The Race is On!

Title Up for Grabs

If you're a football fan, this is what you live for. With three weeks to go in the 2010/11 English Premier League season, the title is completely up for grabs.

Nearly a month ago, Chelsea's season looked done and dusted. Manchester United had sent them packing in the Champions League, and meanwhile, they sat eight points adrift of United atop the Premier League table. In fact, it looked that Arsenal was United's main challenger. But both teams in front of Chelsea faltered, and now the Blues trail Man U by just three points with three matches left, and a crucial matchup upcoming between Carlo Ancellotti's Blues and Sir Alex Ferguson's Red Devils this Sunday.

Although Chelsea were surely happy to see the Gunners falter down the stretch (allowing them to surpass their North London rivals for second), they were 100% behind Arsene Wenger and company during their Sunday matchup with United, as three dropped points for Fergie's boys meant they suddenly controlled their destiny in the title race. Thanks to a fantastic defensive performance from the Gunners, accompanied by some lovely spells of possession, and one clinical finish from Aaron Ramsey, the title race is officially on.

Ramsey's winner came in the 56th minute, as he raced onto a pass from Robin Van Persie and finished brilliantly with his right foot, sneaking the ball past Edwin van der Sar and into the left corner. In a match devoid of chances, Ramsey's well taken goal was an example of a side of Arsenal that we haven't seen in recent weeks, as they clamped down defensively (five goals given up in their last two matches), and were actually clinical in front of goal when their big chance came (most certainly not their forte), to gain the victory.

Maybe it was because United are tiring down the stretch, or perhaps Arsenal were able to flourish with their title chances all but gone and the pressure off of them. Either way, the Gunners have made a huge mark in this year's title race, even though they won't be winning a trophy for the sixth straight season.

As for United, they are beginning to look a weary bunch down the stretch. Look, this is far from Sir Alex Ferguson's best team (a legitimate case can be made that this would be his best managerial job ever should Man U win silverware), and while their toughness and swagger cannot be questioned, they do lack a bit of individual ability to get them over the top at times.

Aside from Wayne Rooney and Nani (and to some extent Antonio Valencia, but he is not quite back 100% yet), United lacks players with the creative qualities to make opportunities by their lonesome. And while their tactics, discipline, and defense are typically spot on, they still struggle to score at times when they are in need of a bit of inspiration.

The Case for Chelsea

Guus Hiddink, one of the games great current managers who had a brief and successful stint at Chelsea, always stresses that football is about "reacting" to the match being played, that the real mark of a world class side is that they can alter their style mid-game (reacting). And although only a win and nothing else will do for the Blues this Sunday, I would say that they are the more likely to nab the three points, as their propensity to "react" to the type of match they are faced with by successfully playing a variety of footballing styles, gives them a crucial advantage over Man U (but then again, I'm just another jaded Arsenal fan that might vomit at the mere idea of Fergie holding up the trophy when it was ours for the taking all year long).

It's rare that we get to see a match like this late in the season with everything on the line. But the result will indeed go to which ever team follows Hiddink's advice, and "reacts" most quickly to the type of match being played. In my opinion, that is something that best suits Chelsea, as their ability to play an ugly, prodding, grind-it-out style, or the aesthetically pleasing, pulsating and fast paced style that fans love, gives them the clear edge over United.

When evaluating Chelsea's versatility, we must first realize they are blessed with a host of players that can beat you with their physicality or creativity (while United's players tend to excel in one or the other). Chelsea, for my money, are actually the EPL's most complete team on personnel alone.

Like United, Chelsea have the big, physically gifted players in the center of the park with the likes of sizable center midfielders Michael Essien (although injuries have clearly altered his career, but that's a discussion for another day) John Obi Mikel and the firey and occasionally brilliant Ramires, plus one of the top center back pairings in the world in John Terry, David Luiz.

If we see that grind-it-out 90 minutes of football, United has no problem matching up with Chelsea (and they may be one of the few sides in the world that can do that). Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferndinand are right there with Luiz/Terry (although not the same offensive contribution, for what it's worth), and there's a wide selection of physical midfielders that don't make many mistakes with the likes of Gibson/Scholes/Carrick at Ferguson's disposal. Add in the fact that a point suits them just fine, and this is clearly the way they'll want the match to go.

However, while both teams have their fair share of physicality and discipline (two of the most important traits in winning a league like the EPL), Chelsea has a clear edge when it comes to creativity and skill (that is, the ability to create a goal out of nothing with a little bit of individual brilliance). When you stack up the two sides, this is where Chelsea has the advantage. Frank Lampard is getting back to his best as one of the world's most influential attacking midfielders, Didier Drogba is starting to pester defenders like last season and is finishing his chances, and wide midfielder Florent Malouda scored an absolute scorcher last weekend and can create problems for even the world's best right backs.

But don't forget, even the Blues' disciplined, hard nosed, defensive players are valuable on the attack, as Ramires can make defenders look stupid in one-on-one situation or play a fantastic ball to Drogba or Lampard, ditto for Essien, who can also hit an absolute screamer at any time, and even the aforementioned center back pairing of Terry/Luiz have scored some goals this season (that's even more impressive considering Luiz only arrived in January from Benfica). It's much the same story for the likes of Mikel, and center backs Terry and Luiz, who are two of the best passing center halves around.

Meanwhile, United haven't had the same type of attacking success in that area. They've gotten four goals from Vidic, one from Scholes early in the year, and have seen goalless seasons from the rest of their central players currently in the squad. The lack of creativity in the center has shown in their worst moments (to be fair, there haven't been many of those), as those who have successfully defended United will force them into less dangerous positions out wide and pour most of their resources into marking the likes of Rooney and Javier Hernandez up top (which of course is easier said than done with the way those two have been scoring goals of late).

That all said, United have always flourished in these situations under Ferguson. They are a team obsessed with getting a result no matter what type of football they have to play, so they will certainly test Chelsea from the outset, as they'll be just fine with a 0-0 draw (they played similarly at the Emirates last weekend), especially considering a trip to lowly Blackburn and visit from relegation battlers Blackpool are the only fixtures that remain in their season.

If United are successful in slowing the pace of the match down, turning it into the type of match that suits them, they could get what they want. But Chelsea won the title last year playing that type of football when necessary. Meanwhile, The Blues hold the clear edge if they are ensconced in a faster paced match. And it's their ability to "react" to those two fundamental types of football that could position them to win the league on Sunday.

At the Bottom

It's been a tumultuous two seasons at Upton Park. And relegation this season would only add to West Ham's woes. The Hammers have a shockingly high wage bill for a team propping up the table with three matches left. Relegation for a team of that expense, and one plans to move into the Olympic Stadium next season on top of that, would be simply catastrophic.

It's always an interesting case when you have a host of veteran Premiership-quality players making up a roster that's battling the drop. Sometimes, it's not quite the advantage one might think, as many of the keg cogs surely know that they will move on to another Premiership club should the side go down. We've seen this type of thing happen in the past with sides like Middlesbrough and Newcastle. Surely Carlton Cole realizes that he won't be a part of the team should they drop down the Championship, ditto for Scott Parker (the race for his services should be especially interesting, as he has been a truly influential player this season). I'm not sure if West Ham are ready to go down just yet, but it's a very conceivable scenario at this point despite them being the most talented team amongst the current relegation strugglers.

Meanwhile, Wigan, Blackpool, Wolves, and Blackburn join the Hammers in the unenviable position of battling against the drop.

Kudos to Blackpool for giving us some great football this season, and Ian Holloway must be admired for sticking to the aggressive, attacking approach that got them promoted. But if they go down this season, it's proof that you can't make that style work unless you have the players. The Tangerines don't have that, giving up goals left and right whilst having too many bodies committed forward. Their attitude must be commended, but in the end, I think we are seeing that a free-flowing style simply doesn't work for a team at their talent level. Ugly football may not be our favorite style to watch, but it's usually going to be your the best route in terms of staying in the EPL.

Wigan have been languishing towards the bottom of the table since day one, when Blackpool thrashed them 4-0. The Latics do have one thing working for them in that they can withstand a bit of pressure thanks to the fantastic goalkeeping of loanee Ali Al-Habsi, and that's certainly a plus for a team that figures to be up against it thanks to a questionable back four.

Mick McCarthy's Wolves have fought tooth and nail to stay up for a second straight season. But they've sorely lacked a finisher in front of goal, which was evidenced by a string of tough results in the first half of the season when they actually played some pretty decent football . Fortunately for them, they play two of their three remaining fixtures at Molineux this season, where they have always looked far more dangerous over their current stay in the Premiership.

When Blackburn experienced a brief revival under Steve Keen and quickly rewarded him with an extension, I was quick to credit the manager/players for their sudden fine form, but I also warned against a quick fall from grace, as we've seen many a team flourish only momentarily under new direction. Unfortunately for them, that has been the case. The Roque Santa Cruz move hasn't worked out, and it's shown as they have been firing blanks for some time now. Still, they sit three points above the drop zone, so they won't have to do quite as much work to stay up as some.

Weekend in Review

United One Step Closer, Arsenal Done

With a knack for scoring crucial goals late in matches, it's no wonder that Manchester United are in the drivers seat for the trophy. They added to that reputation on Saturday, beating Everton 1-0 on an 83rd minute goal from Javier Hernandez.

Coming off a dull 0-0 draw with Newcastle at midweek, United knew that it was time to get back on track and take full points against the visiting Toffees. But David Moyes' side made it tough on the Red Devils, keeping them out of dangerous positions for much of the match.

