A few months ago, everything was going swimmingly for City. All they seemingly had to do was to show up for win after lopsided win. But then there was a gradual slide in theor fortunes. At the end of January their season is but a litany of thwarted ambitions. Out of the Champions League in December and by last week, the Carling Cup and the FA Cup, their accelerated program to win the Premiership title seems to have hit a wall and in danger of being snatched by those other pesky Mancunians and the upstart Spurs.

Manchester City's crosstown rivals and English Premiership title contenders Manchester United could also do with a transfer signing. Nemanja Vidic, the club captain and lynchpin of the Manchester United defence, is out for the rest of the season. Rio Ferdinand, the former England captain and one of the best defenders in the club's history, continuously suffers from niggling injuries and his participation is never certain until the match begins.

szólj hozzá: Tottenham H. 2-0 Everton

Benoit Assou Ekotto's spectacular 30 yard strike continued a tradition of Spurs long range bombs in recent times - Danny Rose, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Tom Huddlestone, Kyle Walker, come to mind. The first goal came from Aaron Lennon, cutting past Leighton Baines, after the left back completely missed clearing a long diagonal ball from Ekotto, and then shooting past the diving Tim Howard.

szólj hozzá: l;v1-1mv9[Matchhighlight.com]

An effervescent Swansea side stroking the ball with ease pinned the Hydra headed Spurs attack for lengthy spells. Against the run of play Spurs went up just before the half with Rafael Van Der Vaart's goal after Benoit Assou- Ekotto had done all the spadework down the left flank.

Liverpool huffed and puffed once more but came up against another excellent goalkeeping display. A feat that Mark Bunn probably will and could not repeat even if he tried. The journeyman goalkeeper showed far better reflexes than Paul Robinson have had this season to deny Andy Carroll a confidence-boosting goal.

The draw that Chelsea achieved against Fulham on Monday, puts their chance in challenging for title becomes difficult again and this situation is also being admitted by the club's manager, Andre Villas-Boas.

The Portuguese tactician doesn't want to say that everything is already over, since the competition is still long, but the ex-Porto coach admitted that it's much more wiser for his team to focus on their results first before looking at the top teams ahead of them.

You just have to love the confidence of Wojciech Szczesny, he never gives up on his own ability or the chances of Arsenal winning the Premiership title. It was a great result that Man City finally lost a game to Chelsea last night, and Szczesny believes that Arsenal can hammer another nail into the moneybags [.

Everyone in the world is rightly focusing on the brilliant form of Robin Van Persie in the Arsenal attack, but the Arsenal legend Bob Wilson believes that the continuing excellence of the young Pole Wojciech Szczesny is just as important if Arsenal are going to go on to challenge for the Premiership title.

Several Italian coaches have successfully worked outside Italy in the last few years including former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti who succeeded in achieving a historic double in his first season in charge in London by leading the Blues to the English Premiership title and the FA Cup trophy.

'I snubbed Kenny for Reds move'

If Kenny Dalglish had got his way, John Scales may well have been a fixture in Blackburn's Premiership title-winning side back in 1995.

View the full story here: Liverpool FC

A news article on 2011-11-13 09:52:31 from: Liverpool FC

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

With over 80 England caps to his name, a Champions League winners medal and countless other medals to boot some might claim it is a little premature to be calling the time on Steven Gerrard's career when he is only 31 years old.

Steven Gerrard still has plenty of ambition, numerous targets finals success with England and a Premiership title medal for Liverpool, to name just two -and age on his side.

Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish playing down the weekend big match between his team against Manchester United as just like any other matches despite the fact that Sir Alex Ferguson thinking the opposite.

Dalglish, who since managing the Reds have been building a significantly improved squad, revealed that what made the game against Man United a bit different is only because winning would get the Anfield boys closer to the league leader.

In my whole entire stinking existence I have never seen Arsenal involved in a relegation scrap.
There is always a first for everything I suppose!
People say Arsenal will find it tough to get into the top four this season.
Well, at the moment, I'd be happy if we finish outside of the bottom four!

