..::Football II::..

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Soldado: It is high time I scored at the Bernabeu

Valencia forward Roberto Soldado has stated that it is high time he scored against Real Madrid, after going four years without netting at the home stadium of his former club.



"I have not scored at the Bernabeu for four years, and that is too long. But we are working not to only get a goal, but to win as well," told AS.

The 27-year-old striker spent six years with Los Blancos, appearing in just 16 games for the first-team and scoring two goals, but has conceded that he has fond memories of his time in Madrid, and would like to get one more by claiming a victory with Los Che on Sunday.

"I am always looking to improve year after year. I know my performances are judged on goals, and I want to exceed what I got last season.He added, "I grew as a player and as a person there [in Madrid], and will always be grateful. Real Madrid are a club that gave me a lot.


"Now, though, I come as captain of Valencia and will do everything possible to beat them.
"We must approach the game seriously, be strong defensively and work together. We know how difficult it's going to be against [Jose] Mourinho's team because not only do they attack well, but they also defend brilliantly."

 

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Javi Martinez and Llorente left out of Athletic Bilbao squad for Betis clash

Javi Martinez and Fernando Llorente are seemingly on their way out of Athletic Bilbao after being left out of the squad for the Basque side's La Liga opener against Real Betis on Sunday.

Martinez appears to be on his way to Bayern Munich as the Bundesliga side is ready to pay the versatile midfielder's 40 million euros buyout clause.

Llorente, meanwhile, recently announced that he will not sign a new deal with Athletic, and is being heavily linked with a move to Juventus.

Both players were jeered by Bilbao fans during Friday's training session, and head coach Marcelo Bielsa has therefore opted to give the duo the weekend off in order not to disrupt the preparation for Sunday's clash.

Martinez, 23, has made over 200 official appearances for Athletic Bilbao since joining the club from Osasuna, while the 27-year-old Llorente came through the ranks of the club's famed youth academy.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Roma set to sign Marquinhos

Marquinhos is edging closer to a move to Roma as the Serie A side have reached an agreement with Corinthians over a summer switch, Corriere dello Sport reports.

The Giallorossi are looking to add some fresh blood to their defense following the departure of players such as Simon Kjaer, Gabriel Heinze and Juan earlier this summer, and they see the 18-year-old Brazilian as a good addition.

Roma will reportedly pay Corinthians a 1.5 million euros fee to loan the center back until the end of the 2012-13 campaign, with the obligation to make the move permanent for an additional 3.5m euros next summer.

Marquinhos is expected to travel to the Italian capital shortly to undergo a medical, and will ink a five-year deal upon completion of his physical tests.

Both clubs have yet to confirm the imminent move, but an official statement is expected to be released in the upcoming days.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sir Alex Ferguson: Van Persie will help rather than hinder Welbeck

Sir Aex Ferguson insists Robin van Persie's arrival at Manchester United won't prove detrimental to the development of Danny Welbeck.

Van Persie's arrival at Old Trafford will limit Welbeck's opportunities in the first team as the Dutchman and Wayne Rooney will most likely form Sir Alex's first choice strike partnership.

However, the United manager believes 29-year-old van Persie can pass on his experience to the younger players in a similar way to how Eric Cantona nurtured his young side 20 years ago.

"You can always learn from great players," he told the club's official website. "Remember what Cantona did for all the young players when he arrived? He was a tremendous teacher for them.
"Danny will learn from playing with Robin, [Wayne] Rooney and Chicharito. I think we have a great combination of strikers now and that's encouraged me."

The 21-year-old has himself welcomed the competition the £24 million signing will bring to Old Trafford.Sir Alex added: "I saw his interview and it was very refreshing. He started talking about scoring more goals – I hope he's right!

"At 21 he's a young boy. He's still growing and has niggles, but he’s going to be a big boy. He won't play every week but when he's 23 or 24 he’ll be a fantastic player."

Welbeck made his breakthrough last season, playing a prominent role in Manchester United's title challenge and England's Euro 2012 campaign, after a successful loan spell at Sunderland the year before.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Llorente's agent hints at Juventus move

Carlos Arino Bajo, the agent of Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente, has admitted that a transfer to Juventus is an option for the Spain international.

