United Edge Closer To Chelsea After A Week Of Upsets

Chelsea's unbeaten streak ended at the City of Manchester stadium in the first match of the sixth weekend of the Premier League season setting the tone for a week of upsets.

Robert Mancini smartly diluted any pressure of expectation on the Citizens, by predicting that the champions would retain the title quite easily this season.

That was before the match, although Mancini continues to stand by his statement even after the Chelsea game that City won 1-0.

An inspired goal by Carlos Tevez was followed by resolute defence that saw Carlo Ancelotti substituting a surprised Didier Drogba.

With Lescott and Boateng missing in the back-line, it was left to Ashley Cole to man the fortress, and ironically Tevez's shot went through Cole's legs before ricochetting off the post to beat Cech into the Chelsea net.

Next, it was West Brom's turn to upset punters who had backed Arsenal to win handily against Albion before their home fans at Emirates.

After a goalless first half, West Brom set the alarm ringing at Emirates, with an Odemwingie strike in the 50th minute, and followed it up with a second one, two minutes later, this time off Jara's boot.

But it wasn't until 20 minutes later that Arsene Wenger's men woke up with a vengeance.

By then, Albion were 3-0 up, with the third goal coming in the 72nd minute. Ironically, that strike which proved eventually to be the winning margin was the contribution from Jerome Thomas, an ex-Arsenal man.

For Arsenal, the match was a tale of missed opportunities, with. Ebou and Arshavin wasting scoring opportunities within the first quarter-hour.

Bolton held Manchester United to a 2-2 draw at the Reebok Stadium which should justly rank as a win, considering that United never led during the match but came back twice from behind to level the score. Knight put the home side ahead in the fifth minute, and Nani got the Red devils level in the 22nd.

Petrov got Bolton up again to 2-1 in the 67th minute; seven minutes later, Owen rescued the Old Trafford side from what would have been a humiliating loss.

Tottenham's loss to West Ham at Upton Park should be up there with Chelsea and Arsenal's defeats. Coming off a morale boosting win in the Carling Cup, West Ham prevailed in the London derby played before a full house of home fans.

Apart from Piquionne's 29th minute strike that gave Avram Grant's side the lead, Ro Green's athleticism between the sticks won the day for the Hammers.

West Ham continue to remain in relegation zone, for now, but they have managed to move one place up the points table, leaving Everton to wallow in twentieth, following the Goodison Park squad's draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Blackpool's 2-1 loss to Blackburn could also be considered an upset; that is the extent of Blackpool's stamp on the ongoing Premiership campaign, the Seasiders' first ever. The defeat left the Tangerines without a home win. In their only other match at Bloomfield Road, so far, Blackpool drew 1-1 against Fulham.

Wayne Rooney Videos - So Great To Watch Again And Again

Wayne Rooney tore defenders apart in the Premier League since his debut for Everton. But what makes his videos so compelling to watch? I discuss this and more in this article.

The maturity of his play, the passion, the sublime and the raw skill - all are what make Rooney so amazing to watch. And in today's modern world of high definition, slow-mo freeze frame, multi angle action - it's almost as if Rooney was made for modern day worldwide Premier League broadcasts.

This kid (he really is still a kid, isn't he) burst on to the game a few years ago and made an immediate impact. What struck people most about him was amazing tenacity coupled with a kind of maturity in a youngster never seen before. Who else at his age was able to give not just one, but two or three drops of the shoulder to shake of defenders?

Later came his passion and aggression for the game. It is said that his aggression sometimes gets the better of him and that he should not concede so many yellow and even red cards. But taking the passion out of Wayne is like taking a bottle away from a baby - you just can't do it! All this being said, he rarely lets his passion get the better of him.

The best example is during a match when the referee upset him and he had a heated argument. A few seconds later he received a pass and - "WALLOP" - he kicked an unstoppable screamer of a volley from about 25 yards out into the top corner of the net!

Premier League Match Time: Everton Vs Liverpool

One of the mouth watering prospects in store for football fans, when the Premier League returns after an International break, is a Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool.

Goodison Park will be the venue of a lunch-time kick off on Sunday in what promises to be an explosive match between two sides looking to prove themselves, after indifferent starts to their Premiership campaigns.

Coincidentally, both teams languishing near the bottom of the table, have six points each after seven matches. With new ownership looming for the Reds, Roy Hodgson will be keen to underline his managerial skills with a win. Especially after fans chanted for his removal in the Reds' 2-1 home loss to Blackpool.