With the Champions League starting again tomorrow night and Michael Ballack making an "emotional" return to Stamford Bridge, I thought I would re post an article I wrote back when the day it was confirmed that Ballack was leaving us was announced (so remember all of the below is back then).
Ballack spoke about tomorrow and said:

"I was very happy.

Well, it's hard to refuse when a team like Chelsea comes knocking at your door. Even harder when possibly the best Portuguese coach in the business wants you. Extremely irresistible when Chelsea can offer you first team playing minutes and Champions League football. Thus, Raul Meireles weighed up his options and decided to join the Andre Villa-Boas Chelsea evolution.

England overcame World War II buoyed by the bulldog spirit of Winston Churchill, the perfect choice for a war time leader. Yet, it was Clement Atlee who was voted to rebuild an England recovering from the war's aftermath and the decline of empire. 50 years later these two men rank in the list of greatest leaders.

The Japanese genius Ryo Miyaichi may only have a handful of senior competitive games under his belt in Europe, but Arsene Wenger believes that he can have a "big impact" on Arsenal's push for the Premiership title this season. The Gunners have secured a UK work permit for the 18 year-old, but Wenger reveals that [.

The newest young Arsenal star Jack Wilshere believes that Arsene Wenger needs to bring in a "few more faces" to give the Gunners the push they need to challenge for the Premiership title this coming season. "We are not a spending club but we still managed to stay up there with the top teams," he [...

Manchester United winger, Nani, once again stated his confidence in battling out for a place at the Red Devils' first team line up for next summer as despite the fierce competition that arrives in the summer especially with Ashley Young and Danny Wellbeck arrival. '

The fact that the two have been tried out as wide players in recent friendly games, obviously endangered the Portuguese' position as a starter at United considering there are still other players in that role such as Antonio Valencia, Park Ji Sung or even veteran Ryan Giggs.

An Apology for Carlos Tevez - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

An apologetic ... for Carlos Tevez? Just days after a scathing open letter? The same guy writing both? I guess stranger things have happened remember Julian Faubert once played for Real Madrid.

Less than a week ago, I suggested Carlos Tevez finally "end his Manchester hell" and return once and for all to South America, the Copa Libertadores and probably a smaller pay packet.

An Apology for Carlos Tevez - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

An apologetic ... for Carlos Tevez? Just days after a scathing open letter? The same guy writing both? I guess stranger things have happened remember Julian Faubert once played for Real Madrid.

Less than a week ago, I suggested Carlos Tevez finally "end his Manchester hell" and return once and for all to South America, the Copa Libertadores and probably a smaller pay packet.

-
- QPR's Truly-Historic 1968/69 Season
- Any American or Canadian Readers of QPR Report/QPR Report Messageboard? (Or any QPR Fans from Central or South America?)
- Throughout the day, updates, comments and perspectives re QPR and football in general are posted and discussed on the QPR Report Messageboard.

See this BBC link to confirm Man Utd needed the help of a dodgy penalty to secure the Premiership title. Who was the ref??? Phil Dowd, hmmmmmm. Blackburn keeper clearly acting as a spring board for a gymnastics routine for a player heading away from the goal.

Whilst Liverpool supporters around the globe collectively cheer the appointment of ‘King' Kenny Dalglish as permanent Liverpool manager, at the same time an equally loud groan could be heard coming from down the East Lancs road in
Manchester. Manchester United fans might not pay any significance to the freshly announced appointment of Dalglish, but Sir Alex Ferguson will.

It's a good thing this photographer had his camera ready 36 seconds into the match.With this weekend's 2-1 defeat of Chelsea, Manchester United is now one point away from clinching the Premiership title. They will have two opportunities to secure at least a draw, the first being at Ewood Park against Blackburn before welcoming Blackpool to Old Trafford for the second.

Manchester United cruised into the 2011 Champions League Final last night after an emphatic 4-1 victory over Schalke 04 in the second leg of the semi final to setup a mouthwatering clash with Barcelona.

