News

A week before the 65th annual Primetime Emmy Awards rock the entertainment industry, nearly 80 awards were scheduled to be presented at the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony Sunday (Sept. 15) at the Nokia Theatre. Fxx will air an edited version of the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony on Sept. 21 at 9 p.m. Et.

HBO's "Behind the Candelabra" unsurprisingly took home a number of awards, while Bob Newhart won his first career Emmy for guest-starring on CBS' "The Big Bang Theory."

Here is the full list of winners:

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series - 2013: Carrie Preston, as Elsbeth Tascioni on "The Good Wife"

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series - 2013: Dan Bucatinsky, as James Novack on "Scandal"

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series - 2013: Melissa Leo, as Laurie on "Louie"

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series - 2013: Bob Newhart, as Arthur Jeffries/Professor Proton...

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester

Date & Time: Saturday, 20th October, 15:00

Manchester United will be looking to extend an unbeaten home run against Stoke City that stretches back to 1976, when the two teams clash at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon. This fixture last season saw an injury-hit United stroll to a 2-0 victory with goals from Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez.

Team News

United are set to welcome back Ashley Young, missing since the opening day with a knee injury, but are still without England defender Chris Smalling.

Serbian centre-back Nemanja Vidic is still on the long-term injury list but, after an outstanding performance for Northern Ireland against Portugal, Jonny Evans looks set to be a capable replacement over the coming months. The international break has been rather kind to the Red Devils, and all of their players have returned unscathed from the most recent spell with their national sides.

Stoke...

Match details: Britannia Stadium, 3pm kick off on Saturday 15th 2012. (Watch the highlights on Match of the Day.)

Champions Manchester City face Stoke City this Saturday in the Barclays Premier League at the Britannia Stadium in what could be an uneasy time for the City squad. The last time these two teams met the game finished 1-1 and we witnessed Peter Crouch’s amazing goal that shook Manchester City players and looked to have earned the Potters 3 points. That was until Yaya Toure levelled the match.

Today’s game is set up to be a close encounter with both teams likely to hit the back of the net. Manchester City won’t want to drop anymore points so early on in the Premier League campaign having already drew one match in their first three, Stoke on the other hand will be delighted with a draw against Manchester City, although The...

Former Manchester United striker Michael Owen has become Stoke manager Tony Pulis’ seventh signing of the summer.

Owen spent three seasons at Old Trafford and scored seventeen times in limited appearances from the bench. He has started only one Premier League game in two years.

He was released by Manchester United in May and has been a free agent since, hoping to extend his stay in the Premier League rather than retire or go down the leagues. A continued spell in England’s top flight looked unlikely at one point however after former club Liverpool, along with Everton and Sunderland distanced themselves from a move for the forward.

Owen joins summer signings Jamie Ness, Geoff Cameron, Michael Kightly, Maurice Edu, Charlie Adam and Steven N’Zonzi in what has been a fairly active transfer window for Potters’ manager Tony Pulis. With 89 caps for England and 40 International Goals, thr former Liverpool...

I recently read an enthralling book called An Epic Swindle: 44 Months With a Pair of Cowboys. Written by Brian Reade, it covers – as you may have guessed – the turbulent reign of Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. The highs, the lows, the very lows and the incredibly lows. The cowboys in question poisoned the latter half of Rafael Benitez’s reign, before steering the club embarrassingly and ridiculously close to administration. A shambles, to put it lightly. When Fenway Sports Group took over (then called New England Sports Ventures), brighter days seemed possible once again.

So imagine my horror when, after we failed to secure the signature and services of one Clint Dempsey, sources near-instantly began circulating speculation of boardroom restrictions. Were Ian Ayre’s tactics flawed? Did Fsg refuse to sanction a couple of extra million? Did they not really want Dempsey at all? A recent open letter by principal owner John W.

From the moment he was first installed, it seemed like new Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was intent on getting rid of nearly all of his strikers this summer.

Dirk Kuyt has gone, as has Craig Bellamy, and now Andy Carroll on loan to West Ham. That means the only senior forwards left at Anfield are Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini. Sure, they have youngsters such as Daniel Pacheco (21), Samed Yessi and Adam Morgan (both 18) but that’s hardly going to cut the mustard this season.

It’s perplexing, almost unfathomable even, that new manager Brendan Rodgers seems so ill prepared for the season ahead.

In December last year, Luis Suarez was banned for eight games for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. If Liverpool’s unstable striker finds himself suspended again this season, or injured, then who is going to step up and fill the void?

