Arsenal to come second in the Premier League according to manager Wenger

The title race may be over but the race for second definitely isn't, and according to Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger, his side will come second in the league, overhauling Man City, Chelsea and Tottenham before the season is up, despite struggling for form of late.

Although their win against villa on the weekend was their third Premier League victory in a row, it was their first win in three matches after suffering a torrid week's football with overawing defeats to Bayern Munich in the Chapions League and Championship club Blackburn in the F.A Cup. They are also still nine points behind Man City in second with only eleven games to go; and, if Tottenham were to beat West Ham tonight, they would be four points behind arch rivals Tottenham in third place.

However, Wenger still believes his side has a chance, claiming that "Man City is not out of reach. It could be a fight until the end".

This has come just days after fans and pundits alike were calling for his head after the comprehensive defeat to Bayern and his shambled Pre-match press conference where he lambasted the journalists just for "looking at him".

In stark contrast however, Chelsea interim boss, Rafa Benitez, claimed that his side were out of the second place running after losing to City at the Etihad on Sunday. Before the match he said that "we have to go there with confidence and if we are close, we can fight for being in the top two... and if not we will have to fight for being in the top four".

Wenger feels his team can secure second place ahead of the likes of Man City and Chelsea 

Yet Wenger still believes his side have enough quality to not only over haul Tottenham and Chelsea, but also Man City, "I'm not sure it will only be a fight with Tottenham," he added when asked about the battle for fourth. "I'm not sure the other places are not reachable.

"Chelsea are just ahead and even Manchester City is not out of reach. It could be a tight fight until the end."

If this was the case and Arsenal were to claim the runners up spot in the league, it would be the first time they had finished in the top two since 2004/5 when they finished second only behind Mourinho's Chelsea. On the other hand, if they were to miss out on a top four berth, it would be the first time that has happened under the reign of Wenger, stretching way back to 1996.

There are still some key games to go, with Arsenal playing Tottenham next week and Man Utd at the end of April. As well as Arsenal, Tottenham have to face City and Chelsea; whilst Chelsea also visit Man Utd; and Man City play against Utd as well.

Weekend Predictions - Bradford's dream run to finish with a loss

This week, as well as having an almost full premier league round to look forward to, is the League Cup Final. This year is the year for the minnows. Bradford of league 2 and Swansea who make their cup final debut.
Here are my previews for all the games:
Bradford V Swansea - Neither team will have expected to make the final at the beginning of the season; Bradford are the first team from league 2 to make a cup final and Swansea have reached the final for the first time in their history. However, at this time, Swansea are a considerable force, and , although Bradford have beaten three premier league teams on their journey to the final, Swansea and Michu should be a hurdle to far.
Fulham V Stoke - a battle for  a top half finish; both teams don't score many so a bore draw is on the cards.
Arsenal V Villa - Arsenal are really in trouble, with two consecutive losses and another season without a trophy on the cards (not to mention being amid all the rumours of Wenger being sacked), they really need a win, which they should get, although Villa are on the back of their first win of the year.
Norwich V Everton - Everton are doing well to keep up with the big boys but this is the part of the season where their lack of funds and a large enough squad comes back to haunt them; you would think them favourites but Norwich are home and desperate for a win - it will be tight.
QPR V Man Utd - Leaders V last, it should be a relatively comfortable in for Utd who are just starting to play like champions, if they win this they will be unofficial title winners.
Reading V Wigan - A relegation 6 pointer, the winner of this could just escape the drop, whilst the loser will be right in their scrapping for premier league survival; both are on good form and it could be a high scoring thriller.
West Brom V Sunderland - Another mid table stand off, which should result in a low scoring victory for either team.
Man City V Chelsea - City really need a win if they are to keep the pressure on Utd, but Chelsea need to win to stay in third, if they lose they'll be fighting just to get champo next year, city narrowly though.
Newcastle V Southampton - this could be a thriller with both teams scoring for fun against weak defenses, Southampton could put to bed relegation fears with a win, but the Toon will be favourites.
West Ham V Tottenham - Tottenham narrowly beat Lyon, and they should do the same against the Hammers this week
What are your opinions...

Europa League round of 16 preview

After a thrilling round of 32, the Europa league is nearing its conclusion; but which teams will be playing in Amsterdam this year?

The English clubs scraped through with last-gasp goals for Tottenham and Chelsea, not forgetting the comedy of errors by Metalist Kharkiv defenders as they mucked up a routine backpass, allowing Sissoko to win a penalty which Ameobi duly converted.

