John Terry returned to marshal the defence for Chelsea after having served his four-match ban, as the Blues hosted Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in the English Premier League. Liverpool have enjoyed much success against Chelsea in recent years, winning 5 of the last 6 meetings between the two teams in all competitions. However, judging by the form in the season thus far, as well as the quality of this Chelsea side, it appeared, on paper at least, that the home side would be starting favourites. For Chelsea, Ryan Bertrand filled in for the injured Ashley Cole, who had not yet fully recovered from the hamstring injury that he had sustained against Swansea last week, while Cesar Azpilicueta started in place of David Luiz, who was ailing from tonsillitis.  For the visitors, Jamie Carragher came in for the indisposed Martin Skrtel.

The first chance of the game fell to Chelsea when, in the 6th minute, Joe Allen was guilty of giving away the ball cheaply in his own half. Chelsea quickly pounced on the loose ball; Eden Hazard finding Oscar early, but the Brazilian hit over the bar. Chelsea were having the better of the early exchanges and deservedly went ahead in the 20th minute. From a Juan Mata corner, John Terry escaped the attention of Daniel Agger to head home the 50th goal of his Chelsea career. The home side were up and running now, and almost doubled their advantage in the 27th minute, when Hazard went on a driving run from the centre of the pitch, shrugging off Joe Allen easily before feeding Torres. The Spaniard let fly a good strike but it was straight at keeper Brad Jones. The rebound fell to Hazard on the bounce but the Belgian’s strike was off target.

However, it wasn’t going all according to the script for the home side, when, in the 35th minute, John Terry went down in agony clutching his knee, after a stumbling Suarez crashed into him. The Chelsea captain had to be stretchered off and was substituted by Gary Cahill. This was the only aberration in a first half that was completely dominated by the home side; defensively they were a largely untroubled aside from the occasional foray by Luis Suarez. In fact, they should have had a second goal deep into injury time, when the Liverpool defenders got in each other’s way leaving Juan Mata in the clear on the edge of the box. He could have taken a touch and moved closer to the goal, but instead chose to shoot from 18 yards and blazed over.

Chelsea started off the second half in the same vein as they had finished the first and quickly got into their rhythm with the trio of Mata, Hazard and Oscar running the show. The home side were awarded a free kick in the 57th minute when Oscar was deemed to have been unfairly challenged by Glen Johnson. Torres did well to flick on a header goalwards from the resulting free kick, but Reds keeper Brad Jones was equal to the task and showed good reactions to clear the ball away. From the ensuing melee in the box, Mikel found himself unmarked barely six yards from goal but his kick only caught air as Liverpool survived.

In the 64th minute, Mata played a great diagonal ball to release Bertrand on the left who put in a low cross, but it was just beyond the reach of the outstretched Torres. Four minutes later, Jones denied Chelsea again when he got enough of a hand on a Mata free kick to see the ball run out of play of the prowling Mikel.

For all their dominance however, Chelsea had not put the game away and were made to pay in the 73rd minute. Carragher did well to flick on a header towards the far post from a Suso corner, leaving Suarez with the simplest of headers to draw the game level. Ramires was guilty of poor marking this time, and Liverpool now found themselves with a chance to get something out of a game in which they had been well outplayed.

The equalizer seemed to spur Liverpool and in the 84th minute, Steven Gerrard picked out Raheem Sterling on the right with an incisive ball. The seventeen year old’s cross found Suso, but the substitute’s attempt lacked both conviction and direction. A few minutes later, Petr Cech had to be alert to foil Suarez after Jose Enrique’s through ball had put the Uruguayan clear on goal. In the last minute of injury time, Enrique had an attempt saved by Cech after good work from Sterling on the right.

There was no time left for late drama however as the clock wound down on an entertaining encounter to leave both teams with a share of the spoils. Needless to say, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers would have left the stadium the happier of the two managers, while Roberto Di Matteo will consider this outcome as two points dropped.

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/11/12/premier-league-match-review-chelsea-1-1-liverpool/feed/ 0 01250 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/11/03/premier-league-match-review-manchester-united-2-1-arsenal/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/11/03/premier-league-match-review-manchester-united-2-1-arsenal/#comments Sat, 03 Nov 2012 18:05:12 +0000 Girin http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=914491

Manchester United and Arsenal faced off at Old Trafford in the English Premier League, in the early kick-off on Saturday. Arsenal were unchanged from last weekend’s win over QPR. Despite his mid-week hat-trick in the Capital One cup, Theo Walcott found himself on the bench. On the other hand, Manchester United fielded possibly their best starting line up from players available to them, setting up in a 4-4-1-1 formation.

This was also the first time a certain Dutchman by the name of Robin van Persie was facing his former employer and a lot of the pre-match talk focused on how the ex-Arsenal man would react when he scored a goal. Yes, you read it right – not if, but when. There was almost an air of inevitability that this would happen, and it did in as early as the 3rd minute of the match. Thomas Vermaelen’s weak clearance from a Rafael cross fell invitingly to the lurking van Persie and the striker’s first time right-footed shot was good enough to beat Vito Mannone. To his credit though, the Dutchman chose to keep his celebrations muted.

The London side, on the back foot so early, were treading cautiously forward and it was left to Jack Wilshere to show that he had lost none of his confidence on the ball to make inroads into the United half; on one occasion finding the overlapping Bacary Sagna, but the Frenchman’s cross was easily cleared.

United were clearly bossing the game though, and were quickly closing down the Arsenal players, not allowing them time to play their customary passing game. Antonio Valencia and Rafael were linking up well on the right, giving Andre Santos a hard time. But it was from the left that United made their next goal-threatening move. Patrice Evra dispossessed Aaron Ramsey in the middle of the pitch and fed the ball to Rooney, who in turn played a neat diagonal through ball to van Persie. The United striker showed good change up in speed, as he burst into the Arsenal box, and managed to smash a shot goalwards but Mannone was equal to the task and saved well.

Soon after, Aaron Ramsey returned the favour, as he got the better of Evra, before firing in a cross-shot that De Gea had to be alert to beat away. United were pushing now and in the 27th minute, Valencia skipped past Santos and sent in a cross that the Arsenal defense managed to clear, but only as far as Michael Carrick. The midfielder picked out an unmarked Rooney on the left with a clever ball, but the Englishman’s drive was kept out by a diving Mannone. The danger was not fully averted for Arsenal though, as another cross from the left found an unmarked van Persie this time, but he couldn’t get enough power on his header to trouble the Arsenal keeper.

