A New City Revolution**Man City vs Man Utd**

[shantanu_rooney]

Page last updated Saturday, January 17th 2009​

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Barclays Premiership​

Manchester City vs Hull City​

FA Barclays Premiership
Venue: City of Manchester Stadium, Date: Sunday, 18th January 2009, Kick-Off: 1330 GMT
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live, live on Sky Sports

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Man City go into this match after a comprehensive win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light which was Frank Rijkaard's first match in charge. Craig Bellamy limped of after 26 minutes in last match is on the bench and Martin Petrov is set to replace him. Petrov is set to make his 300th career league appearance while Bellamy still needs three goals to reach 100 league goals.

Phil Brown's Hull are in the drop zone and haven't won for 4 games in a row. Keeper Myhill is set to make his 225th league appearance while Dean Marney will makes his 100th league appearance for Hull. Craig Fagan hasn't scored for 509 minutes while Toney Warner could make his Hull debut if brought on.

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Man City(from): Given, Hart, Bridge, Onuoha, Richards, Dunne, Kompany, Garrido, Wright Phillips, Robinho. Fernandes, De Jong, Ireland, Elano, Galuber, Petrov, Benjani, Bellamy, Vassell.

Hull(from): Myhill, Warner, Ricketts, Zayatte, McShane, Turner, Ashbee, Dawson, Mendy, Bullard, Boateng, Marney, Geovanni, Garcia, Halmosi, Barmby, Folan, Fagan.

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Ref: Mark Halsey

Match Odds: Man City: Even, Draw: 9-4, Hull 9-4

Lawro's Prediction: Man City 2-0 Hull​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Craig Bellamy came off the bench to inspire Manchester City to victory, scoring a brace which gave new boss Frank Rijkaard his first home win.

Hull's Geovanni almost scored against his old club in the first half with a superb chip, while Vincent Kompany hit the bar with a volley. Micah Richards and Nigel de Jong also went close with volleyed efforts. But on 80 minutes, Bellamy nodded in Robinho's scuffed shot and then was set up for a tap-in by Wright-Phillips.

For all City's tidy possession in the first half, they could not manage to edge ahead - although they did come very close. Kompany's 30th-minute volley was hit with such ferocity that it rebounded off the bar back to the edge of the area.

The hosts saw two other volleys go close, first from Richards, whose low effort flew just wide of the post, and later de Jong drove an effort just over. However, Citizens might have conceded the first goal had Shay Given not been able to scramble back to his line and tip over City old boy Geovanni's sublime 25-yard chip.

That was a rare threat from the visitors, who set themselves up with a solid bank of five midfielders and seemed content to play for a draw. Had striker Daniel Cousin been available - who is currently nursing an injury - perhaps Tigers may have played with greater adventure.

But Hull keeper Boaz Myhill would have been pleased by his side's defensive efforts. The English keeper would also have been relieved that, early on, he managed to clear the ball to stop Robinho stealing in after he had cheekily crept up from behind the goal-line.

After the break, the game remained open - and continued to be played out in alternate spells of sunshine and snow. But if the weather was unpredictable, sadly the football was not as Hull were able to read City's attacking intentions and nullify them with relative ease.

It sparked a change from City and, on 70 minutes, Bellamy replaced below par Martin Petrov. But it was Hull City who almost made the breakthrough when Sam Ricketts' long pass released Folan but the striker headed weakly past Given, allowing Stephen Ireland to clear. However, Bellamy then took the game by the scruff of the neck and settled matters in the space of two minutes.

First, City's new-signing nodded in from six yards after Robinho's miss-hit shot bounced up invitingly. And then two minutes later, Wright-Phillips' trickery on the right flank gave him room to cut in and deliver a low cross which Bellamy slotted into an empty net.

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Man City: Given, Bridge(Fernandes 82), Kompany, Dunne(C)(Garrido 70), Richards, Elano, de Jong, Ireland, Petrov(Bellamy 70), Wright-Phillips, Robinho.
Subs Not Used: Hart, Vassell, Onuoha, Benjani.

Goals: Bellamy 80 & 82.

Hull City: Myhill, Ricketts, McShane, Turner, Zayatte, Bullard, Boateng(C)(Ashbee 30), Marney, Geovanni, Folan(Halmosi 80), Fagan(Barmby 45).
Subs Not Used: warner, Mendy, Garcia, Dawson.

Booked: Bullard.

Att: 39,420.

Ref: M Halsey.

Bellamy celebrates his brace​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Results

English Premier League Matchday Twenty-Three

Saturday 17th January 2009

West Brom 1-2 Tottenham
(Fortune 4 ; Pavlyuchenko 63, Bent 90)

Arsenal 1-1 Wigan
(Adebayor 26 pen ; Fabianski 38 og)

Bolton 2-0 Middlesbrough
(Smolarek 8 & 19)

Fulham 1-2 Aston Villa
(Zamora 3 ; Laursen 58, Agbonlahor 62)

Newcastle 0-0 Man Utd

Stoke 1-2 Sunderland
(Kitson 4 ; Leadbitter 29, Cisse 41)

West Ham 0-0 Liverpool

Portsmouth 0-2 Blackburn
(Reid 22, Ponzio 30)

Sunday 18th January 2009

Everton 1-3 Chelsea
(Osman 69 ; Lampard 20, Deco 26 & 85)​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Page last updated Sunday, January 18th 2009​

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Barclays Premiership​

Diego excited by City switch

Diego unveiled to the Man City supporters
​

Diego is confident he has joined a great club after completing his move to Manchester City. The Brazilian playmaker and attacking midfielder signed a four-and-a-half year contract with City on Sunday after Werder Bremen accepted an undisclosed bid, believed to be ?30millions.

Diego had spent over a three years at Werder, but recently admitted that he needed a fresh challenge after the failure to win trophies at Weserstadion. The Brazil international feels he has found the right club to fulfill his ambitions and is looking forward to getting down to business with Frank Rijkaard's side.

"It's exciting times at Manchester City with the new owners and this manager," Diego told the club's official website. "There are big plans for the club. I am very excited to be joining and delighted that Manchester City wanted my services. I'm happy that the two clubs could come to an agreement.

"They (Werder Bremen) have been great to me for so the years I spent, and I thank them for that. But I just felt that this was an opportunity for me to come to a club that in my opinion are really moving forward in English football. I am even really excited to be going training on Monday, it's a new chapter in my life and one I am looking forward to.

"The profile of the club has changed dramatically, and there are already some fantastic players here. It looks like some good players will come here in the future as well and I am sure fans must be excited about the new signings. There is already the nucleus of a very good team here, and I hope I can add to that."​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Page last updated Friday, January 23rd 2009​

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English FA Cup​

Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest​

English FA Cup Fourth Round
Venue: City of Manchester Stadium, Date: Saturday, 24th January 2009, Kick-Off: 1330 GMT.
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live, live on Sky Sports.

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New signing Diego is set to make his home debut in FA Cup for Manchester City. Striker Craig Bellamy is set to be on bench as he is still nursing his injury taken against Sunderland. Man City have won 2 out of 2 under Frank Rijkaard and hoping to continue the same run going. Rijkaard is expected to make one or two changes to the side that beat Hull last Sunday.

Colin Calderwood's Nottingham Forest also have been in great form winning 3 out of their last 4 matches. Julian Bennett's form will be the key for Nottingham Forest. Robert Earshaw is suffering from a goal drought and hast scored for 450 minutes of football.

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Man City(from): Given, Hart, Bridge, Onuoha, Richards, Dunne, Kompany, Garrido, Wright Phillips, Robinho. Fernandes, De Jong, Ireland, Elano, Diego, Petrov, Benjani, Bellamy, Vassell.

Nottm Forest(from): Redmond, Wilson, Bennet, Duberry, Breckin, Perch, Moussi, McGugan, Davies, Cohen, Earnshaw, Gamble, Chamber, Bencherif, Morgan, Moloney, Dunne, Tyson.

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Ref: Steve Bennett.

Match Odds: Man City: 4-7, Draw 5-2, Nottm Forest 4-1.

Lawro's Prediction: Man City 3-0 Nottm Forest.​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Man City ended Nottm Forest's dreams of an upset with a comfortable FA Cup fourth round victory at City of Manchester Stadium.

Record-Signing striker Robinho opened the scoring in the 20th minute, collecting a pass from Diego, turning and lashing in a 20-yard drive. Stephen Ireland doubled the lead after Forest failed to clear a free-kick. Nottingham Forest went close with a Chris Cohen chip that went wide, but Man City comfortably held on.

However, the result flattered Forest as City took a the grip of the game and never let go, although the home side did create the first chance, Cohen chipping narrowly wide on eight minutes. Robinho, was a constant threat and it was no surprise when he latched onto a header from new signing Diego, before swiveling and lashing home the opener.

The game was ostensibly over eight minutes before half-time when Nigel de Jong swung in a superb cross from the right which was met by the unmarked Stephen Ireland at the far post to head home.

In the second half, Forest keeper Shane Redmond was called into action on a number of occasions to deny Diego and Wright-Phillips as City continued to dominate. The away side's only chance of note fell to Cohen, who forced Hart to tip his deft header over the bar to safety.

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Man City: Hart, Onuoha, Garrido, Richards, Kompany(C), de Jong(Fernandes 60), Elano(Benjani 60), Ireland, Robinho, Diego, Wright-Phillips.
Subs Not Used: Given, Bridge, Dunne, Vassell, Bellamy.

Booked: Fernandes.

Goals: Robinho 20, Ireland 37.

Nottm Forest: Redmond, Wilson(Dunne 69), Duberry, Breckin(C), Bennett, Perch, Moussi, McGugan, Davies(Moloney 90), Cohen, Earnshaw(Tyson 69).
Subs Not Used: Gamble, Chambers, Morgan, Bencherif.

Booked: Wilson, Duberry, Berckin, Davies.

Att: 40,163.

Ref: S Bennett.

Robinho and Ireland celebrate​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Results

FA Cup Fourth Round

Saturday 24th January 2009

Liverpool 5-1 Wigan
(Torres 2, Riera 32, Babel 48 & 90+3, Xabi Alonso 90+1 ; Kapo 62)

Crystal Palace 1-1 Q.P.R
(Derry 82 ; Balanta 63)

Doncaster 2-1 Middlesbrough
(Haffeman 1, Coppinger 40 ; Tuncay 5)

Fulham 3-0 Plymouth
(Nevland 17 & 58, Zamora 84)

Hull 3-0 Blackpool
(Folan 1, Barmby 22, Ashbee 53)

Millwall 0-2 Watford
(Rasiak 55, Williamson 77)

Newcastle 2-0 Colchester
(Jonas 5, Martins 13)

Portsmouth 1-0 Tottenham
(Pennant 90+2)

Stoke 1-0 Sheff Utd
(Beattie 5)

Sunderland 3-0 Hartlepool
(Jones 20, Ferdinand 34, Healy 90+2)

West Ham 3-0 Cardiff
(Di Michele 27, 45+3 pen & 64 pen)

Everton 1-2 Man Utd
(Rodwell 75 ; Tevez 2 & 58)

Sunday 25th January 2009

Charlton 1-1 Chelsea
(Holland 45+3 ; Essien 14)

West Brom 2-1 Wolves
(Fortune 26, Wilson 45+2 pen ; Iwelumo 70)​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Page last updated Thursday, January 29th 2009​

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Barclays Premiership​

City sign Van Der Vaart

Frank Rijkaard has secured his second signing just two days before the transfer window closes. Rafael van Der Vaart will be joining Man City for a deal of 13m pounds after spending a miserable half season with Real Madrid.

Van Der Vaart will join his Netherlands and Hamburg team mate Nigel de Jong at the City of Manchester Stadium. Real Madrid signed Van Der Vaart from Hamburg at the the start of the season 13.5m pounds. Van Der Vaart who had successful spells with Ajax and Hamburg fail to impress new manager Juande Ramos at Real Madrid.

Van der Vaart made a shocking one appearance for the Spanish Champions and most of the time was not even named in the squad. Van Der Vaart was frustrated on being left out sent a written transfer request which was accepted. Man City decided to offer Van Der Vaart a four-and-a-half year deal to save his career with a salary of 60,000 pounds p/w which is 10,000 less than that at Madrid.

Van Der Vaart who has been capped sixty-one times by Netherlands and has scored thirteen times will be wearing the 13 number jersey for Man City and is set to make his debut against Chelsea at the Stamford Bridge this Saturday.

