Tuesday, 22 April 2008

Premier League Trasnfer news and Gossip

Manchester City are preparing to smash their transfer record on CSKA Moscow's Brazilian forward Jo, 21, in a move that could cost close to £20m. (The Guardian and Daily Mirror)

Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson could have a mouthwatering attacking line-up next season as City believe they can successfully re-enter the race to sign Ronaldinho after a breakdown in negotiations between Barcelona and AC Milan. (Daily Telegraph)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger fears the Gunners could lose Alexander Hleb after the midfielder - who can buy out his contract for a knockdown fee - had a secret meeting with Inter Milan. (Daily Mirror)

Emmanuel Adebayor could also be on his way to Italy after the Arsenal striker was linked with AC Milan and Juventus. "Milan have looked at him and so have Juventus," said the player's agent Vincenzo Morabito. (The Independent)


Tottenham are set to make a £3m offer for Getafe defender Daniel Diaz, 29. (Daily Mirror)

Spurs boss Juande Ramos is eager to boost his defensive options and is ready to end Tal Ben Haim's Chelsea nightmare. The 26-year-old has made only 17 starts for the Blues since his summer move from Bolton. (Daily Mail)

Manager Rafael Benitez wants Newcastle's Steve Harper to battle with Pepe Reina for the number one goalkeeping spot at Liverpool. The 32-year-old could cost as little as £500,000. (The Sun)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is ready to offer Fulham £5m for Jimmy Bullard if the Londoners are relegated. (The Sun)

Derby could sign Everton midfielder Lee Carsley as manager Paul Jewell prepares for the Championship. (The Independent)

Bayern Munich, Juventus and Fiorentina are interested in goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who is set to leave Middlesbrough in the summer. (The Sun)


Sunday, 20 April 2008

Results for the 20th April 2008

Aston Villa
Carson, Mellberg (Harewood 85), Laursen, Knight, Bouma, Young, Reo-Coker, Petrov, Barry, Carew, Agbonlahor.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Salifou, Routledge, Berger.


5-1
(HT 2-0)
Birmingham
Maik Taylor, Kelly, Jaidi, Ridgewell, Murphy, Jerome (Kapo 58), Nafti, Muamba, McSheffrey, Zarate (Forssell 58), McFadden.
Subs Not Used: Doyle, O'Connor, Parnaby.
Young 28
Carew 42
Carew 53
Young 63
Agbonlahor 78

Forssell 67



• Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill:

"Winning was the most important thing, but to win so convincingly is a great boost for us.

"I thought we played brilliantly. We are a really decent side going forward.


Ref: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).

Bookings:
McFadden 52

• Birmingham boss Alex McLeish:

"We were on the end of a bruising from a really good Villa side.

"Villa's front men were on fire and we were unable to string any passes together until the second half.



Man City
Hart, Elano (Caicedo 90), Corluka, Dunne (Williamson 54), Ball, Vassell, Ireland (Geovanni 75), Gelson, Johnson, Petrov, Mwaruwari.
Subs Not Used: Isaksson, Castillo. Booked: Williamson
3-1
(HT 2-1)
Portsmouth
James, Lauren, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Utaka (Baros 75), Muntari, Diarra, Diop (Aubey 75), Kranjcar (Davis 83), Defoe.
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Nugent.
Vassell 11
Petrov 13
Benjani 74

Utaka 24
Bookings:
Williamson 65

Bookings:
Lauren 70



Att: 40,205

Ref: Andre Marriner (W Midlands).



Sent off:
Hreidarsson 41

Newcastle
Harper, Beye, Faye, Taylor, Jose Enrique (Edgar 87), Geremi, Butt, Barton, Owen, Viduka (Carroll 76), Martins (Duff 70).
Subs Not Used: Forster, Smith.
2-0
(HT 2-0)
Sunderland
Gordon, McShane (Harte 87), Nosworthy, Higginbotham, Collins, Edwards (Richardson 58), Whitehead, Miller, Reid, Murphy (Chopra 80), Jones.
Subs Not Used: Fulop, Leadbitter.
Owen 4
Owen (pen) 45







• Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan:

"It wasn't a classic. We never really got going as a team but the fact we won it tells you we have players like Michael Owen who can get us something.


Att: 52,305.

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).



Bookings:
Whitehead 28
Murphy 45
Miller 69
Reid 72
Nosworthy 79


• Sunderland manager Roy Keane:

"We were okay but we know okay is not good enough.

"We gave two bad goals away. We got better in the second half but the game was probably over at half-time.



Saturday, 19 April 2008

Results for Saturday 19 April 2008

Arsenal
Lehmann, Toure (Eboue 60), Gallas, Song Billong, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Silva, Hleb (Denilson 74), Van Persie, Adebayor (Bendtner 73).
Subs Not Used: Mannone, Senderos.

2-0
(HT 2-0)
Reading
Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko (Duberry 73), Ingimarsson, Bikey, Rosenior, Kebe (Matejovsky 79), Cisse, Harper (Fae 73), Convey, Kitson.
Subs Not Used: Federici, Doyle.
Adebayor 30
Silva 38





• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger:
"In this match we showed what quality we do have and that the team is strong.

"We are still ambitious - we have 74 points and want to finish with 83 points which is a decent total. We want to finish off as close as we can to the winners of the league.


Att: 60,109

Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).





Bookings:
Kitson 28
Bikey 58
Sonko 71

• Reading boss Steve Coppell:
"When they scored their first goal it was always going to be a mountain for us to climb.

"We shrunk back after we conceded and observed and did not play.

"After the break we put in some real effort and commitment.

"We have a three game mini-season and must aim to get enough points to stay up.



Blackburn
Friedel, Emerton, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Bentley, Reid, Vogel (Mokoena 85), Pedersen, Santa Cruz, Roberts.
Subs Not Used: Brown, Ooijer, McCarthy, Dunn.

1-1
(HT 1-0)
Man Utd
Kuszczak, Brown (O'Shea 81), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs (Nani 46), Tevez, Rooney (Park 90).
Subs Not Used: Foster, Pique.

Santa Cruz 21

Tevez 88
Bookings:
Reid 51



Att: 30,316

Ref: Rob Styles (Hampshire).



Bookings:
Rooney 40

Fulham
Keller, Stalteri, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Davies, Bullard, Murphy (Andreasen 78), Dempsey, Healy (Nevland 76), McBride (Kamara 81).
Subs Not Used: Warner, Bocanegra.
0-2
(HT 0-1)
Liverpool
Reina, Finnan, Skrtel, Hyypia (Carragher 46), Riise, Pennant, Lucas, Mascherano (Alonso 72), Benayoun, Voronin (Aurelio 82), Crouch.
Subs Not Used: Itandje, Torres.


Pennant 17
Crouch 70
Bookings:
Healy 67


• Fulham manager Roy Hodgson:

"We matched them quite well but once they got their first goal we were chasing the game and when they got the second goal it put us out of contention.


Att: 25,311.

Ref: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).







• Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez:

"I picked a team I believed could win the match. We now need just one more point to ensure fourth place in the league, even if Everton win all their remaining games.



Middlesbrough
Turnbull, Young, Wheater, Pogatetz, Taylor (Rochemback 74), Aliadiere, Boateng, Arca, Downing, Alves, Sanli (Johnson 64).
Subs Not Used: Steele, Shawky, Grounds.

0-1
(HT 0-0)
Bolton
Al Habsi, Steinsson, Andrew O'Brien, Cahill, Samuel, Nolan, Cohen (Guthrie 45), Campo, McCann, Taylor, Rasiak (Diouf 56).
Subs Not Used: Walker, Giannakopoulos, Fojut.


McCann 61



Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate:
"We had enough chances to have the game under control at half-time.

"Our attitude was right and we were up for it and were the better side for 45 minutes, but their keeper kept them in it and they have him to thank.


Att: 25,037

Ref: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).




Bookings:
Steinsson 57
Campo 77

Bolton manager Gary Megson:
"Today was not a classic performance and we set off poorly. We were fortunate to go into half-time at 0-0.

"But we played well in the second-half and it really was a case of two halves.





West Ham
: Green, Pantsil, Tomkins, Neill, McCartney, Faubert (Solano 78), Noble, Parker, Ljungberg (Boa Morte 90), Sears (Cole 74), Zamora.
Subs Not Used: Walker, Mullins.
2-1
(HT 1-0)
Derby
Carroll, Todd (McEveley 83), Leacock, Stubbs, Lewis, Mears, Ghaly, Savage, Jones (Villa 75), Sterjovski, Miller.
Subs Not Used: Price, Feilhaber, Moore.
Zamora 20
Cole 77

Mears 65
Bookings:
Noble 80
Parker 83

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley:

"After losing our last three games it was important that we bounced back. There is a great lack of appreciation of what we have done this season.





Att: 34,612

Ref: Steve Tanner (Somerset).



Bookings:
Stubbs 74


Derby boss Paul Jewell:

"The fans have been unbelieveable and that's why we were desperate to reward them today.

"They have been there all season and they deserve to be in the Premier League.



