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Martin O’Neill has made his first signing of the summer- and it is Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell. Sidwell moved to Chelsea on a free transfer last summer from Reading, but failed to cement a place in the starting XI with players like Ballack, Essien and Lampard playing alongside him.

The Villains have paid 5 million pounds for Sidwell, and he has signed a three year contract at Villa Park.

Sidwell has apparently agreed to take a wage cut. His wages at Villa are reported to £45,000 a week, £15,000 lower than the £60,000 he earned at Chelsea.

However Sidwell has reportedly got a bigger signing on bonus.

Image originally taken by Mark Freeman.

If Danish legend Peter Schmeichel is to be believed, his son Kasper will not be at the City of Manchester Stadium next season. The 21 year old is below Joe Hart and Andreas Isaksson in Sven Goran Eriksson’s goalkeeper list, and with Eriksson unable to guarantee him a regular starting place, Kasper is set to leave City.

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According to news reports coming in, Brazilian playmaker forward Ronaldinho and Italian giants A.C. Milan have agreed initial terms for the player to move to Italy. Ronaldinho’s agent, his brother Roberto, reportedly told Gazzetta dello Sport that ” In general, Ronaldinho and Milan are in agreement”.

There has been a lot of talk about Ronaldinho leaving Barcelona. Once the darling of fans at the Nou Camp and rated the best player on the planet, the Brazilian has struggled to rekindle the form that endeared him to one and all in the La Liga. Injuries have not helped his cause either, with a leg injury ensuring that he will take no further part in Barcelona’s campaing this season.

This means that Milan have to now reach an agreement with Barcelona.

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South African midfielder Steven Pienaar is unsure whether he will don an Everton jersey next season. Pienaar, who has impressed on the left side of midfield, is currently on loan at Goodison Park from Borussia Dortmund. There is an option in his contract that allows him to leave Signal Iduna Park for 2.2 million pounds, but Everton must do so before April 30.

Pienaar joined Dortmund from Ajax, but failed to adapt at the German club and was shipped off to Everton on a year long loan in July 2007. The Johannesburg born player has enjoyed his stint at Goodison Park and has stated his intent in the past to convert his move into a permanent one.

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Will Peter Crouch stay at Anfield ? If reports like this one are to be believed, then fans at Anfield may not be seeing the lanky striker at the club next season. With Fernando Torres in outstanding form,  and with Kuyt and Voronin also to be considered, Crouch has made just seven Premiership starts this season. Although Benitez has preferred to play Kuyt on the right wing in recent times, that is not a position where he can play Crouch, whose strength lies in his heading ability. Crouch has also demonstrated that he is not crippled for ideas when the ball is on his feet, with some decent goals in the recent past.

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Arsene Wenger will be livid at Pieter Vink. And has right reason for being so. Despite being in perfect view of Dirk Kuyt dragging Aliaksandr Hleb by the arm in the penalty box, the Dutch referee waved away desperate Arsenal appeals for a penalty.

And that decision may come to haunt Wenger as his side travels to Anfield for the second leg of this quarterfinal tie a week from now. Liverpool are one of the toughest teams to beat at home, and the Anfield crowd will not help Arsenal’s cause at well. It is the Reds that hold the advantage going into the second leg as they came out of the Emirates stadium with a draw and an away goal to their name.

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An early kickoff on Easter weekend saw Portsmouth travel to White Hart Lane to play Spurs.  With Jermain Defoe forced to watch the match from the stands due to a ruling that prevents on loan players from appearing against their former club until the transfer is officially registered, Redknapp chose to start with Utaka and Kanu, with Milan Baros on the bench.

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said that he is confident that French midfielder Mathieu Flamini will sign an extension to his contract and will stay with the Gunners.

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Prior to this game, Derby had gone 25 games without a win in all competitions. Yesterday night, 25 became 26 at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea put six past Paul Jewell’s hapless side.

The win sees Chelsea move to 61 points, five behind leaders Arsenal. The Blues do have a game in hand, and so do Manchester United, who are on 64.

Derby have scored only 10 points all season, and relegation to the Championship looks all but guaranteed for the Rams. They simply do not have the resources to compete successfully at the highest level, not in this season at least.

Frank Lampard scored four, with Joe Cole and Salomon Kalou contributing one each. David Jones scored a consolation goal for the visitors.

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It is something that one would never have thought possible a decade back. But David Beckham, former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder, may train with United’s fierce domestic rivals, Arsenal, as he attempts to become the fifth English player to win 100 caps for country.

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Manchester City are reportedly planning to move for Inter Milan’s Brazilian striker Adriano, if reports in the BBC are to be believed. City’s current strike force includes Giorgios Samaras, Emile Mpenza, Valeri Bojinov, Darius Vassell and Rolando Bianchi. While all these players are decent in their own right, they are not the strikers you would want to launch a serious attempt at Europe. Bojinov has been bogged by injuries, and the rest have been decent at best.

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Swedish manager Sven Goran Eriksson has been officially named new manager of Manchester City. The former England manager replaces Stuart Pearce at the Eastlands club. Read the rest of this entry »

West Ham have signed Bordeaux midfielder Julian Faubert for a fee of 6.1 million pounds. Faubert was interested in moving to Rangers, but the Scottish giants were reportedly unable to meet Bordeaux’s expectations for the young French winger, having had a four million bid rejected earlier.

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Remember the brawl that took place during the Carling Cup final ?? Yes in  the same game which Chelsea won 2-1 thanks to Drogba and which saw Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure and John Obi Mikel get sent off.

Arsenal and Chelsea have both been fined £100, 000 for their involvement in the brawl.

The way this game started, I thought we might well see 10 + goals- kinda like the football manager games where thrashing teams by a margin by greater than 5 goals is quite routine.

I wasn’t prepared for what I saw in the first 6 minutes- to tell you frankly- you don’t put on the idiot box and expect to see goals being scored every two minute in a 5th round FA cup clash.

Heinze was the unlikely scorer of the first goal, Saha the second and Solskjaer the third… and to tell ya, Reading’s defence would not like to look at the replays of the first three goals. Kitson pulled one back for Reading in the 23rd minute, and after that United were subject to constant bombardment from Reading.

Some poor finishing and inability to find the back of the net would have frustrated many Reading fans, but England U-21 international Leroy Lita scored in the 84th minute to reduce the margin to 1. The game could have very well gone into ET for all its worth, but United hung on- and their reward- a 6th round clash vs Middlesbrough

The People
are reporting that Reading medio Steve Sidwell is on the wishlist of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

Sidwell’s contract runs out at the end of the 2006-2007 season and Mourinho is reportedly considering bringing the player to the Bridge. Now for the list of Chelsea’s midfielders-people who can play in midfield-

Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard, Claude Makelele, John Obi Mikel, Joe Cole, Shaun Wright Philips, Michael Essien. Add Arjen Robben and Lassana Diarra to that list .

Sidwell has age on his side- he is just 24, and he has been a key figure for the Royals after joining them in 2003. Alan Pardew, who currently manages Charlton, brought him in as a 20 year old  for an estimated initial fee of 75, 000 pounds. Sidwell impressed Pardew during his loan spell at Brighton, where he found the net 5 times in 12 games. He has since gone on to play 162 games for Reading.

It is unlikely that Sidwell will get as much time on the pitch at the Bridge as he currently gets at the Madjeski. Yet, I think having an home born midfielder will do Chelsea a world of good- for Sidwell knows the English game very well. Acclamatising won’t be a problem for him.

Reading have performed above expectations this season after winning promotion to the Big Boys’ league by winning the Championship last season. They are currently sixth in the table, and have a 5th round replay against leaders Manchester United to come.

Qualifying for Europe might keep Sidwell at the club where he has been such a pivotal influence over the last few years. Joining Chelsea would mean a return to London for Sidwell, who is a product of Arsenal’s youth system. Celtic are also reportedly interested in securing his signature.

The board of Liverpool FC has accepted an offer from US businessmen George Gilett and Tom Hicks for a takeover of the club.

The board has called for a press conference at 2 PM UK time to announce details of the buyout.

The Americans are reported to have offered 5000 pounds for each Liverpool share, putting the issued share capital of the club at 1.74 million pounds.

“Together with the £44.8million of net debt in the club as at December 31 2006, this represents an enterprise value for Liverpool of £218.9 million.”

