Chelsea march on

Chelsea visited the challenging venue of Blackburn’s Ewood Park on Saturday afternoon, hoping to consolidate their commanding five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

So it proved, with Blackburn impressing early on and taking the lead through Benjani. The champions equalised approaching half-time through Nicolas Anelka, and then scored towards the end of the ninety minutes with a Branislav Ivanovic header to earn a vital three points and a 1 – 2 result.

It was a similar story at the Emirates, where Arsenal struggled to break down a resistant West Ham team until late on, as Alex Song nodded in a valuable winner for a 1 – 0 final score.

Manchester City fell back though with a loss at Wolves. Despite taking the lead through Emmanuel Adebayor’s penalty, they lost the advantage to Nenad Milijas’ finish, and then David Edwards scored in the second to give the home side a victory which will not please City’s wealthy owner.

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United beat Spurs without Rooney

Manchester United hosted Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening in the Premier League in the knowledge that they would be without star man Wayne Rooney for another period.

Despite apparently committing his future to the club by signing a new five-year contract, it was announced that he will miss about three weeks with an injury which is worse than was first anticipated.

The match itself was very open for the first half-hour, until Nemanja Vidic headed the home side ahead. Efforts then continued to fly around both goals until the break.

So it stayed until, with a few minutes left, an astonishing refereeing decision provided the main talking point. Nani went past a defender then threw himself to the ground, and when a penalty was not given he dragged the ball towards his body clearly with his hand. The Spurs goalkeeper rolled the ball for a free-kick, only for the referee to allow Nani to kick the ball into the empty net. It finished 2 – 0 in a very bad-tempered atmosphere.

Nevertheless, United earned the three points to keep them within touch of Chelsea.
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England and Russia in world cup squabble

On Thursday, the England 2018 World Cup bid team withdrew their official complaint against their Russian counterparts.

The complaint arose when comments allegedly made by one of the Russian representatives were deemed to break the rules regarding criticism of other bids, after he questioned the suitability of the city of London to stage such an event.

This latest story adds to the increasing amount of controversial reports which are muddying the image of this illustrious process, as two of the voters from among the Fifa delegates are under investigation for corruption for selling their votes.

England’s campaign was already compromised much earlier in the year when the original chairman, Lord Triesman, was secretly filmed making ill-advised allegations about other countries during a lunch meeting.

England and Russia are currently attracting the most attention, but it could well be the rival joint-bid from Spain and Portugal which triumphs when the votes are (finally) cast on 2 December.

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Strauss confident for ashes

The captain of the England national cricket team, Andrew Strauss, has spoken very positively about the side’s crucial upcoming winter tour of Australia.

After winning the urn back on home soil in the summer of 2009, Strauss and his men are looking to retain it down under. The last attempt ended in humiliation when the side was on the wrong end of a 5 – 0 whitewash.

This time though, with England boasting many promising and talented players in their ranks, there is a real feeling of optimism that they can hold their own in the Ashes against an Australian team which is perhaps not quite up to its usual high standards.

With many comments and remarks already flying from both sides, many fans will be relieved when the players eventually take to the field for the first test in Brisbane on November 25.

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World cup oracle dies

One of the heroes of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Paul the Octopus, has died in his tank in Germany.

He provided one of the more uplifting stories of what was quite a dull and disappointing tournament by correctly predicting the outcome of eight matches. (One for each tentacle.)

He was tested on all the games of his country, Germany, and also the final. As his run of success continued, the world’s media began to provide recognition, particularly in Spain, because he forecast their winning campaign.

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Arsenal outclass city

Manchester City welcomed Arsenal to Eastlands on Sunday evening in the Premier League, the hosts looking for three points to close the gap on leaders Chelsea, who won on Saturday.

It did not start as they might have hoped. Less than ten minutes in, Dedryck Boyata was sent off for bringing down Marouane Chamakh as the last man. Arsenal then made the advantage pay by taking the lead later in the half through Samir Nasri. It could have got worse for City even before the break, only for Joe Hart to save Cesc Fabregas’ penalty.

