Arsenal 2-2 Barcelona: Fabregas' Penalty Gives Gunners a Chance For Return Leg

Cesc Fabregas and Arsenal fought their way back from the dead against Barcelona tonight to earn a 2-2 draw at the Emirates after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had given the visitors a seemingly comfortable two goal lead.

Barca came to the North London for the first leg of this Champions League Quarter-Final, and for 60 minutes handed Arsenal a lesson in football that they will never forget. But the match lasts for 90, and the Gunners fought their way back to earn a hugely creditable 2-2 draw.

Alex Ferguson Contributes To Manchester United's Downfall in Munich

Bayern Munich took partial revenge on Manchester United tonight by beating them 2-1 at the Allianz Arena in the Champions League after Ivica Olic scored a dramatic 93rd-minute winner.

However, although Bayern deserved their win, Alex Ferguson must hold his hand up and accept that he contributed greatly to his team's demise.

Just as Ferguson's substitutions turned that now famous game in 1999, his changes tonight were equally as poor, handing the impetus and control on midfield directly to Louis van Gaal's team.

Football Is Not Recession Proof, Now UEFA Know and 2012 Begins a New Era

The landscape of football is about to take a dramatic change if UEFA and Michel Platini are to get their way.

Since taking over as UEFA President in 2007, the Frenchman has always stated his desires for financial fair play across Europe.


It is believed that Platini is concerned about the dominance of English-based teams in the Champions League and that their control over Europe's premier competition is based on huge debt.

Arsenal Mugged Again...at the Scene of a Previous Crime

Just like Bruce Wayne going back to Crime Alley to see where Batman was born in fire, Arsenal returned to St. Andrews—the very ground where the foundations for this current side were built when Eduardo broke his leg.

Just like Batman, there turned out to be a real Joker in the pack—Manuel Almunia.

Tottenham Cruise Past Pompey, as Redknapp Takes a Subtle Pop at Rafa, Man City

Tottenham Hotspur cantered to an easy 2-0 win over Portsmouth in their FA Cup dress rehersal yesterday, giving Spurs a five-point advantage over their nearest rivals in the battle for fourth.

However, on the eve of the game, Harry Redknapp, the Lilywhites' manager, had a subtle dig at Rafael Benitez and Manchester City over their extravagant spending.

Every Jersey For The 2010 World Cup: The Good The Bad and The Ugly

In June, 32 nations will kick off the world's biggest tournament. There will be a worldwide audience of almost half the planet.

With that captive audience in mind, every competing team has released home and away kits for the month-long tournament.

And with FIFA's new ruling that games will be "home" and "away", every nation will get to wear all of their wares.

Here we take a quick look at some of the jerseys on offer.

The good, the bad, and the downright ugly...

England's Midfield Problems Solved: Everton's Uncapped Spanish Ace Mikael Arteta

With the World Cup just around the corner, England's injury problems are beginning to mount. Ashley Cole and Aaron Lennon are very doubtful while David Beckham is definitely out. However, the solution is simple. Everton's Spanish play-maker: Mikael Arteta.

Tottenham Hotspur Dispatch Stoke, Take Vital Lead in Race for Fourth

Tottenham Hotspur traveled to the Britannia Stadium, a graveyard for many teams, and after a professional display, beat Stoke City 2-1 to cement their place in fourth with just eight games to go.

Spurs had set down a marker in August, signaling their Champions League ambitions by winning their first four games of the season. That was the last time that Spurs had taken maximum points four games in a row...

Manchester United vs. Liverpool: EPL Destiny on the Line for Both Clubs

Manchester United and Liverpool meet at Old Trafford this Sunday in a game that will almost certainly define their seasons.

If United loses, they will lose ground in the title race, while a loss for Liverpool will increase the mounting pressure on their beleaguered manager, Rafael Benitez.

Arsenio Erico Finally Comes Home To Paraguay, 32 Years After His Death

Thirty-two years after he was laid to rest in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Arsenio Erico finally returned home to Paraguay. Thousands of fans showed up to pay tribute to the "greatest striker in Argentinian league history" as they celebrated his repatriation.

Born in Ascuncion, Paraguay, in 1915, Erico made his name playing for Independiente in Argentina. He was spotted by Los Diablos Rojos after he traveled to Argentina with a Paraguayan Red Cross representative team in an effort to raise money for the country in the Chaco War.

Alex Ferguson Opens the Door for Ronaldo's Return to United, Moves for Joe Cole

Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted that Cristiano Ronaldo would be welcomed back to Manchester United with open arms, while he also gears up to sign Joe Cole on a free transfer from Chelsea after recent contract problems with the Blues.

Harry Redknapp: Good, Young British Players a Thing of the Past

The best English manager in the country and Tottenham Hotspur boss, Harry Redknapp, has delivered a damning verdict of football in Britain by saying good young British footballers are a thing of the past.

Speaking in a recent interview Redknapp stated that he feared for the future of the game in Britain and that direct foreign investment was having a negative influence on the progress of the game in the home nations as every team vies for quick fixes.

Can Tottenham Hotspur Catch Arsenal and Finish Third in the Premier League?

Tottenham Hotspur strengthened their grip on fourth place in the English Premier League with their 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, but with time running out is it too late for the Lilywhites to launch a bid to catch Arsenal and finish third?

Big Sam To Rafael Benitez: I'm Under Your Skin, I Don't Like You And You've Blown Liverpool's Chances Of Reaching The Champions League

Just when you thought it was safe to go back out on the pitch. Big Sam and Rafa are at it again. Fresh from Benitez's Barcelona jibes, Big Sam has hit back by claiming he has got under Rafa's skin, that he doesn't like him, and that the Liverpool manager has blown his clubs chances of reaching the Champions League.

