Archive for December 2010
Wolves shock Liverpool as Chelsea wins at last
Wolves would had played Wigan three days earlier played a Liverpool side whose match against Blackpool was postponed, scored a second half goal to earn only their first away win.
The win sees Wolves go one place up to second from bottom whilst West Ham United return to anchor the table.
Chelsea on the other hand won a match for the first time since the November 10 win over Fulham.
After that Fulham match the champions had drawn three and lost three.
But the champions are still to score more than one goal in the league in nine matches.
Arsenal could only manage a draw against ten man Wigan and now stay in third place, two points behind leaders Manchester United.
With Wolves securing their first away of the season, the table below shows the away table showing only the away matches:
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | For | Against | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man City | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 20 |
| Arsenal | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 18 |
| Blackpool | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 18 | -3 | 17 |
| Tottenham | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 14 | -1 | 14 |
| Chelsea | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 12 |
| Everton | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 12 |
| Man United | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 10 |
| Stoke | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 12 | -1 | 10 |
| Bolton | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 14 | -3 | 10 |
| Blackburn | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 22 | -8 | 10 |
| Newcastle | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 17 | -9 | 10 |
| Wigan | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 12 | -5 | 9 |
| Fulham | 9 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 9 | -1 | 8 |
| Sunderland | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 15 | -5 | 8 |
| W Brom | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 21 | -8 | 8 |
| West Ham | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 17 | -9 | 7 |
| Bham City | 9 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 14 | -5 | 5 |
| Liverpool | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 16 | -10 | 5 |
| Wolves | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 17 | -11 | 4 |
| Aston Villa | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 22 | -17 | 4 |
So Birmingham City is now the only team without an away win while Aston Villa has the worst away record.
delicious
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Relegation scrap: Wolves vs Wigan
The hosts are one point behind the visitors and a win will take them out of the relegation places as long as Fulham fails to win its match.
A win will also take Wigan out of the drop zone also as long as Fulham fails to win against West Ham.
Wolves have won four matches at home and drawn two and lost three.
Wigan on the other hand has only won once away from the DW Stadium and will therefore need to improve on that if they are to avoid the chop.
Here is some of the stats for the two teams so far:
| Wigan | Wolves | |
|---|---|---|
| Position | 18 | 19 |
| Played | 17 | 17 |
| Points | 16 | 15 |
| Drawn | 7 | 3 |
| Won | 3 | 4 |
| Lost | 7 | 10 |
| Goal difference | -15 | -12 |
| Clean sheets | 5 | 1 |
| Failed to score | 7 | 4 |
| Goals scored | 13 | 18 |
| Goals conceded | 28 | 30 |
| Ave. goals scored | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.6 | 1.8 |
| Biggest win | Wigan 2 - 0 Wolves | Wolves 2 - 1 Stoke Wolves 2 - 1 Man City Wolves 3 - 2 Sunderland Wolves 1 - 0 Bham City |
| Biggest loss | Wigan 0 - 6 Chelsea | Blackburn 3 - 0 Wolves |
| Scored 3 or more | 0 | 1 |
| Conceded 3 or more | 3 | 3 |
| Scored 5 or more | 0 | 0 |
| Conceded 5 or more | 1 | 0 |
| Home matches | ||
| Played | 9 | 9 |
| Points | 10 | 14 |
| Drawn | 4 | 2 |
| Won | 2 | 4 |
| Lost | 3 | 3 |
| Goal difference | -9 | 0 |
| Goals scored | 8 | 13 |
| Goals conceded | 17 | 13 |
| Ave. goals scored | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.9 | 1.4 |
| Away matches | ||
| Played | 8 | 8 |
| Points | 6 | 1 |
| Drawn | 3 | 1 |
| Won | 1 | 0 |
| Lost | 4 | 7 |
| Goal difference | -6 | -12 |
| Goals scored | 5 | 5 |
| Goals conceded | 11 | 17 |
| Ave. goals scored | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.4 | 2.1 |
M1 derby: Roar vs Gold Coast
Table topping Roar are 14 points ahead of Gold Coast but they have played three more matches.
But being a derby means that the match could be unpredictable and for the visitors three points will be vital to keep in touch with the top four teams.
The Gold Coast is currently six points ahead Melbourne Heart in fifth place and a win will increase that gap to nine points.
The Roar seem to be marching onto their first minor premiership and a place in Asian Champions League next season and a win against their near neighbours will help them get there quicker.
