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http://runsgirl.com/

Everton 0 Manchester United 1

Three points were required at Everton after last week's dismal derby defeat and the champions ground out a 1-0 victory to muster the right response.

Admittedly, the Reds weren't at their most fluent - and Tom Cleverley's injury after a bright return to Barclays Premier League action was a real setback - but Javier Hernandez's 19th-minute goal proved decisive. Any suggestion that the Merseysiders would tire after being taken into extra-time by Chelsea in a midweek cup tie proved ill-founded as United had to batten down the hatches for much of the second half.

Sir Alex made five changes to the team that lost to City last Sunday with Wayne Rooney starting in a withdrawn role alongside Cleverley and Darren Fletcher, and Jonny Evans returning from the suspension he served at Aldershot.

In a breathless opening, Seamus Coleman cut inside Patrice Evra to shoot at David De Gea within the first 18 seconds and Tim Howard pulled off a good stop at the other end when Ji-sung Park tried to convert a Danny Welbeck cross inside two minutes.

United took a firm grip on proceedings and some sustained pressure led to a well-worked opener. Cleverley and Welbeck helped the ball wide to Evra and the full-back's dangerous low cross was tapped home by Hernandez with his left foot. Although Welbeck nearly latched onto a risky headed backpass by Phil Jagielka, the champions were unable to carve out too many openings and Everton came back into the match.

De Gea saved from Leon Osman after Marouane Fellaini beat Evans in the air and Jack Rodwell fired wide when afforded far too much space after Evra conceded possession cheaply. The hosts were unlucky not to draw level with 40 minutes gone as Fletcher's foul allowed Leighton Baines to curl a free-kick over the wall and past the stationary De Gea but against the bar.

Although Hernandez had a weak attempt at Howard following a slick build-up, there was no doubt Everton ended the half on the front feet as Louis Saha twice worked De Gea.

After introducing young Ross Barkley at the break, David Moyes' side continued to press but De Gea blocked a Rodwell drive after Evans gifted the ball to Coleman on the right. The champions were dealt a blow when the lively Cleverley was forced off injured and continued to make heavy weather of a tough assignement.

Welbeck finally brought Howard into action when the American pushed over the striker's shot from Hernandez's intelligent pass with the team's only real goal attempt of the second period. But, after making all three subsitutions, United struggled to find any rhythm and Everton built up another head of steam. Saha dragged wastefully wide when Coleman was better placed and was then blocked during a real goalmouth scramble.

Despite their weary legs, the hosts ensured it was a nervous finale for everybody of a Red persuasion. Coleman managed a couple of efforts through to De Gea but the Spain Under-21 keeper was rarely over-extended, in truth.

Six minutes of injury time were agonising for the away fans and Evra escaped when Magaye Guaye went down under his challenge inside the box with Mark Halsey making the right call and waving away the desperate penalty appeals. It wasn't pretty but it's three away wins in the league already this term after only five were secured during the title-winning campaign last term.

Did Sir Alex make a mistake when he let them BOTH go?

Man Utd’s victory at the weekend over a plucky Norwich side may have had its fair share of uncomfortable moments, but while overall the champions were good value for their win, it did expose a fatal flaw in the Man Utd squad – a lack of defensive cover. With Ferguson having deemed both Wes Brownand John O’Shea surplus to requirements in the summer, do they have enough in reserve to last a long campaign?


Antonio Valencia was pressed into action at the weekend and was given a torrid test in an unfamiliar right back role – a role that both Brown and O’Shea have played throughout their Utd careers. Valencia made a dreadful error that almost allowed Norwich’s Anthony Pilkington in to score.

Of course, this isn’t solely to do with Valencia’s dodgy performance on Saturday, nor am I advocating that Ferguson should have retained the services of both O’Shea and Brown; but considering how the 2009/10 title race unfolded, would it not have proved more prudent to ere on the side of caution and keep one of the departed duo at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future?

A lot of Man Utd’s problems at the back, with concerns to the number of fit personnel that they have readily available each game, has a lot to do with the perma-crocked nature of the Da Silva twins. They’ve both struggled with injury and as such, just when they both looked on the cusp of sealing spots in the side, their development has stalled at a crucial stage in their careers. Their continue spells on the sidelines means Utd are stretched somewhat thinly at the back.

Captain Nemanja Vidic had been out of action since the opening day at The Hawthorns, when he limped off after 52 minutes. Rio Ferdinand misses as many games as he plays and he can no longer be relied upon week in week out and Patrice Evra continues to resemble a shadow of his former self at left back. Chris Smalling, though, has been exceptional for Utd so far this term and has arguably been their finest defender, alongside a revitalised Jonny Evans.

Man Utd’s back line has been on the wobble after successive draws against Stoke and FC Basel in the Champions League. Many have hailed the second-coming of John Terry in Phil Jones – but despite the accepted opinion that he’s been a revelation, dig a little deeper and he’s continually caught out of position and responsible for some of the goals that Utd have conceded so far this season.

Jones may represent a player with fantastic potential, a future England captain one day to boot, but at the moment, he’s very much a work in progress. His forward forays at the moment are covering up for his defensive deficiencies. So far, the bright sparks in the Match of the Day studio have failed to shine a light on his errors, perhaps through sheer fear of contradicting the unrelenting monster that is the Phil Jones PR machine.

To my mind at least, he needs to curb his attacking instincts, reign in the rampaging runs and through fear of quoting John Major ‘get back to basics’. So far, I’ve been much more impressed by Smailling and Evans, even if they haven’t attracted half the hyperbole as the former Blackburn man.