In the second period things got better still for the visitors – goals from Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner setting up a comprehensive 3 – 0 win, which will surprise many who doubted the Gunners’ appetite for such big games.

Earlier, Manchester United won their first match away in the League this season, 2 – 1 at Stoke, and Liverpool fans finally had something to cheer on the pitch as their side beat Blackburn 2 – 1 at Anfield.

Alonso wins in Korean deluge

Fernando Alonso grabbed a dramatic victory when Sebastien Vettel’s Red Bull car gave up near the end of the first ever Korean grand prix, which was interrupted and delayed by heavy rain and treacherous driving conditions.

After only four laps the race was suspended because it was deemed too unsafe. About an hour later they restarted, but it still took more time until the safety car was withdrawn so that the drivers could give it their all.

Within the first few laps at full speed it was very clear why there had been such uncertainty, as championship leader Mark Webber lost control and crashed out, taking Nico Rosberg with him.

McLaren’s Jensen Button found the weather especially difficult as he fell back down the field, leaving Vettel to lead rivals Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton until his engine blew, gifting the other two with vital points in the championship race, with only two races remaining this season.

Chelsea strengthen lead

On Saturday afternoon in the Premier League, Chelsea took advantage of playing before their rivals to secure a 2 – 0 over Wolves at Stamford Bridge. Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou got the goals which put the club five points clear of nearest challengers, Manchester City.

Spurs were held to a 1 – 1 draw at White Hart Lane by a determined Everton. Leighton Baines opened the scoring, but Rafael Van der Vaart equalised for the hosts.

West Brom beat Fulham 2 – 1 at the Hawthorns to reach a highly-impressive fourth place. They went behind first to an own goal, only to fight back and claim the three points thanks to Mulumbu and Fortune.

There was also a useful win for Newcastle United at West Ham, with Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll scoring vital goals.

Most of the top sides will play on Sunday, including Arsenal’s visit to Manchester City.
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Rooney Signs New Deal

Wayne Rooney confused just about everyone on Friday when it was announced that he has agreed a new five-year contract with Manchester United, which will keep him at the club until 2015.

This sharply contradicts his comments earlier in the week, when he made it clear that he intended to leave Old Trafford, citing the lack of resources available to the club as his motive.

However, after discussion with manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Chief Executive David Gill, the situation has been resolved in quite remarkable fashion.

It will surely be good news to the many fans of the club who are enduring a season full of doubts and disappointment, but will they be entirely happy and satisfied with a player who, before today, seemed to have more or less abandoned them?

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Liverpool survive in Naples

A struggling Liverpool side travelled to play Napoli in the Europa League on Thursday evening, in the middle of a run of dreadful form on the pitch, and at the end of a highly-distracting takeover saga off it.

The match itself was overshadowed by the shocking news that Liverpool fans had been hunted and attacked by home supporters during the day. The details and consequences of this wait to be seen, but the Italian side may find itself in trouble with UEFA.

The Anfield faithful were given yet further cause for concern when it was announced that, again, key players Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres would not be involved so that they could rest for the weekend.

As a result, the merseysiders lacked much threat when the game started, but managed to match the Italians fairly well. Both teams struggled to create, and although Liverpool had to clear one shot off the line, it was goalless at the break.

The second half was slightly more open. Ryan Babel had a great chance for the visitors but could not beat the goalkeeper, and there was no further action, so the score line remained 0 – 0 at the end.
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Spurs Bale-d Out

Tottenham Hotspur anticipated one of the more exciting nights in their recent history as they travelled to Italy to face the European champions, Inter, in their own ground in Milan, with hope of the team returning home with a famous result.

The dream soon turned sour though: Inter captain Javier Zanetti fired in after barely a minute. They were two up moments later when Spurs goalkeeper Gomes was sent off and Samuel Eto’o converted the penalty. By half-time it was four, including a second for the Cameroonian.

In the second half the Londoners were given something to cheer when Gareth Bale scored a fine goal, and, incredibly, scored two more right near the end to claim a superb hat-trick and give some credibility to the score line, which was 4 – 3 at the final whistle.

