The midfielders have had a big say in their respective side’s fortunes in this decisive month, with arrays of assists, goals, and bone-crunching tackles to back up their clubs. The best midfielders for the month of April are:

Josip Ilicic, Palermo

The Slovenian trequartista has been in fantastic form for a while now, bursting into the type of form that made him a enigma when he was a younger man. Ilicic is tall for a playmaker, but is very light with the ball at his feet and possesses a cracker of a left foot.

The 25-year old has been a constant threat in the final third, and seemed to be the only player that made something happen for relegation-threatened Palermo in their defeat to champions Juventus this week. He failed to score against Juve, something that hadn’t happened in his last five Serie A games. He starred in Palermo’s 1-0 victory over Inter Milan last week, scoring a superb goal and ran the Nerazzurri defence ragged with his all-round play.

Earlier in the month, the Slovenian also earned Palermo a point with a dramatic last-second equalizer against Catania. Palermo are three points from safety, and even if they do survive, clubs will be lining up for Ilicic’s signature this summer, as the playmaker is the best player on current form in the Serie A.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, Bayern Munich

One of the architects of Bayern Munich’s Champions League decimations of Juventus and Barcelona, Schweinsteiger was in imperious form throughout the month of April. Stamping his authority on the Catalans, along with Javi Martinez, the German decimated the midfield axis of Xavi and Iniesta. He managed to completely neutralize Xavi’s threat over two legs, and Pirlo’s threat over two legs, something that very few men are capable of.

He even scored an audacious backheel goal against Eintracht Frankfurt that secured the Bundesliga title for the Bavarians, and has quite possibly been one of the best players for Die Roten this season, eager to prove his critics wrong after the runners-up fest of 2011-12.

The explosive German made Juve and Barca looked almost childish, such was the effect of his dominance. It’s going to take something special from Borussia Dortmund to stop his man on May 25th, 2013.

Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur

The Welshman is on a roll this season for Spurs, and he was in imperious form in April, as Spurs chased the Champions League spots. The Welsh wizard has been inspiring Tottenham to victories single-handedly. He played a massive role in the 3-1 victory over Manchester City, assisting for Dempsey’s goal and scoring one of his own, all while appearing to be less than fully fit.

He was sorely missed in the clash against Everton, and after his goal against Swansea early in the month, he became the first Spurs player to score more than 12 away goals in a Premier League season. Breaking records is something that he is well accustomed to by now, and we are more than likely to see him smash more records to smithereens in the coming seasons.

Patrick Ebert, Real Valladolid

The 26-year-old German winger has never been particularly impressive in his career, and was even released by Hertha Berlin last season. However, this year, the winger has been playing extremely well, and is rumoured to be a summer target for 3rd placed Atletico Madrid.

The winger has setup numerous goals this season for Valladolid, and has been involved in almost all of their good play. He scored a wonderful goal against Granada away from home to secure a crucial point for his side, after a period on the sidelines. His form is one of the main reasons why Valladolid aren’t closer to the relegation zone than they currently are.

He also beautifully setup Javi Guerra’s goal in the 1-1 draw with Sevilla on April 28th, and was unlucky not to seal a victory for his side. Assists and goals aren’t the only aspects of this lesser known player, as he is always moving, and looks extremely likely to create havoc every time he gets the ball at his feet.

Ilkay Gundogan, Borussia Dortmund

With all the frenzy over Mario Goetze’s transfer to Bayern Munich, Gundogan’s name has barely come into discussion while discussing Dortmund’s heroics in the Champions League this season.

The Turkish-born central attacking midfielder was an absolute beast in Dortmund’s semi-final victory over Real Madrid. His excellent range of passing, smart use of the ball, and ability to initiate Dortmund’s attacks made the 22-year old stand out. He came close to scoring in both legs against the Spanish giants, but was unlucky to be denied. The Madrid defence literally had no answer when he was on song, and in the first leg he nearly scored an incredible goal after going through two players, only to be denied by Diego Lopez.

In the second leg, he did exceptionally well to bring Dortmund into the game after Madrid dominated the opening exchanges, and he regularly skinned the defence.

Gundogan was also spectacular against Malaga early on in the month, as once he again he served as Dortmund’s pivot, and maintained the momentum for his side. He was unlucky to be taken off before Dortmund’s spectacular comeback.
 

In Jamie Carragher’s 30th and final Merseyside derby, he was involved in what was possibly the most boring and drab derby in recent times. Liverpool and Everton played out an uncharacteristically unspirited 0-0 draw that all but confirmed that Everton would finish above their arch-rivals in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1937, not counting the Reds’ stay in the second division in the early 60s.

The Reds named an unchanged starting eleven from the side that drubbed Newcastle last week, while Everton made only one change, with Darren Gibson replacing Nikica Jelavic. The match started doggedly, with Daniel Sturridge having the first shot inside five minutes. The Reds soon started to gain a foothold of the derby and took control, but failed to capitalise on it. It was the Toffees who went the closest first, only for Maroune Fellaini to strike Leighton Baines’ cross wide of the post.

Liverpool would have a better offensive edge to their play, getting the better of the chances, but were frustrated by the stubborn Blue defence, with Phil Jagielka playing a splendid game. Jagielka made a couple of crucial blocks of Steven Gerrard and Phillipe Coutinho to keep the score level, while Sturridge plundered a few chances before the interval.

The Reds easily had the better of the first half, but the Toffees held out strongly, and so did the home defence when Everton came calling, with the away side unable to create anything from two free-kicks from Leighton Baines.

The Reds should’ve scored soon after the interval, but Sturridge missed a fantastic opportunity after being setup brilliantly by Coutinho. He tried to go around Tim Howard, only for the goalkeeper to smother the attack, and for Sturridge to belt another shot into the side netting after being setup by Coutinho again.

The crowd was rather quiet for such a huge match, and failed to really come alive, and Everton were defending smartly as well. However, they soon had a goal disallowed, which was the only real talking point of the match. The referee had blown the whistle when Everton were taking a corner for a foul by Victor Anichebe on Pepe Reina, only for Sylvain Distin to head the ball into the net seconds later. Anichebe was yellow carded for his protests, and replays seemed to lean into Everton’s favor.

The match would pass on without any real intention or bite, as most of the play was stuck to the middle of the park, and both defences enjoyed a field day. Gerrard had a glorious chance late on, after being played by Sturridge. Gerrard took the ball past Howard and tried to tap it in from a narrow angle, but Distin was able to get the block in due to the lack of power on the ball. The substitutes failed to make a real difference, and Liverpool even switched to a three-man defence to get a goal, but were unsuccessful in their ventures.

Ultimately it finished 0-0, with Everton staying five points ahead of Liverpool, and was probably a fair result. Defeat would’ve been cruel to Everton, as they defended admirably and are almost guaranteed to finish above their Merseyside rivals again.

Many consider this great Bayern side to have already reached the final, but nothing is certain as yet, and Lionel Messi & Co. still have a say, and it will probably be the hardest game the Catalans have had to play for a long time.

FC Barcelona players in action during a training session ahead of their UEFA Champions League Semi-final second leg match against FC Bayern Muenchen at Joan Gamper sport complex on April 30, 2013 in Barcelona, Spain. (Getty Images)

Team News – Barcelona

The big news, the only news Barca need to hear, is that Messi is fully fit once again and raring to go, and has a point to prove after his abysmal showing at the Allianz Arena last week. Jordi Alba is suspended after receiving his fifth yellow card last week.

Captain Carles Puyol is still sidelined and Javier Mascherano only returned to light training this week, and is unlikely to play a role. Sergio Busquets is also dealing with a niggling groin injury, and is unlikely to play for Barca.

Team News – Bayern Munich

Midfielder Toni Kroos is the only Bayern player sidelined with injury, and will unavailable for the trip to Spain. Striker Mario Mandzukic will return after being suspended for the first leg, and is certain to replace Mario Gomez as the German champions’ lead striker.

However, six Bayern players including Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez are one yellow card away from being suspended for the final. Jupp Heyneckes has promised not to rest his key players, and would be wise not to, as underestimating Barcelona would be suicide.

Preview:

The odds are stacked against the Catalan giants, as they seek to pull off the greatest comeback in European Cup/Champions League history on Wednesday night. They face world football’s most in-form and dangerous side in their own lair, and the Bavarians also hold a definitive mental advantage coming into this fixture.

Lionel Messi is the only one who is capable of saving Barcelona. He inspires Barca with his mere presence, he is the force that directly starts most of their attacks, and often he finishes what he starts. Messi’s dribbling, clinical edge, vision, passing and ability to pick out a pass are all unmatched by all but a certain few in this world.

However this is not a one-man job. Sure Messi can score a few goals and get Barca flowing, something that he is almost certain to do. The real battle is in midfield however. With the news that Busquets isn’t going to turn out for the home side, Alex Song will be his direct replacement, and will come up against the likes of Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Song will be flanked by Xavi, who will come up against his national team-mate Javi Martinez.

The midfield is where Bayern managed to completely overwhelm and outrun Barca. They were simply more energetic, fit and hungrier than Barca were, and completely neutralised the threat of Xavi. Iniesta was also subdued with ruthless efficiency, destroying Barca’s engine. The trio of Song, Iniesta and Xavi need to win the midfield battle, and Song brings a different game to field when compared to Busquets.

Song is not as assured or comfortable with the ball at his feet, but he won’t need to be. Tito Vilanova will need Song to be the perfect midfield destroyer, as he is a far more tenacious tackler than Busquets and his physicality is much needed, as Bayern were able to physically overwhelm the Catalans.

Jerome Boateng and Dante will have the thankless job of marking Messi, and will be in for a real test. They will be more physical in addition to tactically marking Messi out, and they are certainly capable of it. Bayern have their counter-attacking weapons, the duo of ‘Robbery’, Ribery and Robben, who can break at an instant and destroy the Catalans.

Additionally Mandzcukic is far more versatile than Gomez, and will interchange with the dangerous Muller on the counter, as Barca will be forced to play a high-line.

Head coach Jupp Heynckes of FC Bayern Muenchen speaks to his players during a training session ahead of their UEFA Champions League Semi-final second leg match against FC Barcelona on April 30, 2013 in Barcelona, Spain. (Getty Images)

Interesting Facts:

- Barcelona have won their last 10 home games against German opposition, including a 4-0 victory over Bayern in 2009.

