PREVIEW: TOTTENHAM VS CHELSEA

This Thursday night, Chelsea travel to White Hart lane to take on London rivals Tottenham. However, for the first time in a long time, Tottenham go in to the match above Chelsea as they are currently in third place, while Chelsea are two points behind in fourth.

Since Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003, Chelsea have become one of the premier league’s best teams and therefore they’ve  got used to being in matches against teams who like them, are battling to be considered one of the best. However, it’s only been two seasons since Tottenham first finished in the premier league’s coveted top four so competing in these types of matches is relatively new to them.

Chelsea’s triumph over leaders Manchester City last week, twinned with Tottenham’s loss at Stoke looked to have put Chelsea back into the title race and damaged Tottenham’s chances of being in the top four come May. However, Chelsea lost all the momentum they had after their win over Manchester City, as a late Jordi Gomez goal rescued Wigan a point in a 1-1 draw on Saturday. A day later, a Roman Pavlyuchenko goal was enough to give Tottenham the three points at home to Sunderland.

A thought that deeply worries Chelsea fans is that defeat on Thursday night will leave them five points behind Tottenham, with the north London side having a game in hand. Such a situation could put manager Andre Villas-Boas under serious pressure from both the media and potentially even his own supporters, as many Chelsea fans blame the decision to take off Daniel Sturridge for Florent Malouda as a key factor in the blues dropping two points at Wigan on Saturday.

An interesting feature of this game will be Luka Modric. The 26 year-old Croat was at the centre of one of the summer’s most intriguing transfer sagas, as Chelsea offered Tottenham £22 million, and then £27 million for the midfielder’s services. In the end, Modric stayed at Tottenham and has looked just as good as ever so far this season. Thursday’s game will give Modric the opportunity to show Chelsea what they missed out on.

For Tottenham, there will be no Aaron Lennon in this match after he was injured during the game against Sunderland. Gareth Bale, who didn’t play against Sunderland due to a sprained ankle, is facing a battle to be fit for Thursday night’s game. Manager Harry Redknapp said "Bale has sprained his ankle, he just did it in training. He thought it was okay, then he went home, had a little rest and couldn't put any weight on it”.  Jermaine Defoe however, looks set to return after missing Sunday’s game.

As for Chelsea, John Terry, who had to receive medical treatment during the game against Wigan, is expected to be fit for the match.

Brazilians Ramires and David Luiz who both missed the game against Wigan should both be fit according to manager Andre Villas-Boas.

This game will be massively important for both teams, with a win for either side putting them in third place over Christmas. Although, a loss for either team would surely end their title hopes. For the neutral, this will be a great battle between two London rivals, however for the fans this will be a nerve-wracking match with the result having a huge impact on their respective team’s season.

Alex and Anelka to leave Chelsea

After Chelsea’s 3-0 win away at Newcastle manager Andre Villas-Boas told the media that both central defender Alex and centre forward Nicolas Anelka had handed in transfer requests. The 34 year old manager also said that the duo would be training separately from the rest of the squad until any move was completed.

Villas-Boas said “My conversation with them was fair and direct. They have shown their interest in leaving the club and have had transfer requests in for some time. They are top players. Their professionalism and integrity are not in question. 'But we have decided to assign different training times to them. If their transfers don't happen, the players will return to full training.'

 As a Chelsea fan, I wasn’t surprised by this news but I was slightly concerned. Nicolas Anelka hasn’t done anything particularly impressive since the end of the 2009/10 season, so there’s no need to replace him. However, Alex is a reliable, wise and powerful centre-half who I feel contributes a lot to the Chelsea squad.

David Luiz is often criticized for being too rash and often finding himself out of position, while Alex has no such issues. Now I’m not saying Alex is better than David Luiz, I’m just pointing out that there are parts of Alex’s game which his fellow Brazilian can learn from.

However, despite my disappointment at Alex leaving the club, I can understand why he’d want to leave. Since David Luiz joined in January this year, Alex has been demoted to 4^th choice centre-back behind John Terry, David Luiz and Branislav Ivanovic. For a player attempting to get into Brazil’s 2014 world cup squad, that’s simply not good enough.

