CL: Chelsea vs Liverpool - Preview

Rafa Benitez was seconds away from going into this second leg with a precious one goal lead, before disaster struck. Or to give disaster his full name, John Arne Riise. It's a tall order for the Reds tonight, they have never even scored at Stamford Bridge under Benitez. That will need to change, or it will be Chelsea heading into the Champions League final to face Manchester United.


Chelsea will be content with their on-field performances over the last week. After not threatening the Liverpool backline at all in Anfield they were gifted a vital away goal. They followed that up with a crucial 2-1 win over Manchester United to launch them right back into the title race. To help Avram Grant complete the job over Liverpool, he can welcome back Frank Lampard, who has declared himself available tonight following his family bereavement. One player making headlines in the build-up to this game is Didier Drogba, following a war of words with Rafa Benitez. In fairness to the Liverpool boss, he's got a point! While players going down too easily is nothing new, it's the manner which Drogba rolls around in agony which provokes such comments. Drogba should just concentrate on putting the ball into the back of the net. There's no real injury concerns for Avram Grant to contend with. Expect a cautious Chelsea approach, especially as they don't need to score.


Liverpool have given themselves an uphill task to reach their third Champions League final in four years. Chelsea's first leg goal scorer John Arne Riise looks set to replace the injured Fabio Aurelio tonight, with Steve Finnan the other option. Apart from that there's no injuries for Benitez to deal with. Since they need to score tonight Peter Crouch could come into the team and start alongside Fernando Torres, who was rested at the weekend draw against Birmingham City. Liverpool fans will be hoping their record buy can turn in a better performance than the first leg, where he was virtually anonymous. Steven Gerrard is another player who needs to up his game, the Reds need a captain's performance from him tonight. I can't see Rafa going out all guns blazing to find that away goal, if it's still goalless after an hour we may see the game open up a bit.

PREDICTION: Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool. I think we'll see Liverpool break their Stamford Bridge hoodoo and actually score tonight. It's so close to call, I'm going for extra time and, you guessed it, a penalty shootout. Which Englishman will face penalty shootout heartache, Terry or Gerrard? I reckon we'll see Scouse tears. Chelsea to go through. Just.

PL: Season Review: Birmingham City

From one half of the city of Birmingham's Premier League interest to the other, its time to evaluate how Birmingham City have done so far.


At the time of writing, Birmingham are currently in the relegation places, one point from safety behind Reading and Bolton. Their last two fixtures are absolutely massive. First Alex McLeish finds himself pitting his wits against fellow relegation candidates Fulham at Craven Cottage. Then on the last day of the season they are at home to Blackburn Rovers. Birmingham started the season with a gutsy 3-2 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Predicted to struggle by many in the summer, this performance had a lot of critics thinking they should have enough to survive. Then in November Steve Bruce left the club, and had the board looking for a new manager. In stepped Scotland's Alex McLeish to make sure the team maintained their Premier League status. He brought in two notable transfers in January, James McFadden and Argentine wonderkid Mauro Zarate. Both have helped ignite Birmingham but their defence is still conceding goals, meaning potential wins are becoming draws. Last weekend's game against Liverpool would be testament to that. To survive, they need to get at least four points from their remaining two games. It will go right to the wire.


So if Birmingham City stay up, what do they need to avoid another season of struggle? The first thing I'm sure McLeish will be looking to do is secure Mauro Zarate for at least another year. The youngster has shown flashes of brilliance and could do even more next season as he gets used to the English style of play. Attacking wise Birmingham are pretty solid, with the likes of McFadden and Larsson supporting from the wings and Zarate and Forssell capable of scoring goals. Defensively they need better players, it's as simple as that. Maik Taylor hasn't been the most consistent of goalkeepers, and surely his place must be under threat. Even their captain Liam Ridgewell has proved prone to mistakes, they need another central defender with experience and is cool under pressure. Before even contemplating transfers the team will have to give everything they've got to stay in the Premier League. If they can get something at Fulham, they should have enough to win at home to Blackburn on the last day of the season. That should ensure their safety, but you never know in football.

