Gervinho - Arsenal Target

For a while now, Arsenal, and more importantly Arsene Wenger, have been reluctant in competing for players in the transfer market. As a result, Arsenal have fallen beyond the ranks and had to be satisfied with a 4th place finish, having won only three games since March. If Wenger and co. want to be challenging for trophies next season they're going to have to abandon the youth policy this Summer. I'm not saying they'll be spending particularly large and obnoxious amounts of money but one or two signings in or around the £20m mark would go a long way to securing their ambitions for competing at the top once more next season. According to reports, an Ivorian that goes by the name of Gervinho is "on the verge" of signing for the Gunners. But who exactly is Gervinho?

Well, Gervinho is a winger who plies his trade with Lille in France's Ligue 1. He moved to Les Dogues in 2009  following impressive displays for fellow Ligue 1 side Le Mans. During his first season at Lille, Gervinho scored 13 and assisted 4 goals in 32 games, in the process helping them qualify for UEFA's Europa League the following season. In his second season at the club, Gervinho helped a significant amount in securing Lille's first ever Ligue 1 and Coupe De France double netting 18 and assisting 10 times in their most successful ever campaign. Andrew Gibney of French Football Weekly gives you his view of Gervinho:

He is exceptionally quick, and he combines that well with great upper body strength. That gives him a great base to take on defenders and he usually succeeds in beating his man. During his time at Lille his finishing has improved, with 15 goals and 10 assists this season he is a very dangerous player once inside the box. With the ability to find a team-mate or provide the finish he was one the main reasons Lille finished top of Ligue 1 this year.

Not only does his pace give him the ability to take on players but he also has the intelligence to use it to run in-behind defences and latch onto any passes played through the middle. In Lille’s fluid 4-3-3 system the winger was allowed to drift inside and find the space created by the movement of Moussa Sow and Eden Hazard. This is an ability that would be ideal in the current Arsenal system, the movement of Robin van Persie could benefit the runs of Gervinho and in Nasri and Fabregas they have the players to find his well-timed runs.

However, Andrew goes on to tell us that there are some aspects of his game that need touching up on.

Not everything in 24-year olds game isn’t complete. His style is still very raw, when he is running with the ball he doesn’t always look in control “Bambi on Ice” is a phrase that has been used to describe his running technique. At times his passing can also leave a lot to be desired, not the actually quality of the pass but the timing of the delivery.

But, along with Eden Hazard, success can come at a price. Take former Lille midfielder Yohan Cabaye for example. He's already been snapped up by Newcastle, for the modest fee of £4.3 million. And Gervinho is next on the list to leave the Stade Lille-Metropole. Eden Hazard is also being heavily linked with a move away from Lille. By the time the new season rolls around there will be a lack of strength in-depth for the champions, even with the additions of Dimitri Payet and Marko Basa.

 Payet is an apt replacement for Arsenal-bound Gervinho, who can be described as "quick" and "blessed with terrific technique and dribbling skills". Payet had attracted interest from Liverpool and Chelsea in late 2010 from his shining performances for St. Etienne and even rejected a move to PSG in the January transfer window earlier this year.

Sources say that Gervinho is mightily close to joining the Gunners and if so, will become their first signing of the summer. Wenger will also need to find a replacement for captain Cesc Fabregas if Barcelona can finally get their hands on him after years of yearning for the La Masia graduate.

For one, I think if Arsenal can sign Gervinho, it'd be a great signing and he could partner Van Persie up-front, helping the team as well as banging them in from all angles. Us Premier League fans hopefully look forward to seeing him strut his stuff come August.

A Window of Opportunity for Arsenal

It's been more than six years since Arsenal last won a trophy. Whether its been down to a desperate case of the  unlucky's, lack of desire or lack of commitment - nobody knows. What we do know is that Arsene Wenger has chosen nurturing talent ahead of competing for major trophies. We know what Wenger's trying to do and he's won many plaudits with his Barcelona-like approach to the game but there comes a time when you haven't won a trophy in over six years people start to doubt your ability to manage at the highest level. I know I have.

Since 2005, we've seen a steady decline to the Gunners' challenge for silverware and its mainly been down to the loss of several major players. Often, when a major player parts the club that they made the biggest contribution at, the result usually sets their fans into a state of frenzy. But on more than one occasion they - the club - seem to pull through. Just look at Marseille post Jean-Pierre Papin or Juventus post Zinedine Zidane par example. Incredibly, Marseille won the inaugural Champions League following Papin's departure and Juventus won successive Scudetto's when Zidane left. Although for Arsenal, when Viera, Pires and Henry parted terms with the Gunners, their one-time dynasty had come to an abrupt halt. It was a sad end to what was a team labelled the 'invincibles' back in 2003/04 but it was time to rebuild and reshuffle for coach Arsene Wenger. He had a difficult job on his hands. He was given the unearthly job of rebuilding - and somehow topping - a squad that had gone 49 league games unbeaten - a near impossible task for the Frenchman. He chose not necessarily to dive into transfer market head-first but to build his squad by terms of indulging in the youth team. 

Of course Wenger decided to dip into the transfer market, excuse the contradiction, - mostly reinforcing his front-line with players such as Eduardo, Andrey Arshavin and Samir Nasri -  but he had other ambitions of how his Gunners could pursue silverware. That season prior to the purchase of Samir Nasri, 2007/08, had seen Arsenal finish an agonising three points behind rivals United and if they could find an apt replacement for the great Henry we could've seen them go the extra mile and reclaim what was rightfully seen as theirs. Cue the arrival of the youthful Mexican Carlos Vela. Unfortunately for him, a work permit was rejected and he was left out in the cold.

That next season the Gunners finished 4th with a total of 72 points - 18 points behind winners Manchester United - and were an abysmal 11 points worse off than the previous season despite the recent acquisitions. Arsenal couldn't seem to get a break and although they held a Champions League place the fans weren't happy. Neither were the players. They shared the disappointment at not having won a piece of silverware on more than one occasion, most recently captain Cesc Fabregas voicing his frustration on just going out and winning trophies instead of nurturing young players. He said, back in February in an interview with Spanish magazine Don Balon: "You enjoy yourself, during a phase of the championship - like this year, for example, when we were still in four different competitions. And you say to yourself 'here I have everything!' But then that final point is missing and it's then when you have to make a decision: either go out and win or develop players."

This summer could be the summer that Arsenal reverse their misfortune. But they must keep the selling to a minimum - most notably Cesc Fabregas. The La Masia graduate is an integral part of the club and he's facing the daunting prospect of leaving Arsenal and joining home team Barcelona in a bid that could be in excess of £30 million. We've heard continuous appeals from Barca players on why Cesc should rejoin the Blaugranas. Fabregas isn't the only player that's essential to keep at the Emirates this summer. Playmaker Samir Nasri has attracted a vast amount of interest from clubs abroad including, and most notably, Manchester United. The French international is creeping towards the last year in his contract and if both parties can't agree a new contract by the time season 2011/12 rolls around, the Gunners could face losing him for next to nothing next summer.

When those two scenarios are done and dusted, Arsene will then make his move in the transfer window. The Gunners are in dire need of a partner to assist Robin Van Persie as well as a central defender to cover for anybody that may become injured / sold. Their targets are rumoured to be, in defence, Blackburn's Christopher Samba, who handed in a transfer request in January, and Bolton's very own Gary Cahill, who picked up his first England cap in last year's 4-0 win over fellow Europeans Belarus. Up front, there's been rumours flying all around the place and Gervinho has been in the thick of things these past few days. There was even talk of him in London for a medical last week. Unfortunately, the rumour never materialised and all hopes of signing of Ivorian were dashed after there were reports that Lille had apparently agreed a fee with Newcastle to sell him late last week.

Say they do sign Samba, Cahill and maybe an attacking player capable of lending a helping hand to RVP,what will their fans expect? Well, primarily, as I've already stated, Champions League qualification is a must an what follows could be unprecedented. A title challenge would be welcomed as would a decent cup run but what's wanted more than anything is the capture of a major piece of silverware and it could very well happen this season if Arsenal can collect a few signings and somehow forge their way past the big guns.

Will Brucey Be Able To Cope?

Last season, Steve Bruce's Sunderland finished a solid tenth with 47 points - their best finish to a Premier League campaign since 1999/2000. It was a squad that boasted the likes of Darren Bent, Jordan Henderson, Danny Welbeck and Kieren Richardson but this end-of-season transfer chaos has began to spell the end for this hard-labouring side.

First there was the mammoth signing of Darren Bent by Aston Villa back in January which saw the Black Cats receive a modest £24 million. Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn said at the time of selling Bent that "We are not going to replace someone like him perfectly in the next 10 days. We might find a bit of a solution, we'll see." They neglected to reinvest straight-away and they paid the price as their much hoped Europa League spot went a-begging as they picked up only 10 points in their final 14 games prompting an inquest from Quinn. The fans seemed to be aiming the misfortune at the departed Bent who left Tyneside after netting 11 goals up to January which had boosted the Black Cats' European qualification hopes. Bent then went on to score a further nine times for the Villains.

Bent had been the focal point of Sunderland prior to the season's eclipse and much attention was focused around him as he had scored 25 goals the previous season for the Tyneside club. His departure left a gaping gap to fill and the attention then shifted onto Gyan and Co as they were prepared to salvage what was left in their season. Cue a desperate run of results that saw Sunderland win only three out of their last fourteen league games and they slumped to tenth, a position they would have delightfully obliged to accept at the beginning of the season.

This summer has already seen yet another face leave Tyneside with the news that Jordan Henderson is set to join Liverpool, leaving yet another hole in Sunderland's team to fill. Yet another mammoth £20 million bid seemed to good to resist for Bruce's side as well as obtaining Liverpool's French U-21 international David Ngog as part of the proposed deal. Henderson, one of England's most sought-after youngsters, had been part of the Sunderland youth academy since he was seven and was being chased by big clubs such as United and Liverpool. Bruce has promised to reinvest the money from Henderson's fee into their transfer kitty for the summer as they look to fill the cracks that are currently occupied in the team. One such target includes Birmingham's Craig Gardener, who's looking for a move away from the Midlands after the Blues' relegation and he'd come quite cheap considering Birmingham's current dilemma as they prepare for life in the Championship.

As well as losing Bent and Henderson for next season, Bruce also looks set to lose John Mensah, Sulley Muntari and Nedum Onuoha, who are all due to return after their respective loan deals (and David Meyler to injury), but above all Danny Welbeck, who was a pivotal figure in the Black Cats' climb up the table in last season's campaign.

One suspects that unless Bruce prepares sufficiently for next season then he'll have some job on his hands keeping the Black Cats up and preparing for seasons to come.

Revitilised Liverpool Ready To Start Challenging Again

January 8th, 2011. Roy Hodgson's just been given the boot by the Liverpool board after guiding them to within four points of relegation and is immediately replaced by Merseyside legend 'King' Kenny Dalglish. His first game is an almost impossible task away to Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup. Things don't go according to plan and a first-minute penalty was enough to see United through although they were somewhat helped by the harsh sending off of Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard. Dalglish had only been in-charge for the best part of a day and somehow he managed to already better the job previously done by Hodgson. Not many fans knew this would signal the start of a revival from the Reds but with King Kenny at the helm anything is possible.

It took time for Dalglish to finally feel at home again at Liverpool but when those Reds hit form there were no stopping them. The results that followed that narrow defeat away to United was an unforeseen defeat at Anfield by relegation threatened Blackpool and then they were held at Goodison in a four-goal thriller. The next game against Wolves initialised the upward curve in Liverpool's season. They were magnificent, Fernando Torres specifically, as they cruised to a 0-3 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. After that it was another win, this time facing off against Fulham. Then it was Stoke, the game to which Luis Suarez opened his Liverpool account and after that it was Chelsea who arrived to town, looking to catch United at the top. A Raul Meireles goal midway through the second-half decided the fixture and Liverpool were on a run of five wins in their last six. They were rapidly propelling up the Premier League table and in a matter of three or four matches they were back challenging for a place in Europe. It was very much down to the man of the moment Kenny Dalglish. The man who led the Merseyside club to an incredible seven league titles, as well as three European cups and five domestic cups. The King was back, but could he keep up the form that had been long overdue for the Reds?

The answer was yes and FSG rewarded him - as well as first-team coach Steve Clark - with a new three-year deal keeping him at the club until 2014. On the last day of the season Liverpool were facing stiff competition from European rivals Tottenham for that much coveted 5th place. Liverpool travelled to the Midlands to do battle with Aston Villa while Tottenham were at home entertaining relegation threatened Birmingham. Spurs began the day with a one-point lead over the Merseysiders and by the end of the day the Londoners retained their Europa spot with a hard-fought 2-1 win over relegated Birmingham.