- Bayern Munich are on a 17-match winning streak away from home in all competitions.

- Six Bayern players are one booking away from missing the final, and Bayern are the most cautioned side in this season’s Champions League.

- No team in the history of European Cup has ever overturned a four-goal first-leg deficit.

Prediction:

Barcelona will come out all guns blazing, as they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Bayern will be happy to sit back and let Barca come to them, and key players such as Lahm and Schweinsteiger will be playing cautiously to avoid bookings. Barca will be the first to draw blood, but it would be very surprising even if the Catalans manage a narrow victory, as their defence is too shaky and unreliable.

FC Barcelona 2-2 Bayern Munich

The last three WrestleManias have been built upon the utilization of part-time stars. At each of the last two WrestleMania events, only two full-time superstars have been present in the big matches of annual extravaganza, and you know who those two full-timers are. The likes of the Rock, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, the Undertaker and Chris Jericho are good for business, and have the proven their ability to rake in big numbers time and time again.

Only Chris Jericho and The Undertaker have been actively involved in helping new superstars ‘get over’, with Fandango and the Shield being the lucky benefactors of working with the legends. The others are big names, but have done almost nothing to help the development of new superstars.

They’ve taken up the spots that should’ve been reserved for younger men, and haven’t even been involved in angles that have elevated the career of another. The Rock has been embroiled in a two-year feud with John Cena, and while the ‘Once In A Lifetime’ match was a momentous and legendary moment, Twice In A Lifetime was a huge and expected let down. The crowd wasn’t as invested into the bout as the WWE would’ve hoped, and the match itself was just a finisher-fest.

The Rock isn’t going to be around for ever, and if some reports are to be believed, he has already wrestled his last match for the WWE. If that is the case, the WWE would deeply regret not using The Rock as much as they could. All he did for two years was win every single match, before losing to Cena. He could’ve put over a talented young wrestler on PPV such as Daniel Bryan or Dolph Ziggler, something that would’ve changed the career of the wrestler in question. The Rock was earlier never shy to put over newcomers, having elevated the careers of Triple H, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho and Evolution.

Vince has been afraid to have his cash-cow lose matches to anyone other than Cena for some arcane reason, and the same goes out to Brock Lesnar. Now scheduled to face Triple H for the third time, Brock is likely to win the match. He has a contract with the WWE till WrestleMania 31, and the plan is to have him face The Rock in a blockbuster clash at WrestleMania 30,  permitting Rocky’s fitness.

The match sounds good and would be show-stealing, but it would be better off for SummerSlam, rather than having the part-timers steal the limelight once again. There hasn’t been one true full-time main eventer who has risen through the ranks since CM Punk two years back, and even that was only after threatening to quit the company. The main event scene has stagnated for far too long, with currently only the absent CM Punk being the most (& probably only) credible threat to the Cena’s title, a far cry from 2010, when the likes of Batista, Undertaker, Triple H, Randy Orton and Edge all served as credible threats.

All the above have departed from full-time duties or have retired and Orton is in mid-card hell due to his actions outside the ring. There are several guys that are ‘over enough’ and perilously close to breaking the glass sealing that will make them permanent main eventers, with Ziggler and Bryan leading the field. A victory over a part-timer like Triple H or Lesnar would directly elevate them there, and the superstars could become huge assets and huge draws for the company. Bryan is already a huge asset with his YES and NO antics, but his popularity could be driven to bigger and grander scales with some credible CLEAN victories, and by putting him in the limelight. He has lingered around the Tag Team titles for far too long and needs to lose the belt.

Having part-timers around is never a bad thing, but having them constantly hogging the spotlight is.

Instead of having them face each other, or Cena and Punk, the time has come for them to elevate the rest of the roster.

The Shield has made waves in the WWE ever since they debuted back in November at Survivor Series. The talented trio have taken the entire organization by storm, destroying anything and everything in their path in name of ‘justice’. Nicknamed the ‘Hounds of Justice’ by the commentators, they have behaved exactly like hounds, and are unlike any other group that the WWE has ever seen.

Now embroiled in a feud against Team Hell No and the Undertaker to an extent, the Shield finally have a semblance of a real rivalry. Their ‘rivalry’ against Ryback doesn’t count, as all they ever did was beat down on Mr. FEED ME MORE. The rivalry against the legendary Undertaker makes sense to an extent, as they seek to establish a name for themselves, and a clean victory over the Phenom is the biggest thing any young superstar could ever hope for.

However, it doesn’t fail to hide the fact that the Shield have no true purpose as yet. The ‘justice’ thing made sense while attacking the likes of Ryback and Sheamus, but it makes absolutely no sense against the Undertaker and Team Hell No. Beating Hell No for the Tag Team titles seems inevitable in a very good way, and would be an excellent stepping stone. We could see the return of the old Freebird Rule when it comes to defending the titles.

Pinning the Undertaker in team action after a triple power bomb is the logical way forward, but the Shield quickly needs a purpose. The window for unveiling CM Punk, Randy Orton or Brock Lesnar as their true leader has passed, but Paul Heyman is still connected to the dangerous trio. Their momentum can be sustained only for some more time with the ‘pack of dogs mentality’ that they currently possess.

The fans would eventually lose interest in them. Same thing happened between John Cena and the adult male demograph, because he simply never stopped doing the same damn thing year after year. Unlike Cena, the Shield doesn’t possess legions of dedicated fans as yet to save their behinds. I’m not saying that the trio are going to start receiving X-Pac heat, but the crowd reactions to them might definitely wane over time, even if they are still undefeated.

The WWE have booked the Shield well to this point of time, and one would expect them to continue booking them well. Perhaps they could continue with the ‘injustice’ angle and attack Fandango, who has become an overnight sensation. Or perhaps they could attack Fandango’s current rival Chris Jericho, saying that the part-timers are stealing their limelight.

It is no doubt that the Shield are on the course to become top superstars in the wrestling organization, and who knows, they could become some of the greatest stars the company has ever seen; as individuals and as a team. They haven’t cut enough promos to truly show how capable they are on the mic, and Dean Ambrose in particular needs to be given the mic more often to display his madman persona.

If the Shield have no greater purpose, the ‘injustices’ must continue to prevail for it to actually make sense when the Shield attacks somebody. Their WrestleMania match was a little gem, but the storyline was rather weak, and just based on the Shield attacking the two men and Big Show accidentally punching one of them.

I have faith in the much criticized WWE creative team to continue building up the Shield properly, but they need to get more interesting really fast.

BELIEVE IN THE SHIELD!

Liverpool trounced Newcastle United 6-0 on Saturday to show the world what the team is really capable of. Playing with the aplomb of champions, the Reds never gave their hosts a chance to sneak back into the game – the ruthless efficiency of Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson made sure of that, while the Brazilian Coutinho danced circles around the defence. This is not Liverpool’s first big victory of the season, having disposed of teams with 5-0 and 4-0 margins on quite a few occasions this season.

But not on enough occasions.

The Reds have been maddeningly inconsistent the whole year around, failed to grab the impetus when needed, haven’t been able to score to save their lives in some games, and frankly they’ve been unlucky a few times. These inconsistencies are the reasons why Liverpool aren’t in the Top 4 currently. It is something that the Reds have to rectify in time for the 2013-14 season, if they want to play in the Champions League for the first time since 2009 and get back into Premier League title contention, something that seems like forever ago.

Some of the measures Liverpool can take to rid these inconsistencies are:

Buy a centre-back who’s comfortable with the ball at his feet

Jamie Carragher is retiring at the end of the season, the end of a long glorious playing career, and will leave a void that may never be filled, not in terms of quality but in terms of the passion he wore like a badge of honour every second he represented the club, be it the Champions League final or a mere friendly.

Carragher has enjoyed a new lease of life in his last campaign, and since he replaced Skrtel in the line-up, the defence has been markedly better. Now less prone to conceding stupid goals due to individual errors, the side has lost only one of their last nine games in the league. Skrtel seems unsuited to Rodgers’ system of play, and it started showing as early as the second game of the season when his mistake directly led to Tevez’s decisive equalizer at Anfield.

The rest of the defence has adjusted to the system, with the full-backs in particular showing remarkable improvement. The Reds would do well to buy a defender in the mould of a player like Gerard Pique, tactically aware and comfortable with the ball.

Possible targets include Swansea’s Ashley Williams, Real Sociedad’s Inigo Martinez and Shaktar’s Yaroslav Rakitskiy, but lack of Champions League football may dissuade these targets. Another option would to be finally give Sebastian Coates a chance to shine, as the young Uruguayan has been rotting for two seasons at Anfield, and he is quite a talent.

If Lucas doesn’t improve over the summer, buy a new holding midfielder

I get it. Lucas suffered two horrific injuries in succession, and it would take him a while to regain his 2011 form. However, the feisty Brazilian has been back for months now, and we have only seen glimpses of his once-tenacious form. Lucas has been overrun by rivals quite often this season, the 3-1 defeat against Southampton standing out. The Brazilian has been clumsy, and uninspiring to say the least.

Lucas’s job is to primarily break up play and dish out a few key passes, and averages a league high of 4.6 tackles per game. He is a good player, one of the best, but just like his team, he has become maddeningly inconsistent.

For the sake of squad depth, signing a new young defensive midfielder would be a good move, as Liverpool have no other true defensive midfielder, and Joe Allen isn’t one. Liverpool’s season fell apart after Lucas’s injury in 2011-12, and the Reds need to take care to make sure that doesn’t happen.

I believe that Lucas will be once again back to his consistent best, and recently signed a new long-term contract. However if inconsistent displays continue to be the norm, Rodgers just might start looking elsewhere.

An attacking midfielder like Christian Eriksen

The Reds are currently overloaded with central midfielders, with four in the squad. In the past, Steven Gerrard was Liverpool’s primary attacking midfielder, but has moved further behind to prolong his career. The likes of Henderson and Allen are good players, but none of them possess Juan Mata-type abilities to link-up with the strike force and destroy a team from the centre. They do not offer exceptional penetrating abilities, nor a constant amount of goals.