They somehow missed...

With the Transfer Deadline Day merry-go-round in full force, and Jim White currently oiling his vocal chords so he can explode every time Stoke are linked with a move for Michael Owen later on tonight, a couple of clubs have been conspicuous by their absence in the news so far. The biggest name not to be linked with a flurry of late activity is that of Premier League runners-up Manchester United, linked for the majority of the summer with a number of players but so far to show any kind of incoming activity.

So far, United are only being talked about in terms of their outgoing deals – especially for Dimitar Berbatov, who looks set to join Fulham – but if there is one thing that the transfer window has taught us it’s that an hour is an awfully long time on Transfer Deadline Day, and with eight hours left before the window slams shut,...

Manchester United forward Danny Welbeck has agreed a new deal at Old Trafford, according to Sky Sports.

With the 21 year old’s contract expiring next year, Red Devil’s Chiefs have been trying to tie the exciting youngster down to a long term contract for about a month.

Welbeck was able to oust Javier Hernandez from the starting XI as a regular partner to Wayne Rooney last season, and scored 12 goals in 40 appearances.

A product of the clubs youth academy, the striker made his professional debut in April 2006 in a League Cup Tie against Sunderland, where he also spent a stint on loan during the 2010/11 season, scoring six times for the Black Cats.

In 2008, the Ghanaian Football Association were keen to recruit Welbeck to the national side – with his parents residing from the country. Holding dual-nationality, the youngster had the choice between Ghana and England, and ultimately chose the Three...

According to the Polish source One.Pl, Manchester United have made a transfer bid worth £23.6 million for the Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski.

Red Devils boss manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been interested in the player for the majority of the summer despite also confirming bids for Arsenal captain Robin Van Persie.

United are reportedly interested in Lewandowski as a replacement for Manchester United’s No.9 Dimitar Berbatov who is rumoured to be leaving Old Trafford for Queens Park Rangers and as the club are looking light on numbers following the release of Michael Owen this summer.

United have now reportedly placed a bid for the 23-year-old Polish striker, who would line up along side the likes of Wayne Rooney and old teammate Shinji Kagawa who also chose to leave Dortmund for Manchester United this summer.

The reports of the Lewandowski bid comes at a time when Sir Alex Ferguson...

What do Eric Cantona, Bryan Robson, George Best, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo all have in common?

No, it’s not their ability to play amazing football, it’s the fact they have all donned Manchester United’s most famous shirt number.

You’d have thought it would have been retired by now, but alas, following on from the summer departure of Michael Owen – the last player to wear the number – it has now been handed to Antonio Valencia.

He would hardly have believed such an honour was possible just a few years ago during his days at Wigan Athletic. He doesn’t possess Eric Cantona’s bravado, Bests’ brilliance, Beckham’s Golden Touch or Ronaldo’s mind boggling footwork.

But he is not at all fazed by the history behind the number. He explained to The Telegraph.

“There is no extra pressure. The club asked me if I would...

Manchester United have reached an agreement with Borrusia Dortmund to sign Polish international Robert Lewandowski, according to reports coming out of the Italian media.

Tutto Mercato are reporting that United’s long pursuit of the 23-year-old striker has finally ended in a deal, However, Lewandowski wouldn’t be hooking up with his Old Trafford team-mates until the 2013/2014 season.

United’s deal with the Bundesliga side is for Lewandowski to join next summer with the striker remaining in Germany for one final campaign. Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp and the club’s hierarchy insisted that they held on to the forward for another season so they would have a whole year to find a replacement for the 30 goals he scored last year (and what they hope he repeats this season) to win what would be another domestic double. Dortmund had already sold one prized asset to Manchester United with Kagawa going in...

Five of the most promising rising stars of the youth team setup at Anfield…

5. Adam Morgan

Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen…. The 90′s saw Liverpool produce two of the finest strikers in English football, then nothing. Until now? There is growing excitement around Melwood that 18-year old Adam Morgan could be Liverpool’s new hope. A tally of 21 goals for the under 18′s saw him quickly rise to the reserve team, followed up with 3 goals in last season’s NextGen series, people are now taking notice. New Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has already heaped praise on the young striker after he scored his first senior goal for the club in a recent pre season friendly against Toronto.

4. Andre Wisdom

Wisdom training with Liverpool first team last summer in Singapore. He is to the left of Jamie Carragher and Christian Poulsen.

Big, strong, athletic and quick. Just a few words that describe Andre Wisdom,...