So King Kenny's Liverpool failed to qualify for a European competition, so what? Dalglish took on a hell of a job when accepting the proposal and the initial aim was to get as far up the table as he could, and he did just what the doctor ordered. Giving first-team debut's to youth academy graduates such as young John Flanagan and Martin Kelly prove that Liverpool have more than enough to contend at the highest level even without influential skipper Steven Gerrard as he'd been out for long periods of the season.

 This revitalised Liverpool team look European worthy now thanks to Kenny's return and with a Summer of recruiting ahead of them, next season promises to be an exciting one, whether they contend for the Europa League, Champions League or the title.

5 Moments That Defined United's Season

 

They're champions. For the nineteenth times. And thoroughly deserved. I took a look over the big moments that took their toll on United's record breaking season:

Man Utd 3-2 LFC

Well you didn't expect me to leave this out, did you? It was an unexpected goalfest between the two rivals and even more unexpected was the dazzling hat trick from the Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov which inevitably decided the game. In the weeks that had passed United had forfeited many a leads, including the two goal leads they held at both Goodison Park & Craven Cottage of which they squandered and when Steven Gerrard equalised late from the spot it seemed this match would be heading the same route had it not been for a late winner from Berba to steal all three points. Undeserved, maybe, but this was a sign of things to come that would the Liverpool's 18 title triumph come to an end.


Aston Villa 2-2 Man U

United's away form continued to spiral and at Villa Park, conceding twice to Stewie Downing and Gabby Agbonglahor, they had their first defeat of the season virtually staring them square in the face. United, however had other plans and were left to dig deep when youngster Federico Macheda and ruthless centre-back Nemanja Vidic both netted late on to salvage a well-earned point for the visitors. The Villains could've felt they'd been hard done by but then again, this was only the beginning of things to come from a hell of an eventful season for the Reds.

Blackpool 2-3 Man Utd

This game defined the definition of champions. Blackpool, like Aston Villa, had taken an early two goal advantage and went in to half-time seemingly cruising along. 70 minutes had been played and United still hadn't shown up when BAM, out of nowhere, Dimitar Berbatov pulled one back and reduced the deficit to just one goal. Blackpool's flaky defence then crumbled under the copious amounts of pressure United were applying and United scored twice in the final 15 minutes to claim a victory almost as significant as those famous Turin and Barcelona comebacks. It was a pivotal moment in the title race and one which inevitably extended their unbeaten record in the League to twenty eight ames.


West Ham 2-4 Man Utd

Again a comeback of similar proportions to that of Villa & Blackpool, we were inching ever closer to the business end of the season. It was the same ol' story for United as their awful away form made yet another appearance which handed the Hammers a much needed two-goal lead heading into the break. United were 13/2 at the beginning of the second half to stage a much needed comeback and at the time of their first goal they were priced at 18/1. A spectacular hattrick by the in-form Wayne Rooney paved the way for a United fightback and Javier Hernandez scored late-on to rub salts in the wounds for the poor Hammers. United had shown 'the stuff of champions' as they say, and there was no doubt that they would inevitably go on to win the league if they kept showing this kind of spirit when they went behind.


United 2 - 1 Chelsea

36 seconds was all that it took to break the deadlock in this title-deciding game. A delightful through ball from Ji-Sing Park released Javier Hernandez who kept his cool and slotted it past the hapless Cech as United began to run riot. Just twenty one minutes had elapsed when United doubled their lead through Nemanja Vidic when he headed home from a Ryan Giggs corner. Frank Lampard cut the lead into half when he scored from the spot midway through the second-half but it wasn't enough as United virtually secured the title for a record nineteenth time. Their home form went unrivalled among Europe as they dropped only two points - to West Brom - and claimed a monumentus 52 points from a possible 54 points on offer (assuming they beat Blackpool next week). Their away form was one of concern and having only taken 5 wins from an offer of 18 away fixtures, they depended heavily on their title rivals dropping points in order to obtain the coveted number nineteen title and in the process knocking Liverpool off their perch.

Chicharito The Revelation To United's Season's

As the old cliche goes, a picture says a thousand words.

When Javier Hernandez first descended upon Old Trafford last July after a successful World Cup with Mexico, not much was suspected of the young hitman. In fact, he was largely seen as just a back-up for Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney. But as the season progressed and Berbatov's form melted faster than a 99 in the blistering Summer heat, Sir Alex decided to give Mr Hernandez, his eager 21 year old, a taste of Premier League football and from that moment on he never looked back. Despite featuring mainly as a sub up to October, fans were already relishing the prospect of him partnering fellow hitman Wayne Rooney in a 'relationship made in heaven'. It took time for this relationship to blossom but when Sir Alex finally began to give Chicharito a run of games, he took chance after chance after chance. At one point, he even boasted 10 Premier League goals from just 14 shots on target.

February rolled around and after scoring consistently from cameos off the bench, Sir Alex decided to hand the Mexican a rare start in the match vs Wigan at the end of the month as a reward, and trust me it had been a long time coming. The resulting performance from the 'Little Pea' signalled the beginning of the end for Berbatov and his United career as Javier netted twice and grabbed a MOTM award as United ran out comfortable winners 4-0. Lord Ferg then decided in favour of Chicharito for their next game as they travelled to Stamford Bridge to lock horns with Chelsea. However, Hernandez was foiled by a resilient Chelsea defence and was subsequently chosen on the bench for the next game at Anfield. Berbatov moaned and slouched his way across the pitch throughout the game and so when Hernandez was introduced at half-time, it would've seemed that his positive influence would be able to breed new life into the United side continuing their awful run on the road this season. Hernandez went on to score in injury-time but the match itself ended 3-1. Hernandez was then regiven his first eleven place vs Arsenal next weekend, and again for United Champions League match vs Marseille at Old Trafford. Much to Berbatov's dismay, the Little Pea bagged a brace along with yet another MOTM award. 

Since the beginning of February, Berbatov has only managed a mere two goals. Only two bloody goals. Javier Hernandez on the other hand has mustered 9 in 17 games. The thing about Berbatov was that although he has scored 22 goals this season, a large portion of them came in games where he scored 5, 3, 3, and 2. So if you take them away we have a total of 9 goals scored in 35 appearances. That's averaging just under a goal every 4 games. He's dangerously inconsistent. So inconsistent there are already reports linking him elsewhere due to Hernandez's prolific record.

