EPL News

Aston Villa sign Darren Bent 24 million

2011-01-18T16:17:00.001-08:00

Aston Villa have completed the club-record signing of Sunderland striker Darren Bent in a deal which could eventually be worth £24million.

Villa are splashing out an initial £18million for Bent but additional add-ons mean the final figure could rise by another £6million.
The England player is in line to make his debut in Saturday evening's home Premier League clash with Manchester City.
The four-and-a-half year deal was completed on Tuesday after Bent agreed personal terms and passed a medical.
After completing his move, Bent told Villa's website: "Aston Villa is a massive football club and as soon as I knew they were interested in signing me I wanted to join.
"The size of the football club and the history of the club are major reasons for me coming here."
Bent's capture surpasses Villa's previous transfer record of £12million which was paid for James Milner (Newcastle) and Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough) respectively.
The 26-year-old moved from Tottenham to the Stadium Of Light 18 months ago and scored 25 goals in his first season for the Black Cats.
Bent has been less prolific during the current campaign but has scored 81 Premier League goals in the last five seasons - a figure only bettered by Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney on 82 apiece.
Bent began his career with Ipswich a decade ago and also had a spell with Charlton before a £16.5million switch to Tottenham in 2007.
He spent two years at White Hart Lane before moving to Sunderland during the summer of 2009.
In total he has scored 128 league goals in 308 appearances.
Bent has won seven senior England caps and scored his first goal for his country during the Euro qualifier with Switzerland in Basle in September.
His signing will take Villa's potential spending in this transfer window close to the £30million mark after already signing Lyon midfielder Jean Makoun for £6million.
Villa boss Gerard Houllier is also still interested in Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam and is looking to bring in a new left-back.

Babel set to leave Liverpool and join Hoffenheim

2011-01-18T16:16:00.001-08:00

Ryan Babel is set to leave Liverpool after the club announced they had accepted an undisclosed bid from Hoffenheim for the Dutch forward.

Babel has been given permission to travel to Germany and discuss personal terms with his prospective new employers.
He has struggled to nail down a first-team place at Anfield and was again on the bench on Sunday during the derby draw with Everton.
Babel was fined £10,000 on Monday and warned about his future conduct for posting comments and a doctored picture of referee Howard Webb on Twitter.
About his lack of first-team chances, the 24-year-old said: "For a player of my age it is important to be playing week in week out."
According to Germany's Bild newspaper, the two clubs have agreed on a fee in the region of seven million euros and Babel is set to fill a void which has emerged in the attack this winter.
"Following the departure of (Demba) Ba and the injury to (Chinedu) Obasi, we were in an emergency situation," said Hoffenheim's owner Dietmar Hopp.
"Babel was one of the prime candidates who our general manager Ernst Tanner was most convinced about."
Babel could make his debut against St Pauli on Sunday, should the deal be completed in the next few days.
However, the player himself earlier spoke of his hope for a loan move back to Ajax - and stated that deal could form part of Luis Suarez's potential transfer to Liverpool.
Babel indicated he wanted to return to the club he left for Anfield in 2007 to get regular first-team football.
Liverpool are reported to be interested in Uruguay striker Suarez, who scored three times at the 2010 World Cup before his infamous sending-off for a goal-line handball in the quarter-final against Ghana.
"The transfer of Suarez to Liverpool opens the door for me to go to Ajax," Babel was quoted as saying by De Telegraaf newspaper.
"If Liverpool and Ajax - whether in combination with Luis - can reach an agreement over me I will surely come to the club. For the chance to play I am willing to settle for far less pay."

Steven Pienaar has completed his move to Spurs

2011-01-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

Steven Pienaar has completed his move to Tottenham after signing a four-and-a-half-year contract with the London club.

The 28-year-old midfielder passed a medical at Spurs' Chigwell training ground before putting the finishing touches to his transfer from Everton for a fee believed to be between £2.5million and £3million.
Earlier confirming his destination on his Twitter account, Pienaar said: "To end speculation I am going to Spurs. I've had brilliant years at Everton and it will always be a special place in my heart."
He later added: "I can also confirm I'll be jersey number 40."
Confirming the completion of the transfer on their official website, Spurs said in a statement: "We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Everton and Steven Pienaar for the player's transfer to the club."
Pienaar could make his debut in Saturday's Premier League game at Newcastle providing his work permit comes through in time.
Tottenham beat Chelsea to land Pienaar, who failed to agree personal terms with the champions.
That does not appear to be a problem with Spurs, who nevertheless risked missing out on the South Africa star by refusing to meet Everton's asking price.
But the clubs came to an agreement last night, with some reports claiming Tottenham had matched Chelsea's £3million bid for the player and others suggesting a compromise figure of around £2.5million had been reached.
Once all the paperwork is complete, Pienaar will officially become the north Londoners' second January signing, with international team-mate Bongani Kumalo having already penned a pre-contract agreement.
Everton decided to sell the influential playmaker, rather than lose him on a free transfer when his contract expired in the summer.
Spurs are thought to have been interested for some time and were considering offering a pre-contract deal for the end of the campaign, but Chelsea's intervention forced them to enter the market.
Manager Harry Redknapp said over the weekend he was unsure whether Spurs could match the Blues' offer.
Everton have disclosed no details of the bids but confirmed last night Pienaar had been given permission to discuss terms with Spurs as well as Chelsea.
Pienaar made his name at Ajax after joining them from their club partners Ajax Cape Town in January 2001.
The versatile midfielder enjoyed great success during his time in Amsterdam, helping Ajax to the Eredivisie championship in 2002 and 2004 and playing in the Champions League before making the move to the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund in 2006.
He joined Everton on loan from Dortmund in 2007 and the move was made permanent the following year for £2million.
He became one of the club's most influential figures and was named Player of the Year after an outstanding 2009-10 season.
It became apparent then, however, that problems were arising over a new contract.
Pienaar failed to give firm assurances that he wanted to stay beyond the end of his deal and his name was conspicuous by its absence as a succession of players signed new contracts last year.
Tim Cahill, Leighton Baines, Seamus Coleman, Jack Rodwell and Mikel Arteta all committed themselves to Goodison Park but an offer to Pienaar remained unsigned.
His departure might at least give manager David Moyes some leverage to pursue a striker in the current transfer window, having repeatedly said he lacks funds and must look for value loans.
Spurs actually have an embarrassment of riches in central midfield but Pienaar's all-action approach might give them something different.
It could mean that Niko Kranjcar moves on having fallen down the pecking order at White Hart Lane and previously expressed a desire for first-team football.

