Barclays Premier League Preview

The busy Christmas period for football begins today with 8 games taking place in the top flight.

Wigan vs. Arsenal, 12.45pm

The early kick-off is between Wigan Athletic and Arsenal which starts at 12.45pm. The Gunners cruised to victory against Reading on Monday night winning 5-2 after going being 4-0 up at half-time. After a poor run of form which included a 2-0 defeat at home to Swansea, this was a significant victory for Arsene Wenger. So far it has been a good week with Carl Jenkinson, Aaron Ramsey, Kieran Gibbs, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere all signing new deals with the club. Now Wenger awaits Theo Walcott to sign, amid speculation of a January move elsewhere. Wigan go in to this match on the back of a defeat to Norwich City and are now in the relegation zone for the first time this season.

In terms of injuries, Wigan’s Adrian Lopez is out for up to 10 weeks with a hamstring problem and James McCarthy is also doubtful after picking up a knock to the ankle in the defeat to Norwich. On the brighter side for Wigan, Gary Caldwell, Antolin Alcaraz and Ivan Ramis are all close to returning to action. For Arsenal, Abou Diaby and Andre Santos are still out for the long-term.

The most anticipated decision for this game is whether Wenger will play Walcott in a central attacking position where he impressed against Reading.

Arsenal are only two points off fourth place so this is a crucial game for them and with it being at lunch time they have a good chance to apply some pressure on Tottenham and Chelsea.

Wigan have won only one Premier League game against Arsenal so the odds are very much in favour of the Gunners to claim three points in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

Manchester City vs. Reading, 3pm

Manchester City take on Reading at the Etihad stadium looking to reduce the gap between them and neighbours Manchester United. They’ll be expecting a victory against the side who are struggling at the bottom of the league. Brian McDermott has remained defiant and insists that he is the right man to help the Royals survive the drop showing a determined attitude. Roberto Mancini has spoken about how a second title would be better than last season’s remarkable achievement. The dispute between the club and Mario Balotelli appears to have been sorted but it’s certainly becoming a farcical situation which may do more bad for Man City than good. They go into this game after an excellent 3-1 victory over Newcastle at St. James’ Park.

Samir Nasri is out of action after picking up a groin injury and could be absent until the New Year. Captain Vincent Kompany is in a similar situation with a groin problem and is unlikely to play against Reading. Mario Balotelli has a virus and Aleksander Kolarov has a bad knee so both will be unavailable for today’s match. James Milner and Gareth Barry are both ready to play again. Reading’s Jason Roberts is out of contention with a hip issue but Jem Karacan, Jimmy Kebe and Danny Guthrie should be back for the visitors.

Interestingly, Reading have beaten Man City in three of their four Premier League battles. City can decrease the gap to 3 points behind United with a win today as they play Swansea City tomorrow at the Liberty Stadium. Reading will remain in the relegation zone at Christmas regardless of the result but points will be extremely valuable to them.

Newcastle United vs.QPR, 3pm

After being last year’s surprise package finishing 5^th in the league and proving to be a very competitive team, Newcastle Untied have started poorly in comparison and find themselves in 15^th place. They face Queen’s Park Rangers who are unbeaten under Harry Redknapp and picked up their first victory last weekend at home to Fulham.  The Magpies are looking for three points in this fixture as they look to build a platform for them to continue as we head in to the New Year. The Christmas period is a great opportunity to completely change the season. With so many fixtures and the league being so tight, a set of consistent results could really move a side up the table and transform their fortunes.

James Perch is an uncertainty after sustaining a minor neck injury and Hatem Ben Arfa, Steven Taylor and Yohan Cabaye are all out of this one. Gabriel Obertan is fit after having toe surgery.  QPR shot stopper Julio Cesar and former Chelsea defender Jose Bosingwa are both out with back injuries. Kieron Dyer, Park Ji-Sung, Andrew Johnson and Bobby Zamora are all sidelined.

Redknapp’s side want to progress from their first victory last week but this is a hard place to come and get a result. However, West Ham United and Swansea City have been victorious here this season so they can take some confidence from that. Newcastle have shown a desire for stability by agreeing an 8 year contract with Pardew but he will still feel under pressure to deliver and this is a big match for the Toon to start climbing the league.

Southampton vs. Sunderland, 3pm

At the St. Mary’s Stadium Southampton are up against Sunderland. Nigel Adkins’ side had last weekend off because their scheduled opponents Chelsea were participating in the Club World Cup so they have a game in hand which gives them a slight advantage over sides near them albeit being against Chelsea. Southampton are in a precarious position as they hover just above the relegation zone with a superior goal difference over Wigan. They have collected some good results though and in their last match they defeated Reading 1-0 at home. This was an important win with it being against a side that are likely to be near them in the table come the end of the season. Sunderland aren’t enjoying a great season and have had some poor results with speculation over Martin O’Neill’s future becoming rather intense. The Black Cats are one place above their opponents and only a point separates the teams so this is a massive game for them with the gap being so small.

Captain Adam Lallana has knee ligament damage and is expected to be replaced by Jay Rodriguez. Paulo Gazzaniga has recovered from a shoulder injury whilst Richard Chaplow and Frazer Richardson should also return. Sunderland are hopeful that Steven Fletcher, Adam Johnson, Danny Rose and Phil Bardsley will feature after their respective injuries. David Meyler will be recalled from his loan spell at Hull after their 2-1 win against Derby last night to provide some cover for the squad.

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Stoke City, 3pm

At White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur face Stoke City and Spurs go into this after a 1-0 win against Swansea City last week thanks to a neat finish from Jan Vertonghen which lifted Spurs to 4^th and level on points with Chelsea. Stoke are on a good run of form themselves unbeaten in their last 7 games with four wins and three draws. They go in to this on the back of a 1-1 draw at home to Everton. If they manage to avoid defeat at Spurs it will be a record unbeaten run for them.  Stoke have won at White Hart Lane before and that came in 2009 when Glenn Whelan scored in the 86^th minute to snatch victory. 

Unfortunately for Stoke Gareth Bale and Michael Dawson return to the Tottenham side after hamstring injuries.  Emmanuel Adebayor will face a late fitness test and Scott Parker and Benoit Assou-Ekotto may feature. After his father passed away earlier in the week, Charlie Adam will not travel to London for this match after being granted compassionate leave. Ryan Shotton is back for selection after serving a one match ban for a controversial sending off against Aston Villa a couple of weeks ago.

