Suarez to Liverpool

Liverpool Savior?

Times have been tough at Liverpool for some time now. Okay, so the runners-up finish in the 2007-08 season was nice, but it was a mere blip on the radar for a club that has been in a steady decline for quite some time now.

Things hit rock bottom this year. The Reds have lost ten matches already, were swept by EPL newcomers Blackpool, watched the form of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard suffer, and saw any chances of a top four finish go out the window by the New Year.

But 'Pool may have just been thrown a lifeline. It comes in the form of young striker Luis Suarez, who fell into their laps for a shockingly low price (in today's game), and gives them a chance to start really turning things around at Anfield.

It was a lifeline they desperately needed.

The team looked underwhelming throughout the season. The squad wasn't great last year, and a series of impulse summer buys weren't working out (Rau Miereles being the exception). Just look at Joe Cole and Paul Konchesky, who have been complete non-factors and both appear to already have a foot out the door. Meanwhile, the likes of Christian Poulsen and Milan Jovanovic are still question marks having lacked consistency.

There was much off-field drama surrounding the club, too. We all remember the ownership mess that finally culminated with New England Sports Ventures (headed by Boston Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner) taking over in November, the Roy Hodgson fiasco that ended close to the New Year, not to mention the ongoing Fernando Torres transfer saga.

But while the papers focused on the soap operas (and surely the distractions didn't help), the real cause of their struggles was surely a basic lack of quality in the squad.

With only Torres and Gerrard able to put the team on their backs, they were clearly in need of an infusion of talent to give them someone else to take pressure off those two.

Well, Werner and company made funds available for interim manager Kenny Daglish for this January. And it will surely pay off with the purchase of the Ajax striker and Uruguay International, which came at a price of €26.5 million.

I first read about Suarez after he arrived from Groningen in the summer of 2007 and promptly amassed 22 goals and 14 assists. Having learned about him, I began to watch Ajax matches on the internet to see what the youngster was all about. I was immediately impressed. The 24-year old was simply a pleasure to watch during his time in the Eredivisie.

He became a bona-fide goal scorer at a very young age and did so immediately after making the move to the big time. Plus he had both the ability to score the brilliant goal, and pop up at the right time to net a poacher's goal as well.

Okay, so it was just the Eredivisie, a league where defense is not exactly at a premium. But check out some of the goals the guy has scored. These are just a few highlights, and you'll see there are quite a few goals of great quality.

I won't toot my own horn too much on this one. But after what I had seen on my laptop, I felt Suarez was destined for stardom before the 2010 World Cup even began (that doesn't make me some sort of soothsayer, just someone who watches way too much soccer). In South Africa, he and Diego Forlan set the tournament alight with goals and helped the team to a shock semifinal appearance.

For me, Suarez is already a far more dangerous player than the more well-known Forlan. Yes, both of them are world class strikers. But Suarez can also be employed effectively as a center forward or winger, allowing him to roam around the pitch and bring defenders with him, which would be absolutely massive in terms of taking pressure off of Torres and Gerrard. Forlan got a lot of the press, but I'd say Suarez was just as valuable if not more so than he last summer .

Suarez has also been a beacon of consistency in a game where strikers go in and out of form on the regular. After a great first year at Ajax, he returned last season to score an unbelievable 35 goals in the Eredivisie.

If you want to get an idea of how good he was, let's look at it this this way; Suarez has scored an exceptional seven goals in 13 appearances this year. Yet those decent numbers represent the worst form of his career at Ajax.

And then the kid caps it off with a clutch score like this one against South Korea in the World Cup's Round of 16? Clearly, we're talking about a player that not only knows how to score, but can also do it in the highest of pressure situations.

Of course, I am ignoring one factor that everyone loves to harp on: character. Suarez has persistently picked up pointless yellow cards and has been the subject of a diving controversy or three. And of course there is the famed "biting incident" that took place against PSV in November. He would be suspended for eight matches due to his absurd actions.

But if Liverpool want to win, they should have no problem taking that sort of chance on a player that has done nothing but produce on the field despite the rage expressed against him off of it. If Suarez can handle the physicality of the EPL, where his oft-questioned mentality will be put to its highest test, then he will surely flourish as his talents and accomplishments as a striker are already on par with most premiership strikers.

Add in the fact that he could be at 'Pool for a long, long time due to his young age, and maybe, just maybe, the Reds have made the long awaited purchase that can turn their season around. Perhaps it might turn around the club's fortunes as a whole in the process.

Where was everyone else?!

Look, I know that €26.5M is a lot of money. But in a market where the Manchester City's, Real Madrid's, and Chelsea's of the world are spending more than that on the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Andrei Shevchenko, and Karim Benzema, you'd have to say Suarez is coming at a bargain.

One has to wonder why Man City would drop all that cash on Edin Dzeko, when an even better player was available for less. Hell, what is Chelsea doing wasting their time spending a similar sum on a solid center back in David Luiz when they could have had a perfect striker to play off of Drogba for the same price?

These clubs had been linked with Suarez in the past. But Ajax clearly had a price tag on his head throughout, and they surely jacked up his transfer value after signing him to an extension last year.

And suddenly, a player that was one of the top scorers in Europe, became one of the breakout performers in South Africa, and is only 24-years of age is sold for a price that in today's transfer market seems sensible? I'll never understand it.

Gap Widens in Spain

A 3-0 win for Barcelona is routine at this point. They beat Deportivo la Coruña by that score over the weekend, getting an early goal from Pedro and two late scores from Messi.

But the real story went down in Pamplona, where Osasuna shocked Real Madrid 1-0. After enjoying a great run of form, it's all come undone for Jose Mourinho's team. They're losing track of Barca at the top of the table after dropping points in this one and against Almería earlier in the month.

Even more troubling is their goal-scoring record. Despite having an array of offensively talent (Ronaldo, Ozil, Benzema and Di Maria to name a few), they have scored just four times in their last five matches.

The defense has definitely been Mourinho-esque, and we've seen his teams grind out results in this manner before finding their form and finishing strong. But with this Barcelona team being their main competition, dropping five points over five matches (as Real have done) is essentially a death wish.

Mourinho may take some criticism for losing out this season. But even the "Special One" can't pull this off. Barca are simply too good.

In case you missed it...

What a golaso this is from Charles Takyi of St. Pauli. The Ghanaian helped his team gain three crucial points in their battle against relegation in the Bundesliga, netting a brace against Koln.

Mid Week Review

NOTE: MORE TO COME TONIGHT INCLUDING ANALYSIS OF LUIS SUAREZ'S TRANSFER FROM AJAX TO LIVERPOOL

United do it Again

I try to show as little bias as possible in these blogs. But sometimes when it comes to Manchester United, I just can't help myself.

I'm a huge Arsenal fan, and watching United come back from 2-0 down Tuesday in typical Man U fashion against Blackpool made my blood boil. In fact, it ruined what should have been a great day that saw Arsenal book their ticket to Wembley for the Carling Cup Final.

United went down 2-0 in the first half at Bloomfield Road but responded with three goals in the final 20 minutes. And it was a typical performance for the Red Devils: come out sluggish, fall behind, and then show great confidence and swagger by coming back to win.

It should be noted that Man U were extremely lucky to escape what was an obvious penalty for Blackpool in the second half, and that could have extended the lead to an insumrountable 3-0 deficit early in the second half.

With a little bit of luck bouying their spirits, the visitors battled back, showing the resolve and fight that Sir Alex Ferguson's team has embodied all year. And when all was said and done, they still held the key to this season' title chase.

The early returns were in favor of Blackpool. And their 2-0 lead at the break was well deserved.

The first came in the 15th minute when Charlie Adam found the head of former United Schoolboy Craig Cathcart, who got behind Demitar Berbatov in the box.

The home side kept the pressure on.

Elliot Grandin skied his shot from 10-yards as the Tangerines pressed forward.

Edwin van der Sar made a fine save on a strike from distance by David Vaughan in the 27th. But the ensuing corner would double the lead.

Adam's in-swinger glanced off the head of Darron Gibson and fell to the head of D.J. Campbell at the far post. He made no mistake to make it 2-0.

The second half ended up belonging to United. But it was Blackpool who started off the stronger of the two teams.

Ian Holloway was justifiably furious when Rafael ran over Luke Varney in the box. Replays showed that he had clumsily clattered into the Blackpool midfielder.

