Real Madrid have ensured Barcelona will wait at least another week to claim the La Liga title after romping to a 6-2 win at Sevilla.Portuguese maestro Cristiano Ronaldo was the star of the show, with four goals in a virtuoso performance that would have delighted his manager Jose Mourinho.
Brazilian playmaker Kaka also got on the scoresheet for Real, as did defender Sergio Ramos, who powered Madrid into the lead after 21 minutes with a header, while Alvaro Negredo scored both goals for Sevilla.
The result means Real trail Barca by five points and have three matches remaining, although Barca have four games to play and take on Espanyol at the Nou Camp on Sunday.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Athletic Bilbao climbed into fifth place – which would guarantee them a place in next year’s Europa League – with a 3-2 win over Levante at home.
Goals from Gaizka Toquero, David Lopez and Fernando Llorente had Bilbao cruising at 3-0 just after the hour mark but late strikes from Christian Stuani and Victoriano Nano ensured some anxious moments for the hosts in the closing stages.
Atletico Madrid’s grip on sixth place looks tenuous after they were thrashed 3-0 at home by Malaga, who had goals from Rondon, Julio Baptista and Enzo Maresca to thank for their fourth successive league win.
On-loan Spurs midfielder Giovani dos Santos scored a brace to help Racing Santander take a big step towards La Liga survival with a 3-2 win at Hercules, who look certain to face the drop.
Almeria were not so fortunate, and their 2-0 loss at Getafe confirmed a relegation that has looked likely for much of the campaign.
Sporting Gijon had a late penalty from David Barral to earn them a 2-2 draw at home against Deportivo La Coruna, while Valencia moved six points clear of third-placed Villarreal – who play on Sunday – with a 3-0 home win over Real Sociedad.
Roberto Soldado scored twice for the hosts, and Brazilian striker Jonas scored the other.
Wednesday’s High Court ruling against Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who were attempting to block the sale of the club, was a major boost for the whole Anfield community.
Had the aptly named Mr Justice Floyd ruled in favour of the Americans, it would have been a fatal blow for the 18-time league champions who were left staring down the barrel, with the threat of administration and a possible nine point deduction looming.
The club’s long-suffering supporters, who have been campaigning tirelessly for the despised American duo to sell up, look to have finally got their way. Mr Floyd’s decision will allow chairman Martin Broughton and his fellow board members to complete the club’s sale process over the next few days. And despite Hicks and Gillett’s best efforts, it looks like their days at the club are finally numbered.
Given the lack of respect the American owners have shown for Liverpool over the last three-and-a-half-years, it comes as no surprise that they were prepared to jeopardise the club’s future in the courts. They risked the club entering into administration and suffering a nine point deduction in an attempt to avoid making a heavy loss on their disastrous Merseyside investment. Had Hicks and Gillett managed to hang onto the club this week, then the threat of insolvency could have become a harsh and true reality.
The duo (Kop Holdings)were due to either refinance or pay back their £240m debt to the Royal Bank of Scotland on October 15, something which neither partner had the capital to do. This could have led to RBS taking control of Liverpool, placing the club’s parent company, Kop Holdings, into administration. Portsmouth became the first ever Premier League side to enter administration last March and were immediately hit with a nine point deduction as punishment. The same critical sentence could have also been forced on Liverpool.
After just one league win and six points from the opening seven games, a nine point deduction would have left the Reds with a perilous -3 points and nine adrift from the Premier League safety zone. While this difference could be made up over the course of a season, it would have ultimately been a disaster for a Liverpool side which finished second just two seasons ago. Key players would have almost certainly abandoned ship in January and it could have left the club stuck in the doldrums for another two decades.
Yet perhaps the most worrying aspect of a possible deduction would have been Red Sox owner John W.Henry and New England Sports Ventures’ insistence on walking away from the deal had the club fallen into administration. This would have left the club’s owner search back at square one and unprotected against bids from more investors in the shape of Hicks and Gillett.