Player Of The Season: Sebastian Larsson

CL: Manchester United vs Barcelona - Preview

After a surprisingly dull first leg affair, the whole football world will be hoping these two sides turn on the style when they go face to face at Old Trafford tonight. With neither side scoring in the first leg, it really is all or nothing for both Sir Alex Ferguson and Frank Rijkaard.


Manchester United have seen both their Premier League and Champions League ambitions hit a rough patch at the worst part of the season. An unusually robust and defensive United grounded out a 0-0 draw in last week's first leg, and followed that up by losing 2-1 to title rivals Chelsea at the weekend. To turn this slump in form around they need their big players to perform. Cristiano Ronaldo will need to show why he's considered the world's best, and put the missed penalty from the first leg firmly behind him. He's gone about it in the right way by saying it was no big deal and he'll score tonight. United also have injury doubts, again over Nemanja Vidic (just like the first leg). Wayne Rooney is the other doubt after taking a knock on his hip twice within in a week. Needing to be at their best offensively and defensively, Ferguson has promised to give both players as much time as possible to prove their fitness.


Barcelona need to salvage a disappointing season in this competition. The title is all but sealed, with Real Madrid needing just three points from a possible twelve to win La Liga. Like United are relying on Ronaldo, Barca will be hoping Lionel Messi can inspire them to the final in Moscow. He was rested at the weekend along with Samuel Eto'o in order for him to be as fresh as possible for tonight's clash. The Spanish side also have an injury doubt over Yaya Toure, who was probably one of the best player's from the last clash between these two sides. Captain Carlos Puyol will return to the side in place of the suspended Rafael Marquez in defence. Rijkaard will know that his side can go through with a score draw, and if they score first it will make a very nervous night for the Old Trafford faithful.

PREDICTION: Manchester United 3-2 Barcelona. I'll stick my neck out and say we're going to see a classic tonight. Didn't I say that last time? Hmmmmm, no I'll stick with that prediction. If we see an early goal I think we will see a truly great game, there's so much at stake for both sides and hopefully every player will play to the best of their abilities. I await the outcome of this tie with baited breath.

PL: Season Review: Aston Villa

Slowly but surely, Martin O'Neill has started to shape his Aston Villa side into one of the biggest threats to the Big Four's continued dominance. After finishing 11th in his first season in charge, O'Neill has done a great job in getting the best out of a relatively thin squad of players. As a result Villa are currently battling it out with Everton for the final UEFA Cup spot.


All season long they have been in decent form, proving a difficult side to beat and gaining draws at Anfield, the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge. Fabio Capello must also be delighted with their form, as this season has seen Gareth Barry, Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor take most of the plaudits. The biggest disappointment would have been the team's domestic cup form, falling at the first hurdle in both the FA and League Cup competitions. Considering none of the Big Four won these competitions, in hindsight it would have represented a great chance of a good cup run. These failings may have proved to be the blessing in disguise which has helped them maintain good league form. Nevertheless it's safe to say whether they finish 5th or 6th, it's been a great season for Aston Villa.


So what is needed for Villa to push on further next season? Firstly they need to keep hold of their captain. Gareth Barry has been linked with a move away and Martin O'Neill will need to use all of his persuasive powers to get him to stay. Secondly a new right-back is essential with Olof Mellberg heading to Juventus at the end of the season. Also the goalkeeping situation needs to be addressed. I'm not convinced of Scott Carson's abilities, regardless of the England - Croatia game, I've just never seen much more than an average player at best. If the reported £10 million fee is accurate, surely O'Neill won't be tempted to do business and will instead focus his energies on a different shot-stopper. Apart from that, maybe a few more numbers across the team will give the manager more options to chop and change for cup games and make a realistic challenge for a domestic trophy.

Player Of The Season: Ashley Young

PL: Monday Roundup

Just the one game from last night, and a result most expected as relegated Derby County succumbed to a 6-2 defeat at the hands of Arsenal. Emmanuel Adebayor came on at half-time and ended up going home with the match ball, Nicklas Bendtner, Robin van Persie (who came off injured at half-time) and Theo Walcott got the others. Jay McEveley and Robert Earnshaw got Derby's goals. The scoreline doesn't change either side's position in the league, with Derby resigned to finishing bottom with the least amount of points in Premier League history and Arsenal unable to win the title. If you wish to read more about the game, feel free.

Later today I'll preview the Manchester United - Barcelona Champions League semi-final, and continue with my season review for each side, moving onto Aston Villa.

PL: Season Review: Arsenal

As promised here is the first of (gulp) 20 season reviews, going through the good, the bad and the ugly of each team in the Premiership season 2007-2008. We begin with Arsenal.


Saturday 23rd February will probably be remembered as the turning point in the Gunners season. Top of the Premiership and still in the Champions League, everything was looking rosy for Arsene Wenger's side when they travelled to Birmingham City. Unfortunately within three minutes Eduardo suffered a horrific injury, and by the end of the game Arsenal dropped two points when James McFadden fired in a late penalty. Since then they have only won twice in the league (although that should become three victories against Derby tonight). Why did it go all wrong?

Let it be said, when Arsenal were good this season, they were devastating. They started the season like a house on fire, losing their first league game in December, and found themselves top of the pile. Emmanuel Adebayor was finishing off the wonderful passing moves his team-mates created, and suddenly a side tipped to be battling it out with Tottenham for a Champions League spot were starting to look like potential champions. Then came the Birmingham game. The child-like reaction of captain William Gallas to the late penalty showed the world everything wasn't right in the Arsenal camp. The spat between Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner in the Carling Cup semi-final was another sign that perhaps the team weren't united in their title challenge. They now look set to end the season trophy less, after so much promise at the beginning Wenger's young guns have faded and will need to pick themselves up for next season.


So what needs to be done to turn Arsenal into champions? First of all there has to be a better candidate for the captaincy than William Gallas. A team full of young players need a role model to look to for guidance and motivation when the going gets tough. Sitting in the opposition's half during a penalty kick hardly inspired the team to success. Defensively Arsenal haven't been as good as Manchester United and Chelsea, so reinforcements are needed at the back. Also next season must be the time to find out whether Theo Walcott will sink or swim. He'll turn 20 and should feature more for the first team, and keep his place with the sort of performances we're told he is capable of. Moreover if Wenger can keep Robin van Persie fit for an entire season his side may deliver what they have promised for so long.

Player Of The Season: Alexander Hleb

PL: Sunday Roundup

The battle for fifth place took centre stage today, and like yesterday's action means it's still all to play for in the UEFA Cup race. Blackburn earned themselves a very impressive victory over Portsmouth. Roque Santa Cruz's goal was enough to see Rovers leapfrog Man City in the table. Pompey were without David James who missed out with injury, and question marks will remain on his fitness with the FA Cup Final looming large.

In today's other game Aston Villa twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Everton at Goodison Park. Everton took the lead twice from unlikely goalscorers Phil Neville and Joseph Yobo, with Villa's equalisers coming from Gabriel Agbonlahor and John Carew. The result leaves Martin O'Neill's side three points behind Everton, the Toffees face a tricky away game against Arsenal next.

Speaking of Arsenal, they are away to Derby County tomorrow in the last game of this round of fixtures. Can Derby achieve their first win in the league since September? Or will Arsenal run riot at Pride Park?

Derby County vs Arsenal is LIVE on Setanta Sports 1 from 7.50pm tomorrow night.

Tomorrow I'll start looking back on each team's season, picking out the good parts and the bad and suggesting improvements for next season. I think I'll go alphabetically, so expect to see an Arsenal season review very soon.

PL: Saturday Roundup

Where to start? Today we saw some late, late drama at both ends of the table, which leaves relegation places and the title still very much up for grabs. Congratulations to Fulham, a brilliant result for them as they came from two down to beat Man City 3-2 at the City of Manchester Stadium. That sees Fulham still probably needing two wins to have any chance of staying up. Next weekend sees them at home to Birmingham, who will need to get something out of that game following their 2-2 draw with Liverpool. An equaliser from Yossi Benayoun left Birmingham with an uphill task to stay in the division. Fellow strugglers Reading and Bolton both picked up a point each on their travels at Wigan and Tottenham respectively to leave them hovering tentatively above Birmingham, outside the relegation places.