United had a great opportunity to double their advantage on the stroke of half-time, when referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot after Santi Cazorla handled the ball from an Ashley Young cross. Rooney stepped up to take the penalty but ended up dragging the ball just wide of the goal, keeping the visiting side still in the game at the break.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first with Vermaelen almost gifting the home side a second goal. van Persie nicked the ball away from Vermaelen deep in the Arsenal half before sending a low cross into the box towards Valencia. The Ecuadorian however, despite having only the keeper to beat, ended up fluffing his shot badly, saving the Arsenal captain the ignominy of being responsible for a second goal.

Arsenal brought on Theo Walcott for Ramsey in the 52nd minute, looking to get more pace down the right but it was Andre Santos from the left who was getting more and more involved in their attacks. One such promising move found Santos in the clear from a Cazorla pass, but the Brazilian could not deliver a good enough cross with Arsenal having numbers in the box. In the 65th minute, the visitors came close when a Wilshere free kick bounced dangerously in the United box, but no Arsenal man was able to apply the finishing touch.

On the other end of the pitch, in the 66th minute, an Ashley Young cross found van Persie, who had broken the Arsenal offside trap, completely unmarked. The Dutchman’s shot though was close enough to Mannone for the keeper to make a fingertip save. However, Arsenal had ridden their luck too far, when poor marking from the resulting corner allowed Evra an easy header, which the Frenchman duly deposited into the goal. It soon went from bad to worse for Arsenal when Wilshere, who had already been booked in the first half, was shown a second yellow card for a late tackle on Evra.

United were looking comfortable now and in the 80th minute, thought they had a third when substitute Anderson slotted home from a van Persie pass, but the offside flag had already been raised.

As the game moved into injury time, Arsenal went looking for a goal and were nearly rewarded when Olivier Giroud sneaked through the United defense to meet a Walcott cross, but De Gea did well to thwart the Frenchman. The Gunners continued attacking and got their due, when with the final kick of the game, Cazorla curled in a brilliant shot from the left past the diving United keeper. It was only scant consolation though for the London side, leaving them win-less at Old Trafford now since 2006. On the other hand, this win moves Manchester United to the top of the table, after Chelsea could only manage a draw at Swansea.

Jack Wilshere and Bacary Sagna were both welcomed back from long spells out injured as Arsenal hosted bottom of the table Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League. Arsenal had the perfect opportunity to reverse a drop in form that had seen them lose their last two matches, against a side that had failed to keep a clean sheet in an away game since September last year.

As the game got under way, Santi Cazorla, who was listed as starting on the wide right, quickly slotted into a more customary central position while Aaron Ramsey switched to the wide right. After the mid-week game against Schalke, where Andre Santos’ defensive weaknesses were badly exposed, it appeared that Lukas Podolski may also have had defensive duties entrusted to him to provide cover for the Brazilian, especially against the pace of Shaun Wright-Phillips.

The 8th minute saw the first chance for Arsenal when Santos sent in a cross from the left looking for Olivier Giroud, the ball taking a deflection of a QPR defender, but Julio Cesar did well to keep the ball away from the prowling Arsenal striker. Soon after, Ramsey’s header off a Sagna cross beat Cesar but went out of play after hitting the cross bar.

In the 19th minute, Wilshere, after a neat 1-2 with Cazorla, fired a shot on goal from the edge of the box which Cesar needed two attempts to save. The QPR goalkeeper was not looking the most assured, and almost embarassed himself when he dwelt on the ball too long under pressure from Giroud, before kicking the ball away only as far as Podolski but luckily for him the home side could not take advantage. On the other end, QPR were not offering much in terms of a goal threat and apart from a good solo run by Junior Hoilett which had the Arsenal back line briefly worried, it had been a relatively relaxed outing for Thomas Vermaelen and Co.

As the game approached half-time  Jack Wilshere was finding himself more and more at the centre of every Arsenal attack and in the 45th minute, again linked up well with Cazorla before laying it off for Santos, whose shot though was easily saved by Cesar.

Arsenal started the second half brightly and had an opportunity in the 51st minute when after Santos was fouled by Esteban Granero, Mertesacker’s header from the resulting free kick forced a good save from Cesar. The action quickly shifted ends and Junior Hoilett thought he had scored when he got the ball into the net after a clever chip from Granero but the flag had already gone up for offside. The 56th minute saw Wilshere drawing a foul after he was sandwiched between Diakite and Granero, but Cazorla’s low free kick struck the wall and rolled harmlessly into Cesar’s hands.

QPR were looking dangerous on the break and in the 65th minute Vermaelen had to be alert to prevent a cross from reaching Bobby Zamora. Bacary Sagna then did very well to take the ball away from the foot of Hoilett just as the QPR man was about to take it in his goal-bound stride.

Arsenal should have taken the lead in the 78th minute, when a cross from substitute Theo Walcott, who had come on for Wilshere, came off the back of Stephane Mbia and fell to Cazorla, but despite having plenty of time and only the goalkeeper to beat, the Spaniard somehow managed to hit the ball over the bar. Soon after, Mbia was in the thick of things again, but for all the wrong reasons, when a moment of madness saw him lash out at Vermaelen with a wild kick, leaving the referee with no option but to show him a straight red.

Arsenal were keen to make the most of their man advantage but to his credit, Julio Cesar had upped his game and in the 82nd minute made a splendid save from a ricochet that came off of team mate Nedum Onuoha. However he could not prevent the home side from breaking the deadlock two minutes later. Though Cesar had done superbly again to stop Giroud’s header from an Arshavin cross, he was powerless to stop Arteta from tapping in, after the Spaniard’s header had come off the bar.

Cesar continued to keep QPR in the game though, beating out Ramsey’s effort in the 87th minute before staving off a Cazorla curler a couple of minutes later. The visitors nearly equalized in the 90th minute, when Adel Taarabt’s overhead pass found Granero who took a good first touch, but his attempt on goal went wide off the far post. Substitute Jamie Mackie then took off on a brilliant run, shook off Arteta and Santos before getting past Vermaelen, but Vito Mannone did well to close down the Ranger. Granero then had a free kick turned away by the Arsenal keeper as the clock wound down.

