FA Cup Semifinal: Manchester United vs. Manchester City

Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United

53'- Toure
HIGHLIGHTS

The Blue and Red sides of Manchester clashed at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, and the stakes are rarely higher, as a birth in the FA Cup Final was on the line.

For City, it was a last chance at silverware for a side yet to bear the fruits of owner Sheikh Mansour's heavy expenditures over the last three seasons. Add in the fact that the Blues hadn't won a major trophy of any sort since 1976, and this match was absolutely vital.

United entered the match retaining hopes of winning the treble. Success in the Champions League Quarterfinals against Chelsea at mid-week raised confidence, but it also heightened the squad's overall fatigue and fitness. The busy fixture list saw Sir Alex Ferguson swap out Javier Hernandez for Dimitar Berbatov, while Antonio Valencia entered the first 11 for Ryan Giggs. But the biggest loss was that of in-form striker Wayne Rooney, who served the first of his two-match ban stemming from his expletive laced tirade whilst celebrating a goal last week.

Roberto Mancini picked his best 11 for the match. But Carlos Tevez's injury would ask questions of his attack, which saw him start the enigmatic Mario Balotelli and skilled Adam Johnson up front.

United started on the front foot, and should have been one up 13 mintes in after Berbatov missed two chances in less than 30 seconds. First, Joe Hart saved his shot from close, and then the Bulgarian missed an absolute sitter, somehow touching the ball over from 2-yards out after reaching Nani's low cross.

City were resolute in their approach. They defended well, and started to get back into the match in the final 15 minutes of the half. Balotelli had a dipping long effort turned over the bar by Edwin van der Sar. Then, Joleon Lescott found himself all alone at the far post from a corner, but his full volley was rushed when he might have thought about bringing the ball down.

City's other center-half went close in the 44th, when Vincent Kompany's beautiful one-touch blast missed inches wide of the right post.

City may have been upset not to have gotten the opener whilst dominating the latter period of the first 45. But they came out with more of the same in the second, playing one of their best halves of football this season.

An early goal surely made things easier on Mancini's side. Yaya Toure read a pass from Michael Carrick in the United half, and then showed off his pace to evade Nemanja Vidic before slotting home past van der Sar.

In the 62nd, Johnson did well to tip toe along the by-line, beating Evra before van der Sar saved uncomfortably.

Lescott had another great chance one minute later, winning a header from close range off a cross from David Silva, but his glancing effort was well wide.

City's dominance ended with 25 minutes or so to play, as United substituted Hernandez for Valencia and started to throw everything forward. But their defense continued to impress, keeping the Red Devils at bay for the most part.

Nani had United's greatest chance in the 65th minute, but Hart did well to push his slightly deflected free kick onto the bar.

The Red Devils faced an even greater uphill battle when Paul Scholes was sent off for a poor challenge on Pablo Zabaleta in the 72nd. The Englishman couldn't have too many complaints, as he went studs up into the challenge and struck the right back on the upper thigh after the ball had already gone.

With tired legs and ten men, United couldn't muster a clear-cut opportunity for the rest of the match, resulting in delight for City, who enjoyed one of their most famous wins in club history.

As often is the case in this derby match, things boiled over afterwards. Rio Ferdinand took exception to Balotelli's taunting of the United fans, as well as a sarcastic wink in his direction. Seconds later, he was in the young Italian's face and had to be restrained by several teammates before finally leaving the pitch.

Thoughts

This match featured a brilliant performance from Mancini's men, who played with great intensity throughout and frustrated United's attack. For once, they played inspired football, winning the vast majority of the 50-50 balls (it's no coincidence that the Toure goal came from such a play) and keeping United on their toes in the back with some solid possession football.

The effort from the victors was worthy of the result. Toure was brilliant, running circles around the United midfield, while also joining his midfield compatriots with a fine shift defensively in the center of midfield. Credit also must be given to defensive midfielders Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry, who were all over the place, typically winning the ball from Man U in their own half before the favorites could sustain any sort of attack.

To be fair, this match was far more important to Man City than to Ferguson's bunch. United are on the cusp of winning the league, and have a Champions League Semifinal with Schalke to worry about as well. Say what you will about the history and tradition of the FA Cup, but it was United's last priority with regards to winning silverware. Perhaps that showed in their play, as City ran themselves inside-out to get the result, while United turned in an average performance at best. Simply put, City needed to win this match more than United, and it showed on the pitch.

