So it’s “arrivederci” to Mr Capello and with that once again The FA are in search of fresh man with fresh ideas to manage the England football team. The now infamous “impossible job” is waiting ominously to be filled by a brave managerial soul and the national media appear to be in no doubt as to whom that man should be, yes it’s the half human half bloodhound hybrid, Harry Redknapp.

Redknapp, who was on Wednesday cleared of tax evasion at Southwark Crown Court, must have been relishing the thought of a quiet night in away from the intense media scrutiny which had been constant over the previous two weeks. Alas, he was to have no such luck as the media spotlight quickly beamed back on him, albeit for more positive reasons, following the resignation of Fabio Capello.

Seemingly the whole nation was immediately buzzing with talk of what Capello’s departure meant for the national team just four months before Euro 2012. The question constantly nagging me however was why? Why all the hysteria?

International football has become a rather underwhelming and dreary pursuit in the face of ever growing interest in the now epically hyped English Premier League and heavily revered Uefa Champions League.

How depressing the feeling has become when late on a mid-week afternoon as your attention turns towards the weekends domestic action you realise it’s an international break, a feeling only exacerbated further when the break is merely for a friendly.

The international breaks are often uninspiring, dull, an unwelcome distraction. It is becoming ever more commonplace that following a dispiriting international break the nation’s mood is once again lifted by a rip-roaring weekend of domestic football.

Success at International level was once considered the pinnacle of football achievement with the feats of Pele, Maradonna, Beckenbaur serving to immortalise them and the World Cup itself in the annals of football history. The former of these three football greats responded to Lionel Messi‟s third successive Ballon d‟Or by claiming the argentine magician cannot be considered a true great until he has achieved success on the International level.

The Pinnacle

The retort to this is straightforward; Messi has three Champions League winners medals, a competition which has undoubtedly superseded the World Cup as the pinnacle of excellence and achievement in the modern game. This is a fact which can be highlighted simply by identifying the two dominant forces in each spheres of the game. In the domestic game the superior outfit is clearly Barcelona, in international football it is Barcelona Lite, most commonly known as Spain……without Lionel Messi.

This is a major reason why Redknapp should stay put. He is already dining at football’s top table with an almost tangible chance of sitting at the head of it, at least domestically, providing he can find a way past the two Manchester’s and without the added pressure of a nations unrealistic expectations.

This is more than can be said for his chances with England, a team that despite a light sprinkling of exceptional players, still lacks the ball retaining ability, technical prowess and mental strength to compete with the offerings of Spain, Germany and Holland.  At international level Harry’s literally stuck with what he’s got and can no longer rely on his eye for talent and famous wheeler dealing that has helped him further Tottenham’s cause during his tenure.

The question Redknapp must ask himself is “can I actually be successful as England manager?” Obviously that depends on what is considered success but if the past is anything to go by that consideration will be seriously out of kilter with what is actually achievable and we all know how the story goes from there.

Contrastingly, at Tottenham he is potentially on the verge of something really special this season or the next with a couple of astute additions to a squad. A squad which, as Daniel Levy has already proved last summer with his resistance to the sale of Luka Modric, will not be dismantled, especially with Champions League football in the bag.

Impossible Job

Compounding all this is the very reason why we call the national the role the “impossible job,” the tabloid media. The England team has become less a body that regularly occupies football fans minds and more some form of toy for the national newspapers, with the football manager playing the most vulnerable of pawns in their often frenzied game.

Admittedly, Harry has them firmly on his side with pretty much unanimous support across the nations print rooms, but of course how quick this can change; Kevin Keegan anyone?

Following the failures of Steve McLaren the order of the day became experience, tactical knowledge, authoritarianism in order to get the best out of our over indulged “Golden Generation‟ and up until June 2010 Capello delivered this emphatically and was considered a shrewd appointment even at £6 million pounds a year.

Four disappointing games later and all that went out the window. His tactics were a problem, his grasp of English was a problem, his nationality, his wages, his choice of swimwear (who can forget the Speedos) you name it if it involved Capello it was a problem and remained a problem even after another successful qualifying campaign.

Accordingly, despite his managerial achievements still remaining relatively modest and indeed his own reservations regarding lack of daily contact with players, it is now the attributes that Redknapp possess which are in vogue.

But  its depressingly inevitable that the vulnerability of the role will eventually render these attributes unsuitable and ineffective and yet again we will be back where we are now, after all how can one succeed in the impossible job.

Commenting from a significant distant I think he‟d be mad to swap White Hart Lane for Wembley Way but nevertheless, it is highly likely that the lure of leading his nation will be, for Harry, a proud Englishmen, understandably too much to resist. I just hope he fully realises the position and potential he is walking away from and more importantly just exactly what he is walking into.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Ahead of the Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur match on Monday night, we look at the return of Luis Suárez and how Liverpool have fared in the Premier League in his absence.

Luis Suárez returns to the Liverpool squad for Monday night’s game at home to Tottenham Hotspur following a much publicised eight-game suspension.

Castrol EDGE Performance data shows that the Uruguayan is vital to Liverpool’s chances of finishing in the top four of the Premier League. Most significantly, Liverpool score a goal in the Premier League every 70 minutes when Suárez plays, compared with a goal every 86 minutes when he does not. As a result, Liverpool with Suárez have a win ratio of 44% and an average 1.72 points per game, whereas Liverpool without Suárez have a win ratio of 40% and an average 1.4 points per game.

Liverpool with & without Suarez – 2011/12

Suarez’s attacking threat is confirmed by the fact that he averages 4.5 shots per game, which is second only to Robin van Persie in the Premier League. He has also won the third highest number of free kicks (41), demonstrating that his quick feet are a constant problem for opposition defenders. The Uruguayan can also count himself as the unluckiest player in the league, hitting the woodwork more than any other (5).

Premier League Most Shots – 2011/12

Player	Team	Total shots	Games	Shots per game
van Persie, Robin	Arsenal	104	23	4.52
Suárez, Luis	Liverpool	81	18	4.50
Rooney, Wayne	Manchester Utd	90	20	4.50

Premier League Free Kicks Won – 2011/12

Player	Team	Free-kicks won	Games	Free-kicks won/game
Gutiérrez, Jonás	Newcastle Utd	58	22	2.64
Moses, Victor	Wigan Athletic	55	23	2.39
Suárez, Luis	Liverpool	41	18	2.28

Premier League Woodwork Hit – 2011/12

Suarez in the Premier League – 2011/12

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With the Manchester clubs tied on points at the top of the table and only Tottenham with an outside chance at the title, this year’s Premier League is almost guaranteed to be Manchester-bound.

But it’s not an easy road – Manchester United still have City, Tottenham and Chelsea (this weekend) away, plus Liverpool home. This weekend may be United’s best chance of beating Chelsea (in the league) since Roman Abramovich first arrived at Stamford Bridge. You have to remember that they won here in the Champions League last season (en route to progressing to the final) and drew in the league. Could this be the first win in so many years?

Chelsea v Manchester United

No doubting the big clash this weekend as Chelsea play host to arch rivals Manchester United in a Super Sunday double header (4pm KO, Live on Sky Sports 1).

It’s true to say Stamford Bridge hasn’t been a pay hunting ground in the league for United in recent years, with their last win in the PL against them coming 10 years ago.

However they have actually won five of the last six matches in all competitions against the Blues, and that makes them look overpriced at 2.9 with Betfred and worthy of a punt.

Having played Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool in quick succession, and with Liverpool coming up again, United are now at a crucial stage of their season having hauled themselves level on points with Roberto Mancini’s men at the top of the Premiership.

It’s vital that they keep up the pressure on their neighbours who are now beginning to wobble at one point looked invincible, and Sir Alex is sure to have them primed for this now that the league is their sole focus.

The home side come into this in shaky form having lost three out of their last seven home games, and they will once again be without their key striker as Didier Drogba is still away on duty in the Africa Cup of Nations.

John Terry, who has been making the headlines off the pitch this week, has also been ruled out due to an knee injury.

As far as the United teams news is concerned, Tom Cleverley is available for the first time since October, while Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney and Nani are also fit.

Sadly Anders Lindegaard faces six weeks out with an ankle injury, so David de Gea is set to return in goal.

Rooney has scored four goals in his last seven Premier League appearances against Chelsea and also netted on his last two visits to Stamford Bridge, one in the league and one in the Champions League.

He is a top priced 7 with Boylesports to net the opener, but from a punting perspective I like the look of him  in the anytime scorer market at a generous looking 2.6 with the same firm.