Then United turned on the jets.

Nani tested Kingson but saw his effort turned away. Then Gibson did well to create space but the Ghanaian was again up to the task.

Javier Hernandez entered for Wayne Rooney in the 66th. And Man U continued to look dangerous.

Then in a blink of eye the match was tied.

In the 72nd, Fletcher got in behind and tapped across the face of goal to Berbatov for an easy finish.

Just three minutes later, Hernandez latched onto a Giggs through ball with only Kingson to beat, and he finished well for the equalizer.

A long delay ensued after a mid-air collision and hard fall left Rafael lying on the pitch for for seven minutes. The Brazilian right back will miss this weekend's FA Cup tie with a concussion.

Berbatov's winner was brilliant, as he latched onto another fine ball from Giggs and glided into the box with a defender draped on his shoulder, before setting up the third goal on his left foot. The score sent United and the away fans into pandemonium, as they had scored yet another brilliant comeback to get the points.

Mainly in part to Rafael's injury, ten minutes of extra time were added on. But the Tangerines couldn't muster an opportunity the rest of the way.

Sorry Wigan

It's happy days at Aston Villa, as the strugglers took their second consecutive victory in comfortable fashion.

Villa were dominant throughout in a 2-1 win over Wigan at the DW Stadium.

For the second straight match, Latics goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi was brilliant. And he did well to save Carlos Cuellar's header from a corner in the 49th, but Gabriel Agbonlahor was stationed perfectly to nod home the rebound for the opener.

The Villians would go up 2-0 13 minutes later when a clumsy challenge from Hendry Thomas took away the legs of Ashley Young in the box. He stepped up to the spot and sent Al Habsi the wrong way to make it 2-0.

Wigan pulled one back in the 80th. James McCarthy's long shot took a major deflection off of James Collins and sailed into the right corner.

Villa have finally gotten some much-needed momentum with the past two wins. They'll talk about getting into the top six, but that seems unlikely.

While the winners are making a move up the table, Wigan look like a side resigned to their fate. After all, the Latics have been terrible from day one.

There's a small bit of quality on the attack with the likes of Hugo Rodallega and Charles N'Zogbia. But N'Zogbia has been enigmatic at best whilst trying to force his way out of the club and Rodallega doesn't get the best of service. The result? A pathetic 20 goals all season.

Then there's the defense. I've seen some amateurish mistakes on defense this season, but has anyone made more of them than Wigan? How is Cuellar allowed a free header off of a corner for Villa's first goal? Meanwhile, Thomas' foul on Young was unbelievably mistimed and came while the winger wasn't in a a shooting position.

I watch the mistakes that Wigan continue to make and have a hard time believing they will remain in the EPL.

In case you Missed it

What a fantastic match in the Carling Cup second leg between Birmingham and West Ham.

The Blues fell behind early on a stunning strike from Carlton Cole. But the home side came back to win the tie in extra time with three goals of great quality as well.

Check out these highlights. You won't regret it.

Meanwhile, the Copa del Rey goes on in Spain. And Barcelona are still annihilating everyone in their path. Enjoy some of the goals from their blowout win over Almería.

Weekend in Review

Results

Manchester United 5-0 Birmingham
Arsenal 3-0 Wigan
Aston Villa 1-0 Manchester City
Newcastle 1-1 Tottenham
Blackpool 2-1 Sunderland
Liverpool 3-0 Wolves
Blackburn 2-0 West Brom
Fulham 2-0 Stoke City
Everton 2-2 West Ham

The Title Chase

Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all cruised to full points over the weekend.

But Man City didn't do their job, losing 1-0 at Villa Park, falling three points off the lead in the process.

Darren Bent's controversial transfer from Sunderland to Aston Villa was the story of the week. And he added to the intrigue by scoring the only goal of the match to help the Villians to just their second win in 11 matches.

Bent netted the winner in the 18th minute. Ashley Young made a nice run up the left side and got into scoring position, before Joe Hart parried his strike directly into the path of Bent, who finished calmly with a low strike.

In my opinion, City's second place posiition coming into the weekend was somewhat of a mirage. For starters, United had two games in hand on Mancini and company.

But mainly I look at City and I don't see a team capable of going on a nice run of form that would truly worry Man U. Considering United's two games in hand, it would take at least five wins on the trot for City to pull within striking distance. They haven't shown they are good enough to do that yet.

Obviously the ability is there to make a serious run. But there doesn't seem to be enough on-field chemistry (no surprise), while Mancini's conservative tactics make it hard for the Sky Blues to get three points every single week. We saw that against Villa, where the Bent goal turned the game plan on its head, and City seemed to have a tough time mustering a major response until the final 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, the win gives Aston Villa a much-needed spark. But they still have a lot of work to do. Bent is a fine addition, but it's not like they were firing on all cylinders going forward in this one. Clearly, The jury is still out on whether their new striker will indeed turn the season around.

Manchester United's 5-0 win has to have sent a clear message to other title challengers, and it reads something like this: "Either play great football the rest of the season, or we'll be well ahead of the pack sooner rather than later."

Look, Man U's worst form is behind them. They somehow managed to come through that early season malaise without losing an EPL match. Now they're rounding into form nicely and starting to become the dominant force that you expect from a champion.

The performance against Birmingham was world class (I know it's Birmingham, but 5-0 against EPL opposition is damn impressive). Berbatov is back to his scoring ways while Wayne Rooney still searches for his best form.

Nani has developed into one of the league's best wingers as well. Few players scare a defense the way he does when he cuts inside from the right wing. The 24-year old is an incredibly skilled player, but he can also unleash a shot from anywhere, and with either foot. It took some time, but the Red Devils have clearly found a replacement for Ronaldo.

I have to say I'm shocked that Man U are sitting atop the table right now. Their start to the season was uninspiring at least; they weren't scoring goals, they were giving up leads, and lacked a consistent goal scorer on the ground lines.

Somehow they escaped that period without a defeat, and a lot of the credit has to go to Sir Alex Ferguson. His teams have always had a knack for not playing up to their standards and still getting the result. Hell, that is basically what they did for the first two months of the season this year. Fergie's teams are always calm and confident even when they are not at their best, and that's why the Red Devils are currently favorites to win the league.

While Man U are able to get the results on their worst day, Arsenal have not. They have not been sub-par in as many matches as Ferguson's bunch, but they tend to drop full points when they do struggle. Looking back at the fixture list and seeing losses at the Emirates to Newcastle and West Brom has to hurt, and they also blew that 2-0 lead in a devastating loss to Tottenham just before Thanksgiving. Take just six points from those nine they dropped and they're sitting pretty right now.

With both fixtures already played against Chelsea and Man City, the Gunners really could be sitting pretty in pole position had they taken care of business. But the "what if" game has become an all too familiar one for Arsenal fans.

That being said, they may be the team with the best chance to catch the Red Devils. The domestic schedule is about to ease up for the Gunners. Their next four EPL fixtures are versus Everton, at Newcastle, and then home to Wolves and Stoke. That's a stretch where Arsene Wenger should expect his team to pick up maximum points in all four matches (especially with the way the team is playing right now).

The defense has also been strong in past weeks. An area where Arsenal have consistently failed to play a good 90 minutes this season. Center-half Johan Djourou may be the unsung hero of the team when all is said and done, as he returned from a major knee injury playing better football than he has over his whole career. With Sebastian Squillaci and Thomas Vermaelen both out, his presence on the back four has been a massive lift for Wenger's squad.

Arsenal have gained four clean sheets over their last seven matches, and have yielded more than one goal in a match just once since late November.

We all know that they can score goals, but if they can continue to play well at the back (this obviously requires the good health of Djourou and Koscielny as they are the only healthy center backs), they might be able to go on the type of run that will have United checking their rear view mirror often.

Don't forget about Chelsea, as the Blues may have sparked a revival at Stamford Bridge over the last fortnight. They notched their second consecutive win with an impressive 3-0 victory against Bolton at the Reebok.

Didier Drogba got back on the score sheet with a screamer from close to 30-yards. His form is essential for Chelsea, and we've seen how the goals dry up when he's not playing well(i.e. this year and throughout the Luiz Felipe Scolari disaster).

As I wrote last week, the Blues are beginning a crucial list of fixtures that includes trips to Sunderland and Everton, plus a home match with suddenly resurgent Liverpool.