Here is some of the stats for the two teams so far:
| Brisbane Roar | Gold Coast | |
|---|---|---|
| Position | 1 | 4 |
| Played | 22 | 19 |
| Points | 47 | 33 |
| Drawn | 8 | 6 |
| Won | 13 | 9 |
| Lost | 1 | 4 |
| Goal difference | 23 | 9 |
| Clean sheets | 9 | 9 |
| Failed to score | 3 | 6 |
| Goals scored | 41 | 25 |
| Goals conceded | 18 | 16 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Biggest win | Brisbane Roar 4 - 0 Melb Heart Brisbane Roar 4 - 0 Adelaide Utd Central Coast Mariners 1 - 5 Brisbane Roar | Gold Coast 3 - 0 Melb Heart |
| Biggest loss | Melb Victory 3 - 0 Brisbane Roar | Newcastle Jets 2 - 0 Gold Coast |
| Scored 3 or more | 6 | 5 |
| Conceded 3 or more | 2 | 1 |
| Scored 5 or more | 1 | 0 |
| Conceded 5 or more | 0 | 0 |
| Home matches | ||
| Played | 10 | 10 |
| Points | 24 | 18 |
| Drawn | 3 | 3 |
| Won | 7 | 5 |
| Lost | 0 | 2 |
| Goal difference | 14 | 8 |
| Goals scored | 20 | 13 |
| Goals conceded | 6 | 5 |
| Ave. goals scored | 2.0 | 1.3 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Away matches | ||
| Played | 12 | 9 |
| Points | 23 | 15 |
| Drawn | 5 | 3 |
| Won | 6 | 4 |
| Lost | 1 | 2 |
| Goal difference | 9 | 1 |
| Goals scored | 21 | 12 |
| Goals conceded | 12 | 11 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.8 | 1.3 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.0 | 1.2 |
Leonardo replaces Benitez at Inter
Rafa was sacked by Inter after just six months and now the former AC Milan will try and stead the ship especially in Serie A where the team in currently in seventh place.
Benitez's Inter only drew one match in its six group stage matches and here is the winning/losing trend in those five matches:
| Trend | Frequency | Percentage(%) |
|---|---|---|
| Inter Milan leading at half time, Inter Milan winning at full time | 2 | 40.0 |
| Inter Milan leading at half time, Inter Milan losing at full time | 0 | 0.0 |
| Inter Milan trailing at half time, Inter Milan winning at full time | 0 | 0.0 |
| Inter Milan trailing at half time, Inter Milan losing at full time | 2 | 40.0 |
| Inter Milan drawing at half time, Inter Milan winning at full time | 1 | 20.0 |
| Inter Milan drawing at half time, Inter Milan losing at full time | 0 | 0.0 |
| Matches ending in result | 5 | 83.3 |
Inter, Benitez part ways
The former Liverpool manager was sacked after an indifferent start to the Serie A season and for holders Inter have not impressed in the Champions League.
Inter progressed to the round of 16 after coming second in their group behind debutants Tottenham Hotspurs.
Inter were drawn to last season's runners up Bayern Munich in the round of 16.
This is some of the stats for Inter's Benitez in the Champions League:
| Benitez's Inter | |
|---|---|
| Played | 6 |
| Points | 10 |
| Won | 3 |
| Drawn | 1 |
| Lost | 2 |
| Goal difference | 1 |
| Clean sheets | 2 |
| Failed to score | 1 |
| Goals scored | 12 |
| Goals conceded | 11 |
| Ave. goals scored | 2.0 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.8 |
| Biggest win | Inter Milan 4 - 0 Werder Bremen |
| Biggest loss | Werder Bremen 3 - 0 Inter Milan |
| Scored 3 or more | 2 |
| Conceded 3 or more | 3 |
| Scored 5 or more | 0 |
| Conceded 5 or more | 0 |
| Home matches | |
| Played | 3 |
| Points | 9 |
| Won | 3 |
| Drawn | 0 |
| Lost | 0 |
| Goal difference | 6 |
| Goals scored | 9 |
| Goals conceded | 3 |
| Ave. goals scored | 3.0 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.0 |
| Away matches | |
| Played | 3 |
| Points | 1 |
| Won | 0 |
| Drawn | 1 |
| Lost | 2 |
| Goal difference | -5 |
| Goals scored | 3 |
| Goals conceded | 8 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.0 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 2.7 |
Kean to the end of season
Kean took over the reins at Ewood Park after former manager Sam Allardyce was sacked after two years in the role.
The following table shows the trends - halftime/fulltime for Rovers so far this season:
| Trend | Frequency | Percentage(%) |
|---|---|---|
| Blackburn leading at half time, Blackburn winning at full time | 5 | 35.7 |
| Blackburn leading at half time, Blackburn losing at full time | 0 | 0.0 |
| Blackburn trailing at half time, Blackburn winning at full time | 0 | 0.0 |
| Blackburn trailing at half time, Blackburn losing at full time | 2 | 14.3 |
| Blackburn drawing at half time, Blackburn winning at full time | 1 | 7.1 |
| Blackburn drawing at half time, Blackburn losing at full time | 6 | 42.9 |
| Matches ending in result | 14 | 77.8 |
Fourth vs First: Chelsea vs Man Utd
Man Utd are currently on top of the table after their win over Arsenal in round 17 and now have a chance to extend their lead at the top to five points with a win at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea had a brilliant start to the season with some 6-nil wins building up a huge goal difference but over the last month the team has failed to win a single league match.
A draw against Tottenham Hotspurs in their last match could have given them hope but the team needs to start winning matches to successfully defend the title.
Man United remain undefeated nearly halfway through the season and they would be desperate to avoid defeat against their title rivals.
Here is some of the stats for the two teams so far:
| Chelsea | Man Utd | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | 4 | 1 |
| Played | 17 | 16 |
| Points | 31 | 34 |
| Drawn | 4 | 7 |
| Won | 9 | 9 |
| Lost | 4 | 0 |
| Goal difference | 19 | 20 |
| Clean sheets | 8 | 7 |
| Failed to score | 5 | 2 |
| Goals scored | 31 | 36 |
| Goals conceded | 12 | 16 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.8 | 2.3 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| Biggest win | Chelsea 6 - 0 W Brom Wigan 0 - 6 Chelsea | Man United 7 - 1 Blackburn |
| Biggest loss | Chelsea 0 - 3 Sunderland | No loss |
| Scored 3 or more | 4 | 5 |
| Conceded 3 or more | 1 | 1 |
| Scored 5 or more | 2 | 1 |
| Conceded 5 or more | 0 | 0 |
| Home matches | ||
| Played | 8 | 9 |
| Points | 19 | 25 |
| Drawn | 1 | 1 |
| Won | 6 | 8 |
| Lost | 1 | 0 |
| Goal difference | 14 | 19 |
| Goals scored | 18 | 25 |
| Goals conceded | 4 | 6 |
| Ave. goals scored | 2.3 | 2.8 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| Away matches | ||
| Played | 9 | 7 |
| Points | 12 | 9 |
| Drawn | 3 | 6 |
| Won | 3 | 1 |
| Lost | 3 | 0 |
| Goal difference | 5 | 1 |
| Goals scored | 13 | 11 |
| Goals conceded | 8 | 10 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 0.9 | 1.4 |
Final rematch in Champions League draw
Bayern lost to Inter in that final and this time they won their group and so they have the chance to play the second leg at home.
Arsenal has been paired with Barcelona. This is the same team that knocked out of the competition last season.
AC Milan will play debutants Tottenham Hotspur and they know their will have to do better than neighbours Inters if they are to reach the quarters.
Here is the rest of the draw:
Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk
AC Milan v Tottenham Hotspur
Valencia v Schalke
Inter Milan v Bayern Munich
Lyon v Real Madrid
Arsenal v Barcelona
Marseille v Manchester United
FC Copenhagen v Chelsea
Black Country derby : West Brom vs Wolves
The Baggies and Wolves have never been in the Premier League at the same time until this season.
The hosts are currently in eleventh place while their guests are languishing in the relegation zone in 19th place on the table.
Wolves did very last season and at no time during that season did they skirt with relegation but things have been so different this season four wins all picked up at home.
Their Achilles heal has the away form where Wolves are still to win away from Molineux and have so far collected a single point from eight away matches.
The Baggies started the season well despite the 6-nil to Chelsea in the first round and have only lost twice at home in their eight home matches.
Here is some of the stats for the two teams so far:
| W Brom | Wolves | |
|---|---|---|
| Position | 11 | 19 |
| Played | 17 | 17 |
| Points | 22 | 15 |
| Drawn | 4 | 3 |
| Won | 6 | 4 |
| Lost | 7 | 10 |
| Goal difference | -5 | -12 |
| Clean sheets | 1 | 1 |
| Failed to score | 5 | 4 |
| Goals scored | 24 | 18 |
| Goals conceded | 29 | 30 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| Biggest win | Everton 1 - 4 W Brom | Wolves 2 - 1 Stoke Wolves 2 - 1 Man City Wolves 3 - 2 Sunderland Wolves 1 - 0 Bham City |
| Biggest loss | Chelsea 6 - 0 W Brom | Blackburn 3 - 0 Wolves |
| Scored 3 or more | 4 | 1 |
| Conceded 3 or more | 2 | 3 |
| Scored 5 or more | 0 | 0 |
| Conceded 5 or more | 1 | 0 |
| Home matches | ||
| Played | 8 | 9 |
| Points | 14 | 14 |
| Drawn | 2 | 2 |
| Won | 4 | 4 |
| Lost | 2 | 3 |
| Goal difference | 1 | 0 |
| Goals scored | 11 | 13 |
| Goals conceded | 10 | 13 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| Away matches | ||
| Played | 9 | 8 |
| Points | 8 | 1 |
| Drawn | 2 | 1 |
| Won | 2 | 0 |
| Lost | 5 | 7 |
| Goal difference | -6 | -12 |
| Goals scored | 13 | 5 |
| Goals conceded | 19 | 17 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.4 | 0.6 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 2.1 | 2.1 |
Blackburn sack boss Allardyce
Allardyce joined Rovers in December 2008 had his team in 13th place on the table and five points above Wigan who are in the relegation zone.
Rovers' worst defeat this season was the 7-1 mauling against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Big Sam becomes the second manager to be sacked this season following the sacking of Chris Hughton by Newcastle last week.
Here is some of the stats for Allardyce's Rovers this season.
| Allardyce's Rovers | |
|---|---|
| Position | 13 |
| Played | 17 |
| Points | 21 |
| Won | 6 |
| Drawn | 3 |
| Lost | 8 |
| Goal difference | -5 |
| Clean sheets | 4 |
| Failed to score | 2 |
| Goals scored | 22 |
| Goals conceded | 27 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.3 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.6 |
| Biggest win | Blackburn 3 - 0 Wolves |
| Biggest loss | Man United 7 - 1 Blackburn |
| Scored 3 or more | 1 |
| Conceded 3 or more | 2 |
| Scored 5 or more | 0 |
| Conceded 5 or more | 1 |
| Home matches | |
| Played | 8 |
| Points | 14 |
| Won | 4 |
| Drawn | 2 |
| Lost | 2 |
| Goal difference | 5 |
| Goals scored | 11 |
| Goals conceded | 6 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.4 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 0.8 |
| Away matches | |
| Played | 9 |
| Points | 7 |
| Won | 2 |
| Drawn | 1 |
| Lost | 6 |
| Goal difference | -10 |
| Goals scored | 11 |
| Goals conceded | 21 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.2 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 2.3 |
Second vs First: Man U vs Arsenal
United are one point behind the Gunners but they have a game in hand after their match in round 16 against Blackpool was postponed.
A win for the visitors will see them open a four point gap which would be handy especially if United were to win their game in hand.
However, a win for United will see them take over top spot and with a game that is potentially five points ahead.
United are the only team still to lose a match in the Premiership and have the best form at the moment.
In their last six fixtures United have accumulated a total of 14 points compared to the Gunners 12.
Here is some of the stats for the two teams so far:
| Arsenal | Man Utd | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | 1 | 2 |
| Played | 16 | 15 |
| Points | 32 | 31 |
| Drawn | 2 | 7 |
| Won | 10 | 8 |
| Lost | 4 | 0 |
| Goal difference | 16 | 19 |
| Clean sheets | 4 | 6 |
| Failed to score | 2 | 2 |
| Goals scored | 34 | 35 |
| Goals conceded | 18 | 16 |
| Ave. goals scored | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Biggest win | Arsenal 6 - 0 Blackpool | Man United 7 - 1 Blackburn |
| Biggest loss | Chelsea 2 - 0 Arsenal | No loss |
| Scored 3 or more | 4 | 5 |
| Conceded 3 or more | 2 | 1 |
| Scored 5 or more | 1 | 1 |
| Conceded 5 or more | 0 | 0 |
| Home matches | ||
| Played | 8 | 8 |
| Points | 15 | 22 |
| Drawn | 0 | 1 |
| Won | 5 | 7 |
| Lost | 3 | 0 |
| Goal difference | 9 | 18 |
| Goals scored | 19 | 24 |
| Goals conceded | 10 | 6 |
| Ave. goals scored | 2.4 | 3.0 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| Away matches | ||
| Played | 8 | 7 |
| Points | 17 | 9 |
| Drawn | 2 | 6 |
| Won | 5 | 1 |
| Lost | 1 | 0 |
| Goal difference | 7 | 1 |
| Goals scored | 15 | 11 |
| Goals conceded | 8 | 10 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.0 | 1.4 |
Victory draw Gamba Osaka again
The other teams in the group are South Korea's Jeju United and the Chinese team Tianjin Teda.
