THE FOOTBALL THREAD Vol 2
- Thread starter fgl
- Start date
I rikes it, I rikes it ....
GrimRiffer
New member
GrimRiffer
New member
Thanks FGL bro=D
GrimRiffer
New member
Haha. Yeah. His voice is irritating. He sounds like a foghorn.
GrimRiffer
New member
England win cos Rooney is playing.
DarknessIsComfort
New member
of cos england will win lah...against an easy team...ask them to play against italy or france lah...confirm lose one.
fgl
Well-known member
international watch
Internationals: Walcott impresses for Under-21s
Arsenal.com's International Watch reports back to base on those who have temporarily swapped the red of Arsenal for the colours of their national sides. Read on for the latest news on how they all got on...
Theo Walcott
England 3-1 Republic of Ireland, February 5
Theo Walcott produced an eye-catching performance for England Under-21s as they virtually assured themselves a play-off place for next summer's European Championships with a 3-0 defeat of the Republic of Ireland. The Arsenal youngster was in blistering form on his first return to Southampton since he joined the Gunners from the south-coast outfit. Rounding off his evening's work with a delightful clipped finish, Walcott was withdrawn to rapturous applause five minutes from time. Newcastle's James Milner was similarly impressive on the night, grabbing the second and playing a key role in the opener - his low cross was diverted into his own net by Stephen O'Halloran on the hour mark. Stuart Pearce's side now need only a point from their final group game against Portugal to claim top spot and guarantee a play-off place.
Gael Clichy, William Gallas, Bacary Sagna, Abou Diaby, Mathieu Flamini
France v DR Congo, France v Spain
Gael Clichy has received his first call-up to the France squad. The Arsenal full back, regularly pre-selected for international duty, has been named in the final squad for next week's friendlies against DR Congo and Spain. Clichy is one of five Arsenal players in the France squad. William Gallas, Bacary Sagna, Abou Diaby and Mathieu Flamini have also been called up, while former Arsenal captains Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira have been included too.
Cesc Fabregas
Spain v France, February 6
Cesc Fabregas has been called up to the Spain squad for their international friendly against France on February 6.
Philippe Senderos
England v Switzerland, February 6
Philippe Senderos has been called up to the Switzerland squad for their international friendly against England at Wembley on February 6.
Nicklas Bendtner
Slovenia v Denmark, February 6
Nicklas Bendtner has been called up to the Denmark squad for their international friendly against Slovenia on February 6.
Gilberto
Republic of Ireland v Brazil, February 6
Gilberto has been selected for the Brazil squad that will face the Republic of Ireland in an international friendly on February 6. The match will be played in Dublin.
Nacer Barazite
Scotland Under-19s v Holland Under-19s, February 6
Nacer Barazite has been selected for the Dutch Under-19 squad that will face Scotland in a friendly on February 6.
Lukasz Fabianski
Poland v Czech Republic, February 6
Lukasz Fabianski has been selected for the Polish squad that will face Czech Republic in an international friendly on February 6. The match will be played in Cyprus.
Tomas Rosicky
Czech Republic v Poland, February 6
Tomas Rosicky has been selected for the Czech Republic squad that will face Poland in an international friendly on February 6. The match will be played in Cyprus.
Eduardo
Croatia v Holland, February 6
Eduardo has been selected for the Croatia squad that will face Holland in an international friendly on February 6
Arsenal.com's International Watch reports back to base on those who have temporarily swapped the red of Arsenal for the colours of their national sides. Read on for the latest news on how they all got on...
Theo Walcott
England 3-1 Republic of Ireland, February 5
Theo Walcott produced an eye-catching performance for England Under-21s as they virtually assured themselves a play-off place for next summer's European Championships with a 3-0 defeat of the Republic of Ireland. The Arsenal youngster was in blistering form on his first return to Southampton since he joined the Gunners from the south-coast outfit. Rounding off his evening's work with a delightful clipped finish, Walcott was withdrawn to rapturous applause five minutes from time. Newcastle's James Milner was similarly impressive on the night, grabbing the second and playing a key role in the opener - his low cross was diverted into his own net by Stephen O'Halloran on the hour mark. Stuart Pearce's side now need only a point from their final group game against Portugal to claim top spot and guarantee a play-off place.
Gael Clichy, William Gallas, Bacary Sagna, Abou Diaby, Mathieu Flamini
France v DR Congo, France v Spain
Gael Clichy has received his first call-up to the France squad. The Arsenal full back, regularly pre-selected for international duty, has been named in the final squad for next week's friendlies against DR Congo and Spain. Clichy is one of five Arsenal players in the France squad. William Gallas, Bacary Sagna, Abou Diaby and Mathieu Flamini have also been called up, while former Arsenal captains Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira have been included too.
Cesc Fabregas
Spain v France, February 6
Cesc Fabregas has been called up to the Spain squad for their international friendly against France on February 6.
Philippe Senderos
England v Switzerland, February 6
Philippe Senderos has been called up to the Switzerland squad for their international friendly against England at Wembley on February 6.
Nicklas Bendtner
Slovenia v Denmark, February 6
Nicklas Bendtner has been called up to the Denmark squad for their international friendly against Slovenia on February 6.
Gilberto
Republic of Ireland v Brazil, February 6
Gilberto has been selected for the Brazil squad that will face the Republic of Ireland in an international friendly on February 6. The match will be played in Dublin.
Nacer Barazite
Scotland Under-19s v Holland Under-19s, February 6
Nacer Barazite has been selected for the Dutch Under-19 squad that will face Scotland in a friendly on February 6.
Lukasz Fabianski
Poland v Czech Republic, February 6
Lukasz Fabianski has been selected for the Polish squad that will face Czech Republic in an international friendly on February 6. The match will be played in Cyprus.
Tomas Rosicky
Czech Republic v Poland, February 6
Tomas Rosicky has been selected for the Czech Republic squad that will face Poland in an international friendly on February 6. The match will be played in Cyprus.
Eduardo
Croatia v Holland, February 6
Eduardo has been selected for the Croatia squad that will face Holland in an international friendly on February 6
fgl
Well-known member
Adebayor is O2 Arsenal.com Player of the Month
Ten goals in seven games is quite a return. Therefore it is little surprise that Emmanuel Adebayor has been chosen by the fans as their Player of the Month for January.
