Ahead of the upcoming important Premier League match against Chelsea this Sunday, Man United defender Patrice Evra has said that he never loses against Chelsea. Over recent season's Evra has had one or two controversial moments at Stamford Bridge. The main one was after a game, things kicked off with Chelsea staff, you can read more about it here, here and here. Click to continue reading...

Sunday's top of the table clash between Chelsea and Manchester United pits the current Premiership Champions against the current FA Cup winners for the second time this season. The Blues beat the Red Devils on penalties in the annual curtain-raiser, the Community Shield.

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Patrice Evra seems to get himself in trouble when we play Chelsea. The season before last he was involved in a fight with a member of Chelsea's groundstaff after our defeat.

There was CCTV footage of the incident and the FA conceded that this did not show Evra hitting the groundsman. The FA noted that the groundsman claimed he was hit on his right ear and that Evra is right-handed, making it impossible for him to have struck him, given they were stood squared up to each other.

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Fox Soccer Channel's TV ratings for the past year have been released, which reveal how many viewers the channel has been getting for Premier League, Serie A, Major League Soccer and other leagues and programs.

Fox Soccer Channel began being rated by Nielsen on October 1, 2008, so it's perfect timing to reflect how the numbers for Premier League coverage have grown by 69% in the past 12 months.

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After a year as a Nielsen-rated channel, Fox Soccer Channel isn't quite challenging Monday Night Football in the cable ratings but can point to impressive growth across the board -- doubling or tripling its ratings from fall 2008 for most programming.
Here's the most impressive part: The ratings gain can NOT be explained by an upsurge in cable and satellite companies adding the channel, says FSC executive VP and GM David Sternberg. Click to continue reading...

Goal videos from the CSKA Moscow ( CSKA Moskva) vs Manchester United Champions League Group B game on Wed, October 21 ( 17.30 UK ). There will be no Ryan Giggs or Wayne Rooney present at the Luzhniki, the very stadium at which Man United won the 2007-08 Champions League by beating Chelsea on penalties. Click to continue reading...

Looking back over the matches Chelsea have played so far this season, one of the ways increasing television coverage has changed football over the last ten years is startlingly apparent.
Chelsea have played 12 games so far this season, including the Community Shield, and only four haven't been shown live on television.

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Looking back over the matches Chelsea have played so far this season, one of the ways increasing television coverage has changed football over the last ten years is startlingly apparent.
Chelsea have played 12 games so far this season, including the Community Shield, and only four haven't been shown live on television.

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Malaysia Cup
Selangor v Kuala Muda 3-2

100% start for the Red Giants who must be favourites to add the Malaysia Cup to the FA Cup, Community Shield, Super League, Selangor Cup and World Indoor Tiddley Winks titles they have already won this year.
SLeague

Albirex Niigata v Young Lions 3-2 (Kazuki Yashino, Kenji Adachihara, Akira Takase; Fazli Yakob, Fadhil Noh) 1,493
Geylang United v Super Reds 1-2 (Masrezan Masturi; Yu Hyun Koo, Seo Su Jong) 1,418
East Java Governor's Cup
Persib v PSBI 2-0 (Budi Sudarsono, Christian Gonzales)
Persib play Persema today while PSBI take on Persela with both games being played in Lamongan. Click to continue reading...

The Community Shield kicks off the new Indonesian Super League next Wednesday and I had hoped to catch the game between champions Persipura and Copa winners Sriwijaya at the Bung Karno Stadium here in Jakarta.
However I hadn't been holding my breath. Games are announced then postponed at the drop of a hat in these parts and I had special reason to doubt the season's opener would be taking place in the capital city. Click to continue reading...

On Arsene Wenger's 13th anniversary as Arsenal's manager, here is a compilation of the Top 10 times that Arsene Wenger has said famous line after an incident involving his team took place - "I did not see it":
10. Following an incident against West Ham when Dennis Bergkamp appeared to strike Lee Bowyer in the face, January 2003
"It did not look intentional. Click to continue reading...

Campbell celebrating his goal against Barcelona in the CL final 2006 Sol Campbell.

In recent times he is probably our favourite player with a Spurs connection. 2 league titles, 3 FA Cups and a couple of Community Shield victories. Don't tell me that the latter doesn't count, because to play that you need to win the league or the FA Cup or finish 2nd.

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Foster has a lot to think about

Ben Foster has been enjoying his recent run as Manchester United's number one, "I've really enjoyed being involved so far it's what I've wanted, when you have a solid run in the team you can look forward to games in advance and settle down a bit more.

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By Gareth Freeman

United's own start to the season may not have been as impressive as it could have been. Granted they've won three out of four but the loss to Burnley was as big a shock as we've had all season and the manner in which they defeated Arsenal was not as convincing as perhaps it could have been.

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A lot of news agencies are reporting that Sir Alex Ferguson has ruled out any other signings prior to the close of the transfer window. That's not quite the case. In an interview with The Independent, Ferguson admitted that, after the Burnley match, he saw considerable problems with his United side.

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2009/2010 kicks off in Indonesia on 4th October with the Community Shield between champions Persipura and Copa winners Sriwijaya at the Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta. This of course is a rematch of the Copa final when Persipura walked off and saw the game awarded to Sriwijaya.
A week later the Indonesian Super League gets under way. Click to continue reading...

After winning El Triplete last season, Barcelona fans have to be wondering what is in store for this season and how can they possibly surpass last season's history.
I know how they can do it, by becoming the 1st team in European history to win a SEXTUPLE. Mathematically speaking it would be a doubling of the Treble that was won last season. Click to continue reading...