Although, there is one more twist in the tale. Singapore businessman Peter Lim, who narrowly missed out to Henry in the first round of negotiations, has lodged an increased £320m offer for the club. Broughton and his colleagues will now decide between the two bids, with NESV still in pole position to clinch a deal. Chairman Broughton, mobbed by fans outside court on hearing the decision, admitted that he was elated with the outcome after warning last week about the serious impact administration would have had on the club.
“Going into administration needs to be avoided at all costs, as the negative impact would be catastrophic,” he said.
“Setting aside the nine-point deduction, it would have an impact on Liverpool’s value and be wide open to predators, whereas we have what we believe is the right new owner to take the club forward.”
The club will look to move up the table now that administration has been avoided and a new owner will give Liverpool the impetus and stability needed to go forward and rebuild from the foundations. Prospective new owner Henry was delighted by the decision, telling his Twitter audience:
“Well done Martin, Christian & Ian. Well done RBS. Well done supporters!”
A win in the Merseyside Derby for Liverpool on Sunday would top off the perfect week for a club which had been on the brink.
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It promises to be very much a ‘Super Sunday’ today as Manchester face-off against North London. Rafa van der Vaart believes it is make or break for Tottenham today in their pursuit of the title as he believes defeat will see them out of the race for this season. Both managers have been playing mind games ahead of the game in the Etihad, with Redknapp in particular doing his level best to deflect all the attention away from his own side.
At the Emirates it is a game of equal significance with both sides desperate for maximum points. Arsenal will be looking to take advantage of Chelsea’s draw at Carrow Rd and close the gap on the top four of the Premier League. United likewise need to keep the pressure on City at the top of the table and have the extra bonus of knowing the result at the Etihad Stadium before taking to the field in North London in today’s late kick-off.
Kenny Dalglish believes Liverpool was taught a valuable lesson after their defeat at the Reebok Stadium. King Kenny feels his player’s performance was unacceptable and not befitting of the football club – Guardian
Rafa van der Vaart believes it is win or bust at the Etihad Stadium, if Tottenham want to claim the title this season. Defeat will see the North Londoners fall 8pts behind City in the table; a difference that the Dutchman sees as too big to reverse -Guardian
Andre Villas-Boas believes with a little bit more luck Fernando Torres will end the barren spell he is having. The Portuguese boss suggests that why the Chelsea forward hasn’t scored in 15 games; he is still finding himself and getting in goal scoring positions, therefore the goals will eventually come – Daily Telegraph
Ian Holloway believes that the big clubs spending big money on youngsters in daft and he fears for the young players’ long-term development – Independent
Sir Alex Ferguson will not strip Wayne Rooney of his penalty duties, because he fears it will create another bust-up between the two. The England striker has missed a few spot kicks of late, but Fergie will continue to let him take the responsibility – Daily Mail
Emmanuel Frimpong will require further tests on his eye injury picked up at Molineux yesterday. The on-loan Arsenal ace got an accidental boot in the eye from Villa’s Petrov that has caused a huge amount of swelling around his eye. It is too early to see the extent of the injury and Frimpong said it will be looked at again in a couple of days – Daily Mail
Liverpool are determined to beat Chelsea in the pursuit of Milos Krasic. The Reds are keen to take the Juventus playmaker on Loan, after the Serb has been deemed surplus to requirements under Conte – Mirror
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David Moyes fears another summer sale at Goodison Park, as the banks get tough over Everton’s finances – People
Harry Redknapp has targeted Swansea playmaker Joe Allen as a potential summer signing. The young Welshman has been an absolute sensation this season in the Welsh side’s first season in the Premier League and the 21-year old has been central to their progress – People
Real Madrid have looked to the future by signing Borussia Dortmund star Nuri Sahin on a six-year contract.Jose Mourinho’s men look likely to miss out on clinching the La Liga title this campaign – leaving them with the Copa del Rey as their only silverware in 2010/11 – but the signing of Bundesliga livewire Sahin will no doubt lift the mood at the Bernabeu as the season comes to a close.
The 22-year-old midfielder said he was not motivated by finances in his decision to leave the German top flight champions for the Spanish capital.
“Money wasn’t the reason for my move. When I stay healthy, I’d earn enough anyway,” Sahin told Dortmund’s official website.