With the Africa Cup of Nations taking place this month, the Togo striker's availability this month may well have been limited. However Africa's loss is Arsenal's gain. Arsenal's year was just 20 minutes old when Adebayor registered his first goal. That came against West Ham United on New Year's Day. Since then he has fired a brace of goals against Fulham and Newcastle, as well as single strikes against the Kevin Keegan's men again, Birmingham and Tottenham. It is the first time the Arsenal man has won the award and he has done it by a landslide, polling a massive 71.4 per cent of the vote. French midfielder Mathieu Flamini finished second in our January poll, earning plaudits for his consistency as well as the sumptuos strike against the Magpies in the Premier League. Gael Clichy, again excellent at left back, was third
fgl
Well-known member
England 2-1 Switzerland: Capello toasts first win
Fabio Capello enjoyed a winning start to his England reign in a match which will provide the new manager with confidence - but some concern too - for the future.
Empics
The new England boss was frustrated in the first half.
Goals from Jermaine Jenas and substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips, either side of a strike from Eren Derdiyok, secured a victory which was acceptable but by no means overwhelming.
The Italian will have been happy with many of England's attacking moves, but disappointed at some of the traits which have bedevilled the side for generations - specifically poor technique and mediocre passing in the first half.
The defending was generally promising, though Capello will have been tearing his hair out at the ease with which Switzerland found a way through to equalise.
The match had started uncomfortably for England, who looked nervous, but perhaps Capello had told the players that Rome was not built in a day because their bravura, so dented by that trauma against Croatia, gradually returned until by the second half they looked a different team.
• Capello: Lots of work to be done
Before Jenas scored in the 40th minute though, Capello had to endure the first boos of his era as the crowd became frustrated by England's seeming inability to find the right gear, characterised by Steven Gerrard being robbed on the edge of his own box by Tranquillo Barnetta.
The Swiss midfielder shot straight at David James from a narrow angle and Gerrard's blushes were spared.
In the opening clashes, Switzerland were more fluent while England, banned from wearing flip-flops in the training camp, appeared to be wearing them at Wembley.
Slowly, patiently though - in the Italian way perhaps - England started to probe.
Wayne Rooney swooped in for England's first chance but Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio was able to block, then he followed that up with an unexpected flick past the post.
After a couple more scares for England courtesy of Mario Eggiman and Daniel Gygax, David Bentley and Joe Cole - who with Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand was one of only three survivors from the starting XI against Croatia - began to really hurt the opposition.
First Bentley found a killer pass to release Jenas, but he waited a vital second before trying to centre to Cole and Benaglio swooped to claim.
Then the Blackburn midfielder tried an audacious long-range chip which drifted only just wide, and the 'There's only one David Beckham' chants were suddenly stifled.
Then, finally, Cole's trickery paid off as he left Stephan Lichtsteiner on his backside before rolling the ball across for Jenas to pass it into the net for his first England goal.
Visibly buoyed by that, England began the second half in rampant fashion as Rooney twice came close and Jenas forced a fingertip save from Benaglio.
Capello would have winced however at the ease with which Switzerland equalised. A neat passing move saw substitute Derdiyok fire a first-time shot with his left foot low into the corner of the net.
England's back four will have hoped the speed with which they retook the lead saved them from a rollicking.
Peter Crouch, on as as sub, flicked on, Gerrard surged into the box in trademark style and picked out Wright-Phillips for a finish which was even easier than Jenas'.
Rooney, whose all-round performance deserved a goal, unleashed a thunderbolt from 20 yards which flew just wide. The Manchester United striker continued to torment the Swiss defence, but could just not find the target.
In the end, it did not matter. It was job done, but not an Italian job. Perhaps that is yet to come.
<LI id=quotes>Capello: Lots of work to be done
Manager Fabio Capello admitted he had been impressed by the response of many of his players in the first match under his tutelage.
He told BBC Sport: 'I'm happy. I think we did some very good things and there are some things we need to improve on.
'I saw the players playing with their clubs and I wanted to see if they could do the same things here under the pressure at Wembley and some of them impressed me, they played very well.'
The Italian admitted the team had been nervous in their first match since the defeat against Croatia.
'They were quite nervous at the start and I think we need to take the weight off our shoulders feeling the pressure at Wembley.
'There have been very good things in places. We played some very good things tonight but at the end we were all a bit wary.
'I didn't see any lack of concentration. They changed seven players and they were fresher than us.
'It was good to see the team get back together and achieve results.'
Captain Steven Gerrard told BBC1: 'We know we can play better but we've worked with the new manager for two or three days.
'He wanted a winning mentality, he wants us to get back winning, so we've done that for him.
'But there's still a long way to go before we get to where we want to be.'
Wayne Rooney, who started the match up front on his own, said: 'We've done quite well considering we've worked hard for two or three days.
'Jermaine Jenas came in today and we ideally want midfielders running beyond me up front and you saw that today.
'Wrighty (Wright-Phillips) and JJ (Jenas) got the goals and it's a good platform for us getting off to a winning start.'
Gerrard provided an insight into Capello's philosophy, saying: 'He wants us to be really difficult to beat and he wants us to be exciting going forward but it's going to take time.
'We've got a long way to go before the World Cup qualifiers.
'I'm sure we'll be a better team come the World Cup qualifiers.'
Jenas described the match as 'one to remember'.
He added: 'My first goal at Wembley, first goal for the England first team, so I'm delighted.'
Jenas confirmed the players had no idea of the starting line-up until about before the team coach took the players to Wembley.
He said of his selection: 'You're always surprised when you're not a regular in the team.
'Obviously my form has been good at club level but it's fantastic to get a chance at international level.'
He agreed with Gerrard that England were intent on fulfilling Capello's winning mentality.
He said: 'We've had a very intense three days and we were out there putting it into practice today.
'The win creates that winning mentality. As long as we can keep that moving forward, I'm sure we'll be fine.
Fabio Capello enjoyed a winning start to his England reign in a match which will provide the new manager with confidence - but some concern too - for the future.
Empics
The new England boss was frustrated in the first half.
Goals from Jermaine Jenas and substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips, either side of a strike from Eren Derdiyok, secured a victory which was acceptable but by no means overwhelming.
The Italian will have been happy with many of England's attacking moves, but disappointed at some of the traits which have bedevilled the side for generations - specifically poor technique and mediocre passing in the first half.