Fulham want to sign Shaun Wright-Phillips in a £4million deal

2011-01-10T17:08:00.000-08:00

FULHAM want to sign Manchester City star Shaun Wright-Phillips in a £4million deal.

Craven Cottage boss Mark Hughes signed the England man from Chelsea when he was Eastlands boss in 2008 and is keen to work with the winger again.
Fulham can afford the small transfer fee but SWP would need to take a drop in wages as the Londoners would not be able to offer anywhere near his current £60,000-a-week wages.
Yet the player is keen to end his second spell at the City and is desperate for more first-team football.
City are looking to offload some of their fringe players during this month's transfer window and Wright-Phillips, 29, is one of them.
Sparky is also keeping a close eye on another of his former players, Blackburn's David Dunn.
He has 18 months left on his contract and has finally put his injury woes behind him with a string of impressive performances.
That has not gone unnoticed by former Rovers boss Hughes and also Newcastle, who are considering a raid for the £2m-rated midfielder.
It is the second time Toon have shown an interest in Dunn after the late Bobby Robson tried to sign him.

Maradona: Premier club wants me

2011-01-10T17:05:00.000-08:00

DIEGO MARADONA will hold talks next month about bossing an English club - and Blackburn could be favourites to land him.

The Argentina legend had discussions with Rovers after they sacked Sam Allardyce in December.
He said: "In February I am going to England to listen to a firm offer. If they convince me, I may take it up. I am not desperate. I know that some day I will coach another team."
New owners Venky's put first-team coach Steve Kean in charge until the end of the season after firing Allardyce.
But Venky's, who bought Rovers in November, admitted their interest in Maradona, 50.
Chairwoman Anuradha Desai said: "We thought about Maradona as a coach after we took over. Talks were at the initial stage then, but there is no development on that front yet."
Reports in Argentina suggest Maradona is off to Fulham, where he was a guest of owner Mohamed Fayed last November.
But a source at Craven Cottage insisted: "It's not us."
Blackburn believe Maradona would strengthen their bid to sign big-name South American players after failing to land Brazil's Ronaldinho last week.

Chelsea come back and win 7-0 over Ipswich

2011-01-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

Chelsea went some way to lifting the gloom at Stamford Bridge as they began their defence of the FA Cup with a crushing 7-0 win over Ipswich.