Sir Alex Ferguson was criticised by many prior to the match when the team lineups were announced as the United boss opted to rest a number of top stars including Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney, ahead of Sunday's vital clash with Chelsea.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Arsenal's hopes of of winning the Premiership title likely came to a halt this weekend, and Arsene Wenger is taking full responsibility for it.

Amid growing speculation of his future, Wenger is pointing the finger at himself rather than his players for what appears will be Arsenal's sixth consecutive season without silverware.

It was Liverpool's best season since the start of the Premier League. A season which saw Liverpool scored the most goals and lost the least games but yet could not win the Premiership title.
But the Reds under Rafa Benitez gave us some wonderful moments with last minute winners and high scoring games.

Chelsea breathed new life into their Premiership title hopes with an emphatic victory over Blackpool at Bloomfield Road last night. Goals from skipper John Terry and a brace from Frank Lampard sealed a 3-1 victory over Ian Holloway's men to leave the Blues just 9 points behind leaders Manchester United, with a crucial game in hand.

Arsene Wenger saw his team play a magnificent game against Wolves yesterday to keep them in the hunt for the Premiership title, and he thinks that Asenal are now ready to face "the best team in the world". Robin Van Persie scored twice but ended up with an ice-pack on his leg, but Wenger believes [..

An iffy start to the season might mean that the Premiership title is beyond Liverpool, but the Red half of Merseyside are at least top of one league the country's top footballing tweeters. Barclays has analysed Twitter traffic using Sysomos' Media Analysis Platform (MAP) to see which teams and which cities were the centre of the Twitter-sphere throughout January, and found that when it comes to expressing themsleves in 140 charactars the Scousers come out top.

PARKTOWN, South Africa Orlando Pirates coach Ruud Krol and Kaizer Chiefs striker Knowledge Musona have won the Absa Premiership Coach of the Month and Absa Premiership Player of the month for the December and January period. The announcement was made at the Premier Soccer League offices in Parktown on Monday.

Who says Manchester United haven't signed anyone in the January transfer window?! It seems they've added two more game changers to their list of match-winners. Lee Mason and Stephen Child haven't been officially unveiled at Old Trafford but it'll be hard to argue they've not joined Howard Webb.

I think Wenger missed a trick there.

- Playing for the youth team in 1993
- In the background of the celebrations for United's Premiership title win in 1994.
- Taking a throw against Villa at Old Trafford in our 1-0 win during the 94-95 season.
- Against Wimbledon during the opening week of the 95-96 season (you know, the year we weren't going to win anything with kids)
- Holding on to Premiership trophy with brother Phil at the end of the 95-96 season.

Who: Robert Pires When: 2001-2002 season Where: Villa Park What: Gazza-esque turn, audacious chip

With the attacking prowess of Pires, Ljungberg, Henry and Bergkamp; Arsenal perhaps had one of the best quadruplets in Premier League history.

"I hope we can go the whole season unbeaten." These were the words of Manchester United winger Nani as he talked about The Red Devils season so far. Currently sitting at the summit of the Premiership, Manchester United have failed to record a loss this season after twenty-one games. Yet for a team looking for their 19th Premiership title, the form of United is leaving a lot to be desired.

I just glanced at the upcoming fixtures list and was pleasantly surprised by the remaining games in January. I knew there were Cup ties with Leeds and Ipswich followed by a game against West Ham but hadn't realized the next two games after that were at home against Wigan and Ipswich.

In effect, out of the next five games, three are against Championship sides and two against relegation candidates.

The season is still pretty much at halfway but Chelsea's recent unconvincing run seems to give their coach, Carlo Ancelotti, a little doubt regarding their chances in retaining the premiership title this season.

Although the Italian coach isn't preparing to surrender their title as just yet but Ancelotti seems preparing for the worse especially since the current situation showed that the performances of his players are a step below their potential, not to mention injury problems that have been troubling them this season.