It is very much neck and neck for the Premier League title now, following Chelsea's 2-1 victory over Manchester United. A dubious penalty was converted by Michael Ballack in the 87th minute, a decision which left Fergie fuming. In the other games Sunderland confirmed their Premier League participation next season with a thrilling 3-2 win over Middlesbrough. The usual injury-time winner at the Stadium of Light left Roy Keane able to plan for next season as a top-flight boss. Finally West Ham and Newcastle cancelled each other out at Upton Park, with two goals from each side in a score draw.

A day that could have seen champions crowned and a team relegated has instead seen the top two sides level on points and three points separating four teams at the bottom. Tomorrow sees the sides battling out for a UEFA Cup position take centre stage, check back here for a roundup of those two games. In case you forgot what they were, tomorrow's fixtures are:

Portsmouth vs Blackburn Rovers - LIVE on Sky Sports 1 from 1pm
Everton vs Aston Villa - LIVE on Sky Sports 1 from 3.30pm

PL: Weekend Predictions

Birmingham City 1-1 Liverpool
Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United
Derby County 0-4 Arsenal
Everton 1-1 Aston Villa
Manchester City 2-0 Fulham
Portsmouth 0-0 Blackburn
Sunderland 1-0 Middlesbrough
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Bolton Wanderers
West Ham United 2-2 Newcastle United
Wigan Atheltic 2-1 Reading

There they are then, my predictions for this weekend's fixtures. I can see Chelsea and Manchester United cancelling each other out in the top of the table clash, a result which would leave Avram Grant's side just about in the title reckoning. At the other end of the table, Birmingham have a decent home record and should be able to get something out of a (probable) Liverpool reserve side. Bolton and Fulham face tough away days against Tottenham and Man City respectively, so tough I think they will both come away empty-handed. Sunderland and Wigan should preserve their Premier League status with wins at home to fellow strugglers Middlesbrough and Reading. The last game on Saturday is West Ham against Newcastle, with neither side playing for anything expect a goal-filled draw.

Sunday sees Everton take on Aston Villa, a game key to both side's UEFA Cup hopes. Everton have hit a bad patch of form, while Villa go from strength to strength. Another 1-1 draw I reckon. FA Cup finalists Portsmouth play Blackburn at home. Again I see another draw here, with Pompey looking to Wembley and Blackburn realistically out of the UEFA Cup reckoning. Monday night sees relegated Derby County at home to Arsenal. Even though Arsenal have nothing to play for, any side they put out is more than capable of beating this Derby team.

I'll update the blog with reaction to the games over the weekend, before previewing the Champions League semi-finals next week.

Need a second opinion? Check what Mark Lawrenson thinks.

PL: The Final Table?

Here it is, a world exclusive! A gaze into the future to see what the Premier League table will look like after the last round of games on Sunday 11th May:


As you can see, Manchester United will retain the Premier League this season, with challengers Chelsea falling short in second place. Arsenal and Liverpool will join those two in the Champions League next season (surprise surprise). Everton will just about hold off the challenge of those beneath them and clinch the only UEFA Cup spot on offer in the league. Tottenham will squeeze into the top half of the table by goal difference, above West Ham. And waving goodbye to Premier League football will be Derby, Fulham and Bolton.

To show you this 'world exclusive', I enlisted the help of the BBC Sport Premier League Predictor. All you need to do is whack in the results of all the fixtures yet to be played this season, and see how it affects the final table. It's definitely worth doing now as it won't take a lot of time to fill in three rounds of fixtures. As oppose to doing it in October, where you would have to fill out around 300 results...

We shall see how close this prediction is come the end of the season. Later today I'll post my predictions for the weekends coming fixtures.

CL: Semi Final Views

Well we're halfway there. By this time next week we will know the identity of the two teams taking part in the Champions League final in Moscow on the 21st May. So who's looking most likely to progress?


