Champions League Tuesday

Via Foxsoccerchannel.com

The next two Champions League quarterfinalists will be decided on Tuesday as a depleted Manchester United side host Marseille, while defending champions Inter Milan travel to Munich in the blockbuster game of the night.

The round of 16 wraps up Wednesday with Chelsea looking to finish off Copenhagen and Real Madrid looking to edge past Lyon.

BAYERN MUNICH vs. INTER MILAN (Bayern lead 1-0 and have an away goal.)

The defending champs have a tall order at the Allianz on Tuesday. Only one other team in Champions League history - Ajax in 1995/96 - has overturned a first leg home defeat.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Tue., Mar. 8

Barcelona 3-1 Arsenal | Recap
Shakhtar 3-0 AS Roma | Recap

Wed., Mar. 9

Schalke 3-1 Valencia | Recap
Tottenham 0-0 AC Milan |Recap

Tue., Mar. 15

Bayern Munich vs. Inter |Preview
Man Utd vs. Marseille | Preview

Wed., Feb. 16

Chelsea vs. Copenhagen
Real Madrid vs. Lyon

---

CL Scores | Tables | Fixtures

That Ajax side was coached by none other than Bayern manager Louis van Gaal, and he will assuredly be taking steps to prevent history from repeating itself. The irony is that Bayern has already shown their manager the door after a Bundesliga campaign that failed to measure up to the team’s promise. At sixteen points adrift of Borussia Dortmund in the league and already eliminated from the Cup, this is the only title Bayern can win this season.

And yet: both teams have cause to feel they can prevail. Fact is that this is a matchup between two very well organized, very tactically adept and very even teams. Both teams are almost fully healthy: only Inter Milan defender Lucio (leg) is a question mark for Tuesday night.

Bayern are powered by the tandem called "Robbery," Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. Both men are finally healthy, and both have benefited from the deep play of Phillp Lahm and the winter pickup of Luiz Gustavo. Ribery’s penchant for free-roaming provides the service; Robben’s deadly left-foot provides the bite. With Thomas Muller and Mario Gomez trundling along in front, Bayern is a difficult team to contain down the middle.

It was Robben of course who forced the rebound that Gomez tapped in the first leg, and on the weekend, he showed some of that same flair, as Bayern crushed Hamburg 6-0 behind his hat-trick.

Inter isn’t flying as high, coming in on the heels of a disappointing 1-1 draw with Brescia. But, it could have been worse: Julio Cesar saved a penalty after Ivan Cordoba was sent marching to preserve the draw. They are not out of their race by any stretch, but they will have to show some more daring and speed this leg than they did last time. No longer can Inter afford to absorb: they have to get out of the blocks quickly.

By now, everyone knows the drill: Samuel Eto'o is their target man fed by Maicon's deep runs and the twin threat of Esteban Cambiasso and Wesley Sneijder. Last time out, Inter kept Bayern from being able to completely dictate the pace, but without Lucio, Christian Chivu or Cordoba who will have the unenviable task of shackling Ribery?

Diego Milito is available but will only be used in emergency due to a nagging injury. Goran Pandev will partner up top with Eto’o, and both will have to do better than they did last time against the blossoming Thomas Kraft, who put in a yeoman shift at the San Siro.

MANCHESTER UNITED vs. MARSEILLE (0-0 on aggregate.)

Advantage is squarely with United, a team that have never lost at Old Trafford to a French side. In fact, Marseille manager Didier Deschamps is counting on that, suggesting pre-match that the pressure was all on the home team.

This is of course not a United of old; it is instead an old United, riding the vapor trails of 'keeper Edwin van der Sar, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs as far as they possibly can. This season, they have only occasionally looked magisterial; more often than not, they have dogged their way through games and stubbornly picked up points.

Of late, they have been in a small league slump, dropping three of their last five, two to rivals Chelsea and Liverpool in matches that exposed how they can be tormented. (Hint: play a defensive three-man central wedge.) But on the weekend, a depleted United got a too-easy 2-0 win over rivals Arsenal to progress to the semifinals of the FA Cup. For all their flaws, United have the very real possibility of ending up with a three-title season.

Saturday, United were forced to field seven defenders due to injuries. Tuesday, United get some men back, with Nani and Michael Carrick returning to the fold, but the team is still far from full-strength: Rio Ferdinand, Park Ji-Sung, Anderson and Johnny Evans, are all lost to injury. However, Darren Fletcher, Nemanja Vidic, and the Da Silva twins are available as are Antonio Valencia and Michael Owen. Valencia made a run-out Saturday; Owen was a shock inclusion at Monday training.

Marseille were missing Andre-Pierre Gignac at the Velodrome; they have him back to run along with Andre Ayew and Loic Remy. But the key men for Marseille will be midfield engine Mathieu Valbuena; stopper Stephane Mbia; and former Manchester United back Gabriel Heinze. Valbuena’s vision has been critical to Marseille’s recent return to form while Mbia has helped ease the pressure on what is a sometimes over-matched back line. Heinze was spectacular against Nani in the first game; since he has been moved to the heart of the defense, he’s been able to use more of his smarts, covering up a loss of step.

While Sir Alex Ferguson has been in the news of late over his caustic reviews of officials, Marseille is weathering a more serious controversy: striker Brandao has been charged with rape and was allowed to return to Brazil by the club — and may never return. Marseille players held up his jersey during their weekend Ligue 1 win over Rennes, a move that was immediately condemned by the club’s president, but backed by manager Deschamps.

Jamie Trecker is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering the UEFA Champions League and the Barclay's Premier League.

MLS Kickoff Tonight: Galaxy Preview

Via LAGalaxy.com

The Tweet and Lowdown:

Locked and loaded, LA Galaxy are out to finish what they couldn’t in 2010 – get to and win MLS Cup.

Setting the Scene:

The Galaxy suffered a devastating loss to FC Dallas in the 2010 Western Conference Championship and then took another blow to the chin when Edson Buddle left for Germany. But like true contenders, they dusted themselves off, welcoming Juan Pablo Angel, Chad Barrett and Frankie Hejduk, among others, to the squad.

With David Beckham entering the final year of his contract, the onus on winning is greater now than at any point since he joined the club. Becks figures to be around for most, if not all, of the 2011 season (no pesky loan or England duty to get in the way). That means the Galaxy will have one of the most influential players in the league on their side from Day One.

Youth will only continue to play a more significant role as Omar Gonzalez, Sean Franklin and Juninho should play key roles on the squad. Add exciting youngsters Paolo Cardozo and Miguel Lopez to the mix and the Galaxy will have a different feel to their squad in 2011.

Key Changes:

Players In: Juan Pablo Ángel (New York), Chad Barrett (Toronto FC), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus), Adam Cristman (D.C. United), Paolo Cardozo (Quilmes, Argentina), Miguel López (Quilmes, Argentina), Hector Jimenez (University of California), Dan Keat (Dartmouth Univ.), Dustin McCarthy (Univ. of North Carolina), Ryan Thomas (Stanford Univ.), Jack McBean (Home Grown)

Players Out: Edson Buddle (FC Ingolstadt, Germany), Alex Cazumba (loan expiration, São Paulo), Chris Klein (retired), Eddie Lewis (retired), Dema Kovalenko (waived, retired), Yohance Marshall (waived), Tristan Bowen (Chivas USA)

Coaching staff: Cobi Jones left the club after spending his entire MLS career with the Galaxy, first as a player and then as an assistant coach. He joined the New York Cosmos and was replaced by former Kansas City and D.C. United coach Curt Onalfo. Also, defender Gregg Berhalter was promoted to assistant coach and will serve as player/coach for the 2011 season.

Star Attraction: Landon Donovan

After an offseason of rest, Donovan joined LA for the start of the preseason for the first time since 2008. Despite potentially missing the month of June due to CONCACAF Gold Cup duty, Donovan will determine the Galaxy’s fortunes in 2011.

Unsung Hero: Chad Barrett

Too often, Barrett has appeared in highlight reels for the wrong reasons. But with other stars around to carry the team and score goals, he won’t have the demands placed on him as he did in Toronto and Chicago. Barrett has set a target of double-digit goals this season, and if he reaches that, the Galaxy offense will be one of the best in the league.

Ready For Primetime: Juninho

A modest frame and a temperament to match, Juninho has something he didn’t have in 2010: experience. With his year’s worth of MLS play under his belt, the Brazilian midfielder has found some confidence. The São Paulo loanee will have his opportunities this season, and unlike last year, he’ll take them now.

Storylines to Watch:

From March through mid-May, the Galaxy will be sailing calmly, focusing only on MLS play. But after that, the club will face one challenge after another. First, the Gold Cup could rob the team of players such as Donovan, Gonzalez and Donovan Ricketts. Then comes US Open Cup play, which precludes what could be the biggest test for the club in 2011: CONCACAF Champions League play.

All told, the Galaxy are guaranteed of playing 41 games this year, more if the club advances in both Open Cup and into the postseason. Thus, the team needs contributions from not only players such as Beckham and Ángel but also Cristman, Leonardo and Josh Saunders.

Still, the club will try and at least match their accomplishments from 2010 in league play, which is to win the Supporters’ Shield. Galaxy players still feel proud of what they did a year ago, even if the season ended prematurely, one step before MLS Cup.

What He Said:

“Having a team [that is] hopefully injury-free and depth are going to be critically important. I think we’ve done a good job in improving our team in terms of depth. We still have the right balance of experienced players and new players.”

– Head coach Bruce Arena

If Everything Goes Right:

The Galaxy will go for broke in 2011, having invested heavily in Ángel and Beckham and have no goal greater than the club’s third league title. They have the depth, the continuity and the experience, so anything less than the Philip F. Anschutz trophy will be viewed as failure.

Wag of the Day

Meet Silvia Meichel, she is dating Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez

Gold Cup is Creepin Up

Via Concacaf.com

NEW YORK - Five-time and defending champion Mexico will open the CONCACAF Gold Cup against El Salvador on June 5 as the nightcap of a Group A doubleheader at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, that will also feature Costa Rica vs. Cuba, the confederation announced Tuesday.

Caribbean and Central American champions Jamaica and Honduras will be paired in Group B and begin play the following night at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California, with the Reggae Boyz facing Grenada and the Catrachos playing Guatemala.

North American rivals the United States and Canada will complete the opening round of games on Tuesday, June 7 at Ford Field in Detroit, clashing in the second game of a Group C doubleheader that will open with Panama against Guadeloupe.

"We are extremely excited for this year's Gold Cup and are completely confident that it will be the best ever," CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said. "We are bringing our fans the region's best football in fantastic venues - with a lot on the line. It is truly a can't-miss event."

Round-robin play will resume on Thursday, June 9, with Group A matches at Charlotte, North Carolina, and continue through June 14, whittling the field to the eight quarterfinalists, which will then begin knockout matches June 18 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

A second doubleheader of quarterfinal matches is set for RFK Stadium in Washington on June 19, with a semifinal doubleheader on June 22 at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

The final will be played June 25 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
A week of exclusive pre-sales is to begin Wednesday. Those wishing to purchase tickets are asked to call the local stadium box office or local MLS team for further information. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on March 16 through www.Ticketmaster.com.

CONCACAF GOLD CUP
All Times U.S. Eastern (Local times in parentheses)
GROUP A: Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Cuba
GROUP B: Honduras, Guatemala, Jamaica, Grenada
GROUP C: USA, Canada, Panamá, Guadeloupe

First Round
Sunday, June 5
At Arlington, TexasCosta Rica vs. Cuba, 6 p.m. (5 p.m.)
Mexico vs. El Salvador, 8 p.m. (7 p.m.)

Monday, June 6
At Carson, CaliforniaJamaica vs. Grenada, 9 p.m. (6 p.m.)
Honduras vs. Guatemala, 11 p.m. (8 p.m.)

Tuesday, June 7
At DetroitPanama vs. Guadeloupe, 6 p.m. (6 p.m.)
United States vs. Canada, 8 p.m. (8 p.m.)

Thursday, June 9
At Charlotte, North CarolinaCosta Rica vs. El Salvador, 7 p.m. (7 p.m.)
Cuba vs. Mexico, 9 p.m. (9 p.m.)