The defending was generally promising, though Capello will have been tearing his hair out at the ease with which Switzerland found a way through to equalise.
The match had started uncomfortably for England, who looked nervous, but perhaps Capello had told the players that Rome was not built in a day because their bravura, so dented by that trauma against Croatia, gradually returned until by the second half they looked a different team.
• Capello: Lots of work to be done
Before Jenas scored in the 40th minute though, Capello had to endure the first boos of his era as the crowd became frustrated by England's seeming inability to find the right gear, characterised by Steven Gerrard being robbed on the edge of his own box by Tranquillo Barnetta.
The Swiss midfielder shot straight at David James from a narrow angle and Gerrard's blushes were spared.
In the opening clashes, Switzerland were more fluent while England, banned from wearing flip-flops in the training camp, appeared to be wearing them at Wembley.
Slowly, patiently though - in the Italian way perhaps - England started to probe.
Wayne Rooney swooped in for England's first chance but Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio was able to block, then he followed that up with an unexpected flick past the post.
After a couple more scares for England courtesy of Mario Eggiman and Daniel Gygax, David Bentley and Joe Cole - who with Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand was one of only three survivors from the starting XI against Croatia - began to really hurt the opposition.
First Bentley found a killer pass to release Jenas, but he waited a vital second before trying to centre to Cole and Benaglio swooped to claim.
Then the Blackburn midfielder tried an audacious long-range chip which drifted only just wide, and the 'There's only one David Beckham' chants were suddenly stifled.
Then, finally, Cole's trickery paid off as he left Stephan Lichtsteiner on his backside before rolling the ball across for Jenas to pass it into the net for his first England goal.
Visibly buoyed by that, England began the second half in rampant fashion as Rooney twice came close and Jenas forced a fingertip save from Benaglio.
Capello would have winced however at the ease with which Switzerland equalised. A neat passing move saw substitute Derdiyok fire a first-time shot with his left foot low into the corner of the net.
England's back four will have hoped the speed with which they retook the lead saved them from a rollicking.
Peter Crouch, on as as sub, flicked on, Gerrard surged into the box in trademark style and picked out Wright-Phillips for a finish which was even easier than Jenas'.
Rooney, whose all-round performance deserved a goal, unleashed a thunderbolt from 20 yards which flew just wide. The Manchester United striker continued to torment the Swiss defence, but could just not find the target.
In the end, it did not matter. It was job done, but not an Italian job. Perhaps that is yet to come.
<LI id=quotes>Capello: Lots of work to be done
Manager Fabio Capello admitted he had been impressed by the response of many of his players in the first match under his tutelage.
He told BBC Sport: 'I'm happy. I think we did some very good things and there are some things we need to improve on.
'I saw the players playing with their clubs and I wanted to see if they could do the same things here under the pressure at Wembley and some of them impressed me, they played very well.'
The Italian admitted the team had been nervous in their first match since the defeat against Croatia.
'They were quite nervous at the start and I think we need to take the weight off our shoulders feeling the pressure at Wembley.
'There have been very good things in places. We played some very good things tonight but at the end we were all a bit wary.
'I didn't see any lack of concentration. They changed seven players and they were fresher than us.
'It was good to see the team get back together and achieve results.'
Captain Steven Gerrard told BBC1: 'We know we can play better but we've worked with the new manager for two or three days.
'He wanted a winning mentality, he wants us to get back winning, so we've done that for him.
'But there's still a long way to go before we get to where we want to be.'
Wayne Rooney, who started the match up front on his own, said: 'We've done quite well considering we've worked hard for two or three days.
'Jermaine Jenas came in today and we ideally want midfielders running beyond me up front and you saw that today.
'Wrighty (Wright-Phillips) and JJ (Jenas) got the goals and it's a good platform for us getting off to a winning start.'
Gerrard provided an insight into Capello's philosophy, saying: 'He wants us to be really difficult to beat and he wants us to be exciting going forward but it's going to take time.
'We've got a long way to go before the World Cup qualifiers.
'I'm sure we'll be a better team come the World Cup qualifiers.'
Jenas described the match as 'one to remember'.
He added: 'My first goal at Wembley, first goal for the England first team, so I'm delighted.'
Jenas confirmed the players had no idea of the starting line-up until about before the team coach took the players to Wembley.
He said of his selection: 'You're always surprised when you're not a regular in the team.
'Obviously my form has been good at club level but it's fantastic to get a chance at international level.'
He agreed with Gerrard that England were intent on fulfilling Capello's winning mentality.
He said: 'We've had a very intense three days and we were out there putting it into practice today.
'The win creates that winning mentality. As long as we can keep that moving forward, I'm sure we'll be fine.
fgl
Well-known member
Forty points is said to be the target for all those teams fighting relegation. At the other end of the table however, 50 and 60 points are important mid-season milestones for the title contenders.
Arsenal were the first team to get the half-century this season and managed to get there by New Year's Day. The victory at Manchester City last weekend hauled Arsène Wenger's side back to the top of the league and up to 60 points. If historic trends are to continue, the Gunners will be crowned champions in May.
Only once in the last five seasons has a team failed to clinch the title after becoming the first to earn 60 points - and that was Arsenal in 2003. On that occasion they had played 28 games to get there, while the eventual champions, Manchester United, took 30.
In Wenger’s first full season at the Club, both Premier League heavyweights had played 30 games before the tally was reached, with the Gunners eventually wrestling the title away from Old Trafford with a couple of matches to spare.
The Frenchman led the Gunners to a second Double in 2002. That season Arsenal had played 29 games to United’s 30 before the sides breached the 60-point barrier.
The Club’s most recent, and perhaps finest, Premier League triumph came in 2004. Wenger led his side through the season unbeaten, reaching a tally of 60 points by February 10 playing just 25 games — the same amount as the current campaign and also matched Manchester United’s rate last term.
Chelsea’s back-to-back title wins have come after achieving the mark in 24 games, then by 22 a season later.
fgl
Well-known member
Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers
Barclays Premier League
Emirates Stadium
Mon, Feb 11, 2008, 8pm
By Richard Clarke
Arsène Wenger is open-minded about the idea of Premier League clubs playing a competitive game overseas in the future - as long as it is for the good of the game and not just for money.
