Lee Dixon's analysis of Arsenal's win at Liverpool

In the six years I played under Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger I only once saw him lose his rag in the dressing room.

Just like Sunday's game we were 1-0 down to Liverpool at half-time. Wenger came in, threw a cup on the floor and started ranting and raving.

The players were all wondering what was going on but the funny thing was he threw the cup and got a reaction, but then, being the nice bloke he is, bent down and picked it up because he had missed the bin.

In tidying up after himself he lost a bit of the effect but as players we went out there and got a result.

Wenger does not do telling off very well, it is just not a natural thing for him - so when he does, it has more of an effect.

The Frenchman expects players to know what is going wrong when they are not performing to the required level and to take responsibility to sort it out themselves.

He talks about intelligence, knowing the game, understanding when things are going right or wrong and being able to fix it on the pitch.
When that does not happen he will let rip and it is not a pretty sight.

He admits he is a sore loser but even when we got beaten he would very rarely lose his temper with us after the game, preferring to leave it until the Monday morning and come in with a clear head after he had watched the video a few times on Sunday.

In fact, his assistant Pat Rice would more often than not come in after the game and he was a much more vocal character. But even then Wenger would tell Pat to be quiet and not lose his rag.

That was difficult for Pat but it is the way Wenger runs his dressing room. Players are angry after losing games as well and that is why you get flare-ups like we have seen at Stoke and QPR recently.

I cannot ever imagine seeing that in a Wenger dressing room. You can voice your opinion to him but I never saw anyone have a go at Wenger - players have too much respect for him for it to get to that stage.

Game of two Arsenals

After Arsenal had come from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 on Sunday, some of Wenger's players said it was very unlike him to lay into them, but their performance warranted it.

He would have asked where their hunger and drive was and called for them to get further up the pitch when they got ball.

When you play with two up front then one attacker often comes short to look for the ball and the other forward will offer something else.

With Andrey Arshavin on his own up front it put more emphasis on the two wingers to provide those options.

Arsenal play that short passing game that can be extremely effective, but sometimes away from home you have to have the option to hit the long ball when teams are closing you down in
midfield.On Sunday their wingers failed to use the space behind the opposition defence; every time they came short Liverpool went with them and it led to a congested midfield.

Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri did not try to spin into more dangerous areas and look to stretch Liverpool's defence in the corners of the pitch.

It played into Liverpool's hands as it meant their defenders could mark the visitors' forwards tightly. Then when Arsenal's passing game broke down they lost the ball too easily.

This also increased the pressure on Arsenal's defence as they were constantly on the back foot and chasing back as Liverpool counter-attacked.

Someone should have said something on the pitch because it was pretty obvious when they kept losing the ball.

But it was not until the third minute of first-half injury time that Walcott managed to get the ball deep down Liverpool's right-hand side.

In the second half Arsenal got men forward and put Liverpool under pressure on the edge of their own box.

They challenged on the edge of Liverpool's box, and gave some support to Arshavin.

Straight away they were a different side, Nasri set up the equaliser and Walcott was more of a factor and involved in both goals.

Arsenal's title chances

The thing with Arsenal is they generally have to play well to win. Sometimes they play well and lose, like at Manchester United, but when they play badly they invariably come unstuck.

Against Liverpool they showed they can grind out a result like Chelsea and Manchester United do.

Arsenal lack a Fernando Torres or Didier Drogba so Arshavin has proven he is invaluable to a side without that focal point up front.

The Gunners can score from anywhere and are brilliant at times, but sometimes when things are not going well they need someone like Arshavin to produce something out of nothing.

This little guy has that bit of genius in him where he can score from anywhere at any time.

At the other end of the field Alex Song showed what a key player he is in the second half, sweeping up in front of the back four and stifling Liverpool's attacks.
I was not that big a fan of Song at first but he has grown on me and there is definitely more to come.

I am not totally convinced they have everything in the mix to win the league, but we have seen at the weekend that Chelsea and Manchester are dropping points.

Arsenal can win the title but I am far from 100% certain that they will.

I love Eduardo but all of their strikers play the same way and they are such a small side. Wenger definitely needs to bring in a more physical forward in January but there are not many Drogbas around.

But Sunday's game was a must win for both sides and Arsenal have given themselves a chance of a title challenge.

Wenger wins in madcap weekend

Arsene Wenger's decoration of Arsenal's Anfield dressing room with verbal invective was long forgotten as he celebrated edging out Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill as the big winner of the Premier League's madcap, coupon-busting weekend.

In two remarkable days, Wenger shouting "you're not fit to wear the shirt" at the Arsenal players he usually defends with such fervour, and occasionally against all logic, was perhaps the most remarkable incident of them all.

Wenger delighted in an ability to still surprise his Arsenal charges after 13 years with a blast of vocal caustic soda in response to a miserable first 45 minutes at Liverpool - but not as much as he revelled in an eventual win that he declared puts them back in this maverick Premier League title race, both "mathematically and mentally."

For Liverpool counterpart Rafael Benitez this was meant to be another fresh start after the conclusion of a wretched Champions League campaign. Instead, to misquote The Who's Pete Townshend, this was a case of "meet the new season - same as the old season."
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Wenger wins in madcap weekend

Post categories: Premier League

Phil McNulty | 08:20 UK time, Monday, 14 December 2009

Arsene Wenger's decoration of Arsenal's Anfield dressing room with verbal invective was long forgotten as he celebrated edging out Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill as the big winner of the Premier League's madcap, coupon-busting weekend.

In two remarkable days, Wenger shouting "you're not fit to wear the shirt" at the Arsenal players he usually defends with such fervour, and occasionally against all logic, was perhaps the most remarkable incident of them all.

