Manchester United Favourites For Title

This title will not come as a huge surprise to many of you that follow the EPL but I think, even after today's 0-0 result with Newcastle United, that the Red Devils are pretty much guaranteed the Premier League title. Man Utd have always been a team that finishes the season very strongly and they find themselves ahead of Arsenal by seven points. Yes, Arsenal have a game in hand but that will only take them to within four points of United if they win (which, at the moment, is not exactly a guarantee). They also have to play United once more before the season ends and I can't see anything but a win for Fergie's men in that game.

How have United forced their way into the advantageous position they find themselves in? Well, I'm not entirely sure. United fans would be the first to tell you that they have not played fantastically well this season. They have been solid without being spectacular and they owe their league position in a big way to how bad Chelsea have been for parts of the season and how inconsistent Arsenal have been for the entire season. Liverpool were never anywhere near the top four and Manchester City still look a fair way from being a team that can challenge for the title over a full season.

Berbatov: Inconsistently brilliant.

You just have to look at the stats that the Manchester United squad have put up this season to see that it wasn't their best season. Wayne Rooney has only managed 10 goals and Javier Hernandez has only managed 11. To be fair to Hernandez, he has been a bit part player for Sir Alex in his first season and has looked very dangerous when he has played. Dimitar Berbatov leads the United scorers, and the Premier League's scorers with 21. While that sounds impressive, it is still five goals short of the total Rooney got for United last year and it is eight goals short of the tally Didier Drogba reached to take the Golden Boot last season.

United have also conceded more goals this season than they have in the previous five. Perhaps that is because they had to deal with injuries to key players at various times during the season.. Ferdinand and Vidic were both out for a while and they are two of United's best players.

Despite their struggles (OK they aren't really struggles...) they have still gotten the job done and you have to say that Sir Alex always gets exactly what he needs from his players. United have just about proven that they are the best in England once again.

However, what will United do when Van Der Sar is gone? What about when Giggs and Scholes eventually retire? Interesting questions that Sir Alex will need to answer...

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Can Carroll Power On?

Andy Carroll's brace against Manchester City could be the catalyst that takes him to the next level. Two very well taken goals that displayed Carroll's ability on the ground and in the air led Liverpool to a 3-0 win over The Citizens and he looked impressive throughout the game. He was a constant menace to City's back four and looks every bit the star striker we all know he can become. Built in the mould of a power forward, Carroll is helping to bring such players back into fashion like they were in the mid-to-late nineties.

Carroll can shoot, pass, head the ball, hold up the ball and has decent pace. We haven't seen a striker like that since Alan Shearer and the ultimately disappointing James Beattie.

Carroll's two goals on Monday night were his first two in a Liverpool shirt and were both very impressive. After a fantastic year in the Championship, where he scored 19 League goals to help Newcastle gain promotion back to the Premier League, Toon fans were hoping he would stick around and become their new talismanic number 9.

However, halfway into this Premier League season, after he had scored 11 goals, Liverpool came along and offered 35 million pounds for him. That is an offer that would be too difficult to turn down and off Carroll went. At the time I thought it was a bad move on Newcastle's part, but now I have had more time to think, I believe the move benefited all three parties.

Carroll with Suarez

Newcastle got the money they need to rebuild a squad that can challenge in the Premier League next season, Liverpool get a young striker full of potential and goalscoring talent and Andy Carroll gets to play in a fantastic squad alongside one of the best strikers in the world in Luis Suarez. It is the best place for him to be for his development into a world class player. 

Carroll already has his first senior goal for England and, for the first time since his return from injury, he looks set to power on and become a great player. It is important that Carroll stays in control of his emotions on and off the field and acts like a professional in the early part of his career so he can realise his potential. Too many young players are attracted to clubbing, drinking and pursuits off the field that can ruin their careers.

What do you think? Can he become the next Alan Shearer? England expects.

Daily News: NHL and EPL

 NHL News:

Phoenix and Atlanta on the brink of a move – The Coyotes and the Thrashers are both on the brink of moving. But which franchise will end up in Winnipeg?

