Today's EPL Results:

Today's EPL Results:

12:00:

Newcastle 1 Sunderland 1

The interesting North-West Derby came from The Sports Direct Arena as 6th placed Newcastle hosted rivals Sunderland (in 13th place).


On loan striker Nicklas Bendtner scored the opening goal for the away side after 25 minutes from the penalty spot.

Striker Nicklas Bendtner slots home for Sunderland after 25 minutes from the penalty spot to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Midfielder Stephane Sessegnon got a straight red card though for Sunderland and was sent off - which meant they had to play 32 minutes with 10 men.
Striker Demba Ba missed a penalty in the 83rd minute, which could have proved fatal for the home side's chances, but fellow forward Shola Ameobi equalised in the 90th minute for Newcastle to earn a point.

Last gasp: Shola Ameobi equalises for Newcastle at home to salvage a point against their rivals Sunderland.

There were 8 yellow cards and 2 red cards in this derby match, which showed that tempers flared like mad!

Derby Day: Both sets of players arguing after Sunderland's Sessegnon was sent off after elbowing midfielder Cheick Tiote.

Alan Pardew (Newcastle) and Martin O'Neil (Sunderland) face off after Newcastle celebrate their late equaliser....

14:05:

Fulham 5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0

14th placed Fulham hosted 17th placed Wolves at Craven Cottage in a slight mis-match at the middle of the table.


Fulham were pressing Wolves since the first whistle, taking at least 6 shots in the first 20 minutes of the match.
Striker Pavel Pogrebnyak finally got the breakthrough after 36 minutes from a corner (with a header) past Wayne Hennessey.

Striker Pavel Pogrebnyak fires Fulham in-front after 36 minutes at Craven Cottage.

He doubled his tally for the day, 8 minutes later and the scoreline was 2-0. 

Pogrebnyak adds his second of the match, 8 minutes later to make it 2-0 to Fulham against Wolves.

Midfielder Clint Dempsey made it 3-0 to the hosts after half-time (56th), before Pogrebnyak got his hat-trick after Hennessey fumbled a shot straight into his path to tap into the net for 4-0. 

Three for the day: Pogbrebnyak scores his hat-trick to make it 4-0, and makes scoring look easy peasy.

Dempsey rubbed salt into the wounds to make it 5 for Fulham in the 83rd minute.
Wolves took their first shot on target in the 92nd minute. If that stat does not tell you something about Wolves' performance today, I do not know what will..
Fulham shoot up into 8th place with 36 points (only three behind 7th Liverpool), while Wolves drop into the bottom three, in 18th place with only 22 points from 27 matches.


FACT: Pavel Pogrebnyak has now scored 5 goals from 3 matches in his Fulham career, which is a record for Fulham players in the EPL.

16:10:

Tottenham Hotspur 1 Manchester United 3  

3rd placed Spurs hosted 2nd placed Manchester United at White Hart Lane. 

Striker Emmanuel Adebayor had a goal disallowed in the middle of the first half after claims he handled the ball (which he did!)
Wayne Rooney broke the deadlock for the away side to score his 19th goal of the season, just on the stroke of half-time with a powerful header from a corner. 
Winger Ashley Young doubled United's lead in the 60th minute, before virtually ending Tottenham's match and hopes, 9 minutes later!
Striker Jermain Defoe scored a consolation for Spurs in the 87th minute to give the home fans something to shout about, but the match finished 3-1.


United drop the gap from 5 to 2 points behind rivals City in 1st place, while Spurs (who were title contenders just a few weeks ago) are now 13 points behind 1st placed City and have to fight North London rivals Arsenal for 3rd place.

Ashley Young curls the ball past Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel from 25 yards out to make it 3-0 to United at White Hart Lane.

BREAKING NEWS:

Manager Andre Villas Boas has 'parted company' with Chelsea, with owner Roman Abramovich (unsurprisingly) ruthlessly wielding the axe. Assistant Roberto Di Matteo has been appointed interim manager until the end of the season. AVB who is 34, was only appointed eight months ago and cost billionaire owner Abramovich £13.3million to prise away from Portugese side FC Porto.

AVB: Was always going to be under-pressure...

What can I say.... You cannot say that the sacking was not coming but harsh as Chelsea players were under-performing....

Good luck elsewhere AVB, you do not need Chelsea to succed, just like you did at Porto...

As for Chelsea, they have 11 matches to gel with Di Matteo and claim Champions League football from Arsenal, Liverpool (and don't right off Newcastle) who all want it..

Analysis:

5 star Fulham thrashed Terry Connor's men by 5-0 at Craven Cottage, showing how much work that the interim manager has to do if he wants to keep Wolves in the EPL next season.

United virtually end Spurs' title hopes with a effortless 3-1 win away from home to startle rivals City in 1st place that they are on their tails, only two points away.

Sunderland and Newcastle both produce a derby masterclass with every needed to get the adrenaline pumping on a Sunday afternoon. 

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See you next week everyone.

Super Saturday EPL Special LIVE:

Saturday's EPL Special LIVE:

Liverpool 1 vs Arsenal 2:

What a first half we had at Anfield between 7th placed Liverpool and 4th placed Arsenal. Striker Luis Suarez was awarded a controversial penalty after 18 minutes after Szczesny clipped his foot. Dirk Kuyt had his penalty well saved a Laurent Kosicelny  past the post. Defender Laurent Kosicelny scored an own goal, five minutes later after clearing winger Stewart Downing's cross into his own net. Striker Robin Van Persie equalised for the away side in the 31st minute after heading full-back Bacary Sagna's cross past Pepe Reina. 

