Sports News from all over the world

New talent born in Premier League..Barkley

2013-12-22T13:34:00.000-08:00

even Premier League season fast approaching the halfway stage, we thought we'd cast our eye over the young tyros tearing up the league and pick out the most very impressive...

One of the best sides so far this season have been Everton, perhaps surprisingly. Roberto Martinez has developed a vibrant side and brought in some attacking talents such as Lukaku and Gerard . Martinez has the likes of Mirallas and Seamus Coleman playing very good but it is Ross Barkley who is waiting out.

The talent has been appear this season, even drawing comparisons to Gascoigne. He's the creative, attacking fulcrum at Everton and is thriving under Martinez's coaching. Barkley has a free role and is dominating matches around the country. Arguably his best performance was away at Arsenal when Everton controlled the pace of the game at the Emirates - and Barkley was a key

Britney Spears..6 DaysTill Showtime

2013-12-21T18:45:00.001-08:00

finally the queen will back she is Britney Spears

Days Till Showtime

with non sure news Britney will keep new album on famous stores or new event on next 5 dayes this news as per new pictures as below

bmw 2014

2013-12-20T18:49:00.000-08:00

latest cars BMW 5 model in 2014

Sony Tablet S 3G

2012-10-13T12:09:00.001-07:00

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Michael Owen has claimed that there was "a long list" of England players who were paralysed by fear when turning out for their country.

2012-10-10T12:46:00.001-07:00

Owen, who earned 89 caps between 1998 and 2008, revealed he knew of international team-mates who were scared stiff of criticism of their performances and of being jeered by their own fans.
The 32-year-old felt that was a major reason why England had underperformed in recent years.
Speaking at the Leaders in Football conference at Stamford Bridge, the Stoke striker said: "I've heard many people in the past leading up to England games or after England games talking about what the papers are going to say the next day about them, or how they're going to get booed.
"It's a very intense feeling playing for your country and I don't think people can express themselves, or I don't think people do express themselves, as well as they can or they do at club level.
"At that level, you feel loved, the fans are on your side, you're used to playing with the players week in, week out.
"All of a sudden, you go away with England and it's a little bit, 'As long as I do all right', 'I don't want to be criticised so much'.
"There's certainly a bit of fear.
"There would be players out there who play equally as well for England - or any national team - as they do for their clubs.
"But there are a long list of players that you think, 'why can't you play as well for England as you do for the clubs?'
"There's got to be a reason and I would say that fear certainly plays a part in that."
He added: "To the man in the street, it all looks very rosy. Everything looks pretty rosy about being a professional footballer in many ways.
"It ain't easy playing for England. The pressure of playing for England, the time spent away from your families, or whomever it might be, the tournaments.
"The fans would see you on an evening playing and then forget about you for the rest of the week.
"They're the times when your sat in your hotel room staring at four white walls for 10 hours a day for about three or four days.
"It's a long, long stint and it's quite mentally draining."
Owen denied England meant less to players now than in the past and, despite his reservations, was still keen to add to his caps.
He joked: "Some people think I've retired from football full stop.
"I'd never do that, really. But I certainly don't go to bed thinking 'I'm going to be playing for England again'.
"It certainly would be a bonus. It would mean that I would need to get back on the pitch and rediscover my deadly goalscoring touch and everything else."

England host San Marino in a 2014 World Cup qualifier on Friday night and TEAMtalk's Rob McCarthy picks his team for the game at Wembley.

2012-10-10T12:44:00.002-07:00

With Roy Hodgson's men ranked 202 places above opponents who boast accountants, bank clerks and students in their squad, a win should be a foregone conclusion. But with skipper Steven Gerrard and full-back Glen Johnson banned and John Terry now retired there are a few spots up for grabs.
Here is my team for the game (4-4-1-1):
Joe Hart: An obvious pick who shouldn't have a great deal to do. His distribution is likely to be more important than his ability to keep a clean sheet.
Kyle Walker: With Johnson banned the attacking qualities of Tottenham man Walker are perfect for this game. If he gets within 30 yards of goal expect him to have a crack.
Gary Cahill: Although he is not a regular starter for Chelsea, I'm a big fan of Cahill's pace and how he reads the game. He should be a regular starter now that Terry has quit international football.
Michael Carrick: A slightly left-field pick but the central defenders are likely to have more time on the ball than anyone and it makes sense to play someone with Carrick's passing ability at the back. He has played there for Manchester United and is unlikely to have a great deal of defending to do.
Leighton Baines: I'd go for Baines over Cole for two reasons, the first being that I personally believe that Cole should be dropped for a game after his Twitter outburst. It sits uncomfortably with me that the Chelsea man could win his 100th cap against Poland next Tuesday having said what he said about the FA.
I still believe Cole is England's best left-back but he needs to be taught a bit of respect. I also think that Baines' set piece in and around the box could come in very handy against a shaky defence.
Aaron Lennon: With Walker starting it makes sense that his Tottenham team-mate Lennon is used in tandem down the right. Lennon is in good form this season and his ability to beat a man will be crucial against a packed defence.
Frank Lampard: Assuming he is fit, the Chelsea veteran should skipper the side and will fancy his chances of improving his goal tally against the minnows. However, if Lampard is sidelined I'd go for the workrate of James Milner in his favoured position ahead of the inexperienced Jonjo Shelvey.
Tom Cleverley: Has looked good when he has played for Manchester United this season and has impressed in fits and starts for England. Should enjoy getting on the ball and making England tick.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: The Ox is now an automatic England pick for me. He is still a little raw but has more of a football brain than Theo Walcott and should be able to unlock San Marino's backline.
Wayne Rooney: Since coming back from that nasty cut on his leg, the Manchester United hitman has looked a bit more like his old self, albeit in more of a midfield role. I'd like to see him given a free role off the striker and take the game by the scruff of the neck against inferior opponents.
Andy Carroll: Jermain Defoe has been in terrific form for Tottenham this season, and has done well for England in recent games, but I want the San Marino defence to know they've been in a game right from the first whistle and Carroll fits the bill perfectly after his recent return from injury. Defoe could also profit from a tiring visiting defence late in the game.