In the next round, Newcastle face a strong Anzhi side who defeated Liverpool in the group stages. They will be hoping to gain a result though, however ugly the performance, Pardew needs a good cup run to make up for the dismal showing in the league and to prove the infamous eight year contract was the correct decision. If they are to win though, they will need a strong defensive performance from the likes of Taylor and Coloccini in order to keep out Eto'o and Traore; backed up by a spirited performance, with lots of effort put in, by the strikers. An away goal will be crucial.

Tottenham, having narrowly beaten Lyon, face a rematch from a couple of years ago in the Champions league as they come up against a significantly weaker Inter Milan side. They will hope that Bale can reproduce some of the magic of earlier this season and of course the Hat-trick that first brought him into the limelight and showed his immense talent to football fans around the world. This time though, Tottenham will be the narrow favourites and it will be Inter playing the counter attacking game, which should play into the hands of speedsters Bale and Lennon as it could mean that Inter, in being desperate for the goal, will leave themselves open to a counter-counter. It could come down to who makes less mistakes.

Chelsea face a much easier task (though it can't be taken for granted) in a two leg fixture against Romanian champions Steau Bucharest. The current Champions league winners will feel disappointed with their showing in Europe this year and will know that in order to make it up to their fans they need to do well in the Europa. This tie should help and, if they win, they will be just three rounds from another European title. This tie should be done and dusted before it's started, but chelsea should be weary of complacency and make sure they grind out the mistakes.

 Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle will all be hoping to reach the next round for completely different reasons, and they all stand a good chance, but they must make sure they play well and if they do, anything could happen...

Pistorius: the medalist, the man with the metal legs and the murderer?

Following the tragic events of Valentine's day morning, in the silver woods country estate, near Pretoria, people are left wondering whether another inspirational sports star has let the pressures of being an athlete get to them. After the revealing of Lance Armstrong's part in a drug network throughout cycling, nobody wanted another controversial story in the news about any sports star, let alone the hero that is Oscar Pistorius.
The tale is that Pistorius' girlfriend entered his house at around 4am in order to set up a valentines surprise but Pistorius (apparently not realising it was her) heard the 'intruder' and shot her 4 times with his unlicensed guns.
There are also reports (backed up by his close friends saying that he has been different for 2 years now) that he had turned to drugs to improve his performance, which would explain the steroids found in his house.
So the debates are, did he murder her, or was it manslaughter; why does he have unlicensed guns; and has he turned to drugs to improve his performance, and if so when?
common view is that he has been taking drugs and so they made him act out of character and reduce the functioning of his senses, such that he didn't realise who he'd shot until afterwards. However, what he was doing with unlicensed guns is a mystery, but he may have had them for protection (although there are security guards on his estate) and not wanted people to think of him differently as it would have been bad press.
What are your views on the disaster?

BPL results

My predictions have finally been remotely good, scoring an average (but amazing for me) 10 points! Here are this week's BPL scores:
Tottenham 2 V 1 Newcastle - As predicted, Tottenham (aka Bale) had just enough to get past a rejuvenated Newcastle
Chelsea 4 V 1 Wigan - This game was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests; Wigan applied all the pressure at 2-1 and were unlucky not to get a penalty before Chelsea took the game away from them with two late goals
Norwich 0 V 0 Fulham - boring match, nothing to report apart from what could be a vital point for both teams
Stoke 2 V 1 Reading - Cagey match; Stoke did what West Brom and Chelsea couldn't and held on for the win
Sunderland 0 V 1 Arsenal - Arsenal started brightly and deservedly went ahead before Jenkinson was sent off, creating a nervy last 20 minutes with Arsenal holding on for all 3 points
Swansea 4 V 1 QPR - QPR are in real trouble, twice this season they have been smashed by a Michu led Swansea and they will do well to avoid the drop from here; Swansea's great season continues
Southampton 3 V 1 Man City - Shock of the week as champions lose to a newly promoted team, this will go a long way to ensure the saints survive, but is Mancini in trouble?
Aston Villa 2 V 1 West Ham - Villa won! VILLA WON! It's a miracle, their run without a win ends, but they almost through it away at the end, West Ham will be disappointed to have lost
Liverpool 0 V 2 West Brom - Ben Foster's stunning performance in goal (with a save of the season contender from Gerrard's penalty) led West Brom to a worthy victory over the reds. 
Next week is the F.A Cup with Liverpool V Swansea in the BPL