As always, United pressed on, staying confident and composed. And their persistence paid off, as the chances began to come in the second half. Tim Howard saved Hernandez's header brilliantly to keep hopes alive for his side. But he was powerless to stop Hernandez's header from the door step with seven minutes to go, as a gorgeous arching cross from Antonio Valencia found Chicharito's head at the back post, and the Mexican nodded home.

While Chicharito's winner was the story, Valencia's teasing cross was the key pass for the winner, and his return to the lineup after suffering a nasty leg injury earlier in the season has paid huge dividends. Looking sharp from the moment he returned to the pitch, Valencia has provided the Yen to Nani's Yang, giving Man U a threat up the right wing to go along with Nani on the left. With Valencia back, the Red Devils have most of their first choice players in attack to choose from, so they will hope that they aren't biting their nails waiting for another late goal over the rest of the season.

While it was more of the same from Manchester United, it was also the same old story for Arsenal. Unfortunately for the Gunners, that "story" has been a miserable one, as they once again failed to capitalize on a myriad of opportunities and then dropped points late in Sunday's 2-1 loss at Bolton.

Arsenal's much-maligned back four hadn't been the the problem over the last few months, but it certainly was the main weakness over the last week, as they yeilded five goals over their last two matches, including two from corner kicks in Sunday's loss at Bolton. Center-half Johan Djourou was dreadful. He lost a ball to Johan Elmander late in the match that could have cost Arsenal but was bailed out by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. The Swiss didn't have the same luck in the 89th, when Tamir Cohen scored the winner from a corner, beating him to the ball and heading in the winner.

When looking at Arsenal's performance over recent weeks, it seemed only a matter of time until they fell out of the title picture. That assumption was a correct one, as the Gunners crashed out of the race with two more disappointing results against Tottenham (3-3) and Bolton last week.

In many ways, the title was there's for the taking this season. But the Gunners have lacked the consistency, luck, and mental fortitude to get the job done.

Chelsea Move to Second

Chelsea looked a beleaguered and disinterested bunch after falling to Manchester United in the Champions League days earlier, and you could't really blame them. But ten days later, the Blues can happily say that they are still thinking about winning a trophy after a fine win over strugglers West Ham on Saturday.

There were positives aplenty in Saturday's win. Carlo Ancellotti's boys looked like the Chelsea that were odds-on favorites to win the EPL in October, getting several goals of great quality from a trio stars who have only recently rediscovered their form. Tops on the list was a beautifully executed goal that brought out the best in Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard (something we've not seen nearly enough of this season).

Then, Fernando Torres finally got the monkey off of his back with his first goal for Chelsea, and then came a cracking strike from the back in-form Florent Malouda to put the icing on the cake.

The Blues surpassed Arsenal for second with the win, and now sit just six points adrift of Manchester United. It's not an unattainable gap either. Chelsea would surely have to win the rest of their matches, but they do face United next weekend, whilst United face a trip to The Emirates this upcoming Sunday. Someone will have to spur an upset for The Blues, but a late push for the title is within reach.

Well Done West Brom

I have to admit that West Brom's firing of Roberto Di Matteo caught me by surprise, as the Italian had done a decent enough job with the Baggies before being shown the door in February. After all, W.B.A. were out of the drop zone, had gotten some decent results (a draw with Man U and win over Arsenal amongst them), and were also playing relatively good football for a team expected to battle the drop. But a poor run of form saw the Baggies' owners scrambling to avoid the club's fourth relegation from the Premiership in the last eight years. And that spelled the end of the Di Matteo era at West Brom.

With Di Matteo out, the legendary Roy Hodgson was hired. And although Englishman's time at Anfield this season was a total disaster, his credentials as a manager say that he's one of the best around. The 63-year old's managerial skills are also best suited for a mid-table club, as he has never been the most adventurous manager when it comes to attacking, a concept that suits a club like W.B.A. far better than a Liverpool.

The Baggies have shown the commitment and attention to detail required from their manager, and they've also let their quality show in a fine run of form that should keep them in the top flight, and just might see them finish in the top half the table.

The Baggies have lost just one match under Hodgson (albeit at the expense of five draws), and have played some sparkling football in the process, including a well earned point at White Hart Lane on the weekend.

Whether West Brom can stay up next season is another story, as staying in the EPL for a second season is something so many other clubs have been unable to do. But the Baggies can take solace in the fact that they have a solid squad to draw from, including striker Peter Odemwingie (13 goals on the year), who has been one of the best buys in all of Europe this season. They also did well to pluck Jerome Thomas from Portsmouth, as the skillful winger has given them a sense of creativity and unpredictability in attack.

There's a nice midfield to draw from, too. Chris Brunt has made the jump to the EPL quite well, while the acquisition of Paul Scharner (previously with Wigan) has also paid dividends.

With the addition of players like Odemwingie, and the hiring of a top class manager in Hodgson, the Baggies surely have some hope to not just stay up this season, but become a fixture in the top flight. If they can make a few more clever moves a la Scharner and Thomas, they just might be looking at a long stay in the Premiership for the first time in the club's history.

Weekend in Review

NOTE: For report/analysis on Saturday's FA Cup Final between Manchester United and Manchester City, please see previous post

Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona

HIGHLIGHTS

53'- Messi
82'- Ronaldo

With four Superclasico's in 18 days upcoming, football fans across the world are salivating. Real Madrid and Barcelona didn't disappoint in the first edition, battling to a 1-1 draw in La Liga that featured the usual great play from both sides, and more than a shred of controversy.

In the end, it was two points lost for Los Galacticos, whose most likely trophy pushes now rest in the Copa del Rey (final against Barca on Wednesday), and Champions League (semifinal against Barca begins next week), as they now trail the Catalan Giants by eight points with six matches to play.

The wound from November's 5-0 dismantling against Barca was fresh in the minds of Jose Mourinho's side, who turned in a performance far better than those disastrous 90 minutes at the Camp Nou.

The home side came out with a humble set up, realizing that even for a side of their quality, a defensive outlook was required to get the results against the best attacking team in the world.

The first half took on the outlook of one of Spain's matchups from the World Cup, as Barca patiently knocked the ball around and waited for the chances to arise. But in the end, Pep Guardiola and company knew that the openings would come, not only because of their quality but also since Real needed full points to retain any hope of winning La Liga.

There were still plenty of chances. Cristiano Ronaldo should have done better midway through the half when he received the ball with space inside the area, but his first touch was surprinsingly heavy, and Gerard Pique ended up blocking his attempt.

Referee Cesar Muniz Fernandez was the center of attention in the 26th minute, when he booked David Villa for a dive after the striker went down in the box from a collision with Iker Casillas. The call was not his best, as there was clear contact between the two, meaning at the very least Villa was not guilty of simulation.

Barca began to look lively as the half continued. They nearly created the opener in the 42nd when some vintage combination play between Lionel Messi, Iniesta, and David Villa, saw Messi into space in the box, but Casillas did well to push away his strike from an acute angle.

Real capped off the wild close to the half in the final seconds when Sergio Ramos rose gracefully and flicked to the far post for Ronaldo, who saw his powerful header cleared off the line in magnificent fashion by Adriano.

Only minutes into the second half, the match was turned on it's head.

Ronaldo came inches from netting the opener in the 48th, winning a free kick from 23-yards. His driven shot surprised Victor Valdes, but the Portuguese was left to curse his luck when it clanked off the post.

Just seconds later, Barca had the lead. A long ball into the box from Adriano asked questions of Xabi Alonso, who took a bad angle and allowed David Villa to get position, before recklessly fouling him for a penalty and unavoidable red card. Messi was cool from the spot, and Barcelona were up 1-0 just moments after their opponents had come so close to doing the same.

Real were down a man, and on the back foot as Barcelona went for the jugular.

In the 62nd, Xavi Hernandez was unlucky to hit the post after successfully chipping Casillas from just outside the area.

Madrid fought on, and Pepe should have equalized in the 65th. Sergio Ramos once again brilliantly won with his head from a corner and flicked to the far post for the center-half, but he couldn't get a solid boot on his volley attempt, and then headed a second bite of the cherry into the side-netting.

Barcelona had nearly all of the possession, and Real were beginning to look resigned to their fate. But to their credit, they defended well and kept the result within reach.

In the 81st, Madrid were rewarded for their defensive efforts with a goal of their own. Substitute Mezut Ozil did well to play Marcelo in down the left side of the box, and Dani Alves made contact with him as he lunged for the ball, resulting in Fernández pointing to the spot. The Barca players were incensed at the call, accosting the referee in numbers, and Marcelo had indeed go down easily, although Real would argue there was clearly contact on the play. Ronaldo was reliable from the spot to equalize.

Villa then spured two chances for Barca, both times receiving an aerial pass behind the defense before losing the one-on-one matchup with Casillas.

Sami Khedira came close after Emmanuel Adebayor countered up the left touch line, but Casillas held his low and powerful effort.

Unfortunate Arsenal

If Manchester United win the Premier League this season (all signs points to yes) after Arsenal's incredible 1-1 draw with Liverpool, the Gunners will only have themselves to blame. They've lost home matches to West Brom and Newcastle, drew 0-0 with lowly Blackburn at The Emirates two weeks ago, and also saw a 2-0 home lead on Tottenham turn into a 3-2 defeat. Once again, the consistency has not been there.