In the second half, midfielder Mikel Arteta was injured (concussion) by Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson. 

Because of this, there was 8 minutes of stoppage time to play, and captain Robin Van Persie hit the ball below Pepe Reina to give Arsenal the lead and the win eventually.

Celebration time: Robin Van Persie and Kieran Gibbs celebrate with the Arsenal fans, a late injury time winner for Arsenal against Liverpool.

Liverpool will feel disappointed, as they hit the post many times and had a penalty saved (plus the rebound which should have been a goal).

The Gunners move within 4 points behind 3rd placed Tottenham while Liverpool drop 3 points (and stay 3 points) behind 6th placed Newcastle with a match in hand (from Carling Cup Final weekend)....

15:00pm kick-offs:

Blackburn Rovers vs Aston Villa:

Team News:

Blackburn: Robinson, Orr, Dann, Hanley, Martin Olsson, Petrovic, Nzonzi, Pedersen, Formica, Hoilett, Yakubu. Subs: Bunn, Dunn, Modeste, Marcus Olsson, Goodwillie, Vukcevic, Henley.

Aston Villa: Given, Hutton, Collins, Cuellar, Warnock, Petrov, Herd, Albrighton, Ireland, N'Zogbia, Agbonlahor. Subs: Guzan, Heskey, Bannan, Weimann, Lichaj, Baker, Gardner.

FACT: Blackburn have gone 29 matches without a clean sheet....

Manchester City vs Bolton Wanderers:

Team News:

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Yaya Toure, Barry, Johnson, Pizarro, Nasri, Balotelli. Subs: Pantilimon, Milner, Dzeko, Kolarov, Aguero, Silva, Toure.


Bolton: Bogdan, Steinsson, Knight, Wheater, Ricketts, Mark Davies, Reo-Coker, Ream, Pratley, Miyaichi, Ngog. Subs: Jaaskelainen, Robinson, Muamba, Eagles, Petrov, Klasnic, Sordell.

FACT: Manchester City could become the EPL first team to win their first 14 home matches since Newcastle in the 1906-07 season.

Stoke City vs Norwich City:

Team News:

Stoke: Begovic, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Huth, Wilson, Shotton, Whelan, Whitehead, Etherington, Walters, Crouch. Subs: Sorensen, Jones, Fuller, Diao, Pennant, Upson, Jerome.


Norwich: Ruddy, Martin, Ward, Whitbread, Naughton, Pilkington, Howson, Johnson, Elliot Bennett, Surman, Holt. Subs: Steer, Morison, Jackson, Hoolahan, Fox, Wilbraham, Ryan Bennett.

FACT: Norwich have only won 3 out of the last 13 matches against Stoke.

West Bromwich Albion vs Chelsea:

Team News:

WBA: Foster, Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Andrews, Mulumbu, Morrison, Odemwingie, Fortune, Thomas. Subs: Fulop, Long, Brunt, Dorrans, Shorey, Tamas, Cox.


Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Cole, Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Sturridge, Drogba, Mata. Subs: Turnbull, Romeu, Torres, Mikel, Malouda, Meireles, Hutchinson.

FACT: West Brom have lost all 11 matches against Chelsea in the last 11 meetings. Can they provide a shock today???

QPR vs Everton:

Team News:

QPR: Kenny, Onuoha, Ferdinand, Hill, Traore, Derry, Barton, Wright-Phillips, Buzsaky, Taarabt, Zamora. Subs: Cerny, Gabbidon, Bothroyd, Mackie, Young, Smith, Taiwo.


Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Heitinga, Distin, Baines, Drenthe, Fellaini, Neville, Pienaar, Cahill, Stracqualursi. Subs: Mucha, Jagielka, Jelavic, Gueye, Barkley, Osman, Coleman.

FACT: QPR have only won 5 matches throughout this season, to Everton's 9.

Wigan Athletic vs Swansea:
Team News:

Wigan: Al Habsi, Alcaraz, Boyce, Caldwell, Figueroa, Gomez, McArthur, McCarthy, Beausejour, Sammon, Di Santo. Subs: Kirkland, Crusat, Watson, Moses, Rodallega, Diame, Stam.


Swansea: Vorm, Taylor, Williams, Caulker, Rangel, Britton, Allen, Sigurdsson, Dyer, Sinclair, Graham. Subs: Tremmel, Tate, Routledge, Monk, McEachran, Moore, Gower.

15:00pm: The 6 3oclock EPL matches have all kicked off here.

15:23pm: 
Manchester City vs Bolton:
The first goal of the 3oclock matches (unsuprisingly) comes from The Ethiad Stadium.  
Defender Gretar Steinsson with the own goal to put City ahead at home.
Three points for the hosts on the cards!


15:24pm:
Blackburn vs Aston Villa:
Winger Charles N'Zogbia opens the scoring at Ewood Park for the away side after 24 minutes! Villa ahead against 18th placed Blackburn (which also means that Blackburn are without a clean sheet for 30 matches...).

Winger Charles N'Zogbia striking to put the visitors ahead at Ewood Park.

15:32pm:
QPR vs Everton:
Winger Royston Drenthe breaks the deadlock at Loftus Road with a 30-yard screamer! If Everton do not make this a permanent signing at the end of the season, I do not know what is wrong with them....

Royston Drenthe: Puts Everton ahead at Loftus Road against a strong QPR side.

15:36pm:
QPR vs Everton:
It was not long! 
Everton's lead vanished before their eyes, with new striker Bobby Zamora scores a header from a free-kick to score his second goal in a Rangers shirt! 
1-1 at Loftus Road.