Newcastle United v Aston Villa

The first game on Sunday sees Newcastle take on Aston Villa at St James’ (1.30pm KO, Live on Sky Sports), and I like the look of the draw at 3.4.

This game may have ended 6-0 in favour of the Magpies last season, but they have not looed as sharp in front of goal in recent cup games, and the Villans have been in terrific form on the road.

Alex McLeish’s men have lost just two of their last 12 Premier League away games (W4 D6 L2) and none of the last five (W3 D2).

Among those victories was a win at Stamford Bridge, and they were arguably unlucky to go down 3-2 to Arsenal at the Emirates.

A repeat of either of those performances will, in my opinion, be good enough to give them a share of the spoils.

They also have an in-form striker in the shape of Darren Bent who has scored in four of his last five Premier League appearances.

I can’t see there being many goals in this one, and for those that like to play the correct score market 1-1 appeals at 7 with Betfred.

Arsenal v Blackburn

Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal need to get back to winning ways in the league and they are a top priced 1.3 with Betfred to just that in their game against Blackburn at the Emirates on Saturday.

The Gunners have not won any of their last four games in the Premiership and currently sit in seventh place as a result.

That is the lowest they have been in the table at this stage of the season since Wenger took over in 1996, and three points are vital if they are to close the game on fourth placed Chelsea to try and automatically qualify for the Champions League.

They are currently five points behind the Blues, and given that their next four league games after this are against a rejuvenated Sunderland on Wearside, Tottenham at home, Liverpool at Anfield and Newcastle back at the Emirates, they simply can’t afford not to win this.

So far as the stats are concerned everything looks rosy for Arsenal.

The Gunners had won the last seven successive home league games against the Lancashire outfit – scoring 25 goals – prior to their goalless draw last season.

They have also not lost in seven home games against sides from the bottom half of the league, winning five and drawing two.

Robin van Persie has scored 10 goals in 12 games in all competitions against Blackburn, while Mikel Arteta has scored five goals in the Premier League against them.

The former is a 3.5 chance with Betfred and Paddy Power to net first, while Arteta is a tasty a 10 shot with bet365 and Betfred.

Split stakes on both looks the way to play.

Weekend Premier League Fixtures:

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Mark Hughes was very active on transfer deadline day, signing ex-Liverpool front man Djibril Cissé from Lazio and re-uniting himself with Bobby Zamora from Fulham. Castrol EDGE Performance analysis shows that with an impressive shooting accuracy of 57% and the ability to create a chance for his teammates every 40 mins, Zamora looks set to play an important role in QPR’s battle to avoid relegation.  But it was Cissé who made an immediate impact by scoring on debut in QPR’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

However, Hughes should not automatically dismiss the striking options that were available to him before his January spending spree.  In particular, 34 year old Heidar Helguson has been in form for the Hoops, scoring 8 goals in the league this season at a chance conversion rate of 26%.  This compares favourably to Zamora’s 5 goals at 22% and Cissé’s meagre 2 goals at 5%, as well as the misfiring Jay Bothroyd and Jamie Mackie.  Indeed, with the lowest conversion rate in Serie A for 2011/12, Cissé’s goal on QPR debut came as something of a surprise.

There are also interesting differences in the trio’s styles of play; whereas Cissé has attempted 34 dribbles this season, Zamora and Helguson have attempted 11 and 1 respectively, reflecting the Frenchman’s continuing reliance on speed and the ability to run at defenders. As a result, Cissé achieved 6 assists for Lazio this season, which is more than both Zamora (5) and Helguson (2).

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli is without doubt one of the most interesting, but controversial players in the current game. Flashes of brilliance for the Etihad Stadium outfit, Inter and Italy testify to the 21-year-old’s ability, but scandal and strange off-field behaviour have never been too far away in the attacker’s short career to date. Currently suspended by the FA for kicking out at Tottenham’s Scott Parker, here is the flamboyant forward’s rap sheet:

• Born to Ghanian parents Thomas and Rose Barwuah, Balotelli had a life-threatening intestinal illness as a child that he survived. Taken into the care of Francesco and Silvia Balotelli at the age of three, Balotelli accused his biological parents of ‘glory hunting’ when they tried to make contact with him after he became a professional footballer.
• Signed for Inter back in 2006 from Serie C side Lumezzane, Balotelli had a trial at Barcelona at the age of 15 but did not make the grade.
• Made 59 appearances for Inter, scoring 20 goals. Won three Serie A championships, one Coppa Italia, one Supercoppa Italiana and the Champions League in 2009-10.
• Infuriated Inter fans when he wore an AC Milan shirt in a television interview, was reportedly seen shopping in the AC Milan superstore, and his numerous fallings out with Jose Mourinho blighted his time at the San Siro.
• Moved to Manchester City in August 2010 for a fee of £24 million, following Roberto Mancini to England.
• ‘Mad Mario’ has been involved in a raft of motoring incidents; he has been fined £10,000 in parking fines during his time in the United Kingdom, has had his car impounded 27 times and crashed his Maserati sports car within days of having it imported from Italy. Turned the backyard of his English mansion into a quad bike track.
• Balotelli is not shy when it comes to flashing the cash; when pulled over police the striker had £5000 in his wallet. When asked why he was carrying so much money by the police officer he replied: “Because I am rich.” In December 2011 he dressed up as Santa and handed out money on the streets of Manchester; the same month Balotelli also donated £200 to his local church, before paying for a £1000 round in a bar the same day.
• Disciplinary matters have blighted his career – Balotelli has been sent off against West Brom, Dinamo Kiev and Liverpool. Fined £100,000 for throwing a dart at a City youth player.
• Let off fireworks in his house the night before a Manchester derby, before becoming an ambassador for firework safety. Broke a curfew before a game against Chelsea to go to a local curry house, where he was involved in a mock sword-fight using rolling pins.
• Scored in the said Manchester derby and unveiled a t-shirt with ‘Why Always Me?’ on it; City went on to win 6-1 at Old Trafford.
• Has been involved in training ground bust-ups with Vincent Kompany, Jerome Boateng, Carlos Tevez and most recently Micah Richards.
• After City won the FA Cup in 2011, Balotelli said: “This season I have been s***. Can I say that?”, on live television.
• After he won the European Golden Boy trophy in 2010, Balotelli claimed to have never heard of runner up Jack Wilshere and stated that Lionel Messi was the only player in the world better than him.
• Incensed Roberto Mancini by trying an audacious pirouette finish when through on goal in friendly match against LA Galaxy in the United States; was instantly substituted.
• Made his international debut against Ivory Coast in August 2010. Was spotted using his iPad on the Italy bench in a game against the Faroe Islands.
• Was summoned in September 2011 to give evidence in a high-profile Mafia court case in Italy.

And finally, there was this:

Super Mario is becoming an ever-more important member of Manchester City’s squad, and his talent in undeniable. On the international scene, he seems to be in Cesare Prandelli’s preferences currently, and is set to star for Italy at Euro 2012 this summer. However, most football fans are captivated by the Italian’s unorthodox behaviour away from the game, with the above list set to grow in years to come.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

You’ll find the latest Premier League Transfers (January 2012) listed here. Archives for older transfer seasons are at the end of this page. For the latest transfer rumours and confirmed transfers for other leagues, see our football transfer lists page.

If you find a transfer not listed here let us know and we’ll add it.

Last Updated: 1 February 2012

Arsenal

In: Thierry Henry (loan, New York Red Bulls); Thomas Eisfeld (£600,000, Borussia Dortmund)

Out: Luke Freeman (undisclosed, Stevenage); Vito Mannone (loan, Hull City); Daniel Boateng (loan, Swindon Town); Gavin Hoyte (loan, AFC Wimbledon); Paulo Botelho (loan, Levante); Emmanuel Frimpong (loan, Wolverhampton Wanderers); Sanchez Watt (loan, Crawley Town); Wellington (loan, CD Alcoyano); Sead Hajrovic (loan, Barnet); Rhys Murphy (loan, Preston North End); Ryo Miyachi (loan, Bolton Wanderers)

Aston Villa

In: Enda Stevens (undisclosed, Shamrock Rovers); Robbie Keane (loan, Los Angeles Galaxy)

Out: Nathan Delfouneso (loan, Leicester City); Shane Lowry (undisclosed, Millwall); Fabian Delph (loan, Leeds United); Elliot Parish (undisclosed, Cardiff City)

Blackburn Rovers

In: Anthony Modeste (Bordeaux, loan), Bruno Ribeiro (Grêmio Barueri, free); Marcus Olsson (free, Halmstads BK); Bradley Orr (undisclosed, Queens Park Rangers)

