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Manchester United could leapfrog rivals City and go top of the Premier League if they beat basement boys Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils are in sparkling form at the moment and go into the game off the back of two successive 5-0 wins. This is the time of year that Sir Alex Ferguson’s side usually picks up momentum as they make their charge towards top-flight glory. United have been imperious since their 6-1 drubbing at the hands of City back in October winning eight of the subsequent nine games keeping seven clean sheets in the progress. Despite having 12 players out injured including captain Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, midfield enforcer Darren Fletcher and winger Ashley Young fringe players like Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov have stepped in to fill the breach with the Bulgarian striker helping himself to six of United’s 10 goals over the last two games. He scored five in this fixture last season and is sure to be hungry for goals again as the Ferguson sets himself up for another championship assault.

Blackburn boss Steve Kean has a very different agenda as he prepares to take his side to Old Trafford knowing a defeat could cast them further adrift at the bottom. Rovers will go into the game with renewed optimism after holding Liverpool on Boxing Day gaining a vital point in their survival bid. However I doubt Kean and his players will believe they can beat United on their own patch with and last season’s 7-1 thrashing likely to be fresh in their minds. Goalkeeper Mark Bunn will be keen to avoid a similar score line this time round and should he perform like he did on Merseyside on Monday then he could be the difference for Blackburn. The club will hope their supporters once again provide positive noises from the stands after they got behind Kean and the players at Anfield as they attempt to engineer the biggest scalp of the season thus far.

Manchester United 2nd : 45 points

Team news: Sir Alex Ferguson is without 12 first team players but could have Phil Jones, Rio Ferdinand and Fabio back for the visit of Blackburn on New Years Eve.

Key Player: Wayne Rooney

Since rediscovering his knack of scoring goals at the start of December the England strikers performances have been near perfect. Rested for the game against Wigan on Boxing Day he’ll be firing on all cylinders as he looks to guide United to Premier League glory in 2012.

Blackburn Rovers 20th : 11 points

Team news: Blackburn have doubts over Paul Robinson, David Dunn and Junior Hoilett who all have knocks. Six other players are definitely out until the New Year.

Key Player: Mark Bunn

With Paul Robinson a doubt for the trip to Old Trafford it looks as if Bunn will start for the second successive game. His performance against Liverpool on Boxing Day was nothing short of spectacular with his reaction save from Andy Carroll’s header out of this world. Will be crucial to thwarting United’s goal hungry attack.

PREDICTION

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United are unstoppable at the moment scoring 10 in their last two games and looking on course to regain the Premier League top spot. At the other end of the table Blackburn are staring into the abyss and defeat at Old Trafford will see them start 2012 rock bottom. 

Scored: 4-0

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Blackburn Rovers will carry the threat of relegation and a major selection headache into their trip to Everton on Saturday.The Trotters are suffering an ill-timed slide down the English Premier League table as their form under manager Steve Kean worsens, slumping to 15th with nary a win from their past eight games.

There is just three points separating Blackburn from the drop zone and four points between them and last-placed Wigan Athletic, and with six games left – including visits from Manchester United, Manchester City and Bolton – there is little margin for error.

Making matters worse, the club is dealing with a sudden availability crisis due to a rash of injuries.

New Zealand international Ryan Nelsen limped from the field with a knee injury during Blackburn’s 1-1 draw with Birmingham City last Saturday and will not feature in the fixture.

So too is on-loan Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz, who is battling a hamstring strain, and captain Chris Samba, who is laid low with a twisted ankle.

Add to that Steven N’Zonzi’s suspension for his red card against Arsenal, Gael Givet’s ongoing contract dispute and Kean’s apparent dislike for Nikola Kalinic and the Trotters are beginning to look thin indeed.

But in some better news, Junior Hoilett is expected to play despite suffering hamstring soreness last weekend.

The Canadian starlet fired his third goal in four games against the Blues and will be sorely needed in a Blackburn outfit short on attacking options.

The Merseyside visit will pose a test to Hoilett and his team-mates and Everton will be keen to keep their six-game unbeaten run alive.

The Toffees have staked a claim for seventh on the table with 44 points from 32 games, and could find themselves one point off sixth place and a possible Europa League berth if they win and Liverpool topple Arsenal on Sunday.