Friday, June 10
At MiamiJamaica vs. Guatemala, 7 p.m. (7 p.m.)
Grenada vs. Honduras, 9 p.m. (9 p.m.)

Saturday, June 11
At Tampa, FloridaCanada vs. Guadeloupe, 6 p.m. (6 p.m.)
United States vs. Panama, 8 p.m. (8 p.m.)

Sunday, June 12
At ChicagoEl Salvador vs. Cuba, 6 p.m. (5 p.m.)
Mexico vs. Costa Rica, 8 p.m. (7 p.m.)

Monday, June 13
At Harrison, New JerseyGuatemala vs. Grenada, 7 p.m. (7 p.m.)
Honduras vs. Jamaica, 9 p.m. (9 p.m.)

Tuesday, June 14
At Kansas City, KansasCanada vs. Panama, 7 p.m. (6 p.m.)
Guadeloupe vs. United States, 9 p.m. (8 p.m.)

Quarterfinals
Saturday, June 18
At East Rutherford, New JerseyGroup A runner-up vs. Group B runner-up-x
Group A winner vs. Group B/C third-place-x
x-matches scheduled for 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. (5 p.m. and 8 p.m. local) with order TBD

Sunday, June 19
At Washington Group B winner vs. Group C runner-up-y
Group C winner vs. Group A/B third place-y
y-matches scheduled for 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. (3 p.m. and 6 p.m. local) with order TBD

Semifinals
Wednesday, June 22
At Houston Quarterfinal winners-z
Quarterfinal winners-z
z-matches scheduled for 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. (6 p.m. and 9 p.m. local) with order TBD

Final
Saturday, June 25
At Pasadena, California Semifinal winners, 9 p.m. (6 p.m.)

Champions League Tuesday

Via FoxSoccerChannel.com

The first two quarterfinalists for this season’s Champions League will be decided on Tuesday as Arsenal travel to Barcelona in the day’s marquee match, while AS Roma try to overcome Shakhtar Dontesk in the Ukraine. Play continues Wednesday with Tottenham taking on AC Milan and Schalke squaring off against Valencia.

BARCELONA vs. ARSENAL (Arsenal have a 2-1 lead; Barcelona have an away goal.)

One looks like world-beaters; the other looks simply beaten down. And yet, here we are: an unconvincing Arsenal side has a chance to stage a monumental upset against a team that is the consensus world’s best.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Tue., Mar. 8

Barcelona vs. Arsenal
Shakhtar vs. AS Roma

Wed., Mar. 9

Schalke vs. Valencia | Preview
Tottenham vs. AC Milan |Preview

Tue., Mar. 15

Bayern Munich vs. Inter
Man Utd vs. Marseille

Wed., Feb. 16

Chelsea vs. Copenhagen
Real Madrid vs. Lyon

---

CL Scores | Tables | Fixtures

Arsenal seem to have a gift for self-immolation, first gifting Birmingham the Carling Cup 2-1 at Wembley thanks to a horrible defensive mixup, then misfiring Saturday against Sunderland, 0-0, to allow the stumbling Manchester United some breathing space in the tightening Premier League race. The Gunners are wracked by injuries, but more worrying is their mental frailty; whenever this team is put into a pressure situation, they collapse.

Those injuries are a major factor: Missing from the London club's cast will be key hard man Alex Song and fleet winger Theo Walcott, adding to a casualty list that also will keep first-choice keeper Lukas Fabianski and central defender Thomas Vermaelen from making the trip to Spain. Arsenal may also field two fragile and questionable players on the day, with Robin van Persie named in the squad despite a knee injury and Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) rated as probable.

Both men are vital: with van Persie, Arsenal has a creative attacker willing to drive the area; with Cesc, the field opens up and the team acquires a cutting edge. While Samir Nasri has been a revelation this season, too often he has been left stranded by middling performances from his counterparts. Andrei Arshavin finally seems to have snapped to life, but Jack Wilshere is showing the strain of his first full season at the top level while Tomas Rosicky and Denilson have been miserable.