The managerless visitors proved ideal cannon fodder for Carlo Ancelotti's faltering double winners, who went into Sunday's game on their worst Premier League run for almost 15 years.
Ancelotti's decision to continue last season's policy of fielding some youngsters in the early rounds of the cup did not backfire, with Daniel Sturridge and Frank Lampard scoring twice, Salomon Kalou also finding the net and Nicolas Anelka ending the personal goal drought that has coincided with Chelsea's two months of misery.
Ancelotti, who handed rare starts to 17-year-old Josh McEachran and 20-year-old Patrick van Aanholt, will be praying Sunday's win helps inspire his established stars, like the rested Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Michael Essien and Ashley Cole, to kick-start their ailing league campaign.
Despite the number of changes and standard of opposition, Chelsea - looking to become the first club to win a hat-trick of FA Cups since the 1880s - continued to be dogged by a lack of cutting edge in the opening half-hour.
Sturridge, rewarded with a start after scoring five times for the reserves on Thursday, saw one chance closed down by Marton Fulop and another balloon off target.
They were almost made to pay by the team who had boss Roy Keane sacked on Friday.
A fine break involving Scotland and David Norris ended in the former unleashing a left-footed piledriver which Petr Cech could only beat away.
Chelsea surged down the other end and Anelka looked to have put them ahead but Troy Brown produced a brilliant clearance off the line from the Frenchman's low finish.
Lampard blasted over after good work down the left from Van Aanholt and McEachran's drive was deflected behind off Connor Wickham.
A lovely Chelsea move was then spoilt by a horrible finish from Anelka, who made amends by providing the breakthrough in the 33rd minute after Ipswich gave the ball away in midfield.
Chelsea sprung forward and Anelka's finish hit Fulop and squirmed towards the line before Kalou made sure.
It was 2-0 less than a minute later, Sturridge tucking home Jose Bosingwa's low cross after more poor defending from the visitors.
Lampard's weak 20-yard shot was straight at Fulop as Chelsea looked to kill off the tie before half-time.
Ipswich captain David Norris was booked for a poor tackle on John Terry and Lampard made him pay from the resulting 41st-minute free-kick, with Carlos Edwards flicking the ball into his own net.
Anelka's mis-hit finish was straight at Fulop at the start of the second half but the striker finally ended his barren spell in the 49th minute, finding the bottom corner after a neat exchange with Kalou.
Ipswich had been preparing a substitution at the time and immediately withdrew Scotland for Ronan Murray.
Chelsea began to play with a swagger and Sturridge made it 5-0 three minutes later, curling superbly into the top corner from just inside the box.
Ancelotti threw on another youngster, with Gael Kakuta replacing Kalou.
Peters drilled wide in search of a consolation before the highly-rated Wickham was replaced by Tamas Priskin.
Chelsea lost Van Aanholt to injury for the final 20 minutes, with Jeffrey Bruma entering the fray.
The home side were in cruise control but Ipswich pressed the self-destruct button again twice in a minute to hand Lampard a quickfire double.
The England midfielder blasted home from 15 yards after the visitors failed to clear a corner, and then bundled home Branislav Ivanovic's low cross.
It was party time at Stamford Bridge and Ramires fired over with the outside of his right foot before Chelsea fans showed their support for the under-pressure Ancelotti, who responded with a wave.
Kakuta, Anelka and Ivanovic all had chances to make it 8-0 in stoppage-time before the final whistle ended Ipswich's torture.

Adler: Come and get me, Man United

2011-01-09T16:03:00.001-08:00

Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler has issued a 'come and get me' call to dream club Manchester United.

The Red Devils are understood to have scouted the Germany international goalkeeper as they prepare for the expected retirement of Edwin van der Sar at the end of the season.
The 25-year-old has a £15million get-out clause in his contract if United come calling and he admits he would love to follow in the footsteps of his hero Peter Schmeichel.
Adler, who has 18 months left on his current deal, told the Sunday Mirror: "I have told the Leverkusen board that I am not willing to discuss any new contract until April.
"I just want to achieve a Champions League spot with my team here now.
"The board of the club are aware of the special clause in my contract.
"As a kid, my friends were interested in cartoons, MTV and German TV programmes, but I was the only interested in one person - Peter Schmeichel - who was in goal for Manchester United.
"I thought he was fantastic and loved every minute he was on TV with United.
"My whole bedroom was full of Schmeichel posters and United things. I had one or two other heroes in football like Paul Gascoigne and Zinedine Zidane.
"But nobody, in my eyes, was as impressive as Schmeichel."

Kenny Miller is reportedly set to snub a switch to Birmingham

2011-01-09T16:02:00.001-08:00

Rangers striker Kenny Miller is reportedly set to snub a switch to Birmingham in favour of a move to Serie A club Fiorentina.

Blues confirmed on Friday that they had had a bid for the striker - believed to be £600,000 - accepted, though were yet to agree terms with the 31-year-old.
But it now appears Miller, who is out of contract with Rangers at the end of the season, will give Birmingham the cold shoulder in order to link up with Florence-based outfit Fiorentina.
The Tuscany club reportedly want Miller as a replacement for wayward striker Adrian Mutu, who is expected to make his exit this month.
The former Chelsea forward is set to leave Fiorentina on unfavourable terms having walked out of training earlier this week, prompting an angry reaction from the club.
Mutu's agent Giovanni Becali claims several outfits, including Italian rivals Juventus and Cesena and Romanian club Dinamo Bucuresti, are chasing the player's signature.
"Juventus asked about Mutu, even if the closest side are Cesena," Becali told GSP TV.
"Also, Dinamo Bucuresti called me, they want him on loan for six months before leaving him to Cesena.
"Surely he won't stay in Florence."

Walcott apologised for diving

2011-01-08T20:40:00.001-08:00

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has apologised for diving to try to win a penalty during the closing stages of Saturday's FA Cup draw with Leeds.

The England forward came off the bench in the second half at The Emirates as Arsenal were trailing to a spot-kick from Robert Snodgrass.
Walcott found himself in the thick of the action as Arsenal pressed for an equaliser, and looked to have won a penalty after going down under a challenge from Paul Connolly.
However, after consulting with his assistant, referee Phil Dowd changed his mind.
Moments later, though, it was a penalty when Walcott was tugged back by Ben Parker - and captain Cesc Fabregas stepped up to fire past Kasper Schmeichel and earn a replay at Elland Road.
Walcott issued a statement apologising for his actions.
The 21-year-old said on the club's official website: "I want to apologise to the managers because I actually dived. I was trying to win the penalty.
"I said to one of their players 'would you have done it?' and he said he probably would have.
"I am not the sort of player to do it, but I own up to it and apologise. It is something I don't want to see in my game."
Walcott continued: "I have heard some players say 'if there is a slight touch, go down' and it can work both ways.
"It was one of those things. I am not happy with myself for doing that, but I am happy that we got the draw.
"I had a little joke with the referee afterwards saying 'that was my first dive, can you tell?'
"I don't have to own up to it and I can't speak for other players, but I have just expressed how I feel. I hope people respect that."

