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

This weekend, the big teams have a chance to catch up with the Premier League leaders Manchester City, and you can get great betting odds for United, Arsenal and co. to cut down on the lead and make the title race more interesting.

Manchester United v Wolves

Manchester United have endured a horrendous week, crashing out of the Champions League and then losing Vidic for the rest of the season due a knee injury. They need to bounce back, and the visit of Wolves to Old Trafford this weekend gives them a glorious opportunity of doing just that.

Bookmakers make than a best priced 1.25 to beat Mick McCarthy’s men, and they cannot be opposed. United have not lost at home to Wolves for 31 years. They have won the last five and are unbeaten in the last six on their own patch.

Wolves have also scored just one goal in those last six visits, and although some will argue that now is the best time for them to be taking on a United side not playing at their best they are forgetting about on sir Alex Ferguson.

The United boss has proved time and time again that he is capable of lifting his players when things haven’t gone right, and I think Wolves will suffer the backlash this weekend.

What the Red Devils have lost in recent weeks is their killer instinct in front of goal. Wayne Rooney hasn’t looked the same player since his England sending off and has now not found the back of the next in the league since September.

I’m convinced that he will bounce back, and a top priced 4.33 with bet365 to net the opener in this, he makes plenty of appeal.

United to win 3-0 or 4-0 is my idea of the outcome, and those scorelines can be backed at 8 with Boylesports and 12 with bet365.

Liverpool v QPR

Liverpool are a top priced 1.36 to beat QPR at Anfield this weekend and and the stats suggest that they will do just that.

The visitors have won just one of their last 20 league visits to Merseyside, and the Reds are unbeaten in their last seven home games.

Kenny Dalglish’s men once again saw red in their shock 1-0 defeat away at Fulham last weekend, but if they keep their heads in this then there should only be one outcome.

They have the joint-best defensive record this season having conceded just 13 goals so far, and I think that they should be able to win this with a bit to spare and keep a clean sheet to boot.

They are 2.1 chances with Paddy Power to win to nil, and that has to be a fair punt given their cramped odds in the outright market.

Charlie Adams celebrates his 26th birthday in this game, and at 9 with bet365 to bag the opener looks value to kick-off his big day in style.

Arsenal v Everton

Arsenal are a a top priced 1.57 to beat Everton at the Emirates this weekend, and look bankers at those odds to bag all three points.

The Gunners have won six and lost none of the last eight Premier League games against the Toffees and have taken 19 points from their last seven games.

That’s the same number of points that they took from the previous 18 games, and clearly shows what terrific form they have been in of late

Arsene Wenger took the decision to rest virtually all of his first choice XI for the midweek Champions League trip to Olympiakos, and it was a shrewd move given that they had already qualified and had everything to lose but nothing to gain by risking their key men.

It means that he will be able to field his first choice team for this, and you have to think that they will comfortably prove to strong for a struggling Everton side and land the odds of 1.57 available with Betfred and Paddy Power.

Having said that it would be no surprise to see the visitors net a goal as they have have scored 11 goals in the last 11 meetings between the two sides. They have failed to score just once, but have only netted more than one goal on one occasion.

Therefore the 1.83 on offer with bet365 and Betfred about both sides netting makes plenty of appeal from a punting perspective .

Stoke v Tottenham

Stoke take on to in-form Spurs in front of Sky cameras at the Britannia (4.30pm KO) and Harry Redknapp’s side look worth a punt at 2.1 with Paddy Power.

Three Premier League meetings between the two sides at the Britannia have ended 2-1 with Spurs winning the last two visits.

The London outfit come into the game having won their last three on the road, and although they have never won four on the bounce I strongly fancy them to do so.

They have a side full of quality who play slick attacking football and I can see the Stoke back line having real problems against the lies of Peter Crouch and the in-form Gareth Bale.

Crouch, who netted twice against his former club when they met at White Hart lane in April is a a general 8 shot to grab the opener, and that looks decent value.

However Bale, who has scored four and assisted four goals in his last five Premier League appearances, will be carrying my money in the same market at 9.5 with bet365.

For those that like to play the correct score market it has to be a 2-1 win for Spurs at 9 with Betfred.

Chelsea v Manchester City

Chelsea play host to league leaders Manchester City on Monday night, and the in-form Blues have to be worth a punt at 2.5 with Betfred and Boylesports to beat Roberto Mancini’s City slickers.

The Blues triumphed 2-0 in this fixture back in March and come into the game on back of arguably their best performance of the season.

They looked back to their clinical and organised best when trouncing Valencia 3-0 to secure their place in the last 16 of the Champions League, and had previously proved far too strong for Newcastle when registering a 3-0 victory over the Magpies at St James’ when last seen in Premiership action.

Andre Villas-Boas seems to have turned things round, and this promises to be a great game filled with goals – despite the fact that in recent years City have struggled to score at Stamford Bridge.

They have actually have failed find the back of the net in  eight of their last nine league visits to London, but they are a different proposition now and come into this unbeaten in their last eight PL away games (won six).

So given that Chelsea have only managed to keep one clean sheet in their last 8 games at the Bridge but have also not found it difficult to find the target at the other end of the pitch, backing both sides to score looks a standout bet at 1.62 with bet365 and Betfred.

*bet365 are offering a £50 free In-play bet on this game.

To qualify simply place a bet before kick-off, then once the game starts place another bet on any In-Play market. If your FIRST In-Play bet loses we will refund this stake, up to the same value as your largest pre-match bet (max £50).

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Two terrific big clashes to look forward on Saturday, with Everton playing host to Manchester United and Chelsea and Arsenal going head-to-head in the London derby.

Everton v Manchester United

First to kick-off at midday will the the game at Goodison, where in the words of Sir Alex Ferguson United must “kick-on” following last week’s humiliating 6-1 loss to City in the Manchester derby.

He has thrown down the gauntlet to Wayne Rooney to lead the way and put his old club to the sword, and they look good value at 1.8 generally.

The stats are certainly good for the Reds as since winning the first ever Premier League meeting the two sides, Everton have gone on to win just three of the other 37 encounters. United have triumphed on 28 occasions and there have been just six draws.

United have lost just one of their last 8 away games, and although Everton have lost just two of their last 15 games at home those losses have both come in the last four games.

Rooney, who was left out of the starting line-up in United’s 3-0 win over Aldershot in midweek, looks a certainty to start and at 5.5 with Betfred makes plenty of appeal in the first goal scorer market.

For those who like to play safer the 2.2, which is also on offer with Betfred, for him to score anytime in the 90 minutes looks a great bet.

Given that United have worryingly kept just three clean sheets in their last 13 Premier League matches, the 1.8 on offer with bet365 for both sides to score also appeals.

I expect United to prove too strong for David Moyes’ side and a small punt on a 3-1 win at 15 with Betfred looks worth a shot.

Chelsea v Arsenal

Arsenal’s game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge kicks-off at 12.45pm, and Didier Droga’s absence through suspension makes the Gunners of interest at a big looking 6 with Betfred and Victor Chandler.

Drogba has scored 13 goals in 14 appearances against Arsenal in all competitions and their record against Chelsea with him playing is W1, D3, L10.

However when he has not played Arsenal have won two, drawn one and lost none.

That’s a very interesting stat even given the fact that Arsenal have won none of their last eight Premier League matches.

They have never gone nine without a win since April 1988 and are now marching up the table after winning their last 3 home games in the league.

They also have a striker in in Robin van Persie who has scored an incredible 25 goals in 26 Premier League appearances in 2011.

He also scored two when the Gunners last won away at Chelsea back in November 2008, and is in simply irresistible form

At 3.3 with Boylesports to score anytime during the 90 minutes he looks overpriced and a terrific bet.

West Brom v Liverpool

The other team that look worth a punt on Saturday is Liverpool who travel to the Hawthorns to take on West Brom and look outstanding value at 2.2 with Victor Chandler.

The bookies greeted 1-1 draw with Norwich at Anfield last weekend was greeted with horror and pushed out the Reds for a top four finish and they seem eager to take on Kenny Dalglish’s men in this encounter

However Liverpool created plenty of chances and didn’t lose the game against the Canaries and are now unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions.

They also got back to winning ways when beating Stoke 2-1 in the Carling Cup at the Britannia in midweek, and that was an excellent result against a side who are very difficult to beat at home.

The Merseysiders have lost just once in the last 10 league meetings between the two sides, with that defeat coming in this corresponding fixture back in April.

Prior to that they had won the previous nine, and in the 10 meetings they have averaged 2.6 goals a game.

Therefore the stats suggest that an on-song Liverpool should be good enough to secure all three points and at odds-against with Victor Chandler they have to be the bet.

Luis Suarez is looking razor-sharp for the Reds, and after netting twice against the Potters in midweek and has now scored 12 times in the last 19 games for club and country.

he looks worth a bet at the 2.38 on offer with Boylesports to score anytime in the 90 minutes.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

All eyes will be on Anfield this Saturday lunchtime when arch rivals Liverpool and Manchester United clash in what Sir Alex Ferguson has labelled the “biggest club game in the world”.

Liverpool v Manchester United Betting

The United boss believes the square off eclipses matches between Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.

There is certainly no love lost between these two sides but it’s the reigning Champions who have to be the bet at general price of 2.5 to emerge victorious in what promises to be a titanic battle.

Ferguson’s young guns may have dropped their first points of the season when drawing away Stoke when last seen in premiership action, but before that they had been banging in goals for fun with wide margin victories over Spurs, Arsenal, Bolton and Chelsea.

They have played Liverpool 14 times in the last six seasons and have won on eight occasions. The only worrying stat is that if you take out the games at Old Trafford then you are left with two wins, a draw and four losses..

However the home side are about as easy to predict as the weather, and United are the strongest side, playing the best football and most importantly have the the most desire to win. They are unbeaten in 11 league and cup games so far this season – scoring 34 goals in the process – and unlike their opponents don’t rely or one or two players to bag goals.

However one surprising stat is that their talisman Wayne Rooney has failed to score in his last six visits to Anfield. That has surely got to change, and this is the ideal stage for him make the right sort of headlines following his sending off for England.

You can get 5.5 with Victor Chandler netting the opener and his 10th of the season. That looks fair value in my book.

Given that there has been at least one red card shown in six of the last 10 meetings between the two sides the 3.2 on offer with Paddy Power about another sending off could also looks worth a punt.

Chelsea v Everton Betting

Chelsea’s record against Everton is not the best, but they are unlikely to come unstuck against the Toffees in their clash at Stamford Bridge now that they are finding top gear.

The bookies make the Blues 1.36 shots to win, but the game is likely to be tighter than the odds suggest as they have won only one of their last nine Premier League meetings with David Moyes’ side -  drawing six of the remaining eight encounters.

However Andres Villa-Boas side have won nine and lost none of their last 10 Premier League games at The Bridge and come into the game on the back of crushing wins over Swansea and Bolton.

At home the Londoners will be without Fernando Torres, who is serving the second instalment of his three-match ban, but in Didier Drogba have a striker who simply loves scoring against Everton.

He has netted in seven of his last nine PL matches against them, and that makes the standout 5 on offer with bet365 about him bagging the opener look a real bit of value. Victor Chandler go 2.05 him scoring anytime during the 90 minutes and that looks a cracking punt.

Arsenal v Sunderland Betting

Arsenal have a good record against Sunderland and with Robin van Persie on fire should have little difficulty of bagging three points and landing odds of 1.5 at the Emirates. They have won seven and drawn three of their 10 home Premier League matches against Steve Bruce’s men and the Black Cats have failed to score in their last three visit to the Emirates. However don’t expect a goal fest as there have only been 8 goals in the last seven Premiership games between the two sides.

The key to a gunner victory clearly lies with van Persie who has scored 21 goals in 24 Premier League games in 2011 and three in home appearances against Sunderland. The flying Dutchman a top priced 4.33 with bet365 and that surely has to be value given his current hot streak.

Given that Sunderland are not exactly a goal scoring outfit and Arsenal have managed to keep clean sheets in 9 of their last 13 games at the Emirates the 2.4 on offer with bet365 about the Gunners winning to nil also makes plenty of appeal in the punting department.

Manchester City v Aston Villa Betting

Manchester City are a top priced 1.36 to beat the Aston Villa s and it’s impossible to envisage anything but another victory for the Citizens as they bid to keep tabs on neighbours United.

Roberto Manicini’s men have won six and drawn once so far this season and have enough firepower up front to tear apart any defence – with or without Carlos Tevez.

They are also very solid at the back and had little difficulty in thrashing Blackburn 4-0 at Ewood Park when last seen in premiership action.

However rather than take the 1.36 about the win a better bet could be backing the second half to produce the most goals. City have scored more goals in the second half in 8 of their 11 games this season and you can get 2.1 with Stan James that the most goals come in the last 45 minutes. That has to be value.

