Spurs were winning 1-0 until Heurelho Gomes spilled a Frank Lampard shot, and the assistant referee deemed the ball to have crossed the goal-line, although television images proved otherwise.

Chelsea went on to score a second, although Salomon Kalou was shown to be offside as he scored the winning goal.

“It’s unbelievable we’ve not got the technology,” Redknapp told BBC Sport.

“We can put a man on the moon but we can’t decide if a ball crossed the line – it’s beyond belief.”

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Wenger has seen his team lose the Carling Cup final, as well as failing in the Champions League and FA Cup.

The Gunners are now all but out of the Premier League title race, as they are 9 points behind Manchester United with just four games to play.

“We feel more frustrated than ever because we are closer than ever to win this league,” said Wenger.

“It is vital for us to show that we have some mental qualities and finish with a very strong fighting spirit.”

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The centre-back has been out for seven months but is ready to help out with his club’s final few games.

However, Vermaelen has been left out of the team for Saturday’s game against Manchester United.

“Physically I feel good,” the Belgian defender told Arsenal’s website.

“It’s up to the boss. I hope I’ll be back in the squad soon.”

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City are currently four points ahead of Tottenham, with a crunch match between the two coming up next month.

But de Jong thinks City should be looking to catch teams above them in the league, rather than looking below them.

“You have to aim as high as you can and all we can do is focus on each game and keep collecting three points,” he told mcfc.co.uk.

“We are in the top four and that is where we want to stay and the way to do that is to not think about the future only the next match. If we keep our focus then of course we can challenge for third place but all we can do is keep winning and see what happens.”

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Tickets are still available to compare and buy online, so now is your last chance to get tickets to one of the biggest games of the season.

Manchester United will be playing at home in front of the Old Trafford crowd, and will hope to increse their advantage over rivals and currently third place Arsenal in a game they must win to keep ahead in the Premier League.

With tickets still available online now is the time to see the likes of Wayne Rooney, Samir Nasri, Dimitar Berbatov, Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Javier Hernandez battle it out before the January transfer window.

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Tickets for the game are available online now, and whether they’re for a Christmas gift or family afternoon at the match, now is the time to compare prices and buy.

With the transfer window opening after Christmas in January, and more exciting fixtures in the New Year, the Barclays Premier League always brings action, and the annual Boxing Day game is no different.

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Barcelona are in pole position. They sit just one point in front of the Spanish capital side, and will play Valladolid at home. In addition, their home record is phenomenal. Barca have dropped league points in just one match all season – a 1-1 draw with Villarreal.

Real Madrid travel to lowly Malaga, and though they are strong favourites to win the match, the chances are that it will not be enough to claim the title. Unbelievably after scoring over one hundred goals and accumulating 95 points (potentially 98), they could still be denied the championship.

With both Valladolid and Malaga only above the relegation zone on goal difference, they will have ample motivation to try and pull a result out of the bag – and as yet could have a major say in the destination of the title.

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Both sides have away fixtures against bottom half sides in their final match of the season that they will be expected to win; Manchester City face West Ham, while Spurs take on relegated Burnley. Presuming both Champions League contenders gain victory against these sides – neither of which has anything left to play for, the match against Tottenham is Manchester City’s last chance to overtake their north London rivals.

For Roberto Mancini’s side then, victory is vital – especially given that this is their last match at Eastlands, where they boast a very strong record. Tottenham are somewhat shaky on the road, but are in good form ahead of the clash. Spurs have won eight of their last ten league matches – a run that includes successive matches against Arsenal and Chelsea.

In the reverse fixture between these sides in December, Tottenham won 3-0 in a convincing performance. However, this match will be a different kettle of fish entirely. Manchester City have changed their manager, added the signings of Adam Johnson and Patrick Vieira, and there is far more at stake this time around. The game may come down to which manager and team can hold their nerve.

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- If Liverpool could match their away form to that of at Anfield they would not be battling to get the fourth Champions League spot.

- Blackburn’s away form must be fairly shocking as they are nowhere near challenging for Europe, let alone the top four.

Liverpool’s season has been covered in great detail elsewhere, but Allardyce’s positive spin on things has been rather less scrutinised. In fact, Blackburn would be in 18th position if away form was all that mattered. Having picked up a paltry six points on their travels from Ewood Park, it would be the understatement of the century to say that much can be improved.

However, Saturday April 3rd 2010 offers a fabulous opportunity to pick up only a second away win of the season. Blackburn will take on Portsmouth at Fratton Park, and although the Hampshire side are showing a great deal of heart in their matches, even without the 9 point penalty for going into administration Portsmouth would be bottom of the league. In the reverse fixture, Blackburn completed a convincing 3-1 victory despite going behind in the 15th minute to a Jamie O’Hara goal.

Last night Portsmouth lost 5-0 at home to Chelsea. While Blackburn are not of the calibre of Carlo Ancelotti’s team, it is another low point for Pompey in a miserable season, and heads inevitably tend to drop – especially after such a drubbing. Blackburn beat notoriously difficult to break down Birmingham City 2-1, thanks to a brace from David Dunn, and this result coupled with a good value draw against Chelsea stands them in good stead for the visit to Pompey. With their last and only other away victory coming in November against the struggling Bolton Wanderers of Gary Megson (who has since been sacked), there will not be a better opportunity for Blackburn to overcome their away demons.

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Like their previous season in the Championship when their away record was the best in the division, it is Wolves’ form in enemy territory which has been most impressive. Their record on their travels is identical in terms of results to Liverpool’s, and it is ahead of many sides above them in the table, such as Everton, Fulham, Stoke, Blackburn and Sunderland. Mick McCarthy has built his side with firm foundations with Marcus Hahnemann a huge presence in goal, Jody Craddock and Christoph Berra offering discipline to the defence, and Kevin Doyle chasing down lost causes up front. Both Craddock and Doyle have chipped in with their fair share of goals too, which has confounded pundits who thought they were mere Championship level.

The one place Wolves can make a vast improvement is in attack, as they have scored the least goals in the division. Before last night’s game, the Premier League’s leading marksman Wayne Rooney had scored more goals than the entire Wolverhampton Wanderers squad, and their current average of less than a goal a game means they are over-reliant on shutting out opposition rather than putting them under pressure – as their two smash-and-grab 1-0 victories over Tottenham demonstrate.