Canucks win President's Trophy for the first time, poised to make more history too – The Vancouver Canucks are enjoying their best ever season.

Pronger out til playoffs – Flyers' captain, Chris Pronger is out until the playoffs while he recovers from hand surgery.

McCreary refs final game on Saturday – Veteran ref, Bill McCreary will officiate the final game of his 26 year refereeing career tomorrow night when the Caps take on the Sabres.

Wideman in hospital, no telling when he will return – Washington Capital's defenceman Dennis Wideman is in hospital suffering from a leg hematoma.

EPL News:

Saha to miss the remainder of the season – Everton striker Louis Saha will miss the rest of the EPL season after having undergone surgery.

Hodgson believes he never stood a chance at Anfield – Former Reds boss Roy Hodgson has stated that he never felt wanted at Anfield.

Arsenal join the hunt for Al Habsi – Arsenal have joined the race, along with Liverpool, Aston Villa and Celtic, to sign Bolton goalie, Ali Al Habsi. They desperately need him too.

Mancini warns Balotelli – Man City boss Roberto Mancini wants Balotelli to improve his behaviour on and off the pitch.

Spurs' Hutton out for a month – More injury woe for Spurs as right-back Alan Hutton is sidelined for a month with a knee problem.

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More news on Monday! 

EPL News Round-up

What's new in the EPL this week?

Alex Ferguson has been handed a five-game ban by the FA following his criticism of referee Martin Atkinson. I like this move by the FA. I get a little tired of managers blaming any loss their team suffers on the performance of the referee when everyone knows how hard that job is. Of course the ref is going to make mistakes, there are 22 players out there on the pitch who are trying to cheat, dive and influence the referee in some way. I wish it wasn't like that but, let's face it, that is a big part of professional football these days.

Fergie wouldn't be whinging if his team had gained an advantage through poor refereeing. In fact, more often than not it is Fergie who gains the advantage, so I'm glad the FA gave him this ban. Perhaps they could duct-tape his mouth up too.

Adam Johnson looks like he is set to return for Manchester City. This is great news for The Citizens and for England fans. The sooner he gets back on the pitch the better.

Nani is still pissed at Jamie Carragher for the nasty tackle he received in Manchester United's 3-1 loss to Liverpool a couple of weeks ago. I guess he has every right to be angry, the tackle was pretty awful but I think he could let it go. It didn't seriously injure him (he was back on Tuesday night to feature in United's Champion's League clash with Marseille) and Carragher did apologise.

I'm not a fan of Nani, he prances round like a fairy half the time, but I do agree with him when he asks the referees to be fair. Carragher should have been sent off but there is far too much inconsistency with how the refs deal with bad tackles.

Bale is back

Gareth Bale is back! This is excellent news for everyone. He was playing so well up until his injury so I hope he gets back to his best as soon as possible. It's a shame he will, like Ryan Giggs, waste his international career with Wales but I guess you can't have it all.

I'll have a wee look at some of this weekend's upcoming games shall I?

SATURDAY:

12:45 Tottenham vs West Ham

Nice London derby to kick things off on Saturday. West Ham have been pretty good recently but I can't see Tottenham losing this one. Maybe a draw, but I reckon Spurs will win.

15:00 Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton

Bent and Young have been so good playing up front for Villa that I cannot see how Wolves will contend with them. However, Villa are suspect at the back (the Bolton game anyone?) and Wolves have the physicality to cause any team problems.

15:00 Blackburn vs Blackpool

Blackpool will be looking to get back to winning ways now they have dropped firmly into the relegation battle. Blackburn are just one place above Blackpool on the same points so this game is easily a six-pointer.

15:00 Man Utd vs Bolton

Man Utd have lost their last two Premiership games in a row and Bolton are never an easy team to play. I can see this one being close but Man Utd's home advantage might see them through.

15:00 Stoke vs Newcastle

This is going to be a tough game for Newcastle. Stoke are very physical and will put plenty of balls into the Newcastle box. I'm not totally convinced by Newcastle's back four so I think they will concede. Can Best and Lovenkrands do enough up front for the Toon? I don't think they can.

