Sunday 30 December 2012

Suarez & Lampard inspire their teams to victories

Both Luis Suarez & Frank Lampard showed just how instrumental they are for Liverpool and Chelsea as they scored braces to win the two teams matches.

Despite going behind early to a Steven Pienaar strike, Chelsea fought back, with Lampard's two goals enough for a 2-1 away win over Everton.

Suarez then helped Liverpool take QPR apart, with three goals in the first thirty minutes enough to beat the West Londoners who, after Reading won yesterday, are in real trouble at the bottom of the table.

Saturday 29 December 2012

35 goals in 8 games on mad PL day

Arsenal and Newcastle produced an amazing game which had 10 goals, ending with a 7-3 win for the Gunners.

Manchester City survived a scare to beat Norwich 4-3 to keep up their chase of Manchester United, who won against West Brom 2-0.

Wigan put further pressure on Aston Villa with a 3-0 away win, while Stoke came back to draw with Southampton 3-3.

Swansea triumphed over Fulham 2-1, which you can see a special report on the blog, and Tottenham beat Sunderland 2-1 as well.

The full results are:
Arsenal 7-3 Newcastle
Norwich 3-4 Man. City
Stoke 3-3 Southampton
Aston Villa 0-3 Wigan
Man. United 2-0 West Brom
Fulham 1-2 Swansea (see special match report)
Sunderland 1-2 Tottenham
Reading 1-0 West Ham

Swansea 2-1 Fulham match report special

ZSN was lucky enough to have tickets to Fulham against Swansea at Craven Cottage. Our man Zachary Macpherson was there to write the special match report.

The game started off without many chances, with Fulham having the majority of the ball possession. A few minutes in however, the Cottagers had a good chance, with a strike that just looped over the bar.

It was Swansea who struck first though, with Danny Graham's effort finding it's way into the net around 20 minutes.

The half stayed at 1-0 to the Swans, with both teams having spells of pressure.

Soon after the break, however, a David Stockdale (the Fulham goalkeeper) mistake led to Jonathan De Guzman neatly putting away his shot to make the score 2-0.

Fulham, who had already been making the ball stay in Swansea's half, pressured Tremmel in the Swans goal and were rewarded with Bryan Ruiz scoring after a goal-line scramble which ended with the Costa Rica international making the score line 2-1.

Despite many times when only a good defence stopped Fulham scoring, including a disallowed goal for offside, Swansea held on to take the three points back to South Wales with a 2-1 score.

Friday 28 December 2012

A great year for British sport: review of 2012

2012, was to put it simply, one of the greatest years ever in terms of British sport. Champions League winners, first test win in India for ages, a amazing Ryder Cup comeback, a Tour De France winner and of course the Olympics and Paralympics - the list of fantastic achievements in sport over the past 12 months is endless. You can't possibly go through everything, but here at a few of the best (in no particular order):

WALES WIN THE GRAND SLAM (Rugby Union)

Despite one of the greats of Welsh rugby, Shane Williams, retiring, a Wales side that had just come off of a great 2011 World Cup went into the tournament as one of the favourites. New faces such as George North and Alex Cuthbert were instrumental in Wales' Grand Slam victory. Apart from the first week, Wales were on top of the table for every week during the competition. The Grand Slam was their third in eight years.

MAN. CITY WIN THRILLING TITLE RACE (Football)

Manchester City won the league title for the first time in 44 years after Sergio Aguero's stoppage time winner saved the Blues from second place.

Manchester United had won, and City needed two goals in more or less two minutes to win the Premier League. They did it, and the famous voice of the commentator screaming "Agueroooooooo!" has become the sound of the 2011/12 season.

CHELSEA WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOR THE FIRST TIME (Football)

After 9 years and a countless number of managers, a Chelsea side gave their Russian owner, Roman Abramovich, what he had been wanting for since he bought the club - the title of champions of Europe. A Didier Drogba inspired team defeated Barcelona in the semi-final before going on to beat Bayern Munich at the Germans' home ground on penalties to succeed in Abramovich's dream.

The manager wasn't one of the biggest names in football - it was Roberto Di Matteo, who was caretaker boss. After the Italian's triumph in both the Champions League and FA Cup he was given the permanent role. Soon after, however, he was sacked, something the Chelsea fans didn't take to very well.

CAPELLO SACKED, HODGSON TAKES OVER, ENGLAND LOSE ON PENALTIES (AGAIN!) (Football)

Fabio Capello's reign as England manager came to an end just a month before Euro 2012. The FA were quick to appoint West Bromwich Albion boss Roy Hodgson, who was doing well at the Hawthorns. The ex-Liverpool gaffer then took England to the Euro 2012 tournament in Poland & Ukraine. They succeeded in the group stage before facing Italy in the quarter-finals. The new-look side went out to the brilliance of Andrea Pirlo & co. on penalties.

ANDY MURRAY FINALLY WINS A GRAND SLAM (Tennis)

Andy Murray came back from his Wimbledon heartbreak to beat Novak Djokovic in the final of the US Open and become the first British man since Fred Perry to win a Grand Slam, having been runner-up on four other occasions.

He beat the Serbian Djokovic 7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 to win the title.

ENGLAND WIN IN INDIA FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1985 (Cricket)

Despite going 1-0 behind in the four match series, Alistair Cook & co. triumphed over India in India for the first time since the 1980's.

For the Indians, Sachin Tendulkar failed, while Cheteshwar Pujara hit centuries in a couple of innings.

Monty Panesar was one of the the main players for England against the international side that he could've played for, taking a few wickets per innings alongside Graeme Swann. On the batting side of things, Captain Cook and Kevin Pietersen both did well.

Alistair Cook branded the series 'as good as the Ashes win' amongst joyous celebrations.

WIGGINS BECOMES FIRST BRIT TO WIN TOUR DE FRANCE (Cycling)

Bradley Wiggins and his Sky teammates did what no Brits had ever done before in the world of cycling - they won the Tour De France.

Alongside his partner Chris Froome, 'Wiggo' as he is now known pulled off a great win as they beat other favourites to take the Tour De France.

They built an early lead, and more or less maintained it to the end.

It wasn't the end for Wiggins in 2012 - he went on to win Olympic gold, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award and capped it off with a knighthood.

THE OLYMPICS & PARALYMPICS (Sport)

Wow. Just wow. The Olympic & Paralympic games in London 2012 was THE best sporting competition EVER. Without a doubt, Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis, David Weir, Jonny Peacock, Ellie Simmonds, Greg Rutherford, Bradley Wiggins, Andy Murray, Katherine Grainger and all the rest took the nation by storm.

I can't begin to say how great it was. From the great sport to the great crowds, it really inspired a generation.

The actual medal table was disappointing for Team GB - we didn't finish as high as we did in 2008, but the way the games brought together the whole nation was fantastic to see.

So, 2012 was a pretty amazing year. Can 2013 top it? To be honest, I have to say I don't think so. With no football World Cup or European Championships and no home Olympics/Paralympics, it's going to be tough. But we're going to give it a chance.

Happy New Year from ZSN!

How is the Premier League shaping up?

As the teams reach the half-way mark in the Premier League season, ZSN looks how the Premier League is shaping up for the final half.

The leaders:
After a brief stint at the top of the table, Chelsea have slipped under the two Manchester clubs, who are looking the main two clubs to win. Although the Blues are only four points below 2nd place City, it is looking like a two-horse race at the moment, with Manchester United just ahead.

The fight for Europe:
This could be the year when a new club breaks into the top four. Having said that, from a few years ago with a 'big four' (Man. United, Chelsea, Liverpool & Arsenal) to a 'big two/three ( Manchester United, Manchester City & Chelsea), it has always been up for grabs. But this year, there are many clubs who are in the mix. Tottenham, Everton, West Brom & Arsenal are all close, with Stoke, Swansea and Liverpool a few points away.

I think Tottenham will take fourth, but the battle for fifth is a exciting one. Everton are probably to favourites, but West Brom and Swansea are looking good. Arsenal may pull through, and I half-expect the Gunners to grab a spot.

Relegation:
I think Reading and QPR are almost already down, but there are around four or five teams who could finish 18th. Wigan, Aston Villa, Southampton, Newcastle and Fulham are all in the danger zone.

So, let's look at my tables:

What I thought at the start of the season:

Table:
1. Man. City
2. Man. United
3. Chelsea
4. Liverpool
5. Tottenham
6. Arsenal
7. Newcastle
8. Fulham
9. Swansea
10. Stoke
11. Sunderland
12. Norwich
13. Reading
14. Everton
15. Aston Villa
16. West Brom
17. Southampton
18. West Ham
19. Wigan
20. QPR

And what I think now (after half the season):
1. Man. United
2. Man. City
3. Chelsea
4. Tottenham
5. Everton
6. Arsenal
7. West Brom
8. Swansea
9. Liverpool
10. Stoke
11. Norwich
12. Newcastle
13. Fulham
14. Sunderland
15. West Ham
16. Aston Villa
17. Southampton
18. Wigan
19. Reading
20. QPR

Thursday 27 December 2012

United build lead over City

Manchester United fought back against Newcastle 4-3 to further their lead on second-place Manchester City to seven points.

City surprisingly lost 1-0 to Sunderland, which did no favours in their battle to win a second Premier League title.

Gareth Bale hit a hat-trick as Tottenham whacked Aston Villa 4-0, the Villians have a goal difference of -12 in the last two games.