Wigan
Kirkland, Melchiot, Boyce, Scharner, Kilbane, Valencia, Palacios, Brown, Taylor (Koumas 81), Bent (King 84), Heskey (Sibierski 76).
Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Skoko.
1-1
(HT 1-1)
Tottenham
Cerny, Hutton, Dawson, Zokora, O'Hara, Lennon, Huddlestone, Jenas, Malbranque, Keane (Bent 72), Berbatov.
Subs Not Used: Forecast, Tainio, Gilberto, Rocha.
Heskey 12

Berbatov 6
Bookings:
Valencia 70
Palacios 81

• Wigan manager Steve Bruce:

"We've got ourselves in a position now where if we beat Reading next week we're safe and that's a wonderful position to be in.



Att: 18,673

Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).



Bookings:
O'Hara 85

• Tottenham manager Juane Ramos:

"We wanted to play at the same lively tempo we started with.

"The condition of the pitch was perhaps less than superb, which inhibited what we were able to do.


Friday, 18 April 2008

Result for 17th April

Everton
Howard, Hibbert, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Neville, Carsley, Fernandes, Pienaar (Anichebe 63), Johnson (Gravesen 62), Yakubu.
Subs Not Used: Wessels, Baines, Rodwell.
0-1
(HT 0-1)
Chelsea
Cech, Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Wright-Phillips (Makelele 81), Obi, Essien, Joe Cole (Malouda 76), Anelka, Kalou.
Subs Not Used: Hilario, Shevchenko, Alex.


Essien 41

Att: 37,112

Ref: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).



Bookings:
Carvalho 23
Ferreira 57

Thursday, 17 April 2008

Gossip and transfer news this week

Chelsea boss Avram Grant has vowed to sign AC Milan's Brazil forward Kaka - and he is also keen on Barcelona's Argentine star Lionel Messi. (Daily Star)

But Grant will miss out on striker Bojan Krkic, who is set to agree a new deal at Barcelona. (The Sun)

And keeper Carlo Cudicini wants to quit the Blues for Aston Villa. (The Sun)

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has backed his manager Rafael Benitez's bid to sign Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry. (The Sun)



Manchester United are ready to splash £38m on four young stars in the summer - Sporting Lisbon's Joao Moutinho and Miguel Veloso and Wigan pair Wilson Palacios and Luis Antonio Valencia. (The Sun)

Manchester City will sell Stephen Ireland to Sunderland for about £8m in the summer. (The Sun)

Derby will sign Sydney FC midfielder Ruben Zadkovich after he impressed during a trial. (The Sun)

Blackburn have warned Derby off striker Jason Roberts. (Daily Star)

Everton manager David Moyes is tracking Newcastle full-back Steven Carr, whose contract expires at the end of the season. (Daily Mirror)

Birmingham are eager to sign on-loan striker Mauro Zarate on a permanent basis, but his club Al-Sadd value him at £18m. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth and Wigan are keen on West Brom's Robert Koren and will move for the midfielder if the Baggies fail to win promotion. (Daily Mirror)

Fulham's Diomansy Kamara is wanted by Sevilla, who will offer £5m for the midfielder. (Daily Express)

Collins John may also leave Fulham, with QPR keen on him. (Daily Express)

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley is ready to put big-earners Freddie Ljungberg and Lucas Neill up for sale in the summer. (Daily Express)

Sunderland have expressed an interest in signing Fulham winger Hameur Bouazza. (The Times)


Tuesday, 15 April 2008

Result for 14th April 2008

Chelsea
Cech, Belletti, Alex, Terry, Bridge, Ballack, Essien, Obi (Shevchenko 90), Kalou, Anelka, Malouda (Joe Cole 46).
Subs Not Used: Hilario, Pizarro, Wright-Phillips.
1-1
(HT 0-0)
Wigan
Kirkland, Melchiot, Scharner, Boyce, Kilbane, Valencia, Skoko (Koumas 56), Palacios, Taylor (King 79), Heskey, Bent (Sibierski 64).
Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Brown.
Essien 55

Heskey 90


Att: 40,487

Ref: Andre Marriner (W Midlands).




Bookings:
Koumas 68
Valencia 89

Monday, 14 April 2008

Sunday, 13 April 2008

Results for 13th April 2008

Liverpool
Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio, Lucas, Alonso (Riise 88), Kuyt, Gerrard, Babel (Benayoun 59), Torres (Voronin 85).
Subs Not Used: Itandje, Hyypia.
3-1
(HT 0-0)
Blackburn
Friedel, Emerton, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Bentley, Vogel (Dunn 73), Reid, Pedersen (McCarthy 73), Santa Cruz, Roberts.
Subs Not Used: Brown, Ooijer, Mokoena.
Gerrard 60
Torres 82
Voronin 90

Santa Cruz 90
Bookings:
Skrtel 72

Att: 43,283

Ref: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).




Man Utd
Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Pique, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Hargreaves (Giggs 89), Scholes (Anderson 55), Park (Tevez 55), Rooney.
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, O'Shea.
2-1
(HT 0-0)
Arsenal
Lehmann, Toure (Justin Hoyte 85), Gallas, Song Billong, Clichy, Eboue (Walcott 61), Fabregas, Silva, Hleb, Van Persie (Bendtner 76), Adebayor.
Subs Not Used: Djourou, Fabianski.
Ronaldo (pen) 54
Hargreaves 72

Adebayor 48
Bookings:
Brown 15
Carrick 59


Att: 75,985.

Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).



Bookings:
Van Persie 38
Gallas 52
Lehmann 53
Adebayor 63
Hoyte 90
Hleb 56

This weeks gossip and transfer news

David Bentley will choose between either Liverpool or Chelsea as the Premier League giants wage a £15m fight for the Blackburn star this summer. (News of the World)

Tottenham are ready to sell French Under-21 skipper Younes Kaboul with Portsmouth interested in the 22-year-old who cost Spurs £7m. (Mail on Sunday)

Manchester City are confident of completing the £10m capture of former Eastlands star Shaun Wright-Phillips from Chelsea in the summer. (News of the World)


But Chelsea will be splashing the cash themselves with Roman Abramovich signing off £100m for Avram Grant to target players such as Gareth Barry, Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero and Lyon's Karim Benzema. (Sunday People)

Gerard Pique is considering his Manchester United future after Barcelona declared an interest in re-signing the Spanish centre-back. (News of the World)

Manchester United and Arsenal are closing in on Cardiff City's £6m-rated midfielder Aaron Ramsey - just 17 years old. (Sunday Express)

Portsmouth are winning a three-way fight ahead of Newcastle and Aston Villa to secure the services of Liverpool striker Peter Crouch in a £6m deal this summer. (News of the World)

Chelsea have been given renewed hope of signing £25m-rated Sevilla full-back Dani Alves after comments from the player hinting he wants to leave the Spanish club. (News of the World)

Man United are eyeing £15m-rated defensive midfielder Miguel Veloso of Sporting Lisbon. (Sunday Telegraph)

Tottenham are lining up a £5m bid for Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor. (Sunday Mail)


Saturday, 12 April 2008

Results for 12th April

Birmingham
Maik Taylor, Kelly, Jaidi, Ridgewell, Murphy, Larsson (Jerome 24), Muamba, Nafti, McSheffrey, Forssell (O'Connor 46), McFadden (Zarate 76).
Subs Not Used: Doyle, Queudrue.
1-1
(HT 0-0)
Everton
Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Neville, Fernandes, Carsley, Pienaar (Anichebe 64), Johnson, Yakubu (Gravesen 89).
Subs Not Used: Wessels, Yobo, Nuno Valente.
Zarate 83

Lescott 78
Bookings:
Nafti 30

Att: 25,923

Ref: Steve Bennett (Kent).




Bookings:
Carsley 72

Bolton
Al Habsi, Steinsson, Andrew O'Brien, Cahill, Samuel, Campo, Nolan, McCann, Taylor, Davies, Diouf. Subs Not Used: Walker, Giannakopoulos, Teymourian, Cohen, Rasiak.
1-0
(HT 0-0)
West Ham
Green, Spector, Upson, Ferdinand (Pantsil 4), McCartney, Parker, Collison (Cole 50), Mullins, Ashton, Zamora (Sears 66), Boa Morte. Subs Not Used: Walker, Tomkins.
Davies 47


Bookings:
Davies 70

Att: 23,043

Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).



Bookings:
Pantsil 39
Derby
Carroll, Todd (Earnshaw 54), Moore (Leacock 54), Stubbs, Lewis, Mears, Ghaly, Savage, Jones (McEveley 59), Villa, Miller.
Subs Not Used: Price, Feilhaber.

0-6
(HT 0-3)
Aston Villa
Carson, Mellberg, Laursen, Knight, Bouma, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Barry (Salifou 80), Young (Berger 80), Carew (Harewood 73), Agbonlahor.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Routledge.





Att: 33,036.

Ref: Keith Stroud (Hampshire).



Young 25
Carew 26
Petrov 36
Barry 58
Agbonlahor 76
Harewood 85

Portsmouth
James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Diop, Davis, Muntari, Kranjcar, Defoe, Kanu (Nugent 75). Subs Not Used: Begovic, Lauren, Hughes, Pedro Mendes.