Michael Carrick: Draw like a defeat

Michael Carrick offered "no excuses" as the Manchester United players reflected on the loss of two Champions League points at Old Trafford.

The final scoreline of 3-3 seemed far-fetched when the Reds were 2-0 up at the interval, even if visitors FC Basel had been lively at times in the first period. But while Carrick says his side were warned against complacency - "We said at half-time that the game wasn’t over" - the hosts still contrived to toss away the advantage as Alexander Frei (2) and his namesake Fabien Frei fired Basel into a surprise lead.

"It was a bit of a shock to find ourselves 3-2 down after being 2-0 up," said Carrick. "We’ve  no excuses, we threw it away. It’s not like us at all."

Finding a goal at the death was more like United, of course - "What we expect of ourselves really is to keep going. We believe that if we get a chance, we’ll score," said Carrick.

"Thankfully Ashley Young put it away and we might even have nicked a win in the end when Berba had half a chance. But that was probably asking too much."

Young's last-gasp goal - so typical of the Reds - perfectly illustrated Carrick's next point that the summer signing from Aston Villa has fully acclimatised to life at Old Trafford.

"He’s settled in quick and bought into everything about the club and how we approach things," praised Carrick. "He’s got bags of character, he’s kept going tonight and got his reward."

The 3-3 draw with FC Basel leaves United with only two points from the opening two games but the bonus on the Reds to win the next two matches, away and at home to Champions League newcomers Otelul Galati, was always there insists Carrick.

"[The situation in Group C] is not the end of the world but it's not ideal either," the midfielder admitted. "We’ve given ourselves a lot of hard work but we’re capable of doing it.

"We were looking to win those two Galati games anyway so if we can approach them as we normally do then we’re confident we can pull through.

"Tonight we'll take a draw yet it still feels a bit like a defeat. But we’ll not get too down about it, we’ll move on and bounce back. We have to."

Nicolas Cage could be a "Vampire" :)

This old photograph appears to show actor Nicolas Cage made up for his latest movie role – but in fact the picture dates back to the American Civil War. 

 An antique dealer has put the image up for auction on eBay and is demanding at least $1MILLION – the equivalent of £635,000. 

 

  

The seller jokes that the picture is proof Cage is not 47 as he claims – but an immortal vampire. 

 The image of a man looking identical to the Con Air star dates from around 1870. 

Jack Mörd, from Seattle, Washington, says the photo was taken of a man in Bristol, Tennessee. 

He said: "My theory is that he allows himself to age to a certain point, maybe 70, 80 or so, then the actor 'Nicolas Cage' will 'die'. 

"But in reality, the undead vampire 'Nicolas Cage' will have rejuvenated himself and appeared in some other part of the world, young again, and ready to start all over." 

Mr Mörd runs The Thanatos Archive and says he is a fan of Victorian-era photography. 

He assured prospective bidders: "This is not a trick photo of any kind and has not been manipulated in Photoshop or any other graphics program. 

"It's an original photo of a man who lived in Bristol, TN, sometime around the Civil War."

Chelsea's Juan Mata hopes to emulate Ryan Giggs style of football

  Juan Mata heads to Old ­Trafford on Sunday dreaming of meeting one of Manchester United’s all-time greats.

Chelsea’s £24m summer signing from Valencia idolised golden oldie Ryan Giggs when he was growing up in Spain.

Now he could be playing against the winger, 37, who rolled back the years with another stunning goal in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Mata said: “When I was growing up, I had many idols, like Dennis Bergkamp and Gianfranco Zola.

But Ryan Giggs was an inspiration to me. I think he showed what he’s worth with that goal. He’s one of the best ­wingers ever. Perhaps I noticed Giggs because he plays in the same position as me.

He was incredibly impressive, with his tackling, dribbling and general style."

Sir Alex Ferguson going nowhere

Alex Ferguson insists he still has no plans to retire — even though he turns 70 at the end of this year.

Fergie will clock up 25 years as Manchester United boss on November 6. Plenty of other names have been mentioned as possible successors over the last quarter of a century.

But Fergie has seen them all off and insists he will keep modern-day pretenders to his throne such as Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola waiting for a while longer yet.

Ferguson said: "Over the years I've had the question who do I think could replace me? Now some of the coaches who people were talking about to replace me don't have jobs any more.

So it becomes very difficult because someone who I think has potential may be sacked by his club and disappear.

I think you would need someone very experienced in the long-term. But I have absolutely no idea... and anyway I'm not retiring!"

Manchester 13 - North London 3

Tottenham Hotspur were eager to make today's headlines not until Arsenal fought their way hard to grab topspot. What a brilliant and brutal performance from the Manchester clubs.

Tottenham Hotspur 1 - Manchester City 5

Edin Dzeko showed just why he has become first choice for Roberto Mancini's new galacticos with the brilliant four-goal blast that devastated Tottenham in a remarkable White Hart Lane victory.

 

The Bosnia striker, who couldn't buy a Premier League goal last season, snapped up a perfect hat-trick then added an injury-time stunner to emphasise his own potency and that of the buoyant Blues.

Samir Nasri conjured an impressive enough midfield debut on his instant return to north London, but his performance - and a good few others - was totally overshadowed by Dzeko's irresistible display.

Paul Whitehouse was among the stunned crowd, and as his comic creation Ron Manager would doubtless have said of City's biggest-ever win on Tottenham soil: "Marvellous, isn't it?"