Striker Bobby Zamora heads in an equaliser for QPR against Everton from a free-kick to make it 1-1 after 36 minutes.

15:45:
Wigan vs Swansea:
Striker Gylfi Sigurdsson breaks the deadlock for Swansea just before half-time. Cruel for Wigan and their supporters. Great goal.
1-0 to the away side.

Sigurdsson curls the ball over Ali Al Habsi to break the deadlock at the DW Stadium in the last minute of the first half.

15:48pm: The first halves have finished, referees have blown their whistles. Now it is time for managers to inspire players to continue to play/improve and make changes to their side.
Note: I am talking to Chelsea manger Andre Villas Boas in particular...

Andre Villas Boas: Under-fire is an understatement....

16:01pm: The second halves have started to kick-off in the EPL now.


16:10pm: 
Wigan vs Swansea:
Whatever Brendan Rodgers said during half-time worked, as Sigurdsson doubles Swansea's lead with a 30-yard power free-kick and his total for the match here at The DW.
2-0 to The Swans. Wigan have everything to do now....


16:21pm: 
Wigan vs Swansea:
No, not another goal here but winger Nathan Dyer had been given a straight red card for a late tackle on Wigan's Jordi Gomez.
Is this a lifeline or what?


16:28pm:
Manchester City vs Bolton:
City's lead is doubled here in the 69th minute at The Ethiad Stadium... by no-one other than striker Mario Balotelli! Super Mario!

Striker Mario Balotelli scores to double City's lead against Bolton after 69 minutes - to score his 14th goal of the season.

16:31pm:
Stoke vs Norwich:
The deadlock has finally been broken here at The Brittania, and the home side are the team in-front with winger Matthew Etherington scoring the goal.


16:41pm:
West Brom vs Chelsea:
A goal at The Hawthorns! And it has NOT gone to the away side, with midfielder Gareth McAuley breaking the deadlock in the 82nd minute! What a shock! What a goal for WBA! They could win the match from here!!!!

Gareth McAuley gives Chelsea more in trouble at The Hawthorns by scoring a late winner for West Brom.

16:44pm:
Blackburn Rovers vs Aston Villa:
Defender Scott ann scores a late 85th minute equaliser here at Ewood Park to save manager Steve Kean's skin (for now).
Can either side go for the winner now?


16:51pm:
The referees blow their whistles in the 3oclock EPL matches....




Full-time scores today:


12:45:
Liverpool 1 Arsenal 2


15:00:
Manchester City 2 Bolton Wanderers 0
Mario Balotelli and a Gretar Steinsson own goal moves City 5 points clear at the top of the table, in-front of rivals Manchester United who play against Tottenham at White Hart Lane tomorrow. 


Blackburn Rovers 1 Aston Villa 1
A Scott Dann late equaliser cancelled out winger Charles N'Zogbia's 24th minute strike to give Rovers a well-earned point at home. 




FACT: Blackburn have now not kept a clean sheet in 30 matches.


Stoke City 1 Norwich City 0
Matthew Etherington scored the only gola of the match for the home side at The Brittania Stadium in the 72nd minute as The Potters take a vital 3 points in fight for a top 10 finish. 


FACT: Norwich have now conceded 44 goals this season.


QPR 1 Everton 1
Royston Drenthe and Bobby Zamora both scored for either club as both teams took a point from the match at Loftus Road. 
QPR are now in 16th place, while Everton are in 11th.


West Bromwich Albion 1 Chelsea 0  
Gareth McAuley's 82nd minute strike allowed West Brom to beat Chelsea for the first time in over 10 years. 
'Your getting sacked in the morning' is being chanted to Andre Villas Boas (as if it was not all ready!)


FACT: Chelsea are now 20 points behind EPL leaders Manchester City.
FACT: West Brom have beaten Chelsea for the first time in the EPL at The Hawhtorns since 1979.


Wigan 0 Swansea 2 
On-loan midfielder Sylfi Sigurdsson scored twice for The Swans as they move within 6 points of 7th placed Liverpool. 
Wigan stay bottom of the table with only 20 points this season. 

NEWS UPDATE:
In Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas's press conference, he said that he is NOT fearing for his future at Chelsea. 


In Arsenal's press conference, Arsene Wenger has said that Arsenal need to keep in-form captain (and striker) Robin Van Persie. 

Well, wins for Arsenal, Stoke, Manchester City and Swansea, while Liverpool and Chelsea drop vital points in the race for the coveted 4th place (last Champions League spot).
Many journalists wrote West Brom off before they beat Chelsea 1-0 at The Hawthorns, meanwhile at Anfield, The Reds were supposed to dispose of Arsenal which failed to happen thanks to captain Robin Van Persie.


This amazing weekend (so far) shows you that anything is possible in the EPL this season.  



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The Weekend's EPL Fixture Previews:

The Weekend's EPL Previews:

This is the 27th Round of this year's EPL.

This week's fixtures are crucial at both ends of the table with the season coming to an end soon (with only 11 matches left to play)

Tomorrow (15:00pm unless stated):

Liverpool vs Arsenal: LIVE at 12:45pm

The first EPL match of the weekend is also my featured Saturday match which will be played at Anfield as Carling Cup winners Liverpool face a morale boosted Arsenal side who thrashed rivals Tottenham 5-2 last Sunday.

