Abel RKay

Per SOCCER LENS Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels that Liverpool have a great advantage in the title race as they don’t have any side distractions. For the first time in many years, Liverpool are mounting a challenge for the Champions League spot, but with just four points off the summit with 11 games to go, an outside shot at the Premier League title cannot be ruled out either. Jose Mourinho has started earlier that he sees it as an advantage for Brendan Rodgers’ side and now Wenger has just echoed the same. “Liverpool is in the race and they have an advantage because it’s the only competition they play,” he is quoted by the Daily Star . Wenger feels that consistency is the key from here on and that it will be a close title race in the end. Meanwhile, Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has insisted that under pressure manager David Moyes has the full backing of the team. United are having a disastrous league campaign this season and are on the verge of going

Manchester United’s troubled season took another turn for the worse on Tuesday as David Moyes’ side slumped to a 2-0 first leg defeat to Olympiakos in the last 16 of the Champions League. Moyes described the match as “the worst performance in Europe” he’d seen from his players, and took full responsibility for the result. Argentine striker Alejandro Dominguez broke the deadlock at Karaiskaki Stadium when he got his foot to a shot from Yiannis Maniatis in the 38th minute and turned the ball past goalkeeper David de Gea. First-half composure from the visitors soon turned to complacency after the break when striker Joel Campbell, on loan from United’s Premier League rival Arsenal, caught De Gea off guard with a well-placed shot in the 55th minute. Wayne Rooney produced no threat up front and strike partner Robin van Persie missed the visitors’ only clear chance — a shot over the crossbar in the 82nd minute — as United slipped to its first defeat in the Champions Leagu

source: b/r

Mathieu Flamini has likened the strength and spirit of the current Arsenal squad to the club's last trophy-winning side of nearly nine years ago.   Few would have foreseen the drought that has followed the FA Cup final penalty shoot-out victory over Manchester United in May 2005. It was the fourth FA Cup success of manager Arsene Wenger's reign, complementing the three Premier League titles also collected following his arrival in 1996. While the second half of the Frenchman's stint in charge has been less fruitful than the first nine years, Arsenal's fortunes finally look to be on the up. They are just a point behind Premier League leaders Chelsea with 12 matches remaining, and set up an FA Cup quarter-final with Everton after overcoming Liverpool 2-1 on Sunday with a performance that led Flamini to liken the current playing pool to the victorious side of 2005. "What I will say about this season is that I see a great commitment, I see everyo

David Moyes has been working overtime as he bids to retrieve some semblance of respectability for Manchester United’s season. The beleaguered United boss was pictured in Greece tonight watching his team’s next Champions League opponents Olympiakos record a 2-0 win over Panionios. Goals from Andreas Samaris and Marko Scepovic secured the three points for the Greek champions, who are unbeaten in 23 top-flight games this term. United face the Piraeus-based side in the first leg of their last 16 tie on February 25 before a return leg at Old Trafford on March 19. Moyes’ next assignment is at home to Premier League basement boys Fulham on Sunday, when the champions will be expected to reignite their push for a top-four finish – although at the rate they’re going domestically, actually winning the Champions League (don’t snigger) might be their best bet of qualifying for next season’s tournament. Per METRO

Champions League - Arsenal need perfection against Bayern   Arsenal will be out to show they have learnt the lessons of last season's painful home defeat by Bayern Munich when the sides meet again in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in London on Wednesday. Holders Bayern were utterly dominant in 3-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium, and although Arsenal went on to salvage pride with a 2-0 win in Munich in the return leg, it was not enough to prevent the Gunners going out of the competition in the round of 16 for the third consecutive season. They face a daunting task to avoid making it four years in a row, however, with the Bayern juggernaut showing little sign of slowing under Pep Guardiola, who led Barcelona to victory over Arsenal at this stage in the 2010-11 season. Despite recent wobbles, Arsenal are a sterner proposition this time as they mount their first serious Premier League challenge for years, and should be boosted by a 2-1 FA

Yaya Touré must curb his attacking instincts to keep out Lionel Messi and friends   Four key factors for Manchester City if they are to beat Barcelona in their Champions League clash of giants at the Etihad Stadium  1. Yaya Touré must show discipline Manuel Pellegrini’s much-discussed preference for playing 4-4-2 will face the stiffest of tests against a team without equal when it comes to dominating the middle ground. The Manchester City manager, I am sure, will be praying Fernandinho is fit to resume his partnership with Yaya Touré. Touré would be well advised to rein in his attacking instincts by working with Fernandinho to close down the space in front of the back four. Because should gaps start to open up 30 yards out, you know that Lionel Messi and friends will have their way. 2. Do not depend on Martin Demichelis Another concern for Pellegrini is the identity of Vincent Kompany’s sidekick in central defence. With Matija Nastas

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has said that he believes City's dominant performances in this season may have lead to the usurping of their arch-rivals Manchester United as the biggest team in the city. Although the defending Premier League champions have been the dominant force in English football for the last 20 years, but they have fallen out of contention for domestic honours this season as they are currently in seventh place and have also been eliminated from the two domestic cup competitions. According to Sport24, United's upcoming clash with Greek side Olympiakos in the Champions League last 16 represents their only chance of silverware this season, while City is three points behind leaders Chelsea in the Premier League, have reached the final of the League Cup and the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. City, which is bankrolled by the Abu Dhabi United Group, will also face Barcelona in the Champions League and Pellegrini said that given this sea

Phil Jones   on the influences and experiences that shaped him as a player... Which players did you idolise growing up? I tried to model my game on good centre-backs in the Premier League, really - there wasn't someone in particular I focused my attention on. I tried to watch as many players as I could and studied their qualities before trying to take the best parts of their game and applying it to my own. I tried to get a mix - there wasn't one specific player that really influenced me. I'm often asked that question but I never idolised one individual. It's important to watch and learn from a number of different players to make you a more rounded footballer. Were there people at Blackburn you looked up to? When I was there people like Chris Samba and Ryan Nelsen played in defence. Nelsen was a top professional and I always looked up to him. He was instrumental in helping me to succeed at Blackburn, too. Chris was a great lad as well and they both he