Dalglish take over Liverpool

2011-01-08T20:39:00.001-08:00

Kenny Dalglish described his return to the Liverpool hotseat as "a great honour" but expressed sympathy for predecessor Roy Hodgson.

Liverpool's owners New England Sports Ventures finally put an end to Hodgson's miserable six months at Anfield in ruthless fashion on Saturday and immediately installed club legend Dalglish to take over in the interim.
Although Hodgson knew he was on borrowed time after NESV suggested after last week's home defeat to Wolves they were looking for alternatives he probably expected to remain in charge at least for Sunday's FA Cup third round tie at Manchester United.
He even gave an interview to the club's television channel on Friday previewing the game but less than 24 hours after that was aired he had been relieved of his duties.
On his arrival back in the country from Dubai, Dalglish told Sky Sports News: "It's a great honour to be asked to come back, it's unfortunate circumstances because a very good man with great dignity and integrity has lost his job."
Asked how big a task it would be to turn Liverpool season's around, he said: "We'll find out, I've only come off the plane, so we'll find out."
Although the club's statement earlier said the 63-year-old's departure was by mutual consent there is no doubt the club's American owners pulled the trigger - especially as less than a fortnight ago Hodgson insisted he had no intention of resigning.
By bringing in Dalglish, widely regarded as the club's best player and their last manager to win the championship in 1990, NESV have bought themselves some time while also immediately getting disgruntled supporters back on side.
The 59-year-old put his name forward for the permanent job when Benitez left but was overlooked by the previous regime.
He will now see this as his chance to get the job for good after the end of the season.
Hodgson was never the fans' first choice as manager and he was certainly not the owners', who completed their £300million takeover three months after Hodgson's July appointment.
"We are grateful for Roy's efforts over the past six months, but both parties thought it in the best interests of the club that he stand down from his position as team manager," said principal owner John Henry.
"We are delighted that Kenny Dalglish has agreed to step in and manage the team for Sunday's FA Cup tie at Old Trafford and for the remainder of the season.
"Kenny was not just a legendary footballer, he was the third of our three most successful managers - three giants.
"We are extraordinarily fortunate and grateful that he has decided to step in during the middle of this season."
Dalglish has been on holiday in the Middle East but returned on Saturday in order to take charge of the side at Old Trafford, where he will renew rivalry with old foe Sir Alex Ferguson.
Dalglish has been involved at the club since being brought back in an ambassadorial capacity by former manager Rafael Benitez a couple of years ago.
The spectre of his presence at the club has loomed large over Hodgson, who oversaw Liverpool's worst start to a season since 1953/54 - when they were relegated.
Hodgson failed to win over fans with perceived negative tactics and criticism of supporters and once performances began to go downhill rapidly his days were numbered, as he had to endure the name of Dalglish being chanted at him in recent games.
In his departing statement the former Fulham boss even suggested he had found the Liverpool job difficult.
"Being asked to manage Liverpool Football Club was a great privilege," he said.
"Liverpool is one of the great clubs in world football. I have, however, found the last few months some of the most challenging of my career.
"I am very sad not to have been able to put my stamp on the squad, to be given the time to bring new players into the club in this transfer window and to have been able to be part of the rebuilding process at Liverpool.
"The club has some great, world-class players, with whom it has been a pleasure to work and I wish the entire squad well for the rest of the season.
"I thank those with whom I have built up a close working relationship at the club for their loyalty and support during very testing times, and finally of course to the Liverpool fans, your passion and dedication to the club will see Liverpool at the top of the game once more."
Irrespective of his complaints about the depth and quality of the squad - and the fact he has been let down by some of those players - results ultimately cost Hodgson his job.
"No one who cares for this great club has been happy with the way this season has unfolded and we have examined options and considered at length what is best for us going forward," said chairman Tom Werner.
"Kenny will bring considerable experience to the position and provide management and leadership for the rest of the season."

HODGSON gave farewell speech to team

2011-01-06T19:09:00.000-08:00

ROY HODGSON has said goodbye to Liverpool's flops.

The Anfield boss has not yet been sacked - but gave a farewell speech after Wednesday's 3-1 shock defeat at Blackburn.A Kop insider said: "Roy was very down and emotional.
"He said things like 'It's been a pleasure working with you all but I'm sure the owners will want me out after this.
"And he even added 'It's no fun hearing your own fans singing another manager's name every two minutes'."
That was a clear reference to Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, who supporters desperately hope will make an emotional comeback for the remainder of the season.
New Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli will play a major role in choosing Hodgson's replacement.
It is thought he favours a young coach he can work alongside - and is a huge fan of Porto's 33-year-old rookie Andre Villas-Boas.
Hodgson is still due to host a Press conference today to preview Sunday's FA Cup clash with arch-rivals Manchester United.
But he is clearly expecting the axe to fall at any moment.
He has managed only seven wins but racked up nine defeats in his 20 games in charge, with two of the reverses coming at Anfield against Premier League newcomers Blackpool and strugglers Wolves.
In contrast, Boas is flying high in Portugal with Porto eight points clear at the top of the league and through to the last 32 of the Europa League.

