The International break is over and it is time to get back to Premier League action. The big game this weekend has to be the lunch time match up between Liverpool and Manchester City.

Liverpool v Man City
This is really a huge game for two teams who have Champions League ambitions.

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The International break is over and it is time to get back to Premier League action. The big game this weekend has to be the lunch time match up between Liverpool and Manchester City.

Liverpool v Man City
This is really a huge game for two teams who have Champions League ambitions.

Click to continue reading...

Rafael Benitez acknowledges that Liverpool's clash with Manchester City on Saturday is 'make or break' to their hopes of ensuring Champions League football next season.
The stakes are very high for boss Benitez, who has sent four players - Yossi Benayoun, Albert Riera, Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio - to Belgrade this week for unorthodox placenta cell treatment on their injuries. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool clash with Manchester City this weekend and Rafael Benitez will be hoping the international break will have given his side the opportunity to turn their recent shoddy form around.
Roaming right-back Glen Johnson, according to Benitez, has received the experimental placenta massage that Arsenal striker Robin van Persie elected to try following the injury he sustained while representing Netherlands. Click to continue reading...

Rafa Benitez said he would quit Liverpool if Fernando Torres is sold. The Spanish striker could have been sold last summer to Manchester City if Benitez had accepted their offer – and there will no doubt be more enquiries coming in for Torres until the day he does actually leave.
But what is remarkable about the offer made to Liverpool last summer is the scale of the City bid: £70million for Torres plus and additional £30million for Javier Mascherano. Click to continue reading...

In the preview of tomorrow's game I touched on news of a possible return to the line-up for Robinho, and the Mark Hughes has spoken of this possibility:

"He is back training with the group, which is pleasing from everyone's point of view," said Hughes. He is travelling with us and we will make a decision [on his fitness] tomorrow.

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Saturday 21st November
11:00 Rubin Kazan v Zenith St Petersburg, Russian Premier Liga, ESPN
What better way to return to club football than by watching a potential domestic title decider? Yep, it's starting to get a bit parky in Russia and this is the penultimate round of the season. Click to continue reading...

Above average finishing ability, Average rat-tail, Below average fitness history
The Premier League is back, and while the World Cup is still top of mind (especially for those Irish and French fans), the greatest league in the world is back from a two week hiatus. Let's get to it:
I. Click to continue reading...

Alberto Aquilani is in contention to make his long-awaited full Liverpool debut on Saturday as Rafael Benítez looks to the £20m summer signing to reinvigorate the club's season against Manchester City.
The Italy international has played only 21 minutes for Liverpool since arriving from Roma in August, as a substitute against Birmingham City and Arsenal, because of his recovery from ankle surgery plus illness. Click to continue reading...

After an International break that completed the 32-team field for the World Cup next summer in South Africa, the EPL surges back to action this weekend with an important fixture at Anfield.

That game is on ESPN in glorious high definition. Here's the entire TV schedule.

Now, on to the previews:

Liverpool vs.

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Alberto Aquilani is in contention to make his long-awaited full Liverpool debut on Saturday as Rafael Benítez looks to the £20m summer signing to reinvigorate the club's season against Manchester City.

The Italy international has played only 21 minutes for Liverpool since arriving from Roma in August, as a substitute against Birmingham City and Arsenal, because of his recovery from ankle surgery plus illness.

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After years of waiting for a promising young player to develop, Wales have perhaps discovered that young players, just like buses, often come all at once. Their 3-0 victory over Scotland was ample demonstration of the burgeoning potential of players coming through for the Welsh, and while there is a long way to go, as with any journey, the hope must be that Saturday can be a starting point for something special.

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(Note: Sorry that this is later than usual for the week, but the wifi in my current apartment in Buenos Aires is hit-and-miss and this week, mostly miss. I move this weekend and hopefully, this will improve.)

In 1991, for the seventh consecutive year, the club that won the Champions League did not finish on top of the World Club Rankings annual charts.

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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...

Almost time to rejoice!

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Mark Hughes could save David Bentley from his Tottenham nightmare with an £8m move in January.

A report in The Mirror today suggests that Hughes could be willing to bring the sometimes England winger to Manchester City in a deal which could see Martin Petrov move in the opposite direction.

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I thought Daniel Levy was the Tottenham Hotspur Chairman? I was mistaken. It now seems that Mr. Pavlyuchenko is the Chairman of the Board.
"I am prepared to accept any decent offer from Russia", said our new Chairman.
Coming back to reality; it looks as though our Cameron Diaz lookalike is so eager to leave us, he's bypassed all forms of control at White Hart Lane. Click to continue reading...

Steven Gerrard is confident of making his first Liverpool start for a month against Manchester City on Saturday after revealing an anti-inflammatory injection has alleviated the need for groin surgery.
The Liverpool captain had the injection almost two weeks ago in an attempt to avoid an operation on the adductor problem he suffered playing for England against Ukraine on 10 October. Click to continue reading...

"I offered to shave off my beard and put on some make-up and then I'd have looked like my missus!"
Derby County's Robbie Savage after turning up at the airport with his wife's passport for a friendly in the Netherlands.

"I was joking on the sidelines saying 'You Americans have been dying to get it to four quarters and you finally got it! Click to continue reading...