Former Football Association chairman Lord Triesman has hit out at the decision to ban John Terry for only four matches for racist abuse

2012-10-10T12:42:00.002-07:00

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Chelsea captain Terry was handed the suspension and a £220,000 fine after being found guilty of using a racist slur towards Anton Ferdinand by an independent FA regulatory commission.
The ban was half of that given to Liverpool striker Luis Suarez for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.
The FA commission said Terry had been given a lesser ban because the "racist insult was issued only once", as opposed to repeated use by Suarez.
But Lord Triesman told the BBC: "It may be when you look at all the detail they thought there were reasons for [it]. I can't see it."
Terry is due to decide during the international break whether to appeal his guilty verdict.
Lord Triesman added: "He's within his rights to appeal. My own view is that it would be more sensible to apologise and accept it's not a good standard," he said.
"I just don't believe in this day and age that anybody can think that it's okay, and that you don't owe an apology, not least to the other player."

Cole Tweet proves respect is lacking

2012-10-10T12:39:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday at Stamford Bridge some Chelsea fans were heard singing: "Ashley Cole - he Tweets when he wants!" Cole turned to applaud the fans making the chant as his side eased past Norwich City 4-1.
Showing respect? Maybe towards those who chanted his name, but it came just hours after his first apology to the Football Association for referring to them on the social network site Twitter, as a "bunch of t****."
Cole published the Tweet in response to the Independent Regulatory Committee findings in the John Terry racial abuse case, where in it they accused Cole of "evolving" his statement in support of Terry's defence.
On Tuesday, the Football Association's new centre of excellence, St George's Park, was officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. But as the Three Lions crest was pulled from over a plaque to rubberstamp the grand opening, the underlying story was of Cole's latest wrong doing.
Earlier in the day Cole had met with FA chairman David Bernstein to offer a second apology for the offensive Tweet.
The apology was accepted but it is the latest in a long line of controversial mishaps from Cole and once again highlights the growing problem within the national game. Respect! Or, a lack of it.
This is not a witch-hunt against Cole, because let's be honest, it could have been any footballer actively involved with Twitter. Cole is a world class left-back. His performances last season, particularly in the Champions League, were outstanding. He had been outstanding for many years. Ask Cristiano Ronaldo.
But it's off the field where Cole lets himself down. Remember the incident where he fired an air rifle at a work experience student in 2011?
So, when Cole decided to join the social media site Twitter in July 2012, it appeared he was an accident waiting to happen.
The aim of St George's Park is to improve the quality of coaching and player development. But unless the respect levels are raised a couple of notches too, then domestically the Premier League's reputation could take a battering and internationally the country may also face many more disappointing tournaments.
You only have to look at the last World Cup in South Africa to find evidence of this. The fact that players sat in the same changing room didn't see eye to eye wasn't really a problem. It was their inability to pull together in an attempt to win for their country. Unforgivable you could argue, but it all stems from the same level of respect Cole showed when writing his Tweet.
So in this latest case, how do we combat this problem and send out the right message? Prevent Cole from winning his 100th cap? Surely not? In a word, yes, we do!
You can't fine players today because it simply doesn't work, but, a domestic and international ban might go some way to solving the problem.
Cole took to Twitter the following day: "Game time! Can't wait to get back to what I love doing, playing football." Therefore, let's hit him where it hurts: ban him for club and country. If he takes the Terry route and decides to retire from international football then it opens up the chance for someone else to come through.
Cole will get his 100th cap and performances on the pitch say he deserves it. But, after his latest stunt, can't we make him work for it?
Only at the weekend we were talking about players diving. This is not only a problem with the many foreign players who play in the Premier League. Current England internationals Danny Welbeck and Ashley Young have been accused of it in recent months. Again, the diving displays a lack of respect to fellow players.
We have been told to expect to see the benefits of St George's Park in two World Cups time. England can be provided with the best facilities in the world. They can train coaches and players to a standard that enables them to compete and win major tournaments. We can talk about formations, possession, developing our youth. But respect? It's an area in which we fall short.
Let's put the Respect Campaigns on hold for a while and see some evidence of it on the pitch and training field. I don't think anyone is being fooled by players wearing T-shirts during their pre-match stretch. It's time for actions to replace the words and until the powers that be, the Premier League, FA, whoever, take a stand, then I fear we will be having this discussion for many years to come and ultimately our game will suffer - as it currently is.