As the referee blew the final whistle there was a mixture of joy and relief amongst the Arsenal players and fans alike, but they know their team would have to produce much improved performances in the future if they are to keep their hopes of challenging for the Premier League title alive.

The first noteworthy moment of the game came in the 9th minute when Lukas Podolski‘s cross from the left found Gervinho but he was well marked and could not direct his shot on target. Schalke had an appeal for a penalty in the 14th minute when Afellay, who was put through, was seemingly felled by Vito Mannone but the referee booked the Dutchman for simulation. Soon after, Thomas Vermaelen was yellow carded for bringing down Jefferson Farfan, who took the ensuing free kick himself, but it was overstruck and sailed away harmlessly. In the 19th minute, there was good link up play between Gervinho and Podolski in the visitor’s penalty area, with the German’s cut back beating the Schalke keeper Lars Unnerstall, but finding no Arsenal man to apply the finishing touch to it.

Most of Schalke’s attacks were coming from their right and in the 32nd minute, one such foray resulted in a chance for Farfan from a cut back, but his shot was charged down by Per Mertesacker, who was having a good game for the home side. In the 43rd minute, the Germans had a great opportunity when a pass from the centre of the pitch found Atsuto Uchida in acres of room on the right. He in turn passed the ball into Huntelaar, but the Schalke striker’s attempt was wide off the near post.

The second half got off to an entertaining start with both teams pushing forward. In the 47th minute, Cazorla dummied one defender and got past another before feeding Andre Santos on the left. The Brazilian’s cross reached Coquelin, who did well to drive forward and fire in a pass to Aaron Ramsey, but the Welshman was well guarded by the Schalke captain Benedikt Howedes and the ball ended up being deflected into the keeper’s hands.

In the 50th minute, Schalke had a great chance of their own when Farfan easily skipped passed Santos and cut back to Howedes, but the German could not keep his shot down. Farfan continued to enjoy a lot of freedom on the right and in the 64th minute, sent in a teasing cross which Huntelaar could not convert.

In the 75th minute, Arsenal looking to bolster their attack, brought on Giroud for Gervinho, who had been booked just a couple of minutes earlier for diving in the Schalke penalty area. But instead it was Schalke who took the lead in the 77th minute. It was a goal that came out of nothing when a header from Afellay found Huntelaar on the edge of the Arsenal box, clear on goal and his rasping shot beat Mannone, who, judging by how close the ball passed to him, should have dealt with it better.

Arsenal responded by bringing on Andrei Arshavin and Serge Gnabry for Podolski and Jenkinson respectively. With the home side pushing up the pitch, the danger was always going to be them being exposed at the back. Arsenal’s worst fears were confirmed when in the 85th minute, after they lost the ball in the Schalke half, substitute Jermaine Jones went driving into Arsenal territory before laying the ball off for Farfan on the right. The winger took his time, and picked out an unmarked Afellay on the far post who easily slotted the ball home to send droves of Arsenal fans towards the stadium exits.

Arsenal had one late opportunity for a consolation when Gnabry’s effort was parried away by Unnerstall towards Cazorla, but the Spaniard shot well over with the goal open. It summed up a disappointing night for the Gunners, one where they were able to muster only a single shot on target. In the end, Schalke were deserving winners and find themselves on top of Group B for their efforts.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – OCTOBER 23: Andres Iniesta (R) of Barcelona duels for the ball with Kelvin Wilson of Celtic FC during the UEFA Champions League group G match between FC Barcelona and Celtic FC at the Camp Nou stadium on October 23, 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona overcame a spirited Celtic side with a 2-1 victory at the Camp Nou last night, as the third phase of matches in the Champions League group stage got under way. On paper, this should have been a cakewalk for the La Liga leaders but the Scots put up a resolute showing and would consider themselves unlucky to have conceded the winning goal so late in the piece.

Prior to the game, both teams were aware that no matter what the outcome, they would be occupying the top two positions in Group G with Spartak Moscow having beaten Benfica earlier in the evening. The Catalans’ continuing defensive injury woes had forced manager Tito Vilanova to start with a rather suspect looking backline made up of Jordi Alba, Javier Mascherano, Marc Bartra and Adriano Correia. Bartra was making his first start for the club in any competition this season.

The home side began in typical attacking fashion and in the second minute created their first chance when Alexis Sanchez was played through but his shot was wide of the far post. In the 9th minute, Jordi Alba’s dangerous cross from the left went across the face of the Celtic goal, but was cleared in the nick of time by Emilio Izaguirre from the preying Pedro Rodriguez. As expected it was all Barca at this stage and the visitors were having to deal with wave after wave of Catalan attack. In the 17th minute, off a well worked corner, Messi’s precisely weighted ball found Iniesta whose first time cross was well met by Bartra but his header was close enough to Fraser Forster, the Celtic keeper, for the save to be made.

Celtic were quick to counter, and earned a free kick in the opposing half for a foul by Jordi Alba. Charlie Mulgrew’s ball was sent in the direction of Georgios Samaras, but instead found the head of Mascherano who inadvertently ended up directing the ball into his own net to give the visitors a most unexpected lead.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – OCTOBER 23: Giorgos Samaras (R) of Celtic FC duels for the ball with Adriano (L) of Barcelona as Javier Mascherano looks on in the background during the UEFA Champions League group G match between FC Barcelona and Celtic FC at the Camp Nou stadium on October 23, 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.

The stunned home side continued attacking and in the 23rd minute, Messi went close when his free kick from over 25 yards went just over the bar. In the very next minute, Xavi played a great through ball for Sanchez but Efe Ambrose stayed on the right side of the attacker and cleared the ball away. In the 29th minute, Bartra was in the action again when he saw his header miss the target from an Iniesta cross. At this stage, Barca had 7 attempts on goal compared to 1 from Celtic, but the visitors importantly had the goal. The 38th minute saw another free kick opportunity come Messi’s way but the end result was the same with the ball going just over the bar, skimming off the roof of the net.

Finally, in the 45th minute, came the equalizing goal much to the delight of the home fans. It was a goal typical of Barcelona in that the sheer speed of passing and movement off the ball by them had Celtic completely undone. It started outside the Celtic box when Messi squared to Iniesta who in turn found Xavi just inside the penalty area, whilst continuing his run further into the box. The Barca captain completed the give and go to Iniesta, who collected the ball despite the presence of a number of Celtic bodies, took a touch and slammed it in past the diving Forster.