Neither player can be a true playmaker, but a name constantly linked to Liverpool can. Ajax’s Christian Eriksen is an extremely talented player with sound footballing education, and has been praised by and even compared to Danish legends Brian and Michael Laudrup by the legendary Johan Cruyff.

Eriksen is a versatile midfielder, capable of playing behind the striker, on the wings, and even in a deeper role. He has an excellent passing range, ability to pick out a key pass, and scores a decent amount of goals. He has the ability to compete with the likes of Mata and Silva when it comes to the highest amount of assists in the league.

Playing behind the striker in a traditional playmaker’s role is where he’s at his best, and has all the quality to build up a fantastic rapport with Suarez, Coutinho and Sturridge.

Despite the Reds lacking Champions League football, Eriksen could be enticed to Anfield with regular playing time in a young team that is carrying immense potential. Squad depth would also be improved once again with such a player, and the Reds would boast an even better offensive line next season.

Here are the five talking points from the game:

Phillipe Coutinho steps up magnificently

Phillipe Coutinho: Is life without Suarez a possibility for Liverpool?

Luis Suarez is Liverpool’s most dynamic player and their biggest creative outlet, creating a significant amount of the Reds’ chances. Only one other player in the squad possesses similar creative abilities, and he stepped up to the plate in outstanding fashion. The Brazilian was full of mazy little runs and exquisite passes, directly playing two breathtaking through balls for the crucial 2nd and 3rd goals, which effectively sealed the tie for Liverpool.

The January signing was nigh-on unplayable for large portions of the game, and displayed that life without Suarez just might be possible. His passing, vision and quality shone brightly as he gave the home players nightmares, and once again proved just how good of a signing he is, not to mention how insanely necessary it was.

His shot rattled the crossbar at the end, and the 20-year old was unlucky to leave the field of play without a deserved goal. He is young and can still greatly improve, and with time, he could become one of the best players in the world.

Liverpool’s Passing, movement and teamwork was beautiful

Other than the opening six minutes of the second half, the Reds almost completely dominated their hosts despite seeing less of the ball. Their vibrancy shone through, and they scored some delightful team goals. The likes of Downing, Henderson and Gerrard played well, with Coutinho the obvious star. The full-backs chipped in efficiently as well, with Jose Enrique also putting in an admirable defensive shift.

Despite the weakened state of the opposition defence, there are still good players at Newcastle, and the Reds played them out of the game. It was a recipe for a brutally efficient team performance, and by the end you would have imagined that they felt sorry for their hosts, content in just passing the ball around.

This is the type of performance and clinical efficiency that was required against the likes of Reading and West Ham, and if the Merseysiders hadn’t been so inconsistent this season, they would’ve been in the running for the Top 4.

Newcastle need to step up to avoid the drop

Alan Pardew and Co. have some serious thinking to do

There were instances of the Magpies playing good  football, even though they were few and far. The likes of Cabaye, Sissoko and Tiote never got going, and were overrun by a superior Liverpool midfield. The heavy 6-0 defeat will be extremely demoralizing for the Tynesiders, but the fact of the matter is they are only five points above the drop zone, with Wigan and Aston Villa below them having played a game less.

The Magpies face a relatively manageable two fixtures against QPR and West Ham, before welcoming Champions League chasing Arsenal to St. James’ Park. Getting at least 3-4 points out of those games is extremely crucial to their continued presence in the Premier League, and Alan Pardew really has a huge task on his hands, given their recent terrible form.

The Magpies are too good for relegation and have the quality to survive. With captain Coloccini set to return and tighten the defence, the likes of Cabaye, and Sissoko need to give more service to Papiss Cisse for Newcastle to have any hopes of survival.

Daniel Sturridge proves his worth

While the creator-in-chief duties fell to Coutinho, Sturridge had to take the lead centre forward position, something he did with aplomb. While Coutinho’s trickery and vision overwhelmed Newcastle, Sturridge’s pace, movement and direct attacking approach was too much for the defence to handle. One particular attacking sequence saw him dribble from the halfway line to the edge of the penalty box, before shooting right at the ‘keeper.

He combined efficiently with Coutinho and Henderson, even laying on a selfless pass to the latter for Liverpool’s second. He was brought in for this exact kind of performance, and was rather unlucky not to complete his hat-trick and was Liverpool’s second best player on the night. He is a real talent, a player that Chelsea shouldn’t have discarded this January.

There are still nine long games to play without Suarez, and Sturridge will face harder games in this trying period, and the upcoming game against Everton at Anfield will be critical and something that he, Coutinho and the rest of the team will be judged on.

The 2013-14 Liverpool squad will be a force to reckon with

Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool have made progress despite just moving from 8th to 7th in the table, and the manager will be disappointed that his young team isn’t closer to Top 4, their terrible inconsistency being the reason for their current position. They’ve utterly dominated teams on numerous occasions, including the two games against Manchester City and the home tie against Manchester United, but have failed to grab the initiative and clinch three points.

The Reds should have gained at least 15 points more over the course of this season and that is exactly what has to be rectified next season. A new central defender has to come in for the retiring hero Jamie Carragher, and another holding midfielder is essential, as the Reds have, at times, lacked the bite in the middle of the park. Another Coutinho-type player should also be brought in, as many times, despite their possession, the Reds have run into brick walls against teams who set up to defend against them.

Another striker would also be a welcome addition, as two top-notch strikers might not be enough when the fixtures start to pile up or when one gets injured.

All eyes will be on RvP

The former captain and hero of Arsenal, Robin Van Persie, will be the cynosure of all eyes as he makes his long-awaited return to the Emirates stadium just days after his hat-trick sealed a record-breaking 20th league title for Manchester United. The league’s top scorer can expect a frosty reception at his former stomping ground, and will once again be eager to show the Gunners what they have been missing.

Arsenal’s season is still hanging in the balance, as their 3rd spot in the table is rather shaky and a victory against rivals United would give them the confidence to finish the season on a high and once again play Champions League football. The Gunners will also be performing a guard of honour for United, something that many Arsenal fans aren’t happy about.

Team News – Arsenal

Key midfield engine Mikel Arteta could miss this crucial fixture after suffering a knee injury against Fulham last week, while Olivier Giroud starts his three-match ban for his direct red card at Fulham. Jack Wilshere could start this week and slot in alongside Aaron Ramsey in midfield.

Lukasz Fabianski and Abou Diaby are the long-term absentees.

Team News – Manchester United

While Sir Alex has promised to name a strong line-up, he would be tempted to give some substitutes a go at Arsenal. Captain Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand are expected to start at centre back, after Jonny Evans and Michael Carrick picked up knocks on Monday night, which will see Phil Jones play in Carrick’s position. Paul Scholes is also likely to miss out.

The likes of Welbeck, Nani, Cleverly and Hernandez will be involved, and some of them will definitely start at the Emirates.

Preview:

Jack Wilshere will be hoping to inspire his team to victory

This fixture used to be the biggest and most intense contest in the Premier League during Arsenal’s glory days under Arsene Wenger. The fixtures were heated, the managers hated each other to the point of Wenger challenging Ferguson to a fight, and police intervention was required to defuse tensions in the past. Ever since the departures of the likes of Thierry Henry and Patrick Viera, Arsenal slowly stopped becoming a direct competitor to United.

The managers seem to get along these days and even like each other, and the 8-2 in 2011 was the final nail in the coffin for this once-great rivalry. United have won 10 major trophies since Arsenal’s 2005 FA Cup victory.

Sunday’s fixture will be all about Robin van Persie and, despite Wenger’s plea, he is likely to be jeered heavily. However, Arsenal must realize that if they seek to reignite the fire of this fixture, victory on Sunday will be paramount to the task. With Giroud suspended, Walcott is likely to lead the line and his pace can be used to exploit the United defence, which will not be an easy task.

As no team that United names is a ‘weak’ team, the midfield battle will be crucial and if he does not play, Michael Carrick’s influence might be heavily missed. Wilshere will be hoping to inspire the Gunners to a rare victory over Man United, and Sunday could be the perfect setting after a rather difficult season.

Victory could inspire them to greater heights, while defeat could see them barrel down the depths of English football.

Interesting Facts:

- United have beaten Arsenal in nine of their last eleven meetings, having lost only once.

- United have had a record 19 different goalscorers this season and have scored 78 goals, eleven higher than the second most prolific team, Liverpool (67).

- Arsenal have kept only four clean sheets in sixteen league games at the Emirates this season.

- Arsenal have won nine of their last twelve Premier League games, losing just once.

- This will be 49th meeting in all competitions between Wenger and Ferguson, with Ferguson leading 22-15.

- Arsenal have taken only four points from seven games against Top 5 sides, with all the rest having at least ten points.

Prediction:

Simply put, Arsenal are desperate for a victory and cannot rely on Chelsea and Spurs’ results to swing their ways. United hold the psychological edge over them with their one-sided recent history, but the Gunners, led by Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere, might just put the mighty Red Devils to the sword, even though it will be a very difficult task.

Arsenal 2-1 Manchester United

Amidst the furore and outrage raised by two opposing factions in the headline-stealing biting scandal of Liverpool‘s star striker Luis Suarez, you could be forgiven for forgetting that there is still football to be played this season. Europa League-chasing Liverpool visit relegation-threatened Newcastle United, knowing that victory would be paramount to their rapidly diminishing European dreams. The Magpies are six points clear of 18th placed Wigan Athletic, but the Latics do have a game in hand. A victory over the Merseysiders would give them some much needed breathing space, and could almost certainly ensure another season of top flight football.

Team News – Newcastle United

The biggest news from the Newcastle camp is that midfield dynamo Cheick Tiote will return to the squad and starting line-up after missing last weekend’s 1-1 draw against West Brom with a hamstring injury. Papiss Cisse is nursing a rib injury, and went to France for treatment during the week, but is seemingly fit enough for the crucial fixture.

Skipper Fabio Coloccini has resumed training after seven weeks on the sidelines due to a back injury, and could play a bit-part role, but is highly unlikely to start.

First choice goalkeeper Tim Krul and defender Ryan Taylor are long-term casualties, and left-back Davide Santon might also not play again this season due to a hamstring injury. Midfielder Sylvain Marveaux is also out injured.

