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.