Clint Dempsey scored Fulham's second goal in their 3-2 loss to Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium, playing the unlikely role of super sub. Dempsey came on in the 54th-minute for Bobby Zamora, who had to be subbed off with an injury. That ended Fulham manager Roy Hodgson's plans to rest Dempsey, needing help to turnaround Stokes' three first-half goals.

Tony Pulis pulls off very experienced signing.

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Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James is poised to join Stoke on loan for the rest of the season, subject to passing a medical, reports BBC Stoke.

By Ollie Irish

Whisper it, but now that Arsenal have more than a sniff of the Premier League title, I don't think Arsene Wenger will be too dismayed to be out of the FA Cup. He won't be dancing a jig either, but his selection of a less-than-full-strength starting XI for this match showed clearly where his priorities lie: with the Prem and the Champions League.

There was one fixture on Tuesday, January 5, 2010 in the English Premier League has Stoke City hosted Fulham. The match was a chance for Stoke to move up in the table while Fulham are looking to earn a spot in Europe once again. So, who won the match and what happened? Here's a recap of the EPL match along with video highlights for Tuesday, January 5, 2010.

Liverpool have completed the signing of Atletico Madrid midfielder Maxi Rodriguez on a free transfer, the club has confirmed on their official website.
The 29-year-old Argentine winger has signed a three-and-a-half year contract at the club after completing a medical on Merseyside today, and the move will be confirmed subject to international clearance.

Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani has called on his team-mates not to dwell on the injuries to Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.
Rafa Benitez's star duo face a combined eight weeks' absence as Liverpool's season of woe continues to plumb new depths, with Saturday's opponents Stoke preparing to add to it.

After last weekend's drama at the Britannia Stadium where a battling display by the Reds resulted in a draw against Stoke, we face a crunch match at Anfield against high-flying Tottenham Hotspur.
Tonight's match against Harry Redknapp's Spurs represents a difficult match against a team currently above us in fourth in the League.

20 years old Mexican Carlos Vela will be in the starting line-up for Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side, when the Gunners heading to the Britannia Stadium for a battle with Stoke City in the 4th Round of this years FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.

Vela will probably start on the left hand side or maybe in the central forward position, but it is up to the Arsenal Manager which team he picks to shut down a motivated Stoke City side.

Hubris. That's all it can be labeled.

How many of us saw the "Sparsenal" team Arsene Wenger fielded Sunday versus Stoke, and said to ourselves, "Aw come ON." I mean, most of us tune in to Arsenal games to watch the beautiful game be beautiful, and looking at the line-up Wenger started, it was instantly obvious that the Gunners were in for a tough match.

Someone is sniffing an upset:

The fourth-round FA Cup tie against Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park will be played on Sunday, January 24, kick off 4pm, and televised live by ITV.
The Barclays Premier League match against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium, scheduled for Tuesday, January 26, will now be played 24 hours later on Wednesday, January 27.

STOKE CITY remain confident at this stage that this evening's Barclays Premier League match against Fulham will go ahead at the Britannia Stadium.The Club have conducted a review of the situation with match referee Mark Clattenburg and the Police at lunchtime which confirmed that the pitch itself and the footprint of the Britannia Stadium are in good condition for the game tonight (7.

This was a stonking midweek game of two halves to warm all our frozen hearts.

The undoubted highlight was Deuce Dempsey's wonder volley with five minutes left (see clip, above), which gave Fulham some hope of salvaging a draw. But Stoke hung on to claim a much-needed win (they had been 3-0 up after 37 minutes), their first in six games.

Potters make ambitious move for Real Madrid star.

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Stoke City have enquired about the availability of striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, according to the club's chairman Peter Coates.

Liverpool goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri has targeted a top-four finish and victory in the Europa League as the Reds recover from their FA Cup exit at the hands of Reading.
The Brazilian is already looking ahead to the weekend's game against Stoke City and insists that it is vital Rafa Benitez's men win at the Britannia Stadium.

Rafael Benitez is hopeful of having Pepe Reina available for selection at Stoke City on Saturday.
The Liverpool goalkeeper missed the midweek Cup defeat to Reading with a back injury, but trained with his teammates on Friday.
"Pepe did some light training today and we will make a decision tomorrow," said Benitez.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis has defended under-fire Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez as he prepared for a Reds backlash.
Liverpool's shock FA Cup exit at the hands of Reading on Wednesday night has placed Benitez firmly in the firing line of his critics, who are demanding he be sacked.
Ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Stoke at the Britannia Stadium, the scenario for Benitez could not be worse after losing influential skipper Steven Gerard, star striker Fernando Torres and key midfielder Yossi Benayoun to injury following the game with the Royals.

The matches to watch after you realize Manchester United assistant Mike Phelan was trying to look like a member of Oasis with his fur-lined coat last weekend. And that the Bundesliga is finally back from its 600-day Christmas break.

