Published on January 9, 2012 by Match Highlight · No Comments Arsenal v. Leeds United Views Full Match Highlight coming Soon Views Full Match Game Coming Soon
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Pep Guardiola’s side came into the match six points behind Madrid following the challengers’ win against Granada on Sunday but were hoping to cut the gap back to three by beating their lowly neighbours.
They looked on course to do so as Cesc Fabregas gave them a 16th-minute lead but after failing to build on the opener, Barca – who also had efforts correctly ruled out for handball and offside – conceded the equaliser with less than five minutes to go as Alvaro Vazquez dived to head home.
Gerard Pique hit the bar with a late effort and Espanyol survived a penalty appeal for handball as Barca were left frustrated.
Artiz Aduriz scored three minutes from time as Valencia recovered from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Villarreal at El Madrigal.
Jorge Molina was taking charge of Villarreal for the first time and his side made an ideal start as Marco Ruben and Gonzalo had them 2-0 up inside 18 minutes.
But Sofiane Feghouli finished well at the end of an excellent team move to get one back before half-time and Villarreal were made to pay for passing up chances to kill the game off in the second half as Aduriz calmly curled the ball home from 18 yards.
Real Betis made it three straight wins with a 2-0 victory at home to nine-man Sporting Gijon.
On-loan striker Roque Santa Cruz scored the opener midway through the first half and substitute Jorge Molina made the points safe in injury time.
Sporting played the entire second half a man light after Alberto Lora was sent off a minute before half-time after picking up two yellow cards in six minutes for two fouls on Jefferson Montero. And they finished the game two men down after Carmelo was also shown a second yellow seconds from the final whistle.
Jose Antonio Reyes failed to inspire Sevilla to victory on his return to the club as Rayo Vallecano picked up three valuable points with a 2-1 win.
Miguel Michu opened the scoring for the hosts before Raul Tamudo made it two six minutes into the second period, and although Julien Escude pulled one back for the visitors just after the hour, Rayo held on for their first win in five in La Liga.
Sevilla, meanwhile, have now lost three on the spin in the league and are losing ground on their rivals in the race to land a Champions League berth.
Getafe and Athletic Bilbao shared the points in an entertaining goalless draw at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
Most of the clear-cut chances came in the second period, as Markel Susaeta hit the bar for the visitors and Miku did likewise for Getafe. But in the end it was the goalkeepers who came out on top as Gorka Iraizoz and Miguel Angel Moya both made crucial saves in the final 10 minutes to maintain the deadlock.
Liverpool winger Stewart Downing has been arrested on suspicion of assault, according to reports on Sunday.
Downing, 27, was alleged to have been involved in a confrontation with a former girlfriend in a pub in Yarm near his home town of Middlesbrough in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“Police were called to an incident at a pub on Yarm High Street shortly before 1am on Sunday, January 8,” Cleveland police said in a statement. “A 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault and a 32-year-old woman has also been arrested on suspicion of assault. Both are in custody and inquiries are ongoing.”
Downing, who has 32 caps for England, was left on the bench for the 5-1 win against Oldham on Friday night but came on and scored in the second half.
Liverpool refused to comment on the reports.
QPR midfielder Alejandro Faurlin has been ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie at MK Dons.
Faurlin, 25, was carried off on a stretcher after receiving lengthy treatment towards the end of Rangers’ 1-1 draw at Stadium mk, leaving the visitors down to 10 men with all three substitutes having already been used. The Argentinian took to his Twitter account on Sunday to confirm the worst.
“I just wanna let u know guys, its bad news for me I have rupture of the ACL,I’m out for the rest of the season! Really disappointed sad!” he said.
“Things never been easy for me! But for sure I will be back stronger!!I accept this test as professional and person as well!!”
Faurlin joined QPR in summer 2009 from Argentinian club Instituto and was voted player of the year by both players and supporters in his first campaign. He then helped the club win promotion to the Premier League by winning the Championship last term.
Rangers lie 17th in the table, just one point and one place clear of the bottom three and having won only five of their 20 top-flight games this season – a run which earlier on Sunday evening cost manager Neil Warnock his job.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp has claimed Newcastle United striker Demba Ba’s release clause is less than £7 million.
Ba, 26, has arguably been the signing of last summer after joining Newcastle on a free transfer from West Ham United and since scoring 15 goals in 19 Premier League matches.
The Senegal international’s form has sparked rumours of interest in his signature, with Spurs boss Redknapp credited with being keen to bring him to White Hart Lane.
Magpies coach Alan Pardew would loathe to lose Ba, although it seems the forward’s club could have little say over his future should a side match his reported release fee.
When asked about a £10 million release clause, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is quoted as saying in the Daily Mirror: “I think you will find it is a lot less than that.”
And when pressed further on whether it is as little as £7 million, he replied: “Even less than that.”
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has accused Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney of influencing referee Chris Foy’s decision to send off Vincent Kompany in their FA Cup third round defeat.
City captain Kompany was given his marching orders after just nine minutes on Sunday, after appearing to make a two-footed tackle on United winger Nani. The dismissal proved crucial as United went on to claim a 3-2 victory against their opponents – but Mancini believes Rooney played a key role in Foy’s crucial decision by making his feelings known.
“It was not a red card – Rooney told him his decision,” Mancini said afterwards.
When pushed further, he added: “Yes, he [Rooney] was near the referee. It was not a red card. It’s impossible, but I don’t want to talk about the referee because I want to stay on the bench for the next game.”
