The international break is here and the English Premiership is off for a week’s break. In all honestly though no one wanted that to happen, such has been the excitement we have enjoyed since the resumption of the world’s most popular league – especially this past weekend.

Here are a couple of points:

• The Mighty Gunners of North London

I am super excited about the Gunners, so much so that I’m ordering a brand new replica jersey… I will admit I was thrilled to see Song leave Arsenal. I have nothing against him, he’s a wonderful talent and I truly believe he will go on to reach great heights at Barcelona. But to me Song was one of the main reasons for Arsenal’s downs last season.

It’s still too early to go around claiming vindication but the early signs are encouraging.

Yes, the season is only three games old, but the midfield of Arteta, Diaby and Carzola is looking scrumptious. Their performance against Liverpool was simply outstanding. They nullified Liverpool’s midfield and were able to set a platform for one of Arsenal’s finest league wins in recent seasons. The Gunners did ride their luck a bit; there were a couple of penalty shouts that could have easily gone the other way on another day, but after 90 minutes there was no arguing who was the better team.

Diaby. Well, what can you say? He was amazing.

When he arrived at Arsenal seven years ago from Auxerre he was said to be the new Vieira. This, however, never really materialized because he was unable to consistently play in his favorite position – frequently being deployed on the wing or further forward – while injuries also hampered him greatly.

Although he showed glimpses of his immense talent he was never settled so was never a nailed down player.

Thankfully Diaby’s back to full fitness and, based on Sunday’s evidence, could be Arsenal’s most important player in their quest for silverware.

I really believe Arsenal can challenge for the league title this season.

That midfield trio of Arteta, Diaby and Carzola is comparable to any in the league and the defensively the team suddenly looks pretty solid.

I’m happy with Jenkinson. He’s not the most refined player, but he has won me over in the last two games – games which have not been easy tasks, and have posed different challenges.

In dealing with the physical threat of Stoke and then the pace and guile of Raheem Sterling against Liverpool, Jenkinson has shown he can be a resourceful option at rightback. He’s still nervous, yes, and this coupled with his relative lack of technique means he’s prone to mistakes in possession. Nevertheless, I would like to see him get an extended run in the team.

The Mertesacker-Vermaelen combination also deserves to continue at the heart of Arsenal’s defence. Despite shaky moments from each against Liverpool, both were generally outstanding. I felt they complimented each other well, and Vermaelen’s all-action style is well-matched by Mertesacker’s composed approach.

It’s often pointed out that the most effective centreback partnerships are ones which comprise of differing personalities; the cool guy and the crazy guy – for example Carvalho and Terry, Ferdinand and Vidic, Pique and Puyol.

You would hope this partnership is given a chance to flourish because so far it hasn’t let the team down.

Upfront there remains a slight worry in terms of where the goals will consistently come from. But, for me, the most important thing is to keep this group together. Fingers crossed then that Arsenal doesn’t suffer any injuries over this international break.

• The Paul Scholes Conundrum

There’s still no convincing explanation why Paul Scholes doesn’t start more often for Manchester United.

Scholes himself has frequently said he wants to play more. Ok, he is 37, so maybe he can’t play every game, but he should be used as much as possible.

There are perhaps games where Scholes won’t be suited; a Stoke perhaps, who are more physical and where his tackling would be called into question more often. Maybe a Newcastle away too on the evidence of their victory over United last season which was underpinned by a frenetic pace and direct approach.

Probably against such styles you would require more mobility, stamina and force in midfield.

But otherwise it’s clear that Scholes should play every game. He changed the game on Sunday against Southampton.

United looks like a much different team when Scholes is on the pitch. His passing range is remarkable, and what’s more, he always seems to pick the right pass. That’s what makes him special. Scholes also brings a sense of calm and direction to the team, and because he’s been a midfield guru from his youth, he knows all the tricks of the trade.

Scholes should be played in his favored role as the creative fulcrum, not as at Everton where he was the deepest of United’s midfielders.

Scholes in my book is key to whether United will compete this season.

• Swansea Splendour

Swansea are the story of the league so far. Continuing on from they left off under Brendan Rodgers, the Swans are third and flying after three games.

Apart from their lofty ranking Swansea are also an illustration of how English football has evolved in the last ten years – the passing and technique-based football, with a sprinkling of tactical discipline.

You could see it with Southampton (against United) as well while teams like Wigan and Fulham have an emphasis on quality possession at the core of their philosophies.

There’s a place for the other side as well as Carroll showed brilliantly with West Ham, as Stoke does so effectively and as the variation Newcastle and Everton have to their strategy.

It just makes the Premiership that more intriguing because there are so many different styles.

It also means this will be the toughest season yet. Year on year this league is getting tougher and tougher. There is no side you can say are obvious favorites for relegation, nor can you say playing a certain way will guarantee success as opposed another style.

Southampton may be pointless after three games, but they were five minutes from beating Man United and gave City a real fright on the opening day of the season.

• Liverpool…

While Rodgers’ old team is going great guns, his new team–Liverpool–has some problems.

First, I believe they’ve tried to change things a bit too quickly. Rodgers has attempted to revolutionize Liverpool’s style into a technique-based, meticulous one. It doesn’t completely suit all the players at his disposal, for example Gerrard. Stevie G is a world-class footballer, full-stop. However, Liverpool’s new style more often than not entails measured build-ups while Gerrard is an explosive player, always looking to add tempo. At times this means he’s not on the same wavelength with the system, as evidenced by a couple of personal errors so far on his part.

Most of Liverpool’s transfer activity also hasn’t made sense.

One thing that’s a blessing is Suarez is now the undisputed main man and there’s no distraction of Carroll (even if it’s still a bit of a blunder not to have had a replacement for Carroll in place). A three-man midfield with Gerrard supporting Suarez is Liverpool at their best, something akin to the deadly Torres-Gerrard combo of 2008-09.

The only problem, though, is that Suarez is not a prolific scorer. This puts pressure on Liverpool’s other attackers to find the net, and if you look at the team-sheet there are no other scorers except for Gerrard. At the moment I see Borini as a bit of a weak link. Both he and Sterling are not goalscorers, but Sterling offers sharp penetration, which Borini hasn’t done so far.

Liverpool needs someone out-wide who can score. This is where an Afellay might have been an option, and is what Kuyt used to do.

Signing Owen would have helped too. It might have meant changing the system a bit, but Liverpool would have had the goal threat they are missing.

Other parts, though not yet perfect, are fine. Without Lucas, Liverpool lacks a presence on the defensive side in midfield. Nevertheless, the midfield group as a whole has real quality, and with Shelvey lately making himself a good option, it is likely going to serve Liverpool well.

The defense and keeper are also proven Premiership quality.

However, it will take some time for Liverpool to be transformed into a winning team that also plays to the manager’s philosophy.

• AVB and Spurs…

Another man of change is Andre Villas-Boas; the man tries to change things too much whenever he lands. He looks to be repeating the same mistakes he made at Chelsea. The jettisoning of Dawson, for example, makes little sense. He has been one of Tottenham’s best defenders over recent seasons and he understands the club. Vertonghen, has been thrown in the deep end.

Although Tottenham endured a poor finish to last season under Harry Redknapp they did finish fourth. The previous three seasons the Spurs have finished 4th, 5th and 4th, a pretty incredible sequence. This is the standard that’s been set by Harry’s superb work and, sadly, I feel the Spurs have taken a step back so far.

That’s not to say AVB will not have success at White Hart Lane. He may well achieve it, but it’s unlikely to be this season.

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Part two of our feature of players to watch at EURO 2012 takes us to Group B, the group of death. Denmark may have their fair share of talented young players coming through for this summer, but being put up against many people’s favorites (Germany, Holland, and Portugal) will make this group undoubtedly the most entertaining in the tournament. Here are eight possible players to keep an eye out for in Poland and Ukraine.

Kevin Strootman (PSV & Holland)

Kevin Strootman may already be 22, but that does not mean his potential is fulfilled already. The PSV midfielder has attracted the interest of top Premier League clubs and has had a meteoric rise since he left relegated Sparta Rotterdam 18 months ago. One season at Utrecht was enough to catch the eye of PSV, who took him on last season, and he has already made an impact in Holland.

Strootman broke into the Holland set-up last year and has made 11 appearances, making him almost certain to be going to the EUROs this summer. If Holland is to challenge for the tournament, nevermind making it out of a very tough group, Strootman in the midfield will be a key aspect of their side.

Ricky Van Wolfswinkel (Sporting Lisbon & Holland)

The brilliantly named Ricky Van Wolfswinkel is another of the boys from Utrecht who has carried on building their reputation before being linked with every top Premier League club. Van Wolfswinkel moved to Sporting Lisbon last summer and has scored nine goals since. Like Strootman, he has all but claimed his place at EURO 2012.

The striker has been strongly linked with Manchester United and Tottenham, and if he continues to impress on the big stage this summer, the likes of him and Strootman could be the new generation of Dutch stars that bring silverware back to their country.

Daniel Wass (Evian & Denmark)

This may be one you have not heard of before, but right-back Daniel Wass is progressing nicely through his career at the moment. After impressing at home in Denmark for Brondby, Wass had done enough to attract the interest of Benfica. The Portuguese side snapped him up last summer, but loaned him out immediately to French side Evian. Wass has made eighteen appearances for the Ligue 1 side so far and has scored three goals from his attacking full-back role.

He does not have a guaranteed place in the Danish squad for the summer and has only made four international appearances. However, his impressive performances in France and his growing reputation means we could see a bit more of the 22-year-old in Poland and Ukraine.

Christian Eriksen (Ajax & Denmark)

My next few names seem painfully obvious, but it would be rude not to mention them anyway. Another one of the young Danish contingents who is certain to go to EURO 2012 is Christian Eriksen. The Ajax superstar came to the front last year when he started to impress in Holland and began to make an impact on the international stage. He has already claimed 21 caps for Denmark and will be central to his country’s hopes of progressing from a tough group this summer.

Eriksen is linked with almost every major club in Europe at the moment. If he does have an impressive summer, it is hard to imagine the little play-maker will still be at Ajax come the start of the new season.

Andre Schurrle (Bayer Leverkusen & Germany)

All the talk in Germany at the moment surrounds the excitement of Borussia Dortmund star Mario Goetze and their future star Marco Reus, but one man who has been making great progress for Bayer Leverkusen is Andre Schurrle.

Starting his career at Mainz, Schurrle soon was the center of attention and got a move to Leverkusen last summer. He has made more progress with the German giants this season and broke onto the international scene impressively, scoring five goals in his mere twelve caps for Germany.

Despite that, Schurrle is not a likely starter for Germany this summer, but it would be a surprise if he was not included in the squad and given some sort of role in the tournament.

Marco Reus (Gladbach & Germany)

I say Gladbach, but Marco Reus will be joining the ever-impressive Borussia Dortmund in the summer to play alongside the other German star, Goetze. He has scored 34 goals for Gladbach at the age of 22 and is another who might not make the German XI, but will surely make the final squad. Dortmund will be happy they already have him signed and sealed for next season, as he is sure to attract a lot of attention this summer.

There are only four appearances for Germany, but Reus has a big future. EURO 2012 may be the opportunity for the attacker to make an impact with Germany looking to replace the likes of Miroslav Klose et al., sooner rather than later.

Mario Goetze

The final of the new German threesome who will shake up EURO 2012 this summer is Mario Goetze, and he may be the most impressive of the three. Already a first teamer at German champions Dortmund, Goetze will be the subject of much interest this summer and could find himself in the first XI in Poland and Ukraine.

Goetze may not be at Dortmund for very much longer, although with the German side about to seal another Bundesliga title, maybe they can convince Mario to put off the attractions of Europe’s finest for one more season. However, an impressive tournament may put into play any plans Dortmund had to hang onto the midfielder.

Nelson Oliveira (Benfica & Portugal)

There probably will not be an awful lot different about Portugal’s squad compared to that of the 2010 World Cup. Nelson Oliveira is not even guaranteed to get a spot in the squad, in all honesty, but he did finally get his international debut this year, so will definitely be in contention. He is not a prolific goalscorer, but a hard worker upfront and holds the ball up well.

He scored in the Champions League last month to put Benfica through to the Champions League Quarter-Finals, and we might see a bit more of Oliveira this summer if Portugal feels the need to take him.

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Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has capped off another memorable week with revelations of prostitutes followed by a roadside prang in the space of just 24 hours.

The Italian hit headlines on Wednesday, when his agent, Mino Raiola, confirmed that he had enjoyed a ‘brief involvement’ with Jennifer Thompson, who shot to notoriety in 2010 when she alleged that she had been paid £1,200-a-night to have sex with Wayne Rooney, who plays United, while his wife, Colleen, was pregnant with their son, Kai.

The affair is said to have taken place at Balotelli’s Cheshire mansion in February, just two days before he publicly declared his love for his girlfriend, Raffaella Fico, after opening the scoring for City during their 3-0 win over Blackburn Rovers.

Revelations of Balotelli’s liaison with the call girl were made all the more remarkable by the fact that he had taunted Miss Thompson about her fling with England hit man Rooney when he saw her in a Manchester restaurant last year by chanting ‘Rooney! Rooney!’

Little over 24 hours after his agent’s revelation, Balotelli was involved in further drama as his white Bentley collided with a Vauxhall Corsa in the Deansgate Locks area of Manchester. The 21-year-old was unharmed but his female passenger taken to hospital as a precaution while the driver of the other car also emerged from the incident, which City insists was not the player’s fault, unscathed.

The incidents are merely the latest in a growing list of controversies since Balotelli’s €22million move from Internazionale in summer 2010.

He was involved in an on-field squabble with team mate Aleksandar Kolarov over who would take a free kick during City’s draw with Sunderland in the English Premier League last weekend, which saw the Abu Dhabi-owned club’s bid to wrestle the title from local rivals Manchester United falter further.Manager Roberto Mancini later revealed that he had considered substituting his compatriot as early as the fifth minute of the 3-3 thriller.

He was fined £250,000 by City at the beginning of March after being photographed leaving a Liverpool strip club in the early hours, less than 48 hours before his side were due to take on Bolton Wanderers, while in January he was given a retrospective four-match suspension by the Football Association for stamping on the head of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Scott Parker during their clash at the Etihad Stadium, which City won 3-2 thanks to a stoppage time penalty from Balotelli.

Last October, on the eve of the Manchester derby, he was forced to flee his Cheshire home after a fire caused by setting off fireworks in the bathroom saw police and fire crews tend to the blaze. Balotelli proceeded to score twice against United at Old Trafford in the 6-1 rout, during which he revealed a t-shirt bearing the words ‘Why always me?’

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DHL, the world’s leading express and logistics company, delivered Manchester United’s Champ19ns Trophy Tour to Mumbai for a special event with employees and customers. The DHL Champ19ns Trophy Tour event in Mumbai included a football clinic with two Manchester United Legends Denis Irwin and Quinton Fortune with children of the Magic Bus Foundation and the DHL football team.

This is the first time the club has toured India with the trophy, and is part of a global tour which will visit 27 Asian and African destinations, covering over 48,000 miles. Malcolm Monteiro, SVP & Area Director, South Asia, DHL Express said: “DHL and Manchester United are two strong brands recognized globally and the partnership is between two organizations that have similar characteristics at their core such as teamwork, passion, speed and can-do-spirit.”

Malcolm added, “The DHL Champ19ns Trophy Tour is a perfect chance to demonstrate how we work within our global network of 220 countries to bring the trophy to our customers, employees and fans around the world.”

Manchester United Legends Denis Irwin and Quinton Fortune shared a lot of tips on the field with the children of Magic Bus Foundation and the DHL football team who were very excited to be there. The two legends along with the club’s famous mascot, Fred The Red, was also on hand along with the Trophy to sign signature cards, engage with the children and DHL employees about what it’s like to play for the most popular club in the world.

DHL is the global market leader in the logistics industry and “The Logistics company for the world”. DHL commits its expertise in international express, air and ocean freight, road and rail transportation, contract logistics and international mail services to its customers.

A global network composed of more than 220 countries and territories and about 300,000 employees worldwide offers customers superior service quality and local knowledge to satisfy their supply chain requirements. DHL accepts its social responsibility by supporting climate protection, disaster management and education.

DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL. The Group generated revenue of more than 51.5 billion euros in 2010.

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After today’s FA Cup matches that included a Manchester United victory against their cross-town rival, Manchester City, the matches for the fourth round of the FA Cup were drawn, pairing Liverpool and Manchester United together in what is sure to be a hostile match due to the recent events involving racist comments made between players.

The current hostility between the two clubs began after the last match played between the two teams, in which Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches after being found guilty by the EFA of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.

Liverpool beat Oldham Athletic Friday night to continue on in the FA Cup race; however, the game was overshadowed by accusations that Liverpool fans racially abused an Oldham player. Manchester United beat their neighboring rivals Manchester City on Sunday after a Manchester City player received a red card and was kicked out of the game.

Arsenal is set to face Leeds United on Monday to see who will be continuing in the competition and facing Aston Villa at the end of the month.

Matches that were drawn today to be played January 28^th and 29^th included:

• Arsenal or Leeds United vs. Aston Villa
• Blackpool vs. Sheffield Wednesday
• Brighton or Wrexham vs. Newcastle United
• Dagenham & Redbridge or Millwall vs. Southampton
• Derby vs. Stoke
• Everton vs. Fulham
• Hull vs. Crawley
• Liverpool vs. Manchester United
• Macclesfield or Bolton vs. Swansea City
• MK Dons or Queens Park Rangers vs. Chelsea
• Nottingham Forest or Leicester City vs. Swindon
• Sheffield United vs. Birmingham or Wolverhampton
• Stevenage vs. Middlesbrough
• Watford vs. Tottenham
• West Bromwich Albion vs. Norwich City

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Manchester United triumphed 2-0 over Romanian side Otelul, in what was a controversial and close fought encounter for the English champions, with both sides finishing with ten players apiece.

Having not recorded a victory in their opening two group games, there was a certain level of pressure on United to secure the three points at the Bucharest National Stadium, and while they may have enjoyed having a superior support than the home side, many of United’s foreign stars will not have enjoyed the freezing temperatures they had to endure.

