Barcelona fans have gone gaga over their club’s acquisition of Neymar, and so they should. For a club of Barcelona’s stature, last season was – to be fair – underwhelming. Although they did canter to the La Liga title, they were knocked out out the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in a somewhat tame manner, showing little bite against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Adding to that was their off-field turbulence which saw both Eric Abidal and Tito Vilanova diagnosed with cancer. Potentially losing one individual to cancer is surely heart-rending, so having two people diagnosed with the same illness leaves little to the imagination in terms of emotional impact, and that surely had an effect on the way the Azulgrana went about their game. Last season, Barcelona’s players embodied that characteristics that played such a crucial role in the club’s formation 113 years ago.

“Managers are fond of talking about how their side overcame adversity. Normally, it’s meaningless; in Barcelona’s case, it’s actually true. Eric Abidal and Tito Vilanova have both undergone treatment for cancer. Abidal is now playing again: doctors say it is a miracle that he is healthy, let alone competing once more.”

- Sid Lowe, The Guardian

The unveiling of Neymar in a Barcelona shirt is therefore the perfect pick me up for fans of the Catalan club. For years now, speculation has been swirling over the mohawked striker’s next destination. Everyone who is anyone in the world of football was being linked to him and as that list was slowly distilled into a shorter and shorter roster of names, there was much musing over whether he would join one of the uber-rich trio of Chelsea, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain.

In the end, though, it was always going to be Real Madrid and Barcelona – the clubs who have maintained their interest in him the longest – who were going to duke it out over who gets this Brazilian sensation. Indeed, the prospect of watching Neymar and Lionel Messi torment opposition defences is a treat so mouth-wateringly delectable that when these two take to the pitch, one can expect a full house at the Camp Nou and a morass of millions of eyes staring unwaveringly as the Brazil-Argentina axis creates what can only be described as poetry in motion.

But while waxing lyrical over what is essentially Barcelona’s Plan B – yes, that is exactly what it is – which means that they will no longer be over reliant on Messi’s talents, is that what is most important in Catalonia right now?

It’s been a good ten days since Luis Suarez’s comments on Uruguayan national radio regarding his desire to move to Real Madrid, and as expected, there’s been plenty of brouhaha both on the internet and off it. Social media is the water cooler of the on-line world because it is where people come to stop, take a break and speak to each other, much like many other places that exist in both the real and virtual worlds.

But why people have been sent into a tizzy over his comments is because of whom he is pointing fingers at: the British media. Before I take this any further, here is exactly what he said:

“I’m happy at Liverpool, I’m happy because of the fans. I made a mistake, I’m human, but they’ve talked about me in ways they shouldn’t have. My family have suffered and things got out of hand. My daughter and my wife have suffered. I’m not prepared to continue to put up with the English press”.

- Luis Suarez, Liverpool and Uruguay

Clearly then, the reason Suarez wants to leave Liverpool (I will not drum up speculation over where he is going) is because of the media, who he claims have been tarnishing his reputation.

But while he obviously does not agree with the way the media have portrayed him, is it really their fault?

The reason Suarez has found himself in hot water time and time again with the British press is because of his antics on the pitch. The ones that come to mind most clearly are namely:

• His frequent diving on the pitch in an attempt to con the referee
• His alleged racially-motivated argument with Patrice Evra that saw him receive an eight-match ban
• His biting of Branislav Ivanovic which saw him slapped with a ten-match ban, which he is currently serving

In an era where footballers are supposed to be role models, would you see Thierry Henry ever insult Didier Drogba? Would you see Mesut Ozil crumple to the floor in a heap when little more than a faint breeze wafts past him? And as comically idiotic as this sounds, surely Gianluigi Buffon is not going to nibble on someone just to stop him from having a pop at goal.

The reason Suarez was sanctioned by the FA for his war of words with Evra is because there is a very strict anti-racism policy employed by England’s governing body. Every single footballer who engages in this sort of behaviour has to be made an example of. The colour of one’s skin provides no exception to the rule, irrespective of which end of that jibe you may be on.

Some might argue with me here, saying Suarez himself is Hispanic and a sympathetic view might be taken to him on account of his ethnic profiling.

Part 1:

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Note: The video is for academic purposes only and all footage has been reproduced with permission.

Here are the top five nominees for Defender of the Month for May:

Jeremy Mathieu, Valencia and France

Although Valencia lost one game in May, they kept four clean sheets in their five games. Those clean sheets came courtesy of some solid defending by Mathieu and his defensive partners.

The Bats began May with a solid 4-0 win against Osasuna before repeating the feat away at Rayo Vallecano. Mathieu rose to the occasion when he struck a minute before half time to score the only goal of the game at Getafe to collect three clean sheets and three wins in as many games. Los Che then collected their fourth clean sheet with a 1-0 win against Granada to give them a chance at entering the Champions League berths, ending May on a perfect streak.

But their last game of the season against Sevilla resulted in a 4-3 defeat at the Ramon Sanchez Pijuan, missing out on the Champions League to Real Sociedad by a point.

Omer Toprak, Bayer Leverkusen and Turkey

Leverkusen went through May unbeaten to solidify third place and confirm automatic representation in the UEFA Champions League.

Bayer 04 began their final month of the Bundesliga season with a 2-0 win away at Nurnberg, with Toprak opening the scoring in the 26th minute. Another win followed with a 3-1 win at home to Hannover before the Bay Arena side finished their season a point behind second-placed Borussia Dortmund with a 1-0 win away at Hamburg.

*I would have included someone from Bayern Munich here, but the Bavarians have been included in several Defenders of the Month poll and it didn’t seem fair to ignore those below them.

Cristian Zapata, AC Milan and Colombia

The only constant in an otherwise changing Milanese rearguard, Zapata marshalled the San Siro back four to ensure Milan went unbeaten in May to ensure Champions League football.

The Rossoneri beat Torino via Mario Balotelli’s late strike (1-0) before Milan thrashed Pescara 4-0 away. The Lombardy side were held to a 0-0 draw by Roma in what turned out to be a game that would not govern a situation wherein Milan would overtake the top two. They were, however, nearly denied a place in Europe’s elite next season when they conceded early at Siena but late goals from Robinho and Philippe Mexes provided them euphoria.

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/06/03/defenders-of-the-month-for-may-the-nominees/feed/ 0 04874 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/06/01/frank-lampard-a-true-chelsea-legend/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/06/01/frank-lampard-a-true-chelsea-legend/#comments Sat, 01 Jun 2013 11:26:09 +0000 Gautam Viswanathan http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=1665887 When Bobby Tambling was introduced to the Chelsea faithful at half time at Stamford Bridge, despite his old age and poor health, the tears streamed down his face unabated. You could see how much the chants of ‘one Bobby Tambling’ meant to the man who scored 202 goals in Chelsea blue as he was taken on a lap of honour around the stadium.

When Tambling visited the Bridge on the 28th of April, one of the first people to greet him was Frank Lampard, who spoke about him in glowing terms after Chelsea had beaten Swansea 2-0. Four games later, Super Frankie Lampard had scored goal number 203 to put his name at the top of the club’s all time leading goal scorers.

Everybody knew Lampard was on course to beat Tambling’s record. It was more a matter of when rather than if. When the goal (in this case goals) did come, it was in typically Lampard style. The goal which equalled Tambling’s record came from just outside the box to bring his team level when they looked short of creativity, the one that displaced him came following one of his trademark late runs.

But that moment, as poignant as it may have seemed, wasn’t about Lampard having climbed to the top of the Chelsea charts. On that day, the needs of the club were more immediate. It was not goal number 203 that mattered as much in the moment, but the final score which read Aston Villa 1-2 Chelsea, which gave him significantly more satisfaction, for it meant they were one step closer to achieving Champions League qualification for next season.

And that, essentially, is the kind of player Lampard has always been.

In the world of modern-day football where players have become more important than the clubs they represent, the astronomical wages and the media circus that is waiting for the drop of a feather or an innocuous sneeze to occur around which a controversy can be created and the obsession of players and pundits alike to dissect every piece of information issuing every which way from football clubs, Frank Lampard is a soldier of the old guard. As Santiago Munez in the movie Goal! was told by his manager Eric Dunhelm – who managed Newcastle United in the film – the name in front of the shirt is more important than the one at the back.

But while Lampard and other scions of his generation such as Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Martin Keown have either ridden into the sunset or are fast approaching their twilight years in football, the progression of modern day football is such that the quote used to symbolise his importance above had to come from a work of fiction.

The tenets Lampard seems to follow are perfectly enshrined in the words of former Arsenal legend David Rocastle, who said ‘play for the name on the front of the shirt and people will remember the name at the back.’ Truer words could never be used to describe Lampard’s contribution to Chelsea, and his performances in a Blue shirt were perfectly encapsulated in the 90 minutes he played at Villa Park.

The chips were down, stacked high against Chelsea. Champions League qualification was on the line and they could ill-afford to drop points after Gylfi Sigurdsson had ensured Tottenham Hotspur gained a share of the spoils at Stamford Bridge. The sending off of Ramires was the first nail in their coffin, Christian Benteke scoring was the second.

On that day, Juan Mata was well shackled by Eric Lichaj. Eden Hazard looked exhausted. Demba Ba was robbed of service. Even when Benteke was sent off, Chelsea’s attacks came to nought, with a combination of some solid defending, top-notch keeping by Brad Guzan, and failure on the part of the linesman to allow a perfectly good goal. They needed inspiration.

They needed Frank Lampard.

Indeed, had it not been for him that afternoon, Chelsea might have capitulated against a recently-resurgent Villa, possibly losing out on a place in the Champions League. That performance against Villa was a capsule of what Lampard has always brought to Chelsea. The chips were down, it was the business end of the season, results were vital to the Chelsea hierarchy, and Lampard himself had found himself demoted from the rank of first-team regular.

And if his performance at Villa Park wasn’t inspirational enough, his showing in the Europa League final reminded everyone of what he brought to Chelsea.

At times in the game, Benfica threatened to overrun Chelsea. Pacy Nico Gaitain, blunderbuss forward Oscar Cardozo, twinkletoes Eduardo Salvio and former Blue Nemanja Matic were all on the verge of overwhelming the English side as they sliced through their opponents’ midfield at will. With John Terry once again indisposed and the game poised on a knife edge, Chelsea would either become the first side to be in possession of both the Champions League and Europa League trophies (at least temporarily) or suffer the ignominy of becoming the first English team to lose in eight competitions in one season.

