Chelsea met Wigan , at home , in a crucial Premiership fixture on Monday night. It was a must win clash for the Blues as Manchester United had already beaten Arsenal a day earlier and needed the 3 points to stay in touch at the top. With Chelsea's impeccable record at Stamford Bridge, you could not blame anyone for not giving the Lactics a chance . But Steve Bruce, the former Manchester United captain, had other ideas and master-minded a draw for his club.


Avram Grant rested several of his key players, a decision which has to be said backfired at him. However, the players on the pitch were full-internationals and were certainly good enough to beat a Wigan side which has flirted with relegation all season. Therefore, there should be no excuse for the way Chelsea played . In the first-half ; the pace of the match was more suited to a training match, rather than an important fixture in the title run-in and Chelsea managed to carve only 2 or 3 openings. After the break Joe Cole was introduced and he played with more flair than the rest of the team put together. And it was Essien who made the pressure tell when he struck from edge of the box. After that, Chelsea carried out their boring routine again, trying to shut out Wigan for a 1-0 win. But this time, this did not work as in stoppage time, Jason Koumas floated in a delightful cross into the Chelsea box and Emile Heskey volleyed home to silence the Chelsea faithful. Grant was dumbfounded, and you can see the pressure building on him when the final whistle was met by a chorus of boos.

So this result puts Chelsea in a precarious position, 5 points behind of Manchester United and 4 points ahead of Arsenal. Although United now have one hand on the coveted Premiership trophy, Chelsea are not out of it yet as manypeople have suggested. A win for Chelsea at Everton and a loss for United at Blackburn can make the title race a close affair again.So United must not think that its done and dusted and keep concentrating on the upcoming clashes, one by one United can win the title at Stamford Bridge in 2 weeks time and judging by Chelsea's run of pertformances, you can't discount United from ending their unbeaten home record that stretches back for more than 4 years.

Here are my predictions for his wekeend's round of Premier League matches.


Fulham v Manchester United
Fulham need to get better soon or they will get relegated. And there is no way to rejuvenate the team and fans than a win against Manchester United. In the past, Fulham have troubled "United but they don't have the quality anymore to do so. It may not be a stroll in the park for "United, but I expect them to win by at least a couple of goals . Fergie will surely rest some of his players, and this will give others a decent run-out ahead of the business end of the season.

Prediction: 4-1


Arsenal v Aston Villa

Aston Villa are really playing really well and they do have a realistic of qualifying for the next seasons UEFA Champions' league. They gave the Gunners a tough time at Villa Park back in December, and I expect them to cause Gallas and co. problems again. Arsenal will be smarting from the draw at Birmingham and the loss of Eduardo, but I think their home form will rescue them this time arounf and they will get the 3 points they need in a tight match to stay top of the table.

Prediction:2-1


Chelsea v West Ham

West Ham have enjoyed quite a successful season, and they still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe. Their home form has improved from last season, even beating the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool at Upton Park. But they must be fearing a Chelsea backlash after the Blues' defeat in the Carling Cup. Since then, various news items have been published about them in the media. I feel Chelsea will be keen to prove their critics round and be up for this match. Therefore, I expect them to register another5 win over their London rivals.

Prediction:2-1


Bolton v Liverpool

Gary Megson has made his Bolton side difficult to beat, especially at home. But their main problem is their lack of goals. Liverpool are going through an uncertain period, and Rafael Benitez could get the sack if they lose against Inter Milan on Wednesday. Benitez will have more than one eye on that clash, and he is likely to rotate squad yet again. Therefore, I think Bolton will be able to hold them to draw.

Prediction:1-1


Birmingham v Tottenham

Both sides will feel they can win this clash. Birmingham will be high on confidence as they got a draw against Arsenal, and so will be Spurs after their fantastic Carling Cup final victory. Apart from Mcfadden, no one seem to score for Bimingham and this could be their sole cause of relegation. Spurs are playing so well, I can't see them dropping points here.

Prediction:1-2



Other Predictions:

Everton v Portsmouth 2-1

Derby v Sunderland 1-1

Newcastle v Blackburn 1-2

M'Boro v Reading 2-0

Man City v Wigan 1-1

This weekend there was another twist in the title race. Arsenal slipped-up against Birmingham, and now Manchester United and Chelsea have a real chance of catching up with them.


Arsenal's day got off to a bad start at St.Andrews. Eduardo was stretchered off as early as 3rd minute due a terrible tackle by Birmingham skipper Martin Taylor. Taylor was deservedly sent off, leading many to believe that Arsenal will win comfortably. But Birmingham refused to be lied down, and Mcfadden gave them the lead with a great free-kick. After that, it was all one-way traffic in favour of the Gunners and Walcott scored two goals in quick succession to put them in the driving seat. But they were unable to put the game to bed, largely due to the fact that Adebayor and Bentdner refused to pass the ball to each other, and they were made to pay in the dying minutes when Clichy's clumsy play conceded a penalty which Mcfadden duly converted. All this meant that Gunners only got a point in game which they should have won.

On the other hand, Manchester United seem to be returning to their top form, as they thrashed Newcastle again, this time at St. James Park, Superb goals by Rooney and Ronaldo sent United on this way in the first-half, and Ronaldo got another to seal the victory early after the break. Newcastle did got a consolation goal, when Faye managed to score, but it only revitalised United and Rooney and Saha scored towards the end to rub salt in the Geordies' wounds. Keegan's problems on Newcastle show no signs of disappearing soon, and they can be sucked into the relegation battle if they don't get their act together.

Over at Anfield, Fernando Torres bailed Liverpool out yet again as he single-handedly handed them 3 points against Middlesborough. A Tuncay header gave Liverpool an early scare, but Torres, outstanding hattrick seemed to end the game as a contest. But Downing scored in the 83rd minute to give Boro hope. Aliadiere then got sent off to finish any chances of a Boro revival.

Now a brief round-up of other matches. Solano's late controversial winner robbed Fulham off a point at Craven Cottage. underland continued their wretched away record as they went down at Fratton Park, Wigan defeated Derby comfortably at the JJB, Villa continued their push for Europe with great result at Reading, Blackburn turned up a good performance to thump Bolton and Everton got the result of their weekend as they defeated Manchester City quite easily at Eastlands.

Everyone can see that Arsenal are wobbling. Pressure is catching up with them and the injuries have exposed their lack of depth. Only time will tell if they can save their season now. As far as the Premiership is concerned, most fans think that United are the favourites to win it now. They have got the squad and experience to cross the finishing line.

After a 2-week hiatus, Premiership is back this weekend and as always, there are some exciting matches to look forward to:

Manchester United v Newcastle

Although Manchester United thrashed Newcastle 6-0 only a few weeks ago, I am not sure what to say about this match. On paper, it looks a comfortable win for United. But sometimes sides raise their game when one of the 'Big Four' come to town. Moreover, United have had trouble in few of the away games. However, due to Newcastle's current awful form, you can't back them to win any game and I feel United's attacking threat will too much for the Magpies defence to handle again.

Prediction: 1-3


Birmingham v Arsenal

This is going to be a tough fixture for Arsenal. Birmingham managed to get a point at Emirates. They will be refreshed after a good 15-day rest and up for this match. On the other hand, Arsenal squad has some injuries and they will be tired after their European exertion. But Birmingham don't score enough goals and I think this will be the reason for their downfall yet again.

Prediction: 1-2


Liverpool v Middlesborough

Liverpool are so inconsistent, you just don't know which of their side will turn up. If you are a good side, you can't get beaten by Barnsley and then win again Inter Milan. In contrast, Middlesborough have had a run of decent results and they are unbeaten since the New Year's day. By Liverpool's expectations, this has been a disastrous season. Pressure is growing on Benitez but 3 points in this game will be quite useful for Liverpool in their quest for the 4th spot.

Prediction: 2-0


Fulham v West Ham

Fulham managed to beat Aston Villa but were well-beaten at the Riverside. They desperately need to find consistency in order to have chance of surviving and manager Hodgson needs to make the squad to gel as soon as possible. The main problem for Fulham this season has been their habit of conceding second-half goals, and there is a good chance this will be their undoing yet again.

Prediction: 1-1


Portsmouth v Sunderland

Portsmouth's home form has been nothing to rave about, and they struggled to find the back of the net at Fratton Park all season. But Sunderland's away form has has been absolutely pathetic (they have only managed to get 2 points on the roal all season) and I can't see it getting better anytime soon.

Prediction:2-0


Wigan v Derby

This is going to be an emotional return to his former club for Paul Jewell. But there is little at stake as Derby are already confined to Championship football next season. Steve Bruce has got his team playing some good football and they will be able to beat Derby quite comfortably.

Prediction:3-1


Reading v Aston Villa

Reading's home form was quite good early on in the season but now it has all gone pear-shaped for Steve Coppel's side with & defeats on the trot. Aston Villa has been good all season, reaping the benefits of a settled squad and I expect them to get draw at the Madejski, if not a win.

Prediction:1-1



Blackburn v Bolton

This is going to be an old-fashioned footy match, with lots of passion, flying tackles and yellow, and possibly red cards being dished out. Manager Gary Megson has made his Bolton side very hard to beat and they will be on a high after taking care of Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Cup. But I feel Blackburn will come up with the goods in this match.

Prediction:2-1


Manchester City v Everton

Everton have had an excellent season. They are still in the UEFA Cup and have realistic chance of qualifying for Champions' League this season. Manchester City have not been as good as they were at the start of the season and I think they will only get a draw.

Prediction: 1-1

Lets have a brief roundup of this week's Champions' League action.

Sir Alex Ferguson must be thankful that Manchester United came away with a draw from Lyon. As usual when United are away from home, Sir Alex started with a defensive 4-5-1 formation, with Hargreaves, Scholes, Anderson, Ronaldo and Giggs manning the midfield and Rooney playing a lone strikers role. Consequently United posed little threat going forward and it was Lyon who got the bulk of chances. But they were unable to take the lead until Benzema scored out of nowhere However, Ferguson did realise his mistake, sending on Tevez and Nani on for Scholes and Giggs on the 65 minutes mark. Instantly, United team showed much more desire and urgency. And they deservedly equalised when Nani's cross caused mayhem in Lyon's penalty area and Tevez stuck the into the back of the net to United a definite advantage ahead of the return leg.

Now, Sir Alex must accept the fact that Giggs and Scholes are no longer good enough to be automatic first-choice players. Moreover, the players are not comfortable in a defensive system. Even away from Old Trafford, Sir Alex should play our usual attacking game. Benzema's goal was exceptional, and Sir Alex especially congratulated the talented striker after the game. It now looks as if Ferguson has made up his mind to go after Benzema in the summer.

Rafael Benitez's job was on the line against Inter Milan, and he got the referee to thank who controversially dismissed Marco Materazzi early on in the game. But even then, Liverpool failed to convert their dominance into goals. The real turning-point of the game came when Ivan Cordoba was stretchered off 15 minutes from time. Without both of their first choice central defenders, the Inter Milan defence looked shaky and Kuyt and Gerrard took full advantage to score 2 goals in the last 5 minutes to make Liverpool the favourites to go through.

Another team that needed to fight back from a poor result at the weekend was Arsenal, but they failed to do so against a resilient AC Milan side. After a poor performance in the first half, the Gunners picked up a gear in the second to launch numerous attacks on the Milan goal but to no avail. Arsenal's best chance fell to Adebayor right at the end, but he failed to score from a header, with the goal gaping at his mercy. Now, Wenger must conjure up something extraordinary from his side to have any chance of going through to the quarter-finals as AC Milan have an impeccable record at the San Siro.

Chelsea were away at Olympiakos and the Blues manger labelled his side's performance as the worst since he took over. He was quite correct as Chelsea looked far from threatening and seemed content so soak-up pressure. In the end, they manged to escape with 0-0 draw and they were must fancy their chances against the Greeks at Stamford Bridge.

Celtic are proud owners of a very good European home record, but this time they were undone by Barcelona's brilliant attacking game. Credit must be given to Celtic for grabbing the lead twice, but two goals from Messi (how fabulous is he?) and an amazing curing strike by Henry (reminiscent of his Arsenal days) set up a great result for the Catalan giants to virtually seal their passage into the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere, all the home sides were in ascendancy. Fenerbahce performed well again to beat Sevilla 3-2, Roma overcame Real Madrid despite going a goal down Kuranyi handed his side Schalke a narrow, but crucial advantage against FC Porto.

Results:

Schalke - Porto 1-0

Roma - Real Madrid 2-1

Olympiacos - Chelsea 0-0

Liverpool - Internazionale 2-0

Celtic - Barcelona 2-3

Lyon - Man. United 1-1

Fenerbache - Sevilla 3-2

Arsenal - Milan 0-0

This seasons FA Cup is fast becoming one of the best ever. The 5th round of the FA cup had it all; thumping wins, narrow defeats and a huge upset. Only 3 Premiership sides are definitely through to the next round (quarter finals). Therefore, there is a big opportunity for lower league teams to reach Wembley.

The most anticipated match turned out to be a very one-sided affair. Manchester United thrashed Arsenal 4-0, outclassing the gunners in every department. Both Ferguson and Wenger fielded under-strength teams, but no one could have expected that the match would be such a no-contest. In the first half, United produced one of their best displays of the season as Rooney, Fletcher and Nani all scored to make the game safe. Anderson, Nani, Carrick and Fletcher had a memorable match, probably their best performance in United colours. In contrast, many Arsenal players were completely anonymous. Fletcher rounded off the rout ( in the second-half), but it was more about Arsenal displaying their trait of being a bad loser. First Eboue was sent off for a horrific challenge on Evra. Then Gallas took out his frustration by kicking Nani, an action which also deserved a red card. Lastly, Adebayor received a booking for an outrageous and badly-executed dive.

Undoubtedly, the most surprising result of the weekend was Liverpool's home defeat to Barnsley. Nobody was giving the Tykes a chance, but they had obviously not read the script. As expected, Kuyt gave Liverpool the lead. But they failed to put the game to bed despite having numerous opportunities to do so. Barnsley did not give up, and they were rewarded for their efforts when 2 goals in the last 20 minutes from Foster and captain Howard sealed a historic win at Anfield and secured their place in the quarter-finals.But Barnsley's real hero was Luke Steele. The goalie, making his debut,made several world-class saves to keep Liverpool at bay. This loss has put even more pressure on Benitez with many people calling for his head. Many feel he would have to land another Champions' League crown in order to secure his job.

Chelsea also made it through to the quarter-finals, courtesy of an easy win over Huddersfield. The League One side did equalise once to give Chelsea a scare, but Lampard and Kalou scored to restore normality at Stamford Bridge to ensure another victory for Avram Grant's men.

In other ties, Sheffield United continued their good cup run to earn a replay against Middlesborough. Bristol Rovers became the only League One side to advance as they overcame Southampton at home. Portsmouth performed another smash and grab, this time at Preston. Cardiff ere too good for Wolves at Ninian Park and West Brom ruthlessly demolished managerless Coventry City.

