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

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

Ya'll know the drill... LEAVE COMMENTS!

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...

Shocker at St. James

Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal

Walcott- 1'
Djourou- 3'
Van Persie- 10'
Van Persie- 26'
Diaby- RED CARD 53'
Barton- 68' (PK)
Best- 75'
Barton- 83' (PK)
Tiote- 87'

What a weekend it was in the Barclay's English Premier League.

An astonishing 41 goals were scored on Saturday, which was good for a single-day record. Meanwhile, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea all slumped to disappointing results, adding yet another twist to the title race.

One would imagine that United's first loss of the season would be the top news. But Arsenal's incredible loss of composure at St. James' Park was the story. The Gunners scored a trio of goals in the first ten minutes en route to a seemingly insurmountable 4-0 halftime lead.

But a loss of composure, coupled with several terrible refereeing mistakes saw Newcastle get back into the game. In the end, the Gunners were left stunned, as they had somehow managed to only take a point after putting on a world class display in the first half.

Theo Walcott's pace helped him get behind the defense just moments into the match from an Andrei Arshavin through pass, and he finished well.

It was a rare set piece goal goal for Arsenal just minutes later. Johan Djourou's well-placed header looped into the upper-corner from Arshavin's cross.

The in-form Robin Van Persie appeared to have put the icing on the cake with the next two goals of the match. Walcott made a nice run up the right side in the 10th, crossing low across the box onto the right foot of Van Persie, who made no mistake from close range.

The fourth goal also came from the right side. A nice cross from Bacary Sagna met the head of a completely unmarked Van Persie for an easy goal.

The Gunners looked sluggish and disinterested to begin the second half. But no one could have predicted what was to come.

Newcastle didn't look especially dangerous until referee Phil Dowd justifiably sent off Abou Diaby in the 53rd, who overreacted to a dangerous challenge from Joey Barton by grabbing him by the back of his neck, and then made matters worse by shoving Kevin Nolan.

Denilson and Alex Song were both out with injuries, meaning there was no other true defensive midfield to play in Diaby's place. That was when the Gunners started to struggle.

With Arsenal suddenly reeling, Newcastle began to show some fight.

Phil Dowd pointed to the spot for their first goal when Laurent Koscielny made contact with Leon Best. Barton finished to make it 4-1.

There was more controversy after Wojciech Szczesny took the ball out of his net and initially refused to give the ball back to Barton. Kevin Nolan responded by throwing the 'keeper to the ground, but his deed went unpunished.

Newcastle began to create opportunities. Szczesny was tested on several occasions before Leon Best made it 4-2. He won the ball from Clichy off a cross and finished from close range.

Dowd was once again at the center of attention in the 83rd. He gave an unbelievably dubious penalty, whistling Koscielny for a foul once again after he and Best had made minimal contact at best as they went up for an aerial ball. Barton converted again.

The fourth goal came off of a piece of brilliance from Cheick Tiote. In the 87th, The Gunners appeared to have dealt with a Newcastle free kick, but the ball fell to the foot of an onrushing Tiote, who finished delightfully with a full volley from over 20-yards.

Both teams could have won it, too. Nolan came close on a low strike, and Van Persie had a goal controversially called back for offsides just moments from the final whistle.

Diabolical Dowd

Look, I know that Arsenal's second half performance left a lot to be desired. But without the performance of Phil Dowd, there is surely no way that Newcastle even puts much of a scare into the Gunners.

While they were certainly guilty of coming out flat in the second half, and panicking at 4-3, Arsenal clearly deserved all three points on the day. After all, it was Dowd who was easily the most influential figure in the fight back rather than Newcastle themselves.

Before you accost me for being an "Arsenal Homer," let's take a closer look at what went down last Saturday, and how it massively effected the flow of the match.

Interestingly, the first blow of the second 45 minutes was not off of a poor call. Arsenal fans are still holding their collective breaths after seeing center back Johan Djourou limp off with a knee injury. He was replaced by the struggling Sebastian Squillaci, who once again looked off the pace on multiple occasions.

