Ah. Football.

So, the ‘mighty’ Reds managed to get a win. I can’t complain too much, it makes quite a pleasant change.

I didn’t watch any of the match, I couldn’t face the trauma of trying to find an internet stream. If I was a more superstitious man then I’d avoid all future matches.

Anyway, Ngog and Torres scored, Wigan pulled one back in injury time, just to take the shine of it.

This may be my most half hearted match report yet.

Time for my first holiday since July – a week skiing in Austria. I was there back in March and thought it was so good I’m going straight back. Slightly unusual for me, I’ve never been to the same resort twice in such quick succession, normally preferring to try new slopes on some other wind-swept face. Can’t wait.

I noticed a cracking bet today that thought I should blog about before I head off. Stoke are a massive 2.2 on Betfair to beat Wigan at home tomorrow. I’m still unsure as to why the price is so big. Stoke have an excellent record at home in the league, having only lost twice so far this season, against Manchester United and Chelsea. They’ve won four and drawn one of the other five, the draw coming against Wolves at the end of October.

Wigan, on the flip side, have been woeful on the road this year. They haven’t picked up a single point away from home since the end of October, at Burnley, and in that time came the now infamous 9-1 drubbing at White Heart Lane. The only other win came on the opening day at Aston Villa, a fantastic result in itself but on a day that anything could happen.

I just can’t see Wigan winning this one. The one doubt in my mind is the farce that was Pulis versus Beattie this week. Sounds like a big of handbags and it’s all over though, good boys they are.

So, fill your boots and get on. Stoke should be more like 1.8, so this is a cracking price.

This is the president of Urawa Reds, Mitsuo Hashimoto, addressing the teams supporters after the last game of the season.

The Reds are the best supported club in the J.League.  Much like Manchester United, the team on which they are modelled, they draw support from across their homeland. By Japanese standards they are vociferous.  Last year they were involved in the J.League’s worst incidence of crowd trouble in its 16 year history.

This season was one of disappointment for the Reds.  They finished in 6th place, 14 points behind champions Kashima Antlers.  Rumours of dressing room unrest abound and the close season is likely to witness major changes at the club.

Talismanic central defender Tulio Tanaka is out of contract and has been linked with several foreign clubs, including Premier League Wigan Athletic.  Tulio earlier in the season criticised the clubs recruitment policy.  Blaming the teams poor form on a lack of experienced players.

Hashimoto will be a busy man over the coming months.  His first task will be to dry his suit.

Sunderland Reserves 3 – 0 Wigan Athletic Reserves

Tuesday 1st December at the Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground

Wigan’s reserves suffered a backlash from the Black Cats on Tuesday night as they lost 3-0 away to Sunderland.

Graham Barrow’s men were hoping to emulate the first team’s success at the weekend and bounce back after a poor run of results.

However a first half hat-trick from Ryan Noble condemned Latics to their sixth defeat in eight Premier Reserve League North games.

Tomasz Cywka almost scored a late consolation but his penalty was saved by goalkeeper Trevor Carson.

Everton defender Moses Barnett was the main feature in the Wigan line-up, as he looks to impress during a trial period at the club.

The reserves’ next match is away to Manchester City on Tuesday 5^th January. Kick Off 7pm.

It seems as though derby season is upon us; there have been quite a few this weekend and next weekend the most anticipated match in Roma’s season (and the greatest derby in Italy) gets underway. But, before we can start our countdown to a good Biancocelesti thrashing, we have to deal with all the derbies (and mundane regular matches) going down this weekend. Shall we?

Football:

Somebody get this guy a Red shirt.

Liverpool 2-0 Everton (The Merseyside Derby) – Well, the Scousers went head to head today as strugglers Everton took on strugglers Liverpool. It was a battle of the underachievers, with both Rafa Benitez and David Moyes’ sides badly needing the points and morale boost that come from a derby win. In a season when both sides have fared so poorly both in league and European competitions, it comes as no surprise that today’s match was decided not by a particularly heroic individual effort but by a particularly atrocious performance. A pair of grievous mistakes from Everton defender Joseph Yobo gifted the Reds a 2-0 victory, much to the dismay of the Toffeemakers’ fans at Goodison Park. Yobo put the visitors ahead in the 12th minute, putting his foot out and tipping a long-range effort from Javier Mascherano (which was veering well wide of the net, I might add) past Tim Howard and into the back of his own goal. It was a typically scrappy derby match, and Russian wiz Diniyar Bilyaletdinov nearly leveled the score 6 minutes later in the beginning of what was a very back-and-forth first half. Everton found the back of the net twice and were twice disallowed, but the home support were buoyed by their side’s performance and were left singing at the half despite the score remaining 1-0. However, they wouldn’t be singing at fulltime – their side failed to equalize in the second half with Pepe Reina denying the Blues over and over again, seemingly through sheer determination and a bit of luck. When it finally occurred on 81′, the second error from Joseph Yobo would all but put the game out of Everton’s reach. The Nigerian whiffed on an aerial clearance, leading to a shot from Albert Riera before Dirk Kuyt buried the rebound to make it 2-0. Ten minutes later, it was the away support who were singing as another Merseyside derby came to pass.

Manchester Utd 4-1 Portsmouth – Ah, our first non-derby match of the weekend. Still though, there is a bit of history here – the last time Avram Grant came up against Sir Alex Ferguson on the touchline was in the 2008 Champions League final, with Chelsea just one slip away from being crowned Champions of Europe. Despite being runners up in that competition and in the EPL, Grant was sacked as Chelsea manager, left to ponder what could have been. Yesterday he made his (unofficial) return to coaching, this time as manager of strugglers Portsmouth, who are looking to turn their fortunes around after going through 3 owners and 2 managers already this year. Fergie himself had to watch the match from the stands, as he is currently serving a touchline ban – luckily the match was quite a spectacle, abundant with soft penalties and controversy. On 25′ the visitors were awarded a somewhat questionable penalty which Wayne Rooney buried from the spot. The Fratton Park crowd could not complain too much, though, as 6 minutes later their side was awarded an even more inexplicable penalty which Kevin Prince Boateng was able to convert – apparently awarded for some rather run-of-the-mill shirt tugging by Nemanja Vidic. The teams went into the half level, but it would not take United much longer to find their stride. Within the first 8′ minutes of the second period Wayne Rooney would complete his hattrick with a low shot on 48′ and a second penalty on 53′. Ryan Giggs would top it all off on 87′ with the 100th Premiership goal of his career, making it 4-1 United and ensuring that Avram Grant will have Fergie-related nightmares for a while yet.