Arsenal have injury concerns over captain (and striker) Robin van Persie (groin) and centre-back Thomas Vermaelen (ankle). Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey (ankle) has already been ruled out while Czech winger Tomas Rosicky (groin) faces a late fitness test. Midfielder Abou Diaby returns from a long absence after a hamstring problem.
Defender Francis Coquelin (hamstring) remains sidelined for at least another three weeks, along with centre-back Per Mertesacker (ankle) and Brazil full-back Andre Santos (ankle) is two weeks away from returning to training.
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is awaiting an update on captain Steven Gerrard's fitness.
The midfielder has a tight hamstring, suffered in England's friendly match against Holland on Wednesday while defender Glen Johnson is expected to be fit after pulling out of the (England) national squad on Monday as a precaution.
Centre-back Daniel Agger is very likely to miss the next couple of weeks with cracked ribs, meaning defender Jamie Carragher is likely to get a recall.

FACT:  

Blackburn Rovers vs Aston Villa:

This match will be played at Ewood Park as 18th placed Blackburn host 15th placed Aston Villa. 

Villa could move up to 10th place (if results go their way) and Blackburn could move out of the relegation zone (if results go their way).  

Aston Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov will return to action tomorrow against Blackburn after recovering from a thigh injury.
Striker Darren Bent will be out for the remainder of the season with a bad ankle injury putting his Euro 2012 hopes in doubt.
Right-back Alan Hutton (hamstring) and centre-back James Collins (knee) are expected to be available after withdrawing from mid-week international duty with Scotland and Wales respectively.
Blackburn welcome midfielder David Dunn back from injury but are worried by the fitness of Martin Olsson.
Dunn missed last weekend's 3-0 loss against Manchester City due to a thigh injury but has trained all week while wide man Olsson picked up slight knee and ankle problems on international duty with Sweden.
Olsson's twin brother Marcus could make his home debut for the club but defenders Jason Lowe and Gael Givet serve the final matches of their suspensions.

Rovers will be sorely miss centre-back Christopher Samba who moved to Anzhi Makhachkala last Friday for £12million.

Manchester City vs Bolton Wanderers:

This match comes from The Ethiad Stadium as 1st placed City host 19th placed Bolton in a big mis-match between the top and bottom of the table.

City are close to a full strength squad for the match against Bolton.
Manager Roberto Mancini is still to fully assess the fitness of all his players following their return from midweek international duty but has not reported any problems.
Striker Carlos Tevez had a successful run-out for the reserves this week after returning to training but is not yet ready for a first-team comeback.

Bolton midfielder Mark Davies (hamstring) is hoping to be fit ahead of the game.
Striker Kevin Davies (knee) is again doubtful while Defender Gretar Steinsson (calf) will be assessed after suffering a knock on international duty for Iceland.
On-loan defender Dedryck Boyata is ineligible to play against his parent club but fellow defender Joe Riley (foot) is back in contention.

FACT: The last time Bolton beat Manchester City away from home was the 23rd of December 2006. 

Stoke City vs Norwich City:

8th placed Norwich face a tough trip to Stoke (who are in 12th place).
Stoke have defender Robert Huth back for tomorrow's clash with Norwich at The Britannia Stadium.
Huth is set to return to the home side having completed a three-match suspension following his sending-off against Sunderland last month.
Manager Tony Pulis will check on the condition of midfielder Glenn Whelan, who picked up a knock on international duty with the Republic of Ireland, ahead of kick-off.
Midfielder Jonny Howson could make his Norwich debut after finally returning to fitness from a knee injury.
Striker James Vaughan has picked up a hamstring problem which will delay his return from knee surgery, while full-back Marc Tierney (knee) is also out.
Centre-back Daniel Ayala (hamstring) trained this week, but may not be rushed straight into action. England under-21 defender Ryan Bennett has now joined up with his new club following a loan spell back at Peterborough.

QPR vs Everton:

This match comes from Loftus Road as 17th placed QPR face 10th placed Everton.

Everton striker Nikica Jelavic could be set for a return to the squad for tomorrow's trip to QPR.
The Croatian, has missed the last two matches with a groin problem but he played 45 minutes in an international friendly against Sweden in midweek so he should be fit.
Midfielders Jack Rodwell (hamstring) and Leon Osman (knee) could also be in line for a recall after appearing for the reserves but January signing Darron Gibson is missing, as he suffered a knee injury.
Full-back Luke Young could feature for the hosts after a month sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Striker Djibril Cisse and midfiedler Samba Diakite will both miss the game through suspension.
Fitz Hall trained with the squad this week but manager Mark Hughes does not believe the defender will be ready for the game.
Striker DJ Campbell is set to return to training from a hamstring injury next week.

West Bromwich Albion vs Chelsea:

13th placed West Brom host 5th placed Chelsea in an interesting match-up between mid-table and top 6 fighters.....
Strikers Didier Drogba and Daniel Sturridge are expected to be fit for tomorrow's match against WBA.
Drogba has shaken off the knee problem that forced him to miss the Ivory Coast's friendly against Guinea, while Sturridge is expected to recover from the toe injury picked up in England's 3-2 defeat against Holland.
Captain John Terry is progressing well following minor knee surgery, while full-back Jose Bosingwa remains a doubt with a hamstring strain.
Winger Jerome Thomas is the hosts main fitness doubt after suffering a hamstring injury during the 4-0 win over Sunderland.
Skipper Chris Brunt has returned to training after a two-month lay-off with a broken foot but Roy Hodgson is weighing up whether he is ready to return against The Blues.
Fellow midfielder Paul Scharner is making good progress with his rib injury but, even if available, is only likely to be among the substitutes in this match....