Aguero added to Dzeko's first City hat-trick - right foot, left foot, and header - before the big man put the icing on the cake with a spectacular fourth in the dying seconds, taking him to six goals in three games since Wembley.

Mancini's threat that City would carry far more attacking intent this season - made before Nasri was finally prised away from Arsenal - could not have been underlined in more dramatic fashion.

The alarm bells should have gone off for Harry Redknapp's men when they found former derby foe Nasri surprisingly lining up alongside David Silva and Sergio Aguero behind Dzeko.

Few expected the Frenchman to start so soon. Not only did he do so, he fitted in so snugly that City's consistent passing and movement was eventually too much for the home side to handle.

Indeed, Nasri was instrumental in cresating both the goals with which Dzeko put the Blues in control before half time, after Gareth Bale had missed the best chance of the game so far.

Minutes later, Nasri combined with Aguero in a neat one-two on the left flank that allowed the former to ping in the cross that Dzeko stretched to steer beyond veteran Brad Friedel.

If that was stinging notice to Spurs that City have taken a huge step on from last season's Joe Hart-inspired goalless draw, then Dzeko's second was a sign he is back to his sharpest.

Five minutes before half time, with Peter Crouch having just failed to equalise with a brilliant flying header that kissed the outside of a post, Dzeko produced a wonderful header of his own.

Despite moving away from goal, and with Kaboul in close attendance, the Bosnian ace made strong contact with Nasri's cross and directed a perfectly-placed header to leave Friedel stranded.

Mancini might have been concerned at his team's failure to satisfy the referee - Gareth Barry and Pablo Zabaleta picked up yellows for fouls and Yaya Toure was booked for dissent.

But this was a performance that could hardly fail to please the manager, and against a team that have, until now, been among their fiercest rivals in challenging the status quo.

The subdued atmosphere in the home crowd was further increased early in the second half when Toure fired in a low cross that left Dzeko with the easiest finish he will enjoy for some time.

Aguero reminded Spurs of his own threat by bamboozling skipper Michael Dawson before hammering an angled fourth goal before Kaboul moved up to exploit City's odd vulnerability at corners.

Dzeko, inevitably, had the last word, a first-time shot from range that Friedel could only admire.


Manchester United 8 - Arsenal 2

Please note this: Whatever Manchester City can do, Manchester United can do even better.

While the blue half of Manchester looked set to dominate the footballing agenda with a stunning 5-1 win at Spurs, United went goal crazy against a depleted Arsenal side to steal the headlines and hammer home a warning to Roberto Mancini's team and the rest of the Barclays Premier League.

In a game that had everything - a missed penalty, a converted spot-kick, a hat-trick for Wayne Rooney, a red card and 10 goals, United simply romped home 8-2.

Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young (2), Nani and sub Ji-sung Park also hit the net with David De Gea superbly saving a penalty when the lead was a slender one. Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie replied for the crestfallen Gunners, who had Carl Jenkinson sent off in the second half.

United made their intentions clear from the start with Welbeck charging down Wojciech Szczesny and looking a real threat. Tom Cleverley and Welbeck shot wide and some of the Reds' passing was mesmeric.

So it was no surprise when the hesitant visiting defence failed to deal with Anderson's clever lofted pass and Welbeck steered a looping header over Szczesny for the opener. Chris Smalling dragged wide after setting up the chance for himself beautifully but, against the run of play, Arsenal were awarded a penalty when Jonny Evans pulled at Walcott's shoulder.

De Gea dived to his right to push van Persie's spot-kick around the post and earn the congratulations of his team-mates. And, from United's next attack, Young collected a header out by Armand Traore and bent an inch-perfect curler past Szczesny's despairing fingertips for 2-0.

De Gea had to be alert to make a double save from Andriy Arshavin and van Persie but the champions carried the greater threat with Welbeck diving to head Rooney's cross off target. A hamstring injury cruelly ruined the young striker's afternoon, and Arshavin, who was very fortunate to still be on the pitch after a foul on Young when already booked, flashed a warning shot over the bar at the other end.

Jenkinson was also lucky to avoid a red card when hauling Young down as he sprinted through on goal but Rooney ensured his own justice was meted out by rolling the free-kick for Young to trap and then sweeping past Szczesny with the power on the shot too much for the Polish keeper.

Rooney showed the confidence flowing through the team when testing Szczesny from his own half but there was real complacency seconds before the interval to allow Tomas Rosicky to feed Walcott, whose drive from an angle whistled through De Gea's legs for 3-1.

It was a message that the job was still far from done, and one that was taken on board as Sir Alex's side turned up the heat again in the second half. Szczesny saved well from Young and Nani chipped wastefully off target as the hosts pressed but the Gunners responded with De Gea superbly stopping a van Persie volley and Arshavin firing wide when Smalling was caught up the pitch.

Tom Cleverley shot weakly at Szczesny after a brilliant one-two with Young and Nani failed to convert a cross from the former Aston Villa winger but the dam broke again when Rooney repeated his free-kick feat in the first half by whipping home for 4-1 and becoming United's all-time record scorer in the Premier League.

Smelling blood, Smalling tore forward and ignored Phil Jones on the overlap to instead feed Rooney, who prodded through for Nani to net with the most outrageous of cheeky finishes. Nani then made way, along with Anderson, for Ryan Giggs and Park but the relentless attacking continued.

