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

The New Year weekend will most likely see Manchester United end 2011 at the top of the table (albeit having played a game more than City), although City will be away to Sunderland on Sunday and it should be business as usual at the top of the table for them come Monday morning.

Here’s a look at the top games this weekend and the best football bets on offer:

Manchester United v Blackburn

Manchester United are 1.14 shots to round of their fantastic festive period by beating Blackburn at Old Trafford, and it’s hard to envisage anything but a wide margin win for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

The Red Devils come into this having registered back-to-back 5-0 wins over Fulham and Wigan and the Premiership whipping boys should be easy fodder for them.

The stats are also good as United are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games against Blackburn (winning seven) and have won all of their last seven games against Steve Kean’s men in all competitions.

The visitors have also kept just one clean sheet in their last 28 Premier League away games and currently sit bottom of the table after some truly shocking performances.

United registered a 7-1 victory over them in this fixture last season and it really should be a case of how far they win by.

Dimitar Berbatov, who scored five goals in that emphatic victory, will surely be relishing the chance to shine again following his hat-trick against Wigan and makes plenty of appeal in the first goalscorer market at 4.5 with bet365, Betfred and Paddy Power.

He is also 1.91 chance to score anytime with Paddy Power and that also looks solid value for a striker in form.

It will also be a major surprise if they do not win both halves in this game, and at 1.44 with Paddy Power in the double result market that looks an extremely attractive punt compared to the 1.14 on offer in the outright market.

I fancy United to win 4-0 or 5-0, and those scores can be backed at 9 with Boylesports and 13 generally.

Arsenal v QPR

Arsenal are 1.29 shots to end the year with a bang and win their derby game against QPR at the Emirates and they really should prove too strong for the Hoops.

The Gunners come into the game on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw against Wolves but they have still picked up 26 points from their last 12 games and that ratio, over the course of an entire campaign, would have been enough to win them the title last season.

By stark contrast their opponents have mustered just 10 points from a possible 39, and that’s clear relegation form given that they have also taken just two pints from their last six games.

It really should be a comfortable win for Arsenal on paper, but Arsene Wenger must decide whether to rest Robin van Persie, who is two shy of equalling the Premier League record for goals, as his fitness is the key to them keeping up their challenge for a top four place,

However it will be a surprise to me if Wenger does not give van Persie a start and a chance to equal or beat Alan Shearer’s record, and at 3.25 with bet365 and Betfred to net the opener he looks a terrific price.

I fancy Arsenal to win this 2-1, and that’s a 9 shot with Betfred. Both teams to score also looks value at 2.1 with Betfred, Boylesports and Paddy Power.

Chelsea v Aston Villa

Chelsea are a top priced 1.3 with Paddy Power to round off the year with a win over Aston villa at Stamford Bridge, and anything but three points will be utter disaster for the Blues.

AVB’s boys looked to be back to their best when beating Man City 2-1, but since then they have failed to go and have registered three 1-1 draws on the bounce.

However Villa have won none of their last nine visits to The Bridge in the Premier League and have also failed to score in five of their last 7 games.

They are a negative side who seem to find bagging three points as hard as opening a letter, and it will be a major surprise if Chelsea do not take advantage and register a comfortable success.

So that brings us to the matter of who is going  to score the first goal and fire them to the expected victory.

Step forward Frank Lampard who has scored five goals in the last two home Premier League games against the Villans, and can be backed at a very tasty looking  6 with bet365,Betfred and Paddy Power.

For those who like to play in the correct score market I am going to suggest that Chelsea will win this either 2-0 or 3-0, and those scorelines can be backed at 6.5 with Paddy Power and 8 with Betfred.

Split stakes on both should hopefully net us a nice bit of profit.

Stoke v Wigan

Stoke have rediscovered their form of late and look cracking value at 1.67 to beat Wigan at the Britannia.

Tony Pulis’s men spent most of November in the bottom half of the table but they have put together a good run of results which have seen them climb back up the table to a very respectable 8th.

They have beaten Spurs, Blackburn, Wolves and Everton in recent weeks, and a repeat performance of any of those wins would see them easily dispose of a woeful Wigan outfit.

The Latics are already odds-on for the drop, and it’s hard to see how a side that lacks any fight is going to be able to cope with a Potters side who like to get stuck in.

I can see Peter Crouch causing the Wigan defence all sorts of problems, and the frontman makes plenty of appeal at 6 with Paddy Power to score the opener.

Stoke to win 2-0 is my idea of the outcome and is an 8 shot with bet365.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Premier League clubs are all set for Boxing Day showdown as 14 teams take to the field on Monday, with the remaining 6 playing on Tuesday. Here’s a look at the choicest fixtures from the next two days and the best betting odds for them.

Stoke City v Aston Villa

Stoke play host to Aston Villa in Sky’s televised match on Boxing Day (7.45pm KO) and the Potters look a terrific punt at 1.91 to maintain their terrific record against the Villans.

The Britannia has not been a happy hunting ground for Villa who have won only four times their in 26 attempts since World war II! Tony Pulis’ men have also won two of the three home meetings between the two sides since they got promoted back to the top flight in 2008, and really should prove too strong for a Villa side who have registered just one win on the road this season.

That victory came against lowly Bolton and shows just how hard they find life away from their own patch.

So given that Stoke have drawn with Chelsea and Man United and beaten Liverpool and Spurs at home this season this encounter should hold no fears for them whatsoever.

I think they are worthy favourites and at the 1.91 on offer with bet365, Betfred and Paddy Power they rate the best bet of the day.

Peter crouch is the type of player who could cause the Villa defence all sorts of problems, and at 6.5 with Paddy Power who looks the value bet to score first and fire Stoke to victory.

Manchester United v Wigan

Manchester United are beginning to bang in the goals again, and I can’t envisage anything other than a goal fest in their match against Wigan at old Trafford.

Bookmakers are not surprisingly offering a best price of just 1.17 about them after impressive victories over QPR and Fulham in their last two games and they simply cannot be opposed.

Victory at Craven Cottage meant that Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have now won all 8 games against bottom-half opposition this season, and they look certainties to make it nine in his one.

With Wayne Rooney back to his very best the Latics are likely to be in for a thrashing, and United’s talisman makes plenty of appeal at 3.75 with bet365 to open the scoring – and the floodgates.

I fancy United to put three or four past Wigan without reply, and you can get decent odds on both outcomes with Boylesports. The Irish firm go a standout 7.5 on 3-0 and are also top priced 10 about a 4-0 mauling.

Liverpool v Blackburn

Liverpool are 1.29 shots to take care of Blackburn in their clash at Anfield, and they really should stroll to victory against the Premiership whipping boys.

Rovers have actually scored more goals than the Reds, but they have also been leaking at an alarming rate and have let in 38 so far this season. Their defending has become horrific, and Kenny Dalglish’s men will surely take advantage and hammer home a comfortable wide margin win.

Luis Suarez has been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons, and the Uruguayan striker will surely be keen to put that right by getting on the score sheet. He is a 4 chance with Paddy Power to let his feet do the talking and score the opener, and that looks a cracking punt.

You can also get 1.67 with Betfred and Boylesports about him netting anytime during the 90 minutes, and that could be better value than backing Liverpool in the outright market at 1.29 if you like to play at odds-on.

Chelsea v Fulham

Chelsea are 1.3 shots to get back on the winning trail and beat Fulham, and if the stats are anything to go by then a comfortable home win looks on the cards.

After looking back to their best, AVB’s men have failed to maintain the momentum in their last two games – drawing  1-1 away at Wigan and Spurs.

However they haven’t lost any of their last 11 matches against the Cottagers, who have managed just four goals on their travels this season and come into this on the back of a 5-0 thrashing at home by Manchester united.

Martin Jol’s side have also failed to score in 11 away games, and simply don’t have enough backbone or fight to pose a threat to Chelsea.

It really should be a case of how many Chelsea win by, and I fancy them to keep a clean sheet in the process. They are even money (2) to do so with bet365 and Paddy Power and that looks a fair price given Fulham’s goal scoring record.

In the first goal scorer Frank Lampard looks worth a punt at a standout 7 with bet365.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With Remembrance Sunday having just occurred a few days ago, we reflect on the men who gave their lives to their countries as well as giving their all on the football pitch. Their bravery on the field of play has been superseded by their courage and character on the field of battle even though some of them had little to no military education.

Here we commemorate and honour football’s top 20 war heroes in this list:

1. Bert Trautmann

The list starts with a goalkeeper as this shot-stopper enjoyed a very interesting career in England, particularly since he was WW II German soldier and he played there immediately after the Second World War. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1941 and he quickly gained promotion, firstly as corporal and then as sergeant of his unit. He earned 5 army badges for his superb work to the Germanic cause. However he was imprisoned by the British for his role against them in the war and he most of his sentence in Cheshire.

On his release, he farmed and played football part-time before eventually turning professional with St. Helens for a season. He then transferred to Manchester City in 1949, where he got a very mixed welcome  due to his role in the war. However 15 years later after leaving the Citizens, he etched his name into their history books as one of their finest ‘keepers ever.

He won both the FA Cup and FWA for Player of the year in 1956 on his way to making more than 500 appearances for the Manchester club. He also enjoyed spells in charge of Stockport County, Liberia and Pakistan before retiring from all footballing activities in 1983.

2. Alexander “Sandy” Turnbull

This Scottish striker etched his name into the hearts of the fans of both Manchester clubs in the early 20th century with his goalscoring skill. Having netted 143 goals in 230 Football League appearances, he had a sensational goal to game ratio.

Having won the FA Cup with Manchester City, he crossed the metropolis to join arch-rivals Manchester United where he enjoyed a golden period of success winning two First Division titles, but notably scoring the winner in the 1909 FA Cup final. However his career was cut short by the First World War as his last game came against Sheffield Wednesday in 1915.

He was also later found guilty of match-fixing and received a life-long football ban before joining the armed forces. Having risen to the ranks of Lance Sergeant in the Eight Battalion of the East Surrey regiment in the British Amry, he was killed on 3rd May 1917 in a battle in Arras, France. He was 32 but as a result of his heroic effort overseas, his ban was rescinded in 1919 after the war ended.

3. Eddie Latheron

Affectionately nicknamed ”Pinkie” on the terraces due his red hair and pale complexion, Latheron is remembered as a legend to Blackburn Rovers and a martyr for his country. The inside forward scored 94 goals in 258 appearances for his hometown club and it was this, coupled with his unselfish play that made him a firm fan favourite among the Lancashire faithful. The one-club man helped the Rovers conquer England twice during the 1911-12 and 1913-14 seasons as those First Division titles are his only silverware.

However the outbreak of the war in 1914 compelled him to enlist and within a week after his final game for Blackburn, he was a gunner on the front for the Royal Field Artillery. At 29 years of age, he was killed on 14th October 1917 at the Battle of Passenchendaele. Such is his legendary status, a group of Belgian Blackburn Rovers fans commemorated the striker on the 90th anniversary of his death at his grave located nears Ypres.

4. Vivian Woodward

Woodward was the Lionel Messi of his day when organised soccer began to gain prominence in Britain. Spells with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea proved fruitful as he yielded 93 goals in 238 appearances. Having also appeared for the English nation side, it was his participation with the Great Britain team in the 1908 and 1912 which garnered him great fame. He captained the team to the gold medal on each occasion.

Woodward enlisted in the army and missed a huge portion of Chelsea’s 1914-15 season. However he was given special leave to attend his team’s FA Cup final but unfortunately Sheffield United beat the Pensioners 3-0 on the day. Having returned to the front for a second spell, his leg was badly injured by a stray grenade in 1916 and thus had to return home for the final time, with his footballing careers also in tatters. Despite being maimed, Vivian lived on until he was 74 years of age in 1954 and he will always be remembered as one of the pioneers of the beautiful game.

5. Walter Tull

Tull was the inaugural man who broke so much new ground up until his premature death in 1918 at the age of 29. The second ever mixed-heritage football player to ply his trade professionally in the English First Division, after signing with Tottenham Hotspur. However he has a short and unhappy time there as racial abuse seriously affected him and thus he moved to Northampton Town for a ”substantial fee.” In 3 years, he accumulated 110 games with the Cobblers, scoring 9 goals in that time-span.

When war broke out in 1914, he was the first Northampton player to enlist in the armed forces. Despite even more racial problems in the British army, he was promoted to Second Lieutenant, the first mixed-race men to do so. Having heroically fought through the Battle of the Somme, he met his end on 25th March 1918. He was gunned down in the Pas-de-Calais but his body was never recovered from that gruesome scene. Tull was recognised for his outstanding efforts to his country as he was posthumously awarded the military cross for his bravery on the front.

6. Fritz Walter

For anyone who thinks football’s a waste of time, tell them it saved this man’s life. Walter was enjoying a brilliant career with Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga before having been conscripted to join the Nazi forces in 1942, where the forward was to fight for Germany.

However near the end of the war, he ended up being a POW after being captured by Hungarian soldiers. He wowed the guards with his exceptional skill but the time then came for him to be moved to another camp in the Soviet Union, where life expectancy was just 5 years and the guards would be more brutal.

However a football-loving Hungarian guard intervened at the last second and saved his life by aiding him in getting him out of the transfer to the Union and thus being fortuitously released from prison.

