Again a Two Way Race in EPL

The defeat of Arsenal at the hand of Tottenham Hotspur was a very bad one for the gunners and it perhaps totally ended the title of Arsenal supporters this season. Now, sadly, it is again a two horse race in English Premier League between Manchester United and Chelsea. Right now, it looks that Chelsea has a better chance of winning the league title. The form of Manchester United is totally inconsistent in a last few weeks. They are too much depended on the performance of Wayne Rooney. If Wayne Rooney performs badly or does not play then Manchester United looks like a very ordinary team. Chelsea has perhaps better players and their performance is not that much dependent on Drogba. Of course, Drogba is their best player in this season but still without him, Chelsea can win matches quite easily. On the reserve bench, Chelsea seems to have better squad. So, I think that this season Chelsea has the better chance of winning the trophy of Premier League. It should be reminded here that Chelsea right now is leading the point table. 

Dramatic Finish Waiting for EPL this Season

English Premier League 2009-10 seasons is nearly coming to an end. Only nine or ten matches are left for each club and it is not clear who will win the title of this season. Now, it is a three way race between Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal. Many people are happy that at last there is a three way race because in the last few years only Manchester United and Chelsea were in the race.

Next season, I wish to see a five way or six way race. Liverpool should be able to put a better team if needed they should buy more players. However, Liverpool is suffering from economic problem and that is why it is impossible for them to buy new players. Manchester City spent a lot of money but did not get the result and I wonder if their Arab owner will be keen to spend the same amount of money next year buy some more top players. Tottenham looked impressive through out the season and they should also be serious for the next season.

The problem that I can understand about clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Aston Villa is that they lack the vision. For many years they are out of any top glory and that is why they have perhaps lost their mental hunger. They simply can not believe that they become Champion. This has to change. 

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant Upset with 2010 African Cup of Nations Timing

Avram Grant has expressed dissatisfaction with the timing of 2010 African Cup of Nations. This grand event of African football will take place on January and Portsmouth is going to miss some of their important players who would be engaged with this national teams. Aruna Dindane of Ivory Coast, Kanu of Nigeria, Nadir Belhadj and Hassan Yebda of Algeria- these 4 key players of Portsmouth are likely to be missed in January. Avram Grant has questioned the wisdom of FIFA officials for holding such an event during the mid season of European leagues.

"We pay a lot of money, especially the big teams, to players who are not with us for two months. I think Fifa need to think about this.

"Firstly, you have to change the team and secondly, it's not easy when they are back.

"They are coming from hot weather to the coldest days in England. It takes more than a few days to get them back to normal," said a very annoyed Avram Grant. Now, it is to be seen that how Avram Grant and his team can coup without these key players.  

Too Much Money is a Bad Sign for EPL Clubs

When you earn your own money then really it is a very good thing. However, it seems that some EPL clubs are getting too much money for nothing. You may point out easily Chelsea and Manchester City. However, I would like to talk about Liverpool and Manchester United. Liverpool is struggling financially with loans. It is becoming increasingly difficult for them to keep the balance of their books in a good way. As a result, debt is increasing. So, many supporters are very angry and they are planning a protest march for tomorrow. Tomorrow, Liverpool will host Manchester United in a very important match. The problem with Liverpool is that they have not learnt to follow the style of Arsenal’s coach Arsene Wenger. Liverpool is spending a lot of money on top players and their achievement is not that much better than Arsenal in the last 5 years. Instead, they have run into debts.

You may think that all things are rosy with Manchester United. I don’t think so. They also have been spending too much money on buying top players and players’ salaries. Chelsea and Manchester City will be in deep trouble when the current owners would leave the clubs. 

Arsenal vs Middlesbrough EPL 27 April 2009: Preview and Live Score

(This entry was originally published on Saturday, April 25th, 2009)

I hope that many of you today enjoyed our live coverage of Manchester United vs Tottenham match and I was surprised to see that most people came from the UK. Tomorrow, is an another day and another match. Arsenal is going to take on Middlesbrough and both teams will play for a win.

In the point table, Arsenal is now on the 4^th position with 62 points from 33 matches. They are trailing Chelsea by 9 points (Chelsea has 71 points from 34 matches). So, there is almost no possibility for them to finish 3^rd in table. However, they are ahead of Aston Villa by 7 points (Aston Villa has played one match more). So, their 4^th spot looks some solid too. You know that the 4^th spot means an opportunity to play in Champions League next season. That is why, I feel that in tomorrow’s match, the Gunners are without any pressure. They have nothing to gain or lose. However, do not forget that they are going to face Manchester United in the semifinal of UEFA Champions League. Thus, it will be a preparation for that match.

Well, if Arsene Wenger has no pressure at this moment for tomorrow’s match, it is the just the opposite for Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate. They are on the firing zone and they are worried for relegation. In fact, Middlesbrough has got just 31 points from 33 matches and if they lose the match then they will be in real danger. So, the players of the club know that they have to fight for everything all the way. Their main worry is perhaps the form of Arsenal club at this moment. This season, at one stage, the Gunners looked very weak and out of touch. However, they have strongly come back in the last few matches.

Andrey Arshavin has become the latest sensation for the Gunners. He scored 4 goals in the match against Liverpool and I felt that It was Andrei Arshavin vs Liverpool Match. He amazed everyone in Euro 2008 and Arsene Wenger was crazy to get him. You know that normally, Arsene Wenger does not try to buy players with a lot of money. However, he made an exception about Arshavin. He is improving in every match. He is also getting some goals too. Middlesbrough players must keep a close watch on him and keep him under guard. Otherwise, he can bring disaster for Middlesbrough in tomorrow’s match.

The match kick off time is 13:30 BST and it will take place on Emirates Stadium. So, the gunners will have home advantage. I know that after the spirited performance against Liverpool, many fans will expect that Arsenal demolishes Middlesbrough tomorrow. I am a big Arsenal fan and I also have the same expectation.