What Hernandez has done since arriving is nothing short of remarkable. Scoring 20 goals in your debut season is a tough enough assignment but for a team with the calibre of Manchester United? Wow. In fact, the last United player to score twenty goals in his debut season was none other than Ruud Van Nistelrooy himself. And what a revelation he turned out to be, eh? 

United fans can already smell the desperation that reeks from Berbatov's dressing room and unless he can pick up some consistency, he can call it quits on his United career. "Moan all you want, it wont change my mind" was a phrase my mum used to coin every now and again when I was a kid and I figure it fits the bill perfectly for the Bulgarian's scenario.

The Race For 4th

Ah yes, the annual race for that final most sought-after Champions League place is finally upon us. 4th place, a place which defines the type of club you are. If you finish 4th you can declare yourself a 'big 4' club. If you finish 5th, well..God help you.

 For the past three years its been occupied by three different clubs, two of London descent and the other, hailing from Merseyside fresh from their long-standing battle with Everton. Last year became the first time Tottenham had qualified for a European competition of this magnitude and my oh my, how they impressed. Destroying Inter Milan on their own turf and also screeching past Inter's cousins AC at the San Siro, you don't see that very often for a team in their maiden season in the Champions League.

Right now, its Manchester City who occupy the world-renown 4th Champions League spot but their season has fallen apart of late. First came their dismissal from Europe at the hands of European minnows Dynamo Kiev, then they suffered heavy defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Chelsea which have let 5th placed Tottenham back into the fray. A season which had started so promisingly - going top for a brief period of time before city rivals United knocked them off the perch - they began to rely on talismanic skipper Carlos Tevez so heavily that it forced Roberto Martinez to say that no other player in the team could score a goal. Alas, Tevez - like all players - has had his problems this term and having saved himself from the wrath of public hatred around Christmas time, he's been the main source of income for City's front three. In fact, let's discuss City's front three. Mario Balotelli, - the troublesome trouble-maker - joined City last summer for a fee in the region of £24 million. He has repaid City by scoring 9 goals, collecting 9 yellow cards and picking up two red cards just for good measure. When 'bib-otelli' isn't playing for Manchester City you can find him crashing his car into walls or if that fails, he'll probably be in the foyer throwing darts at City youth players 'mistaking' them for dart boards. January signing Edin Dzeko has been fairly quiet during his time at Eastlands so far, scoring a mere 4 goals in 15 appearances albeit some from the bench. With a manager who's under copious amounts of pressure to win silverware I fear this may be his last season unless, y'know, somehow he pulls a rabbit out of the hat and beats United in the FA cup semi-finals tomorrow.

Off to London now to assess Tottenham's chances. The Lilywhites are priced at 2/1 to beat City into 4th but if you already have your wallet at the ready I'd advise you to slowly put it back where it came from. Although they may only be 3 points behind City with a game in-hand the run-in looks incredibly hard to Spurs to pick up some much needed points. First they have Arsenal next Wednesday, then ten days later its off to Stanford Bridge and two matches later they do battle with faltering Manchester City before its on the road one last time to Merseyside to take on a rejuvenated Liverpool side. Tell me that's not incredibly difficult to gain maximum points off? Gareth Bale's opinion is somewhat different. He told the press in the post-match conference after Spurs' exit from the Champions League that
"We need to win every game and we will go out there to win every game. We know that we are capable of beating all the other teams. We beat them all last season at some point so there is no reason why we can’t get maximum points. “We don't fear anyone. We have the players and are capable of scoring goals. We are just going to go out there, show what we can do and hopefully finish in the top four." Bold words from the Londoners' most prized asset and although he seems somewhat optimistic, the chances of Tottenham finishing for a second successive season in 4th look undoubtedly slimmer every week.

Of course these two are the front-runners for 4th spot but we can't underestimate a newly reformed Liverpool side. Since 'King Kenny's return Liverpool have looked every inch of the side that very nearly won the league under Rafa back in 2008 and to be honest, there doesn't look like a team that can stop them. Beating Man City and United rather comfortably shows that the Merseysiders are back in business. And the interesting thing is they only lie 8 points behind Man City. With a consistent run of form and Carroll and Suarez banging in the goals, its hard to see their form coming to an abrupt stop. But mind you, it will be incredibly difficult for them to achieve such a feat as they would have to win their remaining 6 games to even stand a chance. Still, that's what makes the Premier League what it is.

Welbeck Sidelined For 6-8 Weeks

Sunderland youngster Danny Welbeck has been sidelined for a period of up to 6-8 following his exploratory knee surgery on Tuesday afternoon. The Black Cats striker has been in sensational form this season but this latest setback may have well and truly wrecked his form.

With Welbeck out and the sale of Darren Bent to Aston Villa complete, Sunderland have only one striker to heave them out of trouble with the service of Asamoah Gyan. Gyan has played well when called on this season and will be Bruce's preferred choice of striker until the current fracas is solved.

It leaves Sunderland with a horrible dilemma up front and Steve Bruce will most certainly be rummaging around for a deal to sign while Welbeck's  out. He may be weighing up the option of buying Premier League injury prone star Michael Owen as reported on caughtoffside.com or Bruce may be considering Tottenham fourth choice striker Roman Pavuylchenko for a reported bid of £13.8m.

Steve Bruce, speaking today,  shed light on what will go on over the transfer period at the Stadium Of Light saying:

"I'll do my best but I'm not going to bring people in for the sake of it," he said. "I'd love to go out and bring in a couple of bodies, which we might do now.

"But I don't envisage going out and spending £20m or whatever on players which people might expect.

"At this time of year very few people are available so it might be that we have to wait until the summer.

He then praised Welbeck's progress since arriving on loan at the Stadium of Light and was understandably disappointed at Welbeck's untimely injury:

"Welbeck is the sad thing for me because he was playing out of his skin before they got injured.

"That's the main concern - we've only got Asamoah Gyan at the moment so let's hope we can get one or two people in to get us over the line until the summer."

DJ Campbell - The Sitter Show

DJ Campbell - Joke Of The Season?

What do you think of when DJ Campbell comes to mind? Prolific goalscorer or horrific chance misser?

Campbell has become notoriously known for his comical misses which have cost his team dearly in the past. So what is it that drives Blackpool's striker to squander these chances? Nerves? Or is he just that bad?