As for who Alex will join, there’s a lot of potential options such as Juventus, newly rich clubs Anzhi Makhachkala and PSG or perhaps even a return to Brazil. A move to Arsenal would’ve been considered possible in the summer, but Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Thomas Vermaelen have made the gunners’ defence considerably more solid than it was this time last year.

Nicolas Anelka, at 32 is three years older than the 29 year old Alex and has very little to prove. Throughout his career he’s played for the likes of Real Madrid, Arsenal and Liverpool as well as Chelsea. A move to an American side, perhaps L.A galaxy or a move back to France with old club PSG have both been spoke about as possible destinations as has a move to Russia.

To conclude, Chelsea have to sign a replacement in my opinion, with many mentioning Gary Cahill. However, Cahill’s shaky performances for Bolton this season makes me think a £15 million signing of him would be a bad move. I’d personally like to see Mats Hummels join, although Borussia Dortmund wouldn’t let him go cheaply, the same could be said for Hummels’ defensive partner Neven Subotic.

EPL: 5 PLAYERS WHO’VE LIT UP THE LEAGUE

With nine games gone in the premier league now, we can now to start to assess each team’s start. But which players have really stood out? In this article we’ll be looking at the key players who’ve played consistently well throughout the nine games (in Tottenham and Everton’s case eight). Let’s go.

David Silva

The Spaniard was superb in his debut 2010/11 season and he’s been even better so far this season. With his mesmerizing runs, clever passes and confident finishing, it could be argued that Silva is the ultimate creative player. His side, Man City are currently at the top of the premier league, and manager Roberto Mancini described Silva as “one of the best players in Europe and the world”. In this kind of form, it’s very hard to disagree. At this stage, the £24 million Man City paid Valencia last year for Silva’s services looks like a more than reasonable price.

Best performance: Manchester United away in a 6-1 win.

Juan Mata

Last season, the main criticism of Chelsea was their lack of creativity. They needed someone with trickery, ball control and good crossing ability. Like Man City did with David Silva, Chelsea looked at a Valencia player to resolve this issue and Juan Mata was the man they chose. A goal on his debut against Norwich instantly endeared the Spaniard to the Chelsea fans and Mata’s performances have been consistently impressive, form which looks set to continue for the remainder of the season.

Best performance: Sunderland away in a 2-1 win.

Yohan Cabaye

At the start of the season, hardly anybody would’ve thought Yohan Cabaye would be on a list such as this. However the Frenchman has been in inspiring form this season with performances which make Newcastle one of only two unbeaten sides in the premier league so far, along with leaders Manchester City. With a range of passing that would fit into the majority of, if not all premier league teams, Cabaye’s quality should never be underestimated.

Best performance: Aston Villa away in a 1-1 draw.

Wayne Rooney

The man who many consider to be one of the top five players in the world has unsurprisingly had a superb start to the 2011/12 season. With an almost unprecedented two hat-tricks in two games against Arsenal at Old Trafford and then away at Bolton, the man nicknamed “Wazza” has been as determined as ever to give Manchester United at 20^th English league title. Despite not scoring since September 18^th in the league at the time of writing, you have to assume Rooney will get or be very close to the premier league’s “Golden boot” award in May.

Best performance: At home to Arsenal in a 8-2 win

Sergio “Kun” Aguero

When any player comes from a foreign league to the premier league, many people expect the player regardless of the price tag, to take a while to settle in. However, Man City’s Sergio Aguero hasn’t needed any “settling in” time. Two goals in just over thirty minutes on his debut against Swansea, a goal in a 6-1 demolition of Manchester United at Old Trafford and a hat-trick against Wigan are just some of the performances which have put Aguero at the top of the goal scoring chart alongside Wayne Rooney.

Best performance: At home to Wigan at the Etihad stadium in a 3-1 win.

Honourable mentions

-Mario Ballotelli, Daniel Sturridge, Edin Dzeko, Ashley Young, Emmanuel Adebayor, Ro

Who is the world's best striker?

The battle to be the world's best striker.


Few would argue that Lionel Messi is the world's best player, but despite his impeccable goalscoring figures, he isn't really a striker. Neither are any of his competitors for best players in the world. So who is the world's best striker? Lets take a look at the contenders.


