Reuters Football - Premier League

London Games were "value for money" - watchdog

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 23:43:31 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Public funding of nine billion pounds for the London Olympics was money well spent after a successful Games, the National Audit Office (NAO) said in a report on Wednesday.

Money talks for PSG, Man City count cost of exit

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 23:06:02 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Big-spending Paris St Germain, struggling to deliver domestically on a huge investment by Qatari owners, showed they mean business in the Champions League by winning Group A at Porto's expense on Tuesday.

Man City dealt final blow in Dortmund

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 22:19:05 GMT

Schieber, starting only his second game for the club, slid home Jakub Blaszczykowski's cross as the English champions again looked out of their depth at European level.

Schalke's draw at Montpellier enough to secure top spot

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 22:07:03 GMT

The Germans, who were assured of their passage into the last 16 before kickoff, opened the scoring through Benedikt Hoewedes 11 minutes into the second half but Emanuel Herrera equalised three minutes later.

Arsenal denied top spot after defeat at Olympiakos

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:24:50 GMT

ATHENS (Reuters) - Arsenal missed out on the chance to finish top of Champions League Group B after surrendering the lead to lose 2-1 at Olympiakos Piraeus on Tuesday.

Chelsea sign young Brazilian defender Wallace

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:40:12 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea have agreed terms with Brazil's Fluminense for the transfer of 18-year-old defender Wallace, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.

Benitez confident Shakhtar can do Chelsea a favour

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 13:34:55 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea's under-fire manager Rafael Benitez believes Shakhtar Donetsk can beat Juventus on Wednesday and open an escape hatch for his side to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

Bale is a diamond not a diver, says Ginola

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 12:07:29 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur's Welsh winger Gareth Bale is a 'diamond' who should be protected rather than branded a diver, according to the club's former wide man David Ginola.

Vidic may face Cluj as Ferguson does 'the right thing'

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 10:42:00 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Manchester United will "do the right thing" and field a strong line-up in their final Champions League Group H clash against CFR Cluj on Wednesday, with Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic likely to make a timely return from injury, manager Alex Ferguson said on Tuesday.

Corinthians fans set off fireworks and jam airport roads

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 08:06:06 GMT

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Some 15,000 Corinthians supporters waved banners, set off fireworks and blocked access roads at Sao Paulo's main airport as they gave their team a rousing sendoff on their way to Football's Club World Cup in Japan.

Arsenal have problems but I can fix it, says Wenger

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 02:31:30 GMT

(Reuters) - Languishing mid-table, outplayed by teams he would fully expect to beat and with fans loudly questioning his judgement, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger concedes his side have problems but is adamant he is the man to fix them.

Pardew hails Gael's "Bigi" impact

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 02:14:13 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew hailed the impact of goalscorer Gael Bigirimana in their 3-0 win over Wigan on Monday but said the Burundi-born 19-year-old should not even be in the first team yet.

Benitez seeks unlikely salvation in Champions League

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 22:56:05 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Rafael Benitez made scuppering Chelsea's Champions League hopes a pastime when he was at Liverpool but on Wednesday he has the chance to preside over an unlikely rescue act at Stamford Bridge.

Ba double leads Newcastle to victory over 10-man Wigan

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 18:51:33 GMT

The Senegal striker's double blast took his tally to 10 league goals this season, putting him level with joint top scorers Robin van Persie of Manchester United, Luis Suarez of Liverpool and Swansea City's Michu.

Man City's Silva to miss Dortmund match

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:01:12 GMT

"It's a hamstring. We don't know if he can recover for the derby. We will try," City manager Roberto Mancini was quoted as saying by the Sky Sports website (www.skysports.com).

Arsenal rest six for Olympiakos in bid to avoid fatigue

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 14:08:03 GMT

Midfielders Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta, forwards Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott as well as defender Per Mertesacker were all missing from Arsenal's 18-man squad named to travel to Greece for Tuesday's match.

Chelsea deny reports linking Avram Grant return

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 09:21:29 GMT

Newspaper reports suggested the club's Russian owner Roman Abramovich was second guessing his decision to bring in Spaniard Benitez after Roberto Di Matteo was sacked in late November.

Zenit's Kerzhakov to miss AC Milan match

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 02:45:37 GMT

ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) - Zenit St Petersburg's Alexander Kerzhakov will miss their final Champions League Group C match at AC Milan on Tuesday with a leg injury.

Velez win ninth league title with match to spare

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 02:08:49 GMT

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Top-scorer Facundo Ferreyra struck twice to give Velez Sarsfield a 2-0 home win over Union which clinched Argentina's "Inicial" championship on Sunday.

Man City seek crumbs of comfort in Dortmund

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 02:01:03 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - It was never meant to be like this for Manchester City. England's best team entered the Champions League in September full of hope but on Tuesday they travel to Borussia Dortmund with only a consolation prize on offer.

Ancelotti warns PSG ahead of Porto tie

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 23:28:12 GMT

PARIS (Reuters) - Paris St Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti warned his players to get their act together as he prepared for Tuesday's Champions League Group A finale at home to Porto.

McDowell holds off Bradley to win World Challenge

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:49:05 GMT

THOUSAND OAKS, California (Reuters) - Graeme McDowell continued his love affair with California by winning for the first time in two years when he held off playing partner Keegan Bradley to clinch the World Challenge by three shots on Sunday.

Benitez unclear on Lampard and Cole futures

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:55:40 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea's interim manager Rafael Benitez has clarified remarks he made last month about the futures of Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole after having appeared to suggest both would leave at the end of the season.

Gritty Norwich sink Sunderland to stretch unbeaten run

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:46:53 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Norwich City extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to eight games with a gritty 2-1 home victory over struggling Sunderland at Carrow Road on Sunday.

MLS growth about much more than "Brand Beckham"

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 16:52:43 GMT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Major League Soccer waved goodbye to David Beckham on Saturday but while the praise for his impact on the game in the U.S. is genuine, the lasting progress made in the past six years has little to do with the Englishman's appeal.