“Real Madrid is the biggest club on earth. I’m proud to make this step. It’s the highest plateau you can reach as a football player and the chance for the world career I’ve hoped for. Only because of this I will leave Dortmund.”
While Sahin held Madrid in the highest echelon of world clubs, the German-born Turk said he would never forget his time spent at this home club.
“I’m a player who has the potential to break through at Real Madrid. I’ve signed there for six years. It was hard decision, because I’m a Borussian and love Dortmund and the club – and I always will be a Borussian,” he said.
“It made me very proud, that I was allowed to lead this team as captain into this stadium. I want to say thank you to all, who supported me on my way.”
“The hardest part for me was to announce my decision. I will miss Jurgen Klopp. I’ve invited the team, trainer, staff members, plus Mr Watze and Mr Rauball to the next Clasico.”
Sahin holds the record as the youngest player, at age 16, to play in the Bundesliga, as well as becoming the youngest to score in the German top flight.
New Bulgaria coach Lothar Matthaus wants Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov to end his international retirement.
Berbatov, 29, retired from international football in May following Bulgaria's disappointing qualifying campaign for the World Cup finals.
He scored 48 goals in 77 appearances for the Tricolors but ended his international career following criticism of both himself and the national team.
Since his decision Matthaus has replaced Stanimir Stoilov as coach and the former Germany international has revealed that talks with Berbatov are his number one priority.
"I plan to start talks with Berbatov," said Matthaus.
"He is still welcome in the Bulgarian national team. As a Bulgarian player he should be proud to play for his country."
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Berbatov is currently playing the best football of his United career after going some way to silence his doubters with a stunning hat-trick in last weekend's 3-2 Premier League victory over Liverpool.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
There is no getting away from the fact that the return of Paul Scholes will be a major talking point for a long time to come. Some people focus on the sentimentality for it, some on the fact that United are apparently in crisis and this is why the player has chosen to return. Others have asked the question of exactly why he has returned, and if the reason behind this is due to the fact United have no money to spend and the Glazers have literally given Fergie nothing when he needs it most.
How far this statement is true remains to be seen – it was the player himself who asked to return several months ago – or so we are told by the club, and Fergie duly agreed. United would paint this as a fantastic thing that gives the squad a boost and provides another option for them not to mention an experienced head during a difficult time.
Yet despite all this, the fact remains, United are lacking in a few areas, with the midfield being the most evident of these. Fans, media and even the creatures who live under a rock have been saying for a while now that United are in need of a defensive midfielder and also an attacking one, therefore whilst there may be disagreements of exactly meets the criteria, there is no argument that they have to buy someone.
After being run rings around in the Champions League final, most people thought Fergie would buy and restructure in the summer, and he did so to an extent, spending a fair bit of money, yet did not buy anyone for the centre of the park who can be generally considered world class.
Cue the start of the season and the rise by City, not to mention a few games where United have looked ordinary, and an early exit from Europe – sorry Europe’s premier competition – to boot.
With the January transfer window now open people thought Fergie would buy, yet all he has added to the squad is Scholes. Yes Fergie is not one for panic buying in January, and it is hard to get clubs to sell their top players, but everyone has a price, and a marquee signing for the centre of the park is exactly what United need, yet are clearly not going to get.
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The most obvious explanation for this is the fact that Fergie has been given no money to spend by the Glazers who have caused such passionate opposition since their takeover at the club, or even if he has, the club could simply not afford the subsequent wages that such players would then demand, with current players wanting a raise to be on a par etc, and a vicious circle commences.
More to the point however, exactly where has the £80 million from the sale of Ronaldo gone? Everyone is well aware of the intrest repayments the owners have to pay on the club, and it is more than possible that a portion of the money from the winger’s sale has gone towards helping this.
It would be easy to point the finger at the owners, and with the way fans feel about them, they would always be a scapegoat for problems at the club, and the fact remains United will simply have to buy at least two world class players if they want to compete firstly domestically with City who will just get stronger and stronger, and also on a European level, with the big two in Spain miles ahead of United, not to mention the resurgence of AC Milan and Bayern Munich.
The problem however, is that they do not seem to have the money to do this, and bringing Scholes out of retirement is certainly not going to help – in fact it just throws a harsher light on the problems at the club.
