Ilya Zakharov
MATCH TOUR
Chelsea - Arsenal. After playing in the Champions League with equally colorless games, Chelsea and Arsenal are gaining strength for the main match on Sunday. The Gunners had a good week, but the team was weakened by injuries. Most likely, the leading defenders Gallas, Jura and Kolo Toure will most likely not take part in the match - the first two due to injuries, and the third due to disqualification. The attack of the team will be left without Henry and Rositsky. All responsibility for the result will fall on the shoulders of those who have long had time at Arsenal to not just play, but to rise to a new level of skill: Gleb, Adebayor, van Persie. In the last minutes, a quick Walcott can leave the bench. Amid Arsenal’s problems at Chelsea, everything is so good that the possible non-participation of goalkeeper Cudicini in the game seems like a polite concession to the opponent. Like, do not complain - we are putting a third keeper against you.
UNEXPECTED INTrigue
Manchester United - Manchester City. For the 146th time, the local teams United and City will converge in the glorious city of Manchester. The hottest match of the tour is the most important derby in the country: the world famous “red devils” against small-town “townspeople”. In the football and financial sense, clubs are divided by a real chasm, however, in the framework of the derby, such trifles fade into the background. No matter how beautiful “Manchester United” in its win-win series in the Premier League, against the “citizens” will have to play not only skill but also heart. The one who has more desire will get three points - there are no other recipes for victory in the derby.
DO NOT LOSE FROM THE VIEW
In the absence of an injured Thierry Henry, Gilberto Silva became the captain in the Arsenal. The bandage on the sleeve unexpectedly affected the quality of the game - the Brazilian not only became more reliable in the center of the field, but also scored two goals scored in the minutes of the match with Tottenham - however, he spent both from the penalty spot. In the upcoming most important match against Chelsea, he will again have to play the role of uncle with Arsenal youth.
IMPORTANT WORDS
“The main thing that is required of City players is to remember the last victory over Manchester United and to believe that this is generally possible. Our players are aware of how important this match is for the fans, and therefore their task is to easily explain the principle of derby to the legionnaires. Here you can not be limited to a simple translation, the story should come from the heart. However, while the club has guys like Joy Barton, I’m calm. Everything will be all right, ”said Sean Goater , an ex-City player who took a double in the 2002 derby in an interview with the BBC .
BEAUTIFUL NUMBERS
Visiting Liverpool at Anfield Road, Fulham scored 0 victories in its entire history.
MANCHESTER UNITED - MANCHESTER CITY
December 9th . Old Trafford, 3:45 p.m.
Judge : Graham Pull (Hertfordshire).
Injuries : Park Ji Sung / Mills, Logan, Jihai.
Disqualifications : no.
Manchester United (SPORT Today version): van der Sar - G. Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra - Cristiano Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs - Saa, Rooney.
Manchester City (SPORT Today version): Weaver - Richards, Dunn, Disten, Thatcher - Trabelsi, Barton, Reina - Wassell, Corradi, Samaras.
Last five matches : + + + + + + / = + - + =
Last matches : 3: 1 (City of Manchester); 1: 1 (Old Trafford).
Quotes William Hill : victory for Manchester United - 1.33, draw - 4, victory for City - 8.
Broadcast : NTV-Plus Football, 15:40 (direct).
BLACKBURN - NEWcastle
December 9th . Ewood Park, 6 p.m.
Judge : Dermot Gallagher (Oxfordshire).
Injuries : Roberts, Reed, Enkelman, Nelson, Emerton / Bramble, Harper, Parker, Duff, Moore, Bernard, Krul, Ameobi, Owen.
Disqualifications : no.
Blackburn (SPORT Today): Friedel - Neil, Oyer, Anshaw, Gray - Tugai, Savage, Bentley, Pedersen - Nonda, McCarthy.
Newcastle (SPORT Today): Given - Ramage, Babayaro, Solano, Taylor - Milner, Butt, Emre, N'Zogbia, Sibierski - Martins.
Last five matches : - + - - - / = - = + +
Last matches : 0: 1 (Saint James Park); 0: 3 (Ewood Park).
Quotes William Hill : Blackburn win 1.9, draw 3.1, Newcastle victory 3.6.
LIVERPOOL - FULHAM
December 9th . Anfield Road, 6 p.m.
Judge : Jurai Rainey (Yorkshire).
Injuries : Zenden, Warnock, Gonzalez, Sissoko, Kewell / Niemi, Kedru, Ballard, Elrich, Pembridge, Elliott.
Disqualifications : no.
Liverpool (SPORTS today): Reina - Finnan, Hyyupya, Agger, Riise - Luis Garcia, Carragher, Gerrard, Alonso - Kate, Bellamy.