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/06/01/frank-lampard-a-true-chelsea-legend/feed/ 0 04713 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/05/11/match-preview-fa-cup-final-manchester-city-vs-wigan-athletic/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/05/11/match-preview-fa-cup-final-manchester-city-vs-wigan-athletic/#comments Sat, 11 May 2013 07:56:09 +0000 Gautam Viswanathan http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=1656072

Who will win the coveted trophy?

Today afternoon’s FA Cup clash sees a typical David versus Goliath match-up at Wembley Stadium. Manchester City, with Champions League qualification already in the bag, are in second place in the Barclays Premier League table.

Wigan, on the other hand, are engaged in a relegation dogfight and are eighteenth in the table. Currently three points from safety, they have two games to assure themselves another season the the EPL.

Form

Manchester City: WDWLW

07/05/2013: West Bromwich Albion, 1-0 (H), Barclays Premier League

04/05/2013: Swansea City, 0-0 (A), Barclays Premier League

27/04/2013: West Ham United, 2-1 (H), Barclays Premier League

21/04/2013: Tottenham Hotspur, 1-3 (A), Barclays Premier League

17/04/2013: Wigan Athletic, 1-0 (H), Barclays Premier League

For the talent that Manchester City have at their disposal, their recent form is slightly worrisome. What seems to be lacking throughout the season is a lack of desire to win, and that has only intensified since they now know that second place is as good as can get in the league.

What best encapsulates their season was their 3-1 defeat away at White Hart Lane. They took the lead through Samir Nasri, but then capitulated after they became complacent and allowed in goals from Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Defoe and Gareth Bale. Once Spurs had found their equaliser, City struggled to raise themselves.

Fatigue may be an issue here, but that is still no reason for not coming away with three points against Swansea, where City stuttered and spluttered but never crackled to life as the game ended goalless.

Wigan Athletic: LWDLL

07/04/2013: Swansea City, 2-3 (H), Barclays Premier League

04/04/2013: West Bromwich Albion, 3-2 (A), Barclays Premier League

27/03/2013: Tottenham Hotspur, 2-2 (H), Barclays Premier League

20/03/2013: West Ham United, 0-2 (A), Barclays Premier League

17/03/2013: Manchester City, 0-1 (A), Barclays Premier League

The Latics have only won one of their last five games. This means that the FA Cup will come as both a welcome distraction and a catalyst for Roberto Martinez’s men to win their remaining games in an attempt to save their Premier League season.

But Wigan have always been quite skilled at getting out of this rut. They usually turn up for games at the end of the season. At the same time last year, the DW Arena side beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates and threw a spanner in United’s title chase as they defeated the Red Devils 1-0.

This season, however, with two games remaining, Wigan are in a much more dire position than they were last season. Their performance in the FA Cup could change all that.

Team News:

Manchester City

With the exception of Scott Sinclair, who has a blood clot and will be out until August, everybody is available for the FA Cup final.

Squad (from): Hart, Maicon, Richards, Kompany (c), Zabaleta, Lescott, Milner, Nasri, Dzeko, Pantilimon, Wright, Kolarov, Garcia, Barry, Aguero, Clichy, Kolo Toure, Yaya Toure, Nastasic, Razak, Rekik, Tevez, Silva, Guidetti

Probable Starting XI: Pantilimon; Zabaleta, Kompany (c), Nastasic, Clichy; Garcia, Toure, Nasri, Silva, Aguero; Tevez

Wigan Athletic

In contrast to Roberto Mancini, Wigan boss Martinez has several players over whom question marks loom for this game.

Antolin Alcaraz and Jean Beausejour are both struggling with hamstring injuries. Maynor Figuroa (groin) and Albert Crusat (knee) and Ronnie Stam (ankle) are all out for this game.

Ivan Ramis (knee) and Mike Pollitt (thigh) and also unavailable.

Squad (from): Al-Habsi, Scharner, Caldwell, Alcaraz, Boyce, Espinoza, McCarthy, Watson, McArthur, McManaman, McArthur, Maloney, Kone, Robles, Beausejour, Di Santo, Gomez, Redmond, Henriquez, Fyvie, Jones, Campabadal

Probable Starting XI: Al-Habsi; Boyce, Caldwell, Scharner (c), Espinoza; Watson, McCarthy, McArthur; McManaman, Maloney, Kone

Prediction

There are some who say that the FA Cup is a relic of the past. Those who say that are unaware of the romance and magic the cup conjures. It is a playing field where all are equal as can be seen with the giant killings this competition has thrown up in the past. City looked more equipped on paper, but it is going to be played on that big green thing at Wembley.

Manchester City 3-0 Wigan Athletic

Jupp Heynckes (Bayern Munich): eight wins

Few teams have played as many games as Bayern Munich have in April. Fewer still go through a perfect April, given that fatigue takes its toll and the business end can add to the pressure footballers face. The Bavarians, though, seemed to be unfazed by it. The month began by two-nil wins against Juventus at the Fussball Arena Munchen and the Juventus Arena to seal passage to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions league. Sandwiched in between the games was Bayern’s title-clinching 1-0 win away at Frankfurt.

Bayern have scored more goals than any other Bundesliga side in a long long time (since the 1970s) and that goals for column was only made more impressive with handsome 4-0 wins against derby opponents Nuremberg (away) and more importantly, Barcelona, inflicting a humiliating defeat on the Catalan side.

The Bavarians also put six past Wolfsburg in the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal and Hamburg in the Bundesliga before wrapping up the month with a second string side defeating Freiburg in Munich.

Jürgen Klopp (Borussia Dortmund): six wins, one draw, one loss

Dortmund are another team to have played eight games last month, and like Bayern, made great progress in the Champions League. The month began with a goalless draw at Malaga before dispatching the Spanish side in a thrilling 3-2 win at the Signal Iduna Park that saw the hosts score two goals in as many stoppage time minutes at the end of the second half after they had surrendered the lead twice to the visitors.

But the fixture that saw Dortmund’s already high admiration increase by several notches was their 4-1 battering of Real Madrid in Germany before holding out against Los Blancos in Spain. Under increasing pressure, the relatively new side kept out the nine time European Cup winners for eighty-plus minutes before enduring a grand stand finish as Madrid bowed out, having only scored two when three were necessary, which means Wembley will see an all German final this month.

On the domestic front, Dortmund secured Champions League football and second place with wins against Augsburg (4-2 home), Greuther Furth (6-1 away), Mainz (2-0 home) and Fortuna Dusseldorf (2-1 away).

Antonio Conte (Juventus): four wins, two losses

April was a bittersweet month for Juve. In Serie A, the Bianconeri orchestrated a successful title defence by beating Lazio (2-0 away), AC Milan (1-0, home), Torino (2-0 away) and Pescara (2-1 away) to announce their return to the world’s footballing elite as they put the ignominious Calciopoli period behind them.

But while success was found domestically, Juve’s European campaign ended quickly. A 2-0 defeat at Bayern Munich’s home ground was never going to be easy to overturn and contrary to finding the back of the net during their second leg, they conceded two more as late goals in Italy meant it was the Bavarians who proceeded to the semifinals on the 4-0 aggregate score line.

Jose Mourinho (Real Madrid): six wins, two losses

Trophyless seasons are rarely heard of at Real, and despite Real’s best efforts to stop that from happening, Jose Mourinho’s men are not going to win any silverware this year. Nevertheless, April saw Los Merengues commit everything to a trophy.

Although you would not know that in the way Real Madrid turned up for the second half at Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, where they conceded three to Robert Lewandowski as they finished on the receiving end of a 4-1 defeat. But they gave it everything in the second leg as they scored two late goals to reignite hope, but ultimately could not muster enough to secure passage to the Champions League final, missing out on a shot at la decima, despite overcoming Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Domestically, Real cut the gap to eight points with wins against Levante (5-1, home), Athletic Bilbao (3-0, away), Real Betis (3-1, home) and Atletico Madrid (2-1, away).

Walter Mazzarri (Napoli): three wins, one draw

You get out of life what you put into it and that seems to be the rationale at the Stadio San Paolo in Naples. April provided a solid foundation for Napoli to confirm their place in the UEFA Champions League next season. Pipping the likes of AC Milan, cross town rivals Internazionale and capital side AS Roma to the Champions League spots, of which there are only three in Italy, Walter Mazzarri’s men got the ball rolling with a 2-0 win over struggling Genoa.

Facing AC Milan at the Giuseppe Meazza is never easy, but the southern side came away with a point from Lombardy, building on their good beginning to April with back to back wins against Cagliari (3-2 home) and Pescara (3-0) away to ensure the side Diego Maradona once played for went through the penultimate month of Italian football unbeaten and solidify second place.

1.) Jose Reina Paez, Liverpool FC and Spain

With most of the spotlight on Manchester United for the month of April, it doesn’t augur well for Reina that this month’s hullabaloo will also be around the Red Devils largely because of the decision of Sir Alex Ferguson to step down at the end of the season. Reina was however excellent last month, keeping three clean-sheets in four games for the Reds.

He kept two clean sheets in as many games as goalless draw followed goalless draw against West Ham at Anfield and Reading on the road. Although his team failed to score, he had to be alert to keep out the opposition on several occasions in both games. Brendan Rodgers’ men picked up their third straight draw when they drew 2-2 at Chelsea, a game which gave many something to chew on. Although Reina hadn’t helped his team to a victory after three games, vindication came in the form of a 6-0 humiliation of a relegation threatened Newcastle United, just desserts for both defenders and attackers of the Reds.

2.) Diego Lopez, Real Madrid CF

For a long time now, Real Madrid have had a ‘you score one we’ll score two’ strategy, employing a system wherein offence is better than defence: a case that has not helped the case of Diego Lopez. Although he kept only three clean sheets in eight games, had he not pulled save after brilliant save, Real would be in a worse situation than they are now.

Real were the dominant side at the Bernabeu, but had he not kept a clean-sheet against Galatasaray, they could have lost the tie in Turkey, where Real were once again indebted to him for some excellent saves as the Turkish side mounted a stirring comeback. It was the same against Borussia Dortmund in Germany, where although Madrid did concede four, it could have been much worse for Los Merengues, who looked shaky for periods against the yellow-blacks and had Lopez to thank for keeping them in the game. The third clean-sheet came away at Athletic Bilbao in the league.

3.) Zeljko Brkic, Udinese Calcio and Serbia

Juventus may have won the league in Italy, but is another team in black and white who owe thanks to their goalkeeper for keeping their dreams of Europe alive. Udinese are currently sixth in Serie A and on the verge of qualifying for Europe. The Little Zebras won all of their league games in the month of April, three of them coming with clean sheets.