The Italian confirmed the club will appeal against Kompany’s red, which will otherwise see the Belgian miss four games having already been sent off once this season. Mancini is confident of a successful appeal, despite similar cases – most recently Nenad Milijas’ red card against Arsenal – seeing the referee’s initial decision upheld by the FA.
“We will do an appeal and I am sure that we will win,” he said. “There is no way Vincent shouldn’t play against Liverpool in the Carling Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
“It was 300% not a sending off.”
Despite losing the game at Etihad Stadium, Mancini revealed his belief that the manner of his side’s performance after they went down to ten men will stand them in good stead over the remainder of the Premier League season, believing the league leaders have gained a psychological edge over the side three points behind them.
”This evening is important for the league,” the former Inter Milan boss noted. ”Now I think we can win the league because of the character we showed. United is a top squad in England.
“At Old Trafford, with ten men for 40 minutes, they lost 6-1 [in the league]. Today we played for 80 minutes with 10 players, scored two goals and didn’t concede any chances. It was a fantastic performance.
“If we have the same attitude and same strength every game, we will win the league.”
Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino has condemned the racist abuse aimed at Barcelona defender Dani Alves during Sunday night’s Catalan derby and said it needs to be “eradicated” from football.
Sections of fans targeted Alves with monkey noises during the 1-1 Primera Division draw at Espanyol’s Cornella-El Prat stadium.
Pochettino said after the game in El Mundo Deportivo: “We condemn it, we want to get away from these situations. We want to eradicate these things and I’m right behind that.”
Brazil international Alves insisted he had not heard the racist chants during the game, saying: “I didn’t hear anything because I’m only thinking about the field of play.”
Reports are gathering pace that Mark Hughes will be the man to take over as manager of Queens Park Rangers following Neil Warnock’s sacking on Sunday.
QPR owner Tony Fernandes saw fit to remove Warnock from his position at the weekend following the club’s 1-1 draw with MK Dons in the FA Cup.
The club, who were promoted from the Championship last season, have also slipped down the Premier League table to a place above the relegation zone, having won just one of their last 11 top flight matches.
Former Fulham and Manchester City boss Hughes has emerged as the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed Warnock, with the Welshman a free agent after leaving the Cottagers in June 2011.
The Daily Mail suggests Hughes will be appointed this week while The Sun also considers the Welshman poised for the role, although former West Ham coach Gianfranco Zola is said to be in contention.
Zola spent almost two years in charge of the Hammers, winning 23 of his 80 matches at the helm, and was sacked by the club in May 2010.
Tottenham Hotspur are sweating on the fitness of Ledley King after the defender sustained a hamstring injury during training last week.
King, 31, has had a torrid time with injuries in the past, and due to a knee condition he is forced to undergo a personal training regime to aid his fitness.
When available, King is first-choice for his manager Harry Redknapp, although he has made just 11 Premier League starts this season with Spurs currently third in the table.
And there is cause for concern for Redknapp after he confirmed King will undergo a scan on a hamstring injury he picked up on Friday, amid fears he could be set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines.
The Spurs boss said: “Ledley did his hamstring on Friday. He had a little jog and tore his hamstring, we think. He has gone for a scan. We don’t have the results yet but he only went for a little easy jog and his hamstring went.
“I have not got many options. I only have [Michael] Dawson, [Sebastien] Bassong and [Younes] Kaboul. No-one else.”
Wenger has guided the Gunners to the round of 16 in the Champions League once again this season. But before the team takes on AC Milan over two legs, they must face Leeds in a third-round FA Cup tie, which Wenger believes is a secondary concern to lifting themselves from fifth position in the Premier League.
“It is very important for us to win against Leeds on Monday night, but the basis of our life at the top level is dictated by the championship,” said Wenger.
“If we can add on top of that the FA Cup, it is fantastic. However, our life, at the level where we are, with the wages we have, and the aspirations we have, is to play in the Champions League. After that you want, of course, to win all the other trophies.
“The FA Cup is something that is for enjoyment. It is a bonus that we want. But for us, Champions League is something which is needed and compulsory.”
Arsenal may not have delivered any silverware since Patrick Vieira lifted the 2005 FA Cup after a penalty shoot-out win over Manchester United in Cardiff, but Wenger insists the club have not stood still.
“You want your fans to be proud of trophies, but also to consider the achievement,” he said.
“Everybody is entitled to view it differently, but you can’t compare winning the Carling Cup to every year coming out of the group stage and every year qualifying for the Champions League.
“If we had been out of top European quality for 10 years and won one or two cups, it would be different, but I do not try to defend the fact that we did not win [trophies].
“It has always looked like ‘ah you have not won a trophy so you have been nowhere for five years’ – but in the same five years we have been in the semi-finals of the Champions League and final of the Champions League.
“One day you will realise that it is not as easy as it looks – and this year we are again one of the two [English] teams who qualified [for the last 16].
For now, Wenger says he would be pleased to add another FA Cup winners medal to his collection – if only he knew where they were. The 62-year-old Frenchman revealed he has never been one to place much sentimental value on silverware.
“I don’t know where I have my medals or where the ‘Invincibles’ medal is, because it is more important what is in front of you. I look forward for the next game, for the next win. That is the life of a top-level player.
“A top-level player wants to play at the top. He wants to win medals, yes, but there is a difference between playing in the Champions League and playing at a lower level,” he said.
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