You know that many websites provide live score of EPL matches. I like BBC Football and Livescore.com.

Enjoy the match tomorrow and let me know your idea about it.

English Premier League 2009-10 Season Preview

English Premier League football season 2009-10 is going to start from August 15, 2009 or from this Saturday. Most of the matches on the round one will take place on Saturday and there are two matches to be played on Sunday. It is a new season and most of the players are perhaps now very fresh as they did not have any other competition after the end of normal football season. I like to remind readers that in 2008, after the end of the normal season, there was Euro 2000 championship. So, many of the players from European countries where exhausted. Therefore, the fans can expect to have a more refreshing and exciting season from the beginning this time.

The transfer of summer Window is still going on and already, we have noticed that Manchester City has spent a lot of money and has emerged as one of the leading candidates for the title- at least on paper. Of course, they have got a lot of money from Middle East and they are trying to emulate the strategy of Chelsea football club. They have collected some big names from Arsenal and Manchester united. The main dream of Manchester City in the season is to emerge as one of the top four clubs in English premier League.

Right now, arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are considered to be the four giants in English football. In England, the first three placed football teams in premier league automatically qualify for UEFA Champions League in Europe. So, it brings a lot of extra cash in terms of sponsorship and television revenue. It is also a prestige issue. The fourth team does not qualify for Champions League automatically but they have to face another club from another country in Europe and then they can qualify for the final stage. In fact, I have noticed that in the last few years, almost all the time, four clubs from England played in Champions league.

So, I understand the interest of Manchester City owner about spending huge amount of money for buying star players in summer transfer window. Manchester City officials are hopeful that they can take the place of arsenal and emerge as one of the super 4. This is a very worrying matter for Arsenal supporters as their club is without any trophy for the last four years. Arsenal coach is confident that this time his young players will be able to do something big and his club will not be out of the top of 4 position. Many people do not agree with this opinion of Wenger. They think that in this season, Arsenal will be out of the top four place. We will perhaps have to wait another eight to nine months to know who is right.

Manchester united is the current league champion but I think that they have lost two very valuable players. The loss of Ronalo and Tevez will surely hurt them a lot. They need to fill up the vacuum as soon as they can or else I am sure that they will suffer a lot this season. Of course, Manchester United has perhaps the most experienced and successful coach in English premier league and he is Alex Ferguson. He and his players are confident and the supporters are also very confident. Many supporters will feel that Manchester United should take Europe more seriously than England in the season. In the last season, they lost the final match of Champions league and it gave a lot of pain to all the supporters of the club.

This time, Chelsea coach did not go on a spending spree. Instead it seems that he was more focused on consolidating the existing squad. In the last season, Chelsea won the title of FA CUP and this did not satisfy the supporters. This time, they want something more and they want to have either English premier league title or champions league. I have to say that Chelsea has got some top quality players who can defeat anyone in their good day. Let’s see what they can achieve in the current season.

Liverpool was like a dark horse in most part of the season last time and they were very unlucky not to have won the title of English premier league. This time, the supporters are hopeful that they can again come back to the glory but I don’t think that they spent enough money in the transfer window. I feel that they need to get at least one quality striker and another player in the midfield position.

It has perhaps become some tragic that talking about English football has become limited to the top four clubs who are dominating England and Europe. Hopefully, this reason Manchester City can cause some big upsets and establish a new order in England.

English Premier League Clubs Attracted by Indian Market

India has already been picked up as a potential market for English Premier League clubs who are now looking for gaining more and more market share in this yet-to-be-explored market. The latest of the evidence of premier league teams’ attraction toward Indian football market has been Liverpool football club’s backing in setting up a football academy in Pune, India.

Earlier, Manchester United and Arsenal organized talent hunt programs in India, while North London-based club Tottenham Hotspur which is now looking for a partner in India in order to hold a strong foothold in the lucrative Indian football market.

Traditionally, football is not a hugely popular game in India. In fact, except few states like West Bengal, Goa, there is no other state where football is as popular as cricket, the most popular game in the country. However, the things have started changing recently as English premier league becoming more and more popular over the last four or five years.

The television ratings for English premier league in India has been increased significantly recently and it is expected that the growth will continue in the next few years as well. English clubs have already tried to explore US, African and other markets without bringing any significant success. However, premier league is now very much attracted towards huge Asian region. Specially, the countries like China, India and Malaysia have all the potential to become the next big markets of premier league teams.

Related article:

BBC

Who Will Become Leading Goal Scorer of EPL 08-09?

It is now the second half of English Premier League 08-09 going on with Manchester United having a 7-point lead at the top of the point table. Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa are still in the title race and there are 12 matches left in the season. Manchester United now has a considerable lead atop the table, but there is an intense competition for the high goal scorer’s title. First, I would like to introduce you with some of the top scorers of this season so far here:

Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea)

Chelsea’s French striker Nicolas Anelka has been in excellent scoring form and is currently leading the premier league table with 15 goals to his credit. He scored a hat-trick against Sunderland last November and led Chelsea to a number of wins in premier league so far this season. Anelka even scored Chelsea’s recent 1-0 victory over high-flying Aston Villa.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Last season’s highest scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, is also in the right track to defend his title this season. Scoring 12 goals, Ronaldo now sits in the second position in the list of highest goal scorers. World’s no. 1 player missed a number of matches at the start of the season due to his ankle injury for which he had to undergo a surgery. Since coming back in action, Ronaldo is getting his form back gradually, but he is yet to show the grace that he did last season both in premier league and Europe.

Robinho (Manchester City)

Since joining Manchester City, making a British transfer record, Robinho has been in excellent form so far this season. He made an instant impact on City’s performance and scored a hat-trick against Stoke City last October and has so far scored 11 goals to secure the third place in the highest scorer’s list. No doubt, the Brazilian striker is now very much active to become the highest goal scorer of the season.

Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa)

Gabriel Agbonlahor has been instrumental behind Aston Villa’s excellent run so far this season as they are currently in the title race with 51 points from 26 matches. Agbonlahor scored the second fastest hat-trick of premier league against Manchester City last August, scoring three goals in 7 minutes. The English international has played a big role behind Aston Villa’s 2-0 win over Arsenal last November and has scored 10 goals so far this season.

Kevin Davies (Bolton Wanderers)

Bolton Wanderers Captain, Kevin Davies, has been in revelation this season scoring 10 goals so far and is running for the highest scorer’s title this season. The 31-year-old striker has been awarded the Bolton captaincy this season following his new contract by which he will remain at Bolton until 2011. He scored 2 goals in Bolton’s 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. When he scored against West Ham United at home in the following game, he reached 50-goal mark for Bolton.

Amr Zaki (Wigan Athletic)

The Egyptian striker is now playing for Wigan Athletic on loan from Egyptian club El Zamalek. Like Agbonlahor and Davies, Zaki has also scored 10 goals so far in premier league. Scoring 2 goals in Wigan’s 5-0 thrash of Hull City, Zaki showed his grace in premier league and since then, he has been scoring consistently for Wigan Athletic. In fact, his scoring form is one of the big reasons behind Wigan’s mid-table presence in the league table.

Darren Bent (Tottenham Hotspur)

Darren Bent has scored 9 premier league goals for Tottenham Hotspur and is so far the leading scorer for the North London club with 12 goals in all competitions so far this season. However, Bent has often been fully criticized for squandering easy chances in front of goal as he did against Portsmouth this season.

Djibril Cisse (Sunderland)

The French striker has been showing excellent for Sunderland since joining the club on a loan deal from Olympique de Marseille as he has already scored 9 goals for his new club. Having seen considerable success at Sunderland, Cisse now wants to play for Sunderland permanently.

Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth/ Tottenham Hotspur)

The English striker joined Portsmouth permanently at the start of the current season, following a loan term with the club from Tottenham Hotspur. However, his form with Portsmouth in the first half was not anything more than a mediocre, and he joined his former club Tottenham Hotspur in January 2009 transfer window ending all the rumors. He has scored 9 goals so far this season.

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

The Liverpool captain missed a few games at the start of the season as he was suffering from a groin injury and had to undergo a surgery, but he came back pretty quickly. Gerrard has scored nine goals so far and has been in good form recently. So, he is one of the hardest contenders of winning the highest goal scorer’s title this season.

Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

The English midfielder also netted 9 goals for Chelsea so far in premier league. The playmaker started off the season excellently, scoring five goals in 11 premier league matches and got his 100^th premier league goal in Chelsea’s 5-0 win against Sunderland last November. He then went few games without any score, but came back to his scoring form against West Bromwich Albion, followed it up with two more goals against Fulham.

Robin van Persie (Arseanl)

Robin van Per has taken up the job done by Emmanuel Adebayor last season for Arsenal. Scoring 9 goals, Robin van Per has so far been the highest scorer for the Gunners in Premier league. The Dutch striker scored his 50^th goal for Arsenal during a 4-4 draw against Tottenham Hotspur last October. He even captained Arsenal in a FA Cup win over Plymouth Argyle in the absence of injured captain Cesc Fabregas and stand-in captain Manuel Almunia. The Dutch international either scored or assisted each and every Arsenal goal in January 2009.

Well, I think, Nicolas Anelka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robin van Persie will go through an intense competition to become the highest goal scorer of premier league this season. With Didier Drogba back into the regular squad of Chelsea, I think, Anelka will not have as much scoring chances as it would have been without Drogba as attacking partner. Ronaldo has not got back his scoring form of last season yet, but he is gradually getting into his prime form and if he continues this way, then he has good chance to defend the highest goal scorer’s title. Robin van Persie has been playing in the final eleven of Arsenal pretty consistently, and with the arrival of a playmaker Andrei Arshavin, I think, Robin van Persie will have more scoring chances in the coming months. So, he can make a realistic competition with Anelka and Ronaldo to become the highest scorer of the season in English premier league.

Well, Gerrard, Lampard and Robinho have also been in scoring form this season, but I think they very little chance because of a few reason. Gerrard rescued Liverpool on a number of times and helped Liverpool to win matches by scoring goals, but his main role in the squad is to create chances for the strikers, especially for Fernando Torres. Lampard’s role in Chelsea squad is also exactly like the role Gerrard is playing in Liverpool squad. In the presence Anelka and Drogba playing together up front, I think, Lampard would have to be busy in setting up goals for them. For Robinho, he is in good form, but he might not be a strong contender to be the highest scorer this season because Manchester City squad lacks a creative midfielder like Lampard, Gerrard or Arshavin. So, the competition will be among the three genuine strikers: Anelka, Ronaldo and Robin van Persie.

Deco vs Robinho?

Deco is not happy with the transfer Saga of Robinho. Chelsea wanted to have Robinho and Robindo had no problem about it. However, Manchester City joined the race and offered good money and snatched him from Chelsea. Deco is unhappy with Robinho because he thinks that Robinho did not realize the value of a big club like Chelsea and went to Manchester City only for money. Frankly, I am not a fan of Deco or Robinho- none of them. However, it is interesting that the coal is calling the teapot black. It was Chelsea who started the fashion of spending big money for star footballer. They got a billionaire owner 5 years ago and then they spent millions of dollars to buy top footballers. It was Chelsea who totally destroyed the art of football and made it a money throwing sports. Now, Manchester City has just followed them and Deco is not happy.

Arsenal: In Support of Arsene Wenger

It seems that the departure of Emmanuel Adebayor is going to be a matter of time now. Emmanuel Adebayor is going to the Italian club AC Milan. AC Milan is paying Arsenal a huge amount of money for this striker. He was the second top striker in English Premier League in last season and he scored the highest number of goals for Arsenal. So, this departure will surely shock a lot of fans. At the beginning of the last season, the departure of Henry brought similar shock to the fans too.

Alexander Hleb is also leaving Arsenal. He is going to Barcelona. A few weeks ago, Mathieu Flamini did the same thing- left Arsenal.

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger is now facing a lot of criticism from almost everyone. The journalists are writing against him, many fans are unhappy to see that Arsenal is not winning any trophies for a long time. I guess that some officials of this club have the same negative feeling. It is not that Arsene Wenger takes all the decision for the club but most people are unhappy with him. This is the thing that makes me astonished.

Yes, Arsene Wenger is just the coach of the club. He is surely the most successful coach and he is still a good coach. Still, at the end of the day, he is just the coach of club. He does not control the money matters. Even he does not take any big decision for the club. Still, all the criticism are aimed against him these days. Some people feel that it is Arsene Wenger who is not interested to buy any big football stars and this is the main reason behind the club’s lack of success. What most people forget is that Arsenal is now under pressure finically because of arranging the cost of the new stadium. The new stadium is big and it can accommodate more spectators and that means more cash. However, Arsenal had to be in debt for building this stadium. They have to repay the loan and thus, it is a tough time for the club.

I admire Arsene Wenger for this matter a lot. If he demands for having cash to buy super stars like Ronaldo then I am sure that many people will start to praise him. Arsene Wenger can do it and if he does it, hardly anyone will blame him. Wenger can also ask to restructure the wage structure of the club. Arsenal pays much lower salary than Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea and Real Madrid. Many players are unhappy with this matter. So, if Arsene Wenger calls for changing the salary structure for the club then he has nothing to lose. Instead, he will get appreciated by those people who want Arsenal to buy big football stars and pay them huge sum of money weekly. After all, Arsene Wenger will not have to pay anyone from his own pocket. Like any other coach, he wants to have top players and if he gets top players like Henry and Ronaldo then he can win trophies just like the coaches of Man Utd or Chelsea. So, we should reflect on the matter that why Wenger is so adamantly supporting the wage structure of the club.

Arsene Wenger is helping the club a lot in these tough days. He is looking at the future. He is not a selfish man and just look at today. Football is after all a big business. Business understands only two things: profit and loss. Everything else is useless. You may get big stars and pay them abnormal amount of money but at the end of the day, you have to make sure that your club remains profitable.

Wenger has given a lot to Arsenal. He has given them almost every thing except Champions League trophy. He has transformed some obscure players in world celebrities and it has brought a lot of money for the club. Arsenal sold Anelka with a huge profit. Who knew Henry before he came to Arsenal? Who knew Emmanuel Adebayor even 2 years ago?

Fans want success but they have to grow up too. Arsenal has a huge fan base. I wish that some fans could come forward to support the club financially. If 1 million fans just donate 100 US dollar each then Arsene Wenger could have $100 million for buying some good players.

By the way, I have decided to open an Arsenal Blog. If you are a supporter of Arsenal then you should regularly visit Arsenal Blog.

EPL Attracting Star Footballers in the Aftermath of Europe Success of English Clubs

You already know that two English clubs: Chelsea and Manchester United- are now in the final of UEFA Champions League- making it an all English final for the first time in the history of this tournament. It is clear that the title of Champions League is coming England this season. This year, three out of four semi finalists of Champions league were English clubs. So, it would not be wrong to say that English clubs dominated Europe this season. In fact, English clubs have been doing well for the last few seasons with Liverpool winning the title in 2005 and reaching the final of last season.

Now, having seen the domination of English clubs, the players from different countries are now interested to play in English premier league. Well, I do not mean that, EPL was not attractive few seasons ago. In fact, EPL is one of the most popular football leagues in the world and some of its teams have worldwide fan base.

So, it seems that the domination of English clubs in Champions League has attracted the players from different countries. Recently, Italian midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has revealed his interest to play in English premier league. He is currently playing for Italian club AC Milan. AC Milan was not at their good form this season with no notable success this season. So, it is very tough to say if AC Milan’s unimpressive run has made him interested to come to England and play in EPL.

Sky Sports reported:

"I would like to have the chance to play in the Premier League because I think that I have the characteristics to play there," Gattuso told Sky Italia.

"It is my dream and I have never denied that. When I leave Milan I will only wear the shirt of a foreign side. But Spain would be hard because it isn't a League that suits the way I play.

There are some other stars who could more to EPL next season. Brazilian full back Gilberto has indicated that fellow Brazilians Ronaldinho and Kaka could come to England. Both Ronaldinho and Kaka are some of the top stars of football world at this moment. So, I think, there is a strong possibility that English fans could get to see some more world stars in England next season. EPL has now become more lucrative a destination for the star footballers.

The Press Association reported:

The presence of Manchester United and Chelsea in the Champions League final has shown the strength of the English top flight and the 32-year-old defender confirmed that the league has been a hot topic of discussion by members of Dunga's squad when they have met up.

So, it is definitely a positive side for English premier league. The dominance English clubs has become clearer this season with the presence of three English clubs in the semi final stage. The title race of English premier league this season has also been very competitive. Still, it is impossible to say who are going to win the title, Manchester United or Chelsea. Even a few weeks ago there were Arsenal was also in the title race. So, EPL title race of this season was not one-sided at all. In contrast to EPL, the other two most popular European leagues: Spanish La Liga and Italian Serie A were rather one sided race. Real Madrid is way ahead of its closest Villereal in the league point table and it is almost certain that Real Madrid is going to win the title of Spanish La Liga this season. In Italy, Inter Milan is dominating and at one point it seemed that Inter Milan was going to win the title even with a number of rounds left at hand. However, Roma and Juventus have created some competition of late in the league. However, still Inter Milan has a six points lead at the top of Serie A point table.

At last, I would like to say that English clubs were impressive this season in both in England and Europe. So, it is natural that players will be interested to play in English Premier League next season. Now, it is yet to see if English clubs can continue their success next season or if Spanish and Italian clubs bounce back next season. Whatever it is, at this moment premier league clubs are dominating Europe.