These are the complete 5th round results:

Manchester United 4-0 Arsenal
Liverpool 1-2 Barnsley
Chelsea 3-1 Huddersfield
Coventry 0-5 West Brom
Bristol Rovers 1-0 Southampton
Sheffield United 0-0 Middlesborough
Preston 0-1 Portsmouth
Cardiff 2-0 Wolves

And here is the quarter-final draw:

Sheffield United or Middlesbrough v Cardiff City
Manchester United v Portsmouth
Bristol Rovers v West Brom
Barnsley v Chelsea

As you can see, Manchester United and Chelsea have been kept apart in the draw.Manchester United will again meet Premiership opposition in Porsmouth whereas Chelsea face the prospect of a tricky trip to Barnsley. So a Man Utd v Chelsea final is on the cards again. If this would be the case, I do hope it would be very different from last year, when the two teams put Wembley to sleep.

Derby curse struck Manchester United again as Manchester City beat them 2-1, completing a historic double over their more prestigious rivals. Before the match, their was speculation that City fans might ruin the day for the Red Devils by not observing silence to the Munich Air Disaster, but it was the City players who turned out to be the spoilers-in-chief. United played poorly from the start, and City duly punished them when Darius Vassell scored from a slick counter-attack. Benjani then compounded United's misery, as he diverted Petrov's great cross into the net. United improved in the second-half, but City defence stood strong until Carrick managed to score at the depth, but the goal proved to be mere consolation.

This match showed that United are a man short up-front and Sir Alex Ferguson's decision of not signing another striker in January might continue to haunt him for the rest of the season. Moreover, Giggs and Scholes are no longer fit to be first-team regulars. Against tough opposition, Sir Alex must play Anderson and Hargreaves in midfield.

In the second high-profile match, Liverpool managed to hold Chelsea to a draw at Stamford Bridge. It was a fairly tight game as both teams looked fairly matched. Cropuch did get three oppurtunities to score, but failed to make anything of them. Chelsea's best chance went to Ballack, but his volley missed the post by inches. At the end of the day, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was quite happy with a point, with Chelsea manager left to rue the fact they failed to close the gap on Manchester United.

This weekend's big winners were Arsenal, who beat Blackburn rovers 2-0 in the Monday night encounter to increase their lead at the top of the table to an impressive 5 points. Senderos opened the scoring for the Gunners with a well-placed header from an Eduardo corner. Arsenal were far from their best, and Blackburn threatened to equalise for most of the game but they wrer unable to breach Arsenal's solid back-line. Finally, Adebayor scored in injury-time to make the game safe.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa underlined the fact that they are serious about snatching the fourth-spot away from Liverpool as they thrashed sorry Newcastle 4-1. Th Magpies were quite good in the first-half and deservedly took the lead when Owen scored from a Milner cross. But Villa turned on the style after rthe break as Bouma and Carew scored to put them in the driving seat. Carew went on to score two more to heap more pressure on Kevin Keegan and send most of Villa Park into jubilation.

In other matches, portsmouth performed a smash-and-grab at the Reebok to beat Bolton, Tottenham continued thier revival to earn only their second away win of the season at Pride Park, Aliadiere scored for Middlesborough to hand them all 3 points against Fulham at the Riverside to push them further away from the relegation zone, Sunderland won yet again on their home soil against Wigan, Birmingham gained a valuable point at Upton Park in a match they were unlucky not to win and Reading's woes increased as they went down at Goodison Park

Here are all the results from the weekend:


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

Although Arsenal are 5 points ahead of their rivals, the season is far from over with 12 games and 36 points left to play for. Many people are suggesting it's Arsenal's title to lose now, but they have to still visit Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge and you can never write off Manchester United and Chelsea. Whatever happens, this season's title race promises to be one of the best ever.

Today, Manchester United meet Manchester City for the second Manchester derby of the season. Being the first match that Manchester United will play since the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, it is going to be highly emotional affair. There will be a minute's silence before the match, and all United fans will be hoping that no City fool will disturb the mark of respect.

United are not firing all cylinders at the moment. They slipped up against Spurs last time around at White Hart Lane, managing only a draw. But Sir Alex has argued that the lost can be seen as a point gained rather than two lost. From Ronaldo and Tevez, nobody seems to score and the return of Scholes has given Sir Alex a midfield selection dilemma.

Manchester City have also experienced a drastic drop in their fortunes. their away form has never been great and now they have started to struggle at home too. Their defence has started to leak goals and their strikers don't seem to score enough goals. Now Benjani has cmpleted his move to City he will surely help them in the scoring department.

Rooney and Evra are suspended for today's game, which is quite a blow for United.. This puts an extra responsibility on Ronaldo and Tevez to score today. There is speculation that teenage-striker might be included in the starting line-up, but think he will be on the bench. motivated by the Munich disaster anniversary and the legend of Busby Babes,I expect United to go out all guns blazing. Given City's recent poor form and pathetic away record,able to cope with United's attack. Derbies are always close affairs,bu I expect United to be just too strong for City today.