There were no punch-ups and no fists flying in Manchester City's dressing room last week. Just good old-fashioned verbals.

Typically, it was a vintage performance by Craig Bellamy, bawling out his team-mates after they tossed away a win. In the line of fire was City's back four - Pablo Zabaleta, Kolo Toure, Joleon Lescott and Wayne Bridge - following their draw with Burnley.

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Jamie Carragher insists the mood remains positive at Melwood following the latest spate of injuries to hit the treatment room.
Daniel Agger, Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio all withdrew from international duty this week with minor knocks, but Carragher is hopeful his team-mates will be ready to face Manchester City next weekend. Click to continue reading...

Jose Mourinho could be set for a Premier League comeback with Manchester City after hinting he wants to return to England.
The under-fire Inter Milan coach, who could be fired if the Italian giants to not reach the knockout phase of the Champions League, said: "I am ready for the next phase of my career. Click to continue reading...

He may not be getting the starts he hoped, but our new(ish) Brazilian appears to be impressed with what he has seen so far:

"I would definitely like to remain longer, the project to make this club one of the best in Europe and the world cannot be completed in six months or a year and I would like to be part of it for as long as possible.

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Hard to keep him out of the headlines at the moment:

They had hoped to dissuade Robinho from reporting for international duty but relented after agreeing to send their own doctor with him so the injury could be assessed by Brazil's medical staff.

City had hoped Robinho would then fly back with them but have had to relent further, agreeing to him staying with Brazil – although they did not expect him to fly on to Oman for next Tuesday's match.

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The members of Manchester City not busy with international duty finally met the man who pays their massive wages for the first time yesterday in Abu Dhabi, ahead of today's friendly against the United Arab Emirates (which City lost 1-0). The awkwardness of the occasion is evident especially the shot at 10 second into the video where it appears they just finished talking about the weather and now have absolutely nothing left to say to each other.

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Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger has revealed that he will stick with the youngsters for next month's crunch Carling Cup clash at Manchester City. The Frenchman has no qualms about the challenge his Gunners' will face at Eastlands, with Mark Hughes' already saying that he'll put out a full strength side for the match on December 2nd. Click to continue reading...

Arsenal, Man United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool Subs Make the Grade

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These guys could walk into most teams but for some reason find themselves having to sit next to physio and sub keeper every damn week!

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Stephen, here's the man who will fund your next ill-advised hair experiment Manchester City's squad got an unexpected meeting with owner Sheikh Mansour when he paid a surprise visit to a training session. City's squad - minus those on international duty - are in Abu Dhabi to play a friendly against the United Arab Emirates national [. Click to continue reading...

February 7th 2009, and "moneybags" Manchester City play a televised match against Gareth Southgates Middlesborough. City needed to bounce back after a 1-0 loss to stoke, and they very nearly lost it had it not been for one of Mark Hughes' shrewdest of signings.

Irish international Shay Given was making his first appearance for the Blues.

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The carpet bagger wants to leave but an angel waits in the wings.

Something about Brazilian music not being good enough for the neighbours.

Mark Hughes seems to be doing a good job of getting rid of all the Brazilians in the team. Elano, Jo, and now Robinho. We can also look forward to the African clique, Adebayor and Kolo Toure, being broken up.

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Mark Hughes has eye on Angel Di Maria.

Fulham Vs Manchester City Tickets Still Available!
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Robinho heading for the exit as Manchester City dream sours

Manchester City's attempts to placate Robinho and keep the most expensive footballer in England happy have failed, with the Brazilian desperate to leave in the January transfer window.

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Mark Hughes looks to spend even more money.

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Manchester City will then pitch up at Upton Park and make off with Matthew Upson and Herita Ilunga, and as Gianfranco Zola is left to fight relegation with a crack unit of training cones, Mark Hughes will continue on his merry way over to Barcelona, where he'll drop off Robinho and attempt to persuade Yaya Touré to come protect his brother out at Eastlands.

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Fresh after posting this came another report regarding Robinho surfaced, again in The Guardian, and it is fairly conclusive in its tone:

Manchester City's attempts to placate Robinho and keep the most expensive footballer in England happy have failed, with the Brazilian desperate to leave in the January transfer window.

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I wrote previouslythat he had been protective of the defence in recent times, but Mark Hughes went on the offensive today with MOTD - and particularly Alan Hansen - in his sights:

"Pundits on Match of the Day or whatever just have an opportunity to nail individuals in the public domain," said the Manchester City boss.

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A sign of the times I suppose:

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is ready to let QPR have two players on loan - as part of a massive bid to land wonder kid Raheem Sterling.

Hughes and his team are so desperate to get the 14-year-old boy genius that they have told Rangers they can have a couple of their fringe men plus £1 million to sign him now.

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Pantomime season is almost upon us, but the contradictory stories over the future of Robinho continue apace.
There have been a series of reports in today's press with regard to his future, and with many seemingly different angles taken.
AS reported Joan Laporta as indicating the club would back the management at Barcelona should Robinho be a target for them:

"We are not going to close any door or end any plan because, although the squad is competitive, as was shown against Mallorca, if the coaches want to strengthen in the winter market and they recommend a player to us, I am sure we can make a move.

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