Tottenham 1-1 Aston Villa – It’s always difficult to come down after an incredible high. No, I’m not referring to my own struggles with substance abuse (fictional, I assure you), but rather the 9-1 victory which the Spurs were able to achieve over Wigan Athletic last weekend. Instead of repeating that incredible feat, the Lilywhites were held to an unremarkable draw at Villa Park. Gabriel Agbonlahor gave the home side an early lead on 10′, but Michael Dawson was able to level for Tottenham late in the match to earn his side a point and lift them to 3rd place in the English Premier League. Not an overly impressive performance from Harry Redknapp’s side, but they did just enough to keep themselves in the Premiership race.

Chelsea 3-0 Arsenal (The London Derby) – Realistically, there are more intense traditional rivalries in London town; historically Chelsea and Arsenal have been less concerned with each other than their other London neighbours. However, the rise of Chelsea into the big four of Premiership football means that in recent years these two sides have been forced into competition with one another at the top of the table and as a direct result their rivalry has become much more intense. Today’s London derby turned out to be an absolute rout from the Blues, who have been in tip-top form all season under Carlo Ancelotti, decimating Arsene Wenger’s depleted side who have been just shy of top form of late. It was another episode of the Didier Drogba show at the Emirates, with the big Ivorian grabbing the brace to all but destroy the Gunners and keep his fantastic record against Wenger’s side alive – Drogba has found the net in each of the last 9 matches played against Arsenal. Drogba opened the scoring on 41′, firing from close range into the top of Almunia’s net after some impeccable service from Ashley Cole. Just 4 minutes later Cole would again play the role of provider, but this time it was Arsenal man Thomas Vermaelen who turned the ball into his own net – giving the home side plenty to think about as they retired for the halftime interval. Just after the break Arsenal should have made it 2-1 when Andrei Arshavin blasted a rebound past Petr Cech and into the Blues’ net, but the goal was disallowed for an alleged foul on the Czech keeper by Gunners man Eduardo. Despite some dangerous efforts, Chelsea dominated play for much of the second half; their persistence paid off on 86′ when (guess who?) Didier Drogba struck again from a free kick just outside the area, blasting past the wall and away from Manuel Almunia into the back of the net. Ultimately, Ancelotti’s side would cruise to a relatively easy win, taking advantage of a depleted and demoralized Arsenal side to further their dominance atop the Premiership table. Chelsea have now recorded wins this season against all of their fellow big four sides – a positive omen if there ever was one.

Manchester City 1-1 Hull City – Oh, and City drew their 7th straight game after Shaun Wright-Phillips’ opener was cancelled out by a late penalty converted by Jimmy Bullard.

Calcio:

Inter 1-0 Fiorentina – Oh, Inter. I am growing to hate you so. In a game when Jose Mourinho’s side played poorly and were well-met by an organized outing from Cesare Prandelli’s men, it would be a penalty kick which separated the two sides in the end and allowed i Nerazzurri to go 8 points clear atop the Serie A table. It’s so typical of this side to underachieve thoroughly and then get by on the skin of their teeth that I shouldn’t be surprised, but yet I am disappointed each time a more deserving team outplays them and ultimately falls, especially due to this sort of misfortune. I’m not saying that the penalty wasn’t there, but had it not been for Gianluca Comotto’s hotheadedness, or had Alberto Gilardino buried his one-on-one chance against Julio Cesar instead of hitting the post just moments earlier, then Inter surely would have dropped points on the evening. In the end, Diego Milito’s penalty made the difference in a match full of could’ve-beens for La Viola that was perhaps ultimately a shouldn’t-have-been for La Beneamata.

Genoa 3-0 Sampdoria (il Derbi della Lanterna) – The Genovese derby, or il Derbi della Lanterna, as it is known, always produces some fireworks. This year’s was no different, as i Grifoni demolished i Blucerchiati in a game that had as many goals as it did red cards. Omar Milanetto opened the scoring for Genoa on 10′ with a spot kick after Reto Ziegler executed a clumsy tackle in the box. Genoa’s Giuseppe Biava was sent off for handling the ball as he fell to the ground, Sampdoria’s Marco Rossi received two yellows, and his teammate Fabrizio Cacciatore received a straight red late in the match. Meanwhile, Genoa’s Marco Rossi (yes, there are two of them) scored on 53′ and Raffaele Palladino capped off the victory with a spot kick on 75′. An eventful and exciting derby, and also a hard-fought one, which I’m sure an inspection of Antonio Cassano’s shins would tell you. They really don’t like that guy, eh? I bet Lippi calls up the whole team come June.

Cagliari 2-0 Juventus – La Vecchia Signora ha perso contro… gli Isolani? Cagliari managed to pull one (better yet, two) over on their visitors at the Stadio San’Elia today, snatching all three points from a rather toothless Old Lady. I think I’ve waited long enough to say this – Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has certainly been a huge flop at AC Milan this season, but realistically, what has Diego done for Juventus’ offense lately? I’ll tell you what he did today: not enough. Their confidence shattered by a midweek loss to Bordeaux, Juventus fell about play clumsily and were victimized by a sharp and determined performance from the Sardinians. The home side opened the scoring on 30′ when Nenê unleashed  35-yard screamer that blasted into Buffon’s top corner. Juventus struggled to respond, and with their own Brazilian Diego firing well-wide before the half, went into the break with a much-deserved 1-0 deficit. After the interval, Amauri thought he had grabbed a quick equalizer for his side, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside, leaving Cagliari keeper Federico Marchetti more than happy to pick the ball out of the back of the net. Cagliari also had fair claim to a spot kick after Martin Cácares handled the ball in the area, but the referee adjudged it ball-to-hand and play continued. A late goal would come to pass, but it would not be the strike that Juventus needed: substitute Alessandro Matri turned Fabio Cannavaro absolutely inside-out before slotting past Gigi Buffon in the 89th minute. Both Diego and substitute Alessandro Del Piero would miss absolute sitters for the visitors in added time and Juventus were forced to swallow their second humbling defeat in 5 days, dropping to 8 points behind league-leaders Inter.

Vucigol had me praising the heavens with his 44th-minute header.

AS Roma 2-1 Atalanta – An ugly, nervy, but ultimately deserved away win. I couldn’t be happier. Though dominations at the Stadio Olimpico like the one last weekend over Bari are a joy to watch, they are expected – those are the games that we will always win, because the magic of the Olimpico rarely fails us. However, it is matches like today’s at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri D’Italia that are must-wins for i Giallorossi, because they are the ones where we so often lose our nerve and drop points against teams we would easily beat at home. It’s not called an advantage for nothing, you know. Luckily, Roma was able to pull out a comeback win against gli Orobici today after Fabio Ceravolo gave the home side the lead on 13′. Roma looked decidedly lackluster for huge spells during the first half, but were able to grab a set-piece goal just before the half as Mirko Vučinić nodded home a corner from David Pizarro on 44′. Simone Perrotta was able to give his side the lead 20 minutes later, ghosting into the box unnoticed to head home a cross from Vučinić. After gaining the lead, i Lupi simply fought to maintain it. The substitutions of Jérémy Ménez for Rodrigo Taddei and Roberto Acquafresca for Cristiano Doni changed the entire complexion of the game; suddenly Roma were on the backheel and fighting only to maintain their lead while the home side heaped on piles of offensive pressure. For the most part Roma held up nicely under the waves of attack; Riise almost scored an own-goal on 85′ but instead cleared the ball nicely, while Atalanta had a legitimate appeal for a penalty on Juan two minutes later which was happily waved off. Finally the fulltime whistle blew and Roma were able to take a much-needed 3 points home to Trigoria. We’ve finally cracked the top 10! Rejoice ironically – but only for a second. We have il Derbi della Capitale to think about.

