..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Xavi an example to follow, says Busquets

Sergio Busquets has taken the time to praise Barcelona teammate Xavi, and feels the experienced midfielder is an example to follow for other players.

Xavi's agent revealed on Tuesday that Barcelona is ready to offer the Spain international a new and improved deal and it seems likely that the 32-year-old will remain at the Blaugranas until the end of his active career, much to the delight of Busquets.

"He's an incredibly important player with a great past, and he sets a fine example both on and off the pitch," Busquets told reporters at a promotional event. "It would be an honor if he were to retire at Barcelona."

Busquets then went on to discuss the upcoming Clasico, and stressed that the match against Real Madrid will by no means be decisive of the outcome of La Liga.

"That game won’t decide anything, it’s still too early. It’s great to have put some distance between us, but the league season is a long one," he added. "Last year Madrid strung together a long series of wins and we are going to have to do the same thing."

 

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Manchester City 2-4 Aston Villa (AET): N'Zogbia and Agbonlahor strike in extra-time to stun Mancini's men

Aston Villa shocked Manchester City to advance to the fourth round of the League Cup with a 4-2 victory after extra time.

Villa had to come from behind twice in the game before Charles N'Zogbia and Gabriel Agbonlahor secured victory in extra time.

City had taken the lead in the first half through Mario Balotelli after excellent work from James Milner, but the club was pegged back when Gareth Barry put through his own goal after good work from Andreas Weimann.

A 20-yard free kick from Aleksandar Kolarov put the home side ahead five minutes later but Agbonlahor equalized for a second time to take the game into extra time where N'Zogbia and Agbonlahor won the game.

Roberto Mancini named 10 new faces from the side held by Arsenal, with only Joleon Lescott retaining his place and that only after Jack Rodwell picked up an injury in the warmup.

Carlos Tevez and Balotelli both started with Denis Suarez and Adbul Razak two youngsters given the chance to shine for the first team. Villa also made changes but nowhere near as many, with Shay Given replacing Brad Guzan in goal and Gabriel Agbonlahor recalled to lead the line for the visitors.

The terrible Manchester weather made conditions tough for both sides in the opening half and chances were at a real premium, with the majority of the game being played between the two penalty areas.

In the 10th minute Villa had the best chance of the opening exchanges as Agbonlahor decided to test Costel Pantilimon with a long-range skidding effort from 25 yards.

The Romanian pushed the ball away but only as far as Andreas Weimann, he rolled the ball into the unmarked Christian Benteke however the Belgian couldn’t convert as he slid in to meet the Austrian’s pass.

City made Villa pay for that miss in the 27th minute although it was given a lot of help from the poor marking from the visitors defense.

Tevez sprayed a lovely cross field pass to Milner, and he cut inside onto his left foot before finding Balotelli unmarked inside the penalty area and he made no mistake in smashing the ball past City old-boy Shay Given.

The second half began just as the first had done with neither side dominating the game and the general play lacking that zip needed to bring the game to life.

However just before the hour Villa got itself an equalizer that sparked the game into life. Weimann was released down the right hand side and was allowed to deliver a dangerous low cross into the six yard area, there was no Villa player nearby but Pantilimon pushed the cross into Barry and the ball looped over the line.

Ironically that brought City back to life and within four minutes it was ahead again as Kolarov fired in one of his trademark free kicks.

Balotelli made an excellent run down the right channel but was brought down just outside the area, Kolarov won the rights to take the set piece and it proved the right decision as he fired past Given from 20 yards.

Villa was not finished though and in the 70th minute it was level again this time through Agbonlahor. A neat build up from the visitors saw the ball break free and the striker raced onto it and calmly fired past Costel Pantilimon from the edge of the penalty area.

Neither side was able to break the deadlock inside the 90 minutes so the game entered extra time and five minutes in Villa took the lead for the first time in the game. Costel Pantilimon should have done better with a low Agbonlahor shot, but he could only parry the ball into open space inside his penalty area and N'Zogbia was first to the ball to roll it home.

In the second half of extra time Villa confirmed its place in the fourth round as Agbonlahor scored his second goal of the game, with the ball looping up off Pantilimon and into the bottom corner of the net.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Fiorentina 0-0 Juventus: Hosts dominant but Bianconeri retain unbeaten league run

Juventus played out an unconvincing 0-0 draw against Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Tuesday, a result that nevertheless extends the Italian champions' unbeaten run to 44 games.
A cat-and-mouse encounter saw the hosts control proceedings, with Stevan Jovetic hitting the woodwork in the first half as Fiorentina, despite superiority in the run of play, was unable to take what chances fell its way.

Juve displayed little interest in attacking throughout the match, and rode its luck at times to claim a fortunate point that extends its lead at the top of the Serie A table to three points over second-place Napoli.

Juventus’ first half display offered more evidence to their growing reputation as slow starters, with a pair of tame efforts from Sebastian Giovinco about the best they could muster.

The hosts seemed to have the edge in matters during the early exchanges, and saw a penalty appeal correctly go unanswered after Adem Ljajic was challenged inside the area by Leonardo Bonucci. Fiorentina was up in arms again 25 minutes into the game after Manuel Pasqual was felled in the area by Artuo Vidal, though replays suggested that the Chilean had gotten a touch on the ball first.

