The Flying Welshman

With a minute to go in regulation, the score level at 2-2, Gareth Bale found the ball at his feet 30 yards out from goal at Upton Park Monday night. A few seconds later, the ball was in the back of the net and Tottenham Hotspur were in the lead. Tottenham went on to win the game 3-2, taking them into 3rd place in the League table. As the ball flew into goal having left Bale's foot, there was agony for the West Ham supporters and ecstacy for the Tottenham bunch. But, such has been Bale's form in general this season and the last dozen games in particular, that such feats have become the norm. 

Gareth Bale is currently White hot and has been on a tear since the New Year making a habit of scoring not just spectacular goals but also game clinching ones for his Tottenham side. The Welshman has scored 9 goals in his last 10 games since the turn of the year, 8 of which have come in the last 6 games alone. His game winning heroics at Upton Park were just the latest installment of the Gareth Bale show with similar efforts against Lyon in the Europa League and Newcastle, West Brom and Norwich in the league. He is Spurs' leading scorer with 19 goals for the season with 15 of those coming in the Barclays Premier League. He also has to his credit 9 assists . 

Just to put that in perspective, only 2 men have scored more goals in this edition of the Premier League - Robin van Persie (19) and Luis Suarez (18)  - while Michu with 15 goals  has the same as Bale. Van Persie and Suarez also fare better in the Assists department with 11 and 8 respectively.What must be considered along with these stats is that Bale plays as a left winger while the other three are employed in the forward position. This is the quartet that has been making headlines all season.

But, coming back to Bale, what has helped him score all those goals is the system that Andre Villas Boas has employed playing a 4-5-0 formation as Jermaine Defoe has struggled with injury while Emmanuel Adebayor has failed to recreate the form of last year. This has meant that Bale has been given more of a free hand to roam up top, drifting wide to supply the crosses as well as being the target man to latch onto balls from midfield. With his pace and dribbling ability, he can also create chances on his own taking on defenders at will. Add to that his free-kick taking ability, which has seen a huge improvement this season, making him an absolute nightmare for opposition defenders.

Spanish newspaper El Mundo had once written about Bale:

"Bale combines the height and build of an 800-metre runner like Steve Ovett with the acceleration and directness of a rugby winger like Bryan Habana. And, when he gets to the byline, he delivers curling crosses like a Brazilian". Big words indeed, but his performances this term have been nothing short of spectacular and the 23-year old is carving up a name for himself with speculation rife that Real Madrid will come calling in the summer.

Is he the player of the season in the English game ? Well, there's some way to go yet before we can decide that with plenty of crunch games between now and the end of the season which will decide which member of this quartet can lay claim to that accolade. For now, we can sit back, relax and tune in to watch the Flying Welshman work his magic as he leads the charge for his Tottenham side in what has been his best season ever in England.

LA LIGA Results: Sat, Feb 23

Barcelona 2-1 Sevilla

The Catalans fought back from a first half deficit to come through the game with goals from David Villa and Lionel Messi. Sevilla took the lead in the very first minute of the match from Alberto Botia's header. Possibly still carrying a hangover from their midweek loss against AC Milan, the hosts looked ineffectual even with all the possession they enjoyed and there was a predictability to their play that helped Sevilla see out the half without too many dangers. In the second half, Barca upped the tempo a bit and brought on Cristian Tello for Alexis Sanchez who had had a quiet night. The more direct Tello seemed to have an effect as he helped inject some much needed pace into the hosts' play. Villa, back in the team after recovering from kidney stones, got the equalizer as he ran onto Dani Alves' cross from the right to slot home. Messi then grabbed the winner with a cool finish in front of goal from Tello's assist. The win takes Barca 15 points ahead from second placed Atletico Madrid who are in action on Sunday.

Deportivo La Coruna 1-2 Real Madrid

Jose Mourinho fielded an under-strength team for the game, with the midweek clash against arch rivals Barcelona in the Copa del Ray in mind. And, the move almost back-fired as Real scrapped their way to a 2-1 win at the Stadio Riazor. The home side went into half-time a goal to the good thanks to Riki's first half strike. The visitor's had a torrid time dealing with the threat from Depor's Rikki and Pizzi as they took the attack to Madrid. With his side hardly threatening, Mourinho rang the changes just after half time, as he brought on Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira to try and salvage the game. And the changes worked as Real went on to lay siege to the Depor goal. With 17 minutes left, Kaka curled one into the right hand corner to draw Real level before Ronaldo found an unmarked Higuain who was left with a simple tap in for the winner. With the game won, Angel Di Maria displayed some immature petulance and refused to back up at 2 free-kicks earning him 2 yellow cards in no time and a dismissal from the game. He is now out of the second El Clasico clash against Barca next Saturday.

