The opening weekend of the Premier League season was overshadowed by one incident when Mr Controversy himself, Joey Barton, proceeded to drag the Ivorian to his feet and remonstrate at him for diving and trying to pull the wool over the eyes of Peter Walton.
Gervinho wasn’t best pleased and proceeded to attach himself to Barton with the Toon midfielder doing the same although more in the vicinity of the Arsenal man’s neck. Players from both sides streamed in and all of a sudden Barton flopped to the deck after Gervinho’s hand merely brushed his cheek with Steven Taylor exclaiming ‘HE’S ELBOWED HIM’ to anyone in the vicinity.
Not that i’m condoning this sort of behaviour but it’s human nature to get all giddy and excited when you see two players square up and clench their handbags tightly in their fists. In a majority of cases hilarity ensues as these so called men try to act tough but end up looking like a complete wally as the entire stadium attempts to stitch up the sides that have been split on witnessing the pathetic brawl.
There have been a fair few grapples down the years, some more suited to a comedy sketch and some that wouldn’t look out of place in an UFC ring. For some reason Arsenal are heavily prominent in this list yet are regarded as one of the cleanest clubs this world has ever seen…
Click on the famous Alcock/Di Canio spat to unveil the top 10 tear-ups
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Chelsea are 1-0 down at home to Manchester United in the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final, and with twenty minutes to go, Carlo Ancelotti decides to substitute 33 year-old Didier Drogba, who has scored one goal in his last eleven games for the Blues. A hum of disappointment quickly surrounds Stamford Bridge, not because the home supporters are uninspired by Nicolas Anelka’s introduction (although the Frenchman hasn’t scored since February), but because their new £50million ‘hero’ remains on the pitch for the remainder of the match, eventually completing 617 minutes without a goal for his new club.
Chelsea fans are not known for their patience, and their chairman is always quick to point out when something is wrong, but is it now time for Fernando Torres to realise he made a big mistake in forcing through his Liverpool exit, especially considering the different directions both clubs are now heading in?
Allow me to start by clearing up one issue – Fernando Torres is not a similar case to that of Andriy Shevchenko. Torres’ Chelsea displays are not a result of failing to adapt to the style or rigours of the Premier League – the Spaniard scored 75 goals in 126 games for Liverpool during his first full three seasons in England, and spearheaded Spain’s attack during successful European Championship and World Cup campaigns whilst a Liverpool player.
However, almost exactly 12 months ago, Torres revealed that he felt daunted by the prospect of an extended career in England based on the continual demands of Premier League football. “This is my third season and I’m still amazed to see Gerrard, Rooney and Lampard, players who have been here a long time, still playing at such a high level and with such impressive rhythm because the English league really wears down a player. I just can’t imagine what state I’ll be in within five or six years if I continue to play here – it could easily give me problems when I stop playing. The physical level is superior to all other countries.”
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Torres announced these concerns following a knee operation which he never fully recovered from before joining his Spanish team-mates in South Africa last summer. He had actually scored 18 goals in 22 League games for Liverpool before the operation, but his performances and evident fitness concerns at the World Cup delayed his move to Stamford Bridge until January. It was thought that Torres would leave Anfield last August following Liverpool’s failed bid to qualify for the Champions League, but the striker committed to Roy Hodgson’s vision, which in hindsight was an egregious decision.
Torres then faced a fitness struggle in the midst of a rancorous ownership and managerial transition and was not the only high-profile Liverpool player to express doubts about the future of the Merseyside club. Pepe Reina has been broadcasting almost monthly updates on his contract situation since the start of the season, and it looks more than likely that he will depart this summer given that Liverpool have yet again failed to infiltrate the top 4.
In January of this year, Liverpool sacked their second manager in 6 months and Torres was only starting to regain his form sporadically between injury spells. Meanwhile, Chelsea had been two months in to a sequence that saw them drop down the Premier League table after their worst run of results for 15 years. These factors, in addition to Torres’ two goals against the Blues in November, convinced Roman Abramovich to renew his interest in the forward and he spent £50million to secure his services. Although he has yet to convert for his new club, Torres is beginning to demonstrate his class gradually and was unfortunate not to score against United in last week’s first leg.