Obviously Frank Lampard needs to get back to full fitness, but the Blues are finally healthy again otherwise. They've dug a deep hole for themselves, but I wouldn't count them out just yet.

Ascending, Descending

You've got to marvel at the job Steve Keen has done thus far at Blackburn. The one time interim manager has earned himself a three-year extension thanks to Rovers' fine play since his hiring.

Under Keen, Blackburn have turned it around, winning four of their last six while moving up to 7th in the table.

They've also greatly upgraded the squad during the current transfer window. The jury is still out on Roque Santa Cruz, but they've handed him a great opportunity to show he can still play. Meanwhile, I love the signing of Schalke d-mid Jermaine Jones. He's a hard-nosed guy that will do all of the dirty work behind the ball, allowing the more attacking-minded Morten Gamst Pedersen or David Dunn to move forward in the middle. It also permits the likes of El-Hadji Diouf, David Hoilett or Dunn to exercise more freedom on the flanks.

I was very impressed Blackburn in their 2-0 victory over West Brom on Sunday. It's the first time I've gotten a real good look at them during their current run of form, and they played some very attractive football and could have easily scored more than two. They look so much more positive than they did under Sam Allardyce.

But let's not get too excited about Keen just yet. Many a side have had a temporary resurgence under new direction, and fallen back to earth soon after. I think the extension was a serious overreaction from Rovers' new owners, although we've seen many managerial contracts torn up well before reaching their conclusion.

Things are going in the opposite direction at Bolton. Wanderers looked ready to contend for a surprise Europa League bid (and had an outside chance at the top four) just over a month ago.

It's all come crumbling down since. They haven't won an EPL match since Boxing Day, and they haven't been victorious in consecutive matches since mid-November.

Johan Elmander started off the season brightly, but he hasn't scored a league goal during the current slump and has just one goal in his last nine. For my money, he's shown that he is a formidable striker of great quality this season (just check out this goal against Wolves). But they need another scoring force to pick up the slack when he isn't hitting the back of the net. Unfortunately for Wanderers, Kevin Davies' goals have also dried up, as he hasn't scored a league goal since October.

For a team that started off the season firing on all cylinders offensively, the previous month has to be a bit unceasing for Bolton fans. But maybe we should have seen this one coming, BWFC's schedule was incredibly unbalanced. Just check out the fixture list, they have plenty of more challenging fixtures, which could easily result in their dreams of Europe could fading away quickly.

At the Bottom

The battle for survival is heating up, and there are a multitude of teams that haven't yet assured themselves of safety.

We've talked a lot about West Ham the past few weeks (I would like to reiterate that I DO NOT think the Hammers will go down). But really it's Wigan that has gotten my attention with their ineptitude.

The Latics' performance at Arsenal on Saturday was simply miserable. They failed to create a single chance until late against a team that's famous for making their fans nervous in the back, couldn't even posses the ball in their own half, and looked disinterested in the second half despite escaping into the break trailing just 1-0 when the home team could have easily been out of sight.

Roberto Martinez wants his team to play attractive football. But maybe it's time to go back to the basics by focusing on defense and counter-attacking.

While Wigan have looked listless, Wolves have been committed to avoiding the drop from day one. They went down convincingly to Liverpool over the weekend, but they've shown time and time again that they will be able to respond and play on.

However, it will take a hot streak scoring goals to keep them up. Wolves have had their chances this season, but they've been miserable when it comes to getting an actual goal. Kevin Doyle was one of the catalysts last year, but he's scored just twice this season and no one has picked up the slack. The result has been just 24 goals in 23 matches, tied for third worst in the EPL.

Keep an eye on West Brom, who are falling rapidly down the table.

I was impressed with Roberto Di Matteo's men early in the season. They do have a ton more quality than the last two Baggies sides that went down. W.B.A. can score some goals with the likes of Peter Odimwingie (one of the best buys of the EPL season for me) and Jerome Thomas (a talented winger who can stretch the defense).

But the defense has been straight miserable, having given up an astonishing 43 goals.

The Baggies' home form has kept them going, but if they keep defending so poorly it won't matter in May.

Weekend Preview

EPL

Aston Villa will hope to get the Darren Bent Era off to a good start tomorrow afternoon when they host title contending Manchester City.

Bent makes his debut at Villa Park against a side he has scored six goals against over his last nine matches.

He'll have a tough time against Roberto Mancini's defensive style. But City did show they were vulnerable at the back when they gave up three goals to struggling Wolves last weekend, and two to NPower Championship side Leicester City at mid-week.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Agbonlahor is working his way towards his best form. He's struggled with injuries and is yet to score this season. But the Englishman has looked better in recent weeks, and can only benefit with Bent drawing defenders away from him.

The City "D" will likely have to cope with another Villa debutant. Veteran midfielder Jean Makoun should make his first appearance for the Villians after problems with a work-permit prevented him from doing so last week against Birmingham.

Gerard Houllier knows his former Lyon player well. And it will be interesting to see how he chooses to use the versatile midfielder, who is a very effect defensive player but can also have a crack from distance and/or work as a playmaker.

Ashley Young is back from a one-game suspension. Emile Heskey still has one-match remaining on his.

With some new toys to play with, and the increased fitness of Agbonlahor, this is likely the most potent lineup that Villa have fielded all year.

As for Man City, they come into the match looking to keep track with leaders Manchester United (whom they are tied with on points with but Man U have two matches in hand).

Newly acquired Edin Dzeko looked promising in last week's win over Wolves. He should start up front alongside the in-form Carlos Tevez.

Tevez has been a bad man over past weeks. He has six goals and two assists over his last six games, with many of those being of the world class variety. The veteran pairing of James Collins and Richard Dunne will have to deal with most of the pressure from City's new strike duo.

Attacking midfielder David Silva has also been pulling the strings after a short adjustment period to EPL football. With the pace and creativity of Tevez, and size and power of Dzeko now in front of him, he should be licking his chops.

The club announced this week that Mario Balotelli will be out for at least a month with a knee injury.

Title favorites Manchester United will expect to cruise to three points when Birmingham visits Old Trafford.

The Blues have been miserable on the road since gaining promotion two seasons ago, as they've only won once in the league in enemy territory since then.

Rafael is out after twice seeing yellow in last week's scoreless draw at Tottenham. But Wes Brown is back and could get the start in his absence.

Look for Sir Alex Ferguson to rest several regulars for this one, as a quick look ahead on the fixture list reveals a difficult trip to Blackpool three days later, which represents the match in hand Man U have on chasers Chelsea and Arsenal.

Alex McLeish's side are mired in a battle for survival at the bottom of the table, making this a very tough fixture for them. They did manage a 1-1 draw with Man U in December thanks to a late goal from Lee Bowyer.

McLeish will have options to pick from in the attack. Cameron Jerome and Sebastian Larsson are back and fit after being sidelined with injuries.

Alexander Hleb has been a disaster during his time on loan from Barcelona. But his skill gives them a new look in midfield, and he should get the nod with James McFadden still out.

Center half Scott Dann's injury is a massive blow to the defense. One of the team's more reliable defenders is out for the season with a hamstring injury. Now the question is whether they move Liam Ridgewell (who has been struggling in recent weeks) into the middle or use backup Martin Jiranek.

With Dann out of an already leaky back-line, this would be a great opportunity for Wayne Rooney to get on the scoresheet and find his best form.

Arsenal dropped two frustrating points in a 2-2 draw at Wigan last month, being denied two stonewall penalties in the second half and giving up a late equalizer to the ten-men Latics. They'll be out for revenge in the rematch at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsene Wenger's boys looked great in last week's win against West Ham. And no one looked better than striker Robin Van Persie. A fit and on-form RVP is as good as any forward in the EPL, and he could lead a late-season charge at glory for the Gunners after scoring twice and assisting once at Upton Park, and scoring after coming on as a substitute in the mid-week FA Cup clash with Leeds.

Long term absentee Thomas Vermaelen is out for at least another month and Sebastian Squillaci is also unavailable. Meanwhile, Lukasz Fabianski still has a shoulder problem, leaving young gun Wojciech Szczęsny to deputize.

Arsenal are starting to fire on all cylinders on the attack, which could spell trouble for Wigan's back-four. Van Persie's fine form has coincided with Theo Walcott's best season as an Arsenal player. Also, Cesc Fabregas is finally looking himself after a persistent hamstring injury had caused his problems. His linking play (especially with EPL Player of the Year candidate Samir Nasri), has given the team a new dimension.