Other results
Real Zaragoza 2-2 Valencia
Mallorca 1-3 Getafe

PREMIER LEAGUE ROUND-UP: Saturday, Feb 23

Fulham 1-0 Stoke City

A fantastic volley from Dimitar Berbatov on the stroke of half-time was enough to secure a much needed win for the Cottagers. In his 200^th Premier League appearance, the Bulgarian with a pacy right footed volley broke the deadlock off Robert Huth’s clearance. Stoke had a chance to equalize from the spot in the 56^th minute, but Mark Schwarzer saved Jonathan Walters’ penalty. The hosts had further chances in the 2^nd half to extend their lead with Berbatov, Riise and Sidwell all going close.

QPR 0-2 Manchester United

An absolute screamer in the first half from right-back Rafael and a neat finish in the second from veteran Ryan Giggs gave Man United a 15 point lead at the top of the table as they came away from their Loftus Road encounter with a 2-0 win. United were largely untroubled, controlling the game for the most part. The only worry for United was when striker Robin van Persie suffered a hip injury as he fell into a cameraman on the side-lines.  He was replaced by Danny Welbeck at half-time.

Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa

Santi Cazorla was the hero at the Emirates, as his brace helped Arsenal to a much needed win over a fighting Aston Villa. Goals 5 minutes into the match and 5 minutes from the end of the match from the Spaniard helped ease some of the pressure on the club and their manager Arsene Wenger. Arsenal move within a point of 4^th placed Tottenham who play away at West Ham on Monday.

Norwich City 2-1 Everton

Norwich left it late against Everton, scoring 2 goals in the final 6 minutes to earn a come from behind victory against the Toffees. The home side created the better chances, but it was Everton who took the lead through Leon Osman on 39 minutes. Fighting back in the second half, the Canaries equalized through new boy Kei Kamara who powered a thumping header past Everton keeper Tim Howard. Captain Grant Holt then scored the winner in injury time ghosting in at the far post to tap the ball in to end Norwich’s barren run of 10 games without a victory.

West Brom 2-1 Sunderland

Two goals from Romelu Lukaku, one of them a penalty, saw the Baggies past Martin ‘O O'Neill's Sunderland at the Hawthornes. A first half penalty had given West Brom the lead, before Lukaku took advantage of a horror back pass from Titus Bramble to close down keeper Simon Mignolet forcing a clearance from his Belgian colleague that struck the onrushing Lukaku and went into goal. Sunderland did pull one back through Stephane Sessegnon, but West Brom held on for the win.

Reading 0-3 Wigan Athletic

Wigan took made full use of the man advantage, as they put 3 past Reading in a relegation 6 pointer at the Madejski stadium. Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak was given his marching orders in the second half for a cynical foul on Maynor Figueroa. It was Figueroa who finished things off with the third goal on 48 minutes after Arouna Kone had scored a quick double in the closing minutes of the first half. With the win, Wigan leapfrog Reading into 17th place.

In the Eye of the Storm

 

The Cannons have gone quiet. The confidence has been beaten to a pulp. The enthusiasm amongst the fans distilled down. The Arsenal at his disposal significantly depleted.

That’s the situation Arsene Wenger finds himself in ahead of this weekend’s Barclays Premier League action. In what has been a tumultuous week for the Frenchman, he witnessed his ‘B’ side get knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship opposition and then in midweek torn to shreds by a clinical Bayern Munich side that has all but dumped the Gunners out of the UEFA Champions League as well.

It has been 16 years since Wenger’s arrival at Arsenal from Monaco and this season is reminiscent of the situation that prevailed when he took over. Arsenal were a club in the dumps under then manager Stewart Houston. Arsenal currently lie 5th in the Premier League, still in contention for Champions League football next season, but have been knocked out of the 2 domestic cup competitions by lower league opponents and are teetering on the brink of a Round of 16 exit against Bayern in the Champions League. The club is heading for a 9th successive season without a trophy barring a miracle of some sorts that sees the whole Bayern squad suffer a bout of food poisoning before their return leg in Munich to give the struggling Gunners a walkover through to the next round. In between the 2 losses, Wenger lost his cool at a press conference before the Champions League game going off on a verbal tirade against a journalist. Yes, this season truly has been a frustrating one for Arsenal fans the world over and the pressure looks to be getting to their Manager.

5th in the League, 4 points from the team ahead, to outsiders would appear to be a decent position for a club that finished third last season. But, if we were to look at some of the stats from this season, one would see how poorly Arsenal have fared. Arsenal suffered back to back home losses for the first time in the Wenger era when they lost to Blackburn and then Bayern. They have recorded the highest number of home losses this season under Wenger. They lost to lower league opposition for the first time in the Club’s history when they lost 2-3 to League Two outfit Bradford City in the League Cup.

To analyse how they've fared this season, I believe we need to look at the club’s realistic ambitions before the season. A top 4 finish in the league, Winning one or both of the Domestic Cups, Quarterfinals of the Champions League.   Whether Arsenal fans like it or not, the truth is the primary priority these days inside the Arsenal boardroom is Champions League football. The revenue that comes in by virtue of qualifying for Europe is significant and thus a top 4 finish, not the title is quintessential. To the Champions League, and Arsenal Football Club continues to be one of the biggest European clubs, but they are no longer amongst the Elite. The squad as such is depleted of quality and the gulf between them and Bayern, who now truly belong to the Elite, was evident on Tuesday night. Surely, if Wenger was asked before the season began on where he saw his side finish their Champions League campaign; he would have shot ‘Quarterfinals’ right out. And that’s the reality because he knows that Arsenal can no longer compete with the big boys in the Continent.

Which brings us to the domestic Cups. Here is where most, if not all the heartburn lies. The FA Cup and the League Cup are two competitions where fans and Wenger himself would have liked to progress to the very end lifting one if not both titles. The FA Cup as a matter of fact was the last trophy that Arsenal won in 2004 beating Manchester United in the final on penalties. Their exits to lower league opponents will hurt bad and apart from another chance at silver gone begging, the defeats have badly hit the confidence of the team.


So why do Arsenal and their manager find themselves in this situation? It begins and ends with their squad. Ever since their last trophy in 2004, there has been a constant exodus of talent from the club. So much so, that at times they have come to resemble a feeder club for the likes of Manchester City and Barcelona. When a top player leaves, it is imperative that a suitable replacement is groomed. That has not happened and as is Wenger’s philosophy, he does not like to buy talent preferring to bring a player through the ranks in-house. Arsenal until a few seasons back had the debt of their new stadium to account for and hence could not apportion much funds to Wenger to bolster the squad. The last 3 years however, the club has been reporting profits and the directors have sought to reassure the fans that funds are being made available for the Manager’s use if he chose to use it.

That, “if he chooses to use it”, is the key right there. Arsene Wenger believes in developing youth players rather than flashing the cheque book to sign superstars. In fact, it was a disagreement over precisely such a philosophy that led to his exit from Monaco and his eventual trip to Highbury to take over the managerial reigns there. Finally, his tactics and strategy of late have been raising more eyebrows than usual; none more so than midweek in the Champions League. Arsenal were very much the underdog going into the game against a superior Bayern side full of confidence. As if the match up weren't tough enough already, Wenger’s team selection possibly took away whatever little chance they had. Him opting for Aaron Ramsey in a 3 man midfield, putting Mikel Arteta in a deeper role and Santi Cazorla out wide was a recipe for disaster and the imbalance in the side meant that Arsenal just could not cope with the quality of the Germans’ midfield as the likes of Kroos, Schweinsteiger and Martinez had a field day.

The situation has now reached a point where there exist 2 groups amongst the Arsenal faithful – one that continues to believe in Wenger because of the history and what he’s done with the club during his tenure, while another is convinced that it is time for him to go as they feel he is not the man equipped to lead them out of this quagmire. His immediate priority for the season would be getting Arsenal to that 4th spot or above in the league as that would take care of European aspirations for next season and all the more satisfy the board and the shareholder’s primary objective. The second is to inject some quality into the squad. None of the players in the Gunners squad has any experience of lifting a major trophy and as such lack the big match experience. In contrast, the players that have left have collected 46 trophies between them. Players and leaders of the caliber of Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry are needed and Arsene must spend come summer to ease the situation a bit and buy him some time that would allow the young crop to develop.

