“The sun is rising at Eastlands as ‘Kun’ brings his special talent to Manchester City. Kun is the nickname of Sergio Aguero, the Argentine striker who in the last few days has become the latest of City’s South American signings – and potentially the best. Robinho’s capture announced the arrival of the club amongst the super-rich, while the capture of Carlos Tevez had the added cachet of annoying Manchester United.” BBC – Tim Vickery
“When Manchester City announced that their commercial agreement with existing shirt sponsor Etihad Airways was to be expanded into a 10-year deal worth up to £400 million, the reaction of most observers in the football world was one of disbelief. This hugely lucrative contract includes the renaming of the City of Manchester Stadium in a naming rights deal that is likely to be the highest ever signed in football.” Swiss Ramble
“In term of transfers, football clubs seem to go through crazes. The January transfer window was all about strikers, with Fernando Torres, Andy Carroll, Edin Dzeko, Darren Bent and Luis Suarez all changing hands for more than 20 million pounds each. In fact, those five transfers contributed to 159 million pounds of the record 225 million spent by Premier League clubs in that month.” ESPN
“It might not enter the annuls of history as a vintage season, but 2010/11 arguably had more intrigue, twists, turns and drama than any other for a long while. And while the players have discovered Twitter (a new way for them to disgrace themselves) and superinjunctions (a new way for them to hide the old ways), there was plenty to enjoy on the pitch – for neutrals, mainly.” twofootedtackle
“Top flight team slumps into the third division before a well-off businessman takes control, recruits foreign coach, engineers a revival and targets the Champions League. Sound familiar?” In Bed With Maradona
“The 2010-11 EPL season has finished with Manchester United winning a record 19th league title. The final table has them with a 9 point lead over 2nd place Chelsea and 3rd plcae Manchester City. On the other end, there are three sides who have been relegated to the Championship. These are Blackpool, West Ham United, and Birmingham City. The final league table is below with each team’s home, away, and overall record.” The 90th Minute
“As the Barclays Premier League season goes in to its final weekend, let’s take a look back at how things have panned out for each club since August…” SI
“Yaya Toure’s powerful shot 15 minutes from time gave Roberto Mancini’s men the victory. Mancini was able to call upon Carlos Tevez upfront, meaning Edin Dzeko dropped to the bench. Mario Balotelli started on the wing, and Aleksander Kolarov played over Pablo Zabaleta at left-back.” Zonal Marking
“Below are MOTD video highlights for all the EPL matches on May 7, 2011. The full edition of MOTD can be viewed here.” The 90th Minute
“Below are MOTD highlights for all the EPL matches on April 23, 2011. The full edition of MOTD can be viewed here.” The 90th Minute
“Manchester City won the derby to progress to the FA Cup final next month. Roberto Mancini chose to leave out Edin Dzeko despite Carlos Tevez’s absence – he went with Mario Balotelli upfront, supported by Yaya Toure, with Adam Johnson and David Silva on the flanks. Sir Alex Ferguson left out Ryan Giggs and Javier Hernandez. He used three ‘wingers’ – though Park Ji-Sung played in the centre. Dimitar Berbatov started alone upfront.” Zonal Marking
Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – FA Cup
The 90th Minute
“Strikers have a natural tendency to command the attention, but sometimes it is exacerbated. The stark contrast of a rich plot meant that, ignoring the other 20 players, an emphatic win of the old order over the new could be distilled into images of a delighted Andy Carroll and a disconsolate Carlos Tevez.” ESPN
Dalglish revels in strike partnership
“Kenny Dalglish was in buoyant mood after seeing Luis Suarez and Andrew Carroll link-up brilliantly in Monday night’s 3-0 demolition of Manchester City at Anfield. Carroll scored his first goals for Liverpool following his £35 million move from Newcastle United in January, and for the first time there were signs that his partnership with Suarez could be something for the fans to get excited about.” ESPN
Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City: Liverpool find space between the lines
“This game was over by half time as Liverpool scored three goals in the opening period.