Spurs can go third in the table with victory but Chelsea will then have two games in hand which will become one after their match with Aston Villa tomorrow. Stoke can climb three places with a victory but that depends on other results. If they could avoid defeat then they will be in a good position ahead of two consecutive home matches against Liverpool and Southampton.

West Bromwich Albion vs. Norwich City, 3pm

Steve Clarke’s West Brom host the in form Norwich at the Hawthorns. The Baggies started the season in spectacular fashion and at one point were third in the league but since a defeat to Swansea their form has dipped with losses at home to Stoke and away at Arsenal which has seen them go four matches without a win. Norwich are on a fantastic run of 10 games without a loss which includes some impressive wins against Arsenal and Manchester United but they have also defeated teams around them which are the most important results.

Youssouf Mulumbu is suspended for the home side after receiving a fifth booking in his last game. Claudio Yacob is unlikely to feature due to a hamstring injury but Ben Foster is looking for a recall after coming back to training. Grant Holt has a hamstring problem so is a doubt. Harry Kane could be in the squad though. Andrew Surman and John Ruddy are still out of action.

West Ham United vs. Everton, 3pm

West Ham welcome Everton to Upton Park after a 0-0 draw away to West Brom. Sam Allardyce’s side have made the best start out of the promoted teams and had been sitting nicely in the top half but they have slipped down to 11^th after a defeat to Liverpool and that draw with Albion. Everton have had a great season so far and are only two points off the Champions League places. They drew 1-1 with Stoke last weekend which was a good result as many know how difficult the Britannia Stadium is to go and get a result.

Jack Collison is in the Hammers’ squad for the first time this season after a serious knee injury. Yossi Benayoun has a knee problem and will not feature this afternoon.  Marouane Fellaini starts the first game of his three match ban which he picked up after maliciously head butting Ryan Shawcross last weekend. Many feel that Fellaini was lucky to escape severe punishment after he also appeared to elbow and punch the Stoke captain in two other separate incidents. It’s extremely peculiar that he was only punished for the head butt. Phil Neville has recovered quickly from a knee injury but this game is too soon for him to return.

Liverpool vs. Fulham, 3pm

Liverpool are at home to Fulham and are looking to avoid a similar to last week where they lost 3-1 at home to Aston Villa thanks to a brace from Christian Benteke. They performed well against West Ham but showed a lack of consistency with the defeat to Paul Lambert’s side. Fulham became the first team to lose to QPR last weekend and will be looking to bounce back at Anfield. They’ll look to emulate Villa’s performance and try to capitalise on Liverpool’s vulnerability at home.

Jose Enrique was back in training this week and may have some part to play in this clash after recovering from a hamstring problem. Nuri Sahin is fit to play after undergoing surgery on a broken nose but Oussama Assaidi has been ruled out because of a knee injury. David Stockdale has been recalled from his loan spell at Hull as back up for Mark Schwarzer after other goalkeeper Neil Etheridge sustained a leg injury. Steve Sidwell is banned but full-back Sascha Riether is back after a knee injury. 

Barclays Premier League Review

After the international break, it was great to be back in Barclays Premier League action and what an exciting weekend of football it turned out to be. Chelsea continued their unbeaten start to remain four points clear at the top of the table whilst there were victories for Manchester United and Manchester City ensuring that they kept pressure on the league leaders. Norwich City claimed their first win of the season and Liverpool finally managed a victory at home.

In the lunch-time kick off Chelsea travelled to White Hart Lane to take on London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. These two sides had been in good form going in to the fixture with Spurs on the back of two excellent results including a win against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Chelsea have dropped just two points so far this season, winning every game besides one. This was certainly set up to be an entertaining contest.

The main focus of the match was on Andre Villas-Boas as he prepared to face his former club for the first time since he was sacked by Chelsea in March after failing to have a positive impact on the club’s fortunes. He insisted the game was not about his own personal revenge, but for Tottenham to get an important result in their bid for Champions League football.

It was the visitors who took the lead in the first half when Jermaine Defoe cleared the ball with his head after a Chelsea corner had been delivered which fell to Gary Cahill who volleyed it past Brad Friedel after taking a slight deflection off a Spurs defender.

At half-time it was 1-0 to Roberto Di Matteo’s side.

Spurs came out in the second half ready to get back in the game and they responded extremely well to the deficit that they faced. Former Chelsea and Arsenal defender William Gallas, an unlikely scorer, netted an equaliser for the hosts two minutes in to the second period of play. Less than 10 minutes later, Jermaine Defoe gave Spurs the lead and suddenly they had turned the game around completely. The England international has been on great form for both club and country lately and now that he seems to be experiencing regular first team football, he is really flourishing.



Juan Mata equalised for Chelsea

However, Chelsea didn’t give up despite conceding two goals in a short space of time. Juan Mata made it 2-2 with a fine finish capitalising on a poor clearance from William Gallas striking low and hard in to the bottom right hand corner. Then, just 3 minutes later, Mata grabbed a second after Chelsea star Eden Hazard played a wonderful through ball showing supreme vision which caught Gallas out and the Spaniard put it past Friedel to regain the lead for Chelsea.

Spurs tried to get back in the game and Kyle Walker really tested Petr Cech with a brilliantly executed drive along the ground forcing the Chelsea keeper in to a fine save preventing an equaliser.

The game was wrapped up when Kyle Walker was caught in possession on the touch line by Mata who advanced in to the opposition’s box squaring it to substitute Daniel Sturridge who finished comfortably from close range. 4-2 and that was the end of the game.

It looked as if Tottenham would go on to win the game once they had taken the lead but Chelsea answered a lot of questions with their performance and ability to come back away from home. The characteristics displayed showed they can be very successful this season and they have real potential to win the league this year.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Manchester City came back from 1-0 down to beat the in-form West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns. Steve Clarke’s side have made a really positive start to the season and there’s a lot of optimism from results and performances in the early stages of the campaign.

Shane Long gave the home side the lead in the 67^th minute after the visitors saw James Milner sent off in the first half after taking down Long who was through on goal. City captain Vincent Kompany was dispossessed and James Morrison played a through ball to the Irish international who was brought down by Milner. The former Aston Villa midfielder was judged to have been the last man and was consequently dismissed for his tackle. Some questioned that Joleon Lescott was near the incident and could have ruled out Milner as the last man but realistically Lescott would probably have failed to get there. In fairness, Milner accepted the decision in a professional manner; a concept that is sometimes lost on players in similar situations.