15:00 West Brom vs Arsenal

This should be a walk in the park for Arsenal but as any Gunner fan will know, these games never seem to be easy anymore. With Man Utd involved in such a tough game against Bolton, Arsenal should be looking to win this game comfortably to keep the pressure on the Red Devils.

15:00 Wigan vs Birmingham

Wigan desperately need the points, as do Birmingham, who need to shake off that Cup winning hangover quickly if they want to stay in the Premiership. This one should be a cautious game so I can't see too many goals.

17:30 Everton vs Fulham

It has been the same story for both of these teams all year. You never know which team is going to turn up. The really good one or the really poor one. I guess the lack of consistency is the main reason why they are both languishing in mid-table obscurity. I literally couldn't hazard a guess at what will happen in this game.

SUNDAY:

13:30 Sunderland vs Liverpool

I can see Liverpool keeping up their current good form with a win at the Stadium of Light. Suarez looks a fantastic player and I can't see the Sunderland defence coping with him.

16:00 Chelsea vs Man City

This is a huge game for the end-of-season bragging rights. Which of these teams is going to finish third? It should be, I stress should be, a fantastic game. I'm going with Chelsea.

Premier League Round-Up

Another Saturday in the Premiership has come and gone and there were, as there always are, a few important results to discuss.

Man Utd's 2-1 win over rivals Man City (thanks to a contender for goal of the season from Wayne Rooney) was a huge relief for Sir Alex after last weekend's slip up at Wolves. Man City would have managed to get themselves back in the race for the title if they had won today, instead they are now firmly out of it. Only Arsenal are left to try and catch the Red Devils this season and that might be too difficult a task as this is typically the part of the season where Man Utd get stronger and stronger and Arsenal tend to fade away.

The Gunners, however, did their title bid no harm today by overcoming last week's conquerors of Fergie's men at the Emirates Stadium. Wolves, for all their endeavour, never looked like scoring today and so Arsenal keep the pressure on United at the top of the table courtesy of two Robin Van Persie goals.

Newcastle and Blackburn failed to repeat their goalscoring (and goal-conceding) acts from last week and played out a 0-0 draw. Newcastle had most of the pressure and will probably consider this game two points dropped, although both managers will have been relieved to get a clean sheet.

In a far more entertaining game, West Ham managed a Toon style come-back against West Brom. After going in at half-time 3-0 down and looking like they would rather be at home than on the pitch, West Ham somehow managed to get themselves going in the second half and fought for a hard-earned draw.

Kranjcar "kranks" in another one.

Tottenham march on thanks to yet another wonder goal from Niko Kranjcar and Birmingham battled to a 1-0 victory in a true clash of the giants against Stoke. Despite Miereles getting his fifth goal in six games, Liverpool could only manage a draw as Wigan halted the charge of The Reds. Miereles is getting better and better with every game and looks a class act in that supporting role.

A quick mention should go to Jean Makoun who should be docked wages for idiocy after his inexplicable two-footed tackle today. He is lucky Villa held on for the 1-1 draw after his dismissal. I can't understand players sometimes. If you KNOW that going in two-footed will result in you getting sent off...then why do it? It brings no advantage to a tackle, it could seriously injure the player on the receiving end and you will be sent for an early bath, thereby making the game more difficult for your team so, I say again, why?

Full results:

Man Utd 2 Man City 1

Arsenal 2 Wolves 0

Birmingham 1 Stoke 0

Blackburn 0 Newcastle 0

Blackpool 1 Aston Villa 1

Liverpool 1 Wigan 1

West Brom 3 West Ham 3

Sunderland 1 Tottenham 2

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Thursday Poll: NHL and EPL

 

Who will win the Premier League?

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Yesterday's eight games in the Premiership were infested with goals. In fact, the 41 goals scored broke the record (previously 36) for the most goals scored in one day in the Premier League. While the managers of those teams that played will be worried about defensive frailties, fans of football were simply enjoying the entertainment on show.

Stoke 3 - 2 Sunderland

Aston Villa 2 - 2 Fulham

Everton 5 - 3 Blackpool

Tottenham 2 - 1 Bolton

Wolverhampton 2 - 1 Man Utd

Man City 3 - 0 West Brom

Newcastle 4 - 4 Arsenal

Wigan 4 - 3 Blackburn

Along with the goals there were some other big stories that came out of yesterday's games. Man Utd's unbeaten run in the EPL came to an end (thankfully) courtesy of the worst team in the Premier League (statistically). Newcastle made history by producing the best comeback in Premiership history. The Toon Army cancelled out Arsenal's four goal lead in the last 20 minutes of the second half with goals that included two penalties and a wonder strike from Cheik Tiote.

Louis Saha continued his scoring streak in style by putting four past Rachubka in the Blackpool net in a game that was as open as the scoreline suggests. Carlos Tevez celebrated his 27^th birthday but netting a hat-trick against struggling West Brom, who have now unjustly sacked their manager, Roberto Di Matteo, in response. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. West Brom have only just been promoted so they were expected to struggle a little.

Tottenham needed a wonder strike in the 92^nd minute from Niko Kranjcar to secure victory over Bolton and Stoke got lucky against Sunderland with two offside goals to secure a 3-2 victory. Sunderland were by far the better side and any time Stoke win is a loss for football itself. Honestly, look at their team, they are all 6'5 heavyweights. Rory Delap's long throw was a novelty last season but now it just makes Stoke look even more one dimensional than we know they are. Rant over.

What does all of this mean in the context of the League standings then? Manchester United are only four points clear of Arsenal and you have to say they aren't playing very well right now. Arsenal could have closed that gap to only two points if they had managed to hold on to their four goal advantage. Wigan have climbed out of the relegation zone following a vital 4-3 win over Blackburn and Blackpool slip further down the table after losing their fifth game in a row.

Torres will be wearing blue today.

Sundays games:

Of course, the weekend's entertainment is far from over. Today we have Chelsea v Liverpool. All eyes will be on Torres as he makes his first appearance in a blue shirt against his former club. He will be desperate to impress his new fans to justify the 50 million pounds that was spent on him, getting a goal against his former club would be the icing on the cake too. Sparks might fly in this game!

Half Time: Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
Full Time: Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool (Miereles) 

Transfer Deadline Day: EPL

The January transfer window slammed shut at 11pm last night but not before we had seen some huge transfers. Liverpool were arguably the busiest of all Premier League clubs as they try to re-build their squad. Chelsea were also fairly busy and both the blues and the reds spent a record amount of cash. West Ham managed to strengthen their side, as did Sunderland.

Over 200 million pounds was spent in January, which dwarfed the paltry 29 million that was spent at this point last year. Some of the biggest signings included Bent (£24 Million) from Sunderland to Aston Villa, Dzeko (£27 Million) from Wolfsburg to Manchester City, Torres (£50 Million) from Liverpool to Chelsea, Luiz (£21.5 Million + Nemanja Matic) from Benfica to Chelsea, Carroll (£35 Million) from Newcastle to Liverpool and Suarez (£23.5 Million) from Ajax to Liverpool.

Statistics of note:

Andy Carroll's transfer fee is the most expensive between Premier League clubs in history (for a British player) after he was sold to Liverpool by Newcastle for a princely 35 Million.

Fernando Torres broke the Premier League transfer record after signing for Chelsea for 50 Million

Darren Bent is has cost more money than any other player in Premier League history if you count the costs of all of his transfers. If you think that is an odd one, bear in mind that no striker (other than Rooney and Drogba) has scored more goals in the last 5 seasons than Darren Bent.

Winners:

Liverpool – Potentially gone from bad to good overnight with the additions of Suarez and Carroll. Could be a devastating partnership. If they had managed to secure the services of Charlie Adam then it would have been the icing on the cake.

Chelsea – Managed to bag a fantastic young talent in David Luiz and finally got their man in Torres who we all know is an excellent player. Torres and Drogba up front? Terrifying.