The idea was first mooted on Thursday and immediately brought condemnation from various sections of the football fraternity. The Arsenal manager wants to know much more detail about the proposals before he comes down for or against. However, speaking at his press conference on Friday, he refused to dismiss the notion without further examination.
"By principle, I am not against innovation," he said. "And I like that somebody is thinking 'how can we promote the League and promote English football?'
"But you have to respect basic criteria - the competitiveness of our League, the fairness of our League, and, as well make sure that it is a promotion for our football.
"If it's just to make £5m or £6m more then it's not worth doing. We have to check that it is really to give something competitive to the rest of the world, not just a chance to make a few more millions because that will go into the wages straight away and it will all be equal again. It's not worth doing it only for money.
"Having said that, it deserves a deeper look into because it's not a decision, and you have to think forward always. We are, at the moment, certainly creating a new fan-base.
"What you can say at the moment is that 10 per cent of our fans have access to our competitive games, and 90 per cent have no access at all to competitive games.
"Do you want to give them something? I can agree with that idea. But is this the best way to do it? That has to be checked because I am not completely sure."
fgl
Well-known member
The Arsenal manager admits his side is "down to the bare bones" with 11 players out or doubtful. The roll call is as follows: Emmanuel Eboue, Alex Song (both international duty), Johan Djourou (groin), Philippe Senderos (knee) Robin van Persie (thigh), Abou Diaby (calf), Mathieu Flamini (hamstring), Manuel Almunia (sick), Denilson (hamstring) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring). If Toure does figure he is likely to be fatigued from a tough tournament in Ghana. But, with Senderos considered a "major doubt", the manager thinks it will be worth making some calls.
"I don't know," said Wenger at his pre-match press conference on Friday. "Ivory Coast play on Saturday afternoon. I have not called him yet but I will try to see if he can take a flight from Accra to London. Otherwise it will be Gilberto, who is back, or Justin Hoyte at centre half.
"Rosicky, van Persie and Djourou are out. Almunia is a doubt. His thumb is OK but he is sick. We'll see tomorrow and Sunday about him.
"On top of that we don’t have Eboue and Song. Also we lost Diaby with a calf problem and we might have lost Flamini with a hamstring. He had to move out from the French national team.
"Philippe Senderos came off injured in midweek with a medial knee ligament and is a major doubt. He has played with it before and we'll see on Monday. I don’t rule him out completely and he is positive about it. Our medical team are a bit less. He wants to test it out over the weekend.
"Diaby, in fairness, picked the injury up at Man City. We sent him on international duty with information explaining that he was injured and they did not play him.
"But overall we are very, very short and it is down to the bare bones."
fgl
Well-known member
Updated: Feb. 10, 2008, 4:05 PM UK
Man Utd 1-2 Man City
PA
On the day when Manchester remembered those who lost their lives 50 years ago in the Munich air disaster, the blue half of the city dealt a major blow to red dreams of retaining the Premier League by running out 2-1 victors.
GettyImages
Old Trafford remembers the Busby Babes.
City fans behaved impeccably during an emotional minute's silence and their team were just as impressive.
The visitors completed a league double over their neighbours for the first time since 1970 and their first win at Old Trafford since 1974.
For City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, it was three wins out of three against Sir Alex Ferguson. He has added this priceless double to a European Super Cup triumph over United in 1999 when he was at Lazio.
This ended United's 13-match winning streak, their best run in 103 years, and gave Arsenal a real boost at the top of the table.
Darius Vassell and new boy Benjani Mwaruwari scored first-half goals for City and United's only reply was in injury-time from Michael Carrick.
The Old Trafford pitch was ringed ahead of the game by the names of every one of the 23 who died as a result of the 1958 tragedy in Germany.
The team sheet numbered United's men one to 16, while City stuck to their usual numbering on special commemorative shirts devoid of sponsors' logos. The Red Devils' V-neck tops were also a copy of the famous 50's jerseys worn by the Busby Babes.
But there was a match to play which was crucial to both sides - United needing not to lose ground on Arsenal while City were desperate to end a run of one win in eight league games that has dented their European hopes.
United were without the suspended Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra, while Owen Hargreaves was dropped to the bench. John O'Shea, Nani and Anderson came into the side.
City had Vedran Corluka banned while Daniel Sturridge was also left out. New boy Benjani made his debut with Nedum Onuoha coming into defence.
Any doubts that this would not be a city united were swept away by an immaculate minute's silence.
The teams were led out by the managers who both laid wreathes in the centre circle.
Not a word was heard from the City end as every fan in the stadium held aloft red and blue scarves distributed by the host club.
There were mystifying small explosions, clearly coming from outside the stadium, which police believed were fireworks. But inside the arena it was respectful silence.
Blues fans had sung their songs right up to the minutes before the ceremony, and when referee Howard Webb blew his whistle for the end of the 60 seconds it was City voices who instantly filled the air.
From the start, United flowed towards the visitors' goal, Ryan Giggs seeing a seventh-minute volley touched over by Joe Hart.
City's first effort came after 13 minutes when Benjani's persistence gave Martin Petrov the chance to fire over from 20 yards. Then Stephen Ireland saw a header from Michael Ball's cross held by Edwin van der Sar.
Eriksson's side were getting closer and it needed a faint touch from Nemanja Vidic's head to flick a Gelson Fernandes cross away from the waiting Benjani.
And in the 24th minute City stole ahead. Ireland found Petrov and raced on into the box to take the return. The ball broke to Vassell who saw his first shot hit Van der Sar, but he was quickly on to the rebound to blast the ball home, sending City's horde wild.
United hit back and Hart saved superbly from a Carlos Tevez shot on the turn. Then Cristiano Ronaldo lifted a 25-yard free-kick over the bar.
But City weathered the storm and hit back with a fierce Petrov cross that Van der Sar managed to turn away from Fernandes.
And a minute from the break City went two ahead.
Petrov's angled cross was flicked on by Benjani and the ball squeezed just inside the far post. It was the second time this season the Zimbabwean had scored against United, the first being for Portsmouth.
A minute after the break, Dietmar Hamann unleashed a 30-yarder that Van der Sar pulled down.
But United were soon camped in City's territory, searching for the break that would get them back into the game.
Tevez thought he had done just that when he turned in a deflection but he was correctly judged offside.
O'Shea was booked for a late tackle on Vassell after 57 minutes before the excellent Ireland should have made better use of a breakaway after he intercepted a pass, but he failed to find Benjani or Fernandes.
United then sent on Hargreaves and Carrick for O'Shea and Anderson. City responded by withdrawing Benjani and sending on £5m new boy Felipe Caceido for his debut.
Giggs flashed a shot just wide of the far post, but time was ticking away and the only noise was coming from City's delighted fans.
In injury-time, Carrick drove the ball home from the edge of the box but it was too little, too late.
Man Utd 1-2 Man City
PA
On the day when Manchester remembered those who lost their lives 50 years ago in the Munich air disaster, the blue half of the city dealt a major blow to red dreams of retaining the Premier League by running out 2-1 victors.
GettyImages
Old Trafford remembers the Busby Babes.
City fans behaved impeccably during an emotional minute's silence and their team were just as impressive.
The visitors completed a league double over their neighbours for the first time since 1970 and their first win at Old Trafford since 1974.
For City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, it was three wins out of three against Sir Alex Ferguson. He has added this priceless double to a European Super Cup triumph over United in 1999 when he was at Lazio.
This ended United's 13-match winning streak, their best run in 103 years, and gave Arsenal a real boost at the top of the table.
Darius Vassell and new boy Benjani Mwaruwari scored first-half goals for City and United's only reply was in injury-time from Michael Carrick.
The Old Trafford pitch was ringed ahead of the game by the names of every one of the 23 who died as a result of the 1958 tragedy in Germany.
The team sheet numbered United's men one to 16, while City stuck to their usual numbering on special commemorative shirts devoid of sponsors' logos. The Red Devils' V-neck tops were also a copy of the famous 50's jerseys worn by the Busby Babes.
But there was a match to play which was crucial to both sides - United needing not to lose ground on Arsenal while City were desperate to end a run of one win in eight league games that has dented their European hopes.
United were without the suspended Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra, while Owen Hargreaves was dropped to the bench. John O'Shea, Nani and Anderson came into the side.
City had Vedran Corluka banned while Daniel Sturridge was also left out. New boy Benjani made his debut with Nedum Onuoha coming into defence.
Any doubts that this would not be a city united were swept away by an immaculate minute's silence.
The teams were led out by the managers who both laid wreathes in the centre circle.
Not a word was heard from the City end as every fan in the stadium held aloft red and blue scarves distributed by the host club.
There were mystifying small explosions, clearly coming from outside the stadium, which police believed were fireworks. But inside the arena it was respectful silence.
Blues fans had sung their songs right up to the minutes before the ceremony, and when referee Howard Webb blew his whistle for the end of the 60 seconds it was City voices who instantly filled the air.
From the start, United flowed towards the visitors' goal, Ryan Giggs seeing a seventh-minute volley touched over by Joe Hart.
City's first effort came after 13 minutes when Benjani's persistence gave Martin Petrov the chance to fire over from 20 yards. Then Stephen Ireland saw a header from Michael Ball's cross held by Edwin van der Sar.
Eriksson's side were getting closer and it needed a faint touch from Nemanja Vidic's head to flick a Gelson Fernandes cross away from the waiting Benjani.
And in the 24th minute City stole ahead. Ireland found Petrov and raced on into the box to take the return. The ball broke to Vassell who saw his first shot hit Van der Sar, but he was quickly on to the rebound to blast the ball home, sending City's horde wild.
United hit back and Hart saved superbly from a Carlos Tevez shot on the turn. Then Cristiano Ronaldo lifted a 25-yard free-kick over the bar.
But City weathered the storm and hit back with a fierce Petrov cross that Van der Sar managed to turn away from Fernandes.
And a minute from the break City went two ahead.
Petrov's angled cross was flicked on by Benjani and the ball squeezed just inside the far post. It was the second time this season the Zimbabwean had scored against United, the first being for Portsmouth.
A minute after the break, Dietmar Hamann unleashed a 30-yarder that Van der Sar pulled down.
But United were soon camped in City's territory, searching for the break that would get them back into the game.
Tevez thought he had done just that when he turned in a deflection but he was correctly judged offside.
O'Shea was booked for a late tackle on Vassell after 57 minutes before the excellent Ireland should have made better use of a breakaway after he intercepted a pass, but he failed to find Benjani or Fernandes.
United then sent on Hargreaves and Carrick for O'Shea and Anderson. City responded by withdrawing Benjani and sending on £5m new boy Felipe Caceido for his debut.
Giggs flashed a shot just wide of the far post, but time was ticking away and the only noise was coming from City's delighted fans.
In injury-time, Carrick drove the ball home from the edge of the box but it was too little, too late.
fgl
Well-known member
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool: Bore draw at Bridge
PA
Chelsea failed to turn up the heat on Premier League title rivals Manchester United and Arsenal as they stumbled to a goalless draw against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
AdrianDennis/GettyImages
Michael Ballack and Javier Mascherano stretch
The Blues had been boosted by Manchester United's defeat at the hands of rivals Manchester City earlier in the day and although the draw enabled them to increase their unbeaten home league sequence to 76 games, the Londoners may yet come to rue their inability to put Liverpool's season to the sword.
A disappointing game, littered with sloppy passing and dominated at either end by uncompromising defences, provided for a forgettable stalemate.
Avram Grant's side had been lifted by the return of midfielder Frank Lampard but his contribution was to end in the second half with the England international clearly not fully match-fit.
Chelsea's early fire soon burnt itself out and it was Liverpool who began to dominate proceedings.
Yet their final ball into the danger area left a lot to be desired with England's Steven Gerrard the main culprit.
But a cross from Steve Finnan in the 14th minute did allow the giant frame of Peter Crouch to head wide of the target from six yards.
It was the gangly Crouch who should have put the visitors in front in the 17th minute when he combined cleverly with Ryan Babel before driving a low left-foot drive wide of Petr Cech's upright.
Two minutes later a run down the right flank by the energetic Gerrard saw his cross find Crouch unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box. But the England striker could not direct his free header wide of Cech.
Chelsea thought they should have been awarded a penalty in the 26th minute when Joe Cole was up-ended in the area but referee Mike Riley waved away their appeals.
A cross from Gerrard in the 33rd minute was only half-cleared by Ricardo Carvalho and Chelsea were lucky to see a follow-up shot from Leiva Lucas deflected to safety.
