Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace Preview | Team News, Key Men, Stats

This match sees two sides, looking for their first win of the season, face-off. As the home side, Newcastle will be looking at this match with more expectancy, especially after signing a flurry of new players this summer. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have lost their opening two matches without a manager, but Neil Warnock has been announced as the new boss, so it will be Warnock’s second spell in the hotseat at Selhurst Park.

Tony Pulis left in an abrupt manner, which has damaged the side, as he was the perfect fit for Palace and his departure could lead to the club returning to the second tier, unless Warnock can continue the good work, but it will be very difficult for a manager who has never settled in the top flight.

Newcastle have started the season averagely. Despite them failing to pick up a win in their opening two league matches, they have put in encouraging performances, which has given the fan-base hope that they will have a good season. Their main issue is putting the ball in the net, but the attacking players will slowly adjust to the league and the introduction of Siem de Jong should see the Magpies carry more threat in the final third. They were unlucky not to beat Aston Villa last weekend as they did have the better chances to break the deadlock, with Cabella and de Jong missing good chances. If they don’t beat Palace this weekend, the fans’ concerns will grow, and Alan Pardew must prevent that from happening.

Last season was incredible for Crystal Palace as they stayed in the Premier League for the first time in their history, finishing 11th, which was a great campaign, considering many tipped them for relegation from the off. Many will point to the influence of Tony Pulis, but the squad is decent and the team spirit is what carried Palace to survival. This season will be much harder for the side as it’s proven that consolidating in the Premier League is very difficult. The home defeat against West Ham was disappointing, but only two matches have passed, and there is a lot of time for Palace to reach the magical 40 points.

In the corresponding fixture last season, Newcastle won through a late winner from Papiss Cisse. This was during a period in which Newcastle were struggling for form. At Selhurst Park, Newcastle also finished with the three points with a 3-0 win. On that day Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa and an own goal were on the score-sheet. Neither of the first two will be playing this weekend as Cabaye has left the club, while the latter is currently banished from the first team.

Interesting Stats

No side has picked up more red cards than Newcastle since the start of last season. The Magpies have received 7 red cards, with Mike Williamson’s dismissal against Aston Villa being the most recent.

Dwight Gayle has scored 11 goals in 1083 minutes across all competitions for Palace. He has never nailed down a starting berth, but if he continues scoring goals, it will be a matter of time.

Key Men

Siem De Jong

The surname will be familiar to Newcastle fans after Luuk’s disappointing loan spell last season, but his older brother Siem is likely to have a bigger impact on Tyneside. He has been the captain of Dutch giants Ajax for a number of years and was a key part of a side that impressed in the Champions League, with a win over Manchester City being the highlight, a match in which De Jong scored. After joining in the summer, he was appointed vice-captain and impressed in pre-season, but missed the opening game with an injury. The Dutchman has featured in the last two games, so will be expected to start this weekend, with his most likely role being the number ten, behind Emmanuel Riviere. Alan Pardew has spoken highly about his summer signing, comparing him to Teddy Sheringham. Newcastle will be hoping he makes a big impact. His strength lies in his technical ability and football intelligence to create chances, while he will be eager to score a decent amount of goals this season. Newcastle are yet to score a Premier League goal,  however, they will be a lot better in the final third with the Dutchman in the team and he could show his class this weekend.

Hangeland

For Crystal Palace, they will be hoping their new signing Brede Hangeland has a good season, as his Premier League experience will play a big part in them establishing themselves as a top flight side. He hasn’t had the best start, after playing in a side that has conceded five goals in their opening two games, but it’s early days in his Palace career. His aerial ability and his dominating style will prove difficult for the Newcastle side to break down, especially given they are low on confidence after not scoring in their opening two matches. The Newcastle attack is still developing and getting used to the league, and facing a physical defender like Hangeland will be a good test for them. They struggled against Ron Vlaar and the Palace defender is similar in style to the Dutchman, therefore he will be key to Palace’s chances of picking up their first point of the summer or better. Palace played very well at Newcastle last season. They were unlucky to lose, with Hangeland in the side, and they are unlikely to conceded a late goal, as he is very experienced and will know you can’t turn off in the Premier League.

Team News

Jack Colback and Rolando Aarons are expected to be available after picking up knocks in previous matches. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa is a doubt, while Papiss Cisse and Cheick Tiote remain a couple of weeks away. Davide Santon and Ryan Taylor are also expected to miss out. Gabriel Obertan is a contender to start after an impressive performance in the Capital One Cup.

Joe Ledley is a doubt as he recovers from a groin injury, while Scott Dann is expected to be unavailable. Dwight Gayle will be pushing for a start after a hat trick in the Capital One Cup. A lot of fringe players will be looking to impress as when a new manager comes in, there is always opportunities, so it will be interesting to see how Warnock lines Palace up.

Verdict

It will be a tight game with very few goals in it. Newcastle have played well in their opening two matches, but it hasn’t quite clicked in the final third yet. They will dominate possession and the likes of Remy Cabella and Siem de Jong will be given chances to break Palace down. While the atmosphere at St James’ Park could be the determining factor. They are facing a side low on confidence after two losses in the league, while Neil Warnock won’t have got to know the Palace squad yet or know his strongest eleven. However, the new manager bounce could come into play and Palace could be able to get something. I think Newcastle will be too strong and will surely break their duck this week.

Newcastle United 1-0 Crystal Palace

EPL Preview: Swansea vs Burnley Prediction (23/Aug - 22:00)

Probable Lineups

 Team News

Swansea

• Swansea confirmed the signing of centre-back Federico Fernandez on Wednesday, but he is unlikely to start the meeting with Burnley.
• Garry Monk is without only Leon Britton and Marvin Emnes due to injury.
• The Swans may name an unchanged XI from their opening day win at Manchester United.

 Burnley

• Sam Vokes remains sidelined with a knee injury and he is expected to miss a substantial chunk of the season.
• Despite an underwhelming performance against Chelsea, summer signing Lucas Jutkiewicz should lead the attack here.
• Sean Dyche may be tempted to name an unchanged XI from the defeat against Chelsea.

Prediction

• Swansea secured an inspring 2-1 win over Manchester United on the opening day of the season. Many expected the Swans to falter this season, but they have hit the ground running and if they can hold onto their key players, they could be in for a notable campaign.
• Burnley put in a good account of themselves against Chelsea on Monday, but the gulf in quality between the Clarets and the title favourites was evident. Sean Dyche will look to convince his players that the season starts now as they aim to avoid relegation at the first time of asking.
• Garry Monk's side will be in buoyant mood following the surprise victory at Old Trafford and should have enough about them to pick up another 3 points here.

Manchester Utd vs Swansea Preview & Prediction (16 Aug ~ 19:45)

Manchester United v Swansea
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 16 August 2014 Kick Off 19:45

Manchester United

There is a sense of deja vu as Manchester United get ready to welcome a new era against Swansea on the opening day of the new Premier League season. This time last season, Manchester United prepared for a trip to the Liberty Stadium as the David Moyes era officially got underway, but the fans will be hoping for a similar result albeit with a much more positive end to the new campaign than they saw in 2013/14.

It was the worst season that Manchester United suffered during the Premier League era and the worst in the top flight since the 1988/89 season. The problems began early for Moyes and never seemed to resolve themselves which means Louis Van Gaal gets the opportunity to revive Manchester United after guiding the Netherlands to Third Place at the recent World Cup.