Mick McCarthy was very publicly criticised for changing all ten outfield players for Wolves’ trip to Old Trafford in December, but he vindicated his decision by defeating Burnley convincingly in Wolves’ next league game. West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola had a similar scenario in mind when he rested first choice strikeforce Alessandro Diamanti and Carlton Cole for Manchester United’s visit to Upton Park, but the side capitulated upon the pair’s restoration to the lineup against Wolves. Zola is now coming under increased pressure from both fans and owners of the club, and given that McCarthy has had a far more limited budget to the Italian, Wolves’ achievements so far are all the more impressive.

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The top two teams in the league face each other in less than a month, with the victor to surely become favourites for the domestic crown. It has been a topsy-turvy season with only one constant: its unpredictability. Many tipped Liverpool for the title but they are firmly locked in a battle for fourth, with Manchester City, Tottenham and Aston Villa all with points advantage or games in hand.

Many thought Arsenal would fall away as in previous years, particularly after Aaron Ramsey’s broken leg echoed memories of Eduardo’s similar injury in 2008. That year, the Gunners crumbled quite dramatically, but in the last month they have clawed back Chelsea’s nine point advantage to level with them, and are just two points behind Manchester United. A draw between the Red Devils and Chelsea could lead to Arsenal sneaking to the title as they have on paper the easiest remaining fixtures.

With so many matches in this Premier League season going against form, it is impossible to predict the final outcome, and that is why it is the most captivating in recent memory.

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This season has been more open than any in recent memory when it comes to both the title race and European slots, and this may also have been a factor in the collective decision. Clubs such as Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur have shown encouraging signs of genuine improvement, and so the prospect of being able to compete on a regular basis for the fourth spot without changing the league format may have influenced their decision.

As it is, the Barclays Premier League is arguably the most entertaining league in the world, and with more goals than at the same stage of competition last year, it is in rude health indeed.

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Chelsea have tough games against Manchester City, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool to play. Manchester United are yet to play Liverpool, the aforementioned game against against Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham. Arsenal’s biggest tests come against a physical Stoke Side at the Britannia Stadium where they have been beaten in their last two meetings, Birmingham away, and Tottenham and Manchester City. They are currently six points behind leaders Chelsea and five behind Manchester United, but the fact that at least one of the teams has to drop points in their clash will inspire the Gunners.

This Barclays Premier League title race is still a three-way battle, and could go right down to the wire in the closest it has been in years.

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With some of their better players coming back from injury, with fans particularly looking forward to the returns to fitness of Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson.

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There is further concern for the Old Trafford side after Brazilian starlet Anderson was ruled out of action for the rest of the season after rupturing his cruciate ligament against West Ham on Wednesday night. Anderson had only just returned to the United side after being dropped for an unsanctioned trip home to Brazil, but could only last 19 minutes of the match. In a double blow for the midfielder, he will also miss this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

The Barclays Premier League is in the final third of the season, and tension is mounting as the title race heats up. Manchester United at least are boosted by the return of Serbian central defender Nemanja Vidic, who will probably line up alongside Jonny Evans until Ferdinand’s return to fitness.

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Meanwhile, West Ham are languishing at the opposite end of the table and will be hoping to take at least a point away from Old Trafford. With the likes of Scott Parker and Carlton Cole among their ranks, they possess the talent to spring a surprise – particularly if Ferguson does name a weakened team – so the Red Devils will have to be at their best to pick up another vital three points.

Tickets for Manchester United vs. West Ham on Feb 23 are available to compare through Tixdaq.com and prices start from just 10 pounds.

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Chelsea return to Barclays Premier League action this weekend when they welcome Sunderland to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues will be keen to reassert themselves at top of the table after a stuttering end to 2009. Chelsea ended last year with a sketchy 2-1 win over Fulham and will be desperate to  keep that winning feeling alive though they will be hoping for an marked improvement in performance.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men were due to play relegation-threatened Hull last weekend but the match at the KC Stadium – along with the vast majority of fixtures across the country – was postponed due to adverse weather conditions. This opened the door for Arsenal to close the gap on their London neighbours and for Manchester United to take over at the top of the table. Thankfully for Chelsea, Everton and Birmingham held their main title rivals to draws and they maintained their position on top of the Premier League tree.

The postponement had another unforeseen benefit in that it meant that there was one less match in which Chelsea would miss their quartet of players currently serving in the Africa Cup of Nations. While the Blues would have been expected to win the match in any case the prospect of an XI bolstered by Didier Drogba and Michael Essien will be a far more daunting prospect for the Tigers.

Sunderland have experienced a similarly poor run results lately having gone seven league matches without a win since their 1-0 triumph over Arsenal in November. The Black Cats were comprehensively outplayed by Chelsea in the reverse fixture earlier in the season when the Blues ran out 3-1 winners despite Darren Bent giving the home side the lead in that game.

Manager Steve Bruce will have to decide whether he should instruct his team to attack a Chelsea side that is shorn of two of their star players and suffering a rare drop in confidence or whether to pack the midfield to keep the match tight with the possibility of nicking a goal on the counter-attack.

Avoiding defeat will represent a moral victory for Sunderland while nothing less than a win will do for Ancelotti as his team seek to cement their position at the top.

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Burnley travel to the Theatre of Dreams with good hopes of causing an upset. They won 1-0 against the Red Devils back in August thanks to a stunning volley from Robbie Blake, while Manchester United’s form has been inconsistent of late, with a home defeat against Leeds United in the FA Cup followed by scraping a draw away to Birmingham. Sir Alex Ferguson will be keen to get his side back on track, especially in light of Arsenal’s current good form and the suspicion that Chelsea will kick into gear again soon.

With the tie under a week away, Tixdaq can confirm that tickets are selling out fast, but there is still time to grab tickets for this game as well as many other Manchester United fixtures this season.

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It won’t be easy though. Burnley beat the reigning champions 1-0 back in August courtesy of a stunning volley from Robbie Blake, and they will be keen to impress their caretaker manager Steve Davis - put in as a stop gap after Owen Coyle’s move to Bolton.

With the tie only a week or so away, Tixdaq can confirm that tickets are selling out fast, but there is still time to grab tickets for this game and many other Manchester United fixtures this season.

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This weekend Arsenal face Everton at the Emirates Stadium as they bid to continue their incredible march up the Barclays Premier League table.

It was only a matter of weeeks ago that the majority of pundits had written of the north Londoner’s chances of winning the big prize but now those same experts are being forced to eat their words. The nadir, of course, came with their 3-0 home humbling at the hands of Chelsea who were viewed as ‘champions-elect’ after such a commading result.

However, since then it is Arsene Wenger’s men not Carlo Ancelotti’s that have played like champions with the leaders winning just two league matches since then while their chasers have dropped just two points.

With the Gunners widely expected to win their match against Bolton on Wednesday, the gap will be just one point going into the weekend’s fixtures and Chelsea know that any slip-up away at Hull could see them replaced at the top of the table.

The doubt over Arsenal though remains their ability in the big matches. They were blown away by Chelsea, beaten by Manchester United despite outplaying the champions and were very fortunate now to be several goals down at Anfield before staging a second half fightback. Still, they continue to beat all the teams that they should – with the exception of Burnley – and pose a huge threat to Chelsea’s potential success.

Another win against Everton and they really will start to believe.

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The hectic Christmas schedule often throws up some fascinating local clashes and this year is no exception.

On Monday 28th December, Fulham travel across SW6 to Stamford Bridge for the west London derby against Chelsea who have suffered a minor wobble of late.

No wins in four matches across three different competiitons for the Blues has alerted rival teams that the Barclays Premier League title that was practically awarded to them following their 3-0 win over Arsenal is now up for grabs.

Added to that is a sense of defensive fragility from set-pieces that is reminiscent of the dark days of Luiz Felipe Scolari’s reign. Manager Carlo Ancelotti maintains that he is not overly concerned and you can understand why. The goals agsint APOEL Nicosia a week ago were the first conceded at home by Chelsea since Hull came to town on the opening day of the season.

But with Michael Essien injured and their other African players off on international duty during January, Chelsea will be keen to secure maximum points over the festive period.

Fulham have had an up and down seasonso far. Their fluctuating form has been the result of an intense UEFA Europa League campaign and a lengthy injury list.

The likes of Danny Murphy have returned to the fold but the absence of star striker Andy Johnson has been keenly felt and while Bobby Zamora has found the  net a couple of times of late, the former Tottenham and Brighton forward has never been known for his potency in front off goal.

Nevertheless, Fulham will set out to frustrate Chelsea and capitalise on any defensive mistakes from the home team. A festive fixture between the two clubs last season – albeit at Craven Cottage – ended in a 2-2 draw after Clint Dempsey scored a late equaliser following a nightmare in the Blues defence in the aftermath of a corner.

Chelsea will still be favourites but a tenacious Fulham might just fancy their chances.

Tickets for Chelsea v Fulham are still available and are priced from £47.

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One of the great dates of the football season in England is Boxing Day.

After a day of cramming in as much turkey and wine as is humanly possible, the soul needs nourishment and what better than a day at the football.

Not for England a winter break. No, sirree. Instead thousands upon thousands of  hardy souls will brave wind, rain, hail and snow to watch their beloved team.

The pick of the Barclays Premier League fixtures comes at Craven Cottage as Fulham host Tottenham in what promises to be fiercely-contested London derby.

Two good footballing teams will doubtless put on a thrilling encounter that almost guarantees a flood of goals. Harry Redknapp’s men will be ruing their home defeat to Wolves especially after blowing a 2-0 lead at Everton the previous weekend and will be searchning for three points.

Fulham though are formidable at home and this season have only been beaten there by Chelsea and Arsenal. With Roy Hodgson seeing his injury list slowly beginning to shorten this match should be extremely open.

Tickets for Fulham v Tottenham are still available to buy. Could be the perfect Christmas present.

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Had Jermain Defoe found the back of the net against Everton rather than goalkeeper Tim Howard last Sunday then a remarkable match would have ended in Spurs leapfrogging arch-rivals Arsenal into third spot in the Barclays Premier Leaguef table.

The top goalscorer in England’s top flight has been deadly this season but it was his first penalty of the season and his aberration meant Spurs had thrown away two points for the second time in the same match as they had previously held a 2-0 lead.

A peerless opening hour was all the more comforting for Tottenham fans after their inability to take advantage of a ramshackle Manchester United team earlier that week in the Carling Cup and it must have seemed as if normal service had resumed at Goodison Park until a fifteen minute period that was reminiscent of the Keystone Cops.

Now Harry Redknapp must use his much-heralded man-management skills to rouse the players from those twin disappointments and no doubt they are looking at Wolves as the perfect opponents.

The visitors’s 1-0 win over Bolton last week was their first in the league since they beat Fulham in September and a positive result was absolutely vital in light of a festive fixture list that includes visits to Anfield and Old Trafford as well as White Hart Lane.

Wolves’ lack of Premier League experience seems to be counting against them despite a plethora of spirited performances but they have also run into the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal when their more illustrious opponents have enjoyed particularly good days.

The fact that central defender Jody Craddock is the club’s top scorer has to be a concern and a mid-term injury to Andy Keogh will further hinder their potency in front of goal.

Tottenham should motor to all three points assuming that they use their quick passing and pacy wingers to their full advantage but if there are any niggling doubts in the backs of the players’ minds, the visitors may feel they can escape north London with a point.

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Manchester United face Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Saturday evening with one aim in mind – three points.

A win for the Red Devils is essential to keep up the pressure on Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea going into the hectic Christmas schedule and if the Blues slip up at home to Everton earlier in the day then the champions could even snatch top spot.

One sticking point is the injury crisis that has beset their back five with no less than eight defensive players in the Manchester United squad either ruled out or labelled as doubtful for the clash.

On the plus side is the fact that they swept past West Ham 4-0 at Upton Park last weekend with a makeshirt back four and then secured an excellent 3-1 win away at Wolfsburg in the Champions League with a similarly fragile-looking line-up.

United will also welcome back Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov to the matchday squad though Michael Owen will be keen to retain his place after his goal-poaching hat-trick in Germany.

To say Manchester United are Aston Villa’s bogey side might be a bit selective as Sir Alex Ferguson has a pretty good record against every Premier League side but with no wins in their last 27 league meetings, recent history is not on the visitor’s side.

However, with United’s injury list reading like a telephone directory O’Neill might just fancy his team’s chances.

Villa are the third highest scorers in the league – behind only Chelsea and Arsenal – and they know a win could propel them up to third place in the table.

That might be wishful thinking but the form of James Milner has been electric and Stewart Downing seems to be finding his feet quickly after a long injury lay-off. The key to a positive result for the midlanders will be to use the ball wisely and economically and to have be disciplined and organised when they cede possession.

