Carling Cup 3rd round draw

Cardiff v Leicester 

Wolverhampton v Millwall 

Chelsea v Fulham

Aldershot/Carlisle v Rochdale

Arsenal v Shrewsbury

Burnley v MK Dons

Leeds v Manchester United

Brighton v Liverpool

Nottingham Forest v Newcastle

Manchester City v Birmingham

Blackburn v Leyton Orient/Bristol Rovers

Swindon/Southampton v Charlton/Preston

Everton v West Brom

Crystal Palace/Wigan v Middlesbrough

Aston Villa v Bolton

Stoke v Tottenham

Undian UCL 2011/2012

Champions League group stage

Group A: Bayern Munich, Villarreal, Manchester City, Napoli 

satu kumpulan yang boleh dianggap 'group of death' kerana kesemua pasukan dilihat mempunyai kekuatan. selaku gergasi jerman, bayern munich dilihat 'favourite' untuk layak ke pusingan kalah mati dari kumpulan A. namun tugas berat menanti memandangkan villareal dan man city bukanlah lawan yang mudah. napoli mungkin dilabel sebagai 'underdog' tetapi mereka masih mempunyai beberapa pemain berkaliber seperti marik hamsik.

Group B: Inter Milan, CSKA Moscow, Lille, Trabzonspor 

inter milan boleh dikira bernasib baik apabila diundi bersama kelab2 yang tidaklah begitu kuat terutamanya trabzonspor yang pertama kali beraksi di UCL selepas menggantikan fenerbache yang disingkir pada musim ini. walaupun menjadi juara perancis, lille mungkin tidak mempunyai skuad yang sama ketika menjulang kejuaraan kerana beberapa pemain utamanya seperti gervinho telah berhijrah ke kelab lain. hanya CSKA moscow sahaja dilihat mampu untuk mencabar inter milan namun wakil itali itu tetap menjadi pilihan untuk menjadi juara kumpulan.

Group C: Manchester United, Benfica, Basle, Otelul 

sepertimana inter milan, MU turut diundi dengan dua kelab kerdil iaitu FC basel dan otelul. basel merupakan kelab besar di switzerland tetapi jika dibandingkan keupayaan dengan MU mahupun benfica, basel mempunyai pasukan yang tidak begitu kuat. otelul juga membuat penampilan sulungnya dalam UCL musim ini. MU dan benfica dilihat pilihan untuk layak dari kumpulan C tanpa sebarang masalah.

Group D: Real Madrid, Lyon, Ajax, Dinamo Zagreb 

Group of death II. Calon untuk layak ke peringkat seterusnya adalah real madrid dan lyon.

Group E: Chelsea, Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen, Genk 

Keempat2 pasukan memiliki kekuatan seimbang. pemain baru chelsea, juan mata akan bertemu dengan pasukan lamanya iaitu valencia. bayern leverkusen mempunyai penyerang yang berbisa dalam bundesliga manakala kemampuan wakil belgium, genk tidak perlu diragui.

Group F: Arsenal, Marseille, Olympiacos, Borussia Dortmund 

Group of death III. juara bundesliga musim lepas, borussia dortmund dilihat mempunyai skuad yang stabil walaupun kehilangan nurin sahin. kelab greece, olympiacos dan wakil perancis, marseille mampu untuk membuat kejutan. walaupun menjadi group seeding, arsenal perlu menampilkan aksi bertenaga apabila bertemu kelab dalam kumpulan F. jika tidak, pasti arsenal sukar untuk melayakkan diri.

Group G: Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit St Petersburg, APOEL 

porto menjadi pilihan utama untuk menjadi juara kumpulan. namun, tiga kelab lagi perlu bersaing untuk merebut slot kedua bagi melayakkan diri ke peringkat seterusnya.

Group H: Barcelona, AC Milan, BATE Borisov, Plzen 

wakil dari kumpulan ini tidak lain dan tidak bukan adalah barcelona dan ac milan.

Biodata Samir Nasri

1987: June 26 - Born in Marseille.

2004:
Makes senior debut for Marseille after having joined the club aged nine.
May - Wins UEFA Under-17 Championship with France.

2007:  
March - Makes senior France debut in friendly match against Austria.
May - Named Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year.
June - Scores first goal for France when he nets in 1-0 Euro 2008 qualifying victory against Georgia.
September - Is hospitalised with a meningitis-like virus.

2008:
May 22 - Nasri's agent reveals Arsenal are one of a number of clubs to have made an offer for the player.
May 28 - Named in France squad for Euro 2008.
June 3 - Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger confirms interest in Nasri.
June 23 - Announces on his official website that he has signed a four-year contract with Arsenal. However, he later retracts this, while Arsenal insist the deal is not complete.
July 4 - Nasri's agent reveals the player should sign for Arsenal within 10 days.
July 11 - Arsenal confirm the deal for an undisclosed fee.

2009: Ends first season with Gunners having started 28 Premier League games, scoring six goals.

2010: May - Surprisingly omitted from the France squad for the World Cup in South Africa, although he arguably benefits from missing out Les Bleus' farcical campaign.