0-0
(HT 0-0)
Newcastle
Harper, Beye, Faye, Taylor, Jose Enrique, Geremi, Butt, Barton, Owen, Viduka (Smith 82), Martins. Subs Not Used: Forster, Duff, Edgar, Carroll.
Bookings:
Johnson 42

Att: 20,507

Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).



Bookings:
Barton 90

Reading
Hahnemann, Rosenior, Ingimarsson, Bikey, Shorey, Oster (Little 60), Harper, Matejovsky (Cisse 77), Hunt, Doyle, Long (Kitson 60).
Subs Not Used: Federici, Sonko.

0-2
(HT 0-1)
Fulham
Keller, Stalteri, Hangeland, Hughes, Konchesky, Davies, Bullard, Murphy (Andreasen 90), Dempsey (Bocanegra 85), Healy (Nevland 83), McBride.
Subs Not Used: Warner, Kamara.


McBride 24
Nevland 90

Att: 24,112.

Ref: Chris Foy (Merseyside).




Bookings:
Stalteri 80

Sunderland
Gordon, Bardsley, Nosworthy, Evans, Collins, Chopra (O'Donovan 79), Whitehead, Reid, Richardson (Leadbitter 46), Jones, Murphy (Edwards 62).
Subs Not Used: Fulop, McShane.
1-2
(HT 0-0)
Man City
Hart, Jihai, Corluka, Dunne, Ball, Gelson, Elano (Hamann 89), Ireland (Sturridge 58), Johnson, Petrov, Mwaruwari, Sturridge (Vassell 83).
Subs Not Used: Isaksson, Geovanni.
Whitehead 82

Elano (pen) 79
Vassell 87
Bookings:
Whitehead 18
Bardsley 22
Nosworthy 78

Att: 46,797.

Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).



Bookings:
Gelson 40
Corluka 73

Tottenham
Cerny, Hutton, Dawson, Woodgate, Chimbonda (Gilberto 70), Lennon (Bent 75), Zokora, Jenas, Malbranque (Huddlestone 60), Berbatov, Keane.
Subs Not Used: Forecast, Tainio.
1-1
(HT 1-0)
Middlesbrough
Schwarzer, Young, Wheater, Pogatetz, Grounds (Johnson 64), O'Neil (Sanli 74), Boateng, Arca (Rochemback 67), Downing, Aliadiere, Alves.
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, McMahon.
Grounds o.g. 27

Downing 69



Att: 36,092.

Ref: Mark Halsey (Lancashire).



Bookings:
Pogatetz 29
Arca 44
Young 90

Tuesday, 8 April 2008

Barcelona put Henry up for sale


This is amazing news and theres a strong possibility that Henry will come back to the Premier league. I shouldnt place you're bet on him going to the Emirates but several big clubs have been alerted about his sale, Barcelona have asked for less than they paid for him. Well I for one hope he comes back to the Premier league. I was very fortunate to have seen him play even though the team I support got thrashed but the guy is brilliant absolute class and any honest football fan would agree with that.
Picture from his hay days at Arsenal

Gossip and transfer news this week

11th April 2

Aston Villa have issued a hands-off warning to Chelsea over England midfielder Gareth Barry. (Daily Mirror)

AC Milan and Fenerbahce have both held talks with Barcelona over the proposed sale of Ronaldinho after it emerged Man City were offered the Brazilian in January. (Daily Mail)

Chelsea have, not for the first time, lined up a £20m move for Valencia's Spanish striker David Villa. (The Sun)

Portsmouth are setting their sights on a £10m bid for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch. (Daily Star)

Obafemi Martins has snubbed a £15m move to Arsenal because he wants to fire Newcastle into Europe. (The Sun)

Ipswich have moved to block Wigan's interest in midfielder Owen Garvan by offering the 20-year-old Irishman an improved contract. (Daily Star)

Blackburn are ready to snap up striker Jason Lampkin from Manchester United. (Daily Mirror)

Preston are set to raid neighbours Blackpool to sign Latvian centre-half Kaspars Gorkss in a £250,000 deal. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane has lined up another striker from the Championship - Sheffield United's former England hitman James Beattie. (The Sun)

Arsenal want to sign 14-year-old Portsmouth hotshot Aaron Spear. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham are eyeing up Real Madrid's 20-year-old Spanish midfielder Esteban Granero, currently on loan at Getafe. (Daily Mirror)

Spurs are interested in Chelsea midfielder Jack Cork, son of ex-Wimbledon striker Alan Cork. (Daily Mail)

Leeds defender Rui Marques, 30, has told the club to meet his wage demands or he'll quit for nothing in the summer - he is wanted by Sunderland. (Daily Mail)