With United’s never say die attitude a home win might seem the likeliest result but a share of the points woulkd be no surprise.

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Chelsea play host to Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as they bid to return to winning ways.

After a hugely impressive display at the Emirates Stadium a fortnight ago – when they brushed aside the challenge of Arsenal to record a thumping 3-0 win – the Blues have stuttered somewhat.

A penalty shootout elimination in the Carling Cup at the hands of Blackburn Rovers was then followed by a controversial defeat at Manchester City. A presumed walkover against Cypriot minnows APOEL Nicosia in their final group game in the Champions League proved to be anything but as the visitors stunned a packed Stamford Bridge with a late equaliser.

To add to Chelsea’s annoyance, the express train that is Michael Essien suffered a hamstring injury just after scoring in that match and will not feature for Carlo Ancelotti’s team until his national team, Ghana, have completed their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with the final being on January 31st.

Everton have had a torrid time with injuries this season and results have not been kind as a consequence.

The Toffees find themselves 15th in the Barclays Premier League table though they would have been even lower had goalkeeper Tim Howard not saved a Jermain Defoe spot-kick in injury time during their 2-2 draw with Tottenham last weekend.

The visitors will be missing the talismanic Tim Cahill due to suspension while Mikel Arteta and Phil Jagielka are still on the long-term injury list.

Expect Chelsea to rediscover that winning feeling but a David Moyes side never lacks for spirit and workrate to which two goalless draws against their west London opponents last season testifies.

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The Barclays Premier League match of the weekend is undoubtedly at Anfield on Sunday when Liverpool take on Arsenal.

Memories of last season’s epic 4-4 draw – that featured a four-goal salvo from Andrei Arshavin and put an irreparable dent in the Merseysider’s title aspirations – are still fresh and neutrals up and down the land will be hoping for a repeat.

As far as defences are concerned, goals could be easy to come by. Arsenal are missing the likes of Gael Clichy, Kieran Gibbs and Johan Djourou while Liverpool’s usually miserly defence have already conceded 20 Premier League goals – more than anyone in the top nine other than Tottenham.

Both teams have come under pressure in recent weeks with Rafael Benitez seeing his side get knocked out of the Champions League while Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal has endured a loss against Sunderland, a steamrollering by Chelsea and elimination from the Carling Cup at the hands on Manchester City. A home win against Stoke and a spirited youthful performance in Europe has boosted morale in north London but it might just be papering over the cracks.

The Gunners will fancy their chances against nervous opponents but victories against Everton and Manchester United this season suggest that big games are not the problem for Liverpool.

Still an away win is certainly posible but Eduardo – if fit – will have to track down his shooting boots.

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After the conclusion of Matchday 6 in the UEFA Champions League the group stage has finally come to an end giving us the names of all the 16 teams that will fight it out in the knockout section of the competition.

No nation is currently dominating the competition though England’s Barclays Premier League and Spain’s La Liga both had three group winners – those teams constituted their total amount of representatives after Liverpool and Atletico Madrid fell at the first hurdle. There are also three teams from Italy’s Serie A left in the competition while France’s Ligue 1 and Germany’s Bundesliga each have two teams  left in the tournament. The final three spots are made up of one team each from Portugal, Russia and Greece.

The list of qualifers for the second round in full:

Bordeaux (FRA)

Manchester United (ENG)

Real Madrid (ESP)

Chelsea (ENG)

Fiorentina (ITA)

Barcelona (ESP)

Sevilla (ESP)

Arsenal (ENG)

Bayern Munich (GER)

CSKA Moscow (RUS)

AC Milan (ITA)

FC Porto (POR)

Lyon (FRA)

Inter Milan (ITA)

Stuttgart (GER)

Olympiacos (GRE)

The draw for the second round will take place on December 18.

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All the major issues have been sorted out at the sharp end of Group D though there is still a question of pride to be resolved.

Chelsea have already qualified for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League as group winners after their 1-0 win at FC Porto a fortnight ago while the Portuguese champions have secured second place.

But there is a real scrap going on between Atletico Madrid and APOEL Nicosia for a third place finish and qualification for the UEFA Europa League.

The Spanish side currently have the edge by a single point and they must be heavily fancied to retain their position looking at the final round of fixtures. The Madrid side welcome Porto to the Vicente Calderon and will hope a strikeforce of Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan will ensure their continuation in continental competition.

APOEL meanwhile face the daunting trip to Stamford Bridge. Carlo Ancelotti will doubtless field a weakened side with qualification already assured but having seen his team get beaten at Manchester City on Sunday the squad will be keen to get back to winning ways.

APOEL need to beat the Barclays Premier League leaders which conceivably should not happen but then nobody expected to see Besiktas win at Old Trafford. Even so, the smart money must be on Atletico.

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Avram Grant had already conceded it would take an extraordinary turnaround to salvage Portsmouth‘s season before it emerged some players are still waiting to receive their November wages.

Grant, who is still working under the title of director of football until his new work permit is approved, has shown no regrets at accepting the offer to succeed Paul Hart.

“I knew what I was coming into,” he said. “I knew that I was coming to a team in a very bad situation, at the bottom of the league with not easy fixtures – especially in December.

“I could have said ‘no’ and not taken the job. The challenge is big and even if some people think that the chances are very low of avoiding relegation, I think it is possible.

“I really believe that we can do it, even though it will be very, very difficult. But I knew that from the first moment that I took the job.”

If Grant’s side, currently seven points adrift of safety, are to become genuine survival candidates, three points against visitors such as Burnley are a must.

Had Grant’s side made more of a string of first half chances against Manchester United last weekend, they could have surprised the champions. The reality, however, was they didn’t capitalise on those opportunities – and that has been the story of their season.

Grant rested a number of senior players for the Aston Villa midweek game in the Carling Cup and will restore Aruna Dindane and Frederic Piquionne to the attack while keeper David James faces a late fitness test on a calf injury. Full back Steve Finnan has a slim chance of returning after a groin problem.

Burnley manager Owen Coyle, meanwhile, is confident his side’s poor away form will eventually change. In stunning contrast to their results at Turf Moor, Burnley have yet to win on the road in seven matches away from Turf Moor and their inability to defend has been their downfall. They have already conceded an astonishing 25 goals on their travels but Coyle insists that playing positive football is the only solution to their concerns.

