Premier League Team News - Barclays Premier League - ESPN SoccernetThe news is slow to come in to SoccerNet today but I'm in off-site planning meetings for 2010 as part of my day job so I'm getting a head start of things.� Arsenal - I'm not going to repeat the entire injury list because I just don't have the time. Click to continue reading...

Michael Ballack has been a top-class performer for Chelsea in this season's Barclays Premier League. He has been a key reason for the Blues success in the league this term, contributing three goals and 2 assists in 9 games with an impressive passing efficiency of 84%.
Malaysian Today published this article recently chronicling the career of Ballack, his injury struggles while at the Premiership and finally coming good this season. Click to continue reading...

On Saturday afternoon, just before 12.45, a big-spending manager will take his seat in the dugout at Anfield aware that his side is desperate for a victory to ease the mounting pressure. Defeat will bring an avalanche of criticism. Yes, Mark Hughes could be in for a torrid afternoon if his Manchester City side is beaten by Liverpool. Click to continue reading...

British newspaper reports say that Chelsea are closing in on a deal for Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid which could be worth £50million.

The deal would make the Argentina striker the highest-paid player in the Barclays Premier League at more than £170,000-a-week.

Over the summer Chelsea had a £31m bid for Aguero turned down last summer but are now prepared to increase their offer after seeing Aguero score two stunning goals against Chelsea in the Champions League earlier this month.

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Arsenal striker Robin van Persie is likely to miss his rematch with Manchester City centre-forward Emmanuel Adebayor.
Van Persie's injury threatens to stop him lining up against former team-mate Adebayor in next month's Carling Cup quarter-final at Manchester City.
Van Persie was keen to play after a stormy Barclays Premier League clash in September in which Adebayor stamped on his face and provoked travelling fans after scoring in a 4-2 win for his side. Click to continue reading...

Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Juventus are among the European giants set to battle for the signature of Palermo defender Simon Kjaer next summer.
The 20-year-old centre-back has established himself as one of the most promising young stoppers in Serie A and is likely to be at the heart of Denmark's defence at the 2010 World Cup finals next summer. Click to continue reading...

by CARL ELDRIDGE� Will RVP be out for six weeks or a season? That's the question we are left asking� after reports in this morning's papers disagreed on the period our Dutch ace will be sidelined.

The Daily Mail reports that he has insisted he will be out of action for no more than six weeks despite tearing ankle ligaments during Holland's 0-0 draw with Italy on Saturday.

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This is one of the best things to have been published on the internet when it comes to player analysis and team performances. For the latest in stats and soccer analysis, go to Castrol Rankings. The rankings are a little dated (next update expected on 15/12) but still valuable information.
The top 20 best performing players in the world are currently:
Nine Barcelona players are listed in the top 10, the best club side in world football at the moment. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool will work feverishly during the international break to find a solution to Daniel Agger's on-going back problem.
The Denmark international played in last week's Champions League 1-1 draw in Lyon, and also in Monday's stalemate with Birmingham.
But boss Rafa Benitez revealed his concerns about the player's injury problem that has dogged him all season and needed an operation during the summer. Click to continue reading...

Russian ace wants to quit White Hart Lane.

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Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko is planning showdown talks with manager Harry Redknapp after the international break during which he will "insist" on being allowed to leave the club in January.

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Birmingham City left Anfield seething with injustice last night after being denied victory over Liverpool because of a controversial penalty won by David Ngog, who they accused of "an embarrassing case of cheating".
Liverpool were trailing when Ngog went down in the penalty area under a challenge by Lee Carsley. Click to continue reading...

The biggest match of the weekend ended up being a tense but boring affair. It was so bad that in the end, the most eyecatching incident turned out to be off the field as shown by the picture on the left.
Just what this man was thinking is beyond comprehension but perhaps he DOES know what he was up to. Click to continue reading...

Cesc Fabregas is remaining cautious in refusing to get carried away by Arsenal's current free-scoring form.
The Gunners moved into second spot in the Barclays Premier League with a clinical 4-1 win over Wolves on Saturday to take their league tally to 36 goals in 11 games.
He said: "We do worry about the goals coming to an end. Click to continue reading...

Monday 9th November
19:45 Barnsley v Sheffield Utd, Championship, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Start the week with a thundering Yorkshire derby if that's your pleasure. An Eee Ba Gum Classico if you will. Both teams are two of six on 17 points making it tighter than a gnat's chuff in the middle of the Championship. Click to continue reading...

Rafael Benitez has held talks with his Liverpool bosses over the implications if the club fail to reach the last 16 of this season's Champions League.
Discussions were also held on if the club fail to qualify for next season's lucrative European competition.
The Liverpool manager revealed today that the club did not budget this term for anything beyond the group stages. Click to continue reading...

Tonight one of the biggest matches in the EPL pitting two of England's Dominant clubs� Chelsea and Manchester United at the Stamford bridge will definitely be a match to watch. Both these teams are separated by just two points in the Barclays Premiership title race.

Chelsea's fantastic start to the season will get better if they beat a Manchester United side that seem to be coping well in their post Ronaldo era.

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Carlo Ancelotti claimed yesterday that Liverpool can no longer win the Barclays Premier League title, although such a dismissive attitude will not stop him seeking to follow their example when Chelsea face Manchester United on Sunday.
Chelsea can open a five-point gap at the top of table by beating United at Stamford Bridge and victory would put them 12 points clear of sixth-placed Liverpool, who host Birmingham City on Monday night. Click to continue reading...

Morning All...