Brkic kept his first clean sheet of the month away at Parma is his team’s second game, the Serbia international conceding one at home to Chievo Verona. Clean sheet number two was accompanied by another three points as one goal was enough to see of Lazio before the feat was repeated away at Cagliari.

With one game in hand over their nearest rivals, Udinese are eight points away from the Champions League qualification spot (third place) which they could get by winning their three remaining games.

4.) Steve Mandanda, Olympique de Marseilles and France

The only keeper among the five mentioned here to not concede a goal throughout April, Steve Mandanda’s four clean sheets ensured Marseille mount a late title challenge by matching Paris Saint-Germain blow for blow come the business end of the season.

The Riviera based club kicked off April with a 1-0 win against Bordeaux at home before holding Lille to a goalless draw on their travels. That was followed up with two consecutive 1-0 wins against Brest at home and Lorient Bretagne-Sud on their travels, ensuring that PSG keep the champagne on ice for at least a little while longer. Although they are mathematically in with a chance of usurping the Parisians at the top of the table, they have 67 points while the capital club have 74. Both teams have three game remaining.

5.) Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich and Germany

Bayern played nine games in a congested April, but Neuer didn’t play all of them. He didn’t need to because the Bavarians had wrapped up the league title with a 1-0 win away at Eintracht Frankfurt: a game Neuer featured in. He was imperious in goal, showcasing his best in the Champions League as he kept clean sheets against Juventus both on the road and at home.

But the performances he will feel most proud of are the ones against Barcelona. If shutting out the Blaugrana at home wasn’t a testament to his skill, he repeated the feat in Spain, keeping David Villa and Alexis Sanchez at bay as his team found the back of the net three times in Catalonia.

With Tom Starke getting a run-out for the remaining games of the Bundesliga, Neuer will look to be in top form as his side prepare to contest the Champions League trophy later this month.

Inigo Martinez, Real Sociedad and Spain U-21

Real Sociedad’s defender Inigo Martinez. (Getty Images)

That Real Madrid and Barcelona will qualify for the Champions League is a guarantee. The other two places are left for the likes of Valencia, Sevilla and Malaga to fight for. This season, they have been knocked out of the running by plucky Real Sociedad. One of the reasons for their success is centre-back Inigo Martinez.

The 21-year-old scored Sociedad’s fourth in their 4-2 win over Malaga on the 6th of April before helping his side keep a clean-sheet in a 2-0 away win at Rayo Vallecano eight days later. Although his team were frustrated away as Osasuna, Martinez’s efforts helped them secure their second consecutive clean sheet in as many matches as they came away with a point after a goalless draw on their travels. Their last game of April saw them win 4-2 at home to Valencia, Martinez getting his fourth goal of the campaign as he scored his team’s third at the Anoeta.

Leonardo Bonucci, Juventus and Italy

Leonardo Bonucci of Juventus. (Getty Images)

Juventus are now on the verge of their title defence and becoming the third team in Europe to win the league with games to spare after they went through a perfect April.

While Coach Antonio Conte tinkered with his defence throughout the month of April, one constant at the back was Bonucci. The Italy international marshalled the Bianconeri back line as a Mirco Vucinic’s brace gave them a 2-1 win over Pescara before a similar brace away at Lazio by Arturo Vidal ensured they left the capital with another three points and a clean sheet. That was followed by a solitary win at home to Milan, Vidal once again the goal scorer in a 1-0 win. Juve ended their month with a 2-0 away to arch rivals Torino as late goals by Vidal and Claudio Marchisio mean their next win should help them retain their Serie A title.

Laurent Koscielny, Arsenal and France

Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal. (Getty Images)

The Gunner rearguard has been revitalised since the return of Laurent Koscielny, and with results in tow, his inclusion has repaid Arsenal in plenty. The Frenchman started his side’s 2-1 win against West Bromwich Albion, holding the visitor’s three-man rearguard after Per Mertesacker had been sent off for conceding a penalty. He then joined forces with Thomas Vermaelen to earn his team another win in a come from behind 3-1 win against Norwich.

He joined the returning Mertesacker in keeping out Everton at the Emirates and then provided the assist for the German’s winner at Fulham in a fortunate win for his team. Koscielny ended the month by helping Arsenal deny Champions Manchester United a win in London as the race for the coveted Champions League spots hots up.

Maxwell, Paris Saint-Germain

Maxwell of Paris Saint-Germain. (Getty Images)

With Ligue 1 still undecided, Paris Saint-Germain’s unbeaten month of April will see them take a huge leap to winning France’s top honour. A constant in an ever-rotated Parisian back four was Maxwell.

The left-back started his team’s 2-o win away at Stade Rennes before helping his side to another away win at ES Troyes AC with Blaise Matuidi scoring the only goal of that game. Returning to the capital for their only home game of the month, the former Barcelona left-back was on hand to ensure his side kept a clean sheet as they beat OGC Nice 3-0, before coming one step closer to  esnuring PSG won the title as they beat Evian Thonon-Gaillard 1-0 away, Javier Pastore’s second-half goal ensuring Les Parisiens oversaw a perfect April.

Jerome Boateng, Bayern Munich and Germany

Jerome Boateng of Muenchen. (Getty Images)

Not one defender at Bayern appeared in all of the German side’s fixtures. That being said, it was a great month for Jerome Boateng to announce his return to the starting line up. He was present in his side’s 1-0 away at Eintracht Frankfurt, the game which sealed the Bundesliga title on the 6th of April before marshalling a changed Bavarian rearguard in a 4-0 demolition of Nurnberg at the Allianz Arena. He was also present when his team crushed Hanover 6-1 on their travels.

But the games that will matter most to him will be the double header against Spanish heavyweights Barcelona. He played all 180 minutes of the tie, keeping out Lionel Messi and Co. at the Allianz Arena as the Blaugrana were humbled 4-0 in Germany before helping the Bavarians keep a clean sheet as Barcelona were humiliated 3-0 in Spain.

Neymar (L) with Ganso at Santos FC

Everybody wants Neymar. He is the next big sensation to burst onto the global football scene. For months now, newspapers in football-crazy Europe have speculated over which club will fork out the massive £40 million being quoted as his asking price. The Sun will link him to Manchester City, whose Arab sheikh owners have cash reserves so vast they make Neymar’s asking price look like small change. The Mirror will fire up in response, extrapolating a path between Chelsea and Santos, with a few paragraphs that detail the immense wealth Roman Abramovich possesses.

But few nations will let the English press hog all the glory. From Spain will come articles in Marca and AS, each attempting to garner support towards Real Madrid and Barcelona. One will speak of rumblings behind the scenes of gentlemanly agreements between the Spanish clubs and their Brazilian counterpart, while another will claim a deal is in place to lure the Brazilian to Europe after his contract expires in 2014.

Neymar caught the world’s attention because of his exploits with Santos, whom he helped win the Regional Championship in 2010 and the Brazilian Cup that year.

But while Neymar was banging in the goals and hogging the international limelight, one of the reasons his team has racked up cricket scores against the opposition is because of the service he gets. Service that is not present to aid him at Santos any more.

Paulo Henrique Ganso was the chief supplier of passes which Neymar converted into goals and consequently wins.

When Neymar burst onto the scene aged just eighteen, he was always mentioned as one half of a duo; Ganso, two years his senior, being the other half of that deadly double which has played a massive part in earning Santos the worldwide recognition associated with the two Brazil internationals.

The duo had been signed by the Peixe at the same time. Neymar was a gangly 13-year-old and Ganso 15. The two grew up together, rarely spending time apart off the pitch and developing a telepathic bond on it. Common parents aside, they were brothers. And that connected translated to success in the form of trophies for one of Brazil’s oldest clubs.

But we live in a world that is best reflected by Real Madrid’s transfer policy during the era of the original Galacticos. Vicente del Bosque wanted a defender to bolster the Madrid rearguard. He was instead given Michael Owen.

Strikers are valued more than other players because there is so much more that meets they eye when they are observed. Given that what they do directly affects the success of their team at face value, their market rates are often significantly higher than either defenders or midfielders, whose qualities are more often than not less tangible.

Given the hoopla that the mohawk-styled striker was generating, Santos decided to insure their prized talent by offering him a bumper contract that would see him stay at the club till at least 2014, giving him more time to mature as a player and providing him the perfect opportunity to put himself in the shop window by showing he could play with the best of the best when he takes to the field in the 2014 FIFA World Cup which will be held in Brazil.

But Santos have never been a club with stable financial backing. In the 1960s, the club cashed in on Pele’s super stardom by foregoing titles and touring the world to play friendlies and increase their presence in the international football market. It is a similar situation with Neymar. To keep him at the club, they offered him astronomical wages which required them to close their futsal division and their ladies football team.

While all this was happening, Ganso was in the club’s plans, but was largely overlooked in favour of the number 11. He was ultimately offered a new contract, but turned it down, since he had one bone of contention with the top brass.

He was not given the same wages as Neymar.

Having turned it down, he offered his team an ultimatum: give him the same wages as Neymar or he was going to a club that would recognise him for his talent. With both sides reaching an impasse, the playmaker called on his legal team to sort out the situation with the club’s administrators. The fault lay not with Neymar, but the manner in which the club had handled the man he called his brother. He may be only 21, but Neymar knew exactly what was happening behind the scenes:

“I have had to repeat for three years that I will stay at Santos. Everyone knows that I will stay at Santos until 2014. I may or may not sign a new deal (after that); I will only know that when the time comes.

“But (Ganso) has not told me yet if he is going to leave. If I had to talk not about the friend, but the player, I would say that everyone wants to have someone like him on the team. I do not know much about what is happening. I ask him not to abandon me. I hope he will not go far away from me.”

- Neymar in 2012

In the end, frustrated at not being given the same respect as his more publicised compatriot, Ganso’s instructed his agent to find him a new club. When the great Brazilian playmakers of the modern era are named, Ronaldinho and Kaka are two of the first names that first come to mind. But while they do have great qualities which make them excellent team players, they are more remembered for their individual qualities which do turn games but prompt people to remember them, not the teams they play for. When one remembers Kaka in the AC Milan shirt, what comes to mind is the midfielder pointing his fingers in salutations to the heavens after scoring a goal. Barcelona have always been a great team, but it is Ronaldinho’s cheeky grin captured by the cameras that people remember.

Ganso was a complete team player and so much more. As the BBC’s Tim Vickery says:

“No doubt about it, the talent is there. This is a player who is strong in possession, with the vision to see the killer pass and the technique to play it.

