The spate of new contracts for Chelsea's current squad continued Wednesday with Brazilian centreback Alex signing a new four-year deal at the English Premier League leaders.
The 27-year-old has been sidelined recently following surgery on his groin but resumed full training this week.
"I am very happy to start again to train and feel no pain, and to sign for four more years," Alex said.
The defender is also targetting a return to the Brazil side in the run-up to next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.
"To go back into the national team is important to me," he added. "Also the Chelsea team started very well this season, is at the top, and this season to win the Premier League is important to me. Now I want to play."
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti said he was delighted to tie Alex down to a long term deal.
"He is just returning from injury and surgery but he is a player I know well," Ancelotti said. "I am familiar with all of his fantastic qualities, so I am delighted he will be with us for another four years."
Alex, who has made 80 Chelsea appearances and scored seven goals since signing from PSV Eindhoven in 2007, is the second Chelsea player to commit to a new contract this week.
Ivory Coast forward Salomon Kalou signed a new deal on Monday and Didier Drogba, John Terry, Ashley Cole, John Mikel Obi, Florent Malouda, Hilario and Michael Mancienne have all penned new contracts since the end of last season.
Chelsea have been keen to tie down their current players after being banned from signing any new players until January 2010 as a result of being found guilty of inducing teenager Gael Kakuta to breach his contract with Lens two years ago.
Carlos Tevez appears to be edging closer to making a shock switch to Manchester City.
The Manchester United star, who is at the end of his two-year loan at Old Trafford, is seriously considering joining their city rivals, according to The Guardian.
Carlos Tevez has turned to Diego Maradona for advice as he decides which side of Manchester his future lies on.
The Argentine striker will decide this week whether to stay with United or move across town to City after both clubs agreed to match the price set by Tevez's adviser Kia Joorabchian.
And the input of Argentina coach Maradona could now hold the key. Tevez has been back in his homeland preparing for the World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Ecuador.
And he is torn between remaining a squad player under Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford or becoming an Eastlands cult hero in the blue revolution being led by Mark Hughes.
United want to keep the Argentina striker but they have yet to agree a deal with the player's adviser Kia Joorabchian, who is demanding £25.5million when the current deal expires at the end of the month.
Reports last night suggested Tevez had already completed his switch to Eastlands and although they were premature, the chances of that happening are increasing by the day.
Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, is considering a move for the Real Madrid forward, who is seen as surplus to requirements.
Van Nistelrooy turns 33 next month and has only recently returned to light training following surgery on his right knee.
Redknapp believes that, with Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko set to leave White Hart Lane, Van Nistelrooy’s Premier League experience could prove vital.
Wigan’s Paul Scharner is also attracting interest from Spurs and Fulham, along with Everton. The Austrian midfielder admitted: "Tottenham, Everton and Fulham are interested in me, just like Hertha (Berlin) and Hamburg. I would prefer to stay in England."
Former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric, has told the club’s new owner Sulaiman Al Fahim that they could worse than taking Redknapp back to Fratton Park for a third time. Now at Leicester, Mandaric said: "You've got to do the right thing and if bringing Harry to the club is what he needs to do, that is what he has to do."
Meanwhile, Spurs’ Mexican forward Giovani dos Santos could be set for a return to Spain, with Espanyol.
The 17-year-old centre-back currently plies his trade with Corinthians and is regarded as an extremely exciting prospect for the future.
Dodo has been quoted as saying that he expects to join the Red Devils over the summer in a transfer that would see him link up with compatriots Rafael and Fabio da Silva and Rodrigo Possebon.
United have yet to indicate whether they will swoop for Dodo but the thought of such a move has angered 1970 World Cup winner Carlos Alberto.
Alberto finds it infuriating that big European clubs are able to sign Brazilian youngsters and has called on Fifa to change its laws.
"It is disgraceful United are allowed to do this to Brazilian football," Alberto said in the Manchester Evening News.
"The big teams have the money and can take our best players. It is a big problem in Brazil.
"The clubs cannot keep good young players because they can make much more money in other countries. They should change the law so, at least until the age of 20 or 21, the best players play in Brazil and get experience before moving to Europe.
Berbatov has been criticised by United fans since his club-record £30.75 million move from Tottenham for his laid back approach and nonchelant demeanour on the pitch.
It did not help matters that the Bulgarian managed only 14 goals in all competitions last season, with a section of United supporters even booing the 28-year-old towards the end of the campaign.
Notoriously haughty Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov has shown his deferential side by admitting that he regards Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson as an unquestioned authority.
"All the players have huge respect for him," he said. "You can be tying up your boots but when he begins to talk you just freeze and listen to him. His word is law to us."
The 28-year-old's high-and-mighty demeanour has not exactly endeared himself to the United fans, who will have perhaps been pleasantly surprised to hear him strike such a submissive tone when speaking of the gaffer.
However, Berbatov believes the criticism is unfair and that he contributes more than just goals.
He said: "I want people to remember me as a very good and skilful player. I don't want to be remembered as a top scorer.
"I have played with strikers with 100 goals who can't control the ball. It seems like a three metre pass when they are trying to control the ball with their feet."
Recent reports have suggested Berbatov might even be on his way out of Old Trafford. However, the player's agent, Emile Danchev, has said such claims are wide of the mark.
Danchev said: "Despite speculation that he may leave, I want to declare that Dimitar will play for Manchester United next season.
"He will stay and we hope he will win what he missed out on this year." The former Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham star went on to insist that lifting the Premier League trophy meant more to him than winning the Champions League would have.
"Yes, it was my number one aim," Berbatov was quoted as saying by Sky Sports. "Probably, I was much more pleased than my team-mates but it was my first title after all.
"I think it's understandable since Ryan Giggs told me he has eleven championship medals."
Manchester United have accepted a world record 80 million pound bid for Christiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. Manchester United said on Thursday they have received a world record 80 million pound bid for forward Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid.
According to reports the club has accepted the offer from Real.
The Portuguese winger has been insisting to join the Spanish giants after two years of courting.
"At Cristiano's request - who has again expressed his desire to leave - and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player," a statement on the United website said.
"Matters are expected to be concluded by 30 June. The club will not comment until further notice."
The move comes just four days after Kaka was confirmed as the first signing of what will be a incredible summer of spending from Madrid.
Sources said the deal was agreed when Ramon Calderon was at the helm of affairs at the Santiago Bernebeu and the new president Florentino Perez has merely ensured the formalities are completed.
Perez has promised to deliver a "spectacular sporting project" built around the world's greatest players, and local media have spoken of a 300 million euro war chest which will be used to finance a second 'Galactico era' at the Bernabeu.
Having lured the likes of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham to Real earlier in the decade, Perez's flagship first signing on his return was Kaka.
It was a declaration of intent and a dig at his predecessor.
He has also spoken of interest in Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, Bayern Munich's Ribery, Liverpool's Xabi Alonso and Valencia duo David Villa and David Silva.
New coach Manuel Pellegrini is the man tasked with blending these talents into a team capable of challenging treble-winners Barcelona.
Birmingham have agreed a deal to bring exciting young Ecuador striker Christian Benitez to the English Premier League. The newly-promoted club announced that they have agreed a fee with Benitez's Mexican club Santos Laguna and finalised personal terms with the 23-year-old, who will travel to England next week for a medical.
Birmingham would not disclose how much they have agreed to pay for the striker but the fee is reported to be in the region of nine million pounds, which would surpass the previous club record of 6.25 million paid for Emile Heskey in 2004.
Benitez - son of Ecuador's all-time leading goalscorer, Ermen - played for his country at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany and has scored 31 goals in 58 games in Mexico's Primera Division over the last two campaigns.
He recently underwent surgery on a shoulder injury.
Aon Corp (AOC.N), the world's largest insurance broker, has agreed a four-year deal to sponsor the shirts of English Premier League champions Manchester United from the start of the 2010-11 season. Manchester United will replace the three-letter logo of one American insurer, now emblazoned on players’ shirts, with the three-letter logo of another American insurer.
United's current 14 million pounds ($23.25 million) a year deal with U.S. insurance giant American International Group (AIG.N) runs out in June 2010.