The visitors were now enjoying a greater share of possession but were finding it difficult to engineer a clear-cut scoring opportunity.
Crouch was a continual threat in the air and he should have at least hit the target when he got on the end of a cross from Dirk Kuyt in the 37th minute.
The move was again sparked by a pass from Gerrard who was now beginning to stamp his authority on the midfield.
Chelsea were still a threat on the break though and Nicolas Anelka won a corner when a speculative 20-yard effort was deflected wide by John Arne Riise.
Five minutes before the interval Babel became the second player to enter Riley's notebook when he committed the same handball offence that had brought Juliano Belletti his yellow card earlier in the half.
A free-kick from Belletti seconds before the interval almost brought Chelsea the reward of a goal but Riise managed to head the ball for a corner.
Chelsea were much better after the restart and Claude Makelele, not known for his goalscoring prowess, was predictably well off-target with a long-range effort in the 50th minute.
His passing is far superior and moments later the Frenchman sent fellow countryman Anelka clear on the Chelsea left. But the former Anfield favourite's low cross eluded everyone in the penalty area.
Chelsea were finding it difficult to break down a Liverpool defence that steadfastly refused to buckle and it required more than the energetic enthusiasm of the lone Anelka to unlock the Reds.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was concerned that momentum of the game was swinging into Chelsea's favour and a defeat for the Merseysiders would surely have ended their hopes of Champions League qualification this season.
Liverpool's frustration was compounded by a booking for Riise who wrestled Lampard to the ground in the 62nd minute.
It was clear Anelka required some help if Chelsea were to break the deadlock and Grant, in keeping with his penchant for attacking football, opted to introduce Florent Malouda into the fray in place of Shaun Wright-Phillips two minutes later.
A mistake by Gerrard, who was caught in possession by Makelele, almost allowed Cole to punish the Reds but his cross was headed away for a corner by Finnan.
Moments later it was the visitors who caused problems for the home side but a quick break ended with Crouch's inability to finish off a cross from Babel.
Michael Ballack almost snatched a late winner 10 minutes from the end but his volley fell just inches wide of Jose Reina's left-hand upright.
Chelsea will welcome back Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou in time for their next outing against Huddersfield in the FA Cup and given the lack of a cutting edge against Liverpool, the end of the African Nations Cup could not have come a moment sooner.
PA
Chelsea failed to turn up the heat on Premier League title rivals Manchester United and Arsenal as they stumbled to a goalless draw against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
AdrianDennis/GettyImages
Michael Ballack and Javier Mascherano stretch
The Blues had been boosted by Manchester United's defeat at the hands of rivals Manchester City earlier in the day and although the draw enabled them to increase their unbeaten home league sequence to 76 games, the Londoners may yet come to rue their inability to put Liverpool's season to the sword.
A disappointing game, littered with sloppy passing and dominated at either end by uncompromising defences, provided for a forgettable stalemate.
Avram Grant's side had been lifted by the return of midfielder Frank Lampard but his contribution was to end in the second half with the England international clearly not fully match-fit.
Chelsea's early fire soon burnt itself out and it was Liverpool who began to dominate proceedings.
Yet their final ball into the danger area left a lot to be desired with England's Steven Gerrard the main culprit.
But a cross from Steve Finnan in the 14th minute did allow the giant frame of Peter Crouch to head wide of the target from six yards.
It was the gangly Crouch who should have put the visitors in front in the 17th minute when he combined cleverly with Ryan Babel before driving a low left-foot drive wide of Petr Cech's upright.
Two minutes later a run down the right flank by the energetic Gerrard saw his cross find Crouch unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box. But the England striker could not direct his free header wide of Cech.
Chelsea thought they should have been awarded a penalty in the 26th minute when Joe Cole was up-ended in the area but referee Mike Riley waved away their appeals.
A cross from Gerrard in the 33rd minute was only half-cleared by Ricardo Carvalho and Chelsea were lucky to see a follow-up shot from Leiva Lucas deflected to safety.
The visitors were now enjoying a greater share of possession but were finding it difficult to engineer a clear-cut scoring opportunity.
Crouch was a continual threat in the air and he should have at least hit the target when he got on the end of a cross from Dirk Kuyt in the 37th minute.
The move was again sparked by a pass from Gerrard who was now beginning to stamp his authority on the midfield.
Chelsea were still a threat on the break though and Nicolas Anelka won a corner when a speculative 20-yard effort was deflected wide by John Arne Riise.
Five minutes before the interval Babel became the second player to enter Riley's notebook when he committed the same handball offence that had brought Juliano Belletti his yellow card earlier in the half.
A free-kick from Belletti seconds before the interval almost brought Chelsea the reward of a goal but Riise managed to head the ball for a corner.
Chelsea were much better after the restart and Claude Makelele, not known for his goalscoring prowess, was predictably well off-target with a long-range effort in the 50th minute.
His passing is far superior and moments later the Frenchman sent fellow countryman Anelka clear on the Chelsea left. But the former Anfield favourite's low cross eluded everyone in the penalty area.
Chelsea were finding it difficult to break down a Liverpool defence that steadfastly refused to buckle and it required more than the energetic enthusiasm of the lone Anelka to unlock the Reds.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was concerned that momentum of the game was swinging into Chelsea's favour and a defeat for the Merseysiders would surely have ended their hopes of Champions League qualification this season.
Liverpool's frustration was compounded by a booking for Riise who wrestled Lampard to the ground in the 62nd minute.
It was clear Anelka required some help if Chelsea were to break the deadlock and Grant, in keeping with his penchant for attacking football, opted to introduce Florent Malouda into the fray in place of Shaun Wright-Phillips two minutes later.
A mistake by Gerrard, who was caught in possession by Makelele, almost allowed Cole to punish the Reds but his cross was headed away for a corner by Finnan.
Moments later it was the visitors who caused problems for the home side but a quick break ended with Crouch's inability to finish off a cross from Babel.
Michael Ballack almost snatched a late winner 10 minutes from the end but his volley fell just inches wide of Jose Reina's left-hand upright.