Meanwhile, at Old Trafford, Nani grabbed a goal to allow Manchester United to earn a narrow 1 – 0 win over Turkish side Bursaspor, which gave the fans some relief in the middle of the row involving Wayne Rooney.

Benitez hits back

Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez struck back at the ex-Liverpool ownership structure on Tuesday afternoon, following their criticism of his reign.

Recently-ousted co-owner Tom Hicks has tried to blame the Spaniard for the club’s decline last season, but Benitez has claimed that it was the interference of the board and, in particular, Managing Director Christian Purslow, which was at fault.

He went into some detail to explain the changes and controls they imposed over the club, suggesting that they altered training regimes and even decided which players to buy and sell, and that this was the main cause of Liverpool’s recent poor form.

Despite the takeover by American group New England Sports Ventures last week, the club sits in the relegation zone in the Premier League, with many concerns over the quality of the players, and the new manager, Roy Hodgson.

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Rooney wants out

In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed rumours that star player Wayne Rooney is looking for an escape from Old Trafford.

The story emerged over the weekend but was largely regarded as nonsense. However, in a quite extraordinary admission, Ferguson stated that it was true, and that there was little he could do about it.

It is an amazing turn of events, as Rooney was only last year widely-regarded as the team’s key player, winning many individual awards for his performances.

Following a disastrous world cup for Rooney and England, this season has started very poorly for both him and United, with football matters overshadowed by allegations concerning his private life.

This latest revelation will be another blow for fans of the Old Trafford side, who are already preoccupied with the slow start to the season, and the worrying financial position of the club.

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Everton win crucial derby

Goodison Park was the venue on Sunday afternoon for one of the most important derbies in recent times, as Everton played Liverpool with both teams desperately looking for points as they started the match in seventeenth and eighteenth place respectively in the Premier League.

Everton made full use of their home advantage by dominating from the very start. Against a lacklustre Liverpool side they scored minutes before half time, through Tim Cahill, to earn a lead at the break which was fully-deserved.

They doubled their advantage shortly after the restart, thanks to Mikel Arteta. Only after that did Liverpool manage to gain more possession, but were unable to create any decent chances and it finished 2 – 0.

The Toffees can start to look towards climbing the table, whereas Liverpool, despite the jubilation of the Kop faithful in the past week over the change of ownership of the club, now have to face up to the huge task of getting the team back to the higher reaches of the Premier League.

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Leaders drop points

Saturday was another unpredictable today in the English Premier League, with some surprising results involving the top sides.

The biggest of these was at Old Trafford, where Manchester United let a two-goal lead slip against West Bromich Albion in the second half, partly due to a very uncharacteristic error from Dutch goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar, the game finishing 2 – 2.

Leaders Chelsea failed to take full advantage as they were involved in a goalless scoreline in the evening match at Villa Park. The home side may have had the better of the chances, too.

Arsenal improved on their recent form with a win at the Emirates against Birmingham, a 2 – 1 result that was soured slightly by the sending off of midfielder Jack Wilshere at the end for a nasty lunge.

Tottenham Hotspur also earned an impressive win away at Fulham, which keeps them near the top of the table.
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Chile celebrates miners’ escape

Much of Chile has been celebrating as the rescue of the thirty-three miners trapped underground was completed after a sixty-nine day ordeal.

Each of the men was brought up in succession during a process which took about twenty hours. Extraordinarily, everyone was said to be in a decent state of health with no serious concerns.

The country’s president and his wife were among those packed into Camp Hope, the venue set up to host the evacuation procedure. They led the celebrations, saying what a fantastic occasion this was, not only for Chile, but the whole world.

It is a truly remarkable story which has finally come to an end. The courage, bravery and spirit of the men who were trapped will surely go down as one of the most memorable moments in recent history.
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Liverpool have their day

Liverpool fans were finally given something to cheer about on Wednesday morning when the High Court ruled in favour of RBS and against the club’s current owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, meaning that the sale to American group New England Sports Ventures can now go ahead.

The American pair in charge had tried to block the sale by replacing two members of the board, claiming the bid “undervalued” Liverpool, but the judge deemed otherwise.

It is a crucial victory for the Anfield faithful at a time when they are at a very low point, both on and off the pitch.