That Everton have managed to keep their season ticking along while carrying their own extensive injury list is a credit to boss David Moyes.

Moyes has had to do without a number of first-team regulars, including Tim Cahill (foot), Louis Saha (ankle), Marouane Fellaini (ankle), Mikel Arteta (hamstring) and Jack Rodwell (ankle).

Republic of Ireland international Seamus Coleman, who was shortlisted for the PFA’s Young Player of the Year award earlier this week, is also in doubt to play with a recurrence of an ankle injury.

Since arriving at St James Park almost three years ago, football fans have seen it all from Joey Barton. Assaults, injury anguish, rows, suspensions and even jail but perhaps his biggest crime of all is not repaying the unconditional loyalty shown to him by Newcastle’s infamous Toon Army.

By his own frank admission he “owes Newcastle United” and what better time to reimburse the fans as they gear up for a challenging Premier League season.

Some people would suggest that football should have longed turned its back on Barton due to his mindless thuggery both off and sometimes on the pitch and whilst I do not condone his list of crimes perhaps this is the year he will rehabilitate a career we all know holds so much talent.

The growth of his comical moustache to build team spirit at Newcastle does not hide his previous sins but it shows a willingness to sacrifice his “hard man” image in order to aid Newcastle’s fight for survival next season. The midfielder sported the facial hair as he helped the Geordies to a penalty shoot-out win against Deportivo La Coruna in the Riazor Stadium and lift the ‘prestigious’ Trofeo Teresa Herrera Cup.

Bushy Barton has done his bit in pre-season and he was also a huge part of Newcastle’s promotion from the Championship last year. The free-kick against Peterborough was wonderful and his pass for Routledge to bag a memorable goal was undoubtedly Premier League class and if Chris Hughton can coax Barton back into the player he was at Man City it will be very much like a “new signing.”

The player himself will hope that in perhaps what is his last chance, the monotonous regularity of his behaviour will be clouded out by a good season on the pitch and build up a rapport with the fans.

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He recently insisted he is “as good as anybody in this country” whilst adding “If I can sustain fitness for a long period of time, I’m very confident of finding the form that got me in the England squad”.

In this case however, given his troubled past, talk, and unless spoken on the pitch is cheap. Newcastle United will hope that he has finally turned a corner that seemed so far away and that he will cast aside the demons which are scrutinised so much more in the Premier League than in the Championship.

Arsene Wenger reaffirms his commitment to Arsenal after reports in France suggested that he is considering his future at the end of the season. Apparently Wenger claimed that if he wasn’t able to get the best out of his players then he will look to move on, while also suggesting that the loss of Fabregas and Nasri was a significant blow to his plans for this season.

Elsewhere in the news Villas-Boas is slowly making his mark at Chelsea; Fergie claims Phil Jones was a steal at £16.5m, while Dalglish stands by Carroll.

 

Wenger reaffirms Arsenal commitment – Guardian

Terry and Suarez to back anti-racism campaign in Stamford Bridge clash – Daily Mail

Villas-Boas makes his mark – Daily Telegraph

Dalglish stands by Carroll after Capello fuels doubts – Independent

Chelsea plot £20m raid for Toon star – Mirror

Rafael van der Vaart says Adebayor is the reason for his great form – People

Blackburn boss Kean all set to net a ‘decent’ pay rise despite struggles – Daily Mail

Sir Alex: Phil Jones was a £16.5m steal – Mirror

Liverpool set to secure Chris Samba signing – People

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Blatter’s new controversy – this time over tickets – Independent

Nike closing in on St James’ Park deal – People

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American business Thomas Di Benedetto is believed to be close to securing a takeover deal for Serie A club AS Roma.Di Benedetto landed in Rome on Monday for exclusive negotiations with Roma’s holding company Italpetroli and stakeholder Unicredit bank.

The reported US$108 million bid from Di Benedetto – an investor in Liverpool owners New England Sports Venture – is believed to be favoured over four other offers to purchase the club.

“Our aim is to make Roma one of the top clubs in the world,” Di Benedetto told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“We want a team that the city will always be proud of, but of course this will take time.”

“Rome is a wonderful city and for us to be able to represent it in the world is a great opportunity.”