“The players we have at this football club have been brought here because they are football players and that’s what we will continue to do,” he said. “We will continue to try and win matches at home and away. It suits the players I have and certainly suits the way I want to play. I want to play and I we will win games and it will be sooner rather than later.

Burnley need a clean sheet against Portsmouth like never before. A win against the Premier League’s bottom club would do even more to stabilise the Lancashire side’s impressive start to life in England’s top flight but it all has to start at the back and they must simply stop conceding if they are not going to throw away all the hard work they are building up at home.

Clarke Carlisle, Tyrone Mears and Andre Bikey need huge games at Fratton Park to stop Portsmouth and give Coyle’s men a base to work from going forward. Robbie Blake will need to be his typically mischievous self in and around the box while Coyle will also be hoping Chris Eagles can build on his brilliant performance at Upton Park last Saturday.

Burnley will be without skipper Steven Caldwell after his late dismissal against West Ham United last weekend but apart from that they have no new injury concerns, with Chris McCann, Jay Rodriguez and Martin Paterson still their only doubts.

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Mark Hughes must feel like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders following the midweek Carling Cup win over Arsenal, even if Arsene Wenger did field a weakened side.

The timing was also perfect considering Manchester City now host leaders Chelsea, who appear unstoppable right now despite their shock slip-up at Blackburn in midweek.

Despite dropping points on a worryingly consistent basis, City have not lost too much ground on those immediately above them.

While winning the title itself appears unlikely now, a win over Carlo Ancelotti’s men could see City return to the top four should other results go in their favour.

The incentive is there and this should provide Hughes with ample evidence of where his side stand when it comes to being compared against the very best.

Hughes said: “We get judged by the amount of money we have spent but you just have to look back at where we were this time 12 months ago and the fact we were flirting with relegation.

“We have invested wisely and we are progressing. We are two points off where I thought we would be at this stage, so I’m pleased.

“We’ve got to keep that focus and intensity, but we are not a million miles away from where we should be. But Chelsea are the team to beat, without a shadow of a doubt. They are rock solid defensively and always have a real goalscoring threat.

City need to wise up to the fact Chelsea will be smarting from being knocked out of the Carling Cup. Hughes could do worse than adopt a containing policy to start with and look to utilise the quicksilver pace of Craig Bellamy and Shaun Wright-Phillips to hit Chelsea on the break. The form of this pair, along with Stephen Ireland’s ability to break from midfield, will go a long way towards deciding City’s fate.

Martin Petrov is still out with a knee problem, while Gareth Barry is also a doubt after suffering a recurrence of a nagging knee problem.

A clean sweep of trophies was never really on for Chelsea but the midweek Carling Cup quarter final defeat to Blackburn Rovers will continue to rankle as an opportunity missed for some time and Carlo Ancelotti will be looking for an appropriate response from his team to that failure.

Ancelotti insisted after the game that his priority this week had always been the visit to Eastlands after Chelsea had put down such an impressive marker in the title race with last weekend’s emphatic 3-0 victory at Arsenal.

“No defeat is good,” said the manager. “But the priority of that game was to give minutes to the players who didn’t play against Arsenal. Also it was chance for our other players to recover so tomorrow we have a fresh team.”

“Manchester City are dangerous and have plenty of quality. They haven’t won the last seven and they will want to beat Chelsea. I think they are good enough to reach the top four because they have a good squad.”

Ancelotti rested Petr Cech, John Terry and Frank Lampard at Blackburn while Didier Drogba started on the bench. The plan to field an under-strength side might have worked if the Italian hadn’t used all three of his substitutions at half time.

The coach is unlikely to be so cavalier this weekend and all his big names will start as Chelsea attempt to claim their ninth successive victory against City.

Ashley Cole returns after a hamstring injury but Kalou faces a three-week absence after tearing a thigh muscle and joins Alex (hip) Jose Bosingwa (knee) and Daniel Sturridge (knee) on the sidelines.

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Blackburn qualified for the semi-finals of the Carling Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over the Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Paul Robinson was the hero after he saved spot-kicks from the usually deadly Michael Ballack and controversial teenage star Gael Kakuta to book a place in the last four for the Lancashire side.

A thrilling cup tie at Ewood Park began with Nikola Kalinic opening the scoring for the home side after just nine minutes against a Chelsea line-up shorn of the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole and Ricardo Carvalho with a total of eight changes made from the side that won at Arsenal.

A reshuffle at half-time saw Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti make three substitutions bringing on Drogba, Kakuta and centre back Jeffrey Bruma. The changes paid immediate dividends as Drogba and Salomon Kalou made the scoreline 2-1 in the visitors favour within eight minutes of the restart.

Brett Emerton brought the scores level on 64 minutes before Chelsea were reduced to ten men when Kalou left the field injured with his manager having already made all three permitted substitutions.

Extra-time started perfectly for Blackburn with Benni Mccarthy slotting home past Hilario from the penalty spot to give Rovers a 3-2 lead and it seemed to be enough until Paulo Ferreira scored only his second Chelsea goal in over five years at the club with the last kick of the game to take the tie to penalties.

The unflappable Ballack saw his attempt saved by Robinson before Hilario saved from Kalinic to erase any advantage. As the shootout entered sudden death, Kakuta elected to smash the ball down the middle but Robinson – who had dived to his left for all the previous spot-kicks -elected to stay still and saved from the young Frenchman to send Ewood Park into delirium and Blackburn into the next round.

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It has been a strange season north of the border as neither Celtic or champions Rangers have had things their own way so far in the SPL.

The Clydesdale Bank Premier League has proved more troublesome than normal this season for the Old Firm clubs with both teams dropping points on a regular basis. Rangers defeat at Aberdeen last weekend therefore did not come as a shock.

With a third of the season gone there is normally a healthy gap between the Glasgow giants and the third place team but this year Hibernian are keeping pace with the top two while Dundee United and Motherwell are hot on their heels.

If games between Celtic and Rangers were not intense enough, the fact that points are at a premium makes matches beween them all the more important and that will not be lost on either Tony Mowbray or Walter Smith.

The next Old Firm clash takes place at Celtic Park on January 2nd and though normally a sell-out their are still a few tickets remaining from £36.

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Aston Villa booked their place in the last four of the Carling Cup with a 4-2 win at Premier League strugglers Portsmouth.