The second half started with the Scots showing that they did not make the trip to Camp Nou only looking to defend. They should have taken the lead again in the 53rd minute, when from a Mulgrew corner, the ball deflected off of a Celtic head to Victor Wanyama, but the Kenyan’s effort went just wide of a gaping goal, leaving Celtic boss Neil Lennon with his hands on his head.

The close shave shook up the home side and they upped the ante, roared on by the Catalan crowd. From here on it was to be all Barcelona, and but for the visitors’ rearguard, especially keeper Forster, they would have put the game comfortably beyond the reach of the Scottish side. The Celtic custodian saved well-hit efforts on goal from both Messi and Iniesta, before superbly stopping Messi’s shot again in the 68th minute from point blank range. Then in the 73rd minute, Forster positioned himself well to deny Sanchez who was through on goal from a Jordi Alba scoop. The 75th minute saw the best save of the lot when Forster flung himself to his left to keep out Messi’s header.

It was becoming increasingly frustrating for the home side, and they must have thought it was not meant to be when substitute David Villa‘s attempt on goal cannoned off the upright in the 90th minute. However their persistence paid off when in the 94th minute, a cross from the right by Adriano found its way to Jordi Alba who was goal side of his marker, and had only the simplest of toe pokes to make at the end, to break Celtic hearts and maintain Barcelona’s 100% record in this year’s Champions League so far.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 06: Santi Cazorla of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team

Arsenal registered a 3-1 victory over fellow Londoners West Ham United at Upton Park last night. It was a closer game than the scoreline suggests, but in the end the Gunners were deserving victors.

Arsenal made three changes to the team that played Olympiakos in the middle of the week. Per Mertesacker and Aaron Ramsey regained their places in the starting eleven at the expense of Laurent Koscielny, who was on the bench, and Francis Coquelin respectively. Olivier Giroud also started as the spearhead of the Arsenal attack, with Gervinho operating on the flanks, while Oxlade-Chamberlain was named amongst the substitutes.

The away side started the more positive of the two teams with the midfield trio of Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Ramsey controlling play in the middle of the park. However, despite the high percentage of possession, there were no clear-cut chances being created by the Gunners. The first notable attempt on goal came in the 18th minute when Giroud’s strike from the edge of the 18-yard box was headed clear by Andy Carroll for a corner.

The opening goal of the match came as a surprise in the 21st minute; it was not at the end where it was expected. The move started off with Hammers vice captain Mark Noble. He switched play to the left to the advancing George McCartney who had a lot of room to run in front of him. The Irishman found Mohamed Diame just outside the Arsenal penalty area, who got past Ramsey like he wasn’t there, and finished smartly with his right foot, bending it around the Arsenal custodian, Vito Mannone. Diame couldn’t keep his celebrations in check though, and ended up being booked by referee Phil Dowd. From an Arsenal point of view, the fact that Diame was able to waltz in with such ease was further proof of the work that was going to be needed to tighten their defense.

In the 28th minute, Diame nearly went from hero to villain when he clumsily tackled Arteta. Luckily for him, the referee only offered words of caution. Chances then came way of both sides when, of a corner, an unmarked Carroll headed powerfully but straight at Mannone, while at the other end Giroud couldn’t get enough purchase on his header after Mertesacker’s flick-on.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 06: Olivier Giroud (C) of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his first league goal during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal at the Boleyn Ground on October 6, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Arsenal continued pushing though, and were rewarded in the 41st minute with the equalizing goal. Giroud found Podolski open on the left flank and continued his run up the pitch. The German sent in a low fizzing cross that the Frenchman showed great desire to reach and divert into the net with an outstretched foot. It was Giroud’s first goal of the Premier League and his elation mixed with relief was plain to see.

As the game approached half time, Arsenal’s weakness against set plays almost cost them again when Kevin Nolan was found unmarked on the far post, but his attempt at turning  the ball in was a poor one and the teams went in level at the break.

West Ham started very brightly in the second half and being egged on by their home support, were harrying the Arsenal players all over the pitch. Arsenal were reduced to counter-attacking and in the 54th minute had a decent opportunity when Podolski went again on one of his customary driving runs up the left hand side before laying the ball off for Gibbs, but the left back’s cross was way off. It proved to be Gibbs’ last action of the match as he was replaced by Andre Santos in the 56th minute. Another substitution followed when Gervinho made way for Theo Walcott in the 61st minute. For the Hammers, Ricardo Vaz Te had to be taken off, dislocating his shoulder after what had initially seemed an innocuous collision with Mannone, and was replaced by Matthew Taylor.

Walcott’s introduction almost had an immediate impact. Podolski’s cut back from the left found Cazorla, but Walcott inadvertently came in the way of the Spaniard’s strike. He did manage to back heel the ball across goal with Giroud prowling, but keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen had closed in sufficiently for the Frenchman to only manage to hit the side netting.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 06: Theo Walcott of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team

It was end to end now and Andy Carroll, who had a very good game for the Hammers, went close in the 67th minute, when he beat Mannone to a cross but his header flashed just wide of goal. In the 70th minute, Kevin Nolan found himself on side and through on goal, but a last ditch tackle by Mertesacker denied him a shot. Meanwhile, Arsenal had penalty claims waved off, after it looked like Ramsey was fouled by Taylor. Then Podolski went close when his fierce shot was barely kept out by the West Ham keeper.

The Gunners were not to be denied for too long though and in the 77th minute, they got their lead. The move was a counter attack with Giroud taking Cazorla’s pass and advancing down the middle of the pitch before finding Walcott with a precise through ball that cut through the Hammers backline. Walcott’s pace got him easily clear of the defenders and he beautifully bent the ball to the right of Jaaskelainen and into the goal, to the joy of the travelling support.

West Ham immediately went searching for an equalizer and almost had it when Nolan received the ball from a miscontrol by Diame on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area, but his left footed strike went just over. In the 82nd minute, Carlton Cole came on for Diame as the Hammers went all out to try and snatch a second.

But the game was put to bed in the 83rd minute, when the little magician from Spain, Cazorla, after being setup by Walcott, unleashed a splendid left footed strike from a few yards outside the West Ham penalty area which Jaaskelainen could only watch as it bulged the net. It was a fitting way to top off a fabulous peformance from the Spaniard.

