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Match-day 37: All too stiff between Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United
Two London clubs alongside an underdog will be looking to grab third place and the final automatic Champions League spot. Arsenal sits third with 66 points with Spurs and Newcastle just a point behind.
Arsenal seemingly had it all wrapped up- they had been winning game after game leaving Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle in their wake. They had even beaten the current top side in the league Manchester City. Unfortunately, points have been hard to come by recently and Arsenal now finds themselves in a tough battle to keep hold of the spot.Their next opponent is Norwich. Norwich is led by former Champions League winner (in 1997 with Borussia Dortmund) Paul Lambert. Under Lambert, they went up to as high as eighth in the league and were never in danger of being relegated. They currently sit fourteenth in the table.
Who will win the intruiging battle between Villa and Spurs?
Tottenham and Aston Villa, at opposite ends of the table have very different causes to fight for in the last two games.
Stiliyan Petrov was a much loved professional in England’s top flight to say the least until a terrible disease, namely leukemia brought an end to the Bulgarian’s career. In a season where Villa needed him more than ever, they have had to trudge on without him. Their manager, Alex McLeish, isn’t the most popular man as far as the fans are concerned due to his ties with Birmingham City. Thus, the fans are currently extremely unhappy.Things could not have been worse for Villa. Their performances have gone downhill since the exit of the Irishman Martin O’Neill two seasons ago. They find themselves battling away to keep their spot, one their fans feel they definitely deserve, in the Premier League. Villa with a win against the Londoners will pretty much guarantee themselves top flight football for at-least another season.
Manchester United vs Aston Villa Preview
Manchester United look to bounce back at Old Trafford
At the beginning of the week, Manchester United saw themselves eight points clear of their city rivals. As we now head into the weekend fixtures, United’s lead has been cut down to five points thanks to a surprising loss to Wigan mid-week.
Can Arsenal win a seventh Premier League game in a row?
Arsenal with six wins on the trot has taken over third spot in the Premier League table and will look to continue their superb run against Aston Villa.
Arsenal and Villa have already met twice this season with one of those meetings coming in the FA Cup. Arsene Wenger’s team was lucky to escape with all three points against Everton on Wednesday. They started the match in the manner they had played against Newcastle. After an early goal from Thomas Vermaelen, Arsenal somewhat receded and allowed Everton to come at them.Robin Van Persie had an unusual day as he failed to conjure his usual magic. Everton had many chances but failed to take them. Arsenal was greeted with bad but not entirely unexpected news this week. Per Mertesacker has been officially ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Chelsea vs Manchester United kicks off live on FOX this Sunday
FOX is the place to be this coming Sunday as the English Premier League’s Chelsea vs Manchester United match will be broadcasted live.
Stamford Bridge will be on fire this weekend. The home crowd will be behind the Blues who face the prospect of grabbing their 8th win on home soil. Meanwhile, the Red Devils will try to force Chelsea to their 4th defeat at the Bridge.
The full 90 minutes of action will be available live on FOX. On January 22, 1.3 million people reportedly followed Arsenal vs Manchester United which ended 2-1 in favor of the away team.
Chelsea vs Manchester United may draw as many viewers as the race for the English Premier League title is tight. Manchester United could be 3 points behind current league leaders Manchester City before Sunday’s match.
Will Arsenal be able to put away Gutsy Aston Villa in the FA Cup?
Aston Villa and Arsenal have had memorable battles in the Premier League in recent memory. Will their FA Cup meeting turn out to be one which fans reminisce about as well?
Arsenal has lost three games on the trot in the Premier League. Their last win however did come in this competition against Leeds. That day, Arsenal won by a single goal scored by none other than their legendary striker Thierry Henry, the club’s highest scorer of all time. Robin Van Persie didn’t feature in that match in order to allow him to rest his weary feet.Aston Villa has had a good run since they lost, 1-2, against Arsenal in Birmingham. They have lost just one match and have even beaten Chelsea. The game in Birmingham between Arsenal and Villa for long spells looked to be heading towards a draw; Yossi Benayoun came on from the substitutes’ bench and scored with a header to secure the win for the Gunners.
Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal in fight to win their last game of the year 2011
The year 2011 will end with the English Premier League’s 19th Matchday. Liverpool and Newcastle will provide Friday’s only game as Saturday will be packed with more action.
Remarkably, Liverpool have never lost at Anfield in the league but they haven’t managed to pick up enough points on home soil either. From a possible 27 points, the Merseyside Reds have won just 15. This is the result of their 3 victories and 6 draws at Anfield.
“If you want to be really positive you could say we are undefeated at home but we've said before we don't want to set our standards that low,” Kenny Dalglish miserably told reporters on Thursday.
“We want to be winning our home games as often as we possibly can and we've certainly given ourselves opportunities to have won every home game. We haven't done that but we will keep going and we believe we will do.”
Aston Villa vs Arsenal and Spurs vs Chelsea mark action-packed midweek in the EPL
When it’s winter in England, the players and the coaches get even harder at work. Matchday 17 of the Premier League falls in midweek!
After losing 1-0 to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last Sunday, the Gunners will try to bounce back away to Aston Villa on Wednesday. The Villans succumbed to a 2-0 defeat in the hands of Liverpool and eventually dropped onto the 10th position in the table. Fifth-placed Arsenal, meanwhile, failed to close the gap on Chelsea.
Arsene Wenger conceded that the team’s title chase might be over following the loss against Manchester City. The race for a top four finish, however, is still very much open. Will the disappointed Gunners be able to provide a spirited performance against Aston Villa?
Liverpool climb back into the top six with a 2-0 Premier League win at Aston Villa
First half goals from Craig Bellamy and Martin Skrtel fired Liverpool to a 2-0 win at Villa Park that lifts the Reds up to sixth in the league table.
Wales international Craig Bellamy was an inspirational figure for Liverpool, scoring the opening goal for the Reds, before setting up Skrtel for the second soon after.Liverpool started brightly and winger Stewart Downing fired wide when presented with an early chance. Downing was playing at Villa Park for the first time since leaving to join the Reds, and the home fans taunted his woeful finish.
Downing helped silence those fans in the 11th minute when he swung over a dangerous corner. Jonjo Shelvey and Luis Suarez diverted the ball, before Bellamy smashed home the opening goal.
Four minutes later, Bellamy swung over a corner that Skrtel rose highest to head firmly past Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
Everton vs Liverpool kicks-off Saturday’s great English Premier League show
Where else will English Premier League fans start their Saturday than at Goodison Park? Everton vs Liverpool has been scheduled for a mouth-watering lunch time kick-off.
Fortunately for the Reds, they’ve returned to normal form in time for Saturday’s Merseyside derby. Kenny Dalglish’s revolution suffered a big blow in September when Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur forced Liverpool to accept two defeats on the trot.
But last weekend, wicked goals from Charlie Adam and Luis Suarez against Wolverhampton Wanderers brought Liverpool back in business. Just as match-day 7 is about to unfold in the English Premier League, the Merseyside Reds can look upon themselves with quite enough confidence.
They have 10 points and they seat 6 places above local rivals Everton. Note, however, that the latter have a game in hand.
Fulham vs Aston Villa kicks off ESPN’s coverage of the English Premier League
The English Premier League returns on ESPN this weekend with Fulham vs Aston Villa airing live at 9:30am EST, on Saturday, August 13.
The game will be broadcasted on ESPN Deportes, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com. ESPN’s Ian Darke and Steve McManaman have been appointed to call the action whereas Darrell Currie will act as the on-site reporter.As many as 74 English Premier League matches will be broadcasted live on ESPN Deportes, ESPN2, ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile TV in HD. ESPN will provide pre-match and post-match analysis live from the venues.
In one of ESPN3.com and ESPN Deportes’ exclusive telecasts, the October 29 fixture between Everton and Manchester United will be covered live from 6:55am EST.
ESPN’s schedule in full:
Man United Transfer News: Ashley Young Signs For The Champions
Manchester United have officially announced the signing of Aston Villa forward, Ashley Young for an undisclosed fee.
Manchester United have announced their second transfer capture of the summer after completing the signing of Aston Villa forward, Ashley Young today. The former Villa man apparently had a medical at Manchester yesterday and United have now officially confirmed the deal on their official website.A statement from United read: "Manchester United is delighted to announce it has reached agreement with Aston Villa for the transfer of Ashley Young.
"The player passed a medical in Manchester this week and has agreed a five-year contract."
Man United Transfers: Ashley Young Deal Set To Be Completed
Ashley Young now looks very likely to complete his eagerly-anticipated move to Manchester United within the next one week or so.
Reports emerged on Friday that Ashley Young is edging closer towards his dream move to Old Trafford. The winger is about to get married this weekend and speculation suggests that Young's deal could be done and dusted once he arrives back from holidays.The fee is reported to be at £16 million and even Steve Bruce claims that he is definitely worth the price as far as Manchester United are concerned.
''Ashley Young is a terrific signing for Sir Alex. There are not too many naturally good wide players these days, and Young is one of the best, so he will naturally enhance the United team.
England Vs Switzerland: I Feared For My National Team Future - Stewart Downing
Despite breaking his foot two years ago, Downing has forced himself back into the England squad although he did admit that he feared for his future.
Aston Villa midfielder Stewart Downing is now a happy man, having pegged himself back into the England squad after the 26 year-old admitted that a foot injury two years ago could have brought an end to his international football chances.Downing made his debut back in 2005 but inconsistency and injuries saw him being left out of the frail. But his good form for Aston Villa has seen him force his way back into contention for a spot in the national team.
"When I was injured for a long time and missed a lot of football and England games, other people came in and took their chance. Credit to them. For me, personally, it wasn't good.
Manchester City Vs Aston Villa: We Want To Be In The Final - Albrighton
Aston Villa winger Marcus Albrighton has urged his teammates to perform well and beat Manchester City to move a step closer to the FA Cup final.
Aston Villa will take on Roberto Mancini's expensive squad tonight as they bid to continue their good run of form that has seen them only lose 2 of their last 11 matches. The winners of this clash will get a home tie against Reading in the sixth round.Aston Villa's closest rival, Birmingham have already earned some fans with their Carling Cup triumph last Sunday. Nonetheless, Marcus Albrighton insists that Villa could have a chance to go all the way in the FA Cup and Birmingham's achievement could be used as an inspiration for them.
Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Richard Dunne Of Aston Villa Could Be A Gunner
The latest Arsenal transfer rumour purportedly regards Aston Villa’s Richard Dunne. The Gunners are said to have made enquiries on the defender’s ability with intentions to land him at the Emirates.
Arsenal have not been in bad form this season, but Arsene Wenger believes it is still necessary to strengthen his back line—as a few obstacles have popped up, lately. Thomas Vermaelen has been plagued with a long-term injury which has prevented him from featuring for his side in recent months, and Squillaci has not been considered eligible to start games regularly for Arsenal.An additional defensive helper is needed at least for the Premier League title contenders, and Arsene Wenger’s choice ostensibly falls on none other than Aston Villa’s Richard Dunne. There are still more days left in the January transfer window, and any move could take place.
Football Transfer News: Darren Bent On His Way To Aston Villa – Confirmed
In one of January’s shocking football transfer news, Darren Bent has asked Sunderland to quit the club for Aston Villa. Now, the Black Cat is well on his way to becoming a Villain.
It was reported earlier on that Darren Bent had issued a transfer request letter to Sunderland on Sunday night – much at the surprise and displeasure of Coach Steve Bruce and his club. A statement from Sunderland on Monday read:“The club can confirm that it has received a written transfer [request] from Darren Bent, following yesterday’s Wear-Tyne derby match.”
It has recently been confirmed that Daren Bent will join Aston Villa for a transfer fee of £18M which could mount to £24M based on the player’s individual statistics among other points. Commentating on this shocking transfer news, Steve Bruce told ESPN Soccernet:
Who Said Chelsea Are Back In The English Premier League After Bolton Win?
Chelsea fans are getting loud again following the Blues’ 1-0 victory over Bolton on Wednesday night which put to an end the team’s winless run of six straight matches. But does it mean that Chelsea are back in the English Premier League?
It looks like it is too early for Blues supporters to boast about having the last laugh in midweek by comparing Chelsea’s 1-0 victory against Bolton to Manchester United and Arsenal’s draw against Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic respectively. There is still a long way to go in the English Premier League, and the title’s defending champions need to think of cleaning up the 4-point gap that separates them from current league leaders Man United. Besides, the Red Devils could even create a 7-point lead above fourth placed Chelsea as they have played one game less than the Blues who have reached the 19-match-day mark in the competition. Yes, confidence is a key element to success, but being realistic is also another thing that surely needs to be considered – more by pilots like Carlo Ancelotti than by ecstatic fans who will permit themselves to believe that Chelsea are truly back on track and just about to experience nothing but success in the second part of the season.
Manchester United’s Fergie Laments City Draw As Away Record Is Poor
Manchester United played out a disappointing goalless draw away to Manchester City in the English Premier League on Wednesday. Fergie has lamented the result ahead of the Aston Villa match.
Red Devils fans might have been disappointed about their team’s failure to snatch maximum points away from local rivals Manchester City. Considering the level of confidence that Coach Ferguson had shown ahead of that match through “insulting statements” from a City point of view, it was expected that Manchester United would pull out another “routine victory” against the Sky Blues on Wednesday night.However, Roberto Mancini’s tactical choices didn’t let that happen – much to the dissatisfaction of Man United’s Alex Ferguson who didn’t hide his emotions while speaking to Sky Sports afterward.
“[Manchester] City are very difficult to beat on their own ground, and obviously, they set their stall out,” Ferguson declared.
English Premier League: Aston Villa Get Gerard Houllier, Venglos’ Optimistic
Former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier finally returns to the English Premier League. The 63-year-old should officially be named as Aston Villa’s new manager for a three-year contract by Thursday.
Reports explain that the delay in Aston Villa’s presentation of Gerard Houllier as the club’s new coach is due to a simple reason. The 63-year-old man, who managed Lyon between 2005 and 2007, has a few things to sort out with the French FA as FFF President Fernando Duchaussoy clarified:
“On Wednesday, I’ll meet with Gerard. We want to take a stock of the situation with him. I’d like to keep working with him.”
So once things get sorted out, Aston Villa should officially announce their capture of Gerard Houllier who then replaces Martin O’Neil. In terms of his preferences, the ex-Liverpool coach wants to reunite with current Sky Sports pundit Phil Thompson and make him his assistant manager. Houllier and Thompson had a successful year working together back in 2001 as they led Liverpool to win the FA Cup, UEFA Cup, and League Cup treble.
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