Udinese 2-0 Livorno – The other Bianconeri were able to achieve a much better result this weekend than Juventus. A cracker of a free kick from Antonio Di Natale opened the scoring on 29′, bringing his total for the season to a round 10. 7 minutes later, Antonio Floro Flores doubled his side’s money, heading home after a build-up that was again largely the work of Di Natale. The one-two punch was more than enough to subdue the Tuscan visitors at the Stadio Friuli and le Zebrette ran away with the 2-goal win. I almost feel bad for Sersi Cosmi, fervent Romanista that he is, until I remember that it was his cursed side which sent us on the downward spiral earlier this season from which we are just now recovering (ie, getting Totti back). But then again, Udinese was a part of that spiral too… Aw, to hell with the both of them.

The Hunter finally found his gun!

AC Milan 2-0 Catania - AC Milan were given a golden opportunity to leapfrog Juventus in the standings this weekend, with i Bianconeri dropping points at Cagliari and i Rossoneri overcame Catania in Sicily to make the most of that chance. Leonardo’s side were held to a goalless draw by the Rossazzurri for 93 minutes, but Milan ‘flop’ Klaas-Jan Huntelaar finally made good on his promise to score an added time brace and catapult his side into second place. First the Dutchman sent a low strike in after some lovely control by Filippo Inzaghi, and then only seconds later after the restart he struck again, chipping Andújar beautifully to make it 2-0 for Milan. Well, the Hunter certainly took his time, but it seems that he has finally found his form for his new side – and his timing couldn’t have been better.

Futbol:

Ibra done good.

Barcelona 1-0 Real Madrid (El Clásico)- Well, it might be called El Clásico, but there was nothing ‘classic’ about Spain’s biggest derby this evening. Barcelona and Real Madrid played out a scrappy game in which neither truly came into their stride or were able to showcase their own particular brand of football. Despite injury concerns, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were all able to feature in the game, but the big Swede would be the only one to make his mark on the match. The Camp Nou was buzzing with energy as 98,000 of los Culés welcomed their most hated rivals to their home ground. Madrid, however, were not daunted, and were the first to impress, with Xabi Alonso and Kaká putting in perhaps their most impressive performances in the shirt of Los Blancos to date. Cristiano Ronaldo played for a solid hour, but was clearly not at full fitness and unable to terrorize the Barcelona backline as he might have wished. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi caused all sorts of trouble but was ultimately kept fairly quiet by Real Madrid’s defense, who put in a surprisingly solid performance. It was the combination of the substitute Ibrahimovic and Dani Alves which would prove deadly, as the diminutive right-back put in an inch-perfect cross which Ibracadabra struck home with authority to put the home side ahead on 55′. However, that would be the only goal of the match, and besides red cards for both Sergi Busquets (63′) and Lassana Diarra (90′), there was not much other action to speak of. In fact, in light of the last Clásico, in which Barca drubbed Madrid 6-2, tonight’s match was a bit of a dud.

Sevilla 2-2 Málaga (Andalusian Derby) – Sevilla’s closest (and fiercest) rivals are Real Betis, against whom they contest the Derby of Seville. However, with Real Betis currently languishing in Segunda División, Sevilla’s closest rivals in the interestingly-named Autonomous Community of Andalucía are perhaps their neighbours in Málaga, who are currently languishing at the bottom of the Primera División. So, we have the Andalusian Derby; and while the rivalry might not be as intense as El Clásico, I personally found the game itself to be much more entertaining. At the Estadio Sánchez Pizjuán Sevilla were looking to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat in midweek to Romanian side Unirea Urziceni, but they certainly did not get off to a good start. Although in a bizarre incident Málaga substitute Albert Luque was shown the red card from the bench, it was still the visitors who took the early lead. Fernando opened up the scoring for the visitors on 22′, and Duda made it 2-0 just before the half after being set up by Fernando. It seemed as though Málaga were headed towards all three points, but a spectacular second-half performance from Luis Fabiano ensured that the spoils were shared in Seville this weekend. The Brazilian struck first on 58′, heading home past Gustavo Munúa, and then on 72′ struck again, smashing the ball into the lower corner of the net to bring his side level. Both sides fought hard for an equalizer, and Sevilla came closest right at the death with a point-blank header from Fernando Navarro that Munúa probably saved by accident. In the end, each team would come away with a single point in a 2-2 draw that was anything but uneventful.

Fußball:

Bayern München 3-0 Hannover 96 – Well, it seems that die Roten have finally regained their lost form, overcoming midtable side Hannover 96 with ease in a match that featured goals from two of their most talented young stars. Thomas Müller tapped in from close range on 19′ to open the scoring, but Bayern looked shaky at times and were not convincing in their possession of the ball. Constant Djakpa caused all sorts of trouble for Phillip Lahm up the flank, and drew a good save from Hans-Jörg Butt, but was unable to affect the scoreline before the stroke of halftime. Ivica Olic made sure that the visitors got off to a good start in the second half, rising at the far post to meet a Danijel Pranjic cross with his head and double Bayern’s lead. For the rest of the half the home side did everything they could do to reduce Bayern’s lead, but to no avail – it would ultimately be Mario Gomez who would get the last laugh, beating the offside trap on 90′ and slotting home to make it 3-0 for his side. This victory sees Bayern rise to 4th in the Bundesliga standings, while Hannover 96 sit at 12th.

Someone control this guy!

Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 VfB Stuttgart – Leverkusen exit this weekend sitting three point clear atop the Bundesliga table, and it can largely be contributed to one man: Stefan Kießling. The 25-year old striker has been absolutely on fire for his club of late and bagged a hattrick this weekend at the Bayarena to cement his place atop the German scoring charts as well. Kießling struck on 22′, 59′ and 87′, while Eren Derdiyok added a goal of his own on 38′ to complete a 4-0 drubbing of a lacklustre Stuttgart side.

Werder Bremen 2-2 VfL Wolfsburg – Edin Dzeko’s double was not enough for the reigning Bundesliga champions to grab all three points away at the Weserstadion. Each time the young Bosnian scored to give his side the lead, the home side were quick to equalize, and ultimately the two squads cancelled one another out and had to settle for a point apiece. Hugo Almeida and Per Mertesacker were on hand to restore parity for their side, with the latter scoring at the very death in the 91st minute of stoppage time. The sharing of points means that Werder Bremen now sit at 2nd place in the Bundesliga standings, while Wolfsburg remain 8th.

