English footballer Emile Heskey did the noble thing this week by announcing his retirement from international football. Despite lots of criticism, Heskey was a stalwart for England, making 62 appearances for his country between 1999 and 2010 and contributing a large number of assists and seven goals.

A few more players were added to Santa's naughty list in Week 4 and are set to miss out on featuring for their sides this week's fixtures. Others are finally back after serving bans from Week 1, while one player is back on the bad list for a second time after just a few weeks. Here's who will not be playing this week:

Joe Cole (AM) is back in action!

After the latest round of both the Champions League and the Euro-Disney League, we refocus our attention on the Premier league for Week 7. There are some good looking fixtures this week, but none match up to the London-derby between Chelsea and Arsenal on Sunday. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's take a look at who will not be featuring this week thanks to their bastardly behavior:

A late and altogether stupid challenge in the dying minutes of Birmingham City's match with Wigan Athletic in Week 6 saw Craig Gardner (CM) given a straight red.

After the first week of matches, the inevitable has happened for a few unfortunate players. With ejections recorded and cautions mounting, the Premier League Suspension Report will be here to let you know who to keep out of your squad ahead of Week 2′s kick-off. These are the players that really wont be suiting up at the weekend.

>> Click Here To Watch Sunderland Vs Man City Live Now <<

Sunderland Vs Man City Live Streaming & Match Preview
English Premier League – Sunderland Vs Man City Live Online Click Here
Sunday, 29th August 2010
Kick Off : 15:00 BST
Venue : Stadium of Light, Sunderland

This English Premier League fixture will see Sunderland taking on Man City at the Stadium of Light on Sunday 29th August 2010, kick-off set for 3:00 PM.

Our midfield performance against Sunderland excluding Mikel, wasn't good enough at all and the Terry, Alex injury "crisis" has taken most of the spotlight away from how bad it was.
After looking at our defensive option for the next three weeks or so, I decided to have a look at our midfield options.

The fourth and final bunch of mid-season reports and grades features Sunderland, Spurs, West Ham, Wigan and Wolves:

SUNDERLAND (11th, 23 points from 20 games)

Made a storming start to the campaign but an injury to key midfielder Lee Cattermole in October took the wind completely out of their sails.

By TRAVIS CLARK

With Carlos Tevez missing, the Manchester City attack has stagnated. Since the Argentinian striker took off for his homeland on compassionate leave, the Citizens have managed just two goals in three games.

Tevez will also miss tomorrow's FA Cup clash against Stoke City, but coach Roberto Mancini said in a press conference this week that the club expects Tevez to catch a flight back either Thursday or Friday and could be available for Saturday's match against Chelsea.

After failing to score against a tired Fulham side on Sunday, Sunderland have now gone 14 games without a win in the Premier League and are the only team in the division to have not won a league match in 2010. Such damning statistics can only point to one thing: the manager.

I didn't think anyone could be as bad as resident caretaker Ricky Sbragia, but even the experience and know-how of Steve Bruce is finding it difficult to get the supporters on his side.

Andy Carroll has had a good season at Newcastle, and played for the England U21 side against Greece last night, but England were surprisingly beaten 2-1. Andy Carroll talks to team-mates Cattermole and Wishere last night Greece took the lead after 28 minutes after a header was cleared, but only as far as Kyriakos Papadopoulos, who shot [.

Manager Rafael Benitez thinks Liverpool's previous experience in securing Champions League football will help them come good at the end of the season.
The Reds are currently sixth, four points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, but that gap could be more by the end of the day.
And although his side have played more matches than Spurs, Manchester City and Aston Villa, Benitez is confident his players can rise to the occasion with at least five wins required from their last seven matches.

>> Click Here To Watch Sunderland Vs Man United Live Now <<

Sunderland Vs Man United Live Streaming & Match Preview
Premier League Sunderland Vs Man United Live Online Click Here
Sunday, 2nd May 2010
Kick Off : 16:00 BST
Venue : Stadium of Light, Sunderland

The Premier League game between Sunderland and Manchester United will be played at the Stadium of Light on Sunday 2nd May 2010, kick-off set 4:00 PM.

Sir Alex takes his Old Trafford side to the Stadium of Light for a crucial Premier League encounter.

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Manchester United welcomed back forward Wayne Rooney and defender Rio Ferdinand to training on Friday with both hopeful of returning to the starting XI.

Fresh off of Manchester United's 1-0 victory over Sunderland yesterday, David Pleat of the Guardian gives a tactical analysis of how United won.
United continued to dominate passing and to control the game after half-time. Sunderland's rearranged central midfield, with Lorik Cana and Lee Cattermole, who had replaced David Meyler in the first half, could not cope with the clever triangles that United played using a combination of their midfield and front men.

