..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

'It's complete nonsense' - Anzhi dismisses Beckham link

Anzhi Makhachkala chairman Konstantin Remchukov has dismissed reports linking David Beckham with a move to the Russian club, branding the speculaton as "complete nonsense."


The former England captain has been linked with a number of clubs since ending his six-season spell with Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, one of which has been the Chechnya-based outfit. Remchukov has moved to deny any interest in the veteran midfielder, though, suggesting the idea has not even been considered by the big-spending Russian club.

“A note about Anzhi’s interest in Beckham - it’s complete nonsense,” Remchukov tweeted on Friday. “An idea like this hasn’t been floated even once.”

Beckham is said to be mulling over his options as he seeks out one last challenge to end his career and has been linked with moves to teams in Europe, Asia and Australia.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Shakhtar signs Chelsea target Taison from Metalist

Shakhtar Donetsk have confirmed the signing for Taison from Metalist Kharkiv for a fee of 15 million euros, with the Brazilian attacker inking a five-year contract.

Taison's form for his club caught the eye of a host of clubs across Europe, including defending UEFA Champions League winner Chelsea. Te Donbass Arena outfit have now pounced for the 24-year-old, activating his release clause.

"On January 10, the presidents of Shakhtar and Metalist negotiated the transfer of Taison from the Kharkiv club to the Donetsk team," a statement on the club's official site read. "Shakhtar paid $20 million, and we got a player who really wanted to join our team. The Brazilian player's five-year contract started on January 11."

The attacker moved to Metalist from Internacional in 2010, and he made 57 league appearances for the club, scoring 13 goals. Shakhtar has enjoyed a fantastic Ukrainian Premier League season thus far and currently sits 13 points clear of Dnipro in the table, having won 17 of its 18 games.

The club faces Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 of the Champions League and adds Tiason to the likes of attacking stars Willian, Fernandinho and Henrik Mkhitaryan.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: Walcott Arsenal contract talks heading toward 'happy conclusion'

Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Theo Walcott is moving closer to signing a new Arsenal deal after talks progressed "smoothly but slowly."
The Gunners forward has always expressed his desire to stay at the Emirates, but with his current deal expiring at the end of the season he has been fiercely linked with a move away. It now seems that the former Southampton man will eventually extend his stay in North London, with the club's manager insisting he expects to keep hold of the player after tiresome negotiations.

"We're on a good road," Wenger told reporters. "As long as nothing is signed, you are cautious. I'm optimistic that we'll get to a happy conclusion. I was optimistic last week. I'm a bit more optimistic this week."

Reports have suggested that the England international was after a clause in his contract guaranteeing him more chances to play as the central striker, after being used mainly as a winger during his time with Arsenal, but Wenger has denied those claims.

The Frenchman has instead indicated that the attacker is "happy to play on the wing," but did hint that the 23-year-old will be handed more opportunities in his preferred position.

"I believe that Theo can have a preference to play in the middle, but first of all he never made a condition of that to extend his contract," Wenger said.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Cavani: I would love to play alongside Balotelli

Napoli star Edinson Cavani has revealed he would love to play alongside Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli at the Stadio San Paolo.

The Italy international has continually being linked with a move away from the reigning Premier League champions following numerous acts of indiscipline. Cavani would welcome teaming up with the flamboyant attacker in Naples, even though Balotteli's agent Mino Raiola has all but ruled out a return to Italy this winter.

"Nobody has the right to judge someone else. We all make mistakes. He's a great player in my opinion and I would love to play alongside him," Cavani told Tg1. "Balotelli is a champion and has already shown what he can do. He has the quality to make people very happy."

Cavani then went on to stress that he has no intention of leaving Napoli, as he is happy with life at the club.

"I want to stay at this club for a long time. I am enjoying every moment here and the fans give the team something extra," Cavani said. "Naples has given me a lot. I have a lot of love for this club, this city and its fans. Their warmth boosts my confidence."