Fiorentina continued to hold the upper hand throughout the first period, but chances remained at a premium as Juve was able to pack numbers back in its own half. That all changed minutes before the break, however, as La Viola fashioned two clear-cut chances from which its really should have gone ahead.

First, David Pizarro whipped in a devilish freekick that Jovetic headed onto the crossbar from point-blank range. Then, Ljajic spurned an equally great opportunity, dragging a shot across the face of goal with only Gianluigi Buffon to beat after racing clear of Bonucci.

 

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West Ham 1-4 Wigan: Boselli on the double as Latics come from behind to progress

Wigan Athletic came from behind to beat West Ham United 3-1 in the third round of the League Cup.


Sam Allardyce's side took the lead thanks to striker Modibo Maiga in the seventh minute, before a Mauro Boselli double either side of a fantastic Ivan Ramis strike in the first half secured progress in the domestic tournament, with Jordi Gomez's penalty sealing the victory.

The Hammers began the better side and home fans will have been hoping for a tension-free evening when Maiga's strike inside the box nestled into the bottom left corner of the net.

But seven minutes later Boselli silenced the majority of Upton Park with a close-range finish from Maynor Figeuroa's hard graft.

The home side remained in control but Ramis fired in superbly from long distance to leave the newly promoted Premier League side behind in the cup clash.

Three minutes later - and with halftime less than five minutes away - Boselli struck again for Roberto Martinez's men to ensure a two-goal cushion protected their qualification for the fourth round with the second half to come.

The second half was a more subdued affair as the visitors defended stoutly to prevent a Hammers comeback.

However, the win was wrapped up when substitute Gomez converted from the spot after West Ham goalkeeper Stephen Henderson brought down James McArthur unfairly in the area.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Leeds United 2-1 Everton: White and Austin the heroes as hosts stun Moyes' men


Championship side Leeds United stunned an in-form Everton, winning its League Cup third-round tie 2-1 thanks to goals from Aiden White and Rodolph Austin.

With just four minutes on the clock, White pounced on a loose ball some 35 yards out and set off on a mazy run. Showing terrific close control, he saw off Marouane Fellaini with ease before evading the tepid attempts by Sylvain Distin and curling a superb effort around Jan Mucha to put the home side 1-0 up.

Everton showed nerves against its lower-league opposition as the combination of White and Michael Brown in the center of midfield pulled the strings against David Moyes’ lackluster charges.

Luciano Becchio was giving Seamus Coleman a torrid time down the left flank - finding pockets of space with ease relative ease – however, at the other end of the pitch, Leeds’ weak link was Tom Lees, who seemed to struggle with the attentions of the spirited Victor Anichebe.
Everton could not seem to handle the added impetus the Championship side possessed, but the top-flight side was not helping itself with a number of below-par performances; most surprising was Fellaini’s inability to assert himself at all.

And, as the game entered stoppage time at the end of the first half, Becchio could have – and probably should have – extended Leeds’ lead after getting on the end of an El-Hadji Diouf corner to power a header straight at Mucha, with Steven Naismith hacking the rebound off the line.

Moyes rang the changes at halftime, bringing Steven Pienaar and Phil Neville on for underwhelming duo of Magaye Gueye and Junior, while pushing Fellaini farther forward.

The Belgium international immediately had more impact on the game, but Everton still struggled to impose itself.

With an hour played, the Premier Leaguers had still not registered a shot on target – and they could only blame themselves.

Anichebe, who could not be faulted for his lack of effort throughout the game, darted down the left flank before cutting inside and swinging an inch-perfect cross towards Steven Naismith in acres of space, only for the striker to flash the header wide.

And Everton were duly punished as, just minutes later, El-Hadji Diouf simply rolled a free kick from near the corner flag to the edge of the area for Danny Pugh to guide the ball towards goal and allow Austin to finish off the job from two yards.

However, with 10 minutes remaining, Steven Pienaar lofted in a free kick from 40 yards towards the the industrious Anichebe to flick on for Sylvain Distin. The center back’s header took a nick off Pugh and looped over Jamie Ashdown to give Everton a flickering hope of a comeback.

However, despite a long-overdue hassling of the Leeds defense, the Premier League side could not find the equalizer following a performance which lacked urgency and desire throughout.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea 6-0 Wolves: Torres amongst six different scorers as rampant hosts cruise through

Chelsea cruised into the fourth round of the League Cup with a dominant display which saw the London club run out the comfortable 6-0 winner over a lackluster Wolves side at Stamford Bridge.

The European champions raced into a three-goal lead in the opening 16 minutes after goals from Gary Cahill, Ryan Bertrand and Juan Mata all but ended the game as a contest, with Wolves extremely slow out of the blocks.

Things didn't improve much after the break either, with Oriol Romeu slotting home from the spot after Victor Moses won a soft penalty after going down under Dorus De Vries' challenge. Fernando Torres extended the lead to five around the hour mark as he powered home a great header at the near post from another Mata set-piece, before Moses completed the rout with a header.

Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo named a stronger lineup than previously assumed for the game, with Torres, Mata and skipper John Terry all in the starting XI.

He made six changes to the side that beat Stoke 1-0 at the weekend, with Ross Turnball starting in goal in place of Petr Cech, Terry coming in for David Luiz, Cesar Azpilicueta for Branislav Ivanovic, while Lucas Piazon and Victor Moses were also handed starts.

