Arsenal vPorto

The Champions League returns over these next few weeks and its knockout time.  And with all the ties still a contest; expect fireworks from Europe’s premier competition.  It all begins on Tuesday at the Emirates as Arsenal look to overturn their two-one defeat to Porto.  Wenger’s side though have been dealt a huge blow with the announcement that Cesc Fabregas will be missing from the line-up. Arsenal have struggled in recent times in Europe and if they are going to come back and win, then Wenger will need to use all of his skill and experience.  The Gunners will be boosted by the form of Theo Walcott and Arshavin who will be forced to fill the creative void that has been left by Fabregas’s withdrawal. With Fabregas out, Porto have been made favourites, and with their in-form striker ‘the Hulk’, Arsenal could be crashing out of the Champions League early, once again.

Fiorentina v Munich

The other match on Tuesday evening sees Fiorentina host Bayern Munich; the Germans hold a one goal lead after beating the Italian outfit two-one in Munich. If there wasn’t so much of a chance of a shock at the Emirates then this game would be getting the attention it deserves. But both sides will be happy staying under the radar, one thing is for sure, the team that goes through to the next round, will be quietly confident.

Manchester United v AC Milan

The tie of the week and maybe the round, will take place at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening, when Manchester United will host AC Milan and welcome back their prodigal son David Beckham. It will be an emotional night for Beckham as he returns to the club that made him who he is today. As for the match; if Manchester United are going to be missing Wayne Rooney than this tie is wide open particularly as United have suffered with problems at the back especially in Europe. I feel Milan will need to score twice though and hope United don’t score, with United’s three away goals I don’t think there will be penalties and for that reason I expect an open and fast-paced game. And what of Beckham?  If he starts he will get a standing ovation from the adoring United faithful, but could we see another snubbed handshake as Beckham and Sir Alex will meet at last in full public view.

Real Madrid v Lyon

Wednesday night could also see the end of Real Madrid’s dream of walking out at their home ground come finals night. They have had the perfect warm up for this one.  At the weekend they came back from two-nil down to win three-two.  It’s this type of performance that could overpower the French side of Lyon, but I believe Lyon will be too strong and with Madrid going for the kill, they could over commit and get caught on the break.  Whatever happens over the next couple of nights, one thing is for sure their really is nothing better than knockout Champions League football.

Mark Duckworth

The FA Cup was back at the weekend and once again the world’s oldest cup competition was followed by negative press and criticism that it has lost its charm and appeal. Well if the four games that took place over the weekend had lost their charm and appeal then, nobody had told the players and fans who helped to put on an excellent show. 

Lets take the first game Portsmouth V Birmingham, both clubs went into the weekend in complete contrast to one another, one is in administration and the other mid-table in the Premier League and being backed by wealthy owners. Portsmouth seem to have a love affair with the Cup and I get the feeling it may continue.  The team is playing without any pressure and when they walk out at Wembley to face either Fulham or Spurs, the south coast club could have a real advantage over their rivals. The semi-final is also a great reward for those fans who have been though hell this season.  They may lose their Premier League status but I’m sure a day at Wembley will help heal those broken hearts. 

Portsmouth will face either Fulham or Spurs after they drew nil-nil at Craven Cottage. This was a tight affair and you could tell that both teams had their sights set on other targets. That is understandable with the way modern day football has gone but I have a feeling the reply will be a different matter as both teams will look to settle it on the night. Fulham also seem to be stronger away from home this season and with Spurs ever growing injury list, I think Fulham could just squeeze into the semi-final. 

Saturday’s FA Cup provided plenty of entertainment but nothing could match the game that was being played at the Madejski Stadium. Reading fans must have thought they were witnessing another FA Cup fairy tale, when their side went two- nil up, but Villa had other ideas and shattered the Wembley dreams of the Reading faithful. This game really was the perfect game for any competition, but with the FA Cup coming under criticism from certain media sources this is the game it needed. Six goals and great drama, it might have had only one Premier League team in it, but Reading more than played their part. 

The final Cup tie of the weekend came at Stamford Bridge, and for once this year, John Terry wrote the right kind of headlines. Terry helped his Chelsea side survive an early bombardment by Stoke and then killed the game off with a typical bullet header, before going to celebrate in front of his adoring fans. The FA Cup and Terry might have started with negative press but if the remaining games are like this weekend’s, then the booing will soon turn to cheering.

In the Premier League Bolton upset a lot of football coupons as they somehow managed to win away at West Ham and help ease those relegation fears. Many had this down as a home banker, but Bolton hadn’t read that script and went about dismantling West Ham and collected those valuable three points. 

With Chelsea away dreaming of Wembley, firstly Arsenal and then Manchester United had the chance to top the Premier League table. Arsenal did their bit as they eventually got the better of a very spirited Burnley. Theo Walcott was the star for Arsenal and his goal on the hour mark shattered Burnley’s spirit, who only ten minutes earlier had equalised through David Nugent. Manchester United had more of a trickier afternoon as they needed a ninetieth minute winner from midfield general Paul Scholes. United missing Rooney never looked like scoring and it was a defensive mistake that cost Wolves in the end. Wolves may be playing well but its points that count and if they don’t find some soon it could be a difficult few months ahead.  

Sunday only had one Premier League game, but it did have six goals, with Everton running out 5-1 winners over sorry Hull city. This season seems like déjà-vu for Hull who find themselves once again scrapping for survival. 

The Championship again saw another round of tight fixtures as the pressure starts to mount at both ends. But one thing stayed the same and that is Newcastle’s ability to keep scoring goals. This time it was Barnsley who got the hammering as the Toon Army smashed six past the Yorkshire outfit. 

In the race for the second automatic spot West Brom suffered at the hands of new QPR boss Neil Warnock, who jumped ship only days before this one and witnessed a dream start.  But  his former club Palace took another step towards a relegation battle. With West Brom’s surprise defeat, Nottingham Forest took full advantage and picked up all three points against Swansea who were finally beaten in the 92^nd minute. At the other end of the table Peterborough and Plymouth slipped further behind, but Sheffield Wednesday closed the gap and are only in the relegation places on goal difference.

 FA Cup 6^th Round

 It’s round six of the FA Cup this week and with only one club remaining from outside the Premier League all the neutrals will be donning their blue and white scarves for Reading. And after already knocking out Liverpool, Reading must really fancy their chances of another upset when they host Aston Villa in the Sunday Lunch kickoff. Villa will be hoping for a much better performance than their last cup outing and will need it, if they are to beat the ever improving Reading. 

Saturday sees two all Premier League affairs, firstly the lunch time kick-off at Fratton Park, which will see Portsmouth trying to forget about money problems and relegation worries when Birmingham make the long trip down. A FA Cup semi-final would be a great achievement for Birmingham who have surprised everyone this season as they sit proudly in mid-table. The other Saturday fixture sees an all London affair when Tottenham make the short trip to Fulham. Similar to Fulham and FA Cup semi-final would see great progress at Fulham who are also chasing the Europa League. With Tottenham’s ever growing injury list I suspect Harry could play a weakened side here and who can blame him when there is still the chance his side could make the Champions League places. 

The final game in the sixth round involves Chelsea who entertain Stoke at the Bridge. I really feel the winner of this one will go on and win the cup. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Stoke just nicked it, Chelsea aren’t exactly water-tight at the moment and with Stoke’s unusual style of attacking football (ball polishers), I feel Chelsea and Terry could be in for a long afternoon. 

Premier League 

While Chelsea are preparing for an aerial bombardment, Manchester United and Arsenal will be looking to sneak up from behind and overtake the stumbling Blues. United have the easier game, they visit Wolves and with Mick McCarthy’s men showing no teeth at the moment, expect Rooney and Co to have an easy day. Arsenal entertain Burnley who are now fighting for their Premiership lives and may put up more of a fight then Arsenal are expecting.      

Bolton travel to West Ham looking to win back-to-back Premier League games and relieve some of the pressure that has been building at the Lancashire club. But I feel Zola’s men will be in no mood to help out and I expect a comfortable win for the Hammers as the Gold and Sullivan revolution continues. 

Sunday’s only game in the premier league sees Everton looking to bounce back against a Hull City side that has had some indifferent form. Hull need the win to stop the rot and I think they could surprise a few people and maybe come away with all three points. 