Derby vs Arsenal: Preview and Live Score

If you are interested to get the online live score and updates of Derby vs Arsenal match, then visit the following link:

Derby vs Arsenal: Live Score and Update

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English Premier League season 2007-08 is coming almost to an end. I think that for most of the teams only two or three matches are left. In fact, Arsenal has just three matches left in this season and Arsenal is gaping to play one of the last three matches in this Monday against Derby County. The match will take place in Pride Park, which is the home stadium for Derby and for Arsenal it is an away match.

The Schedule

The match will take place on 28^th April 2008 Monday, 20:00 British Standard Time at Pride Park

This is hardly an important match for the clubs. Arsenal has played 35 matches so far and has got 75 points and is in the third position. On the other hand, Derby has played also 35 matches and is in the end of the table with 11 points. No matter, what happens in this match that position of Arsenal or Derby in the Premier league will not change. Even if Arsenal loses the match, they will not lose their third position. Whatever Derby does it will stay in the last position in the league and in any case will be relegated for the next season.

However, this match will have one significance. If Arsenal can win this match then they will b e seven points clear off Liverpool in the league table and they will be assured of being in the third position. If Arsenal can win this match then it will come within four points of leaders Manchester United and Chelsea, both of whom are at 81 points with Manchester United at the top of the league table thanks to better goal difference. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is not taking this match lightly but the main problem is that a number of players are suffering from injury. In the last match, Arsenal won against Reading at home 2-0.

Goal.com wrote:

For relegated Derby, meanwhile, the season cannot end soon enough and watching the Arsenal team bus pull up outside Pride Park is probably the last thing manager Paul Jewell needs at the moment.

Derby’s last home match saw them sink to a heavy defeat as Aston Villa ran out 6-0 winners. Incidentally that was the third time this season that Derby had conceded six goals in a match (Chelsea and Liverpool are the other teams to have put six goals past them). Therefore, even the most optimistic Derby fans could be forgiven for fearing the worst come Monday night.

For Arsenal, the bad news is that Alexander Hleb is suspended for three matches and he can not play in this match. Tomas Rosicky and Abou Diaby will also not be available for the match as they are injured. You know thatManuel Almunia, Mathieu Flamini, Eduardo all the injured. So, Arsenal will miss many players in the match. The key man for Arsenal in this match will be Cesc Fàbregas, Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor. Fabregas is the influential player in the midfield and he has inspired his team a lot. This Arsenal team does not have any star players and Fabregas seems to be the key man to inspire everyone in the team. On the other hand, Adebayor is the highest goal scorer for Arsenal in this season. In the last few matches, he is again back in his good form and in the home match of Arsenal against Derby last September Adebayor scored a hat trick. So, he will be looking forward to score many goals against Derby County.

The main problem for Arsenal is that they will have a shaky defense. Lehman will have to play very well. Arsenal will surely miss Bacary Sagna in the match as he is injured out. For Derby, the only thing to look for is some kind of consolation. Derby fans will be very happy if they can draw the match. Their main goal will be perhaps lose the match in fewer goals. It is quite sometimes that Arsenal has not lost against Derby.

BBC wrote:

Arsenal still have hopes of catching Chelsea, and landing the second Champions League berth for automatic entry to next season's group stages. The Gunners enter this round of matches, four points behind the Blues, with three to play.

Derby have three opportunities remaining to get the four points and four goals required to avoid being labelled the worst club ever in Premier League history. They're also running the risk of becoming the first club in English league football for 109 years to complete a season so devoid of victories.

Very few Derby fans are expecting positive from the club on Monday. If you are a Arsenal fans then you should be happy to say that at least in this match Arsenal is quite favorite. However, you have to remember that Arsenal has stumbled against some weak teams this season. That is why, Arsenal could not become the champions although Arsenal had the lead in the league table for much of the season.

Top Ten Goal Scorers of 2007-08: English Premier League

There are just four matches left in English premier League and within a few weeks, English premier league will finish for season 2007-08. It is perhaps time to look at the top scorers of English premier league in this season. You may argue that the season has not changed and it is a bit early to write about the top ten scorers. I agree with you but at the same time I think that the top place in the goal scorer will not change and if there is any dramatic change in the next few weeks then I will update this article so that it will remain up to dated. Here is something about the top ten scorers of English premier league 2007-08.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United is at the top of English premier league and most probably Manchester United is going to win the champions trophy of this season. The person who has most contribution for this is none other than Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristiano Ronaldo is only 23 years old but he has become the top player for Manchester United and he is also an influential player for national team of Portugal. In this season, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored until now 28 goals in English premier league. He has also scored three goals in FA Cup and seven goals in Europe. So, until now Ronaldo has scored 38 goals altogether and 28 of them came in English premier league. He has still some matches left and I will not be shocked it if he can score 45 goals in all competitions this season.

Fernando Torres

The next man after Cristiano Ronaldo is from Liverpool and his name is Fernando Torres. Torres has scored 22 goals until now in English premier league. He has also scored five goals in Europe and his total goals for Liverpool this season is now 30. Fernando Torres is from Spain and he is in superb form for Liverpool in this season. Liverpool fans are now hopeful that the club may go all the way in Champions League match and they are putting a lot of faith in Fernando Torres. Torres is just 24 years old and he has still the best years ahead of him. He has joined Liverpool in this season and it is his debut season in English premier league. So, it is amazing to see that Torres could score so many goals in the first season that he is playing in English premier league. Now, the Spanish supporters will pray that Torres can also become an influential player for the national team.

Emmanuel Adebayor

In the top scorers’ list in the third position is the striker of Arsenal and I guess most of you will be able to tell his name and he is Emmanuel Adebayor. He is also a young player and he is just 24 years old. He is from Togo. He is a striker for Arsenal and this year he is in explosive form for Arsenal. In English premier league, he has scored until now 20 goals for his club. He has been also successful in Europe with three goals and FA Cup with 2 goals. His total goal tally is 25. He is a bit unlucky because his striking partner Eduardo got injured and his another striking partner Van Persie was also injured for most of the time. So, he had to take a lot of responsibility for the club and he was always under pressure to score goals in a consistent level. This kind of pressure is not good for any players and Adebayor lost some track in the last few matches and could not score as many goals as Arsenal fans wished for.