Current Liverpool chairman David Moores is expected to become honorary life president at Anfield after the takeover. The money is expected to be used to construct a new stadium at Stanley Park. The takeover will also give Liverpool more teeth in the transfer market where they haven’t been able to compete with the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid and even West Ham in recent times.

The 5 time European champions will  join Manchester United, Chelsea, West Ham, Aston Villa and Portsmouth  in the list of English clubs in foreign hands.

I do hope that this brings in some big name signings to Anfield. We haven’t made any major signings in the last three to 4 years, and getting some quality players might help us achieve the level of consistency we have so badly been seeking in the league.

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard will  wear the captain’s armband for his country’s international friendly against Spain today at Old Trafford. Gerrard deputises for John Terry, who hasn’t still fully recovered from a back injury  to play the full  90 minutes.

Meanwhile the game could see Joey Barton capped for the first time at international level. Chris Kirkland, Wayne Bridge and Andy Johnson have injuries, while Jenas and Hargreaves will not play. Tuesday’s game could also see Jonathan Woodgate and Gareth Barry in action for the three Lions.

For Spain, Raul hasn’t been included in the squad. Xabi Alonso will relish the challenge of facing his Liverpool colleague in midfield. The game is Spain’s first in England since February 2001.

Chelsea v Blackpool / Norwich
Watford v Ipswich
Preston v Man City
Plymouth v Derby County
Man Utd v Reading
Arsenal / Bolton v Blackburn
Bristol City /Middlesbrough v West Bromwich Albion
Fulham v Tottenham

There are two teams mentioned against a single, because a replay has to be played to decide the winner among the two.

Looking at the draw, Chelsea should progress safely. So should Watford and Manchester City on basis of reputation. I’d back Derby to beat Plymouth and I think Bolton can dump both Arsenal and Blackburn out of this. The Bolton Arsenal game is at the Reebok and Arsenal do not like playing there. Recent statistics certainly say so.

Tottenham might just edge out Fulham and Boro should beat Bristol and WBA. That leaves you with United Reading, and I think Steve Coppell’s men can beat United. They will need to play out of their skins, but I think they can do it.

Big Sam has conceded defeat in the race for Birmingham medio David Dunn.  Bolton had arranged a medical for the Birmingham medio and all roads seemed to point to the Reebok, but Blackburn Rovers hijacked with a late bid for their former trainee.

Dunn was discussing personal terms with Bolton and his decision to move to Blackburn will not go down well with Allarydce. The lure of going back home was too much for Dunn, who has had an injury prone career with Birmingham.Blackburn need cover after Steven Reid was injured earlier in the season.  They sold him for 5 and a half million in 2003 and he is now expected to sign for a fee which is reported to be 2 million upto appearances.

Alrite, I thought Liverpool really didn’t deserve to lose to Arsenal on Saturday. But two losses against the same team in a matter of days hurts…and hurts a lot.

Arsenal played a young side. Liverpool played a squad which only had Gerrard and Dudek from the game on Saturday. Lee Peltier and Gabriel Palletta were cruelly exposed in the heart of defence.

And 6 goals conceded at home…that is what pisses me off. I know I have to be neutral, but I am just venting out my frustration .

Julio Baptista of all people comes and scores 4. Well, probably he’s managed to tell his boss that he is a STRIKER and not a medio or a winger or anything like that.

With this, Pool are out of the FA , out the Carling Cup, in no position to challenge for the league and Barcelona meet us in the Champions League. A trophyless season awaits.

Meanwhile, Arsenal face Spurs in the semifinals. That should be an interesting game to watch.

Ed- And to add insult to injury, Luis Garcia is now going to be out for 6 months for rupturing anterior ligament.

Arsenal

In :

Out: Joe O’ Cearuill ( Loan- Brighton and Hove Albion), Anthony Stokes ( Sunderland-2m) Lauren ( Portsmouth), Alexandre Song ( Charlton- loan), Sebastian Larsson ( Birmingham City-1M)

Aston Villa

In : Philip Bardsley ( Manchester United- loan) John Carew ( Lyon), Ashley Young ( Watford-9.65), Shaun Maloney ( Celtic - 1M)

Out : Peter Whittingham ( Coventry), Eric Djemba Djemba (Loan Burnley), Milan Baros ( Lyon), Robert Green ( Lincoln- free), Lee Hendrie ( Stoke- loan)