Edin Dzeko celebrates one of his goals.

Although they were down to 10 men, Roberto Mancini’s side came back in the game with Bosnian international Eden Dzeko heading home a corner after Ben Foster came out of his goal failing to meet the ball in a similar error to Joe Hart’s unfortunate mistake on England duty against Poland.

At 1-1, West Brom really looked as if they would snatch the win. The ball was frequently fed to Peter Odemwingie who delivered some testing crosses for Joe Hart and his defence. Romanu Lukaku came very close to converting one of these chances.

Eventually, Albion were caught on the break after pressing for the win. The ball was provided to Dzeko who took it brilliantly getting his second goal and winning the match for 10 men City.

Manchester United recovered from an early scare as they continued their 100% record against Stoke City at home in the Premier League. The 4-2 victory came despite Wayne Rooney scoring an own goal to give Tony Pulis’ side an unexpected lead early in the game. Was Rooney possibly hinting that he’d like a transfer to Stoke in January?



Rooney and Robin Van Persie embrace each other

Unfortunately for Stoke fans, this didn’t appear to be the case as the striker made up for his error by equalising for his team scoring at the right end of the pitch this time. Rooney then supplied Robin Van Persie for the second to give United the lead going in to half-time. The Dutchman has now scored seven goals against Stoke in the Premier League.

Danny Welbeck added a third goal at the very beginning of the second half which proved to be a huge blow for the away side and put the home side in an unassailable position. Michael Kightly did pull one back for Stoke with his second league goal of the season that gave Stoke a real incentive to go and possibly snatch a draw.

Wayne Rooney had other plans and completed a hat-trick as he made it 4-2. The match ball wouldn’t be his though as one of those three goals was for the wrong team.

The match finished 4-2 to Man United and Stoke left Old Trafford empty handed looking to bounce back against Sunderland at the Britannia Stadium. The Potters’ two defeats this season have come against Man United and Chelsea which were both away from home.

Liverpool ended a poor run of form at home this season as they defeated Reading 1-0 courtesy of teenage sensation Raheem Sterling. Brian McDermott and his side are still looking for their first Premier League win of the season.



Captain Steven Gerrard congratulates Raheem Sterling on
his goal.

Sterling scored the winner in the 29^th minute but Brendan Rodgers’ team still seem to have the issue of finishing off opponents as their finishing still wasn’t up to the standards they would like. The home side failed to convert numerous chances and are still trying to find a prolific goal scorer within their ranks.

They’ll look to find some consistency when they face Everton in the Merseyside derby.

Norwich City stunned Arsenal as they claimed their first victory in unlikely circumstances. Chris Hughton has had a tough beginning to his career as Canaries manager but this win was emphatic to his side and now that they’ve got the win they’ll look to continue in that sort of forms.

Grant Hold scored the decisive goal as he took advantage of an error from Arsenal goalkeeper Mannone who failed to hold on to a long range effort setting up Holt from close range.

Holt puts Norwich 1-0 up

The Gunners couldn’t find a reply and the only positive for them was that Jack Wilshere was back in the squad after 17 months away due to injury. It’s a huge bonus that he is now in contention to play football for club and country. Arsenal and England have both missed his qualities.

West Ham United secured a convincing 4-1 victory over fellow newly promoted side Southampton who have so far struggled to adapt to Premier League life. Sam Allardyce’s men have begun their campaign very positively. They sat in 8^th position ahead of this important fixture.

It wasn’t until the second half that the goals finally came with Mark Noble striking to make it 1-0 in the 46^th minute. Kevin Nolan then hit a heavy blow for Nigel Adkins and his team as he doubled the Hammers’ lead just two minutes later. That looked to have secured the points as West Ham took advantage of some rather lacklustre defending from Southampton who tried to get the ball out of their territory by flicking it up in the air to each other which didn’t work out for them.

Matt Jarvis controls the ball under pressure from Nathaniel Clyne

Adam Lallana did restore some hope for the Saints as he pulled one back with a fine effort to get his first premier league goal this season. But West Ham restored their 2 goal lead when Mark Noble converted a penalty after Jose Fonte handled in the area.

The game was wrapped up when Maiga showed some magnificent footwork and skill to hit the ball on the edge of the box and the direction was accurate enough to go past the goalkeeper and in to the bottom corner.

4-1 was the final score and after a resilient display in the first half, Southampton’s weaknesses were clearly shown in the second half. They have now conceded 24 goals in 8 matches this season which is simply not up to the required standards that they must reach in order to survive.

Swansea City got back to winning ways with a 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic. All three goals in this game were struck in the space of four minutes.

Pablo Hernandez jumps in joy after giving Swansea the lead.

Pablo Hernandez gave Swansea the lead in the 65^th minute before Miguel Michu grabbed Swansea’s second in the 67^th minute. Then Wigan managed to get themselves back in the match with a 69^th minute strike from Emerson Boyce.

There were no more goals after this besides Arouna Kone’s header who was judged to have been in an offside position. Whether this was the correct decision is up for debate.

Fulham piled more misery upon Aston Villa with a 1-0 win over Paul Lambert’s club. The Cottagers left it late with Chris Baird scoring the winner in the 84^th minute leaving Villa little time to find a reply.

The result left Villa in 17^th place hovering dangerously above the relegation zone but of course it is early days and they must remain faithful. Fulham are now in 8^th after this win.

In Sunday’s games, it finished 1-1 in the North-East derby as Sunderland took on Newcastle United at the Stadium of Light. Much of the build up to the game had been focussed on Steven Taylor’s comments about how he believed no players in the Sunderland squad could make it in to the Newcastle team. Taylor also said he’d rather collect stamps than wear the Sunderland jersey.

Yohan Cabaye gave Newcastle the lead in the 4^th minute. 

Newcastle had Cheik Tiote sent off after a foul on Steven Fletcher reducing the Toon to 10 men.

 Sunderland managed to equalise in the 86^th minute when Sebastian Larsson’s free kick was met by the head of John O’Shea and it then came off Demba Ba who wrong footed his own goalkeeper and it went down as an own goal.

Action at the Stadium of Light

The points were shared but the game was overshadowed by foul chanting from the home supporters directed at Steven Taylor. There were also songs from Newcastle fans too. Both managers claimed they didn’t hear anything but Martin O’Neill condemned the Sunderland supporters and responded to Taylor’s remarks in the build up to the game by saying “I was delighted to see him make it on to the bench.”

In Sunday’s other game Queens Park Rangers hosted Everton at Loftus Road where again, the score line was 1-1. QPR had taken the lead when Junior Hoillett scored in just the second minute of the game.

Everton equalised not long after the half hour mark. Sylvain Distin headed the ball on to the bottom of the post from a Leighton Baines free kick and it then bounced off Julio Cesar and over the line.

Sylvain Distin celebrates his equaliser

Steven Pienaar was sent off for Everton in the second half after committing a second bookable offence as he fouled Jose Bossing. The South African will now miss the Merseyside derby and the Toffees are also uncertain on the fitness of Belgian international Fellaini.

Barclays Premier League Preview

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea, 12.45pm

In the lunch time kick off Andre Villas-Boas faces the club that sacked him halfway through last season as Spurs entertain Chelsea at White Hart Lane. The visiting side have been in the press frequently in the last two weeks with Ashley Cole raging at the FA on Twitter and John Terry finally being punished for his incident with Anton Ferdinand which was actually over a year ago now. Terry received a four match ban and a £220,000 fine which he has decided not to appeal against. Therefore the former England captain will miss today’s important match with Tottenham and also key fixtures against Manchester United both in the league and the Capital One cup as well as a match with Swansea.  After a slow start to the season, Tottenham have begun to pick up results and performances have improved. They went in to the international break on the back of two excellent victories in the Premier League with a 2-0 win against Aston Villa which followed a remarkable 3-2 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford. That win ended a 23 year wait for three points at the home of the Red Devils.

Chelsea have had a fantastic start to the season. After an excellent second half of the season last year with the Blues claiming the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League, Roberto Di Matteo and his side have continued this impressive form. So far, they’re unbeaten and have only dropped two points. They had to settle for a goalless draw against QPR at Loftus Road. Chelsea are sitting comfortably at the top of the table four points clear of second place Manchester United.

Spurs could be boosted with the return of Kyle Naughton who has been out for a month and Jake Livermore may be back after a groin injury that has kept him out for six weeks.

Chelsea will have Daniel Sturridge available after he has suffered with a hamstring pull and England pair Frank Lampard and Ryan Bertrand, who missed the Poland fixture midweek, will be returning to the squad.

It was confirmed this morning by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck that John Terry will remain captain of the team and he has received a heavy fine from the club.

With Spurs being the form team in the league after four consecutive wins and Chelsea on a 5 game winning streak in all competitions, this is a hard one to call. It will certainly be a tight game and Spurs have the home advantage. After their win against Man United, they’ll be feeling extremely confident. However Chelsea are capable of not letting home advantage get in their way. They picked up a 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal at the end of September. Also, Spurs have failed to win in the last 5 meetings between the clubs so the history goes in favour of Chelsea but it’s all about today.

Fulham vs. Aston Villa, 3pm

Paul Lambert takes his Aston Villa team to Craven Cottage on the back of three league fixtures without a win. Their most recent success was a 4-2 defeat of Manchester City in the Capital One cup. Fulham, like Villa, go in to this without a win in their last 3 league matches. Fulham’s last win came over a month ago which was a 3-0 win over West Brom. Of course, there has been the international break which makes it longer since they last won.

Dimitar Berbatov and Mladen Petric are hopeful to be back in the squad after hip and calf injuries. Mahamadou Diarra is a possibility to make it back in to the squad after a knee issue but Bryan Ruiz is a doubt to feature after picking up a groin injury whilst on international duty.

Stephen Ireland will be amongst the Villa team after he suffered a broken wrist that kept him out of action for three games. Joe Bennett has recovered from a gashed leg so he is likely to retain his place in the starting 11 but Ciaran Clark a minor doubt because of injury.

Paul Lambert has so far endured a frustrating start to his first campaign in charge after he took over from Alex Mcleish. They are currently in 16^th position, two points above the relegation zone. Reading, who are in 18^th, have a game in hand on them as well. In 22 league matches between these two sides, Fulham have only won three. They have all come at Craven Cottage as well so they’ll hope they can add to that poor total. Despite the unsatisfactory record, the Cottagers will be optimistic because they have started much better than their opponents.

Villa have gained 5 points from a possible 21 in their first seven league games. This is their poorest start to a campaign since the season of 1986-87 when they were actually relegated. They haven’t won in their last 12 away matches in the Premier League.

An interesting fact regarding Fulham is that only Barcelona have a better shooting accuracy than them across the top five divisions in Europe. Barcelona have 66.7% to Fulham’s 63.5%.

Fulham definitely appear to be the favourites for this match.

Liverpool vs. Reading, 3pm

Difficult is probably the most appropriate word to describe Brendan Rodgers’ start as Liverpool manager. It hasn’t been a horrible beginning but they’ve continued to struggle in the league. With the signings of Fabio Borini, Joe Allen and Nuri Sahin there was a positive feeling about Anfield. Unfortunately Borini hasn’t quite reached his potential and expectation and it will be a while before we see it happen because the striker has been ruled out for three months with a broken foot. Their attacking options up front are very limited anyway but the absence of Borini has increased the concern about their lack of goal sources. Raheem Sterling has managed to make several appearances this season. He looks an absolutely brilliant player with good close control and rapid pace. At a tender age of 17, he has a lot of potential and is a huge prospect for Liverpool. There’s no doubt that he will be featuring for the England first team in the future once he has gained sufficient experience.

Reading haven’t had a great start to the Premier League and they’re still in search of their first league win. Anfield isn’t the easiest place to get those first three points. There have been encouraging signs for Brian McDermott but they’re eager to find a win. Realistically, they should have had it by now but they let a 2 goal lead slip away at Swansea City and had to settle for a draw. They were also denied a win by Newcastle at the Madjeski stadium when Demba Ba rescued a point for Alan Pardew’s side equalising in the 83^rd minute. The Royals will be hungry for success against Liverpool. Rodgers and McDermott know each other well. The two worked together at Reading earlier in Rodgers’ career and they have a fond friendship with each other. That will go out of the way when the match kicks off this afternoon.