Stoke came back to beat Liverpool 3-1 and climbed above the Reds in the table.

The full results are:
Man. United 4-3 Newcastle
Sunderland 1-0 Man. City
Norwich 0-1 Chelsea
Aston Villa 0-4 Tottenham
Everton 2-1 Wigan
QPR 1-2 West Brom
Stoke 3-1 Liverpool
Reading 0-0 Swansea
Fulham 1-1 Southampton

Tuesday 25 December 2012

Merry Christmas from ZSN!

Merry Christmas and a happy new year from everyone at Zachary's Sports News. We'll be carrying on throughout 2013.

From Zachary

Sunday 23 December 2012

Chelsea hammer Villa and Swansea collect point

Chelsea absolutely annihilated Aston Villa with massive 8-0 victory.

Fernando Torres, David Luiz, Branislav Ivanovic, Frank Lampard, Oscar, Eden Hazard and Ramires (2) all scored in Chelsea's first Premier League game back after the Club World Cup.

Swansea held on to secure a point and frustrate Manchester United in a 1-1 draw at the Liberty Stadium, with Michu hitting his 13th goal of the season.

Tendulkar quits one-day cricket

Sachin Tendulkar has quit the one-day form of cricket.

After a great World Cup and collecting his 100th century, Tendulkar has failed to hit big scores.

Saturday 22 December 2012

Liverpool thrash Fulham and City grab late win

Liverpool thrashed Fulham 4-0 to help them climb up the table, with Stewart Downing scoring and grabbing an assist.

Manchester City took a late, late goal to break Reading's heart in a 1-0 win, while Mikel Arteta's penalty secured Arsenal a 1-0 away win against Wigan.

The full results are:
Liverpool 4-0 Fulham
West Ham 1-2 Everton
West Brom 2-1 Norwich
Manchester City 1-0 Reading
Wigan 0-1 Arsenal
Southampton 0-1 Sunderland
Newcastle 1-0 QPR
Tottenham 0-0 Stoke

Captain Morgan grabs England nail-biting victory

Captain Eoin Morgan hit a six on the last ball to level the two game T20 series against India 1-1.

After India made 177-8, Michael Lumb scored 50 and Alex Hales 42 to put England in a good position, but Yuvraj Singh took 3-17 to put the hosts back on track.

It went down to the last bowl of the last over with England needing three of the last bowl. Morgan smashed it for six to save England.

Thursday 20 December 2012

Yuvraj stars for India in Twenty20

Cricket: Yuvraj Singh batted and bowled superbly as India beat England by 5 wickets in the first Twenty20 in Pune.

After England had been 157-6 on 20 overs, with Yuvraj, who has faced a battle against cancer in the last year or so, getting figures of 3-19. The all-rounder then ran 38 to help his team have a total of 158-5 with a couple of overs left to win the cricket match.

British teams face tough challenge in Europe

Manchester United will face Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League, with the other British teams also facing tough challenges in the next round of draws in the Champions and Europa leagues.

Arsenal have games against Bayern Munich, while Celtic will face the team who knocked out Chelsea, Juventus.

In the Europa League, Liverpool will face Zenit St. Petersburg, Sparta Prague were rewarded with a draw against Chelsea, Newcastle have Metalist Kharkiv and Tottenham have a set of games against French team Lyon.

Chelsea thrash Leeds and face Swansea in League Cup

Chelsea came back from their 1-0 Club World Cup final loss to thrash Leeds 5-1 in the quarter-final of the League Cup.

Leeds were 1-0 ahead at half-time, but 5 goals from 5 different players took Chelsea through to the semi-finals.

The draw for the semis put the top ranked teams, Swansea and Chelsea, against each other, and the bottom two, Bradford and Aston Villa, head to head.

Wednesday 19 December 2012

London secures Championships

London has succeeded in it's bid to hold both the World Athletics Championships and the Paralympic Athletics World Championships in 2017.

Both events will be held in the Olympic stadium, with the PAWC scheduled to be held one month before the WAC.

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Arsenal comeback in style

Santi Cazorla became just the third Spaniard to score a hat-trick in the Premiership as his Arsenal side came back from their embarrassing loss at Bradford to win 5-2 at Reading.

The three Cazorla goals and a early Lukas Podolski strike put the Gunners 4-0 up on 60 minutes, just like Reading were on this fixture in the League Cup. Reading, surprisingly, almost re-did that match in their favour as they scored two quick goals to make it 4-2, but Theo Walcott scored to end the bottom club's hope.

Monday 17 December 2012

England clench historic win

England have won in cricket in India for the first time in 27 years.

Jonathan Trott (143) and Ian Bell (116 n.o.) both hit centuries to help the tourists seal the first away win over the south-east Asians for a long time.

Wiggins scoops SPOTY award

Bradley Wiggins has won the Sports Personality of the Year Award 2012.

He held off 2nd and 3rd Jessica Ennis and Andy Murray to grab the award, which Mark Cavendish, also a cyclist, won last year.

Wiggins' achievements include becoming the first Brit ever to win the Tour De France, and he won gold at the Olympics.

Do you think Wiggins should have won the award? Or another of the top twelve? For a reminder of who they were, look below:
Bradley Wiggins (cycling)
Jessica Ennis (heptathalon)
Andy Murray (tennis)
David Weir (wheelchair racing)
Mo Farah (long distance running)
Ellie Simmonds (Paralympic swimming)
Sir Chris Hoy (cycling)
Rory McIlroy (golf)
Sarah Storey (Paralympic cyclist)
Katherine Grainger (rower)
Ben Ainslie (sailing)
Nicola Adams (boxing)
Do you one of the others should have won? Or maybe another athlete that wasn't in the list. We'd love to see your views.

Sunday 16 December 2012

Craig wins Young SPOTY

Josef Craig, who won Paralympic gold, has won the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2012.

The fifteen-year-old, who has mild cerebral palsy, won the S7 400m freestyle in record time at the Paralympic games.

He beat contenders Jessica-Jane Applegate, who is also a Paralympic swimmer, and Rebecca Tunney, who was the youngest GB athlete at the Olympics in the gymnastics.

Tottenham win to go level with Chelsea

Tottenham beat Swansea 1-0 to go level on points with Chelsea, although the Blues' have a far better goal difference and a game in hand.

West Brom and West Ham played out a boring 0-0 draw in the other Sunday game.

Chelsea lose Club World Cup

Chelsea suffered defeat to Brazilian side Corinthians in the Club World Cup final in a more or less boring match.

The competition, which was held in Japan, puts the winners of the various continents' major tournaments up against each other. Chelsea, of course, won the Champions League against Bayern Munich, while Corinthians won the South American version.

The match itself was full of crunching tackles, and in the later stages of the game, a defensive error led to Corinthians scoring, to end the game 1-0.

Feature: What has happened to Fernando Torres

I am starting a new feature on Zachary's Sports News: A regular post where I put my thoughts on a pressing matter in sport. This time, the post is on the downfall of 'El Niño'.

Fernando Torres. A name that, a few years ago, would have striked fear into any defender's heart. The prolific Liverpool striker, signed from Athletico Madrid, was one of the hottest prospects in football. He was scoring almost every game, and Steven Gerrard was starting up a great partnership with the Spaniard.

Then he hit a bad patch. A few injuries, and he was nowhere near the amazing goalscorer he was in 2008/09. Liverpool fans got more and more annoyed with his poor performances, and he was no longer a full-time starter, like Gerrard or Pepe Reina.

He was becoming a liability, and the almost only reason he was still in the squad was because the Reds did not have another good replacement. However, when the 2011 January transfer window opened, he was up for grabs with quite a few big teams following his progress.

Many thought he would only reach a price tag of £15 million, but, in the final hours of the window, Chelsea swooped in for the World Cup winner. They paid a British record of £50 million.

It was risky. He wasn't the regular finisher that he was before, and the Blues' already had Didier Drogba amongst others.

Carlo Ancelotti showed his interest in his new signing by starting Torres in most of the games following his transfer, but after hundreds of minutes played, Torres hadn't scored.

Maybe it was the way he and Drogba played together. They never linked up well, and it never worked.

Chelsea fans gave Torres enough chances, but soon they had realised what the Liverpool fans had felt like just before 'El Nino' had left.

He was still played by Chelsea's ever changing managers, but never got off.

Almost all strikers go through bad patches, but this was getting worse. Torres wasn't scoring regularly, and it seemed as if he had passed his best.

In late 2011, Nicholas Anelka left for Shanghai Shenhua, and the Frenchman was followed by Didier Drogba in 2012 for the Chinese club.

Everybody thought that this would be Torres' big break. With the only other main striker for Chelsea Daniel Sturridge, he could really shine. Also, playmakers like Eden Hazard and Juan Mata were coming in to help set him up alongside Frank Lampard. He didn't make a huge improvement.

Now we go to the present. Although scoring a little more regularly, Torres has not found his old form. Look at the stats:

Torres at Athletico Madrid:
Apps: 214
Goals: 82

Torres at Liverpool:
Apps: 102
Goals: 65

Torres at Chelsea:
Apps: 62
Goals: 13
League only and as of 8 December

I think that Torres is past his best. He may find some form again, that is almost certain, but I don't think he'll ever be the exciting young prospect he was at Madrid, or the amazing striker he was at Liverpool.

What are your views on Fernando? Are you a Chelsea, Liverpool or even Madrid fan? Or just a football fan? What do you think? We would love to see some comments. When you read this, comment!

More features coming soon, so keep checking ZSN!

Saturday 15 December 2012

QPR seal first win this season

Harry Redknapp's QPR grabbed their first win of the season, as Adel Taarabt scored both in a 2-1 win over Fulham.

Liverpool were shocked at home by Aston Villa - the Villains securing a 3-1 win at Anfield.

Both the Manchester clubs beat their North East opponents 3-1, with City winning in the early kick off, and Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie both scored to grab United the win against Sunderland.

The full results are:
Newcastle 1-3 Man. City
Liverpool 1-3 Aston Villa
Man. United 3-1 Sunderland
QPR 2-1 Fulham
Norwich 2-1 Wigan
Stoke 1-1 Everton

India partnership leaves test undecided

India's Virat Kohli and M.S. Dhoni made a fantastic batting partnership of 198 runs.

Despite England not taking wickets for most of the day, a few in quick succession left India on 297-8, with Dhoni being cruelly run out for 99 and Kohli going out for 103. They trail the tourists by 33.

Thursday 13 December 2012

Swansea progress into semis

Swansea produced a bad performance but still got away with the goods as a late own goal have them a 1-0 win over Middlesborough in the League Cup.

Swansea, who have never before reached the semi-final stage, could face Aston Villa (who thrashed Norwich 4-1), Bradford (who pulled off a massive upset by beating Arsenal) Leeds or Chelsea (that tie is yet to be played due to the Blues' part in the Club World Cup).

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Arsenal go out to shock loss in League Cup

Arsenal were knocked out of the League Cup at the quarter-final stage with a shock loss to League 2 side Bradford.

After a 1-1 draw after extra time, Bradford pulled off a 3-2 win on penalties in front of a ecstatic home crowd.

Aston Villa beat Norwich 4-1 to cement their place in the semi-final, while Sunderland climbed out of the relegation zone with a 3-0 win over Reading in the Premier League.

Sunday 9 December 2012

United victorious in derby thriller

Manchester United survived a comeback from Manchester City to win 3-2 at the Etihad in a thrilling Manchester derby.

Wayne Rooney reached his 150 Premiership goals tally, becoming the youngest player to get to that record, by scoring twice in the first half-hour to put United 2-0 up, but with just 5 minutes to go after Yaya Toure pulled one back Pablo Zabaleta scored to level things up at 2-2.

Robin Van Persie had the last word, the 24 million man curling in a free-kick in stoppage time to secure a victory for the Red Devils and widen the gap to six points at the top of the table. It is also City's first home loss since 2010.

Liverpool came back from behind to beat West Ham away, with the Merseysiders grabbing a vital 3-2 win.

Two late goals from Everton grabbed them a 2-1 victory over Tottenham at Goodison Park, the Blues' leaping into into 4th place.

England wrap up 3rd test

England secured a seven-wicket victory over India to go ever closer to having a series win in India for the first time since 1985.

Saturday 8 December 2012

Torres brace in Chelsea win

Fernando Torres scored twice as Chelsea recorded their first Premier League win under Rafael Benitez with a 3-1 victory over Sunderland.

Mikel Arteta scored two penalties as Arsenal beat West Brom 2-0, while Swansea, despite almost having a successful comeback, lost 4-3 to Norwich.

The full results are:
Sunderland 1-3 Chelsea
Arsenal 2-0 West Brom
Swansea 3-4 Norwich
Southampton 1-0 Reading
Wigan 2-2 QPR
Aston Villa 0-0 Stoke

Friday 7 December 2012

England cement their grip on 3rd test

England finished day three of the third test finishing 509-6, although Alistair Cook went out on 190.

Pragyan Ojha took 4 wickets, and Ravi Ashwin 3.

Liverpool & Spurs join Newcastle in Europa League knock-outs

Liverpool beat Udinese 1-0 and Tottenham beat Panathinaikos 3-1 as they joined already-through Newcastle in the Europa League second round.

A nail-biting end in Italy as Antonio Di Natale, who caused Liverpool so much pain in the 3-2 win at Anfield earlier in the tournament, hit just over the bar with the last kick of the game.

Newcastle lost 2-0 to Bordeaux.

Thursday 6 December 2012

Euro 2020 to be held across Europe

UEFA have announced that Euro 2020 will be held in major cities across Europe, unlike the normal one or two country hosts.

The decision has received mixed reactions. Michel Platini, the head of UEFA, says that the decision of which cities will host the tournament will be decided in 2014.

Chelsea out but Celtic through in Champions League

Despite thrashing Nordsjaelland 6-1 Chelsea became the first ever Champions League Holders to go out of the group stage, as Juventus beat Shaktar Donetsk. They will grab Europa League though.

Celtic, however, secured an amazing second round place by beating Spartak Moscow 2-1.

Manchester United lost 1-0 to Cluj, but had already went through.

Wednesday 5 December 2012

England take control of 3rd test

England first bowled well and then Alistair Cook scored a century to cement their hold on the 3rd test in India.

Cook, 27, became the highest test scorer for England.

City crash and Arsenal await a tough draw in Champions League

Manchester City lost 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund to not go through to the Europa League.

Only 3rd place in the group stage goes through to the Europa League, and Manchester City's dismal three points from six games means they only finished 4th.

Arsenal lost 2-1 to Olympiakos which means that they do go through, but they will await a tough draw in the knock-out stage.

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Ba scores in Newcastle win

Demba Ba grabbed a brace as Newcastle stopped their losing run in a 3-0 win over Wigan.

Wigan were left at ten men when Maynor Figueroa was sent off on 12 minutes, and Ba smashed home the penalty.

The win means Newcastle stay in 14th place, but Wigan slip below Aston Villa into 16th.

Sunday 2 December 2012

Pressure mounts on O'Neill

Martin O'Neill's job as manager of Sunderland came under even more pressure due to a 2-1 loss to Norwich.

Sunderland went 2-0 down before Craig Gardner got one back.

It means that the Black Cats are only one point above 18th place Southampton, and Norwich have climbed up the table.

United get Hammers in 3rd round draw

Manchester United have got Premier League high-flyers West Ham in the third round FA Cup draw.

9 non-league teams are still included in the draw, although a few of them still have replays needed to play so that number is set to decrease.

Chelsea face Southampton, while Manchester City will welcome Championship side Watford to the Etihad.

Swansea host Arsenal at the Liberty Stadium, while Tottenham will bring Coventry to White Hart Lane in a repeat of the 1987 final.

The full set of fixtures are:

Manchester United v West Ham
Manchester City v Watford
Southampton v Chelsea
Tottenham v Coventry
QPR v West Brom
Cheltenham/Hereford v Everton
Swansea v Arsenal
Crystal Palace v Stoke
Lincoln/Mansfield v Liverpool
Fulham v Blackpool
Peterborough v Norwich
Brighton v Newcastle
Wigan v Bournemouth
Aston Villa v Ipswich
Bolton v Sunderland
Crawley v Reading
Barrow/Macclesfield v Cardiff
Leicester v Burton
Middlesborough v Harrogate/Hastings
Hull v Alfreton/Leyton Orient
Milwall v Preston
Blackburn v Bristol City
Nottingham Forest v Oldham
Leeds v Birmingham
Charlton v Huddersfield
Barnsley v Burnley
Derby v Tranmere
Luton v Wolves
Sheffield Wednesday v MK Dons
Accrington Stanley/Oxford v Sheffield United
Bury/Southend v Bradford/Brentford
Aldershot v Rotherham/Notts County

Saturday 1 December 2012

Man. United win thriller in Premier League

Manchester United come back from behind to beat Reading 4-3 with all the goals scored in the first half of the game, with Wayne Rooney scoring a brace.

Arsenal still have their worst-ever start to a season under Arsene Wenger, with Michu scoring two late goals for Swansea in a 2-0 victory.

West Ham inflicted further damage on new Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez's short reign, with Sam Allardyce's men winning 3-1.

The full results are:
Fulham 0-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 0-2 Swansea
West Ham 3-1 Chelsea
Reading 3-4 Man. United
Liverpool 1-0 Southampton
West Brom 0-1 Stoke
Man. City 1-1 Everton
QPR 1-1 Aston Villa

Rugby Union: England beat All Blacks

England secured a famous victory to stop New Zealand's 20-match winning streak.

Brad Barritt, Chris Ashton and Manu Tuilagi all scored tries for England who survived an All Blacks comeback, the game finishing 38-21.

Wales, however, where not so fortunate, with a late try from Kurtley Beale of Australia gave the Wallabies a 14-12 win.

Thursday 29 November 2012

United and City win but Chelsea draw in Premiership

Manchester United and Manchester City both secured wins but Chelsea could only grab a goalless draw against Fulham on a busy midweek round of fixtures.

Robin Van Persie scored the fastest goal this season in the Premier League, scoring after 33 seconds to win 1-0 against West Ham.

Man. City won 2-0 versus Wigan away, with Mario Balotelli and James Milner both grabbing goals.

Swansea stopped high-flying West Brom in their tracks with Wayne Routledge scoring a brace in a 3-1 victory, while Tottenham beat Liverpool 2-1.

The full results are:
Swansea 3-1 West Brom
Wigan 0-2 Man. City
Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool
Stoke 2-1 Newcastle
Man. United 1-0 West Ham
Everton 1-1 Arsenal
Southampton 1-1 Norwich
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Redknapp draws in first QPR game

Harry Redknapp's QPR side secured a 0-0 draw with Sunderland in the ex-Spurs manager's first game in charge of the West London side.