In many ways, it's been a disappointing season full of turmoil and drama at Eastlands. The title push that the club hoped for ended well over a month ago, and European dreams concluded with defeat in the Europa League to Dinamo Kiev. But more disturbing was the off-field drama, featuring a host of disgruntled players, and face-offs between manager and players (Mancini vs. Tevez, Mancini vs. Balotelli being the main battles). In my opinion, all of that mess spilled over onto the pitch, as the immensely talented (although not well meshed together) side looked a beleaguered bunch, failing to score goals and lacking the supreme defensive effort required from their manager. But on Saturday, they finally showed what they are capable of, turning in a passionate and classy performance against one of the world's best sides.

Overall, it's been a year to forget at Eastlands. But another win at Wembley in the FA Cup Final could change that outlook.

City face Stoke City in the final on May 14. The Potters spectacularly defeated Bolton 5-0 on Sunday.

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...

Weekend in Review

Man U Taste Defeat

NOTE: FOR A FULL REVIEW ON ARSENAL AND NEWCASTLE'S INCREDIBLE 4-4 DRAW PLEASE SEE PREVIOUS POST

At one point on Saturday afternoon, there was celebration across the red side of Manchester, as Arsenal dropped points in dramatic fashion against Newcastle. But A 2-1 loss at Wolves ended the Red Devils'29 match unbeaten streak and quickly hushed those cheers.

United could have taken a stranglehold on the title race with a win, as they would have gone seven points clear of the Gunners. Instead they could only rue their missed opportunity as the race for silverware remains wide open.

It all started so well for the visitors.

Just three minutes in, Nani did well to hold the ball in the box, before quickly taking a touch and blasting a left-footed shot past Wayne Hennessey.

However, George Elokobi erased the lead in the 10th. His header from a set piece was placed perfectly into the corner, and sent the crowd at Molineux into delirium.

Kevin Doyle netted the winner in minute 40. He didn't know much about it, but the striker was more than happy to claim the goal after Nenad Milijas's free kick slammed off of his head and past van der Sar.

United pressed for the equalizer in the second half. But Mick McCarthy's side defended valiantly, and kept the Man U attack at bay.

The Red Devils had plenty of the ball throughout the second 45. But they were unable to break down a stingy Wanderers defense that saw them play at least eight men behind the ball in the second half. That has been a problem with Man U for much of the season. They go through long periods where they will have possession, but rarely look dangerous. I'd say a big reason for that is the lack of a creative presence in center midfield. Michael Carrick/Darron Gibson isn't exactly a combination that scares any defenses going forward (with the exception of Evans' fantastic distance shooting).

It's no secret that Man U have had trouble creating many chances at times. Against Wolves, they had their work cut out for them after going down, as McCarthy had his team congest the middle of the pitch with his defense. That forced right and left midfielders Nani and Giggs to either beat two or even three defenders in order to get into dangerous positions, or send a cross into the box with Wolves defenders always outnumbering the Man U attackers inside the 18.

The loss comes at a bad time for Man U, as they are headed for one of their toughest stretches of the season over the next month. The fixture list will be plenty busy with FA Cup and Champions League ties both looming. And they also face Man City this weekend in the league, while difficult trips to Stamford Bridge (Mar. 1) and Anfield (Mar. 6) are still to come.

Torres Quiet, Chelsea Lose

Chelsea's three-game win streak came to an end in a disappointing 1-0 loss to surging Liverpool.

Rau Miereles won it for the visitors, taking advantage of a hesitant Peter Cech, and slamming a left-footed strike into the corner from close range.

The match was largely a disappointment. There weren't a ton of chances as both sides struggled to find their chemistry offensively. Maxi Rodriguez should have put the visitors up, but missed embarrassingly with the goal at his mercy from 3-yards.

Meanwhile, Torres was quiet for the duration. He had a chance blocked by a sprawling Jamie Carragher in the first half, but had little time on the ball otherwise. Someone will have to explain to me why Carlo Ancelotti found it neccessary to start Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba, AND Torres in the first 11. Surely that's a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth.

Meanwhile, Kenny Dalglish left Dirk Kuyt all on his own up front. Kuyt is much more of a workhorse than a scorer, and leaving him on an island was predictably a disaster. Fortunately, 'Pool defended fairly well and Miereles pounced on their biggest chance of the second half.

The loss was an absolutely crucial one for the Blues. They had a chance to close the gap on Man U and Arsenal with a win, but dropped the ball completely on Sunday.