Saturday

Stoke City v Liverpool at Britannia Stadium What could possibly go wrong for Liverpool next?

The Liverpool team to face Soke City at the Britannia Stadium. Maxi Rodriguez starts on the bench: Reina Aurelio Kyrgiakos Insua Carragher 27 Degen Skrtel Mascherano Lucas Kuyt Ngog Substitutes Cavaliery Darby Aquilani Riera Maxi Spearing Pacheco

Rafa Benitez felt Liverpool were given a rough ride by the match officials during their 1-1 draw with Stoke.
The Reds were desperate to take maximum points from their trip to the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, having crashed out of the FA Cup to Reading in midweek.
Their season now rests on their ability to secure a top four finish in the Premier League, and they know they cannot afford to drop points unnecessarily.

Rafael Benitez was denied a victory to lift the intense pressure on him when Stoke grabbed a last-ditch equaliser at the Britannia Stadium.
It was never pretty, but this much-derided Liverpool outfit stood up to be counted in a physical showdown.
And they went ahead when Greek defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos scrambled home his first goal for the club early in the second period of a bitterly contested battle.

Oh my gosh, what a mish-mosh of Premier League football we saw on television on Saturday. I've still making my way through the matches I've recorded, but we've seen one of the scrappiest games in the league featuring Stoke City against Liverpool, followed by an unconvincing display by Manchester United in their tense match with Burnley, and a match that was so one-sided that it looked more like an exhibition friendly between Chelsea and Sunderland.

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano thinks his team are cursed following their draw against Stoke on Saturday.
The Reds were undone by a late equaliser from Robert Huth at the Britannia Stadium, having taken the lead through Greek defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos in the 57th minute.
In a week when they also crashed out of the FA Cup after a home defeat to Reading, Mascherano is beginning to feel like there is a spell on the Anfield club.

Fabio Aurelio feels referee Lee Mason was partially responsible for costing Liverpool two points at Stoke.
The Reds were held to a 1-1 draw by the Potters at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, piling yet more pressure on under-fire coach Rafa Benitez.
A lacklustre display did little to suggest that Liverpool are capable of rescuing their season and securing a top four finish in the Premier League, with few opportunities created by both sides during a disappointing contest.

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20 years old Mexican Carlos Vela got 10 minutes of football, as his club Arsenal could shut down Premier League side Bolton Wanderers two times in five days.

In the away clash at the Reebok Stadium on last Saturday, Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger sent Carlos on after 82 minutes, so that he had a short run out with two good actions, as he got the ball on the right hand side to force a run through the middle, as well as he turned inside from the left flank to fire a left footer from the 18 yard box, but the ball was cleared by Bolton's defense.

20 years old Mexican Carlos Vela will be in the starting line-up for Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side, when the Gunners heading to the Britannia Stadium for a battle with Stoke City in the 4th Round of this years FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.

Vela will probably start on the left hand side or maybe in the central forward position, but it is up to the Arsenal Manager which team he picks to shut down a motivated Stoke City side.

20 years old Mexican Carlos Vela will be in the starting line-up for Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side, when the Gunners heading to the Britannia Stadium for a battle with Stoke City in the 4th Round of this years FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.

Vela will probably start on the left hand side or maybe in the central forward position, but it is up to the Arsenal Manager which team he picks to shut down a motivated Stoke City side.

The Game It's fourth round F.A. Cup action at the Britannia Stadium and we'll surely see some new faces in the starting eleven of the Gunners, as they will try to keep their winning form going. And, ...

The moment Arsenal fans would have seen their teamsheet they would have been thinking that they may well be in for a hard time at the Britannia Stadium and so it proved.

Stoke City battled past a second string Arsenal outfit to make it through to the fifth round of the FA Cup. Ricardo Fuller gave the home side the lead after little more than a minute after a long throw from Rory Delap.

The full fifth round draw is as follows:
Wolves or Crystal Palace v Aston Villa
Manchester City v Stoke
Derby v Birmingham
Bolton v Tottenham or Leeds
Chelsea v Cardiff
Fulham v Notts County or Wigan
Reading v West Brom
Southampton v Portsmouth
With Arsenal crashing out earlier today, the draw really has opened up in this seasons competition.

Mexican winger Carlos Vela has struggled a lot against Stoke City, as the Potters were able to romp the Gunners by 3:1 at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday afternoon. It was definately a dissapointing afternoon for the young 20 years old as he tried a lot, but nothing should work for the forward on this day.

Mexican winger Carlos Vela has struggled a lot against Stoke City, as the Potters were able to romp the Gunners by 3:1 at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday afternoon. It was definately a dissapointing afternoon for the young 20 years old as he tried a lot, but nothing should work for the forward on this day.