A late goal from striker Christian Benteke gave Aston Villa a win against Reading and lifted the Villains out of the bottom three.

Monday 26 November 2012

Cricket: England win second test

England beat India by 10 wickets to secure a second test win, levelling the 4-test series at 1-1.

Alistair Cook (122), Kevin Peitersen (186) both scored centuries. Monty Panesar took 5-129 in India's first innings, and 6-81 in the second, while Graeme Swann took 70-4 and 43-4.

Sunday 25 November 2012

Benitez booed in Chelsea draw

Rafael Benitez was booed throughout the game by the Chelsea faithful at Stamford Bridge in a 0-0 draw with Man. City.

Liverpool were held away by Swansea to a 0-0 draw, and Southampton continued their winning streak in a 2-0 victory over Newcastle. Tottenham beat West Ham 3-1.

Robinson quits as Scotland coach

Rugby Union: Andy Robinson has stepped down from his role as Scotland coach after his team's dismal 15-21 loss against Tonga.

England, Wales and Scotland lose in Rugby Union

England lost 15-16 to South Africa, Wales lost 10-33 to New Zealand and Scotland a surprising 15-21 loss against Tonga.

Ireland, however, scored 7 tries in a 46-24 win over Argentina.

Saturday 24 November 2012

QPR lose as Manchester United go top

Manchester United floated to the top of the Premier League as they beat QPR 3-1. Harry Redknapp did not choose the team, though.

Arsenal drew 0-0 with Aston Villa, and West Brom beat Sunderland 4-2!

The final results are:
Sunderland 2-4 West Brom
Man. United 3-1 QPR
Wigan 3-2 Reading
Stoke 1-0 Fulham
Everton 1-1 Norwich
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

Friday 23 November 2012

Pujara again thwarts England in second test

Cheteshwar Pujara again scored a ton against England as India finished day one of the second test on 266-6.

Monty Panesar finished the day on 4-91.

Hughes goes and Redknapp comes at QPR

Harry Redknapp has taken over from Mark Hughes as the new QPR boss.

Rangers sit bottom of the Premier League table, the only club to still not have won a Premier League game this season.

But Redknapp, 65, is no stranger to a tough challenge, having taken over at Tottenham in 2008 with the team 19th.

Mark Hughes was dismissed on Friday.

Thursday 22 November 2012

City go out and Gunners go through in Champions League

Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Real Madrid was not enough to keep their low chances of going through the group stage alive, and they became the first British side to go out of the European competition.

Arsenal, meanwhile, beat French side Montpellier 2-0 to cement their place in the second round, following Manchester United into the knockout stages.

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Benitez takes over in short term

Ex-Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has replaced Roberto Di Matteo, who was sacked earlier today, as Chelsea manager until the end of the season.

Benitez, 52, has been out of work since leaving his job as Inter Milan boss after just six months in charge and his appointment may pave the way for former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola to go to Stamford Bridge.

Benitez is, amazingly, Roman Abramovich’s ninth manager in his nine years in charge of Chelsea.

Di Matteo sacked as Chelsea boss

Roberto Di Matteo had left the post of Chelsea manager after the Blues' 3-0 loss to Juventus.

Despite Champions League and FA Cup trophies in May, the former assistant manager has been sacked after just 8 months in charge.

The main candidates for the job are ex-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola and former Inter Milan and Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.

Bad night for Brits in Champions League

Man. United, Chelsea and Celtic all lost in the Champions League, with Chelsea & Celtic looking like they're going out of the competition.

A youthful Manchester United side travelled to Turkey to face Galatasaray, with an average age of 24. They could only create half-chances, and eventually lost 1-0, losing their 100% record. However, they've already qualified, so it isn't threatening.

Celtic, however, were still contenders for going out, but at the start of the night they only needed a draw to go through. Benfica weren't going down without a fight though. The Portuguese side went ahead, for Celtic to draw level, before finally winning 2-1.

Chelsea lost 3-0 away to Juventus, with their chances of qualification getting slimmer and slimmer, needing a win in their last game and hope Shaktar beat Juve.

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Beckham to leave LA Galaxy

David Beckham has quit MLS side LA Galaxy, claiming he wants 'a new challenge' before his playing career ends.

Despite playing down talks of a move to Australia just days beforehand, has not said where he plans to go.

West Ham equalise to draw with Stoke

Joey O'Brien made it 1-1 at Upton Park for the Hammers after Jon Walters' early goal put Stoke ahead.

After being called 'El Long Ballio', not many people thought that this match would be a thriller.

And it was more or less the long ball game, with Stoke aiming for Peter Crouch and West Ham aiming for Andy Carroll

Monday 19 November 2012

Cricket: England lose first test

England's cricket team lost by 9 wickets against India in the first test in Ahmedabad.

Despite Alistair Cook (176) and Matt Prior (91) both hitting high scores, England were all out for 406, with Pragyan Ojha taking 4-120, leaving India with just 77 needed to win.

Virender Sehwag, who scored 117 in the first innings, went out for 25, but Cheteshwar Pujara scored 41 to help India secure the win.

Sunderland defeat 10-man Fulham

Martin O'Neill's Sunderland secured a vital three points in a 3-1 away win against Fulham who had Brede Hangeland sent off.

Fletcher, Cuellar and Sessegnon scored for the Black Cats, with Petric getting one for Fulham.

Sunday 18 November 2012

Ireland XV thrash Fiji but England and Scotland lose

Rugby Union: Ireland XV thrashed Fiji 53-0 but England lost 20-14 to Australia and Scotland were defeated 21-10 by South Africa in the autumn tests.

Scotland tried hard, but were ultimately overcome by South Africa at Murrayfield, losing 21-10.

Stuart Lancaster's England lost against Australia, the Wallabies grabbing a narrow but deserved win, 20-14.

Ireland XV (a contract means that 'Ireland' can only play home games at the Aviva Stadium, and because this game was held in Limerick, they had to change the name, and the players didn't get a cap) then completely thrashed Fiji, scoring 8 tries in a 53-0 victory.

Cook saves England against India

Alistair Cook batted a 168 n.o. to help England run the first test into the final day.

Despite Umesh Yadav taking two wickets in two balls, Cook and Matt Prior (84 n.o.) put England ten runs ahead of India in the first test, at the close the score being 340-5.

Saturday 17 November 2012

Ireland XV thrash Fiji but England and Scotland lose

Rugby Union: Ireland XV thrashed Fiji 53-0 but England lost 20-14 to Australia and Scotland were defeated 21-10 by South Africa in the autumn tests.

Scotland tried hard, but were ultimately overcome by South Africa at Murrayfield, losing 21-10.

Stuart Lancaster's England lost against Australia, the Wallabies grabbing a narrow but deserved win, 20-14.

Ireland XV (a contract means that 'Ireland' can only play home games at the Aviva Stadium, and because this game was held in Limerick, they had to change the name, and the players didn't get a cap) then completely thrashed Fiji, scoring 8 tries in a 53-0 victory.

Series of superb scores on exciting Premier League day

A series of surprising and exciting results happened on an superb Saturday.

Both Chelsea and Manchester United suffered shock defeats, the Blues losing 2-1 to West Brom, and the Red Devils succumbing 1-0 to Norwich.

Mark Hughes almost definitely signed his own firing, his QPR side losing 3-1 to fellow strugglers Southampton. Everton lost 2-1 to Reading, with the Royals, like the Saints, recording their first win of the season.

Man. City thrashed Aston Villa 5-0, while in the early kick-off, Arsenal overcame 10-man neighbours Tottenham 5-2.


Liverpool grabbed one of their best results of the season, beating Wigsn 3-0, while Swansea beat Newcastle 2-1 away.

The full results are:
Manchester City 5-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham
Liverpool 3-0 Wigan
QPR 1-3 Southampton
Reading 2-1 Everton
West Brom 2-1 Chelsea
Newcastle 1-2 Swansea
Norwich 1-0 Man. United

England fall early in 1st innings but build resistance in 2nd

England went all out for 191 before collecting a 111-0 at the close.

Pragyan Ojha took a great 5-45, with Ravi Ashwin following on 3-80, leaving England with a very tough job.

The tourists then batted their second innings, finishing with 111-0 on the close.

Woeful Wales suffer shock Samoa loss

Rugby Union: Wales lost 26-19 to Samoa in their second Autumn test.

After a dismal defeat to Argentina last week, stand-in coach Robert Howley demanded more from his players against the Samoan islanders.

But Samoa proved to much for Wales, who have gone from the heights of 4th at the World Cup and a Grand Slam win to these bad losses.

Friday 16 November 2012

Day two India v England: Pujara puts India in control

Cheteswar Pujara hit an unbeaten 206 as India took firm control over England on day two of the first test.

Pujara, on 98 from the close yesterday, led the way, before India declared on 521-8.

Ravichandran Ashwin then took two wickets when England finally started batting, leaving the tourists at 41-3 at the close.

Thursday 15 November 2012

Virender Sehwag century stops England

Cricket: Indian batsman Virender Sehwag scored 117 as India powered to a 323-4 close in the first test against England.

Cheteshwar Pujara also grabbed a high-score, with a 98 not out.

Graeme Swann was England's best, collecting all four wickets.

Zlatan zooms past England

Zlatan Imbrahimovic scored four as Sweden beat a England side full of debutants 4-2 in Stockholm.