For more betting odds, see the Soccerlens football betting page.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Sky cameras are at Main Road on Saturday to see Manchester City take on Everton (12.45pm KO) and the bookmakers make the home side red hot favourites at 1.44 to bag all three points.

However the stats suggest that it may not be as clear cut as the odds suggest.

Everton beat Manchester City 2-1 in both encounters last season, and have won seven and lost one of their last eight Premier League games against Mancini’s mega-bucks men.They have also won their last four away games against the Citizens, and have made a solid start to their campaign despite all the financial problems at the club.

That makes the 8.5 on offer with Stan James and Victor Chandler look huge, and the Toffees look a tasty bet at that price to cause an upset.

Tim Cahill has opened the scoring in three of the last four games he has started against City, and is a 12 shot with bet365 and Paddy Power to repeat the dose.

City’s neighbours United travel to Stoke in a bid to extend their glorious winning streak, and news that Javier Hernandez is fit and available for action will not be welcomed by Potters fans.

United are general 1.53 shots to bag another 3 points, and that’s not surprising given that they have won all their six Premier League games against Stoke – conceding just two goals in the process.

Add to that the fact that they are unbeaten in five this campaign and have netted 21 goals in doing so and you can see why the bookies are running scared.

They are impossible to oppose and one bet that screams out value is the 2.3 on offer in the half time/full time market with bet365, Boylesports and Stan James.

Given how quickly Sir Alex Ferguson’s young guns have been out of the blocks this season, odds against looks a cracking bet.

In stark contrast to United’s flying start, Arsenal have made their worst ever beginning to a Premiership campaign since the 1953-54 season.

Arsene Wenger’s men currently sit in 17th place in the table, and they play host to Bolton in what has become a must win game.

They are 1.44 to beat the Trotters, and the match looks a gilt edge opportunity for them to get their season back on track.

The Gunners have won nine and lost none of the 12 Premier League home games against Bolton, with Bolton’s last league win in north London coming back in January 1962.

Bolton have also conceded 13 goals in the opening five games of the season, and a back on song Arsenal attack would surely be able to wreak havoc among their defence.

Robin van Persie, who needs just two goals to reach his century for the Gunners, is the obvious one to net the opener and is a 4.2 chance with Victor Chandler.

Arsenal to win 2-0 or 2-1 is my idea of the outcome, and those scores can be backed at 7.5 with bet365 and Paddy Power, and 8.5 with bet365 respectively.

Finally a big win looks on the cards for Chelsea who take on Swansea at Stamford Bridge.

The Swans are finding life tough in the top flight, so it’s no surprise that the Blues are a top priced 1.2 to inflict even more misery on the Welsh side.

They have won just one of their last 8 games away from the Liberty Stadium, and given that Chelsea’s have won 8 and lost none of their last nine home games at The Bridge a wide margin victory to nil looks on the cards.

bet365 and Paddy Power both offer 1.91 about a clean sheet and a win for Chelsea and that looks better value than backing them in the outright market.

Chelsea to win 4-0 or 5-0 is my idea of the outcome. The former is a general 10 shot whilst the latter is available at 19 with bet365.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Everton’s summer has been a downpour of disappointment. The tale of the club’s financial hardship may be legendary, but, after the recent transcript publication of their perilous situation, the reality is stark. The club has stagnated; the future forecast is bleak. Blame has been placed on chairman Bill Kenwright. Will the financial plight jeopardise Everton’s Premier League competitiveness? Needless to say, never has desperation for fresh investment been so rife amongst those owning a seat at Goodison Park.

The biggest fear, for the Everton fans, is helplessly witnessing a fire sale at the club. Whilst David Moyes affirmed that this wouldn’t be the case, the departure of Mikel Arteta has only escalated the anxiety. The blue half of Merseyside must still be reeling in disbelief. Mikel Arteta, the Toffees’ treasured Spanish midfielder, has traded Liverpool for London becoming Arsenal’s ideal £10million replacement for a certain other Spaniard. For sure, one team’s gain is another team’s loss. Question is, did Arteta jump from a sinking ship?

Two main concerns have arisen from the sale. Firstly, was £10million enough? Without a doubt, some Evertonians will vehemently disagree. With the current market climate, Arteta may have merited a higher price. Others may be more philosophical: he’s 29 years old; injury prone and his best years are supposedly behind him. Nevertheless, he will be missed. Secondly, Everton have not recruited an adequate replacement. Arsenal beat the clock to sign Arteta, which left Moyes no time to make an acquisition. Being in dire financial straits, would they have had the luxury? Everton’s squad has been made even thinner. Consequently, the weight on the shoulders of the young Ross Barkley must have doubled. Also, Jack Rodwell will be expected to step his game up.

So, do the transcript publication and the subsequent sale of Mikel Arteta signify a Bad Moon Rising? Will Everton follow the footsteps of West Ham United (2003) and Leeds United (2004)? Maybe not so soon, but the foundations have been laid. Therefore, Everton fans will rely on David Moyes to dispel these doubts. Moyes’ managerial skills have been widely lauded and he certainly knows how to manage pressure. In past seasons, Everton have been burdened with an abundance of injuries and scarce transfer funds, but still they accomplish a top-half finish.

It really remains to be seen whether Everton will spiral into complete turmoil. At this moment, it’s not the case, but qualms over the future will linger like a bad odour unless there is some much-needed investment in the club. More money equates to more problems? Try telling the Toffees that.

Twitter: @OliverRhodes1

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

We’re told some Everton fans are desperate. In fact, we’re told it’s not just Everton fans, but their Chairman too. Bill Kenright admitted as much to a supporters group, to discuss their problems. Everton have exhausted their overdraft and the banks, probably sensibly, don’t see any reason to extend it. Everton don’t have the ability to buy unless they sell. Frustratingly, they haven’t been able to raise much from moving on fringe players, so nobody’s been bought. For all that, this might actually be Everton’s best summer for years. There’s no need to panic. Yet.

Last year, as is tradition, Everton started the season in poor form, only to end the season with a strong push for Europe. It wasn’t the new signings that particularly dragged them to that, it was the strong, experienced core: Sylvain Distin, Phil Neville and Tim Howard, all of whom remain. The most important objective now, at this late stage, it to secure loan deals where possible as there’s little chance of permanent transfers. However, this summer, Everton might have lost Phil Jagielka, Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines. They don’t have the ability to refuse large offers for their players, but mainly through luck, no sizeable offers came in. As it stands, Everton have spent no money, and have not come out of the summer noticeably worsened.

That they’ve managed to hold onto Baines, Ashley Cole’s natural successor is a boon. Last season his form was so good that he was linked with Bayern Munich, but turned them down as he anticipated homesickness. This summer, a bid from Liverpool was rumoured, and due to Jose Enrique’s availability at low price no move was forthcoming. Another experienced performer, Tim Cahill, has struggled for goals, but in tandem with a fully fit Marouane Fellaini, the two should spark eventually and they sit in front of central defence of Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka. Rarely will Everton experience humilation.

Despite the transfer inaction. there are still few better first teams. The top four, of course, have the resources to refinforce annually in order to stay ahead. Liverpool, and Spurs have similar financial clout, but no others have the ability to add to a squad at a pace that Everton shouldn’t handle. There is little to fear from the rest of the league.

Ross Barkley, just seventeen, is another reason for Everton fans to retain optimism. While he’s still more potential than anything else, there’s no reason to think he won’t make it. Jack Rodwell is an an example of an Everton youngster who made the transition to Premiership performer, coveted by many of the established sides. Should Barkley step up to the Premier League, and Rodwell be able to add consistency to his game, then Everton will have a significantly stronger squad than they did last year. This doesn’t even mention their finest young player, Seamus Coleman, who had a fine breakthrough season.

It always feels risky to invest in youth, because there’s no price tag to hold onto, just the manager’s ability to coach. David Moyes is a manager you can trust to develop young players. Wayne Rooney is blessed with inherent magic in his feet, but there are plenty of Everton players who’ve burst onto the scene and proceeded to disappear completely, who didn’t have Moyes to guide them. If you add the unexciting but utterly competent duo of Leon Osman and Tony Hibbert, there’s no reason to think this cycle of Everton graduates won’t establish themselves in the Premier League, and keep Everton there too.

So, much of Everton are desperate, and in many ways it’s understandable. Liverpool, their rivals and neighbours, are spending again, and under Kenny Dalglish have had their morale lifted. But Everton have their own exceptional manager for the circumstances in David Moyes. While they have managed to keep hold of their best players, the fans should be most thankful that the man charged with keeping Everton competitive, still hasn’t been given the chance elsewhere.

Written by Neil Isaacs from Surreal Football.

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