Arsene Wenger has run this club for 16 years and he is right when he questions the intentions of journalists and casual observers who seem to be calling for his head believing that he is a man capable of rescuing the situation for Arsenal. But, time for him is running out as the ground under his feet is caving in at a rapid pace, and he finds himself in the eye of a storm that is threatening to engulf the Emirates and leave Arsenal in the doldrums when it comes to future direction and success. It is up to him to help his guys weather it and restore the club to its former glory.

Milan upset Barcelona at the San Siro winning their home leg 2-0

AC Milan stunned European heavyweights Barcelona in the 1st leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash. The 2-0 win was their first over Barca in almost 7 meetings since 2004. Two former Portsmouth players, Kevin Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari got on the score-sheet on a night that saw a complete team performance from Milan frustrate the Spanish giants.

Stephan El Shaarawy passed a late fitness test and started alongside Giampaolo Pazzini up front for the Rossoneri. Colombian defender Cristian Zapata was preferred ahead of countryman Mario Yepes to partner Phillipe Mexes in central defence with Ignazio Abate and Kevin Constant at full back. Barca midfielder Xavi was once again fit to play and started in a 3 man midfield with Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Busquets for the Catalans.

Milan came prepared with a plan and stuck to it religiously. Heavy pressing and solid organization was a feature of their game all night as they were content to sit back and allow Barca possession looking to hit them on the counter at pace. Barcelona had lots of possession, but hardly created any chances as they were constantly harried and given no time on the ball by the hardworking Milan midfield. The likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi hardly got into the game and keeper Christian Abbiati was untroubled, barely called upon to make any saves.

The hosts in fact looked much more dangerous and created the better openings on the counter. In the 14th minute El Shaarawy broke the offside trap as a Muntari through ball released him into space. With only the keeper and Gerard Pique for company, the Italian's second touch was a bit off and the ball rolled out for a goal kick. A minute later, Boateng had an effort that went just wide of the Barca goal. On 35 minutes, the same 2 players were in action, Boateng bursting through down the right sent in a cross that just evaded the head of El Shaarawy.

Goalless at half-time, Milan resumed their dogged pursuit in the second half, hunting in packs every time they conceded possession to cut out the space for Barca to get into their passing groove. On 55 minutes, El Shaarawy earned Milan a free-kick 40 yards out. Left back Constant laid it off for Montolivo whose long range effort hit Jordi Alba before rebounding on to Zapata and falling for Boateng who put it in the back of the net with a superb left foot finish to give the Rossoneri the lead. Milan would consider themselves a touch lucky as the ball had hit Zapata's hands which were up above his head as it fell to Boateng.

Alexis Sanchez was brought on to replace the ineffectual Fabregas. However, it did little to change the game as the Spanish side struggled to get anything going against a solid Milan side. The first real shot on goal for Barca came in the 75th minute when Iniesta let rip a right footed curler from outside the box that just missed the mark. Otherwise, it was a quiet night for Barca's big names.

M'baye Niang replaced Pazzini who had an excellent game, and the 19 year old youngster helped Milan double the lead. Niang ran onto a through ball as Alba was caught out of position and fending off Carles Puyol passed the ball to El Shaarawy. Seeing that he was about to be closed down, he coolly chipped the ball to his right over the incoming defender to find an unmarked Muntari who was left with a simple finish.

Barcelona simply could get nothing going all night as they were snuffed out by a brilliant Milan side that played a tactically astute game and executed their game plan to perfection. They now have it all to do in the return leg at the Nou Camp.

PLAYERS OF THE MATCH
Pretty much every Milan player played his part to perfection and any one of them could easily be chosen, but two players stood out just a little higher - Riccardo Montolivo and Kevin Prince Boateng.

Montolivo was simply superb in central midfield as he picked out some magnificent passes to release his forward players into space while also teaming up with veteran Ambrosini to make numerous interceptions.

Boateng's physical effort was unmatched as he constantly came back to help out in defence and was key as Milan shut out Barca. In attack, always a constant threat with his pace and running.

THE LITTLE PHAROAH

Tonight, AC Milan play host to Barcelona in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg at the San Siro. Two of the most decorated teams in European football, it's a marquee clash on paper.

Mario Balotelli's move to the Rossoneri from Manchester City in the January transfer window grabbed all the headlines. It's been a happy return for Super Mario so far having scored 4 goals in his 3 appearances for the Rossoneri. However, having played for City, he's cup tied and as a result ineligible to help his side out against Barcelona.