“Fulham” (version of “SPORT Today”): Lastuvka - Foltz, Pierce, Knight, Rosenor - Brown, Buba Diop, K. Jensen, Boa Morte - Radzinsky, Helguson.
Last five matches : + = + = - / = + - + -
Last year's matches : 5: 1 (Anfield Road); 2-0 (Craven Cottage).
Quotes William Hill : the victory of Liverpool - 1.33, the draw - 4, the victory of Fulham - 8.
Broadcast : NTV-Plus Football, 17:55 (direct).
MIDDLESBRO - WIGAN
December 9th . Riverside, 18:00.
Judge : Steve Bennett (Kent).
Injuries : MacMahon / Valencia, Filan, Teal, Taylor.
Disqualifications : Boateng / no.
Middlesbrough (SPORT today): Schwarzer - Parnaby, Hoot, Woodgate, Pogatets - Taylor, Cattermole, Morrison, Downing - Yakubu, Viduka.
“Wigan” (version of “SPORT Today”): Kirkland - Wright, Boyce, Hall, Baines - Cotteril, Sharner, Skoko, Kilbane - Heskey, McCulloch.
Last five matches : - - = - - / + + = - +
Last year's matches : 2: 3 (Riverside); 1: 1 (JJ Stadium).
Quotes William Hill : the victory of Middlesbrough - 2.05, the draw - 3.1, the victory of Wigan - 3.2.
PORTSMOUTH - EVERTON
December 9th . Fretton Park, 18:00.
Judge : Mark Clattenburg (Tyne and Wyre).
Injuries : Stefanovich, Cole / Arteta, F. Neville, Anichebe, Cahill, Boyle, Hibbert, Pistone.
Disqualifications : Pedro Mendes / no.
“Portsmouth” (version of “SPORT Today”): James - Johnson, Primus, Campbell, Pamaro - O'Neill, Fernandez, Taylor, Hughes - Lua Lua, Canu.
Everton (version of SPORT Today): Howard - Yobo, Stubbs, Lescott, Nuno Valente - van der Meide, Weir, Carsley, McFadden - Johnson, Beatty.
Last five matches : = = - + = / - - = - +
Last matches : 0: 1 (Fretton Park); 0: 1 (Goodison Park).
Quotes William Hill : Portsmouth victory - 2.05, draw - 3, Everton victory - 3.3.
Broadcast : RTR-Sport, 01:10 (recording).
TOTTENHAM - CHARLTON
December 9th . White Hart Lane, 6 p.m.
Judge : Mike Dean (Wirral).
Injuries : Mido, Gardner, Stolteri, Keane, Jenas / Thomas, Lisby.
Disqualifications : Zokora / no.
Tottenham Hotspur (version of SPORTS Today): Robinson - Shimbonda, Dawson, King, Lee Yoon Pio - Lennon, Huddlestone, Mulbranck, Davids - Berbatov, Defoe.
“Charlton” (version of “SPORT Today”): Carson - Young, El-Karkuri, Heydarsson, Traore - Hughes, Faye, Kishishev, Reed - D. Bent, Hasselbeink.
Last five matches : + - = - + / + - - - +
Last year's matches : 3: 1 (White Hart Lane); 2: 3 (“Walley”).
Quotes William Hill: Tottenham win - 1.44, draw - 3.6, win - Charlton - 6.5.
WATFORD - RADING
December 9th . Wickereigh Road, 6 p.m.
Judge : Chris Foy (Merseyside).
Injuries : King, Carlisle / Convey, Cox, Mate, Kitson, Brown.
Disqualifications : no.
"Watford" (version of "SPORT today"): Lee - Chambers, Demerit, Shittu, Stuart - Smith, Frances, Mahon, Young - Henderson, Boise.
"Reading" (version of "SPORT Today"): Hahnemann - Marty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shori - Oster, Sidwell, Harper, Hunt - Doyle, Sel Ki Hien.
Last five matches : = - + - = / - + + + -
Last year's matches : not met.
Quotes William Hill : the victory of Watford - 2.5, the draw - 3.1, the victory of Reading - 2.5.
BOLTON - WEST HAM
December 9th . Reebok Stadium, 20:15.
Judge : Howard Webb (Yorkshire).
Injuries : Fortune, O'Brien / Gabbidon, Carroll, Tomkins, Ashton.
Disqualifications : no.
“Bolton” (version of “SPORT Today”): Yaaskelainen - Hunt, Dian Faye, Meite, Ben Haim - Davis, Nolan, Campo, Speed, Diouf - Anelka.
West Ham (SPORT Today version): Green - Spector, E. Ferdinand, Collins, Konchesky - Benayoun, Mullins, Reo-Cocker, Boyer - Zamora, Tevez.