Kenny Dalglish gave a start to young John Flanagan at right-back, and played Fabio Aurelio at left-back. The front six was as expected, in a 4-4-1-1. Roberto Mancini rested a couple of players ahead of next week’s FA Cup semi-final, giving a start to Edin Dzeko upfront, with Carlos Tevez in behind. James Milner started on the left. The first half was about constant Liverpool pressure. Both sides tried to press in the first few minutes, but Liverpool settled much quicker and passed the ball better, and had wave after wave of attack.” Zonal Marking
“Below are MOTD video highlights for all the EPL matches on April 2, 2011.” The 90th Minute
“Below are MOTD video highlights for all the EPL matches on March 19, 2011. The full edition of MOTD can be viewed here.” The 90th Minute
“With the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 done and dusted, here are five things we’ve learned…” ESPN
“I know I promised fun-filled clangers, but those will have to wait while I tackle something a bit more serious: the persistent misunderstanding of goalkeeping by well-paid pundits, commentators, and other assorted football experts. I say this without malice or snobbery. None of them actually were goalkeepers, and so it makes sense that they all, be it Andy Gray (once upon a time), Craig Burley, or Jamie Redknapp, tend to trot out well-worn cliches in absence of more in-depth knowledge.” The Goalkeepers’ Union
“Borja Valero. Midfielder – Villarreal – Pass-master, dead-ball wizard, no hair. In an alternate universe, a happy Borja Valero is the king-pin playmaker in the centre of West Brom’s midfield, guiding the Baggies towards a top six finish and all the footballer-lusting floozies the squad could ever need. Unfortunately, the real world is largely a sucky one which is why Valero couldn’t be tempted back to the West Midlands, last summer, after a loan spell with Mallorca after the apparent horrors suffered in England in the 2008-2009 season and WBA are facing relegation. And maybe one or two nights too many for the players with just naughty magazines for company. …” Sabotage Times
“Below are EPL MOTD video highlights for February 12, 2011” The 90th Minute
“City started well but United grew into the contest, and Wayne Rooney’s astonishing overhead kick settled the game. Sir Alex Ferguson went with his 4-5-1 system, dropping Dimitar Berbatov to play Rooney upfront alone. Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans were out so Chris Smalling started. Michael Carrick was the central midfielder left out. Roberto Mancini left out Edin Dzeko to play Carlos Tevez alone upfront. James Milner played in Nigel de Jong’s position, and Aleksandar Kolarov started on the left. Joleon Lescott was chosen over Kolo Toure.” Zonal Marking
Manchester United 2-1 Manchester City – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – EPL
The 90th Minute
“Even in an eventful summer in France, there was perhaps one transfer which caused the most surprise; that of Laurent Koscielny. Kosicelny made his move from the relative modesty of FC Lorient to the vibrancy and tradition of Arsenal for a fee of £8.5m rising to £10m in 2010; a fee which seems perfectly normally in today’s climate if only Koscielny hadn’t spent just the one season in the country’s top-flight. Cue plenty of back-slapping, man-hugs and lame-cool guy handshakes from those who brokered the move on Lorient’s side.” Arsenal Column
“Below are MOTD video highlights for all the EPL matches on February 5, 2011. The full edition of Match Of The Day (all matches in one highlight) can be viewed here.” The 90th Minute
“Ask Danny Last, editor of European Football Weekends, whether he thinks Fernando Torres will be a success for Chelsea and you’ll most likely be greeted with a blank stare and disinterested mumbles. But ask him about football stadiums in Romania or fan culture in Turkey and the response couldn’t be more different. Like a frog in a pond or Jose Mourinho in a press conference, Danny is at home when he speaks about football travel culture. It is his passion and for many years it has taken over his life.” Football Nomad
“Below are video highlights for all the EPL matches on February 1, 2011, February 2, 2011.” The 90th Minute, The 90th Minute
“There has been plenty of chopping and changing in terms of personnel and systems in the Manchester City camp so far this season. These changes create patterns and therefore betting opportunities, says master of tactics Michael Cox.” Betting Betfair
“Number 17, Manchester City will play number 32, Manchester United. That concludes the draw for the fourth round of the Carling Cup. Games will be played in week beginning 3rd December 2012 in The Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi.” The Ball Is Round
“Arsenal are winning over their doubters – and they are doing it in typical style. Match of the Day pundit and former Liverpool defender, Alan Hansen, has perennially shrugged off Arsenal’s title chances but now sees them as Manchester United’s closest challengers.” Arsenal Column
“Below are MOTD highlights for all the EPL matches on January 22, 2011. The full edition of MOTD (with all highlights together) can be viewed here.” The 90th Minute
“Manchester City dominated the game but somehow managed to come away with nothing. Gerard Houllier named a very attack-minded side – Ashley Young, Stewart Downing, Marc Albrighton and Gabriel Agbonlahor all played behind Darren Bent, who made his first start for the club. Carlos Cuellar returned at right-back.” Zonal Marking
“Below are Match Of The Day (MOTD) video highlights for all the EPL matches on January 16, 2011. The full MOTD episode can be viewed here.” The 90th Minute
“Arsenal had all the best moments but failed to get the breakthrough. Arsene Wenger played the same side as in the recent 3-0 victory over Chelsea, which meant no place for Marouane Chamakh or Andrei Arshavin. Roberto Mancini made five changes, including three of his back four. He also left out Adam Johnson, instead playing Jo on the left. Arsenal started the match at a very high tempo when in possession, and should have gone ahead in the first couple of minutes when Jack Wilshere’s cross-shot wasn’t reached by Robin van Persie.” Zonal Marking
Once a Gunner, always a Hammer?