“There is the view that contemporary Brazilian football offers rich pickings for playmakers. Yet the country has struggled recently to produce attacking midfielders whose game is collective, who dictate the rhythm and bring team-mates into play with inspired passing.”

Santos have lost one of their great players. While they had a massive hand in making him the player he is today, they mismanaged his financial requirements. They too were ensnared by the spotlight cast on Neymar. He therefore moved to Sao Paulo, for a reported fee of $23.9 million. Having joined their arch rivals, he is allegedly being given a fee of $230,000 a game. In a world where player wages are constantly inflated, one might argue that both Brazilians are being paid far too much given their young age, but it is only fair for Ganso to get the same fee as Neymar, especially since he has contributed as much as Neymar if not more.

His agent could not have put it better:

“Ganso will not play for Santos again. That is guaranteed. He could play for Internacional. I am negotiating his purchase from Santos. Ganso is upset with the club. They put together a project for Neymar but forgot about him. He wants to leave but he also wants to stay in Brazil for at least another year.”

- Ganso’s agent Delcir Sonda

Papers in Europe claim that AC Milan and Porto are interested in Ganso. Given the circumstances, his move to Sao Paulo is for the greater good. Neymar will learn to play with other team mates while continuing to be the star at Santos, while Ganso can concentrate on football, having sorted out this ugly situation. Everybody wins.

Except Santos, who let go of one of their best players when they could have kept both happy.

Olivier Giroud

Arsenal‘s big centre-forward Olivier Giroud says he loves life in London as the city is never boring and is a very nice place. When he has friends over, his drink of choice is beer (but not too much). If there was one player he would idolise at Arsenal, it would be Thierry Henry because of his success at the club and the monumental number of goals he scored for the North Londoners.

Of all the goals he has scored for the club, the one most important to him is the one he scored away at Schalke 04 in the UEFA Champions League because it was his first goal in Europe’s elite competition. While he thinks his shot has a lot more power than Santi Cazorla’s, he admires the Spaniard’s precision and ambidextrous nature.

German defensive rock Per Mertesacker would try to solve world hunger if he was given a million dollars. When he went to Nigeria with Lukas Podolski and Bacary Sagna last summer, he didn’t know they would have to dance, but loved the experience. Although he is easily recognisable, he enjoyed the anonymity that the Olympics brought because he could be himself at the events. The German centre-back thinks that Lukasz Fabianski is one of the cleverest members in the Arsenal squad.

And yes, Per does like pears.

The Little Mozart Tomas Rosicky likes dogs because his parents have one, and his favourite opponent was Zinedine Zidane. He would love to have Superman’s powers and is a fan of all types of music, including the rock and classical genres. As expected from an Arsenal player, the goal he remembers most fondly was the one he scored against Tottenham Hotspur in their 5-2 win at the Emirates. He also happens to like cheesecake.

Tomas Rosicky

Goalkeeper Vito Mannone thinks Santi Cazorla is Arsenal’s most talented player. ‘Don Vito’ also thinks it would be quite nice to go into films and be cast as a mob boss after he hangs up his gloves, partly due to his Sicilian roots. Having been sent on loan to Hull, he thinks the city is quite laid back. One of his greatest inspirations is his father, from whom he has learnt a lot.

Like Rosicky, lanky Frenchman Abou Diaby says the best player he has played against is Zizou. His favourite breakfast cereal is wheat puffs. The best match he has ever played in an Arsenal shirt was the one-nil win away at Real Madrid in the Champions League. He misses Emmanuel Eboue a lot, because of the Ivorian’s cheerful disposition on and off the pitch. The Frenchman also thinks countryman Sagna is ‘too crazy’ for him.

Diaby enjoys basketball as well, and is a fan of the Miami Heat.

The defensive midfielder’s fellow Frenchman Laurent Koscielny says London being a fashion capital makes it easy for him to take his wife shopping. Despite his Polish heritage, the centre-back doesn’t speak the language. He loves chocolate cake and would prefer winning the World Cup to the Champions League. When he was in France, he had a pet cat.

Carl Jenkinson, Arsenal’s English right-back, says he wouldn’t mind going on a reality TV show since it would be good to give it a go and have a good laugh on air. He loves Ben and Jerry’s cookie dough flavoured ice-cream and he would love to have the power of flight. He would also love to step into the shoes of Gunners legend Tony Adams because of what he has done for the club in the past.

Welshman Aaron Ramsey likes the Bourne series of films. Football aside, Aaron is also quite a good rugby player. He thinks qualifying for the World Cup with Wales and trying to win it would be a very special occasion. His grandmother used to make Welsh cakes, which he says were very nice, but he isn’t too fond of cheese. Unlike some players, Ramsey doesn’t have any pre-match routines. At half time, he says Arsene Wenger is very positive and very encouraging.

Mikel Arteta

The Gunners’ midfield maestro Mikel Arteta says his favourite goal was the one he scored against Blackburn because it was his first for the club. He is good friends with Andre Santos and the duo pull pranks on the other members of the team from time to time.  Arteta is an ardent tennis fan and used to play the game when he was young. His favourite stadium is the Camp Nou in Barcelona. One of his favourite TV shows is Entourage, and he still dreams of playing for the Spain National Football Team. He is also best mates with Santi Cazorla.

And at long last, here is the secret to Arteta’s hair. It’s a combination of looking after yourself and strong hair-gel.

Manchester United’s Robin van Persie celebrates at the final whistle after beating Aston Villa 3-0 at Old Trafford as they sealed the Barclays Premier League title with four games to spare. (Getty Images)

April 22^nd, 2013.

Manchester United three, Aston Villa nil read the giant digital scoreboard at Old Trafford at half time. Forty five minutes remained between then and history. No more goals would be scored on that day. No more were necessary.

Forty five minutes of agonising pleasure – if you’ll pardon the oxymoron – that had eleven players in red and millions more around the world with just one thought at the forefront of the morass of musings that traverse one’s mind.

‘Just get it over with, already!’

But those forty five minutes were just a delay of oh-so-sweet gratification. Gratification that players and fans of Manchester United alike had craved since Sergio Aguero’s goal at the Etihad Stadium after 94 minutes, which meant that the score line against Queens Park Rangers on that day was not 2-2 at the final whistle.

Of course, Manchester United had every moment to be impatient. This was history in the making. It was also the making of what will define the career of one very special player in the famed Red and Black of Manchester United Football Club.

That man was Robin van Persie.

The summer of 2012 was one that will continue to bring agony to fans of Arsenal and euphoria to those who support Manchester United in equal measure. Well, maybe one more than the other.

But the 22nd of April, 2013 is one that will always define the Dutchman as one of United’s greatest, for he has forever written himself into the annals of history at Sir Matt Busby Way. He has written himself into what will always be talked about in the future when loyalists of the Red Devils fondly talk about the past.

van Persie endured a poor European Championship, as the Oranje bowed out of the tournament with one goal to their name. That only capped yet another trophy-less season with Arsenal.

Only van Persie’s nearest and dearest will know whether he truly remained a Gooner at heart. Sections of Arsenal fans will surely point the finger at him for deserting a trusting Arsene Wenger, a patient Arsene Wenger who persevered and stuck by him through all his injuries and setbacks, all his trials and tribulations, only to search for immediate glory while sacrificing himself for the greater good.

But in the end, one could see that his move to Manchester United was for purely footballing reasons. Sure, he did receive a substantial wage hike, but if it was money he was after he could have as easily gone to Eastlands and Manchester City, who rumour has it were putting together a package that could have made him the highest paid player in the Barclays Premier League.

Right from the word go, it was clear that he was going to Old Trafford to play football.

United’s woeful start at Everton was one of few insipid moments in what was a stupendous 2012 for van Persie in club colours.

And that craving for silverware, far from slackening, only intensified his desire to grab his hands on a coveted trophy, which was made oh-so-clear when he took to the pitch against Aston Villa on Monday night.

That game was not about Ryan Giggs, who was adding Premier League title number fourteen to brilliantly glistening array of trophies, not about Paul Scholes, who had come out of retirement last season to serve the club he loved. It was not about Wayne Rooney, the Golden Boy of English football, nor was it about Sir Alex Ferguson showing Manchester City who was boss in such emphatic fashion.

It was about one man and one man only.

van Persie showed the world how much that title meant to him. Slicing through the Aston Villa defence thrice, there was no one who could stop him. Truth be told, it could have been a lot more.

And his team mates were in sync with him. Rooney, shining in the role of the shadow striker, picked him out excellently with a lovely lob that van Persie slammed into the back of the net with a strike that will surely draw comparisons with his flying volley against Charlton Athletic, when he rubbed shoulders with Thierry Henry at Arsenal.

van Persie celebrates scoring his hat trick with Ryan Giggs during the  match against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on April 22, 2013. (Getty Images)

Giggs could have easily gotten his name on the score sheet, but the 22^nd would belong to van Persie. People often say that some shots on goal are so precisely struck that two goalkeepers in goal couldn’t have kept it out. So precise and determined was the Dutchman that even four players on the line could not block his shot, which would have done an army sniper proud.

With every goal he scored, he celebrated with élan, feeding of the energy of the frenzied Old Trafford crowd as he took all of thirty minutes to overtake Luis Suarez’s haul of 22 goals. Given that the Liverpool man may never play again this season, van Persie may collect his second consecutive Golden Boot.

In contrast to the high-octane revelry that has been reminiscent of the release of a wound-up spring, the heralding of title number twenty which will make sure that his shirt number at United will forever be remembered by football fans throughout the world saw an exultation that was somewhat muted.

It was one that exuded waves of blessed relief, one that symbolised accomplishment, as his ear to ear smile and fists half-raised above his head spoke of a certain finality of success that had eluded him for so long.

And as with the goals he had plundered throughout the season, his teammates knew how much it meant to him. He didn’t go to embrace them, they came to hug him. After training, living, working and playing with champions for a year, that overwhelming sense of oneness was made complete as he now had the credentials to show not just that he was one of them, but worthy to be among them.

He travels to the Emirates Stadium next, to take on his former club Arsenal as United try to overtake Chelsea’s record of 95 points. The atmosphere at London will be one of revulsion towards him for the manner in which he left Ashburton Grove last year, but the abuse hurled at him and the boos directed towards him will fall off him like water on rock. For he left Arsenal a footballer.

But he returned a Champion.

Special thanks to ESPN commentator John Champion, whose succinct words form the title of this article.