The current champions Sydney FC have been drawn in the group comprising South Korea's Suwon Samsung Bluewings, Chinese Shanghai Shenhua and the team to win the Japanese Emperor's cup.
The Emperor's Cup has now reached the quarter-final stage and the final will be played in early January 2011.
The first matches of the competition will be played starting from March 1, 2011.
Newcastle turn to Pardew to replace Hughton
Hughton was sacked earlier in the week and left the club in eleventh place on the table.
Pardew has managed in the Premiership before with West Ham United and Charlton Athletic.
The latter ended up being relegated.
Here are the trends in the 12 matches in which Newcastle either lost or won:
| Trend | Frequency | Percentage(%) |
|---|---|---|
| Newcastle leading at half time, Newcastle winning at full time | 3 | 25.0 |
| Newcastle leading at half time, Newcastle losing at full time | 1 | 8.3 |
| Newcastle trailing at half time, Newcastle winning at full time | 0 | 0.0 |
| Newcastle trailing at half time, Newcastle losing at full time | 5 | 41.7 |
| Newcastle drawing at half time, Newcastle winning at full time | 2 | 16.7 |
| Newcastle drawing at half time, Newcastle losing at full time | 1 | 8.3 |
| Matches ending in result | 12 | 75.0 |
Second Melbourne derby: Heart vs Victory
In their previous match the Heart won 2-1 and have been above their rivals on the table from then.
At the moment the two teams are separated by a single point but the Victory has two games in hand.
The match comes when the Victory has drawn their last three matches, two of the draws being 2-all draws and the third being a 3-all draw against league leaders Brisbane Roar.
In the last six matches the Heart have collected just one point from a draw against Sydney FC.
Here is some of the stats for the two teams so far:
| Victory | Heart | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Played | 18 | 20 | |||
| Points | 20 | 21 | |||
| Drawn | 8 | 6 | |||
| Won | 4 | 5 | |||
| Lost | 6 | 9 | |||
| Goal difference | -1 | -11 | |||
| Clean sheets | 6 | 5 | |||
| Failed to score | 6 | 10 | |||
| Goals scored | 24 | 18 | |||
| Goals conceded | 25 | 29 | |||
| Ave. goals scored | 1.3 | 0.9 | |||
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.4 | 1.5 | |||
| Biggest win | Melb Victory 3 - 0 Brisbane Roar Melb Victory 3 - 0 Sydney | Newcastle Jets 0 - 2 Melb Heart | |||
| Biggest loss | Melb Victory 0 - 2 Perth Glory Central Coast Mariners 2 - 0 Melb Victory Perth Glory 3 - 1 Melb Victory | Brisbane Roar 4 - 0 Melb Heart | |||
| Scored 3 or more | 4 | 1 | |||
| Conceded 3 or more | 3 | 3 | |||
| Scored 5 or more | 0 | 0 | |||
| Conceded 5 or more | 0 | 0 | |||
| Home matches | |||||
| Played | 9 | 10 | |||
| Points | 13 | 12 | |||
| Drawn | 4 | 3 | |||
| Won | 3 | 3 | |||
| Lost | 2 | 4 | |||
| Goal difference | 4 | -3 | |||
| Goals scored | 15 | 8 | |||
| Goals conceded | 11 | 11 | |||
| Ave. goals scored | 1.7 | 0.8 | |||
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.2 | 1.1 | |||
| Away matches | |||||
| Played | 9 | 10 | |||
| Points | 7 | 9 | |||
| Drawn | 4 | 3 | |||
| Won | 1 | 2 | |||
| Lost | 4 | 5 | |||
| Goal difference | -5 | -8 | |||
| Goals scored | 9 | 10 | |||
| Goals conceded | 14 | 18 | |||
| Ave. goals scored | 1.0 | 1.0 | |||
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.6 | 1.8 | |||
| Season | Round | Team | Goals | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010/11 | 9 | Melbourne Heart | 2 | Melbourne Victory | 1 |
Gunners reach last 16
The result means the Gunners can only finish second in their group and hence will face one of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Schalke or last season's runners up Bayern Munich.
