ARSENAL VS CHELSEA MATCH PREVIEW

League leaders Chelsea travel to The Emirates still unbeaten in the league and on the back of a 6-0 drubbing of Wolves in the Capital One Cup in midweek.

Arsenal also hit six in the League Cup and will be looking to build on an impressive draw earned at Manchester City last weekend. The Gunners will want a similar display to prove their worth as title challengers.
Chelsea captain John Terry is expected to lead his side out despite being found guilty, by The FA, of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand in a match between QPR and Chelsea in October last year. Terry was handed a four-game ban by The FA but is available for selection as he is yet to accept the ban.
Arsene Wenger has a full squad to choose from as long-term absentees Bacary Sagna, Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere return to full training.

KICK-OFF: Saturday, 12.45pm

PAST THREE MEETINGS…
Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea, Premier League, April 2012
Chelsea 3 (Lampard, Terry, Mata) Arsenal 5 (Van Persie 3, Andre Santos, Walcott) Premier League, October 2011
Arsenal 3 (Song, Fabregas, Walcott) Chelsea 1 (Ivanovic), Premier League, December 2010

STATS...
Arsene Wenger completes 16 years in charge of the Gunners on Monday. Victory over Chelsea would hand him his 350th Premier League win as Arsenal boss.
Chelsea's only dropped points so far this term came in the capital: a goalless draw at QPR earlier this month.
Roberto Di Matteo's men have not conceded in their last 331 league minutes since Danny Guthrie's goal in August's 4-2 win over Reading.

Frank Lampard has scored 98 Premier League goals in London. He can become only the second player to net 100 goals in the capital after Thiery Henry (133 goals).

Courtesy: The Independent


STARTING LINE UP 

ARSENAL
Starting XI:  Mannone; Jenkinson, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Arteta, Diaby; Ramsey, Cazorla, Podolski; Gervinho
Subs:   Martinez, Mertesacker, Djourou, Santos, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud

CHELSEA
Starting XI:   Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Ramires, Hazard, Mata, Oscar, Torres
Subs:   Turnbull, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Bertrand, Romeu, Lampard, Moses

John Terry "disappointed" at being banned

John Terry claims he is "disappointed" with the FA Regulatory Commission after being found guilty of racially abusing QPR's Anton Ferdinand and given a four-match ban as well as a £220,000 fine.

Chelsea captain Terry was found guilty of misconduct by the FA, despite being cleared in court of racially abusing Ferdinand.
Terry is now considering whether to appeal the sanctions imposed on him.
A statement issued by Terry's management company said: "Mr Terry is disappointed that the FA Regulatory Commission has reached a different conclusion to the clear not guilty verdict of a court of law.
"He has asked for the detailed written reasons of the decision and will consider them carefully before deciding whether to lodge an appeal."
A Chelsea statement read: "Chelsea Football Club notes and respects today's decision by the Football Association regarding John Terry.
"We also recognise that John has the right to appeal that decision.
"It is therefore inappropriate for us to comment further on the matter at this time."

Terry slapped with four-game ban after FA find him guilty in Ferdinand race case

John Terry has been banned for four matches and fined £220,000 after being found guilty of racially abusing QPR's Anton Ferdinand by a Football Association independent regulatory commission.
Chelsea's skipper denied the charge but the commission ruled that he was guilty of misconduct during the Blues' Barclays Premier League defeat at QPR on October 23 last year.
The 31-year-old, who on Sunday announced his retirement from international football, can lodge an appeal against the panel's decision.

Terry's representatives, Elite Management, said in a statement released on his behalf: 'Mr Terry is disappointed that the FA Regulatory Commission has reached a different conclusion to the clear not guilty verdict of a court of law.
'He has asked for the detailed written reasons of the decision and will consider them carefully before deciding whether to lodge an appeal.'
An FA statement said: 'An independent regulatory commission has today found a charge of misconduct against John Terry proven and has issued a suspension for a period of four matches and a fine of £220,000, pending appeal.
'The Football Association charged Mr Terry on Friday 27 July 2012 with using abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand and which included a reference to colour and/or race contrary to FA Rule E3[2] in relation to the Queens Park Rangers FC versus Chelsea FC fixture at Loftus Road on 23 October 2011.

 

'The charge was the result of The FA's long-standing investigation into this matter, which was placed on hold at the request of the Crown Prosecution Service and Mr Terry's representatives pending the outcome of the criminal trial.
'The decision of the Independent Regulatory Commission is as follows:

• Mr Terry be suspended from all domestic club football until such time as Chelsea's First Team have completed four competitive matches.

• Fined the sum of £220,000.

'The independent regulatory commission will provide written reasons for its decision in due course. Mr Terry has the right to appeal the decision of the independent regulatory commission to an Appeal Board. An appeal must be lodged within 14 days from receipt of the written reasons for the decision.
'The penalty is suspended until after the outcome of any appeal, or the time for appealing expires, or should Mr Terry decide not to appeal. The reason for this is to ensure that the penalty does not take effect before any appeal so that Mr Terry has an effective right of appeal.'
Chelsea released their own statement which read: 'Chelsea Football Club notes and respects today's decision by the Football Association regarding John Terry.

'We also recognise that John has the right to appeal that decision. It is therefore inappropriate for us to comment further on the matter at this time.'
The case centred around an incident during Chelsea's Barclays Premier League defeat at QPR on October 23 last year when the pair clashed verbally on a number of occasions.
Terry was found not guilty in Westminster Magistrates Court in July of a racially-aggravated public order offence with the prosecution unable to prove he had called Ferdinand a "f****** black c***" as an insult.
Terry admitted using the words, but insisted he had only been repeating words he thought Ferdinand had accused him of saying.

Chelsea and England team-mate Ashley Cole gave evidence that helped exonerate Terry, telling the court: 'We shouldn't be sitting here'.
The FA's decision to press ahead with their own charges infuriated Terry to the extent that on the eve of the disciplinary hearing he announced he was quitting international football with immediate effect, saying his position was 'untenable'.
Terry's legal team had argued the governing body's own rules dictated that his acquittal in court meant the case could not proceed but the FA believed their charge was distinct from the court charge.
The panel who handed Liverpool striker Luis Suarez an eight-match ban when they found him guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra last season declared at that time that simply using racist language was enough to constitute a breach of FA rules.

Verdict in John Terry FA hearing expected on Thursday

John Terry has left Wembley for the fourth day of his Football Association disciplinary hearing, with a verdict expected by the end of Thursday.

The Chelsea captain is accused of using "abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour" towards QPR defender Anton Ferdinand last October.
He was cleared in court of racially abusing Ferdinand in July.

Terry arrived at Wembley at 09:00 BST on Thursday and left shortly before midday.

Meanwhile, it has emerged former England boss Fabio Capello had offered to appear on the 31-year-old's behalf and provided a statement.
Capello and former England general manager Franco Baldini were contacted by Terry's lawyers ahead of the FA's independent regulatory commission.
Their statements are understood by BBC Sport to determine whether it is usual for a player found not guilty in a criminal trial to then have to answer an FA charge relating to the same incident.
Reports suggest Terry's lawyers want the FA charge against the former England captain dismissed because he was found not guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence at Westminster Magistrates' Court in July.
Two weeks after being cleared, the FA charged Terry.
Capello resigned as England manager after Terry was removed as captain without his agreement.
Centre-back Terry, 31, played in Chelsea's League Cup win over Wolves on Tuesday despite missing training to attend the hearing at Wembley Stadium on both Monday and Tuesday.
Following the game Chelsea assistant boss Eddie Newton said the Blues' captain was in a positive frame of mind.
"He's been fine, dealing with the situation at hand," Newton said after the 6-0 victory. "He's coming in and doing what he has to do at the club. He's been very positive and upbeat."
Just hours before the hearing was due to begin, Terry announced his retirement from international duty - claiming the FA hearing had made his position with the national team "untenable".

Chelsea face Man United while Reading play Arsenal in Capital One Cup fourth-round

Chelsea's game against Manchester United is the pick of the Capital One Cup fourth-round draw. The Blues slaughtered Wolves while United edged past Newcastle to set up the mouthwatering clash.
Reading, who beat QPR in a five-goal thriller, will play an Arsenal side which scored six against Coventry in the third-round.
Elsewhere Liverpool play Swansea, which pits Reds boss Brendan Rodgers against his old side, while Norwich face Tottenham in the final all-Premier League tie.
Sunderland and Wigan will be favourites to progress against Middlesbrough and Bradford respectively, while Southampton travel to Leeds.
Fixtures will be played in the week commencing October 29, 2012.

Fourth-round draw

Sunderland v Middlesbrough
Swindon Town v Aston Villa
Wigan Athletic v Bradford City
Leeds United v Southampton
Norwich City v Tottenham Hotspur
Liverpool v Swansea City
Chelsea v Manchester United
Reading v Arsenal

On the way: Tom Cleverley helped Man United reach the fourth-round

Third-round results & reports September 26

Arsenal 6-1 Coventry
Carlisle 0-3 Tottenham
Man United 2-1 Newcastle
Norwich 1-0 Doncaster
QPR 2-3 Reading
West Brom 1-2 Liverpool

Third-round results & reports September 25

Bradford 3-2 Burton Albion
Chelsea 6-0 Wolves
Crawley 2-3 Swansea
Leeds 2-1 Everton
Man City 2-4 Aston Villa
MK Dons 0-2 Sunderland
Preston 1-3 Middlesbrough
Southampton 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Swindon 3-1 Burnley
West Ham 1-4 Wigan

Terry verdict could come Today

The verdict from John Terry's disciplinary hearing into a charge the Chelsea skipper used racist language on the pitch could come today.
Terry returns to Wembley Stadium for a fourth day before a Football Association independent regulatory panel and it is likely to be the final one of the hearing.
The 31-year-old spent eight hours on Wednesday at the hearing at Wembley Stadium, where he denies a charge that he used a racist slur towards QPR's Anton Ferdinand in October last year.

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra a year ago, but was found to have done so on a number of occasions during the match.
Terry is accused of a single utterance towards Ferdinand, which has led to some speculation that if found guilty the Chelsea player would be more likely to receive a four-match ban. However, close analysis of the full reasons behind Suarez's ban shows that Terry could easily face a similar-length ban if found guilty.
In Suarez's case, the FA argued for an increased sanction "to ensure that it is widely understood that the FA deprecates and will not accept racist behaviour. In other words, a deterrent sanction is called for".
The FA also pointed out that "Mr Suarez is an international footballer of exceptional ability, playing for one of the best-known clubs in the world. His position carries with it a particular degree of responsibility. His conduct amounts to a serious breach of that responsibility".
Both of those criteria apply to Terry - particularly given that he was England captain at the time of the incident.
Terry and his advisors are hoping that he will be completely exonerated - and if he is not an appeal looks almost certain to be lodged because it is understood the FA would not regard such an action as frivolous.
Terry was found not guilty in a magistrates' court in July of a racially-motivated public order offence with the prosecution unable to prove he had called Ferdinand a "f****** black c***" as an insult. Terry admitted using the words, but insisted he had only been repeating words he thought Ferdinand had accused him of saying.

CAPITAL ONE CUP FIXTURES - WEDNESDAY 26TH SEPT. 2012

19.45	Norwich City	-	Doncaster Rovers
19.45	Manchester United	-	Newcastle United
19.45	Carlisle United	-	Tottenham Hotspur
19.45	Queens Park Rangers	-	Reading
19.45	Arsenal	-	Coventry City
20.00	West Brom	-	Liverpool

Man City 2 - 4 Aston Villa

Manchester City suffered a shock Capital One Cup third round extra time defeat by Aston Villa.

Mario Balotelli drove in a shot to put the home side in front before Gareth Barry turned an Andreas Weimann cross into his own net for Villa's equaliser.

Aleksandar Kolarov's free-kick put City back ahead but Gabriel Agbonlahor swept in a shot as Villa leveled again.

In extra-time, Charles N'Zogbia slotted in after a parried shot by Agbonlahor, whose deflected strike sealed the win.

The League Cup may not have been high up on City manager Roberto Mancini's list of priorities this season but the defeat and the manner of it will be a concern.

His side has already conceded 13 goals in seven games this season as City struggle to recapture the defensive qualities which helped them win the Premier League last season.

Villa's win follows a 4-1 league defeat by Southampton on Saturday and will give their manager Paul Lambert plenty of encouragement.

City made 10 changes to their team which drew 1-1 with Arsenal on Sunday, although it was going to be 11 before centre-back Joleon Lescott replaced injured Jack Rodwell late on.

The alteration appeared to unsettle the home side as they made a sluggish start, while Villa were showing plenty of promise and purpose.

Weimann had a shot deflected wide and Christian Benteke blazed an effort over before the visitors lost their concentration and were clinically punished by City.

City midfielder James Milner, playing against his former club, found an unmarked Balotelli and he took a touch before driving in a shot for his sixth goal in four games against Villa.

The home side came out with more urgency after the break but, like the opener, the second goal came against the run of play as Villa equalised.

Weimann delivered a cross into the City area which was palmed out by keeper Costel Pantilimon and deflected off Barry for an own goal.

City regained the lead through a a superb Kolarov free-kick and appeared set to surge on to victory, with Carlos Tevez firing a free-kick on to the top of Villa crossbar.

But the visitors refused to be beaten as they showed fighting spirit and character, which was matched by Lambert on the touchline as he was involved in a touchline confrontation with Mancini following a tackle on the pitch.

And it was Agbonlahor who forced extra time when he used his pace to surge into the area before rifling home.

In the extra 30 minutes, City failed to find the guile to break down a resolute Villa side and the visitors capitalised on the counter-attack to knock City out.

Pantilimon could only parry Agbonlahor's shot and N'Zogbia rolled in the rebound.

Agbonlahor then scored with a deflected strike, his brace being his first goals since January, to complete the fightback.

League Cup: Chelsea 6 - 0 Wolves

Chelsea produced a ruthless display to thrash Wolves and progress to the fourth round of the Capital One Cup as skipper John Terry returned to action.

Three goals in the first 16 minutes set the tone before Oriol Romeu, Fernando Torres and Victor Moses found the net.

Gary Cahill opened the scoring with a header, before Ryan Bertrand and Juan Mata added two more before half-time.

Romeu then scored a penalty, Torres netted a header and Moses added the sixth from substitute Oscar's cross.

Having spent the morning at Wembley defending himself against an FA charge of misconduct , Terry captained the side and enjoyed some respite in front of his adoring fans.

The Chelsea captain was a virtual spectator as he was treated to his side's biggest win for almost two years as Stamford Bridge serenaded him with chants of "there's only one England captain," some 48 hours after he announced his retirement from international football.

 Chelsea gave debuts to Cesar Azpilicueta and Lucas Piazon, while Wolves opted to rest 10 players and were behind after four minutes when Cahill stooped to head in Juan Mata's free kick at the far post.

Chelsea's youngsters, who looked lively throughout, then combined for the second goal in the seventh minute. Romeu's shot was saved by Wolves goalkeeper Dorus De Vries but Piazon kept the ball alive and turned it back for an unmarked Bertrand to blast home.

The third goal was an exhibition from the established stars in the team, Mata starting and finishing a flowing move, exchanging passes with both Ramires and Torres before finishing expertly.

It was not all plain sailing for Chelsea, however. First David Davis saw his strike tipped over before Slawomir Peszko surged clear of Terry and Cahill and rounded Ross Turnbull before shooting into the side netting.

Chelsea maintained their momentum after the interval when De Vries brought Moses down, allowing Romeu to score his first goal for the club from the penalty spot.

Torres got in on the act when he powered home a 58th-minute header from Mata's corner before Oscar crossed for Moses to power home his first Chelsea goal on his full debut with 19 minutes remaining to complete a perfect night for Roberto di Matteo's side.

Chelsea v Wolves - League Cup preview and team news

Tuesday 25 September 2012

 League leaders Chelsea are expected to line up a vastly different side from the one that pinched a late victory at home to Stoke thanks to Ashley Cole’s winner on Saturday.

Manager Roberto Di Matteo has indicated that the Capital One Cup will be a priority for the club but that there are various players in his squad who are in need of football and at home to Championship side Wolves with a crunch league match away at in-form Arsenal to come on the weekend, he has the perfect opportunity to do so.

Summer signings Cesar Azpilicueta, Victor Moses and Marko Marin are set to make their first starts for the club. Elsewhere, Brazilian youngster Lucas Piazon could be given his Chelsea debut in the central play-making role, while the likes of Gary Cahill, Oriol Romeu and Ryan Bertrand could also feature. Daniel Sturridge looked set to make his first start of the season due to a hamstring injury, Fernando Torres could be given the opportunity to get a much-needed goal under his bench against lower league competition.

Rather surprisingly perhaps, Wolves boss Stale Solbakken has indicated that he too will make changes to his line up, which after a difficult start to life in the Championship after relegation from the Premier League have begun to pick up in recent weeks. Bjorn Siguardson, who scored the match-clinching goal in the 2-0 victory at Peterborough on Saturday could be given a start. However, Wolves should still contain plenty of Premier League and indeed International experience in their line up through the likes of Kevin Doyle, Stephen Ward and Christian Berra.

Culled from adifferentleague

Man City v Aston Villa - League Cup preview and team news

Tuesday 25 September 2012 Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has indicated that he will make wholesale changes to his team for their Capital One Cup clash with Aston Villa at the Etihad, perhaps even rotating his entire team from the one that unconvincingly drew 1-1 with Arsenal in the Premier League on the weekend. Mancini has publicly stated that City’s defence of their league title as well as their challenge for Champions League progression takes priority over the League Cup and so his squad’s fringe players such as Mario Balotelli, Aleksander Kolarov, Kolo Toure, Matija Nastasic and reserve goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon all could start. Carlos Tevez is set to lead the line alongside Balotelli after the Argentina international only started the league match with Arsenal on the bench. Elsewhere, youngsters Abdul Razak, Denis Suarez and Luca Scapuzzi have been named in the squad and could feature for the Citizens. For Aston Villa, Paul Lambert will be targeting victory as he looks for his team to bounce back from their poor second-half performance at Southampton on the weekend, which saw them collapse from a goal up to a 4-1 defeat against the league’s bottom and previously pointless side. Indeed, Lambert’s relatively meagre resources Joe Bennett could be given their have been stretched further by the absences of Gary Gardner, Marc Albrighton, Stilian Petrov, Richard Dunne and Stephen Ireland, who looks set to miss out on a return to his former club after suffering a suspected broken arm at St Mary’s on the weekend. However, the likes of Chris Herd and Fabian Delph are fit and so they could feature should Lambert choose to make any changes. Shay Given could return in goal after being deposed as regular first choice by Brad Guzan while new young signings Ashley Westwood and first starts for the club. Culled from adifferentleague

John Terry hearing set to enter third day

John Terry's disciplinary hearing is set to enter a third day as the Chelsea captain contests allegations he racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.