Prediction: 3-1

Today's second match is a 'Big-Four' clash between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. No one can deny that Chelsea are on a run of real good form. prior to thier draw against Portsmouth, they had chalked up nine straight victories in all competitions,even without thir African stars,JT and Lampard. Signing Anelka has been a huge plus for them and strangely, the injuries have helped their cause, allowing Grant to pick a settled side on a consistent basis.

In contrast, no one can deny that Liverpool are in a sort of a mini-crisis. Board-room problems have coincided with poor on-the-field results. Already out of the title race, now they face a tough battle to for the fouth-place and Benitez seems on the bring of the sack.

The return of Mikel and Lampard will further boost Chelsea. on the other hand Torres is out for Liverpool which makes thier chances of getting a win at Stamford Bridge almost non-existent. I expect Chelsea to have lots of possessin and play thier usual brand of football. Like their recent matches, they will convert their possession into goals,making it very difficult for Liverpool. In the end, I expect the Blues to run out quite comfortable winners tonight.

Pediction: 2-0

In the first semi-final of the Carling Cup, Tottenham Hotspur were finally able to break their Arsenal hoodoo, beating the Gunners for the first time in 9 years as they thrashed them 5-1. After along time, Spurs are on their way to Wembley.

In the first leg at the Emirates, Tottenham were clearly the better side and Arsenal were lucky to salvage a draw through a fluke Walcott goal. White Hart Lane and the Spurs faithful thought that this might be their day.

And they turned out to be right. But even more surprisingly than the result was the manner of the Spurs victory. Within the hour mark, they were 4 goals up leaving Arsenal with no chance of a comeback. The Gunners defence was totally unable to deal with the Spurs high-tempo attacking game as Jenas, Keane and Lennon all scored. (The forth goal was an own goal by Bendtner). Adebayor's 20-yard strike proved to be a consolation as Malbranque rounded off a thumping victory near the end.

Arsenal fans are arguing that this defeat was due to their young, inexperienced side. But you can only beat what's in front of you, and Spurs, managed to do it brilliantly. Moreover Walcott and Traore were the only youngsters in the side. Players like Diaby and Bendtner in addition to Sagna, Gallas and Fabregas are very much part of the first team. Arsene Wenger must learn from this loss. You can't field your second string side in every match and expect to get a good result. Wenger said that this defeat is a part of youngsters' learning process but a team's morale can never be high after a humiliating defeat at the hands of their most bitter rivals.

On the other hand, its celebration time in the other half of North London.Tottenham had made it to a final, and with Juande Ramos's outstanding cup record, I think that they have a decent chance of winning the Carling Cup. Now the more important thing for Spurs is to try and change their cup form into league form and sneak into a European place come the end of the season.

In the other semi-final, Chelsea managed to beat Everton by a single goal at Goodison Park, securing their place in the Carling Cup final for the third time in four years. Chelsea had a 2-1 one advantage from the first-leg, which meant Everton had to score to remain in the tie. Petr Cech turned out to be the main difference between the two sides as he made countless saves to keep Everton at bay. Credit must also be given to Chelsea's defence, who were able to survive Everton's onslaught. Finally,Chelsea were able to kill the game in the 69th minute, when Joe Cole controlled a long ball with a sublime touch and struck it past the helpless Tim Howard.

Everton would have to wait for another chance to play in a final, something which they have not done since 1995. But they can now turn all of their attention to wrestling the fourth spot from Liverpool,which will enable them to qualify for the Champions' League.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have continued to win games under Avram Grant. He now has an identical record to Jose Mourinho for the first 28 games in charge. But Chelsea's fans should not rejoice too much as far greater challenges lie ahead. The matches against Manchester United. Arsenal and Liverpool and the European powerhouses in the Champions' League will be the real test of Grant's mettle. I have serious doubts on whether he will be able to pass them with flying colours.

After months of speculation, Nicolas Anelka(real name Abdul-salaam Bilal) has finally left Bolton. Although he was linked with many clubs,including Manchester United,it is Chelsea who have signed him Manager Avram Grant is delighted that Chelsea have been able to sign their main transfer ,and many think they have pulled off a real coup. The $30 million that Chelsea paid Bolton to secure Anelka's services have made him the most expensive player in history of football.

Anelka's footballing abilities have never been in doubt . He is probably one of the best strikers in the world at the moment, possessing terrific pace and brilliant finishing ability. He is one of those few players that will score 9 times out of 10 in one-on-one situation with the Goal-keeper. He is at equal ease when he plays with a partner or alone upfront. Not only does he score goals ,but he chips in with quite a few assists as well. He had already scored 11 goals for Bolton this season,which is an outstanding achievement considering the fact that Bolton are fighting relegation.

It is Anelka's off-the-pitch antics that have blighted his football career and tarnished his image. He even got the title of 'Le Sulk' when he demanded a move to Real Madrid during his time at Arsenal. But I think Anelka greatly improved at Bolton and he is past his bad-boy days now.