The 25-year-old has a contract with the Partenopei until June 2017, but he has a limited fee release clause of 63 million euros.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League 2013.01.12 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2013.01.12 Fixtures

QPR Vs Tottenham

Aston Villa Vs Southampton

Fulham Vs Wigan

Everton Vs Swansea

Norwich Vs Newcastle United

Reading Vs WBA

Sunderland Vs West Ham United

Stroke City Vs Chelsea

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

La Liga 2013.01.12 Fixtures

La Liga 2013.01.12 Fixtures

Real Valladoid Vs Mallorca

Espanyol Vs Celta Vigo

Osasuna Vs Real Madrid

Valencia Vs Sevilla​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Serie A 2013.01.12 Fixtures

Serie A 2013.01.12 Fixtures

Bologna Vs Chievo

Inter Vs Pescara​

 

[Banks PLK]

Balo goes blond!

So perhaps Mario Balotelli can now put his troubles behind him and start firing again for Manchester City.
The hothead Italian arrived at training this morning sporting a striking new look.

​

better start scoring

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Inter 2-0 Pescara: Palacio and Guarin send Nerazzurri third

An imperious Inter side ran out the clear winner at San Siro against an under-par Pescara, winning 2-0 to keep alive their hopes of making a late challenge for the title.

Rodrigo Palacio opened the scoring for the Italian giant after 30 minutes, before setting up Fredy Guarin for the home team's second to put the result beyond doubt.

Needing a win to keep up the pressure on Serie A leader Juventus, the Nerazzurri began Saturday's clash in bullish fashion and pushed men forward in search of an early strike.

Pescara was full of resolve at the back, however, and Inter's first chance of the game came on the counterattack. Rodrigo Palacio did wonderfully to reach Fredy Guarin's lobbed pass, and flashed his shot across the face of the goal to fire a warning to the away team.

As the first half developed, Andrea Stramaccioni's men began to control proceedings. Pescara was left to feed off scraps during a spell of Inter domination, and only a persistent show of committed defending at the back prevented it from falling behind in the opening half hour.

Antonio Cassano forced a save from Mattia Perin after latching on to Esteban Cambiasso's header, before Alvaro Pereira burst through on the left flank and rattled the side netting with a powerful effort of his own.

A goal appeared inevitable, and it came after 31 minutes courtesy of a fluid team move from the hosts. Christian Chivu's pass was left intelligently by Cassano and found the feet of Palacio. The Argentine still had a lot of work to do on the edge of the area, but a quick turn left Christian Terluzzi flailing before the striker hit his shot powerfully beyond the grasp of Perin, for his sixth Serie A goal of the season.

Although it had chances to further extend its advantage, the San Siro club looked comfortable and in complete control, with the midfield pairing of Javier Zanetti and Marco Benassi - separated in age by an incredible 21 years - assuring that the home team went into halftime with a firm hold on the game.

Palacio needed barely 30 seconds after the restart to slide the ball into the Pescara net, but the ex-Boca Juniors star was called back for a marginal offside decision and earned a yellow card for his vigorous protest. Jonathan also raised the pulses of the home support, letting loose with a wicked shot from deep that flew just wide of the right-hand post.

Delfini were committing men forward, but that intent made for an increasingly shambolic display at the back. With just eight minutes played of the second half, a slick move from the hosts left the visiting defence in disarray, and Guarin was left with the simplest of finishes to make it 2-0.

The away side were left with a mountain to climb, and although they were enjoying more possession in the Inter half, there was no way through a defense led by stand-in center back Cambiasso.

A Mervan Celik header that went comfortably over the crossbar was about as good as it got for the visitors, as they succumbed to their 12th defeat of the season to move perilously close to the relegation zone.

Inter, meanwhile, leaps temporarily back into third place in Serie A, although it will have to see how the dust settles on Sunday's league encounters before knowing its final position at the end of round 20.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Fulham 1-1 Wigan: Di Santo leveller lifts Latics out of bottom three

Fulham and Wigan shared the spoils in a tense Premier League affair that ended 1-1 at Craven Cottage.

In an afternoon that presented plain evidence of both sides' current lack of confidence, Fulham opened the scoring through Greek midfielder Giorgos Karagounis' emphatic strike off the post, before Franco Di Santo leveled the visitors with a similarly clinical drive after the break.

Genuine quality throughout was few and far between and though the result lifted Wigan out of the bottom three and left Fulham in relative mid-table comfort, both sides urgently need to address the form which may threaten their Premier League survival.