“If Trevor Brooking wouldn’t have fallen over in the penalty area at 3.13pm on Saturday 10th May 1980 life would have been so different for me. The moment a child chooses their football team to follow is a monumental decision, the first right of passage into adulthood. After being taken to Charlton Athletic, West Ham United, Leyton Orient and Arsenal I had to choose which route I would take. Coming from a family of Charlton Athletic and West Ham United fans I obviously chose Arsenal.” The Ball Is Round
Arsenal 0-0 Manchester City – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – EPL
The 90th Minute
“Below are Match Of The Day (MOTD) video highlights for all the EPL matches on January 1, 2011. The full edition of MOTD (which features all matches together) can be viewed here.” The 90th Minute
“Everton went ahead early on, and held on despite going down to ten men for the final half hour. Roberto Mancini recalled James Milner to his starting line-up, playing him in a deep midfield role with Yaya Toure as the playmaker. Carlos Tevez started upfront. David Moyes made two changes. Steven Pienaar was out, so Leon Osman played on the left, whilst Victor Anichebe started upfront rather than Louis Saha.” Zonal Marking
Match of the Week: Manchester City 1-2 Everton
“Carlos Tevez, then, has withdrawn his transfer request after what are apparently called “clear the air” talks with the executives of Manchester City Football Club. It feels as if there is an incessant need on the part of the media to create a crisis at Manchester City at every turn this season. We all know that their financial arrangements err on the wrong side of ridiculous, but the suspicion is now starting to form that there is something of a witch hunt going on at The City of Manchester Stadium. City, the upstarts, the perennial failures, are at the point of achieving something and you don’t have to be a fan of the way that they are going about things to start to form the opinion that there are plenty of people out there that really don’t want to them to upset the status quo.” twohundredpercent
Manchester City 1-2 Everton – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – EPL
The 90th Minute
“I hugely resent the management’s suggestions that I have been unduly influenced by others,” said Tevez. “I am disappointed that the management should now see fit to try to portray the situation in another light.” Run of Play
Henry Winter: Manchester City must remember that the club is bigger than any one player – including Carlos Tévez
“Adios, amigo, and thanks for all the goals. If Carlos Tévez leaves for Real Madrid, there can be no doubt that Manchester City and the Premier League would be a poorer place without the sparkling little Argentine. Eastlands and English football would, however, be a better place without his agent, Kia Joorabchian.” Telegraph – Henry Winter
“I wanted to do some sort of preview of the forthcoming Premiership season here at Ghostgoal but really wasn’t sure how to go about it. I was especially unsure as to whether anybody wanted to trawl through my thoughts on clubs that I hadn’t followed in pre-season and didn’t really have a feel for the mood amongst the fan base. The brilliant solution – for me anyway – was to ask bloggers, websites, fans & fanzines of all the sides concerned to help me out and build some sort of picture of where everyone was at. It has been a task complicated by a transfer window that doesn’t shut until nearly 3 weeks after the season has begun and also by the time delay in compiling the preview – apologies to Damian, for example, the Villa fan who gave his views on the eve of Martin O’Neill’s dramatic walkout!” Ghost Goal
“Below are Match Of The Day (MOTD) video highlights for all the EPL matches on December 4, 2010. If a link is unavailable, it will be added later.” The 90th Minute
“It’s been several years since the Gunners won a trophy but will this season be any different? Arsenal are still alive in all competitions (Carling Cup, FA Cup, Champions League, EPL) and below is a closer look at their chances in each one.” The 90th Minute
“Manchester United’s new-look forward line, Arsenal’s pressing, Blackpool’s corners and Rafael da Silva’s tackling” (Guardian)
“Below are links to Match Of The Day (MOTD) video highlights for all the EPL matches on November 27, 2010. The full episode of MOTD can be viewed here (contains all matches).” (The 90th Minute)
“Many questions were raised when Jay Bothroyd received a call up to England’s National team for the friendly against France. Isn’t there someone else playing in the Premier League that would be more worthy of a call-up? Is a player playing in the second tier good enough for an International team as highly ranked as England? There are many blogs that have gone into the positives and negatives of Bothroyd’s call up, that is not the question I wanted to look at. Fabio Capello has himself questioned the number of English players playing at the highest level, limiting the pool of players he can pick his squad from. Does Capello have a point? If not who are the strikers playing in the Premier League that Capello could call on and are other countries suffering the same fate?” (gib football show)