Raheem Sterling, Steven Caulker, Leon Osman, Ryan Shawcross, Carl Jenkinson and Wilfried Zaha all received their first caps as England players.

But despite going into the break 2-1 ahead, England couldn't stop Paris Saint Germain striker Imbrahivomic, who's fourth was a simply amazing overhead kick.

Sunday 11 November 2012

Dzeko and Suarez save their clubs on Sunday

Edin Dzeko grabbed Manchester City a win and Luis Suarez saved a point for Liverpool on a busy Sunday.

City played Tottenham and trailed 1-0 for a long part of the game, but two late goals, from Sergio Aguero and Dzeko, gave Man. City a win, and kept the pressure up on Manchester United and overtook Chelsea.

Newcastle then suffered defeat at the hands of West Ham, ex-captain Kevin Nolan, now Hammers skipper, taking three points back to Upton Park, but Andy Carroll and Demba Ba, both playing against former clubs, couldn't make an impact in the 1-0 West Ham win.

Chelsea lost the opportunity to stay second in the league, after Luis Suarez cancelled out John Terry's goal, the Chelsea captain returning from a four-match ban to score with a header, before Suarez got one back to keep up Liverpool's unbeaten run.

Saturday 10 November 2012

Arsenal & Fulham trade goals in great match

Arsenal missed a late penalty to only draw 3-3 with Fulham, Dimitar Berbatov and Olivier Guroud both scoring braces.

Manchester United came back from 2 goals down to beat Aston Villa 3-2, and Marouane Fellaini kept up his fine form for Everton in a 2-1 win against Sunderland.

The full results are:
Aston Villa 2-3 Manchester United
Everton 2-1 Sunderland
Wigan 1-2 West Brom
Stoke 1-0 QPR
Arsenal 3-3 Fulham
Southampton 1-1 Swansea
Reading 0-0 Norwich

Friday 9 November 2012

Defoe hits hat-trick for Spurs in Europa League

Jermain Defoe scored three to help Tottenham go closer to succeeding their hope of going through the group stage.

Newcastle drew 2-2 with Club Bruges, stopping their 100% win rate in this year's Europa competition.

Liverpool played a second-string side against Anzhi, and paid the price, losing 1-0, and hurting their hopes of getting through.

Thursday 8 November 2012

Celtic clinch historic win over Barca and United go through in Champo League

Celtic secured a historic victory as they beat Spanish giants Barcelona 2-1 to give themselves real hope of getting through the group stage of the Champions League.

Manchester United were the first British team to secure a set of fixtures in the next round, winning 3-1 against Braga.

Victor Moses saved Chelsea's skin, finding the final goal in a 3-2 win against Shaktar Donetsk.

Wednesday 7 November 2012

City on the brink and Arsenal squander lead in Champions League

Manchester City are on the brink of Champions League elimination despite coming back from two down to draw with Ajax 2-2.

After falling behind within the 20 minute mark, Yaya Toure fought back with a goal a few minutes after. Sergio Aguero then won City a point with a 75th minute goal.

However, City haven't done what they needed to do, and while there is still a slight chance that they will progress, it is out of their hands.

Arsenal also drew 2-2, however they lost a 2 goal lead, a early advantage taken away by Germans Schalke. They still have a good chance of getting through, though.

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Saints still winless after loss at Albion

Southampton are rock bottom of the Premier League after a 2-0 loss against West Brom, with only 4 points from ten games.

Peter Odemwingie scored a brace to inflict more damage on the Saints' hopes of survival, and raised more questions on if Nigel Adkins is the right man for the Southampton job.

Monday 5 November 2012

Levein leaves Scotland role

Craig Levein has exited his role as Scotland manager.

The former defender, 48, only won 3 of the 12 competitive games he was in charge for.

Scotland have made a bad start to their World Cup qualifying campaign, only getting 2 points from four games. Ex-Celtic boss Gordon Strachan and former Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish are leading favourites for the role.

Sunday 4 November 2012

Suarez saves Liverpool a point and QPR and Reading stay winless

Luis Suarez helped Liverpool grab a deserved point against 10-man Newcastle at Anfield, 1-1 the final score.

QPR and Reading stayed winless at the bottom of the Premier League, also ending in a 1-1 draw.

Van Persie scores in United victory

Robin Van Persie scored an early goal against former club Arsenal to help Manchester United beat the Gunners 2-1.

Swansea held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw, with Pablo Hernandez scoring for the Swans to stop the Blues keeping top spot.

Tottenham were booed off to a 1-0 loss to Wigan at White Hart Lane - a fixture they won 9-1 just two seasons ago.

The full results are:
Man. United 2-1 Arsenal
Tottenham 0-1 Wigan
Norwich 1-0 Stoke
Sunderland 0-1 Aston Villa
Fulham 2-2 Everton
Swansea 1-1 Chelsea
Man. City 0-0 West Ham

Thursday 1 November 2012

Chelsea get Leeds and Arsenal-Bradford in League Cup draw

Chelsea have been drawn away to Championship side Leeds in the League Cup quarter-finals.

Bradford, conquers of Wigan, have grabbed a home game against Arsenal, who beat Reading 7-5.

Swansea have a home game versus Middlesborough, and ex-Norwich boss Paul Lambert faces his old club as they travel to play Aston Villa.

Chelsea triumph in thriller in League Cup

Chelsea beat Manchester United 5-4 aet in a thrilling game at Stamford Bridge.

Despite Nani seemingly grabbing the win for United in the second half, a late Eden Hazard penalty put it to extra-time at 3-3.

Daniel Sturridge and Ramires put it at 5-3, before Ryan Giggs scored a consolation goal for United.

Liverpool also went out, with manager Brendan Rodgers' old team, Swansea succeeding in a 3-1 win at Anfield, knocking out the holders in doing so.

Norwich also pulled off an upset, scoring twice in the last ten minutes to beat Tottenham 2-1.

The full results are:
Chelsea 5-4 Manchester United (aet)
Liverpool 1-3 Swansea
Norwich 2-1 Tottenham

Wednesday 31 October 2012

Arsenal pull off amazing comeback in League Cup

Arsenal came back from 4-0 down after 40 minutes against Reading to win 7-5 in extra-time.

After they Royals looked to have won the game on 40 minutes with a Noel Hunt goal, Theo Walcott soon grabbed a goal just before half-time.

Walcott then led the comeback, grabbing an equaliser in the dying seconds after Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny (who had scored a own goal earlier) scored.

It went to extra-time, and, despite Pavel Pogrebnyak making it 5-5 with just minutes to go, a Walcott third and Maroune Chamakh second won the historic victory for the Gunners.

That wasn't the only surprise of the night, with League Two Bradford knocking Wigan out on penalties, Swindon almost beating Aston Villa, Leeds knocking out Southampton and Sunderland losing to Middlesborough.

The full results:
Reading 5-7 Arsenal (after extra-time)
Leeds United 3-0 Southampton
Swindon 2-3 Aston Villa
Sunderland 0-1 Middlesborough
Wigan 0-0 Bradford (Bradford win on penalties)

Sunday 28 October 2012

United get big win and exciting Merseyside derby

Manchester United got a 3-2 win against Chelsea to close the gap on the league leaders.

Two quick goals gave United an early lead, but by 60 minutes Chelsea had fought back to 2-2. Referee Mark Clattenburg then dismissed Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres almost simultaneously, putting the Red Devils as firm favourites for a winner.

Which they provided. A seemingly offside Javier Hernandez scored a winner, to help close the gap in the title race.

Before that, however, a 219th Merseyside derby took place. Liverpool took a two goal lead, but Everton had pulled it back to 2-2 by half-time. And that was how it stayed for the rest of the match. But, in the dying seconds, Luis Suarez was denied a goal. He wasn't offside.

The full results are:
Chelsea 2-3 Manchester United
Newcastle 2-1 West Brom
Southampton 1-2 Tottenham
Everton 2-2 Liverpool

Premier League Saturday: City keep up with Chelsea

Manchester City stuttered to an unconvincing 1-0 win against Swansea yesterday in the Premier League.

Reading - Fulham was the highest scoring match, ending 3-3 with quite a few stunning goals.

A late Mikel Arteta goal saved Arsenal a embarrassing draw against bottom-club QPR at the Emirates.

The full results are:
Wigan 2-1 West Ham
Man. City 1-0 Swansea
Arsenal 1-0 QPR
Reading 3-3 Fulham
Aston Villa 1-1 Norwich
Stoke 0-0 Sunderland

Friday 26 October 2012

Reds and Toon Army win but Spurs stutter to a draw

Liverpool and Newcastle both grabbed important Europa League wins last night, but Tottenham could only settle for a draw.

Spurs had the early kick-off against Slovenian side NK Maribor, and fell behind, before Glyfi Siggurdsson grabbed Tottenham a point.

Newcastle were up against Belgians Club Bruges, and Gabriel Obertan scored the only goal of the game to help the Magpies win 1-0.

Liverpool had Anzhi Makhachkala, the 'Russian Manchester City' in terms of spending. They have famous figures such as Samuel Eto'o in their ranks.

However the Cameroon striker and co. failed to impress, and a rare Stewart Downing strike won it 1-0 for the Reds.

Thursday 25 October 2012

Europe: Has the time come for British teams to step down?

After an almost fully catastrophic start to the group stages in both the Champions League and Europa League - the question has to be raised: Is the golden era of British success in Europe drawing to a close?
Here is my team-to-team guide on who could still do well, and for which teams the dream may already be over.