This round of their constant belittling of each other started on the eve of Blackburn's trip to Liverpool where Sam Allardyce claimed that Rafa had turned Liverpool into a modern day version of Bolton.

An unhappy Benitez decided to bite his tongue on that occasion, but hit back in the press conference following the Reds 2-1 win over Rovers...

A Lille Too Far For Rafa? Liverpool Crash To Defeat In The Europa League

With pressure mounting on Rafael Benitez and Liverpool following their EPL 1-0 loss to Wigan, it was felt that the distraction of Lille in the Europa League would be a welcome one. Sadly for the once great club, that was not to be, as the Reds were out-fought, out-thought, and largely out-played for the majority of the game.

English Premier League Finances 2010, Every Single Clubs Financial Report

Portsmouth are on the verge of becoming the first Premier League club to go into administration, and if many fans fears are to be believed Pompey may not be the first to go.

Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool are all under the heavy weight of massive debt. Such is the level of debt in the Premier League that it makes up 56% of all the debt in European football, some £3.5 billion.

The really shocking indictment of that ludicrous figure is that the traditional top four Chelsea, United, Liverpool, and Arsenal own almost £2 billion of that total figure. Meaning that just four clubs own 36% of all the debt in Europe...

Harry Redknapp: His Transfer History 1984 to 2010, The Best Record In Football?

Harry Redknapp is recognised as being the best English manager in the game today. He has always had a reputation as being a wheeler dealer. However, does he have the best transfer record in English football?

How Much Is Winning a World Cup Actually Worth? Happiness Over Money?

How much is winning a World Cup actually worth? This year, it would seem, that it is more valuable than ever. But is money more important than happiness?

Flying Face First Into a Fence After a Trip, Now This is Dirty...

The arguments over whether Ryan Shawcross really meant to take Aaron Ramsey out will go on and on.

But here we see real dirt...

Watch the video closely, two kids running for the ball as it goes out for a throw in, only for the guy in yellow to trip his opponent so discreetly that even the linesman doesn't see it from five yards away...

The result, a full on face first smash into a fence, ouch...

Portsmouth's FA Cup Shawshank Redemption

"Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free." Is the famous tag line to The Shawshank Redemption, one of the greatest films ever made. It also offers the greatest insight into the current perils of Portsmouth football club...

Aaron Ramsey Thanks Stoke City's Glen Whelan for Helping After Horrible Injury

Speaking for the first time since suffering a horrific leg break last week against Stoke City, Aaron Ramsey insisted that he would come back better than ever. He then reserved special praise for Glen Whelan, the first player to react and help him as he lay on the ground in agony.

WARNING: Manchester United PC Virus

Major Virus Alert

Everybody please watch out for the following viruses ...

Premier League Rejects Playoff Proposal. Good or Bad For The Game?

Premier League chairmen have rejected the idea of a introducing a play-off to decide who takes the fourth UEFA Champions League place. The motion was beaten after it failed to gather the 14 votes it needed to pass.

The Greatest Own Goal of All Time

Here we have TSV Wimsheim and TSV Grunbach battling it out in pretty windy conditions...

The result being the greatest own goal of all time. Enjoy

Was Aaron Ramsey's Injury A Result Of Declining Coaching Standards?

Recriminations and questions have been flying since Aaron Ramsey picked up an horrific leg break following Ryan Shawcross' tackle. Perhaps the most pertinent being, was the tackle a result of a fall in coaching standards at both clubs?

FIFA Out To Ban The Slide Tackle

Since the start of this season's English Premier League, referees have been under the spotlight. As the FA launched their pitiful "Respect" campaign, FIFA also made it known that they wanted certain types of tackling eliminated from the game...

Stoke City's Glen Whelan, The Only Player On The Pitch To Keep His Head Following Aaron Ramsey's Horror Injury

Ryan Shawcross clattered into Aaron Ramsey, his leg shattered and the promising youth lay screaming on the ground. His Arsenal team mates screamed, vomited, and held their heads, leaving Stoke's Glen Whelan as the only man cool enough to read the situation properly and comfort the stricken youth.

I Hate...A Rant By An Angry QPR Fan

This rant appeared on a forum for QPR.


Classic...

Real Madrid and Barcelona Head Football's Rich List 2010, Manchester United 3rd, Arsenal 5th

Manchester United have dropped out of the top two richest teams in the world for the first time as Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona have established themselves as the new dominant financial forces in football.

Seven of the top 20 richest teams in the world are now based in the English Premier League, but it now looks as if La Liga is where the real power lies.

Madin Mohammad; The Best Seven Year Old Footballer On The Planet!

Here is little Algerian kid Madin Mohammad. At seven years of age he possessess unbelievable skill and technique, and if things go well for him, he'll be a very rich boy.

Already clubs like Manchester City, Barcelona, and his own beloved Marseille are tracking him.

Definitely one for the future!

Rafa The Klingon Twists The Knife On Big Sam After Liverpool Beat Blackburn

The Klingons have a saying; "Revenge is a dish best served cold." After years of thinking that Rafael Benitez was an emotionless Vulcan, it would appear that he is actually a first cousin to Worf...

Mere moments after Liverpool vanquished Blackburn 2-1 at Anfield, Rafa couldn't wait to stick the knife into Big Sam and twist. Of course, his comments were a direct reaction to Allardyce's claims that he had turned Liverpool into an expensive version of Bolton.

The relationship between the duo has always been strained, but now it is absolutely poisonous.