Messi inspires Blaugrana vs Mallorca and beats Pele's record

Lionel Messi scored his 55th goal of the season as 10-man Barcelona beat Mallorca 2-0 for their seventh consecutive league win. Messi, who broke Barcelona's all-time scoring record on Wednesday, netted from a poorly defended free-kick to become the first player in a top-level European league to score 55 goals in a season since Sporting Lisbon's Mário Jardel in 2002.

 Yahoo Eurosport

Xavi Hernández put the visitors ahead after 28 minutes and Messi doubled their advantage close to half-time, notching his 75th goal for club and country in 2012 – equalling the tally reached by Pelé in 1958. Cristian Tello grabbed Barça's third seconds later, and after Michael Pereira and Victor Casadesus reduced the deficit for Mallorca, Messi moved ahead of Pelé's haul with his second of the game. He now lies nine goals shy of Gerd Müller's record from 1972. Barcelona's Thiago Alcântara was sent off after receiving his second booking in the 56th minute, but Gerard Piqué volleyed in Messi's rebound off the post in the 79th to seal victory.

With Xavi Hernández on the bench, Barcelona's passing attack lacked its usual fluidity. But a horrible defensive lapse by the hosts let Messi score one of the easier goals of his record 235 for Barcelona. Various defenders failed to deal with Messi's lobbed free-kick and it bounced in the area before landing in the back of the net.

 Goal.com

Mallorca staged a mini-comeback at the start of the second half with the effervescent Pereira smashing in a half volley and Victor scoring from the spot after a handball by Sergio Busquets. However, Messi had the final say, as he has done on so many occasions for this brilliant Barcelona side, the Argentine blasting into the net on 70 minutes, following good play in the build up from substitute Alexis Sanchez. Mallorca are now on a six-match losing run in La Liga, their worst sequence of defeats since 1991-92, when they lost seven in a row. Meanwhile, Barça have extended their best ever start to a top-flight league campaign, with ten wins and a draw so far this term.

 Getty Images

Mallorca gained a numerical advantage after Thiago was shown a second yellow card for a questionable hand ball when it appeared he had used his shoulder to control the ball. But after Messi squirmed free and fired a shot off the goal frame, Piqué put the result beyond doubt when he converted the rebound. Messi has nine games left to score the ten goals to surpass Muller's 85 goals, and given his current run of form - 15 goals in 11 La Liga games - the 25-year-old is on course to usurp the German once more. The striker set another record last season when he scored 50 goals in a La Liga season, moving to the top of Barcelona's all-time top goalscorer list in the process after surpassing Cesar Rodriguez’s 57-year milestone of 232 goals in March. Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova expressed his delight at Messi's strike rate. He said: 'Leo’s records are spectacular. It’s spectacular when you think that he scores so many goals. 'Some few players reach these numbers in seven or eight seasons, he does it in one. And most of his goals are great goals.'

Fulham goalkeeper saves late penalty in dramatic draw at Arsenal

Arsenal's topsy-turvy season took another bad turn when they let slip a two-goal lead and missed a late penalty to draw 3-3 at home with Fulham. Schwarzer dived low to his left and tipped the penalty onto the post, leaving the desperate Arteta wishing the ground would swallow him up as two more points went missing for the Gunners.

Even before today's draw, Arsenal had made their worst start in the Premier League under Arsene Wenger, and now they have taken just 16 points from their opening 11 games. Arsenal should have killed off their opponents with that 2-0 lead but Fulham would not lie down and accept a beating as they fought their way back into the game with two goals in just over ten minutes before half time. 

Manager Arsene Wenger accepted Arsenal had only themselves to blame after throwing away a two-goal lead for the second time in a week as Fulham battled to a 3-3 draw at the Emirates Stadium. Early goals from Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski put the Gunners in control, just as they had been in their Champions League game at Schalke on Tuesday night, only for the Germans to fight back. 'It was frustrating because we had the opportunities to win. We were caught in a bit too comfortable of a position because we did the most difficult thing - we scored two goals to go 2-0 up. At that moment we lacked urgency defensively,' said Wenger. 

Mikel Arteta lay flabbergasted on the turf. Fulham's players huddled around their goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. Arsène Wenger looked bleak. Martin Jol thundered towards the referee, Phil Dowd, with a piquant word or two. That Arsenal had at one stage been 2-0 up, were pegged back to 3-2, then level at 3-3, and with the final twist awarded a stoppage-time penalty that was saved ... it was bedlam. Martin Jol, on the other hand, was remarkably sanguine. Expectations were low, since no Fulham manager has ever won at Arsenal. Defeat is their customary fate. 

So when Mark Schwarzer flung himself to the left to knock aside Mikel Arteta's shot, Jol accepted the outcome. 'Maybe we should be pleased after the penalty,' he remarked. 'Certainly the referee was pleased not to see it go in.' It was easy to agree with his analysis after the events of the final seconds. Bryan Ruiz, the most effective player on view, untypically surrendered possession with an indiscreet square pass. The Arsenal substitute Andrey Arshavin collected the offering, scampered into the area and smashed a drive against the arm of Fulham's Chris Baird.

Arsenal miss chance, Wenger frustrated and criticized Rizzoli italian referee

Schalke fought back from a two-goal deficit to earn a 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Tuesday and stay top of Group B in the Champions League.  Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud scored inside the first 30 minutes to put Arsenal ahead. But a goal from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in first-half injury time and another from Jefferson Farfan after the break completed the comeback by the German club. The Gunners overcame a slow start to go 2-0 up through Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud only for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to pull one back on the stroke of half-time. Jefferson Farfan fired in at the far post in the second half to level and Arsenal held on for the point.