The first place United will be looking to recover their form is at Old Trafford where the side were beaten in 7 of their 19 League games last season. They did win 7 of their 10 home games against teams from the bottom half of the table, although Manchester United also lost 2 of those games and now they have to deal with a new formation that their Dutch manager will be asking the team to play.

A strong pre-season has at least raised some hope for Manchester United fans after last season, including wins over the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid. However, friendlies are rarely a true indication of what a team is capable of and there will be a different sort of pressure on United when the Premier League kicks off. Manchester United did end the season with more inconsistency at home as they won 4, draw 2 and lost 3 of their last 9 games at Old Trafford in all competitions.

Luke Shaw and Michael Carrick have both been ruled out until next month with injuries, while Jonny Evans and Antonio Valencia need to pass fitness tests. Robin Van Persie might have to sit out after only recently returning to training which means Danny Welbeck could be asked to partner new Captain Wayne Rooney along with Juan Mata. Ander Herrera should make his competitive debut for the club after signing from Athletic Bilbao.

Swansea

A lot of the experts believe Swansea are going to have a more effective season than last year when they were hindered by their small squad having to compete in the Europa League as well as the Premier League. Without European football this season, Swansea are expected to return to the middle of the table, but this could be a tough season for Garry Monk and his troops, especially if they can't hold onto Wilfried Bony.

Last season, Swansea finished 12th in the Premier League and they ended the campaign with a healthy 9 point advantage over Norwich City in the relegation zone. However, it wasn't plain sailing as shown by the removal of Michael Laudrup as manager despite the success the Dane had the season before last, but it was the form at the Liberty Stadium that prevented the Swans from ending higher up the League table.

Swansea won 3 of their last 4 Premier League games last season which ensured their Premier League future and the side will be looking to build upon that early in the new campaign. The side had failed to win any of 8 away games in all competitions, losing 6 of those games, before ending the season with back to back wins at Newcastle United and Sunderland.

The likes of Michel Vorm, Ben Davies and Michu have moved on from the Liberty Stadium this summer, while Gylfi Sigurdsson returns to the club where he had a lot of success two seasons ago. Bafetimbi Gomes was also brought in, but the best bit of business will be keeping hold of Bony if they manage to do that over the next two weeks. Lukasz Fabianski could be the new Number 1 to replace Vorm.

Head to Head

Manchester United had been unbeaten in 10 all time home games against Swansea before being beating by them in the FA Cup Third Round last season thanks to a late Wilfried Bony goal.

United did complete the League double over Swansea with a 1-4 win at the Liberty Stadium and a 2-0 win at Old Trafford.

Manchester United have won 8 of their last 9 home games against Swansea.

Prediction

It is the start of yet another new dawn for Manchester United as Louis Van Gaal takes charge of his first competitive game as manager of the club. The formation won't be something that the fans at Old Trafford are used to, but the pragmatic Dutchman believes it will make the best of a squad that he described as 'unbalanced' when arriving at Old Trafford.

After the disappointing campaign under David Moyes, Manchester United fans will be desperate for the team to get off to a strong start and the fixture list has certainly been kind to them on that front. A home game against Swansea should be one that sits well with United, especially as the away side have had a few changes to the squad from last season.

As much as Manchester United struggled at Old Trafford last season, they did win 7 of their home games against those sides that finished in the bottom half and that is something I project for Swansea. They also have had success with the formation that Louis Van Gaal will be using during the pre-season with a little more success going forward, although Manchester United are still going to have a few issues defensively.

In games like this, I would expect those defensive problems won't be as highlighted as in games against the better teams in the Premier League and I can see United making a strong start to the new season. Last season, 7 of their 9 home wins at Old Trafford came by more than a single goal and they have had success against Swansea in recent games here including winning 2 of their last 3 in the League by at least two goals since the Swans returned to the top flight.

United fans would do well to remember twelve months ago and not to get overly carried away by a strong win over Swansea to open the season, but I do think they can win this game by at least two goals.

The Statistics :

 

The Pick :

Manchester United 2-0 Swansea

Liverpool agree £16m for Spanish international

Liverpool are in advanced talks with Spanish La Liga side Sevilla to sign their left-back Alberto Moreno.

The Daily Mail are reporting that the two clubs have agreed a £16 million transfer fee for the 22-year old.

Brendan Rodgers has been in search of a left-back this summer as he looks to improve his defence from last season.  The club have already signed centre-back Dejan Lovren from Southampton.

Alberto Moreno has come through the Sevilla youth system, making 45 La Liga appearances in all for the club since making his debut in April 2012.  Last season was his first as a regular in the starting line-up, making a total of 40 appearances in all competitions, helping Sevilla to a fifth-place finish in the league and winning the UEFA Europa League on penalties.

The youngster has three caps for the Spanish national team having previously played nine times for their under-21s.  He is a highly-rated player in his position with years ahead of him.

Widespread reports suggest it is only a matter of time before the deal goes through.  Sevilla had previously requested £20 million for their left-back but it appears they have settled for £16m.

Last week the Liverpool Echo were confident the club were closing in on the signing of Moreno as well as a loan deal for young Atlético Madrid right-back Javier Manquillo.

Liverpool currently have José Enrique, Jon Flanagan, Mamadou Sakho and Emre Can all capable of playing at left-back but Brendan Rodgers appears to want to upgrade at that position.

A loan deal for Manquillo would see him compete with Glen Johnson, Jon Flanagan and Martin Kelly for the right-back role.

The Reds have already spent £88.5 million in the transfer window this summer, signing Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Emre Can, Lazar Marković, Dejan Lovren and Divock Origi.

Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal: Robin van Perise will miss start of the season

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has revealed that Robin van Persie will not feature against Valencia in the pre-season friendly and also miss the season opener against Swansea City.

The Dutchman says he is ready to take the criticism for dropping the former Arsenal skipper, but says the player’s fitness should be a priority and claims he is aware of what needs to be done with the striker.

Van Persie was the part of the Netherlands squad that finished third in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which was coached by the current United manager. The 30-year-old is currently on a holiday and will return to training on Monday.

The 62-year-old manager admitted that Van Persie is keen on playing every game, but Van Gaal says the Dutch international will miss the start of the Premier League season.

“Robin will begin training on Monday, but he won’t play in the friendly against Valencia on August 12, definitely not,” Van Gaal said, as reported in the Daily Mirror.

“And he won’t play in the Premier League at the start either, I think. People can criticise me for that decision but I know what you have to do with players who have had three weeks’ holiday.”

“Hopefully, Robin will get his fitness back very fast. But at this moment, he won’t be playing.”

“Robin wants to play every game, I know that, but so do the other 30 players in the squad. But players have to train and Robin needs a full training regime behind him before he can play again,” new United manager said.

Van Gaal’s decision to not include his compatriot should not be criticised. Van Persie should not be rushed for the opening game, especially when he has not been a part of the club’s pre-season tour.

The Red Devils’ boss can use Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck to lead United’s attack as the England international duo has been impressive so far in the US.

Liverpool vs. AS Roma July 23, 2014 Prediction

After a disappointing result against Brondby of the Danish Superliga, Liverpool travels to the United States to continue their pre-season tour. Liverpool will play a friendly against AS Roma on Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at Fenway Park, the famous home of the Boston Red Sox.

