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/ 27 October 2008
Harry Redknapp watched Tottenham win his first game in charge, saying he would have ”regretted it for the rest of his life” if he’d turned them down.
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/ 19 October 2008
Salomon Kalou scored twice and set up another Saturday in Chelsea’s 5-0 romp at Middlesbrough to maintain the Blues’ high-scoring title charge.
Liverpool fought back to a last-gasp 3-2 victory at 10-man Manchester City to keep pace with Chelsea at the top of the English Premier League.
In the week before a major tournament like Euro 2008 the streets of England’s towns and cities take on an unusually unified look. The red and white flag of St George appears everywhere. It can be seen draped in shop displays, fluttering from houses and stuck to the sides of every other car.
Sven-Goran Eriksson left Manchester City on Monday, less than a year after taking over as coach of the Premier League club. A statement on City’s website said the 60-year-old Swede had parted company with the club by mutual consent. His last competitive game in charge was an 8-1 humiliation at Middlesbrough on the last day of the season.
Manchester United have threatened to report Real Madrid to Fifa as the row over the Spanish club’s bid to sign Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo turns ugly. United have been increasingly frustrated by Real’s attempts to lure Ronaldo to the Bernabeu in the last year.
Manchester United were crowned kings of Europe for the third time on Wednesday when they beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a breathless all-English Champions League final had finished 1-1 after extra time. United’s 37-year-old goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar, saved the decisive spot kick from substitute Nicolas Anelka.
Chelsea may be playing their first Champions League final and Manchester United appearing in the showpiece event only after a nine-year absence, but there will be no shortage of experience when the two sides line up at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Wednesday.
Manchester United has another English title and Cristiano Ronaldo. Chelsea has a huge, talented squad and the wealth of owner Roman Abramovich. There is no underdog in this Champions League final as two English clubs make history by going head to head in Moscow.
Portsmouth meet Cardiff City at Wembley on Saturday in a final the FA Cup has been crying out for, even if the absence of familiar names may prove the competition’s lack of appeal for the big clubs. It is the first time since 1991 that none of the current ”big four” have contested the final.
”The sign on the door in the bowels of the Manchester Velodrome reads simply ”Steve Peters”, but there is plenty else it could say. Abandon preconceptions all those who enter here.” William Fotheringham reports on the psychiatrist who is turning Britain’s Olympic cycling team into a superfast and ultra-efficient unit.
At the top of their game are Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Not so lucky are Derby County, Birmingham and Reading. We present the English Premiership report cards for the four that return to the Champions League … and the ones that got the chop.
Bloemfontein Celtic were beaten 2-0 by Kaizer Chiefs at Loftus on Wednesday night in an Absa Premiership clash, with the Free State side outperformed by a team who playing their best soccer of the season. Amakhosi’s late surge has effectively earned them a place in next season’s Top Eight competition.
Steven Gerrard admits Liverpool will only challenge for the Premier League title next season if Rafa Benitez spends big money. Gerrard is desperate to make up for another disappointing domestic campaign after Benitez’s side slipped out of the title race by Christmas and finished nine points behind champions Manchester United.
Sir Alex Ferguson believes his young Manchester United stars will become Old Trafford legends if they win the Champions League. Ferguson’s side retained the Premier League title on Sunday and now the Scot has turned his attention to the Champions League final against Chelsea, the team they edged out of the title.
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.
Avram Grant believes Chelsea were a fading force before he took over and led his team to within touching distance of a Premier League and Champions League double. When Grant replaced Jose Mourinho as Chelsea manager in September, the Israeli claims he found a club in danger of imploding.
Everton missed the chance to confirm a place in next season’s UEFA Cup when they were beaten 1-0 by Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday. Nicklas Bendtner headed the only goal after 77 minutes at the Emirates stadium against a stubborn Everton side who needed just a draw to guarantee finishing fifth.
Nicklas Bendtner scored with a late header on Sunday to give Arsenal a 1-0 win over Everton in the Premier League, and Liverpool beat Manchester City by the same score. Bendtner jumped to head a cross from Armand Traore past Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard in the 77th minute.
Manchester United took a huge step towards retaining their Premier League title when they beat West Ham United 4-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday after playing more than half the match with 10 men. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice while Carlos Tevez and Michael Carrick both scored against their old club as United moved on to 84 points with one match to play.
Manchester United face a test of nerves against West Ham United in their penultimate Premier League match on Saturday at 11.45am GMT, knowing Chelsea are ready to pounce if they slip up. United’s 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last weekend means the two Champions League finalists are level on 81 points.
A stunning goal from Paul Scholes gave Manchester United a 1-0 win over Barcelona on Tuesday to set up an all-English Champions League final against either Liverpool or Chelsea in Moscow next month. Scholes was suspended for United’s epic victory over Bayern Munich in the 1999 final, and Ferguson had already said he would play in the final if they qualified.
Emmanuel Adebayor came off the bench to score a hat-trick as Arsenal thrashed already relegated Premier League basement side Derby County 6-2 at Pride Park on Monday. It was the second time this season the Gunners had inflicted a heavy defeat upon the Rams after their 5-0 win at the Emirates Stadium in September.
Fernando Torres has been living a dream in the Champions League this season but the Liverpool striker wants one more fairy tale in his side’s semifinal second leg against Chelsea on Wednesday. Torres has made a big impact in his first Champions League campaign and his goals have been instrumental in Liverpool’s march to the brink of a third final in four seasons.
Manchester United players have claimed that Chelsea ground staff were reponsible for provoking the row that marred the end of the Premier League showdown between the two teams on Saturday by insulting Patrice Evra. Chelsea won a tense encounter at Stamford Bridge 2-1 with a late penalty strike from Michael Ballack and it was minutes after the final whistle blew when the brawl erupted.
Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-1 in a dramatic match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to pull level at the top of the Premier League and keep alive their hopes of snatching the title from United’s grasp. Michael Ballack was Chelsea’s scoring hero, deciding the game with an 86th-minute penalty after heading the home side ahead at the end of the first half.
David Beckham could play for England at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa if he looks after himself, coach Fabio Capello has said. ”The door is open. He played the last game, and did well against France. I see him play for Los Angeles Galaxy every now and then,” the Italian told sports daily Marca on Friday.
Saturday’s showdown between Chelsea and Manchester United could well decide who wins the English Premiership title. It could also be a rehearsal for the Champions League final. United hold a three-point lead over the Blues in the league title race with two more matches to follow.
Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Barcelona to brace themselves for an Old Trafford backlash when the two sides resume battle next week. An enthralling goalless draw in Barcelona on Wednesday has left the Champions League semifinal between the two clubs delicately poised but Ferguson is confident there will be no repeat of what was a subdued display by his team.
The resurgent Michael Owen scored both goals as Newcastle United beat bitter rivals Sunderland 2-0 in a keenly fought north-east derby at St James’s Park on Sunday. The England striker headed in his first in the fourth minute and scored his second from the penalty spot in the 45th minute just before half-time.
Aston Villa thrashed local rivals Birmingham City 5-1 on Sunday to take their goal tally to 15 in their last three Premier League games. John Carew and Ashley Young both scored twice for Villa to leave City stuck in the relegation zone with three matches left to save themselves.
Manchester United will take a giant stride towards retaining their Premier League title if they beat Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday. United’s lead at the top was cut to two points by Chelsea after the Blues won 1-0 away to Everton on Thursday.