Blackburn Rovers

In: David Dunn ( Birmingham-undisclosed, Stephen Warnock ( Liverpool), Bruno Berner ( Basel)

Out : Dominic Matteo ( Stoke -free) Lucas Neill ( West Ham), James Mceveley ( Derby -600k), Andy Taylor ( Huddersfield- loan)

Bolton Wanderers

In : Zoltan Harsanyi ( FC Senec loan), David Thompson ( Portsmouth)

Out : Przemyslaw Kazimierczak ( Accrington- loan), Johan Smith ( Carlisle- loan)
Charlton Athletic :

In: Ben Thatcher ( Man City- 500K), Madjid Boughera ( Sheffield Wednesday -2.5 M). Alexandre Song ( Arsenal- loan)

Zheng Zhi ( Loan- Shandong Luneng)

Out : Stephan Andersen ( Brondby), Djimi Traore ( Portsmouth), Jonathan Fortune ( loan-Stoke), Simon Walton ( loan- Cardiff) Kelly Youga ( Bradford- loan)

Chelsea

In :

Out : Ryan Bertrand ( Bournemouth- loan)

Everton

In : Manuel Fernandes ( Benfica -loan)

Out: David Weir ( Rangers- free), Simon Davies ( Fulham)

Fulham

In : Vincenzo Montella ( Loan- Roma), Simon Davies ( Everton), Alexei Smertin ( Dynamo Moscow)

Out : Luis Boa Morte ( West Ham 5 M), Bjorn Lunstrom ( Loan- Luton), Gabriel Zakuani ( Stoke- loan)

Liverpool

In: Danielle Padielli ( Loan- Sampdoria), Emiliano Insua ( Boca Juniors- loan), Jordy Brouwer ( Ajax), Alvaro Arbeloa ( Deportivo- 2.6), Francesco Duran ( Real Malaga)
Out : Stephen Warnock ( Blackburn) , Salif Diao ( Loan-Stoke)

Manchester City

In: Kevin Ball ( PSV Eindoven), Djamel Abdoun ( Ajaccio- loan)

Out: Kelvin Etuhu ( Rochdale- Loan), Ben Thatcher( Charlton- 500K), Kasper schemichel ( Falkirk- loan), Claudio Reyna ( New York Red Bulls-free release from contract) Marc Laird ( Northampton -loan) M.Mills ( Colchester-loan)

Manchester United

In : Henrik Larrsson ( Loan- Helsingborg)

Out: David Jones ( Derby 1 M approx), Jonny Evans ( Loan- Sunderland), Philip Bardsley ( Aston Villa- loan), Adam Eckersley ( Barnley-Loan), Giuseppe Rossi ( Parma -loan), Danny Simpson ( Sunderland- loan)

Middlesbrough

In :

Out: Kevin Burgess ( Darlington- free) Ugo Ehiogu ( Rangers-free), Massimo Maccarone ( Siena)

Newcastle

In : Oguchi Onweyu ( Standard Liege- loan)

Portsmouth

In : Djimi Traore ( Charlton), Lauren ( Arsenal)

Out: R. Duffy ( Swansea- loan), Dean Kiely ( WBA- free), David Thompson ( Bolton)

Reading

In : Mikkel Andersen ( AB Copenhagen), Oliver Bozanic, Alan Benett ( Cork), Greg Halford ( Colchester) Michael Duberry ( Stoke)

Out: Scott Colbourne ( Wycombe -loan)

Sheffield United

In : Matthew Kilgallon ( Leeds- 1.75M ), Jonathan Stead ( Sunderland- 750K), Mamadou Seck (Le Havre - free), Luton Shelton ( Helsingborg -2M). Ahmed Fathi ( Ismaily -700K)

Out: Ade Akinbiyi ( Burnley- 750 K). David Unsworth ( Wigan- free), Steve Kabba ( Watfor-500 K) , Jordan Robertson ( Northampton -loan), G.Horsfield ( Leicester- loan), Kevan Hurst- ( Scunthorpe- loan)

Tottenham

In: Adel Taarabt ( Loan-Lens), Ben Alnwick ( Sundeland- 900K), Ricardo Rocha ( Benfica)

Out: Martin Fulop ( Sunderland- 500K), Calum Davenport ( West Ham- undisclosed), Robert Burch ( Barnet- loan), Edgar Davids ( Ajax ), STuart lewis ( Barnet-loan), Mark Yeates ( Leicester-loan), Reto Ziegler ( Sampdoria-loan)

Watford

In : Moses Ashikodi ( Rangers), Lee Williamson, Will Hoskins ( Rotherham - 1 M), Steve Kabba ( Sheffield- 500K), Cedric Avinel ( Creteil- free) Johan Cavalli ( Istres-free), Douglas Rinaldi (Veranopolis- loan), Gareth Williams ( Leicester)

Out : Matthew Spring ( Luton -200K ) Ashley Young ( Aston Villa -9.65)

West Ham

In : Luis Boa Morte ( Fulham -5M), Nigel Quashie ( West Brom -1.5M), Calum Davenport ( Tottenham -undisclosed.) Kepa Blanco ( Loan from Sevilla) Lucas Neill ( Blackburn), Matthew Upson ( Birmingham -6M )

Out : Tyrone Mears ( Derby-loan)

Wigan

In : Kristofer Haestad ( Ik Start- Loan), Andreas Gronqvist ( Loan- Helsingborg), David Unsworth ( Sheff United- free ), Caleb Folan ( Chesterfield -500K), Julius Agahowa ( Shakhtar)

Out: Andy Websters ( Loan- Rangers, Mike Pollitt ( Burnley-loan), Gary Teale ( Derby -600k) David Wright ( Ipswich)

( This list is indicative and does not claim to be perfect in all respects. It will be updated from time to time) All figures in pounds. Loan returns not counted.

AS Roma striker Vincenzo Montella has agreed to join Fulham on a 6 month loan deal. Montella, who is currently with the Gialarossi for the 8th consecutive year, did not play much in 2006 due to injury. He figured in the 2002 World cup, but was not part of the Azzuri’s winning campaign at Germany 2006.

Montella joined Roma after Sampdoria got relegated for a reported fee of 25 million euros.

Chris Coleman’s boys are currently 12th in the table and Montella will add teeth to their attack.

Aston Villa 0-3 Manchester United ( Ronaldo*2, Scholes)

Impressive game from United again.

Fulham 0-0 West Ham  

Former Charlton fullback Paul Konchesky gets sent off

 Liverpool 2-0 Watford ( Bellamy, Alonso)

3 Points for the Reds, but they are still far away from the leaders.

Manchester City 0-2 Bolton ( Nicolas Anelka*2) 

France striker Anelka scores a brace against his former employers.

Arsenal 6-2 Blackburn ( Gilberto, Hleb, Adebayor, Van Persie*2,  Flamini/ Shabani Nonda*2) 

8 goals- an unprecendented high scoring game this season. 3 of the 6 came in the last give minutes.

Middlesbrough 2-0 Charlton ( Yakubu, Julio Arca) 

A battle between two teams not really in the running for top honours, and Boro win this one.

Newcastle 3-1 Tottenham ( Dyer, Martins, Parker/ Murphy) 

Tottenham’s dismal form away continues as they lose to Glenn Roeder’s men after taking the lead.

Portsmouth 3-1 Sheffield United ( Kozluk OG, Campbell, Pamarot/ Hulse)

3 points in the bag for Pompey

Reading 0-2 Everton ( Johnson, McFadden) 

Good win for the Toffees after that heartbreaking loss against Chelsea.

Wigan 2-3 Chelsea ( Emile Heskey*2/ Lampard, Kalou, Robben) 

Chelsea seem to have taken lessons from Harry Houdini it seems, and games featuring the Blues always seem to have a dramatic finish- a far cry from the team which used to win 1-0. Arjen Robben’s late strike rescues Jose Mourinho’s side, and breaks Wigan hearts.

Internacional have won the FIFA world club Championship after beating favourites Barcelona. Adriano ( Do not confuse him with the guy who plies his trade at the Giuseppe Meazza) scored in the 82nd minute. Barcelona had loads of opportunities and dominated the game, but were unable to find the back of the net.

England head Steve Mclaren has hinted that Joey Barton could be in line for an England call up.

Barton is reportedly among 50 Premiership players whom Mclaren has shortlisted to keep an eye on. The Manchester City midfielder has had displicinary problems in the past, but Mclaren has said that they wouldn’t come in his way. Barton was also a player Mclaren was interested in when he was managed at the Riverside. City had also rejected a verbal offer for the tenacious midfielder from Boro in January 2006.

The midfield for England is great on paper, but they have failed to click as a team. It could be for this reason, that Mclaren has been forced to look ou for people who can deliver on a consistent basis and Barton could figure in his plans.

It was always on the cards, given the Hammers’ abysmal run this season. And finally, the West Ham board have lost patience with the man who guided them back to the Premiership- Alan Pardew.

West Ham had a great season last time around, but this season the London club has struggled - despite signing big names like Mascherano and Tevez. The club has also been  takenover by  Eggert Magnusson.

Pardew’s greatest achievements at Upton Park remain

1.) Guiding em to the top flight and keepin em there.

2.) Reaching the FA final where they lost to Steven Gerrard and Jose Reina.

Who will replace Pardew?? Several options that come up are

1.) Alan Curbishley

2.) Erikkson

3.) The caretaker manager they had when Roeder was sacked- Trevor Brooking.

Manchester United 3-1 Manchester City ( Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha, Cristiano Ronaldo/ Hatem Trabelsi)

This one was the big Manchester derby and the red half prevailed yesterday. City have only themselves to blame, with defensive errors responsible for all three goals. Trabelsi, Thomas Cook player of the month in November, pulled one back for City. Stuart Pearce’s boys need to work on their defence on their travels.

Liverpool 4-0 Fulham ( Steven Gerrard, Luis Garcia, Mark Gonzalez, Jamie Carragher)

Liverpool continued their excellent home form when they thrashed Fulham 4-0. Chris Coleman’s side lost the plot in about 20 after the second half started after keeping the hosts goalless in the first half. Rare one for Jamie too :D. The Reds now move to fourth in the table.

Portsmouth 2-0 Everton ( Matthew Taylor, Kanu)

Two goals which deserved to be on the winning side at the final whistle and so they were. Taylor sent in an audacious volley from 45 yards out to leave Tim Howard stunned. Kanu’s clinical left foot finish guaranteed them three points.

Tottenham 5-1 Charlton ( Dimitar Berbatov*2, Teemu Tainio, Jermaine Defoe, Steed Malbranque, Michael Dawson OG)

Charlton started off things well, but were two goals behind when Spurs struck a double blow just minutes after the half an hour mark. Dawson conceded an own goal to revive Charlton hopes, but Spurs put in a classy performance on the other side of the lemon break to equal United’s 5-1 battering of Fulham. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who has an excellent record against Spurs, was on the bench, and even when he came on, he had too much to do. Defoe’s goal was an absolute cracker, and Malbranque’s volley turned the game in the favour of Jol’s boys.

Bolton 4-0 West Ham ( Kevin Davies, Nicolas Anelka, Diouf)

More troubles for West Ham and Pardew.

Blackburn 1-3 Newcastle ( Morten Gamst Pedersen/ Martins*2, Steven Taylor)

Blackburn who lost to Charlton before coming into this one, were subdued by two Martins goals and one from Steven Taylor. Although Pedersen struck a fine goal, it was little more than false hope after Newcastle had gone 2-0 up in the first half.

Middlesbrough 1-1 Wigan ( Camara, Yakubu)

Some great saves from Schwarzer and a draw is a result Boro will certainly settle for.

Watford 0-0 Reading

Battle between two promoted teams, one in the top half currently and the other in relegation troubles- the game however goalless.

Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea ( Mathieu Flamini/ Michael Essien) 

Another derby and Essien’s late goal saved Mourinho’s side the Blues. Chelsea are now 8 behind Manchester United with a game in hand.  And Cashley Cole got booked

Barclays player of the month : Cristiano Ronaldo ( Manchester United)

It is a first for Ronaldo. He has been in great form for United though, with some pundits calling him the best player in the world at this minute.

Barclays manager of the month : Steve Coppell ( Reading) 

It is the second time Coppell has bagged this award this season. Reading had three wins last month and look guaranteed to stay in the big league.

Group A :

Chelsea 2-0 Levski Sofia ( Andriy Shevchenko, Shaun Wright Philips)

Barcelona 2-0 Werder Bremen ( Ronaldinho, Gudjohnsen)

Stunning free kick from Ronnie.