Wolves manager Stale Solbakken rang the changes too, making 10 changes to the side that beat Peteborough 2-0 in its last outing, with David Edwards named as captain, in what looked on paper like a youthful and somewhat inexperienced side.

The hosts didn't have to wait long to go ahead but it came through an unlikely source, with Cahill nodding in at the back post in the third minute after an excellent free kick in from the right by Juan Mata, beating Richard Stearman in the air in the process.

With the confidence flowing, they grabbed a second inside the the eighth minute after a spell of possession where the visitors could barely touch them. Young Brazilian Lucas Piazon managed to find some space on the left, before cutting a decent ball across goal for Bertrand to run onto and hit first time with his in-step to curl high past De Vries at his near post.

Solbakken's side was struggling to get a foothold in the match and Chelsea extended its lead even further in the 16th minutes through Mata. The diminutive playmaker picked the ball up on the right wing before exchanging passes with Oriol Romeu and as he neared the edge of the box, a delightful one-two with Torres saw him played in on goal one-on-one and he coolly slotted past the onrushing goalkeeper to make it three.

The visitors had their best chance of the half in the 25th minute when Slawomir Peszko turned between Terry and Bertrand excellently after a neat ball into feet by Edwards, and after stripping them for pace and rounding Turnball, he failed to get his foot around the ball and hit the side netting with the goal gaping.

Chelsea didn't want to rest on its laurels, though and chased a fourth, going close through two low arrowed crossed into the box by Torres and Ramires, while a Mata free kick from the edge of the box just failed to find the net and team went in at the break three goals to the good.

With Wolves making one change at the break, with David Forde coming on for the anonymous Hunt, they started the half better but soon conceded another, with Romeu slotting home from the spot in the 52nd minute after Moses won a soft penalty after going down under a challenge from De Vries.

The result now assured, it was just a matter of how many the hosts would rack up against a downbeat Wolves side and Torres managed to get on the scoresheet in the 57th minute after rising highest at the front post to power home a thumping header from another dangerous Mata corner.

They made it six on 71st minute with the two substitutes Marko Marin and Oscar combining well down the left before the latter played the ball into the box, only to see Moses nod home into the bottom left-hand corner after out-jumping Ronald Zubar.

Despite enjoying the majority of possession from then on, Chelsea wqas unable to carve out anymore clear-cut opportunities but it was more than job done after a fantastic team display during a one-sided and hugely entertaining contest.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bayern Munich 3-0 Wolfsburg: Mandzukic double and Schweinsteiger goal help Bayern maintain perfect start

Bayern Munich retained its perfect Bundesliga record so far this season, defeating a hapless Wolfsburg side 3-0 at the Allianz Arena.

The result never looked in doubt for the hosts as Bastian Schweinsteiger hit the woodwork twice before finally putting his side ahead in the 24th minute. Jupp Heynckes' men dominated in the wide areas from then on, but it was not until the second half that a Mario Mandzukic brace provided the gloss to the scoreline.

Bayern started at an electric pace and should well have been ahead after just three minutes. Dante's header from a corner fell at the feet of Schweinsteiger inside the six-yard box, but the midfielder somehow failed to convert and only rattled the post. It was Schweinsteiger again who had Diego Benaglio worried with a venomous 30-yard strike, but once again had his effort crash off the frame of the goal.

The third time proved to be the charm for Schweinsteiger. Arjen Robben played Franck Ribery in on the right, and his cutback was swept between the legs of Benaglio by the German international.

Bayern began the second half just as it did the first, forcing the visitors onto the back foot with rapid attacking play. This time though it took just two minutes to threaten the Wolfsburg goal, but Benaglio refused to be beaten again with a solid double-save from Ribery and then Robben.

Again, the Wolves were unable to hold out, and the hosts doubled their lead in the 58th minute. Xherdan Shaqiri surged forward down the left before crossing to the back post. Mandzukic was there, and he rose above a weak challenge from Ricardo Rodriguez to nod into the back of the net.

Bayern added a third just eight minutes later, as Philipp Lahm was given too much space by Rodriguez sent in a picturesque cross for Mandzukic, who converted for his fifth goal of the season.

The three points mean Bayern has won all five of its opening league fixtures, and following Eintracht Frankfurt's 3-3 draw with Borussia Dortmund, Bayern holds a two-point lead at the Bundesliga summit.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Frankfurt 3-3 Borussia Dortmund: Gotze strikes but champions lose ground in Bundesliga race

Borussia Dortmund ended Eintracht Frankfurt’s perfect Bundesliga run this season but may live to regret its defensive fragility in a devilishly exciting 3-3 draw at the Commerzbank-Arena.

Although the defending champions rarely looked completely comfortable against their buoyant hosts, first-half goals from Lukasz Piszczek and Marco Reus seemed to have subdued the newly promoted outfit.

Stefan Aigner gave Eintracht some hope immediately after the restart, and a matter of seconds later the home team had drawn level via the outstanding Takashi Inui. Mario Gotze pushed BVB back into the lead, but Anderson headed Armin Veh’s men back to parity.

The opening stages of the encounter hinted towards the topsy-turvey nature of this contest, with Moritz Leitner stinging the palms of Kevin Trapp before Inui raced to the other end of the field to fire narrowly wide.