Then came this sending off of Abou Diaby. The red card was surely justified. You simply can't do that type of thing. But let's keep in mind that his reaction stemmed from this reckless challenge from Joey Barton. Diaby, who broke his leg from a similar challenge several years ago, was understandably upset. Still you've got to keep your calm there, as it leaves the referee with no choice.

But despite the sending off, Arsenal's lead would have been safe. Dowd gave the home team a glimmer of hope in the 68th, calling an EXTREMELY soft penalty on Koscielny. Take a look, Koscielny is indeed clumsy with the challenge, but there is very little actual contact, clearly not enough to send Best to the ground.

If that was the whole story, I wouldn't be complaining. But it gets much, much worse, as the buildup of poor decisions becomes too much to ignore.

Let's start with the immediate aftermath from the first penalty kick goal (there's also a replay of the soft penalty decision). The problem starts when Szczesny refuses to give the ball back to Nolan, who throws him to the ground. How is that not a red card on any football pitch? Little less in a match where you've already sent off an Arsenal player for a virtually identical offense? It's simply inexplicable refereeing from Dowd and his assistant, who both witnessed the entire thing. To make things even more laughable, it was Szczesny who received a yellow for time wasting.

At 4-2, Arsenal dropped back to defend their lead. The Magpies were pouring on the pressure, but it was still hard to imagine they'd make it all the way back.

But then Dowd went to work again. His decision to award a penalty in the 83rd was simply absurd. It's a nothing challenge at best and I have no idea what he was looking at. This is a routine cross into the box and even the Newcastle players look somewhat shocked that the referee has given it. He's simply gotten gotten up in the moment, and made an inexplicably poor decision.

The equalizer was brilliant. But once again, Dowd's role was essential after a bizarre foul call on Tomas Rosicky lead to the free kick.

I'm not here to whine. And I'm the first to admit that my love for Arsenal may swing my opinions at times. But I try my best to be objective. And I simply don't see any way that the Gunners even gets a real test in the second half if not for the clueless decisions from Dowd.

I can't stand fans who constantly complain about refs. But there are rare times where you can legitimately say that referees have cost you points. This is one of those times.

A part of me thinks that Dowd had to be giving Arsenal a piece of his mind after Cesc Fabregas was accused of verbally assaulting officials at halftime during Wednesday's match against Everton. At least that's what it looked like. The calls weren't only bad, but they were consistently going against Arsenal.

It's a frustrating loss for the Gunners. And they have to be wondering what could have been after Manchester United lost. But despite the shocker over the weekend, they're still right in the race after picking up a point on the leaders.

While the result didn't kill Arsenal's long-term chances, the injury to Djourou has to have Wenger worried. The 24-year old has been a great surprise this season after returning from a knee injury. He and Koscielny have formed a decent partnership with Thomas Vermaelen still out. In fact, the Arsenal defense hadn't given up a goal in 2011 before Saturday's debacle.

The Swiss international limped off with an apparent knee injury moments into the second half. That's not good news, as he missed all of last season with ligament damage to his knee.

Wenger's team is deeper this season than they have been in the past, and it has helped them cope with several losses over the year. But the one position where they have little cover is at center-half. The team was linked with a plethora of defenders during the January transfer window, but Wenger decided to go ahead with Djourou/Koscielny/Squillaci while Thomas Vermaelen continued to rehab an Achilles injury.

Squillaci is now thrust into competition after looking dreadful this season. He has simply been off the pace, and this lack of speed has seen attackers get behind him on multiple occasions.

The loss of Djourou compounds Arsenal's problems up the middle of the pitch. Defensive midfielders Alex Song and Denilson are both hurt right now and there hasn't been news on how long they will be out. Now Diaby is suspended for three matches, leaving Wenger with very few options. If all three miss this weekend's match, I'm not sure who the man might be in that spot.

All of that has to be tough to swallow for a team that was on fire before the trip to Newcastle. But with plenty more points up for grabs this season, they are still very much in the race for the trophy.

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.