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Fulham manager Mark Hughes is hoping to have skipper Danny Murphy and star striker Bobby Zamora fit to face Bolton on Wednesday.The Cottagers will be aiming to claim a win that will guarantee them another season of Premier League football.
Captain Murphy is expected to recover from the dead leg that forced him to come off during the weekend draw at Wolves.
Zamora should also start after being named on the bench as a precaution at Molineux following a minor back and hip injury sustained in training at the end of last week.
Hughes said: “Bobby said he wanted to play but we protected him, especially as he is not long back from a long-term injury. But he made an impact coming on.”
Fulham look safe on 39 points with five games to play, but the players themselves fear there is much work to be done.
“I don’t think you can say you’re safe at any point,” said striker Andy Johnson.
“It’s so tight at the bottom of the table, and there’s still a lot to play for in these last five games.”
“Every year people talk about the 40-point mark, but it might be higher than that this year, because everyone keeps beating everyone else down at the bottom.”
“It’s the closest run-in I’ve ever been involved in come the back-end of a season, so we have to take every game as it comes and try and take what we can from each one.”
“But at the moment I don’t think anyone is safe from 10th downwards, so we’re looking forward to the game against Bolton on Wednesday and then the visit to Sunderland next weekend as chances to secure our safety.”
Robin van Persie has often beautified the Premier League with his elegant style, Arsenal fans have become accustomed to his expert finishing, assists a plenty and a penchant for free-kicks but his contributions are often with frustrating irregularity – injuries have dictated it.
The Dutchman missed most of last season with an ankle ligament problem and having started just one game so far, the heart sinking familiarity of déjà vu will again stalk the Arsenal star.
It looks likely he will miss the first two Champions League games and a huge clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge with an ankle injury sustained in the 2-1 victory over Blackburn at Ewood Park and whilst it constitutes a blow for Arsenal, it will also be a personal setback for the player himself as he enters the prime of his career.
He has every right to feel cursed as he embarks upon a second consecutive season hampered by injury. Since day one of his time in England, similar lay-offs have circumscribed the sheer class which he possesses and perhaps he would have hoped, on the back of a World Cup final appearance, that he could display such ability in the absence of injury.
They say stats don’t lie and with only 93 Premier League starts in six seasons at the Emirates, Arsenal fans will start to question whether their lack of trophies is down to the loss of their top marksmen as much as it is their goalkeeping troubles. It is now no longer conjecture that Van Persie is prone to long spelt on the side-lines and stories of a stunning free-kick or a beautifully crafted assist are now inferior to those detailing his absence.
It is also conceivable that he is now a luxury player at the Emirates and that unless he proves his fitness Arsenal may be wise to cut their losses and look to find another striker.
If Wenger’s side harbour any ambition of ending a trophy deprived few years then they must go into battle with “RVP” as the focal point of their attack. Instead, with Nicklas Bendtner injured, they must now contemplate new signing Mauroane Chamakh as the only tangible alternative to lead the line in the preferred 4-2-3-1 system.
I for one sincerely hope that the talented forward comes back stronger than ever and disproves the concept that the dark clouds have chased the sunshine we saw during his Premier League berth away. His ability has been blemished by a whole heap of misfortune.
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It was the first time I’d been in the home dressing room at Chelsea for half a century. In fact, I hadn’t visited Stamford Bridge at all since Roman Abramovich took over. Many ex-players love going back to the scenes of former glories, and each to their own, but Boris Becker summed it up for me while talking wistfully about Centre Court at Wimbledon, as he watched Pete Sampras heading towards another title. “This place used to be all mine but it’s his court now – it all belongs to Pete.”
That’s why I rarely return either to the Bridge or White Hart Lane. When you used to be the main man, the king of the hill, it feels discomforting to turn up and watch someone else in your place. It was my 11-year-old grandson Harry who brought me back to the Bridge. He’s the only one of my 10 grandchildren who supports Chelsea. My missus Irene, who has supported the Blues since I was a kid there, made damned sure of it by sticking a plaque on his bedroom wall saying: ‘A Chelsea fan sleeps here.’
So for the Boxing Day derby against Fulham, I went along with my son Andy and Harry, and the club invited us on to the pitch at half-time as well as arranging for Harry to meet his hero Didier Drogba, post-match. Given the disappointing 1-1 scoreline, I didn’t expect to be ushered into the dressing room – approximately twice the size it was in my own playing days – but there we found ourselves, in the inner sanctum.
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Harry enjoyed a good chat with Drogba, John Terry gave him his shirt and I had a chat with Frank Lampard, whose dad used to be my West Ham team-mate. Sticking my head around the corner to the treatment area I spotted Ashley Cole having a massage. “A massage?” I asked him, “What’s that all about?”“Someone trod on my foot,” said Ashley. “I suppose in your day you’d be having a beer and a fag by now?”“Too bloody right,” I told him. “It wouldn’t be a bad thing if we went back to those days,” he said. “I don’t think, so, Ash, the money wasn’t quite the same!”
He could hardly disagree with that one, given his infamous comments about negotiating a contract with Arsenal, but when you meet Cole you get the distinct impression that his public image is all wrong. There was a bit of speculation in the press about whether I’d offered Fernando Torres any advice. We did meet and say hello but the last thing he’d have wanted was some fat old bloke telling him how many goals he had scored for the club.It was interesting to watch Torres from up in an executive box in the West Stand, which used to be the vast West Terrace, one of the biggest standing areas in football, and a place I was unfortunate enough to have to sweep as an apprentice.
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The most remarkable thing for me was how incredibly supportive the Chelsea fans were towards him. For a £50million striker, who has only scored three goals in a year, to be backed to the hilt, without a murmur of criticism, is a great credit to those supporters and a real blessing for Torres. The Spaniard actually put in a decent all-round team performance but his lack of confidence was all too apparent.
Alan Shearer was right when he said Torres is spending too much time with his back to goal, and that Andre Villas-Boas needs to be seeing the No.9 on his shirt more often. But a goal drought is an awful thing for any striker. It eats away at you and Villas-Boas needs to give Torres more support – I’d love to have seen him play up front with Drogba more often.
I don’t buy into the opinion that they cannot operate together. They are two top players, they aren’t particularly similar and it’s the manager’s job to find a way of accommodating both. In the meantime, though, Torres will be on his own up front, with Drogba away at the African Cup of Nations. It ain’t going to be easy, but I know one little 11-year-old who would be delighted to see Torres succeed.
Ligue 1 leaders Lille will be wary of the threat posed by a Monaco side battling to avoid relegation for the first time since the 1970s.Monaco were French champions in 1999-2000, and progressed to the Champions League final in 2004, where they were beaten 3-0 by Porto, but since then have dropped off the pace considerably.
After claiming third-place in 2004-05, Monaco have finished 10th, ninth, 12th, 11th and eighth, and Laurent Banide’s men are sitting in the drop zone – one point behind 17th-placed Auxerre.
Lille will also have history on their mind heading into Saturday’s clash, and after setting the pace for much of the Ligue 1 season, their chief objective is to break a 57-year championship drought.
Rudi Garcia’s men are four points clear of Marseille on top of the table with nine games to go this season, and make the trip to the Stade Louis II on the back of a four-game winning streak.
Also on Saturday, third-placed Rennes – who are seven points behind Lille – visit a Brest side keen to put some more breathing space between themselves and the relegation zone.
Paris Saint-Germain, who are fifth, will look to close the gap on fourth-placed Lyon and keep their hopes of European football alive when they visit a Caen side just three points clear of the relegation zone.
Bottom side Arles can keep their slim hopes of survival afloat when they visit Jean Tigana’s Bordeaux side, seventh-placed St Etienne take on Auxerre at the Stade Abbe-Deschamps and Lorient welcome Sochaux.
Nancy make the trip to Valenciennes in a battle of two sides in the bottom half of the table, and on Sunday second-placed Marseille will look to keep the pressure on Lille when they host Toulouse, who are in 11th place.
Elsewhere on Sunday, fourth-placed Lyon welcome second-from-bottom Lens, and sixth-placed Montpellier will look to keep their chance of European football alive when they host Nice.