Anfield is a tough venue to go and get a result but Liverpool’s record at home isn’t great. Last year, many sides took a point from Liverpool so Reading must go out fighting. Stoke City held them to a 0-0 draw before the international break and the Reds haven’t won there this season.

I am predicting that Liverpool will get their second win of the season though.

Manchester United vs. Stoke, 3pm

Manchester United will be looking to maintain their fine record against Stoke City. The Potters have failed to gain a point at Old Trafford since their promotion in 2008 and have only scored one goal which came from Dean Whitehead in a 2-1 defeat two seasons ago. Stoke have only lost one game this season and that came against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Last time out they managed to hold Liverpool to a goalless draw and will take plenty of positives from that result. So far, Stoke have done well against the top sides. Other than the Chelsea defeat, Stoke have drawn 0-0 with Arsenal and held league champions Manchester City to a 1-1 draw both at the Britannia Stadium.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have already lost two games this season. They were defeated 1-0 against Everton in their first game of the season and they also lost 3-2 to Tottenham. Performances haven’t been fantastic but summer signing Robin Van Persie has been in fine form and hasn’t struggled at all to score goals for his new club. United go in to this fixture after a comfortable 3-0 win against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park which is a very difficult place to go even for the likes of Manchester United.

Ashley Young will be back for the home side after missing two months with a knee injury. Chris Smalling is still not ready to make his first appearance of the season as he recovers from a broken foot which he sustained in a pre-season friendly.

Andy Wilkinson is back from suspension for Stoke but Glenn Whelan will face a late fitness test on a problem with his hamstring. Michael Owen will return to his former club who released him last season but after an injury which prevented him from featuring at another one of his former clubs Liverpool, he is likely to be on the bench.

Peter Crouch may make his 300^th Premier League appearance. Stoke haven’t won at Old Trafford since April 1976. Javier Hernandez and Robin Van Persie have good scoring statistics against Stoke. Chicharito, as he is commonly known, has scored four goals in four games against Stoke whilst the Flying Dutchman, Van Persie, has hit the back of the net six times against Stoke in the Premier league which includes a goal in each of the last four meetings.

With United’s reassuring record against Tony Pulis’ side, this should be a routine victory for the 19 times league winners but Stoke will battle and their resilience in defence could be essential to them getting anything this afternoon.

Swansea City vs. Wigan Athletic, 3pm

Swansea City take on Wigan Athletic at the Liberty Stadium this afternoon with the home side looking to regain the form they were in at the very beginning of the season. The Latics are without a win in their last three league games.

Kerry Agustien is in contention for the Swans after a calf injury has kept him out of football. Neil Taylor will most certainly not be featuring and is expected to be out for a long time.

Wigan will be missing Antolin Alcaraz with a groin injury and Albert Crusat, who has a problem with his knee. Maynor Figueroa and Jean Beausejour will be monitored as they went on long trips with their international countries Honduras and Chile respectively.

The last two matches with these teams have ended without any goals. It could be an interesting game with both sides in need of three points. With Swansea at home, they’re likely to get back to winning ways and end their poor run of form.  Swansea are okay in 11^th place but Wigan are lower down in 15^th so this will be an interesting contest.

West Bromwich Albion vs. Manchester City, 3pm

Steve Clarke’s West Brom side take on league winners Manchester City at the Hawthorns with the Baggies proving to be the surprise package of the season so far. They have been playing excellent football and have gained fantastic results. A 3-0 win against Liverpool at the start of the season was no fluke. Their only defeat was a 3-0 loss to Fulham. They held Tottenham at White Hart Lane and have looked like a threatening force.

Manchester City are unbeaten this season but have failed to match the pace of Chelsea. They are third, behind Man United due to an inferior goal difference by 1. They’ll be looking to keep the pressure on Chelsea and continue pushing Manchester United as they fight for second place.

Although Romelu Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea, missed Belgium’s 2-0 win over Scotland with an ankle problem, he is set to feature for West Brom. Youssouf Mulumbu is injured after international duty and is doubtful to play today. Jerome Thomas is still not fit after undergoing an operation on his knee.

David Silva injured his hamstring whilst playing for Spain and Jack Rodwell was injured playing on international duty. Maicon and Javi Garcia are also on the sidelines.

Man City have won just one of their last five visits to West Bromwich but Albion have failed to score in their last four games City. Again, this should be an entertaining match and West Brom will fancy their chances of pulling off a great result here. City must approach this game professionally and come away with three points to avoid falling behind the top two in the table.

West Ham vs. Southampton, 3pm

This is a match between two of the promoted sides from the npower Championship. These are the sort of games that, as a promoted side, you look to win because you’re against teams around you. It’s great when you pull off a shock win against a top team but if a side isn’t taking points off clubs in similar positions then relegation is an extreme likelihood. West Ham have started reasonably well. The Hammers have lost two games so far which were against Swansea City and in their last match against Arsenal. With 11 points from 7 games Sam Allardyce’s men are positioned nicely in 8^th. Southampton struggled at the beginning of the season. They came close to beating Manchester City, who recovered from 2-1 down to win 3-2, in their opening fixture. Their only win came in a 4-1 thrashing of Aston Villa. At times, there were calls that Nigel Adkins could get sacked which was absolutely ridiculous. When you’re new to this league, you have to be patient and give the manager time so those rumours, if true, were totally unfair and ludicrous.

Winston Reid and Guy  Demel are both facing fitness tests on respective back and thigh injuries. Ricardo Vaz Te is expected to be out for three months after surgery on a dislocated shoulder.

For Southampton, they will be missing Gaston Ramirez for at least a month because of a dead leg issue which came about before the break for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Danny Butterfield, Jack Cork, Tadanari Lee and Frazer Richardson are all out for the Saints but Nathaniel Clyne could make a return for the visitors.

In the Championship, Southampton beat West Ham 1-0 at the St. Mary’s stadium and drew 1-1 at Upton Park. This will be a hugely significant game for both teams and one where I think West Ham will edge it to take the win on home soil.

Norwich vs. Arsenal, 5.30pm 

In the evening kick off Chris Hughton’s Norwich side face Arsenal at Carrow Road. Arsenal headed in to the break with a 3-1 victory against West Ham whilst Norwich conceded 9 goals in their last two games, against Chelsea and Liverpool. Norwich have failed to win so far this season and the chances of it finally coming against Arsenal are slim. Their form has been poor and mistakes have been made regularly. Arsenal have managed to get victories under their belt after a mediocre start to the campaign highlighting the absence of Robin Van Persie. Olivier Giroud has finally got his first goals for the club and Theo Walcott looks dangerous when going forward. Santi Cazorla has proved to be a worthwhile addition to the squad as well.

The great news for Arsenal and England fans is that Jack Wilshere could make his first appearance for Arsenal in 17 months. This will be a huge boost for his club and country but mainly himself. It has been a very long period and he’ll be chuffed to be back in the side. Kieran Gibbs is out with a thigh strain and Laurent Koscielny also misses out along with Theo Walcott who was injured against San Marino in England’s 5-0 win.

Robert Snodgrass could overcome an ankle injury which he picked up playing for Scotland. Steven Whittaker is still not ready to come back from his ankle injury.

This will be a tough game for Norwich and as much as they need a win, it’s hard to see them beating Arsenal. If the crowd give them a loud backing then they may be inspired to go on and win. Arsenal should take the points back to North London though and then look to build on that.

 

Capello resigns as England manager

Fabio Capello has resigned as England manager during a meeting with the Football Association today. This follows the decision to strip John Terry of the captaincy prior to a court’s decision on Terry’s alleged racist comments towards QPR’s Anton Ferdinand (brother of former England captain and Manchester United defender Rio) during a Premier League match last October against Chelsea at Loftus Road.

Capello-Resigned from England job.

The meeting took place in the aftermath of comments made by the England coach regarding the Terry issue as he claimed they shouldn’t have taken the armband off him as he hasn’t been proven guilty yet. Capello’s views were widely publicised in the media and resulted in a lot of speculation about the future of the Italian manager and John Terry. Capello guided England to comfortable qualification to the European Championships last year when the Three Lions secured the point they needed to qualify against Montenegro. There has been much optimism about England’s chances of having success in Poland and Ukraine.

It was Capello who originally took the captaincy off Terry after off the pitch events surrounding his personal life. However, the former Real Madrid coach reinstated Terry as captain a year after the initial decision. Rio Ferdinand was the man who filled this vacancy in between but when it came to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, he was injured during training in a collision with Emile Heskey and unfortunately missed the tournament. Steven Gerrard took his place as captain for the competition; one that England failed to deliver in going out to Germany in the first knockout round after just about managing to get there through the group stages.  Ferdinand has already ruled himself out of replacing Terry as captain.

Is the 'Special One' up for the role?

Many believe Capello was wrong to make Terry captain again in the first place and his recent outburst had already led to rumours about his future. Although it is clear to understand Capello’s views that Terry is innocent until proven guilty, he probably should have expressed his feelings privately to the FA rather than through the media that’s resulted in all of the coverage surrounding the matter. Had Capello thought about his ways of letting his opinion be known, the outcome may not have been what it is.

Is this bad timing with the Euro’s not that far away?  Well, it’s not the best but it’s early enough to employ a new manager and there is sufficient time for the FA to deliberate possible candidates and evaluate the managers that match their criteria.

Surely there has to be an English manager now. Although Capello has a remarkable managerial record, his Italian roots would surely lead to less passion for the England team to be successful. He’s the highest paid manager in the world. Would failure have really bothered him that much? The fact of his resignation obviously shows he isn’t truly committed to the cause and his relations with the FA aren’t as strong anymore.  An English manager would be someone who had desire for the team and genuinely wanted to guide their country to victory. Of course the FA can’t choose any English manager just on the basis of their nationality; there has to be someone who has all of the other qualities required to be a managerat international level. Experience, confidence, tactical intelligence and a leader who is inspirational is what this job needs.

Redknapp is surely up for consideration.

Harry Redknapp certainly possesses these attributes and must be one of the top choices for the job. With him being found innocent of tax evasion charges then nothing really stands in his way other than his club. Jose Mourinho, although not English, has won trophies everywhere he’s been and has already stated his intention to return to England as he prepares to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season. He may have said he wanted a return to the Premier League, but the England job may also attract him. One thing for sure is that there will be plenty of Tottenham fans worried in the outbreak of this story. Spurs showed their reluctance to lose Luka Modric when he was wanted by Chelsea in the summer transfer window last year-they will be more reluctant to lose their manager, and will want a lot of compensation if he is to leave for this momentous job. 

There is still a decison needed to be made on the next captain of England.

Only time will tell who will be the next England manager.

Premier league Review

Manchester United thrashed Wigan Athletic  5-0 at Old Trafford with Dimitar Berbatov claiming a hat-trick; a victory that drew them level on points with Manchester City, who only managed a goalless draw at West Brom,  at the top of the table and also reduced the goal difference between the two sides to 5 goals. United remain in second position but those who have wrote off United since the 6-1 defeat to their massive rivals may be thinking again about the outcome of the Premier League title race. Liverpool dropped more points at home to end a difficult week for the club; a 0-0 draw with Wigan midweek followed the FA’s confirmation of an eight match ban for Luis Suarez after he was found guilty of racial abuse towards Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and the Reds drew 1-1 with struggling Blackburn Rovers. Newcastle United ended a difficult period of bad results with a 2-0 win at the Reebok Stadium against Bolton whilst Fulham earned a valuable point away at Chelsea. Arsenal didn't take the chance to go above Chelsea as they drew with Wolves, QPR held Swansea for a draw and Spurs went four points clear of Chelsea as they defeated Norwich 2-0.

Berbatov on form for United

Manchester United ran out comfortable winners against an on form Wigan who have had a good string of results lately. But Man United were in no mood to allow this form to continue. A hat-trick from Dimitar Berbatov including a penalty along with a goal each from Ji-Sung Park and Antonio Valencia who hit a delightful strike against his former club. Wigan had Sammon sent off in the first half which bemused Roberto Martinez but Wigan now look to turn things around against Stoke on New Year's Eve.

 At the Hawthorns a resilient West Brom held the league leaders Man City to a 0-0 draw which certainly frustrated Roberto Mancini as this allowed Man United to reach the same amount of points as City but the blue side of Manchester are still superior on goal difference. However, two 5-0 victories for the Red Devils against Fulham and Wigan have certainly been helpful in reducing the difference from their rivals.