But those inexcusable results don't tell the whole story. The Gunners have controversially dropped points in five different matches this season thanks to poor officiating. That was the case in yesterday's draw with 'Pool, who gained an extremely soft penalty on the last kick of the ball to equalize.

In all honesty, a draw would have been a fair result, as both sides created a similar amount of chances in the final 45 minutes after Arsenal had dominated the opening half. But to make a call like that (START VIDEO at 11:00) must be tough to swallow for Arsene Wenger and company.

The decision may well have finished off the Gunners' title challenge, as they now sit six points off the pace with just six matches to go.

Granted, Eboue has no business making any contact with Lucas on the play, as the Brazilian was surely going to topple over after feeling any type of contact, but that type of call is a classic example of an official trying to even things out, as Liverpool players were very unhappy with the previous penalty given to Arsenal (correctly given) earlier in stoppage time.

Unfortunately, the Liverpool scenario is not an isolated incident, as the Gunners have been victimized by a plethora of poor refereeing decisions this season.

I try not to let my Arsenal bias sway my thoughts in this blog or in my analysis of the game, and I know that the claims I'm making here will cause many to think that my status as a Gooner is clouding my view. You can call it more Arsenal "whining" if you like, but PLEASE watch these videos, evaluate the situations and scenarios in which the bad calls occurred, and then try to tell me that officiating didn't have a significant effect on the title race this season. I don't want to hear any arguments if you haven't at least observed the evidence first.

Example #1: Arsenal travelled to the Stadium of Light early in the year looking to show their newfound confidence via a tough road win. They scored a lucky opener when Cesc Fabregas blocked a clearance and the ball sailed over the keeper's head and into the net.

Arsenal did well to dominate the second half, but as they often do, failed to ice the game to leave the result in doubt.

It appeared the Gunners were headed for a fantastic result when the fourth official signaled for four minutes of injury time. But in the final seconds of extra time, Steve Bruce's side won a corner kick, which surely represented the last kick of the ball. The Gunners did well to clear the attempt, but referee Phil Dowd didn't blow the final whistle, allowing another attempt into the box that Darren Bent slotted home.

Decide for yourself

Example #2: Fresh off the heels of a fine 3-0 win over Chelsea, Arsenal were looking to jump start their race for the title over the Christmas period.

They were the favorites when they visited the DW Stadium to face bottom feeders Wigan. But the home side were all over them in the opening moments, and scored their first goal from the spot. Arsenal fought back, getting goals from Andrei Arshavin and Nicklas Bendtner before halftime to take the lead.

The Gunners cruised through the second half, and looked ready for the three points after Charles N'Zogbia was sent off. But in classic Gunner fashion, they yielded a goal from a set piece, as Sebastien Squllaci headed into his own net under pressure.

However, Arsenal should have won a penalty late in the match, when a free kick from Fabregas struck the arm of a flailing Wigan player. Referee Lee Probert was well positioned, but somehow missed the call.

Check it out (START VIDEO AT 13:25).

Example #3: There are differing opinions on Arsenal's 4-4 draw with Newcastle. After all, the Gunners did blow a 4-0 lead for the first time in Premiership history. But a crucial penalty call changed everything.

The visitors looked ready for a fine win after scoring four first half goals in a fantastic half of football.

The second half was a different story. Spurred on by the sending off of Abou Diaby, who callously shoved over Joey Barton after being angered by a tackle from the midfielder, Newcastle got back into the match on goals from Barton (from the spot) and Leon Best.

Referee Phil Dowd's moment of madness came in the 82nd. He handed the home side a silly penalty (START VIDEO WITH 2:13 LEFT) with less than ten minutes left, somehow seeing a foul when Nolan took a tumble going for an aerial ball in the box. Barton converted, making the score 4-3, and the come back was on.

Cheik Tiote equalized in the 89th with a fantastic volley from outside the area, and it was two points dropped for Arsenal.

But the atrociously poor call Dowd (not exactly in the good graces of Arsenal fans this year) saw Newcastle gain a penalty kick that spurred them on to the improbable draw.

Example #4: Despite fielding a sub-par lineup thanks to injuries, the Gunners had to feel confident when Sunderland visited North London last month. Steve Bruce's side hadn't been the same since losing Darren Bent in January, and were never the strongest road side to begin with.

However, Arsenal looked off the pace in the first half and chances were few and far between while Sunderland created legitimate offense of their own.

Arsenal fought back in the second 45, running rampant on the Black Cats defense. In the end, they should have had a penalty and another goal from the run of play. But Anthony Taylor somehow missed a blatant push from behind in the box courtesy of Titus Bramble, who shoved Andrei Arshavin just before he could shoot on the break (START VIDEO WITH 2:13 LEFT).

Arshavin was involved again minutes later, taking a through ball from Nasri and dribbling around Simon Mignolet before tapping home. Unfortunately, the flag was up, and replays would show that the linesman had completely blown the call (START VIDEO WITH 4:06 LEFT).


Three Titles Won?

Barcelona wanted to pound Real into oblivion as they did earlier in the season, but despite only managing a draw, they are likely headed to a La Liga title, as they now sit eight points atop the table. Having only dropped 11 points this season, it's hard to imagine Barca dropping at least eight in their final six matches.

But Spain wasn't the only league that may have been won on the weekend.

In Germany, Borussia Dortmund are sitting pretty after beating Freiburg 3-0, while chasers Bayer Leverkusen are now eight points adrfit with four matches remaining after Bayern Munich embarrassed them, 5-1.

The top two sides in Die Bundesliga won't meet again this season, meaning it will take quite the collapse from Jurgen Klopp's side merely for things to get interesting down the stretch.

Serie A was a similar story, with leaders AC Milan winning 3-0 over Sampdoria. In the meantime, Napoli couldn't get by Udinese, falling six points off the pace, and Inter Milan are now eight points adrift after being shocked 2-0 at Parma.

A Black Eye for the Beautiful Game

Barcelona 3-1 Arsenal
HIGHLIGHTS

Let's just say that Tuesday's UEFA Champions League matchup between Arsenal and Barcelona had football fans licking their chops.

After a fantastic first leg saw the Catalan Giants dominate possession, the Gunners held tough and came back from a late deficit with two second half goals of great quality. That historic night at The Emirates figured to make for even more fireworks when both teams met up on Tuesday. After all, both sides are undoubtedly amongst Europe's best clubs (likely the best side on the planet in Barca's case). But more importantly, the two are stubbornly insistent on playing attractive football. And it had shown in the teams' previous three matches over the past year(Barca beat Arsenal 6-3 on aggregate in the quarterfinals last season), as there was pulsating football aplenty.

The favored Catalan side would take the second leg 3-1 to move on. But in the end, even those pulling for Barca must have been a little disappointed in what transpired. The 90 minutes should have been a celebration of the game of football. Swiss referee Massimo Busacca saw to that when he erroneously showed Robin Van Persie his second yellow card early in the second half for time wasting.

The Match

While the head referee decided to make himself the main storyline, there was still a game of football to be played on the pitch at the Camp Nou. And Barcelona knew that they would have to perform admirably in order to reverse a 2-1 deficit.

Pep Guardiola's side showed their obvious intentions from the opening whistle, as they patiently looked to breakdown the Arsenal defense with their incisive passing. Meanwhile, the Gunners were unable to find their rhythm as they spent the entirety of the first half on the back foot. That being said, they defended the barrage of Barca attacks fairly well, but they ended up shooting themselves in the foot thanks to an uncharacteristic error from captain Cesc Fabregas.

Barcelona's possession play was lovely. On countless occasions, an Arsenal winger and left/right back would double team a Barca player trying to force a turnover. But the combinations of Samir Nasri/Bacary Sagna and Tomas Rosicky/Gael Clichy simply couldn't get the ball from the likes of Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi etc. The result was close to 65% possession for the home side, and it was quite clear that Barca had the better first 45. But Djourou and Koscielny were defending heroically in the middle, and in the end Barcelona had just two shots on goal. There was a powerful, long effort from Dani Alves that was handled by Wojciech Szczesny. The shot itself was harmless, but it caused plenty of damage, as it dislocated one of the Pole's fingers, forcing him out of the match for much-maligned no. 2 Manuel Almunia.

And then there was the goal in first half stoppage time, which featured a picture perfect pass from Iniesta and a fantastically composed finish from Messi. But it's important to note that the go-ahead goal came from an inexcusable error from Fabregas, as he opted to back-heel to Jack Wilshere just outside his own box, and got burned when the ball ended up on Iniesta's foot.

Arsenal would have to come out of the break more attack minded after Messi's goal. And they did improve slightly before getting the equalizer, which would represent one of the few times of the match where they could count themselves lucky. Nasri's corner was not well placed, but Busquets failed to deal with it at the near post, shockingly heading back into his own goal.

Arsenal was holding the slimmest of leads, and both teams were looking lively and confident. Then came the moment of madness from Busacca, who embarrassingly sent off Van Persie.

The Call

Early in the second half, it appeared that we were headed for another classic between the two sides after the Gunners had netted that fortuitous own goal. Instead, Busacca effectively ruined the match three minutes later, handing Van Persie a second yellow for time wasting after he had a go at goal while the offsides flag was raised. That's right, the Swiss offical decided it necessary to administer a yellow card for delaying the match in the 56th minute, in a stadium with 95,000+ in attendance, and on a wayward shot that took place a mere one second after the flag had gone up.