Chelsea will welcome back Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou in time for their next outing against Huddersfield in the FA Cup and given the lack of a cutting edge against Liverpool, the end of the African Nations Cup could not have come a moment sooner.
half-grown-idiot
New member
ARSENAL to be 5 points clear off Man U and 8 points clear off chelski !
fgl
Well-known member
Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers
Barclays Premier League
Emirates Stadium
Mon, Feb 11, 2008, 8pm
By Matt Fortune
Blackburn Rovers are a side steadily on the rise. Under the guidence of the pragmatic Mark Hughes, the Lancashire outfit have in recent years secured the rights to be mentioned amoung the 'chasing pack'. This season they have every chance of leaving that behind and joining the front-runners. Rovers are delicately poised just five points adrift of fourth spot and with one defeat in the League since mid-December, they come into Monday's match in high spirits.
We asked Andy Neild of the Lancashire Evening News for a Rovers perspective ahead of Monday's big game. Read on for his verdict on the prospect of European football, the Hughes effect, a quiet January and the emergence of some key players.
STORY SO FAR
"Well I think that they have done very well this season and in fact are probably overachieving so far in terms of the resources compared with the other clubs around them. Hughes hasn’t spend a great deal of money in the summer or in January so to be where they are in the league us a phenomenal achievement.
"Europe is very much still on the agenda. I don’t think the players or staff have ruled out creeping into fourth spot, although that will be a tall order. Speaking to one of the players earlier in the week, he said that anything less than sixth would be a disappointment — so they are certainly focused on Europe and if they could do it that would be a third successive year qualifying for the Uefa Cup, a massive achievement.
"We are seven unbeaten in the league at the moment, which is no mean feat. It is a very difficult league to string results to together so to do that is a great effort. I think the manager will admit they perhaps haven’t played at their peak during that run, so to still be picking up results without necessarily playing to your best is a good sign."
MAN OF THE MOMENT
"It was hugely important that Mark Hughes stayed with Blackburn. He has been a massive part of the success here since he arrived. When he got here the Club were headed for the Championship and relegation was on the cards. He steadied the ship pretty quickly and has built on strong foundations and now they are pushing for Europe. It was vital he stayed. Signing a new contract at the end of November was good so the fans are positive about the future."
NEW FACES
"It was quiet in January but going back to the summer, Roque Santa Cruz came in and he has probably been the player of the season so far. To come into this country and score 15 goals in all competitions is a great return. The one big question mark was his goals record when he arrived — I don’t think he had been too prolific for Bayern — so one or two fans were worried but he has come in and proved the doubters wrong by reaching 15 and now he has his eyes on 20 plus.."
BOY MOST LIKELY
"David Bentley I think has benefited from having a manager that believes in him and has had the chance to play regularly in the Premier League. As a result he has grown in confidence and his performances have improved greatly over the last 18 months or so. He has an air about him that excites the fans and he is making things happen on the pitch. He has got five assists this season and chipped in with seven or eight goals too so he is looking the real deal."
CAUSE FOR CONCERN
"Its fair to say that both Morten Gamst Pederson and Benni McCarthy have not hit the levels that they did last season. Benni for example hit 24 goals and was second top scorer in the league. It hasn’t quite happened for him this time around. He started the season poorly and then he got dropped for while, then came back with a bit of a bang but the gals have dried up again. Same can be said for Pederson because he hasn’t scored since the back end of last season."
TALKING TACTICS
"We have a bit of a selection problem ahead of the match on Monday. Chris Samba, David Dunn and Pederson are all suspended, while the skipper Ryan Nelson is struggling with injury. Andre Ooijer and Steven Reid were both pulled out of internationals so there is a doubt about them. Finally Matt Derbyshire is about to become a father any day so he could well get the call as well. We could be missing seven players. Hughes will go with a cautious game plan and I would be surprised to see a five-man midfield keeping it as tight as possible. Hopefully grab something on the break."
IMPRESSIONS OF ARSENAL
"The title could go either way. I have been surprised by Arsenal and I have to admit after the departure of Henry I thought it might take a while to get over that and readjust but they have done it very well. Adebayor has filled the Frenchman’s boots very well, and brings a different threat."
Barclays Premier League
Emirates Stadium
Mon, Feb 11, 2008, 8pm
By Matt Fortune
Blackburn Rovers are a side steadily on the rise. Under the guidence of the pragmatic Mark Hughes, the Lancashire outfit have in recent years secured the rights to be mentioned amoung the 'chasing pack'. This season they have every chance of leaving that behind and joining the front-runners. Rovers are delicately poised just five points adrift of fourth spot and with one defeat in the League since mid-December, they come into Monday's match in high spirits.
We asked Andy Neild of the Lancashire Evening News for a Rovers perspective ahead of Monday's big game. Read on for his verdict on the prospect of European football, the Hughes effect, a quiet January and the emergence of some key players.
STORY SO FAR
"Well I think that they have done very well this season and in fact are probably overachieving so far in terms of the resources compared with the other clubs around them. Hughes hasn’t spend a great deal of money in the summer or in January so to be where they are in the league us a phenomenal achievement.
"Europe is very much still on the agenda. I don’t think the players or staff have ruled out creeping into fourth spot, although that will be a tall order. Speaking to one of the players earlier in the week, he said that anything less than sixth would be a disappointment — so they are certainly focused on Europe and if they could do it that would be a third successive year qualifying for the Uefa Cup, a massive achievement.
"We are seven unbeaten in the league at the moment, which is no mean feat. It is a very difficult league to string results to together so to do that is a great effort. I think the manager will admit they perhaps haven’t played at their peak during that run, so to still be picking up results without necessarily playing to your best is a good sign."
MAN OF THE MOMENT
"It was hugely important that Mark Hughes stayed with Blackburn. He has been a massive part of the success here since he arrived. When he got here the Club were headed for the Championship and relegation was on the cards. He steadied the ship pretty quickly and has built on strong foundations and now they are pushing for Europe. It was vital he stayed. Signing a new contract at the end of November was good so the fans are positive about the future."
NEW FACES
"It was quiet in January but going back to the summer, Roque Santa Cruz came in and he has probably been the player of the season so far. To come into this country and score 15 goals in all competitions is a great return. The one big question mark was his goals record when he arrived — I don’t think he had been too prolific for Bayern — so one or two fans were worried but he has come in and proved the doubters wrong by reaching 15 and now he has his eyes on 20 plus.."
BOY MOST LIKELY
"David Bentley I think has benefited from having a manager that believes in him and has had the chance to play regularly in the Premier League. As a result he has grown in confidence and his performances have improved greatly over the last 18 months or so. He has an air about him that excites the fans and he is making things happen on the pitch. He has got five assists this season and chipped in with seven or eight goals too so he is looking the real deal."