In some bad news for Liverpool (other than the off-field wrangles at Anfield), Dirk Kuyt is sidelined ahead of Sunday's game, owing to an injury sustained by the striker in Holland's Euro qualifier with Sweden on Tuesday, a match that the Dutch won convincingly. It could be a month before Kuyt returns to action.

But Hodgson will take cheer from Torres' return to the team after the Spanish striker showed signs of recovery from an abductor strain.

Steven Gerrard, as ever, will the key man, and Hodgson will look for an inspired performance from the England midfielder in what is a must-win for the Anfield squad.

Everton on their part have injury worries too, with the sidelining of Victor Anichebe, Steven Pienaar, Louis Saha and Jack Rodwell. Manager David Moyes will hope that home advantage inspires the Blues to bank three points from the game, and move up the points table.

The Toffees will look to Tim Cahill to provide the momentum, even as the Reds are set to miss the services of Daniel Agger, Fabio Aurelio and Paul Konchesky due to injury.

The following players were in Everton starting eleven in their 2-0 win against Birmingham, on October 2: Tim Howard, Phil Neville, Sylvain Distin, Philip Jagielka, Leighton Baines, Seamus Coleman, Marouane Fellaini, Mikel Arteta, Leon Osman, Tim Cahill, Yakubu.

The substitutes for the match were: Barkley, Jermaine Bedford, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, John Heitinga, Magaye Gueye, Tony Hibbert, Jan Mucha.

Liverpool included the following players in their last league match against Blackpool, a match that the Reds lost 2-1: Jose Manuel (Pepe) Reina, Glen Johnson, Sotiros Kyrgiakos, Martin Skrtel, Jamie Carragher, Christian Poulsen, Raul Meireles, Dirk Kuyt, Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole, Fernando Torres.

The substitutes were: Milan Jovanovic, Lucas, David Ngog, Jay Spearing, Martin Kelly, Maxi Rodriguez, Brad Jones.

The Greatest Football Player of All Time

Football is one of the most popular sports in America today. But do you know who the best football player of all time is? Pele is the best football player of all time for his remarkable performance in his key role in two of Brazil's first three World Cup victories.

Some personal information about him is that Pele's full name is Edson Arantes Do Nascimento. His childhood nickname was "Dico." This great man was born on October 23, 1940 in Tres Coracoes, Brazil. He has humble beginnings. As a boy he helped his family's financial condition by cleaning shoes at the local train station. In 1956 at the age of 16, he began playing soccer in Brazilian minor league teams such as Bauru Athletic Club and was coached by the former Brazilian international Waldemar de Brito, who played for Brazil during the 1934 World Cup.

Pele played for the clubs Santos and New York Cosmos and his best position is being striker. He had won 3 World Championships for Brazil, 2 Intercontinental Cups, 2 Copa Libertadores, and a Brazilian Championship for the club Santos and for the club New York Cosmos; he had won the US Championship once. This guy is honored as the IFFHS Player of the Century. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in the year 1993 and named as IOC Athlete of the Century in the year 1999.

There is no doubt that Pele is the best football player of all time because of his significant contributions in the world of football. Ney Blanco de Oliveira, Pele's personal friend for more than 40 years, admires him for being a kind person who has the heart to help other people and organizations that help children around the world. He mentioned that, "Edson is not only the greatest soccer player the world will ever know, but he is also one of the most sensitive, generous and noble human beings that I have ever known." Two of the famous lines from this great person: "I was born for soccer, just as Beethoven was born for music," and, "Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string."

Kaka - Football Genius

Kaka is undoubtedly a wonderful player, a fact confirmed by his World Player of the Year award, his Champions League winners medal and the huge number of fans he has, not just at the San Siro but all over the world.

What makes a player truly iconic is the unique style they employ out on the pitch. Kaka is so tall and strong and sometimes a little awkward looking, but his control and vision for that defence splitting pass is second to none. Nobody plays football like Kaka and that makes him a truly great footballer.

Another signature of a great player is that they will always rise to the big occasion. In the big matches, when it really matters, truly top draw players will always perform at their best. AC Milan's Champions League victory in the 2006-07 competition was all about the Brazilian genius. In the semi final he bossed both legs of their tie with Manchester United, making other brilliant players look distinctly average.

The 2006 World Cup was another stage where Kaka truly reached the top of his game. In a Brazil side that so much was expected, they never really delivered but Kaka still came away with much credit. Critics recognised the fact that it was he who was at the centre of most of the good things Brazil did in the competition.

His unique style and big game performances mean that sales of Kaka football shirts have gone through the roof. A player that can sell shirts is always an important commodity to any top football club. AC Milan will want to tie him down to a lengthy contract to ensure other giants of world football don't start sniffing around.