While defenders Michael Ball and Danny Mills and also striker Darius Vassell have left the club. Michael Ball has joined Merseyside club Everton for a fee of 825,000 pounds while Mills will join Leicester for 500,000 pounds. Former England striker Darius Vassell has joined the Black Cats for a fee of 2m pounds.​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Page last updated Friday, January 30th 2009​

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Barclays Premiership​

Chelsea vs Manchester City​

FA Barclays Premierleague
Venue: Stamford Bridge, Date: Saturday, 31th January 2009, Kick-Off: 1500 GMT.
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live, live on Sky Sports.
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Chelsea have won straight 9 matches in a row and are looking to make it 10 out of 10 in the league. Ballack has been ruled out due to injury on loan Quaresma returns on the bench. Drogba is set to make his 275th career league appearance while Florent Maluoda needs three goals to reach 50 career league goals. Obi Mikel has been handed a surprise start ahead of Joe Cole who was superb against Charlton last weekend.

New signing Rafael Van Der Vaart is set to make his debut after signing from Real Madrid for 13.5million pounds. Given, Dunne and Bridge are set to return to side while Bojinov will make it to the bench as Bellamy was ruled out for this match. Pablo Zabaleta gets his place on the bench. Shay Given hasn't yet conceded a goal for almost 180 minutes for Man City while Shaun Wright-Phillips is set to make his 250th league appearance.
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Man City(from): Given, Hart, Bridge, Onuoha, Richards, Dunne, Kompany, Garrido, Wright Phillips, Robinho. Fernandes, De Jong, Ireland, Elano, Diego, Bojinov, van der Vaart, Zabaleta

Chelsea(from): Cech, Ferreira, Cole, Terry, Carvalho, Mineiro, Essien, Lampard, Obi Mikel, Deco, Drogba, Hilario, Alex, J Cole, Quaresma, Malouda, Anelka.
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Ref: Mark Hasley.

Match Odds: Chelsea 1-4, Draw 4-1, Man City 9-1.

Lawro's Prediction: Chelsea 3-1 Man City.​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Two Didier Drogba strikes and a John Terry goal were enough to give Frant Rijkaard his first defeat as Man City against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Drogba opened the scoring when he curled in a low 20-yard free-kick. Terry poked in Joe Cole's driven ball, before Drogba added his second with a free-kick that looped in following an Richard Dunne deflection. City's best chance came in the opening moments of the game when debutant Rafael Van Der Vaart headed wide from six yards.

The visitors more than matched their esteemed Premiership rivals for much of the opening half and were unlucky to go into the break a goal down. Arguably, the best chance of the 45 minutes fell to the visitors when Van Der Vaart, somehow headed wide from six yards after connecting with Wayne Bridge's left-wing cross.

Diego sprung the offiside trap and took the ball into the area before cutting back only to see keeper Petr Cech palm the ball away and deprive Van Der Vaart of a shot on goal. Chelsea duo Drogba and Deco also looked lively, although they did not work as well in tandem as their rival pairing.

Individually, Deco and Drogba were a joy to watch. Portugal's star midfielder created one piece of sublime trickery on the touchline to beat two City markers and also struck a shot from 25 yards that flew two yards wide. Drogba also saw two fierce efforts fly narrowly wide early in the half, before finally hitting the target when his side-footed 20-yard free-kick broke through the flimsy City wall to beat the dive of Given.

City came close to leveling the scores midway through the second half when Diego's jinking run ended with a scooped shot over the bar. The forward and the rest of Frank Rijkaard's team were left to rue that miss, when the England captain John Terry poked in substitute Joe Cole's driven ball past the City keeper.

Joe Cole, who had been out for four games with an ankle injury, had only been on the pitch for a minute after coming on to replace the injured Mineiro. Chelsea rounded off the scoring late in the game when Drogba, with the aid of Dunne's shoulder, scored his 12th goal of the season from a set-piece on the right-corner of the 18-yard box.

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Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Terry(C), Carvalho(Alex 76), A Cole, Mineiro(J Cole 65), Essien, Lampard(Malouda 86), Obi Mikel, Decp, Drogba.
Subs Not Used: Hilario, Quaresma, Kalou, Anelka.

Goals: Drogba 45 & 83, Terry 66.