Barcelona are, by comparison, the picture of health, but they will be affected by two absences in the back: Carlos Puyol has not recovered from a knee injury and and Gerard Pique is suspended. Manager Pep Guardiola is also ailing; he is suffering from a herniated disc and spent time in hospital last week.

The Catalans are still in cruise control in La Liga, but have looked of late as if the long season is finally catching up with them a bit. They have won four straight since their upset at the Emirates three weeks ago, but are not showing the vision and pinpoint passing that has been their hallmark. This weekend, Barcelona struggled to get past a weak Real Zaragoza side, finally finding a breakthrough behind Seydou Keita.

Arsenal cannot afford to sit back and defend, simply because they are incapable of it. They are vulnerable on set-pieces and vulnerable to giving away a bad goal at any moment. And yet, they are also consistent: In their last eleven Premier league games, they’ve won seven and drawn four, showing that they have some staying power despite their flaws.

But their central tandem of Johan Djourou and Laurent Koscielny is certain to be tested by the push-pull of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and David Villa, four of the most fearsome attackers in the game. Biggest question mark? 'Keeper Wojciech Szczesny: the 20-year old Pole must recover from his gaffe at Wembley and produce a big-game performance for the Londoners to have a chance.

SHAKTHAR DONETSK vs. ROMA (Shakhtar lead 3-2 and have three away goals.)

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The last meeting between the two sides led Roma manager Claudio Ranieri to walk out. Now new Roma manager Vincenzo Montella is riding a small unbeaten streak and looks to spring a smash and grab against a notoriously unforgiving side.

Shakthar haven’t lost a match since they moved to Donbass Arena in August 2009, but there is a big gap in their resume: Against Italian opposition at home, they lost five of six, with but a single win. (The exception? Roma.)

There is a big difference between the sides in terms of their match-fitness, however: the Ukrainian season has just re-started after the winter break, and Shakhtar looked lethargic in their first game back, a 1-0 win over bottom-feeders Sevastopol. Roma, on the other hand, seems reborn since Ranieri’s departure, but it is worth noting that their recent run has come against middling opposition: Lecce, Parma and Bologna are bottom-half teams.

Both teams are depleted through injury and suspension: Roma's Jeremy Menez and Marco Casetti are suspended; Shakhtar must make due without the injured Olexandr Kucher and Fernandinho.

Shakthar’s Brazilian corps could be the key to the game: Douglas Costa, Jadson, Willian and Luiz Adriano are all expected to start with captain Darijo Srna pulling the strings alongside Razvan Rat. Defense was a liability for them in Rome; they won the game then with a magnificent 12-minute spell after conceding a soft goal.

Roma must get a lot out of Marco Borriello, their talisman this season, and cannot afford to make the mistakes they did last time out, when a botched clearance and a howler by John Arne Riise led to two quick goals.

Jamie Trecker is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering the UEFA Champions League and the Barclay's Premier League.

RVP makes trip to Barcelona

Arsenal have sprung a surprise by naming Robin van Persie in their squad for Tuesday's UEFA Champions League clash with Barcelona. 

EPL Weekend Roundup

via sportsillustrated.com 

Most gripping game

On Sunday afternoon in the West Midlands, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur conjured an hour and a half of soccer even more dizzying than Bolton's 3-2 win over Aston Villa on Saturday. The pitch wore the muddy, ravaged look of the pre-Premiership era but the spectacle it hosted was another thrilling example of the unpredictability of the current season.

The scoreline took fans on the emotional journey of a Richard Curtis movie, though Wolves supporters will feel they deserved a happier ending than the 3-3 tie, because these days the match that has everything has at least one controversial referee's decision. This had two, the first keeping Alan Hutton on the pitch, the second disallowing Richard Stearman's goal for a foul on keeper Heurelho Gomes.

All of Wolves' goals had the benefit of catastrophically bad defending from Spurs (Milan next!), which zigzagged between lackadaisical and kamikaze for most of this breathless encounter, but the home side, hardly short of invention, deserved more than another nobly won, unsatisfying point. Few can complain if results such as this cost Tottenham another Champions League adventure; many will if they relegate Wolves.