Sergio 'Kün' Aguero.
Ever since he made his Independiente at just 15 years of age, Sergio Aguero has been recognized as a potential footballing star. After 5 years of superb form at Atletico Madrid where he scored 74 goals in 175 appearances he joined Manchester City for around €40 million (£38 million). Despite many expecting him to struggle at first, Aguero has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water, scoring an impressive 6 in 5 games. With Argentina he's scored 13 in 30 and won himself a place in a team where competition is rife.


David Villa
After five years of magnificent form for Valencia, during which he scored 108 times in 166 games, Villa finally got his big money move in the summer of 2010 to FC Barcelona. In his first season he scored 9 goals in 23 games, including a goal in the UEFA Champions league final against Manchester United. For Spain, his form has been equally electrifying with his goals helping the Spanish national team win both Euro 2008 and the 2010 World cup. 


Edin Dzeko
When Wolfsburg won the 2008/09 Bundesliga much of the credit went to the league's top scorer, Bosnian Edin Dzeko. A superb champions league campaign the following season only helped his stock rise. In January of 2011, Dzeko joined Manchester City for £27 million. Despite a disappointing start to his City career, Dzeko has started the 2011/12 premier league on fire including a superb four goals against Tottenham.


Luis Suarez
If you're looking for both grit and genuine quality in a player look no further than Luis Súarez. The Uruguayan who joined Ajax from showed some unbelievable form in both the Eredevisie and for Uruguay in the 2010 world cup. Liverpool came knocking in January 2011 and made a £22.5 million bid that Ajax couldn't refuse. So far Suarez has been consistently impressive in a red shirt, form which looks set to continue for the rest of the 2011/12 season.


Samuel Et'to
Few of the strikers on this list are as experienced as Samuel Et'to. After 4 years playing for Real Mallorca, the mighty Barcelona made a move for the Cameroonian in 2004. In a Barca side that included Ronaldinho and Deco, Et'to excelled however an argument with coach Frank Riijkard and later Pep Guardiola , Et'to joined Internazionale in 2009 . At Inter Et'to lived up to his expectations, including being part of an Inter side that won the Champions league, Serie A and coppa Italia in the 2009/10 season. Et'to left in the summer of 2011 though to join newly-rich Anzhi Makhachkala and become the world's highest payed player.


Wayne Rooney
Hailed as "the boy-wonder" from just 16 when he starred for Everton, Wayne Rooney is widely regarded as one of the world's best.  It was summer of 2004 when he joined Manchester United and so far he's more than lived up to the expectation. He was the premier league's player of the season in 2009/10, however after a disappointing 2010 world cup and start to the 2010/11 season, his manager Sir Alex Ferguson decided to play Rooney just in the "hole". In this role, he excelled and even scored while playing there in the champions league final of 2011. He's started the 2011/12 season in wonderful form with two hat-tricks in 4 games.


Mario Gomez

Mario Gomez began his career at Vfb Stuttgart, and made his debut for the senior side at just 18 and by the 2005-06 season when he was just 20, he was a regular in the side. After four more impressive years at Stuttgart, Gomez was soon wanted by the mighty Bayern Munich. Despite a fairly disappointing 1st season in Munich, Gomez scored an impressive 39  goals in 45 games during the 2010/11 season. He's already scored a hat-trick this season, and he's looking sharper than ever.

Javier Hernandez
From virtual obscurity with Chivas de Guadalajara in the Mexican league, the man nick-named "Chicharito" scored an unbelivable 20 goals during his first season for Manchester United. By the end of the season, he was above established premier league stars such as Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen in the Man Utd pecking order. Still only 23, one thing's for sure, Hernandez is a star already.


Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The Swede, who began his career with Malmö FF, probably divides opinion more than anybody on this list. However, the stats speak for themselves. Between his times with huge clubs; Malmö,Ajax,Juventus,Barcelona and now AC Milan Ibrahimovic has scored 199 goals in 534appearances. In the last two seasons, he's been an integral part of both AC Milan and Barcelona's title-winning campaigns. He shows no signs of stopping yet in this, his second season with the Rossoneri. 

INTRODUCING: ANZHI MAKHACHKALA

Russian football is buzzing with excitement. Why? Because since Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimov bought mid-table premier league side Anzhi Makhachkala, the club has bought and been linked with some incredible players. So who are they?