The first half started fairly uneventfully, with both sides feeling each other out and cautious not to make any mistakes. There were few chances of note to speak of, and United striker Wayne Rooney often found himself marked out of the game by a proficient Otelul defence. The visitors best chance of the half came close to the end, with Nani cutting back the ball for the waiting Michael Carrick, but the midfielder was wasteful, blazing the ball over the bar.

The game exploded into life in the second half however, and by the 64^th minute, United had the lead they were craving. The referee awarded a penalty after Rooney’s cross was judged to have been handled by Otelul captain Sergiu Costin, and the England international had no difficulties firing the ball into the back of the net, sending goalkeeper Branko Grahovac the wrong way in the process.

United’s joy soon turned bitter-sweet however, when centre-back Nemanja Vidic, returning from injury, was sent off for an unneeded and clumsy challenge on Gabriel Giurgiu, leaving his side with the unenviable task of holding on to their lead with just ten men and over twenty minutes left to play.

With Otelul pushing hard for an equaliser, any potential United blushes seemed to be saved when Milan Perendija was given a second booking, therefore reducing the home side to ten men aswell, effectively killing off any chance of an Otelul comeback.

Rooney then went on to add another penalty in the dying minutes, a result of a trip from Liviu Antal on the striker, and in the process, became the highest scoring Englishman in Champions League history.

United now sit two points behind Benfica in second place in the group, but will have taken confidence from this victory, and will look to upset Benfica in the coming weeks as they attempt to finish the group strongly and head into the knockout rounds with the easier draw that finishing top of the group promises.

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Premier League title holder Manchester United had a record revenue of €334.1 million ($462 million) this past year. After paying off debts — including the €50 million owed for the purchasing of De Gea, Ashley Young, and Phil Jones, the Red Devils will have made a €110.9 million profit.

Wayne Rooney’s new €180,000 per week deal also takes a chunk out of the newfound profit, along with 16% rise in staff costs. The record-breaking revenue has been the largest revenue the team has seen since the early 2000’s. According to Andy Green, who spoke to The Guardian about this topic, the club has been fighting a long battle with debt since 2005.

According to Green, €478 million has been spent in order to pay of this debt, with most of it coming from interest fees. Along with winning the Premier League title, Manchester United also made it to the finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Although losing the match to a strong side in FC Barcelona, the publicity that the Red Devils received got them more viewers and more companies willing to spend money to get in the spotlight as well.
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With many of the stars having a good trip with their international teams the week before, this past week brought about some great matches that have caused some big changes in the standings. This includes Chelsea regaining a top three position, Stoke City taking the fourth place position, and Liverpool slipping down two spots to fifth place.

However, Manchester United and Manchester City are still going head to head for the leading position in the league, making the space between the leaders and the followers in the standings quite large.

Arsenal 1:0 Swansea City

Arsenal came out in better form than they had in their 8-2 loss to Manchester United two weeks ago, allowing them to move up in the standings and maybe motivate the team to reach their usual top four position once again.

The win was not a pretty win, with the only goal coming in the 40^th minute from Andrei Arshavin after a terrible mistake between Swansea goalkeeper Michael Vorm and one of his defenders. This left the net wind open for Arshavin to help Arsenal win a big three points that they desperately needed.

Everton 2:2 Aston Villa

After an entertaining match that saw several goals and drama with penalties, neither Everton nor Aston Villa was able to come away from the match with a win.

The first goal of the match came off the boot of Everton forward Leon Osman in the 19^th minute. This gave Everton the lead going into the second half. However, Aston Villa was able to equalize in the 63^rd minute when midfielder Stilian Petrov was able to get past Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Drama came five minutes later with a penalty kick awarded to Everton’s Leighton Baines who was able to hit the back of the net. After a strong battle in the closing minutes of the match, Aston Villa was able to equalize yet again from a shot off the boot of Gabriel Agbonlahor in the 83^rd minute, giving both teams a point in the standings.

Manchester City 3:0 Wigan Athletic

Sergio Aguero, Manchester City’s most popular newcomer from this past transfer window, showed he was more than worth the money paid for him by contributing all three of the goals in their win against Wigan Athletic.

Aguero scored early in the first half, putting the ball in the back of the net in the 13^th minute. It wasn’t until the second half when Aguero would put in two more goals to finish his hat trick and stop any chance of Wigan making a comeback in the latter half of the game. With this win, Manchester City sits in second place due to goal difference between Manchester United.

Sunderland 1:2 Chelsea

Chelsea moved back into the top four of the Premier League with their win against Sunderland, who they outplayed the entire match. The first goal of the game was scored by Chelsea defender John Terry in the 18^th minute, and was the only goal scored in the first half. Daniel Sturridge, in covering for the injured Didier Drogba, put the second goal in for Chelsea in the 50^th minute.