Roma’s widely-reported financial concerns – the club are believed to hold debts of up to US$56 million – are set to worsen if the club misses out on lucrative qualification for the Champions League.

Vincenzo Montella’s side are sixth in the table, six points behind Udinese in the last Champions League qualification berth.

“We all hope that Roma qualifies for the Champions League,” Di Benedetto said.

“Roma have recently recovered after a difficult period. But they still lack continuity.”

Di Benedetto is believed to represent several other NESV board members interested in purchasing up to 67 percent of the club.

“They’re my friends, they’re all successful businessmen or managers with the necessary economic resources for this deal,” Di Benedetto said.

“James Pallotta, one of the owners of the Boston Celtics, will provide his sports knowledge and he has already carefully evaluated the club’s potential.”

“Michael Ruane has had a successful career in investments funds and real estate and his involvement will mostly regard the plan for the new stadium.”

“Richard D’Amore is an expert in new media and will help us develop in that area.”

Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has revealed he missed out on the signing of Craig Bellamy.

Bellamy joined hometown club Cardiff City on a season-long loan from Manchester City on Tuesday.

The Wales striker cited his desire to be closer to his family after deciding to make the drop from the Premier League to the Championship.

“We inquired about Craig but unfortunately for us his main concern was getting back to Wales to be close to his young family,” revealed Pulis.

“Cardiff is also his hometown club, so it all fitted for him to make that move instead of the other offers on the table for him.

“Craig is 31 now and has done a hell of a lot of moving over the years when you look at all the clubs he has played for.

“It would have been nice if we could have sorted something out because we all know what an asset he can be as a player.

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“He brings skill and energy to any team and is a born winner full of passion which inspires those around him.”

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With January fast approaching, there could be a lot more action than usual in the mid-season window, mainly due to contract situations with so many players in the Premier League. With player power beginning to surface around the English top flight, players are now controlling the contract situations and the majority of the agents are always on the lookout for new clubs, and more money.

A staggering 113 players who were registered for Premier League football are out of contract at the end of this season resulting in many clubs looking to either move them on in the summer or risk making a loss in May. There will be plenty of chances to earn a new contract for the future Bosman players, but having now let their contracts run down to just over six months remaining, perhaps the clubs are eager to get rid of them.

The list of out-of-contract players is not just packed with squad players and bit-part first team members, but star internationals that have brought a lot to the Premier League in the past five years or so. Names such as Didier Drogba, Dimitar Berbatov and Ledley King head the list that is a scattered with house-hold names that may suggest a change in the tide of attitudes from Premier League clubs that are happy to lose their experienced heads when their contracts expire in favour of young players breaking through.

At the end of last season there was not a huge rush to snap up free signings from the Premier League as there was very little to choose from. Hargreaves, Ba and McFadden were about as glamorous as it got last May but this year a team could be built solely from free signings that could well finish in the top half of the league. A club could spend their whole transfer budget on wages for these players and have a better side than most in the Premier League next season. Some clubs however may struggle to recover from losing players for free next summer and need to either replace them or keep them to have any chance of being competitive in a year’s time.

Bolton Wanderers are a team that could particularly struggle, with an astonishing 13 players coming to the end of their contracts next summer, January could be a time to either sell them or offer them a new deal otherwise there could be a major issue at the Reebok. With the side struggling this season in the Premier League, players may not be eager to commit themselves to the club with the possibility of Championship football next season.

Kevin Davies, Gary Cahill and Jussi Jaaskelainen plus 10 others will all have big decisions to make over the next few months that could be a massive period of Bolton’s modern day history. It is surely a problem that many clubs must be tackling throughout the season. Of course some of the 113 players will sign new deals at their clubs before the end of the season, lying to bed all speculation surrounding them, however some will also leave in January, with the clubs looking to get at least a small amount of money for their players rather than lose out in May.