Out: Jason Roberts (undisclosed, Reading); Keith Andrews (free, West Bromwich Albion); Ryan Nelsen (free, Tottenham)

Bolton Wanderers

In: Tim Ream (£2.5m, New York Red Bulls); Ryo Miyachi (Arsenal, loan); Marvin Sordell (£3m, Watford)

Out: Gary Cahill (£7m, Chelsea); Jack Sampson (loan, Southend United)

Chelsea

In: Gary Cahill (£7m, Bolton Wanderers); Kevin de Bruyne (£6.7m, Genk), Patrick Bamford (£1.5m, Nottingham Forest)

Out: Nicolas Anelka (undisclosed, Shanghai Shenhua); Alex (£4.5m, Paris Saint-Germain); Rhys Taylor (loan, Rotherham); Sam Walker (loan, Yeovil); Ben Gordon (loan, Kilmarnock); Patrick van Aanholt (loan, Vitesse Arnhem); Josh McEachran (loan, Swansea City); Gaël Kakuta (loan, Dijon)

Everton

In: Darron Gibson (£500,000, Manchester United); Landon Donovan (loan, Los Angeles Galaxy); Nikica Jelavic (£6m, Rangers); Steven Pienaar (loan, Tottenham)

Out: Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (£5m, Spartak Moscow); Aristote Nsiala (loan, Accrington Stanley); James Wallace (loan, Tranmere Rovers); Louis Saha (free, Tottenham)

Fulham

In: Jack Grimmer (£200,000, Aberdeen); Pavel Pogrebnyak (£3m, VfB Stuttgart); Ryan Williams (undisclosed, Portsmouth)

Out: Alex Kacaniklic (loan, Watford); Bobby Zamora (£6m, Queens Park Rangers)

Liverpool

In: Jordan Ibe (£500,000, Wycombe Wanderers); Danny Ward (undisclosed, Wrexham)

Out: Danny Wilson (loan, Blackpool); Martin Hansen (undisclosed, Viborg FF)

Manchester City

In: David Pizarro (loan, AS Roma)

Out: Nedum Onuoha (£3m, Queens Park Rangers); Ben Mee (undisclosed, Burnley); Kieran Trippier (undisclosed, Burnley); Harry Bunn (loan, Preston North End); Alex Nimely (loan, Coventry City); Chris Chantler (loan, Carlisle United); Wayne Bridge (loan, Sunderland), Frederic Veseli (undisclosed, Manchester United)

Manchester United

In: Frederic Veseli (undisclosed, Manchester City)

Out: Darron Gibson (£500,000, Everton); Daniel Drinkwater (undisclosed, Leicester City); Mame Biram Diouf (£1.5m, Hannover 96); Joshua King (loan, Hull City); Féderico Macheda (loan, Queens Park Rangers); Ravel Morrison (£650,000, West Ham United); Oliver Norwood (loan, Coventry City); Scott Wootton (loan, Nottingham Forest)

Newcastle United

In: Papiss Demba Cissé (£10m, SC Freiburg)

Out: Alan Smith (loan, MK Dons); Philip Airey (loan, Gateshead); James Tavernier (loan, MK Dons)

Norwich City

In: Jonny Howson (£2m, Leeds United); Ryan Bennett (undisclosed, Peterborough United)

Out: George Francomb (loan, Hibernian); Oli Johnson (loan, Oxford); Korey Smith (loan, Barnsley); Chris Martin (loan, Crystal Palace)

Queens Park Rangers

In: Nedum Onuoha (£3m, Manchester City); Taye Taiwo (loan, AC Milan); Féderico Macheda (loan, Manchester United); Samba Diakité (loan, AS Nancy Lorraine); Djibril Cisse (£4m, Lazio); Bobby Zamora (£6m, Fulham)

Out: Matt Connolly (loan, Reading), Bradley Orr (undisclosed, Blackburn Rovers)

Stoke City

In:

Out: Danny Pugh (undisclosed, Leeds United); Florent Cuvelier (loan, Walsall); Ben Marshall (loan, Sheffield Wednesday); Tom Soares (loan, Hibernian); Ryan Brunt (loan, Tranmere Rovers); Matthew Lund (loan, Bristol Rovers); Michael Tonge (loan, Barnsley); Danny Higginbotham (loan, Nottingham Forest); Ben Marshall (undisclosed, Leicester City)

Sunderland

In: Wayne Bridge (loan, Manchester City); Sotiris Kyrgiakos (loan, VfL Wolfsburg)

Out: Trevor Carson (loan, Hull City); Louis Laing (loan, Wycombe Wanderers); Blair Adams (loan, Northampton Town); John Egan (loan, Crystal Palace); Billy Knott (loan, AFC Wimbledon); Jordan Cook (loan, Carlisle United); Ryan Noble (loan, Derby County); Nyron Nosworthy (loan, Watford)

Swansea City

In: Darnel Situ (£250,000, Lens); Josh McEachran (loan, Chelsea); Gylfi Sigurdsson (loan, Hoffenheim); Curtis Obeng (undisclosed, Wrexham)

Out: Vangelis Moras (loan, Cesena); Lee Lucas (loan, Burton Albion)

Tottenham

In: Iago Falqué (undisclosed, Juventus); Ryan Nelsen (free, Blackburn Rovers); Louis Saha (free, Everton)

Out: David Button (loan, Doncaster Rovers); Dean Parrett (loan, Yeovil Town); Andros Townsend (loan, Leeds United); Iago Falqué (loan, Southampton); Harry Kane (loan, Millwall); John Bostock (loan, Sheffield Wednesday); Tom Carroll (loan, Derby County): Sebastien Bassong (loan, Wolverhampton Wanderers); Vedran Corluka (loan, Bayer Leverkusen); Roman Pavlyuchenko (£8m, Lokomotiv Moscow); Steven Pienaar (loan, Everton); Adam Smith (loan, Leeds United)

West Bromwich Albion

In: Scott Allan (£300,000, Dundee United); Keith Andrews (free, Blackburn Rovers); Liam Ridgewell (undisclosed, Birmingham City)

Out: Roman Bednar (free, Blackpool); James Hurst (loan, Chesterfield); Romaine Sawyers (loan, Shrewsbury Town); Lateef Elford-Alliyu (loan, Tranmere Rovers); Chris Wood (loan, Bristol City); Gonzalo Jara (loan, Brighton & Hove Albion); Joe Mattock (loan, Brighton & Hove Albion)

Wigan Athletic

In: Jean Beausejour (undisclosed, Birmingham City)

Out: Daniel Redmond (loan, Hamilton Academical); Nouha Dicko (loan, Blackpool); Jordan Mustoe (loan, Barnet)

Wolverhampton Wanderers

In: Eggert Jonsson (£250,000, Hearts); Emmanuel Frimpong (loan, Arsenal); Sebastien Bassong (loan, Tottenham)

Out: David Davis (loan, Chesterfield); Sam Winnall (loan, Inverness Caledonian Thistle); Jamie Reckord (loan, Scunthorpe United); Sam Vokes (loan, Brighton & Hove Albion); Adlène Guedioura (loan, Nottingham Forest); Matt Doherty (loan, Hibernian); Andy Keogh (undisclosed, Millwall)

Premier League Transfer Archives:

Summer 2006
January 2007
Summer 2007
January 2008
Summer 2008
January 2009
Summer 2009
January 2010
Summer 2010
January 2011
Summer 2011

For the latest transfer rumours and transfer lists for other leagues, see our transfer news section.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

We preview Arsenal v Aston Villa ahead of their FA Cup fourth round tie this Sunday. The analysis highlights Andrei Arshavin’s fall from grace, a comparison between Mikel Arteta and Stilian Petrov as well as looking at Darren Bent’s threat for Aston Villa.

ARSHAVIN’S FALL FROM GRACE SHOWS NO SIGN OF COMING TO A HALT

According to Castrol EDGE Performance analysis, Andrei Arshavin has seen his form nosedive over the past 12 months, with the Arsenal schemer dropping from 22^ndto 779^th in the Castrol Rankings.

The former Zenit St Petersburg star was at the centre of some controversy in Arsenal’s recent defeat against Manchester United, when the decision to bring him on as a sub for the impressive Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was roundly booed by an Emirates crowd frustrated by the dramatic fall from grace of their diminutive attacker. Indeed, since his first season in England, in 2008/09, he has seen his scoring rate, shooting accuracy rate and chance conversion figures all drop, season by season.