Not too much going on in the world of gossip, but according to Carlo Ancelotti, we have a good chance of finishing first. About time to I think, so many managers have dismissed us as a team that can challenge for trophies this year, its good to hear a 'half decent' one finally recognise just how well this team is coming together.

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Devastated is the word that Steven Gerrard used to describe how he felt when Xabi Alonso left Liverpool. It is a strong word. "Gutted" is trotted out routinely by footballers, but "devastated" cuts far deeper, revealing the kind of pain that has been all too apparent in the turbulent five-week spell that has turned Liverpool's season into something already approaching a write-off. Click to continue reading...

Premier League Team News - Barclays Premier League - ESPN SoccernetYou can check either the link above or yesterday's The Week Ahead post for a complete listing of those missing through suspension after the Premier League's refs.� As I mentioned yesterday, the interesting opportunities that will result from suspensions are O'Shea being a line-up definite and Frazier Campbell deputizing for Click to continue reading...

Fernando Torres has a hernia that could require surgery if he is overplayed, Rafael Benítez has been warned.
Liverpool's medical staff delivered the worrying prognosis during the build-up to the club's crucial Champions League match against Lyons on Wednesday.
Steven Gerrard is definitely out of the group E tie at the Stade Gerland because of a groin problem. Click to continue reading...

Sunderland striker, England international, English Premier League third leading scorer and Twitter Master Darren Bent has had his Twitter ID and a Twitter logo placed on the tongues of his football boots. The new boots were designed by Umbro and Bent in recognition of him being the "Barclays English Premier League's most high-profile social networker" with [. Click to continue reading...

The events of week 10 only serve to confirm just how exciting the English Premier League is. Though not as competitive in terms of talent as the La Liga, the Premiership still remains the most intriguing and captivating football league in the world.
Who would have thought that Burnley would be in the Top 4 for League's best home record. Click to continue reading...

Today's edition of The Times featured a hilarious and insightful story titled "Confessions of a cabin crew." Air stewardesses had their say about the Premier League's most polite and rudest stars, and by the sounds of things the Barclays Premiership table also reflects attitudes.

Here, in all of its glory, is what one of the cabin crew members revealed about Tottenham versus Manchester United:

"We often get football teams flying to European games, and it's always interesting to see how they behave.

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Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell is certain that a win over Benfica in Thursday night's Europa League fixture will boost Everton's confidence. The Toffees currently lie in 13th in the Barclays Premier League table, and Rodwell believes that the side could be ready to turn the corner.

"We feel good about the performance against Villa but not about the result," said Rodwell.

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by CARL EDLRIDGE Stan Kroenke has� snapped up� another 427 shares in Arsenal's parent holding company, at a cost of £3.6million, as the Yank moves closer towards the takeover threshold, reports the Daily Mail.

Kroenke� is now the largest individual shareholder in Arsenal, with a stake of 29.

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Sometimes it is very easy to tell merely a couple of months into the season whether or not the current league leader will run away with the title come the business end of the season. However, as fans of the sport, we often hope that a title race is full of twists and turns all the way till it reaches a dramatic finale.

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The fans half feared it, the pundits shook their heads and even the club had doubts, but when it comes to juggling the demands of the Barclays Premier League and European competition, while Fulham are coping magnificently, Rafael Benítez's team are not.
The fragility of Liverpool's season was never starker. Click to continue reading...

Premier League Team News - Barclays Premier League - ESPN SoccernetSo, what to make of the return of David Bentley - will he finally fit into what Spurs do? Will he be the same unmitigated disaster that made him one of the worst transfer buys of the last 5 years?� Will he even start? Or is 'arry just using this as a smoke screen while planning to start Jenas, Kranj, Palacios, and THud in some Click to continue reading...

Tottenham striker Robbie Keane has kicked off the rivalry that will be renewed this weekend as Arsenal host London rivals Tottenham Hotspurs. The Irish striker has revealed his belief that it is Tottenham, not Arsenal, that has the deeper squad. According to Keane, Tottenham are well equipped to beat the Gunners to a spot in the top four this season.

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I did not think that any team could outdo Newcastle for their off-field antics, but Portsmouth is determined to outdo even Mike Ashley. Portsmouth's season has descended yet further into chaos with news that the Premier League have hit them with a transfer ban.

The Premier League confirmed reports by the DailyMail that they had taken the drastic action because of Portsmouth's debts to other English clubs that remain outstanding.

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For many Premier League outsiders, it's always been a mystery as to how Sir Alex Ferguson assembles his loyal following of top flight managers. Roberto Martinez, a fresh face to the Premier League this season for Wigan, has revealed some of the inner secrets of the manager sanctum.

"Ferguson has his group of loyal fans among other managers.

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Rafael Benitez has confirmed that Alberto Aquilani has been included in the Liverpool squad for tomorrow night's Carling Cup match at Arsenal.
The midfielder has been recovering from an ankle operation since his summer move from Roma and made his first appearance in a Liverpool shirt in the reserves' 2-0 win against Sunderland last week. Click to continue reading...

For many Premier League outsiders, it's always been a mystery as to how Sir Alex Ferguson assembles his loyal following of top flight managers. Roberto Martinez, a fresh face to the Premier League this season for Wigan, has revealed some of the inner secrets of the manager sanctum.

"Ferguson has his group of loyal fans among other managers.

Click to continue reading...

A pair of young prospects were linked over the weekend with imminent moves to the club. Firstly, Slovenian midfielder Rene Krhin - currently at Inter, who The People suggest is all but a done deal:

Krhin should join Hughes's revolution in the New Year, with City keen to do business now before he costs even more - and possibly appears in the World Cup finals for his country next summer.

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