 At the Reebok Stadium it was a contest between two sides desperate for a win. Bolton were confident after their 2-1 victory away at Blackburn on Tuesday night whereas Newcastle were coming in on the back of a 3-2 defeat at home to West Brom. However, it was the visitors who claimed the 3 points as goals from Hatem Ben Arfa and Demba Ba both in the second half ensured a 2-0 victory for the Magpies to get them back to winning ways.

 Liverpool dropped points at home to a Blackburn Rovers side rooted to the bottom of the table and they had to come from behind as Charlie Adam scored an own goal on the brink of half-time to make it 1-0 to Rovers. In the second half Liverpool needed to come out and after unconvincing performances recently, they had to go for the win. They got themselves back in the game through an equaliser from Maxi Rodriguez in the 53^rd minute. Goalkeeper Bunn made some important saves in the latter stages of the game to deny Liverpool a winner and meant that the under pressure Steve Kean had something to smile about before his team face another daunting away trip; this time to Old Trafford against Manchester United to end the year.

Dempsey celebrates his equaliser

Chelsea did not build on an excellent second half performance and result against Spurs on Thursday as they had to settle for a draw against their West London rivals Fulham. Despite Juan Mata giving the home side the lead in the second half, USA international Clint Dempsey grabbed a precious goal to give Fulham a point as they looked to recover from their 5-0 defeat to Man United earlier in the week. Andre Villas-Boas reflected on the result and concluded that it would be difficult to win the title after the draw.

 Sunderland drew 1-1 with Everton at the Stadium of Light with Martin O’Neill’s side taking the lead with Jack Colback getting his first goal for the club making it 1-0 midway through the first half. Six minutes in to the second half and a penalty was awarded to Everton after referee Howard Webb assumed Leon Osman had been tripped inside the box. However, replays show that this was a very controversial decision as Osman had merely lost balance and caught himself causing him to go down. Leighton Baines stepped up and converted and the game finished that way at 1-1. Martin O’Neill was understandably infuriated and David Moyes admitted that it should not have been a penalty for his side.

 Stoke City drew with their opponents Aston Villa with the result being 0-0 at the Britannia Stadium in the live evening fixture. Villa thoroughly deserved a point at a difficult place to visit but Stoke never really sparked and failed to conjure up fluent attacks. There were a few occasions when they looked dangerous but they found it difficult to get through a strong, disciplined Villa defence.  Substitute Nathan Delfouneso also came very near to scoring when Gabriel Agbonlahor used his pace to get the ball and play it across evading Huth with Delfouneso getting the touch but Thomas Sorensen made an excellent stop to concede a corner.  Stoke came closest when a corner found Marc Wilson who’s header struck the underside of the bar and bounced back down the chest of Agbonlahor on the line and was cleared. Replays show that not the whole of the ball was over the line and Agbonlahor didn’t handle it when it came down from the bar so it wasn’t a goal or penalty.

Hennessey making an important save to deny Vermaelen

Arsenal missed out on the opportunity to climb in to the top four as they didn’t capitalise on Chelsea’s dropped points by drawing 1-1 with Wolves at the Emirates Stadium. Gervinho gave the Gunners a 1-0 lead inside the first 10 minutes but Wolves equalised through Steven Fletcher who headed home from a Stephen Hunt effort before half-time. A remarkable display from Wayne Hennessey in the Wolves goal ensured Wolves took a point from this fixture. Wolves had Milijas sent off harshly after he appeared to win the ball when going into a challenge with Mikel Arteta.

 At the Liberty Stadium, Swansea drew 1-1 with QPR with the visitors goal being just the third goal Swansea have conceded at home; quite an impressive record so far. Danny Graham gave the Swans the lead and there were appeals for handball when the striker controlled it but the referee allowed the goal to stand. In the second half QPR came back stronger with Joey Barton forcing Michel Vorm into a fine save from long range and before Jamie Mackie equalised in the 58^th minute. The game ended level with a point each that was beneficial for Neil Warnock’s side to steer away from danger.They're now 3 points above the relegation zone.

Bale gets his second goal of the night

 In the evening game, Norwich played high flying Spurs and Gareth Bale inspired a 2-0 victory scoring both goals. Norwich had done well in the first half, it was 0-0 at half-time but Spurs came to life in the second half and Emmanuel Adebayor had good feet to set up Bale inside the box to put it past John Ruddy for the first goal. It was more class from Bale for the second goal as he went on a long run charging through the Norwich defence and he delicately chipped the ball over Ruddy across the line to give Spurs a 2-0 lead and virtually kill the game off.

Barclays Premier League Review

Manchester United celebrated Sir Alex Ferguson's 25th anniversary in charge of the club with a 1-0 victory over Sunderland whilst Man City maintained their 5 point lead at the top with a narrow victory over QPR and there were wins for Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle but Liverpool were held to a goalless draw with Swansea City at Anfield.




Heitinga puts it in his own net.

 

The lunchtime kick off saw in-form Newcastle United take on David Moyes' Everton side at St James' Park. The Magpies are still unbeaten this season after an excellent 3-1 victory against Stoke City last Monday night. It was the home side who took the lead when a low cross in from the right hand side by Danny Simpson was put in by Everton defender John Heitinga gifting Alan Pardew's men the lead. The lead was doubled when Ryan Taylor hit a wonderful volley beyond Tim Howard's reach to come in off the bar and make it 2-0 to the home team. Everton got themselves back in the game when Jack Rodwell pulled one back at the very end of the first half. There were shouts for a penalty in the second half when Louis Saha's shot was deflected and appeared to strike the arm of former Everton player Dan Gosling but no penalty was given. It should have been a spot kick but the referee had his view blocked by another Newcastle defender. It finished 2-1 in the end and Newcastle went up to second in the Premier League albeit temporarily.




Guard of Honour for Sir Alex Ferguson.



It was a day of celebration at Old Trafford as Sir Alex Ferguson marked 2 years in charge of Manchester United; an incredible record of achievement and consistency at the highest level with one of the greatest teams ever. He walked onto the pitch to be greeted by a guard of honour by his own team and Sunderland as well as being presented on the pitch with the North Stand being renamed the 'Sir Alex Ferguson' stand in tribute to the Scotsman. A statue will also be placed outside of this stand in the near future. In to the action and it was a former United player, Wes Brown, who headed in to his own net. Brown didn't have a great view and was unfortunate in this scenario. Sunderland created their own chances but didn't take them and Westwood was forced into some remarkable saves including a double one with shots from Rooney and Evra coming close. United held on and closed the gap to just 2 points from Man City even if it was only for a couple of hours.