“Manchester City’s decision to start the recent derby game with a midfield of Gareth Barry, Nigel de Jong and Yaya Touré was an extreme example of how much the ‘holding midfielder’ has become a part of the football scene. More than half of the teams in the World Cup used formations with two holding players, and it is just as common to see the same pattern in Leagues One and Two. Not bad for a position that Leeds United legend Johnny Giles describes as ‘a myth’.” (WSC)
“City’s superb first half display effectively won the game before half-time. Mark Hughes chose a 4-4-1-1 / 4-4-2 formation, with Clint Dempsey just behind Andy Johnson. Carlos Salcido returned so Damien Duff moved back into midfield, whilst Chris Baird replaced Stephen Kelly at right-back.” (Zonal Marking)
“Last week, we looked at how Birmingham’s pressing of Manchester City’s centre-backs at goal-kicks forced Joe Hart to kick the ball long, losing possession on every occasion. Against Fulham, the situation was changed with the introduction of Jô. He offered more of an aerial presence in the City attack, despite being positioned on the left wing. The majority of Hart’s kicks were sent towards the left-hand side, where six of the long balls were won by the Brazilian striker. This chalkboard compares Hart’s distribution in the Birmingham game to the Fulham game, showing how the presence of Jô helps City win possession high up the pitch.” (Guardian)
“Below are Match Of The Day highlights for all the EPL matches on November 20, 2010. If there’s not a link available for a match, it will be updated shortly. The full edition of MOTD (which includes all matches) can be viewed here.” (The 90th Minute)
“Below are MOTD highlights for all the Premier League matches on November 13, 2010. (The 90th Minute)
“Below are video highlights for the Premier League matches on Wednesday, November 10, 2010. If a match doesn’t have a link, it’s not yet available but should be added soon.” (The 90th Minute)
“A disappointing match that produced very few goalscoring chances. Roberto Mancini went with his usual 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 system. Mario Balotelli was suspended so James Milner came in, with David Silva switching to the left. Sir Alex Ferguson went with his one-striker formation, seeking to match City in midfield by playing Darren Fletcher, Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick. Nani was on the right with Ji-Sung Park on the left. Rafael continued at right-back.” (Zonal Marking)
Match of the Midweek: Manchester City 0-0 Manchester United
“Perhaps it was ‘The Curse Of ITV’ returning to haunt us again. Last night, they showed a documentary about football in Manchester which examined, through the eyes of Eric Cantona, the current and historical state of the rivalry between Manchester City and Manchester United. The two clubs have had their fair share of drama from the matches between them in recent years, so perhaps it was understandable that ITV should choose to schedule this match at this time. Other corners of the press had, after all, also been been building the match up in a wearyingly predictable manner.” (twohundredpercent)
Highly-anticipated match offers little for most to cheer about
“Few Manchester derbies have ever been so hyped; few have ever been so disappointing. It was a game that yielded just one chance of note: the free-kick that Carlos Tevez curved toward the top corner after 35 minutes. The effort lacked pace, though, and Edwin van der Sar was able to make a simple enough diving save. And while most were probably bored rigid, Sir Alex Ferguson could congratulate himself on a job well done.” (SI)
“Below are MOTD video highlights for all the EPL matches on November 6, 2010. You can watch the full episode of MOTD here (contains all matches).” (The 90th Minute)
Arsenal 0-1 Newcastle United – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – EPL
(The 90th Minute)
“Below are MOTD video highlights for all the EPL matches on October 30, 2010. The full edition of Match Of The Day (which includes all the matches) can be found here.” (The 90th Minute)
“It’s been happening quietly, since for some reason the media don’t seem all that eager to visit the possibility that their original version of the story was full of exaggerations and mistakes, but some of the grandiose claims about the purchase of Manchester City by the Abu Dhabi United Group are finally starting to go up in smoke. For instance: the notion that City’s new owners—usually described as “the investment arm of the Abu Dhabi royal family”—were sitting on $850 billion which they were prepared to pour into the club. This astonishing, not to say newspaper-selling, claim turns out to have been based on a simple misconception.” (Run of Play)