Kyle Walker confirm loan signing to Aston Villa

2011-01-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

Aston Villa have confirmed the loan signing of Tottenham defender Kyle Walker until the end of the season.

The England Under-21 defender arrived at Villa's training ground at Bodymoor Heath before undergoing a medical and completing the formalities of his move.
He will be available to face his former club, Sheffield United, in Saturday's FA Cup clash at Bramall Lane.
Walker said: "I'm excited about being here and proving that I'm good enough to play in the Premier League.
"That's why Tottenham bought me from Sheffield United and that's what I'm keen to show here at Villa.
"This is a great opportunity for me and I'm looking forward to taking it.
"I know several of the players here from England Under-19s and England Under-21s - Nathan Delfouneso, Ciaran Clark and Marc Albrighton.
"I'm sure those lads will help me to settle in and enjoy my time at Villa.
"I'm really keen to contribute and compete and prove myself here."
Villa manager Gerard Houllier said: "We're pleased that Kyle will be with us until the end of the season.
"He is 20, an attacking full-back and a very promising young player. He will be a valuable addition to our defence."

Dzeko complete to Man City after pass medical

2011-01-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

Manchester City are set to complete the £27million signing of Edin Dzeko from Wolfsburg after the striker passed his medical.

The Bosnian frontman is now awaiting the granting of a work permit after agreeing personal terms.
It does seem highly unlikely Dzeko will be involved in Sunday's FA Cup tie at
Leicester given his limited preparation time. And it is more likely that he will be officially unveiled next week with his debut possibly coming in next Saturday's encounter with Wolves, when City could again go top as Manchester United are not in action until 24 hours later.
The 24-year-old has been tracked by many of Europe's biggest clubs over the past couple of seasons after proving to be a potent goalscorer at Wolfsburg, but City look set to seal his signature.

ROY HODGSON'S has been crushed again

2011-01-05T15:39:00.000-08:00

ROY HODGSON'S miserable Anfield tenure must be all but over after Rovers gave his sorry Reds a thrashing.

A double from forgotten man Benjani followed an opener from Martin Olsson as Steve Kean celebrated his best win as Blackburn boss.
Steven Gerrard struck to spark a late comeback and then won a penalty under a challenge from Michel Salgado - before dashing any hope by blazing it over the bar.

It meant Hodgson - who only took over from Rafa Benitez in the summer - may have taken charge for the last time.
Liverpool's had lost just one of the last 24 league meetings against Blackburn but the away end was only two-thirds full - almost unheard of in this fixture.
At least the visitors started well, with Fernando Torres flashing a header wide early on from Paul Konchesky's cross.
Morten Gamst Pedersen replied with a curling free-kick which missed both the far post and Mame Biram Diouf while David Dunn volleyed over from the edge of the penalty area.
The Rovers midfield of David Dunn, Pedersen, Olsson and Justin Hoilett were seeing a lot of the ball.
And Diouf should have put Rovers ahead in the 17th minute when he connected with Olsson's left-wing cross eight yards out but could only bundle the ball straight to Jose Reina.
Joe Cole forced Rovers goalkeeper Mark Bunn to tip over a deflected drive and then saw Christopher Samba make a timely block with his next effort.
Liverpool were caught on the break in the 32nd minute - and Olsson made them pay.
Diouf played in the Swede who ran past a static Glen Johnson to hit a low shot past Reina.
Rovers could have doubled their lead almost immediately when Hoilett's near post cross almost picked out Benjani.
But there was no close shave for the Reds in the 38th minute when Pedersen clipped in a cross, Benjani controlled the ball on his chest and hit a ferocious volley past Reina.
Hodgson replaced the struggling Kyrgiakos with Dan Agger but it didn't stop the misery for the Reds.
Just before the hour Hoilett went around Martin Skrtel and Johnson as if they were not there and crossed from the byline for Benjani to sidefoot home his second of the night.
Kuyt replaced Maxi Rodriguez but Liverpool looked to have little chance of fighting back, with Torres volleying over from 10 yards.
Gerrard's late strike came with 10 minutes to go on his 550th appearance for Liverpool.
After Torres' shot from sub Dirk Kuyt's cross was blocked by Hoilett, the Liverpool captain smashing the rebound into the back of the net.
Five minutes later, Gerrard drove forward to be upended by Salgado but Liverpool's sorry night was capped as he blasted the resulting spot-kick over the bar.

Toure happy with the draw

2011-01-05T15:37:00.000-08:00

Manchester City defender Kolo Toure was delighted with the goalless draw at Arsenal and insistent that "defenders win you titles".