Robin van Persie is close to winning his first Premier League medal after his much publicised move to Manchester United from Arsenal last August. (Getty Images)

Manchester United will be the ones most glad for tonight’s results. Tottenham Hotspur‘s thrilling come from behind win against city rivals Manchester City means they Citizens’ attempts to waylay their far more prestigious opponents has all but come to an end. The Red Devils will be conferred their record-breaking 20th league title if (and when) they beat Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Monday.

Even if they don’t they have four games after that game, away against Arsenal, home to Chelsea, Swansea at Old Trafford and West Bromwich Albion away on the final day of the season. Lifting the Premier League title at the Emirates will be a particularly poignant moment for former Gunner Robin van Persie, who left Ashburton Grove last summer in search of silverware and is now so close to it, he can finally taste it. United will also be hoping to top the 95-point mark set by Chelsea when they won the title in 2004, establishing another record in the process.

Also breathing a sigh of relief will be third-placed Arsenal, who now have the opportunity for Champions League qualification back in their own hands. While Tottenham did pick up a 3-1 win against City, they still remain in fifth and outside the Champions League spots, with the gap between the North Londoners just two points.

Chelsea could have leapfrogged Arsenal into third place had they beaten Liverpool at Anfield, but a 2-2 draw has put paid to that, at least for the time being. Both Chelsea and Tottenham face each other on the 8th of May, a game which will surely play a pivotal role in deciding who qualifies for Europe. That is also the one game in hand that the two clubs have over Arsenal, who have four extremely tricky trips left in the league.

They face Manchester United next weekend, and the Red Devils – who will surely be crowned Premier League Champions either by then or at the Emirates – are not one to give quarter. Robin van Persie will be anticipating an extremely hostile reception given the manner in which he left London, but the Gunners must be focused on the bigger picture. They face Queens Park Rangers on the road and Wigan Athletic at home before wrapping up their season away at Newcastle. All three teams are locked in a relegation scrap and will be playing some of the best football they have this season. Arsenal – traditionally chokers at this stage – will need to win all their remaining games.

Manchester City have tried to delay their city rivals for as long as possible this season, but they have bigger concerns to worry about now. The gap between them and fifth-placed Spurs is now only seven points and Arsenal have only a five-point gap between themselves and second place.

The result against Spurs doesn’t help matters but Roberto Mancini’s men have to pick themselves up and move on. That being said, they have one of the easiest run-ins in comparison to the teams around them. The five teams they face are West Ham (H), Swansea (A), West Bromwich Albion (H) and Reading (A) before ending their season at home to Norwich.

But as the Premier League draws to an end, every game automatically becomes more important. None of the teams they face are pushovers, and there is always that modicum of prestige attached to beating the reigning Premier League Champions. In addition, Norwich are just above the relegation zone in terms of points and will commit everything to make sure they are not given that scare and Reading are firmly ensconced in the bottom three.

 Manchester City Manager Roberto Mancini (R) may have conceded the title after the 3-1 defeat to Totenham Hotspur, while Andre Villas-Boas would look to consolidate a Champions League spot. (Getty Images)

It was a great day for Tottenham Hotspur. The return of Gareth Bale and the confidence the White Hart Lane outfit will earn from this game will hold them in good stead for the rest of the season. Having brought the curtain down on a woeful run of games that saw them pick up only one win in seven games.

While a resounding win over the defending champions is always a proud day, what will inspire Spurs further is the manner in which they won. Despite going down so early in the game, they showed great resilience to orchestrate a comeback in no small part to Welshman Bale and Andre Villas-Boas’ substitutes, who would have also gained confidence because of the part they played in influencing proceedings.

Spurs may still be fifth in the table, but the gap between themselves and fourth-placed Chelsea is only a point. The two teams face each other on the eighth of May and between now and then, Spurs can ensure qualification for Europe is in their own hands by beating Wigan at the DW Stadium and Southampton at the Lane.

Both teams are dangerous, however and must be treated with caution. Wigan are caught in a relegation dogfight and will battle tooth and nail to climb out of it. Mauricio Pochettino’s Southampton are also not a team to take lightly, having shown battling qualities when they beat Liverpool 3-1 at St. Mary’s Stadium earlier this year. An trip away to Stoke and a home fixture against Sunderland are Spurs’ final fixtures of the season.

Rafael Benitez, interim manager of Chelsea waves to the Liverpool fans prior to the match. The Spaniard knows qualification for next season’s Champions League is a must. (Getty Images)

Rafael Benitez may only be interim manager and is off in the summer, but he can ensure Chelsea finish in the top four by winning the Europa League semifinalists’ remaining games. The result at Anfield was more a case of two points dropped than a point gained for the former Liverpool manager and with one of the best squads money can buy, qualification for next season’s Champions League is surely a must.

He cannot afford to discount Swansea, who beat them at the Bridge in the League Cup semifinal en route to the trophy and will be gunning for a repeat. That game is followed by a trip to Old Trafford – not desirable at this stage of the season – before playing Tottenham Hotspur at home. Aston Villa are battling relegation and Everton are still in with an outside chance of qualifying for Europe next season, which means the Spaniard’s side has a fixture list littered with potential banana skins.

All of these clubs will want a sweet fruit, not a slippery skin come the end of the season. Unfortunately, at least one of them is going to take the fall.

Kaboul 68′; Dzeko 34′, 41′, 55′ and 90′+3, Aguero 60′

Date: 28 August, 2011

If last season’s performance is any yardstick to measure Tottenham’s performances, Spurs fans can look upon a season well played, where factors largely outside their control orchestrated their absence from this season’s UEFA Champions League. One of the low points of that season however was a 5-1 thrashing at home to eventual Premier League Champions Manchester City.

Edin Dzeko scored four goals at City plundered five at White Hart Lane. Sergio Aguero netted the other one while defender Younes Kaboul scored a consolation for Harry Redknapp’s team.

Spurs had endured a difficult start to the campaign. Their opening game had been postponed because of rioting in the British capital and they had lost on their travels to Manchester United. Manchester City had added to their ranks, building on the massive spending spree they had gone on since being taken over by the Royal family of the United Arab Emirates.

It didn’t help then that Redknapp was unable to draft Emmanuel Adebayor into his match day squad as the former Arsenal man had joined on loan from parent club City.

Both teams had plenty of opportunities to open the scoring in the opening forays. For Tottenham, it was Rafael van der Vaart who pulled strings in midfield, threatening goalkeeper Joe Hart from both set pieces and open play. David Silva played in a similar role for the Citizens, testing Brad Freidel on more than one occasion.

But the money that City had invested over the last two summers would no doubt give them the upper hand. Slowly but surely, the midfield triumvirate of Modric, van der Vaart and Niko Kranjcar was overwhelmed by City’s slick, incisive passing at White Hart Lane. Even Gareth Bale was kept quiet.

And that new-found wealth told after roughly half an hour. Edin Dzeko stabbed home the opener after a brilliant passing move ended in summer signing Samir Nasri sending in a cross from the left.

And once that went in the floodgates opened.

It was Nasri who provided the assist for the Bosnian’s second of the game as well, with another cross allowing the number ten to rise highest and plant a header home past Freidel to make it 2-0 to the visitors. With the game now firmly in the hands of the visitors, Spurs looked clueless when it came to stopping the works of Dzeko, Silva, Nasri and new signing Sergio Aguero.

Dzeko galloped forward to meet Yaya Toure’s devastating run forward, pouncing onto the Ivory Coast international’s cutback to complete his hat trick and put further daylight between the two teams.

It didn’t help either that just before that goal, Aaron Lennon had been forced off with a groin injury, further diminishing Spurs’ already dim hopes of a comeback. He had been one of the few positives in that game, teeing up Gareth Bale early in the match only for the Welshman to slice over from ten yards.

It was then time for Sergio Aguero to introduce himself to the Premier League. The Argentine roasted Michael Dawson for pace and ghosted past him to crash home a stunning shot past Freidel to make it four.

Although Kaboul did score from van der Vaart’s corner soon afterwards, that goal would soon be followed by more woe, as the Dutchman limped off with a troubled hamstring to join Lennon on the treatment table.

Dzeko made it five in stoppage time after a wonderful curler beat Freidel in stoppage time to drive the knife further into agonised Spurs hearts, and the referee blew the whistle soon afterwards.

Although Redknapp did lose the opening games of the Premier League, it mattered little in the end as his team finished fourth – and could have finished higher – and qualified for Europe. It was only the cruel hand of fate that relegated the Lilywhites to the Europa League, where they exited at the quarter final stage after losing to Swiss side FC Basel on penalties after some excellent shifts on the continental level. For City, the three points were vital, as could be seen at the end of the season. So were the five goals Roberto Mancini’s men put past Freidel that day.

They did after all win the league on goal difference.

Lineups:

Tottenham Hotspur: 

• Friedel,
• Bale,
•  Kaboul,
• Dawson (c),
• Corluka,
• Assou-Ekotto,
• Lennon (Defoe 53′ ),
• Van der Vaart,
• Modric (Livermore 66′ ),
• Kranjcar (Huddlestone 46′ ),
• Crouch

Subs not used: Cudicini, Bassong, Walker, Pavlyuchenko

Manchester City: 

• Hart,
• Kompany (c),
• Zabaleta (Richards 64′ ),
• Lescott,
• Clichy,
• Barry,
• Nasri,
• Silva,
• Yaya Toure,
• Dzeko,
• Aguero, (Savic 75′)

Subs not used: Pantillimon, Tevez, Balotelli, Milner, Johnson

Essien (OG) 19′, Henderson 25′, Agger 28′, Shelvey 61′;  Ramires 50′

Date: 8 May, 2012

With Liverpool taking on Chelsea at Anfield today evening, Brendan Rodgers will be hoping for a repeat of what transpired last time the Blues travelled to Merseyside. That being said, he won’t mind a less intimidating scoreline. In addition, much has changed at both clubs since Chelsea were hammered 4-1 in the North West of England.

Neither Rodgers nor Rafael Benitez were in charge of their respective clubs when this transpired. Liverpool’s form had tailed off since winning the League Cup under Kenny Dalglish, while Chelsea were still recovering from the disastrous stewardship of Andre Villas-Boas. Roberto di Matteo had steadied the ship and although qualifying for the Champions League was important, he had bigger fish to fry: Chelsea were scheduled to take on Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the final of the UEFA Champions League.

It was the second time in three days that the two sides had met. Chelsea had beaten Liverpool 2-1 in the FA Cup final, with goals from Ramires and Didier Drogba giving the Blues their first piece of silverware. Andy Carroll scored for the Merseysiders.

Despite the fact that finishing in the top four was a more sure-fire way of securing Champions League football, di Matteo was instead focused on earning European glory for the team he once played for, and that was reflected in the lineup he put out for this game. First team regulars Petr Cech and Didier Drogba were excluded from the matchday squad and Juan Mata, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard were benched.

For Liverpool, Steven Gerrard had been missing for some time through injury and King Kenny had deployed Maxi Rodriguez in the staring eleven. Dirk Kuyt, who like the Argentine would leave in the summer, was on the bench and the traditional little and large striking combination of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll played up front.

At Wembley, Chelsea were compact and efficient but here they were shambolic, especially in the first half, while Liverpool were completely transformed from the stuttering, shot-shy side that so underwhelmed the national stadium for an hour.

- Phil McNulty, BBC Sport

Despite the lack of first team regulars, Chelsea still had eight internationals on the pitch. Their performance belied that presence as Liverpool stormed into the lead in the 19th minute. Suarez beat John Terry for pace down the right before cutting the ball back into the box. No Liverpool player met it, but Michael Essien,who had slid in to intercept, inadvertently took the ball past stand-in keeper Ross Turnbull.

Chelsea did have chances of their own: just before the opener, Branislav Ivanovic thudded the post with a header that on another day would have gone in. Even so, chances for the Blues were far and few in between. Terry was made to look all of his 31 years as he was repeatedly skinned by the Uruguayan, who had a hand in two Liverpool goals.

Just six minutes after the opener, Terry was once again at fault. Jordan Henderson was given too much time and space to run at goal when he should have been closed down by his countryman and the midfielder planted home a succulent shot past Turnbull to make it two.

Despite the game turning into a rout, it could have been much worse for the Blues who had the crossbar to thank for saving two attempts from Stewart Downing. So often the butt of jokes by certain sections of the Anfield crowd, the winger’s thundering drive from 20 yards was halted by the crossbar, as was – less forgivingly – his penalty which was conceded by Ivanovic.

The presence of Andy Carroll was justified in the starting eleven: Liverpool had improved markedly at the national stadium in London when he had come on. He influenced proceedings here as well, orchestrating his team’s third goal when he nodded down a header from a corner, allowing Daniel Agger to thump home number three.

Ramires’ bundled goal five minutes after the restart gave Chelsea some semblance of hope, but that would only be fleeting. Chelsea looked sloppy, inefficient and lackadaisical against a team who equalled their lowest home scoring record (24) by putting four past them on that day.

A top-four finish was obliterated from the equation for Chelsea by a rampant Liverpool team swaggering with a self-belief and adventure absent from their FA Cup final display at Wembley three days previously.

- Andy Hunter, The Guardian

Any keeper who needs to uproot Cech as starting keeper at Chelsea has to perform exceptionally well when given the opportunity to shine. Ross Turnbull’s abject performances on the night did not do him any favours. He was directly at fault for goal number four when his miscued clearance fell straight to Shelvey.

The former Charlton man needed no invitation to blast home a sweet shot from 30 yards that was destined to go in the moment it left his boot.

At the end, Liverpool showed a dominating quality that had been missing from them for large patches of the season as they extracted a modicum of revenge from the Blues. Chelsea seemed to play like their minds were elsewhere.

For all we know, they could have been: Roberto di Matteo had sacrificed this game for the greater good. In the end – at least in the short term – it would be the right one.

Lineups:

Liverpool: Reina; Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Skrtel; Maxi (Kuyt 83′ ), Henderson, Downing (Sterling 83′ ), Shelvey; Suarez, Carroll

Subs not used: Doni, Coates, Spearing, Kelly, Bellamy

Caretaker Manager: Kenny Dalglish

Chelsea: Turnbull; Ivanovic, Ferreira, Terry, Bertrand; Essien, Romeu, Ramires; Malouda, Torres, Sturridge (Lukaku 68′ )

Subs not used: Hilario, Cole, Hutchinson, Lampard, Kalou, Mata

Caretaker Manager: Roberto di Matteo

Location: Anfield, Anfield Road, Liverpool

Referee: Kevin Friend; Assistants: P Kirkup, M McDonough; Fourth official: A Marriner.

Given the position the Premier League finds itself in, the remaining handful of games will dictate who plays in Europe and who doesn’t. Liverpool and Chelsea both have a chance of finishing in the top five, and whoever wins this game will have a better chance of doing so than they did previously.

Liverpool sit in seventh place, eight points behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have played a game less, and today represents a chance for Brendan Rodgers’ side to make ground on them. Rafael Benitez’s Chelsea relinquished third place when Arsenal beat Fulham yesterday and he will be keen to regain that spot.

Liverpool: DDWLW

13/04/2013: Reading, 0-0 (A), Barclays Premier League

07/04/2013: West Ham United, 0-0 (H), Barclays Premier League

31/03/2013: Aston Vila, 2-1 (A), Barclays Premier League

16/03/2013: Southampton, 1-3 (A), Barclays Premier League

10/03/2013: Tottenham Hotspur, 3-2 (H), Barclays Premier League

Although Liverpool have only lost once in their last five games, they have also only won two of them. That is down to the Reds not taking their chances.

As interim Blues boss Benitez has attested, his former side create chances in every game, but Liverpool’s draws are down to the profligacy of their attacking players. It is vital that they take them, because you never know when a player like Alex McCarthy delivers a performance of a lifetime to thwart the Reds time after time, in a game the Reds would have won handsomely on any other day.

That profligacy can also be heavily punished when one leasts expects it. Despite starting as the better side, the Reds were beaten 3-1 by Southampton. Morgan Schneiderlin, Jay Rodriguez and Ricky Lambert scored at the St. Mary’s Stadium while Liverpool could only answer through Philippe Coutinho.

The last time Liverpool faced Chelsea at Anfield, they won 4-1 with goals from Jordan Henderson, Daniel Agger, Jonjo Shelvey and Michael Essien’s own goal with Ramires netting a consolation for the visitors.

Chelsea: WLLWW

17/04/2013: Fulham, 3-0 (A), Barclays Premier League

14/04/2013: Manchester City. 1-2 (N), FA Cup Semi Final

11/04/2013: Rubin Kazan, 2-3 (A), UEFA Europa League

07/04/2013: Sunderland, 2-1 (H), Barclays Premier League

04/04/2013: Rubin Kazan, 3-1 (H), UEFA Europa League

Chelsea’s form is as jumpy as Liverpool’s at the moment and that could be down to the sheer number of fixtures the Blues have. The Londoners have the largest number of fixtures in Europe and it is doing them no favours.

Chelsea were cruelly exposed when Manchester City beat them 2-1 at Wembley in the semi final of the FA Cup just three days after an exhausting game in Kazan, Russia. They lost that game 3-2, but had done enough to seal passage to the last four of the Europa League, the last trophy the Stamford Bridge side can win.

But football is about looking to the future as well, and Chelsea will be hoping to win all their remaining games in a push for the Champions League next season, allowing Benitez to end his troubled campaign successfully if there is silverware at the end.

The last time Chelsea beat Liverpool was in 2012, when goals from Didier Drogba and Ramires were enough to overcome Andy Carroll’s strike for Liverpool in the FA Cup final last May.

Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers might be keen to rotate his squad after back-to-back scoreless draws, taking a leaf out of Benitez’s book. What will aid him is that he has no new injury worries post-Reading.

Raheem Sterling has missed out the last few games because he is nursing a thigh complaint. Midfielder Joe Allen and forward Fabio Borini are both out with shoulder problems. Defender Martin Kelly has a knee injury.

Squad (from): Pepe Reina, Glen Johnson, Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, Jose Enrique, Lucas Leiva, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho, Luis Suarez, Stewart Downing, Brad Jones, Martin Skrtel, Andre Wisdom, Sebastian Coates, Jonjo Shelvey, Oussama Assaidi, Adam Morgan, Samed Yesil, Peter Gulacsi, John Flanagan

Probable Starting XI: Reina; Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Enrique; Lucas, Gerrard, Henderson; Downing, Coutinho, Suarez

Chelsea

The defensive duo of Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill have sat out the last few games but did train on Friday and could be available for this game. Germany winger Marko Marin has recovered from a thigh complaint and is available.

Given that Rafael Benitez is one for rotation, several players could find themselves restored to the starting XI.

Squad (from): Petr Cech, Ross Turnbull, Henrique Hilario, Branislav Ivanovic, Ashley Cole, Paulo Ferreira, Ryan Bertrand, David Luiz, John Terry, Gary Cahill, Cesar Azpilicueta, Ramires, Oscar Emboaba, Juan Mata, Yossi Benayoun, John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses,  Frank Lampard, Eden Hazard, Marko Marin, Fernando Torres, Nathan Ake, Demba Ba

Probable Starting XI: Cech; Ivanovic; Luiz, Terry, Cole; Mikel, Mata, Ramires; Hazard, Oscar, Torres

Liverpool: Luis Suarez

The Uruguayan has scored 25 goals in all competitions for the Reds this season and had to bear the burden of the Liverpool attack primarily on his own in the absence of a back-up striker before the arrival of former Chelsea man Sturridge and Internazionale attacker Coutinho.

His goals have been lacking in the last few games and he will be important to Liverpool if they are to win this game.

Chelsea: Fernando Torres

Like Suarez, Torres has also had his own detractors this season. Critics of the striker have lambasted his poor scoring form for the Blues, but he has managed to silence some of them by scoring 19 goals for Chelsea this season. With three goals in his three previous starts, he will be looking to continue this form against his former club.

Rafa Benitez knows the way Liverpool play, having spent six years in the North West of England. But exhaustion will not do his team any good. Rodgers’ side have to take their chances if they need to win. A big game like this should see a draw between the two sides.

Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea

Location: Craven Cottage, Stevenage Road, London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Referee: Andre Marriner; Assistants: M Scholes, S Massey; Fourth official: J Moss

Arsenal travel to Fulham today in an attempt to cement their position in the top four of the Barclays Premier League. While the Gunners did draw 0-0 with Everton in their previous game, they will be out to prove that that game was only a minor blip in what has otherwise been an excellent run of form.

But they will have their work cut out. Fulham have always been tough opponents for Arsenal in the past and today evening’s game is no better. Arsenal last beat Fulham in 2010 and in the last nine encounters between the two London clubs, Arsenal have won just three.