Treuziñ ar bed isdouarel, Joachim Patinir
“Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner were on target as Arsenal struck a blow for the old guard against 10-man Manchester City, triumphing 3-0 at Eastlands. City had been looking to reclaim second place in the Premier League but hopes of a fifth successive win were all but dashed with the early sending off of Dedryck Boyata.” (ESPN)
Manchester City 0-3 Arsenal: red card holds back City, but Arsenal impress in important win
“An early red card was the game’s key moment, but Arsenal played well on their way to an ultimately comfortable victory. Manchester City’s front six were as expected – the news was at the back, where Dedryck Boyata started alongside Vincent Kompany in Kolo Toure’s absence, with Jerome Boateng at left-back and Micah Richards at right-back.” (Zonal Marking)
“With several matches played, the dark haze clouding our view of football in England has finally started to disperse. Now, with the crystal clear light of the holiest of truths, we set upon the most divine of inquisitive expeditions. We turn a deciphering eye upon the UK, helping you to distinguish the verdad santisima from the deceptive half-truths mulling about. Let us begin.” (futfanatico)
“This afternoon I had the pleasure of sitting down to watch a full Blackpool match for the first time this season: I did not think that it would an enjoyable experience, but it was. A thoroughly entertaining match, very open, packed full of chances and (controversial) incidents. Blackpool have exceeded the expectations of many this season; fully expected to be the whipping boys of the league, they currently sit in a commendable 10th position and have more than held their own over the course of the opening eight games.” (Football Express)
“So it’s easier to get dropped from your national team than it is to get a yellow card these days. And that’s all to the good, in my opinion. I hate it when referees try to inject themselves into the game. I prefer it when nature, and the intensive care unit, are allowed to take their course. Seriously, just let the players play until full time rolls around, or until they’re incapacitated with injuries that could have been avoided if you occasionally sent someone off. Either way, there’s no need to go occasionally sending people off. Everyone who’s making a big deal about this is just jealous of Manchester City anyway.” (Run of Play)
Robinho
“Just a week after Arsenal reported record profits of £56 million, the other side of the football finance spectrum was seen when Manchester City announced a massive loss of £121 million for the year ending 31 May 2010. This is not quite the worst loss ever reported in Premier League history – that dubious honour belongs to Chelsea, who lost £141 million in 2004/05, the first full year after the acquisition by their Russian benefactor Roman Abramovich. However, to put this into context, City’s deficit is more than the combined loss for every other team in the Premier League if you exclude Chelsea (or Liverpool).” (Swiss Ramble)
“A close game that Newcastle were slightly unfortunate to lose. Manchester City continued with their now-established 4-5-1 system, with David Silva and James Milner switching flanks. Jerome Boateng and Joleon Lescott came into the backline. Newcastle’s system (taken after Hatem Ben Arfa’s early injury) was also a 4-5-1, with two wingers either side of a compact three-man midfield of Joey Barton, Kevin Nolan and Cheick Tiote.” (Zonal Marking)
“There were three Premier League matches on October 3 including Chelsea v Arsenal. In that match, Chelsea won 2-0 while Liverpool lost at home to Blackpool and Man City edged Newcastle United.” (The 90th Minute)
“Chelsea’s defending, Rafael van der Vaart’s passing, Manchester United’s shooting and Liverpool’s predictability in the final third” (Guardian)
The Clash
“Last week was going so well for Arsenal fans. First, their youthful team thrashed North London neighbours, Spurs, in a glorious performance at White Hart Lane, driven forward by an inspirational display from young tyro Jack Wilshere, the poster boy for Arsenal’s strategy of developing players from their academy. Then, away from the pitch, the board announced a sparkling set of financial results that confirmed their status as the best-run club in the Premier League.” (The Swiss Ramble)
“Chelsea’s 100% run ends with a third consecutive defeat to Manchester City. Roberto Mancini chose Dedryck Boyata at right-back to ease his defensive worries, with Pablo Zabaleta at left-back. David Silva got the nod over Adam Johnson, and started on the right.” (Zonal Marking)
“Gaël Clichy’s aerial struggles, Gareth Barry’s all-round display against Chelsea, Ashley Young’s lateral movement and Michael Essien’s shooting” (Guardian)
Scissors Kick 