Terry was at the Football Association's Wembley headquarters for a second day to answer a charge of using racist language during a Premier League game at Loftus Road last October.
The 31-year-old was accompanied by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck at the independent regulatory hearing on Tuesday morning with the defender departing shortly after 1pm.
He is expected to return on Wednesday to hear evidence in his defence with the case likely to last all week.

A similar hearing involving Liverpool's Luis Suarez last December took four days - and Terry could face a lengthy ban if found guilty of the charge of using racist language, a charge he categorically denies.
The former England captain, who announced his international retirement on the eve of the hearing, is being represented by George Carter-Stephenson QC, who defended him against a similar charge in court two months ago.
The 31-year-old was found not guilty in July when he insisted he had only been repeating words he thought Ferdinand had accused him of saying.
Meanwhile, former Chelsea coach Ray Wilkins, who testified on Terry's behalf in court, has said he is prepared to go to the FA hearing to support Terry.
Wilkins said: "I am there for him if he needs me. I gave evidence on his behalf at the magistrates' court and I would do so again at the FA hearing, if they wish me to."

Culled from sky sports

Capital One Cup - Third Round

25th September 2012

Follow the action as the third round of the Capital one Cup begins with premiership teams joining in.

 

Bradford v Burton Albion

Chelsea v Wolves

Crawley v Swansea

Leeds United v Everton

Man City v Aston Villa

MK Dons v Sunderland

Preston v Middlesbrough

Southampton v Sheff Wed

Swindon v Burnley

West Ham v Wigan

John Terry's personal hearing over Anton Ferdinand FA charge begins

John Terry's Football Association hearing over his part in an incident last season with QPR defender Anton Ferdinand has started at Wembley.

Terry is alleged to have used "abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour" in the 23 October match.

Terry timeline

23 October: Terry releases a statement denying he made a racist slur against Ferdinand during Chelsea's defeat at QPR after videos circulate on the internet.
1 November: The Metropolitan Police confirms it has launched a formal investigation into allegations of racist abuse of Ferdinand by Terry.
21 December: The Crown Prosecution Service announces Terry will be charged with racially abusing Ferdinand.
1 February: District judge Howard Riddle orders that Terry should stand trial in the week beginning 9 July - after Euro 2012.
3 February: Terry is stripped of the England captaincy by members of the 14-strong FA board, without consulting manager Fabio Capello.
8 February: Capello resigns as England manager two days after, criticising the decision to strip Terry of the captaincy.
13 July: Terry is cleared at Westminster Magistrates' Court of making a racist insult to Ferdinand.
27 July: Terry is charged by the FA.

The Chelsea captain, who denies the charge, announced his England retirement on the eve of the hearing.

In July Terry was cleared at Westminster Magistrates' Court of racially abusing Ferdinand.
But he was subsequently charged by the FA two weeks later.
The hearing in front of an FA Independent Regulatory Commission is expected to last two days.
Ferdinand arrived at Wembley at around 09:00 BST.
In a statement at the time the FA said Terry was alleged to have used a "reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of Ferdinand" during the incident.
At July's trial the court heard accusations that Terry had insulted Ferdinand, describing him as "black" and using extreme sexual swear words.
In reaching a not guilty verdict, chief magistrate Howard Riddle stated it was "possible that what was said was not intended as an insult but rather as a challenge to what he believed had been said to him".
The prosecution had to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Terry had used the words in an insulting manner, which it could not.
But the FA only has to prove its case "on the balance of probabilities".

Culled from bbc.co.uk

ON JOHN TERRY'S SHOCK RETIREMENT FROM INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL.

Anton Ferdinand refuses to shake Terry

Yesterday, Chelsea FC and England's John Terry made a shocking announcement as regards his international career. He retired fom international football amidst his racism charge. Last October, he was charged with racially abusing QPR's Anton Ferdinand (of course this is no news to anyone) during a game with Chelsea FC.  In his words:

"I feel The FA have made my position with the national team untenable," 

"Representing and captaining my country is what I dreamed of as a boy and it has been a truly great honour.

"I have always given my all and it breaks my heart to make this decision. I wish Roy and the team every success for the future.

"I would like to thank the England managers who have selected me for my 78 caps.

"I have had great pleasure in sharing that honour with all the players that I've played with.

"I would like to thank them, the fans and my family for their support and encouragement during my international career."

The centre-back cited the Football Association's decision to hold a hearing into the allegations of racism against QPR's Anton Ferdinand, despite being previously cleared by a jury, as reasons for his decision.

JT would rather have his head off than concede a goal

Many, however, think John Terry won't be missed in the English team as he has divided the dressing room with his actions. I beg to differ on that because John Terry's consistence has been the advantage he's had over other defenders, he's been there for long and he's been performing consistently all through. Even Ray Wilkins thinks his retirement will deal a massive blow to the English Team even after noting that England had many options at the back; with the likes of Joleon Lescott, Phil Jagielka, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Rio Ferdinand all competing for selection.