Anelka has said that Chelsea will be his last club. I doubt this statement very much, but there is a great chance that this WILL be Anelka's last shot at the big time. This would be a huge motivating factor for him to do well. It will be interesting to see whether Anelka plays with Drogba. Although they may play together this season, the general feeling is that Drogba will leave Chelsea in the summer and Anelka has been bought to replace him. Regardless of the fact Drogba stays or not'Anelka has the potential to be a hit and other teams should fear his presence at Stamford bridge. He has a crucial role in this season's title race too. if Anelka fires,You can expect Chelsea to push manchester United and Arsenal all the way or the premiership crown.

Chelsea have also completed the signing of 23-year old Serbian defender,Branislav Ivanovic, from Russian outfit Locomotiv Moscow. He ahas already earned 9 international caps and partners Manchester united's Nemanja Vidic in the heart of Serbia's defence. Understandably, Old Trafford was thought to be his next destination. He was even linked with Juventus,Inter Milan and AC Milan,but Chelsea managed to land him in the end.Being a versatile player,He can play all across the defence and in a holding midfield role. In my view, has been bought for the future,with his current role being to provide cover for the first-choice players.This is partly due to the fact that foreign players take at least 6 months to adjust to the premiership. If he turns out to be anything as good as Vidic, Chelsea will have gem on their hands. His arrival will also signal the end of Tal Ben haim's time on Stamford Bridge,and I think the Israeli defender will be off to a mid-table club soon.

Chelsea have shown they are not afraid to keep spending big. Let's see if they take another dip in the transfer market this January.

Another premiership weekend is nearly upon us. This time, Manchester United travel to the Madejski stadium to face Reading. At this time of the year, all is looking good for United. Top of the table, with no major injury worries, and clashes to look forward to in the Champions League and the FA Cup. United's players have had a week's rest, and they should really up for this game. Although Reading's home form has been quite good, I don't see them getting anything out of this game.

Arsenal face Fulham in a London derby. The Gunners are suffering a little blip right now. They drew with Birmingham last week, and they should have been beaten by Tottenham in the Carling Cup. They are also missing Toure. Not only he is as solid as a rock in defence, he also started quite a lot of their attacks by virtue of his excellent distribution. Therefore I think this match is going to be a lot closer than most people think,but Arsenal will be able to grind out a result in the end.

Chelsea are away to Birmingham, and I see birmingham making it difficult for Avram Grant's side. They got a good result at The Emirates last time around,and this would give them a big boost. But I think Chelsea's superior quality will tell and they will get the 3 points they need from this game. Anelka will make his full debut, and he has a good chance of scoring his first goal for the Blues.

The Monday Night fixture sees Liverpool hosting Aston Villa . This season , Martin O'Neil and his side are realistically chasing the fourth place and they will be extra-motivated for this game. Liverpool are not playing well these days, and it seems doubts sorrounding over Rafael Benitez's future and all the boardroom uncertainity is finally affecting the players. I think this will be a really interesting match, and Liverpool will be victorious in the end, securing Rafael Benitez's future-for now.

This is what I think will happen in all the matches of this weekend.

Birmingham v Chelsea 1-2
Blackburn v Middlesborough 2-0
Fulham v Arsenal 1-2
Portsmouth v Derby 2-0
Reading v Manchester United 1-2
Tottenham v Sunderland 3-0
Newcastle v Bolton 3-1
Wigan v Everton 1-1
Manchester City v West Ham 1-0
Liverpool v Aston Villa 2-1

This is how I did with my predictions last week. Predictions are in the brackets.
Arsenal 1-1 Birmingham (3-0)
Aston Villa 3-1 Reading (2-1)
Bolton 1-2 Blackburn (1-1)
Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham (1-1)
Derby 0-1 Wigan (1-1)
Everton 1-0 Man City (1-1)
Man Utd 6-0 Newcastle (4-0)
Middlesbrough 1-1 Liverpool (1-1)
Sunderland 2-0 Portsmouth (1-2)
West Ham 2-1 Fulham (2-0)
I got FOUR results right and ONE perfect score

As I predicted, Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-0 last night to book their place in the last 4 of the Carling Cup, a feat they also managed last year. Both sides missed great chances to open the scoring in the first half. But finally Chelsea got lucky in the second half when Lampard's strike deflected in off Carragher. Liverpool's chances of a comeback were over when Peter Crouch was sent off for his horrible tackle on Mikel. Towards the end, Shevchenko also got on the scoresheet when his shot went in at the near post. All in all, it was a comfortable victory for the Blues. But Chelsea fans should not take too much heart from this win. Liverpool were poor last night and it is the upcoming busy festive period that will be their real test. Same is the case with Liverpool, who really need to chalk up some victories to get their season back on track and please their American owners.

The draw for the semi-finals took place after the match. It sees Arsenal meeting Tottenham Hotspur again and Chelsea taking on Everton, who have looked quite good this season. I expect both ties to be tight contests and fun to watch and I for one will not be surprised if Everton are able to get past Chelsea and Spurs are able to take revenge from the Gunners for beating them at the same stage last season. Both first and second legs of the ties will take place in January and they are certainly ones to look forward to.