]]> http://killuminati2012.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/liga-premier-premier-league-112909/ Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:24:40 +0000 killuminati2012 http://killuminati2012.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/liga-premier-premier-league-112909/

Futbol Ingles

Manchester City 1-1 Hull City

 

Portsmouth 1-4 Manchester United

Everton 0-2 Liverpool

Arsenal 0-3 Chelsea

Ver Tabla de Posiciones

Ver Tabla de Goleo

The FA Cup draw for the 3rd round has just completed and United have been drawn at Home to Kettering Town or Leeds United, depending on the 2nd round outcome of their game.

Other significant draws

West Ham vs. Arsenal

Chelsea vs. Watford

Middlesbrough vs. Manchester City

Tottenham vs. Peterborough

Notts County vs. Forest Green Rovers

MK Dons vs. Burnley

Wigan Athletic vs. Hull City

Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers

Everton vs. Carlisle Utd

(Tranmere or Aldershot) vs. Wolves

Reading vs. Liverpool

Fulham vs.  Swindon

3rd round ties to be played 2 and 3 January 2010.

No write up last week but i got 6 results and no perfect scores, There are some tough games to predict this week but here goes anyway, Just predictions this week, more of a write up next week.

Saturday

Blackburn Rovers V Stoke City

Mystic Jarv predicts a 1-1 draw

Fulham V Bolton Wanderers

Mystic Jarv predicts a 1-0 win for Fulham

Manchester City V Hull City

Mystic Jarv predicts a 2-0 win for Man City

Portsmouth V Manchester United

Mystic Jarv predicts a 0-2 win for United

West Ham United V Burnley

Mystic Jarv predicts a 1-0 win for West ham

Wigan Athletic V Sunderland

Mystic Jarv predicts a 1-2 win for Sunderland

Aston Villa V Tottenham Hotspur

Mystic Jarv predicts a 1-2 win for Villa

Sunday

Wolverhampton Wanderers V Birmingham City

Mystic Jarv predicts a 0-1 win for Brum

Everton V Liverpool

Mystic Jarv predicts a 1-0 win for Everton

Arsenal V Chelsea

Mystic Jarv predicts a 1-1 draw

Written by Jarv

As Always for all your premier league discussion and Match discussion please visit Away Goals Rule Football Forum

Things are progressing, slowly but surely.

I have been in the process of re-connecting with Christian Horizons, an organization that I have worked with in the past. Having been away for a few years, I have had to basically start from the beginning, and it has been slow going so far. Last week, however, I went to check out the program that I am in line to be connected with, and yesterday I was able to go in for a 2nd interview; hopefully in the very near future I will be able to start working. On Lauren’s side of things, there is a potential opportunity brewing with a local Christian counselling agency, and we are hopeful that this will turn into something very good.

On another positive note, the final two boxes that we have been waiting for finally arrived yesterday. We had sent them during the first week of September, and were told that it would take approximately 8 weeks for them to arrive. Having passed that mark quite a few weeks ago now, I was starting to get somewhat concerned / anxious. But, I found out the other day that they had not actually left the UK until later in September, meaning that their arrival yesterday was actually right on time. Score one for the postal system.

So, things are happening, and we continue to wait upon God as all the pieces fall into place. In the meantime, we try to make the most of each day, looking into other prospects while embracing opportunities to read over a nice cup of tea, help out around the house and spend time with family and friends.

To end this post, here are two quick tidbits that I wanted to pass along:

- If you’re looking for a quality movie to go see this weekend, I would highly recommend An Education. While everyone was going vampire crazy at the multiplex last weekend, Lauren and I went to see this at the independent cinema downtown, and it was fantastic.

- Wigan Athletic is a near the bottom of the table football team in England, and last weekend, they were beaten by Tottenham by a score of 9-1, one of the worst defeats in English professional football history. In reaction to this embarrassing loss, Wigan’s players decided to personally refund hundreds of supporters who bought tickets and made the trip from the Manchester to London to take in the match. While the sum of the refund is set to add up to around 15,000 GBP (a modest sum in the world of professional sports), the gesture is something to be admired and one that I would be stunned to see duplicated anytime soon, especially in the sports world of North America. I may have to adopt Wigan as my #2 team in the EPL.

In football, the saying, to the winner go the spoils couldn’t be more true. The minute a footballer scores a few goals, he is immediately put in the same league as the greats of the game. And God forbid, if he makes a mistake in the heat of the moment, all his past greatness is forgotten and he is immediately an overrated talentless footballer. The headlines in the past week have been dominated by two individual footballers, Thierry Henry and Jermaine Defoe. Thierry Henry had his moment and could have become a hero cherished by millions (minus the French) for eternity or he could have fallen from grace for millions. Unfortunately for Henry, in the heat of the moment he didn’t think selfishly enough and now he is being termed a cheat, a liar, a shame, a no-gooder, an unethical person and a villain of the worst kind, an overrated footballer who was never really good enough. It seems everyone is trying hard to forget the magic of Arsenal’s all-time leading goal scorer with 226 goals in all competitions, the two time winner of PFA Players’ Player of the Year and three time winner of the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year - Theirry Henry. Ironic, how almost all football journalists now seem to want to remember Henry only by the recent mistake that he made.

As is true of life, when a hero falls, a replacement is quickly sought. Jermaine Defoe’s 5 goals in the second half of the, 9-1 thriller between Tottenham Hotspur and Wigan Athletic couldn’t have come at a better time. Defoe’s horrible stamp on Aaron Mokoena in his return match against his old employers at Portsmouth which earned him a three match ban has been long forgotten and he is enjoying his sudden rise from a villain who manager Harry Rednapp had been absolutely livid with for the misdemeanor to a hero who manager Harry Rednapp is now busy hailing as the “best finisher” in the English game. His captain for the day, Jonathan Woodgate was even more generous with his praise saying, “I think he’s the sharpest striker not only in the Premier League but probably in the world. He’s that sharp he simply doesn’t miss, in training or in matches.”

The winner takes it all and I can’t begin to imagine what praise would have been directed the strikers way had he got a Premier League record sixth goal of the afternoon. On the other hand, Wigan Athletic players who suffered their worst result  in club’s 31-year league history, making them the first English Premier League team to concede nine goals in a single match since Ipswich Town in 1995 have decided to refund the money to supporters who travelled to White Hart Lane on Sunday (November 22) to watch their team get so completely thrashed in the humiliating 9-1 loss. Jermaine Defoe’s 5 goals were added to by goals from Peter Crouch, Aaron Lennon, Niko Kranjcar and a  painful Chris Kirkland own goal.

Wigan Athletic Captain Mario Melchiot said the players had “badly let down” their travelling supporter and will therefore provide a full refund of the match ticket price. ”This is a gesture we have to make and pay them back for their tremendous loyalty,” the Latics captain added.