 "We have loads of options, loads of very good young footballers coming through, and also Rio Ferdinand doing a very good job at Manchester United,"
"But do we have the character of John Terry within these people I'm talking about? My answer to that is probably, 'no, we don't', because he doesn't only care about his own performance - he cares about other people's performances as well. I don't think we've got the characters about now like John Terry."

Terry amassed 78 caps for his country since making his debut in 2003, along with two spells as captain - most recently being stripped in Febuary 2012 by the FA in a decision which led to Capello's resignation as boss.

Anyway, some might call me selfish but I'm happy he did this, at least all his commitment will now be towards Chelsea FC.

EPL GAMES THIS WEEKEND

09/22 SATURDAY, 22ND SEPTEMBER 2012 Swansea City v. Everton ‎  -12:45 PM 09/22 West Bromwich Albion v. Reading ‎-3:00 PM 09/22 West Ham United v. Sunderland ‎-3:00 PM 09/22 Chelsea v. Stoke City ‎-3:00 PM 09/22 Wigan Athletic v. Fulham ‎-3:00 PM 09/22 Southampton v. Aston Villa ‎-3:00 PM 09/23  SUNDAY, 23RD SEPTEMBER 2012 Liverpool v. Manchester United ‎  -1:30 PM 09/23 Newcastle United v. Norwich City ‎-3:00 PM 09/23 Manchester City v. Arsenal ‎-4:00 PM 09/23 Tottenham Hotspur v. Queens Park Rangers ‎-4:00 PM

IN DEFENSE OF MIKEL

Reading abusive tweets on Chelsea's John Mikel Obi's twitter handle was really disappointing I must say and for a guy who has given so much to the team makes it more saddening. In my own opinion this said game was one of the numerous games in which Mikel played his heart out. He did the jobs of the midfield and defence as those saddled with that responsibility failed to do their respective jobs. The equalizing goal could have been averted only if the defense did their jobs because the build up to that goal started from the midfield, so why is Mikel the only one to blame for the equalizing goal?
It's really sad that a guy who has given his all even when his father was kidnapped can be treated this way. Do I need to remind us that even when Drogba was celebrated for helping us win the Champions league, John Mikel Obi was very outstanding in that game and in my opinion was our man of the match during that final game.
That he was racially abused was pretty disheartening for me and while I took it personal yesterday, people thought I was going overboard, but anybody who watched that game objectively would have behaved like I did because I thought he was really awesome in that game.
If Mikel's being castigated for that 'sloppy' pass that led to the equalizer, then shouldn't other players like Torres, Ivanovic, Lampard, Terry and Ramires be castigated too? In my opinion, the only players we had on the field that day were Hazard, Oscar, Mikel, Cole and Cech, others were missing in action.
What was NFF talking about by 'frowning at Mikel's Sloppy pass'? They should mind their business and rebuild an already crumbled NFF afterall, he's not been invited for matches of late and to my knowledge he's the most successful player in the super eagles squad. Please I don't even want to start with the NFF, theirs is for another day.
Lest I forget, I saw goal.com's player ratings after that game, how on earth did Mikel qualify to be the flop of the match?
To round it all up I think everyone that abused Mikel should cover their faces in shame and it's a good thing that the management of Chelsea FC have taken this up and invited the Police to look into the abuses.
Now, all we need to do is forget about this and look forward to our next game which is against Stoke city by 3pm on Saturday and we know they are spoilers. I'm hoping to see Mikel in the starting XI as he deserves his place in the team.

The Influence of John Obi Mikel | Stats Analysis

BY CHELSEASTATS

When I set out to write this article, I wanted to review John Obi Mikel’s performances for Chelsea so far this season, mostly due to how he has impressed me personally but also because he quite often comes under criticism which we will discuss later and eventually try and disprove.

The Nigerian has played well enough, perhaps to convince Di Matteo and the board that letting Raul Meireles and Michael Essien (albeit on loan) to leave is good business in reducing the wage bill and net expenditure, whilst not hurting the strength of the squad to compete for the 5 remaining trophies this season.

Mikel and Romeu are now the only real defensive minded midfielders available in the senior squad, as Lampard still has an attacking mentality and Ramires is the box to box engine. The Likes of Chalobah can do the job very well at a level but is untested and unproven in the premier league level and is out on loan along with around 25 others to gain competitive experience anyway.

Mikel is often seen as a player who completes a lot passes by simply playing the ball back to Terry and his defensive partner (Cahill, Luiz or Ivanovic) creating an artificially high pass completion in an area of the pitch that normally provides time and space to make simple backwards passes.