LIVERPOOL player names

2012-10-08T06:14:00.001-07:00

LIVERPOOL FC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SQUAD

:

Cavalieri
Reina
Hansen *
Duyan *

Dossena
Hyypiä
Agger
Aurélio
Arbeloa
Carragher
Darby
Kelly
Irwin
Skrtel

Gerrard
Alonso
Benayoun
Mascherano
Lucas
Spearing
Flynn *
Eccleston *

keane
Torres
Riera
Kuyt
Babel
N’Gog

real madrid player names and squad

2012-10-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

REAL MADRID SQUAD: GOALKEEPERS

    * Iker Casillas
    * Jesus Fernandez
    * Antonio Adan

REAL MADRID SQUAD: DEFENDERS

    * Sergio Ramos
    * Fabio Coentrao
    * Raphael Varane
    * Raul Albiol
    * Alvaro Arbeloa
    * Marcelo
    * Ricardo Carvalho
    * Pepe

REAL MADRID SQUAD: MIDFIELDERS

    * Mesut Ozil
    * Lassana Diarra
    * Sami Khedira
    * Xabi Alonso
    * Angel Di Maria
    * Luka Modric
    * Esteban Granero
    * Kaka

REAL MADRID SQUAD: FORWARDS

    * Karim Benzema
    * Gonzalo Higuain
    * Jose Callejon
    * Alvaro Morata
    * Cristiano Ronaldo

, players Barcelona, the Catalan

2012-10-07T18:25:00.002-07:00

Jose M. Pinto
Victor Valdes
Adriano Correia
Carles Puyol
ا Eric Abidal
Gerard Pique
Maxwell Andrade
ا Andres Iniesta
Andreu Fontas
Daniel Alves
Francesc Fabregas
Ibrahim Afellay
Javier Mascherano
Sergio Busquets
Seydou Keita
Thiago Alcantara
Xavi Hernandez
Alexis Alejandro Sanchez
David Sanchez Villa
Lionel Messi
Pedrito Rodriguezose M. Pint
o

Jose M. Pinto
Victor Valdes
Adriano Correia
Carles Puyol
ا Eric Abidal
Gerard Pique
Maxwell Andrade
ا Andres Iniesta
Andreu Fontas
Daniel Alves
Francesc Fabregas
Ibrahim Afellay
Javier Mascherano
Sergio Busquets
Seydou Keita
Thiago Alcantara
Xavi Hernandez
Alexis Alejandro Sanchez
David Sanchez Villa
Lionel Messi
Pedrito RodriguezBarcelona squad 2012, players Barcelona 2012, the Catalan squad 2012, Barcelona players, the Catalans players, the names of the players Barcelona 2012

Rooney: I don't mind not scoring if Manchester United win

2012-10-07T18:14:00.002-07:00

Wayne Rooney has insisted that he is unconcerned by his barren run in front of goal, as long as Manchester United keep on winning.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men defeated Newcastle 3-0 on Sunday, with two goals from corners in the first half followed by a long-range effort from Tom Cleverley after the break.

Spurs made it four Premier League wins in a row as they beat Aston Villa 2-0 at White Hart Lane, where Steven Caulker and Aaron Lennon netted.

2012-10-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

urs made it four Premier League wins in a row as they beat Aston Villa 2-0 at White Hart Lane, where Steven Caulker and Aaron Lennon netted.

