after bringing American Edson Buddle back to Los Angeles, the team has bolstered the roster further by unveiling two Brazilians.

Earlier this week, the Galaxy officially announced that the club had reached an agreement with Brazilian club São Paulo FC, allowing midfielder Juninho to return on loan for the 2012 season.

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta has publicly spoken of his side's recent struggles after the Gunners could only muster a 0-0 draw against Bolton earlier this week. Arsenal have been in a poor run of form of late, prompting many media outlets to question the future of Arsene Wenger.

"We had a lot of chances to win the game at Bolton, but once again we've not been good enough to take them," said Arsenal's Spanish midfielder.

Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew has praised his side for their recent form, and is confident about their chances in the coming weeks. The impressive Magpies have been boosted by the return of Senegal striker Demba Ba, and is thrilled with his side's performance during the African Cup of Nations.

Queens Park Rangers boss Mark Hughes has slammed the decision to delay John Terry's racism hearing until July. Terry was involved in an alleged racially-motivated clash with QPR defender Anton Ferdinand, and Hughes is upset that the trial will interrupt his side's preseason plans.

"They've made a decision that impacts on one of my players, they've given a date which is slap bang in the middle of pre-season," Hughes said.

Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton has revealed who he thinks the best player in the world is and it's not a former United great. While many Manchester United fans still name Cristiano Ronaldo as the best and most complete player in the world, Charlton has hailed the qualities of Barcelona's Lionel Messi.