It appears to be a common belief that this play slows the game down and stops Chelsea from building a quick counter attack or suggests the team is lacking the urgency demanded by some supporters, perhaps gets caught in possession too often and as whole can be unreliable or frustrating for Chelsea fans.

But the statistics tell another story.

Mikel vs Wigan

An opening exhibition from Hazard helped the blues to a 7th minute 2 goal cushion before hitting cruise control for the rest of the game. Mikel had a solid display completing 49 of his 52 attempted passes, receiving the ball 39 times, 19 of his 21 passes were forward, 17 of 17 backward and 13/14 sideways.

Mikel vs Reading

A dominant first 25 from Chelsea with some exciting tiki-taka football and a goal was blown away by an unstoppable header and a mistake by Cech. The Blues rallied in the second half to win 4-2 and Mikel was replaced by Oscar in an almost gung-ho attitude by Di Matteo to salvage the points and the 100% start to the season.

The Nigerian completed 63 of 70 attempted passes, received the ball 57 times. Completed 10 of 13 attempted passes in the final third. 32 of his 39 forward passes were accurate compared to 15/15 backwards and 16/16 square.

Mikel vs Newcastle

Partnering Meireles in a more defensive minded double pivot against a side that beat Chelsea 0-2 at the Bridge towards the end of last season and a side that also finished higher in the league. It was an understandable tactical change by Di Matteo and the statistics show a share in the defensive qualities needed from a midfield to keep Chelsea’s 2nd clean sheet in three games.

The Nigerian completed 60 of his 63 attempted passes and received the ball 53 times. Although clearly not thought of as an attacking player, Mikel completed 5 of 6 attempted passes in the final third.

58 of 61 short passes were completed and 26 of 29 were passed forwards as opposed to just 14 of 14 backwards and 20/20 side to side (square).

Mikel made 11 passes to Meireles his team-mate in the double pivot or central midfield role, unsurprisingly. However Mikel made 8 passes to Hazard and 5 to Torres which is 13 combined and more than Mikel’s total passes to defenders Luiz, Ivanovic and Cech combined.

In summary (59%) 96 of 164 passes analysed have gone to ‘forward players’ – those other players playing in the 2-3-1 of a 4-2-3-1 formation.

29% of his passes have gone forward in the first 3 games of the premier league season compared to just 12% going backwards.

Mikel has completed 13 of 18 final third passes successfully and  has maintained 93% passing accuracy his own half as well as 93% in the opposition half.

Mikel Vs Last Season

Last season Mikel made 22 league starts, completed over 982 passes (90% completion). Made 362 passes forwards compared to just 110 backwards, 295 passes went left and 322 passes to the right.

Mikel was dispossessed just 16 times last season, 0.727 times per game or once every 88 minutes (this season he has improved to once every 124 minutes), whilst recovering possession 184 times making 4 blocks and 33 interceptions.

The Statistics from this season and last show a forward playing and forward thinking Mikel, but a player who also understands the need to keep possession by being able to pass sideways and avoid being dispossessed. At Stamford Bridge this season 29% of Mikel’s passes were forwards against Newcastle and 37% against Reading, 72% of his attacking third passes have been accurate and to compliment that Mikel has won 86% of his tackles, 57% of his ground duels and 33% of his aerial duels.

Perhaps the 25-year-old is becoming the core of  Chelsea  whilst achieving 244 appearances the still young midfielder has a brighter future and the opportunity to flourish in the new look Di  Matteo side.

Top five Champions League Final

Read this on givemefootbal.com and thought to share with you all. Enjoy

The 2012/13 UEFA Champions League makes a long awaited return tonight (Tuesday), with Real Madrid, AC Milan and Arsenal just three of the big names in action when the first whistles are blown.
 Chelsea begin their defence of the trophy on Wednesday with a clash against Italian giants Juventus, and there is plenty of optimism at Stamford Bridge after last year’s victory over Bayern Munich in Germany.
That match, which saw Didier Drogba slot home a penalty to break German hearts, was one of the great finals in the twenty years of the re-formatted European Cup.
And, to celebrate tonight’s big kick-off, GMF remembers five of the best finals over the past two decades as teams begin their challenge for ‘old big ears’.

AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool (2-3 on pens) – 2005
The greatest final of them all? Liverpool came back from three goals down to force the game into extra-time, and then won the penalty shootout with Jerzy Dudek the hero.
Paolo Maldini and a brace from Hernan Crespo appeared to be enough for the Serie ‘A’ giants, but a rousing second-half performance with goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso turned the game completely.
Serginho and Andrea Pirlo missed Milan’s opening two penalties, but it was Andriy Shevchenko’s fifth effort which eventually handed Reds boss Rafa Benitez victory.

Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich – 1999

If Liverpool’s fightback from three goals was dramatic, then Manchester United’s injury-time double against Bayern Munich was on another scale entirely.
The Red Devils were behind early, when Mario Basler’s free-kick went around the wall and left Peter Schmeichel rooted to the spot.
However, two late David Beckham corners proved to be the difference, with Teddy Sheringham hooking home the first on 91 minutes before nodding down to for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who poked home the winner two minutes later.

Chelsea 1-1 Bayern Munich (4-3 on pens) – 2012
Last year’s showpiece at the Allianz Arena certainly lived up to the pre-match hype, with a defensive-minded Blues keeping Bayern at bay for long spells before responding when a goal was needed.
Thomas Muller appeared to put the Bundesliga outfit on cause for victory when he headed home at the far post on 83 minutes, but Didier Drogba had other ideas, and his 88th minute effort pulled Di Matteo’s side level in spectacular fashion.
Petr Cech saved Arjen Robben’s penalty in extra-time, but it was misses from Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger that gave Drogba his legendary moment during the shootout.

Barcelona 2-1 Arsenal – 2006
Will the Gunners ever get closer to lifting the famous trophy than this, when ten-men almost proved enough against the mighty Barcelona.
Jens Lehmann saw red after just ten minutes in Paris, with the German stopper sent-off for bringing down Samuel Eto’o outside the box. It was Arsenal who took a first-half lead however, with Sol Campbell heading home the opener.
It took the Blaugrana until the 76th minute to get back in the game, with Samuel Eto’o firing past Manuel Almunia before Juliano Belletti repeated the trick four minutes later. The dream was dead.





AC Milan 4-0 Barcelona – 1994
When the giants of Italian and Spanish football went head-to-head in Athens on May 18th, 1994, few could have predicted the 4-0 scoreline that was to follow.
Barca began the match as favourites, but the formbook was ripped apart in 90 minutes as Daniele Massaro scored twice for the Rossoneri in the first-half.
More followed in the second period, as goals from Dejan Savicevic and Marcel Desailly secured the trophy for Fabio Capello. Pep Guardiola and Romario could hardly believe what happened.

Culled from givemefootball.com

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DAY 2 FIXTURES

Wednesday, September 19 2012

In Group E, reigning champions Chelsea start begin theirtitle defence by hosting Italian giants Juventus at Stamford Bridge, while Shakhtar Donetsk take on FC Nordsjaelland, who are making their debut in the Champions League.
In Group F, German giants Bayern Munich will play host to Valencia, while BATE Borisov travel to France to take on Lille.
Group G sees Spanish giants Barcelona welcome Spartak Moscow to Camp Nou, while Celtic play host to Benfica.
And in Group H, Braga play host to CFR Cluj-Napoca, while Manchester United also host Galatasaray at Old Trafford.



Barcelona  vs  Spartak Moskva                      19:45

Bayern München  vs  Valencia                        19:45

Celtic  vs  Benfica                                             19:45

Chelsea  vs  Juventus                                       19:45

Lille  vs  BATE                                                  19:45

Manchester United  vs  Galatasaray               19:45

Shakhtar Donetsk  vs  Nordsjælland               19:45

Sporting Braga  vs  CFR Cluj                           19:45

Champions league Day 1 results

Tuesday, 18 September 2012 

Here are the results of last night's Champions league matches

AC Milan 0 - 0 Anderlecht

Borussia Dortmund 1 - 0 Ajax

Dinamo Zagreb 0 -2  FC Porto

Malaga 3 - 0 Zenit St Petersburg

Montpellier 1 - 2 Arsenal

Olympiakos 1 - 2 Schalke 04

PSG 4 - 1 Dynamo Kiev

Real Madrid 3 -2  Man City

Champions league fixtures - 18th September, 2012

Tuesday, 18 September 2012    The first day of the Champions League starts today with four of the eight groups in action.    AC Milan v Anderlecht,  19:45   Anderlecht travels to the San Siro for their first group match against AC Milan who have had two straight defeats at the San Siro since the beginning of the Serie A season.  The Belgium team are returning to the Champions League after being out for five years. Ac Milan is without Pato and Robinho who are out due to injuries, the Belgium team on the other hand have no injury worries.   Borussia Dortmund v Ajax,  19:45   The Bundesliga Champions play host to Ajax on day 1 of the Champions league group stages. Dortmund despite their success in the Bundesliga, had a disappointing outing last year with a run of 1 win and 1 draw.   Dinamo Zagreb v FC Porto,  19:45   Malaga v Zenit St Petersburg,  19:45   Montpellier v Arsenal,  19:45    Olympiakos v Schalke 04,  19:45   PSG v Dynamo Kiev, , 19:45     Real Madrid v Man City,  19:45    This is arguably the star match of the day as the Premier league champions face the La liga Champions. Both coaches have had different things to say to each other in the build up to this game. Manchester City has had a good run so far in the Premier League but Jose Mourinho's Merengues have had a very disappointing start to the season despite winning the Spanish Cup.