Liverpool were seconds away from taking a precious lead to Stamford Bridge. After dominating the game and having the best chances, a lapse in concentration from John Arne Riise means it is very much advantage Chelsea. Riise seems quite distraught after gifting the Blues an away goal they really didn't deserve. The important thing from Liverpool's point of view is to forget about what happened in the first leg, as they now have to do something they haven't done before under Rafael Benitez. Score at Stamford Bridge. Fernando Torres will have to be at his best if Liverpool are to stand any chance of going through. He was anonymous in the first leg, and now needs to be on top form as Liverpool's main goal threat. Chelsea will be delighted with getting a score draw when they didn't really get going in the whole game. Their attacking play was devoid of ideas and it took a moment of madness from John Arne Riise to save their skin, and keeps Avram Grant in the hunt for a first Champions League final for his side. With Liverpool having to score in the second leg, this may play right into Chelsea's hands. They don't need to be adventurous (well, they never are) and will probably look to frustrate the opposition rather than focus on their own game. It's a big test for Benitez if they are to reach a third CL final in four years.


Who would have thought the Liverpool - Chelsea game would contain more goals than Barcelona - Manchester United? After the penalty award in the first 90 seconds it was looking like we were in for a lot of goals. Unfortunately the invincible Cristiano Ronaldo proved he was human after all, and put his spot kick wide. Following that, Manchester United failed to create a lot, instead being quite comtempt with Barcelona keeping the ball. In fairness to them, the Spanish side didn't really do a lot to threaten the United defence, who were missing Nemanja Vidic. A goalless draw was a satisfying result for the Red Devils, whose performance was viewed by their manager as 'professional' and by some pundits as 'poor'. Still the United boss will be confident his side can overturn the Catalan giants in the return leg at Old Trafford. It will be interesting to see how different the team selection in that game will differ to the first leg. Wayne Rooney looked lost and cut an isolated figure on the right-hand side. Expect to see him through the middle in the next game, probably as part of a three man attack, with another three packing the midfield. Barcelona need a goal from somewhere at Old Trafford, and with the quality in their attack are very much capable. Hopefully the second leg will deliver the attacking football the first leg promised, and ultimately disappointed us.

Manchester United vs Barcelona is LIVE on ITV1 on Tuesday 29th April from 7.30pm.

Chelsea vs Liverpool is LIVE on Sky Sports 2 on Wednesday 30th April from 6pm.

CL: Barcelona vs Manchester United - Preview

How fortunate for me that I chose to create this blog just in time for the only Champions League Semi Final worth watching. Barcelona and Manchester United are two of the biggest names in world football. Both are famous for their attacking skills, and with the likes of Ronaldo, Messi, Rooney, Henry, Tevez, Eto'o all on the same pitch, this match promises a lot of entertainment.


Barcelona are struggling for form, and languishing 11 points behind Real Madrid in La Liga. Their title challenge is all but over, so the Champions League provides one last chance at silverware for the Catalan giants. There are a lot of contributing factors to their poor season, mainly players not maximising their potential. Henry has hardly set the world alight since his move from Arsenal, while Ronaldinho is more concerned about house prices in Milan. Despite all this, with the amount of attacking talent in their squad, write them off at your peril. Frank Rijkaard knows this is probably one of the most important games in his managerial career, and will make sure the players know it too. Failure at this stage may be the final nail in the coffin for the Dutch coach, with persistent rumours linking him to Chelsea. Thousands of fans will fill the Nou Camp, expecting success. Can Barca produce a performance to save their season?


Manchester United are closing in on retaining the Premiership, and look far better equipped than at this stage last season. The summer signings of Nani, Anderson, Hargreaves and Tevez has allowed Sir Alex Ferguson to rotate effectively and keep winning games. While Barcelona's star names have had a below-par season, one Manchester United player has been enjoying his best ever. Cristiano Ronaldo, surely the best player in the world right now, has been incredible. People have expressed doubts over his ability in the big games, but his composure over the penalty against Arsenal and his towering header against Roma have quickly silenced those critics. The main concern for United is Nemanja Vidic, who has a stomach complaint. Ferguson needs his first choice backline on top form to nullify the threat posed by the opposition. With Gary Neville, Gerard Pique and John O'Shea all on stand-by, the United manager will have to choose wisely, not forgetting the crunch league game at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

PREDICTION: Barcelona 2-2 Manchester United. Expect a lot of goalmouth action tonight, especially if Vidic does miss out. With Barcelona's quality, I think they will raise their game and do the goods at one end of the pitch. Henry will score tonight, as sod's law also applies in football. However Manchester United seemed to have now mastered the away leg in European football. With pace to burn on the counter-attack, a score draw looks likely, putting United in a great position for the second leg.