Abou Diaby is also back after two months on the sidelines. The midfieleder could see action off the bench.

It's not going to be easy for Roberto Martinez' side. They've never won against Arsenal in London, and currently sit amongst the bottom three in the table.

Victor Moses and James McCarthy returned to training this week. But aren't back fit quite yet. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Chris Kirkland is a question mark after suffering an injury last week.

Former Chelsea man Franco di Santo is back from an ankle injury after coming on as a substitute last week.

Speaking of Chelsea, they'll hope a 2-0 win over Blackburn last week has gotten them back on track. And we should know more when they get a visit from pesky Bolton.

The match doesn't take place until Monday afternoon. But it should be a good one. A result is vital for both teams, both of whom are trying to reverse recent runs of bad form.

Chelsea's fall from grace has been well documented. But Bolton are winless in their last four and have taken just four points from their last six EPL matches. If they want to march back up the table and challenge for Europe they'll have to turn things around very soon. And this would be a nice opportunity to do so. (MORE IN-DEPTH COVERAGE ON THIS FIXTURE COMING SUNDAY EVENING, AS THE TEAM NEWS HAS NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED).

It's been a great season thus far at White Hart Lane. But Tottenham will need to get back to business quickly after last week's disappointing draw with Man U. Spurs currently sit eight points behind the leaders, and have played one more match, making this desperation time for Harry Redknapp's side if they intend to make a true push for the trophy.

New signing Steven Pienaar should be on the bench. It will be interesting to see how he gels with a very strong midfield if introduced at some point in the second half.

Jermaine Defoe is hoping to finally endure a run of good form after struggling so much with injuries. He's made just eight appearances in the EPL this season, and made his first start of 2011 last week.

Unfortunately for Hotspur, there are several contributors still on the shelf with injury. The absences of Tom Huddlestone and Ledley King leave them somewhat exposed up the middle of the pitch.

The hosts have been on a fine run of form lately. But seeing the Whites will bring back bad memories, as their last loss in the league came against them.

Leading scorer Andy Carroll would have been a terror for an inconsistent Tottenham back four, but he remains out with a thigh strain. Fellow striker Alan Smith may be out for the year after suffering an ankle injury last week at Sunderland.

Young midfielder Dan Gosling is back amongst the wounded with knee swelling after making his first appearance since injuring it seriously last season with Everton.

Cheik Tiote is serving the middle match of a three-game ban.

The team will be boosted by the inclusion of Kevin Nolan, who plans to play despite a throat infection.

Darren Bent-less Sunderland head to Bloomfield Road to take on Blackpool.

It was a tough week for Steve Bruce and company. They lost Bent to Aston Villa, while fellow attack man Danny Welbeck was ruled out for up to two months with a knee injury.

That means that Asamoah Gyan may be employed as the loan striker for the Black Cats, as he is the only fit striker in the first team. (FOR MORE ANALYSIS OF BENT'S DEPARTURE, SEE MY PREVIOUS POST FROM EARLIER IN THE DAY).

Despite a lack of firepower, the visitors can feel good about their defense, who are tied with Man City for total clean sheets.

However, they will be tested by Ian Holloway's attacking-minded Seasiders.

Holloway will most likely still be missing Marlon Harewood. A more plausible return for him figures to come on Tuesday against Manchester United.

The key as always is Charlie Adam. Adam's distribution out of the back is the one major factor that could unlock the stingy Sunderland defense. He'll surely be looking for D.J. Campbell, who has scored five times in his last six matches.

The odds of Wolves taking six points from six against Liverpool this season couldn't have been good. But Wanderers have a chance to do just that when they host the Reds at Mollineux. It would be the first time Wolverhampton have swept the Reds in an astounding 50 years.

Mick McCarthy will hope to use new addition Adam Hammill in midfield. The former Liverpool player signed this week from Barnsley.

David Edwards could make the bench after making progress with his hamstring injury.

Sylvan-Ebanks Blake misses out again thanks to a calf strain, while George Elokobi serves the final game his three-match ban.

Like Elokobi, Liverpool Captain Steven Gerard is serving the final game of his suspension.

Winger Milan Jovanovic may miss out, as he has missed practice all week with illness.

Kenny Daglish can be happy with the current play of Fernando Torres, who has looked much better in recent weeks.

Blackburn's fortunes have turned under Steve Keen, and he was rewarded with a new contract last week to go along with a few new players.

The big addition was Roque Santa Cruz. The embattled striker saw little playing time at Manchester City, and will want to turn his career around with Rovers after signing on loan for the rest of the season.

Also in the fold is American Jermaine Jones. The feisty defensive midfielder joined last week from Schalke.

Captain Ryan Nelsen faces a race against time as he tries to return fit from a knee injury.

Steven Nzonzi and David Dunn are expected to feature after shaking off injuries, while Keith Andrews and Vince Grella are back after long-term problems.

The Baggies have a few injuries of their own. Steven Reid is still working his way back to 100% with a knee problem, while Marc Antoine-Fortune and Giles Barnes might miss out as well.

It's been a season to forget for Everton. The Toffees have been languishing at the bottom-half of the table for much of the year, and now are without Pienaar in the midfield to boot.

Something's gotta give when they face last place West Ham United at Goodison Park. The Hammers have won only once away from home this season. But few teams have played worse at home in 2010/11 than Everton, who have only won three times on home soil.

Everton's Louis Saha faces a late fitness test ahead of the clash. Meanwhile, Tim Cahill is still representing Australia in the Asia Cup.

David Moyes will welcome back solid center half Phil Jagielka.

Under-fire Avram Grant will be thrilled to have captain Scott Parker back fit. But he still has a host of other injury problems to overcome. Thomas Hitzelsperger , Manuel de Costa, and Lars Jacobsen all remain sidelined.

Herita Illunga is doubtful with a hamstring injury, while Victor Obinna will miss out due to suspension.

Fulham also take on Stoke City at Craven Cottage. Mark Hughes will want to turn the fortunes of the Cottagers around soon, or they will be stuck in a battle for premiership survival.

It's been better times for Tony Pulis' bunch. Some bad luck and even worse officiating saw them off to a bad start this season. But they're up to 8th after notching ten points from the last 15 available.

Trouble at Sunderland

The Darren Bent saga will surely go down as the biggest shock of this transfer window. But the effects of his departure will surely effect the club he is departing more so than that of Aston Villa. His sudden move, combined with a host of other factors, could cause a halt to the current progress being made at Sunderland.

The Black Cats have become a decent side this season. For my money, Steve Bruce is a fine manager who has helped the team go from a side ensconced in the relegation battle, to a mid-table team last year, to a legitimately dangerous side in 2010-11 with serious intentions of qualifying for the Europa League.

What has to make Bent's loss even more frustrating is that the team was just beginning to play their best football. They've slowly come into their own over the last few months. The 3-0 win at Chelsea served as a coming out party for the youthful tandem of Danny Welbeck and Asamoah Gyan. That win was their first away from home in over a year, and they appeared to be getting things together away from the Stadium of Light by stealing a few more points in enemy territory.

They were undefeated in their last three before the loss of Bent. And while fellow Europa League hopefuls Bolton have been struggling, the Black Cats appeared to be on the ascendency.

All of that optimism may have just vanished in the blink of an eye. Not only did they lose a proven goal-scorer in Bent, but they'll also be without promising front man Danny Welbeck. He's out for eight weeks after suffering knee damage.

That leaves Gyan as the only fit striker on the first team at present. And Bruce has less than ten days to find a replacement for Bent.

This could be a pivotal moment not just in Sunderland's season, but also for the club overall. We've seen many a mid-table team flirt with Europe before. Portsmouth were in that category years ago and we all know what happened with them, Fulham made it all the way to the Europe League Final last season before losing Hodgson to Liverpool (now they fight against relegation), and Birmingham gave you the idea that they might give it a go this season, yet they are also battling the drop after failing to sign a host of key players they were linked with (Camaranesi before the year, and most recently Robbie Keane).

As you can see, plenty have gotten as far as Bruce has with the Black Cats. But an inability to hold onto or buy key cogs has doomed most of them (not that it's an impossible task as Tottenham has shown).