His creative influence has also dropped from last season, with the 30-year-old creating fewer chances on average. While interestingly, the stats also back up a feeling amongst many other fans that Arshavin’s work-rate could be better, with the Russian captain challenging for far less tackles this season.

But the question remains, can the playmaker revive his flagging career in north London or is he destined to leave the Premier League before the beginning of next season?

Andrey Arshavin – Premier League

CLASH OF MASTERMINDS AS ARTETA FACES PETROV

According to Castrol EDGE Performance analysis, Mikel Arteta has completed 85% of his passes into the final third of the pitch, which is the second-highest percentage in the Premier League this season, only after Manchester City’s Samir Nasri.

Arteta v Petrov – Premier League 2011/12

*Only games played for Arsenal

The former Everton player, who has never been capped for Spain, surpasses Stilian Petrov in terms of shooting accuracy, passing and dribble completion, however, the Bulgarian’s powerful shots make him one of the most dangerous players from long range, having already netted three goals from outside the box this term in the Premier League – only England and Man Utd star Wayne Rooney has been more lethal (five).

DARREN BENT A THREAT ON THE COUNTER

When these teams last met at the Emirates in the PL, Aston Villa emerged with a 2-1 victory thanks to a first-half brace from Darren Bent.

The England forward has 8 Premier League goals to his name this season and in tandem with the pacey Gabriel Agbonlahor could present Villa’s biggest threat when they attempt to counter Arsenal’s possession based game plan.

Bent’s finishing is his main attribute and he showed that at the Emirates last season.

The England forward had 45 touches during the encounter (of which only 9 in his own half) but still managed to convert 50% of his shots (2 out of 4).

Darren Bent touches v Arsenal (PL 29.05.2011)

DARREN BENT’S MOST TOUCHES PER GAME FOR VILLA AWAY FROM HOME PL 2010/11

Surprisingly his 45 touches during that game represented his second highest tally in a league game for Villa last season; demonstrating his ability to stay on the margins of a match, but still score vital goals.

Watch Aston Villa vs Arsenal Live Online:

You can watch Arsenal take on Aston Villa live online as well as all other Barclays Premier League matches, plus hundreds of football games from around the world. Read our live Premier League football page for more details.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

We preview Liverpool v Manchester United ahead of their match this Saturday in the FA Cup. The analysis highlights Craig Bellamy and his striking rivals, as well as comparing José Enrique and Patrice Evra.

BELLAMY DESERVES HIS CHANCE IN ABSENCE OF SUAREZ

Manchester United and Liverpool resume their fierce rivalry in the 4^th Round of the FA Cup this weekend, with Castrol EDGE Performance data showing that Craig Bellamy deserves to continue leading the Liverpool attack following strong performance this season.

Bellamy’s appearances have been limited compared to goal-shy Dirk Kuyt and the Manchester United attacking duo of Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney. However, of the quartet Bellamy has the best chance conversion rate (29% for his 5 goals), pass completion (86%) and is the most creative, laying on a chance for a teammate once every 27 minutes, by far the highest rate.

In addition he sits only just behind Rooney with a goal every 128 minutes scored (compared with Rooney’s 126) and is second to Welbeck with a 59% shooting accuracy. Somewhat surprisingly Bellamy’s dribbling ability seems to have deserted him this season, with a 29% completion rate, whereas Rooney boasts an impressive 66%.

Robin van Persie vs Wayne Rooney in Premier League 2011-12

ADVENTUROUS EVRA AND ENRIQUE LOCK HORNS

Two of the Premier League’s leading left-backs will be on show at Anfield, with Castrol EDGE Performance data revealing that José Enrique and Patrice Evra are performing to a similar level this season.

While Enrique has the edge with tackles won (80%), it is Evra who has a far superior clearance rate with 4.93 per 90 minutes compared to Enrique’s 0.95 (156 total versus 30), perhaps reflecting the pressure the United defence has come under this season.

However, Evra invites a degree of this pressure by conceding more than double the fouls of Enrique.

José Enrique’s key strength though is going forward, completing the most number of dribbles of any defender in the Premier League with 39 this season. Evra is second with 28, showing that both will be a key source of their team’s attacking ambitions this weekend.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With United traveling to Arsenal and Tottenham going north to Manchester City, there’s a lot to look forward to this week.

Here’s a look at the top betting tips and the best matches this weekend.