In his latest sitter, Campbell was put through by teammate Charlie Adam and with no one else in sight, it was a classic one-on-one situation with West Brom keeper Chris Kirkland. Campbell strolled inside the box, gathered the ball and stroke the ball agonisingly wide.

Campbell have continuously missed chance after chance in the big games but Ollie has instilled his confidence in the young striker but frankly, I don't know why.

Other notable sitters for the Englishmen came from the earlier half of the season and it involves a series of comical chances spurned by him, including his horror effort against Manchester City and also his awful miss against Sunderland just two and a half weeks ago.

Campbell miss vs Manchester City

Premier League Round Up Week 23

Today we were treated to seven matches, seven matches in which none failed to entertain. Manchester City beat Wolves in an enthralling encounter, Chelsea got back to winning ways with a dominant 2-0 win over Blackburn, Stoke beat high flying Bolton, Fulham were held at the JJB stadium, Blackpool succumbed to the excellent West Brom and in the late match, Arsenal dismantled the abysmal West Ham, amid reports of Martin O'Neill on the verge of taking over the helms from Avram Grant.

At the City of Manchester stadium were treated to a scintillating tie with City prevailing, just. Wolves had taken an unexpected lead through new signing Milijas before Kolo Toure levelled going into the break. At 1-1 Wolves were still very much still in the match but a lack of concentration saw them fall behind before City went on a goal spree. City made it 4-1 with Tevez bagging a brace and Yaya Toure once again getting on the score sheet, piling on the woes for Wolves.

After Tevez had scored in the 66th minute you would have believed City would be home and dry but a spirited Wolves side thought otherwise. Kevin Doyle was hauled down inside the box and took the responsibility of slotting home himself, and scoring. 4-2, a glimmer of hope for the lowly side and none would have expected anything more. Cue a lack of concentration on City's behalf and Wolves set up an enthralling end to the match, Ronald Zubar making it 4-3 with 4 minutes remaining. Wolves continually pushed for a sensational equaliser, even keeper Wayne Hennessy getting in on the action but City held out to go top for at least 24 hours.

Chelsea were host to Blackburn, a team still struggling even with a change of ownership and manager. Chelsea were dominant in their approach to get back to winning ways and they did just that with a resounding 2-0 victory. Ivanovic got the scoring underway and Anelka continued his prolific scoring run against the Lancashire club scoring his 12th career goal against Blackburn.

It will definitely relieve some of the pressure on the heavily scrutinised Carlo Ancelotti and Chelsea seem to have snapped out of that dismal run which saw them claim only one win in seven and slide down into 5th. Venky's will be behind Steve Kean regardless of the result and survival will confirm his stay at the club for at least another season.

Arsenal travelled to East London to take on a recently reformed West Ham side who had lost only once in their last seven however it was the Gunners who ran rampant as they once again humiliated Avram Grant and his West Ham team. Reports circulated early this morning over Grant's position at the club and it was reported that Martin O'Neill has already been in contact to take over the helms from under fire Grant.

Supposedly his 'last game in charge' Grant was looking for an impeccable final hurrah but it was not to be as Arsenal ran riot. The Gunners broke the deadlock on the stroke of half time as a cross from English star Theo Walcott was dummied by Samir Nasri and then coolly slotted home by Robin Van Persie who was having a great day at the office. West Ham were in further trouble when Theo Walcott scored and the Hammers' misery was complete when Robin Van Persie rounded off a wonderful night for the Gunners, making it 3-0 from the spot, consolidating Arsenal's title aspirations once more.

In other results from today's games we saw Stoke stun Bolton as they, quite comfortably, beat Bolton 2-0 with goals coming either half from Matthew Etherington and Danny Higginbothom.

We also saw another exciting match up as West Brom faced Premier League debutant's Blackpool which the Baggies won 3-2.An early goal from in form David Vaughan put the visitors in the driving seat but goals from Peter Odemwingie and James Morrison had the Baggies ahead on the hour mark. However, Blackpool's Gary Taylor Fletcher levelled the scores with 10 minutes remaining and it would have seemed that the Tangerines would be heading for a share of the spoils but Peter Odemwingie scored his 8th goal of the season to steal the game and increase the Baggies' chances of survival.

Wigan also held Fulham in a 1-1 draw at the JJB Stadium in a 'bottom of the table' clash. A goal from Hugo Rodallega gave the hosts the lead but Andy Johnson equalised with his first goal in nearly two years salvaging a draw for the relegation strugglers.

Ryan Babel In Twitter Trouble

Well earlier today we saw the return of King Kenny but that's not all. Liverpool winger Ryan Babel took to his twitter to vent his frustration at the inconsistent Howard Webb. Webb had awarded United a penalty inside 30 seconds and he had also sent Reds skipper Steven Gerrard off for a two footed tackle on Michael Carrick. Babel has landed himself in some hot water following his digitally altered version of Howard Webb. Take a look -

What's Next For Robbie Keane?

This week has been a whirlwind for Robbie Keane. On Monday he was heavily linked with Birmingham, and was 'in talks' with chiefs in the midlands but that deal has apparently collapsed due to Birmingham's unwillingness to meet Tottenham's £6 million demand. Next up for Keane was a potential move to South- East London as West Ham came knocking, desperate enough for anyone as they languish rock-bottom of the Premier League. Struggling Fulham have also expressed a desire to land the Irish captain with Mark Hughes admitting he is keen on landing the out of sorts Tottenham striker.

Keane has had an illustrious career to say the least, plying his trade with the likes of Inter Milan, Leeds and Liverpool and has scored over 200 goals for club and country. An Irishman from Malahide, hopes were high when he was recruited by Wolverhampton Wanderers. He stayed at the Molineaux for 3 seasons before making the move to Coventry for a fee of £6 million, a British record for a teenager. Keane once again bounced clubs as he left the sky Blues for a sensational move to Inter Milan. Keane endured a turbulent start for Milan and life in Italy was rocky for the Irish lad so when Leeds came knocking in 2001 Keane couldn't have been happier. Keane had enjoyed his first stint in Leeds but when the move was made permanent he struggled for form and when Leeds were in the midst of a finance crisis, he was offloaded to Tottenham. Keane had arguably his best ever football with the London side and has scored over 90 goals since joining in 2002.