Which brings us to a player, who even before Balotelli arrived has been steering the Milan ship. Stephan El Shaarawy, the 20 year old Italy forward, has been prolific scoring as well as creating chances. He's scored 18 goals already, 3 of them during the Group phase of the Champions League. Together with Giampaolo Pazzini, who has 10 league goals, the duo have been the main scoring threats for Milan. 

'Il Faraone' (the Pharoah), as he's known owing to his Egyptian roots, was signed from Genoa in June 2011 after he impressed on his loan spell at Padova. His impressive showing earned him the Serie B Player of the year title in the 2010-11 season. Since his arrival at the Giuseppe Meazza, he has gone some way towards filling the hole left by Zlatan Ibrahimovic's move to big money PSG. 

El Shaarawy possesses exceptional dribbling ability and technical skill. He is also a very good passer of the ball and has often helped create space for his other team-mates. He has been compared to the likes of 4 time Ballon'd 'Or winner Lionel Messi and Brazilian wonder-kid Neymar. El Shaarawy looks up to former Milan star Kaka as his role model. 

Tonight, he will get a chance to showcase his skills on the biggest stage against arguably the best team in club football. The lights will be squarely on him and it is a chance for the Little Pharoah to elevate his status across the world a little higher.

Moutinho goal pushes Porto ahead after tight 1st leg at the Estadio Dragao

In the other match on Tuesday night, Portuguese giants Porto grabbed a slender advantage to take to Spain as they beat knockout stage first timers Malaga. The Andalusian club showed their lack of experience in this stage of the competition and they chose a conservative approach as Porto clambered all over them.

It was match that Porto dominated, their players looking sharper and more hungrier throughout the game. The home side had 17 shots on goal, 10 of them on target, in comparison to the visitors' one. Midfielder Joao Moutinho who had an excellent game scored the lone goal when he made an incisive run into the box to tuck away a through ball from Alex Sandro. They would be a little aggrieved that they weren't able to eke out a bigger advantage, but the result gives the Dragons the edge going into the 2nd leg.

Malaga and their wily coach Manuel Pellegrini though would believe that they have a very good chance to progress playing the second leg at home at the La Rosaleda.

Bayern brush aside Arsenal in resounding victory

Bayern Munich produced a solid display as they brushed Arsenal aside to come away with a 3-1 away win at the Emirates in the 1^st leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash. Against an Arsenal team that looked low on confidence and a bit disjointed, Bayern took full advantage to thrust open the gates and take a stranglehold on their Round of 16 tie.

Arsene Wenger chose to start Theo Walcott in a central role up front with a midfield 5 led by Jack Wilshere. Due to Nacho Monreal being cup tied and Kieran Gibbs injured, captain Thomas Vermaelen started at left-back which left Per Mertesacker to partner Laurent Koscielny in central defence. There were no surprises in the Bayern line-up as Jupp Heynckes opted for his tried and tested unit this season.

The game started off at a super tempo with both teams playing some end-to-end football. Though Arsenal had good possession they failed to create any real openings from it. Bayern on the other hand looked more incisive and took the lead in the 7^th minute, when Toni Kroos thundered in a right footed effort from outside the box which had the beating of Wojciech Szceszny. On 21 minutes, the deficit was doubled as Thomas Mueller took full advantage of some hapless defending from Arsenal. The Bavarians took control of the midfield and effectively snuffed out all of Arsenal’s chances as their key men in Walcott, Wilshere and Cazorla were completely isolated.

The Gunners began the second half much better with Wilshere coming into his own. Driving them on from midfield, he began to win more of his battles with Bayern’s enforcers Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez. The spell of sustained pressure yielded a goal as former Bayern man Lukas Podolski found himself free in the penalty box to head home on 55 minutes when Manuel Neuer came off his line to collect the corner and missed it. With no further breakthrough coming, Wenger brought on striker Olivier Giroud and he had an immediate impact as he almost drew Arsenal level; his effort saved by Neuer.

But, Arsenal were shaky at the back all night and every time Bayern ventured forward, they looked capable of opening Arsenal up. On 77 minutes, Arjen Robben, on as a sub for Franck Ribery, latched onto a through ball on the right and passed up to an overlapping Philip Lahm whose low cross was deflected in by Mario Mandzukic.