The home side took an earlyt lead when Stilian Petrov guided the ball into his own net but the lead was only fleeting as Emile Heskey equalised almost immediately. The hard working James Milner then got on the scoresheet to give Villa a 2-1 lead at half-time and when Stewart Downing scored his first goal for the club on his first start to make it 3-1 the game looked up for Pompey.

But a late rally saw Kanu nudge the ball over the line in the 87th minute and a comeback looked on. That was until a minute from time when Ashley Young finally quitened the Fratton Park crowd as he made it 4-2 to send his team into the semi-finals of the Carling Cup.

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Didier Drogba put Chelsea 1-0 up on the 41st minute and then Thomas Vermaelen put the ball in the back of his own net to make it 2-0 just before the break.

Whilst Arsenal threatened on a couple of occasions, Chelsea were clearly the better side throughout the match. Didier Drogba sealed the win, scoring a fantastic goal from a free kick outside the box.

This is the second time in a row that Chelsea have beaten Arsenal in the Premier League at the Emirates. Chelsea ran riot last season at Arsenal, winning 4-1.

Chelsea are now five points clear of Manchester United and have won their last five Premier League matches and are the bookies’ favourite to win the league.

Chelsea face Everton at Stamford Bridge on December 12 and Tixdaq can confirm Chelsea v Everton tickets are still available to compare and buy online.

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Good news off the pitch has been rare in recent months, so manager Gianfranco Zola knows there could be no better time than to ease the West Ham‘s relegation worries with a home victory over a Burnley side that has yet to win away this season.

The players are making slow progress in their journey away from the relegation zone however. Though they have lost only one of their last five Premier League games three of those have been drawn, including the 3-3 thriller at Hull last weekend.

As a result, the Hammers will kick off with only their goal difference tally keeping them out of the bottom three but Wigan, one place and three points ahead, are also in their sights.

Burnley have picked up just one point away fromTurf Moor so far so Zola will not have to ponder too long on his tactics, which will revolve around putting as strong an attacking side as possible on to the pitch. Danny Gabbidon is back after a two-month lay-off and did well at left back at Hull, so previous first choice Herita Ilunga is likely to remain on the bench.

Long-term absentees Dean Ashton and Luis Boa Morte remain off the radar but defensive duo James Tomkins and Alessandro Da Costa face tests. Midfielder Kieron Dyer is back in contention following a hamstring problem.

Burnley manager Owen Coyle wants his side to continue playing an attacking brand of football. The Clarets’ manager has earned huge praise this season for the attractive football his side is producing in their first season in the Premier League.

He said: “We do try and entertain in games and we believe that the best thing for us to do is play attacking football so that is what we will try and do.

“We will have to be on our guard because they are a quality team but we want to impose ourselves on the match.”

Coyle’s side are currently in 11th spot in the Premier League and look comfortable at English football’s highest level.

Pundits had backed them to be guaranteed relegation favourites but Coyle has engineered six wins out of seven at home to ensure they are in a perfectly safe position as Christmas approaches.

Coyle added: “I think everyone in the Premier League, or they certainly did at the start of the season, thought that ‘here comes Burnley, here is a great chance for three points’ and I don’t mind that. It up to them how they view us. My concentration is on my players and getting the most out of them.

“We have proved that we can get points in this division, the best league in the world, and that is what we need to keep on doing.”

Coyle needs to send his side out full of self-belief against Hammers side that has won just once on home soil all term. A 4-3-3 formation would help Burnley highlight that they will not be bullied by West Ham as well as give Graham Alexander, Andre Bikey and full-backs Stephen Jordan and Tyrone Mears the opportunity to get forward and help forwards Stephen Fletcher and Robbie Blake.

A weak goal conceded to Aston Villa towards the end of last week’s match proves that Burnley’s defence can be breached at times so captain Steven Caldwell and fellow central defender Clarke Carlisle will be looking to return to peak form to ensure the Villa goal does not become a habit.

Martin Paterson, Chris McCann and Jay Rodriguez all remain long-term absentees for Burnley but apart from those problems, they are likely to name the same team that drew 1-1 with Aston Villa last weekend.

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Fulham are beginning to carve out a reputation for themselves at Craven Cottage, where their victory over Liverpool was followed by a comfortable three-point haul against Blackburn on Wednesday night.

The result moved Roy Hodgson’s side up to 10th in the Premier League and they are on course for another top-half finish. No wonder then that the club’s board of directors are so keen to offer him a new contract.

Hodgson told a news conference: “I spoke to the chairman and it’s not been a difficult discussion. It seems everyone is keen for me to stay and I’ve always made it perfectly clear I’m happy to stay here.

“I’ve never made any secret of the fact I’m enjoying my time here. It’s just a question now of putting the contract discussions onto paper. The club’s lawyers are looking at it and I’ll get someone to look at it from my side.”

The win over Blackburn was a perfect example of Fulham’s strength – soaking up the pressure and then hitting teams on the counter attack. Erik Nevland’s goal in the 44th minute proved to be a sucker-punch for the visitors.

The Norwegian is likely to start again here and his intelligent forward play – along with the impressive Clint Dempsey – provides Fulham with the ability to unlock defences. Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes should be experienced enough to cope with Bolton’s Kevin Davies, yet fellow defender Paul Konchesky will hope for a better performance this weekend.

Bobby Zamora limped off during Wednesday’s win and is a doubt. Fellow striker Andy Johnson has recovered from a groin strain and could feature after playing for the reserves, although he is likely to be handed a place on the bench. Midfielder and captain Danny Murphy is also back in contention following his knee problem and could replace Jonathan Greening. USA international Dempsey is expected to keep his place in the starting line-up after his two goals in midweek.

As for the visitors, Gary Megson’s side dropped into the relegation zone last weekend and the Bolton manager knows that an extension of the run that has seen them lose four straight games while conceding 15 goals could see them cut adrift even at this early stage.

After doing some solid transfer business in the summer, Megson was entitled to expect better than this and the recent slump has opened old wounds in his uneasy relationship with the supporters.

But the manager has reiterated that he is not worried about the taunts of his own supporters. “I’ve been dealing with this for two years,” he said. “I’ve been getting sacked every morning, I haven’t known what I was doing since I’ve been here. I’ve kept his club up twice and we’re one of the lowest spenders in the division.”