Last night, quarter-finals were played in the Carling Cup. In the first match, Arsenal travelled to Ewood Park to face Blackburn Rovers. Bit of a rivalry has developed between the two sides in recent years which results in steamy encounters between them Continuing with his policy of fielding his reserves in the Carling Cup, Arsene Wenger again played a very young side, making 11 chances to the team that played against Chelsea at the weekend. The youngsters justified their selection racing into a 2-0 lead within half hour courtesy of great finishes by Diaby and Eduardo. But you can never rule out a Blackburn comeback these days and Santa Cruz gave them hope, scoring just before half-time. Blackburn gained the initiative in the second- half, and Santa Cruz duly equalised from a Derbyshire cross, taking his tally to an incredible 5 goals in 2 matches. Denilson was sent off near the end of regulation time for a terrible challenge on Dunn, which maked a Blackburn victory even more likely. But all of Blackburn's efforts prooved to be in vain, as Eduardo scored again in extra-time sending the Gunners into the semi-final for the second year in a row.

In the second quarter-final, Tottenham defeated Manchester City at Eastlands, thereby ending City's 100% home record. Jermain Defoe put Spurs ahead as early as the fifth minute, ane Steed Malbranque made sure of the victory 8 minutes from time. Tottenham's task of achieving a win was made much more difficult when referee Steve Bennet sent off Didier Zokora in the 20th minute, but Spurs managed to hang on to seal a place in the last 4 of the cup keeping a clean sheet at last (thanks in no small part to Paul Robinson's fantastic saves).

Tonight, Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the last quarter-final of the Carling Cup. I expect the managers of both teams to field fairly strong line-ups as both of them need a win desperately to restore pride and confidence after damaging defeats at the hands of their rivals at the weekend. I think the match will be quite cagey at first, but become more open as the match progresses due to the fact that it is a cup-tie. Steven Gerrard is out of the match which is a big blow to Liverpool. Everyone knows that Liverpool are just not the same team without their talismanic captain. Moreover,Chelsea are at home and I expect somebody from their midfield to come up with the goods(their strikers are hopeless,apart from Drogba).Therefore,I am going for a Chelsea win. Let's see whice side delivers the knock-out blow to the other one tonight.

'Grand slam' Sunday failed to be a spectacle in terms of quality, but it did provide us with a couple of intriguing and intense matches. In the first match, Manchester United pulled off a smash-and-grab single-goal victory at Anfield over Liverpool. In the following match, Arsenal beat Chelsea comprehensively, also by a 1-0 scoreline.

The first match, in the words of SAF, was a typical United-Liverpool clash. In these kind of matches, passion and emotion takes precedence over other things. This often results in a dull, scrappy affair and this is what happened this time as well. There were no openings and clear-cut chances in the first-half, except when Edwin van der Sar inexplicably decided to come off his line two times, both times colliding with his own defenders. On the first occassion, Anderson cleared off the line and Evra's exceptional last ditch defending kept Liverpool from scoring the second time. The first half was poised to end goalless when Liverpool's defence switched off from a corner, allowing Tevez to expertly turn in a Rooney shot.

In the second half, United seemed content to soak up the pressure and play a counter-attacking game. Again, Liverpool failed to make any decent chances. Their main threat was Ryan Babel who came on for Harry Kewell. He gave Evra something to think about and his long-range shot, which was inches wide of the post, was as good as it got for Liverpool. Wayne Rooney got a chance to kill the game once and for all from a brilliant Ronaldo cross but he miss with only the goalkeeper to beat. But United did not pay for this miss, hanging on for another memorable win at Anfield.

This match prooves that United not only have attacking flair in their team, but also a great defensive line-up which could be relied upon in big matches. It also shows Liverpool don't have enough creativity to open up resolute defences. Kuyt, despite his high work-rate, is not the ideal partner for Torres up-front and Benitez should start with Crouch instead of Kuyt as much as possible.

The second game between Arsenal and Chelsea was also a highly passionate affair. Ashley Cole's return to his old club was the highlight of the match. He was jeered everytime he touched the ball and suffered great abuse at the hands of the Gunners faithful.
The first half was devoid of any quality and tackles were flying everywhere. First Terry went in hard at Fabregas ,then Eboue caught Terry late with his foot. Terry was unable to continue playing and subsequent scans have revealed a broken metatarsal. Eboue got injured himself,leaving the field on a stretcher.Coming back to the match, Arsenal took the lead at the stroke of half-time. Surprisingly,Cech failed to deal with a routine corner,allowing Gallas to head home gleefully.

The second half was much more open and free-flowing. Shaun Wright-Phillips got an excellent oppurtunity but missed, summing up his poor display. Overall, Arsenal dominated the game and had many great chances to score a second goal to put the game beyond Chelsea's reach, but each time they failed to convert spectacularly. In stark contrast, Chelsea did not trouble Almunia a great deal. Therefore, Arsenal truly deserved the win.