AFCON Final 2013

Who would have thought that this year's best footballing team in Africa would be one of Nigeria or Burkina Faso? Yesterday was the final of the 2013 AFCON tournament and it was contested between two surprise teams of the whole event. Nigeria were a big team ten years ago, but since the departure of the golden generation including Yakubu, they have dropped in the rankings and this year turned to youth, led by Chelsea's Victor Moses and Spartak's Emmanuel Emenike. Burkina Faso have never been on the big stage before and it was a real surprise they even got to the final, beating one of the pre-tournament favourites, Ghana, in the semis. But the semis were another game and this was the one that really mattered. It was a tense opening, shaded by the super eagles who were fronted by Uche in for the injured Emenike. Moses was creating all the early chances though and from his free-kick, Ambrose narrowly headed over, before Brown blazed wide after keeper Diakite dropped a corner at his feet. Burkina Faso were anonymous, particularly the likes of Pitroipa, who had had his red card rescinded, and it was left to Bance to motivate his team, shooting wide from a free-kick. In contrast though, Mba produced a moment of magic, flicking the ball over the onrushing defender before volleying in from just inside the area. It was pure genius and brought the tie to life, just before half time. In the second half it was more of the same and Nigeria were unlucky not to double their lead as Musa slipped at the vital moment after a good run from Moses. However, Burkina Faso had one great chance which Enyeama some how tipped round the post and that was that. In the end it was more comfortable then the result appeared but the Ghana match must have sapped it out of their opponents. Whatever the reason, Nigeria were now the champions and are back to the big time!

The BPL predos

This week I can feel my luck changing - I will get more than 3 points!
Here are the games and my predos alongside them:
Tottenham V Newcastle - Sissoko has added a new dimension to the toon's game but Tottenham should be too good for them - 2-1
Chelsea V Wigan - Rafa may need to win to keep his job and Chelsea should do just that against relegation threatened Wigan - 3-0
Norwich V Fulham - This could be an important game for both sides, Fulham need to find a bit of form and Norwich need to put a bit of breathing space between themselves and the bottom three. - 1-1
Stoke V Reading - Stoke were a force to be reckoned with at the beginning of the season but now they need to get back into some form; Reading on the other hand are on a great run of form, winning or drawing their last four games, against Chelsea, Sunderland and West Brom. - 2-2
Sunderland V Arsenal - Arsenal are just coming into some form, whilst Sunderland are struggling to reach mid-table - 0-2
Swansea V QPR - under Redknapp, QPR have been much better but haven't got the much needed results, whereas Swansea, under Laudrup have improved dramatically and could win their first trophy this season in the league cup - 2-1
Southampton V Man City - City can't afford to drop any more points if they want to defend their title and the Saints are a nice team to play if they need the points - 0-3
Aston Villa V West Ham - Villa just can't buy a win and for the Ham, Carroll is back and firing - 1-2
Man Utd V Everton - Everton are having their best season for a while and they always play well against Utd, but Utd just grind out wins - 3-2
Liverpool V West Brom - The reds are just hitting some form whilst the baggies are losing theirs, Liverpool might even fight for the CL - 3-1
What are your predictions for this week?

Six nations - week two

So after last week's thrilling start, the rugby's back and we're ready for more. This week, Wales face France with both teams coming from a loss in the first round; England face Ireland with each team looking to improve on its good start; and Scotland face Italy which is probably the battle for the wooden spoon (but not if Italy carry on like they did last week). Here are my predictions and the low-down on each game:

Scotland V Italy - Scotland were outclassed and outplayed last week at Twickenham, but there were a few positives to come out of it, like the performance of Stuart Hogg who provides them with pace and good hands; on the other hand, Italy come from a shock win against France but they always struggle away from home so I'm predicting a home win - Scotland by about 7.

France V Wales - Both teams will be disappointed with last week's results, Wales were outplayed in the first half but can take heart from their almost amazing comeback in the second; France will be annoyed to lose to spoon contenders Italy but they are a formidable force in Rome so it wasn't too bad - France by less than 7.

Ireland V England - Last week England were great - but we've all been here before, one week a good performance, the next we get smashed, so can England continue the good form they're in, or will Ireland create a winning opportunity in this year's championship? - England by about 3.

What are your opinions on the next round...