Roberto Martinez made eight changes to revert back to a more familiar side after the disappointing FA Cup third round draw with Bournemouth, though was without top scorer Arouna Kone, who joined up with the Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Martin Jol welcomed back several senior players, with Mark Schwarzer, Damien Duff, Kieran Richardson and Mladen Petric all restored to the starting lineup and John Arne Riise named on the bench.

A recent lack of confidence from both sides manifested itself in a tense and uneventful opening 20 minutes, with Petric and James McArthur both blazing over the bar from the edge of the area and Berbatov failing to control a Bryan Ruiz pass when through on goal.

It took a moment of class from Karagounis to break the deadlock, as the Greek midfielder picked the ball up centrally before driving to the edge of the box and sending an unstoppable drive in off the far post.

Wigan endeavored to get itself back into the game but got little joy against a home side which was more measured with its possession.

Alex Kacaniklic and Kieran Richardson both fired high and wide from promising positions for the home side, before Franco Di Santo spurned a decent opportunity to draw Wigan level by hammering over Emmerson Boyce's wicked delivery from just six yards out.

The match continued in the same fashion after the interval with neither side showing the craft needed to create clear-cut opportunities.

Shaun Maloney's drive caught Brede Hangeland on the shoulder and forced Schwarzer to tip onto the bar before Di Santo improvised smartly to send a volley inches wide.

Wigan's pressure finally paid dividends when Di Santo drew it level with a rasping right-footed drive after cutting in from the right channel.

The Latics ended the game in the ascendancy though had Emmerson Boyce to thank for a point, after the defender dramatically cleared Ruiz's effort off the line to see the game end a 1-1 draw.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Osausna 0-0 Real Madrid: Kaka dismissed as Blancos stumble again on the road

Real Madrid dropped more Liga points on Saturday after laboring to a miserable 0-0 draw at El Sadar against Osasuna, which moved off the foot of the table on goal difference.

With Cristiano Ronaldo among a host of names missing out due to suspension, los Blancos were decidedly off-color in front of goal, and struggled to create many meaningful moments in the face of a determined rearguard effort from the hosts.

Substitute Kaka's 76th minute red card effectively ended any hopes of a victory for Madrid, who could see their gap to league leaders Barcelona grow to 19 points should the Catalans triumph against Malaga on Sunday.

Sergio Ramos and Antonio Adan joined Ronaldo on the sidelines through suspension, meaning that Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Callejon and Iker Casillas were all handed starts by Jose Mourinho.

It took the visitors the best part of half an hour to register their first real chance. Andres Fernandez rashly strode off his line to confront Higuain, who beat him to the byline, but saw his cross towards an empty net hacked away from danger by Alejandro Arribas.

Madrid seemed unable to find any conventional route through to goal, and it took an unorthodox header from Callejon that looped onto the roof of the net for them to threaten the home side again.

Osasuna were generally comfortable defending against the capital outfit, and managed to create some danger of their own at the other end of the pitch when Alvaro Cejudo smashed a half volley just over the bar after combining well with Emiliano Armenteros.

But Madrid would spur a great opportunity to break the deadlock on the stroke of halftime. Fernandez was caught out of position again, this time by Callejon, who teed up Fabio Coentrao at the edge of the area, but the Portuguese drove his finish wide of the far post.Osasuna went close barely a minute into the second half, as Kike Sola cut in off the left flank to force Casillas into his first save of the match with an awkward parry.

And as the second half wore on, the hosts continued to look capable of repelling the threat posed by Madrid, who were having a tough time breaking through their ranks.

Kaka and Karim Benzema entered the fray just before the hour mark, and the Brazilian picked up a booking within minutes of his introduction for a flying tackle on Oier.

And that infraction would come back to haunt him in the 76th minute, as he was shown his second yellow card after reacting angrily in a confrontation with a few Osasuna players, reducing Madrid to ten men.

The dismissal effectively signaled the end of Madrid's ambitions for all three points, as it was forced to hang on for the remainder of the match to limp towards a point that it barely deserved.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Aston Villa 0-1 Southampton: Saints dump Lambert’s strugglers into bottom three

Southamptonearned a vital three points as it overcame fellow strugglers Aston Villa 1-0 at Villa Park.

Defeat sees Villa plunge further into trouble following a disappointing afternoon, but the Saints were fully deserving of their victory after producing a fine away performance.