Team News – Liverpool

As we all know, Luis Suarez has been suspended for 10 games, an excessive suspension in many eyes. Throwing aside accusations of discrimination for a while, Rodgers must learn to adapt to life without Suarez, probably the worst nightmare for the Reds. Daniel Sturridge will take centre-stage, and will not be lacking in confidence after his excellent showing against Chelsea at Anfield.

Fabio Borini has resumed training after a long-term injury, and could feature in some capacity at St. James Park. Joe Allen and Martin Kelly remain injured for the rest of the season, while Raheem Sterling is also expected to miss out.

Preview:

The Reds have drawn their last three Premier League games, and currently languish in 7th position on the table, five points behind arch-rivals Everton with just four games left in the season. Successive 0-0 draws against Reading and West Ham United were followed by a dramatic 2-2 draw at home to Chelsea, with Suarez’s antics hiding the fact that the Reds actually played well and deserved to beat the reigning European champions, but were undone by their actions and their star striker.

Captain Steven Gerrard will look to rejuvenate his side with a captain’s display, and lead the battle against the Magpies. Their main threats will come from the flanks with Johnson and Enrique, while Philippe Coutinho might don the role of Liverpool’s most dangerous creative outlet. Sturridge will look to harass and run a shaky Newcastle defence ragged on Saturday, and will be eager to prove himself without his strike partner’s assistance.

The home side have been in dire form all season long, with the fans calling for the manager’s head as Newcastle remain rooted in the wrong end of the table; quite a spectacular fall from the dizzy heights of last season. The French contingent at the club has also failed to really give a spark to Newcastle’s season, with injury time goals and January signing Moussa Sissoko pulling the Magpies out of tight spots.

Demba Ba’s transfer to Chelsea didn’t help matters one bit, and once again Newcastle will pin their hopes on Papiss Cisse. Cisse scored a brace in the corresponding fixture last season, and we all know that he is capable of the sublime.

Interesting Facts:

- The suspended Suarez has scored or assisted 28 goals this season, 46% of the Reds total output.

- Newcastle were on a four-game winning streak at St. James Park, prior to a 3-0 defeat to hated rivals Sunderland in their last home fixture.

- Liverpool haven’t drawn four league games in a row since December 2008.

- Liverpool haven’t beaten Newcastle at St. James Park since a 5-1 victory in December 2008.

Prediction:

The Magpies will give it their all, but will struggle against the pace and movement of Liverpool, who will lack the cutting edge in the penalty box. It will be a tight game, but one that the visitors will ultimately win after overwhelming the home side’s midfield and defence.

Newcastle United 0-2 Liverpool

Christian Benteke of Aston Villa celebrates after scoring the first goal with teammate Barry Bannan during the Barclays Premier League against Liverpool at Anfield on December 15, 2012. (Getty Images)

Relegation threatened Aston Villa welcome European chasing Liverpool to Villa Park, for what is a pretty critical fixture for both teams. Villa are now in the relegation zone, behind Wigan on goal difference, and face a desperate fight for survival in the Premier League. Liverpool are six points behind sixth placed Everton, and are looking to claim a Europa League spot at best, for next season, and will have to win games like this one to continue the progress under Brendan Rodgers.

Villa beat Liverpool 3-1 in December at Anfield, a game that the Reds completely dominated, only to be undone by their poor finishing and the clinical edge of Villa’s star striker Christian Benteke, who bagged a brace.

Team News

Aston Villa

The trident of Darren Bent, Nathan Baker and Karim El Mahadi are set to return after spells on the sidelines, but among the trio only Baker is likely to walk into the starting eleven. Young prospect Fabian Delph is back as well, after sitting out the last two games due to suspension. Ciaran Clark and Brett Holman picked up slight knocks while away on international duty, and their condition will be assessed before the game.

Other than the injury scares, Paul Lambert will pin his hopes on his forward trio of Benteke, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann to get a result for the hosts.

Liverpool

Joe Allen is set to miss the rest of the season due to shoulder surgery, and the veteran duo of Jamie Carragher and Pepe Reina are set to make their returns to the line-up. Carragher’s return will have the supporters breathing easily, given Skrtel’s atrocious performance against Soton.

Liverpool have no other new injuries to fret over, with Fabio Borini and Martin Kelly suffering from long-term problems.

Preview

Aston Villa have won their last two games on the bounce, against QPR and Reading, their first consecutive victories this season. Villa haven’t won three on the trot for three years now, and will be hard pressed to complete the hat-trick against a wounded Liverpool side. The Reds have won four of their last five games in all competitions, but suffered a rather embarrassing 3-1 loss at Southampton two weeks back, a match in which the entire team was pretty much culpable of putting in a poor shift.

With their European aspirations slipping away slowly, the Reds need to get back on track and close the gap on Everton. They will look to the the mercurial Luis Suarez to lead their offensive line against the Villains. Looking to put his international shenanigans behind him, Suarez has a point to prove, after a poor performance by his standards at Soton.

Suarez has been forming an excellent partnership with Sturridge and Phillipe Coutinho, and the goals seem to be flowing for the Reds nowadays. Villa captain Ron Vlaar has been dealing with Suarez since his days in Holland, and the former Feyenoord defender knows just how difficult the league’s trickiest player is to contain.

Steven Gerrard of Liverpool celebrates his goal with teammates Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez during the Barclays Premier League match against Norwich City at Anfield on January 19, 2013. (Getty Images)

The hosts will rely on Belgian sensation Benteke, who’s been Villa’s knight in shining armour this season. Having scored a brace at Anfield, Agger and Carragher would be wise to closely monitor and control the young forward, as he would look to break on the counter-attack along with his fellow front men. Brad Guzan will be Villa’s most crucial player on Sunday, and will surely have to deal with a barrage of Red shirts constantly attacking his goal.

Guzan performed exceptionally well the last time the sides met, and also dished out a tremendous performance against Mexico over the international break for the USA. Steven Gerrard also needs to be monitored, as the Reds skipper is enjoying a fantastic campaign. The defence is the weak spot for Liverpool, and individual errors have been the side’s main thorn this season. Lucas has playing like a liability since his return, and it is well known how Benteke can capitalize on mistakes.

Interesting Facts

- Villa have lost just one of their last four league games against Liverpool, last season at Villa Park.

- Villa are looking to complete a double over Liverpool for the first time in 20 years, since the 1992-93 season.

- Liverpool have only lost one league match at Villa Park since 1998.

- The Reds have scored the most number of goals in the league in 2013 – 26 goals.

- Liverpool haven’t beaten a side from the Midlands this year, having drawn one and lost four.

Prediction

A man is most dangerous when he is pushed into a corner, and that certainly applies to Villa. Relegation is a powerful motivational tool, and the home side will give the visitors everything they have, but the superior quality of the Reds should pull through in the end. It will be a tightly fought contest, with the Reds just about jumping over to the finish line.

Aston Villa 2-3 Liverpool 

Arsenal continued their onslaught on the top 4 by cruising to an extraordinarily comfortable 4-1 victory over Reading at the Emirates. Gervinho, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud put the Gunners 3-0 ahead, but Reading pulled one back through Robson-Kanu’s header which gave them a fighting chance, before Mikel Arteta killed the game off with a superbly taken penalty, after the substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was tripped at the edge of the box just moments after coming on.

The home side are now just two points behind fourth placed Chelsea, while Reading remain mired deep inside the relegation zone, now at the foot of the table due to an inferior goal difference, seven points from safety.

Five talking points from the game are:

Reading’s defending gifted the Gunners the victory on a silver platter

The Royals new manager Nigel Adkins watched haplessly from the sidelines, as his side constantly gave the ball away to the home side in dangerous situations, under little to no pressure at all. The likes of Leigertwood, Pearce and Mariappa constantly misplaced their passes, which only invited the likes of Cazorla and Gervinho to bombard the Royals defence. The latter should’ve at least scored a hat-trick, while the former took his goal beautifully, but should have never been allowed so much time on the ball.

Adrian Mariappa’s mis-pass directly led to Chamberlain running at the defence, and he needlessly tripped the Arsenal youngster to give away a penalty. The away side’s defence also didn’t do much to protect Stuart Taylor’s goal, as they were easily overrun and allowed Mikel Arteta too much time and space to assert his authority in midfield. Taylor couldn’t do much about the goals, but did pull of some decent saves to save his side the blushes.

Gervinho was the Man of the Match

In his first start in four months, the Ivory Coast international looked like a man possessed. He nudged in Cazorla’s slight mishit to open the proceedings at the Emirates, and didn’t look back after that. The visitors could not handle his constant bombardment of the defence, his resourcefulness and his work-rate. Gervinho dovetailed with Cazorla  to devastating effect, and was at the heart of nearly everything positive Arsenal did.

He also supplied the assists for Cazorla’s and Giroud’s goals, and was a constant thorn in the Royals defence for his entire spell on the pitch. However, there were several moments of the ‘old Gervinho’, when he failed to capitalise on numerous chances, and ideally he should have bagged a hat-trick. If the Gunners had dropped points, the fingers would have definitely been pointed at the Ivorian.

At the end, he departed to a standing ovation from the home faithful, something that he will want to get accustomed to.

Cazorla-Gervinho partnership was extremely fruitful

Santi Cazorla has been Arsenal’s star player since his summer move from Malaga, and has settled into the task quite seamlessly. Cazorla’s importance is even greater in the absence of the prodigal Jack Wilshere, and combined almost telepathically with Gervinho against Reading. Cazorla’s goal made him Arsenal’s top scorer in the league this season, ahead of Walcott.

Cazorla’s brilliance shone throughout the game, as his defence splitting passes often landed right at the foot of Gervinho and the others. The two worked in tandem to unseat a shaky defence, but will have tougher opposition down the road, especially the clashes against Everton and Manchester United.

He was the fulcrum for most of Gervinho’s forays into the Reading penalty area and also forced the defence to make numerous mistakes. He’s probably been Arsenal’s best signing since Cesc Fabregas.

Arsenal hitting top gear?