Roque Santa Cruz

Do you know who is Roque Santa Cruz? He is the striker of Blackburn Rovers. At this moment Blackburn is at the ninth position and Blackburn does not have any hope making into qualifying for Europe for next season but that is not a problem for Roque Santa Cruz. He is determined to do the best for his club. So far Santa Cruz has scored 15 goals in premier league this season. He has scored nineteen goals for his club in total. Santa Cruz also lacked a good striking partner and good support from midfield of Blackburn.

Dimitar Berbatov

Tottenham Hotspur started the season with a lot of hope but could not continue well in the middle and at this moment Tottenham is in the 11^th position in the league table. So, Tottenham has no hope for qualifying for Europe in next season and Tottenham fans against felt frustrated and are perhaps very unhappy. The only good thing they can enjoy at this moment is that there are two strikers are in descent form when it comes to goal scoring in English premier league. In the fifth position is Dimitar Berbatov of Tottenham. He has scored 14 goals in English premier league this season and Berbatov has also scored five goals in Europe and two goals in FA Cup. Thus, his total tally for the club this season is 22 goals.

Robbie Keane

After Berbatov in the sixth or I should say joint fifth position is another Tottenham striker Keane. Keane ha scored the same number of goals. He has scored 14 goals in English premier league and four goals in Europe and total number of goals is 22 just like Berbatov. Keane is also in good form and he could threaten a lot in some big matches. However, he is unlucky this season because Tottenham could not do well in any of the competition except League cup.

Benjani

Next is Benjani of Manchester City. Manchester City also started the season with a lot of promise but failed in the midway. Manchester City is now in the eighth position in the table and has no hope of qualifying for Europe for next season. For the club, Benjani scored thirteen goals so far. Benjani is from Zimbabwe and he has joined the club very recently. Benjani is also the captain of Zimbabwe national team. He is very popular in his home country.

Yakubu

Next is Yakubu of Everton. Yakubu is in seventh position or I should say in the joint sixth position with Benjani. Yakubu has also scored 13 goals and his goals helped Everton a lot. Everton is at this moment at the fifth position and Everton fans hopeful that their team can qualify for Europe next season. If Everton can qualify in Europe next season then many fans would be happy with Yakubu.

Jermain Defoe

At no. 9 is Defoe of Portsmouth. Defoe is a very attractive player in English premier league. Defoe has scored 12 goals in this season in premier league. He will have some more hopefully.

Carlos Tévez

At the tenth position is a player that very few people expected him to be there. He is Tevez of Manchester United. Tevez is a player of Argentine national team and he is considered to be one of the best strikers of this time in world football. However, Tevez could score only 12 goals in premier league and his total number is 17 in all competition for Manchester United. Tevez has been outshined by Cristiano Ronaldo but he should be happy to see that he could score as many goals as Rooney this season.

So, who is your favorite player in the list any why?

Related Link

Barclays Premier League Top Scorers

Liverpool vs Chelsea Preview: EPL 2007-08

Liverpool FC and Chelsea are going to face each other on 19 August. For both Liverpool and Chelsea, this will be the first big match. Chelsea has already won their first two matches. Liverpool has played one yet and started the season with a comfortable victory over Aston Villa. This week, Liverpool played against French club Toulouse FC in France. It was the first leg match of third qualifying round of UEFA Champions League 2007-2008. Winnings the match by 1-0, Liverpool is now in strong position.

Now, ahead of the important match, naturally players of both teams are now busy with themselves for the last minute preparation. The match will be held in Liverpool stadium in Anfield. So, Liverpool players will get support from the home fans.

Chelsea started the new season with not a stylish victory over the Birminghum City. Chelsea won the match by 3-2. In the second match, Chelsea got another marginal victory over the giant killer Reading. Liverpool got 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in their first match.

Chelsea lost their Premiership title to Manchester United last season. So, Coach Jose Mourinho must want to get back their premiership title at any cost. Till now, I think, Chelsea is in right track though some of their players have got back their form. Star players like Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack could not prove their form yet in Chelsea. However, striker Didier Drogba is still continues his top form that he could show in the last season. This Ivory Coast player became the highest goal scorer of English Premier League 2006-2007 season and he is now one of the best strikers of the world.

On the other hand, for Liverpool, the last few seasons were a mixture of some good and bad performances. Undoubtedly, Liverpool was the most successful English club in UEFA Champions League in last few seasons. In 2005, Liverpool won the title of UEFA Champions League and in the last season, they became runner up in the tournament. However, Liverpool’s Champions league performance is the one side of the coin then the other side is their Premier League performance. In the last few seasons, Liverpool could not impress their fans in Premier League at all. Last season, Liverpool finished third in Premier league. That is why; they now have to play in qualifying round of Champions league to progress to the group phase directly despite being the runner of last season in Champions league. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is now in good form and he will definitely try to win the match against mighty Chelsea.

Fans of both sides are now eagerly waiting for the match. Manager, players, officials all of these two clubs are now busy with their own tasks ahead of this important match. Players will have intense mental pressure of such a big match. Anyway, I would like to see a good and exciting match and some good football from Liverpool and Chelsea players. Now, let us see if the players can avoid the pressure and can play their natural game in the field. Who will shine, Blues or Reds- only time give the answer.

Manchester City vs. Manchester United without Cristiano Ronaldo

You already know that Manchester City is going to face their arch rival next Sunday. Ahead of the Manchester Derby, Manchester City has already got some problems including striker Cristiano Ronaldo’s red card in the last match against Portsmouth. Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off because of his non-professional behavior though, the tv replay showed that there was not any contact between Ronaldo and that Portsmouth player.