2011:  

January - Suffers a hamstring injury in an FA Cup tie against Huddersfield which leaves him highly doubtful to feature in the Champions League last-16 encounter with Barcelona.
February 16 - Passed fit to play in the first leg of the Barca tie as Arsenal win 2-1 but the Gunners lose 4-3 on aggregate after a 3-1 defeat at the Nou Camp.
May: Nasri's best season yet for Arsenal as he scores 15 goals in 46 appearances in all competitions, but the team are still without a major trophy since winning the 2005 FA Cup.
June 5: Expresses uncertainty over his Arsenal future, saying he "does not know" if he will sign a new contract with the club and does not rule out a move to Manchester United.
August 23: Manchester City agree terms with Arsenal for Nasri.

The Premier League Numbers And Stats - Matchday 2

Arsenal
* Arsenal have won just two of their 13 PL games since the Carling Cup final. If a table was constructed from points accrued after that Wembley defeat, the Gunners would lie in 15th.
* Arsenal's PL win percentage with Samir Nasri in the starting line-up is 49% since his arrival in 2008. Without him it's 62%.
* The last time Arsenal started the league season without a goal in their first two games was 1969-70. They finished that season in 11th - one point and one place below Tottenham.


Aston Villa
* Gaby Agbonlahor became the second (after Dwight Yorke) Villa player to score 50 PL goals for the club with his strike v Blackburn.
* Villa's attendance of 32,319 was their lowest at Villa Park in the league since April 2007.
* Darren Bent has only had two shots in 180 minutes this season - but both were on target.


Blackburn Rovers
* Blackburn have lost 12 of their last 17 away matches in the Premier League.
* Rovers have managed just four shots on target in the opening two matches of the season.
* Rovers have won just five of Steve Kean's 23 PL matches in charge - a win percentage of less than 22%.


Bolton Wanderers
* Bolton have lost three consecutive home games in the PL for the first time since December 2004.
* Ivan Klasnic's minutes-per-goal rate is second only to Javier Hernandez in PL history (the condition to this stat is that the player must have scored over ten goals).
* Kevin Davies is already joint-top of the 'fouls chart' this season along with Grant Holt and Ryan Shawcross.


Chelsea
* Chelsea have won all 11 of their PL games against West Brom - scoring 31 goals and conceding only four.
* Chelsea have now won 29 of the 30 league games in which Florent Malouda has scored.
* Four of Nicolas Anelka's six shots were on target v West Brom on Saturday. Fernando Torres did not have a single shot.


Everton
* The Toffees were unbeaten in 11 PL games at Goodison Park before QPR's visit.
* They have lost their opening game of the season for the last four seasons.
* Tim Cahill tested the keeper with only one of his attempts on goal v QPR.


Fulham
* Fulham's defeat at Wolves brought an end to a three-game unbeaten league run away from home.
* New signing Patjim Kasami managed a woeful 62% pass completion rate at Wolves before being substituted at half-time.
* Half-time substitute Moussa Dembele touched the ball more times in 45 minutes than an isolated Andrew Johnson did in 90 minutes.

Liverpool
* Liverpool made a phenomenal 31 tackles at the Emirates in comparison with 18 from Arsenal.
* In the 20 minutes they were on the pitch, Luis Suarez and Raul Meireles only misplaced one pass each at the Emirates.
* Luis Suarez has now recorded a PL goal every 200 minutes of football. Andy Carroll's relevant stat is 188 minutes.


Manchester City
* Man City have won five PL matches in a row for the first time in their history.
* City have scored seven goals in their opening two league games for the first time since 1961. That season they eventually slumped to seventh.
* A City side shorn of Nigel de Jong made only nine tackles in 90 minutes v Bolton.


Manchester United
* There were 49 shots in Manchester United's 3-0 win over Tottenham.
* United have scored 20 headed goals since the start of last season - five more than any other team.
* They have picked up 58 points from a possible 60 at home in that period.


* Newcastle United
* Newcastle's pass completion rate of 64% was the lowest of any Premier League club this weekend. Bucking the trend with 93% was Gabriel Obertan.
* They have lost only one of their last seven Premier League games.
* Joey Barton is one of eight PL players to be booked in both games of the nascent season.


Norwich City
* Norwich are unbeaten in their last five Premier League home games.
* Leon Barnett had managed only a 50% pass completion rate before he was harshly dismissed.
* Canaries boss Paul Lambert made more team changes - six - than any other PL manager between the first and second league games of the season.


QPR
* Neil Warnock's side have mustered just three shots on target in the opening two PL games.
* Tommy Smith's goal was his third in 51 Premier League matches.
* The victory at Everton was Warnock's first away win in the PL since December 2006 with Sheffield United at Wigan.


* Stoke City
* Stoke reached a possession stat of over 50% at the 118th Premier League attempt at Norwich on Sunday.
* Stoke have conceded 14 headed goals since the start of last season.
* The Potters have scored in only three of their last ten away matches in the Premier League.


Sunderland
* Sunderland have kept just two clean sheets in their last 18 PL games.
* Lee Cattermole has been cautioned or sent off in 51 of his 149 PL appearances.
* Sunderland have lost seven of their last eight PL games at the Stadium of Light.


Swansea City
* Leon Britton found a teammate with 98% of his 51 passes v Wigan on Saturday.
* Swansea have dominated possession (58% and 64%) in their opening two matches, but are yet to score.
* Centre-halves Steven Caulker and Ashley Williams passes the ball more than any other players on the pitch.


Tottenham Hotspur
* Brad Friedel was credited with making 11 saves at Old Trafford.
* Rafael van der Vaart attempted nine shots at the goal of David de Gea.
* Since he joined the club in 2008, Spurs have won 43% of their PL games when Modric has been playing but 52% without him.