Both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur seem to be stuttering over to the finish line, having been hit-and-miss in recent weeks. Spurs lost two on the bounce before today’s victory, while Chelsea lost at Soton and also face a fixture pile-up. On the other hand, the Gunners have won six of their last eight league games, including three on the bounce, and face a far easier run-in period than their London rivals, with contests against Everton and United the toughest remaining.

The team is playing well, if not exceptionally, and their midfield is really carrying them up the table. Arteta successfully completed an incredible 99 out of 107 passes against the Royals, while Cazorla was at his majestic best. These two will be looked upon to lead the side through this testing phase, as Arsene Wenger is looking for a 17th consecutive top 4 finish. The absences of Abou Diaby, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott will be a blow, but it is something that can be dealt with. The Gunners need to be mentally tough to reach the top 4.

Mental fortitude will be the key, and also provided that their defence doesn’t crumble under pressure like it usually does. The goalkeeping position is a bit weak at this point, and Wenger will be eager to make sure his side focuses on avoiding mistakes like Nacho Monreal’s blunder, which directly led to the Reading consolation.

Adkins faces Mission Impossible

Reading is a team in hopeless disarray, having just fired its manager, and now finds itself at the foot of the Barclays Premier League table. Adkins faces an uphill task to ensure survival for Reading, now seven points from safety. The Royals have also lost their last six league games, and morale is at an all-time low. Adkins will have to earn his team’s respect fast, considering Brian McDermott’s standing at the Madjeski stadium.

He will have to fix the leakages of the defence, as the game against Arsenal once again showcased the disastrous defending of the visitors. They need to also learn to hold the ball better and attack with some intent, instead of giving it away softly. They still have to face sides close to them in the table like Soton and QPR, so all hope is not lost yet. They need results immediately, starting next week against Southampton, or they can kiss their stay in the top flight goodbye.

Southampton’s Dutch defender Jos Hooiveld (2nd R) clears the ball under pressure from Chelsea’s French-born Senegalese striker Demba Ba (2nd L) during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge in London, on January 16, 2013. The game finished 2-2.

Relegation-threatened Southampton face Chelsea on Saturday at the Saint Mary’s stadium in what could turn out to be a very crucial fixture for both sides. Southampton are fresh from an unexpected 3-1 victory over Liverpool before the international break, while Chelsea face a mammoth fixture pile-up and are due to play an unreasonable four games in the span of a week. The home side will look to continue their recent excellent record against top sides, having beaten City and Liverpool, but will be hard-pressed to beat a Chelsea side which experiencing a good run of form. Rafa Benitez has an unenviable job of rotating his squad to perfection given the even more important FA Cup clash against rivals Manchester United on Monday.

Southampton

The Saints will be fretting over the condition of captain Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Jos Hooiveld, who are all nursing minor injuries ahead of Chelsea’s visit. Lallana was excellent against Liverpool, and the Argentine manager will be hoping that his captain will be fit for the crucial clash. Other than these players, the home side should name a completely unchanged line-up.

Vegard Forren could be in line to make his debut for the side.

Chelsea

This is the game that kicks off a congested week for Chelsea, and it is a game that they will have to win to put some distance between them and Spurs. Rafa Benitez is likely to rest some key players ahead of the United clash, and it impossible to picture his starting line-up come Saturday. Fernando Torres didn’t figure in Spain’s plans during the break; and being fresher than most, he is likely to start as a solitary forward. Benitez could be tempted to rest Juan Mata, with Victor Moses more likely to start. Captain John Terry could also be handed a rare start, with Gary Cahill struggling with a knee injury.

Southampton sit four points clear of the relegation zone for now, but 18th placed Wigan Athletic have a game in hand. The Saints dug themselves into a hole by sacking Nigel Adkins. Consecutive wins over Chelsea and Liverpool would boost their morale greatly and would give them greater confidence going into the run-in period. However, the Saints do need to start winning games against the teams around them in the table to ensure that they are still in the Premier League next season.

Given Chelsea’s congested fixture load, the chances of them naming a weaker team is high – something that could work in the home side’s favour. However, given the depth of the away side’s squad, this will not be an easy match by any means. 31-year-old top scorer Rickie Lambert will be looked upon to lead the battle; having just signed a contract extension, he would be particularly eager to stay as far away from the Championship spots as possible.

Southampton will be looking to Ricky Lambert to lead the way

Former Chelsea trainee Jack Cork will be looking to best his old side having recently commented that their lack of faith in their youth players could cost them in the future, especially with the legendary Frank Lampard on the verge of a summer exit.

With Tottenham hot on their heels, slip-ups will be costly for Chelsea. The turbulent reign of Rafa Benitez could yet have a silver lining, with second place in sight and two trophies to play for. Lampard will be looking to add to his tally of 200 goals for the Blues, just two goals short of Chelsea’s all  time top scorer Bobby Tambling. The Blues should also be wary of Jay Rodriguez after his excellent performance against Liverpool; Gaston Ramirez can cause problems as well, despite having not being his best since his move from Bologna.

- Demba Ba has had four shots on target against Southampton as a Blue. He’s scored three of them.

- Southampton have the dubious record of most own goals scored – five.

- Southampton haven’t beaten Chelsea in the league in ten years. The last match they won was a 4-2 victory at Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day, 2002.

- Lambert has created 62 goalscoring chances in open play, only bettered by three other players in Europe’s top five leagues.

- The Saints have dropped a league high 27 points from winning positions.

The Blues are in for a stern test at the South Coast, and Lambert is almost guaranteed to cause problems for the back four. However, despite the fixture pile-up, the away side should be taking all three points back to London; but victory will not come easily.

Southampton 1-2 Chelsea

Southampton players celebrate after scoring a goal during the Barclays Premier League match against Liverpool at St Mary’s Stadium on March 16, 2013 in Southampton, England. (Getty Images)

Five talking points from the game were:

Southampton were far better than Liverpool:

Having won just one of their last nine games, few expected Southampton to out-muscle a Liverpool side that was in excellent form and also had an excellent record against the weaker teams. The Saints were going for the victory from the get go, and they were faster, hungrier and stronger than the Reds, especially in midfield. Joe Allen is due for a shoulder surgery, and was understandably overrun in the first half. The Saints cut open the visitors at will, and displayed the kind of profligacy that has been so characteristic of their famous opponents this season.

Captain Adam Lallana and Schneiderlin bossed the midfield, with Lallana’s intelligent use of the ball and creative influence resulted in several chances for the home side. Lambert and Rodriguez too made the Liverpool defence sweat profusely for the entire match, with Lambert making a mockery out of the once-unflappable Skrtel. The defence stood up as well, given the nightmarish threat that Luis Suarez brings. They managed to keep him and Sturridge quiet, while Coutinho was often Liverpool’s most dangerous player.

Artur Boruc chipped in with several crucial saves as well to secure a huge victory for the Saints.

Starting Skrtel was a bad idea:

What a fall from grace for Martin Skrtel. From the dizzy heights of last season, when Skrtel was one of the best centre-backs in the league, his game has shrunk rapidly under Rodgers. Making mistakes left, right and centre, Rodgers’ decision to leave the retiring Jamie Carragher out the squad entirely backfired completely, and the young manager was left ruing his crucial error. The Slovakian was overwhelmed by the physical threat posed by Rickie Lambert and struggled to keep up with the energetic Southampton offensive.

Skrtel was directly at fault for Schneiderlin’s opener, as he was unable to correctly track and keep up with the midfielder’s run. He was also partly culpable for the third goal, but that was more reflective on the sloppy defending on Lucas’s part. The entire away defence looked shaky, with Skrtel merely being the worst of a pretty bad bunch. Carragher’s leadership skills and his positional awareness were sorely missed. With Mr. Liverpool retiring in the summer and in light of Skrtel’s form, the Reds might have to look for a new defender or show some faith in Sebastian Coates.

Defensive midfield still a worry for the Reds:

Before Lucas’s unfortunate injury in December 2011, defensive midfield was never a problem for the Reds. After Lucas’s injury, the Reds struggled immensely and finished 8th. Strong and tenacious in midfield, with an excellent eye for a tackle, Lucas still hasn’t returned to top form following two massive injuries. The Brazilian looked sluggish and off-the pace at Saint Mary’s, with Rodriguez’s goal showcasing that on a grand scale.

However, he was far better than his Welsh teammate Joe Allen, who never should’ve started in the first place. Allen was beaten off the ball very easily, and lacked any sort of tenacity whatsoever. Whether he was injured or not, Allen’s form has dipped to alarming proportions in the past few months and it showed. Liverpool’s answer is still Lucas, as he is capable of returning to form, and Rodgers will be hoping that it would happen sooner rather than later.

Phillipe Coutinho – the latest hero?

Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool celebrates after scoring against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium on March 16, 2013 in Southampton, England. (Getty Images)

When Luis Suarez has a bad day, Liverpool has a bad day. The point was proven yesterday, as the enigmatic Uruguayan failed to muster any sort of threat to the home defence, due to a combination of poor play and good defending. It was understandable, as playing at the level Suarez plays week-in and week-out is something that can’t be done all the time.

But the man who has been compared to Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, Coutinho, emerged to pick up the pieces and proved to be Liverpool’s best attacking outlet. He struggled to provide a sustained threat, due to the lack of assistance and unfamiliar rainy conditions. The Brazilian was full of tricks and a composed presence for large periods, before being burned out. He’s becoming better by the week, and is showing what he is really capable of.

He could become a huge player for the Reds and Brazil in the coming years, and a budding partnership with Suarez is only conducive to his development, after a period of stagnation at Inter Milan.

Southampton need to replicate such performances:

The Saints were desperate and vulnerable, and ultimately came out with all guns blazing. Their last victory was against Manchester City, and the home side seem to perform better against the top sides. But what they need to do to stay up in the league, is to consistently pick up points against the likes of QPR and Reading. Adam Lallana led the side with a captain’s display, and with Chelsea coming to Saint Mary’s next week, another such performance is required.

The Saints are seven points clear, and provided they manufacture more robust and energetic performances like this one, they will easily stay in the top flight.

