Manchester City 3: Aguero 10′, Y.Toure 33′, Milner 75′
Liverpool 0

Manchester City make the gulf in cutting edge clear at the Eastlands, putting three past Liverpool and pushing themselves ahead at the top. Liverpool looked good for spells, particularly between the first and second City goals, but couldn't do anything with their possession and scarcely threatened Joe Hart's goal.

Brazilians Santos FC will participate in their first ever FIFA Club World Cup and are hoping to take the title back to South America after a five year period of domination for European clubs. Santos FC, who are based in Brazil's second city of São Paulo, will face the winner of the quarter-final between Japanese champions Kashiwa Reysol and North and Central American CONCACAF Champions League winners Monterrey CF on December 14th.

From pipe-dreams in his room in Salto, to a leading role in Liverpool's future: the rise of Luis Suarez has been a meteoric one. Craig Richie puts fingers to keyboard to sing his praises... Hailing from Uruguay's second city, Salto, Luis Suarez could have ended up as just another face in the crowd amongst the [.

FK Ventspils, seen here with the 2008 title, are favourites to win in 2011

With five rounds of matches to go in Latvia's Virsliga the title race has been whittled down to three teams. Defending champions Skonto Riga virtually have no chance of winning this year's competition as they lie in fourth place, 14 points behind league leaders FK Ventspils but the capital side will still play a decisive part in the destination of the title as they must face-off against each of the contenders.

The semi-final places have yet to be decided in the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup and with four of the six matchdays completed it seems likely that the next round of games will be the most important played in this year's competitions so far.

Group A could've seen Nigerians Enyimba FC (4 games, 8 points) seal their place in the last four at the weekend but they were held to a goalless draw away at bottom club Raja Casablanca who gained only their second point of the campaign.

The Latvian football championship looks set to have one of its more unpredictable seasons this year as the four way battle for the title continued today. All of the top four teams were involved in matches against each other and it has proven to be a great day for two-time champions Liepājas Metalurgs.

Why the Carling Cup is still important to English football

At the time, it seemed that Birmingham City scoring a last-minute winner against Arsenal and lifting the Carling Cup was one of the great moments of last season. An unfashionable team who desired the trophy simply for its own sake – and not as some gateway that would lead to other prizes – standing triumphant on the podium at Wembley proved that not everything is always rooted in the favour of the Big Boys.

Just like in Scandinavia, the various football leagues of the Baltic States are approaching the business end of the 2011 campaign. As well as Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, this report will feature Belarus.

Earlier this season the Latvian Virslīga looked like a one horse race as FK Ventspils stormed into the lead when dropping just two out of thirty six points in their opening twelve games of the season.

Bolivia became the first nation to be eliminated from the 2011 Copa America, going down 0-2 to Colombia in Santa Fe.
It was Chelsea target Falcao who scored both goals for Los Cafeteros, the first having sprung the Bolivian offside trap high up the field in the 14th minute, and the second a penalty just short of the half hour.

Why McLeish needs Scott Parker at Villa

Alex McLeish's reign as Aston Villa manager effectively started today when he met his new squad for the first time since crossing the Second City. I think many of us, myself included and some of Villa's players too no doubt, are still coming to terms with his controversial decision to swap blue and white for claret and blue.

New Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish is looking to sign Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam, according to The Sun.
The Seasiders captain was handed his Rangers and Scotland debuts by McLeish, whose club are preparing a £9 million bid in an attempt to beat Liverpool to his signature.
McLeish, who reportedly has £40m to spend this summer, failed to sign Adam for second city rivals Birmingham in the January transfer window, when Tottenham were also keen on the Scotland international.

Liverpool and Arsenal are ready to battle it out for Birmingham City ­centre- half Scott Dann – but prices in the Blues' clear-out are proving too high.
Kenny Dalglish and Arsene Wenger are keen on the 24-year-old defender, who is viewed as a cheap alternative to other targets like Bolton's Gary Cahill and Blackburn's Chris Samba.

The relationship between the second city's two clubs was frosty anyway, but relations between Aston Villa and Birmingham are now enveloped in a full blown arctic winter following the resignation of Alex McLeish from St Andrews.
Given the boards of major football clubs tending to have itchy trigger fingers nowadays it is unusual to feel sorry for them.

In the third and final part of Stoppage Time's European leagues review, the remaining domestic championships from Netherlands to Ukraine feature in our 2010-11 continental review.

NETHERLANDS

There was an exciting tussle in both league and cup between Ajax Amsterdam and FC Twente Enschede.

Marians Pahars (right), seen here with predecessor Aleksandrs Starkovs, has struggled as Skonto coach so far

Many of Europe's major leagues are currently coming to a conclusion and Stoppage Time International Football Blog shall cover them in depth when they have all finished. In the meantime there are a number of domestic championships which are in their infancy and will take up some of the spotlight during the summer months.

The constant stream of comparisons between current FC Porto coach André Villas-Boas and his mentor José Mourinho are set to continue following the Portuguese club's UEFA Europa League triumph over compatriots Sporting Braga. Radamel Falcao claimed the only goal of the game on the stroke of half-time to secure FC Porto their second success in this competition, adding to the UEFA Cup won with Mourinho in 2003.

Of course I mean Birmingham City. With Arsenal and Chelsea the marquee teams playing two this game week, it's easy to overlook the "other" Blues. But they have a good home match against Sunderland at the weekend before travelling to a less than rampart Chelsea. It's at least worth a closer look at their squad as there may be some bargains - and some pitfalls - from the Second City Players.

Throughout their history, Sporting Kansas City Wiz/Wizards have never had a traditionally hated rival. In the first two years of the league it looked like Dallas could become that rival with some rough games and the 1996 playoffs, but with the addition of Chicago in 1998 and the Brimstone Cup, and then the addition of Houston, we've fallen well down the list in terms of rival for Dallas.

Gothenburg is a perfect backdrop to this story. It's stolid, self-confident, quiet and handsome - rather like the inhabitants.

But don't imagine that Gothenburg is dull. Because Sweden's second city harbours a global one-off.

One of its professional footballers is openly gay.

His sexuality should not, Anton, asserts be "a big thing".

Does this guy get a chance in front of the old home crowd?

First knockout round matches continue on Tuesday with Real Madrid visiting the very well run french side Olympic Lyonnais (richest club in the country, 'natch), while the slumping Blues from London head to Denmark to meet FC København (the first Danish side to play in this phase of the cup).

Three names that we were "linked" with have all fallen through. And probably for the best.

Roque Santa Cruz:

In total, Santa Cruz started eight games, with another 16 substitute appearances. The Paraguay international has earned around £6m in wages. (via guardian)

City have hardened their stance on the issue of wages for loan players since agreeing to subsidise Craig Bellamy's move to Cardiff earlier this season and Blackburn will pay the majority of Santa Cruz's salary.

Sunday is derby day in the Premier League as huge contests in the Second City, Merseyside and Wear-Tyneside take the spotlight. Birmingham host Aston Villa in a 12pm kick-off, while Sunderland and Newcastle also meet at high noon, and Liverpool welcome Everton across Stanley Park later in the afternoon.

By Kirsten Schlewitz / Senior West Coast Beer and Aston Villa Correspondent
The Major League Soccer SuperDraft—was it good for you? Did your team fulfill your hopes and dreams, or were you left stuttering and confused? If you're a Galaxy fan, you might as well drink through until the start of the season.

Man City playing the way they did last night must be the equivalent of buying a McLaren F1 and driving everywhere in second gear.

As expected Arsenal played the same team that started against Birmingham and we started very brightly. Before City had a chance to get themselves properly organised defensively we cut them open.