Both European clubs are in the United States for the Guinness International Champions Cup, which features six other European giants, and thirteen lucky American cities that get to host these games.

Both of these clubs also qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the upcoming year after a hiatus of club championship football.  Roma returns to Champions League for the first time since 2011 and Liverpool has been absent since 2010. The two sides will not be playing Champions League-quality soccer on Wednesday, but this game will be entertaining, nonetheless.

AS Roma comes to the states, with a few new names (Juan Manuel Iturbe, Salih Uçan, and Ashley Cole) on its roster, and recent wins over Orlando FC (a 1-nil win) and Indonesia’s U-23 team (3-1).

Liverpool arrives in Boston, licking its wounds after a 2-1 defeat to Brondby and a come-from-behind win to beat Preston 2-1.  The Brondby game should not raise many questions because it is the first game of the preseason and there is still lots of training left for the team.  However, for a side with many subs, the team looked stagnant, confused by its teammates and a bit out of shape, physically and tactically.

What Liverpool Fans Should Watch For

Liverpool needs to be better with the fluidity of the team.  Granted that is hard to do with the amount of players on hand and more subs than usual with the friendly rules; Brendan Rodgers made six changes at halftime against Brondby that seemed to change the flow of the game. However, since the whole squad is now back, look for some better passing and movement that comes from the chemistry that the first teamers have built.

Philippe Coutinho was the man of the match for Liverpool against Brondby, and he brought a punch against Preston.  He brought energy and electricity to the team that seemed to be lacking elsewhere on the pitch.  He was not afraid to take defenders on one on one, and he made several nice passes over the defense to spur on his teammates.  Look for this to continue against Roma, and hopefully he will be paired up with Daniel Sturridge or Rickie Lambert.

The defense needs to be better.  Liverpool have allowed early first half goals in both preseason fixtures so far, and Brondby’s game-winner came in extra time.  So far, it appears the team starts to focus after allowing an early goal, but they need to come focused to start the game.  And then keep the concentration all the way to the end.  With a bigger name, such as AS Roma, I would think the intensity would come right from the start.

Lastly, keep an eye on the substitutions.  With the larger amounts of subs allowed, watch for the paired subs that come on together, and watch to see who Brendan Rodgers pairs with who.  With so much youth and new faces on this squad, this will be the interesting part of the preseason.  Who can leave a mark in their shortened playing time and who can mix and match with the rest of the squad better?

Liverpool vs AS Roma Prediction

These two teams met in Fenway two years ago, with Roma winning 2-1.  This will be a fun game, with two historical sides meeting, and maybe it is a prelude to a Champions League fixture later on. However, Liverpool should be able to flip the script this time and take home the win by a 2-1 margin.

Netherlands 0 - 0 Argentina (Argentina win 4-2 on pen): Highlights and Key Battles

The second semi-final of Brazil 2014 kicked off just 24 hours after the one before it, but could not have been more different. While the Germany-Brazil showdown was a goal fest, this was more of a snooze fest, goalless until the end and with real chances at goal coming only late on in regular time.

Argentina won the penalty shootout 4-2 thanks to two saves from keeper Sergio Romero, booking a spot in the Maracana final against Germany.

Both sides seemed preoccupied with snuffing out each other's star players - Argentina's Lionel Messi and the Netherlands' Arjen Robben - that they failed to, or were unable to create much potent attacking chances for themselves.

The game for long looked destined for penalty kicks, and Louis Van Gaal will be left to wonder what might have been if he had saved one last substitution for Tim Krul.

Highlights

- Argentina began the match looking bright down the right flank through Ezequiel Lavezzi, although most of his crosses ended up being ineffective. Messi and Robben were largely silenced throughout the match, with the first shot bearing any resemblance to a goal came only in the 75th minute. A run by Enzo Perez down the right sends in a great cross to find Gonzalo Higuain, but the chance is squandered when the striker sent it wide of the post. 

- Robben finally breaks away in literally the last minute of regular time and is through on goal, but takes one too many touches and allows Javier Mascherano to perform a brilliant tackle to scurry the ball away from danger. The Argentinian had been solid in midfield for his side, soldiering on despite going down after a hard clash of heads earlier in the game. 

- Rodrigo Palacio threatened to break the deadlock in extra-time, getting behind Dutch defense but opts to head the ball - a little too gently - rather than try for a volley. Sends the ball right into Dutch keeper Jasper Cillessen's hands. 

- Spotkicks: Romero gives Argentina a headstart by saving the first from Ron Vlaar, then another from Wesley Sneijder. Cillessen, who has never saved a penalty kick in his entire professional career, continues that unflattering run.

Key battles

- Vlaar v Argentinian attack 

The Aston Villa centreback was rock solid holding the defence together, putting a halt to attacks in open play and from setpieces. Interceptions were well-timed, took on Messi, and should take bulk of the credit for helping the Netherlands keep a clean sheet until the shootout. 

- Robben v Argentinian defence 

Mascherano was on Robben's case right from the start, depriving him of touches with many big plays and Demichelis did a good job of shutting down space for Robben. Zabaleta also did some work in preventing the fleet-footed Dutch player from enjoying his usual runs. 

Man of the match

Ron Vlaar 

Was the first to take to the spot for the penalty shootout, and despite having his attempt saved by Romero, was still the best player on the pitch over 120 minutes. 

Up until the 115th minute, he had won 100 per cent of his tackles, aerial duels made 11 clearances and six interceptions with a 92 per cent pass accuracy. Numbers don't lie. 

Paris Saint Germain could have got a lot more by paying a lot less if they had called Vlaar up instead of David Luiz. 

What this result means

Plain and simple: Messi in the Maracana. He will lead his team to face the rampant Germany, who would probably have been taking a second dip in their jacuzzis while watching Argentina slog out a result for 120 minutes.

2014 World Cup Picks: Netherlands vs. Argentina

Netherlands is a match win away from a second consecutive World Cup finals, but bookies’ favourites Argentina stand in their way. Can Netherlands upset the odds in their favour, or will Argentina come through according to expectations?

Netherlands has navigated a successful course into the World Cup semi-finals, coming through on the attractive +100 odds to reach the penultimate round, which bookies installed during the group stage. Netherlands got off to a strong start with a 5-1 destruction of La Furia Roja. They went on to beat Australia 3-2 and Chile 2-0 to finish Group B with a perfect 3-0-0 record.Netherlands at the disadvantage
In the knockouts, Netherlands was very fortunate to get past a resolute Mexico in regulation time. A late gasp effort saw the Dutch notch two goals to win 2-1. In the quarterfinals, Costa Rica gave the Oranje a right run for their money. Los Ticos held them to a scoreless draw through regulation time and extra time before breaking down during the penalties. One could argue Dutch manager Louis van Gaal’s decision to substitute goalkeepers for the penalties was a stroke of genius as Tim Krul made two pivotal saves that sent the Dutch into the semis and that simultaneously broke Costa Rican hearts worldwide.

Argentina favouredArgentina enter their clash with the Dutch as the favourites, but its debatable whether they actually deserve to be. Argentina made it through the group stage all right, winning all three matches. However, they were made to work harder than most expected they would be in a relatively easy group and that has taken the shine off their odds in some soccer betting circles.
In the knockouts, Argentina were put through the ringer by a gutsy Switzerland. As most favourites in the R16, Argentina were forced into extra time. Very nearly into penalties but for a bit of Messi-inspired magic that saw Di Maria score the winning goal. The quarterfinals pit Argentina against tournament dark horses Belgium. Although Argentina got on the board early thanks to Higuain’s first goal of the tournament, they were tested sorely for the duration of the 90 minutes. Most concerning, they weren’t able to breakdown the Belgians afterwards and they were only just able to hold on to the slim 1-0 lead until the final whistle.

Netherlands vs. Argentina Match Betting Tips & PicksOdds makers send Netherlands into this clash as the underdogs at +240, which is a bit disingenuous all things being considered, namely they are a match-win away from a second straight World Cup finals. What’s more, Louis Van Gaal has proven to be a tactical genius at these finals. His shrewd decisions along with some stellar play from his Oranje have charted a course into the semis. So as far as value underdogs go, Netherlands is nothing but value.
Argentina’s path into the semis, by contrast, leaves much to be desired. Each and every match has shown a heavy reliance on Messi’s magical touch and revealed offense to be struggling something huge. When you have a player of Messi’s ilk on your team, offensive concerns aren’t necessarily deciding against lesser opposition. That might not be the case against heavyweights such as the Dutch are. Indeed, odds makers aren’t entirely convinced as they send Argentina into the semis as the favourites, albeit on the short side of even money at +140 to win outright.
Just like the Brazil vs. Germany clash, this match could go either way. Argentina are the favourites to win outright at +140, the favourites to reach the final at -143 and the competition favourites at +250 to win outright. Netherlands has been punching above their perceived weight class from the start of the competition and they are a match win away from gaining vindication for their run in the 2010 World Cup finals. They loom dangerous, so much so that Argentina nor World Cup bettors can take anything for granted. If anything, they would appear to be the value World Cup pick to win outright at +240.

World Cup 2014: guide to groups, fixtures and dates

Host nation Brazil will open the Fifa World Cup 2014 tournament against Croatia in Sao Paulo on June 12. The final will take place at Estadio Maracana on July 13. Below is your guide to all the fixtures, dates and kick-off times. Times are BST.

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Europa League: Swansea face St Gallen in first Group A home fixture

Swansea City will take in their first Europa League fixture at the Liberty Stadium on Thursday when they entertain St Gallen.

The Swans are embarking on their first continental quest since 1991/92 - when they crashed out of the Cup Winners' Cup at the first round stage.

Ambition and expectation has risen considerably since then, and Michael Laudrup will be looking to make significant inroads in this season's competition.

Swansea made the best possible start to their Group A campaign on Matchday One, as they stunned La Liga giants Valencia at the Mestalla.

A 3-0 win on Spanish soil proves that Laudrup's men can hold their own against the best in the business, and they will be looking more of the same against Swiss opposition in midweek.

St Gallen have overcome British opponents once before, with a 2-1 aggregate success secured against Chelsea in the UEFA Cup some 12 years ago.

They will be hoping to replicate that success in South Wales, and should be in buoyant mood heading into the tie.

They are currently on a 12-match unbeaten run in all competitions and opened their Europa League campaign with a 2-0 victory over Kuban Krasnodar.

Team news

Swansea will be without captain Ashley Williams, Pablo Hernandez and Garry Monk as they look to take another positive step towards the knockout stage.

Williams is still struggling with an ankle ligament injury, while hamstring and knee complaints will sideline winger Hernandez and centre-half Monk respectively.

Angel Rangel is a doubt with an ankle knock, while Roland Lamah has a toe problem.

St Gallen have no fresh injury concerns to contend with, but may look to freshen up their starting XI.

Alhassae Keita is expected to be drafted into the side by coach Jeff Saibene at the expense of Ermir Lenjani.

Keita is a player who will be well known to Laudrup, as he worked with the Guinean striker during his time in charge of Mallorca.

Click to enlarge

Shakhtar v Manchester UTD: (October 2, 2013) : MATCH PREVIEW, PROBABLE LINEUPS ,TEAM FORM

Manchester UTD travel to Ukraine to face Shakhtar Donetsk desperate to address their horrible form. This article contains a complete Shakhtar v Man UTD betting preview with the latest team news, probable lineups, and team form.

SHAKHTAR DONETSK v MANCHESTER UNITED: MATCH PREVIEW 

 

Shakhtar Donetsk head into this game on wednesday night having secured 3pts from their opening game from the group when beating Real Sociedad 2-0 away from home. Anyway, after winning their domestic title by 13 points last season, they currently lie third in the Ukrainian league -  - a division they have won for the last four consecutive seasons - six points off the pace being set by Metalist and three behind Dnipro.

Summer signing Wellington Nem has had surgery on a knee injury and been left out of Shaktar's Champions League squad. No other reported injuries or suspensions for the hosts, so expect Mircea Lucescu’s side to lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Facundo Ferreyra, Luiz Adriano and Eduardo Da Silva all looking to be involved in the attack up front.

Winner Sports free bet Man Utd have taken just seven points from their first six Premier League games - their worst start to a season since the 1989-90 campaign. Specifically, they have recorded three defeats so far, and certainly the most painful was the one at Old Trafford last weekend, where they lost with 2-1 from West Brom.

Robin van Persie could start for the Reds after the Dutchman returned from injury as a substitute at the weekend. Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra may also feature, having been rested completely against the Baggies. Moyes will have Nani available for the trip to Donetsk after the Portuguese winger missed the opening game through suspension. Tom Cleverley could also return from a knee problem.

Shakhtar have a 100% record at home to English opposition in the Champions League. They beat Chelsea last season as they crashed out in the group stages, and United, playing the way they have been recently, will need to improve if they are to avoid a similar fate

SHAKHTAR DONETSK v MANCHESTER UNITED: PROBABLE LINEUPS

 

Shakhtar Donetsk (4-2-3-1): Pyatov – Srna, Kucher, Rakitskiy, Shevchuk – Hubschman, Fernando – Douglas Costa, Alex Teixeira, Taison – Luiz Adriano
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): de Gea – Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra – Carrick, Fellaini – Valencia, Rooney, Welbeck – van Persie


SHAKHTAR DONETSK v MANCHESTER UNITED: TEAM FORM

 

Shakhtar Donetsk
17 Sep 2013    Real Sociedad 0 - Shakhtar Donetsk 2    UCL
5 Mar 2013    Borussia Dortmund 3 - Shakhtar Donetsk 0    UCL
13 Feb 2013    Shakhtar Donetsk 2 - Borussia Dortmund 2    UCL
5 Dec 2012    Shakhtar Donetsk 0 - Juventus 1    UCL
20 Nov 2012    FC Nordsjælland 2 - Shakhtar Donetsk 5    UCL

Manchester United
28 Sep 2013    Manchester United 1 - West Bromwich Albion 2    EPL
25 Sep 2013    Manchester United 1 - Liverpool 0    CCUP
22 Sep 2013    Manchester City 4 - Manchester United 1    EPL
17 Sep 2013    Manchester United 4 - Bayer Leverkusen 2    UCL
14 Sep 2013    Manchester United 2 - Crystal Palace 0    EPL

Everton v Newcastle: Predicted line-ups

Everton welcome Newcastle to Goodison Park with the upper hand, well statistically that is. The Toffees are yet to concede a goal on home turf, subsequently they are yet to lose a game.