The five talking points from the game are:

Arsenal’s porous defence

Both the goals Wojciech Szczesny conceded came against the run of play, and were due to the horrible lack of communication between the Arsenal back-four. For the life of me, I cannot understand how Nacho Monreal and Thomas Vermealen failed to track Lennon’s run, with absolutely no communication between the two defenders. Lennon just blitzed past Monreal, who didn’t even bother to check if any opposition player was behind him.

Gylfi Sigurdsson’s pass for Bale’s goal split open the Arsenal defence far too easily then it should have been allowed to. Mertesacker and Vermaelen were caught napping at the back, and seemed unable to even be able to track the run of Bale. So much for great timing and the coordination of the back-four. Arsenal’s defence lost the match for them, and it has become a recurring tale for many seasons now. The defence isn’t top four worthy, and they were lucky that Spurs scored only twice, as Bale and Sigurdsson fluffed a few golden chances.

For some arcane reason, Wenger saw it fit to remove Carl Jenkinson, Arsenal’s best defender on the day, and place Aaron Ramsey at right-back. Removing Monreal would have been better, as Jenkinson was full of energy and provided numerous crosses and passes into the penalty area, only for the hopeless attack to waste all of his chances.

Arsenal’s midfield deserves better

Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla basically ran the show on Sunday afternoon, dominating much of the play with ease. Wilshere was combative, creative, and was regularly bursting through the opposition midfield, looking threatening each time. He fought well, and marginalised the influence of Dembele and Parker. Wilshere always seemed to find the right areas, but was let down by a lacklustre strike force.

Cazorla too pulled the strings in the middle of the park, but constantly ran out of ideas every time he got into more advanced positions. The robust physicality of the home defence prevented the tricky Spaniard from exerting his usual influence on the game, and the Gunners really suffered from the lack of an alternative threat. Aaron Ramsey also worked really hard for Arsenal in midfield, and helped negate the influence of the Spurs midfield.

Arsenal need another centre-forward and Tottenham’s defence was immaculate

Olivier Giroud has had a good first season at Arsenal, and is still yet to adjust to the English game completely. He ran into a brick wall at White Hart Lane, a brick wall made out of Michael Dawson and Jan Vertonghen. Dawson has gone a long way this season, and his performance on Sunday was an excellent one, as he communicated well with his partner, dealt superbly with aerial balls and set pieces, and held up the ball well. Although Spurs played a high-line, the pacey Walcott was rarely able to run at the defence, such was the nature of the splendid organization of the back-four.

Vertonghen was full of great interceptions, particularly his excellent challenge on Walcott. Giroud and Walcott tested him well, but he was up for it all, and the dangerous duo were subdued for large parts. A trickier forward would have been far better for Arsenal in such a situation, like someone in the vein of Luis Suarez. Robin Van Persie would have also made a huge difference for the Gunners in this game, and the visitors would have been better of if Podolski had started the match.

Spurs counter-attacking strategy reaped huge rewards

Despite it being a home game, Spurs seemed to be on the backfoot for large parts of the game. Arsenal tried to attack them repeatedly, but Dawson and Vertonghen were in inspired form, and kept Giroud and Walcott quiet for large spells of the game. The Cockerels relied on the sheer pace of Bale and Lennon to break circles through the Arsenal defence, and it worked exceptionally well. The likes of Parker and Sigurdsson provided the necessary ammunition for the twin terrors, and Sigurdsson ended up having one of the best games of his season.

It also showed that Spurs do have a fair few choices in midfield, with the likes of Holtby and Dempsey missing the tie, and with Sigurdsson claiming his place with a wonderful display, it’s hard to envisage Vilas-Boas replacing the former Swansea man.

However, it should be noted that, for large spells, Bale and Lennon were kept under control by Arsenal, and a better defence could have easily stopped both goals. Emmanuel Adebayor also barely got a whiff of the ball, and teams with better defensive strategies would have beaten Spurs on the night.

Spurs should not get too cocky

Yes, Gareth Bale is one of the most dangerous players in the world now. Yes, Spurs defended superbly against the Arsenal onslaught. Yes, they have an excellent midfield, with good depth. Yes, they are seven points clear of Arsenal.

But Champions League football is not guaranteed as yet. Ten games remain this season, and conceivably anything could happen. Just like Spurs collapsed last season, do not rule out that happening this season as well. Chelsea look extremely shaky as well, and there is still room for Arsenal to make a late onslaught on the Top 4. Who knows, an outside contender like Everton or Liverpool could still sneak in and miraculously grab the coveted fourth spot.

In the next ten days, Spurs face three tremendously important games that could have a say on their final position at the end of the season. Two games against Inter Milan and a trip to Anfield to face a resurgent Liverpool will test the character, depth, and quality of Spurs. Passage in the Europa League and a result at Anfield would do wonders for their confidence, but negative results could result in their season unravelling before their eyes.

Bear in mind that Spurs will still have to play Everton, Chelsea and Manchester City after that, and Spurs could either be sent packing from their high pedestal or pass with flying colours.

When you talk of the greatest superstars to have ever graced the squared circle of the World Wrestling Entertainment, names such as Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Stone Cold and Hulk Hogan are thrown up. All the aforementioned wrestlers were the ‘Faces’ of their respective era, and their mere aura left an indelible mark on the history of the organization. Shawn Michaels was probably the greatest of the bunch, despite being the considered lacking in ‘drawing power’ when compared to the others.

But as great as the Heart Break Kid is, many consider another man to be the greatest of all time. A man who wasn’t a ‘Face’ of any era, a man who has portrayed a ridiculously unrealistic character, a man who has become the quintessential element of wrestling’s biggest spectacle, a man whose aura has resonated soundly throughout the wrestling world for over two decades, a man who’s arguably the greatest living legend in the WWE today, and mere adjectives seem to be unable to describe the legend of the man. If I didn’t make it any more obvious, I am talking about The Undertaker.

The Undertaker was a WCW ‘reject’, and joined the then-WWF in 1990. Debuting his famous Deadman persona at the 1990 Survivor Series, the Phenom was a different entity and being (literally) from the very beginning. The man seemed destined for greatness, as he made a huge impact on his debut as the mystery member of Ted Dibiase’s team. The gimmick of The Undertaker, was literally an ‘undertaker’ and instantly caught the attention of the wrestling world. Add it to the fact that The Undertaker played his part to absolute perfection, and you have quite simply the most unique wrestler in the WWE’s history.

Everybody has their favourite Undertaker moment. A match, a beat-down, a mere confrontation, whatever it maybe, most of us have grown up idolising the Undertaker and attempting to ape every single aspect of his move set, despite the WWE’s warnings. My personal favourite moment was his return at WrestleMania 20, when he had Vince McMahon and Kane sweating profusely the entire night at Madison Square Garden over his return from the ‘dead’. Led out by a parade of druids and the ghostly ‘Father of Darkness’, The Undertaker proceeded to defeat a visibly shaken Kane and extend his unbeaten WrestleMania record.

Until the late 1980s, many people believed that wrestling was real. Characters such as George ‘The Animal’ Steele and the Wild Samoans had to live large parts of their lives in kayfabe to maintain the lie. The Undertaker is one of the last remaining links to that world. Part of the greatness of The Undertaker lies in his unrealistic nature. Every second of his walk, and every trick of his playbook in unreal and the fans gobble up every second of it.

When the ominous gong sounds of the arena erupt and crowd holds its breath in anticipation, you know that you’re in for a treat. The slow, methodical and calculated walk to the squared circle heightens the tension in the arena and increases the fear in the mind of the opponent. It’s all a part of a beautiful display of wrestling psychology, an aspect which The Undertaker mastered to unrivalled perfection. The terror he struck in the mind of his opponents won half the battle for him, and no one was ever spared by the Demon of Death Valley.

His myriad of victims include the likes of the great HBK, Triple H, Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Kane, Mankind etc. and he never failed to disappoint in majority of his rivalries. The Undertaker is surprisingly agile for a man of his stature, and is extremely underrated as an in-ring performer. His matches against HBK, Mankind, and Batista to name a few, are testament to this fact. His wide arsenal of moves never fails to vow the audience, and continued to refresh certain aspects well into his 40s, such as the addition of the Hell’s Gate manoeuvre. He doesn’t even hesitate to go the top rope to perform his famous arm twist, Old School. Here is a 40+ man perilously standing on the rope without the support of even the turnbuckles, all in the name of entertaining fans.

The Undertaker has also kick-started the career of several new performers such as Randy Orton, Mankind and most famously his half-brother, the demonic Kane. A wrestler’s career feels unfinished if that particular wrestler has never crossed paths with the ultimate legend himself. Even the Great Khali made a name for himself at the beginning of his career by pinning The Undertaker!

Another great feature of ‘Taker’s career has been his constant character evolution. Initially he was portrayed as a sadistic demon risen from the depths of Hell, going to the extent to of locking The Ultimate Warrior in a casket. Over time he became a ‘face’, but retained similar aspects, and drew his mystical powers from the ‘Urn’ which was in constant possession of Paul Bearer. It was believed that the Urn had the power to control The Undertaker. In the Attitude Era, The Undertaker took his satanic character to the absolute limit, portraying himself as the ‘Lord of Darkness’ and become truly evil. After that, he would become the ‘American Bad A**’, a biker character, which was a complete contrast from his earlier supernatural gimmick, before eventually becoming the Deadman again in 2004.

The mic skill of the ‘Last Outlaw’ is also phenomenal, and the mere sound of his voice has sent chill down the spines of the most experienced wrestlers such as Edge, John Cena, Stone Cold, and Triple H. When the gong goes off, and the arena’s lights go off, The Undertaker has a frightening tendency to appear out of nowhere to scare the daylight out of his prey, much to the delight of the live audience.

Of course, The Undertaker’s lasting legacy and his greatest claim to fame is his spectacular undefeated streak at WrestleMania. The Phenom is 20-0 at the ‘Showcase of the Immortals’, having vanquished mighty foes such as Triple H, Batista, HBK, Kane and Edge to name a few. The Undertaker has become the very essence of WrestleMania itself, and the event would feel hollow without the Deadman’s presence. Legends have been born and made at WrestleMania, but The Undertaker’s importance in the event’s astronomical growth is perhaps unrivalled. Shawn Michaels might be ‘Mr. WrestleMania’, but we all know what WrestleMania is really about. Even last year’s historical main event of The Rock vs John Cena couldn’t steal the spotlight from The Undertaker’s matchup with Triple H.