West Brom
* After making no saves v Manchester United, Ben Foster earned his corn with six v Chelsea.
* West Brom have lost two consecutive league games for the first time under Roy Hodgson.
* Shane Long has scored two goals from a total of three shots since signing for West Brom.


Wigan
* The Latics are unbeaten in their last six Premier League games.
* Wigan's Ben Watson is the only PL player to score a penalty this season - but even he missed one on Saturday.
* Victor Moses is the only Wigan player to be caught offside so far this season.


Wolves
* Wolves attempted a massive 20 shots against Fulham on Sunday.
* They have not won their opening two games of the season since 1998-99, when they eventually finished seventh in Division One.
* Kevin Doyle's last five goals for Wolves have all come at Molineux.


source: http://www.football365.com/f365-features/7119953/Geek365-Premier-League-Numbers-Stats

UCL play-off results - 2nd round

Pasukan yang layak ke saingan peringkat kumpulan UCL musim ini

1. Arsenal - england - layak menerusi aggregat 3-1

2. Bayern Munich - jerman - layak menerusi aggregat 3-0

3. Villareal - sepanyol - layak menerusi aggregat 3-1

4. Lyon - perancis - layak menerusi aggregat 4-2

5. Benfica - portugal - layak menerusi aggregat 5-3

6. Bate Borisov - belarus - layak menerusi aggregat 3-1

7. Dinamo Zagreb - croatia - layak menerusi aggregat 4-3

8. Apoel Nicosia - cyprus - layak menerusi aggregat 3-2

9. Viktoria Plzen - republik czech - layak menerusi aggregat 5-2

10. Genk - belgium - layak menerusi sepakan penalti selepas aggregat 3-3

Kompilasi berita tentang MU

1. SAF telah memberikan amaran kepada duo pemain pertahanan senior, rio ferdinand dan nemanja vidic agar memberikan mutu persembahan yang baik sekiranya ingin disenaraikan dalam kesebelasan utama pasukan. ini adalah kerana SAF beranggapan pemain2 pertahanan muda MU iaitu chris smalling, jonny evans dan phil jones mampu untuk bersaing bagi merebut tempat bagi posisi pertahanan tengah. dengan peningkatan prestasi yang ditujunkkan oleh pemain2 muda, ferdinand dan vidic berkemungkinan besar bukan lagi pilihan utama SAF untuk mengisi slot pertahanan tengah.

2. dua pemain muda MU iaitu danny welbeck dan tom cleverly bakal menerima durian runtuh apabila diberitakan MU akan menawarkan kontrak yang baru untuk mereka berdua. setakat ini, MU berpuas hati dengan persembahan daripada welbeck dan cleverly sekaligus akan memberikan ganjaran buat mereka berdua dengan menawarkan kontrak selama lima tahun dengan gaji baru sekitar 40 ribu pound seminggu. sebelum ini, welbeck dan cleverly antara pemain skuad utama yang menerima gaji yang terendah dan dengan gaji baru yang bakal diterima, mereka akan berada sebaris dengan smalling.

3. MU telah mengesahkan bahawa mereka telah menerima perjanjian komersial dengan syarikat logistik, DHL dengan penajaan 40 juta pound untuk kit latihan selama empat tahun. dengan penajaan terbaru ini, MU dikatakan mampu untuk sekali lagi melepasi rekod penajaan 100 juta pound untuk semusim sepertimana yang telah dilakukan pada musim lepas. 

4. penyerang muda MU, danny welbeck dan pemain pertahanan baru, phil jones telah dipanggil untuk disenaraikan dalam skuad B-21 england sebagai persediaan menghadapi dua perlawanan pada bulan hadapan. ini sekaligus menolak spekulasi di mana welbeck dikatakan akan dipanggil oleh fabio capello untuk menyertai skuad utama england. pengurus skuad B-21 england, stuart pierce telah melakukan rombakan besar2an terhadap skuadnya dan hanya welbeck dan jones sahaja yang pemain yang kekal daripada skuad yang menyertai kejohanan eropah B-21 di denmark baru2 ini.

Review: MU vs Spurs

Keputusan perlawanan:

Manchester United 3
danny welbeck 61'
anderson 76'
wayne rooney 86'


Tottenham Hotspur 0


Ulasan perlawanan:

SAF membuat kejutan apabila mengekalkan welbeck dan cleverly dalam kesebelasan utama manakala jones dan evans bergandingan di bahagian pertahanan tengah menggantikan ferdinand dan vidic yang mengalami kecederaan. formasi yang digunakan oleh MU adalah 4-4-1-1 dan selaku pemain senior, evra diberikan tugas sebagai kapten pasukan.

separuh masa pertama, MU dan spurs lebih banyak berlegar2 di kawasan tengah padang. kedua2 pasukan tidak melancarkan serangan2 yang begitu mengancam pintu gol lawan. walaubagaimanapun, terdapat beberapa percubaan yang memerlukan aksi tangkas daripada kedua2 penjaga gol. yang menarik perhatian adalah DDG yang nampak lebih tenang dan tangkas menyelamatkan sekurang2nya dua percubaan tepat daripada pemain spurs.

taktikal spurs yang hanya meletakkan defoe sebagai penyerang tunggal sedikit sebanyak memudahkan tugas bahagian pertahanan MU. defoe kelihatan selalu keseorangan manakala playmaker spurs, VDV pula terpaksa bergerak lebih ke tengah untuk mendapatkan bola. ini adalah kerana keberkesanan anderson mengemudi bahagian tengah MU yang dibantu oleh cleverly.