I've seen some bad calls in my time. But this one takes the cake. Not only is the decision technically incorrect as RVP only takes one touch before shooting (not exactly a devious maneuver with 35 miuntes to play), but it also shows a complete lack of judgment and common sense.

The decision was a poor one. It also killed the match off, as Barcelona put their foot on the gas and ten-man Arsenal simply couldn't handle the pressure any longer. Granted, the overall result surely may have been the same, as relentless Barcelona were knocking on Arsenal's door even before the sending off. But an egotistical blunder of massive proportions from Busacca became the story. In the end, we'll never be able to say what would have really happened between these two, as he the proactively changed the course of the tie drastically.

The Rest

What happened after Arsenal went down to ten was predictable. With their class and quality, Barcelona simply couldn't be stopped. After mustering just the two shots on goal before Busacca got involved, they began to pepper the Gunners' goal with shots.

David Villa burst through moments after the controversy only for Almunia to make the first of several fantastic saves.

Without a striker, the Gunners could only defend and hope for the best. That typically doesn't work against the likes of Barcelona, and this match would be no different.

With Arsenal hanging by a thread, the hosts pounced. It was a vintage piece of Barca buildup play that finally some them breakthrough in the 69th, as some fantastic combination passing saw Iniesta find Xavi behind the defense, who did well to finish past Almunia.

Even at 2-1, it was Barcelona who were in total control. So it was no surprise to see them net an insurance goal just two minutes later, when Laurent Koscielny clumsily took out Pedro in the box. Messi was calm and collected on the penalty to finish off the scoring.

The Verdict

All in all, there is very good reason to believe that Barca would have gotten their result. Their midfield was absolutely dominant, and opposition rarely stand a chance when that is the case. While they will surely feel fortunate to have seen their opponents weakened early in the second half, I'd say that they'd have been favorites to win the match based on the course of the match's first 54 minutes.

That said, one will never be able to discuss this fixture without making mention of the abysmal refereeing error. The match completely changed as Arsenal's previously staunch defense was bending but not breaking before the incident, and then suddenly opened up at the seams after RVP's dismissal. If you really think that the match would have followed a similar course regardless of Busacca's decision, you might be a crazy person.

RVP's offense would have been a soft yellow on any pitch, little less in front of "95,000 screaming people" (Van Persie's words) making it excessively difficult to hear the whistle. But what troubles me is the nature of the decision. Busacca has made a conscious effort to take the match out of the players' hands, and he's done it under circumstances that in no way should elicit that type of response. His guffaw makes him look like a terrible referee, but it also a decision that shos him to be self-absorbed and irrational. If you are a fan of the game, there is simply no way you can believe otherwise.

Look, I'll admit once again I am an Arsenal guy and was massively upset with the call. But my complaints with Busacca are not just from a Gooner perspective, but also as a fan of football. I didn't want to be to discussing the officiating when reviewing a match between two squads that play football beautifully. Busacca made sure that wasn't the case, and in the process, we were all robbed of an opportunity to watch what may have been one of the season's most entertaining 90 minutes.

Weekend in Review

Liverpool 3-1 Manchester United

34'- Kuyt
39'- Kuyt
65'- Kuyt
90'- Hernandez

HIGHLIGHTS

It's been five days from hell in the red half of Manchester. In a week where they faced two difficult fixtures at Stamford Bridge and Anfield, the Red Devils were defeated twice and now look to be in a real battle for the title.

On Sunday, they ran into a Liverpool team that appear to be coming together and putting the dark days of the Roy Hodgson era behind them. The result was a thorough beating courtesy of Kenny Dalglish's resurgent Reds, who beat them 3-1 before a vociferous crowd of 44,753.

It should be noted that United were not at their best in the back. First choice center halves Rio Ferdinand (injury) and Nemanja Vidic (suspension) both missed out. Young Chris Smalling continued to deputize for Ferdinand, while Wes Brown got the start in place of the Serbian.

Liverpool new boy Luis Suarez faced his first real test in the EPL, and he would pass with flying colors. He had his first chance in the 2nd minute when Rau Miereles fired across the box to the off-balance Uruguayan, who one-touched right at Edwin van der Sar.

Dimitar Berbatov came close in the 16th when his lovely half-volley from distance curled around Pepe Reina but bounced off the far post and out.

Two minutes later, Suarez was again involved when he beat a defender down the left wing and found Miereles's head at the far post. He flicked back across goal and just past the outstretched Dirk Kuyt.

Suarez magnificently created the opening goal in the 34th, beating three United defenders in the box and then slotting between the legs of van der Sar to Kuyt, who only had to tap in for the lead.

The brilliance of Suarez set up Kuyt for his first goal. But it was a bizarre header from Nani five minutes later that lead to the second, as the winger flicked back into the box where the Dutchman awaited at the far post to pounce.

Things got ugly before the half. A terrible challenge from Jamie Carragher saw the veteran go studs up into Nani. The Portuguese at first got up to confront the guilty party, but then went down in pain and was later substituted as a mild fracas ensued. In the end, Carragher got off with just a yellow. Nani was substituted for Javier Hernandez after suffering a "deep gash" in his leg.

There was another altercation when a high boot from Maxi Rodriguez on Rafael angered the Brazilian, who then slid in late on Martin Skrtel, and the two went face-to-face near the center-circle as both sides exchanged pleasantries.

United came back into the match in the second half. Sir Alex Ferguson's side began to posses the ball in dangerous areas as the Reds started to scramble.

In the 48th, Berbatov crossed low and with pace for Javier Hernandez, but the normally reliable finisher scuffed his strike wide.

Rooney hit Giggs with a similar ball in the 55th, but the Welshman's left footed effort dipped moments late.

Four minutes later, Rooney's cross traveled across Reina and was headed back towards goal by Hernandez to the awaiting Berbatov. The Bulgarian's header had the goalkeeper beaten, but Miereles did fantastically well to chest off the line whilst avoiding a hand ball.

United were on the front foot. But it was the home side that would put the result on ice with the next goal. Suarez's well struck free kick was saved by van der Sar, but he had a tough time with the curling strike and fumbled it momentarily, and Kuyt was opportunistic once again to net his hat trick.

£35M man Andy Carroll made his debut for the Reds in the 74th. His first 25 minutes in the Liverpool kit were mainly uneventful, with his only contribution being a headed pass onto the foot of Kuyt, who sliced his effort over.

Kuyt may have bagged his first career hat trick, but it was Suarez who was really making his presence felt. He nearly scored a great goal in the 87th, as he nutmegged Patrice Evra at midfield, then poked the ball around Wes Brown and burst into the right half of the box before shanking his strike well wide.

Steven Gerrard was fairly quiet. But he had two long shots just miss, the second of curling inches wide from a short free kick.

Hernandez pulled back a late consolation, sneaking into the 6-yard box unmarked and nodding into the left corner.

A Tough Week for United

All in all, Manchester United have to consider themselves lucky to still be three points up on Arsenal (more on that later) after their worst week of the season.

They were unfortunate against Chelsea in many ways, but they looked rattled for much of the second half as the Blues stormed back to win.

While the performance at Stamford Bridge wasn't their worst, they came close to that level of ineptitude today. Of course we must credit Liverpool, who played United off the pitch in the first half and had enough left in the tank to get them to the finish.

The absence of Ferdinand and Vidic was certainly crucial. Suarez was giving the Man U back four complete fits. And to be quite honest, Brown and Smalling looked terrified whenever he put them under pressure. The Uruguayan also bested Evra on several occasions down the wing.

With Suarez and company having their way going forward, United's attacking quality was not good enough to keep 'Pool honest. After a decent start, Rooney completely disappeared from the match for nearly thirty minutes. That's inexcusable for a team trying to get a result in hostile territory. For a man that appears to be coming into form, Rooney must get the service necessary to operate.

There's a long way to go in the season. And United must turn their performances around as Arsenal is right on their heels, and Chelsea will be back in with a shout should they beat Blackpool on Monday.

Arsenal Frustrated

Manchester United's loss to Chelsea opened up the door for Arsene Wenger's Gunners, who would have moved to within one point of the leaders with a win against Sunderland on Saturday.

With a chance to put even more pressure on struggling United, Arsenal failed to get the job done, drawing 0-0 at The Emirates in a match where they were always on the front foot, and also massively unlucky to see a series of tough refereeing decisions go against them.

Injuries to midfielders Alex Song and Cesc Fabregas (both are expected back fit for Tuesday's Champions League matchup with Barcelona) forced the enigmatic and rusty Abou Diaby and rarely used Denilson into action. The lack of continuity between the two and Jack Wilshere showed in the first half, as the Gunners looked stretched and unable to possess.

Stephane Sessegnon managed to create a half-chance in the 18th for the visitors, doing well to create space and blasting towards goal where Wojciech Szczesny parried.

Despite the early flurry from the Black Cats, Arsenal defended well as Laurent Koscielny responded from his Carling Cup guffaw with a fine performance amongst the back four.

The Gunners did manage several chances. The two greatest fell to Nicklas Bendtner, who went close on a pair of occasions. First he burst through the defense to get to Wilshere's ball and rifled it upwards, only to see Simon Mignolet get a hand to the powerful strike and push it over. A corner saw him try a bicycle kick that he hit perfectly, but unfortunately for him the effort was right at the goalkeeper.

The second half saw the Gunners furiously pressing forward, creating countless chances.

Andrei Arshavin was at the center of attention for much of the half. Substitute Marouane Chamakh got out on the break and did well to find him alone in front of goal in the 63rd, but the little Russian rushed his shot and Mignolet made another stop.