Dortmund was controlling the match so it was little surprise the club grabbed the lead, although there can be little doubt that there was more than a hint of luck about Piszczek’s opener as his shot took two deflections before finding its way into the net.

Shortly afterwards, Reus completed a flowing move in terrific style by fizzing a low shot into the corner of the home net.

Both sides might have registered before the break, but it was Frankfurt which started the second period in the more positive fashion, and it would be rewarded as it quickly drew level.

Aigner might have been a peripheral figure in the first period, but he found himself stationed in a good position on the corner of the box as the sprightly Inui galloped away from the Dortmund midfield and fed him a pass. Given a sight of goal, he made no error, burying the ball into the corner of the net.

A matter of 90 seconds later, the right-sided midfielder repaid the favor, delivering a cross to the far post where Inui was left unchecked to head past the helpless Roman Weidenfeller.

The match was incredibly open at this point, and Dortmund were quick to respond, with Gotze, who had come on for the injured Reus at the break, finishing coolly after a defensive slip.

Eintracht was not to be denied its point, though. Bastian Oczipka had struggled to defend down his flank all evening but he made amends with 20 minutes remaining as his cross was headed deftly home by Anderson.

Nevan Subotic nearly gave the game a terrific climax with a stoppage-time overhead kick, but it was headed from the line.

Come full-time, Dortmund was happy to escape with a point, yet it is already seven points off the pace set by Bayern Munich, and reclaiming the crown for a third term is already looking an increasingly difficult task.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

West Brom 1-2 Liverpool: Sahin on the double as Reds come from behind

Liverpool’s defense of the League Cup got off to the perfect start thanks to a Nuri Sahin double in a 2-1 victory over West Brom at the Hawthorns

The first half began with an error from both goalkeepers, as Brad Jones spilled a cross and allowed West Brom to take the lead through Gabriel Tamas before Ben Foster let a speculative Sahin shot squirm past him for the equalizer.

The second period was similarly frantic, and it took until the 82nd minute for the deadlock to be broken, as Sahin swept home his second to give the Reds the victory.

The game started badly for the away side, and it was behind in just the third minute. A free kick came into the Liverpool box, and was spilled by goalkeeper Brad Jones directly into the path of Gabriel Tamas, who drove the ball home comfortably.

It could have been worse for the Reds just a couple of minutes later, as Romelu Lukaku wrestled his way through their defense, but his shot was deflected behind by Jamie Carragher.

Liverpool was beginning to play with more confidence, and was rewarded for its enterprise in the 15th minute by another goalkeeping error, as Ben Foster allowed a speculative long-range shot from Sahin to squeeze past him for the equalizer.

The second half began frantically, with both sides having glorious chances as Stewart Downing missed a free header from a cross and Lukaku again wreaked havoc in the opening moments.

The game then descended into a similar pattern to that of the first half, with Liverpool enjoying more of the possession but with neither side able to create any clear chances, and struggling to move the ball beyond a congested midfield.

The Reds then had perhaps their best chance of the half in the 73rd minute, as Sebastian Coates flicked a dangerous free kick towards the goal, and was denied only by a reflex stop by Foster in the Baggies goal.

Liverpool then made history with the 80th-minute introduction of youngster Jerome Sinclair, who became its youngest-ever player in the first team at the age of 16 years and six days.

Just two minutes later, the Reds were celebrating again, as after some superb passing and movement, Sahin was on hand to sweep the ball home and give the away side a 2-1 lead, which it held on to for the final few minutes to advance to the next round.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chievo 0-2 Inter: Pereira and Cassano earn away win for Stramaccioni's side

Inter made it six points away from the San Siro so far this season, with goals from Alvaro Pereira and Antonio Cassano enough to secure a 2-0 win against Domenico Di Carlo’s spirited Chievo at the Bentegodi.Chievo started on the front foot and the host had the first effort on goal: Perparim Hetemaj’s header forcing a theatrical stop from Inter keeper Samir Handanovic.

The Flying Donkeys continued to deny their illustrious opponents time and space and David Di Michele, in particular, was looking sprightly in attack.

Inter was struggling to impose itself and it was Chievo who should have taken the lead on 22 minutes. Long-serving striker Sergio Pellissier latching onto a long ball only to panic and stab a poor effort harmlessly wide.Things seemingly got worse for the visitors soon after, Wesley Snejder limping off to be replaced by Antonio Cassano.

Inter was on the ropes and Gialloblu skipper Pellissier wasted another golden opportunity on the half hour – the frontman skewing wide from 12 yards after suspect defending from Andrea Ranocchia.

The visitors needed a spark and Freddy Guarin very nearly provided it, whistling a shot just wide of Sorrentino’s far post. It was against the run of play, however, that Inter took the lead on 43 minutes courtesy of summer signing Alvaro Pereira.The former Porto man gambled on a cross-shot from Yuto Nagatomo to turn in from close range, leaving Gialloblu boss Domenico Di Carlo to puzzle over how his side was trailing at the break.

The second period started similar to the first, the Gialloblu pressing high up the pitch. The game lacked fluency, but the two sides were trading blows: Diego Milito firing over for the visitors, while Chievo’s Marco Rigoni forced a sprawling save from Handanovic.

Rigoni, it seemed, had declared an all-out assault on Handanovic: stinging the Slovenian’s palms with a swerving volley before watching in disbelief as Inter’s number one clawed a free-kick that looked destined for the top corner.

