By Alan Duffy

Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 Newcastle United – Premier League – 11th February 2012

Harry Redknapp’s charges gave their boss the perfect homecoming present, as they presented their exhonerated manager with a superb 5-0 win against Newcastle.

It has been some week for Redknapp, who is clear favourite to take the England job. However, after watching his side tear the Magpies apart with a superb dsplay of fluid attacking football, one wonders if the former Portsmouth boss will want to leave White Hart Lane at all.

Former Arsenal man Emmanuel Adebayor was the architect of the victory, providing four first-half assists before finally getting on the scoresheet himself after the break. New signing Louis Saha immediately clicked with his Togolese strike partner, netting twice in the first 20 minutes after Benoit Assou-Ekotto had opened the scoring on just four minutes.

Newcastle simply couldn’t live with Spurs, who knocked the ball around with precision and speed in a magnificent performance. Niko Kranjcar netted the Lilywhites’ fourth, just after the half-hour mark, while the visitors rarely threatened Brad Friedel’s goal.

After the break, Adebayor finally got on the scoresheet, courtesy of a superb swivel and volley while Demba Ba did his best to get the Magpies a consolation strike, only to be denied by Friedel on more than one occasion.

So Spurs keep the pressure on the two Manchester sides, while Alan Pardew’s Newcastle are finding out just how tough it can be at the top (or at least in the top six).

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Photos: PA

                          

By Alan Duffy

Everton 2-0 Chelsea – Premier League – 11th February 2012

That much-publicised  midweek training ground visit from Roman Abramovich would have done little for Andre Villas-Boas’ confidence ahead of Saturday’s game against Everton. However, after watching his struggling side go down by two goals to nil at Goodison, the Portuguese manager must now be fearing for his job.

The hosts were fully deserving of the victory, with old-boy Steven Pienaar, back on loan from Spurs, blossoming for the Toffees. The South African wideman opened the scoring on five minutes after some poor defending from the Blues, and despite the best efforts of Juan Mata to fashion an equaliser for the visitors, Everton went in a goal up at half-time.

After the break, the home side dominated proceedings, with Argentinian striker Denis Stracqualursi securing the victory on 71 minutes after some fine play from Landon Donovan.

While Everton go 10th, Chelsea now find themselves in fifth, level on points with fourth-place Arsenal but now looking all but certain of a Champions League berth come May.  One wonders if Abramovich has been on the phone to Fabio Capello this week.

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Photos: PA

                          

By Alan Duffy

Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool – Premier League – 11th February 2012

The Evra/Suarez circus which preceeded the game before, once again, polluting the proceedings throughout the 90 minutes and beyond, has already been well covered by Pies, so I’ll focus on the football.

Wayne Rooney proved to be the match-winner for United, with his three-minute two-goal salvo early in the second-half earning his side a vital three points in the title race. Liverpool did get one back through a certain Mr Suarez on 80 minutes and could have had another, with the Uruguayan heading over from close-range.

However, overall, the Red Devils deserved the three points, with Antonio Valencia impressing once again down the right and Danny Welbeck proving a willing partner to Rooney up front. As for Liverpool, their five-man midfield failed to spark, with Jordan Hendersen missing-in-action and Steven Gerrard failing to get a hold of the game. With Craig Bellamy starting on the bench, the visitors were in need of some genuine pace up front, with Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans looking somewhat vulnerable in the centre of United’s defence.

Ultimately, it was Rooney’s brace (he could’ve had a hat-trick too) that would prove decisive in a game which will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

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By Chris Wright

Right. Straight off the bat, Pies would like to clarify that we’re not saying this is 100% definitely the design for Arsenal’s new home kit for 2012/13.

What we are saying is that this mock-up has been drafted by Arsenalinsider, who have a decent hit-rate on these sorts of things and who are also claiming to have been privy to a photo of the actual design courtesy of a deepthroat informant in the Nike camp and that they are willing to stand by their reproduction ‘such is the strength of belief in their source’.

Make of that what you will.

Here’s AI’s preliminary mock-up, which is just an altered version of an existing Arsenal strip, which shows that – along with the classic ‘red with white sleeves’ formation – Nike are hell-bent on tagging on a set of gruesome navy blue (they look black/dark grey on the image, but AI claim they’re navy) collars and cuffs…

Pies verdict? We’re remaining suitably dubious, but that’s nasty. Looks like an knock-off Egypt strip from the early 1990s. For Arsenal’s sake, here’s hoping it’s a wind-up.

Believe/cast aspersions as you see fit, but one thing’s certain; if this design actually comes to fruition, there’s going to be a lot of jilted Gooners out there. How can you get such an elegant strip so wrong?

Anyone out there a fan? Anyone?

[Image: Arsenalinsider]

                          

By Chris Wright

Fabio Capello’s four-year England tenure over the course of 20 (you must promise here and now not to count them!) fabulous photos…

So long Fabio, and thanks for all the fish. Farewell and good luck.

[Photos: PA]

                          

By Chris Wright

Blackpool beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 at Hillsborough in their FA Cup fourth replay round last night, with Lomano Tresor LuaLua (yes, that Lomano Tresor LuaLua!) grabbing the goal of the night – the Seasiders’ second – with a superb curling effort from the apex of the area…

For the record, Matty Phillips opened the scoring on the night after just seven minutes, with Ludovic Sylvestre nabbing the third goal a shade less than ten minutes after the break.

Blackpool, who have now unbeaten in eight and sitting pretty in fourth in the Championship, will now go onto to play Everton at Goodison in the fifth round.

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By Alan Duffy

Liverpool 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur – Premier League – 6th February 2012

The Premier League’s enfant terrible, Luis Suarez, made a return to action last night after serving his eight-game ban, but even the gifted Uruguayan couldn’t kickstart what was a rather flat performance from Liverpool at Anfield.

Visitors Tottenham came into the game six points behind second-place Man Utd, but failed to find the attacking spark which has served them so well this season. Instead it was their backline who produced an impressive and disciplined display.

Another man of the moment, Harry Redknapp, was absent for the game after his flight from London was cancelled due to bad weather, but the not-at-all dodgy Spurs boss missed little in the way of goalmouth action in the first-half.

Early in the second half, Gareth Bale was booked for diving for the second time this season, as the Reds started to push for a goal, with Martin Kelly going close. Dirk Kuyt made way for Suarez on 66 minutes, but the South American’s first act was to aim at kick at Scott Parker which earned the striker a yellow when he really deserved a red.

Andy Carroll then fluffed a decent opportunity to win the game for the home side although it was Bale who had the best chance of the game late on, running through on goal but failing to beat Pepe Reina.

A point was of limited use to both sides, with the Reds chalking up their eighth home draw of the campaign.

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By Alan Duffy

Wigan Athletic 1-1 Everton – Premier League – 4th February 2012

A late Victor Anichebe goal was enough to rob perpetual strugglers Wigan of a vital and rare victory. The defeat leaves the Latics bottom of the table and looking like dead certs for the drop.

The first-half was a disjointed, uninspiring affair, which wasn’t helped by the atrocious conditions. New-signing Darron ‘with an ‘O” Gibson missed the best chance of the half, with Steven Pienaar, on loan from Tottenham, impressing in midfield.

In the second period, David Moyes gave Nikica Jelavic his Everton debut in an attempt to break the deadlock but it was another sub, Phil Neville, who would open the scoring, albeit for the wrong side. Winger Jean Beausejour fired in a cross, which the former Man Utd man inadvertantly steered towards his own goal. Toffees ‘keeper Tim Howard should still have saved the deflected ball, but the spin bamboozled the usually reliable glovesman, and sailed into the net.

Robert Martinez’ side could smell victory, but then, with seven minutes on the clock, another sub, the perenially mediocre Victor Anichebe, nodded home a Leighton Baines centre, leaving Wigan to rue yet another missed opportunity to move off the bottom.

While the Toffees float around mid-table as per usual, surely the Latics are now destined for the drop?

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By Alan Duffy

Norwich City 2-0 Bolton Wanderers – Premier League – 4th February 2012

An injury-ravaged Norwich fought their away to their fifth home league win of the season on Saturday, a victory which condemned the visiting Trotters to another spell in the relegation zone.

The home had lost both centre halves, Daniel Ayala and Zak Whitbreak, to injury in the first-half but they still managed to boss the game at Carrow Road. Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson both went close for the Canaries in the first-half, while Andrew Surman saw his close-range effort come back of the crossbar when he really should have scored.

Bolton offered little in the way of a goal threat, with David Ngog coming closest to snatching the lead for the visitors. Eventually, the Canaries did make the breakthrough on 70 minutes, when Surman atoned for his previous bad miss after good work from Jackson. 15 minutes later, the Canaries were home and dry, when wideman Anthony Pilkington poked home after goalkeeper Adam Bogdan failed to hold on to a Russell Martin shot.

Norwich’s superb season continues, with the Premier League new-boys up to ninth in the table. Bolton, on the other hand, drop back into the relegation zone.

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By Alan Duffy

West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Swansea City – Premier League – 4th February 2012

Swansea registered only their second away league win of the season at the Hawthorns on Saturday, after a hard fought victory against West Brom.

Roy Hodgson’s side were looking for their first home league win since November, but both sides struggled to impose themselves in the first half. However, after the break the game  sparked into life with Marc Antoine Fortuné netting the opener on 54 minutes after a corner. But just 37 seconds after the restart, the Swans drew level, when Icelandic international Gylfi Sigurdsson fired home Neil Taylor’s cross.

The on-loan Sigurdsson then turned provider four minutes later, setting up Danny Graham, who fired home from the Hoffenheim man’s centre. Graham then had a chance to increase the Swans’ lead although Peter Odemwingie should have levelled the scores himself late on, fluffing his lines with the goal at his mercy.

While Brendan Rodgers’ charges find themselves in the elevated environs of the top 10, West Brom are now just six points clear of the drop-zone with Premier League safety far from assured.

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Photos: PA