City of Manchester Stadium

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2ND

Kick Off 19.45 (GMT)

MAN CITY 3 v 0 ARSENAL FC

Carlos Tevez , Shaun Wright Phillips , Vladimir Weiss

TEAM LINE UPS:

Manchester City:

Given, Richards, Toure, Lescott, Bridge, Barry, Ireland, Wright-Phillips (Weiss 77), Tevez (Kompany 74), Bellamy, Adebayor.

Unused subs:

Taylor, Onuoha, Johnson, Santa Cruz, Robinho.

Bookings:

Bellamy (83)

Arsenal:

Fabianski, Eboue, Silvestre, Song, Traore, Rosicky, Eastmond (Watt 68), Ramsey, Vela, Merida, Wilshere.

Unused subs:

Mannone, Bartley, Coquelin, Frimpong, Gilbert, Randall.

Bookings:

Traore (37), Eastmond (38), Silvestre (57), Wilshere (76), Song (78), Ramsey (81

Referee- C J Foy (Merseyside)

FIRST HALF

Mark Hughes picked a thoroughly frustrated and full strength Manchester City side after a run of seven straight Premier League defeats. Arsene Wenger on the other hand stayed with the young Arsenal side that had made its way impressively to the Quarters.

City were out of the traps quicker than Vanessa Phelps at a free buffet and Arsenals young guns struggled to gain any sort of foothold in the game.

If it hadn’t been for the linesman’s flag and the ill-timed runs of Craig Bellamy the Citizens could have finished the game inside the first twenty minutes.

It was like an experienced pro bull rushing the talented but naïve hotshot as the Blues pressed high up the pitch pressuring the Arsenal midfield into giving the ball away far too cheaply.

What didn’t help was the fact that the Gunner’s back line was defending higher up than a Posh Spice mini-skirt.

Carlos Tevez and Shaun Wright-Phillips were the chief tormentors as they bamboozled the Gunners with their pace, directness and work ethic.

Time and time again Wright Phillips had the beating of the isolated Traore and it wasn’t long before the young fullback received a yellow for his troubles.

The Blues had chances through Bellamy, Tevez and Shaun Wright Phillips and Vela put the bar over the bar for Arsenal before the referee brought the first half to a goalless end.

SECOND HALF

The second period began at breakneck speed and it was’nt long before the home side took the lead. After good work by Bellamy on the left , Rosicky was pressured into losing the ball. The grateful Tevez cut in from the left wing, beat two defenders and smashed the ball into the net of the bar. Fabianski was this time helpless and it was a quality goal to open up the game.

If the first goal was quality then the second was world class, as Wright Phillips cut in from the right to fire a laser-guided missile into the top left hand corner. It was a wonderful goal and it broke he hearts of the young guns of Arsenal.

The score line could and should have been more after a couple more chances from Bellamy went astray and City were perhaps guilty of not putting a gloss on the final score.

Then Bellamy cut in between two Arsenal defenders and raced into the penalty area before squaring a perfect pass to the onrushing Weiss to smash into the net. It was a debut goal for the young Slovakian who has impressed every time he has been given the opportunity this year.

There was still time for Arsenal to equalize, after all this is City we are talking about, u they were saved by the woodwork after Mareda had beaten Given for the first time in the match.

The whistle was blown to put the young gun out of their misery and Hughes went to shake Wenger’s hand only that find that the Frenchman had childishly already left the dugout. Maybe it was something about the six yellow cards his team had surprisingly received. Far from impressed,the Blues boss waved him down the tunnel much to the delight of the watching Citizens.

A first Semi-Final for City in twenty-eight years is something to shout about, but another golden opportunity to win some silverware for the talented North Londoners is not. When will they learn?

MAN OF THE MATCH: SHAUN WRIGHT PHILLIPS- Quite literally a pain in the Arse!

Manchester United are preparing their first attempt to try and sign a player using the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer cash. United are reportedly piecing together a bid for Inter Milan striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as they look to bring in a high profile target to replace their former Portuguese play maker.

United have been knocked by a lot of people in the game over the last two weeks or so because of their failure to move in securing the signatures of a lot of influential players who are all moving to Spain. They have just missed out on signing Karim Benzema from Lyon and Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich looks set to follow his fellow Frenchman to Real Madrid.

There is no dancing around the fact that United need a big and high calibre striker, as they are short up front. The arrival of Michael Owen at Old Trafford was nothing more than a stop gap move and they were always going to be linked with a big name player sooner or later. United are going to need a big player that has the ability to change a game instantly and someone that can bring other people into a match just by his presence at the top of the pitch.

Whether Ibrahimovic is the right person for United is highly debatable. Sir Alex Ferguson clearly rates the six-foot plus tall Swede but a lot of pundits would call it a bad move as he rarely turns up in a lot of big games. Furthermore he is well liked by Jose Mourinho who will be incredibly reluctant to let the player leave unless it is in a huge deal.

This is a deal that probably wouldn’t justify the player and United could well be better off looking at other options. The English champions still have a lot of time before the next season starts and they should not panic about trying to find a striker to lead their attack in the coming campaign.

It is easy to see why United may be interested in such a player because he does have a lot going for him. He is tall and very quick on his feet for a player of his height. United will need a big target man up front as they will not now be able to play their slick and aggressive passing football as Ronaldo was so integral to the success of this style of play.

Although a lot of people have called Ibrahimovic quite selfish in the past a move to United and England could end up revitalising his career. The player has already hinted that he wants to move away from the Italian game, which apparently does not suit his style of play and is too slow. He would probably be quite grateful for a move to English football and would therefore be a good signing as United are going to need someone who will sweat blood for the side.

The point is however that a lot of people are supposedly telling Sir Alex Ferguson to steer clear of any bid he is considering making for him. He could get a lot more for his money and the Swedish front man has not really done enough to justify such a huge price tag.

In a football world that is becoming increasingly dominated by cash, Inter are clearly trying to make the most out of a bad situation and United need to keep their business heads on otherwise they could well end up being ripped off.

Ferguson will have a long list of targets and he needs to weigh up how important each one is to his United side. It is important to remember that Ferguson will probably now be considering reinventing his side as he lost two very influential players so far this summer in Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

Ferguson has a very good idea of where he wants to take the current side and if Ibrahimovic fits into this philosophy then United will be hard pushed to find someone to match his characteristics. However, they really do need to proceed with caution because the Swede can be very temperamental at times and United will need someone who can raise his level of performance consistently.

Ibrahimovic cannot always do this easily and on a consistent basis and many will say that this, equipped with his slight ego, are the two main reasons why Ferguson should not go any where near the player. It will be interesting to see how the move develops as United could do a lot better.

However, if they do sign one of the top scorers in the Italian leagues then they will have to work very hard in basing the team around him. Ibrahimovic does not strike the ordinary fan as a player that can adapt himself to a team and this will make United’s job a lot harder as they restructure to have another go at European and domestic success.

It is impossible to say at this moment in time whether it would be a gamble that pays off because the move has so many advantages and disadvantages. The money being talked about is a lot of cash in the current climate and United should only spend it if they are absolutely certain that this player is the person to help them move forward.

They may let the move go because the doubts are too big to ignore. Being the top scorer in Italy is totally different to being the top scorer in England where the league is a lot more difficult to play in.

Ibrahimovic is a player that relies on time on the ball and not being pressured in order to make space and bring other players into the side. These are things that he would not get in the Premier League and they are things that mean United may be better off in going for another target. I’m sure with this player that if Real Madrid came in and tried to poach him, United probably wouldn’t be too annoyed.

With former Anfield Ace Michael Owen having signed for Manchester United, plus Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano’s reluctance to commit to the club, Liverpool fans are suffering from a bad dose of treason this summer.

What a difference a year makes. Last summer, Rafael Benitez threw Alonso’s future at the club up in the air by going public with his pursuit of then Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry, with the Spaniard being touted for sale to fund the deal.

With Alonso coming very close to sealing a move to Juventus, both midfielders were part of a long transfer saga which was only exceeded by Real Madrid’s annual quest to prize Cristiano Ronaldo away from Old Trafford.