His Irish teammates are also in crisis at their respective clubs as in the past year we've seen Shay Given, Damien Duff, Glen Whelan and Kevin Kilbane all fall out and lose their coveted first place spots.  It's a positive for Irish football though, as it will give Trappatoni fresh opportunities to inject some young blood into the side with Darron Gibson and Anthony Stokes eagerly waiting in the wings.

Roy Hodgson Sacked, Dalglish Appointed Caretaker Manager Until End Of Season

time's up for Hodgson

Well it's been a long time coming, you know, and the worst has finally been confirmed for the Englishman. Roy Hodgson has been sacked by John Henry following the below par performances Liverpool have produced week in, week out. Hodgson had been under the cosh virtually since the start of the season and was seen as the perfect replacement for Spaniard, Rafael Benitez prior to his downfall. Hodgson has been the first manager since Phil Taylor (1959) not to have won a single trophy which contributed heavily to his sacking.

Hodgson was appointed in July following Liverpool's outrageous Premier League campaign which saw them collapse and finish in 7th place. Rafael Benitez was given the boot and it was up to managerial veteran, Hodgson to come up with the goods and revive a side slowly heading on a downwards spiral. However, Hodgson's appointment became one of the clubs worst appointments in recent times as Liverpool have succumbed to the likes of Blackpool, Stoke City, Newcastle and were defeated quite emphatically by Merseyside rivals, Everton 3-1.

Winning was hard to come by away from home this season and Liverpool could only manage two wins out of a possible eleven, a winning percentage of just 18%.

After eight games Liverpool were in serious trouble, sitting dangerously in 18th spot, a sin for almost any fan. Slowly but surely, the Reds got their season back on track but only for a brief period, as they currently stand three points behind the European places.

The appointment of Hodgson was a rather rushed one and he quickly became one of the most hated managers in Liverpool's history and on numerous occasions at Anfield there were often choruses of boo's ringing out, some people even pleading for Dalglish to take up a second stint at the club.

One of the key factors in Hodgson's sacking was the 1-0 loss to lowly Wolves. It outraged Liverpool fans all around Anfield and there even cries of 'you're getting sacked in the morning' accompanying the untimely rumors that Hodgson's time was, in fact, coming to an end. He did however manage to keep his job for the bout with Bolton at Anfield just four days later. 1-0 after 30 minutes, things were not looking good for Roy but an unlikely second half comeback salvaged a win, Joe Cole finding the winner in injury time, further delaying the sacking of Hodgson. Then came Wednesday the 5th of January, a pivotal moment in the end of Hodgson's managerial career at Anfield. Liverpool were taking on fellow strugglers Blackburn, in a do or die clash. Things took a turn for the worst when Olsonn nipped in behind Johnson and slotted it past Reina. The pressure had dramatically increased on Hodgson and there were fears amidst he'd be sacked come this morning. Defencive errors once again left Liverpool shocked and Roy was left grasping for straws as the Lancashire side ran out eventual winners. In the post match press conferences, Hodgson refused to speak, strengthening speculation that his time was in fact up.

the writing had been on the wall for Hodgson for quite some time

This morning, January 8th, saw the confirmation of what had been a long time coming. Roy Hodgson was given the boot. It was expected none the less however, Liverpool are now in the market for a vastly experienced individual, rumors leading to Frank Rijkard getting the job, and taking on the cursed chalice at Liverpool, where they have become appalling in recent seasons. They have appointed club legend Kenny Dalglish as caretaker manager until the end of the season.

Liverpool still have nearly half their season left and if Dalglish can get into his stride, who knows where Liverpool could end up, but admitting that, I would say it's an unlikely feature he would be able to challenge for the coveted champions league spot.

The Gaffer Roulette

As the season's unpredictability starts to take it's toll, I've taken a look at the managers most likely to be relived of their misery. The four managerial candidates I have chosen have all been under ginormous amounts of scrutiny of late and it's only a matter of time until one of them gets shot down.

First up is odds on favourite:

Roy Hodgson - 1/3

He's kind of brought it on himself hasn't he? Having appointed Hodgson in July this past year, he was looked to halt Liverpool's downward spiral brought on by Rafael Benitez. Hodgson, though, has made things inevitably worse. He's lost 9 of the 20 games in the Premier League this season and that's simply not good enough for a manager of his magnitude. Hodgson had been under massive pressure since losing to Everton in September and he continued to dominate the headlines, losing out to newcomers Blackpool, Manchester United and most recently, losing in dramatic circumstances to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn, strenghtening the rumors he's due to be relived of his duties at Liverpool football club. His summer recruitings proved he does not have what it takes to become a top Premier League manager, with the signing of two has-beens and out of the four players he has signed, only two have retained a first team place with Joe Cole & Cristian Poulson forced to settle on the bench. It's becoming an increasingly worrying time for Liverpool fans but he's currently odds on favourite to get sacked and rightly so, as I don't see him lasting much longer.

12TH - P20 W7 D4 L9 PTS 25

Second on the list :

Carlo Ancelotti - 2/1

A phenomenal start to his reign as Chelsea manager was later highlighted by their abysmal form of late. Ancelotti had started his era at Stamford Bridge winning six out of his first seven and continued that form into October before hitting an error strewn November. Assistant manager Ray Wilkins was sensationally given the boot and this has, more than likely, been the cause of Chelsea's recent downfall. It had all started with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool and the champions then started to tumble uncontrollably, and soon Ancelotti was wondering where it had all gone wrong. In Chelsea's last ten Premier League games they've only managed a dire two wins, accompanied by four draws and four losses, not the form of champions. Wednesday evening had arrived and Chelsea travelled to the Molineaux to take on relegation battling Wolves. It went from bad to worse for the visitors as an own goal in the fifth minute from Jose Bosingwa ensured Wolves had captured a famous 1-0 win over the Blues for over 30 years. It was pure ecstasy for Mick McCarthy's side but agony for Ancelotti's men as they succumbed to their sixth league defeat of the season, bringing the total for the season to an astounding 8. The shocking form Chelsea have produced of late has seen them slip to 5th position, leaving gaffer Ancelotti pondering whether or not he has to start competing for Champions League football, never mind the league title. Despite all the speculation, I don't see Ancelotti getting sacked anytime soon.