The club was formed in 1991 in the then U.S.S.R by retired local footballer Magomed-Sultan Magomedov. In 1992 they joined the nation's second division and in 1996 they were promoted to the division above (the second highest division in Russia) and after winning that in 1999 they qualified for the Russian premier league. They stayed in the league until 2002.

Following their relegation Anzhi struggled to return to the Russian premier league due to a lack of players and funding. However the team finally did manage to return to the promised land in 2009 and in their first season back in the premier league they finished a respectable 11th.

However now the club's prospect all of a sudden look a lot brighter. Since the new owner invested in January, experienced world cup-winning left back Roberto Carlos has joined, as well as Yuri Zhirkov from Chelsea and Mbark Bousaffa from Anderlecht. However the signing that has really made everyone take notice of the club who's city, Makhachkala only has 578,000 inhabitants is undoubtedly that of Samuel Et'to who joined from Internazionale for 27 million euros. 

Just like Chelsea in 2003 and Man city in 2009 however, it is inevitable that Anzhi will be linked with many players who are highly unlikely to join them such as Dani Alves and Neymar have already been linked with the Russian outfit. 

Also, due to their 10th place finish last season Anzhi are unable to compete in this year's champions league and therefore may struggle to bring in any more big names despite the money at their disposal. 

However there is no doubting the sense of positivity and excitement about Anzhi and all the stars they will be bringing to the Russian premier league. You never know, the stars they bring in may even see a Russian side for the first time in recent years really challenge for the crown of being the kings of Europe in the UEFA Champions league. These are exciting times for both Anzhi and Russian football.

MAN CITY: AGUERO OR TEVEZ?

When Carlos Tevez claimed he wanted to leave Manchester city earlier this summer, the Eastlands club instantly knew they'd need to buy someone to replace the talismanic Argentinian. The man they chose was another Argentine, Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero for a fee of around £38 million.

Tevez meanwhile was expected to go to Corinthians, however the deal couldn't go through before the end of the Argentinian transfer window. Many expect Tevez to now join Inter Milan, Real Madrid or to stay at Man City until the January transfer window and then join Corinthians. Regardless of the Tevez situation, Aguero is a Manchester city player and city fans especially will want to see if Aguero has the ability to either replace or partner Tevez in the city squad.

At 23 years old, Aguero is four years younger than Tevez, so it would be fair to say Aguero will be able to play for six or seven years minimum at the top level for Manchester city. Presumably, his age would be one of the factors that put Aguero above city's potential other striker targets such as Samuel Et'to on Sheikh Mansour's shopping list. The owner has made it clear he wants players to join the city "revolution" which would see them becoming one of Europe's biggest clubs in three or four years and Aguero certainly fits that bill.

Other than age, there is very little in the statistics to say one man is a better asset to city than the other. While Tevez has a higher goal ratio in the champions league (because of his time at Manchester United), Aguero's international record for Argentina is better than his fellow countryman Tevez's. In the 2010-11 domestic league season, both players scored the same amount of goals (20), although Aguero played one more game.

One thing's for sure though; All of city's strikers have a battle on their hands to be in the club's illustrious first XI. Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, Mario Ballotelli and perhaps Carlos Tevez are all good enough to get in to all but a few of the world's clubs best XI's but at city, great money comes with great problems.

The best pre-season games that can't be missed

So, the domestic football season has ended and the transfer window is now dominating the football headlines alongside international tournaments such as the European under 21's, the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the Copa America. Next month, club players return from holidays and international duty and pre-season begins. This article is all about which pre-season matches will be the best to watch.

L.A Galaxy vs Real Madrid-  Saturday 16th July

Real Madrid will be looking to put a disappointing 2010-11 season behind them, when they travel to L.A to face their former player, David Beckham and his current club L.A Galaxy. As they do in most summer transfer windows, Real Madrid are expected to add a few new superstars such as Alexis Sanchez and Sergio Aguero, plus Nuri Sahin whose signing has already been completed.