On his return to football, he restarted his career with Kaiserslautern and he retired from them in 1959 having scored a mind-boggling 380 goals in 411 appearances. Walter also won the German championship twice with his hometown club.  He also captained West Germany to their first World Cup victory in 1954, ironically over Hungary, the same nation where the guards came from who let him free.

7. Harry Goslin

A folklore legend for Bolton Wanderers, Goslin was also a sensational patriot to his country when he gave his life to the Allies during the Second World War. On turning professional in 1930, he joined the northern club for just £25 and he enjoyed nine years with the club scoring 23 goals in 306 appearances despite playing as a defender all his life. Before war broke out in 1939, he announced Bolton’s entire team would be joining the army.

When it did, Goslin led his team-mates in the fight against the Germans and their allies.  Within three years, his leadership qualities on the pitch transferred onto the battle field as he became sergeant in 1942. He also played a pivotal role in the withdrawal of troops from Dunkirk in that same year. However while traversing through Italy, he was seriously wounded by a mortar explosion under a tree. He bravely battled to live on four days after suffering the injury but lost his life on 18th December 1943.

8. Fred Griffiths

This Welsh goalkeeper enjoyed a long and varied career having been on the books of 12 clubs as well as earning 2 caps for his country. Having the honour of playing for big London clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, he was renowned for being a reliable man to have between the sticks but unfortunately this never translated into any major trophies.

After his retirement, he spent his time training local teams near his home in Presteigne, Wales. And despite being one year above the conscription age, (41 was the conscription age at the time) he felt compelled to fight for his country’s future when he enlisted with the British army in 1915.

He became sergeant within his rank, the 15th Battalion of Sherwood Foresters, before dying at the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 at the age of 44.

9. Lev Yashin

Widely regarded as the best goalkeeper all-time, Yashin made his name Dynamo Moscow and the old Soviet Union during a trophy-laden 20 year career with each team. At just 12 years of age, in 1941, he began helping the Soviet Union in the only way he could in the war effort. Too young to fight on the front, the teenager went to work in the factories manufacturing arms, vehicle parts and more.

Yashin was finally able to begin his professional footballing career as a 21-year-old with Dynamo Msocow in 1950. With them he won the Soviet Top League 5 times and the Soviet Cup 3 times. He also helped him national team to continental glory by winning the 1964 European Championship with them as well capturing gold at the Olympics.

He made 324 appearances at club level, 78 at international level and was known as the ”Black Spider” around the world due to his amazing ability to save virtually goal-bound shots. His death came prematurely in 1990 when during relatively simple surgery on his knee went wrong and he passed away due to complications.

10. Ferenc Puskas

The Real Madrid and Hungary legend was remembered as a goalscoring phenomenon during his footballing career. However due to Hungarian law, he was conscripted to join their army and although never participating in infantry work, he rose through the ranks to become major. It was a combination of his rank and his footballing prowess while playing in the armed forces that earned him his lifelong nickname ”The Galloping Major.”

Puskas is revered around the world for scoring an incredible 157 goals in just 182 appearances for Los Blancos, where he additionally won 4 Pichichi awards during his Spanish stay. And he also netted 84 strikes in 85 games for the Hungarian national team in a truly remarkable playing career.

Having taken various coaching positions ranging from North America, Asia, Europe and even Australia, he briefly coached his nation during a four game spell. Puskas died on 17th November 2006 at the age of 79.

11. Ted Drake

The diminutive English striker’s playing career began with Southampton but blossomed with Arsenal during his 14 years in football. Scoring a handsome sum of 47 goals in 71 games for the Saints, he captured the eye of the Londoners, who signed the forward in 1934. He scored 124 goals in 167 games while at Highbury, with his finest game coming against Aston Villa. Drake netted 7 times in that single match, which is a record that still stands today in England’s top flight.

As well as winning two First Division titles with the north London side, he added a FA Cup medal to his collection. After periods in management at the helm of Hendon and Reading, he took charge of Chelsea Football club and guided them to their first ever championship in 1956. The end of his time at Arsenal was severely disrupted due to his participation with the Royal Air Force which restricted him to a handful of games during the war years. His playing career was prematurely ended in 1945 due to a spinal injury.

12. Stan Mortenson

Although this particular striker managed to only garner one trophy in his 21 year career, he was the man who led his country during a very difficult post-war era as well as being ridiculously lucky to have been able to play the game once you learn his story. Before he became the prolific striker that he is famous for, he began his wartime efforts in 1939 as a wireless operator.

Mortenson was involved in a disastrous air crash that same year when every single passenger onboard was killed except Stan. However even despite the injuries he sustained, he managed to carve himself a career out of professional football in the post-war era. Stints at Southport, Bath City and Lancaster City followed a golden spell that he enjoyed with Blackpool.

He scored 197 goals in 317 games for the side in a 14 year period (the first four of those being slightly disrupted by war commitments.) He also netted a remarkable 23 goals in 25 appearance for England as he helped put a smile back on his nation’s face after a long, depressing war.

13. Willie Thornton

Considered to be one of the greatest Scottish players of all time, Thornton was a prolific striker for Rangers during his 18 year career at the club, which book-ended his involvement in World War II. Debuting for the Glaswegian giants in 1936 at just 16 years of age, the striker enjoyed adulation from fans for his lethal touch in front of goal.  However his fledgling career was brought to a temporary end in 1939 due to outbreak of the war.

He joined the Scottish Horse regiment and as a result of his “acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire,” he was awarded a Military Medal for helping to defeat Germany on the battlefield. By the time of his retirement in 1954, he was well-known throughout Britain and he finished his career with 138 goals in a mere 219 appearances. He then became a manager of Dundee United and Partick Thistle for 5 and 9 years respectively where he had modest success.

14. Wilf Mannion

”The Golden Boy” as he was known as in his native Middlesbrough due to his streak of blond hair, endured a mixed time on Teeside but nothing negative can be said about his commitment to the British cause during the Second World War.  The inside forward played more than 350 times for Boro, scoring 99 times in his long career there but went on strike and retired in a bid to finally leave the club.

Although the reasons for his discontent are unknown, his dedication while playing was second to none, as he was with England, netting 11 times in his 26 appearances for his nation. He joined the war effort in 1940 and he was a key solider in the Siege of Sicily that occurred in 1943. Shortly after that he was allowed to return home and continue his footballing career. After the war, he joined Hull City and Cambridge United and perhaps his finest moment was being a member of the English squad for the 1950 World Cup in a career particularly special due to it’s amazing 24 year longevity.