Ironically it is only Wigan, under current Everton boss Roberto Martinez, to win at Goodison Park this calendar year. That was in the FA Cup, in the league they remain undefeated.

So it doesn't take a genius to realise it is going to take a lot to beat Everton, and after the Magpies embarrassing loss to Hull last week, a win is needed. It could be a close game.

Newcastle will hope that striker Loic Remy can be on top form once again, with the French maestro scoring two goals last week, although they went on to lose 3-2.

As for Everton, they have their secret weapon Leighton Baines, who like Remy, managed two goals as the Toffees won 3-2 against a resilient West Ham. Both of Baines' goals came from free-kicks. New signing Romelu Lukaku also marked his first start with a goal.

In Newcastle's last 10 trips to Goodison Park, they have managed just one win, yet last season managed an enthralling 2-2 draw.

Pardew conceded in "we can't defend like we did against Hull or we'll lose", although said that his side will travel in "good shape".

The statistics go against Newcastle, although in football anything is possible. Both clubs have something to prove in the game and the result will mainly come to whoever fights for it the most.

Check out the predicted line-ups for Everton's vital clash against Newcastle at Goodison Park.

Everton: Howard, Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Osman, Barry, Mirallas, Barkley, Naismith, Lukaku.

Newcastle: Krul, Debuchy, Taylor, Coloccini, Santon, Sissoko, Cabaye, Tiote, Rémy, Ben Arfa, Cisse

EPL Preview: Tottenham Hotspur v. Chelsea

Andre Villas-Boas and Jose Mourinho will face each other for the first time in the English Premier League this weekend, with Tottenham Hotspur scheduled to host Chelsea at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

Villas-Boas, who served under Mourinho at Porto, Chelsea and Internazionale, has led Spurs to eight wins in nine matches in all competitions this season.

Spurs have kept a clean sheet in each of their eight wins, with their only defeat of the current campaign coming in the North London derby against Arsenal at the Emirates.

On the other side of the touchline, Mourinho has started his second-stint at Chelsea with a disappointing 4-2-2 record, but back-to-back 2-0 wins over Fulham and Swindon Town have boosted the Blues’ confidence ahead of Saturday’s crucial clash

Team News

Holland international midfielder Marco van Ginkel, 20, tore his anterior cruciate ligament against Swindon Town, and has subsequently been ruled out for at least six months.

With the 20-year-old sidelined for the long term, new signing Willian — a summer transfer target of Tottenham — will surely get more opportunities to impress the coaching staff.

Willian, who joined Chelsea from Russian Premier League side FC Anzhi Makhachkala for a reported fee of £32 million this summer, made his club debut in the Blues’ 2-0 win over Swindon in Round 3 of the Capital One Cup on Tuesday.

However, the highly-rated Brazilian was virtually non-existent for 90 minutes against the Robins, and thus will probably not feature against Spurs at the weekend.

As for Tottenham, expect AVB to select a ‘hard-to-beat’ side, including the in-form back four of Kyle Walker, Michael Dawson, Jan Vertonghen and Kyle Naughton.

Manager Quotes

“I think the team is playing very well, we have great strength in the squad, but I think, above all, great team spirit and ambition to do well,” said Villas-Boas following Spurs’ comprehensive 4-0 win over Aston Villa in midweek.

Chelsea assistant coach Steve Holland on Juan Mata’s performance against Swindon: “If you look at his performance tonight, he made Fernando’s [Torres] chance early in the game, he was involved in the goal…then in injury time he conceded the final corner of the game supporting Ryan Bertrand in the left-back spot.

“We were pleased with Juan`s contribution, with and without the ball.”

Match Prediction

A draw seems more than plausible, with not much separating the two sides thus far this term.

Tottenham 1 – Chelsea 1

Aston Villa vs Tottenham Preview: Live Streaming Information of Capital One Cup Third Round Game

Fatigue will be the main factor that both sides - Aston Villa and Tottenham - will look to overcome when the two sides meet in the third round of the Capital One Cup on Tuesday.

Villa have faced a gruelling start to the season and with the relatively small squad at Paul Lambert's disposal, it is starting to take its toll.

Tottenham, on the other hand, will be playing their third match in six days and Andre Villas-Boas is clearly not happy with the scheduling with the North London side only given a day's rest after their English Premier League match on Sunday.

"This is an impossible game for us to play, but hopefully our team spirit and motivation can get us through," he said.

"It could be possible for the players who played against Cardiff to play this game, but I am not sure I want to risk the players who played getting a hamstring injury which could take them six weeks to recover from when the Premier League is more important.

"This team has not experienced having to play again after just two days and we have not been given the same chance as the other teams. So we will have to rotate our squad as the players who played in Cardiff will not be involved.

"We are struggling a little bit with injuries but we have great strength in depth, although it is not going to be easy."

Lambert also has plenty of worries and is expected to make a few changes to the side that beat Norwich City 1-0 on Saturday, with the manager more concerned about the Premier League game next Saturday against Manchester City rather than this third round tie.

"We've played really hard teams in this opening spell -- three teams you think will be round about there in Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, and now we've got two more tough ones," the Scot told the club's official website.

"The main one is Saturday but we'll do our best to get through the Tottenham tie."

Team News: Villa are not likely to risk their star man Christian Benteke, after the striker had to be taken off against Norwich with a shoulder problem. That means Libor Kozak is expected to start in place of the Belgium international. Lambert is also expected to rest Gabriel Agbonlahor and Antonio Luna, both of whom made comebacks from injury against Norwich.

"Gabby only trained for the latter part of (last) week, as did Antonio Luna," Lambert said. "These are two big players for us, and they wanted to give it a go (against Norwich)."

Villas-Boas is also likely to make a few changes, with the likes of Roberto Soldado and Paulinho expected to be rested.

Expected lineups: Aston Villa: Steer; Lowton, Baker, Clark, Bennett; El Ahmady, Sylla, Delph; Albrighton, Kozak, Helenius.

Tottenham: Friedel; Naughton, Dawson, Chiriches, Sandro, Holtby; Townsend, Lamela, Sigurdsson; Defoe.

Prediction: 2-1 to Tottenham

Liverpool Vs Southampton Match Preview | Stats & Team News

Top of the table Liverpool welcome Southampton to Anfield this Saturday in a game that is sure to be a highly competitive encounter. Both teams head into the game by drawing their last match, with Liverpool drawing against Swansea and Southampton drawing with West Ham. Liverpool’s best start to a Premier League season sees them in top spot, one point clear of Arsenal and Tottenham. A win for the Reds will guarantee that they remain at the top of the league, and with the confidence that Brendan Rodgers’ team is showing, they will expect to get a favourable result. Southampton have had a decent start to the season and currently lie in 11th position. Pochettino’s men will hope they can cause an upset at Anfield and come away with a point or better.

Team News

Liverpool have had a few injuries this season, and the latest is Phillipe Coutinho, who is out with a shoulder injury until the end of October. He joins Glen Johnson, Aly Sissoko and Sebastian Coates, who are all out for the Reds. Daniel Agger faces a late fitness test to challenge Martin Skrtel, Kolo Toure and new signing Mamadou Sakho for a center-back spot. The match is the final game of Luis Suarez’s suspension. Southampton have two injury concerns, as left backs Luke Shaw and Danny Fox both face late fitness tests. Both players are out with foot injuries and Pochettino will hope that Shaw, in particular, will be fit to continue the good form he has shown this season.