Rooney wedged a golf-like shot of sheer class against an upright before Park exchanged passes with Young to bury a low finish into the corner of the net. Van Persie restored a semblance of pride with emphatic finish after being played onside by Jones but United simply stepped up a gear again.

Jenkinson received a second yellow card for bundling Javier Hernandez over when he was through on goal and there were more illegal tactics used to halt the red tidal wave when Walcott tripped Patrice Evra inside the box. Rooney stepped up to seal his hat-trick with a confident spot-kick and it got even worse for the North Londoners when Young curled in to add his second from a Giggs pass.

Park shot over in stoppage time but enough damage had been inflicted to the Gunners' battered pride as the home fans rejoiced on a day to remember at Old Trafford.

A perfect day should look like this

I sometimes wish we humans could be this perfect in our daily encounters but I guess I will keep on hoping and dreaming :)

Arsene Wenger's Reaction: Arsenal 0 - Liverpool 2

on whether he feels under pressure...
I always feel under pressure but not more than usual.

on being unfortunate...
Yes, I feel the result is very harsh on us. The decider was the sending off and as well the offside goal, it was the decider of the game.

on inexperience...
I think Frimpong was a victim of his lack of experience and of his enthusiasm and heart. He deserved a second yellow card, he should not have gone into that challenge.

on the supporters' chants...
I think the target is to have a good team and good players. You can spend money and have a bad team. You want the supporters to be happy and when you don't win the game you can understand that they are not. But I think we had eight players out today and we still had a good performance. So it is not all doom and gloom, there are positives in the game today.

on absentees...
We have injuries and suspensions as well. We had a few players injured. Why? I am not a doctor. I do not feel we have too many, at the start of the season we have a heavy schedule compared to other teams because we play the qualifier on Wednesday night. That has an impact as well - we have five big games when the team is not completely ready.

on a vital period for the Club...
It will have a big impact, especially Wednesday night, that is a game of big importance for us. After that we play Man United but we play all the big opponents away from home first, apart from Liverpool. The second part of the season we play them all at home.

on his job now...
For now it is important for us to lift the players because they are very disappointed today. We need to give them credit for their attitude and performance today, in the game it is very harsh to lose it the way we need.

on Samir Nasri's future...
I don't know [what will happen]. I always said that I would try to keep Samir Nasri and I have never changed my mind on it because I played him today, to the surprise of everybody. He loves the Club, he wants to play for us, if we decide to sell him we will do it and we have to stand up for it. At the moment I am happy he is here. I don't know if he will play on Wednesday, we will just play the game.

on potential new signings...
We look, you know? But we try to do the right things for the Club. I think Koscielny and Vermaelen are a fantastic pair of centre backs but it's very difficult as well because if you buy another centre back and then someone gets injured I have to buy another one. You cannot do that every time you have an injured player.

on his own future...
There is no chance I would walk away. I will try to give my best for the Club. We live under circumstances where every defeat is an absolutely a disgrace and an earthquake. We are at the start of the season and we are very disappointed that we lost the game. But we are at the start of the season.

Walcott gives Arsenal advantage over Udinese

Arsenal FC 1-0 Udinese
Theo Walcott's fourth-minute goal separates the sides going into the second leg after an open encounter in north London.

Arsenal FC are one step away from a 14th consecutive appearance in the UEFA Champions League group stage after a narrow first-leg play-off win against Udinese Calcio.

Theo Walcott's fourth-minute goal proved the difference in an open contest in which the Friulani were unfortunate not to score an away goal. The Serie A side will attempt to turn round the tie when the teams reconvene in north-east Italy next Wednesday.

Arsène Wenger's charges took the lead when Bacary Sagna played in Aaron Ramsey down the right and the Wales captain delivered to Walcott for the simplest of finishes at the near post. Encouraged by their early breakthrough, the hosts might have doubled their lead when Thomas Vermaelen diverted Marouane Chamakh's header away from Gervinho as he shaped to turn the ball in.

The visitors had threatened little in the opening stages but gave the hosts cause for concern when Antonio Di Natale curled a 20-metre free-kick against the bar. Udinese, deployed in a 4-1-4-1, were content to sit back and hit Arsenal on the break, a ploy that almost paid off when Pablo Armero set off on a 50-metre sprint that took him through on goal. An equaliser seemed a certainty, but Wojciech Szczęsny pulled off a wonderful save, Alex Song blocking Mauricio Isla's follow-up.

Di Natale was a perpetual menace, finding space to wriggle free in the area and fire off a snapshot that skimmed Szczęsny's near post before half-time. By now it was Udinese making all the running and Di Natale could have levelled after Song ceded possession in his own half. However, the Italian international tried to round Szczęsny rather than shoot and Johan Djourou was able to make a crucial tackle.

Like Kieran Gibbs, Djourou was forced off with an injury, and Francesco Guidolin's side continued to take the game to the Gunners, Armero coming close with a fierce shot that flew just over. Indeed just as Arsenal looked like being overrun Walcott squandered a glorious chance, latching on to Ramsey's measured pass only to scuff an elaborate chip with just Samir Handanovič to beat.

His profligacy was almost punished by another free-kick from Di Natale which Szczęsny palmed away on 74 minutes. Arsenal were clinging on and almost carved out a flattering second following a flowing move on the break which culminated in a fine save by Handanovič from Walcott to keep the one-goal margin.

Spanish Super Cup - 1st Leg (Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona)

 

Ozil and Xabi Alonso scored for the Whites, who were superior to Barça throughout the match

Real Madrid did everything in their power to defeat Barcelona, but it wasn't to be. Tonight's match proved football is sometimes unfair. Barça scored from the only two chances they had on Casillas' goal. The Whites fought to the end supported by their fans.