After Madrid finally landed the Portuguese star already this summer, attention has swung to the best of the rest of midfielders in the Premier League, and unfortunately for Liverpool, speculation continues to surround their Spanish-speaking central pair.

Both Barcelona and free-spending Madrid have made no secret of their desire to bring Argentine Mascherano and Alonso to La Liga respectively. But with neither player rebuff any proposal, loyalty issues once again arise.

There have been suggestions that Alonso has still not forgiven Benitez for his shabby treatment last summer, when the midfielder felt unwanted and unloved as he was almost forced into a move to Juventus. But a deal for Barry, who has since joined Manchester City, never materialised and Alonso stayed at Anfield and produced his finest displays in a Liverpool shirt to date last season.

Whilst some believe Alonso is within his right to hold a grudge against compatriot Benitez for his lack of faith, but in retrospect, his boss may have done him a favour.

Suppose it was not a lack of faith, but the kick up the behind Alonso well and truly needed. It’s easy to forget that the season prior to last summer, the Spanish midfielder had his poorest season in English football, scoring just two goals in an injury hit season.

Injuries are a part of the game players must be prepared to deal with mentally, and it appeared that Alonso lacked passion and determination upon returning from the serious metatarsal injury which disrupted his season. Determination is key to winning the hearts of Liverpool fans, just look at the much-loved Dirk Kuyt.

However, the point is, Alonso didn’t do himself justice in the 2007/08 season, and with Barry forming a formidable partnership with Steven Gerrard for England, Benitez saw the potential. Something had to give, and on the back of a poor season, the boss saw Alonso as a scapegoat towards landing Barry.

After neither move came about, Alonso started the season a Liverpool player again and signalled his intent to prove his worth early on with some ferocious displays and the fine form continued throughout the season as Liverpool totalled their highest points tally in their Premier League history.

Now the tides have turned, and it appears Alonso is the one in control of his destiny, as his performances last season have warranted interest from Europe’s most talked about club this summer. But before Alonso sets his sights on the Bernabeu, he should take a look back at last summer with thanks, rather than resentment for Benitez.

The Liverpool manager brought out the world class player in Alonso once again, as his determination returned while he vowed to prove his importance to the Liverpool team. If it wasn’t for the wake up call, Alonso could be plying his trade for the rather less glamorous Juventus, and he certainly wouldn’t have a £35m price tag which is reportedly the club’s minimum asking price.

As for Mascherano, the little Argentine has had his head easily turned by rumours of interest from European champions Barcelona. It’s little over two years since Benitez pounced to rescue the 25-year-old from his nightmare at West Ham.

The tough midfielder joined the Hammers with Carlos Tevez in 2006 and while his compatriot basked in the glory of almost single headedly saving the club from the drop, Mascherano was inexplicably left to rot in the reserves.

Benitez saw the bargain potential however, and duly snapped him up initially on loan before his incredible displays earned him an £18.6m move from his owners Media Sports Investments. Since then Mascherano has established himself as a genuine world class midfield performer, and it is little wonder that a club of Barcelona’s stature are attempting to sound out a switch.

The Argentine should be flattered, but no more. Should he knock on the manager’s door asking for permission to speak to the Catalan club, Benitez should give him a stark reminder of where he was in January 2007.

But where has the loyalty in football gone? Michael Owen stood with a huge grin on his face as he posed during his unveiling as a Manchester United player, seemingly without a care in the world of his illustrious past at Anfield.

He lost the hearts of some fans when he left the club for Madrid in 2004, but lost their respect for ever by signing that contract. Owen has turned his back on the club twice now, and if Alonso and Mascherano truly wish to go down as Liverpool legend in years to come, they should stop flirting with Europe’s elite and get back to perusing their rivals for that elusive Premier League title.

It’s a great sentiment Argentinean striker Carlos Tevez is trying to express but will Manchester United fans agree? Out of contract Tevez is being seriously eyed up by great rivals Manchester City and, by all accounts, he is about to make the move.

But Tevez has asked supporters not to turn against him when and if he hops across the city because he believes none of it is his fault. He’s quite right and it would be great if Manchester United fans agreed. Sadly, football isn’t so forgiving and Tevez can still expect plenty of aggravation as Manchester City square up to be a considerable force in the Premier League.

That’s not to say we can’t have sympathy in private for the plight in which Tevez has found himself. By all accounts, Sir Alex Ferguson told Tevez that he could not join Liverpool. Tevez can actually do what he wants, given he is out of contract with Manchester United and a totally free agent. But Tevez says he has greater respect for the Red Devils than to join their great rivals and would not do this to the fans.

The way things are going, Manchester City will soon replace Liverpool at the top of Manchester United’s hate list. The club is really going places now it has the cash backing and is slowly building a team to reckon with. At least manager Mark Hughes is thoroughly delighted with the progress being made.

He has his sights very firmly set on Tevez and on Samuel Eto’o and it’s likely we can expect an announcement on at least one of them in the next few days. Many Manchester United fans would have wanted Tevez to stay with them after he was offered a very late last-minute deal to remain at Old Trafford. By this time, however, it was too late. Tevez felt, and still feels, that he has been pushed out and has no choice but to leave.

He told a national Sunday newspaper; “If I have to play for Manchester City, I don’t think the United fans will feel I am a traitor. They have to remember that at least, as far as I know, I have been thrown out of the club and I have to study the best offers available. I gave everything to Manchester United. I don’t deserve the way things have ended up.”

Sadly, Mr Tevez, that’s life at Manchester United as many players before you have found out to their detriment. Fall out with Sir Alex Ferguson, and you will be shown the door, no matter how good you are on the pitch. Tevez felt aggrieved at his treatment and spoke to the press about it. Old Trafford stay over, even though there was a last-minute olive branch with the 25.5 million deal offer.

I’ve always liked watching Michael Owen play football, ever since he broke in years ago as a youngster. Who can forget his memorable goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup, which made him the youngest ever player and scorer for England at the time?

It seems that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson also remembers that goal and many others as he signed the now 29-year-old striker to a two-year contract on July 3rd.

Owen broke in the league with Liverpool as a 17 year old in 1996 and promptly scored 118 goals in 216 games for the reds, proving he knows where the net is. He has also proven time and time again that he can also score at the international level and looked to be well on his way to reaching Bobby Charlton’s record of 49 goals for England until injuries struck.

Owen now sits fourth all-time on the England scoring list with 40 goals in 89 games, 26 of them in competitive matches. He also played with Real Madrid and scored 13 league goals (18 total) in 2004-05, while it may not seem like a lot, Owen had the highest ratio of goals per-minutes played in La Liga. Let’s face it, he’s a natural scorer and has produced for every team he’s played for.

If newspaper reports are to believed, Owen’s contract will be heavily based on minutes played and goals scored. This is a good move by Ferguson, as it’s imperative that Owen stays healthy. He has been dogged over the past few years by various injuries, especially the hamstring, and that’s a big reason he has disappeared from the football radar screens, both domestically and nationally. Many fans and managers are under the assumption that he’s injury prone and/or he just isn’t that interested in playing for his pay cheque anymore. It seems to have gotten so bad that it’s rumoured only Hull and Stoke had shown any interest in signing him.

It didn’t cost Ferguson any transfer fee to sign Owen and with an incentive-laden contract he hasn’t really got anything to lose if Owen doesn’t produce or if he misses half the season through injury. It’s also unlikely that Owen will complain or sulk if he’s left on the subs bench the majority of the time, but then again it will be hard for him to hit the incentive levels if he isn’t given the chance to play.

Ferguson has painted himself into a corner slightly, by losing Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo. It also appears there’s no chance of United signing David Villa this season, so he needs to get goals from somewhere. Yes, United signed Antonio Valencia earlier in the week, but he’s only going to score a handful of goals for you at the most, he managed three last season.

Owen, on the other hand, had a dismal season health-wise and still managed to bang in 10 goals for relegated Newcastle. Many fans believe Owen has lost it, but he can still produce and his numbers prove that. A move to United should give him a lot of incentive and the right stage to prove the naysayers wrong. If he plays enough, I can honestly see Owen score more league goals than Tevez (5) managed last season, and even Berbatov (9) for that matter.