Aston Villa controlled most of the opening period, with star striker Christian Benteke and Charles N’Zogbia looking lively in the early stages.It was Benteke who created the game’s first chance six minutes in, when he curled an effort just over the bar from the edge of the area.

That proved to be the only real opportunity the home side enjoyed, and it was the visitors – who were always a danger on the counterattack – that made the better opportunities, Jay Rodriguez, Rickie Lambert and Luke Shaw all going close for Nigel Adkins’ side.

Southampton was promptly rewarded for its dominance just over 10 minutes before the interval as Lambert stepped up to convert from the penalty spot after Enda Stevens had felled Rodriguez just inside the area.Villa offered little response and the Saints went close to doubling their lead minutes later when Luke Shaw strode past Matthew Lowton before seeing his powerful effort saved by Brad Guzan.

The hosts approached the second period with renewed energy and vigor, Lowton, Weimann and Benteke all having chances as Lambert’s men desperately searched for a leveller.Still it was Southampton which always looked the more likely to score and again went close to adding a second when Jason Puncheon crashed an effort against the post.

The visitors did however suffer a blow when Shaw was stretchered off following a collision with Lowton, and that seemed to weaken the Saints defensively as Villa piled on the pressure in the closing stages.

First Benteke headed over from point-blank range, before Nathan Baker headed against the bar from a corner as the men from the south coast continued to ride their luck.

However, despite all of its possession and territory Lambert's side was not able to find a leveller as Southampton held on to earn a much-needed triumph.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Reading: 3-2 West Brom: Pogrebnyak seals stunning Royals comeback

Reading stayed off the bottom of the Premier League table by beating West Brom 3-2 at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday, scoring three goals in the final 10 minutes to come from two goals down in a breathtaking finale.

The hosts fell behind just before 20 minutes had elapsed, Romelu Lukaku finishing off a decent move for the Baggies, with little action before halftime thereafter. The second period saw the Belgian hit the woodwork twice before eventually netting the second and seemingly securing the victory.

However, the game took an extraordinary turn when three goals in under 10 minutes, the final two coming in the closing stages, gave the hosts a massive three points and victory to remember.

The result, after QPR's draw with Tottenham earlier in the day, sees the Royals put some breathing space between themselves and the league's bottom-boys.

It took just over 15 minutes for the visitors to carve out the first chance when James Morrison forced Adam Federici into a fine save after George Thorne's cross from the right.

However the Royals keeper was helpless to deny Lukaku opening the scoring minutes later. The Belgian, on loan from Chelsea, started the move by bringing down a long ball in the middle of the field, he then shifted it on to Morrison, and continued his run into the box, before his teammate provided a simple cross that left the forward with an even simpler finish.

The remainder of the half saw very little action, however if Jimmy Kebe's touch after Danny Guthrie's searching through ball had been better, the attacker would have been left with a brilliant chance to equalize.

It wasn't though, and as it turned out Lukaku may well have doubled the Baggies' lead just a second after the second half began, however his strike was blocked by a fantastic sliding challenge by Adrian Mariappa. The Belgian did then put the ball in the back of the net, only for it to be correctly ruled out for offside.

Reading should have been level soon after, though, when halftime substitute Garath McClearly was presented with a clear chance and a virtually open goal - after Ben Foster completely missed Kebe's cross - however the midfielder's effort was vitally blocked by Billy Jones on the Baggies goal line.

The visitors responded well when Chris Brunt crossed for Lukaku, however the response wasn't quite good enough as the forward saw his effort come back off the frame of the goal.

Lukaku did, however, finally get his, and West Brom's, second goal of the game with just over 20 minute remaining. The forward received the ball from James Morrison before running at the Royals defense, which then backed off in regret as he duly slotted the ball past Federici at the keeper's near post.

The Royals launched a late surge when Kebe popped up at the back post to head McCleary's cross into the back of the net with 10 minutes to play, the delivery evading everyone else.

And the unlikely comeback was on when Adam Le Fondre slotted home a late, late penalty with just three minutes left. Olsson brought down Kebe inside the box, the forward sending Foster the wrong way.

The Madejski then erupted when, miraculously, Pogrebnyak beat two West Brom defenders to a goal-mouth scramble to put the hosts 3-2 up and secure all three points in extraordinary fashion.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Niyama Comeback 1kak

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Everton 0-0 Swansea City: Goalless at Goodison as Toffees stay fifth

LIVERPOOL -- Everton retained its grip on fifth place in the Premier League but was frustrated by an obstinate Swansea as the sides drew 0-0 on Saturday afternoon.