With players like Ronaldo and Messi rising to the top of the game, Kaka still sits at the top of the tree and is still young enough to enjoy the finest football of his career and join other great Brazilians in football's hall of fame.

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Premier League News: Manchester United Could Lose Rooney To Real Madrid

A Spanish newspaper, AS, has claimed that Wayne Rooney is unlikely to renew his contract with Manchester United paving the way for a transfer to Spanish club Real Madrid.

According to the paper, Rooney is frustrated with the media intrusion into his personal life and that has led to his decision to quit the Old Trafford squad. Real Madrid boss is said to have told the newpaper that he was very keen to have Rooney with the Bernabeu squad.

Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson could get the opportunity to shift to Juventus, in the January transfer window. The Italian club have shown interest in signing Johnson although his contract with the Anfield squad still has three years to run. Juventus are hoping that Liverpool's off-field management wrangles could get Johnson to consider their offer.

In their match against Wolves, this weekend, West Ham will not have the services of recent signing Thomas Hitzlsperger sidelined with a torn thigh muscle that could take several more weeks to heal.

Ibrahim Afellay could join Manchester United next summer when the midfielder's contract with Dutch club PSV Eindoven is set to expire. Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid are other sides interested in the extremely adaptable 24 year old who scored twice in Holland's Euro qualifier win over Sweden.

Despite their recent financial problems, Liverpool could invest £14 mn to acquire Brazil striker Nilmar from Soanish club Villarreal. The goal machine has helped his side to second position in Spain's La Liga; Chelsea and Juventus are also said to be interested in signing Nilmar.

Arsenal's goalkeeping problems could soon be at an end if they manage to acquire Gorka Iraizoz from Spain's Athletic Bilbao.

German right-back Philip Lahm could leave Bayern Munich after 15 years spent at the club, if Carlo Ancelotti has his way.

Sir Alex may have finally found a successor to Van der Sar between the posts, in the form of Rangers' goalkeeper Allan McGregor. Playong for the Scotland national squad, McGregor was impressive in the recent qualifier against Spain that Scotland lost 3-2. Van der Sar, who will turn forty at the end of this month, recently announced his intention to retire.

Recently, Fergie is said to have considered Schalke's Manuel Neuer, Ateltico madrid's David de Gea and Ajax's Maarten Sketelenberg, but these players come with about four times the price tag of McGregor who can be acquired for about £5 mn. McGregor rcently became Scotland's first choice between the posts, taking over from Gordon, currently with sunderland in the Premier League.

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Financial Reality of the Premier League

Established in 1992, the Premier League in England has seen phenomenal growth despite its relatively young stint as a professional football league. It pioneered televised football that was still in its infancy. The Premier League was the replacement of the old First Division and is composed of 22 teams, which was eventually cut back to 20.

Financially, the English Premier League is at the top of its class. Sponsored by Barclays Bank, this association was a recipient of the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the category for International Trade. The League recorded second of its highest revenue so far in 2007-08 season when it reached a raise of 20% to £1.93 billion in total profits alone. More than half of total number of teams achieved profit in the same year. The average salary of a regular player is about £676,000 per annum, on top of bonuses. However, clubs in the league today are experiencing financial challenges primarily due to huge bills for the players, as well as massive transfer fees for player acquisitions. In fact, several teams in the league are in tight financial spot right now, a situation that may negatively impact the league significantly if left unattended for long.

Real financial situation

Although considered to be the richest football league after its last season run which netted a total of up to £2bn, the entire league is actually struggling to survive due to overwhelming wage bill for players alone. Player salaries of the entire league reached as high as £1.3bn and are still expected to rise during the next season. Many clubs are left with nothing in terms of operating profits, putting them in a serious financial constraint. During the 2007-08 season alone, a number of clubs claimed financial loss although the league reached a new record high in profits. This means that a majority of clubs in the league are absorbing losses year in year out for several seasons now, without any sign of recovery.

Such sad situation demands immediate action, prompting league officials to act swiftly to save the league, clubs, and the players from more financial pressures. There is now ruling within the league that bars teams from spending on player acquisitions, transfers, and wages if they cannot earn it from their own revenue. They have to earn first, and then use their net profit to sign contracts for their players. Such act is seen by many to be disadvantageous for some ailing clubs, while at the same time, a good one for those clubs that has huge fan following and huge revenue reserves. Whatever the case maybe, the "spending what you are earning" policy will hold its ground in the coming seasons and is seen as the only way to redeem the Premier League from sinking in the future.

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