This win is a huge boost for Arsenal.It has prooven the maturity and resilience of Arsene Wenger's young team.At the same time,the loss is a huge blow to Chelsea's title aspirations. Chelsea extended Avram Grant's contract just before the match, but the results against the top teams so far have shown he is not the right man for the job. John Terry will be out for at least six weeks following his injury which has further compounded Chelsea's misery. I would also have to say that both teams did not show any genuine quality throughout the match. It was Cech's mistake that handed the game to Arsenal.

So,what conclusions can be drawn about the title race from 'Grand Slam' Sunday? Firstly,Liverpool (now 10 points behind Arsenal and 9 points behind United),even at this early stage,can be ruled out of the race because of their lack of consistency. In my view,United are the firm favourites.They have too much quality and are looking unstoppable.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea, on Sunday's evidence, would have to greatly improve their game if they are to seriously challenge United. If this does not happen, I can see United picking up their 10th premiership crown come next May.

Today is a big day in the premiership. That is why they are calling it 'Grand slam Sunday'. The 'Big Four' are in action, first Manchester United travel to Anfield to face Liverpool and then Chelsea entertain Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Although these two matches will not be title deciders, they are certainly going to give us a good look at how the title-race is going to unfold in the next few months.

LIVERPOOL V MANCHESTER UNITED

Manchester united are on a real good run at the moment. They had a little hiccup when they were defeated by Bolton but since then they have returned to winning ways. They also got a highly creditable draw against Roma in midweek with their second string side. When they get their attacking game going, they are simply awesome and entertaining to watch. For me, United have to control Torres and Gerrard. In this regard, Hargreaves' fitness is crucial to United because he can neutralise Gerrard easily.

Liverpool are also on a high after thumping Marseille in midweek. But they have got to find a level of consistency, Reading were easily able to beat them in their last Premiership match. Winning in this match is much more important to Liverpool, and they would have to take the game to United to have any chance of doing so.

The bottomline is, Man Utd will win the match if they play their normal attacking game. If they get too defensive and invite pressure, anything can happen. I am going for United to win the match by a single goal as United have had a week off and Liverpool will be fatigued after their midweek exploits.

Prediction: 0-1


ARSENAL V CHELSEA

Arsenal are having a blip these days. They have only taken a single point from last 2 games. This dip in form can be attributed to
the absence of Fabregas, Flamini, Van Persie and Hleb in the last few games and shows that Arsenal's second-choice players are not up to the mark. This game is very important to Arsenal because if they lose, then their title ambitions are going to suffer a massive blow.

Chelsea have been continued to be successful under Avram Grant,but they have not really been tested yet. Only time they faced a very good side(Man Utd) they were comprehensively beaten.This match is Grant's big test,and a chance to show everyone that he can lead Chelsea to glory.

I think this is going to be a nice entertaining match as Arsenal, being the home side, will go all-out at Chelsea (unlike Liverpool who will be happy to play much more cautiously). Drogba's absence could be the deciding factor in this match. Without him,Chelsea just don't look like scoring. But I do think Chelsea will boss the midfield, even more so if Fabregas and Flamini do not play. Therefore, I am going for a draw.

Prediction: 1-1

There have been persistent rumours flying around in various tabloids for over three months now that Ronaldinho is looking to leave Barcelona and Chelsea and AC Milan are interested in signing him.Although Barca have not officially confirmed these reports,there is a feeling in the footballing world they might be willing to do business.

So, should Ronaldinho leave Barca? If he goes to Chelsea, I don't think he will be successful there. Premiership is much more fast-paced than La Liga, and he has never experienced anything like it before. I also doubt he will be able to handle the physical nature of the Premiership. Furthermore, Chelsea have failed to get the best out of International Superstars before (read Shevenko and Ballack). They have consistently under-performed and have failed to settle at all. The same fate could meet Ronaldinho at Stamford Bridge. If Ronaldinho does move to Chelsea,it is likely to be more of a marketing gimmick and less of a serious effort to improve the team by Roman Abramovich.

However,if Ronaldinho picks the San Siro as his next destination,he will be more likely to succeed. This is because the Serie A is slower-paced and technical in nature. Moreover, AC Milan already have a number of Brazilians in their ranks. Ronaldinho has a good understanding with them and they will help him to settle there. Also, Brazilians have usually found Serie A much more favourable than the Premiership.

But the main question is should Barcelona sell Ronaldinho? The fact is, Ronaldinho is past his peak. He has failed to recapture his best form of 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons (Barca's title winning campaigns). He is still capable of producing moments of magic every now and then, but his general play has slowed down considerably. By holding the ball too much, he hampers Barcelona's fast-paced attacks. In addition,his work-rate and team-ethic is not of the highest quality. Barca can afford to lose him because they already have Eto'o, Henry, Messi and up-coming youngsters Kirkic and Giovanni. If Barca offload him now, they will get at least £50 million in transfer fees. This is serious money, and Barca can reinvest it in their squad. But if Barca put off his transfer for a season or two , his value is likely to drop greatly. I think therefore,looking at the bigger picture,Barca SHOULD sell Ronaldinho, either in the January transfer window or in the summer.

So,what do YOU think? Should Barca stick with Ronaldinho? Or if a parting of the ways will be best for both parties?