Championship 

The Championship will see another tight set of fixtures as the promotion and relegation battle heats up. Barnsley have the dreaded task of going to Newcastle, but the Tykes are in good form and will be hoping to keep the score at least respectable. QPR will be hoping for the new manger buzz, but I expect West Brom to come out easy winners as they look to hit their stride. Forest are once again involved in the game of the day and will be hoping to get back on the winning road but Swansea, will be provide a tough test and a very good game of football. 

Cardiff will be hoping history doesn’t repeat itself and they get back to winning ways quickly and forget their hammering last week at the hands of Preston. The last time Cardiff lost at Preston their season spiralled and Dave Jones will be hoping his side show more spirit and bottle than last season. Last weekend Sheffield Wednesday slipped into the relegation zone and with the visit of Leicester, the Yorkshire outfit look to have a difficult afternoon ahead.

Well it’s less than a hundred days to the World Cup and if you’re wondering why England won’t win the World Cup, the answers to your questions were clear at Wembley. Egypt turned up with a game plan and almost succeeded, but England were saved by their goal machine, Crouch. 

Lets start with the visitors, the Egyptians obviously didn’t read the initial script and for almost an hour they out-classed England in every department. They moved the ball quicker, kept better shape, and took their chances with what you expect from a top international striker like Mohammed Zidan. Egypt exposed England at their worst, from slack defending, to simple mistakes that cost us a goal. Egypt may have been beaten in the end but they would have given Capello a little wakeup call and hopefully his side, who looked out of sorts and off the pace. 

Capello maybe also wondering what has happened to his Wembley pitch.  Upson may blame the pitch for Egypt’s goal, but the pitch cut up through the whole of the ninety and must be a concern for the FA. The questions have to be asked, how a pitch can get so bad that sees so little action, and if the FA wanted an entertainment venue  shouldn’t they have built one?  If the FA wanted a football pitch, then have it that way and let the grass go and develop like it should. 

And so on to England, for so long it looked like the Egyptians would be too strong for the Three Lions and show the world why we won’t win the World Cup, but tonight also showed why we possibly could. That is for a change we showed some spirit and fight and also composure when we needed it most. Let’s take Wright-Phillips goal unlike earlier attempts from the likes of Lampard and Defoe, Wright-Phillips showed skill and composure to not only get his attempt on goal but also with enough pace to find its way into the net. Like every England game Rooney showed the spirit of 15 lions never mind three, the United front man was arguably the best player for England. John Terry may have started the night being booed but by the end of it, most of those had turned to a slight cheer as he led the team at the back and made sure the lead stayed intact. 

The other big plus is that Capello made changes, and those changes had an impact on the game. Unlike the last England manager Capello acted on his England flops and made positive changes. If Capello had done his homework than he would have started with Crouch, the Spurs front man has a habit of scoring against the minnows of International football and he would continue this habit. Crouch might not be the most popular of strikers but he does know where the net is, and with his brace he took his tally to almost one goal per game and with that record he has probably booked his place on the plane to South Africa. 

So as the England players return to their club teams and the Wembley pitch gets re-laid again, the English media can go into overdrive why we will win or won’t win the World Cup.

 When England walk out onto the hallowed turf of Wembley on Wednesday night it will be less than 100 days to the World Cup and only one of the teams on show will be going to South Africa, so just why are we playing Egypt? 

With the ever mounting cost of Wembley it seems the FA just needed a team that was available and Egypt fit that bill. They will turn up for the game, full of hope and the dream of upsetting the mighty three lions, but the reality will soon kick in as they will probably be thumped three or four nil by the now machine-like England. 

So why did The FA pick Egypt?  Well as already pointed out, they were available. And with international friendlies being arranged months in advance, especially in a World Cup year, The FA were struggling to fill this space with something meaningful. Egypt are one of the more successful African teams at the moment, although they haven’t qualified for the World Cup – the African Cup of Nations Champions are a successful side. So why didn’t The FA try and get one of the African sides that have qualified for the World Cup? Well the answer is they tried but none of them wanted to come to Wembley and be hammered in front of the watching World.  With England only suffering friendly defeats to teams above them in the FIFA World Rankings, it seems Egypt were the only team who were naive enough to take up the invite. 

