City v Spurs - Chelsea v Pool - Nov 11

• zocoss

  11 Nov 12, 11:57

        

   

  Sunday November 11 

   

   

   

       v     

   

  Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur     9:30    Mio    102

   

   

   

   

        

   

       v         

   

  Chelsea v Liverpool     12:00    Mio    102 

• zocoss

  11 Nov 12, 12:12

  Premier League: Manchester City v Tottenham match preview

  A look ahead to this weekend's Premier League fixture at the Etihad Stadium

   

   

  After a promising start, Spurs have been lacklustre in their last two domestic fixtures, going down 2-1 to Norwich in the League Cup before losing 1-0 at home to Wigan in their last league match.

  But Andre Villas-Boas' men bounced back to form on Thursday with a 3-1 over Maribor in the Europa League, and they will enter the match with a bit of confidence on the back of that win.

  Roberto Mancini's City team, meanwhile, have stumbled in recent matches themselves - with their last outing in the league resulting in a 0-0 draw at West Ham before they were forced to come from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw with Ajax in the Champions League on Tuesday.

  A win for either side would get things back on track.

   

  KICK-OFF: Sunday, 9.30pm

   

  PAST THREE MEETINGS…

  Manchester City 3 (Nasri, Lescott, Balotelli) Tottenham 2 (Defoe, Bale), Premier League, January 2012

  Tottenham 1 (Kaboul) Manchester City 5 (Dzeko 4, Aguero), Premier League, August 2011

  Manchester City 1 (Crouch OG) Spurs 0, Premier League, May 2011

   

  STATS...

  Samir Nasri has scored in three of his last four league appearances against Tottenham, and provided three assists in the one game he failed to register a goal.

  Andre Villas-Boas' side are one win away from 300 in the Premier League.

  The north London outfit have won seven of their last 11 league visits to City.

  Manchester City will be hoping to capitalise on Tottenham's patchy form in the Premier League when they welcome them to Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

• zocoss

  11 Nov 12, 13:16

  I’m not a diver.. I’m a top-class player

  

  TRICK OR CHEAT? ... Suarez says he's a victim of his skills, not a diver

  LUIS SUAREZ goes head to head with Fernando Torres today insisting he is not the diver the rest of the Premier League deems him.

  Suarez faces Chelsea on the back of England skipper Steven Gerrard’s ringing endorsement that the controversial Uruguayan is the greatest Liverpool striker he’s ever played with.

  And boss Liverpool Brendan Rodgers has even compared Suarez to Lionel Messi.

  That’s one in the eye for Torres as he seeks his first goal in four matches against Liverpool since his sensational £50 million move almost two years ago.

  But Suarez is still blighted by his diving reputation — a stigma he says is driving him mad.

  “I insist I don’t dive in the penalty area,” he said. “This is my career and the bad reputation created around me is unjust.

  “If you analyse the statistics I am one of the forwards who receives the most fouls and free kicks.

  “There always seems to be controversy surrounding me but I accept the referee’s decisions — they are only human.

  “I accept the criticism against me but many people attack me without reason. That doesn’t please me but I try to do my best day by day.”

  However, while Torres still struggles to reproduce his Anfield form, Suarez is enjoying his most prolific spell in English football with seven goals — more than half of the Reds’ total — in the Premier League so far.

  But he still needs a leg up. Whatever he does, wherever he goes, Suarez will never be football’s “boy next door” given his race row bust-up with Patrice Evra and constant accusations over alleged diving.

  But Gerrard’s warm words in a midweek tweet have given him a vital leg up as inconsistent Liverpool head for Stamford Bridge and Torres today, while Rodgers hailed Suarez’s goal against Newcastle.

  He said: “He plays the false nine role like Messi does for Barcelona where he moves freely and others have to get in behind him to penetrate.

  “Suarez’s goal was brilliant. He is a world-class striker.”

  The fact is that against a background of constant brickbats the mercurial striker continues to give belting performances on his own up front after the loss of Andy Carroll to West Ham. And he’s ready to show Torres a thing or two.

  Suarez said: “Steve is friend and a worldwide star, the boss in the dressing room and a symbol for Liverpool over the past decade.

  “He merits total respect so his quote about me is high praise.

  “Torres is highly regarded by Liverpool fans but I prefer not to draw comparisons between us because we are a different type of forward.

  “I am not envious of anything he did for Liverpool. Maybe we are similar in the way we battle against defenders and our passion is the same, but technically we are different.”

  The Uruguayan said his secret to scoring goals is simple — it’s work, work, work.

  He explained: “I undergo many videos sessions to analyse characteristics in opposing defenders and goalkeepers.

  “While it’s difficult to suggest a goals target for the season if I score more than 20 goal I will be happy.”

  Often Suarez is picked to toil alone in attack but he insists he doesn’t find it too much pressure and is happy to play wherever boss Brendan Rodgers picks him.

  He said: “My mission is to play and to score goals for Liverpool.

  “Liverpool are one of the top clubs in England and we are obliged to fight for all the titles, including the Premier League.

  “This has become complicated because of results so far so we need to give our maximum in every match.

  “Rodgers is a new coach and is normal that things will get better match to match. I’m confident it will work.

  “My dream for this season is to make the top four. Our squad should be fighting against the biggest rivals in this division.