Wigan Athletic vs Swansea:

14th placed Swansea go to the DW Stadium where 20th placed Wigan have only scored 23 goals this season out of 26 matches which is the worst goalscoring record for any team in the EPL this season.
Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm has overcome a virus to be available against Wigan.
Strikers Danny Graham and Leroy Lita are also expected to be fit after being hit by the same illness.
But midfielder Kemy Agustien is facing a lengthy lay-off after surgery revealed that his ankle injury was worse than first thought.
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez will have to make a late decision on the fitness of some of his internationals.
Paraguay defender Antolin Alcaraz and Honduras defender Maynor Figueroa both had long trips after playing for their countries in South America and were not expected to arrive back until late on Friday.
Defender Gary Caldwell sustained a cut leg playing for Scotland in midweek but he is expected to recover.

Sunday:

Newcastle United vs Sunderland: LIVE at 12:00pm

The North-west derby comes from The Sports Direct Arena as two in-form sides (6th and 9th place respectively) face each other in a tasty match which could change the shape of the table completely.

Fulham vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: LIVE at 14:05pm

This match will be played at Craven Cottage as 11th placed Fulham host 16th placed Wolves.
Wolves' leading scorer Steven Fletcher is available after illness for the Premier League clash at Fulham on Sunday after missing the 2-2 away draw with Newcastle last weekend.
Caretaker boss Terry Connor has to decide how to accommodate Fletcher and fellow striker Kevin Doyle, who scored the equaliser at the Sports Direct Arena, in the same line-up.
Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and midfielder Dave Edwards should both be fit after being ruled out of the Gary Speed Memorial Match against Costa Rica with ankle injuries.
Mahamadou Diarra could make his Fulham debut.
The former Real Madrid midfielder penned a deal until the end of the season earlier this week and manager Martin Jol has confirmed he could be involved at Craven Cottage this weekend.
Fulham right-back Stephen Kelly is a doubt with a little tear in his right quad, while midfielder Dickson Etuhu will be assessed when he flies back from international duty today. Zdenek Grygera (knee) and Steve Sidwell (hernia) are the only first-team players unavailable.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United: LIVE at 16:10pm

My Sunday featured match comes from White Hart Lane as 3rd placed Tottenham host 2nd placed Manchester United in a hot battle at the top of the table. There is 8 points between the two sides, and if United prevail then Spurs' title challenge is virtually over.

Louis Saha could play against his former club United on Sunday, while Carrick could also play against his former club (Spurs).
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is confident that Gareth Bale will be fit to face Manchester United on Sunday despite the winger suffering a hamstring injury in midweek.
Kyle Walker is fit despite suffering an ankle injury against Arsenal last week and Redknapp is also confident that Rafael van der Vaart (calf) and Ledley King (knee) will feature.
Scott Parker is suspended following his sending off at the Emirates Stadium last weekend while long-term absentees William Gallas (calf) and Tom Huddlestone (ankle) remain sidelined.
Manchester United defender Chris Smalling is doubtful after needing stitches in a head wound sustained during England's friendly defeat to Holland.
Wayne Rooney has recovered from a throat infection but Antonio Valencia (hamstring), Tom Cleverley (ankle) and Michael Owen (thigh) are all out.

FACT: Tottenham have not beaten Manchester United since the 19th of May 2001.

FACT: Spurs have only lost once at home this season, third best record so far this season in the EPL (behind Liverpool and Manchester City).

Link for International Match, England vs Holland:

http://www.footballblogdirectory.co.uk/2012/02/international-friendly-england-vs.html

Thank you for reading and your continued support from views and suscribers.

See you later everyone.

The Weekend's EPL Results Analysis:

EPL Results:

Round 26.

Saturday's Action:

Chelsea 3 Bolton Wanderers 0
This match was played at Stamford Bridge as 5th placed Chelsea hosted 19th placed Bolton. 
Defender David Luiz opened the scoring for The Blues in the 48th minute. Striker Didier Drogba doubled the hosts lead in the 61st minute to score his first goal since going to the African Cup of Nations. Midfielder Frank Lampard capped off the match with a goal to make it a 3-0 win to Chelsea after 79 minutes.

This means that Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas lives to fight another day in the EPL, while Bolton boss Owen Coyle is in no better position with lowly Bolton.

FACT: This is Chelsea's first win in 5 matches (against QPR in the FA Cup).

Midfielder Frank Lampard celebrates his 12th goal of the season against Bolton in the 79th minute to put Chelsea 3-0 up.

Newcastle United 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2
This match was played at The Sports Direct Arena as 6th placed Newcastle hosted 16th place Wolves.
Striker Papiss Demba Cisse scored his second goal for his new club after only 6 minutes. Midfielder Jonas Gutierrez scored a belter from 25 yards out to double the Geordies' lead in the 18th minute. Winger Matthew Jarvis halved the hosts 2-0 lead in the 50th minute and gave Wolves hope to salvage something away from home. Striker Kevin Doyle equalised in the 66th minute for Wolves and that is how the match finished. 

Newcastle will feel disappointed that they gave up a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2, but grateful they did not lose and are still in 6th place. Wolves will feel happy that they cameback from 2 goals down, but unlucky not to win the match and are still in trouble, seven points off 15th placed Aston Villa - still in relegation trouble.

 

QPR 0 Fulham 1
The first London derby of this weekend was between QPR and Fulham.
Striker Pavel Pogrebnyak scored the only goal of the match for the away side after 7 minutes. QPR midfielder Samba Diakite picked up two yellow cards in the space of 14 minutes and brought QPR down to ten men - on his debut after moving to Rangers in the January TW. 

Fulham celebrate striker Pavel Pogrebnyak's early 7th minute goal to win the match against QPR at Loftus Road...

Fulham beat QPR again for the second time this season, but it was less routine than the 6-0 win in October 2011.

