EPL Sunday Special:
Fernando Torres ended his 6 month scoring drought in the league yesterday, as Chelsea cruised to a 4-2 win over Villa. QPR shocked 3rd placed Arsenal with a 2-1 win while City cameback from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 against Sunderland.
There were also wins for Fulham, Bolton and Everton, while Wigan beat Stoke 2-0 at the DW Stadium for their first home win in 7 months.
This match will be played at The Sports Direct Arena, as 6th placed Newcastle host 7th placed Liverpool in a crucial match for both sides in the race for a European spot.
FACT: If Newcastle can pull off a win here today, they will be 11 points ahead of Liverpool.
and,
Tottenham Hotspur vs Swansea City: LIVE from 16:00pm
4th placed Tottenham host underdogs Swansea City at White Hart Lane where Spurs can leapfrog 3rd place rivals Arsenal if they win today (comfortably with goal difference)
FACT: Tottenham have only lost 2 matches at home this season.
While we await team news from Newcastle, let's talk.. EPL News:
Gareth Bale has told Harry Redknapp he can't turn down the England job.
Arsenal will reportedly buy Cologne striker Lukas Podolski for £11million after the £11m striker snubbed Manchester United.
Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers has a release clause on his contract, which means that hif he left Swansea,
Tottenham are closing in on an £8m summer deal for Real Madrid's Lassana Diara.
West Ham are after Kieran Richardson from Sunderland.
Brendan Rodgers has risked pricing himself out of the Tottenham job by having a £5m compensation clause written into his Swansea contract.
Yakubu is set to quit Blackburn in the summer even if they stay up.
PSG are still very interested in Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez.
Wigan striker Victor Moses will reject a new contract, to move to a bigger club in the summer.
Liverpool are interested.
Arsene Wenger wants to snap up French striker Olivier Giroud before Euro 2012.
Aston Villa are ready to move for Huddersfield top striker Jordan Rhodes.
This could be a big cultural change for a young player like this, from League 1 to the EPL (one of the best leagues in the world).
Is this a wise move?
EPL leaders Manchester United are ready to bid £15million have lined up a £15m deal for PSV Eindhoven midfielder Kevin Strootman.
West Brom defender Jonas Olsson is wanted by Turkish clubs Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.
Newcastle and Sunderland are on red alert, after news that Manchester City may sell winger Adam Johnson in the summer.
Newcastle are the favourites, with £10-15million in the bidding war starting price.Team News:
Newcastle:
Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Perch, Gutierrez, Tiote, Guthrie, Ba, Ben Arfa, Cisse, Cabaye.
Subs: Elliot, Santon, Gosling, Taylor, Amoebi, Ferguson, Vuckic.
Demba Ba and Papiss Demba Cisse both start in strike for the home side, along with in-form Hatem Ben Arfa.
Liverpool:
Reina, Flanagan, Carragher, Skrtel, Enrique, Shelvey, Gerrard, Bellamy, Carroll, Spearing, Suarez.
Subs: Doni, Aurelio, Henderson, Kuyt, Maxi, Coates, Downing.
Jose Enrique and Andy Carroll both start against their old club Newcastle.
Jonjo Shelvey and Jay Spearing also both start for The Reds.
Liverpool have attacking flair on their bench, including Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez.
0: The referee blows the whistle and this match has officially kicked off at Sports Direct Arena.
2: Great atmosphere here, and reception for striker Andy Carroll who is back at home for the first time since leaving to move to Liverpool in 2011.
4: First corner taken by Steven Gerrard, cleared away by Cisse.
7: Liverpool free-kick taken by Gerrard, in the box for defender Martin Skrtel whose header goes over the bar!
10: Former Newcastle striker Andy Carroll is the first player to be booked this match, after an obstruction on Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul.
11: Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye takes a free-kick into the box, for striker Papiss Cisse who heads the ball from 12 yards out......... into Pepe Reina's gloves.
15: Corner by Craig Bellamy into the box for Carroll, whose header is wide of the goal. Still 0-0.
17: Foul by Liverpool midfielder Jonjo Shelvey on Papiss Cisse. Yellow card given to the midfielder for a late challenge.
19: Cross by Newcvastle midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa into the 6-yard box to striker Papiss Demba Cisse who heads towards goal.... GOAL!!!! The home side are in-front in the first 20 minutes!
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| Cisse time: Papiss heads the ball towards goal before beating Reina and scores in the 19th minute against Liverpool. |
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| Hand to the sky: Papiss Demba Cisse celebrates his 5th goal in the EPL since moving from Freiburg in January. |
28: Andy Carroll has missed another chance here.... Not looking good in terms of goalscoring action for the former Newcastle no.9....