The Basque side recently announced that the towering attacker will not extend his expiring contract, and Llorente is widely expected to be on the move this summer.

Goal.com exclusively revealed this week that Juventus is willing to spend 20 million euros on the 27-year-old, and his representative has confirmed a deal could happen.

"He wants to prove himself in another league. Are Juventus an option? Yes, that's a possibility," Bajo was quoted as saying by Corriere dello Sport.

Bilbao has so far stressed that it will only let go of Llorente if a team matches his 36m euros buy-out clause, but Juventus is hopeful that the Liga side will lower its demands before the summer transfer window slams shut on August 31.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barcelona agrees terms with Arsenal over Alexandre Song signing

Arsenal and Barcelona have agreed terms over the transfer of midfielder Alex Song, the club revealed on Saturday.

The Blaugrana have been keeping tabs on the 24-year-old and the Gunners have confirmed that they have accepted an offer from the Catalan giants.

Song will make his way to Spain to discuss personal terms and complete a medical.

The Cameroon international established himself as a key member of Arsenal's midfield last season, and looks like being the second high-profile exit from north London this week, after the transfer of striker Robin van Persie to Manchester United was confirmed on Friday.Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger's side kicked off their Premier League campaign with a frustrating 0-0 draw at home to Sunderland as it looks to rebuild its squad for a title push.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham: Ben Arfa spot on as Villas-Boas' Spurs reign gets off to losing start

Newcastle got its Premier League campaign off to a winning start, defeating Tottenham 2-1 thanks to a late penalty from Hatem Ben Arfa.

The Magpies took the lead in the second half following a pretty poor opening 45 minutes from both sides in front of goal thanks to a great strike from Demba Ba, curling an effort into the far corner.

Spurs were level with less than 15 minutes to play thanks to a Jermain Defoe tap-in, but lost the lead less than four minutes later thanks to Ben Arfa's spot kick in the 81st minute, after he was felled by Aaron Lennon in the box.

The first action of the match came in the opening 10 minutes, when Benoit Assou-Ekotto was lucky to get away with a poor clearance, which then served to set up a counterattack.

With Lennon bursting down the right wing, Spurs had a four-on three situation, but didn't exploit it fully with Gareth Bale free for the entire move but unused. Lennon found Sandro, whose shot found Gylfi Sigurdsson, but he was (wrongly) adjudged offside before his shot was blocked by Tim Krul.

A flurry of yellow cards seemed to upset Spurs boss Villas-Boas, as his two central midfielders, Sandro and Jake Livermore, earned a place in the referee's book for fairly innocuous challenges that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the match.

Newcastle was inches away from opening the scoring as Ba turned and shot from around 25 yards, and Cisse got a touch on the ball to flick it just past the post, with Brad Friedel beaten by the deceptive spin.

Lennon was causing Davide Santon quite a few problems at left back, as he switched inside and out before cutting down the line and standing up a cross for Bale at the back post, whose header back across goal rebounded off the bar, with 10 minutes left until halftime.

That proved to be the last major action of the half, and with neither side making a change during the break, the visitors began brightly, with Lennon proving troublesome as he went on a run from the center of the pitch to the opposition box, and saw his cross cut out by James Perch with Defoe fractionally late to arrive.

In the 55th minute, it was the hosts that took the lead. A cross from Simpson was poorly cleared by Kyle Walker, whose header was more up in the air than out. Ba was on hand to bring the ball down, and as he was given far too much time and space by Gallas and Walker, he curled a beautiful effort into the far corner past Friedel's despairing dive.

And barely a minute afterwards, there was more drama as manager Alan Pardew was dismissed from the touchline after shoving linesman Peter Kirkup following a contentious call after the ball appeared to go out of play.

With just over 20 minutes to play, Rafael van der Vaart was introduced in place of Sigurdsson, and almost had an instant impact, putting in a great ball for Lennon, but the winger could only chest it down on the run before it was cleared.

