SoccerBlogs

Russia, England, Belgium, Ireland, Bosnia, Hungary, Netherlands, France, Germany, and Portugal all won in UEFA World Cup Qualifying on September 7, 2012.

Russia cruised to a home victory to move on top of Group F.

Azerbaijan fought back from an 0-1 deficit to earn a draw at home.

What would Van Persie's arrival at Manchester City mean for Balotelli, Tevez and co? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

After securing a last-gasp Premier League title success last season, Manchester City were expected to push on and splurge in the transfer market, as they look to challenge on all fronts next term.

Big spending Malaga are set to splash the money this season with Manchester City strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Edin Dzeko reportedly high on their wish list

Manager Manuel Pellegrini has told the club that he wants to bring in a quality striker to replace the retiring Ruud Van Nistelrooy and has targeted one of the two out of favor Man City strikers.

Assuming Manchester United can grab all 3 points against Queens Park Rangers, Manchester City will have to come away from the Emirates with a win, if they are to have any hope of stopping their rivals from retaining the Premier League title.

QPR go to Old Trafford on Sunday in the lunchtime kick-off and based on current form and even with QPR's recent results at home you'd have to be a mad man to suggest that Mark Hughes' team will come away with anything.

Stat Attack: Why Messi Is Number One - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Following Lionel Messi's five goals for Barcelona against Bayern Leverkusen, the Castrol EDGE Rankings confirm Pep Guardiola's claim that "Messi's the best, there's no one else. He's unique".

Manchester City maintained their 100% home record in the Premier League this season with a comfortable 3-0 victory against struggling Blackburn Rovers.

Mario Balotelli made a sustained period of pressure tell for Roberto Mancini's team, who are five points clear of Manchester United ahead of their trip to Norwich on Sunday, when he turned in Aleksandar Kolarov's cross after 30 minutes.

Manchester City maintained their 100% home record in the Premier League this season with a comfortable 3-0 victory against struggling Blackburn Rovers.

Mario Balotelli made a sustained period of pressure tell for Roberto Mancini's team, who are five points clear of Manchester United ahead of their trip to Norwich on Sunday, when he turned in Aleksandar Kolarov's cross after 30 minutes.

As a player, you have respect for Barcelona but you never have fear. You have to plan for a good game against them and to try to cause them problems. So no, we do not have any fear of Manchester City, especially because we're playing at home in this match but we do have the ultimate respect for them because they're the league leaders.

In a remarkable speech, Carlos Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian insisted that Carlos Tevez did not refuse to go on as a substitute for Manchester City against Bayern Munich and that he is simply a victim of mistranslation.

Joorabchian told the Leaders in Football conference in London on Wednesday that Tevez was not the sort of player who would refuse to take to the pitch.

In a remarkable speech, Carlos Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian insisted that Carlos Tevez did not refuse to go on as a substitute for Manchester City against Bayern Munich and that he is simply a victim of mistranslation.

Joorabchian told the Leaders in Football conference in London on Wednesday that Tevez was not the sort of player who would refuse to take to the pitch.

The center of football in England is in Manchester as Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick as Manchester United thrashed Arsenal 8-2 at Old Trafford and Edin Džeko scored four as Manchester City beat Spurs 5-1 at White Hart Lane.

Manchester City were impressive in the early kick-off as Edin Dzeko scored four times as he and debutant Samir Nasri helped Manchester City put Tottenham Hotspur to the sword with a ruthless display of attacking football.

The center of football in England is in Manchester as Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick as Manchester United thrashed Arsenal 8-2 at Old Trafford and Edin Džeko scored four as Manchester City beat Spurs 5-1 at White Hart Lane.

Manchester City were impressive in the early kick-off as Edin Dzeko scored four times as he and debutant Samir Nasri helped Manchester City put Tottenham Hotspur to the sword with a ruthless display of attacking football.

Manchester City secured a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League with a 1-0 home victory against Tottenham Hotspur.

City had the first notable chance but Edin Džeko was thwarted by Carlo Cudicini's point-blank save. Spurs grew into the match and it was not long before they fashioned an opportunity of their own, Luka Modrić firing wide from Aaron Lennon's centre.

Having a rather below par games this season added with his controversial case earlier, Wayne Rooney, pretty much proved that he is still committed in giving something for Manchester United this season after scoring the winning goal for his team in the Derby game against Manchester City.

Not only deciding the outcome of the game, Rooney's strike is purely a special kind of goal as the striker pulled off a first time overhead kick after receiving a cross from Nani and simply left City's keeper, Joe Hart, rooted to the spot.

Manchester City's new £27 million man, Edin Dzeko, wasted no time in ingratiating himself with the club's support yesterday, with less than two minutes of his official unveiling ceremony gone before the Bosnian target man proclaimed that 'most people from Manchester are City fans' a premeditated taunt that has seemingly gone down rather well with the blue-hewn Mancunian population.

Morning all. Throughout January Soccerlens are going to be bringing you a daily round-up of the morning's various goings-on. Be it juicy morsels of spurious transfer gossip or real, actual bona fide news, rest assured, we'll have it covered.

Here's this morning's batch.

Dzeko deal reaches terminal velocity.

Five days ago, I wasn't much looking forward to Saturday, but how quickly things can change; all it took was £26m! Seriously though, it's amazing what a boost the acquisition of Darren Bent has provided. To everyone, fans and players alike it would seem; Gabby, Ash & James Collins all waxing lyrical about Bent joining the team.

Poll: Who is worse Andy Carroll or Edin Dzeko?

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2012-01-04 16:35:16 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of Kop That.

Kickettes, do you like/love/loathe boxing?

Well, what if we told you that boxing matches were a hotbed for hoards of footballers?

As is usually the case and our luck, most alternative sports supporters are not as genetically flawless as the Spanish.