Man City were at Loftus Road in the evening kick off, but it was QPR who started the better with numerous attacks and Bothroyd eventually giving them the lead with a wonderful header. It could have been a lot more for QPR who hit the post and came close on several occasions. They didn't finish off these chances and Edin Dzeko snatched an equaliser at the end of the first half with a nice finish which was unfortunate for Rangers who really took the game to City. In the second half, Mancini's team went into the lead as David Silva took a great touch away from the defence and claimed his 4th goal of the season giving the visitors a 2-1 lead. QPR came back though despite some testing shots from Sergio Aguero and they equalised when the ball found Bothroyd in the air who headed it against his team mate Helguson and it went into the net. The Man City players complained that Helguson was offside but replays show that Stefan Savic was keeping Helguson onside so the linesman made a great decision in that respect. Man City came back once more though and regained their lead when Yaya Toure, who scored two in the midweek Champions League win over Villareal, headed home for the third to secure the victory. Man City remain 5 points ahead at the top, QPR are in 12th after a very courageous and defiant display that probably meant they deserved at least a point.

Arsenal ran out comfortable 3-0 winners against West Brom with goals from Robin Van Persie, Thomas Vermaelen and Mikel Arteta ensuring the 3 points for an Arsenal side who have revived in recent weeks after their shocking start to the campaign. Mikel Arteta's goal was finished off nicely by the Spaniard after a good team move. Arsenal are now in 7th place and certainly needed this win after the 0-0 draw with Marseille in the Champions League last week.

Chelsea recovered from their recent woes in the Premier League as they recorded a 1-0 victory over struggling Blackburn courtesy of a great header from Frank Lampard. It wasn't an easy game for Andre Villas-Boas as Cech was forced into making some essential saves and also took a knock that required treatment. Chelsea stay in 4th with that win whilst Blackburn remain in the relegation zone.

There was a thriller at Villa as Norwich City travelled to Villa Park and it was the away team that took the lead through a wonderful free-kick from Pilkington with 25 minutes gone but Bent equalised 5 minutes later before Villa took the lead in the second half through Gabriel Agbonlahor to make it 2-1. Darren Bent then got a second to give Villa a 3-1 lead before Steve Morison pulled one back with over 10 minutes left creating a very tense end but the home side held onto all 3 points taking them above Norwich and into 8th place.

Swansea City earned a remarkable point away at Anfield with a fantastic performance in a game where they also had chances too. Michel Vorm was the hero for Swansea denying Liverpool on a countless number of times. Liverpool attacked and attacked but they couldn't find a goal. Swansea also had chances too and they came close to causing a huge upset against the Reds. Dirk Kuyt had a goal disallowed for offside and this was an excellent decision by lineswoman Sian Massey who correctly ruled the goal out. Swansea held on for a famous point and will be very pleased by their performance that will give them a major confidence boost. Especially as they take on Manchester United at home in their next Premier League fixture.

Premier League results

Arsenal 3-0 West Bromwich Albion

Aston Villa 3-2 Norwich City

Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Chelsea

Liverpool 0-0 Swansea City
Manchester United 1-0 Sunderland

Newcastle United 2-1 Everton

Queens Park Rangers 2-3 Manchester City

Sunday's Fixtures

Bolton Wanderers v Stoke City

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Wigan Athletic (Sky Sports 1, 1.30pm)

Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur (Sky Sports 1, 4pm)



npower League 2 review

In another big weekend in League 2 Southend United went 2 points clear at the top as Crawley and Morecambe were held to draws in their respective matches but there were wins for both Cheltenham Town and Shrewsbury Town away from home.

Southend United were at home to an Oxford United side who are certainly fighting at the top end of the table and earning important results so this was one of the big games in League 2. Mark Phillips gave the home side the lead at half-time but Oxford replied in the second half through Damian Batt making it 1-1 but Ryan Hall's 25 yard effort that gave Southend a 2-1 lead proved to be the winner as the Shrimpers picked up maxium points to keep them at the peak of League 2.

Shrewsbury Town were in need of a victory after their 0-0 draw at home to AFC Wimbledon last week and they were up against a struggling Dagenham side at the wrong end of the table. Both sides were reduced to 10 men in this game. James Wallace, who signed on loan from Everton midweek, was sent off for Shrewsbury after lunging in on Jon Nurse. Terry Gornell gave the visitors the lead in the 6th minute capitalising on a mistake from Dagenham's Richard Rose. The game was decided in injury time when Graham Turner's men were awarded a penalty after Scott Doe fouled James Collins and was consequently sent off. It was Collins who took the penalty and put it away to seal the 3 points for Town who move up to 4th with that away victory.

Cheltenham continued their surge into the automatic promotion places with a 1-0 victory at Bradford City; Kaid Mohammed's 15 yard strike being the only goal of the game to take Cheltenham up to third.

Morecambe and Crawley Town had to settle for draws as Morecambe drew 1-1 with Plymouth Argyle and it could have been worse for John Coleman's side who were 1-0 down to Plymouth courtesy of Simon Walton. However, in the 4th minute of injury time, Nick Fenton scored a very late equaliser to rescue a point for the visitors. Crawley finished 1-1 with Hereford United at Edgar Street. It was Hereford who took the lead early on through Barkhuizen but Drury levelled for Crawley before half-time and the Red Devils are now unbeaten in 9 games and lie second in League 2 behind Southend.

Despite Dagenham's defeat they remain above the relegation zone on goal difference as Barnet drew 1-1 with AFC Wimbledon keeping them in the bottom two along with Plymouth Argyle.

League 2 Results:

Accrington Stanley 2-1 Bristol Rovers
AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Barnet FC
Bradford City  0-1 Cheltenham Town
Burton Albion 1-0 Macclesfield
Crewe Alexandra 0-3 Torquay United
Dagenham and Redbridge 0-2 Shrewsbury Town
Gillingham 4-3 Northampton Town
Hereford United 1-1 Crawley Town
Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Morecambe
Port Vale 0-2 Swindon Town
Rotherham United 2-0 Aldershot
Southend United 2-1 Oxford United