Now the question is whether Bruce's boys will head down that same road back to mediocrity.

A bid to Europe would have given them enough financial flexibility to continue their trend upwards. Hell, they could have added to the transfer kitty by selling Bent anyways in the summer and had more than enough time and money to find a replacement.

Instead, the selling of Bent and subsequent injury to Welbeck leaves them in dire straights. They've lost their veteran goal-scorer, and now are relying on Gyan in his first EPL season to carry them the rest of the way when it comes to scoring goals. I don't see that happening.

If Gyan doesn't step up and an adequate replacement for Bent is not found, we could see Sunderland drop out of the Europa spots (of course much of that depends on who wins the FA/Carling Cups), and maybe even finish the season in the bottom half of the table.

If that happens, it could be the beginning of the end for Bruce, who worked so hard to build the team up over the past two seasons. And if you look at what happened to Portsmouth and potentially Fulham/Birmingham, this might be a turning point for the club that sees them go from upstart challengers back to relegation strugglers.

We'll have to wait and see what happens. After all, Bruce will have plenty of money at his disposal this summer after the Bent deal. But if his team aren't playing in Europe, it will be hard to attract another goal-scorer of Bent's quality to the club. And that could spell doom for the Black Cats over the remainder of this and upcoming seasons.

Tuesday Transfer Talk and FA Cup Wrap

Bent Deal Done

In one of the shocks of the current transfer season, Darren Bent is headed to Aston Villa for an up to £25M when all is said and done (Villa will play close to 18M up front).

I analyzed this deal extensively in last night's blog. But it really is a big move for both clubs.

Perhaps the firepower up front from Bent will provide a much-needed shot in the arm for Gerard Houllier's team. But any dreams of Europe would appear far-fetched considering their current position in the table.

The loss of Bent is huge for Sunderland, as it takes away a proven goalscorer from a young and vibrant team that continually shows themselves to be drastically underrated. Gyan/Welbeck is a promsing force up front even without Bent, Jordan Henderson is an extremely promising youngster on the wing, and the defense is top 5 in goals against.

Meanwhile, Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is none too happy with the sudden move of his leading goalscorer, saying that he was not the same player over past weeks and that he has let the club down.

The Black Cats got another bit of bad news regarding Man U loanee Danny Welbeck. Welbeck missed the Tyneside Derby with Newcastle thanks to a hamstring injury, and now the club plans to administer exploratory surgery on the youngster's knee, which apparently has been paining him for some time now.

If the Welbeck injury is a serious one, it could spell disaster combined with Bent's departure. Frazier Campbell is out with a long term knee injury as well, and that means Gyan is the only fit striker for the Black Cats for this weekend's clash at Blackpool.

Bruce and company will likely have to act quick in the transfer market. Otherwise goals may be hard to come by for the rest of the season.

More Transfer Talk

Meanwhile, Steven Pienaar was in London for a physical, hoping to finalize his move to Tottenham.

Harry Redknapp is hoping that the signing will pay immediate dividends. And he is prepared to announce him in the squad as early as this weekend.


I'm not sure how this move works for Tottenham. They have been so active in the transfer market of late that it feels like they are buying players just for the hell of it.

Where will a winger/attacking mid like Pienaar fit in? Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon have been fixtures on the flanks, and do-it-all midfielder Luca Modric plays the attacking central role. Pienaar won't be seeing much time at center forward either with Rafael van der Vaart in that spot.

Maybe this signals a possible transfer of Modric in the summer (whom several clubs has been linked with). But what do I know?

For my money, Spurs need help in the back. Instead they have bolstered an already strong midfield with a player that will have to fight for minutes. And they're going to have to pay him a ton of money to do so.

Tottenham are a side of great quality and potential, but they aren't Chelsea or Man City, so they need to be careful and make sure their buys are wise ones. With van der Vaart and Pienaar adding to an increasing wage bill, Tottenham could find themselves in a bit of financial bother should they fail to qualify for the Champions League.

There's one more transfer story to report, and it involves Ryan Babel of Liverpool. The young Dutchman came to Anfield amidst a ton of high hopes, but struggled to crack the starting lineup during his time as a Red.

Now he's headed to Germany to play for Hoffenheim.

Let's remember that depite their struggles and lack of big time purchases, 'Pool have still spent a ton of money on transfers since last summer (with a ton of average buys of unproven player). This at least makes a little bit of that money back.

It's also a nice move for Hoffenheim. The Bundesliga club appear to be on the verge of losing star goalscorer Demba Ba. Babel would be a nice replacement if he can re-discover the form of his younger years.

From the FA Cup

Manchester City 4-2 Leicester City

15'- Tevez
19'- Gallagher (PK)
37'- Viera
38'- Johnson
58'- Tevez (MISSED PK)
83'- Dyer
90'- Kolarov

Roberto Mancini's side held off a stubborn Leicester City side at Eastlands, advancing to the fourth round of the cup in the process.

Carlos Tevez opened up the scoring in the 15th minute. He controlled a throw-in, got a bit of fortune when the ball bounced off a defender and back off of him to send him to the races. But his finish was sublime, as he ferociously blistered the ball high to the far post.

Less than five minutes later, Lloyd Dyer split a defender and Patrick Viera in the box, and won a penalty when Viera stuck his leg out to clip the Leicester striker. Paul Gallagher boldly struck his penalty right up the middle for the lead.

City were back in the lead in the 37th.

A beautiful cross-field ball from Tevez hit Adam Johnson to the right of the goal but inside the box. The winger cleverly set up David Silva, whose low strike beat Chris Weale but was cleared off the line by Sol Bamba. But the ball fell to Viera with the goal at his mercy and he finished easily.

The Foxes defense was looking increasingly uneasy. And their lack of composure hurt them just moments later. A surgical through-pass from Silva to Johnson beat the defense, and the Englishman took one touch and finished nicely with his preferred left foot.

City appeared to be running away with the match in the second 45. Carlos Tevez gave the side a chance to do so in the 57th. He was released down the right half, and faked inside to set up a shot in the box, and an off-balance Jack Hobbs clipped his foot for a penalty.

Tevez missed his first PK in English football earlier this month. He missed his second when Weale made a nice kick save as he tried to strike up the middle.

The save brought LCFC back into the match. And they enjoyed a nice spell of possession afterward.

Their persistence was rewarded in the 83rd, when the speed of Dyer beat Joleon Lescott to a long through ball in the box (although he appeared to be a half step offside). He controlled nicely, and finished calmly.

Sven Goran Erickson's side threw everything forward in an attempt to score a shock equalizer. But it was City who would score the game's final goal.

A nice counter in injury time from Man City saw Kolarov with space from distance. He made no mistake with his powerful left foot, sending a beautiful low strike across goal and into the corner.

City will face Notts Co. in the next round.

Other Results

Stoke City 2-0 Cardiff City (AET)
92'- Walters
115'- Walters

Wolves 5-0 Doncaster
5'- Fletcher
61'- Bia
66'- Doyle
74'- Jarvis
90'- Jones

Weekend in Review: Thoughts and Opinion

Results

Arsenal 3-0 West Ham
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
Manchester City 4-3 Wolves
Manchester United 0-0 Tottenham
Fulham 1-1 Wigan
Stoke 2-0 Bolton
West Brom 3-2 Blackpool
Birmingham 1-1 Aston Villa
Liverpool 2-2 Everton
Sunderland 1-1 Newcastle

The Title Chase

Ten-man Manchester United escaped White Hart Lane with a draw on Sunday. But their 7-point lead atop the table didn't survive the weekend, as fellow title chasers Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City all notched three points.

Many figured a visit to White Hart Lane would be the time for Man U to lose their first match. And it certainly looked a possibility when Rafael was erroneously sent off with 20 minutes to go. But in the end it was another performance typical of United's season, as they withstood a few barrages from the opposition and did what they needed to do to get the result.

Surely the visitors would feel hard done-by the sending off of their Brazilian right back. Mike Dean showed him the red when he accidentally got tangled up with Assou-Ekotto.

Sir Alex Ferguson clearly instructed his side to get back and defend from their on out. He played Rooney in a much deeper position and removed Berbatov for the speedy Hernandez to hope and catch Spurs off guard on the counter.

Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp did the exact opposite by going for the jugular. His team needed full points desperately in order to keep pace with Man U. After the red card, his team pressed mercilessly, while he added a striker in Defoe for Palacios soon after the sending off.

In my opinion, both managers got what they wanted out of the tactical switch. But the visitors' diligence and discipline paid off, and they defended valiantly to hold off T'ham. Ferguson's squad has been completely different since getting Rio Ferdinand back to full strength. He and Vidic were simply fantastic in the back. Time and time again, Lennon and Bale would ask questions of them with crosses from the wing, often aiming for the head of Crouch, who once again showed that he is by no means a dominant aerial force despite his height.

On the one hand, United were tested greatly in North London and saw their gap atop the league narrowed. But on the other, they survived what was honestly a decent performance from Tottenham without conceding. The chasers have to be happy that the gap is closing, but Man U will stay confident as their unbeaten season continues.

The Man U-Tottenham match had the marquee billing. But the most exciting match of the weekend ended up being between two teams known more for their defensive styles of play. Manchester City and Wolves both went for it in a seven-goal thriller at Eastlands, with the favorites getting the 4-3 win.

City actually fell behind early, before battling back into the game throughout the first half. The equalizer from Kolo Toure just before half was essential. Otherwise it would have been a taste of their own medicine for Mancini's men, as Wolves surely would have re-organized at halftime and defended their lead with plenty of men behind the ball at all times.

Tevez made the difference in the second half. His first goal was simply world class. Check it out here, as he beats three defenders and gives his team the lead.

For a team that has lacked attacking flair, these types of performances from the Argentinean are an absolute must. When I watch City play their plodding, boring, defensive style, it seems that Tevez and Yaya Toure are the only two players getting into dangerous positions offensively. In Mancini's conservative style, City likes to play possession football when they can, but without taking too many chances. That means it often takes a moment of individual brilliance for them to create opportunities, which will usually come through the likes of those two.

I know that City are tied on points with United. But the Red Devils have two matches in hand against their rivals. If they can get through a busy January, I'll take them more seriously with regards to being title contenders.

Meanwhile, Arsenal and Chelsea kept up their pursuit of glory in less dramatic fashion.

Chelsea finally have some positives to take out of an EPL match. They won for just the second time in ten matches.

For the first time in a while, Chelsea looked confident in the back. Granted, it was not against the best of attacks in Blackburn, but the Blues have been giving up goals to teams regardless of their attacking prowess.

They also could have scored more if not for the bar denying Anelka and Ramires over the first 45 minutes. Much like City, we'll know more about these guys in a month's time. Four of the next five fixtures are away from Stamford Bridge. Among them are trips to much-improved Bolton, an Everton team that may be headed into their best form, and a trip to play 2011 Europa League hopeful Sunderland (who beat them 3-0 at the Bridge in Nov. to start the Chelsea downfall and are great at the Stadium of Light). The home match takes place against Liverpool, who also beat them earlier in the year.

Chelsea have the talent to beat those teams, especially with Lampard fit and the back four once again at full strength. But none of those fixtures will be a walkthrough, and they are only a loss or two away from potentially losing contact with Man U completely.

As for Arsenal, they cruised to a 3-0 win at Upton Park against a hapless West Ham side.

For me, the criticism after the Gunners' shocking loss to Ipswich Town in the Carling Cup was much ado about nothing. History tells us that league play and cup play are completely different animals.

The 1-1 draw with Leeds in the FA Cup that preceded the shock at Portman Road was also unimpressive. But let's remember that Arsene Wenger's side was fresh off of an extremely busy EPL schedule that included matches with Manchester City and Chelsea. He rested the likes of Van Persie, Walcott, Song, and Clichy for some of or both fixtures.

Also, the motivation level couldn't have been too high for the Leeds match; and the awful performance against Ipswich is unlikely to be duplicated by a side with such quality. The match against West Ham showed that those performances in the cup were by no means a trend.

Meanwhile, Robin Van Persie is finally coming back into his own. And let's face it, the Dutchman hasn't been the same since tearing ligament in his ankle in an international friendly in November of 2009.

RVP wasn't the same in the World Cup, and looked out of sorts early this year before re-injuring his ankle. He's a player that takes forever to find his rhythm when out for an extended period of time. First he needed some minutes to find his match fitness, then a few starts to get his touch down, and only now are the goals starting to come.

He had two goals, an assist, and hit the post on the weekend, and looked like the complete forward that he can be when healthy. With Marouane Chamakh firing blanks lately, Van Persie re-capturing his scoring touch is a welcome sight for the Gunners.

Grant's Job Still in Doubt

The other big storyline at Upton Park was the job status of Avram Grant. Rumors swirled all week about his job, with the stories ranging from the board backing him to having already lined up a new manager such as Martin O'Neil.

The Hammers did little to help out their manager with a listless performance. The defense was not up to par, looking uninspired and allowing the Gunners far too much time on the ball.

On the opening goal, Walcott is allowed space on the right side, and then a dummy off of the low cross from Nasri froze two defenders, allowing Van Persie to slot in a goal that you'd be more likely to see on the training ground than in an actual game.

I thought the Wayne Brdige loan was a good one. But it didn't look good on Saturday. He was at fault on the second goal when he completely overran a low cross from RVP with Walcott ready to pounce behind him. Then he clattered into Walcott inside the box when the winger didn't appear to be in a threatening position.

I still think that Grant's bunch will stay up this season. But it seems quite unlikely that such a feat will come with him at the helm. With enough talent at his disposal to do much better, one has to think that the job will change hands over the next few weeks.

There is just too much attacking quality on the side for them to keep firing blanks. Carlton Cole has to find his form at some point, Frederic Piquionne is starting to score goals and should be back soon. Scott Parker is a solid playmaker in midfield;; and USA international Jonathan Spector has looked dangerous since moving from right back to central midfield (I would definitely keep an eye on his progress as a fan of the US, as Cherundolo or Lichaj will surely beat him out at right back, making this the only place he will get significant PT).

The defense is questionable, but as some point the goals have to start coming (West Ham have somehow only managed 23 goals this year). All they'll need is for a couple of those guys to get hot, and they should be able to progressively move their way up the table.

West Ham won't be able to feel safe at any point this year, but I see them getting out of the bottom three soon and keeping it that way.

The Transfer Window

We've still got a few more weeks of reading BS followed by a small bit of actual news as the transfer window rages. Commenting on these sorts of things really isn't worth much in my opinion. I can speculate about what I read, but often I'm dealing with hypotheticals based on rumors of transfers that are nowhere close to going through. So if any of the situations I'm commenting on end up being completely false, don't shoot the messenger!

For me, the biggest news of the day is the rumor that Aston Villa have made an £18M offer for Darren Bent (with other sources saying up to £24). That was followed by even more surprising news that Bent has handed in a transfer request in an effort to force the move.

This would be a huge transaction for both teams.

Firstly, it's a big move for Villa. That's huge money to spend on a striker, but I think it would be worth it. They have lacked a consistent goal-scoring force over the past two seasons. Agbonlahor has had some nice runs, but he has struggled with injuries and hasn't always looked his best. Carew is a highly overrated player for me, he's a big guy who doesn't work hard and hasn't made up for it with a great goal scoring record. Ashley Young will give you 7-10 goals a year, but he is a winger that is more of a threat as an assist guy.

There's one thing we know about Darren Bent: he can score goals. He's netted 36 times over a season and a half at Sunderland.

The move could be devastating for Sunderland. They have a real shot to make the Europa League with a team that I've always felt was vastly underrated. But the loss of Bent would leave them without a goalscorer they know they can count on down the stretch.

By the same token, the move would allow them to move Man U loanee Danny Welbeck up top (where he has been extremely effective) alongside Asamoah Gyan (7 goals in 19 EPL appearances). That would still be a decent strike partnership, but it's one that lacks experience.

It's also worth mentioning that Steve Bruce dropped a record amount for the transfer of Gyan early in the season. Selling Bent at the reported prices would actually see them turn a profit for the transfer kitty this summer despite splashing so much cash on the Ghanaian. But losing Bent in January rather than the summer could see their fortunes change drastically over the rest of this season.

Tottenham continue to make noise in the transfer window. News of a possible David Beckham transfer has faded, and the focus has switched over to Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar. The Toffees clearly don't have the money to match the South African's salary demands, leaving Chelsea and Tottenham to battle for his services right now. Everton probably won't get anywhere close to what Pienaar is worth, but they'll want to at least get something, and thus they have accepted bids from both clubs.