5TH - P21 W10 D5 L6 PTS 35

Next on the list is the struggling West Ham gaffer:

Avram Grant -11/2

Grant was seen as a suitable replacement for the inexperienced Gianfranco Zola but he failed to live up to expectations, having not gained a point by mid September. Grant continued to stumble as Hammers boss and had won only two matches prior to the festive fixtures but a recent surge of results had seen them catapult up to 16th, only to fall back into the relegation zone, seeing recent results going against their luck. Grant, rather presumptuously, claimed that West Ham's recent good form was down to his new scarf he had started sporting against Manchester United in their Carling Cup clash at the end of November and it had returned for the boxing day clash with relegation rivals Fulham, who the Hammers trounced 3-1. The scarf remained wrapped around Grant's neck for the next two matches, a 1-1 draw with Everton and a 2-0 win over Wolves just last weekend. Grant had left the scarf out in the cold for Wednesday's bout with Newcastle, which Newcastle ran riot, running out 5-0 victors, once again landing Grant in the limelight. Grant is definitely worth a punt or two.

20TH - P20 W4 D8 L8 PTS 20

And finally last but not least, comes the Liverpudlian favourite

Gerard Houllier - 10/1


His relative success at Merseyside was a key factor in his appointment and he was looked to provide more or less the same than what he achieved with Liverpool, and to apply it to a side still shaking from the resignation of adored gaffer Martin O'Neill. An outside favourite, Houllier has endured a turbulent time since his return to the Premier League. A slow start hadn't helped ease the nerves at Villa Park and Aston Villa have yet to pick up pace in this years campaign. Maybe it's down to the absence of several of their key players, maybe not, but a side with this much quality should be up there among the best, challenging for those coveted Europa Cup spots. Yes there's still half the season left and yes those players are due to come back but you can't help wonder, what has HoullierHoullier, although a dark house, will undoubtedly be given more time as manager but if he fails to break the top ten, he'll be gone.


18TH - P21 W5 D6  L10 PTS 21

Betting odds are courtesy of thesackrace.com and are subject to change.

Arsenal Held By Resolute Man City

It was a game looked forward to by many but inevitably failed to deliver as Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw with rivals Manchester City. City had won five out of their last six and were expected to mount at least some kind of challenge against the Gunners, following their disappointing 3-0 hammering back in October at The City Of Manchester Stadium. Arsenal were looking to close the gap on leaders Manchester United to within three points and were prepared to give it their all. They were outright favourites for the clash following that no contest in Manchester back in October and had showed promise as soon as the match kicked off, taking control of the match however as we've come to find out this season, the resilient Manchester City defence once again held out for a point well earned, confirming their defence was, in fact, the best in the Premier League at the moment. Arsenal will be relatively disappointed with this result considering they dominated for the entire match, but Mancini and City will be delighted as it is a point they rarely looked like retaining throughout the match.

Match Report:

It was notable from the off that City hadn't come to the Emirates tonight for a win. From the moment Arsenal gained possession of the ball, it was going to be a long night for City. The first half couldn't have been more one sided, with Arsenal going agonisingly close early on, a cross from Wilshere just missing the outstretched Van Persie and it was the beginning of a mauling for the Mancunian club. Wilshere was once again involved just two minutes later as his rasping shot stung the hands of City keeper Joe Hart and Arsenal continued to apply pressure on the big spenders. In truth, City had desperately missed play maker David Silva, who's creativity was sorely missed but he most certainly wouldn't have been able to halt the onslaught City were receiving. Throughout the first half Arsenal had taken control of the match and had unluckily hit the frame of the post twice, with Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas going closest to breaking the deadlock.

The second half was no different as Arsenal continued to show their masterclass, leaving Manchester City to die. Carlos Tevez and Yaya Toure seemed to be the only threats to come from the City half, but they were often outnumbered, leaving the two stars isolated. It seemed that the longer Arsenal would remain scoreless City would eventually score as when City did break you'd fear for The Gunners that they'd concede and would end up chasing the game, in desperation of an equaliser.

Joe Hart hadn't really been tested to an extent following Arsenal's demolition of City in the first half but he made a fantastic save in the 61st minute to deny Gunners hit man Robin Van Persie. Hart had shuffled two or three steps before pulling off a top drawer save to keep the scores level, further frustrating The Gunners. After that effort from van Persie, Arsenal never really looked like hitting the back of the net and it was just one of those nights at the Emirates.

In the 90th minute the match took a turn for the worst as the match inevitably ended on a sour note. An awkward challenge on Bacary Sagna by Pablo Zaaeleta angered the Frenchman, and they squared up, looking set to match off but an intervention from Mike Jones saw both of them sent off, with suspensions for three matches for each of them. On replay, it looked like Zabeleta had done nothing wrong as he was victim to frustration of Sagna's behalf and I think there would be an appeal on the cards for the Argentine.

The draw for these two leaves them both a drift of United, and the Red Devils have extended their lead over City to two points with two games in hand over their city rivals. It doesn't do any good for Arsenal either as they once again succumbed to a well organised defence and it leaves them four points behind the table topping United, who have, incredibly, yet to reach top gear this season.

Bust Up No.2 At Eastlands

These pictures speak a 1,000 words, as they say.

The scene was set and Carrington was host to this spectacular event. Manchester City had been training in preparation for their clash against Arsenal tomorrow night when the fisticuffs took place.

It was training as normal when Adebayor, who's been constantly rumored to leave Eastlands this January, lashed out on teammate Kolo Toure. All hell broke loose between the pair with Patrick Viera, Vincent Kompany and Co. desperately trying to heave them off another and the photographers picked up a nice little bonus this afternoon, selling the coveted photos to the Daily Mirror, who broke the story late this morning.

Mancini must be furious considering this is the second fight between players in recent weeks, with Mario Balotelli and Jerome Boateng both going at it back in December.

It further strengthens reports that there is trouble brewing inside Eastlands and they are not equipped to win the title.

It is unknown if Mancini will select these players for his match squad tomorrow evening and it further destroys the clubs image, which owner Sheikh Mansour will surely investigate, considering the circumstances.

New York Cosmo's Due To Make Bid For Ryan Giggs

The New York Cosmo's have made an audacious attempt on landing veteran Ryan Giggs for a series of exhibition matches, similar to the Harlem Globetrotters, in 2012.

It's being touted as the farewell Giggs should receive if he doesn't receive a contract extension by the end of this summer, and he could join the newly reformed Cosmo's, who Pele used to play for, and compete at 2012, as part of a series of big games to return them to the world stage.

Phil Neville, funnily enough, has been linked with a move to the Cosmo's as well, as they want to hit 2012 with a bang, gaining some Premier league stars in the process.

It would be nothing new for the MLS, as we have discovered, over the past five years or so, that the Major league Soccer is where former Premier league stars go to 'die' i.e Thierry Henry, Juan Pablo Angel.

Blackburn Plea For Ronaldinho

In an astonishing revealment, it seems Blackburn Rovers have lodged a bid for AC Milan playmaker, Ronaldinho. They are also quite adamant on the 31 year old, as he would be receiving a rumored 130,000  a week.

Ronaldinho's agent Roberto De Assis confirmed the approach towards Ronaldinho from the English counterpart, but they face stiff competition from home club Gremio.

"Blackburn have contacted us. There is also other interest in England but this is confidential,"

Blackburn's new owners, Venky's, also expressed their interest in signing the former Barcelona wizard:

“We have spoken four times with Assis. The owners know that Ronaldinho was not being used properly in Milan and is dissatisfied and, above all, wants to play in England.

“He has played in the French, Spanish, Italian and Brazilian leagues. The Indians want to put together a competitive team and Ronaldinho is not the only name in Brazil that interests us.”

“We know that Assis is more worried about Ronaldinho than with money and more interested about the quality of the project that has been presented. We have the best project.”

Ronaldinho is highly unexpected to join the Lancashire club, preferring a move home to consider contracts with the likes of Gremio, Flamengo and Palmeiras all keen on his services.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting any truth behind this but when Assis confirmed it, I just started laughing hysterically. I mean, what player in their right mind, would make a move from one of the world's finest clubs, to a club that regularly challenges for 10th spot, it's just madness.

This comes after days of uncertainty regarding the Brazilian's exit from the San Siro, and now it looks like it's done and dusted as he'd prefer a move back to Brazil.

FA To Probe Lee Bowyer Stamp

Lee Bowyer is subject to a probing from FA after he was caught stamping on Arsenal right back Bacary Sagna. The incident occurred involving a challenge between Bowyer and Sagna for the ball. Sagna had won the ball and had passed it away, before Bowyer came in ruthlessly. On any other day, that tackle could have done some serious harm to the Frenchman.

In the match late Saturday afternoon, it went miraculously unnoticed by referee Peter Walton and the Blues captain got away with murder.

Bowyer has made an image associating himself with those kind of tackles in the past and everybody surely remembers when Eduardo was fatally injured at St. Andrews just two years ago.

The game itself was quite aggressive from Birmingham's perspective and Roger Johnson was also involved quite heavily with his physical approach toward the Cesc Fabregas.

When Wenger was asked about the incident he told reporters "I do not want to talk too much about that because I haven't seen any replays. During the game, it was very difficult the challenge on Fabregas (by Roger Johnson) and Sagna (by Bowyer). I will watch that again and give you my opinion later.'
And when the question was put to Bimingham boss Alex McLeish he claimed he had not see it.

Arsenal ended up winning by a dominant scoreline of 3 goals to nil,  re establishing themselves as title contenders. The result leaves Birmingham wandering in 19th position, and with Bowyer due to get suspended it could get a lot more uglier for the Blues.

Chelsea Left To Pay The Price As Slack Defending Gifts The Villains Late Equaliser

Wow. Just wow. The ending to this game typified the kind of late drama we see in the Premier League week in, week out, and it was an ecstatic start to this new year of football.

This season has been a roller coaster for both teams, most notably Carlo Ancelotti's men. One win in seven since Ray Wilkin's departure, these were looking like turbulent times at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea's dismal form seemed to have been halted following their gritty 1-0 win over a high flying Bolton side but a late leveller from Irishman Ciaran Clark, shared the spoils. Gerard Houllier has been under pressure ever since he took the reign from northern Irishman Martin O'Neill. Aston Villa had laid 16th previous to this encounter, and showed determination and grit from the off as they looked to tackle Chelsea's poor form and release a bit of pressure off under fire boss Houllier.

Match Report:

Aston Villa started the better of the two, and were unlucky not to go ahead as Chelsea continued to show that abysmal form that sees them trapped in 5th spot.

Unfortunately it was the Blues who took the lead through a controversial Frank Lampard penalty. Lampard had flicked a ball into the box and James Collins inadvertently used Florent Malouda as a climbing frame, before the Frenchman stumbled and fell over, leaving Lee Mason no choice but to award a penalty. Frank Lampard calmly stepped up and fired it past Friedel, who was having an excellent day at the office.

18 minutes later and the score was all squared. Hesitence in the Chelsea defence led to Essien taking out Nigel Reo Coker just inside the box. Ashley Young volunteered for the penalty and repeated Lampards penalty, placing it beyond Cech's reach.

Ashley Young Celebrates

We reached half time with the scores level at 1-1 and miraculously there were six Aston Villa players on bookings. Two were for dissent, four for poor tackles, so the Villains had to be extra careful in the second half.

We had barely reached three minutes into the second half when Aston Villa took a surprise lead through Emile Heskey. Stewart Downing raced past Ashley Cole on the wing and floated in a deft ball, and Heskey met it, towering above Chelsea debutant Jerffery Bruma to head home and give Villa the slimmest of lead.

Cue the dominance from Chelsea, as Aston Villa decided to defend for the entirety of the second half. Chelsea's top guns had been misfiring all day but that was all about to change in the 89th minute. A resilient Aston Villa defence was broken and Drogba was the perpetrator.  Drogba pounced on a loose ball inside the ball, rounding the keeper and shooting between three Villa defenders to get Chelsea that much sought after equaliser, after Friedel had endured a wonderful afternoon prior to that second goal, saving well from Malouda and Kalou on separate occasions.

But it didn't stop there. 5 minutes later Villa crumbled and Chelsea took the lead. Albrighton had lost the ball on the wing and Essien raced past him, delivering a cross that was met by the head of Drogba, which was saved well by Friedel. However, the ball found its way to captain John Terry, who side footed home, for what seemed a likely winner. Alas, it was far from over.

Villa, having been dominated by the Blues for the whole second half, had had barely a shot since Heskey's goal, but an Albrighton cross made it's way over to youngster Ciaran Clark who nodded home, stunning Stamford Bridge.


Lampard, Terry & Co. were flabbergasted and yearned for yet another goal but the Villains held out for a memorable draw, leaving Chelsea in 5th place, a point behind London rivals, Tottenham.