Wenger was taking no chances and introduced Koscielny for Podolski in the 85th minute to ensure there was more cover at the back to see out the game. Barring the one shot from Matthew Taylor from around 25 yards that was well saved by Mannone, there weren’t too many other chances for the home side as Arsenal negotiated the remaining minutes successfully to celebrate their second away win of this Premier League campaign.

For this exercise in imagination, I only considered modern F1 tracks. Of course opinions regarding which circuits and which sections of it are the best may differ; i just went ahead with the ones I like the most and these are:

Eau Rouge and Pouhon – Spa-Francorchamps
Turn 8 – Istanbul
130R – Suzuka
Senna ‘S’ – Interlagos
Curva Parabolica – Monza
Fairmont / Grand Hotel Hairpin – Monaco
Longest Straight – Shanghai
Becketts – Silverstone
Turns 9-10 – Buddh International (Had to consider something from the Indian track of course)
Turn 3 – Catalunya

Turn 3 at Catalunya is not a favourite, however I needed it to complete the track layout.

Wikipedia proved a great source for pictures of various circuit layouts. After trying out multiple permutations and combinations of piecing together a layout which would result in a flowing track, I finally ended with the one below.

Super Circuit

Just imagine what a lap would be like on this circuit.

From the start finish straight, the drivers would descend into the Senna ‘S’, before having to adjust to the change in elevation again as they head up flat out towards Eau Rouge. The track would then lead them into one of the best sweeping corners in modern F1, Turn 8, where they would experience a peak g-force of 5G. A moment of respite would follow as they navigate Turn 3, before having to be on their toes again, as they brake hard to negotiate the slowest corner in F1, the Grand Hotel Hairpin. Getting through this safely would reward them with an opportunity to stretch their legs as they would attack the Curva Parabolica at over 330 km/hr before changing direction again as they enter flowing Pouhon. This would be followed by 130R, where they would bravely maintain full throttle under extremely high g-forces, after which they would have to quickly change direction to the right to enter the parabolic section. Exiting this corner would then take them through the high speed, high precision demanding turns at Becketts, before releasing them into the longest straight in F1, a distance of 1.17 km. Finally they would brake hard and turn right into the start finish straight to start all over again.

Is Hermann Tilke looking for a new design?

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 03: Gervinho of Arsenal celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League Group B match between Arsenal FC and Olympiacos FC at Emirates Stadium on October 03, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Arsenal maintained their 100% home record against Olympiakos in the Champions League by winning 3-1 at the Emirates last night. This was the third meeting between these two sides in the last 4 years in the group stages. In fact, it has been somewhat of a Greek tragedy for Olympiakos, with them having lost on 10 previous, now 11, visits against all opposition on English soil.

In the pre-match press conference, Arsene Wenger had commented that the team were disappointed with the weekend’s loss to Chelsea. And the hangover seemed to persist, when in the opening minutes of the game lack of communication between Vito Mannone and his captain resulted in an chance for the Greek side but they failed to capitalize. Arsenal’s first scoring opportunity came in the 12th minute when Kieran Gibbs was unfairly held up just outside the Olympiakos penalty area. Santi Cazorla’s direct attempt from the free kick brought about a good save from keeper Balazs Megyeri, who tipped it over the bar. The pouring rain was beginning to have an effect on the game as Arsenal were being erratic in their passing and both Mikel Arteta and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were guilty of giving the ball away cheaply. Arsenal were still dominating possession(69-31) though, with Cazorla displaying some fancy footwork to retain the ball despite the close attention of as many as four Olympiakos players, drawing appreciation from the home crowd.

As the rain relented, Olympiakos slowly grew into the game. Koscielny was yellow carded in the 30th minute for a wild tackle, with the commentators hinting that on another day he might have received a red. The resulting move seemed to be going out of play for a goal kick but Paulo Machado did well to keep the ball in play and cut it back for Kostas Mitroglou to take a quick left footed shot which was well held by Mannone.

Olympiakos were encouraged by this and in the 35th minute had a great chance to go ahead when captain Giannis Maniatis’s cross found Machado barely 6 yards from goal, but the Portuguese international could not keep his shot down. At this stage, Olympiakos had 4 attempts on goal, 2 on target compared to just 1 for Arsenal. Vermaelen was not having the best of games, and a foul by the Arsenal captain on Machado provided another opportunity for the Greek side. However the free kick ended up being struck straight at Mannone.

And then came the breakthrough for Arsenal in the 42nd minute, against the run of play. Cazorla and Podolski linked up on the left, and the German’s pull back was into a good area with Arteta and Gervinho bearing down on the Greek defence. The Ivorian reacted first to the loose ball after Arteta’s tackle, and coolly finished to the right of the diving Megyeri. This was Gervinho’s fifth goal of the season and the second of this Champions League.

However Arsenal were still being careless at the back, and Vermaelen’s erratic pass gave Machado another shot on goal, but he failed to make the most of it. It was a clear warning for Arsenal though, which they failed to heed. Almost on the stroke of halftime, Mitroglou outjumped the Arsenal defence to head home a well directed Leandro Greco cross from the left. It was nothing less than the Greek side deserved, and it was all even at the break.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 03: Lukas Podolski of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team

The second half started with Arsenal showing a lot more intent. In the 50th minute, more good work down the left from Gervinho got him to the Olympiakos penalty area and he passed the ball to the feet of Cazorla, but the Spaniard’s quick left-footed strike was off the mark. They did not have to wait long for the go-ahead goal though and in the 56th minute Arsenal restored their advantage. Again there was good link up play between Gervinho and Cazorla, resulting in the Ivorian getting a run down the left and his cut back, on the second attempt, found Lukas Podolski whose powerful low strike hit the net through the keeper’s legs. Arsenal were now looking to put the game out of sight and in the 63rd minute, there was a great chance for Laurent Koscielny from a Cazorla free kick, but his header was well over the bar in the end.

The Greek side made a couple of substitutions with Drissa Diakite and Greco making way for Ariel Ibagaza and Djamel Abdoun respectively as they looked to get something out of this game. Arsenal made a change of their own by bringing Theo Walcott on for Oxlade-Chamberlain in the 71st minute and later substituted both their goalscorers in the 80th minute when Gervinho and Podolski were replaced by Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey.