Interestingly, Southampton have won four of their last six against Liverpool in the Premier League. At the same time, however, they’ve only won one in their last eight at Anfield. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last nine at Anfield, which makes Southampton’s task even more difficult. Both teams have only had two goal scorers this season: Daniel Sturridge and Victor Moses for Liverpool and Rickie Lambert and Jose Fonté for Southampton. Until Monday night’s game against Swansea, Liverpool had won all their games by a solitary goal from Daniel Sturridge. Southampton have only managed two goals in their four games, but one goal could be enough to get a result.

Reliance on Sturridge?

Liverpool have been reliant on Daniel Sturridge to score goals in the absence of Luis Suarez, and the England international has fulfilled the task excellently. The striker has scored in each of Liverpool’s league games this season, which is a club record. Sturridge has been in outstanding form since he arrived in January, scoring fourteen goals in eighteen league games for Liverpool. The striker’s clear cut chance conversion rate of 50% shows how deadly he has been in front of goal this season. In two games, he has had a shot accuracy of 100%, showing the quality that Sturridge has added to his game.

In order to keep Sturridge quiet, Southampton’s new signing Dejan Lovren will have to have a good game. The Croatian joined from Lyon in the summer, and has settled well into the heart of the Saint’s defence. He has had a busy start to his Southampton career, making thirty-four clearances in his first four games. Despite this, all of these clearances have been successful, showing how dependable he has been so far. He has also won 100% of his tackles in three of Southampton’s four games this season. He will have to be at his very best to prevent Sturridge and co. from continuing the start Liverpool have had to the season.

Prediction

With Southampton struggling for goals and Liverpool in a confident mood, a Liverpool win seems the most likely result in this game. However, Pochettino’s men have set up well against the bigger teams in the league, and if they are able to get it right this weekend they could come away with a result. Liverpool had some trouble in their home fixtures last season, but, their two home wins this season have shown that they are looking for that to change. Based on the two teams’ form, I’m going for a 1-0 win to Liverpool.

Sunderland Vs Arsenal Match Preview | Key Men, Stats & Odds

This weekend will see struggling Sunderland face Arsenal at the Stadium Of Light in a match where the focus will be more on one player than the other 21 on the pitch, and perhaps more than either of the clubs as a whole.

Mesut Ozil is the name on every Gooners lips, as well as every other fan around the country. The German’s playmaking services were acquired in an uncharacteristic swoop by Arsene Wenger, to make him the club’s outstanding record signing at £42.5 million. The move has eclipsed most other recent news in the Premier League and you can be sure that TV cameras will be pointing at him on Saturday.

Sunderland come into this game with one point from three games, and sit one spot from the bottom of the league as a result, ahead of West Brom, only alphabetically. Their results have included a home loss to Fulham, an away draw to Southampton and an away loss to Crystal Palace. Indeed, Sunderland have not looked convincing at all so far and Paolo Di Canio has been publicly vocal in his criticism of the team.

After losing to Crystal Palace, Di Canio lamented the “poor and pathetic” goals that were conceded by the team early on and towards the end. He accused the team of playing without fire and without desire, through long periods of the game, and criticised them for not taking advantage of the momentum that they had gained by equalising from 1-0 down. There was one quote in particular that was telling about his feeling towards the team – “What do you have to do? I cannot change the heart of my players.”

Extreme public criticism of the heart of the players, as well as their actual quality is a daring tactic. There are some that will take it as a personal challenge and rise to prove him wrong, but often such a display will do nothing but reduce morale in the camp. This is how he worked at Swindon during their resurgence however, so only time will tell whether it was this form of management (or money) that led him to do so well with his former club. At least one positive that can be taken from the Crystal Palace game was the return of Steven Fletcher. He equalised with a well taken header, getting his season off the mark nice and early, and having him back may make a big difference in Sunderland’s upcoming games.

Arsenal may have started the season with a shock 3 – 1 defeat to Aston Villa at home, but they’ve gone nowhere but up ever since. They bounced back from defeat to win 3 – 1 at Fulham, qualify for the Champions League group stage and downed Tottenham at the Emirates. Whilst qualifying for the group stages of the Champions League was a task that was expected of Arsenal, victory against Tottenham was a moment of pure euphoria, that was only heightened by the signing of Ozil soon after. Indeed there is high contrast to the states in which each team shall be entering this match.

As I have said, Ozil will be the focus of the game and his presence will undoubtedly improve Arsenal. That said, since his signature many have poured water on the fire, by saying that the Gunners have done nothing but strengthen what was already the strongest part of the team. With cover required in defence, and a striker needed to convert the many chances that Arsenal create (although Giroud is doing a better job of that so far this season), in some ways the transfer has been perceived as buying an expensive sofa to fix a leaky roof. Indeed, such individuals have a point, but it shouldn’t dampen the spirit of Arsenal fans who now know, as does everybody else, that their club will once again compete in the transfer market. The message has been sent to the world.

Interesting Stats

Sunderland have won just 8 points from their last 17 Premier League games against Arsenal and the last 6 league matches staged at the Stadium Of Light have produced only 9 goals, with Fletcher scoring nine of his away from home.

Olivier Giroud has scored in three matches in a row, although has never scored any of his 14 Premier League goals away from London. Can he match Jose Antonio Reyes’ record of scoring in each of the first 5 games of the season, as the latter did in 2004/05?

 Key Players

The return of Steven Fletcher was a significant moment for Sunderland fans, and they will be hoping that it will show equally significant returns on the pitch. The ankle injury that had kept him out since March now looks to be a thing of the past, and the team now has its 2012/13 top scorer back.

Steven Fletcher managed to score 11 goals last season in 28 appearances, meaning that he scored a goal on average every 216 minutes. He had a shooting accuracy of 65% and a clear-cut chance conversion of 46%, and while his actual goals tally isn’t outstanding for a striker, those figures are very good. Essentially what Sunderland need to do his provide him with more service, because last season he only managed a shot every 55 minutes, whereas the top strikers will average a shot something closer to every 20 minutes. Feed the man and he will score, and so if Sunderland can get Fletcher into the game he will certainly prove to be their key player.

Everyone can see it coming – Mesut Ozil is my pick for Arsenal’s key player this Saturday, not only because he is their best player, but also because now I get to talk about him again! So basically he’s really good at football. With 25 starts, and 9 more from the bench, he scored 9 goals and managed 13 assists for Madrid last season. It is his playmaking ability for which he is known, and with a pass accuracy of 84.1% helping him to make an impressive 3 key passes per game, he will certainly be the one pulling the strings against Sunderland. In fact, nobody has bettered his 47 assists in the top 5 leagues of Europe since his arrival at Madrid (although Messi has equaled that number), and in his last 5 seasons he has provided 72 assists in total. Evidence of what he is, the best number 10 in the world, and even if he wasn’t what Arsenal were most desperate for, there is no doubting the impact that he will have.

Team News

Both teams have an extensive injury list: Bardsley, Cattermole, Brown, Gardner and Wickham are all currently injured, although Wes Brown may face a late fitness test, O’Shea is out through both injury and suspension.