Aston Villa – They have paid a lot for Bent, maybe too much, but they have a bona-fide goal scorer now and that is what they needed more than anything else. They should be OK.

Tottenham Hotspur – 3 Million for Pienaar? What. A. Steal.

West Ham United – Robbie Keane and Wayne Bridge bring plenty of talent and experience to a side that desperately needs it.

Losers:

Newcastle United – The 35 Million will help ease the pain but Newcastle have lost their best player and future talisman. With Ameobi as their best back-up striker, things might become very difficult for the Toon. Staying up is more important than ever now so that the 35 million can be put to use in the summer to bolster this team.

Everton - Losing Pienaar for such a small return is going to sting. They didn't pick anyone up to replace him either.

Stoke City – Stoke haven't really lost here, but fans of the Premier League have. John Carew's arrival at Stoke can only mean more of the same boring long ball, physical football that we have come to expect from Tony Pulis' side. Let the yawning commence.

Well that's all folks from an exciting transfer deadline day. It could be the biggest transfer period for a long time as well with those new rules coming in for the 2012-13 season so I hope you enjoyed it.

Did your team win or lose during the window? Let's hear some of your thoughts!

Saints' starlets attracting attention.

17 year old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

For a number of years now the Southampton FC Youth Academy has been producing some of the brightest young talents in the UK. Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale, Wayne Bridge and even the great Alan Shearer are all products of the Southampton youth system. All have since left the Saints to go on to bigger and better things in the Premiership. Walcott plays for Arsenal, Bale for Spurs and Bridge now plays for West Ham but had stints at Man City and Chelsea too. Alan Shearer initially left Southampton for Blackburn before returning to his home town of Newcastle, where he played for the majority of his career.

Anyways, enough of the history lesson. The fact is, two new youngsters, both products of the Saints Youth Academy, are being watched by Premier League clubs. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Adam “I don't-have-a-fancy-double-barrelled-second-name” Lallana are playing some great football for Southampton down in League One.

Adam Lallana (Right)

Lallana had a breakout season last year, scoring 20 goals as Saints marched towards success in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and a 7^th place finish in the League (they started the season with -10 points). Oxlade-Chamberlain, on the other hand, is currently in the middle of his breakout season. His recent form on the wing for Southampton has been nothing short of astonishing and he deserves all the plaudits he is getting.

Despite the undoubted talent of both players, whether or not they could play in the Premier League, at least right now, is disputable. If either player moved to a club like Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea, they wouldn't get anywhere near the first team. They would be playing reserve team football or warming the bench. They might get 10 minutes of game time here or there in the cup competitions but they won't progress as players.

Theo Walcott made the mistake of leaving Saints for Arsenal at too young an age and sat on the Gunners' bench for two years before playing. In contrast, Gareth Bale stayed at Saints for an extra year after gaining the Premier League's attention, learned his trade by playing regularly, and is now thought of as one of the best left wingers in the world.

Southampton do not have to sell their prize players any more (thank you Markus Liebherr), but if the players really want to leave and would like to ply their trade at a higher level, they should really make sure they are ready to do so. Lallana seems to have already made his decision by signing a four-and-a-half year deal with Saints in a move that will delight the fans.

It is worth noting that Southampton have yet to recieve any offers for either player despite Lallana and Oxlade-Chamberlain being linked to Newcastle United and Liverpool respectively.

The Romance of the Cup lives on...

The FA Cup

The FA Cup has to be my favourite cup competition out of all the sports I follow. Nothing even comes remotely close to the size of it or provide half the drama that it brings. For the smaller clubs it is a chance to play against some of the best teams and players in the world and possibly cause an upset or two along the way. For the bigger clubs, it is a chance to achieve glory and win one of the most coveted trophies in football.

For me, the single best thing about the cup are the upsets. To see a smaller club play against the odds and defeat a bigger club is fantastic and every neutral fan wants it to happen. On Saturday, the FA Cup proved once more that there is still magic in the competition as we saw plenty of higher ranked teams toppled by lower league opposition.