The induction of fresh legs into both teams opened up the game, and in the 84th minute Giroud did well to deflect a cross from Walcott goalwards, but Megyeri was well positioned to stop the shot. Another brilliant move came about in the 89th minute when Ramsey’s perfectly weighted back heel pass was taken in his stride by Cazorla, who then pulled it back to find Giroud, but the Frenchman’s goal-bound shot found Dimitris Siovas in the way. From the resulting corner, Ramsey attempted an ambitious left-footed strike but it was well wide. As the Greek side went looking for an equalizer, they were being exposed at the back and paid the price. Late in injury time, Giroud’s header from Mannone’s goal kick found Ramsey in acres of room. The Welshman displayed great composure as he coolly chipped the Olympiakos keeper to register Arsenal’s third and confirm maximum points for the London side from their opening two games.

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/10/04/champions-league-match-review-arsenal-3-1-olympiakos/feed/ 0 03640 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/09/30/arsenal-strikers-wanted/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/09/30/arsenal-strikers-wanted/#comments Sun, 30 Sep 2012 10:56:34 +0000 Girin http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=786335

This has been a far better start to the season when compared to the last one for Arsenal – statistics say so. Points-wise there isn’t that much of a difference. Arsenal had managed 7 points from their opening 6 games, compared to 9 points this year. However there were 3 losses – to Liverpool, Manchester United and Blackburn – compared to just one against Chelsea thus far. Arsenal had also conceded 14 goals in these 6 games, compared to only 3 this season. The team definitely looks more resolute at the back.

Goals scored were 9 at this stage last year, which has been bettered by 1, however 6 of them were against hapless Southampton. However last year, the team went on a great streak for the next 13 games, collecting 29 points from a possible 39. This period also saw 14 goals from Van Persie in a team total of 26 goals. And this is the man, crucially, Arsenal don’t have this year.

So where are the goals going to come from?

Giroud has broken his duck for Arsenal in the Capital One Cup, but not in the Premiership yet. Worryingly, he has also looked short of confidence in front of goal. His body language has looked almost defeatist at times, possibly feeling the burden of a club and its fans wanting someone to quickly ease the pain of losing their main man to a key rival. He is more of a physical presence in the box when compared to Van Persie which can trouble defenders, however he favours his left foot while Van Persie was more two-footed, so the defenders have a lesser problem in that respect. Of course Van Persie had the advantage of being well settled in the team; positionally aware of where he needed to be to be found by the likes of Song, Arteta and Walcott.

Podolski has shown glimpses of the asset he can become for this Arsenal side in the future. He has shown the ability to make driving runs into the opposing boxes, capable of taking defenders with him, which was something Arsenal had lacked earlier. He also looks more assured when presented with goal scoring opportunities, as shown against Liverpool and Montpellier. Interestingly, he hasn’t completed a full game in the Premier League yet, having been substituted by Wenger in each of the 6 games played. The manager clearly doesn’t want to overstretch him, not wanting any early season burn-out. This is also an indicator of Arsenal’s lack of depth in the forward line.

Walcott has only been a peripheral figure this season, and possibly will remain so till his contractual negotiations conclude. He has ambitions of playing in a striker’s role rather than on the wing, but it remains to be seen whether Wenger will oblige.

Luckily for Arsenal, or one may say he is just overdue, Gervinho has stepped up to be one of those goal scorers this season. He already has 3 to his name in the Premiership and 1 in the Champions League against Montpellier. However he is not the answer. Despite his ability to run at defenders and cut in well from either wing, he looks devoid of ideas once within the 18 yard box – the only exception being his quick turn and goal against Chelsea at the Emirates.

It’s certainly not all doom-and-gloom though. On the contrary, Arsenal do have the makings of a side that can mount a serious challenge for trophies this season. Steve Bould appears to have drilled the defence into being better disciplined and they look more assured even though the vulnerability to set pieces still exists. Midfield-wise, Arsenal are in good shape with signing-of-the-season Cazorla, Diaby and Arteta providing a good combination of creativity, ball-winning and passing capabilities. The impending return of Jack Wilshere is only going to boost this area for Arsenal, and they certainly deserve a proper striker in front, a finisher of the flowing moves that they will orchestrate.

Towards the end of the summer transfer window, Wenger felt that Arsenal have enough cover up front and that he was no longer looking at any more forwards. However from what we have seen so far, he might want to reinforce the attack in January. Problem is, strikers don’t come cheap and Arsenal will not want to part with too much. And the way Wenger operates, he will take the harder way out, persisting with and willing his current forward line to come up with the goods. However if there isn’t an improvement come Christmas, I do hope Arsenal have an active winter transfer.

JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA, SPAIN – FEBRUARY 10: A general view of a Lotus Renault logo on the side of a team truck in the paddock during day one of winter testing at the Circuito de Jerez on February 10, 2011 in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

When the first half of this year’s F1 season came to an end at the Hungaroring, Lotus were being tipped as one of THE teams to watch out for in the second half. Raikkonen and Grosjean had just collected their 5th and 3rd podiums of the season respectively. Lotus were sitting 3rd in the constructors championship with 192 points. They were also working on their DDRS (Double DRS) system and were expecting to integrate it into their cars in time for Spa. This combined with their already proven performance in higher downforce circuits meant that their chances of being serious competitors in the latter part of the season were good. Things were looking rosy!

However it has hardly gone to plan for the Enstone based team in the 3 races since the summer break. First, the DDRS system did not make it to the race setup, which meant that the team was severely disadvantaged at both Spa and Monza, tracks that demand better straight-line speed, especially the Italian circuit. This resulted in the team restricted to trying to get the best out of the situation rather than mounting any serious challenge for the win. Their problems were compounded with Grosjean getting a one-race ban for the accident he caused at the start of the Belgian GP.

Since then, Lotus have stated that they are hoping to get their DDRS ready in time for Suzuka.

SPA, BELGIUM – SEPTEMBER 02: In this sequence of ten frames Romain Grosjean of France and Lotus is seen being catapulted into the air as he crashes at the first corner at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix at the Circuit of Spa Francorchamps on September 2, 2012 in Spa Francorchamps, Belgium. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

And now most recently at Singapore, which many people thought would favour Lotus since it is a track that requires higher downforce levels, they seemed to have taken a further step back, when in qualifying they were more than a second behind the front row sitters, managing only 8th and 12th. They ultimately finished 6th and 7th in the race, but that was more due to events (Hamilton’s gearbox failure and Schumacher’s accident) transpiring in their favour.