With the Flying Donkeys piling forward, however, Inter showed a glimpse of its class to kill the game off, sub Antonio Cassano bursting onto Walter Gargano’s through-ball to confidently slot home on 74 minutes.

Cassano’s goal knocked the stuffing out of Chievo, but the host rallied and was very unfortunate to see Paulo Cruzado’s free-kick cannon back off the post on 82 minutes.

Inter’s victory sees it close the gap on leader Juventus, which earlier drew 0-0 at Fiorentina, while Chievo still only has three points, which were gained in an opening-day win against Bologna.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

AC Milan 2-0 Cagliari: El Shaarawy double eases pressure on Allegri

AC Milan recorded its first league win at San Siro this season as it overcame a dogged Cagliari side 2-0 in Serie A action on Wednesday evening.

Stephan El Shaarawy was the star of the evening as he bagged a double on a night when Massimiliano Allegri’s side was aiming not just for its first win at home, but also its first goal.

El Shaarawy came close to opening the scoring for the hosts after just seven minutes when he evaded several challenges inside the penalty area, but a heavy touch at the death gave Cagliari goalkeeper Michael Agazzi the opportunity to pounce on the ball before a shot could be made.

However, the 19-year-old eventually did make the breakthrough for Milan 10 minutes later when he broke the Cagliari offside trap to latch on to a neat through pass from Ricardo Montolivo before coolly slotting into the bottom right corner for his side’s first Serie A goal at San Siro this season.

Massimo Ficcadenti’s side was unlucky not to equalize in the 23rd minute when Daniele Conti picked out Thiago Ribeiro with a gorgeous pass over the top of the Milan defense to the left-hand side, and Brazilian lashed a strike towards goal on the half-volley, only to see his effort excellently turned round the post by Christian Abbiati.

As the first half progressed, Cagliari grew in confidence. Despite the ascendancy of the away side, Milan almost doubled its lead four minutes before halftime when El Shaarawy shot towards goal from the edge of the area only to see his deflected effort crash off the crossbar.

The 15 minutes of the second half saw a plethora of excellent opportunities for Cagliari, with Mauricio Pinilla in particular guilty of being wasteful for the away side. His first chance came just two minutes into the second half when he woefully headed over the bar after getting in the position to attack a fine cross from Ibarbo. This was followed by a misjudged shot from 15 yards that went wide, despite the Chilean having a good portion of the net to aim at.

Cagliari’s task was made that bit more difficult in the 65th minute when Conti, who had been superb all evening, caught Pazzini with an elbow as Milan mounted a counterattack, and was subsequently sent off.

The points were sealed for Milan with seven minutes remaining when Massimo Ambrosini slid a pass through the middle for El Shaarawy, who smashed the ball past Agazzi to earn his brace.
It was by no means a comfortable victory for Milan on the evening, with Cagliari having plenty of opportunities to find the net, but the three points sees at least some of the pressure taken off coach Massimiliano Allegri.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal 6-1 Coventry: Giroud breaks duck & Walcott grabs double in comfortable win

Oliver Giroud broke his duck for Arsenal as the Gunners cruised into the fourth round of the League Cup with a 6-1 victory over Coventry City but it was not all plain sailing for the striker as he missed a second half penalty.

The Frenchman gave the hosts the lead five minutes before halftime with a chip over the goalkeeper and other strikes, from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Andrey Arshavin, a double from Theo Walcott and one for Ignasi Miquel, settled the game, with substitute Callum Bell notching a consolation strike for the visitors.

Arsene Wenger, as expected in the League Cup, named a young lineup though some bigger names, including Giroud, Walcott and Arshavin, also started, while Oxlade-Chamberlain was in midfield with Nico Yennaris and Francis Coquelin.

Damian Martinez started in goal, while Miquel, Johan Djourou and Andre Santos were joined by Martin Angha. On the subs bench, promising youngsters Serge Gnabry and Thomas Eisfeld were accompanied by Marouane Chamakh and Emmanuel Frimpong, in his first match of the season.

The first chance of the game fell to the visitors, after Frank Moussa got down the line before clipping a cross into the box. Stephen Elliot headed wide, with teammate Gary McSheffrey appearing to get in his way.

But the hosts weren't on the back foot for long, and really should have been ahead through contract rebel Walcott. The ball fell kindly for the winger inside the area, but he totally missed the ball after a wild kick at it.

Arsenal, and Arshavin in particular, began to step it up a gear - though the final ball was still lacking. Shots from the edge of the box were blocked or crosses were overhit, while Coventry were forcing Martinez into some work, though most of it was fairly routine stuff for the Gunners man.

But in the 39th minute, Arsenal did take the lead, with Giroud scoring his first for the club. The French striker was played in with a great ball from Coquelin, and after taking touch he elegantly chipped the ball over the onrushing Joe Murphy.

The Gunners almost had an acrobatic second minutes later, when Giroud flicked on Walcott's cross for Miquel to send an overhead kick just wide of Murphy's goal, but they had to be content with a one goal lead at half-time.

Five minutes into the second half, the hosts had a great chance to extend their lead from the penalty spot after Arshavin was bundled over by Jordon Clarke after the defender misplaced a header back to Murphy.

After a momentary pause following two pitch invaders from the crowd, Giroud stepped up from 12 yards, but his effort was well saved by Murphy, low to his right-hand side.