15. Frank Buckley

Buckley took a more unusual route as he created a unique career in the game. Having joined the army as a teenager, he left by the time he was 20 in order to forge a football life for himself. He played for Manchester United, Manchester City and Aston Villa before the outbreak of World War I. He was commander of the Football Battalion for a large of the war and thanks to his previous stint in the armed forces, he rose through the ranks rapidly and eventually became a major.

However he was badly injured in the Battle of the Somme and returned to restart his football career. With the war finished, he managed many football clubs including Leeds United where he introduced the legendary Jack Charlton to his first taste of professional action. Overall, he spent nearly 50 years in his long and distinguished life in football.

16. William Angus

The word hero was conjured up exactly for this incredible man. With his footballing career cut short due to the declaration of war in Europe in 1914, Angus wasted no time in signing up and he was immediately mobilised out to the action. Before his war efforts, he played once for Celtic but left them for lack of first team opportunities. He was the captain Wilshaw Thistle when war was announced and within weeks, he had joined the 8th Royal Scots regiment.

His finest hour came a year after joining when he saw a comrade lying in a trench within the range of their enemies. Angus fearlessly went to save his fellow soldier and received 40 wounds for his courageous act, losing his left eye and part of his foot being his most serious injuries. Two months later as he was recovering, he was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award possible for a British solider.

17. Bernard Vann

Another man who was equally brave in the face of danger, Vann was also a recipient of the prestigious Victoria Cross for his valiant accomplishments while defending his nation. His football career was all over by 1907 at the tender age of 20 but he made appearances for Burton United and Derby County in his brief time on the football field. He then ordained to become a minister from the famous-named Jesus College but his chaplaincy was cut short due to be called upon for the war effort.

Having become a Lieutenant General, he earned his Victoria Cross by leading his subordinate troops into the face of death as his leadership qualities shone through impeccably. Rushing up to the line of fire, he surprised several German soldiers and disarmed three of them as he led his regiment on a crucial advance on enemy territory. However Vann missed the end of the war by a mere 4 weeks as he was shot by a sniper rifle in France on 3rd October 1918.

18. Billy Gerrish

William ”Billy” Gerrish was yet another tragic story which began on the football field and ended when he was fighting the front. An extremely promising young striker for Aston Villa, he scored on his debut against Arsenal and added to that with an even more impressive achievement by claiming a hat-trick against Chelsea. In his first season with the club, he helped them to win the First Division.

However he failed to live up to his full potential when World War I broke out and he was to join the British army. Having enlisted in the Footballers Battaltion Middlesex regiment, he lasted less than two years abroad. He was killed on 8th August 1916. In all, there were 40 other Aston Villa players who died as a result of their participation in that war, one of the highest of all the clubs in Britain.

19. Charlie Buchan

This beanpole striker was another goalscoring phenomenon who had his magnificent career due to his country’s involvement in keeping the peace abroad. Despite missing a fair chunk of his 14 years on the books at Sunderland, he racked up an impressive 209 goals in 370 appearances with the Black Cats.

He enlisted in the war effort as soon as it began in 1914 and by the time of Britain’s victory in 1918, he had been promoted to second lieutenant in the Sherwood Foresters regiment. He was also a recipient of the Military Medal. On his return to football, he rejoined Sunderland until 1925 when he transferred to Arsenal.

With them, he was equally prolific, scoring 49 times during the 102 games that he donned the famous red shirt. He wrote one of the first football manual’s, was a distinguished journalist and commentated on matches for the BBC for the remainder of his life up until his peaceful death in 1960.

20. Nikita Simonyan

This legendary Russian football man was too young to actively take part in World War II. However when the soldiers rolled into his town, he helped ease the pressure and stress of war life by organising football matches. The military personnel thoroughly enjoyed these breaks from the endless killings and Simonyan then realised football would become a focal point for the remainder of his life.

He has become one of the most successful Russian footballers of all-time by winning the golden boot in the Soviet Top League on three occasions.  He won the Soviet Top League seven times in total as a player and manager of clubs as well as on the victorious side of the Soviet Cup six times. His career reached its pinnacle when he was part of the Soviet Union team which won the 1956 Olympic gold medal in football. And just earlier this year, his efforts of nullifying tension between Russians and Armenians were rewarded by the President of Armenia during a ceremony.

You can contribute to this list in the comments below or by emailing us. If you like this list, you will find more football lists here.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Halloween may have come and gone, but Wigan Athletic’s form remains scary. After the Latics’ 3-1 away loss to fellow strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers, the losing streak has stretched to eight Premier League games. With a potentially brutal Christmas period (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United), Wigan will certainly be hoping for early gifts against Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland this November.

Roberto Martinez’s men didn’t fail to perform against Wolves. As a matter of fact, they produced some gilt-edged opportunities. However, the inability to convert them was nothing short of embarrassing. Enter Mr. Hugo Rodallega. Continuously, and somewhat inexplicably, linked with a move to Arsenal, the Colombian fluffed two great chances. The first chance resulted in a rather languid strike straight at Wolves ‘keeper Wayne Hennessey. However, it was Rodallega’s second miss that had Wigan fans resembling The Scream. After perfecting ball control, Rodallega only had the goalkeeper to beat. Nevertheless, he also succeeded in beating the post. Quite rightly, Roberto Martinez was left to rue his side’s missed chances.

It is widely perceived, when a team is withering in the dark depths of the Premier League standings, fortune is not in favour. Having said that, it took Wolves little time to punish Rodallega’s inaccuracy. A combination of Hennessey’s big boot and Kevin Doyle’s dexterous wing-play concluded in an emphatic finish from Jamie O’Hara. Most certainly, a what-could-have-been story if only Rodallega had scored 30-40 seconds before Wigan conceded.

Credit must be given where credit is due. Wigan Athletic earned it, rallying after going a goal behind. Stephen Hunt illegally halted a buccaneering run from Emmerson Boyce, which, consequently, resulted in a penalty being awarded to the Latics. Nevertheless, Ben Watson wasn’t one to ease the Wigan fans’ blood pressure. It was rather more to relief than joy that the midfielder was able to dispatch an easy rebound after his initial poor penalty was saved. Half-time and the teams could not be separated.

By full-time, Wolves were the victors. Wigan produced as many chances as their relegation-battling counterparts, but too many efforts were spurned. David Edwards and Stephen Ward took the plaudits and, more importantly, gave Wolves an unassailable 3-1 lead. A fantastic win for Wolves and Mick McCarthy, especially after some recent public unrest.

Clearly, Wigan’s problems don’t all lie in attack. So far this season, the Latics’ defence has looked susceptible to any threat posed. Arguably, Wigan succumbed to three soft goals. Yet, without the brilliance of Ali Al-Habsi, Wolves may have scored more. Shockingly, it may have been a scoreline, which Wigan Warriors fans are more familiar with.