MU lebih gemar menyerang menerusi young tetapi kadang kala nani turut mengucar-kacirkan pertahanan kental spurs. separuh masa pertama menyaksikan tiada sebarang gol dijaringkan setelah kedua2 pasukan bermain secara kompak. selain itu, SAF turut mengakui bahawa welbeck yang acapkali turun ke tengah sepertimana rooney telah menyebabkan MU kehilangan sasaran di bahagian depan sekaligus menyukarkan peluang untuk menjaringkan gol.

dalam separuh masa kedua, terdapat banyak perbezaan dalam corak permainan MU. hantaran2 kelihatan lebih pantas dilakukan manakala smalling dan evra lebih kerap melakukan overlapping untuk membantu serangan. hasilnya, smalling yang naik ke atas dan bertukar hantaran dengan cleverly sebelum cleverly membuat hantaran silang yang bijak ditanduk masuk oleh welbeck.

sejurus gol pertama perlawanan, MU tampak lebih berselera untuk memburu gol manakala spurs pula cuba untuk bertahan. serangan pantas MU yang bermula dari lontaran jauh DDG telah memberikan gol kedua MU menerusi gandingan pergerakan welbeck dan anderson. anderson mudah merembat bola masuk ke dalam gawang gol apabila hanya berhadapan dengan penjaga gol spurs. kini, anderson seperti telah menunjukkan potensinya yang menyebabkan MU mendapatkannya 3 musim lepas.

dengan perlawanan berbaki 10 minit, SAF memasukkan giggs, JSP dan chicharito bagi menggantikan cleverly, welbeck dan young. ternyata kemasukan ketiga2 pemain tersebut membuahkan hasil apabila giggs bijak melambung bola ke dalam kotak penalti spurs sebelum bola tersebut ditanduk masuk oleh rooney. sepertimana yang dikatakan oleh komentator, rooney tidak begitu meraikan gol tersebut kerana sememangnya rooney telah merasakan dirinya akan mampu memperoleh gol dalam perlawanan tersebut.

secara keseluruhannya, MU bermain dengan baik terutamanya dalam separuh masa kedua. hantaran yang dilakukan adalah kemas, larian2 yang pantas serta kreativiti dalam menjana serangan. spurs bukanlah lawan yang mudah namun prestasi pemain2 muda MU begitu menggalakkan. pujian harus diberikan kepada jones yang begitu mantap di bahagian pertahanan. DDG juga tidak mengecewakan walaupun melakukan sedikit kesilapan dalam beberapa situasi di hujung perlawanan. MU pastinya akan cuba untuk berada di bahagian atas liga secara konsisten agar man city tidak berupaya untuk menjarakkan mata dengan MU.

UCL Draw: group stage

The 32 qualifiers have been divided into four pots based on the Uefa coefficients, which are in turn decided by a mixture of the team's own performance in Europe over the past five seasons, as well as the strength of their country's league.

The Champions League group stage comprises eight pools of four teams: consequently, a team from each pot is drawn and placed into one of the eight groups available. This is done by pot and not "one at a time": that is to say, all the teams from pot one will be placed into a group, and then pot two, and so on down to the fourth and final pot.

There are some restrictions, though. Teams from the same national association cannot be drawn together, and even prior to that there will be two 'sets' of groups decided for the purpose of television rights. For example, the four teams from Spain cannot all be drawn in the same set.

* Replacement for Fenerbache, who has been removed from the competition

 

Arsenal's target to strenghten their squad

GARY CAHILL | Bolton, Defender, 25

LAST SEASON'S STATS Appearances 41 Clean Sheets 8 Goals 3 TRANSFER FILE Price tag £17m Chances of signing 40% He's a little bit like Tony Adams

 
This deal has been such a slow burner that it hasnow all but ground to a halt. The Bolton Wanderers centre-back has long been identified by Arsenal as a Premier League-ready centre-back who has the physical qualities that they currently lack.

The two clubs held talks earlier in the window but were unable to come to an agreement over the transfer fee, even though Cahill wants a move to a Champions League club and cash-strapped Wanderers are in danger of losing the England international to a free transfer next summer.

Arsenal are reluctant to smash their transfer record and meet the £17 million release clause in Cahill’s contract. It is believed they value the defender at around the £12-13m mark.

With Arsene Wenger’s requirement for a reliable centre-half still pressing, a concerted move for the 25-year-old still cannot be discounted.

SCOTT DANN | Birmingham City, Defender, 24

LAST SEASON'S STATS Appearances 25 Clean sheets 6 Goals 2 TRANSFER FILE Price tag £8m Chances of signing 60% He's a little bit like Martin Keown

Of Arsenal’s centre-back targets, the Birmingham man is the most likely to move to Emirates Stadium by the end of the window.

As revealed by Goal.com earlier this month, Arsenal were in advanced talks with Birmingham but have stopped short of submitting a formal bid for the 24-year-old.

It is understand that doubts have surfaced at Arsenal over the defender’s recovery after missing the second half of last season through injury.

Dann has not figured in Birmingham’s four games in the current campaign, partly because of niggling injuries but also because manager Chris Hughton has settled on a centre-back pairing of Curtis Davies and Steven Caldwell in the expectation that the senior man would be leaving.

