Manchester United's best chance of beating Chelsea - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

With the Manchester clubs tied on points at the top of the table and only Tottenham with an outside chance at the title, this year's Premier League is almost guaranteed to be Manchester-bound.

But it's not an easy road Manchester United still have City, Tottenham and Chelsea (this weekend) away, plus Liverpool home.

The Curious Case of the Lost Moral Compass - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Episode Four : A New Trial.....

In a time not so long ago, in a world departed from this reality....

A Man divided opinion of what was right and decent

A Man led a country; All its people, All casts,

All its hopes rested on his shoulders

His Name was John Terry.

African Cup of Nations 2012 preview: An open tournament expected with some big names missing - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

With the likes of Cameroon, Nigeria and South Africa failing to qualify for this year's African Cup of Nations, the stage is set for some of the smaller nations to fight for glory.

Do or die time for Manchester teams in the Champions League - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Of the four English representatives in this season's UEFA Champions League, Arsenal and Chelsea are assured of a passage through to the knockout stages; both Manchester clubs must perform in their last group game to stand a chance of progression.

Do or die time for Manchester teams in the Champions League - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Of the four English representatives in this season's UEFA Champions League, Arsenal and Chelsea are assured of a passage through to the knockout stages; both Manchester clubs must perform in their last group game to stand a chance of progression.

Euro 2012 Nations A team by team preview - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Update: Groups Draw details and the official match ball of Euro 2012 added. Scroll down to view.

With the 16 teams competing in Euro 2012 now selected and the qualifying process complete, all eyes look to Poland and Ukraine as time ticks down.

The Global Game: Watching The Premier League In Pakistan - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Earlier this week I came across the 'Global Game' initiative launched by Nick Harris (Mail on Sunday, Sporting Intelligence). It's a great idea, hopefully it catches on and more and more people from different parts of the world who follow football (and especially the English Premier League) can contribute to it.

The Telegraph writes in praise of David de Gea and so does The Guardian.

Football365 has the latest on the Evra vs Suarez race row.

Soccerlens reminds you of the ban the FA gave Evra for being racially abused.

Studs Up looks at why Rooney's ban should be reduced.

Sunderland Q&A: Transfers, Fans and Footballing Identity - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Earlier this month Roker Report (Sunderland blog) editor Simon Walsh asked us if we'd like to do a Q&A on Sunderland and here it is. We talk about Sunderland's transfer policy, footballing identity (or lack thereof) as well as whether Sunderland will be in a relegation battle this season.

Win a free copy of Football Manager 2012 - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

To celebrate the release of the new Football Manager (2012), Soccerlens is giving away one (1) free copy of FM12 to our newsletter subscribers.

The back story:

As every year, Soccerlens pre-ordered Football Manager (through Steam) to ensure that we would get our hands on the game as soon as possible.

Win a pair of adidas adiPower Predators - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Soccerlens is giving away a pair of adidas adiPower Predators (RRP £115) to one lucky reader this month.

To win the prize, all you have to do is to like Soccerlens on Facebook we'll be picking a winner at random from our FB followers.

The Exhilaration Of Being A Premier League Fan - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Having the opportunity to watch the world's best football league week in and week out in person, is a very special privilege.

Having had a season-ticket at my boyhood club Aston Villa for well over a decade, I have seen some of the world's best players come to Villa Park and demonstrate their imperious abilities.

Weekend Bets: Back United to beat Chelsea and Liverpool to beat Tottenham - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

After a midweek that saw only one British side win in Europe, we're back to a fantastic weekend of Premier League action, with the headline matches on Sunday as Manchester United take on Chelsea at Old Trafford and Liverpool travel to White Hart Lane to meet Tottenham.

The Need For Advanced Football Stats - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

As a sports fan living in America, you're bombarded with statistics of increasing complexity across every sport except football (or soccer, as the US calls it). Media analysis of football still relies on the same statistics we've seen for years, which are generally cumulative totals.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Tested To The Limit - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

In an innovative documentary, Castrol pushed Cristiano Ronaldo to the limit in a series of tests designed to measure Ronaldo's footballing skills, strength, agility and mental toughness.

It is arguably the most rigourous scientific examination of a football player ever taken as Ronaldo (a Castrol global ambassador) is literally tested to the limit our inside sources told us of how, after several hours of grueling tests, Ronaldo was almost ready to collapse from fatigue but still managed to put in 110% in every single test he was presented with.

Golden Generation or Fool's Gold? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Barring an almighty flop, England will qualify for Euro 2012. They'll do so in marginally convincing fashion, maybe even topping a group which while not robust, provided more challenging than first thought. Now, England manager Fabio Capello said he knew Tuesday's performance against Wales would be sub-par from watching the players warm up.

Staying Put: Ten Expected Summer Transfers That Weren't - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

For every confirmed transfer in any given summer transfer window, there's another ten that fall short of completion or being remotely plausible. That's the way it seems, at least.

Even with the misses in mind, a lot and I mean a lot of money changes hands every summer, as players notable and not leave for new pastures, some greener and some not.

Rooney and Young A Promising Partnership For United and England - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Rooney and Young, Young and Rooney. The two seemingly go hand in hand. Both have starred in Manchester United's exceptional start in the quest for a 20thPremier League title. Sir Alex Ferguson's newly devised weapon is as electrifying as it is frightening.

FC Barcelona: Fabregas's Exit out of Arsenal and Why Club Contracts Are Broken - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Like a love affair, Arsene Wenger had stated in a pre-season interview posted by The Guardian that he would fight until the last second to keep midfielder Cesc Fabregas by his side.

John Aloisi: helping or hurting? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

With A-League clubs beginning to convince the younger and fitter members of Australia's golden generation to return to antipodean shores, the moves come with a warning from the country's favourite penalty-taker, John Aloisi.

The Best and Worst deals of the Transfer Window - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

As the summer transfer window has now finally closed and viewing figures of Sky Sports News go back to normal levels, I think it's time to look back at the best and worst of the deals done involving English Premier League sides.

Transfer Rumors: Chelsea Fail In Bold Meireles Bid - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

With the summer transfer season nearing its end in less than 24 hours, you can expect plenty of wild speculation emanating from sources credible and not.

So then, while it's surprising to see former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves (remember him?

Transfer Rumors: Barton Joins QPR - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

So, the Joey Barton era is over at Newcastle. It doesn't come as a surprise, but is it a real shame or the best thing for both parties? I'll settle for somewhere in the middle, as he was arguably Newcastle's most influential player, but the relationship between player and club had perhaps reached the point of no return.

Stat Attack: Chelsea Target Romelu Lukaku Is Unstoppable - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

With the press still debating whether Drogba and Torres are good enough to lead the line for Chelsea (together or individually) and Nicolas Anelka douses the club's efforts to move him on by saying that he will see out his contract at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea are also planning to secure their future by bringing in Anderlecht's Romelu Lukaku.

Manchester United 2011/2012 Away Shirt is Chelsea's Home Shirt - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Apparently, both Arsenal and Manchester United are going to wear blue away shirts next season. Although the shirts are very different but they are both manufactured by Nike.

This horizontally striped shirt is blue, dark blue and black.

Bolton Wanderers 2011/12 Kits - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Reebok and Bolton have recently released very futuristic-looking shirts and this one tops them all off.

The trotters will wear white, red and blue home strip and a black and yellow away strip.

The home shirt is white with blue patches around the neck, shoulders and lower back.

The Best of 2011/2012 Premier League Fixtures: Part One - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Watch the best of the 2011/2012 Premier League season with Sky Sports HD.

The 2011/2012 Premier League season kicks off with a bang a Manchester derby in the FA Community Shield as the curtain raiser for a fast start to the season that sees Arsenal host Liverpool and United host Tottenham and Arsenal and all of this just in August.

Revolutions, radical change and a sense of foreboding: why French imports come with a warning label for Newcastle United fans - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

In the Age of Enlightenment, a European nation overcame financial crises and numerous regime changes to briefly flourish on the big stage for a few years.

Ciao, My name is Dylan, and I'll be taking over blogging duties from Julian. It's been almost two months since the Serie A Offside was last updated, and I could not bare to watch no one continue the great president that has been set. I will not claim to have the knowledge that others may have, but I have a passion for writing.

A Darkness Closes In On Arsenal - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Being a Liverpool Forum Obsessive I've read plenty of transfer gossip this season, most of which I won't bore you with since it consists largely of hysteria about only having signed one player, albeit, a fairly big one. What I will tell you about is the general atmosphere, and it's the same as many other clubs which find themselves well endowed with finance.

Villas Boas- What can we expect? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Yet another season gone by, and the post-season review brings back moments from the seasons long gone. Arsenal, living up to their tag of chokers, relinquishing yet another strong position in the league inspite of showing flashes of absolute ingenuity, Chelsea losing steam in the December period, (not because of the Cup of African Nations though) and then firing their manager for avoidable and trivial errors and then the Big 4 similar to the 2009-2010 season, were given a real run for their money by hugely improved sides like Tottenham and Manchester City.

Tottenham's Transfer Window Tactics Coming to Fruition - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Despite a worrying start to the transfer window, it seems Daniel Levy and Harry Redknapp may well have ridden out the storm and face a late summer full of optimism.

When the calendar page turned to June, the news from White Hart Lane, was more to do with who was going than who was coming.

Effects of the Financial Fair Play Regulations - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

On the 27th of May 2010, UEFA announced the approval of the Financial Fair Play(FFP) regulations. The aim of these regulations is to make the football clubs self sufficient. With the advent of these sanctions, every football club has to break even i.

Arsenal 125 Year Anniversary Away Kit Revealed - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

After the leaked images suggested that Arsenal 2011/2012 away kit will be blue, that is exactly what it has turned out to be.

The Nike manufactured shirt is diagonally divided into turquoise blue and navy blue.

How the mighty have fallen: Unexpected relegations - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Argentine giants River Plate are enduring the bleakest period in its 110 year existence after succumbing to what seemed nothing more than an improbable assumption, relegation to the second tier of their domestic game.

Spain's era of dominance may have only just begun - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Always the perennial underachievers, the last few years have seen that theory put to bed. Though the senior team went out in the second round in the 2006 world cup, their previous group performances were electric and a sign of things to come, only hiccuping when faced with a certain purple patch conjured by the majestic Zinedine Zidane and assisted by a blatant dive from the then golden boy Thierry Henry.

Same Old England...Always Losing - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Before the European Championships, Stuart Pearce was given the assignment to prepare England's under 21′s for what life would be like as part of the full national side. By crashing out at the group stage in a blaze of glorious failure, Pearce has managed to pass the test in flying colours.

GOLD CUP: Notes on the Semifinal - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

With the Gold Cup semifinals taking place in Houston I got the chance to get some notes from the teams during their press and training day Tuesday. The general consensus was that the teams all respect each other and feel the competition level is the highest it's been in the tournament for quite some time.

GOLD CUP: Panama king in penalties in win over El Salvador - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

For the second time this weekend a Gold Cup quarterfinal was decided in penalty kicks. This time it was Panama who came out on top 5-3 after they played El Salvador to a 120 minute 1-1 draw.

The match had everything you could ask for in a match; theatrics, late goals, physicality, red cards and then the suspense at the end.

GOLD CUP: Reason to worry for one-time favorite U.S. squad - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

On the day of the U.S.' Gold Cup quarterfinal against Jamaica it's seems like ages since the 2010 World Cup. Despite a tough extra time elimination at the hands of Ghana, the U.S. soccer program was riding high coming home from South Africa.