The Undertaker carried the SmackDown! brand for most of the last decade, and when he was on show, the blue brand was truly equal to the red brand. The Undertaker’s presence is unlike any other performers, and one of my greatest regrets will be the fact that I may never get to see The Undertaker live, in flesh and blood. ‘Taker’s infectious aura has inspired a whole generation of wrestlers, and will inspire countless aspiring professional wrestlers for a long time to come.

Retiring Shawn Michaels was easily the hardest part of ‘Taker’s career, and in his words, it ‘humanised’ him, something that Kane alluded to as well. The Undertaker has been a hero to millions, and is all but nearing retirement. His upcoming WrestleMania match against CM Punk could be his final match, and it is fitting that he only goes out at WrestleMania. There will never be another Undertaker, and his streak his unlikely to ever be matched again, given it’s sheer longevity.

Nobody is looking forward to the day that when The Undertaker will finally ‘Rest In Peace’, but let us all take a moment and bask in his greatness.

Michael Laudrup paid the price for fielding a weakened line-up, essentially handing the game on a silver platter to a Liverpool side in desperate need of a victory.

The talking points from the game were:

Luis Suarez steals the show yet again:

The press seems to have run out of adjectives to describe the Uruguayan, as he stole the show against the Welsh side. The forward was in imperious form, constantly terrorizing a weakened Swansea defence, and literally ghosting through the defence with ease, especially in the second half. His usage of space was intelligent, and strived to extract the best from his team-mates throughout the game. Developing a beautiful partnership with Sturridge, Suarez set-up the Englishman on numerous occasions with his incredible range of passing.

His goal was extremely well taken, but will be frustrated for not having scored more, as he let several chances slip by. In the end, it barely mattered, and the Swans will certainly be happy to have seen the back of him. At times, it appeared as if he was just strolling past the defence; such was the nature of his play. He also linked up well with new signing Coutinho, providing a sumptuous assist for the goal, just 16 seconds into the second half.

Michael Laudrup paid a heavy price:

Looking at the Swansea line-up before the game, you would’ve probably thought that your eyes were deceiving you. Ashley Williams, Michu, Wayne Routledge, Angel Rangel and Nathan Dyer were rested, with Chico Flores injured. Going to Anfield is never an easy trip, no matter what kind of form Liverpool are in, and the Swans made a mockery of themselves. Not to discredit the Liverpool performance, as they would’ve beaten the strongest Swansea line-up with ease based on their wonderful performance, but they would’ve at least been made to work for the victory.

The central defensive partnership of Bartley and Monk was ripped to shreds, with only Monk having kept his reputation intact among the entire back-four, heroically rescuing the team on numerous occasions in the first-half. The team was on the backfoot the entire game, and a 5-0 loss before a cup final is a huge blow, something that Laudrup will have to rectify.

Liverpool played beautiful football:

The build-up to Jose Enrique’s goal was filled with excellent touches and great passes. Each player was tactically aware, and was able to read the movement of his teammates. Enrique, Suarez and Sturridge displayed team football at its finest, and the goal was easily the best of the evening, serving to highlight how brilliant the Reds actually were, despite Swansea resting several crucial figures.

Throughout the game, Gerrard and Suarez worked in tandem to bypass and destroy the defence, while Coutinho was making a decent amount of runs. He also provided an excellent pass for Sturridge. Johnson and Enrique drove down the wings with purpose and linked up well with the rest of the attack. Constantly passing and moving the ball around, the Reds effectively passed Swansea to death at times. In reality, Liverpool should have scored at least 10 goals, because they nearly had 40 attempts on goal.

Will this game revive Liverpool?

Liverpool have played some scintillating football since the turn of the year, and are probably the most aesthetically pleasing side watch in the league, along with Arsenal. Against Albion and Zenit St. Petersburg, the Reds simply failed to hit the target, but banging in five goals would greatly help their confidence ahead of their crucial midweek clash against Zenit. The Russians will head to Anfield wary of their hosts, knowing full well what Suarez and Co. are capable of.

While a top 4 finish seems highly unlikely, the Reds should aim to finish the season on a strong note and aim to finish no lower than 5th, which would almost certainly guarantee them Europa League football next season. It’s a shame that the Reds don’t have at least 10 points more at this stage of the season, having thrown away point after point. The quality in the Liverpool line-up is immense, and in the coming years, expect them to regain their status as one of Europe’s top dogs.

Struggling Merseysiders Liverpool welcome Swansea City to Anfield on Sunday afternoon, at a time when their Champions League aspirations look to be dead and buried for good. Having dominated West Brom completely on Monday, they somehow managed to lose the game 2-0, something that only they seem to be capable of this season. Swansea ran out 4-1 winners against bottom feeders QPR last time out, and will be looking to rectify their horrendous away form against a Liverpool side that has gone three games without a victory.

The Swans have won just one of their last six away fixtures, and will be looking to secure a victory over a Liverpool side that still hasn’t beaten a team in the top half the entire season. The trip will mark Rodgers’ first visit back to Swansea since he joined Liverpool back in August. The Reds haven’t beaten Swansea this season, and were booted out of the League Cup in a humbling 3-1 defeat at the hands of Michael Laudrup’s men in October at Anfield.

Steven Gerrard has enjoyed a rejuvenation of sorts this season, and has been very extremely influential to the Liverpool cause. The skipper has played every second this campaign, having contributed 13 assists; the highest in the division alongside Carlos Tevez. However, Gerrard shockingly fluffed an 80th minute penalty against West Brom on Monday; one of his rare misses, in a game that the Reds ultimately lost.

The Reds have failed to win their last four matches, but have won five of their last seven fixtures at Anfield. Three excellent performances against West Brom, Manchester City and Arsenal were followed by the same old problem plaguing the Reds. Dominating in attack, unable to hold on to a lead, and seemingly incapable of closing out a game. The Swans have conceded only ten goals on the road this season, but haven’t won away from home since winning at Fulham in December.

In Michu, Laudrup secured the bargain of the season, with the instrumental Spaniard having scored 15 league goals this season, including a brace against QPR. Michu and Pablo Hernandez have been excellent for Swansea, who are still well positioned to fight for a European spot, and have also reached the League Cup final.

Defender Chico Flores, another revelation for the Welsh side, will miss the trip to Merseyside, having ruptured his ankle ligaments. It will dent Swansea’s water-tight defence which has conceded only four goals in their last eight competitive fixtures. It will face a stern test against Luis Suarez and co and the Uruguayan will be looking to inspire his side to victory, and at least give them a fighting chance to be the black horses in the Champions League race.

Daniel Sturridge is set to return to the Liverpool starting line-up, having missed a few games due to a thigh injury, which means Jonjo Shelvey will drop to the bench. Phillipe Coutinho is also expected to be given a run-out on Sunday, but is unlikely to start. Swansea midfielder Leon Britton could make his return, after spending time on the sidelines due to an ankle injury.

Interesting Facts:

- Liverpool haven’t scored against Swansea in the Premier League, having drawn two and lost one.

- The Reds are the only side in Europe’s big five leagues (England, Italy, Spain, Germany and France) to have had more than 500 shots on goal this campaign. And to think the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich were more aggressive than Liverpool. If only Messi plied his trade at Anfield…

- The Reds have conceded only twelve goals at home, second only to Man City (11).

- Michu has scored five headers this season, the highest.

Prediction:

The Reds have never scored against Swansea in the Premier League, and they desperately need to secure a victory or risk losing out on even a Europa League spot. The Swans will be confident heading to Anfield, and it may come back to bite them in the end, as the home side are more desperate at this stage. A close victory for Liverpool seems to be a possibility.

Liverpool 2-1 Swansea City

Referee: Mark Halsley

Kick-Off: 21: 30 IST

Title chasing Manchester United will be seeking redemption, as they face Everton this Sunday at Old Trafford. Everton beat United 1-0 at Goodison Park on the opening day of the campaign, and are currently enjoying one of their best seasons in recent years under David Moyes. The Blues of Merseyside are remarkably in contention for a Champions League spot, despite the financial might of rivals Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal. Everton sit only six points behind fourth placed Tottenham, who have played a game more than the Toffees.

United are sitting pretty at the helm of the table, nine points clear of Manchester City. Playing with ruthless efficiency, the current United side is being considered as one of Sir Alex’s finest sides, and led by the inimitable Premier League top scorer Robin Van Persie. However it would be wrong to give credit only to Van Persie, as the likes of Michael Carrick and Johnny Evans have been in inspired form throughout the season. And in typical United fashion, the Red Devils have snatched victory after staring down the barrel at the jaws of defeat on numerous occasions.

Complacency on United’s part is something that Ferguson will be careful about, given the horrors of last season. In this particular fixture last season, United led Everton 4-2 at Old Trafford, only for the Toffees to stage a spectacular comeback to score two goals, and snatch a point from certain defeat. United lost two crucial points, and City were left only three points behind them, and the rest is history.

Manchester United

United beat Fulham 1-0 courtesy a Wayne Rooney goal last time out, and are now unbeaten in their last 13 competitive fixtures. Rooney has been hitting the right notes at the right time, having scored eight goals in his last seven outings, and also scored for England against Brazil. The fixture schedule has been tough on Sir Alex’s men, as they face the mouth-watering trip to the Santiago Bernabeu stadium for the tantalizing Round of 16 UEFA Champions League clash against Real Madrid.

Sir Alex has publicly announced his intentions to rotate his squad for the two crucial fixtures, and do not be surprised if you see Van Persie sitting on the bench at the Goodison. With a healthy lead over City, Ferguson  could be tempted to field a weaker squad against Everton, but given the nature of the depth of the United squad, ‘weak’ would be a very inappropriate term to say the least.

Everton are also one of the only three sides to have beaten United this season, but will have to be in inspired form on Sunday, as United have won their last nine league games at home. In total, they have won eleven of twelve at home this season, a solitary defeat against Tottenham the exception.

Carrick is a doubt for the game, and also missed the international friendly. Ashley Young has made his return after five games on the sidelines, but is likely to start on the bench. Phil Jones is a long-term absentee for Ferguson.