This latest loss heaps more pressure on manager Arsene Wenger as Bayern literally have 1 foot (if not both feet) In the Quarterfinals and Arsenal look down the road at another season without a trophy.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Toni Kroos - was superb on the night with his passing and vision. Initiated most of Bayern's attacks and ventured forward to assist in attack grabbing the opener in the process. Struggled a bit when Wilshere upped his game, but by then he'd done his bit to secure Bayern a resounding win.

ARSENAL vs BAYERN MUNICH: Round of 16 Preview

Arsenal welcome runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich tonight in the 1^st leg of their Round of 16 clash in the UEFA Champions League. Having been knocked out of all other domestic competitions, the Champions League provides the last chance for Arsene Wenger’s men to salvage a disappointing season. But, they face a daunting task as German giants Bayern come calling.

Arsenal, ever since they finished second behind another German side Schalke in Group B, were always in danger of drawing one of the Top teams in Europe. And their fears were confirmed, when they drew 4 time European champions Munich. The Londoners struggled in the Group phase to keep a clean sheet and it was one of the main reasons that hampered their progress early in the tournament. They were just unable to prevent teams from scoring and it will be Arsene Wenger’s major concern going into the game. Wenger will be forced into a reshuffle in the back-line as new left-back Nacho Monreal, signed from Malaga, is cup tied and Kieran Gibbs is out injured. This would mean Thomas Vermaelen starting on the left with both Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny playing centre-back.

The midfield is where the Gunners have an abundance of riches. The return of Jack Wilshere to the fold has lifted the Gunners’ performances and along with Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta, the trio forms a formidable threat to any side. Though Cazorla has gone off the boil after his early impressive form, he continues to be a positive influence on Arsenal’s play. Gervinho is back from the African Nations Cup, but with Olivier Giroud hitting good form of late, the Frenchman is likely to get the nod to start up front with Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski taking their place either side on the wings. Walcott is the leading scorer for the Gunners this season with 18 goals in all competitions. Arsenal will be looking to rebound from a stunning 1-0 at home by Championship side Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup and their manager and their fans will be looking for a response tonight with their main players back in the fray.

Bayern Munich come to London in red hot form. The Bundesliga leaders have lost just 2 games all season, once in the league to Bayer Leverkusen and once in Europe to BATE Borisov, and sit pretty atop their league 15 points clear of defending champions Dortmund. Bayern this season have been devastating at times and boast one of the best attacking line ups in Europe. Bastian Schweinsteiger in the company of Javi Martinez will run the engine room for Bayern with Toni Kroos playing a further forward to support the front-line  Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic, who has 17 goals to his name, should start up front with Thomas Mueller and Franck Ribery donning the wide positions. Add to that, the threat of Philip Lahm and David Alaba from the fullback positions and Arsenal seemingly have their hands full as they look to contain the visitors. 

Defenders Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng are definitely out and are the only major absentees for the German side. For all the talk about their offense, it is their €4.5 million summer acquisition Dante who has had the biggest impact. He has been the bedrock of a much improved Munich defence that has conceded just 7 goals in 22 league games thus far. Bayern have been flying domestically and are on a 5 game winning streak, scoring 13 goals and conceding none in the process.

Today’s match will be won and lost in the midfield area. Whichever side seizes the initiative here will be in a good position to drive home the advantage. Arsenal will be wary of Bayern’s threat especially with their defence not being reassuring at the back. They will have to contain the threat of Ribery and Mueller from the flanks and also keep tabs on Kroos who can hit the long ball well. Jack Wilshere will once again go up against Munich’s towering Brazilian defender Dante, the pair having met at Wembley recently in the friendly between England and Brazil. Bayern’s wingbacks will be entrusted with the job of keeping a lid on the dangerous Walcott. Arsenal have been poor away from home in Europe and will need some sort of advantage to take to Munich to have any hope of upsetting the Bavarians and will need their 2 “W’s” – Wilshere and Walcott – to fire to get that 3^rd “W” -  a win – under their belt.

HISTORY

• Arsenal and Bayern have previously met 4 times in the Champions League, with the Germans winning 2, losing 1 and 1 draw. Bayern won their last meeting in the Round of 16 in the 2004/05 season 3-2
• Arsenal have won 6 of their last 7 home games against German opposition. Their only loss came earlier this season when they lost to Schalke.
• England has not been a happy hunting ground for Bayern. The Bavarians have lost in each of their last 4 trips to the country with their last win coming at Old Trafford in 2001 in the Quarterfinals stage.

