Four-goal Chelsea stretch Premier League lead

Chelsea FC continue to set the pace at the head of the Premier League, a 4-1 win against Norwich City FC moving them four points clear of Manchester City FC, who are up to second.


                                                                                                                                                                                  

                   





Premier League leaders Chelsea FC maintained their excellent start to the season as they cruised to a 4-1 home victory against Norwich City FC, after champions Manchester City FC had beaten Sunderland AFC in the lunchtime kick-off.

It did not go according to script early on for Roberto Di Matteo's side, though, as Grant Holt (11) put winless Norwich ahead. However, the Blues were swift to respond, Fernando Torres heading in three minutes later, before Frank Lampard, Eden Hazard and Branislav Ivanović got on the scoresheet as the European champions went four points clear.

Also undefeated in the league, Manchester City climbed above Everton FC into second after goals from Aleksandar Kolarov, Sergio Agüero and James Milner wrapped up a 3-0 home win.

Everton lost ground with a 2-2 draw at Wigan Athletic FC, while West Bromwich Albion FC defeated bottom-placed Queens Park Rangers FC 3-2 and Swansea City AFC came from two down to claim a point against Reading FC.

Arsenal FC returned to winning ways in the late fixture, Olivier Giroud scoring his first league goal for the club as the Gunners recovered from behind to win 3-1 at London rivals West Ham United FC.

Stage set for Clásico duel

                                                  Stage set for Clásico duel

With FC Barcelona set to host Real Madrid CF in Sunday's Clásico, Graham Hunter and Paul Bryan share their thoughts on how the two great rivals are shaping up for the contest.

                                             

View from Barcelona: Graham Hunter
This is one of the occasions which, specifically, helped Tito Vilanova to be hired for the FC Barcelona job. An alumnus of the Camp Nou talent school, he has been living this Clásico fixture for the better part of his life – as a fan, as a junior player on the Barça books and then as assistant to Josep Guardiola while the club ran up a series of famous victories against Real Madrid CF.

A contest which can draw the breath from your body, send the adrenaline thundering through the veins and induce erratic behavior, will hold no worries for Vilanova.

Naturally, a great deal of the Camp Nou focus will be on Carles Puyol's unavailability, the possibility that Gerard Piqué's ankle will not allow him to return in time, and the fact that Andrés Iniesta, too, is just back after an enforced absence.

However, over the years in which they have been close friends, Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has consistently said that if he were allowed to pluck a single player out of the Barça side before a Clásico, it would always be Xavi Hernández. The midfield maestro has been on top form this season, loves rising to the occasion and will be the nerve centre of the home side's performance if they are to win and establish a daunting 11-point gap in early October. If the champions can smother his creativity, then perhaps they can register a second consecutive Liga win at the Camp Nou.

View from Madrid: Paul Bryan
For a very brief period at the end of August, José Mourinho must have radiated with satisfaction as he watched Madrid stun Barcelona with a ferocious attacking display that at first sight seemed to signal a regime change at the top of Spanish football.

Thrown a lifeline at the end of their Spanish Super Cup first-leg defeat away to the Blaugrana, the Liga champions roared back at the opening of the return. They took a 2-0 lead (eventually winning 2-1 and on away goals) and looked as hungry as their opponents had that famous night at the Camp Nou two years before when Mourinho suffered his most chastening experience as a coach.

Yet where Barcelona were relentless in chalking up a 5-0 victory in November 2010, the Merengues – despite lifting the Super Cup – sunk into a shell that has left their coach frustrated. Winning a 32nd Liga title in May with record hauls of 100 points and 121 goals was supposed to be just the beginning. Incredibly, though, Spain's most successful club find themselves already trailing their rivals by eight points after just six games this term.

Confidence is steadily growing again thanks to a four-match winning streak, but the general consensus is that any successful title defence requires the champions to extend that sequence to five.

Quotes
"Against Barcelona [in the Super Cup second leg], I saw a team play to their absolute limits from the very first minute, and who produced a performance that they have since failed to repeat since."
José Mourinho after the 3-0 Liga win against Granada CF on 2 September.

"A victory for us will not settle the Liga title; firstly because it's far too early in the season and secondly because it's Real Madrid we are talking about here.”
Cesc Fàbregas is not getting carried away.

"In terms of a possible outcome, I've never been good at doing the pools, so ..."
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque sits on the fence.

"I'm certain there will be a pressure-cooker atmosphere inside the Camp Nou on the evening of this game."
Barcelona president Sandro Rosell hopes for home advantage.

"We're going out to win it. We are well aware of the position we find ourselves in, and of the huge importance associated with a Clásico."
Xabi Alonso revs up his Madrid team-mates.