West Bromwich Albion 4 Sunderland 0
15th placed West Brom hosted an in-form Sunderland side in 9th place, who were only 10 points off 4th place. 
Striker Peter Odemwingie broke the deadlock for the home side after only three minutes into the match to put West Brom ahead. Midfielder James Morrison scored a header to made it 2-0 to WBA in the 41st minute. Odemwingie scored his second of the match, three minutes after the start of the second half to put The Baggies in a surprising controlled position. Midfielder Keith Andrews rubbed salt in the wounds, making ut 4-0 in the 90th minute on his debut scoring his first goal for WBA.

Wigan Athletic 0 Aston Villa 0 
This match was hosted at the DW Stadium as 20th placed Wigan hosted 14th placed Aston Villa.
This match ended in a goalless draw, with both teams staying in their same respective positions but only a point ahead from their last matches.
Villa will feel upset that they could not get the job done against a weak Wigan side stuck in 20th place, while Wigan will feel relieved that they did not lose at home, but could have moved further off the bottom of the table with a win.

Manchester City 3 Blackburn Rovers 0
1st placed Manchester City hosted 18th placed Blackburn at The Ethiad Stadium. 
Striker Mario Balotelli broke the deadlock for the home side in the first half (30th minute). Striker Sergio Aguero scored his 20th goal of the season to double the lead in the 52nd minute after capatalizing on goalkeeper Paul Robinson's fumble out towards him. Fellow striker Edin Dzeko ended the match in the 81st minute to give City a 3-0 convincing lead and keep the pressure on rivals United in 2nd place, two points behind them.

Striker Sergio Aguero scoring City's second against Blackburn on Saturday.

FACT: City are now unbeaten at home in one whole year at The Ethiad.


Today's Action:

Arsenal 5 Tottenham Hotspur 2
North London Derbies between these two teams never seem to disappoint, and today's was not stalemate either.... Striker Louis Saha put the away side in-front after only 4 minutes, before former Gunner forward Emmanuel Adebayor doubled Spurs' lead with a penalty, 30 minutes later to give Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger a real headache. Full-back Bacary Sana halved the 2-0 lead in the 40th minute, before captain and striker Robin Van Persie curled a stunning shot past Brad Friedel to equalise for the home side. Midfielder Tomas Rosicky scored his first goal at The Emirates since 2010 to make it 3-2 in the 51st minute before a Theo Walcott doubled in the space of three minutes (65th and 68th min) allowed Arsenal a 5-2 comfortable scoreline.

Striker Robin Van Persie celebrates scoring to equalise for Arsenal against Tottenham in the 43rd minute. He has now scored 29 goals this season in all competitions.

Norwich City 1 Manchester United 2

Stoke City 2 Swansea City 0

Carling Cup Final: 

Cardiff City 1 Liverpool 1 (AET 2-2) (Pens 2-3)

Well, well, well! What a match at Wembley! Everyone (except me) thought that this would be a rout in Liverpool's favour.... but it was nothing but!

Defender Martin Skrtel equalised for The Reds in the 60th minute after striker Joe Mason had put The Bluebirds ahead after only 19 minutes... The 90 minutes was over and the match went to extra time. Striker Dirk Kuyt made it 2-1 to Liverpool, three minutes after coming off the subs bench (in the second half of extra time). Everyone thought it was over, but defender Brian Turner shot through Pepe Reina's legs from a corner in the 118th minute to make the match go to penalties.
Liverpol captain and midfielder Steven Gerrard missed his penalty, along with Charlie Adam (who skied his to Row Z). 5 penalties scored later, Steven Gerrard's cousin Antony stepped up to take it, but his shot narrowly missed the left post and Liverpool prevailed!

Liverpool's jubilant celebration after beating Cardiff on penalties to win their first trophy in 6 years.

Is this a sign of things to come for King Kenny's men?
Is this the start of a new Liverpool generation??

The Weekend's EPL Fixture Previews:

The Weekend's EPL Fixture Previews:

Hello and welcome to Round 26 of this season's EPL.

We have nine tasty and interesting matches over the weekend including the North London derbies between Arsenal vs Tottenham and QPR vs Fulham.



Tomorrow (15:00 unless stated):

Chelsea vs Bolton Wanderers:

This match will be played at Stamford Bridge as 5th placed Chelsea host 19th placed Bolton.
Chelsea will be without captain John Terry for Saturday's game against Bolton after he was ruled out for up to six weeks with a knee injury.
Ashley Cole is likely to return at left-back after being left out of the starting XI against Napoli and Fernando Torres is expected to be available despite missing training during midweek due to illness.
Midfielder Juan Mata is ready despite suffering a suspected broken finger on Tuesday in Italy but full-back Jose Bosingwa is out after suffering a muscle injury.

Bolton midfielder Mark Davies is expected to be fit after a hamstring problem.
New striker Marvin Sordell is eligible for selection again after being cup-tied for last weekend's FA Cup fifth-round victory over Millwall.
Defender Joe Riley is a doubt due to a foot injury and forward Kevin Davies, who sustained medial ligament damage in his knee in early February, is unlikely to be ready to make his return to action yet.
Chelsea will hope to end their current poor form of late against a side who they thrashed 6-0 in the last meeting.

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has scored 11 goals this season for The Blues - joint highest goalscorer along with Daniel Sturridge...

Newcastle United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers:

This match will be held at The Sports Direct Arena as 6th placed Newcastle host 18th placed Wolves in a surprising mismatch (especially this season).