This is because the Gunners cannot meet one of the teams from the English Premiership who won their groups or Shakhtar Donetsk from their group.
Elsewhere there were no real surprises from the group phase apart from the poor performance from Bursaspor who never looked anywhere near like champions from the Turkish league.
Bursaspor only managed to win a single point from their last group match at home against Rangers.
MSK Zilina and Partizan failed to register a single point with Zilina having the worst goal difference of -16.
FC Copenhagen had a good run finishing second behind Barcelona in Group D.
Below is a table showing all the 32 teams in one big group. The table uses goal difference to separate tied teams:
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | For | Against | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 16 |
| Bayern Munich | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 15 |
| Chelsea | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 15 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 15 |
| Barcelona | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 14 |
| Man United | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14 |
| Schalke 04 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| Arsenal | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 12 |
| Marseille | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 12 |
| Valencia | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 11 |
| Tottenham | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 11 |
| FC Copenhagen | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| Inter Milan | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 10 |
| Lyon | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Roma | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 11 | -1 | 10 |
| Spartak Moscow | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | -3 | 9 |
| Braga | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 9 |
| AC Milan | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| Ajax | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 7 |
| Twente | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 6 |
| Rubin | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 6 |
| Basel | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 6 |
| Rangers | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 6 |
| Benfica | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 12 | -5 | 6 |
| Hapoel Tel Aviv | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 10 | -3 | 5 |
| Werder Bremen | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 12 | -6 | 5 |
| CFR | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 12 | -6 | 4 |
| Auxerre | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 12 | -9 | 3 |
| Panathinaikos | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 13 | -11 | 2 |
| Bursaspor | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 16 | -14 | 1 |
| Partizan | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 13 | -11 | 0 |
| Zilina | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 19 | -16 | 0 |
No happy return for Houllier to Anfield
The former Liverpool boss was going back to Anfield for the first time since taking over the reins at Villa Park and Liverpool were 2-nil up by half-time.
The third goal was scored early in the second half to make sure that the home reached eighth position as round 16 of the English Premier League came to a close.
The loss means that Villa are now just two places above the relegation zone and two points ahead of Wigan in 18th place.
One match was not played in this round as the match Blackpool and Manchester United was cancelled.
There are new leaders at the top of the table with Arsenal taking over pole position after beating Fulham who are spiralling down towards relegation.
Champions Chelsea don't seem able to win a Premier League after another draw and this time against Everton at home.
West Ham stay rooted at the bottom after losing 1-nil to Sunderland. The other two teams in the relegation zone are Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wigan.
Below is the current form table and it shows Wolves as the team with the last form in the last six matches:
| Team | P | W | D | L | For | A | GD | Pts | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man United | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 14 | WWDDWW |
| Man City | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 12 | WDDWDW |
| Arsenal | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 12 | LWWLWW |
| Blackburn | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 13 | -1 | 12 | WWLWLW |
| Bolton | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 11 | WDWWDL |
| Sunderland | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 11 | WDWDLW |
| Stoke | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 11 | LWWWDD |
| Tottenham | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 11 | LDWWWD |
| Liverpool | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | WDLWLW |
| Blackpool | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 9 | WDLDWD |
| Bham City | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | DLDWDD |
| W Brom | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 10 | -1 | 7 | LDLLWW |
| West Ham | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 9 | -2 | 6 | DDDLWL |
| Wigan | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 5 | LDWLLD |
| Chelsea | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 5 | LWLLDD |
| Aston Villa | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 14 | -6 | 5 | DWDLLL |
| Newcastle | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 5 | WLDLDL |
| Everton | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 12 | -4 | 4 | DDLDLD |
| Fulham | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | -5 | 3 | DLDLDL |
| Wolves | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 14 | -7 | 3 | LLLLWL |
Magpies sack boss Hughton
The Magpies were promoted from the Championship as champions and after only one season with Hughton as boss but the club has decided he will not be taking them to the end of the season.
