Everton v Chelsea

With Steven Pienaar suspended following his red card in Saturday’s Merseyside derby and Marouane Fellaini injured, David Moyes will have to rearrange his midfield and that could see a first start of the season for Mikel Arteta.

Tony Hibbert, Dan Gosling and Phil Jagielka are still missing. Everton are the only side not to lose at Chelsea so far this season, forcing a 3-3 draw there in December.

Chelsea could be unchanged from the side that beat Arsenal 2-0, particularly as John Terry has been given the all-clear after suffering a dead-leg, but Carlo Ancelotti could consider starting with Salomon Kalou and Joe Cole. Juliano Belletti, Michael Essien and Jose Bosingwa are all sidelined.

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Kenny Dalglish pointed thefinger at referee Phil Dowd

Kenny Dalglish pointed thefinger at referee Phil Dowdafter his Anfieldhomecoming ended indisappointment yesterday. Dalglish's first home game ofhis return as Liverpoolmanager brought a drawwith Everton to leave himstill looking for his first winafter three games back incharge. The home side were a goalup at half-time butultimately needed a DirkKuyt penalty to salvage adraw after two Everton goalsin the first six minutes of thesecond period. Unimpressed: Kenny Dalglish wasn't happy with Phil Dowd's displayDalglish claimed the visitorsshould not have beenawarded the corner that ledto Sylvain Distin's equaliserand that Liverpool defenderMartin Kelly was fouled inthe build-up to the JermaineBeckford goal that put DavidMoyes' team ahead. Dalglish said: 'The first goalshould have been a goal kickand not a corner. Even if Ihad not got lenses in I couldhave seen that.'For the second one, MartinKelly got battered and thenwe got turned on the edgeof the box when he wasabout to clear it. Maybe onanother day you would getthose decisions given in yourfavour.'But at this moment in timethere is not a great deal ofgood fortune going our way. 'But it's a great credit to theplayers that they continue totap away at the door and totry and get better luck. Theharder they try the sooner itwill come.' Animated: Kenny Dalglish (right) and assistant coach Sammy Lee (left)Everton manager Moyessaid: 'I am disappointed wedidn't take all three pointsafter the second halfperformance but I amdelighted we went in athalf-time only 1-0 down.'Liverpool had been thebetter team in the first halfand won all the duels so itneeded a word to correct itat half-time. 'So we have taken a drawfrom a game where mostpeople favoured Liverpool.'At 2-1 up I thought we maygo on and get a third.'I know Liverpool weremissing two (Steven Gerrardand Jamie Carragher) but itis different for a club likeEverton, who have a muchsmaller squad.' Liverpool 2 Everton 2: Kuyt spot-kick salvages point on King Kenny's Anfield returnLiverpool are better than results suggest, insists Dalglish after drawKenny Dalglish: We can't live on past glories for ever at Liverpool


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Tottenham v Manchester United

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has ruled out David Beckham playing against his old club Manchester United this weekend - because the midfielder isn't

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/852465-david-beckham-not-fit-enough-to-play-against-man-united-redknapp#ixzz1AvZXRPxW


Beckham has been training with the north London side this week ahead of their top-of-the-table clash with United at White Hart Lane this Sunday.

There are still doubts surrounding the deal with Beckham's parent club Los Angeles Galaxy, and whether the former England captain is eligible to play in competitive matches during his two-month stint on these shores.

But, either way, Redknapp has ruled out playing him against his former club because the 35-year-old is not up to speed yet.



Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/852465-david-beckham-not-fit-enough-to-play-against-man-united-redknapp#ixzz1AvZcXRNP

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Birmingham v Aston Villa

Points will be at a premium on Sunday when Birmingham host Aston Villa at St Andrews in the Second City derby.

Gerard Houllier's Aston Villa are languishing in the English Premier League relegation zone with just 21 points from as many games, although in their most recent match they enjoyed a 3-1 away win over Sheffield United on Saturday to book a spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Their league form, however, has been woeful in recent weeks and they have to go back to December 11 to find their last win.

The on-loan Tottenham right-back believes Villa will climb out of the drop zone to safety.

He said: "I don't think Villa will be in a relegation battle at the end of the season.

"The Premier League is tight and with the dressing room we have got I think there are the players to get out of it.

"I went to the Sunderland game before the one I played in against Sheffield United and some of the play that they showed was great.


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Liverpool v Everton

Kenny Dalglish will return to the dugout for his first home game since being restored to the helm against Everton on Sunday - the team his last Anfield clash was against 20 years ago.

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Supporters are always vocal and passionate about every Merseyside Derby, but fans are expected to raise the roof as the King walks out of the tunnel and takes his place on the touchline.

Speaking about the upcoming derby, former Red Alan Hansen said: "I expect the atmosphere against Everton to be absolutely phenomenal, it'll be some game!"

Liverpool were unable to secure city bragging rights the last time the two sides met back in October. Everton comfortably won 2-0 in what was then manager Roy Hodgson's derby debut.

Many ex-Liverpool legends and footballing stars have spoken out about the recent appointment of Dalglish and the Scot will be looking for a clear win at Anfield to back up the praise he has been receiving.

But no doubt Dalglish will instruct his team to watch out for the talent of in-form Everton youngster Seamus Coleman. The right-sided Irish player is an emerging talent and David Moyes has rewarded his form of late with a regular starting position. Two goals and one assist in his last four matches have impressed both the Everton boss and the Goodison fans.

Liverpool and Everton have taken part in 97 Derby games at Anfield, with the Reds winning 40, losing 24 and drawing 33.

144 goals have been scored against Everton on home turf and Dalglish will be hoping star striker Fernando Torres will add to that tally.

Author: Ollie Cowan

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West Ham v Arsenal.

WEST Ham loan recruit Wayne Bridge says the team is good enough to start rising away from the Premier League relegation zone.

The former England international joined the Hammers until the end of the season and said he was not worried by their current status as the league’s bottom club.

“There is a lot of quality here and I know we can move up the table,” he said. “The first half on Tuesday was great. There should have been more goals and then the team came back with ten men. If we play like that every week then we’ll be fine.”

Bridge, 30, has had a frustrating season with Manchester City, making just a handful of league appearances and being overtaken by a host of new signings.


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Kenny Dalglish to Help Torres Kick Start His Season

Kenny Dalglish will offer Fernando Torres full access to his wealth of knowledge in an attempt to revive the ailing striker's form.When Liverpool supporters spend idle hours choosing the club's definitive dream team, many select Dalglish as a partner for Torres in the belief that an avalanche of opportunities would be created and scored.Having struggled so badly during Liverpool's bleak midwinter, Torres could do with some inspiration and the return of Dalglish might just be a catalyst for an upturn in his fortunes. As Ian Rush would testify, Liverpool No 9s flourish in the presence of King Kenny. Out of form: Fernando Torres is experiencing a similar lull to one his new manager did during his playing daysFew understand forward play better than Liverpool's greatest player and he will leave no stone unturned to ensure his striker can start producing the thrilling performances which were once the norm.Significantly, though, Dalglish - who takes his side to Blackpool for a re-arranged Barclays Premier League clash on Wednesday night - can also empathise with the problems Torres is having.The Spaniard is obviously vexed by his return of one goal against Bolton since November 10 but it is nothing compared with the 22 games without scoring that Dalglish suffered during his playing days as part of a side that had only just won the European Cup. There was also a 17-game drought at the start of the 1982-83 campaign, so it is little wonder Dalglish sports a telling smile when he is asked for his thoughts on where Torres has been going wrong. Advise: Dalglish has vowed to use his past experience to help Torres shake off his poor form'Someone asked me if I had a magic wand for Fernando,' said Dalglish. 'I said I don't need one, he has got one himself. He might lack a little bit of confidence but he is still a top goalscorer and someone everybody fears when he goes on to the pitch. I went through a worse spell than that. King Kenny speaks from experience For Fernando Torres there is perhaps no-one better to turn to for advice about being a Kop idol out of form than Kenny Dalglish. The Scot's longest run without a goal came 26 years ago when he went a marathon 22 matches without scoring. After notching in a 3-3 draw with Luton on September 4, 1984, King Kenny had to wait until January 19, 1985 before finding the back of the net again, in the 4-0 trouncing of Norwich. 'I can pass on advice and I will try and help him in any way, shape or form, but, as I say, it's the same for all the players. We've got to try and help each other. 'We've got to have respect and believe in what we're doing and carry that on to the pitch. We have got to continue working as hard as we possibly can to turn it around.' The irony is that Dalglish predicted something like this might happen. In a chapter from his recently published memoirs, the 59-year-old raised concerns about Torres. 'His summers have been filled with Euro 2008, the Confederations Cup in 2009 and the World Cup in 2010,' he wrote. 'Those demands have taken a toll. Fernando is a thoroughbred footballer and nobody would exhaust a race horse like that.' If Dalglish is to achieve only one thing during his six-month stint in charge at Anfield, many fans would happily accept it to be coaxing Torres back to the form that, until recently, made him the most feared striker in the Premier League. Buck the trend: Torres' only noteworthy performance can in the win over ChelseaApart from one sublime display against Chelsea in November, Torres has been struggling and his poor body language ensured press conferences rarely went by without Roy Hodgson being asked what he felt was wrong with the Spaniard.After a run of one goal in eight games many are now wondering whether Dalglish called it right in My Liverpool Home is the 26-year-old burnt out? Fear: Ian Holloway is wary of the wounded Liverpool animalBut heading into the fixture at Bloomfield Road, Dalglish has allayed such fears and was encouraged by the hard work Torres put in at Old Trafford on Sunday.'If he bangs a couple in I'll be looking up to him,' said Dalglish. 'It's all about relationships between players and staff, and what they can get out of each other. I've got fantastic respect for Fernando, not only as a footballer but also as a person.'Meanwhile, Blackpool boss Ian Holloway fears Dalglish's return could end in failure and rejection. Citing the example of Newcastle favourite Alan Shearer, who was not offered the manager's job on a permanent basis after failing to save his hometown club from relegation, Holloway said he hopes Dalglish does not come to regret his decision.'To come back into it after 10 years is a big step,' said Holloway. 'I hope they get it right because Kenny deserves to not ruin what he's got with the fans and football fans can be fickle. He can't carry the can for all this. It will take time. 'I don't see him as being the great golden saviour. I just see him as someone Liverpool fans trust at a time when they've lost faith.'  


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FA Cup 4th Round Draw

Manchester United face a trip to League One Southampton in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Holders Chelsea will have a testing game at Everton after hammering seven past Ipswich, while Fulham will host Tottenham in an all-Premier League tie.

The winner of the third-round replay between Arsenal and Leeds will entertain Huddersfield.

Stevenage knocked out Newcastle in a third round upset and have been drawn at home to Reading, who beat West Brom.

Southampton have been handed the glamorous tie against Premier League leaders Manchester United as reward for beating top-flight Blackpool 2-0 on Saturday.

The game against the Old Trafford club is a repeat of the 1976 FA Cup final, when Saints emerged 1-0 victors, although United beat the south coast outfit 3-0 when they met in the third round of the competition in January 2009.

League Two Burton Albion stunned Middlesbrough to make it into the last 32 and face another Championship side in Burnley in the next round, with the game taking place at Turf Moor.

League One Notts County won at top-flight Sunderland to secure their progress and will be at home in the fourth round against either Leicester or Manchester City.

FA Cup fourth round draw:

Torquay v Crawley Town or Derby
Watford v Brighton
Bolton v Wigan
Arsenal or Leeds v Huddersfield
Fulham v Tottenham
Everton v Chelsea
Southampton v Manchester United
Swansea v Leyton Orient
Burnley v Burton
Birmingham v Coventry
Doncaster Rovers or Wolves v Stoke or Cardiff
Notts County v Leicester or Man City
Stevenage v Reading
Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers
West Ham v Nottingham Forest
Sheffield Wednesday v Wycombe or Hereford

Ties to be played over the weekend of 29 and 30 January

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Liverpool Sack Roy Hodgson

Liverpool FC confirmed today that manager Roy Hodgson has left the club by mutual consent.

Principal Owner John Henry commented: "We are grateful for Roy's efforts over the past six months, but both parties thought it in the best interests of the club that he stand down from his position as team manager. We wish him all the best for the future."

Roy Hodgson said: "Being asked to manage Liverpool Football Club was a great privilege. Any manager would be honoured to manage a club with such an incredible history, such embedded tradition and such an amazing set of fans. Liverpool is one of the great clubs in world football. I have, however, found the last few months some of the most challenging of my career. I am very sad not to have been able to put my stamp on the squad, to be given the time to bring new players into the club in this transfer window and to have been able to be part of the rebuilding process at Liverpool. The club has some great, world-class players, with whom it has been a pleasure to work and I wish the entire squad well for the rest of the season. I thank those with whom I have built up a close working relationship at the club for their loyalty and support during very testing times, and finally of course to the Liverpool fans, your passion and dedication to the club will see Liverpool at the top of the game once more."

Club legend Kenny Dalglish will assume control of team matters for Sunday's third round FA Cup tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Henry added: "We are delighted that Kenny Dalglish has agreed to step in and manage the team for Sunday's FA Cup tie at Old Trafford and for the remainder of the season.

"Kenny was not just a legendary footballer, he was the third of our three most successful managers - three giants. We are extraordinarily fortunate and grateful that he has decided to step in during the middle of this season."

Chairman Tom Werner said: "No one who cares for this great club has been happy with the way this season has unfolded and we have examined options and considered at length what is best for us going forward. Kenny will bring considerable experience to the position and provide management and leadership for the rest of the season."

Author: Liverpool FC

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Leicester v Manchester City

Leicester boss Sven-Goran Eriksson spent the 2007-08 season at the helm of Premier League title chasers City and the former England coach will also renew acquaintances with Roberto Mancini at the third-round clash.

The current City boss played under Eriksson at both Sampdoria and Lazio before beginning his coaching career alongside the Swede and the former Italy striker even finished his playing career with a short-term stint at Leicester.

The last meeting between the two sides in the competition came in 2003-04 when Man City won 3-1 at the Walkers Stadium after a draw at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Man City have won three and lost none of their last six away games against Leicester City.

PrintKyle Naughton could be a full-time Leicester player by the time Manchester City visit in the FA Cup on Sunday.

The Foxes are locked in talks with Tottenham as they look to complete a permanent move for the 22-year-old, whose loan deal has expired.

Fellow on-loan full-back Greg Cunningham has returned to Manchester City to start his rehabilitation after suffering a broken leg at Hull last weekend

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Manchester United v Liverpool

Sir Alex Ferguson is prepared to go to war with Wayne Rooney again... if it is necessary to protect the striker.

The Manchester United forward is desperate to face his old rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday - and he is winning the race to be fit for the showdown. But Ferguson will not risk his star player in a competition that is third on the list of Old Trafford priorities, no matter what the motivation for Rooney.

Even though the player could by then have recovered from an ankle injury that kept him out of the midweek victory over Stoke, the United boss will not repeat the mistake of rushing the player back too quickly.

He did that last season when Rooney injured his ankle against Chelsea and was brought back almost immediately for a Champions League tie with Bayern Munich, only to aggravate the injury



The stand-out tie at Old Trafford will be the ninth post-war meeting between Manchester United and Liverpool in the competition, with the Red Devils victorious in seven of the previous eight. However, the last time they met, in a fifth-round tie in 2006, seven-time Cup winners Liverpool recorded their first FA Cup win over United in 85 years courtesy of a single Peter Crouch goal.

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Arsenal v Leeds

Leeds United's FA Cup 3rd Round clash with Arsenal will take place on Saturday, January 8, with a 12.45pm kick off.



Leeds chairman Ken Bates has insisted that Arsenal will be the only team under pressure when the clubs contest their FA Cup third-round tie at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Bates is convinced that his Championship promotion contenders will have the advantage of being able to play with a carefree attitude when they face a team aiming to win the Premier League thanks to their status as underdogs.