The Gunners hit the woodwork through Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott and also forced a fine save from Joe Hart to deny van Persie on the hour.
"It was very important tonight because it's always difficult to come here and get points," Toure told Sky Sports 2 after a man-of-the-match display helped shut out his former club.
"We wanted to get three points but it was a really difficult game. Arsenal are really in form at the moment.
"The draw is really good. The team played really well and Joe made some fantastic saves.
"Strikers win you games but defenders win you titles. It was difficult to have chances because Arsenal played very well, but it's good that we didn't lose the game."
Hart added: "That just shows how much grit and determination we've got. We led a charmed life but the goals are the same size in every game so they've got to put it into the net."
Both teams finished with 10 men after full-backs Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna were shown straight red cards by referee Mike Jones for a needless clash on the far touchline.
City manager Roberto Mancini was also delighted with his team's defensive display.
"They had good chances in the first 15-20 minutes. After that they had good possession but didn't have more chances to score," he told Sky Sports 2.
"In the second half we played better but I think four games in 10 days is very hard and today we were missing important players.
"We wanted to win but Arsenal played better than us, maybe. We defended very well in the second half. If we came here with all players I think it could have been another game but four games, 10 points in 10 days is good.
"I think it was important not to lose this game."
On the double dismissal towards the end, the Italian added: "For me it's not a sending off. For me, two yellow cards was enough."

Ronaldinho heading to Brazil

2011-01-05T15:35:00.001-08:00

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed Ronaldinho is set for a move back to Brazil and snub a potential move to Blackburn.

The forward, who had been a ambitious target for the Ewood Park outfit under new owners Venky's, is close to joining home-town club Gremio.
Brazilian media outlet Radio Globo claimed the 30-year-old was in Rio De Janeiro to sign a three-and-a-half-year deal with the club.
Allegri said at Wednesday's press conference: "We are all sorry to lose a player of the quality of Ronaldinho.
"But he has made a life choice by going to Brazil."
Ronaldinho's current contract with Milan expires at the end of the the season and, with the Rossoneri having already signed Antonio Cassano from Sampdoria this week, there is no space for the former Barcelona star in Allegri's line-up.

ADEBAYOR and Toure fight in training

2011-01-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR and Kolo Toure had to be dragged apart today after a furious bust-up at training.

The Manchester City team-mates squared up to each other when Adebayor reacted to a strong challenge from Toure.
Wantaway striker Adebayor ended up on the ground as Toure slapped on a headlock that any WWE wrestler would have been proud of.

The warring stars were eventually ripped apart by shocked fellow players and boss Roberto Mancini read them the riot act before the session ended.
It is only a month since Mario Balotelli and Jerome Boateng had to be separated in similar fashion, while this season City also gained unwanted headlines for a prank involving Nigel de Jong.
Skipper Carlos Tevez has also clashed repeatedly with Mancini over the Italian's tactics and training methods.
But City insist the latest incident was not a major issue and the matter was quickly resolved.

Birmingham want to sign Robbie Keane

2011-01-04T16:05:00.000-08:00

Birmingham have opened talks with Tottenham over a January deal for Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane, according to reports.

It is widely expected that the experienced forward will be on the move this month after falling out of favour at White Hart Lane.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has admitted that he will not stand in the Irishman's way should a suitable offer materialise.
Numerous clubs are hoping to take advantage of Keane's availability, with the 30-year-old very much a man in demand.
Birmingham are among those hoping to tempt the Republic star with the offer of regular football and have already made their move.
It is understood that Blues officials have already made an approach to their Tottenham counterparts, with discussions now underway.
Alex McLeish's side are likely to face a battle to land Keane's signature, though, with Wolves, Sunderland and Newcastle all believed to be admirers of the former Liverpool and Leeds hitman.

Nani returns bring the glory of Man United

2011-01-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

Manchester United pulled three points clear at the top of the Premier League but were forced to work hard for a 2-1 win over Stoke on Tuesday.

United's unbeaten fight for the title reached 20 matches at Old Trafford as Javier Hernandez and Nani scored the goals that sank Tony Pulis' Potters.
Dean Whitehead had headed home a shock leveller for the visitors at the start of the second half but Sir Alex Ferguson's men just about deserved their latest triumph.
It took United's tally to 19 points out of the last 21 and opened up a lead of three points over Manchester City and five on Arsenal ahead of their meeting at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
Yet rarely can such impressive and imposing statistics be greeted with such an underwhelming response, which is possibly the strangest aspect of a very strange season, which Hernandez at least has plenty of reason to enjoy.
When Hernandez was considering the delights that awaited in his first season at United, it is fair to assume Stoke would not have been top of his list. But long after he has returned to Mexico, he will remember his meetings with the men from the Potteries.
In October it was that jaw-dropping back header, which even a renowned exponent such as Andy Gray admitted he would have struggled to emulate in his heyday.
Tuesday night's effort was no less audacious. Nipping in front of former United defender Ryan Shawcross at the near post, Hernandez reacted quickly as Nani drilled over a low cross.
Letting the ball run behind him, he quickly flicked back his right leg and turned it at right angles, into a goal that Asmir Begovic thought he had covered.
It was Hernandez's ninth goal of the season and his second in four days.
Little wonder Ferguson had enough faith in the striker not to worry too much about the absence of Wayne Rooney, who watched on from an executive suite in the company of Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones.
Rio Ferdinand was missing too, rested ahead of Sunday's FA Cup tie with Liverpool, which allowed Chris Smalling to make his first league start.
Not that the England Under-21 defender had that much to do as United dominated proceedings without carving out too many clear-cut opportunities.
Dimitar Berbatov had one after Ryan Giggs' shot deflected into his path off Shawcross.
But, although the Bulgarian controlled brilliantly, under pressure from Marc Wilson, he prodded wide rather than into the same corner Hernandez found shortly afterwards.
The overwhelming feeling at half-time was of the hosts once again scraping by without really exuding any of the class expected.
And five minutes after the restart they were pegged back as Whitehead nipped between Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra to nod home Tuncay's cross unchallenged.
It was the centre-piece of a period of genuine Stoke pressure and brought the Potteries outfit their first Old Trafford goal since 1980.
And for while a nervousness and anxiety betrayed United's play.
Berbatov ranted at Nani for not passing to him quickly enough as another home attack broke down in its infancy.
Yet if their actual play leaves many doubters unconvinced about their actual merits in comparison to Ferguson teams of old, the Red Devils' durability cannot be questioned.
And when Danny Collins failed to get tight to Nani as he collected Hernandez's pass on the edge of the area, the Portugal winger turned swiftly before finding the bottom corner with a precise curling left-footed shot.
Although there has been the odd outstanding performance, such as the one that brought seven goals against Blackburn, it is upon such magical moments that United's season has been built thus far.
The late introduction of Michael Owen for his first appearance of the winter, and his run to reach a Nani cross that did not bounce kindly for him in stoppage time, suggests Ferguson does have options that Arsenal and Chelsea in particular cannot match.
It was the presence of another former Liverpool man, Jermaine Pennant, that the crowd chose to highlight as attention switched to Sunday's FA Cup tie with the ailing Merseysiders, which will presumably not peter out as this did.