EDEN HAZARD | Lille, Attacking Midfield, 20

LAST SEASON'S STATS Appearances 49 Goals 9 Assists 8 TRANSFER FILE Price tag £26m Chances of signing 30% He's a little bit like Samir Nasri

 
There is a strong feeling that Arsenal are laying the groundwork for a deal next year rather than immediately recruiting a player who perfectly fits the Wenger template of technique, touch and talent.

Lille do not need to cash in after offloading three players – including Gervinho to Arsenal – for a combined £20m outlay this summer and have publicly been bullish about holding on to the Belgian wonderkid for another year.

It is doubtful whether Arsenal would meet Lille’s £26m valuation of a player the French champions believe could be worth even more in 12 months should his career graph continue to climb upwards this season.

Nevertheless, Hazard is believed to be open to the “right opportunity” and knows that at Arsenal he could expect to slot in immediately in his favoured playmaker role at one of Europe’s elite clubs.

PHIL JAGIELKA | Everton, Defender, 29

SEASON STATS Appearances 36 Clean sheets 9 Goals 1 TRANSFER FILE Price tag £18m Chances of signing 20% He's a little bit like David O'Leary

Everton chairman Bill Kenwright has assured Arsenal fans that the centre-back is one of four untouchables who will not be sold by the club, despite pressure from the club’s bankers.

Arsenal are said to have had two offers rejected for the 29-year-old this window although manager David Moyes has also been bullish about the defender staying.

Everton’s £18m asking price has put off Arsenal, given that there would be little resale value for a player who turns 30 next year.

Publicly and privately, Jagielka has not pushed for a move although he would be willing to make the switch to a Champions League club should Arsenal come back in for him.

YANN M'VILA | Rennes, Holding Midfielder, 21

LAST SEASON'S STATS Appearances 37 Goals 2 Assists 2 TRANSFER FILE Price tag £13m Chances of signing 60% He's a little bit like Lassana Diarra

Following the announcement that Arsenal had agreed to sell Nasri to City, Wenger declared that midfield reinforcements were his immediate priority.

One of his principal targets for central midfield, which has been decimated by injury, suspension and Denilson’s loan departure, is Rennes anchorman Yann M’Vila.

Arsenal have held talks with the 21-year-old, who has been awarded 11 France caps, although Rennes’ £13m asking price is a significant hurdle still to be overcome.

He would be travelling a well-trodden path from Ligue 1 to the red-and-white side of north London and a deal is believed to be a strong possibility.

JAN VERTONGHEN | Ajax, Defender, 24

LAST SEASON'S STATS Appearances 42 Clean sheets 17 Goals 6 TRANSFER FILE Price tag £8m Chances of signing 30% He's a little bit like Thomas Vermaelen

Like Luis Suarez last season, there is a strong body of opinion in Holland that the classy Belgian centre-back has outgrown the Eredivisie and is ready to make a leading Premier League club his new home.

Arsenal have been pursuing the ball-playing defender, a friend and international colleague of Thomas Vermaelen, for nearly two years and have been impressed by his physical qualities, aerial power and goalscoring ability.

Vertonghen’s camp were convinced one or both of Arsenal and Manchester City would have made a more concerted move by now but he has not completely given up hope of a switch to England before the end of the window.


source: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/08/24/2634119/from-eden-hazard-to-gary-cahill-the-six-players-at-the-top

Preview: MU vs Spurs - all the statistics

• The last time Tottenham tasted victory at Old Trafford was in 1989, when Gary Lineker grabbed the winner for the north Londoners.
• This is a fixture which rarely goes without controversy. In 2005, Pedro Mendes half-way line effort beat then Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll and crossed the line, only for the goal to be notoriously not given.
• Last season, Spurs stopper Heurelho Gomes was on the receiving end of further controversy, when Portuguese winger Nani capitalised upon a mix-up between the Brazilian and referee Mark Clattenburg to help the Red Devils to a 2-0 victory.
• Spurs last beat the current Premier League champions back in May 2001, when they inflicted a 3-1 final day of the season defeat upon Sir Alex Ferguson’s side at White Hart Lane.
• Monday night’s hosts remained unbeaten at home throughout last season, and only once did they fail to take all three points, with West Brom securing a 2-2 draw at the Theatre of Dreams in October.
• This will be Tottenham’s first game of the 2011-2012 Premier League season, after last week’s clash at home against Everton was postponed due to civil unrest in the capital.

Preview: MU vs Spurs

spurs akan menyepak mula perlawanan BPL pertamanya selepas perlawanan hujung minggu lepas bertemu everton ditunda akibat rusuhan yang melanda di sebahagian kawasan kota london. spurs akan berkunjung ke OT untuk berhadapan juara musim lalu, MU tatkala MU ingin meneruskan rekod cemerlang beraksi di halaman sendiri.

spurs dilihat mempunyai momentum yang baik selepas berjaya mencatatkan kemenangan 5-0 apabila mengalahkan wakil scotland, hearts dalam pusingan pertama play-off europa league manakala MU pula pastinya berhasrat untuk meneruskan rentak kemenangan selepas mengecapi kemenangan 2-1 ke atas WBA. jika dilihat rekod perlawanan MU-spurs yang berlangsung di OT, ternyata rekod tersebut langsung tidak menyebelahi spurs apabila kali terakhir spurs berjaya mengalahkan MU di OT adalah pada tahun 1989. dan menurut pengurus spurs, harry redknapp berkata sepanjang kariernya sebagai pengurus kelab BPL, beliau tewas 13 kali di OT.

MU tampak sedikit tempang di bahagian pertahanan setelah dua tonggak utama iaitu rio ferdinand dan nemanja vidic terpaksa disisihkan akibat kecederaan. tambahan pula, MU juga dilihat menghadapi masalah bagi posisi penjaga gol apabila penjaga gol barunya, david de gea melakukan kesilapan dalam dua perlawanan terdahulu sekaligus menimbulkan keraguan terhadap benteng pertahanan MU. namun, SAF bakal memberikan kepercayaannya kepada dua pemain muda iaitu chris smalling dan phil jones untuk menjadi tonggak pertahanan tengah manakala fabio akan diletakkan di posisi rightback manakala patrice evra yang akan memakai lilitan ketua pasukan akan berada di posisi tetapnya iaitu leftback. de gea sekali lagi akan diberikan peluang untuk menjaga gawang gol MU dan  de gea harus bekerjasama dan berkomunikasi dengan barisan pertahanan sekiranya tidak mahu gawang gol MU dibolosi.

di bahagian tengah mungkin akan menyaksikan sedikit perubahan di mana michael carrick dan anderson akan menjadi teras dan akan memberikan ruang kepada pemain muda, tom cleverly untuk bertindak lebih ke atas. untuk posisi sayap pula akan diisikan oleh nani di sebelah kanan dan ashley young di sebelah kiri. wayne rooney akan menjadi penyerang tunggal dan diharapkan rooney akan memperoleh sokongan dan bantuan sepatutnya daripada rakan2.

bagi spurs, mereka dijangkakan akan mengeksploitasi kelemahan de gea iaitu dengan cuba membuat percubaan jarak jauh. walaupun dijangkakan beraksi tanpa kelibat perancang utamanya, luka modric, spurs masih lagi mempunyai beberapa pemain yang berkualiti tinggi seperti gareth bale dan rafael van der vaart. bagi aku, MU tidak akan menghadapi kesukaran jika spurs meletakkan jermaine defoe atau roman pavluychenko sebagai penyerang berbanding peter crouch yang pastinya akan membahayakan pintu gol MU ketika situasi bola tinggi memandangkan pertahanan MU yang rata2nya masih lagi muda.

MU mungkin dapat melancarkan serangan dari sebelah kiri menerusi young kerana pemain rightback spurs masih muda dan kurang pengalaman. peluang tersebut harus dipergunakan dengan sebaik mungkin melalui pergerakan2 pantas yang dapat memecahkan benteng pertahanan spurs. berdasarkan kelebihan beraksi di halaman sendiri serta prestasi semasa MU dan keupayaan pemain, aku yakin MU mampu menewaskan spurs dengan keputusan 4-0 dan gol2 MU bakal disumbangkan oleh rooney, young dan cleverly.

GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED!!!!

Match 2: keputusan perlawanan hari Sabtu dan Ahad

p/s: perlawanan MU vs Spurs berlangsung awal pagi Selasa jam 2.30 pagi di Saluran ESPN.

Biodata Juan Mata

Juan Mata

• Full Name: Juan Mata
• Squad No: 10
• Position: Forward
• Age: 23
• Birth Date: Apr 28, 1988
• Birth Place: Burgos, Spain
• Height: 1.70m
• Weight: 63 kg

After back-to-back summers in which Mata picked up the 2010 World Cup and the European Under-21 Championship titles, the forward was viewed as one of the hottest prospects in world football.

Beginning his youth career with Oviedo, he moved to Real Madrid's academy at the age of 15 and spent three years there before being promoted to the Castilla team in 2006-07. Impressing, despite relegation, Mata was curiously not given another deal at the club and was allowed to move to Valencia due to a clause in his contract.

Oozing with pace and a direct style that sends a shiver down the spines of defenders, Los Che got themselves a bargain and it was not long before he was making his mark on La Liga. Scoring goals aplenty from his attacking role on the flank he helped the side to the Copa del Rey trophy in 2007-08 and his understanding with David Villa was praised by many.

However, with Villa's exit to Barcelona in 2010 and Valencia's growing debt problems, Mata was linked with moves to Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool before Chelsea swooped to bring him to the Premier League for around €30 million in August 2011.

Strengths: Technically superb, his close control and vision are excellent and he has the ability to beat his man and set up chances.

Weaknesses: Lightweight and lacking power, he can be shrugged off the ball too easily and is not much help to his defenders.

Career high: Winning the 2010 World Cup with Spain, although he did not play a major part in the tournament.

Career low: Relegation from the Segunda with Real Madrid's B side left him with little hope of breaking into the first team.

Style: Classy, skilful, technical, a creative midfielder with a great eye.

Quotes: "He's a player who scores and assists and he can add to any squad in the world.'' Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas.

Trivia: A former student of journalism at the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, he enjoys playing table-tennis in his spare time.


source: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/103025/Juan-Mata?cc=4716

5 masalah utama yang perlu diatasi oleh AVB di Chelsea

KEEP ON SIGNING - AND GET MATA AND MODRIC

 

It’s no surprise that Chelsea are perpetually linked with the acquisition of more fresh faces. Though the situation with Arsenal is hardly comparable, Chelsea’s signings of Oriel Romeu and Romelu Lukaku won’t solve the Blues’ creative void in the short term.

