Monday, 25 November 2013

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

07:04

By: TBMU Admin On: 07:04   In:   No comments

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

Everton defender Leighton Baines out for a month with a fractured toe

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PST

• Manchester United and Arsenal games ruled out
• Kevin Mirallas expected red card after Suárez tackle

Leighton Baines is facing a month out with a fractured toe, suffered during Everton's pulsating 3-3 draw with Liverpool on Saturday, a derby in which Kevin Mirallas admits he expected to be sent off.

The England international was caught in the first half by Jordan Henderson but played on until the 50th minute when replaced by on-loan Barcelona forward Gerard Deulofeu. Baines left Goodison Park on crutches and had a scan on Saturday night but will require further tests on Monday to discover the full extent of the injury. The influential left-back is hopeful of returning within a month but will miss a demanding period for Roberto Martínez's side, including Premier League matches against Stoke City, Manchester United – who tried several times to sign the 28-year-old in the summer – Arsenal, Fulham and Swansea City.

Mirallas, meanwhile, has said he expected referee, Phil Dowd, to issue a red card for his dangerous challenge on Luis Suárez on Saturday. The Belgium international was only booked for a first-half lunge into the Liverpool striker's knee, a tackle Brendan Rodgers described as career-threatening.

"When I made the challenge the first thing I thought was that it was going to be a red card," admitted Mirallas, who had scored Everton's opening goal before the incident and was involved in their two goals afterwards. "I was genuinely going for the ball but I know I caught him on the knee and I said sorry straight away. I might have been OK because it was the derby, because in those matches there is always a lot of contact, a lot of tackles going in. There is a lot of pressure on the players and the fans in these sort of games. Sometimes when you put a tackle in you think: 'Oh shit,' like this one."

Mirallas was forced out of last season's Goodison derby at half-time by a Suárez foul that went unpunished but the Everton forward insisted Saturday's challenge was not premeditated.

He added: "I had said to Suárez soon after the kick off when we were standing close to each other: 'Do you remember last season, you kicked me?' He laughed and said: 'Yes, fair enough,' but my tackle had nothing to do with a year ago. And Suárez played for a long time after that with no problem, with no injury, so he was OK and I am glad he wasn't injured."

Andy Hunter

theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers slaps down Sturridge after Everton thriller

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PST

• England striker's fitness questioned after scoring equaliser
• Roberto Martínez asks Everton to sparkle in lesser games

The unexpected twists that turned Merseyside derby No221 into a classic did not cease on Phil Dowd's final whistle. We had a manager pressed on his team's Champions League credentials; the Everton manager. We had a captain defending the referee's refusal to dismiss an Everton player; the Liverpool captain. And where Daniel Sturridge must have anticipated acclaim for his 89th-minute rescue act, there was only a withering rebuke from Brendan Rodgers. It was that kind of day.

Both teams left Goodison Park with relief, regret, injury and an urgent need to spend more time on the training ground defending set pieces. So much for the brave new purism of the Merseyside derby. Yes, there was excellence in open play, with Ross Barkley and Philippe Coutinho leading the way, and Roberto Martínez's derby debut as Everton manager injected long-overdue fearlessness into the royal blue approach. By the end, with the rivals launching into one attack after another, even the stadium seemed punch-drunk.

But five of the six goals came directly from set pieces, all six if the source of Everton's second goal is included, and Kevin Mirallas should have joined the fixture's red-card roll-call for an appalling foul on Luis Suárez. The Liverpool manager correctly called it a career-threatening tackle, one that prompted a scuffle between Everton players and a visiting physio after he attempted to sway Dowd from a lenient yellow card. "When I initially saw the incident I was thinking yellow card," said Gerrard, who escaped a booking of his own for leading with an elbow on Gareth Barry. "Now I have seen it again, though, it's a red card but it's very difficult to say that in a split second and at that distance. I'd rather back the referee than have a go at him."

Rodgers' biggest gripe was reserved for Sturridge, however, whom he dropped to the bench for 79 minutes as a result of playing 90 with a thigh injury for England against Germany. The Liverpool manager said; "I am looking at him in training on Friday and he is not right. Whose responsibility is that? It is the [Football] Association and the player.

"It is very simple for me. With any player, you have to put yourself on the training field. If you do that, you will be in with a chance of playing. Jon Flanagan was immense. He will be in a derby that is shown on Sky Golden in 30 years' time because of his desire and will to put himself out there every day.

"If you don't do that, there is a consequence – you don't play. If you want to be a champion, if you want to win things, you have to be ready. For this game I just felt Daniel wasn't ready."

Rodgers was asked how Sturridge responded to the news and whether he asked to play in such an important occasion? "No, I could see it in him. I have seen it before. There is a trend," he replied. "The games he has disappointed in have come when he hasn't trained. That was the call here."

But the Liverpool manager's irritation would have been greater without Sturridge's last-minute equaliser, heading Gerrard's free-kick into the corner despite the close presence of three Everton players. The pattern had been established with Liverpool's first attack, a Gerrard corner that Coutinho converted unmarked at the back post. Everton responded quickly when Liverpool failed to deal with a Leighton Baines free-kick and Mirallas prodded home, before Suárez restored the visitors' lead with a replica of his free-kick against Manchester City last season.

In the Liverpool goal Simon Mignolet was inspired, making at least seven key saves as Everton – who ended the game with three 19-year-olds on the pitch in Barkley, Gerard Deulofeu and John Stones – cut through vibrantly and frequently. Their reward finally came when Romelu Lukaku exploded into life, levelled the game at 2-2 from close range and headed home a Mirallas corner to make it 3-2 with eight minutes remaining. Yet the clearer chances, and misses, belonged to Liverpool. Tim Howard foiled a Suárez header at point-blank range and Joe Allen wrote himself into derby infamy by missing a glorious invitation to put Liverpool 3-1 ahead on the hour.

"We have always been capable of beating anyone," said Martínez, who typified Everton's desire with his decision to replace the injured Baines with Deulofeu. "What was great to see is we went eye to eye and we were the better side in open play. Now the next step is to get three points in those situations. We have to look at how we will perform in a less glamorous fixture, a game that is not a derby. That's what you need over 10 months."

Man of the match Simon Mignolet (Liverpool)

Andy Hunter

theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Arsène Wenger fighting talk after win over Southampton shows new Arsenal

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PST

• 'For 90 minutes I never felt we eased off' says leaders' manager
• 'Dangerous' Olivier Giroud profits from Boruc's Cruyff calamity

Boring, boring Arsenal. Well, not quite. Arsène Wenger has not suddenly transformed into George Graham. Yet title-winning sides tend to find a way even when they are not playing well, and although Arsenal were not at their fluent best against Southampton, they were four points clear at the top of the league at the final whistle. In a results' business, it does not always have to be pretty.

It rarely was against Southampton, whose energetic pressing game ensured that the influence of Mesut Özil and Santi Cazorla, who were replaced in the second half as Arsenal sought to protect a 1-0 lead, was minimal. "To stop us from playing it was the best we have seen," Wenger said of Mauricio Pochettino's side who were ultimately undone by the calamitous errors by Artur Boruc and José Fonte that gifted Olivier Giroud two goals.

Resilience is a quality that has not often been associated with Arsenal. For 20 minutes, their triangular passing threatened to tie Southampton in knots and Jack Wilshere, who completed 90 minutes before taking issue with last week's reports that questioned his fitness, and Aaron Ramsey hit the same post with glorious efforts. However, after Giroud capitalised on Boruc's comedic Cruyff impression, more Jordi than Johan, the visitors pushed Arsenal physically and mentally. This was a stern examination of their character, especially after the disappointment of losing to Manchester United in their previous match.

Arsenal had to roll their sleeves up, yet although elbows were covered in grease by the end, there was never a sense that Southampton would equalise. The home side, working harder for each other than ever before, mostly kept them at arm's length, while a defence magnificently organised by Per Mertesacker never put a foot wrong. It was not winning ugly, it was winning with control; they were clinical and mature, just as they were when they won 1-0 at Borussia Dortmund.

"That is the most pleasing thing today," Wenger said. "Certainly not our technical qualities that I know about. Today we were tested by being challenged for every single ball and we responded quite well. We always had the focus and for 90 minutes I could never feel that we eased off a little bit. They made it very difficult for us.

"This win shows we are ready for a fight when it doesn't go as fluent as we wanted. That we can fight as well and on that front I'm very happy today."

Just as pleasing was Wilshere's performance. It has been a difficult start to the season for the 21-year-old, below his usual level after the problems with his ankle.

"The issue about my fitness doesn't concern me," Wilshere said. "I read in the paper this week that I'm injured. I played 30 minutes for England on Tuesday and trained all week. So I don't know where that's come from.

"People talk and say 'oh, he's not going to be fit', so it's down to me to prove them wrong, get on the pitch and show what I can do."

Next for Arsenal, for whom Theo Walcott made a 20-minute cameo after a two-month absence with an abdominal injury, is the visit of Marseille in the Champions League on Tuesday. Victory will move them closer to reaching the knock-out stages.

"It's a tough group, a strange one that we could go out with 12 points," Wilshere said. "But we got a great result in Dortmund so we should be confident going into this game. If we win on Tuesday, we know we can go to Napoli and get a result there. We've shown we get results in tough places."

For Southampton, who could have gone top if they had won, it felt like they had beaten themselves, Boruc's misguided attempt to dribble round Giroud ending in predictable disaster and Fonte conceding a soft penalty with a pull on Mertesacker's shirt. Giroud, who produced another bustling, muscular display, converted for his 10th goal of the season.

"I like his play," Wenger said. "He has improved his link play with the other players, he is dangerous in every single game. Is he the best in his type of play? I like what he does."

Man of the match Per Mertesacker (Arsenal)

Jacob Steinberg

theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Tottenham's Etihad thrashing brings back memories of Bramall Lane rout

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 02:11 PM PST

• Side featuring Sheringham and Mabbutt lost 6-0 in 1993
• Defeat was last straw for chairman Alan Sugar

Sunday's mauling at the hands of Manchester City made gruesome viewing for Spurs fans - but at least it was a rare experience. Tottenham's last 6-0 defeat in the league took place over 20 years ago, in a very different footballing landscape. In March 1993, at the business end of the Premier League's inaugural season, mid-table Spurs travelled to Bramall Lane for a midweek match seeking a sixth straight league victory. Led by an unorthodox management team of first-team coach Doug Livermore, assistant coach Ray Clemence – who were themselves overseen by chief executive Terry Venables – Spurs named a strong starting XI to take on relegation threatened Sheffield United.

Teddy Sheringham started alone up front, with Darren Anderton, Paul Allen and Vinny Samways supporting him in midfield. A settled back four featuring captain Gary Mabbutt, Dean Austin, Jason Cundy and Pat van den Hauwe looked solid enough on paper. Spurs' Moroccan midfielder Nayim was one of only two players on the field from outside the British Isles. The other, the Norwegian goalkeeper Erik Thorstvedt, endured a torrid evening as the Blades unexpectedly sliced Spurs apart. Franz Carr opened the scoring for United on 13 minutes, turning a short corner into the roof of the net, but much like on Sunday it was an own-goal from a midfielder that began Spurs' collapse.

After 20 minutes Andy Gray inadvertently headed a Brian Deane cross past Thorstvedt and 10 minutes later Sheffield United were out of sight. Two goals from the Scottish midfielder Ian Bryson meant a bewildered Spurs were four goals down after half an hour. In the second half Deane and Paul Rogers completed a shocking night for Livermore and Clemence. Tottenham never regained momentum after their Bramall Lane ordeal but still finished eighth – six places above the Blades and with a goal difference of minus six. Both sides progressed to the semi-finals of the FA Cup later that season - and both came out on the losing side of local derbies, as Arsenal met Sheffield Wednesday in the final.

Spurs did win at Highbury on the last day of the season but it was not enough to save their unusual managerial team. The irascible Spurs chairman, Alan Sugar, stopped uncharacteristically short of firing Clemence and Livermore, instead installing Ossie Ardiles above them in June. Livermore went on to assist another famous failed partnership, working under Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier at Liverpool. Clemence briefly managed at Barnet, before spending 15 years in the England coaching set-up. Sheffield United survived for only one further season in the Premier League - in fact, Spurs have faced the Blades only four times in the league since that fateful game. Sadly for André Villas-Boas and the supporters watching through their hands today, the Tottenham of 2013 have little chance of getting rid of their tormentors so easily.


theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Wigan Athletic lose to Brighton but omens are good for Europa progress | Jeremy Alexander

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 02:00 PM PST

Owen Coyle admits to 'anger and frustration' that Wigan failed to put their match to bed in the first half against Brighton

Wigan Athletic prepared for Europe as they do best – by losing in the Championship. Three times they have lost on the weekend before avoiding defeat in the Europa League the following Thursday. The only time they won the preceding league match they lost in Tatarstan, 1-0 to Rubin Kazan. Though Brighton & Hove Albion became the first side to win at the DW Stadium this season, Thursday's visitors, Zulte Waregem, are forewarned.

Owen Coyle, Wigan's manager, admitted to "anger and frustration" at the loss of that record. "We should have put the game to bed in the first half," he said. At the start of the second they were caught napping in it. Inside 20 seconds Jake Forster-Caskey thumped an unchallenged header at goal from 10 yards. At least Lee Nicholls, with a sharp save, was still awake but the Seagulls had found wind in their wings. In the 72nd minute the keeper, 21 and third choice behind the injured Ali al-Habsi and Scott Carson, surpassed that in parrying a stronger header from closer by the same man but Andrew Crofts looped in the rebound.

A minute beforehand Wigan's Grant Holt had seized on Gordon Greer's hesitation to go one-on-one with Tomasz Kuszczak, only to shoot wide. Thus are points won and lost, and destinies determined or not, but Holt is surely a black-boot man, not lemon. In the last minute his diving header was tipped away by Kuszczak to secure Brighton's third successive win and take them above Wigan in the tight middle of the table. Oscar Garcia has them running on the smooth lines of Gus Poyet.

Coyle's challenge has been different. It is unusual for a relegated club to lose its manager to promotion, as in Roberto Martínez rejoining the Premier League with Everton after one win in his last eight games with Wigan. Coyle's appointment raised few eyebrows. He took Burnley into the top tier on modest means and Bolton, for whom he had played, out of it after two and a half seasons which included an FA Cup semi-final. When they lay 18th after 10 games last season Bolton shuffled off their ever more mortal Coyle.

But Dave Whelan, Wigan's owner, liked what he knew. "I've told him that returning to the Premier League is the priority. It's fantastic we are in Europe but that comes second. He has the "passion, energy and enthusiasm I was looking for". All were evident as Coyle sprang from bench to touchline in his trademark shorts with pressing instructions and, if pleased, returned with four excited claps.

There is something of his old Burnley in his new team after Martínez took £19m worth of talent to Everton in the shape of James McCarthy and Arouna Koné. It is not just Chris McCann, a Turf Moor stalwart in midfield. Coyle likes raiding wingers and picked up James McClean from Sunderland and Marc Albrighton on loan. Their service was more plentiful than precise, which may be why only four sides have scored fewer than their 17. Only two have conceded fewer than their 13.

Three of the back four are newcomers – James Perch (Newcastle), Leon Barnett (Norwich, like Holt) and the cool Ryan Shotton (Stoke, on loan). Having prospered with a small squad at Burnley and finally suffered from a surfeit of injuries at Bolton, Coyle supplemented what he found in summer with a view to not being caught short in winter. They looked at their best on Saturday bursting from their own half, often in the person of Nick Powell, on loan from Manchester United.

Coyle was still enthusing about their victory at Yeovil two days after completing a 5,000-mile round trip to Kazan, shared by 150 fans. They have picked up 10 points from their four post-Europe matches. Victory over Waregem this week could secure progress to the knock-out stages. But Saturday was the third time Wigan have lost straight after the international break having won the match before it. They seem to prefer action to rest. The DW set-up, professional but personal, belongs at the highest level at home or abroad.

Jeremy Alexander

theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Cameron Jerome reminds Pulis of qualities in Crystal Palace win at Hull

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 02:00 PM PST

• Striker sets up winner in front of Palace's manager-in-waiting
• Goals dry up for Hull before games against Liverpool, Arsenal

Tony Pulis may have been encouraged when he left the KC Stadium with the Crystal Palace co-owner Steve Parish on Saturday, but he will not have been fooled. The Eagles' first away win of the season lifted them off the bottom of the Premier League, but what went before a final 10 minutes in which Palace's Yannick Bolassie was sent off, Barry Bannan scored a winner created by Cameron Jerome and Hull City's Liam Rosenior hit the post must have left the former Stoke manager pale beneath his tan.

Put simply, neither of these teams looked remotely good enough to stay up. Not because they were not well-organised or hard-working or disciplined or tough to break down: as a gloomy City manager, Steve Bruce, pointed out after the game, these days every team at this level possess those qualities. The task facing Bruce, and now Pulis, is to give their sides some sort of threat in the final third of the field, because as things stand Palace have scored just seven goals in 12 games, Hull nine.

Key to doing that will be the clubs' activity during the January transfer window, and Pulis would not have signed a two-and-half-year contract to put his record of never having managed a side to relegation on the line without receiving assurances he will be given the go-ahead to bring in as many as five faces.

More immediately, however, Palace's next three matches are against Norwich City, West Ham United and Cardiff City. With the returns from those games likely to be critical at the end of the season, Pulis may have to bury his differences with Jerome.

Palace's on-loan Stoke striker criticised Pulis for failing to pick him often enough, after the Welshman left the Britannia Stadium, but he made a significant impact after replacing a bloodied Marouane Chamakh during the first half. Strong, direct and brave, he held the ball up to bring his midfielders into play, won a number of headers and created the goal.

Jerome said: "Tony will look at what he's got and make a decision on the team he wants to play. As a professional, you've just got to get on with it and train hard and, when you're selected, you've got to do your job. What he will bring is experience and stability. He took Stoke up from the Championship and solidified them as a mid-table Premier League team, so his record speaks for itself.

" I'm sure he'll shore us up and we'll be more resilient and won't concede as many as we have been doing in recent weeks. The boys, I'm sure, will look forward to working with him and I'm sure Tony will look forward to working with us as well."

The caretaker manager, Keith Millen, who spoke to Pulis on Friday and Saturday, was similarly positive about his new boss, and will have been reassured to hear Parish praise the work Millen has done since Ian Holloway left Selhurst Park four weeks ago. While Pulis will bring in his own coaching staff, it seems likely Millen will be offered a role.

While Palace have some grounds for optimism, Hull's situation looks increasingly bleak. They face Liverpool, Arsenal and Swansea City in their next three games, and unrest about the owner, Assem Allam's, determination to change the club's name to Hull Tigers shows no sign of going away. When heavy-handed stewards attempted to prevent the parading of a banner reading "We Are Hull City" in front of the popular East Stand, the situation threatened to boil over until wiser counsel prevailed and the men in fluorescent jackets backed off.

Man of the match: Cameron Jerome (Crystal Palace).

Richard Rae

theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Scott Parker fears time running out at Fulham after defeat by Swansea

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 02:00 PM PST

• Martin Jol says does not feel threatened by René Meulensteen
• Ineffective Dimitar Berbatov becomes focus of fans' anger

George Groves may not be allowed to take such punishment but Martin Jol staggers on for now, reeling from the incessant blows and insisting a fightback is imminent. The only two clubs below his in the Premier League have already replaced their managers this season but the Fulham owner, Shahid Khan, has yet to throw in the towel for Jol. They may be down, their fans may shout "Jol Out", but some folks, at least, still believe in a Rocky-like revival.

Conspiracy theorists suggest Khan has already planned for Jol's succession by agreeing to install René Meulensteen as head coach, leaving Sir Alex Ferguson's former assistant well placed to fill the managerial seat if his compatriot is ousted. Jol, who encouraged Meulensteen to join, does not feel threatened. "He would have the same problems and he hasn't done this before, he has been assistant for years and years," said Jol. "So it wouldn't be easy and I think he knows that." Instead Jol says the new arrival will help him stimulate improvement from a team that look chronically short of confidence and good ideas. Starting with Dimitar Berbatov.

Jol says one of the main attractions of Fulham to Meulensteen was the chance to renew acquaintances with the Bulgarian striker, with whom he worked at Old Trafford. Last season the capture of Berbatov from Manchester United was hailed as a masterful coup by Jol; but now, with the striker having scored just once in the Premier League this season and frequently allowing games to pass him by, Jol's continued faith in him is one of the chief grievances of the Craven Cottage crowd.

In an effort to coax more from Berbatov Jol had entrusted him with the captaincy before the visit of United to Craven Cottage this month. But that extra responsibility seemed to subdue the player even further rather than uplift him and the team – they went 3-0 down inside 22 minutes against United and have lost every match since. So, for the visit of Swansea City, Meulensteen's first match in the dug-out, the armband was taken from Berbatov and given to Scott Parker. "I wanted to put the pressure on other people," said Jol. "Berbatov is not very outspoken, he is very quiet. Scotty Parker is more involved in the dressing room and talks a lot."

Since the carrot of the captaincy failed to elicit a response, Jol hinted at the stick of being dropped on Saturday as he included the French striker Moussa Dembélé in the squad for the first time. The 17-year-old has been scoring prolifically for the club's youth teams and, with the senior players misfiring, fans have been demanding he be given a chance to shine in the first team. Yet it is doubtful that Jol will bring himself to abandon his cadres. Sure enough, even though Berbatov was ineffective again against Swansea and Darren Bent squandered three clear opportunities, Dembélé stayed on the bench.

At least Parker repaid the faith shown in him, the new captain excelling in a slightly reshaped midfield as Fulham produced an encouragingly solid first-half display. The hosts lapsed into familiar bad habits in the second half, falling behind to an Aaron Hughes own goal that an exasperated Jol condemned as "ridiculous", but Parker equalised within eight minutes, albeit through a mis-hit cross that dropped into the net. However, Fulham did not have the same cogency and thrust of Swansea and fell to their fourth defeat in a row when Jonjo Shelvey curled a fine shot into the net from 18 yards. "When you look at the table it does not look pretty," said Parker.

"We need to get some points and get them quickly or it is going to be a tough season for us ... If we can win a couple of games all of a sudden the pressure can come off and things happen for you a bit. There's only so many times you can say you played well without getting the points."

Man of the match: Alejandro Pozuelo (Swansea City)

Paul Doyle

theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Malky Mackay praises referee over handling of Wayne Rooney challenge

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 01:24 PM PST

• Neil Swarbrick showed Rooney a yellow card rather than a red
• Cardiff City manager thought referee handled incident well

Malky Mackay has praised Neil Swarbrick after the referee opted to show Wayne Rooney a yellow card rather than a red when the Manchester United forward kicked Jordon Mutch from behind in the 2-2 draw at Cardiff City on Sunday.

The Cardiff manager said: "I've had a look at it again on TV and some referees might have sent him off, but I think Swarbrick was calm in his approach, had a good game and handled it well. Both teams were tough and committed and there were some tasty challenges and the referee's handling of it overall was good."

In another incident Gary Medel slapped Marouane Fellaini, but no card was produced, and again both managers had no complaints. Mackay said: "I think the referee got it right on both counts."

David Moyes' team are now unbeaten in their past 10 matches in all competitions but he is looking for an improvement in Wednesday's Champions League tie away to Bayer Leverkusen after his team allowed Kim Bo-kyung to equalise in added on time. "I'm disappointed," he said. "We were in control with a minute to go and conceded from a set piece which cost us two points. I thought we should have played better. We didn't have much rhythm in the second half, but Cardiff is quite a tough place to come this season. But I would have liked us to be better."

Asked about the Rooney incident he said: "I thought Mutch ran across Wayne's path. I don't think it was anything more than a booking."

Of the overall situation for his team, the United manager added: "We're on a pretty good run, but this is a blow because we can't keep dropping two points from winning positions like that. We should have won the game. We can play a lot better but we should have won."

The 41-year-old Mackay was not about to agree after a point that keeps his team two points above the relegation zone. He said: "I was delighted. The first half was our most complete performance of the season so far. Not just in the way we played but in the belief we showed against a team as good as Manchester United, the champions. I thought Steven Caulker and Ben Turner at the back were sublime, but it was a big performance from everyone and the goal at the end was thoroughly deserved on the strength of our play overall and the chances we had. We have shown that we can compete at this level and compete well."

Joe Lovejoy

theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Manchester City's execution at pace reminds Tottenham of lost Bale | Jamie Jackson

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 10:51 AM PST

Crushing defeat raises doubts over André Villas-Boas' transfer strategy and tactical awareness
• Pictures: Tom Jenkins's best images from the Etihad

With this surrender Tottenham Hotspur may well have sealed their status as the Premier League's most expensive array of misfits.

They are the André Villas-Boas team who are supposed to be a slick winning machine following a £110m summer spend but they performed again like a group of strangers.

To be 5-0 down after 55 minutes also offered the latest evidence of the glaring gap left by a certain Welshman. After 11 matches that had yielded only nine goals Spurs came into this contest pining for Gareth Bale. He was the 26-goal man signed by Real Madrid for a £86m fee that was reinvested (plus a further £24m) in Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Roberto Soldado, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela.

In this splurge Villas-Boas hoped major surgery would transform his squad from the Bale-and-supporting-cast show to a force that offered myriad threats coming at the opposition from all areas and angles. By the break this appeared fanciful.

While their form at White Hart Lane has been poor – winning three and losing two of their six league outings – on the road Spurs had conceded only once, so the sight of Jesús Navas doubling this tally after 14 seconds to start the longest of afternoons was hardly encouraging.

Tottenham were 3-0 down at half-time, via a Sandro own goal and Sergio Agüero's 41st-minute strike, as the view formed that this could be yet another of the routs handed out here this season.

Spurs were the latest patsies for City at an arena that has witnessed the 4-1 shellacking of Manchester United, a 7-0 humiliation of Norwich City, and the 5-2 hiding of CSKA Moscow, the standout wins of a home record that had produced a perfect 15 points, contrasting sharply with Spurs' travails before their own crowd.

As Agüero (again) and the excellent Álvaro Negredo confirmed the visitors' fate before the hour thoughts turned to the XI sent out by Villas-Boas, and the tactical uncertainty he displayed during the match.

There was no Andros Townsend. The winger who has made a flying start to the challenge of replacing Bale was named as a substitute only, and by the time the manager completed his replacements on 61 minutes he had still failed to field Townsend.

While the word was that England's newest hope was not carrying an injury and had been dropped for football reasons, at half-time Villas-Boas did find a role for Emmanuel Adebayor, whose latest incarnation as a renegade footballer had him training with the youth team until the manager included him here.

"We've taken into account that a lot of players travelled and are tired," Villas-Boas said before the match. "Emmanuel Adebayor worked extremely well during this international break. It was the right time to bring him back and he gives us further options if we want to change the system."

This was what he decided to do at the break when he substituted Lewis Holtby for Adebayor only for this new two-pronged striker shape to last a mere 15 minutes before the manager decided Roberto Soldado should also be removed for Gylfi Sigurdsson, a midfielder.

Spurs had begun in a 4-1-4-1 formation that had Sandro as the base of midfield and Lamela, the club's record £30m signing making a first league start, Paulinho, Holtby and Aaron Lennon behind Soldado. But the manner in which City were virtually welcomed through their defence by Villas-Boas's side suggested too many remain players off message and tuned in to differing wavelengths.

Sandro told the Observer on Sunday: "It's difficult when new players come for everyone to understand what the new players want. I don't know, no one knows. This takes time to understand in training and games. It's not easy for players coming from another country."

The counter to this argument is that highly paid footballers are hired precisely because they can make a respectable fight of proceedings one game into a season, never mind 12. This and Villas-Boas's baffling selections – Jermain Defoe joined Townsend as the other head-scratching omission – are the chief concerns as the congested winter programme begins.

By the close Navas had made it 6-0 and the occasion of Villas-Boas's 50th Premier League match in charge had left him a stone-faced and lonely figure.

Of his team's triumph, Manuel Pellegrini said: "It is impossible to play better than today." For Spurs, the same is true in reverse: it does not get any worse.

On the same date last season Spurs had three points fewer than their current 20 and were a place back. But with the champions, Manchester United, at White Hart Lane on Sunday and with two straight defeats after the 1-0 loss at Newcastle United last time out in the league, the serious questions will start in the white section of north London.

Jamie Jackson

theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Villas-Boas 'ashamed' as Spurs are routed by Manchester City

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 10:42 AM PST

• Spurs manager apologises to fans after 6-0 drubbing at Etihad
• Sergio Agüero 'only behind Ronaldo and Messi' says Pellegrini

André Villas-Boas has said he and his Tottenham Hotspur players should be "ashamed of ourselves" after the club lost 6-0 at Manchester City, their heaviest defeat in the Premier League since 1996.

Jesús Navas started the rout after 14 seconds and, after the final whistle, the club sent out a Tweet on the Portuguese manager's behalf, saying "André to the fans: 'The only thing I can say is sorry. It's a very poor result, not to our level. #THFC"

After the match, in which Navas got a second, Sergio Agüero scored two goals, Alvaro Negredo one and Sandro put the ball through his own net, Villas-Boas had made no attempt to hide his feelings. "Every attack was a goal-scoring opportunity for them, we weren't at our best and we have to be ashamed of ourselves after this," he said. "My emotions are not very important. I don't need to point out individuals but to lose 6-0 is extremely embarrassing for anyone involved in that."

The defeat equalled Tottenham's worst ever results in the Premier League – a 7-1 defeat by Newcastle United in 1996 and one of 6-0 by Sheffield United three years earlier.

Villas-Boas, whose defence had conceded only six goals in 11 league games before this, added: "It is difficult to explain. Everything went wrong for us from being one of the best defences in the country to conceding six goals, it is very hard to find an explanation. Our game plan and motivation was immediately affected by conceding after 14 seconds. After the first 20 minutes when we could have got back into the game, we lost control of the situation."

Despite the one-sided nature of the opening period the Portuguese still felt Spurs could come back from being 3-0 down at the break. "Lots of teams have reacted well to coming back into games after half-time," he said. "We needed a goal early [in the second half], but it didn't happen and that was a killer when the fourth went in. Our head went after the fourth goal."

Tottenham now stand ninth, eight points behind the leaders Arsenal, having also lost 1-0 at Newcastle United in their last league game. "It is two defeats in a row," said Villas-Boas. "We are still close to teams who share our objective, everything can change again, so we can get a lift from three points. But we have to get back to work and focus on our mistakes."

Tottenham invested £110m in seven players in the summer through the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid but Villas-Boas did not want to get drawn into a debate about whether the new signings should be more integrated now. "The only thing astonishing in this league is that surprising results can happen," he said. "City were on four defeats, we are on four defeats, but I think December and January will be decisive in how the league will finish. We are the ones chasing but we play the champions next week [Manchester United] and we can get a lift for ourselves with three points in that game.

"We never had a proper chance to score, we have to look into it more in depth, not that we haven't looked already. Sometimes it is because of the opponents, sometimes we don't do enough. It's a reality we have to face right now and we have to correct it.

" It is the worst defeat for all of us involved in Tottenham because we have high expectations and losing 6-0 to a rival tends to stick more. It is a bad moment for everybody. We can only look into ourselves and make sure we can go forward. My responsibility is to lift the players, there is always another game coming."

Villas-Boas left Andros Townsend and Jermain Defoe on the bench as unused substitutes but Emmanuel Adebayor was brought on at half-time following his recent attitude problems that moved the manager to have him train with the youth squad. "Adebayor is back in the fold," he confirmed.

The Manchester City manager, Manuel Pellegrini, meanwhile, praised Alvaro Negredo, who has scored nine goals in 17 appearances this season. "He is the perfect player for the Premier League, a very important player and very happy here in England," the Chilean said. "The team plays well for him and he plays alongside Kun Agüero, who is behind only Ronaldo and Messi at the moment."

Manchester City's manager added that Joe Hart will be recalled for the dead Champions League rubber with Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday and added that Vincent Kompany should begin training following a thigh injury and may be available for Sunday's visit of Swansea City.

Jamie Jackson

theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

André Villas-Boas offers Tottenham defence little protection at City | Michael Cox

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 10:23 AM PST

Manchester City's front four sprung forward with speed, exposing Spurs' lack of cover and their centre-backs in particular

André Villas-Boas cannot be blamed for Manchester City's opener, scored by Jesús Navas after 13 seconds following a poor Hugo Lloris clearance, but from then on Tottenham were astonishingly open, constantly leaving their centre-backs exposed and raising serious questions about their approach.

Spurs' first intention should have been to protect their centre-backs – Michael Dawson consistently looks uncomfortable in a high line while Younès Kaboul was making his first league start for 15 months. They were up against the league's in-form strike partnership, Sergio Agüero and Alvaro Negredo.

Although City essentially played a 4-4-2 formation in possession, Negredo dropped back to support the battle against Tottenham's three central midfielders. That left Agüero up front, able to use his pace in behind the Spurs defence. Negredo would sprint forward to join him and his deeper position was taken up by Samir Nasri who drifted inside from the left dangerously.

While Sandro played a defensive-minded role and attempted to protect the defence, he was exposed against midfield runners because Paulinho and Lewis Holtby were bypassed so easily. Sandro's superb last-ditch challenge on Nasri early on demonstrated his tackling ability, but he was forced into a succession of desperate challenges to stop quick counter-attacks. He endured a truly disastrous first period, which included an own goal and a vomiting incident, and he was also handicapped by a 20th-minute caution. After that he needed Paulinho to sit deep alongside him to share the defensive midfield duties as Spurs tried to ease their way back into the contest.

There were other problems for the centre-backs – Jan Vertonghen and Kyle Walker charged forward from full-back, but this forced Dawson and Kaboul to defend the width of the pitch when City counter-attacked quickly. Walker was helping Spurs make progress down the right, and his strengths lie in his attacking ability, but Vertonghen is a natural centre-back and Villas-Boas could have used him more cautiously, giving Spurs cover at the back.

Another problem was Spurs' centre-backs splitting in possession, with a midfielder dropping into defence. This makes sense when building passing moves against a two-man strikeforce, but it had disastrous consequences when Spurs were caught out in the transition between the two systems for City's second goal – Holtby, on paper Spurs' most attacking midfielder, briefly found himself in the middle of a back three and failed to track Agüero.

Amazingly, Spurs dominated possession. But City were entirely happy with this situation because it allowed them to draw Spurs up the pitch, before breaking powerfully. Whether it was Agüero sprinting in behind, Jesús Navas attacking down the right or Nasri and Yaya Touré storming through the centre, the space afforded to City was astonishing. Villas-Boas' decision to go 4-4-2 at half-time, with Emmanuel Adebayor replacing Holtby, opened up the game and exposed Sandro, Dawson and Kaboul even more.

Villas-Boas' coaching philosophy cannot be dismissed on the evidence of one match. But a touch of pragmatism and caution was required – this shouldn't have turned into such a humiliation.

Michael Cox

theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

BT may have beaten Sky on Champions League – but the game isn't over

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 10:14 AM PST

BT faces huge questions over costs and needs to keep shareholders onside if it is going to bid for Premier rights

BT is cock-a-hoop – much executive backslapping and plenty of "we're in this game for the long-term" newspaper copy. Meanwhile over at Sky – much sucking on lemons, presumably after a Ferguson-style hairdryering from Rupert, along with an 11% drop in the share price. Sky's been bested by BT over Champions League soccer rights, with some even suggesting this might be the beginning of the end of its dominance of the premium TV sport market. However, look a little closer and in business terms most of the big questions here still remain for BT to answer.

BT's entrance into the sports rights arena was originally justified to investors as a way of shoring up the company's wavering – but critically important – broadband subscriber base. BT is after all at root a legacy fixed-line telecoms business and had been losing out to newcomers – especially Sky – that offered cheaper broadband bundled with premium pay-TV packages. Looked at that way, with roughly 2.5 million people who take TV from Sky and broadband from BT at risk of following others by defecting, BT could see as much as £700m of annual revenues at risk. Hence £400m-plus on football, rugby and other sports rights still left the company £300m to the good if you looked at the sums that way round.

In fairness that strategy appears to be working with the offer of free BT Sport to its broadband subscribers – especially those who get TV from Sky – attractive enough to stop the rot. But throw in the cost of BT's raid on Champions League and Europa Cup rights – another £300m-plus a year – and the sums don't quite add up. Its bosses are already close to spending more than they might have lost had they done nothing. Of course BT will hope to find some new customers in addition to keeping existing ones and generate other extra revenues, but it is already having to broach the idea of charging directly for access to Champions League matches.

Right there is the big looming issue and a proper inflection point for BT. To justify further investment BT is going to have to become, at least in significant part, a pay-TV company – which brings with it all sorts of new challenges. Think distribution capacity and customer services to name but two. BT might have plenty of cash but Sky really does know how to run pay-TV and has a much broader offering in sport and beyond. But the other huge issue BT faces is entirely of its own making – the prices it will have to charge to recoup the hugely inflated rights costs. Premier League rights up by more than 50% and Champions League ones doubled. In the latter case Enders Analysis reckon the price paid is already simply not recoverable from the market.

Which brings us to the next round of Premier League rights – due for auction in 2015 for three years from 2016. To beat Sky to the lion's share of games it currently has, analysts estimate BT will have to pay upwards of £1.2bn a year (Sky currently pays £750m). If you add that to BT's commitments to rugby, tennis and European football, it would put its annual outlay at well over Sky's current £1.45bn but with a smaller range of sports to offer. Enders Analysis estimates that even if it amassed 5 million paying sports subscribers (Sky now has around 6 million), BT would have to charge at least £40 per month where Sky currently charges £22. If rights costs continue to rocket, the outlook for consumers, as opposed to Range Rover dealers in Cheshire and Surrey, is not good.

Many analysts reckon those prices are simply not economic, especially not for sport alone. So the challenges for BT are formidable. Its executives can keep flashing the cash and driving up rights costs, but in the course of doing so will create a mighty rod for their own backs. Which is why some of the smart money is saying that BT's shareholders might well call a halt before the next Premier League auction risks even more of their cash.

Steve Hewlett

theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Aston Villa are bigger club than West Bromwich Albion, says Paul Lambert

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 10:13 AM PST

• Villa manager stokes up the rivalry ahead of derby clash
• West Brom have finished higher in previous two seasons

Paul Lambert spiced up Monday's West Midlands derby at West Bromwich Albion by insisting Aston Villa are still a bigger club than their neighbours.

The Villa Park team have traditionally been regarded as the top side in the region due to their 1982 European Cup success, large fan base and 42,000 capacity stadium. However, it is the more modest West Brom who have established themselves as the top team in the Midlands in recent seasons, finishing higher than their rivals in the Premier League in the past two years.

While Villa have had to significantly tighten their belts financially and Birmingham and Wolves find themselves languishing in the Football League, Albion are going from strength to strength under their chairman Jeremy Peace.

The Black Country side have a successful structure in place in which previous technical director Dan Ashworth and his successor Richard Garlick have worked brilliantly with the former coach Roy Hodgson and current manager Steve Clarke.

Villa's and Albion's battle for supremacy has ignited the rivalry between supporters but Lambert believes his side still have bragging rights, despite Albion's footballing and financial supremacy of late.

"Aston Villa is a massive club," he said. "I don't think anyone can ever dispute that. It's a club that's won a European Cup, league titles, has a massive fan base and has a bigger stadium.

"That's no disrespect to West Brom at all – they're a good club in their own right. I haven't been at West Brom or managed the club but Aston Villa, for me, is a bigger club."

He added: "There's a rivalry because of the vicinity where the two clubs are. We'll go there and try to win. I don't think you use the aim of finishing above them as a motivational tool. Everybody knows a derby is important for supporters, first and foremost.

"For the team and the football club, it's vital to try to win a derby game. But the thing with a derby is the fact it doesn't matter who is playing well – you could be top or bottom of the table or near each other because in that game people do things which look extraordinary that they wouldn't do in a normal game. That's a derby."

Despite his claims that Villa are a bigger club, Lambert has a lot of time for his old friend Clarke's side.

"Stevie's got a good team there," he said. They're a good side with a lot of experienced lads who were there before Stevie even came in. They're a good side."

Lambert hopes to welcome back several key players from injury for the clash.

The strikers Andreas Weimann [hamstring] and Gabriel Agbonlahor [ankle] have missed recent games, while fellow forward Christian Benteke had a knee injury while on international duty with Belgium.

However, all three are in contention for the trip to the Hawthorns, while the likes of Fabian Delph [knee] and Antonio Luna [hamstring] have also overcome recent problems.


theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Fans evacuated after trouble at Nice

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 10:12 AM PST

• Seats thrown by visiting Les Verts supporters before game
• Authorities consider away-fan ban after trouble

Nine people were injured when St Etienne fans threw seats at local supporters at Nice's Allianz Riviera stadium on Sunday, the French interior and sports ministries said.

An hour before the kick-off of the Ligue 1 game between Nice and Les Verts, away fans dismantled their seats and threw them towards the opposition supporters, a witness said.

Stadium stewards unsuccessfully tried to calm them down, with police then moving into the stands to remove the St Etienne fans, who numbered about 100.

One supporter was photographed hanging on to a stadium balcony and being assisted from above during the disturbances.

"Manuel Valls, the ministry of Interior, and Valerie Fourneyron, the sports ministry, condemn with severity the serious incidents that occurred before the Nice v St Etienne Ligue 1 game kickoff and during which nine were injured," the ministries said in a joint statement. The French League threatened a ban on travelling fans after the incident.

"Enough! The few cretins who claim to be supporters do not even realise they ruin the image of football," the French League (LFP) president Frédéric Thiriez said in a statement.

"I will ask a meeting with the ministry of Interior to discuss the supporters' trips to away games. If we don't succeed in resolving this problem it will end with a systematic ban on [supporters'] trips, which nobody wishes."

St Etienne won the game 1-0.


theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Cardiff City 2-2 Man Utd

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 10:02 AM PST

Manchester United extended their unbeaten run to 10 matches in all competitions but it was Cardiff who came away happiest with the result. Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra had given United a 2-1 lead, but Cardiff were competitive throughout and had their reward when Kim Bo-kyung, on as substitute, headed home Peter Whittingham's free-kick at close range in added-on time.

Rooney should probably have been sent off before he scored. In the seventh minute he kicked Jordon Mutch from behind and was fortunate indeed to escape with only a yellow card.

United were without their most commanding defender, Nemanja Vidic, and leading scorer Robin van Persie, both injured, and were never at their best.

For the Cardiff City manager, Malky Mackay, it may turn out to be a crucial point. Ridiculous though it sounds to those not familiar with the politics of the situation, those in a position to know were saying before the match that Mackay could not survive successive defeats here and at home to Arsenal on Saturday. Mackay and the club's owner, Vincent Tan, have not been on speaking terms since the Malaysian sacked Iain Moody, Mackay's friend and head of recruitment, and replaced him with a novice who was painting the stadium at the start of the season.

The relationship between manager and owner has deteriorated to such an extent since promotion last season that informed sources insist it is now a question of when, rather than if, Mackay leaves. The Cardiff fans, to the tune of "Achy Breaky Heart", sang: "Don't sack Mackay, Malky Mackay, I just don't think you understand. If you sack Mackay, Malky Mackay, you'll effing have a riot on your hands."

The situation seems even more absurd given the spirit Cardiff showed in fighting back to equalise twice against the Premier League champions in a contest that was big on atmosphere and aggression but short on cohesion and guile.

United used to be the ultimate challenge, the yardstick against which the rest were judged. The table indicates that is no longer the case, but for a club like Cardiff, on their first venture in the modern elite, the visit of the most celebrated team of them all is very much a red-letter day. Talking of which, in the Welsh capital there was yet another match-day protest against the so-called "rebranding", which made a nonsense of the nickname "Bluebirds".

For a sizeable proportion of fans, it is anathema to see their players decked out in anything other than blue and for them Tan is responsible for the change. But then there are many who will forgive the owner almost anything, bearing in mind that 12 months ago to the day Cardiff's opponents were Barnsley away.

No player in the league has made more defensive blocks than Steven Caulker and he was soon at it again as United assembled an assertive start, which was rewarded in the 15th minute by the opening goal. It was something of a gift from Caulker's centre-back partner, Ben Turner, who passed the ball straight to Antonio Valencia. The winger's cross, from the right, was transferred by Javier Hernández to Rooney, whose shot from 12 yards was inadvertently helped in by Gary Medel's last-ditch intervention. Conceding represented a major problem to Cardiff, who average less than a goal per game, but they levelled in the 33rd minute, when Mutch's through-pass enabled Fraizer Campbell to evade Jonny Evans before shooting accurately into the far corner, from right to left.

Two minutes later, the one-cap England striker, who began his career at Old Trafford, was back, shooting over on the turn. The goal breathed confidence into Cardiff and they were giving as good as they got, but in the 45th minute they were rocked back on their heels again when Rooney's corner from the left was headed home at the near post by Evra, whose marker, Medel, had gone awol.

It took a top-notch save from Scotland's David Marshall to repel a backward header from Marouane Fellaini early in the second half, but Cardiff were still very much in contention and in the 54th minute Campbell was desperately unlucky when his clever chip beat David de Gea, only to hit the crossbar at its junction with the goalkeeper's right-hand post.

Seeking an injection of pace, Cardiff introduced Craig Noone for his Premier League debut on the left wing, in place of Peter Odemwingie, and he made an instant impact: one run taking him past four opponents and another embarrassing Evra, who fouled him. United brought on Ryan Giggs in the 73rd minute and the Welsh international veteran, back in the city of his birth, was greeted by a storm of partisan booing. Danny Welbeck, also on as substitute, threatened to widen the margin late on, but the last word belonged to Kim and Cardiff.

Man of the match Steven Caulker (Cardiff City)

Joe Lovejoy

theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Cardiff City v Manchester United – as it happened | Jacob Steinberg

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 09:57 AM PST

Minute-by-minute report: Manchester United were denied victory in stoppage time but were fortunate that Wayne Rooney was not sent off

Jacob Steinberg

World Cup 2014: Rio police simulate riot in training – video

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 09:29 AM PST

French forces train Brazilian riot police in preparation for the 2014 World Cup finals

Manchester City humiliate Spurs – in pictures

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 09:14 AM PST

A six-goal thumping at the Etihad Stadium lifts City above Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Here, we round up the best pictures from our photographer Tom Jenkins

Tom Jenkins
Jonny Weeks

Manchester City 6-0 Tottenham Hotspur | Premier League match report

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 07:41 AM PST

If Manchester City could just sort out their away form, the Premier League might have a team capable of pulling away from the pack. They have now scored 26 times in six games on their own ground. Add another 11 from three cup ties and it can start to feel like a trick of the mind that Manuel Pellegrini's team have already lost four games on the road. Brilliant yet bewildering, it surely cannot be long before they correct the disparity.

They began in a hurry, scoring in their first attack, and by the time they were done it was almost a surprise they had not equalled, or improved, their club record for the second time in three weeks. After the fifth goal, 10 minutes into the second half, it had looked a safe bet they would go even further than the recent 7-0 mauling of Norwich, when previously the last time they had won by that margin in the top flight was against Burnley in December 1968.

Generously, they settled for only one more, in stoppage time, when the substitute James Milner launched a long ball forward, Jan Vertonghen feebly hung out his leg and suddenly Jesús Navas was running clear. It was the defending of an alehouse team and André Villas-Boas was not exaggerating when he said everyone involved should feel "ashamed" by the performance. The worst defeat of his career? "Extremely embarrassing," he said. "The worst defeat for everyone at Tottenham."

As harrowing as it was, the ordeal should actually have been even worse. Sergio Agüero, acclaimed by Pellegrini afterwards as next in line only to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, would have finished with a hat-trick if he had not wasted the kind of chance he usually scores blindfolded. Fernandinho, unmarked six yards out, mis-kicked, Samir Nasri curled a shot against the crossbar and was stopped another time only by Sandro's wonderful saving tackle.

Spurs were abysmal, in every department, and they would be hiding from a bleak and inescapable truth if they were to cling to the fact that Manchester United have also been humbled on this ground this season.

The tone was set when Hugo Lloris, with his first touch of the game, kicked the ball straight to Agüero, saved the shot and then watched Navas turn in the rebound for the fifth quickest goal since the Premier League's formation. Not as fast as Ledley King's 9.9 seconds for Spurs against Bradford in 2000, but not too shabby at 13 and a half seconds. That was the point at which, according to Villas-Boas, "our head was gone".

Another poor kick from Lloris was also partly to blame for the second goal but, for the most part, the goalkeeper was badly let down by his colleagues. A team simply cannot defend this obligingly and expect to get away with it. Vertonghen's part in the final goal epitomised their disintegration. The manner in which Álvaro Negredo took the ball off Michael Dawson, on the edge of the penalty area, to rattle in the fifth was another case in point.

Once again, appreciative chants of "Beast" rang out around City's fortress. Negredo can also consider himself unfortunate that his shot, to make it 2-0, will be registered as an own goal for Sandro. Lloris had kept out Agüero's effort and Negredo's follow-up was on target before ricocheting off Younès Kaboul, then Sandro, in the six-yard area.

By that stage Sandro had already been seen vomiting on the pitch. "The intensity of the game," Villas-Boas explained. Yet Sandro was not the only player to be dizzied. Navas and Nasri were excellent in the wide positions but Vertonghen and Kyle Walker afforded them far too much space. Vertonghen also went awol when Navas crossed for Agüero to nip between Dawson and Kaboul and poke in the third goal five minutes before half-time. Walker was not much better and the game ended with the Spurs goal difference at minus three.

They have managed only nine goals in their 12 league games and Villas-Boas must really have gone off Jermain Defoe if he cannot get a look-in when the team are so sterile. Roberto Soldado has lost his early-season impetus whereas Emmanuel Adebayor, coming off the bench for his first action this season, is an act of desperation.

Agüero has scored one more league goals than the entire Spurs team and is increasingly making a case to be recognised as the best striker to wear City's colours. Negredo, as Pellegrini said, is "perfect for the Premier League" and it could easily be forgotten they were without Vincent Kompany and David Silva, not to mention Joe Hart, three of the mainstays from their title-winning season.

Costel Pantilimon, still keeping out Hart, had an early wobble but was largely untroubled and should not be downcast that Pellegrini said he will swap goalkeepers against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on Wednesday. With City already through to the knockout phase, it is a game for the second string. All the same, who would bet against another goal-fest?

Their outstanding moment? There were plenty of candidates but Agüero's second goal, to make it 4-0, showed City at their fluent, penetrative best. Yaya Touré played one-twos with Fernandinho and Negredo in the buildup, surging through the Spurs defence and expertly rolling the ball into Agüero's path. Thirty-seven goals in nine home games, City will be unstoppable if they can start showing this level of sophistication away from their own stadium.

Man of the match Sergio Agüero (Manchester City)

Daniel Taylor

theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur – as it happened | Niall McVeigh

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 07:33 AM PST

Aguero, Navas and Negredo all netted as Man City ripped Spurs apart. Niall McVeigh was watching

Niall McVeigh

A-League: what we learned this weekend

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 03:52 AM PST

Joe Gorman: Besart Berisha is back; Adam Taggart has arrived; 10 beats 11; and some very good goals indeed

Joe Gorman

Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers reacts to Everton draw and Mirallas' tackle – video

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 03:40 AM PST

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers reacts following his team's 3-3 draw against Merseyside rivals Everton

Vinnie Jones has treatment for skin cancer

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 02:38 AM PST

Footballer-turned-actor says cancer is his 'toughest and scariest opponent yet' after operations to remove cancerous patches

Footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones has revealed he is having treatment for skin cancer.

The 48-year-old, who turned to acting after hanging up his boots, told the Sun on Sunday it is the greatest challenge he has come up against.

"Cancer is a horrible word to hear. It frightens the life out of you," he said.

"I've faced the biggest and ugliest lads on the football field and been in some nasty bar brawls. But this is my toughest and scariest opponent yet."

Jones found a lump under his eye, and did not know whether it was a wart or a spot until he went to get it checked out.

The former midfielder, best known for his Crazy Gang antics at Wimbledon, told the newspaper: "When the doctor said I had skin cancer, the first thing I thought was, 'How long have I got?' A million and one things go through your head."

Jones, whose on-screen career took off with his performance in Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, has had three operations to remove cancerous patches: two under his eye and one on the back of his head.

He told the Sun on Sunday: "It's weighing very heavily on me all the time. It has really knocked me for six and made me reassess my life and goals."

Jones said he had never done much sunbathing but thinks he developed the disease from working outside on building sites and football training grounds, and taking part in outdoor hobbies like fishing.

He warned others: "If you spot something on your skin that doesn't feel right, like a little spot or tick, then get it checked out immediately."


theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Premier League: Saturday's matches – in pictures

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 12:56 AM PST

All the best images from around the grounds including some comedy keeping, a rare Crystal Palace victory and some dodgy refereeing decisions

Steven Bloor

Newcastle Jets 3-1 Melbourne Heart | A-League match report

Posted: 24 Nov 2013 12:44 AM PST

An Adam Taggart hat-trick heaped further misery upon Melbourne Heart as Newcastle Jets beat the A-League's bottom side

Written by TBMU Admin

We are Manchester United Fan located around the World which provides user friendly, effective and easy to browse info regarding our Team. Each support/info is free. Support us by clicking the ads located in this site. Thanks

0 comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )
Click Picture Below for More Info

Popular Posts

Share

 





© 2013 TBMU . All rights resevered. Published by The Best Manchester United Admin Blogger

Back To Top