29: Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote has been booked, for a challenge on striker Luis Suarez. Captain Gerrard was about to take a quick free-kick, but Cisse blocked the free-kick with his leg as his team-mates were not ready. Yellow card to him also, for wasting time and decent...
35: Newcastle defender Mike Williamson with a header from 12 yards out.... OVER THE BAR!!
45: Cheeky foul by Liverpool defender John Flanagan on midfielder Tiote. Clipped the leg hard and was a late tackle.
Yellow card for the youngster.
45+2: The referee blows the whistle for half-time.
Newcastle are in-front by a goal.
45: The referee blows the whistle to start the second half at The Sports Direct Arena.
48: Foul by Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote on Liverpool defender John Flanagan.
Yellow card given to the Ivorian. Revenge from the earlier tackle in the first half.
57: Fouls galore so far in this match. Flanagan takes a shot from 20 yards out..... saved (caught)! by goalkeeper Tim Krul.
59: Pass by midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa to Cisse who shoots from 6 yards out... GOAL!!! 2-0 to Newcastle and Liverpool are in trouble!
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| Deadly No.9: Cisse celebrates his second goal of the match in the 59th minute against Liverpool. |
Danny Guthrie OFF
Danny Gosling ON (injury)
74: Liverpool desperately trying to get back into this match-up, with Suarez, Bellamy and Carroll trying to work the goalkeeper. A lot of fouls still nonetheless, as Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi is replacing no.9 Cisse (who gets a warm reception after his two goals, one each half)
75: Liverpool SUB:
Jonjo Shelvey OFF
Stewart Downing ON
79: Liverpool making a double substitution here:
Andy Carroll OFF
Craig Bellamy OFF
Stewart Downing ON
Dirk Kuyt ON
Desperate times call for desperate measures....
81: Foul by James Perch on Pepe Reina. Obstruction from a clearance.
Reina is not happy though.... and headbutts Perch after pushing him.
82: Everyone is surrounding the referee and the two players..... Perch is on the floor... Reina has been given a card, and it is RED!!!! 10 men Liverpool now, and all their subs have been used...
Perch gets a yellow card for his part in the fracus.
83: Full-back Jose Enrique is going to play in goal for the rest of the match now.
90: The fourth official signals 5 minutes of stoppage time to be added on here. Still 2-0.
90+1:
Newcastle SUB:
Hatem Ben Arfa OFF
Davide Santon ON
Well played by Ben Arfa. Had lots of attacking flair throughout the match, and set up both of Cisse's goals.
90+3: Liverpool trying to get a consolation here with Suarez causing the Newcastle defence problems.
90+5: The referee blows the whistle here at The Sports Direct Arena. Newcastle beat Liverpool by 2 goals to nil.
FACT: This is Liverpool's worst league run for 59 years, and they are now in 8th place, 11 points off 5th placed Chelsea.
Now, Newcastle are 11 points ahead of 8th placed Liverpool in 6th. They are level on points with Chelsea in 5th place.
Liverpool drop a place into 8th, a point behind rivals Everton who beat West Brom yesterday.
Newcastle dominated the match, and deserved to score more goals with their chances at goal.
The foul count was 22, so it was packed with late and fiesty challenges.
17:45:
Tottenham Hotspur 3 Swansea City 1:
This match was played at White Hart Lane, as 4th placed Spurs hosted Swansea in an important match.
Midfielder Rafael Van Der Vaart put the hosts in-front in the 19th minute.
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| Spurs winger Rafael Van Der Vaart scores his 11th goal of the season against fellow Dutch team-mate Michel Vorm. |
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| Goal time: Van Der Vaart celebrates with fellow team-mate Emmanuel Adebayor after breaking the deadlock against Swansea. |
On-loan striker Gylfi Sigurdsson equalised for The Swans, in the 59th minute to make it 1-1.
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| Striker Sigurdsson shoots (and scores)! a downward volley to equalise for Swansea against Tottenham. |
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| 6th of the season: Gylfi Sigurdsson is proving to be a super loan signing! |
Striker Emmanuel Adebayor scored in the 73rd minute to make it 2-1 to Spurs from a header from a corner.
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| Striker Emmanuel Adebayor heads home his 13th goal in the EPL this season. |
He scored again in the 86th minute to ensure all 3 points for Tottenham who are now level on points with 3rd placed rivals Arsenal.
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| Finshed product: Spurs players celebrate their 3-1 win over Swansea, which is their 1st win in 6 matches. |
Tomorrow:
Blackburn Rovers vs Manchester United: LIVE from 20:00pm
United have the chance to move 5 points clear of 2nd placed rivals Manchester City who drew 3-3 yesterday against Sunderland.
It will not be easy though against a Blackburn side that will be the underdogs but beat United in the most recent match, 3-2.
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