Ashley Williams and Chico Flores produced a defensive masterclass for the Swans, who tired toward the final moments of what was an entertaining encounter at Goodison Park.

Everton made just one change following their FA Cup win over Cheltenham, with Steven Pienaar returning on the left in place of Bryan Oviedo. Michael Laudrup, meanwhile, named Gerhard Tremmel, Wayne Routledge, Leon Britton and Jonathan de Guzman on the bench following their exploits in the midweek win over Chelsea, with Michel Vorm, Kemy Agustien, Dwight Tiendalli & Nathan Dyer their replacements.

The Toffees started brightly, with Marouane Fellaini stinging Vorm’s palms after some delightful link-up with Pienaar on the left-hand side. However, it did not take long for the Swans to evidence their well-documented threat on the counterattack, with their best chance coming moments after a dangerous Everton move broke down.

Dwight Tiendalli’s clearance - one which was arguably unnecessary given the ball appeared to be going wide – landed to Hernandez, who performed an impressive flick to escape the attentions of Phil Jagielka. Unfortunately for the visitors though, the Spaniard could not find Dyer’s run up the right-hand side after cutting inside.

With 30 minutes gone, David Moyes’ side went even closer to breaking the deadlock as Fellaini’s knock down to Victor Anichebe was kept out by Vorm before being hacked away desperately by Ashley Williams. Yet, in-keeping with the theme of the game, the Swans went close next as Michu’s lofted effort was flicked onto the bar by Tim Howard.

There was, of course, time for one more chance in the half, as Seamus Coleman wriggled beyond two opposition defenders before crossing for Fellaini, but the Belgian’s shot was weak and easily held by Vorm.

The second period started in equally blistering fashion, as Phil Neville collected the ball from Coleman before forcing Vorm into a save from close-range. And just moments later Sylvain Distin headed over from a corner to underline the Toffees’ status as the dominant force upon the resumption of play.

Swansea began to move deeper defensively as Everton dominated territorially, forcing Laudrup to look to Routledge and De Guzman off the bench as he searched to put the Swans’ stamp back on the game. However, the hosts continued to threaten, with Jagielka somehow heading over from six yards out after another brilliantly delivered Leighton Baines corner.

A raft of substitutions late on offered hope of a breakthrough from either side, though none was forthcoming as the game lost its fluidity.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Stoke City 0-4 Chelsea: Hazard stunner wraps up dominant Blues win

A superb second-half display from Chelsea saw it cruise to a 4-0 win over Stoke and send the Potters to their first home defeat of the season.

The first half lacked quality but a Jon Walters own goal right before the break gave the visitors the lead, and in the second half the Blues ran riot. Walters unluckily added a second own goal before a Frank Lampard penalty and a Eden Hazard rocket sealed the points.

Stoke made one change to the side that started the last Premier League game against Manchester City as Matthew Etherington started on the left in place of Cameron Jerome. The visitors made four changes to the side that was beaten by Swansea in the Capital One Cup semifinal with Demba Ba, Petr Cech, Frank Lampard and Ryan Bertrand starting in place of Fernando Torres, Ross Turnbull, Gary Cahill and Oscar.

The opening half was short on skill and entertainment with both sides limited to half chances until right before the break.

Stoke had the game’s first chance as Kenwyne Jones found himself with room inside the Chelsea penalty area but he dragged his shot wide of Cech’s goal. And the visitors responded 10 minutes later with a nice passing move that led to Ba finding Lampard inside the penalty area, but Begovic saved well with his feet from the midfielders low shot.

With the half seemingly drifting to an end without a goal, Chelsea opened the scoring. Hazard released Cesar Azpilicueta on the right hand side, the Spaniard delivered a dangerous cross to the back post where Jonathan Walters headed past his own goalkeeper in his attempt to clear the cross.

Stoke began the second half full of life and after a Steven N’Zonzi shot tested Cech, the Potters thought they won a penalty just before the hour. Azpilicueta appeared to bring down Etherington inside the penalty area. Andre Marriner awarded the penalty only for assistant referee Sian Massey to overrule the decision as the winger had drifted into an offside position.