CAUSE FOR CONCERN
"Its fair to say that both Morten Gamst Pederson and Benni McCarthy have not hit the levels that they did last season. Benni for example hit 24 goals and was second top scorer in the league. It hasn’t quite happened for him this time around. He started the season poorly and then he got dropped for while, then came back with a bit of a bang but the gals have dried up again. Same can be said for Pederson because he hasn’t scored since the back end of last season."
TALKING TACTICS
"We have a bit of a selection problem ahead of the match on Monday. Chris Samba, David Dunn and Pederson are all suspended, while the skipper Ryan Nelson is struggling with injury. Andre Ooijer and Steven Reid were both pulled out of internationals so there is a doubt about them. Finally Matt Derbyshire is about to become a father any day so he could well get the call as well. We could be missing seven players. Hughes will go with a cautious game plan and I would be surprised to see a five-man midfield keeping it as tight as possible. Hopefully grab something on the break."
IMPRESSIONS OF ARSENAL
"The title could go either way. I have been surprised by Arsenal and I have to admit after the departure of Henry I thought it might take a while to get over that and readjust but they have done it very well. Adebayor has filled the Frenchman’s boots very well, and brings a different threat."
fgl
Well-known member
Arsenal stay top in Premier League football as United and Chelsea falter
AFP - Monday, February 11 LONDON (AFP) - - Arsenal were left two points clear at the top of the Premier League table as rivals Manchester United and Chelsea both dropped vital points on Sunday.
Manchester City completed a first league victory at Old Trafford since 1974 and a season double over Manchester United with a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from strikers Darius Vassell and new signing Benjani Mwaruwari.
Chelsea then missed the chance to close to within a point of United after being held to a goalless draw by Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
It was an important result for Liverpool, who moved into fifth place on goal difference, and were left just three points behind city rivals Everton, with a game in hand, in the race for the fourth and final Champions League spot.
But Arsenal can now extend their advantage at the top of the table when they face Blackburn Rovers on Monday.
There were poignant scenes before kick-off at Old Trafford as fans from both Manchester clubs respectfully observed a minute's silence in the week of the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster.
In all 23 lives, including those of eight United players from the celebrated 'Busby Babes', were killed when a plane carrying the team home following a European Cup tie against Red Star Belgrade crashed on take-off after refuelling at Munich Airport.
Vassell put the visitors ahead in the 25th minute when he scored from the second attempt following good work by Stephen Ireland and Martin Petrov.
And just before half-time Benjani, a transfer-window signing from Portsmouth, marked his City debut by flicking on Petrov's cross into the far corner, just beyond the dive of United keeper Edwin van der Sar.
It was the second time this season the Zimbabwean had scored against United, the first being for Pompey.
England midfielder Michael Carrick pulled a goal back in the second minute of stoppage time but it was too late to prevent a win which bolstered City's bid for a European place.
United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz said nerves had played their part in his side's defeat.
"We didn't play very well," he said.
"We did not have any tempo or inspiration early in the game. We were perhaps too anxious at the start, and that combined with a Manchester City side who showed good movement and were strong on the counter-attack."
Queiroz added United had paid a price for having so many players on international duty during friendly games earlier in the week.
"We had seven or eight players who played 90 minutes in a friendly during the week and every time they come back to us they are affected by it in the next game," he said.
"The team was affected by those who played for their national teams but of course we cannot use that as an excuse."
City's victory gave them a first league double over local rivals United since the 1969/70 season.
"We worked ever so hard today and didn't give them much space when they went forward," said City midfielder Dietmar Hamann.
The German was especially taken with Benjani's performance.
"He's done ever so well. He kept the ball well and worked hard. When we put the ball in the channels he was always chasing it and won a few free-kicks.
"He scored a great goal and it was a great debut for him."
AFP - Monday, February 11 LONDON (AFP) - - Arsenal were left two points clear at the top of the Premier League table as rivals Manchester United and Chelsea both dropped vital points on Sunday.
Manchester City completed a first league victory at Old Trafford since 1974 and a season double over Manchester United with a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from strikers Darius Vassell and new signing Benjani Mwaruwari.
Chelsea then missed the chance to close to within a point of United after being held to a goalless draw by Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
It was an important result for Liverpool, who moved into fifth place on goal difference, and were left just three points behind city rivals Everton, with a game in hand, in the race for the fourth and final Champions League spot.
But Arsenal can now extend their advantage at the top of the table when they face Blackburn Rovers on Monday.
There were poignant scenes before kick-off at Old Trafford as fans from both Manchester clubs respectfully observed a minute's silence in the week of the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster.
In all 23 lives, including those of eight United players from the celebrated 'Busby Babes', were killed when a plane carrying the team home following a European Cup tie against Red Star Belgrade crashed on take-off after refuelling at Munich Airport.
Vassell put the visitors ahead in the 25th minute when he scored from the second attempt following good work by Stephen Ireland and Martin Petrov.
And just before half-time Benjani, a transfer-window signing from Portsmouth, marked his City debut by flicking on Petrov's cross into the far corner, just beyond the dive of United keeper Edwin van der Sar.
It was the second time this season the Zimbabwean had scored against United, the first being for Pompey.
England midfielder Michael Carrick pulled a goal back in the second minute of stoppage time but it was too late to prevent a win which bolstered City's bid for a European place.
United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz said nerves had played their part in his side's defeat.
"We didn't play very well," he said.
"We did not have any tempo or inspiration early in the game. We were perhaps too anxious at the start, and that combined with a Manchester City side who showed good movement and were strong on the counter-attack."
Queiroz added United had paid a price for having so many players on international duty during friendly games earlier in the week.
"We had seven or eight players who played 90 minutes in a friendly during the week and every time they come back to us they are affected by it in the next game," he said.
"The team was affected by those who played for their national teams but of course we cannot use that as an excuse."
City's victory gave them a first league double over local rivals United since the 1969/70 season.
"We worked ever so hard today and didn't give them much space when they went forward," said City midfielder Dietmar Hamann.
The German was especially taken with Benjani's performance.
"He's done ever so well. He kept the ball well and worked hard. When we put the ball in the channels he was always chasing it and won a few free-kicks.
"He scored a great goal and it was a great debut for him."
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