From the resulting corner, Miquel again came close, hitting the top of the bar with his header from Walcott's cross. But again, the Gunners were not to be denied, as they extended their lead in the 57th minute.

Oxlade-Chamberlain cut in from the left before playing a nice one-two with Santos, and hit a scorcher from 25 yards into the top-corner past the helpless Murphy.

And Arsenal soon put the game beyond doubt, with Arshavin being played in by Giroud before hitting a low shot past Murphy to all but seal progression into the next round with half an hour to play.

With a little over 15 minutes to go, Walcott also got on the scoresheet, cutting in from the right-wing, driving at the defence before lashing a shot into the far corner.

Coventry did get something for its travelling fans to cheer, sneaking a consolation as substitute Ball got in between Miquel and Djourou unnoticed to tap home from six yards.

But the Gunners responded immediately, with Miquel making amends for his sloppy play at the back to nod home Arshavin's cross.

Walcott completed the rout into added time, this time cutting in from the left in a similar fashion to his first before curling a shot into the far corner to the delight of the home fans still in the ground.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Manchester United!!!

Manchester United 2-1 Newcastle: Anderson and Cleverley strikes see hosts progress

Manchester United progressed to the League Cup's fourth round with a 2-1 victory over Newcastle in a hard-fought open match that saw both sides hit the woodwork.

The Red Devils were on top for the majority of the first half, and should have took advantage when Anderson and Tom Cleverley both had brilliant chances, but did eventually take the lead courtesy of a superb strike from the Brazilian.

Alan Pardew's men tried to work their way back into the clash after the break, having a couple of decent chances, but Cleverley fired home to extent the hosts' lead. Papiss Cisse pulled a goal back with a half hour left, but it wasn't enough to stop his side crashing out.

Sir Alex Ferguson named a strong lineup for the tie at Old Trafford, with Wayne Rooney returning from injury as well as Darren Fletcher, Danny Welbeck, Chicharito and David de Gea all starting.

The visitors made a number of changes from his first-team side that beat Norwich in the Premier League, with a few unfamiliar faces among the starters, though Fabricio Coloccini and Cheick Tiote both returned.

After the home side dominated the opening ten minutes, the Magpies had the first real chance of the game when Dan Gosling volleyed over from six-yards out. The midfielder had time and space to pick his spot but sliced the effort well wide after Shola Ameobi's nod down.

Moments later the hosts appealed for a penalty after Rooney was tripped in the area, but nothing was given. Then they came forward again as Anderson broke from midfield, wasting a great chance by shooting wide.

Ferguson's men continued to play the better football, though Newcastle looked dangerous on the counter and had a number of decent openings but failed to create a final chance. Welbeck, however, managed to muster a shooting opportunity as he fired a strike towards the corner which Elliot parried away.

Ten minutes before halftime Cleverley made an complete mess of a brilliant opening, from which he should have put his side 1-0 up. After some brilliant play from Chicharito on the right-hand-side, and some neat touches from Rooney and Welbeck, the England midfielder was left with a one-on-one with Elliott from no more than three yards out, but somehow shot wide.

United did take the lead just before the break, though, as Brazilian midfielder Anderson held off a challenge from his man before smashing the ball into the top corner with his left boot from outside the box, via a touch from the post, after picking it up from Fletcher.

Two minutes after halftime the former Benfica man had a good chance to bag a second. He started the move with a great ball to Welbeck on the left flank. He then returned the favor, but Anderson lashed his first-time strike over the bar.

As Ferguson's men looked to push home their slight dominance, it was the visiting team that had the next good opening as Haris Vuckic smartly worked his way past Michael Keane in the box before curling a strike just past the post.

They were left to rue that miss just under five minutes later. Welbeck picked up the ball on the edge of the box and shifted it central to Cleverley, who riffled a strike into the corner just out of Elliot's reach.

The two-goal cushion didn't last long however, as Cisse came off the bench and made an instant impact by rising highest to head home from Shane Ferguson's cross to pull one back.

With a comeback looking on, as Newcastle pushed forward, Chicharito almost gave the home side the perfect response, hitting the bar from a narrow angle with a powerful effort, before Anderson thundered a deflected shot not far over the bar.

The Magpies continued to look for an equalizer, throwing numerous balls into the United box for Ameobi and Cisse to attack. The latter also crashed the bar with a fantastic overhead kick after he chested the ball up for himself just inside the box.

Ferguson's men, however, held off other half-chances from the visitors late on, securing the win and march on to the next round.

 

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Congratulations Manchester United!!!

 

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Carlisle United 0-3 Tottenham: Vertonghen, Townsend & Sigurdsson strikes see Spurs cruise through

Tottenham moved into the last 16 of the League Cup with a convincing 3-0 victory over Carlisle United at Brunton Park on Wednesday night.

Andre Villas-Boas' men dominated the first half and Clint Dempsey had an effort cleared off the line before defender Jan Vertonghen headed home Gylfi Sigurdsson’s cross on 37 minutes for his first Spurs goal.

The hosts missed a couple of chances to equalize and were made to pay when Andros Townsend hammered home an impressive long range strike shortly after the break before Sigurdsson struck to seal victory in the closing stages.

Carlisle, which came into the game on the back of four unbeaten games in League One, made one change to its side. Kallum Higginbotham, the forward on loan from Huddersfield, replaced cup-tied Joe Garner.