The French goalkeeper did magnificently well in the 73rd, stopping a goal-bound free kick from Samir Nasri.

Chamakh hit the bar two minutes later as the onslaught continued. Wilshere crossed into the box and the Moroccan rose well, but his header was just inches too high.

A beautiful ball from Nasri within the Arsenal half saw Arshavin through in the 80th. The winger did well to settle himself, but a push from behind from Titus Bramble put him off and he missed the near post. Arsene Wenger and company protested to no avail.

With their opponents in disbelief, Sunderland thrust forward their only meaningful attack of the second 45. Man United loanee Danny Welbeck made his return from injury off the substitutes bench, and nearly made Steve Bruce look like a genius when he took the ball down out of the air in the box, then wheeled and fired to the far post to force a brilliant save from Szczesny.

Jordan Henderson had a chance from the ensuing corner. But his volley was placed right at the young Polish goalkeeper.

The Gunners were again furious with the officiating when Arshavin wrongly had a goal disalowed for offsides in the 86th.

Wenger was justifiably fuming post-match. He called the officiating performance "not acceptable" and it's hard to disagree. In this match, we've seen two decisions go against Arsenal, with one costing them a chance from the spot, while the other incorrectly prevented a go-ahead goal. The cross bar and some fine stops from Mignolet left the home side ruing yet another missed opportunity to make up substantial ground on United.

Despite the result, the Gunners can take solace in the rapidly decreasing form of Man U. In the end, it's another point picked up on the leaders, as Arsenal sit just three points from the summit with a match in hand.

They have one league match (at West Brom) left before the international break. After which, if nothing goes wrong, they should be at full strength for the stretch run with the return of Van Persie.

Still the Gunners have to be frustrated. They have dropped a ton of points in absolutely heartbreaking fashion, blowing leads for instance against the likes of Newcastle (4-0 to 4-4) and Tottenham (2-0 to 3-2). Had they shown a little more composure/poise and/or had a bit more luck they would likely be sitting pretty right now atop the table.

Fireworks at Molineux

I tried to convince my brother (a renowned soccer hater) to stick around and watch Tottenham-Wolves after he had reluctantly enjoyed the Man U-'Pool match. After all, this was a match where both teams would certainly go for the three points. He refused, and instead missed a great 90 minutes as both sides battled it out to a 3-3 draw that featured plenty of talking points to go with several goals of great quality.

Mired in the relegation battle, Wolves will attack whomever comes to Molineux, knowing that the vast majority of their wins down the stretch should come on their home pitch. Meanwhile, Tottenham also were looking to throw bodies forward, knowing that wins against lesser talented sides are an absolute must in their battle for a position in the top four.

Jermain Defoe somehow hadn't scored an EPL goal from the run of play in over a year. He re-opened his account with two absolutely breathtaking strikes that came just minutes apart.

As for Wolves, they showed their usual passion and commitment, fighting back from adversity (and an inexplicable officiating error that saw a late goal disallowed) to muster a draw.

Before I leave you to watch the highlights for yourself, I want to give a little love to George Elokobi. The left back won't get much fanfare, and may not have a major EPL career should he not help keep Wolves at the top level. However, with his tough demeanor, fearless defending, and his fine fitness and work ethic (I wouldn't want to run into that guy in a back alley), he's everything you want from a player when you're battling the drop. That's the kind of spirit that Wanderers need to duplicate if they want to avoid relegation this season.

Check out the highlights.

In Case you Missed It...

I sang the praises of Bundesliga leading Borussia Dortmund last week. But there's another young team taking their domestic league by storm in France. If you haven't been paying much attention to Lille, it might be time to take notice.

Like Dortmund, Les Dogues (The Mastiffs in our tongue) have defeated the notion that you can't win with youth. While their challengers have had their ups and downs in a Ligue 1 season lacking intrigue, Rudi Garcia's bunch have kept chugging along and getting results. They did so again on Sunday, notching a last second goal from substitute Pierre-Alain Frau (one of the few veterans of the squad) to beat preseason title favorites Marseille 2-1.

Lille began to assemble this young team in 2008-09 with current Lyon star Michel Bastos leading them, as they burst onto the scene to make a serious challenge for a Champions League spot and were outside title contenders all year. Les Dogues would lose the magical Brazilian left footer that summer, and it hurt them last season. But they still fought back to finish fourth place and garner a second straight Europa League bid. Meanwhile, without Bastos to bail them out, the likes of youngsters Eden Hazard (20 years old) and Gervinho (23) came of age.

Then Garcia made a brilliant move last summer when he signed little known 24-year old Moussa Sow after his contract expired with Rennes. He (18 goals) and Gervinho (11) lead the team with scoring, while Hazard has blossomed into one of the world's top prospects from the left wing.

In a season where Ligue 1 has been dull at best, the youthful upstarts from Lille have certainly provided a bright spot.

As for Dortmund, they now lead by 12 points in Die Bundesliga after a 1-0 win over Koln. But the story of the weekend in Germany was a major shake up in the race for the Champions League, as a pair of surprise teams upset two of the big boys to jockey for places in the top three.

Bayern Munich may be looking good in the Champions league, but life has been much rougher domestically. Bayern were all but eliminated from the title race in a 3-1 defeat to Dortmund last week, now they're all the way down to fifth in the table after a loss by the same score to high-flying Hannover. The win puts Steve Cherundolo's side (had to sneak that in there) into the third and final Champions League spot, five points ahead of Bayern.

Their closest challenger is Mainz. This is just their second season in the top flight, but they did well to finish in the top half of the table last season. Today they sit four points back of Hannover after beating favored Hamburg (now seventh place and ten points adrift of third) 4-2 on Sunday.

What are your thoughts from the weekend in footy? Feel free to leave comments below!

Weekend in Review

Arsenal Heartbreak... Again

Highlights

It's been nearly six years since Arsenal last won a trophy. And Sunday's heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Birmingham in the Carling Cup Final means they'll have to wait a little longer to grasp silverware.

The defeat left the Gunners in despair. But the way they lost will hurt even more, as a comedy of errors involving Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny in the final minutes allowed for an extremely soft game-winning goal in the 88th.

The Gunners had the more chances overall of the two teams as well. But Ben Foster came up with a man of the match performance in goal, while the underdogs also must be credited for turning in one of their best shifts of the season.

In typical Cup Final fashion, the match was played at a high pace throughout. And Birmingham should have had a penalty just three minutes in when Szczesny took out the legs of Lee Bowyer in the box for what was clear cut penalty kick. But the midfielder had been incorrectly ruled offsides and Arsenal escaped.

Although Birmingham started off on the front foot, it was Arsenal who took control during an exciting opening 20 minutes.

Andrei Arshavin had the first opportunity for the favorites, spinning around a defender and firing a left-footed blast directly at Foster, who did well to save.

Johan Djourou should have done better with two headed chances from consecutive corners in the 10th minute. But he missed both attempts badly.

Samir Nasri did well to juke his defender and set up on his right foot in the box in the 14th. But he blasted his attempt over the near post from a difficult angle.

The Blues were right in the match, looking dangerous on the counterattack and set pieces. They took the lead via the latter in the 28th minute. A nice corner found the head of Roger Johnson at the top of the box, who flicked towards goal as the Arsenal defense scrambled to get into position. Nikola Zigic reacted quickest, sneaking in between a host of defenders, and heading past the onrushing Szczesny from close range.

Arsenal came back immediately afterward and nearly equalized on a header from Robin Van Persie.

Birmingham had Arsene Wenger's side on the ropes thereafter. The Gunners needed several last ditch clearances on dangerous crosses as the presence of 6-7 Zigic was clearly giving the back four issues. He nearly netted his second in the 34th, finding a quick opening in the box only to see his shot pushed away by Szczesny.

With their backs against the wall, Arsenal managed to get back into the match, and netted the equalizer through Van Persie in the 39th. It all started when Jack Wilshere's long range effort slammed off the crossbar and back into play. But the Gunners gave BFC no time to exhale, as Arshavin ended up with the ball and turned Liam Ridgewell before crossing brilliantly onto the right foot of the Dutchman, who buried his full volley attempt home.

The equalizer was not all good news for Arsenal. Van Persie's right knee slammed into Martin Jiranek during the goal. The injury would force him off the pitch in the 70th minute for Nicklas Bendtner.

The two teams went to the half having both showed their best football over the first 45. And there was plenty more great play to come.

Tomas Rosicky came close in the 47th on a low volley from a Sagna cross.

Birmingham came within a whisker of their second goal in the 58th when Keith Fahey fired past Szczesny and off the post.

Both sides slowed down over the next ten minutes. Birmingham occasionally looked dangerous on the counterattack but were typically stifled by some valiant Arsenal defending. Meanwhile, the Gunners were controlling the ball but not creating much of anything.

Arsenal started to come to life in the 74th and 75th minutes when Ben Foster thwarted efforts from Samir Nasri and Bendtner.

The Gunners continued to look the most likely to score. In the 78th, Bendtner created space in the box, but his right footed blast was partially blocked and saved by Foster.

One minute later, substitute Marouane Chamakh got free and played the ball across the face of goal just past the outstretched Rosicky and Bendtner.

Nasri was again involved in the Arsenal onslaught, but Foster did well to parry his curling his from 22-yards in the 80th.

And then, from out of nowhere, the Gunners found themselves behind with virtually no time left. A miscommunication between Laurent Koscielny and Szczesny saw the Pole spill the ball in the box. It fell to Obafemi Martins, who could hardly believe his luck as he passed the ball into the wide open goal for the winner.

What a Final!
First and foremost, you have to credit to Birmingham. Although much of the talk from the match has surrounded Arsenal's most recent implosion, one must realize that Alex McCleish's team were game from the opening whistle, creating chances and doing well to exploit their size advantage via Zigic. They put the Arsenal back line under pressure and made things increasingly difficult for them. In all honesty, they were unfortunate to be down at the half as Arsenal's equalizer had certainly come against the run of play.

Zigic appears to be coming into his own after a rocky start in England. He has the size to give defenders hell, as you can never forget where he is. Ideally, that would open up space for others as well, but his addition had yielded mixed results this year. That's all changed a bit recently, as the Serbian has scored four goals in five matches. Surely it's no coincidence that the results have taken a turn for the better during that time. The Blues have lost just once over the period, moved closer safety in the EPL, and now have some silverware to add to their trophy case.

You've also got to heap the praise upon goalkeeper Ben Foster. The Manchester United outcast was viewed as damaged goods by some. But McLeish was right to give the promising youngster a chance and it's paid massive dividends. If not for his heroics, the Martins goal doesn't even matter.

As for Arsenal, this defeat was of the devastating variety. Tears were streaming from the eyes of young Wilshere, whilst several players fell to ground in agony after the final whistle. The reaction was steep for a team still heavily involved in three other competitions. But finally winning a trophy would have been a huge boost to the Gunners' psyche, and would have signaled to everyone that all the promise of Wenger's side is finally starting to yield great results. Instead they have yet another dissapointing defeat to think about, and that will surely get everyone asking questions about their mental strength for the umpteenth time.

How the Gunners respond from this is absolutely crucial. There is still plenty of season left and there are some massive fixtures right around the corner. They face an FA Cup replay with Leyton Orient tomorrow, and then head back to the league on Saturday before the crucial second leg against Barcelona at the Camp Nou next week.

To Arsenal's credit, they have responded well from tough results this season, but surely this defeat was the toughest of the season to swallow, and we've seen them fall apart after similar misfortunes in years past.

United Roll

Wigan entered Saturday's matchup having lost 14 in a row to league leading Manchester United. It's 15 straight defeats now after a convincing 4-0 trouncing extended United's lead back to four points over Arsenal, who had previously closed the gap to a single point after a win in mid-week.

The match surely would have been different had the Latics finished their chances in the first half. Victor Moses broke through in the 13th down the left side, but saw his near-post effort saved by the shoulder of a charging Edwin van der Sar.

United showed the finishing touch that the hosts could not in the 17th. A nice one-two between Rooney and Nani saw the winger in down the left side, and he rolled a beautiful ball across the box for Javier Hernandez, who easily slotted home for the lead.

Wigan should have equalized just moments later. A nice flick from Hugo Rodollega left James McCarthy all alone at the far post, but again van der Sar came up big and saved the strike from short range.

Holding a 1-0 lead, the visitors began to take over. Nani nearly gave them a spectacular two goal lead when his lazer of a strike slammed off the crossbar and bounced out in the 29th minute.

The second half was a simply brilliant performance from Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

The visitors were fortunate not be two goals down early on after United missed a host of chances.

The first opportunity came through Nani, who cut back onto his left foot in the box, but should have done better and missed wide.

United kept pressing, and they nailed the clincher in the 74th. Rooney did well to play Hernandez through behind the leaky Wigan defense, and "Chicharito" did well to control and settle himself for the finish.

United poured it on afterwards. Darron Gibson's long ball hit Dimitar Berbatov with one defender to beat, and he passed across the box to Rooney for an easy tap-in to make it 3-0.

Fabio scored the fourth in the 87th, taking down a long ball from close range before driving home the score.

It was another impressive victory for the Red Devils, who appear to be heading into their best form of the season as we speak. Things may well have been different had McCarthy or Moses been more clinical in the first half, but United settled in nicely after the first goal and took complete control of the match.

The first half may have been a little dicey, but Man U got exactly what they wanted after the break. Ferfuson's side controlled possession and pressed on until the pressure was simply too much to handle for Wigan.

United fans also have to be thrilled to see Wayne Rooney coming on strong. The frontman was heavily involved in three of the four goals. You could see the Wigan defense was beginning to scramble when he had possession in the second half, unsure of whether he was going to run at the back four and take a defender on, or distribute to United's more dangerous offensive players (i.e. Nani, Berbatov, Hernandez). When Rooney is rolling like that, he's as good as anyone in the world, and United will hope the performance at the DW is one of many to come over the rest of the year.

Madman Mancini

The bizarre season at Eastlands continued on Sunday, as Man City turned in a lackluster 1-1 draw against Fulham.

Mario Balotelli opened up the scoring for City in the 26th, notching a fantastic long shot that came against the run of play.

The Whites came out of the break strong and quickly equalized through Damien Duff.

The home side looked poor as they tried to take the lead back, creating very little and playing at a slow and listless pace. The poor result saw City get booed off the pitch by the home fans. Considering the draw came at home against a team that has a dreadful away record, they probably deserved it.

City just a frustrating team to watch at this point. All of that quality is yet to translate into a truly great run of form.

I have to wonder whether the tactics of Roberto Mancini match the personnel within the squad. We're talking about a team that has spent big bucks on the likes of Carlos Tevez, David Silva, Balottelli, Edin Dzeko and James Milner, yet hired a manager that wants his teams to defend first and foremost.

If you ask me, Mancini is not a bad manager. In fact, I'd say he's a borderline excellent tactician and his success in Italy speaks volumes. But this club is not a good fit for him. Yesterday, he strangely substituted Patrick Viera for Dzeko 15 minutes into the half, shoring up the center of midfield and defense in a deadlocked match where his team needed the three points. Did Mancini really think a 1-1 draw against average Fulham was an acceptable result?

In the end, City will find themselves in yet another dogfight for a Champions League spot. In my opinion, Mancini should be shown the door even if they do qualify. Not so much because they have greatly underachived this season, but because they need an increasingly attacking minded manager who gives Sheik Mansour's lucrative signings more freedom on the pitch.

Germany and Spain Wrapped Up?

What do Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona have in common? Well, both look to have already wrapped up silverware in their domestic leagues after massive results over the weekend.

Young Dortmund has been a bit sloppy recently, as their double-digit point lead in the league may have left them overconfident. But they reminded everyone how they jumped out to that lead in the first place with a master class performance against defending champions Bayern Munich. The 3-1 victory upped the gap to 16 points over Bayern, and 12 over second place Bayer Leverkusen, who drew 2-2 on Sunday.

If you haven't watched Dortmund yet, you're missing out. They have a fantastic young lineup with rising stars such as Nuri Sahin, Kevin Grosskreutz and more Shinji Kagawa.

Sahin is my favorite of the bunch. He's a versatile center midfielder that does all the dirty work. But he's also a major threat going forward with a dynamite long range shot (just look at this cracker he scored against Bayern), coupled with a deft touch and great vision/clever distribution. Trust me, this guy is going to be doing big things in the years to come, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see one of the big boys from England make a move for the young Turk.

In La Liga, Barcelona cruised to another "routine" 3-0 win in Spain. Meantime, Real Madrid were poor in a scoreless draw with Deportivo La CORUNA. They trail the Catalan Giants by seven points. In a league where dropped points are few and far between for the top two clubs, one must think that Barca are very close to wrapping up this race for good.

Gunners Glory

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Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona

26'- Villa
78'- Van Persie
83'- Arshavin

When Arsenal and Barcelona met last year at The Emirates, Arsenal came back from a late deficit to put the pressure on the favorites as they headed to the Camp Nou for the second leg. It was a similar situation Wednesday as Barca jumped out to an early lead, but couldn't extend the gap, and then could only watch as a strong Arsenal side came back to score not once, but twice in the final 12 minutes to take a crucial lead back to Spain.

The Gunners were shorthanded last season (missing the likes of Song, Vermaelen, Van Persie, Fabregas, and more over the two ties). That was not the case this time around as Samir Nasri made his return from a hamstring injury to replace Arshavin. Meantime, Arsene Wenger was able to field a nearly full strength lineup, only missing the suspended Bacary Sagna in the back four.

Barca were without Carles Puyol in the middle. Eric Abidal slid inside to replace him while Maxwell deputized out left. But otherwise Pep Guardiola's side were also at full strength.

Barca came out holding onto much of the possession. But it was the Gunners who fought their way back into the game to create the match's first chance early on. Theo Walcott did well to cut inside from his right wing position and play a nice square ball for Fabregas in the box. The former Barca youth player received the ball, took a touch, and promptly scooped it over the head of the defense for the in-form Van Persie, who ran onto it before seeing his shot saved well by Victor Valdes.

The Gunners continued to press, but lacked the quality in the final third to create another chance.

Then the visitors took over. Xavi Hernandez and Andrés Iniesta began to carve open the Gunners' defense with some fantastic passes.

Messi went close after Villa played him in behind down the left, but Wojciech Szczesny did well to close down the angle, and the Argentinean phenom's chip went just wide of the far post.

Barca kept pressing, and had Arsenal on their heels. They would take a lead that seemed inevitable in the 26th. Messi caught Gael Clichy defending too deep and found Villa onsides behind the defense. The Spaniard made no mistake, putting a low strike through the legs of Szczesny for the lead.