Premier League review

3 points! That is bad! Here's what really happened and not my rubbish predos:
QPR V Norwich - 0-0 - Both keepers will be extremely happy with their performance and QPR will be left to rue what could have happened if Taraabt had scored that penalty, two points dropped for both teams.
Arsenal V Stoke - 1-0 - A late deflected Podolski free kick saved Arsenal's blushes in a match that they dominated, mind you, it almost wasn't given but ultimately the officials made the right choice.
Everton V Villa - 3-3 - Villa just can't seem to grind out a win regardless of the score, from 3-1 to 3-3. If matches ended at half time, Villa would be 7th in the league.
Newcastle V Chelsea - 3-2 - An amazing win from the toon, Sissoko looks like a good signing and Chelsea are on the decline.
Reading V Sunderland - 2-1 - Another late win for Reading, this time Kebe is the hero.
West Ham V Swansea - 1-0 - West ham grind out an all important victory against the Swans and Carroll is back to scoring ways - life couldn't be better for the hammers.
Wigan V Southampton - 2-2 - This match burst into life in the closing stages with the Saints thinking they had won it, only to be brought back level by a 90 minute Maloney goal.
Fulham V Man Utd - 0-1 - A stunning strike from Rooney gave Utd the points but my highlight was the floodlights going off just before half time.
West Brom V Tottenham - 0-1 - A brilliant finish from Bale gave Spurs the win after Popov stupid sending off for spitting.
Man City V Liverpool - 2-2 - A late strike from Aguero rescues the blues, blues after stunning goals from Gerrard and Sturridge for Liverpool.
Overall, it was a good week for Man Utd, Arsenal and Tottenham with vital bottom half wins for West Ham and Newcastle, bringing them out of the relegation battle.

Six Nations week one

The first round of games are done and dusted. The players can move to their next stadium whilst the media are left to continue the hype of the first games - so here goes:
Wales 22 - 30 Ireland - It was a game of two halves; first half was all Ireland, romping to a 23 - 3 half time lead. Then when they scored an early second half try, it looked like the match would continue where it left off before the break. However, Wales and Justin Tipuric had something to say about that. They battled away smashing against a resolute line of Irish defense, before pulling back 2 tries to close the gap to two scores. Their hard work and effort was all in vain however as the Irish stood strong, holding out for an 8 point win. The Irish will be pleased with the result but the Welsh should take something out of their spirited second half performance.
England 38 - 18 Scotland - This was an open game which England dominated. The result was never in doubt but the scoreline could have been 10 points closer or more dominant. England were smashing away, creating chance after chance and the only time Scotland ever looked like scoring was when England made a mistake or Stuart Hogg received the ball. Tries from Ashton, debutant Twelvetrees, Care and Parling saw England to an easy win.
Italy 23 - 18 France - This was the shock of the week and perhaps the whole tournament as underdogs Italy claimed a rare win against world cup finalists, France. They were inspired by the home crowd and after the score ebbed from one side to the other a decisive try from Castrogiovanni gave Italy a memorable win. This was after a superb try from Fall.
So there we have it, who would have thought Italy would win, or Ireland would beat reigning champs Wales? But they did and so onto the next round of this year's tournament!

Superbowl - the preview

This week is the most watched event annually - the Superbowl. Whether the actual sport or the amazing half time performance draws the viewers, I don't know but what I do know is that this year's event could be the most destined event yet. Firstly, it's the Harbowl, two coaches; two brothers - who could have seen that coming? Then there's the small fact of Ray Lewis' last game of his illustrious career; announced before the playoffs, the passion of that 'small' statement has brought the somewhat unfancied Ravens into the Superbowl. I think that the Ravens will beat the 49ers and Lewis will end on a high. It won't be the most amazing game ever, but boy will it be remembered!

January transfer window top signings

The Window's closed, pen's put down and engines turned off. Now all the deals have been done it's time to look at the key moves of the past month and assess them; here are my top 13 (not in order) and some other notable ones:

1. Chris Samba to QPR - This move was forced upon Redknapp's hoops by Nelsen leaving, but what a deal it was, Samba will shore up the R's defense and could lead them to safety
2. Daniel Sturridge to Liverpool - This deal ought to take some pressure of Luis Suarez and allow him to play where he wants, it will also mean Liverpool have two sources of goals.
3. Demba Ba to Chelsea - However you look at it, the Fernando Torres experiment just has not worked for Chelsea and they have finally seen sense to bring in someone to replace him. 
4. Nacho Monreal to Arsenal - Buying Monreal was not Wenger's plan but because Kieran Gibbs got injured, he was forced to buy. Fortunately for Arsenal fans, Monreal is a highly rated Left-back and should solve their problems, though he can't play in the CL as he's cup tied.
5. Phillippe Coutinho to Liverpool - This could be Liverpool's answer to Gerrard decreasing fitness - allowing them to rest Gerrard when necessary.
6. Wilfried Zaha to Man Utd - Are Utd preparing for the imminent retirement of Giggs? Or the sale of Nani?
7. Moussa Sissoko to Newcastle - The marauding centre mid Newcastle need - he can attack and protect the defense if necessary.
8. Luciano Becchio to Norwich - An answer for Holt's old age and the lack of top quality cover, Becchio could be the next top striker in the league.
9. Loic Remy to QPR - Another key signing for QPR, Redknapp obviously doesn't like Cisse (so much so, he sent him on loan) and doesn't feel he has good enough cover so he has strengthened his strike department - they won't be staying uop without Remy's goals.
10. Jack Butland to Stoke - A player for the future and acting as cover for the departure of Begovic in the  summer.
11. Danny Graham to Sunderland - Graham will take the pressure off Fletcher and add another source of goals to Sunderland's play.
12. Lewis Holtby to Tottenham - Cover in Midfield for Tottenham, especially after the injury to Sandro and the recent departures of Modric, Kranjcar and Van Der Vaart.
13. Mario Balotelli to AC Milan - Super Mario is gone - good riddance - the PL can live in peace!

Other key moves include:

• David Beckham to PSG - surely this will be Beckham's last club in his never ending career.
• Didier Drogba to Galatasaray - The mercurial striker has one last big move in him.
• Wesley Sneijder to Galatasaray - Galatasaray are signing some big players, none more so than Sneijder, but is he past his prime?

What are your biggest deals of the window?

Premier League predos

This week I'm hoping to do a lot better then previous attempts so here goes:
QPR V Norwich - 2-1 - This is a relegation six pointer and I think QPR will bag the points, under Redknapp they've improved dramatically and the new signings should see them to victory.
Arsenal V Stoke - 3-1 - Stoke have been poor recently and Arsenal don't look like they'll stop scoring.
Everton V Villa - 2-0 - Villa are in an uncontrollable downward spiral so this should be easy for Everton as Villa can't seem to put two halves together.
Newcastle V Chelsea - 1-3 - Demba Ba should finally get the nod ahead of Torres and against his old team too, he will lead the line, and Chelsea to victory.
Reading V Sunderland - 2-2 - This could be a cracker if the last two Reading home games are anything to go by, but Sunderland are a decent side and it will be hard for Reading.
West Ham V Swansea - 1-2 - Swansea are having a great season and West Ham are just starting to dip so I see the Welsh side getting all three points.
Wigan V Southampton - 2-1 - Another six pointer and I think Wigan will come out on top as they have home advantage, but it should be close.
Fulham V Man Utd - 0-3 - After easing to victory a couple of games ago in the F.A Cup, Utd will look to do the same tomorrow.
West Brom V Tottenham - 1-3 - Tottenham don't often go two games without a win so it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back, but they should be too strong for a baggies side with internal problems of their own.
Man City V Liverpool - 3-1 - The champions should ease to a win against a tired Liverpool side but the reds will be blostered by their new signing Coutinho; he won't lead them to victory though I don't think.
What are your Predos...

The Six Nations - preview

Take note all you rugby fans, the Six Nations are finally here. Tomorrow sees the start of the tournament with Defending Champs, Wales looking to get their defense off to a winning start against Ireland. That match is followed by England Vs Scotland and then on Sunday, Italy Vs France. Here are my Predictions for the first round and the entire tournament:
Wales V Ireland - It will be a close match but it will go Wales' way thanks to their fantastic home support; Wales by less than a converted try.
England V Scotland - It should go England's way with Scotland's only hope being that England's squad get off to a slow start; England to win by more than 10.
Italy V France - Italy's home support is great, but the Azzuri are up against a strong French side whose iconic captain, Dusautoir, has been ajudged fit to play, this could be Italy's best chance to win a match and it will be close; France to win by less than 7.
Overall I think that if the English Squad can work together well then the championship is theirs for the taking but I don't think there will be a grand slam and if the red roses fail, there are three over teams capable of winning the championship in France, Wales and Ireland. I think that the Italians will pick up the wooden spoon.