Manchester City maintained their impressive start to the season with a hard fought victory at the Etihad Stadium.
Second half goals from Mario Balotelli and James Milner ensured a 2-0 victory against a resilient Everton side who made it tough for Roberto Mancini’s men. You can understand the nervousness of the home crowd, given the Toffees have won on their last four visits, but their patience was rewarded when the impressive Balotelli’s deflected shot made its way past Tim Howard.
The visitors certainly played their part; however their lack of potency in the final third was clearly evident and they were unable to breach the City backline. David Moyes was clearly upset with some of the decisions awarded by Howard Webb; but it wasn’t Everton’s day compounded by injury to Tim Cahill.
The breaking of the deadlock galvanised City and they went close on numerous occasions to double his advantage before James Milner finally sealed the win finishing off a wonderful pass from the impressive David Silva.
The result puts City top of the table temporarily and the professional performance clearly pleased Roberto Mancini at the final whistle.
Are you in the money tonight? Have you become a millionaire? The Results are in…
Alan Pardew is set to put his emergency search for a striker on hold for 90 minutes against Arsenal.
The Newcastle United boss, still stunned from losing top-scorer Andy Carroll, was rocked further this week after Shola Ameobi was ruled out until April with a broken cheekbone.
And with the transfer window now closed for business, Pardew can’t deal with the 35 million pounds picked up for Carroll’s move to Liverpool until the end of the season.
Instead, he has been forced to scour the free-agent list, which includes former Arsenal starlet Jeremie Aliadiere.
Pardew said: “I’m looking to boost the squad and there are a couple of names.”
“Maybe they aren’t ones who will make an impact from the start, but they can contribute something from the bench.”
Pardew, however, insists his side’s mental state is good enough to take on the Gunners.
He added: “There’s still a good feeling here.”
“I looked at some paper reports and they said we were looking dejected on the pitch because of Andy’s departure.”
“That’s ridiculous. He’s out injured and wouldn’t be playing even if he was here.”
“He hadn’t played in the four games before that and there has been a good feeling on the pitch.”
Newcastle have also announced that the game with Arsenal is heading for a near-53,000 sell out.
And Pardew added: “Every match is very important for us, but there is no problem with the resolve and the quality in this group. We have no doubt about what we can achieve.”
“I haven’t had to lead them. They are a good, strong group and know that in football there are situations and times of adversity.”
“There are also times when you have to pull together, and I don’t think that’s going to be an issue on Saturday – not at all.”
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“We were obviously disappointed with the result at Fulham, so we’ve done a lot of work to prepare ourselves for Arsenal.”
“It’s a terrific game and will probably be a sell out, or close to it, so it will be a cracking atmosphere.”
“We’re really looking forward to it.”
Pardew is likely to play young striker Nile Ranger in place of injured Ameobi for the big clash on Tyneside, while midfielder Chieck Tiote returns from a ban will go straight into the starting line-up.
The Red Knights group have confirmed that they are not about to launch a formal bid to buy Manchester United from the Glazer family.
It had been thought that the group were on the verge of making an offer but the Glazers issued a statement last week confirming that they had no intention of selling the club.
The American owners also revealed that they had rejected a £1.5billion bid from a Far East consortium for United.
A statement released on behalf of the group read:"The Red Knights remain committed to pursuing their efforts to try to help bring ownership of Manchester United to its supporters, and under a structure with materially less debt.
"As we have maintained however since news of our ambitions first emerged in March, we will only attempt to purchase the club at a sensible price, consistent with the long-term interests of the club.
"Persistent speculation in the media of inflated valuation aspirations has made our goals less attainable, as potential investors have strongly reinforced our views that we should not move forward at a price uneconomic for the future of the club.
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"We understand that many supporters were hoping that we might be in a position to make a bid before the season ticket renewal deadline.
"However, our approach is best served by long-term interests of all. We have never taken a stance on season ticket renewals, it is a personal choice for all supporters. We have spent some considerable time assessing the value of the club."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Wind the clock back exactly one year, Arsenal found themselves in the middle of what seemed at the time two never ending transfer sagas; one in the form of Cesc Fabregas joining Barcelona, another was Manchester City’s relentless pursuit of Samir Nasri.
One year on, and the departure of club captain Robin van Persie is the saga which has captured media coverage this summer. Having been the subject of bating to numerous different clubs after announcing his desire to leave North London four weeks ago, still the predicament roles on, with no definitive outcome likely to be reached anytime soon.