Four minutes later the Stoke players were cursing that decision as Walters again headed past his own goalkeeper. Lampard challenged the winger from a right-wing corner and the ball hit the Stoke man before dropping into the back of the net.

Stoke’s misery was compounded two minutes later as Robert Huth was adjudged to have brought down Mata inside the penalty area. The decision looked harsh but that made no difference to Lampard, who smashed the ball past Begovic from 12 yards to become Chelsea’s second highest goal scorer with 194 goals.

Chelsea hammered the final nail into the Stoke coffin in the 73rd minute as Hazard fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner. The Belgian received the ball inside the Stoke half from Mata, drifted away from Glenn Whelan and lashed an absolute rocket past Begovic.

Stoke was awarded a penalty in the closing seconds as substitute John Terry brought Walters down in the penalty area, but the forward lashed his spot kick over the cross bar to complete a dreadful day.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham: Larsson, Johnson, and McClean on target as Black Cats ease to victory

Sunderland made an emphatic return to form with a 3-0 win over an out-of-sorts West Ham on Saturday at the Stadium of Light.

Sebastian Larsson, Adam Johnson and James McClean were all on target in a display which would warm the cockles of even the most critical of home supporters on a chilly afternoon in the north east.

Martin O'Neill's mounting injury list saw midfielders Craig Gardner and Jack Colback both deployed as stand-in fullbacks, although the 60-year-old was boosted by John O'Shea and Stephane Sessegnon's inclusion in the starting XI after they overcame fitness concerns.

Carlton Cole continued in attack for the visitors despite reports suggesting he is surplus to requirements at the club, with namesake Joe also retaining his place in the side, while Winston Reid and Matt Jarvis both returned to the lineup.

Neither Black Cats new boy Alfred N'Diaye or Hammers loan signing Marouane Chamakh were handed full debuts at the Stadium of Light, with both having to settle for place amongst the substitutes.

The lively Sessegnon crafted the first opening of the game, turning James Collins inside out before picking out Johnson in the box. The ex-Manchester City man's effort was blocked, but David Vaughan was on hand to pick up the rebound, his strike bouncing just wide of the post.

Sunderland's early pressure continued, with Reid twice forced into crucial blocks against Steven Fletcher and then James McClean. However, the Black Cats soon made it count in a spectacular way.

The ball bobbled loose on the edge of the West Ham area, with Larsson's touch greeted with cries of 'shoot!' from the home crowd. The Swede obliged, firing a rocket into the top-left hand corner to give his side a deserved lead.

A West Ham resurgence was not forthcoming as the hosts continued to surge forward, led by the ever-impressive Sessegnon.

In midfield, the Hammers offered little to no resistance as Vaughan and Larsson dominated, while it was only the rallying display of Reid which prevented the visitors from going in even further behind as the half drew to a close.

If Sunderland felt aggrieved to only be a goal ahead at the break, it soon made amends in the second 45. The hosts broke through Sessegnon following a West Ham free kick, and he quickly found McClean in acres of space on the opposite flank.

The young winger may not have been able to beat Jussi Jaaskelainen, but Johnson made no mistake, capitalizing on some shambolic defending from the Hammers to tap home and double the lead.

McClean's chance would come, however. Sessegnon again jinked through the West Ham defense, mocking Dan Potts and then James Tomkins with a series of pull backs, only for his final touch to evade him, which in turn allowed the Irishman to fire home from an acute angle.

There was a debut for Chamakh for the east Londoners, yet the on-loan Arsenal man seemed unable to inspire himself, never mind a late consolation for his new side. The same could not be said of N'Diaye, whose promising late cameo hinted at the slowly changing fortunes on Wearside.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Norwich 0-0 Newcastle: Bore draw stops the rot for Pardew and Hughton

Norwich City and Newcastle United ended their respective Premier League losing streaks after playing out a 0-0 draw at Carrow Road on Saturday.The hosts began slowly, but they soon had control of the match and should have taken the lead through Wes Hoolahan, while Gabriel Obertan forced Mark Bunn into a good save.

A similar pattern emerged after the break, but this time Newcastle created even less in attack and needed Tim Krul and the post to prevent goals from Antony Pilkington and Russell Martin, respectively.