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew will welcome back key midfield duo Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye for tomorrow's clash with Wolves.
Tiote has missed Newcastle's last seven games because of his involvement in the ACON with Ivory Coast, while Cabaye has now completed his three-match ban.
Full-back Ryan Taylor is also available after missing the 5-0 defeat against Spurs with an ankle injury, but Leon Best and Sammy Ameobi (both knee), Steven Taylor (Achilles) and Sylvain Marveaux (groin) remain on the sidelines.

Wolves midfielder Karl Henry is available after a three-match suspension for his silly red card against Aston Villa.
Winger Michael Kightly is also back in contention after suffering a back injury against Villa in January.
Top scorer Steven Fletcher was unable to train earlier this week because of a virus and migraine but caretaker boss Terry Connor is optimistic he will be fit.
He will be managing his first match for Wolves in this season.

Stephen Fletcher: Scored 10 goals for Wolves this season. Top scorer.

FACT: Wolves have not kept a clean sheet in the last twenty two EPL matches.
Wow....

QPR vs Fulham:

This match will come from Loftus Road as London clubs QPR and Fulham go head-to-head.

Midfielder Samba Diakite who joined from Nancy (on loan until the end of the season) is in line to make his QPR debut.
Striker Bobby Zamora faces his old club after moving to Rangers for a sum of £8million in the January transfer window but fellow striker Djibril Cisse is suspended, while Heidar Helguson (groin), DJ Campbell and Luke Young (both hamstring) are still injured.
31-year-old forward Andrew Johnson will return to the Fulham squad after being out for several weeks with a left adductor injury.
Fellow strikers Pavel Pogrebnyak and Orlando Sa are also available, while defender Philippe Senderos returns after a grade two strain in his left adductor. Zdenek Grygera (knee) and Steve Sidwell (hernia) are the only first-team players unavailable.

This match will have a frosty atmosphere with former players facing each other and tempers flaring, Fulham will hope to win again (like they did in October 6-0) but it will not be straight forward against a rejuvenated QPR side who were busy during last month's TW.

Striker Bobby Zamora has scored for his new club QPR, and faces his old club Fulham tomorrow....

West Bromwich Albion vs Sunderland:

This match will be played at The Hawthorns as 14th placed West Brom host an in-form Sunderland side who have been influenced by the arrival of manager Martin O'Neil who replaced Steve Bruce who was sacked earlier in the season.
West Brom midfielder Keith Andrews is in strong contention to make his full debut in Saturday's home Barclays Premier League clash with Sunderland.
Albion's transfer deadline signing from Blackburn is favourite to replace the injured Paul Scharner (rib) after impressing as a substitute and scoring during the 5-1 win over his former club Wolves.
Skipper Chris Brunt (ankle) is close to fitness but fellow midfielder Zoltan Gera (knee) remains a long-term absentee as the Baggies search for their first home win since November.
Nicklas Bendtner could return to the Sunderland after recovering from a facial fracture.
The striker has returned to training wearing a protective mask, although was ineligible to play against parent club Arsenal in the FA Cup last weekend, as were fellow loan signings Wayne Bridge and Sotirios Kyrgiakos.
Midfielder David Vaughan is back in training after an ankle problem, but the match is too soon for him, and only defenders Wes Brown (knee) and Titus Bramble (Achilles/calf) remain on the long-term casualty list.


FACT: Manager Martin O'Neill has only lost three matches in charge of Sunderland since the 10th of December 2011.
Staggering feat, without buying any players, Steve Bruce was messing about then!

Martin O'Neill: The epicenter of Sunderland's success this season.

Wigan Athletic vs Aston Villa:

This match will be played at the DW Stadium as Wigan host Aston Villa.
Aston Villa welcome striker Gabriel Agbonlahor back after he had back and hamstring problems which meant that he has missed Villa's last three matches.
Chris Herd could also be involved after coming through an hour in a reserve match unscathed. The midfielder has been out for around two and a half months with ankle ligament damage.
McLeish said he had a few other players with minor injuries who may not recover, but declined to name individuals.
Defender Richard Dunne (shoulder) and Ciaran Clark (knee) are both long-term casualties.
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has a fully-fit squad.
Striker Callum McManaman has recovered from a back problem while a number of players were able to overcome colds and viruses during the club's recent trip to Oman.
Midfielder Mohamed Diame may be set for his first appearance since returning from ACON duty.

Manchester City vs Blackburn Rovers: LIVE at 17:30pm
1st placed Manchester City host lowly Blackburn at The Ethiad Stadium in a big mismatch with the two teams at two different ends of the EPL table.

Manchester City defender Micah Richards (knee) is fit for tomorrow's fixture against 17th placed Blackburn.
Richards required lengthy treatment during Wednesday's 4-0 Europa League win over Porto but completed the game while midfielder Gareth Barry, who was withdrawn to protect a muscle twinge, does not have a serious problem.
Defender Kolo Toure, midfielder Yaya Toure (both international duty at the African Cup Of Nations) and striker Mario Balotelli (suspension) return to domestic action after lengthy absences. Striker Carlos Tevez, now back in training, is not yet match-fit.
Blackburn midfielder David Dunn is a doubt due to a thigh injury.
Winger Junior Hoilett is fit, while defender Jason Lowe begins a two-match ban having picked up his 10th booking of the season against QPR and fellow defender Gael Givet is still suspended also.
Centre-back Christopher Samba, who has not played since January 2 and last month handed in a transfer request, appears poised to leave Rovers to join Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala. 


Manchester City should and probably will thrash Blackburn who lack flair in every part of the pitch apart from the wing - where Holiett will be given a rough time against the likes of Richards and Kompany....

Striker Sergio Aguero has scored 20 goals for Manchester City this season - third highest goalscorer in the EPL.