Sweetest goal

The goals in West Bromwich Albion's 3-1 win against Birmingham City came like gall stones: quickly and joyously after an agonizing wait. Following a first half low on quality, the second half opened with a trio of goals and James Morrison's was sumptuous.

Steven Reid's square ball was hit hard, forcing Morrison's first touch up in the air, but as Curtis Davies stepped in to pinch it Morrison steered the ball away to his left and fired it in to the top of the net on the half volley. "I was very happy with it being my left foot, because sometimes it's just for standing on," he said.

Most exciting player

Such is the always-the-bridesmaid nature of Dirk Kuyt's career that it's really no surprise that on the weekend of his first hat-trick for Liverpool -- his first hat-trick since 2005 for Feyenoord that comprehensively sank arch rivals Manchester United at Anfield -- it is the scintillating Luis Suarez that everyone's all talking about.

Kuyt's running gave United's makeshift defense a headache, but it was the Uruguayan who had them chasing their tails, setting up the first with an outrageous slaloming run that embarrassed Rafael, Michael Carrick and Wes Brown before his pass got away from Edwin van der Sar and Patrice Evra for Kuyt to tap in. It was his floated cross that Nani headed back toward his own goal in the build up to Liverpool's second, and his free-kick that van der Sar fumbled for the third. His was the kind of performance that all soccer fans, Reds or not, enjoy with a smile.

Unsung hero

There's little doubt that Mikel Arteta was the architect of Everton's 2-1 win over Newcastle, but Leon Osman laid more than a few bricks. Playing centrally, Osman drove Everton forward and was a constant source for Arteta, who sparkled like new having been moved out to the left. Osman started the move leading to his equalizer, which he calmly side-footed in to the net, as well as others that presented Victor Anichebe and Louis Saha with chances. He hasn't had an easy ride from some supporters, but Osman helped to render Marouane Fellaini's absence (ankle) almost invisible.

Biggest goat

Frequently this season, Wigan's Ali Al Habsi has been one of the best goalkeepers on show, but he has to bear the weight of responsibility for Manchester City's 1-0 victory this weekend. David Silva was given space to shoot for goal by Adrian Lopez slipping over, but his shot didn't really gather any great speed; somehow Al Habsi let it slip through his grasp, between his legs and over the line. Not just an error, a howler. And on a day when bottom of the table Wigan actually outplayed City.

Saving grace

Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner is probably still watching and rewinding footage of the first-half volley that Sunderland's Simon Mignolet somehow kept out -- flying at him from an angle that would see plenty of keepers inadvertently bundling the ball in to their own nets if they got anything on the rising ball, it should have opened the scoring at the Emirates. But Mignolet kept a clean sheet, also palming away a Samir Nasri free kick in the second half. "We are very frustrated because we gave a lot ... we absolutely tried everything," said Arsene Wenger, afterward. Mignolet was eventually beaten by an Andrey Arshavin shot, but the goal was incorrectly disallowed for offside -- Wenger wasn't impressed. "I'm too disgusted to speak about it, frankly."

Trending topic

#youdon'tknowwhatyou'redoing -- the constant debate about refereeing standards in the Premier League was given renewed impetus by a raft of poor decisions. The worst offenders were Mark Clattenburg, who gave no penalty when Blackburn's Grant Hanley hacked down Damien Duff and then subsequently focused all his attention on Hanley in order to find a reason to award one, and Phil Dowd, who remained admirably calm as his baffling decisions late in the first half of Liverpool-Manchester United prompted several players to lose their heads. Are they involved in a secret battle to land a contract with Specsavers, or perhaps a pizza advert?

Coach's corner

There's been a lot to like about Gerard Houllier's Aston Villa recently, but the manager can't seem to help talking himself into people's bad books. Earlier in the week he tried to justify the weakened team he fielded in the FA Cup by saying that he didn't think his best side could have beaten Manchester City.

Now he has admitted that Villa is weak defending set pieces (two of Bolton's three goals this weekend came that way) but says he's stuck with an inherited zonal marking system. "I came to this club on Sept. 18, they had their habits for four years and I am not going to change it in the middle of the season."