Here is a list of some selected players that are out of contract next summer, can you make your Bosman XI:

Goalkeepers –

Jussi Jaaskelainen,

Mark Schwarzer,

[divider]

Defenders –

Ledley King,

Maynor Figueroa,

Gary Cahill,

Carlos Cuellar,

Jose Bosingwa,

Sylvain Distin,

Fabio Aurelio,

[divider]

Midfielders –

Ryan Giggs,

Owen Hargreaves,

Danny Murphy,

Martin Petrov,

Saloman Kalou,

Junior Hoilett,

Tomas Rosicky,

[divider]

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Forwards –

Louis Saha,

Dimitar Berbatov,

Didier Drogba,

Kevin Davies,

Nicolas Anelka,

Andy Johnson,

And of course…. Emile Heskey!

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The Netherlands moved six points clear at the top of Group E following a 4-0 thumping at Hungary in Friday’s Euro 2012 qualifier.Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk opted to start the likes of Robin van Persie, Ibrahim Afellay and Rafael van der Vaart at the Puskas Ferenc Stadion in Budapest, and the difference in class was evident from the outset.

Van der Vaart put the Oranje ahead in the eighth minute, and goals to Afellay, Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt and Van Persie ensured the visitors would secure the fifth straight win of the qualifying campaign.

But the win was soured by what appeared to be a serious ankle injury to Afellay, the Barcelona midfielder limping gingerly from the pitch in the 56th minute after coming down hard in a tackle.

Wesley Sneijder was on hand to ensure Van der Vaart ended a goal drought stretching back over a month, the Inter Milan man weaving his way into the area and poking a pass to the Tottenham midfielder for a cool finish.

Afellay made it 2-0 in the shadows of half-time with a bit of individual brilliance, picking out the bottom-left corner of the net with a blistering strike from range after 45 minutes.

Sneijder also played a part in the third goal, releasing Van der Vaart with a through pass.

Van der Vaart skimmed his way into the box and slid the ball to Kuyt for the easiest of finishes; and Kuyt repaid the favour on eight minutes later with an assist in Van Persie’s strike.

The Liverpool striker dipped a ball over his mark to release Ajax defender Gregory van der Wiel, who cut his way through two defenders on the right flank and cut back a pass for Van Persie.

The result leaves the Netherlands six points clear at the top of Group E and in excellent shape to clinch their berth at the Euro 2012 finals.

Hungary remain second on six points, equal with Sweden but having played two games more than the Scandinavians.

Departing striker Eduardo has thanked the Arsenal medical staff who nursed him back to full-fitness following a career-threatening injury.

Eduardo joined Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday in a £6million deal after three years with the Gunners.

During his time at the Emirates Stadium, the Croatia international spent 12 months on the sidelines after suffering a horrific broken leg and dislocated ankle injury during a Premier League game against Birmingham City in February 2008.

"The past few days have been very emotional for me," he told the club's official website.

"Although I am excited about the challenge ahead with my new club Shakhtar Donetsk, I am so sad to be leaving my home for the past three years.

"Arsenal is a very special football club and I will miss so many people – my team-mates, all the staff and, of course, the wonderful Arsenal supporters.

"When I first came to England, I could not speak the language and knew nobody, but as soon as I arrived I was made to feel at home and part of this big family.

"I had some very difficult times with my injury, but Arsenal was always there for me – the medical staff, the management, the players and the supporters. Thank you everybody.

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"Although I have now left the club, Arsenal will always be in my heart.

"I will always look for the Arsenal results and of course, I wish Arsene Wenger and the great players at the club well for next season and the future."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Juan Mata’s arrival at Chelsea in the summer has seen new manager Andre Villas-Boas deliver on his promise of expansive, attacking football. The former Valencia man has brought a real spring to the step of an aging Chelsea squad and provided the much-needed boost to put Fernando Torres on the right path to his form of old.

With Glen Johnson being a far better attacking full-back than one who excels in the art of defence, manager Kenny Dalglish may look to the returning Jamie Carragher (if fit) to keep the Spanish international quiet. With a back-four that has not always been up to standard, Juan Mata may look to exploit the lack of pace in Jamie Carragher and target the Liverpool defender as a weak-link in a possible right-back position.

Needles to say, much of Chelsea’s attacking creativity will come through Mata, a player well versed in the possession football Roman Abramovich is so desperate to see at Stamford Bridge. A player who is lethal in front of goal and with the creative touch to unlock a Liverpool side who will be dogged in their defence, stopping Juan Mata may be the key to a Liverpool result next weekend.

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