Real Madrid's pressure close to Valdes' goal surprised Barcelona, who seemed to marvel at the physical prowess of Mourinho's men. Guardiola's players didn't feel comfortable on the pitch and the crowd roared in support of every local venture in attack. The Whites scored their first goal on the 12-minute mark through Ozil, who was assisted brilliantly by Benzema on the box line after dribbling past Abidal. The locals continued to search for more strikes and the Frenchman had a good chance in the 28th minute that was cleared by the keeper.

But just when everyone expected Real to score again, Villa pulled rank and defeated Casillas with a great shot from outside the box (35'). The strike was a harsh blow to Mourinho's side, but nevertheless, Cristiano Ronaldo kept trying for a winner and came close to netting it with a shot that marginally missed the target. Football was yet to be cruel once more with the Madridistas and Messi, having capitalised on Pepe slipping inside the box, found himself alone with Casillas and defeated him on the 45-minute mark.

Real Madrid continued their onslaught on Valdes' goal after half-time, spearheaded by the injustice of fate. Mourinho made Fabio Coentrao come on for Di Maria (53') and the equaliser soon followed: Ozil served a corner kick, the ball was deflected and landed at Pepe's feet, the defender controlled it and passed it back to Xabi Alonso, who scored from a great crossed shot.

Callejon came on for Khedira minutes later (57') and the team continued having plenty chances to score. A free-kick by Ronaldo missed the mark in the 63rd minute, a header by Benzema was saved by Valdes on the 66-minute mark, and possession clearly belonged to Real Madrid. But no more goals were scored and the clock was ticking. Higuain came on for Benzema in the 80th minute and two minutes later followed the most controversial play of the game: Valdes tripped Cristiano Ronaldo inside the box with his right arm and the referee failed to award a penalty. Barcelona also demanded a penalty after Pedro was tackled inside the box close to the end of the match but none was awarded either. The final minutes of the game saw Real Madrid put on a siege on Valdes' goal and Barcelona defending themselves any way they could.

In the end, a superior Real Madrid side only managed to draw the match and will have to fight to win the title at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

EngLish Premier League Summary - Game Week1

West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Manchester United 

Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young played a crucial role in Manchester United's victory over West Bromwich Albion.

Steven Reid's 80th-minute own goal spared David de Gea's blushes and allowed Manchester United to start their Barclays Premier League title defence in winning fashion.
Reid turned Young's cross past Ben Foster to give the visitors victory in what turned out to be a tough afternoon for De Gea.
United's £18m replacement for Edwin van der Sar struggled under the high ball, and dived over Shane Long's shot to give the Baggies an equaliser to Rooney's 12th-minute strike on a day when the visitors also lost both Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand to injury.

Stoke City 0-0 Chelsea 

Stoke City and Chelsea played out a goalless draw at the Britannia Stadium.

 New Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas' introduction to the Barclays Premier League proved to be a testing and frustrating affair as his side were held to at Stoke.
The Portuguese may have raced to the league title with Porto and also won the Europa League last season, but nothing could have prepared him for the challenge he met at the Britannia Stadium.
Having withstood considerable pressure in the first half Chelsea dominated after the break, but the closest they came was when goalkeeper Asmir Begovic tipped Nicolas Anelka's shot onto the crossbar.

Liverpool 1-1 Sunderland 

Luis Suarez scored the first goal of the Barclays Premier League season as Liverpool were held by Sunderland.

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez scored the first goal of the Barclays Premier League season and also missed a penalty
After just five minutes the hosts were awarded a spot-kick when Suarez charged down Kieran Richardson's clearance on the halfway line only to be sent tumbling in the area by the defender after rounding Simon Mignolet. However the Uruguayan blazed over from the spot.
But the £22.8m striker was not to be denied. Charlie Adam whipped in a low, inswinging free-kick from the right in the 12th minute and Suarez nipped in at the near post to head in off the legs of Mignolet.
After 57 minutes the visitors levelled when Ahmed Elmohamady hung up a deep cross to the far post and Sebastian Larsson found himself in enough space to acrobatically volley back across goal and past Jose Reina.

Newcastle United 0-0 Arsenal

Newcastle United and Arsenal played out a 0-0 draw in Saturday's final match.

Gervinho was sent off on his Arsenal debut for slapping Joey Barton as Newcastle frustrated the Gunners.
The Ivory Coast international was dismissed 14 minutes from time after lashing out as Barton accused him of diving.
Arsenal enjoyed the better of the match and came closest to winning it when Tim Krul saved substitute Theo Walcott's 64th-minute shot, but the Magpies battled well to claim a point.