Theo Walcott of Arsenal is tracked by John Arne Riise of Fulham during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Fulham at Emirates Stadium on November 10, 2012 in London, England. (Getty Images,)

Fulham: LDLWW*

All fixtures Barclays Premier League

17/04/2013: Chelsea, 0-3 (H)

13/04/2013: Aston Villa, 1-1 (A)

07/04/2013: Newcastle United, 0-1 (A)

01/04/2013: Queens Park Rangers, 3-2 (H)

17/03/2013: Tottenham Hotspur, 1-0 (H)

The Cottagers’ recent form does not do them any good coming into such a high profile game but this will only spur them on do raise their game and play good football as they try to resume normal service by chalking up a win against the Gunners.

Although they have lost Rafael Benitez’s Chelsea (3-0) and Alan Pardew’s Newcastle United (1-0), they do have a steely quality in them that helps them get out of potentially dangerous situations time and time again. The best example to demonstrate that would be their excellent 1-0 win away at Tottenham Hotspur where Dimitar Berbatov scored the only goal of the game, and at home against Queens Park Rangers, where Harry Redknapp’s expensively assembled but talented side threatened to run away with all three points. Fulham won that game 3-2.

In the recent past, Fulham have always presented Arsenal with a stern test. The last time the Gunners visited Craven Cottage, they were beaten 2-1 with two goals in the last five minutes from the hosts. Laurent Koscielny put the visitors ahead but the hosts scored through Steven Sidwell and Bobby Zamora after Johan Djourou had received a second yellow card in the second half.

Arsenal: DWWWW*

All fixtures Barclays Premier League

16/04/2013: Everton, 0-0 (H)

13/04/2013: Norwich City, 3-1 (H)

06/04/2013: West Bromwich Albion, 2-1 (A)

30/03/2013: Reading, 4-1 (H)

16/03/2013: Swansea City, 2-0 (A)

The Gunners are unbeaten in all competitions since that Derby defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in March. Having won eight of their nine previous games, Arsenal are in excellent form of late.

But the North Londoners have attached themselves to the tag of being chokers when it matters most, and with the Premier League run-in now underway, the Gunners will have to guard against complacency. That Fulham come at a time which is traditionally tricky for them will not make matters any easier, but with Manchester United next on the list, the Gunners have to rediscover their touch in front of goal quickly as every game at this stage of the season is important.

It is for that reason that Arsene Wenger will not want to see a repeat of what transpired at the Emirates earlier this year. Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski gave the Gunners a 2-0 lead inside 25 minutes before Dimitar Berbatov’s brace and an Alex Kacaniklic goal gave Fulham a 3-2 lead. Giroud equalised and Mikel Arteta missed a last-minute penalty as the game ended 3-3.

Fulham

Former Arsenal man Steven Sidwell returns to the squad after serving out his three-match suspension having last played against Queens Park Rangers when he was sent off. Damien Duff (adductor), Ashkan Dejagah (ankle) and Mahamadou Diarra (knee) are all sidelined.

Sascha Riether suffered a knock during the Chelsea game and will be assessed before the team-sheet is announced for today’s match.

Emmanuel Frimpong is ineligible to play against his parent club and Alex Kacaniklic is available after returning from a short loan spell at Burnley.

Probable Starting XI: Schwarzer; Riether, Hangeland, Hughes, Riise; Sidwell, Enoh, Ruiz, Richardson; Petric, Berbatov

Arsenal

Abou Diaby and Ryo Miyaichi continue to be the only long-term absentees for Arsenal. But Lukas Fabianski is out for this game as he is nursing a cracked rib. Tomas Rosicky is expected to face a late fitness test on his hamstring.

Both Nacho Monreal and Lukas Podolski are in the queue for starts after being named on the bench for the last two games.

Probable Starting XI: Szczesny; Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Arteta, Ramsey, Cazorla; Gervinho, Walcott, Giroud

Dimitar Berbatov of Fulham celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Fulham and Queens Park Rangers at Craven Cottage on April 1, 2013 in London, England. (Getty Images)

Fulham: Dimitar Berbatov

Curiously overlooked for the nominations for Player of the Year, Berbatov has been the spearhead of Fulham’s attack this season. With 13 goals in all competitions, he is repaying the faith Fulham showed in him when they snapped him up on deadline day last summer.

Managers all over Europe are probably wondering why they didn’t swoop for him when he was available. His laid-back attitude happens to be the perfect foil for his anticipation, predatory instinct and excellent positioning.

Arsenal: Aaron Ramsey

In his second full season post that horrendous injury at Stoke, Aaron Ramsey is progressing leaps and bounds. Developing into a deep-lying playmaker, the Welshman is seen as the successor to Mikel Arteta. He will be hoping to build on his man of the match performance against Everton with a good showing against Fulham, further enabling his to silence that section of detractors who are always keen for a scapegoat.

But his solid, workman like displays in midfield have shown just how much he has grown as a player.

This will not be an easy game for either side but the Gunners have the better quality on paper. The game however, is not played on white but on a big green thing. If Fulham do start strongly and pressurise the Gunners, they could come away with a win. Previous results don’t help either side.

Fulham 1-1 Arsenal

Champions League finals always titillate. There are few other games that generate as much hype and hoopla, buzz and banter, anxiety and agony, excitement and ecstasy (well, you can figure out the rest) as one of the most-watched games in the sporting world.

Even among this creme-de-la-creme of footballing finales, though, only a few games have matched up – and most likely ever will – to Manchester United’s incredible comeback against Bayern Munich in Barcelona.

“Without doubt, United is the team of the century – in the last year of the century. Perfect timing – just as it has been all season for Alex Ferguson’s all-conquering heroes.”

- Sports Illustrated Magazine

The Background

Both managers announced team sheets that were hampered by injury and suspension. Sir Alex Ferguson was without the services of Paul Scholes and captain Roy Keane, as both were suspended, while Henning Berg was injured. Goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel had announced that he would be leaving Manchester United at the end of the season and was given the captain’s armband in the absence of Keane.

The unavailability of Keane and Scholes saw David Beckham paired with Nicky Butt at the centre of the park. Both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham were on the bench.

Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld had injury woes of his own to contend with. French left-back Bixente Lizarazu and influential Brazilian striker Giovane Elber had both suffered season-ending injuries.

The Match

Bayern scored early in the game when Ronny Johnsen fouled Carsten Jancker just outside the United penalty area. Mario Basler curled home an exquisite free kick to give the German side the lead after just six minutes.

United recovered from this bad start, however, and began to dominate possession…to no avail.

In the absence of Keane and Scholes, the industrious running of Beckham was being blunted by the well-organised Munich rearguard. Shots that United did muster were quickly closed down. Bayern, on the other hand, looked lethal on the counter-attack. Steffan Effenberg was playing the role of orchestrator-in-chief to great effect, and he was aided expertly by substitute Mehmet Scholl.

Bayern’s attacks prompted Sir Alex to bring on Sheringham for Jesper Blomqvist in the 67th minute. But attempts on goal continued to elude them.

With nine minutes remaining, Solskjaer entered the fray. Moments after his arrival, he tested Oliver Kahn with a diving header – the closest United had come to scoring all game. At the other end, Jancker missed an opportunity to wrap up the trophy when his overhead kick thudded the crossbar.

With five minutes remaining, both United substitutes registered shots on goal, but neither Sheringham’s volley nor Solskjaer’s header managed to trouble Kahn.

The Moment

With three minutes of injury time signalled, United won a corner, prompting Schmeichel to come forward. Beckham floated a corner which was hoisted back into a crowded box by Dwight Yorke after Thorsten Fink had cleared.

Ryan Giggs‘s snapshot was weak but fell straight to Sheringham, who needed no invitation to sweep home the equaliser and force extra time. After trailing for so long, the momentum was finally with United. The goal was timed at 90:36.

Less than half a minute later, United won a second corner. Beckham took it again, Sheringham headed it downwards and Solskjaer stabbed home what surely had to be the winner.

The goal was timed at 92:17.

The Aftermath

Solskjaer celebrated by sliding to his knees in an imitation of Basler’s earlier celebration, which now seemed so far away. Outside the United technical area, he was mobbed by the club’s staff, manager and bench. Schmeichel was cartwheeling in his own area.

Bayern Munich could not have looked a bigger contrast. Those two sucker-punches from United had knocked the wind out of the Bavarians. Several players sunk to the ground with only seconds remaining in the game, in disbelief that they had come so close to winning the Champions League but were still so far from it, despite leading for a vast majority of the game. In the end, they were  helped up by referee Pierluigi Collina.

Ghanaian defender Samuel Kuffour sank to the pitch, pounding it in agony with his fist, tears streaming down his face. 6’4″ Jancker, so often the epitome of calm, lay collapsed on the ground.

No one knew what this felt like any more than Lothar Matthaus. The defender had captained Bayern to another Champions League final against Porto in 1987, but two late goals had undone them on that occasion as well. Here, he had been taken off with ten minutes remaining, in anticipation that the trophy was going to Munich.

“What must Lothar Matthäus be thinking…well, with the greatest respect, who cares?”

- Clive Tyldesley, British Football commentator

That substitution epitomised what a large portion of people watching that game thought. Several celebratory flares had already been fired by Bayern supporters, and the trophy had already been draped in scarlet ribbons in anticipation for the German side’s triumph.

The game was heralded as a great achievement for Manchester United, and football fans and pundits alike always refer to that team as one of the greatest that ever played at the Theatre of Dreams. With good reason: that triumph in Catalonia capped Sir Alex’s first European treble. United had already secured both the Premier League and the FA Cup, and had become the first English side to be accorded this unique honour.

It was, coincidentally, the day that would have been the 90th birthday of their legendary manager Sir Matt Busby, who won them their first European Cup.

It remains to date one of Manchester United’s most successful seasons. What made it even better was that a large number of players who did win the final were home grown. Gary and Phil Neville, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Wesley Brown and Nicky Butt all collected medals. United were also unbeaten in all 13 of their European games, winning six and drawing seven.

Roy Keane was also awarded one, but he pocketed it immediately after it was given to him because he felt he wasn’t worthy of that medal, since he had not played in the final.

Italian referee Pierluigi Collina also said that the game was one of his most memorable:

“I will always remember it for different reasons – first of all, the reaction of the United supporters when they scored their second goal, it was an incredible noise, like a lion’s roar.

“Then, there was the reaction of the Bayern players – their disappointment as they fell down on the pitch after conceding that goal. The contrasting reactions of happiness and sadness, and the sad eyes of Lothar Matthaus when he looked at the trophy – all very unforgettable.”

- Pierluigi Collina, former referee

Bayern Munich were chasing a treble of their own before this game. They had already secured the Bundesliga, but would lose the German Cup final on penalties to Werder Bremen. The UEFA Champions League was the one trophy Lothar Mathaus would never win in his professional career.