Man City: Given, Richards, Dunne(C), Kompany(Zabaleta 70), Bridge, Van der Vaart, Elano(Ireland 66), de Jong, Robinho, Wright-Phillips(Bojinov 70), Diego.
Subs Not Used: Hart, Fernandes, Onuoha, Garrido.

Booked: Dunne, Richards.

Att: 41,743.

Ref: M Halsey.

Drogba celebrates his double​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Results

FA English Premierleague

Saturday 31st January 2009

Man Utd 3-1 West Ham
Berbatov 9 & 49, Ronaldo 27 pen ; Behrami 62)

Blackburn 2-3 Newcastle
(Dunn 10, Ponzio 45 ; Owen 19 & 24, Xisco 87)

Bolton 1-0 West Brom
(Smolarek 40)

Hull 3-0 Stoke
(Boateng 7, Folan 11, Marney 39 pen)

Sunderland 1-0 Portsmouth
(Mvuemba 47 og)

Tottenham 1-0 Everton
(Modric 87)

Everton 3-0 Fulham
(Babel 3, N'Gog 20, Carragher 63)

Sunday 1st February 2009

Middlesbrough 1-0 Wigan
(Arca 39)

Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal
(Agbonlahor 82 ; Silvestre 11, Eboue 38)​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Page last updated Saturday, January 31st 2009​

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English FA Cup​

FA Cup Fifth Round Draw

The fifth round of the FA Cup has been drawn and some mouth-watering ties have been made, including a Manchester derby at City of Manchester Stadium. Premier League champions Manchester United have been paired away with City rivals Manchester City in what looks the plumb draw of the round.

If Chelsea can see off Charlton at Stamford Bridge in the replay then they play London rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge in the London Derby. Doncaster's reward for knocking out Middlesbrough in the fourth round is a home clash against Tony Pulis' Stoke City.

FA Cup holders Portsmouth are set play either Crystal Palace or Q.P.R at Fratton Park while Watford will entertain premiership side West Brom at Vicarage Road. Liverpool will be facing the winners of Leicester or Aston Villa at Anfield, while Newcastle United will entertain Phil Brown's Hull City at St James Park.

Finally in the last tie of the draw Gianfranco Zola's West Ham United who defeated runner-ups Cardiff City 3-0 will face permierleague side Sunderland at Upton Park.
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The FA Cup Fifth Round Draw is:

Portsmouth v Crystal Palace or Q.P.R
Charlton or Chelsea v Fulham
Liverpool v Leicester or Aston Villa
Watford v West Brom
Man City v Man Utd
Doncaster v Stoke
Newcastle v Hull
West Ham v Sunderland​

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Page last updated Sunday, February 1st 2009​

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Barclays Premiership​

Petrov and Benjani leave City

Martin Petrov and Benjani have both left Manchester City on the last day of the January transfer window. Both have been transferred to France Ligue One clubs for a total fee of 13.2m pounds.

Martin Petrov the thirty year old Bulgarian left winger joined the Blue part of Manchester last season from Atletico Madrid for a fee of 4.7m pounds. At City the Bulgarian was a regular starter under Sven Goran Eriksson and Mark Hughes making thirty-seven appearances and scoring five times.

But since the arrival of Rafael Van Der Vaart and Diego this season it was going to be always difficult for him to find a regular place and so decided to sign for French Champions Lyon for a fee of 10m pounds. Petrov has been capped seventy-one times by Bulgaria since his debut in 1999 and has found the back of the net seventeen times.

The last player to leave Man City this season was the thirty year old Zimbabwean striker Benjani. Benjani has agreed a three year contract with Bordeaux for a transfer fee of 3.2m pounds. Benjani signed for Man City in January 2008 from Portsmouth and since has made twenty appearances and scored only four times.

Benjani made his debut for Zimbabwe in 1998 and since has been capped ninety four times and has scored sixty nine goals. Benjani was quite successful with Auxerre and is hoping to find the same touch with Bordeaux.​

 

[treva]

Good work Shan, love the layout. Rijkaard has had a fairly good start as manager, but they are still performing below expectations. He's got a tough job on his hands.

Please, please take this one the distance Shan, otherwise I may just stop posting in every new story you start. Great start on this one though.

 

[saladguy]

Yeah, stick with it Shan. Unlucky against Chelsea and van der Vaart is a great signing!