To suggest that the Arsenal ownership should have learnt their lesson by now is an understatement. Last year’s sagas resulted in three uncharacteristic panic buys on the final day of the August transfer window, as well as the worst start to a Premier League season the Gunners had ever endured. Coming to any means of a resolution as soon as possible should be the priority, even though the selling of their prolific Dutchman should have already happened by now.
It is something that Arsenal have always struggled with. Arsene Wenger has frequently remained optimistic in his player’s commitment to the club despite it being spelt out for him otherwise. To look at the Gunners’ rivals on the pitch, Manchester United have always departed with unwilling players as quickly as possible, showing them the door and adjusting to life without them in time for the upcoming season. It happened with David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, and they even managed to quickly resolve Wayne Rooney’s predicament when he wanted to leave Old Trafford.
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You don’t have to be a footballing genius to work out that getting rid of a player who no longer wants to play for your club is undeniably the best outcome for everyone involved. Arsenal can sell van Persie for maximum profit this summer following his prolific form last campaign and the remaining year still on his contract. By making the 28-year-old stay, they risk getting a half-hearted effort from him this season, as well as losing out on a high transfer fee for him next year when he is available to leave on a free as his contract expires.
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A quick resolution should be the priority as Arsenal can also adapt to life without their captain. If that should not entail finding a replacement with plenty of time left in the transfer window, they can at least find a formation they can adapt on the pitch to make his departure’s impact on the rest of the squad as small as possible ahead of the start of the new season.
Whilst the ideal outcome for pretty much every Arsenal fan may be to sell their current captain, maximise profit, and get ready for the new season without him; it has been proven in the past that a quick solution is never really to expected with Arsenal. There is a huge danger that history will repeat itself, as an on-going transfer saga overshadows the start of the 2012/13 domestic season the same way a similar situation impacted on them the season before.
Luka Modric will not travel to Old Trafford ahead of tonight’s clash as Harry Redknapp said the Croatian’s head isn’t right. It is thought that a new bid by Chelsea is imminent and subsequently the player is trying to force a move, despite having 5 years still remaining on his current deal.
Elsewhere in the papers this morning Mancini reveals he may pull the plug on Nasri deal; Warnock plans signings after QPR takeover, while Fergie believes that Wayne Rooney’s problems are finally behind him.
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Mancini may pull plug on Nasri move – Guardian
Modric ‘problem’ tests Redknapp – Independent
Warnock plans signings after QPR takeover – Guardian
Pulis poised to Stoke up squad – Sun
Berbatov could leave United for free – Daily Telegraph
Debts threaten to undo a decade of Moyes’ work – Independent
Spurs join race for Bolton’s Cahill as Redknapp considers using Bentley as bait – Daily Mail
Sir Alex: Rooney has put his problems behind him – Mirror
Wenger finally admits it’s time for his struggling team to grow up – Daily Mail
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Big Mick blasts Europa League – Sun
Villa may offload flop midfielder – Mirror
Aquilani moves closer to Liverpool exit as Milan confirm interest in misfit – Daily Mail
Rumours are circulating that Paul Robinson could be involved in a transfer to leave Blackburn and replace Gomes at Tottenham. Robinson has been on great form this season producing consistently good performances. On the other hand, you have Gomes. He may have cut down on the amount of blunders he makes since his earlier Spurs career, but still does commit them. You cannot argue with that. Perhaps Harry recognizes this too and would replace Gomes with a safer option if possible to aid his assault on the top 4. Why then as a supporter of Spurs, should I not want this to happen?
There is no doubt in my mind that Heurelho Gomes is a little bit crazy. That is exactly why I love him. In today’s footballing era with professionalism in every aspect of the game it is hard to glean any kind of personality from a Premier League footballer. Despite social mediums such as Twitter, which bring us into contact more directly and more interactively with players, actions still speak louder than words.
Fans want a hard-worker, they want passion and they want determination. Heurelho Gomes is my favourite player because he is all these things, but also because he is a maverick.
He is one of the few goal-keepers that can probably throw it further than he can kick it, and he does so to the delight of the fans, often throwing his own body to the floor in the process. Furthermore, not many goalkeepers actively celebrate goals to the extent of Gomes, preferring to keep their composure and focus on the game ahead. On the other hand, Gomes, forever living in the moment, has been known to run to the crowd, fist pump and genuinely express his delight. The fans love him for it because they identify with him for it. They share his delight.
I admire him for his craziness but I also feel it is important to recognize his talent. It is by no means a certainty that Robinson is the better of the two. Gomes has conceded 12 goals less than Robinson this campaign. But he is yet to keep a clean sheet. Here lies the problem.
In his defence, Spurs have been hindered by an irregular pair of centre backs and that does not make it easier. Nor does the style of football Spurs play, with two wide men basically becoming strikers, and attacking fullbacks, Spurs are often left exposed. That makes it harder for Gomes to keep clean sheets and we should keep that in mind.
Despite his oddities, he would not be revered if he was not good. And although at times inconsistent, he pulls out some truly remarkable saves. For example, at White Hart Lane vs. FC Twente in Europe this year, at 0 – 0 Twente had a one-on-one and Gomes pulled of the most wondrous save, going to ground but reaching above his head to parry wide. Not many goalkeepers could have done it.
Sadly though with Gomes, the rough comes with the smooth. He is fallible and that is part of the reason I admire him. After all it is our fallibility that makes us human. He is not a robot who plays the percentages and keeps his head. Robinson is one of these (and probably a better keeper for it), but Gomes refuses to fit into such a box, this results in the miraculous and the disastrous.
But it is not for his crazy antics alone that I love him, it is his lack of superficiality coupled with his lack of (to some extent) self-awareness. When he plays I very rarely know what he is thinking, but I know exactly what is driving him- his passion for the game. He does not care what people think of him, he does not care what he looks like and he does not seek to maintain an image in the public’s eye (watch the video below to see what I mean). He only cares about his team, a refreshing sentiment in the modern game.
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I want Tottenham to succeed and I want them to press on, and in order to do so they may well need to have a top class keeper. But I think Gomes is one, and while the following opinion will be criticised (and probably rightly so); I don’t think there is a better keeper in the world. After all, love is blind.
[youtube gIWW3tsUgFY]
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The FA will study findings of the John Terry court case before deciding whether to bring any charges towards the Chelsea skipper. The Chief Magistrate acquitted JT on the basis that the evidence wasn’t 100% conclusive; therefore they couldn’t deliver a guilty verdict against him following alleged racist remarks towards QPR’s Anton Ferdinand. It remains to see what the FA’s take of the incident is, considering the stance they took over Luis Suarez.
Elsewhere in the news Brendan Rodgers has made his first signing at Liverpool; Sepp Blatter faces fresh calls to step down, while Peter Crouch was gutted to miss out on Euro 2012 but hasn’t given up hope of playing for England in the future.
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Headlines
Peter Crouch speaks for the first time about his disappointment at being overlooked for Euro 2012 – [Daily Telegraph]
The FA are set to make a decision over whether to take out their own action against John Terry – [Daily Telegraph]
The Italy and former Swansea striker Fabio Borini has joined Liverpool from Roma for a reported fee of £7.9m – [Guardian]
Rio Ferdinand is keen to throw himself back into pre-season training to help put memories of Manchester City’s title win behind him – [Guardian]
Carlos Tevez says he remains settled at Manchester City and isn’t looking for a move – [Sky Sports]
Sam Allardyce would welcome the opportunity to bring Andy Carroll to West Ham United, but concedes any move will depend on the player – [Sky Sports]
Arsenal will head into next week’s make-or-break talks with Robin van Persie hopeful the contract rebel is ready to perform a Wayne Rooney-style U-turn – [Daily Mail]
Manchester United face disappointment in their pursuit of Lucas Maura as Sao Paulo rejects their bid and claim the Brazilian is not for sale – [Daily Mail]
Chris Hughton has vowed to prove himself once again in the Premier League with Norwich, following his frustration at losing the Newcastle job – [Mirror]
Porto have told Manchester United and Tottenham they must pay £30m if they want to sign Joao Moutinho – [Metro]
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Please Note – Click on the news sources to view the full article.
It has been a quiet weekend on the transfer front, with most of the weekend reports focusing on the qualifying draw for the 2014 World Cup. England have avoided a potential group of death with France, although there is certainly no guarantee that Capello’s men will have it their own way with the draw.
Elsewhere Harry Redknapp has revealed his interest in Juan Mata; Paul Scholes reveals that Fergie could have kicked him out, whole Alex McLeish shows concern about the three tiered Premier League.
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Harry reveals Mata interest – Sky Sports
Capello warns England against World Cup complacency – Guardian
Lampard’s England career ‘is over’ with Wilshere set to become Capello’s main man – Daily Mail
Paul Scholes: Fergie could have kicked me out – Mirror
Goalline technology decision delayed – Guardian
N’Zogbia tells Villa team-mates: I’m here to create something special – People
McLeish concerned by ‘three-tier’ Premier League – Guardian
Ferguson denies Sneijder offer – Daily Telegraph
Show us the money! No loans or swap deals – City want cash for Tevez – Daily Mail
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John Terry: Villas-Boas must be trusted – Mirror
Redknapp plots Zamora swoop with Crouch offered in part-exchange – People
Manchester United will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to 24 matches with a positive result at home to Aston Villa tonight. It will match United’s record for top league form dating back to the late 1990s, but Ferguson will be aware that Villa can cause a threat tonight considering how close they came to victory in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
United should welcome back Rio Ferdinand and Rafael in defence, but Michael Carrick is still out with an ankle problem. The first team regulars should all be back in the starting eleven tonight considering the changes that were made in their FA Cup win at Southampton at the weekend.
Gerard Houllier will be happy to call upon super signing Darren Bent for this game, who was cup tied for their FA Cup win over Blackburn. There could also be a debut for deadline day loan signing Michael Bradley, if he is given international clearance in time. Houllier is only second behind Arsene Wenger in successive head-to-head meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Prediction: 2-1
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Manchester United are reportedly ready to dispense with the services of Anthony Martial in the summer and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with an ambitious swoop for the Frenchman.
The forward – valued at £58.5m by Transfermarkt – has found gametime hard to come by this season, especially since the arrival of Alexis Sanchez in January.
Popular forward Marcus Rashford is in a similar predicament but has greater loyalty to his local club so the conclusion has been that Martial will be the one to depart Old Trafford in the summer.
But would it be a good fit for Tottenham? Martial clearly has the talent and potential to be a hit at Spurs but we’ve decided to take a look at the bigger picture at the club right now to examine the impact his rumoured arrival would have on the situation in North London as it stands…
Consequence 1 – Erik Lamela leaves the club
Soccer Football – Premier League – AFC Bournemouth vs Tottenham Hotspur – Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain – March 11, 2018 Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino celebrates after the match with Erik Lamela Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publi
Martial does not have an obvious place in the best Spurs eleven, although he might fancy his chances of displacing Son Heung-min, but his arrival would surely push Lamela even further down the pecking order.
With Lucas Moura also bought with next season in mind, suddenly Pochettino would have injections of pace on the bench ready to change a game. The need for Lamela would be diminished.
The Argentine’s work-rate and ability to rile rival players had endeared him to some fractions of the Spurs faithful but he is simply not the flair player that they thought they were getting to replace Gareth Bale.
Martial’s arrival could well spell the end for Lamela.
Consequence 2 – Fernando Llorente barely plays
Soccer Football – FA Cup Fourth Round Replay – Tottenham Hotspur vs Newport County – Wembley Stadium, London, Britain – February 7, 2018 Tottenham’s Fernando Llorente reacts after a missed chance Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
Buying a back-up striker to Harry Kane is an incredibly difficult task. Anybody of sufficient quality will not willingly move to spend most of their time on the bench so Pochettino is stuck shopping for players around Llorente’s level.
The arrival of Martial would be the perfect solution to the problem. Like Son, he is comfortable playing in another position, where he will pick up most of his gametime when Kane is fit, but Martial is a more able frontman if required.
Martial’s dynamism and youth puts him on a different plane to Llorente and he would provide a viable alternative to Kane if the situation demanded it.
Consequence 3 – Spurs can play 3-5-2 or 4-4-2 as and when they want
Spurs switched between a three-man and four-man back four with greater regularity last season and that flexibility has always been a key part of what Pochettino has tried to do there.
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He stunned Real Madrid in the Bernabeu by playing Kane and Llorente in a front two and caused enough problems to win the game on another night. If Martial was fielded alongside Kane, the duo could form a frontline to trouble defences at home and abroad.
Kane was even fielded in a withdrawn number 10 role in the second half at Brighton and having the option of playing Martial through the middle might make that switch a more regular occurrence.
Pochettino wouldn’t use it every week but it would be another string to the Tottenham bow.