Vidic cannot believe Man utd on top cause Man Utd play so badly

2011-01-04T05:05:00.000-08:00

NEMANJA VIDIC cannot believe Manchester United are top - because they are playing so badly.

Premier League leaders United have drawn SEVEN of their nine away games.
And skipper Vidic said: "If someone had predicted we would lose this many points I'd have said we would not win the league, that's for sure.
"Our away record is not something we're proud of, yet here we are top and still unbeaten. But we want to improve and we must play better."
United's fortunate New Year's Day win at West Brom was only their second on the road this term.
Vidic added: "If we had won just half of the away games we have drawn we would have been out of reach by now.
"So it is very inconsistent from us and it's hard to explain why. Definitely in some games we did not perform well, but got the result. Then again sometimes we did play well and didn't get the result."
The Serbian star, 29, is clearly looking for a significant improvement in form and results in the second half of the campaign, starting tonight against Stoke at Old Trafford.
He added: "We still believe we can win the League and we have certainly shown this season we can play solid because we haven't lost.
"This season is very strange indeed - if you'd told me five weeks ago Chelsea wouldn't win for five or six games I wouldn't have believed you.
"Everyone thought Chelsea were the strongest team and that they would win the title... but after that they didn't win.
"And that shows how strong and competitive it is in the Premier League."

Blackburn made 6.2 million bid for Brazil international Ronaldinho

2011-01-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

Blackburn boss Steve Kean insists the club's ambitious bid for Brazil international Ronaldinho is a statement of intent from the new owners.

Anuradha Desai, chairman of Venky's - who took over at Ewood Park in November - has confirmed Rovers have made a £6.2million bid for the AC Milan forward.
And although it may seem fanciful that the former Barcelona playmaker would move to Lancashire Kean believes it sends out the right message to other would-be targets.
"I know there has been contact made by the owners to representatives of Ronaldinho but I don't know how far down the line it is and whether it will actually happen," he said.
"If any Premier League manager was asked if they wanted to sign someone who has been World Player of the Year twice they would be interested.
"That is something that puts us on the map in terms of trying to bring players of that stature to the club.
"Everyone should look as it as a positive because if we can attract players - maybe not that individual if it doesn't happen - but players of that stature I think it has been a long time since we have been able to do that."
Rovers are believed to have offered the 30-year-old Ronaldinho a three-year £20million-plus deal.
"He is keen to play in the EPL (English Premier League) and I think that goes in our favour," Desai told BBC Radio Lancashire.
She stressed paying the Brazilian's wages would not be a problem.
"To be precise [it is] 7.6million euros (£6.5million) for the first year and about 8.5million euros (£7.2million) for the second and third years."
She also said the club had made attempts to sign former England captain David Beckham on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy, adding that the club were "open whenever he is ready to come"

Man City close to sign Dzeko

2011-01-04T04:58:00.000-08:00

Roberto Mancini has revealed Manchester City have 'agreed a fee' with Wolfsburg for Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko.

City have been in the hunt for Dzeko for the last 18 months and Mancini is confident the club are close to getting their man.
"We have agreed a fee," said the Italian.
"He is a good player and all the teams in Europe want him. But we have an important game at Arsenal coming up and I will speak about him after that."

Clark stop Chelsea to win 3 points !!

2011-01-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

CIARAN CLARK bagged an incredible stoppage-time equaliser as Aston Villa snatched a point from a thriller at Chelsea.