The Age reported:

CHAMPION Manchester United stumbled to its second successive English Premier League draw on Wednesday when it was held 1-1 at Portsmouth and had Cristiano Ronaldo sent off for violent conduct.

Carlos Tevez marked his Manchester United debut by setting up Paul Scholes to drive in the opening goal at Portsmouth after 15 minutes. But Portsmouth, which had beaten it in three of its four previous Premier League meetings at Fratton Park, stunned the champion with a 53rd-minute Benjani Mwaruwari header.

Portsmouth's Sulley Muntari was sent off in the 83rd minute for a second booking and Ronaldo followed him two minutes later for a headbutt with barely any contact made. "I've looked at the replays and there's nothing conclusive. My take was that he was provoked," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "He's fallen into the trap and he's paid the penalty … it's his own fault, really."

This is, for sure, a big blow for the defending champion. Manchester City started the season in style as they won their first two matches and at this moment they are in second position in the league table after Everton. Anyway, I hope for an exciting match between Manchester City and Manchester United.

Manchester City vs. Manchester United: A Great Derby

Fans of Manchester United are not happy with the performance of the current title holder of English Premier League in the first two matches of the season. Manchester United lost points in the first two matches of new season. In the second match against Portsmouth, striker Cristiano ROnaldo got red card and thus he will miss next three matches. Least but not last, another leading striker Wayne Rooney has fallen in injury again and ManU will miss him for coming few matches.

In such a crucial condition, Manchester United is going to face their arch rival Manchester City on August 19. With the first Manchester derby of the season, fans are excited and they are expecting an exciting match between this two teams of Manchester.

Ahead of this important match, Manchester City is now in good form as they won the first two matches of the season. Manchester City is now in second position in the point table. So, it seems that out of form Manchester United is going to face in form Manchester City this Sunday. So, ManU coach Sir Alex Farguson now in a big problem ahead of this prestigious Manchester derby.

IOL reported:

And Manchester United head to Eastlands without last season's top two scorers: the injured Wayne Rooney, and Cristiano Ronaldo, suspended for head-butting.
Manchester City, revitalised under former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, have the chance to prove their impressive start to the season makes them serious contenders this season.

I am not so sure if Sven-Goran Eriksson and his players can throw a big challenge for Manchester Untied but I hope an exciting match for the fans. So, don’t miss the season first derby in English Premier League 2007-2008.

English Premier League 2007-2008: Online Live Score

The most popular domestic football tournament in England, English Premier League 2007-2008 season, is going to be started from coming Saturday. Defending champion Manchester United looks favorite for the new season as they could include some young and talented players including Nani, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves. Argentine star Carlos Tevez is also expected to see in Manchester United this season. Recently Manchester Untied has won the FA Community Shied 2007 title defeating Chelsea.

English premier league always has a huge popularity both in England and abroad. So, the football fans are now excited to see their favorite teams in the field. The only sad part is that, fans cannot watch all the matches because of some matches will be started at the same time. In addition, sometimes fans can not watch the matches because of personal and professional tasks though they are keen to watch the matches.

Thinking of those unfortunate fans, today I made a list of websites that provide live online scores of English premier league. So, ahead of the 2007-2008 season of English Premier League, you can also visit those sites to get access the online live scores of the matches. I am giving the links of those sites below:

Live Score
This is one of the popular sites for getting the live updated scores of any major international football match. Besides, international matches, the sites also cover almost all major domestic league of the world. So, I hope fans of English premier league will also find this site useful for getting live score of English premier league 2007-2008 season matches.
http://livescore.com/default.dll?page=england

Goalzz
If you are a die hearted fan of English premier league then I would recommend you to visit this site to the live online score of any English premier league 2007-2008 match. The site is updated from time to time. This website covers almost all the international football tournaments and major leagues of the world.
http://www.goalzz.com/main.aspx?c=1550

Footie Scorez
Here, you can find the latest score of any international and major domestic league match. Moreover, the site also offers betting news regarding a particular match. So, if you have interest to betting then you can visit the site.
http://www.footiescorez.com/england

Live Football Scores
This is another site where you can access the live updated sores of English Premier League. If you are keen to get the live online score of any English premier league match from time to time then this is one of the best sites for you. In addition, the site also gives live scores of major domestic league matches as well as international matches.

http://www.live-football-scores.co.uk/english-premiership-scores.php

Sportpress
English premier league fans will find this site very interesting because the site provides some additional information besides live scores. For example, you can get to know the results of last six matches of both the teams. You can know about the future matches of English premier league 2007-2008. The whole fixture of your favorite team in English premier league is also available in this site. All international and major league matche coverage are also provided in this site.
http://www.sportpress.com/spo.go?lang=20&hls=1126-1124-1125-1123-1122&day=-3

Goal.com
Here, you can get the online live scores of all major football tournaments in the world. So, you can enjoy the online live score service in order to get the latest result of any Enlish Premier League match. So, visit the following link and get the live updated score of English premier league.
http://livescore.goal.com/index.php?language=en&realcategoryid=1

EPL 2007-08: List of all the Managers

Mangers play perhaps the most important role behind the success of any football club. That is why when a team performs badly, the manager loses the job so easily. It happens all the time. English Premier League is a very competitive and challenging place to be. Here, you have to deliver success or lose your job. It happens all the time.

The funny part is that we have some managers in Premier League who could keep their jobs for many years. Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger is in his post since September 1996. Can you believe it? You better believe it as Manchester United’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson is in his job since 1986. Well, not every manager is so lucky.

Here, I am giving you the names of all the managers in Premier League.