Also, possibly related to the shameful result, Wigan Athletic today postponed the planned official opening of their new club store in the town. A spokesperson said: “The club apologises for any inconvenience caused to its supporters but stresses that the event will go ahead in the very near future, as soon as a new date can be arranged.” In the beautiful game, the winner is entitled to it all and then some, while the loser waits for his time to shine, good thing that it doesn’t take much to be a winner, a couple of goals can get you there.

Jermaine Defoe became only the 3rd Premier League player after Alan Shearer and Andy Cole, to score 5 goals in game in Tottanham’s 9-1 thrashing of Wigan Athletic. Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp who not so long ago was livid at a Jermaine Defoe for a stamp on Aaron Mokoena in a match against his old club Portsmouth, which got the 27-year old Defoe a 3 match ban praised the striker, hailing him as the “best finisher” in the English game. Redknapp attributed Defoe’s great start to the season to a punishing gym routine. The England international is one of the leading scorers in the premier league having scored 11 goals. Redknapp said, “Jermain is an amazing finisher. He’s so sharp around the box, you give him half-a-chance and he makes a yard and bangs it in the back of the net. His hat-trick at Hull was incredible and he’s been doing that since he was 14. I took him at West Ham at 15 and he was a goalscoring machine.”

Tottenham’s captain for the day, Jonathan Woodgate was even more generous with his praise saying, ” I think he’s the sharpest striker not only in the Premier League but probably in the world. He’s that sharp he simply doesn’t miss, in training or in matches.”

The win was Tottenham’s best in 32 years with Peter Crouch, Aaron Lenon, Niko Kranjcar also finding the back of the net. Chris Kirkland own goal added to Wigans’s Athletics  humiliating loss – it’s worst in it’s 31-year history. Roberto Martinez’s Wigan Athletic also become the first English Premier League team to concede nine goals in a single match since Ipswich Town in 1995 and the players have decided to refund their travelling supporters.

In a statement released by the embarrassed Latics players the club captain, Mario Melchiot, said: “We feel that as a group of players we badly let down our supporters yesterday, and this is a gesture we have to make and pay them back for their tremendous loyalty.”

“There is not a lot else to say, just that as a group of professionals we were embarrassed by the way we performed, we feel it was below our standards and this is something we feel we owe to the fans. Now we have to draw a line under the game, focus completely on training this week and bounce back on Saturday.We are professionals, we will take it on the chin and move on but it’s important that we do not take our supporters for granted.”

Supporters can claim their money by contacting the ticket office at the DW Stadium before Friday December 4th.

Also, in a incident possibly relate to the humiliating loss, Wigan today postponed the planned official opening of their new club store in the town. A spokesperson said, “The club apologises for any inconvenience caused to its supporters but stresses that the event will go ahead in the very near future, as soon as a new date can be arranged.”

Premier League side Wigan Athletic did their level best to enter the record books on Sunday – but for all the wrong reasons, writes Fingertips’ Daniel Shane.

The decision of Wigan Athletic’s starting 11 to refund ticket prices to their fans was the least they could do for the suffering legions who made the 400 mile roundtrip from Lancashire to White Hart Lane on Sunday.

While Roberto Martinez’s side’s 9 – 1 crushing by Tottenham Hotspur was by no means the most one-sided result in sports history, it was unique in that few teams have conspired to capitulate so spectacularly in such a short period of play.

Following a not insurmountable 1 – 0 deficit at the break, the boys in blue and white hit the self-destruct button and shipped eight goals in little over 40 minutes.

While Martinez says he will now concentrate on dusting off his battered troops and preparing them for next weekend, he should be concerned.

Wigan aren’t exactly in great company when it comes to these kind of score lines.

In 1995, Andy Cole spearheaded a rampant Manchester United attack and helped himself to five goals when his team lined up against Premier League stragglers Ipswich Town.

His teammates pitched in with another four to help destroy the Tractor Boys 9 – 0.

A couple of years later, Ron Atkinson’s Nottingham Forest leaked eight against the same side at the City Ground. Alan Rogers’ sixth minute strike provided scant, scant consolation for Big Ron and the Forest faithful.

Like Ipswich, Nottingham Forest were dumped out of the division that May and have been yo-yo-ing between the Championship and League One ever since.

A beleaguered Sheffield Wednesday were the next victims of a relentless drubbing – this time at the hands of a Sir Bobby Robson inspired Newcastle United. In his first home game at the helm of his new charges, a rampant Alan Shearer struck five times in an 8 – 0 victory to send the Owls spiraling towards oblivion.

Poor old Sheffield Wednesday haven’t been seen since in the Premier League.

While this all adds up to grim prediction over Wigan’s future in the division, Martinez and his side can take some comfort from impressive wins against runaway leaders Chelsea and Aston Villa earlier this year.

The fact that the season is still young gives Wigan plenty of time to steady the ship, while the general wretchedness of Portsmouth and Hull will also ensure that there is plenty more fight in this relegation battle.

For all the latest news and views on sport check out Fingertips.net

En el momento de recoger las bufandas de su equipo, el Wigan Athletic, los aficionados de este club de Gran Manchester acudían como cualquier día de fútbol al campo -en este caso, como visitantes- a ver jugar a su equipo. Con pasión, arraigo y sin reservas. Como son los ingleses. El partido concluyó con un 9-1 a favor de los locales, el Tottenham Hotspur, liderados por Jermain Defoe, quien marcara cinco goles. Todo ellos en al segunda parte. Una segunda mitad desastrosa, en la que el Wigan encajó la nada despreciable cifra de ocho chicharros. Ocho goles como ocho soles en 45 minutos.

El jugador inglés y, por extensión, los cuerpos técnicos y directivos, suelen tener un sentido del honor y el respeto muy agudo. Siendo fieles a la historia que el deporte del fútbol tiene en las islas, todo aquello que gira en torno a esta él, es casi religión. Afición. Actitud en el campo. Respeto al contrario y al árbitro. Respeto por el trabajo. Siempre existe la posibilidad de fallar en alguna faceta pero, si se falla, se trata de subsanar.

Los jugadores del Wigan Athletic, en conjunto y por decisión unánime, han decidido pagar la entrada a cada uno de los aficionados que fueron a ver el partido y así lo quieran. Porque piensan que no se merecen menos. El capitán de los Latics, Mario Melchiot, así lo expresó el día después del partido. “Sentimos que como grupo de jugadores fallamos a nuestros aficionados, y éste es un gesto que tenemos que hacer para devolverles su enorme lealtad”.

¿Os imagináis que todo fuera así? ¿Que toda actitud deshonrrosa hacia alguien que te paga fuera devuelta en el mismo sentido? ¿Que toda mala acción fuera devuelta de alguna manera?

Pues eso, votantes y militantes del PSOE, exigid vuestro voto.