Manchester City have stepped up their audacious attempt to sign Barcelona superstar Ronaldinho after the striker's agent and brother, Roberto de Assi, and Israeli 'super agent' Pini Zahavi were entertained by Thai members of the club's board in the 2-0 defeat by Chelsea at Eastlands. (The Guardian, Daily Mail)

However, City will have to compete with Italian giants AC Milan, whose billionaire president Silvio Berlusconi is preparing a bid for the brilliant Brazilian. (Daily Telegraph)

Peter Crouch says his future could be beyond Anfield, despite scoring Liverpool's goal against Arsenal on Saturday, with Manchester City, Portsmouth, Newcastle and Aston Villa leading the chase for the England striker. (Various)

Liverpool are leading the chase for £8m-rated Porto right-back Jose Boswinga, with Manchester United and Aston Villa also keen on the Portugal international. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea are prepared to take a £30m loss to allow Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko to return to AC Milan. (Daily Express)

Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov says he would be "flattered" if AC Milan follow up their interest in taking him from White Hart Lane to the San Siro. (The Times)

Barcelona have put striker Thierry Henry up for sale after less than a season at the Nou Camp, alerting Newcastle, Spurs, Manchester City and West Ham in the process. (Daily Star)

Everton face a battle to wrest Romania right-back Cosmin Contra away from Spanish side Getafe. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth step up their bid to sign £3m-rated St Etienne and Senegal international defender Moustapha Bayal Sall. (Daily Mail)

Celtic will target Middlesbrough's Mark Schwarzer should goalkeeper Artur Boruc leave in a big-money summer transfer. (Daily Mail)

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan is targeting a £6m summer move for Liverpool midfielder Jermaine Pennant. (The Sun)

The Magpies are also keeping tabs on Anderlecht winger Mbarek Boussoufa. (Daily Mail)

Derby striker Robert Earnshaw could make a £2m move to east Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest - but only if Colin Calderwood's side can reach the Championship. (Daily Mirror)

Sunday, 6 April 2008

Results for 6th April 2008

Everton
Howard, Neville, Yobo, Lescott, Baines, Arteta (Nuno Valente 90), Fernandes (Jagielka 77), Carsley, Osman, Johnson, Yakubu (Anichebe 73).
Subs Not Used: Wessels, Gravesen.
1-0
(HT 0-0)
Derby
Carroll, Todd, Leacock, Moore, Lewis, Sterjovski (Mears 50), Ghaly, Savage, Jones, Villa, Miller.
Subs Not Used: Price, McEveley, Earnshaw, Feilhaber.
Osman 56


Bookings:
Neville 30


Everton boss David Moyes wants Everton to improve on their biggest ever Premier League points total of 61 after the Toffees moved onto 60 points following a 1-0 win over Derby.

Att: 36,017

Ref: Andre Marriner (W Midlands).

Bookings:
Todd 28
Ghaly 73
Savage 86

Derby boss Paul Jewell is pleased with the performance of his side despite their 1-0 loss to Everton but regrets they were not able to make more of chances on goal.

Middlesbrough
Schwarzer, Young, Wheater, Pogatetz, Taylor, O'Neil, Boateng, Arca, Downing, Alves (Sanli 77), Aliadiere (Johnson 90).
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Cattermole, Grounds.
2-2
(HT 1-1)
Man Utd
Van der Sar, O'Shea (Hargreaves 67), Ferdinand (Pique 69), Brown, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Tevez (Park 63), Rooney.
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Anderson.
Alves 35
Alves 56

Ronaldo 10
Rooney 74
Bookings:
Young 48
Boateng 68
O'Neil 86

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate hails his team's performance as they acquit themselves well in an entertaining 2-2 draw with Manchester Utd at the Riverside.

Att: 33,952

Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).



Bookings:
Rooney 55

Manchester United assistant coach Carlos Queiroz acknowledges that Boro were good value for their 2-2 draw at the Riverside but is critical of the mistakes made by his own side.

Results for the 6th April 2008

Arsenal
Arsenal: Almunia, Justin Hoyte (Adebayor 57), Gallas, Toure, Traore (Clichy 72), Eboue, Fabregas, Silva, Flamini (Hleb 81), Bendtner, Walcott.
Subs Not Used: Lehmann, Song Billong.
1-1
(HT 0-1)
Liverpool
Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Skrtel, Arbeloa, Plessis, Pennant (Gerrard 66), Benayoun (Voronin 75), Lucas, Riise, Crouch (Torres 80).
Subs Not Used: Itandje, Hyypia.
Bendtner 54

Crouch 42
Bookings:
Eboue 67


Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is upset his side missed their chances and were denied a penalty in their 1-1 Premier League draw with Liverpool.