As if that wasn't bad enough, Houllier also pointed his finger at the sale of Gary Cahill (scorer of both of those set-piece goals) three years ago. "You can blame us as we sold Cahill to them," he said, "but I wasn't here. I rate him very much." Oh Ged!

Notable number

315 -- West Ham's impressive 3-0 win over Stoke City was its second successive home victory, a mini-run that it hasn't put together since April last year, 315 days ago. In its last three league fixtures, the team has scored nine goals and moved from last place to 17th. No wonder the manager, Avram Grant, has been talking about renewed faith in attacking soccer.

Georgina Turner has worked as a sports journalist since 2003. She covers the English Premier League, but also reports on tennis and women's sports for UK magazines.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/georgina_turner/03/07/epl.digest/index.html#ixzz1Fw5xNz2a

Player Profile: Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard

Born on January 7th 1991 in La Louviere, Belgium (20 years old)

Club: Lille 

Position: Attacking Winger & Midfield 

Career: He began his football career in Belgium playing for local clubs Royal Stade Brainois and Tubize. In 2005, he ventured to France joining first division club Lille. Hazard spent two years in the club's academy and, at the age of 16, made his professional debut in November 2007. Since then, he has 92 appearances for the club and has scored 12 goals. Many have compared his skills set to that of a young Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.  Hazard also plays for the Belgium nationals team where he has earned 17 CAPS for his country.  He has gained interest from many giant clubs including Manchester United, Arsenal, Internazionale, Barcelona & Real Madrid.

BS Report: Drogba Not Sulking

Via Skysports.com

Frank Lampard has praised Didier Drogba's committed reaction to being dropped from the Chelsea starting XI in recent games. (The Futbol Knowledge team is convinced you will see him playing for Real Madrid next season)

The Ivory Coast international has been a talismanic figure for the Blues over the past few seasons but suddenly finds himself facing fierce competition for a place up front following the £50million arrival of Fernando Torres.

Torres has lined up alongside Nicolas Anelkafor the past couple of games, leading to reports that Drogba could be disgruntled about being on the substitutes' bench.

However, Lampard insists that is not the case as Drogba has been working as hard as ever since coming out of the side.

The England midfielder, whose penalty secured a 2-1 victory over Manchester United on Tuesday night, believes having three strikers of such quality will stand Chelsea in good stead for the rest of the season.

Speaking about Drogba, Lampard told theEvening Standard: "His reaction to losing his place has been brilliant and it is a load of nonsense when people say he has the hump. It has been far from that.

"He has been getting behind the lads, telling us to 'come on'. He has trained with commitment and played with commitment as a substitute. It is nonsense to say he is sulking.

"To have those three strikers at the club is huge for us in the final months of the season. They are three of the best in the world."

Lampard also praised Ashley Cole for performing well despite the criticism of his recent off-field behaviour.

"Ashley plays brilliantly every game, that's why he is the best left-back in the world," said Lampard.

Important win

Lampard hopes Chelsea can now build on the win against United as they look to mount an unlikely late push for the title.

Carlo Ancelotti's men remain 12 points behind the Red Devils and Lampard accepts the result has also boosted the hopes of second-placedArsenal.

"We need to go on from here. We normally go on a late run at this time of the season and that is what we hope to do now," said Lampard, who feels Chelsea can still improve on their performance against United.

"If we don't get a result in our next game, against Blackpool, then this will mean nothing.

"We can't get ahead of ourselves. We usually put a run of wins together but we haven't done it so far this season. It is something we need to do now to give us a chance.

"It was important to win a big match again and in the second half there was a little of the old Chelsea in there, you could see the power in the team, the commitment and the strength.

In with a shout

"We can play much better. There were times at the end of last season and the beginning of this that our football was top drawer. It was probably as good, if not better, than anyone else in Europe.

"Lately we haven't been playing like that but we can get back to those high levels.

"Does this victory help Arsenal win the title? If Arsenal keep winning, but that's not a given either.

"United have enough experience to know it is a marathon and there is a long way to go.

"But we don't really care about anyone else. If we keep winning all our games, we'll be in with a shout."