Pues eso, votantes y militantes del PP -de Valencia sobre todo-, exigid vuestra cuota.

Pues eso, sindicalistas, seguid exigiendo. Como siempre.

El Wigan fue el equipo encargado de quitarle el invicto al Chelsea hace varias fechas, sin embargo es uno de esos equipos de grandes partidos y otros que son una verdadera pesadilla para sus aficionados. Esta vez les tocó sufrir una dolorosa derrota en su visita al Tottenham Hotspur por 9-1 y recibiendo ocho tantos en la segunda parte. Jermain Defoe marcó cinco goles (51’, 54’, 58’, 69’ y 87’) igualando el récord de Andy Cole y Allan Shearer. Los demás goles fueron de Crouch al 9’, Lennon al 64’, Kirkland al 88’ (autogol) y Kranjcar al 90’. El gol de la honra lo anotó Scharner al 57’.

En otros juegos importantes destacan las victorias de Chelsea 4-0 sobre Wolverhampton y Manchester United 3-0 versus Everton, destacando un golazo impresionante de Fletcher para los red devils colocando el balón en el puro ángulo.

RESULTADOS

Footballers are increasingly perceived as being removed from the ‘real world’, and countless post-match interviews see players (and indeed managers) making excuses for poor performances. Supporters pay good money to watch bad football, often with no explanation or apology from those concerned afterwards.

Wigan Athletic’s 9-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur yesterday was obviously a very different beast. The best spin doctor in the world couldn’t squirm out of that one.

But even so, the Wigan players have responded in a creditable fashion today. Club captain, Mario Melchiot, announced that Wigan’s players would pay out refunds to each and very Wigan supporter who had made their way down to London yesterday to watch their team.

The statement read, “We feel that as a group of players we badly let down our supporters yesterday, and this is a gesture we have to make and pay them back for their tremendous loyalty.”

How wonderful and novel would it be if all sportsmen responded to bad defeats in this fashion? I’m not suggesting that every team that has a shocker should refund their fans, but it would be refreshing if more sporting professionals took responsibility for a poor performance and apologised to their (often long-suffering) fans. Who, less we forget, pay their wages.

So, what sporting performance would you have liked a refund, or at least an apology, for?

And outside the sporting sphere, do you think we hear the word “sorry” enough?

Scarface’s choice of weapon: the M16A1 machine gun.

Spurs’ choice of weapon: 2 short fellows by the names of Lennon & Defoe.

Was anyone else in complete shock last night? I’m actually still in shock now. I don’t even know where to begin. So I won’t. I’m going to keep this short and sweet. I don’t want to waste this high I’m on.

9-1.

9-1… really? Is this for real?

Is it possible that we could have two of the best English strikers in Crouch and Defoe? Is it possible that we might have England’s best winger in our squad? Is it possible we have 3 Croatian gems in our squad? Is it possible that Hudd has started every single game this season? Is it possible that we have just entered the history books with the 2nd highest scoring match in Premier League history? I can keep going but I will only come to one conclusion in the end. Yes!

It’s a proud moment for us all. Please take the time to enjoy it. COYS!

… It definitely wasn’t me, as I’m a big fan of football and the boys who get paid a lot of money to play it. They often get a lot of stick for their wage packets, and it is understandable in a recession when the UK has over 2 million looking for work, but the Wigan Athletic boys have made up for it with this smart bit of PR.

Don’t think I’m completely naive here, I am aware that it is very probably a smart PR person (like my good self) that has advised them to do this, but I like the sentiment either way.

Image Credit: Joe Giddens/The Times

Yesterday the Wigan team left fans in pieces after a massive 9-1 thrashing by Tottenham Hotspur. Today the players have come out in force to apologise in the form of money… and we all love a bit of that. They have vowed to refund the 400-odd supporters that had to witness the nightmarish 90 minutes; coughing up something close to £10k.

In an article by The Times, Mario Melchiot, the captain, was quoted as saying:

“We feel that as a group of players we badly let down our supporters yesterday, and this is a gesture we have to make and pay them back for their tremendous loyalty.”

“There is not a lot else to say, just that as a group of professionals we were embarrassed by the way we performed, we feel it was below our standards and this is something we feel we owe to the fans. Now we have to draw a line under the game, focus completely on training this week and bounce back on Saturday [against Sunderland],” he added.

In my opinion, this is a brilliant bit of PR… put your money where your feet clearly weren’t and show fans that you appreciate their support. Well done Wigan!

If you randomly happen to be one of these fans (unlikely to be reading my blog I know, but just in case), you are entitled to a full refund and should contact the ticket office, who will post the money to your home address. Refunds must be claimed by December 4 though so get your skates on!

Jermain Is Ready... Is England Willing?

Tottenham Hotspur routed Wigan Athletic today 9-1 in a Premiership match that really didn’t get started until the second half of play. This stunning victory has kept Tottenham level with North London rivals Arsenal, as both teams sit tied for third with 25 points. While the Spurs’  team play was admirable, it was Jermain Defoe who separated the wheat from the chaff. After being used only sparingly in the qualification run up to the 2010 World Cup, Defoe has made his case for being included in the England squad that travels to South Africa next summer. Defoe, already having a solid season with 7 goals in 13 starts entering this afternoon’s clash with Wigan, managed to add 5 (count them… 5) to that tally, all coming in the second 45 minutes of play. Notably his goals equaled the Premiership record for most scored by an individual in a regular season match. Defoe will now share this record with Newcastle and England legend Alan Shearer as well as retired Manchester United striker Andy Cole. Moreover, what is perhaps even more impressive is that the prospective Spurs forward  managed to help himself to three of his five goals in under 7 minutes of play, a feat never before achieved in the EPL.

Highlights Part 1

Highlights Part 2

While all of this praise should be somewhat tempered by the fact that Defoe’s record setting afternoon came at the expense of Wigan Athletic. A performance such as this one begs the question: Can Fabio Capello keep Jermain Defoe off of his World Cup team come final selection time? And perhaps even more importantly, if not… can Capello find a way to fit both Defoe and his Spurs team mate, and midfield catalyst, Aaron Lennon into the same starting XI? Should these two players continue to develop on already outstanding chemistry? The answer would have to be emphatically no. Kudos Jermain, on a job well done…  I look forward to seeing if he can maintain his deadly form next week as the team travels to Villa Park in Birmingham to take on an Aston Villa team that sits only three points back of them in the table.

For more footy news stay tuned to cheddarbomb.wordpress.com, or follow us via RSS feed to get up to the minute info and insight on the world of sport.