Att: 60,111

Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).



Bookings:
Riise 30
Pennant 54

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is pleased with the point earned in the 1-1 at Arsenal but says it is "really bad" for the Gunners' title hopes..

Aston Villa
Carson, Mellberg, Knight, Laursen, Bouma, Reo-Coker, Petrov (Routledge 86), Barry, Young (Berger 83), Carew (Harewood 77), Agbonlahor.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Salifou.

4-0
(HT 1-0)
Bolton
Al Habsi, Steinsson, Cahill, Andrew O'Brien, Taylor, Guthrie, McCann, Joey O'Brien (Cohen 83), Davies, Helguson, Diouf.
Subs Not Used: Walker, Samuel, Giannakopoulos, Campo.
Barry 9
Agbonlahor 56
Barry 60
Harewood 85


Bookings:
Carew 43
Reo-Coker 90

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is pleased with his side's return to form after their 4-0 win over Bolton and delighted with their first clean sheet in 19 games.

Att: 37,773

Ref: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).



Bookings:
Guthrie 37

Bolton boss Gary Megson takes some comfort from the fact that none of the other sides in the bottom four won after his team were spanked 4-0 by Aston Villa.


Blackburn
Friedel, Ooijer (Emerton 46), Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Bentley, Reid (Mokoena 86), Vogel, Pedersen (McCarthy 73), Santa Cruz, Roberts.
Subs Not Used: Brown, Derbyshire.
1-1
(HT 1-1)
Tottenham
Cerny, Hutton, Dawson, Woodgate, Chimbonda (Gilberto 72), Lennon, Jenas, Zokora, Malbranque (Huddlestone 72), Berbatov, Keane (Bent 78).
Subs Not Used: Forecast, Tainio.
Pedersen 30

Berbatov 7
Bookings:
Santa Cruz 69
Warnock 77
Samba 89

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes believes his side can still secure a spot in Europe for next season despite dropping two points in a 1-1 home draw with Tottenham.

Att: 24,592

Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).



Bookings:
Zokora 27


Tottenham first team coach Gus Poyet is happy with his side's style of play despite only earning a point in a 1-1 draw at Blackburn.
Fulham

1-3
(HT 0-1)
Sunderland
Healy 74

Bookings:
Andreasen 30
McBride 87


Fulham boss Roy Hodgson says he is "grieving" after his side lose 3-1 to Sunderland and remain six points adrift of Premier League safety with five games to go.



Collins 45
Chopra 54
Jones 76



Sunderland boss Roy Keane wants his players to keep their focus until the end of the season after a 3-1 win over Fulham boosts their battle against relegation.



Man City
Hart, Corluka, Dunne, Onuoha (Jihai 59), Ball, Ireland (Caicedo 75), Gelson, Johnson, Petrov, Elano (Vassell 65), Mwaruwari.
Subs Not Used: Isaksson, Hamann
0-2
(HT 0-1)
Chelsea
Cudicini, Belletti (Ferreira 86), Alex, Terry, Ashley Cole, Essien, Obi, Lampard, Wright-Phillips (Joe Cole 52), Anelka, Kalou.
Subs Not Used: Hilario, Shevchenko, Ballack.
Bookings:
Gelson 45

Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson praises his side for their performance, despite their 2-0 defeat by Chelsea.

Att: 42,594

Ref: Chris Foy (Merseyside).


Dunne o.g. 6
Kalou 53

Chelsea manager Avram Grant says his side had learnt from recent defeats to show greater caution as they beat Manchester City 2-0.


Newcastle
Harper, Beye, Faye (Diatta 82), Edgar, Jose Enrique, Geremi, Butt (Smith 79), Barton, Martins, Owen, Viduka (Duff 74).
Subs Not Used: Forster, Carroll.
3-0
(HT 2-0)
Reading
Hahnemann, Rosenior, Ingimarsson, Bikey, Shorey, Oster (Convey 60), Harper, Cisse (Fae 72), Hunt, Kitson (Long 72), Doyle.
Subs Not Used: Federici, Duberry.
Martins 18
Owen 43
Viduka 58





Kevin Keegan feels Newcastle are now brimming with confidence after comfortably beating Reading 3-0 at St James' Park.

Att: 52,179

Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).




Bookings:
Bikey 41

Steve Coppell feels Newcastle's quality up front shone through following Reading's 3-0 defeat against the Magpies at St James' Park.




