Avram Grant believes Chelsea are in pole position to reach their first Champions League final after his side escaped with a fortunate 1-1 draw in the semifinal first leg against Liverpool. All his team have to do is maintain their impressive record at Stamford Bridge, where they are unbeaten for over two years, in next Wednesday’s second leg to reach May’s Moscow showpiece.
Michael Ballack put Chelsea on course for another Champions League semifinal collision with Liverpool as his goal set up a 2-0 win over Fenerbahce in Tuesday’s quarterfinal, second leg. Ballack’s first-half header was followed by a late Frank Lampard strike at Stamford Bridge to send Avram Grant’s side through 3-2 on aggregate.
Cardiff City booked a place in the FA Cup final for the first time in 81 years as Joe Ledley’s goal clinched a 1-0 semifinal win over Barnsley on Sunday. Cardiff-born Ledley’s first-half volley at Wembley was enough to set up a final clash against Portsmouth on May 17.
Cardiff City booked a place in the FA Cup final for the first time in 81 years as Joe Ledley’s goal clinched a 1-0 semifinal win over Barnsley on Sunday. Ledley’s first-half volley at Wembley was enough to set up a final clash against Portsmouth on May 17 and make Cardiff the first Championship club to reach English football’s domestic showpiece since Millwall in 2004.
English football’s big guns were shot down in flames on Saturday as Chelsea and Manchester United crashed out of the FA Cup quarterfinals in two of the famous old competition’s most remarkable upsets. Between them Chelsea and United have won four of the last five Premier League titles and boast some of the world’s finest players.
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/ 21 February 2008
Arsene Wenger admits AC Milan are favourites to qualify for the Champions League quarterfinals at Arsenal’s expense but he remains confident his side can defy the odds in the San Siro. The Gunners were frustrated as Milan’s aging maestros gave a defensive masterclass in Wednesday’s goalless last-16, first-leg draw.
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/ 12 February 2008
Arsene Wenger has warned Manchester United that Arsenal won’t be affected by the pressure of leading from the front in the Premier League title race. Wenger’s side extended their advantage over United to five points with a 2-0 win over Blackburn on Monday and the French coach took encouragement from the way they once again handled a tricky situation.
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/ 23 January 2008
Tottenham finally got the better of Arsenal as they booked a place in the League Cup final with a 5-1 rout of their north London rivals in Tuesday’s semifinal second leg. Juande Ramos’s side had endured a miserable nine-year sequence of 21 matches without a victory over the Gunners, but they swept away those bitter memories in style at White Hart Lane.
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/ 21 January 2008
William Gallas believes the fear factor can help Arsenal reach the League Cup final and extend their long unbeaten run against Tottenham on Tuesday. Gallas’s side travel to White Hart Lane for the League Cup semifinal second leg with the tie delicately poised at 1-1.
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/ 16 January 2008
Rafa Benitez finally got some good news as Steven Gerrard’s hat-trick helped Liverpool cruise into the FA Cup fourth round with a 5-0 win against crisis-ridden League One outfit Luton on Tuesday. Benitez’s position looks increasingly untenable after Liverpool’s American owners admitted they held talks with Jurgen Klinsmann over the manager’s job late last year.