Why do I always type a little blurb here? It never really says anything; I just feel weird diving straight into the match results themselves without any preamble. It’s too… impersonal that way. So hello, hi, here we are, so let’s get down to it:

Calcio:

AS Roma Totti 3-1 Bari – Romanisti always repeat one thing when Er Pupone is sidelined: No Totti, no Party. But sometimes we get so caught up in our own negativity that we forget the flip-side of that equation: Totti = party. Er Capitano made his return today against Bari, back from over a month out after going into knee surgery earlier in the season. And just to remind us why we miss him when he’s gone, he scored a hattrick. In the first half hour. The first came on 7′ – a spot kick after Jean-François Gillet downed Mirko Vucinic in the area. Then, only 7 minutes later, Totti launched a searing free-kick into the back of the net to make it 2-0. On 28′, he scored a world-class – and seemingly impossible – goal, beating Bari’s defense, Gillet and firing an acute-angle shot into the far corner. Beauty. Roma did their usual thing in the second half, sitting comfortably back on their large lead and letting i Galletti tire themselves out. However, the visitors finally pulled one back when youngster Marco Andreolli nodded the ball into his own net on 73′. A bit of a blemish, but a pretty good party nonetheless. To Gillet’s credit, he was outstanding for most of the match (those stretches when Totti was not destroying his self esteem), as was Julio Sergio, who was very solid behind the Roman back four. Mirko Vucinic was phenomenal, back to his old self again, while the only real black spot for Roma was Nicolas Burdisso, who was an absolute horrorshow at right-back. Also, the own goal was unfortunate. But all in all, a very good party with Er Capitano back at the helm. I can’t wait until we get Danielino back – then we can really party.

Inter 3-1  Bologna – The Inter Offside webpage referred to this match as a ‘Mortadella Speedbump’ — that pretty much sums it up for me. The reigning champions probably felt as if they could simply stroll into the Stadio Dall’Ara and come back out with three easy points, and their hosts failed to prove them wrong. There was a bit of tension early in the match; Diego Milito put Inter ahead on 22′ off of a corner from Maicon, only for Marcelo Zalayeta to equalize within 60 seconds, smashing the ball past Julio Cesar and into the top corner. The next 20 minutes saw both teams get really into the game, but Mario Balotelli should have put his side ahead when he beat the Bologna backline and dummied ‘keeper Emiliano Viviano – only to waste enough time that Viviano was able to get up and rob him of his much belated shot. One could see Jose Mourinho rise from his bench, flailing in anger. However, Supermario was able to atone for his sins just before the half; another Maicon corner saw the young striker rise powerfully in the air and head home to make it 2-1 for the Nerazzurri. He picked up a knock in the process, however, and was subbed off for Samuel Eto’o, who made a rare start on the bench. The visitors would make their lead more comfortable midway through the second half, with Esteban Cambiasso, who was in excellent form, burying a left-foot strike on 72′. To be honest, the hosts never looked like they were going to get back into the game, and Inter cruised to a comfortable win over the Emiliani.

AC Milan 4-3 Cagliari – It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride in the San Siro this afternoon, but i Rossoneri came out on top. Clarence Seedorf gave the home side an early lead on 5′, but gli Isolani weren’t interested in falling behind and Alessandro Matri equalized just 3 minutes later. The visitors would take the lead on 30′ when Andrea Lazzari found himself completely unmarked at Milan’s back post and gave his side a 2-1 lead. This time though, it was Milan’s turn to come from behind, as Marco Borriello and Alexandre Pato bagged a pair of goals in quick succession to put their side up 3-2 by the 39th minute. Pato’s goal was particularly nice, a rocket-powered blast into the top shelf which sent the San Siro crowd into an uproar. Milan would further consolidate their lead after the break, with Ronaldinho stepping up to the spot after Borriello had been felled in the area and burying it, sending Federico Marchetti the wrong way. He seems to score all of his goals that way, doesn’t he? More on him later. Cagliari was able to reduce Milan’s lead to a single goal when Nenê beat Dida on 68′, but Milan would hold onto their rather precarious lead and edge their visitors 4-3 in what turned out to be an exciting goalfest. Now, Ronaldinho. He was quite possibly – I’d almost say easily – the man of the match; back to his Barcelona form and full of tricks and flicks. That he only got onto the scoresheet via PK is misleading, as he was the creative force behind Milan’s devastating offense all night. That being said, their defending was quite shoddy, and against a better team (no offense, Cagliari, I like you guys) they might have come away with a rather different result. That being said, an excellent high-scoring match to put il Diavolo into 3rd place. Who says Serie A is boring?

Juventus 1-0 Udinese – Oh that’s right, Juventini say Serie A is boring. Because Juve is boring. I Bianconeri edged, well, i Bianconeri in Turin to keep their Scudetto hopes alive tonight. After the kickoff, it was all Juventus; Diego and Mauro Camoranesi both came close in the first quarter of an hour. After that though, the game went into a bit of a lull, and neither side looked dangerous (or did anything important) before the halftime break – unless you count a Udinese goal rightly disallowed for offside. After the restart, it was once again Juventus who set the pace, and this time it paid off. Summer signing Martin Cácares set up summer signing Fabio Grosso, who beat Samir Handanovic with ease to put the home side up 1-0 on 51′. Udinese fought hard throughout the remainder of the half, and both Handanovic and Gigi Buffon were called upon to make class saves, but ultimately the most exciting thing to happen before the fulltime whistle was Alessandro Del Piero’s appearance as a substitute. Juventino or not, you gotta love that guy.

Football:

A hattrick? No, that was just a warm-up.

Tottenham Hotspur 9-1 Wigan Athletic – Stop the press! What in God’s name do they put in the water in Tottenham? The Spurs recorded the second-biggest Premiership blowout in history at White Hart Lane over a hapless Wigan Athletic, with Jermain Defoe grabbing 5 himself in the second half. Peter Crouch opened the scoring for the home side on 9′, and believe it or not, that was it for the first half. Defoe got started right away after the break though, netting on 51′ and 54′, before Paul Scharner (who may have also pulled a Thierry Henry) pulled one back for the Latics to make it 3-1 on 57′. Defoe wasn’t done yet though, and to complete his hattrick restored the Spurs 3-goal margin just seconds later. Aaron Lennon got in on the action with a goal of his own on 64′, and then Jermain Defoe topped off his hattrick with a brace on 69′ and 87′. Chris Kirkland put the ball into his own net on 88′ to make it 8-1, and then Niko Kranjcar scored in the 4th minute of stoppage time to make the scoreline a whopping 9-1. To put this into perspective, didn’t table-toppers Chelsea lose to Wigan this season? Holy shit, dude.

