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/ 6 March 2008

Benitez hails ‘on-fire’ Torres

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez hailed Fernando Torres as ”on fire” after the Spanish striker hit his second successive Anfield hat-trick to lift his club into fourth spot on the Premier League table on Wednesday. Torres sentenced West Ham to their second 4-0 defeat in four days after a sizzling performance by Benitez’s side.

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/ 20 February 2008

Grobbelaar weighs into Liverpool rotation row

The row over Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez’s squad rotation system continued to rumble on Wednesday as former Anfield goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar said lack of continuity was at the root of the Premier League club’s ills. One day after current striker Fernando Torres had supported his boss’s policy of switching the first team around, Grobbelaar hit out at the controversial method.

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/ 11 February 2008

Arsenal stay top as United and Chelsea falter

Arsenal were left two points clear at the top of the Premier League table as rivals Manchester United and Chelsea both dropped vital points on Sunday. Manchester City completed a first league victory at Old Trafford since 1974 and a season double over Manchester United with a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from strikers Darius Vassell and new signing Benjani Mwaruwari.

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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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/ 22 January 2008

Late goal earns Liverpool draw against Villa

Substitute Peter Crouch scored two minutes from time after Marlon Harewood’s over-head kick and an own goal from Fabio Aurelio cancelled out Yossi Benayoun’s opener to earn Liverpool a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. It was a night that was all about the Liverpool fans directing their displeasure at the plans of club owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to re-finance their debts.

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/ 7 January 2008

Benitez fights for Liverpool future

Rafa Benitez has enjoyed hero status among Liverpool fans for much of his reign but he looked distinctly mortal as he trudged across Kenilworth Road’s sodden turf on Sunday. Benitez, brow furrowed and hands thrust deep into his pockets, cut a dejected figure and understandably so after a day he will want to forget in a hurry.

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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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/ 29 November 2007

Chelsea, Milan advance in Europe

Didier Drogba scored twice in the opening 20 minutes as Chelsea stormed into the knockout stages of the European Champions League with a 4-0 triumph at Norway’s Rosenborg Trondheim. Drogba gave Chelsea an early cushion, with Alex and Joe Cole grabbing the other goals as Chelsea clinched first place in group B.

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/ 22 November 2007

Press pound England boss

Britain’s newspapers savaged Steve McClaren on Thursday after the England manager failed to guide his team to the 2008 European Championships. McClaren was expected to be sacked within hours of going to print as the national press put the boot into the Yorkshireman following Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat to Croatia.

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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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/ 29 August 2007

Liverpool reach Champions League group stage

Five-time European champions Liverpool beat Toulouse 4-0 to complete their qualification for the group stage of the Champions League on Tuesday. The Reds will be joined in Thursday’s draw for the lucrative group stage by Lazio and Rangers. Lazio won 3-1 at Dinamo Bucharest to round off a 4-2 aggregate victory.