  “Sunday’s game with Chelsea is hard because they have been league leaders and are at home.

  “But it’s a challenge for Liverpool. We needs to improve our positions and this is the best moment to do it.””

• zocoss

  11 Nov 12, 13:17

   

  Leaders of the pack: Why Liverpool against Chelsea will be the tale of two skippers

   

   

   

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  The spotlight will be on the two captains if, as expected, John Terry and Steven Gerrard make their returns for Chelsea and Liverpool today.

  Both England veterans face challenging tests in their respective areas.

  Terry will have to face Luis Suarez, who has scored in his last five ­Premier League outings, while Gerrard will have his work cut out to ­contain the Chelsea creative ­midfield trio of Hazard, Mata and Oscar.

  Liverpool and Three Lions skipper ­Gerrard can also ­create ­history in Sweden on Wednesday when he ­reaches a century of appearances for his country, injury permitting.

  He’s been a terrific player for England and single-handedly lifted his ­national team off the floor after the 2010 World Cup calamity in South Africa.

  Gerrard always leads by example and should help Roy Hodgson take ­England all the way to Rio in two years time although, at the age of 34, a third ­successive World Cup ­Finals might just be beyond him.

  Today’s game looks to be a certain home win yet instead has produced notable recent victories for the Reds.

  Liverpool have won the last four Premier League ­encounters against today’s hosts and have recovered from a shaky start to ­remain ­undefeated for the last five league matches.

  The first goal could be crucial today as Liverpool have only won once in 29 league matches when a goal down at half time.

  In contrast, Chelsea have come back and won three times when going behind this season.

  With their free-flowing midfield trio starting to click, Roberto Di ­Matteo’s team will always make chances.

  Unfortunately, up front, ­Fernando Torres is going through a real pimple patch and even ­defender Gary ­Cahill’s strike rate this season is better than the £50million misfit.

  Chelsea should win today, and there could even be something in the air tonight, for Fernando’s sake!

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  11 Nov 12, 23:28

  Dzeko the super sub hero again

• charlize

  11 Nov 12, 23:30

  Dzeko is the best.

• charlize

  11 Nov 12, 23:31

  The other game, I think one team will get thrashed.

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  11 Nov 12, 23:57

  wtf carragher play
  
  skrtel missing

• charlize

  11 Nov 12, 23:59

  Originally posted by Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1):

  wtf carragher play
  
  skrtel missing

  Luckily no Drogba.

• snipped

  12 Nov 12, 03:38

  City wins and Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool Drawn

• zocoss

  12 Nov 12, 10:54

  A Funny Game Of Two Racist !

  Both were the only scorer of goals in the match.

  One Black guy attack a racist only for that racist to attack that black guy's racist and injured him badly... The script couldn't have been written any better...

  Rather please with the result at the end.

   

   

   

   

   

  Blues fear JT’s out for the season

  Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1

  

  HORROR ... John Terry's right leg crumples awkwardly underneath Luis Suarez

   

  HORROR ... John Terry's right leg crumples awkwardly underneath Luis Suarez

   

   

  CHELSEA fear John Terry’s season is over after he suffered an horrific-looking knee injury yesterday.

  The Blues skipper, 31, was carried off in agony following a first-half collision with Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.

  Terry’s knee bent backward grotesquely under the weight of the clash and it is feared he has serious ligament damage.

  Centre-half Terry, who had headed Blues in front, screamed in agony before being carried off and he will undergo an MRI scan today.

  He left Stamford Bridge on crutches with his right knee in a brace last night.

  Anxious Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo said: “Obviously we are worried about John and we hope it’s not serious.

  “It’s always a concern when a player reacts like that. He’s in pain right now and will go to hospital in the morning.

  “We won’t know the full extent of the damage until we have the results of the scan but we hope it’s not long-term.”

  Suarez, who nicked Liverpool’s second-half equaliser, went on Twitter to voice his concern for Terry.

  He tweeted: “A shame we couldn’t get the three points.

  “Glad to help the team with another goal ... Hugs to Terry, I hope it’s nothing serious.”

  Ex-England captain Terrry had surgery on the same knee earlier in the year.

  And if he has sustained cruciate ligament damage, that would require another operation — putting him out for anything up to six months.

   

   

   

  

  HOPPING FOR THE BEST ... skipper is all strapped up as he hobbles out of the Bridge on crutches last night.

   

  Terry’s injury was sustained when striker Suarez fell on to his outstretched leg following a shove from behind by Chelsea midfielder Ramires. 

   

  It was immediately apparent Terry was in serious trouble as he beat the ground and signalled for help.

  The injury could not have come at a worse time for Terry, who was playing his first Premier League game since completing a four-match ban for racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand.

  Di Matteo said: “We had just got John back into the team. It’s a real shame.”

  
  
• charlize

  12 Nov 12, 11:09

  The header by Carragher leading to the suarez goal quite impressive.

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  12 Nov 12, 11:43

  Respect Torres
  
  
  

• I.imba

  13 Nov 12, 12:27

  When Gerrard is also on the ground for some time, i thought both sides' captain will be out...

  Surprise that Carragher is in the starting line-up with Skrtel sick/injured

  Exciting game because both side just love to give up possession so much

• charlize

  13 Nov 12, 21:33

  Originally posted by Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1):

  Respect Torres
  
  
  

  He respects a lot of teams.