Gerard Houllier's under-fire visitors had looked set for all three, leading 2-1 with just six minutes remaining.
John Terry then thought he had won it for the champions when he followed up Didier Drogba's equaliser with an 89th-minute strike.
But Villa were not to be denied as Clark's dramatic late header further dented the title hopes of Carlo Ancelotti's men.
Both sides had held the lead in the topsy-turvy game, with Frank Lampard's first-half penalty cancelled out by Ashley Young's spot-kick before Emile Heskey headed home just after half-time.

The Blues had handed Jeffrey Bruma his full Premier League debut going into the game, with Villa drafting in the fit-again Young and Heskey, as well Richard Dunne and Clark.
Houllier's side, bottom of the form table, were thrashed 7-1 on their last visit to Stamford Bridge.
But despite Chelsea having nearly all the ball early on, the visitors had the first shot when Gabriel Agbonlahor drilled narrowly wide.
At the other end, Bruma's header from a corner was blocked but, for all their possession, the home side lacked penetration.
But Villa's lack of discipline cost them when James Collins climbed all over Malouda to concede a penalty.
Lampard stepped up to convert his first goal since August, with Brad Friedel and Collins booked for their protests.
Villa's frustration boiled over into needless fouls, but they could have been level twice before their eventual equaliser.
An unmarked Clark should have netted on the half-hour mark when he nodded Young's corner over the top.
And Dunne missed a great chance he hooked over after Chelsea failed to deal with Stewart Downing's clipped ball into the box.
Ramires was booked for clipping Stiliyan Petrov's heels and Villa's pressure finally told when Michael Essien's clumsy tackle on Nigel Reo-Coker handed them a penalty four minutes before the break.
Young made no mistake from the spot.
Agbonlahor and Clark then became the fifth and sixth Villa players booked for bad tackles on Ramires and Essien before half-time.
Villa picked up where they had left off at the restart and Petr Cech just beat Heskey to the ball, with Paulo Ferreira ultimately forced to clear.

But Heskey had the last laugh just two minutes in when he climbed above young Bruma to power home Downing's right-wing cross. The former England player was then booked for a late tackle on Essien as Chelsea began to wake up to the fact their title defence was now hanging by a thread.
Lampard, Drogba and Ramires all saw shots blocked before the latter drilled just wide after the ball broke to him in the box.
The weakness of Ancelotti's bench was summed up when he sent on Bosingwa for Ferreira.
Lampard was unlucky not to level in the 63rd minute when he sent a vicious volley straight at Friedel, who then brilliantly closed down Malouda in a one-on-one.
Ancelotti threw on Salomon Kalou for Ramires for the final 17 minutes.
But it was Drogba who came to his manager's rescue six minutes from time, when he rifled home a rebound off Carlos Cuellar.
With barely a minute remaining, Chelsea snatched what they thought was a winner, with Terry side-footing home.
But the joy was short-lived as Clark stole in completely unmarked at the back post to nod in Marc Albrighton's superb cross.

Beckham want to join Spurs on loan

2011-01-02T15:59:00.000-08:00

DAVID BECKHAM has given the green light to a sensational move to Tottenham.

The London club are desperate to sign England legend Becks on a three-month loan.
Beckham has previously ruled out a return to the Premier League — except with former club Manchester United.
But Spurs boss Harry Redknapp said: "He just said that he would like to come and play here at Tottenham.
"We'd have to move quickly. I've left it to the people at the club. I've passed it on them.
"They're talking to whoever they have to talk to at his club."
The Leytonstone-born star is pushing LA Galaxy to release him now the MLS season is over.
And Redknapp insists he will not be coming to White Hart Lane just to make up the numbers.
He added: "We've got no-one else to play on the right.
"David Bentley keeps picking up injuries on Friday morning. It's a no brainer.
"When I took Teddy Sheringham to Portsmouth, I used to just say 'Watch him train. Watch everything he does. He does it 100 per cent right'.
"And I think Beckham's like that. They tell me after training, he spends an hour out there practising.
"If young players see that, it's better than all the coaching in the world."

NICKLAS BENDTNER has been told there is no chance to Lazio

2010-12-21T18:56:00.000-08:00

NICKLAS BENDTNER has been told there is no chance of him leaving Arsenal following a cheeky loan request from Lazio.

The Italians were looking to borrow the unsettled Danish ace for the rest of the season with the promise of a £9million bid in the summer.
But Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has made it clear that none of his senior squad will be going while the club are still challenging for honours on all four fronts.
Bendtner, 22, has become increasingly frustrated with life at the Emirates in recent months and angered Wenger with his demands for more first-team action.
The self-assured striker - who arrived in London in 2004 - has not started a single Premier League game since returning to duty in October following a summer groin operation.
But he has still managed three goals in 10 appearances in all competitions.
Bendtner was always behind Robin van Persie in the pecking order and his opportunites have been limited by the Dutchman's long-awaited return from injury.
Marouane Chamakh has also taken over as the club's first-choice target man since his arrival from Bordeaux in May.
Birmingham, Fulham and Everton are all eager to give Bendtner the games he wants by striking a loan deal during next month's transfer window.
But Bendtner is resigned to staying at the Emirates after Wenger ordered him to shut up and fight for his place.
The Frenchman has already announced he does not plan to make any new signings in January.
And he is not prepared to weaken his squad and limit his options by allowing any of his players to leave.