So what of England’s next possible prey?  The African Cup Champions and are looking to improve as a footballing nation, the friendly may be a waste of time for England but Egypt will use this as a benchmark to indicate where they really are in the world pecking order, as the FIFA rankings usually tell a false story with teams getting more points for an away win than a home one. 

The Egyptians will also be carrying a few household names that England will have to be watchful of, these include; Hull City striker Amr Zaki and Mohamed Zidan of German side Borussia Dortmund. These two could cause the three lions some problems and with Zaki only just winning back his place, then expect the Premier League front man to go on the hunt for goals. 

Trying to guess Fabio’s team selection for this one is like trying to pick the winning Euro Lottery numbers. All the numbers seem possible and which ever you pick will undoubtedly not come out. Let’s look at the goalkeeper.  It really could be any one of those called up, but I predict a change at half-time for this one so Capello at least gets to look at some of his options in arguably our weakest position. I expect James to start, and maybe Hart to finish the game, as a reward for his excellent season so far. Also, the starting forwards are still up in the air, Capello has really only used Defoe as a sub and I can see the same happening here, as he looks to partner Wayne Rooney with a big man. I’d personally go for Crouch as he has a habit of scoring against the minnows but I think Heskey’s recent goals will get him the nod.

So with the Egyptian team hopefully getting a look round Harrods, all that remains to say is just watch the goal highlights; and instead watch Scotland taking on the Czech Republic, the team England really should have played.

It’s not often that a major cup final doesn’t take the main headlines but that’s what happened this weekend as the Premier League dominated the back pages.

Was it a surprise that Wayne Bridge didn’t shake John Terry’s hand?  No, but it was a surprise that the team in sky blue took all three points back to Manchester and gave their neighbours in red a massive boost. Both teams were all square at the break but after half-time City came out, and Chelsea led by Terry stayed in the dressing room. City were led by the excellent Tevez and Bellamy who made sure not only the three points but ‘Team Bridge’ went back to Manchester with pride intact. Terry may be coming out fighting but his form on the pitch must be a worry for his club and country and with some huge games coming up, Chelsea will be hoping he appears less on the front pages and they get back to winning ways.

With Chelsea slipping up, Arsenal had the chance to capitalise, and capitalise they did. In seasons past this is the type of game Arsenal would have lost and returned to London bruised and battered. They may have returned bruised but at least they have the three points that take them within touching distance of Chelsea. On the bruised side, it was on the 66^th minute and a Ryan Shawcross tackle that unfortunately broke the leg of Arsenal youngster Aaron Ramsey. Ramsey will miss the rest of the season and a proportion of next, but it seems the break isn’t as bad as first feared and he should make a full recovery.

Portsmouth may have gone into administration but the fans and it now seems the players have still some fight in them as they beat Burnley at Turf Moor. The defeat for Burnley leaves them in real danger of relegation and with a tough month ahead the pressure will be mounting on Brian Laws. Bolton also had a huge win over Wolves and climbed to as high as fifteenth, but they are still only two points off the drop-zone as the relegation race starts to take shape.

Sunday was once again all about the race for that fourth spot and with Aston Villa away at Wembley, Tottenham and Liverpool looked to pile the pressure on the in-form City. Both teams did that, but not in convincing fashion as Tottenham held on for a two-one victory and Liverpool only just squeezed past a Blackburn Rovers side that has struggled away from home all season.

 And so on onto the first major trophy and sadly for the neutral it was Manchester United that won the Carling Cup albeit with a little help from the referee. The referee looked to be on Aston Villa’s side when he awarded them a penalty on the 4^th minute but then somehow managed not to send off the offender Vidic who was clearly the last man and had to go. The penalty though only seemed to wake United up, and they soon equalised through Michael Owen before he yet again got injured. The game was a tight affair and it was going to take something special to break the deadlock and Wayne Rooney’s header was something special from a standing jump he managed to loop a deft header over Brad Friedel and into the Villa net. With the excitement of past rounds the final was always going to struggle to live up to expectation but Villa will be kicking themselves here, as they had a real chance of upsetting the champions, who have become somewhat of a one man team; its lucky for United that one man is at the moment arguably the best player in the world.

In the Championship, Newcastle maintained their advantage at the top, but they were given a good game by Watford who maybe felt they should have taken a point from this one. West Brom kept their two point cushion over Nottingham Forest with a fine three-one win over the inform Derby county. Nottingham Forest were arguably involved in the shock of the day as they were heavily beaten by the impressive Leicester City who jumped up one place into fifth. Cardiff also suffered at the hands of Preston as they crashed to a three-nil defeat at Deepdale. In the relegation battle Sheffield Wednesday slipped into the bottom three after they were hammered five-nil by fellow strugglers Reading.

It’s not often the Carling Cup final gets put ahead of the Premier League but this Sunday it will do just that. And that is because Aston Villa have the chance of upsetting Manchester United and ending their fans’ long wait for silverware.

Aston Villa v Manchester United

Aston Villa must have watched the tapes of Everton ripping Manchester United apart but come Sunday when they walk on the hallowed turf of Wembley it will be a whole different United. Villa have been hit and miss this season when they have been good they have been amazing but when O’Neill’s boys get it wrong – the wheels come off. And I have a feeling this Sunday the whole occasion will be too much for Villa and with United in the state of a wounded animal, expect Rooney and Co to come out fighting. I hope this final isn’t a turn off and more a fitting final for the Carling Cup that has had some excellent games this year.

Chelsea v Manchester City

With United in Wembley, Chelsea have the chance this weekend to put some real pressure on the current champions. United will be hoping their City neighbours can do them a favour and hopefully take one point if not all three back up to Manchester. Unfortunately for United, I can’t see Chelsea slipping up, at the moment City look like a team short on confidence and with player trouble off the pitch expect an easy three points for Chelsea.

Stoke v Arsenal

If Arsenal are going to get back in the title race its weekends like this that can help them, with United not playing and Chelsea coming off a European defeat, this could be the weekend they decide to strike. But Arsenal are playing Stoke and with the men from the potteries boosted by an FA Cup win, the Gunners will need some sharp shooting to take all three points back to London.

Burnley v Portsmouth

In the relegation battle Burnley could really put Pompey in deeper trouble if the administrators haven’t already done so. Brian Laws will be hoping his side’s home form is enough, but Pompey have been playing decent football and with Burnley’s inability to keep a clean sheet, expect goals at Turf Moor. Saturday night could also leave Bolton or Wolves in more trouble but expect a dull draw at the Reebok as both sides will probably take the draw as a good result.

Tottenham v Everton

Sunday again concerns the battle for the 4^th spot with Liverpool, Tottenham and Everton all in action. Liverpool will have Torres back and expect them to hit Blackburn for six as rovers have one of the worse away records in the league. Spurs have the more difficult game when they welcome Everton to White Hart Lane. But expect Spurs to come through this one as Everton could be leggy from their European excursion.

Watford v Newcastle

In the Championship, Newcastle will be looking to maintain their winning form when they take their football south to Watford. Expect the league’s second leading scorers to hit a few more here and keep their five point lead atop the Championship.

West Brom v Derby

West Brom will be looking to close the gap on second place Forest when they welcome the visit of Derby. Derby have hit a rich run of form over recent games and cause the Baggies a few problems. Forest will be hoping their midlands neighbours do just that as they travel to play-off chasing Leicester.

Reading v Sheffield Wednesday

The Championship game of the day concerns the wrong end of the table when Reading entertain Sheffield Wednesday.  Wednesday’s form from a few games ago seems to have disappeared and with Wednesday cup exploits in midweek expect a typical Championship game with lots of passion and energy on show.

Huddersfield v Leeds

League One has one of the tightest promotion races with nine points separating first from fourth. Leeds will be looking it make it back to back victories when they travel to Huddersfield for a Yorkshire derby. Norwich will be hoping Huddersfield can hold Leeds as they make the trip to Oldham for what should be a routine three points.

Bristol Rovers v Colchester

Colchester will be hoping that the two above them have another off weekend as they travel to Bristol Rovers. With Colchester’s recent run of form expect the away side at least to come away with three points.

Rochdale v Macclesfield

League Two is also tight at the top and Rochdale will be hoping to extend their two point lead with three points against Macclesfield. Bournemouth will be looking to extend their lead over third place Bury but playoff chasing Shrewsbury should prove a stiff test. Torquay will be hoping to pull away from the relegation zone but the visit of Accrington Stanley could prove too much.  Football is king.