Now they have to decide whether they are serious title contenders, or headed for a battle simply to retain their place in the top four as they are now even on points with Tottenham, and only six ahead of a Liverpool team that is hitting their stride.

A Wild Saturday

We had a historic comeback, a player score four goals in a match, a ton of late goals, and more than a hint of controversy in what was a fantastic weekend of premiership football.

One match to watch was a pulsating affair between Blackpool and Everton. I'm going to have to make a point to watch the Tangerines from now on. They are getting increasingly desperate as their tumble down the table continues, and that combined with Ian Holloway's gung ho style has been making for some crazy matches. They lost a wild one in a 3-2 defeat to Manchester United two weeks ago, and a 3-1 loss to West Ham earlier this week was also quite exciting. But they topped it all off with Saturday's spectacular 5-3 loss to Everton. Win or lose, Blackpool are a must-see for me every week.

Meanwhile, the Toffees were simply fantastic in the match. Louis Saha scored four, but check out the midfield play from Jack Rodwell, Maruoane Fellaini, and Mikael Arteta in the highlights, who pull the strings non-stop for 90-minutes. It's been a tough year for David Moyes' team, but they'll hope this one can spur them to a strong finish.

Man City had their way with faltering West Brom in a 3-0 rout. Carlos Tevez's scintillating play continued with a first half hat trick. This goal was the pick of the litter, and it's an absolutely beautiful piece of skill.

On the whole, Wigan's play has not been fun to watch this year. But they were fantastic in a 4-3 win over Blackburn at the DW Stadium.

And finally, Stoke City staged a late fight back to beat Sunderland 3-2 at the Brittania.

Mid week review: Liverpool Splash Cash, Chelsea Back, City Finished?

Liverpool Spending Spree

I was singing the praises of Liverpool on Sunday. They had just signed a budding superstar in Luis Suarez and finally had the financial backing to continue improving in the summer. However, I only briefly mentioned the situation with Fernando Torres. And Chelsea threw the transfer market for a loop Monday when they bought "El Niño" for a cool £50M (more on that later).

'Pool's reaction to the Torres sale was immediate, as they grossly overreacted by purchasing Andy Carroll from Newcastle for a shocking amount of ₤35M, making the promising but unproven striker the seventh most expensive player in football history.

So let me get this straight, the Reds in 24 hours somehow decided they were going to throw the bulk of the money from the Torres deal on a player that is yet to complete a full EPL season? Why overspend in January on a player that would probably be far cheaper in the summer? And most importantly, why not wait until the offseason to find the perfect fit for the team? It's a mystery to me.

It's hard to believe, but this type of irresponsible spending has been commonplace at Anfield for some time now.

I just don't get it. Liverpool aren't getting back in the race for a top four spot this season and Carroll can't even play for a month with an ankle injury. Buying him at that kind of price was not only a huge risk, but also a mistimed maneuver considering he won't even star until well past the halfway point.

The Suarez buy was a good one. But the reaction to the Torres sale was unbelievably over the top. Methinks that the braintrust over here in the U.S. need to learn a thing or two about the transfer market before they get themselves into the same mess that the last ownership group did (who were also Americans, ironically).

On the bright side, the Reds are starting to round into form. They've won three straight and capped it off with a 2-0 win today over Stoke City at Anfield.

Rau Miereles' run of good form continued when he opened up the scoring with a ferocious right footed strike after the ball fell to him inside the box.

Suarez made his debut for the club in the 63rd. And he quickly impressed with a beautiful flick to Dirk Kuyt inside the box that forced Begovic off his line to make a play on the ball.

Then he finished off the Potters in minute 79. A nice through pass from Kuyt saw him in behind the defense, he calmly touched the ball around the goalkeeper, and a backtracking Andy Wilkinson couldn't keep the ball out of the net.

So despite the poor decision on Carroll, things do seem to be looking up for Liverpool. They've taken wins from their last three games, and Suarez looked like he may well be ready to contribute immediately. Meanwhile, Miereles is finally giving them a reliable attacking midfielder. Plus the defense looks better, too.

If they can add a few more pieces over the summer and the Carroll buy pays some dividends, they could be right back in the Champions League in 2012. But surely they have dug too deep of a hole to reach that level this year.

Are Manchester City Done?

With Chelsea, Arsenal, and Man U all winning on Tuesday, Manchester City went to Birmingham hoping to keep pace with the three title contenders. Instead they left with a disappointing 2-2 draw that saw them blow two leads, and potentially end their title chances in the process.