Tottenham made eight changes from its Premier League victory over QPR. Carlo Cudicini was a surprise choice in goal, meaning Hugo Lloris missed out on a chance for game time, while youngsters Adam Smith and Ryan Mason were handed starts.

The match started in a lively fashion, with both sides enjoying half chances before Iago Falque forced a fine save from Mark Gillespie as a chance presented itself after a corner.

Sigurdsson also threatened when he found the side netting with a threatening effort on 13 minutes and Townsend also enjoyed a good start to the match. The winger combined with both Dempsey and Sigurdsson to provide Mason a chance but he could only shoot off target.

Townsend was again involved when he crossed for Dempsey in the 25th minute, but the American headed a presentable chance over the crossbar.

The away side was totally dominating proceedings and the ex-Fulham man saw another effort cleared off the line two minutes later after Mason’s initial shot was parried by Gillespie.

It was only a matter of time until the first goal arrived for Spurs and it came through Vertonghen. Sigurdsson sent in a delicious cross from the right-hand side and the Belgian defender’s looping header beat Gillespie.

The hosts launched an immediate response and squandered two chances to equalize when Matt Robson took too long to pull the trigger inside the box and then Higginbotham shot wide moments later, meaning the visitors deservedly went in 1-0 ahead at half-time.

Carlisle wasted another good opportunity to equalize three minutes after the restart when Danny Cadamarteri shot wide from 20 yards when he would have been wiser passing to Higginbotham, who was in good space on his left.

That miss would prove costly when Tottenham grabbed an impressive second goal through Townsend on 53 minutes. The 21-year-old picked up possession on the halfway line, cruised past two weak challenges and hammered a shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

Mason was involved all night and came close to getting a goal to show for his efforts but his header from Smith’s cross was scrambled away by Gillespie.

The youngster had another opportunity to score with another header on 70 minutes, this time from Townsend’s cross but Gillespie tipped his effort onto the crossbar and impressively saved Sigurdsson’s attempt from the rebound too.

Cadamarteri forced Cudicini into a routine stop at the other end with 15 minutes to go, as both sides utilized their substitutes in the latter stages.

One of the Spurs subs, Jonathan Obika, almost made an instant impression when Gillespie cannoned a clearance against the young forward and the keeper was fortunate to see the ball rebound safely into his arms.

A third goal did arrive with just two minutes left on the clock. Another sub, Kyle Walker, cut in from the left-hand side after being found by Falque and dinked in an inviting cross, which Sigurdsson headed home from close range.

 

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'Amazing' Walcott could get Arsenal striking role after League Cup double, hints Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hinted that Theo Walcott could get his wish and move up front after his double helped the Gunners to a 6-1 League Cup victory over Coventry City.

The 23-year-old is involved in a lengthy contract wrangle with the north London club, expressing his desire to play centrally instead of out wide as a condition of staying at the Emirates Stadium.

And the Frenchman noted that the England international had done his chances no harm with his finishing on Wednesday evening.

"[Walcott] is a great finisher now. In front of goal he is absolutely amazing," Wenger told reporters. "At the moment there is big competition [up front] and the team is doing well. His time will come. At the moment we have to be patient.

"I'm not against [playing Walcott through the middle] at all."

Wenger also expressed his delight at Olivier Giroud netting his first goal for the club since his summer move from Montpellier.

"It was in everybody's mind and a case of the sooner he gets it the better," he observed. "It was more in his mind than in ours. It's a positive. He's a good finisher but at the moment I believe he is looking for confidence and that will help him."

The 62-year-old went on to praise playmaker Andrey Arshavin as the Russian impressed, making his first start for the club since January.

"His best position looks to be behind the striker now. That's where his vision and creative side of game becomes most efficient," Wenger mused. "When he works on the flank it sometimes works against him as he has to work up and down. When he is central, he can influence the game.

"We did our job," the Gunners manager added of the win as a whole. "In the first half we were tested defensively but in the second half our offensive potential made the difference. We were always a threat and that made a big difference," he said. "It was a classic cup tie. We needed to be serious and we were."

 

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Only the result mattered against Cagliari, says Galliani following AC Milan win

Adriano Galliani has expressed his delight with AC Milan's 2-0 home win against Cagliari and believes that there is enough ability and potential in the current side to challenge for the Serie A title.

Despite losing key players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva in the summer, along with experienced veterans such as Clarence Seedorf and Alessandro Nesta, the vice-president has faith in the current squad and points towards the exciting options available in attack.

"Only the result mattered tonight," Galliani said after the match. "We played better than we did in the first half. [Nigel] De Jong and [Massimo] Ambrosini in front of the defence looks like a good solution and I’ve said this to [Mauro] Tassotti and [Massimiliano] Allegri. I adored [Fabio] Capello’s Milan and my friend Leonardo played that way too."

"We definitely don’t have a worse team than the ones we have lost to. Robinho came back tonight and [Alexandre] Pato will be back soon and with [M'Baye] Niang up front we have a lot of options."

The official also praised the game's match-winner Stephan El Shaarawy, as he believes the young attacker could develop into a top player for the club.

"El Shaarawy is a 20 [19] year-old player and both him and [Mattia] De Sciglio started tonight," he added. "We invested a lot of money on him, but we thought and still think that he’ll be an important player. I like him a lot because he runs like a madman and I like forwards who help out the defence as well. He reminds me of Eto’o in that respect."