Last five matches : - - + + = / + + - - -
Last year's matches : 4: 1 (Reebok Stadium); 1: 2 (The Boleyn Ground).
Quotes William Hill : the victory of Bolton - 1.8, the draw - 3.1, the victory of West Ham - 4.
Broadcast : NTV-Plus Football, 20:10 (direct).
Chelsea - Arsenal
December 10th . Stamford Bridge, 19:00.
Judge : Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).
Injuries : Cech, Joe Cole / Henry, Diabi, Lauren, Gallas, Rosicky, Jura.
Disqualifications : none / Kolo Toure.
Chelsea (version of SPORT Today): Hilari - Jeremy, Ricardo Carvalho, Terry, E. Cole - Essien, Makelele, Lampard, Ballack - Shevchenko, Drogba.
Arsenal (version of SPORT Today): Lehmann - Ebouet, Hoyt, Senderos, Clichy - Jungberg, Fabregas, Gilberto Silva, Gleb - Van Persie, Adebayor.
Last five matches : + = + - + / = + - - +
Last year's matches : 0: 2 (Highbury); 1-0 (Stamford Bridge).
Quotes William Hill : Chelsea win - 1.72, draw - 3.1, victory of Arsenal - 4.5.
Broadcast : RTR-Sport, 20:05 (recording).
SHEFFIELD UNITED - ASTON VILLA
December 11th . “Thundered Lane”, 23:00.
Judge : Mark Halsey (Lancashire).
Injuries : Davis, Armstrong, Akinbiyi, Tonj / Sorensen, Sutton, Laursen, Moore, Delaney.
Disqualifications : no.
Sheffield United (SPORT Today): Kenny - Jiri, Bromby, Morgan, Kozlyuk - Gillespie, Montgomery, Jagielka, S. Quin - Kazim-Richards, Hals.
Aston Villa (SPORT today): Taylor - Melberg, Cahill, Ridgwell, Barry - Petrov, McConn, Osbourne, Agbonlahor - Baroche, Angel.
Last five matches : + + - - = / + = = - =
Last year's matches : not met.
Quotes William Hill : Sheffield United win - 2.7, draw - 3, victory Aston Villa - 2.37.
Broadcast : RTR-Sport, 22:55 (recording).
NOTE : match start time is Moscow time.
TOURNAMENT TABLE
| Teams | AND | AT | N | P | M | ABOUT |
| one | MANCHESTER UNITED | sixteen | 13 | 2 | one | 35-8 | 41 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 15 | eleven | 2 | 2 | 25-8 | 35 |
| 3 | ARSENAL | 15 | 7 | four | four | 25-12 | 25 |
| four | PORTSMOUTH | sixteen | 7 | four | five | 21-14 | 25 |
| five | LIVERPOOL | sixteen | 7 | four | five | 19-15 | 25 |
| 6 | READING | sixteen | eight | one | 7 | 19-21 | 25 |
| 7 | Everton | sixteen | 6 | 6 | four | 20-15 | 24 |
| eight | ASTON VILLA | sixteen | five | 9 | 2 | 19-15 | 24 |
| 9 | BOLTON | sixteen | 7 | 3 | 6 | 15-15 | 24 |
| ten | TOTTENHAM | sixteen | 6 | four | 6 | 15-20 | 22 |
| eleven | Wigan | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 19-20 | 21 |
| 12 | MANCHESTER CITY | sixteen | five | five | 6 | 13-17 | 20 |
| 13 | FULHAM | sixteen | five | five | 6 | 16-23 | 20 |
| 14 | BLACKBURN | 15 | four | four | 7 | 13-18 | sixteen |
| 15 | NEWCASTLE | 15 | four | four | 7 | 12-17 | sixteen |
| sixteen | MIDLESBRO | sixteen | four | four | eight | 13-21 | sixteen |
| 17 | SHEFFIELD UNITED | sixteen | four | four | eight | 11-20 | sixteen |
| 18 | WEST HAM | sixteen | four | 2 | ten | 10-20 | 14 |
| nineteen | CHARLTON | sixteen | 3 | 3 | ten | 12-23 | 12 |
| 20 | Watford | 15 | one | 7 | 7 | 10-20 | ten |
SNIPERS : Doyle (Reading) - 8, Drogba (Chelsea) - 8, Kanu (Portsmouth) - 8, Rooney (Man. United) - 7, Saa (Man. United) - 7, Barry (Aston Villa) - 6, D. Bent (Charlton ) - 6, Henry (Arsenal) - 6, Johnson (Everton) - 6, Kate (Liverpool) - 6.
Rescheduled matches: 12/13. Chelsea - Newcastle. Wigan - Arsenal.