Hugo Lloris made his home league debut and Tottenham occasionally looked vulnerable at the back, but were in control for the vast majority of the game and played some of their best football of the season.
Birthday boy Jermain Defoe, Jan Vertonghen and the mightily-impressive Gareth Bale all came close to putting Spurs ahead in the first half, but the Londoners only broke the deadlock after the break through Caulker's lucky first goal for the club.
Defoe smashed a low shot wide from a Bale corner, but the defender was standing in the right place at the right time, the ball clipping his heel and flying past Brad Guzan after 58 minutes.
Soon after Spurs put the game to bed when Lennon picked the ball up off Dempsey, strode past his marker and shot beyond Guzan.
Manager Andre Villas-Boas made the surprise decision to end Brad Friedel's run of 310 consecutive Premier League starts by giving Lloris his English top-flight debut.
The Frenchman, signed for £8million on deadline day, looked solid for the majority of the first half and barely had a thing to do after the break.
He did not hesitate to come off his line - a criticism often aimed at Friedel - and he will be glad to have been in goal for Spurs' first clean sheet of the season.
His only hiccup came just after the break when he threw a wayward ball to Vertonghen, but Villa failed to take advantage and Spurs ended the game full of joy knowing they had moved back up to fifth in the table with the win.
Lloris received a hero's welcome when he emerged from the tunnel, but he barely had anything to do for much of the opening quarter as Spurs started well.
With less than 30 seconds gone Defoe laid the ball off to Bale, who flashed a curling shot just wide.
Vertonghen then burst down the left flank and cut the ball back but Defoe blazed the ball over from 12 yards.
Bale whipped in a devilish cross after five minutes, but Vertonghen mistimed his run by a second and just missed a tap-in from close range.
Moments later Bale beat the offside trap and went to ground after rounding Guzan. The Welshman appealed for a foul which would have seen the American red-carded, but referee Neil Swarbrick waved play on.
Lloris' first piece of action came after 20 minutes when he saved awkwardly from Christian Benteke, but the Frenchman showed confidence by racing out to clear before Brett Holman could shoot.
Spurs were on top, but still could not find a way through.
Defoe gained a yard on his marker after picking up a Lennon pass, but he could only shoot a yard wide.
Lloris then did well to race out and deny Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor in quick succession as Villa threatened to score on the counter.
Tottenham failed in their bid to break the deadlock before the break - and they almost went behind just after the restart thanks to Lloris' only error.
Villa intercepted the Frenchman's throw to Vertonghen and Agbonlahor found the unmarked Benteke at the back post but he headed wide.
The crowd, fully aware of the cost of Spurs' profligacy against Panathinaikos on Thursday, became tense, but their nerves eased when Defoe's deflected shot went in just before the hour.
The England striker got on the end of Bale's cross and took a touch before firing a low shot that was going wide until it clipped Caulker's heel and flew past Guzan.
Nine minutes later it was 2-0 thanks to Lennon's first of the season. Joe Bennett failed to close down Dempsey, who squared for Lennon and he swept a precise shot past Guzan in to the far corner.
Villas-Boas brought on Emmanuel Adebayor for his first appearance in over a month.
Dempsey should have put the game beyond doubt 15 minutes from the end, but he somehow missed a free header from eight yards.
Worryingly for Villa, Bennett was carried off on a stretcher with 12 minutes left after clattering in to the advertising boards.
Bale lashed a powerful drive inches wide of a sprawling Guzan and the American did well to push Dembele's shot on to the bar near the end

Stoke produced a solid defensive display to hold off Liverpool and take a hard-earned point away from Anfield after a 0-0 draw on Sunday.

2012-10-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

jThe stalemate made it five draws in seven Premier League matches by Tony Pulis' men, while a point will be scant consolation for Reds manager Brendan Rodgers.
It could have been worse for the hosts, who twice almost pushed the self-destruct button, but ultimately this will be viewed as another disappointment in a stop-start season.
Rodgers made eight changes from the side beaten by Udinese on Thursday, after which he called his players "lazy", and one of his targets, Stewart Downing, was not even on the bench.
Liverpool had been on the receiving end of a kicking from their manager in midweek, and got another one at Anfield at the hands of Stoke, who took their renowned physical approach across the line of legality on plenty of occasions.
But if Liverpool were keen to escape the sharp edge of their manager's tongue, they hardly helped themselves.
Twice, goalkeeper Jose Reina attempted to pass the ball out to a midfielder; twice, Stoke scented a weakness and pounced, and twice it was only the reactions of the Spaniard which saved Liverpool.
Stoke had clearly anticipated Reina would refuse to launch the ball long, and the first time it was Nuri Sahin who conceded possession, giving Charlie Adam a chance to humiliate his former employees. The Scot advanced toward goal, but Reina was quickly out of the blocks to narrow the angle and parry the shot.
Liverpool committed the same mistake again soon afterward. This time it was Steven Nzonzi snapping into the challenge as another Reina pass went awry and Michael Kightly tried to flight the ball into the goal, but the keeper recovered to turn it over at full stretch.
Having passed up those chances, Stoke reverted to type, striking long balls and stopping their opponents by foul means as often as fair, and the game disintegrated as a spectacle.
Liverpool's frustration increased, while the away fans chanted 'You're not famous any more', and all that there was to give the Reds fans some hope before the break was a sweeping shot by Steven Gerrard turned aside by Asmir Begovic, and a toe-poke from Daniel Agger that bounced wide.
Proper football threatened to break out in patches in the second half, as Stoke toned down their challenges, and it was Liverpool who had just about all the chances, although none were clear-cut.
First, a terrific combination between Gerrard and Luis Suarez was just thwarted. Gerrard then picked out Glen Johnson's run with a pass of arrow-like precision, but his England team-mate, on the run, could not keep the shot down.
A run of genuine brilliance by Suarez, the most gifted person on the pitch by some distance, nearly brought a superb goal, but he just bent the shot wide of the angle.
Raheem Sterling was presented with perhaps Liverpool's best opportunity after Agger's driving run, but he tried to drill it inside the near post and only found the side-netting.
Suarez then showed the best and worst of his talents in the space of a couple of minutes, first with a dive in the penalty area that was embarrassingly obvious, then bursting down the right and powering a shot against the outside of a post from a tight angle.
Martin Skrtel nearly snatched a winner at the end when he hooked Joe Cole's ball back across goal, but it dropped, agonisingly for Liverpool, the wrong side of the post.
A dreary goalless draw at home will hardly provide much succour for Rodgers - and Michael Owen, missing an Anfield return due to injury, can only be thankful he was not playing.

An injury-time header from two-goal Jose Fonte earned Southampton a 2-2 draw with Fulham in a pulsating encounter at St Mary's on Sunday.

2012-10-07T18:00:00.002-07:00

The Portuguese centre-back nodded home a 90th-minute leveller in a Premier League game in which he had broken the deadlock after just four minutes.
His defensive partner Jos Hooiveld scored an own goal in Southampton's 6-1 humbling at Arsenal and did so again on the south coast when he directed home a speculative John Arne Riise drive in the second half.
Hooiveld, who came on eight minutes into the clash after Frazer Richardson suffered a thigh injury, then saw Kieran Richardson's close-range strike brush off him on its way in two minutes from time, although the goal was credited to the Fulham man.
However, Fonte saved the Dutchman and his side late on to earn Southampton a fourth point of the campaign.

The hosts began brightly and the returning Morgan Schneiderlin fired a wayward warning shot, before Rickie Lambert headed into the side-netting after connecting with a Danny Fox corner from the right.
Southampton had their second corner by the fourth minute and made their early dominance count.
Adam Lallana floated the set-piece in from the left and Fonte's glanced header at the near post looped over goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and into the far corner.
Richardson was forced off in the eighth minute for the hosts and his departure forced a defensive reshuffle, with replacement Hooiveld forcing Maya Yoshida out wide.
Fulham began to make headway, with Lambert blocking Aaron Hughes from a corner before the Northern Irishman headed over.
Saints, though, were still looking dangerous and came agonisingly close to doubling their advantage as Jay Rodriguez beat the offside trap and pulled back for Lambert, whose right-footed effort just went wide.
The home side continued to press and Jason Puncheon twice came close from 22nd-minute corners.
Puncheon was denied on the goal-line by Sascha Riether and then, from the following corner, the wide man was adjudged to have fouled Schwarzer prior to prodding home.
Lambert forced Schwarzer into action at his near post after collecting a fine pass from Puncheon, but Fulham stepped up the pressure as half-time approached and home goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga was required for the first time in stoppage time when Hughes headed goalwards.
The Cottagers again came close as Hooiveld failed to deal with a hopeful long ball and Hugo Rodallega poked wide under pressure from Gazzaniga.
That momentum continued into the second half but it was still Southampton enjoying the best opportunities, with Lambert volleying over a driven Schneiderlin cross from the right.
Schwarzer spilt a hopeful 25-yard effort from Rodriguez after a great surge forward but Fulham were looking a more dangerous opponent and twice came close in the 60th minute.
Gazzaniga did terrifically to push a close-range Rodallega header away moments after Steve Sidwell bundled the ball onto the post.
Fulham could have also been awarded a penalty after Yoshida appeared to handle in the midst of the action.
Both sides made changes in a bid to change the match but it was an earlier substitute whose impact was felt on the south coast.
Riise drilled a low shot from the left and centre-back Hooiveld could only direct it into his own goal, putting Fulham level in the 69th minute.
The goal had been coming and the Cottagers threatened to go ahead, with substitute Kieran Richardson putting a Riether cross over.
Rodriguez nodded wide for the hosts in stoppage time and Saints paid when Richardson fired home off Hooiveld's leg two minutes from time.
The substitute looked to have earned Fulham three points but he gave away a late free-kick from which Fonte headed home to earn Saints a point.

Barcelona drew 2-2 at home to Real Madrid in Sunday's El Clasico encounter, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo sharing all the goals.

2012-10-07T17:54:00.001-07:00

Tito Vilanova's Barca headed into the Primera Division game at the Nou Camp eight points clear of their arch rivals and boasting a 100 per cent record from their first six matches, but found themselves trailing midway through the first half when Ronaldo netted for the sixth straight Clasico.
But Messi equalised with a scrappy goal soon after and then put the hosts ahead with a stunning free-kick on the hour, only for Ronaldo to capitalise on sloppy defending midway through the second half to ensure honours ended even.
Barca midfielder Andres Iniesta was handed his first start since the Supercopa aggregate defeat against Real in August, while Adriano partnered Javier Mascherano at centre-back with Gerard Pique (foot) and Carles Puyol (dislocated elbow) sidelined.
Madrid coach Jose Mourinho made three changes from the team that won 4-1 at Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria replacing Michael Essien, Kaka and Jose Callejon.
The visitors began brightly and created the better of the early chances.
Ronaldo - scorer of a midweek hat-trick in Amsterdam, and the winner in this corresponding fixture last term to virtually assure Madrid the title - crossed from the right for Karim Benzema, who miscued his volley horribly wide from 12 yards when left unmarked in the 13th minute.
Six minutes later, Ozil sent over a corner and Sergio Ramos leapt above the Barca defence only to direct his header inches wide of Victor Valdes' goal.
The warning signs had been there but Barca failed to heed them and the opener duly arrived midway through the first half. Benzema turned neatly on the edge of the box and fed Ronaldo, who lashed home a low left-footed finish which beat Valdes at his near post.
It could have been 2-0 moments later when Khedira burst down the right before feeding Benzema. The Frenchman spooned his effort against the post, though, and Di Maria sent the rebound wide with the goal at his mercy.
The home team suffered a further blow when Dani Alves' involvement ended in the game after 28 minutes, the Brazilian replaced by Martin Montoya.
However, two minutes later they were level. Madrid failed to clear their lines from Pedro Rodriguez's cross and, after bobbling around in the area the ball fell kindly to Messi in the six-yard box and he lashed past a helpless Iker Casillas and into the roof of the net.
Both sides had decent penalty shouts turned down at the start of the second half, Ozil going down after contact with Mascherano before Iniesta appeared to be clipped by Pepe.
Vilanova's team took the lead in spectacular style on the hour mark, Messi picking himself up after being fouled by Xabi Alonso and despatching a brilliant left-footed free-kick up over the wall and curling away from the diving Casillas.
Whatever Messi could do, though, Ronaldo could do too, and swiftly matched the Argentina forward's eight goals in La Liga this term six minutes later.
Ozil slotted a slick pass through to the Portuguese, who had been played onside by Adriano and coolly slotted past Valdes to get Madrid back on level terms.
The final quarter was end-to-end stuff, although Mourinho's men were seemingly the more content with the point.
Messi floated a shot high and wide from Jordi Alba's cut-back, with Iniesta's cross scrambled clear by Marcelo soon after.
Gonzalo Higuain, a 62nd-minute replacement for Benzema, saw his cross deflected to safety by Mascherano before the final few minutes were played out almost entirely in Madrid's defensive third.
Montoya was almost an unlikely match-winner on 88 minutes but his right-footed attempt from the edge of the box crashed back off the bar, before Pedro burst through in stoppage time and unleashed a left-footed shot which flew just wide.

Arsenal hit back to sink Irons

2012-10-06T13:41:00.004-07:00

Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla scored late goals as Arsenal came from behind to beat West Ham 3-1 in the Premier League at Upton Park.

The Gunners had seen their unbeaten start to the new season ended by a 2-1 home defeat against leaders Chelsea last weekend.
However, Arsene Wenger's men, who beat Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday night, showed great character to recover from conceding an early goal to Mohamed Diame.
France striker Olivier Giroud, a £12million summer signing from Montpellier, scored his first Premier League goal from close range just ahead of half-time, with substitute Walcott slotting home another on the break before the industrious Cazorla struck a superb 25-yard effort.
Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs, though, limped off in the second half, which could be a concern for England, although West Ham striker Andy Carroll did complete the full 90 minutes on his recovery from a hamstring problem.
Before kick-off, there was a well-observed minute's applause for former West Ham defender John Bond, who passed away recently.
Arsenal started brightly as the recalled Giroud sent in a low shot from 20 yards which forced Jussi Jaaskelainen into action, before Cazorla had a goalbound shot blocked.
West Ham looked to utilise Carroll's presence whenever possible, but needed all the help they could get in their own penalty area as Arsenal continued to press.
First, Carl Jenkinson's cross was hacked behind and then Carroll knocked Cazorla's fierce drive over his own crossbar.
West Ham, though, snatched the lead against the run of play in the 21st minute.
The ball was worked down the left channel and Diame cut inside Aaron Ramsey to fire an angled drive into the top corner.
The Senegal midfielder was shown a yellow card for celebrating his first Irons' goal by running into the crowd - and was fortunate not to have then seen red after clattering into Mikel Arteta, instead just getting a final warning from referee Phil Dowd.
West Ham were now on the front foot, with Carroll's close-range header straight at Vito Mannone.
Arsenal had a chance to equalise when Giroud just failed to connect with Per Mertesacker's flicked header through the six-yard box.
The French striker, though, did bag his Premier League goal four minutes before half-time.
After winning the ball in midfield, Giroud stabbed it out to Lukas Podolski on the left. The German darted to the byline before cutting the ball back across goal - where Giroud arrived at pace to slot home.
West Ham, though, could easily have gone back in front just before the break when Kevin Nolan knocked the ball wide from close range after a free-kick into the Arsenal penalty area.
The Irons were fired up following the restart, forcing a succession of corners.
Arsenal left-back Gibbs hobbled off in the 55th minute, replaced by Brazilian Andre Santos - an injury concern for England ahead of their World Cup qualifiers.
Ryan Jarvis' shot-on-the-turn flew over as the hosts pressed again.
As the hour mark passed, Ricardo Vaz Te had to be substituted, by Matthew Taylor, after falling awkwardly on his arm after racing to a 50/50 with the Arsenal keeper.
Wenger looked to inject some fresh life into the visitors' attack when he sent on Walcott for Gervinho.
Walcott almost helped set up a goal when Cazorla's shot hit Ramsey and bobble in West Ham penalty area, his clever backheel was cut into the sidenetting by Giroud from a very tight angle.
The Irons went close moments later as Carroll knocked a deep cross wide after getting above Mannone.
The game was wide open now as both sides created chances, Cazorla firing off target after a jinking run before Mertesacker's last-gap tackle denied Nolan.
At the other end, Podolski's low drive was spilled behind by Jaaskelainen.
Arsenal broke away to take the lead with 13 minutes remaining.
Giroud fed Walcott, who timed his run to beat the offside trap, dart into the penalty area and beat the keeper with a low shot into the near post.
West Ham quickly spurned a chance to draw level when Nolan blasted over from 10 yards.
With 11 minutes left, Diame was replaced by Carlton Cole.
However, it was game over when, in the 83rd minute, the excellent Cazorla finally got his goal - lashing a sublime left-foot effort into the top-right corner from 25 yards.

Wenger and Walcott hail Cazorla

2012-10-06T13:39:00.003-07:00

Arsene Wenger and Theo Walcott were united in their praise of Santi Cazorla after Arsenal's 3-1 win at West Ham on Saturday evening.

Cazorla scored a stunning left-footed strike after strikes from Olivier Giroud and substitute Walcott had overhauled Mohamed Diame's opener.
And Walcott told ESPN: "He's come in to the Premier League and taken it by storm - he's our conductor.
"His goal was fantastic - I don't even know what-footed he is, to be honest!"
Wenger said: "It was an outstanding performance. If you love football, just watch him play - it's a delight to watch him."
Giroud was relieved to score his first goal since joining the Gunners from French champions Montpellier in the summer.
"I'm so happy to score my first goal and assist my friends in the team," the France striker told ESPN.
"Everyone was talking about this goal, saying 'don't worry, we trust you, keep going, concentrate'. I stayed confident."
Wenger said: "He scored at the right moment, Theo came on and scored and Santi scored a great goal.
"Theo has that in him. One or two years ago when he got in front of the keeper, he did not always finish the chance."
Reflecting on the result, which had looked in doubt after his side trailed to Diame's superb finish, Wenger said: "I am very happy.
"It was a game at a high tempo, with their first shot at goal they scored and they were dangerous in the box but in the second half we got our game going in a convincing way."
Walcott added: "It's always a tough battle here, West Ham are strong under Sam.
"It was a bit nervy in the first 15 minutes but in the second half we were much stronger.
"We know where we want to be this season, we want to be right up there at the end of the season. We showed, coming back today, that we can definitely have a good push."

Chelsea pull clear, Toffees held

2012-10-06T13:26:00.003-07:00

Chelsea moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League after beating Norwich 4-1, while Everton fought back to draw 2-2 at Wigan.

The Canaries took a surprise lead in the 11th minute when Wes Hoolahan's cross was nodded into the area by Leon Barnett and Grant Holt showed great technique to lash home first time.
The advantage lasted just four minutes, however, with Fernando Torres muscling his way beyond his marker to head Branislav Ivanovic's hanging cross into the far corner.
And with 22 minutes gone, Frank Lampard put Chelsea in front when he met a loose ball at the edge of the area and drilled past John Ruddy.
Eden Hazard made it 3-1 when he stroked home Juan Mata's perfect pass and Ivanovic closed the scoring when he struck a fierce volley with 15 minutes to play.
Defending champions Manchester City recovered some of their swagger as Aleksandar Kolarov, Sergio Aguero and James Milner fired them to a convincing 3-0 win over Sunderland in the day's early kick-off.
The scoreline barely reflected the hosts' dominance as they comfortably recorded their first clean sheet of the season in a one-sided contest at the Etihad Stadium.
There may have been some nerves with only Kolarov's fifth-minute free-kick to show for their first-half efforts, but the Black Cats were then overrun as they slipped to their first loss of the season.
Aguero came off the bench to add the second on the hour and Milner fired a free-kick through Simon Mignolet after 89 minutes.
QPR's winless run extended to seven matches at The Hawthorns, with a 3-2 win for hosts West Brom piling the pressure on R's boss Mark Hughes.
James Morrison headed the Baggies in front after six minutes and then set up Zoltan Gera for the second after 22 minutes.
The recalled Adel Taarabt put the R's back in contention when he collected Esteban Granero's pass on his chest before spinning and volleying home, but Youssuf Mulumbu made it 3-1 with five minutes left.
Granero grabbed an injury-time goal but there was no time to rescue a point.
Leighton Baines secured a 2-2 draw for Everton at former club Wigan, scoring an 87th-minute penalty.
Arouna Kone (10) and Nikica Jelavic (11) traded headed goals in a matter of seconds before Franco Di Santo converted Gary Caldwell's cross in the 22nd minute to put Latics in front.
It looked like that would be enough until Kevin Mirallas earned the spot-kick and Baines stepped up.
Reading gave up a two-goal lead as they drew 2-2 with Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.
Michel Vorm made a rare howler as he allowed Pavel Pogrebnyak's 31st-minute attempt to squirm through him and Noel Hunt's volley doubled the lead moments before half-time.
Michu responded with a diving header in the 71st minute, the Spaniard's sixth goal of the season, and Wayne Routledge levelled seven minutes later as he added the final touch to a wonderful passing move.

Sordell claims racist abuse

2012-10-06T13:13:00.001-07:00

Marvin Sordell claims he and several of his team-mates were racially abused by Millwall fans during Bolton's 2-1 defeat at The Den on Saturday.

The 21-year-old said on Twitter that he had reported the incident and revealed that midfielders Lee Chung-yong and Darren Pratley, plus fellow forward Benik Afobe, had also been subjected to racist taunts by some home supporters.
Sordell said on Twitter: "Putting the match aside, its 2012 in england and people are still shouting racial abuse at a football game!? £Shocking."
He added: "Chungy, Pratts, Benik and i had all sorts of things said to us. The police were standing yards away and did nothing..."
Sordell also received abusive responses to his allegations on Twitter.
He added: "Funniest thing is if had come on and scored and gave them some back, i would be the one who got fined."
Millwall later released a statement, saying: "Millwall and Bolton Wanderers are investigating allegations made by Bolton player Marvin Sordell that he was subjected to racial abuse by an individual whilst warming up as a substitute during Saturday's Championship clash at The Den.
"The two clubs remain determined to do everything in their power to ensure that racist behaviour will not be tolerated.
"We will be speaking to the police and the match officials on this matter but no further comment will be made until this process has been completed and the investigations have been concluded."
The Football Association confirmed they would be investigating Sordell's claims.
Shortly after the FA's confirmation that they would investigate the incident, Bolton released a statement of their own.
It read: "Marvin Sordell has made Bolton Wanderers aware that he was subject to alleged racial abuse during the game against Millwall.
"We are now working with Millwall to investigate and the club have informed us that they will speak to the police and match officials.
"Both clubs remain determined that racist behaviour or language will not be tolerated."

Vaz Te faces spell on sidelines

2012-10-06T13:02:00.002-07:00

West Ham forward Ricardo Vaz Te could be out for up to 12 weeks after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.

Vaz Te had to be replaced by Matt Taylor just after the hour-mark after falling awkwardly following a challenge with Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce confirmed after the match that the 26-year-old would not be fit to return until after the international break and could be out until the festive period.
"No he won't be right, it will be six to 12 weeks depending," he said.
"We can't get it back so he is going to have to go to hospital to have an anaesthetic put in it to slot the shoulder back into the socket.
"The specialist will determine how long it will take to sort that out so it is a bit of a shame, but we all suffer injuries and we just have to make sure we use the squad we have got."

Olsson inks new Albion contract

2012-10-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

The centre-half has been a key member of the Albion side which has started the new season so impressively, and his performances have been rewarded.
He was due to be out of contract at the end of the season, but will now remain with the Baggies until 2016 at least.
"This is great news for the club and shows we're heading in the right direction," manager Steve Clarke said of the man who was signed from NEC Nijmegen for £800,000.
"We've had a productive summer in terms of bringing new players in but it's equally important that you hold onto your best players, and Jonas certainly fits into that category."
Olsson has an ever-present record so far this season, helping West Brom to their best ever top-flight start. They also have the joint-fourth meanest defence in the division.
He has 13 caps for Sweden, who he represented at this year's European Championships.

Defender Daniel Ager has pledged his future to liverpool by signing a new long-term contract at anfield.

2012-10-05T15:13:00.003-07:00

he Denmark international says he is convinced that Brendan Rodgers is the right man to lead the club forward and is delighted to commit himself to the club.
"It means everything to me. This is where I want to be and I'm happy the club want me. I am really happy right now. I've never wanted to go anywhere else," the 27-year-old told the official Liverpool website.
"I feel I am a part of this club - and I want to be a part of this club in the future. I like the way it is going right now with the style we're playing, and hopefully the results will come soon as well.

The support from the fans has been unbelievable. The game when they were singing all the songs about me, it was difficult to focus on the game!
"It was such a good experience for me and I'd never experienced anything like it before.
"That is why I am so happy here. That for me is Liverpool Football Club. I feel I belong here and as long as the manager and the owners want me, I'll be here."
Agger joined the Reds in a £5.8m move from Brondby in January 2006 and quickly established himself in the first-team, racking up 176 appearances to date.
Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said: "Daniel's contribution since joining the club in 2006 has been absolutely fantastic and his loyalty to the team is recognised by the deal he has signed.
"Daniel always made it clear he wanted to stay at Liverpool and we're delighted that he's committed his future to the club.
"We brought in some very exciting players this summer - some of whom chose Liverpool over clubs in the Champions League.
"But it's equally important to retain your most important players and the fact that Daniel has now followed Luis Suarez, Martin Skrtel and Jonjo Shelvey in signing a new contract is testament to the fact that the players believe in what we're trying to achieve here under Brendan Rodgers.

Ashley Cole has apologised for posting an abusive tweet relating to the John Terry verdict.

2012-10-05T14:10:00.004-07:00

An angry COLE risked disciplinary action with an outburst at the FA after a Regulatory Commission raised questions over his evidence during the ANTON Finand case.

The England full-back changed his initial witness statement to include the possibility Ferdinand used the word 'black' during a row with Terry when Chelsea were beaten at QPR in October 2011.

And the amended statement corroborated Terry's defence that he did not racially abuse Ferdinand, but merely repeated an offensive phrase he thought the QPR defender had accused him of using.

In its findings, the Commission said new evidence meant there was "considerable doubt over Mr Cole's claim that he heard, or could have heard, Mr Ferdinand use the word 'black'".

That conclusion angered Cole, who wrote on his Twitter page: "Hahahahaa, well done FA. I lied, did I" before adding an abusive hashtag.

The tweet was quickly deleted and an apology issued through Cole's solicitor. It read: "I was really upset and tweeted my feelings in the heat of the moment. I apologise unreservedly for my comment about the FA."