Arsenal: Arsene Wenger (1996)

Aston Villa: Martin O'Neill (2006)

Birmingham: Steve Bruce (2001)

Blackburn Rovers: Mark Hughes (2004)

Bolton Wanders: Sammy Lee (2007)

Chelsea: Jose Mourinho (2004)

Derby: Billy Davies (2006)

Everton: David Moyes (2002)

Fulham: Lawrie Sanchez (2007)

Liverpool: Rafael Benitez (2004)

Manchester City: Sven-Goran Eriksson (2007)

Manchester United: Sir Alex Ferguson (1986)

Middlesbrough: Gareth Southgate (2006)

Newcatsle: Sam Allardyce (2007)

Portsmouth: Harry Redknapp (2005)

Reading: Steve Coppell (2003)

Sunderland: Roy Keane (2006)

Tottenham Hotspur: Martin Jol (2004)

West Ham: Alan Curbishley (2006)

Wigan Athletic: Chris Hutchings (2007)

So, you can see that most of the managers are new and most of them have taken the job in the last 2-3 years. That means that the clubs fired their earlier managers or those managers resigned from their posts.

EPL 2007/08 Opening Day Matches Preview

The curtain for English Premier League 2007-08 season is going to be lifted this Saturday (11 August 2007). We are going to give a lot of coverage about EPL and La Liga in this blog. So, come back frequently here and enjoy our writings.

EPL 2007-08 is going to be an entertaining season- that is the wish of many fans. Manchester United is the current champion and they would love to keep their title intact. For doing it, they have spent freely in the summer transfer window. Chelsea is the runners up and they want to go back to their supremacy in Premiership. Chelsea did not spend a lot of money but they already have a lot of world class players and in the last 4 seasons, Chelsea had the best record in Premier league. Liverpool finished third in the last season and this time they want to improve their ranking the league table. Arsenal could only manage fourth position in the last season and this time, they have some real struggling to do.

In the opening day, 7 matches are going to take place. Then on Sunday (12 August 2007), another 3 matches will be held. I am talking briefly about all the matches here.

Aston Villa vs Liverpool

It will be an interesting match. Aston Villa will be without their goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen who is injured. That may put them under pressure. Aston Villa will have home advantage and would love to get all 3 points from this match. On the other hand, Liverpool is eager to get success this time in Premier League. I think many of us have forgotten when was the last time that Liverpool won Premier League title.

Bolton vs Newcastle

This is a tricky fixture for Newcastle United. Bolton finished 7^th in the last season and this time they want to do better. Nicolas Anelka and Gary speed may appear to be danger men for Newcastle. Newcastle finished 13^th position last year. They have some good signings this season including Mark Viduka, Jose Enrique and Alan Smith. I guess that it will be an attacking game for the crowd and the viewers.

Derby vs Portsmouth

Derby is a new comer in Premier League this season. They could not spend enough money to buy new players and that may prove to be a difficult thing for the club. They have players who are good for Championship but not good enough for Premier League. On the other hand, Portsmouth finished strongly in the last season in 9^th position. So, Portsmouth would have to love all 3 points from the match.

Everton vs Wigan

This should be an easy game for Everton. Everton finished 6^th position last season and they could keep their squad largely intact. Wigan will have to aim to have better than last season’s 17^th rank. Wigan spent more than 5 million pound to buy Jason Koumas and let us see how he plays in the match.

Middlesbrough vs Blackburn

Middlesbrough has spent quite a good amount of money to get Jonathan Woodgate from Real Madrid. Middlesbrough finished 12^th last season while Blackburn was just 2 places ahead of them. This time, Blackburn fans want their team to play in Europe next season. So, it is important that Blackburn can win the match.

Sunderland vs Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur has spent some decent amount of money with the hope of having glory this season. May be, this will become their season but they have to win matches and they have to win away matches too. So, the opening match against new comer Sunderland would be an important test for them. If they can win the match convincingly then their fans will be delighted.

West Ham vs Man City

This season, West Ham manager had some good money in hand to spend and he signed some new players. Last season, West Ham had disappointing condition and finished 15^th. This season, they want to be in the top 8 at least. On the other hand, Manchester City is not an easy opponent.

Super Sunday (12 August) Matches

Arsenal vs Fulham

I don’t need to remind you that in this season, Arsenal will be without Henry as Henry has left the club. Barcelona has paid more than 16 million pounds for Henry. Some feel that Eduardo da Silva can be the key player for Arsenal this season. I have doubt if he can fill the gap of Henry. So, I am eager to see the first match of Eduardo da Silva. Fulham should not be a tough team to beat at home.

Chelsea vs Birmingham

This should be a piece of cake for Chelsea. Birmingham is a new team in Premiership this season. The only thing that Chelsea needs to be worried is a long list of injured players. We have seen how injury made Chelsea suffer in FA Community Shield 2007 match against Manchester United.

Man Utd vs Reading

Reading should not pose too much problem for Manchester United. This should be an easy match to win for Man Utd. However, they should not take Reading too lightly.

EPL 2007-08: Live in Mobile Phone TV

This is good news for many people in the UK. When they are busy and do not have a TV set in front then they cannot enjoy Premier League matches. Now, all this is going to change thanks to Sky. Sky is bringing EPL matches live in mobile phone TV. Mobile phone TV is having a healthy growth in different parts of the world. So, I am happy that Sky has introduced this service in England. Hopefully, it will spread to other countries very soon.

Intent Media reported:

The first match available will be Sunderland vs Tottenham Hotspur on August 11th, available to Sky Mobile TV subscribers on the Vodafone UK, Vodafone Ireland, Orange UK and, imminently, T-Mobile UK networks.

Launched in November 2005 as a 3G-only service, Sky Mobile TV currently offers 30 channels.

Live sports events already simulcast by Sky on mobile include UEFA Champions League football, Ryder Cup golf, the Football League Play Offs and England’s Ashes cricket tour of Australia.

Customers will be able to subscribe to the new Sky Sports mobile package for £5 a month, offering unlimited access to the channels without any additional data charges.

Good news for millions of mobile phone users in the world. I think that EPL matches have good market in China. Chinese people are crazy for Premier league clubs and China has now the largest number of mobile phone users in the world.