It was a gorgeous City opener. Tevez' one-touch out wide to Silva, who did well to streak into the box and play the ball right back to the Argentinean, who exhibited a great bit of ball control to create space before placing a slow roller between the legs of a defender and into the corner.

But while the brilliance of Tevez and Silva was showing the best of City, their defending of set pieces continued to show off their worst.

In the 23rd minute, the Blues won a free kick from the left side, and City failed to properly deal with it as it caroomed off the knee of Nikola Zigic and into the net.

Aleksandar Kolarov's sweet left foot helped the visitors to a halftime lead. His curling shot from a free kick wrong-footed Ben Foster and sailed into the left corner.

Birmingham were certainly the stronger of the two teams in the second half. Their pressure paid off in the 71st when Patrick Viera pulled down Kevin Phillips in the box, and Craig Gardner was up to the task from the spot.

Another tough result for Roberto Mancini and company, and this may have been the final blow for a team that continues to lag behind the rest of the contenders.

It all looked so promising initially. The goal was a brilliant piece of play from Tevez and Silva and you'd think that they would be better at defend their lead(s) against the lowest scoring team in the premiership. Even though they're a side that makes defense a huge priority, City have lacked discipline in that area over the last month.

The defending, especially on set pieces, has been diabolical. And it really came to bite them today on the first goal. The marking was poor, and they inexplicably allowed the ball to bounce once before it deflected off of an opportunistic Vidic.

When City played for a scoreless draw at the Emirates in early January, I found it hard to take them seriously as true title contenders. For a team needing to rattle off a perfect month or so just to get back in the race, the players' failure to completely gel coupled with Mancini's conservative style have made it difficult for them to really put a scare into Man U. If you ask me, they're done with regards to the title chase.

Chelsea Surge

The Blues unquestionably have a ways to go in terms of getting back into the the title race. But they can at least be proud of getting three straight wins after things appeared ready to burst apart at the seams.

They scored a big result on Tuesday, winning a wild match 4-2 at Sunderland.

Chelsea fell behind on goals from Phil Bardsley and then gave up a shock equalizer to Kieran Richardson in the first half, but responded well on both occasions.

The game featured a host of chances for both sides.

Steve Bruce's team gave it a good go. But Chelsea showed they may be turning a corner by snatching control of the match and showing great flair and creativity. They were rewarded for it with goals from John Terry and Nicolas Anelka in the second half to clinch the three points.

Now we wait for the Fernando Torres debut in the much-discussed match against Liverpool.

The Torres transaction actually lost some of its luster amidst all the drama on Monday's transfer deadline. But the mere thought of him playing next to Drogba has me salivating. Both of them appear to be heading into their best form after struggling with consistency and fitness for much of this season.

Trouble in Blackpool?

It's hard not to root for the Tangerines. They insist on playing an attractive style and have been relatively successful in doing so. Meantime, they have one of the world's best interviews managing them in Ian Holloway. But while they were flirting with the half top of the table close to a month ago, they have been rapidly falling down the standings since.

It might end up being a similar story to Burnley last year. They started off well before falling apart in the second half of the year. Even if Blackpool do stay up, they will surely be in a battle next year with Charlie Adam likely out the door.

As for West Ham, they showed again that they do have the attacking quality to make some noise. Victor Obinna has been fantastic of late, scoring five times in his last two games. He scored twice in what was a completely wide-open match at Bloomfield Road on Wednesday (including one stunning strike to put Blackpool away). Enjoy the highlights.

News and Notes

There could be another injury crisis at Arsenal. Defensinve midfielder Alex Song (a player that the team boasts no reliable replacement for) and leading scorer Samir Nasri all picked up knocks this week. The Gunners have been quite strong on the road this season, but a visit to St. James' Park to face Newcastle this weekend will be a dangerous one without several key cogs in the lineup.

We'll be treated to a bonus edition of the "Superclásico" in April. Real Madrid and Barcelona both advanced to the finals of the Copa del Rey. The match will come just days after their final regular season meeting, and it should be fun to watch as always.

Weekend in Review: Thoughts and Opinion

Results

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

The Title Chase

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grant's Job Still in Doubt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Transfer Window

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

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

This would be a huge transaction for both teams.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Case you Missed it...

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

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

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

Weekend in Review: Match Reports

Manchester City 4-3 Wolves

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tottenham 0-0 Manchester United

73'- Rafael (RED CARD)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arsenal 3-0 West Ham

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn

57'- Ivanovic
76'- Anelka

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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