Manchester United Move into Last eight of FA Cup

Manchester United booked their place in the Quarterfinals of the FA Cup with a 2-1 home win against Premier league opponents Reading. Second half goals from Nani & Javier Hernandez were enough to see United through in spite of a late goal for Reading by Jobi McAnuff.

Sir Alex Ferguson made wholesale changes to his team with only goalkeeper David de Gea, Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck retained from the side that faced Real Madrid. Chicharito started up front with Welbeck, Anderson and Tom Cleverley came into central midfield while Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young donned the flanks. Club captain Nemanja Vidic made his return to central defence in the company of Chris Smalling while Phil Jones relocated to right back and Alexander Buttner replaced Patrice Evra at left back. Regulars Robin van Persie, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick all started on the bench, while Evra, Rafael, Jonny Evans and Wayne Rooney sat out altogether.

United started slowly gradually working their way into the game as Reading were content to get bodies behind the ball keep the game level for as long as possible. The first real chance of the game came on 23 minutes when Cleverley let fly from just outside the box after the ball was neatly worked to him from the right by Jones and Valencia. Adam Federici saved the effort and off the rebound Ashley Young looked to pounce, but the flag had gone up for offside.

The first half continued to remain sluggish with United lacking incisiveness in the final third. On 41 minutes, Jones suffered a hard tackle and had to be subbed off as he looked to be moving gingerly. Portuguese winger Nani, who has seen few opportunities this season came on as Valencia went to right back. His first contribution was a superb first time volley from outside the box that clattered off the far post as Federici’s punch to keep out Welbeck’s effort fell to the Portuguese.

United came out much more positive in the second half with their midfield duo of Anderson and Cleverley beginning to exert more of an influence on the game. Anderson drove the Red Devils forward with his runs and crisp passing that opened up the Reading defence, United going ever closer to breaking the deadlock. Nani who looked sharp and menacing from the get go added much more impetus to United’s attack posing a bigger threat to Reading as the game went on. It was the Portuguese winger who gave United lead on 69 minutes as he took Valencia’s cut back on the run and toe poked it past Federici who was finally beaten. United doubled their advantage minutes later when Nani turned provider, whipping in a devilish cross from the right that Chicharito headed in.

United had further chances to tuck the game away, but Welbeck and Nani fluffed their efforts and off some lapse defending McAnuff pulled one back for the Royals. Sensing the danger, Sir Alex brought on Michael Carrick in place of Anderson to shore things up and hold the ball in midfield which helped the hosts eventually see out the game safely.

Man United will face the winners of the clash between Chelsea and Middlesbrough in the Quarterfinals.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Anderson/Nani – drove United forward from midfield and was instrumental in lifting the performance in the second half. Nani provided a spark to the side when he came on for the injured Jones and provided more of a threat from the right than earlier from Valencia.

Chelsea, Manchester City cruise in FA Cup

 Chelsea and Manchester City posted convincing wins taking care of their lower league opponents with minimum fuss to progress in the FA Cup.

In the early kick-off, Chelsea dished out a 4-0 thrashing of Brentford in their 4th Round replay at Stamford Bridge. Having held the Blues to a 2-2 draw at Griffin Road, Brentford got to half-time level at 0-0, though they could have easily been in front with a goal disallowed for offside.

That was the last positive note for the visitors, as the Chelsea picked up the pace in the second half to smash 4 past them with Juan Mata starting the proceedings with a fine effort from outside the box on 54 minutes. Brazilian Oscar then scored for a 2nd game running after netting the winner midweek at Sparta Prague to double the lead. Veterans Frank Lampard and John Terry then netted 1 each to seal Chelsea's progress into the 5th Round. Lampard, who tucked away Mata's cross with a neat volley, has now scored in 6 consecutive domestic games and moves closer to breaking Bobby Tambling's record of being the all time leading goal scorer for Chelsea.

Manchester City, not to be left behind, scripted a 4-0 demolition of their own; Neil Warnock's Leeds United being at the wrong end of the scoreline at the Etihad Stadium. Sergio Aguero scored a couple while Yaya Toure and Carlos Tevez added 1 each to ensure City's smooth progression into the Quarterfinals.

After Saturday's results, Sunday turned out to be a good day for Premier league sides. Wigan Athletic also won their game away at Huddersfield 4-1, Arouna Kone leading the way with a brace. 

Chelsea face Middlesbrough in the 5th Round and if they were to come through that, they could potentially undertake a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, if the Red Devils beat Reading in their 5th Round tie on Monday.