So what went wrong? Lotus had introduced a new rear wing for Singapore, which was expected to provide an improvement in the amount of drag reduction that could be achieved, meaning better straight-line speed of the car under DRS whilst not compromising the downforce levels needed for this circuit. However in an interview with Autosport, Eric Boullier, Lotus team principal, said that they had reverted to a Hungaroring-specification of some aerodynamic parts in Singapore to try and understand whether a recent development path had sent it in the wrong direction.

SINGAPORE – SEPTEMBER 22: Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Lotus drives during qualifying for the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 22, 2012 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Additionally it was interesting to note Kimi’s comments at the end of his qualifying session, when he mentioned that his lap times on used super-soft tires were actually faster than the times on new ones. This was not what was expected, with tyre suppliers Pirelli saying that they were expecting a 0.3 second performance drop per lap with the super-soft tires. So clearly Lotus was struggling to get the best out of its tyres.

Looking ahead to Suzuka, which requires both high speeds as well as higher than normal downforce, it is going to be crucial for Lotus to get its DDRS integrated as well as sort out the balance of the car with regards the aerodynamic issues that they faced in Singapore. With the race only 2 weeks away, it is going to take a lot of work from the team to get their drivers competing at the front again. Kimi has usually done well at Suzuka. It was the site of one of his more memorable drives with Mclaren when he came through the field from 17th to win the race in 2005. Can Lotus provide him with a car that can challenge for a win and keep his now slim hopes of a drivers championship alive ? Here’s hoping they can make it happen!

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Michael Carrick of Manchester United celebrates as he scores their first goal during the UEFA Champions League Group H match between Manchester United and Galatasaray at Old Trafford on September 19, 2012 in Manchester, England.

Manchester United kicked off their European campaign with a 1-0 win against Turkish side Galatasaray at Old Trafford last night. This was also Sir Alex Ferguson’s 100th Champions League victory. The scoreline was not a fair reflection of an entertaining contest filled with talking points and scoring opportunities.

The very first minute yielded one such talking point, when Galatasaray striker Umut Bulut went down under the challenge of Nemanja Vidic, but penalty appeals were waved away by referee Wolfgang Stark. Replays indicated that the home side were fortunate to get away with it. At the other end of the pitch, Manchester United were looking dangerous with Nani and Valencia. In the seventh minute, Nani had a great chance to give his side the lead, but his attempt from within the penalty area after a good exchange with Kagawa, was foiled by the Turkish side’s Uruguayan international keeper Fernando Muslera.

This was followed by a decisive move that had Carrick both at the beginning and the end of it, as the home side took the lead. Carrick who had started the move, continued his run up the pitch, broke the offside trap to meet Kagawa’s pass, turned Muslera the wrong way, maintained his balance despite a trip from the keeper and stroked the ball into the empty net. This was Carrick’s first goal in three years in this competition.

Galatasaray were not taking things lying down though and looked dangerous on the counter. In the 11th minute, midfielder Nordin Amrabat cut in from the left, went past Carrick and fired a right footed shot, which unluckily for him clipped the bar and went out of play. Galatasaray were also forced to make an early change with Johan Elmander coming in for the injured Bulut in the 16th minute.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Luis Antonio Valencia of Manchester United in action during the UEFA Champions League Group H match between Manchester United and Galatasaray at Old Trafford on September 19, 2012 in Manchester, England.

Almost all of United’s attacks were now coming from the right through Valencia. One such sweeping move resulted in Valencia’s cross being fended off by the keeper, with the rebound seeming to come off the arm of Eboue but surprisingly there were no appeals from the team in red. United continued to put pressure, and after great build-up play from Carrick, Van Persie and Nani, the ball found Valencia in acres of green, but his cross was just about kneed out by the hard-working Dany Nounkeu for a corner. Kagawa then showed brilliant footwork in the visitor’s penalty area, after Nani had put him through, but Nounkeu was there again to deny the Japanese forward just as he was about take a shot on goal.

Galatasaray were looking to finish the half strongly and had an opportunity presented to them when Amrabat was fouled by Evra just outside the United penalty area. The resulting free kick was nicely worked to Altintop and he connected well with his low drive but it hit the outside of the upright.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Luis Nani of Manchester United misses a penalty kick during the UEFA Champions League Group H match between Manchester United and Galatasaray at Old Trafford on September 19, 2012 in Manchester, England.

The second half started with United gunning for their second goal. Good link-up play between Nani and Kagawa again presented the Japanese with a shooting opportunity, but the Galatasaray defense managed to get the ball away for a corner. On the breakaway, Altintop went close with a long range effort driven along the ground that beat the outstretched De Gea but also the far post. In the 53rd minute, United had a glorious opportunity to seal the game when Burak Yilmaz fouled Rafael inside the penalty area. Nani stepped up to take the penalty, but it was an awful effort easily saved by Muslera.

The game then entered an entertaining end-to-end phase. Inan went close for the visitors when his header off an Altintop cross agonizingly grazed the United upgright. Soon, Vidic saw his header go just over the bar from an Evra corner. The home side went close again in the 71st minute when Nani put Evra through but his deflected shot from an acute angle went just wide off the far post. The turkish countered quickly from the ensuing corner and had two shots on goal, the first from Elmander and the second from substitute Emre Colak, which brought about a spectacular save from De Gea.

Towards the closing stages of the game, Chicharito, who had come on for Van Persie, had a couple of great chances both created for him by Nani, but they were both wasted. There was a shout for a penalty at the other end when substitute Aydin Yilmaz was brought down by Jonny Evans but the referee was not convinced.

Manchester United held on to win their opening game, but Galatasaray certainly made them work for it. If the Turkish side had been awarded the penalty in the very first minute and had capitalized on it, who knows how the match would have unfolded.

MONTPELLIER, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 18: Lukas Podolski of Arsenal celebrates scoring his teams first goal during the UEFA Champions League match between Montpellier Herault SC and Arsenal at Stade de la Mosson on September 18, 2012 in Montpellier, France. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Arsenal‘s Champions league season got underway at Montpellier’s Stade de la Mosson last night. This was Montpellier’s first ever Champions League fixture. The defending French champions have not had the best of starts in this season’s Ligue 1 campaign, but the vocal home support were certainly giving them their full backing. For Arsenal, Arsene Wenger was serving the first of his three-match touchline ban and was watching the game from the stands.