Torres does not legitimately fit in to the categories of Michael Owen, who began his career exceptionally and struggled to improve over time, or Andriy Shevchenko, who dominated Europe until the age of 29 when he should have been hitting his prime but instead rapidly regressed. Torres is of the same mould as Samuel Eto’o, a striker who has delivered explosive goal-scoring form consistently throughout his career.
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The Cameroonian is almost exactly three years older than Torres, and three years ago found himself in a similar position to the Spaniard. He had scored 19 goals for Barcelona during an injury-plagued season and was unsettled by a change of manager at the Nou Camp, as Pep Guardiola had announced his intentions to neglect the striker. He stayed, and in fact scored 39 goals in Guardiola’s first season as Barca completed a European treble, but was sold that summer to Inter. Apparently not good enough to remain with the European champions, Eto’o led Inter to Champions League glory the following season, which is something Abramovich might have considered when signing the cheque for Torres. Abramovich’s craving for Champions League supremacy is well known, and Torres could conceivably be the man to lead Chelsea to a European Final, if not this season, then next.
Support Torres by following Josh Sheridan on Twitter
Snipers moan an awful lot about the absence of characters in modern football. They bang on about George Best, Stan Bowles, Frank Worthington and Alan Hudson as if somebody had gone and broken the mould. But let me tell you, I can honestly say that none of the hell-raising characters of yesteryear could hold a candle to Mario Balotelli.
I could tell you stories of boozing, betting and birding – but as for driving into women’s prisons, firing guns, chucking darts at youth-team players and setting off fireworks in your bathroom, nope, that’s where I draw a blank. Then there was the brilliant story of poor old Mother Balotelli sending young Mario out to buy an iron and ironing board – only for the prodigal son to return home followed by a lorry containing two Vespa scooters, a trampoline, a Scalextric and a table tennis set.
Balotelli is becoming something of a national treasure, adding to the gaiety of the nation at a bleak time of recession. We love an eccentric in Britain and Balotelli is certainly that. We also love eye-catching brilliance in our footballers and it is beginning to look as if young Mario has that too.
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The best players often have an imperceptible something in their make-up, a touch of genius bordering on madness. It’s probably the same part of his brain which makes Balotelli act like a lunatic in his home life, as the one which makes him capable of the on-field pyrotechnics that contributed to Manchester City’s historic 6-1 victory at United.
Paul Gascoigne probably came closest to Balotelli when it came to daft pranks. It seems the madcap Italian is, like Gazza at his peak, something of a hyperactive man-child. And just like Gazza, he will infuriate and delight his team-mates in equal measure. I’m not sure Balotelli will ever truly grow up – and perhaps that’s something we should all savour because wayward stars are crucial to teams and the popularity of the game.
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There have been many great ‘establishment’ footballers, players who did it all by the book, such as Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Trevor Brooking and Sir Geoff Hurst (can you see a connection there?). Then there are those like Best, Bowles, Worthington, Hudson, Denis Law and myself who were never likely to end up getting gongs from Buckingham Palace but were determined to make the most of our playing days, both on and off the field. We certainly did manage to enjoy ourselves. Though not, I suspect, quite as much as Mario Balotelli.
Premier League leaders Manchester United host newly promoted Norwich City at Old Trafford on Saturday intent on getting back to winning ways after dropping their first points of the season last week.
The Red Devil’s storming start to the season came to an abrupt halt as they failed make it six consecutive wins at Stoke City last week with Peter Crouch’s second half header securing a 1-1 draw for the Potters. As invincible as United looked in the opening weeks of the campaign they now look decidedly vulnerable after stuttering to a 3-3 draw in the Champions League against Basle with Ashley Young saving their blushes with a late header. They have been hindered by the absence of Wayne Rooney who missed both games although Sir Alex Ferguson will hate to rely solely on the England man to inspire his side. Defensively they were poor on Tuesday with Phil Jones and Rio Ferdinand struggling to operate in tandem although it’s likely they’ll be paired together again on Saturday with Nemanja Vidic and Chris Smalling injured along with Tom Cleverley. Danny Welbeck could be given another chance up front after he scored twice against the Swiss side keeping out Javier Hernandez who was forced off at Stoke last week after a class with Asmir Begovic. Jonny Evans should also return to the side and provide backup to Ferdinand and Jones from the bench.