And a minute later, Cabaye was replaced by Newcastle's newest signing Vurnon Anita as Pardew (via the directors' box) looked to shore things up in midfield.

Defoe was the next man to come close to scoring, latching onto a good through ball to aim a low strike at goal, but Krul got down well to stop it, and Steven Taylor mopped up extremely cleverly by stopping the ball from going out for a corner and lying down to head it back to his keeper, much to the amusement of the home crowd.

But the home fans weren't laughing in the 76th minute, as Defoe grabbed an equalizer. Lennon was in acres of space on the left following a corner, and dinked a cross into the far post. The striker was just too low to connect with a header, but the ball bounced off Newcastle defender Santon, and Krul could only knock the ball onto the post, with Defoe on hand to knock in the rebound.

Spurs were level for less than four minutes however, as Ben Arfa produced some more quality to get past a defensive duo of Van der Vaart and Lennon, with the latter seemingly the greater aggressor in hauling down the French attacker for a penalty.

The winger duly stepped up to take the spot kick, and dispatched it coolly into the bottom corner to restore the Magpies' lead.

Villas-Boas reacted by bringing on youngster Harry Kane for his first Premier League appearance, with Sandro being replaced, while Pardew brought off goalscorer Ba, going for a five-man midfield and Gabriel Obertan in place on the right wing.

But it was all to no avail for Villas-Boas, as his reign with the north London club got off to an underwhelming start.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Jol confirms no bids have been made for Dempsey

Fulham manager Martin Jol claims that no bids have been made for want-away midfielder Clint Dempsey.

Dempsey, 29, scored 17 league goals in the previous campaign and has been linked with a move, with Liverpool thought to be the main contender. However, Jol recently claimed that the Reds had made no bid, and that the situation was 'embarrassing'.

"There is one season to go on his contract and no-one has come in for him," the Fulham boss told reporters. "To say he refused to play is probably a bit harsh, but he wanted to move. If you want to move, you don't want to take risks so you don't want to play in case you get an injury.

"For me that was a very awkward situation and it was for him as well. There is nothing on the table from Liverpool. Maybe Clint knows more than us but we feel he should stay if there is no other bid."

Dempsey was absent from the Cottagers' matchday squad for the 5-0 win over Norwich. Cottagers fans sang "Are you watching Clint Dempsey?" towards the end of the game, but Jol feels the chants were unfair.

"I don't want to hear the fans chanting against him because he was a terrific player for us," the Dutchman said. "He was the most productive midfield player in the whole league last season and hopefully he will play for us again."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sunderland on the verge of 11m pound deal for Manchester City outcast Adam Johnson

Sunderland is on the verge of signing Manchester City outcast Adam Johnson for a fee that could eventually rise to 11 million pounds.

Talks between the champion and the club which Johnson supported as a boy are already at an advanced stage and the former Middlesbrough player is expected to complete a move back to the North East early next week.

The 25-year-old is yet to agree personal terms with Sunderland, which would be open to taking the player on a 12-month loan deal should they be unable to come close to matching his 75,000 pounds-a-week wages, although City is not keen on that option.

Johnson, 25, was part of City's Premier League title-winning squad last season but has not started a top-flight game since March and expressed his dissatisfaction at the situation after he impressed during England's 2-1 win over Italy in midweek.

"I'm the kind of player that needs to be playing regularly. Any player does, really, no matter what age they are. I need to play week-in week-out," he said. "You can't just go into one game after not having played for five and be expected to perform. I'm not sure if I'll get that chance at City."

Johnson moved to the Etihad Stadium in January 2010 and quickly established himself as one as the most exciting attacking talents in the country. But his relationship with Roberto Mancini has never been a smooth one, with the Italian rarely trusting the winger to start City's pivotal matches.

Sunderland, which began its Premier League campaign with an encouraging goalless draw away against Arsenal on Saturday, has been quiet in the transfer market so far this summer, recruiting only Carlos Cuellar and Louis Saha on free transfers.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Villas-Boas hoping to quickly conclude striker search after Newcastle defeat

Andre Villas-Boas insists that Tottenham will step up its search for a new striker next week following Saturday's 2-1 loss to Newcastle.



Spurs' only current established forward, Jermain Defoe, found himself on the scoresheet at Sports Direct Arena, yet the 29-year-old's second half strike was not enough to prevent his side falling to defeat.

And, though Villas-Boas was quick to praise his current squad, he reassured fans that the club will look to reinforce its attacking options before the end of the transfer window, with Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao and last year's loanee, Emmanuel Adebayor, long touted for potential switches to White Hart Lane.

"We'll continue to look at strengthening our squad," the former Chelsea boss told ESPN after the game. "We now have to switch our focus onto the coming games, and do what we have to do in our search for one more striker.

"We've been very active in searching for a striking solution, but it hasn’t happened for one reason or another. I’m confident we can close it down in next couple of days."

Demba Ba, who has also been linked with Tottenham throughout the summer transfer window, opened the scoring for Newcastle with a well-taken goal, before Hatem Ben Arfa sealed victory for the hosts from the penalty spot.

Though Villas-Boas seemed to accept the decision to award the spot-kick, he was left to rue his defense's failure to close down the Senegalese striker before he got his shot off.

"We could've done better on closing down Ba, but he's obviously a top goalscorer and in that split-second he made the difference," he added. "For the penalty, Ben Arfa goes through two players and makes it difficult for the referee, but he gives it.

"I think we did [deserve more], we played very well. We had most of the chances in the first half and continued to push second in the second. When we had momentum we gave the penalty, but I think we deserved to get something extra for the opportunities we created and the possession we had."Luka Modric's switch to Real Madrid is set to be concluded in the coming week, although Villas-Boas declared that he had no role in the negotiations.

He confirmed: "[Modric is] another situation that is on the chairman's hands, and he tells me that negotiations are on-going, so that could happen soon."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: We did our job and influenced Song's career in a positive way

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted the club benefited Alex Song's career after agreeing a 15 million pounds move to Barcelona. The midfielder follows captain Robin van Persie out of the Emirates with the Cameroon international due to have a medical in Spain on Monday.

Speaking after Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Sunderland in their opening Premier League fixture, Wenger highlighted the influence the Gunners had on Song and also hinted that his team could make further signings before the close of the transfer window.

"Yes he’s going to Barcelona," he told Sky Sports. "He’s another good player that leaves us and there’s two things you feel always that you did your job, that we take these boys at 17 years of age and we’ve influenced their career in a positive way.

"The second is at their peak you sometimes lose them but we’ve got plenty of midfielders and we still might bring somebody in.

"Overall I hope we can compensate that because we’ve seen what we have faced today, we need quality passing out from midfield and therefore that’s a very important part of the game."

Arsenal has been heavily linked with a loan move for Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin, with Liverpool also reportedly interested in the Turkey international.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Klopp open to implementing 'time-out' rule in football

Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp has stated he is in favor of implementing a 'time-out' rule, which he claims will make football more entertaining.



The 45-year-old coach believes the addition of the ruling can be worked easily into the game, and that it will add a new tactical dimension.

"The rule is there in handball and basketball," he told Tagesspiegel. "But in football? No one seems to care. If a coach can take a brief time-out to explain to his players what needs to happen, it can add excitement to the game."

Klopp also had a word on his touchline antics, which have become his trademark.
"I am worse than the players in terms of aggression," he said. “I am really afraid that if I stop coaching, I will take it into everyday life!"I could not be any other way. I am just happy that my way of working seems to be successful.”

Dortmund starts its Bundesliga campaign at home to Werder Bremen next Friday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rodgers: Penalties and Agger red card 'very, very harsh'

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers felt aggrieved after his side lost 3-0 to West Brom, claiming that the two home penalties and the sending-off of Daniel Agger were "very, very harsh."

Zoltan Gera's spectacular volley was all that separated the two sides at the break, however two spot kicks, one of which the Baggies scored, as well as a red card for the center back saw the hosts dominate the second and net a third through Romelu Lukaku.

Shane Long went to ground under pressure from the Dane for the first penalty, which saw him dismissed, however replays suggested that there was minimal contact. Martin Skrtel conceded a second minutes later, in a second of decision that Liverpool was unable to recover from.

"I thought we had a couple of decisions that were harsh on us,” Rodgers told Sky Sports News. "After the first five or 10 minutes we got good control of the game and got into a good rhythm, [we] created a couple of chances and looked like we just were ready to break the deadlock at any time.

"We then concede a corner and to be fair to Gera it's wonderful technique. There's not much you can say, Martin Skrtel's got a good header on it, Glen Johnson went to press the ball but it's wonderful technique and a great finish.

"From being largely in control the first-half we went in 1-0 behind. We made a good start to the second-half, but then we had a couple of decisions go against us. But we're not going to get everything our way, we've got to accept it. Pepe [Reina] made a great save from one of the penalties. When you see the close ups of the sending off and penalties they're very, very harsh."

Reds' fans hopes were momentarily lifted when Long's weak penalty was saved by Reina. However, two minutes later Odemwingie blasted the second spot kick past the Spanish keeper and the game was over.

Despite the obvious disappointment the 39-year-old was pleased with the determination his players showed when being reduced to 10 men.

"It's always difficult then, you're 2-0 down and you've got a man down and you lose structure to your team," he added. "I've got to give players credit, the score was 3-0 but they never stopped, they ran themselves to a standstill, and I can’t ask any more than that.
"We'll have days along the way and it will hurt, and it will be difficult for us, but I can't ask any more from them in terms of commitment and effort. When you go a man down at this level it's very difficult and so early on in the second-half."

Liverpool scored just nine percent of total attempts on goal last season, the worst return of any Premier League side. Its finishing was just as suspect on Saturday with Luis Suarez in particular guilty of squandering a number of chances.

The Reds' boss acknowledged that they need to sharpen up in front of goal if they are to progress, while congratulating opposite number Steve Clarke for recording a victory in his first Premier League game with his new side.

"There's no doubt that's the reality, we need to score more goals," he said. "We had half chances, Luis [Suarez] had a great header in the first half, [we] worked the ball really well on the side, brilliant cross, [and it] looked like he was going to score. There's no doubt that if you're going to affect the top of this league you've got to score more goals.

"Today wasn't our day and congratulations to Steve [Clarke] it's nice for him in his first game to get a result. Hopefully for us we won't have too many days like that and we'll keep moving forward."

 

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Ozil targets Champions League success with Real Madrid

Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Ozil has pinpointed the Champions League as his main objective for the upcoming season.

The 23-year-old playmaker has become an important part of Los Blancos since moving from Werder Bremen in 2010, and has declared his team's desire to emerge victorious in all competitions.


“The objective at Madrid is always the same: to collect every trophy possible," he told Bild. "Both [La Liga and Champions League] are important, but the Champions League is a competition that I have not won yet.

“This is my third season at Real Madrid. When I came, few people thought that I could achieve what I have achieved so far. Now that I have won the league and the cup, I'm sure the next step is to come."Winning the league last season has made us even stronger. We are prepared."

Real Madrid won the Primera Division last season, but was eliminated from the Champions League by Bayern Munich and from the Copa del Rey by Barcelona.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League 2012.08.19 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2012.08.19 Fixtures

Wigan Vs Chelsea

Manchester City Vs Southamton

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

La Liga 2012.08.19 Fixtures

La Liga 2012.08.19 Fixtures

Athletic Bilbao Vs Real Betis

Real Madrid Vs Valencia

Barcelona Vs Real Sociedad

Levante Vs Atletico Madrid​

 

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Barcelona agrees terms with Arsenal over Alexandre Song signing

Arsenal and Barcelona have agreed terms over the transfer of midfielder Alex Song, the club revealed on Saturday.

The Blaugrana have been keeping tabs on the 24-year-old and the Gunners have confirmed that they have accepted an offer from the Catalan giants.

Song will make his way to Spain to discuss personal terms and complete a medical.