Starting Line-ups:

Montpellier: Geoffrey Jourdren, Garry Bocaly, Mapou Yanga M’Biwa, Victorino Hilton, Henri Bedimo, Marco Estrada, Jamel Saihi, Anthony Mounier, Younes Belhanda, Remy Cabella, Souleymane Camara

Arsenal: Vito Mannone, Carl Jenkinson, Per Mertesacker, Thomas Vermaelen, Kieran Gibbs, Abou Diaby, Mikel Arteta, Gervinho, Santiago Cazorla, Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud.

The match had its first yellow card barely 25 seconds in, with Abou Diaby being the offender for a late sliding tackle. Early indications were that Arsenal wanted control of the midfield and were willing to be physical in their approach, with Arteta in particular looking really up for it.

Arsenal started brightly, controlling the tempo and the initial exchanges, but it was Montpellier who struck first in the 9th minute, somewhat against the run of play when Thomas Vermaelen fouled Younes Belhanda on the edge of the penalty box. The first reaction was that the penalty was a soft one, but replays showed that Vermaelen did not get the ball. Belhanda coolly dispatched the penalty and Montpellier had drawn first blood.

MONTPELLIER, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 18: Mikel Arteta of Arsenal is tackled by Younes Belhanda of Montpellier during the UEFA Champions League match between Montpellier Herault SC and Arsenal at Stade de la Mosson on September 18, 2012 in Montpellier, France.

To Arsenal’s credit, they upped the tempo almost immediately with Cazorla starting to pull the strings and Jenkison and Gervinho linking up well on the right hand side. And they did not have to wait long, till the 16th minute to be exact, for the equalizer, with all of Arsenal’s summer signings involved – Cazorla threaded a pass up the middle to Giroud, who placed the ball neatly in the path of Podolski’s run and then there was only one place the ball was going to end up. The momentum was now with Arsenal and they made it tell just two minutes later, with Gervinho bundling in Jenkinson’s low cross from the right, past the Montpellier custodian. In a matter of just a couple of minutes, Arsenal had turned it around.

Predictably, Montpellier pushed up, with the enthusiastic Belhanda working his way into the Arsenal penalty area, but his shot was blocked by Mertesacker. Remy Cabella was also looking lively, and from a sweetly struck long range effort forced a fingertip save from Mannone. With half time approaching, Arsenal had a couple of half-chances of their own, but Gervinho scuffed his shot after good work from the left, and Giroud’s first attempt at goal sailed away harmlessly from the target.

Montpellier burst out of their blocks at the start of the second half and should have had their equalizer in the 47th minute. Diaby spent too much time on the ball near his own penalty area, allowing Cabella to pounce on him but he rushed his shot and missed the target. The French team were now pressing high up on the pitch, giving Arsenal very little time on the ball and the tactics were working. In the 54th minute, Mounier was found by a great long ball from the left but he did not keep his composure and his shot was well wide of Mannone’s goal in the end. Cabella was becoming more of a threat now, and in the very next minute, came closest to an equalizer with a delightful chip over the Arsenal keeper, but unluckily the shot cannoned off the bar. It was all Montpellier now, and Arsenal were barely hanging on. In a rare attack, Diaby made a driving run, and found Cazorla in the penalty area, but his shot was easily fended away by the French keeper.

MONTPELLIER, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 18: Abou Diaby of Arsenal congratulates Lukas Podolski of Arsenal celebrates scoring his teams first goal during the UEFA Champions League match between Montpellier Herault SC and Arsenal at Stade de la Mosson on September 18, 2012 in Montpellier, France.

Arsenal were now content on slowing down the game, and keeping their lead intact. In the 76th minute, Aaron Ramsey came in for the out-of-sorts Giroud. But the chances were still coming the way of the French side. In the 80th minute, Belhanda found himself in the Arsenal penalty area with only the keeper to beat, but ended up directing his shot straight into the grateful hands of Mannone. Montpellier even had appeals for a penalty in the first minute of injury time, when Cabella went down in the Arsenal box, but this time the referee did not oblige, and rightly so.

So in the end, Arsenal held on and got the three points and the away goals they wanted, but a draw would have probably been a fair result, especially given the way Montpellier rallied in the second half.

The London side are not complaining though.

Will he, won’t he?

The European leg of this year’s F1 championship is done with, and the F1 circus now prepares for the long haul race weekends or fly-aways to Asia and then the Americas. We are just over halfway in this season’s championship, and bang in the middle of ‘silly season’! For the uninitiated, silly season is that time of the year when the gossip surrounding future driver line-ups is at its peak.

Bernie Ecclestone hinted that Schumacher may not be around for the next season, while Schumacher himself clarified that he will make a decision regarding his future only in October. My personal opinion is that Schumacher will leave, and Mercedes may pry out Nico Hulkenberg from Force India as a replacement for him to maintain their all-German line up.

Lewis Hamilton has not yet put pen to paper on his new contract at Mclaren, and even though his management team have stated that they are in extended discussions with Mclaren regarding this, the very fact that it has taken so long to what many thought would be a foregone conclusion, makes one wonder if he will stay or go.

After his victory at Monza yesterday, Lewis did point at the red part of his helmet just before the podium ceremony, during which, I might add, he was quite subdued as well. Was he trying to show where his future belongs or was he just indicating that he had won in Ferrari‘s home territory? Or was he just playing with the media giving them another news bite that would keep them occupied till Singapore?

Felipe Massa – well, what can one say about him? I think he is doomed to go the Barrichello way. It is highly likely that Ferrari will let him go at the end of this year. He may well find another drive at one of the ‘lesser’ teams in F1 for the next few years, where he might race till he retires or just leaves out of boredom.

Sergio Perez, a member of Ferrari’s young driver programme, is thought to be the guy who will replace Massa next year and after his brilliant showing at the weekend’s Italian GP, it may very well happen – unless Ferrari sign Hamilton first!

It was recently announced that Paul Di Resta has signed up with Jenson Button‘s management company, and if Hamilton leaves, this might make way for Di Resta to join Mclaren.

Red Bull and Lotus have their current drivers already on contract for next year as well, so no changes are expected over there for now at least.

So in a nutshell, Schumacher to retire for the second time, Massa to leave Ferrari, Hamilton to threaten to leave and then stay at Mclaren, Hulkenberg to Mercedes and Perez to Ferrari – there’s are my predictions for the changes in the line-up for next year. It may all go completely wrong, but hey, who cares .. it’s silly season and everyone’s entitled to an opinion!