- Following the media reports during the week that Anderson and Sir Alex Ferguson had a big bust up ahead of the Community Shield because he wasn't picked, I can reveal that there is an element in truth to it. On the Friday before the Chelsea game Anderson kicked off massively with Federico Macheda on the training ground.

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So here we are then. With just three competitive (if you prefer not to count the Community Shield as meaningful) games of the season played, we face our first big test in the shape of Arsenal.

While last season's meeting at Old Trafford in the Premier League was hardly of massive significance, tomorrow's encounter will certainly provide a decent benchmark to how we are shaping up in terms of our title credentials this campaign.

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It won't come as a surprise to people who hate Manchester United that Vidic putting his hand into the face of Wigan's Rodallega, as refereed by Howard Webb or the Man Utd players surrounding referee Chris Foy versus Chelsea in the Community Shield are to go unpunished.

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If the rumours are true then it seems Carrick and Anderson could soon be looking for new clubs, because according to the media both players have been involved in spats with the manager following his decision to axe the pair of them.Anderson was reportedly unhappy about being omitted from the United team that faced Chelsea in the Community Shield, while Carrick was dropped for the home game with Click to continue reading...

Anderson spoke to Sportsmail putting an end to speculation that he may be heading for the exits at Old Trafford. This late in the window, with Ferguson saying "he won't buy anyone", it would surprise me if he were to boot someone out of the door. Anderson has gone down in estimation with some fans due to an inconsistent second season, and there were reports of a bust up between Ferguson and him over his non-selection in the Community Shield.

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"I believed that I would play in the Community Shield but that is forgotten now," said Anderson. "I thought that, without Cristiano Ronaldo around, I could play more and that has been my challenge from pre-season onwards. But the coach decides the teams and to discuss this with him is foolish because he is the chief.

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End of the line for the Brazilian midfielder?

Anderson has been told he can leave Manchester United following a furious fall-out with manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
It is understood the Brazilian reacted badly after he was dropped for the season curtain raiser Community Shield defeat to Chelsea, after losing his place in the starting XI to Irish youngster Darron Gibson.

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With a week until the transfer window closes, some fairly bizarre rumours have been doing the rounds.

First, it was claimed that Michael Carrick was on his way back to Tottenham Hotspur with Luka Modric coming in the other direction. The Spurs fans seemed to fancy it but could see that it was tabloid nonsense, originated from the fact Carrick had been rotated and Harry Redknapp confessed Ferguson was a fan of Modric.

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Arsene Wenger has made a fresh move for St Etienne midfielder Blaise Matuidi after fearing Cesc Fabregas is facing an injury lay-off.

Arsenal captain Fabregas, 22, faces a race to be fit for Saturday's trip to Manchester United and could be out for up to three weeks with a hamstring injury.

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Manchester United Brazilian midfielder Anderson has been told he can quit the Old Trafford club after reacting angrily to being left out for the Community Shield defeat by Chelsea. Anderson added more fuel to the fire when he refused to back down after Sir Alex Ferguson confronted him for his actions. Click to continue reading...

Carlo Ancelotti has certainly stamped his mark on Chelsea early in the season so far. A Community Shield victory, coupled with 3 Premiership wins on the bounce has seen Chelsea rise to the top end of the table. So far, so what then? Nothing surprising in that in itself, would we expect the any of the big four to not already be putting markers down for the early running.

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Indonesia's new season will open with a Community Shield pitting ISL champions Persipura against Copa winners Sriwijaya. The game will take place in October and the plan is to hold it in Jakarta.
The same two sides ended last season in the Copa final with Persipura sulking in the dressing room after the ref rejected their appeals for a penalty. Click to continue reading...

Benitez looks strengthening his defensive options.

LIVERPOOL were in Bilbao last night to run the rule over their £10million-rated central defender Fernando Amorebieta.
Bilbao's 6ft 3in stopper was facing Barcelona in the first leg of Spain's version of the Community Shield.

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2009/2010 Individual Awards

Best Manager

We hear at the PLTO believe that Carlo Ancelotti has the perfect coaching style to mesh with the Blues squad. Ancelotti is well known for coaching successful teams at AC Milan and now that the coach has taken over the Blues you can expect the Blues misfortunes to quickly turn around as well.

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Whilst becoming increasingly frustrated with Cristiano Ronaldo's antics last season, I did always feel some sympathy for it. Two wrongs don't make a right, but we had all seen the countless occasions when players had intentionally kicked at Ronaldo and the referee did nothing about it. He was battered and bruised during his time in the Premiership, so whilst never really wanting to justify it when Ronaldo went to ground too easily, I did understand it.

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Nani opened the scoring in the Community Shield match against Chelsea last weekend and put in an all-round good performance. Sir Alex Ferguson reckoned that whoever chose Ricardo Carvalho as man of the match over Nani "obviously weren't watching the game".

The young Portuguese winger is in need of a good season and despite best bud Cristiano Ronaldo leaving, he seems as committed as ever.

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I was getting ready to draft my Premier League preview when I stumbled across the news of ESPN's agreement to air games in the U.S. this season. Talk about a great way to start the season. Now that I've calmed a little from that excitement, it's time to talk Premier League!
If there is a silver lining to the global economic crisis, it might be this: With wild spending down, we are looking at potentially the most competitive season in the history of the Premier League. Click to continue reading...

By Gareth Freeman

The fixture list has perhaps been kind to United in that new boys Birmingham City visit Old Trafford on the opening day, or the day after the opening day anyway. The Blues have made a lot of new signings but that isn't going to make any difference to how this game will turn out and I doubt anyone will be betting on Birmingham getting something out of the visit to Manchester.

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