Unfortunately, another defeat comes with a question mark over Roberto Martinez’s head. The manager has shown loyalty to Wigan, but, obviously, there is no room for sentiment. A string of successive losses has left some Wigan fans joking about relegation already. Nervous laughter ensues.

You can follow the author on Twitter: OliverRhodes1

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The big clubs of England play the minnows this weekend with odds largely in favor of the giants formerly known as the ‘top 4′. Here’s a look at the betting situation heading into the Matchday 11 of the English Premier League.

Arsenal v West Brom

Arsenal are on a roll and the bookmakers have taken no chances by chalking them up at a top price of 1.44 to a best price to beat West Brom at the Emirates and continue their rise up the table.

However if form is anything to go by then they have got it right as the Gunners are now unbeaten in last six matches in all competitions and come into this following an unbelievable 5-3 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend.

That win made it three wins on the bounce in the Premiership and took them into seventh place in the table – just three points off a top four position.

Robin van Persie made it 28 goals in his last 27 league games with a brilliant hat-trick against Chelsea, and there is no reason not to stick with him repeating the dose again.

The Dutchman is a standout 4.33 with bet365 to net the opener, and that has to be worth a punt given that he is generally a 3.75 shot. The 1.73 on offer with bet365 and Boylesports also looks a great bet.

Another interesting wager is when the first goal is scored that really catches my eye.

There have been four goals scored in the opening 10 minutes of the last four league meetings between Arsenal and West Brom, and the Baggies have scored more goals in the opening 15 minutes (five) than any other Premier League team this term.

Paddy Power go 1.91 that a goal is score in the first 22 minutes, and the stat suggests that’s a decent play.

Blackburn v Chelsea

It seems incredible that Chelsea’s visit to Ewood Park to take on Blackburn Rovers has become a must win game if they are to keep tabs on the league leaders.

But that’s the case as the Blues have now lost their last two in the Premiership and find themselves sitting in fourth place, but more worryingly nine points behind table toppers Manchester City.

However this represents a golden opportunity for them to get things back on track, and they are a top priced 1.5 with Boylesports to bag a vital 3 points.

That stats are certainly good for Chelsea as they have lost just two of the last 18 against Rovers (W13 D3 L2), and their opponents have been woeful this season and won just once.

Another plus is that Anelka has a terrific scoring record against Blackburn.

He has scored 12 goals in 16 league Premier League games (five in six appearances for Chelsea) and that makes him plenty of appeal at 6.5 with bet365 to net the opener.

Given that Blackburn have failed to score in eight of the last 10 Premier League games against Chelsea and have now failed to keep clean sheet in 13 Premier League games it should really be a case of how many the Blues manage to put past them.

I think fancy this could end up 3-0 or 4-0 for Andres Villas-Boas men.

The first score can be backed at 10 with bet365 and Boylesports, while the latter is a whopping 23 with Boylesports.

Backing both should hopefully pay handsome dividends.

Manchester United v Sunderland

Manchester United are a top priced 1.25 to beat former old boy Steve Bruce’s Sunderland at Old Trafford, and if the form book is anything to go by then they should stroll to victory against the Black Cats.

Since losing 6-1 to City in the Manchester derby Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have won their last three in all competitions – keeping a clean sheet on each occasion.

The stats are certainly good for them in this clash as since losing to Sunderland in 1997, United have won 13 and lost none of the subsequent 18 Premier League matches between the two.

The visitors have also failed to score in seven of their last nine Premier League games against the Reds, and I don’t need to tell you how good United’s record is at home.

It really should be a case of another three points in the bag for Sir Alex’s young guns and they are a top priced 1.25 for victory.

That’s plenty short enough from a punting perspective, but the 1.73 about them in the HT/FT market with bet365 does make plenty of appeal.

I like the look of Hernandez in the first goal scorer market, and he can be backed at a standout 5 with bet365.

You can also get even money (2) with bet365 and Paddy Power about United winning and keeping a clean sheet, and that certainly appeals as a bit of value compared to their outright odds to win.

Liverpool v Swansea

Liverpool are a top priced 1.36 to beat Swansea at Anfield this weekend and it would take a brave man to bet against them given their current run of form.

The Reds are now unbeaten in their last seven matches in all competitions (five in the league) and were dominant in their 2-0 victory away to West Brom at the Hawthorns last weekend where they spurned plenty of chances in front of goal and could have scored by a much wider margin.

Although Luis Suarez did not get on the score sheet in that game he was once again outstanding and instrumental in the win for Dalglish’s men.

The Uruguayan had a hand in both goals in a game, being chopped down for the penalty slotted away by Charlie Adams and then setting up Andy Carroll for the second.

He was ultra sharp once again and looked a real threat whenever he was on the ball, and the Swansea defence is set to be terrorised if he is in the same form.

Not surprisingly he heads the betting in the first goal scorer market, but at 4 with bet365, Betfred and Paddy Power he looks a fair price and worth a punt given that Swansea are yet to win on the road this season and have taken just one point out of a possible 15.

Indeed it’s hard not to see him netting in what should be a comfortable success for the Reds, so the 1.73 on offer with Betfred and Boylesports about him scoring any time in the 90 minutes looks good for those who like to play at odds-on.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It’s been a strange summer. Given that last season saw the Premier League’s top teams treat first place like a hot potato, and given that Manchester United’s relatively turgid trudge over the finishing line ahead of a resurgent but technically limited Chelsea, a cautious-bordering-on-paranoid Manchester City and Arsenal’s theatre de l’absurd, one might have expected the world’s richest league to have buzzed with transfer activity.

Alas, the great yawn that is Barcelona’s yearly pursuit of Cesc Fabregas began in earnest way back in May and is still far from over. Like a besotted celebrity mistress, the Catalan club’s desperate overtures – to a player who would certainly count amongst their best subsitutes were he to finally nod a cheeky Hispanic acquiescience – have been systematic, repetitive and very, very public. It has made for excrutiatingly dull reading for neutrals but there simply hasn’t been much else to supplant it.

We could discuss the finer points of FIFA’s new financial fair play regulations and their effect on the spending habits of England’s richest clubs but that’d all be a bit boring for a Premier League season preview, so, in an effort to cut straight to the chase, here is my prediction for the Premier League table with a special focus on The Top Six:

1. Chelsea – No new playmaker to light up last year’s dull-as-dishwater midfield, but a return to the grinding, mechanical victories under Mourinho allied to the subtle and full integration of stars like David Luiz and Ramires.

2. Manchester United – A very close second, but David de Gea cannot be expected to replace Edwin van der Sar, nor can Tom Cleverley replace the vision of Paul Scholes. Ashley Young doesn’t seem to add much to an already strong front line.