The Cameroon international established himself as a key member of Arsenal's midfield last season, and looks like being the second high-profile exit from north London this week, after the transfer of striker Robin van Persie to Manchester United was confirmed on Friday.Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger's side kicked off their Premier League campaign with a frustrating 0-0 draw at home to Sunderland as it looks to rebuild its squad for a title push.

 

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Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland: Defiant Black Cats frustrate new boys Cazorla, Podolski and Giroud

Arsenal started life without Robin van Persie with a 0-0 draw against Sunderland as the Gunners couldn't find a breakthrough against a resolute Black Cats defense.

Arsene Wenger's sides's best chances of the game fell to new boy Olivier Giroud who somehow fired an effort past the post with only Black Cats keeper Simon Mignolet to beat from inside the box. Santi Cazorla also had a few decent efforts but couldn’t find a way past the Belgian international.

The Wearsiders best opportunity fell to James McClean in the opening minutes but he was denied by a good save from Wojciech Szczesny. Arsene Wenger’s side pressed late on but couldn’t force a winner as both sides settled for a point.

Wenger handed Premier League debuts to summer signings Podolski and Cazorla. The German international was part of a three pronged attack alongside Gervinho and Theo Walcott while the Spaniard joined Abou Diaby and Mikel Arteta in the center of midfield.

Alex Song wasn’t named in the squad while Thomas Vermaelen took the captain’s armband replacing Van Persie as the Gunners' third captain in three years.

The visitors started the game in confident fashion and could have taken the lead through McClean in the opening minutes as he was played through one-on-one with Wojciech Szczesny but the Irishman couldn’t beat the Gunners keeper who made a good save with his feet.

Arsenal went straight on the counter attack and Cazorla jinked past several Black Cat defenders before firing a vicious left-footed shot at goal which was turned away brilliantly by Simon Mignolet as the ball was swerving away from him.

Brilliance from Gervinho nearly carved out a goal for the Gunners, as he beat Gardner with a swift turn and jinked past O’Shea before crossing for Cazorla whose left-footed shot went just past the post of Mignolet.

Arsenal was becoming more threatening as the half progressed and Mignolet had to be at his best to deny it as Diaby raided forward from midfield and looked to place the ball in the bottom corner but the 24-year-old stopper was there to turn the effort past the post at full stretch.

The second half started in the same way as the first ended as the Gunners dominated possession but struggled to break down a resolute Sunderland defense with O’Shea in particular good form at the heart of the rearguard action.

The Gunners kept knocking at the door and pressing forward and thought they’d had found their way through at last when Cazorla found Giroud in the box with a lovely pass leaving him one-on-one with Mignolet but he somehow blazed his effort past the post.

Arsenal continued to press but couldn't find a breakthough as Sunderland held onto the claim a point at the Emirates Stadium.

 

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Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham: Ben Arfa spot on as Villas-Boas' Spurs reign gets off to losing start

Newcastle got its Premier League campaign off to a winning start, defeating Tottenham 2-1 thanks to a late penalty from Hatem Ben Arfa.

The Magpies took the lead in the second half following a pretty poor opening 45 minutes from both sides in front of goal thanks to a great strike from Demba Ba, curling an effort into the far corner.

Spurs were level with less than 15 minutes to play thanks to a Jermain Defoe tap-in, but lost the lead less than four minutes later thanks to Ben Arfa's spot kick in the 81st minute, after he was felled by Aaron Lennon in the box.

The first action of the match came in the opening 10 minutes, when Benoit Assou-Ekotto was lucky to get away with a poor clearance, which then served to set up a counterattack.

With Lennon bursting down the right wing, Spurs had a four-on three situation, but didn't exploit it fully with Gareth Bale free for the entire move but unused. Lennon found Sandro, whose shot found Gylfi Sigurdsson, but he was (wrongly) adjudged offside before his shot was blocked by Tim Krul.

A flurry of yellow cards seemed to upset Spurs boss Villas-Boas, as his two central midfielders, Sandro and Jake Livermore, earned a place in the referee's book for fairly innocuous challenges that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the match.