Wenger delighted in an ability to still surprise his Arsenal charges after 13 years with a blast of vocal caustic soda in response to a miserable first 45 minutes at Liverpool - but not as much as he revelled in an eventual win that he declared puts them back in this maverick Premier League title race, both "mathematically and mentally."

For Liverpool counterpart Rafael Benitez this was meant to be another fresh start after the conclusion of a wretched Champions League campaign. Instead, to misquote The Who's Pete Townshend, this was a case of "meet the new season - same as the old season."

Liverpool manager Rafa BenitezLiverpool boss Benitez has plenty to think about ahead of the festive programme

For those who fancied a little spice with their Premier League season after growing accustomed to the same old taste in recent campaigns, this weekend provided enough ingredients to whet the appetite for the months ahead.

Aston Villa went to Manchester United and won for the first time in 26 years, confirming that the champions are giving renewed hope to opponents and missing, understandably, the magic Cristiano Ronaldo used to provide with regularity.

Chelsea, who looked like the title was theirs for the losing after sweeping Arsenal aside at the Emirates last month, saw sudden defensive vulnerability, in particular the flaws of fading keeper Petr Cech, further exposed at Stamford Bridge in a draw against a wonderfully gallant Everton decimated by serious injuries.

Wolves went to White Hart Lane and scratched some of the sheen off Spurs' top four pretensions with the sort of victory that could keep the great old club in the Premier League.

And Bolton, almost holed below the waterline recently and with manager Gary Megson's popularity dipping even further, played out a six-goal extravaganza with Manchester City, who saw flowing attack undermined by a leaking defence.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal think they can win the title. Aston Villa, Spurs and Manchester City believe they can get that fourth spot - and Liverpool hope they will.

So that is at least the top seven places up for grabs even before we get to the relegation struggle. Interesting enough for you?

Liverpool and Arsenal concluded events - with Benitez hoping his side would back his bold public claim that they would definitely finish in the top four and Wenger wanting proof that his insistence that the Gunners are right in the title race would not end up resembling a desperate exercise in straw-clutching.

For Benitez, all that was left at the end was a grim finale to a game that started with promise and brought a deserved half-time lead courtesy of Dirk Kuyt.

In the end his cast-iron guarantee of Champions League football sounded as convincing as the assertion from Anfield's tannoy announcer that Frankie Goes To Hollywood's witless savaging of one of popular music's most majestic moments, Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run", was indeed "the best version." It sounds like the pressure is affecting everyone's judgement at Anfield.

Arsenal did not leave the stamp of potential champions behind them at Anfield, despite the win. For 45 minutes they were, to put it at its most charitable, abysmal - poor in possession, lacking in conviction and a perfectly suitable case for the half-time mauling Wenger delivered.

Wenger's words of fury were given flesh and bones by Glen Johnson's own goal and what is becoming a regular piece of Anfield artistry from Andrey Arshavin. The Russian swooped on a moment of miscontrol from Johnson before lashing a finish high past the startled Pepe Reina.

At that precise second, Arshavin had the perfect strike rate of five shots and five goals at Anfield following on from his quartet in the 4-4 draw last season. It should be reported as a matter of fact that it all went downhill from there - one shot saved by Reina and another off target hitting his previously perfect average. Get your act together Andrey!enger's clenched fist salute at the final whistle, and his jaunty demeanour later, illustrated the importance of this victory, especially after the opportunity presented to Arsenal by the failure of their close rivals.

It must not blind Wenger to the fact that Arsenal were unremarkable for large portions of a low-quality game, especially when Javier Mascherano was dogging Cesc Fabregas' every move.

To come to Anfield and win, even with Liverpool in their current parlous state, is not to be sniffed at, but this current Anfield model is prone to implosion when the slightest pressure is applied and this proved their undoing once more.

Arsenal would do well not to get carried away. The need for a powerful additional midfield presence remains and Arsenal's striking resources look wafer-thin, but this was three priceless points.

The result enabled Wenger to remind those who questioned Arsenal after their sobering brush with Chelsea that he had forecast, to a measure of mockery, that Carlo Ancelotti's side would drop points.

He did. And they have. Arsenal, however, will need to show more than they did here if Wenger is to have the last word.

For Liverpool, this season of unremitting misery continues - and it was all watched, with cruel irony, by the player whose absence has been touted as a major factor in their demise.

Xabi Alonso, who was spotted stifling yawns during the first half, was watching from the stands as Liverpool cried out for some of his class and creativity in central midfield. Alonso's stature has grown with every game he hasn't played for Liverpool - sometimes out of proportion with what he actually achieved at Anfield.

As he left one young fan pleaded for him to return, a ploy as hopeless and misguided as the succession of long, aimless balls Liverpool banged towards a tiring Fernando Torres in the closing stages - a failing Alonso would have at least tried to remedy.

When questioned on Liverpool's continuing slide, Benitez - who must be running out of brave faces now - said: "It is a question of confidence not quality." If only this was true, because Liverpool's response to going behind lacked both confidence and quality.

Even The Kop looked and sounded like it had given up long before the end. No late Liverpool surge, no glimmer of hope, not even in another brief run-out for Alberto Aquilani.

Liverpool can point, with some justifcation, to Howard Webb's mystifying refusal to award a penalty when Steven Gerrard was fouled by William Gallas, but there has been enough papering over of the cracks recently and this would have been another example.

The next new start comes against Wigan at Anfield on Wednesday, but there have been so many at Liverpool this season that Benitez should keep a pair of jump leads handy in the dug-out.

So Wenger was in sprightly form as he leaped aboard the Arsenal coach for the journey back to the capital after a weekend in which almost all the cards fell nicely in his favour.

Arsenal were unconvincing, even in victory, but the joy for Wenger comes in the knowledge his team still had enough about them to get three points - which is more than can be said for Chelsea and Manchester United.