The transfer saga of the summer continues to rumble on, with Arsenal claiming that Robin Van Persie will see out his contract, Man City sniffing around and Juventus still interested in the Dutchman, and now Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United are said to be ready to throw their own hat into the ring.

According to the Daily Mail, United are preparing to fight off neighbours City for the signature of the unsettled Dutch striker, who confirmed via his own website that he has no intention to sign a new contract at the Emirates Stadium yesterday:

‘As announced earlier this year, I had a meeting with the Boss and Mr Gazidis after the season. This was a meeting about the club’s future strategy and their policy. Financial terms or a contract have not been discussed, since that is not my priority at all.

‘I personally have had a great...

Turkish giants Galatasaray have today confirmed that they are interested in bringing Manchester United’s Bulgarian front-man Dimitar Berbatov to Turkey- but according to Talksport the club will leave “the final word” to coach Fatih Terim.

Former Tottenham striker Berbatov has confirmed his intention to leave last year’s Premier League runners-up after making just five Premier League starts for the Old Trafford club last season, despite the club taking up the option to extend his contract earlier this year. As a result there would be a fee involved, but at 31-years-old, it would likely only be a fraction of what United paid to bring Berbatov – who has also been linked with a move to cash-rich Paris Saint-Germain – in from Spurs back in 2008.

Galatasaray president Unal Aysal spoke to gol.bg to express his interest in bringing the striker to Turkey

“The Bulgarian is a great forward. I want him to join us but,...

Andrea Pirlo shone for Italy last night, dictating the rhythm of the game, spreading out passes at will and helping Gli Azzurri dominate possession. He even scored the most audacious penalty you are ever likely to see at this stage of a competition – with the pressure on after Riccardo Montolivo’s spotkick miss, he teasingly dinked the ball into the air with his right boot. Joe Hart was on the floor before the ball dropped into the net.

Former England, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester United striker Michael Owen thinks we had a player of equal quality – but he was left at home.

After coming out of retirement in January this year, and in spite of an injury pileup that ruled out the likes of Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard, Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes still did not receive a call from Roy Hodgson.

Writing on Twitter, Owen remarked:

Pirlo...

Goal.com is reporting that Manchester United’s new signing Kagawa has rejected the iconic No.7 at Old Trafford.

The 23-year-old former Borussia Dortmund player completed his Manchester move on Friday after passing his medical. Speculation and excitement has been building with United fans keen to see their new man in action and legions of fans had been asking the club what shirt number he would wear after it was unclear whether he would become the No.7 at the club with Michael Owen being released.

Even with the No.7 shirt free, Kagawa has told the media that he will not accept the number if offered:

“I’ve just joined the team and haven’t accomplished anything yet, I want to make a name for myself [at United] on my own terms. I don’t know which numbers are free, I gave them my requests, but they aren’t as important a number No.

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund, subject to the player passing a medical and securing a work permit. We imagine he will likely wear the iconic number 7 shirt recently vacated by Michael Owen and previously worn by Old Trafford legends George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The fee is reported at around £12 million, though it could rise by a further £5 million depending on clauses.

Negotiations between United and the Japanese international have been on-going for several weeks but the Red Devils have confirmed they have “reached agreement” to purchase the 23-year-old star player from the German Bundesliga Champions.

Kagawa is not expected in Manchester to undergo his medical until the end of June as he is currently away on international duty with Japan. He actually just turned out for his country in their 3-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Oman at the weekend.

Mid table Championship team Leicester City has signed Manchester United reserve pair Ritchie De Laet and Matthew James on three-year long contacts.

Both players have left Manchester United for a chance of regular first team football. 23-year-old Belgian defender Ritchie De Laet found it difficult to break into the Red Devils squad, especially after United purchased Smalling and Jones. De Laet last played for Manchester in 2009-10 season making only 10 appearances in all competitions. Ever since then he has spent time at Sheffield United, Preston North End, Portsmouth and Norwich on loan.

English midfielder Matthew James on the other hand hasn’t had as much chance as his new teammate De Laet. James has never played in the senior time for Manchester United after coming up through the Manchester Academy in 2005. He has spent two seasons at Preston North End managing to play 30 appearances over the two seasons.

City Boss...

With Ritchie De Laet, Matthew James and Michael Owen all to be shown the exit at Old Trafford in the last few days, it may surprise many to hear that the club could be looking to sell their key Portuguese winger Nani.

After just losing out to rivals Manchester City in the title race, as well crashing out of the Champions League and finishing the season trophy less, Fergie believes he needs to make vital changes to his squad. Fans will have been disappointed with no trophies entering Old Trafford this season, although they will not be too happy with key players leaving.

Reports suggest that the club are looking to find interested parties to buy the 25 year-old Portuguese international, if contract negotiations collapse. Nani’s current deal will see him at the club until 2014, but it seems Sir Alex is keen for Nani to state his loyalties and commit himself to the club.

Updated: Michael Owen has confirmed on Twitter that he is leaving Manchester United;

“The manager informed me after our testimonial match on Tuesday that the club would not be offering me a new contract,”

“I have loved every minute of the three years I have spent at such a fantastic club.”

“I would like to thank the players, staff and fans for their support and wish them well for the future.

“I now plan to have a short holiday during which I will contemplate my next move.”

Manchester United won’t offer Michael Owen an extension to his contract which expires in June, according to reports in the Telegraph.

The 32-year-old striker would then become a free agent, three years after his surprise free transfer move from Newcastle United to Old Trafford in 2009.

The former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker has suffered with a string of injuries this season and...

In the penultimate game of the season, Manchester United host Swansea City at Old Trafford in a game which is vital to home team’s ambitions of defending their title.

With the 1-0 loss at Manchester City putting their local rivals ahead by goal difference, United will be looking to send out the big guns in a desperate hope to reduce the deficit and put the title race down to the final day.

The Red Devils will need to make up ground on the 8 goal margin that City have managed to muster to clinch the top spot. With games at home to Swansea and away to Sunderland on the final day of the season, it’s an opportunity that Sir Alex could achieve. Not to mention the fact that City face a difficult game away to Newcastle and finish their season against Qpr who could be fighting for their Premier League status.

A Manchester City vs Manchester United derby will settle the Premier League title (or not as the case may be). The whole of the Premier League will be watching the biggest league match of the season as it beams out on the Sky Sports cameras tonight. But it has not always been the most exciting game to watch. The gulf between the two sides has often been so great that the derby has held very little significance at times. It has, at times, amounted to just another game.

However, this has not always been the case. City and United have played out some terrific games that will live long in the memory of any die-hard fan.

Here are five of the best…

Manchester United 0-1 Manchester City, April 1974 – ‘The Back Heel’

Manchester United travelled to Maine Road needing a win to avoid relegation to the Second Division. Former Manchester United legend,...

According to the Manchester Evening News, both Manchester United and Manchester City are battling for the chance to sign three top Europeans talents in the summer.

The two teams will meet this Monday night at the Etihad Stadium for what should be the title decider, yet it seems they will be doing battle in the transfer market once the season has ended.

Reports suggest that they are lining up deals that could cost around £75 million.

Eden Hazard

The performances of Eden Hazard, Edinson Cavani and Fernando Llorente have impressed both Roberto Mancini and Sir Alex Ferguson, which has led to both managers place them on their transfer list this summer.

With Manchester United currently in an unstable financial situation and with Roberto Mancini already been given a huge sum of money, it is unclear whether the managers will even get the backing by their respective boards.

‘

Edinson Cavani

It comes...

Team news ahead of Everton’s trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in the Premier League. Kick-off in the early afternoon encounter is at 12.30pm and the match will be screened live on Sky Sports in the UK.

Manchester United are missing a trio of fringe players for today’s game with Michael Owen (thigh), Paul Pogba (ankle) and Anderson (hamstring) all sidelined. Pogba & Anderson won’t play again this season however Owen could be available to play in next week’s huge derby and potential title decider against Manchester City.

For Everton, Royston Drenthe will again sit out for the Toffees. The on-loan Real Madrid winger was not named in the 18-man squad for the Fa Cup semi-final defeat to Liverpool last week for being ”the subject of a disciplinary matter” and boss David Moyes has revealed that he won’t feature today. Curiously, there have been...

Manchester United will likely make changes ahead of their first of three games in the next 7 days. Returning from injury will be Nani, following an ankle injury which has see the winger miss the last five games, but Anderson and Michael Owen remain absentees.

The game will take place at Old Trafford and is live on Sky Sports for a 1.30pm kick-off.

Qpr should welcome back strikers eidar Helguson and DJ Campbell.

Mark Hughes returns to Old Trafford tomorrow aiming to prevent his former club going 8 points clear of neighbours Manchester City, who play later in the day.

With just 28 points on the board and games running out, Qpr need every point they can get but will find it difficult against a Manchester United side who have hit form at just the right time, with 9 wins in the last 10 games.

But, with home wins recently against both Liverpool and Arsenal,...

Manchester United travel to Spain tonight to take on Athletic Bilbao in the second leg of their Europa League last sixteen tie. United currently trail 3-2 from the first leg and need to score at least two goals to match Bilbao’s away goals if they are to progress to the quarter finals of the competition.

Kick-off time tonight is at 6pm and the game is being screened live on Channel 5 in the UK.

At the pre-match press conference Sir. Alex Ferguson confirmed that midfielder Anderson will be sidelined for up to five weeks with a hamstring injury and he won’t be considered for action until at least mid-April. The Brazilian has endured an injury plagued campaign and hasn’t travelled to Spain.

Fergie also announced that Rio Ferdinand would partner Jonny Evans in the centre of defence with Phil Jones out with the flu and Chris Smalling still...

Team news ahead of Sunday afternoon’s Premier League encounter at Old Trafford as Manchester United and West Brom lock horns. Kick-off time is at 2pm and the match is not being screened live anywhere in the UK.

After being rested for the surprise Thursday night Europa League defeat from Athletic Bilbao, veteran Paul Scholes is expected to play some part today and is contention for a starting eleven place.

That game midweek also led to defender Chris Smalling re-opening the nasty head wound he sustained on England duty against Holland. Sir Alex Ferguson is taking the head injury as extremely serious and if there are any doubts about Smalling’s condition he simply won’t play.

Better news for the Red Devils comes with midfielder Tom Cleverley being welcomed back into the fold as he has recovered from an ankle injury. Michael Owen however is still a little way away from recovery.

Team news ahead of Manchester United’s last 16 Europa League match against Spanish side Athletic Bilbao tonight. Kick-off at Old Trafford is at 8.05pm and the match is being screened live in the UK on Channel 5.

Sir. Alex Ferguson is expected to field a strong Manchester United eleven for tonight’s game, though Paul Scholes will be rested for tonight’s game.

Tom Cleverley and Anderson are both fighting for a return to the midfield. Cleverley has missed the past two weeks with an ankle injury that blocked him for making his international debut for England against Holland last week. Anderson meanwhile has missed the past four months with a knee injury.

Chris Smalling could be recalled to the line-up after his gruesome knock in the England vs Holland match last week that required several stitches to be inserted into the head wound.

Michael Owen is still some time away...

Team news ahead of Norwich City vs Manchester United at Carrow Road. The Premier League tie has a 1.30pm kick-off time and was moved from a Saturday to a Sunday fixture because of Man Untied’s excursions in the Europa League. The match is not screened live anywhere in the UK.

For Norwich, Zak Whitbread is battling to overcome a hamstring injury but should be fit to play. However fellow defender Danial Ayala definitely won’t and once again misses out.

Canaries boss Paul Lambert has said the game has come to soon for Jonny Howson (knee) and Marc Tierney (groin) and they both won’t feature.

For Sir Alex Ferguson’s United, Rio Ferdinand returns after being rested for Thursday night’s Europa League defeat to Ajax.

England striker Wayne Rooney is still a doubt with his throat injection/illness.

Speculation over the weekend also suggested that Tom Cleverley...

Manchester United welcome Ajax to Old Trafford this evening for the second leg of their Europa League knock-out tie. The game has an 8pm kick-off and is screened on Channel 5 in the UK.

United lead 2-0 from the away leg and if they can cast aside their Dutch opponents tonight, they will meet the winner of either Lokomotiv Moscow or Athletic Bilbao in the next round, last 16.

A throat infection rules out Wayne Rooney after being confined in bed last weekend. Sir. Alex Ferguson hopes to have him recovered so he can field against Norwich at Carrow Road in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

Fergie has promised starts for Javier Hernandez, Nani and the quartet of Chris Smalling, Tom Cleverley, Phil Jones and Ashley Young who have all been named in Stuart Pearce’s first England squad for the upcoming friendly against Holland.

Anderson (knee) and Michael Owen (thigh...

Team news ahead of title chasing champions Manchester United and fourth spot hopefuls Liverpool in the early 12.45pm Premier League kick-off, which will be screening live on Sky Sports 1.

Despite the news from the England and Harry Redknapp camps that have hit in the past few days, this is still a fixture that will have all the media watching with Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra coming face-to-face for the first time since the racism row that has likely left both sides still bitter. As if this fixture two times a year wasn’t fierce enough, especially with the two veteran battlers Sir Alex Ferguson and Kenny Dagleish at the helm.

Manchester United’s Phil Jones has been ruled out with an ankle injury but fellow defender Chris Smalling should be fit.

Injured for over three months with an ankle problem, Tom Cleverley should be involved in his match, possibly from the bench.

Team News ahead of this afternoon’s crucial Super Sunday clash between Chelsea and Manchester United. The match at Stamford Bridge has a 4pm kick-off and will be screened on Sky Sports.

Chelsea captain John Terry misses the game through injury, meaning new signing Gary Cahill is likely to make his debut for the club in a new look defence with Ashley Cole also suspended.

Frank Lampard may return from his calf injury to play but no such for Ramires (knee) and John Obi Mikel (hamstring) who are still sidelined. Strikers Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are still away on African Cup of Nations duty.

For United, goalkeeper David de Gea is expected to play as Anders Lindegaard faces six weeks out with an ankle problem. Tom Cleverley is available for selection for the first time since October with Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young and Nani declared fit.

Anderson is still...

Both Sir. Alex Ferguson and Kenny Dalglish have called for calm from their supporters today as Liverpool and Manchester United meet for the first time since the furor over the Luis Suarez/Patrice Evra race row, an incident that keeps Suarez out for what now is his seventh game ban (out of eight).

Kick-off for the fourth round Fa Cup tie at Anfield takes place at 12.45pm.

Team News

Liverpool are just a few days out of their League Cup semi-final victory against Manchester City in midweek and Dalglish will have to see how fit his team are for the early kick-off. The most senior of players such as Craig Bellamy are expected to be rested and not start three games in 7 days. Reports are that he will likely recall Jay Spearing to the first 11 after missing the last three games with hamstring trouble.

Manchester United have far more injury...

The biggest game of the weekend is Sunday afternoon’s 4pm Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester United, screening live on Sky Sports from the Emirates Stadium. Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, the longest running managerial rivalry in Premier League football now hits 47 encounters, with Fergie starting to pull away with 21 victories to Wenger’s 16.

But not in a long time have the two sides felt so far apart. United are in second place and could be top of the table by today, whilst Arsenal are a whopping 8 points behind Manchester City in fifth place.

Team News

Arsene Wenger is ruing the loss of 10 first teamers for today’s huge game. Thierry Henry will miss out on his first league start for Arsenal in five years with a calf problem. Mikel Arteta is out with the same problem and Thomas Vermaelen is a huge doubt for the same reason.

2011/12 already looks like yet another year of competing at the top of the league for the red half of Manchester, despite a series of injuries recently, but Sir Alex Ferguson will not be happy with his team currently sitting in second place behind so-called “noisy neighbours” City and will do everything in his power to ensure that the Champions pip the Champions Elect to the league title.

Whether that context will see the Scottish elder-statesman enter the market much during this winter window remains to be seen, as Sir Alex tends to resist any temptations to destabilise his squad mid-season and conducts his business between seasons in a far more civilised manner. That way he gets far more value for his money – or at least that is the theory.

Not all of Sir Alex’s recent forrays into the market have been quite as successful as those of past seasons:...

The biggest third round Fa Cup tie of the weekend takes place this early afternoon as Manchester United and Manchester City clash in a 1pm tie, live on ITV 1. With both clubs battling it out at the top of the Premier League and with United out for revenge after their humiliating 6-1 defeat at Old Trafford, there is a feeling that there hasn’t been a bigger Manchester derby in years.

Team News

Injury hit Manchester United will be without nine first-team players, including important figures Nemanja Vidic and Ashley Young. Also out will is Johnny Evans. Chris Smalling is a doubt as he is recovering from a battle with illness. Darren Fletcher and Michael Owen are long-term absentees.

After their disastrous partnership on Wednesday in their defeat at St. James’s Park, Ferguson looks like he will be forced to field Phil Jones and Rio Ferdinand again together. Anders...

After a lot of activity in the last window, and a large output for large forward Peter Crouch, Stoke probably won’t do a lot of business this time out, but there are certainly moves to make if Tony Pulis wants to bring European football to the Britannia Stadium for the second season in a row.

Eighth in the league at the half-way point is nothing to be sneezed at, and 2011/12 so far has definitely been heading in the right direction, though a Goal Difference of minus 10 at this stage in the season is bottom five form, and it is something that Tony Pulis seriously needs to address if the end of the season is to bring success.

Like a few other clubs in the Premiership, Stoke will fall under the Sell to Buy banner, though there may be a few millions available if the right player becomes available, especially...

Perhaps today’s most intriguing Premier League tie takes place at Old Trafford as Manchester United, just days after their embarrassing premature exit from the Champions League, take on Mick McCarthy’s battling Wolves.

It’s hard to imagine a more depressing time for The Red Devils. Their close rivals Manchester City are five points ahead at the top of the Premier League and have already humiliated Fergie’s side on his own ground. A home defeat against Wolves for the first time 31 years could prove horrific, even a draw would be disastrous today.

It’s time for United to stand-up and be counted today. Players like Wayne Rooney, who got himself some good news with his international ban being reduced on Thursday and he may now stop sulking on the pitch. After a blistering league start he hasn’t scored since September. Ryan Giggs needs to recapture his form...

A huge night for Manchester United tonight as their Champions League future for this season hangs in the balance in Switzerland knowing if they lose tonight to Fc Basel they will crash out of the competition. A draw is minimal for them tonight at St Jakob Park for progression to the Champions League knock-out stages and it could turn out to be a particularly nervy night for Manchester United if they try and hold out for the draw.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men certainly haven’t left it easy for themselves this season and they needed a last gasp goal from Ashley Young just to get a point from the reverse fixture at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils don’t usually make this much work of the group stages but if they aren’t professional tonight, last season’s Runners-up and the English champions could crash out prematurely.

Team News...

After an awful week for Sir. Alex Ferguson where his side dropped two points against Newcastle United and were forced out of the Carling Cup at the hands of Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, at least the veteran boss can be thankful that history is on his side for today’s late Premier League kick-off against Aston Villa.

Villa have only won once against Man Utd in 29 home and away meetings and at Villa Park, Utd haven’t lost in their last fifteen visits – not since the days of Dwight Yorke scoring for the home side, only to be then quickly snatched up by Fergie so that he wouldn’t do it again!

Ferguson today comes up against his old defensive key man Alex McLeish, who played under the Scottish boss three decades ago at Aberdeen and who still hasn’t warmed himself after his move from local rivals Birmingham.

In a week where football has rightly taken a backseat and the tragic story of the late Gary Speed has been on the lips of every football fan, the League Cup arrives to try and drag the sport back into some sort of normality. With the first three Quarter Finals taking place last night, and victories for Liverpool, Man City and Championship high-fliers Cardiff City, it is now between Manchester United and Crystal Palace to fill the last spot in the Semis.

The bigger Premier League clubs have a tradition of resting their ‘bigger’ stars as a means of prioritising their fixture list, or as some clubs refer to it, ‘a chance to give our younger players an opportunity to shine’. Don’t expect tonight to be any different for Man United, with Sir Alex already announcing a string of changes to the squad that drew against Newcastle on Saturday.

(P.S. – I am a Newcastle United fan, so as always my match previews are bias and for the like minded);

Newcastle United return to Manchester this afternoon for the second Saturday in a row, once again trying to accomplish the impossible. It’s been 39 years since Newcastle took all three points from Old Trafford, 27 visits in the league without a win, with many, many, many heavy defeats. They will also be extremely wary of a post-Champions League backlash after Man United were held to a disappointing draw against Benfica on Wednesday night and they won’t be happy sitting five points behind their noisy neighbours.

In the build up to Newcastle’s game against Manchester City, the talk was of it being Newcastle’s first real test of the season. Which whether rightly or wrongly, the final result was a defeat for Newcastle and it’ll be interesting to...

Arsenal recorded a 2-1 win over a Dortmund side weakened considerably by the first half injuries to Mario Gotze and Sven Bender. It was a fairly even game, but the clinical nature of Robin van Persie ultimately sealed the three points and put Arsenal through to the final 16 of the Champion’s League. The Dutchman scored both goals – two fairly straightforward finishes, the first largely the fruit of Alex Song’s magnificent labour. Shinji Kagawa got one back in injury time but the Gunners held on to ensure an important victory.

Arsene Wenger was no doubt hoping for a continuation to his side’s impressive European performance thus far. There’s been so much said and written about the importance of finishing top of the group – after all, this is how you avoid Barcelona. It didn’t look like the Gunners had all that much to worry about though, after all,...

Sir Alex Ferguson is calling the Champions League tie against Benfica tonight as “a big game” because of the history between the two clubs in Europe but as typical of group stages ties involving Manchester United, it should prove to be a fairly routine affair. The Red Devils don’t usually run into too much trouble at this stage (though they did throw some wobblers in earlier ties this year) and a victory against their Portugese rivals tonight should see them finish in top spot in the Group stages.

They haven’t exactly been in blistering form since their humiliating defeat on home soil to rivals Manchester City but importantly they have been getting the job done and that is all that is required from tonight.

Team News For Manchester United

Despite sitting out of training on Monday for a “couple of knocks”, Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is expected...

The late Premier League kick-off this afternoon sees Swansea, the club that has kept the joint-most clean sheets this season (5), and is still unbeaten at home (3 Wins, 2 Draws), playing Champions Manchester United. On top of that, Swansea have conceded just the one goal at home, that coming from their own Danny Graham in their 3-1 victory over Bolton. And with a run of fixtures that have seen them take a point at Anfield, a point at Molineux (in a game, let’s be honest, that they should have won) and all three against Bolton, Swansea are certainly not going into this game lacking form or confidence.

On the flip side, Manchester United’s season has not yet managed to reach the heights of the first few weeks. Scoring three against Spurs, eight against Arsenal and five at Bolton seems a distant memory, blurred quite heavily by that game against those noisy neighbours.

Sir. Alex Ferguson celebrates 25 years (as long as I’ve been alive!) as manager of Manchester United today going head-to-head with one of his best ever defenders, Steve Bruce, who brings his battered but still surviving Sunderland side to Old Trafford for a 3pm Premier League kick off.

Ferguson knows what a leader he is coming up against today. It was his battling, winning spirit and leadership that convinced Ferguson to make Bruce captain of the Red Devils where Bruce led them to their first league title in 26 years back in 1993. His goals were handy two…. a brace in a game against Sheffield Wednesday just weeks before the end of the season saw them take top spot above Villa and nobody was able to catch them after that.

Though as never-say-die as Bruce’s mentality on the pitch was, amazingly in 17 attempts he has never been able to manage a side to beat Fergie.

A below-par Manchester United just did enough to ease past Otelul Galati 2-0 in a game that will not live long in the memory of many fans at Old Trafford.

United didn’t take long to get off the mark despite some careless early passing, and Antonio Valencia (8) was on hand to turn in a deflected Phil Jones cross.

A rare start for Michael Owen was cut short however as he picked up an injury in the build up to the goal. Owen’s near-post run was crucial in drawing defenders and goalkeeper away from Valencia but in stretching for the ball Owen felt a strain and had to be replaced by Hernandez (10).

After the goal, Galati allowed United to play, and seemed conscious not to concede again. The home side looked more comfortable in possession with Wayne Rooney dictating play as he reprised his central midfield role that he...

1. Average of 2.97 goals per game

So far this season (as of Monday morning), there has been 291 goals, a fantastic 2.97 per game ratio. This means that even the typical boring mid-table games are still going to produce some sort of entertainment. Ok, so most of them are coming from Man City, but even so, it’s still so much more entertaining than a dirty child wailing over a once-credible song. Take that, Gary Barlow (pun intended).

2. Man City

Finally, the battle for top spot has got a bit feistier than the usual United vs. Chelsea, United vs. Arsenal, United vs. A.N.Other. The 6-1 Manchester derby was a great game for the neutral, and even better for the City fans. If United vs. Chelsea ended 6-1, would there have been anywhere near as much made out of it? No chance. Having a rivalry, a real one, at the top of...

With Wayne Rooney’s three match suspension all but set in stone, there’s a lot of talk about Fabio Capello’s choice of strikers for the 2012 European Championships in Poland and Ukraine next year. Naturally, the more intelligent among us know that come the 21st of December of 2012 the world will end, so it would really be a feather in England’s cap to bring the trophy home.

With so much time until the Euros start, there’s plenty of time for the England manager to choose his team, but with no more competitive fixtures there must only be a few forwards that he’s considering. With a possible 23 players at his disposal it’s likely he’ll bring four strikers. I believe he’ll want at least one target man – to resort to when England are on the back foot and need an outlet, or to hold up...

Manchester United comfortably beat Aldershot Town at the Recreation Ground tonight to proceed to the quarter finals of the Carling Cup. In a completely changed line-up to the humiliating derby defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday, goals from Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen and Antonio Valencia sealed progression.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men start the brightest, unsurprisingly, and pressed Aldershot high up the pitch making it hard for the home side to keep possession. Aldershot winger McGlashan looked lively for Town throughout but was man marked by the United defence for much of the match.

Tom Cleverly, who has now returned from injury, had a long-range effort go way over the crossbar on 6 minutes, not worrying ex Charlton keeper Worner in the slightest.

Aldershot forward Hylton went on a mazy run down the left flank before being fouled by Man Utd centre-half Nemanja Vidic, the Serbian picked up a yellow card...