Everyone seems to think it would be the greatest thing on earth if England win the upcoming World Cup. But will it? Doug Drinkwater looks at the good, the bad and the ugly things that might happen should England find their way to glory in South Africa...

The Good

England wins and the nation is awash with euphoria and national pride.

New Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is ready to do battle with Steve Bruce over Maynor Figueroa, according to reports.
Black Cats' boss Steve Bruce failed with two attempts to land the Honduras international last season, but is thought to be ready to renew his interest in a player who would fill the problem left-back position.

Yesterday the now former Sunderland captain agreed a four year deal with the Turkish side for a fee of £5 million.

The move seems like a negative one for Sunderland, he it certainly a top quality player in the mould of the likes of Mascherano and Roy Keane. It is likely that his position will be filled by Lee Cattermole with Bruce likely to invest in a more creative midfielder to partner him.

Reid to see specialist Sunderland's Andy Reid is to a visit a specialist after suffering a setback in his return from injury. The Irishman has picked up an Achilles complaint and will seek medical advice before stepping up his pre-season plans.Also, Lee Cattermole is also nursing a knock. The combative midfielder was forced out of Saturday's 1-0 victory over Darlington with a groin strain and

A while back we gave you the Soccer Saturday drinking game as well as the Nicklas Bendtner drinking game. Well some chaps on the Facebook have created a drinking game for you to enjoy during the World Cup. Apologies for its lateness and remember to drink sensibly...

Drink every time the referee blows his whistle

Small drink for every goal scored by a striker

Have half a drink for every goal by a midfielder

Finish your drink for any goal by a defender

Have a small drink for every yellow card; finish your drink if any player is sent off

Whenever a free kick is given on the edge of the box, the last person to shout "Beckham" must finish their drink

Before kickoff, select a side and drink throughout their national anthem

Using the same team you have just picked, you must be drinking when ever their captain is in possession of the ball

Drinking must take place in any dead ball situation (throw-in, corners, goal kicks etc)

Finish your drink if any goals come from a free kick

During a penalty shootout, select a side and have a small drink for every penalty kick missed

Whenever the World Cup in South Africa is referred to as either "the first world cup in Africa", or "a big step for African sport" you must finish your drink.

By Ollie Irish

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has been left out of England's Under-21 squad for Tuesday's friendly against Uzbekistan.

This means, almost certainly, that Wilshere is set to be picked in England's senior squad, for Wednesday's friendly against Hungary.

England manager Fabio Capello is expected to announce a youthful England national squad on Saturday. The Italian tactician is looking for a spark in his squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers, after a dismal World Cup in South Africa.

With the England under 21 squad already announced, and key players not included, the gossip columns are going crazy.

Newcastle's 6-0 demolition of Aston Villa at the weekend was slightly surprising, but the success of Andy Carroll should not have caught many pundits off guard. The 21-year-old striker has been rising steadily within the English game, finishing last season's promotion campaign as Newcastle's most dangerous offensive weapon.

Xabi Alonso (Bottom right)/ Mikel Arteta (Bottom left)

Spanish players Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso have a very strong friendship having played together since a young age at their local side Antiguoko. Additionally, they have been neighbours twice: in San Sebastián (As kids) and in Liverpool, with the two Basque born men playing either side of Stanley Park.

A Wayne Rooney-less Manchester United threw away two points at Goodison Park, Chelsea maintained their imperious start to the season while Blackpool recorded their second away win of the campaign. Elsewhere, Lee Cattermole went from daft to just down right brainless, Fulham earned their first triumph under manager Mark Hughes, Tottenham's mediocre beginning to the term continued while there are concerns over Liverpool striker Fernando Torres' form.

The Stadium of Light, there's a misnomer. Anyone who has had the misfortune to travel to Sunderland away knows the drab, watery light that emanates from the cold North Sea and washes over the industrial wasteland that is Sunderland. They will also know how we struggled at TSOL last season, despite having 90% of the possession we got beaten by a late Darren Bent goal (plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose).

>> Click Here To Watch Sunderland Vs Arsenal Live Now <<

Sunderland Vs Arsenal Live Streaming & Match Preview
English Premier League – Sunderland Vs Arsenal Live Online Click Here
Saturday, 18th September 2010
Kick Off : 17:30 BST
Venue : Stadium of Light, Sunderland England

The English Premier League match between Sunderland and Arsenal will take place at the Stadium of Light on Saturday 18th September 2010; kick-off is set for 5:30 PM.

Arsenal visit Stadium of Light tonight as they play Steve Bruce's Sunderland. We've had mixed results here over the last 3 seasons. A win, a draw and a lost in that particular sequence. So, this has become a fixture that Arsenal have struggled in recent seasons and just like the last 2 games before this, this match is another test of whether we have improved with another year's experience.

Asamoah Gyan lifts Sunderland's physical style

Sunderland vs Arsenal at the Stadium of Light, 12:30 PM EST on FSC.

The Black Cats are a tough team to beat at home.

Asamoah Gyan, the physically gifted striker has shown he can be Drogba like in punishing defenders. Case in point, shrugging off Jay DeMerit and Carlos Bocanegra to put Ghana ahead in the second half of the match in the round of 16 at the World Cup.

Moussa Sissoko really does look like the real deal. Well, at least on You Tube! He's 6'2" and frighteningly broad at the chest, like an elongated Michael Essien. A great tackler with huge reserves of energy and silky passing skills, he may be just what the doctor ordered if Hargreaves turns out to be finished.

When picking your team for week six of the Soccerlens Fantasy Football Game, then anyone planning to win the weekly prize money (available to the top three teams in each 11 team mini-league) should have only one question: Who's hot? If you have a second question, it should be: Who's not?

While matters concerning a certain beach ball dominated the headlines last season when Liverpool and Sunderland met, the start of this seasons meetings yields a very different picture.

With protests planned at Anfield this afternoon in an effort to step up the process to remove owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett from the fold, the future of the club grabs more headlines than the team sheet does for once.

Kickoff from Anfield at 15:00 GMT, 10:00 EST.

Ways to Watch:

Match not televised live in the UK, but it's on Fox Sports Plus(HD) in the US.

MyP2P.eu
Atdhe.net
ChannelSurfing.net

Liverpool:

Reina
Johnson Carragher Skrtel Konchesky
Gerrard Poulsen
Kuyt Meireles Cole
Torres

Bench: Jones, Kyrgiakos, Lucas, Ngog, Agger, Jovanovic, Maxi

The one-armed man did it!

When I had already stopped groaning and started drinking, I saw at least one good sign. Anderson place two elbows on either side of Lee Cattermole and moved him out of the way like a human fork-lift truck. Cattermole, forced by a shower of yellow-cum-red cards to curb his inner pit bull, took it like a man before running off and carrying on Brucey's strategy of having him relentlessly harass Paul Scholes.

This season Darren Bent has scored five goals in eight games, a decent return for the striker. But guess how many Sunderland have scored in total?

If you said seven then you are right. The England international (well sort of) it seems is the bread winner for his side and Bruce has let the world know this.

[101gg]

The diving culture does seem to be going from strength to strength, unfortunately, but Lee Cattermole's flailing arm routine from Monday is one of the finer examples of diving in recent times. Maybe even since the weekend. There is no contact whatsoever, just a brain

What's funny is the likeness to Alberto Gilardino's famous dive against Celtic.

Maradona still has it... see? [Futbolita]
Should Rangers and Celtic be in the Premier League? Or at least in the Championship? [In The Stands]
The Twitter difficulties of Argentine football personalities. [The Football Ramble]

Don't mess with Mesut [Dirty Tackle]
Wayne Rooney's states that United can't match his ambitions [The Original Winger]
Rooney's exit in January could mean that the Merseyside could get Landon for keeps [Match Fit USA]
Goal-line technology, we're nearly there.

I know better than to jot down a post like this late night after the electrolytes have been sucked out of me by surfing some disgusting Pacifica Pacific Ocean water, had no sleep the night before, called Allan Hutton "sensational" (thanks for the correction Ryan), and added a few Boddington's to the smorgasbord.

LONDON, England — Spurs missed the chance to gain ground on the Premier League's leading pack on Tuesday after a defensive blunder saw them drop points in a 1-1 draw with Sunderland. Harry Redknapp's side looked to have done enough to secure an important victory at White Hart Lane after Dutch international Rafael Van der [.

When I write about Spurs I usually have to leave it a day or two after a result to let the dust settle and my thoughts on the game form into something vaguely readable. If I'd have written something immediately after the final whistle last night it would've been non-sensical and could've been perceived as my knee fully jerking.

When I write about Spurs I usually have to leave it a day or two after a result to let the dust settle and my thoughts on the game form into something vaguely readable. If I'd have written something immediately after the final whistle last night it would've been non-sensical and could've been perceived as my knee fully jerking.