Owen has been snubbed by England lately, especially since Fabio Capello took over the reigns and scoring a few goals for the Premier League champions will hopefully make the Italian take notice of one of England’s best-ever goal scorers. If Emile Heskey can somehow inexplicably get recalled to England after years on the sidelines, I’m sure somebody should realize Michael Owen definitely deserves another chance.

Michael Owen is being lined up to join Manchester United. Although the club is refusing to comment on the speculation, it would be both the shock and the coup of the century. Of all the clubs touting for Owen, including Hull, Stoke, Everton and Aston Villa, Manchester United is probably the last place football would have been expecting him to land up. Rumours say Owen, 29, has already had tests on his knee and that he is about to undergo a full medical before the deal is finalised.

The scenario has been leaked to Sky Sports News which is a pretty reliable source for speculation which becomes a reality. Owen is out of contract with Newcastle United and failed to return for training with the Magpies. He struggled to find his form last season and spent a lot of time on the bench, despite his support for caretaker manager Alan Shearer whom, he believes, is the right man for the permanent job.

Owen’s career has also been hit by injury but Sir Alex Ferguson is said to be willing to take a chance on the striker. He is keen to bolster his attacking force following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. In his heyday, Owen would have been a worthy successor and could have brought some lightning speed, glamour and excitement to Manchester United. But though everyone suspects he can still regain his sparkle of yesteryear, it still seems a great shock that Sir Alex would put his faith in him.

In any event, is Manchester United the right club for Owen? Isn’t it a case of being thrown into the lions’ den? Football fans have been suggesting that Owen would be better off going to a club with lesser ambitions and become a big fish in a little sea rather than the other way round. Won’t he be swallowed up by the Manchester United machine?

Certainly, Owen would have to make a miraculous recovery back to top form if he is to play regular football with the Reds. The most likely outcome is that he will once again find himself on the touchlines, waiting for a chance and then not having enough time to grind back into action. A club like Hull would have been the perfect location or Aston Villa would have been an attractive proposition.

Owen is also laying himself right open to Liverpool fans who will absolutely detest him for going to their great rivals. Even the neutrals believe there are some lines you just don’t cross.

Manchester City are ready to move and add another striker to their ranks by making a last minute bid for Samuel Eto’o. Barcelona need to sell the player in order to be able to make a bid for Valencia striker, David Villa, and City are the best poised club to match the finances that Barca want.

Eto’o had been linked with a move to AC Milan but City are ready to match and even better any terms that the Italian side name to the Cameroon striker. It would be a terrific signing for City but you have to question whether Mark Hughes really needs to add another front man to his playing staff.

With City already linked with Carlos Tevez and having just signed Roque Santa-Cruz, it would be bizarre if they brought in another player who would ultimately demand a first team place and create problems in other areas of the squad. City could easily make him the most highly paid player in the Premier League and could match any price tag that the Spanish side put on his head.

If he moved to City then Eto’o would join Robinho in being the real high profile players at the club. It would also add calibre to the growing reputation that City are trying to develop as they continue their conquest to attract the best players from all regions of the world.

The big overlying problem that Mark Hughes has to deal with is the fact that City do not currently have a place in the Champions League. Huge European football is meant to be the highest point of the club game in the modern game and this could be the very thing that sways Eto’o’s decision to go to another club.

It would ironically be the one thing that City have no immediate control over and it would also prove that the pundits who said that City would not make a serious progression until they got into Europe, would be proved correct.

Mark Hughes does not appear to be an egotistic man and it is quite obvious that he is very shrewd when it comes to the running of his football club. He may realise that he does not particularly need another striker but he would also realise that if chances like this pop up then City have to take full advantage of them in order to make good of the financial investment they have been given.

They have never been in such a good position to be able to have even the remotest chance of signing such a player and therefore when it comes around it cannot be ignored.

However, City need to get more of that on field success. This will make it a lot easier for players such as Eto’o to say yes and if the club can start winning a couple of trophies then players won’t even think twice about signing a contract with the club. They should stay on the ground in terms of ambition for the coming season but a Champions League spot would be an immense progression.