TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| FA Cup third round: Chelsea 5-0 Watford If only life without Didier Drogba could always prove this comfortable. Chelsea's first fixture since their African contingent departed for Angola was little more than a stroll through the third round, with Championship opponents hopelessly outclassed and the contest reduced early into a training exercise serving to pep the Londoners' confidence.There was no early discomfort for the holders to weather here as Watford froze when confronted by blanket home possession. The home side conjured 10 corners in the opening half-hour, and three goals within the first 22 minutes. Watford were spikier thereafter, but, by then, they could play with the freedom of a condemned side. Their defending hardly improved at any point.Carlo Ancelotti will have drawn encouragement from the displays of Daniel Sturridge and Florent Malouda, players who have been reduced to bit-part roles to date this season but will presumably become more integral with Drogba, Michael Essien, John Mikel Obi and Salomon Kalou absent. Malouda had hinted at his frustration at his non-involvement in "big games" in an interview with L'Equipe. He tormented the visitors here, deflecting in the home side's third from Yuri Zhirkov's optimistic drive, though all of the hosts' attackers revelled with Watford so porous defensively.Sturridge needed a goal to confirm he belongs in this company, and it was his close-range finish to John Terry's wayward shot that deflated the visitors early on. The game went with it. By the time he prodded in Ashley Cole's deflected cross after 68 minutes, Watford had disintegrated. The 20-year-old's transfer fee from Manchester City is due to be settled at some stage this month by a tribunal; City might expect a higher fee for his services on the basis of this performance.This was all too easy, with Watford never recovering from their fifth minute concession. Malouda's centre duly prompted panic just before the quarter-hour mark with the ball ricocheting from Joe Cole, Adrian Mariappa and Frank Lampard before dribbling in off John Eustace. Lampard found his own reward with a trademark dipping shot over Scott Loach just after the hour to ease the home side four goals ahead.Tougher tests than this lie ahead. Chelsea will play Hull City, Sunderland, Birmingham and Burnley in their Africans' absence – hardly the most imposing of fixture lists, but considerably trickier than this. For now, Ancelotti can take heart that, where Manchester United have already stumbled, the holders stride on.FA CupChelseaWatfordDominic Fifieldguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Nicklas Bendtner's return to fitness eases pressure on Arsène Wenger • Arsenal relax with Dane's return to fitness• Wenger still keen on Bordeaux's Marouane ChamakhThe pressure on Arsenal to strengthen their attack has been eased after tests on Nicklas Bendtner's troublesome groin revealed the Dane should be fit to return within two weeks.Arsène Wenger continues to monitor targets and still hopes to sign the Bordeaux forward Marouane Chamakh under the Bosman ruling in the summer despite Liverpool's interest, but he will not pay over the odds for recruits this month with Bendtner so close to a return. He suggested he was more likely to bolster his defence, by re-signing the former England centre-half Sol Campbell, than adding a striker.Bendtner's return to fitness, having been absent since October, has provided a lift, with Arsenal resigned to being without Robin van Persie possibly for the rest of the season due to an ankle injury. "Nicklas is doing well in training, had a good session today and the news is quite good," Wenger said."He'll join in with the first-team next week. His fitness is not too bad, actually, because he has worked hard. He can do the job [as a central striker], even if he's a different type of player to Van Persie. But it gives me a few options in there."His return will influence [what we do]. If he'd been ruled out for two months, we wouldn't have had a choice but to sign someone. It would have been an absolute that we signed a striker. But now we can be a little bit more relaxed. We can take it or leave it if we don't find what we want."The Arsenal manager has ruled out a move for West Ham's Carlton Cole and suggested Toulouse's valuation of André-Pierre Gignac, the France forward, would price him out of the market. "I like the player and know him well because he plays for the French national team," Wenger said. "Lyon tried to buy him last year for nearly £20m, so the price was too high. As for Chamakh, he is still available for the summer. We have not met his agent and not spoken about it but he is a player we have an interest in."There is interest, too, in the veteran Campbell, who has been training with Arsenal for the last two months since his spell at League Two Notts County ended abruptly after a solitary appearance. The 35-year-old left Arsenal some four years ago but had been building up his fitness at London Colney to earn himself a new club during this month's window.Hull City had expressed a firm interest but Arsenal will consider a short-term move if they can off-load Philippe Senderos this month. The Swiss defender is currently injured, nursing a swollen foot."Sol has a fantastic attitude and good fitness," Wenger said. "He is not the youngest but he is in a very good shape. He can still play in the Premier League, I've said that many times. He is important in the dressing room as well. He's positive with the young players, and every year we have one or two like that. I think a Premier League club will sign him and, of course, we are a Premier League club."Senderos is likely to be one of the few players to leave the Emirates this month, with the club still resistant to Barcelona and Real Madrid's optimistic attempts at prising away Cesc Fábregas. Wenger revealed that Arsenal had written to their Spanish counterparts to reiterate that their captain is not for sale. "We wrote to them a long time ago, saying we are not ready to sell any of our players," Wenger added. "They did not write back."ArsenalTransfer windowPremier LeagueDominic Fifieldguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
We can still make finals: Vidmar Adelaide United maintain they can still make the A-League finals despite languishing in last position with five matches remaining. foxsports.com.au |
FA Cup fourth round action In pics: holders Chelsea overcome Preston; Reading upset Burnley. telegraph.co.uk |
Crystal Palace administrators ban Victor Moses playing at Newcastle • Palace told not to field club's most saleable asset tonight • Neil Warnock left 'devastated' and 'shocked' by administrationCrystal Palace's administrator has blocked striker Victor Moses from playing against Newcastle United tonight in an attempt to protect the club's most saleable asset.Moses, who had been valued at over £5m and was linked with a string of Premier League and European clubs before the club was forced into administration, is now likely to leave in the coming days before the end of the transfer window.The teenager's agent Tony Finnigan told Sky Sports News that Moses was "stunned" to have been prevented from playing by administrators P & A Partnership, and that there was now "no chance" of him staying with the club."They have pulled one of their most saleable assets from the squad for obvious reasons, probably to protect him and a deal is probably imminent," Finnigan said. "He was stunned as he was getting ready to play and do his bit for the team, but it is part of the game and these things can happen in football."Finnigan said he was unaware of any firm offers for the striker."I don't want to speculate about the clubs as there is a difference between having an interest and making a bid for a player. The stands have been full of a lot of scouts, but now Palace are into administration perhaps some clubs are looking like they could have a 'punt' as they may have thought he was too expensive before."I want my player to go to the right club: we won't just be going to the highest bidder, it won't just be about cash."Asked if Moses could still remain at Palace, Finnigan replied: "No chance, you are pulled out for a reason and that is to sell him."Earlier the Palace manager Neil Warnock admitted he was "devastated, shocked and hugely disappointed" by Crystal Palace going into administration, and questioned the timing of the move.Warnock said he was unaware the administrators had been called in by one of the club's creditors until he got off a plane taking him to Newcastle for tonight's game.He said: "I knew, like everyone else, that cash has been tight at Selhurst Park but I could not believe the news that we'd been forced into administration. The timing just astonishes me. There's still a week to go in the transfer window and we are about to sell Victor for millions. I'm devastated, shocked and hugely disappointed."He told the Independent: "I know there will be clubs eyeing up all the talent we have coming through from our youth scheme and thinking they can get players for a song. Let's hope that doesn't happen. As I said, I really cannot understand the timing."Transfer windowCrystal PalaceChampionshipguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |