Norwich vs Southampton August 31, 2013

With a combined expenditure of over £65m this summer it's fair to say optimism levels are high for supporters of both Norwich and Southampton.
These are two well-matched clubs, and expectation levels have been significantly heightened after they both broke their transfer records - twice in Southampton's case.
But while the Saints have made their best-ever start to a Premier League season after two matches, Norwich only have one point to show for their efforts. Chris Hughton was left perplexed by their failure to beat Hull last Saturday despite playing against 10 men for over an hour.

However, they will not have an easy task against Chris Hughton's side, who have won 32 of the 45 points they have collected since returning to the Premier League at home.

Four of the last six Premier League meetings between the two sides have ended as draws, while Southampton keeper Artur Boruc saved a last-minute penalty to deny Norwich all three points on home soil last season.

And Pochettino admitted he expects another challenging encounter this time around.

"The last time we played Norwich, they were one of the hardest teams we faced away from home," the Argentine said.

"It’s going to be a complicated game away in their stadium. They have reinforced their squad very well, so we’re expecting a very tough game against them.

"They’re physically a very strong side and a very quick side. They go on the counter-attack very quickly as well which is one of their main strengths.

"They’re very well organised, and they know exactly what they need to do in every single moment of the game, so overall they’re a very tough side to play against away from home."

Goals should not be a problem in the game if the records books are anything to go by, as Norwich's last five home fixtures in the Premier League have produced 18 strikes.

One man who will be hoping to get on the scoresheet for the first time in English football is Southampton's new club-record signing Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, who is in line to make his first start for the club. 

Morgan Schneiderlin is a doubt for the visitors after coming off at half time against Sunderland due to a knock, while full-back Luke Shaw (knee) may not be risked by Pochettino. 

Meanwhile, Gary Hooper continues to be sidelined for Norwich. The ex-Celtic striker has been struggling with a shin injury and Hughton does not expect him to be available until after the forthcoming international break.

Newcastle United vs Fulham August 31, 2013

Last weekend Fulham received an Arsenal backlash, when Arsene Wenger's team responded to early season criticism and scored three goals at Craven Cottage.
Newcastle fans will be hoping that their team can muster a similar revival after what has been the club's equal-worst start to a Premier League season since 2005.

While two games into a new season is a ridiculously early standpoint from which to judge the formative league table, Newcastle's position - in the bottom three already - has hardly helped morale on Tyneside.
From a top-five finish two seasons ago, to a bottom five finish in May; Newcastle fans know they can ill afford that downward trend to continue.

Yet to score a goal in the new Premier League campaign, it's a concern that Alan Pardew's side have only managed one shot on target during their two league games so far.

I was commentating at Morecambe on Wednesday night when it took Newcastle until the 84th minute to finally break the deadlock against League Two opposition in the League Cup.

Both of the Ameobi brothers, Shola and Sammy, scored in the closing minutes at The Globe Arena and Pardew can only hope that finally finding the net this season proves to be a pivotal moment.

Coincidentally, the last time Fulham visited St James' Park Newcastle also came up with a very late goal - and that one certainly proved to be a massive turning point.

Papiss Cisse's 90th-minute winner in April moved Newcastle six points clear of the relegation zone, ensuring last season's slump did not become any worse than it might have been.

Location: St. James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Date: Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013

Time: 10 a.m. EDT (3 p.m. BST)

With Newcastle fans still crying out for high-profile arrivals, Fulham's new owner Shahid Khan has added Scott Parker, Adel Taarabt and Darren Bent to the ranks this summer. Martin Jol's side also had a taxing run-out in midweek against a League Two side, and were taken all the way to penalties by Burton Albion.
Fulham have a good record against Newcastle in recent years, managing to beat them in seven of the last eight seasons they've been in the same division.

Cardiff vs Everton August 31, 2013

Cardiff City have gotten off to a solid start to their English Premier League season. Cardiff City won the Championship league last year and earned a promotion to England’s top football league. They have a tall order playing one of the England Premier League’s stronger clubs, Everton.

It was the result that nobody had predicted last weekend, as Cardiff City secured a 3-1 win in their first home Premier League game against 2011-12 league champions Manchester City.

The latest Cardiff v Everton odds with Paddy Power offering more than a hint in the betting value, with Malky Mackay’s side a very backable price for the home in of 9/4.

The Bluebirds will hope to emulate the performance they gave last weekend when Everton make the trip to the Welsh capital.

Malkay Mackay’s side came from a goal down to beat Manchester City 3-2 and they be looking for a second straight win against an Everton side that has yet to taste a league victory this season.

They were simply exceptional in their work on that occasion and, ultimately, were well deserving of their win. The tests come thick and fast in the Premier League, though, and this weekend marks the visit of Roberto Martinez's Everton side.

The Toffees have put in two strong-looking league performances thus far this campaign but have been forced to come away with a solitary point from both encounters. Martinez will certainly be hoping for more this weekend.

Change is already underway at Goodison Park, with Everton looking to retain possession much more this season than in previous years, while also creating plenty of chances. The cup victory over Stevenage in midweek perhaps offered a glimpse of the role Barcelona's on-loan attacker, Gerard Deulofeu, could play at Everton this year as well.

So far Cardiff City has won a home game, and lost an away game gaining 3 points in two games. That has them currently sitting at 11th in the table, or in the middle of the pack. It’s still very early in the season.

Date: August 31 Start Time: 10:00 a.m. ET
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium

Manchester City vs Hull City August 31, 2013

After Manchester City was stunned by Cardiff City 3-2 last week, fans will be looking for a dominant effort as Manuel Pellegrini's crew hosts newly-promoted Hull City.

Manchester City will be pressed to prove that the loss to Cardiff was a blip on the radar and not something that is going to be a trend. Pointing to that possibility is that there were no signs of the malaise that struck Man City last week when they opened up their EPL campaign by toasting Newcastle 4-0.

With that 1-1 record, the clubs enter this match tied in the standings. Hull City impressed last week by beating Norwich City 1-0, and they played the majority of that match with just 10 men. That win followed a tough 2-0 loss to Chelsea and surely gave them some confidence.

Now this feisty group will try to steal at least a point on the road.

Manchester City have Matija Nastasic (ankle) back in contention, but captain Vincent Kompany (groin) and fellow defender Micah Richards (hamstring) remain sidelined.

Hull travel to Manchester with striker Yannick Sagbo ruled out through suspension.

Stephen Quinn (hamstring) could return for manager Steve Bruce, who is likely to ring the changes after making 11 changes for the Capital One Cup victory against Leyton Orient in midweek.

What they've said ahead of kick-off:

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini:
 "Set pieces are very important and we must learn from last week. It was a bad game for us in that way, but I we must improve for our next game.

"I think Hull have started well, they played very well against Chelsea. We will have to mark a very difficult team here also, so we will have to play very well."

Where: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England

When: Saturday, Aug. 31 at 7:45 a.m. ET (12:45 p.m. BST)

Bayern Munich vs Chelsea August 30, 2013

All eyes will be on Prague as Chelsea and Bayern Munich travel to the Czech Republic for the UEFA Super Cup.

The Super Cup features the winners of last year's Champions League and Europa League titles. Bayern beat Borussia Dortmund to win their fifth European Cup, while Chelsea became the first club to win the Champions League and Europa League back-to-back after their win over Benfica.

While Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho may respect each other for what they have achieved in the game, there is no love lost between the two.

They locked horns on numerous occasions while in charge of Spain's biggest two clubs, with both enjoying success.

However, it is the triumphs of two other managers that have resulted in them being involved in Friday's European Super Cup in Prague. Guardiola has inherited a Bayern Munich side that won the Champions League as part of a treble under Jupp Heynckes, while Mourinho has replaced interim boss Rafael Benitez at Europa League winners Chelsea.

Both Guardiola and Mourinho are unbeaten in competitive contests so far in their new roles, although their sides did only pick out draws last time out against Freiburg and Manchester United respectively.

German champions Bayern could be without vice-captain Bastian Schweinsteiger against the Blues after the midfielder picked up an ankle complaint against Frieburg.

Guardiola, though, is expected to recall Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and Mario Mandzukic to his starting lineup.

Meanwhile, having started the game against Man United without a recognised centre-forward, Mourinho is believed to be considering using Fernando Torres from the outset.


Bayern: Neuer; Alaba, Dante, Van Buyten, Lahm; Kroos, Schweinsteiger; Robben, Gotze, Ribery; Mandzukic

Chelsea: lineup Cech; Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Cole; Lampard, Ramires; Hazard, Oscar, Mata; Torres

Bayern are coming off a 1-1 draw with Freiburg on Tuesday. The players are still getting used to playing under Pep Guardiola. His system at Barcelona was very intricate, and it takes a lot of time for players to master it.

When: Friday, August 30, at 2:45 p.m. ET (7:45 p.m. BST)

Where: Eden Arena, Prague, Czech Republic

Real Madrid vs Deportivo La Coruna August 29, 2013

The 68th installment of the Teresa Herrera Trophy will be an exciting match for Deportivo La Coruna, as the hosts will face Real Madrid.

The club, which was relegated a season ago after finishing 19th on the table with 35 points, is no stranger to Los Blancos. Real Madrid won the two La Liga matches between the clubs by a combined score of 7-2 last season.

Deportivo La Coruna will hope to keep things a bit closer than that on Thursday evening. Let's break this one down. 

El trofeo Teresa Herrera asoma ya tras la esquina. Otrora uno de los momentos clave del verano futbolístico, uno de los mejores torneos veraniegos del mundo, por sus brazos han pasado el Santos de Pelé, el Benfica de Eusebio, el Real Madrid de Di Stéfano, o el Barcelona de Johann Cruyff, entre otros muchos equipos históricos del momento. Es el decano de los grandes en España, uno de los que más lustre guardaba en estos casi 70 años de vida, y aunque hoy sus laureles han perdido buena parte del verde que lo hacían relucir, esa gigantesca réplica de la Torre de Hércules todavía guarda gran magnetismo para los que tienen la posibilidad de levantarla. Este jueves, concretamente, el propio Deportivo de La Coruña y el Real Madrid de Carlo Ancelotti, a partir de las 19:00.

When: Thursday, August 29 at 4:30 p.m. ET (9:30 p.m. BST)

Where: Riazor Stadium, Coruna, Spain

El que parece que finalmente sí estará será un Cristiano Ronaldo que no acudirá al sorteo de la fase de grupos de la Champions League, como nominado a Mejor Jugador 2012-13. Difícil era que fuera el elegido entre Leo Messi y Franck Ribery, que ganaron muchos más títulos que el madridista, de ahí la priorización escogida entre los dos eventos. Bien para el Real Madrid, que tendrá a su Hércules particular de su parte.

Tottenham vs Dinamo Tbilis August 29, 2013

The English side Tottenham Hotspurs  is hosting the Georgian side Dinamo Tbilisi in the second round of a playoff  for the prestigious UEFA’s Europa League tournament. The winner of this home-and-away series determined on an aggregate score will advance to the next stage of the tournament.

Tottenham will look to punch their ticket to the Europa League group stage with a good result against Dinamo Tbilisi.

Spurs traveled to the Dinamo Arena and notched a 5-0 win. That makes their job pretty easy in the second leg, as they could lose 4-0 and still advance to the next round.

Tottenham have taken the full six points from their first two Premier League matches. However, their performances haven't been great, and it's obvious Spurs need more time on the pitch to really hit their stride.

Here's a preview for this Europa League clash.

When: Thursday, August 29, at 3:05 p.m. EDT; 8:05 p.m. BST

Where: White Hart Lane, London, England

The Europa League is considered the most second prestigious soccer tournament in Europe behind the Champions League. Think NIT tournament to the NCAA tournament in men’s college basketball.

Start Time: 3:05 pm ET
Location: London, England
Stadium: White Hart Lane

UFC Night Fight 27: Carlos Csondit vs Martin Kampmann 2 August 28, 2013

For the second time in its illustrious two-week history, Fox Sports 1 hosts a UFC main card when the curtain goes up Wednesday on UFC Fight Night 27.

As such, this one's certain to be dissected for decades to come in journalism labs around the nation and world. But for us workaday MMA fans and writers, well, we're more focused on the main event, a rematch between violent welterweights Carlos Condit and Martin Kampmann. They originally fought in 2009, and Kampmann took a thin split decision.

Carlos Condit lost his debut fight in the UFC via split-decision to Martin Kampmann just over 4 years ago.

A fight he felt he let slip through his fingers.

The fight elevated his game, coming within a few strikes of the UFC welterweight championship.

After a loss to Johny Hendricks at UFC 158, he is on the outside looking in.

Martin Kampmann lost a critical contender’s fight to Hendricks as well and will watch Hendricks challenge for the belt at UFC 167.

Another win over the Natural Born Killer will probably launch him onto the short list of challengers vying to claim next.

But he cannot afford his notoriously slow starts, and unlike Condit, he must wade through the championship rounds for the first time.

But there is intrigue to be found in each and every one of the six fights that fans can see for free on FS1 Wednesday night. Our staff experts here at Bleacher Report are here to help you sort that out. Riley "Kobra" Kontek. James "The Athlete" MacDonald. Sean "The Salmon" Smith. Craig "Famous" Amos. And myself, Scott Harris. Let's get it on.

Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid August 28, 2013

Lionel Messi is set to return for Barcelona as the Catalans look to secure the first piece of silverware under Gerardo Martino. Barcelona are tied at 1-1 with Atletico Madrid heading into the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup at the Camp Nou on Wednesday. Messi was taken off at half time in the first leg with a thigh injury and missed the 1-0 win at Malaga at the weekend. But the inspirational Argentinian has been included in the squad for the return leg, having returned to full training.

FC Barcelona will be looking to secure their first trophy of Gerardo Martino’s reign as manager tomorrow, as they take on Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou in the second-leg of the 2013 Supercopa de España. With the tie evenly poised at 1-1 following Barcelona’s come-from-behind draw at the Vicente Calderon, both sides will have eyes on the trophy, although ultimately, it is likely to come down to this 90 minutes and the full-time result tomorrow evening, rather than Neymar’s superb headed away goal.

That’s not to say that Neymar’s goal will not play it’s part; few expected last year’s competition to go to away goals, in spite of the fact that the two contesting teams (Real Madrid and FC Barcelona) were so evenly-matched – yet after two matches, the title was awarded to Real Madrid on the away goals rule, marking the first-time in the tournament’s history that the two-legged affair had ended in such a manner.

Atletico Madrid however enter the match knowing that an away goals win is perhaps their best, or at least most realistic shot at taking the trophy back to the capital. They haven’t escaped the Camp Nou with a victory in eight years, a streak that goes back nine matches – and even then, Atleti have only avoided defeat once, in a 1-1 draw back in 2006.

Since that night, Atletico have lost seven straight at the Camp Nou, conceding a staggering 28 goals in the process. Lionel Messi alone has scored ten goals in his last four Camp Nou starts against Madrid’s other club.

Diego Simeone will point to Atletico’s impressive away form – Los Colchoneros last tasted defeat away from home back in February, against Rayo Vallecano – but no matter how he looks at it, he will know just how difficult a task awaits his squad.


Both Lionel Messi and Adriano Correia are back in training with the rest of the squad, and as a result, Gerardo Martino is expected to have a fully-fit squad to pick his starting line-up from – of course with a few exceptions, as Carles Puyol, Ibrahim Afellay and Isaac Cuenca are all still sidelined for the foreseeable future. There are no suspensions either – and consequently, Martino is tipped to name a similar team to the one that started last week’s fixture at the Calderon.

Victor Valdés will start in goal hoping to keep his third clean sheet of this young season, and while Jordi Alba has received a little criticism in recent weeks, Martino may opt for an unchanged backline as well, particularly as Adriano has only just recovered from injury. My feeling is similar to the shifting public opinion on Alba – he can be a liability – but I also believe that Barcelona can "get away" with starting Alba against top teams; just as long as it’s at the Camp Nou. Which is just as well, given that Adriano has missed the cut.

Celtic vs Shakhtar August 28, 2013

If there was one thought the Celtic squad would have come away with from Astana in the first leg, it would have been: “how have we not drawn/won that?” The Hoops had more shots, more set pieces and more overall possession, not to mention three chances that ideally would have nestled in the back of the net. It proved a fine line for Kris Commons as his shot cannoned off the bar and onto the line; Emilio Izaguirre should have put the ball away from all of 10 yards; Georgios Samaras could have used his head better from point-blank range.

CELTIC’S Champions League opponents have been warned by police not to sacrifice a sheep before tonight’s crucial match.

Shakhter Karagandy outraged animal rights campaigners last week when their manager Viktor Kumykov admitted slaughtering an animal in their stadium the day before the sides met in the first leg.

But yesterday Kumykov claimed the Kazakh team would perform the barbaric ritual before the play-off second-leg tie in Glasgow.

The chain-smoking Russian said: “Every club has their own pre-match traditions and rituals. Celtic must have their own.

“All I can say is that we will try to respect our traditions. These traditions have been in place even before we came to the club.”

Asked if the ritual would take place, he replied: "Possibly, yes.

"Certain traditions can have a psychological effect on players and help them to relax before the game.”

It didn’t get better for coach Neil Lennon after the game – though he did pen a contract extension the day after – with a comeback 2-2 draw against Inverness in the Scottish Premiership exposing their defensive frailties. That said, Celtic have a good record of overturning deficits at home when it comes to European competition. Celtic Park has become their fortress, and all-but-christened as such thanks to last November’s historic 2-1 win over Barcelona.

Celtic were unbeaten in the 2012/13 qualifiers, but now face a challenge if they are to prove the last campaign was not a fluke. “The tie is far from over”, as far as Lennon is concerned, but with plenty of niggles around camp, it’s anyone’s guess if the Bhoys can turn things around.

Time To Park The Bus?

Whether it was the ritualistic animal sacrifice or their underdog status, something gave Shakhter Karagandy two huge slices of fortune against Celtic. The visitors switched off at the back to concede the first off a long throw from Gediminas Vicius, who then saw his wild shot reach Sergey Khizhnichenko at a comfortable height for 2-0.

Coincidentally, Shakhter were also held to a draw immediately after their first-leg game, and the second-leg is arguably at a bad time given that they are five points off the pace in the home stretch of their domestic league. Still, the chance to play in their first ever Champions League group stage is a worthy cause; especially after pulling off a surprise win over BATE Borisov in the second qualifying round.

Real Sociedad vs Lyon August 28, 2013

Don't expect to see Olympique Lyonnais in the Champions League group stage this season. They were thoroughly outplayed at home by Real Sociedad, who scored a pair of incredible goals en route to a 2-0 win over the French giants. Lyon were surprisingly on the back foot from the beginning of the match, with the visitors' superiority obvious early and often. Carlos Vela had Sociedad's first big chance of the night in the 12th minute, when he hit the post from the edge of the penalty area. Not long afterwards, Antoine Griezmann found the opener, and he did it in spectacular fashion.

  Watch: Griezmann's scissor kick Seferović's stunner from 35 yards Vela set up the goal with a cross toward the back post, around 12 yards from goal, but the goal was all about the finish. Griezmann jumped up to hit a volley, his foot level with his head, and powered a scissor kick into the back of the net.

Real Sociedad host Olympique Lyon in the second-leg of this Champions League qualifier, with the Spanish outfit having one foot in the competition after a 0-2 win back in France.

It’s been an impressive 12 months for the La Liga side, after finishing fourth in the league ahead of more favoured teams such as Valencia and Malaga in 2012/13.

The club did lose talented young midfielder Asier Illarramendi to Real Madrid over the summer, but stunning goals from Antoine Griezmann and Haris Seferovic sees Sociedad coping just fine without the Spaniard.

The side haven’t reached this competition since 2003 and with Lyon being shown as a shell of the side they once were, Sociedad look set to be in Thursday’s draw for the Champions League group stage.

Lyon have been overshadowed in Ligue 1 with the spending power of Paris Saint-Germain and with AS Monaco now operating in a similar vein, it could be a struggle this year for the club to even make the qualification spots.

Everton vs Stevenage August 28, 2013

Everton boss Roberto Martinez insists there has been no fresh approach from Manchester United for Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines - and claims he has not made a bid for Wigan's James McCarthy.

Everton are likely to hand a first start to Arouna Kone, but fellow summer signing Antolin Alcaraz remains sidelined by a hamstring injury.

Tony Hibbert could play, but Darron Gibson will not be risked despite returning to training.
Stevenage reported no fresh injury concerns following their victory at Notts County and could be unchanged.
Ben Chorley is sidelined by injury while Sam Wedgbury is a doubt after missing the last two games.

The Latics have already rejected one bid from United from the pair and there have been reports that a new bid has been made.

But Martinez, whose Everton side take on Stevenage in the Capital One Cup at Goodison Park on Wednesday night, said that is not the case.

Asked if there had been a new offer from United, he replied: "No, no other news."

He told Everton's official website: "I know we are going to be talking about the transfer window but that's not what we are focusing on now."

Asked about the transfer window unsettling players at his stage of the season, Martinez said: "It happens up and down the country and it is a global concern in football. I think the football authorities need to look into it and not put the players, the fans and the league in this situation.

The current champion is Swansea City, who won their first title last year. Liverpool is the most dominant club having one the competition 8 times.

Start Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
Location: Liverpool, England
Stadium: Goodison Park

Aston Villa vs Rotherham August 28, 2013

Chris Herd is fit following a calf problem and may make his first appearance of the season.

Rotherham will be without forward Daniel Nardiello for the trip to Villa Park.

The Millers manager has likened the challenge in front of his side to scaling Ben Nevis in trainers.

Striker Danny Nardiello will sit out the game due to a one-match ban after his dismissal for two bookable offences in the weekend draw with Shrewsbury.

Evans revealed that the forward was almost in tears in the dressing room on Saturday after realising he had let his team-mates down.

For the rest of his playing colleagues, it is a rare place in the national limelight with Evans and his side determined to make the most of it.

Evans and his Villa counterpart Paul Lambert share an affinity with Celtic, but that is where the similarities end between the clubs.

Evans, who has revealed he is chasing two or three signings before the transfer window closes, including a player currently in the Scottish Premier League, said of tonight’s test, said: “It will be like climbing Ben Nevis in our training shoes.

“Football will always be a game of shock results, every season in football history that has happened and that will continue for sure.

“Villa are in superb form this season, they have top players, they have lots of youth and energy plus – in my opinion – they also have a top manager in Paul Lambert.

“We do not kid ourselves that this match will be tough and at times we might not see a lot of the ball, so when we do we have to make sure we use our time with it effectively.”

Evans, who masterminded several cup shocks in his time as Crawley manager, added: “We will be taking somewhere in the region of four thousand supporters to Villa Park.

“I know they will give the team the best vocal backing we could get.

“When we arrive at Villa Park we do so as a very proud squad of men, that is the minimum criteria I want from all of us when we leave to head back to Rotherham.

“I want all of us to enjoy and embrace the occasion.
He serves a one-game ban following his sending off in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Shrewsbury.

Burton vs Fulham August 27, 2013

The weekend’s 3-1 defeat by Arsenal at the Cottage has to be quickly forgotten about as we travel to Burton Albion on Tuesday for the Second Round of the Capital One Cup (7.45pm).

Fulham began our season on the road well with a 1-0 win over Sunderland and a slightly shorter trip to the Midlands is next on the agenda.

The Brewers are likely to again be without injured duo Billy Kee and Zander Diamond. Fulham are expected to select fringe players such as Hugo Rodallega and Ashkan Dejagah. The visitors will be without Maarten Stekelenburg and Kieran Richardson, who are nursing respective shoulder and hamstring problems.

Manager Martin Jol could ring the changes as a number of players may be tired after their exploits at the weekend and a few younger players could be given a chance to shine in the cup competition. Maarten Stekelenburg and Kieran Richardson are still out with injuries sustained against Sunderland, but the likes of Ashkan Dejagah, Alexander Kačaniklić and Hugo Rodallega could be given a run-out with only three days to recover before another trip up north to visit Newcastle on Saturday.

Burton’s only major concern is about defender Zander Diamond, who is out for the next few weeks after damaging a ligament in his foot.

Some of the club’s best moments have come in the FA Cup. In 2006, they held Manchester United to a 0-0 draw in the Third Round in front of a then-record 6,191 fans, but bravely lost the replay at Old Trafford. Again in the Third Round, in 2011, Burton beat Championship side Middlesbrough 2-1 after coming from behind to seal their place in the Fourth Round for the first time, although they then lost to Burnley.

A good season for Burton last year saw them finish in fourth place in the League Two table and it marked their fourth consecutive appearance in the league after they were promoted. This season has begun well and they will be keen to add another top side to their list of cup scalps, with Sheffield United beaten in the First Round back in early August. And, after drawing 2-2 against Cheltenham Town in their season opener in the league, Albion won 1-0 against Rochdale and 3-2 away at Fleetwood Town, before fighting back from 2-0 down to claim a draw against Bury on Saturday to ensure their form is good going into the visit of the Whites.

Southampton vs Barnsley August 27, 2013

Barnsley will be without defender Jean-Yves Mvoto, who serves a one-game ban following his sending off at Blackburn.
The Tykes may hand a debut to winger Paddy McCourt, who joined the club last week.
Southampton could give a first start to record signing Daniel Osvaldo, who arrived from AS Roma this month.
Midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin is a fitness doubt and may not feature, while Luke Shaw has a knee problem which could prevent him from playing.

The outsider’s view of tonight’s contest at Oakwell would be that it offers a welcome distraction from the rigours of what has so far been a trying start to the Championship season.

The Reds have yet to register a win and have been on ther receiving end of two heavy defeats, most recently a 5-2 reverse at Blackburn.

Norway international Marcus Pedersen is expected to be handed his full debut after stepping off the substitutes' bench on Saturday, while fellow new signing Paddy McCourt is hoping to make his first appearance.

Midfielder Kelvin Etuhu made his first start at the weekend following a hamstring injury and should continue, but defender Martin Cranie (knee) remains sidelined.


Record signing Dani Osvaldo could make his first Southampton start.

Even in progressing to tonight’s second round of the Capital One Cup, where they meet in-form Southampton, Barnsley required a penalty shoot-out to see off League Two side Scunthorpe United.

But instead of sending his players out to enjoy themselves without the pressure of fighting for League points, Flitcroft wants his side to put into practice the positive work they have been doing on the training ground.

“We don’t need a distraction, we need a focus,” said the Reds chief.

“We need to focus on the training ground and we need to focus on our job. Distractions only bring negativity.”

Referee: S Duncan (Northumberland).

Liverpool vs Notts County August 27, 2013

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists his side will afford Notts County “the same respect” as they will Manchester United on Sunday.

“We are concentrating only on the next game, and for us it is Notts County,” he told reporters during his Monday press conference.

Liverpool have no fresh injury concerns for their League Cup second-round tie against League One Notts County at Anfield. The match will come too soon for defender Martin Skrtel, however, with the defender still struggling with a knee injury. Uruguayan centre-back Sebastian Coates is a long-term casualty – expected to be out for most of the season - with frontman Luis Suarez still serving his suspension. Fabio Borini, who spent much of last season out injured with a broken foot, could make the team with Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers expected to make changes.

Notts County manager Chris Kiwomya will check on a number of players ahead of the League Cup clash. Captain Dean Leacock is a doubt, although Kiwomya will be keen to have his most-experienced defender play against the Reds. Fellow defender Alan Sheehan, who has been suffering with a hamstring strain, and forwards Enoch Showunmi and Danny Haynes missed the home league defeat to Stevenage on Saturday but will be checked ahead of the visit to Anfield

He also responded to a question about squad rotation by saying, “It will be an opportunity for some players who maybe haven’t featured to get a game, but the core of our team will very much be there.”

In theory, Liverpool shouldn’t have too much against the League One club, but it is not as simple as just turning up on the day and playing a game of football. For the Notts County players, it is ultimately the biggest game most of them are likely to ever play in, which normally results in the lower league sides raising their game, which can make it harder for the Premier League side.

A trip to Anfield will get any footballer’s blood pumping. Notts County will probably start like a team possessed. They will chase every ball, dive into every tackle and kick everything that moves.

They will be burning with the desire to cause one of the biggest upsets in Football history. Liverpool cannot allow that. The players need to be able to match Notts County in the ‘desire to win’ department if they do that, then the extra quality should see the Reds through this game.

Liverpool are expected to make wholesale changes for tonight’s game, and with Manchester United only a matter of days away, who can blame Brendon Rodgers, for doing exactly that? On the flip side, it will also be a chance for many of Liverpool’s youngsters and fringe players to show the manager, what they are capable of doing.

On the other side of the ball, Notts County captain Dean Leacock referred to the contest as a “dream draw,” adding, “It is the biggest draw we could have got. It is brilliant for the players, the fans and the club as a whole.”

Arsenal vs Fenerbahce August 27, 2013

Arsene Wenger has called on Arsenal to finish the job when they host Fenerbahce at the Emirates on Tuesday bidding to qualify for the lucrative UEFA Champions League group stages.

The Gunners go into the second leg play-off clash in a dominant position following a 3-0 win in Turkey last week.

Second-half goals from Kieran Gibbs, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud boosted the Gunners' hopes of securing their place in Thursday's draw for the group stages for a 16th successive season.

UEFA Champions League playoff round, Emirates Stadium, London

Arsenal vs. Fenerbahce 

Date: 7.45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2013

Another season of UEFA Champions League football is almost secure.

The Gunners hold a 3-0 aggregate lead ahead of the second leg play-off after cruising to a straight forward victory in Istanbul thanks to goals from Kieran Gibbs, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud last week.

Arsene Wenger may also be tempted to field a weakened side against the Turkish outfit, with one eye on this weekend's north London derby with Tottenham.

After beating Fenerbahce last week in Turkey, Arsenal need only to see out the second leg successfully at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. With a 3-0 advantage in hand, the Gunners seem destined for a 16th consecutive season in Europe's most prestigious club competition.

The second leg is scheduled to kick off at 7.45 p.m. BST, or 2:45 p.m

It was just the morale-boosting performance Wenger was seeking following his side's 3-1 opening Premier League home defeat by Aston Villa.

Manchester United vs Chelsea August 26, 2013

United cruised to top spot last term but the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson and return to Chelsea of Mourinho has left many thinking that Moyes will be hard pressed to keep the trophy at Old Trafford.

The reigning champions were also given a difficult set of fixtures at the start of the season, including trips to Anfield and the Etihad Stadium in September, to increase the pressure on Moyes.

The Blues have won both of their first two games and would go six points clear of United if they win on Monday. "There is lots I've been looking forward to: taking the team on tour, leading them at Wembley," Moyes said. "But to do it [lead the team out] at Old Trafford for the first game against Chelsea is a thrill, it really is." Moyes, who left Everton for United in the summer, oversaw an emphatic 4-1 victory over Swansea in his opening game in charge, while Mourinho has started his second stint at Stamford Bridge with home wins over Hull City and Aston Villa.

The match will represent David Moyes’ competitive debut at the Theatre of Dreams, while Jose Mourinho will be returning to this ground for a Premier contest for the first time since November 2006, when his side earned a 1-1 draw.

Manchester United vs. Chelsea 

On Sunday, Chelsea announced via their official website that they had completed the £30 million acquisition of Brazilian playmaker Willian from Shakhtar Donetsk—a signing that saw Mourinho’s summer transfer spending surpass £57 million.

Rumour has it that Chelsea will make a third offer for Rooney after this game is out of the way. The fact is that David Moyes has steadfastly maintained the position that Rooney will not be sold. And who will be Mourinho's choice for Chelsea up front? Fernando Torres sat out their league game against Aston Villa last Wednesday, but he's not started either of their two matches against Manchester United at Old Trafford since perpetrating the most glaring of misses in front of the Stretford End when Andre Villas Boas' Chelsea were beaten 3-1 almost two years ago.

So on the tenth day of this new Premier League season comes the first big summit meeting - the first coming together of two of last season's top four. And of course the firsts also keep coming for Manchester United's new manager David Moyes - this is his bow with his new club at Old Trafford in the league. And as he himself pointed out, he was not done any favours when the fixture computer served up Jose Mourinho's new Chelsea as his team's opponents.

One benefit of this kind of team being in existence was in the brief periods when two such beasts overlapped, and genuinely great games resulted. This era was at it's zenith during the age of great United-Arsenal clashes, so recent yet seeming so far away that teams containing Robert Pires can still get talked about with an "ah, those were the days son, when men were men" wistfulness.

Manchester United and Chelsea are a long way from being as invulnerable as either of those two sides, but they may produce a sort of bastardised version of their best performances. Unless Robin van Persie breaks his leg, this match is not a decisive encounter, or even an important clash or anything from which there is particularly much to be learned. Both teams will have severe nerves, but also very little to lose. A frantic game is a clear possibility, and ending the game with 22 players on the pitch seems unlikely.

ESPN has reported Chelsea are preparing a third bid for the disgruntled England forward—likely to be in the £40 million range. And given Willian’s arrival, pending an immigration hearing, Mourinho could possibly include Juan Mata in a swap deal for the 27-year-old in order to twist United’s arm.

Manchester United injuries: Young, Rafael, Hernandez, Nani, Fletcher

Chelsea injuries: Luiz

Wayne Rooney can save his Manchester United career with a huge performance in Monday night’s clash with Chelsea.


As reported by Mark Ogden of The Telegraph, the new boss confirmed Rooney is in his plans for the early season showdown. United suffered a 1-0 loss to the Blues in the corresponding fixture last campaign and need to grab three points if they are to maintain pace with Jose Mourinho’s crammed squad.

Interestingly, it was the last Premier League visit of Chelsea that saw speculation surrounding Rooney's future intensify. Sir Alex Ferguson benched him for the game, much like the Champions League battle with Real Madrid, adding fuel to a fire that would quickly grow out of control.

Date: 8:00 p.m. BST; 3:00 p.m. ET 26 August 2013

Venue:Old Trafford, Manchester

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Real Madrid vs Granada August 26, 2013

Madrid's ability to catch up to Barcelona in the title race, Ancelotti and his squad will seek to channel those lessons into a victorious performance against a new-look Granada.

The midfielder moved to the Bernabeu from Real Sociedad in July, but failed to make an appearance in pre-season as he recovered from muscle injuries sustained during the European Under-21 Championship, which he helped Spain win.

However, he took part in full training ahead of the game and will be a useful boost to Carlo Ancelotti's midfield numbers.

Xabi Alonso (foot) and Sami Khedira (knee) have been absent from training recently, with the former definitely ruled out.

Khedira limped out of Madrid's narrow 2-1 win over Betis last week and is likely to be replaced by Brazilian Casemiro, who came on in his place in the home victory.

Raphael Varane remains unavailable for selection due to a knee injury sustained at the end of last season, leaving Sergio Ramos and Pepe as the only senior centre-backs available to Ancelotti.

Isco is likely to continue in the creative hub for Madrid after scoring their late winner last week. Jorge Molina had given the Andalusian side a 14th-minute lead before Karim Benzema equalised shortly afterwards.

A frustrating game for Madrid looked to be heading for a draw, until the former Malaga man nodded home on his home debut in the dying embers.

Granada also kicked off their league campaign with a 2-1 success, impressively turning over Osasuna away from home.

As Dennis previewed in his scouting report, Granada acquired the services of some key players this summer. According to Sid Lowe in Real Madrid TV's latest episode of The Match, only 13 players from last season's Granada squad remain with the club. Therefore, Real Madrid should look to strike early to destabilize what may very well be a team-in-progress.

Ancelotti has called up the following players for the clash:

REAL MADRID LINE-UP
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Diego López and Tomás Mejías.
Defenders: Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Arbeloa, Nacho, Marcelo and Carvajal.
Midfield: Kaká, José Rodríguez, Özil, Modric, Casemiro, Isco and Di María.
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Jesé and Morata.

Ancelotti has not revealed who will start between the posts. Looking at the defensive line, it's possible that Arbeloa may start ahead of Carvajal at right back. Carvajal started Real Madrid's first match partially because Arbeloa had been away on international duty earlier that week, so Ancelotti may start Arbeloa to see how he responds to the opportunity. The rest of the defensive line is easy to predict: Sergio Ramos, Pepe and Marcelo.

Due to injuries to Sami Khedira, Illaramendi and Xabi Alonso, Luka Modric will start in the heart of midfield likely partnered by Brazilian youngster Casemiro. Isco and Mesut Özil will likely start in the attacking midfield, although expect Angel Di María to get significant minutes in this match. Road games tend to be gritty and combative, and against a stubborn Granada side Ancelotti may require Di María's pace both on attack and defense. Kaká looked sluggish and unconvincing during Raul's testimonial match, so it's unlikely #8 will see any action.

Barcelona vs Malaga August 25, 2013

Malaga will try to avoid being the next victim in Barcelona's rampage through Spain when they welcome in the Catalans on Sunday.

Barcelona thrashed Levante, 7-0, in their first La Liga match of the season. They scored six before halftime. It was the kind of statement win manager Gerardo Martino needed in his first league match as manager of the club.

There have been many critics who have wondered if Martino is the man for the job and if Barcelona have done enough to improve during the summer.

FC Barcelona will be looking to become the third (or fourth, depending on the result in the evening's earlier match between Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano) side to claim six points from their opening two matches, as both Athletic Bilbao and newly-promoted Villarreal secured their second wins of the campaign earlier in the weekend. Athletic Bilbao are hoping to challenge for a UEFA Champions League qualification place under the guidance of new coach Ernesto Valverde -- and they looked impressive on Friday night at the Anoeta against a wasteful Osasuna performance. Villarreal on the other hand were simply hoping for survival, even if they have invested rather heavily (by La Liga standards) in their playing squad following promotion. But after two matches, perhaps they have designs on something more -- with a second comeback victory in two games, this time against Real Valladolid, it's safe to say that confidence will be high at El Madrigal.

Thanks to their landslide win over Levante in Jornada One, Barcelona should regain their place at the top of the table with any victory tonight -- and are expected to cruise to victory against a much-changed Malaga outfit. Even in the absence of Lionel Messi, Barcelona have talent in abundance: Neymar, Cesc Fabregas, Xavi, Andres Iniesta -- the list goes on and on; just how can Bernd Schuster compete with the Blaugrana?

Chances are that he cannot -- at least not without a tactical rethink. 10 men behind the ball with an emphasis on counter-attacks; it's probably the only way that Malaga can grab something from this match.

Considering how easily the Catalans dispatched Levante, those concerns may have been blown out of proportion. The Spanish league has become an annual battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid, and this season looks to be no different.

On the other side of the pitch, Malaga is recovering from a 1-0 loss to Valencia. It wasn't a demoralizing loss. The match did drive home the new reality for the club, though.

This is a vastly different side from the one that qualified for the Champions League in 2011-12. The money has dried up, and the best players have gone elsewhere. Manuel Pellegrini has left to manage Manchester City, making way for Bernd Schuster. On the pitch, Isco, Jeremy Toulalan and Joaquin have all been sold.

Where: Estadio La Rosaleda, Malaga, Spain

Date: Sunday, August 25

Time: 3 p.m. ET; 8 p.m. BST

Atletico Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano August 25, 2013

This is the first Madrid derby of the season as Atletico Madrid get set to host Rayo Vallecano at the Vicente Calderon and it will be interesting to see how the players have recovered from their midweek exertions. Let's face it, playing Barcelona has to be an exhausting experience, although Atletico certainly gave the reigning Champions all they could handle for 65 minutes in the first leg of the Super Cup.

The 1-1 draw followed an impressive 1-3 win at Sevilla to open the season and finishing in the Champions League places has to be a minimum expectation for the club this season. Even losing Falcao won't have reduced so expectations as Diego Costa scored twice last weekend and David Villa opened his account with Atletico thanks to a special finish against Barcelona during the week.

It was Atletico's home form that propelled them to 3rd in La Liga last season as they won 14 of their 19 League games at home. The side won every all of their home games against sides that finished 6th or lower in the League table, going 14-1-0 in those games. Atletico have, however, won just 1 of their last 7 home games in all competitions.

Rayo Vallecano


It can't be easy being the third team in a city that already counts Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid as home teams, but that is the situation for Rayo Vallecano. The fans must be happy being in the same company as the two bigger teams from Madrid and they have held their own in La Liga following promotion three years and they have finished 15th and 8th in the previous two years.

Rayo Vallecano made a strong start to the new season with a 3-0 win over newly-promoted Elche at home and it is in their own stadium that Vallecano will look to build a foundation for success this year. In saying that, the side did win an impressive 7 away games in La Liga last season and only the top four clubs won more games on their travels, although Rayo did lose 10 times too.

They have begun this season as they ended last season which means Vallecano are unbeaten in their last 5 La Liga games and have won 4 of those games. Rayo Vallecano have won their last 2 away games in the 

Rayo Vallecano snapped a run of 10 games against Atletico Madrid without a win by beating them 2-1 at home in their most recent meeting.

Vallecano haven't won any of their last 5 visits to the Vicente Calderon and it is Atletico Madrid who have won the last 3 games here.

Last season, Atletico won this fixture 4-3, although were leading 4-0 with seven minutes left before almost a huge comeback from Rayo threatened to cause the upset.

This is one of the tougher away grounds to visit at the moment and it is a big ask for Rayo Vallecano to beat their local rivals after they lost all 4 games at the top four last season.

However, Vallecano did win at Valencia, Malaga and Real Betis so are no pushover, while I am not sure the fans would have forgotten how the team recovered from 4-0 down to almost pull level last season at the Vicente Calderon.

Atletico Madrid will surely be a little more prepared for the never say die attitude that Rayo will bring this time and I believe the home side will be a little too strong for them. The last three games here have all resulted in home wins and I will back Atletico Madrid to win this one by at least 2 goals.

Cardiff vs Manchester City August 25, 2013

Newly-promoted Cardiff City didn't enjoy their first taste of life in the Premier League, going down 2-0 away at West Ham last weekend. Their baptism of fire continues at home to Manchester City on Sunday, in a game that could be entirely one-sided. City romped to a 4-0 win in their opening game against Newcastle United, looking immediately comfortable under their new manager.

Malky Mackay's newly-promoted Bluebirds will be looking to bounce back after losing their first game of top-flight football in 51 years last Saturday.

The 2-0 defeat at West Ham came after goals from Joe Cole and Kevin Nolan in either half.

The Bluebirds need to pick up points quickly and, to add extra spice to the occasion, veteran Craig Bellamy comes up against his old side.

But it will be tough to get the win the home fans desire against a Manchester City side who will be full of confidence following their 4-0 demolition of Newcastle on Monday.

New boss Manuel Pellegrini was impressed with his players and called on his side to continue to play "aggressive" football against the Bluebirds.

He said: "We tried to play 90-minute football (against the Magpies). I am sure the players are enjoying this way and we will try to continue.

"It was just one match but it is very important to continue this way and at the end of the season, we will see who has won the title."

Cardiff City injuries and suspensions

Out: None. In doubt: Andreas Cornelius (ankle).

Manchester City injuries and suspensions

Out: Vincent Kompany (groin). In doubt: Matija Nastasić (ankle), Micah Richards (hamstring) and Stevan Jovetić (knock).

Projected lineups

Cardiff City: David Marshall; Declan John, Ben Turner, Steven Caulker, Matthew Connolly; Craig Bellamy, Peter Whittingham, Gary Medel, Bo-Kyung Kim, Aron Gunnarsson; Andreas Cornelius

Manchester City: Joe Hart; Gaël Clichy, Joleon Lescott, Matija Nastasić, Pablo Zabaleta; Fernandinho, Yaya Touré; David Silva, Sergio Agüero, Jesús Navas; Edin Džeko

Match Date/Time: Sunday, 4 p.m. local, 11 a.m. ET

Venue: Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales

MTV VMAs 2013 (Video Music Awards 2013) August 25, 2013

The MTV Video Music Awards—or the VMAs, as kids these days call ‘em—are tomorrow and it is going to be The Greatest VMAs Ever! Or at the very least, it's not going to be the MTV Movie Awards.
On second thought, maybe it could be what the Internet deems "The Worst." Only one way to find out! But we thought we'd run both the best case and worst case scenarios for you first.
May we present to you the 4 reasons this year's VMAs will be The Best and the 4 reasons they could actually be The Worst.

Ten years ago, something big happened at the MTV Video Music Awards.

The MTV Video Music Awards are known for being unpredictable, but there are a few things you can count on come Sunday night.
Lady Gaga will kick things off at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn by performing her new song, “Applause,” which she debuted on “Good Morning America” just a few days ago.

“I’m so excited,” she said of the VMAs. “We’ve been planning this for a year!”

Other performers include Drake, Bruno Mars, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Miley Cyrus (whose number will likely include twerking), Robin Thicke, Katy Perry (maybe she’ll bring boyfriend John Mayer?) and Kanye West, who just revealed the first photo of his daughter, North. This year’s Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award honoree Justin Timberlake is slated to perform too, and as a special treat, he may be joined by his former ‘NSYNC bandmates.

“You never know,” Lance Bass said of the rumored reunion. “That would be an amazing, amazing time.”
Among the other nominees: Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson and Beyoncé. Plus, Taylor Swift will be there — maybe she’ll have a chance to make nice with Kanye West?

The great thing about the VMAs? Anything can happen.

Want some company while you’re watching the show? Or maybe you don’t have cable but want to keep up with everything that’s happening? Join our live blog! We’ll start chatting at 8 p.m. ET, just in time for the pre-show, and will keep going until the awards show ends. See you Sunday!

Madonna hit the stage at New York's Radio City Music Hall, opening up the 20th anniversary ceremony with a medley of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood." At her side were pop contemporaries Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. It could have been just an ordinary star-heavy performance, but then something else happened: Madonna French-kissed Spears. We watched as the camera panned to Spears' ex-boyfriend, Justin Timberlake. And then Madge did it again -- she smooched Aguilera.

It's a decade later, and we find ourselves in a familiar place: New York. This time the VMAs will be held at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Timberlake will be on hand once again, and there's even talk of an *NSYNC reunion.

Jimmy Fallon will present Timberlake with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. Previous recipients have included R.E.M,Madonna, Peter Gabriel, ., Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Spears.

And there will be plenty of performers -- Lady Gaga is expected to kick off the VMAs with her new single, "Applause." Earlier this week, she told New York City radio station Z-100, "I am opening the show. Well, yes, I'm dancing and what you see in the video is where I am now with my body. I'm dancing 'til my feet bleed every day to make sure I give the fans a performance that they won't forget."

Other acts set to hit the stage include Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West and Drake. Katy Perry will close the show (from an undisclosed location) with her new single, "Roar," off her upcoming album, "Prism," due Oct. 22. The VMAs are always a little bit more fun and rowdy than other awards shows, so there's bound to be some surprises in the works. Another epic kiss, perhaps? We'll likely see some twerking from Cyrus, an outrageous outfit or two from Gaga, a "surprise" performance from Daft Punk, and maybe something crazy, or the very least memorable, from West.

Presenters on hand will include Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jared Leto, Kevin Hart, Emeli Sande and A$AP Rocky. MTV will also present the movie trailer for "Divergent" during the VMAs pre-show.

And there will be plenty of moonmen to go around. Timberlake and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis top this year's nominations with six nods. Bruno Mars isn't far behind with four nods, and Robin Thicke, Cyrus and Pink are each in the running for three honors.

Other notable contenders include Swift, Drake, fun., Calvin Harris and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, as well as first-time VMA nominees Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey, The Weeknd and Capital Cities.

Fans have been able to vote for general VMA categories, including video of the year. Go here for a list of nominees.

England vs Australia August 25, 2013

Australia are in the box seat to earn some valuable momentum from what has been a horror England Ashes tour as the teams prepare for day three at The Oval in London.

After four matches where their brittle batting line-up put the rest of the team under pressure, Australia’s top seven has finally got its act together.

The innings was highlighted by two centuries, the first time Australia has managed to have a duo break through the ton barrier in an away Test since playing Sri Lanka in 2011.

Shane Watson scored runs in a better late than never innings, which might have just saved his short-term career, as he bullied the England attack on his way to making 176, with 26 boundaries and a six coming from his time at the crease.

Darren Lehmann’s decision to move Watson to his third place in the batting order this Ashes series came under fire from some pundits of the game.

However, after his excellent knock the all-rounder might have played his way into the side when they play the return series in Australia starting in November.

Smith Smith was the other innings of note for the tourists as he scored his maiden Test ton, finishing on 138 not out.

It was an innings of patience and aggression where needed, as he showed coolness under pressure beyond his 24 years.

After bursting onto the scene as a blonde leg-spinner most has tipped to be “the next Shane Warne”, Smith has undergone a transformation and looks to be potential long-term number six batsman, with the ability to bowl some wrist spin where needed.

Vitally for England if they are to add to their three wins this series, captain Alastair Cook and Joe Root managed to survive until the close of play on day two.

With the conditions still helping fast bowlers who are willing to pitch the ball up and the pitch likely to turn for Nathan Lyon and Smith later, Cook and Root will need to put on close to a century stand to give the Three Lions a platform to launch towards Australia’s first innings of 492.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Swansea City August 25, 2013

White Hart Lane. Spurs were able to grab a 1-0 win away to Crystal Palace then travel to Georgia and grab a smashing victory over Dinamo Tbilisi in Europa League play. Roberto Soldado is off to a strong start at striker, while the likes of Danny Rose, Paulinho, and Etienne Capoue have impressed in their new roles.

Football comes home for Tottenham on Sunday. Swansea City visits, coming off a tough loss to Manchester United in the season opener that saw the Swans lose 4-1. It seems likely that summer signing Wilfried Bony will receive his first league start as Swansea tries to take it Spurs. However, the Swansea defense seems vulnerable ahead of the match, something that the Spurs' attack could take advantage of.

The Welsh side will head into the game on the back of a 5-1 win in the Europa League against Petrolul Ploiesti on Thursday - a result that Laudrup described as "excellent".

A late consolation goal from Gheorghe Grozav may have taken the shine off for Swansea, but despite being forced back into action with a relatively short turnaround, Laudrup believes that his side will now enter the White Hart Lane clash full of optimism.

"I’m not complaining about the fixtures," he said. "You have to play everyone and it will be difficult - but we are confident going into the game.

TOTTENHAM LATEST
7/2 Roberto Soldado is 7/2 with BetVictor to open the scoring against Swansea
"They had a very good squad last season, and they have bought some good players this summer.

"It may be a different Spurs to the one we played last year, but it will still be tough."

While Swansea fell 4-1 to Manchester United on the opening weekend, Tottenham were 1-0 winners against Crystal Palace.

That match saw Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Roberto Soldado and Etienne Capoue all make their competitive debuts for the club, although Tottenham were without Gareth Bale as speculation continues over a potential world record move to Real Madrid.

And while he has had to cope without last season's Player and Young Player of the Year Bale so far this season, boss Andre Villas-Boas is pleased with his dealings in the window so far.

On Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur return to White Hart Lane for the first time this season and for their 115th season at the venerable venue. But the club's time at the Lane is ticking down as the NDP hums along and we creep closer to Spurs' new stadium.

For now, White Hart Lane still stands and on Sunday, 36,000 fans will pack it hoping the boys in white come away winners. That means continuing a week of Wales-hating and sending Swansea back home without anything to show for their trip to the capital.

Swansea enter the match relatively fit, with Nathan Dyer the only played injured, while Spurs are without Lewis Holtby and Emmanuel Adebayor. Benoit Assout-Ekotto is also likely to miss out and Gareth Bale is technically still part of the team so you can say he will be absent too, but that would be a pretty liberal definition of "part of the team" (and depending on who you believe, Adebayor may fall into this category as well).

The Swans were tapped as a team watch in the preseason, but they didn't look it last week against Manchester United. A bright start went for naught as the Red Devils punished Swansea's porous backline and Roberto Soldado will be foaming at the mouth.

Swansea scored five midweek in Europa League, but that was against Petrolul Ploiesti and they still did concede one at home. As promising as people may have thought Michael Laudrup's club were preseason, the first week of the season has not flattered them. Then again, it is the first week so who's to say anything about anyone.

This is Spurs' transition to Hate Wales Week 2. Do it.

Match date/time: Sunday, August 25; 11 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. GMT

Venue: White Hart Lane, London, England

Aston Villa vs Liverpool August 24, 2013

Aston Villa opened the season with an impressive 3-1 win over Arsenal, before only narrowly being beaten by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in mid-week. Completing an unenviably difficult season opening trio of games is this weekend's match at home to Liverpool, who beat Stoke City by a single goal in their only Premier League fixture to date.

We're barely a week into the new season and already Paul Lambert's persuasive powers in getting Christian Benteke to stay at Aston Villa have reaped major dividends, with the player scoring three goals in two tough away games at Arsenal and Chelsea.

How important is the Belgian international? Well, he's found the net 17 times in the league in 2013, three more times than any other Premier League player. Even more impressively, in Europe's top five league's, only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more than Benteke since the turn of the year.

That's why Villa's most important signing of the summer was a player already at the club, even though they look an all-round improved unit.

Liverpool could have done with someone like Benteke on the end of some of their play against Stoke last weekend, by all accounts. I didn't see the game live as I was at Carrow Road, but even before watching the highlights it sounded like 'deja vu all over again', as Yogi Berra famously once said.

Liverpool attempted more shots on goal than any other Premier League team last weekend (20) - as they did last season - but for a late penalty save by new keeper Simon Mignolet would have been held to a draw at Anfield.

Still, three points is a good start and it's what they've often left Villa Park with in recent seasons. This is a fixture Liverpool fans have come to look forward to over the past 15 years in particular, with nine wins and only one defeat in that time. Last season's match came in March and resulted in a 2-1 win for Liverpool, who haven't lost a league game since.

It hasn't just been Liverpool who've caused problems at Villa Park. Villa have won only half a dozen of their last 32 home league matches and that will have to change if they're to build on the promise shown in their opening two fixtures this season.

Villa have had an extremely good start to the 2013-14 campaign and were very unlucky to lose against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, just four days after their terrific 3-1 win against Arsenal at the Emirates last Saturday.

As for Liverpool, they outplayed Stoke City for pretty much the entire game at Anfield in the opening game of the Premier League season early last weekend, but almost threw three points away late on.

Daniel Sturridge‘s first half strike proved enough for Brendan Rodgers‘ men but a whole host of missed chances almost proved costly as newly acquired Belgian ‘keeper Simon Mignolet had to save a last-minute penalty to preserve the win.

This game should be a real battle but good to watch. Paul Lambert‘s young Villa side like to stroke the ball around and they will be eager to impress their home fans. Villa have had an incredibly tough start to the season, but two wins from three games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool would be a fantastic return.

VALENCIENNES - MARSEILLE 24-08-2013

Après le match nul de Monaco contre Toulouse hier en ouverture de la troisième journée (0-0), Marseille se déplace samedi à Valenciennes (17h). L'OM peut s'installer provisoirement en tête de la Ligue 1. À partir de 20h : Lyon-Reims, Bordeaux-Bastia, Evian-Thonon-Rennes, Guingamp-Lorient, Montpellier-Sochaux sont aussi à suivre en direct sur les antennes et le site internet de France Bleu

Comme la saison dernière, l’Olympique de Marseille a parfaitement négocié son début de championnat avec deux succès en deux matchs. Mais Elie Baup et ses hommes ont toutes les raisons d’être méfiants avant leur déplacement au stade du Hainaut pour affronter Valenciennes. C’est en effet dans cette enceinte que Marseille avait connu sa première défaite la saison passée après six victoires de rang. De leurs côtés, les joueurs de Daniel Sanchez voudront confirmer leurs bonnes dispositions à domicile (victoire 3-0 contre Toulouse lors de la 1ere journée) face à un adversaire qui lui réussit plutôt bien. Pour preuve, la dernière victoire de l’OM dans le Nord remonte au 19 octobre 2008.
Les équipes probables

Valenciennes : Penneteau (cap) - Mater, Lala, Angoua, Nery - T.Doumbia, Saez, Ducourtioux - M.Dossevi, Melikson - Le Tallec (ou Bahebeck)

Marseille : Mandanda (cap) - Fanni, S.Diawara, Nkoulou, Morel - Romao, Cheyrou - Payet, Valbuena, A.Ayew - Gignac

Ce n'est pas un déplacement facile pour Marseille samedi. L'équipe de l'OM, qui compte deux victoires en autant de matches, se rend à Valenciennes où elle avait été corrigée l'an passé (1-4). Les Nordistes sont intraitables à domicile. Le dernier venu (Toulouse) est reparti du stade du Hainaut avec trois pions dans les valises. Prudence pour les hommes d'Elie Baup s'ils veulent confirmer leur départ canon et rester en haut du classement.

Marseille n’a gagné qu’un seul de ses 7 derniers déplacements à Valenciennes (3-1, le 19 octobre 2008), pour 2 nuls et 4 défaites. VA est invaincu face à l’OM en L1 lors de ses 4 derniers matchs à domicile (3 succès, 1 nul), avec 11 buts marqués et 6 encaissés. Les Nordistes ont cependant encaissé au moins un but lors de leurs 8 derniers matchs de L1 face à l’OM. Valenciennes a remporté ses 3 derniers matchs de L1 à domicile (contre Rennes, Troyes et Toulouse), ce qui égale sa meilleure série au Hainaut. Marseille n’a perdu qu’un seul de ses 14 derniers matchs de Ligue 1 (0-2, contre Saint Etienne, le 18 mai 2013), pour 9 victoires et 4 nuls. L’OM n’a perdu qu’un seul de ses 6 derniers matchs de Ligue 1 à l’extérieur (3 succès, 2 nuls), et a gardé sa cage inviolée à 4 reprises sur cette période. Marseille reste sur 4 matchs sans victoire dans le Nord-Pas-de-Calais (2 nuls et 2 défaites), sa dernière victoire remontant au 3 avril 2011 à Lens (1-0). L’OM a encaissé 3 buts ou plus lors de 3 de ses 4 derniers matchs de Ligue 1 à Valenciennes. L’OM peut réaliser un sans-faute lors des 3 premières journées de Ligue 1 pour la deuxième saison consécutive, cela ne leur est jamais arrivé. Les Phocéens ont fait carton plein lors des 3 premières journées de L1 seulement 5 fois dans leur histoire (1932/33, 1975/76, 1990/91, 1998/99 et 2012/13).

Stoke City vs Crystal Palace August 24, 2013

Stoke City were denied a late equaliser against Liverpool in their opening Premier League fixture of the season, but the Potters have a home advantage this weekend when they take on Crystal Palace.

Stoke boss Mark Hughes has a trio of midfielders unavailable for the Barclays Premier League clash with Crystal Palace at the Britannia Stadium.

Brek Shea, who sustained medial ligament damage in pre-season, is not yet ready to return to action, nor is Wilson Palacios after he was taken out of the starting line-up for last weekend's 1-0 loss at Liverpool at the last minute and underwent what the Potters will only describe as "a minor surgical procedure".
The other absentee for the Palace match - Hughes' first competitive home fixture as Stoke manager - is Jamie Ness due to an unspecified problem.

Winger Jason Puncheon could go straight into Crystal Palace's side for Saturday's trip to Stoke following his season-long loan move from Southampton.

Jerome Thomas, however, is still out with an ankle injury, as is midfielder Yannick Bolasie (hamstring).
Captain Paddy McCarthy (groin) continues his rehabilitation, along with forward Glenn Murray (knee).
Mark Hughes is yet to get his first win of the campaign as Stoke boss following his arrival in the summer, replacing long-standing manager Tony Pulis.

Similar to Stoke's poor start, this weekend's visitors began their season in the top flight with defeat to Chelsea, which resulted in manager Ian Holloway being charged by the Football Association for his comments regarding the match officials.

Asmir Begovic is expected to start in goal for the home side following his impressive performance at Anfield last weekend, with Peter Crouch leading the line.

Holloway could keep Dwight Gayle up front, with Marouane Chamakh placed on the bench.

Stoke City (4-4-2, probable): Begovic; Cameron, Huth, Shawcross, Pieters; Pennant, Nzonzi, Adam, Etherington; Crouch, Walters.
Out: Ness (knock), Palacios (illness), Shea (knee).
Crystal Palace (4-3-3, probable): Speroni, Ward, Gabbidon; Delaney, Moxey; Dikgacoi; Jedinak; Garvan; Gayle, Chamakh, Puncheon.
Out: Parr (ankle/foot), McCarthy (groin), Price (knock), Bolasie (hamstring), Thomas (ankle), Murray (knee).
Referee: Andre Marriner

Southampton vs Sunderland August 24, 2013

Both Mauricio Pochettino and Paolo Di Canio are starting their first full season in charge at their respective clubs and have been busy reshaping their squads.

Five of the 10 new arrivals at the Stadium of Light started for Sunderland last weekend as they went down 1-0 at home to Fulham, while Dejan Lovren and Victor Wanyama played for Southampton in their 1-0 victory at West Brom. Italy international Dani Osvaldo has now been added to the mix after Saints broke their club transfer record again.

Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino believes the club's policy of promoting players from the youth system is just as vital as the heavy investment in the squad.

The Argentinian has added Dejan Lovren, Victor Wanyama and Dani Osvaldo to his squad in recent months, running up a total transfer outlay of around B£36million.

But despite breaking the club's transfer record on two occasions this summer, after last year also splashing out on Gaston Ramirez and Jay Rodriguez, Saints fielded four products of their youth academy in Saturday's 1-0 win at West Brom.

Calum Chambers, Luke Shaw, James Ward-Prowse and Adam Lallana all started, as did Morgan Schneiderlin, who joined the south coast club as an 18-year-old.

Pochettino is keen to keep blooding such youngsters from the same academy that has produced the likes of Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in recent times.

"I'm very happy with all the players who have come through the academy, we are very pleased about what we are doing in that sense," he said ahead of Saturday's game at home to Sunderland.

"It speaks volumes of the good job that [chairman] Nicola Cortese has been doing in terms of promoting the academy going up.

"I think you need a good mix between youth players and older, more experienced players. If you do have that equilibrium then it is going to bring a good energy to the club.

"It is tough because we have 22 to 23 players who are looking at getting in to the side."

However, while he is happy to utilise his fledglings, Pochettino is also aware that he has to nurture their talents in the coming years.

"We have to be careful with young players," he added.
Sunderland also have more options but, having watched the highlights on Match of the Day via the BBC iPlayer (what a welcome development), Di Canio could be tempted to stick with the team that started against the Cottagers.

The Sunderland boss may also identify strongly with Saints new boy Osvaldo, who is certainly an interesting character.
The striker played under Pochettino at Espanyol but was excluded from the Italy squad for the Confederations Cup in the summer for disciplinary reasons. He admits that he is "no angel" but is generally a "nice person." Remind you of anyone?

With the ever-reliable Rickie Lambert on a career high following his goalscoring debut for England and more young players emerging from their academy, Southampton appear to be a team heading in the right direction.

Sunderland's away form is patchy but they have won on their last two visits to St Mary's. To try and predict the outcome of this encounter is difficult but it should be very interesting indeed.

Newcastle United vs West Ham August 24, 2013

West Ham United started off their new season with a win against Premier League new boys Cardiff. Sam Allardyce was very happy with his sides performance and in particular that of his two goal scoreres Joe Cole and Kevin Nolan, Nolan in particular looks almost ageless as he continues to provide a goal threat and get up and down the pitch. With Andy Carroll sidelined at the moment West Ham will look to Ricado Vaz Te and Maiga upfront withnew signing Stewart Downing also expected to start on the wing. The former winger is sure to get a tasty welcome from Newcastle fans as he was big part of Middlesborough's team for a couple of years and played in many a Tyne/Wear Derby.

Monday night we seen the return of the Premier League spotlight to Manchester City and their opponents were Newcastle United, the magpies thrust into the public eye on Monday were far from impressive. Although there were some late line up changes with Yohan Cabaye left out of the team and the Newcastle cause definitely was not helped when Steven Taylor was sent off just before half time.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew was not impressed with his side's performance Monday but to be honest the team put up a decent effort throughout the game, the problems lay with the sending off and the gap in quality between Manchester City's front four and Newcastle's front two who really struggled to impose themselves in the game. The Magpies return home on Saturday though and the confines of St James Park will be rocking for the arrival of West Ham United and their former boss Sam Allardyce.

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew will try to pick themselves up from a 4-0 drubbing at the Etihad Stadium when they welcome West Ham United to St James' Park on Saturday afternoon.

The Magpies, who have lost their last three home fixtures, found themselves completely overwhelmed by an impressive Manchester City side - now under the leadership of Manuel Pellegrini - on Monday evening.

Alan Pardew voiced his anger at the timing of Arsenal's bid for midfielder Yohan Cabaye, which subsequently saw him left out of the squad that travelled to the North West.

Now that the bid has been rejected and the matter dealt with - at least for now - the Frenchman is expected to take his place against the Hammers.

However, Argentine winger Jonas Gutierrez is likely to miss out through injury, while Steven Taylor will be suspended after getting sent off against City.

Meanwhile, the only man missing the Hammers, who beat Premier League newcomers Cardiff City in their opening fixture, is former St James' favourite Andy Carroll (heel).

Newcastle United vs West Ham August 24, 2013


Newcastle: Krul, Debuchy, Coloccini, Yanga-Mbiwa, Anita, Tiote, Obertan, Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Gouffran, Cisse

West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Demel, O'Brien, Collins, Reid, Noble, Diame, Nolan, Jarvis, Cole, Maiga

Hull City Norwich City August 24, 2013

Hull City and Norwich City meet at the KC Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with both sides looking for their first Premier League win of the season.

The hosts' return to the top flight could not have been much tougher and they were outplayed by Chelsea, eventually falling to a 2-0 defeat.

Steve Bruce admits Hull have their work cut out to stay in the Barclays Premier League when even the likes of Norwich and Southampton have joined the ranks of the big spenders.

Hull take on the Canaries, the side that gave Bruce his chance at the big time as a player, this weekend in their first home match back in the top flight and the Tigers' manager admits there is a gap between his side and Norwich.

Norwich have embarked on a considerable transfer spree, not least splashing out a club record B#10.7million on Ricky Van Wolfswinkel from Sporting Lisbon, while Southampton have paid B£15million for Roma striker Dani Osvaldo.

And Bruce, who has had to be more canny in terms of spending, said the stability that his old club have established in the Premier League is something he is aiming to emulate.

He said: "We all know who is going to be in the top six but Norwich and Southampton are doing their best to try and bridge that gap if they can.

"Make no mistake, with the resources that these clubs have got, the squads they've got, it is very, very difficult for us all to try to compete.

"But clubs like Norwich, Southampton and West Brom have invested a hell of a lot of money.

"Everyone has strengthened and that's the difficulty when you first come up into the Premier League.

"I wish I could spend B£15million on a centre-forward but that's not possible. We've got to cut our cloth."

Bruce has fond memories of his time at Norwich before Sir Alex Ferguson took him to Manchester United, and rates what has been done in East Anglia in recent years.

He added: "Norwich was the one real big club that really give me a chance. Everybody associates me with Man United, but Norwich was the one.

"Mel Machin and Ken Brown were the people who took me to Norwich a long, long time ago, and they gave me a chance when I was in the Third Division (with Gillingham)."

"If we can run our club the way they do with their support, that's got to be our benchmark."

Bruce is expected to give a first start to record signing Tom Huddlestone alongside his ex-Tottenham team-mate Jake Livermore, who has joined on loan from Spurs, against Norwich.

Norwich defender Michael Turner will put points before nostalgia when he returns to Hull.

Norwich played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Everton at Carrow Road and manager Chris Hughton will have seen plenty to be pleased about.

Steve Bruce's only real injury concern remains Stephen Quinn and he could be tempted to stick to a similar XI, despite the Stamford Bridge defeat.

Sebastien Bassong is pushing for a return following his recovery from injury although he and Gary Hooper may well not make the first team for this match.

Hull: McGregor; Elmohamady, Chester, Davies, Figueroa; Brady, Meyler, Koren, Sagbo; Graham, Aluko 

Norwich: Ruddy; Whittaker, Martin, Turner, Garrido; Bennett, Howson, Tettey, Redmond; Hoolahan; Van Wolfswinkel

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