Details of the agreement were not disclosed but U.S. media reports said it was worth about 20 million pounds a year.
"We are delighted to be entering such an important relationship with a company of the stature of Aon and to have its logo adorn our shirts from the start of the 2010-11 season," United chief executive David Gill said in a statement.
"We look forward to being closely aligned with the world leader in risk management, a firm which shares our values and is an exciting partner for Manchester United.
"Today's announcement clearly strengthens our position as one of the biggest clubs in world football."
“They are the brand that everyone wants to associate with,” said Nigel Currie, director of Brand Rapport, a sponsorship agency in Guildford, England.
David Gill, chief executive of Manchester United, said the deal “clearly strengthens our position as one of the biggest clubs in world football.” United won the Premier League title last month for the third year in a row to continue their domination of English football but they lost 2-0 to Barcelona in the Champions League final to end the season on a disappointing note.
The deal represents a coup for Aon, which has secured one of the most prestigious advertising deals in sport with United's huge global fan base making them one of the top prizes in sports sponsorship.
Patience, flair and a brilliant game of keep-away prevailed over force Wednesday night when Barcelona dominated Manchester United, 2-0, to win the European Champions League title, Europe’s most prestigious club soccer tournament.
Barcelona controlled the ball for long stretches with its unhurried and clever passing, attacked incessantly, held tight with a patchwork defense and made a tactical switch at forward, placing Lionel Messi as a central striker and shifting Samuel Eto’o to the right wing. Eventually, Messi drifted into midfield to secure possession. Both he and Eto’o delivered goals as Barcelona won its third European title and second in four years.
It will be left to Barcelona’s supporters to gleefully debate whether this is the Catalans’ greatest team, now that the first-year coach Pep Guardiola has guided his squad to the Spanish League title, the Spanish Cup and now the European Cup with a style that is familiarly elegant and ebullient. For a night, it was enough for Barcelona fans — seemingly the vast majority among 72,000 at Olympic Stadium — to celebrate with cameras that flashed like fireflies as the trophy was held aloft in a shower of confetti.
“We are not the best team of history, but we have played the best season in history to win three titles and the way we won,” said Guardiola, 38, who has won a European championship both as a Barcelona player and coach.
Manchester United, meanwhile, lost for the first time in 26 Champions League matches and failed to defend its 2008 title. Even with four attackers in the second half, the English Premier League champions often seemed lethargic, uninvolved — at times unrecognizable — after missing several chances in the early minutes of the game.
So strong and constrictive on most nights, the Manchester United defense was unable to subdue the organized and creative Barcelona attack, which flowed with the inevitability of water through any available crease. Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester manager, dismissed his defense as “shoddy.”
Guardiola had urged his Barcelona players to be daring, and after the victory said, “We wanted to say we played and were not being cowards.” He added, “There’s nothing more dangerous than not taking risks.” Pep Guardiola dedicated Barcelona's 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the final of the Champions League Wednesday to Italian football legend Paolo Maldini.
Barcelona’s one apparent weakness, a depleted defense, never became a liability. Dani Alves and Éric Abidal were suspended and Rafael Márquez was shelved with injury. But Guardiola found a reliable solution, placing Carles Puyol at right back, Yaya Touré in central defense alongside Gerard Piqué and Sylvinho at left back. They remained impenetrable.
Guardiola made another adroit move up front. Last year in the Champions League semifinals, Manchester United’s left back, Patrice Evra, had handcuffed Messi on the right wing. On Wednesday, Guardiola countered with Messi as a central striker, moving Eto’o outside. Later, Messi retreated into midfield and, along with Xavi Hernández, helped Barcelona control the ball as if it were tethered to his foot. Sometimes, it seemed minutes passed before Manchester United could regain possession from the smaller, more dexterous Barcelona players.
“If they get in front of you, they’re very difficult to beat,” Ferguson said. “They can keep the ball in areas of the field where it is difficult to protect.”
Early on, it was Manchester United that threatened to dominate. After missing several inviting opportunities, though, the team deflated, never regaining its spirit and vigor.
In the second minute, forward Cristiano Ronaldo drove a low, hard free kick that bounced and could not be smothered by Victor Valdés, the Barcelona goalkeeper. Park Ji-sung, Manchester United’s tireless winger and the first Asian player to participate in a Champions League final, pounced on the rebound, but a Barcelona defender slid across his path. The shot deflected high over the crossbar. Ronaldo later lashed two shots wide, unfulfilled chances that Manchester United could not afford.
“Losing that first goal was decisive for us,” Ferguson said. “We couldn’t recover from that.”
Barcelona quickly struck back. In the 10th minute, midfielder Andrés Iniesta, recovered from a thigh injury, played the ball to Eto’o on the right flank. Eto’o, a Cameroonian forward, cut sharply inside, turning the defender Nemanja Vidic, leaving him corkscrewed and helpless. Eto’o punched the ball into the net off the left hand of Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, giving Barcelona the only goal it would need.
After halftime, Manchester United clearly needed an infusion of energy, but neither the replacement forwards Carlos Tévez nor Dimitar Barbatov could kick-start a somnolent engine.
And soon the game fell out of reach.
In the 70th minute, Puyol stole a pass for Barcelona, beginning a magical sequence that finished with Xavi chipping a superb pass from outside the area to a waiting Messi, six yards from the goal, unattended by two defenders. He headed the ball over van der Sar’s head and Barcelona took an insurmountable 2-0 lead. Now it is Messi, not Ronaldo, who is certain to gain favor as the world’s greatest player.
“We didn’t have to win to know he’s the best,” Guardiola said.
In the end, though, Barcelona did win, primarily by getting the ball and refusing to give it back.
“For us, we are a horrible team, a disaster team, when we don’t have the ball,” Guardiola said. “We need the ball. We got it.”
Arsenal cruised past Villarreal 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium to make it through 4-1 overall and set up a mouth-watering tie between the two Barclays Premier League sides.
Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie (penalty) were on the scoresheet as Arsene Wenger's youngsters defied their injury worries in defence to wrap up the tie.
The Spaniards then had Sebastian Eguren dismissed and the hosts were able to conserve energy for their FA Cup tie against Chelsea at the weekend.
So now old rivals Sir Alex Ferguson and Wenger must battle it out over two matches for the right to go to the Rome final on 27th May. Chelsea play Barcelona in the other semi-final tie.
Chelsea kept their title hopes alive after surviving an incredible Bolton Wanderers fightback in a seven-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea were 4-0 in front and cruising to victory when coach Guus Hiddink replaced Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard in the 65th minute.
Two goals from Drogba, a Lampard penalty and Michael Ballack's first league goal of the season had put Chelsea in total command.
But battling Bolton scored three times in 11 minutes through Andy O'Brien, Chris Basham and Matt Taylor to give the Blues an almighty scare.
The result leaves Chelsea just four points behind leaders Manchester United at the top of the Barclays Premier League.
United also have a match in hand but Chelsea are determined to keep the pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson's team.
Bolton had the better of the opening exchanges with Chelsea looking a pale shadow of the side that demolished Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek.
The home side were almost caught out in the second minute when a free-kick from Taylor was palmed away by goalkeeper Petr Cech as it arrowed towards the top corner.
Chelsea's best response was a 20-yard drive by Drogba that Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen did well to keep out.
Federico Macheda climbed off the bench to snatch victory for the second time in a week as Manchester United clawed their way back to the top of the Barclays Premier League table.
The 17-year-old Italian needed just 45 seconds to claim three points for his side with a 76th-minute winner at Sunderland and send the reigning champions back above Liverpool, who had briefly headed them as a result of their 4-0 win over Blackburn Rovers.
His intervention could not have been more timely with the Black Cats having dragged themselves back into the match courtesy of Kenwyne Jones' 55th-minute equaliser, his first goal since 7th February.
United looked to be in complete control when Paul Scholes capped a dominant start by heading the visitors into a 19th-minute lead, but they allowed the Wearsiders back into the match in front of a partisan crowd of 45,408.
Sir Alex Ferguson's troops will now regroup ahead of their testing Champions League quarter-final, second leg trip to Porto on Wednesday evening knowing they remain a point clear of Liverpool with a match in hand in the race for the Barclays Premier League title.
By contrast, Sunderland face a monumental home fixture with fellow strugglers Hull City at the Stadium of Light next weekend with their top-flight status very much in the balance.
Manchester United have retained their top position in the Premiership after a dramatic match at Old Trafford on April 5 that saw the scoreline swing several times. United opened the scoring in the 13th minute with Cristiano Ronaldo on target from an indirect free-kick inside the penalty area, but lost their grip and managed to fall behind after a 31st minute John Carew and a 58th minute Gabriel Agbonlahor goals.
United regrouped and pushed everything they had forward in attack to bridge the gap with Liverpool, who were two points ahead of them in the table, having won a day earlier against Fulham. Ronaldo then scored again in the 80th minute and debutant Federico Macheda scored a third in added time, insuring that Alex Ferguson's men would claim the three points and intensify the drama at the top of the Premiership.
The win put United back on the top of the table, a point clear of Liverpool and with a game in hand. After the match, Ferguson was quoted as saying by the United website: "The surge towards the end of every game at United is always great and you always hope you can get something out of it."
"It doesn't always happen, but the drive and determination to do so is always there. We were seven or eight players short against Villa, but you could see how the young lads were prepared to go right until the very end.
Regarding Macheda, Alex Ferguson said: "His whole contribution was fantastic from the minute he arrived. He made some penetrative runs and was a threat all the time; I actually thought he could have had a penalty when he went for header not long after he came on."
"I said 'well done' to him afterwards, but he'll need to keep his feet on the ground because he'll get a lot of publicity over the next few days and he'll need to handle that."
15 Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
13 Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
12 Kevin Davies (Bolton Wanderers)
11 Frank Lampard (Chelsea) Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) Peter Crouch (Portsmouth) Robinho (Manchester City)
10 Amr Zaki (Wigan Athletic) Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal) Darren Bent (Tottenham Hotspur)
9 Carlton Cole (West Ham United) Robin van Persie (Arsenal) Matthew Taylor (Bolton Wanderers) Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) Fernando Torres (Liverpool) Djibril Cisse (Sunderland) Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
10 Amr Zaki (Wigan Athletic) Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa)
9 Robin van Persie (Arsenal) Kevin Davies (Bolton Wanderers) Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) Frank Lampard (Chelsea) Darren Bent (Tottenham Hotspur) Djibril Cisse (Sunderland) Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
8 Peter Crouch (Portsmouth) Carlton Cole (West Ham United) Fernando Torres (Liverpool) Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) Michael Owen (Newcastle United) Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal)
7 Benni McCarthy (Blackburn Rovers) Matthew Taylor (Bolton Wanderers) Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool) Stephen Ireland (Manchester City) Kenwyne Jones (Sunderland) Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United) Craig Bellamy (Manchester City)
New Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink met his players for the first time on Thursday at the club's Cobham training headquarters.
Hiddink has replaced Luiz Felipe Scolari, who was sacked on Monday, and although he doesn't officially take charge until next week the Dutchman flew into England ahead of Saturday's FA Cup fifth round tie at Watford to get to know the squad.
He was greeted at Cobham by chief executive Peter Kenyon, who gave the former Australia and South Korea coach a tour of the main building and met some of the players in the treatment room.
Hiddink, who will remain as Russia coach as well as working for Chelsea until the end of the season, was introduced to staff before continuing to the first-team dressing room where he met the remaining first team players.
Those who had played major roles on international duty undertook their recovery session in the state-of-the-art swimming pool, while Hiddink accompanied chairman Bruce Buck out on to the training field to watch the main session, led by Ray Wilkins.
They were later joined by club owner Roman Abramovich and director Eugene Tenenbaum.
Assistant coach Wilkins, who will lead the team against Watford, chatted with the new coach who will start work with the squad on the training ground from Monday.
Luiz Felipe Scolari has been sensationally sacked by Chelsea. Luiz Felipe Scolari was hired to take Chelsea back to the top of the Premier League. Instead, the former World Cup-winning coach from Brazil is leaving the London club with the Blues in fourth place and falling further behind leader Manchester United.
The Brazilian, who joined the Premier League club last summer, was expected to reinvigorate the club's fortunes and lead them to titles at home and in Europe, but after a poor run of form the axe has fallen.
Scolari's dismissal as Chelsea manager on Monday came only two days after another poor performance in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Hull. Chants of "You don't know what you're doing" from the Chelsea fans echoed around Stamford Bridge when Scolari made substitutions on Saturday.
Assistant coach Ray Wilkins was placed in interim charge of the team Monday, pending the appointment of Scolari's successor, and it was Wilkins who faced the media Saturday, admitting the weaknesses of the side.
"There seems to be a bit of anxiety among the lads when they don't get the early goal," Wilkins said about the club that Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich had hoped to turn into a powerhouse of world football since taking over 5 1/2 years ago.
Edson Aranate do Nascimento, better known as Pele, openly criticized the recent behavior of the international soccer star Robinho on Wednesday.
Speaking from Rio De Janeiro, whilst sitting with FIFA president Joseph Blatter, Robinho's former mentor is quoted as saying by several worldwide news outlets, "It's bad news because, as Brazilians, we fight to create a good image abroad. What happened with Robinho, as well as other players like Adriano and Ronaldo have ruined the image of Brazilian soccer players around the world."
Pele made the remarks next to Jose Serra, the mayor of the city Sao Paulo and the FIFA president Joseph Blatter.
Robinho is currently being investigated for allegedly raping a girl in a nightclub in England on Jan. 14.
Brazilian soccer star Robinho denied wrongdoing after English police questioned him about allegations of a sexual assault, his spokesman said Wednesday. Robinho, British soccer’s most expensive signing, denied wrongdoing after reports that he was arrested and questioned over an alleged sex assault.
The 25-year-old soccer forward was released on bail by police after being questioned late Tuesday in Leeds, England, where the crime was alleged to have taken place at a nightclub early on Jan. 14. Robinho then played in a 2-1 victory over Newcastle on Wednesday night.
“We can confirm that Robinho met the police, as pre- arranged and as part of a criminal investigation,” Robinho’s spokesman Chris Nathaniel was quoted as saying on the player’s personal Web site. “He strenuously denies any allegation of wrongdoing or criminality and is happy to cooperate with the police if required further.”
Manchester City star Robinho claimed in a telephone call to Brazil coach Dunga that the 18-year-old woman accusing him of sexual assault is an opportunist.
Last week Robinho left a club training camp in Tenerife without authorization to go to Brazil on what he said was a family matter. He’s now returned to City and faces a club fine of two weeks’ wages, or about 300,000 pounds, according to U.K. press reports.
Brazil head coach Dunga has voiced his support for Manchester City forward Robinho after he was questioned following allegations of a serious sexual assault in Leeds.
The British record signing was questioned by police on Tuesday and issued a statement on his website denying any "wrongdoing or criminality".
And, ahead of Brazil's friendly with Italy at Emirates Stadium on 10th February, Dunga has backed the former Real Madrid player.
"I have no reason to doubt the word of Robinho," said Dunga.
"He is a player on whom I have been able to count every time I have needed him and who has shown exemplary professional behaviour when he has been in the national squad."
Dunga assured Robinho that there was no threat to his place on Brazil’s roster for an exhibition game against Italy on Feb. 10 in London. “Robinho told Dunga that he’s a victim of an opportunist and that he has done everything necessary in the legal sense to clarify the matter, in which he had no participation,” the Brazilian Football Federation said on its Web site.
Manchester City claimed all three points thanks to a 1-0 win over Wigan Athletic in the Barclays Premier League.
Pablo Zabaleta steered 10-man Manchester City to victory against Wigan with his first goal for the club.
The Argentinian showed good skill to rattle home a shot from 20 yards in the 51st minute after Daniel Sturridge's cross had only been half-cleared.
A minute later City were reduced to 10 men when skipper Richard Dunne was sent off and Wigan should have equalised only for Amr Zaki to head over from close range.