Pedro could have made it 2-0 just minutes later. But his shot from close range was stopped by Szczesny.

Van Persie squandered yet another opportunity in the 29th after Jack Wilshere's perfectly weighted diagonal ball saw him in down the left side. But he hesitated in the box before putting a sub-par effort well over.

Minutes later, Pedro got through on goal once again. But Szczesny was off his line quickly to make the save. Messi headed the rebound into the net, but he was offsides when Pedro shot and the goal would not stand.

The rest of the half saw an increasingly desperate looking Arsenal holding on for dear life. The visitors looked dangerous, but couldn't carve out another clear opportunity before the break.

Arsenal looked a bit more composed on the defensive side as the second half began. And they started to grasp control of the match.

Van Persie blasted a long shot over the bar in the 57th. Then he couldn't get on the end of a low cross from Nasri as Gerard Pique challenged him.

But Barca began to dominate soon after, as it appeared that Arsenal might be left to rue their missed chances. A failed clearance from Eboue helped Messi burst through on the left side of the box, he tried to beat Szczesny near post but found side-netting.

Then it was Arsenal's turn to step on the gas. And this time they were rewarded.

In the 78th, Gael Clichy lobbed behind the left side of defense, Robin Van Persie hooked onto that the close to the end-line, then caught Valdes leaning the wrong way and beat him to the near post for a stunning equalizer.

Five minutes later they had the lead. Fabregas found Nasri streaking down the wing with one defender to beat. The Frenchman cut inside and rolled the ball across the area to Arshavin, who finished beautifully with a curling effort to the far post.

Arshavin nearly went from hero to zero when his poor header back to Szczesny allowed Dani Alves to pounce on the ball in the right half of the area, but the Pole once again charged off his line to make the save.

Soon after, the referee whistled for full time, and the Gunners had beaten the Spanish giants for the first time in their history.

Opinion

Arshavin's goal capped a magnificent night for Arsenal, who fought tooth and nail throughout to stay in the match. And they probably deserved at least a goal after a host of near misses throughout the match.

The Gunners' actual goals ended up being created by their best attacking players. But if it wasn't for several other players stepping up, Barca could have been out of sight before RVP's equalizer.

Arsenal's stars did come through on the two goals thanks to RVP's finish (it must be said the goal was aided by a terrible goalkeeping error from Valdes, who didn't cover his near post), and the fantastic counterattack goal from Arshavin (set up well by passes from Fabregas and Nasri).

However, one would have to argue that Arsenal's most dangerous players did not perform well. Fabregas had one of his worst night's in European Football, as he gave the ball away a multitude of times and was not clinical in front of goal. Meanwhile, Van Persie missed a pair of great opportunities in the first half and didn't make Valdes work on two shots from distance in the second 45. Nasri, returning from injury, looked off the pace and was hardly involved before cleverly finding Arshavin for the final score. Walcott was also uninvolved, and was subsituted in the 76th minute for Nicklas Bendtner. Alex Song, who many consider the anchor of the Gunners' defense as he holds down the midfield when Wilshere/Fabregas venture forward, was off his game, as an early yellow card made the physical defensive midfielder a non-factor. He was substituted for Arshavin in the second half.

While Arsenal's big names weren't getting the job done, several Gunners made unexpected contributions.

Laurent Koscienly turned in a man of the match performance at center-half. He stifled attack after attack for Barca, was never out of position, and somehow went the entire match without losing a one-on-one battle with Messi, Villa, or Pedro. It was surely his best performance in an Arsenal kit.

Furthermore, it's important to note that Koscielny has withstood a lot of abuse from Arsenal fans and the media, much of it unfair. A closer look tells a different story. Yes, Koscielny has been guilty of a few egregious errors in the back that have resulted in goals this season. But his mistakes are not fundamental issues with his defending, they are more of the silly variety, which are easily fixable. His ability should not be questioned, as he is a creative player who can set up the attack with a nice pass, or break up an attack with a well timed challenge.

How a player could endure so much criticism for not being a flawless center half in the EPL from day one is beyond me. Not everyone can be Thomas Vermaelen, people. The Frenchman has been improving and adjusting to the game every week. And if you look at the job he has done on the whole, he's actually been quite good, and clearly has potential to turn into a fine defender.

I find myself lost for words when describing the maturity of 19-year old Jack Wilshere. Can someone check the kid's birth certificate? He continues to be completely unfazed in each and every situation he's placed in.

Yesterday, he was the Gunners' best attacking player. He rarely gave the ball away, and was still able to make several dangerous moves forward from his deeper role in midfield. Here we have a youngster playing on by far the biggest stage of his career, and somehow he looked the most composed and effective on a side featuring some of the world's most established players.

There was one more fine performance from one of Arsenal's less experienced players. It came from the goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. The 20-year old was Arsenal's fourth-string goalkeeper in preseason, but was widely recognized as a top prospect, especially after his loan spell to Brentford last year had the Bees fans comparing him to past greats.

On Messi's first breakway, the 23-year old looked surprised after the young goalkeeper had stormed off his line without hesitating, and then managed to keep his arms up as he went to ground, making the chip from Messi a difficult one. He made a similar play on Pedro later in the first half to keep the Gunners close.

Then he came up huge in the final seconds, leaving his line to deny Alves after Arshavin's poor header saw the Brazilian in one-on-one with the Pole. He did well to close off the angle, and then showed great poise by not diving in, when doing so would have surely causing a penalty kick.

I'd say the trio of Wilshere, Szczesny, and Koscielny saved the day for Arsenal. And between the three of them, the Gunners have several fine players for many years to come.

Looking Ahead

With the second leg looming, you'd still have to consider the EPL side as underdogs. Barcelona scored the crucial away goal at The Emirates, and now know that any combination of goals and a clean sheet (which has been their specialty this season) will see them through.

Obviously, Wenger would prefer to see his team not concede at the Camp Nou. But let's be honest here, and realize that the Gunners' chance of shutting out Barca are unlikely at best. Especially when considering their typical insistence on playing attacking football.

One would have to think that they would enter the second leg with a bit more caution, but certainly with plenty of attacking intentions. Without question, Arsenal's best defense will be their offense, as matching Barcelona on away goals seems a much more likely scenario than holding them scoreless.

If you ask me, the second leg should be more of the same between these two. After all, both teams will enter the match at the Camp Nou knowing that the quality of their offensive performance will play perhaps the greatest role in the final result.

The Arsenal fan in me is nervous about that tie. But the football fan in me simply can't wait.

The Weekend in Review

Leaders Hold Serve

Manchester United and Arsenal both stumbled two weeks ago. But both sides showed their absolute best in wins over the weekend.

United surely had the toughest fixture of the two sides. But they managed to come out victorious in a crucial Manchester Derby where they were certainly tested. Meanwhile, the Gunners cruised to a routine win over Wolves.

United made sure to put last week's disaster at Molineaux behind them, all but eliminating Manchester City from the title race with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. City asked questions of the leaders' defense after equalizing in the second half, but the Red Devils' back-line was up to the task, and then Wayne Rooney won it with one of the finest goals in EPL history.

Much of the first half belonged to United. But it was City who created the first chance in the early going. Carlos Tevez turned in the box and found David Silva streaking towards the goal, who set the ball up nicely on his left foot before rolling his shot wide of the far corner with the goal at his mercy.

The rest of the half was a hard fought affair with Man U looking to be on the ascendancy. And a sudden counter attack goal just before halftime gave them the lead.

Nani did brilliantly to handle an aerial ball from Ryan Giggs behind the defense, then quickly composed himself and slotted into the right corner.

City worked their way back into the match in the second half. But it took a serious slice of luck to pull them level. Edin Dzeko's shot caromed off the back of Silva and looped into the far corner past a wrong-footed Edwin van der Sar.

City pressed forward afterwards, knowing that only three points would do to keep their title hopes alive. But they were unable to create a serious chance while Nani came close for the Red Devils.

Then Rooney won it with what will surely be the goal of the season. A deflected cross from Nani in the 78th saw him momentarily backtrack before hammering an incredible bicycle kick into the upper corner. The goal was not only of absolutely sublime quality, but also came at a crucial juncture, as it handed Man U the full three points, knocked City out of the title race, and kept second place Arsenal at arms length for now.

I just can't say enough about the United defense. This is not exactly the best attacking side that Sir Alex Ferguson has ever had at his disposal, and they often find themselves under pressure as a result. But the back four were once again up to the task, even without Rio Ferdinand in the lineup.

Chris Smalling stepped in and did a fine job for them. He has looked shaky at times this season, but he's a youngster with a boatload of potential and ability. That showed on Saturday when he and Vidic continued to stifle attacks from City, especially after the road side had equalized and started to look lively and confident going forward.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils scored two gorgeous goals and deserved the three points. Nani's goal began with an absolutely perfect first touch, as he controlled the ball beautifully out of the air while under pressure from Pablo Zabaleta.

But that one will surely be forgotten after Rooney's wonder strike. If you somehow haven't seen it, I'm going to post the link again here. Even my roommate who spends half his time ignorantly exclaiming that "soccer is gay" whenever I turn on a match was impressed.

As for the Blues, their title hopes are almost assuredly finished. Now it's time to focus on nabbing a Champions League positon, which is absolutely essential with regards to them being able to consistently acquire the world's best players. We know they have the money to throw around, but it will be much easier to lure players to Eastlands if they can finish in the top four.