The visitors created the match’s first chance in the opening 10 seconds as Vurnon Anita smashed the ball into the Norwich area from his own half and Bassong made the bizarre decision to leave it, allowing Gabriel Obertan the chance to cross from a great position in the hosts’ area, but his effort was awful and Mark Bunn collected.

Despite having the better of the first half, Norwich seemed to have too many creators and not enough finishers. Soon a counterattack gave the side its best opportunity as Hoolahan surged forward before playing in Jackson to his right, receiving it back and shaping to shoot, but back came James Perch to poke the ball behind.

The second half followed much the same pattern as the first period, and Norwich continued to look considerably more dangerous in attack, but still could not capitalize.Soon, however, Snodgrass gambled on a long ball from Russell Martin and tried to spin around Coloccini, but the Argentine got a toe in, poking the ball back to Pilkington who fired his shot hopelessly over.

Martin soon had an effort of his own to shout about as he brought the ball under control about 30-yards out after a bizarre period of play that resembled head tennis, and then lashed a half-volley against Krul’s post with the goalkeeper flapping for his life.

It was not long before Krul was forced into action again. Snodgrass cut in from the right and picked out Pilkington on the left, who in turn beat Debuchy with an excellent turn before shooting, but there was Krul to make the save and the visitors were able to hang on to save a point.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Benitez bored of Lampard soap opera

Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez is becoming increasingly frustrated with the speculation surrounding Frank Lampard, insisting his future at the club is "not an issue".

The 34-year-old midfielder scored a penalty in the 4-0 win over Stoke to become the club's second-highest goalscorer of all-time, overtaking Kerry Dixon with a total of 194. He now stands just eight goals behind all-time leading scorer Bobby Tambling.

However, Benitez preferred to focus on the performance of his team, rather than singling out Lampard for praise, stating that he must keep performing after talking "100 times" on the matter.

"It’s not fair to talk about one player," Benitez told reporters. "Frank is doing well but the team is doing a great job.

"If you analyzed what we had to do; David Luiz was playing as a midfielder but today as a centre back and was doing a great job; Ivanovic, I trust him 100 percent, you could see today a great performance too.

"Azpilicueta played well, Petr Cech came back, [Eden] Hazard, [Juan] Mata, Demba Ba doing his job. I was really pleased with the attitude of [Fernando] Torres as he's fighting for his position so a lot of positives today not just one player.

"And Rami [Ramires] did a great great job because he is playing a lot of games with little niggles and is doing really well for the team, Bertand playing in another position, Ashley Cole. Its not fair to talk about one player after this great performance from the team.

"I was talking about this 100 times now, he’s under contract, he’s a good player, he has to keep performing and its not an issue at the moment."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ferguson: I don't know where Liverpool is in the league

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has taunted Liverpool ahead of Sunday’s Old Trafford showdown by saying he no longer takes notice of where the Merseysiders sit in the Premier League table.

Though the fixture retains its status the one the most iconic rivalries in world soccer, once again it will have little direct influence on the destination of the title, with Brendan Rodgers’ side some 21 points adrift of the league leader.

While United continues to fight it out for top domestic billing with Manchester City and look forward to a glamor European tie against Real Madrid next month, Liverpool must console itself with Europa League soccer as Rodgers sets about a sizable rebuilding job.

When it was pointed out to him that Liverpool currently resides in eighth place Ferguson revealed his “surprise” and added: “I never even thought about that until it was mentioned on the television. I don’t really look at that. I look at that mob [Manchester City] that’s behind us, the team that’s directly behind us. Their program, who they’ve got next. I do that all the time.”

By contrast, Ferguson needed little reminding, however, that Liverpool’s failure to add to its 18 league titles had now stretched into a 23rd year. “Oh yes, I’ve been dreaming about it,” he joked.

Liverpool and Rodgers faces an enormous task to redress the balance, one made all the more complicated by its continued absence – which currently stands at three seasons - from Europe’s elite competition.

“If we weren’t in the Champions League it would be a disaster and that probably applies to other big clubs,” Ferguson added.

Though the destination of the title is now more likely to hinge on the outcome of United’s meeting with City later this season, Ferguson still regards the clash with Liverpool as the one that still matters most in a one off context.

He said: “I know City represent a different outlook in the last five years but Liverpool were always the one and nothing will change. It’s not about the position in the league.”