Arsenal v Manchester United

Man United face arch rivals Arsenal in the big game of the weekend at the Emirates on Sunday, and at 2.62 look good value to beat the Wenger boys.

The Gunners were thrashed 8-2 earlier in the season at Old Trafford, and although they have improved since I can’t see why they can be fancied to gain their revenge.

They come into this on the back of a 3-2 defeat away at Swansea and have been finding it hard to find the back of the net at home having scored more than once in just four of their last 16 PL games on their own patch – netting just 20 in total over those matches.

Many will be quick to point out that they do have a good recent record in this fixture having won three and lost one of the last five, but United have by far the stronger current form coming into this and are more than capable of bagging all three points.

Wayne Rooney has scored six goals in his last six appearances against Arsenal in all competitions make him and Robin van Persie the market leaders to score first at around the 6 mark.

However the best bet surely has to be Rooney in the anytime goalscorer market at the 2.4 on offer with bet365. That looks a huge price for a player on the top of his game.

Given that Arsenal will be out keen to avoid another heavy humiliating defeat I can’t see this being a goal fest, and fancy United to win 2-0 or 2-1.

The former is a 15 chance with Paddy Power, while the latter is 9.5 chance with bet365 and Boylesports.

Bolton v Liverpool

Liverpool have an outstanding record against Bolton and at 1.67 with Betfred and Paddy Power look a banker bet to maintain that at the Reebok.

The Reds have won the last 10 Premier League games in a row against the Trotters, and the home side have also managed to keep just one clean sheet in the last 13 games on their own patch.

Kenny Dalglish’s men really should prove too strong for Bolton, despite the fact that they come into this on the back of a disappointing 0-0 draw with Stoke and have failed to score in three of their last four Premier League away games.

They have found goals hard to come by since Suarez picked up his ban, but will never find a more accommodating side than Bolton to put that right.

Steven Gerrard is looking stronger with every game and Craig Bellamy has been devastating away from home.

The latter is a 6 shot with Paddy Power to net the opener, and that makes plenty of appeal from a punting perspective.

Liverpool to win 2-0 is my idea of the outcome at 7.5 with bet365 and Paddy Power.

Norwich v Chelsea

Chelsea travel to Carrow Road to take on Norwich and at odds of 1.62 should have little difficulty bagging all three points.

The Blues come into this on the back of three consecutive sins in all competitions, and have an excellent record against their rivals.

They have won the last five meetings with them in all competitions, scoring at least 3 goals in each game.

AVB’s men have also lost just one of their last nine Premier League matches (W5 D3 L1) and face a side who have conceded in all 10 of their home games this season.

Frank Lampard has been a key player for Chelsea, and his last four goals have seen draws turn into single goal victories.

He is a tasty looking 7 with bet365 to net the opener, and that looks worth a wager as does the 2.88 on offer with Boylesports for him to score anytime during the 90 minutes.

I fully expect Chelsea to put the Canaries to the sword, and like the look of 3-0 and 3-1 in the correct score market at 15 with Paddy Power and 12 with Betfred respectively.

Over  2.5 goals at 1.63 with bet365 also looks a rock solid bet.

Manchester City v Tottenham

Man City face another tough game when they play host to Spurs at the Etihad on Sunday, and the draw looks worth a punt at the 3.75 on offer with bet365 and Betfred.

City have only won five of the 29 Premier League games against Tottenham, but have triumphed in the last two meetings (W5 D5 L19).

They also come into this having lost their last two games on their own patch and struggled to beat Wigan 1-0 at the DW Stadium last weekend.

They are not looking as invincible as they once were and Harry Redknapp’s boys have enough class to grind out a share of the spoils.

The Londoners have lost just one of their last nine PL games and now have a squad capable of mixing it at the highest level.

I fancy them to grind out a 1-1 draw, and that scoreline is a general 7 chance.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Castrol EDGE analysis shows that Manchester City’s strength at the Etihad Stadium has been central to their challenge for the Premier League title.

Roberto Mancini’s side have won each of their last 15 home league games, a home winning streak only bettered once in Premier League history, by none other than their Manchester rivals United.

Interestingly, it was the Citizens who ended the Red Devils’ record-breaking run in that memorable 6-1 victory back in October.

Longest streaks of home wins in the PL

Fellow title-rivals Tottenham will have to be at their very best if they are to halt City’s success in Manchester on Sunday.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News