“At 2-0 you have not won the game and with the physical quality of the German team it isn't over, they have a lot of quality and they never give up, so overall I never felt that the game was over even at 2-0,” Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger said. The draw left Schalke with eight points after four matches, one ahead of Arsenal. Olympiakos has six points after winning 3-1 against Montpellier, which has one. “To get a 2-2 after 0-2 speaks for our team,” Schalke midfielder Lewis Holtby said. “We showed our morale. But we could have lost at the end.”

Arsene Wenger criticised referee Nicola Rizzoli after his side lost a two-goal lead to Schalke. The Arsenal manager felt Ibrahim Afellay had fouled Theo Walcott in the build-up to the Germans' first goal and were denied a clear chance when the Italian official blew instead of playing on, with Marco Hoger falling as Lukas Podolski was clear on goal. Walcott added: 'It was a good point in the end. It would have been a fantastic victory, but Schalke are a tough side. We are just trying to win our last couple of games and that is all you can do. I just want to play - hopefully now I can get a run in the team because I feel I fully deserve it.'

Arsenal had Mannone to thank in the 51st minute when he thwarted Huntelaar in a one-on-one after Neustadter's through-pass. Schalke were throwing everything at  Arsenal and had an appeal for a penalty turned down after Per Mertesacker looked to have handled in the box.  But the Germans deservedly dragged themselves level in the 66th minute when Farfan fired home from close range, via a Thomas Vermaelen deflection, as Arsenal failed to clear Afellay's cross.  Huntelaar, Farfan and Jermaine Jones missed decent chances to give the hosts the lead their dominance warranted. And the Germans' wastefulness in front of goal was nearly punished with the final kick of the game. But it was Walcott who fluffed his lines after capitalising on defensive uncertainty as, with only Unnerstall to beat, he shot straight at the goalkeeper.

Schalke: Unnerstall, Uchida (Hoger 25), Howedes, Matip, Fuchs, Jones, Neustadter, Farfan, Holtby (Barnetta 90), Afellay, Huntelaar, Hoger (Papadopoulos 66).
Subs Not Used: Hildebrand, Moritz, Draxler, Kolasinac.
Arsenal: Mannone, Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Arteta, Wilshere, Walcott, Cazorla (Coquelin 90), Podolski (Andre Santos 90), Giroud.
Subs Not Used: Shea, Djourou, Arshavin, Jenkinson, Chamakh.
Goals: Walcott 18, Giroud 26, Huntelaar 45, Farfan 67.
Attendance: 50,000 
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy).
Booked: Matip, Fuchs, Jones, Cazorla, Podolski.

Messi celebrates becoming a dad but he isn't marked, Barca beat Celta

Barcelona's 3-1 home win over Celta Vigo on Saturday marked the Catalan club's best start to the Spanish league in its 113-year history. Goals from Adriano, Villa and Alba gave Barça the win over Celta and also confirmed their record breaking start to the season, with 9 wins and a draw in the first 10 games.

Celta's only victory at Barça came in the 1941-42 season but the Galicians surprised their illustrious hosts with some neat play and Mario Bermejo levelled at 1-1 three minutes after Adriano's 21st-minute opener. Lionel Messi could not produce a goal to mark the birth of his first son but Barcelona still took the points with a straightforward 3-1 Primera Division victory over Celta Vigo. Three goals in the space of five minutes.

Alves had come on for the injured Adriano on 40 minutes and Vilanova brought on Bartra for Cesc for the second half to give the team more defensive solidity. Celta’s well organised defence proved a tough nut to crack though and only a brilliant exchange between Villa and Alba brought about the definitive third goal on the hour mark. With the game looking pretty much done and dusted, Barça played out the final half hour comfortably, with the only hint of a problem coming when Messi received a knock late on.

World player of the year Messi became a father for the first time this week, and played the full match on Saturday. Barcelona moved three points clear at the top after Atletico Madrid's unbeaten start to the season was ended with a 2-0 defeat at Valencia. Tito Vilanova’s Barça march on, with their latest win coming against Celta at the Camp Nou. Despite missing Abidal, Puyol and Piqué, the defence stood strong again, with Alba and Adriano also chipping in with goals before the Brazilian was taken off injured, The win means the team have made a record breaking start to the league campaign, with nine wins and a draw in their first ten matches.

The win means that Vilanova, who stepped up from assistant coach to succeed Pep Guardiola at the end of last season, has made a better start to the La Liga season than any of his predecessors at the Camp Nou. Louis van Gaal held the previous record after his side won eight of their opening 10 matches in the 1997-98 campaign, when Barça went on to win the title. "The points that we have are more important than the record," Vilanova said. "More than a record it's a sign of the desire this team has."

Copa del Rey: Barcelona beats Alaves 3-0

Barcelona didn't need Lionel Messi to secure a successful start to its Copa del Rey defense Tuesday, beating third-tier Alaves 3-0 after goals by David Villa, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas. Andres Iniesta celebrated being named on the shortlist for the FIFA World Player of the Year award with a glorious goal for Barcelona as the holders won 3-0 at Alaves in a King's Cup last-32 first leg on Tuesday. The Spain playmaker, who struck the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final, had limited space on the edge of the area when he curled a delicate shot into the top corner to double Barca's lead after 50 minutes. Alaves reached the final of the UEFA Cup in 2001 and now play their football in the third tier of Spanish football but battled hard against a Barca side who were without the rested Lionel Messi.

The 2001 Uefa Cup finalists who lost to Liverpool are now in Segunda B, the Spanish third tier. The Alaves keeper Urtzi Iturrioz was kept busy by an Alexis Sanchez header and a shot by Iniesta from the edge of the area before Villa fired Barca ahead on 40 minutes as he crashed a shot in off the crossbar after receiving a long ball from Iniesta. Alaves have a mountain to climb if they are to come back in next month's second leg at the Nou Camp, particularly after Cesc Fabregas headed a third for the unbeaten La Liga leaders at the end.

Villa opened the scoring in the 40th minute when he perfectly timed his run past Alaves' back four to powerfully latch onto a long pass by Iniesta and send it into the net via the crossbar. Villa, who missed the second half of last season and the European Championship after breaking his leg, said he's enjoying every minute being back on the pitch. "From hospital it was difficult to score goals," Villa said. "After all this time I want to play as much as possible, but I am in the hands of professionals and they know what's best for me." Coach Tito Vilanova had decided to rest Messi, forward Pedro Rodriguez, midfielder Xavi Hernandez and defender Jordi Alba for the game. With several other defenders out injured, Vilanova selected Martin Montoya, Javier Mascherano, Marc Bartra and Dani Alves for the back four.

credits to: http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Barcelona-beats-Alaves-3-0-in-Copa-del-Rey-3994537.php

Unbelievable! Arsenal makes greatest ever escape in League Cup history: 5-7!

For Arsenal fans, it may also be the game that proved to be the turning point. Not just because they can now go on to win this competition and end what will be an eight-year drought come the final on February 24. The Gunners fought back from 4-0 down to force extra-time, before taking their tally to seven. Wenger said: “It may be one of my greatest victories during my time here. We went from disaster to salvaging our pride.

Arsenal has mounted an incredible comeback from 4-0 down to win 7-5 after extra time at Reading in an extraordinary League Cup fourth-round tie at the Madejski Stadium. Theo Walcott was the hero, claiming a 95th-minute equaliser to force extra time and then slamming home in the last minute of the extra period to complete his hat-trick after 120 unforgettable minutes of football. It will be interesting to see how Angha and Yennaris develop. In the past such talent (think Sebastian Larsson, Fabrice Muama, Armand Traore) has blossomed elsewhere, or not at all (think Mark Randall). Sometimes, though, a raw diamond is introduced and shines ever brighter with the passing of time: Jack Wilshere made his first starting appearance against Sheffield United as a 16-year-old back in 2008.

 Goal.com

Since Arsenal put up scant resistance, Reading helped themselves to a fourth goal in the 37th minute, Hunt sending a fine header in off a post after an equally fine cross from Garath McCleary. Visiting fans began filing away. Then, suddenly, Arsenal kicked back. On the stroke of half-time Walcott raced on to Arshavin's astute pass and lifted the ball over Adam Federici and into the net. That begat belief among their players, and spread doubt among Reading's. Arsenal improved immeasurably in the second half. Walcott was thriving through the middle, twice forcing fine saves from Federici. But it was his exquisite delivery from a corner that led to them cutting the deficit further in the 65th minute, when Olivier Giroud, who had just entered as a substitute, headed the delivery into the net from eight yards.

Arsène Wenger could barely contain his laughter after a match that threatened to be one of the most humiliating of his career transformed into one of his most extraordinary triumphs. His side recovered from an error-strewn opening period in which they collapsed to a 4-0 deficit against Reading to hit back with seven goals and prevail 7-5 after extra-time. "We had a big party in the second half," quipped the Arsenal manager before remarking that the freakish scoreline was more familiar in tennis, joking "so that's the first set to us". The shocked Reading manager, Brian McDermott, meanwhile, lamented that "this feels like a funeral". Wenger added: "We went from disaster to getting some pride because we came back in the second half with a decent performance." He also declared that although the League Cup is not one of his priorities for the season, the first-half display was so bad that immediate improvement became of paramount importance.

It was not enough to appease Gunners fans who booed their side off at half-time, but when substitute Olivier Giroud headed in Walcott’s corner in the 65th minute, a sense of impossible hope took over. Arsenal threw everything at their hosts and with a minute of normal time they cut the deficit to single goal as Koscielny nodded home another Walcott corner. Fourth official Michael Oliver signalled four minutes of stoppage time and Reading looked home and dry with the ball deep inside the Arsenal half with seconds left to play. But with the final kick of  normal time, Walcott somehow squeezed a shot past Federici to score what at half-time had seemed an impossible equaliser.

Reading 5	Roberts 12,  Koscielny (og) 18,  Leigertwood 20,  Hunt 37,  Pogrebnyak 90+25
Arsenal 7	Walcott 45+2,  Giroud 64,  Koscielny 89, Walcott 90+6,  Chamakh 90+13,  Walcott 90+31,  Chamakh 90+33

Lionel Messi scored twice to help La Liga leaders Barcelona stroll to a resounding win

Lionel Messi scored twice to help La Liga leaders Barcelona stroll to a resounding win at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday night, as coach Tito Vilanova recorded the best start for a first-year coach in the 113-year history of the Catalan club. Barça’s magnificent start to the season continued with a comprehensive win in Vallecas to make it eight wins and a draw from their first nine games in La Liga. Goals from Villa, Messi (2), Xavi and Cesc saw Barça through after a pretty well balanced start, which really tilted the visitors’ way after the second goal, as Tito’s men took advantage of Rayo’s advanced back line.

Barca, with midfielder Sergio Busquets and fullback Adriano Correia deputising in central defence, were under a lot of pressure from hard-running Rayo before taking control in Vallecas. Cesc Fábregas set up David Villa's 20th-minute opener to set Barcelona on their way. Messi scored his 16th and 17th goals in all competitions – to take his career tally to 301 – in a second half that also saw Xavi Hernández and Fábregas find the net.

In the second half, Barça came out determined to put the game to bed and after just two minutes Messi rounded off a brilliant team move which saw Pedro beat two defenders and lay the ball off for Montoya who set up the world number one to fire home for the second. Barcelona's eighth win in their first nine games maintained their unbeaten start to the season and lifted them three points ahead of second-placed Atlético Madrid before Atlético's game against the bottom club Osasuna on Sunday.

 Goal.com

The no-nonsense win also kept up the pressure on Real Madrid by opening up an 11-point gap before the defending champion's tough test at Mallorca. "We are delighted for Lionel," Vilanova told a news conference. "He has scored a couple of goals but I prefer to remember the moment when he ran 30 metres to help out in defence in the 89th minute. I love the goals, but I like this more." Fabregas told Spanish television: "It's a difficult ground, with spectacular fans. They pressure you and don't let you breathe. But we played a serious game, perhaps the best of the season so far.

"This was our best game of the season,'' Fabregas said. Messi's two strikes, the first an unstoppable blast from the edge of the box, the second a showcase of fancy footwork to undo the defense, took his league leading tally to 13 goals, four more than Atletico's Radamel Falcao and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi has 73 goals for club and country in 2012, leaving him two shy of matching Brazil great Pele's milestone of 75 in 1958. "Scoring two more goals isn't important, the important thing is that we have another win and we believe we can keep this up,'' said Messi, who on Monday will receive the Golden Shoe award for Europe's top scorer last season with an unprecedented 73 goals.

credits to: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

First defeat in Champions League group: Arsenal fan frustrated (0-2)

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Ibrahim Afellay scored in the final 14 minutes as FC Schalke 04 became the first foreign visitors to win at the Arsenal Stadium, climbing above Arsenal FC and to the top of UEFA Champions League Group B. The home side had won their first two games in this season's competition and were unbeaten in 16 European matches in north London; indeed, the last time they had lost to non-English opposition at home was September 2003. Schalke, however, produced a vibrant display that finally got its reward when Huntelaar fired in with 14 minutes left. Ten minutes later Afellay tapped in a clinching second to give the German club a first victory in England at the sixth attempt.

Steve Bould, standing in for the last game of Arsène Wenger's touchline ban, offered the verdict that the players were "jaded" and had been that way since they returned from the international break. Certainly, three defeats in their last five games in all competitions is the kind of form that is developing from a blip into something more serious. They were bossed for most of the game by Schalke, the Bundesliga's third-placed club last season and an expansive, energetic side in the mould of Arsenal in the good old days. From Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's confident finish for the first goal to the running of Jefferson Farfan and Lewis Holtby this was a brave performance from the visitors. The Schalke coach, Huub Stevens, said his team had not performed in the first half, although that seemed like an unnecessarily harsh verdict on a side that looked well in control. It was telling that Bould admitted that as the game progressed his side would have been "delighted" with a 0-0 draw.

 by Goal.com

Schalke pressed Arsenal very high up the pitch, no-one more so than Holtby, the Germany international with the English father, Chris. In midfield, Roman Neustädter worked just in front of the back four and completed more passes, 51, than any of his team-mates. Schalke thought they had a penalty on 14 minutes when Vito Mannone lunged at the feet of Afellay but the Dutch winger was booked for diving. Afellay went down a fraction too early for contact although if he had stayed on his feet another stride, the Arsenal goalkeeper would surely have brought him down. There was a chance for Ramsey at the start of the second half, albeit not much of one. It was indicative of how little Arsenal were creating in front of goal that this moment stood out. Down Arsenal's left-side, Andre Santos was having trouble controlling Farfan and the raiding Japanese right-back Atsuto Uchida. On 50 minutes, Farfan left Santos in his slipstream to cut the ball back to Benedikt Höwedes who cleared the bar with his shot. The warning signs were there.

Schalke’s victory lifted them to the top of Group B on seven points, one above Arsenal, at the halfway stage. Then there is a gap to Olympiacos who have three points after beating Montpellier late on in France this eveing. Despite the disappointment this evening, the margins are still slender and Arsène Wenger’s side have the chance for immediate revenge when they travel to Gelsenkirchen on Matchday Four. With the Frenchman sitting out the final game of his touchline ban, Steve Bould’s side showed only one alteration from the one beaten at Norwich on Saturday – Francis Coquelin for Olivier Giroud – but there were positional changes. Gervinho went up front and Aaron Ramsey moved to the right of midfield. The central role was filled by Coquelin. We've lost at home and of course they're frustrated. We are as well,' Bould said. 'We don't like losing football games, but we have to pick ourselves up and start again. 'We haven't played anything like we can - that was the big disappointment. 'We haven't performed and we lacked confidence, for whatever reason. 'It's a tough competition and Schalke are a good side who beat Dortmund at the weekend.

credits to: http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3553351/first-team/arsenal-v-schalke-04?tab=report

Jordi Alba 'the Hero' breaks Celtic hearts: 94th, 2-1

A Jordi Alba goal in the final minute of injury time sparked off celebrations at the Camp Nou. It was just reward for Barça against a Celtic side that only wanted to defend its early lead. “We know it won’t be easy against Celtic because we have already suffered at home against Spartak when they came close to winning,” left-back Alba said. Celtic were denied a famous draw in the Nou Camp last night with the last kick of the game. For 93 minutes it looked as though their English-born goalkeeper Fraser Forster would earn them a point but when Adriano crossed with Barcelona's last attack Jordi Alba scored from a yard out.

The goal made Barça hungrier than ever, but also got the Scots concentrating even more earnestly on keeping things as tight as physically possible at the back. It wasn’t pretty football, but it was remarkably effective, with Barça in almost total control of the ball but failing to produce much in the way of real chances in the first 45 minutes. It needed a little piece of magic, and that finally came a matter of seconds before the break. When Messi, Xavi and Iniesta combine to create an attacking move, you always suspect that something special might happen. And indeed it did. A pinpoint strike from Iniesta finally had Forster beaten. All square at half time. 

A first-half own goal from Javier Mascherano rewarded Neil Lennon's team for playing with calm intelligence and although Andrés Iniesta equalised on the stroke of half-time and David Villa hit the post in second-half added time, goalkeeper Fraser Forster appeared to have earned Celtic a valuable point. That was until Adriano arced in a perfect right-wing cross and Alba applied the finish.

The Celtic coach's animation was in stark contrast to the man alongside him on the touchline. Barcelona's Tito Vilanova was as passive as his team, who at that stage were playing none of their mesmerising football. Adriano tried his luck from distance but Forster, looking assured, got down to his near post to make the comfortable save. On 34 minutes there were even Olé cries from the Celtic fans as their team briefly kept possession in midfield with audacious ease. With a quarter of an hour to go, Vilanova sent on Tello and Villa for Pedro and Alexis. The Asturian was played as an out-and-out striker in search of a second goal, while Tello and Alba slotted in on the wings. It was a risky move, even though by now Celtic were clearly quite happy to settle for a draw. But Barça wanted more, and made the green-and-whites pay for their lack of ambition.

In the final minute, it looked like Villa had finally done it, but his shot struck the post. However, the best had yet to come. With the referee just seconds away from blowing time on an intense footballing spectacle, Jordi Alba pounced on a killer pass from Adriano. Of all people, the two full backs had combined to bring Barça a goal just when it looked like they had left it too late. The Camp Nou went wild. And had every right to do so. An extraordinarily tense evening had ended in the most dramatic of fashions. And the upshot of it all is that Barcelona maintain their one hundred per cent record and a five-point lead over Celtic, who stay second. A place in the last sixteen is already well in sight.

credits to: http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/match-archive/2012-2013/champions-league/round-3-g/fc-barcelona_celtic

Arsenal: Mannone's mistake gives Norwich shock win!

Arsene Wenger accused his players of lacking what is required to make a top team as struggling Norwich outfought and outsmarted Arsenal to climb out of the bottom three. Grant Holt’s 19th-minute goal was enough to clinch the Canaries’ first win of the season and a first victory in 13 matches against the Gunners. For Arsene Wenger, this was his first blip of the season. Sadly, though, it appears any hopes Arsenal have of challenging for the title are already disappearing.

Wenger cannot afford his team to deliver too many performances like this. And goalkeeper Vito Mannone, only playing because of injuries to Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski, cannot make many more mistakes like the one which led to the winner Wenger refused to criticise his goalkeeper. ‘We don’t blame Mannone because other players made mistakes, too,’ said the Frenchman. ‘We had to put it behind us and come up with a better performance.’

Arsenal had one opportunity before the break following a fine pass from Mikel Arteta but Gervinho hopelessly wasted the chance as he failed to kick the ball properly. The Gunners’ best chance came fell to Olivier Giroud. But with his back to goal he collapsed on the ground in a heap.

Hughton had clearly worked hard on improving his defence and the team responded with a hard-working, disciplined display to deny Arsenal space and limited their celebrated visitors to a handful of chances. John Ruddy, in fact, had a quiet night, pulling off an important save near the end when, unlike Mannone, he safely gathered in Mikel Arteta’s fierce low drive. When Gervinho finally found space in the penalty area, Sebastien Bassong flung himself to make a crucial blocking tackle. Nothing would go right for Arsenal, for whom Lucas Podolski and Olivier Giroud looked sluggish, and their miserable night was compounded when England forward Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain limped off with a bruised hip nine minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Norwich: Ruddy, Russell Martin, Turner, Bassong, Garrido, Elliott Bennett (Snodgrass 79), Johnson, Hoolahan (Ryan Bennett 90), Tettey, Pilkington, Holt (Morison 90). Subs not used: Rudd, Howson, Jackson, Surman. Booked: Johnson, Hoolahan, Holt,Turner.

Arsenal: Mannone, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Andre Santos, Ramsey (Gnabry 83), Arteta, Cazorla, Gervinho,Giroud, Podolski (Oxlade-Chamberlain 65), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arshavin 74). Subs not used: Martinez, Wilshere, Djourou,Coquelin.

Goals: Holt 19.

credits to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2220554/Norwich-1-Arsenal-0--match-report.h

Leo Messi scores three goals: Blaugrana victorious in Riazor Stadium

With Lionel Messi as a three-time goal-taker and Cesc Fabregas as a three-time goal-maker, 10-man Barcelona outlasted Deportivo La Coruna in a wild 5-4 shootout in the Spanish league on Saturday. Saturday evening's game looked to be a one-sided affair when the league leaders raced into a three-goal lead through Jordi Alba, Cristian Tello and Messi after just 18 minutes.

FC Barcelona beat a feisty Deportivo La Coruña side 5-4 Saturday evening in Riazor, hanging on to their eight-point Liga lead in an epic nine-goal thriller. Despite the close-seeming scoreline, the blaugrana never looked to be in a lot of trouble: they jumped out to an early 0-3 lead within twenty minutes, and despite a gutsy performance from their northern hosts--and the loss of Javier Mascherano to a red card at the beginning of the second half--the Catalan side remained steadily in control. However, Depor replied with a Luis Pizzi penalty and an Alex Bergantinos goal before Messi struck again to put Barca back in the driving seat. Pizzi's second of the match then set the nerves jangling once more and the dismissal of Javier Mascherano gave the visitors further food for thought until Messi made it 5-3 with his third.

Messi now has 11 league goals, two more than Cristiano Ronaldo who earlier scored for Real Madrid in a 2-0 win over Celta Vigo that kept Madrid right points behind the Catalan side. Goalkeeper Aranzubia came forward for a last-minute corner but it was not to be for a battling Deportivo and Barca took the points in a breathtaking match. A moment of madness from Alba supplied Deportivo with a lifeline, as he volleyed the ball into his own net under pressure from Riki inside the Barcelona penalty area to make the score 5-4.

Deportivo committed men forward late on as it went in search of an equalizer but Barcelona's makeshift defense managed to withstand the pressure and hold out for all three points to retain its place atop of La Liga.

BY GOAL.COM

Messi and Fabregas teamed up to put Barcelona back in front by two goals when Fabregas slipped the ball through the defense for Messi to slot into the far side of the net two minutes before halftime. Barcelona appeared to have regained control, but that quickly changed in the 47th when Pizzi curled a free kick past Valdes, who got a touch on the ball but not enough to keep it out. Barcelona was reduced to 10 men moments later when the referee booked Mascherano a second time for hitting Riki's face with his arm.

With Deportivo pressing for the equalizer, Messi decided the match with a pure display of his unique talent, resisting a tackle near the center line before charging forward and finding the angle to shoot around two defenders and the goalie to grab his hat trick. Fittingly for such an up-and-down contest, Alba scored an absurd own goal in the 79th, flipping the ball over Valdes in a horribly flubbed attempt to clear, and Barcelona had to resist until the end to get the three points.

credits to: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/europe/2012/10/20/lionel-messi-barcelona-spanish-league-roundup/1646705/

Great Player: Luis 'Luisito' Suarez, genius midfielder with Barca and Inter

Great master of Spanish football, Luis Suárez (born in La Coruña, 1935) was one of the stars of the Barça side of the late fifties, but sadly his greatest and most successful period came when he was no longer a Barça player. He had everything you could want of a footballer: amazing skill, an amazing talent for moving the ball about with his feet, great vision and a tremendous shot. But he was mainly noted for his elegant style, it was often said he was such a graceful player that he could have played in a dinner jacket. Between 1955 and 1961 Suárez was a regular in a FC Barcelona team that also included Ladislao Kubala, Zoltán Czibor, Sándor Kocsis, Ramallets and Evaristo. With Helenio Herrera as coach, the club and Suárez won a La Liga/Copa del Generalísimo double in 1959 and a La Liga/Fairs Cup double in 1960. Born in 1935, Suarez currently works in the technical secretary's office at his former club Inter Milan, where his elegance, skill on the ball, vision and crucial goals were highly appreciated during I Nerazzurris's trophy-laden 1960s. The young Suarez had first caught the eye at hometown club Deportivo La Coruna before making the switch to Barcelona in 1954, where he went on to win two league titles, two Spanish Cups and two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups during his seven-season stay.

Yet his glorious spell at the Catalan giants ended with the disappointment of a 3-2 defeat against Benfica in the final of the 1960/61 European Cup. "That's the only black mark on my time at Barcelona," said Suarez, who will have taken some consolation from helping Barça become the first team ever to knock Real Madrid out of the elite competition. "But it was the only one I lost out of so many finals, though given the way the game went it was one we should have won. It left me with a point to prove because it's such a huge competition." It was then time for the Galician genius to head to Italian football, this during a period when it was highly unusual for Spanish players to ply their trade abroad. "There have been a lot of Spanish players who have deserved that award," said Suarez on the Ballon d'Or win which had done much to raise his international profile. "So much depends on the era you find yourself living in. You need the slice of luck that comes when another great player of your time doesn't perform quite so well. There have been truly great players who have never won that award. It's not that big a deal." 

Suarez's silky skills were key to a Nerazzurri side crowned European champions in 1963/64 and 1964/65 under legendary strategist Helenio Herrera, who had coached him for a spell at Barcelona. "The Italian league had a reputation for being more defensive than it really was. Even so, teams' first priority was not to concede any goals and I came from a place with a different mindset," said the 74-year-old, on the contrast between Spanish and Italian football. "At Barcelona I played as a goalscoring midfielder but (at Inter) I had to change for the good of the team and to win titles. At the end of the day, I think I was so successful because I made so many sacrifices for a sport I loved."

credits to: http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/stories/doyouremember/news/newsid=1091805.html

Brilliant Messi inspires Argentina: Leo leads 'Celeste' over Uruguay

A superb performance by Lionel Messi helped Argentina beat Uruguay to consolidate their place at the top of the South American World Cup Qualifiers. Messi took his tally in the qualifiers to six with a brilliant free kick as Argentina continued their progression after a wobbly start where they were defeated in Venezuela and held to a draw at home to Bolivia.

Messi scored two goals and Sergio Aguero added another to overpower Uruguay 3-0, keeping the Argentines in first place in the qualifying standings for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Messi, who has largely failed to match his translate his outstanding Barcelona form to the national team, has shone ever since Alejandro Sabella was hired a year ago as coach, replacing Sergio Batista who in turn replaced Diego Maradona.

"We had so much of the ball," Messi said. "The important thing is we won. We played a great game and we deserved the three points. They (Uruguay) only wanted to defend. They were just looking for something on the counterattack. Our team is getting stronger each time we play."' Added midfielder Javier Mascherano: "That's another three points, but in this qualification you can lose a couple of games and fall out of contention."

Messi scored in the 66th and added another with a free kick in the 80th while Aguero scored in the 75th at Malvinas Argentinas stadium in Mendoza, Argentina. Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo and Aguero all had good chances before Messi opened the scoring. The Barcelona forward played a one-two with Di Maria, then slid to ground while chipping the shot behind keeper Fernando Muslera.

Messi finished things off on a 25-meter (yard) free kick that hugged the ground and went in just inside the post. "That was a great game from these guys," Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said. "We played with good possession and a lot of patience." (Photo under: Mascherano and Messi)

Not long after his goal, Messi forced a huge save out of Fernando Muslera. His 15-minute stretch from the 65th to the 80th minute was as dominant a stretch of football as one player can possibly have in a match. An Argentina manager has finally surrounded him with the right pieces, and the Albiceleste are clearly the best team in CONMEBOL qualifying at the moment.

"We have very good players who had an excellent match, they played like a team," Sabella told reporters, adding there are no adequate words to describe Messi. "The Spanish Royal Academy (which governs the language) must search for a new adjective for Messi," he said.

Messi created a good chance for himself with a dribbling run past several defenders towards the end of the first half in Mendoza but his final, left-footed shot went over the top and hit the far stanchion. He was also close with a free kick from the left which would have gone in if Muslera had not punched the ball over. Messi's first goal came during a spell of total Argentine dominance but soon after there was a scare for Argentina with defender Pablo Zabaleta clearing off the line.

credits to: http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Messi-scores-2-as-Argentina-beats-Uruguay-3-0-3945021.php

Report of 'El Clàsico' 2-2: Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi superstars

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo matched each other blow for blow at the Nou Camp tonight, scoring two goals apiece as Barcelona and Real Madrid battled out an entertaining draw in the first Clásico of the La Liga season. Heading into the game, Real Madrid trailed Barcelona by eight points, so this was billed as must-win win for the champions. Like they did when the two sides met in the Supercopa de España earlier this year, Madrid started off the better of the two sides and made the breakthrough midway through the first half when Ronaldo beat Víctor Valdés at his near post.

The great team rivalry between the two storied clubs, combined with the fact that these players are undoubtedly the best in the world, make a perfect storyline to follow for years to come. Ramos flashed a header just wide inside the 18th minute. That was the first good chance in the game. Iniesta attempted to reply a couple of minutes later but his effort from 20 yards out flew over the bar. 

The deadlock got broken by a very familiar name, Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese winger fired the ball at the back of the net with his left foot to give the visitors the lead midway through the first half. Benzema had a great opportunity to double the lead a few minutes later but his ball crashed off the post. It came back to Angel Di Maria who agonizingly fired it wide.

Adriano impressed in central defence, but centre-back is stretching the Brazilian's 'utility man' tag too far and he cannot be considered a solution in that role. With Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol sidelined, plus Eric Abidal out long-term and Dani Alves forced off injured, Vilanova reminded the press that he was denied his first-choice back line. But Puyol's problems are well known and Abidal has been out all year, so the argument hardly seemed convincing and had the club signed a centre-back in the summer, they surely would not be in this predicament now.

Barcelona had chances to win it late on, but Madrid had given as good as they got in the first half and should have been two up as Karim Benzema hit the post when he really should have scored shortly after Ronaldo's opener. Mourinho's men took the game to Tito's team and took advantage of some poor positioning from Barca's defence and midfield in the second goal. Vilanova has received much praise for his tactical nous but on occasions last night, his players were all over the place - except where they needed to be.

In the end, it was problems in defence which blighted Barca's campaign in 2011-12 - when the Catalans captured four trophies but missed out on La Liga and the Champions League. Already there are concerns this term, although their problems have been masked by their near-perfect start in the Primera Division. This battle might have hit its peak on Sunday when Barcelona and Real Madrid competed in the latest edition of El Clasico. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, with each forward scoring both goals for his team.

Cazorla and Walcott conduct Arsenal's win against West Ham: 1-3

France striker Olivier Giroud scored his first Premier League goal as Arsenal came from behind to beat West Ham 3-1 in the Premier League on Saturday. Giroud, who joined in the offseason from Montpellier, netted from close range just before halftime.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger also showered Cazorla with praise. 'It is a pleasure to watch him. It's a delight to see what he does on the pitch,' said Wenger. Arsenal had to come from behind to secure a win that left them in fifth place in the table, after Mohamed Diame's curling shot beat Vito Mannone to give West Ham the lead in the 21st minute. Walcott said. "He's fantastic to play with every day. He's our conductor. I don't even know what foot is his best to be honest."

Confronted by an old nemesis in the shape of a Sam Allardyce team that backed them into an awkward corner by opening the scoring, the Gunners struck the right combination of force and finesse. They remain unbeaten away and continue to play some compelling football on the road.

Theo Walcott fired a message to manager Arsene Wenger after stepping in from the cold to help Arsenal hit back and secure a valuable three points. Contract rebel Walcott scored the goal that gave Arsenal a vital lead against West Ham before Santi Cazorla netted a stunning late clincher.

Walcott, who started on the bench yet again but came on to provide another example of why he yearns for a striking role, played a critical part in the comeback. Giroud's deft assist set the fleet-footed attacker bearing down on goal.

Spaniard Cazorla capped a superb individual performance and finally silenced the West Ham crowd by sending a stunning 25-yard shot into the top corner with seven minutes remaining. Arsenal's victory shoved the abusive chants aimed at Wenger back down the throats of a section of West Ham fans and there was a sense of justice that the Frenchman was able to celebrate at the final whistle.

Allardyce was left frustrated. "The second goal was a killer because we were in a fantastic position to score at that stage. Because we picked up the wrong pass, we've opened ourselves up and they've severely punished us on the break," he conceded.

credits to: http://www.onenewspage.co.uk/n/Sports/74rh5jev1/Santi-Cazorla-conducts-Arsenal-win-at-West.htm

Vermaelen is ready for the match against West Ham

Arsenal have been a much more solid unit this season and as long as they continue that tomorrow, they have the quality to outplay West Ham, take all three points and give Big Sam something to think about. Sam Allardyce produces teams that get stuck in and try to rattle their opponents.

Arsenal captain Vermaelen is a man who relishes a challenge and he is looking forward to pitting himself against the big England front man tomorrow. Vermaelen has the confidence boost of successfully curbing the threat of Carroll when Arsenal faced Liverpool last year but he is also aware that West Ham play in a style more suited to Carroll’s game. “At West Ham they play some long balls and with Carroll up front, he’s a tall guy. He’s good with his head so it will be a big challenge.”

Because of his height and form, Per Mertesacker is likely to reclaim his starting position from Laurent Koscielny and, hopefully, will help Arsenal to cut out the defensive errors that have crept in. Mertesacker has not been to Upton Park before and Vermaelen will have prepared him for the hostile derby atmosphere which Vermaelen actually enjoys. “I must say I like the stadium and the atmosphere there, so it’s quite nice to go there and play again'', said belgian defender.

Vermaelen continue: “First we have to match them in the fight. If there’s a long ball, we want to fight for that ball and bring it down as quickly as possible and play our own game.” His key attributes include aerial ability, leadership skills and he is quick with the ball at his feet. He is also known for his goalscoring ability as a defender. He speaks Dutch and English.

credits to: http://justarsenal.com/arsenal-captain-vermaelen-expects-a-fight-against-west-ham/17033

Emirates Stadium: Arsenal overcome Olympiacos 3-1

Gunners have maintained its perfect start to the Champions League, scoring 3-1 over Olympiakos. Arsenal put themselves in pole position to reach the Champions League knockout rounds with a 3-1 home victory in Group B over Olympiakos at the Emirates on Wednesday. Goals either side of halftime from Gervinho and Lukas Podolksi sealed the Gunners' second successive win in the group with Aaron Ramsey scoring the third with the final move of the game. Gervinho's 42rd minute-opener was quickly canceled out as Kostas Mitroglou headed the Greek champions level before halftime, but Arsenal was back in control after the break to ensure it stayed top of Group B.

Arsenal, who have never lost to Greek opposition at home, started the second half in more lively fashion and Lukas Podolski fired what turned out to be the winner after 56 minutes, his shot piercing a crowd of players. Arsenal were busy enough but Olympiakos, already beaten in the group by visiting Schalke, were ready to take the risk of committing men into attack. The hosts had to deal with that increased purpose if this occasion was not to introduce anxiety to Arsenal's expectation of a simple advance to the knockout stage. There can have been few neutrals among the onlookers but this match could have been regarded as a pleasure by anyone who cared for excitement and unpredictability. The home supporters, however, took a more intense satisfaction as a more forceful side claimed a 2-1 lead.

There was a mixture of insistence and quality when Gervinho linked with Santi Cazorla before the latter's cross was blocked and the ball ran back for him to set up Lukas Podolski for a goal. The real trial for Arsenal, then, had been the spasmodic nature of their work. Compliments were due to Olympiakos for their commitment. Excuses could be made for the fact that Arsenal continue to be a work in progress after some recasting of the squad in a summer that included Robin van Persie leaving for Old Trafford.

"It probably affected our confidence a little bit getting [beaten] ... maybe there was a little bit of a carry-over," said Arsenal assistant coach Steve Bould, who spoke as manager Arsene Wenger served a touchline ban. "The second half was better, in the first half we were sloppy sometimes with the passing, we lost a lot of ball," Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen said. "We started well but the first half was not great." While Olympiakos is yet to earn a point at the bottom of Group B, Arsenal has a maximum six points after beating Montpellier 2-1 two weeks ago.

"It gives us more confidence to have two wins from two," Vermaelen said. "The most important thing is to win your home games. We want to keep it going." But the Gunners were hesitant in the first half in the wake of their first loss of the season on Saturday in the Premier League against Chelsea.

credits to: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/oct/03/arsenal-olympiakos-champions-league


Olympiacos (4-2-3-1): Megyeri; Diakité, Manolas, Contreras, Holebas; Siovas, Maniatis; Greco, Fuster, Machado; Mitroglou.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Mannone, Jenkinson, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Arteta, Coquelin; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Podolski; Gervinho.

GOALS: 43' Gervinho (A), 45' Mitroglou (O),  56' Podolski (A), 90' Ramsey (A) 

Barcelona beats Benfica in Champions League, Puyol terrible injury

Lionel Messi set up goals for Alexis Sánchez and Cesc Fábregas in Barcelona's 2-0 Champions League Group G victory over Benfica on Tuesday but their victory was overshadowed by a serious-looking arm injury sustained by their captain, Carles Puyol.

However, the Catalans' night was soured towards the end when captain Carles Puyol carried off on a stretcher with what appeared to be a broken arm after he landed awkwardly when attacking a corner, before Sergio Busquets was shown a straight red card two minutes from time.

Puyol had just returned from a hamstring injury in the only change from the side that beat Sevilla 3-2 at the weekend and in contrast to that match Barcelona got off to the perfect start in Lisbon as Messi's fantastic driven cross was just out of the reach of Artur and Sanchez slid in to notch his first goal of the season.

Barca were the better side in the first half, dominating play as they usually do, but also looking vulnerable at moments. Benfica had a couple great chances, forcing two good saves from Victor Valdés, but it was the usual suspects who put Barcelona ahead at halftime.

"There is only one ball and when they have the ball for three quarters of the match it is very hard," said Benfica playmaker Pablo Aimar, who Messi has said was his childhood idol.

Barca doubled their lead after the break when Messi cut in from the right and with a trademark dash left several defenders trailing. He then slid a perfect ball through to Fabregas who coolly slotted in.

"They are, in my opinion, the best in the world, always get more than 70 percent of possession and boss around every opponent," said Benfica coach Jorge Jesus.

Things got ugly and physical late and nearly boiled over when Sergio Busquets was shown a straight red card in the final minutes. It was a terrible call by the referee who claimed he'd gone in with his elbow, but replays showed there was virtually no contact.

The match was fairly uneventful for the next 50 minutes or so. Barcelona dominated possession, but Benfica did muster a few good looks. In fact, they were getting off more shots on goal than Barcelona. 

But Barca kept plugging away, and when Cesc Fábregas broke away to take a Messi pass and netted a goal in the 55th minute, this match was all but over. 

Messi was up to his usual brilliant tricks. While he didn't add a goal in this one, he played a nearly flawless match, and his assist on the first goal set the tone for this match in the very early going.


BENFICA (4-4-2): Artur, Pereira, Jardel, Garay, Melgarejo; Matic, Salvio, Perez (dal 60′ Aimar), Cesar (dal 46′ Martins); Lima, Gaitàn (dal 75′ Nolito). All.: Jesus

BARCELONA (4-3-3): Valdes, Alves, Puyol (dal 77′ Song), Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Xavi, Fabregas (dal 72′ Iniesta); Pedro (dall’81′ Villa), Messi, Sanchez. All.: Vilanova