Barclays Asia trophy- Wednesday 27th to Saturday 30th July

For the 5th time, fans of the Barclays Premier league in Asia will get to see some of their heroes in the Barclays Asia trophy. Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea and Kitchee, who are the Hong Kong champions will all be competing. Both Aston Villa and Chelsea are expected to have appointed their new managers by then, making the tournament even more intriguing. The trophy will be contested like two semi-finals with the winners of Aston Villa vs Blackburn facing the winners of Chelsea vs Kitchee in the final while the losers face eachother in a third place play-off.

Manchester United vs New York Cosmos- Friday 5th August

In recognition of Paul Scholes' legendary career, the New York Cosmos (whose director of soccer is Old Trafford legend Eric Cantona) will face Man Utd in a match that will be the newly reformed Cosmos' first in 25 years. Even though, Utd will be the clear favourites to win the match, rarely has a pre-season match carried as much historical significance.

Dublin Super Cup- Saturday 30th-Sunday 31st July

Inter Milan, Celtic, Manchester City and an Airtricity league XI will all be competing in what should be an exciting 4 game tournament, played at Dublin's Aviva stadium. Each team will play two games, with Manchester City vs Inter Milan on the 31st expected to be the closest.


Manchester United vs Barcelona- Saturday 30th July

Football/soccer fans in Washington will have the oppourtunity to witness who many believe are the two best teams in the world, Manchester United and Barcelona battle it out in a repeat of the 2011 champions league final. It will also be an opportunity to see new Utd defender Phil Jones and perhaps David De Gea and Ashley Young in their new shirts for their new clubs.

Barclays Premier League 2010/11: My personal awards

The 2010/11 season has been argubly the most unpredictable EPL season of all time. With just one game left, we know Manchester United are the champions while West Ham's 3-2 loss at Wigan meant they are down. The other two clubs who are going to spend next season in the Championship is still undecided. However which players have stood out from the rest? In this article I'll be giving you my personal players of the season.

Young player of the season
Nominees
-Jack Wilshere
-Gareth Bale
-Javier Hernandez
-Andy Carroll
-Joe Hart

Winner: Jack Wilshere
Jack Wilshere's season has been better than almost everyone expected. Throughout the season, Wilshere's consistency and skill has far exceeded the level expected for a 19-year old player and has meant he is now one of the first name's on both the Arsenal and England team sheet.

Goal of the season
Nominees

James Morrison vs Man Utd(H)
Raul Meireles vs Wolves(A)
Gareth Bale vs Stoke (A)
Wayne Rooney vs Man City(H)
David Jones vs Stoke (H)

Winner: Wayne Rooney
With just 15 minutes left in the local derby between Manchester United and Manchester City it was 1-1 and United were searching for a winner. Step up Wayne Rooney who had had an up and down season to latch on to Nani's deflected cross and produced and unbelivable overhead kick to give United a 2-1 win.

Buy of the season
Nominees
Luis Suarez
Rafael Van Der Vaart
David Luiz
Javier Hernandez
Yaya Toure
David Silva

Winner
Javier Hernandez
When the man called "Chicharito" signed to Man Utd from Mexican outfit many expected the 22-year old to be a sub at best. However Hernandez is now one of Europe's most feared strikers thanks to his wonderful natural finishing and improvisation skills. One thing's for sure:Hernandez has a magnificent future as well as present

Player of the season
Nominees
-Gareth Bale
-Nemanja Vidic
-Nani
-Samir Nasri
-Carlos Tevez
-Charlie Adam

Winner:
Nemanja Vidic
For me, this award belongs to a player like Vidic. Dedicated,hard working and supremely talented. Without Vidic's blocks, tackles and clearances, Utd would have conceeded many more goals and may not have won the league.

Hope you've enjoyed my blog and my next one will be uploaded soon.

EPL: 5 players who've made big impacts this season

The following article is about players who this time last year were hardly household names but based on this season's performances they have become vital for the success of their respective clubs. So here goes...

Jack Wilshere: Widely considered one of Arsenal's most exciting young talents for many years, 2010/11 has proven to be a stellar season for 19 year-old Jack Wilshere. Last season the youngster had very limited amount of games for the Gunners so Arséne Wenger decided to put Wilshere on loan at Bolton from January to the end of the season. A few magnificent performances for Bolton and a summer of rest later, Wilshere is now a key player in the Arsenal squad. His meteoric rise to becoming a top European footballer was confirmed after a superb showing in Arsenal's 2-1 victory at home to Barcelona where the youngster from Luton did'nt look at all out of place up against Xavi and Iniesta whom his playing style is extremely simular to. Unquestionably, Wilshere is one of the English game's most impressive young players.

Charlie Adam: When the Scot signed for Blackpool on a permanent deal (after a six month loan) in August 2009,  the footballing media barely reported it. 18 months later and league heavyweights such as Liverpool and Tottenham wanted to sign Adam. This is because Charlie Adam has shown incredible passing, determination and set-piece deliveries, qualities which gained Blackpool promotion to the last season and this season he has helped put Blackpool in 15th in the EPL this season which does'nt sound great but for the team everyone expected to go down, its pretty impressive stuff. Although many expect Adam to leave the seasiders' for a bigger EPL club in the summer, no one can question his determination to succeed.

Andy Carroll: Regularly referred to as "the old fashioned number nine", Andy Carroll's first full season in the EPL has been excellent. Many doubted whether he could produce the form that made him sighted as vastly responsible for Newcastle's promotion straight back to the EPL last season, but he has by scoring 11 goals in 24 games. After spending the season's first six months at Newcastle, Carroll then moved to Liverpool for an astonishing £35 million making him the eighth most expensive player ever. Not bad for a player who has only just turned 22.

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez: Manchester Utd have an illustrious history of great, natural goalscorers Dennis Law, Andy Cole, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Dwight Yorke and Ruud Van Nistelrooy to name just a few and Hernandez after only a couple of months in England is the latest in that list. After spending his whole career at Chivas de Guadalajara, Hernandez signed for Man Utd in April 2010 in secret. His double against Stoke and then Wigan, his UCL goals against Valencia and Marseille (2) respctively as well as many more vital goals have given Hernandez rave reviews by the media, plaudits from none other than Zinedine Zidane and celebrity status back home in Mexico. Still only 22, Hernandez has a great future at Old Trafford.

Martin Kelly: My last choice may come as a bit of surprise to some of you but I think Martin Kelly's performances this season deserve a place on the list. The 20 year-old has managed to force who many consider to be the EPL's best right-back to left-back in order to make way for Kelly. A couple of impressive performances in the Europa League earlier in the season have helped Kelly prove to firstly Roy Hodgson and now Kenny Dalglish exactly why he deserves a place in Liverpool's starting XI every week. Kelly's season however is probably best known for his fantastic display in the 1-0 victory away to Chelsea where Liverpool's five-man defence frustrated Chelsea. More performances of such kind will surely earn Kelly an England senior call-up before long.

Hope you enjoyed the article and don't forget to leave a comment. ☺

Fernando Torres: When will he finally score?

In argubly the most publicised January transfer of the window, Fernando Torres completed his move from Liverpool to current champions Chelsea for a staggering £50 million. Six appearances later, despite his collosal price tag Torres has'nt scored a single goal.

                                                                               In all fairness to the 26 year-old Spaniard, he has worked hard for the team but bearing in mind this man is one of the most feared strikers in Europe thanks to his excellent goalscoring ratio at both Athletico Madrid and Liverpool not to mention his national team Spain, zero goals in six is dissapointing to say the least. The game that Torres had probably the most chances in his Chelsea career so far was probably away to Copenhagen when Copenhagen 'keeper Johan Wiland denied Torres on numerous occasions. Luckily that night, two goals from Frenchman Nicolas Anelka was enough to give Chelsea what was a comfortable 2-0 win in the Danish capital.
                                                                                                                     But what about in other matches such as when Chelsea visited Craven Cottage to face neighbours Fulham when a stunning pass from David Luiz found Torres but the Spaniard fluffed his lines and lost control of the ball. Chelsea went on to draw 0-0. One must believe that the Torres of Liverpool in 2008/09 would have buried such a chance.

In some games, most notably on Torres' debut which was ironically against his former club Liverpool, Chelsea's midfielders did'nt provide good enough service so the lack of goals is'nt only Torres' fault but he can't be satisfied with his start to life in west London. On Wednesday night, in the 2nd leg against Copenhagen at Stamford Bridge it was trusted 33 year-old striker Didier Drogba who started, while Torres was left on the bench but came on after sixty-eight minutes but yet again failed to score. As expected, Chelsea advanced to the quarter-finals of the UCL where they now face Manchester Utd, but you must ask yourself how much longer can Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti keep playing a misfiring striker, no matter what his potential?