Clásico stats
Wins: Barcelona – 87, Madrid – 88, draws – 46
Most appearances: Xavi Hernández (34, Barcelona), Raúl González (37, Madrid)
Top scorers: Lionel Messi (15, Barcelona), Alfredo Di Stéfano (18, Madrid)

Last ten meetings
Madrid 2-1 Barcelona (Spanish Super Cup)
Barcelona 3-2 Madrid (Spanish Super Cup)
Barcelona 1-2 Madrid (Spanish Liga)
Barcelona 2-2 Madrid (Copa del Rey)
Madrid 1-2 Barcelona (Copa del Rey)
Madrid 1-3 Barcelona (Spanish Liga)
Barcelona 3-2 Madrid (Spanish Super Cup)
Madrid 2-2 Barcelona (Spanish Super Cup)
Barcelona 1-1 Madrid (UEFA Champions League)
Madrid 0-2 Barcelona (UEFA Champions League)

Goal !

5 facts you didn’t know about dreams (part I)    

Zinedine Zidan

Brazil hosts tenth Match Against Poverty

Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane are among the legends who will take to the pitch in the tenth UEFA-backed Match Against Poverty on 19 December 2012 at the Gremio Arena in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane are inviting some of the world's top players to join them in an all-star line-up for the tenth UEFA-backed Match Against Poverty, which takes place on 19 December 2012 at the Gremio Arena in Porto Alegre, Brazil (21.00 local time).

As goodwill ambassadors for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ronaldo and Zidane will each captain a team for this friendly match aimed at mobilising the public in the fight against poverty.

"The struggle against poverty is not a game," said Ronaldo, who launched the Match Against Poverty with Zinédine Zidane and UNDP ten years ago. "But we use this match to raise both funds and awareness that the solution is in everyone's hands. Working together, we will all be winners in the Match Against Poverty."

Zidane, who will play in Brazil for the first time, said that after ten years of playing with Ronaldo, he is excited to play against him and his friends in the Match Against Poverty. "Although it will be a friendly match, I very much look forward to playing against my old friend in Porto Alegre," he said.

The match follows nine successful editions that took place in Basle, Madrid, Dusseldorf, Marseille, Malaga, Fez, Lisbon, Athens and Hamburg. Each year, funds raised support specific projects in different countries facing difficult challenges. "At the tenth match, we will use the proceeds to support solutions in my own country, as well as another programme in Africa in which Brazil is actively engaged," said Ronaldo.

Now UEFA's chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina has refereed eight out of the nine editions to date, and will again be in charge this year. "It is not easy to find a charity initiative that is able to reach its tenth anniversary," he said. "The Match Against Poverty did it, and this is really great. For me, it has been always a privilege to be invited as the referee of these matches, and to give my contribution to those who need help.

"As football is the world's most popular sport and poverty is a global challenge, the match is a wonderful instrument to mobilise people around the world to support all efforts to ensure that everyone, everywhere, can lead healthy, productive and rewarding lives."

Ronaldo and Zidane are part of an elite group of UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors, which includes other football stars Didier Drogba, Iker Casillas and Marta.

Perfect Shakhtar face 'moment of truth'

Perfect Shakhtar face 'moment of truth'

FC Shakhtar Donetsk have won all 13 of their fixtures this season but Olexandr Kucher and Marko Dević know that Tuesday's Group E trip to Juventus is the "moment of truth".

FC Shakhtar Donetsk duo Olexandr Kucher and Marko Dević are convinced they can continue their fine start to the season at Juventus on Tuesday.

So far Shakhtar have won all ten of their Ukrainian Premier League games, won the Ukrainian Super Cup and knocked FC Dynamo Kyiv out of the Ukrainian Cup. They also defeated FC Nordsjælland 2-0 in their UEFA Champions League Group E opener. However, Juve, who drew at Chelsea FC on matchday one, present a different challenge.

Attacking full-back Kucher, who scored twice in the 3-1 league defeat of Shakhtar a month ago, is confident but wary after Friday's 2-1 win against FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. "Dnipro are in good shape now, but Juve are Juve," he said. "Let's not forget that it will be an away match against the Italian champions.

"The 'Old Lady' have a lot of advantages, but all our other opponents are dangerous, and I'm not speaking only about Chelsea. Many people thought and still think that Nordsjælland are underdogs, but the Danish side put on a good performance in Donetsk. They are on the right track, as they can control the ball properly. So it won't be an easy task to defeat them for anyone.

"The most admirable thing about Juventus is their stability. They are unbeaten in Serie A for a very long time. However, I don't want it to seem like we are scared. We are ready to fight, as we want a positive result."

Dević, who moved to Shakhtar from FC Metalist Kharkiv in the summer, shares his team-mate's thoughts. "Our fans expect us to play well in Turin, so we'll do our best to get a draw at least, as every point could be crucial in the Champions League," he said.

Dević added that despite their 13 wins from as many competitive matches this season, Tuesday's assignment is "the moment of truth". The forward said: "It's a great pleasure to win game by game, but we'll be judged by the matches against Juventus and Chelsea. They are the most important ones for every Shakhtar player.

"There were a lot of emotions in the game against Dnipro, as we missed two penalties but achieved victory. Now it's hard to say whether that will affect our performance in Turin or not. I think that right now the match against Juventus is the most serious test for us."