Its mid-week in February so that can only mean one thing, the Champions League is back, and gone are the pointless group stages replaced by cut throat knockout football that is the best in the world.

Barcelona might have thought they had one of the easier draws, but FVB Stuttgart proved why this is the Champions League. For 45 minutes the German side passed and outplayed the current holders and should have taken more than their one goal lead into half-time.  In the second half it was a different story, Barcelona seemed to spring into life, although not at their blistering best, but still good enough to keep them in the tie. Their equaliser came on 52 minutes when Zlatan Ibrahimovic followed up his first shot that was expertly saved by Jens Lehmann. This game summed up the Champions League and also gave some sort of explanation as to why since the competition changed its format, no team has retained the trophy. 

The other game last night was held in Greece were one of the best home sides in the competition took on one of the best away sides as Olympiakos and Bordeaux did battle. The Greek side looked the better of the sides and with the backing of a passionate home crowd maybe should have taken a lead into half time. But it was Bordeaux who snatched a lead albeit with a bit of luck from a poor refereeing decision by Howard Webb.

 Webb awarded a controversial free-kick to the French, after he thought Lua Lua had taken the man and not the ball. But replays showed it to be the other way round, and from the resulting free-kick: Bordeaux central defender Michael Ciani nodded home. The second half was a much tighter affair, with both sides displaying more passion than skill. Olympiakos must have thought they had equalised at the death, but the goal was ruled out for a push on the Bordeaux goalkeeper.  Bordeaux are the surprise team this year and have won six Champions League games on the bounce.

Tonight’s feature game sees Chelsea visit their former manager and fan favourite Jose Mourinho, as they travel to Italy to play Inter Milan. This game has been surrounded in a media frenzy, but as with every other press-conference, I get the feeling that it could be a bit of bore as both teams will not want to give the other the advantage. Mourinho may have a slight advantage as he knows the Chelsea squad well, but a lot has changed since Mourinho departed England. Chelsea have grown as a team and with the nightmare of last year still fresh in the memory, I think the boys in blue will be too strong for a side that is starting to crack in their own domestic league.

The other tie this evening will take place in a very cold Russia, when CSKA Moscow take on Spanish side Sevilla. The weather could play a major factor here as both sides will be looking to adapt early to the artificial pitch. Moscow have a slight disadvantage as their season is still in lockdown and haven’t played a competitive game for sometime now, but the weather and pitch will be a leveller. Home advantage seems to be the key to this tie and Seville will be hoping they are still in the tie for the return leg back in Spain.

French Revolution: How spending time in a pub led to Arsene Wenger transforming English football

Human nature dictates that a lot of people tend to judge others at face value. That said if you didn’t know otherwise you’d be forgiven for thinking that Arsene Wenger was a rocket scientist or perhaps a brain surgeon. He’s a football manager that a lot of fans must be grateful for, who commands respect. He’s the man who revolutionised the home of football and changed England’s approach to the beautiful game- making it irresistible, continental and brimming with incredible talent.

For a football manager Wenger has an impressive intellectual background. The Frenchman has a degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Economics. He’s also multi-lingual, speaking French, German, Spanish, English, Italian and Japanese. Growing up in a small hamlet in France, Wenger would spend time in his parent’s pub with the local football team, FC Duttlenheim. Engrossing himself in an environment where the conversation was dominated by football: tactics, team selections and skills, made Wenger fall in love with the sport and gave him an impressive early knowledge of the game.

A lot of people may not appreciate and be aware of the extent of the impact and influence that Wenger has had within England. When David Dein confirmed Wenger’s appointment as manager of Arsenal in September 1996, he was one of the first foreign managers to arrive on British soil. Having gained experience and honours at Nancy, Monaco and Japanese side Grampus Eight, Wenger’s transformation was immediate, changing the player’s dietary routines and training sessions. The emphasis was firmly on fitness: junk food was banned with energy-sustaining food introduced. Exercise and coaching sessions to increase stamina, vitality and longevity in matches became regulatory. The senior generation of the squad that Wenger inherited from former manager Bruce Rioch, players like Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Martin Keown, all benefitted significantly from Wenger’s new methods. As a result, their career spans were lengthened due to the vitalising fitness regimes.