Pienaar would be a nice addition for Chelsea. But I'm keeping an eye on their pursuit of 21-year old Chilean winger Alexi Sanchez. The Udinese winger showed during the World Cup that he is a young player with the world at his feet. He needs to work on his goal scoring ability, but he's got great speed and technique on the ball.

Sanchez reminds me of a younger Nani; a player that needs to learn to mix the flash with increased consistency on the pitch. The price won't be cheap, but I really think we're talking about a kid that could be one of the top wingers in the EPL several years from now.

In Case you Missed it...

Has anyone noticed the run Barcelona has been on? Amazingly, one of the greatest runs of form I can remember is falling below the radar. The Catalan side is thoroughly dominating opponents by scoring 3 or more times and typically holding a clean sheet.

Just check out their results. Since winning 8-0 over Almeria in November, they have outscored their opponents 47-4. In the meantime, Lionel Messi has somehow scored 28 goals in 23 matches. Those guys are truly on a run to remember. Even if your an EPL guy like me, they are worth watching every week with the way they're playing.

There was an incredible match at the Hawthorne's on Saturday. West Brom beat Blackpool by a score of 3-2 in a thriller that could have easily been 6-5! Check out the highlights and enjoy.

Weekend in Review: Match Reports

Manchester City 4-3 Wolves

12'- Milijas
40'- Toure
49'- Tevez
66'- Tevez
68'- Doyle (PK)
86'- Zubar

Man City responded from an early deficit, and then held off a late Wolves comeback to momentarily move to the top of the table.

The visitors took a surprise lead just 12 minutes in through Milijas. A fortuitous deflection from a corner set him up with the goal at his mercy, and he made no mistake from 5-yards away.

City equalized with a similar goal five minutes before halftime. Vincent Kompany's flick fell to the feet of Toure, whose driven shot was too powerful for David Jones, and the ball came off of him and into the net.

Then they took the lead just moments after the opening of the second half. A moment of sheer brilliance from Carlos Tevez saw him skip past the challenge of three defenders before slotting home the finish.

The home side were firing on all cylinders. And they notched a third in the 54th. A fine run from debutant Edin Dzeko turned a defender, and his subsequent through ball to Toure left him in behind the defense, and his left-footed strike beat Hennessey.

Zubar nearly brought Wolves back into it with yet another set piece chance. But his powerful header from a Jarvis corner dipped onto the crossbar.

The result appeared to be done and dusted when a beautiful cross from Zabaleta somehow found the head of the diminutive Tevez, who finished well into the top corner.

Needing three goals in 25 minutes, Mick McCarthy's side appeared beaten. But they made sure not to go down without a fight.

In the 68th, a clumsy and unnecessary challenge from Lescott on Kevin Doyle resulted in a penalty kick for Wanderers. The Irish International took the spot kick and finished well.

In the 83rd, a poor giveaway from Christophe Berra resulted in another one-on-one chance for Toure. But Hennessey did well to cut off the angle and save.

Soon after, Zubar made for a grandstand finish when he won another header from a corner, and the ball crossed the line and was ruled a goal by the linesman before De Jong could clear.

Wolves pressed furiously over the final minutes. But the biggest chance fell to Milner, whom Hart played behind the defense with a brilliant punt. But Hennessey did well once again.

Tottenham 0-0 Manchester United

73'- Rafael (RED CARD)

Ten-man Manchester United survived a late onslaught from Tottenham to escape White Hart Lane with a scoreless draw.

In an extremely entertaining match, the two teams traded punches but were unable to find the net over the first 70 minutes. But then referee Mike Dean turned the match on his head. He incorrectly showed a second yellow card to Rafael for what appeared to be incidental contact. Sir Alex Ferguson had his team get back and defend from there on out, and his side defended valiantly to hold on for a point.

The visitors started strong with two chances for Rooney within the first 20 minutes. First he missed wide left just two minutes in. Heurelho Gomes saved his long range effort later with Man U on the counter.

Spurs struck back in the ninth minute when a fine low cross from Hutton was met by a volley from Crouch, who missed wide from a great position.

Rooney had a third chance in the 23rd after a cheeky lay-off from Berbatov allowed him to one-touch a shot from distance, but Gomes somehow got a hand to the dipping strike to deflect it wide for a corner.

Van der Vart would have the final chance of the half, but his glancing header hit side-netting.

The second half would be played at a blistering pace. But actual goal-scoring opportunities were few and far between. The big moment came in the 73rd after Dean's mistake resulted in Rafael being sent off.

The Red Devils dropped back and defended the rest of the way. They did so brilliantly, with Vidic and Ferdinand handling the aerial threat in Crouch, and stifling the pace of substitute Jermaine Defoe up front.

Van der Vaart had Spurs' best chance. Darren Fletcher didn't deal well with an Aaron Lennon corner kick, and the ball rolled to the onrushing Dutchman, but his curling strike sailed just over the top corner.

Arsenal 3-0 West Ham

14' Van Persie
40'- Walcott
77'- Var Persie (PK)

Arsenal kept the pressure up at the head of the table in a convincing 3-0 win at Upton Park.

The game took place amidst a media storm regarding Avram Grant's job security. And the Hammers did little to cure his anxiety, getting off to a slow start.

Arsenal started off on the front foot, and got on the board 13 minutes in when Theo Walcott broke down the right side, he crossed low into the box and a clever dummy from Nasri froze the defense as the ball fell to Robin Van Persie, whose right footed strike beat Robert Green.

Walcott should have made it 2-0 in the 19th minute. A fine long ball from Fabregas played him behind the defense, and he tried to take the bouncing ball out of the air on his left foot from close range, but his attempt was sub-standard and rolled harmlessly to Green.

Some sloppy defending allowed West Ham two cracks at goal later on. Johan Djourou's back pass to keeper Szczesny was intercepted by Carlton Cole, but the onrushing Pole saved the one-on-one opportunity. Still the Hammers got the ball back quickly, and Zavon Hines' powerful strike from close-range sailed just over the cross bar.

Van Persie and Walcott combined for the second goal of the match just before half. Van Persie was played through down the left wing and he did well to control and send a pass back across the grain, resulting in Wayne Bridge overrunning the ball, while Walcott was well placed behind him to fire a strike into the upper-netting.

Cole squandered another nice opportunity just before the half, heading a well-placed cross from Freddy Sears off of Djourou's shoulder and out for a corner.

Arsenal cruised for much of the second half and didn't break much of a a sweat.

Bridge was at fault again in the second half, barging into Walcott inside the area for a penalty. Van Persie placed the spot kick low to the right corner for a 3-0 lead.

Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn

57'- Ivanovic
76'- Anelka

Things were far different for Chelsea when these sides last met. On Oct. 30, the Blues won at Ewood Park to go five points atop the table. Yesterday's victory over Blackburn drew them within five points of table-topping Man U.

The hosts had their chances in the first 45 minutes. But things were looking dire once again for Ancelotti's bunch as they went to dressing room scoreless.

Ramires hit the bar from a corner just three minutes in, beating Hoilett to the ball and launching a one-time strike from the far post.

It was Anelka's turn to hit the bar moments from halftime. He met a teasing low cross from Drogba with a powerful strike and CFC were once again unlucky.

Chelsea turned it back around in the second half with a pair of goals from set pieces.

A scramble in front of the net saw the ball come to Ivanovic at the far post. And he controlled nicely and finished for his fifth goal of the season.

Ivanovic won the ball out of the air on another corner with 15 minutes left. His powerful header slammed downwards onto the foot of Anelka inside the 6, who finished with composure.

It wasn't a pretty match at Stamford Bridge. But it's something to build on for Chelsea, who had 11 attempts on target to just 2 for Rovers. The defending was better than in past weeks, and the gap could have been wider if they had a little more luck in the first half.

Recaps

Recaps: Ipswich Shocks Arsenal, Liverpool Nightmare Continues

Carling Cup Semifinal First Leg: Ipswich 1-0 Arsenal

Ipswich Town pulled off one of the shocks of the season, as the club in crisis defeated the EPL big boys just days after receiving a 7-0 drubbing from Chelsea and firing their manager.