Although there was a glimmer of hope shown in Sunderland when substitute Ji Dong-Wong scored in the last minute of the match, Chelsea was able to defend well through injury time and secure the win.

Wolverhampton 0:2 Tottenham

Although the game was uneventful in the first half, Tottenham’s Emmanuel Adebayor was able to secure a goal and the lead in the 67^th minute. Jermaine Defoe, Tottenham’s second forward paired up with Adebayor, scored the second goal in the 80^th minute.

Tottenham was able to rally in the last half hour of the match in order to secure the win against Wolverhampton, and also move farther away from regulation.

Stoke City 1:0 Liverpool

The one and only goal was scored from a penalty kick off the boot of Stoke forward Jonathan Walters in the 21^st minute. The rest of the match was evenly battled between the two sides; however, Liverpool was unable to capitalize on chances while Stoke’s defense showed to be the stronger of the two teams.

Liverpool slipped down the standings with their first loss of the season to Stoke City, although both teams were evenly matched throughout the entire game.

Bolton 0:5 Manchester United

Javier Hernandez came out in form for his first start this season scoring in the first five minutes of the match. Wayne Rooney also continued his form with a goal in the 20^th minute, then another goal five minutes later. Hernandez scored his second goal of the match in the 58^th minute with no sign of Bolton having a chance to get one in the net.

Finally, Rooney finished his hat trick in the 68^th minute, making it back to back hat tricks for the player. Another high scoring match leaves Manchester United at the top of the standings, along with making more room in between them and other teams in the middle of the standings.

Norwich City 0:1 West Bromwich Albion

Thanks to a very early first half goal, West Brom was able to get their first win of the season while visiting Norwich City on Saturday. Peter Odemwingie was able to capitalize on a mistake in the third minute of the game between one Norwich defender and backup goalkeeper Declan Rudd, filling in the first spot due to John Ruddy’s suspension.

This one goal was all West Brom needed in order to get their first win, allowing them to forget about their three game losing streak and hopefully keep away from the relegation zone.

Fulham 1:1 Blackburn

With the two teams sitting in the relegation zone, and in desperate need of a couple points, the battle between Fulham and Blackburn concluded in a draw that keeps both teams without a win so far this season.

Although putting up a great fight at the beginning of the match, Blackburn was the first to score with a blistering shot off the boot of Ruben Rochina in the 32^nd minute. Thankfully, Fulham were able to come back six minutes later from the help of Bobby Zamora, making it all even going into the uneventful second half.

Queens Park Rangers 0:0 Newcastle United

With five newly transferred players in the starting squad for Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United had the mindset of coming out of the match with a win since the players would not be in sync with each other. However, QPR were the team to watch this match due to having the most scoring chances in the match even though they could not capitalize on any of them.

Newcastle move up to sixth place, leaving them secure until next weekend.

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This summer’s transfer window was one for the record books, with the Barclay’s Premier League teams spending close to €500 million in the past three months. All in all, every team has made dramatic changes to the club with several additions. Out of all the transfers this summer, we counted down the top ten significant transfers that will make or break teams this season:

10)       Gervinho (Lille OSC to Arsenal)

A native to the Ivory Coast, Gervinho got noticed from Premier side Arsenal after his past team, French Ligue One team Lille OSC, won the League Cup and the Coupe de France in the 2010-2011 season.

Although the start to the season has not gone the way Arsenal have wanted it, with Gervinho getting suspended for three games after getting into a fight with Johnny Barton in his debut in the English Premier League, Arsene Wenger hopes that the Ivorian national will be able to help fill the boots of the recently transferred Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.

9)         Mikel Arteta (Everton to Arsenal)

Having his best season with Everton scoring nine goals in 35 matches during the 2006-2007 season, Mikel Arteta suffered from injuries that kept him out of several matches up until he was traded to Arsenal this summer. Although he is injury prone, Arteta is a strong midfielder who could help Arsenal fill in the gaps that Fabregas and Nasri left when they transferred.

8)         Raul Meireles (Liverpool to Chelsea)

Noticing that many of Liverpool’s new signings during the summer would give him a lesser chance in the starting eleven, Raul Meireles asked to be put on the transfer block and was picked up by Chelsea. Scoring 5 goals in 6 games during the 2010-2011 season, Meireles showed signs of creating chances in the midfield that will be helpful in Chelsea’s attempts to win the league this season.

7)         Stuart Downing (Aston Villa to Liverpool)

Although Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish said that Stuart Downing would not be traded this past transfer window, an agreement was made between Villa and Liverpool for the English midfielder.

The signing of Downing helps fill in the role of the injured Steven Gerrard, which left a big gap in the Liverpool midfield. However, the signing of Downing along with other young and talented midfielders makes Liverpool a contender for the championship this year.