Manchester City:
City have encountered a very tough group, all the teams in their category have won their country's league title in recent years.

Despite giving Real Madrid a run for their money in their first game, they lost, and maybe that has hurt them. Without Joe Hart against Dortmund, they would be on 0 points, not the 1 that they are on.

Getting through is definitely going to be difficult, as an away trip to Germany beckons. They'll need to capitalise on the home game against Ajax. However, needing at least 6 more points to qualify from only 3 games, it seems that the Premier League champions may yet again be in the Europa League soon.

Verdict: 4th. Qualification unlikely. Check the Europa League schedule if you're a City fan!

Arsenal: With a loss against Schalke, the Gunners are unlikely to finish top of their group. However, it does seem like they might qualify. They have to be careful, though, as away trips to Germany and Greece beckon. But, if they do not lose any of the remaining games (a tall order, but do-able), they should feature in the knockout stages.

Verdict: 2nd. Should get through. Have to fight though, a loss and they might be in trouble.

Chelsea: The Blues are lucky that the other teams in their group have also faltered. However, Juventus are slowly creeping up on Chelsea, and it looks like neither of them will catch Shaktar Donetsk. The away trip to Juve may be the separator.

Verdict:2nd/3rd. Qualification a possibility, though they have to not lose any of the remaining games - that may prove tricky. Away against Juventus is what I think will separate 3rd and 2nd.

Celtic: The Scottish champions face a bumpy ride if they are to get through.

Like for Chelsea, they have a team just a point behind, Spartak Moscow. The difference is that the first placed team, Barcelona, is far ahead of everyone else.

Verdict. 3rd. Again, qualification is a possibility. They'll have to keep their heads (not literally!) if they are to survive.

Manchester United: the Red Devils are doing the best out of all the Brits, winning 3 out of 3. However, they have fallen behind in two of those games. They need to fix this.

Verdict: 1st. Qualification almost certain. However, they may struggle against better opposition if they do not fix this problem of early goals.

Tottenham: Spurs are looking increasingly likely to go out of the Europa League. The away game to Lazio may be difficult, so Tottenham have to beat Maribor and Panathinaikos at home. Succeeding this, they will do well.

Verdict: 2nd. Qualification likely but it's going to be hard. Have to capitalise on the home games.

Newcastle: the Magpies are topping their group, though Bordeaux and Club Bruges may catch them up. Carry on like this, however, and they will quite easily qualify.

Verdict: 1st. Qualification likely, though any big slip-ups and it will turn into a hard struggle.

Liverpool: With the win over Anzhi, the Reds have limbed to the top of their group. As the Young Boys have beaten Udinese, though, this group is getting very tight, with even last place a contender.

Verdict: 1st. They'll have to play their cards right though, and any losses and they will be going out.


So, the British teams face a tough job getting through. Keep checking here for updates!

City and Arsenal suffer defeats in Champions League

Both Manchester City and Arsenal suffered bad losses against European opposition in the Champions League last night.

Despite going ahead through Samir Nasri against the run of play, Man. City may be facing another early exit as they lost 3-1 to Ajax.

Arsenal also suffered a 2 goal defeat, losing 2-0 at home to German side Schalke 04.

Wednesday 24 October 2012

United survive scare but Chelsea & Celtic lose in Champions League

Manchester United came back from a bad 2-0 down in 20 minutes at home against Portuguese side SC Braga to win 3-2, with Javier Hernandez leading the show.

After Braga striker Alan scored 2 inside 20 mins, Hernandez fought back to grab a brace, with Johnny Evans strike sandwiched in between the Mexican's efforts.

Chelsea's great Premier League form couldn't be reproduced in Europe, as the Blues lost 2-1 to Shaktar Donetsk. Oscar grabbed a late consolation goal, but Shaktar are now in firm control of group E.

Celtic gave Barcelona a scare, grabbing a 1-0 lead at the Nou Camp before Barca scored a late winner. 2-1 the final score.





Sunday 21 October 2012

Goals at first and last whistle in a busy North-East derby

A Demba Ba own goal on 86 minutes saved Sunderland from an embarrassing defeat against 10-man region rivals Newcastle.

Yohan Cabaye put the Magpies ahead after just three minutes, but Toon Army midfielder Cheick Tiote was sent off soon after.

They then held off the Black Cats for nearly 90 minutes, but Ba's og saved a point for Sunderland, the game finishing 1-1.

Everton also had to come from behind to an early goal, Junior Hoilett scoring after just 2 minutes, but a Julio Cesar own goal saved the Toffee's, who also had Steven Pienaar sent off.

Full results:
Sunderland 1-1 Newcastle
QPR 1-1 Everton

Big day in Premier League as Chelsea stay top

Chelsea beat London rivals Tottenham 4-2 to keep their great start to the season up.

Despite falling 2-1 behind at White Hart Lane, a Juan Mata style comeback saved Chelsea.

Manchester United also won 4-2, this time against Stoke. A Wayne Rooney own goal was soon turned back as the England striker equalised, and he scored another to help the Red Devil's chase of first-placed Chelsea.

Manchester City also won, but not as easily as their Mancunian rivals, with James Milner being sent off and Edin Dzeko having to save them in a 2-1 victory over West Brom.

The full results are:
West Ham 4-1 Southampton
Tottenham 2-4 Chelsea
Manchester United 4-2 Stoke
West Brom 1-2 Manchester City
Swansea 2-1 Wigan
Liverpool 1-0 Reading
Norwich 1-0 Arsenal
Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

Saturday 20 October 2012

England draw against Poland

Poland grabbed a late equaliser against England, to draw 1-1 in the re-scheduled World Cup qualifier.

Wayne Rooney's header was cancelled out by Gilk's goal.

The Three Lions lead their group.

Wednesday 17 October 2012

England match postponed in WC14 qualifiers

England versus Poland was postponed to 4pm British time on Wednesday, as heavy rain drowned the pitch.

Both Wales and Scotland lost 2-0 to European sides, Croatia and Belgium.

Saturday 13 October 2012

England and Wales win in WC14 qualifiers

Both England and Wales collected good wins in the World Cup qualifiers.

England played the joint-worst team in football, San Marino. San Marino is so small it's entire population would fit into Wembley, with more than 50,000 seats still empty!

Wayne Rooney, captain for the night, scored to in a 5-0 victory. 5-0 is 5-0, but against Marino, that's not amazing. Germany have beaten them 13-0.

Germany beat Republic of Ireland 1-6, as ROI had a terrible night.

Wales, mainly Gareth Bale, scored two late goals to see off Scotland 2-1, and get their qualifying off to a start.

Sunday 7 October 2012

United beat Newcastle to go second

Man. United beat Newcastle 3-0 to keep up the race for top spot against Chelsea and Man. City.

Full results:
Man. United 3-0 Newcastle
Tottenham 2-0 Aston Villa
Southampton 2-2 Fulham
Liverpool 0-0 Stoke

Chelsea stay top in Premier League

Chelsea beat Norwich 4-1 to stay top of the league, going 4 points ahead of their nearest opponents.

Manchester City won 3-0 against Sunderland, and Arsenal came back from behind to win 1-3.

Swansea came back from 2-0 down, to grab a point in a 2-2 draw against Reading. Everton almost slipped up in their brilliant start to the season, coming from behind to save a point in a 2-2 draw away to Wigan. West Brom beat QPR 3-2, to inflict even more damage on the bottom club.

The full results are:
Chelsea 4-1 Norwich
Manchester City 3-0 Sunderland
West Ham 1-3 Arsenal
West Brom 3-2 QPR
Swansea 2-2 Reading
Wigan 2-2 Everton

Friday 5 October 2012

Liverpool slip to loss in Europa League

A 'lazy' Liverpool side slipped to a 3-2 home defeat against Italians Udinese on a Europa League night featuring three British teams.

In an earlier kick-off, Tottenham conceded a late equaliser to draw 1-1 with Greek team Panathinaikos.

Liverpool lost a 1-0 lead to lose 3-2 at home to Udinese.

Newcastle were the only English team to win - they eased to a 3-0 win against French team Bordeaux.

Thursday 4 October 2012

City grab a draw in Champions League

Manchester City grabbed a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal beat Greeks Olympiakos 3-1 on Wednesday night in the Champions League.

Mario Balotelli scored a last minute penalty to salvage a draw against Germans Dortmund.

Arsenal recovered from an unconvincing first half to win 3-1 at home against Olympiakos.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Wins for British teams in Champo League

All three British teams triumphed away from home.

In an earlier kick-off, Celtic beat Spartak Moscow 3-2.

Man. United and Chelsea both faced almost unknown opposition, Nordsjaelland of Denmark and Cluj of Romania.

While Chelsea won quite easily in Scandinavia 4-0, United had to come from behind to beat Cluj 2-1, Robin Van Persie scoring both.

Sunday 30 September 2012

Suarez hat-trick gives Liverpool first win in Prem

A Luis Suarez hat-trick gave Liverpool a 5-2 victory over Norwich, on a day which also saw Tottenham Hotspurs get their first league win against Man. United in over ten years.

Chelsea beat Arsenal in a London derby, and Man. City won away against Fulham.

The full results:
Norwich 2-5 Liverpool
Everton 3-1 Southampton
Stoke 2-0 Swansea
Man. United 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea
Fulham 1-2 Man. City
Sunderland 1-0 Wigan
Reading 2-2 Newcastle

Thursday 27 September 2012

Liverpool and United progress in League Cup

Liverpool and Manchester United both won 2-1 against Premiership opposition to progress in the League Cup.