Wenger insisted on Friday that the bar had been lowered on what will be needed to win the title. This weekend proved him right.

Germany's Michael Ballack plays down World Cup chances

Germany captain Michael Ballack says his side are not among the favourites to win next year's World Cup.

Their group also includes Australia, Serbia and Ghana and the 33-year-old Chelsea star believes getting through that will be a challenge in itself.

"We do not have the consistency or strength in depth in the squad," Ballack told Kicker magazine.

"We have been too weak, particularly in friendlies, to be able to say that we have the class to beat everybody else."

That said, Germany have a well-deserved reputation as high achievers at the World Cup, whether they have the best players or not.


West Germany won the trophy in 1954, 1974 and 1990, while the unified country were runners-up in 2002 and third on home soil in 2006 when many pointed to a lack of high-quality players.

They have qualified for every one of the 16 World Cups they have entered and reached the last eight or better every time since 1938.
But Ballack added: "You can forget about us having had the luck of the draw - we have a tough group and all three opponents are uncomfortable and physically very strong.

"We are going to have to put our foot down from the very beginning. Focusing on big games has always been one of the strengths of German teams."

Germany, coached by Joachim Low, are likely to rely heavily on Ballack, along with the likes of fellow midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger and strikers Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose.

Germany's next game before the World Cup is a friendly against Argentina in Munich on 3 March.

Uruguay face tactical dilemma

It's South America's newest force against the oldest when Ecuador meet Uruguay this Saturday in a crunch World Cup qualifier.

It is a match with much to teach about the geography of the continent and the history of the game in this part of the world.

Introduced mainly by the British, football first caught on in the South Cone, in Montevideo and Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo - a region that was going through large scale immigration and rapid urbanisation.

Football provided the new city population with a common language, and before long the game had been re-interpreted by the locals. A sinuous, balletic style replaced the muscular Christianity straight line running of the English.

Uruguay were first out of the blocks. Pioneers of the welfare state, the country had a mentality of social inclusion that helped the game quickly spread downwards to all the classes. The Sky Blues were selecting black players long before Brazil, and effectively began the modern era in football with their Olympic gold medal win in 1924.Uruguay and Ecuador drew 0-0 when they met in Montevideo in September 2008

As the 20th century wore on South American football spread north, often carried by Argentines and Uruguayans. Colombia had a golden moment with the launch of its professional league in the late 40s. Ecuador went professional a decade later - but it was not until the Copa America of 1989, when the national team beat Uruguay, that Ecuador gave the first sign that they were not merely making up the numbers.

Now, of course, they have made it to the last two World Cups, reaching the last 16 in 2006, and in 2008 LDU, or Liga of Quito, became the first club from the country to win South America's Champions League, the Copa Libertadores.

This process has included the geographical spread of the game within Ecuador; from the port of Guayaquil, where it first caught on, up the Andes to the mountain capital of Quito where, at the altitude of 2,800 metres, Saturday's match will take place in the Atuahalpa stadium.

As well as its historical and geographical resonance, Ecuador v Uruguay in World Cup qualification is a clash that has a significance for me. I saw my first one on TV in Rio in February 1997. I knew very little about Ecuador at kick off - but a lot more 90 minutes later and was amazed as they powered to a 4-0 win.

With Aguinaga looking like a prince in midfield and Delgado razor sharp up front, they would have been too strong for many teams that day.

Some five months later that game was fresh in my mind when I made my BBC debut with a piece for World Service radio. It was all about Ecuador. They may fall short of place in France 98, I argued, but they are a rising force who should be qualifying for World Cups before long. If only all my predictions were half as accurate!

Just over four years later I was in Quito for the meeting of Ecuador and Uruguay. The whole country was a-quiver, with the hosts needing just a point to book their first ever World Cup place. For some reason I was given photographer's accreditation, and so I was on the pitch, standing behind the goal Ecuador were attacking and close enough to see the nerves and the strain on the faces of the players.

Uruguay went ahead with a penalty. Standing next to me was an official, I think from the local FA. He was becoming increasingly upset at the performance of Ivan Kaviedes, the gifted but wayward striker who later had a brief spell with Crystal Palace.

'Take him off," the man was shouting. "He's done nothing." I had to agree. Kaviedes was having a nightmare - but never bet against talent. Inside the last 20 minutes Kaviedes headed home the goal that took Ecuador to the World Cup. The official and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.Uruguay were smiling as well. The point they picked up was vital as they just held off Colombia to finish fifth in the table and grab the play-off spot.

Four years ago the situation was exactly the same. Ecuador needed a draw to qualify and a point would help Uruguay in their battle to finish fifth - 0-0 was the result.

The fascinating thing about Saturday's match is that things are slightly different, although not for Uruguay.

Bearing in mind the difficulties of playing at altitude, a draw would be a good result for them. It would give them the chance to snatch fifth by winning at home to Argentina on Wednesday (unless Colombia or Venezuela win both their last two matches). But if they lose and (a fair assumption) Argentina win at home to Peru, it will be over for Uruguay.

The difference this time is that Ecuador need to win. They have done extremely well to haul themselves back into contention, but are still suffering from a disastrous start to the campaign. A draw would leave them having to win away to Chile on Wednesday - and even that result might only guarantee fifth spot, and the play-off against rivals from the Concacaf region.

A gentlemanly draw does not suit Ecuador this time. They will seek to make the most of home advantage and put the pressure on a Uruguay side with a poor away record.

So what do Uruguay do? Sit back and try to hold on? It's a risky strategy. True, Ecuador have failed to replace big Delgado up front. But little Cristian Benitez is dangerous, and there is plenty of firepower in midfield with the long range shooting of Mendez, Valencia and Ayovi.

Unacclimatised goalkeepers suffer at altitude and Uruguay have had goalkeeping problems all through this campaign, so allowing Ecuador within shooting range is asking for trouble.

Do Uruguay go for it? Spearheaded by Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez they carry plenty of attacking threat, and Ecuador's defensive unit (Cevallos or Elizaga in goal, Hurtado and Espinoza at centre back) is ageing together and starting to creak.

Uruguay's approach will be fascinating - and looks like the key variable in this latest version of South America's newest force against its oldest.

Comments on the piece in the space provided. Other questions on South American football to vickerycolumn@hotmail.com, and I'll pick out a couple for next week.

From last week's postbag:

Q) I'm a growing fan of Pato, at AC Milan. And i believe he is a regular starter for them, yet he isn't getting a look in at national level, he seems a young skilful dedicated player, who has an immense future ahead of him if he keeps improving, yet players like Adriano, get into the team ahead of him, I believe Pato was in the Confederation cup squad, but got little or no time in the tournament, what are your thoughts on him and the national team, does he deserve a chance ahead of others?
Adam Welsh

A) Alexandre Pato really is an immense talent, a potential genius, but I wonder if he might be suffering from the modern day phenomenon of everything coming so quickly. He's living the life, has married a soap opera star, lots of distractions - at Milan last year Carlo Ancelotti said that his attitude had slipped a bit.

Dunga carried him around for a while, but, truth be told, others have taken their opportunities better - Luis Fabiano is full of goals, Nilmar got a hat trick last time out, Adriano is back on top form. I would interpret Dunga leaving Pato out of the squad as a way of giving him a kick up the backside. I'm sure the door is not closed to him in terms of next year's World Cup squad.

Q) Argentine born Nestor Ortigoza of Argentinos Juniors just became a citizen of Paraguay. I understand his move, since he has much better chances of playing the World Cup with Paraguay than he does with Argentina. Now, this issue raises two questions: first, will the Albirroja will benefit from having him around? and second, are these kind of moves as big a concern to their national identity as the Paraguayan media claims?
Dario Prieto

A) He's a spiky central midfielder who I can imagine fitting into Paraguay's style. I saw a newspaper poll showing a majority opposed to his call up. But he's perfectly eligible - he has a Paraguayan father.

It's interesting that these players - midfielder Santana is another one, Argentine born with Paraguayan mother, or left back Morel Rodriguez, son of a famous Paraguayan player who grew up in Argentina - they seem to get more opportunities when Paraguay's coach comes from Argentina.

It can be hard for the players if they don't speak any Guarani, but I think this is something the Paraguayans are going to have to get used to. There will be more and more of these cases, because so many Paraguayans moved to Argentina in search of work. If the children of the diaspora are eligible, they're good enough and they want to play, then Paraguay gain nothing by shunning them.

Wenger delight at Arsenal spirit

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes his side's comeback victory over Standard Liege in the Champions League could prove pivotal for their season.

The Gunners went 2-0 down within five minutes in Belgium, but hit back late on to win the Group H opener 3-2.

That followed back-to-back Premier League defeats, and Wenger said: "When you're at a big club, you cannot afford to have too many defeats on the trot.

"After being 2-0 down, this will strengthen belief within the group."

The result gave Arsenal their first away victory in Europe since they beat Fenerbahce 5-2 in October 2008 and puts them top of Group H by virtue of goals scored.

In the group's other encounter, Greek side Olympiakos claimed a 1-0 home win against Dutch debutants AZ Alkmaar.

Arsenal will aim to consolidate their position when they host Olympiacos, who on Wednesday announced Brazil legend Zico as their new manager, at the Emirates Stadium on 29 September.

And Wenger will be keen for his side to make a better start to that match than they did against Liege at a vibrant Maurice Dufrasne Stadium.
Less than two minutes were on the clock when Eliaquim Mangala capitalised on an Eduardo error to fire past goalkeeper Vito Mannone and, two minutes later, Milan Jovanovic converted a penalty after William Gallas clipped the Serbia forward.

"We were caught cold by a team who were really ready and started out of the blocks at full power," said Wenger.

"Standard gave absolutely everything. They played like it was a cup final, with full commitment - and they deserve a lot of credit.

"When you go 2-0 down after five minutes, you know you have a big task in front of you. To win away from home in the Champions League and score three goals will always be tough.

"You are in a position where you have to attack with full power, without restriction, and know that the next goal will kill you.

The Gunners regained their composure and hit back on the stroke of half-time through Nicklas Bendtner, before Thomas Vermaelen tapped home and Eduardo converted a Cesc Fabregas corner from close range with his knee to complete the comeback.

"We could not afford to concede a third goal but had to try to come back to 2-1 at least before half-time - which is what we did," Wenger continued.

"In the second half, the game dropped a bit in physical intensity. When they got tired, we got some set-pieces and took advantage."

And the Frenchman admitted it was "inevitable" Eduardo would have a say in the match having been cleared to play after his two-match European suspension was rescinded this week.

The Croatia striker was initially banned by European football's governing body after being found guilty of diving to win a penalty in the Champions League qualifier against Celtic on 26 August.

"It is always inevitable with Eduardo," said Wenger. "He was caught out on the first goal but he is a guy who can always turn up on crosses because he has that anticipation."

As for the penalty his side conceded and the equaliser with which Arsenal scored - when Alex Song, from what appeared to be an offside position, seemed to handle the ball in the build-up - Wenger added: "The penalty looked harsh, but I have not seen it again.

"As for our equaliser, it was impossible to see from the bench."

Meanwhile, Liege coach Laszlo Boloni lamented the fact his side dropped so deep after taking the early lead.

"We started very well, but were not strong enough mentally to continue the same way in the second half," he said. "We sat back in midfield, so all the pressure was too much for us.

"Arsenal had good help from the referee at their second goal - two players were offside and there was also a handball.

"This was the moment when they got more motivation and we lost ours, but the biggest problem was we have to play better."

Liverpool hope for power surge

As with Chelsea on Tuesday, the currency that counts at this stage of the Champions League is points not performances. Liverpool's subdued display will not be recalled if they reach the knockout phase, which they surely will.

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Liverpool hope for power surge

Post categories: Champions League, Football

Phil McNulty | 23:44 UK time, Wednesday, 16 September 2009

Liverpool's great European nights at Anfield can - according to managing director Christian Purslow - supply him with a surge of energy on a par with being plugged into the National Grid. This was not one of them.

The particular occasion Purslow had in mind was the 2005 Champions League semi-final against Chelsea, so comparisons with an opening group game against Debrecen, Hungary's first representatives in this phase for 14 years, are unfair.

If ever a game needed a few thousand volts shot through it to jolt it into life, it was this undistinguished affair settled by Dirk Kuyt's goal in first-half stoppage time.

This was more power cut than power surge. Even Anfield itself was lacking its usual electricity, with the rare sight of empty seats and a wave of supreme indifference sweeping around Liverpool's supporters at the final whistle.

Liverpool's win was more memorable for milestones than the match itself. It was their 100th win in Europe's elite competition in Rafael Benitez's 300th game as manager.

And yet, for all the failings of a disjointed performance, this was a satisfactory end to a satisfactory week for Liverpool, with Purslow rightly proclaiming the benefits of a new £80m shirt sponsorship deal with investment bank Standard Chartered.

As with Chelsea on Tuesday, the currency that counts at this stage of the Champions League is points not performances. Liverpool's subdued display will not be recalled if they reach the knockout phase, which they surely will.

Dirk Kuyt scores for LiverpoolDirk Kuyt scores Liverpool's winner against Standard Liege

A win was what was required to round off a spell where they have reasserted a measure of authority on the pitch with victories over Bolton, Burnley and now Debrecen and flexed muscle off the pitch with the new shirt deal and a positive blizzard of statements of intent.
It does not take a massive leap of the imagination to hear Sir Alex Ferguson's teeth grinding as some brave soul plucks up the courage to read those words to him.

Time will tell whether more actions will follow these bold statements. There is no bad news in signing such a lucrative deal, but Liverpool's fans will only feel the warm glow of Purslow's words when they see how much of Standard Bank's cash lands in Benitez's lap and how long it takes for foundations to be laid for a new stadium on Stanley Park.

The new deal is a promising starting point and there is a sense around Anfield that the club is finally moving forward again and that there is, although you should whisper this one, a semblance of normality returning after recent boardroom traumas.
It was against this backdrop that Liverpool's latest Champions League pursuit began. Benitez admits Liverpool's priority this season is the Premier League, but offer a proud son of Madrid a place in the final at the Bernabeu next May and he might just reconsider.

And the sight of Fernando Torres, the one-time icon of Atletico Madrid, strolling around the Anfield pitch cradling his baby daughter an hour after the final whistle while deep in conversation with another team-mate from the city Pepe Reina, was a reminder that there are special incentives at work in this tournament for Liverpool.
simply playing at Anfield was illustrated by members of the club's hierarchy cheering wildly when they won a corner - then producing cameras to record the moment for posterity.

And their spirits were helped by a Liverpool team who struggled for rhythm. Kuyt did well in the role Steven Gerrard has made his own just behind Torres. The captain dropped to a deeper role, but the sooner he is restored to riding shotgun with Torres the better as far as Liverpool are concerned.

Gerrard kept Lucas company in central midfield while Javier Mascherano remained on the bench. The Argentine's season has simply failed to get going and it is to be hoped, for his and Liverpool's sake, that this is a temporary blip and not leftovers from the blocking of a summer switch to Barcelona.

It does not take a long memory to recall that Liverpool have had their struggles in group games in the past before emerging as contenders in the closing stages of the Champions League.

Spain's Pitch for Soccer Dominance

Stars, World Titles and Lavish Spending Push La Liga to the Fore; Can England Keep Up?
By GABRIELE MARCOTTI

As the UEFA Champions League, soccer's top club tournament, kicked off its group stage this week, all eyes were on two teams, both Spanish: Barcelona, the defending champion, and its arch-rival, Real Madrid, who this summer went on an unprecedented spending spree for some of the world's best players.
In the never-ending debate over which nation boasts the best domestic league, events in the past four months have led many to suggest the balance has tipped decisively towards Spain's La Liga at the expense of England's Premier League.

Barcelona won the Champions League last May and added Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to an already fearsome lineup that includes Argentine star Lionel Messi and Spanish national team vice captain Xavi Hernández. But it was Real Madrid that grabbed the headlines last summer, shattering the world transfer record twice within a few days to acquire the Brazilian star Kaká from AC Milan for $89 million and the Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for $131 million.

The club made a further outlay of $140 million on another five players including striker Karim Benzema from Lyon and midfielder Xabi Alonso from Liverpool bringing the total to around $360 million and making this easily the most expensive squad ever assembled. Real Madrid beat Zurich 5-2 in Tuesday's Champions League match.

It wasn't just the amount of money spent that represents a watershed in the game. It was the fact that Real Madrid knocked on the doors of its biggest rivals and forced them to give up their biggest stars. Imagine the Washington Redskins picking up Tom Brady from the New England Patriots, DeMarcus Ware from the Dallas Cowboys, Adrian Peterson from the Minnesota Vikings and Asante Samuel from the Philadelphia Eagles and you begin to get the picture.

The man who made this happen, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, has had the media camped out on his doorstep since he was elected to the post on June 1 which is pretty much the way he likes it.

This is Mr. Pérez's second stint in the office. In the first, between 2000 and 2006, he regularly showed what a combination of showmanship, dream-peddling and cold, hard cash can do. He made a habit of signing the best player available year after year, often at great expense, and sold the notion that you could build a great team with half a dozen superstars and a supporting cast of cheap youngsters. Eventually the club's lack of depth became telling, and he resigned in 2006.

This time Mr. Pérez's heavy spending includes some less glamorous workmanlike players such as Raul Albiol, a defender acquired from Valencia for $21 million.

Whether it works on the pitch, Real's spending coupled with Barcelona's response has given La Liga a stronger aura of glamour. "I think the other teams would understand if I said that the two most important leagues are the Spanish league and the Premier League," Mr. Pérez says. "For many years, the emphasis was on the Italian league. It's true that the Premier League has acquired a greater role in the past few years. But I'd say the Spanish league has always been in there, fighting."
Highest Grossing Clubs

Mr. Pérez has a gift for turning non-events into world-wide media phenomena, whether it be Mr. Ronaldo's July unveiling at the club's Santiago Bernabeu stadium (with 80,000 supporters showing up to watch him say a few words) or the news that Mr. Ronaldo and Kaká had both spent more than $300,000 to rent personal boxes at the Bernabeu. Putting a dollar figure on all this is difficult, but these spectacles clearly add to the sense that what happens at Real really, really matters.

Liga enthusiasts will point out that it's not just about glitz. Even before this summer, Real and Barcelona were the world's No. 1 and No. 3 highest grossing clubs, according to the "Football Money League" report compiled annually by Deloitte and Touche. Seven of the top nine vote-getters for the Ballon d'Or award (European soccer's MVP) now ply their trade in Spain, and the Spanish national team is the reigning European champion. "We're happy with the level of play in Spain which, in my view, is where you best combine skill with physical play," Mr. Pérez said.

What that says about the strength of La Liga as a whole, or whether its top-heavy business model is sustainable over time, is a different matter. Barcelona and Real Madrid dominate media attention and fan interest in the league, not just domestically, but worldwide. This is reflected in their TV contracts, as, in Spain, clubs negotiate their own rights deals. Both clubs earn in excess of $125 million per season, a figure which, last year, was more than seventeen times higher that of the smallest club, Numancia.

England's Premier League has gone for a more equitable approach, the "rising-tide-lifts-all-ships" philosophy long pushed by American leagues like the NFL. Manchester United England's defending champions, who defeated Turkey's Besiktas 1-0 in Champions League play Tuesday received the highest broadcast and sponsorship payout last season, but it was a comparatively paltry $85.7 million.
Sharing the Spoils

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore says the league distributes its broadcast and sponsorship income so the ratio between the top and bottom teams is never more than 1.6 to 1. "In Spain, Italy and even France it is many times higher," he says. The league helps its top clubs compete with European rivals, he says, "whilst allowing the others in our competition to compete with them."

English clubs have dominated the Champions League, supplying nine of the 12 semifinalists in the past three seasons. Globally, the Premier League's popularity has been unrivaled. "Our model works for us," Mr. Scudamore says.

On Tuesday, UEFA's Executive Committee ratified a "Financial Fair Play" proposal which will explore ways to prevent indebted clubs from competing in European competitions starting in 2012.

In any event, the next Champions League final, which will be held at the Bernabeu in May, should tell us which league has the edge on the pitch and quite possibly, which model is the best for promoting a league.
—Thomas Catan contributed to this article.

Liverpool 4 - 0 Burnley

A Yossi Benayoun hat-trick inspired a dominant Liverpool to a comfortable victory over Burnley at Anfield.

The midfielder cut inside Graham Alexander and slid in a shot across keeper Brian Jensen for the opener.

Jensen could only parry Benayoun's shot at the end of a swift counter-attack and Dirk Kuyt slotted in the loose ball to extend the Reds' lead.

Benayoun then twice tapped in Steven Gerrard and Andriy Voronin passes to round off an impressive display.

The creativity produced by Israeli international Benayoun showed he can help ease the pressure on Gerrard and Fernando Torres and provided a contrast to keeper Pepe Reina's forthright words ahead of the match.

Reina claimed winning the Premier League was "not a realistic option" for the Reds as he revealed there was an air of "resignation" at the lack of funds spent on the squad.

He also cited an absence of enough players of "vision" at Liverpool compared to the Anfield side's rivals.

The lack of players to open up defences against teams like Burnley cost the Reds dearly last season as they twice drew with newly-promoted sides at home and dropped four points, which would have won them the title.

Benayoun - whether riled by Reina's words or not - appeared determined to prove his team-mate wrong.

He latched on to an angled Glen Johnson ball and cut inside Alexander before side footing in a shot across Jensen for his first.


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What are your thoughts on the game?

Reds boss Rafael Benitez has always emphasised the importance of his side getting the opening goal to bring teams out of their shell and so it proved.

Burnley pushed forward more after going a goal down and were caught out as Liverpool sucked them in before going up the other end and scoring - Kuyt side footing in after Benayoun's shot was only parried by Jensen.

There were chants of 'where is Traore' from Burnley fans in reference to former Reds defender Djimi Traore's own goal for them when they knocked Liverpool out of the 2005 FA Cup.

But there was little threat of them instigating any such humiliation this time around.

Two Martin Paterson long-range strikes were Burnley's only threat but they were comfortably gathered by Reina as Liverpool rarely looked in trouble.

Burnley will stick to good football - Coyle

Gerrard, playing in a deeper midfield role with Javier Mascherano missing, still made an impact in attack as he forced his way into the Burnley box before squaring a ball for Benayoun to tap in.

An unmarked Benayoun again eased in from close range after Voronin's pass to emphasise the emphatic nature of the victory, while a clean sheet will also please Benitez after the side's recent struggles in defence.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez:
"Yossi had been away on international duty and done a lot of travelling, but he wanted to play.

"It is important to him to show his quality in every training session and every match.

"Over the seasons he has shown his value coming off the bench, but now he is showing how important he can be with movement and passing from the start."

Burnley boss Owen Coyle:
"We started really well, and looked comfortable. But if you switch off against players like these, you will be punished.

"I can't argue with the result, we were playing against world-class players.

"But I was annoyed with the first goal we conceded, we backed off and allowed Yossi Benayoun to get his shot in

Tottenham 1 - 3 Man Utd

By Jonathan Stevenson

Manchester United produced a superb display to fight back from a goal behind and win away at Tottenham, despite Paul Scholes' sending off.

Spurs went ahead when Jermain Defoe fired in an acrobatic overhead kick only 38 seconds in, but Ryan Giggs' majestic free-kick levelled matters.

Anderson fired home his first United goal from the edge of the box, before Scholes saw red for two bookings.

Peter Crouch hit the crossbar, but Wayne Rooney's solo goal wrapped it up.

Rooney's goal was an exhibition of counter-attacking play from the 10 men and a brutal response to those wondering whether United would carry the same threat without Cristiano Ronaldo this season.

It was a thoroughly deserved victory, especially as United were forced to play for over half an hour without Scholes against a team that had won all four of their Premier League games this season.

And until Scholes' unfortunate dismissal, it was the two old stagers of the side in the former England midfielder and Giggs who brilliantly led United's renaissance, after they succumbed to the quickest goal of the campaign thus far.

With only 38 seconds on the clock and White Hart Lane still a veritable cauldron of anticipatory noise, Defoe produced a moment of sheer class to stun the champions.

Red card was a bit harsh - Giggs

Under pressure from Crouch as he tried to deal with a long ball into the United box, Nemanja Vidic could only head into the air and Defoe pounced to dispatch a magnificent overhead kick into the bottom corner from eight yards.

The occasionally unplayable Crouch went close with two long-range volleys, but as the game wore on the influence of Scholes and Giggs gradually increased and with 25 minutes on the clock, the Welsh wizard conjured up yet another memorable moment in his stellar career.

After Dimitar Berbatov had been brought down by Wilson Palacios, the 35-year-old, who was captain for the day on his 700th start for United, bent a quite wonderful free-kick into Carlo Cuducini's top corner to keep up his record of scoring in every Premier League season since its inception in 1992.
Jermain Defoe scores Tottenham's opener
Defoe produces a supreme finish to give Spurs an early lead

United were suddenly flying and - prompted by Scholes - some of their football was an absolute joy to behold. In the space of 10 seconds, Cudicini saved from Rooney, Berbatov's shot was blocked on the line by Sebastien Bassong and the Bulgarian then fired over.

The visitors deserved to go in front, but when they did their goal came from a most unlikely source.

A corner from the United right was half-cleared to Scholes and after his shot hit Ledley King, Anderson rifled in his first competitive United goal in his 76th appearance from the edge of the box.

Spurs needed half-time to reassess and the introduction of Jermaine Jenas almost paid immediate dividends, but after he teed up Robbie Keane to shoot the striker's effort was expertly deflected over by Vidic.

Jenas himself went close when Foster tipped away his curling 25-yarder, before Crouch rose highest to power a header against the United crossbar as Spurs piled the pressure on.

United's task appeared to get harder when Scholes was dismissed by referee Andre Marriner for two fouls, the second a very harsh decision after a collision with Tom Huddlestone.

Redknapp regrets missed opportunity

But United and Rooney in particular were proving a real menace on the break and after he saw one shot tipped against the bar by Cudicini, he settled it with their next attack.

Fletcher's long-range pass found Rooney outside the Spurs box and he easily foxed Alan Hutton before keeping his cool to slot between the legs of the advancing Cudicini.

Ominously for the rest of the league, United - so often slow starters - moved up to second in the Premier League.

Real deals put La Roja in the shade

You might have thought that with Spain poised to book their ticket to South Africa on Wednesday - if they win against Estonia at home and Bosnia fail to beat Turkey - that the excitement would be reaching fever pitch.

After all, Spain is not a country usually noted for its stoic sensibilities where such matters as qualifying for the World Cup are concerned.

However, you would be wrong. Completely wrong.

Typical of the lack of interest in the game is that the Spanish Football Federation have shuffled it off to be played in provincial Merida.

Where? If you are looking at a map of the Iberian peninsula, start by looking close to the Portuguese border parallel to Lisbon.

The federation proudly told the world on Monday that the game was finally a sell-out. Well, as Merida's tiny Romano stadium only holds 15,000, usually playing host to the equivalent of Spanish fourth division games, it would have been a huge embarrassment if it wasn't.

The main point of interest has been speculation on how many goals David Villa may be able to get against the minnows from the Baltic, who currently lie 112 notches below second-placed Spain in the current Fifa rankings
David Villa's strike rate for Spain has been impressive

The Valencia striker has found the net while in the jersey of La Roja - The Red, as the Spanish team are widely known - a phenomenal 33 times in 51 outings and he is inexorably closing in on the record of 44 goals held by Real Madrid's Raul.

Rather than rallying to the national cause though, the big issue among Spain's chattering classes remains Raul and his newly acquired chums, that €253m (£222m) experiment in conspicuous consumption embarked upon by the Real club president Florentino Perez.

The summer arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema as well as bit-part players in this soap opera like the former Liverpool pair of Alvaro Arbolea and Xabi Alonso continue to dominate the agenda here.

Neither of Spain's two leading daily sports papers had anything to do with the national team as their main headlines on Monday. Instead, it was all about Real Madrid yet again, just as it has been since 20 May when the construction magnate took over at the helm of the historic club for the second occasion.

Real's first serious match of the season, a 3-2 home win in La Liga over Deportivo La Coruna just over a week ago, is still being mulled over as the media at large try to work out what it means for the rest of the season.

The truth is, obviously, that nobody can know for sure.

However, here are my thoughts, which valiantly, and possibly in vain, try to encapsulate some of the more lucid opinions.

On the positive side, Kaka and Benzama look as though they have quickly built up a good working relationship, with the Brazilian roaming down the right wing. They should be a source of plenty of goals.

Xabi Alonso also appeared to be very effective when working in tandem with the former Arsenal and Portsmouth midfielder Lass Diarra, who has become a Real fans' favourite thanks to his indefatigable work rate.

On the other side of the coin, perhaps it's best to temporarily draw a veil over Real's current defensive deficiencies but the completely new back four should be expected to improve.

More worryingly for Perez, Ronaldo's performance against Deportivo, as it had been during most of the pre-season matches, was limp.

Perez, who paid Manchester United a world-record fee of £80m, must be wondering how long it will be before Ronaldo starts to justify the massive outlay.

To a certain extent, Perez's own personal prestige - with anyone who is not a hard-core Real fan sniggering their socks off - depends on Ronaldo even more than anyone else.

The next test for Perez's second generation of 'galacticos' comes this Saturday night at Espanyol.

It will be an encounter imbued with a lot of mixed emotions.

The cash-strapped Barcelona-based club will inaugurate their new stadium, finally having a place to call their own after 12 years as tenants at the city's Olympic stadium, but there will be sombre memories that Espanyol's popular former club captain Daniel Jarque will not be there to celebrate the occasion.

Jarque, who was only 26, died of a heart attack while on a pre-season tour of Italy last month. He was a close friend of several Real players, including goalkeeper Iker Casillas with whom he played in Spain's junior teams, and more than 15,000 people paid their last respects to him in the days following his death.

Tevez completes Man Utd transfer

Manchester United have finally completed the signing of Argentine striker Carlos Tevez.

The summer saga involving Tevez eventually came to an end when the Premier League approved the deal - thought to be a two-year loan.

The 23-year-old had become a free agent when his agent Kia Joorabchian paid former club West Ham a £2m settlement.

Tevez is eligible to play against Reading on Sunday but the striker is not yet match fit.

His first game is likely to be the derby at Manchester City on Sunday 19 August.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: "Carlos has surprised us. We thought he would need more training but he looks in great shape.

"It is a difficult situation to assess because a derby game can be frenetic. Once we know he can play, we can make a decision quite easily."

Tevez's registration as a United player brings to an end a long-running saga, which began back in April when West Ham were fined for breaching league rules when they signed the striker and his Argentine team-mate Javier Mascherano.


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And with that, the most boring transfer saga ever was laid to rest

ZGB

The Hammers' response was to tear up an agreement they had with Joorabchian - who claimed to own the striker's economic rights.

But when it emerged Tevez wanted to join United, the Hammers, backed by the Premier League, insisted they should receive the transfer fee, prompting Joorabchian to take legal action.

Joorabchian eventually agreed to pay West Ham £2m to release Tevez from his contract, allowing the Argentine to join United on a similar deal to the one that took Mascherano to Liverpool in January.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has promised to tighten the rules to avoid a repeat of the saga.

"What made this an unbelievable story was an unbelievable series of events," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

"West Ham were all-but relegated at Christmas and then Tevez scored a few goals right at the end of the season and they were able to escape.

"It's unscripted drama and one of the things that makes football so interesting but in other ways it looks like a road crash in how some of the events appear."

West Ham close in on Franco deal

West Ham are set to give Mexico striker Guillermo Franco a medical ahead of signing him on a free transfer.

Franco's contract with Villarreal expired during the summer and he was set for a move to Estudiantes in his home country before that fell through.

But the 32-year-old, who played for Mexico at the 2006 World Cup, has now been drafted in by Upton Park boss Gianfranco Zola.

"I'm sure he is a player who can make a good contribution," said Zola.

Franco has been on international duty with Mexico and scored in the 3-0 win away to Costa Rica on Saturday.

He is expected to sign a one-year deal with West Ham but will not be available for this weekend's game at Wigan.

"I'm happy because I'm going to an English team and I believe that is a good opportunity for me," said Franco.

Dunne accuses Man City over exit

Richard Dunne has accused Manchester City executive chairman Garry Cook of trying to sell him behind his back.

Dunne, 29, moved to Aston Villa on transfer deadline day after nine years at Eastlands but was disappointed with the manner of his departure.

"From June I was getting calls saying Garry Cook has been trying to sell me behind my back," claimed Dunne.

"I've been honest with them - they should have been the same with me rather than doing it behind my back."

Dunne, who is on international duty with the Republic of Ireland, said he had gone to Cook earlier in the year and told him if he had any problems to come and deal with him directly.

He added: "I'm disappointed with people who say one thing and then completely do the other.

"Garry Cook has come in and he doesn't really understand football. All he wants is big-money players. He doesn't understand the core of the club and where it begins.

"I'm not a baby, I'm not going to cry just because the club want to sell me. I don't mind, just don't do it behind my back."

City spent £118m in the summer transfer window on the likes of Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry, Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott.

But they told Dunne they had to sell him, for a fee of £6m, to balance the books.

"They told me they have a certain amount of money they have to recoup each season to make things look better on the books," said the defender.

"I could understand if I was getting sold for 200m euros but it was a bit strange really.

"It just needed people to be honest with me, there were a lot of things going on throughout the summer."