6)         David De Gea (Atletico Madrid to Manchester United)

De Gea arrived in the Premier League with a difficult objective to achieve: to fill in as goalkeeper for the recently retired Edwin van der Sar. Arriving from the Spanish league side Athletico Madrid, De Gea has shown signs that he will be able to fit the role quite well in Manchester United’s win against Manchester City in the Community Shield, his first competitive match in the English Premier League.

Making some key saves as Manchester United rallied to win the charity competition 3-2, De Gea proved that he is more than capable to fill a spot that could have been the weakest link in the championship team.

5)         Charlie Adam (Blackpool to Liverpool)

The Scotland-born Charlie Adam was transferred to Liverpool along with Stuart Downing and Jordan Henderson to help provide midfield support in the absence of Steven Gerrard. With 29 goals in two seasons with Blackpool, Adam will be a major threat in the attacking area and will be a great addition to support Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll from the outside or center midfield.

4)         Juan Mata (Valencia to Chelsea)

For a big €23.5 million transfer fee, Juan Mata moved from the Spanish club Valencia to the Premier League club Chelsea. Mata, who scored 33 goals in four seasons with Valencia, will likely be trained as the newcomer for when Chelsea veteran Frank Lampard decides to retire.

Even though Lampard has a couple seasons left in him, Mata can definitely handle the pressure of taking up the reins when Lampard leaves.

3)         Ashley Young (Aston Villa to Manchester United)

The transfer of Ashley Young from Aston Villa to Manchester United was one of the biggest for the small club at the beginning of the transfer window. With a very successful career at Villa, playing four seasons and scoring 30 goals, Young also got recognized and given a spot on the England national team.

Now that Young is paired up with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Young will be more than helpful towards winning another title for his new club.

2)         Samir Nasri (Arsenal to Manchester City)

The drama between Samir Nasri and Arsenal during the summer, along with the transfer of Cesc Fabregas, was one of the most talked about subject when it came to the end of the transfer window. Whether or not Nasri was going to be leaving Arsenal was never clear, since Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger did not want to lose two of his best players in the same transfer window.

However, Nasri left for Manchester City, where he has already begun to show prowess in helping get Manchester City back to the top of the league again.

1)         Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid to Manchester City)

Manchester City came into the summer transfer window looking to buy anything that it takes to get them a league title. However, just by purchasing Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid gives them a very strong chance of achieving that.

Aguero scored 74 goals in 174 matches with his old Spanish club, and has already scored three goals in the last three Premier league matches he has played with Manchester City. Pairing Aguero up with Carlos Tevez and Samir Nasri will mean that Manchester City will be putting on quite a show in the attacking field.

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Now it’s no secret at all that the US dominates 4 of the major sports. When it comes to football, basketball, and baseball we are the cream of the crop. We have the best leagues and the best talent of any other country where these sports are played.

In hockey I would give the edge slightly to Canada, but the US is a very close second. Then you get to the sport of soccer. Not only are we not number 1 or number 2, we aren’t in the top 10 or the top 25 for that matter.

The most recent FIFA world rankings have the USA ranked 30th and this past MLS all-star game made this ranking even more painfully apparent. What we saw was a team comprised of the best the MLS has to offer, and even with the help of once successful European players Thierry Henry and David Beckham we saw a squad that was out played and out matched.

Aside from a few early chances by the All-Stars, the Red Devils had no problem pouring it on the clearly weaker MLS squad. Rooney and Berbatov were able to set up a trailing Anderson for the first goal of the match 20 minutes in.

Seconds before halftime Park was able to beat Sean Franklin in the box and place a shot past goalkeeper Faryd Mondragón. Not even substitutions could help the MLS squad turn there luck around in the second half. Seven minutes in Berbatov off of a nice feed from Rooney was able to knock home his own attempt which struck the crossbar to put Man U. up 3-0. Second-half sub Welback sealed the deal when a shot from just outside the box was deflected by a defender on its way into the net.

Now I understand that the MLS doesn’t have just US players and that many of USA’s better players play elsewhere, but that right there points to the problem. Our best players go to play where the better game and talent is, Europe.

The players from overseas that come here do so in the twilight of their careers and are still some of the best players in our league. Take Beckham out of this game and we probably don’t have half as many decent scoring opportunities as we did. If we as US soccer fans are to take anything from this match it’s that we are still vastly far behind the upper echelon of the soccer world. Still don’t believe me when I say that we are out of our league then think about this.