Summary of Fixtures and Results - Game Week1

Saturday 13th August 2011
Blackburn Rovers	1-2	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Fulham	0-0	Aston Villa
Liverpool	1-1	Sunderland
QPR	0-4	Wanderers
Wigan Athletic	1-1	Norwich City
Newcastle United	0-0	Arsenal
Sunday 14th August 2011
Stoke City	0-0	Chelsea
West Bromwich Albion	1-2	Manchester United

 

Monday 15th August 2011
Manchester City	vs	Swansea City	20:00

League Table

 

Pos		Name	P	W	D	L	F	A	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1		Bolton	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	4	0	+4	3
2		Man Utd	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	1	+1	3
3		Wolves	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	1	+1	3
4		Liverpool	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
5		Norwich City	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	1	0	1
6		Sunderland	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	1	0	1
7		Wigan Athletic	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
8		Arsenal	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
9		Aston Villa	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
10		Chelsea	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
11		Fulham	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
12		Newcastle	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
13		Stoke City	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
14		Everton	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
15		Manchester City	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
16		Swansea City	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
17		Tottenham	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
18		Blackburn	1	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
19		WBA	1	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
20		QPR	1	0	0	1	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	-4	0

 

Papers: Wesley Sneijder bid accepted

Inter accept United’s Sneijder offerAccording to The Mirror, Wesley Sneijder will become a Manchester United player this week... if he accepts a restructured pay-deal to move to the Premier League. The Dutch midfielder's club, Inter Milan, have paved the way for a £30million-plus transfer by accepting, in principle, a formal offer United made at the weekend. They are ready to grant Sneijder permission to speak to officials from Old Trafford, and the Mirror understands those talks will take place later this week. The only stumbling block to what would surely be world football's deal of the summer is the player's wage demands, given the tax-favourable status he enjoys while playing in Italy. Sneijder doesn't want to take a pay-cut on a salary that would earn him the equivalent of almost £190,000 a week in the Premier League - which is way outside United's pay structure. The English champions though, are prepared to talk about a sliding pay scale that will see a large basic wage topped up with generous bonuses as well as signing-on fees that will be spread over the length of the contract.

In the second of The Mirror’s two exclusives, Paris St Germain are apparently set to table an offer of £18million for Dimitar Berbatov, taking advantage of the Bulgarian’s reported 'uncertain' future at Old Trafford. The French club are enjoying a revolution under their new Qatari ownership and the Reds striker is their first target.

Elsewhere, the Daily Mail says former United striker Giuseppe Rossi has been taken off the transfer list by current club Villarreal after their financial worries were eased by the sale of winger Santo Cazorla to Malaga – a deal which scuppers Tottenham’s hopes of signing the Italian international.

Nigeria now second-largest exporter of crude oil

Nigeria, Africa's top oil producer, surpassed Iran as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' second-largest exporter in 2010 as security improved in the African nation and as Iran used more crude at home.

Nigeria shipped 2.464Mbbl barrels a day last year, followed by Iran with 2.248Mbbl, according to OPEC's Annual Statistical Bulletin. Iran's refining capacity rose by 18% last year, the biggest gain among OPEC's 12 members.

Energy companies in Nigeria stepped up oil output as militant attacks on installations in the Niger River delta dropped after a government amnesty to fighters in late 2009, the Department of Petroleum Resources said. Nigeria's oil exports rose 46% to 9.15 trillion naira ($59 billion) last year. Attacks by armed groups in the Niger delta region, home to the nation's energy industry, cut more than 28% of oil production from 2006 to 2009.

Iran's crude processing capacity increased to 1.741Mbbl a day, from 1.474Mbbl, as facilities in Abadan, Arak, Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Lavan and Bandar Abbas were expanded, compared with 2009. In neighboring Iraq, refining capacity declined.

Nigeria shipped 2.16Mbbl a day in 2009 and Iran exported 2.232Mbbl, according to the report. Iran was OPEC's second-biggest producer last year, supplying 3.54Mbbl. Nigeria was the seventh-largest with 2.048Mbbl.

Saudi Arabia, OPEC's biggest member, exported 6.644Mbbl a day of crude last year, of which 64% was sent to the Asia and Pacific region. It produced 8.165Mbbl, less than its 2009 output of 8.184Mbbl.

Of OPEc's 12 members, Iraq, Qatar, Algeria, Libya, Angola and Venezuela exported less in 2010 than a year earlier. All those countries except Iraq also produced less in 2010.

OPEC production averaged 29.183Mbbl a day in 2010, an increase of less than 1% of the 28.927Mbbl a day it supplied in 2009.

Sergio Aguero join Manchester city

Sergio Aguero has become Manchester City’s latest signing after the terms of his five-year-contract were completed today.

The 23-year-old Argentinian international striker has moved to the Blues from Atletico Madrid, and is likely to be in the squad for this weekend’s Dublin Super Cup tournament. He will wear the No.16 shirt.

Kenny Dalglish: We won't rush Luis Suarez

Kenny Dalglish today spoke of his delight at seeing Luis Suarez being crowned a Copa America champion - but insisted he won't be rushing the Uruguay striker back into action for Liverpool.

Suarez scored the opening goal in Sunday's final victory over Paraguay to take his overall tally for the tournament to four and claim the competition's 'Most Valuable Player' accolade.

And while Dalglish can't wait to see the forward back on Merseyside after his summer break, he insists the Reds will take every precaution necessary to ensure Suarez begins the season in peak condition.

"It was fantastic what he achieved in the Copa America," the boss told Liverpoolfc.tv. "His performances were top drawer and Uruguay won the tournament, so as well as individual accolades, he's also got the team one which is the most important.

"He continued in the way he left us. He's made a fantastic contribution since he came in in January and I'm sure he'll be looking forward to the start of the season, especially after winning the Copa America.

"We're looking forward to getting him back. He'll have a good break now and hopefully we'll get him back in a couple of weeks, see how he is then and take it from there.

"We won't rush him. It's important players get the rest. It's important that he's ready to compete when he comes back. Because he's been playing deep into July, he's only getting a couple of weeks off but I'm sure it won't take much to get him fit or sharp.

"But we'll see how he is when he comes back and let him enjoy his holiday."

Another Liverpool star involved in the Copa America was Lucas Leiva, though the midfielder's Brazil side didn't enjoy the same kind of success as Uruguay after dropping out of the tournament at the quarter-final stage.

Dalglish added: "Lucas will be in next week. We'll see how he shapes up. Obviously his tournament didn't go as well as Luis's did, but he was fantastic for us last season and we're looking forward to getting him back as well and he should be well rested."

Denilson sent off for Sao Paulo

Coritiba 3-4 Sao Paulo

Denilson was sent off in injury time after seeing Sao Paulo to a 4-3 win over Coritiba on Wednesday night.

In the second game of his loan spell, the Brazilian midfielder helped Adilson Batista’s side race into a 4-0 lead within an hour. But three goals in the final half-hour saw Coritiba pull to within one goal of the visitors.

Denilson was given his marching orders in the closing moments as Sao Paulo moved to second in Serie A.

MLS All-Stars 0 - Manchester United 4

The MLS All-Stars may be the best soccer players in America, but they were no match for Sir Alex's Manchester United as the Reds made it four wins from four on this year's US Tour.

In a compact and cacophonous Red Bull Arena, goals from Anderson, Ji-sung Park, Dimitar Berbatov handed United victory against an MLS side featuring former Premier League stars David Beckham and Thierry Henry.

Few would have believed it a year ago, but Javier Hernandez's star now shines almost as brightly as Beckham's or Henry's in the United States. Hernandez-mania is in full effect: his name adorns more United shirts than any other player's and even non-football fans recognise his boyish, smiling face.

And although he was never likely to play on tour after competing in the Gold Cup for Mexico in June, supporters at Red Bull Arena were left disappointed after a concussion suffered during training on Tuesday night forced him to spend a night in hospital and watch the game from the comfort of the team's New Jersey hotel.

The contest Chicharito saw unfold on Wednesday evening was entertaining and often end-to-end. Indeed, despite the final score, the All-Stars created chances of their own, including the first chance of the game when Henry dispossessed Rio Ferdinand near the halfway line before squaring to Omar Bravo in the centre. Bravo advanced towards goal and laid the ball back to Beckham, whose shot spun wide of Anders Lindegaard's
right-hand upright.

The former Reds midfielder sat deep for the All-Stars, pinging long passes and dictating the early play from just in front of the back four. But as the home team's influence waned, so did Beckham's and in the second half he was moved to right-back.

It took Sir Alex's men 18 minutes to test All-Stars goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon. Rooney advanced into the penalty area and slid a low ball across the six-yard box, which Mondragon plucked from the toes of Berbatov.

Both Rooney and Berbatov were heavily involved two minutes later when United took the lead. The pair exchanged three neat passes on the edge of the box to pull the All-Stars defence out of position before Rooney squared for Anderson to side-foot home from 16 yards.

Beckham almost equalised immediately with a curling effort from 30 yards on the counter-attack, which Lindegaard acrobatically tipped over the bar. The Dane then repeated the feat just before the half-hour mark when Brad Davis let fly from similar range, before Rooney drew a smart save from Mondragon when he drove the ball towards the top corner 10 minutes later.

The first-half entertainment wasn't over. With just four seconds left on the clock, Ji-sung Park snaked past two defenders in the penalty area before lashing left-footed past Mondragon into the far corner. It was his second sublime individual goal of the US Tour and drew a wide grin from the South Korean.

Seven minutes after the interval, the Reds were 3-0 up. This time it was Berbatov's turn to showcase his talent, as he dinked the ball over advancing substitute goalkeeper Tally Hall before reacting quickly to control the ball with his chest and volley home when it cannoned back off the crossbar.

Sir Alex made a raft of substitutions on 61 minutes to add to the goalkeeper change he made at half-time (Amos for Lindegaard), replacing five of his front six and bringing on Chris Smalling for Rio Ferdinand.

That had the potential to stunt the game's flow, but Danny Welbeck ensured there was no such lull in action and netted with one of his first touches, rifling home from just outside the penalty area, albeit via the aid of a sizeable deflection off Geoff Cameron.

Goalmouth action did dry up somewhat in the final 20 minutes, although both Beckham and Evra hit the side-netting in the final minutes. By then, though, the crowd had already had their fill. Certainly, after witnessing four goals, many more chances and an array of world football superstars, few went home with any complaints.

United: Lindegaard (Amos 46); Jones, Ferdinand (Smalling 61), Vidic (Diouf 73), Evra; Park (Nani 61), Carrick (Cleverley 61), Anderson (Fabio 73), Young (Welbeck 61); Rooney (Macheda 61), Berbatov (Owen 61)

Red Devils wins game in a 'strange' style

Sir Alex Ferguson described United’s 7-0 pre-season thumping of Seattle Sounders as “a strange game”.

The Reds ran out easy winners, despite the home side starting well and limiting the English league champions to just one goal in the first half.

“I don’t think the scoreline reflected the chances in the match,” Sir Alex said. “In the first half, Sounders had two or three good chances and Anders, our goalkeeper, made two great saves.

“There was nothing really in it in the first half. The killer goal was the second one [Mame Biram Diouf’s] on the counter-attack. It opened up the game for us. Despite that, our young goalkeeper, Ben Amos, had to make three fantastic saves in the second half. The Sounders could have scored a few goals. It was a strange game.”

Wayne Rooney scored a second-half hat-trick – his first goals on the US tour – with Sir Alex admitting it was just reward for the hard work he’s exhibited during training.