A well-taken goal on the break from Tamas Priskin won it for the hosts in the 78th minute, sending a capacity crowd at Portman Road into delirium. The result was well deserved for the underdogs, who outplayed a close to full strength Arsenal Squad and looked the more likely of the two sides to score throughout much of the match.

The Carling Cup was once a competition where Arsene Wenger has chosen to feature his young players. That has not been the case this year, as he and AFC are hungrier than ever to win their first trophy since '05. That showed with the starting lineup, which featured the top center back pairing of Djourou and Koscielny, Fabregas and Wilshere in the midfield, while Arshavin and Walcott got the starts on the wings and Bendtner remained in the lineup up front after starting on the weekend. Denilson slid into defensive midfield to replace Alex Song, while Kieran Gibbs subbed in for Gael Clichy at left back and Eboue started on the right to replace the suspended Bacary Sagna.

With a fine lineup at his disposal, the Gunners got off to a flying start before faltering progressively over the first 45 minutes. Some fine passing allowed them to penetrate the Ipswich box several times over the first few minutes, but they were unable to get on the end of anything.

Then the Blues fought back, keeping the visitors out of their final third and looking more and more dangerous on the attack. But they struggled to find the quality to create a real chance, and were forced to hold their collective breaths when Theo Walcott had two opportunities in the 33rd and 34th minutes. He opted to pass across the box to Fabgreas on the first chance, but the pass was just in front of the captain. Then he took one nicely out of the air before his left footed shot was easily stopped by Fulop.

Ipswich looked the more likely to score in the final ten minutes of the half, and the Gunners looked rattled. Connor Wickham's cross sailed just over the head of David Norris late on in the first half, and any contact from the skipper probably would have done the job.

Arsenal tried to restore their grip on the game to begin the second half. Fabregas opened up the second 45 minutes strongly after a dreadful first half. His ball over the top found Arshavin behind the defense. However, the Russian's shot from a few steps inside the box was at a tough angle, and his left-footed strike sailed well over.

But the night was to belong to Ipswich. And they quickly reasserted themselves. The Blues had two crosses cleared away in the 52nd minute, and Djourou managed to block a shot from Connor Wickham soon after.

Wickham nearly scored a surprising opener for the hosts, creating space for hhimself from 25 yards before curling his shot just wide of the far post.

Fabregas' nightmare evening continued, as an awful giveaway gave Mark Kennedy the ball at midfield, and his subsequent chip would have beaten Szczesny but it lacked enough power, as the 20-year old was able to backtrack and make a comfortable save.

The Spaniard was at fault once again in the 59th when a lovely chip from Bendtner found him alone inside the box, but he tried to volley the ball across the goal with defenders bearing down on him when he perhaps could have settled and shot.

Priskin had a golden opportunity in the 62nd. Jaime Peters' long ball out of the back split the Arsenal center backs. But Priskin failed to control the bouncing ball, and Djourou was able to recover and clear for a corner from just outside the 6-yard box.

A poor clearance left Wickham open from distance moments later, but he scuffed his shot wide.

Fulop would make two crucial saves on Walcott over the final 20 minutes. First a nice one-two between the winger and Fabregas put him in behind the defense on the right, but Fulop quickly cut off the angle and then saved after Walcott attempted to chip him.

Fabregas missed the Gunners' biggest chance of the match in the 77th. Substitute Alex Song played Gibbs down the left side, and the youngster's cross just missed the head of an onrushing Chamakh before falling right to Fabregas inside the 6-yard box with the goal at his mercy. But he reacted slowly, and the ball bounced off his knee and over the goal.

Ipswich would make Walcott and Fabregas pay for their miscues soon after, taking a shock 1-0 lead in the 78th.

An awkward turnover from Denilson fell to Colin Healy, who quickly found Priskin behind the defense. This time the Hungarian took his chance brilliantly, taking several touches and holding off Djourou before sliding the ball low past Szczesny and into the far corner.

Arsenal looked dangerous in the final ten minutes. However, they failed to break through against a heroic Ipswich Defense.

But there were chances.

First a fine touch inside the 18 from Chamakh set up a shot on his left foot and Fulop spilled the strike momentarily before pouncing just in time.

Walcott was played through and had a similar one-on-one to his earlier attempt from the right side of the box, but Fulop once again saved his try to chip.

Ipswich had the final chance of the match when a fantastic punt from Fulop landed on the feet of Carlos Edwards down the right wing. He advanced into the box but saw his shot saved from an acute angle.

EPL: Blackpool 2-1 Liverpool

Conditions continued to worsen for Liverpool, as they suffered their tenth loss of the season, and fourth time in five games.

It all started so promisingly in Kenny Dalglish's first Premiership match in charge. Fernando Torres opened up the scoring in just the third minute, blasting a shot top shelf at a difficult angle from the right side of the box.

But the home side equalized nine minutes later when Gary Taylor-Fletcher got behind the Liverpool defense down the middle, and slotted past Pepe Reina.

Blackpool won it in the 69th. After Liverpool cleared their lines from a corner, a long ball into the box found the ball of Ian Evatt, who headed across goal to a wide open D.J. Campbell, who finished well from close-range.

The win saw the Tangerines surpass Liverpool in the table, upping their point total to 28, which is good for ninth place. Meanwhile, the Reds' nightmare season continues, they now sit in 13th place, just four points above the relegation zone.

Wednesday Preview

Wednesday Preview


Carling Cup Semifinal First Leg: Ipswich Town v. Arsenal

Not your typical busy mid week matchday across Europe, but there are still a few tasty matchups for us to sink our teeth into. There are a couple of goodies from England.

First comes the first leg of a Carling Cup Semifinal between heavily favored Arsenal and Championship side Ipswich Town. Ipswich have twice knocked Arsenal out of domestic cups, and will look to do so again as Arsene Wenger's team shoot for their first trophy since '05.

One of the keys to Arsenal's run thus far has been Wenger's insistence on playing his first teamers. In year's past we have seen the likes of youngsters such as Craigh Eastmond, John Emmanuel-Thomas, and Fran Merida (now at Atletico Madrid). This season's cup run has featured some of that, but we have seen mainly players solidly within the first team squad.

Bacary Sagna is out of the equation thanks to a boneheaded red card offense against Man City last week. Emmanuel Eboue should slide into his spot. He's a more than adequate replacement when the Gunners are in full-out attack, as they should be today.

Bendtner, Chamakh, and Arshavin were the men up front in Wenger's 4-3-3 in a 1-1 FA Cup draw against Leeds on Saturday. If Wenger's previous squad rotation habits are any indication, we should see the teams' first choice attack of late with Van Persie, Walcott, and Nasri all in the first 11.

As for Ipswich, they are trying to revitalize their dreadful year in the Championship via success in the cup. Roy Keane was fired last week, and former TEAMS boss Paul Jewell will take over the reigns tomorrow after caretaker boss Ian McParland heads up the squad for today's matchup.

With nothing to lose, and a raucous home crowd behind them at Portman Road, this could easily be a good one. Look for Town to try and defend and get out on the counterattack, something that has hurt Arsenal all year long.

EPL: Blackpool v. Liverpool

Blackpool shocked the Reds at Anfield earlier in the year, and Liverpool will be out for revenge for caretaker manager Kenny Daglish's first match at the helm.

Bloomfield Road hasn't been the fortress that Ian Holloway had hoped for thus far, as his team have racked up the majority of their points away from home. If they can find their form at home, they shouldn't have any problems avoiding the drop.

Steven Gerrard is out after being sent off on the weekend for a silly two-footed challenge on Darren Fletcher in Saturday's 1-0 FA Cup loss to Manchester United. That could open up the door for Blackpool playmaker Charlie Adam, who will try and pull the strings in the midfield without Gerrard there to hold possession.

Glen Johnson is still out as he awaits the birth of a child, with Martin Kelly deputizing after a strong performance against the Red Devils. Meanwhile, Joe Cole and Paul Konchesky will take late fitness tests to determine their fate.

This match should come down to a battle of the midfields. With Gerrard gone, Lucas, Maxi Rodriguez, and Dirk Kuyt must pick up the slack. If they can link up nicely and hold possession, it will make things difficult for Holloway's boys, who want to play attacking football despite having inferior talent.

Lucas will have to track Adam early and often throughout the midfield as well. If he has time on the ball he can put a pass on an attackers feet from across the pitch, leaving less-organizes defenses scurrying for position, something we have seen Liverpool do all season long.