Tightening up at the back is a must and, although a win would be ideal, a first Premier League clean sheet of the season would be a major boost for confidence. Megson will also want to see a little more graft from his team, who he claims have not matched their usual high energy levels in recent weeks. After starting with two strikers in the 2-0 defeat against Blackburn, Johan Elmander may have to make way for another midfielder, with Kevin Davies on his own up front

Megson is hoping that Tamir Cohen and Ricardo Gardner overcome injuries to feature at Craven Cottage. Joey O’Brien is out long-term and Sean Davis looks likely to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

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Avram Grant is clearly not the kind of manager who likes to make life easy for himself.

Having started and ended his unhappy reign in charge of Chelsea with games against Manchester United, the Israeli once again finds himself beginning a new career with a meeting against Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, this time with Portsmouth.

The Israeli will doubtless put this down to a quirk of fate, although the timing is certainly unfortunate.

Pompey fans are likely to be more forgiving if the Grant era starts with a whimper here, but the new man cannot afford to start too sluggishly.

Portsmouth produced perky performances without earning the points they deserved under Paul Hart, who was sacked on Tuesday, and Grant will hope to enjoy rather more luck than his predecessor.

Tactically expect Pompey to place the emphasis on hustling United out of their stately rhythm – with the likes of Hayden Mullins and Jamie O’Hara pivotal figures in central midfield – and relying on the speed of Aruna Dindane or Frederic Piquionne to hit the visitors on the break.

They will be without David James who suffered a calf injury in the warm-up ahead of last week’s defeat to Stoke, so Jamie Ashdown will continue to deputise in goal.

Sir Alex Ferguson will certainly be smarting at the fact that Manchester United sacrificed their proud home record in European competition in midweek and will have little sympathy for the plight facing Portsmouth’s new manager, with his sole objective being a win because he knows Chelsea show no signs of slipping up on the domestic front.

Ferguson said: “Portsmouth have brought in a new manager and the club will be expecting a response. The change of ownership causes disruption. New policies come in and you can see an affect on the pitch, but Portsmouth have some very good players. I’ve looked at the videos and they are in a false position, really.

“We know Avram well from Chelsea. He’s very experienced and I’m sure he’ll get the right reaction from his players. It’s always a great football ground to go to and we need to deal with that, so it should be a very hard game for us.

“Avram Grant has kept in touch with the game quite a lot and he’ll be pleased to get back in. He’s got a task on his hands, but hopefully he can manage it.”

United must slip into their smooth passing style and make sure both Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov get the service they need. If this happens quickly then Portsmouth face an uphill task in containing a United side that knows it can ill-afford any more slip-ups in the league if a fourth successive Premier League title is to be won.

Rio Ferdinand (back) is facing a losing battle to be fit, while he is expected to be joined on the sidelines by Jonny Evans (ankle) and John O’Shea (foot). Ferguson will also be without long-term absentee Owen Hargreaves (knee), although one person certain to find himself back in the reckoning is Berbatov, who has recovered from a knee injury.

Ferguson said: “I think Dimitar is doing very well for us. His record at international level gives an indication of just how well he has done for his country, but he has scored important goals for us also. I have no worries about him. I am happy with his form, I am happy he is with us. I couldn’t be happier with him.”

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On Sunday at The Emirates Stadium, the two best teams in England will clash in a London derby of added significance when Arsenal play Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Arsenal seem to have some added steel about them this season which has come from within rather than purchased in the transfer market. The average age of the squad is ludicrously low – they have only three players over 30 years of age in their entire first team squad – yet it looks like they are finally growing up.

Manager Arsene Wenger has been chided by some parties for overseeing a team that has appeared to be continually in transition for the last three years.

The biggest area of concern was the middle of the pitch, primarily when stripped of possession, and while Cesc Fabregas is almost the complete midfield player even he needs a little help. The rise to prominence of Alex Song, the all-round ability of Denilson and Wenger’s switch to a three man midfield has seemingly corrected this imbalance.

The arrival of Thomas Vermaelen, has reinforced another traditionally weak area of the Arsenal squad, – central defence. The Belgian has struck up an immediate rapport with the talented but turbulent William Gallas who, allegedly, was the catalyst behind Kolo Toure’s fall from grace in north London.

But he will be examined most thoroughly on Sunday when he comes up against the bulldozing Didier Drogba. The Chelsea striker has a fantastic goalscoring record against Arsenal having netted eight times in nine starts against them including the winner in last season’s FA Cup semi-final.

As with the majority of games at this level though the match will be won and lost in midfield and this is where the intrigue really lies. The new Chelsea formula is more exhilarating than that of previous regimes but is still based on keeping things tight.

Arsenal may have got tougher in that area but they can still outpass most teams in Europe; Ancelotti will be keen that his team are not outnumbered in this crucial part of the field.

The Italian might be able to call on the services of Frank Lampard after his thigh injury healed sooner than expected.

Lampard’s return will add even more physicality to an already imposing Chelsea midfield which is certain to feature Michael Ballack and Michael Essien in enforcing roles.

If Arsenal do manage to gain the edge in this department then they will then have the unenviable task of breaching Chelsea’s formidable back line.

With just ten goals conceded in 20 matches in all competitions this season – and just two in their last eight – Arsenal may well rue the injury to in-form Robin Van Persie who was injured on international duty with Holland.

If there is one area that Arsenal can exploit it is Chelsea’s right side of defence. Branislav Ivanovic is a solid defender but he lacks the pace of Jose Bosingwa and can be outflanked with a clever pass or a cunning touch. Andrei Arshavin will no doubt be primed by his manager to run at him on a regular basis.

Chelsea will simply be looking to play their powerful passing game, hoping their physical presence helps to dominate in midfield. In Drogba and Anelka, Chelsea have the best strike-force in the Premier League and any slip in the Arsenal rearguard will be punished like it was when Chelsea emerged from the Emirates Stadium with a 4-1 victory on their last visit in May.

A similar scoreline is out of the question but a Chelsea win would put them 11 points clear of their London rivals and almost out of sight.

The clever money should go on a keenly fought draw but with two such talented teams it really could go either way.

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Tottenham are on cloud nine after dispatching Wigan Athletic with the second largest margin of victory in Barclays Premier League history.

Only Manchester United’s 9-0 demolition of Ipswich Town in 1995 is greater than the thrashing handed out by the north London team on Sunday. The hero of the day was Jermain Defoe. The England striker bagged a remarkable five goals in a mere 36 minutes to take home the match ball and shoot to the top of the goalscoring charts.