Sunday (13:30 unless stated):

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur:

This tasty North London fixture at The Emirates on Sunday is my featured match between 4th placed Arsenal and 3rd placed Tottenham.

Tottenham forwards Emmanuel Adebayor (knee) and Rafael van der Vaart (calf) have trained this week and are expected to be fit for Sunday's north London derby at Arsenal.
Full-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto (groin) and midfielder Luka Modric (illness) missed last week's FA Cup game but should also be available to play at the Emirates.
Defender Ledley King (knee) faces a late fitness test, midfielder Sandro is a major doubt due to a calf injury, and William Gallas (calf) and Tom Huddlestone (ankle) are long-term absentees.
Arsenal defenders Laurent Koscielny (knee) and Kieran Gibbs (groin) face fitness tests ahead of the game.
Midfielder Aaron Ramsey (ankle), defender Francis Coquelin (hamstring) and centre-half Sebastien Squillaci (groin) are all sidelined.
Defender Carl Jenkinson recovered from a back problem and played for the reserves in midweek, but centre-back Per Mertesacker (ankle) is a long-term absentee, along with full-back Andre Santos (ankle), midfielders Abou Diaby (hamstring) and Jack Wilshere (ankle).

Striker Emmanuel Adebayor faces his old club away from home along with some interesting comments made by player from both teams so it has the making of a hostile atmosphere.
Tottenham feel they are the best team in London, and beat Arsenal 2-1 in their last meeting so The Gunners will be looking for revenge at home but they may struggle against an in-form Spurs side.


Robin Van Persie vs Gareth Bale:
Over £80million worth of Talent..... 

Tottenham midfielder Gareth Bale has scored 11 goals this season. 2nd highest midfield goalscorer in the EPL.

Robin Van Persie: 28 goals in all competitions this season..... highest goalscorer in the EPL.

FACT:
Tottenham have won three of the last four meetings against rivals Arsenal....

Norwich City vs Manchester United:

Defender Rio Ferdinand will return to the Manchester United squad for Sunday's trip to Norwich.
Ferdinand was rested for yesterday's Europa League match against Ajax but manager Sir Alex Ferguson will look to the 33-year-old to bring some stability to a back four that struggled badly at Old Trafford.
Wayne Rooney (throat) is a doubt, whilst there is also speculation Tom Cleverley has suffered a recurrence of his ankle injury.
Defender Zak Whitbread could return to the Norwich first-team as he recovered from a hamstring injury, but his fellow defender Daniel Ayala continues to miss out.
Marc Tierney (groin) and Jonny Howson (knee) are both on the comeback trail, but Sunday's match will be too soon for them.
FACT: Manchester United have won 8 out of last 13 EPL away matches, and have kept the most clean sheets (12)

Stoke City vs Swansea City: LIVE at 15:00pm

Stoke boss Tony Pulis will make a significant amount of changes from the side knocked out of Europe last night for Sunday's clash against 11th placed Swansea. The Potters boss left nine first-team players at home for the 1-0 defeat by Valencia, including the likes of Peter Crouch, Jon Walters and Matthew Etherington, and all are likely to come in as Stoke look to arrest a run of four straight league defeats.
Centre-back Robert Huth serves the final match of a three-game ban but midfielder Rory Delap is available after having his red card against Crawley overturned last week, while Pulis could give Asmir Begovic a start in goal ahead of Thomas Sorensen.
Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers has a near full-strength squad to pick from.
Midfielder Joe Allen has returned to full fitness after missing their last match against Norwich.
However, Kemy Agustien looks set to miss out after he picked up a knock in training and fellow midfielder Andrea Orlandi (hamstring) is also a doubt.
Right-back Curtis Obeng could be in line for his debut following his recent arrival from Wrexham.
Either side could move up to 9th place with a win (provided results go their way), with Stoke having the advantage resting their first-team players yesterday against Valencia.

Sunday:

 Carling Cup Final:

7th placed Liverpool face Championship club Cardiff City in a mismatch at Wembley.

Luis Suarez will be hoping to prove a danger against Cardiff aswell as Craig Bellamy who will be played against his hometown.

Cardiff City vs Liverpool: LIVE at 16:00pm

The Bluebirds hope to become the first Welsh side to win the Carling Cup against a Liverpool squad who have not won a trophy in 6 years since they won the League cup in 2006.

FACT: Cardiff have beaten Liverpool 5 out of the last 6 times.....

Interesting fact....

TRANSFER NEWS UPDATE:


Zenit St. Petersburg have confirmed the signing of Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin on a loan until the end of the season.
Bye! You will be more effective in Russia (hopefully it will be permanent in the Summer)


Blackburn Rovers have confirmed the departure of defender Christopher Samba to Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala for an undisclosed fee thought to be around £7million.


Their defence is sure to crumble now, if it had not already before.... now that their star player has left, many more will probably follow and leave.

Are you watching Arsene?

See you tomorrow everyone for the Saturday Special following six matches.
Thank you very much for reading my blog as it means a lot to me as a writer and inspires me to do better and post more frequently.
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Have a nice day. :)

Link for Champions League Last 16 Part 2 featuring Napoli vs Chelsea:

http://www.footballblogdirectory.co.uk/2012/02/napoli-dominate-under-fire-avbs-chelsea.html

See you tomorrow for the weekend's EPL previews including Arsenal vs Tottenham and Stoke vs Swansea City (plus a Carling Cup final special).

Thanks for reading, spread the word!

Link for this week's FA Cup results and analysis:

http://www.footballblogdirectory.co.uk/2012/02/birmingham-hold-chelsea-to-1-1-draw.html

See you later everyone.