A few weeks ago many people will have written off the Canaries but after two wins on the bounce they go into the game against Ferguson’s side booming with confidence. It’s been a promising few weeks with back-to-back victories over Bolton and Norwich seeing some self belief start to creep into the players at Carrow Road. Paul Lambert has moulded his side into one capable of coping with Premier League life and their performance on Monday against the Black Cats was an accomplished one. The former Colchester boss has proved himself to be a shrewd operator in the transfer market with lower league signings Elliott Bennet, Marc Tierney and Anthony Pilkington excelling in the top flight so far this season. Taking maximum points at Old Trafford could be a task too far for Lamberts’ side with United unbeaten in 36 games at home. He suffered a blow in mid-week with the news James Vaughan will be out for four months joining Zak Whitbread, Elliott Ward and Dani Ayala on the sidelines. Lambert will also have to do without Ritchie De Laet who is unable to play against his parent club.
Key Players
Ashley Young – After scoring his first Champions League goal against Basel on Tuesday the winger will be hungry to inflict some pain on Norwich this weekend. He’ll be tasked by Ferguson with providing Rooney with the bullets and also getting in some shots of his own.
Bradley Johnson – Since signing from Leeds in the summer Johnson has been a real presence in the Canaries midfield with his energy making him a fans favourite already. Scored his first goal for the club at Bolton two weeks ago and will relish the opportunity to play at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Verdict: 3-0
Ashley Young is currently third in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, behind only his teammate Wayne Rooney and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero Young has also completed the most dribbles (30) of all players in the Barclays Premier League this season, one completed dribble ahead of his teammate Nani. Bradley Johnson had an average speed while the ball was in play against Sunderland of 6.64MPH. This was over 1MPH more than any other Norwich City player during the game. The Norwich City players covered a total of 125,306m (77.86miles) in Monday night’s 2-1 win against Sunderland
Fancy winning a million pounds??
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Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien is expected to be sidelined until January after undergoing knee surgery on Monday.The Ghana international, who has a history of knee injuries, ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament and the meniscus in his right knee in pre-season training last week.
The injury is said to have stunned Chelsea officials, who were expecting scans to reveal a simple twisted knee after Essien fell innocuously during a training drill.
Instead, the 28-year-old has had surgery to repair the torn structures and faces up to six months of rehabilitation before he can return to the Blues.
It is Essien’s third serious knee injury in three years. The midfielder missed a large chunk of the 2008/09 campaign due to cruciate ligament damage and was forced out of the 2010 World Cup with a less severe medial ligament injury.
New Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas said: “Everyone at Chelsea wishes Michael well for his recovery.”
“His team-mates and all the staff and I look forward to helping him return to playing as soon as possible.”
Corinthians’ 2-0 home victory over Fluminense saw them cut Sao Paulo’s lead atop the Brazilian Serie A to two points on Sunday.A first-half double from striker Willian paved the way for Corinthians to record the win in front of their home fans at the Estadio Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho.
Willian grabbed his first after six minutes and when Fluminense defender Leandro Euzebio gave away a penalty on the half-hour mark, he slotted the resultant spot-kick.
In other matches, third-placed Palmeiras were robbed of a victory in the dying stages in their 2-2 draw at Internacional.
Goals in the second half to Kleber and Luan looked to have given the visitors all three points but Leandro Damiao equalised in injury-time.
Neto Berola’s 76th minute goal earned Atletico Mineiro a point in a 1-1 draw at Bahia while Botafogo climbed to fifth as they beat Coritiba 3-1 thanks to goals from Maicosuel, Elkeson and Alex.
Atletico Goianiense came from behind to defeat Ceara 4-1 with Anselmo netting a double but it was far more even in the other match of the day as Deivid’s 80th-minute equaliser secured a 1-1 for Flamengo at Atletico Paranaense.
Everton midfielder Tim Cahill has admitted that his side have had a tough run of fixtures in the last two months, but is confident that his team will come good and finish well in the Premier League.
Games against both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea have seen The Toffees struggle for points in recent times, and a two-match winning streak was put to an end by defeat to Stoke on Sunday.
Despite the Merseysiders not maybe living up to their fans’ high expectations for the team, Cahill is not worried about the rest of the season.
“The run of games was always going to be difficult,” The Australia international told Press Association Sport.
“You can see how well teams like Swansea have stepped up but it is such a long season and there is still 30 games to go. I’m pretty sure there is going to be loads more to talk about from now until the end of the season.