The best of the best of our entire league couldn’t even scratch a goal against a club team from theirs. We are still many years away from reaching the top tier and every year we are reminded just how far away we are when our MLS All-Stars suit up against some of the best in the world and every year they get manhandled.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/60278244@N00/5988841058/

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Tonight the Champions League Final saw the English and Spanish domestic trophy holders clash for the undisputed title of being the best team in Europe. Both teams entered the Final with 3 Champions League trophies to their name; to win this 4^th trophy would mean that they could take their place in history alongside the European legends of Liverpool,  Ajax, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Manchester United had the majority of the possession in the first 15 minutes, white shirts hounded the Barcelona defence but their attacks came to nothing more than a few brief encounters in and around the box.

Finally Barcelona got up to operating temperature and Pedro sent the ball wide after some quick football from David Villa and Xavi – there was much more of that to come.

Two more shots came from David Villa which went even closer than Pedro’s effort and Manchester United must have been yearning to get back to the possession they had enjoyed during the early minutes – Barcelona were settling into their ominously predictable, unpredictable forays from midfield.

United were not going to be spared from the brilliance of Lionel Messi it seemed, his first real action was to make four United players look like statues as he dribbled the ball past them. Minutes after, he was denied a clear shot on goal only by a perfect tackle from Vidic.

At this point Sir Alex Ferguson had left his seat and joined Pep Guardiola on the touchline to try command his men back on course. Whatever he was ordering was not in time to stop Pedro scoring first. A pass from Villa, probably not the most dangerous of the night so far, found its way to Pedro who had plenty of time to slot the ball into an opening at the near post.

After half an hour Barcelona had completed 265 passes compared to a mere 100 from Manchester United, however Wayne Rooney was about to show that his team was not fazed by the Barcelona possession. Great link-up play between Ryan Giggs and Rooney led to a shot being fired from 16 yards out which sailed past Victor Valdes and into the net. It was back to level again and game on.

The goal did not mark the start of a United charge, Barcelona still threatened. Iniesta launched a shot from range which wasn’t far off, but an even closer chance was at the very end of the half when Villa supplied a pass across the goal mouth which Messi at full stretch narrowly missed connecting with.

The half time whistle blew dead on the 45 minute mark. It was a half that was relentlessly quick, neither side had sought to reduce the tempo of the game and I’m sure the break came as an unwelcome distraction to two teams who both looked incredibly focussed.

After the resumption of play there was clearly little change in either of the teams tactics, neither manager had made a substitution and Barcelona were back on the offensive with United trying to break their spells of possession.

It was at this point in the game that Barcelona looked most menacing. Their pressure was relentless and tiring for the Manchester United defence who could not anticipate what was coming from a team who did not use a striker but instead attacked from midfield.

Lionel Messi scored his 53^rd goal of the season in the 53^rd minute in spectacular fashion, firing a shot from 25 yards out and past Edwin Van Der Sar who, on a better day, would have saved it. It really was an excellent goal from Messi, a player who has made excellence a habit – his manager was jubilant but seemed unsurprised at his prodigy’s goal.

Messi was fouled for the 3^rd time by Antonio Valencia who seemed intent on keeping him on the floor, but in typical fashion, the most prolific scorer in La Liga returned to his feet without complaint and proceeded to terrorise the Manchester defence and midfield.

Dani Alves received a yellow card just before 60 minutes for tripping Patrice Evra and soon after Micheal Carrick was booked for a very late tackle on Andres Iniesta. Overall, it was to be a very good performance from the Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai.

Barcelona had Manchester United in the corner, their constant attacks and swift passing left the English Champions looking punch drunk. Dani Alves could have delivered the knockout blow at 64 minutes after a Barcelona attack had left the United defence dangerously exposed.

Sir Alex Ferguson tried change his fortunes by removing the flagging full back Fabio and replacing him with Nani. No substitution could have prevented Iniesta’s shot in the 66^th minute however, it was a 20 yard curling strike which looped into the top corner, Van Der Sar could have done nothing this time.

The trophy engraver had probably started carving FC Barcelona’s name into the massive Champions League cup at this point – Man United showed no sign of getting back into the game.

The remaining 20 minutes were a little more contested, Giggs threatened and Nani shot but their attacks were not carried out with the relentless conviction Barcelona had displayed throughout.

Puyol came on after 87 minutes, the captain had played no starting role in the final but it was only right that such a key figure in their Champions League campaign was on the pitch to savour the moment the final whistle blew.

When it did Sir Alex Ferguson looked dejected but you could see that he knew his team had been wholly outclassed on the night – he would have to wait another year to play Barcelona, who would almost certainly be in the final if they remain at this exemplary standard.

I don’t think anybody would have left Wembley tonight feeling short changed, a ticket to the final bought a seat to witness some beautiful football. It is hard to see how anyone can come close to Barcelona in the near future if they can dispatch Manchester United with such ease.

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