Everton

Everton were held to a 3-3 draw by Aston Villa at home last time out, and despite dominating the Villains for majority of the game, they needed a last-gasp strike from star player Maroune Fellaini to secure the point. Players like Kevin Mirallas, Leighton Baines, and Leon Osman have been instrumental for the Blues this campaign, and Sir Alex has acknowledged and praised the consistency of Everton.

The Toffees have failed to win at Old Trafford since 1992, and will be hoping to complete their first league double over the Red Devils since 1969. Fellaini, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea and several big guns, scored the winner last time out, and Sir Alex will be wary of the Belgian’s threat. Vice captain Phil Jagielka missed England’s mid-week clash against Brazil due to a knock, but is expected to return to the starting line-up on Sunday.

However, Tony Hibbert and Seamus Coleman are still on the treatment table, and Moyes is expected to name an unchanged line-up from last week’s draw with Villa.

Interesting Facts

- United have picked up 27 points from losing positions this season, and Everton have picked up 21. Maybe Moyes is the right man to replace Ferguson after all.

- Wayne Rooney has scored five goals in his last four games against his former club.

- The Leighton Baines – Steven Pienaar combination has created 43% of Everton’s chances this season. Rafael will have to be on the top of his game.

- United have picked up 62 points from 25 games this season, their highest ever tally at this stage of the season.

Prediction

The match has all the ingredients to be a cracking contest, and it will be very closely fought. With one eye on the trip to Madrid, and the fact that Everton have greater need for a victory, I’m going to be bold, and predict an upset; a win for the Toffees, with Mirallas, Baines, and Fellaini stealing the spotlight.

Manchester United 1-2 Everton

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 03: Luis Suarez of Liverpool tangles with Javi Garcia of Manchester City during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool

Manchester City secured a rather fortuitous 2-2 draw at home against Liverpool in an extremely intense and exciting game of football. The champions were 10 points behind title rivals Manchester United at the start of the game, and desperately required a win against the Reds, who sat 10 points behind Tottenham in 4th, and were also in dire need of a victory.

City’s first home game since Mario Balotelli‘s departure was marked with several signs from the supporters about their enigmatic former striker.

City got the better of the opening exchanges, and tried to force the issue against Liverpool. However, despite the gruelling mid-week fixture at the Emirates, the Reds refused to be intimidated inside the champions’ den, and slowly started to assert their authority. With Gerrard and Henderson at the heart of their midfield, Liverpool were able to overwhelm the City midfield for large parts of the first half. In spite of that, it was the Citizens who took the lead through Edin Dzeko, who tapped in a simple goal after being fed by a hard-working James Milner.

It was an extremely soft goal to concede for Liverpool, as Milner received the ball from a throw in and was given too much time to deliver a cross. Just six minutes later, City appealed for a foul on a challenge on Dzeko by Agger. The referee waved it away, and the Reds went on to attack with Dzeko remaining grounded. The home crowd booed relentlessly, and the boos intensified when their former player, Daniel Sturridge, scored a peach of a goal from twenty yards out to level the contest.

In the words of the commentators, the Reds did nothing wrong as the referee waved on the protests, and were well within their rights to attack the home goal. Sturridge, who didn’t celebrate his goal, was in inspired form throughout the match. He gave the Liverpool attack an extra dimension, and was able to nicely hold up play as well. He continued his telepathic partnership with Luis Suarez, the latter making a nuisance of himself as usual.

The duo were very much up to task as they gave Mataja Nastasic a pretty hard time. At the other end, the City attack was virtually non-existent for large parts of the first half, with David Silva unable to get a foothold on the game. Yaya Toure’s presence would have greatly evened things out, as Javi Garcia was constantly overrun and passed into circles by Gerrard and Co. At the half-time whistle, Rodgers was clearly the happier manager, and it was certain that Liverpool would go for the win.

The Reds would once again come out all guns blazing in the second half, as the trident of Gerrard, Sturridge, and Suarez looked to kill off City’s rapidly fading title challenge. Such was the dominant nature of Liverpool’s attack that veteran defender Jamie Carragher nearly scored from six yards out from a Suarez cross, only for Joleon Lescott’s last minute intervention to deny the Liverpool legend a rare goal. Sturridge, who had a wonderful game up to the 56th minute, blotted his copybook by being booked for simulation. You could already think of the internet ‘trolls’ relishing that moment.

City seemed unable to get the Reds off the ball, and even the introduction of Alexander Kolorav didn’t change that. Introducing Nasri or Tevez would’ve been a better option. City’s only real threat came when Johnson played a short pass to Carragher, who lost it to Aguero, only to win it back seconds later, snuffing out the chance. The full-backs, Johnson and Enrique, consistently bombarded down the flanks, making life harder for their opposite numbers.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 03: Steven Gerrard of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool

Liverpool would take the lead through a beautiful 30-yard goal from Steven Gerrard in the 72nd minute. Gael Clichy cleared Johnson’s pass into the penalty area, only for it to be chested down by Gerrard 30 yards out. In vintage Gerrard fashion, he unleashed a screamer that flew past Joe Hart, who could do nothing about it. The goal capped a scintillating game for Gerrard; and every day now, people constantly seem to run out of adjectives to describe Captain Fantastic. It was a goal reminiscent of one he scored against West Ham United in the 2006 FA Cup Final.

It was all going so well for the Reds, who looked well on course to snatch a well-deserved victory, only for Pepe Reina to hand City a lifeline. It was poor timing from Reina, who unwisely tried to go forward to clear a ball from Aguero, when it was obvious that the striker would get to it first. Aguero would hit the ball from an awkward angle, and score a fantastic goal to bring City level barely a few minutes after the Reds had taken the lead, while Reina hung his head in shame.

The goal sparked the previously anonymous Aguero into life, and became City’s driving force for the rest of the game. Liverpool were shocked at being pegged back by the howler, but still attempted to come forward at every attempt, despite the obvious fatigue.

In the end, it finished 2-2, and the champions were rather lucky to escape with a point. Mancini would be extremely disappointed with his side’s play, and would be dreaming of Yaya Toure’s impending return. While the Reds got two points from two tough away fixtures, they will be extremely disappointed at not having picked up six points from the clashes. It looks as if the continuous choking is going to cost Liverpool a top 4 spot, and City the title, but there are still 13 games left to play.

A result that neither side wanted, on a day that both sides, for all practical purposes, lost.

City, who have kept four consecutive clean sheets, beat Liverpool 3-0 in the corresponding fixture last season, and will be looking to cut the 10-point gap between them and United. They also fell further off the pace in mid-week, when they drew 0-0 at QPR of all places. Now without the ever controversial Mario Balotelli, City will look to beat a Liverpool side who have not beaten a side from the top 10 this season.

Manchester City

Major absentees are Yaya Toure and inspirational skipper Vincent Kompany. Toure is away on AFCON duty, while Kompany is suffering from a calf injury and is expected to be out for three weeks. Kolo Youre is also away on AFCON duty and right-back Micah Richards is also expected to miss out, nursing a knee injury.

Mataja Nasatsic will start in centre-back in place of Kompany, but his fitness also remains an issue, and could only start from the subs’ bench against QPR. That would mean that Javi Garcia will drop in at centre-back again, something that could work in Liverpool’s favour.

Liverpool

Pepe Reina, Jose Enrique and Glen Johnson all returned in the tumultuous 2-2 draw at Arsenal in mid-week and are expected to regain their places in the starting line-up. Andre Wisdom could drop to the bench, but the manager could very well spring a surprise and start him. Martin Kelly is still the only long-term absentee for Liverpool, who otherwise have a fully fit squad for the daunting trip.

Jordan Henderson will continue in midfield, after having an excellent game against Arsenal. Joe Allen would remain on the bench, despite putting up his best performance of the season against City last time out. New signing Phillpe Coutinho could feature from the bench.

Manchester City (4-2-3-1):

Hart

Zabaleta – Lescott – Nasatasic – Clichy

Barry – Garcia

Nasri – Tevez – Silva

Aguero

Liverpool (4-2-3-1):

Reina

Johnson – Agger – Skrtel – Enrique

Henderson – Lucas

Sterling – Gerrard – Suarez

Sturridge

Manchester City

City’s defence has been excellent all season long, having let in only 19 goals, the closest challengers being Chelsea, who have conceded 27. Since losing to United in December, City have kept six clean sheets in all competitions at the Etihad Stadium. City have been in decent form as of late, slowly trying to cut a rampant United’s deficit at the top. Dropping two points in mid-week, in a game that they dominated, was a huge blow for City, who now sit 10 points behind their illustrious rivals.

The offense has been largely ineffective this season, compared to the brilliance of last season. City have scored only 45 goals, compared to United’s 59, and only Edin Dzeko has scored 10 or more goals in league play. City do have plenty of fire-power, and with the likes of Aguero and Silva, they’ll fancy their chances against a Liverpool side with terrible away form.

Liverpool

Employing a counter-attacking strategy against Arsenal for the first time this season, the Reds swung both ways during the match, which ultimately ended in a draw. Barring the shocking defeat to Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup, the Reds have blown past inferior opposition, yet their record against top sides has been horrendous, losing twice to United, once to Arsenal and once to Tottenham.

It’s either been a case of being unable to close out games, like the games against City and Tottenham, or poor tactics from Rodgers, like Arsenal at Anfield and at United. The Reds do have the arsenal and talent to finish in the Top 4 and a win against City would be a massive boost for Rodgers’ men, but a terrible result for the Citizens.

- Liverpool have won only one of their last eight Premier League meetings against City, losing twice and recording five draws.

- City have claimed 103 points from the last 114 possible at home. Talk about a fortress! Additionally, the Reds have failed to score in the last three league games at City.

- Liverpool won 1-0 at City in the Carling Cup last season, their only home defeat in English football in the season.

- The Reds have scored in their last eleven league games, their best run since May 2011.

- Tevez hasn’t scored in his last eight league games.

This will be a pretty evenly matched game, and look for a terrific midfield battle, although City will miss the bite of Toure in midfield. Despite City’s home form, the Reds will be eager to prove themselves and it will be a hard fought match.

Prediciton: Manchester City 2-2 Liverpool