The decision owes everything to the fans themselves, whose relentless and, eventually, successful campaign aimed at everyone involved in the matter has seemed to be a vital factor at a moment which may prove a turning point in their illustrious and lengthy history.
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England struggle at Wembley

England stuttered to a dour 0 – 0 draw at home against Montenegro in the qualifiers for the European Championships in 2012.

They seemed to slump to the level or performance which was so present during the world cup in South Africa, with a massive lack in creativity and technical ability on show.

It could have been even worse for the home side. With about eight minutes to go, the left full-back of Montenegro, Milan Jovanovic, hit a screaming, dipping strike which rattled off the crossbar.

That was the closest either side came. England’s main chances came from a strong penalty shout and a couple of Peter Crouch efforts early on.

The result is by no means disastrous for Fabio Capello’s men, but with Montenegro now enjoying the lead in the group, and with a long wait for the next round of matches to be played, there will be some doubt in English minds over their team’s ability during the long winter.
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Nigerians test positive

The Commonwealth Games were overshadowed by controversy again as news came that a second Nigerian athlete had tested positive for a banned substance.

Samuel Okon, who finished sixth in the 110m hurdles, was found to have traces of methylhexaneamine in his system, following on from the discovery concerning his compatriot, Damola Osayemi, who won the 100m women’s sprint.

It is thought they may have been caught out by the drug being added to the banned list within the last year.

Since all the trouble at the start concerning the preparation of the facilities, the Games have progressed quite serenely, with many stories of success, especially concerning British competitors.

This latest story may have cast a shadow over the sport once more though, and many might see reason to continue with some suspicion against the Nigerians.
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England without Terry

England will have to prepare to play Montenegro tonight without their central defender, John Terry.

His unusual absence is the result of a back injury. However, there will be sufficient cover for him in the shape of Joleon Lescott, who should partner the returning captain, Rio Ferdinand.

There are other injuries to players such as Darren Bent and Phil Jagielka, but the apparent fitness of Wayne Rooney will give a big boost to the side.

They will face Montenegro at Wembley, expecting to continue their excellent start to the European qualifying campaign after wins over Bulgaria and Switzerland, although the visitors tonight may produce a sterner test than many suspect.
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Liverpool seek vital win

Tuesday is a critical day in the history of Liverpool football club as everyone associated watches for the outcome of the case to be decided at the High Court today.

It may be the final chapter in the incredibly long saga which has seen mighty efforts from the club to remove their current American owners from power. The pair is fighting the board’s decision to accept a bid of around £300m from fellow Americans, New England Sport Ventures.

The situation was (somehow) complicated further recently, when Peter Lim, a billionaire from Singapore, announced he still hoped to have a bid for the club accepted.

This is a week full of both hope and danger for the club and its fans. If they lose in court today, they will face administration and possible oblivion, whereas if they win, they can celebrate the departure of their disliked owners, although many doubts remain over those who could replace them.

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Miners Set for Rescue

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More hope for Chilean Miners

The long, underground ordeal of the thirty-three trapped Chilean miners looks likely to be over on Wednesday. The mining minister has said that the construction of the evacuation tunnel should be complete within a few days.

There were joyous scenes across the country at the news that the mens’ plight, which began on 5 August, could be finished soon.

The tunnel has been drilled, but part of it must be strengthened and made safe before they can finally be brought back above ground.

If it does happen on Wednesday, it should prove to be a day of great celebrations for those involved, and for the many people over the world who have followed this story since it started several months ago.
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Red Bull Dominate in Japan

The Suzuka circuit in Japan hosted the Grand Prix this weekend as the season approaches its conclusion. The track was expected to favour the Red Bull cars.

So it proved during the race, as the team’s two drivers, Sebastien Vettel and Mark Webber, held first and second place almost constantly throughout to finish in a one-two, with the German taking the victory.

Fernando Alonso came third, in front of the British and McLaren duo of Jensen Button and Lewis Hamilton.

Little changed in the championship, apart from Webber extending his lead very slightly, but with three more races to go the overall result remains far too close to predict.
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United Face Off-Field Losses

Manchester United’s slow start to the season on the pitch was pushed to one side on Friday as details emerged of large financial losses over the past year.