It might be easier to list which of Arsenal’s players aren’t injured. Diaby, Vermaelen, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Podolski, Sanogo and Rosicky are all definite absentees, and many of them will be for a long time. Walcott sustained an ankle injury against Ukraine and is likely to be 50/50 for this one.

Prediction

Sunderland are heavy underdogs for this, with the odds of a Black Cats win at 5.7. Arsenal, on the other hand, are 1.7 to win, and so it’s clear who the bookies fancy. I too fancy the Gunners, and so I’m going for a heavy Arsenal win.

Arsenal: 4 – 1

The impact of Defensive Midfielders | Lucas, Carrick, Ramires & McCarthy

The modern footballing world likes to follow the labelling trend of the “defensive midfielder”. The importance of those who sit in front of the defence as a protection is becoming increasingly apparent. I take a look at some of the top examples who prove that midfielders are just as important to a team’s defence as the back four (note this is not a comparison – more of a look at how they contribute to their teams).

Michael Carrick has had an important role in the Manchester United team for a number of years. His tackling and strive to get back and defend forcefully can be seen as a fundamental part of United’s success, where he cements this role as a defensive midfielder essential. Taking examples from last season, Carrick started 34 games, only being second to their star man Van Persie, starting 35. Winning 28 of these 35 is impressive in itself, and Carrick’s contribution in terms of defending is a highlighted factor: 13 of the 35 games he played, he won all of his attempted tackles. Although United have a more than safe defence including Evans (last season), Vidic and Ferdinand, Carrick was involved in making a total of 55 clearances throughout the 2012/13 season- an all important clearance from a shot on the edge of the penalty area, may be the difference between them one-nil wins that win you the League, and the one all draws that make you second.

Lucas Leiva has had a tough time trying to get the Liverpool fans onside since his arrival in 2007, although he is now a firm favourite. He again has worked hard to determine that defensive midfielder role in the centre of Liverpool’s defence. Scoring only 6 goals in 217 appearances for the Reds, it has become obvious that his outstanding talent is not further up the field. However, defensively, he has come into his own in the last couple of seasons. Although being absent for some months of the season through injury, Lucas won 90 out of his 123 attempted tackles in the 2012/13 season alone. In terms of getting involved in ground duels, he was successful on average every 13 minutes in games, suggesting that, in most cases, the protection being provided by these defensive midfielders are bringing opposition attacks to a stop, before even reaching the back four.

Being known as a midfielder with so much energy, you could be forgiven for seeing Ramires as an attacking midfielder, especially with so many important goals he has provided. However, his defensive play is impressive to say the least. Being involved in 11 of Chelsea’s 14 clean sheets in the 2012/13 season is an indication of how important he is in terms of defending. Like Lucas, being in this position meant that goals scored did come at a minimum, however, winning a total of 76% of his tackles for that season and winning more than half of his attempted 335 ground duels, Chelsea’s defence did have an added defensive dimension when Ramires was involved.

Having just made his transfer from Wigan to Everton, James McCarthy is known for breaking up play and lifting the pressure off of the back four. For Wigan last season, McCarthy made a total of 19 blocks and 61 clearances, with tackling stats just as impressive, winning 75% off the 99 attempted. After Everton conceded
a total of 40 goals last season, the Blues’ fans will be looking forward to McCarthy as an added defence, but also with an eye for a long pass, he does definitely look like one to watch for the new season.

There will be different opinions, however, on how the excitement of the game is sapped, with the defensive overload being a contributing factor to the recent Man United- Chelsea “bore draw”. Although, my personal opinion favours the use and positioning of these defensive midfielders; as the stats prove, they have a positive impact in being the first line of defence in their teams.

Deadline day: Madrid presents 100M-euro Bale as Ozil departs for Arsenal in 50M-euro move

In Spain, gripped by economic recession for years, fans marked football’s transfer deadline day by turning out in the thousands to greet the game’s first 100 million-euro player.

Gareth Bale was paraded Monday inside the Santiago Bernabeu stadium a day after completing his world-record $132-million move to Real Madrid from Premier League club Tottenham.

 “I would have come here for a penny,” the Wales winger said. “I just wanted to be here and in a white shirt.”

The 24-year-old Bale will earn a reported $461,000 a week in Spain, which is plagued by an unemployment rate exceeding 26 percent, highlighting how the country’s leading football teams — Madrid and Barcelona — thrive in an economic bubble.

University of Barcelona finance professor Jose Maria Gay said Bale’s transfer was “an act of arrogance when normal people are having a hard time.”

Madrid did recoup half of the Bale fee by selling Mesut Ozil to Arsenal, becoming the Premier League’s most expensive signing in 2013 as the English league’s clubs spent over a record $932 million in the summer window.

By breaking Arsenal’s transfer record to sign the 24-year-old Germany playmaker for $66 million, owner Stan Kroenke showed frustrated fans that he is willing to invest to produce the team’s first trophy since 2005.

The Gunners had failed with bids for several stars over the summer, including Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. The only arrivals came via the free signings of striker Yaya Sanogo and returning midfielder Mathieu Flamini.

It was even more frustrating at Manchester United.

The champions executed a smooth managerial transition in May when Alex Ferguson retired after almost 27 years and David Moyes took over.

But the change in the boardroom, with chief executive David Gill exiting and vice chairman Ed Woodward assuming his responsibilities, appears to have been more significant, given the transfer woes.

It took until the final hours of the summer window to push a deal of note through, with Moyes turning to former club Everton to land Marouane Fellaini for $43 million.

The Belgium midfielder wasn’t the marquee signing Moyes had hoped for to open the new era at United.

Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas was pursued for several weeks and the 20-time English champions failed in high-profile attempts Monday to bring Real Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao and Athletic Bilbao midfielder to Old Trafford.

The biggest Premier League spenders of the summer were Tottenham, with splurged more than $170 million — largely from the Bale deal — on seven players in its bid to break back into the top four and qualify for the Champions League.

Even after the winning start to the season ended with a derby loss to Arsenal on Sunday, Tottenham resisted making any further additions to the squad before January.

The surprise performer so far is Liverpool, which is on top after three victories — the latest against United on Sunday — in its best start to the season since 1993 as it chases a 19th English title.

Liverpool’s defensive options were enhanced Monday with France international Mamadou Sakho signed from Paris Saint-Germain, and Tiago Ilori, who has represented Portugal in youth age groups, arriving from Sporting Lisbon.

Winger Victor Moses switched to Anfield on a season-long from Chelsea, which failed to hire primary summer target United striker Wayne Rooney.

While United vowed not to sell Rooney, perhaps it would have been more willing to sell the England international to a foreign club if there had been any interest.

Once linked with Paris Saint-Germain, the French champions completed around $150 million of transfer business long before the window closed.

One of the few significant deals in France on Monday was winger Florian Thauvin joining Marseille for $20 million after refusing to play for Lille. That is five times the fee Lille paid Bastia in January.

The World Cup at the end of the season has been on many players’ minds as they considered their options.

Brazil playmaker Kaka on Monday agreed to a two-year deal with AC Milan following a free transfer from Real Madrid.

Kaka accepted a reported salary of $5.3 million per season plus bonuses — a significant drop from the $13.2 million Kaka earned in the Spanish capital.

The 31-year-old Kaka wants to play for Brazil on home soil at the 2014 World Cup and should feature more at Milan.