Chelsea 4-0 Wolverhampton – Speaking of Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti’s men took part in a rout of their own this weekend, though it seems rather paltry in comparison with their London neighbours’ rather excessive beatdown. The Wolves simply had no chance at Stamford Bridge, and with Florent Malouda opening the scoring with a 25-yard strike on 5′, it seemed a cricket score was imminent. Michael Essien furthered that notion, bagging a brace within a 10 minute span by finding the back of the Wolves’ net on 12′ and 22′. The visitors simply had no response to the dominant Chelsea play, and their ill-advised 2-5-3 formation left plenty of gaps for the Blues to exploit. The teams went into the half with the score 3-0, but not before Sylvain Ebanks-Blake forced a class save from Petr Cech. As the game progressed, Wolverhampton reverted to a more solid 4-4-2, it was not enough to stop Joe Cole from scoring his first Premiership goal in over a year, making the score 4-0. Another quite impressive blowout/shutout from Ancelotti’s men, but until they score 9 goals I think they’ll feel that their crosstown rivals have the upper hand. Then again, they’re leading the league, so who cares about the Spurs?

Liverpool 2-2- Manchester City – Every time a Koppite cries, and angel get its wings. Or so I’ve been led to believe. Either way, both the Reds and the Blues (no, no, other Reds. Other Blues too.) dropped points and further away from the top 4 with a 4-goal draw at Anfield on Saturday. Martin Skrtel gave the home side the lead on 50′, only for Emmanuel Adebayor and Stephen Ireland to respond on 69′ and 76′ respectively to give the Citizens a 2-1 lead. A loss at this stage in the competition would have meant disaster for the Scousers, but luckily Yossi Benayoun cut any Mancunian celebrations short by responding with a goal of his own on 77′ to equalize and make it 2-2. And 2-2 the score would remain. This result is neither a complete disaster for Mark Hughes or Rafa Benitez, but you gotta think that the two of them, and their grossly underperforming squads, have gotta be feeling a little uncomfortable right now.

Manchester Utd 3-0 Everton – As for the other Reds and Blues of Manchester and Liverpool, a draw was not in the cards. The Red Devils trounced the Toffeemakers at Old Trafford to stay within five points of Chelsea in the table. Darren Fletcher opened the scoring for the homeside on 35′ with a beautiful goal that has been compared (somewhat hyperbolically) to the work of Zinedine Zidane. After the half Michael Carrick and Luis Antonio Valencia would add a goal each, while David Moyes’ men could do little but keep the scoreline respectable. I gotta say, the Merseyside derby is going to be downright depressing this year…

Pictured: Arsenal player not fit for today's match.

Sunderland 1-0 Arsenal – Oh, Arsenal. The Gooners had gone over a dozen games without a loss, but as usual Arsene Wenger’s men got a little too close to the sun and their wings simply burned up. Also, they had a lot of injuries. The Londoners put in an unfocused and ramshackle performance against a determined Sunderland side who clearly wanted the result more. And they got it. Sunderland simply rode out wave after wave of potent Arsenal attacking play, though admittedly, it didn’t seem like the Gunners wanted to do much other than controlling the ball in midfield. On 71′, the home side finally got their chance and Darren Bent buried it to make the score 1-0 for the Black Cats. Wenger’s men had simply no will to get back into the game (perhaps their minds were occupied with thoughts of next week’s clash against Chelsea) and ultimately fell to a steely Sunderland side. This is the second time this year that the Black Cats have beaten a top 4 side – and this time it can’t even be blamed on a beach ball.

Futbol:

Real Madrid 1-0 Racing Santander – Well, Los Galacticos are still without their biggest star – Cristiano Ronaldo – and they’re still not playing as ‘Galacticos’ perhaps should, but they’re finally where Galacticos should be: on top. Gonzalo Higuaín provided the difference that Manuel Pellegrini’s men needed to take down mid-table residents Racing Santander, with a strike from close range on 22′. Both sides had second-half goals disallowed for offsides, with both Karim Benzema and Sergio Canales putting the ball into the back of the net only to be notified by the referee that they need not celebrate. As has been the norm this year, Madrid did not completely convince, but their narrow victory was nevertheless enough to see them go top of the table for the first time this season after Barcelona picked up a similarly unconvincing result in Bilbao.

Because Bear Country is more frightening than Basque Country.

Barcelona 1-1 Athletic Bilbao – Treble Champions they may be, but at times this season Barcelona have failed to look the part. They faltered again in their title race during this weekend’s trip to Basque Country. Though many of their starting 11, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, were out with knocks, one could still expect Barcelona to produce a result against midtable opponents such as Bilbao. Early in the match, Los Leones put pressure on their visitors, peppering them with corners and free kicks, while Barca looked simply content to play on the counter. Soon however, Barca wrested control of possession from their hosts, and began to look like the side to score, though when it came to finishing they came up empty – at least in the first half. However, after the restart the Blaugrana got off on the right foot, with Daniel Alves running on to the end of a perfect throughball from Xavi and finding the back of Bilbao’s net. Athletic immediately responded by bringing Toquero into the game; a move that would prove very effective as the substitute would equalize for the home side within 10 minutes of coming onto the pitch, running onto a long ball and smashing it home. All that was left to do for Bilbao was to park the bus and ride out the waves of Barcelona attacks – which they did – in order to gain a point and drop the reigning champions down to second place. What has happened to Pep Guardiola’s men?

Fußball:

Bayern München 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen – Well, Die Roten haven’t sunk any further into their slump, but they haven’t de-slumped either, achieving a draw against league-leading Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz-Arena this weekend. Mario Gomez and Stephan Kießling each netted for their respective sides early on in the match; both goals came within the first 15 minutes of play. Bayern started off energetically, with their aggressive attack leading to Mario Gomez’s opener on 8′, which he sidefooted in on an advantage play after Miroslav Klose was fouled. However, their visitors soon caught up to them in pace and were able to exploit the home side’s defensive weaknesses; Kießling easily beat the offside trap and slotted the ball coolly past Hans-Jörg Butt to make it all square on 14′. Each team had spells of pacy and bright looking attack, but neither could capitalize during those stretches; Leverkusen keeper Rene Adler saved his side time and time again with world class saves to prevent Bayern from getting out in front. Even Thomas Müller, who has so often been Bayern’s ace-in-the-hole this season proved ineffectual, and was subbed in the second half for Ivica Olic, returning from a lengthy injury layoff. The chances petered out towards the end of the game, and a 1-1 draw it would remain – a result that sees Bayer reclaim 1st and Bayern languish in 7th.

Werder Bremen 6-0 SC Freiburg – Poor Freiburg. On more than a few occasions this season they have found themselvesin situations where they are simply out of their depth. The home side suffered a humbling defeat to Die Grün-Weißen in their own Badenova-Stadion, falling 6-0 in an all-out slaughter. Hugo Almeida opened the scoring for the visitors on 33′, Marko Marin added a second on 55′, Almeida doubled his money on 57′, Mesut Özil netted on 67′, Naldo on 73′ and substitute Markus Rosenberg made it 6-0 with 8 minutes left to play. Freiburg once again made a case for having the worst defense in the Bundesliga (they have the highest number of goals against; 30) and sit 13th in the league table, while this victory propels Werder Bremen to second, just a point behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen. I guess the English aren’t the only ones who know how to have a good blowout!