With no matches remaining against Arsenal or Man U, they're surely in good position to qualify. But Tottenham would leapfrog them into third position should they win their match in hand, while Chelsea aren't far behind either.

In recent years, Arsenal have had a tough time coming back from tough results. And the 4-4 draw to Newcastle (a match which they lead 4-0 at the break) raised such doubts again. But the initial returns regarding their response were positive, as they cruised to an easy 2-0 win over Wolves.

2-0 flattered Mick McCarthy's side, who were second best for the full 90 minutes, and had goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and some poor finishing to thank for the somewhat respectable scoreline.

Robin Van Persie continued to fire on all cylinders, scoring twice and giving the hosts the lead early. The Dutchman latched onto a pinpoint Cesc Fabregas cross with a beautiful right footed volley that bounced off the post and in with just five minutes gone.

The Gunners continued to press throughout the rest of the first 45. And they should have had more after a host of near-misses from Arshavin, Walcott, and Fabregas.

A lack of finishing prowess has hurt Arsenal in the past. But they looked comfortable in this one, and iced the match in the 56th on a vintage Arsenal attack that saw a nice bit of combination passing release Walcott down the right side, who did well to find Van Persie all alone in the box, and he made no mistake en route to his 10th goal of the year.

Last week's draw with Newcastle was more than a little unceasing for Arsenal. But they are far from being out of the race for the title. The fixture list is assuredly easier than United's. Visits from Stoke City and Sunderland represent their next two EPL matches, and you'd expect them to cruise against those two sides, who are far less dangerous away from their home turf.

The team appears to be hitting their stride on both sides of the ball as well. Van Persie is in absolutely devastating form right now, having scored nine goals in his last five matches. Is it possible he could end up with 20 on the year despite missing nearly the entire first half of the season?

The defense has also been quite good. Aside from last week's freak second half against Newcastle (discussed ad nauseam last week), they have only given up one league goal in 2011, and even that was a controversial score from Everton that was blatantly offside.

They'll have to stay healthy on defense, where depth is not exactly at a premium. But if they can, you'd have to think that the race for the title will go down to the wire.

Three Teams, Two Spots

Chelsea and Manchester City showed that they are pretenders over the weekend. City were humbled by United, who had a firm grip on the match for most of the 90 minutes. Meanwhile, Chelsea's downfall continued in a 0-0 draw at Craven Cottage, as they once again looked a completely different side from the one that was heavy favorites three months into the season.

City continued to show a lack of chemistry going forward at Old Trafford. Sure, the match could have been much different had Silva been more clinical early on. And they did show some fight in the second half after Nani's goal just before halftime could have buried them. But in the end, the goal they did score was a lucky one, and they didn't create many clear chances despite looking the more dangerous of the two sides at times.

The Blues only look dangerous when Silva and Tevez are combining in the final third. Yaya Toure has been the wild card, but he had a shockingly poor match against Man United, giving the ball away multiple times and looking inexplicably disinterested, even after the equalizer. Meanwhile, Edin Dzeko has been M.I.A. after a solid debut. His first touch has been off, and he hasn't been himself in the air (welcome to the EPL).

Asking two players to ignite the offense all by their lonesome is a hit or miss approach. Tevez and Silva were both sub-par against United, and City created virtually nothing because of it. That's been a theme for them all season. If those two aren't carrying them, it's meant problems for them on the attack.

Chelsea looked poised to run away with the league at one time. That seems so long ago now. The defending champs began the season with consecutive 6-0 wins, and they had only lost once by Halloween. But it all came crumbling down thereafter. And even after they showed signs of life behind a four match unbeaten run, I'd say their run for back-to-back trophies is over after a loss to Liverpool last week and draw against Fulham on Monday.

Carlo Ancelotti surprised me by benching Didier Drogba, and opting for Fernando Torres and Nicolas Anelka up front. Torres got into dangerous positions but was uncharacteristically poor in front of goal, while the veteran Frenchman was quiet. Drogba entered for Torres in the 65th minute.

Anelka is a nice player, and he started to find the net consistently in January. But he didn't work well with Torres in the Liverpool match. So why not play your two greatest talents up front? Anelka is not on good enough form to justify benching either or those two. Perhaps it wouldn't have made a difference, but you'd think Torres and Drogba would fit well together.

Then there's Tottenham. Spurs claimed they had title aspirations last month. But they dropped too many points after the New Year to really pose a threat.

Spurs have certainly spent a pretty penny over the last couple of seasons. But they wouldn't even dream of dropping some of the cash that City and Chelsea have. But while they weren't spending close to £50M in January like their competitors, Tottenham improved a fine squad by adding Steven Pienarr and appear to be coming together despite nicks to Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart, and Luca Modric over the last two weeks.

At full strength, Spurs are as good an attacking as Chelsea, and probably a better one than City. But a lack of depth could prove their downfall as they must balance the Champions League and EPL over the coming weeks.

Clearly, Arsenal and United's battle will grab the headlines. But this fight is a crucial one as well. Man City would be furious should they once again fail to qualify for Europe's greatest club competition, and it would be a major shock to see Chelsea miss out after the way they started the season. But both scenarios are distinct possibilities with Tottenham looking a real threat for the second straight season.

Back to Champions League

The round of 16 starts today in the UEFA Champions League. And we can all look forward to a host of tasty matchups between some of Europe's best clubs.

It all starts today with AC Milan hosting Tottenham at the San Siro, while Valencia host Bundesliga strugglers Schalke.

The match in Milan is surely the more intriguing one. Both teams had to be unhappy with drawing each other in the first knockout phase. Tottenham won their group in spectacular fashion, and were aided by a dominant win over Inter Milan at White Hart Lane.

The Rossineri currently lead Serie A, but have to be taking frequent looks in the rear view mirror with Napoli and Inter Milan nipping at their heels.

Italian teams are known for defending in these situations, and you'd have to expect Massimilliano Allegri's bunch to be somewhat cautious. But they should commit plenty of bodies forward as they try to get a lead before heading back to London.

I'm looking forward to seeing the T'ham back four go up against an incredibly dangerous three-man attack for Milan, which features the likes of Alexandre Pato (9 goals in 11 matches), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (13 goals/10 assists in 23 appearances) and Robinho (9 goals in 17 appearances).

Spurs center half William Gallas has been here before. But he has shown a propensity to get beaten by quicker players like Pato and Robinho in his old age (still he provides a great source of confidence and experience in the back). Michael Dawson has been quite good playing alongside the former Arsenal player, but this is easily the biggest stage he's played on in his whole career.

But while the back may be vulnerable, Harry Redknapp vowed to attack at the San Siro. Okay, so all managers say that in these situations, but Redknapp isn't one to change up his tactics on a dime.

One thing is for sure, they may have a chance to control the midfield. Pirlo and Kevin Prince-Boateng are out for AC, while Mark van Bommel is cup tied and will also miss the fixture.

If Modric is out for Spurs, it will be a major test for replacement center mids Sandro and Wilson Palacios. But if they can find wingers Aaron Lennon and Niko Kranjcar (who has been on fine form in place of Bale) out in space, it will cause major problems for the home side, who won't want to get spread out in the midfield.

If Modric does play, and shows no signs of rust after having his appendix removed, Spurs could actually dominate the proceedings in the center of the park.

For me, the game will be decided by the quality of Spurs' defending against a host of world class talent, and the battle in the central midfield between several backups on both sides. But these fixtures are typically wildly unpredictable. So we'll just have to wait and see.

I've got little to say about the other matchup. It seems like we have several great ties and a few duds, and this is one of those duds.

It's been a massively dissapointing season for the German team, as they were expected to challenge for honors in Germany after signing Raul from Real Madrid. Instead they got off to an awful start and have struggled with consistency since in the league. But they did manage to come out of a group that included Lyon and Benfica.

One must be impressed with Valencia's performance this season. They are in third place in La Liga and have played well for most of the season despite the losses of David Villa and Silva last summer. They have a nicely balanced attack with former Mallorca hit man Artis Aduriz leading the way. But they are also very dangerous from the flanks with the likes of Joaquin and Pablo Hernandez always a threat.

Saying Goodbye to a Legend

A lot of football fans here in the U.S.A. only got into the game after the retirement of Ronaldo de Lima. And it always hurts me when many think I'm referring to Cristiano when I mention the name.

Recently, many of us have been using playful nicknames including Fat Ronaldo, Ronaldo McDonalds and the like to help differentiate the two. But trust me, we mean no disresepct whatsoever, as the Brazilian will go down as one of the greatest goalscorers in history.

He finished his career with an astonishing 352 goals in 515 appearances and scored 30 goals or more seven times in his club career. Okay, so he packed on the pounds in the latter half of his footballing days, but that didn't stop him from scoring goals at a fantastic rate when fit (just check out his career stats, dude was ALWAYS scoring as long as he could get on the pitch).

Now let's take a look at some goals. This was a player with the skill of a Messi, the finishing of a Villa or Eto'o, and the frame of a Drogba. He was absolutely unstoppable, and I wish we had FSC and/or GolTV here during his heyday, so I could have enjoyed his unbelievable play outside of World Cups and today's youtube compilations. I look at these scores and he is routinely netting goals that most players can only dream of scoring once or twice in an entire career!

Ronaldo will be remembered for a lot of things. He had a tumultuous career full of controversy on and off the field. But I hope we can all see him for what he really is: one of the best goal scorers of our time.

Here are his top ten goals ever.

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima will be missed. But he will NEVER be forgotten.

See you all tonight for some Champs League discussions...