Wigan
Kirkland, Melchiot, Scharner, Boyce, Kilbane, Valencia, Skoko (Figueroa 90), Palacios, Taylor (Sibierski 85), Bent, Heskey (King 88).
Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Hagen.
2-0
(HT 1-0)
Birmingham
Maik Taylor, Kelly, Martin Taylor (Parnaby 72), Jaidi, Murphy, Larsson, Muamba, Johnson, McSheffrey (Nafti 63), Zarate, Forssell (Jerome 67).
Subs Not Used: Doyle, O'Connor.
Taylor 15
Taylor 55


Bookings:
Heskey 77


Wigan boss Steve Bruce is enouraged to record a 2-0 win over his old club Birmingham and hopes his side can build on an impressive performance.

Bookings:
Murphy 66
Jaidi 78

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish concedes that Wigan deserved their 2-0 win and admits his side will need to perform better to stay out of the relegation zone.

Att: 17,926

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).


Sent off:
Johnson 37

Tuesday, 1 April 2008

Transfer gossip

3rd April 2008

Real Madrid are interested in signing Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, according to reports in Spain. (Independent)

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos is looking to bring in seven new players. Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito and Real Madrid midfielder Esteban Granero are among his targets. (Various)

Spurs have also been alerted to news that Real Mallorca defender Ivan Ramis has stalled on a new deal, while Portsmouth are also keen. (Daily Mail)

606: DEBATE

Barcelona and France striker Thierry Henry is being lined up by newly-formed MLS side Seattle, and will pay him £150,000 per week. (The Sun)

Sunderland manager Roy Keane is seeking a £50m transfer kitty, which he believes he needs to take the club to the next level. (various)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is planning a £3m bid for Barnsley midfielder Brian Howard. (Telegraph)

Villa are also keen on USA keeper Brad Guzan, but face a battle with Arsenal for the 23-year-old. (various)

Manchester United are compiling a dossier on Falkirk teenager Scott Arfield. (Scottish Express)

Bolton's Jussi Jaaskelainen is Celtic's top target if keeper Artur Boruc is sold in the summer. (Scottish Express)

Bolton's Switzerland international midfielder Blerim Dzemaili is wanted by Italian side Torino. (Daily Star)

Portsmouth's Ghana international midfielder Sulley Muntari has urged the club to sign his fellow countryman John Mensah. (The Times)

Mikel Arteta's future at Everton may be in doubt after his agent claimed he would be in the Spain team if he played for a bigger club. (The Sun)

Cardiff want to re-sign Sunderland striker Michael Chopra. (The Times)

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan will learn how much he has to spend next season only when the club's Premier League status is secured. (The Sun)

Birmingham have been told to move fast if they want on-loan Al-Sadd striker Mauro Zarate permanently. (various)

Blackburn chairman John Williams has insisted the club are not about to sell winger David Bentley. (Independent)

West Ham's Lucas Neil wants the club to blood its youngsters as the injury crisis deepens. (various)

Derby face a battle to capture on-loan Tottenham midfielder Hossam Ghaly permanently as Feyenoord also want to sign the Egyptian. (various)

Wolves striker Freddy Eastwood looks set to join Crystal Palace, but Derby and Coventry are also keen. (various)

Plymouth will make a summer move for Barnet's 20-year-old winger Albert Adomah. (Daily Star)



1st April 2008

Birmingham loan signing Mauro Zarate is to have talks aimed at making his move from Qatar side Al-Sadd permanent. (Various)

Striker David Connolly will leave Sunderland for Sheffield Wednesday providing The Owls can avoid relegation. (Various)

Portsmouth target John Mensah has revealed that Reading and other unnamed Premiership clubs have also made enquiries about him. (The Sun)

Leicester's former Birmingham striker DJ Campbell is being watched by Watford, Charlton and Cardiff. (Daily Star)

Burnley are monitoring the progress of Manchester United winger Sean Evans, who will be free to leave Old Trafford this summer. (Daily Star)

West Ham are planning a summer move for Lazio's Swiss international midfielder Valon Behrami, who is stalling on a new deal with the Italian club. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP


Feuding Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have asked not to sit together at Wednesday's Champions League match with Arsenal. (The Guardian)

Bolton manager Gary Megson will not be sacked even if the club are relegated from the top flight. (Daily Mirror)

Former Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit says Avram Grant will never have respect at Stamford Bridge unless he wins a major trophy. (Daily Express)

Wigan boss Steve Bruce has urged owner Dave Whelan to emulate Portsmouth and invest heavily on established Premiership stars. (The Sun)

Spurs defender Jonathan Woodgate says the team needs to show more pride, following their humiliating 4-1 home defeat by Newcastle. (Various)

Derby manager Paul Jewell will be given around £10m to spend in the summer in an attempt to make an immediate return to the Premiership. (Daily Mirror)