In all, nine goals were scored in the second-half as Peter Crouch’s headed opener was all that separated the sides at half-time and three goals were scored in the last three minutes of the match alone.

Wigan have had an erratic campaign so far under new coach Roberto Martinez. They opened the season with a win away at Aston Villa and destroyed Chelsea’s 100% record by betting the leaders 3-1 at the DW Stadium. Conversely they also gave Portsmouth their first win of the season when they got hammered 4-0 at Fratton Park and this latest annihilation will certainly leave the coaching staff scratching their heads.

The players are so embarrasses by the heavy defeat that they have offered to refund their travelling supporters for the cost of their tickets – a remarkably generous gesture in this era of greed

The Latics have two home games – against Sunderland and Birmingham respectively – to steady the ship while Spurs will be looking to carry on their deadly form all the way to their London derby against Fulham on Boxing Day.

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Key injuries are threatening to disrupt the so-called Big Four clubs as they prepare to embark on the most gruelling part of the season.

Liverpool have had a torrid time this campaign and much of it can be put down to the unavailability of vital personnel. Their talismanic captain Steven Gerrard has not played a full ninety minutes since the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea in early October and though he looks to be on his way back to fitness it may take some time for him to regain match sharpness.

Fernando Torres is still out with a groin injury and they have struggled for goals in his absence. Rafael Benitez is unsure whether his star striker will be available for the Merseyside derby on November 29^th but hopes to have him back in time for their trip to Portsmouth on December 19^th.

Leaders Chelsea will have to do without their midfield general Frank Lampard as he picked up a thigh injury while on duty with the England national team and will almost certainly miss the huge match with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium along with former Gunner Ashley Cole who has a depressed fracture of the tibia.

Arsenal themselves will be without the services of Robin Van Persie for that match after he tore ankle ligaments following a challenge from Giorgio Chiellini in the friendly match between Holland and Italy. Croatia striker Eduardo will lead the line in his absence.

Champions Manchester United have had defensive problems all season which have not been helped by injuries to their first-choice central defensive pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. The injury to Ferdinand is particularly perplexing as it seems to keep rearing its ugly head and it looks like keeping him out the match at his former club West Ham United. Happily for United Vidic appears to be returning to full fitness.

Such injury woes might leave the door open for a Manchester City or Tottenham to force themselves up the table though Carlo Ancelotti, Arsene Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson and Rafa Benitez will be hoping their large squads will prevent too much damage.

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Portsmouth FC will be glad to have got their first win of the season under their belts as they are about to enter an extremely demanding phase of the campaign.

The festive season is something of an endurance test for all teams but the next few weeks look tougher than usual for the south coast club and could prove pivotal in struggle for Premier League survival.

The period starts with the visit of champions Manchester United on 28^th December and is followed a week later with what looks to be a must-win game at home to Burnley.

December might seem a bit early to start talking about relegation six-pointers but in the precarious position that Portsmouth find themselves in they surely have to emerge from that clash with three points.

After a trip to Sunderland, Manager Paul Hart then takes his players to Stamford Bridge to take on Carlo Ancelotti and his Chelsea team on Wednesday 16^th December and will treat any points picked up there as a bonus.

Three days later they return to Fratton Park to take on Liverpool who, though not having the greatest of seasons, will be another massive test.

Pompey finish 2009 with two tough looking fixtures against London opposition. First they go to Upton Park on Boxing Day to take on a West Ham side that finds itself in the lower reaches of the table while on the 28^th Arsenal’s footballing fantasistas arrive on the south coast.

It certainly looks to be a key month in their season and Portsmouth will be hoping for a few seasonal gifts to come their way.

Check out the website for details on tickets to all these matches.

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The Barclays Premier League returns to action after a two week break to accommodate the playoffs for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and there are plenty of tickets available to some very big matches.

November 28^th sees Aston Villa play host to Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham with both teams keen to muscle in on a top four finish.

The following day (29^th) sees a titanic clash between two of the title favourites at the Emirates Stadium when Arsenal face Chelsea. When this fixture took place last year the Blues ran out 4-1 winners though expect it to be a much closer affair this time round.

December 5^th sees a real grudge match take place in east London as Manchester United travel to West Ham United. While they may currently be at opposite ends of the table there is no love lost between the two clubs and these encounters are always fiery.

On the south coast that day there is what might prove to be a relegation six-pointer between Portsmouth and Burnley. That might be a bit harsh on the Lancastrians looking at their excellent start to the season but their away form is desperately poor and they will need to improve in that area if they are to survive in the Barclays Premier League.

There’s a repeat of last season’s FA Cup final on December 12^th as Chelsea welcome Everton to Stamford Bridge. While the Londoners lifted the famous old trophy in May both their league meetings with the Liverpudlians in the last campaign ended in closely contested draws.

Boxing Day sees a compelling capital clash as Fulham face Tottenham at Craven Cottage. As both teams like to play football in the proper way it promises to serve up a real festive treat.

December finishes with a local derby as Roy Hodgson takes his Fulham side across SW6 to face Chelsea in another mouth-watering affair.

Remember tickets are still available for all these matches and many, many more.

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Just two matchdays remain in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League and the pressure is beginning to mount.

Seven clubs have already qualified for the knockout stages – Chelsea, Porto, Manchester United, Arsenal, Bordeaux, Lyon and Sevilla – though issues such as who will top their respective groups and thus get a more favourable draw in the next round are still to be settled.

The most significant casualty so far in the competition this season would appear to be Liverpool as they are currently on the verge of a shock exit from a tournament that they have won on five occasions. A win for Fiorentina at Lyon in their next outing would condemn Rafael Benitez and his men to the UEFA Europa League.

Defending champions Barcelona are also in an uncomfortable position though not nearly as precarious as Liverpool. They sit third in Group F but with just two points separating all four teams they should be able to secure the necessary results to move into the next round.

Bayern Munich, however, are hanging by a thread with a victory away at Juventus on the final day almost certainly required for the Bavarians to have any chance of qualifying. Failure to do so would be a catastrophe for manager Louis Van Gaal who spent a vast amount of money in the summer overhauling his squad.

Neither AC Milan nor Real Madrid are assured of qualification either. The teams occupy the two top spots in Group C but with Marseille lurking ominously a point behind the pair there is still scope for an upset.

It is going to be a nervy few weeks for many clubs around Europe.

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