Group B:

Sporting Lisbon 1-3 Spartak Moscow

(Carlos Bueno/Roman Pavlyuchenko,Maxym Kalynychenko, Denis Boyarintsev)

Spartak bag a Uefa spot.

Group B:

Bayern 1-1 Inter ( Roy Makaay/ Patrick Vieira)

Last gasp goal from the French medio earns Inter a point in a game where Bayern squandered chances aplenty to kill the game.

Group C:

Galatarasay 3-2 Liverpool ( Necati Ates, Buruk Okan, Sasa Ilic/ Robbie Fowler*2.)

The Reds fielding an understrength side, lose on their return to Istanbul.

PSV 1-3 Bordeaux (Alex/ Julien Faubert,Stéphane Dalmat,Jean-Claude Darcheville)

The Dutch giants were already assured of a spot in the knockout stages.

Group D:

Olympiakos 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk (Nery Alberto Castillo/ Matuzalem)

Shakhtar book a spot in the UEFA Cup.

Roma 1-0 Valencia  (Panucci)

Roma dash Shakhtar hopes of entering the KO stages with this win.

Wigan 0-4 Liverpool ( Craig Bellamy *2, Dirk Kuyt,  McCulloch OG)

Prec ious away points for the Merseysiders as they put in a classy performance to beat Wiga.

Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham ( Adebayor, Gilberto*2) 

Spurs haven’t been convincing on their travels and this win will boost the morale of the Gunners, especially as they were without Thierry Henry. The first penalty conceded by Chimbonda wasn’t a penalty, but a well timed tackle IMO. It killed the game for Spurs.

Reading 1-0 Bolton ( Kevin Doyle) 

4th successive league win for Steve Coppell’s men.

Portsmouth 2-2 Aston Villa (  Matthew Taylo*2/ Gareth Barry, Juan Pablo Angel)

A game which burst to life in the second half, but the result was a fair one.

Blackburn 2-0 Fulham ( Mccarthy, Nonda)

2 long balls- 2 goals.

Sheffield United 2-1 Charlton ( Morgan, Keith Gillespie/ Andy Reid) 

Gillespie’s stunner at the end was worthy of winning any Premiership game.

Middlesbrough 1-2 Manchester United ( James Morrison/ Louis Saha, Darren Fletcher) 

United increase their lead at the top of the table to six points by beating their voodoo team 2-1.

Tottenham are reportedly planning a 2.5 million pound bid for French midfielder Adel Taarabt. The medio is just 17 years old, and is being hailed as a future French football star.

Les Sang and Or officials have not denied the claim, according to rumours floating on the internet. Spurs have a knack for attracting quality youngsters and this might entice Taarabt to move to England. However he has just broken into the starting eleven of Lens, and I doubt he will be given that opportunity at White Hart Lane with the likes of Davids, Huddlestone, Jenas, Tainio, Ghaly and Zokora all there.

I think it may be in his interest to play first team football for Lens for a year or two, and then move to England. He recently made his debut against Sochaux.

I haven’t watched him at all, but he is said to be a technically gifted player.

EDIT- as on 2nd January, Tottenham have now signed him on loan from Lens, subject to clearance from the French football federation.

Taarabt has reportedly said that he chose Spurs over other interested clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea because he was promised that he would be given first team opportunities instead of spending time in the reserves.Taarabt has represented France at junior levels.

Spurs have not currently disclosed any details of the transfer. But they have an option to bring him permanently to white hart lane. Taarabt now joins Assou Ekotto, the left back who also joined from Lens at Tottenham.

Manchester United 3-0 Everton ( Cristiano Ronaldo, Patrice Evra, John O Shea)

United made as many as 5 changes and still managed to maintain their lead at the top. 3-0 belied the fact that the game was largely an even affair. Everton would be disappointed at the way they conceded their third though.

Bolton 0-1 Chelsea ( Michael Ballack) 

Tough game for Chelsea, but they got the points they needed from a Ballack header just before the lemon break. Jaaskelainen produced some splendid saves, but Bolton’s strikers didn’t convert their chances.

Fulham 2-1 Arsenal ( Brian McBride, Tomas Radzinski/ Robin Van Persie) 

Shock result in the London derby. Two goals within the first twenty minutes sealed the fate of the Gunners. Van Persie’s freekick ensured they pulled one back, but Fulham hung on.