Arsenal also beat Coventry 6-1, Spurs beat Carlisle 3-0, Norwich 1-0 Doncaster, QPR lost 2-3 to Reading.

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Capital One Cup: City knocked out

Manchester City suffered a shock extra-time defeat against Aston Villa in only the third round of the League Cup!

After a 2-2 draw in normal time, Villa scored two to win 4-2.

Leeds also provided an upset, beating Everton 2-1.

The full results (featuring a Premiership team) are:
Chelsea 6-0 Wolves
West Ham 1-4 Wigan
Manchester City 2-4 Aston Villa
Sunderland 2-0 MK Dons
Leeds 2-1 Everton
Crawley 2-3 Swansea.

Monday 24 September 2012

England thrashed by India in twenty20

England had their lowest ever total in twenty20 cricket, losing to India by 90 runs.

Rohit Sharma hit an unbeaten 55 as India posted 170-4.

The south-east Asian's spinners then ripped England to pieces, with Harbhujan Singh (4-12) and Piyush Chawla (2-13).

Both teams had already qualified, but the matched showed England's weaknesses.

Terry announces retirement from internationals

John Terry has announced that he is retiring from England duty, mainly because he is still being faced by the FA about racially abusing Anton Ferdinand.

The Chelsea defender, who won 78 caps, was former England skipper.

Spirited 10-man Liverpool edged out by Man. United

A spirited Liverpool side, who had Jonjo Shelvey sent off, lost 2-1 against Manchester United.

Steven Gerrard opened the scoring in the first half, but Rafael got an equaliser a few minutes later. Robin Van Persie hit home a penalty to save United though.

Arsenal saved a point at Man. City, while Newcastle beat Norwich, and Tottenham won 2-1 against QPR.

Sunday 23 September 2012

Southampton get first win on busy day

Southampton got their first points of the season as they won 4-1 against Aston Villa, and Everton beat Swansea 3-0.

The full results were:
Swansea 0-3 Everton
Southampton 4-1 Aston Villa
Fulham 2-1 Wigan
Chelsea 1-0 Stoke
West Brom 1-0 Reading
West Ham 1-1 Sunderland

Thursday 20 September 2012

Youthful Liverpool win in 8-goal Europa League thriller

A youthful Liverpool side won against Swiss side Young Boys in the Europa League, the final score 5-3 to the Reds.

A catalogue of errors meant it was 2-1 to Liverpool at half-time, but Young Boys were leading 3-2 into the second half. A few good changes meant it was 5-3, with Jonjo Shelvey getting a late brace.

Oscar stars but Chelsea slip to draw

Chelsea failed to get their Champions League defence off to a winning start but had signs of talent in Brazilian Oscar, who scored two in his first starting line-up match against Juventus.

The £25m summer signing from Internacional, 21, scored first with a deflection off Juve player Leonardo Bonucci. However, his second was pure skill, and it left Italian goalie Buffon helpless. But, by the end of the game, the Italian champions had clawed back a point, a 2-2 draw the final result.

Manchester United, however, got off to a winning start, Michael Carrick grabbing a early goal against Galatasaray in a 1-0 win. Scottish champions Celtic drew against Portugese side Benfica 0-0.

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Ronaldo saves Madrid in Champions League thriller

5 goals in the last twenty minutes ended with Cristiano Ronaldo breaking Manchester City's hearts.

Edin Dzeko put City ahead with twenty minutes left, but Marcelo equalised 15 minutes later. Aleksander Kolarov thought he must have won it with 5 minutes to go, but Karim Benzema levelled and Ronaldo won it with only seconds to spare, a 3-2 to the Spanish giants.

In the other game featuring a British team, Arsenal came from behind to beat Montpellier away 2-1, with all three goals early in the match.

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Brilliant Ba saves Newcastle

Demba Ba came on to save Newcastle a point against Everton, scoring twice in a 2-2 draw.

Leighton Baines put the Toffee's ahead early on, before Senegalese striker Ba levelled on 49 mins. Victor Anichebe thought he had won it, scoring with just two minutes to go, but again Ba, who had seemingly lost his form after Papiss Cisse arrived at the Toon Army, grabbed a late point for Newcastle.

Monday 17 September 2012

Defoe fires Spurs to victory against Reading

Jermain Defoe grabbed a double in Andre Villas-Boas first win as Tottenham boss.

The England striker, who scored in the Three Lions win against Moldova, scored either side of Gareth Bale's goal, before Hal Robson-Kanu got a consolation goal for Reading late on, with the game ending 1-3.

Saturday 15 September 2012

Arsenal thrash Southampton on busy day in prem

Southampton suffered yet another defeat and Paul Scholes helped Man. United wallop Wigan on a exciting day in the Premier League.

Arsenal showed that they can still be a great team when they want to be, with Gervinho grabbing a brace in a big 6-1 win against the so far pointless Saints.

Scholes showed that he still can be a match-winner in his 700th appearance for Manchester United, scoring the opener in a 4-0 drubbing against Wigan.

Dimitar Berbatov scored twice in a dream home debut for Fulham, while Aston Villa ended Swansea's great start to the season and Raheem Sterling showed his class as the youngster helped Liverpool grab a draw at Sunderland.

Results:
Arsenal 6-1 Southampton
Man. United 4-0 Wigan
Fulham 3-0 West Brom
Aston Villa 2-0 Swansea
Sunderland 1-1 Liverpool
Stoke 1-1 Man. City
QPR 0-0 Chelsea
Norwich 0-0 West Ham.

Thursday 6 September 2012

Paralympics: Wheelchair Rugby

ZSN was lucky enough to get tickets for the wheelchair rugby in the Paralympics, and let us tell you - it was amazing!

The game is played in four 8-minute periods, and teams have to try and carry the ball over the line between the cones. It is played with a circular ball.

Sweden played Australia, and the Aussies triumphed over the Scandinavians.

Monday 3 September 2012

Paralympics commentary

Here's your Paralympic commentary.

10:30: We arrive. Amazing place! It has a great atmosphere.

10:32: 400m T52. Martin of USA wins the heat 2.

10:38: David Weir, one of Britain's best wheelchair races, competes in the T54 1500m semi-final. They're off! David Weir just gets 3rd and a place in the final.

10:47: The next 1500m T54 semi-final. No Brits in this one. Fearnley of Australia wins this.

10:55: The last T54 1500m semi. Again, no British racers. Thailand's Konjen wins.

11:07: Women's 400m T12 semi-final 1 (that means the athletes are blind or visually impaired). No Brits. False start, and the Chinese athletes are disqualified. Boturchok of Ukraine triumphs.

11:16: Discus final and the long jump final have been going on for a while now, but we go back to the track with the second T12 semi-final for 400m. El Hannouni of France wins.

11:22 GOLD for Sebastien Dietz of Germany in the Discus F35/36 final! Paralympic champion.

11:25: Women's 400m T54, Round 1, Heat 1. Jade Jones of Britain could do well in this one. China gets 1st. Despite a late surge, Jones could only grab 6th.

11:31: The second heat of the women's 400m T54. No representatives of Britain. And they start. USA's McFadden grabs 1st.

11:34: GOLD for Liu of China in the long jump. A Asian record!

11:37: The victory ceremony for the T44 100m. Marie-Amelie Le Fur of France won.

11:45: Another ceremony, this time for the men's 200m T44. Oscar Pistorius has silver, and Oliviera of Brazil gold.

11:50: Men's T12 100m heat. Trickolich of Russia gets it.

11:54: Women's T11 200m victory ceremony. Guilhermina of Brazil won gold.

12:00: Men's second semi-final of the 100m T12. China wins.

12:09: Men's last semi of the 100m T12. Michelski of Poland gets through.

12:13: Medal ceremony of the men's long jump F46. Liu has got the gold.

12:21: Men's Discus F35/36 ceremony. Sebastien Dietz won this one earlier, he's a German.

12:26: Men's 800m T12, round 1. Briton Devine is in this. And he gets through! A great last 100m won him it.

12:36: Men's 800m T12 heat 2. Egor Sharov from Russia won.

12:41: Heat 3 of the T12 men's 800m. The world champion from Tunisia goes through automatically in 1st.

12:47: Men's discus F11 medal ceremony. David Casino of Spain grabs gold.

12:53: Another ceremony. This time for the men's shot put F11/12. Ukrainian Andrii Holivets is given gold.

13:01: Men's 5000m T54 victory ceremony. David Weir collects the gold, and a huge cheer goes up from around the stadium.

13:16: Wow. So a epic session draws to a close, with everybody in a patriotic mood. Thanks for reading.

Zachary.

ZSN at the Paralympics!

Just like the Olympics, ZSN is lucky enough to get tickets to the Paralympics, and just like the Olympics, will provide a running commentary. Check here later!

Sunday 2 September 2012

RVP shows his worth

Robin Van Persie showed that he was worth his £24m price tag, with a hat-trick to save Manchester United from a embarrassing loss against Southampton.

He brought the Red Devil's back from behind twice for a eventual 3-2 win, but missed a second-half penalty.

In the other games, Arsenal beat Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield, and Newcastle saved a point against Aston Villa.

Saturday 1 September 2012

Fletcher in almost dream debut in Premier League

Steven Fletcher had a nearly dream start to his life playing for Sunderland, scoring both goals for his team in a 2-2 draw with Swansea.

In the other games, Andy Carroll also had a good start for West Ham (he signed on loan from Liverpool for the season), setting up a couple of goals as the Hammers won 3-0 versus Fulham.

The final results were:
West Ham 3-0 Fulham
Swansea 2-2 Sunderland
Tottenham 1-1 Norwich
West Brom 2-0 Everton
Wigan 2-2 Stoke
Man. City 3-1 QPR

Transfer window closes

The football transfer window slammed shut last night, with Manchester City and Tottenham making some big signings.

City signed Javi Garcia from Benfica for £16m, bought Scott Sinclair and Matija Nastasic, 19, from Fiorentina for £6.2m and £13m and Stefan Savic. They also signed Maicon of Inter Milan.

Spurs, on the other hand, got goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and sneaked Clint Dempsey in from under Liverpool's noses as well.

Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov left Man. United to go to Fulham, and Swansea brought in Pablo Hernandez for £5.5m as a replacement for Sinclair.

Thursday 30 August 2012

Gold start for GB in Paralympics

Sarah Storey and Jonathan Fox both gave ParalympicsGB a golden start at the London 2012 Paralympics.

Britain won medals in cycling (GOLD: Sarah Storey, SILVER: Mark Colbourne), swimming (GOLD: Jonathan Fox, SILVER: Nyree Kindred, Hannah Russell) judo (BRONZE: Ben Quilter), Powerlifting (BRONZE: Zoe Newson).

Paralympics officially opened

The Paralympic opening ceremony welcomed all the participating countries to London last night.

Great Britain's first ever Paralympic gold medallist, Margaret Maughan, 84, lit the flame.

3,000 volunteers took part in the ceremony, which included people with disabilities.

ZSN is lucky enough to be going to the games at least once, and maybe twice, so keep checking here!

Wednesday 29 August 2012

Andrew Strauss retires from cricket

England captain Andrew Strauss has retired from all types of cricket and will be replaced as skipper by Alistair Cook.

The 35-year-old led England to the top of the test rankings during his spell as leader.

Monday 27 August 2012

Modric completes move to Madrid

Luka Modric has finally completed his move to Real Madrid from Tottenham which is in the region of £30m.

The Croatia midfielder, 26, signed a 5-year-deal with the Spanish giants.

Sunday 26 August 2012

City need defensive error to grab draw

A bad defensive error from Martin Skrtel gifted Manchester City a draw against Liverpool.

Skrtel actually opened the scoring, with a powerful header. Yaya Toure grabbed a equaliser, but Luis Suarez put Liverpool ahead again almost instantly. A bad back pass from the Slovakian Skrtel let Carlos Tevez in though, and the Argentinean made a final score of 2-2.

In the other game of the day, Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw by Stoke.

Swansea keep up surprise streak in Prem

Swansea kept up their good form with a 3-0 win over West Ham, while Robin Van Persie scored a stunner in his full debut for United against Fulham.

The full results are:
Swansea 3-0 West Ham
Man. United 3-2 Fulham
Aston Villa 1-3 Everton
Norwich 1-1 QPR
Southampton 0-2 Wigan
Sunderland P-P Reading
Tottenham 1-1 West Brom
Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle

Saturday 25 August 2012

Moses completes move to Chelsea

Victor Moses, one of the stars of Wigan's campaign last season, has moved to Chelsea for around £9m.

The former Crystal Palace forward, who has played for England under 21's, is the second transfer to Chelsea in 24 hours, after the Blues signed ex-Marseille defender Cesar Azpiliceuta.

Johnson moves to Sunderland

Adam Johnson has moved to Sunderland from Manchester City on an undisclosed fee.

The former Middlesborough midfielder, who has 11 England caps, is the Black Cat's second big signing after Steven Fletcher from Wolves

Armstrong stripped of cycling titles

Lance Armstrong, who until a few days ago had 7 tour de France titles to his name, has had those wins taken away.

The American has been given a lifetime
ban for taking drugs.

Friday 24 August 2012

Korean Ki makes record Swansea move

South Korean international Ki Sung-Yueng, who has 47 caps for his country, has completed a record breaking move to Swansea City for around £6m.

It means the Swans have a new record transfer record.

Ki was a star performer at the London 2012 Olympics. Believe it or not, he is only 23 and has already got nearly 50 caps for his country!

Relegated Wolves lose stars

Matt Jarvis and Steven Fletcher have both left Wolverhampton Wanderers to premier league teams.

Jarvis completed a £10.75 million to West Ham, and Fletcher made a £14 mil move to Sunderland.

Although it is of course bad news for the club, the money they get from it will help them.

English teams do well in Europa League

Liverpool won and Newcastle drew away in the Europa League qualifying round last night.

Against Scottish side Hearts, The Reds needed a late own goal to win. In Greece, Newcastle had to come from behind to secure a draw away at Atromitos.

Motherwell suffered a bad defeat in the competition though, losing 2-0 at home to Spanish side Levante.

If the British teams win on aggregate, they will go into the group stage.

Thursday 23 August 2012

Chelsea scared but Blues pull through

Chelsea had to come from behind to beat a courageous Reading, eventually winning 4-2 in both teams second game in the BPL (Barclays Premier League).

After a busy first half-hour, which saw Reading come from behind to lead 2-1, they held their lead for 40 minutes before Gary Cahill levelled, and a seemingly offside Fernando Torres put Chelsea ahead, before Branislav Ivanovic finished it off on 90 mins.

It puts Chelsea on top of the table for the first time since November 2010.

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Paralympic flames lighted

The four official London 2012 flames were ignited on the highest mountains in each of the countries in Great Britain earlier today.

Scout groups each lit the flames on the mountains Ben Nevis (Scotland), Mount Snowdon (Wales), Scafell Pike (England) and Slieve Donard (Northern Ireland).

The Paralympic games starts next Wednesday, 29th August.

Tuesday 21 August 2012

Kevin Pietersen left out of England cricket squads

Kevin Pietersen has been left out of both the World Twenty20 and the one-day series with South Africa.

The 32-year-old has been left out for his 'provocative' texts insulting his England teammates.

Earlier in the week it wasn't a good return to county cricket, either, as the Surrey batsman was out for a golden duck (out on his first ball) against Hampshire.

Adebayor moves to Spurs from City

Emmanuel Adebayor has completed his move from Manchester City to Tottenham Hotspurs for a deal worth £5 million.

Although it is a great bargain for Spurs, it isn't as good for City - Adebayor cost them £25 million from Arsenal - a £20 million loss.

Meanwhile at the Premier League champions, three teams, Liverpool, Sunderland and Spurs, have shown interest in Adam Johnson.

Going into the Blues could soon be Swansea winger Scott Sinclair. Alan Curtis, the Swan's first team coach, has said the former Chelsea man, who has spent time on loan with the likes of Wigan, may be out of the South Wales club before the summer transfer window closes.

Fellaini destroys Van Persie debut

Marouane Fellaini stunned Robin Van Persie and Manchester United as Everton won 1-0.

Robin Van Persie barely featured as a 67th minute substitute, while Fellaini won it for the Blues in the early second half.

Sunday 19 August 2012

Man. City start with a scare

Reigning champions Manchester City and last years FA Cup winners kicked off their campaigns against Southampton and Wigan.

In the 1:30pm game, Chelsea played Wigan, and that finished 2-0 to the Blues.

Then, in the 4 o' clock kick off, City were scared by the newly promoted Saints. They went down twice, before Samir Nasri saved them to have a 3-2 final score line.

Manchester United and Everton start their seasons tommorrow.

Saturday 18 August 2012

Premier League kicks off with big results

Fulham and Swansea both beat Norwich and QPR 5-0 on a busy opening day of the 2012/13 season.

The full results were:
Fulham 5-0 Norwich
Swansea 5-0 QPR
West Brom 3-0 Liverpool
Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham
West Ham 1-0 Aston Villa
Reading 1-1 Stoke
Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland

So Brendan Rodgers had a catastrophic first game in charge of Liverpool, though Steve Clarke had a great one for West Brom.

Newly promoted teams West Ham and Reading both did well, with the Hammers grabbing a win and Reading getting a draw.

Fulham and Swansea were in dreamland, and they share top spot.

Thursday 16 August 2012

Prem predictions

It's here again - time for predicting big things in the premier league. Who will win the league? Who will be relegated? Who's going to grab the golden boot? These are my preds:

Table:
1. Man. City
2. Man. United
3. Chelsea
4. Liverpool
5. Tottenham
6. Arsenal
7. Newcastle
8. Fulham
9. Swansea
10. Stoke
11. Sunderland
12. Norwich
13. Reading
14. Everton
15. Aston Villa
16. West Brom
17. Southampton
18. West Ham
19. Wigan
20. QPR

Verdict: I think Manchester City will, once again, win the league, however it will be close with city rivals United, especially with the Reds' new striker Robin Van Persie.

At the other end of the table, I think West Ham, Wigan and QPR will be relegated. Wigan and QPR were lucky last season, and I don't think it'll happen again. West Ham looked shaky in the Championship despite their stars, and if they carry on like that they will drop back down.

Other predictions:

Top Scorer: Robin Van Persie

Player of Season: Carlos Tevez

Young Player of Season: Ryan Bertrand

New Signing of Season (from foreign leagues): Eden Hazard

What do YOU think will happen? Your views are highly appreciated.

Monday 13 August 2012

Photos from the Olympics

ZSN took some pics from the Olympic park and stadium, and here are some of the best!