3. Manchester City – The squad could compete for the title were Mancini to allow them just a little more freedom going forward. As it stands, they are now consistent enough to displace Arsenal, as they proved last season.

4. Liverpool – I’m basing this on the assumption that Kenny Dalglish is smart enough to know that Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing are great options for Fulham at home, less so for Chelsea away, where they’ll need their Lucases and Meireleses.

5. Arsenal – Didn’t sign any of the players they needed. Even if they keep Cesc, it’s hard to see them mounting a serious title challenge once those frosty December nights in Stoke kick in. A good bet to win one of the cups, though.

6. Tottenham - Fantastic team, not such a great squad. Little was done in the transfer window to boost the depth of the squad. Expect them either to fall away late on or have an inconsistent start.

7. Fulham - Martin Jol has a solid record of turning OK sides into decent ones. Expect the same this time around, though it’ll be a bumpy ride.

8. Stoke - Their consistency, physicality and inhospitable home ground are unchanged under Tony Pulis. They have the right ingredients to finish near the top of the mediocrity once again.

9. Everton – Expect the usual ‘David Moyes has taken them as far as he can’ comments around December, before the usual resurgence before the end of the season hoists them within touching distance of Europe before one or two other teams get their act together and they have to settle for top-half respect.

10. West Brom – Peter Odemwingie not leaving the club is already fantastic news and should ensure a full season (mostly) free of the stress which accompanied Roberto di Matteo’s reign.

11. Bolton – The usual dourness. Fabrice Muamba finally breaking into the England squad and the occasional superman performance from Kevin Davies will be about the most exciting things to happen here.

12. Sunderland – Expect the freebies from United to blend inconspicuously into an infuriatingly inconsistent side. Never a worry for relegation, but will never quite mount a challenge for Europe either.

13. QPR – The three promoted sides all play open, attractive football. QPR look the most likely to adapt to a more robust attitude when the situation requires it and should do quite well.

14. Newcastle – The usual ups and downs. The Alan Pardew era should be one of relative financial restraint, meaning less broken dreams, but perhaps less fun along the way too.

15. Blackburn – Just about strong enough to avoid a last-day battle like last season, but they will teeter.

16. Aston Villa - The loss of their star player, Young, and their star performer, Downing, has not ben offset by investment in a mediocre squad. They could really struggle, with the quality of youngsters like Marc Albrighton being enough to keep them up.

17. Wigan – They’ve lost Charles N’Zogbia and Tom Cleverly, but with Ali Al-Habsi and Hugo Rodallega remaining at either end of the field, they should have just enough to carry on in the Premiership for another year.

18. Wolves – Lucky to have stayed up last year, this time around they will probably be just edged out.

19. Swansea - It’s a fantastic achievement for them to even be here – there will be some great highs but ultimately we can expect another Blackpool here.

20. Norwich – As above, although relegation for a club which has the taste of Premier League football still relatively fresh on its lips might hurt more than for their Welsh companions from the Championship.

Analyzing The Top Six

• 1. Can Arsenal Survive In The Top Four?
• 2. Can Chelsea Topple Manchester United?
• 3. Liverpool Plot Return To Champions League
• 4. Manchester City can’t stop Manchester United or Chelsea
• 5. Are Manchester United Good Enough For The 20th League Title?
• 6. Another Disappointing Season For Tottenham?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Last week we analysed the first half the 2011/2012 Premier League fixtures list, looking at the key clashes through August to December.

Here we look at the second half of the season and try to pick where the best action is likely to be.

Remember, you can watch the best of the 2011/2012 Premier League season with Sky Sports HD. Click here to find out more.

January 2012

Monday, 2nd January sees the final act of the holiday season fixtures, 10 matches scheduled a mere two days after the 10 for Saturday 31st. Villa’s pain lets up with a home game to Swansea but there’s no respite for Liverpool or Manchester United, who visit Manchester City and Newcastle United respectively. Arsenal and Chelsea are away from home as well.

With a weekend break devoted to FA Cup action, Premier League football returns mid-month with the headline fixture being Aston Villa v Everton and Chelsea v Sunderland (odds on a repeat from last season are astronomical, to say the least).

The third week sees Arsenal host Manchester United – it was a similar game two years ago that more or less decided (ended) Arsenal’s title challenge, and it could be a similarly decisive match this time around as well. Manchester City and Tottenham square off at the Etihad stadium as well.

FA Cup (and rescheduled fixtures) will decidedly take precedence this month, with the final set of fixtures on the 31st, the highlight being Chelsea’s trip to Swansea and United hosting Stoke.

Six To Watch: Manchester City v Liverpool (2nd), Newcastle United v Manchester United (2nd), Aston Villa v Everton (14th), Chelsea v Sunderland (14th), Arsenal v Manchester United (21st), Manchester City v Tottenham (21st).

February 2012

1st February sees Everton and Manchester City square off but all eyes will be firmly on Saturday, 4th February, when the two teams who have shared the last seven Premier League titles square off at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea and United are joined by Liverpool hosting Tottenham in making this a entertaining weekend, which is the second is a series of crucial games for Liverpool. After playing away to Wolves on 31st January, Liverpool host Tottenham on the 4th, play away to Manchester United on the 11th before playing hosts in the Merseyside derby on the 25th. Incidentally, that match is then followed by Arsenal’s visit to Anfield on 3rd March, before Liverpool are on the road to Sunderland the week after.

But while Liverpool at Old Trafford on the 11th of February, Chelsea are away to Everton, Manchester City away to Aston Villa and Arsenal away to Sunderland, while Tottenham host Newcastle. And on the same weekend as the Merseyside derby, we also see the North London derby as Arsenal host Tottenham.

Eight To Watch: Everton v Manchester City (1st), Chelsea v Manchester United (4th), Liverpool v Tottenham (4th), Manchester United v Liverpool (11th), Everton v Chelsea (11th), Aston Villa v Manchester City (11th), Liverpool v Everton (25th), Arsenal v Tottenham (25th).

March 2012

European commitments will start to take their toll on the top sides by March and April. With Liverpool hosting Arsenal on the 3rd, we also have Tottenham hosting Manchester United on the same date. The next weekend sees Everton v Tottenham and Norwich v Wigan as standout matches, while Everton host Arsenal and Manchester City host Chelsea on the 17th. The next two weeks have no ‘massive’ games but several tricky fixtures, with Arsenal v Aston Villa, Chelsea v Tottenham and Aston Villa v Chelsea the standouts.

Eight To Watch: Liverpool v Arsenal (3rd), Tottenham v Manchester United (3rd), Everton v Tottenham (10th), Everton v Arsenal (17th), Manchester City v Chelsea (17th), Arsenal v Aston Villa (24th), Chelsea v Tottenham (24th), Aston Villa v Chelsea (31st).

April 2012

As the jostling for league positions cranks up several gears, April kicks off with a few crackers. Arsenal host Manchester City, there’s a potential relegation 6-pointer between QPR and Swansea, United have an away trip to traditional whipping boys Wigan, Fulham host Chelsea, Chelsea and Manchester United host Newcastle and Aston Villa respectively.

The second half of April sees some crucial title-deciding matches – Arsenal v Chelsea and Manchester City v Manchester United, while Liverpool enjoy a relatively easy month with matches against Aston Villa (home), Blackburn (away), Fulham (home), West Brom (home) and Norwich (away). If Liverpool are going to serious contenders this season, for the champions league or for the title, these are 15 points they should be getting.

Five To Watch: Arsenal v Manchester City (7th), Liverpool v Aston Villa (7th), Manchester United v Aston Villa (14th), Arsenal v Chelsea (21st), Manchester City v Manchester United (28th).

May 2012

The last two gameweeks of the season (plus any rescheduled games thanks to domestic and continental cup commitments) could see the title decided if the contenders keep dropping points as they did last season. Aston Villa host Tottenham on the first weekend but that’s only a precursor to the big one, Liverpool v Chelsea at Anfield. On the same weekend Manchester City are also away to Newcastle United, while Arsenal and Manchester United enjoy home games against Norwich and Swansea respectively.

The final week sees some tough games, with Norwich hosting Aston Villa, Manchester United Reserves Sunderland hosting Manchester United and Swansea hosting Liverpool, while QPR are away to Manchester City and West Brom host the Arsenal.

Five To Watch: Aston Villa v Tottenham (5th), Liverpool v Chelsea (5th), Newcastle United v Manchester City (5th), Everton v Newcastle United (12th), Sunderland v Manchester United (12th).

Disclaimer: Please note that the fixtures are subject to change and Soccerlens is not responsible for any changes that may be made.

Watch Live Premier League Matches On Sky

This season Sky Sports will show 115 live Premier League fixtures with every match available in HD and selected matches in 3D. The confirmed TV listings are till end of November, with a guaranteed 39 live games.

ALL THE CLUBS: Every Barclays Premier League team will be shown live in the first set of Sky Sports HD fixtures with all three newly-promoted clubs shown live at least three times by the end of November.

BIG HEAD-TO-HEADS: Sky Sports will show 11 matches between last year’s top six teams, including Manchester United v Arsenal on August 28 and Manchester United v Chelsea on September 18.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPECIAL: Sky Sports will offer more than 129 live matches from the UEFA Champions League on Sky Sports HD2, Sky Sports HD4 and via the red button, including live coverage of the final qualifying round in August. Throughout the tournament Sky Sports will show up to 15 live matches per week across the Group Stage including every match on Tuesday nights.

SKY GO: Sky Sports is also available to view via Sky Go, a service that allows Sky TV customers with Sky Sports access across a range of devices at no extra cost. Sky customers will be able to watch live streaming of every Sky Sports channel on laptops, computers, tablet and mobile devices with Sky Go (watch the Sky Go ad).

Get started with Sky Sports Football and watch the best of the 2011/2012 Premier League season in HD.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Watch the best of the 2011/2012 Premier League season with Sky Sports HD.

The 2011/2012 Premier League season kicks off with a bang – a Manchester derby in the FA Community Shield as the curtain raiser for a fast start to the season that sees Arsenal host Liverpool and United host Tottenham and Arsenal – and all of this just in August.

With Manchester United spending upwards of 50m to replace retiring players and to strengthen the squad for a 20th league title, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are also strengthening their squads to catch up with the Premier League champions. And then you have Arsenal and Tottenham, both teams that are one or two signings (and some luck with injuries) away from a proper title challenge.

Here’s a look at the big league fixtures for the first half of the season and the matches that should be on your must-watch list. Part Two, looking at the second half of the season, can be found here.

August 2011

As teams wrap up their pre-season commitments (as much for commercial reasons as for preparing the players for consistently peak performance across 10 months), the season kicks off with the Premier League champions and the FA Cup winners in the Community Shield clash on 8th August. City have a sedate start to the season after that, with their toughest fixture coming at the end of the month away to Tottenham. City rivals United on the other hand start off with a tricky away trip to West Brom before back to back home games against Tottenham and Arsenal.

Chelsea have a relatively easy start to the season but the same can’t be said for Tottenham, who host Everton and Man City either side of the aforementioned trip to Old Trafford. Arsenal will be cursing the luck of the draw as they kick off with a trip to Newcastle (the scene of THAT 4-4 draw), host Liverpool and then go back up north to play Manchester United.

Six To Watch: Manchester City v Manchester United (8th), Stoke v Chelsea (14th), West Brom v Manchester United (14th), Arsenal v Liverpool (20th), Manchester United v Tottenham (22nd), Manchester United v Arsenal (28th).

September 2011

After a 10 day international break the Premier League is back with Swansea playing away at the Emirates and Chelsea against United’s Sunderland’s defence, but the pick of the first week’s matches is Everton v Aston Villa. The second week sees Manchester United host Chelsea and Tottenham host Liverpool, giving United 3 home games against top-6 opposition in the first 5 matches (the other two are away games).

Five To Watch: QPR v Newcastle (12th), Blackburn v Arsenal (17th), Tottenham v Liverpool (18th), Manchester United v Chelsea (18th), Manchester City v Liverpool (24th)

October 2011

October sees another international break but not before derby fever hits the league, with Everton v Liverpool and Tottenham v Arsenal the headliners of the first weekend.

Arsenal and United continue with their tough starts, United away to Liverpool right after the international break and hosting City the next weekend, while Arsenal, after hosting Sunderland and Stoke are at Stamford Bridge at the end of the month to play Chelsea. United are also away to Everton on the 29th, while QPR play city rivals Fulham, Tottenham and Chelsea all in October.

Seven To Watch: Everton v Liverpool (1st), Tottenham v Arsenal (2nd), Liverpool v Manchester United (15th), Manchester City v Aston Villa (16th), Newcastle v Tottenham (16th), Manchester United v Manchester City (23rd), Chelsea v Arsenal (29th).

November 2011

At this stage of the season, international breaks, early season blues, injuries and European football has started to show its’ effects and you can generally see which teams are NOT going to win the title. Given the number of heavyweight clashes at the start of the season it’s likely that one or more of the top six will be out of the running as early as November, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t recover in time.

Another international break can’t hide the tricky fixtures at the start of November, the highlights being Newcastle v Everton and Fulham v Tottenham, as well a homecoming party for Sunderland’s ex-United players as they visit Old Trafford.