My FA cup quarter-final predictions

This weekend will host the 2010/11 season FA cup quarter finals. There are many intriguing games, but the highlight game has got to be at Old Trafford where England's top two teams, Manchester United and Arsenal battle for a place in the FA cup semi-final.

Carlos Tevez (left) will be looking to fire Manchester City into one of the two FA cup semi-finals at Wembley.









My predictions:

Birmingham city vs Bolton Wanderers

A tremendous league cup final triumph against Arsenal was fantastic for the blues but their league form has put all the hysteria around St Andrews on hold. Bolton have had an impressive season under Owen Coyle and Europa League football may be a little more than a dream now for trotters' fans. A win here would surely only confirm a wonderful season for a side that were nearly relegated last season.

My prediction:
Birmingham 1-1 Bolton

Manchester Utd vs Arsenal

The Epl's two main title contenders have both had dissapointing results lately with Utd losing their last two and Arsenal being dumped out of the UCL by Barcelona. Utd have Ferdinand, Park, Nani and Valencia out and may rest some players in order to have a fully fit squad for their UCL match against Marseille in mid-week. Arsenal have Song and Fabregas injured but, Arsene Wenger has admitted this game is huge.

My prediction:
Manchester Utd 1-1 Arsenal

Stoke vs West Ham

West Ham and their attackers have been on fire lately and a victory here could mean a second semi-final this season. Stoke meanwhile have been at their physical best in the FA cup so far and their fans would love to make their first FA cup semi-final since 1972.

My prediction:
Stoke 2-1 West Ham

Manchester City vs Reading

Despite becoming one of the richest clubs in the world in August 2008, Manchester City have'nt won a trophy since 1976 (a fact Manchester Utd fans' are more than happy to point out) and Roberto Mancini's side are attempting to break that un-favorable record this season. On paper they're the most likely team to progress to the semi-final out of all the remaining teams in the cup but anything can happen in the cup as the saying goes, and after all Reading did beat Liverpool last year.

My prediction:

Man. City 3-1 Reading

I hope you enjoyed this blog and don't forget to comment on who you think is going to win the FA cup.

the world football (soccer) chat: Italian football's sad state of decline

the world football (soccer) chat: Italian football's sad state of decline: "Hello soccer fans of the world! This is my first blog so forgive me if it's a little different to what you're used to but here goes. This w..."

Italian football's sad state of decline

Hello soccer fans of the world! This is my first blog so forgive me if it's a little different to what you're used to but here goes.

This week has seen two Italian clubs exit at a fairly early stage from the world's most prestigous club competition, the UEFA Champions League. One of those clubs, Roma lost their first match 3-2 at home to one of the competition's less favoured teams, Shakhtar Donetsk. As mesmorising as Shakhtar were on the night, Roma were terrible in what was a nearly empty, Stadio Olimpico. The following night, AC Milan were humilaited in front of their own fans against an injury-stricken Tottenham Hotspur, who probably could have won more than 1-0. The week after Roma and AC Milan lost their first leg matches, the trophy's holders Inter Milan were beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich at the San Siro.
                                                                                                 This week, both Milan and Roma had uphill tasks when they travelled away to both London and Donetsk respectively. Roma needed to win by at least two goals or if they required away goals win 4-3. After an impressive start by Vincenzo Montella's team (Montella took over from Claudio Ranieri after the first game) Shakhtar comfortably ran out 3-0 winners to knock Roma out. On Wednesday, Italian league leaders Milan simply could'nt find a way past the Premier league's 5th place Spurs' defence and they crashed out. But is that how big the gap between Europe's top leagues and Italy's Serie A is? So big, that an EPL team that may not even be in the UCL next year can beat the best team in Italy?  Certainly a long way away from one of my earliest footballing memories when I was six when AC Milan beat fellow Italians Juventus in the 2003 Champions league final. Inter Milan will be considered as the underdogs when they travel to Munich next week and may be playing for Italian football's pride aswell as their own.

What are your opinions on Italian football? Give your answers in the comment section below!