Massimiliano Allegri has been heavily criticized for Milan's poor start to the season but Galliani was quick to give the 45-year-old coach his backing.

"It’s clear that we have to find a formation that will bring the best out of the players that we have and in Allegri and [Mauro] Tassotti we have two great coaches who can do that," he mused. "I want to thank the fans for their support in what has been a terrible start to the season."

Assistant coach Mauro Tassotti, meanwhile, emphasized the necessity of the three points, and is confident that the side's morale has been boosted ahead of Saturday's clash with Parma.

"It wasn’t easy tonight and it was a difficult pitch as well," the former Italy defender noted. "Then Conti got sent off and things got easier for us. This group needed this result. We scored and we didn’t concede so we can start off from that. We can then analyse the things we didn’t do so well and make some changes to give more security to the team.

"We’re up and running now. The team is getting to know [Giampaolo] Pazzini and getting crosses in. I hope that El Shaarawy is still a long way from where he can get to. He gave us a lot this evening in attack. I’m very happy to have won. There was a bit of luck, but it is better than bad luck."

 

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Rodgers hails 'symbolic' Liverpool victory

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has hailed his side's 2-1 victory over West Brom in the League Cup as "symbolic".

A young Reds team fell behind early on, as Gabriel Tamas capitalized on a Brad Jones error, but grabbed the win through midfielder Nuri Sahin's double and the manager believes that the victory was a fitting illustration of how far his team has come since suffering a 3-0 defeat against the Baggies on the Premier League's opening day.

"I think it was a symbolic night because it shows how fast we are moving as a group," Rodgers told reporters. "How we have progressed from our first day of the season here, when we were a wee bit disjointed and players did perhaps not quite understand my methods and what I wanted."

"But the performance level has been high for a number of weeks. I think it's always exciting to see young players who have great technique but what is important as well is that they understand how to fight. It was a wonderful performance against a good team."

"Overall, the confidence on the ball and the ability to pass it and the courage to want it was very prominent with the players. It's really been the last three or four weeks when our tempo and rhythm and relentless possession has started to come through, so it was good to see and it was good to win."

The 39-year-old handed Jerome Sinclair a substitute appearance which made him the club's youngest-ever player at the age of just 16 years and six days but the former Swansea City boss warns that the forward must now build on his 10-minute cameo in order to become a fixture in the first team.

"I gave him my congratulations," said Rodgers. "He got a nice round of applause afterwards in the changing room as well. It was nice that Jack Robinson was the previous [holder of that record] and he was playing tonight. But now Jerome's hard work begins. It's no good being the youngest player and then drifting out of it."

"But thankfully, he's a good kid. I've worked with him a number of times so far and he's really focused with good concentration. He wants to learn and once you have that hunger, you can take it a long way."

 

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El Shaarawy dedicates AC Milan's win over Cagliari to Allegri

Stephan El Shaarawy has insisted that AC Milan is fully behind Massimiliano Allegri's abilities in turning the club's season around.

The young forward, who made his Italy debut against England in August, expressed his delight at the Rossoneri securing their first home win of the campaign, and believes the result can inspire the team to climb the table and revive their Scudetto bid.

Speaking to reporters after his double in Milan's 2-0 victory over Cagliari, El Shaarawy said: "Allegri is putting a lot of trust in me, he is making me play a lot this season.
"I'm young, but I try to give my all in every game and I think that I did well today. We had the right spirit today on the pitch, we started looking for a goal from the beginning."

Allegri was forced to watch the match from the stands after he received a one-match touchline ban for comments made towards the referee in the loss against Udinese.

However, El Shaarawy was in little doubt that the trainer has the confidence of the entire squad, as he dedicated the victory to the embattled 45-year-old.

"The victory is for Allegri and the fans," he continued. "We are with him, he has our trust.

"I'm happy because of today's victory. It will give us a lot of morale for the next games."

Milan currently sits in 10th place, having won only two of its five opening matches. The team's next test is away at Parma on Saturday.

 

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Fabregas ready to stake Barcelona claim

Cesc Fabregas says he has no qualms about sacrificing his preferred position to accomodate Lionel Messi in the Barcelona starting line-up.

The 25-year-old earned praise at Euro 2012 as Spain's 'false nine' following the absence of David Villa, but finds that position in Tito Vilanova's XI presently occupied by who he considers to be the finest footballer of all time.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Fabregas said: "At Barca, the best player of all time plays in my favorite position. I'm talking about Messi, of course, and luckily he doesn't play for Spain.

"My favorite role is as the attacking midfielder, where Wenger put me, behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1.

"Last year I played as a striker in a 3-4-3 behind Messi or the No. 9. Now it is no longer the case. It's up to me to provide assists, free my teammates, see the space and create. But I'm calm, I've never been a 30-goal-a-season player."

Fabregas also expressed his surprise at the high standards set in La Liga this season and believes it is a more competitive league than the Premier League.

"When I returned to Spain [from Arsenal] I was taken aback by the fact that La Liga is harder to win than the Premier League," he added.

"In England it's easier to win the league, because even if you lose five or six games you still have a good chance.

"Spanish teams are better prepared tactically. It is more difficult to score and assist here as there is less freedom and more pressing. England is more fun because it is less defensive."