“It was nice for Wayne to score three tonight. Three goals is a nice start to the season for Wayne. He’s worked hard and done well in training.

"I’m pleased for him and I’m pleased for all the scorers."

Community Shield update

Manchester United will take on Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in the Community Shield on Sunday 7 August.

The traditional season curtain-raiser, played between the league champions and the FA Cup winners, will kick off at 14:30 BST and be refereed by Phil Dowd.

Tickets will be priced at £20, £25, £35 and £45, with United fans allocated the east end of the ground and Manchester City supporters the west.

Executive Club Members and Season Ticket holders have until 08:00 on Monday 11 July to make an application for this match. The ballot will take place on 11/12 July.

Papers: No to Samir Nasri bid

United's £20m offer for Nasri is rejected by Arsenal

Arsenal have turned down Manchester United's opening offer for Samir Nasri and told the champions they will not sell the Frenchman unless they receive a bid of at least £25m. United must now decide whether they are willing to meet the asking price and put together an improved financial package after it emerged on Wednesday they had placed an offer of just under £20m two weeks ago. The clubs had agreed at the time not to publicise the bid but it is now clear that United, having already spent £50m on Phil Jones, David de Gea and Ashley Young, have made the first decisive move towards bringing Nasri to Old Trafford and reinforcing their position as the major force in the summer transfer market so far.

Daniel Taylor, The Guardian
A number of the papers claim Wes Brown has had a medical at Sunderland and is near to completing a move to the North East. The Daily Mail reckon Steve Bruce will complete a triple swoop for Brown, John O'Shea and Darron Gibson.

The papers also feature quotes from United first team coach Rene Meulensteen who says Wesley Sneijder would be ‘ideal’ for the Reds.

Manchester nited Latest rumours

Arriving
Lassana Diarra (£17.5m, Talksport)
Souleymane Coulibaly (not stated, SSI)
Wesley Sneijder (£35million, Talksport)
Samir Nasri (£25million, Guardian)

Running Total: 65 players, £947m
Leaving
Wes Brown (not stated, Sunderland)
John O'Shea (not stated, Sunderland)
Darron Gibson (not stated, Sunderland)

Running Total: 25 players, £64.3m

Pair are the perfect pro's

Dependable, loyal players don't often hit the headlines in these days of flashy foreign imports and agent-driven transfer-seeking stories.

Wes Brown and John O'Shea will receive their share of column inches in the newspapers but not as much as the sagas dragging out on the back pages with fans eagerly anticipating the next big name to be linked with United and the other top clubs.

But all those at Old Trafford truly recognise the contribution of the two defenders to the sustained success under Sir Alex Ferguson and their willingness to accept the squad system that has reaped dividends over the years. There was an understanding of the bigger picture and the need to put the team first which allows the boss to pull off the balancing act of challenging for trophies on all fronts.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall 'tabloid blasts' from either of the pair when they have been left out of big matches or failed to hold down a regular place in the side. It must have hurt Brown, in particular, when he was used so sparingly last term due largely to the emergence of Chris Smalling and development of the twins, but he didn't whinge about it.

Indeed, handed a start against Crawley in the FA Cup as captain in February, his first since mid-November, Wes responded by scoring the winning goal. O'Shea was also handed the armband for the Champions League semi-final second leg slaughter of Schalke and described it as the highlight of his season.

The loyal pair deserve fond farewells from the United fans. Some critics on message boards and social networks may have complained when seeing the names of Brown and O'Shea on the team-sheet but these people fail to appreciate the value the players provided. When O'Shea anchored a makeshift midfield against Arsenal in the FA Cup, the naysayers were up in arms but he played his part in striking a significant psychological blow to the Gunners.

Yet, in this period of change at the club, my personal thoughts drift further back than last season when recalling the moments that stick with me regarding Sunderland's new signings.

I first watched Brown live in the FA Youth Cup at Watford and remember telling my father afterwards that he and defensive partner John Curtis would 'make it' in Manchester. I can still see in my mind's eye Brown making a mug out of Leeds striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink on his Premiership bow and being reassured that Sir Alex had some centre-back on his hands.

Another vivid memory of Wes came from close quarters at Villa Park, as he made a comeback after his latest long spell on the sidelines due to injury. A 40-60 challenge quickly materialised and you could almost sense a natural twinge of self-doubt before he launched into a ferocious tackle that former Reds boss Ron Atkinson might like to call a 'reducer'. It spoke bucketloads about his character.

O'Shea's magical moments are obvious - the last-gasp winner at Anfield, the sublime lofted finish at Arsenal, nutmegging Luis Figo and terrorising Newcastle at St James' Park from left-back. His versatility was so important, keeping a clean sheet at Spurs when donning the gloves and coming on as centre-forward against Reading to emphasise the fact that he is the ultimate squad player.

Some fans will crave big-money signings and glamorous names but it's players like Brown and O'Shea who have proved so vital to ensuring United have enjoyed regular success. I wish them the very best at Sunderland, a fine, proud club, and know the Stadium of Light faithful will surely afford them the support and adulation they deserve.

It's good business for Steve Bruce and the players can look forward to regular first-team football. There's a real end-of-era feeling thanks to Edwin van der Sar, Owen Hargreaves, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, O'Shea and Brown all departing, but the next wave of senior professionals are already firmly established as Sir Alex expertly ensures his squad evolves and adapts to the changes.

And at least Ryan Giggs is still around to keep the ties with the past still firmly alive and others will no doubt step up to the plate to cement their own place in United's history.