Southampton (League One) defeated Blackpool (Premier League) 2-0

Southampton controlled this game from start to finish and won the game by two goals to nil that included a wonder strike from substitute Guly Do Prado. Both sides made plenty of changes to their squads before the game started and it is testament to the second string players that Saints have that they were able to overcome a squad that plies its trade in the Premiership.

Stevenage (League Two) defeated Newcastle (Premier League) 3-1

Were Stevenage out for revenge for what happened 13 years ago? I think you can safely assume that they were. Stevenage came out and played this game like their lives depended on it and embarrassed a pretty strong Newcastle side. It wasn't just a smash and grab victory either. Stevenage scored three goals and only conceded a wonder strike from Joey Barton. Of course Newcastle are focused on Premier League survival, but this one will sting for a while, no doubts there.

Notts County (League One) defeated Sunderland (Premier League) 2-1

Despite Notts Country being a whole league higher than Stevenage, this result was a bigger shock than the Newcastle one because this game was played at Sunderland's home ground. They weren't beaten on some awful pitch, they were beaten in their own back yard. Steve Bruce will not be happy with his side after this one and we could see a dip in form for the Black Cats if they don't bounce back quickly.

Burton Albion (League Two) defeated Middlesbrough (Championship) 2-1

If you had read my other article then you would know that I called this result before the game kicked off. It was written in the stars. Middlesbrough have been so rubbish all season and they were playing away from home...it was meant to be that Burton would further compound the misery of the teeside club. This result does nothing to lift the already depressed spirit of the players and fans of Middlesbrough football club and we could see a relegation to League One if they don't sort themselves out. 

There were also some great efforts from lower league teams that forced replays.

Leeds United (Championship) drew with Arsenal (Premier League) 1-1

Leeds were only a few minutes away from beating Arsenal at the Emirates before Fabregas scored a 90^th minute penalty. A draw was probably a fair result on reflection and now Leeds get to entertain Arsenal at Elland Road in the replay. I think Arsenal will probably get the job done at the second time of asking but the game served to highlight, once more, just how inconsistent this Arsenal team has been at home.

Leicester City (Championship) drew with Manchester City (Premier League) 2-2

Sven managed to pull off a great result by guiding his Leicester side to a deserved draw with the mighty Manchester City, his former club. The return fixture, at the City of Manchester Stadium, will probably be a different story but Leicester can enjoy the moment for now.

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FA Cup Weekend: A look at some of the tastier ties.

The FA Cup

Saturday:

Arsenal v Leeds

Brighton v Portsmouth

Burton v Middlesbrough

Southampton v Blackpool
Stevenage v Newcastle

Tottenham v Charlton

Sunday:

Leicester v Man City
Man Utd v Liverpool

Arsenal v Leeds:

Two great clubs with great history will clash at the Emirates on Saturday. While one has fallen quite spectacularly from grace, the other finds itself chasing Man Utd for the Premiership title. A forgone conclusion then? I'm not so sure. Arsenal have not been entirely convincing at home this season and Leeds are a tough side to face on their day. They will be pumped up for this game and could, with a bit of luck, pull off a big upset here. Arsenal are the favourites of course, but keep your eyes on this one. Leeds have already proven they are giant killers after dumping Man Utd out of the FA Cup at this point last year.

Brighton v Portsmouth:

South coast rivals Brighton and Portsmouth face each other this saturday in what should be a fiery affair. Red hot Brighton, who top League One, will find themselves to be the underdogs in this game despite the fact that Portsmouth, 18^th in the Championship, are struggling at the moment. I fancy Brighton in this one although manager, Gus Poyet, will surely ring some changes as he has one eye on the League One title race.

Burton v Middlesbrough:

Look to this game for an FA Cup upset. Middlesbrough are having an awful season in the Championship and find themselves sat just outside the relegation zone despite being favourites for the league title before the season started. Burton Albion (currently 17^th in League Two) will be playing on their own turf in front of their own fans and will very much believe that they can pull off a shock here. This one could be very interesting indeed. The Teesiders simply cannot afford to lose this game.