The total pre-tax loss is £79.6 million. There are many different elements and circumstances which contributed to this figure, but overall, it is another worrying piece of news for the club and its many fans.

Much of the loss came from finance charges of around £67 million, paid as part of a refinancing deal earlier in the year by the club’s owners, the Glazer family. The Americans are under pressure due to the financial restrictions they are imposing with the huge debts they have built up, in a very similar situation to what is happening at the club’s great rivals, Liverpool.

Overall annual turnover did increase to £286.4 million, but few fans will take comfort in that, and Sir Alex Ferguson looks to have his work cut out to find a winning formula with less and less money available to help him.

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Liverpool takeover looms

Reports on Wednesday morning suggested that Liverpool’s lengthy search for new owners might have reached its conclusion.

On Tuesday evening the club released an extraordinary official statement which detailed that they had received two “excellent” offers. It went on to say that the current American owners had tried to replace two of the independent members of the board who were in approval of the bids – one of the replacements was the son of Tom Hicks.

But the other directors outvoted them and accepted the sale subject to a legal review. Nothing can be taken for fact until the paperwork has been signed.

Most fans will be happy as their main aim was to get rid of the current owners. However, the prospective takeover will be by another US consortium which currently owns sports clubs like the Boston Red Sox in America, so the supporters will be hopeful yet watchful in seeing how the new group conduct their business.

Will it be good for the club? Or could it become a similar situation to the one which the club has had to work so hard to extricate itself from?

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Strong First Day for Brits

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Commonwealth Games in Jeopardy

The British nations enjoyed success on the opening day of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

For weeks, the main talking points have been over whether or not the events would even take place because of some shocking conditions in living areas, as the hosts had apparently not finished much of the preparation in time.

Thankfully though, attention could turn to the sport itself as the speculation and criticism was left behind, forgotten in part due to an impressive opening ceremony.

There were four medals in total for the Brits, including two for England in the swimming.

The Games have now fully begun, and everyone interested will be hoping for all the focus to remain on the performances and achievements of the athletes, although serious questions remain over the Indians’ efforts as hosts.
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Europe regain Ryder Cup

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Monday finish for Ryder Cup

Monty's team as predicted for Ryder Cup opener

Europe regained the Ryder Cup on Monday afternoon after a tight session of single matches and a nail biting, close finish.

The competition had to be completed late following heavy rain at Celtic Manor over the weekend. The momentum swung back and forth throughout the four days, first America and then Europe holding the advantage, before the latter held on for the win.

It was such a close contest that it came down to the very last game of the whole match. Europe’s Graeme McDowell kept his nerve to take the final point required by his team, showing the composure which justified the selection by his captain, Colin Montgomerie.

So Europe won the illustrious Cup once again, and the celebrations are sure to continue for a very long time in south Wales, and the entire continent.
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Monday finish for Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup is now scheduled to be completed on Monday after very heavy rain in south Wales has made play impossible for much of the weekend. Play will resume on Sunday afternoon.

The Americans got the better of the early exchanges to take a 6 – 4 lead, but Europe are currently leading all six of the matches still to be completed. If they can maintain that advantage, it would put them in a very strong position before the singles matches start.

Although inconvenient and disruptive, the weather has made for even more excitement, confusion and uncertainty over the performances and results themselves, as players have to try to keep their concentration and momentum despite lengthy breaks for rain, making this tournament arguably tougher than many which have gone before.
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United Still Winless Away

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Another Draw for United

United Overcome Rivals Liverpool

United Held Again

Manchester United managed to hold on to a clean sheet at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon in order to claim their fourth consecutive draw away from home this season.

Many might consider them fortunate, as home team Sunderland created more chances, and might have scored on several occasions, with Bolo Zenden hitting the post in the first half.

United improved in the second period but at the final whistle it remained goalless at 0 – 0, and it was Sunderland who felt it may have been two points dropped for them.

The Manchester club has now failed to win in all four matches on the road so far in the Premier League, conceding a lot of ground to rivals Chelsea, who play Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
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