Meanwhile Leeds boss Simon Grayson will be hoping his side can bounce back from a string of draws in the Championship and nick this one
Former Leeds United striker Peter Lorimer has played down the prospects of a second successive FA Cup Third Round upset against Arsenal on Saturday, saying that promotion to the Premier League is a priority for the club.


Will Arsene Wenger take this competition seriously this year
with the Gunners in the title race,still in the CL and in the Carling Cup semi final?

Can Simon Grayson's team cause a repeat of last season when they famously knocked out Man Utd?

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Everton vs Tottenham

Wednesday 5th January 20:00 GMT
Everton’s hopes of pulling away from the relegation zone faces a stiff test on Wednesday when they welcome an in-form Tottenham Hotspur side in their next match. The Toffees looked to have finally recovered from their disappointing start to the season after putting up an excellent display against Manchester City but struggled to break through a stubborn West Ham defense and had to settle for just a point.


Manager David Moyes expressed his disappointment at the result with West Ham managing just one shot on target for the whole match while Everton struggled to create any real chances at the other end. The Everton manager will be hoping to receive funds in order to strengthen his attacking options during the transfer window as he hopes to salvage a season that is quickly dissolving into mediocrity.




Tottenham on the other hand will be looking to maintain the pressure on the top four teams by collecting another three points on Wednesday. An eight-match unbeaten run stretching back to early November has seen Spurs close down the gap for the fourth place to just one point and manager Harry Redknapp will be confident of another top four finish this time around.


Spurs will be missing Younes Kaboul who is suspended for the game after receiving his marching orders during the 2-0 win over Newcastle while there are no major injury concerns for Everton. Watch Everton vs Tottenham Live
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Blackburn vs Liverpool

Wednesday 5th January 20:00 GMT
Blackburn Rovers will be hoping to heap more pressure on Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson by collecting all three points when the two teams meet on Wednesday. .


The Rovers finally registered their first win under new coach Steve Kean in a bad tempered win over West Brom that saw both the teams end the game with 10 men on the field. Nikola Kalinic put Rovers ahead early in the 3rd minute but West Brom equalized through Jerome Thomas.



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However Kalinic restored Blackburn’s lead in the second half while Mame Biram Diouf put the result beyond doubt just past the hour mark before Kalinic was sent off. However West Brom failed to take advantage of their numerical superiority before being reduced to 10 men when Gabriel Tamas was sent off with 4 minutes remaining.




Blackburn will be hoping to take advantage of Liverpool’s inconsistent form and collect three more points that will see them consolidate their position inside the top half of the table. Liverpool suffered another disappointing defeat as they were beaten 1-0 by Wolves in their last game to increase the pressure on Hodgson.


The Liverpool manager berated the noises coming from the fans and claimed that the team will start playing better if they are encouraged by the crowd instead criticizing the manager. Watch Blackburn Rovers vs Liverpool Live

Arsenal vs Manchester City

Wednesday 5th January 19:45 GMT


Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will be demanding another excellent display from his side when they welcome Manchester City in the battle for the second spot on Wednesday..


The Gunners were imperious during their 3-1 win over Chelsea on Monday but inconsistency once again reared its ugly head as they dropped two points against Wigan to slip down to third in the league table. Wenger had made eight changes to the squad for their trip to Wigan but the move backfired as Arsenal were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw by the Latics.


The Arsenal manager criticized his defense for the lack of effort and admitted that the draw was a fair result with Wigan creating a number of chances. However Wenger will now be expecting a repeat of the performance that saw off Chelsea last week as he looks to remain in touch at the top of the league table.




Manchester City on the other hand will be taking a lot of encouragement from their back to back wins against Newcastle and Aston Villa that saw the Citizens slam home seven goals to pull level on points with Manchester United.


Mario Balotelli is expected to once again lead the attacking line with the Italian striker grabbing a hat trick against Villa after being benched for the game against the Magpies. Tune into our dedicated member's area to watch Arsenal vs Manchester City live.

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