Southampton v Blackpool:

Blackpool, with their focus on Premier League survival and Southampton, with their focus on promotion from League One, will probably both make several changes to their squads. This will cast the spotlight on some of the fringe players from both squads who will be looking to stake a claim for their respective first teams. Southampton come into the game in the better form of the two sides but Blackpool are a Premiership club and will be heavy favourites. I fancy Saints to take the game to Blackpool, possibly forcing a replay. A cup run is hardly in either club's plans this year but they are always welcome for the morale boost they bring.

Stevenage v Newcastle:

A replay of one of the best FA Cup ties of the last 20 years sees Stevenage take on the club they so very nearly dumped out of the Cup back in 1997/98. After drawing 1-1 with the Toon at Stevenage, the Boro were unfortunate to lose the replay 2-1 at St. James' Park where goal-line technology actually showed that Alan Shearer's opening goal in the replay did not cross the line. While we all hope the magic of the FA Cup will produce a game similar to the one we witnessed over ten years ago, I think the Magpies will overcome Stevenage at the first time of asking here.

Tottenham v Charlton:

An all London clash awaits us at White Hart Lane this Saturday as Tottenham host Charlton. This game should be a forgone conclusion, with Tottenham playing so well this season and Charlton sitting two leagues below them. However, derby games have a way of upsetting the status quo, as do FA Cup games. I would still expect Tottenham to win this one but it might be closer than first expected.

Leicester v Man City:

Sven Goran Eriksson entertains his former club at the Walkers Stadium this weekend in what should be a relatively easy game for the away side. Eriksson enjoyed a decent spell at the Manchester club (that included two derby wins over rivals Man Utd) before being rather unjustly sacked after just one season in charge. Leicester will fancy themselves, as they are playing at home, but the might of Man City will be too much for the Swede and his Foxes.

Man Utd v Liverpool:

In what is easily the pick of all the third round ties, Manchester United will host their bitter rivals Liverpool. This could be the make or break game for Roy Hodgson as Liverpool manager. Lose and he may be out of a job. Win and things could start to turn around. To beat heavy favourites United on their own turf could provide the team with a much needed spark to kick-start their season. I would like to see Liverpool win this one but they have been so naff this season that I just can't see it. Man Utd are a tough side to face even on a bad day and should have more than enough to see off the Merseysiders.

A taste of their own medicine...

The Red Devils

Manchester United are a good team led by a great manager. In fact, Alex Ferguson has proved that he is one of the best managers to have ever graced the game and should be placed alongside the Ramseys and Cloughs of this world. His Manchester teams have conquered the Premier League more times than any other side and have conquered Europe on two occasions also. They have lifted the F.A Cup and the League cup along with the FIFA Club World Cup. There is not a winnable trophy that Alex Ferguson has not brought to Manchester.

While they deserve all the plaudits they get, and more, I have to say that they have also enjoyed a fair amount of luck.

Let me back that up before you all scream “heathen” and have me hunted down.

“Sir” Alex Ferguson was nearly sacked only 3 years into his reign at Manchester United. Indeed, if it had not been for a fortuitous run in the 1989/90 F.A Cup, which led to United winning the cup, he would have been sent packing. Where would United have been then? Without their great manager they surely would not have become the force they are today. There must be more luck to it than that I hear you cry. Well, there is.

In January of the 1995/96 season, Manchester United sat 12 points behind a rampant Newcastle United at the top of the table. A series of unfortunate events befell Newcastle from that point on, (including the epic 4-3 loss against Liverpool) while lady luck seemed to have a permanent smile for the Red Devils.

Manchester United were gaining last minute winners while Newcastle were conceding them and then there was that all important fixture between the two teams. Man United won the game 1-0 but only the brilliance of Peter Schmeichel (and the goal posts) kept Newcastle from scoring a goal that day. The Red Devils went on to win the Premiership trophy that year, finishing four points clear of Newcastle.

Surely there must be more? Of course there is.

Bayern's players are dejected after the game.

In 1999, Manchester United had reached the Champion's League Final. In that match they played Bayern Munich, one of the powerhouses of Europe at the time. After 90 minutes, the score stood at 1-0 in favour of the German side and the game looked dead and buried for United. However, their old friend – “injury time” was not about to abandon the Red Devils. United scored two goals in as many minutes (timed at 90:36 and 92:17) to become European Champions, leaving the Bayern players devastated.

Since that day United have made the last minute winner a hallmark of theirs, and have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on numerous occasions. Some people reckon you make your own luck and, to a certain extent, I agree with that. However, to get as much luck as United have enjoyed over the years would surely require some sort of pact with a devil, demon or another form of otherworldly creature.

So, why the lecture on United's luck? Well today when a win would have taken United five crucial points clear of Arsenal, and two points clear of Man City at the top of the table, Fergie's men could not manage a victory. Instead, they threw away a 1 goal lead over struggling Birmingham.

That meant the game ended as a 1-1 draw and that means United are only 3 points ahead of Arsenal and are level with City. But draws happen all the time though don't they? They do, however this draw was a special one because of the time on the clock when Birmingham found the net.

The 89^th minute. 

Lovely.

Premier League Review: Boxing Day

Boxing day football carries with it a great tradition. Over the years we have seen some great games and this year was no different. There were some big results that concerned both the top and bottom of the table.

Manchester City managed to keep pace with Mancester United at the top of the League with a 3-1 away win at Newcastle. Both teams had plenty of chances but it was City, and Tevez, who proved to be the more clinical on the day. With City 2-0 up, Andy Carroll  did bring Newcastle back into the game in the 72nd minute, however, Tevez restored City's two goal advantage against the run of play 10 minutes later to take all three points.

The Red Devils picked up three points against Newcastle's big rivals, Sunderland, at Old Trafford. A routine win in which United dominated meant that Sir Alex's men are still unbeaten this year and sit at the top of the Premier League, two points clear of City, with two games in hand.

At the bottom end of the table, West Ham managed to come back from a goal down to beat relegation rivals Fulham, 3-1, at Craven Cottage. Quite how they managed that is certainly open for discussion as Fulham dominated the game for most of the 90 minutes. After opening the scoring, Fulham looked to be coasting to a sure-fire win before they conceded two very weak goals just before half time. West Ham climb off the bottom of the table following the win and Fulham joined them in the relegation places.

Tottenham and Aston Villa provided us with a great game at Villa Park. The 2-1 win for Tottenham keeps them in fourth place, only one point behind London rivals Chelsea and two points behind London rivals Arsenal. The loss was another bitter pill to swallow for a faltering Aston Villa side who had shown so much promise in recent years but seem to be losing their way under Gerrard Houllier.

Bolton continued their very impressive season with a 2-0 win over surprise act West Brom. The Wanderers are certainly playing some decent football this year under Owen Coyle, who has yet to spend big in the transfer market. With the addition of a great finisher and some creativity in midfield, Bolton could even challenge Tottenham for that last Champion's League spot.

A full list of the results can be found below.

Sunday 26^th December:

Fulham 1 - 3 West Ham

Wolverhampton 1 - 2 Wigan

Newcastle 1 - 3 Man City

Bolton 2 - 0 West Brom

Aston Villa 1 - 2 Tottenham

Blackburn 0 - 2 Stoke

Man Utd 2 - 0 Sunderland

Arsenal v Chelsea: Preview

Wenger looks for a massive win tonight

Chelsea and Arsenal play a massively important game tonight (27^th December) at 20:00 GMT. One of these teams needs to win to keep pace with Man United (a draw helps neither side) and I would prefer it to be Arsenal. Wenger is the best manager in the Premier League, even if he is a little close minded about the weaknesses in his team. His ethics and playing style are far better than his managerial rivals at the top of the table and his team are an absolute joy to watch on their day. I'm hoping for a 2-1 home win, but Chelsea are a very strong side and could upset the Gunners tonight at the Emirates.