| Terry believes Man City can win the title • 'They certainly have the players to do so,' says Terry• 'They will gain confidence from beating us'John Terry believes Manchester City are genuine contenders for the Premier League title, although he said the expectation at Chelsea, from the owner Roman Abramovich down, is that the club will win the season's major trophies.Chelsea saw their perfect start to the league campaign derailed at Eastlands last Saturday, when Carlos Tevez's goal gave City a 1-0 victory. The result not only highlighted that the defending champions were mortal and beatable but it showed that City had the ability to walk tall against the very best.Terry continues to radiate confidence, though, and after last night's 2-0 Champions League win over Marseille that calmed Chelsea's mini-wobble – they had gone out of the Carling Cup against Newcastle United the previous Wednesday – the captain suggested his team were set fair for Sunday's Stamford Bridge showdown against Arsenal."The way that City played against us, they are definitely title contenders," Terry said. "They have certainly got the players to do so and any big side going there is going to find it difficult because they always raise their game. It's against the smaller sides that they have found it difficult."Saturday's defeat was one of those things for us. I've seen quite a bit of City and they have not looked great, if I'm honest. But they were excellent against us, it was their best game of the season. They are going to get encouragement from that, from beating the in-form side in the league."Abramovich oversaw a paring back of his playing staff over the summer, with 10 players moving away, including the established stars Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Ballack, Joe Cole, Deco and Juliano Belletti, and only Yossi Benayoun and Ramires arriving. Terry has made it clear that he feels it was a blow to lose Cole. Yet despite the cuts, the demands have not changed."The message is clear from the owner at the start of the season, he wants to win everything," Terry said. "And with the squad we have, he expects to. The Premier League is the biggest test because, along with Spain, we've got the best league in the world. You take a lot of credit from that. But at the same time, the Champions League is a trophy we haven't won and one that we want to win. We also have a manager [Carlo Ancelotti] who has the experience of having won it."Arsenal went close to winning the Champions League when they lost in the final to Barcelona and we've had a taste of the final so the experience is there among the London clubs. Hopefully, if it comes round again, we will have that experience to go on."Terry scored the opening goal against Marseille and Nicolas Anelka added the second before the half-hour, leading Chelsea, in Terry's words, "to take our foot off the gas with Sunday in mind"."That was a nice luxury," he added. "It was good to get back to winning ways and, hopefully, we can continue that against Arsenal It was important that we had a Champions League game on Tuesday and that we didn't get a whole week to think about the City defeat. Now for Sunday, there isn't really a lot of training. It's the rest and recovery that's important."ChelseaManchester CityDavid Hytnerguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Tottenham's trips down memory lane could be a thing of the past Visits of Inter Milan and Werder Bremen to White Hart Lane could usher in the end of an era for Tottenham. telegraph.co.uk |
Whitecaps hold Islanders in first semifinal leg The Vancouver Whitecaps put in a strong defensive performance to hold the host Puerto Rico Islanders to a 0-0 draw Thursday in Bayamon, and took an advantage into the second leg of their USSF Division-2 semifinal. cbc.ca |
Crystal Palace 0-1 Millwall | Championship match report Theo Robinson's strike proved enough for Millwall to beat struggling Crystal Palace, who were later reduced to 10 men when Claude Davis was sent off, in the south London derby.Millwall took the lead in the 53rd minute, courtesy of Robinson's neat finish and second league goal of the season. Steve Morison out-muscled Julian Bennett and nodded the ball on for the fast-moving Robinson, who rounded the Palace keeper, Julian Speroni, with ease and slid the ball, which perhaps shaved the post on its way, into an empty net.The result leaves the Eagles without a win in five matches, and in the bottom two of the Championship. Palace enjoyed some excellent pressure during the early stages, and a good break at pace gave Wilfried Zaha a chance but he fired high and wide.Millwall went close through Theo Robinson's fizzed shot and Chris Hackett's toe-poked effort on the half-hour, while Patrick McCarthy spurned a glorious opportunity for Palace before half-time, blazing high over David Forde's goal from six yards. Zaha had another chance, going close this time.Palace had another great opportunity as they searched for an equaliser, with Forde doing brilliantly to deny Pablo Counago and then Zaha on the follow-up as the home side piled on the pressure during the closing stages. But, with seconds left, Davis was sent off for an alleged stamp.Crystal PalaceMillwallChampionshipguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Everton v Liverpool: David Moyes expects 'feisty' contest at Goodison David Moyes has predicted a "feisty" Merseyside derby - but thinks that the tackles should be no more violent than in any other game telegraph.co.uk |