Two late goals capped a dramatic fightback by Chelsea who were made to work hard for their win.
Rory Delap put Stoke City in front with a 59th minute goal but Juliano Belletti, on for Jose Bosingwa, headed a dramatic equaliser with three minutes remaining.
Then in second-half stoppage time Frank Lampard slammed the ball home from 20 yards for a sensational finish.
Manchester United moved to the Barclays Premier League summit after scoring a last-minute goal.
It appeared the Red Devils would have to settle for a point despite keeping a record-equalling 10th clean sheet.
But when Carlos Tevez broke free of the Bolton Wanderers defence, his cross was perfect for Dimitar Berbatov, who finally broke Jussi Jaaskelainen's brave resistance.
League leaders Liverpool had to settle for a point after failing to break down a feisty Stoke City.
Liverpool welcome Fernando Torres back in the side as they travel to the Britannia Stadium to face Stoke today. Steven Gerrard twice rattled the woodwork in the last five minutes and Dirk Kuyt steered a header wide from a good position. The Spanish striker has been out of action since November, but takes his place on the bench. Also back in the squad is midfielder Javier Mascherano who has recovered from a knock which he picked up in the FA Cup win over Preston last week.
However, Stoke City also carved out a number of good chances and Rory Delap should have scored only for his close-range effort to hit the underside of the bar.
Midfielder Xabi Alonso is out with a foot injury, but veteran defender Sami Hyypia makes his 700th club career appearance.
Stoke meanwhile hand Matthew Etherington his debut after joining from West Ham this week. Dave Kitson starts as Ricardo Fuller remains suspended, while fellow striker Richard Cresswell plays strike partner to the former Reading man.
Birmingham City have signed winger Scott Sinclair on loan from Chelsea on an initial one-month deal. The 19-year-old has already established himself as one of the most exciting attacking players of his age having enjoyed previous loan spells at Plymouth, Queens Park Rangers, Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace over the last two years. England Under-19 international Sinclair is expected to make his debut in Saturday's Championship match against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.
The IFFHS (International Federation of Football History and Statistics) released their annual report and named the EPL as world number one. The English Premier League is the top football league in the world for the second consecutive year. This is largely due to last season's Champions League, which was dominated by English teams.
The IFFHS generate a ranking using a statistical formula based primarily on the performance of teams from the various national leagues in continental tournaments. The recent strong performances of English teams in International club competition, particularly the European Champions League, has resulted in the EPL dominating the ranks for the past couple of years.
La Liga drop down to fourth - according to the IFFHS, the Spanish clubs did poorly in the Champions League and UEFA Cup, as well as other competitions which are taken into consideration.
The Italian Serie A was in second place after receiving the same amount of points as last year.
Primera Division Argentina was third best league in the world, after achieving multiple successes in the CONEMBOL competitions of 2008.
The Netherlands Eredivisie is not listed as Dutch clubs made little impression in European competition.
Here is the list of the top ten national leagues according to the IFFHS 2008 report:
Defending champion Manchester United cruised to a 3-0 victory at second tier 10-man Southampton in the FA Cup on Sunday and will host Tottenham in the fourth round.
Danny Welbeck got the opening goal after 20 minutes and Nani added a 48th-minute penalty kick for the record 11-time F.A. Cup champion. Darron Gibson made it 3-0 after 81 minutes.
Facing a 10-man team that is struggling in the League Championship, United created many more chances but appeared lucky to its second goal. Nani scored from the penalty spot in the 48th minute for a handball against Southampton's David McGoldrick. Darron Gibson added the third in the 81st after a strong run by Wayne Rooney.
Matthew Paterson of second-tier Southampton was dismissed after 37 minutes for a challenge on Nemanja Vidic.
The Saints had an upset 1-0 win over United in the 1976 final, the only time they’ve won the tournament.
Aston Villa won 2-1 at Gillingham and will travel to Cheltenham or Doncaster in the next round.
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The spate of new contracts for Chelsea's current squad continued Wednesday with Brazilian centreback Alex signing a new four-year deal at the English Premier League leaders.