Once the players are back though, club football takes all the focus for the next four months as teams navigate through domestic cup competitions, European competitions and tricky winter ties. Mid November sees Arsenal away to Norwich and United away to Swansea, before Chelsea host Liverpool on the 20th and Tottenham host Aston Villa the day after. The next weekend sees United host Newcastle and Liverpool host Man City.

Five To Watch: Newcastle v Everton (5th), Fulham v Tottenham (6th), Chelsea v Liverpool (20th), Tottenham v Aston Villa (21st), Liverpool v Manchester City (27th).

December 2011

December is heavy on fixtures (a potential 6 per team) and in separating the pretenders from the real title contenders. It’s around this time that Chelsea fell away last year.

The first matchweek sees United, Chelsea and Liverpool away to Villa, Newcastle and Fulham respectively, tough matches that the home teams will go in believing that they can win. It’s London v North again the next weekend as Arsenal host Everton and Chelsea host Man City, alongside QPR’s first trip of the season to Anfield and Stoke v Tottenham.

The second half of December sees Villa v Liverpool, City v Arsenal, Tottenham v Chelsea, Villa v Arsenal (not a good month for Villa) and for the final day of the year, Liverpool v Newcastle, Arsenal v QPR and Chelsea v Aston Villa (amongst others).

Aston Villa, in December, are scheduled to play: Man Utd (home), Bolton (away), Liverpool (home), Arsenal (home), Stoke (away) and Chelsea (away). Two tough away games plus four games against the old top 4. Their season may be decided by the transfer window and the replacements (or lack thereof) for Young and Downing), but if they are to succeed in their targets this season, December will be their sternest test.

Ten To Watch: Aston Villa v Manchester United (3rd), Newcastle v Chelsea (3rd), Arsenal v Everton (10th), Chelsea v Manchester City (10th), Aston Villa v Liverpool (17th), Manchester City v Arsenal (17th), Tottenham v Chelsea (20th), Aston Villa v Arsenal (21st), Liverpool v Newcastle (31st), Chelsea v Aston Villa (31st).

Disclaimer: Please note that the fixtures are subject to change based on domestic and continental cup commitments.

Watch Live Premier League Matches On Sky

This season Sky Sports will show 115 live Premier League fixtures with every match available in HD and selected matches in 3D. The confirmed TV listings are till end of November, with a guaranteed 39 live games.

ALL THE CLUBS: Every Barclays Premier League team will be shown live in the first set of Sky Sports HD fixtures with all three newly-promoted clubs shown live at least three times by the end of November.

BIG HEAD-TO-HEADS: Sky Sports will show 11 matches between last year’s top six teams, including Manchester United v Arsenal on August 28 and Manchester United v Chelsea on September 18.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPECIAL: Sky Sports will offer more than 129 live matches from the UEFA Champions League on Sky Sports HD2, Sky Sports HD4 and via the red button, including live coverage of the final qualifying round in August. Throughout the tournament Sky Sports will show up to 15 live matches per week across the Group Stage including every match on Tuesday nights.

SKY GO: Sky Sports is also available to view via Sky Go, a service that allows Sky TV customers with Sky Sports access across a range of devices at no extra cost. Sky customers will be able to watch live streaming of every Sky Sports channel on laptops, computers, tablet and mobile devices with Sky Go (watch the Sky Go ad).

Get started with Sky Sports Football and watch the best of the 2011/2012 Premier League season in HD.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The English Premier League enters a pivotal phase this weekend, with several matches that could decide the fate of the title, the European place(s) and relegation spots in the next 4 days (if you include Tuesday’s match between Manchester City and Tottenham).

Last weekend we looked at the Castrol EPL Predictor and used it to predict results for all 10 Premier Leagues from last weekend. Let’s look at how the Castrol EPL Predictor fared:

Last Weekend’s Results

Actual match results followed by Castrol EPL Predictions in brackets)

Wigan 1-1 Everton (Everton win at 51%)
West Brom 2-1 Aston Villa (West Brom win at 43%)
Sunderland 0-3 Fulham (Sunderland win at 38%)
Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham (Chelsea win at 75%)
Blackpool 0-0 Stoke (Blackpool win at 44%)
Blackburn 1-0 Bolton (Blackburn win at 51%)
Manchester City 2-1 West Ham (Man City win at 61%)
Liverpool 3-0 Newcastle United (Liverpool win at 65%)
Birmingham 1-1 Wolves (Birmingham win at 51%)
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester United (Arsenal win at 40%)

There’s two ways to look at this: one is look at absolute result predictions – i.e. how many results did the Castrol Predictor get right – 6 out of 10. The other way to look at is to consider that these predictions are actually percentages assigned to each outcome (win, draw, loss), and then look at how the actual results stacked up against the Castrol EPL Predictor’s percentages.

For example: Arsenal v Manchester United only had a 34% chance of United winning, or 66% chance of United not winning.

Applying this to the incorrect results from the first method, we see:

Wigan 1-1 Everton (Wigan to not lose at 49%)
Sunderland 0-3 Fulham (Sunderland to not lose at 66%)
Blackpool 0-0 Stoke (Blackpool to not lose at 69%)
Birmingham 1-1 Wolves (Birmingham to not lose at 78%)

In two results (Blackpool and Birmingham, the prediction was highly accurate. In one result (Wigan v Everton), the prediction was accurate but it was an evenly balanced spread with all three results equally likely. In the fourth result, Sunderland v Fulham, the prediction was way off the actual result, and this is reflected in the fact that Fulham’s away win to Sunderland came as the biggest shock of the weekend results.

So, if you look at these predictions strictly in terms of win percentages, the Castrol EPL Predictor got 6 out of 10 predictions correct.

If you look at these predictions in terms of overall percentages and the likelihood of home teams not losing, the Castrol EPL Predictor got 8 out of 10 predictions correct, with one call one the line and the last one a surprise result.

Castrol Weekend Predictions

This weekend’s matches as predicted by Castrol EPL Predictor:

Talking Points:

Premier League Final Standings Predictions

Here’s a look at the end-of-season Premier League table as predicted by Castrol:

Talking Points:

We’ll be following up with match previews for the big games this weekend – United v Chelsea, Everton v City, plus the relegation battle and the race for 5th place between Tottenham and Liverpool.

Make sure you look at the Castrol EPL Match Predictor in more detail as it’s an excellent statistical tool for predicting matchups between two Premier League teams as well as our previous Castrol EPL Predictor article for an explanation of how the Castrol EPL Predictions work.

Premier League Betting

And if you’re a betting man, I recommend using our free £25 bet to back Castrol’s predicted results on Betfair. 6 out of 10 (or 8 out of 10 if you bet on a team not losing) is a good set of results to put ‘free’ money on (and you’ll be in with a shot at winning an extra £100).

From Soccerlens.com - Football News