Newcastle was inches away from opening the scoring as Ba turned and shot from around 25 yards, and Cisse got a touch on the ball to flick it just past the post, with Brad Friedel beaten by the deceptive spin.

Lennon was causing Davide Santon quite a few problems at left back, as he switched inside and out before cutting down the line and standing up a cross for Bale at the back post, whose header back across goal rebounded off the bar, with 10 minutes left until halftime.

That proved to be the last major action of the half, and with neither side making a change during the break, the visitors began brightly, with Lennon proving troublesome as he went on a run from the center of the pitch to the opposition box, and saw his cross cut out by James Perch with Defoe fractionally late to arrive.

In the 55th minute, it was the hosts that took the lead. A cross from Simpson was poorly cleared by Kyle Walker, whose header was more up in the air than out. Ba was on hand to bring the ball down, and as he was given far too much time and space by Gallas and Walker, he curled a beautiful effort into the far corner past Friedel's despairing dive.

And barely a minute afterwards, there was more drama as manager Alan Pardew was dismissed from the touchline after shoving linesman Peter Kirkup following a contentious call after the ball appeared to go out of play.

With just over 20 minutes to play, Rafael van der Vaart was introduced in place of Sigurdsson, and almost had an instant impact, putting in a great ball for Lennon, but the winger could only chest it down on the run before it was cleared.

And a minute later, Cabaye was replaced by Newcastle's newest signing Vurnon Anita as Pardew (via the directors' box) looked to shore things up in midfield.

Defoe was the next man to come close to scoring, latching onto a good through ball to aim a low strike at goal, but Krul got down well to stop it, and Steven Taylor mopped up extremely cleverly by stopping the ball from going out for a corner and lying down to head it back to his keeper, much to the amusement of the home crowd.

But the home fans weren't laughing in the 76th minute, as Defoe grabbed an equalizer. Lennon was in acres of space on the left following a corner, and dinked a cross into the far post. The striker was just too low to connect with a header, but the ball bounced off Newcastle defender Santon, and Krul could only knock the ball onto the post, with Defoe on hand to knock in the rebound.

Spurs were level for less than four minutes however, as Ben Arfa produced some more quality to get past a defensive duo of Van der Vaart and Lennon, with the latter seemingly the greater aggressor in hauling down the French attacker for a penalty.

The winger duly stepped up to take the spot kick, and dispatched it coolly into the bottom corner to restore the Magpies' lead.

Villas-Boas reacted by bringing on youngster Harry Kane for his first Premier League appearance, with Sandro being replaced, while Pardew brought off goalscorer Ba, going for a five-man midfield and Gabriel Obertan in place on the right wing.

But it was all to no avail for Villas-Boas, as his reign with the north London club got off to an underwhelming start.

Newcastle මේ පාරත් හොද ගේමක් දෙයි වගේ අනිත් ටීම් වලට.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester City 3-2 Southampton: Dzeko and Nasri earn champions thrilling comeback victory

Manchester City began their Premier League title defense in much the same way as it had claimed the championship months earlier by coming from behind to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over Southampton at the Etihad Stadium.

The excellent Carlos Tevez gave City a first half lead, although Roberto Mancini had been dealt an early blow when Sergio Aguero left the game on a stretcher with a knee injury.

Southampton had been largely confined to its own half before it stunned the hosts by racing into a 2-1 lead in the second half courtesy of goals from substitutes Rickie Lambert and Steven Davis.

But Edin Dzeko quickly grabbed an equalizer and Samir Nasri, the architect of much of City's best play, completed the comeback with 10 minutes to play.

Mancini handed new signing Jack Rodwell his City debut in central midfield, where he partnered Yaya Toure in the absence of the injured Gareth Barry, while Joe Hart was passed fit to start in goal.

17-year-old midfielder James Ward-Prowse made his first ever league appearance in midfield for the Saints, with last season's Championship top scorer Lambert left on the bench as Guly do Prado started in attack.

Having written his name into the history books at the end of last season, Aguero started the new campaign with a moment that he will hope will not last so long in his memory. The Argentine forward appeared to twist his knee under the sliding challenge of right-back Nathaniel Clyne – who cleanly won the ball – and, after one attempt to get back to his feet, left the interior of the Etihad Stadium on a stretcher.

Almost unnoticed amidst the worries of Aguero, Southampton had settled into the game nicely, with Ward-Prowse rushing forward with confidence from central midfield and Joleon Lescott under scrutiny for a tackle on Rodriguez in the City box.

The Saints were soon to discover, however, the Premier League champions' ability to turn a game in the blink of an eye. After Dzeko had replaced Aguero, Nasri flicked David Silva's pass into the path of Tevez, who spun past center back Jos Hooiveld into the box and was tripped by the Dutch defender's outstretched leg, leaving Howard Webb no choice but to point to the spot.

With Aguero withdrawn and other regular takers Mario Balotelli and James Milner on the bench, Silva had the chance to send City in front but his penalty was as poorly struck as Shane Long's for West Brom against Liverpool the day before and Kelvin Davis saved to his left.

Southampton found breaks forward more difficult to come by as the half wore on but defended resolutely, keeping Dzeko away from crosses aimed by fullbacks Pablo Zabaleta and Gael Clichy. Kelvin Davis saved comfortably when Tevez, who carried his impressive preseason form into this fixture, engineered enough space to toe-poke an effort from 18 yards towards goal.

He was not kept at bay for much longer. Southampton were five minutes away from reaching the break with the deadlock intact when Nasri, allowed too much time and space in the visitors' half, picked out Tevez with a chipped pass that the Argentine scurried on to – just staying in line with Jose Fonte – and rifled past Kelvin Davis at the near post.

From that point Nigel Adkins' team desperately defended to keep the deficit to one-goal until halftime. Tevez's drilled effort was saved by Kelvin Davis, who could not quite keep his hands on the ball but saw Silva's attempted follow-up blocked.

Southampton did make it to the break trailing by only a goal but the game was almost put to bed shortly after the restart. Nasri, perhaps only second to Tevez in influence exerted in the first half, fought off Clyne on the left-hand side before directing a low cross into the path of Dzeko, but the Bosnian failed to get proper contact on the ball from point blank range.

Clichy came even closer to goal minutes later when he latched on to Toure's superb pass to the back post, but the left-back sent a first-time volley over the crossbar.

Adkins had seen enough, calling Lambert to the touchline in one of two moves that would turn the game on its head, but the striker was still waiting to replace Rodriguez when Silva passed up another golden opportunity. Tevez sped down the right and forced Kelvin Davis to parry his powerful cross before the Spaniard volleyed on to the crossbar after Nasri had controlled the rebound.

It took Lambert less time to find his range and make his mark on the top flight. Guiding a Southampton attack forward, the 30-year-old superbly steered home a precise shot from the edge of the box after Lescott had blocked his attempted through ball back into his path.

The Saints' second half possession had hovered around the 20 percent mark and from that point it seemed that preserving their point at all costs would be the order of the day but, once again, Adkins found a way to inspire his team from the bench.

Steven Davis was brought into the fray this time and when Rodwell's poor pass sparked a counterattack, the former Rangers midfielder took advantage of Adam Lallana's lay-off to find the bottom corner with another fine finish.

The story, with City trailing 2-1, seemed a familiar one and it was to take a familiar next step. This time, it did not take as long for the man who gave the fans inside the Etihad Stadium back in May a shred of hope to find an equalizer. Vincent Kompany returned Nasri's corner to the penalty area with a low shot and after Toure had scrapped for the ball it fell for Dzeko to slam home.

Substitute Balotelli missed failed to convert a sublime low cross from Nasri as City searched for another dramatic third goal before Dzeko glanced a header narrowly wide.

Once Dzeko had equalized a winner seemed almost inevitable and City found it with 10 minutes still to play. Clichy's cross from the left was poorly dealt with by his opposite number Danny Fox, with Nasri making no mistake after the defender had headed the ball directly into his path.

Fonte had one chance to grab a point as Southampton pressed for a late leveler but City held out to register its first points of the new campaign.