Football, bloody hell!

Teams:

Manchester United: Schmeichel; G Neville, Johnsen, Stam, Irwin; Beckham, Butt, Giggs, Blomqvist (Sheringham 66); Cole (Solskjaer 80), Yorke.

Subs not used: Van Der Gouw, May, P Neville, Brown, Greening.

Bayern Munich: Kahn; Linke; Matthaus (Fink 79); Kuffour; Babbel; Jeremies; Effenberg; Tarnat; Basler (Salihamidzic 88); Jancker; Zickler (Scholl 70).

Sub not used: Dreher, Helmer, Strunz, Daei.

With the Premier League entering the business end of its fixtures, every game in the run-in is as important as the next. Ditto Arsenal versus Everton at the Emirates Stadium today evening.

With the Gunners still not guaranteed a Champions League berth come the end of the season and Everton jousting for a place in Europe come next August, both sides will be intent on stamping their authority on this game. Third-placed Arsenal have played a game more than fourth-placed Chelsea, who were knocked out of the FA Cup after Manchester City beat them 2-1 at Wembley on Sunday night.

Everton, on the other hand, have played the same number of games as the Gunners and sit in sixth, three points below Arsenal’s North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who will face Manchester City this weekend. The Merseysiders’ city rivals Liverpool have played a game more and are five points behind David Moyes’ men.

Form

Arsenal: WWWWW

13/04/2013: Norwich City, 3-1 (H), Barclays Premier League

06/04/2013: West Bromwich Albion, 2-1 (A), Barclays Premier League

30/03/2013: Reading, 4-1 (H), Barclays Premier League

16/03/2013: Swansea City, 2-0 (A), Barclays Premier League

13/03/2013: Bayern Munich, 2-0 (A), UEFA Champions League

Having been labelled potential chokers in the past, the Gunners will be hoping to take their recent form which has now seen them maintain a winning streak since the 13th of March last month. Many players at Ashburton Grove attribute this run to an embarrassing defeat away at Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in the North London Derby, where the visitors conceded two tame goals as they lost 2-1.

Should they wish to perform well and consolidate third – and if possible, aim for second – they will need to beat Everton at home. A task which should be relatively easy. In their past five meetings at the Emirates Stadium, Arsene Wenger’s men have won four and drawn one, picking up thirteen points out of a potential fifteen.

The last time Arsenal entertained Everton at the Emirates, they won 1-0 courtesy Robin van Persie’s goal twenty minutes from time.

Everton: WWWWL

13/04/2013: Queens Park Rangers, 2-0 (H), Barclays Premier League

07/04/2013: Tottenham Hotspur, 2-2 (A), Barclays Premier League

30/03/2013: Stoke City, 1-0 (H), Barclays Premier League

16/03/2013: Manchester City, 2-0 (H), Barclays Premier League

09/03/2013: Wigan Athletic, 0-3 (H), The FA Cup

The Toffees’ recent form has ensured that their fans quickly forget that FA Cup debacle at Goodison Park. The Liverpudlians are unbeaten in the league since the second of March and have shown a grit and determination that far belies their perennial underdog status.

Two memorable results that come to mind are their 2-0 home win over Premier League defending champions Manchester City where Nikica Jelavic and Leon Osman netted after the hosts were reduced to ten men when Steven Pienaar was sent off. At White Hart Lane, Kevin Mirallas and Phil Jagielka put the Toffees 2-1 up before Gylfi Sigurdsson struck late in stoppage time to give Spurs a share of the spoils.

The last time Everton beat Arsenal was in March 2007, when Andy Johnson grabbed a winner in second half injury time to claim all three points, but what will be encouraging for the visitors is that they have collected 13 points in their last 15 games, their best-ever haul in the Premier League since a similar spell in October-November 2002.

Team News

Arsenal

Normally known to have a treatment room filled with injured players, the only long-term absentee is Abou Diaby. The France international will be out for a period of eight to nine months with an ACL rupture.

Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is a doubt for this game, having injured his ribs against Norwich. Fellow Poland international Wojciech Szczesny is expected to take his place in goal. Tomas Rosicky is also available after shaking off a hamstring complaint which kept him out of the Norwich game.

Germany defender Per Mertesacker returns to the fold after serving out a suspension for picking up a red card against West Bromwich Albion.

Squad (from): Wojciech Szczesny, Bacary Sagna, Per Mertesacker, Thomas Vermaelen (c), Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta, Lukas Podolski, Jack Wilshere, Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey, Nacho Monreal, Sebastien Squillaci, Santi Cazorla, Lukasz Fabianski, Francis Coquelin, Andrei Arshavin, Vito Mannone, Carl Jenkinson, Yao Gervinho, Kieran Gibbs, Ignasi Miquel

Probable Starting XI: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Arteta, Cazorla, Ramsey; Podolski, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud

Everton

The Toffees have several players returning from injury. Most of these problems are bruises and should therefore be okay if given the once-over.

David Moyes could have defender Alan Stubbs back into the fold after he featured for the U-21s against Middlesbrough yesterday. Should Steven Pienaar play today evening, the South African would have chalked up 200 Premier League appearances, while United States international Tim Howard will be earning his 300th Premier League cap.

Squad (from): Tim Howard, Leighton Baines, Seamus Coleman, Sylvain Distin, Phil Jagielka (c), Kevin Mirallas, Darren Gibson, Marouane Fellaini, Steven Pienaar, Leon Osman, Victor Anichebe, Nikica Jelavic, Steven Naismith, John Heitinga, Bryan Oviedo,   Alan Stubbs, Ross Barkley, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Jan Mucha

Probable Starting XI: Howard; Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Fellaini, Pienaar, Osman, Naismith, Anichebe; Mirallas

Key Men

Arsenal: Mikel Arteta

The calming influence in an otherwise sparky Arsenal midfield, former Everton man Arteta has had to reign in his attacking displays as he adopts a more defensive role. A man who will be familiar with Moyes’ tactics, he will need to imprint himself on his game as the Gunners attempt to construct a strong foundation from which they can attack.

He is also an excellent set-piece taker and possesses an explosive right foot.

Everton: Marouane Fellaini

A beast of a player, whose team mates sometimes resolve to pulling his rather large afro in training to stymie him at set-pieces, Belgium midfielder Fellaini has been central to Everton’s performances and rise up the table this season. His direct running, physical strength, prowess both on the ball and danger from set pieces makes him a very obvious threat.

He has also scored twelve goals and contributed nine assists in all competitions for his club this season.

Prediction

The Gunners’ confidence is sky-high, but so is that of the visitors. Home comforts should give Arsenal a win but that is no reason for them to display any complacency that could allow Everton a way in to capture three points in North London.

Arsenal 2-1 Everton

1.) Juan Mata vs Yaya Toure

There would not be a Chelsea vs Manchester City game in the recent present without these two – literally in one case, metaphorically the other – juggernauts of the Premier League. Polar opposites, Yaya Toure is as feared going forward as he is challenging for the ball in the middle of the park. City’s game flows through him and he is a deadly opponent on the ball.

Off it, he will most likely face diminutive Spaniard Mata. The number 10 is one of Chelsea’s most influential players, having found the back of the net fourteen times and assisted sixteen others. Five of those set-ups have been in the FA Cup.

The archetypal little and large combination, they will surely stamp their influence on today afternoon’s game.

2.) Fernando Torres vs Vincent Kompany

Spain striker Torres has been the butt of many a joke for the last season or two, but despite the criticism having fallen his way this season, he has found the back of the net twenty four times in all competitions for both club and country. He is therefore a striker you can only afford to ignore at your own peril.

Having recently come into a rich vein of form, he has shown the qualities of a striker high on confidence. Hoping to stem his recent goal glut will be Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany. Only recently restored to his team’s starting XI having missed games through injury, the physically imposing Belgium international will have his hands full in trying to trap a deadly El Nino who has returned to the form that once made him the talk of Anfield.

3.) Carlos Tevez vs John Terry

The man who is hailed around Stamford Bridge as the club’s ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ may not be first choice any more, but he is as solid a centre-back as they come. In the absence of Gary Cahill, it seems likely that he will partner either David Luiz or Branislav Ivanovic in the centre of defence.

Having marshalled his defenders in hostile conditions in Kazan, Terry will need to use his leadership and defensive skills to see out another crunch game to ensure Chelsea are still en route to glory this season.

But the former England international will have to deal with another striker that defenders fear facing. Carlos Tevez has scored sixteen goals this season. Five of them have been in the FA Cup and he will be hoping to extend his purple patch in this tournament. Three of those goals put paid to doughty Barnsley in the previous round, and with bigger fish to fry now, the Argentine will be out to prove that those goals were no flash in the pan.

4.) Samir Nasri vs Cesar Azpilicueta

While Tevez will most likely try to cause damage down one flank, it will be Samir Nasri patrolling the other as he attempts to prise open the Chelsea rearguard. Given that David Silva and Sergio Aguero are both still recovering from injury, it will be up to the Frenchman to earn himself a run of games in this team.

Ridiculed by football fans for his time spent on the Citizens’ bench since joining them from Arsenal, the France international will now take centre stage as he showcases his flair on and off the ball, his ability to make intelligent runs, his shooting capabilities and his skill as he bisects defences with precise passes.

The responsibility of stopping Nasri from doing that will fall to Cesar Azpilicueta. Although not first-choice when he moved from Marseille to Stamford Bridge last summer, the hardworking Spaniard has featured 33 times in all competitions for his new club and even pulled on Spain colours recently. He will be out to show that the faith invested in him has excellent returns.

5.) Gareth Barry vs Ramires

While the spotlight at Manchester City shines squarely on the likes of David Silva, Kun Aguero and Yaya Toure, those who lie in the shadows are often more dangerous. Gareth Barry is one such individual. A typically English midfield player, the former Aston Villa man is the workhorse of his side, often clocking in more than a hundred minutes during a game. Full of running and endeavour, the number 18 has also displayed a propensity of scoring vital goals, such as that which broke down a resolute Reading defence earlier this season to then cut the gap between them and league leaders Manchester United to just three points.

But his role in both offence and defence will mirror that of a player in the Chelsea ranks. Ramires will be pulling the strings in Chelsea’s midfield, and his style of play that characterises hard work and graft over the flair typically associated with Brazilian players has led to him being called the ‘un-Brazilian Brazilian’ by some quarters of fans and pundits alike. Blessed with excellent dribbling skills, great stamina and far-sighted vision, the number seven is one of the players to watch out for this evening.