Last season the Magpies on lost four matches and accumulated a record 102 points and Hughton continued with more or less the same squad and he leaves his team in a respectable eleventh position on the table.
Hughton becomes the first Premiership manager to be sacked this season.
Here is some stats for Newcastle's Hughton:
| Hughton's Newcastle | |
|---|---|
| Team | Newcastle |
| Played | 16 |
| Points | 19 |
| Won | 5 |
| Drawn | 4 |
| Lost | 7 |
| Goal difference | -1 |
| Clean sheets | 4 |
| Failed to score | 3 |
| Goals scored | 24 |
| Goals conceded | 25 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.5 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.6 |
| Biggest win | Newcastle 6 - 0 Aston Villa |
| Biggest loss | Bolton 5 - 1 Newcastle |
| Scored 3 or more | 2 |
| Conceded 3 or more | 3 |
| Scored 5 or more | 2 |
| Conceded 5 or more | 1 |
| Home matches | |
| Played | 8 |
| Points | 9 |
| Won | 2 |
| Drawn | 3 |
| Lost | 3 |
| Goal difference | 6 |
| Goals scored | 16 |
| Goals conceded | 10 |
| Ave. goals scored | 2.0 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.3 |
| Away matches | |
| Played | 8 |
| Points | 10 |
| Won | 3 |
| Drawn | 1 |
| Lost | 4 |
| Goal difference | -7 |
| Goals scored | 8 |
| Goals conceded | 15 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.0 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.9 |
Hughton's 6-nil win over Aston Villa may have been the biggest win but there were notable wins over Arsenal and also Sunderland.
Russia, Qatar hosts World Cup in 2018, 2022
It will be the first time for both countries to host the event.
For Qatar who are hosting the 2011 Asian Cup, it will be the first time the World Cup has been hosted in the Middle East.
The results mean that the FIFA 2026 will be in North America, South America, Africa or Oceania.
Roar faces Victory test
In their last match the Roar scored a very convincing 5-1 away win over the Central Coast Mariners.
Victory on the other hand are having a mixed season and are currently in sixth position on the table.
But the Victory are the only team so far to have been able to beat the league leaders and they will be looking to do the same on Friday night. Last time they beat the Roar 3-nil at AAMI Park.
Looking at the two teams now, the Roar are well ahead.
They have a goal difference of +20 compared to Victory's -1 and they have scored a total of 35 goals compared to Victory's 21.
Here is the head-to-head for the two teams so far:
| Melb Victory | Brisbane Roar | |
|---|---|---|
| Position | 6 | 1 |
| Played | 17 | 19 |
| Points | 19 | 40 |
| Drawn | 7 | 7 |
| Won | 4 | 11 |
| Lost | 6 | 1 |
| Goal difference | -1 | 20 |
| Clean sheets | 6 | 7 |
| Failed to score | 6 | 3 |
| Goals scored | 21 | 35 |
| Goals conceded | 22 | 15 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.2 | 1.8 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| Biggest win | Melb Victory 3 - 0 Brisbane Roar Melb Victory 3 - 0 Sydney | Brisbane Roar 4 - 0 Melb Heart Brisbane Roar 4 - 0 Adelaide Utd Central Coast Mariners 1 - 5 Brisbane Roar |
| Biggest loss | Melb Victory 0 - 2 Perth Glory Central Coast Mariners 2 - 0 Melb Victory Perth Glory 3 - 1 Melb Victory | Melb Victory 3 - 0 Brisbane Roar |
| Scored 3 or more | 3 | 5 |
| Conceded 3 or more | 2 | 1 |
| Scored 5 or more | 0 | 1 |
| Conceded 5 or more | 0 | 0 |
| Home matches | ||
| Played | 8 | 10 |
| Points | 12 | 24 |
| Drawn | 3 | 3 |
| Won | 3 | 7 |
| Lost | 2 | 0 |
| Goal difference | 4 | 14 |
| Goals scored | 12 | 20 |
| Goals conceded | 8 | 6 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| Away matches | ||
| Played | 9 | 9 |
| Points | 7 | 16 |
| Drawn | 4 | 4 |
| Won | 1 | 4 |
| Lost | 4 | 1 |
| Goal difference | -5 | 6 |
| Goals scored | 9 | 15 |
| Goals conceded | 14 | 9 |
| Ave. goals scored | 1.0 | 1.7 |
| Ave. goals conceded | 1.6 | 1.0 |