Wenger has also always had an eye for spotting real unrecognised talent and spent intricate time nurturing it. The likes of Nicolas Anelka, George Weah and Cesc Fabregas were all ‘bred’ by Wenger. He is largely responsible for the foreign invasion in the Premier League, with talent like Emmanuel Petit, Marc Overmars, Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp all opting to dip a toe in the Premier League pool under the tutorage and guidance of Wenger. A chairman’s dream, he is also recognised as one of the most financially savvy managers, being one of the only bosses to make a profit on transfers.

Arsene Wenger

Both Arsenal and fellow football fans alike have grown accustomed to watching the Gunners’ attractive and alluring style of football, a style coated in flair and brimming with fluid movement. This type of football has made Arsenal multiple-time winners of the Premier League, F.A. Cup and Community Shield. The side went unbeaten on their travels during the 2001/02 season and, incredibly, both home and away throughout the 2003/04 season. So it remains relatively ironic that, with Wenger’s European influence and approach, the Champions League title still remains unattainable, with Arsenal runners up in 2006.

The manager isn’t without his flaws. His composure has dissolved frequently on the touch-line and many wars of words with both referees and fellow managers have consistently landed him in hot water with the authorities. Some critics scoff that Wenger is rarely gracious in defeat, but isn’t that a sign of a perfectionist? A man who spends his life, inside and out of working hours, entirely submerged in football. A football connoisseur who is respected by managers and fans alike for improving and inspiring the game and for setting a precedent for managers from across the globe to ply their trade in England.

Perhaps he could have been a rocket scientist, I for one am glad he isn’t.

With United slipping up Chelsea moved four points clear atop of the Premier League with a comfortable two nil win away at Wolves. Wolves did huff and puff but didn’t really cause Chelsea any problems, unlike Rooney, Drogba was on fine form and added another two goals to a fine season. Arsenal also closed the gap on Manchester United with an easy win over sorry Sunderland who have been dragged into the relegation battle as their poor form continues.

West Ham eased the pressure on themselves and manager Gianfranco Zola with a fine three nil victory over fellow strugglers Hull City. You get the feeling that West Ham’s home form could be the key to their survival as they look to build for next season. Portsmouth must be wondering what they have done wrong in recent weeks as all luck deserted them on Saturday. They had a good goal disallowed, a possible penalty shout ruled out and to make matters worse Stoke scored the winner one minute from time. With the court hearing taking place over the next few weeks Pompey’s fans should be getting their Championship map out.

Newcastle extended their lead at the top of the Championship with a three nil win over lacklustre Preston. Ferguson’s men have shipped eight goals in two matches now and if they’re not careful could end up being dragged into the relegation battle. On the other side Newcastle made it seven home goals in two games and have made St James park a real fortress as they bid to return to the Premier League.

Newcastle’s lead was extended because West Brom slipped to a two one defeat to Bristol City. Before this result Bristol were looking in real trouble but with loan signing Chris Iwelumo starting to settle in, Gary Johnsons men should soon start to climb back up the league.

Nottingham Forest took full advantage of West Brom’s slip up by jumping back into second spot with a one nil win over Middlesbrough. The Boro had shown signs of picking up their form but were always struggling here as they came across one of the stronger Championship clubs. If Boro don’t go up this season then maybe they should take a look at what Forest have done and the way in which they have done it. Billy Davies has assembled a strong championship squad and with a solid home record they might just be playing in the Premier League next season.

In League One both Leeds United and Norwich City are trying their best not to get promoted as both sides dropped points once again at the weekend. Norwich suffered a shocking two nil home defeat against Southampton and it took a 95^th minute equaliser for Leeds to snatch a vital point. Hot on the heels of those two are Colchester and Charlton and if Leeds and Norwich don’t sort out their form soon it could become a four way scrap for promotion to the Championship.

League Two has the tightest race for the playoffs with five points separating just seven teams. Notts County hold that sixth spot but with only a draw from the weekend they are feeling the pressure from the teams below. Accrington are one of those teams and after another fine home win they are only two points off the playoffs with two games in hand. At the top Rochdale extended their lead to five points and a few more wins should be enough for automatic promotion.