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/ 11 May 2008

United clinch title as Chelsea falter

Manchester United clinched their 17th English championship on Sunday by beating Wigan 2-0 in a nail-biting finale to the most thrilling Premier League title battle in years. Pushed to the wire by Chelsea, United claimed the 10th title of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign by two points after their rivals were held to a 1-1 draw by Bolton in their final match.

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/ 31 March 2008

Newcastle not safe yet, warns Keegan

Kevin Keegan insists Premier League safety hasn’t yet been secured despite watching rampant Newcastle United dismantle Tottenham Hotspur 4-1. Keegan’s free-flowing side moved back into mid-table and nine points clear of trouble as they capitalised on a shambolic defensive display from the League Cup holders to run out emphatic winners.

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/ 30 March 2008

Chelsea keep pressure on United with narrow win

Chelsea kept their Premier League title hopes alive with a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough on Sunday but their performance would have caused few alarms for leaders Manchester United. Ricardo Carvalho’s well-placed header inside the opening six minutes at Stamford Bridge proved sufficient for Avram Grant’s side to close the gap to five points.

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/ 18 March 2008

Owen goal saves point for Newcastle

Newcastle United drew a scrappy Premier League relegation clash 1-1 at Birmingham City on Monday leaving coach Kevin Keegan still without a win in eight league matches since returning to the club. James McFadden opened the scoring for the home side with a well taken goal after muscling Abdoulaye Faye out of his way.

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/ 10 February 2008

Ugly win leaves Everton above Liverpool

Everton piled the pressure on Liverpool by grinding out a 1-0 win over Reading that tightens the Toffees’ grip on fourth place in the Premier League. The victory enabled David Moyes’s side to open up a four-point lead over their neighbours — who face a daunting trip to Chelsea on Sunday — in the battle for the final Champions League qualifying spot.

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/ 7 February 2008

Capello off to a winning start

England improved dramatically as the match progressed to give Italian Fabio Capello a winning start as coach with a 2-1 victory over Switzerland in a friendly international at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday. Midfielder Jermaine Jenas scored his first England goal and the first of the Capello era with a first-time left foot shot.

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/ 17 January 2008

Non-leaguers upstage Keegan’s return

The teachers and taxi drivers of non-league Havant and Waterlooville bagged a dream FA Cup trip to Liverpool after beating Swansea in a third-round replay on Wednesday. The part-timers from the Conference South — the joint sixth tier of English football — overcame the League One leaders 4-2 to ensure they will travel to Anfield later this month.

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/ 7 January 2008

Arsenal through as Liverpool and Newcastle are held

A second-string Arsenal side proved strong enough to secure a 2-0 victory at Championship (second division) club Burnley on Sunday and with it a place in Monday’s FA Cup fourth-round draw. The Premier League leaders won with goals by Eduardo da Silva and Nicklas Bendtner, but four other top-flight sides were held by lower league opposition.

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/ 3 January 2008

Man City leapfrog Liverpool into fourth

Manchester City added to the pressure on the shoulders of Newcastle United manager Sam Allardyce with a 2-0 Premier League away win at St James’s Park on Wednesday that saw them leapfrog Liverpool into fourth place on the table. Defeat meant Newcastle had taken just one point from a possible 12.

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/ 20 November 2007

Euro 2008 hopefuls scrap for last four places

The cast list for Euro 2008 will be completed on Wednesday with England, Northern Ireland and Portugal among those nations scrapping it out for one of the four remaining places. The treacherous business of qualifying began 15 months ago and now, after more than 3 000 minutes of play, it’s make or break time for England.

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/ 23 October 2007

Nike scores with Umbro takeover

United States sportswear giant Nike ventured further into the British football market on Tuesday after agreeing to buy rival Umbro, maker of the England soccer strip, for $582-million. The cash bid, worth 195 pence per Umbro share, values the British group at £285-million, a joint statement said.

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/ 24 September 2007

Wenger ready to unleash young guns

Arsene Wenger will let Arsenal’s youngsters off the leash when he sends the club’s next generation of stars into League Cup action against Newcastle on Tuesday. Wenger’s side have enjoyed a superb unbeaten start to the season and sit top of the Premier League thanks to the effervescent displays of Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie and company.

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/ 18 September 2007

Derby grab first win of the season

Kenny Miller scored the only goal of the game to earn Derby their first Premiership win of the season on Monday to put Newcastle’s Euro 2008 qualifying star Michael Owen out of the spotlight. Miller’s 39th-minute goal, from fully 33m, meant Derby had their first win in six matches to lift them off the bottom of the table ahead of Bolton.

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/ 13 September 2007

McFadden Scottish hero on winning night for Britain

James McFadden’s long-range goal earned Scotland a landmark 1-0 victory over France on Wednesday night to put them firmly on course for the Euro 2008 finals on a winning night for Britain. McFadden turned and shot with less than half an hour to go at the Parc des Princes to propel Scotland to the top of Group B and within sight of their first major finals in a decade.

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/ 9 September 2007

Italy and France in deadlock, joy for Germany, England

Italy drew 0-0 with France in their World Cup final repeat, Germany and England notched easy wins and 10-man Spain were frustrated by a 1-1 draw in Iceland in Saturday’s Euro 2008 qualifiers. The battle to reach the finals in Austria and Switzerland also saw The Netherlands beat Bulgaria 2-0, while the day’s other upset left Turkey with only a 2-2 draw in Malta.

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/ 2 September 2007

Reds on top after Derby demolition

Liverpool brandished their credentials as potential English Premiership champions with a 6-0 demolition of Derby on Saturday as champions Manchester United continued to recover from their slow start to the season. The pressure on Tottenham boss Martin Jol increased after his side drew in a six-goal thriller at Fulham.