“For me and the club it is about being consistent and maintaining that and trying to see where we finish.
“We nearly always come good all the time so it is more about taking it one game at a time and making sure we stay focused on what it important and that is basically getting results – whether it is a draw or a win.
“With our squad and the team we have got we are doing pretty well,” he concluded.
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Everton are currently in 10th place in the Premier League standings, but their fixture list does not get any easier as they travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal on Saturday.
A football fan always becomes excited by a big name signing or a new look team taking shape at their club, but there is one new addition that always creates a unique buzz around a stadium. I am obviously talking about the introduction of a youngster from the youth academy that you have heard a lot about but have not really seen him play. The under 18’s and the reserve’s have become easy work for him and he is compared to a former legend at the club depending on what position he plays. The cheer that he receives when he comes on from the bench is unrivalled and when he notches that first professional goal, he seems to share the moment with thousands of fans who already adore the 17-year-old.
But it is not always a fairytale ending when youngsters are thrown in at the deep end; unable to make an impact in men’s football and after all the hype they are loaned out to a side two divisions below and seem to be forgotten just as quickly as they were introduced. Admittedly the pressure on any professional footballer is high and some newcomers can’t handle that but sometimes they simply aren’t good enough. Everyone will have a player at their club that has not lived up to their hype as a youngster so here are the top ten youngsters who haven’t fulfilled their hype.
Click on Freddie Sears to unveil the top 10
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Have I missed one out from your club? Let me know on Twitter: @Brad_Pinard
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A late winner for Levan Kobiashvili helped Georgia defeat Croatia 1-0 in Euro 2012 qualifying on Saturday, while Israel beat Latvia.Group F leaders Croatia controlled the first half at the Lokomotivi Stadium in Tbilisi and might have taken the lead through a Dejan Lovren header 26 minutes in.
Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitic had a shot saved by Georgia goalkeeper Nukri Revishvili, who also denied Nikola Kalinic.
Out-of-favour Tottenham man Niko Kranjcar went close early in the second half, before Kobiashvili had Georgia’s first real chance of the match.
Visitors Croatia continued to dominate, with Ivan Perisic the next man to threaten.
But the breakthrough never arrived.
Volga Nizhny Novgorod forward Otar Martsvaladze enjoyed a rare chance for the hosts but saw his shot saved by Croatia goalkeeper Vedran Runje.
The match appeared destined for a draw before Martsvaladze played in Kobiashvili in the 90th minute, and the Hertha Berlin midfielder smashed home a shot from just inside the area.
Georgia, who are now unbeaten in 10 matches under manager Temuri Ketsbaia, move into third place with six points.
Croatia remain top with 10 points, ahead of Greece.
Elsewhere in Group F, Israel defeated Latvia 2-1 at home.
Racing Genk forward Elyaniv Barda put Israel ahead after 16 minutes at the Ramat Gan Stadium.
Defender Kaspars Gorkss of Queens Park Rangers levelled for Latvia just after the hour mark, but Celtic midfielder Baram Kayal restored Israel’s lead with what proved to be the winner nine minutes from time.
Israel are now fourth, level on points with fifth-placed Latvia but ahead courtesy of a superior goal difference.
Arsene Wenger has hit out at the Premier League for the way they have sold out to SKY in the way they have laid out the fixtures this season. The Arsenal boss feels it is unfair that they have to face so many top sides in the opening weeks of the season and believes it wouldn’t happen in any other country.
Elsewhere in the papers Vincent Kompany believes United can go for the title; Arsenal look to hijack Lille’s move for Chu-Young, while United reveal they snubbed a move for Nasri after broken promises.
Ferguson takes pot shot at Wenger’s barren run at Arsenal – Guardian
City can go for the title, says Kompany – Guardian
Capello captivated by United’s class of ’11 – Guardian
Arsenal swoop for £10m Park Chu-Young – Daily Telegraph
Hargreaves: I offered to play for United for free – Daily Telegraph
Stoke splash £15m to tie up Crouch and Palacios deals – Daily Mail
Terry says no one’s safe while sending out warning to new-look United – Daily Mail
United snubbed Nasri after broken promises – Mirror
Drogba scans all clear following horror collision – Mirror
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Arsene Wenger hits out at Premier League fixture-compilers for selling out to Sky – People
Luka Modric still trying to figure out his escape route from Tottenham – People