Aston Villa 1-3 Manchester City ( Darius Vassell, Joey Barton, Sylvain Distin/ Gavin McCann) 

First away win for the blue side of the city of Manchester. Villa had a terrible first half, and Vassell scored once again against his former club. City played three upfront, and Villa found themselves being attacked time and again.

Liverpool 0-0 Portsmouth 

Bad result for the Reds, especially as the game was at Anfield. They battered the Pompey goal, but the men from the South Coast defended resolutely.

According to various sources in the print and electronic media, Tottenham Hotspur are considering swapping Jermain Defoe for Craig Bellamy.

Defoe has endured some very frustrating times on the bench at Spurs, with Mido, Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov and him all fighting for the top two spots. Martin Jol has preferred to tinker around instead of sticking to a duo, and that is considered as one of the reasons for Spurs’ inconsistency.

Defoe is recognised as one of the best finishers in Europe, and was recently in the news for all the wrong reasons- for biting Javier Mascherano. He has also reportedly dated David Beckham’s sister

Bellamy hasn’t managed to secure a permanent spot at Anfield either, with Crouch and Kuyt being Rafa’s preferred men upfront. Bellamy’s hardworking nature may fit in Spurs’s scheme of things, but he isn’t guaranteed a first 11 spot at White Hart Lane.

Let us see how this one goes

World Cup winning Italian skipper and Real Madrid defender Fabio Cannavaro has been named  ‘ European Footballer of the year” by France magazine.

Cannavaro was one of the architects of Italy’s surprise triumph in Germany. Zinedine Zidane, who beat Cannavaro to the World Cup Golden Ball, finished 5th in the poll.

Cannavaro is the first Italian to win it after Roberto Baggio in 1993, and is the first defender to win the award since Matthias Sammer in 1966. For the uninitiated, Sammer was one of the best German defenders in the 60’s . He has also managed Dortmund.

Results:

1.) Fabio Cannavaro

2.) Gianlugi Buffon

3.) Thierry Henry.

4.) Ronaldinho

Some of you might already know this

American wonderkid Freddy Adu is on a two week trial at United. He is however ineligible for competitive games as he does not have a work permit.

Adu is the youngest USA player to be capped at international level, making his debut at the age of 16 against neighbours Canada.

According to certain media reports, Chelsea reportedly rejected the offer to sign him.

Edit- Manchester United have reportedly rejected him after the trial. Guess the lad goes back to America to play for DC

Group E :

Steaua Bucharest 1-1 Dinamo Kiev ( Nicolae Dica/ Florin Cernat)

The Romanian side are now assured of a spot in the UEFA CUP.

Real Madrid 2-2 Lyon ( John Carew, Malouda/ Mahamadou Diarra,Ruud Van Nistelrooy)

Lyon survive a late Madrid onslaught to return home with a point. Gregory Coupet’s last minute penalty save ensures that Lyon top Group E

Group F :

Celtic 1-0 Manchester United ( Shunsuke Nakamura)

Late drama at Celtic Park as a Nakamura free kick and a Saha penalty miss send Celtic into the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time. United now need to avoid defeat against Benfica, the same team which knocked them out of last season’s Champions League.

Benfica 3-1 Fc Copenhagen ( Leo, Fabrizio Miccoli *2/ Marcus Allback)

A brilliant first half performance from the Portuguese side keeps their hopes alive, and they must now beat United to move into the knockout stages.

Group G:

CSKA Moscow 0-2 Porto ( Ricardo Quaresma, Lucho Gonzalez)

A shock win for Porto. CSKA concede goals for the first time in the competition in the absence of Sergei Ignashevich, and now need a win against Hamburg to confirm their progress.

Arsenal 3-1 Hamburg ( Van Persie, Eboue, Baptista/ Van der Vaart)

Another game whose result was decided in the last 10 minutes . Arsenal now need to avoid defeat to Porto to progress.

Group H:

Lille 2-2 Anderlecht ( Odemwingie, Fauvergue, Mbo Mpenza*2)

Anderlecht have no chances of qualifying, while Lille now need to beat Milan.

AEK 1-0 AC Milan ( Julio Cesar)

Milan are now effectively guaranteed top spot in Group E because of Lille’s draw.

Here is the free kick from Shunsuke Nakamura which gave Celtic all three points.

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