| England v Montenegro: Phil Jagielka ruled out sparing Rio Ferdinand blushes Rio Ferdinand set to partner John Terry against Montenegro after defender Phil Jagielka ruled out with hamstring injury. telegraph.co.uk |
Flores out with hamstring injury In-form Adelaide United midfielder Marcos Flores is likely to be out of action for up to two weeks after scans confirmed a slight hamstring tear. foxsports.com.au |
Sunderland 1-0 Aston Villa | Premier League match report Richard Dunne's first-half own goal ensured that Sunderland not only extended their unbeaten Premier League run to seven games but recorded a rare win on a day when, once again, Stephen Ireland failed to sparkle for Aston Villa.Steve Bruce believes his side should be challenging for a place in Europe but first Sunderland's manager must find a way of combining the 4-5-1 formation that his players love and has afforded them defensive stability with a renewed ability to score goals.If it has left Darren Bent foraging on short rations, the principal beneficiary of this switch to a five-man midfield has been Steed Malbranque who has revelled in a central role. The Frenchman retains the freedom to sometimes pull wide though and, after drifting to the right, meeting Ahmed Elmohamady's delivery and deceiving Stilyan Petrov, Malbranque's superb cross prefaced Dunne's attempted clearance ending up in his own net.Until then though, Villa had looked the likelier scorers with Stewart Downing – a big hit here during a previous incarnation on loan from Middlesbrough – directing a shot against the post after connecting with Ashley Young's through ball.GĂ©rard Houllier's players appealed for a penalty after Lee Cattermole appeared to impede Nigel Reo-Coker as the Villa midfielder burst into the penalty area but Mark Halsey, the referee, was not buying it.Minutes later Emile Heskey – a Didier Drogba clone to Houllier's admiring eyes – squared the ball neatly for Ireland but Villa's "man in the hole" could not quite manage to squeeze it over the line from close range.Bent was lacking service and even after Dunne had nudged Sunderland in front the home side struggled to conjure clear-cut chances. Even so they might have doubled their lead had Elmohamady's curling long-range shot not flashed fractionally the wrong side of the far post or had Brad Friedel not been forced to tip away Danny Welbeck's shot for a corner following another fine ball from Elmohamady. Watching Elmohamady repeatedly burn off Stephen Warnock, it is no surprise some of the Premier League's leading lights are casting covetous eyes at the Egyptian.Things were running rather less smoothly for Villa's most celebrated Irishman and, 10 minutes into the second half, Houllier replaced Ireland with Marc Albrighton.Sunderland earned a significant reprieve when, not for the first time in his career, Heskey spurned a sitter with the goal at his mercy.Asamoah Gyan's first-team chances have been limited since his ÂŁ13m-plus arrival on Wearside in August but the Ghana striker was permitted to stretch his legs midway through the second half when he replaced Welbeck as Bruce switched to 4-4-2.This new system increased Villa's counter-attacking opportunities and one such visiting raid ended with Simon Mignolet beating an Albrighton shot away for a corner.Premier LeagueSunderlandAston VillaLouise Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Liverpool's new owners put their men on club board Liverpool's new owners have appointed two of their officials to the board of the Premier League club. rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Manchester City 0-3 Arsenal Arsenal took full advantage of the red card for Manchester City's young defender Dedryck Boyata in the fifth minute. The 3-0 victory that ensued, with goals from Samir Nasri, Alex Song and the substitute Nicklas Bendtner, who looked off-side, compensates for the sort of harm done when they were beaten by West Bromwich at home. Arsène Wenger's side now stand second behind Chelsea in the table, ahead of Manchester United and City on goal difference.The sprightly start by the hosts came to a sudden halt with the dismissal of Boyata. He seemed to suffer a lapse in concentration and Marouane Chamakh was free to take a Cesc Fábregas pass before the defender brought down the Morocco striker. It was a routine decision for the referee Mark Clattenburg to send off the City defender. Arsenal's exploitation of the numerical advantage was also to be expected.With 21 minutes gone Nasri exchanged passes with Andrey Arshavin to put the visitors ahead. City had been pondering how to reshape the side after the red card. Initially, Yaya TourĂ© took up a post in the centre of the back four, but the need to have him in midfield was then deemed even greater. JĂ©rĂ´me Boateng then stepped into the core of the defence while Gareth Barry assumed the left-back duties.Arsenal might have capitalised on City's period of turmoil after Vincent Kompany had brought down Fábregas five minutes before half-time. The captain took the penalty himself but the effort rose slightly and was not accurate enough. Joe Hart confirmed that by leaping to his left to save. It would have encouraged the City manager that this contest had not, in effect, been ended at that moment.Roberto Mancini continued delving for answers. TourĂ© was removed at the interval, so Wayne Bridge could take over left-back duties, while Barry reverted to midfield. He was even to withdraw Carlos Tevez so that a lone striker with fresh legs, in the shape of the former Arsenal man Emmanuel Adebayor, could take up the duties.City had hope and even periods of momentum, with the much-maligned Lukasz Fabianski doing well to tip an effort from David Silva round a post. The goalkeeper's save left Arsenal in a position of strength which they exploited with the second goal after 66 minutes. Fábregas's attempted pass to Chamakh from the right was deflected into the path of Song, who sent a fine shot high past Hart.Premier LeagueManchester CityArsenalKevin McCarraguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |