Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

Transfer deadline day – live!
Sébastien Bassong: 'Cars and looks are not things I worry about'
Tim Sherwood says Tottenham learned lessons in Manchester City defeat
Everton still in hunt for Champions League, insists Roberto Martínez
Moyes: United 'have best front three'
Fulham show attacking intentions with £11m deal for Kostas Mitroglou
Newcastle United glumly ponder life after Yohan Cabaye
McDermott leaves Leeds United
Dani Osvaldo joins Juventus on loan as Saints offload striker
Arsenal sign Kallstrom on loan
Mourinho: rivals 'dodgy' on FFP
Manchester United's Mata swoop belies transfer window marked by restraint | David Conn
West Bromwich Albion v Liverpool: squad sheets
West Ham United v Swansea City: squad sheets
Everton v Aston Villa: squad sheets
Cardiff City v Norwich City: squad sheets
Stoke City v Manchester United: squad sheets
Fulham v Southampton: squad sheets
Danny Rose sending-off for foul on Edin Dzeko overturned by FA
Our favourite things online this week: from Irish rugby to California love
Arsenal v Crystal Palace: squad sheets
Manchester City v Chelsea: squad sheets
The Fiver | Jumping into FiverCopter to escape the madness | Jacob Steinberg
Greece striker Kostas Mitroglou signs for Fulham from Olympiakos
Hull City v Tottenham Hotspur: squad sheets

Transfer deadline day – live!

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 03:12 PM PST

MBM report: Philippe Senderos and Dimitar Berbatov have left Fulham. Scott Murray has more

Barry Glendenning

Jacob Steinberg

Scott Murray

Sébastien Bassong: 'Cars and looks are not things I worry about'

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 03:00 PM PST

Norwich captain reveals a great responsibility for his extended family in Cameroon and his liking for the Jeremy Kyle show

Sébastien Bassong has covered everything from his faith in God to his fondness for the Jeremy Kyle show. He has spoken emotively about the huge responsibility he feels towards his extended family in Cameroon, explained why he refuses to conform to the footballer stereotype and dropped a couple of hilarious anecdotes into the conversation about Benoît Assou-Ekotto, his friend and international team-mate.

Arguably most impressive of all is that the Norwich City captain has managed to conduct an hour-and-a-half interview while looking after his three-year-old and three-month-old daughters at home. "A bit of luck," says Bassong, smiling as he glances at his two girls who have fallen asleep.

His own mind is busy, thinking about keeping Norwich in the Premier League and, if all goes to plan, representing Cameroon in the World Cup finals in Brazil. It is a make-or-break few months for Bassong, yet this teetotal, well-educated and deeply religious man refuses to let football consume him.

"I believe in God and read the Bible everyday," Bassong says. "There are some days when your faith goes down a little bit, for whatever reason, but it's always there. It's a big part of my life. Football is a different world. The way I see football … there is loads of fake. You're not living in the real life. For me, the real life will start when I stop playing football.

"This is my life for now, God gave me this life and I'm enjoying it and taking it with two hands but I'm trying not to be the typical player, who people will judge and assume is stupid, worried about his cars and his look. I'm trying to fight this stereotype for myself, because I don't want to be seen like that. I want to be seen like a normal guy. I'm just kicking a ball and making people happy, which is great. I'm not saving lives."

Bassong does, however, carry a weight on his shoulders every time he plays. Born and raised in France to Cameroonian parents, the 27-year-old defender has remained close to his African roots and returns there whenever possible. His career, which started with Metz and included spells with Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur before he joined Norwich in 2012, is a source of great pride to his relatives in Cameroon. But success, Bassong says, also brings "loads of responsibility in Africa".

"I'm from a really poor family in Cameroon, so for them it's a blessing to have someone who can bring a bit of sunshine to the family to get them out of where they are. So I'm working for myself and my close family but also people in Cameroon, because if I'm not doing it, who's going to do it? God gave me the chance to be able to play a sport that generates money. If at a certain stage I've got to share it, then it's a blessing for us. I enjoy giving. But pressure comes with it.

"Sometimes when you see an African player who is getting a move for money, people will hammer him. But me, as an African boy, I totally understand because when he is going back home, the African mentality is totally different than in Europe. Here, most of the players will look after their mum and dad, maybe brothers or sisters. Us … my family is huge. When I go back to Cameroon, I'm looking after hundreds and hundreds of people who rely on me in terms of everything. I don't want to disappoint them."

Bassong says he would like to stay involved in football when his playing career ends but he has ruled out management on the basis that it is "too stressful". He breaks into laughter when asked about the possibility of being in a dugout alongside Assou-Ekotto. "I don't see Benni being a manager," Bassong says, smiling.

Assou-Ekotto told this newspaper in 2010 that he played football for money, rather than any deep passion for the game. "I think he was saying aloud what loads of people are thinking but don't want to say," Bassong says.

"For him, it's a job. I played with Benni at Spurs and in the national team. He used to not even know who we were playing against. Sometimes he would say about opponents or team-mates in the national team when the squad was changing, 'Bass, who's that?'

"The best one I remember about Benni was when we were having the team photo at Tottenham and he arrived late, so we were all waiting for him. When he came, he apologised and was shaking hands with the players. Rafael van der Vaart had just signed and I was next to him. So Benni was shaking hands and when he got to Rafa, he shook his hand, stood still and looked at him. And then he asked me in French: 'Who's that?' I said: 'It's Van der Vaart.'

"Benni said: 'OK, nice to meet you.' Harry [Redknapp, the Spurs manager] had to explain. He told Rafa: 'Don't worry, he doesn't know who you are, he doesn't know anything about football, but he's a great player.'"

These days Assou-Ekotto is hoping to return to the Premier League with Queens Park Rangers while Bassong is trying to ensure Norwich stay in the top flight. It has been a testing time for Norwich, who are away at bottom-of-the-table Cardiff City on Saturday, but Bassong remains firmly behind Chris Hughton – "I rate and respect him highly as a man and the same as a manager" – and is confident there will be no repeat of the relegation he experienced as a player at Newcastle in 2009.

"I know what relegation feels like," he says. "Going down, I don't think players realise what impact it has on some people's lives – economic plans, sport-wise, it's a big loss. This club has been growing for the last three years and we are looking to establish Norwich as a proper Premier League team. Relegation would be a disaster but I don't think about relegation. That's negative. I believe in ourselves and what we are capable of doing."

Quite what Cameroon are capable of at the World Cup is anyone's guess. Drawn in a group with Brazil, Mexico and Croatia, Volker Finke's side will have to produce something special to reach the knockout stages. There is plenty of talent in the squad but, as ever with Cameroon, no shortage of off-the-field issues. "You [England] are puppies compared to us," says Bassong, smiling at all the politics behind the scenes.

After the first leg of the World Cup qualifier against Tunisia in November, Samuel Eto'o, who has been at the centre of so many disputes with the national team, claimed that he had heard of a "plot" not to pass to him. Finke accused Eto'o of "kindergarten talk".

Bassong, who missed the games against Tunisia through injury, is aware that Eto'o's presence is a divisive issue but he says that it is unthinkable to go to the World Cup without the Chelsea striker. "Samuel is a huge player for us, a huge character in the country – the most famous person after the president. Our pressure compared to him is nothing. But he's born to handle that. He's got to go to the World Cup. We will find a way to co-habit. Even if some people don't like the fact that he is going to be there, we all want the same thing: Cameroon to do well."

Bassong's younger daughter has started to stir, which feels like the cue to wrap up things. There is one final question: what on earth is behind his fascination with the Jeremy Kyle Show?

"It makes me smile,"Bassong says. "Even if they get paid, I don't understand how people can throw their life out in front of everyone.

"I've even recorded it once or twice, so that I can put it on when I'm in a bad mood and need to laugh."

BT Sport is the UK's newest sports TV service, with three channels showing a host of sport, including live top tier action from the Barclays Premier League, with 38 exclusively live matches.

Stuart James

Tim Sherwood says Tottenham learned lessons in Manchester City defeat

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

• Spurs' manager rebutts Alan Hansen's criticism
• Three long-term injured may return against Hull

The Tottenham Hotspur manager, Tim Sherwood, has rejected the suggestion that he needs to alter his approach against top teams, insisting that Wednesday's 5-1 defeat by Manchester City was caused by the brilliance of the opposition and a few individual mistakes by his players rather than any systemic flaw with Spurs.

Sherwood was accused of failing to deploy a midfield that provided adequate protection for Spurs' defence as City tore them apart at White Hart Lane. However, the manager said that that is not the lesson that he took from the match. "What we learned from it – what we learned from them really – is don't make a lot of unforced errors and keep the ball properly. Their goals came from human error."

Sherwood did not agree with the Match of the Day analysis by Alan Hansen, who claimed that Spurs needed to solidify their midfield. "I don't see that," said Sherwood, who suggested that any such adjustment would be excessively defensive. "I've seen a lot of teams go with 10 behind the ball, as we saw with West Ham [against Chelsea] the other night. But, if you concede 35 shots, you're usually going to concede goals. One in every 10 games might come off for you but, if you're going to keep taking punches, then you're going to end up on the floor."

Sherwood will attempt to get Tottenham's challenge for a top-four finish back on track on Saturday when they travel to Hull. The match could see Jan Vertonghen, Younès Kaboul and Paulinho return to action after long injury lay-offs. "They are like new signings," said Sherwood.

Paul Doyle

Everton still in hunt for Champions League, insists Roberto Martínez

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

• Manager backs team to bounce back after derby defeat
• 'We are hurting but we can still compete with top four'

Roberto Martínez believes Everton will return to Champions League contention providing the club learns from the "hurtful" Merseyside derby defeat at Anfield.

The Everton manager accepts doubts over his team's top-four credentials are understandable following Tuesday's emphatic 4-0 loss against Liverpool, who are now four points clear of their Merseyside rivals and three ahead of Tottenham Hotspur. Martínez insists there were mitigating circumstances for only the third league defeat suffered by Everton this season and his injury problems have increased with Romelu Lukaku out for "a few weeks" with an ankle injury.

But, despite hosting Aston Villa on Saturday without an established striker in his ranks, Martínez claims the manner of the derby defeat can be a catalyst for Everton's run-in. "We are hurting," the Everton manager said. "It is only the third defeat of the season but because of the meaning of the fixture, what it means to us and the fans, it is an especially big blow for many reasons. After that you need to take the emotions away and understand that it is just a defeat.

"We are alongside an elite group in the table with Arsenal and Chelsea who have only three defeats and the reality is we went to Anfield and couldn't add any points. But that is all it was. Now what we need to do is rely on our fans and make sure we support each other. We need to learn a lot from the defeat on Tuesday and if we do I think we will finally be a contender for the top positions in this table. You don't want a defeat like that against your rivals, but a defeat like Tuesday could push us into being a team that can compete in that top four."

Asked what lessons needed to be learned, Martínez replied; "It is about learning to have the role of being a favourite in these sort of games. Liverpool paid us a huge compliment by allowing us to have the ball or trying to press us high up and, once we got through that first line of pressure, they dropped deep and left players to hit us on the counter. That is a real football compliment but we didn't take advantage. It was the opposite. It made us uneasy, we couldn't deal with that and we lost concentration.

"The two goals we conceded in two minutes was not our standard. A long ball from a deep free-kick with 10 bodies behind the ball? That is not ourselves at all. We have a terrific defensive record. It is that mentality of understanding you need to take that football compliment on board and make sure you take advantage. It would be the mentality that we need to learn from as much as anything."

Andy Hunter

Moyes: United 'have best front three'

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 02:29 PM PST

• Mata, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie to face Stoke
• Moyes admits Dutch striker decides when he plays

David Moyes may start Robin van Persie, Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney for the first time against Stoke City on Saturday, with the Manchester United manager believing that they could become the Premier League's most formidable front three. Moyes admitted that he takes direction from Van Persie regarding when the forward feels in condition to play and for how long.

Mata, the club's record £37.1m signing, made his debut alongside Van Persie in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Cardiff City, with Rooney replacing the Dutchman during the second half. Both Van Persie and Rooney were making a first appearance following their respective injuries and, with Mata not yet at full sharpness, the manager is confident that once all three have had regular football they can be the finest trio in the league.

"I think they will be when we get them ready and totally match fit all of them and gelled together," he said. "We need to give Juan Mata time to settle in and not get too far ahead of ourselves too quickly. The one good thing is that because he has Premier League experience and being in the league and being at a big club, coming here should be a little easier. But we still have to be mindful that there is a change and we have to give him time for that to happen."

Moyes believes that Mata can play anywhere across the attacking three he fields in United's usual 4-2-3-1 shape. "Any one of the three I am comfortable to put him in. He did it for Chelsea and I can play him in any of those three roles," said the manager, who believes his big-name trio's ability to interchange positions with ease can bring a fluidity to United's play in the second part of the campaign. "Football is changing as the game goes on. Players change themselves," said Moyes. "There is a lot more movement especially with the forward players. They still have to play in a framework and from that framework you allow it to develop themselves."

With Michael Carrick, who had an ankle injury, and Marouane Fellaini, strained wrist ligaments, having recovered enough to be in contention for the trip to Stoke, Moyes has all of his senior players fit apart from Nani, whose hamstring problem is "serious" and may keep the winger out for a month.

Regarding taking Van Persie's direction about when the 30-year-old, who had been out since early December because of a thigh problem, feels he is fit enough to play, Moyes said: "I have taken Robin's advice on where he feels he is at, if he is ready to play and how long he feels he is able to play. All the things I am doing I am taking from Robin. He is a player who is so important to us. I need to know exactly where he is at."

Fellaini has not featured since the 1-0 defeat to Everton on 4 December at Old Trafford in what has been a difficult start to the midfielder's United career following his £27.5m summer move. "Fellaini has trained," said Moyes. "He is very close. I will probably include him in the squad. He is getting much closer. Injury has given [him] more of a chance to settle down, with not quite as much pressure on him to perform. He wasn't able to do a great deal of work in the opening two to three weeks because of the wrist but he has now picked up his running work and has been involved in the football for about a week now. He will play with protection on his wrist. It's a material one."

Moyes believes Fellaini can finally display his worth once fit. "We hope he will get opportunities to show what he can do. He will get chances to do that."

Rio Ferdinand is also available following a knee injury. "Rio is back training," said Moyes. "He is back. We will continue to use Rio at the right times and the right moments. Rio has made a great contribution especially in the first half of the season. I played him in nearly all the opening eight to 10 games. He was a big part in helping me to settle. He helped me get my feet under the table a little bit. He has competition for centre-half but he is very much valued and looked at as one of the senior players here."

Jamie Jackson

Fulham show attacking intentions with £11m deal for Kostas Mitroglou

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 02:10 PM PST

• René Meulensteen lets Dimitar Berbatov leave for Monaco
• Fulham also bring in Lewis Holtby on loan from Tottenham

René Meulensteen completed the £11m deadline-day signing of the striker Kostas Mitroglou, together with the loan of Lewis Holtby from Tottenham, as he reshaped his attacking options for Fulham's battle against relegation.

The manager will make Mitroglou the focal point of his team, having decided to allow Dimitar Berbatov to leave for Monaco. Berbatov's Fulham contract was due to expire in June and he has moved on loan for the rest of the season.

The 33-year-old has cut a disgruntled figure in recent weeks, with his agent having made it clear at the start of December that the Bulgarian wanted a move from Craven Cottage. Berbatov, who has endured a frustrating season, in contrast to his productive 2012-13 campaign for Fulham, felt that he needed a fresh challenge. The defender Philippe Senderos has also left, joining Valencia.

Mitroglou has that and great responsibility will fall on his shoulders, with Fulham second from bottom in the Premier League and saddled with comfortably the worst goal difference in the division. Fulham have paid more for a player only once – when they signed Steve Marlet for £11.5m from Lyon in 2001.

The club's owner, Shahid Khan, who took over last summer, has sanctioned the outlay as he worries about the prospect of relegation.

Mitroglou, the 25-year-old Greece international, who has eight goals in 28 caps, arrives from Olympiakos, where he has been in prolific form this season. He has 14 goals in 12 league appearancesgames, plus three in five Champions League ties – all three coming in the 3-0 group stage win at Anderlecht, when he became the first Greek player to score a hat-trick in the competition. He will now miss Olympiakos' last-16 meeting with Manchester United.

Mitroglou said that he consulted Fulham's Greece midfielder, Giorgos Karagounis, before he signed for four-and-a-half years at the club. "I'm here because I want to fulfil the club's targets," Mitroglou said. "I was really flattered that they wanted me so badly. René Meulensteen explained to me how he works and I am really looking forward to working with him."

Holtby has signed from Tottenham Hotspur, where he has struggled for regular football under Tim Sherwood. The Germany attacking midfielder, who scored the winner for Tottenham at Fulham in December, is determined to show his true levels in the Premier League and he was attracted by the prospect of regular football in his favourite position.

A mooted return to Germany, according to his agent, Marcus Noack, was "shattered due to circumstances we couldn't control." Sherwood said that Holtby still had a future at Tottenham.

Meulensteen also gave the defender Aaron Hughes to Queens Park Rangers for the rest of the season, to repay Rangers' gesture in agreeing to terminate Adel Taarabt's season-long loan at Craven Cottage. Meulensteen did not want Taarabt any more and neither did his Rangers counterpart Harry Redknapp. Taarabt has signed for Milan.

David Hytner

Newcastle United glumly ponder life after Yohan Cabaye

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 02:00 PM PST

Without the club's best midfielder since Rob Lee, the question is will the manager Alan Pardew redeploy Hatem Ben Arfa or offer the No10 role to Moussa Sissoko?

Yohan Cabaye was sitting towards the back of the plane but as it crossed the Bay of Biscay, he seemed very much at the centre of things.

Newcastle United were flying home from a Europa League tie against Benfica in Lisbon last April and, switching seamlessly between French and English, Cabaye held court. As he dominated the conversation, team-mates clustered around him, vying to attract his attention.

Alan Pardew's former playmaker always exuded the aura of the coollest boy in school and, give or take the odd bout of moodiness, proved a powerful dressing-room figure.

His influence did not end there. On the pitch Paris Saint-Germain's latest acquistion exerted a quite startling effect on colleagues. Following his arrival from Lille in the summer of 2011, Newcastle won 47% of their Premier League games when Cabaye featured on Pardew's team-sheet but, without him, triumphed in only 19%.

On Saturday they begin life without the club's best midfielder since Rob Lee, at home to a Sunderland side embroiled in a desperate relegation struggle but aiming for a third successive Tyne-Wear derby win. With Joe Kinnear proving a less-than-dynamic director of football, Pardew's hopes of signing Lyon's Clément Grenier as Cabaye's replacement swiftly faded leaving Newcastle's manager to make do and mend.

Stripped of Cabaye's amalgam of visionary passing range, stellar set-piece execution, sometimes devilish touch of aggression in the tackle and goals – seven in 17 League games this season – he faces a dilemma.

Does he redeploy the richly gifted yet infinitely less defensively aware Hatem Ben Arfa in the No10 role just behind the principal striker, a position Cabaye had made his own this season after advancing from a previously deeper brief?

Or might he offer the "No10" job to the far more athletic, if less imaginative, Moussa Sissoko, leaving two from Ben Arfa, Yoan Gouffran, Sammy Ameobi and Sylvain Marveaux to weave creative webs either side of Sissoko in a 4-2-3-1 formation?

Alternatively Pardew could revert to the much more direct 4-4-2 configuration which, in many ways, suits his generally strong, tall and hard-running – Cabaye proved an exception in these respects – squad.

"The team, with Yohan in it, was more how I like to play, more towards the vision I've always had," said Pardew. "The reason I targeted Grenier was to build around that theme, to create a team that can pass the ball quickly and work between the lines."

Without a natural creative catalyst he now faces a tussle with his inner pragmatist. "We all know I've got an ego but I've never been a manager that's egotistical about how we play," he said. "It's about getting the best results – and I think, if we don't replace Cabaye, we might have to change our style a bit."

Asked if he must decide whether to experiment with certain players operating "between the lines" or revert to direct football, Pardew replied: "Good point."

Not that he believes the derby should be seen as a template of Newcastle's future direction.

"You can't judge us without Cabaye against Sunderland because this game is different, it's just mad," he said. "It's disappointing we're going into it without Yohan and [the suspended] Loïc Rémy but I still think we can win."

The stage seems set for Ben Arfa, so often a substitute lately, to seize the moment. "If you were to say Hatem's time is upon him you wouldn't be far wrong," said Pardew.

"Hatem has amazing technical ability. But, sometimes, I think people assume he's super, cast-iron, confident. I don't think he actually is like that. I think he worries about the game and his defensive responsibilites. I don't want to heap too much pressure on him."

While Pardew wrestles with the equation of how best, and in which system, to deploy Ben Arfa, the more purist Gus Poyet remains philosophically driven.

Slowly but surely the Sunderland manager's dedication to a possession-based passing game is improving a team expected to offer debuts to Liam Bridcutt and Ignacio Scocco as away fans dream of reprising last April's dramatic 3-0 win at St James' Park.

Afterwards home supporters rioted in the city centre with one punching a police horse.

"I felt responsible for that," said Pardew, whose determination to prove that Newcastle really can win without Cabaye should not be underestimated. "I don't want it to happen again; I want us partying on Saturday night."

Louise Taylor

McDermott leaves Leeds United

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 12:45 PM PST

• The 52-year-old took charge only last April
• Leeds without a victory since mid-December

Brian McDermott is no longer manager of Leeds United. The news of the 52-year-old's departure comes at the end of a dramatic day at Elland Road which saw the Championship club's ownership issues thrust into the spotlight.

Ross McCormack, the Leeds captain, told Sky Sports News he was gutted by the news of his manager's departure.

United are in the midst of a takeover, which it is understood will be completed by the Italian Massimo Cellino, and throughout the week it has quickly become apparent that McDermott was not his man.

McDermott, who joined Leeds in April, gave a news conference on Friday afternoon during which he admitted that Saturday's game against Huddersfield could be his last before saying he intended to "enjoy" the occasion.

Cellino, the owner of the Serie A side Cagliari, has had a delegation in Leeds for the last week as he prepares to sign off a 75% purchase of the club from Gulf Finance House.

One of his party is the former Middlesbrough defender Gianluca Festa and it is understood that on Tuesday it was suggested Festa could sit in the dugout with McDermott during Leeds' 1-1 draw with Ipswich.

McCormack said: "I'm absolutely gutted because I had a really good relationship with the manager. I was looking forward to helping the club move forward under Brian McDermott and he made me captain. I'm very happy and content at the club but a big part of that was Brian McDermott.

"If I'd known that this was going to happen, I'd have had a right decision to make. I think he was a bit surprised in terms of how quick it happened. I think he always had an inkling.

"Me, speaking on behalf of all the players, would like to thank the gaffer for all his efforts and wish him well for the future."

Sky Sports News reported that the club sponsor FlamingoLand was withdrawing its support in protest and the Yorkshire Evening Post said Enterprise Insurance would do likewise.

Dani Osvaldo joins Juventus on loan as Saints offload striker

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 12:34 PM PST

• Italians to pay £15.6m to secure permanent deal
• Training ground bust-up with Fonte sealed his fate
• Follow the deadline deals on our live blog

Dani Osvaldo's ill-fated five-month stay at Southampton is over with the club-record signing joining Juventus on loan with a view to a permanent move.

Much had been expected of the 28-year-old after he swapped Roma for the south coast in August in a deal worth up to £15m.

The Italy international agreed a four-year deal but has managed only 166 days at St Mary's before the Saints have cut their losses following an altercation with his team-mate José Fonte last week.

"Juventus Football Club can today confirm that terms have been agreed with Southampton Football Club on a free loan deal for Pablo Daniel Osvaldo," the club said.

"The agreement also includes the option, to be exercised before 13 May 2014, for the purchase of the player's full registration rights at a price of €19m, to be paid over the course of three years."

That deal would be worth £15.6m to Southampton and the Serie A champions will pay his wages in full during the loan.

Osvaldo's departure will be a relief to Southampton after the manager, Mauricio Pochettino, admitted it would be hard for him to play for the club again.

Pochettino worked with the Argentina-born striker for just over a season at Espanyol and, when he signed, was quick to reassure fans that the controversies that had dogged his career were over.

However, Osvaldo attacked the popular defender Fonte during a session at the club's Staplewood training ground and was given a two-week suspension by the club.

"I'm very happy," Osvaldo said. "It's all been a bit of a whirlwind and I still can't quite believe it but I'm happy.

"It was pleasing when I first heard of Juventus' interest in me. When everything was completed last night I sat down and I couldn't believe it.

"As I said before, it's been a pretty hectic three or four days but I'm happy."

Arsenal sign Kallstrom on loan

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 12:00 PM PST

• Spartak Moscow veteran boosts midfield options
• Aaron Ramsey ruled out for six weeks
• Transfer deadline day blog – live!

Kim Kallstrom has joined Arsenal on loan from Spartak Moscow until the end of the season, as Arsène Wenger moved to strengthen his midfield options in the wake of Aaron Ramsey's injury setback.

Ramsey, the club's best player over the first half of the season, suffered a recurrence of his thigh problem when he returned to training earlier in the week and Wenger said the Welshman could be out for six weeks. Ramsey picked up the original injury at West Ham United on Boxing Day.

With Mathieu Flamini banned for three matches after his sending-off at Southampton on Tuesday and Jack Wilshere struggling with yet another ankle knock, albeit a minor one on this occasion, Wenger turned to Kallstrom. The Swede has top-level experience, a strong work ethic, is comfortable on the ball and dangerous at set-pieces. The 31-year-old, previously of Djurgarden, Rennes and Lyon, has 108 caps for Sweden. Kallstrom began his medical at the club on Friday lunchtime.

Wenger has Tomas Rosicky available again for the visit of Crystal Palace on Sunday, after complications arising from an operation to repair a broken nose and either he or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will partner Mikel Arteta in central midfield.

Wenger believes that Wilshere will be fit for next Saturday's Premier League trip to Liverpool. "I hope it [the injury] will be short term," Wenger said, while the manager has allowed the midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong to join Barnsley on a permanent deal. It was Ramsey's injury, though, that preoccupied Wenger. "Ramsey will be [out] between four to six weeks and I count six so I have no bad surprise. Of course, it's a blow for us because we recently lost [Theo] Walcott for a long period [the season] and now Ramsey is out for a long period. It's a big setback."

Arsenal's manager said of his new signing: "Kim Kallstrom is a hugely experienced player. He is a midfielder with proven quality at both club and international level."

David Hytner

Mourinho: rivals 'dodgy' on FFP

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 11:55 AM PST

• Chelsea manager keeps up holier-than-thou stance on rivals
• 'We can win Premier League next season, not this one'

José Mourinho has provocatively suggested rival clubs have adopted a "dodgy" approach to Uefa's new financial fair play (FFP) regulations as the Chelsea manager prepares for Monday's daunting trip to the current leaders and fellow lavish spenders, Manchester City.

Chelsea completed their January transfer business with the £12.5m arrival of Kurt Zouma from St Étienne on Friday, the centre-half returning to the French club on loan for the remainder of the season, to take their spending this month beyond £45m.

Yet Chelsea have recouped over £55m with the sales of Juan Mata and Kevin de Bruyne and, despite announcing losses of £49.4m in the figures released on New Year's Eve, are confident they will satisfy all FFP rules.

Indeed, they had made a small profit the previous financial year. City, in contrast, have recorded losses of £150m in that time, the period submitted for FFP, with millions written off against the FFP regulations because they concerned investment in facilities and youth development. The league leaders have an annual wage bill of £233m but have exploited a loophole – as, indeed, have Chelsea – to avoid taking salaries into account on contracts signed before 2010.

The Europa League holders will buy a forward this summer, though that investment will apparently be made while still falling within FFP rules. "Some clubs are feeling financial fair play as 'fair' financial fair play and others are feeling FFP as a 'dodgy' financial fair play," said Mourinho.

"But, independent of that and independent of what other clubs do, next season, from day one of pre-season, I will say Chelsea are candidates to win the Premier League. This season I won't say that.

"We know what we want [in the summer]. We don't want to do things like emergency plans. It's not our profile now. The players we're signing now are the right ones for our future: Nemanja Matic, Mohamed Salah, Zouma, a young kid for the future ... We don't sign a striker now as an emergency plan to score half a dozen goals to give us half a dozen extra points, whatever they may mean for us. So we're waiting for the summer to do the right thing in that area. We just know basically what we want and we know what we want is impossible to get in this transfer window.

"We did other things this month, not the striker. I've said that for a couple of months. Nothing in January [for a forward]. Many people don't understand why we didn't do anything but, in the summer, you will understand why we didn't do anything [with the striker in January]."

Dominic Fifield

Manchester United's Mata swoop belies transfer window marked by restraint | David Conn

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 11:28 AM PST

David Moyes's splurge, Arsenal's inactivity, the comings and goings at Chelsea and Manchester City's refusal to be ruled by financial fair play demonstrate the clubs' differing ambitions

The January transfer window, and its feverish, frantic final day, another of modern football's blessings for minute-by-minute modern media, has the effect of boiling clubs' characters and current state of ambition down to their essence. In the players signed during these cold weeks halfway through the season, habitually avoided by those happy with where they are, clubs display in abbreviated form how they see themselves.

As most of this final day broke little more dramatic news than Dimitar Berbatov's fitting farewell from Fulham for sunny Monaco, it left this January's dominant news as it was last week, at another of Berbatov's former clubs, Manchester United. When the flurry of deals have cleared at clubs like Cardiff City, securing Wilfried Zaha on loan as a last-day grasp at avoiding relegation, or Queens Park Rangers borrowing Kevin Doyle from Wolves to bolster the chance of promotion, United's £37.1m signing of Juan Mata will remain a solid act of football history.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson United were the model of January restraint, solemnly resisting the risk of paying a premium and displaying nerves about the season's closing months. David Moyes tried to show the same "don't panic" face to January this time, before he broke the club's transfer record bringing Mata to Old Trafford. That deal revealed where United have suddenly recognised they are, with a squad gradually depleted, while compensated by Ferguson's managerial mastery, in the years the Glazers drained £680m out to service their own bankers,.

The Glazers' representatives have always said United had cash amassed to spend despite the fortune taken out and that Ferguson had reached his own view that the modern transfer market was overpriced. Whatever it was which caused United to make no top-class signing after £30.75m Berbatov himself in 2008, until Ferguson signed Robin van Persie four years later, the Mata signing demonstrates the approach has changed. United have emerged from the tightest and most financially wasteful days of the early Glazer years with a mountain of cash, and now see that for every reason, football and financial, they must be prepared to spend it on good players. Whether Moyes and Ed Woodward, the executive now signing the deals, have the wherewithal to rebuild United remains unproven by this one January purchase.

The two Manchester clubs, and their opposite extremes of football ownership, is this season's dominant story, and was illustrated again on deadline day. City's 2012-13 financial accounts, published this week, showed that Sheikh Mansour, a prominent brother in Abu Dhabi's Al Nahyan ruling family, has spent £1bn on the club since he took over in 2008, funding £582m net transfer spending, in addition to the £150m he paid Thaksin Shinawatra to buy City. The accounts showed a £52m loss, after £98m in 2011-12, the two accounting years in which Uefa's financial fair play rules seek to limit total losses to €45m (£37m), less than a quarter of City's.

The fact City were even talking about potentially spending another £35m, on 31 January, on two more players, Eliaquim Mangala and Fernando from Porto, demonstrated the City regime's confidence they will sail on through Uefa's scrutiny. City are basing that belief on the exemption Uefa agreed with the top clubs, that they can discount from their loss figure the wages of players under contracts signed before 2010, when the rules were approved. Uefa will examine the books of all clubs closely and City's Etihad and other Abu Dhabi company sponsorships which must be for "fair value" if related to a club. There is also City's £47m income from "intellectual property" recorded this year, presumed to be branding, which included £22m sold to City's own new women's and New York teams. City's contemplation of expensively bolstering their ranks again demonstrates the bold confidence the Abu Dhabi directors have that their City project will continue as robustly.

The Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich's Chelsea expressed serious ambitions to rival City for the Premier League title while appearing to take financial fair play respectfully after their years of extravagance. Chelsea spent £42.5m in January signing Nemanja Matic from Benfica, Mohamed Salah from Basel under the nose of Liverpool who disappointed their supporters again, and Kurt Zouma, £12.5m from St Etienne, a somehow quiet acquisition on deadline day. Yet Chelsea actually spun a profit in January, from selling Kevin De Bruyne to Wolfsburg for a reported £17m, as well as Mata.

Arsène Wenger complained loudly about that, accusing Chelsea of knowingly selling Mata to strengthen United against other title rivals, having played United twice already. Yet that suspicious grumble was undermined by Wenger's own prolonged inaction in this transfer window, in this season when Arsenal have their best chance for years of actually winning the title. The signing of Mesut Özil in the very last moments of the summer transfer window gave the impression that spending on a major star had been somehow squeezed out of Wenger. Özil's impact transformed the arc of Arsenal's season and Wenger's own status, from approaching serious pressure, to the new contract signalled this week. Yet January showed Wenger and his club seemingly stuck in the same senior disapproval of the transfer market's excessiveness, sniffing at the prices like Ferguson did.

Newcastle supporters will feel that the month's other major deal, Yohan Cabaye leaving for Paris St-Germain with no replacement of any similar stature signed by Mike Ashley's director of football, Joe Kinnear, signalled a frugality of ambition, and selling mentality, in Ashley's approach to the club.

Apart from Chelsea's buying and selling and United's departure from tradition, this was a generally restrained January, partly showing how Premier League clubs are trying to be financially more responsible and partly a reminder that fortunes were spent in the summer.

David Conn

West Bromwich Albion v Liverpool: squad sheets

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 11:06 AM PST

West Bromwich Albion have won only one of their past 13 league games and if they defend anything like they did against Aston Villa, when they lost 4-3, Luis Suárez and Daniel Sturridge will have a field day. Diego Lugano, who endured a torrid evening at Villa Park, is expected to be dropped. Nicolas Anelka definitely misses out on the chance to face his former club after having seven stitches in a knee injury. Liverpool, buoyed by their 4-0 win over Everton on Tuesday, have Joe Allen available again. Stuart James

Kick-off Sunday 1.30pm

Venue The Hawthorns

Last season West Brom 3 Liverpool 0

Live Sky Sports 1

Referee K Friend

This season G10, Y34 R1, 3.6 cards per game

Odds H 4-1 A 4-6 D 3-1

West Bromwich Albion

Subs from Myhill, Amalfitano, Lugano, Vydra, Dawson, Berahino, Rosenberg, Dorrans, Tamas, Reid, Popov, Sinclair, Daniels

Doubtful None

Injured Anelka (knee, 8 Feb), Sessègnon (groin, 11 Feb)

Suspended None

Form LDLWDD

Discipline Y42 R0

Leading scorer Berahino 4

Liverpool

Subs from Jones, Allen, Kelly, Aspas, Moses, Alberto, Ibe, Smith

Doubtful None

Injured Agger (calf, 8 Feb), Sakho (16 Feb), José Enrique (knee, unknown), Coates (knee, Mar), Lucas (knee, Mar), Johnson (ankle, indefinite)

Suspended None

Form WDWWLL

Discipline Y31 R0

Leading scorer Suárez 23

West Ham United v Swansea City: squad sheets

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 10:54 AM PST

From the 19th century to Upton Park. Much to Sam Allardyce's amusement, West Ham were accused of being overly defensive by José Mourinho in their 0-0 draw at Chelsea, but they will need to refine their approach for the visit of Swansea City. West Ham, who will be without Joey O'Brien after he dislocated a shoulder at Stamford Bridge, remain in the bottom three, while Swansea eased their relegation fears by beating Fulham on Wednesday, their first win in the league for eight weeks. Jacob Steinberg

Kick-off Saturday 12.45pm

Venue Upton Park

Last season West Ham 1 Swansea 0

Live BT Sport 1

Referee H Webb

This season G19, Y56, R1, 3.1 cards per game

Odds H 2-1 A 13-8 D 12-5

West Ham United

Subs from Jaaskelainen, Spiegel, Reid, Potts, Johnson, Chambers, Diarra, Diamé, Collison, Morrison, Razak, Nocerino, Boriello, Vaz Té, Maïga, Lee, C Cole

Doubtful Diamé (knee), Reid (ankle), Vaz Té (match fitness)

Injured O'Brien (shoulder, March), J Cole (groin, unknown)

Suspended None Form DLWLDL

Discipline Y40 R4

Leading scorer C Cole 5

Swansea City

Subs from Cornell, Pozuelo, Amat, Dyer, Vasquez, Lamah, Tiendalli, Richards, Donnelly

Doubtful None

Injured Vorm (knee, 8 Feb), Michu (ankle, 8 Feb), Cañas (ankle, 8 Feb)

Suspended None

Form WLLLDL

Discipline Y41 R1

Leading scorer Bony 7

Everton v Aston Villa: squad sheets

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 10:48 AM PST

Roberto Martínez faces a serious test of his managerial skills as Everton look to respond to their Merseyside derby mauling after more injury problems than they had at Anfield. Romelu Lukaku's ankle injury, plus new signing Lacina Traoré's hamstring, leaves Everton painfully short of an attacking focal point against an Aston Villa team that has impressed on the road this season. Paul Lambert's team took a two goal lead on their recent visit to Anfield, and should have had more before being pegged back, and arrive confident from their own midlands derby defeat of West Bromwich Albion. Andy Hunter

Kick-off Saturday 3pm

Venue Goodison Park

Last season Everton 3 Aston Villa 3

Referee R Madley

This season G4, Y15, R1, 4.3 cards per game

Odds H 1-2 A 7-1 D 7-2

Everton

Subs from Stanek, Robles, Osman, Pienaar, Hibbert, Garbutt, Gueye, Vellios Doubtful None

Injured Traoré (hamstring, 9 Feb), Deulofeu (hamstring, 9 Feb), Distin (hamstring, 9 Feb), Lukaku (ankle, Mar), Koné (knee, Apr), Gibson (knee, Apr), Oviedo (broken leg, Aug)

Suspended None Form LDWDWL

Discipline Y38 R1

Leading scorer Lukaku 9

Aston Villa

Subs from Steer, Holt, Albrighton, Sylla, Baker, Tonev, Agbonlahor, Luna, Gardner, Bowery, Helenius

Doubtful Agbonlahor (foot)

Injured Okore (knee, Mar), Kozak (leg, Aug), Herd (hamstring, unknown), N'Zogbia (achilles, unknown)

Suspended None

Form WDLWDL

Discipline Y53 R0

Leading scorer Benteke 7

Cardiff City v Norwich City: squad sheets

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 10:40 AM PST

Given Cardiff have failed to win any of their last seven league games and Norwich have only managed one win in their last eight, it is fair to say this is a meeting of teams low on confidence. Loan signings Fabio da Silva and Wilfried Zaha could give the hosts some much-needed pep while the visitors are at least able to pick Bradley Johnson after his midweek red card against Newcastle was rescinded. David Cook

Kick-off Saturday 3pm

Venue Cardiff City Stadium

Last season n/a

Referee M Clattenburg

This season G15, Y53, R1, 3.7 cards per game

Odds H 5-4 A 5-2 D 12-5

Cardiff City

Subs from Lewis, Kim, Eikrem, Gunnarsson, Daehli, Berget, Jones, Bellamy, Théophile-Catherine, Taylor, Cowie, Connolly, Smith

Doubtful None

Injured Hudson (hamstring, 11 Feb)

Suspended None

Form LLLLDL

Discipline Y28 R0

Leading scorer Campbell 5

Norwich City

Subs from Bunn, Nash, Whittaker, Garrido, Becchio, Jacob Murphy, Josh Murphy, Hoolahan, Elmander, Pilkington, Redmond, Tettey

Doubtful None

Injured E Bennett (knee, unknown), Turner (hamstring, unknown), Howson (back, unknown)

Suspended None

Form DWLDLL

Discipline Y31 R2

Leading scorer Hooper 5

Stoke City v Manchester United: squad sheets

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 10:33 AM PST

After the midweek win over Cardiff City, David Moyes will want to see Manchester United build momentum at Stoke, where he may for the first time field Juan Mata, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney in the same side. Stoke are in freefall having lost their last four games. The reverse fixture in October saw United win 3-2 but a more regulation victory for the champions appears on the cards this time around. Jamie Jackson

Kick-off Saturday 3pm

Venue Britannia Stadium

Last season Stoke 0 Man Utd 2

Referee N Swarbrick

This season G12, Y38, R0, 3.2 cards per game

Odds H 6-1 A 8-13 D 3-1

Stoke City

Subs from Sorensen, Butland, Shotton, Muniesa, Pennant, Walters, Guidetti, Odemwingie, Assaidi, Huth, Ireland

Doubtful Huth (knee)

Injured Wilkinson (ankle, 8 Feb), Etherington (calf, unknown)

Suspended Nzonzi (one match)

Form LLLDLL

Discipline Y49 R3

Leading scorer Adam 5

Manchester United

Subs from Lindegaard, Giggs, Hernández, Smalling, Büttner, Carrick, Fellaini, Ferdinand, Welbeck, Valencia, Kagawa, Fletcher

Doubtful None

Injured Nani (hamstring Mar)

Suspended Vidic (last of three)

Form WLWLWW

Discipline Y44 R2

Leading scorer Rooney 9

Fulham v Southampton: squad sheets

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 09:10 AM PST

Lewis Holtby could make his debut for Fulham following his arrival on loan from Tottenham but Konstantinos Mitroglou, who has joined from Olympiakos, did not register in time to feature. Southampton have lost a maverick striker in Dani Osvaldo joining Juventus, also on loan. Many changing faces, then, and both sides will be hoping for a change in fortune having failed to win their most recent games. David Cook

Kick-off Saturday 3pm

Venue Craven Cottage

Last season Fulham 1 Southampton 1

Referee M Jones

This season G12, Y37, R1, 3.3 cards per game

Odds H 9-4 A 6-5 D 5-2

Fulham

Subs from Stockdale, Senderos, Karagounis, Amorebieta, Rodallega, Christensen, Duff, Tankovic, Kasami

Doubtful Amorebieta (knee)

Injured Riise (hamstring, 15 Feb), Briggs (hernia, Mar), Etheridge (hip, Mar)

Suspended None

Form LLLWLW

Discipline Y33 R0

Leading scorer Sidwell 5

Southampton

Subs from Gazzaniga, K Davis, Clyne, Hooiveld, Targett, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse, Isgrove, Lambert, Stephens, Do Prado, Reed

Doubtful Lambert

Injured Lovren (ankle, Mar), Ramírez (ankle Mar)

Suspended None

Form DDWLLW

Discipline Y38 R0

Leading scorer Rodriguez 9

Danny Rose sending-off for foul on Edin Dzeko overturned by FA

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 09:02 AM PST

• Spurs full-back was shown red and penalty awarded
• Pivotal moment in 5-1 defeat by Manchester City

The red card handed to the Tottenham defender Danny Rose for a foul on Edin Dzeko has been overturned, the Football Association has announced.

Rose was given a straight red for a tackle on Dzeko inside the home penalty box during Tottenham's 5-1 defeat to Manchester City at White Hart Lane on Wednesday.

Replays showed Rose clearly made contact with the ball, but a penalty was awarded by the referee Andre Marriner after his assistant Scott Ledger flagged for a foul.

After studying replays of the incident, which happened when City were 1-0 up, the FA has decided to rescind the red card.

That means Rose will be available to play in Spurs' away game at Hull on Saturday.

An FA statement read: "Danny Rose's one-match suspension has been withdrawn with immediate effect after the Tottenham player's wrongful dismissal claim was upheld by an Independent Regulatory Commission.

"Rose was dismissed in Tottenham's game against Manchester City on Wednesday for denying a goalscoring opportunity."

The Spurs manager Tim Sherwood said immediately after the match that the club would appeal, adding: "I think Andre got it right in the first place when he called it as a corner.

"Unfortunately for us, the linesman decided that Andre got it wrong and he's given a penalty there. I think Danny's making a last-ditch tackle so he's having to lunge in there a bit. He clearly wins the ball."

Our favourite things online this week: from Irish rugby to California love

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 08:39 AM PST

Featuring evolving team-talks, Super Bowl aggression, Brian O'Driscoll, computer games, cheerleaders and Juan Mata

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions on our last blog.

1) Where are these giants of the game now?

Brian O'Driscoll made his Ireland debut against Australia in 1999, when Warren Gatland picked the young centre for a match in Brisbane. Fifteen years later John O'Sullivan of the Irish Times has profiled the 14 other Irish players on the field that day. Most of them stayed in the game in one way or another, but special mention must go to Peter Clohessy, who "owns and runs arguably the most famous hostelry in Limerick, Clohessy's Bar, Gandelow restaurant and the Sin Bin nightclub on Howley's Quay and Croker's Bar and Restaurant in Murroe".

2) To all those who call me a thug or worse

Richard Sherman made all sorts of headlines when he gave his now-infamous post-match interview to Erin Andrews (which has now been parodied by Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog). He has written this article in Sports Illustrated to apologise (a little) and defend himself (a lot). "Andrews interviewed me after the game and I yelled what was obvious: If you put a subpar player across from a great one, most of the time you're going to get one result... It was loud, it was in the moment, and it was just a small part of the person I am. I don't want to be a villain, because I'm not a villainous person," said Mr Modesty.

3) California Love

When Sean McIndoe of Grantland set off to watch ice hockey in the heat of LA, he felt ill at ease: "I am a Canadian, and I had been sent to California to watch an outdoor hockey game. This was not right. This was a mockery of what outdoor hockey should be. There would be no softly falling snowflakes, though a smog advisory was possible. There would be no hot cocoa. There would probably be toques, but they would be worn ironically." He is not used to watching hockey outside, never mind outside in baking heat. But, by the end of his Californian adventure, he was more than a little seduced.

4) NFL cheerleading is a scam

It might not come as a huge surprise to hear that the world of cheerleading is seedy, but the way NFL franchises analyse, rate and test their staff is a bit sick. Cheerleaders are dropped if they pick up a little weight and they are told at the start of the season what their hair and make-up will look like that year. They must have "a warm skin colour tone for every gameday" and tell their bosses about their social networking accounts – all for a meagre wage. Billy Haisley and Deadspin deserve credit for publishing this exposé.

5) Transfer records, adjusted for inflation

In 1977 Kevin Keegan cost Hamburg £500,000, which sounds like nothing today's money. But the figure is pulled back into perspective when we remember that, while Keegan was packing his bags for Germany, the US TV series The Six Million Dollar Man reckoned a man could be rebuilt with bionic powers for what sounds like a modest sum in 2014. That kind of money would buy you Liam Bridcutt in today's money. Basically, to understand the true cost of transfer fees we have to allow for inflation. That's exactly what Paul Tomkins has done in this blog. The results are fascinating – and will provide little comfort for Roman Abramovich, whose purchase of Andriy Shevchenko looks even more prodigal now than it did at the time.

6) What video games can teach us about sports and ourselves

WM Akers explains everything to the geeks in The Classical.

7) Fame and money: the great destroyers

The Secret Footballer's cautionary tale about getting too much too soon takes in Diana Barrymore, Michael Johnson and a lovely story about how a friend of his who was in the Manchester United youth team kept his head on his shoulders: "'I never thought about earning money at United until the day I signed my first professional contract,' my friend recalled. 'Fergie called me in and said that the club had offered me £2,000 a week. He told me to take 10 minutes outside and then come in and let him know. I signed it there and then because I had to get back to clean Eric Cantona's boots.' I love that story." Us too.

8) 30 for 30: Judging Jewell

In the early hours of 27 July 1996, a bomb exploded into a crowd at the Atlanta Olympics, killing two people and injuring 111. The death toll would have been far higher if not for security guard Richard Jewell, who discovered the bag holding the bomb and helped clear the area. Yet within hours of the explosion, Jewell was being called a murderer and hounded by the government and media. The actual bomber was convicted later, but when Jewell died in 2007 he was still widely remembered as a victim at best and a killer at worst. ESPN have told his story in their latest 30 for 30 film.

9) The evolution of the half-time team talk

Gary Curneen, a US-based football coach with a Uefa A licence, has charted the history of the half-time team talk for These Football Times. Those 15 minutes between halves are something of a mystery to football fans; we know that tea cups are thrown, oranges are eaten and hairdryers are blown, but what do managers really say to their players? Curneen believes that coaches should maintain emotional control and impart a clear message to their players. As he puts it: "José Mourinho places so much significance on half-time that he spends 45 minutes preparing for it."

10) Athletes are more likely to finish high school than non-athletes

Fyodor Dostoyevsky once wrote: "The secret of man's being is not only to live but to have something to live for." Well, it turns out that the secret to keeping kids in school is to give them something to be there for – and sport can be that thing. Whatever works.

Paul Campbell

Arsenal v Crystal Palace: squad sheets

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST

Arsène Wenger will hope Crystal Palace's first visit to the Emirates sees his players climb back to the top of the Premier League – for 24 hours at least – even if Tony Pulis's team have become more awkward opponents. The home side have injury and suspension problems in midfield, while Palace will have to wait to blood any new faces other than Wayne Hennessey and Jason Puncheon, who were signed in time after their frenzied late attempts to add to their options before the deadline. Marouane Chamakh, perhaps more than any other visiting player, will be relishing an opportunity back at his former club. Dominic Fifield

Kick-off Sunday 4pm

Venue Emirates Stadium

Last season n/a

Live Sky Sports 1

Referee J Moss

This season G13, Y47, R2, 3.9 cards per game

Odds H 2-9 A 16-1 D 11-2

Arsenal

Subs from Fabianski, Viviano, Park, Jenkinson, Monreal, Vermaelen, Akpom, Zelalem, Ox-Chamberlain, Miyaichi, Podolski, Bendtner

Doubtful None

Injured Wilshere (ankle, 8 Feb), Ramsey (thigh, Mar), Walcott (knee, Aug), Diaby (knee, Mar),

Sanogo (back, unknown)

Suspended Flamini (first of three)

Form DWWWWW

Discipline Y33 R3

Leading scorer Giroud 10

Crystal Palace

Subs from Hennessey, Price, Alexander, Moxey, Guédioura, Bannan, O'Keefe, Williams, Wilbraham, Dobbie, Gayle

Doubtful Gabbidon (calf)

Injured Thomas (calf, 15 Feb), Murray (knee, 22 Feb), Dikgacoi (calf, 22 Feb)

Suspended None

Form WWLDLW

Discipline Y29 R2

Leading scorer Chamakh 4

Manchester City v Chelsea: squad sheets

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 08:12 AM PST

Manchester City are in great form and face fellow title rivals hoping to make it 12 league wins in succession. The visitors are in decent shape, too, having won seven of their last eight matches, with the run stopped by '19th-century' West Ham in midweek. Sergio Agüero and Fernando Torres, who both scored when these sides met at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, are missing. David Cook

Kick-off Monday 8pm

Venue Etihad Stadium

Last season Man City 2 Chelsea 0

Live Sky Sports 1

Referee M Dean

This season G15, Y53, R3, 3.9 cards per game

Odds H 9-10 A 7-2 D 11-4

Manchester City

Subs from Pantilimon, Nastasic, Clichy, Richards, Jovetic, Lescott, Rodwell, Boyata, Milner

Doubtful None

Injured García (muscle, 8 Feb), Nasri (knee, 21 Feb), Agüero (hamstring, Mar)

Suspended None

Form WWWWWW

Discipline Y42 R0

Leading scorer Agüero 15

Chelsea

Subs from Schwarzer, Hilário, Kalas, Cole, Ake, David Luiz, Mikel, Salah, Willian, Ba, Schürrle

Doubtful Salah (match fitness)

Injured Torres (knee, 15 Feb), Van Ginkel (knee, Apr)

Suspended None

Form DWWWWW

Discipline Y34 R1

Leading scorer Hazard 9

The Fiver | Jumping into FiverCopter to escape the madness | Jacob Steinberg

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 08:04 AM PST

Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving

IT'S ALL HAPPENING HERE!

This morning, the Fiver woke up. Friday morning! End of another great week! Gotta love a Friday morning! The Fiver felt great. Such possibilities for the weekend. The Fiver sprung out of bed, opened the curtains, made itself breakfast and turned on the television. And then it was confronted by a most terrible sight, especially on a Friday morning. There was a man standing outside Crystal Palace's training ground and although he looked like he was shivering, he also seemed to be curiously and inexplicably excited to be there, which is never a good sign. He stared at the camera and he let some words fall out of his mouth. "It's all happening here!" the poor bugger jibbered. "Wolves have accepted a £3m bid from Crystal Palace for goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey!" It's. All. Happening. Here. Four little words that could only mean one thing. The Fiver looked out the window again and this time it peered harder, using the telescope that was a birthday present from Weird Uncle Fiver, and saw that the streets were crawling with Sky Sports News reporters, their eyes manic, their mouths foaming, their minds understanding and their ears glued to around four, sometimes five, phones at the same time. Oh God, thought the Fiver, it's Jim White Day!

Suddenly the phone rang. Tentatively, the Fiver picked it up; it was the Man. "Fiver!" he yelped. "It's all happening here! Chelsea have signed St Etienne's Kurt Zouma! No, I've never done Zumba! Focus! Lewis Holtby has gone to Fulham on loan! Stoke reckon that £4m will do it for Sunderland captain Lee Cattermole! Arsenal are going to sign Kim Kallstrom on loan! Scott Dann, one half of Johnson and Dann, is having a medical at Palace. Kevin Doyle is joining QPR!!!!! I said Kevin Doyle is joining QPR! Swansea have bid £3.5m for Leicester's Jordan Schupp! I don't care if you've never heard of Jordan Schupp! They've bid for him! I don't care if you want some schnapps! Manchester City want Porto pair Fernando – stop singing! – and Eliaquim Mangala! Dimitar Berbatov is strolling off to Monaco! Have you seen what Dani Osvaldo is wearing for his Juventus medical? Have you? Have you? Fiver? Are you there? Fiver? Why you little! Fiver? Is this thing on? Don't you hang up on me! It's all happening here! I'll have you on toast for this, you sorry piece of work, don't bother coming in on Monday if you know what's good for you, you're so useless you're not even capable of phoning it in!"

And, no, The Fiver wasn't there. The Fiver had scarpered and had sprung its contingency plan into action, jumping into its special FiverCopter and taking to the skies in order to escape the madness. From there, it was able to spend its Friday in the way a Friday should be spent, embarking upon a grand tour of every last Wetherspoons in the country. It played a song on the jukebox in each one and as the day wore on and its vision became blurrier, it started to forget what all the panic was about in the first place, so it put in a call to Fiver Towers. "Hello," it hiccuped. "Got some breaking transfer news for you. Exclusive. Front page. Yeah. Hearing Andy Carroll's on the way to Liverpool for £35m. It's all happening here! Where am I? A service station near Milton Keynes. Hello? Hello? Are you there?" It was not, as it turned out, all happening here.

• Follow the D-Day 'fun' and games in this live blog!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"You will see how good City are in [Big Cup]. You will see in a couple of months. They are lucky. The reality is they have many crucial decisions in their favour" – José Mourinho keeps himself amused with some impartial observations before Chelsea's trip to Manchester City.

FIVER LETTERS

"It seems, after five years of effort, the Fiver's STOP FOOTBALL has finally taken effect … " – Noble Francis .

"Re Ashley Young's driving ban (yesterday's bits and bobs). Strange, I'd always seen him as such an upstanding citizen" – Patrick Brennan.

• Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. And if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver. Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is: Noble Francis.

JOIN GUARDIAN SOULMATES

We keep trying to point out the utter futility of advertising an online dating service "for interesting people" in the Fiver to the naive folk who run Guardian Soulmates, but they still aren't having any of it. So here you go – sign up here to view profiles of the kind of erudite, sociable and friendly romantics who would never dream of going out with you.

BITS AND BOBS

Whoever has got it in for Andy Gray has got it real bad. Less than a week after Gray appeared on BT Sport, a decade-old video demonstrating Gray and Richard Keys's unique take on male-female relations in the workplace has mysteriously appeared.

Arsenal's chances of finishing third have suffered a blow with the news that Aaron Ramsey will be out for up to six weeks with thigh knack.

Manchester City's chances of scoring 400 goals this season have suffered a blow with the news that Sergio Agüero is out for a month with a hamstring injury.

And Real Madrid are planning to galacticise the Bernabéu Stadium with a £330m redesign. "We want to make the Santiago Bernabéu the best stadium in the world," wept Real president Florentino Pérez.

STILL WANT MORE?

Alessandro Del Piero, 87, may waddle instead of run these days, but he still made Barney Ronay rub his thighs like Vic Reeves when he watched him in Sydney.

Here's half-a-dozen transfer deadline-day deals and other late season eff ups to warm your cockles, as told by Scott Murray.

Wondering what to look out for in the Premier League this weekend? Thought so.

Can you identify each Premier League club's record signing? Probably not. But if you like multiple-choice quizzes, click here.

Oh, and if it's your thing, you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace.

SIGN UP TO THE FIVER

Want your very own copy of our free tea-timely(ish) email sent direct to your inbox? Has your regular copy stopped arriving? Click here to sign up.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE JFK MOMENT?

Jacob Steinberg

Greece striker Kostas Mitroglou signs for Fulham from Olympiakos

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 07:48 AM PST

• Dimitar Berbatov due to have a medical with Monaco
• Lewis Holtby joins on loan from Tottenham
• Follow the deadline deals on our live blog

Fulham have moved to replace Dimitar Berbatov by completing the signing of the Greece striker Kostas Mitroglou.

Berbatov has been allowed to travel to Monaco for a medical ahead of a potential loan move to the Ligue 1 side.

If Berbatov passes, he will sign on loan until the end of the season when his contract with the Cottagers expires.

Fulham have replaced him with Mitroglou, who has moved to Fulham from Olympiakos for an undisclosed fee

West Ham were interested in the player but the 25-year-old has opted to move to Craven Cottage instead. He has signed a four-year contract with the west London club.

The striker began his career in Germany, but moved to Olympiakos in 2007. He has enjoyed a fine season so far, scoring 14 league goals in the Greek Super League. In total he scored 62 goals in 148 appearances for Olympiakos.

Fulham have also signed the midfielder Lewis Holtby joined on loan from White Hart Lane.

"Lewis will stay in London and has joined Fulham on loan until the end of the season," Holtby's agent Marcus Noack said. "Fulham has put much effort into Lewis. "It is a very well-run club with an excellent manager, René Meulensteen. The system and philosophy how Fulham plays fits well with Lewis.

"He will have match practice in the second half of the season in his favourite position and then we'll see how things are going by summer."

Holtby joined Tottenham from Schalke 12 months ago for just £1.25m but the midfielder's camp claimed Spurs wanted £8m to £10m for the player to go back there.

"A return to the Bundesliga has been shattered due to circumstances we couldn't control," Noack said.

As Fulham continued their last-minute shake-up, Adel Taarabt completed his loan switch to Milan.

The Morocco forward has joined the Rossoneri for the rest of the season, despite having only joined Fulham on a season-long loan from relegated QPR last summer.

A statement from Milan read: "AC Milan announces that Adel Taarabt has joined on loan from QPR, with an option to sign the player at the end of the season."

The 24-year-old striker made just 16 appearances in all competitions for the Cottagers.

Fulham are hoping to bring in at least three more signings before the deadline.

The Dutch international John Heitinga is currently finalising a move from Everton, while the Manchester United youngsters Larnell Cole and Ryan Tunnicliffe appear close to signing.

Hull City v Tottenham Hotspur: squad sheets

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 07:48 AM PST

Tottenham Hotspur have won all three away league games since Tim Sherwood took over as manager, and they face a Hull City team that are yet to take any points in the Premier League in 2014. Spurs edged a tight encounter last October, when a Roberto Soldado penalty 10 minutes from full-time separated the teams. Both these sides are looking to bounce back from midweek defeats. David Cook

Kick-off Saturday 3pm

Venue KC Stadium

Last season n/a

Referee A Taylor

This season G12, Y41, R2, 3.8 cards per game

Odds H 3-1 A 11-10 D 13-5

Hull City

Subs from Jakupovic, McShane, Brady, Boyd, Fryatt, Koren, Faye, Sagbo

Doubtful Figueroa (muscle), Brady (groin)

Injured Chester (hamstring, 8 Feb), Aluko (achilles, 8 Feb)

Suspended McGregor (first of three)

Form LLLLWL

Discipline Y35 R3

Leading scorer Brady 3

Tottenham Hotspur

Subs from Friedel, Gomes, Vertonghen, Paulinho, Sandro, Kaboul, Naughton, Fryers, Capoue, Chadli, Sigurdsson, Kane, Defoe

Doubtful Vertonghen (ankle), Paulinho (ankle), Sandro (calf), Kaboul (thigh)

Injured Townsend (hamstring, 8 Feb), Lamela (thigh, unknown)

Suspended Rose (one match)

Form LWWWWD Discipline Y40 R2

Leading scorers Adebayor, Soldado 5

Saturday, 1 February 2014