On the evidence of the season so far, with lacklustre midfield performances against Stoke and West Brom - who, with all due respect to the effort and commitment they displayed in those matches will eventually be also-rans in the table - Chelsea need a creative spark.

Rumours persist that they are close to completing a deal for Valencia's Juan Mata, and their interest in Luka Modric refuses to die despite Spurs' protestations. Both players would help effectively link the disjointed front line with the rest of the team and pick off a killer pass in the final third to boot.

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD WITH TORRES AND DROGBA - AGAIN

 

This problem eventually did for Carlo Ancelotti and is not going to go away for Villas-Boas. Indeed it will probably wind up being the defining decision of the Portuguese manager’s first season at the helm.

Torres, rejuvenated against Stoke yet grossly ineffectual against West Brom again, was replaced around the hour mark by Drogba, who himself seemed a shadow of his former self. It seems as if Villas-Boas has set his store by Torres but Chelsea had more tangible thrust and threat with the Spaniard withdrawn. How much of that was down to the Ivorian, however, is debatable.

Torres' Chelsea record now reads one goal in 16 league appearances, and one in 20 all told. Roman Abramovich's fixation with his £50 million signing is now costing Chelsea in a whole other sense.

TACTICS TALK - 4-4-2 WINS OUT OVER 4-3-3

 

Though Villas-Boas refused to take credit for it in the post-match press conference, his tactical maneouvers won the game for Chelsea against West Brom.

Starting as a 4-3-3, Chelsea were listless and their width a sham. The bold decision half an hour in to haul Salomon Kalou off and revert to a 4-4-2 changed the face of the game, with Chelsea instantly becoming more functional.

A permanent switch to 4-4-2, while being drastic, could be the way for Villas-Boas to stamp his authority on the team, as the starting 4-3-3 looked an unconvincing remnant of Chelsea dynasties gone by. And with the club clearly in a transitional phase, a change of tactical onus could be the breathe of fresh air required around the place.

Nonetheless, it remains unlikely that the former Porto man will completely abandon his preferred formation, and one which his current crop are more than accustomed to.

EASE THE PRESSURE ON LAMPARD

 

There is mounting evidence that Frank Lampard is no longer the force of old, something that Saturday's performance failed to alleviate.

The signs have been there for a while though, with last season the first in five that the midfielder failed to exceed the 20 goals a season mark, netting just 13 times.

Against West Brom, the old Lampard would have repeatedly breached the West Brom back four with piercing late runs. The new Lampard simply wasn’t having it. Perhaps this predicament is more to do with Lampard’s supporting cast, with Mikel and Ramires also both looking out of their depth yet nevertheless, Lampard seems no longer to be the hub of this side.

This is intrisically linked, of course, with the potential signings of Mata and/or Modric, but it may be no bad thing for Lampard in the long-term if either (or both) arrive, even if something of a dent to his pride at first.

MAKE THE MOST OF LUKAKU AND STURRIDGE

 

The defining characteristics of Chelsea against West Brom were the total absence of ideas and an almost harrowing lack of pace. A rare burst came from Jose Bosingwa, and brought the winning goal for Florent Malouda.

Sturridge and Lukaku should, in theory, bring both. The physical nature of Lukaku’s presence will cause problems for opposition in itself, while the Belgian has proved he has goals in him already, albeit in the less challenging Belgian league.

Much is the same for Sturridge, who proved his class at Bolton last year, for England in the European Under-21 championships and during pre-season. The implementation of both into Villas-Boas’ first-team plans will be vital for a Blues’ renaissance.

Given the Torres-Drogba queue ahead of them, neither can expect to be starting any time soon. But they could at least be key contributors from the bench, and Lukaku wasn't even given that much of an opportunity this weekend.


source: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/08/21/2629295/juan-mata-luka-modric-and-the-five-problems-andre-villas

Arsenal, Spurs, WBA, Inter Milan, etc.....

1. arsenal berhadapan masalah untuk menguatkan pasukan apabila rennes dikatakan telah menolak tawaran arsenal bernilai 20 juta euro untuk membeli pemain tengah, yann m'vila. pemain berusia 21 tahun itu bukan sahaja disasarkan oleh arsenal, malah beberapa kelab lain turut berminat terhadapnya seperti inter milan dan real madrid.

2. spurs telah mencapai persetujuan dengan real madrid untuk pembelian pemain tengah, lassana diarra dalam tawaran sekitar 10 juta pound. diarra bersetuju untuk menerima 100 ribu pound seminggu tetapi tidak dapat beraksi untuk spurs menentang MU. diarra dijangkakan akan bertemu semula emmanuel adebayor apabila kedua2 mereka menyertai spurs.

3. arsenal mengalami masalah kecederaan di kalangan pemain yang teruk di awal musim. setelah kehilangan cesc fabregas dan gael clichy, arsenal turut berkemungkinan besar akan turut kehilangan samir nasri yang dijangkakan menyertai man city dalam sedikit masa lagi. berikut merupakan senarai kecederaan arsenal:

4. valencia mengesahkan pemain tengahnya, juan mata akan menyertai chelsea selepas kedua2 kelab telah mencapai persetujuan. chelsea dikhabarkan telah menawarkan 26 juta pound untuk mendapatkan mata dan pemain berusia 23 akan terbang ke london untuk menjalani pemeriksaan kesihatan dan fizikal sebelum melengkapkan perpindahannya ke chelsea.

5. dalam buku terbarunya 'RED', bekas kapten MU, gary neville menyatakan bahawa skuad england menghadapi masalah perjudian yang teruk di kalangan pemain. selain itu neville juga menyatakan bekas pengurus england, kevin keegan pernah tertidur ketika mesyuarat pasukan diadakan sementara glenn hoddle mengamal 'ritual' pelik apabila beliau akan menyentuh dada setiap pemain sebelum perlawanan bermula.

6. pengurus man city, roberto mancini telah memberikan amaran kepada pemain tengah arsenal, samir nasri bahawa perpindahannya ke man city tidak akan tercapai sekiranya nasri beraksi untuk arsenal bagi perlawanan timbal balik play-off UCL awal pagi khamis ini. walaupun telah mencapai persetujuan dengan tawaran 22 juta pound, penangguhan perpindahan nasri ke man city adalah berpunca daripada pembayaran yuran kepada agen.

7. pemain tengah spurs, luka modric diberitakan melancarkan mogok setelah spurs dilihat cuba menghalangnya dari menyertai chelsea. modric memutuskan bahawa beliau tidak akan beraksi untuk spurs menentang MU memandangkan beliau tidak menyertai rombongan pemain. walaubagaimanapun, pengurus spurs, harry redknapp berkata modric tidak dapat bermain kerana mengalami sedikit kecederaan.

8. bekas penyerang inter milan, samuel eto'o bakal menjadi pemain yang menerima bayaran gaji termahal di dunia apabila melengkapkan perpindahannya ke kelab rusia, anzhi makhachkala. eto'o dikatakan dibayar 54 juta pound untuk kontrak selama tiga tahun. hasil penjualan eto'o akan digunakan oleh inter milan untuk mendapatkan sama ada diego forlan atau carlos tevez.

9. WBA sedang menghampiri untuk mendapatkan bekas pemain tengah MU, owen hargreaves selepas berpuas hati dengan tahap kecergasannya. hargreaves dikatakan telahpun menerima tawaran WBA dan sedang menimbangkan tawaran tersebut.

Ten key stats for the Premier League weekend

Sunderland

v

Newcastle United

146 - This is the 146th match between the two clubs, with Newcastle leading 52 wins to Sunderland’s 46. But the Black Cats have only beaten their rivals twice in 21 matches at home since 1967, with Kieran Richardson’s vicious free-kick three seasons ago bringing their only victory against the Magpies at the Stadium of Light.

Arsenal

v

Liverpool

2000 - Liverpool have never won at the Emirates Stadium, and have not won at Arsenal since 2000 when a Titi Camara goal gave them a 1-0 victory at Highbury.

Aston Villa

v

Blackburn Rovers

1.2 - Sam Allardyce averaged 1.2 points per match in charge of Blackburn last year before being sacked, whilst Steve Kean averaged 1.04. Over the course of a whole season, under Allardyce Rovers would have finished comfortably in mid-table, but under Kean for the full season, Blackburn would have had the same points as Birmingham and Blackpool, who were relegated.

Everton

v

QPR

8 - Everton boss David Moyes currently resides third in the all-time list of awardees for the Premier League’s Manager of the Month prize, receiving it a respectable eight times and sitting in between Martin O’Neill on seven and Arsene Wenger with 11. Unsurprisingly, Sir Alex Ferguson tops the list with an impressive 25 awards.

Swansea City

v

Wigan Athletic

13 - The Latics scored the second fewest goals in the Premier League last season (40) and have lost 13 goals from their team due to the departure of Charles N’Zogbia (nine) to Aston Villa and Tom Cleverley (four) returning to Manchester United after his successful loan spell at the DW Stadium.

Chelsea

v

West Brom

10 - Chelsea have won all 10 Premier League matches they have played against West Bromwich Albion and their attakers have had a fruitful time against the Baggies, with Didier Drogba having scored eight goals in seven games while Nicolas Anelka has four to his name in six outings against the opposition.

Norwich City

v

Stoke City

11 - This will be the first Premier League meeting between the two sides. The hosts have the upper hand in their own backyard in games between the two, having beaten the Potters 11 times in league games, whereas the opposition have triumphed on only three occasions. Their last encounter was in the Championship in March 2008, when Stoke won 1-0 at Carrow Road.

Wolves

v

Fulham

35 - Fulham had the dubious distinction of having gone 35 away games in the Premier League without a victory. But they have managed to change that by winning their last two fixtures on the road, against Birmingham and Sunderland at the end of last season, without conceding a goal.

Bolton Wanderers

v

Manchester City

0 - Bolton Wanderers have been goal shy against Manchester City in recent years, as they have been unable to score in five of their last seven league outings against the Eastlands club. City won 2-0 on their trip to the Reebok last season, and 1-0 in the reverse encounter at Eastlands.

Manchester United

v

Tottenham Hotspur

50 - Manchester United have scored 143 goals in the league when Tottenham Hotspur have come visiting, whereas the opposition have managed just 66 in reply. But for all their effort, Spurs have beaten the Red Devils only 10 times in the league whilst travelling, whereas the hosts have 50 wins to their name.




source: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/08/19/2626777/can-liverpool-win-their-first-premier-league-game-at-the