“Kaka made a big (sacrifice) to return here, showing a lot of affection for our shirt,” Milan Vice President Adriano Galliani said.

German clubs largely resisted any last-minute splurges on a day of loan deals and departures.

Bucking the trend, Japan captain Makoto Hasebe joined Nuremberg from Bundesliga rival Wolfsburg and Tunisian defender Karim Haggui switched from Hannover to Stuttgart.

West Ham United v Stoke City Preview | Odds, Stats & Team News

West Ham United welcome Stoke City to Upton Park this weekend, as both teams look for their second win of the season.

The Hammers defeated newcomers Cardiff City on the opening day of the season but could only manage a draw against Newcastle United last week. Home form has always been a strong point for Sam Allardyce’s side and they will be hoping to benefit from that on Saturday.

Stoke are heading to London on the back of a win over Crystal Palace at the Britannia stadium last weekend, and will be looking for that second win that will ease the pressure on new manager Mark Hughes. The Potters will be hoping for a better showing against West Ham this time round, as they failed to beat them in both fixtures last season.

If you are looking to put some money on the match then you can look at odds provided by Pinnacle Sports where West Ham are favourites to win at 2.010 on a 1×2 bet.

Team News

West Ham is still without summer signing Andy Carroll up front, but otherwise have a healthy squad available for this game.

Stoke City have added Liverpool’s Oussama Assaidi to their ranks on a season long loan, and the winger could be available to make his debut against West Ham on Saturday.

Interesting Statistics

Eurosport have some interesting statistics for this match:

West Ham have kept a clean sheet in three of their last four Premier League games at home.

Stoke have only won one of their last 12 away games in the Premier League.

There have been just nine goals in the last five league games between the two sides.

West Ham have won two and drawn two in their last four league games against Stoke.

Key Players

West Ham – Kevin Nolan

Kevin Nolan has been hugely influential for the Hammers since his move from Newcastle and will be one of the main players that Stoke will have to stop on Saturday. The captain has scored one goal from five shots in two games so far this season, and against Newcastle he completed 20 passes from 26, giving him a 77% accuracy rating. Of these passes, 35% went forward with only 19% going back, showing his ability to get West Ham’s attack moving. If Stoke can keep Nolan’s presence limited, then West Ham could find it hard to get going.

Stoke – Jon Walters

Jon Walters is undoubtedly one of, if not Stoke’s best hope in attack. The Irishman did well in the final third for the club last season, and has been making his presence felt in the two games against Liverpool and Crystal Palace this season. He’s taken five shots in total so far with only one going off target. Two of those shots were actually blocked by the keeper in the game against Crystal Palace, and he had a 100% shooting accuracy against Liverpool at Anfield. He has created one chance for his team-mates in each game, resulting in an assist in the game last weekend against Palace. While Walters is not Stoke’s only attacking threat, he’s a big part of how they play and West Ham will have to pay particular attention to him.

Prediction

Neither team is known for exciting football but West Ham have a bit more about them going forward. As stated before, they have a good record at home and I think this will continue in their match against Stoke. Ultimately, it will be a fairly tight game in my opinion and end 1-0 to West Ham.

West Ham, as favourites, on odds of 2.010. Stoke are less favourable at 4.290, with a draw being more likely than a Stoke win at odds of 3.450.

FEATURE: The making of Everton and England's new star Ross Barkley

ROSS BARKLEY made the Premier League sit up and take notice of his blossoming talent on the opening weekend of the season with a stunning goal for Everton, and continued his rise by being named in Roy Hodgson’s England squad this week.

First earmarked by the Daily Express in September 2010 as one to watch, his ascent has not been straightforward. Here Paul Joyce talks to those who have seen his development at first hand to give an insight into the precocious 19-year-old.

Alby Heywood, president of Barkley’s first club Ash Celtic, of the Belle Vale Junior League

Ross was with one of his mates in a place called Mystery Park in Wavertree just kicking a ball around when I first noticed him. I watched him for a minute or two and he looked a natural. Nice on the ball, strong, good control and passing.

He was eight when he joined in training with us and he has never looked back. He’d play for two different age groups (Under-10s and Under-11s) on a Sunday because he was so enthusiastic and that good a player. It wasn’t long before Sid Benson, the Everton scout, took him in to them.

I always thought his best position would be centre-half back then, but I had no doubts he would make it. My wife will tell you I used to bore her to death going on about Ross all the time.

What is good is that he is still in touch now. I saw him about a month ago at one of Ash Celtic’s games. He’ll do a presentation for the club if we need one.

Ricky Heywod, son of Alby and secretary of Ash Celtic

My dad used to say, ‘See that lad, he’ll captain England one day’. We went on a couple of tours to Europe and were in Belgium for a tournament once when word spread about Ross. All the parents there came over to watch Ross play. You knew he was going to be a player.

Alan Stubbs, Everton Under-21s manager

We’re lucky at Everton to have had the best this country has produced in recent times in Wayne Rooney, and that gave us a guideline on Ross.

I’m not saying for one minute he is the same player as Wayne, but his enthusiasm for football is equal to Wayne. He just wants to be out on the pitch.

When he was 17, he had 18 months of injuries that really knocked him; a double hernia, a double leg fracture and a broken metatarsal. There were times I felt like crying for the lad because you could see the disappointment in his face. You’d see his shoulders sink and he’d be like, ‘Not again. Why me?’

But Ross showed incredible courage and mental strength to come back from that because a lot of kids could have gone under.

He is probably at the point now we thought he would be last season, but when you are pushing for the top six or the Champions League it can be difficult to give youngsters a game.

There’s a lot more to come from him, but he deserves everything he is getting.

Andy Holden, former senior development coach at Everton

One of the things we worked on with Ross was him giving the ball away too easily and receiving a pass with his back to his opponent.

When you do that you need a trick to get away from your marker. It was a case of sitting through some videos with him and trying to make sure he got the ball in the right position. You never saw Paul Scholes get tackled when he received the ball.

Due to the injuries he had, he probably missed 50 to 60 games of his apprenticeship when you learn how to play the game and what positions to take up.

We sent him to two of the hardest clubs to learn at: Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds. If you give the ball away at Hillsborough, the crowd will let you know. If you give the ball away at Leeds, the same. It tests you as a player.

Chris Kirkland, Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper

I didn’t know too much about him when he came to us on loan last season. I’d heard rumours about how he was someone to watch out for, but he came on in a game against Brighton and the more games he played, the better he got.

It can be hard for a young lad to leave home and come into a dressing room he doesn’t know, but it didn’t faze Ross.

What struck me was he was always the first out at training and he would listen to things. There are a lot of young kids who you speak to and it goes in one ear, out the other and they don’t take it on board, but Ross wants to listen. He wants to get better.

Peter Taylor, England Under-20s coach

It doesn’t surprise me that he scored for the U21s against Scotland and then for Everton because he is capable of scoring from anywhere. The only thing I tried to do with him for the Under-20s in the summer was keep him away from our goal and as high up the pitch as possible.

The No10, floating forward, role is his best. You don’t want him picking the ball up off the back four because the distance is too great to the other goal. Get him 30 to 40 yards out and he has the pace and strength to beat people.

There was a lot of flak flying about England’s junior teams during the summer, but playing for the Under-20s has helped Ross become even sharper ahead of the new season.